Thursday Thirteen

I have been pondering the use of AI in writing. It's here, and it's going to stay. There are some authors who firmly oppose it, others who are using it to write practically everything. I've dabbled with it, but I am not sure where I stand.

So here are some pros and cons: 

13 Reasons Writers Would Use AI

Enhance creativity by brainstorming fresh ideas.

Speed up the writing process with automated content generation.

Generate outlines or story structures quickly.

Conduct efficient research and organize findings.

Edit and proofread drafts for grammatical accuracy.

Experiment with new writing styles and tones.

Create engaging marketing content and social media posts.

Develop character profiles and world-building details.

Translate content into multiple languages seamlessly.

Perform sentiment analysis to tailor content to audience emotions.

Write consistent content for branding purposes.

Produce articles or blogs on niche topics with little input.

Simplify technical writing and user manuals creation

13 Reasons Writers Would Avoid Using AI

Concern about losing originality and personal voice.

AI may lack the depth needed for nuanced storytelling.

Fear of over-reliance on technology stunting creativity.

Risk of producing generic or repetitive content.

Ethical concerns about AI replacing human jobs.

Difficulty trusting AI’s judgment on emotional matters.

AI-generated content may inadvertently plagiarize existing works.

Struggle with integrating AI outputs into artistic vision.

Lack of control over AI’s stylistic choices.

Poorly contextualized content requiring extra edits.

Inaccuracy or bias in research results.

What do you think? Are you a writer? Would you or do you use AI? What do you like or dislike about it? (The list was produced by AI.)

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 900th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

This week is Sunshine Week, a time when news organizations and others who are interested in freedom of information about the government at all levels, try to shine a light on the issue. Below are resources anyone can use to find out what's going on. From: Freedom of Information – Sunshine Week.

Muckrock
A non-profit collaborative news site that provides tools to keep our government transparent and accountable, Muckrock offers dozens of freedom of information guides, tips and flowcharts that range from beginner to intermediate to expert.

The Society for Professional Journalists FOI Resources
Includes links to stories, websites and document-driven ideas you can use in your own community. 

SPJ’s step-by-step guide on FOI
If you’re unfamiliar with FOI laws, need help submitting a records request or simply don’t know where to start, this guide can help.

SPJ How to Conduct an Audit ToolKit
Details on how to perform an audit to monitor government compliance with freedom of information laws.

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Of particular note are the:
First Amendment Handbook
Open Government Guide (by state)
Open Courts Compendium

National Freedom of Information Coalition
This nonpartisan alliance of state open government groups publishes state FOI news and other resources. It also maintains a listserv, used by open government experts, as well as novices seeking help in accessing public records

FOIA Wiki
Federal Freedom of Information Act resources. Maintained by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, with contributions from The FOIA Project at TRAC, MuckRock, The National Security Archive, FOIA Mapper, Project on Open Government and users like you.

First Amendment Coalition
Their Asked & Answered database is helpful. 

New England First Amendment Coalition
They offer a FOI Guide to states in New England and public records law video tutorials.

Ashley’s Totally Basic FOIA Tutorial (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.)

I used to use FOIA resources all the time when I was a news reporter.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 899th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

Life lessons don’t come neatly packaged, and sometimes we learn them the hard way. As a perfectionist and a procrastinator, I've had my share of issues with time management and life skills. This is especially true with my writing. So here are 13 life lessons that I've learned over the years. Some of them I know but still don't do especially well. I need more practice, I guess.

1. Done is better than perfect – A finished novel, even if it never sees the light of day, is better than no novel at all.

2. Starting is the hardest part – Sitting down to write that first sentence or make that first brushstroke feels impossible, but once you start, you wonder why you waited so long.

3. Small progress is still progress – Writing one paragraph a day eventually adds up to a book.

4. Nobody notices the tiny flaws you obsess over – That tiny typo in your blog post? Most readers won’t even see it.

5. You don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it – Singing in the car, doodling in a notebook, or dancing in your kitchen still bring joy, even if you're not "great" at them.

6. Your worth isn’t tied to productivity – Watching a movie, taking a nap, or spending a day doing nothing isn’t wasted time—it’s recharging.

7. Mistakes are part of learning – The first time you write a poem, it might not sound like a poem. It might sound like a brick hitting a wall. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again.

8. Set a deadline and stick to it – If you tell yourself you’ll clean the closet “someday,” it’ll never happen. But if you say “I’ll spend 15 minutes on it today,” you’ll make progress. The same goes for writing. Give it a few minutes a day.

9. Not everything needs maximum effort – You don’t need to deep-clean the house just because company is coming over for coffee. You also don't need to write a novel in a month.

10. Self-compassion is more important than self-discipline – If you miss a deadline or don’t meet your goals, beating yourself up won’t help. Encouraging yourself will.

11. Break tasks into tiny steps – Instead of saying, “I need to write a blog post,” say, “I’ll write the first sentence.” One small step makes the next easier.

12. Action creates motivation, not the other way around – You won’t always feel inspired to exercise, but if you just put on your sneakers and start stretching, you’ll feel more motivated. If you start writing, even a little bit, you just might keep at it.

13. Perfection is an illusion – Even bestselling books have typos. Even award-winning movies have plot holes. Nothing is flawless, and that’s okay.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 898th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

March is celebrated as Women's History Month in many countries, including the United States. It's a time to honor the contributions, achievements, and influence of women throughout history and in our present day. The celebration also aligns with International Women's Day on March 8, which is a global occasion to advocate for gender equality and women's rights.

Here’s a list of 13 remarkable women from Virginia, spanning history and various fields of achievement:

1. Pocahontas (c. 1596–1617) - A Native American figure known for her association with the Jamestown colony and her role in fostering peace between English settlers and her people.

2. Martha Washington (1731–1802) - The first First Lady of the United States, she set the precedent for the role and was a key supporter of her husband, George Washington.

3. Dolley Madison (1768–1849) - Known for her social grace and bravery, she saved important artifacts during the War of 1812, including a portrait of George Washington.

4. Elizabeth Keckley (1818–1907) - Born enslaved in Virginia, she became a successful seamstress and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln, later publishing her memoirs.

5. Maggie Lena Walker (1864–1934) - The first African American woman to charter a bank and serve as its president, she was a leader in civil rights and economic empowerment.

6. Ella Graham Agnew (1871–1958) - An educator and social worker, she was the first woman appointed to a federal position in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

7. Ellen Glasgow (1873–1945) - A Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist from Richmond, known for her works depicting life in the South.

8. Anne Spencer (1882–1975) - A poet and civil rights activist from Lynchburg, her work was part of the Harlem Renaissance.

9. Sarah Lee Fain (1888–1962) - One of the first two women elected to the Virginia General Assembly, advocating for education and women's rights.

10. Pearl Bailey (1918–1990) - A celebrated singer and actress from Newport News, known for her Broadway performances and humanitarian work.

11. Christine Darden (born 1942) - A mathematician and aerospace engineer from Hampton, she was a key figure at NASA and contributed to supersonic flight research.

12. Katie Couric (born 1957) - A journalist and television personality from Arlington, she became the first solo female anchor of a major evening news program in the U.S.

13. Patsy Cline (1932–1963) - A legendary country music singer from Winchester, known for hits like "Crazy" and "Walkin' After Midnight."

And two extras, just because 13 isn't enough:

Barbara Johns (1935–1991) - At just 16 years old, she led a student strike in Farmville, Virginia, which became part of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

Lila Meade Valentine (1865–1921) - A suffragist and education reformer from Richmond, she played a significant role in advocating for women's voting rights.

Virginia has a rich history of influential women who have shaped the state and the nation.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 897th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

I am too scattered to write today. It happens.

So here are the first 13 things from my FB feed this morning.

1. "They are the oligarchy. They continue to siphon off the wealth of the nation. They are supporting a tyrant who is promising them tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks that will make them even richer, and destroying democracy so they won’t have to worry about “parasites”  . . . demanding anything more from them." - Robert Reich

2. "The first chunk is about the traditional "she made him do it" when it comes to rape and gender violence. Then it shifts to world affairs:  "She made him do it" operates in politics too. The most recent example is XXXXX declaration that somehow Ukraine's President Zelensky was responsible for Russia's invasion of his country, declaring "But he should never have let that war start.” The war began with Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, well before Zelensky's presidency and well into Putin's, so there's that. As Aaron Blake at the Washington Post notes, "Since the war’s earliest days, XXXXX has frequently talked around any sort of blame being cast on Putin.... Almost every comment deprives Putin of agency and casts what’s happened as a result of the Biden administration’s (and now Zelensky’s) failings." XXXXX envoy Steve Witkoff blamed Ukraine too, saying Russia was "provoked," as if Ukraine was wearing a miniskirt. 

later on: 

In mainstream discourse, it's become standard to blame the excesses of the right on liberals, the left, feminists, Black Lives Matter, affirmative action, environmental protection, and BIPOC and LGBTQ people. It's a way that the right is granted masculine prerogatives and the left feminine responsibilities for the right's behavior. " - Rebeccas Solnit

3. "Devastated. I just won an asylum case for a Guatemalan man - he was granted withholding (a win) where he would be released from detention. As he was being released/processed, ICE put him on a plane to Mexico. Mexico just deported him back to Guatemala. He won his case. And they deported him anyway. If this is happening with this one person then I’m assuming it’s happening with others. Unprecendented." - Debra Rodman via Amy Siskind

4. “Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you”  - Sarah Michelle Gellar on the death of Michelle Trachenberg

5.  On the House budget resolution passed earlier this week:

6.  Not something I agree with, but it is what it is. I hope the parents of the child in Texas who died from measles (which we had declared eradicated in 2000), find this comforting.

7. "I know I keep harping on it but the news cycles are making it clear that not enough people grasp a core point on basic civics, so here it is again:

(1) Congress creates agencies and funds them, requiring (these days) sixty votes in the Senate. These agencies and funding are both "laws." 

(2) No one in the the executive branch can *destroy* agencies or defund them, that's also Congress' job. You can't destroy laws with zero votes that took 60 to create. 

(3) The chief's executive constitutional responsibility to "take care" that the "laws are faithfully executed." 

(4) Anyone from the exectutive branch that attempts to defund or destroy federal agencies (even in the name of curbing "fraud" or "waste") is not taking care that the laws are faithfully executed and thus violating *the* core tenet of Article II of the Constitution.  

(5) With respect to the foregoing, it doesn't matter, so far as the Constitution is concerned, if Congress cravenly avoids a confrontation with the Constitution-violating executive branch officials. There's no use-it-or-lose-it clause in the Constitution. 

(6) The aforementioned would be true, and I'd still be yelling about it, even if YYYY YYYY was genuinely identifying fraud and waste and not breaking everything he touches. 

(7) But since he demonstrably is breaking everything he touches, even if you don't care about the Constitution, you should still be anti-getting-Ebola, and be deeply concerned about what's happening right now." - Scott Pilutik via Chris Boese

8. "Thus in winter stands the lonely tree,
   Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
   Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:
    I cannot say what loves have come and gone,
    I only know that summer sang in me
   A little while, that in me sings no more."
   ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay (Pulitzer Prize winning poet, born February 22, 1892.) via Sharon McCrumb

9. "In "The Substance," Demi Moore plays an aging TV star who finds a sinister potion that can give her a younger, more perfect version of herself, but at a horrifying price. Moore says the experience sometimes left her feeling raw and exhausted. “You just go fall into your bed.”

“The Substance” has scored 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Moore." - CBS Sunday Morning and CBS News

10. "Remember that the XXXXX supporter from Salem who voted against Medicaid yesterday was a lawyer before entering elected office. He specialized in getting rich drunks off for drunk driving." - Dan Smith on Congressman Morgan Griffith

11. "Donald XXXXX said he would lower prices on “Day 1.”

Well it’s Day 38 and prices are still going up." - Elizabeth Warren

12. "The FAA is close to canceling a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to overhaul the communications system that serves as the backbone of the nation’s air traffic control and is awarding the work to YYYY’s Starlink. Follow the money and see where it goes." - Alt National Park Service

13. "Second come these protests, which I discount as being particularly important, unless they signify an energized Democratic electorate that turns its energy to organizing for the governor’s race. In that case, they might be quite important — we just don’t know yet. Let’s look at why."--Dwayne Yancey in Cardinal News via Dan Smith

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 896th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen #895

Here's a list of 13 essential skills that can empower anyone to handle everyday challenges and opportunities:

1. Basic Cooking Skills: Preparing simple, nutritious meals can improve your health and save money.

2. Household Management: Knowing how to clean, organize, and maintain your living space creates a comfortable environment.

3. Financial Literacy: Budgeting, saving, and managing personal finances are crucial for long-term stability.

4. Effective Communication: Mastering both verbal and written communication helps in personal relationships and professional settings.

5. Basic First Aid: Understanding emergency procedures, including CPR and wound care, can make a life-saving difference.

6. Self-Defense: Basic techniques and awareness help protect your personal safety.

7. Digital Literacy: Proficiency with computers, smartphones, and common software is key in today’s technology-driven world.

8. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Being able to analyze situations and make informed decisions is invaluable.

9. Laundry and Clothing Care: Knowing how to properly wash, dry, and maintain clothes keeps you looking your best.

10. Stress Management: Techniques such as mindfulness or exercise help maintain mental well-being.

11. Social Etiquette and Manners: Understanding appropriate behavior enhances personal and professional relationships.

12. Public Speaking: Being able to present your ideas confidently in front of others is a powerful tool.

13. Basic Home Repairs: Handling minor fixes around the house can save time and money.

I can manage all but stress management and public speaking. Neither of those are strong points. I took self-defense classes. I know basic first aid. I am not as good with computers as I once was, but I still can manage them. I keep our books and budget. Being a news writer required critical thinking skills. My manners aren't bad. Alas, I hate to cook, but we don't starve.

How do you do on that list? 

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 895th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

1. Yesterday, I had a great hair day. I also didn't have anywhere to go and barely saw my husband. What a waste of a good hair day.

2. We had ice overnight on top of the snow and ice that was already here. The sun is out now. I am glad to see the sunshine.

3. I had two asthma attacks yesterday. One was fairly severe and scared both me and my husband. I didn't grab my inhaler fast enough and it went on too long. The second one, I stopped quickly by grabbing the inhaler as soon as I felt that clutch in my throat and a cough that indicates a problem. I think they came from the air; it was heavy with the cold and the water coming with the current weather system.

4. Lesson learned, though. Next time, use the inhaler sooner. I dislike using them; even today I am tasting albuterol as I breathe in out - but better than not being able to breathe at all.

5. I am almost finished with the 2024 taxes, which will then go to an accountant. It is a relief to no longer have it uppermost in my mind.

6. Maybe it's time to have a little fun with something. Real fun. Like roller coaster ride fun. Only I don't ride roller coasters anymore. The last time we went on some of those rides, they beat us both to death and nearly dislocated my husband's arm. We don't do amusement parks anymore.

7. We do like historical parks and museums, though. That's more educational than fun, although seeing how people lived 200 years ago is interesting to us. My husband enjoys the farm machinery displays and most old things have to do with agriculture, because we used to be an agrarian society.

8. Now we are a technological society, but we still have to eat. It is unfortunate that many people seem to think food is grown in the warehouse of the grocery store and have no clue where their food actually comes from. 

9. I ran across an episode of MASH on TV, or rather, my husband did. I told him to add it to the DVR because I can't find it otherwise. Sometimes you just want to watch something that you know is good and pure. MASH fits that description.

10. One time I tried to tape every episode of The Partridge Family when it was running on AXIOS, I think it was, but after I watched a couple of episodes, I stopped the recordings and deleted the rest. The show doesn't hold up well. Or maybe I just outgrew David Cassidy. He's still a cutie on the show, but I don't need a cutie. I have my own fellow now.

11. My voice has mostly returned, finally, and I think I'm about over whatever I had for most of January and up until this week. I am feeling better except kind of sad about the crazy things happening in the world.

12. It is hard to complain if you aren't willing to do anything about it, and I don't know what I can do about pretty much anything sometimes. Even figuring dinner can be a pain.

13. So that's a list of 13 things. Not great, but something. Thanks everybody for reading.

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 894th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

1. We woke this morning to the sound of thunder. How far off, I lay and wondered. I counted to 8 from a lightning flash and then rolled back over and went back to sleep.

2. We also have ice on the trees, and it rained. I don't know how much because we have the rain gauge inside the house to keep it from freezing and breaking.

3. I cannot stop reading the news, and my husband is upset with me because the news does nothing but upset me. I don't know how anyone could not be upset with the current situation in the federal government. Do people want to lose their benefits? How are they going to keep mom in the nursing home? Do they want disabled people out begging in the streets? How are the schools, police, firefighters - you name it - going to function? Do they want a South African certified fruitcake to have access to all of their financial information, including where they live, their date of birth, Social Security number? WTH? This is so sad. And scary. But some people are cheering them on. The racist and misogynistic bastards. Look what they've done! USA Today says it's time to panic.

4. I am trying to work on my taxes, but I keep thinking, "Why am I doing this? This is not my government anymore." What is the point?

5. My ears are ringing terribly today. It sounds like crickets chirping, a million of them, all singing in my ears. I think it is the weather. Some days it is not this bad. Today it is bad.

6. The cold that I took on in early January is still with me, only now it seems to have settled into an upper respiratory version of bronchitis. I see my doctor again next week for a regular checkup. If I am still sick, hopefully she will have some suggestion or something else to try. Two antibiotics and a steroid pack didn't fix it.

7. A friend told me some weeks ago that I should go to bed for three days and then I would be better, but I did not do that. I'm not very good at resting.

8. I am unplugging my Alexas. I enjoy them but I don't trust them now. I am not sure what to do about my smart phone or the iPad. Keep them turned off, I guess. That defeats the purpose of having them, though.

9. Now I need to buy an alarm clock, because I was using Alexa for my morning alarm.

10. I also used her to play music before bedtime. When I was teenager, I used to fall asleep to the sounds of Bread on my record player. After I got Alexa, I started doing that again when my husband was a work. Now I listen to Bread just before he comes to bed to try to relax.

11. My brain never stops, or so it seems. I used to think everyone thought all the time, but apparently not. From articles I have read, I overthink and have a restless mind, and when my husband says, "I'm not thinking of anything" when I ask him, he really isn't thinking of anything. I am always thinking of something. It's very noisy in my head. And it's not just the sound of crickets in my ears, either.

12. This is one of those Thursday Thirteens that to me make no sense, but I think there's a common thread in there somewhere. Or multiple threads.

13. I wish everyone was happy. It would help the world, I think. We have too many mean people wandering around.

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 893rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

One of my former professors at Hollins University, Amanda Cockrell, writes Roman historical novels. I have read several of them and found them quite interesting. She writes under her name but writing as Damion Hunter, a pseudonym she used when she first began this series of books in 1981. The books gained a cult following and a book publisher reestablished it and she began writing new books for the series.

She is meticulous in her research, and I have found her descriptions of Roman road building and other things - some of which are still in existence today - to be evocative. I thought it would be interesting to see why the Roman Empire collapsed, because it was massive and as her books suggest, reached into great swaths of Europe and other parts of the world.

So here are 13 reasons why the Roman Empire fell:

1. Economic troubles: Constant wars and overspending drained the imperial coffers, leading to severe financial crises.

2. Overreliance on slave labor: The economy depended heavily on slaves, and when expansion halted, the supply of slaves dwindled.

3. Military overspending: Maintaining a vast military presence and constant warfare strained resources.

4. Political corruption: Corruption and instability within the government weakened the Empire's ability to respond to crises. 

5. Division of the Empire: The division into Eastern and Western Roman Empires created administrative and military challenges.

6. Rise of the Eastern Empire: The Eastern Empire (Byzantine Empire) grew in wealth and power, while the Western Empire declined. 

7. Decline in civic virtue: The loss of traditional Roman values and civic responsibility contributed to societal decay.

8. Plague and disease: Epidemics weakened the population and the military.

9. Inflation: Rampant inflation devalued currency and disrupted the economy.

10. Urban decay: Cities declined as people moved to the countryside to escape taxes and instability. This in turn let to over-farming and deforestation led to agricultural decline. 

11. Weak leadership: Many emperors were ineffective or corrupt, leading to poor decision-making.

12. Technological stagnation: Lack of innovation in military and agricultural technology hindered progress. 

13. Social inequality: The gap between rich and poor widened, leading to social unrest.

These factors, among others, contributed to the gradual decline and eventual fall of the Roman Empire.

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 892nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

 

Thursday Thirteen

Over the years, I have read a lot of dystopian literature. Dystopian books generally refer to a society or world that is characterized by suffering, oppression, or extreme injustice. In a dystopian setting, the social, political, or environmental systems are deeply flawed, often creating bleak, undesirable conditions for its inhabitants.

Some of the first books I read that left an impression on me include Alas Babylon, by Pat Frank, which I read in the 10th grade, 1984 and Animal Farm, both by George Orwell, and A Canticle for Liebowitz, by Walter M. Miller. All of those were published before I was born. That was followed up by things like The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake, both by Margaret Atwood.

Then there were the movies that stuck with me: Mad Max, The Postman, Waterworld, etc. Heck, even Game of Thrones was a dystopian fantasy.

Scary stuff. In none of these did women, in particular, make out very well.

Since we are moving into a bit of uncertainty, I thought I'd offer up some common elements or themes often found in dystopian literature:

1. Oppressive Government: A totalitarian or authoritarian regime controlling every aspect of life, including surveillance and constant monitoring of citizens through technology or informants. There is also a loss of privacy.

2. Propaganda: Media and messages designed to manipulate and control public opinion.

3. Restricted Freedom: Limited personal, political, or social freedoms.

4. Dehumanization: Citizens are treated as numbers or resources rather than individuals.

5. Environmental Decay: A degraded or polluted environment due to human neglect or disaster.

6. Technological Control: Technology used to oppress, control, or replace human functions.

7. Economic Inequality: Stark division between the elite and the impoverished masses; a rigid hierarchy that determines status and rights.

8. Rebellion or Resistance: A group or individual fighting against the oppressive system.

9. Censorship: Suppression or alteration of information to maintain control.

10. Artificial Scarcities: Manufactured shortages of resources to enforce dependence.

11. Loss of Individuality: Citizens are forced to conform, with personal expression discouraged or punished.

12. Fear and Intimidation: Use of violence, punishment, or the threat thereof to maintain control.

13. Cultural Decay: Loss or erosion of art, language, history, or traditions.

These elements often intertwine, painting a bleak picture of a world that serves as a warning or critique of current societal trends.

______________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 890th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Thursday Thirteen

January is National Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. Given what California just experienced, with miles of Los Angeles burned to the ground, and the fact that I'm married to a retired firefighter, this is an important issue. Here are some facts about this:

1. Occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters.

2. Firefighters are twice as likely to develop certain types of cancer compared to the general population. Firefighters face a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer compared to the general U.S. population.

3. Seventy-five percent of line-of-duty deaths among International Association of Firefighter (IAFF) members in 2024 were attributed to occupational cancer.

4. Firefighters are exposed to multiple cancer-causing agents on the job. Asbestos, a hazardous material found in older buildings, is a significant risk factor for firefighters.

5. Firefighters are two times more likely to develop mesothelioma than the general U.S. population.

6. Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), used by firefighters, contains dangerous chemicals known as PFAS. PFAS can build up in the body over time and cause various types of cancer.

7. Sixty-eight percent of firefighters develop cancer compared to just 22% in the general population.

8. Skin melanoma, prostate cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are among the cancers firefighters are at higher risk of developing.

9. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) provides vital education and resources to combat occupational cancer.

10. Presumptive laws in Canada attribute close to 94% of line-of-duty deaths among professional firefighters to occupational cancers.

11. The IAFF designates January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month to provide tools and guidance for cancer prevention. Behavioral health is a key focus during Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. Weekly themes during the month include topics like reproductive health, cancer prevention, and survivorship. Training briefs and resources are provided to educate firefighters on reducing cancer risks.

12. One of the goals of Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month is to bring increased public awareness to occupational cancer in the fire service.

13. Firefighters' protective gear can sometimes trap harmful chemicals close to their skin, increasing their risk of cancer. Regular decontamination and proper maintenance of gear are crucial to minimize this risk.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 889th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.