Sunday, February 22, 2015
Opinion: My thoughts and opinions about the pros and cons of facebook
Here are some thoughts and opinions I have on ways Facebook is both good and bad.
Mark Zuckerberg is about my age by now. Around 29 or 30 years old. He invented the most popular social media page that has pretty much replaced and outlived MySpace by now. Here are my thoughts on the good and bad things about this invention.
Here are some Pros:
It's a good way to keep in touch with people you know--including friends and relatives. Facebook has revolutionized how we keep tabs on our friends, relatives, and acquaintances. It's good to see how other people are doing. Sometimes without even asking.
Here are some Cons:
Seeing what other people are doing inhibits real life conversations where we just ask them what they're doing. It's also depressing to see some old friends of yours doing things without you and going places that they didn't invite you to. Do you really need to know all that?
Oh, good. You went to the concert without me. Nice of you not to give me a second thought. Do the rest of you not have jobs or what? Where do you find the time anymore?
Another Pro of Facebook:
It helps business and it lets people know when good things happen to you. It's nice to know people will support you when you try something or when you succeed at something. It's good that Facebook can let people in on the good things that happen in your life.
Most people are pretty supportive of what you're up to and will help you out along the way. These are your true friends.
Starting groups or promoting businesses or local music bands is also a great thing about it.
Another Con of Facebook:
Studies have shown that Facebook and social media can make you depressed or less happy. Positive psychologists have shown how seeing other people you haven't talked to in a while doing or accomplishing things that you didn't get to can bring you down. It can also give off the appearance that other people are better off than you or have better social lives--even if this isn't true. They may just be people who post more photos and things going good in their lives than you do. Some people use Facebook more than others.
People rarely gripe about their problems on Facebook for obvious reasons. Nobody likes an Eyore or Debbie Downer letting them down.
Facebook can sometimes show you how judgmental and superficial A FEW of its members are. Defriending and refriending certain people for the smallest things. Ugh. And sometimes defriending without explanation, leaving you scratching your head. Facebook is a popularity contest that way.
Anyway just thought I'd share my thoughts tonight. I've been meaning to blog about some other topic but I'll save that for another day.
Mark Zuckerberg is about my age by now. Around 29 or 30 years old. He invented the most popular social media page that has pretty much replaced and outlived MySpace by now. Here are my thoughts on the good and bad things about this invention.
Here are some Pros:
It's a good way to keep in touch with people you know--including friends and relatives. Facebook has revolutionized how we keep tabs on our friends, relatives, and acquaintances. It's good to see how other people are doing. Sometimes without even asking.
Here are some Cons:
Seeing what other people are doing inhibits real life conversations where we just ask them what they're doing. It's also depressing to see some old friends of yours doing things without you and going places that they didn't invite you to. Do you really need to know all that?
Oh, good. You went to the concert without me. Nice of you not to give me a second thought. Do the rest of you not have jobs or what? Where do you find the time anymore?
Another Pro of Facebook:
It helps business and it lets people know when good things happen to you. It's nice to know people will support you when you try something or when you succeed at something. It's good that Facebook can let people in on the good things that happen in your life.
Most people are pretty supportive of what you're up to and will help you out along the way. These are your true friends.
Starting groups or promoting businesses or local music bands is also a great thing about it.
Another Con of Facebook:
Studies have shown that Facebook and social media can make you depressed or less happy. Positive psychologists have shown how seeing other people you haven't talked to in a while doing or accomplishing things that you didn't get to can bring you down. It can also give off the appearance that other people are better off than you or have better social lives--even if this isn't true. They may just be people who post more photos and things going good in their lives than you do. Some people use Facebook more than others.
People rarely gripe about their problems on Facebook for obvious reasons. Nobody likes an Eyore or Debbie Downer letting them down.
Facebook can sometimes show you how judgmental and superficial A FEW of its members are. Defriending and refriending certain people for the smallest things. Ugh. And sometimes defriending without explanation, leaving you scratching your head. Facebook is a popularity contest that way.
Anyway just thought I'd share my thoughts tonight. I've been meaning to blog about some other topic but I'll save that for another day.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Seinfeld - The Library Cop
Here's a funny scene from Seinfeld concerning overdue library books! Hilarious!
Quote of the Day
The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil Degrasse Tyson
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The Keystone Oil Pipeline is a Useless Piece of Twisted Metal: Here's Why
The keystone oil pipeline is one the worst ideas for America. Here are some reasons why:
1) It kills transportation jobs:
Good news! Instead of having to hire truck drivers and trains to transport oil the pipe will do the job for free! Isn't that wonderful?
Unless you're the CEO or one of the corporate heads of one of the big oil companies that supports this pipeline and is only interested in how it might save money in the long run, it's really not. Some truck driver somewhere will complain when he loses his job to a pipe. Nice going on the job creation politicians who support the pipeline! Way to go! Thanks for voting for it. You've made some insatiably greedy dickwad very happy. And yes, I'd be willing to say that to somebody's face (some oil tycoons face) just to see it turn beat red with indignant rage.
2) Private property and farmland issues: The pipeline would cut through farmland and private property. Lawsuits are pending. It seems like the oil industry really enjoys getting sued because it's always one bad mistake after another.
If you really want to save money in the long run, why so stupid?
3) It's bad for the environment: This reason for opposing the pipeline goes without saying. I know that there are Americans who don't give a crap about the environment but you know... It's not as if we rely on clean drinking water or the environment itself to survive or anything like that. Right now I'm drinking a steaming cup of biological sludge because all the clean water got polluted. I think it's mutating me because I have six fingers on one hand now and I'm functionally retarded. I now think the pipeline is a good idea.
I'm being sarcastic. In case you couldn't tell.
Those are the reasons the Keystone Oil Pipeline and all the politicians and business owners who support it can go straight to hell where they can reap the benefits of what they've sown.
"Pass the biological piss water, please! I wonder why those farmers got mad about the pipeline ruining their crops."
Here's the bottom line. The only intelligent people who support it are those who will benefit monetarily. But at what cost and at whose expense?
1) It kills transportation jobs:
Good news! Instead of having to hire truck drivers and trains to transport oil the pipe will do the job for free! Isn't that wonderful?
Unless you're the CEO or one of the corporate heads of one of the big oil companies that supports this pipeline and is only interested in how it might save money in the long run, it's really not. Some truck driver somewhere will complain when he loses his job to a pipe. Nice going on the job creation politicians who support the pipeline! Way to go! Thanks for voting for it. You've made some insatiably greedy dickwad very happy. And yes, I'd be willing to say that to somebody's face (some oil tycoons face) just to see it turn beat red with indignant rage.
2) Private property and farmland issues: The pipeline would cut through farmland and private property. Lawsuits are pending. It seems like the oil industry really enjoys getting sued because it's always one bad mistake after another.
If you really want to save money in the long run, why so stupid?
3) It's bad for the environment: This reason for opposing the pipeline goes without saying. I know that there are Americans who don't give a crap about the environment but you know... It's not as if we rely on clean drinking water or the environment itself to survive or anything like that. Right now I'm drinking a steaming cup of biological sludge because all the clean water got polluted. I think it's mutating me because I have six fingers on one hand now and I'm functionally retarded. I now think the pipeline is a good idea.
I'm being sarcastic. In case you couldn't tell.
Those are the reasons the Keystone Oil Pipeline and all the politicians and business owners who support it can go straight to hell where they can reap the benefits of what they've sown.
"Pass the biological piss water, please! I wonder why those farmers got mad about the pipeline ruining their crops."
Here's the bottom line. The only intelligent people who support it are those who will benefit monetarily. But at what cost and at whose expense?
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
The Story of Brian Williams and the Hilarious White Lie
NBC recently gave Brian Williams a leave of absence. I find this to be funny and here's why.
First of all, it was a little white lie that got out of control. Unlike most of the time when the media straight-up exaggerates or lies. Tom Brokaw was actually hosting the evening news when Brian Williams exaggerated about getting shot at in Iraq.
So, people are worried because Brian Williams lied but when MSNBC and Fox News lie to promote their separate left wing and right wing political agendas it's perfectly fine? That's funny! It's almost as if people believe the corporate media had integrity before Brian Williams lied! It's almost as if Brian Williams is the scapegoat for anybody who has ever lied on the news.
Anybody who thinks the corporate media had integrity before Brain Williams' little white lie is too gullible. So, Brian Williams might get fired for a white lie, but the big shots who lie all the time get to keep their jobs. It's almost like the fat kid who tells the skinny boy to stop eating too much ice cream while he's chewing on a drumstick himself.
"Stop lying, Brian Williams! STOP LYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"We have integrity here at NBC! In fact, the president of NBC changed his first name to Honest so that everybody knows he's a trusted source."
The whole thing is a joke! It's so funny. But nobody seems to be laughing at it quite as much as they should.
The American media can't even be parodied anymore. It's a parody of itself. What gives NBC? Hilarious! When's the SNL parody of this coming out? I can't wait!
First of all, it was a little white lie that got out of control. Unlike most of the time when the media straight-up exaggerates or lies. Tom Brokaw was actually hosting the evening news when Brian Williams exaggerated about getting shot at in Iraq.
So, people are worried because Brian Williams lied but when MSNBC and Fox News lie to promote their separate left wing and right wing political agendas it's perfectly fine? That's funny! It's almost as if people believe the corporate media had integrity before Brian Williams lied! It's almost as if Brian Williams is the scapegoat for anybody who has ever lied on the news.
Anybody who thinks the corporate media had integrity before Brain Williams' little white lie is too gullible. So, Brian Williams might get fired for a white lie, but the big shots who lie all the time get to keep their jobs. It's almost like the fat kid who tells the skinny boy to stop eating too much ice cream while he's chewing on a drumstick himself.
"Stop lying, Brian Williams! STOP LYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"We have integrity here at NBC! In fact, the president of NBC changed his first name to Honest so that everybody knows he's a trusted source."
The whole thing is a joke! It's so funny. But nobody seems to be laughing at it quite as much as they should.
The American media can't even be parodied anymore. It's a parody of itself. What gives NBC? Hilarious! When's the SNL parody of this coming out? I can't wait!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
If You Don't Know How to do Something, Learn How and Then Do it!
One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was that if I didn't know how to do something a first I should learn how to do it and learn how to do it well. If you learn a little more about something each day you eventually become a master of that thing.
Just my 2 cents for tonight before I go to bed.
Just my 2 cents for tonight before I go to bed.
Monday, February 9, 2015
5 Stars!!!!
Good news! My novel The Jewels of the Ishamah recently received a 5 star review on Amazon.com. I'm excited to see how my novel progresses from here!
Friday, February 6, 2015
Record Warm Winter
West of the rockies we've been experiencing record high temperatures as well as a record warm winter lately. It has never been this warm in January and February. We didn't even get snow until Christmas Day where I live here in Idaho.
Global warming perhaps?
Global warming perhaps?
The Lost World or City of Z
Hey bloggers! Check out my writing blog where I recommend and give a short synopsis of the book The Lost City of Z. I really like this book due to my fascination with anthropology and archaeology.
My writing blog is fantasywriter4.blogspot.com.
My writing blog is fantasywriter4.blogspot.com.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
The One Thing I've Learned From the Internet
The one thing I've learned from the internet is how many people believe weird things that they can't prove are true. Everything from the most irrational conspiracy theorists to the craziest cult-like thinkers with their circular logic and lack of rationality. You'll find all the crazies online.
You'll be following some argument on a YouTube comment thread where either one person is crazy and the other person is vainly attempting to reason with the poor deluded nut. Or sometimes both the people arguing are crazy but for different reasons.
Yeah. The internet is full of interesting people like that. Everybody from closeted racists and bigoted folks to people who have just as much blind faith in their conspiracy theories as they would in their religion. They all come out of the woodwork online.
I recently came across a comment from a commenter on YouTube who appeared to be both a Bible basher who believed the King James Translation of the Bible was 100 percent correct even without footnotes and a conspiracy theorist who believed firmly in his conspiracy theorist ideas. Yup, the internet has all kinds.
I kind of think that a lot of people believe things because they want to believe them and not because they have any evidence to back their beliefs. That's why we have an entire circus of these clowns who will take every conspiracy theory they hear as truth. Then they try to warn everybody about the evil illuminati or whatever other boogey man they have chosen to believe in but have no solid proof of. If this was a child and not an adult they'd probably be warning their friends about the evil giant or unicorn that Tommy warned them about.
This is why skepticism is important. Skeptics are less likely to appear crazy to others. In fact, my blog looks kind of like a conspiracy blog but when I made it I was sort of satirizing conspiracy blogs. Kind of silly of me.
Just my 2 cents for today.
You can follow my author blog which is dedicated only to writing and not just to my thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Go to FantasyWriter4.blogspot.com.
You'll be following some argument on a YouTube comment thread where either one person is crazy and the other person is vainly attempting to reason with the poor deluded nut. Or sometimes both the people arguing are crazy but for different reasons.
Yeah. The internet is full of interesting people like that. Everybody from closeted racists and bigoted folks to people who have just as much blind faith in their conspiracy theories as they would in their religion. They all come out of the woodwork online.
I recently came across a comment from a commenter on YouTube who appeared to be both a Bible basher who believed the King James Translation of the Bible was 100 percent correct even without footnotes and a conspiracy theorist who believed firmly in his conspiracy theorist ideas. Yup, the internet has all kinds.
I kind of think that a lot of people believe things because they want to believe them and not because they have any evidence to back their beliefs. That's why we have an entire circus of these clowns who will take every conspiracy theory they hear as truth. Then they try to warn everybody about the evil illuminati or whatever other boogey man they have chosen to believe in but have no solid proof of. If this was a child and not an adult they'd probably be warning their friends about the evil giant or unicorn that Tommy warned them about.
This is why skepticism is important. Skeptics are less likely to appear crazy to others. In fact, my blog looks kind of like a conspiracy blog but when I made it I was sort of satirizing conspiracy blogs. Kind of silly of me.
Just my 2 cents for today.
You can follow my author blog which is dedicated only to writing and not just to my thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Go to FantasyWriter4.blogspot.com.
Book Review of The Dansing Star by Kirby Jonas
This my review of the only book I own which is signed by the author himself. This book is a Western novel entitled The Dansing Star by Kirby Jonas.
The novel starts out with a short Prologue--taking place in the autumn of 1879--in which Odio de Caballos' feelings of inner anger toward the white man and the Mexicans who had both lied to him is expressed. He is known by the white man as Horse Hate and we get to learn a little more about him later. Chapter 1 starts out with our main character Mort Dansing being awoken by the local Puma County, Arizona sheriff with the exclamation of: "We've been robbed! Get out of bed! They robbed the bank!" After which the rugged main character Mort Dansing gruffy and groggily responds to the Sheriff who needs him to gather a posse to try to catch the robbers. It begins to become apparent that Dansing and the sheriff don't get along too well and the sheriff is not the most sympathetic or likeable human being. He doesn't care much for the fact that Dansing was raised by Apaches.
It turns out the only reason the sheriff needs Dansing's help is due to the fact that he was trained by the Apaches to be an excellent tracker. So, our main character sets out with his horse Gent and a posse of men to track to the thieves.
After returning with little success, Dansing later goes out to lunch with Janice Hart and it seems the two have a pretty good friendship going. But when Janice is murdered it's but to Mort Dansing to seek retribution. Along the way many revelations begin to unravel and Mort begins to understand more concerning his friend's death among other things. There's also a showdown between Mort Dansing and a seemingly invincible, but cruel, Apache medicine man. Who is this man? Well, you'll have to buy the book to find out. It's a Western full of twists and turns. Whether you're a huge fan of Westerns or not, I recommend it as a good read.
For more book reviews and other content visit my blog at fantasywriter4.blogspot.com.
The novel starts out with a short Prologue--taking place in the autumn of 1879--in which Odio de Caballos' feelings of inner anger toward the white man and the Mexicans who had both lied to him is expressed. He is known by the white man as Horse Hate and we get to learn a little more about him later. Chapter 1 starts out with our main character Mort Dansing being awoken by the local Puma County, Arizona sheriff with the exclamation of: "We've been robbed! Get out of bed! They robbed the bank!" After which the rugged main character Mort Dansing gruffy and groggily responds to the Sheriff who needs him to gather a posse to try to catch the robbers. It begins to become apparent that Dansing and the sheriff don't get along too well and the sheriff is not the most sympathetic or likeable human being. He doesn't care much for the fact that Dansing was raised by Apaches.
It turns out the only reason the sheriff needs Dansing's help is due to the fact that he was trained by the Apaches to be an excellent tracker. So, our main character sets out with his horse Gent and a posse of men to track to the thieves.
After returning with little success, Dansing later goes out to lunch with Janice Hart and it seems the two have a pretty good friendship going. But when Janice is murdered it's but to Mort Dansing to seek retribution. Along the way many revelations begin to unravel and Mort begins to understand more concerning his friend's death among other things. There's also a showdown between Mort Dansing and a seemingly invincible, but cruel, Apache medicine man. Who is this man? Well, you'll have to buy the book to find out. It's a Western full of twists and turns. Whether you're a huge fan of Westerns or not, I recommend it as a good read.
For more book reviews and other content visit my blog at fantasywriter4.blogspot.com.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Published and Self Published Book Recommendations
I've started reading a book entitled The Code Book by Simon Singh. It's a national bestseller on cracking codes. It has a lot of interesting history in it. The first part of the book talks about the Cipher of Mary Queen of Scots and gives the history of the codes used by the ancient Greeks such as the sender's scytale which was used by the Greeks as code to defeat the Persians. The ancient Greeks were geniuses.
We also learn a little about the Navajo Code Talkers toward the end of the book.
Another book I'd like to recommend is a self published fantasy novel called Soul Hosts by Joseph Isaacs. It's a teen and young adult fantasy novel about a fifteen-year-old boy named Wayden who lives in a world where one can be arrested for being a wizard. It has a voice in Wayden's head which is supposedly a sorcerer and starts out with Wayden feeling as if he is being followed by someone. We have surreal narcotic type magic scenes and meet various strange, churlish, and mysterious characters along the way.
It leaves the reader in suspense and hooks you from the every beginning. I highly recommend it to fans of fantasy fiction.
Keep reading my blog. More to come!
We also learn a little about the Navajo Code Talkers toward the end of the book.
Another book I'd like to recommend is a self published fantasy novel called Soul Hosts by Joseph Isaacs. It's a teen and young adult fantasy novel about a fifteen-year-old boy named Wayden who lives in a world where one can be arrested for being a wizard. It has a voice in Wayden's head which is supposedly a sorcerer and starts out with Wayden feeling as if he is being followed by someone. We have surreal narcotic type magic scenes and meet various strange, churlish, and mysterious characters along the way.
It leaves the reader in suspense and hooks you from the every beginning. I highly recommend it to fans of fantasy fiction.
Keep reading my blog. More to come!
Stagnant Wages + Inflation = A Stagnant Economy
I'd like to blog about a topic I've been thinking about for some time now. There's a problem in this country with stagnant wages for the working class even in the midst of rising cost of living and inflation. We have record poverty, especially among people under the age of 35 in this country--the highest poverty rate since the Great Depression. This is a topic that can't keep being swept under the rug as if it isn't happening. It must be addressed. It's important.
With rising rate of poverty, not only do we have more economic woes but more socioeconomic problems as well such as the rise of theft, robbery, and crime in general. If you're a person who believes that the minimum wage and other wages should remain stagnant on a federal level as they have for almost a decade now, you support the rise of crime caused by such socioeconomic problems.
It's time for folks to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that this is a problem in America. It's time to write our lawmakers and tell them to raise the minimum wage to at least $10.00 an hour. This will stimulate spending and spur competition among employers to pay their workers a living wage. The notion that this will somehow hurt the economy is a myth perpetrated by the large corporation and their greedy heads.
According to the Department of Labor, if we adjust minimum wage for inflation when it was at its highest during 1968 it would be $11.91 today.
If you don't believe poverty leads to crime, take a good look at the high crime rates of third world countries and the drug cartels that run Mexico and many other Latin American countries. Take a look at the gangs and drug wars in the impoverished ghettos of the inner cities in this country.
Low wage workers can no longer sustain themselves in this economy. A $12.00 an hour factory job is no longer a living wage. It's time to stop ignoring this problem or believing that it is not a legitimate problem. It's time to stop worrying about unfounded consequences of raising the minimum wage. Write your state governors and legislators and let them know that this has become a problem that needs to be resolved.
So, do what Jesus Christ would do and help solve this problem. Write to our U.S. Senators and state leaders and tell them to raise the minimum wage. Or we could just allow wages to remain stagnant, so that we poverty, crime, and rate of homelessness go up. It's our call.
Source: www.doi.gov
With rising rate of poverty, not only do we have more economic woes but more socioeconomic problems as well such as the rise of theft, robbery, and crime in general. If you're a person who believes that the minimum wage and other wages should remain stagnant on a federal level as they have for almost a decade now, you support the rise of crime caused by such socioeconomic problems.
It's time for folks to pull their heads out of the sand and realize that this is a problem in America. It's time to write our lawmakers and tell them to raise the minimum wage to at least $10.00 an hour. This will stimulate spending and spur competition among employers to pay their workers a living wage. The notion that this will somehow hurt the economy is a myth perpetrated by the large corporation and their greedy heads.
According to the Department of Labor, if we adjust minimum wage for inflation when it was at its highest during 1968 it would be $11.91 today.
If you don't believe poverty leads to crime, take a good look at the high crime rates of third world countries and the drug cartels that run Mexico and many other Latin American countries. Take a look at the gangs and drug wars in the impoverished ghettos of the inner cities in this country.
Low wage workers can no longer sustain themselves in this economy. A $12.00 an hour factory job is no longer a living wage. It's time to stop ignoring this problem or believing that it is not a legitimate problem. It's time to stop worrying about unfounded consequences of raising the minimum wage. Write your state governors and legislators and let them know that this has become a problem that needs to be resolved.
So, do what Jesus Christ would do and help solve this problem. Write to our U.S. Senators and state leaders and tell them to raise the minimum wage. Or we could just allow wages to remain stagnant, so that we poverty, crime, and rate of homelessness go up. It's our call.
Source: www.doi.gov
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