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Basic Science
Sadly, Not Always Learned… Some misinformed young woman tried to post to this blog tonight about how cloth masks do not stop the actual virus much at all and studies have proven that because the actual virus is too small. She is right. If the virus just floated all by itself in the air, a cloth mask would not stop most of them. Of course, one single virus particle does not carry the virus load needed to infect anyone in almost all cases, but that is beside the point. But thankfully, the transmission of the virus comes from someone who is infected talking or singing or shouting in a closed…
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A Very Satisfying Feeling…
When the Versa on My Wrist Buzzes… That means I have hit my 10,000 steps, which is five miles for me. For those of you who don’t know, a Versa is a Fitbit in watch form, sort of like an iWatch. It gives me the time, my heart rate, my steps, my miles, and how many calories I have burned so far in the day. All on the face of the thing. I have the calories set assuming I am 180 pounds instead of 195. And there are a ton more features, including tracking my sleep every night. Up until I got this thing, I had never worn a watch,…
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One Scary Long Day
Started at 6:30 am… Made a ton of progress. Got homes for most everything. Picked up, packed, and moved a ton of boxes. Didn’t get back to the room here until 9:30, so 15 hours, a lot of steps, and a ton of exercise. Got some photos of what it looked like when I started. But had great help, Chis and Steve York brought me dinner, and talked with a ton of friends stopping by. I would have some pictures that I took today, but can’t get them to load. So will do that when I get back. Working on an iPad has limitations, especially when exhausted. Don’t forget there…
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Traveling… Oh, My….
Off to WMG Publishing Northern Offices… By the time most of you read this on Wednesday, I will be somewhere in the center of the Nevada desert, headed north. I will stay in a nice suite hotel in Boise, then on to Lincoln City, Oregon, on the coast, on Thursday. Then on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday all day, I will be in the WMG Publishing 7,000 square foot warehouse/office basically organizing things. This trip is organization and decisions on what I am going to be doing with a lot of things that fill that place. We first got that warehouse nine years ago when my friend Bill died and…
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Things Are Moving Here…
Nevada Has Done Well… So far on this virus. But now they are talking about opening and you can feel the activity in the air. In fact, in downtown Vegas, the city has closed off a couple blocks of roads, one in the art district and one down near Fremont Street and set it up with tables under umbrellas for diners to eat outside from restaurants close by. The city did this. Cool idea. More cities should do such a thing. Kris and I have gotten take-out the last three nights from our favorite restaurants to help them. It’s going to be a struggle for all restaurants, that’s for sure.…
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What Would I Do…
If I Started A Bookstore Today? I got asked that question today and honestly I know exactly how to make a used bookstore very profitable in today’s world. I would not start a new store. Too expensive, too small of profit margins, too much risk, and honestly no real need with online bookstores working the way they are working for more and more people. But I know how to start a very profitable used bookstore. And keep in mind, I have owned and run two used bookstores in my lifetime, but I would NEVER start a new used bookstore the way I did the two I used to own. It…
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Short Post Tonight
First Off, Thanks for the Anniversary Wishes… Very much appreciated, both here on this blog and in letters and on Facebook. Kris and I are both kind of surprised it has been that long as well. (grin) Second, the code to get half off of the workshops or lectures or subscriptions is SummerLearning2020 A number of people today had trouble getting that in the right place. Basically you find a workshop or lecture or class you want to get half off for the next three days and hit “Purchase Course.” On the page that comes up, right at the top, it says, “Add Coupon.” Put in the code SummerLearning2020 at…
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May Workshops Starting
Tuesday and Wednesday… All May regular workshops are starting up and there is still time to get into them. And June workshops are available as well to sign up for. And all of them are half price in (we hope) the last sale we are going to do to help writers through this time. (Details in yesterday’s blog. Every class, subscription, lecture, and workshop is half price until Friday.) This staying at home for all of us is lasting a lot longer than we all thought. But there are glimmerings of hope in the next few months. But life still goes on during this shutdown. Today was Kris and my…
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An Adventure
Never Would Think I Would Be Doing This… Just two short months ago. But this morning, when I normally get out of bed at 10:30 in the morning, I was up and showered and out the door by 8 am. Gloves, mask, and a jar of spray disinfectant in hand. First stop, a Walmart. Not crowded, no lines at that time of the morning. I was on a hunt, stalking the wild paper products. I got a large package of paper towels, a massive package of napkins, tissues, and huge package of the good toilet paper. Plus some rice. Total win. The place was very, very well-stocked with everything. Felt…
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A Day To Rest
Well, Sort Of… I got thinking back to the last time I took a day off and neither Kris nor I could remember. Maybe a year? Maybe longer. And realize I don’t mean working five days a week. I go at this stuff from right after I get up to early hours of the next morning. Seven days a week. I haven’t even played a hand of tournament poker in over a year. Seen a few movies, ran in a few runs, but then I would go right back to work. And I am not calling my fiction writing work. That is actually the fun time of the day, but…