All around me this time of year, I hear “Merry Christmas!”   “Happy Holidays!” and various greetings of the season.   As everyone knows, lately there has been a backlash against expressing anything that smacks of religion, lest we offend someone.

I call bullshit.  This isn’t about religion; it’s about tolerance.  Despite what people may think, not everyone is a Christian / believes in Jesus / celebrates the same things everyone else does (Festivus, anyone?).   And that’s okay.

I think the “Happy Holidays” thing is about entitlement too.  I never remember anyone saying they were offended by a nativity scene when I was a kid.  If a neighbor set one up and it wasn’t like National Lampoon’s Christmas or didn’t fire snowballs at 500 mph toward your face when you walked by, then no big deal.

It’s not offensive for people to display their own religious symbols, unless they’re doing it in a way that is designed to annoy or provoke someone.  But who does that?

It seems like many people lately:

•  Have completely lost any semblance of manners or civility.
•  Think they are owed something whenever there is the slightest deviation from their norm.
•  Act like two-year-olds when they don’t get their way.

You hear people bitching in the media about children on planes or elsewhere crying as babies sometimes do.  But I ask you:  who is throwing food, attacking people, insisting on businesses accommodating their every request?

Well let me just say, if Santa visited adults, then everyone would need a coal heater from all the lumps they’d get this year.

*Chuckles as he imagines your reaction on Christmas morning to a sockful of clinkers*

Religious beliefs are just that:  BELIEFS.  You choose to have faith in something; it shouldn’t be forced on you.  But people saying “Merry Christmas,” which is also a secular holiday, aren’t pushing their religion on anyone.   At this time of year, the phrase replaces the typical “Have a good day” as a simple pleasantry.

If you don’t like it, just nod and smile politely.  You don’t have to say anything back.  There’s no reason to bully other people into not saying it because you have a low entitlement threshold, Sunshine.

Don’t celebrate Christmas?  That’s fine.  If you want to tell me you’re Jewish and Chanukah is your thing,  I’ll happily amend my greeting to “Oh! Happy Chanukah!”  or “Happy Whatever!”  Once a couple I was talking to said they weren’t Christian, and I said “Happy…er, Thing!”  They thought that was pretty funny.

I don’t really think it’s necessary to attack a complete stranger who is trying to be nice.   People should be able to wish you a merry Christmas without having to worry about offending you.  As a commenter quoted in this article said, if someone takes the time to wish people joy, there’s really nothing to be mad about.

Lighten up.  It’s Christmas/Solstice/Chanukah/etc.!

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble is a lovely children’s book by multimedia author Daniel Errico, illustrated by artist Tiffany Turrill (I know her!  See her link in my blogroll!).

Aimed at children aged 3-6, the story is about a cute, colorful sea creature called a gnarble seeking to swim to the top of the sea, where he can finally see the blue sky he’s dreamed of and do a flip in the sunlight.   Along the way, he faces perils, and nearly gives up.

I don’t know if you can say it’s a moral little tale about persistence, but it’s sure a delightful one.  The author plays with language and invents words in his rhymes, like “koggers” and “swimming bungaloo.”  I read bits of it out loud to myself and wished I had a kid.

This is primarily a picture book, and the illustrations don’t disappoint.  Tiffany Turrill’s drawings are richly colored and exquisitely detailed.  And I’m not just saying that because she is my friend.  One thing I liked was finding lots of little sea beebees (as she calls them) inserted in the backgrounds of the pictures, giving them depth.  Each time you look, you see something new.

Poor gnarble…will he be okay? Read the book and find out!

Author Daniel Errico is the creator of a website called FreeChildrensStories.com, which he made to give all kids access to stories even if they don’t have any money for books.  Computers are becoming commonplace even for lower-income people, thanks to contract and prepaid smartphones and smaller, cheaper machines.   Free wi-fi is everywhere.

Studies have shown that kids who are read to or read at home do much better in school than kids who don’t.  According to the linked paper, all they need is access to print and someone to read to them.   Support your local library so all children have this chance.  Sites like Daniel’s would be accessible there, where parents may be able to print a story for free or a small copy fee.

I don’t have any rugrats, but a book like this is a treasure.  It’s the kind of thing a kid would love to revisit on a regular basis, and perhaps share with his/her own children.   I bought a copy for myself at Amazon.  This would make a great Christmas gift for a child you know, or an elementary school teacher’s classroom.

Check out the gnarble!

I’m updating my blog theme.  The black and red was nice, but I’m over it.

Hopefully I’ll have this done shortly.  Thank you for your patience.   Please enjoy this link to a baby panda video while you wait.

http://www.viddler.com/cheezburger/videos/2097/

I AM SO DUMB.

Way back in April, during the A-Z Blogging Challenge, I garnered a blog award from writer, artist and animator Deirdra Eden Coppel, who commented that she was enjoying my blog.

You can see it in my sidebar, the Powerful Woman Writer Award.  Isn’t her picture dynamic!  I wish I could draw like that.

Thank you, Deirdra, and I promise to do my best to try and keep the content standards up on here.   And I apologize for being so spacey that I didn’t even see your comment.  :P

I welcome comments and as long as I can I will continue to try and read and respond to as many of them as I can.  Since I don’t get very many that shouldn’t be too hard.  I broke my own rule and let my day job get to me.  NO MORE!

From now on, my writing comes FIRST!*

And another thank you to everyone who has been reading, from A-Z bloggers to my friends.  I wish I had more news to tell you re publication, but not so far.  I’m still working, though.  Got a new book to finish and edit.  I’ll keep you all posted.  When I begin querying, perhaps I’ll post an excerpt or two.

Happy weekend, everybody.  For those still stuck in the heat wave, stay chilly.

* would love to say I’ve moved to a private island where I’m happily scribbling away on the beach, but no.

Does not know how to use a computer.

Wow, I’m bossy lately.  Here’s another bossy post telling you what to do!

My older neighbor’s children got her a notebook after a pretty serious medical issue, so she could keep in touch by email.  They figured she would like to footle around on the Internet as well.

She has never used a computer before.  Ever.

The poor lady is too nice to tell her kids she DOES. NOT. WANT.  So she is losing her mind trying to use the thing.  Guess who gets to help?

Anyone with parents or grandparents in this pickle knows exactly what I’m talking about.  I’m no expert, but as a writer who also works in an office, I can get around minor issues with little trouble.  In no particular order, here are some things to keep in mind.

#4—Never assume they know anything at all. 

Listen to the complaint; don’t assume you know what Grandpa is asking.  Have him show you what he was doing when a problem occurred.  He can likely do that instead of tell you since he doesn’t know what that little arrow-shaped thing is called yet.

Not everyone is a natural instructor.  Listening goes a long way, as does patience.   It’s difficult to teach someone skills that come easily to you.  Once you learn all the little things about operating a computer, they become intuitive.  For a person who doesn’t even know how to turn the machine on and off, explaining them is like speaking Swahili to an Eskimo.

#3—Remember that they are afraid.

Older people especially see a computer as an expensive, complicated machine.  They are terrified they will irreparably damage it.  Also, learning something new as an adult is scary enough when you’re 25; when you’re 75, it’s even more so.

Encourage Auntie Myrtle to explore the computer with you there.  Let her mash all the buttons she likes, play with the cursor, open and close programs, etc.  Tell her there’s little she can do to break it.  She won’t believe that, but tell her anyway.  Walk her through some tutorials so she can get a feel for them and can ask you for help if she needs to.

#2—Write it down.

Look online for computer tutorials.  I found a good one (link at the bottom).  The Dummies series of books is awesome too.  Check reviews before purchasing anything.  Also, check your local library or college for free computer classes for adults and seniors.

There are software tutorials on disc, but they can be expensive, and some have dozens of complaints against them (I’m talking to you, Video Professor).  Go over sites/books with your newbie and bookmark things they will probably refer to often.

If you can’t find a good tutorial, make it.  A well-written tutorial can be a huge help.  Newbies often feel stupid, but if you give them a way to help themselves, it empowers them.

#1—Keep in mind that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

It takes time to learn anything new, and computers, even with incredibly easy GUIs that a five-year-old can navigate, are no exception.  No one can get it all in one day.  Your newbie may be frustrated because everyone else seems to know all this.

Reassure your newbie that no one else learned it overnight either.  The only reason I know what I know is I’ve been messing with the thing since the mid-90s.  Many, many people started earlier than I did and they don’t even know everything.

Since the advent of user-friendly interfaces, much of the programming crap an older person may remember about early computers is already done by the time it lands on your desk.  It truly is plug-and-play, right out of the box.

BONUS TIP:

NEVER LET YOUR NEWBIE GO SHOPPING FOR A COMPUTER WITHOUT YOU! 

If Mrs. Roubidoux next door says she’d like to get a laptop, take her to the store to try some out.  Park your butt right near her and fend off warranty upsells, optimization bullhockey and $450 cable scams.  It’s possible to get a machine without the crap (probably not at Best Buy, however). If you have to, you can order it online for her.

Once you get your newbie up and running, then you can get back to your writing.  Here are some links to help you.

How to Help Someone Use a Computer

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/how-to-help.html

How to Teach Someone to Use a Computer

http://www.ehow.com/how_5899820_teach-someone-use-computer.html

This tutorial below looks awesome, but my newbie might not be ready for this yet.  She can’t navigate web pages very well.  Once she can, I plan to give her this link.

Free Computer Training at GCFLearnfree.org

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computers

In light of the recent tornadoes in Alabama and Missouri, I’d like to take time to remind people of some basic safety and donation guidelines.

Although meteorology has come a long way, tornadoes can still drop out of a thunderstorm like ninjas.  Wrapped in rain, they are nearly impossible to see, especially at night. TAKE WARNINGS SERIOUSLY!  Just because you don’t see anything doesn’t mean it’s not there!

Signs of A Tornado (from the NOAA website)

1. Strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base.
2. Whirling dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base — tornadoes sometimes have no funnel!
3. Hail or heavy rain followed by either dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Many tornadoes are wrapped in heavy precipitation and can’t be seen.
4. Day or night – Loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn’t fade in a few seconds like thunder.
5. Night – Small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level near a thunderstorm (as opposed to silvery lightning up in the clouds). These mean power lines are being snapped by very strong wind, maybe a tornado.
6. Night – Persistent lowering from the cloud base, illuminated or silhouetted by lightning — especially if it is on the ground or there is a blue-green-white power flash underneath.

What to Do

• At home, take cover in an interior room or basement, as far from windows and outside walls as possible.  Crouch on the floor and cover your head.
• If you’re in a mobile home, get out and go somewhere else.  There is nothing there that can protect you.  Debris can penetrate the walls and tornadoes love to toss mobile homes.
• Office or school – follow established tornado procedures—interior room or lower level, away from windows.  Stay off the elevator!
• In a store – get away from the front windows, toward an interior room or storage.  Employees may direct you; listen to them! Do not stop to videotape the tornado!
• Outside or in a car – leave the car and get as far away from the road as you can.  Lie flat on low ground and cover your head.  DO NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER AN OVERPASS.  It will act as a wind tunnel and is dangerous!
• Do not stop to video the tornado. Flying debris can kill!

After a Disaster

If you are the victim of a tornado, you may be in shock or very upset.   Watch where you walk and keep your family together.  Wait for emergency help to arrive and follow instructions when it does.

• Don’t go back into a damaged building.  It may collapse.
• Don’t smoke or use lighters or matches.  There may be gas leaks.
• You can give first aid to people if you are qualified to do so.

DO NOT DRIVE TO THE DISASTER AREA TO SIGHTSEE.  You will get in the way of emergency response and may cost people their lives.  You may get arrested if you try to enter a restricted zone.  Don’t call me to bail you out, because I won’t!

Tornado Donation Tips

Many people want to help the victims of a disaster.  Sometimes they don’t think about what they’re doing.  After the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, AL tornado, ill-considered donations left people with a mountain of crap they can’t even use.  Think before sending anything.

1. Check out any organization you plan to donate to.  Scams are rampant after a disaster.  Look here for ways to scope disaster relief.  Legitimate charities will also publish their financials so you know exactly where your money is going.
2. Do not send torn, worn or nasty old clothes you don’t want anymore.  Those belong in the rag bag or the trash.  No used underwear either!
3. Same goes for household items.  Would you want a bag of someone’s junk?
4. Most organizations and churches asking for donations will have a list of items needed on their website or will share it via email and social networking.  Stick to the list to avoid saddling a storm victim with stuff they can’t use.

Everyone should have a plan in place for the disasters that are typical of the area.  Practice and review your plan periodically so everyone knows what to do when something bad happens.