It'll Never Happen

When the term technology is used our minds fill with visions of computers, wires, and laser beams.  Wind the clock back a hundred years, a couple of hundred years, or several hundred years, technology takes on a different sense.

The printing press was a technology frowned upon for many reasons, one of which was the belief that monks would become lazy.

The automobile.

Photography.

Flight.

All technological advances.  The commonality?  They were all feared, shunned, played off as a fad, and touted they would never, ever, not in a million years, replace “x”.

You just have to love us human-types.

Digital photography will never replace film.  That statement came from a photography magazine printed in 1994.  In all fairness, digital photography has not “replaced” film, but when was the last time you saw a new film camera for sale at your local superstore?  As a matter of fact, without doing a search on the web, tell me fast, where would you take that film to get developed?

People will always want to read the morning paper.  It will never be replaced by the internet.  There are hundreds (if not thousands) of newspapers and magazines that no longer exist because they failed to recognize the oncoming train of technology, and countless more that are struggling to catch up before they too go under.

“X” format will never replace the LP.  People long for the hiss and pop of the classic vinyl record.  Been to a “Record” store lately?  Oh wait, you can just get that online.  If you dig deep enough, you can even get a copy of that song with the hiss and pop included.

So, why do we believe electronic books will never, ever, not in a million years, outsell print books?

Already we see signs of that flawed belief.  Whatever happened to the “Big Six”?  What are we down to?  Five?  Four?  The big publishers sat mired in the mud for years.  Now they struggle to catch up with the very technology they downplayed.

When was your most recent trip to Waldenbooks, B Dalton, Borders?

Will the e-book ever completely replace the coveted print version?  No.  Much like a photograph printed on special paper, the desire will always be present.

However…

Much like a hand-tooled leather belt, the printed photograph, the hardback novel, will become cost-prohibitive for the average customer.  They will become novelty items relegated to the collectors and those with disposable income.

It won’t be today.  It won’t be tomorrow.  It may not even be within a decade, but there will come a time in your children’s life when special orders for printed books will be the norm.

The bookshelf, much like your photo album, will be virtual.  So, instead of fighting technology, find a way to make it work to your advantage.  After all, technology is coming, and it has been proven over the centuries, its force is greater than any resistance you can provide.

Go ahead, keep saying it’ll never happen.  You’ll be one less competitor we have to worry about when it does.

Shameless plug here:

I have three titles available; one novel, Blood of Two, and two shorts, The Leaf Pendant, and The Most Intelligent Orc in the World.  Check out Smashword, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Diesel, or iTunes to find a copy.

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say

I have been conspicuously absent from social media for a couple of weeks.  I just haven't had anything nice to say, and it has been bothering me.  Am I really that much of grump?  Well, maybe I am, but this morning I realized what has had me residing in Grumptown; social media.

I open up my Facebook feed and it is littered with angry people, hypocritical people, and whiny people.  Read a few posts from these folks and see if you can live on the sunny side of life!

I have read post after post of political propaganda from all three sides of the fence.  Each of them taking a quote out of context, throwing out a number that sounds outrageous, but isn't true, or just bad-mouthing the other side because they can.

I won't go into my political viewpoint, because it really doesn't matter.  I don't care what side of the fence you sit on, when you distribute lies, YOU are the idiot; not the president, not the guy running against the president, not the NRA, not the anti-gun.

If you want to tout the virtues of eating healthy, eating organic, eating right, don't follow that post with a status of your location being a pizza house, or a burger joint.  Unless you're protesting fatty foods, you just negated your earlier posts.

And really?  I don't care how unfair life has been to you when you get on your iPhone/Pad, or personal computer to type that message out, while your munching on food you don't need, living in a climate controlled environment, thinking about where you are going to go to in your car that costs more than someone in Mexico makes in a year.  There's an undernourished kid in Uganda that would like to speak with you.

With all that said, I unfollowed a lot of people this morning.  Life is already looking brighter!  I haven't had anything nice to say because the people I surrounded myself with in the social media world didn't either.  Problem fixed.

When the world gets in your face
I say
Have a Nice Day!

Don't be a lazy American

This topic gets me wound up; well, as wound up as my personality allows. The subject of immigration, legal and illegal, is a polarizing topic filled with misconceptions, half-truths, and outright lies. Much of which is propagated by the media and politicians.

Let me make one thing clear, before I move on; illegal is illegal. People come to this country for reasons that most of us take for granted. Many come by following the proper, legal channels, while many come here by skirting our laws. Those that come here illegally know that they are breaking laws, and they know that if they are caught, they will be sent back to their homelands. I don’t have a problem with deporting people who are here illegally. Until we change our laws, this should happen. What some people fail to recognize is the fact that we do not enforce these laws with any kind of consistency.

I encourage you to do your due diligence and research the truths of immigration. In most cases, what you read in your paper, see on the news, or hear from your politicians, is not fact. You have to dig to find the truth. You have to be able to recognize propaganda, from either side of the argument. Do not bombard me with stereotypes. Do not try to impress me with generalizations. You will only make me laugh at your ignorance.

Illegal aliens take jobs from Americans that need them. Really? Americans do need jobs, but we Americans have come accustomed to making more money than what some of the industries that illegal’s work in are willing to pay. I’m not sure that we, as consumers, are ready to pay American wages for these jobs. How much are you willing to pay for that tomato? Do your research. Give this subject due diligence. Don’t just go off what MSNBC or FOX is telling you. YOU must find the truth.

Illegals are a drain on the economy. Again, do the research. What you find may surprise you.

So, what is the answer? If I knew that, I wouldn’t be wrestling to survive from paycheck to paycheck. I do know that Alabama’s recent actions are not the answer. Of course, coming from a state with a heritage of racism, their new laws are hardly abnormal.

The answer can be found through intelligent discussions. A solution that does not adversely impact your well-being, because that is what most concerns you, can be reached. Do not approach this topic in ignorance. Do not approach this topic armed only with the knowledge gleaned from the national media and politicians who want your vote. Learn the facts. Find the truth. Arm yourself with the knowledge to make your own decision. Don’t be the stereotypical Lazy American.

Until you have actually researched the topic beyond the six o’clock news and talk radio, please keep your ignorance to yourself. You will appear much smarter for it.