Welcome to My Blog Stop!, a freestyle home business and personal blog, curating advice, tips, and information for work at home professionals; and blogging about general subjects of interest, art, entertainment, views and opinions, society and culture, etc. This website complements and supplements multiple WAHM projects grouped together as Cmoneyspinner's Home Business Projects on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!
29 June 2025
People We Like to Quote: Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
I take your point Sir Churchill. Your reference to "hell" is a descriptive term, a figure of speech to describe an horrific ordeal that someone is enduring and they must stay strong, persevere and keep pushing forward in order to overcome.
However, with regard to the real hell? Nobody goes through it. If they end up there it's their final destination. They can't escape and they can't turn back. They can't complain that there was an error in their travel itinerary and that they had been dropped off at the wrong place! They can't even bribe whoever put them in there to let them back out. For one thing, if they were rich, they were not able to bring their money with them. Ask the Pharaohs or ask Paul. Also, the living whom they left behind can't pay for them to get out of hell either through a convenient system of indulgences. (Geez! And you think insurance in America is a rip off!)
Churchill quotes are food for thought.
If I were setting up my own personal private library, I would make sure to have at least one book on the shelf with his quotes. 📕📕
Mini BIO - Winston Churchill
07 June 2025
Society and Culture: Are Secret Societies a Threat?
There are “theories” (of course, NO PROOF) that groups like the Illuminati, Freemasons, and Bohemian Club operate surreptitiously behind the scenes, establishing careers, and influencing trends, and global pop culture.
Isn't P. Diddy kind of accused of doing that, along with other nefarious activities? Although … one might argue that being an influencer is one thing, and being a hard core criminal is another. The two don't necessarily go hand in hand. But it kind of looks like there's is a “thin line” in between that's easy to cross over.
OK! OK! There is no concrete evidence proving the existence of these societies but the rumors circulating about them are FUN, FUN, FUN!! (As much fun as creating this AI-generated art using a tool called DreamUp.)
Did you hear? Beyoncé and Jay-Z are members of the Illuminati.
Uh-huh. And this strikes fear in me because … ??? ... WHY?
Well, at least now I get Ray Romano’s joke about them being the most powerful couple in America. :) But Jay-Z and his lovely wife, Beyoncé, are probably laughing way harder than everybody else.
This provides a wealth of material for anyone who wants to write about it. But to take these groups seriously? WHY?
- Are they dangerous??
- Because they have a secret??
- Because they are secretive??
- Because they might also have a lot of money and possibly some influence on persons in high places, and can change the course of the world??!!!! And you have no control over it??
Rich or poor. Between dreaming and having your own secrets, can’t nobody control you!!
**** Hmmm … this is kind of an afterthought, but … UM … Such a type of organization could be a threat to the members. Everything being so hush-hush - if a crime were committed, where would they go for justice? Maybe the Cosa Nostra probably holds court on the weekends. (O.o)
The Illuminati in Hollywood: Celebrities, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies in Pop Culture and the Entertainment Industry
(This is my original content, which was previously published at one of my other blogs, which were discontinued.)
15 March 2025
Book Recommendation : Rebecca's Notebook ... by Daphne Du Maurier
Author, Daphne du Maurier (1906 – 1989) was home-schooled and also educated in Paris, France. Most of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life.
Her novel, "Rebecca", is a dark, moody, mysterious love story!
"The Rebecca Notebook and Other Memories" is a revealing look at how du Maurier wrote this story. It's a book about a really good book! (A book which has been adapted to film more than once. I liked the film version that was directed by Alfred Hitchock, which starred Joan Fontaine. It's a worthwhile addition to one's personal video library.)
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Classic!
* * *
English: Young Daphne du Maurier (about 1930) Русский: Портрет Дафны дю Морье в молодости (начало 30-х годов ХХ века) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
13 October 2024
Will The Tiger's Apprentice Ever Be an Animated Film? Paramount Says YES!
Laurence Yep has a reputation for being the premier Chinese-American writer. It's an awesome compliment when notable filmmakers want to adapt your books to film.
Laurence Yep writes books for children and young adults. Many know him for book series called Golden Mountain Chronicles. Screenwriter David Magee (Finding Neverland (watch trailer)) was or is (??) adapting Yep's book - The Tiger's Apprentice (Book One) - into a feature film in 3D animation.
Hoping another one of Laurence Yep's books - City of Fire - might also be adapted. There's an evil dragon and lost treasures of an emperor weaved into the storyline. How can anybody resist turning it into a major feature film?
* * Will The Tiger's Apprentice Ever Be an Animated Film? - Learned about this film adaptation several years back. This animation project is either "on hold" or has been abandoned. Can't seem to find any updates about the effort. Perhaps they're furiously working to complete it, but keeping it all very hush hush because they want to surprise viewers with the finished product! Hope Magee and company see it through. Sounds fantastic! :)
FINALLY!!!
Film adaptation:
In October 2008, Cartoon Network announced the live-action animated film adaptation of the book with a script by David Magee[3] with Rainmaker Entertainment contracted for the animation.[4] The project was cancelled after Cartoon Network stopped developing live-action projects. In March 2019, Paramount Pictures announced an animated film adaptation of the book with a script by Magee and a release date of February 11, 2022.[5]
Source: Wikipedia
20 May 2024
Sometimes I Babble - Can't You Tell?
Personification of knowledge (Greek Επιστημη, Episteme) in Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
-
Ignorance was always a choice. (“… fools hate knowledge”)
-
Information was always currency. (“Buy the truth and sell it not.”)
-
Knowledge is freely offered and there for the taking or … accepting. (“Choose knowledge rather than choice gold.”)
-
Wisdom when rightly applied is the key to not wasting your life way. (“Teach us to number our days.”)
- Sometimes I babble.
- Sometimes I say things that are verifiable truths.
Am I babbling?
My Opinion Pieces | Curated by Treathyl Fox aka cmoneyspinner | @Medium #lists https://t.co/0jm6w9ImjY
— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) May 21, 2024
My Observations, Thoughts, Musings, Humor, Etc. | Curated by Treathyl Fox aka cmoneyspinner | @Medium #lists https://t.co/S92Wpp8mAg
— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) May 21, 2024
10 May 2024
The Black Girl in Search of God and Some Lesser Tales (Guest Post)
Book Review: The Black Girl in Search of God and Some Lesser Tales by Bernard Shaw
"The Black Girl in Search of God" is not a novel or a novella. It is not really a short story either. I choose to describe it as a parable because others have, but equally, it could be classed alongside Plato's symposium as a vehicle for examining a philosophical idea. It's not a discourse, but it could be a meditation, albeit a rather energetic one. The idea in question, of course, is the nature of religious belief.
The Black Girl of the title is only cast as such, I think, to provide Bernard Shaw, the author, with a literary vehicle to convey his otherwise naïve questions about Christianity. To this end, The Black Girl is presented as a "noble savage", and thus a tabula rasa. It is here - and only here - that Shaw violates current correctness. The character could have been cast as a child, but then she could not have threatened to wield her knobkerrie, her weapon, and nor could she have been portrayed as bringing no tradition of her own. We must accept, therefore, that there remains a functionality about the role of this character. She does not represent anything, except her ability to ask the questions she is required to ask.
The Black Girl has been converted to Christianity by a young British woman who has taken delight in amorously jilting a series of vicars. She then becomes a missionary, despite her clearly thin grasp of the subject matter. She is, perhaps, an allegory of colonial expansion. She goes abroad to teach others despite not having achieved fulfillment or knowledge in her own life. It might be important that the teacher and the taught are both women.
When her convert starts asking questions, fundamental questions that the missionary herself has never heard asked, never mind answered, she reverts to invention, not scholarship. Shaw's intention is clear. She invents myth to mystify myth. And this cloak satisfies the curiosity of the average Christian, but not The Black Girl, who thus goes off in search of God.
And, guided by snakes, she finds Him. And not just once, because there is more than one God in the Bible she carries. There is the God of Wrath, who demands the sacrifice of her child. When she cannot comply, He demands she find her father so he can sacrifice her. A good part of the Bible thus disappears from her new-found faith.
She meets an apparent God of Love, but he laughs at Job for being so naively and blindly devout. More of her book blows away.
She meets prophets who, one by one, deliver their different messages, most of which conflict and communicate individual political positions or bigotry rather than personal revelation.
On the way, she belittles Imperial power and male domination. She learns that most "civilized" countries have given up on God and hears a plea that people like her should not be taught things that the mother country no longer believes.
Scientists offer her equally conflicting opinions. They are careful only to describe, never to conclude or interpret. In a way, they are just modern prophets, each with their own interested positions.
There is an amazing episode where a mathematician implores her to consider complex numbers, the square root of minus x, which The Black Girl hears as Myna sex or perhaps its homophone minor sex, and is clearly a reference to feminism. Along with economic power and male dominance, The Black Girl sees guns as the highest achievement of white society. This anticipates the description of colonialism's trinity in Ngugi's Petals of Blood.
Then, in a strange section, an Arab discusses belief with a conjuror. These appear to be a pair of major prophets in thin disguise. But their discussions merely confuse the girl and their words skirt her questions.
And so she meets an Irishman, marries and settles down. She devotes herself to him, their coffee-colored children and the fruits of their garden. Note that she does not devote herself to herself. She projects out, does not analyze within. And in this utterly humanist universe she finds not only personal happiness, but also fulfillment and, with that, answers to her own metaphysical questions that religion per se could not even address.
And so, as the parable closes, we ponder whether the Irishman she marries is Shaw, and whether The Black Girl is the questioning, non-racist, non-sexist, socialist and humanist vision of the future he has personally espoused.
And as for the Lesser Tales, they are generally lesser. Don Giovanni explaining himself was fun and the Death of an Old Revolutionary Hero was prescient of the role of the Socialist Workers' Party adopted in maintaining Margaret Thatcher in power in the 1980s. A great, historical and fundamentally contemporary read.
* * *
Philip Spires
Author of "Mission", an African novel set in Kenya
www.philipspires.co.uk
Article Source:
The Black Girl in Search of God and Some Lesser Tales https://t.co/uhFVYJDhw7 via @amazon #books #BooksWorthReading #reading #readinglist
— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) May 10, 2024
This book caused #controversy when it 1st appeared in 1932. It provoked a public outcry. #GeorgeBernardShaw was decried as a blasphemer. pic.twitter.com/biFhSiwgx9
23 February 2024
A Doctor's Notes about Ancient Philosophers: The Eleatic School, Xenophanes
- "To represent the gods as men is to alter their nature in order to make them similar to us. These errors are due to the imaginations of men. ... it seems that Xenophanes confused God with space and with the universe taken it its totality."
Per the late Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty was the Founder and President of The Center for Applied Philosophy and the Radical Academy, and is Honorary Philosophy Editor at The Moral Liberal.
- Read full article at Self-Educated American: Ancient Philosophers: The Eleatic School, Xenophanes (Apologies, Article was unpublished.)
- If interested further in the Pre-Socratic writings of this philosophical poet who lived in the ancient Greek world during the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., Xenophanes of Colophon: Fragments (Phoenix Presocractic Series)
is an English translation of the surviving fragments of Xenophanes’ teachings.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Oh if only the writings of one of the philosophers could tell me where to find the philosopher’s stone
What??!! Is it so wrong to desire gold without having to pan or dig for it; and to wish to remain forever young? :)
.
22 December 2023
Introduction to Classical Music ~ Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Tchaikovsky
Portrait Ludwig van Beethoven when composing the Missa Solemnis (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Popular singers, songwriters and musicians like the late Nina Simone, the late Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Alicia Keys have all said they draw inspiration from or have been greatly influenced by these composers.
The above is regarded by historians as the most accurate surviving likeness of Mozart, painted when the composer was 26 years old. It is a section of an unfinished 1782 portrait by Joseph Lange. The splotchy texture of the composer's cheeks, visible in the original painting on display at the Mozart Museum in Salzburg, was verified by Mozart's contemporaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
You heard that most music store owners are tempted to put their classical music selections in a small room at the back of the store; however, it was just a bit of humor. The least we can do is display their masterful works – whether on the store shelves or in your home music library - in plain view so that the memory of these gifted musicians will live on.
Johann Sebastian Bach (aged 61) in a portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Copy or second Version of his 1746 Canvas, private ownership of William H. Scheide, Princeton, New Jersey, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
***
The Health Benefits of Classical Music
There is no doubt that there are benefits to be found in many different genres of music. It can often seem to help when nothing else is able to change our mood or motivate us. For thousands of years, humans have been intrinsically linked to music in all its forms. It is part of our mourning, our celebrations, and our rituals.
Original source
20 April 2023
Who is Peter Ackroyd? Biographer, Historian, Poet, Novelist, Etc. Eccentric
Who is Peter Ackroyd?
Hmmm ... let me think. Is he the guy in the photograph below?
Nope! But you're close!Well fine then, Mr. Ackroyd. You certainly can’t be accused of not working. Peter Ackroyd’s body of writings include: poetry, bibliographies of notable persons like T.S. Eliot, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare, a series of history books for children, a collection of English ghost stories, and several novels. He even retold Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and wrote a libretta for an opera. His current projects include: the completion of six volumes of the History of England, a few more novels, and a biography of Alfred Hitchock.
Where does he find the time? Uh … that’s all he does, all day and all night. He says he isn’t much interested in socializing and reserves two Sundays in the month for some interaction with people. Most of the time, it’s just him and his books.
Has Mr. Ackroyd written so many books you don’t know where to begin? Start here: The Trial of Elizabeth Cree
* * *
Reference:
Rosen, Jody. “Man of Many Words: Up Close and Personal with Peter Ackroyd …” T: New York Times Style Magazine 15 Sept. 2013: 110-14. Print. Men’s Fashion Issue, Arts and Letters
Related articles
Peter Ackroyd books are available ~ Save up to 90% at BiggerBooks.com
30 March 2023
Book Lovers – An Assortment of Books for Your Reading List or Personal Library
This house was right out a dream home magazine. My favorite room in this house was the office/library. Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places. But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.
If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves? Here are some of the books you might find in my library.
♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)
- "The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
- "Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles. It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
- "The Emperor and the Kite": Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite. So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.
♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.
- FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
- Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners". Which one do you think is the romance? :)
- Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna” ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.
♦ History or Mystery.
- Dickens Junction Mystery Series : Love Charles Dickens and murder mysteries? Perfect!
- The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
- Book Selections From the Vintage Series : Choose from reading about the American Civil War to life in 1930s Bombay.
♦ Science Fiction or Fantasy.
- Books by Kev Heritage, S. M. Reine and other popular authors in the sci-fi genre
- Gifts for the Tolkien Enthusiast - Can't say the word fantasy and not mention Tolkien.
♦ Inspiring Biographies.
♥ ♥ ♥
09 June 2022
You Think You Know All About Witches | earthpages.ca (Reblog)
A very informative post: Witch. Two ideas (or facts, if you prefer) presented that were news to me!
(1) Witches are born witches. Sorcerers get to apply for the job later on in life.
(2) Witch doctors were called witch doctors because people called on them to cure an illness believed to have been caused by a witch.
Original content source link: ForumCoin.com
- Witchcraft: Past and Present
- Book Suggestion: Witch Hunt by SM Reine
- If you're into urban fantasy. - The 18th Century Vampire Controversy | wizzley.com- Think witches had it rough?
Image credit: By Immanuel Giel - Own work, Public Domain, Link
Related articles
07 May 2022
Like eBooks? Enjoy Thrillers? Want to Hear Free Book Excerpts?
Get Free Excerpts at ebooks.com!!!
Thriller/Horror Book Suggestions |
Classic Horror Collection
By: Various
Published by: MobileReference.com
Classic Horror Collection. Incl. Dracula, Present at a Hanging, Tales of Terror and Mystery, The Phantom of the Opera, The Cask of Amontillado, Varney the Vampire, Frankenstein, The Raven & MORE... more...
|
Horowitz Horror
By: Horowitz, Anthony
Published by: Philomel
Kitty's House of Horrors
By: Vaughn, Carrie
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
REALITY BITES Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a... more...
|
Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror
By: Writers Association, International Thriller
Published by: Dutton Children's
Don't turn out the lights. Don't go out alone. And whatever you do, don't let down your guard. Because your neighbors might seem normal, but why do they collect knives and eat their steaks so bloody? more...
|
Our Haunted Lives
By: Belanger, Jeff
Published by: ReadHowYouWant
Our Haunted Lives features the stories of dozens of people who have witnessed the supernatural firsthand--in their homes, at work, in cities large and small, in the United States and abroad. more...
|
Ghost Hunt
By: Hawes, Jason; Wilson, Grant; Dokey, Cameron (other)
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
An exciting new middle grade collection of spooky paranormal investigations based on REAL ghost hunts from stars of the TV show Ghost Hunters , the number one reality show on cable television! In a lush, thick volume, Ghost Hunt will feature multiple... more...
|
Living With Ghosts
By: Sperring, Kari
Published by: DAW
The dazzling debut from a brilliant new fantasy talent. This highly original, darkly atmospheric fantasy novel immerses readers in a world where ghosts and other malevolent spirits seek entry into mortal realms—invisible to all but those who are not... more...
|
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Paranormal
By: Brown, Nathan Robert
Published by: Alpha Books
An otherworldly examination of the unknown that will keep fright fans reading all night From any strange experience that can't be defined by science to psychic phenomena to monsters and weird creatures, The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to the Paranormal... more...
|
Shadow Tales
By: Grover, John
Published by: Double Dragon Publishing
There is a world that exists within our world. It is the world of shadow. A realm where anything is possible, a world where nothing is as it seems, a world that few have ever seen and returned to tell the tale. In this world new kinds of monsters are... more...
|
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft
By: Gleason, Katherine
Published by: Alpha Books
This guide offers a beginner's look at the history of paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft, from the Druids and Celts to the witches of today who practice an earth-based religion, cast spells, and perform natural magic. The book, written by a practicing witch,... more...
|
{ Affiliate Advertisement }
09 February 2022
Famous Poets: Spotlight on Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917 - 2000)
"I am a writer perhaps because I am not a talker."
- - Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 - 2000)
A biography snapshot of African-American poet, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (Jun 7, 1917 - Dec 3, 2000).
Continue reading:
#OTD— Gwendolyn Brooks Culture Center (@WIU_GBCC) June 7, 2019
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000) was an American poet, author, and teacher. #WIU pic.twitter.com/Ve8UEwjHPr
Related articles
- Harper Lee to publish sequel to 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
- Gwendolyn Brooks: 1917-2000
- New Stamp Just for National Poetry Month
- University to celebrate life and legacy of poet Gwendolyn Brooks
May 5, 1950 Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her book “Annie Allen.” She was the first AA to receive the prize. Brooks biography, “A Life of Gwendolyn Brooks,” was published in 1990. See: https://t.co/LC0E1lEjm2#OnThisDayInBlackHistory pic.twitter.com/sVlNhcefCG— Thabiti Anyabwile (@ThabitiAnyabwil) May 5, 2019
04 October 2021
Do You Dare Go Dowsing for Graves?
Gravestones are fascinating historical markers. But not all graves are marked. The history of those buried is lost. Or not!
“Some people use the term “dowsing” while others use “divining” or “witching”. All three terms mean the same thing.” Some say dowsing is pseudoscience and does not work. Nevertheless people earnestly dowse for graves in certain areas where bodies are believed to be, but the burial spot or final resting place has become lost because they are unmarked. Volunteers for history societies often dowse for graves; and there are others who have their reasons. Very interesting.+++
If you like reading articles like the one referenced above you will love this book!
Funerals to Die For: The Craziest, Creepiest, and Most Bizarre Funeral #Traditions and Practices Ever by Benjamin, Kathy ~ https://t.co/qaLvkFZRv3 via @amazon #books #ebooks #reading #readinglist #readingcommunity @goshoppingbees pic.twitter.com/bTdw46kMzn
— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) October 4, 2021
DIDN'T FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? SEARCH THE ENTIRE WEB |