tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9876430881294137692024-03-05T09:57:46.056-08:00Life as I see itC. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.comBlogger315125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-7541411426655019642024-03-04T09:15:00.000-08:002024-03-05T07:27:49.592-08:002024 Elections Comments - Part 2<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DeWine signs voting bill for 'election integrity' | WKBN.com" height="288" src="https://www.wkbn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2022/05/vote-in-ballot.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="512" /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><b>California's primary is March 5 this year. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><b>This is the second of two parts on the upcoming election. Part 1 was posted on March 2: </b></span></p><p><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2024/03/2024-elections-comments-part-1.html">https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2024/03/2024-elections-comments-part-1.html</a></p><div><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><p align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 18pt;">* * * * *<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">How does a church live and thrive in a place where the culture is in such a stark contrast from the Gospel message and the call of God? What the Apostle Paul shares with the Philippians Church is much like what we face today. That's not just my assessment. I have spoken to many of you about this very issue. There is a cultural revolution happening here in America where our language, history, and values are changing, and these changes are pushing the norms of our society and culture father and father away from a life worthy of the Gospel. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">The primary foundation of “Canoeing the Mountains” by Tod Bolsinger is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"The world in front of you is nothing like the world behind you.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">" </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">The analysis is: </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">". . . <i>that pastors are in uncharted terrain, trying to lead dying churches into a post-Christian culture that now considers the church an optional, out of touch and irrelevant relic of the past.</i>” </span></b><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Our culture is changing at warp speed. Because our language, history, and values have changed, so has morality. Culture and society must have a moral code or standard to live by. That provides healthy boundaries because we are in relationships with each other and a relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">When values and morality change, it impacts everyone because we are in a relationship with others. We see the tension of this when generations gather together. The strain of this cultural revolution is multiple generations come together in homes and churches. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">The world is doing all it can to indoctrinate the younger generations into conforming to values in conflict with Biblical truth. In our world, race is such a divisive issue. But with Colossians 3:11 in our Christian life, we have much in common with others. Regardless of skin color, we all share the same biology. Two eyes, ears, arms, and legs are examples. We also share the same emotions and spirituality because we are all created in the image of God. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">It is no wonder that<b> Colossians 3:11</b> reads:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 0.25in;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"There is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 21.666668px;">." <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">In the Church, we believe that all people matter to God and all people are saved the same way, by faith in Jesus through the gospel message.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Another cultural revolution is the confusion the world is trying to teach that gender is fluid. Individuals can choose their gender identity instead of accepting the biological fact that people are born male and female. God's plan for humanity in marriage, sex, and gender is clearly presented in <b>Genesis 2:21-24:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">" <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">We find God's plan in v.24. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Before Adam and Eve became parents,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Before there ever was a father or mother,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Before Adam and Eve had their first child,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">God gave the plan for men and women to be married and Fathers and Mothers to raise their children and carry on this divine plan.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">However, although our culture changes, God's message remains the same. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">The gap between what is accepted by culture and what is biblical grows wider. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">The tension of that gap increases. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">This culture war seeped into the church, and we are seeing separation and tension grow between parents and their children. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Take a short and sweet moment to remind yourself of Paul's prayer for the Philippian Church (and our churches today) in <b>1:9-10. </b></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 27pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">."</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 18pt;">* * * * *<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Paul's prayer was for the Church's love of the Gospel to abound and grow more and more by holding true to the saving and transforming message of Jesus Christ. That is our only way forward.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">If we do not love the Gospel and tether ourselves to it, it will be impossible to live our lives worthy of the Gospel. There are warnings in the Bible not to add or subtract anything from what the Bible says. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you." <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Deuteronomy 4:1-2 </span></b><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">and </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll." <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Revelation 22:18-19. </span></b><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">When we move the goalpost, it causes confusion and frustration. The church must hold true to the entire Gospel. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">" <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-align: right; text-indent: 0.3in;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Philippians 1:27-28</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;"></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Paul calls the Church in Philippi to stand firm in the Gospel and not allow the prevailing Roman culture to influence them, to shape them, or even to scare them to conform. Paul calls the Church to find unity around the Gospel, even if persecuted for it. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Remember that the Apostle Paul is in prison for preaching the Gospel. So He is not calling the Church to do something He was not willing to do.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">He closes <b>Chapter 1</b> by encouraging the church: </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Paul circles back to <b>v. 21</b>, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"For to me, to live is Christ. and to die is gain.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Jesus is the reward. That is why, more than anything else in this world, we must lift Christ in our lives, seek Christ, and love Christ above all things. If you don't love Christ, you won't be willing to experience the joy of suffering for Christ. Paul is in prison, and he invites the Church to follow his example because you only suffer for what you love. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 18pt;">* * * * *<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">I close with the words of Jesus. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. </span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. </span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px; margin-left: 22.5pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Matthew 5:10-12 </span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #cc0000; text-align: center;">Special thanks to Pastor Gordon Wong, my pastor at Mission Church of the Nazarene in San Diego, California, for allowing me to share the above. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01; color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What follows is my commentary. All opinions are mine alone.</span></b></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Since 2020, the United States of America has been far from united. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> Businesses on La Mesa, California,'s main street and two bank buildings close to the main street were ravaged. Busloads with another state's license plates full of people unloaded and were instructed to pick up bricks, throw them through windows and doors of stores, and loot those businesses. Both banks were blown up by what the fire investigator reported as "military-grade devices." Only the vaults were left standing after the fires.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> Hundreds of statues of military men were pulled down or broken. The purpose of the statues was to act as reminders of our past. Taking them down did not change that past. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> While hundreds of church members meeting outside and wearing masks were forced to stop worshiping, THOUSANDS of protesters, often including local elected officials instigated the mandatory use of masks and "social distancing." At least one young woman sitting on an otherwise empty beach was told to vacate the beach or be arrested.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> Masks were mandated. It was an example of the use of lies to get people to conform. </span><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/09/covid-19-what-scientific-studies-show.html">https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/09/covid-19-what-scientific-studies-show.html</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Try Orwell's Animal Farm or 1984 as examples of what can now be considered warnings of those tactics.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">California's "governor" pushed the state's elected representatives to give him unlimited power. Then he, and other California elected officials, chose to ignore their own mandates. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The election of the President of the United States isn't until September. Consider these results of the last election before you cast your ballet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A major conduit was shut down soon after the election. Gasoline prices skyrocketed. Prices of oil used by homes and businesses for heating and cooling skyrocketed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ships carrying food, cars, and other items in supply chains were kept from loading their cargo. Prices of those items skyrocketed if you could find them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Enormous increases in United States government debt are so far out of control that some pundits aren't sure our economy can recover. The dept is still increasing. The US Dollar is no longer the standard for comparing the health of currencies around the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Finally,</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Since the decision was made to open our borders by presidential decree, more people have crossed our borders than occupy several STATES. There is no plan to handle the huge influx. Some states are forced to move money already part of the pre-influx budget into dealing with these border-crossers. When you consider that and add it to the budgets of those states, the losers are residents of those states.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 36px;">California's Primary Election is tomorrow, March 5. </span><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 36px;"><b>Because of the loss of population and businesses and because of irresponsible budgeting, California now faces a $58 billion state budget deficit in the 2024–25 fiscal year and deficits of about $30 billion after that.</b> (</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">https://tinyurl.com/mtzwva79 </span> <span style="font-size: medium;">Feb 13, 2024</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The outcome of this year's elections should </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">clarify the direction our country is headed</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">. </span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Please vote in your state's elections.</span></h2><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">C. R. Downing <br /></span></b></span><i style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Good writing fosters great thinking! <br /></span></i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">Award-winning author of Science Fiction and Mysteries<br /></span><b style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #990000;"> </span><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><b style="color: #990000; font-size: 12.8px;">Website</b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 12.8px;">: </span><a href="https://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.crdowning.com/</a> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Amazon’s Author’s Page</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/CRD-Author" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/CRD-Author</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Facebook</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor?ref=hl" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor?ref=hl</a> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">BLOGS</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: black;">Irregular posts</span></span><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><ul><li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia;"><i><b>Life as I see it</b></i>. The topics rotate between those of general interest to authors, teachers, and other lovers of life. <a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</a> </span></li><li><i style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia;"><b>My Christian Context</b></i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>.</b> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - </span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Expressions of Faith. </span></span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a> <span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia;"> </span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Ph</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: </span><a href="tel:619.708.8865" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank" value="+16197088865">619.708.8865</a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;"> San Diego, CA 92110</span></div>C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06028797937832286519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-68210194249482721362024-03-02T09:14:00.000-08:002024-03-02T09:40:32.326-08:002024 Elections Comments - Part 1<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DeWine signs voting bill for 'election integrity' | WKBN.com" height="288" src="https://www.wkbn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2022/05/vote-in-ballot.jpg" width="512" /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><b>California's primary is March 5 of this year. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;"><b>This is the first of two parts on the upcoming elections. Part 2 will be posted on Monday.</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p> <b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">BACKGROUND</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Philippians 1:27-30</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Paul challenges the Church in Philippi to remain faithful to Jesus and live in a manner worthy of the Gospel. In this passage, he is calling for unity in the Spirit and the Gospel, to have courage, and not be afraid. This last part of Chapter 1 has much to unpack, so let's dive in.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Located at the bottom of a mountain that produced valuable minerals such as silver and gold, the city of Philippi was a strategic location for Rome both geographically and culturally. Citizens enjoyed a prosperous economy as a result of this. In addition, Philippi was located along the Ignatian Way, the primary East-to-West road in this part of the Roman Empire. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Philippi was a hub for traveling like Las Angeles or Atlanta. Travelers on chariots had layovers. But, what made Philippi stand out was its connection to Rome. Philippi was a Roman colony patterned after the city of Rome. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">In 31 BC, Octavius, later known as Augustus, was the first Roman Emperor. He expanded Rome's influence and power. When he defeated Roman General Mark Antony, he took control of the empire after years of civil war. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">After the war, he rewarded his soldiers with plots of land in Philippi. He also showed goodwill to Mark Antony's soldiers by giving them land in Philippi and won their favor. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">After Octavius made Philippi a Roman colony and populated it with patriotic and dedicated citizens. When they rebuilt the city, they used Rome as their template, Roman architecture, and Latin as their official language. Even the citizen's clothing was Roman, with togas common sites. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Philippians worshiped the Greek gods. In every way, this was a place that was pro-Rome. They flew Rome's colors when raising their flag. The city of Philippi's faith and culture were patterned after Rome's. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">The dynamic that this new Jesus community finds itself in is neither a favorable nor hospitable place for a Christian Church. That put the church out of place. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">There was pressure for this new church to conform to the faith and culture of Rome, but the Gospel's message was antithetical to the life and culture of Rome. Thus Paul's encouragement. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 25px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332px;">Philippians 1:27<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 25px;">This admonition has been the hallmark of Christianity from the earliest days until today. That our faith and culture be rooted in the Word of God, not the changing cultural norms of society. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">Monday's post will deal with the importance of this election.</span></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01; caret-color: rgb(128, 1, 128);"><b>Special thanks to Pastor Gordon Wong, my pastor at Mission Church of the Nazarene in San Diego, California, for allowing me to share this.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: repeat white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.3in;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">C. R. Downing <br /></span></b></span><i style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Good writing fosters great thinking! <br /></span></i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">Award-winning author of Science Fiction and Mysteries<br /></span><b style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #990000;"> </span><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><b style="color: #990000; font-size: 12.8px;">Website</b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 12.8px;">: </span><a href="https://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.crdowning.com/</a> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Amazon’s Author’s Page</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/CRD-Author" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/CRD-Author</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Facebook</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor?ref=hl" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor?ref=hl</a> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">BLOGS</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: black;">Irregular posts</span></span><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><ul><li><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia;"><i><b>Life as I see it</b></i>. The topics rotate between those of general interest to authors, teachers, and other lovers of life. <a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</a> </span></li><li><i style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia;"><b>My Christian Context</b></i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><b>.</b> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - </span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Expressions of Faith. </span></span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a> <span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia;"> </span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Ph</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;">: </span><a href="tel:619.708.8865" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank" value="+16197088865">619.708.8865</a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12.8px;"> San Diego, CA 92110</span></div>C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06028797937832286519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-63153369928322813802020-09-21T15:32:00.003-07:002021-04-12T16:16:22.945-07:00 #COVID-19 Who's line is it, anyway? Episode 3 - How do you define essential?<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I first posted this last September. Many closures happened since then.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: #fcff01;">SUPPORT YOUR REMAINING SMALL BUSINESSES!!</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s1000/content-type-covid-19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1000" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/w640-h336/content-type-covid-19.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Who’s Line Is It Anyway?</span><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;"> was/is a television show first hosted by Drew Carey. The show’s ensemble cast was gifted at improv humor. <o:p></o:p></span></span></h1><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;">Drew’s favorite line was something like:<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: 18pt;">“Welcome to the show where everything’s made up, and the points don’t matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1><h1 style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;">Several parts of the United States’ response to the current pandemic remind me of that line. Today I focus on one such situation:<o:p></o:p></span></h1><h1 align="center" style="font-size: 24pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 22pt;"> </span></h1><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 22pt;">Episode 3: <b>Actually two lines…</b></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">During the course of the “pandemic,” two descriptors were used as excuses to wreak havoc on society as a whole. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Essential and non-essential</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>Essential businesses, jobs, and surgeries were allowed to continue with little, if any, disruption.</span><span> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Non-essential iterations of those same categories were shut down, some of them for months.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">There are problems with this abuse of power by our governmental agencies at all levels.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>First Line</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: times;">No surgery is essential. All surgery is elective.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Several types of surgery are performed so often that they seem essential. If any surgery was genuinely <b>essential</b>, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">every human being </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">would require that surgery to live.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">There is no such surgery.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Some surgeries listed as non-essential are probably considered that by most people. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Plastic surgery might sound like a non-essential procedure until you consider that many plastic surgeries are not for the perceived enhancement or refinement of a healthy body. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Amputees and burn victims usually require several to many surgeries to increase, improve, or allow physical activities. </span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Postponing cancer surgeries or other surgeries intended to improve the condition of patients led to dire consequences for many.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">However, as unfeeling as this sounds, even if a person died as a result of postponed surgery, that doesn’t mean the surgery was essential. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Every human life ends in physical death.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">When a government decides who deserves immediate surgery and who can wait, they far overstep their boundaries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Second line</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: times;">No job is non-essential. Every job is critically important to someone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">If a person’s job provides money for her/his family to live, how can that job be considered non-essential? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">To that person, her/his job is essential to living as a productive member of society.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Imagine your job was declared non-essential and you were laid off or your business was shut down. (<i>I apologize to those reading this who don't have to imagine that situation</i>.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>What does that imply? </b></span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">More importantly, what was shown to be the reality of such arbitrary designations. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">According to a</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/yelp-business-closures-permanent-covid-report-2020-9-1029598577" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-size: large;">YELP survey</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><strong><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">60% of businesses that shut down in the US from the start of the pandemic as of August 31 won't be reopening, Yelp said Wednesday.</span></span></strong></li><li><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">As of 31 August, 163,735 US businesses have shut down, a 23% rise since mid-July. </span></span></strong></li><li><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yelp said the restaurant industry was most heavily affected with closures totaling 32,109 as of August 31.</span> </span></strong></li><li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><b>Fortune magazine reported 100,000 small businesses shut down permanently by <a href="https://fortune.com/2020/09/28/covid-buisnesses-shut-down-closed/" target="_blank">September 28, 2020</a>.</b></span></span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: large;">Not a single one of those businesses considered itself non-essential...</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: large;">BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T NON-ESSENTIAL,</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: large;"> AND NOW LIVES AND COMMUNITIES </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: right;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></b><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">ARE CHANGED FOREVER</span></b><b><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">.</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Sadly, “Welcome to the show where everything’s made up…” fits governmental <b>ignorance and arrogance</b> in their treatment of both this week’s lines perfectly.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><i>Even sadder, the points did matter in these cases.</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">SEO: News, journalistic errors, misinformation, pandemic, COVID</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Follow me on </span></u></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 14pt;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor" style="color: #954f72; font-family: times;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor</span></b></a></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My website is: </span><a href="http://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">www.crdowning.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Email</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">: crd.author@gmail.com</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My Blogs</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">I appreciate your feedback on Blogger!</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-71990253066536884472020-09-14T10:49:00.000-07:002020-09-14T13:49:14.366-07:00 #COVID-19 Who's line is it, anyway? Episode 2-Geography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s1600/content-type-covid-19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1000" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s640/content-type-covid-19.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Who’s Line Is It Anyway?</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> was/is a television show first hosted by Drew Carey. The show’s ensemble cast were all gifted at improve humor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;">Drew’s favorite line was something like:<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: 18pt;">“Welcome to the show where everything’s made up, and the points don’t matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;">Several parts of the United States’ response to the current pandemic remind me of that line. Today I focus on one such situation:<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 22pt;">Episode 2: </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Geography?</span></b></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 22pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I use California as the source for many of my examples because I live in that realm of unreality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Recently, California’s governor unveiled a new, color-coded four-tier program to track state-wide progress in the COVID-19 pandemic by new cases and positive tests for the virus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; font-size: 16pt;">Purple, or Tier 1, indicates that the virus is widespread in the county — with more than seven cases per 100,000 residents or more than 8% of test results reported positive over seven days. Red (Tier 2) indicates “substantial” spread of the virus, while orange (Tier 3) indicates “moderate” spread, and yellow (Tier 4) indicates “minimal” spread of the virus in the county.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060; font-size: 16pt;">If one of the two metrics is higher than the other, the state will assign the county to the color associated with the highest rating. For example, if a county reports six cases per 100,000, but a 9% positivity rate, it will be rated purple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://edsource.org/2020/quick-guide-what-californias-color-coded-county-tracking-system-means-for-schools/639357" style="color: #954f72;">https://edsource.org/2020/quick-guide-what-californias-color-coded-county-tracking-system-means-for-schools/639357</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">I couldn’t find a rationale for the amounts of new cases or the percentage of positive tests that led to those values. I wasn’t surprised by that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>“Welcome to the show where everything’s made up…”<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><u>ASIDE</u><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Riverside County is purple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(County’s Status Map as of 9/8/20) - Map will update<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="tableauViz" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://public.tableau.com/shared/RHS8XCM4N?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no&:host_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F&:embed_code_version=3&:toolbar=no&:animate_transition=yes&:display_static_image=no&:display_spinner=no&:display_overlay=yes&:display_count=yes&:tabs=no&:language=en&:loadOrderID=0" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 570px; margin: 0px; max-height: 520px; max-width: 700px; min-height: 500px; min-width: 680px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 700px;" title="Data Visualization"></iframe><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Palm Springs is in Riverside County. The city’s demographics do not match the majority of the county, and their demographic has high numbers.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Imperial County is directly south of Riverside County. Imperial County has high numbers, too. People crossing the border from Mexico to find diagnosis and treatment for COVID-19 overwhelmed their medical facilities. Many patients were relocated from Imperial County to Riverside County.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">These situations ensure that Riverside will be purple for a long time. But the vast majority of the county is nothing like the inclusive data reflects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Back to Episode 2</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">On 9/9/2020 in a sub-headline, front page, above the fold, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported “County now on brink of case rate that could put it back to lowest tier. [sic]” The article is about the impact of 400 positive tests at the San Diego State University campus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">There are currently about 2000 students going to classes on the main campus that covers 288 acres. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: 18pt;">San Diego County covers 2,897,000 acres.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">SDSU makes up approximately .0001 percent of San Diego County’s physical size.</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 18pt;">San Diego’s current population is between 3-4 million people. SDSU’s current on-campus population makes up approximately .0006 percent of the total population.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Including isolated population anomalies without consideration of their isolation… </span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 18pt;">sounds a lot like an improv theater move to me.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Until next week…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-68403922421466088392020-09-08T15:45:00.002-07:002020-09-14T13:49:34.909-07:00#COVID-19 Who's line is it, anyway? Episode -Moving Targets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s1600/content-type-covid-19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1000" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s640/content-type-covid-19.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's bad enough that much of the media reporting and decisions by government leadership during the pandemic is lacking in or completely devoid of sound scientific evidence. I've posted blogs in the past about </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/viruses-introduction-to-what-they-are.html" target="_blank">viruses are not alive</a>, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/viruses-introduction-to-what-they-are.html" target="_blank">how viruses work</a>,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/immunity-basic-information-on-types-and.html" target="_blank">the four main types of immunity</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today's post is about the way decisions are being made makes it seem like the primary goal of those in charge is instilling fear into their constituency. For the most part, it's fear motivating those </span><span style="font-size: large;">constituents to blindly follow anti-constitutional mandates, ineffective procedures, and psychologically damaging limitations. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This blog focuses on the first of various issues that irritate me. Or worse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Who’s Line Is It Anyway?</span><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;"> was/is a television show first hosted by Drew Carey. The show’s ensemble cast were all gifted at improve humor. <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;">Drew’s favorite line was something like:<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: red;">“Welcome to the show where everything’s made up, and the points don’t matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal;">Several parts of the United States’ response to the current pandemic remind me of that line. Today I focus on one such situation:<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Episode 1:</span><span style="font-size: 22pt;"> Moving Targets<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">When government intervention began, the most important statistic was DEATHS. Every day, media of all types printed the most recent death count for their area, the United States, and the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">California’s</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> governor was among the avalanche of leaders who shifted their daily focus from deaths by COVID-19 total cases of COVID-19 as their justification for their tyrannical acts early in the pandemic. As far as I can tell, the “number of cases” is still the reported target.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 18pt;">That sounds a lot like an improv theater move to me.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Predictions for death tolls leading to state governors being handed the role of dictator were bleak. <b>Minnesota’s</b> governor justified his tyranny by insisting in early April that as many as 36,000 inhabitants would die from the virus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">As of 9/7/2020 the </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 24pt;">TOTAL</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> death count from COVID-19 in Minnesota was </span></b><b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: 18pt;">13,764</span></u></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">with only thirty-three added that day.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“Welcome to the show where everything’s made up…” surely fits here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Until next week…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 18pt;">My website is: </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">www.crdowning.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 18pt;">Email</span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 18pt;">: crd.author@gmail.com</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-32942374691904999282020-09-01T15:09:00.002-07:002020-09-01T15:13:37.533-07:00#COVID-19 What scientific studies show about the use of masks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
#COVID-19 What scientific studies show about the use of masks<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's bad enough that much of the media reporting and decisions by government leadership during the pandemic is lacking in or completely devoid of sound scientific evidence. I've posted blogs in the past about </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/viruses-introduction-to-what-they-are.html" target="_blank">viruses are not alive</a>, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/viruses-introduction-to-what-they-are.html" target="_blank">how viruses work</a>,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/immunity-basic-information-on-types-and.html" target="_blank">the four main types of immunity</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/08/covid-19-case-of-missing-proofreading.html" target="_blank">inaccurately reported statements by the CDC about immunity</a>. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today's post is about the way decisions are being made makes it seem like the primary goal of those in charge is instilling fear into their constituency. For the most part, it's fear motivating those </span><span style="font-size: large;">constituents to blindly follow anti-constitutional mandates, ineffective procedures, and psychologically damaging limitations. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This blog focuses on mandatory mask-wearing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Viruses can't be seen. Even with an electron microscope, images are not like those in a light microscope, the kind you used in schools. In a light microscope, you seen an inverted image made by light passing through a specimen or reflecting off the specimen.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The electron microscopes most often seen, including the one at the top of this page, generate images by coating the specimen with a substance, or substances, then exciting those substances and capturing the image transmitted or scanned. For more detail on electron microscopes, <a href="https://www.explainthatstuff.com/electronmicroscopes.html" target="_blank">follow this link</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">One analogy for the ineffectiveness of masks is putting up a chain-link fence to keep mosquitos off your property. The size of the openings in the fence are </span><b style="font-size: x-large;">much</b> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">larger</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> than the largest mosquito. You can see that, so you'd never use that fencing material to stop mosquitos.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did the math to illustrate how many virus particles can pass through the typical home-made cotton-cloth masks. It's hard to show as a visual. My best shot follows this paragraph.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZZk2TvMLHR8FZpim-2vm5shhnrcLPD5s-hPkh0wBlgcbSUgFedJ_36qmu8G95aP9AgI9xTFjJsZ_L1jQFHzm-3I02Yu4ty4o1urn4yYY-1ejOPReaNOJEbcyDPwD3iUIbH04EQAyOqk/s1600/Presentation1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZZk2TvMLHR8FZpim-2vm5shhnrcLPD5s-hPkh0wBlgcbSUgFedJ_36qmu8G95aP9AgI9xTFjJsZ_L1jQFHzm-3I02Yu4ty4o1urn4yYY-1ejOPReaNOJEbcyDPwD3iUIbH04EQAyOqk/s1600/Presentation1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you use 100-thread count cotton cloth, each "square" caused by consecutive up/down threads and consecutive side-to-side threads is large enough to allow at least (rounded numbers) 2,500 columns of 2,500 virus particles to pass through. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And that's at every place the up/down crosses the side/side threads.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">So what?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The links below take you to articles about masks and their benefit(s), if any. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Article 1 reports what is known in research as "a meta-analysis" of over forty articles on this topic published in academic journals.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Article 2 is only slightly documented in a different manner and a good read, too.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I begin my conclusion with a quote from each.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Article 1</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“If you use only proper studies – randomized, controlled trials with verified outcomes – they all unambiguously say that there is no statistical evidence of a benefit in terms of reducing risk of getting a viral respiratory disease. They all say it.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Article 2</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By making mask-wearing recommendations and policies for the general public, or by expressly condoning the practice, governments have both ignored the scientific evidence and done the opposite of following the precautionary principle.</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Mask articles</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://uncoverdc.com/2020/07/15/a-scientific-look-at-the-mask-fallacy-and-why-were-told-to-wear-them/?fbclid=IwAR3-oKwLRLPyuqbclmNMHNyQZBh01P1aHwIlMXE3A4LLiH8AS_8xaGirtSw">https://uncoverdc.com/2020/07/15/a-scientific-look-at-the-mask-fallacy-and-why-were-told-to-wear-them/?fbclid=IwAR3-oKwLRLPyuqbclmNMHNyQZBh01P1aHwIlMXE3A4LLiH8AS_8xaGirtSw</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy">https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy</a></li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I don't wear a mask unless required by current state/city mandates and only then until I'm outside the store. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My personal opinion is that wearing masks is scaring more little children than the number of people they can ever protect from getting COVID-19.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Final comments</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">If you are a mask wearer, accept people like me, even if their reason isn't based on scientific evidence.</span></b><ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Understand that some people can't use masks for a variety of reasons.</span></li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">If you aren't a mask wearer, shaming someone who's wearing a mask is bullying. </span></b><ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Don't do it. Some people have a variety of reasons for wearing it.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-9178173995218920612020-08-17T14:39:00.000-07:002020-09-08T15:44:55.173-07:00#COVID-19 The case of the missing proofreading<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s1600/content-type-covid-19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1000" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ta5fdEgpenSdPDu1q3iCQEPLVTJqMdUCUJ4SySI7v3HJfMdHCgm86HHwNTQTYW_UgbIaVFqyTDV4zW4CLo4ETuIhMVoYY9YbeTAbNWYmUp3XNrXZCjES7tzDzfPOa14m7w2HNgwiHNk/s640/content-type-covid-19.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's bad enough that much of the media reporting and decisions by government leadership during the pandemic is lacking in or completely devoid of sound scientific evidence. I've posted blogs in the past about </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/viruses-introduction-to-what-they-are.html" target="_blank">viruses are not alive</a>, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/viruses-introduction-to-what-they-are.html" target="_blank">how viruses work</a>,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2020/04/immunity-basic-information-on-types-and.html" target="_blank">the four main types of immunity</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today's post is about the way decisions are being made makes it seem like the primary goal of those in charge is instilling fear into their constituency. For the most part, it's fear motivating those </span><span style="font-size: large;">constituents to blindly follow anti-constitutional mandates, ineffective procedures, and psychologically damaging limitations. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">This blog focuses on an inaccurately reported statement by the CDC about immunity. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Nearly all media presentations of current events have been edited by that media in some way. That's what happened to a CDC report on the extent of immunity a person achieves after having COVID-19 and recovering from that infection.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is what I saw as a Notification on my Twitter feed on August 15 or 16.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VY3n667wijFRaF32rvYUko8wqcMoiHFLTDqpA4zs5E1aCMWueWXFPNb6A7Jqh70aor2eAMPaCeJqppry22vS6Ttcr0AHtbWg7zG8XuOKnBHj7sHhKKDb0CCFooFJSOuBr9idFRFefaA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+11.24.13+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="1202" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VY3n667wijFRaF32rvYUko8wqcMoiHFLTDqpA4zs5E1aCMWueWXFPNb6A7Jqh70aor2eAMPaCeJqppry22vS6Ttcr0AHtbWg7zG8XuOKnBHj7sHhKKDb0CCFooFJSOuBr9idFRFefaA/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+11.24.13+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was appalled.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Read my blog about immunity and you'll see that NO immunity works that way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My first thoughts were </span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">How can CDC release that erroneous statement?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Does that mean that COVID-19 mutates so rapidly that after three months it's like you never had immunity? [<b>BTW</b>:<i> If this was the case, the only way to end the pandemic is to have everyone get the disease in a three month period.</i>]</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I stewed until Monday morning when I decided to begin this blog series. When I clicked on the link from the "News for you" post I arrived at this site</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0R4oQfqt9PgY423tk3I0WxQOroQCLmy34xq6ojY086DkBz4hBRvTokUVY280IlLMhkV808wL3eXdMs2pGcR6GEYebc57siGHdKB3kLy9Y4uFnJ1iFN0mTat-6yugwz-Nip-WRXyHmyg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+1.55.29+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1224" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0R4oQfqt9PgY423tk3I0WxQOroQCLmy34xq6ojY086DkBz4hBRvTokUVY280IlLMhkV808wL3eXdMs2pGcR6GEYebc57siGHdKB3kLy9Y4uFnJ1iFN0mTat-6yugwz-Nip-WRXyHmyg/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+1.55.29+PM.png" width="616" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Notice the dramatic difference in this headline when compared to the Notification. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Better still, notice the word "Correction" in the third line from the bottom of the text below the photo.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As I read through the list of responses to this Tweet, I came across this</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwD3YH1-YqMk4SvKznIGFZd8tFpVOnvkh53-mf7_liUpM2A3riDTaZyk1pVRY1j1BxxKrOmQe3GstFi4PpLHMxa7tia_BbIxeg1uyxwFroxUoGkEy4YEIw28GSnEtaUi9gitqe7YOOrc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+1.59.37+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwD3YH1-YqMk4SvKznIGFZd8tFpVOnvkh53-mf7_liUpM2A3riDTaZyk1pVRY1j1BxxKrOmQe3GstFi4PpLHMxa7tia_BbIxeg1uyxwFroxUoGkEy4YEIw28GSnEtaUi9gitqe7YOOrc/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+1.59.37+PM.png" width="614" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dated August 3, t his press release says nothing like what the Twitter Notification says.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I scrolled down the responses. Here are two of my favorites.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCbe5-lRpbp3p_KxfP2qXqC-YnTX1zSMNmg91QSZxe99xK6rFXiu1Z7BbaSqYI3CoiEbEay_Vpn_MB5l29BpnamIuX5BoOJ-lyJqGlGttqJqyQgeVn7cxW1nLMaB2iUa7NpParpmpiek/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+2.02.52+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1182" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCbe5-lRpbp3p_KxfP2qXqC-YnTX1zSMNmg91QSZxe99xK6rFXiu1Z7BbaSqYI3CoiEbEay_Vpn_MB5l29BpnamIuX5BoOJ-lyJqGlGttqJqyQgeVn7cxW1nLMaB2iUa7NpParpmpiek/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+2.02.52+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>1. Notice blame is focused on the writer's displeasure with the CDC's response to the "fake news."</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNZq_vGI7jyL6IoI-IZ5tTUwjQN9_-MUdmKmNTQaK0orcFZ4O0IfG3vQkPKZhq0FJ0G4egrWvRZKMa3h91hv_8RppYIGkVbgmk_rZw7k3atW1YpNQ0yQkzoth_Wv3fj7VWw3bMpy40bY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+2.04.15+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1202" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNZq_vGI7jyL6IoI-IZ5tTUwjQN9_-MUdmKmNTQaK0orcFZ4O0IfG3vQkPKZhq0FJ0G4egrWvRZKMa3h91hv_8RppYIGkVbgmk_rZw7k3atW1YpNQ0yQkzoth_Wv3fj7VWw3bMpy40bY/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+2.04.15+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>2. Although the first sentence in his response is a phrase I don't condone, the condemnation of the faulty reporting (hopefully just poor proofreading) is important.</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Somewhere around 2,700 twitter users saw this post and reacted to it. The chances are twice that many saw it. Unfortunately, nothing can erase the first impression of the bogus statement. This misrepresentation happens a lot on page 1. Those might be retracted day(s) later on page 6, long after the damage is done.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I searched for the number of readers of an ABC press release to the public. I couldn't find that information. I did find these numbers and considerable reaction to this post on Twitter on August 17.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJhcFPIBRKaYa0m0LKcNg6bF91hesMJ770UjQLP7WiDmpijpi0vzuMER2pBCeYVR6923dZVF97smyfrRLetvi8352Ep2N_sgWjD3TskaWHDelHfLWlmn37eHDJrQLW0_oWO1EqIF4B4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+2.20.35+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="1206" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJhcFPIBRKaYa0m0LKcNg6bF91hesMJ770UjQLP7WiDmpijpi0vzuMER2pBCeYVR6923dZVF97smyfrRLetvi8352Ep2N_sgWjD3TskaWHDelHfLWlmn37eHDJrQLW0_oWO1EqIF4B4/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-08-17+at+2.20.35+PM.png" width="554" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i>Not as many as I thought there might be, but that's 3x the reactions to the error on mainstream Twitter. </i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">So what?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How many already frightened people were hit with more horrific "news" that wasn't true this time? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One person is too many. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>This should not be happening.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope this post causes you to consider what was really said or posted when you read, watch, or hear a "fact" or "statement" on any media platform.</span><br />
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;">This takes you to the Twitter reactions to that News for the image at the beginning of this post.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/events/1294380836821721088"><span style="font-size: large;">https://twitter.com/i/events/1294380836821721088</span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Next week I'll take a look at another type of reporting error on this virus and its impact.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">LinkedIn: </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">My website is: </span><a href="http://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">www.crdowning.com</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Email</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="mailto:crd.author@gmail.com" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">crd.author@gmail.com</span></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My Blogs</span></u></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-176502150151849182020-07-27T14:00:00.001-07:002020-07-27T14:05:12.410-07:00#Reading #Readers Reading to live... longer!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBddyFzg7O82t599UKiDs8nU30BQS0D1XwbmNtk_uf1lazO_TrHhvxgyjAiG83clSwH4h9V_AGuXPFiy7GRVoO_ANfpFY3QMvPnkrHS7CtEKElh8kc6bDAIBESu5Tunn8TuD5N6EXrt4/s1600/Betrayal+3-D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1500" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBddyFzg7O82t599UKiDs8nU30BQS0D1XwbmNtk_uf1lazO_TrHhvxgyjAiG83clSwH4h9V_AGuXPFiy7GRVoO_ANfpFY3QMvPnkrHS7CtEKElh8kc6bDAIBESu5Tunn8TuD5N6EXrt4/s640/Betrayal+3-D.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Blue-Mysteries-C-Downing/dp/1686141041/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">My latest book. Reviewers agree that it's a great read</a>.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">The September 2017 issue of Reader’s Digest is titled “Genius Issue – Secrets to a Sharper Mind.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">The article “Why It Pays to Increase Your Word Power” on pages 66-73 begins with a question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 20pt;">“How many hours did you spend reading books last week?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">In 2016, researchers at Yale School of Public Health began analyzing data collected from 20,000 people every other year since 1992. They narrowed the focus to the 3600 respondents over 50 years of age. Included in that data was an answer to the above question over almost one-quarter century.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">“People who read books—fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose—for as little as 30 minutes a day over several years <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were living an average of two years longer than people who didn’t read anything at all</i> [</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">emphasis mine</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">].”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><b>Other research included suggests that<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">“[C]hildren as young as six months who read books with their parents several times a week show stronger literacy skills four years later, score higher on intelligence tests, and land better jobs than nonreaders.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><b>The article goes on to discuss the benefits of reading in adults.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b>: </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><i>Reading books is more beneficial for adults </i>[</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">maybe everyone</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">]</span><i><span style="font-size: large;"> than reading newspapers and magazines.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Why?</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">First</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">. Brains build many connections and pathways when keeping track of chapters and storylines. This doesn't happen when skimming headlines, as is common with newspapers and magazines.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Second</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">. Empathy and emotional intelligence scores increase after reading even only a part of a chapter in a story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Another concept discussed is “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;">cognitive reserve</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">”—your brain’s ability to damage. More reading, more ability over a wider range of damage types. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;">Shocking to me was</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">“This</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> [cognitive reserve built up by reading]</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"> could explain why, after death, many seemingly healthy elders turn out to harbor signs of advanced Alzheimer’s disease in their brains despites showing few signs in life.”</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">The article takes a turn in its story arc for the last part. Benefits of bilingualism are presented. That's another blog, someone else's blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you are reading this post, you are most likely a reader. There’s a different level of probability involved with you being an author—but you might be one of those, too.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">If you’re a <b>reader</b>, you should be <b style="font-family: Georgia;">fired up</b><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> by the above content—especially if you read books.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">If you’re an <b>author</b>, I hope you’re <b style="font-family: Georgia;">inspired</b><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> by how you are contributing to more than just the list of books in print.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I suspect that writer’s brains have good-sized cognitive reserves.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I taught high school and college biology for 39 years. From what I know about brain function<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">An author’s brain <b><i>must</i></b> <i>build at least connections</i> while determining the plot, fleshing out characters, and developing a plausible setting—<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia";">while writing.</span></i></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The number of those connections <i>must be at least as many</i> as a reader builds while following those plots and characters in that setting—<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia";">while reading</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "georgia";">.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><b>Bottom Lines</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">Because of restrictions on human movement and gathering during "the pandemic," you are likely to find yourself with more time for you than usual.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">Instead of googling or streaming or gaming, give your brain a boost...</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;"><b>READ A BOOK.</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">I highly recommend all my books for great stories suitable for 8th-grade-->octagenarian readers. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large;">To save you time, here's the link to my Amazon Author page</span></li>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/C-R-Downing/e/B00J29L16W/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">https://www.amazon.com/C-R-Downing/e/B00J29L16W/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">SEO: reading, brain function, stories, increasing brain power</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Follow me on </span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Twitter: <b>@CRDowningAuthor</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">LinkedIn: </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor" style="color: purple;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">My website is: </span><a href="http://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">www.crdowning.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Email</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="mailto:crd.author@gmail.com" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">crd.author@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My Blogs</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 14pt;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I appreciate your feedback on Blogger!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-37874593473840587142020-07-06T20:01:00.002-07:002020-07-06T20:01:36.356-07:00#Nostalgia Nothing But Positive about the USA<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB4hdhTHKcQXh8jJY5rT7C6_x4_0mHI2dXc8RyFhfKnr93mUmC5gwMG1hjP6Iv20xTM2x5NqaI-opaw3bwWke_nR4qDupMJPss6bPBqXe3ELKsYLGpufQslAPh0CB5MTD089bKTgD854/s1600/independence-day+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="715" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB4hdhTHKcQXh8jJY5rT7C6_x4_0mHI2dXc8RyFhfKnr93mUmC5gwMG1hjP6Iv20xTM2x5NqaI-opaw3bwWke_nR4qDupMJPss6bPBqXe3ELKsYLGpufQslAPh0CB5MTD089bKTgD854/s640/independence-day+hands.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I found this wonderful image at<br /> </span><a href="http://www.amindfulmigration.com/5-reasons-why-im-proud-to-be-an-american/" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.amindfulmigration.com/5-reasons-why-im-proud-to-be-an-american/</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today my plan was to find factual information on the current COVID-19 situation. I taught biology long enough to know that too much of what's been broadcast and mandated doesn't make sense from the science of viral infections standpoint. Because of that, my search never ended. I'll try to do that next Tuesday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instead, today I offer a nothing but positive post about these United States of America.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">My eyes misted over the first time I heard this on the radio. They still mist over when I hear it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Read Sinclair’s commentary below. When I do, I’m prouder than ever to be an American.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Listen to his commentary</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn2A6nfSXM4" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn2A6nfSXM4 </span></a></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">I suspect your eyes will tear up, too. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The reality is, </span></b><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif;">America is still doing most </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif;">of the service described by Sinclair 44 years later</span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif;">.</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Source</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: 0in;">: <a href="https://www.truthorfiction.com/gordonsinclair/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">https://www.truthorfiction.com/gordonsinclair/ </span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The commentary below by Gordon Sinclair is true, although people along the way have altered portions of it.</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Originally written for a Toronto newspaper, it was broadcast on June 5, 1973, on CFRB radio in Toronto, Canada.</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It had a big impact at the time. A recording of Sinclair reading his commentary became a best-selling record that hit Canada’s top 30. Canadian broadcaster Byron MacGregor produced a version in his own voice. It was called “Americans” and became a hit record as well, rising to Canada’s top 5, selling 3.5 million copies. That meant 3 gold records for MacGregor. He donated the proceeds to the American Red Cross.</span></span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“The Americans”</span></b><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French, and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>The Americans did.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges, and the Niger. Today, the rich bottomland of the Mississippi is underwater and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Germany, Japan, and, to a lesser extent, Britain, and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries in to help… Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Nobody has helped. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I’d like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes. Come on… let’s hear it!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don’t they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times … and safely home again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them … unless they are breaking Canadian laws..are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When the Americans get out of this bind … as they will… who could blame them if they said ‘the hell with the rest of the world’. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won’t shake apart in earthquakes.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When the railways of France, Germany, and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I can name 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I don’t think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke. This year’s disasters... with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>but nobody…</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>has helped.</b></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">God</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">bless</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">The</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">Real</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="color: red;">United</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="color: blue;">States</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="color: red;">o</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"><span style="color: blue;">f</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">A</span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">m</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">e</span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">r</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">i</span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">c</span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">a</span></b><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;">!</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 20pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #333333;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Note</span></u><span style="background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;">: Some of the situations described by Sinclair are no longer as described. There have been instances--9/11 for example--when help for Americans was provided post haste.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-83788606716997045702020-05-20T14:50:00.003-07:002021-08-01T17:19:21.924-07:00#Lifestyle #Commentary An author’s read on betrayal and loyalty<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Blue-Mysteries-C-Downing-ebook/dp/B088PZ5Y76/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1YEK90LGBVS7K&dchild=1&keywords=betrayal+in+blue&qid=1589901641&s=books&sprefix=Betrayal+in+Blue%2Caps%2C176&sr=1-2&fbclid=IwAR3t7w44u7Au84bZRSJgdot2_7GoltVL_mDUYaYW65GmNfkaL9Nig5IlsrQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 24px;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Betrayal in Blue</span></b> Print and eBooks are available</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 24px;">.<br /><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/betrayal-in-blue/2" target="_blank">Click here for a 5-Star review from July 2021</a></span>.</span><br /> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Betrayal and loyalty are opposite ends of the trust spectrum. History records examples of loyalty turning into betrayal a conflict the betrayer considers beyond hope. There are also cases where loyalty saves a comrade or keeps a cause alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Betrayal leaves emotional pain and a sense of distrust in the betrayed. The victim reads betrayal into the actions of everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Combinations of betrayal and loyalty lead to irrational decisions. As hope for loyalty is wains one sees betrayal as a possibility in even the longest-lived relationships. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #202122; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Marcus Junius Brutus was a Roman senator and a close friend to Julius Caesar. His love of the Roman Empire and his dedication to preventing it from becoming a dictatorship lead to his joining a group plotting to kill Caesar. Historical documents record that several men attacked Caesar with such passion they injured some of their group, including Brutus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Brutus committed suicide after an army led by Antony and Octavian routed Brutus’s troops in the Battle of Philippi and solidified the dictatorship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Judas Iscariot was one of Christ’s inner circle. He was one of twelve men who spent more time with Jesus than anyone else during Christ’s three years of ministry and keeper of the group’s money bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">His behavior as recorded in the Bible paints a picture of a man more concerned with the bottom line and overthrowing Rome than with Jesus' ministry. Ultimately, Judas betrays his leader for thirty pieces of silver<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Betrayal and its effects are impossible to erase. An undercurrent of distrust lingers for years afterward, even after the betrayer is identified and neutralized. Cohesive relationships are things of the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Loyalty generates positive feelings of comradery and friendship. A loyal person stays with a companion or task regardless of the situation. It is common in tight-knit groups like soldiers, athletes, and law enforcement officers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” is more than a catchphrase of that branch of our military. It is a mantra. Battlefield heroics abound. However, the majority of those involved don’t consider themselves heroes. They are loyal to their unit, regardless of the cost. Wartime accounts of individuals throwing themselves on grenades or providing covering gunfire while their unit escapes dominate the lore of victory stories. Loyalty is the celebrated character of the humble soldier who sees honor in the sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Loyalty is persuasive. World-class runners ruin careers to run legs in relay races so the foursome can medal. Philip Rivers, a former San Diego Chargers quarterback, played a playoff game with a torn ACL because the team was depending on him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Criminals or disasters injure law enforcement officers who race into harm’s way to protect the public. They live their lives following a selfless code of honor and loyalty. For others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Loyalty within a family is often the most celebrated. Family members stand up for one another through the most difficult circumstances. How often have you heard one family member say, "Everybody loved her/him," about a sibling or parent after an untimely death?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Personal questions abound about betrayal and loyalty. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: 0in;">What do you do if you are loyal to a person accused of the betrayal of others? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: 0in;">Should loyalty be unquestioned?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: 0in;">Can betrayal be forgiven? Should it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Betrayal and loyalty are so emotional there are no clear-cut answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Private Investigator, Phil Mamba, a former homicide detective for the Manzanita Police Department faces betrayal and loyalty in my newest book, <i>Betrayal in Blue.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-37952519299340888132020-04-06T19:01:00.004-07:002020-04-06T19:01:39.293-07:00#amwriting Idea Farming—growing your plot. The South Forty – The Novel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In this blog, the third farming method—</span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The South Forty</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> (the novel) is the focus.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">For decades, comedians, cartoonists, and comedy writers have included jokes about “writing the great American novel” in their material. Many people do have such a desire lurking within them. Of the many with that desire, few act on it, and even fewer complete a manuscript that might legitimately qualify as a novel.</span></span></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">What does it take to get more than the cows out of the south forty?</span></strong></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the base level, writing a novel is an expansion of the process required to write a short story. You must have an idea, a willingness to edit judiciously and be committed to investing the time required to finalize a manuscript of 80,000 to 100,000+ words. However, the process for developing and writing a novel has many, many more levels than even the most tightly written short story or novella. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Plowing, planting, irrigating, fertilizing, getting rid of pests, and harvesting are steps in growing your novel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Plowing</span></u></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s a good idea before starting your novel to have the field plowed. Preexisting concepts for other length stories must put out of sight and mind. Most likely, your idea for a book has been around a while. You’ve come and gone from thinking about the idea over months or years. This may provide a well-focused view of the idea, it also allows the ground itself to compact. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">You need to plow the old idea under in your brain’s field so the necessary light, air, and water won’t simply run off the surface. You want </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">light</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> to access all parts of the idea, allowing you to seriously evaluate what’s there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Ideas require </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">air</strong><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">to develop into a full-fledged storyline. Such loose brain soil gives life to nuances of the idea.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Even the best-turned soil in a brightly lit field will produce no crop without </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">water</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, your sweat and tears during this entire process. Water must be available to all parts of the back forty to produce a maximum crop. Plow all the way to the corners!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;">Planting</span></span></u></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">As soon as your field is ready, it’s time to get started. I’ve mentioned a variety of strategies in earlier blogs. However, you must develop a detailed outline for a novel before you get too far into your story. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t know a single farmer who plants only one plant in a field and expects to get a significant harvest. Think of each of the points and sub-points of your outline as individual plants in the South Forty. Without a field filled with viable seeds (plot point), crop yield is negligible. Without an outline, your novel will be no more than a field where random ideas grow unchecked.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">A non-farming way to look at this step is: </span></span></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you don’t know where you’re going, </span></strong></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">how will you know when you get there?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Plan</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">ting is impossible without a </span><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">plan</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;">Irrigating</span></span></u></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once the South Forty is planted, a farmer has to water the seeds to cause germination. Once you have an outline with an endpoint, you begin the work of writing. In some climates, irrigation is not a regular need, rainfall is frequent and abundant enough that no outside water source is required. Chances are that your brain is not such a paradise. Plan on irrigating. Think of words as water to the storyline.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In order for a plant to grow, carbon dioxide in the </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">air</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> must combine with </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">water</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> to produce sugar. That sugar is the basis for all plant growth and development. You must combine your words and your ideas into a viable manuscript in much the same way a plant combines elements from air and water to make sugar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;">Fertilizing</span></span></u></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next time you buy a bag of fertilizer, check the label. You’ll see three numbers—like 10-20-10—on that label. Those numbers refer to the amount of three essential nutrients that are required for healthy plant growth found in the product.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first number is the amount of nitrogen (N), the second number is the amount of phosphate (P2O5) and the third number is the amount of potash (K2O). These three numbers represent the primary nutrients (nitrogen (N) - phosphorus (P) – potassium/potash (K)). </span></span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">< </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/label.htm" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/label.htm</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> > </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Nitrogen</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mandatory for making chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is responsible for capturing the energy stored during photosynthesis during sugar production—it also is the green color in plants. Healthy plants have adequate supplies of nitrogen. You must add believability to every aspect of your plot or your story will die in the same way that an inadequate supply of nitrogen leads to plant death. Even in science fiction, where things that can’t happen do happen. requires a preponderance of believable parts. Without an abundant basis of belief, your reader will be unwilling to suspend that believability when necessary in a sci-fi novel. Your novel will die before producing fruit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Phosphate</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also critical for photosynthesis, without phosphorus plant root growth is inadequate to support a growing plant. And, blooms formed in low phosphorus conditions are small and dull. A writer wants “phosphate-rich flowers” moments throughout the story. Times when your plot points stand out, are thought-provoking or provide insight or a clue are essential. When you provide backstory or hint at times not described in detail in your book, those are “roots by phosphate” moments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Potash </strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">(Potassium). </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Potassium is essential for fruit production. Without fruit, plants can still function, but not often on the back forty. The back forty is for cash crops. There are markets for some root or stem plants, but most money crops, corn, wheat, cotton, and the like produce seeds and fruit. Make sure your story bears fruit, resolution of issues and an ending that people are willing to pay for! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;">Pest removal</span></span></u></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pests can be animal, plant, fungus, bacteria, or virus. Regardless of the type of infestation, farmers must rid the field of the problem before the crop is ruined. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This isn’t a forum for chemical vs. “organic” pest control. What pest removal means to a writer is the excision of material that doesn’t belong in the crop. Editing with an eye for “keeping the story moving forward,” </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">not</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> simply satisfying your love of detail is mandatory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">You should call in an expert in pest control. In fact, if this is your first venture into writing and publishing or your fiftieth, you </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">need</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> a professional editor to edit your manuscript after your second serious edit is complete. There are many services out there that will do this. I have a strong recommendation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Her name is Jordan Eagles. She provides feedback (good/bad) and suggestions as well as helping with wording, grammar, and typos. Her rates are VERY competitive, and her work is exemplary. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Jordan’s contact points:</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Twitter</span><span style="color: #0e101a;">: </span><b style="color: #0e101a;">@wredit_jordan</b><span style="color: #0e101a;"> (Message her)</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">eMail</span><span style="color: #0e101a;">: </span><b style="color: #0e101a;">Second_star2the_right@outlook.com</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">You will be glad you contacted her. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon offers editing as an option for a fee as well.</span></span></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Pray for bees!</span></span></span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I know this isn’t in the list above, but the idea just kind of flitted into my brain. (Thanks go to </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://www.frazierpublicrelations.com/" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sherry Frazier</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, my publicist, who wanted to be called an immune pest, an idea I’m still considering. I cannot recommend her enough.) After you’ve done all you can to get the crop growing, you still need to pollinate those flowers to get fruit. While many flowers are wind-pollinated, that’s a hit/miss chance for your fruit. You want more than chance to determine your final product. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bees are very specific pollinators. They search out flowers that have what they need and want. Once they find a field of flowers that fit their need, they spread the word, dancing their way into the GPS systems of all the other bees in the hive. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Think of your pre-readers as bees, looking for ideas they like based on past experience. Have your manuscript pre-read by someone(s) who like(s) and know(s) your genre. They provide specific feedback on how your book fits the model. But also pray for “new-bees” who generally steer away from your genre. Those bees provide a much better eye on the storyline because that’s all they really care about.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><u style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;">Harvesting</span></span></u></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">When the crop is ready, you need to get it in quickly. True stories abound of farmers who waited a day too long and had their crops ruined or the field made impassible by torrential rain. On the other hand, harvesting before the peak of crop development cuts the yield significantly. Read your story again after letting it “grow” a week or so without any involvement by you, the author. Have someone else read the story. This time for specific places of like or dislike. Better yet, provide a list of places you’d like feedback. A review who says, “I really liked it,” or “It’s kind of dry,” is not of any value to producing big yields. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">At some point, you have to stop writing and publish, or it’s not a novel. Robert Heinlein, a sci-fi writer of considerable renown had five rules he followed. While they aren’t a “hand in glove” fit in this analogy, they are excellent to keep in mind as you work.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa2Qf_dPYISGhStWHRpnMkuJpONRg8nMEhSiZ3pXT2LZchp55JfoMzMsOa4kwN77TcWXK53RtJmYR9qtWyLPAxfnh4ENG2mPwZwqr4m5vpln0rahe_DjZ6X8yb-krjU3hqWSWDHWXXHI/s1600/Heinlen%2527s+rules.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="775" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa2Qf_dPYISGhStWHRpnMkuJpONRg8nMEhSiZ3pXT2LZchp55JfoMzMsOa4kwN77TcWXK53RtJmYR9qtWyLPAxfnh4ENG2mPwZwqr4m5vpln0rahe_DjZ6X8yb-krjU3hqWSWDHWXXHI/s640/Heinlen%2527s+rules.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, even if you carefully follow all the above steps, your crop might not sell. But, if you take the time and effort to grow your novel; and if you are willing to listen to critique and act to correct legitimate problems, you should harvest a novel to be proud of. One that others like enough to purchase.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, what happens after someone reads your novel and likes it asks, </span></span></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">“When’s the next book</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">with this main character</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">coming out?”</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Next blog: </span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Idea Farming—growing your plot #last Mega Farming (the book series)</em></strong></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-39631819401473705712020-04-05T11:40:00.001-07:002020-07-14T10:47:55.126-07:00#Viruses An introduction to what they are and how they work<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUXS0zOscdL3ytTI5bqYpJy9f7eaM4hEhwlEY0afNAQXBwI1W2A4ZDSkGJzFO6IOoQnkiRn3SVg5Vzb8yW0F8UHMMZ0Jd9YL0blEbxEKIIGj7o60n2RSwYapArAbaBuYdwbgIO2fdlfs/s1600/content-type-covid-19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1000" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUXS0zOscdL3ytTI5bqYpJy9f7eaM4hEhwlEY0afNAQXBwI1W2A4ZDSkGJzFO6IOoQnkiRn3SVg5Vzb8yW0F8UHMMZ0Jd9YL0blEbxEKIIGj7o60n2RSwYapArAbaBuYdwbgIO2fdlfs/s640/content-type-covid-19.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>Artistic enhancement of a transmission electron microscope image of the COVID-19 virus.</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9Pv7MlvrdQ8fAAjr5sWQvarPxrG-qnE2ZzjT1k9NiVDfozRnh_E9JJuiOPWVoG5P63tvNoXojJY-yC9wLJquBFSWbUTi16N3quMBAbwAKtngcD6C0BTyP4u_eVZtJERWHqYP3VsAN6o/s1600/transmission+e-scope+image+of+coronav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1600" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9Pv7MlvrdQ8fAAjr5sWQvarPxrG-qnE2ZzjT1k9NiVDfozRnh_E9JJuiOPWVoG5P63tvNoXojJY-yC9wLJquBFSWbUTi16N3quMBAbwAKtngcD6C0BTyP4u_eVZtJERWHqYP3VsAN6o/s640/transmission+e-scope+image+of+coronav.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">This is an actual transmission electron microscope image of the virus. Colors are added after the scan is complete.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">In June of 1973, I began teaching biology at Monte Vista High.</span></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">If this “story” wasn’t part of my first year’s teaching, it arrived soon thereafter.</span></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Originally presented on a chalkboard, then a whiteboard, then via an overhead projector, and in the 1990s and beyond as Apple's early presentation software then PowerPoint, the original diagrams were hand-drawn.</span></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mercifully for you, the diagrams in this PPT are not.</span></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, although you do get better visuals, <i>you don't get the "show" that my lecture was</i>. </span><span style="color: red;"><snicker></span></b></span></li>
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: red; font-size: large;">This post is long in scrolling, but not in verbiage. Hang in there.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">An important aside</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD5Ez7CbFFvjADjWMG-pDwR69DJJ7D3fp2CFvr6DGQ5N8YEKELvqXaUJdvz_nTdluNi-uQzw0G3Jvp5osx2mQQxTA_tznHiZ_VBxUl7vnhr-6VxYTy3bPbZgjBO0mhPhrkOwKruPzO-w/s1600/characteristics+of+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="828" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD5Ez7CbFFvjADjWMG-pDwR69DJJ7D3fp2CFvr6DGQ5N8YEKELvqXaUJdvz_nTdluNi-uQzw0G3Jvp5osx2mQQxTA_tznHiZ_VBxUl7vnhr-6VxYTy3bPbZgjBO0mhPhrkOwKruPzO-w/s640/characteristics+of+life.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">This is important information because</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Viruses</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><br />
<ol>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">are not made up of cells.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">reproduce only in a host using their cellular equipment.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">DO have DNA or RNA.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">don't grow or develop.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">use a cell's energy, not their own.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">don't respond to their environment, except to go dormant.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">don't control anything about their internal or external environment.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">DO mutate DNA or RNA</span>. HIV and other viruses mutate so frequently that the chance of developing a vaccine for them is LITTE TO NO CHANCE.</span></b></li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Conclusion of the Aside:</span></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">A LIVING ORGANISM MUST "DO" ALL 8 LISTED ITEMS.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">VIRUSES "DO" <span style="color: red;">ONLY TWO OF THEM</span>.</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;">VIRUSES ARE NOT ALIVE. YOU CANNOT KILL THEM. </span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">More on this later.</span></b></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><u>The Saga of Victor the Virus </u></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hosts of viruses tend to be species or scientific classification group-specific. They don't infect every organism they make contact with.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This comic strip illustrates how a bacteriophage (a virus that attacks bacteria) works. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Viruses that attack your cells function in the same way.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In fact, it's easier for a virus to enter your cells because your cells don't have cell walls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you think about what kinds of molecules cells need to function (<b>Hint</b>: Include protein in your list!) and what the outside of a virus is made of, you might be able to figure out why viruses can enter your cells easily.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzp1Nj0OI6lAuPcBZNl_3REVhaxscaTrds4deguA6shIiT-KOp6u-9ZzycoG7EiQtLM3a7J4pL3j7c9hb46uvnzg0OTc_zhhTbSS8g5Az51L71TE2DGiEaLspO8xHir9IMXveNuzH6oc/s1600/virus+types.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="680" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzp1Nj0OI6lAuPcBZNl_3REVhaxscaTrds4deguA6shIiT-KOp6u-9ZzycoG7EiQtLM3a7J4pL3j7c9hb46uvnzg0OTc_zhhTbSS8g5Az51L71TE2DGiEaLspO8xHir9IMXveNuzH6oc/s640/virus+types.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>Victor is a Bacteriophage-a type of virus that attacks </i></b></span><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); color: blue;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">only </span></i></b><b style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">bacteria</span>. </i></b><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>Cold viruses are Adenoviruses.<br />A retrovirus contains RNA, not DNA. It mutates after every few replication cycles of each version of the virus.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH2E0xq6Vd_aVj4z4xVDtREEPo8wP3zeikFHsA8gtcIBDu-iFKiQ6Nx40iPOCIRAUhupH1Bo9HmQF9eE8IYjX2ytUfNycFGAN8bbb8Q3AA3UCvfxB_thet_ojhmBN5nL3IG2wpsQC-S4/s1600/Virus-Classification-on-the-basis-of-morphology-and-replication.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="800" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH2E0xq6Vd_aVj4z4xVDtREEPo8wP3zeikFHsA8gtcIBDu-iFKiQ6Nx40iPOCIRAUhupH1Bo9HmQF9eE8IYjX2ytUfNycFGAN8bbb8Q3AA3UCvfxB_thet_ojhmBN5nL3IG2wpsQC-S4/s640/Virus-Classification-on-the-basis-of-morphology-and-replication.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>Additional types of viruses.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A viral particle approaches a bacterial cell wall.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Yellowish shapes are bacteriophages.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Upon contact with the bacterium, the virus uses enzymes in its base plate to digest a hole in the bacterial cell wall.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All viruses, as you should recall, do only one thing VERY WELL: <b>reproduce</b>. However, </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>the virus must be inside a host cell or it cannot reproduce.</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To get inside the host bacterium, the contractile sheath contracts, and the viral DNA is injected into the bacterium. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Aside #2.</u></b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your cells have membranes as their outer border, </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><b>not</b> cell walls</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Viruses that infect your body don't need to inject anything into your cells because the outer covering of viruses contains proteins. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">When viruses "land" on your cells, your cell membranes recognize the virus as a source of protein. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Sensing the protein as food, the cell membrane engulfs the virus and brings it inside the cell. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">The virus does nothing to gain entrance exept land on the cell membrane. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>End of Aside #2</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes the viral DNA attaches to the bacterial DNA. This <b>temperate</b> <b>phage</b> is replicated every time the bacterium divides. The herpes viruses that cause cold sores in you are like this. The virus can remain inside the bacterial hosts, or your lip cells, for years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But isn't an intact virus more than DNA?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Correctamundo!</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now that we find out that "Victor" is a lot like Clark Kent. Just like inside Clark is Superman, inside the protein coat of the virus is the functioning part: DNA. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">DNA must enter the host or nothing will happen. Once inside the bacterium, two possible endings to the story exist. Bacteria (or your lip cells) are not aware that they are infected. Pretty boring.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Under certain conditions, like radiation from the sun at the beach, can cause the virus to "escape" from its place in the bacterial DNA. When the virus escapes, it leads to …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">An environmental signal can trigger the virus DNA to exit the bacterial chromosome and switch to the lytic mode.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">For example, when triggered</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Herpes simplex-1 --> Cold sores</b></span></div>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Exposure to ultra-violet radiation in sunlight is one trigger of Herpes simplex-1 to begin the lytic cycle that ends in cold sores.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The second possible ending resulting from a virus infecting a cell is known as the lytic cycle. Many viruses never exist in the temperate condition; the lytic cycle is their normal process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Using the host bacterium's (or your lip cell's) enzymes and energy sources, the viral DNA replicates itself. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The multiple copies of the viral DNA direct the ribosomes of the cell to begin making viral coat protein.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Something, scientists do not know what triggers the virus sub-parts to combine</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">, or how virus sub-parts assemble into virus particles. One of my professors said that step convinces many researchers of the existence of God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">During the lytic cycle, the host cell is destroyed (lysed). </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">An enzyme is produced which weakens the cell membrane (and wall if the cell is a plant, fungus, or bacterium) of the host. The cell boundary ruptures. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Thousands of newly</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> assembled virus particles</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> are released into the environment to infect other cells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vaccines usually damage viral DNA. Since damaged DNA cannot function properly, these <b>attenuated</b> viruses cannot infect and lyse hosts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Radiation is</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> used to damage viruses. Just like radiation is harmful to the DNA in your cells, it is harmful to viral DNA as well. That is why many hospitals use ultra-violet lights in operating rooms between surgeries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One use of the word "kill" I don't like at all is when it's used in reference to viruses. There are ways to <b>damage</b> viruses and reduce or eliminate their ability to infect cells and use those cells' internal structures to replicate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">You can't kill something that was never alive.</b></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Closing Aside</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Since viruses are not alive, antibiotics do not have any effect on most viruses. There are anti-viral drugs, of course, but medicine used for first aid or bacterial infections are useless against viruses.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Remember that the outer coating of a virus is protein, sometimes phospholipids, also found in your cell membranes, are present, too. If conditions exceed the range where a virus can function, the proteins begin to denature. They unfold from their functional form to a non-function form. Non-functional protein is recognized by your cells and is not ingested like functional proteins are.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">An egg white is made of proteins When a raw egg is cracked, the white isn't white, it's opaque. When you cook the egg white, nothing happens until the temperature reaches the critical temperature. </span><br />
<span style="color: #3a3b3b; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3a3b3b; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Denaturation is the physical changes in protein when it is exposed to abnormal conditions in the environment.</span><br />
<span style="color: #3a3b3b; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">Mechanical agitation, heat, acid, high salt concentration and alcohol can cause proteins to denature.</span><br />
<span style="color: #3a3b3b; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">(Denaturation can only occur in protein foods)<br />When proteins are denatured, what happens is that the protein bonds are broken down and the natural state of the protein structures is unraveled and becomes a single strand of amino acids. </span><a href="http://aifujita-moleculargastronomy.weebly.com/denaturation-and-coagulation.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://aifujita-moleculargastronomy.weebly.com/denaturation-and-coagulation.html</span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Egg white protein coagulates, this occurs after denaturing, between 144° F and 149° F (62.2° C and 65° C). </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I couldn't find agreement among various websites for the temperature extremes that are functional limits for the</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> COVID-19 virus.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><u>Bottom Line</u></span></b></span><br />
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Avoiding or limiting time in areas where COVID-19 might be found and washing your hands are your best protective actions against this disease. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Dawn is an excellent choice to combine with water because Dawn helps dissolve the outer layer of the virus making it less appealing to your cell membranes. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In addition, it washes easily off your skin, taking whatever it traps with it. That's why they use it on oil-covered animals after oil spills.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
Many illustrations in this post are from a PowerPoint Copyright 2008, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings. If you'd like to see the entire PPT or a version that goes into more depth, email me for either or both URLs.<br />
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-36425856767445029332020-04-01T10:14:00.002-07:002020-04-01T10:28:43.803-07:00#Immunity Basic information on types and how to get them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because of the pervasive reminder of the current threat from the COVID-19 virus, I'm posting two blogs on the BASIC biology of immunity and viruses. The focus of this blog is IMMUNITY.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">You can download the original Powerpoint I used in my Biology classes for MANY years. It has sound effects and animation of text/diagrams entry and exit. :-)</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://app.box.com/s/2n3auk2ia3bzlt81jrdwnrrsts28lphb" target="_blank">https://app.box.com/s/2n3auk2ia3bzlt81jrdwnrrsts28lphb </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The technology of vaccines has improved over time.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the past, many vaccines used "attenuated" pathogens. These were heated or treated with chemicals and damage the pathogen to the point it</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">would not replicate or</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">its reproduction was slowed enough for human immune systems to defeat them.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes the pathogen won and people vaccinated got the disease the vaccine was supposed to protect them from. </span></div>
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<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">That is </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">extremely</span><span style="font-size: large;"> rare these days.</span></b></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now pathogens involved (bacterium or virus) is neutralized before the vaccine is made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another blog post today explains what viruses are and how they infect organisms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I invite you back to the blog on virus structure and function posted later on 4/1. </span></div>
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<br />C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-63260109290308512212020-03-30T14:00:00.000-07:002020-03-30T14:00:02.140-07:00#amwriting Idea Farming—growing your plot #4—The Backyard Garden (Part II)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">This is the fourth blog on story farming. In this one, the focus is—The Backyard Garden (novella-length pieces).</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">A good backyard garden might have different areas of plantings—like an anthology. But it might also have a focus that must be a single unit to be properly appreciated—like a fruit tree… or a novella.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The anthology approach to a back yard garden is like a buffet with stations. Each planted area makes a statement on its own. You might have roses, ground cover, annual color, and a perennial shrub border. Then again, you might have none of that—<i>and still have a very nice backyard garden.</i></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The novella approach to a back yard garden is like a meeting where lunch is catered and consists of ONLY one specific portion for each guest. No matter where you look, it’s evident that this backyard is a rose garden, a vegetable garden, or whatever the focus is.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">ANTHOLOGIES</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> used to be common forms of book publication. At one time, I had shelves of them in my collection.</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">But, the last post focused on short stories.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">NOVELLA</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> is defined by </span><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/novella" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Merriam-Webster</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">as: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">(<b>1)</b> a story with a compact and pointed plot; or </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>(2)</b> a work of fiction intermediate in length and complexity between a short story and a novel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Whether you choose the first or second definition, the process of growing a novella is similar. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In definition (1), the plot itself is emphasized. In definition (2), the length is the focus. Some definitions of novella include the idea of “morality tale” in them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In general, novellas are more commonly associated with the novel than the short story. However, in some anthologies, novellas are included—generally in a segregated section of the book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">According to <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/how-long-is-a-novella-and-how-do-you-query-agents-for-them" style="color: #954f72;">Writer’s Digest</a>, “Novellas generally run 20,000-50,000 words.” </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=987643088129413769" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Reverse-Image-Timeless-Travelers-Resort/dp/1522994637/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=reverse+image&qid=1585588757&s=books&sr=1-3" style="color: #954f72;">Reverse Image</a>, volume 3 in the <b>Traveler’s HOT L</b> series is almost 28,000 words. It is a novella in every respect as described in this blog.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">If you have a point you are trying to make, I recommend the short story over the novella. Writing shorter forces you to FOCUS on where you’re going. If you ramble in a novella, it’s a lot like wandering through a back yard that’s just had plants stuck in where there is space. Over time, or pages in a novella, the garden gets so overgrown that finding any specific plant, or idea in a novella, is nearly impossible. When any plot becomes so convoluted or obscure that your reader can’t follow it, <i>they will stop reading</i>.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I close with the most important lessons in writing for the backyard garden. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">1.</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Prune the plants.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> Edit judiciously. <i>Remember the goal is completeness, not length.</i></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">2.</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Keep it weed-free.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> Edit judiciously. <i>Remember the focus of your story.</i></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">3.</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Fertilize when needed.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> Edit judiciously. <i>Remember to flesh out plot points as needed to move the story forward.</i></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">4.</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Remove dead or dying plants.</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> Edit judiciously. <i>Remember that even the best plot point in the wrong story is an impediment.</i></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next blog: <b><i>Idea Farming—growing your plot #5—The South Forty – The Novel</i></b></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-27691215845070850632020-03-23T19:59:00.002-07:002020-03-23T20:05:50.785-07:00#amwriting Idea Farming—growing your plot #3—The Backyard Garden - Anthologies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">This is the third of six blogs on story farming. In this one, <b>The Backyard Garden</b> (anthologies and/or novella-length pieces) is the topic.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Herbaceous</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> plants are most common as seasonal color and are heavily represented in color pots and hanging containers. They have a short life—usually one or two years. Their purpose is to project a specific feel in a very defined space. They never get very tall because their stems cannot add additional “wood” to their stems as they grow. Think petunias and green beans.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Woody stems</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> are associated with perennial plants—those that live over two years. These plants do have wood-producing cells in their interiors and are capable, in some species, of growing to considerable height and circumference. Think rose bushes and oak trees.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Herbaceous plants are the short stories of the botanical world. Not from the life span, but because they are limited in size. As a writer of short stories, you learn to “stop when the story is done.” Overwriting in a short story causes the entire plant/story to suffer and ultimately collapse under its own weight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some plants present an illusion of herbaceousness. Bonsai specimens are woody plants that have been carefully and judiciously pruned over an extended time to present a miniature version of the plant. This type of short story is ripe for converting into a full-sized version of itself—expanding a short story into a longer piece.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Traveler’s HOT L </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">– <i>The Time Traveler’s Resort</i> is filled with examples of short stories, all around or significantly less than 5000 words long, that were bonsai versions of longer stories. Combining the increased length with a common theme, in <b>HOT L</b> it's time travel, provides a <i>perfect storm</i> of stories in the anthology.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I invite you to investigate <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1544014074/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1" target="_blank">Sir Isaac's Car</a>, another example of a themed anthology.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">WARNING!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Not all short stories are bonsai. The vast majority of short stories are herbaceous plants. If you try to expand a short story that lacks the woody tissue needed to support the added verbiage, your story will never be what you want it to be, or even what it was before you bloated it.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">When you finish writing a short story, put it aside. Ask two or three people to be beta readers of the story. Carefully consider the feedback from the beta readers. If there are any commonalities like “you jumped from A to B without explanation, or “where did character X come from,” or “what happened to character X,” suggests you might need to expand the length of the story.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Try this.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Think of a story idea for a short story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Write an outline or a plotline.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Write a short story no longer than 500 words</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You'll find it's easier to write long than short!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> This post does not discuss novellas. More on that next week.</span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-41684256816713165012020-03-16T17:03:00.004-07:002020-03-16T21:17:23.477-07:00#amwriting #authors Idea Farming—growing your plot #2—Container Gardening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OY15T0PGQP7S2FjQGVRfXJrrzgVu96kR2inMe5U6F-oRGutTX7qokajfc9VXz-d7Y2k_IU-EgEOgAGgS-S_O-1n0Id82OxTQYv9olbOUewDQTSV9u0oaGBDNMby9rYI-EMs28bYyREA/s1600/Inspiration+and+Persperation+A_opt.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="400" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OY15T0PGQP7S2FjQGVRfXJrrzgVu96kR2inMe5U6F-oRGutTX7qokajfc9VXz-d7Y2k_IU-EgEOgAGgS-S_O-1n0Id82OxTQYv9olbOUewDQTSV9u0oaGBDNMby9rYI-EMs28bYyREA/s640/Inspiration+and+Persperation+A_opt.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">In this post, the second blog on story farming, the focus is Container Gardening (<b>short stories</b>).</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> To review, here's the complete list of story gardens.</span></span></div>
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<li style="border: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Backyard</b> (anthologies and/or novella-length pieces)</span></li>
<li style="border: none; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: 0in;"><b>The South 40</b> (the novel)</span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Given a choice, I’d write almost exclusively short stories. Something is satisfying in planting and growing a tale in just a few hundred to a few thousand-word container, analogous to a pot or raised bed garden, as opposed to tens of thousands of words in gardens of larger size.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Once you choose a seed, it’s imperative to prepare the soil. Even when writing a short story, having an end in mind when you begin a story is critical. Remember that the harvest from your container is a short story, complete with a planned ending.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Start with a premise</b>. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">If you don’t know what your end product will be when you write, how will know when your finished?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Consider your target length</b>. Most short-story competitions have word count limits. Three thousand words is a common limit. Aiming for a specific numerical goal is good practice in the discipline of writing without the fluff.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Minimally, the cultivation of container gardens involves </span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">a rough outline, </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">character sketches, </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">some plans for what your characters will discuss in dialog format. </span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Determine the pecking order among characters before you begin or you'll find yourself re-writing to correct contradictory actions and dialog.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 21.33333396911621px;">"<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XGQJQD2/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_8217842112?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Sir Isaac's Car</a>" is a short story anthology of mine. It is a series of stories, all between 1500 and 5000 words in length. I recommend it as for examples of different ways to explore the same characters. The stories are written in the first-person perspective, something that sounds easy, but isn't. More on that in a later blog.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><b>Anthology publications:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">"What goes around" (9735 words) in </span></span><br />
<h1 class="a-spacing-none" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; widows: 2;">
<span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0999683993/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i8" target="_blank">A World Unimagined: An Anthology of Science and Speculative Fiction exploding the boundaries of your imagination</a>.</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Drop by Drop" (4580 words) in</span><br />
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<h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 1.3 !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; widows: 2;">
<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1949241068/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Mindscapes Unimagined: An Anthology of the Supernatural, Science Fiction, and Horror</span></a></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">If you have never written a short story, or only written a few, I encourage you to take the time to grow one soon. You’ll find out that writing shorter is more challenging in many regards than writing longer. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><b>But, it’s excellent practice in honing your storytelling skill.</b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Next week: <b><i>Idea Farming—growing your plot #3—The Backyard Garden</i></b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt;"></span><br />
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-51113242194346464892020-03-09T14:00:00.000-07:002020-03-16T16:37:50.855-07:00#amwriting #authors Idea Farming: Growing Your Plot #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OY15T0PGQP7S2FjQGVRfXJrrzgVu96kR2inMe5U6F-oRGutTX7qokajfc9VXz-d7Y2k_IU-EgEOgAGgS-S_O-1n0Id82OxTQYv9olbOUewDQTSV9u0oaGBDNMby9rYI-EMs28bYyREA/s1600/Inspiration+and+Persperation+A_opt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="400" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OY15T0PGQP7S2FjQGVRfXJrrzgVu96kR2inMe5U6F-oRGutTX7qokajfc9VXz-d7Y2k_IU-EgEOgAGgS-S_O-1n0Id82OxTQYv9olbOUewDQTSV9u0oaGBDNMby9rYI-EMs28bYyREA/s640/Inspiration+and+Persperation+A_opt.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the second blog on story farming. This one describes the required components for a healthy plot harvest. Future posts describe farming methods.</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Container</b> (short stories)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Backyard</b> (anthologies and/or novella-length pieces)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><b>The South 40</b> (the novel)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Mega Farming</b> (the book series).</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The last blog is a pro/con commentary on each method with advice on when it’s appropriate to use ideas from each in a type of farming for effective cross-pollination. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Because you want a good crop/plot, we start with basic needs.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Soil</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While it is possible to produce sizable crops with hydroponics, most plants are grown in soil. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Dirt is not soil.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Soil contains an abundance of organic and inorganic materials that help nourish the plant and keep the roots anchored.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In your plot garden, the soil is your experience as a reader and writer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In the same way that plants grow best in rich soil, without a good grasp of what it takes to make a good story, you’re pretty much doomed as a writer.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Seed</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">A mature seed contains an embryo plant that’s waiting for the right conditions to grow into a plant.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Unless the mature idea for your story is present in your </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">plot-seed</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> when you start writing, you’ll find that growing a story is impossible.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">At the minimum, have a basic outline in writing when you begin.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">“The Law."</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All plants require Light, Air, and Water (LAW) to grow. </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Take away any of these three requirements, you break the law, and your plant dies.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Plots also die when requirements aren’t met.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You need <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">believable characters,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">reasonable plot points,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">realistic dialog</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">to keep your plot-plant alive.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Cultivation/weeding/pruning</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gardeners and farmers know that <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">keeping the soil loose,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">removing weeds, and, if the plant requires it,</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">judicious removal of shots/limbs that are dying, dead, or growing in the wrong direction</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">are mandatory actions to an abundant harvest. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><b>You must cultivate the plants in your plot gardens.</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Keep your mind’s soil loose and open to new and alternate ideas.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">You must week your plot garden.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></b><br />
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">Be willing to admit that some of what you’ve written is more weed than crop and remove those post-haste.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></li>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Some of the verbiage you write is good, but not in the story you’re writing—that’s where pruning comes in. </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cutting good stuff to keep your plot growing (MOVING FORWARD) is essential.</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-24269291228553259942020-03-02T14:30:00.000-08:002020-03-07T16:16:18.910-08:00#amwriting #authors Idea Farming: Seed Catalogs—where to get ideas for your story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OY15T0PGQP7S2FjQGVRfXJrrzgVu96kR2inMe5U6F-oRGutTX7qokajfc9VXz-d7Y2k_IU-EgEOgAGgS-S_O-1n0Id82OxTQYv9olbOUewDQTSV9u0oaGBDNMby9rYI-EMs28bYyREA/s1600/Inspiration+and+Persperation+A_opt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="400" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OY15T0PGQP7S2FjQGVRfXJrrzgVu96kR2inMe5U6F-oRGutTX7qokajfc9VXz-d7Y2k_IU-EgEOgAGgS-S_O-1n0Id82OxTQYv9olbOUewDQTSV9u0oaGBDNMby9rYI-EMs28bYyREA/s640/Inspiration+and+Persperation+A_opt.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">You have to have an idea before you can farm it into a story. This blog discusses where to find overall ideas for stories.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">There are three sources for ideas that I use with regularity. First, we’ll look at each as an independent entity.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333;">Catalog #1: Real-life</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">Events recorded in history are excellent sources for ideas. They nearly always have a ring of truth to them, and they usually provide key plot points you can incorporate. </span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://booklife.com/project/betrayal-in-blue-44983" target="_blank">Betrayal in Blue</a>,</span></b><span style="color: #333333;"> now in ARC review and scheduled for a 5/27/2020 release, is an example. A friend, and former police officer, told his story of why he left the police force and became a pastor. Since the idea of transitioning from police officer to pastor intrigued me, and the minimal details he was allowed to provide based on the circumstances of his separation from the force provided significant tension, I thought it was an ideal story idea.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So I wrote a novella about it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">After my friend read the manuscript, he returned it saying, “Thank you.”</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">“Oh, no,” I replied. “I should be thanking you.”</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">“You don’t understand,” he said. “Now I know how the story ends.”</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">That’s what a fiction writer dreams to hear.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When you use material from real-life, and your book is a work of fiction, you must be careful to augment your characters’ names, looks, and actions/situations so that they only resemble the real-life versions. Putting a disclaimer in your front matter is also essential. Below is my disclaimer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 24.533334732055664px;">Betrayal in Blue is a work of fiction. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 24.533334732055664px;">All characters and locations, certain procedures, and the ultimate ending of this story are fictional.</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 24.533334732055664px;"> With the exception of verified historical events and persons, all incidents, descriptions, dialog, and opinions expressed are the products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.</span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 24.533334732055664px;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333;">Catalog #2: Published material</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You can’t copyright an idea, so existing stories often provide ideas for new stories. That’s a good thing because there is a limited number of plot situations possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">“</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: large;">Georges Polti was a 19</span><sup style="font-size: x-large;">th</sup><span style="font-size: large;">-century French writer [who] described 36 situations that may be found in many stories, based on the list identified by Goethe who said it was originated by Italian Carlo Gozzi (1720-1806).” From: </span><a href="http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/polti_situations.htm" style="color: #954f72;">http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/polti_situations.htm</a></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Polti’s list is extensive. It also reads like a list: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/supplication.htm" style="background-color: white; color: #954f72; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: -1.45pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">Supplication</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/deliverance.htm" style="background-color: white; color: #954f72; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: -1.45pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deliverance</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/vengeance_crime.htm" style="background-color: white; color: #954f72; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: -1.45pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vengeance of a crime</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/vengeance_kinsman.htm" style="background-color: white; color: #954f72; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: -1.45pt;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred</span></span></a></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The link after the quote about Polti above takes you to a website that explains each situation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">When teaching high school biology to mostly seniors, after the Advanced Placement Biology Exam, my AP Bio students wrote a science fiction story. AP Biology was their 3<sup>rd</sup> or 4<sup>th</sup> science and they listened to my stories for at least a year.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To be fair, I also wrote a story while the students were writing one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">To even the playing field a bit, since I was writing short stories regularly, I allowed the class to pick three numbers from 1-36. Those were the required plot situations to include in my story. In addition, they got to select two major characters—ranging from students in the class to Sponge Bob and Chuck Norris (in the same story!). Finally, they were allowed the select the <i>science</i> upon which my story was based.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">That is not the best way to mine your story ideas, and many of the stories I wrote were cheesy. However, teachers used two or three of those forced plotline stories to pique interest in a topic for various science classes. The basic outline of one of them is the structure for “DNA Trek,” a story in the original <a href="https://goo.gl/viGrhT" style="color: #954f72;">Traveler’s HOT L</a> book.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #333333;">Catalog #3: Dreams, etc</span></u></b><span style="color: #333333;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Never discount your brain as a rich source of inspiration. I learned to get out of bed and write down ideas when I wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes I read <i>skdf solsnof soo s alsno</i> or some such iteration of what I was thinking. But, most often enough of the dream is there to allow me to recall my thoughts and use them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Moral of this story</span></b><span style="color: #333333;">: Keep a pencil and paper on your nightstand!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-46293872870869439732020-02-24T14:30:00.000-08:002020-02-24T14:30:02.464-08:00#Nostalgia John Glenn – 2/20/1962 - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>In last week's Part 1, I discussed the background of Glenn's historic flight and what America expected. This week, the focus is on the flight itself.</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjjLs-_3vU8EmAkEvQ55m6JOMfXjkPzEzmEEQ4cy9bpVv6QtXK0ZtTkd8DbS-ETis1bfHpWFNWZ2psm1puEFa7kCJUEBPTmrt1N8qYbXdl2Mb5DeUeQAHcK3KXnLVDLL7CedIhU6lmIM/s1600/Mercury+Capsule.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="975" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjjLs-_3vU8EmAkEvQ55m6JOMfXjkPzEzmEEQ4cy9bpVv6QtXK0ZtTkd8DbS-ETis1bfHpWFNWZ2psm1puEFa7kCJUEBPTmrt1N8qYbXdl2Mb5DeUeQAHcK3KXnLVDLL7CedIhU6lmIM/s640/Mercury+Capsule.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The sum total of the computing power of Friendship 7 was, using a generous term, small. By today’s standards, microscopic would be more appropriate. The majority of the computing during the slightly less than 5-hour flight was done at Goddard Space Center in Maryland. The amount of technology available to Glenn was far less than a 2015 smartphone. Or as one comment made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the flight reads:</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's amazing to think that a smartphone you can read this on hundreds of times the computing power than was involved in the whole Friendship project.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here’s the link to a detailed discussion of the <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/getting-closer-look-mercury-friendship-7-spacecraft">Mercury capsule</a>. The close-up photos are sobering.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you didn’t see the film, “<a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a24429/hidden-figures-real-story-nasa-women-computers/">Hidden Figures</a>,” I recommend that you take the time to view it. While I knew about some of what was going on in parts of the United States regarding ethnic equality, this movie showcases the issue while focusing on the preparation and the flight itself. </span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hidden Figures” is, according to reliable sources I’ve read, presents racial discrimination as part of the culture in the area where NASA’s facility was located. Until I saw the film, I had no idea of the prejudice and bigotry the women involved in doing critical calculations lived. I leave this aspect of this event with this quote from the link above.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>“For NASA to get John Glenn into space and home safely, institutions that supported prejudices and biases needed to start tumbling down. All hands (and brains) had to be on deck.”</i></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Also because of the film, the deficiencies in my memories as a 12-years-old of the experience, I learned that the mission was cut short and that Friendship 7 was under Glenn’s control far longer than anticipated. NASA wasn’t sure that the capsule would survive the descent through the atmosphere. I suspect little if any of the problems were presented to the media until after Glenn was home safely.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Back to our regularly scheduled programming…</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We watched the splashdown on television at school.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Splashdown. That’s what they called all the Mercury and Apollo landings. The small spacecraft crashed into the ocean. Parachutes slowed the descent somewhat, but the astronauts splashed into the sea at high speed. Inflatable bags—labeled RECOVERY AIDS in the diagram—deployed and a beacon began transmitting.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Over a dozen Navy vessels were in the general area of the planned splashdown. At least one had to arrive before the minimal flotation system failed and the capsule—most probably with the astronaut inside—would sink into the briny deep.</span></span></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">According to the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/john-glenn-american-orbit-earth-1962-article-1.2121241">New York Daily News</a> the day after the event:</span></strong></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>But the astronaut, who had maintained part-manual control of the space capsule for the last two orbits, dropped gently to a safe parachute landing in the Atlantic 800 miles southeast of this launch site.</i></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Remaining inside the capsule, Glenn was swiftly picked up by the destroyer Noa, a recovery ship stationed a scant six miles from the spot where the spacecraft touched down at 2:43 P.M.</i></span></span></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Atlas_6">Wikipedia</a> portrays a slightly more time-distant perspective.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A chart printed in the NASA publication </span><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Results of the First United States Manned Orbital Space Flight, Feb. 20, 1962</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, relates that the spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic at coordinates near </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Mercury-Atlas_6&params=21_20_N_68_40_W_" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">21°20′N 68°40′W</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, 40 miles (60 km) short of the planned landing zone. </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Atlas_6#cite_note-11" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Atlas_6 - cite_note-11</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Retrofire calculations had not taken into account spacecraft weight loss from the depletion of onboard consumables. The </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Noa_(DD-841)" style="color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">USS </span><em style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Noa</span></em></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, a destroyer code-named Steelhead, had spotted the spacecraft when it was descending on its parachute. The destroyer was about six miles (10 km) away when it radioed Glenn that it would reach him shortly. The </span><em style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Noa</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> came alongside<b> Friendship 7</b> seventeen minutes later.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What the USA showed was the ability to put a man in orbit and bring him back alive. We were all sure that America would easily meet President Kennedy’s ten-year timeline to reach the surface of the moon.</span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was the proudest kid at Spring Valley Elementary School that day. After all, it happened on my birthday!</span></span></div>
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<br />C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-81583208390608971922020-02-17T15:30:00.000-08:002020-02-17T15:30:04.713-08:00#Nostalgia John Glenn – 2/20/1962 - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqqD5sbALGhoPAtZFLN0MrBGYnyu_U6kr911N-UEVMkeONuvQSw0AhS5aWkK8Snv1Tfw8QpQNru5D4P7oME9xzR2wIUrts4cti5RUrCvtUB1r1Iowc2ehA95sNnCW_eW0g8TL3z05u7E/s1600/Saturn+5+liftoff+with+Glenn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguqqD5sbALGhoPAtZFLN0MrBGYnyu_U6kr911N-UEVMkeONuvQSw0AhS5aWkK8Snv1Tfw8QpQNru5D4P7oME9xzR2wIUrts4cti5RUrCvtUB1r1Iowc2ehA95sNnCW_eW0g8TL3z05u7E/s640/Saturn+5+liftoff+with+Glenn.jpeg" width="507" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">3 - 2 - 1 - Ignition - LIFT-OFF! <br />The Atlas 6 rocket with John Glenn in Friendship 7.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I turn 70-years old this Thursday, February 20, 2020. Today and next Tuesday, blog posts reflect the greatest event that occurred on any of my birthdays... except, of course, the first one in 1950.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsab9uQuC_W2-Vri6sJCnCbi8EjT2Hz5RplXugekMq7JbiCPQ5-YXRznyhyIe8XuZh65Rk-1da9qSZ0NTLk0k7Q8dKHcl0KU0qmPr_doIo940QJBcsrw-KQKvBcqyVG5_vApJgKsvRimg/s1600/1950+with+Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="388" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsab9uQuC_W2-Vri6sJCnCbi8EjT2Hz5RplXugekMq7JbiCPQ5-YXRznyhyIe8XuZh65Rk-1da9qSZ0NTLk0k7Q8dKHcl0KU0qmPr_doIo940QJBcsrw-KQKvBcqyVG5_vApJgKsvRimg/s640/1950+with+Mom.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>With my mom in the summer of 1950.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My twelfth birthday was on February 20, 1962. To help me celebrate, John Glenn blasted off from Cape Canaveral in a tiny Mercury space capsule that morning. His mission was to be the first American to orbit the earth. The photograph below shows Glenn standing beside his wife and Friendship 7 in 2002. You can see the size of the capsule—just big enough for one astronaut and the electronics to keep him up. And hopefully, bring him down safely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Photos from the days before the flight reveal the harsh reality that this space flight was nothing like science fiction. Hundreds of SciFi authors painted glowing word pictures of the glamor of spaceships and travel in “outer space.” Glenn did not enter the Friendship 7 after walking up a ramp, not by ascending a stairway. You can see in the next photo that Glenn clambered gracelessly down through the hatch and folded himself into the seat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MCzmSj7DXqgmh6dZW-X9ud3PitE4azx0yLnvjsPZyc4SN1QpdbBu170_Z3j21ZXUhH-ghZ-PCdxWU7xCTXAbhrG7GjELazbmr_xhJx3FXo2ufobGQ6vwdYAT9f5g7AZxSxrrWbrAvTo/s1600/John+Glenn+entering+capsule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="970" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MCzmSj7DXqgmh6dZW-X9ud3PitE4azx0yLnvjsPZyc4SN1QpdbBu170_Z3j21ZXUhH-ghZ-PCdxWU7xCTXAbhrG7GjELazbmr_xhJx3FXo2ufobGQ6vwdYAT9f5g7AZxSxrrWbrAvTo/s640/John+Glenn+entering+capsule.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The capsule was just that, a capsule. President Kennedy toured the capsule with the help of Glenn soon after all data was retrieved. The success of Glenn’s mission was critical to Kenney’s stated goal of having Americans on the moon within ten years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sf3A06_jaTtVa3wCg7mQfhLdeTLVAUDWf_dQrW3E_hZI_sYRfBMVIkt0vGrPRRLBi3TzSj65KTFbhM9MQtQpCPRKU64MS1Ub8QDmLS0Bf5KFOeYj1M5fSgJXCgXsTo9SeXb_2oZcOlA/s1600/john+glenn-John+Kennedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="845" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sf3A06_jaTtVa3wCg7mQfhLdeTLVAUDWf_dQrW3E_hZI_sYRfBMVIkt0vGrPRRLBi3TzSj65KTFbhM9MQtQpCPRKU64MS1Ub8QDmLS0Bf5KFOeYj1M5fSgJXCgXsTo9SeXb_2oZcOlA/s640/john+glenn-John+Kennedy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">"If you look closely, Mr. President, you can still see the indentations my rear end left in the seat during lift-off."</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">NASA’s diagram of the capsule includes the term</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">ballistic</span> </i><span style="font-size: large;">in</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">its technical name. Glenn’s spacecraft sat atop at huge missile, actually metal tube filled with explosive fuel, so the ballistic descriptor was more accurate than anyone at NASA wanted to admit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrFQqw0uIMJ2dANh5CMzorI7bmAxNxNtX4_z25z5KwG4xifArEf5P6ASZNtB4hVxBEz62R_K7xfQNyOTswZvY0nWG58mTVSplsAW5nX7p-NLHgRqc-FUnjkK_zKcG4ST0AVm-fQOvmeE/s1600/Mercury+Capsule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="975" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrFQqw0uIMJ2dANh5CMzorI7bmAxNxNtX4_z25z5KwG4xifArEf5P6ASZNtB4hVxBEz62R_K7xfQNyOTswZvY0nWG58mTVSplsAW5nX7p-NLHgRqc-FUnjkK_zKcG4ST0AVm-fQOvmeE/s640/Mercury+Capsule.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I remember sitting a watching the lift-off with my family on our black and white console TV screen. We were mesmerized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next Tuesday</b>: The flight and the aftermath.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-31880740941435327182020-02-10T13:07:00.003-08:002020-02-10T13:07:30.126-08:00#Authors. Exposing Advertising that DOESN’T WORK - Conclusion<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">This week, I discuss five examples of </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">Advertising that DOESN’T WORK</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;"> plans.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Disclaimer</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">I base all commentary in this blog on personal experience. I understand that some authors have successfully used any/all my “doesn’t work” examples.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I retired from my full-time high school and university teaching career in June 2012 after thirty-nine years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I met with my longtime friend, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jeanne-C-Stein/e/B001JSFJRQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Jeanne C. Stein</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">, best-selling author of “The Anna Strong Chronicles” and other titles. We began reading and commenting on each other’s writing in the 1980s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Jeanne is amazing. Her perseverance in making herself is a testament to her determination. I value her advice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">She suggested I start with science fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">While waiting for responses from publishers on one manuscript, I submitted another to what called itself a “co-publisher.” They accepted the manuscript and published it in early 2014.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20pt;">2nd DOESN’T WORK EXAMPLE.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Expecting winning a writing competition to boost sales<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">At the recommendation of my publicist, Sherry Frazier, I entered Traveler’s HOT L in a book competition. It won the science-fiction category. I bought stickers to put on the covers of the copies I’d purchased from the co-publisher. I added “Named Best Science Fiction Book” in the 2014 USA Best Book Awards” to my website and my Amazon Author page. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I expected sales to soar. Sales did not soar. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Sales did not increase to any noticeable extent.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">In last week’s Part 1 of this brief series, I described the non-marketing of my co-publisher. That my publisher did not acknowledge the award anywhere but in an in-house memo, didn’t help.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20pt;">3rd/4th DOESN’T WORK EXAMPLES.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Discounted print and eBook sales/Free eBook events<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">3.</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"> Amazon KDP allows authors to conduct sales. Each sale has a strict time limit and allows only fixed levels of discounting in the sequence of sale prices. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I’ve done this more than once, hoping that continuing to do the same thing over would this one time have a different result. There was no significant surge in sales, even when the books were at the most discounted price.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I posted these sales on<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Twitter—multiple times each day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Facebook at least once daily on my Author’s page, on my personal page, and in more than one group I belong to.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">my website.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">4.</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"> KDP also allows authors to allow free downloads of eBooks for limited times. I could copy/paste the above verbiage here, but I won’t. Sales did not increase after the giveaways, even though most of my giveaways moved that eBook into the top 100 free eBooks for a time.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20pt;">5th DOESN’T WORK EXAMPLE.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Book signings and Author Chats<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I’ve had over 5,500 students in my teaching career. A significant majority liked me as a teacher and most of those on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter follow me. At least a plurality of those individuals live close enough to San Diego, CA, that driving to an event from where they live to where a book signing was, isn’t out of the question.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">My first book signing was at <a href="https://www.mystgalaxy.com/">Mysterious Galaxy</a>. The store specializes in SciFi and Mystery books and is well-known throughout the Southwestern US. My time-travel book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Hot-Time-Resort/dp/1938467892/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2RYILAMQLBIER&keywords=c.+r.+downing&qid=1581360786&s=books&sprefix=C.+R.+Downing%2Cstripbooks%2C188&sr=1-8">Traveler’s HOT L</a> was a natural. They publicized the event, and I spread the word. There was a full-house in their venue, and I sold 34 copies. I found out later that the average sales at a book signing are six books, so I was happy.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20pt;">However, one event does not a successful marketing strategy make.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I set up a signing in the library at the high school from which I’d recently retired as a Biology teacher. Many former students and a half-dozen teachers came. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I sold about twenty books.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I rented a booth at the City of La Mesa Arts Festival. Not a bad venue. Moderate foot traffic.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I sold six books.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I visited every Barnes and Noble store in San Diego County, one in Orange County, and one in Riverside County. Three of them sounded interested, two did not do signings, and one never responded to my query. I got one signing at the store in Escondido.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Their advertising comprised putting the poster I gave them in the window. The venue inside the store was in a corner with little traffic. There were no signs inside the store directing customers to the event.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I sold two books.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I did a book signing at the university bookstore where I’d been full-time faculty for eight-years. They set my table up in the entry foyer to the bookstore. People had to walk around the display to get to the bookstore's items for sale. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I sold two books.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I scored an “Author’s Chat” at a branch of the San Diego Public Library system. They marketed in their mailer. About a dozen people attended. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><b>I sold four copies. <o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I rented space in a satellite building of the university mentioned above. Great room. I did a PPT presentation on the process and highlighted the three science fiction books I had published by that time. Over twenty people came for the presentation and a few others wandered in after the presentation. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">If memory serves, I sold ten books.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a nutshell, <i>I struck out far more often than I hit a home run with book signings</i>.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">6th DOESN’T WORK EXAMPLE</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Book Boosts on social media<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Two times I did a tour of my books in my blog, spending two weeks on each book. I provided background information and snippets from each book.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">To the best of my knowledge, after twenty dedicated blog posts…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I sold no books.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What’s my advice about advertising?</i></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Work with a publicist or marketing firm. If you don’t sell books then, at least you have someone to blame. </b></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><img alt="Image result for emojis winking" height="200" 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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">SEO: book marketing, authors as marketers</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Follow me on </span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Twitter: <b>@CRDowningAuthor</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">LinkedIn: </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor"><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">My website is: </span><a href="http://www.crdowning.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;">www.crdowning.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Email</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="mailto:crd.author@gmail.com"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;">crd.author@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My Blogs</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 22.5px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">.</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 21.666667938232422px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I'd appreciate your feedback on Blogger!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-86821764138636778742020-02-03T10:29:00.002-08:002020-02-06T08:22:17.034-08:00#Authors. Exposing Advertising that DOESN’T WORK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZz5gUPgvqSpeaFBr264KNbbYQPJzSlSGHocJjgMKb91EMAsGbo3bfaUOieyjxYf-kdjV2fotZQ1tHy2K_Fab2xnK9crZ_M_FuvtP95-q6lNO3O7PL7TwLTiiXsNivX0Yg704XlLOcn2I/s1600/Inspiration+and+Persperation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1600" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZz5gUPgvqSpeaFBr264KNbbYQPJzSlSGHocJjgMKb91EMAsGbo3bfaUOieyjxYf-kdjV2fotZQ1tHy2K_Fab2xnK9crZ_M_FuvtP95-q6lNO3O7PL7TwLTiiXsNivX0Yg704XlLOcn2I/s640/Inspiration+and+Persperation.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I retired from my full-time high school and university teaching career in June 2012 after thirty-nine years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I met with my longtime friend, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jeanne-C-Stein/e/B001JSFJRQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" style="color: #954f72;">Jeanne C. Stein</a>, best-selling author of “The Anna Strong Chronicles” and other titles. We began reading and commenting on each other’s writing in the 1980s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Jeanne is amazing. Her perseverance in making herself is a testament to her determination. I value her advice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">She suggested I start with science fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">While waiting for responses from publishers on one manuscript, I submitted another to what called itself a “co-publisher.” They accepted the manuscript and published it in early 2014.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9EkT7UxBFXXdKXZqqtBByJpUdVh_PacKgNol_uVfpmkId1k9-dokd09R9TmKcplB8lxuutYcEusepttYc2SQHsCPvZ4iK9I0uIleQeJPQk4GZbDTsfo7pHk2I6-Y3Tci1S9ssKx74c4/s1600/campaign-creators-yktK2qaiVHI-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9EkT7UxBFXXdKXZqqtBByJpUdVh_PacKgNol_uVfpmkId1k9-dokd09R9TmKcplB8lxuutYcEusepttYc2SQHsCPvZ4iK9I0uIleQeJPQk4GZbDTsfo7pHk2I6-Y3Tci1S9ssKx74c4/s640/campaign-creators-yktK2qaiVHI-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@campaign_creators?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Campaign Creators</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/marketing-plan?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Unsplash</a></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">1st DOESN’T WORK EXAMPLE.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Not checking on the commitment of whatever publisher you consider for marketing your book.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I now know that “co-publisher” is a synonym for “vanity publisher.” The best description of what that means is a sentence I found in a review of the company after I signed on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">“This is a good place to have print your books if you’re planning on selling them off a table at the back of the auditorium after you give a presentation.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><b>What I got for my share of the co-publishing was <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">A listing on the company web site. There was a debate before the book went to press between using C. R. Downing or Chuck Downing as my author name. We went with C. R. Downing. The book description on the company website STILL has Chuck Downing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">A one-page “flyer” – it had a name I’ve forgotten – with information about the book. It had a color image of the cover and a variety of described details like size and ISBN. The publisher described it as “golden” and critical for getting books into bookstores for signings or as inventory. I had to print them. One person in one bookstore looked at one. She used the ISBN to find it on Ingram.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">That’s the extent of the co-publisher’s help with marketing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">ASIDE</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">: I’ve learned that unless you are an established high-profile author, few if any, publishers will spend much on marketing your book, even if they offer you a contract.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Comments on this example.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">At the recommendation of my publicist, <a href="https://www.frazierpublicrelations.com/" style="color: #954f72;">Sherry Frazier</a>, I entered Traveler’s HOT L in a book competition. <b>It won the science-fiction category</b>. I bought stickers to put on the covers of the copies I’d purchased from the co-publisher. I sent the PNG file of the sticker to the co-publisher.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuJTUGxmJ5m4PTt947o-kaw8ZnIt9dn5HELjEf9OGI3YswEJYjbsUlpHVrOhVWHKGO6lwKuQR5yIaboGUDA37ahVt07iNjLcCfwJpX0qOMHkwlS0PHdlKzKAGA9pR3E7LZQU_woYOfxs/s1600/Traveler%2527s+Poster+with+tag+small.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuJTUGxmJ5m4PTt947o-kaw8ZnIt9dn5HELjEf9OGI3YswEJYjbsUlpHVrOhVWHKGO6lwKuQR5yIaboGUDA37ahVt07iNjLcCfwJpX0qOMHkwlS0PHdlKzKAGA9pR3E7LZQU_woYOfxs/s640/Traveler%2527s+Poster+with+tag+small.png" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><b><i>This is the cover mentioned above AFTER I added the sticker and the tag at the top. What you get when you buy from Amazon is missing both those features. </i></b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">The co-publisher<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">Still has the wrong author name on Traveler’s HOT L’s page.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">Never took the time to put the PNG winning logo on the cover.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">Never changed the book’s description to include winning the award.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt; text-indent: 0in;">Sent nothing about the award anywhere but through an in-house memo.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I received a $100 advance from the co-publisher. <b>I’ve received no royalty checks from them</b> as of 03/02/2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Next week:</b> I’ll discuss more <b>Advertising that DOESN’T WORK</b> plans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">SEO: book marketing, authors as marketers</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Follow me on </span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Twitter: <b>@CRDowningAuthor</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">LinkedIn: </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-downing-97595266/</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor" style="color: #954f72;"><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 14pt;">https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">My website is: </span><a href="http://www.crdowning.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;">www.crdowning.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Email</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="mailto:crd.author@gmail.com" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;">crd.author@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 18pt;">My Blogs</span></u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 22.5px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">.</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"> Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 23.333332061767578px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 21.666667938232422px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I'd appreciate your feedback on Blogger!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-31216066838912163672020-01-20T20:25:00.003-08:002021-08-15T15:51:44.339-07:00#Lifestyle #Commentary Not so random thoughts on Following Directions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Bike Photo by </span></span></i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;"> </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@polezhaevv?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Andrew pvv</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mountain-bike?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Unsplash</a><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; orphans: 2; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;"> & wagon </span></span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@gala_san?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Gary Sandoz</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/wagon?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap; widows: 2;">Unsplash</a></span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Owen Miller was a colleague of mine for nearly 20-years. He remained one of my best friends until his passing. I'm not sure when he used the following story for the first time. I suspect it was in the 1980s. I know we often discussed how frustrated we were when students missed our target in an assignment by proverbial miles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Blue Bike is presented with minor changes in technology used by the bike buyer. I used this in my last high school assignment between 2005-2012. I also used it in college classes I taught for Point Loma Nazarene University and Azusa Pacific University.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Immediately following the original is a bit of commentary on how this idea rings true outside the classroom, too.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Blue Bike<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Why do we have to follow all these rules?<o:p></o:p></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>How come I got such a low grade when I did a LOT of work on this?<o:p></o:p></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not long ago I decided to take up mountain biking. So, I went online and found a terrific bargain on a steel blue bike. Top of the line with shocks and all for a good price and free shipping. So I ordered one.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Two weeks later, a large package arrived. It was from the company I’d ordered the bike from!<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I tore open the box. Inside were several parts, not many of which looked like part of a bike, let alone part of my steel-blue mountain bike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even though I didn’t really want to, I dug around and found the assembly instructions booklet. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the instructions were for assembling a shiny red wagon!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now distraught, I dialed the phone number on the instructions. After several minutes on “hold,” I finally spoke to a customer service representative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I have a problem with my order,” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I see,” she answered. “And what would that be?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Well, I ordered a steel-blue mountain bike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“One of our best sellers,” she interrupted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“That’s good to know. But I didn’t get the bike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Oh,” she said. “There’s a problem with the delivery time?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“No,” I corrected. “The delivery is here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“But, Sir,” she said, “you just told me you didn’t get the bike.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“That’s right.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“How can that be? You said the delivery was there.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“But it wasn’t a bike that was delivered,” I managed to interject.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What did you get?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I shiny red wagon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“And your problem is?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I ordered a steel-blue mountain bike and I got a shiny red wagon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Don’t you like the wagon?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“No. I mean, yes. No. Oh, I don’t know!” I stammered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Well, how can I help you if you don’t know your problem?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The problem is you sent the wrong product.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“How many wheels does the wagon have?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Four.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“And how many wheels did the mountain bike have?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Two. But—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sir, it sounds to me like you got more than you paid for.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“That’s not the point.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sir, do you realize that the parts for the wagon are <i>much</i> more spread out in our warehouse? The men who packed your wagon had to do more work than if they had packed a bicycle. You should give them credit for the extra work on your behalf.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I’m sure they worked hard, but they didn’t do the work I ordered.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Was the box addressed properly?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes,” I answered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Were any of the wagon parts damaged in the shipment?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“No, not that I know of.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Were all the required parts present?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I guess so. I didn’t take an inventory.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Excuse me, Sir, but it sounds like you haven’t done <i>your</i> job yet.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Can I talk to your manager please?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Would you accept the wagon? <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Probably not, especially if you ordered a bike.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Would you be impressed with the work and the completeness of the shipment?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Probably not, since you ordered a bike.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">Teachers are funny like that. When we give an assignment, we expect to get <span style="color: red;">that</span> assignment turned in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Moral</b>: <i>No matter how much work you do on an assignment, if it’s not the assignment that was given, you shouldn’t expect a good grade.</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #fcff01; font-size: x-large;">COMMENTARY</span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span></b><b style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">s time passed, </span></b><b style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've noticed that more and more aspects of society adopted the attitude of the customer service representative in the story. </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">I don't care what you wanted.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I worked hard.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">You should be happy that I did any work.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I should be rewarded for doing work, even if it wasn't the work that needed to be done.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's worse than unfortunate. That attitude breeds a culture of disorder without accountability. </span><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">I'll stop here. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I hope I gave you something to think about.</b></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</a></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-56059863710603438822020-01-13T11:02:00.002-08:002021-06-07T07:24:08.793-07:00#Lifestyle #Commentary Not so random thoughts on song lyrics and MRI machines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLgOrc8ZPBvrQw6U40V6IpTbhjnZmVJiAxwFt2KfUh1ILQdvvezhukob6yIHTlZjlfg9rXnaA4r1lab28VXRKWX1fWlVGO0F4Yd6mwdzGFL5QhjCNoZqwL1kDS_YXcJROYJaSkoAKKd0/s1600/song-music-clipart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLgOrc8ZPBvrQw6U40V6IpTbhjnZmVJiAxwFt2KfUh1ILQdvvezhukob6yIHTlZjlfg9rXnaA4r1lab28VXRKWX1fWlVGO0F4Yd6mwdzGFL5QhjCNoZqwL1kDS_YXcJROYJaSkoAKKd0/s400/song-music-clipart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">New Year's Eve 2019</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was admitted--very rapidly--to the hospital under the Stroke Protocol.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">New Year's Day 2020</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I had three consecutive MRIs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. I will get to the above dates before the end of this post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I remember three times when I heard a song on the radio for the first time. Each helped define a significant time in my life.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1970.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"<b>Close to You</b>" by The Carpenters</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was dating my future wife at the time. We were both young and in love. I thought they wrote the words for us. I'm still not convinced they didn't.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1973</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"<b>Killing Me Softl</b>y" by Roberta Flack</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was near the end of my teaching credential program. I'd never heard more haunting melody and lyrics. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1979</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"<b>Music Box Dancer</b>" by Frank Mills</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was driving home late one night after a class in my Master's Degree program. I remember wishing they would play it again before I got home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My wife's favorite song as a teeny-bopper was "<b>Happy Together</b>" by The Turtles. That was a defining song for her. It's now her ring-tone on my smartphone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"<b>God Bless America</b>" by Kate Smith became the anthem of unity in the United States after the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. Major League Baseball teams still have live versions during the 7th-Inning Stretch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can think of songs that remind you of times and events in your life. Unfortunately, not all the songs you hear are welcomed. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Earworms</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">These are songs that you can't stop replaying in your brain, even though you desperately wish you could. I'll not name one because I don't have to. One of your earworms most likely used the previous sentence as an invitation to perform in your brain over and over and over AND OVER just now. <i>Sorry about that</i>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hymns and my MRI exam</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I had an MRI in 2005 before a laminectomy and partial discectomy of my 4th and 5th Lumba vertebrae. I remember the noise, but only my waist to my feet was inside the tube for that one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The MRI experience of 1/1/2020 was different.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After removing the metal heart monitor leads from my chest, removing patches of my then abundant chest hair<span class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done pwa-mark-ignored" data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-dictionary-word=" in the process" data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this" data-pwa-id="pwa-5D94BE99DE41E70C30AD3438FE87FA17" data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_689" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)"> in the process</span>, they slapped on their own wireless leads and a plastic helmet and shoved earplugs and me into the bowels of the tube. The photo below shows the deed beginning.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5AAerzoe4-F_EZxBADWKENOCYjanDoYRll1ZZ2O-oqrQYdM1VXU7iHXODUjP8Kv3XtxdKjshNAa2a2XiZW8jCNA4czlfA9JaBUti3iexlUnLukuVegbcPT25LYqdySaaBcqgV3XgbSg/s1600/a-patient-is-about-to-have-an-mri-scan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="256" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5AAerzoe4-F_EZxBADWKENOCYjanDoYRll1ZZ2O-oqrQYdM1VXU7iHXODUjP8Kv3XtxdKjshNAa2a2XiZW8jCNA4czlfA9JaBUti3iexlUnLukuVegbcPT25LYqdySaaBcqgV3XgbSg/s400/a-patient-is-about-to-have-an-mri-scan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Within seconds, banging and clanging and humming and swooshing enveloped me. It was LOUD. I shudder to think what the decibel level is WITHOUT the earplugs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They did three consecutive scans. I was told I'd be in the tube for 35-40 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's easy to lose track of time when surrounded by LOUD noises. However, it wasn't long before I decided to try something to distract my brain from concentrating on the noise level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I grew up singing hymns in church. In many Sunday night services, the song leader allowed congregants to choose songs. As a teenager, my buddies and I would do our best to get "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" on the playlist. It's a long song with some outstanding echo parts for tenors and bass singers. Our song director usually obliged.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZy9FTv9B6aNuYQd92VJf3-dIn_A56hxdbKVZYl6ibXwrnDotm_r_FrTczma9Qq0a6gXtrTPHFOVAmUKF0KOP1VsCpO4cQThYhM-6YHtyoWIW-cX_SIvzMbnc0x9fwYsuFcG51Q7dliw/s1600/Wonderful+Grace+of+Jesus.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZy9FTv9B6aNuYQd92VJf3-dIn_A56hxdbKVZYl6ibXwrnDotm_r_FrTczma9Qq0a6gXtrTPHFOVAmUKF0KOP1VsCpO4cQThYhM-6YHtyoWIW-cX_SIvzMbnc0x9fwYsuFcG51Q7dliw/s640/Wonderful+Grace+of+Jesus.png" width="412" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I began "singing" hymns in my mind inside the MRI tube.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The NOISE LEVEL made it difficult to recall any hymn lyric at first, so I switched to what we called "choruses" when I was a child and teenager. Most of them are repetitious with silly lyrics in places. Many have accompanying arm or whole-body motions. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hsYLfMz2I4" target="_blank">I'm in The Lord's Army</a>" is an example. Click the title to hear the words <b>and</b> see the motions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They don't allow movement during an MRI, so I switched to choruses without motions and hymns. I was able to get through the first verse of nearly every hymn I recalled, but no further.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oddly enough, I remember every stanza of the choruses.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Forty minutes flew by.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I breathed a prayer of thanks for the healing power of good music as they slid me out of the tube.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>FINAL THOUGHT</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The importance of music in human life and why you like some songs and not others, especially remakes of a song from your teen years is the topic of the book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/B082TXMLZX/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1578940740&sr=8-2" target="_blank">This Is Your Brain on Music</a>" by Daniel J. Levin. <b>I recommend it highly, <i>and as an audiobook,</i> if you can! </b>Try your local library.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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C. R. Downinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12118941076119854299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987643088129413769.post-78956977058000579222019-12-17T02:30:00.000-08:002019-12-17T02:30:00.873-08:00#Nostalgia #Football #Injury A ruptured Spinal Disk and Giant Snowflakes – Part 9<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqTtO797KXA9peWaprZenRPso9dsFWe296Db6gmXhiXkL1vUXs_ZBq3-7z0CQgjdE93RtjszZiitUcU5Bjli06aopv5ItZyxY278CkbGD2gcNsxELyW5bq3sLsJK4EWhijXuwzeJszUE2/s1600/giant+snowflake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqTtO797KXA9peWaprZenRPso9dsFWe296Db6gmXhiXkL1vUXs_ZBq3-7z0CQgjdE93RtjszZiitUcU5Bjli06aopv5ItZyxY278CkbGD2gcNsxELyW5bq3sLsJK4EWhijXuwzeJszUE2/s400/giant+snowflake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Giant snowflake from Disney's Journey Through Inner Space attraction. Circa 1967. Read on, McDuff!</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>In Part 8, I described the first time I walked after my spinal fusion surgery. It's a good lead-in for this part if you haven't read it yet. <span style="color: red;">Here's the link to that post.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2019/12/nostalgia-football-injury-ruptured_8.html">https://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/2019/12/nostalgia-football-injury-ruptured_8.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">When the nurse came in with my 1:00 PM shot of Demerol, I asked if I had to have it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">“Are you sure? Most people don’t want to skip any doses until the fourth day or so.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">“It really doesn’t hurt that much,” I insisted. I was glad it hurt so much less than before that the idea of even less pain didn't mean anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">The nurse looked skeptical, but she left. Everything was fine until about 4:15 PM. Then, my back began to ache painfully. I pressed my “call nurse” button.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">“How can I help you?” the nurse responding to my call asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Aside:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is a different nurse from the one who did not give me the 1:00 PM shot. There was a shift change at 3:30 PM.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">“Let me check,” she said. She returned with a syringe in hand. “It’s a little early for your next shot, but you’re a big person, so it should be okay.” She administered the Demerol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">For those of you who don’t know, Demerol is a narcotic. It is highly addictive if abused. It is stolen from hospitals because of its hallucinogenic properties. It’s also very effective at relieving pain. And relaxing the body.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Within seconds, it felt like my body was merging with my mattress. All pain was either gone or forgotten. I lay there enjoying the feeling for a bit. Then I closed my eyes.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Aside:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A new ride at Disneyland at that time was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA3uFkF1A9o">Journey Through Inner Space</a>. The essence of the ride is being miniaturized until you travel inside a molecule of water frozen in a snowflake. There was a myriad of GIANT SNOWFLAKES displayed in the waiting area viewed during the beginning of the ride.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">You know how when you close your eyes, sometimes there are flashes of color? Well, it was almost Christmas, and the colors red and green were prominent all around San Diego. I saw red and green when I closed my eyes…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;">GIANT <span style="color: red;">RED</span> AND <span style="color: green;">GREEN</span> <span style="color: red;">SN</span><span style="color: green;">OW</span><span style="color: red;">FL</span><span style="color: green;">AK</span><span style="color: red;">E</span><span style="color: green;">S!</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">And, they were falling through the ceiling! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">I opened my eyes. The snowflakes disappeared. I relaxed even more. I closed my eyes again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Once again, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;">GIANT <span style="color: red;">RED</span> AND <span style="color: green;">GREEN</span> <span style="color: red;">SN</span><span style="color: green;">OW</span><span style="color: red;">FL</span><span style="color: green;">AK</span><span style="color: red;">E</span><span style="color: green;">S</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">were falling through the ceiling!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">My eyes snapped open. The snowflakes disappeared. Now I could see myself lying on my hospital bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">My eyes said, “Look! There you are laying in your hospital bed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">My brain countered with, “Don’t be stupid! You are lying in your hospital bed. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You can’t see yourself!</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">The debate between eyes and brain raged. I tired of the argument and closed my eyes.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;">GIANT <span style="color: red;">RED</span> AND <span style="color: green;">GREEN</span> <span style="color: red;">SN</span><span style="color: green;">OW</span><span style="color: red;">FL</span><span style="color: green;">AK</span><span style="color: red;">E</span><span style="color: green;">S</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">were falling through the ceiling and getting closer to me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Opening my eyes, this time, revealed me lying in my hospital bed. After repeating the mental dialog described above, I decided to ring for the nurse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">I reached for the call button. My arm moved maybe an inch. It was obvious that the Demerol had relaxed me very well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Over what seemed like the next hour (but was probably a couple of minutes), I repeated the closed eyes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">falling through the ceiling <b>and</b> open eyes watching myself lying in my hospital bed cycle over and over. Until, finally, my hand reached the call button.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Now certain I was schizophrenic, panic struck! I pushed the button and held it down.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">The nurse who gave me the shot of Demerol appeared at the door. I shouted a warning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 18pt;">“<span style="color: green;">WATCH </span><span style="color: red;">OUT </span><span style="color: green;">FOR </span><span style="color: red;">THE </span><span style="color: green;">GIANT </span><span style="color: red;">SNOWFLAKES</span><span style="color: green;">!</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">The blood drained from her face. She turned and, based on the sound of her footsteps, she must have sprinted to the nurses’ station. Her return was quick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Aside:</span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"> I’ve not verified the facts in this Aside. These italicized paragraphs are based on what I remember. If the facts aren’t true, I don’t want to hear about it. What I remember makes for an explanation of the events that I understood then and still makes sense.</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">I remember being told that the body metabolizes Demerol quickly. As with many narcotics, it requires increasingly larger doses over time to ensure the desired effect. For that reason, each of my shots was customized to be slightly more potent than the previous dose. </span></i><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>December 2019 UPDATE</b>. I told this story to the last group of nurses in the "Technical Writing" class I teach for PLNU. They verified that this is how Demerol works.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Assume my first dose of Demerol was given around 5:00 PM on Friday, December 20<sup>th</sup> in the Recovery Room. Also, assume that I had a shot every four hours from that time until 1:00 PM on Sunday, when I’d declined the offering. That means the shot I skipped was shot #11. Since I’d missed a shot and nearly eight hours had passed since my previous shot, I could have received the same dose as shot #10, which would have been effective. Instead, the nurse gave me my shot #12. That was two dosage strengths more than I should have received. Hence the hallucinations.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">She sat beside me and held my hand for almost two hours. She alternated between agreeing that I was lying in my hospital bed, saying “I’m so sorry,” and dodging imaginary </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16pt;">GIANT <span style="color: red;">RED</span> AND <span style="color: green;">GREEN</span> <span style="color: red;">SN</span><span style="color: green;">OW</span><span style="color: red;">FL</span><span style="color: green;">AK</span><span style="color: red;">E</span><span style="color: green;">S.</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">I finally went to sleep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">The next day, she told me that she hadn’t checked my chart before she’d given me the shot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">“That you would have skipped a shot never entered my mind. Nobody’s <i><b><span style="color: red;">ever</span></b></i> declined a shot after an operation like yours before.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=987643088129413769" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=987643088129413769" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=987643088129413769" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=987643088129413769" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=987643088129413769" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">I left the hospital one week from when I entered. They kept me an extra day because I was running a low-grade fever. They finally decided it wasn’t bad enough to extend my stay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 14pt;">Leaving the hospital with the fever proved to be an unwise decision. But, that’s for another blog, which details the of the post-catheterization mentioned in Part 8.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Also, in another future blog, I'll chronicle my follow-up spinal surgery: </span><b><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Laminectomy</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> & partial </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">discectomy.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It was done in 2005 to relieve pressure on my sciatic nerve.</span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">Life as I see it</span></i></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life, authors, teachers—probably you, too. Posts on Tuesdays and some Mondays. </span></span><a href="http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss" style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;">http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">My Christian Context</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;">Posts M/W of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. </span><a href="https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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