What a whirlwind of a week. The temperature is finally beginning to fall for autumn, which has decided it is not going to make much of an appearance this year. Perhaps, it will preclude winter. Grab a cuppa and snuggle into a rocker. Let’s talk.
Books
This week has been supremely busy for books. Seven have been through beta reads and returned for first rewriting. Four more are in first edit. Another one is completely laid out. We are completely on schedule for our end of October launch. Talk has begun of waiting until 01 November for launch, but that is still in negotiation.
The final books which came from the 20SEP12 deadline will be returned to authors this week. If you have not gotten your manuscript back, you will.
Killing Us Softly has come out of beta and was altered. I would say rewritten, but that would be false. Rather than rewrite what has already been rewritten, I added another chapter to the book. If it sits for another three days, I may well add one more. If I was smart, I would leave it as it is and turn it to final edit. Still holding the coin before I flip it.
The M3 Blog
Having done penance for being offline last week, M3 is back to it usual crawls and indexing, although referrals are still not back to par. Many many many thanks to all those who shared M3 posts this week. The referrals from social networking was a blessing which got M3 back up over its minimum 5,000 hits per day. The loss of more than 50,000 hits this month will be painful.
After looking into loads of traffic meters, I have decided to stick with the raw numbers. Necessarily, it means the numbers from WP which predate moving M3 are moot. Good thing, too. It turns out they were in no way representative of how many people were here in the first place.
All in total, since 05MAR12, more than 1,000,000 have found their way to M3 via bookmark, GPS, links from other sites or search engines. While I do not count them all as functional, since there are not that many who are interacting with the site beyond reading what is on the pages (or stealing the pictures), it is still a respectable number of hits for a …blog.
Since blogs have such a nasty reputation as being a place where all the content is personal and useful only to a small handful of close personal friends and family, that M3 has reached this level of traffic is cause for me to happy dance.
It is free, for cripes’ sake!
Okay, so someone tell me what the deal is. There are almost no entries for this week’s book giveaway. Even those who commented did not press the Do it! button. I did not put up a Winner post this week for two reasons, neither of which is there was no winner.
This week, the winner is a surprise. The book went out and will arrive at a home some time between today and Wednesday. The only reason the window is so large is because the postal service is so reliable.
Is this an official endorsement you want no more giveaways? Speak up if you still want free books.
Voting!
The new poll is you getting a chance to drive M3. If you do not vote, I will not read your hatemail when you do not like where we go next.
Right Turn, Clyde!
The subject of nudity has been a theme this week both online and offline. After all the talk of the Royals and their offerings of partial nudity in last night’s Friday Follies, Clyde has decided it will be the topic tonight. Keeping your pants on optional, as always.
In the park today, I was privy to barefoot children wearing no more clothing than T-shirts. As irony would have it, the mother of said children was appalled my daughter would be swinging and sliding in… of all things… a dress (and knee high, flowered rubber boots. Do not judge. She is eight, autistic and dressed herself.).
Having always been one to dress my children before taking them outdoors, I took this admonishment with a salt lick and an arched eyebrow. While I made no effort to point out her children were not clothed at all, I did point out the fact my child had chosen not to go commando.
Au Naturel
As luck would have it, I have given birth to quite a few naked children. It was a newsflash to me I was an anomaly in this respect.
The fact most of my children prefer the state of dress they entered the world in is not lost on me. However, I do not bring them in public in their dress of choice as society frowns on the human body sans clothes. Verily, I do not exhibit them publicly without shoes… ever.
None of that decorum has kept any of my children from stripping to the skin when they felt the necessity. It has saved them from many a fire ant attack, one snake bite and immeasurable discomfort. While I prefer not to draw the judgment of the neighbors, I am unlikely to admonish them in the comfort of our yard, and certainly will not in the home. I am not ashamed of their bodies, and certainly do not expect them to be.
In a world where bikinis are constructed of less than a square foot of fabric, why in Hades is it inappropriate to see little girl panties? I refuse to mention Speedos… ever. Why is it women are expected to wear panties, yet are admonished for panty lines?
If cleavage shows, she is a slut, but if her nipples show through her sweater, that is perfectly acceptable. Teenage boys wear their pants around the hem of their boxers, but seeing the top of stockings is cause to blush.
This orangutan does not get it.
Until next time,
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I hope you are having a restful weekend.
What is there about the human body which repels so many? Why do we apply adult sexual predilections to children who have no such intent? Were you a stripping child…or adult? If you think nudists are crazy, please explain.
Tess Kann
/ September 25, 2012Mind you, not in public, but I love to see (my) kids enjoying the freedom of wearing nothing but skin at bathtime. I love the giggles and race to see which one will ditch her clothes first and race through the house like a house on fire.
When I was growing up, this was suppressed and regarded darkly. No wonder, I want them to enjoy while they are small. They are at home. They are not exhibitionists. They are not out in public. They are feeling naked not judging nakedness. They are innocent children.
Tess Kann recently posted..Flash in the Pan – X3 (Friday)
Red
/ September 25, 2012I am with you. Let them run. They have nothing about which to be ashamed. Mine have the same race. 😉
Lizzie Cracked
/ September 27, 2012OMG you will never believe it but I gave birth to a gaggle of naked kids – all of them – what are the odds? Anyways they all got nakie tie when they were young cause I found it cut down a bit on the tering off clothes to jump in the mall fountain… I am happier naked and I am going to a nudist camp instead of a nursing home when I am old so…yea
lOVE
Lizzie
Lizzie Cracked recently posted..How Fragile We Are, Mid-Afternoon Mental Moment
Red
/ September 28, 2012See, I knew we had more in common. I am with you. Who wants to retire in pajamas? Really? They are not nearly as good a conversation starter as, “Well, when this tattoo was up here, it was a …” *giggles* <3