We're halfway through July and the heat is still climbing. Well, it's Texas! What would one expect? There are other hot places of known origins, but we won't talk about those here. Today, I have a little something for everyone.

Let's start with some fiction.

Memorandum of the Ministry of Silly Putty

In 2013, I came across an invitation to enter a contest. It was very simple. The contest would award the "most innovative" flash fiction entry. I put on my thinking cap, grabbed my trusty laptop, and spit out this weird little gem:

I am the Minister of Silly Putty.

I hereby declare that heretofore, forthwith and to wit all future indications of brilliance, genius and/or essential intelligence emitted by creatures great and small do not infringe upon the rights of those whose sludge is filled with remarkable intuition beyond all recognition. If any such persons, or beings representing such persons, or their assigns, become agitated for reasons extolling the virtues of non-existent databases, then it is permissible for those who would do otherwise to do otherwise.

If anyone reading these letters feels the need or the urge to splurge, recommend, abscond, blast into outer space, clothe or unclothe, retard, discard, or break into haphazard happenstance, then you must report immediately to the Bin of Divergent Scoundrels and fill out a Blaaah! Ticket. Failure to do so will result in your denial being requested and flushed down the proverbial toilet.

We are in growth mode, exercising every indication to evangelize the particulars and any effort to condescend to the contradictions mentioned in the previous paragraph shall not forego the concupiscence of yesteryear.         

I repeat, I am the Minister of Silly Putty. Carry on with your goings on as usual and forget this memo at once.

Yes, I won the contest.

Web3 Files

While researching my book Web3 Social: How Creators Are Changing the World Wide Web (And You Can Too!), I ran across a useful tool I'd like to highlight. It's called Aether.

Aether is a messaging app. Its website describes it as a "peer-to-peer ephemeral public communities" tool. In a nutshell, it means it is

• Decentralized

• Open source

• Every post or comment disappears after 6 months (nothing is archived)

• Messages are private, meaning no information is collected on posters (including email addresses, IP addresses, and no cookie tracking

You can learn more about Aether and other decentralized technologies in Web3 Social.

The Crux

Just for my Christian readers, did you know you can publish your testimony? That's right. As a witness for Jesus Christ, you can publish a testimony that tells how God has blessed you. It doesn't have to be your "coming to Jesus story." It can be how God healed a physical ailment, how you broke through spiritual oppression, or any story that depicts how God has worked in your life. It need not be sensationalized.

In fact, the best testimonies are not sensationalized. They depict true events in your life that illustrate how God has been graceful or merciful toward you.

Need help writing your story? Hit reply and let me know what snag you've encountered. Interested in writing your story but don't know where to start? Hit reply and let me know.

Wrapup

This week, I'll be in Forney, Texas. Starting tomorrow, I'll have a book table set up at Kroger in Forney. The Kroger is located at 500 Marketplace Blvd. in Forney. I'll be signing books from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by, or send someone who likes to read.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading.

I'm Allen Taylor. Learn more about me on my author website.