Thursday, September 9, 2010

Lions, Literati, & an Interview!

Okay, today is going to be mixed bag of stuff.


First, I want to talk about something that really really gets under my skin. Large jungle animals being kept in small cages and treated like housecats. Have you all seen this?





As you can see by watching th video, the lion wasn't provoked and I'm not saying his trainer did a single thing wrong in the way he handles the animal. But, the lion did attack. It wasn't really going for the kill, as is obvious by the video. So why did it suddenly spring at the trainer and chomp into his leg? Well, that one is easy. It's a LION, that's why!


These animals are beautiful, majestic, wild, and dangerous. They do not belong anywhere near a cage with a glass wall so that people can take pictures of it and go all goo-goo over the pretty kitty. Wild means wild. They aren't domesticated, nor should they be. When are we going to learn that we as humans don't have the right to just do whatever we please? Taking a lion out of its natural habitat and thrusting it in front of cameras is bound to cause problems.


That said, I was very touched by the lioness. Did you see how she attempted to control the situation? These creatures should be free. They should not be locked up. At least that's my humble oppinion. Or not so humble, I guess.


Okay, with that rant over. Have you seen the new eReader that's about to hit the market?



The Literati (love that name) will be hitting the streets in October. The good news, it has Wi-Fi, the price is fairly reasonable at $159, it's cute as hell, and it has :::::drumroll::::: a color display! Yes! I love this feature. LOVE IT!


There is a downside, obviously. Isn't there always? The Literati doesn't have 3G connectivity. YET! Bummer, I know. But, and this is yet more good news, it will be available at the following stores: Macy's, Kohl's, J. C. Penney, Best Buy and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Is that sweet or what? Now, what does this all mean for us authors? MORE EXPOSURE! Hot damn! More people reading ebooks = more sales!


Is the Literati as great as the Kindle or the Nook? Perhaps, perhaps not. We'll just have to wait and see. Still, the great thing about this new device is that it gives readers even more options. They are no longer forced to choose from a select few devices. And I really think that people who maybe haven't gotten an eReader, maybe haven't really explored the whole eReading craze, will at least be shown the way, as it were. LOL And that makes this ebook author a very happy camper!

Okay, the last thing I wanted to share with you all is a contest. Over at Desert Island Keepers I've been interviewed. And it was a fun one too. ;-) It's a three day event, so be sure to stop by tomorrow, too, as I'll be chatting about my 5 favorite books and why they're my favorites. Then on Saturday, well, that's a surprise (mostly because I haven't written up the blog yet, lol). Anyway, leave me a comment over there and you're entered to win...BOOKS! Cool, eh?

15 comments:

Margaret West said...

I agree. A wild animal is a wild animal. Why should they be caged for our entertainment? I watched a program about captive monkeys, it make me cry. Their eyes, the windows to their soul, looked crushed, devoid of anything except pain and terror. It is and will continue to be, a travesty that wild animals are still kept in zoo's and circus's. On a lighter note,I have an Ipad. I am not technically minded and have no idea about its other functions lol, but I can say its ebook reader works fabulously well. Plus it has 3g internet. yaay.

Molly Daniels said...

I saw that yesterday and watching the lioness trying to get her mate to back off set off my imagination. Check yesterday's blog for my 'dialogue' between the lions:)

Madison Scott said...

I agree with the Lions. I LOVE big cats. They're beautiful creatures, but they're wild animals! People seem to forget that. Hey, do you remember that video everyone was looking at awhile back. I can't remember the name of the lion for anything, but it was the coolest thing ever. These people had it, but then as it grew, gave it to this man who had a sanctuary or something. They saw the lion like a year later and it remembered them. It was so excited and I swear it was hugging this people. It makes me cry every time I see it.

I haven't heard of that ereader. Pretty cool. I get all excited when I see new readers coming out.

Will check out the interview!

Tess MacKall said...

It bugs me to keep these animals caged up in such a small habitat for sure. There are zoos, however, that do a really good job of giving animals roaming room. The North Carolina Zoo is huge. You have to take a train to get through it. The habitats for the animals are so big that sometimes you can't actually see the animals unless you are using a pair of binoculars.

There are some, of course, like penguins and such that are in some sort of glass enclosure. And the monkeys are in an arboretum that is absolutely lush. But the big ones like lions, giraffes, and elephants and such are huge. Much more in line with their natural habitats.

I guess the problem is more with city zoos than those zoos that have more acreage and room to grow.

And WOOT on the new e reader. I'm still struggling to understand them. But the prices are getting so much better I'm going to have to make a decision really soon about which one to buy. lol

Anne Rainey said...

Margaret--I agree. You can see it in their eyes. Like the very life has been simply torn out of them. It breaks my heart. Wild animals belong in the wild!

Anne Rainey said...

Madison--I DO remember seeing that, now that you mention it. I had tears in my eyes watching the reunion!

Anne Rainey said...

Molly--I just read that. LOL!

Regina Carlysle said...

My nook shows covers in color assuming you use the wifi and buy from B&N. I've had nothing but the best of luck with the device. It's awesome! Plus the price has gone way down. The Literati (I love that name too) looks AWESOME. I love that we are getting such a good selection of these. It's good for all of us.

Anne Rainey said...

Regina--Unless I'm mistaken, one difference with this device is that the display is color, not just the covers. So, children's books and certain graphic novels that might have color pictures on the pages will now come through as color. This could change eReaders as a whole, which is great!

Christy Townzen said...

I agree too. The trainer was very lucky. It could have been a lot worse. Like the new eReader. I wonder if it's back lit? My iPad is and I prefer to read my books on it instead of my sony pocket reader.

Anne Rainey said...

Christy--That's a really good question and I didn't see any indication that it IS backlit. So that could be a problem.

Btw, I don't have an iPad, but I did get to play with one for about a week. The thing rocks!

Madison Scott said...

I would love to play around with an iPad. I've heard they're really neat.

Anne Rainey said...

The hubby ended up getting to use one from work. They're a lot of fun. We had it for a few weeks, I think.

My oldest didn't want to let it go. She was addicted to it! LOL

Natalie Dae said...

I liked the way it appeared the lioness was trying to protect the male. Very sweet. Sorry, but those men are crazy being in there with those animals anyway. Hot day, people staring, cooped up with no where to truly stretch their legs and run or be themselves--bound to turn on someone some day.

I don't like seeing them caged either. Makes me feel like crying.

Anne Rainey said...

Natalie--The lioness really was sweet, very protective. :)