Tag: spirituality

Categories
Miscellaneous

Websites I Can’t Live Without

Please forgive the hyperbole in the title “Websites I Can’t Live Without.” The truth is, yes, I can live without them. However, I use them so frequently than not having them at my disposal would create a void.

Google: I use Google for all my Internet searches and online research. I launch it from my toolbar in Firefox, which takes me to Google for the search results. I can quickly zero in on the exact information I need and only seldom get distracted.

TheFreeDictionary: For online dictionaries, this is my favorite. If I’m writing anything, there’s a good chance that I have this site open. It allows me to quickly verify the correct usage of a word, as well as point to synonyms. (Random trivia question that was recently posed to me: “What is a synonym for euphemism?”)

IMDB: For all my movie, television, and actor information, I immediately go to imdb (“Internet Movie DataBase”). I tend to spend too much time there: I suppose that it is my guilty pleasure—no, wait that might be…

BibleGateway: This is a great site to read or study the Bible. Search by verse, key words, or topic. Plus it has lots of related tools and resources. It also has more Bible translations than I knew existed.

The Weather Channel: Yes, I’m fixated on the weather and weather.com is my go-to source. Though lately, I’m more inclined to use their app.

Amazon: As a writer, it seems I’m often looking up books and checking authors. Though I’m not there every day, it’s close.

I use these sites almost every day that I’m online—which happens to be almost every day.  I suppose that I could live without them—but why try?

Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book The Successful Author for insider tips and insights.

Save

Categories
News

Author Peter DeHaan Launches New Website

Peter DeHaan announced the unveiling of his new website, PeterDeHaan.com, which addresses his writing life and career. The site highlights his current and future writing projects provides a hub for his blogs and details his writing services. It includes a Twitter feed and two blog feeds. It also allows for site search, as well as to simultaneously search all of Peter’s dozen-plus websites using Google Custom Search.

“I’ve wanted this site for a long time,” said Peter DeHaan, Ph.D. “Some people know me as a blogger, others as a columnist, many know me as a magazine publisher, and a few know me for my academic research. I also do freelance work and enjoy assisting other writers. This site pulls all that information together, serving as a hub for my writing career.”

Peter DeHaan has been writing for over three decades, publishing his first article in 1983. Since then, much of his writing has focused on the general business market and telecommunications. He has published hundreds of articles and written four academic research papers, including two Ph.D. dissertations. An active blogger, Peter currently publishes five blogs, all of which are available from his new website. He is currently working on two memoir-style books about spirituality.

Categories
Miscellaneous

Goodbye Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer died last week and was buried on Monday.

A chess grandmaster, he earned worldwide recognition when he beat Borris Spassky in 1972 to win the World Chess Championship. He was the first and only American to do so. His win was viewed in the USA as a decisive victory in the cold war with the USSR. Because of this and his chess-playing genius, his sometimes unpredictable actions were generally overlooked.

As a teenager, I read his monthly chess column in Boy’s Life magazine. I also latched onto the book, “How to Beat Bobby Fischer.” At the time, I looked up to him and was inspired by his accomplishments and world renown.

From this platform and a high level of notoriety, he could have supported any number of noteworthy activities or advocated worthwhile causes. Unfortunately, he chose not to.

With his refusal to defend his title in 1975, his bright star faded and his increasingly eccentric behavior became less tolerated.

He would disappear from public view for long periods of time, only to suddenly emerge to make anti-American jabs or spew forth perplexing tirades. Ultimately, he renounced his US citizenship and settled in Iceland, where he died at age 64.

In death, he has inspired me one last time. As a result of his poorly played endgame in the game of life, I am motivated even more to make sure that I end well, playing wisely and diligently to the very end. Who knows who might be looking at my example – and I don’t want to let them down.

Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD, is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book The Successful Author for insider tips and insights.