People and Bees: A Natural Partnership

In current events, a half-million honey bees were killed in a vandalism spree that occurred at a beekeeper's enterprise in Sioux City, Iowa.  This incredible number might amount to around 14 bee hives at certain times of the year; but, because we're in winter, the damage could be more horrifying.

The winter bee hive naturally drops in population by about 30,000 bees each year, which  means that vandals in this case may have been responsible for the killings of what would be equal to approximately 100 productive bee hives. Shamefully, this amount of damage reflects only one aspect of the immediate violation and cumulative effect of the loss.

Short Primer on Bees

Bees are a productive, regenerative, necessity of our food chain on Earth-- when people aren't in their way. Bees "pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops, which constitute one-third of everything we eat".

Bees' lives are short, relatively. Worker bees get about 40 days, during warm high-productivity summer months, to do their jobs, whereas a queen bee has a comparatively-long lifespan of 3-5 years. There is one  queen per hive.

Born sporadically in their hives, each bee has a first duty of cleaning their "cell". As the young bees age, their responsibilities change several times.

The Beekeeper

Beekeepers, aka apiarists, are a type of farmer. They provide edible and usable products (honey, beeswax) to communities through the work of their bees, either as a primary beekeeping commerce or as secondary commerce to another primary product or service goal of beekeeping.

Some beekeepers run a service of hive provision, to clientele in need of seasonal pollination of their crops and farms. This latter exercise has become necessary in the production of food crops that must feed an exponentially increasing number of people, as well as in the maintenance of floral industry crops.

Photo by Michael Gäbler

People and Bees

Some of us may see only a few bees throughout our entire lives, while others may be lucky enough to have a natural hive nearby. Bees may be frequently seen buzzing around wildflowers and gardens during temperate months, their fruitful existence possibly unrealized by them.

Bees can be pests, under either livable or problematic circumstances. Another service of professional beekeeping is to remove hives ethically . . . keeping bees safe and healthy during transit to new locations where they may be left to survive in nature's way, or supported and productive via farming.

Photo by Bob Peterson via Flickr

The relationship between humans and bees has long been one of great service to people, yet over time has become strained for bees. It's well worth our time (as a determining factor of outcome) to share our awareness of this industrious, pollinating creature-- a species that must be in production constantly to keep itself alive, then produces so much more for our benefit.

REF:

"File:Honey Bee on Willow Catkin (5419305106).jpg." Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 18 Dec 2017, 17:28 UTC. 30 Dec 2017, 21:43 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Honey_Bee_on_Willow_Catkin_(5419305106).jpg&oldid=272863936>. 

FURTHER READING:

Beekeeping New Year Resolutions via HoneybeeSuite
Top 60 Beekeeping Blogs via Feedspot
Learn about colony collapse and pollination crisis via PLOS

Quotes, Communication, Politics & Propaganda: How words and stories affect us

Fake quote?

Words have a way with us. Our chats are often misconstrued, and we're in general danger of words being fabricated into webs of propaganda intended to stir emotion and direct reactions. Our most fantastical displays of this human behavior are prominent in governmental, workplace and family politics.

Nuances of communication have always been important . . . critical, under certain circumstances. Yet, in our 'advanced' age of vetting and recordings, we still grapple with fake news and word of mouth (overrated) that flies at us from every direction. Such a problem with fake news propaganda has developed that the entirety of our media is suffering a form of association fallacy.

Via guilt-by-association and exacerbated by the claims of a sitting president, The Media battles itself for the trust of its subjects. Where media fails, people are left with a responsibility to set the record straight-- difficult or impossible as that may be. Take the following quote, for example:

There’s a plot in this country to enslave every man, woman, and child. Before I leave this high and noble office, I intend to expose this plot. - President John F. Kennedy, 7 days before his assassination 

It seems real. It feels like a statement that man could have penned, knowing what we do about the kind of equanimous morality he espoused. In fact, it seldom occurs to us who were (or, would have been) followers of his politics that we should question the veracity of this quote. The sentiment of the quote appears to be generally in line with the political awareness and responsibility to our nation that people grew to expect from John F. Kennedy, of the democratically-inclined Kennedy family dynasty.

But, while the quote is an example of idealistic equanimity in itself, so is the responsibility of vetting it! It doesn't matter which slice of political pie we prefer. What matters, is that it's a supposed quote from a specific person used to bolster not only the idealistic nature of equanimity but also to bolster a feeling of dread in those who read it.

Is there a foundation that would support that fear? Maybe. Beyond that, is the claim true? This should be our most sought-after answer.

Greater than espousing the need for equanimity is the responsibility of exposing a damaging lie when it occurs. In this example, what could have been an innocuous statement by any of a number of politicians (or, no statement at all) ends up being a dishonest, indirect dismantling of the processes of a democratic society . . . no more or less than a lie told in furtherance of a plot to win a party battle-- aka, propaganda.

Ultimately, it's likely that JFK never said it. It's at least as likely that he didn't as that he did. The only thing we know for sure, is that we don't know. The only thing we know, is that it's not verifiable, and as such shouldn't be recirculated as truth or has a JFK quote. Unfortunately, this known, dated meme's deconstruction bears repeating.

* * * 

If you know of a quote that has been attributed incorrectly yet still sees wide distribution, let everyone know about it in comments.

Writing on, and Finding, Restrooms and Bath Facilities: an English vocabulary study

The effect of realism in any story is supported by the use of the same vocabulary as applies in scenarios that unfold in life, in such scenes at the locations of their 'origin' thus regionally unique in dialect as well as vocabulary.

Along this line, one could say that the quickest way to a bathroom might be obscured when we use terms unfamiliar to those with whom we communicate need of toilet facilities. This is because the vocabulary of a region or social group may differ from our expectations, to a greater degree than we might expect. 

Shower - a basic need

Over time, many euphemistic terms for such places where we relieve ourselves have come, gone and come again to regular usage. They vary according to local dialect and class distinction. One example, as told by an American seeking a "restroom" while visiting a museum in the United Kingdom:

Many years ago in a museum in the UK I asked a guard for directions to the "restroom". He said "There's no place here for you to lay down, sir."

We see here that, while traveling, we may need to provide some specificity with our query, or risk be taken differently than intended. But then, visits with familiars and some business scenarios present a greater need to be polite first . . . and knowledgeable. Hence, the common expectation to undertake some type of education in the local language(s) or culture(s) associated with a job.

The way we refer to common rooms, like restrooms, varies, as in the quote above. Traditional American English would often designate "washrooms" in areas where travelers could find a faucet, at least, whereas "bathroom" is commonly heard across the states today. A bathroom is traditionally distinct from a restroom,  where one might find only chairs (or other lounge furniture). Yet, commonly in American English we refer specifically to public restrooms when all we expect is toilets and a sink to wash our hands. We then add "shower room" when in need of that extended washroom facility. English-speaking Canadians today can find "washrooms" listed on maps, which include toilets.

Again, when a need for clarity arises . . . say, a shower is needed. . . then "washroom" doesn't necessarily convey that need. Still, in editing for an audience, where the establishment of scene is paramount, "washroom" may be the best term for the type of room or clean-up needed.

Depending on a number of factors, language should fit a scene; otherwise, it could be off-the-mark enough to trigger irrelevant questions in observers, possibly distracting them from the place they need to be.

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In comments, tell us how you refer to a room fitting the traditional American English usage of "washroom":

washroom - a room with sinks (washbasins, traditionally), toilets, and sometimes other wash facilities

Find more information about the linguistics of basic facilities via links below.

REF:

Contributors. "The difference between restrooms and washrooms". Diffen. 2 Dec. 2017. https://www.diffen.com/difference/Restroom_vs_Washroom

"Bathroom" in different languages. Indifferent Languages. https://www.indifferentlanguages.com/words/bathroom 

Contributors. 'How to say "Where is the bathroom" in several different languages'. Wikihow. 3 Dec. 2017. https://www.wikihow.com/Say-%22Where-Is-the-Bathroom%22-in-Several-Different-Languages

Major Publisher Stops New Self-Publishing Venture

Macmillan publishers announced earlier in November that it's closing a self-publishing platform it recently acquired. This ending for Pronoun, an experimental endeavor, hangs in the air like an odd teaser in the literary world.

While it's been suggested that Macmillan purchased the self-publisher in order to close it down, any financial interest in doing so for the sake of taking down a self publisher isn't apparent. Information seems to indicate that, despite a respectable effort at continuing to offer some form of the progressively-aimed publisher, readers just weren't expected to pick up on the new venture in a way that would support further investment.

Related Reads:

10 Reasons Why People Who Read are a Lot More Likely to Be Successful

The Decline of the American Book Lover

South Alabaman offers book about two families, the Great Depression and Geneva County, Alabama spanning from 1929-1981

Happy Birthday Mark Twain, born 1835 November 30

A favorite author to many, Mark Twain lived from 1835-1910.

Born and raised in Missouri when slavery was practiced openly both domestically and as a means of production in parts of the United States, much of his well-known written work reflects the cadence of Missourian lifestyles during that time. Some of that work has long been challenged, censored and banned under certain circumstances due to its politically challenging nature and offense to the sense of modern humanity. Racial content reflected in Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" for example, has been determined by some as too uncomfortable to be appropriate for students.

Twain freely traveled often, and made his possible contributions to the world around him. Formal education had been cut short for him after his father's death at Twain's age eleven, when those around him still knew him as Samuel Clemens. Young Samuel gained employment instead, but was able to remain close to his talents and interests through work. He gained further education via public libraries in his spare time. Knowledge gained as well from a lifetime of travel (during a time of slow news and locally-curbed information) lent a great deal of perspective to his own unique brand of storytelling.

The particular experiences met by Samuel Clemens in a developing world ultimately led to his legendary status as a U.S. native, writer and author of valuable, telling, and impressionable works-- writings that collectively cast a reflective eye on human conduct in that world. Notably, Mark Twain's writing continues to echo memories of a younger nation, unified-yet-separate, as its inhabitants lived and toiled.

Apple ad "What's a computer?"- Some say 'brilliant', some "insulting"

Apple Inc. ad campaign rubs respondents the wrong way as it asks, "What's a computer?"

The ad, one of a themed group developed starting in 2016, represents and targets those familiar with iPads, tablets, smartphones and notebooks (and iPhone, Blackberry and Android) rather than Macs, PCs, or laptops . . . concepts more familiar to the aging population.

The former audience identifies with newer terminology more than any concept-- however advanced-- of 'computer adding machines', and Apple marketing seems to prompt everyone's interest with it's latest ads by stirring positive and negative emotions, the latter perhaps unwittingly. The messaging strikes chords melodic and flat, in those who approve and disapprove alike. A quick review of comments under the [original] video above quickly exposes a healthy dislike of the reference to disappearance of "computers".

The fact is that Apple is hot onto the marketing appeals of convenience, communication, and the downsize-trend of personal computer use. While, technically, the smaller, portable devices may be considered computers, they exist, and are classified, by completely different qualities.

Product focus article by Chance Miller details the ad focus, iPad Pro, and receives similar comments to those mentioned above: Apple Challenges definition of a PC . . .

Thanksgiving 2017

There are challenges in any year, but now's our time to recognize the positives of the last. We should celebrate ourselves and the places we've been and hold dear in this world. Recognize the exciting times we're in, and the possibilities of a future that's yet to arrive. Anything can happen. Have a happy Thanksgiving weekend.

Why I Write: October 20 Annual Writing Hashtag Event

The National Day on Writing inspires a time during end-October for writers and associates to celebrate and organize events. Centered around a concept of the National Council of Teachers of English, the day honors the constant relevance the written word. (Since 1911, the NCTE has organized for the betterment of language art studies through various means). 

Developed by educators, the National Day on Writing appeals to teachers especially, who use the opportunity to enhance our perceptions of writing as a critical component of comprehension, learning, communication and overall understanding. For writers from any scene, October 20 each year is the date around which we can plan an event or outing according to this general theme.

We consider it highly appropriate that this writing event is coordinated with the cooling autumn weather, which happens to render steaming cups of coffee, tea and cocoa all the more relevant to our efforts. We're greater plussed if sweaters are needed.

Because the annual writing event happens to fall on a Friday this year, there's little excuse to avoid an appropriate event or activity this weekend. What will you do?

We should all get a start by answering the associated hashtag #WhyIWrite, via Twitter and other social networks.

Random Reblog & Writing Prompt via Thursday Thoughts at Twitter

Expand on your level of social sharing (and reward) with the Random Reblog writing prompt. This is a fun exercise that can boost creativity and online interaction. We may call for a #RandomReblog anytime, but will start with the #ThursdayThoughts stream at Twitter. Here's how it works: 

1. Go to Twitter
2. Type #ThursdayThoughts in search field at Twitter
3. Casually find a Tweet that resonates with you
4. Retweet it!
5. RE-BLOG IT! (embed code via tweet menu into your blog post)
6. Add your comment of relevance 
7. Tweet your REBLOG post!

Our random RT this week is embedded below. This is where the reblog happens!  

A backward glance can often lift the heart. - Dante Alighieri#justaglance #lifteachotherup… https://t.co/WCZlyOnNoV

— kathy tong (@kathyatong) October 19, 2017

This Tweet was completely random, found while scrolling the home stream of a sales account. It struck the cord of coincidence in me as I remembered having connected with a distant family member earlier that day.  

That takes care of the RandomReblog portion of the exercise! 

Maybe your point of relevance for the randomly-chosen writing prompt would be contained in your introduction prior to the embedded tweet, or maybe it would work best in a paragraph that follows it (as we've shown above).

You should format your work as you wish, but do attempt to embed the original tweet. Make this a priority over the simpler quote function. By embedding the original tweet, you give readers an easy introduction to the originating source of your written work. This should also be seen as doing a favor to the account from which you've been inspired. Because we're establishing a lead, keep it positive for the source: even if it's not a wholly positive sensory or writing experience on your part.
*Note: Any RandomReblog exercise shall be "random" in that our source pick should be seen as, "I don't know this person (company, group, individual, etc.) but this Tweet is relevant to me today".

The exercise should also be random in that we aren't advertising, we don't currently follow the source of our re-blog material, and we're not previously connected in any way.

Finally, Expand on Your RandomReblog Vision

Although we've done a neat little written exercise already, there could be more story to tell. Take full advantage of the writing prompt feature of this exercise in social sharing by expanding your reblog post into a full-length script of several paragraphs, or by linking a wholly new post to it. That is:

• elaborate on the relevance to you of the Original Tweet within the same re-blog post you've created, or 
• write a separate full-length elaboration to post at a later date

That's it! A fun little remote-friendly activity that can be undertaken on a regular basis and encourages Internet socialization while also serving as a brainstorming tool. Turn a tweet-check into a more positive habit on one hand, and get a writing prompt opportunity on the other. However we use it, this exercise can serve us in a number of ways.

Apply this "Random Reblog" concept to any social platform that you use. Be sure to include hashtag: #RandomReblog

Don't forget to comment us with a link to your work! If comments aren't open, contact us.

Today in Books and Entertainment History - June 06

On This Day In History in 1998, Sex and the City premiered on HBO.

"Darren Star, was best known at the time for producing the long-running Fox TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, and its spin-off, Melrose Place. For Sex and the City, Star switched coasts, loosely adapting a book by the same name by Candace Bushnell."

Read More: Sex and the City premieres on HBO

Valentine's Day and The Stars and Stripes U.S. Flag

Continental Navy USS Ranger

On 14 February 1778, the national flag of the United States, The Stars and Stripes, was formally recognized for the first time (by a foreign naval vessel).

French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte rendered a 9-gun salute-- given by the French fleet at Quiberon Bay-- to the Continental USS Ranger under the flag hoisted via revered U.S. Naval Captain John Paul Jones.

It's believed that the timing of this scenario was coincidental to Valentine's Day; still, no doubt that a lot of love for fellow man, family and country took place in spirit on that day shortly after recognition of U.S. independence by-- and Treaty of Alliance with-- France.

As homeland battles for freedom continued, USS Ranger was captured in Charleston by the British in 1780, brought into the Royal Navy as HMS Halifax, and later decommissioned (1781).

Ref:

Wikipedia contributors. "February 14." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Feb. 2017. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.

NHHC. "French, American Alliance Hastened End of Revolutionary War." Naval History Blog. U.S. Naval Institute, 08 Jun. 2015. Web. https://www.navalhistory.org/2015/06/08/french-american-alliance-hastened-end-of-revolutionary-war. 14 Feb. 2017. 

Edward Moran. First Reception of the American Flag by a Foreign Government. 1898. Gary Priolo. Navsource. http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/86293.htm Web. 2017 Feb 14.

Intense girlhood friendships are “excellent practice for surviving the heartbreak … of future love affairs” - Salon.com

Via Salon, a double-author interview with Miranda Beverly-Whittemore and Robin Wasserman, authors of June and Girls on Fire, that every mom and dad should read and pass along to their children:

Intense girlhood friendships are “excellent practice for surviving the heartbreak … of future love affairs” - Salon.com

Learning to Write, and Beyond- Consider Audience and Write with Purpose

Successful writers have learned, the old adage is true: good style is in the eye of the beholder. Writers do well to always remember their audience, which can vary. Our audience may be as broad as an open sea, or like the narrowest stream of water. 

Students and committed writers should take instruction and feedback with a grain of salt. 

Is your audience, in fact, a teacher? Then write for that audience . . . provide them what they need and you'll pass your course. This has nothing to do with the style you want to exhibit in your own writing, and learning to follow set guidelines will help you later with your personal endeavors.

The appeal of our writing to any other audience may not be as straightforward as in a classroom scenario. Under many circumstances, there will be no direction given for a writing assignment. Capacity to deliver appropriately will be assumed!

The biggest factor that works toward a successful writing project is in minding the congregation of any meeting or audience. Big or small, private or public . . . consider the qualities of the audience. Determine whether they're professional, laypersons, hobbyists, community. Also, why are you writing? Do you need to appeal to a particular crowd in order to get them to do something? Are you entertaining for for a few laughs, or do you need follow-through after the event?

Maybe you're writing for yourself, from a position of interest in organic attraction to your message. Whatever the answer, when you figure all the factors, your method becomes more clear. Above all, it's important to remember: never be discouraged from a craft you care about because of a critic or detractor along the way. Something can be learned from almost any critic, if only about them. It's quite possible that you were never writing for them! Your teacher, though . . . you're definitely writing for that critic. Do what you need to do in order to get that grade, and you might just learn something that you'll appreciate later. 

A small group presentation

When you think about it, you may be surprised at the potential critics of a project. Don't let it overwhelm you. Just do the work and be prepared for anything.

During February, we'll take a look at some solid examples of author styles that have been heavily criticized, yet have also been wildly successful in finding audience.

Meanwhile . . . who are you writing for this week?

Reviving the Journals of Sylvia Plath - The British Library

Sylvia Plath

Whatever brought you here, whoever you are, you're likely to recognize the name of Sylvia Plath. Her 1963 novel The Bell Jar has been a companion of many students whose writing, language or literature class syllabi required it. Beyond this, Plath was a renowned artist of her time, known for her early and prolific stabs at production and successful publication.¹

As a young girl, Plath authored local pieces and experimented with painting, but was first a writer and succeeded in being nationally published soon after high school. Students and fans of Plath will recall her personalized, get-to-know-me style of revelational writing and may remember some of the unfortunate details of her life experience, including her suicide-- only one month after the publication of her first and only novel.

The Bell Jar would eventually be adapted for film, in the 1979 production of the same name.² While popular, the film was criticized for it's lack of insight into the life of the young woman whose productive mind would eventually disintegrate to the precarious state which invited and ultimately assured her demise.

See images of some of Sylvia Plath's typewritten journal pages and enjoy Karen Kukil's retrospective of Plath's style and motivations, via the British Library project Discovering Literature: Reviving the Journals of Sylvia Plath - The British Library

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1 Website Author(s). Poets.org. Poets. Sylvia Plath. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/sylvia-plath Retrieved Jan 2017.^↩

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2 Wikipedia Authors. The Bell Jar (Film). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Jar_(film). Retrieved Jan 2017.^↩

January - Don't Forget, It's National Hobby Month

If you needed an excuse or reminder, January is National Hobby Month. We're reminded during the month of January to carve out our schedule and fit into it the things we enjoy. More, to reflect on the activities that engage our most passionate, positive and rewarding responses.

Forming attachments into hobbies (at least one) can be one of the most challenging things we do. Life is full of distraction, and it's not all positive.

To maintain commitment to activities that don't necessarily feed us, or that can be associated with negative feedback, can be too daunting at times. Under the worst circumstances, people often lose their most cherished activities to things like grief or economy.

January's annual hobby reflection prompts us back into the self-awareness we may have lost, gradually or suddenly, during the past year. Any loss of something we enjoyed should be evaluated. It could be that we ultimately learn certain activities weren't the best use of our time and energy, so we move on to another interest. More important than any loss of interest in one activity is the recall, or discovery, of another activity's spark to our creativity and personal satisfaction. It's a good thing!

Which hobby will you bring into greater focus during the new year? Will you also try out a new activity? List one hobby in comments, with which you'd like to be more involved!

Lit Genre Focus: The Biographical Novel

Q: What's one way to learn more about a period in time and some of the experiences of those who lived in that time?

A: We can read an historical fiction novel.

Read more literature!

What about getting to know specific historical figures with whom we're familiar, yet curious about their actual lives, including their personal experiences other than the usual textbook primers?

In such a case, we need to find a biographical novel about them.¹ Often, a biographical novel will present us with multiple familiar 'faces', depending on theme and settings. They key to understanding what should be taken away from a book of this genre is in remembering that it is in fact a subgenre, under the fiction heading. Yet, the biographical novel isn't to be taken lightly or disregarded in terms of our ability to gain information.

While some scenes (sometimes, most of them) are quite made up, we're nonetheless offered a deeper view into the fabric of those societies that were known by the characters of a story. Although a scene may be fictionalized, this doesn't mean that something very similar didn't happen. The takeaway for a reader is in their perception of life experiences leading to the actions of the story and its characters.

Notable figures of today-- and throughout history-- tend to be either luminaries of their time or something of the opposite . . . troubled nobodies, perhaps. They share a basic commonality: their celebrated or infamous personae, as depicted by popular popular perception and based on snippets of history that have since been translated into textbooks and other media.

We often read their poetry, watch their stage performances, learn their politics . . . but as far as their lives . . .

The biographical novel presents us with opportunity to see a little further into the lives and circumstances of those figures. By placing those characters into the plots of novels, writers are able to apply some artistic license to help readers better conceptualize the times and events that directly, and indirectly, influenced them. Stories are spun around known historical facts-- the biographical elements of these works.

In this way, the biographical novel offers a window through which we might identify with or, at least understand, our heroes, our figureheads, our most memorable predecessors.

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1 Writer's Digest Authors. Definitions of Fiction Categories and Genres. Writer's Digest University. http://resources.writersonlineworkshops.com/resources/definitions-of-fiction-categories-and-genres/ Retreived Jan 2017.^↩

Who Knew - Bigelow Gave Us Dafoe in the Movie "The Loveless"

Meet 26-year-old Willem Dafoe, in a role that seems to have been designed for his future of ruffian character portrayals. A countenance that has stood the test of time, the face of Dafoe has long been assurance of film-making to see.

A test of Amazon Prime was the key that opened the door to this introduction of Dafoe-- actor, producer, writer-- as a much younger man than previously known, in a movie that surely helped to set his brand as key to his success.

The Loveless (1981-82) follows Vance (Willem Dafoe) around town as he and gang cut up and make scenes as outlaw leathers.

Before The Loveless, Dafoe had snagged a role in the 1979-80 production Heaven's Gate. According to a short bio on Dafoe at IMDB, he was released without credit for that one. His role was cut, and Heaven's Gate became a figment of the then-wiser man's past.

Ultimately, Dafoe continued his chosen career in film undeterred . . . beginning with The Loveless and its now-famous director Kathryn Bigelow!

You may recognize her as a fairly recent contender for-- and winner of-- an Academy Award for her role as director of The Hurt Locker. Bigelow impressed everyone when she became the first woman to win that award as Best Director (2008). But, Bigelow's been around since well before Dafoe's portrayal of biker Vance (his first credited film).

Having started with a local art institute in California, Bigelow produced and sold works of art before winning her first scholarship to an independent art program and continuing on the arts track until winning a film scholarship. Her way thus paved, Bigelow then directed a student film entitled The Set-Up in 1978, a nod to the affects of violence in film. This way, she effectively established her interest in and capacity to make film.¹ As far as film credits go, it appears that 1980 was Bigelow's first credited foray into the field, as a script supervisor for the movie Union City.

It's unclear when Bigelow and Dafoe met, but not long after each of their initial successes, they were working together on the set of The Loveless. 

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1 Skully, Home. IMDB. Kathryn Bigelow Bio. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000941. Retreived Jan 2017. <sup>↩

Affiliate - ref. "About"</sup> 

Author of Famous Children's Book on Censorship Dies at 91

Nat Hentoff was the kind of writer who wanted to make the world a better space. Over the span of his life and career, he managed to develop into a successful writer of music and books, as well as to land space in several periodical publications.

He wrote a children's book entitled The Day They Came to Arrest the Book, about ongoing civil debates on content censorship in the classroom. His story unfolds as a school newspaper editor (Barney Roth) grapples with the effects of a community demanding removal of a popular Mark Twain title, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Hentoff's book was published by Delacorte Press in 1982, has been reprinted several times, and is often used in educational classrooms. First-editions can be found, as well as subsequent prints and other titles by Hentoff largely about some aspect of jazz or blues music as well as issues of civil liberty.

In some of his final writing, Hentoff offered his readers a quote of advice once given to him about making an impact in this world via journalism. Any aspiring writer or investigative type could benefit to remember it. Find this, and more, from James Doubek via NPR: 'Village Voice' Veteran And Jazz Critic Nat Hentoff Dies At 91 : The Two-Way : NPR

What's in a Quality News Source?

The following quote (refers to UK media, but applies everywhere) points to a quite developed, still growing problem in news posts on social media sites (where most people source their information today). The problem often extends to the linked articles of said posts:

"Where there is no distinction between the Quality press (like The Times of London and The Observer) which caters for elitist, high brow, intellectual readers and the Popular press, which is more suited for plebeian tastes, newspapers have to be all things to all people. So, newspapers likes The Times of Zambia and The Post are an editorial compromise, cutting across different intellectual levels."¹

There's a local U.S. newspaper in our area that, over the last several years, got its start online. Over time, quality of said paper's online presence gradually improved and eventually a print version was born. Printed editions are presented very well, while greater slack is still observable in the online version (where more immediate, less regulated posting is possible).

So, it's been an observable phenomenon that as a publication betters itself it will usually begin to batten hatches, so to speak. The new ship shall sail, and to do so it must maintain the utmost in integrity. This new vessel comes at a much greater cost! Therefore, it needs subscribers. In order to continue to refine its Quality, the ship stewards need financial support. We do not live in a free society.

Where some news organizations will take care to monitor their offerings of quality news sourcing at the mass social level, most will not. This is evident in much of the newsy propaganda so widely available in free online sources, such as social media's promotional news posting.

How we can encourage greater, actionable, news reception

Together, these developments remind us that all things have their start, and while it's true that the most refined things in life are generally reserved and sold to the highest bidders, it's worth our trust that most people desire basic standards. The trick is in such people having ever understood what is better or, more useful to the end that is needed.

Unrest among social media audiences who know better clearly shows frustration at journalism cutting corners on already-carved expectations in media news reporting. However, what these audiences largely miss is that this isn't going to change very much.

Where such expectations have not been rooted, they may not grow. 

As the years pass and a greater quantity of people fall into economic burden, access to Quality news reporting becomes a greater game of chance. While in such an economy and social structure as we currently experience there may be a greater number of millionaires, as well as those who manage to scrape themselves hundreds of thousand dollars per annum, there will be- with that- massive numbers of those who believe they cannot afford to purchase any Quality News. As the divide grows, between news for them and news for those, it's kind of astonishing to realize the implications of that kind of journalism.

Where such expectations (of Quality) have not been rooted, they may not grow. This is a moral lesson we can observe as we decide on quality of goods and services to a public and also as we consider how important accurate-- and full-- news reporting is to society. Rather than make a point of not purchasing a news source simply because we think we're receiving 'good enough' information for free, we should commit to the acquisition of at least one news source in which we're happy to invest. The more, the better, for us all. We must lead our children to their best outcomes, simply by ensuring that they have the Quality information that they need.

What do you think?

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1 Djokotoe, Edem. "Creative Newspaper Writing". 6/2008. IJNET. http://ijnet.org/en/blog/creative-newspaper-writing 9/2016^↩

When to Use Capital Letters in Poetry

Poets, don't underestimate the power of the capital letter!

It's fairly common in poetry-writing groups [some are staunch against any capital, as their style] to see a peer berate another for use of capital letters in their poems. Writers are closely attached to their proven styles, and it's nothing personal but should be taken with some consideration.

While it's no longer the requirement it once was, hence possible to overdo, capitalization may still be implemented where it's deemed useful! At the end of things, it's truly the artist's prerogative.

Read on, for L. Meadow's input as to 5 reasons you might use a capital letter in your poem.

Greater Options Can Be Found in Deciding to Do More

Quote:

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt

From the book The Most Productive People in History
18 Extraordinarily Prolific Inventors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, From Archimedes to Elon Musk

Written by Michael Rank and published by the CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on April 30, 2015. 

3 Ways to Improve Decision-Making Abilities in 2017

There are those who are more decisive in general (and surely make more mistakes) and those more indecisive (who surely claim less control). The more festive ones among us have made their New Year's resolutions by today, the first day of a new year. That is, if they're going to participate in this yearly tradition of determination.

About those New Year's promises & resolutions

Have you noticed a trend this year, to commit to make no resolution except in a promise to mind a stronger daily resolve throughout the year? Okay, that's a veiled resolution! While they say they have no resolution in them . . .  no desire to add yet another item to overcrowded memory lists . . . the fact remains that there is indeed resolve in this decision to make no New Year's resolution. In fact, there is more decisiveness in the promise than in the resolution.

Avoid Leaning on Semantics & Gain Confidence in the Inclination of Your Decisions

We could resolve to be more confident in our decisions, which would be good! Yet, if we promise instead, then we put a higher price (a price we wouldn't want to pay) on any eventual neglect. This could play out in a couple of ways:

• we may be more apt to follow through with our promise (success!), or 

• more likely to perceive 'failure' that could occur when unforeseen circumstances prevent us from meeting our promise (possibly injurious to the psyche)

Maybe this is why we make New Year's resolutions and not promises. Living organisms are known to develop protections against excessive self-damage. It's reasonable that we would use semantics in a dance to make a big, annual promise to ourselves while at the same time relieving ourselves of the effects of any fall-through (being that a resolution isn't as strong as a promise).

But this strategy of semantics- while protective- doesn't necessarily help us to be more decisive. Instead, it seems to play into some pretty heavy human avoidance traits which, if better understood, could help us train ourselves to successfully meet higher demands through more chances taken . . . like being more decisive.

How to Handle Dueling Semantics

Rather than settling on semantics for relief of obligations (which could be a subconscious affect of biology and adaptation and not necessarily overt avoidance) we could instead strive to be more direct with ourselves in order to maintain the determination needed for greater decisiveness. Doing so would more likely challenge us to exceed our expectations. Alternatively, we might intimidate ourselves into failure with inappropriate perceptions about the added responsibilities of strong decisions!

According to Dr. Bill Knaus, licensed clinical psychologist and former psychology professor, people tend to be either threatened or challenged when facing decision-making opportunities.¹ Understanding the difference between feeling threatened and feeling challenged is a little more obvious, yet there is a semantic element to this understanding which-- if not well understood-- prevents familiarizing oneself with the psychological ramifications of opportunities manifesting as "threats".

Greater Awareness Improves Certainty & Results

Thankfully, we live in an information society. It's more likely than ever, for a greater number of people, to maintain the knowledge needed to make decisions that will help us excel in our lives. Awareness is the beginning of any progress. Here are three ways-- three things you can do today-- to improve your awareness and decision-making abilities.

1. Consider the complexities of semantics. (Check!)
2. Study vocabulary (especially if you're a graduated adult) to avoid being an unconscious victim of your own misunderstanding. 
3. Learn proactive coping strategies for overcoming uncertainty, courtesy of Dr. Bill Knaus

Gaining a greater understanding of semantics is important. It is the beyond-basic, enhanced communication that relays the information with which people are least comfortable. When we want to be assured of greater understanding among our peers and groups, well-used language semantics are key to exchanging the most clarified messaging.

Work on these things regularly. As each year passes and those around you make their resolutions and their promises, take some confidence in your realization of the decision makers around you, in your earned linguistic understanding and psychological awareness gained through applied, decisive and self-supporting actions.

Happy New Year!

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1 Bill Knaus, Ed.D. Uncertainty, Anxiety, Indecision and Procrastination. Psychology Today. August 2013. Retreived January 2017^↩