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Ways to support Ukraine 🇺🇦

More than 500,000 people have already left Ukraine due to the invasion by the Russian Federation. The European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management estimates that roughly 18 million Ukrainians will be affected by the conflict in humanitarian terms, with 7 million internally displaced and 4 million seeking refuge elsewhere. To help those still in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian refugees, we’ve compiled this list of resources.

HelpUkraineWin.org has a collection of vetted and trusted resources, charities, and organizations to help Ukraine.

Some additional ways to donate:

Vostok SOS provides immediate evacuation support.

Malteser International provides essentials for Ukrainian refugees.

Ukraine Crisis Media Center provides fundraising links and a list of tips for sharing information.

Misinformation spreads fast on social media. It is more important than ever to share accurate, verifiable news and information. Here are some resources to learn how to identify misinformation:

This video from the nonprofit WITNESS shares tips for identifying authentic sources (available in English, Spanish, Ukranian, Russian, and Arabic).

These visual verification tips, also from WITNESS, provide information on verifying images and videos (available in English and Spanish).

This interview with NPR contains tips for identifying fake TikToks.

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Project 2 – The Sequel

I feel like I should preface this paper with a disclaimer. I can safely say that I am considerably older than my classmates. Hopefully, I won’t sound like I am the grumpy old lady on the corner telling the kids to get off my lawn. In my lifetime I have seen so many incredible things. We have technological capabilities today that were unheard of outside of science fiction when I was born.  But did it make our lives better? Yes, and no.

As Gee stated in Chapter 3, literacy doesn’t equate to intelligence. It is completely possible to possess the ability to read and write and still be ridiculously ignorant. Plato’s Republic omitted poets. I understand his point of view. Placed in modernity, what would he have said about Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter?

We are a literate nation. I am on Facebook and Twitter. When it comes to posting on Facebook, I am prolific. I first joined to keep in touch with my far-flung family. I don’t do Farmville, Words with Friends, Bingo, or any of the other games. But I do follow a couple dozen authors. I’m also as susceptible to cute kid (or cat) videos as the next person. For the last couple of years, my page has been peppered with angry political memes as well.

What I’ve seen – and personally admit to – is that social media hasn’t brought us closer. It hasn’t made us smarter. It hasn’t made us kinder. Quite the opposite. It has tribalized us, dumbed us down, made us angrier. The latter is especially true if we are on a platform that allows us anonymity.

McLuhan quoted General David Sarnoff as saying: “We are too prone to make technological instruments the scapegoats for the sins of those who wield them. The products of modern science are not in themselves good or bad” I agree. This is an all-too-human way of rejecting any semblance of personal responsibility for how we behave.

Facebook doesn’t make us say ugly things to each other, insult total strangers, or send death threats to assault victims. On some level, that is who we really are. Facebook just gives us a means to express it – however inappropriately. If this wasn’t who we really were, Facebook would contain nothing but cute puppy pictures, videos of small children, and memes with positive affirmations.

McLuhan states “The electric technology is within the gates, and we are numb, deaf, blind, and mute about its encounter with the Gutenberg technology, on and through which the American way of life was formed.” I couldn’t agree more.

A trip on public transportation will show that almost every rider has some form of technology in their hand. They’re either on their phones watching a video, listening to music, reading an e-book, or texting friends, family, or the office. Some are on laptops or tablets. Few are engaged with one another. When we go to a restaurant with family, our grandchildren must be admonished to put away their devices. My youngest son texts me from the next room.

Our society has become trivialized. Many of the same people who don’t realize that Flint, Michigan still doesn’t have a reliable source of potable water can name all of Kim and Kanye’s children. An awful lot of people can’t name their Congressional representatives, but they could probably tell you which celebrity just got out of rehab. That’s not new. Americans have always been enamored with the rich and famous. Plato would probably point to this as concrete evidence of societal failure. Maybe failure is a little harsh but jaundiced wouldn’t be wrong.

Conversely, social media also allows us to participate in each other’s lives instantaneously. People have built friendships, found lost children, solved crimes. We have signed petitions, organized rallies, and written to our legislators. We have shared our pain, our joy, our achievements, and our failures.

Literacy is not a requirement to show compassion. It won’t automatically make us happier, richer, or better. You can read a book to grow a garden or build a bomb. Literacy is a tool. Like all tools, it can be used to break something just as easily as it can mend. It’s all in how you use it.

I have no simple solutions. I do have several observations. It begins with me. It begins with you. Actively listening to someone with whom we disagree may show we want mostly the same things.  We just differ in how those things should be achieved.

Sometimes people just want to be heard. Several years ago, I brought in a candy dish and placed it on my desk to share. Dozens of people stop by my desk each week. Some just come for a mint (York Peppermint Patties). Others come to vent. Everything said is confidential. I don’t share unless I’m asked. It’s been remarkably transformative. Not just for my co-workers, but for me as well. Every problem doesn’t require our opinion.

A kind word can change someone’s whole day. It can also set an example for others. I’ve noticed when one bus rider wishes the bus driver a good day, others follow suit. Many years ago, I hit hard times. I was a single mom living and working at Motel 6. A $1 tip lifted my spirits. When my circumstances improved, I made a point to tip service workers and include a kind word. Some days that means I fake it until I feel it.

That’s not to say I’m a paragon of virtue. I am just as likely to ‘argue with idiots on the internet.’ I can get caught up in things I’m passionate about and forget my manners. While I make it a personal goal to say nothing online I wouldn’t say to someone’s face, I sometimes find it’s a hard rule to follow.  But I promise not to give up on me. I encourage others not to give up either.

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In Favor of Reading. Literacy? Meh.

I have been a voracious reader throughout my life. Reading and writing connected me and disconnected me. I wrote composition books full of stories throughout my teenage years. I read classical authors like Shakespeare, Stoker, Poe, Shelley, and Dumas. They were my solace when reality didn’t live up to my expectations.

As a mother, I connected with my childen through books by C.S. Lewis, Dr. Seuss, Stephen King, and finally J. K. Rowling. We bonded during trips to the library and bookstores. When we experienced tough times, reading and music made it bearable.

The internet didn’t really exist when my older children were little. It was something that would happen someday. By the time their little brother came along, the internet arrived. It has been such a force in his life, he doesn’t remember a time without it. 

It’s a different world. We text instead of talk. We argue our passions with people we’ve never met, never will meet.We can say things anonymously we’d be mortified to say face to face. It’s a game. The human connection isn’t real. We are offended when someone takes offense that we took offense to their point of view. We revert to pubescence.No grownups allowed. We forget how to be kind.

I really want to go back to being kind.

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Review: Cat Got Your Cash By Julie Chase

I read the first couple of pages with great skepticism. A 'Kitty Couture' shop? Really? I was sure the next page would reveal a story about a crazy cat lady who treated animals like her children. I was wrong. It's a delightful cozy mystery involving a young and talented entrepreneur in New Orleans. By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked.

Lacy rushes to meet her idol, Annie Lane for what could very well be the design collaboration of her career. Unfortunately, she arrives to find that her meeting has been permanently canceled. So has Annie Lane. The only living things in the house are two very noisy Siamese kittens. Rather than allow Animal Control to cart the darling kittens off, Lacy scoops them up and takes them home with her. That's when things REALLY get interesting.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Stay strong, my London friends. Spread love and be safe.

-Hex

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Review: Southern Fried by Tonya Kappes

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for honest review. 

I liked this book so much, it was hard to write the review! I just didn’t know where to start. Southern Fried is the second book in the Kenni Lowry series and is every bit as good as the first. If you haven’t read the first book, you can still enjoy this story. But I guarantee you’ll be looking for that first book (Fixin’ to Die – shameless plug) as soon as you are through.  

I primarily read during my hour long commute to and from work and as much as I love getting home, there were a couple of times when I wished the train ride was longer. It has Southern charm, Southern humor, Southern manners, and a fierce Southern mama. The plot is captivating, funny, and chock full of twists. It keeps you guessing right to the last page. I can’t wait to see what she does in the next book.

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Review: The Keeper and the Rulership (The Systems in the Rulership Book 1) by Emily Martha Sorensen

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This story has great potential. It's imaginative and colorful. The plot has great bones. But many of the main characters need fleshing out. There are plot elements that take sharp turns as if a chapter were missing. It's also a little precious in places. Aside from that, it's a quick and enjoyable read. None of the flaws I mention above are deadly, just a little distracting. I'm hoping that the prequel and subsequent books flesh things out a bit better.

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Review: Reasons To Vote For Republicans: A Captivating Interpretation by Char Daley

I picked this book up after seeing a counterpart on Reasons to Vote for Democrats. I thumbed through the reviews on Amazon only to find that the people who loved Reasons to Vote for Democrats were harsh about this book. As a Republican, I found this embarrassed me. I found this book every bit as hilarious and charming as its counterpart. It's all about point of view. If you can't laugh at yourself, you probably shouldn't be laughing at others. Apparently, other members of my party like to dish it out but take umbrage when it comes back to them in kind. That seems rather childish to me. For all their talk about 'lefties are snowflakes,' it seems the people having the real meltdown are my party.

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Review: Armageddon Unleashed (Universe in Flames Book 7) by Christian Kallias

I am fortunate enough to be on the author's ARC team and received an early release in exchange for an honest review. This isn't my usual genre, and I was optimistically skeptical for the first three or four pages. By page 10, I was completely involved in the story even though this is the first book I've read in the series. I did purchase the final version because I want my husband to read the series. I know he'll enjoy it. If you're looking for a critique of battle tactics, you'll have to choose a different review. That's just not my thing. But I can say that these characters are strong, well-developed, and realistic. The protagonist isn't faultless, which is quite refreshing. The story is compelling, and it doesn't take long to become fully invested in the outcome.I highly recommend reading the series in order, as there are character interactions and events that will make more sense in context. And the last page....well, you'll have to read it for yourself. I anxiously await book 8.

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Armageddon Unleashed - Universe in Flames Book 7...

I am fortunate enough to be on the author's ARC team and received an early release in exchange for an honest review. This isn't my usual genre, and I was optimistically skeptical for the first three or four pages. By page 10, I was completely involved in the story even though this is the first book I've read in the series. I did purchase the final version because I want my husband to read the series. I know he'll enjoy it. If you're looking for a critique of battle tactics, you'll have to choose a different review. That's just not my thing. But I can say that these characters are strong, well-developed, and realistic. The protagonist isn't faultless, which is quite refreshing. The story is compelling, and it doesn't take long to become fully invested in the outcome.I highly recommend reading the series in order, as there are character interactions and events that will make more sense in context. And the last page....well, you'll have to read it for yourself. I anxiously await book 8.

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On January 18, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent this confidential message to Congress seeking a $2,500 appropriation for an expedition to explore the West. The bill was cryptically referred to as “an act for extending the external commerce of the United States” in the House and Senate journals. On February 22, both chambers passed the bill and the Lewis and Clark expedition was funded. It was necessary for this message, and the subsequent appropriations, to be kept secret because the territory being explored was not part of the United States…yet. Of course this all changed later that year when Congress and Jefferson finalized the Louisiana Purchase. The new territory was officially turned over to the United States on December 20, 1803.

Thomas Jefferson’s confidential message to Congress, 1/18/1803, HR 7A-D1, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives (NAID 306698)

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Review: Engaging College Students by Mike Kowis

Five Stars!! The author offers practical tips on student engagement and classroom organization. He raises a handful of points in each section and reinforces them by having the reader reflect on how they will implement some of them in their classes.

He acknowledges that some of his suggestions may not work in all situations. But while the reader may not use all of his suggestions, there are at least one or two in each section that will add to both the students' and the instructor's classroom experience.

I especially enjoyed his insights on employing the Socratic method in his learning environment (law) and how easily it adapts to Socratic lite in an undergraduate environment. His instructions are easy to follow and well-explained.

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in hopes of an honest review.

http://amzn.to/2j6imyt 

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Nothing to Fear, But Fear Itself

JD-

I only just learned about Boggarts today, and while the concept is interesting I can’t help but want to meet one in person.

Based on what multiple exgirlfriends have told me, I have a pretty solid idea of what it will change into, and I’m beyond curious to see exactly how one can take on the form of “commitment”.

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Review: Something Foul in Sweetwater

Published December 2016 by Kensington/Lyrical press Original Title: Something Foul at Sweetwater, featuring Missy DuBois, Ambrose Jackson and her faithful assistant, Beatrice RushingEdition Language: English 

 This is the 2nd book of the series.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I haven't read the first book in the series, but I found the protagonist, Missy DuBois to be quite charming. She is a hat designer specializing in weddings. I look forward to more detail in future adventures in the series.

The one drawback I found in the story was the dialogue. The southern idioms are rather forced and altogether too frequent. It's a bit jarring in an otherwise delightful story.

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Review: Deck the Hallways (Fixer Upper Mysteries #4)

I love Kate Carlisle books. Love them. Love them, love them love them! I love that her heroines have remarkable, interesting jobs in fields that aren't typically feminine. I love that each series is incredibly detailed regarding those fields. I have learned so much about carpentry and book binding since I found her books. Shannon Hammer is back! This time she's leading a diverse crew of contractors and volunteers to convert a stately old Victorian mansion into low income apartments. When one of her contractors suddenly leaves town for an opportunity out of state, her father Jack steps up with his buddies to fill the void. Once again, Shannon stumbles upon a very dead body. Murdered. Unfortunately, this time her father is implicated. Can she help the police find the real killer and keep her father from being accused? You'll have to read it for yourself. Sorry. No spoilers here!

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Book Review: The Cracked Spine, A Scottish Bookstore Mystery.

What a delightful story! Well. Except for the horrible murder. Enter the charming, intelligent, fiery Delaney Nichols who has uprooted her life in Kansas in America to come to Edinburgh and a new life working for a small bookstore. A small bookstore with a special locked room full of treasures. Before she can settle in, someone close to the owner is brutally murdered and a valuable book goes missing. Her new friends are now being investigated by the police. They can be trusted, can't they? Do the police know something she doesn't? Will hunky Tom Fletcher ask her out for a second date? Will he wear his kilt? The best news is that this is the first in a series.

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Check out USA Today Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes Spies and Spells on sale for 99¢ #books http://amzn.to/1UbnxwJ http://thndr.me/15JRZw