What a great jump back onto my blog, huh? Nothing fluffy and fuzzy today. Apparently my opinions (and that is all they are. So, don't get your panties in a bunch) have been consuming me and now they are demanding to get out.
Maybe next time I will have a fun, little story.
First, I just want to express my complete confusion on our economy, our president, and his apparent view on it. I am not going to get into the pointing fingers of why our economy is the way it is and who is responsible for it. That will just go round and round and I don't have the patience or the blog space for it. No, my question is just a simple one.
We are told that in order for the economy to improve, Americans need to start spending more; and spend locally.
I agree. We need to support our home and community. And spending money creates new jobs and keeps the current ones. And then to tie into that, it is said we need to keep the jobs here in the Land of the Free.
Absolutely correct! I despise outsourcing and think it is a shameful practice companies are doing. Yes, I understand that labor overseas is cheaper and I understand that is what keeps (sometimes) prices low in (certain) things. But Americans can't spend money if they don't have a job. But I digress.
So, now to my not so humble opinion. If the president is in a stalwart effort to improve the American economy, then tell me why his wife goes on vacations overseas and spends disgusting amounts of money... overseas? That seems just a tad hypocritical to me. You preach to the people of supporting locally and cutting government spending, and yet as you say this, your wife is gallivanting around Paris spending our American dollars converted into euros. Please explain, because I'd really like to know.
Second, the American people are so fearful of a religious president, that they go in the complete opposite direction. But as I see it, going in the opposite direction hasn't help us out much. And what is so wrong with having a president who holds values and morals in a high regard? Yeah, I know, those things are as mythical as the unicorn, but how about we give it a try? We literally have nothing left to lose.
Third, I am going to express my deep sadness at the announcement of the closing of Borders bookstores. How terribly depressing that books are becoming a thing of the past. This is hurting the economy and our future.
Now, I am an aspiring writer. I love the printed word. It is something to be experienced and brings to life, if only through the imagination, new experiences. It builds bonds with others and can be taken anywhere. Nothing beats the feel of a book in your hands. The smell of the binding glue and paper combining into a wonderful nostalgic feeling, and the rustle of the paper as the pages turn. Wonderful.
But the printed word is fast moving to be replaced by the electronic word.
The Kindle, Nook, and every other e-reader is quickly pushing the publishing industry out the back door. I know, I know. As an author one should embrace it, but it's a hard thing to do when it is hurting the publishing industry.
As a new author, a person depends upon a person stumbling across their book and buying it after having a chance to flip through it and really look it over. A new author has to work hard to get themselves out into the world by doing book signing events. But if there is no bookstore to host an event, let alone a book to sign, well, that leaves the new struggling author to hope and pray someone happens to get squirrelly and buy their book out of thousands and thousands of other e-books that have buried it deep in the endless pit of digital words.
And then there is the obvious closing of bookstores which puts thousands of people out of work. But it doesn't end there. That in turn puts a heavy strain on publishing companies, who then have to lay people off since there are less retail options buying their authors' books. And then it once again affects the authors who depend on the publisher being able to sell large quantities of their books to bookstores. But with bookstores shutting down, those books are being sent back to publishers in mass amounts, in unopened boxes, and that in turn appears the author doesn't have a marketable product and the author inevitably gets dropped.
And then there is the fact that the Kindle, in it majority, is not manufactured in the US. Only the "electronic ink" is and then the rest is produced in Asia. Well, so much for helping the American economy, eh?
I don't disagree that the e-readers have their benefits. If one is a literary agent or publishing editor, the small lightweight attributes of the e-reader allows them to carry many manuscripts at once without being cumbersome. It is good for the busy, traveling business person as well.
But let's be honest, how many have these things because it is a necessity to their career or travel agenda? Or is it that 90% of the people using these are lounging on their couch or bed reading them and have them solely based on that it is "cool and new"?
Because on a chilly, stormy night, nothing beats wrapping up in comfy blanket, and cuddling up to the sterile, white glow of... a Kindle screen.
And just as the story has drawn you in and it starts to get really good... the battery dies.
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