Put on your cowboy boots, it’s time to kick some plagiarizing ass…
Followers,
Posting the intellectual property of authors, without their expressed approval, is STEALING. It is illegal, immoral and cowardly. Please, please, please share this information with your followers.
Plagiarizing another person’s work is wrong.
Help spread the word. On all your Social Media Platforms.
*****UPDATE******
As of 10:25 PM Eastern time her site is down and her Twitter feed, which we obtained from the links on her own site, is saying it’s not her. However, this author on her blog posted screenshots of Alison promoting her twitter account on the Weebly where the work was posted. HERE
**NEW** Woke Saturday morning to find her Twitter account is also disabled 🙂
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**ORIGINAL POST**
We have a serious situation.
Author Lorelei James has found her work ALL JACKED UP from the Rough Riders series (2009) being plagiarized word for word by a woman who is posting it one chapter at a time and claiming it as her own. Legal threats have not worked so now it’s time mobilize the reader community to come together and shame this woman off the web and educate all her “readers” that the work they are commenting on and so…
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Ode to my Blog’s Spam Blocker
Dear Spam Blocker for my Blog,
We have not formally met, but I wanted to introduce myself and thank you for your hard work.
I’m Michelle and I deeply admire your commitment to your craft.
As you know, I am not a professional blogger, and do this when the spirit moves me. Recently, the spirit has moved me to write more and more about books I have been reading. Every once in a while, I may write about politics, religion or the weather. And have. But, my preference right now is to discuss books written by talented female authors, with a decided “saucy,” adult twist to them. I hope you have enjoyed my thoughts on them, as much as I have.
Today, however, I salute YOU, Spam Blocker.
You keep randomly generated “comments” to my posts about how to market my blog – for a low price, how to increase traffic to said blog – again, for a low price, dating websites of questionable origins, shoe websites, fishing, phishing, stuff that looks like it was written by feet, unknown Asian characters and electronics, to a minimum. You filter all requests for my opinion on oil prices, cars, anti-anxiety medications, vacation packages and financing for a myriad of objects that defy reason…with low interest rates, of course, with icy precision. After you collect these gems of literature, you organize them into a folder conveniently labeled “Spam” for perusal at my leisure.
Knowing you toil tirelessly 24-hours a day, seven days a week, without requesting any vacation or sick time, makes me feel protected. A little freaked out, in an Orwellian way, but protected nonetheless.
So, THANK YOU, Spam Blocker. Your work has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
Your loyal friend and admirer,
Michelle
P.S. I think I love you.
Book Review – “Searching For Moore,” by Julie A. Richman
Link Posted on Updated on
My Mazel of the day goes to Julie Richman, for tearing my heart out to Bruce Springsteen, the soundtrack of my youth. I have some beautiful Mazel Shot Glasses from Andy Cohen’s Bravo Clubhouse, just for you, Missy.
I will start by publicly flogging myself for thinking this was a “New Adult” novel, featuring a bunch of entitled, horny, self-centered, shiftless college students. It is not. I will further admit that I purchased it on sale, thinking it was a New Adult novel, featuring a bunch of entitled, horny, self-centered, shiftless college students. Therefore, my Catholic girl penance is that I am writing this post at 4:45 a.m. ET, after staying up all night long to finish reading Searching for Moore Enough said.
Ok, I took a couple of cat naps last night and work from home. Don’t feel too badly for me.
Holy debut novel, Batman.
I mean, HOLY. FUCKING. DEBUT. NOVEL.
The premise is simple: what if you were only one Facebook friend request away from your true love – that one person who knew you better than you knew yourself – 24 years after you last saw each other? Would you reconnect with her/him, even if it meant uprooting the life you had been creating for yourself? If you were given that chance, would you take it?
Searching for Moore begins in the present day. Schooner Moore’s wife, CJ, is throwing a lavish party to celebrate his 43rd birthday. It is filled with “the beautiful people,” superficial individuals who only wish to be seen at this party to rub elbows with the rich and famous. Schooner Moore is both. What CJ and her “guests” fail to realize, however, is that Schooner dislikes the shallow displays of artifice that are his life and social circle. Then, his college buddy, Beau, casually mentions that he has chatted with Mia Silver, a classmate from college, via Facebook.
As Schooner reminisces, we are transported back twenty-four years into the past. He remembers their freshman year of college and the first taste of independence, of “finding himself,” meeting diverse people and learning about true love. Schooner meets and is immediately attracted to CJ, the quintessential, beautiful prom queen. They are the “perfect” All-American blonde couple, who would be featured in an ad for Ralph Lauren. He also meets Mia Silver, antithesis to CJ, sassy New Yorker, attending school in California, who marches to the beat of her own drum. CJ fits into his world, effortlessly, like a well-decorated room that lacks personality. Mia challenges his mind, steals his heart and completes his soul. Schooner and Mia are each other’s first true love. Then, Mia leaves him, without a word.
We return to the present day and Schooner sends Mia an innocuous Facebook friend request. A friend request that she is fated to accept. The story continues as the veil of time is lifted, a lifetime of betrayal by CJ is exposed, and that first true love is renewed.
Ms. Richman writes Schooner so that the reader is able to see the “real” Schooner that Mia sees. He has spent his life as a handsome shell, a chameleon who morphs into whomever he is expected to be. He has been incredibly successful in business, but we know he is so much more. Conversely, Mia is a ray of sunlight, warm, ebullient, full of life and loyal. She is successful, loved and will bring balance back into Schooner’s life. Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased with this reunion, especially CJ and Zac (CJ and Schooner’s son – who inherited his personality from CJ).
We live a lifetime through their story. There is the angst of first heart break, the ambivalence and acceptance of life’s circumstances, and the joy and hope for renewed, healing love. Then, Ms. Richman ends this rollercoaster ride of emotions with a cliffhanger the reader sees building from the middle of the story, but is incapable to stop. Searching for Moore is funny and quirky, profound, poignant and moving – all at the same time. It is the best book I have read about aging Generation-Xers, this year.
Exceptional debut for Ms. Richman! I need the second book NOW!!
The “cleaned up” versions of this review are on Amazon and Goodreads.
2013 Hurricane Season – Dig Out Your Hurricane Tubs, Plywood and Can Openers…Again
I live in one of Florida’s Gulf Coast counties, so each year we anticipate and dread June 1st, the beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. It lasts until November and typically means that rainy season and high humidity will be with us throughout the Summer. If you visit Florida during this time, you will recognize Floridians and year-round Florida residents. We are the people who do not lie in the sun to “tan,” and will likely run you over as we run from our air-conditioned vehicles, into air-conditioned buildings, and back again. It will take us a couple of weeks to recall our rainy-day driving skills. But soon, it will be “business as usual,” and we will drive in our “rain shoes,” to keep our “work shoes” dry.
Anyone who has spent an extended amount of time along either of Florida’s coasts, understands why we live here. We love our weather and proximity to bodies of water. It certainly is not the $10,000 to $15,000 salary drop we experienced when we moved here, the lack of quality public schools and transportation or affordable health/medical insurance, of any kind. Nor is it the exorbitant homeowners’ insurance rates, provided by less insurance companies each year.
A major component of living in a subtropical paradise, are storms and our ability to weather them. Hubby and I own a generator, have plywood labeled for each set of windows and only have to buy canned food, if we are threatened by a storm. In fact, those jumbo Rubbermaid tubs come in quite handy for moving and storing hurricane supplies, each year. The key is to remember that we are responsible for ourselves for the first 48 through 72 hours following a storm – which may be extended to two weeks. That means that we should expect to have no emergency services right before landfall, during the time the storm/eye passes over our area, and for several days, to one or two weeks, after the storm passes through. We should further expect to lose electrical power and be under “Boil Water,” orders, until electricity is restored.
Moving to a shelter should be the last resort for a family. I highly recommend “Host Home Programs,” where several families congregate at the home of friends or relatives, who are not in the path of the storm. It is an opportunity to bond, albeit under extremely stressful circumstances, but your family will be more comfortable among friends/relatives, than the microcosm of society that are Hurricane Shelters. Businesses, are also encouraged to create “Home Host Programs” for employees who wish to participate. Here is a way to get started: http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/PDF/hosthome_flyer.pdf
We have been blessed, and lucky, to have been spared a major storm since 1985’s Hurricane Elena, which eroded Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico coastline. We are living on borrowed time, and we know it. http://www.tampabay.com/news/weather/hurricanes/tampa-ranked-most-vulnerable-and-overdue-city-for-a-hurricane-in-the-us/2124692
In Florida, more injuries and fatalities occur in smaller, or “no name” storms, because citizens do not follow the directives of emergency managers. Only idiots defy these orders. Idiots, who fancy themselves “armchair meteorologists” and assume to know what Mother Nature plans to do. The only thing I have learned from years of living in Florida, is that storm models are merely predictors. Storms have a way of doing whatever they want to do. So, hubby and I will restock our Hurricane Kit, find our important legal papers and dig out the board games and deck of playing cards. Then, we will tune in to our local weather forecasters, who will invariably show footage storm idiots, as they “surf,” or “bathe” in the polluted waters of the storm. May they win many Darwin Awards for their stupidity!
Memorial Day. Pause. Reflect. Remember.
I am a progressive woman married to a Gulf War-Era U.S. Army Veteran. On the surface this may seem like an odd pairing or a case of “opposites attract.” Once you meet my extremely progressive husband, who is a Reagan Republican, the attraction becomes clearer. (We met and got married, after he was honorably discharged and returned to the U.S.).
Hubby and I are proud of his service as an Army Sergeant. He spent the majority of his career in Europe and took advantage of every opportunity to immerse himself in the culture of the country of his posting. He grew up in a family that celebrated learning, and like mine, his vacations were a combination of fun and education. While he was in Germany, he researched his German and Polish ancestry, visited the concentration camps and took advantage of free days at local museums. He also took advantage of drinking in pubs, dancing in clubs and meeting the “enemy” – Soviet soldiers, who also happened to be drinking and dancing at the same bars.
Hubby suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as many former (and current) servicemen and women do. He self-medicated, ignored, denied and finally, sought help for his condition. Some days are more difficult than others, but I have never met a stronger, more gentle and kind, man. His inherent kindness is most passionately expressed when he talks about our troops currently serving and those who are falling through the cracks, as they return to civilian life. His dream is for them to have the best tools needed for their jobs and the appropriate medical support, when they begin the process of reintegration.
Today, we pause to reflect on what Memorial Day is, and why it exists. Sadly, too many of our young, strong, intelligent, brave and healthy men and women are still fighting wars around the world. Our greatest service to them should be ensuring their families are taken care of while they are on active, or reserve, duty. Then, we should demand, and be prepared to support, full health care for all injuries, physical and mental, sustained while they defended our freedoms. Anything less, is insulting and degrades their personal sacrifices.
I honor Hubby, the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, and their families. “Thank you” seems too small a sentiment.
LOL Video: Will Smith, Alfonso Ribeiro Reunite for Fresh Prince Theme, Carlton’s ‘Unusual’ Dance
I love this! Bonus points for everyone who knows all the words (like me). I dare you NOT to smile.
Have a wonderful, safe Memorial Day weekend. Take time to thank and remember, the men and women who served, and continue to serve in our Armed Forces. Blessings to all of them.
Motivation to Write
As an amateur blogger, or rather an inconsistent blogger, I am often unsure of how often to post. Daily writing challenges might work for me while I am not in school, but are unrealistic once my schedule changes. Weekly challenges are another option because I can schedule it into my calendar. But, choosing the day to post may send me into an ADHD stress spiral.
So, I have been posting as spirit, stories or books have moved me to do so. Not the most consistent blogging style, but I have been able to record my thoughts and feelings when they are”freshest,” and therefore, the most transparent.
I been responding to more posts on other bloggers’ sites. These conversations are helping me find my blog voice and led to some of my own posts. I feel less “shy” about posting, and more confident about my feelings. Respectful discourse can be stimulating to read and participate in.
Share with me how you remain consistent in your blogging. What prompts you to write?
Oklahoma tornado: ‘Hearts are broken’ as parents wait for word
Pray and DONATE.
Text STORM to 80888 for The Salvation Army.
Text REDCROSS to 90999 for American Red Cross.
Text FOOD to 32333 for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
Each text is for $10 charged to your phone bill.
Time May Change Me, But I Can’t Trace Time
Life is change. We have the choice to accept and embrace change, or not. The hardest part is knowing change is inevitable but not being ready for it. Or watching helplessly as people we love are hurt by changes in their lives. A natural instinct is to protect – but, from what or whom?
As I’ve moved through adult life and collected experiences, I am struck by how different my life was 20 or 30 years ago. I envisioned myself as an attorney and created an elaborate life of excess. It was the 1980s and “excess” was the “American dream.” Once I went to college, that vision evolved as my views on social justice and politics were refined. Excess seemed distasteful and wrought with greed. It was the wrong fit for me, even though I attempted to make it fit. After college, I started to find my voice. It has been, and will be, a lifelong process.
But, what happens when someone I care for is experiencing difficult changes? Especially, when I recognize the process and know it will be painful, albeit necessary, for that person. Should I “nag?” Should I leave them alone? Should I wait to be contacted? Each situation has been unique and while I want to say I handled them well, that would be inaccurate. If I’m lucky, I’m breaking even on the “supportive friend/family member” role.
Changes are part of the life cycle and, in some respects, “expected.” However, “everyday” life changes like starting a new job, marriage, divorce, losing a job, having children, not having children, etc., may be unexpected. We can attempt to prepare ourselves for them by being the best version of ourselves and staying connected with those we love. For me, this means not retreating into my cocoon of solitude, or we call it at my house, my “bear hibernation cave.” I am naturally extroverted and have an opinionated, over-the-top, bull-in-a-china-shop, overwhelming personality. But, when I become quiet, introspective and retreat into myself, I am either angry or very sad.
So, as I reflect back on how I manage change, I am struck by Bono’s quote, “I can’t change the world, but I can change the world in me.” I think he is talking about growing older and learning from previous experiences. Then, using the knowledge, understanding and possibly, maturity gained to move forward.
David Bowie expresses it beautifully, in the song “Changes”
Onward and upward.
A New Era in Fashion—How Abercrombie & Fitch Saves Needless Suffering
I didn’t think it was possible, after her first brilliant post on A&F, but Kristen Lamb, just blew it out of the park! With humor. Nailed it!
Last Friday, I wrote a post about how Abercrombie & Fitch’s CEO Michael Jeffreys’ message hurts us all, no matter how fat or thin, pretty or ugly, rich or poor, popular or unpopular. Yet, upon closer inspection, I am compelled to retract my statement. In fact, I think Jeffreys’ should be given serious consideration for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Bear with me.
The Birth of Fashion
At one time, early in human history, clothing served to protect humans from the elements and keep them warm. But, what many of you might NOT know was that everyone looked the same, running around in somewhat smelly saber-tooth outerwear.
It was really Ug who came up with the first line of saber-tooth necklaces to accessorize these early, boring designs. Ug later inspired Og to use the teeth of a boar as bracelets. Not only could one look smashing day OR night, but boar-tooth…
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Reading, Drinking and Dancing with a Chaser of Snark 