This year, again I’m not sure whether Forrest will be home for Thanksgiving. As usual when it’s up-in-the-air, we plan to do dinner out. This year, like last, we’ve got reservations for eight at The Trinity. I’m hoping Forrest will make it, but I’m not holding my breath.
Month: November 2014
The Problem with Social Media
Here’s a problem: Citing articles that you know nobody will read through, then attributing some quote to someone that isn’t in the article. Anyone can attribute a quote to anyone, grabbing a picture of them somewhere and then laying some outrageous text in quotes on it. And maybe they didn’t say it, at all. Then, again, maybe they did. There is a social responsibility to be honest and to verify sources. I know that sounds like it’s only for “real journalists,” but, today, we are all “journalists,” so we all own a responsibility not to falsify our content and to provide valid citations.
Morning rant due to this: https://www.facebook.com/MintpressNewsMPN/photos/a.427073724002835.96035.277613075615568/782852705091600/?type=1
While I have no doubt that corporate mentality holds this view, I still want to see proof–legitimate proof–before accepting something as fact.
ADD/EDIT:
David Revad Riley, a premier artist friend of mine found this: And I quote. (The post is on FB.)
David Riley Such an old story too. here is a better quote…
“The fact is they [activists] are talking first of all only about the smallest part of the water usage,” he says. “I am the first one to say water is a human right. This human right is the five litres of water we need for our daily hydration and the 25 litres we need for minimum hygiene.
“This amount of water is the primary responsibility of every government to make available to every citizen of this world, but this amount of water accounts for 1.5% of the total water which is for all human usage.
“Where I have an issue is that the 98.5% of the water we are using, which is for everything else, is not a human right and because we treat it as one, we are using it in an irresponsible manner, although it is the most precious resource we have. Why? Because we don’t want to give any value to this water. And we know very well that if something doesn’t have a value, it’s human behaviour that we use it in an irresponsible manner.
And the source article in the Guardian newspaper back in 2013.
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nestle-peter-brabeck-attitude-water-change-stewardship
A Friend Who Writes Good Books & Gives Them Away Free
I have a friend, and she writes books–lots of books. Her name is Marva Dasef, and she calls herself The Cellophane Queen…because nobody seems to notice her or how good her books are.
Why is that I wonder?
It’s not as though she doesn’t have a very strong online presence and thousands of followers on FB, G+ and all those other social networks. It’s not as though she doesn’t have multiples of books available in every known format from dead tree print to audio to every possible variety and kind of eBook platform.
And she’s got good ranking on Amazon, to boot.
But, gee, I guess nobody much is…what? Into magic and mystery and adventure stories for middle graders? Likes a good mystery written for adults? Or true stories of the Old West?
Really?
Really?
…
Try ’em. You’ll like ’em.
Today, Marva is offering her YA Fantasy adventure for free. It’s called Quest for the Simurgh, Faizah’s Destiny, and you can find it here at Amazon.com–“The gods are at war and only a farmer’s daughter can save the world from Armageddon.”
Dad was a WWII Hero & Mine, Too
My father was a WWII flying ace. He flew P-51 Mustangs, he taught cadets to fly them, as well. He wound up having to ditch in the North Sea three times. He lost friends, comrades, and “wings” (wingmates) in that war. (He flew in the European theatre, flying out of Britain.) I know he was in the bombing of Dresden as air cover, and I know it was one of his worst nightmares of the war.
He never spoke much about World War II. But he did share some of his pranks and escapades…like flying a P-51 upside down through an open hanger and having everyone hit the deck. The tower couldn’t believe he did it. But he did. And got away with it, too.
Anyway, I miss him. A lot. I miss him so much that I can’t even coherently write about him, but he was MY hero, and always will be.
Veterans Day Special Gift to Vets or Their Kin
Author Marva Dasef’s special gift to veterans or their kin. Tell Marva about your Veteran (or if you’re one yourself), and she’ll send you this book in both ebook and audio. Do it on Veterans Day, and have a great time. There’s an audio clip HERE on this post on her website and this is where you post to receive this wonderful gift.