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Happy Birthday Google | How You’ve Changed Us

/ Luanne Shernisky / 4 Comments

Birthday cake with candles spelling out Happy Birthday

Google celebrates its 19th birthday today and I’m thinking about all the changes it’s brought to our world. 

As the largest search engine, it crawls the web 24/7 monitoring anything, that anyone, anywhere, puts on the Internet. It tracks our words, our thoughts, our wants, our needs, and our buying habits.

It takes us to places we can’t otherwise go and teaches us about things we might never learn. 

The technology that’s brought us to this point is moving ever faster, every day in a race to take us somewhere. But, where? Where will we be 19 years from now? 

Sometimes I get the feeling that the law of diminishing returns is already happening and our destination of perceived utopia might be wishful thinking.

We’ve gained so much with technology, but appear to be losing other things along the way.

I went in search of a quote to fit the subject and occasion and couldn’t decide on just one. So, here are my choices:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. ~Arthur C. Clarke

Technology… is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ~C.P. Snow, New York Times, 15 March 1971

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. ~Isaac Asimov, Isaac Asimov’s Book of Science and Nature Quotations, 1988

We’ve arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces. ~Carl Sagan

Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower. ~Alan C. Kay

The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers. ~Sydney J. Harris

Which one resembles your thoughts and feelings? What are we sacrificing in exchange for greater technology? Do you have a favorite quote addressing this issue? Please share in the comments.

How To Write Expert Articles That Make Better Money

/ Luanne Shernisky / 8 Comments

A pair of hands holding one magazine against a large pile.Imagine writing about your cherished topics for your favorite publications. 

Whether it’s cooking, travel, science, or some other subject, you get to create content that truly excites and inspires you.

What an amazing way to earn a living!

And what writer doesn’t want to compose great articles that actually get published and help pay the bills?

None that I can think of.

But, getting the manuscript accepted depends on the quality of the research and how well-written it is. 

If you could benefit from a course designed specifically for article writing then check out the class over in the sidebar. It’s being offered through the Freelance Writers Den. 

This is a writers community that I belong to and have written about before. They offer a wealth of resources to help freelancers hone their skills and find good paying writing jobs.

Right now they’re offering an online class on article writing.  It’s loaded with valuable information on how to draft a quality composition that will truly impress an editor.

The 8-week Masterclass offers instruction in the following: 

  • Week 1 – Style & Format
  • Week 2 – News Gathering (Includes Live Q & A)
  • Week 3 – Headlines & Ledes
  • Week 4 – Body & Kicker (Includes Live Q & A)
  • Week 5 – Writing Week (Includes eBook bonus: 13 Ways To Get the Writing Done Faster)
  • Week 6 – Polishing & Writing Tight (Includes Live Q & A)
  • Week 7 – Dealing With Edits
  • Week 8 – Finalizing Your Draft (Final Live Q & A)

This course is presented through:

  • 6 podcasts so you can listen anywhere and anytime it’s convenient for you
  • Transcripts of every class + the Q & A sessions
  • 6 Workbook modules + helpful notes, examples, resources, and homework assignments
  • 4 Live Q & A calls
  • Exclusive Den Forums with professional editors of 
  • Weekly motivational emails
  • All materials are downloadable

 

keep-calm-and-be-an-early-bird

PLUS, there’s an Early Bird Bonus for anyone who signs up before October:

  • Brand Journalism
  • Top 10 Mistakes Article Writers Make
  • 10 Signs of Lazy Article Writing
  • Interviewing Skills

If you want to expand your knowledge and are willing to make an investment in your writing career then this class could be the ticket to success.

With a money-back guarantee, there’s nothing to lose, but a lot to gain!

If you decide to join the class please visit the Products I Love page. It discusses the resources I promote and the small affiliate commission I earn when you click on my referral link. 

Thanks and happy writing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anticipate | The Good, The Bad & Hurricane Irma

/ Luanne Shernisky / 5 Comments

IMG_0300NOTE: This post was written in response to the September 6th prompt from The Daily Post: Anticipate. 

I realize I’m late but wasn’t able to finish and publish the post before Hurricane Irma arrived.

Once the storm was over and the dust cleared we were without electricity and Wi-Fi for five days. I think that’s the longest I’ve gone without my computer! 

When I first read the prompt my immediate thought was of all things positive. Like a special event that we’ve been looking forward to or that cherished entrée at our favorite restaurant. 

According to dictionary.com when we anticipate something, we realize it beforehand; we foretaste or foresee it.

Speaking of taste, the noun anticipation always reminds me of the Carly Simon song and this classic Heinz Ketchup commercial from 1979. I graduated from high school that year and don’t remember much, but the fact that this commercial stayed with me makes it a prime example of effective brand marketing.

I’m not sure why the word anticipation evokes pleasant things in my mind, but it does.

However, anticipate/anticipation works both ways. It’s possible to anticipate something in a negative way like the results from a diagnostic test, or the sudden appearance of flashing lights in the rearview mirror. There are circumstances that arouse fear from the mere anticipation of them.

This is currently the case for many people regarding Hurricane Irma. Seeing the recent destruction in Texas was a grim reminder of the damage these storms can do. While the passage of time allows our memories to fade it hasn’t been two weeks since the last storm. To witness the video and images from the Caribbean this soon after Harvey has stirred feelings of panic for many.

I have family in Florida and am currently house sitting in the central part of the state… on a barrier island, no less. Watching this tropical storm develop into a monster Category 5 hurricane has created some major negative feelings of anticipation. 

Interestingly, my unease isn’t nearly as bad as it was last year when Hurricane Matthew came through. I was far away from storm surges and damaging winds.         

But, when you’re worried about loved ones there’s a certain level of comfort in being with them, even if that means being in potential danger yourself.    

With Matthew, I felt helpless to do anything. Being here now gives me the opportunity to do something.  And there’s always comfort in action.

I’m pretty sure this has to do with control. We always want and need to be in control. 

So, I’m preparing for one of two scenarios: to stay or evacuate. Each plan involves a separate list and there is some overlap. There are many details in securing the house, as well as making sure I have the necessary supplies for myself, my daughter, and four cats!   

I’ll be busy over the next couple of days exercising what little control I can. Once the storm arrives the anticipation phase is over. Hopefully, we’ll manage the actual events without the fear escalating too high!

It’s impossible to predict how things will go. I do anticipate that proper preparations and security measures will increase our chances for riding out the storm safely.  

Wish us luck!

The Daily Post: Anticipate