The Voice has been silenced..

...well at least one of them.

With the recent announcement of Amazon ending it's affiliate program in the State of Minnesota, the ability of earning money for bloggers has been severely limited.

Good or bad, the decision does ponder a question of creativity and money making.

As the saying goes, " ...follow your passion."  One of my passions is writing. But as I would blog or write, that little dollar sign voice in my head would scream 'how should I write this post in a way that could make me money?'.

Well that voice has been silenced.  Now, some people may point out that I still hear voices in my head, perhaps that is true, however, with Amazon's decision, my motivation has been cleansed of any 'doing it for the money' virus and purifies my creativity back to my original passion, free of any thoughts of how to write to make money and do just that....write.

If the stars were to align in the great cosmos in the skies, perhaps my blog, writing skills and content would one day be noticed and someone would find it worthy of more than a few shillings and pence. 

For those that did support my blog by purchasing books through it, I thank you.  For those that continue to read and comment, I thank you even more.

So it's onward with my passion and now a bit quieter with one less voice inside my head.

Huh? What was that, did you say something?  Shh...I'm writing.

Thank you.

Is the truth stranger than fiction? NSA, Verizon and The Broken Window

Back in June of 2011, I blogged about a novel by Jeffery Deaver called, The Broken Window.  The recent leak or discovery of  the National Security Administration tracking cell phone calls, records, etc. reminded me of this great thriller. 

Fictitious in nature, Deaver digs into data mining and the consequences of that data if it were to fall into the wrong hands. Every phone call, web search, GPS route and destination and credit card scan is tracked by one company. A very timely read, leaving one to wonder what if?

Out of the many fictional books I've read, this is by far  one of the most intriguing and thought provoking novels leaving the reader to think, ....to think about every phone call, text, tweet, Facebook post made, every credit card scan and web search. Where does all that data go and who's looking at it, and even more importantly, how's it being used!

Highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 bookmark rating!

From June 2011:

Bond James Bond.


I hadn't read Jeffery Deaver in a few years, 07/18/09 to be exact. I'd pick up a book that I hadn't read of his, think about it, then put it down, my uncertainty would then continue. But this week,  I decided to and as I read, The Broken Window, I couldn't understand why I ventured away from his books. Cause he's a great author of suspense and who done it's! 

In The Broken Window, join Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs as they dig deep into the world of data mining and personal identification  to solve despicable crimes in Deaver's eighth installment of these extraordinary detectives. Somewhat George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four-esque with a touch of Huxley's Brave New World, The Broken Window raises questions about personal privacy and how much anyone should know.. how safe is your data? Who sees it and what do they do with it?

Now you may ask, why did I entitle this post, Bond, James Bond. Well the reason is, Jeffery Deaver has been commissioned by the estate of Ian Fleming to continue the James Bond story. His first book, Carte Blanche was released this week. Do you prefer yours shaken or stirred?

Sixty nine years ago, on a beach...

Sixty-nine years ago, boys soon to be grown men, landed on a beach they've never seen and most likely never heard of.

As we turn the calendar  on another anniversary of D-Day, these men fought for the freedoms we have today, some freedoms cherished, some taken for granted, but there's no denying without these courageous young men, our liberty to Facebook, tweet, blog, text, and email may not have been realized.

Steven Spielberg, in Saving Private Ryan , reminds us of a Mrs. Bixby:

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,-- I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

Although Memorial Day has passed and we remembered those from all conflicts, lest not forget those soldiers both foreign and domestic who joined the fight to defeat dictatorship, Fascism and Nazism some sixty-nine years ago.

God Speed to those that serve; pray that they'll arrive home to their own Mrs. Bixby, safe and sound.