Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ontario courts move to decriminalize prostitution

Ontario courts move to decriminalize prostitution

What Paladino Wants

Adirondack Almanack: Adirondack Moose Numbers Continue to Rise

Adirondack Almanack: Adirondack Moose Numbers Continue to Rise

Adirondack Almanack: Adirondack Moose Numbers Continue to Rise

Moose numbers in New York continue to increase rapidly, with upwards of 800 moose estimated in the northern part of the state, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) projects this fall. That is up from 500 just three years ago and from 50-100 moose in the late 1990s. Moose are currently a protected species in new York State.

As their population has grown in New England and Canada, Alces Alces, or the North American Moose, began migrating to New York in the last decade, establishing a base in the North Country. That trend has continued with increases in young and adult moose populations and increased sightings by hunters and the public at large. DEC biologists stress that the population numbers are estimated but that the growth is clear.

"The return of the moose has been one of New York's environmental success stories," said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis in a press reelase issued yesterday. "In the last four decades, moose, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, ravens and ospreys have established themselves in the North Country after long absences. Additionally, beaver, otter and fisher populations have flourished to the point that there are now trapping seasons for them. It's wonderful to see the progress that's been made."

Motorists Alert

With the moose numbers on the rise, DEC warned motorists to be alert for moose on roadways in the Adirondacks and surrounding areas at this time of year – a peak of moose activity. Early fall is the breeding season for moose in northern New York and during this time moose are wandering far and wide, leading them to areas where they are not typically seen. While this improves sighting opportunities for the public, it also increases the danger of colliding with a moose on the roadway.

Much larger and taller than deer, a moose causes greater damage to vehicles, and when struck their height often causes them to impact the windshield of a car or pickup truck, not just the front of the vehicle. Last year ten moose/vehicle accidents were reported in New York (with no human fatalities).

Moose are most active at dawn and dusk, which are times of poor visibility. Moose are especially difficult to see at night because of their dark brown to black coloring and their height - which puts their head and much of their body above vehicle headlights.

* DEC advises motorists to take the following precautions:

* Use extreme caution when driving at dawn or dusk, especially during Sept. and Oct.

* Reduce your speed, stay alert and watch the roadsides.

* Slow down when approaching moose standing near the roadside, as they may bolt at the last minute when a car comes closer, often running into the road.

* Moose may travel in pairs or small groups, so if a moose is spotted crossing the road, be alert for others that may follow.

* Make sure all vehicle occupants wear seatbelts and children are properly restrained in child safety seats.

* Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn other drivers when moose are spotted near the road.

* Motorcyclists should be especially alert for moose.

* If a moose does run in front of your vehicle, brake firmly but do not swerve. Swerving can cause a vehicle-vehicle collision or cause the vehicle to hit a fixed object such as a tree or pole.

* If a moose is hit and killed by a vehicle, the motorist should not remove the animal unless a permit is obtained from the investigating officer at the scene of the accident.

DEC continues to work with the state Department of Transportation to identify areas where moose are present along roads and have warning signs placed.

Photo: A Moose in Essex County in December 2008 by Ed Reed, NYSDEC. DEC maintains a photo gallery of New York Moose here.

Adirondack Almanack: Local Museums, History Scaled Back Over Economy

The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake has announced that it will close it's satellite retail store in Lake Placid on October 30th. The store, which opened in 2003, was an initial step in the museum's long-range plan to reach out to communities in the Adirondack Park. Lake Placid was considered by museum officials to be the best place to begin.

"The subsequent and continuing economic downturn have forced a strategic re-thinking of the museum's plans," Adirodnack Museum spokesperson Katherine Moore told the press in a recent announcement. "At the present time it is no longer feasible to operate two retail operations and maintain a growing online sales presence." The museum will concentrate its efforts and financial resources on the Blue Mountain Lake campus Moore told the press.

It's the second set-back for the Adirondack Museum in Lake Placid. In June of 2008, the museum ended its plan to erect a building on Main Street to house a new branch of the museum and its existing store. That decision was made "very reluctantly" museum officials said, citing a strained economic situation.

Last year, Adirondack Museum Marketing Director Susan Dineen told WNBZ that they were feeling the effects of the recession. “Like many large nonprofit institutions, our endowment has seen a downturn,” she told Chris Morris, “It’s unavoidable.” Dineen said today that the museum has not yet instituted a museum-wide hiring freeze or any layoffs. However, three employees at the Lake Placid store have been notified that their positions will be eliminated.

The Adirondack Museum's economic travails are part of wider trend for local historical organizations. First Fort Ticonderoga faced financial ruin after Deborah Mars, a Ticonderoga native married to the billionaire co-owner of the Mars candy company Forrest Mars Jr., bailed on her long-time support for the fort just before completion of a new $23 million Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. The Mars paid for nearly all of the new building's construction but left before it was finished leaving Fort Ti about two million dollars in debt.

Then there was the well-publicized New York State Historic Site closure debacle that threatened the John Brown Farm in Essex County and the Macomb Reservation State Park and Point Au Roche State Park, both in Clinton County.

The long-awaited preservation of Rogers Island in Fort Edward is on hold after preservation funds dried up in July. Earlier this month, Governor David Paterson vetoed a bill that would have funded the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of America's Second War of Independence, the War of 1812.

The news about the Adirondack Museum's retreat was not the only troubling local museum news this week. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) abandoned its plan to occupy a 7,000 square foot former generating plant on the Burlington waterfront. The LCMM had planned an installation of the museum's collection of historic shipwrecks.

“The City of Burlington has done an outstanding job putting together a sound plan for redeveloping the Moran site, but the Maritime Museum has significant concerns about our ability to raise sufficient funds to participate in the project and the long-term financial sustainability of a future Moran maritime museum site. We felt our continued participation in the project, given our funding concerns, was not helpful to the City in meeting their overall goal of redeveloping the Moran site,” Art Cohn, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, announced.

Photo: The Adirondack Museum's store on Main Street in Lake Placid. Photo courtesy Sarah and Marc Galvin, Owners of The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid.

Adirondack Almanack: Local Museums, History Scaled Back Over Economy

Adirondack Almanack: Local Museums, History Scaled Back Over Economy

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Home - Pete Klein's Vampire Fiction

Banned Book Week


Just in case you forgot or didn't know, Banned Book Week takes place this year from Sept. 26 to October 23.
This from the American Library Association (ALA): "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.
"Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them."
While most libraries are pretty good at standing up for books that have been banned or could be banned, can the same be said of book sellers?
I think not.
While I would not want to see any book seller forced to stock all books, I do want to point out how books can be and often are banned without there being any fanfair over it. I have had some booksellers tell me, "Your books are not appropriate for our readers." When this happens, the books are not even given the chance to be banned.
I wish only to point out how many books are banned without even given the chance of getting free publicity by being officially banned.
My view is simple. Every reader has the right to read or not read a book. But things become difficult when the reader isn't allowed to decide what they want to read or not read because they don't know what they could decide upon because some bookseller has made the choice for them.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ravenwolf Publsihing

The Vampire Valkyrie Part two of The Dancing Valkyrie sagasThe Vampire Valkyrie Part two of The Dancing Valkyrie sagas (book)

Download: $15.99

Hardcover Print: $22.76

"The Vampire Valkyrie" takes off where "The Dancing Valkyrie" concluded and resumes the tale of a young female vampire who just may be the most dangerous vampire in vampire fiction to date. "The Vampire Valkyrie" is the story of a young vampire woman who is an erotic dancer at a topless club she owns in Schenectady, NY. A Schenectady City Councilwoman wants to pass legislation to close down or strictly limit the operation of adult businesses, an a upstate crime boss wants control of Mary and her club and a New York City crime family seeks to discredit the upstate crime boss through Mary and her club. Many people die, both the innocent and the guilty, as a result of Mary's determination to save herself, her girls and her club, while wondering if she should stop being involved with humans and just kill all who infringe upon her freedom as a vampire.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Free book


Get a free book.
I am looking for some reviews on my latest book - "Confessions of an Online Male Prostitute." This is a novella of about 26,000 words, written in the first person and made to look as though it is a memoir, which it is not.
The book is about a middle age married man who seeks to discover something about his youthful past that has been buried deep within his mind. It involves an incident where he may or may not have been raped by an older man. Though having lived as a heterosexual and having been married for many years, he sometimes wonders what it might be like to have consensual sex with another man. He experiments online by becoming a performer in an online web site where plays out his fantasy for paying customers. One of his customers wants to meet him in person and a meeting is arranged where he discovers a passion he may have been repressing or maybe he is just starved for the sex he and his wife haven't shared for a number of years

The book is currently available online in both print or for download at Amazon.

So here is the deal. Purchase the book in either print or ebook format, read it and write a review. Once you have written the review and posted it on Amazon, send me an email at ravenwolfpublishing@gmail.com, along with your address and a copy of your receipt from Amazon, and I will send an autographed copy of one of my other books, your choice, at no cost to you.

Hope to hear from you.

Pete Klein

Saturday, September 18, 2010

http://www.freewebs.com/peteklein/

http://www.freewebs.com/peteklein/

Telling Adam about my books

Answers for Adam

Someone by the name of Adam from Plattsburg, NY, wanted me to answer some questions about my writing. I thought some might be interested in my replies to him.
First, here are his questions: “It seems like sexuality when it comes to these vampires may be a prominent theme in the book. Are there any sort of moral issues that come with your characters being promiscuous? I remember hearing about The Twilight novels and how they treated sexuality and it was very subdued but very intimate, I think mostly because of Meyers religion, but has anyone ever disagreed with the promiscuity of the vampires? Why have them be so promiscuous in the first place?
“Also, when did you first start writing your first novel? Was it before, during, or after this giant vampire craze that's going on? Have you included werewolves in your stories at all? I understand that vampires are very human fictitious monsters, but werewolves turn into people. I feel it's like vampires are part human, part vampire, and werewolves can be either one or the other once they transform. Have you ever included them? Do you avoid any popular vampire cliches that come with your novels?”
Here were my answers:
“First, I really don’t consider myself a journalist. I don’t even like the term. I prefer to call myself a writer because that is what I do. When Hamlet was asked what he was reading, he replied, “Words.” I write words whether I am writing fiction, reporting or writing non-fiction about the outdoors.
“Originally, in high school, I thought I would like to be either a writer or an actor. I did study acting for a year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York but dropped out for a variety of reasons, mostly money.
“What followed was the usual: having a job, getting married, raising a family. Throughout those years I read much, thought much and would do some writing that would end up in the garbage without taking anything to completion. My reading was far ranging from philosophy, theology, history, science plays and novels.
“Concerning vampires. My interest goes back to the 50's when I first saw the original Dracula. Since my grandmother came to this country from Romania, I asked her if there was any truth to the story. She said it was just a bunch of foolish superstition. But my interest remained. I eventually read the novel and liked it.
“When you asked me if Stephanie Meyer had anything to do with me deciding to write about vampires, I paused for a moment to think of who you were talking about. Then I realized you were talking about the author of the Twilight books which I have not read. I did see one of the movies and thought it was rather tame and aimed at the young teen girl crowd.
“No, she had nothing to do with what I write. If anyone started me down the path to look at writing vampire novels, it was Ann Rice. I liked the way she approached the topic from the point of view of the vampire.
“Why vampires? Simply because they are the most human of all the fictional monsters. But whereas Ann continued to portray vampires as blood sucking monsters and because I don’t believe in monsters, I decided my vampires would be undiscovered creatures in the natural world of creation. I’m not saying they do exist. In my writing, I am only suggesting what they might be like if they were to exist.
“Of course, since we are talking fiction here, I couldn’t totally scrap everything ever written about vampires. My vampires do take and do need to take blood by using their fangs. They don’t age and they do have some abilities the average human does not have. But they can go out and about when the sun it out, they can eat real food and engage in real sex.
“You asked about the sex part. You used the word prostitution. For them, sex is all about pleasure and the use of pleasure to snare victims. Although they can engage in regular sex, sex is not the way for them to procreate. They can only create another vampire when the come across a human who has the gene within them, which when mixed with their blood starts the process to become a vampire. In my stories, there are very few humans who have the gene that would allow them to become a vampire.
“Since sex for them has nothing to do with procreation and has everything to do with pleasure, they do tend to be promiscuous. It’s kind of like what it would be for humans who could eat all they wanted and never have to worry about putting on any weight.
“You also ask about how I can write about vampires and write about the outdoors in a book that wouldn’t be found to be objectionable by anyone. The answer is simple. I live in a beautiful place. I have always loved the outdoors. When I was growing up in Detroit, I wished I could live in northern Michigan or Canada. I have lived in New York City and I still love the place. But I like mountains, lakes, forests and streams more. I like the cold and I like the snow. These are the reasons why I live where I do.
“And let’s face it. The idea of writing vampire stories in the Adirondacks isn’t all that difficult to understand when you consider how the remote areas of Romania aren’t all that different from the Adirondacks. They still have wolves in Romania.
“A thought on writing. Writing is the arrangement of words to create an idea in the mind of the reader. Think of words as an evolved form of hieroglyphics. Nouns create a picture. Verbs put the picture in motion. Adjectives and adverbs provide some color for the picture. If it weren’t for words, we would not be able to think with any degree of clarity. Without words we would be lost within our emotions. Words can trigger our emotions but they can also channel our emotions. So after all is said and done, you could say I like to write because I like to play with words.
“I started my vampire stories about five years ago, long before the latest craze. No werewolves, no shape shifters, no ghosts, no nothing I don't believe in.
“Sex is prominent in the books because sex is prominent for there to be any life. Sex is always intimate and very personal. Without it, we wouldn't exist.
“Just for the record, I was born and raised a Catholic and still attend Mass most every week.
“You might find the following post to a blog I have interesting. It's me commenting on an earlier post where I talk about morality. It goes as follows:
"There are some writings in the Old Testament that I believe can shed some light on this subject. In particular, I'm thinking of Adam and Eve who decided to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
"Forget about whether or not this is a true story. True story or not, it points to a major problem we humans have. If you look at the story carefully, you might ask why would they (we) want to know the difference between good and evil - and why wouldn't God want them (us) to know the difference? Maybe because God knew that knowing the difference would only make their (our) lives miserable?
"To jump forward just a bit in the story, the first thing Adam and Eve discover after gaining this precious knowledge is their nudity. Then they run to find a couple of fig leaves to cover their sexual organs when they hear God approaching. If you aren't laughing by now, I think you should be because God doesn't seem to have a problem with their sexual organs being on display. They have a problem and their real problems begins because they are ashamed of what God has created. They are ashamed of being human.
"Jump way forward and the only laws God ever gave us are the Ten Commandments as written - not interpreted but as written. It is we who burden ourselves. As we reach for the stars to become something more than human, we dig our own holes and feel more and more dirty about being human. We long to become pure spirits and fail to appreciate existing in the flesh and blood. “Yes, being of flesh and blood does mean that we will die. But without flesh and blood, we would never have even been. It's as though we search for what isn't and reject what is - all because we chose to see only darkness and never the light."
“To get back to what I was saying and what you are asking, I use my vampires to imagine an alternate morality. My vampires believe they were created by an act of God which took place when God gave Cain a mark to protect him from being killed by humans because he killed his brother Able. Maybe my above post will help explain what I am trying to do.
“Pete”

More on morality

Comment continued

Thanks to all who have stopped by and a special thanks to those who commented.
Looking back at my own post, I would like to add a comment.
There are some writings in the Old Testament that I believe can shed some light on this subject. In particular, I'm thinking of Adam and Eve who decided to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Forget about whether or not this is a true story. True story or not, it points to a major problem we humans have. If you look at the story carefully, you might ask why would they (we) want to know the difference between good and evil - and why wouldn't God want them to know the difference? Maybe because God knew that knowing the difference would only make their lives miserable?
To jump forward just a bit in the story, the first thing Adam and Eve discover after gaining this precious knowledge is their nudity. Then they run to find a couple of fig leaves to cover their sexual organs when they hear God approaching. If you aren't laughing by now, I think you should be because God doesn't seem to have a problem with their sexual organs being on display. They have a problem and their real problems begin because they are ashamed of what God has created. They are ashamed of being human.
Jump way forward and the only laws God ever gave are the Ten Commandments as written - not interpreted but as written. It is we who burden ourselves. As we reach for the stars to become something more than human, we dig our own holes and feel more and more dirty about being human. We long to become pure spirits and fail to appreciate existing in the flesh and blood. Yes, being of flesh and blood does mean that we will die. But without flesh and blood, we would never have even been. It's as though we search for what isn't and reject what is - all because we chose to see only darkness and never the light.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Blooming Bloomberg

So now Mayor Bloomberg wants to ban smoking outdoors in most places. I guess he doesn't want any revenue from cigarette taxes. Maybe he even wants to discourage tourists who do smoke from coming to the city.
The man is a control freak. Anti smoking, anti abortion, anti prostitution, anti just about anything except for murder, rape and robbery is primarily anti human nature. It's about trying to fit everyone into a one size fits all policy. The anti human people really would like everyone to be the same. Conform to my idea of perfection or suffer the consequences is their mantra.
If you are going to be truly Pro-Life, then you are going to have to learn to put up with the varieties of human nature. Not everyone can think and behave exactly like you want them to think and act. If you are going to be Pro-Life, you will also need to be Pro-Choice because life does not like sameness. Nature hates sameness. Without some chaos, life grinds to a halt and the nothingness of death takes over. Without variety, without the freedom to be different, humans would still be living in caves.
I am not suggesting anyone should smoke, have or perform an abortion, be a prostitute or use the services of a prostitute. I am suggesting these are things of human nature and to try to control them is damaging to human nature unless they are freely chosen. If you do or don't do something because of fear of being fined, imprisoned or being killed, you are not a moral person. You are a coward.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

http://www.petekleinvampires.com/

http://www.petekleinvampires.com/
Ravenwolf Publishing web site for books by Peter Klein
vampire books - The Dancing Valkyrie and The Vampire Valkyrie
Outdoor guide book - Adirondack Hikes in Hamilton County
Novella - Confessions of an Online Male Prostitute

Saturday, September 11, 2010

What is morality?

What is morality? Not any easy question to answer although my old Webster dictionary takes a stab at it and says it is, "conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct." Boy, that tells us a lot.
Injecting the word conformity into the definition doesn't sit well with people who want to be free. It doesn't sit well with people who consider themselves to be artists. While we all agree there are rules that should be followed, the problems start when we decide we don't like some of the rules.
Most, I would hope all, agree people shouldn't go around committing murder, rape or robbery, although we might fudge some of the definitions of those words. But our confusions and problems mount in direct portion to the number of rules we are confronted with. Each religion and all governments have their long, seemingly endless list of rules. Do we really need to follow all the rules to be a moral person?
None of us wants or even can be perfectly moral when we are told we must follow all of the millions of rules, laws, policies or whatever you want to call them.
The way I see it, when confronted with the millions of rules, laws and policies, we can become frustrated to the point where we are tempted to say, "The hell with it. I'm damned. I'm a sinner. I'm a criminal. I am a lousy, immoral person." When that happens all hell can break lose.
So what to do? Sorry. I don't have a silver bullet answer. It would be nice if governments and religions would clean their houses of the far too many laws and rules they seek to impose. It would be nice if they were to recognize that people are human and when you restrict them of their wants and needs, bad things can start to happen. The brain blows a fuse and the person goes crazy.
Realizing governments and religions are not about to change from being the control freaks they are, the best I can suggest is pretty much what Jesus said. Love your neighbor as (you should) love yourself and practice forgiveness towards both yourself and your neighbor.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Book updates


Working on "And God Created Vampires" but while I'm doing that, why not sink your reading fangs into my first vampire book "The Dancing Valkyrie" and my second vampire book "The Vampire Valkyrie" to get an idea of how sex and blood make a nice drink when you happen to be a really hot, topless lap dancer?
Then if you dare, pick up a copy of "Adirondack Hikes in Hamilton County" to discover the wild beauty and maybe take a hike in the place where the sexy lap dancer became a vampire.
Still want more sex? Curious about what gay sex might be like? Then join me as I imagine what my life might have been like if and if and if in my newest creation, a novella I call "Confessions of an Online Male Prostitute."
All books available online and book stores by request.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

A tree grows in the Bronx


A few days ago I returned from a one week vacation in the Bronx.
The Bronx? Yes.
Went with my wife for a week's stay at her sisters house on 231 St near Westchester Ave.
Spent much of my time doing nothing but sitting on the front steps, smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee and watching the squirrels scamper about in this huge Oak tree in front of the house. The squirrels were busy chasing each other and going far out on the branches to eat nuts. Their ability to go far out to secure their food was truly amazing.
Did a little writing while I was down there and took my best friend out for dinner near her place in Manhattan. Wow! Dinner for two, including drinks and a tip, came to $118!
I'm not going to drop any names but my best friend has been my friend since we first meet at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts back in 1964. Looking back at our long friendship, I remarked while having coffee at her place after dinner, "I've always thought of you whenever I think of or hear the one James Taylor song I've always liked. You know, the line that goes 'I've always thought I would see you one more time again.' The song, if you're wondering, is Fire & Rain.
My wife knows and understands my friendship with this "other woman" is and always has been special. My wife first met her when we got married.
Oh, I said I wasn't going to drop any names and I was thinking of my friend when I said that. She is a very well known literary agent who owns a respected agency in Manhattan. She has been my mentor, so to speak, in my pursuit of becoming a writer who can make a living at writing. It is she who encourages me to press on and who is hopeful my latest effort will be something she can market to a traditional publisher.
If that happens, that book will be dedicated to her.
By the way, she did like my latest self-published book, "Confessions of an Online Male Prostitute" but did agree with me that because of its erotic/pornographic content and because it was only Novella in length, self-publishing was the way to go with it.

http://www.petekleinvampires.com/

http://www.petekleinvampires.com/
Visit my vampire website