R.M. Ridley's Blog, page 14

Freedom and Hope Whittled Away

As the Nova Scotia Liberals did just weeks ago, now so does the Ontario Liberal government. Although they said in August that thy would not rush into any decision, they clearly didn’t mean it. This simply tells me it doesn’t matter what we say – they have already rendered their judgment… and it is death.

I send this letter all the same; refusing to do nothing, even in the face of liars, half-truths, and��fear mongering

‘ I am writing in regards to your proposed legislature regarding ‘e-cigarettes’,

You will be the second provincial liberal government now to force into reality a delusion. That delusion is that vaping causes harm. I am not talking about whether or not vaping is healthy – if you do any honest research the fact that this is healthier than walking down a city street is obvious – but that these devices somehow will make people turn, in droves, to pick up cigarettes and smoke the cancer sticks.

If you are truly worried that vaping will make people smoke, why not do the obvious thing? Why not, for once, ignore the tax coffers and do right by the people and simply make cigarettes illegal. Why harass an ever growing population that has found a way to stop smoking? And why do it under the guise of saying that this method that so many have used to cease smoking, will somehow create smokers?

You cry ‘Save the Children!’ yet there are many things you can do to save the children that don’t involve making knee jerk laws.

1) simply get rid of the thing you are afraid vaping will lead children to – cigarettes.

2) Educate. If you spend some of the money you devote to telling people to quit smoking towards educating people about the difference between smoking and vaping than it won’t ‘re-normalize’ smoking and may even put in children’s hands a means to help get their parents to stop smoking

We are also well aware of the hypocrisy of this ‘Save the Children’. Saying vaping will attract children to become addicted to nicotine while allowing ‘Big Pharma’ to have fruit flavoured gum sold off the shelf. This is simply insulting.

If you are determined to go down this road, why not make some concessions to us, who no longer smoke and don’t want to be driven out, to stand among smokers and their toxic fumes? Let the business owners decide if vaping is allowed inside – or, if you really feel you have to make a show of strength, ban vaping in places where children are allowed, which will still allow us to vape in bars, and maybe convince smokers to butt out for good.

You hurt small businesses by passing a law imposing high taxes (tobacco tax on something that doesn’t contain tobacco anywhere in the process) and you hurt their customers. You simply hurt the economy by doing this, except your own coffers. This money is circulating in the communities and not going to big corporations to distribute where ever they want or your coffers to continue to tell people they shouldn’t smoke while enacting laws that hinder them from doing so.

Further, do you realize that medical journals extoll the virtues of nicotine for those with mental health issues. I’m not just talking about big ones like schizophrenia, but anxiety, depression, bipolar, and more. Not solid, even, dosages as can be found from a ‘patch’ but variable dosages, as needed. Nicotine helps the brain in many ways, including the uptake of drugs used for those suffering mental health issues. Vaping is the perfect solution for this issue. Instead of restricting it, you should be aiding it.

I mention this because the vast majority of those suffering from mental health fall into two categories: 1) they are smokers & 2) they are at, or below, the poverty line. By making vaping affordable, you offer those in one of the worst situations possible in the province a chance. You offer a less toxic means to aid in their mental health at a price that is actually attainable to them.

I know know this first hand, you see. I suffer from sever bipolar disorder. My wife, from depression and anxiety. Both of us have quite smoking, after decades of trying, by using these devices. The ability to get nicotine in the system, as needed, when needed (as you would from a cigarette) has been a life saver. The freedom from cigarettes has meant noticeably less visits to doctors or clinics, for respiratory infections (myself) or asthma attacks (my wife) while still being able to mediate our mental health issues.��

It has allowed us to save money as well. We live simply and as cheaply as we can. We go out maybe once a month, eat out maybe three times a month. These times are nice get aways from our normal routine and all we need. But, being poor, we do need a little extra cash to be sure we can be prepared for crisis and emergency, vaping, instead of smoking, has allowed us to have that buffer.��

If you impose tobacco tax on all the vaping products, you take away what little dignity we hold in our situation when you force me to pay what I can’t afford. Worse, as I live in the country, if my vaping expenses are the same as smoking, it will actually be more efficient and cost effective to simply go to the store and grab a pack of smokes then drive to the city to get my vaping supplies. You’r legislation could, in fact, make a non-smoker become a smoker again. I pray that doesn’t become a reality.

I am not an alcoholic – I drink a couple beers on those once a month outings. I am not a druggy – trust me you don’t take the meds I’m on and mess around with recreational drugs. I am simply a man trying to live under great difficulty. and I am simply asking this…

Don’t make my life harder. ‘

Filed under: Vaping

Change of Pace

Tomorrow I go into the city. I’ll spend two weeks in the servitude of my sisters two cats, as opposed to the the four here at home. Just about everything I do changes during these days; often meaning a lot more writing.

I don’t really know why this is true. In theory, the days are really no different than the ones spent here. No more or less demands on my time occur while I’m away and yet…

Perhaps it is a self fulfilling exercise��in human nature. I expect to get more work done while I’m there, because in the past I have, and thus I mentally prepare myself to get more work done while I’m there and so do. Thus setting the stage for the next time around.

Whatever the case, I hope to get a large amount of writing completed in the the fifth novel, ‘Backstabbers & Believers’ during this time. I won’t go so far as to expect to get it wrapped up but if I can get to where I’m just wrapping up a few scenes across the length of the work – that would be fantastic.

The closer I am to��having completed the fifth novel before I really get into the edits for the second, ‘Bindings & Spines’��the better my time can be managed. If the fifth is done (or close to) while I work on final edits for the second, then I can work on wrapping up a couple of the short stories that have been started but not completed to keep my mind fresh during the heavy editing phase.

Filed under: MIscellaneous, Writing Tagged: Bindings & Spines, cat-sitting, city, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, novel, paranormal, paranormal private investigator, short story, sister, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, writing

Now Is Not the Time

I am in my cycle. I’m not neck deep, but it starting to constrict my chest. Generally this isn’t an issue. Normally, I can function at 75% capacity during these times. I have to pace myself when out and about in the world but that is easily done (especially ��living out here and usually not going anywhere).

However, this changes quickly with additional pressure and problems. I slip from 75% competent to 25% rapidly when stress, frustration, and worry are added to my life. Such is the case right now.

In a few days, am supposed to be going into the city for two weeks to watch my sisters cats (that in itself is not a cause for degradation of my metal capacity). All would be fine, except yesterday – for no reason – the truck wouldn’t turn over. Still won’t today, and although I haven’t done anything to cause it, she’s actually acting weirder than yesterday.

This complication, in and of itself, would be enough to cause my grasp on my mental competence to slip. Add to it the fact that I can’t leave my wife without transportation during the time I am gone, increases the problem. I am working with slipping mental control on a quickly shortening deadline and there are other factors in play as well, such as making sure she has enough wood for the time I’m gone.

The wood issue comes in the handy little form of, need gas for the chainsaw, need truck to get gas… and need my hand/wrist not to be overly sensitive and not always willing to work because I sprained it.

I am going to have to go out today and see if my hand will take using the axe to break some of the oversized pieces into smaller ones, in an attempt to combat the wood issue as best I can given the circumstances.

But that only alleviates a small amount of pressure and not the prime source of it.

So two days ago I was at 75% mental function. Yesterday, I slipped to 50%, and now I can’t find a hand hold as I continue to slide down.

Filed under: Homesteading, Mental Health, MIscellaneous

It takes a certain amount of talent…

Two days ago, I was picking up a chunk of wood to add to the furnace, when electric pain shot from my finger tips to mid forearm. The wood fell to the ground and I stood there clenching my teeth. The pain��eased off, after a bit but didn’t go away completely. I managed to fill the furnace and go back inside. By this time their was only a dull ache, then I grasped��something and the pain came back.

It seems I have managed to sprain my hand / wrist. It is my right, my dominant hand (though luckily I am actually ambidextrous – taught right) I can still type, for the most part. It’s slower and after awhile I need to rest the hand but that is a lucky break. Using the scroll wheel on my mouse aggravates it however.

So I’m trying to rest it as much as I can, but my life doesn’t allow for complete rest. That furnace ain’t gonna feed itself for example.

So I still need to make sure there is enough wood for when I go into the city next week, and hopefully a bit after as well. Luckily the weather seems to be in my favour as it is warming up to around zero for most of the time I’m gone (if the weather forecasters are to be believed) which means far less wood needs to be burned per day.

Maybe this sprain will clear up tomorrow and I get get some real progress made on cutting and chopping wood – today it doesn’t look so good.

Filed under: Homesteading Tagged: furnace, heat, sprain, wood

On the Isle of Sound and Wonder – Steampunk Shakespeare!

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Find Grauer on the web: Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Pinterest

 

Filed under: Book Release Tagged: Alyson Grauer, On the Isle of Sound and Wonder, Shakespeare, Steampunk, The Tempest

Baby it’s cold…Everywhere!

Today is a bit nippy with a wind chill making it -18. Today will be one of constantly tromping out into the bitter wind to keep the furnace as properly maintained as possible. It is not so bad if we can keep a constant level of heat, but if the water in the boiler starts to cool, then the temperature in the house drops, and it is very hard to get it back up when it is so cold outside.

The house isn’t as insulated as it perhaps should be (read not really at all) and there are windows that don’t seal quite tight enough, and, and, and… all part and parcel of living in an old farmhouse, I guess. I just really don’t like the cold. I don’t like anything about winter. Not the cold, the snow, the roads, the winds, the christmas everything. There is nothing you can do in winter you can’t do in the summer, but with a lot less layers of clothing and discomfort.

The only thing that winter / cold offers that you can’t do in warmer days is ski.

I don’t trust people who ski.

Filed under: Homesteading, MIscellaneous Tagged: cold, furnace, heat, ski, winter, wood

Feeling Overwhelmed – In a Good Way

I just got another review of my debut novel, ‘Tomorrow Wendell’. Another five star review from someone I didn’t know but found their blog from a list of possible reviewers and politely asked to read and review my book.

It is a humbling and scary process to ask random people to examine your writing. To read it, rate it, and tell the world their thoughts. What is one person’s cup of tea, is another’s poison. So it is quite startling to me just how many reviewers have come back saying that they loved the book. The vast majority of the reviews have been four or five stars and I honestly am surprise. I mean I like it – otherwise I wouldn’t have tried to get it published. My publisher obviously liked it or they wouldn’t have bothered with me. But strangers, avid readers, liking it, raving about it..that’s just – well thrilling and humbling.

Now, of course there are going to be people who don’t like it. And if word of mouth does spread and more people buy my novel, eventually reviews of a poorer nature will come in, I should expect. Right here, right now, nearly six months out from release, I am riding a White Dragon of my own.

Here’s a Link to the Review – with much thanks to the reviewer

Filed under: Book Release, Publishing, Writing Tagged: blog reviewers, book review, Jonathan Alvey, novel, paranormal, paranormal private investigator, publish, Tomorrow Wendell, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, Xchyler Publishing

And the Work Goes On

I got to the point where I was writing very rarely in the fifth White Dragon Black novel, ‘Backstabbers and Believers’. I would skip days, or write only a couple hundred words. I wasn’t worrying too much because I hadn’t completely stepped away, and was able to write in it on those days I did manage to. I was also working on the edits for the stories in ‘Blondes, Books, & Bourbon’, so I was feeling productive.

I plan on doing some creative rewriting/ editing this afternoon. Taking bits and bites of the three alternative endings for the one short story and blending the best of each into one. This should be a fun challenge but it will only take a couple days at most. The rest of the major edits on the anthology are over now, however.

I have more time on my hands and, although I have other more mundane tasks that need my attention, needed to continue that feeling of getting work done. I decided to try and write more in the B&B everyday. I would love to bring this novel to a close soon, knowing that I have plenty of work ahead of me, as the second novel, ‘Bindings & Spines’ will be in edits with my publisher soon enough.

I started trying to write more each morning without pushing myself beyond the natural flow of my writing, because that always seems to lead to writers block. I have to stay immersed in the scene to write it. A fine balance line but I began the task.

It worked, slowly everyday my daily word count rose. I consider an acceptable minimum daily word count to be 1000 words, and prefer 1500. Three days ago, I wrote 600, the next day 700, and yesterday 800.

I really had thought about skipping doing any writing in ‘Backstabbers and Believers’ this morning. I even knew what the next scene should be, and generally how to write it, but my actual ‘do it’ battery seemed low. I hated the thought of skipping a day after gaining the ground I had though. I made myself write, figuring just a couple hundred words, to make sure I didn’t get lazy or into bad habits.

The flow towards my daily minimum continues with 900 words written this morning.

Nine hundred words. Once more I added a hundred more to my daily word count than the day before. Good thing I can be stubborn with myself, and that my Muse is just as persistent.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: anthology, Backstabbers & Believers, Bindings & Spines, Blondes Books & Bourbon, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, muse, novel, paranormal private investigator, short story, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, writing, Xchyler Publishing

Writing Retreat

It is confirmed – I’m going to be cat sitting for my sister for two weeks at the end of November, beginning of December. This often ends up being a writing retreat for me. I have lots of time on my hands and little to do but let the cats in and out as it suits their whim, so I use it to work.

‘Blondes, Books, & Bourbon’, the White Dragon Black anthology will be wrapped up by then, more or less. I can therefore concentrate on the fifth novel, tentatively titled , “backstabbers & Believers’. I have seen a slow increase in my daily word count over the last week, so I may find myself able to get a serious chunk of this novel written in this time.

I don’t know when edits for the second novel, ‘Bindings & Spines’ will begin but if it happens during my ‘vacation’, it will just mean I get to keep my brain fresh by switching up my focus through out the day.

Either way, I hope to come home with a feeling of serious progress and accomplishment.

 

 

Filed under: Writing Tagged: anthology, Bindings & Spines, Blondes Books & Bourbon, current work in progress, edits, Jonathan Alvey, novel, paranormal private investigator, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, writing

Sons of the Sphinx – A YA Novel

Enjoy Happy Geek Media’s debut of Sons of the Sphinx

Sons of the Sphinx

Sons of the Sphinx by: Cheryl Carpinello

Genres: Pre-Teen/Tween/YA: Paranormal; Coming of Age; Adventure; Historical Fiction

126 Pages

Release date: October 10, 2014

Two souls

Separated by three millennium

One with a gift that is more like a curse

One on an almost impossible quest

Destinies entwined; one seeks to find herself while the other seeks his lost queen. To succeed, the pair must right the injustices 3,000 years in the past.

Only together can they fulfill The Prophecy, but in the process they must defeat the Pharaoh Horemheb.

Dishonor and death are the fate of the defeated.

Armed with what she considers her grandmother’s curse, 15-year-old Rosa agrees to help the ghost of King Tut find his lost queen Hesena. Though Hesena’s ba inhabits part of Rosa, finding the whole spirit of Hesena so that she and Tut can be together for the first time in over 3500 years proves to be a harder task than Rosa first thinks. Thrust back into Ancient Egypt with Tut, Rosa discovers that finding Hesena is not all she must do. She must keep out of the reach of the living Horemheb – who crosses mortal boundaries using Seth’s evil magic – if she is to stay alive to make it back home.

2014 Literary Classics Silver Medal Winner for PreTeen/Tween

Literary Classics 2014 Seal of Approval

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Excerpt from Chapter 11 of Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello

A well-traveled dirt road leads back into the valley formed by the hills on either side. Although not high by my experience, rising up from the sandy floor, the Theban Hills are impressive. Jagged crevices run up and down the sides of the hills, and in many places, man-made square arches can be seen. The Tombs of the Pharaohs. I’m walking in the footsteps of an ancient people. How cool.

I hurry to catch up with him. A mistake, sweat stings my eyes and grit scrapes my cheek when I wipe my face. My shirt is sticking to me by the time I come even with him. Does Re never find a cloud to hide behind? Did I say Re? Now I’m starting to think as an Egyptian. Good grief. Must be the heat. There is no shade anywhere. Like a shimmering mirage on a hot highway, the heat rises in waves off the barren hillsides. No trees can withstand this burning furnace. The only shelter exists under the entrances to the tombs.

Tut hurries ahead, but I may never get here again, so I take my time. We pass one entrance, and I walk over closer to it. Heavy wooden doors covered in hieroglyphs bar the way. Ancient rope—rough, scratchy, and strong—twisted around the door handles and knotted tight, holds them closed. On the right door handle there is a clump of mud molded like those wax seals used on letters. It covers the handle and the rope. Symbols are pressed into it.

“Tut, what is this for and what does it say?”

He hurries over, curious.

“Why the rope and this lump of mud?”

“Lump of mud? Oh Roosa, you are looking at the Necropolis Seal placed here by the priests. That it is still here means that the tomb is intact. No one has entered since the burial.”

“Does the seal say whose tomb this is? Is it a pharaoh?”

“No, not a pharaoh. Here.” He points to a set of hieroglyphs. “These state that this is the tomb of the dignitary Ramose.” He pauses. “I remember hearing stories about him when I was young. He was the governor of Thebes during Thutmosis IV’s time.”

“Do all the tombs carry this seal?”

“Yes, but even in my reign, it was becoming difficult to keep the tombs sealed. Thieves continually broke in to steal the property of the dead.”

“Tomb robbers.”

“Yes. When they were caught, their hands were chopped off.”

I gasp at such horrible consequences.

“You are shocked. I understand that in your time, there does not exist an undisturbed tomb here.” He waves his hand around the entire valley. “Who are these people who think they have the right to touch a Pharaoh of Egypt, even a dead one? They disturb our sacred resting places and steal the items left for our journey into the afterlife. May they all be cursed along with their families.”

I stand beside him, my mouth agape. Up to now, Tut has been determined in his mission, angry at Horemheb, but he hasn’t lost his composure. Until now. I try to find words to soothe him.

“They only want the world to know about the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. How magnificent they were. How they lived.”

He turns on me. “You don’t learn about a people by stealing what is sacred to them. In my time and yours, they are nothing more than common tomb robbers!”

“Scholars have shared what they learned. They search for knowledge. I learned about you from the artifacts in the exhibit.”

“Harrumph! What do you and they know? Nothing. Nothing at all! All you do is seek the treasures and the gold to make yourselves rich.” He spits in the dirt. “You wouldn’t know wealth if you were buried in it. Tomb robbers, the whole lot.”

He stomps away almost at a run, propelled by his anger. I hurry to keep up with him. We round a bend and to the left a small path winds up a cliff and then disappears. His chest heaves with ragged breaths and he’s actually vibrating he’s so enraged.

“We aren’t all like that, you know.” I whisper, wanting to avoid a harsh response. “Some of us understand that true wealth comes from within, from one’s heart, from love for others, and from respect for family.” I pause. “Some of us do.”

He says nothing; he doesn’t turn to look at me, but his breathing slows; his fingers unclench.

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Cheryl Carpinello is a retired high school English teacher who loves the ancient and medieval worlds. It is because of her teaching career that she has chosen to write stories to encourage reluctant young readers to pick up a book more often. She found that in the classroom, students would read the Arthurian Legend literature when they would read nothing else. This experience led to her Arthurian tales that have now expanded into the ancient worlds.

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Filed under: Book Release Tagged: 2014 Literary Classics Silver Medal Winner for PreTeen/Tween, Cheryl Carpinello, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, paranormal, Sons of the Sphinx, YA