Posts filed under ‘OBSERVATIONS & OPINIONS’
HAWAIIAN DISASTERS IN PRINT
HAWAIIAN DISASTERS IN PRINT
There is a new novel recently published by Michael Crichton, posthumously entitled, Eruption, involving the threat of a volcanic eruption on The Big Island of the Hawaiian islands. The novel also involves the revelation of a secret of the military. Currently this novel is on the New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction.
I mention this for there is another novel, published in the recent past, which also involves the eruption of volcanos along the entire chain of the Hawaiian islands. What follows is a disaster of unbelievable proportions which will change the world forever.
For those interested, contact me and I will give further information about this novel.
WALT’S OPINIONS: INFLATION?
INFLATION?
I, like I’m sure most of you, go grocery shopping. And I still have the remnants of a memory and remember prices from one outing to the next and note the price increases.
What follows is pure conjecture on my part.
There are times when I see the price of a product increase, a large increase, at times in a week or two.
Why?
Is there a valid reason for the price increase or is there something else at play? Could it be that the manufacturer is taking advantage of the fact that inflation is constantly in the news. Could it be that there is no good reason for the increase? But, because of the constant discussion about inflation the manufacturer is relying on that fact and assuming the customer will not question the increase. The customer, because of all the inflation hype, will accept the increase as part of life. Could it be, in some cases, that the customer is being manipulated in the cause of profits?
You can try an experiment. For every product there are remarkable number of brands these days. When you buy something search the brands to see if the increase of the price of one of the brands stands out. Just an experiment.
When a company makes a tremendous increase in price, say a certain percentage in a certain length of time, they owe the public an explanation?
What do you think?
CHILDREN AND CELL PHONES
CHILDREN AND CELL PHONES
First a disclaimer. I don’t own a cell phone. My kids are grown so I don’t have one of society’s major problems: Children and the influence of cell phones.
Even with the above disclaimer I am well aware of the problem cell phones are causing with our youth. You would have to live in a cave or under a rock not to be.
We have restrictions on our children to ensure their safety. They can’t drink until they are twenty-one. They cannot, or are not supposed to, drive until they reach an age designated by the state where they dwell. We categorize movies for the protection of our children. Why can’t industry produce cell phones made for children, say for children under the age of fourteen which are limited to only communication? Could it be that less sophisticated phones would cut into profits?
Cell phones are denying children their childhood by gluing them to a screen rather than participating in constructive play. Reducing children the opportunity to make friends.
I don’t think most children under fourteen have the means to purchase cell phones on their own so parents would have complete control over the phones their children can use.
Currently cell phones, right or wrong, are ‘practically’ a necessity. But why can’t there exist cell phones, for children, whose sole purpose is for communication. For children, bring back the cell phone of the past. For the use of moms to contact their children to see what they were up to and that they were alright. With these cell phones exposure to the outside world would be limited.
As children matured the phones could provide increasing access to the outside world and information. And by the time our children reach adulthood they have developed healthy habits in the use of cell phones.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING OLD WHEN:
You remember when a judge made decisions based on the law and not the source of their appointment.
WRITER’S FORUM: PREDITORS AND EDITORS
WRITER’S FORUM
PREDITORS AND EDITORS
Years ago, Predators and Editors was a website where a writer could check if editors, publishers and lawyer were safe to use. They have been going through a transition for some time now.
There appears to be good information for writers here, but not the type of information that was available in past. So, a word of caution. Use carefully.
Preditors and Editors – Writing Corner
WARNING
As I’m sure you know in our current society very little is free. When you use a site indicating that it is free your email address or telephone number is probably being added to a list which will be sold. So, when using any website consider the value of the site to you and if it is worth the occasion annoying ad.
WALT’S OPINIONS: THE UNICORN DILEMMA
WALT’S OPINIONS: THE UNICORN DILEMMA
WALT’S OPINIONS
THE UNICORN DILEMMA
Noah must have been extremely talented in sexing animals. But no one is perfect.
And that is, perhaps, the reason why we have no unicorns today.
The commonly held theory as to why unicorns do not exist is that they were left behind with the beginning of the rain. It is possible they weren’t left behind but were, in fact, passengers on the ark.
It may be that they do not exist today for in selecting the couple to be saved, Noah made a mistake.
WALT’S OPINIONS: DIGITAL COUPONS
WALT’S OPINIONS
DIGITAL COUPONS
As far as the current increase in the price of groceries goes I am lucky that my days of supporting a family are over. However, the increase is quite noticeable to me for I still must eat,
The opinion I expressed here will probably cause disagreements because food prices are on a constant rise, due in part to corporate greed. But also, hopefully, will cause some consideration of these thoughts.
Digital coupons are a relatively new phenomenon which have appeared at the same time with the decline in traditional coupons.
Here are the reasons why I will not use digital coupons.
I feel that the people who would benefit most from the savings provided with digital coupons don’t have access or knowledge of them. At the same time the savings associated with traditional coupons are gone. Also use these coupons and I can almost guarantee that will result in receiving endless emails from the associated grocery store and associated manufacturers of the products accepting the digital coupons.
A NEW SERIES: WALT’S OPINIONS
WALT’S OPINIONS
This post will initiate a new series of posts, Walt’s Opinions.
To put matters in perspective I will quote a saying of a fellow officer I knew in the air force. Here is the PG version: Opinions are like anuses. Everyone has one.
Here you will find my opinions. I doubt that many of you will agree with most of what I have to say, but some knowledge may be offered and, hopefully, resulting in some consideration of your opinion on the subject being considered.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING OLD WHEN:
You remember presses involved in self-publishing were once called vanity presses.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE GETTING OLD WHEN:
You remember when psychics were once called fortune tellers.