02 May 2025

Entertainment: Music: Throwback: Joe Cocker (1944 - 2014)

UPDATED this post to share some long-overdue news. It's May 2025 and Joe Cocker ill finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joe Cocker's Family Reacts to Rock Hall of Fame Induction | Billboard


I was a part of the Google Plus social network for a few years.  But then Google shut down its network.  When it was alive, one of the fun things people liked to do was called "Throwback" OR "Throwback Thursday". It was so much fun. People shared stuff from back in the day. Usually, my shares were YouTube videos.


06 April 2025

Are Protest Marches Effective?

UPDATED:  The content below the asterisks was written in 2017. It's 2025. Who would have thought one president and a crony who joined him would have given US so much to protect about?



***
Marching is a clearly defined collective act of the people! It's proof that in a free country you can do something to get your voices heard by the elected officials you are allowing to serve you, to do what needs to be done for the good of all the people. 


Or at least... get them to think about it. 

Also, sometimes if you write letters, they might get lost in the mail or never even delivered. It's kind of difficult to ignore a large mass of people all moving together coming at you. :)




15 March 2025

Book Recommendation : Rebecca's Notebook ... by Daphne Du Maurier

In the mood to curl up on the couch or lie in bed and read a really good book about a really good book?  

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!

Rebecca


* * *
English: Young Daphne du Maurier (about 1930) Русский: Портрет Дафны дю Морье в молодости (начало 30-х годов ХХ века) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


English: Young Daphne du Maurier (about 1930) ...



09 February 2025

Asian Studies : Searching for Chinese Treasures

Planning a trip to China? Hoping to find hidden treasure from the ancient world? Students who compare civilizations in world history are aware that like the pharaohs of Egypt , the Chinese emperors and leaders buried treasures with them for their after life. 

 

It was reported in 2009 that Chinese archaeologists uncovered an 1800-year-old tomb in Xigaoxue , which they believed to be the genuine tomb of a Chinese general Cao Cao . Hundreds of relics were recovered, but some experts were not convinced the bones belonged to the military leader and wanted DNA tests done. Evidently, they had the bones of the general's son which had been discovered in 1951. 

 

The treasures of the Tombs of Southern Song Dynasty emperors were found but they had already been robbed. Perhaps there might still be some hidden tombs that the grave robbers could not locate or access. 
 

Curious seekers wanting to find treasures of ancient China often search for undiscovered tombs, but based on some interesting information uncovered doing research to write another article, it appears that searching for ships lost at sea or shipwrecks, might be just as profitable.

Content published on Read.Cash.

Like to dabble in Asian studies? 
 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
http://ahencyclopedia.tumblr.com/post/139354113884/book-review-your-travel-guide-to-ancient-china-by




13 January 2025

Save the Trees and Save Planet Earth: Trees Have Benefits

This article briefly touches upon a selection of trees chosen for two reasons. (1) To highlight and emphasize the contributions made by trees to sustain our life force. (2) Because these particular woody plants have interesting history associated with them that can be gleaned from the Bible and it makes for interesting reading. 



  • Acacia: The acacia trees are large thorny trees. Their orange-brown hard-grained wood repelled insects. Research indicates that there are 500 species of the acacia tree. It is valued as a timber tree and used in shipbuilding. In some biblical translations, acacia trees are called shittim. Acacia wood was also used in the building of the first tabernacle (a portable “tent of meeting” where the Jews worshiped during the Exodus). Most students of the Bible know that acacia wood was used to build the Ark of the Covenant.


  • Almond: The almond tree is a stunning pinkish-white-flowered tree and it is prized for the high protein nut that it yields. (Some say fruit; some say nut.) Not only are the nuts delicious to eat, but the oil extracted from the nut can be used medicinally or as a lubricant, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and as food flavoring. Because the almond contains very little starch, it is recommended as a flour substitute for diabetics. Aaron was the brother of Moses, who helped his brother lead the children of Israel at the time of the Exodus from Egypt and he served as high priest to the Jews. Among the contents of the Ark of the Covenant was Aaron’s rod. According to the Old Testament scriptures, though this rod had miraculous power, it was nothing more than an almond branch or twig.  


  • Balsam: From the balsam tree, one can produce balm, an aromatic resinous gum used for medical purposes. Balm of Gilead, balsam of Gilead, and balsam tree are common names. It has even been called balsam of Mecca. In Genesis, the story is told of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his jealous and envious brothers to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites. The Ishmaelites were traders on their way to Egypt to trade slaves, spices, myrrh and balm from Gilead. The Queen of Sheba brought balm as a gift for King Solomon.

Interesting? Well hopefully, the facts also make it plainly evident that trees are not just the stuff of bible stories and legends. They have a crucial role in making the earth a livable planet.  

Benefits ( http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_benefits.aspx ) include: medicinal applications, delicious edible fruits, gorgeous flowers that give off a variety of pleasant fragrances, foliage that shade from a scorching sun, etc. The urgency of preserving, maintaining and cultivating trees should not be understated and can not be oversimplified.

There are environmental activists called “tree sitters” who will risk being arrested and feel compelled to literally protest by sitting in a tree, to protect it from being cut down. This passionate stand (or rather, sitting) can be considered an act of civil disobedience which sometimes results in forcible removal of the protestor from the tree. Citizens of earth should imitate the zeal of these activists, or at least support them.

By the sixth century A.D., beautiful groves of the famed cedars of Lebanon had been destroyed and these days only a precious few remain. Reforestation campaigns are underway. There are some who advocate that reforestation can reverse effects of global warming and world hunger in one step. Although global warming is a topic that seems to be on everybody’s radar, not many understand its real impact on the environment. But almost everyone knows or can hazard an educated guess as to the impact careless destruction of trees would have on our lives.

Significant strides are being made for our forests to be preserved for future generations. There are numerous efforts worldwide to save trees and protect forests, along with individuals planting trees and reducing paper consumption. Everything makes a difference.







   

01 January 2025

Are You Qualified to Make Good Soup?

Want to read a food quote? 

“Only the pure in heart can
make a good soup.” 

Guess who said that? 
- No it wasn't Jesus Christ. 
- No it wasn't Jacques Pepin. 

Beethoven! Yeah, the famous classical music composer, Ludwig van Beethoven said that! 

So not only was he a genius when it came to composing music, he was also smart when it came to knowing about comfort food. 



January is National Soup Month and in other months of the year, we celebrate days for various types of soups and chowders. Why wait until the winter months when you can start enjoying warm comforting soups during any season of the year?  After all, if you live in places like Florida, Texas, or Hawaii, you might never see Jack Frost.
* * *

Food trivia: Do you know President George Washington’s favorite soup? (Answer.) 








EES shares recipes, cooking tips
and all things foodie!

 






20 December 2024

Quotes About Texas ~ Kinky and Others

Rummaging through some of my old content and material and found this two quotes. I heart "ALL THINGS TEXAS" (except the politicians). Published this post and tacked on an image just so I could pin them. :)

Kinky Friedman contemplates a question from the audience at a campaign rally at the Bastrop High School, West Campus Gymnasium, Bastrop, Texas, United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kinky Friedman contemplates a question from th...


 "I want to be a Texan 24 hours a day." -James Dean  (James Byron Dean (1931 - 1955), American film actor and cultural icon, who died at age 24 in a tragic car accident.  Best embodied by the title of his most celebrated film, "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955). NOTE:  I've heard a lot about that movie.  But I don''t remember watching it.  I remember Mr. Dean from the movie "Giant" with Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.)


Mr. Dean is pictured on the LIFE magazine cover sandwiched between Marilyn Monroe and Bruce Lee.

LIFE Gone too Soon
***

16 December 2024

America's First Christmas (and Christmas Floral Paintings)

Some historians believe the first Christmas in the United States was celebrated in 1539 by Hernando de Soto, a dozen Catholic priests, and around 600 Spanish explorers. The settlers held a Christmas Mass in Anhaica, an Indigenous village now known as Tallahassee, Florida.

Christmas


The first clearly recorded Christmas in the South was in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. This is if you exclude a celebration in 1604 by French settlers when they tried to establish a colony on St. Croix Island off the coast of Maine.

Some call 1776 the first "American" Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previous summer.

Alabama was the first state to officially recognize Christmas as a legal holiday in 1836. Oklahoma was the last state to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday in 1907.

By 1860, 14 states, including several in New England, had adopted Christmas as a legal holiday.

Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston. It wasn't until the 1800s that Americans began to embrace Christmas.

In the United States, Christmas was established as a federal holiday on June 26, 1870.
*** 
(Content generated using Google develop generative AI in Search)

***

In the holiday spirit? ~ Lift your spirits!
Floral paintings always lift my spirit.
Adorn any room with these art prints!













REFERENCES:

Contreras, Russell. “Hispanics Led First U.S. Christmas Celebrations.” Axios. Axios, December 21, 2021. https://www.axios.com/2021/12/21/hispanics-first-christmas-celebrations-us.

Celebrating Holidays. “History of Christmas in America,” 2023. https://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=1046.

billpetro. “History of the First American Christmas: 1776.” Bill Petro. The BPC Group, November 29, 2023. https://billpetro.com/history-of-the-first-american-christmas-1776/.

Bhagat, Dhruti. “Boston Public Library.” Bpl.org, December 21, 2018. https://www.bpl.org/blogs/post/the-origins-and-practices-of-holidays-christmas/.

HISTORY. “History of Christmas - Origins, Traditions & Facts | HISTORY,” October 27, 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas.

Dallascitynews.net. “Ten Interesting Facts about Christmas - Dallas City News,” 2023. https://www.dallascitynews.net/ten-interesting-facts-about-christmas.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Christmas.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, December 19, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas.


07 December 2024

Tips for Newbie Bloggers: Sharing My Experience Using Free Tools for Blogging

This is my advice for newbie bloggers or beginners.  You have to start somewhere so start using free tools.  That way you test yourself and see if you really want to pursue this endeavor.  Been at this for over 10 years and I can tell you from experience, that consistent and persistent blogging is not for the faint of heart.

I'm cheating a little with this post.  Via Quora (a Q&A platform where I am an active member) there was a published post generated by an AI bot titled "Which are the best free tools for blogging? - Quora".  

I went through the list and I can comment on most of them because I have tried them.  I am publishing this content on Blogspot (aka Blogger) - owned by Google - because quite frankly, I think this is the best blogging platform for newbies.  The Quora post listed 8 platforms and I am sharing my thoughts and experience with some additional thoughts for the platforms that were not mentioned.

tips for bloggers

1. WordPress.com

The free tier is nice but I could not monetize my content.
Last blog post: 
Creating Real Worlds in Fantasy and Fiction

2. Blogger

A simple blogging platform owned by Google.

Easy and free. Was approved for Ad Sense but that was ages ago, Not sure if new users can get approved.

I have several blogs.  View my Blogger profile.

3. Medium

Affiliate links are permitted but not encouraged. They don't want the site to become a spam magnet.  Super easy to publish and has a lively community that interacts with the writer. The Partner Program helps you monetize content but don't expect money to come rolling in. The PRO is the ability to create your own publication (kind of like a magazine).  

View my Medium publications:  Express Yourself! and Nothing but Love for Korean Drama.

The CON is that if you are not a member you can only read 3 free posts each month.  The way the monetization program is set up, external visits don't count.  Only visits to your articles by other members are used in the algorithm.  Even so ... it's one of the best platforms.  They accept original and republished content and Medium links often get found by the search engine.



4. Wix
5. Weebly


Tried them but did not like it. Just my preference.

6. Ghost (Self-Hosted)

Never heard of it!

7. Substack

Tried it. Liked it. But it didn't work for me. It was just extra work with no profitability. But others have reported a different experience. So don't take my word for it.

8. Tumblr

They offered a way to monetize and then they discontinued the program. Nevertheless, it's a fun platform for social sharing or for bookmarking.  Take your links from your other blogs and share them via Tumblr ... BUT! ... 
"Tumblr backlinks can help you increase traffic, but they won't be as effective as backlinks earned on another blogging platform. This is due to the fact that Tumblr pages are considered subdomains. And they carry less weight as a source of backlinks. You should also include images in your blog posts."  (Per Tumblr SEO Best Practices & Tips | Tactica)

View my Tumblr blogs.

CONCLUSION: 

Two Platforms Not Mentioned:  Quora and Vocal.Media

(1)  Interestingly, the AI-generated post was published on Quora and it did not mention Quora! {Maybe it's not "the best". (O.o) }Quora offers a free blogging platform. I have used and it's been an off-and-on relationship. At present, I am turned OFF! Quora had a program that would allow bloggers to monetize their content and now they don't. That was the reason I tried so hard. I was trying to earn money. But now that they don't have the revenue-sharing programs anymore, so I said “Bye Bye!”

(2) The post also did not mention Vocal.Media.

Easy to publish. Republished content accepted. Free account (upgrade offered). Earn $3.80 per 1000 unique views.

View my Vocal.Media profile.


Hope these tips help.

03 December 2024

Tips for Newbies: Sites That Accept Republished Content: Vocal.Media

Blogging and article writing are work-at-home endeavors I have been doing for years.  My first article was published on a site that is now defunct.  However, it taught me my first valuable lesson in online writing.  The site's policy was original content only but after the content had been on their site for one year, the writer was allowed to republish elsewhere.  

The light bulb went off in my head.  You can republish content?  I was a newbie.


So
, I started searching for publishing platforms that accepted republished content. The first site was Yahoo! Voices, but it shut down. After that, I found Medium.com, where I publish both original and republished writing. (View my writer's profile on Medium.)  

Recently, friends directed me (or redirected me) to Vocal.Media.  I already had an account and my profile boasted 4 original articles, and I had not been active for 4 years.  However, I was unaware that VM allowed republished content.  

But now that I know, I'm all in.  (View my writer's profile on Vocal.Media.)

The big difference between Medium and Vocal.Media is that external views are counted. Both platforms have a program that allows you to monetize your content. 
  • However, you must be a member of Medium. 
  • By contrast, Vocal.Media membership is not required and if you have a free account, you can earn $3.80 for 1,000 unique views.
I almost passed on a money-making opportunity for my online writing.  It's nice to have friends.

18 November 2024

Ancient Israel : Memorable Battles in Jewish History

SHILOH (not Jerusalem) was at one time the focal point of Israel's worship, where both the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant resided. 


Shiloh (biblical city) By Abraham Sobkowski OFM - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link


The Jews took the Ark from Shiloh to Kiriath-Jearim to the battlefield because they thought it would being them victory. They were wrong! They lost the Battle to the Philistines. It was a slaughter!! The enemy took the Ark as a spoil of war. But it was not the kind of trophy they would be allowed to show off with. There were plagues in every Philistine city where the Ark was taken. In the end, they gave it back to the Jews.  


Where is the Ark NOW?? The Jews don't even know!!!  


What's that? It's in Ethiopia?


Yeah right. And the Chinese invented the fortune cookie.


As if ... any God-fearing Jew on the planet would let the Ark - if it really were there - remain in Ethiopia.
   

References: Ancient Jewish History: The Ark of the Convenant and the Book of Samuel


- INTERESTING HISTORY NOTE:  During the American Civil War, the Union Army under the leadership of Ulysses Grant, achieved a victory at the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862). But that's another battle. :)





17 November 2024

Hollywood Legends : Iconic Female Celebrities: Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) (Guest Post)

Today, Marilyn Monroe would be 90 years old, but the diva passed away in 1962. Many people know her celebrity persona, and she still is viewed as an icon of beauty and femininity. But let’s take a look at her off-screen personality. Here are seven (7) biographical facts. 

   


This marvelous timeline of photographs ~ "A picture of Marilyn for every year she was alive, 1926-1962." ~ source



1. Marilyn Monroe was born June 1, 1926, Los Angeles, California.



2. Ms. Monroe feared that viewers would think of her as about a "frivolous fool", so she studied and rehearsed earnestly at various acting studios.



3. Despite the fact that Marilyn Monroe is considered a sex symbol, she confessed in her diaries: "I was always very physically clamped. I have always been sure that something is wrong with me."




Image credit:   "A teenage Norma Jeane, later known as Marilyn Monroe. Circa 1940."  Found on Pinterest




4. Marilyn Monroe loved to read. More than 400 books were in her personal library. She did not finish high school and felt the need to continue her education on her own, not only to quench her thirst for knowledge but in order to be on par with others who were blessed to complete a formal education program.






5. Before becoming a famous actress, she worked at an aircraft factory, during the World War II. Her job was crucial, She was checked the serviceability of parachutes. One of the photographers, who was looking for "fresh faces" noticed her there. The rest, as they say, is history.



6. Marilyn Monroe ate very little and could spend an entire day drinking only orange juice. Yet she has never been skinny, according to today's “perfect size” standards (say size 5 by comparison to today's slim petite almost emaciated models who wear a size 2).







7. In order to become the wife of her third husband, Marilyn Monroe converted to Judaism. She was fond of Arthur Miller and trust him a lot. It was his betrayal that completely undermined her faith in people.



Over half a century later, Marilyn Monroe is still revered as a Hollywood legend, an ideal American beauty / diva. Her popularity has not dwindled. It is a pity that her life ended up so early or to quote another diva, Sir Elton John, she was like a “candle in the wind”.




About the author:  This guest post was supplied by Melisa Marzett is an amazing writer, who is currently writing for smartessayrewriter.com. Get inspired with her posts!
* Other guest posts by Melisa:



Related articles

♦ ♦ ♦

Fun link:
Iconic Beauty Looks From the Year You Were Born
If you were born in 1957, the ideal beauty / model for that year was Marilyn Monroe. Check for the year you were born. 








08 November 2024

Classic Movies : 'Mahogany' Taught the True Value of Being a Success

"Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with."


That's my takeaway quote from the 1975 film "Mahogany".

Agree or disagree?


There was once a time when Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams were an "item"; for movie couples, that is. They had great onscreen chemistry but never a real-life romance.

They had a romantic relationship in the film Mahogany (1975).  A movie that is memorable for its really nice theme song and great fashion; especially that Bob Mackie rainbow dress Ms. Ross wore in one of the scenes. When it comes to fashion, beauty, and style though, in real life, Ms. Ross was and still is one of the best-dressed women in the entertainment business; onscreen and off. Click through to view a fabulous gown she's wearing in the video for this September 2014 article:

Diana Ross : Still a 'Supreme' Performer



Diana Rossby peterpicture /  /  / ©2018 peterpicture


Nothing much to say about this motion picture that you can't look up on Wikipedia. That quote about success struck a chord with me though.  That's it!  That's my movie review.

Mahogany (1975)

 


* * *

http://mabellonghetti.tumblr.com/post/145188247227/diana-ross-photographed-by-steve-schapiro-1970s

Cool Tumblrs : Movie Reviews Written as Haiku Poems

Found the most amazing entertainment blog! On my list of Cool Tumblrs, this blog ranks Numero Uno!! In fact, this blog is Number One no matter what platform it's published on.  

The publisher writes movie reviews in haiku. 




Takes quickie movie reviews to another level.  Right?  This person should have a segment on one of the entertainment TV shows where they come on at the last minute and recite their movie critique/poem for a new movie release.  It would only take 2 or 3 minutes.


The post archive dates back to 2005.  Even found a few movies that I never heard.  The only thing that could blog even better would be to include foreign films, i.e. not made in America or not made by Americans.


Here is the link to the haiku of a Johnny Depp movie that everybody was raving about.


  Black Mass | Review in Haiku



Note:  The real Whitey Bulger died in jail on October 30, 2018.  Cause of death?  Murder.  YAY! That's all she wrote!

♦♦♦♦♦♦



 

♦♦♦♦♦♦



01 November 2024

Home and Garden: Ideas For Improving Your Quality of Life

Your home is your castle and you should make it a living space that you would be willing to live in for forever!  But how do you do that?  Below are a few ideas.  I recommend:  bath salts, aromatherapy, feng shui, and pomegranates.


The combination use of bath salts with aromatherapy can change a mood from anxiety and distress to an experience of comfort and serenity. ...


The principles of Feng Shui worked 6000 years ago and still work today! Feng shui products are designed to create a truly calm, stress-free, relaxing environment and bring serenity, i.e. harmony and balance into any environment - be it your home or where you work. ...


The invincible pomegranate has earned its distinction as a super fruit. But there's more! ...





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.

NOTE:  Been tracking this since 2019.  Even though Paramount made the announcement, it's 2024 and we're still waiting.  I get that COVID happened in between but still!


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!  :)


♦♦♦♦
UPDATE:
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







DIDN'T FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? SEARCH THE ENTIRE WEB