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Sometimes after my workout, while eating lunch, I watch a little television – very little as most of the time there’s usually nothing on but commercials. But the other day, Decoding History was on the History Channel and was currently airing program and not commercials, so I started watching. I love history. Something about Ancient Mesopotamia was said, and my interest perked up.
Then they ruined it by talking about Sumeria. They even labeled it Sumeria on a map. It’s not Sumeria, it’s Sumer. Such a basic error made me suspect of any other information they were trying to spew at me — yeah, I know, with shows like Ancient Aliens, I should be suspicious anyway.
Painting of real alien invasion over the Arabian Sea in 1692… [Imitation of History Channel reporting of facts]
I have no tolerance for inaccuracies in nonfiction, and I will always make a face at the mention of ‘Sumeria’ even in fiction, but am slightly more forgiving. Only slightly, though.
I threw a history book out once because in chapter one she talked about Sumeria. I refused to read the rest and figured it deserved the garbage, because that’s what it was. How can you claim to be an expert if you can’t get simple facts right? And those facts are the basis of your argument / theory? What else did you get wrong?
All’s it takes is a little fact check, and it’s so simple. Picking one book by a scholar in the field is all it takes. One! You don’t even have to read it. Peruse the titles on Amazon. Behold! Sumer!
It took me all of three seconds of a search on Amazon to pull up this title. It says SUMER. SUMER!!
Jeez! Moral: DO NOT TAKE RESEARCH OR FACTS FROM THE HISTORY CHANNEL. Go get a book from the library by a scholar in the field. Get the right facts.
PaxReport
My fellow Untethered Realmser, Angela Brown, is having a Reviewer Appreciation event. Between now and the end of April, if you write a review for Neverlove you can enter for a chance to win an Amazon gift card. The more entries she receives, the higher the value of the gift card, too. Stop by her blog for complete details by clicking here. [I so confess to lifting the wording from Laura Eno's blog]
In case you didn’t yet hear, Google is shutting down Google Reader as of July 1 this year. DON’T PANIC! There are alternatives. There’s a nice list to check out HERE I already made the switch to Feedly. Seamless as you login w/ gmail and it imports all feeds and folders, but it’ll take some adjusting. Although adding people is really easy and how the feed is seen can be changed according to tastes.
Writers4Writers is this coming Monday. The featured authors are Kyra Lennon and Angela Brown. Get ready to Tweet and FB! If you’re new to W4WS or want to join up, read about how it works and sign up HERE
Giveaways are still on for the launch of Boomtown Craze. Two different contests for ebook copies of Boomtown and one for a set of paperbacks of the Backworlds series. ENTER
Maybe you noticed I rearranged my website… again… and there’s now a ‘Giveaway‘ tab. You can click on that each month to see what’s up for grabs
Celebrating the Small Things
Friday again. Time for gratitude… Every Friday, Vicklit of Scribblings of an Aspiring Author hosts the celebrate the small things blog hop.
*Although I appreciated the warmer temps this week, I didn’t appreciate the cloudy skies that have prevented me from seeing comet PanSTARRS thus far. Booo sky!
*Met with my writer gal pals this past Tuesday. With everyone who is publishing, publishing differently, we all learn a lot from these sessions. And we pass on whatever we may have learned or stumbled upon since the last month. It’s fun to have in-person interaction. Writing is rather lonely otherwise…
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Email
LinkedIn
Twitter
Youtube
Facebook
GoodReads
Pinterest
WattPad
Bummer you didn’t get to see the comet!
Yes, some of the shows alone make me question accuracy.
And I found a list of alternatives as well and posted it today. Haven’t had time to try any yet, but I will this weekend. And here I had my Google Reader all organized and everything…
The History Channel! They probably meant Cimmeria – where Conan is from. Once he fought Bigfoot over some alien city near Atlantis… It’s all right there in the bible I think. I learned it all from the History Channel!
The Google Reader thing. Wow. Glad there are alternatives.
Oh my gosh, I didn’t realized W4WS is back again on Monday! I’m having a terrible time keeping track of everything going on. Thanks for the reminder!
Bummed about Google Reader but I am going to try Feedly, thanks for the suggestion.
Have a great weekend, Mary. :)
I’d still rather have my kids watching the history channel than some of the other choices available.
I went with Feedfiend, since I use IE.
I confess I had to do a search through Seducer of her Dreams before I answered this… *wipes sweat off brow* I used Sumer! Whew. :)
Angela has a great event going!
History Channel shows can get away with stuff like that because people like me wouldn’t know the difference. :P
Don’t know what to think of the reader thing. I don’t really use mine, but not sure what will happen with my stuff when it’s gone. Hmmm….
I hate bloopers in research, which is why I try and not make any in my writing. I researched a short story based in a country other than mine for a year before I sent it in for publication, and I’m happy no one’s found an error in the published version yet.
Like many others, I’m a little freaked by Reader going away. It’s my primary way of keeping track of blogs. I’ve been doing some thinking (dangerous, I know) and will post some alternative plans on my blog soon.
My brother and nieces were able to see the comet. They were so excited! :)
You can keep your organization with Feedly, Alex.
That is probably what they meant, Rusty
I think we all are lately, Julie. There’s a lot going on. I’m happy with Feedly so far. I figure I might as well jump ship now.
True Tonja, but they should check the facts in their shows. I mean they’re a television network. They can call professors at universities and stuff. I email some when doing research. Granted, Sumer is a pet interest of mine…
Seducer of her Dreams? Now I have to go check that out, Laura
That’s what’s dangerous about it, LG. Even if you don’t use the reader, I’m sure quite a few of your followers do. I use mine.
I researched Sumer for years for a story I never published, Damyanti. My brother is a history buff, so now if I need research, I start talking to him and he throws all this data at me. :) I hope he’s not reading this…
It’s my primary way of keeping track, too, EJ. I literally gasped at that message yesterday. OK, when Cherie Reich mentioned it first… But the alternatives are just as good. Maybe better. We just have to adjust.
Shame on the History Channel!
I’m going to try an alternative to Google Reader this weekend.
I’m really liking Feedly so far, although it does take a bit of getting used to. I’m now using it to make my lists too, like I should have before. LOL!
I totally understand your frustration. It happens to me all the time too. It’s especially annoying when its such a standout mistake.
I did catch something cool on the History channel where a scientist found evidence of ancient Celts having been to OKLAHOMA long before Columbus discovered the Caribbean.
Isn’t Sumeria the Italian word for Sumer or something like that???
Seems the history channel is obsessed with aliens anymore. I used to like the channel, but it’s about as fact filled as the Enquirer anymore.
You’re so right. If you’re writing history, do your research; get the facts straight. Call them on it, Mary!
Here’s to Angela and her launch. She’d doing so well with it.
I’ll be at the Writers4Writers again. Stephen had a super idea and I’d like to see it succeed.
Happy Weekend.
Shame on the History Channel. I think they lost their credibility when they went with reality sows under the guise of history happens every day.
Can’t wait for W4WS!
i do hate it when they don’t do their research properly. I mean I love the history channel, but sometimes…Anyway, I hope you have an awesome weekend!
Nutschell
http://www.thewritingnut.com
Too bad you missed the comet.
There were some shows in History Channel that made me raise an eyebrow, mostly one about Mayans. I was wary ever since about their accuracy.
Let us know how the Feedly works!
History Channel should be the Story Channel . . . it really doesn’t seem to have much on it that’s reliable and factual. I admit that I wouldn’t immediately know that it should be Sumer and not Sumeria (my bad, but I don’t think I’ll forget now, and I don’t plan on writing any books about it either or airing history channel shows). I find problems in history textbooks when they are dealing with Shakespeare and the Elizabethan age . . .one text said that Shakespeare performed Macbeth for Queen Elizabeth . . .very wrong. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth and performed it for the first time after King James came into power and after Queen Elizabeth had died. Anyway, I still can’t claim to be a Shakespeare expert – there’s tons that I don’t know compared to the little I know. I just try to remember that when I state facts . . .
Yay for your celebrations – writing friends are wonderful!
I love ancient history too.
And I also get your problem with these inaccuracies. The other days I was watching a documentary about Romania’s Medieval Period and I was surprised by the shallow approach and the misinformation. For someone who is clueless and wants to discover Romanian culture through documentaries it would be such a mistake!
Hope you find an alt that works for you, Diane
I’m liking it, too, Cherry. the little icon in the lower right hand corner is handy. I love how it kept my google reader organization, too
There’s a lot of bad information out there, Holly. It makes me wonder how to go about getting the right info
lol Really? I don’t know what it’s called in Italian, Jay.
I so agree, Elizabeth
I’ve heard historians call the History Channel on other programs, Lee. So, take whatever they say with a grain of salt, then go look it up somewhere else
They lost something, Melissa. I don’t begrudge them some programming that makes them money. That’s all fine, but make sure the documentaries are accurate… I’m not even sure why they distort some of the facts. It’s very odd.
I might get a shot at the comet tonight, Al. We’ll see.
I completely agree, Tyrean
That’s what I don’t like about it, Adriana. They’re educating people with lies. Our whole society is built on lies these days… it’s scary
Okay, blogger ate my last comment. Anyway, seems like getting it right isn’t as important as entertainment value these days. Like the Biography channel has mostly psychic stuff, lol!
I’m ready to support Angela and Kyra on Monday!
Happy Friday, Mary!
Meeting other writers in person is AWESOME.
…Can’t it be both? I see that you are very passionate about this. Are you somehow a descendant of these noble Sumerians?
LOL yeah history channel doesn’t have too much cred. It is fun to watch though. I honestly don’t know if there’s any channel on t.v. that has much cred as far as science goes. You have to go to magazines like Science or Nature.
I hate seeing something that I know is wrong too. For me, it’s when a health and fitness fad is deemed ‘the only way’, and everything else is wrong – especially when it’s featured on a documentary!
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know it was “Sumer” either, but then I’m not an expert. That would get me upset to see that, if it was “Alien Astronauts.” Thanks for the tip on Feedly, I’ll try that.
We don’t get that channel. Maybe they think you should psychically know, Gwen
It is fun Vikki
No, I’m not related, Tony. It’s just a subject I enjoy studying
That’s true, Michael. I have my Scientific American and Sky & Telescope
I see that a lot, too, Annalisa. I’m not a total expert, but I’ve spent a lot of time ‘improving’ myself. The only thing that works are permanent changes and regular exercise
Oh those things always jar with me too. I get exasperated when I read something that is so bad that someone should have noticed it! However, my geography is terrible…
Good luck to one and all with the giveaways.
loooots going on!
i agree w/such audacious and blatant mistakes that should not be made by those professing to educate! editor! who is the editor!
anyway, i hate change. and things are always changing faster & faster with technology these days… i should work for the government where things move nice and slow, ha! i procrastinate choosing a new reader =(
fun fests
and yay for gal pals & spring!
Thanks for the W4W reminder…
That’s a real shame about the History channel… it’s supposed to entertain and educate… it’s actually inexcusable!
Your blog changes look great- and your blog is always so appealing. :)
Sorry to hear about the History Channel mistake. There are some topics that I get frustrated by the mistakes I hear/notice- but there are so many things I miss because I don’t know enough about them.
Thanks for the lesson! :)
Sorry, but Sumaria (Sumerios in Spanish) is actually correct. Sumarian, and Sumarians is also correct. Sumer is only in English.
Nice to see you, Madeleine :)
Change is annoying, Tara
Well, I suppose their first priority is entertainment, Michelle. We should keep that in mind.
I wonder about that, too, Jess
Thanks for that MV. I know about Sumarian and Sumarians, but in English it’s Sumer. And it was an English channel.