As you read this newsletter, war rages on in Iraq and other hotspots in the world. We take our freedom for granted and all-too-often our soldiers' welfare. Whether you believe in the cause or not, brave men and women and their families are making great sacrifices. Below, I've listed two small but important ways you can help. A little effort by a lot of people can go a long way in making a difference. Many thanks.
LIVING TIPS: GIVE & YOU SHALL RECEIVE:
The Philadelphia Veterans HOMELESS VETERANS NEED HELP: One of the sad realities
we never hear about is homeless veterans. In Philadelphia, 30% of the homeless
are veterans who served our country bravely and with honor. Funding that provides
meals and a place to shower, do laundry, or receive medical care has been drastically
cut by the Bush Administration. If every reader who receives this e- mail simply
sent in $20.00, we could make a big difference. Please send anything you can
to:
Philadelphis Veterans
Multi-Service and Education Center Inc.
213-217 N 4th St.
Philladelphia, PA 19106
The Philadelphia Veterans
215-923-VETS www.pvmsec.org
Or call Ed Lowry at 215-870-5233 and find out how you can help.
LIVING TIPS: SOLDIERS NEEDS
Over the last four years, I have sent hundreds of books to soldiers in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and have heard from many fans who have asked for addresses
to do so as well. MEG fan Suzie Perlman now makes it easier for all of us to
help:
Hello, I'm Susie Perlman of the Davie Hurricane Hatters - a local Red Hat Chapter
(which is a social organization for women over 50). Every year we collect items
for our troops overseas. This year we were able to send 9 packages and I'm currently
working on two more. Everyone has been very enthusiastic about this project
and many have asked how they too can send their own care packages. I set up
the following webpage to help assist anyone interested in doing this: Click
Here You will find soldier's names and mailing addresses there, what is most
requested by our troops and a link to the US Postal Service that lists restrictions
and other information about mailing to APO addresses. One of the Chaplains overseas,
(CH Capt. Darren Turner) is working on a special collection to deliver presents
to the soldiers in outlying camps during the Holiday Season and his address
is listed as well. Also, if you or someone you know would like to add a soldiers
name to our list please feel free to contact me with that information. Thanks
again for your interest and if I can be of any further assistance to you, I
can be reached at susievere@aol.com.
MEG: Hell's Aquarium: FREE CHAPTER DOWNLOAD
No word as of yet which publisher will be optioning the novel or the pub date,
but you can now download the first 30 + pages of MEG: Hell's Aquarium for FREE.
To receive the file click on the link below.
Go to SteveAlten.com
MEG: Hell's Aquarium: CHARACTER CONTEST - FINAL LIST
MEG: Hell's Aquarium: CHARACTER CONTEST - FINAL LIST If your name appears below,
CONGRATS! You made the FINAL cut. The destiny of your character can only be
found in the pages of the novel...
Scott, Shannon, & Shauna Jenkins, Tim Schulte, Blair Bates, Roger Gober, John LeBlanc, Jr., Joseph Michael Park, Chad True, Christopher Shane Long, Carlos Salinas, Robert Nealis Jr., Robin Rosenfeld, James Vidal, Richard Hibpshman, Timon Singh, Tom Cubit, Nick Cato, Misty Walker, Nathan Lee Torbert, Ryan Wrightsman, Chessa Manion, Dave Lounsbury, Connor Booth, Peter Carlisle, Marcus Slabine, Jeffrey Hoch, David Shiffman, Rick Magers, Debbie Umel, Peter Grier, Dr. Antonio Gotto, Michael Selby, Joseph Park, Lana, Evan, and Max Wood, Ed Hendricks, Daniel Pernini, Adam Wooten, Miguel Franco, Michael Eason, Steve Akehurst, Karim Jivani, Earl Fischl, Brian Suits, Barbara Becker, Lillie Burris, Maxine Davis, Don Ruetenik, Jesse David Brown, Ted Badaut, Rafael Herrera, Dr. Brent Nichols, Christopher Baird, Carree Crossman, Magued Wadie Ramsis Haroun, Vicky Loehr, Patrick Duncan, Lain Edwards, Steven, Mary & Annie Moretti, Hugo Boutin, Kaylie Szeifert, Sean Dustman, Jason Montgomery, Jerry Bobo, Sara Toms, Frank Youngblood, Keith Auton, Kelli McCloud, Kayla Cicala, Virgil Carmen, Christopher Eckardt, Jessica Tompson, Ricardo, Sandra & Alekzandra Rosalez, Jonathan Stelzer, Fran Rizzuto, Jason Francis, Andy Murch.
A new character contest for my next project will be announced soon.
MEG Tooth Jewelry
Last month we launched www.MEGBling.com where you can purchase an original MEG
TOOTH pendant molded from a real MEGALODON tooth. This is not costume jewelry,
each tooth is detailed and made of solid silver or gold (or platinum for our
wealthier fans). We now offer several payment plans to make things easier on
your wallets. Customer satisfaction is very high. If you are a retailer who
may be interested in offering the line in your store, contact Leisa at 740-756-7650.
A portion of October's proceeds will be donated to The Philadelphia Veterans
fund.
Another Alten prediction coming true??
In GOLIATH (published in 2000) the futuristic sub was designed in the shape
of a sting ray in order to be faster and stealthy. The two-man mini-subs that
will be introduced in MEG: Hell's Aquarium features a Manta Ray design. This
article just came out a few days ago:
Robotic ray swims rings around propeller craft
As it glides sedately beneath the waves, the ray's languid grace belies a stunning capacity for underwater maneuvers. With a flap of its wings, Aqua ray can swim upside down, loop the loop, hover or turn on a dime. As agile as a real manta ray, the rubbery, robotic acrobat is the handiwork of Rudolf Bannasch and Leif Kniese of bio-inspiration firm EvoLogics in Berlin, Germany, and could kick-start a new generation of autonomous underwater vehicles. Over the last decade AUVs, which are mostly propeller- driven, have been probing the oceans' vast depths without the need for human pilots. But although they can be customized for either fine maneuvering or long- distance cruising, only rarely can they do both. Enter battery-powered Aqua Ray: its wingspan of 1.5 meters gives it both propulsion and fine-motion control. The key to the wings' agility lies with Finray, a technology that mimics a fish tail. An avid fisherman, Kniese noticed that cartilage rods run along both sides of fish tails and meet at the tip. Strands of elastic tissue connect the rods so that when one is tugged, the tail curls up, causing the familiar waggling motion. Tugged by hydraulic actuators, not muscles, the robot wings have the same structure, curling as they flap just like a fish tail and thrusting the robot along at a clip of 9 kilometers an hour. Currently being commercialized by German company Festo, the robot might inspect ship hulls, find shipwrecks or map the ocean floor using sonar.
(or be used by an insane victim of oppression to control the world?)
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That's all for now. Stay well, stay safe, and know this author appreciates you.
Sincerely,
Steve Alten, Ed.D.
SteveAlten.com
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Email: meg82159@aol.com
Web: http://www.stevealten.com