I thought I'd share a snippet from my kidhood. Something strange that I thought about and wanted to share.
When I was a kid, like between the ages of 9 and 14, I loved getting spare change. Loved it. Why? Because I felt like I was important. I had MONEY. Looking back, I'm not sure where the heck I got the change from, but I had some. The moment I had change, I wanted to spend it. Yep. Spend! Spend! Spend!
It was never anything big. Little things, like a blue folder or a banana hair clip or a pair of earrings. I'd see the object and know EXACTLY what I was going to do with it. The blue folder would hold my plans. Plans for what? I have no idea. I felt like I was important because I had plans. I was a thinker. The banana clip? For my Halloween costume...or when I wanted to dress up. And those earrings? Because they were pretty and would look cool with whatever outfit I loved at the time.
I don't remember how many of these plans and schemes actually panned out. I was a kid. I thought I was a thinker, but I was really a kid. I have no idea whatever happened to that blue folder, even though at the time I SWORE I needed it. The banana clip probably got broken and the earrings missing.
But that's how my mind worked. I could use this for that. Spend that on this to do those things.
Yep, I'm strange.
Showing posts with label Random Thought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Thought. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Things I Learned While Camping - Part One
There are lots of things one can learn when you're camping, but it seems when I go camping....I never learn things about the actual act of camping. I learn about other things. Here's what I took from our trip to Jamestown.
1. Don't walk through other people's campsites - you'd think this would be pretty easy to figure out. With people bringing their dogs, having stuff strewn everywhere and well, wanting privacy, trucking through someone else's campsite isn't wise. And yet, people do it all the time. Apparently, what's yours is yours and what's mine is yours.
2. People will talk about you - Sounds crazy right? It's not that crazy. Think about it. We all love to observe. We talk about what we see. That's cool. But when you're talking about someone and being rude. Like, OMG, she's got blue hair. That's really hard to take care of. She must be a dirty hippie. I bet she doesn't bathe. Yeah, I got that. The thing that slayed me was when I happened to notice I was being talked about, the people chattering acted like I was intruding on them when I smiled. I acknowledged them. They knew I knew they talked about me. I didn't say anything. You can't. You're the one eavesdropping...even if they talk at concert level volumes.
3. Dirty looks are free and will happen often - yep. Be prepared.
4. People either love or hate blue hair and feel they MUST tell you their opinion - prepare for a dissertation on why your hair is strange and why they do or don't want it.
5. You can stay up late. Hooray! Late is one of my best riffs. But when you decide to cash in for the night... don't expect quiet. Quiet hours are a suggestion and in the morning everyone else will get up at the butt crack of dawn. You have to adjust.
Sounds like I had a crappy night of camping. Nope. Just thought I'd share my observations. And yes, this will be a recurring feature. There's lots to observe when you step outside your comfort zone.
1. Don't walk through other people's campsites - you'd think this would be pretty easy to figure out. With people bringing their dogs, having stuff strewn everywhere and well, wanting privacy, trucking through someone else's campsite isn't wise. And yet, people do it all the time. Apparently, what's yours is yours and what's mine is yours.
2. People will talk about you - Sounds crazy right? It's not that crazy. Think about it. We all love to observe. We talk about what we see. That's cool. But when you're talking about someone and being rude. Like, OMG, she's got blue hair. That's really hard to take care of. She must be a dirty hippie. I bet she doesn't bathe. Yeah, I got that. The thing that slayed me was when I happened to notice I was being talked about, the people chattering acted like I was intruding on them when I smiled. I acknowledged them. They knew I knew they talked about me. I didn't say anything. You can't. You're the one eavesdropping...even if they talk at concert level volumes.
3. Dirty looks are free and will happen often - yep. Be prepared.
4. People either love or hate blue hair and feel they MUST tell you their opinion - prepare for a dissertation on why your hair is strange and why they do or don't want it.
5. You can stay up late. Hooray! Late is one of my best riffs. But when you decide to cash in for the night... don't expect quiet. Quiet hours are a suggestion and in the morning everyone else will get up at the butt crack of dawn. You have to adjust.
Sounds like I had a crappy night of camping. Nope. Just thought I'd share my observations. And yes, this will be a recurring feature. There's lots to observe when you step outside your comfort zone.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Thursday Ramble - To Wong Foo
I know I usually do Travel Thursday posts on Thursdays, but sometimes a ramble is in order. I happened to be awake way later than I should've been updating my website. I started to realize this is why people have webmasters. Geesh, there's a lot to do in updating a site! Anyway, I am one of those people who needs noise when I work. Maybe it's because I have concentration issues or because I just like noise...I don't know. Anyway, so I had the television playing and the movie, To Wong Foo, Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar was on Bravo. Or maybe it was Ovation? Either way... it was on the TV. So I started watching it. Where I was at when the movie originally released, people freaked out. A movie about drag queens! I wanted to see it, but never got around to it. I mean, hey, I was still in school when it came out. People in my hometown freaked out. Anyhow, so I'm watching it and loving Patrick Swayze in that combination of Joan Crawford and Olivia de Havilland look. He had the face for it. And honestly, Wesley Snipes worked the dresses well, too. My favorite scene is when Noxeema (Snipes) finds all the cool retro clothes in the store. All the people come out looking like they stepped out of 1966. It's great. I loved the confidence. I got the site updated (but it seems like it never ends and is never totally done) and finished the movie. I'm glad I did. Bobby Ray was something yummy, too. I hope I write something that makes people laugh, cry and think the way Wong Foo did. What did you think of the movie?
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Are We Talking About the Same Thing?
I love to read reviews. I do. I’m a sucker and read my own. Sometimes it’s a great experience. Sometimes, not so much. I look at reviews this way, different strokes for different folks. What might be your favorite book, won’t be mine necessarily. That’s fine. In fact, I prefer it that way. If we all liked the same books, then what fun would that be?
But I came across something in my reading that bothered me. When there’s a review, the book is classified. Fine. The tags make things easier when you want to find a book with certain aspects in it. But this particular review I’d read condemned the book on the basis of a tag. Which book? Nah, I’m not going to throw the author or reviewer under the bus. That’s not the point here.
My point is two-fold. Just because a book has a tag of say, BDSM, doesn’t mean the book will be all about that tag. BDSM is a broad tag. BDSM doesn’t always mean a D/s relationship. It doesn’t mean the couple (or more) will be living in ‘the lifestyle’. BDSM can mean anything from using handcuffs on one character to lashing one to a cross, while using a crop on the character. It’s a wide range. Just because the book was labeled BDSM but the characters are playing a little slap and tickle doesn’t mean the book is any less of a book. It’s not. BDSM happens to have a broad definition. The same thing works for fantasy and paranormal. Paranormal is a gigantic genre of literature. Vampires, Fae, Zombies... paranormal can be a lot of things. A reader can get a book about ESP. That’s got a paranormal slant. Is it any more or any less paranormal than a book about vampires? No.
This leads me to my second part of my point. As the reviewer, you’re not helping your cause if you rate a book low because it’s not what YOU expected. Forcing your expectations onto a book won’t make it any better and will probably make it worse. When you write a review and say things like ‘this book didn’t live up to expectations because it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I can’t rate it high because of this’ you’re missing the point. Did you read the blurb? Look at the cover art? Did you go to the author’s website? If the cover doesn’t give you an idea what the book is about, then go to the author’s site. Most likely there will be excerpts. Read those. Read the first chapter if possible.
Make sure this is a book you want to read before you buy. You’ll save yourself the headache of reading a book you didn’t care for. Grabbing a book that’s labeled paranormal and expecting it will be about vampires isn’t fair to the book or the author. Same thing works for a book with BDSM elements. If you go in expecting the lifestyle and find it’s not about the lifestyle, is that enough to rate it a zero? Or is that irrelevant?
My thought is this: You’re looking for a book to read. You want something paranormal with BDSM elements. You want hardcore. Then look for a book with those tags. Go for it! I’m excited for you. But make sure you read all the tags, check out the blurb, and read excerpts when possible. If it’s the book for you, then read it. If you feel moved to do so, write a review. But be objective. Honesty is fantastic, but it loses its effectiveness if you’re too busy being negative about the nitpicky stuff. The author wants a review so she/he can learn and grow. Help them grow.
But I came across something in my reading that bothered me. When there’s a review, the book is classified. Fine. The tags make things easier when you want to find a book with certain aspects in it. But this particular review I’d read condemned the book on the basis of a tag. Which book? Nah, I’m not going to throw the author or reviewer under the bus. That’s not the point here.
My point is two-fold. Just because a book has a tag of say, BDSM, doesn’t mean the book will be all about that tag. BDSM is a broad tag. BDSM doesn’t always mean a D/s relationship. It doesn’t mean the couple (or more) will be living in ‘the lifestyle’. BDSM can mean anything from using handcuffs on one character to lashing one to a cross, while using a crop on the character. It’s a wide range. Just because the book was labeled BDSM but the characters are playing a little slap and tickle doesn’t mean the book is any less of a book. It’s not. BDSM happens to have a broad definition. The same thing works for fantasy and paranormal. Paranormal is a gigantic genre of literature. Vampires, Fae, Zombies... paranormal can be a lot of things. A reader can get a book about ESP. That’s got a paranormal slant. Is it any more or any less paranormal than a book about vampires? No.
This leads me to my second part of my point. As the reviewer, you’re not helping your cause if you rate a book low because it’s not what YOU expected. Forcing your expectations onto a book won’t make it any better and will probably make it worse. When you write a review and say things like ‘this book didn’t live up to expectations because it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I can’t rate it high because of this’ you’re missing the point. Did you read the blurb? Look at the cover art? Did you go to the author’s website? If the cover doesn’t give you an idea what the book is about, then go to the author’s site. Most likely there will be excerpts. Read those. Read the first chapter if possible.
Make sure this is a book you want to read before you buy. You’ll save yourself the headache of reading a book you didn’t care for. Grabbing a book that’s labeled paranormal and expecting it will be about vampires isn’t fair to the book or the author. Same thing works for a book with BDSM elements. If you go in expecting the lifestyle and find it’s not about the lifestyle, is that enough to rate it a zero? Or is that irrelevant?
My thought is this: You’re looking for a book to read. You want something paranormal with BDSM elements. You want hardcore. Then look for a book with those tags. Go for it! I’m excited for you. But make sure you read all the tags, check out the blurb, and read excerpts when possible. If it’s the book for you, then read it. If you feel moved to do so, write a review. But be objective. Honesty is fantastic, but it loses its effectiveness if you’re too busy being negative about the nitpicky stuff. The author wants a review so she/he can learn and grow. Help them grow.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Things Kids Say...
I got the idea for this post from a friend, Thanks Virgina, and well, after yesterday it was rather appropriate.
My small person was visited by the Jolly old Elf and treated well. The thing the tot wanted the most was an Optimus Prime Transformer that's blippen' huge. That was the big thing totlet got. Okay, fine. Totlet opened that first. Totlet was thrilled.
Fast forward oh, about three gifts. I don't remember what all was opened, but I recall a kick ball being one of them. The next gift was a copy of Dogzilla. Now if you have small people, particularly boys who enjoy Captain Underpants, you are familiar with Dav Pilkey. If not, thank your lucky stars. I have nothing against Mr. Pilkey. In fact, I rather appreciate him writing the books that get my totlet to read. Thank you very much. But the plethora of fart and toilet jokes gets old. (and I enjoy a good fart joke). Anyway, the art/work of Dav Pilkey is part of the totlet's life.
So totlet opens Dogzilla the book Kat Kong. Totlet says, "Now I finally get what I want."
Part of me wanted to scalp totlet. Now you finally get what you want? But part of me also knew that totlet really wanted both books and has been drooling over them when visiting the Dav Pilkey site. Still, Now you finally get what you wanted...
The things kids say...
I hope your Christmas was filled with food, fun, and fellowship. Mine was. Happy Holidays!
My small person was visited by the Jolly old Elf and treated well. The thing the tot wanted the most was an Optimus Prime Transformer that's blippen' huge. That was the big thing totlet got. Okay, fine. Totlet opened that first. Totlet was thrilled.
Fast forward oh, about three gifts. I don't remember what all was opened, but I recall a kick ball being one of them. The next gift was a copy of Dogzilla. Now if you have small people, particularly boys who enjoy Captain Underpants, you are familiar with Dav Pilkey. If not, thank your lucky stars. I have nothing against Mr. Pilkey. In fact, I rather appreciate him writing the books that get my totlet to read. Thank you very much. But the plethora of fart and toilet jokes gets old. (and I enjoy a good fart joke). Anyway, the art/work of Dav Pilkey is part of the totlet's life.
So totlet opens Dogzilla the book Kat Kong. Totlet says, "Now I finally get what I want."
Part of me wanted to scalp totlet. Now you finally get what you want? But part of me also knew that totlet really wanted both books and has been drooling over them when visiting the Dav Pilkey site. Still, Now you finally get what you wanted...
The things kids say...
I hope your Christmas was filled with food, fun, and fellowship. Mine was. Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Cover Art - Thoughts?
I was looking at cover art the other day, trying to decide which book I wanted to spend my hard earned dollars on. Now, I am a self-avowed cover whore. I love me some pretty bodies in sexy positions. I got so excited when I saw the new Lust Bite covers and decided I wanted one. I know, goofy. Meh.
Then I was helping Megan with a cover. She wanted the thing to look just right and was in the process of filling out the form. And seeing her in action made me wonder. When we get the honor of inputting on cover art, what info is the right info and how do we make sure we're giving the poor cover artist the proper info to make the cover exactly what we thought it should be?
Now I am no expert on cover art creation. I do my best on my self pubbed free reads with picasa and a lot of trial and error. I give all the cover artists out there a lot of credit. It's HARD to create a pretty, eye-catching cover.
But when are we driving the cover artist crazy or just inputting the right ideas to make the cover pop?
I had one friend tell me the cover artist was thrilled when she sent along links for what she thought the characters should look like. Thrilled. Another said she'd done the same thing and the artist was mighty irked. Another friend had the cover done, but objected to the colors (ancient Greeks NEVER wore THAT color). Or there's the angel debate. How do you make the angle not look like he's got turkey wings on his back?
Now, before I go any further, I've seen my share of objectionable cover art. I realize that said, those covers are in the eye of the beholder. What I may not like might be the apple of the author's eye. Then again, what I think is beautiful might disgust other authors.
I just wonder sometimes if I'm being too pushy by saying I want this and this, but absolutely not this. Does that help the artist or hinder creativity? The guy can be built, but no furry chests. Does that really make a huge difference?
I still don't know the answer, so I'll go on wondering. Thoughts?
Then I was helping Megan with a cover. She wanted the thing to look just right and was in the process of filling out the form. And seeing her in action made me wonder. When we get the honor of inputting on cover art, what info is the right info and how do we make sure we're giving the poor cover artist the proper info to make the cover exactly what we thought it should be?
Now I am no expert on cover art creation. I do my best on my self pubbed free reads with picasa and a lot of trial and error. I give all the cover artists out there a lot of credit. It's HARD to create a pretty, eye-catching cover.
But when are we driving the cover artist crazy or just inputting the right ideas to make the cover pop?
I had one friend tell me the cover artist was thrilled when she sent along links for what she thought the characters should look like. Thrilled. Another said she'd done the same thing and the artist was mighty irked. Another friend had the cover done, but objected to the colors (ancient Greeks NEVER wore THAT color). Or there's the angel debate. How do you make the angle not look like he's got turkey wings on his back?
Now, before I go any further, I've seen my share of objectionable cover art. I realize that said, those covers are in the eye of the beholder. What I may not like might be the apple of the author's eye. Then again, what I think is beautiful might disgust other authors.
I just wonder sometimes if I'm being too pushy by saying I want this and this, but absolutely not this. Does that help the artist or hinder creativity? The guy can be built, but no furry chests. Does that really make a huge difference?
I still don't know the answer, so I'll go on wondering. Thoughts?
Friday, November 25, 2011
Black Friday!!!
I dunno about you, but I'm not a huge Black Friday shopper. Probably because I'm not good with crowds. I don't mind orderly lines and such - well, I don't mind them, but I don't really want to be in them. What I cannot handle is chaotic crowds. Concerts make me twitch. I'm not a princess by any means, but I cannot handle being jostled. I can't deal with having elbows dug into my sides or being packed in somewhere. It's probably claustrophobia or something, but sorry, can't do it.
I tried Black Friday shopping before I had kids. It wasn't so bad, but still not my favorite thing. I guess there's not that much I really want that bad that I'll stand in line or wait in a mob for. I'm oddly perfectly content to wait a few months to buy the tablet or iPod I really want if it means I can take my time, look it over and really think about it. And after having a kid, there's too much I don't want squashed. Like the tot and the stuff that must be lugged around for the tot - diaper bags, the toy that HAD to come along, sippy cup, or whatever was too important not to stay in the car.
Then again, I don't really have a long Christmas list this year either. The family wanted things that are more utilitarian. Yeah, I know. It's so hard to buy socks in a mob. Or get undershirts...stuff like that. The child wants paper, markers, and things to make comic books. Hey, can't knock a kid for wanting to create art. Shrugs. Maybe that's what makes me quirky or odd. I'm good with what I got and not really wanting anything for Christmas.
What about you? Are you out shopping? Reading blogs and tripping the blog fantastic? Writing? I'd like to be doing that right now. Sigh. The words are there, just not ready to make their way onto the page. Oh well. What are your thoughts on Black Friday? Let me know. :-)
I tried Black Friday shopping before I had kids. It wasn't so bad, but still not my favorite thing. I guess there's not that much I really want that bad that I'll stand in line or wait in a mob for. I'm oddly perfectly content to wait a few months to buy the tablet or iPod I really want if it means I can take my time, look it over and really think about it. And after having a kid, there's too much I don't want squashed. Like the tot and the stuff that must be lugged around for the tot - diaper bags, the toy that HAD to come along, sippy cup, or whatever was too important not to stay in the car.
Then again, I don't really have a long Christmas list this year either. The family wanted things that are more utilitarian. Yeah, I know. It's so hard to buy socks in a mob. Or get undershirts...stuff like that. The child wants paper, markers, and things to make comic books. Hey, can't knock a kid for wanting to create art. Shrugs. Maybe that's what makes me quirky or odd. I'm good with what I got and not really wanting anything for Christmas.
What about you? Are you out shopping? Reading blogs and tripping the blog fantastic? Writing? I'd like to be doing that right now. Sigh. The words are there, just not ready to make their way onto the page. Oh well. What are your thoughts on Black Friday? Let me know. :-)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Being Sick... Stinks
I went to bed last night ready to tackle today and get some stuff accomplished. I sure did. What went wrong?
I got a cold.
I thought I had one about two weeks ago. I probably did, but I caught it fast enough that time that it wasn't really bad. In fact, it ran its course in a couple days. Worked for me. I had a vacation to enjoy. But this time the cold is a tick worse. Can you say feels like death? Yeah, I'm so there.
I'll get something done shortly, I hope.
On other news, this was funny and yet incredibly sad. The plane that had the 'hijacker' trying to get into the cockpit. I know enough about planes to know that there's no room to goof around with guns. I also know how serious the threat of hijacking is. Now it's funny to think the pilot got himself stuck in the john. Why? Cuz I think it's funny when anyone gets stuck in a potty. What's not funny is the idea that we are so scared that something bad will happen. It's not funny because it's a very real possibility. Scary.
Then again, the overseas flight that required the fliers to cough up money to refuel the plane just sucks. Sounds like the travel agent who booked the flight never bothered to give the money for the refueling that the travelers paid to the airline. Now that's stupid. Thankfully they had the cash on hand to fuel it.
Oh well. I'm off to twiddle with a pilot story I've had in the back of my head for a while.
I got a cold.
I thought I had one about two weeks ago. I probably did, but I caught it fast enough that time that it wasn't really bad. In fact, it ran its course in a couple days. Worked for me. I had a vacation to enjoy. But this time the cold is a tick worse. Can you say feels like death? Yeah, I'm so there.
I'll get something done shortly, I hope.
On other news, this was funny and yet incredibly sad. The plane that had the 'hijacker' trying to get into the cockpit. I know enough about planes to know that there's no room to goof around with guns. I also know how serious the threat of hijacking is. Now it's funny to think the pilot got himself stuck in the john. Why? Cuz I think it's funny when anyone gets stuck in a potty. What's not funny is the idea that we are so scared that something bad will happen. It's not funny because it's a very real possibility. Scary.
Then again, the overseas flight that required the fliers to cough up money to refuel the plane just sucks. Sounds like the travel agent who booked the flight never bothered to give the money for the refueling that the travelers paid to the airline. Now that's stupid. Thankfully they had the cash on hand to fuel it.
Oh well. I'm off to twiddle with a pilot story I've had in the back of my head for a while.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
NaNo...Not Now
Okay, so the beginning of the month, I was all ready to tackle NaNo. A friend of mine insists that NaNo actually happens every month a writer writes. We all have deadlines and things we have to get done. She's right.
And yet...
It's fun to push yourself to get to that elusive word count. Its fun to really see what you can do. So yes, every month is a goal to get to the word count.
But...
For me it's been a little bit of a challenge and not just to get the words to flow. The words are there. I've got them just fine. What's the problem then?
Life.
I'm sure everyone who does NaNo has life stomp in and stampede. It's what happens. But in my case, there was vacation. Always fun and yep, I got lots of ideas. Lots of nice eye candy to look at, too. Then there was the birthday extravaganza - well, if you call eating Dilly Bars at Dairy Queen an extravaganza and since I do. Grin. Then the dog had her issues. Ever have a dog with a cyst? It happens a lot I'm told, but this one got icky. We're talking doubled in size, turned colors and burst. Yeah, gross. So I had to help with that. Now factor in a child in school, a DH with crazy work hours and yeah, I work myself in addition to writing.
What does all that add up to?
Writing whenever I can find the stray moment and having to take the laptop into the potty for privacy. No my family doesn't read over my shoulder, but sometimes you just need a moment with your thoughts.
How much have I honestly gotten done? About 20k. It's not much and well, it's really two shorts (maybe it's four [there were two really short shorts in there] I'm not sure) that I have compiled.
Ya think I'll make it by the end of the month to the full 50k of words? Here's to trying even when I'm sure something else (Murphy's Law resides at my house) will crop up and scream for my attention.
Do you ever have this problem? Coping suggestions? I'm all ears.
And yet...
It's fun to push yourself to get to that elusive word count. Its fun to really see what you can do. So yes, every month is a goal to get to the word count.
But...
For me it's been a little bit of a challenge and not just to get the words to flow. The words are there. I've got them just fine. What's the problem then?
Life.
I'm sure everyone who does NaNo has life stomp in and stampede. It's what happens. But in my case, there was vacation. Always fun and yep, I got lots of ideas. Lots of nice eye candy to look at, too. Then there was the birthday extravaganza - well, if you call eating Dilly Bars at Dairy Queen an extravaganza and since I do. Grin. Then the dog had her issues. Ever have a dog with a cyst? It happens a lot I'm told, but this one got icky. We're talking doubled in size, turned colors and burst. Yeah, gross. So I had to help with that. Now factor in a child in school, a DH with crazy work hours and yeah, I work myself in addition to writing.
What does all that add up to?
Writing whenever I can find the stray moment and having to take the laptop into the potty for privacy. No my family doesn't read over my shoulder, but sometimes you just need a moment with your thoughts.
How much have I honestly gotten done? About 20k. It's not much and well, it's really two shorts (maybe it's four [there were two really short shorts in there] I'm not sure) that I have compiled.
Ya think I'll make it by the end of the month to the full 50k of words? Here's to trying even when I'm sure something else (Murphy's Law resides at my house) will crop up and scream for my attention.
Do you ever have this problem? Coping suggestions? I'm all ears.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Another Thursday Rambling
Courtesy of: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/717/7-gadgets-that-wont-be-around-in-2020
Going the way of the Dinosaur?
E-Readers
The e-reader has already undergone significant changes in its short history, evolving from a product with a keyboard to one with a touchscreen and more recently being integrated into a kind of a tablet-hybrid, but according to Golvin, the market for e-readers will mostly disappear by the end of the decade.
“The tablet will largely supplant the e-reader in the same way that the iPod increasingly gets displaced by smartphones,” Golvin says. “Tablets will take on the e-reader function of handling magazine, newspaper and book reading.” In essence, spending money on an e-reader that can only handle reading when tablets can do this and more will come to seem as useless as buying a GPS system that can only look up directions when other technology does this as well.
Just how small the e-reader market becomes may depend somewhat on advancements in display technology. One of the biggest incentives for consumers to buy a pure e-reader is to have an e-ink display (like reading from a book) rather than a backlit display (like reading from a computer screen), but according to Golvin, manufacturers are already working on ways to merge the two reading experiences and create a tablet that doubles as an authentic e-reader.
Even then, there may be still be some e-readers on the market at the beginning of next decade, but not many.
“It could be that by 2020 you can still buy a super cheap e-reader for $20, but by and large, the volume of sales will be so close to zero as to be indistinguishable, like CD players are now,” he says.
Going the way of the Dinosaur?
E-Readers
The e-reader has already undergone significant changes in its short history, evolving from a product with a keyboard to one with a touchscreen and more recently being integrated into a kind of a tablet-hybrid, but according to Golvin, the market for e-readers will mostly disappear by the end of the decade.
“The tablet will largely supplant the e-reader in the same way that the iPod increasingly gets displaced by smartphones,” Golvin says. “Tablets will take on the e-reader function of handling magazine, newspaper and book reading.” In essence, spending money on an e-reader that can only handle reading when tablets can do this and more will come to seem as useless as buying a GPS system that can only look up directions when other technology does this as well.
Just how small the e-reader market becomes may depend somewhat on advancements in display technology. One of the biggest incentives for consumers to buy a pure e-reader is to have an e-ink display (like reading from a book) rather than a backlit display (like reading from a computer screen), but according to Golvin, manufacturers are already working on ways to merge the two reading experiences and create a tablet that doubles as an authentic e-reader.
Even then, there may be still be some e-readers on the market at the beginning of next decade, but not many.
“It could be that by 2020 you can still buy a super cheap e-reader for $20, but by and large, the volume of sales will be so close to zero as to be indistinguishable, like CD players are now,” he says.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thursday... What To Blog About....
I never know what to post on Thursdays. Why? It's a crazy day for me. Family needs me more. My time is precious on Thursdays and well, I run out of blogging ideas. Sad.
I'd do Thursday thirteen... but I'd like to stay original or more original. I've done some book reviews, but I'm an author, not a primary reviewer. I don't want to hurt feelings either. Most all of the books I read, I love.
I don't want to do a rambling post. I tend to soapbox, especially when my totlet needs picked up from school. Don't get me started on parents at a school when it's releasing...
Random hot guys is Tuesday... Friday is for Flirts and updates. Mondays are for author interviews/Monday Moans Character interviews. Hmm...
I'm always looking for ideas and suggestions. Thoughts? Bad jokes? How's the weather where you are? Let me know. :-)
I'd do Thursday thirteen... but I'd like to stay original or more original. I've done some book reviews, but I'm an author, not a primary reviewer. I don't want to hurt feelings either. Most all of the books I read, I love.
I don't want to do a rambling post. I tend to soapbox, especially when my totlet needs picked up from school. Don't get me started on parents at a school when it's releasing...
Random hot guys is Tuesday... Friday is for Flirts and updates. Mondays are for author interviews/Monday Moans Character interviews. Hmm...
I'm always looking for ideas and suggestions. Thoughts? Bad jokes? How's the weather where you are? Let me know. :-)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
So I joined Kindlegraph
I did and why not? Go here: http://kindlegraph.com/authors/WendiZwaduk and you can see what I have listed. If you want your copy autographed, I'll be happy to! :-) I'm going to go back to writing, but I thought I'd pass along the news.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
What the Wednesday? Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Ok, I've kept my WtW? posts a little quiet. I don't know if they do any good or if I'm talking to myself. Oh well.
This week I wanted to touch on something that's near to me and a pet peeve.
I totally get that you want to write a review. Why? You want to share your feelings about what you read. That's great. You might not like it, you might love it, but you want to share.
Kudos.
What I have a problem with is this: if you can't say something nice, even if you hated it, then don't say something at all.
I'm not saying you CAN'T write a review. Heavens no. I'm saying BE CONSTRUCTIVE.
Seriously.
There are many times when you won't like a book, microwave, television show, CD...etc. Things won't always be up to your version of par. They may be too low or may exceed. Who knows.
If you say something like, this was too short and I don't know why I paid so much for it, my first thought to you is, didn't you do some research first? Most sites, stores, etc. will tell you about the product, be it a short story, a low grade microwave or a new innovation in fridges. Go to the site, check out the vital stats.
But don't hate on something because it's short or because it was junk.
Tell the manufacturer or the author or the company WHY you didn't like it.
"The cord on the fridge is short. You might want to measure the length of the fridge placement to the outlet first." OR "The ice machine is loud. Only a little insulation around it. A little more and this would be a great machine."
What about: "This is a short story, no doubt. At 34 pages, I knew I wasn't going to get something in-depth, but if you want a taste of the author's work, this is something to get." OR "This book has lots and I mean lots of sex. If you're looking for something to spice up the night, this would be perfect. If you're looking for something more inspirational, you might want to skip it."
Gets the point across and makes YOU the reviewer look like less of a fool.
Here's a great example. I went shopping for a new laptop. I looked at lots of laptops, lots of sites pertaining to laptops, and LOTS of reviews. Now, the funny part is this: if you go hunting for a laptop, there are quite a few to choose from. If you go to say Best Buy and look at them, you can see which have a matte finish, shiny finish, removable top, extra number pad, etc. For the laptop I ended up getting, there were reviews like this (and I am not kidding)
"Shows fingerprints really well. Not aesthetic. 1 star of 4"
Um...ok, so I know there will be fingerprints. Fine. But...does it work well? Enough memory? Does it get hot fast and need a cooling pad? Battery life sufficient?
That wasn't touched on. Nope. All I saw was that there was lots of fingerprints, the person had sour grapes and they wrote a review reflecting that.
I probably sound like a broken record, but I look at it like this: no one wants to hear bad things, but we all have to here and there. No one wants to have their work rejected, shunned or labeled as insufficient. But that doesn't really give you the right in this day and age of immediate feedback to be mean or hurtful. You're not going to attract flies with vinegary words and you won't endear yourself to anyone with meanness. You won't.
I could've been really nasty in this post and still gotten my point across. I didn't. Why? I'm trying to show that if you're positive in your need to be negative, the author, company, manufacturer, etc. can learn and GROW from it.
Just think about it.
This week I wanted to touch on something that's near to me and a pet peeve.
I totally get that you want to write a review. Why? You want to share your feelings about what you read. That's great. You might not like it, you might love it, but you want to share.
Kudos.
What I have a problem with is this: if you can't say something nice, even if you hated it, then don't say something at all.
I'm not saying you CAN'T write a review. Heavens no. I'm saying BE CONSTRUCTIVE.
Seriously.
There are many times when you won't like a book, microwave, television show, CD...etc. Things won't always be up to your version of par. They may be too low or may exceed. Who knows.
If you say something like, this was too short and I don't know why I paid so much for it, my first thought to you is, didn't you do some research first? Most sites, stores, etc. will tell you about the product, be it a short story, a low grade microwave or a new innovation in fridges. Go to the site, check out the vital stats.
But don't hate on something because it's short or because it was junk.
Tell the manufacturer or the author or the company WHY you didn't like it.
"The cord on the fridge is short. You might want to measure the length of the fridge placement to the outlet first." OR "The ice machine is loud. Only a little insulation around it. A little more and this would be a great machine."
What about: "This is a short story, no doubt. At 34 pages, I knew I wasn't going to get something in-depth, but if you want a taste of the author's work, this is something to get." OR "This book has lots and I mean lots of sex. If you're looking for something to spice up the night, this would be perfect. If you're looking for something more inspirational, you might want to skip it."
Gets the point across and makes YOU the reviewer look like less of a fool.
Here's a great example. I went shopping for a new laptop. I looked at lots of laptops, lots of sites pertaining to laptops, and LOTS of reviews. Now, the funny part is this: if you go hunting for a laptop, there are quite a few to choose from. If you go to say Best Buy and look at them, you can see which have a matte finish, shiny finish, removable top, extra number pad, etc. For the laptop I ended up getting, there were reviews like this (and I am not kidding)
"Shows fingerprints really well. Not aesthetic. 1 star of 4"
Um...ok, so I know there will be fingerprints. Fine. But...does it work well? Enough memory? Does it get hot fast and need a cooling pad? Battery life sufficient?
That wasn't touched on. Nope. All I saw was that there was lots of fingerprints, the person had sour grapes and they wrote a review reflecting that.
I probably sound like a broken record, but I look at it like this: no one wants to hear bad things, but we all have to here and there. No one wants to have their work rejected, shunned or labeled as insufficient. But that doesn't really give you the right in this day and age of immediate feedback to be mean or hurtful. You're not going to attract flies with vinegary words and you won't endear yourself to anyone with meanness. You won't.
I could've been really nasty in this post and still gotten my point across. I didn't. Why? I'm trying to show that if you're positive in your need to be negative, the author, company, manufacturer, etc. can learn and GROW from it.
Just think about it.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
What The? Wednesday .... Never Enough...
Hours in the day. I'm not kidding. Seems like when I was a kid, the day went on forever. I'd go to bed and think, man, I can still see vivid green leaves, not the black like when it's night time.
I was so young.
There are nights now when I look at the clock and think, it's five...already? Where did the day go? I was going to write and promo and twitter hop...and I've done...what?
Grocery shopped.
Shoe shopped for everyone but me.
Changed a litter box.
Refilled cat/dog food bins (we have those water jug looking things that self feed).
Cleaned up the kitchen from a recent food disaster.
Helped fill/unload the RV.
Vacuumed.
Gee, my life is so exciting. I actually talked to a friend from school about that. She thought I had such a fantastic life, being a writer. Um. If you look at that list...then no. I mean, yeah, I've had some great experiences. But day to day? I'm just an average, ordinary, everyday girl. With not enough hours in the day.
So I'm off to get some stuff done before the day actually starts so I can do the things I don't really want to do. But then doing those things now, means I can write later.
C-ya!
I was so young.
There are nights now when I look at the clock and think, it's five...already? Where did the day go? I was going to write and promo and twitter hop...and I've done...what?
Grocery shopped.
Shoe shopped for everyone but me.
Changed a litter box.
Refilled cat/dog food bins (we have those water jug looking things that self feed).
Cleaned up the kitchen from a recent food disaster.
Helped fill/unload the RV.
Vacuumed.
Gee, my life is so exciting. I actually talked to a friend from school about that. She thought I had such a fantastic life, being a writer. Um. If you look at that list...then no. I mean, yeah, I've had some great experiences. But day to day? I'm just an average, ordinary, everyday girl. With not enough hours in the day.
So I'm off to get some stuff done before the day actually starts so I can do the things I don't really want to do. But then doing those things now, means I can write later.
C-ya!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)