Day: August 10, 2020

Do Your Job and I’ll Do Mine

Fandango12 Comments

FC262852-0193-487E-B165-3DBB22281AF3“If I throw it your way, can I trust you to catch the ball to not bobble and drop it?” the quarterback asked.

“Totally,” the wide receiver said. “Especially if you throw a strike right into my outstretched arms.”

The quarterback looked at the receiver and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll do my job, just make sure you do yours.”

Written for these daily prompts: Word of the Day Challenge (trust), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (catch), Ragtag Daily Prompt (bobble), Jibber Jabber (totally), and The Daily Spur (strike).

Share a Your World — I’m a Regular Guy

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Share Your WorldMelanie is doing something different this week and, apparently, for the next few weeks. She is sharing her Share Your World prompt with another blogger, Roger Shipp. Melanie explained that Roger will be posting movie-related questions. This week’s movie questions are from the Harry Potter film, “The Sorcerer’s Stone.”

I may be the only person on the planet Earth who never got into the whole Harry Potter thing. I did, as an accommodation to my kids, read the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. That’s the one where we first find young Harry living  underneath the stairs. Much to the dismay of my kids, my reaction to the book was “meh.” As a further accommodation to my kids, because I’m such a good dad, I agreed to go see the first Harry Potter movie with them when it came out. My reaction to the movie was also “meh.”

I have since not read another Harry Potter book or seen another Harry Potter movie. So, since I really don’t know much about the books or movies or their characters or plots, other than they involve some sort of wizardry, I’m going to pass on Roger’s questions and go right to what Melanie calls her regular or traditional questions.

Would you rather live 120 years that are comfortable but boring, or live half as long, but have an exciting, adventure-packed life?

If I chose “the live half as long” as 120 years, I’d be dead by now, so the question is moot, right? That said, I don’t think life throws this kind of “either or” scenario at us. I think we can live a comfortable, albeit at times, boring life and truly enjoy it, while occasionally having some exciting, adventure-packed experiences. Right now, however, I’m quite content with the comfortable but boring life style.

What’s something that overwhelms you?

I’m not sure I would use the word “overwhelms,” in the sense that it overpowers or devastates me, or makes me unable to function, but do I seem to be a little too obsessed, perhaps, with Donald Trump and what he’s done and continues to do to destroy our democratic republic. And yes, at times, I do feel that it can be overwhelming.

What do or did you take for granted?

My answer is related to the one above. I did take for granted the rule of law in the United States, the importance of political “norms,” and perhaps naively, the indestructibility of our American democracy from within. Trump and his Republican enablers have demonstrated over the past four years just how fragile it is. If it’s not too late to save it, I will never take it for granted again.

Blogging Insights — Time Shifting

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Blogging insightsFor this week’s edition of Blogging Insights, Dr. Tanya wants to know whether or not we use the WordPress scheduling feature and, if so, how we us it. I definitely do leverage that feature. Let me tell you all about it.

How often do you use the “schedule” feature on Word Press and how useful do you find it?

Well, let me start out by saying that I use the WordPress scheduler in much the same way as I use my DVR: for time-shifting purposes. I record shows that I want to watch so that I can watch them at a time that’s convenient to me. That’s how I use the “schedule” feature at WordPress.

BDFFA56C-C633-4275-BF3D-EAE8404FC45CI have a number of prompts that I host and most of those are scheduled to be posted at times that I’m often asleep. My daily FOWC with Fandango prompt is scheduled to post at midnight. I hope I’m asleep by then. Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge, Fandango’s Provocative Question, and Fandango’s Friday Flashback posts are all scheduled for 3 a.m. on their respective days. I’d better not still be awake at that time. And this month’s Fandango’s Dog Days of August prompts are posted at 6 a.m. each day this month.

Most of my other posts, like those I use for my responses to the day’s daily prompts, or to rant about whatever craziness Donald Trump is doing, are more impromptu (i.e., posted immediately after they are composed).

How far ahead do you schedule your posts?

It varies, but typically not more than five to ten days in advance for my FOWC with Fandango prompt words. Sometimes I’ll write a post at night before I go to sleep and will schedule it for the next morning.

Fandango’s Dog Days of August #10

Fandango17 Comments

Fandango’s Dog Days of AugustDo you need a muse to get your creative juices flowing during these hot, sultry days of August? Try a dose of Fandango’s Dog Days of August prompt.

At 6:00 am Pacific time each day this month, I will be posting a new theme. Today’s theme is “your favorite food.” Is it an appetizer? An entree? A dessert? A snack? What is your favorite thing to eat? Or maybe it’s food for thought, for the soul, for the mind? Share a story, a poem, a photo, a drawing, some music, or whatever you wish to share about your favorite food.

If you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FDDA, and create a pingback to this post or manually add your link in the comments.

And, of course, take some time to read the other responses to this prompt. See how other bloggers are coping with the dog days of August.

Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #78

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FFFCWelcome to “Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge.” Each week I will be posting a photo I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the photo. There are no style or word limits.

The image below is from Lhairton Kelvin Costa at Pexels.12A8D214-BEBF-4D1A-8899-028A9CB77762For the visually challenged writer, the photo is of an ornate skeleton key in the mostly open palm of a person’s hand.

If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FFFC, and link back to this post. I hope it will generate some great posts.

Thanks to all of you who have participated in these challenges. Your posts have been very creative. Please take a few minutes to read the other responses to this photo challenge.

Please create a pingback to this post or manually add your link in the comments.