K. Morris's Blog, page 755

April is National Poetry Month

drewdog2060drewdog2060:

I especially enjoyed Jane Hirshfield’s poem, (the second poem reproduced below). Ther is, I feel sure much truth in what the poet says. Kevin

Originally posted on C-Dog & Company:

The Red and the Black

Did you know April is National Poetry Month?

Yep, they actually have a month for poetry — although I think poetry deserves a whole lot longer than that. Still, 30 days are 30 days.

According to the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month, inaugurated in 1996 b...

The Daydreamer Challenge Day 2

Can anyone please tell me why I am putting pen to paper (albeit of the virtual kind). You see, the fact is I simply can’t remember. Ah, (Kevin leaps out of his chair scattering ink well and quill pens in all directions), I remember now, I am participating in day 2 of the Daydreamer Challenge, which is being run by the Teen Daydreamer. For day 2 participants are asked to choose a word which best describes them and write a short piece regarding it. In addition those participating are asked to d...

New Site: AuthorsSupportingAuthors.

drewdog2060drewdog2060:

Thanks to Ronavan for setting this up. Kevin

Originally posted on :

It occurred to me that Indie Authors need to work together. We all need support in Book Launches and knowledge. Even finding critique groups, beta-readers. You name it we need it. For a dedicate site for that I createdhttps://authorssupportingauthors.wordpress.com/.

The site will be for authors to go to and join and help each other. The idea is to even coordinate book launches so members of the site d...

Teaching Computers How Not To Forget Is The Answer To Building Artificial Intelligence

An article in The Atlantic which argues the achievement of artificial intelligence is impossible until we can teach computers how not to forget. Humans learn new skills while retaining old ones. Computers in contrast tend to forget easily.

To me one of the major factors (perhaps the most significant factor of all) which separates human intelligence from that of computers is that we humans are conscious beings who understand the reasons for our actions. Of course there are those who behave in...

The Daydreamer Challenge – Day 1

I am participating in the Daydreamer Challenge which is being run by Caitlin the Tean Daydreamer, (https://theteendaydreamer.wordpress.com/). For day 1 Caitlain asks that participants choose 1 of 3 topics. My choice is the beach. However, being tired I have cheated and reproduced below a post which first appeared on my blog in 2014, (apologies Caitlin, at this time of night my brain seeks the land of nod, hence my reposting of an earlier article rather than something new).

“I see you, bare...

Review of Kindle HD Fire 7

This review is of the Kindle Fire HD 7: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-HD-Display-Wi-Fi-Black/dp/B00JXOXLP0

The Kindle Fire HD 7 allows the user to do far more than merely read books. The Fire also acts as a music player, enables the user to send and receive email, offers the ability to surf the web using Amazon’s Silk browser and perform many other tasks.

As a registered blind person I use the Fire’s text-to-speech facility which is of a very high quality. I do own an earlier version of the Kindle, however although this has a text to speech facility I am only able to read books with it (i.e. I cannot shop in the Amazon store or perform tasks other than reading). Consequently the Kindle Fire HD 7 is a good buy for people who are visually impaired, as they can shop Amazon on the device, (prior to me receiving the Kindle Fire as a Christmas present I had no option other than to purchase books and other items from Amazon using my computer, so the ability to shop using the device makes life much easier).

Although the device is very accessible, I do not like the on-screen keyboard as a light touch will activate a character meaning I, as a blind person cannot use it. I use an Apple Bluetooth keyboard which works well with the device.

Unfortunately Amazon’s Silk browser is only partially accessible to people with little or no vision. Amazon are aware of this and are looking into the issue.

My Kindle was purchased in John Lewis who offer an automatic 2 year guarantee with the Kindle, while Amazon’s guarantee is, I understand, only for 1 year. Consequently I would recommend that anyone thinking of purchasing a Kindle Fire HD 7 in the UK consider buying from John Lewis rather than Amazon.

I would recommend the Kindle HD 7.

Happy New Year!

A somewhat belated but nonetheless very happy New Year to you all!

I am having ongoing IT issues so am writing this with the help of a friend.

I hope that 2015 is a good year for you all.

All the very best

Kevin

Do Not Tempt Fate For She Will Always Have The Last Laugh

Do not tempt fate for she will always have the last laugh. This truism was brought home to me on 26 December when I wrote a post entitled “A Good Bath”. In it I described how I had spilled a cup of tea over my laptop’s keyboard. I then went on to poke fate most impolitely by suggesting that my machine appeared to have suffered no ill effects from it’s bath. Fate’s ire was roused and when I next attempted to log on to my laptop the machine’s keyboard refused to work, hence my silence between 27 December and today (30 December 2014).

I did write a post earlier today with the aid of a USB keyboard. However, Fate, still wrathfull owing to my tempting of her caused the laptop to behave erratically. The context menu kept popping up without rhyme or reason and I was forced to abandon my attempt. With due abeysance to the goddess Fate I trust that this post will, in fact go live. I am, incidentally drinking a cup of coffee as I write this with the aid of a USB keyboard (the laptop one being well and truly up the spout). The cup is, however on the carpet well out of harms way!

 

(for my post of 26 December please see, http://newauthoronline.com/2014/12/26/a-good-bath/).

A Good Bath

If I should vanish from cyberspace, think only this of me, there is some corner of a Liverpool kitchen where tea should not be drunk while using a laptop …!

Yes I did what most computer users have done at some time or other – I knocked my drink over my laptop. Half a kitchen roll later the machine appears to be none the worse for it’s unexpected bath. I only hope that the tea is not, as I write reeking havoc in the inards of my machine. Well, if I ssuddenly disappear offline for a while you can make an educated guess as to why this has happened …! Fingers crossed that everything will come out in the wash so to speak …

 

Kevin

Sociopaths

A fascinating post on how to identify a sociopath, (http://paularenee.wordpress.com/identifying-a-narcissistic-sociopath/). Sociopaths can be superficially charming and may appear to be wholly sincere. However they are, in reality totally self-obsessed with no (or very) little empathy for others. Sociopaths will lie, cheat and, in short do anything which enhances their own position with no concern for the wellbeing of others.

In my story, “Samantha”, Sam’s brutal pimp, Barry exhibits many of the traits which imbue the sociopath. Indeed Barry verges on the psychopathic end of sociopathy. His aim is the making of money. The wellbing of Sam and the other girls he forces into prostitution does not figure in Barry’s world view. They are, for him merely a means to the greater enrichment of Barry O’Connor.

Are sociopaths born or made? I don’t know the answer to that question. I am, however sceptical of reductionist approaches which ascribe simple causes to what are (often) highly complex problems. Consequently my admittedly unscientific view is that sociopaths and psychopaths are the products of many and varied factors including both environmental and, perhaps genetic factors.

For my story, “Samantha” please visit (http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-K-Morris-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI).