Changes Coming! It's Time to Give!

Please pardon the construction that is going to start on DeKalbRamblings.com today.  We will be tearing down walls, removing some links, and over all changing a bit of our focus.

The goals of the website seem to have been blurred over the coarse of the last several months that we've been live.  Not a big deal in a basic sense from a reader's perspective but our bottom line is hundreds in the hole.  I should reiterate that we are not a "business" in the true sense of the word.  We are here to provide free information, interesting stories, give creative types an outlet to display their work, and to promote non-profit and charity organizations by offering monthly giveaways on our site.  It is the frustration of having people literally come up to me and ask me to advertise for them for free (such as writing articles on their business) when we are hundreds in the red, which has turned our focus from what it was originally intended.

This is coupled with the fact that our major social network, Facebook, has changed this past month into a less appealing and less networking-able format.  Our page views have dramatically decreased as a result.  Facebook has lost users and we've lost fans.

But we are still here and still ticking!  The new format coming up will help keep everything in perspective, be much easier to manage and navigate, and the writers, even though they work for mere pennies, are great people who understand the concept of giving back and helping others.  And if you're thinking that you have to give away money to help others, that is not the case.  If you're thinking that you have to be extrememly poor to be helped, that is not the case either.  Hopefully, we'll be able to show you how else you can get involved in giving back to the community by doing something you like to do and in turn we will offer programs that can help you.

Thank you for being a valued reader of DeKalbRamblings.com.

No Pay? No Way!

I had a writer literally thumb up her nose at me recently when I asked her if she'd like to take on an assignment for me.  "Three dollars for an article?  Is that really right?" she asked, thinking I meant more along the lines of $30.  Yes, $3 for a feature article, I had told her.  She felt I should be able to pay much more then $3 and declined.

And yes, while I can attest to the fact that many of the articles in our archives are certainly worth more then the $3 I paid for its non-exclusive use (meaning that it can be used and published elsewhere by the author), $3 is still a good price considering the rates that a number of websites pay for content these days.  If you are a content writer, you know that on many sites, it could take you weeks to even reach $3 for five articles.  But I digress.  I do wish to pay more in the future but for right now, we are still struggling, not even close to breaking even on our expenses yet.  Why?  Because we are a new site and there are business owners out there who are weary of giving business to a website, especially a new one.  I understand completely.  And only time will be able to push us into a site that people trust.

But at least I pay something for informational articles.  Why not creative stuff?  The biggest reason is that I simply cannot afford it at this time.  The second reason is that online revenue is least successful in this category then others.  I do work to give people as much exposure as I can, though.  The musicians that have been interviewed by me and featured have had great exposure.  We've had photos submitted that have gotten some great attention.  But that's as far as it has gone.  We've had no one submit their artwork, poetry, or short stories.  It was one of the biggest reasons I had for starting the website to begin with; to give creative sorts a place for to showcase their work.  So far, I've had a lot of people say, "I would but... no one wants to see it."  How will you know unless you try?

I can't promise that everything sent to me will be published.  But I do look at and read everything that is sent to me.  I would really like to adhere to the DeKalb County only policy but will probably have to expand that very soon given the fact that submissions are very scarce.

Now is the time to submit your work, no matter your age.  You can submit your work by following the guidelines here.

My Response to Someone Who Questioned My Faith

I took a few days to think this over and pray after having a lady I barely knew tell me that I should examine my faith based on what was on DeKalbRamblings.com.  Religion is a touchy subject and one that I rarely focus on because I don't like debates.  I do offer on a regular basis my own experiences that tell me that God is absolutely real but I won't look down on someone who believes different.  Free will is the right that God granted them and it's not for me to judge them.  It is my job to love, laugh, and live in the way He intended.  Imagine my surprise when I had someone judge me.  But it isn't the first time and I doubt it will be the last.  Read the link below to read the entire story of what transpired.

I didn't name the woman out of respect for her privacy and will not name her even if asked.  I'm almost certain she will read this and when she does, I hope she understands my view on it and accept that I believe differently from her instead of trying to smear my name and the site.

The Twilight Movie 'New Moon' is a Tool of the Devil
I've never been accused of promoting Satan's work before.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2293153/the_twilight_movie_new_moon_is_a_tool.html

Why Smokers Lose Their Personal Rights

A few months ago, my dryer blew up in what was perhaps the scariest appliance malfunction I've had in my house in a long, long time.  So until my husband and I get another one, on days when it's raining or days when I just don't have time to hang out my clothes, I head up to the laundry mat in Fyffe to sit for thirty minutes until the clothes dry.  Not a big deal.  I take a book or magazine for entertainment.  I've been up there so many times already that I could practically rewire the dryers if I wanted to.  Getting another dryer just hasn't been a priority as long as I could hang out the clothes or run up to the laundry mat.  And I've never had a problem there.

Until tonight.

There was a woman in there with her preteen daughter, and after she'd loaded up her clothes in a couple of washers, she sat down beside her daughter and lit up a cigarette.  I happened to have brought my small children up there tonight.  But did the presence of my children deter her from smoking inside the laundry mat?  No.

Granted there wasn't a "No Smoking" sign on the door.  But does that take the place of common sense or consideration for others?

I used to be a smoker.  I quit smoking during my pregnancies because I didn't want my children exposed to the chemicals of cigarettes.  While I've smoked since giving birth to my last son, I've always smoked outside, away from my children, and I've never smoked around anyone else without first asking if it was alright.  If it wasn't, then fine.  It wasn't my right to take away rights to their health.  I would like to think that others have the same consideration.  Apparently, it isn't that way, though.

I got out of the laundry mat with my children as fast as I could, making sure to tell the woman that she should know better then to smoke around small children and I didn't appreciate the fact that it was MY children she was smoking around.  She rolled her eyes at me. 

My point is that I have no problem with a smoker's right to chose.  If they want to smoke, fine.  It's their body and their health.  But it shouldn't be anyone's right to smoke around children, or smoke in the vicinity of others where smoking isn't specified.  To me, this is common sense.  It is a smoker's responsibility to ensure that his addiction doesn't intrude on the rights of others.  This is also common sense to me.

But it is people like the woman I ran into at the laundry mat who make it difficult for other smokers.  It is people like her, with no regard for other people or their children, who force legislators' hands to take away the rights smokers one law at a time.

So the next time you see someone smoking at the fair, at a festival, or anywhere else that is public where the smoke gets in the direct path of your children, then blame them for smokers' rights being taken away.  If every smoker had the consideration and common sense that they should have, then there wouldn't be a problem.
 
I wonder what that woman would've said to me if I'd called her hand at apparently not caring about her daughter's health either.

On a side note, even though I wasn't smoking around anyone or damaging the health of anyone but myself, I realized that quitting for good was the best thing for me, especially after my birth mother died of lung cancer.  So with fierce determination and the help of the nicotine patch, I'm now smoke free.  I do hope others follow suit, but again, I do believe it is an individual's choice.

New Moon Giveaways!

I spent Friday evening talking at length with the owner of Fort Payne Cinemas, Becky. Knowing that I wanted to continue the giveaways on the site and knowing that many people were looking forward to seeing the new Twilight movie "New Moon" which opens on November 20th, we have set something in the works that will allow us to giveaway some "New Moon" merchandise and tickets for the midnight opening show. While the tickets will be available only to local folks, I want to make the merchandise we are giving away for anyone within the United States so that it will cover our readers from far and wide (we have readers from all over the U.S. and I don't want to leave them out). So far we have plans to give away movie teaser posters (see the picture above) as well as calenders, tee-shirts, and more! We are also hoping to be at the midnight showing ourselves to give away more prizes but nothing is yet set in stone. Interim staff photographer, Michelle Cisco will be helping me plan the event so when we get things figured out in more detail, they will be passed along. In the meantime, be letting your Twilight loving friends and family know what's up and coming on DeKalbRamblings.com.

On a side note, while we are reading on the internet that tickets are already selling out in some venues, such is NOT the case at Fort Payne Cinemas. So why does our local theater not sell advance tickets? The owner says it is because there are a number of people who lose or claim to lose their tickets and then expect the cinema staff to recognize them as having already paid. In larger cities, customers who lose their tickets do not expect to be recognized. In small town, USA, however, that is another story. So the policy of the theater is to wait until (at the very least) the Sunday before the show before selling tickets and only then it is usually for the midnight showing (for those movies that have as much hype about them to warrant a midnight opening show). She doesn't yet know what exactly she will do for "New Moon"; she hasn't set anything in stone on when tickets will go on sale yet.

But stay tuned for more announcements and info concerning "New Moon" and our giveaways!

While your waiting, visit our New Moon page on our site. Take the "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" poll (which Edward is leading by a LANDSLIDE), and find a link that will take you to the three movie trailers that you've just gotta see. Have fun, be safe, and beware of vampires and werewolves.

I Love WHNT but...

WHNT is a great station. They are the first and last news I watch of the day. So as I write this, keep in mind that this does not reflect on WHNT as a whole. This only has to do with one of their reporters, Wendy Halloran.

Wendy Halloran is an award winning reporter. She's great at what she does. She is wonderful about busting open scams. But she also makes empty promises. I don't say this lightly.

Back in April, I contacted her about a scam business in Fyffe. I didn't expect her to take any interest in a small time, small town thing such as my situation but she wrote me back almost immediately and told me she'd love to expose the owners for what they were. (If you're curious about what business I'm talking about, you can read the full report of what transpired here. And yes, for some reason, they are still in business.) A couple of emails later, I stopped hearing from her and haven't heard anything from her since.

I can only speculate why. I had mentioned my profession as a writer in one of my emails. It was after that she stopped writing. So does my career dictate whether I'm worthy to receive help or justice? Yes, I'm a writer but that still doesn't mean that I have the financial means to expose this business for what it is in such a manner as to have them prosecuted and shut down. That's obvious or they wouldn't still be in business.

Listen, I don't take these matters lightly. If I'd had another option then publicly writing about it, I would take it. I definitely don't want to give the impression to my readers that if you tick me off, I'm gonna smear your name. I'm not like that. I've had plenty of other business experiences that have upset me over the coarse of my life but I can recognize the difference between opposing points of view and intentional "bad business". This is the first time where I've seen and have gotten proof of a business's deliberate wrong doing that I felt it was only right to warn the public about it. I feel that I have succeeded in doing so. But ultimately this post isn't about the scam consignment shop.

Regardless of why Ms. Halloran decided not to pursue the story, she should've been professional about it and formally ended our conversation instead of just cutting off without explanation. While I still watch and follow her news stories ( I do enjoy them), I will still feel like I was lead on for a period of time, holding out hope that she would help when I could've been pursuing the matter in another way.

It's the same complaint I have with various editors and agents that don't send rejection letters for a novelist's work. If you want it, great! If you change your mind down the line for whatever reason, stand up and say so.

Only One and A Half More Days for the Giveaway Contests!!

At the stroke of midnight tomorrow night, the contest giveaways on DeKalbRamblings.com will end. Monday morning will commence the drawing of the autographed copy of The Dewey Wayne Band's debut album, "Here For The Music". The winner will be notified via email. Read about the band, watch a music video, and enter the drawing at "Meet The Dewey Wayne Band".

Sometime Monday, the drawing for the gift basket from T.A.G.S Flowers and Gifts will take place at their location in Fort Payne. The winner will be notified by phone. You can see what's in the basket and sign up to win by heading over to our promotional page.

Since we're enjoying bribing our readers, we will be doing another giveaway next month. Britney Koger, a local Thirty-One Gifts Consultant (and all around classy gal!), will be hosting our next giveaway. But Shhhh! It's such a secret that even I don't know what she's giving away yet! This promotion will be different and fun so stay tuned!

This next week marks the end of our second issue and will premier the October issue. We have some very touching and creative articles coming. Thanks to the staff and the readers for making DeKalbRamblings.com a success thus far!