Tag Archives: affiliate marketing

Amazon.com: W. J. Hagerty Silversmiths Pump Spray Polish : Health & Household

W. J. Hagerty Silversmiths Pump Spray Polish

I use the W.J. Hagerty Silversmiths Pump Spray Polish to bring to life multiple silver items, two of which I display below for illustrative purposes.

In-process after using W. J. Hagerty Silversmiths Pump Spray Polish

After Rinsing with Water and Polishing with Soft Cloth


Before Polishing
After Polishing to Prepare to Sell on Mercari.com

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Effects of Prison Interview, Part III, by Ms. Begum K with Wayne T. Dowdy

This is the conclusion of the three part interview by Ms. Begum K with Wayne T. Dowdy. Please take a moment to like and subscribe to the YouTube channel after following the links to the content below. I do thank you in advance!

In the conclusion, I expressed my views about the overcriminalization in America and other issues, including parts of my life as a returning citizen. My hope is to help others understand more about the effects of incarceration, and the struggles that some returning citizens may experience upon release; especially, after serving a long prison sentence.

Some of the things I share had an emotional toll on me, as I expressed my feelings, but what I had to say was important for me; as well as for others who may need to know that it is okay to be human, and to experience God-given emotions. For men in particular, even those emotions that are not macho. Displaying anger is easier than showing pain or remorse. And for that I am grateful!

Click Here for the conclusion.

If you missed watching the other two segments, here is a link for the playlist. I do thank you for the support. https://youtu.be/JhMZgWJqULY

Life After Release-11(b)

Note: Life After Release-11 first posted on straightfromthepen.wordpress.com


Easter Morning 2023: Happy Easter to those who celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

I’m sticking with the Happy New Year content below that my procrastination and busy schedule did not produce on the planned timeline. I’ve since migrated the content of this website from WordPress.com to FastComet.com for hosting. That project is still a work in progress, as my use of WordPress.org on FastComet.com requires more work and technical knowledge than I have in a sense.

But I live and learn and continue to be grateful for the life I have and my God-given ability to continue to do things that my background would seem to make impossible (never having used a cellphone or personally accessing the Internet until 08/28/2018 (I was online before then with a little help from my friends)).


Though this may appear to be late, it’s not because I began working on this blog before the New Year began, so …. it is timely to me because it is still the New Year and the thought remains the same. ๐Ÿ™‚

And a Happy New Year 2023 it shall be and continue all throughout the year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023!

My Life After Release continues to be different than I imagined before I left the United States Federal Bureau of Prison on August 28, 2018, thirty-years and ten days after my arrest. But I remain grateful because I am blessed on many levels in the areas that count the most: mind, body, and spirit.

On this First Day of 2023, I spun my wheels experimenting on how to export this website to another hosting service I use: FastComet.com. Because I have produced so much content since I began in March 2015, I have a massive amount of media and text to move, some of which I may choose to leave behind as I move on to better terms and conditions than what I pay for on WordPress.com for their premium package. [https://straightfromthepen.com is now hosted by FastComet.com]

The good thing in this change for my Life After Release in 2023, is that FastComet provides me with prompt and efficient service to resolve issues I often encounter because of my lack of technical knowledge [FastComet support team did migrate this website with my assistance at dealing with an inexperienced support technician of to whom I suggested to that he learn about the “exporting” function].

Changes

Though everything may not be perfect in the World of Wayne, I still have all body parts intact and in good working order: maybe not in the same capacity as when younger but all do function and serve their purpose.

Age has had its effect on me but with my history I see each day as a gift, regardless of what I experience. The changes have been an upgrade for me on most levels; especially, when considering where I began in April of 1995 to learn how to live without the use of drugs and alcohol.


One of the new skills I learned that I otherwise would not have if not for using WordPress.com with some of the features provided through the Premium package I had, is the ability to use Spotify to turn some of my blogs into podcasts, another one of my many experiments with technology.

Podcasts on Spotify | STRAIGHT FROM THE PEN

And of greater significance, is for God using me in ways I never imagined. This embedded YouTube video from A Steadfast Journey with the spectacular, Dr. Micshell Milsap, is the second of three appearances that I have had on her television show. In Revising a Life-10, I include the link for the first time I appeared. The second filming may be seen here


My life after release since the last time I posted in this series, is too complicated to continue in this post, but if you want to learn more you can check out my interviews on the YouTube channel for StraightfromthePen.

Prison Privatization Effects on Society by Dr. AI Bing and Wayne T. Dowdy

Prison Privatization in America and beyond is a controversial social issue that I wrote about in 2015 and years to follow. Today I present to you the blog created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Read On!

Dr. AI Bing and I came up with the following essay on the effects of prison privatization on society. Ironically, we agreed on the conclusion. I want to thank Dr. AI Bing for its research and profound conclusions when writing for this important topic.

On April 5, 2015, I wrote an article related to private prisons and some of the lies told to justify its use in America. For more on the issue please read: The Truth About Incarceration, Part II

Note: Dr. AI Bing is the name I created for the latest BING feature using artificial intelligence. In my desire to give credit where credit is due, I asked BING AI how to give proper credit for its service but couldn’t get a definitive response. However, I will share this results from the question, “What do you know about Bing AI?”

“Bing AI is an AI-powered copilot for the web that uses machine learning and natural language processing to help users find what theyโ€™re looking for. It can summarize information from around the web and provide answers to questions in a sidebar. Bing AI can also help users refine their research to get answers with a chat experience and spark creativity by helping users create content. It can even write essays and plan vacations!”

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An Essay on Prison Privatization Effects on Society by Dr. AI BING with Assistance from Wayne T. Dowdy

Prison privatization is a controversial topic in the criminal justice field. Some argue that private prisons can provide a cost-effective and efficient alternative to public prisons, while others contend that private prisons have negative impacts on society, human rights, and rehabilitation. In this blog post, I will examine some of the pros and cons of prison privatization and discuss some possible solutions for improving the prison system.

Pros of Prison Privatization

One of the main arguments in favor of prison privatization is that it can reduce the burden on taxpayers and the government. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with about 1.4 million people in state and federal prisons as of 2019. This costs an estimated $80 billion per year, or about $31,000 per inmate. Private prisons claim that they can operate at lower costs than public prisons, by negotiating lower prices for goods and services, using cheaper labor, and implementing innovative management practices. According to a 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, private prisons saved an average of $4 per inmate per day compared to public prisons.

Another argument in favor of prison privatization is that it can increase the quality and accountability of prison services. Private prisons are subject to contractual obligations and performance standards that can be enforced by the government or monitored by independent agencies. Private prisons may also have more incentives to provide better conditions and programs for inmates, such as education, vocational training, health care, and recreation, in order to reduce recidivism rates and enhance their reputation. Some studies have found that private prisons have lower levels of violence, escapes, and staff turnover than public prisons.

Cons of Prison Privatization

One of the main arguments against prison privatization is that it can undermine the public interest and human rights of inmates. Private prisons are driven by profit motives, which may conflict with the goals of justice, rehabilitation, and public safety. Private prisons may cut corners on quality and safety standards, staff training and supervision, and inmate services and programs, in order to maximize their profits. Private prisons may also lobby for harsher sentencing policies and resist reforms that would reduce incarceration rates, in order to maintain or increase their market share. Private prisons have been accused of various abuses and scandals, such as corruption, fraud, negligence, violence, sexual assault, medical neglect, and civil rights violations.

Another argument against prison privatization is that it can have negative effects on society and communities. Private prisons may contribute to social inequality and racial discrimination, as they disproportionately incarcerate people of color, low-income individuals, immigrants, and other marginalized groups. Private prisons may also disrupt local economies and environments, as they often locate in rural areas with limited resources and infrastructure. Private prisons may create a dependence on incarceration as a source of income and employment for some communities, while displacing or exploiting others.

Solutions for Improving the Prison System

Given the pros and cons of prison privatization, there is no simple or definitive answer to whether it is beneficial or harmful for society. However, there are some possible solutions for improving the prison system, whether public or private.

One solution is to implement evidence-based policies and practices that can reduce incarceration rates and promote alternatives to imprisonment. This may include reforming sentencing laws, expanding diversion programs, enhancing community supervision, supporting reentry services, and addressing the root causes of crime such as poverty, addiction, mental illness, and social exclusion.

Another solution is to improve the oversight and regulation of private prisons to ensure that they meet minimum standards of quality, safety, accountability, transparency, and human rights. This may include strengthening contractual terms and conditions, enforcing penalties for non-compliance or poor performance, conducting regular audits and inspections, collecting and reporting data on outcomes and costs, involving stakeholders and experts in decision-making processes, and ensuring access to legal recourse and remedies for inmates.

A third solution is to foster a culture of change within prisons that can support rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates. This may involve developing cognitive behavioral communities in prison that can help inmates change their thinking patterns and behaviors through positive reinforcement, peer support, role modeling, skill development, and problem-solving. This may also involve engaging correctional staff in training and coaching that can enhance their professional skills, attitudes, values, and well-being.

Conclusion

Prison privatization is a complex issue that has both advantages and disadvantages for society. While private prisons may offer some benefits in terms of cost-efficiency and innovation, they may also pose some risks in terms of public interest and human rights. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the impacts of prison privatization on a case-by-case basis and adopt solutions that can improve the prison system as a whole.

Wonderful Women-2023 by Wayne T. Dowdy

All of the Wonderful Women I pay tribute to each year were somehow missed last year due to operator error. This morning when deciding to post this blog before a spectacular day for me (watching one of my granddaughters play softball), I checked for my Women’s History blog from last year and found it sitting in a draft folder, where it ended up at when I was adding a link to the Spotify podcast that you may listen to by following the embedded post below, or by searching the title on this site. I do apologize ladies, and hope you will remember just how special God made each of you to be the Wonderful Women you are, just the way you are, special in every way on every day. ๐Ÿ™‚

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Moved On

Technically speaking, I moved on and now have a lot of work to do because of the moving process, the same as if I physically moved from one house to another.

Moved On from WordPress.com because of various reasons. Moved faster than anticipated, too. My plan was to post this blog before I moved the website so that all of my followers would know in advance, but I first moved the domain name to Google Domains and that screwed up the website.

As I type, I am not sure about what came with the migration or what I left behind. Time will tell.

I sought the assistance of the superb hosting service I use, FastComet.com, to migrate straightfromthepen.com from WordPress.com to WordPress.org on my behalf. The Plan I pay for included that service.

Though I ran into technical issues because the process with a less-experienced Technical Support member than what I needed, we did get the job done, but if I had not had working knowledge of the migration processes and experimented with exporting sections of my massive website, I would not have known that the person was incorrect about how I needed to go about getting the massive website moved.

My cost for the hosting package at FastComet.com, where I can have multiple websites, only costs a little more than what I paid for the Premium package on WordPress.com that severely restricted what I could do on that hosting service, unless I wanted to pay $25 per month for the Business Plan. Not me, I moved on to a better place and hope I brought my followers with me. Since this has only been live a few hours, the search engines haven’t found me on this new location.

For those not familiar with the more technical aspects of the functioning of websites, there is a substantial difference in WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

StraightfromthePen.com was hosted by WordPress.com, which means that it provided the server (like a large warehouse with a massive distribution network) that I used to park my Domain on (website address); e.g., straightfromthepen.com.

I’ve been using WordPress.com for several years and am not satisfied with the way it works due to its management. StraightfromthePen.com is my oldest site, and then a few years ago I started WonderfulThingsDone-2 using WordPress.com.

I paid ninety-six dollars per year for the WordPress premium, plus $19 for the domain name I moved over to WordPress. Moving the domain name to WordPress.com ended up costing me more than what I previously paid for wonderfulhingsdone.net (WonderfulThingsDone-2) and straightfromthepen.com.

On WonderfulThingsDone.com, which is a WordPress.org website, I have more control and responsibilities for building and maintaining the site, but I got tired of WordPress.com squeezing me for more money, so … I moved on and won’t go back!

Follow me on Quora.com for answers to many questions about Life Inside and Out.

Returning Citizens Interview

Help Needed

I am posting this link to Quora to help Ms. Begum K. find another participant for her interview of returning citizens. I’ve already been through the process with her and it was painless, not extremely sensitive questions or anything to fear, so if you or someone you know has been incarcerated and are now free, she does need a volunteer.

Here is a link to my post on Quora where I shared her request: https://www.quora.com/profile/Wayne-T-Dowdy/Im-sharing-this-post-in-hopes-of-it-reaching-the-right-person-who-will-help-this-young-lady-with-her-project-I-done-th

Check out my other blogs about Quora to see if you may want to become a contributor or just go there to search for answers.

Quora Monetized and Cryptocurrency | STRAIGHT FROM THE PEN

Check out Wayne T’s shop on Mercari!

Simple tasks are not always easy to figure out until I stop trying so hard. For instance, when posting YouTube and More last week, I wanted to refer everyone to my particular items for sale on Mercari, but failed to figure out the process I was sure existed.

Too Tired to Think!

Now I know and hope you will check out what I have to sell in the United States by following the link.

Check out my shop: Wayne T: Get up to $30 off* when you use my code GUFMTB to sign up for Mercari. *Terms apply #mercari https://www.mercari.com/u/102924697?sv=0