Letter To The Hard Sellers

Recently, I posted this on my Facebook page.
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Dear Author Twitter Followers: I don't know if this is the right relationship for us. I know you joined me as a follower two seconds ago, and for that I feel honored. And while we never actually met, I feel we do share a kinship since we are both writers.

I don't mind checking out your twitter feed. But when you ask me to like your author FB page or go check out your website and buy your book seconds after meeting you, I feel as if this relationship is moving too fast. We haven't even gone out to the movies or had a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. We haven't taken long romantic walks in the park. One minute you are saying hello and the next minute you are trying to get me between the pages of your book. Take a moment to slow down. I don't get all frisky with just any book that comes my way. I need time to really consider where your book plot is going and if I want to commit to it. I can't do that if you are shoving your... ahem... words down my throat.

Sincerely,
a mere twitter account bombarded by aggressive book marketing tactics
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It's maddening. I understand authors are trying to sell their books. But, isn't there a better way to do it? On the most part, all the comments I received have been in agreement. I only read one comment where someone got upset because they feel that we need to support authors and their books more.

You know what? I have no problem with that. I have no problem supporting the authors I KNOW. I have no problem visiting their websites, buying their books and spreading the word about them. I do have a problem when an author I don't know becomes a follower and two seconds later is trying to sell me their book. 

You haven't given me time to check out your twitter feed. You haven't given me time to check out your link to your website/blog. You haven't given me time to read your writing there, see if your genre is something I'm interested in, and allow me to decide for myself if I want to purchase your book. Merchants whose sole purpose is to push the hard sell and get people to buy their products give me more time to browse around their website before sending me a direct email to buy their wares. 

Authors, please. Give your new twitter followers time to learn more about you before sending that direct message to buy-Buy-BUY your book. Give them time to read your twitter feed. Give them time to follow the links you have posted. Give them time to decide whether they like the writing you post on your website. Otherwise, your direct messages feel like spam, and that is how I plan to treat them.

38

The number 38 has figured prominently in mythology and in other aspects of the world. Below you will find a list of what this number has meant:

The number of slots on an American Roulette wheel (0, 00, and 1 through 36; European roulette does not use the 00 slot and has only 37 slots)

The number of games that each team in the current English Premiership, the top division in English Association Football, plays in a season

Bill C-38 legalized same-sex marriage in Canada

The number of years it took the Israelites to travel from Kadesh Barnea to the Zered valley in Deuteronomy.

A "38" is often the name for a snub nose .38 caliber revolver

Name of the southern rock band 38 Special The 38 class is the most famous class of steam locomotive used in New South Wales

The number of the French department Isère

The gate of the sci-fi TV series Stargate SG-1 can stay open a maximum of 38 minutes.

The number 38 was especially prominent in Norse mythology. The number was said to represent unnatural bravery, characteristic of the legendary heroes of Norse sagas. Most legendary sagas were divided into 38 chapters, and the number often recurred throughout stories, with the heroes combating giants or other beasts in groups of 38.

The number was also significant in Egyptian mythology, as it was the characteristic number of Anubis, the jackal-headed god of death and mummification. Egyptian pharaohs were often buried with 38 statues of cat guardians, and their sarcophagi were adorned with 38 ankhs.

All this useless trivia was provided by Wikipedia, which strangely does not mention that the number 38 is what I turned on my birthday that is today. I might have to complain about this.

Where Have I've Been Lurking

It's been awhile (okay, since December) since I last made a post here. Busy... busy... busy.  Mostly I've been working and taking care of The Overlord. Another reason why I haven't been making posts here is because I've been more active on other social media sites and Blogger hasn't been playing nice. Every time I try to make a post, I get the pink error bar at the top that says "an error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again. Ignore warning."

So I try to ignore the warning and make a post by clicking the Publish button a gazillion times. When it finally posts, I see, like, two billion drafts of the same posts in my dashboard. It's annoying (and partly my Internet service's fault). So I haven't been inclined to post more often.

Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know where I've been lurking lately. If you happen to be on these social media sites, look me up.

Twitter : I'm on twitter, but I'm not a twit-head. I probably haven't made a tweet there since forever, or at least longer from when I made a post here.

Facebook: You will definitely find me active on FB. I'm there every day, posting photos and the like. So if you want to see more images of The Overlord or find out my daily happenings, you can find me there. It's also another reason why I haven't done much here on blogger. My FB page is private. So I know the people who are seeing my stuff. Blogger is more open to the weirdos and sickos (not my regular readers- of course) out trolling the web who are dangerous. I don't want them to see The Overlord too much.

Pinterest: I just signed up here. I don't really understand the appeal yet. You post photos - you comment on photos. That's about it. So I don't know how long it will hold my interest.

So there are the places I've been lately. I'm also on Google+, but I haven't really figured that place out to be active there. It also isn't very private, so I'm not willing to post a bunch of photos of me and The Overlord there either.

Animated Winter Shorts

 This is a repost about the holidays. Everyone have a Merry Christmas!
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Animated Winter Shorts

No, I’m not talking about men’s Xmas briefs with colorful flashing bulbs and have a squishy Rudolph nose on the crotch flap as you would squeeze it and Rudolph’s voice would cheerfully say, “Let me light the way!” I’m talking about those nostalgic televised animations shown during the first few weeks of December.

Suzie Snowflake
Hardrock, Cocoa, and Joe
The original Frosty the Snowman

During my childhood, nothing could get me more excited about December than turning on the tv and finding one of these playing. They only showed these three, and there was no telling at what time of day they would appear. They came on Channel 6, NBC, Johnstown-Altoona area that ran in parallel to Channel 11, NBC, Pittsburgh. We lived too far out to pick up the Pittsburgh signal.

Suzie Snowflake



Suzie Snowflake was a favorite, not the most favorite yet a close second. My sister loved this one. Really, there was just something so whimsical about it. The short didn’t celebrate Xmas. It celebrated winter and the first snowfall greeting the people with a mere light tapping on their windows. And who of us hasn’t listened to that familiar sound skipping along the cool pane of glass while we snuggle under warm blankets with perhaps a good book to read, a hot cup of cocoa to drink, or cuddling someone who is fondest in our hearts?

Hardrock, Cocoa, and Joe



This was the fun one and ranked right up at the top of all-time favorites. Everyone in the house loved watching the playful elves. If it came on the television, one of us would shout, “It’s ON!” Then a stomping of feet would sound as everyone rushed into the room. Although, this cartoon illustrated more toward the myth of Santa and the idea of gift-giving, there is still so much whimsy to be found in the black & white animation that you can sink yourself into the story and laugh along with the funny parts.

Frosty the Snowman



This is the Frosty the Snowman song that I love even more than the other classic one many of us know today. This one ranks in at third on my list but is still worthy to be mentioned. The sheer magical moment of when the snowman comes to life and the excited looks on the children make it priceless.

(Sorry, Burl Ives.)

Because I Can

There is an older gentlemen who goes for walks around the neighborhood. No one knows how old he is.

“There are just some questions that can’t be answered,” he says. He doesn’t go to a job for a living. He walks around the neighborhood in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. He sometimes walks around the neighborhood after midnight. Most people think he is retired, he looks old enough to be, while other people say he is a famous author no one around these parts have ever heard of because most of the people in this neighborhood don’t read. Those who do read, spend most of their time reading the Racing Form before placing their bets at the track up the road.

The older gentleman is always dressed like a gentleman. He always wears a necktie, even if he isn’t wearing a jacket. He dresses with comfortable formality. He is never hatless. A driving cap in spring, a panama in summer, a fedora in autumn and early winter, and a woven wool watch cap during the coldest months. His shoes are scuffed from all the walking he does, but they are always polished and good repair. They must have cost twenty-five dollars twenty years ago.
 
It isn’t strange to see most of the elderly neighbors taking their daily constitutional strolls around the neighborhood. Regular exercise is a normal part of a healthy lifestyle. Being engaged in the neighborhood means getting out and about. Many families sit out on their front porches during the warmer months. They talk to the pedestrians going about their routes, whether they circumambulate the neighborhood for recreation or to run errands to the pharmacy or the grocery or the Chinese take-out kitchen on the corner of Orchid and Broad Streets.

What is exceptional about the older gentleman is not that he is older, and it is not that he appears to be a gentleman. Most of the retired older men who walk around the neighborhood are gentleman. What is remarkable about this man is that he always walks with a fairly large Rottweiler by his side. The dog does not have a leash and the older gentleman does not carry a plastic bag to pick up after his dog. There is no need for either.

The older gentleman is in complete control of his dog, more so than other pet owners. Where the man goes, the dog follows. Where the dog goes, the man goes with him. The older gentleman will call his dog to the side of the curb when another dog or fellow pedestrians approach, and the man will put himself between the dog and everyone else. The Rottweiler has never been known to be interested in either barking or biting, but good manners require the older gentleman to defuse any potentially frightening situation. He stands tall and straight in his necktie and vest with a relaxed composed smile on his face.

I was passing him with my daughter this morning. She has just learned to walk. We both know the older gentleman and his dog as passing acquaintances. We live in the neighborhood, too. We walk about every morning as my daughter becomes acquainted with her surroundings. After saying hello, as we always do, the older gentleman commented that my daughter had finally got her balance right. “None too soon, either,” he said. My daughter petted the dog respectfully. The dog licked her little hand as the man watched carefully.

“I think you’re a good mother,” he said. “Every time I see you I think that.” I thanked him for his estimation. “I try,” I said.

“That’s all we can really do,” the older gentleman said. “You always have a smile for everyone. Your daughter does, too. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree when the tree is strong. This little girl,” the older gentleman said, “she isn’t going to upset a cart or spoil a barrel. I can see that.” He patted my daughter on the head and gave her a quarter for being a good girl.

A butterfly flew by and my daughter started chasing it. It was time to say goodbye.

The man said, “A smile is the most powerful thing we have as human beings. I try to keep a lifetime of smiles in me. You should, too. Whatever you don’t use, your daughter will pick up.” He smiled at me as I chased the butterfly with my daughter.
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Story written by Whalehead King

About this story: This story was inspired by a post I made on Facebook. When my friend, Whalehead King, read the Facebook post, it inspired him to write the above story. His story is based on a true event, and further illustrates that our writing can come from anywhere, whether a fictional event or a real one. Below is the post I made on FB.

There is an older gentlemen who goes for walks around the neighborhood. While this is a normal thing, since when people get older they need to move their bodies more, what is remarkable about this man is that he has a fairly big-size rottweiler by his side. He is in complete control of the dog (more so than other pet owners as he will pull his dog to the side and put himself between the dog and other walking pedestrians). Anyway, we called out "Hi" to each other as we usually do, as he made a comment about Jaq walking on her own. Then, he said, "You are a good mother." My only reply to that was, "Thanks. I can only do what I can." As the gentleman walked away, he commented to himself. "She always has a smile for everyone." As life is, a smile is the most powerful thing we have as humans, and more people need to use it.

What I Did With $3,000 Of Identified Moolah

First off, I need to tell you that if you haven't read the previous post, you should read it here. The second thing I need to tell you is that the event in question happened before Thanksgiving. So the decision -by now -- is currently irreversible.

The third thing you need to know is that it was a very tiring month. The Overlord had 4 appointments to go to last month, one of which was a 7am MRI scan where I had to get to the hospital at 6am. And she didn't like it one bit. Combine all the grocery store runs, work deadlines, and my own doctor's appointments, November ended up being a very physically and mentally weary month.

I mention this because the day in question was a day when I had just gotten back from somewhere. I can't tell you where, because I don't quite remember. All I know was that I was ready to give The Overlord her lunch and get some work in to make it a semi-productive day. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was doing some banking on the phone, when I discovered the balance in my checking account was off. Way off.

An extra $3,000 in an account sends warning bells in the mind. If it was an extra $50, I probably would have shrugged shoulders and assumed I had made a mistake in my own accounting calculations. But $3,000 extra can't go unnoticed unless you're a money-grubbing CEO skimming off the company's profits without the shareholder's noticing.

As the Overlord ate her hotdogs with ketchup, I stood amazed when hearing this amount in my account. I was equally amazed when I couldn't pull up any information about the transactions. So I hung up the phone and waited as The Overlord finished her hotdogs.

I bundled The Overlord up in her coat, slipped my coat on with a sigh, and headed out. I crossed the street to the hospital, walked around and to the front, and then crossed the street to the bank.

I know I shouldn't complain about being tired and not wanting to go to the bank when the bank is less than a 5 minute walk from where I live. But I will. Because if this hadn't happened, I would have still been at home, relaxing myself as I ate my own lunch while putting The Overlord down for a nap. Unexpected circumstances are always taxing, if not inconvenient.

I walked up to the teller and told him what was going on as far as I knew. He tried to pull up the information on his screen, and discovered there wasn't much there because the transaction had JUST happened about 2 hours ago. They were able to discover at which bank it happened at, and a quick phone call began to unravel events.

One number off.

My checking account is one number off from another person's checking account. For example, my checking account number (not really) is 11111111112. The other person's account was 11111111113.

It was human error. The bank teller at the other location made a mistake by a slip of a finger on the last number. Instead of placing in the "3" for the last number, they placed in the "2," and the deposited money went winging electronically into my account.

My bank teller said they would get the two accounts straightened out. I verified the true amount that I should have in my account AFTER the error was fixed. Then I went home.

So the money wasn't mine. No Lady Luck gave me the money in a legit manner. I hadn't earned the cash. So I didn't plan to spend it. I don't know what the other person's situation was. I don't know if this was all the money they had in the world, and desperately needed it to pay bills. I don't know if it was some rich couple and $3,000 would never be missed in their account.

All I knew was that I needed to fix the problem to keep my own finances secure. Because there was no way for me to NOT know if the other person would have gone to the bank, claiming the money was missing, then claimed a HIGHER amount than $3,000 belonged to them, which would have effectively drained my bank account.

I still have an account with the bank, since I've been with this bank for many years and I can't blame one mistake with changing accounts. I know that my account information is secure. My teller isn't going to share my banking information, and the other teller is definitely not going to let this incident slip in fear of losing their job. The person who had their money misdirected will never know it had actually happened.

That's what I did. Whether you would have done the same is your decision. But I'm fine about not spending cash that isn't mine.

What Would You Do?

We all have heard of the metaphorical question, "What would you do if you were given a billion dollars?" But unless Mark Zuckerberg planned on walking up and handing you that amount of cash, the possibility of getting a billion dollars instantly won't ever happen.

But what if it is a lower amount? People play the lottery all the time, winning amounts that can range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. But you have to put money into the game to get a chance to win. It's not the same as having money spontaneously appear in your bank account without your knowledge.

But what would you do IF money did spontaneously appear in your bank account? You didn't win the lottery. It's not something owed to you by the IRS, through your work, or a mistake in part from some company that you have done business with. What if $3,000 just one day appeared in your account? What would you do?

Sounds like it can't happen. But it did for me. I was doing some banking over the phone, making a small transfer from my savings to my checking account. When I checked the balance in my checking account, I found out there was an extra $3,000 sitting there. I tried pulling up the last ten transactions for more information to where this bountiful plenty came from, but the call kept on dropping.

So there I stood, with an extra $3,000 sitting in my account, with no idea where it came from.

So here is the question. What do you do with an extra $3,000 in your account? Do you suddenly go to the bank, make a hasty withdrawal, then act innocent when asked about the extra cash? Or do you do the right thing and try to find the owner?

I had posed this question on Facebook and received varying answers. While some people would do the right thing, others said they would have spent the money -- no questions asked. It wasn't as if the money was illegally obtained. Yet neither did I own the money in the first place.


I know what I did, and will share the story with you during the next post. But I want to know what you would do. If you came across $3,000 suddenly sitting in your bank account, what would you do?