Happy March 1st. It’s time for us to answer Melanie’s Share Your World questions. Let’s do this.
Is every piece of truth worth telling? (Credit to the magnificent Cyranny for this one.)
I’ll answer the same way I answered this when Cyranny asked it: “Nope.” And I’ll add that there are times when truth telling, especially when it can be hurtful, isn’t worth the price. Sometimes it’s just better to not say anything.
Whom do you miss more Freddy Mercury or Prince? (If you don’t know who those people are, just skip this question. It’s cool).
As a fan of classic rock and of Queen, I have to go with Freddy Mercury. And I’ll admit that the only Prince song I’m familiar with is “1999.” Don’t be too harsh on me, Prince fans.
(By the way, at the risk of sounding like a grammar Nazi, shouldn’t the question be “Who do you miss more…?” rather than “Whom do you miss more…?”)
If you could only email or text people for the rest of your life (no other form of communication), which would you chose?
Text. It’s more instantaneous, and you can see when someone is responding to it by the three dots (or something like that) that shows up in your texting app.
Would you prefer to work the midnight shift at a really creepy, out of the way motel OR work alone for eternity?
In the decade before I retired at the end of 2016 I worked from home. I went into my home office, shut the door, and emerged only to eat or to go to the bathroom. So I was very used to working alone and, had I not retired, I could have continued to do so for…well, an eternity (or until death do I part).
Bonus question because yes, these are a weird bunch this week: What’s one secret you’re still keeping from your immediate family? (No details required. You could say something like “The lost weekend in 1982.” You can also answer “Why I NEVER keep secrets from my nearest and dearest!”)
When I first started blogging, I didn’t tell anyone in my family, including my wife. But now she (and my kids) know about my blog. But no others of my real life acquaintances — extended family or friends — know that I am Fandango.
Please feel free to share something uplifting that you’ve experienced so far in 2021.
Hmm. Sadly, in the grand scheme of things, there hasn’t been all that much uplifting about 2021. I’m happy that Trump lost the election, even though he still hasn’t admitted that he lost. I’m happy that Biden won and that Kamala Harris is the first black and Asian-American vice president. And I’m happy that I got my first COVID-19 vaccination in early February and I’m getting my second one this coming Thursday.
Okay, now for Blogging Insights. Melanie pointed out that Dr. Tanya, who is the usual host of Blogging Insights, is on hiatus as she is moving her household. Melanie adds, “Since [Dr. Tanya] hasn’t come back (yet), I thought I’d just dive in and ask the question anyway. This post isn’t to be considered ‘legal’ because I didn’t ask Dr. Tanya if it’d be all right to do it.”
Anyway, here are Melanie’s “illegal” Blogging Insights questions.
How thick a skin do you need to be a blogger?
I’ve never thought it takes having a thick skin to be a blogger. I express my deeply held opinions on my blog. I have shared that I’m an atheist. I’m a liberal. I hated (and still do hate) Donald Trump and all of the so-called religious conservatives and Republicans who are kissing is big, fat butt.
But hey, I know that there are lot of folks who don’t share my opinions, views, perspectives, etc. and they are free to disagree with me in the comments section of my blog. I can take opposing views and I don’t mind or block the expression of those views, as long as they’re not abusive. But I will also push back on the commenters who disagree with me until it reaches the point that it becomes fruitless to continue such a dialogue. So bring it on folks.
“Bonus question”
How important is being understood? There are one or two bloggers here who put a great deal of time and effort into crafting their blog posts and I’ve heard them express dismay (disappointment) when people don’t necessarily “get” what they mean. Also, if people don’t ‘say’ (comment) a lot about a particular post they’ve worked hard on.
I try to write in such a manner that my posts, whether they are expressions of my opinions and perspectives or are flash fiction tales, are easy to understand. That said, I’m sure there are times when what I write may be misunderstood or misconstrued. But that’s the way things are in the real world, too. If people don’t “get” what I post about, and tell me so in a comment, I’ll try to explain what I meant and I’ll try to use their critical comments as a way to learn how to write more clearly about my meaning or in my message. But I don’t get upset, frustrated, or disappointed. As to people not commenting on a post I worked hard on, well, I don’t necessary expect people to comment on my posts, so I’m not disappointed if they don’t. If they do, though, that’s great and I appreciate such comments.
This, That, and the Other 
Maybe you just left ’em speechless?
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Perhaps! 🤣
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Great answers Fandango! I love when anyone comments, but I dont really get upset if they dont, I do love when I am understood, though. Xo
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I have noticed there are musicians I didn’t see as classic. I don’t mean this as commentary on the quality of their music. Queen is a group I haven’t seen as being in the sixties and seventies or same genre. But I guess they were a seventies band anyway. And I was aware of them. I am equally acquainted with Prince music; I tend to enjoy it more. The one I think was really strange of me not to have noticed, back in time, is Bruce Springsteen. I thought he was new toward 1980 or so — and never paid him much attention. I think, too, awareness of new wave and punk style music were slow in getting to the area where I lived. I do (and did) know there are people who see Bruce as having brought “real” rock “back.”
In uplifting news, I’m glad there is now an approved one-dose vaccine. Since I* already had the infection, I don’t want to get two shots (unless the second is to deal with a variant). Additionally, my (grown) children keep coming up with happy news in their careers and otherwise — throughout 2020 and 2021. Here is one piece that is less along the lines of what people “shouldn’t” be too public about: the son who has been least compliant (in his own life but respectful) with covid recommendations called last night to report a story of making sure to keep his truck behind his friend (on a motorcycle), as they left a soccer game, but far enough that if he got rear-ended he would not be bumped into his friend. He did, in fact, get rear-ended. And his friend is fine (everyone is fine).
* I will take this opportunity to note that there is widespread science showing that very many people are deficient in vitamins D — AND that having sufficient levels (or not) of it makes a marked difference in whether individuals recover from an infection (as well as how their bodies do or don’t remain healthy in general). I’m making sure to ingest a food-based tablet daily. There are normal ways of getting vitamin D (from the sun on the skin, from food, or from ordinary supplements) which then goes through the liver and kidneys to be converted into the usable form for the human body. When in an emergency situation, such as with Covid-19 symptoms, a medical form (ready-converted) is being given where the medical staff isn’t ignorant or resistant. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcifediol
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https://www.drugs.com/mtm/calcifediol.html
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https://kmbc.com/article/new-covid-19-face-mask-standards-explained/35685557
After almost a year of wearing face masks due to COVID-19 – with seemingly endless options to choose from – there is now (finally!) a standard in place that helps consumers make smarter purchases, and lets brands know if their face coverings are actually effective before selling them.
Up until now, designers and lifestyle brands have been making face masks without any experience in personal protective equipment, so there’s been no clear way to know which ones are safest when you shop.
…………………
Do all face masks have to follow this standard?
No, it’s voluntary. The benefit is that it lets brands show consumers that their face covering meets acceptable levels of filtration and breathability. It also provides a point of reference to compare the various types of face masks on the market.
What should I look for when I shop?
The main thing to look for is the wording “Meets ASTM F3502.” The standard is relatively new so it may take some time for this to hit the mainstream, yet Stull shared that “within days of the standard being published, there have been industry claims for products meeting the new standard.” That’s suspicious given that the masks need to be tested by an accredited lab and follow a good deal of labeling requirements.
If you want to make sure that the mask is truly compliant and not falsely advertised, you can double-check the labeling on the packaging, which is one of the specifications to meet the standard. This includes the manufacturer’s name and address, country of origin, model and materials, along with the date of manufacturing, expiration date, and other specs like whether it’s reusable or not. It also needs to include user instructions on fit, how to wear, how to clean, when it should be replaced, and any other cautions or limitations.
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Being understood is why we write. If we are NOT under, we are not writing well. Lucky me because I’ve been writing instructions and explanations for the past 40 years. I got really good at it. Can’t write fiction to save my life, but I think I have a real grip on “being understood.” At least on paper. Talking? That’s another issue entirely.
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understood. Sheesh.
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I totally “understood’ you Marilyn, and I usually do. So there’s that, for what it’s worth. 😉
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So no creepy out of the way place at midnight for you? Ha!
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Nope. I’m not a fan of either creepy or out of the way places. And these days, I can rarely stay awake until midnight.
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I don’t think I’ve read any who wanted to stay at the motel except Barbara!
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It’s usually nice to listen to some music each day. I searched both “options” and have come up with this article, with a song I hadn’t heard before embedded. (I also recall that, at the end of a movie or series I watched recently, there was a different and more obscure song I hadn’t heard before… but which I liked and could make out from the sound was Queen; sorry, I don’t remember the name of that song — or even the movie.)
We will never know what the singer’s intention was. What is certain is that it is a significant song that was included as part of the deluxe edition of the Queen disc, launched in 2011.
In the end, we only know that man is an almost unfathomable mystery. Only God knows the depths of his heart, and while others can judge and draw opinions from what is seen, we can never know[ ]the true intentions, motivations and deeper longings of others.
Here is the video with the lyrics …
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Freddie, Elton, and Frank (as well as his son) get top billing in this article, while the author mentions Prince (and others) too. [However, it wasn’t until 1981 that Prince “opened” (to anger from some of the audience) for The Rolling Stones.]
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/classic-rock-neverending-afterlife-2010s-919608/
Tickets for the Zappa hologram’s 2019 tour went for as much as $125, and the concerts were, on average, nearly three-quarters sold out; Orbison did roughly the same numbers. In the past decade, many options have opened up for musicians’ estates to resurrect the brands of deceased artists. Some artists had plans for their posthumous catalogs established before their death — David Bowie mapped out exactly how he wanted his oeuvre to be reintroduced to the world — but the estates of others have had to figure things out for themselves.
Prince died in 2016 without a will, leading to a bitter dispute among his family members over his assets. In the midst of sorting this, Michael Howe, who had worked as Prince’s A&R rep at Warner Bros., was appointed the estate’s chief archivist. Since the artist’s death, the estate has put out super-deluxe box sets … as well as albums of demos Prince had made for others. Prince had been involved in the Purple Rain reissue before his death, but Howe says it was not totally “mapped out.”
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Thanks, Fandango for Sharing Your World AND your insights into blogging! Very pragmatic and sensible answers, just like Ms. Sadje! I love the way the group of bloggers here deals with issues – in a mature and caring way. You’re excellent! Have a fabulous week!
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Aw thanks, Melanie. You have a great week, too.
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I hate to be a poop but I think the word should be “whom” (eg I miss him more than her or them, not I miss he more than she and they).
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Hey, just whom do you think you are, anyway? 😂
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I think I am “who” 😛😛😛😛
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That bonus question… there are a couple of sectets I have, but my blog is not really one of them. My family knows I blog… but they show no interest in it, especially my daughter, she hates poetry. 😮
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Your daughter is missing some great poetry.
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Thanks so much!
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