Reading

Do You Need a Distraction?

Lynette M Burrows

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to step back from 24 hour roller coaster of Corona Virus News. Not that I don’t understand the significance and the scale of this thing. But my brain and my emotions need a break. I need a distraction—Do you need a distraction too? Music? Learn? Read on. I’ve distractions a plenty. Up Beat Sing-Along Long time readers know I love music. It’s my go-to stress reliever. Here are four songs and lyrics that will lift your spirits. Belt it out. You’ll feel better. Que Sera Sera—Doris Day Uptown Funk—Bruno Mars Bob Marley – Don’t Worry, Be Happy Mary Poppins (1964) – “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”  Ear Worms Your family won’t let you sing out loud? Sic these ear worms on them. You’ll all be singing. Witch Doctor – Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing—David Seville Call me Maybe—Carly Rae Jepsen Living La Vida Loca—Ricky Martin Shake It Off—Taylor Swift Banana Boat Song–Harry Bellefonte Parody For those of you who want to laugh at the Corona virus, here are four parodies that I thought you might enjoy. Do Not Go (“Let It Go” Corona Parody) Hands washing Hands — Neil Diamond Put […]

Do You Discuss Dystopias In The Making

Lynette M Burrows

Sometimes the well goes dry. When this happens to a creative, she must refill the well. This creative turns to informational podcasts (among other things). Recently I discovered a podcast of absolute golden inspiration for lovers of dystopian stories. The Good Code discusses dystopias in the making. Chine Labbe is the host of the Good Code in collaboration with DLI at Cornell Tech. It’s a weekly podcast on ways in which our increasingly digital societies could go terribly wrong. (Yes! Story fodder.) You may subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, GooglePlay, and other sites. On Net-States This week’s episode is Alexis Wichowski on Net States Chine and her guest, Alexis, discussed Wichowski’s recently released book The Information Trade: How Big Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges Our Rights, and Transforms Our World. The premise of the book is that big tech companies like Google and Facebook act like national governments. She implies that this is dystopias in the making. Our world is no longer divided by nation-states (like the United States, Canada, Italy, etc.) and non-states (ISIS, al Qaeda). And she proposes a new term for the era, net-state. What is a Net State?  A net-state is a digital, big tech company that […]

Do You Read Zombie Stories?

Lynette M Burrows

Zombies are everywhere you turn. Television, Movies, memes on Facebook, and in stories. I don’t normally read this genre. Do you read zombie stories? If you do, I have a recommendation. I read the first episode of Rhonda Hopkin’s Survival series. If you like zombie stories, if you like fast action, strong female characters, and a good story, you’ll like this one. The Amazon Description When Sarah escapes from her brutal abductors, she promises to return to rescue her twin sister, but with the dead walking the earth she is forced to rely on a coworker who made her work life hell for years. With her coworker weakened by cancer treatments, her sister still imprisoned, and the dead looking for an easy meal, Sarah’s only plan, if she can pull it off, is Survival. The First Page The first line hooked me but wouldn’t have been strong enough to keep me reading. The main character and her desperate plight kept me going.  The Characters The protagonist is Sarah. She’s real. She faces an impossible situation from which many would run away. You care about Sarah and what happens because she fights for her sister and for people she knows need […]