* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
In the more than ten years that I’ve been writing this blog (the first post was August 28, 2009), one of my favorite things has been interacting with the readers.
That used to happen a lot more. When I started out, I averaged 1,000 new words a day, but in more recent times, I just haven’t been able to do that. I’ve been trying to write more narratives again, but without that, the blog doesn’t tend to provoke many comments…and I miss that. I think my long time readers do, too.
One of those long time readers and amongst my most frequent commenters is Lady Galaxy, who suggested that I write something once a week with the intent of increasing interaction.
It’s a good idea. 🙂
I think the best way to do that is to do one or more polls (which I’ve done throughout the past decade).
I’ve decided to name this series #WDYTWed. WDYT is an internet abbreviation for “What Do You Think?”, and I’m going to do them on Wednesdays. Hopefully, just about every Wednesday…
Before I start: so nice to have our power & internet back! It could go out again, but my best guess is that we are probably okay for a week or so. Many people had it worse than us, including people I know well (and certainly, there are people still affected). We’ve smelled smoke from the fires and we have our go bags ready (many Californians have them all the time…we used to think of them for earthquakes, but fires are more likely). Best wishes for everybody affected!
Okay…
Given that this is the day before Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve Eve?), I thought I’d go with something that was popular when I managed a brick-and-mortar bookstore (including big bestsellers).
However, while people have a hard time defining what science fiction is, people have a hard time even settling on a term for this topic…and it can be very emotionally charged as to what to call it and what to include.
Broadly, it’s reputed non-fiction about things which “mainstream science” (if there is such a thing) considers to be…highly improbable (real science, while there are agreed upon highly likelihoods, is willing to challenge any existing assumptions through rigorous testing).
In many stores, it might have been labeled Paranormal or Occult or New Age. In some, perhaps, Forteana (named after author Charles Fort). Well, “paranormal” now often means fiction, “New Age” became about music and movies (among other things). I don’t see the “occult” term much any more. Oh, and some stores would put it under Spirituality or even Religion.
It’s a very broad category! There are books about UFOs, for example, which could easily go into science: hard speculation with testable theories based on mainstream science. On the other hand, there are books about UFOs which do have a religious orientation.
I used to be very cautious about including those topics in this blog, but this seems like a good time. 🙂 I’m not an advocate or a skeptic, but I used to really be focused on this. I appeared on radio and TV, wrote about it, had a very brief column in a national newsstand magazine. I was the Education Director for a 501(c)3 non-profit that dealt with these topics.
Recently, in the extensive writing community on Twitter, someone asked for areas of expertise (so authors can ask questions). I could have offered a few, but if someone was writing fiction which included a character who was interested in these sorts of things, I could review something to let you know it reflected the “community” beliefs (although I’ve been out of it in any serious way for a while).
Broadly, the poll questions below could involve cryptozoology (Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, chupacabra…), UFOs, parapsychology (ESP, telekinesis…), ghosts/hauntings, real magic/witches, ancient technological civilizations, fish falling from the sky, and so on.
Here we go!
Please note: I could have easily listed 100 for the next poll, without looking up anything…I inevitably will be leaving out many popular and significant authors, even ones I’ve met. I decided to just cut it off at one point, or I’d be here all day! Please feel free to comment with others.
I know a significant number of you won’t appreciate the association of at least some of these topics with this holiday…but regardless, Happy Halloween, and if you don’t celebrate that happy Thursday tomorrow! 😉
I’m expecting some interesting comments on this one!
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
Special 2019 note: my power is scheduled to be brought down by PG&E for a couple to maybe five days. I don’t expect to be as responsive during that time, since our internet at phone service could be down. See you on the other side! 😉
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
My power company is about to take my power down (along with much of the state)
My power at home is scheduled to be down from part of Saturday through at least part of Monday, and then it could take them a couple of days or more to restore it (they have to do safety inspections…that’s my understanding).
I just wanted to give you the heads-up on that…it will probably limit my responsiveness, since I could lose both internet and cell (which means all phone service at home for me). The last time they took it down in the area, it apparently brought down the cell tower: we had electricity that time (we won’t this), but no phone.
It’s weird: everybody feels like we are preparing for a post-Apocalyptic scenario…but if you drove for five minutes or so, things might be normal.
We feel pretty well prepared, and we should be okay.
One of the things we’ll use, which we really like, is this inflatable solar light:
It’s about $17 right now. We just leave it sitting on a windowsill inside the house, and it charges via the sunlight. It gives you a nice illumination for a room…and it’s not harsh, like a lot of the “emergency” lights with LEDs.
They are $19.99 for three right now. They are battery operated, which I don’t like as well, and too bright for me generally, but we’ll use them in the bathrooms: they light up when motion is detected.
Well, I might tell you more, but time is rapidly running out! Have to send this.
See you after the Apocalypse! 😉 Actually, I’ll be checking in on things on breaks at work (and I’ll be able to charge my devices there), and I’ve pre-scheduled the bookish birthdays.
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
In the more than ten years that I’ve been writing this blog (the first post was August 28, 2009), one of my favorite things has been interacting with the readers.
That used to happen a lot more. When I started out, I averaged 1,000 new words a day, but in more recent times, I just haven’t been able to do that. I’ve been trying to write more narratives again, but without that, the blog doesn’t tend to provoke many comments…and I miss that. I think my long time readers do, too.
One of those long time readers and amongst my most frequent commenters is Lady Galaxy, who suggested that I write something once a week with the intent of increasing interaction.
It’s a good idea. 🙂
I think the best way to do that is to do one or more polls (which I’ve done throughout the past decade).
I’ve decided to name this series #WDYTWed. WDYT is an internet abbreviation for “What Do You Think?”, and I’m going to do them on Wednesdays. Hopefully, just about every Wednesday…
Unfortunately, yesterday, I didn’t have time to one of these…so that “just about” comes in handy. 😉
In an exchange with an author, the idea of how important it is that books are published as gifts for others was being discussed. Of course, Young Adult books, for example, are often purchased by adults for younger people (many are purchased for the adults to read for themselves, but that’s a different story).
As a former brick-and-mortar bookstore manager, I can tell you that the success or failure of those stores relies heavily on sales at the end of the year, when people are buying more gifts.
So, this week, I thought I’d ask you some questions about buying books for gifts (including contrasting that to buying books for yourself).
* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
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