More angry Amazon employees.
Amazon workers strike at four German warehouses
“The employees are not giving up,” Verdi board member Stefanie Nutzenberger said in a statement. “They want to put an end to the arbitrariness of a company that puts pressure on its employees with stressful work and controls.”
I’ve never trusted the NYT Best Seller List!
OBAMA ADVISER’S BOOK IS RANKED 1,030 ON AMAZON. HOW DID IT MAKE NYT’S BEST SELLER LIST?
“Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett’s book is number 1,030 on Amazon with only three reviews, but is on the NYT Best Seller list. An industry insider said that was ‘inconceivable’ and that Jarrett likely paid a company that helps authors buy their way onto the list.”
As writers, what do you think about Julian Assange? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.
(Link Removed by Publication)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been awarded the 2019 GUE/NGL Award for journalists and whistleblowers, which is sponsored by European parliamentarians.”
and
Is Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange A Foreign Spy Or A News Publisher? Probably Both.
“I’m also reflexively uncomfortable with the idea of the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecuting publishers for disseminating classified documents. Without whistleblowers and illegal disclosures, governments would often get away with grievous abuses of power…”
No end in sight for this problem?
Amazon ‘flooded by fake five-star reviews’
“An investigation by the consumer group Which? found hundreds of unverified accounts left top reviews on tech products in a single day. In some cases, it found positive reviews for the wrong products on listings.”
Its magazines were sold in 2016.
Historic Former Publisher Of Ebony And Jet Magazines Files For Bankruptcy
“It is all over for Johnson Publishing Company. For more than seven decades, the iconic black company, the former owner of Ebony and Jet magazines, was at the forefront of African-American culture. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy late yesterday, and it plans to sell all its assets.”
So sad. 🙁
Notre-Dame fire: Booksellers urge Hunchback publishers to donate
“French booksellers are urging publishers of the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame to donate funds to help rebuild the burnt-out cathedral.”
No surprise here! (Yawn…)
The First Machine-Generated Book by a Scholarly Publisher Is a Boring Read
“Based on the subject matter being requested, the algorithm uses machine learning to first analyze thousands of publications to ensure that only those relevant are selected for the book. It then parses, condenses, and organizes those pre-approved, peer-reviewed publications from…”
That was quick!
American Media selling National Enquirer to CEO of Hudson Media for $100-million
“American Media Inc (AMI) said on Thursday it was selling its National Enquirer tabloid to James Cohen, whose family owns a magazine distributor and used to own the Hudson chain of airport newsstands.”
That was quick, too!
Publishers hurry to release book editions of Mueller Report
“Scribner, Melville House and Skyhorse Publishing are among those planning to have paperbacks out before the end of the month, with prices ranging from $15 for the Scribner book to $9.99 for the Melville House one, and e-books out by the end of the week.”
PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ANY OF THESE STORIES IN THE COMMENTS BOX BELOW! 🙂
33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters
I admire any writer who wants to tackle a blind character. But so many writers take up this challenge and FAIL. They research blindness by reading other fiction books, by observing their blind colleagues and acquaintances, and by tying on a blindfold and pretending to be blind themselves.
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The Do-It-Yourselfer's Guide to Self-Syndication
Practical resource outlining the self-syndication process, step-by-step. Packed with detailed information and useful tips for writers looking to gain readership, name recognition, publication and self-syndication for their column or articles.
https://writersweekly.com/books/4693.html
https://writersweekly.com/books/4693.html
He’s a hero like Daniel Ellsberg, who published the Pentagon Papers to expose the lies of the Vietnam War. As for the Mueller Report, it is in the same league as the Warren Commission.
Looking at the actions of the various government(s), the Wikileaks organization, and Julian Assange before, during and after the major US military classified leak, it looks a lot like both sides in this contest will justify any means to reach their respective ends.
In this regard, both sides violate a basic rule of ethical action, “the end does not justify the means.” Since either side will use any means handy, regardless of law or morality, there’s no point in judging the means which either the governments or Wikileaks use.
Perhaps we can judge the respective ends of the players.
On one side of the contest, the governments involved (keep in mind that the USA is not the only or even the first government to go after Wikileaks) want to keep their secrets and punish anyone who reveals those secrets.
On the other side, Wikileaks wants to expose government corruption by stealing and publishing secrets.
Although I personally can’t endorse the means used by either side in pursuit of their ends, I can emphatically disapprove of the objective of hiding corruption on the part of military and government bureaucrats, and can approve of the Wikileaks goal of exposing corruption.
The contrast between the overall objectives of the two sides is obvious: suppression versus freedom; secrecy versus transparency; virtue versus vice; even good versus evil. Choose your side.
I’m sorry that Julian Assange is in the hands of a government which wants to make an example of him in order to frighten others like him. I hope he can escape. I also hope that Wikileaks and other exposure systems like it will survive and thrive in spite of whatever happens to Assange.
I wrote in an opinion piece, dated June 23, 2018, and published in Cuenca HighLife, that Julian Assange is no hero( https://cuencahighlife.com/julian-assange-is-no-hero/ ). I opined as that time that Mr. Assange was alleged to be a Russian agent. The Mueller Report appears to confirm that suspicion.
He is no journalistic hero. The gold standard in such cases is Daniel Ellsberg who courageously stood up for press freedom against the Nixon administration and won. He did not cower in some foreign embassy. Neither did he receive money from the Russians for his efforts. Unlike Assange, Ellsberg did not employ young and not too bright dupes to do his dirty work. Julian Assange is merely some crass scammer who conspired with those dupes to hack government computers.
I reiterate: Julian Assange Is No Hero.