Ernest Ortiz Writes Now

Do you ever look back as a child when you got sick and you got to stay in bed and skip school? Whether you watched TV and ate ice cream or slept the entire day away, all your responsibilities were put on hold until you got better. Unfortunately, as a parent, I don’t have that luxury.

A few days ago my older son had to miss school due to a nasty cough. And since he hasn’t mastered the art of covering his coughs with his arm I fell victim to the chain of sickness. Usually, I’m pretty good at preventing illnesses, but not this time.

Of course this happens when my family and I had plans for the weekend. And as a stay-at-home dad, my responsibilities don’t stop just because I’m sick. Have to keep going no matter what. So I’ll ingest all the fluids and the over-the-counter medication, and try not to overexert myself.

So be careful out there and take all the necessary precautions so you and your family don’t get sick. Be well!

#health #wellness #sick

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Back in December, after the Christmas lights show at my county fair, my family and I made a late night stop at a recently opened Yemeni cafe several blocks away from our home. I bought a hot pistachio latte for myself, a strawberry refresher for my wife, and a chocolate croissant for all of us to share. Everything was delicious, but pricey (about $21 before tip).

Moka & Co. has more traditional Yemeni coffee choices and plenty of desserts like baklava and more savory items like samosas. As far as cafe corporate chains go, Moka & Co. is clean and the food and drink items are better than Starbucks and some Peet’s Coffee locations. I know there’s another smaller Yemeni cafe chain a few more miles away from our house and I plan on trying it in the near future.

So if Moka & Co. is in your neighborhood, give it a try. And yes, I do recommend the pistachio latte.

I need to make a quick stop.

#coffee #Yemeni #mokaandco

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It’s a great tool to generate ideas, prepare outlines, and proofread your manuscripts. Sure, some writers have used AI to write stories for them, creating so-called slop. But slop has always existed. AI, like all tools, can be used for good and evil.

There are two problems I have with AI: the massive energy requirements to run the servers and the increased prices of computer parts to meet demand. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are making deals with energy companies to build nuclear power plants next to their data centers. How is this fair when ordinary people experience blackouts due in part to AI’s energy consumption? And what about PC building enthusiasts who want to make their own computers, or people who just want to buy an ordinary computer/laptop? They’ll have to pay even more out of their pockets just for the privilege of having one.

Whether you like or hate AI is irrelevant. At the end of the day, it’s here to stay. Can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. The best thing to do is to have people develop their own LLMs or download the LLM of their choice to their computers. The drive for independent AI and taking power away from corporations and governments should be the goal for everyone, including writers.

#writing #AI #LLM

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I don’t earn anything from my writings and that’s okay. Writing as a career never interested me. Don’t like the deadlines and constant editing. I’ll write whenever and wherever.

When self-publishing flourished and despite publishing two short stories on a two-series horror book anthology for fun, I still didn’t want to write for a living. While I do have some book ideas publishing isn’t a priority right now. But for many writers, I sympathize with your anger, fear, and disappointments.

You want to earn a decent living writing what you love and people reading your content. Second, you also want to leave some sort of legacy. Finally, you want to tell people what many writers have failed to do: “I wrote and published a book.” But like everyone can’t be a doctor, engineer, or God forbid, a lawyer, not everyone can be a successfully published writer.

However, continue on writing. Get those experiences, ideas, and thoughts on paper or post them online. Maybe no one else will read them or refuse to give you money when they do. But at least try. Who knows. At least you’re recording them somewhere and it’s not forever lost in your mind as you get older.

#writing #living

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If you’re ever on Facebook or any other social media platform and have your phone’s microphone on, you’ll always see ads tailored specifically to your wants and desires. For me, it’s always backpacks, notebooks, pencils, and saxophones. It’s a love/hate thing.

Every time I go on Facebook (love Marketplace by the way), I always see some company I’ve never heard of selling genuine leather notebooks, the best journal carrying system, or the newest electronic gadget that supposedly helps you write with few distractions. The Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS) always rears its ugly head and takes your precious time and hard earned money.

Influencers praise these products and services and offer their discount codes to make sure you enjoy them as much as they do (until they move onto the next best thing). What ever happened to grabbing a simple notebook and pen/pencil and just write? Why is writing getting more complicated?

Do we really need devices with e-ink screens to help us write? Or an expensive journaling system forcing us to buy more replacement notebooks and accessories to make us look cool while we write? And do we really need an app just to time us when to start and stop writing?

I know I sound like the old man yelling at the clouds. So let’s just focus on the simple act of writing itself: paper and pen/pencil. And let’s deal with the more complicated stuff, such as publishing your manuscript and the online posts, later when the time comes.

#writing #simple #shinyobjectsyndrome

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I’m sure many of you are tired of the countless New Year resolution articles popping in your feeds. Probably won’t bother having one this year. Usually, the problem is people overload themselves that they never accomplish a single goal. Also, why bother waiting until New Years to self-improve? Shouldn’t that be done regardless?

Well, I’ll stick to one resolution this year and add more throughout 2026. And no, it’s not trying to write more. I’m going to be more patient. I noticed that getting older the more easily frustrated I get. Having two kids may seem the reason, but this was happening before I got married and had children.

I guess that’s another con to being old. Realizing that you have less time in this world and your body is more susceptible to injuries and especially diseases, you don’t want to deal with any bullshit or anything that wastes your time. I want to spend my precious time with God, family, friends, and my hobbies.

So if you’re going to have a New Year’s resolution, best to have and stick with one. And realize self-improvement is a 24/7, 365 days a year, kind of thing. Here’s to you and me improving ourselves one day at a time.

Happy New Year!

#happynewyear #resolution #selfimprovement

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2025 is leaving for good and I look forward to 2026. Let’s spend the last day with family and friends, be optimistic, and handle all our problems the best we can. Finally, let’s all continue writing. Happy New Year, everyone!

#happynewyear #goodbye2025 #hello2026

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Thank you Matt at Write.as and everyone who has read my posts. Enjoy spending time with family and friends. Merry Christmas and God Bless!

#merrychristmas

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On Saturday, my family and I went to Eastridge Mall in San Jose to see the Saxophone Christmas concert. It only happens once a year in the city and in Sacramento. Dozens of volunteers with various saxophones perform classic Christmas songs to a full crowd. It’s been several years since I’ve last seen their concerts while it’s my family’s first time.

Over 20 years ago, I took up the saxophone and learned from various teachers. I practiced all the time and even performed at a recital. My last teacher encouraged me to volunteer for Saxophone Christmas but I had to drop out due to a death of a cousin.

Unfortunately, practice waned and I eventually stopped due to being so busy with work and unable to play without disturbing neighbors. Anyway, if you’re in San Jose or Sacramento and you’re able to, check out Saxophone Christmas. It’s free and fun to watch.

#merrychristmas #saxophone

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United States Air Force Colonel Barbara Cho, spokesperson for the Pentagon, made a shocking announcement today whether to reconsider their relationship with Santa after allegations of divulging classified information to a group of children during a Zoom meeting.

Stephen Willis, the father of a 14-year old daughter, were both present during the online call. He said during the interview, “It’s crazy. Santa’s face was bright red, his speech slurred, and he ranted that his sleigh was a prototype based on alien technology constructed at Area 51.”

Colonel Cho has denied all allegations of Santa’s sleigh being based on alien technology, that Area 51 exists, and that an alien craft landed on Roswell back in 1947. She referred to Project Blue Book, a decade long plus study that concluded all allegations of alien UFOs have been proven false.

In a final statement, Colonel Cho said, “We take this matter of national security seriously and hope to settle this matter for the sake of our children.”

DOJ spokesperson Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ana said that an investigation is underway and wouldn’t comment any further until the investigation is complete. He also said, “We’re also investigating the father, Mr. Willis, why his daughter still believes in Santa Claus.”

Santa declined an interview and has denied all allegations about the matter.

#news #parody #santa #airforce #doj

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