Saturday, November 21, 2020

What is Socialism Really?

 



Many right-wing and conservatives - not only in the USA - are blaming centrists and liberals for "socialism", especially during the last election. They might confuse it with communism.  This from folks who have never experienced or lived in a socialism or communism regime - unless they are born in Cuba, the Eastern bloc, or in the former DDR.  Nor did they experience the way of social-democratic lifestyle that can be found in many wealthy European countries...

SOCIALISM for the RICH...

Tax rebate checks corporations received from Trump's tax plan: 

  • Amazon: $129 million
  • Delta: $187 million
  • Chevron: $181 million
  • GM: $104 million
  • IBM: $342 million

Now they claim $600 is socialism...
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To bring in a bit of humor into the socialism debate, I am referring to a comedy I recently watched on German TV.  The topic was about right-wings that are fearing socialism. He ensured them that Joe Biden was for many years Senator of Deleware, a notorious tax haven, and held his hand over the finance industry - typical for a socialist!?  To expect him to turn the US into a socialist country is just absurd. 

Then it was explained to Trump fans: Socialism is when children are taken care of by the government, politically brain-washed, later placed into the military, when people could only go into state-sponsored vacation places, and when the government builds a wall so that no one can leave the country.  And: if there were no Bananas available in stores  : )

It's called Real-Existing Socialism.  Did only work in the DDR for less than 50 years ...

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Then What is Socialism Really?

so·cial·ism

noun

It is a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

In Marxist theory: a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of Communism.  See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53vmQNVBm0w

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Talking About Socialism

In National Review, Kevin Williamson wrote: “All this talk about socialism isn’t about socialism,” Williamson writes. “It’s about the status quo.” The idea that “capitalism” has failed us and that “socialism” is the answer relies on a cartoonish oversimplification of reality. 

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Paying a living wage, offering affordable health insurance, and fair taxation is NOT socialism! 

It prevents people from the anxiety of uncertainty and it pays back and supports capitalism as it almost automatically generates higher tax-income for the State, and higher earnings for producers and retailers -  as average folks are able to consume a lot more on items they cannot afford with a minimum wage.

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Remember FDR:

Roosevelt’s initiatives, meant to curb the misery brought on by the Great Depression, directly funded millions of government jobs, employing everyone from photographers to brush-clearing conservation workers. To pay for this, he raised the income tax—which hadn’t even existed two decades earlier—to 75 percent on the highest incomes. The rich were subsidizing the poor, and that was A-OK with FDR.

The fiery president defended his actions as pragmatic responses to the real, glaring needs of a changing society. The rich who criticized him, who cloaked their greed in an affinity for capitalism, were dangerously missing his point. He knew the ideological threats of communism and of fascism were real and were overtaking democracy in European countries.  By fulfilling the government’s obligation to assist its people, he was instilling confidence in the American system. He was vindicating the Founding Fathers.  Read more: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/16/democrats-socialism-fdr-roosevelt-227622

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Profit is Privatized, Risk and Bailouts are Socialized….

Not only during this pandemic or through the financial crisis everyone had and has to chip in. However, the percentage of income tax is not the same for a worker as it is for a huge corporation that can afford expensive tax lawyers and accountants to make sure they pay barely any tax.  Remember the amount Trump paid in a year, and how many years he paid no tax at all...  Same for Apple, Google, Facebook, or Amazon.

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Those Who Are Damning "Socialism"...  are using public streets, airports, ports, schools, and teachers, government agencies, hospitals and doctors, public servants' and politicians' work, just to name a few of their own "social" benefits.  And then they often pay only the minimum wage to their own employees instead of a living wage. A living wage would allow employees to earn enough income for a satisfactory standard of living and to prevent them from falling into poverty. Hypocritical?  On top of that, many of the largest and wealthiest companies in the world pay barely any tax...

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Rigged Capitalism

Elizabeth Warren said: "I am a capitalist. I believe in markets. What I don’t believe in is theft, what I don’t believe in is cheating. That’s where the difference is. I love what markets can do, I love what functioning economies can do. They are what make us rich, they are what create opportunity. But only fair markets, markets with rules. Markets without rules are about the rich take it all, it’s about the powerful get all of it. And that’s what’s gone wrong in America."

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Saturday, November 14, 2020

Idling is for Dummies



The driver of this car idled for half an hour

On a road trip through British Columbia, Canada, on a sunny day in April, I had to wait at a construction site. I shut down the engine, not only because it looked like cars had to wait quite a while, but also there was a sign to do so.

I opened the car windows to give my dog and me some fresh air. A moment later I realized that the driver in front of me hadn't turned off his engine. I walked to him and friendly explained that I had opened my car's windows to give my dog some fresh air. And if he could please shut down his engine. His answer: "No, I will not!" I reminded him that it is also not helpful for the environment, as well as for his car's engine. No way that he obliged...
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Why Do Drivers Idle?
Why are they not better take care of their cars, the environment, or of their purse?  It is beyond me.  And it gets worse: since everyone has a smartphone, drivers sit in their car for twenty minutes on the phone while their engine is running...

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Killing Your Car's Engine?
A cold start means an extreme load for the engine, it leads to faster wear, because for example, the still viscous oil does not reach all lubrication points. 
On top of that, there is a higher emission of exhaust gases, because the fuel consumption is many times higher when the engine is cold.  Projected in this way, a gasoline engine would consume 25 to 30 liters per 100 kilometers.


Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Publishing Newsletter November 2020

 


Tips for Successful Publishing - Newsletter November 2020

by 111Publishing and SavvyBookWriters


Dear Writer Friends,

With the election behind us and/or lock-downs in your country, November is the perfect month to write, write and write even more.
And don’t forget to market your books: Thanksgiving is only three weeks away and Christmas only seven weeks!


Ready for NaNoWriMo?

On November 1, thousands of participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel from scratch until  November 30.  NaNoWriMo provides support, encouragement, and a good old-fashioned kick in the pants (which some writers need) to write the rough draft of their novel in November. How it all works, is explained on NaNoWriMo’s website: 

https://nanowrimo.org/



Content:

- GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS

- FREELANCE WRITING

- WRITING CONTESTS

- PUBLISHING TIPS

- AMAZON TOP REVIEWERS



GRANTS, FUNDING & FELLOWSHIPS


Woodcock Fund Canada

Emergency funding to professional Canadian writers in mid-project. Grants are $2,000 to $10,000. Must be a professional writer (minimum of two books published) facing an unforeseen financial need. Must be working on a project. 

https://www.writerstrust.com/programs/woodcock-fund-grant/

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Jentel Residencies

Residents are responsible for transportation to and from Sheridan, Wyoming, and for transporting or shipping personal items, materials, and equipment needed for creative work. As part of the residency award, a $400 stipend helps to defray some of these expenses.

 http://jentelarts.org/applicants/



WRITING CONTESTS


Nine Dots Prize

Theme: What does it mean to be young in an aging world? The Nine Dots Prize encourages innovative thinking and engaging new writing. Entrants must respond to the set question in 3,000 words & provide an outline showing how they would expand their response into a short book. Prize US$100,000!

No Entry Fee. Deadline Jan 18

https://ninedotsprize.org/


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Anthology Magazine Short Story Competition

€500 cash prize. Open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Theme: ‘Memories’, a maximum of 1,500 words. 

€10 Entry Fee. Deadline April 30

https://anthology-magazine.com/short-story/


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2021 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award

At £30,000 - the world's richest - is open for entries.

The award, for a story of 6,000 words or less, is open to any novelist or short story writer from around the world who has been published in the UK or Ireland. Deadline Dec 4

https://shortstoryaward.co.uk/awards/2021/



FREELANCE WRITING


USA TODAY Newspaper

The Opinion section publishes analysis, argument, and essays on a wide variety of subjects. 550 to 750 words @ 50c/published word.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/12/04/submit-letters-columns-and-comment-social/2608825001/


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NationSwell 

Looking for freelance writers to tell impactful meaningful solutions stories between 800-1,500 words. We take both video and written pieces. Pay is $0.50-.065/word depending on experience and subject matter. 

https://nationswell.com/careers/#pitch

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Freelance Writing for Entrepreneur.com

Pieces typically run about 700-1,000 words. More expansive pieces that run over 1,500 words are welcome and will do better in search. Please use more than one example of a good company doing good things to illustrate your point (avoid any press-release-type promotion of one business that reads like ad content). Pay is around $1 per word.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/page/276150?_ga=2.74604242.1737486101.1537834177-1865186819.1537834177


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PUBLISHING TIPS

17 Bestseller Tips – from Trade Publishers Copied

If you ever see Marketing and Advertising from traditional publishers, it’s for their Bestseller authors only, such as "Advance Book Reviews", posted on their book’s cover, Book Tours and Signings of celebrity authors, media coverage including reviews, speaking engagements, and placing at major bookstores who report to Bestseller lists.  How can author-publishers use the methods of global trade publishers to promote their self-published books?  

https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/17-bestseller-tips-from-trade-publishers/



Aim Top Reviewers on Amazon

Top Customer Reviewers are a promise for well-written, meaningful and thorough reviews for your book. Receiving a positive review from one of Amazon’s top customer reviewers is a great endorsement and credibility for your book. However, it is tough to catch this group’s attention. But the rewards are often worth the extra effort. As with book bloggers, take the time to build a connection with these reviewers prior to pitching them, and it will increase your chances of getting reviewed.


Do they have a blog where they post their reviews? How do they review other books in your genre? Check out the “Customers Also Bought Items By” section on the right. This section provides a list of authors whose topic or genre is similar to your own.  You can also find reviewers on Amazon’s top reviewer site

http://www.amazon.com/review/top-reviewers - however, to reach those who review your genre, chances are better at bestseller reviews that are recommended in your book category.


Clicking on an author's name will bring you to their author page, which will include a listing of their books and the customer reviews page. When you click on the name of a reviewer you can find the reviewer’s Amazon profile. Look for their contact info, such as an email address social media link, or a link to their website (not always provided). Follow them on social media and study their submission guidelines - as you should do with every book reviewer, before sending a pitch.


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Have a great day, a productive rest of the month, and a fantastic Thanksgiving.


All the best, Doris



Books by Doris-Maria Heilmann:


"To the TOP" With Smart Free Marketing

a business guide for Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08957T6XN/

At B&N, Apple, Kobo & dozens of other retailers via the universal link: https://books2read.com/u/mqv8Z1


111 Tips to Create Impressive Videos:

How to Plan, Create, Upload and Market Videos 

https://www.books2read.com/u/3GYnpa


111 Tips To Make Money With Writing

The Art of Making a Living Full-time Writing

An Essential Guide for More Income as Freelancer 

https://books2read.com/u/bWZMjz


111 Tips on How to Market Your Book for Free:

Detailed Plans and Smart Strategies for Your Book’s Success  

https://books2read.com/u/bMre1a


111 Tips to Get Free Book Reviews:

Best Strategies for Getting Lots of Great Reviews  

plus 1,200+ reviewer contact links 
https://books2read.com/u/mZ5nx5 


111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer

How to Create, Where to Upload, and How to Market Your Videos  

https://books2read.com/u/mVZkjr


Book Marketing on a Shoestring:

How Authors Can Promote their Books Without Spending a Lot of Money 
https://books2read.com/u/mZ5gdp