I accidentally deleted the back links to most of my published fiction. I’ll share as I re-add the links, starting with a favorite.
I was pleased to be published in Ranfurly Review a few years back. I hope you enjoy….And the Moon Waits.
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On 'Hicksploitation' And Other White Stereotypes Seen On TV : Code Switch : NPR
I listened to this piece as I was dashing off to work Friday morning, and thought that while I agreed, the commenter spoke too often of "white" stereotypes and less forthrightly about class.
Reading the comments now on the NPR website, the social reluctance to talk openly about how easily class stereotypes are justified seems apparent.
So, my editor-friend will likely have my early reader book back to me soon. It’s almost summer and her primary gig as a stay-at-home Mom is going to be ramping up soon. I know I will likely have nothing to do with illustrations if I am successful in finding an agent – and publisher – for this book. But because I am me, I am illustrating the home copy. I am planning for black and white drawings for “in chapter” illustrations and colorful paintings as “end tags” to each chapter. Here’s the first one I’ve finished.
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Social class influences where even valedictorians go to college, research finds | Inside Higher Ed
Valedictorians from low-income schools aim lower than their wealthier peers in choosing colleges.
While the news clip focuses on the lack of information provided by high school counselors, it would be relatively easy for more colleges to contact these students directly to actively inform them of the options available to them, if those colleges actually had an interest in socio-economic diversity on their campuses.
I listen to peers relive their college visits as they take their kids around to visit prospective schools. And I recall struggling to come up with the application $ to apply to my "dream college" and the one state school that had already offered me a full ride.
Since I could barely pay to apply, the "dream college" application was just money down the drain - I couldn't have paid tuition.
I think it's WONDERFUL that parents take their kids to visit prospective schools, but I can't help but think about how far apart "normal" can be because of money, even for some of the very best students.
"God DOES state that homosexuality is DETESTABLE"
I read those words today on my computer screen within a comment that mostly centered on talking up how loving the commenter actually was. "It's not ME who hates fags, it's GOD!" so, so many Christian believers say, in a bewildering variety of verbiage.
Not so fast, lady. Here was my response:
The biblical passages you are thinking of when you say, "God DOES state that homosexuality is DETESTABLE" are Genesis 19:1-5, Leviticus 18:22, and Leviticus 20:13 in the Old Testament, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-10, and Romans 1:21-31 in the New Testament.
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Who Knew That Greenwich, Conn., Was a Model of Equality? - NYTimes.com
Poor children do better in wealthy schools. Fascinating, since family structure, family vocabulary, family values, or other qualities of their home life presumably don't change. Only the resources, teaching methods, and social capital available to them changes, and those things matter.
" The remarkable thing about economic integration, Kahlenberg says, is that it seems to improve outcomes for the poor without diminishing educational attainment among the rich.
Jokes are supposed to be funny. They always start with a set up and then build to a crescendo where the plot twists and the listener bursts out laughing. Last week a “joke” went viral, but no one was left laughing.
The “joke” was a piece titled “PARENTS PUT 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER UP FOR ADOPTION AFTER LEARNING SHE IS GAY”.
I have written before about why I sell Avon. Here are a few of my favorite products.
Anew Ultimate 7S. I like all of the Anew products, but this one is my favorite. I am not a fan of make-up but felt I’d reached a point where I wasn’t presentable without it. Now, I am back to almost none, and I think I look pretty good.
Anew Platinum Lip and Eye Cream. I am younger than the target market for this product, but Colorado is dry. I have been very happy with what this has done for my lips.
Avon’s bubble baths. These come in ginormous bottles, make lots of bubbles, and are also useful as non-toxic scented household cleaners – I like pumpkin, which comes back around every fall. I have used it to wash clothes and have diluted it to wash floors and counters.
I also use Avon deodorant. The prices are hard to beat. If you use a grocery store deodorant, these are as good, and cheaper.
I only write about Avon a few times a year, but I love this stuff…I’ve been using it for decades and to be honest, Lancome is the only thing I have ever used that was as good as Anew. But Lancome costs more. If you use department store or drugstore products, you seriously want to try it.
I only sell on-line, since my real job keeps me busy, so if you want to check it out, I am at www.youravon.com/dmcneill. It’s a secure website and everything ships to you. You can email me any questions at dbmcneill@live.com. I will not tell you something works or is good unless I can personally vouch for it.
Scammers – don’t bother to email me. I do not sell products via email or in person. I sell online only, so buy it on-line or don’t, but don’t send me “I am doing a model shoot” (or any other spammy scammy) email. I have and will report scammers to the FBI.
For naysayers…
…If you only use hand-crafted, wild-crafted products, I get it, Avon is not for you. But if you buy body care products at the grocery store, drug store, or department store, you may want to check out. The prices are better. And you can click on the ingredient list – no matter what the product – Avon lists ingredients, so you can see if a product meets your standards.
Avon has a history of not testing on animals, but Avon is not 100% cruelty free. Currently, 0.3% of Avon products are tested on animals. This is because there are Avon reps in countries that require such testing by law. Personally, I think empowering individuals with an income has better odds of changing such laws than refusing to allow people to be reps in these countries. Avon isn’t sold in stores (unless the store is set up by an independent Avon rep). Avon is only sold by independent reps, so it’s not exactly the same as other venerable brands yanking out of a country. Moreover, several years ago, when numerous brands, including health-food store brands, were touting themselves are “cruelty free” because they didn’t test the ingredients they used – but their suppliers did – Avon pulled no such sleight of hand.
Have you ever used any Avon products? What did you like?
I feel like I’ve been SICK since we crawled from the primordial ooze. Actually, it’s been a month.
First everyone at my house had strep. We went to our Family Practice, got treated to a bit of fresh from med school arrogance, took antibiotics and felt better for a few days.
Now everyone has a cold, and my baby and I have a dry, unproductive, painful cough that gets worse at night…so sleeping to get better is tough. It’s probably time to drag all of us back to the doc, but for now, I have to work. My PTO is about used up, so I’m here to invite you to my pity party.
I honestly do feel like crying.
Don’t Blink
I am looking forward to watching some Doctor Who.
Yep, it’s been that kind of week, and I can’t think past TV.
What are you looking forward to?
