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A Writer’s Feud

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer Lytton, 1st ...

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, by Henry William Pickersgill (died 1875). See source website for additional information. This set of images was gathered by User:Dcoetzee from the National Portrait Gallery, London website using a special tool. All images in this batch have been confirmed as author died before 1939 according to the official death date listed by the NPG. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have argued ceaselessly with some of my friends who aren’t writers that the phrase  ‘Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword‘ which was coined by an English author, Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his play ‘The Conspiracy’ doesn’t imply that writers/ journalists/reporters etcetera are villains or mischief makers.

When Mr Lytton was coining the phrase in 1839 (according to Wikipedia) I am sure he won’t believe how undying or relevant it would still be over hundred years later.

Journalists have a penchant for news after all that is their job and believe me, the world would be a boring place if there was no print or electronic media.

Just imagine Obama and Romney battling it out in a Roman-like stadium, it wouldn’t have the same effect it does now, because I can confidently sit on the couch in my living room making my own comments about who won the first or second round.

I can tweet about it, make a comment on Facebook or blog the living daylights out of it, like I am doing now.

Writers (I should say journalists or reporters but we are in the same boat aren’t we?)are powerful, I agree, but we are not going to cause world war three, in actual fact we would prevent it!

We would inform America about Iran‘s plans to bomb Israel out of existence, we even sniffed out Gaddafi’s position to the rebels who silenced him like a cockroach. (Imagine calling your people rats and cockroaches! arrant nonsense)

We would tell  UN about Russia’s supply of arms to this despotic Syrian dictator…oh! I’d forgotten his name… yes! Assad something, and we are going to scream blue murder when a young girl was attacked for standing up for common sense!

I rest my case…

Footprints

What do we aim to contribute to life? Do we just breeze in and fade out without making an impact in the lives of others or a difference in the way the world works? By leaving our footprints in the sand of time simply means to be remembered for good things when we are gone. And while we are still here, to celebrate life, to be a joy giver and not a taker, to believe in ourselves and above all to preserve the sanctity of life which in all things is sacred in itself.

Which brings me to the words of WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD who wrote, ”Believe while others are doubting. Plan while others are playing. Decide while others are daydreaming. Begin while others are procrastinating. Work while others are wishing. Save while others are wasting. Listen while others talking. Smile while others are frowning. Persist while others are quitting.”

I think that sums it up pretty well.

Nice work Willis on your enlightening articles, and I quiet agree with Bill that volcanoes might have a greater impact on sea ice conditions than has been previously thought.

Watts Up With That?

Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach

Back in 2010, I wrote a post called “Prediction is hard, especially of the future“. It turned out to be the first of a series of posts that I ended up writing on the inability of climate models to successfully replicate the effects of volcanoes. It was an investigation occasioned by the oft-repeated claim from the modelers that the models are wizards at replicating volcanoes, such as this claim from Andrew Lacis:

There we make an actual global climate prediction (global cooling by about 0.5 C 12-18 months following the June 1991 Pinatubo volcanic eruption, followed by a return to the normal rate of global warming after about three years), based on climate model calculations using preliminary estimates of the volcanic aerosol optical depth. These predictions were all confirmed by subsequent measurements of global temperature changes, including the warming of the stratosphere by…

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Hateful Wars

I was glad when the war in Libya was finally over but then Syria began the systematic annihilation of her citizens and the orgy of violence gradually escalates. However, it was Bashar Alhasad who initiated the deadly rites into the land of the dead.

Daily he is assisting the boat man(death) to take his people over to the land of no song and no sun. But sooner or later, the boat man will be back. He will be back for the prize, and it is his very soul, Bashar’s soul that will be harvested by the ancient riper.

I will be glad when this war is over… and the souls of the innocent are spared. But like my mother would say in this wonderful African proverb, ”The dog that will get lost will not hear the whistle of the hunter.”

Maybe dictators like Bashar are destined for perdition.

Makalawena

This is a beautiful lovely beach… I could just visualise myself here reclining on a beach chair and thinking of the next bestseller to write or just digging my feet in the soft sand. With my brood safely tucked away in the hotel. Love this!

One Wild Life

The.most.beatiful.beach.ever.

What makes Makalawena special is that you have to REALLY want to get there.  Either you can walk across a scorching hot lava field (WITH sunscreen, believe me!), or drive on what my sister says is the “gnarliest” four wheel drive road she’s ever seen.  As it is, in order to even get to where you walk you have to drive on a pretty touchy road.  My husband went four wheeling for the first time ever on the way home, in our Honda Accord.

In the end, you get to this.  Total serenity.

A nearly deserted stretch of white sand beach with turquoise water.

It is part of Kehaka Kai state park, which has more than one beach associated with it.  Apparently there is good surfing here.  The water was pretty strong here, playing in the surf it was hard to stand your ground.  Kind of intense with little…

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