Monday, July 14, 2014

July 14th Declared, "DIGITAL BOOK DAY"

Normally I don't promote authors or books on my Monday blog. Although tempted, I never promoted my own books on this site save for the widgets you see flashing on the right of the page. But today I'm going to make an exception.

C.J. Lyons, a New York Times Best Seller, has declared Monday, July 14, as DIGITAL BOOK DAY! C.J has gathered notable authors from around the world to contribute their writings for free as a way of giving back to the millions of supporters who value good literature. I find her efforts to be extremely generous. The time she's spent in creating and promoting this event, the glitches she's had to overcome, and the continued advice she's given to neophytes like myself are to be highly commended.

C.J. Lyons is a selfless woman who is interested in showing society that reading is essential to both the young and the old and everybody in between. Children who first begin to read are elated; their feelings of accomplishment, independence, and creativity soar to highs they've never before experienced.

The elderly gravitate to books, magazines, and newspapers as a way of staying in touch with the ever-changing world. I know many seniors who have or who are about to lose their eyesight, and the first thing they express sorrow over is that they can't or won't be able to read. Luckily there are volunteers who faithfully visit these folks to do just that for them.  Audio books are the best innovations since sliced bread as far as they're concerned.

As for the in-betweeners, so many are caught up in the zillions of modern technological gadgets that they overlook the value of a good book. Hopefully through the efforts of dedicated people like C.J. Lyons, they'll realize the error of their ways and return to that which replenishes the mind and excites the soul.

www.digitalbookday.com is the place to go today. Again, all offerings are #FREE. This site was experiencing overload earlier because of the number of people trying to gain access. I understand that the problem is currently being investigated and should be resolved shortly.  Keep on trying. Your rewards far outweigh any bumps you might have to endure for the time being.

Hats off to C.J. Lyons.  Tons of authors and readers are forever in your debt, C.J. myself being one of them!

Monday, July 7, 2014

My Heart Cries Out, But My Resolve Grows Stronger!

Last week it was reported that a twenty-two month old toddler was left strapped in the back seat of his father's car for over eight hours. No one knows exactly when the baby succumbed to the heat, but I'm sure he suffered immeasurably for quite a while before suffocating. Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of this gut-wrenching tragedy was that he died alone.

The father says he thought he'd dropped his son off at daycare but doesn't remember doing it. The man had so much on his mind regarding work that he simply forgot. However upon investigation, the police discovered he'd been downloading pornography and emailing pictures of his privates for a good part of the day. With such stressful responsibilities resting on his shoulders, it's understandable he'd overlook something so insignificant as his two-year-old stuck in the sweltering heat with no water to drink or air to breathe.

At one point according to the press, this father actually returned to his car to fetch a forgotten item. Unfortunately that forgotten item wasn't his son.

While inspecting the man's computer, experts found he'd been searching the web on how long it would take for a child to die if left in a car on a hot day.

Yesterday, in a follow-up story, it was reported that the mother of this innocent victim had also been doing similar research. And her very first statement that she made to her husband shortly after his arrest was, "I hope you didn't say too much!" Oh the pain of a grieving mother couldn't be more evident in those seven sorrowful words!

Who does this? Two thirty-something narcissists whose only purpose in life is to satisfy their own wants. They care not for others. Once whatever prompted them to give birth was fulfilled, and the hard work of parenting set in, their young son became disposable. Finding a method to execute their plan was of utmost importance, neither one giving any thought to the pain and suffering they were about to inflict upon their helpless baby.

I've been a child advocate for most of my life. In my opinion, anybody responsible for the murder of a child to sate their own purposes should be subjected to the same kind of inhumane torture. I don't care what reasons they might offer for doing such a despicable act. I don't give a damn if they're mentally unstable, or were insane in that precise moment when they took a promising life. Bullshit to their excuse of doing it because the little one's incessant crying pushed them over the edge. And as far as the voices inside their heads made them do it, my comeback would most certainly be, JUST SAY NO, you asshole!

In this case, I would happily lock the two of them up in an overheated car myself and throw the key away. I would stand watching them suffer while drinking an ice-cold Pepsi. And I would hold up a picture of their twenty-two month old baby boy so his face would be the last thing they saw before their lights went out.

Unfortunately reports of this kind are becoming more and more common. I believe drastic consequences must be formulated and enforced in order to lessen such crimes. My heart cries out for this child, but my resolve to eradicate this type of evil  is stronger than ever. To me, 'an eye for an eye' is the only justice acceptable for such selfish disregard for precious lives.