The winners of the annual Puppy Birthday Prize pack
are...
Grand prize:
Melissa from Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf! (confirmed)
Second prize:
Terri from Alexia's Books and Such! (confirmed)
No, you didn't have to have a book blog to enter, but if you haven't do check those great blogs out!!
👉Also, if you entered but did not get 1st or 2nd, do check your e-mail... just sayin'... 😉 (not everyone has gotten back to me yet...)🎁
Sorry it took me so long to get to the announcement, but I had limited access to my computer for a time and I didn't feel well over the holidays so I just decided to take the time off. However, now I'm playing catch up. 😷
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I have a few things for this category... one positive and one not. I guess I'll go not first.
The Not
Simon & Schuster under the imprint of Threshold books has given $250k to Milo Yiannopoulos who is known for his racist and misogynistic viewpoints. In fact, that is what made him "famous". Won't give him anymore time here, but you can look him up if you are not familiar. The companies response was heartbreaking since they did the whole not condoning and multiple view argument and I also responded that statement.
Well, @SimonBooks @threshold_books @simonschuster this all sounds like a good answer, but when you normalize hate, you participate in it. 😞— Melissa 🐝 (@BooksThings) December 30, 2016
What does this mean? Well, so far this year I have not reviewed a S&S book. This may become an issue soon for me and I'll have to weigh supporting the author vs the publisher since I know a lot of authors have no choice and it isn't easy to move. I can guarantee that I will keep it to the bear minimum if at all and perhaps this may be the key to getting out of book blogging (blog may turn into something else). I'm still considering.
The Positive
For those that don't think that calling (best) or mailing your statements to your representatives doesn't work consider what recently happened:
I know a lot of news outlets gave Trump the nod nod on this one, but if you really look, it was the astonishment of the number of calls they got that really took them by surprise. No one reverses a decision like that so soon after a tweet so there is no way I'm giving Drumpf the credit. He just knew what was coming and like he has been doing, taking credit for other people's work. 🙄 You can check out other sources for the same comments if you don't like HuffPo. I just happened to see it there first. Yes, calling does work.
One not within this one though... The House GOP snuck by a way to hide he cost of the ACA removal. Yes, the removal (especially without a plan to replace... costs more) will cost taxpayers money. I'm upset that they are doing so much to hide and be less transparent as possible. We need that transparency and I wonder what else they have planned when they are trying to be opaque as possible. However this hasn't gone totally unnoticed and Bill de Blasio and a few other politicians are outing the numbers anyway. Good time to call your democratic politicians. Light a fire under them. 😏
One not within this one though... The House GOP snuck by a way to hide he cost of the ACA removal. Yes, the removal (especially without a plan to replace... costs more) will cost taxpayers money. I'm upset that they are doing so much to hide and be less transparent as possible. We need that transparency and I wonder what else they have planned when they are trying to be opaque as possible. However this hasn't gone totally unnoticed and Bill de Blasio and a few other politicians are outing the numbers anyway. Good time to call your democratic politicians. Light a fire under them. 😏
Btw, if you are upset at Paul Ryan trying to defund Planned Parenthood then there is an easy way to do that. Just to go Call Speaker Ryan and they even give you a script (you do get signed up for text alerts, but can opt out). Teen Vogue did a good article on how Ryan is locked in his office refusing to collect petitions and why this subject is important and why their reasons don't make sense. The article is HERE.
If you haven't seen this, I do think you'll enjoy...
The Trumpster quote #1#ANewJeersToast https://t.co/qZQEGU18r6— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) January 8, 2017
Yep, Mark Hamill took Trump's New Years odd tweet into something magic... I don't get half the stuff he writes on twitter but it makes more sense in this context, sad as that is...
Yes, you may get sick of me doing these, but I want to do something so this is it.
Now go have some fun...
🎈
Congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteYaY! :D
DeleteI absolutely agree--the S&S issue is a deeply troubling one. I even receive finished hardcovers from their press so I'm now at a standstill about whether or not I should decline this, even though so many of my favorite authors--namely Maggie Stiefvater!!--publish through S&S. I would love to hear updates of your thoughts on this as you figure out what you're planning to do as well, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteI know the struggle. I think I'm going to have to go by a case by case basis. I already know of one with an offshoot imprint that I will probably review. I know it isn't the author's fault. It is hard to weigh helping an author and sticking to convictions... especially when part of your conviction is to help others... *sigh*
DeleteWell done Terri and your other winner. Glad to read you are on the mend.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and yet disturbing to read that information regarding S&S. I can understand the potential dilemma.
I hope I'm mending... perhaps I'm using the wrong thread? ;) Yep, humor bone is still wonky in me... :D
DeleteYep, dilemma... *sigh*
Sorry to hear you were sick over the holidays. Hope you continue to get better and staying offline sounds like a good plan.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
Well, the lack of a power source for my comp helped, but I was still technically online. I just didn't do much. :)
DeleteI honestly didn't even know who Milo was until this all started. I'm shocked that they haven't pulled the deal yet, didn't HarperCollins just pull a deal for some alt-write book?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Mark Hamill is a national treasure.
I don't know why they doubled down on it. That, to me, was more disappointing especially when they pinned it to their page for a time. :(
DeleteMark Hamill is going to help me through this... :D
Oh Mark doing the Joker was awesome! It so fits too. lol. Congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteIt's scary that it fits better than the original tweet! O.o
DeleteI must be living under a rock because this is the first that I'm hearing of S&S controversy. It boggles my mind considering they are doing a Muslim author off shoot that I was really interested in. There's a lot more that I need to consider now.
ReplyDeleteI just barely heard about it and then saw their response when I was confirming it. Not good. :( I agree, a lot to consider....
DeleteCongrats to the winners!! :D
ReplyDeleteYaY! :)
DeleteOmg thank you for the email reminder! It was in my spam folder and I didn't see it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI completely get you with the S&S issue. It's an infuriating thing and I feel horrible for the authors.
Will get stuff off to everyone soon! :)
DeleteI know... I can't imagine an author being put in the middle like this at a time like this.. :(
I wasn't familiar with the man or what S&S did. That's so not cool. I do love Mark Hamil and I always enjoy anything that mocks Trump! I will be interested to see what your plans are for the blog. Congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteI agree, very bad form. Mark Hamill will see me through this... he's our only hop! <- see what I did there? LOL
DeleteGreat post, Melissa. There's definitely a lot to keep up on ... for the next -sigh- 4 years. The recording is funny, but scary.
ReplyDeleteI know... and what has happened recently. It boggles the mind. :(
DeleteI think the original tweet was scarier. :(
Congrats to the winner! The S and S thing is definitely disappointing. Sigh. Ah I've seen the Mark Hamill video! So good. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI could NOT resist. I figured those that haven't seen it might enjoy it. :)
DeleteI thought they used phones now that had tubes going to them. :D LOL
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine there will be someone who wants to know what a rotary phone is? UGH. LOL
Paul Ryan is simply a horrible person and the next four years is going to be scary with him and Trump at the side, so hopefully people keep flooding his phones - too bad I feel like it won't make too much of a difference in this case ;/ he is just itching for this to go through and to get rid of Obama care as soon as his fingers allow it.
ReplyDeleteI hope I am wrong and people prevail.
DeleteIt's a bit sad about S&S but congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteI agree on both sentiments. :)
DeleteSMH at Simon and Schuster!
ReplyDeleteI know! :(
DeleteCongrats to the winner and thank you for the S&S info Melissa.
ReplyDeleteNot fun info, I know. :(
DeleteThanks for the S&S news, didn't know that. And Paul Ryan- ugh.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Ugh says it all. :)
DeleteCongrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteYaY!
DeleteCongrats! And I didn't know there were S&S issues. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDelete