Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Personal interests: forensics, crime scene tech, psychology, and all manner of related subjects.

The real CSI: what happens at a crime scene?
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/apr/27/craig-taylor-real-csi?CMP=share_btn_fb

Many of you know I am fascinated by forensics and psychology, and I have read extensively about sociopaths and psychopaths in particular. Why would someone be interested in such things? Here's why (for those who might care, that is):

I used to work in the Enid, OK, police department before I became a full-time freelance writer and editor nearly 19 years ago. No, I was not a police officer or a dispatcher. I worked in back records, handling things such as incident reports, arrest reports, fingerprint cards, CFS (Call For Service) tickets, mugshots, pawn tickets, and the like.

Working at the police dept. was fascinating for me; I got to see the side of human behavior that I sometimes didn't want to see. It wasn't unusual to be in close vicinity to inmates. I got an up close and personal tour of the jail as well. Working in that atmosphere and reading incident and arrest reports, it certainly made me more cautious of people and, unfortunately, not as trusting as I was before.

While working at the police dept., I got to see police officers as people, not just authority figures. My supervisors, Captain Hood, Captain Goodpasture, and Sergeant Shriver were interesting and funny people -- they were human, just like anyone else. My favorite was undoubtedly my first captain, Jim Hood. I really liked him a lot, and he made me laugh. Something about his personality cracked me up (when he let his guard down, that is). He was the one who hired me.

I knew the detectives who worked there, and I was fascinated by their jobs and how they did them. Undoubtedly, that's when I first became interested in forensics as well as the psychology of the criminal mind. The science behind investigating a crime scene, such as how blood spatter can tell a tale about how the crime was committed, was fascinating.

Now, years later, I still take online courses in forensics and psychology (my second major was psychology when I attended Phillips University in Oklahoma). Human behavior puzzles me, infuriates me, amuses me...the list goes on. I cannot wrap my head around heinous crimes that are committed and how anybody could be responsible for such acts. Hell, I can't even fish because I feel bad for the worm being put on a hook! Too much empathy is what it comes down to.

My daughter became interested in forensics and the like all on her own. I found out she shared these interests with me, and I think it's cool. Although I do not believe I would've had the disposition to work in such fields, Britt does. She has a sharp mind and doesn't get as queasy over stuff like I do. In my view, I think if she ever went into forensics or a similar field, she would be amazing.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Proud mama: meet my talented son, Jonathan T. Porter

For those who may not know, my son Jonathan is also a professional writer. He graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (with honors) in Dramatic Writing. He lives in Chicago and is a Policy and Procedure Writer for Ceannate Corporation.

Jon can write CIRCLES around me on any day of the week. Not kidding. He's written many scripts, and I'd like to share a link to a preview of a feature script he wrote entitled "Smiling Hilt." While you're over there, check out his resume and portfolio. ;-)

https://jonathanporter.squarespace.com/smiling-hilt/

https://jonathanporter.squarespace.com/bio/


Thursday, April 7, 2016

A bit of random fun

Thanks to Lyn Benoit Goodnight for sharing this. It was fun!

Everything is so serious these days. Let's have a little fun... (And I'm genuinely curious to read other peoples' if they fill it out).
Four names I go by
1. Bev
2. Mom
3. Honey (Paul calls me this)
4. Star (my birth name, before adoption; my birth mom calls me this and I write women's fiction under this name as well).
Four places I've lived:
1. Colorado
2. Germany
3. Oklahoma
4. Virginia
Four places I have worked:
1. Freelance writer and editor since May 1997.
2. City of Enid, Oklahoma
3. General Electric Capital Corporation (GECC)
4. Sovran Bank (before it became Bank of America)
Four things I love to watch on TV:
1. Biographies
2. Documentaries
3. Series (Vikings, GoT, Better Call Saul, OITNB, AHS, Orphan Black, Transparent, etc.)
4. J-dramas like "Ghostwriter," but these are online via Crunchyroll.com
Four places I have been:
1. Edinburgh, Scotland
2. London, England
3. France (but not Paris. How lame is that?!)
4. Holland
Four things I love to eat:
1. Pizza
2. Tacos/Burritos/Nachos, etc.
3. Schnitzel
4. Katsudon OR Tonkatsu
Four people I think will respond:
1. Chandra
2. Carly Dew
3. Mary Meek
4. Not sure who else.
Favorite drinks:
1. Dr. Pepper
2. Pepsi of any kind
3. Coffee (hot or cold)
4. Horchata
Now here is what you're supposed to do. Please don't spoil the fun...copy and paste this in your status and update it with your responses. To copy this, just hold your finger down on this text, and it will highlight this entire post. Select copy, then go to your status, tap in the message. Have some fun!