Actual Chronicles of Idiocy 3: [Name Censored To Be In Review] – Thanks Barnes and Noble...

I didn't realize it would be so difficult to get reviews posted for my book. My Mom did it right away without my asking, another writer friend (Frank Balara) did it quite quickly and easily. Both of these reviews were posted on Amazon and/or GoodReads. But there were no reviews at Barnes and Noble, and I knew my friend Kathy, who read the book prior to publishing, and said she could not wait to read it on her Nook. So, I asked her to review it for BN.com, what then transpired borderlines on the absurd.

The review was censored. We tried to correspond with the people at BN.com to get it posted but they said we should change the review. Something was written that broke their rules on posting reviews. When Kathy tried to edit the review, the edit button that they say should be there was not there. This was after quite a few messages between us and what we have to assume were human beings at BN.com although the responses were not exactly original. I then suggested to try to post the review on Amazon.com and guess what...

Here is Kathy's review on Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend!, December 12, 2011 By Kodiak Girl - See all my reviews This review is from: The Chronicles of IDIOT (Kindle Edition) I thoroughly enjoying reading this funny, thought provoking, and entertaining satirical book about a secret government agency that provides distractions, everything from video games to big foot, so we do not pay attention to what the government is actually doing. This book is well written and I enjoyed the author's clever play with words, especially names. My only complaint is I am left wanting to read more about what distractions IDIOT created. After reading this book I find myself even more amazed by what is considered "news." Part of me hopes that IDIOT is real!

Does that sound defamatory or mean? Yet, the BN software to censor reviews says it is not acceptable. It seems to be that since the term idiot is there and in capitol letters, she must be calling me an idiot. I guess I would have had to call my book Chronicles of Kittens for it to work for BN. But, make sure not to capitalize KITTENS. That might cause a problem.

The e-mail correspondence continued, eventually telling me to call customer support. Who then hung up on me. Probably not on purpose, but it was yet another irritation from this company.

I also have tried to chat online with them and here is the conversation:

13:17:48 : Erin: Initial Question/Comment: I am the author of "The Chronicles of IDIOT". A friend of mine tried to post a positive review but it was rejected. It seems that stating the title of the book violates terms of use for reviews. Is there any way to change this so reviews can be written for this book?

13:17:53 : System: Welcome to the Barnes & Noble Chatroom.

13:17:53 : System: Bob has joined this session!

13:17:53 : System: Connected with Bob. Your Reference Number for this chat is 347663.

13:17:58 : System: Thanks for joining us.

13:18:03 : Bob: Good day Erin, thanks for joining Barnes and Noble Digital Chat Support. I am Bob. Let me review the issue.

13:19:36 : Bob: Erin, as per our information there no option to change the review status for a book as it is a default setting set by Barnes and Noble.

13:20:23 : Erin: Hi Bob, so there is no way that a review be posted if it just states the name of the book?

13:21:18 : Bob: Yes.

13:22:15 : Erin: This is a serious problem for me, as this is the name of my book. Is there any way to request to change the default setting?

13:23:33 : Bob: Erin, I think you can contact our voice support for this issue as they might help you.

13:23:43 : Bob: Please contact Barnes & Noble Customer Service at 1-800-THE-BOOK (843-2665).

13:24:15 : Erin: OK, I will try them.

13:24:23 : Bob: Is there anything else I can help you with?

13:24:40 : Erin: I guess not as that is my problem.

13:24:54 : Bob: Thanks for contacting Barnes and Noble Digital Chat Support, have a great day.

13:25:59 : System: Bob has left this session!

13:25:59 : System: The session has ended!

So, another call and they then referred me to Publisher Services at BN. Where I sent an e-mail (PublisherAuthorInquiry@bn.com) giving my complaint one more time.

And now I am waiting to hear from them. Will BN be sensible or is this a case of political correctness gone amuck?

Sorry, but you will need to wait a few weeks, as I am going to take Christmas and New Years off from my blog. The blog will be back on January 9^th. A special HELLO to all the readers from Russia, the Netherlands, India and all others around the world who take the time to read this blog. Here is wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanza, Sensational Solstice and Wonderful 2012.   

In Praise and Revulsion of A Song of Fire and Ice Books 1 & 2

I have had an addiction lately for certain books, and this is more than your normal addiction. But, let me tell you that I have broke that addiction but may go back later for more. Confused? I read A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin for the past few months and it has been an experience.

These books are of a complete world not unlike our medieval one, with political intrigue, incest, murder, war, but also a little magic. There are many small supernatural elements that would usually be in the forefront of these types of stories but Mr. Martin holds them back, which drives my husband crazy. I am fine with it, because the characters are in many ways more scary and unpredictable than the what is supernatural. Probably the more the supernatural elements are introduced, they will be just like the characters.

It is not to say that there are no gentile, good-hearted characters, but don't predict a long or easy life for them. Anyone with nobility is usually out-maneuvered easily. It seems that the complexity of his world parallels our own and I believe Mr. Martin does this on purpose. And this intrigue definitely fuels the addiction for this series. There are many different types of characters and some of my favorite are not the most popular in their fictional land. Many motivations are hard to figure out and may not get solved till later in the series. It gives me pause to think about some of our real-life villains and whether they did have good intentions but things went all wrong.

If you haven't already guessed, I am not going to get into any of the plot, it is so complex that it would be difficult to explain and would not do it justice. I will discuss the weather of their world because it is quite important to the story line. Our weather is quite predictable in that we have the four seasons. We also do have times called “ice ages” and times when the earth warms up quite dramatically. Luckily, we are not in an ice age but do seem to be in a warming event sped up by human action. Those ages can last hundreds to thousands of years. Mr. Martin must have thought of these ice ages when he came up with the concept of his world but instead had ice ages (winter) and warm times (summer) last from a few years all the way up to at least a decade. Try to think of how we would live our lives if we had a decade of winter to “look forward” to? This anxiety about “Winter is coming” is central to the story.

And maybe because it is winter now that I have to put down this series for now. It is incredibly addictive, but it is also so hard to read when horrible people do horrible things. One review from the Guardian says “...with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias”. Indeed. In taking a break from the series, I have chosen the literary opposite by reading The Most of P.G. Wodehouse. In many ways a satirist with a very light, gentile manner. That probably won't stop my husband and I from watching the HBO series A Game of Thrones when it comes out on DVD. Like I said, addictive stuff.

Anti-Intellectualism 102 – The Politics of “Climate Change”

It used to be called “Global Warming”. Average air and sea temperatures are on the rise due to extra carbon dioxide in the Atmosphere. This extra CO₂ is causing a Greenhouse effect and is gradually raising temperatures everywhere. That was why it was called global warming.

Unfortunately, it was not so simple. We are seeing temperatures increase, but we are also seeing more extreme weather events, so now scientists call it “Climate Change”. This is a catch all phrase that is almost too general, but this is to try to satisfy the skeptics.

Scientists are supposed to be skeptical, it is one of our best tools to keep honesty and integrity an integral part of the scientific process. Unfortunately, skepticism has been abused in this case as in the case of Evolution. There is a great deal of evidence to show that there is too much carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and that this is a human caused event.

Blaming humans for anything worldwide has always been something that is never easily accepted. We like to think that all of our actions are always positive and good for everyone. Low priced items for Americans seem like a great thing for everyone. What about the American jobs lost to foreign countries, so that companies could charge less for their items because they are now manufactured much more cheaply since they only need to pay their workers $1 per hour instead of $15. So, are low prices the best thing? Well, that debate is pretty much over with the companies and the low prices are winning. You can try to fight against it and get something made in the U.S.A. but you will probably have to do a lot more research to find that item.

As I have said, when it comes to Climate Change, skepticism has been used to vehemently deny that there is anything wrong because a few scientist may not agree with the scientific consensus. The problem with that is that there is always a few scientists who will not agree with consensus. Heck, we still have a “Flat Earth Society,” although I would not call those people scientists. But, consensus means that there is a general agreement among most scientists and that is what we have when it comes to Climate Change. Therefore, we need to agree to do something to change our behavior. That is the hard part.

Just like with the worldwide financial crisis, the easy part is to see that there is a problem and that changes need to be made. The hard part is doing the changing and agreeing what needs to be done. So, if we never agree there is a problem we will never need to change, even when things are getting worse all around us. Yep, we are a bunch of ostriches with our heads in the sand.

The denial of the substantial scientific evidence for Climate Change is anti-intellectualism and the abuse of skepticism to deny it is a very cynical tool of politicians and companies. Hopefully, this cynical viewpoint will be found to not work for them soon. Approval of Congress is at an all time low, for Americans are skeptical themselves of any of Congress' actions of late.

In watching this debate that seems absurd, there are a few things I try to do: 1. Not vote for any candidate that belittles science in any way. 2. Try to change my behavior to lessen our carbon footprint. That is not easy because it seems to be expensive to be an environmentalist, but little things are a start.  

A Change in Projects

I am blocked in my writing. Well, for a certain project I am blocked. I wanted to write a satire on the perfect “tiger moms”. Trying to writing about a seemingly perfect but actually bad Mom has been depressing to me. I just cannot work on this project right now. Perhaps I need to let my kids get older, or maybe it is just because it is winter. Or it could be a bad idea, I am not sure. I am such a newbie at this.

I have been chastising myself, saying I am not hard core enough. A true artist would suffer for their “art”. If you have read my blogs in the past, you may know that depression is a problem for me, so I really should avoid it if I can. In reading the first two books of “A Saga of Fire and Ice” by George R.R. Martin, I envy his scope because it is truly a complex and fascinating world he has built. But, in that story are some very nasty people. Nasty characters do nasty things, and it is the job of the writer to bring those actions to the page, to carry the story along. It is a hard thing in writing, at least for me right now. Maybe, if I have been doing this for twenty years, I will be more used to it. Needless to say, but these feelings have also just turned me off to the story. Perhaps it just needs to be a short story. Or the fact that it is about Motherhood, a very important role in my life right now. Any which way, I am backing away from that project for now.

So, I am working on something with a little less satire and a little more adventure. It is an exciting in a way, and it is definitely different from “The Chronicles of IDIOT”. Although there may be those who think I should have added more of an adventure aspect to IDIOT, but that could be in the future, if I try to expand the IDIOT universe. It depends upon if there is any demand for more IDIOT books. Since there has not been much sales, I haven't felt much of a pull to try to expand that story. I have ideas about a prequel and for more detailed stories. We shall see.

I don't want to say too much about my new idea. But, it is a fun idea with a little history, a little biotech, a little absurdity, and a little controversy. He he!

Things To Be Thankful For...

I am thankful for my beautiful family, hilarious friends and our wonderful home.

That Tucson has mild winters.

That I have the time to try to be a writer.

That we have fewer dictators in this world.

That I do not have an addictive personality.

That Gabrielle Giffords actually survived a gunshot wound to the head.

That my kids seem to be learning something in school.

The lack of NBA games, who needs them! (Still in anger phase).

Now that Kim Kardashian's marriage is over, she will just fade from the spotlight, right?

Where we live in a democracy where we can elect our leaders who then choose what to legislate based upon the best lobbying (donations given) to them.

That we have Health and Dental Insurance, which only partially screw us over.

That we have at least one calm, rational Republican candidate for President?

That we don't live anywhere near Penn State.

That the world we live in is only partially messed up, not totally screwed. (YET!)

Anti-Intellectualism 101: Chicken-Pox Lollipops

Science and technology have blessed our country and the people of the world. If you don't think so, you might want to take back your smart phone, stop driving your car, stop going to the doctor, and move into a cave. Heck, you might as well not even use two sticks to rub together to make a fire.

Yet, there are some who rail against science. They deny published studies because it may hurt profits for an energy company. They insist that evolution not be taught in the classroom because it is not in the bible, although that would need to take Genesis literally, which many do. Or they send out Chicken Pox tainted lollipops for $50 a pop.

This last example is the latest in “I don't trust them doctors” mentality. Nobody who is mentally healthy likes getting shots and especially giving them to their kids. But a shot is a lot better than getting a disease that can kill you. They think the middle ground is having a Pox party, which 100 years ago might have been a good idea. But we now have vaccines: which are safe, multiply-tested, and certified not to cause Autism. These vaccines can give immunity without the child getting sick. So, yes, I think a shot is a lot better than a disease. The Pox party/lollipop proponents say that getting the disease “naturally” give “natural immunity”. Yes, but it also gives your child (and everyone around them) the risk of deadly complications. Many people used to die of Chicken Pox, it may seem a cute children's disease, but in adults (and some children), it is deadly serious.

Frankly, I think those who sell the Chicken Pox lollipops for $50 a pop are the students of the masters of the three card monty. Con Artists thrive in a recession and we are recovering from the mother of all recessions for the past 100 years. Isn't there that saying that a sucker is born every minute? Those suckers want to give their kids suckers that have been sucked on by a stranger. That sucker could have ANYTHING ON IT! I would rather pay to have my doctor jab my kid with a needle to prevent disease, than play: “what's on the lollipop along with the Chicken Pox?”

We have freedom of choice; and parents have the choice to not vaccinate their children, home-school them, and try to keep them from all the “evils of the world”. I am all for choice, but a choice involves using your brain. So when making a choice, please try to keep all options available. Because trusting a stranger selling $50 lollipops about vaccinations more than your Pediatrician is just plain scary.

Some of my future posts will further discuss Anti-Intellectualism, since I think this is a serious problem in our world today.

Actual Chronicles of Idiocy – 2

All good things bring sequels. The sequel may or may not be better than the original but it is usually bigger. So, for this chronicle of idiocy, we are going bigger and I will actually show I am more than a bit of an idiot at times.

The NBA Lockout

Remember basketball? I vaguely recall it, there used to be this league for that game, I think. But, it seems that there are quite a few over paid, spoiled people involved with that sport. They are millionaires fighting with other millionaires over millions of dollars. The people who actually love the sport are left trying to enjoy bowling or god forbid – soccer. Yes, I know the NFL season is on now, but that is a once a week sport where b-ball had at least two or three games a week. Given our ADD culture, I don't think the NFL is even close to enough.

Greece/Europe

When a government makes an agreement for a bailout and is just about to receive the money, the leader should not then say “Hey, now let's put this up to a vote.” Too late, the agreement was already made. Therefore, after Greece's Prime Minister did just that, the world's stock markets went topsy turvy. Then again, the whole set-up with Europe is kind of idiotic, like a half-built house. They have the foundation of a common currency. But, without the roof and walls of an agreed upon and enforced taxation laws throughout the Euro-zone, it is not a surprise that everyone is getting rained upon.

“The Onion” Creates Confusion

I love the Onion, a satirical newspaper. Recently, they put out an article called “Study Finds Every Style of Parenting Produces Disturbed, Miserable Adults”. The reaction to this article was beautifully idiotic. The article sites the real California Parenting Institute as the authors of this fictional study. Unfortunately, some of the good people at the CPI did not know that the Onion is only known for satire. Some were asked about this study, saying they did not know it was occurring and and wanted to know who was doing the work. Don't believe me? Check out this link: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/11/01/parents-believe-onion-article-freak-out-accordingly/

I guess it is best when you do satire, to not name actual agencies, they may freak out.

My Own Writing Process

I wrote a book. Yeah! Now, I am getting feedback that is not so positive about it. Ick. It seems that I was so excited to get this book done, I must have rushed the creative process. There is some leeway about this, and I am still proud of what I did, maybe I should have given it more time. But that was the first try, and in working on my next project(s), I will definitely try to not jump the gun.