Friday, December 11, 2009

Hardback, Paperback, eReader or AudioBook?

The choices are getting larger in the book department. Most people automatically disregard the eReader stating it's not for them, but really, they should not be so quick to judge. Let's go through them one at a time:

Hardback: this tends to be the most bulky, and the priciest. However, it also tends to last the longest, and unless you get unlucky, it looks the best. A lot of the series that I really like I try to get in the style, not all, but most. I also try to get the classics I am trying to collect and hardback.

Paperback: With paperback, you have two different types -- or are there more? I forget -- I know for sure of mass-market and trade. The mass-market are more ready available and are cheaper, usually ranging around eight dollar mark. The trade paperbacks tend to be more expensive and sometimes bookstores do not like to stock them, or they are harder to find. Mass-market are smaller, more standard size. Trade paperbacks are larger.

eReader/digital: range in price, but can be very cheap. They're stored on a single drive, or an extended drive and you can hold hundreds, if not thousands, of them on a single digital Reader. You can enlarge the font, you can change the orientation, and you can put your own documents on the Reader. It is very versatile. The benefit over hardback or paperback is you can take as many books with you as you want without the added bulk or weight.

AudioBook: here you have the benefit of having someone read to you wherever you are, or whatever you are doing. I have not looked into AudioBooks much, but it seems to me that they can run about the same price as the printed book, maybe more maybe less, it depends on the publisher, author, and book. Just like anything else. I know many people who love AudioBooks -- this is not a personal favorite of mine though... it is nothing against them, or the authors, or anyone in the publication of them... I just don't care for recorded voices, in any shape or form -- even my own... especially my own.

Each of these forms of books has their own personalities, their own uses, and can be mixed and matched very well. I even have paperback and hardback of the same books... depending on if I want the book to look nice or not. Just because you have one form, does not mean you cannot own another. It may sound... excessive...obsessive... maybe even wasteful, but if you love books, you know where I'm coming from.

In addition, think of it this way, if you're afraid that bound books are going the way of the dinosaur because of the digital books, you can still support both. I am. I'm not rich... I'm not even poor. I live paycheck to paycheck with barely enough money to get by -- but I always, always, always will find money to buy books. And now, I will find money for bound and digital books... for entertainment and for my health -- because if I want to keep reading there are days that I must use the Reader.

So I guess the moral of this brief comparison is don't discount one form of book over another, and don't discount owning more than one form of the same book, you never know when I'll come in handy.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

TTTo - Green

The Tiresome Term Tip-off for today is Green. Now I am all about being globally aware. We all need to be. But there are two things wrong with this…one is the term itself. It is bandied around so much that everything is Green…even if it isn't. Just like when blogged about organic…if something has even the slightest hint of being "green" then it is proclaimed loud and proud of its status.

But you know what? Because of this, we have go ne to the other extreme. We have gone from being totally unaware, to being too aware. We have lost balance again…actually did we ever have it? No…we did not. We are not going to save the Earth with the spastic attempts we are doing…and what we are doing is killing it with being too aware now.

What?

I am serious. Let's look at it this way.

Taking in the Christmas season. Normally we have all of the trees being bought, right? I’m talking about the trees that are bought from tree farms, from places that purposely grow trees for the sole purpose of commercially selling them for profit and about the trees that are cut down to keep the forests healthy. And yes, we do need to cut trees down to keep them healthy, I will go into that in a minute before you start screaming at me for that comment.

These trees that are cut down to keep the forests healthy, specifically in the Washington and Oregon areas are not being bought now, both from the farms and from the logging…here is a report from the tree farm angle: http://bit.ly/8dabki (though it talks more about how he is having to disfigure his trees to get them sold to avoid burning his, but he does mention the ones that are burning theirs. No tree lots have placed orders. No one intends for them to be sold. So what are they going to do with them? No one is intending to use them for enjoyment for the holiday season. So these poor trees, because there is nowhere else for them to go…they are not fit for any other purpose, they are naturally grown, not from farms…are being burned. Yes, burned. Because no one wants them, because everyone is too conscientious of the impact of deforestation. These trees are being burned. Instead of being put to a better use, where they might have some enjoyment for a little while. It is very sad.

So here comes the question. If they are just going to burn them--and they are not going to be used for Christmas trees--why are they even cutting them down at all?

That's the crux of the matter isn't it? The environmentalists would have you think that these trees shouldn't have to be cut down. Well, they do have to be.

Ponder this. These trees in particular grow in abundance. They grow pretty radically. We, as a people have pretty much cut out forest fires. If they do occur, we put them out pretty rapidly. Forest fires are nature's way of keeping the Earth fertile and renewed as well as keeping control of the trees and other plants. Yet we have pretty much eradicated that. Sure, we do controlled burns occasionally, and sometimes they get out of control. But how often do we really do that?

So, these trees have no natural forest fires to keep them under control, and no controlled burns to keep them under control either.

So the next weapon in Mother Nature's arsenal are bugs. The problem with bugs is they don't settle to one kind of tree or plant and it affects other areas of the vegetation and wildlife, even if not directly by the bugs themselves. That creates a whole new problem. So, now we don't have the fires, and now we do have bugs. These poor trees.

The next problem is this. Us!

We are encroaching on them. Not the other way around. Yet we state that the trees are coming onto our land, and so we demand that the trees be controlled. Sound familiar? So, we cut them down…we cut them down to keep our properties clear, we cut them down to create more property for us.

Now you are saying, but that is the whole point of trying to save the trees, that is why we don't want to buy any live trees anymore and why we are trying to save the forests!

Well, that is all well and good for the forests that need saving. For the things that need help. But this is the crux of the matter. We are not determining our battles. We see a problem and we rush head first without further research. We see something is wrong, then we run around like Chicken Little yelling "We need to be 'green!' we need to be 'green!' but do we really know what we need to be Green on anymore?

Honestly, I don't. Let's see…our landfills are getting full. Our oceans are becoming trash dumps. And the rainforests are in trouble . hmm our polar icecaps are melting and our ozone layer is dying. Not to mention global warming. Other than that…what are the other big matters? Can you honestly say you can count…oh I am sure some of you can. but out of these main points, what can we honestly change…within our, our children or our children's-children's lifetime's? the trash dumps. Maybe the rainforests and part of the ocean. The icecaps are from the global warming. So is the ozone layer. But the global warming…hell no. and while I am a big believer in it…I also know this…we are not the cause of it. I am serious. This is not the first time global warming has happened, and I have been saying this for many years, not before the American Government started saying this, but this is not the first time global warming has happened. It happened once during the dinosaurs, it has happened during each of the major ice ages. How many of those have we as humans, especially as thinking man, have we been around for? We have contributed, but we are not the cause. And we cannot fix it. The Earth will renew herself, just as she has in the past. And I will blog about my thoughts on 2012 in a few days.

So, back to "Green." How does this all relate? Easy. Just as we can kill from neglect, we can kill from over concern. Which direction do you think we are leaning now? Let's see…carbon footprinting, organic, green. These are bandied around every day. If these are our everyday vocabulary words now, what do you think or everyday actions are? And I am not talking of Joe Schmoe. I am talking of collectively. Actually, I am talking about both, because both affect just as much as they do independently.

I am not saying Do not be globally aware! Do not go organic! Do not go Green!...oh hell no. What I am saying is *find your balance!* you don't need to be a sloth, and you don't need to be a freak. Just be conscious of your actions, but don't go overboard. For the sake of whatever deity you follow, be it the Christian God or no god…find balance. If you care for this Earth at all, don't be a spazz.

I promise that unless the sun fails or a meteor hits, or you die tonight--the Earth will still be here tomorrow…ok, I can't promise that, but you get the idea.

 

**None of these topics are meant to be aimed at anyone in particular. Some of them may touch a nerve, and I am sorry if they do, but these are my views. I am even guilty of using some of these and am trying to improve myself in regards to them. Besides, if we can’t laugh at some of the words/phrases we use, then this world is indeed too sad a place to be.**

 

**disclaimer: writer I am, writer I will always be. But spelling I never claimed to own. There will always be spelling errors, even with the aid of spell checkers. Unless I employ 20 proof-readers, and if I do that, you will never get to see these blogs…so, guess you will have to put up with the spelling errors….or do what I do. Blame it on the Typo-Fae and say the spelling errors occurred en-route ;-)**

Monday, December 7, 2009

Lots to do!

I can’t believe this year is already almost over with. Where has it gone? I blame my sister-in-law…she keeps wishing the days away. *snicker* Just kidding Marline. you know I love ya!

Seriously though, my days are so full of things to do anymore that by the time I get through even a portion of the stuff, the day is over and I have to start all over again. Most of the items are continuous, like writing and blogging…which I would not want to stop. but then I have other things like cleaning that I wish would ;) LOL.

There are other things that have been keeping me busy as well. Some of them are:

learning Greek. I have been having a blast at this. Though, I do admit that mostly I am concentrating on trying to get the alphabet down. No, it is not that difficult. In fact, we know most of it already, I am trying to get the accent and also trying to remember it. With the diabetes, my memory is not that great anymore. too many trips into the hospital have taken its toll. But I noticed last night that I have made tremendous strides. I have most of it down. There are just a few that I am tripping up on.

I am also working on a list of possible Greek words that I am going to be using in the Hubris stories. Which is also helping with the Greek lessons.

I am also going back over my first novel, Judgment at Witches Court and taking notes. Partly for something I have planned for the blog, and partly for something I have planned for the *eventual* newsletter (more about that in a few). I am also leaning more and more toward “yes” I will do a sequel to it. It is not as painful going back over it as I thought it was going to be. Though I am groaning at some of the things I put in it! ROFLMAO

I am also working on the four manuscripts I already have going. Yes, four. I know I have been talking lately about only three: The Prank (A Hubris Story); Underhill; and Mu Mysteries. But I also have the novel Grakas: the Gnome (the Elementals of Celayone series) that I put away for a few…not because I didn’t want to work on it, but because it is so work intense that I didn’t exactly have time for it. But, it says otherwise LOL. So, after I finish taking notes on Judgment, somewhere in that, I might have to figure out space for a sequel for it…unless I wait until Underhill is finished, or The Prank. LOL. We will see.

I am also working on a newsletter. I am aiming to put the first one out in January and doing quarterly installments, if not, then bi-yearly. it will have updates, and character interviews and announcements and who knows what else LOL. It will be in PDF format, free and hosted at my yahoo group…  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cherrydumas/ right now, the yahoo group has all of the blogs (mine and the characters) posted at one place in case you don’t want to go to their actual pages, though, to me, it is more fun to do so *hint hint* ;) ROFLMAO

Speaking of the characters, two of them (and the eSerial) finally broke me down and they have their own twitter accounts. though they don’t have too much activity quite yet…give me a break, I just did it yesterday afternoon and afterwards, I was so confused my brain did a meltdown! so the accounts are www.twitter.com/allorana ( @allorana ) and www.twitter.com/PrstssShashanna ( @PrstssShashanna ) and www.twitter.com/MuMysteries ( @MuMysteries ) I will create one for Rita, Missy and Dominick eventually, I promise, but not until they have made it to Ireland and they have protection from the sun and are in a completely different time zone from me and I can actually have them awake when I am awake ROFLMAO. Talking as vampire characters when I am not actually a vampire (*snicker*) is not an easy task, you know. Not if I want to be in character with them! Not if I want it to be realistic…well, as realistic as I can be :P I know there are other authors that do it differently, but I want it to be as realistic as possible, at least with the time.

Let’s see, what else. I am going to say this now. In Into the Forest the Irish…or what Missy presumes to be Irish…is all jumbled. initially I believed it was Irish…and some of it is, and some of it is accurate, but getting it from various sources and not quite knowing what I was doing…I am going to fix what I can, but I am going to leave a lot of it jumbled so that I can play with it in Underhill…she is going to get smacked down by the Fae about it. but I mean no disrespect about it, and I will put an addendum about that. I am going to be learning…or as much as I can by myself, Irish. I have discovered there are many different dialects and variations of it, so it is not exactly an easy language to learn, but I am going to do my best, and I will try not annoying or disrespecting anyone…but I am sure I will somewhere LOL. It is not my intents, but I love the language, the culture and the land too much and I just can’t resist using it where I can.

One last note before I end this, there is much more, but I don’t want to make this into a novel! I can’t remember if I blogged about this, I am sure I did, but with everything going on, I can’t remember, so I will put it in again, just to annoy and pimp myself out some more *snicker* Don’t forget to join my facebook fanpage. www.facebook.com/officialfanpageofcherrydumas

Ok, that’s all for now. Hopefully internet won’t crash today, because I have a…or rather, Dominick has a really interesting blog to post later on, one that you won’t want to miss!

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