Meritocracy

 

 image from Stencil and our sunset photo from 2019

After writing a blog a about age-ism, I planned on a follow-up. That was until this week hit me with all the social media talk, often on both sides of an issue, which I believe is important to a culture if it wants to succeed. It's the title for this blog.

Here is the issue-- How do we appoint or hire people for key jobs, and there are a lot of important jobs that many do not see that way. What if the appointments are based on diversity, ethnicity, and/or inclusion or should it be based in merit, ability, skills, and/or what they have already achieved? To be good at a job must they have already done it or might they prove it by how they have handled other jobs? Should it be based on skin color, sex, or from where they came? DEI gave credit even to corporations for applying it to new hires or promotions. How's that working for ya?

For way too long, our country applied a different kind of racial and sexual "filtering". If you were a black who wanted to get an important position, you had to be a hundred times better (over exaggeration) than a white looking for the same job. And if you were a woman, you could just forget it. That also was not meritocracy, nor is giving it to someone for who their family is (unless it's a family-run operation, which is their business to sink or swim). Meritocracy too often was not the key application to be used.

As for what are key jobs, it's easy to list some and none relate to the celebrity world. It's not just the obvious ones like medically related, which includes pharmacists, nurses, doctors, therapists, etc. We depend on these people to help us when something has gone wrong with our or a loved one's health. Do we care what race, sex, or color their skin is? Likely only if we are a bigot.

But also meat packing plants. Oh, you didn't see that as important? How about when it's carelessly maintained or even deliberately polluted? 

Of course, it should be obvious that fire department, police and any part of the legal system are very important for the security of a people. I use the term should be as DEI has been applied to those positions too. Don't we want a highly qualified judge if they are to address a case for us? Or does it only matter, in the legal system, that those judges have a certain political ideology? I guess that's fine if it's your ideology that we're talking about? How about the head of big churches, DEI or merit for who gets the position?

Are there any jobs more important than that of educators? They shape the future and does their merit matter or only their political opinions? What will they be teaching those future generations and will it help them achieve merit or just rely on their own DEI qualifications?

Do you like the idea of DEI mechanics? Okay with you if they are not merit based when they go to repair your broken down vehicle? Airplane repairs? and so many other jobs done by repair people of electric, plumbing, internet, etc.

I want to make the case here that DEI sent us too far down the wrong road to correct a wrong. A true meritocracy is the answer where no matter from where you came or what sex you are, you can get the job if you passed their key needed tests. One, I'd suggest, is caring about doing a good job for the ones you are working with whether bosses or customers. Also respecting that your job is an important cog in a big wheel. Want a job that seems more important to you, improve your needed skills.

One of the first corporations for which my husband worked (I was a stay-at-home mom) had a philosophy that later got changed by those who took over power but had not created the company. The key philosophy back then to me was that all the workers were important. A technician could get a spot on a company plane when a project needed a tech specialist if the seat was open. Can't have that came in later, where only some PR people were important. That company was already an important corporation but those who came along lost sight of a key reason why.

There is more to say on this topic, but what would come next might prove a distraction from what is above. I think it's important for citizens to consider long and hard from where they want their leaders and workers to come. 

Next week will be the one connected to age-ism and in its case-- beauty. BUT I am not leaving meritocracy, with more on it February 8th-- the possible distraction.

for the writers and readers

 Despite this being April Fools Day, this is not a joke. It's very real for what is happening.

 

Someone might think that wokeism shouldn't a big deal for authors today. I have an example of how it even applies to authors from the past.

Rewriting historical authors

So, if it's not okay to say certain words, rewriting what sometimes have been seen as classics, even when it takes all the spirit out of the stores, what about today's authors?

Recently, I read that a writer had their book ad removed for using the word alpha? That's not a sexual term but does relate to powerful male figures. It apparently does not suit the woke culture-- strong male figures to them apparently mean bullies and abusers? Men are supposed to be more feminine or what exactly?

Wokeism isn't the only issue for writers. For a long time, and this includes all of the arts, cultural appropriation has been the complaint. A writer should not write or paint a Native American theme unless they are Native American-- as what can they know about it like someone would who had lived it. This has gone so far as hairstyles, jewelry and clothing in any ethnicity. 

By that thinking, a writer should not have a protagonist from a culture unlike their own. Except, the whole idea of writing fiction is to get in touch emotionally with stories other than our own. I guarantee that in my books what the characters experience I generally have not.

Where does that leave me when I come up with an idea for the books I write? I have dealt with some of these issues with my previous books, before woke became a term. I have had three male protagonists who were half Native American. Two were raised away from reservation life and by their fathers. That saved some questions, although I had studied a great deal about the cultures of their mothers. I had chosen their heritage based on interest in how that works for those with such divided backgrounds. I have another book in mind to write but have held off on it due to some of my own mixed feelings as it'd be a Native woman. I could relate to her due to how she lived but still have held off. Maybe someday...

One more thing, involving woke is the belief writers have to choose whether to write to the market (which means the money) or to write to the muse (the inner vision) and accept choosing the latter may mean not as many sales. Some need to earn a living and there is no real choice-- as with many other ways we market our wares. I had a choice, which doesn't mean I don't want sales. Every writer does as it's a sign of work being appreciated. In the end though, sometimes you can't satisfy both. I always hope that I can. *s*

An historical presents a different problem. We live in one era but when we write about another, we have to research what it would have been like for the ones living there. We rely on what others wrote and that might be accurate-- but will it suit a different time with different customs?

When one of my historical heroes had a half black brother, it gave me an opportunity to get into the cultural differences from back then and that many don't understand all of that in today's world. The hero had fought for the South due to his family being there. I wasn't pleased when it was due to come out, as we suddenly were bombarded by feelings against the South and the Confederacy. That hasn't abated much, but I did not want to change the hero. I don't know if it hurt its ratings. You never really know with such things as to what influences popularity of books.

Regarding the new woke rules, I don't see they'd be a big deal to romance readers-- but who knows. I can't see how you could write a book with proper pronouns for the genders (if the word gender is even okay). They, them, their just would not cut it in most novels given people want to know what the characters look like. A trans woman could work, but it has to have the woman/man in there also to be understood and carry the action forward. In romances, no way could it be other than male or female whether it's two males or two females or whatever else relationships might come across.

For language, I have never used crude words for other ethnicities and that includes European ones. I don't much like the word "white" as who is white-- who in America is not a mix of various groups? We are mutts. That's good for strength and longevity not to be purebred.

 

 

code of ethics

 

After I wrote about woke, I felt I'd write about how it relates to writing books. Naturally, I can't go into it for all authors, just myself. I began thinking about the whole subject of ethics, which is to what I think this comes, which is why we decide a certain code of behavior is correct for us. 

That's when I came up with a different question. How do ethics influence my life and from where do my personal ethics come? That's no easier to write about than how it influences creative work. From where do any of us get our own code of ethics? Is it family, tribe, peer group, schools, culture, books, entertainment, or is some sort of code born in us? 

Today, I am relatively sure schools are having a huge role in teaching ethics, and some of that relates to both parents needing to work or single parent families. Both parents are gone more than I think was true in the past. 

Most likely, for today's kids, another big influence is social media, which didn't exist back in bygone eras. Game playing may be doing more of it than those of us who don't play games understand.

When I went to school, subjects were like English, literature, math, science, foreign languages, along with shop for boys and home economics for girls. No classes that I remember were about ethics. That was taught by our teachers' deportment, how well they taught, and the order that was expected in the classroom. They didn't tell us how we should vote, and I have no idea, even years later, to what political party any of them belonged-- if any.

So, I began to think from where did my own code of ethics come. Certainly my family, not just my parents but grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. As for a tribe, my parents mostly socialized with family-- both sides. We didn't go to church; so that wasn't much of an influence for things like Sunday school classes. I did though get my first Bible at a pretty early age. I didn't read it all the way through, until years later. I understood the basics--  you know, the words in red 

As for my tribe, it was likely mostly family, Growing up at the end of a gravel road in the country, there were no immediate neighbors. As a child, I was outside a lot; so nature was an influence and our animals, which involved pets but also cows at one time and then sheep. When you grow up around animals, taking care of them is a big part of how you learn what's okay to do. 

Guns were in my life always with rifles on the wall in the utility room. I got my first rifle when I asked for it as a Christmas gift. I was twelve. I was taught how to care for it and use it responsibly-- definitely an ethical value as responsibility has been a big deal all of my life. I wanted that rifle to protect our sheep from our nearest neighbor's dogs, who tore them apart too many times. I learned about death early, that way also, as farm life tends to do.

Books were another major influence in how I saw what was right to do. From the time I could read, I was in a library at my parents' encouragement. My parents both read also. I graduated from the little kid room, to the teen's room and then the adult room where I read all kinds of books from John Steinbeck, Janice Holt Giles, Zane Grey, Pearl Buck, Ernest Hemingway, and more. Probably books were the influence that today the internet can be. 

There were some romances too, but this was before sex entered into such books. They were more about how you treat a loved one-- presented generally in a positive sense. I don't know if books like Lolita would have been in my small town library. It was pretty controversial when it came out in 1955, but I preferred historical books anyway. I read a lot of those like Frank G. Slaughter's, and they did have ethical standards. If a major protagonist went against the right kind of behavior, they had to change by book's end, or punishment was their lot.

I doubt that peer group was much influence on me given my limitations in getting to town, until I drove. School buses might have been more so with strict bus drivers running the show. I was on them for a significant time, considering our stop was the first and then end of the line.

However it totally came together, I ended up with a code of ethics, which has been with me all of my life. This involved a sense of responsibility as well as consequences of actions. If ethics don't have an action component, they aren't really ethics. What I believe about that has influenced what I write and how I make my choices for themes. A bit more on that next Saturday when I also write about how the woke culture may change a lot-- or not.

 

Slippery Slopes

by Rain Trueax

I had written the blog for today and then woke up Friday morning to another mass shooting, this time in New Zealand. This was another psychotic shooter, with no caring for other humans. His name needs to be forgotten, but we do need to pay attention to the meaning behind his insane rant. I didn't read all his words but enough to see what he wanted was one thing-- to strew mayhem. He put out some kind of twisted manifesto, which deserves to also be forgotten but what we should remember is how these kind of evil people want to divide and destroy others-- not just those they killed or injured but from all walks of life. He had excuses for his killings, but they weren't reasons. They were attempts to elevate himself and his cause of destruction. People like that don't deserve to be elevated. They deserve to go to prison for the rest of their miserable lives, never able to send out their words again-- words intended only to hurt others.

So, yes, I had a life this week and wrote about it. It'll be after you hit Read more. I don't intend to let that life be destroyed by the evil of one person. I do believe we all need to say less anger-filled words and be more inclusive in our language recognizing that good and bad exist sometimes side by side. We need to pay attention to the good and bring more of it into life. 

I intended Slippery Slope for today's title for other reasons but it fits what happened in New Zealand too. The slippery slope can begin with hate-filled rhetoric. I try to keep with the philosophy that if I don't like someone or what they say, sometimes it's walk away and other times it's try to make my point where it sticks to that point and not become an accusation. Nobody but the shooter is responsible for what happened in New Zealand, but life is better when we dwell on what is good-- not on what is bad. Some days are harder than others to do that. This has been one of those times. I have been waking up feeling upset without a firm reason for why and then i remember. I don't know how we escape that. The big thing is that we don't get dragged down by the lowest elements of humanity.

Andalusia

by Rain Trueax

I am a fan of documentaries. There are times when a movie just does not appeal to me. Almost always a good documentary will. On Amazon Prime New Year's Day night, we enjoyed 'When the Moors Ruled in Europe.' 

 

 

It's by a British historian looking at the architectural evidence for the Moorish presence in Spain from about 700-1500 AD. It presents a very different look at Muslims of that time and even today with the different ways Islam is seen. Beautifully filmed and quite interesting. This is the blurb for it:

'This program contends that the popular perception of the Muslim occupation of Spain toward the end of the first millennium is largely wrong. The eighth century Muslim invasion of the Iberian Pennisula was largely welcomed by the locals and rejuvenated the area with advanced technology, agriculture and a construction boom. This program describes these innovations. All this changed in the eleventh century when the regional government fragmented. That set the stage for the Christian invasion and the Islamic fundamentalist resistance leading to more of a civil war than a holy war that decimated the region with corruption, destruction and exile.'

To use photo inspiration or not.

In my paintings I will  not borrow the color arrangement in these photographic compositions. I will not reproduce the detail that is recognizably in these pictures. Turneffe Flats Adventure Guide, Abel Coe, gave those of us who he took snorkeling permission to publish his pictures on the internet or publish them in a book if we give him a copy. Yet copying his pictures in paint is plagiarism. And also important is the split second  exposure makes a picture frozen in time unlike how I am experienced it.

Cause and Effect

Yes, I try to stay off serious issues here, the kinds of things that are controversial and where all the sides are angry at each other over them. I had a post about life and being positive all written and ready to go for today-- and then Valentine's Day and Florida happened.

Well, I just can't do it today; so if you have a hard time with such, come on back Wednesday and next Saturday where we'll return to regular programming. But I am mad about this.

immature Harris hawk in our Tucson backyard

beginning to end?

Last week, we caught 1776, the musical about the writing of the Constitution. It was fun to watch, hard to believe it came out in 1972. That seems like forever ago, before we bought the farm and when our children were small. Where did those years go???

The film was a great reminder that the division we experience today, the compromises that we all make with what we want versus what is possible-- none of it is new. Sure the play is some fictionalized and a musical, but it did hit on key points that mattered then and now. Blythe Danner, with a small part, was amazing. She's had a long, outstanding career.

Relating to 1776, I've read that some want not to show the American flag at important events, because it is supposedly divisive. They do not want it seen as important because we need to move toward globalism not nationalism. Some neighborhoods forbid the flying of the flag-- any flag.

We have a flag. My mother gave it to us when we moved to the farm. We fly it on important days. It's looking a little worn, but I hate to replace it since it has a family history for me. Since we live in the country, folks out here don't find fault with someone flying it. 

To see what would Dreamscope apps might do to one of my flag photos, I experimented with three different apps. Each said something different about the history of the flag. They suggest what it's been through, the battles, parades, laid on coffins, the victories and yes, defeats. Through so much, even the Civil War, it is still flying-- even as some may prefer that it not. It's our history and our today. Will it be our tomorrow?

For those who want to move toward a one world government-- really??? I do not believe, without a dictatorship enforced by military, that a one-world government is possible. We are very different across the globe. In globalism, who makes the choices?

We, in the United States, having more wealth than many places, can help others, speak out when we see abuses; but do we want to be the world's mercenaries? If we don't fix our own country, who can we help? If we allow poverty to grow here, how does that help Somalia? Some of our trade deals have been intended to help other nations grow at the expense of our workers. If we lose pay and jobs, is that okay with the globalists? Most likely. Should it be okay with the rest of us? 

Nationalism doesn't mean isolationism, but it does mean you can't sacrifice your own poor, their hopes, to possibly help someone in another nation where too often the sacrifice had meant their rich got richer (there are always rich).

Making our own bed first is true of us as a nation but also as a people-- get your own act together, live responsibly, then you can help someone else. Otherwise, you'll just drag them down. And for another year, our flag will fly; but when it begins to tatter, we will fold it as my husband learned in school (there is a proper way), store it with respect-- and buy a new flag.

why?

There is no writing a normal type blog on a day like this where the world has again suffered a horrendous tragedy. I think a lot of us are asking-- is there any sort of logical reason for such violence? 

Wyatt Earp: What makes a man like Ringo, Doc? What makes him do the things he does?
Doc Holliday: A man like Ringo has got a great big hole, right in the middle of him. He can never kill enough, or steal enough, or inflict enough pain to ever fill it.
Wyatt Earp: What does he need?
Doc Holliday: Revenge.
Wyatt Earp: For what?
Doc Holliday: Bein' born. 

from the film, Tombstone

The ones doing these senseless acts are losers looking for revenge on life is all I can think as it's not about religion-- religion is always just an excuse-- just as being black or not black is. 

 Not a Muslim

Trying to understand such uncaring rage is something we don't want to do. We just want to stop it, but it seems for now it's one angry loser at life after another and because they aren't part of a gang, as such, they are impossible to stop-- although the police didn't make a truck like this one move on when they questioned the driver? It sat there for hours and they let it-- seriously? What if there had been a bomb inside-- not that that is required when it's a vehicle that is a weapon all on its own.

So life goes on for most of us but for some, it's changed forever. It's not fair-- but whoever said life was fair didn't understand life. 

consequences

In a time of editing the next manuscript, my mind switches between how a sentence sounds best, to what I just saw on the news, to how the cats are adjusting to an in-and-out brother (kind of). 

The news is tough to follow, as I am on the other side of an issue where generally I am not. That's kind of surprising, but I suspect it comes down to my own experiences and how I was raised. In the end, a lot does. I am not going to get into the relevant issue right now as people who are interested in the news already get more info than they probably want and don't need another opinion. 

The cat issue is more pertinent to our immediate problem. The orange cat, who has been a stray around here, has now been neutered and had his abscess treated ($$$s flying out the window). Most of the time, we can get him to come in at night but frankly, he does not want to be a house cat for more than spraying walls to mark or food. I am not sure he's litter trained. He likes his freedom. Now what do you do about that? We had to neuter and have his abscess treated regardless of whether he wanted to be adopted. As an outside cat, he needed that kind of boost to his chances of survival. We only have power over what we can actually control-- not the consequences.

I tend to think there is some truth about that for us as humans too. There are prices we pay for our success or not. When we break the rules and expect others to accept us as we are, we cannot demand it-- although some never take responsibility for anything. Of course, some are born with disabilities or acquire them through illnesses which means their consequences are not just in their control but also in a society that either deals with that-- or does not.

A belief I have had all my life is that, for most of us, we have choices unless we are slaves. Don't bother telling me that some people don't because I don't believe it-- based on my own life, of course. I grew up in a home where the consequences were always pointed out. Want to eat what you want to eat? Fine but then you will be sick or fat or not have food later. Consequences are part of choices even if some don't want to accept that.

Because we don't like the ramifications of some choices does not mean the choices are not there. So we can work at a boring job that lets us pay the bills, or we can choose to not work. We can try to get our culture to pay for us either way-- but we cannot force the choices others make.

So my choice right now is to edit this book, even though the one before it has not sold much at all. I could forget the series and write what I think might sell better-- think 28,000 word mail-order bride or sweet romance. I cannot though force the consequences to be to my liking if I do write a book others don't find appealing. 

Thinking this way is actually a liberating way to live. We have freedom but not from consequences.

It's not hard for me to see why I am at odds with many of the political persuasions, with which I used to be in tune-- why I can now watch a news program I used to hold in disdain and not watch a news program I used to enjoy...  

The photos below are from our live-cam and the problem we and our orange cat had one night in the yard that was supposed to be fenced and safe. If you follow the timeline, you see how our night went... and worse the cat's.

In a pack, they will hunt and kill cats or whatever else they need to survive. It puts them at cross-purposes with us. I'd say consequences again but by now it's pretty obvious what I think-- sometimes guilt goes with consequences and I don't even know that it's justified-- maybe more taught.

  The above image is the only one where there is nothing to see, because the raccoon must have gone over the gate, which has wire several feet above it. They were determined to get in-- and out. We need them unable to do so but haven't yet succeeded in that.

 and then back in...

The cat, who meowed at our bedroom door many times, with us oblivious as to why, had an obviously bad night. The wound on his neck is healing from the abscess when the raccoons tried to corner him last week. If he comes in at night, we can keep him safe from them by letting him sleep in the solarium, which we have more or less protected from spraying. If he doesn't, well, that's consequences and he does know what is out there.

One land-- or many fiefdoms?

 shared from Facebook

Oregonians have been facing an issue that maybe isn't of as much interest to those in other states, but it should be because it has deeper repercussions than some might realize. When the Malheur Wildlife Refuge was occupied by militia members from mostly other states, it started a debate over public lands and whether there is a right for such to exist. The debate goes beyond that to whether each state/county should make their own laws and the federal concept of one nation (except to fight foreign wars) should be eliminated. It's not a new battle for this country but rather shocking that it's being fought again in 2016.

If those, willing to use guns and make their argument with their willingness to fire bullets, can win this, what will they claim next? Most of these militia types do not believe the government, which in our country means the people, should own anything. It should all be in private ownership which means under the control of the local rancher or the richest people. 

When ranchers can cut off access to wilderness areas, which were often long-used by the public, they do so with fences and locks. If those using outlaw methodology can win that way in Harney county, it won't stop there. Never forget, they are not claiming it for the people but for a few people-- some of whom graze it now for pennies in comparison to what other ranchers pay for leasing private land for their stock. What we are seeing in Oregon is what amounts to an attempted land grab with guns.

What they are attempting would be called theft if they arrived on my land and decided they'd live in my house and change my fences and roads to suit themselves. But for some reason, this has been allowed to go on and on and on. There have been a lot of articles on it for those who have not heard about it.

And the seige goes on as the occupier leader talks to FBI at Burns airport 

 

here, the author, Ursla Le Guin nails what this is about

Some claim innocent ranchers were put in prison as terrorists when they were not. Before defending the ones who gave the Bundys the excuse to do this, check out who these two guys were. This doesn't even address accusations earlier that the younger Hamilton abused his nephew as part of 'disciplining' him. 

What is ironic is why didn't all of this come out months ago as the Hamilton case has been a story in the farm papers for months. If the government is responsible for any of this happening, I'd say their lack of putting out the information regarding this family contributed certainly-- although militia groups have just been looking for excuses and a place to do what they want which is take over. If the meanest and most brutal take over, what will happen? Well, read about the Hamiltons for a good idea.

Who are the Hamiltons and what did they do?

The claim is made by these militants that they are returning the land to the people. Strange talk indeed because it is owned by the people now, managed for their use. IF these yahoos got their way, the only ones able to use it would be the ranchers who could graze it to dust if they wished. 

This is a land grab attempt and if the US government doesn't recognize that, worse will come. There are those who do not want national parks, refuges or wilderness areas, those who only value $$$, and then only when in their own hands.

Stealing our National Heritage-- the militia versus the American public 

This refuge was begun in 1908 by Teddy Roosevelt as a way to protect habitat needed for migrating birds. 

I've often thought, when hiking on BLM or National Forest land, or when visiting state or federal parks, how wonderful it is that earlier generations set aside land for the people of the future. I thought how wildernesses are disappearing and without the foresight of those like Roosevelt, there'd be no Yellowstone or Grand Canyon as we know it. Always the rich wanted to set those places aside for themselves to charge anyone else or even prevent their entering. It's not a new story we are seeing. What is new is now it's our generation's time to step up to bat. Or do we let oligarchs and the ones who believe might comes through weapons to take over.

Writing my new book, one of the places I had to research was San Francisco and got a surprise when I learned that Golden Gate Park was created over the objections of the local oligarchs of that time, who wanted a race track or some other use that would suit their exclusivity desires.

The although fictional, this thinking was in my historical, Love Waits-- the desire to set up a militia, who will make things better than government. Nothing new with it as there are always those willing to take what they didn't work to earn. In Love Waits, the leader manipulated those he deemed weaker than himself. It fed his desire for power. Such people can make all sorts of excuses but in reality, it's always about them and not for the benefit of anyone else.

Historically, what we are seeing in the Malheur is not new. It is just new people leading it, some of whom are religious extremists of the Mormon type. When Bundy claimed he's following God's will in this and the example of the angel Moroni, who was in their Book of Mormon, he pretty well shows where this is heading. Once again, we are seeing religious extremism threaten the lives of others and once again it does not come from the religion it claims. The Mormon Church does not condone what he's doing but there is a history there and he's claiming it as have so many other religions extremists from many religions.

It has been very disappointing that we think we have these issues settled, that Americans see the value of large swaths of land available for multiple purposes, that parks have values, that migrating birds need to be protected, that environmental issues matter to city folk even if they don't know it. We think we settled the value of having parks, places for the public to use, but it seems it's never really settled and each generation has to go through it again.

Below are photos of what it is like to be in places that have been set aside for not only the birds and animals, but for humans to re-create themselves. Think long and hard before allowing such to be taken away for one man's profit over the value of such places to benefit all men.

I guarantee you if the United States federal government lets Bundy and his ilk get away with this, such places will not be there for future generations. This is not a good time to be distracted by minutia. It is a time to pay attention to terms like sagebrush rebellion and Posse Comitatus because where this is going is beyond one refuge.

ups and downs

Sitting here at the keyboard, I am enjoying the sight of the columbines out my window, allergy season not so much, and re-edited an Oregon historical manuscript that is due out June 21st. 

 this is not the cover, but I played with it as a possibility

Where Dreams Go has been edited, time and time again. This edit is the one ahead of when I hand it over to a beta reader. He has read a lot of my books, maybe all of them, been a friend, knows a lot about Oregon history, and has proven to be good at finding errors I missed. I think the first time I experienced his skill was in Desert Inferno, where I had a heroine, who didn't care much for coffee. She was sitting on her patio, enjoying a desert morning-- sipping coffee. Okay, I might have gotten by with that if she hadn't been sipping tea only a few lines down. He caught that one, and he's been good at it ever since. 

Finally it dawned on me to ask if he'd consider being a beta reader. There is no money in it, but beta readers do get many thanks, the book free, now and again a paperback or bookmarks, and the satisfaction of telling the author-- you goofed. Mostly they are looking for inconsistencies in the author's logic, but anything else they find is a plus.

Besides not having beta readers, I also haven't had editors. A major no-no to the ePublishing world. The experts, and pretty much everybody else, are adamant that you must have editors as no writer can edit their own work. I believe they can, but it takes hours and hours, doing it many times with distance between the reads, and is a pain in the neck job as it's a word for word job. It has none of the excitement of writing the first draft or reading a book for the first time.

This week, our ranch lost a calf. Fortunately Ranch Boss saw the problem and was able, with a lot of muscle, to pull the dead calf and save the mother. It was too big for her. These things are tough; but on the same day, another heifer had hers without problem, but that was due to its being smaller. 

Currently we are trying to get our shearer out here, but this is his busy season which means we work around his schedule. They are doing okay although we did have one lamb break its leg, something that is generally fixable. The question in such cases is always-- how on earth did it do that?

Weather in my part of Oregon has been a mix of gray to beautiful blue skies. We are now though in a warm streak with temps up to 80ºF this week-end. The garden is tilled and ready for planting, even if it is 33ºF in the morning. Normally, I buy bedding plants about now, but this year I can't buy from any source that will not promise me that the plant was not grown using neonicotinoids or their ilk.If you are not familiar with the concern, here is but one link: 

beyond pesticides.  

When you think about it, it's not hard to figure out that if a product becomes part of the plant and kills insects, why not bees. With the great concern over hive collapses, it seems to me that we home gardeners must do our part to see this product and those like it are no longer used. Petitions are nice but kind of do nothing. When you vote with your dollars, growers and manufacturers hear you. In my case, if I can't get guarantees of the plants being safe, it's the year I'll grow them all from seed. 

I have also read that these products are not healthy for pets. We would like to think we can trust our nurseries or stores. The truth is-- we need to ask questions. If they say they don't know, then bye-bye. I am grateful for the researchers who reveal such problems to us and give us a choice. Science is wonderful for what it can do-- Of course, the science that told me of the dangers of neonicotinoids was used by a corporation to develop the product to begin with... 

What most of us want as consumers is full disclosure, and that for all those working to come up with new products, there are others assessing them for their safety. I know not all people value science. Some even want to cut budgets for any research. That's where consumers again need to be educated and vote their personal ethics and concerns.