Ah, the new pristine carpeting known as snow has arrived – plush and deep and white as a winter ermine! There it is, spangling in the morning sun as the mist lifts off. Walk on it…kick up a flume or two! Gives a whole new meaning to, “…she had diamonds on the soles of her shoes.” Make that soles and SOULS, because letting the laser light of winter illuminate your life is like living inside a diamond tiara.
And you have to like
the precision of matching decor – each tracery of branch and bough coated with
confections! But the feature I love best is that you never have to vacuum. Like
a Chia pet, winter’s redemptive carpet just keeps renewing itself with perfect
crystals that float seamlessly into place. H2O is never more elegant than when
it cross-dresses as snowflakes.
That said, I agree
with all who dread icy rush-hour driving. And if your vibe is that you like
being heated externally by a blazing hearth while you make faces at Jack Frost
through a bay window, well…wave at me as I disappear into a scrim that veils
the magic beyond the storm. After all, we each get to choose how we age and
die, else what is quality of life for? Different…um, “strokes” for different
folks.
So, it’s already a
glorious season of adventures for me, but I’m feeling bad, bad about the email
situation. Some subscribers are not receiving Sullygrams because spam
algorithms are misidentifying and blocking my mass mailing. Doesn’t do me any
good to tell Microsoft and its minions that my newsletters are requested and
not solicited. I just get a form mitigation procedure from the other side of
the globe that is largely irrelevant and doesn’t take in what I tell them.
I thought about
discontinuing emailings and just posting the Sullygrams on my author’s web site,
and it may come to that (you can always
find Sullygrams w/photos and my StorytellersUnplugged columns archived here
http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/sullygrams.htm
), but that will vastly reduce our contact. I’m sorry to be faced with this
dilemma. So many of you describe your wonderful anticipation of the newsletter
and share poignant feedback. The best thing I can tell you is that if you don’t
receive your Sullygram, check your spam folder first. Some of you have begun
using multiple email apps in order to create addresses that will still receive
Sullygrams, and that’s a good idea. Currently Microsoft-related apps that are
problematic include Hotmail, Live, MSN, Coxmail and many university services.
No one likes spam, but if an email program appoints itself gatekeeper to something as vital as communications, it should be obligated to communicate directly with whomever it designates as a spammer through its algorithms and scripts. My mass mailing couldn’t be simpler: the list is subscriber only and I’m 100% responsive to unsubscribes. Where’s the problem and what’s the remedy?
It’s really quite frightening how arrogant and arbitrary the process for controlling email has become. The assumption against anyone with a large volume of mail that could be mistaken for spam is “guilty until proven innocent.” Not only is the standard of proof convoluted, it is overseen by still more algorithms or one-size-fits-all guidelines. How mind boggling that common sense is trumped by metadata that is monumentally susceptible to error! The damage to humans who depend on email for everything from emotional well-being to practical needs cannot be overstated. I’m not big on regulation, but this is an abuse begging for scrutiny and litigation! Such reflex blacklisting is morally reprehensible if not legally culpable.
ABOVE ALL, IF YOU DON’T HEAR FROM ME, PLEASE NEVER DOUBT THAT I TRIED TO REACH YOU! I hate to leave people hangin’…
Blah…such a waste of space. Nothing worse in human relations
than deficient communications.
Mucho thanks for your truly sterling responses to my new novel CASE WHITE. Stunning reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, including a listing in the Top 8 Novels of the Year by a respected reviewer! In a career that has been marked by much critical acclaim but never really grasped the brass ring commercially, CASE WHITE should cross all borders for appeal. I’d certainly like to believe it will capture widespread attention, but I can only blame myself and my low-promo ways if it gets lost in the marketplace. All the more reason to be grateful for you high-quality readers and your high-quality comments. My heartfelt best to you and yours in the New Year, wonderful friends and fans!
And I hope your holidays were the warmest! I skied alone Christmas night as I usually do. Elm Creek was closed, so I had the darkness to myself. That usually yields perspectives, but it was starless and smothering and I had to focus on rather treacherous conditions. And that made it internal. Not what I went out there for, but life will tell you what the moment is about if you listen. It carried over into a late night drive. May your own starless nights be brightened by the light you spark within.
EMAIL NOTICE: The only way to receive Sullygrams is to ask for them. You are receiving this because you or someone at this email address requested it. If you ever change your mind about wanting to receive Sullygrams, simply reply to this email with a request to unsubscribe. Please know that I NEVER arbitrarily drop anyone. However, email apps in general, and Microsoft in particular, use arbitrary algorithms to identify spam, and because my newsletter is mass mailed around the world, it is continually misidentified. If your email is owned by MS (Hotmail, Live, MSN, Coxnet and others), it may be blocking Sullygrams or other mail you request. If you do not receive your monthly Sullygram, please check your spam folder, and if it’s not there, let me know. And thanks as always for your friendship.
Thomas "Sully" Sullivan
You can see all my books in any format here on my webpage or follow me on Facebook:
http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/thomas.sullivan.395
