Writing is Therapeutic

Writing is Therapeutic

BLOG SESSION

October 31st, 2017

Good Evening Blog Readers, Writers, Followers & Visitors!

We're back for another exciting Blog Session that will be just what all of the Novel Writers who are following our Blog are in need of at this point in time.  Tomorrow is November 1st, and it will be time for National Novel Writing Month once again!

I know, I know ~ It's exciting isn't it!  We are about to embark upon another adventure in writing our Novels.  Each year during the month of November, we gladly get involved with other Writers, Authors, Poets, Journalists, Short Story Writers, Emerging Authors, and Aspiring Authors of all genres.

If you have never participated in NaNoWriMo online before (which stands for National Novel Writing Month), then you are in for a wonderful treat.  If you are interested in writing a Novel, now is the time to get cracking.  You have an entire month to write your Novel online with other Writers & Authors.  Your Novel will consist of 50,000 words or more.  If you think that 50,000 words seems like a lot of writing, it really is quite do~able.  You'll be very happy with yourself after you finish writing your Novel, and you are deemed a WINNER!

If you have participated in previous years writing your Novel online during NaNoWriMo, then you already know how much fun it is.

Whether you have participated in NaNoWriMo before or not, you can click on the link and go right on over and fill out your Profile or update your Profile (if you have participated in previous years) with your information.  If it is your first time, you'll need to "Sign Up" ~ It is free!  Everything is very easy ~ just click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph, slide into the Site, look around and explore everything that captures your attention now . . .

I'm sure you are excited ~ after all, writing a Novel is very therapeutic for all creative writers and "gifted" Authors.

You'll be able to track your Novel Writing progress once you get started.  You'll also be able to receive pep talks and support.  You'll also have the ability to meet your fellow Writers online and in person if you so choose.

Take time now to go over and find out more information, learn how NaNoWriMo works, read the Press Information, and read the participant testimonials.

If you have already been working on your Novel, and writing away in your Journals or Novel Book . . .

Writing your Novel is your calling

Now is the time to take your Novel writing, type it up online, add in your notes to your story and create a finished product.

You may have already started your Novel in your word processing program.  Good!  You can work on your editing as you add your Novel online during the month of November while participating with others on NaNoWriMo.

If you have any questions, you can ask them once you have signed up, signed in, looked around, and checked out the Forums.  [Click on link to view Forums]

You may also post your questions here on the Blog, and I will answer you to the best of my ability, as I have participated in NaNoWriMo for many years.

Be sure to Bookmark this Blog, and also sign up to "Follow by Email" if you have not done so already (look in the far right-hand column to enter your email address to follow by email here on the Blog), because I'll be updating everyone here all month long about NaNoWriMo as I too begin another Novel!

Don't forget to keep good Notes as you participate in NaNoWriMo this year.  And, also remember to pull out your notes that you have written for your Novel, because now is the time to WRITE! . . .

Novel Notes

(Keep good Novel Notes)

Be sure to check back for the latest information here on the Blog!

OUR NEXT BLOG SESSION:

We're online participating in...

NaNoWriMo!

F R I E N D S

Until Our Next Blog Session ~

Keep Writing and . . .

Peace, Love & Light

By René Allen

©Copyright - René Allen - 2014-2017 - All Rights Reserved

Lady Liberty Weeps ~ Part IV

Lady Liberty Weeps

Part IV

BLOG SESSION

October 30th, 2017

Welcome back Blog Readers, Followers & Visitors ~

We have had a short break from our Sessions, and now we're back here to continue our discussion about "Lady Liberty Weeps" . . . It's time for Part IV.

The main item of business is the question of why Lady Liberty Weeps?

We're living in a time when people all over the world are experiencing all kinds of issues in a deeper and more intense way.  The climate is changing both in terms of the earth, air and water ~ as well as the disposition of the people on the earth.

I don't know about you, but do you find that the people have become more . . .

When a person is "selfish", it means that they are devoted to caring only for their self; and they are concerned primarily with their own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

This "selfish" term holds true not only for individual people, but also for various countries.

Leaders are holding their positions without regard for the well-being of the people they were elected to serve.

Selfishness is fine when it comes to self~care if you have burned yourself out taking care of others for long periods of time.

Selfishness is also fine when it comes to your emotional well~being, and both your physical and mental health.

However, when it comes to goodwill -- a term that seems to have gone out the window when we weren't watching-- it means that there is a door that opens to you when you have goodwill towards others.  Do you have goodwill towards others?

Frustration, aggravation, irritation, hopelessness, and bad attitudes lead to a very crippled and perplexed society.

There are military troops who are returning home and wondering why in the world they ever left.  For what did they leave their families for?  And, better yet, what did they give up a huge portion of their lives for?  And, even further,  why did they give up limbs and life?  Are we really any better off when we go to war?  Or is it the mission of greedy people to get contracts for their buddies at the expense of your sons and daughters?

Good Evening everyone ~ Goodwill is calling out to you...

Goodwill means that you are friendly, helpful, or that you have cooperative feelings and/or a good attitude.

You cannot be negative and unpleasant if you intend on keeping your goodwill intact.

Downing others is not the road to goodwill.  You cannot bash others and feel good about yourself in the long run.

People who constantly gripe and complain tend to be unpleasant to be around.  Those who are greedy, negative, selfish, and unpleasant are like dark clouds on a sunny day.

If you have ever been around loving and unselfish people, then you will have a very good idea of the difference between being in an atmosphere that is conducive to positive progress, and an atmosphere that is disruptive and disastrous.

Lady Liberty has now wept enough tears for the entire world . . .

Can you see me now?

Are you awake?

OUR NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Writing is Therapeutic

F R I E N D S

Until Our Next Blog Session ~

Peace, Love & Light

By René Allen

©Copyright - René Allen - 2014-2017 - All Rights Reserved

Lady Liberty Weeps

PART III

BLOG SESSION

October 18th, 2017

Good Evening Blog Readers, Followers, Visitors & Friends ~ The gang's all here, and we're going to dive into our next Blog Session!

If you would, please get your Journal out to take notes, because this Session is going to have an awful lot of information that you will no doubt refer back to. . .

Journal Notes

If you were here for our last Session, then you are aware that we are here today to continue on with our discussion about important issues that are in need of attention.  Those important issues of note are not being played over and over again in the media like they should be, but nevertheless, the unsung issues are meaningful to us all.

The first meaningful item on our list tonight is the national anthem and the protests that have been going on about the NFL players kneeling during the national anthem at football games.  The protests all started because Colin Kaepernick took a stance against social inequality.  For those who don't know, Colin Kapernick is a former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback.  Back in August of 2016, Kaepernick sat on the bench during the national anthem for a preseason game.  The reason why he did so was because as he stated, he was "not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."

Kaepernick was in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States.

Kaepernick also made the cover of TIME magazine for "fueling a debate about privilege, pride and patriotism."

Colin Kaepernick

"The Perilous Fight"

TIME Magazine

The story behind the writing of the American national anthem, now known as "The Star-Spangled Banner," revolves around the British attack on Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, known as the Battle of Baltimore.  Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer, penned the words on Sept. 14, 1814, after the 25-hour battle ceased, and he realized that it was the American flag, and not the flag of Britain, that was flying in victory.

Further Notes:  Many people have difficulty memorizing the lyrics of the first verse of this song, which is commonly performed at sports events and other public gatherings.  But did you know that there are three additional verses that we almost never hear?

Francis Scott Key

In 1814, the poet and lyricist Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” originally known as “Defense of Fort M’Henry.”  During the War of 1812, Key witnessed the attacks on Baltimore and wrote the words based on his experiences this night.  These lyrics were printed in local newspapers and set to the tune of an existing song called “Anacreon in Heaven,” and then officially arranged by John Philip Sousa.  Key’s famous lyrics entered the world as a broadside ballad, or a song written on a topical subject, and printed for wide distribution.

More than a century later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order designating “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the national anthem, and in 1931, the US Congress confirmed the decision.  The tune has kicked off ceremonies of national importance and athletic events ever since.

PLEASE NOTE:   The anthem itself has an unexpected connection to slavery. [Article:  The unexpected connection between slavery, NFL protests and the national anthem]

The connection between race and the national anthem has a painful yet little-known root.

These peaceful demonstrations, which were initiated  last year by former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have roared back into the conversation as the NFL season ramps up and the nation continues to process the racially-fueled clashes that rocked Charlottesville, Virginia this year, among other disturbing events.

During the 2016 NFL preseason, Kaepernick said he was compelled to kneel in part because of police-involved shootings that resulted in the deaths of black men, including Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.

(Pictured) ~ A group of Cleveland Browns players kneel in a circle in protest during the national anthem prior to a preseason game against the New York Giants at First Energy Stadium on August 21, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The question is, what are the words to The Star-Spangled Banner"? . . .

The Star Spangled Banner

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with…

[PDF File with complete words]

The mere mention of "slave" is not entirely remarkable; slavery was alive and well in the United States in 1814.  Francis Scott Key himself owned slaves, was an anti-abolitionist and once called his African brethren "a distinct and inferior race of people."

Some interpretations of these lyrics contend Key was, in fact, taking pleasure in the deaths of freed black slaves who had fought with the British against the United States.

(Who should kneel in protest to this song?)

The better question might be:  Who should stand to honor this song, and why?

For your Journal:

What do those words mean to you?

Is it time to come up with a new anthem for the United States?

Is it time for people to search their hearts?

Do you truly understand what the protests are about?

By taking a stand for civil rights, Kaepernick, 28, joins other athletes, like the NBA's Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and several WNBA players in using their platform and status to raise awareness in relation to issues affecting minorities in the U.S.

OUR NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Lady Liberty Weeps

Part IV

One month after Hurricane Maria, 

Basics still scarce in Puerto Rico!

What about the drinking water?

F R I E N D S

Until Our Next Blog Session ~

Peace, Love & Light

By René Allen

©Copyright - René Allen - 2014-2017 - All Rights Reserved

Lady Liberty Weeps ~ PART II

Lady Liberty Weeps

PART II

BLOG SESSION

October 17th, 2017

BLOG Readers, Followers & Visitors ~ Welcome back to another great Blog Session!

If you were here for our last Blog Session, you have Journal notes about the events that have taken place around the globe in relation to the natural disasters of various forms that have happened in Columbia, Peru, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the United States, California, Puerto Rico, Scotland, northern England, Ireland, southern Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the Iberian forest fires across western Europe.  You may review that Session by scrolling down after you have read this Blog Session, or by clicking on the link entitled, "Lady Liberty Weeps" in our Blog Archive in the right-hand column of our Blog here.

Today we are going to continue our discussion.  We'll be switching gears to cover another area that is of interest to everyone concerned about civil rights, racial injustice, oppression, inequality, inequity, social justice, common decency, national issues, American issues, and criminal justice reform.  Other issues that come to mind are educational equality and economic equality.

The first thing that we are going to dive into is the incident that has been played in the media over and over again ad nauseum internationally in relation to President Trump's attacks against NFL players protesting during the National Anthem.  At a campaign rally in September 2017, Trump suggested that owners of NFL teams should fire any "son of a bitch" who takes a knee.  What an undignified remark!

Personally, I think any President of any country who speaks in that manner is not fit for office and should be fired!

Moving on...in response to that national media stunt that added up to being an embarrassment for the Republican Party, the United States, and the unfit person who just so happens to hold the office of the President at this time -- Trump -- hundreds of players joined the protests.  Several owners released statements criticizing Trump, and the league promoted the message that it was unified.

[Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer]

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and team take a knee before the singing of the National Anthem prior to the start of a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Monday, September 25, 2017. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)

Please keep in mind that NFL owners -- including many who sided with their players in protests relating to the national anthem -- were big donors to President Trump's inauguration festivities.  At least $7.75 million of the $106 million raised for Trump's inaugural committee came from NFL owners and the league, according to public records.

Since that attempt at solidarity, the strain continued with Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager, Jerry Jones when he said that any player who "disrespects the flag" will not play.  Well now, could he have said that because he gave Trump one million dollars for his campaign?

Jerry Jones has been confronted by protesters over his national anthem stance.

What is even more important are the issues that are in need of attention that are not being played over and over again in the media.  And, some of those issues matter to you and we need not be distracted.  Your comments are requested here on the Blog in the "Comments Section" at the bottom of this Blog post -- we'd like to hear what you have to say, and know more about what issues you are concerned about.

There will be more on this topic in our next Blog Session so that everyone is clear about what the national anthem protests are really all about, and the reason why "Lady Liberty Weeps".

Side Note:  Ethics case against Trump awaits green light from judge

OUR NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Lady Liberty Weeps

Part III

F R I E N D S

Until Our Next Blog Session ~

Peace, Love & Light

By René Allen

©Copyright - René Allen - 2014-2017 - All Rights Reserved