I would love to start producing music videos, going to hopefully get a couple of GoPros this summer and link up with a good video editor. I have some pretty interesting ideas and I'll start with my own music. In the spirit of that, I have always done "research" in the music video world. Since I was a kid, MTV and VH1 (geezer) were an addiction. Now, the Internet provides so many other sources.
Really, you can spend all of your time watching cute little cat videos on YouTube, or...
You can quench your junkie thirst on the time tested music video. Check out the First music videos aired on MTV list. Yes, I am citing Wikipedia, but this is a blog so get over it. That page is stacked to the gills with fun filled facts that you can quiz your friends and neighbors like: "What pray tell was the very first Heavy Metal music video? No, sorry loser...That would be "Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden. Just never reveal your source, that way you can keep them guessing. I can't find that particular video by itself on You tube by the way, but I did find a ridiculous live version you can check out at 2AM, or probably not though...It doesn't need anymore hits.
And did I just link MTV? No, absolutely not. I linked You Tube, the world's free-ish entertainment source where the masses flock to get their daily shot of awesome. Where viral videos can spread and make stars out of idiots and well thought out dance choreography occur in every living room.
MTV turned to crap and doesn't seem to actually show music videos anymore, just reality TV garbage. People eat it up, but can you imagine if MTV had the foresight to make a You tube or Vevo?
Fortunately, this golden archive in the sky allows me to reminisce of easier times and watch/listen to "Mother" by Danzig and "Idioteque" by Radiohead live in Tokyo, which really peaks at 3:24 and Lil' Troy with "Wanna Be a Baller".
I could go on forever, there are so many great and not so great music videos produced and archived every day, thank you Vevo.
So...for the list and the experiment. I am going to start with a song that I didn't know, only it was stuck in my head for a week without words which makes it very difficult to find it on Google. I finally broke down and hummed a few bars to another trusty green man who I knew would know...
Turns out, it was "Wolf Like Me" by TV On the Radio. Not only is this a cool song, I was pleasantly surprised by the video. It has 2,293,581 views and I wonder how much it cost to make? A whole lot of editing went into it and like many music videos, it had a twist in the end. "Sail" by AWOLNATION is another with a weird ending.
If I give Wolf Like Me an 9 out of 10 based on the song being pretty cool and the video definitely worth watching, I will now rate 4 other "randomly" selected videos that come up as suggestions by You tube and rate them on the same scale. These are basically Indie videos pimped by Vevo. My selection will change my path to the next, sort of like the old "Choose your own adventure" tales from back in the day:
1. Jukebox the Ghost- "Oh Emily"- I HATE the song and I wish the rest of the band were shown but the video concept is good. Relatively low budget and easy on the eyes, I like the cardboard house and the Devo character towards the end. The dinner scene is neat but overall, just alright. 6
I chose wrong with the first, but here we go...
2. Pacific Air-"Move"- I would probably turn the song if I heard it on the radio, my heavy tuned ears couldn't handle such bliss but WHAT A COOL VIDEO! Low budget, likely shot with a GoPro, the maker of this video deserves an Oscar or at least one of those awesome coffee table art books. The bubbles are great and the female form splashing into the water is superb. Video makes up for the song. 7.5
3. Telekenesis- "Emphathetic People"- Nicely done. I would not only buy his record but watch it again. He plays in an old warehouse and makes vinyl using old machinery. The song is decent too, who could ask for more from an indie artist? 8.5
4. Bastille- "Pompeii"- Don't bother, wanker's galore. The only saving grace is that it turns into a sort of nightmare but overall terrible. I accidentally clicked on it, it has 24mil views, wow. 2.5
I got backed out of the indie corner at this point and will go no further. Millions of views on crap don't need one or two more.
Before you die, don't forget to check out "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis where being frugal is cool and La Grange live 1982 by ZZ Top. Those guys are real showmen.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Coming Soon...No Shows
All,
It has come to my own attention that I have spent far too much time watching shows. I imagine dying and in the end, the powers that be will give me a final rundown of all of things I spent my time doing. For example:
166,075 hours: Sleeping
70,200 hours: Eating
4,758 hours: Having Sex (rather low)
44,658 hours: Driving
36,589 hours: Being a kind and gracious soul
256,000 hours: WATCHING SERIES BACK TO BACK ON NETFLIX
While it is true that I do not have cable or satellite television hooked up, Netflix has become the ultimate alternative to regular programming and the adult series has often replaced a night at the movies for many Americans. With so many "good" shows out there, it is impossible to watch them all and still have time for even the least bit of productivity. Some even make you think and are compelling enough dramas to suck you in until you and your partner nudge each other in the dark and say, "Just one more episode before bed then?"
Also, Amazon has instant movies/tv shows and some pretty "good" deals for prime members. Shows like: Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Big Love, Weeds, The West Wing, STNG (nerd), The Wire, X-files, The Walking Dead and the one that I dare not watch for fear that I will be sucked into a marathon sitting of epic proportions: Game of Thrones. Netflix is better but sometimes you have to wait a season to keep current, which is ok at first until you just can't wait...
These are all like visual crack and eventually, with a super long series like the X-files, I overdosed and eventually watched it simply just to end the damn thing. All good things, even crack, have to come to an end someday and that day is tomorrow...I think.
Why? Why not indulge in the fruits of the lackadaisical American lifestyle you ask? Well, I don't want to use the drug anymore because I want to become a dealer and one day I hope to speak French.
So tomorrow, after I finally finish the series that I have been "working on", I will be forced to look inward and spend the wee hours before bed doing something productive like writing my blog...er...I mean, my novels.
Good luck to me and good luck to you dear Sir/Madame who are trying to wean themselves off of My Big Redneck Vacation.
Tomorrow I will discuss visual methadone clinics and the YouTube music video scene.
It has come to my own attention that I have spent far too much time watching shows. I imagine dying and in the end, the powers that be will give me a final rundown of all of things I spent my time doing. For example:
166,075 hours: Sleeping
70,200 hours: Eating
4,758 hours: Having Sex (rather low)
44,658 hours: Driving
36,589 hours: Being a kind and gracious soul
256,000 hours: WATCHING SERIES BACK TO BACK ON NETFLIX
While it is true that I do not have cable or satellite television hooked up, Netflix has become the ultimate alternative to regular programming and the adult series has often replaced a night at the movies for many Americans. With so many "good" shows out there, it is impossible to watch them all and still have time for even the least bit of productivity. Some even make you think and are compelling enough dramas to suck you in until you and your partner nudge each other in the dark and say, "Just one more episode before bed then?"
Also, Amazon has instant movies/tv shows and some pretty "good" deals for prime members. Shows like: Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Big Love, Weeds, The West Wing, STNG (nerd), The Wire, X-files, The Walking Dead and the one that I dare not watch for fear that I will be sucked into a marathon sitting of epic proportions: Game of Thrones. Netflix is better but sometimes you have to wait a season to keep current, which is ok at first until you just can't wait...
These are all like visual crack and eventually, with a super long series like the X-files, I overdosed and eventually watched it simply just to end the damn thing. All good things, even crack, have to come to an end someday and that day is tomorrow...I think.
Why? Why not indulge in the fruits of the lackadaisical American lifestyle you ask? Well, I don't want to use the drug anymore because I want to become a dealer and one day I hope to speak French.
So tomorrow, after I finally finish the series that I have been "working on", I will be forced to look inward and spend the wee hours before bed doing something productive like writing my blog...er...I mean, my novels.
Good luck to me and good luck to you dear Sir/Madame who are trying to wean themselves off of My Big Redneck Vacation.
Tomorrow I will discuss visual methadone clinics and the YouTube music video scene.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Big Downturn and Looking Ahead...The Return of Brick Corps
Things have been looking pretty gritty on the entrepreneurial front the past week or so. Old green responsibilities are once again rearing their ugly heads and the man has finally caught up to what I've been trying to do. Unfortunately, mixing the ideal of having patients with mild depression can get you into a bit of a pickle here and there. Patients requires hope, hope requires time and buying time requires...well, money. Realistically, I need to get back on this horse and keep going at it.
The theme of the day and my life, seems to be finishing. I am very good at starting things as you may have gathered. About ten years ago, I started Brick Corps (pronounce like Marine Corps, not like the dead bodies). This was the vision of youth. Sound experiments that included dumpster diving, large playground-like collage making, Jack Daniels and some good, old fashioned breaking stuff.
If it sounds chaotic, it was...if it sounds strange, it was. I was the leader without assuming a true title which eventually led to sabotage, copy and regret. What is it anyway? Performance Art? Music? Noise? Dangerous? Maybe.
Nobody took it that seriously except when we were doing it, planning to do it, or listening to it afterwards at 3AM all in a daze. People liked to watch us and with the proper leadership, it could have been pretty grand. Some choreography like Blue Man Group or Stomp was tried, but it was never supposed to get that messy, I mean...organized. The true sense of it was that people got together and cherished a moment of spontaneity which could never occur again. The chair would never be the same after the legs were snapped off and used as drumsticks, the hammer would never hit quite right on that metal baseboard and the wind could never distort the cheap found microphone attached to my awesome Technics by Panasonic 2 channel Dolby solid state recorder in the same wonderful fashion. All I can say is, mess with tape.
To the point please? Well, I have all of the tapes, I digitally archived them and put two albums out over the last few years. I trademarked the name and logo, gave props to the "royal tribunal" which were the first two guys to go along with my crazy idea. Sorry, no money yet guys.
Turns out, this has been happening for years, in some form or another, I had been making Musique Concrete since I was 13 and picked it up heavy thanks to Collin Fitzgerald in high school.It really got me good grades my first time around in college at SUNY Purchase for Studio Composition. The profs loved it and I collected all of the tape machines I could find, gobbling up noise everywhere. There was always a split in my head between conventional band status, gigging (rock star) and actual production. It wasn't until now that I understand what the word prolific meant. I still jump all over when trying to decide on making conventional (rock) music and just all out insanity. Really I need to do both. With so many people out there with different tastes, you never know who will be listening when you create something both scary and beautiful.
So, after a long awaited hiatus, I am releasing The Apocalypse Session. It is just now on MP3 but I would love to put it on vinyl though Cd's will be ready in a few weeks. This is probably not going to please all of you all at once. Arguably the best one, I have several more which I will unleash on the world with no regard. The people who were apart of it don't care anymore and it's still MY ugly loud baby anyway. Thank you everyone for participating and thanks for all the philosophical talks over the years on what it should and shouldn't be which amounted to nothing. At least I can say that these tapes, those moments were not in vain and are not just sitting in my basement collecting dust. All of my effort and coordination should have accounted for something, no matter how disgusting or harmful.
If you are interested in other really crazy stuff, check out
The Books
Survival Research Laboratories
Nocturnal Emissions
Tom Waits
If you every want someone to buy a houseboat, park it in the middle of a field, sell tickets, dismantle everything in a music ish fashion and destroy all evidence, I am your guy. I will bring big friends and a dunk tank.
- DISCLAIMER- If you really dislike someone and want them to stop bumping their loud car stereo, give them a copy of The Apocalypse Session, tell them to crank it to the max. Also, the albums do not have warnings, but you probably shouldn't drive or operate heavy machinery while listening.
The theme of the day and my life, seems to be finishing. I am very good at starting things as you may have gathered. About ten years ago, I started Brick Corps (pronounce like Marine Corps, not like the dead bodies). This was the vision of youth. Sound experiments that included dumpster diving, large playground-like collage making, Jack Daniels and some good, old fashioned breaking stuff.
If it sounds chaotic, it was...if it sounds strange, it was. I was the leader without assuming a true title which eventually led to sabotage, copy and regret. What is it anyway? Performance Art? Music? Noise? Dangerous? Maybe.
Nobody took it that seriously except when we were doing it, planning to do it, or listening to it afterwards at 3AM all in a daze. People liked to watch us and with the proper leadership, it could have been pretty grand. Some choreography like Blue Man Group or Stomp was tried, but it was never supposed to get that messy, I mean...organized. The true sense of it was that people got together and cherished a moment of spontaneity which could never occur again. The chair would never be the same after the legs were snapped off and used as drumsticks, the hammer would never hit quite right on that metal baseboard and the wind could never distort the cheap found microphone attached to my awesome Technics by Panasonic 2 channel Dolby solid state recorder in the same wonderful fashion. All I can say is, mess with tape.
To the point please? Well, I have all of the tapes, I digitally archived them and put two albums out over the last few years. I trademarked the name and logo, gave props to the "royal tribunal" which were the first two guys to go along with my crazy idea. Sorry, no money yet guys.
Turns out, this has been happening for years, in some form or another, I had been making Musique Concrete since I was 13 and picked it up heavy thanks to Collin Fitzgerald in high school.It really got me good grades my first time around in college at SUNY Purchase for Studio Composition. The profs loved it and I collected all of the tape machines I could find, gobbling up noise everywhere. There was always a split in my head between conventional band status, gigging (rock star) and actual production. It wasn't until now that I understand what the word prolific meant. I still jump all over when trying to decide on making conventional (rock) music and just all out insanity. Really I need to do both. With so many people out there with different tastes, you never know who will be listening when you create something both scary and beautiful.
So, after a long awaited hiatus, I am releasing The Apocalypse Session. It is just now on MP3 but I would love to put it on vinyl though Cd's will be ready in a few weeks. This is probably not going to please all of you all at once. Arguably the best one, I have several more which I will unleash on the world with no regard. The people who were apart of it don't care anymore and it's still MY ugly loud baby anyway. Thank you everyone for participating and thanks for all the philosophical talks over the years on what it should and shouldn't be which amounted to nothing. At least I can say that these tapes, those moments were not in vain and are not just sitting in my basement collecting dust. All of my effort and coordination should have accounted for something, no matter how disgusting or harmful.
If you are interested in other really crazy stuff, check out
The Books
Survival Research Laboratories
Nocturnal Emissions
Tom Waits
If you every want someone to buy a houseboat, park it in the middle of a field, sell tickets, dismantle everything in a music ish fashion and destroy all evidence, I am your guy. I will bring big friends and a dunk tank.
- DISCLAIMER- If you really dislike someone and want them to stop bumping their loud car stereo, give them a copy of The Apocalypse Session, tell them to crank it to the max. Also, the albums do not have warnings, but you probably shouldn't drive or operate heavy machinery while listening.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Kids Say the...Weirdest Things
Here is a little snippet of some dialogue between a mother and her children inspired by actual events and my fiction writing class which is using the book The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises that Transform Your Fiction by Brian Kiteley
I chose Early Language for my exercise. I
altered the exercise a bit though, the exercise stated to use dialogue in a
story between two and three-year olds in order to compare language development.
I created a small script between a six and three-year old not only because I
have that demographic in my house, but because of the drastic difference in
communication ability. My six-year old can communicate rather complex ideas yet
still maintains the childish nature. Sometimes I think that she is a genius
trapped in a child’s body because what I remember is represented by her
three-year old sister. I remember finger foods and stumbling, small shoes and a
dirty face. The older sibling is all new, all the time and I still see her as a
little girl. She still is but her willingness to engage in intricate
conversation would suggest otherwise. Although I didn’t follow the rules to a t,
I think that I captured the dynamic of language ability amongst the younger
crowd.
A mother is driving
her two daughters on a routine trip home. The inside of the car is small and
with the two car seats in the back, the distance between mother and her
children is close. She can’t help but overhear and interject in the
conversation between the two, although at times she wish she could stick her
head out the window and listen to the wind instead of the constant banter
between three and six year old girls.
“I wonder, do they
have Disney Newborn?” Kristen asks, adjusting the seat belt.
“Newborns don't exactly watch TV,” Mother responds, turning into a curve.
“Of course newborns watch TV,” Kristen states, looking out the window.
“Why would a newborn watch TV Kristen?” Mom asks.
“Newborns don't exactly watch TV,” Mother responds, turning into a curve.
“Of course newborns watch TV,” Kristen states, looking out the window.
“Why would a newborn watch TV Kristen?” Mom asks.
“Mommy, can I get a
Disney Newborn for my birthday when I turn four?” Molly asks, attempting to
make four with her small hands.
“Wait. I’m the one who asked about it, I’m the one who is about to turn seven,
my birthday comes first,” Kristen yells.
“Nobody is getting
Disney Newborns because they do not exist!” Mother tries to stay calm.
“Talking unicorns can watch TV! But only talking ones, other unicorns do not watch TV,” Molly interjects.
“Mommy, what does goûter mean in France?” asks Kristen.
“Talking unicorns can watch TV! But only talking ones, other unicorns do not watch TV,” Molly interjects.
“Mommy, what does goûter mean in France?” asks Kristen.
“Yeah mommy, what
does goooter mean in froggy language, you and Daddy talk funny sometimes, ha ha!”
Molly says, kicking the driver seat.
“It’s not a frog language, it’s from
France. Besides, I think it’s a cheese,” Kristen explains.
“Daddy says Froggy
languwage! And it’s my cheese!”
“Enough! Molly,
please stop kicking my seat,” Mother pleads.
“I have an
imagunary twin, her name is FuFu.” Molly says, pointing to the middle seat.
“Seriously?... I thought crepes come from France too but I saw them at Publix for one dollar and ninety nine cents.” Kristen says.
“Seriously?... I thought crepes come from France too but I saw them at Publix for one dollar and ninety nine cents.” Kristen says.
“I’m hungry mommy,”
adds Molly.
“We’re almost home,
just a little bit further.”
“Mommy, my teacher
said that hula hoops come from France, but I know that she is not telling the truth because mine at
home says ‘made in China’ right on the label and I’m pretty sure China is a
long way from France.” Kristen declares.
“China? I want you
to make me a cheese quesadilla. Mommy, can I have a cheese quesadilla when we
get home?” Molly is getting hungry, munching on her fingers and slurping her
sippy cup.
All are relieved,
especially mother as they turn into the drive. Now she can stop answering lofty
questions and return to the usual simple commands of “shoes off, wash your
hands.”
Sunday, April 14, 2013
New Business and Damaged Goods
I know that my 2 endearing fans have been chomping at the bit to read my next post and I do apologize for making you wait a whole week. I HAVE NOT been sitting around buffing my fingernails or watching MADMEN or anything like that. On the contrary, my week has been very productive. Here is the long awaited list you've been craving:
1. Looking at real estate like a stalker. I am trying to find the best opportunity to get my feet wet and haven't really found the sure thing quite yet. One deal was a trailer in kennesaw that I found on Craigslist
Yeah...a real gem there...not really for me but right around the corner in an ambiguous former trailer park so I figured what the hell. What an awsome writing cabin this would make...
I learned far too much about the scene and eventually found another deal that included 3 trailers on a 1/2 acre lot bringing in 2200/month in rent for $160,000 owner financing with 20% down. Interesting proposition that I WILL NOT be doing, wish I could but it is good to exercise and see what owning a mini trailer park entails.
The next great deal I found that I actually looked at too was on Barker Rd in Rome, GA (Link to listing)
http://www.zillow.com is such a great site for comparison shopping. You can see what everything around is going for in the area, historical listings, taxes and such. I launched my findings of this field trip on youtube which is sure to go viral:
Outside the house tour
Inside the "house" tour
I looked at a few other places of interest ranging all the way from mansion to the above. Not sure I am ready to commit but I am learning alot.
2. Formed LLC on Friday, received paperwork ON FRIDAY from the State of GA. Good stuff, Rusty Wheels Media, LLC is the official name recognized by the state of GA as a media consultant/marketing firm which employs exactly 1, me...and has a budget of $200 which was spent on the LLC filing itself, ha. Seriously, I have many uses for this, but since I am already in a list...damn.
First is an umbrella firm for myself which includes publishing, marketing and producing records when me and Precious find space for our studio. Second is for use in getting paid from my creative coop gets going. It is much easier for a LLC to pay a LLC, go figure...1099 and health care, workers comp can all get tricky.
3. Watched neighbor watching tree guys cut down tree in his yard. Nice old oak but it was leaning bad over the other neighbor's house which could have resulted in injury, death, and pissed neighbors so it had to go...but I got a gift, MULCH which I put to good use in our beds that need more establishment. 1/4 of the way through, like everything else.
4. Reconnected big time with the taxi company MidnightBlue Taxi which I part own and sold for a short period of time. I will go back to my usual role of selling cars, marketing, driving when I need money and leasing cars to people who want to drive more than I do. This is good because it puts food on the table, I can flip cars to and from it, and I may need money to buy more #1 mega deals.
5. Met with co-op, more later when things are concrete.
6. Promoted someone
7. Opened yet another google account.
8. Almost finished one book, one more week to go.
.
9. Started my Fiction Workshop class at National University.
10. Contemplating my life too much as always.
This is just to name a few of the things I have "accomplished" with my first full week of unemployment. Don't like calling it that but a scar can be called a "learning experience:, so we'll go with self-employment.
The Ogre and I will be charging up Kennesaw Mountain tomorrow if anyone can bring a steamroller, that would be cool. He also convinced me that before I flip houses and become the ultimate landlord, I should probably continue with cars, I am good at it. Well, sometimes you have to dream big.
While I was writing this, I found this little nugget full of junk that I would totally buy if I were only in Chicago....Later Everybody
1. Looking at real estate like a stalker. I am trying to find the best opportunity to get my feet wet and haven't really found the sure thing quite yet. One deal was a trailer in kennesaw that I found on Craigslist
Yeah...a real gem there...not really for me but right around the corner in an ambiguous former trailer park so I figured what the hell. What an awsome writing cabin this would make...
I learned far too much about the scene and eventually found another deal that included 3 trailers on a 1/2 acre lot bringing in 2200/month in rent for $160,000 owner financing with 20% down. Interesting proposition that I WILL NOT be doing, wish I could but it is good to exercise and see what owning a mini trailer park entails.
The next great deal I found that I actually looked at too was on Barker Rd in Rome, GA (Link to listing)
http://www.zillow.com is such a great site for comparison shopping. You can see what everything around is going for in the area, historical listings, taxes and such. I launched my findings of this field trip on youtube which is sure to go viral:
Outside the house tour
Inside the "house" tour
I looked at a few other places of interest ranging all the way from mansion to the above. Not sure I am ready to commit but I am learning alot.
2. Formed LLC on Friday, received paperwork ON FRIDAY from the State of GA. Good stuff, Rusty Wheels Media, LLC is the official name recognized by the state of GA as a media consultant/marketing firm which employs exactly 1, me...and has a budget of $200 which was spent on the LLC filing itself, ha. Seriously, I have many uses for this, but since I am already in a list...damn.
First is an umbrella firm for myself which includes publishing, marketing and producing records when me and Precious find space for our studio. Second is for use in getting paid from my creative coop gets going. It is much easier for a LLC to pay a LLC, go figure...1099 and health care, workers comp can all get tricky.
3. Watched neighbor watching tree guys cut down tree in his yard. Nice old oak but it was leaning bad over the other neighbor's house which could have resulted in injury, death, and pissed neighbors so it had to go...but I got a gift, MULCH which I put to good use in our beds that need more establishment. 1/4 of the way through, like everything else.
4. Reconnected big time with the taxi company MidnightBlue Taxi which I part own and sold for a short period of time. I will go back to my usual role of selling cars, marketing, driving when I need money and leasing cars to people who want to drive more than I do. This is good because it puts food on the table, I can flip cars to and from it, and I may need money to buy more #1 mega deals.
5. Met with co-op, more later when things are concrete.
6. Promoted someone
7. Opened yet another google account.
8. Almost finished one book, one more week to go.
.
9. Started my Fiction Workshop class at National University.
10. Contemplating my life too much as always.
This is just to name a few of the things I have "accomplished" with my first full week of unemployment. Don't like calling it that but a scar can be called a "learning experience:, so we'll go with self-employment.
The Ogre and I will be charging up Kennesaw Mountain tomorrow if anyone can bring a steamroller, that would be cool. He also convinced me that before I flip houses and become the ultimate landlord, I should probably continue with cars, I am good at it. Well, sometimes you have to dream big.
While I was writing this, I found this little nugget full of junk that I would totally buy if I were only in Chicago....Later Everybody
Sunday, April 7, 2013
American Dream Dead? Hell No, Opportunists Unite
Can you still make something out of nothing?
After having a good conversation with my dad, I have come to the conclusion that the American dream as he knew it is well...different. It's probably a tad retro actually, although not the 70's or super cool 80's kind. More likely, it's sharing similarities to the age before we had industrial giants who could be bought out and lay off hundreds of workers at a time...era. Sorry technocrats, HARD WORK and plain know-how doesn't just go away in 2013 though...unless you are on the dole.
I say this because I asked my father what he would do in my shoes, staring down the barrel at numerous opportunities. I am trying to decide which should carry the most weight. He got it right when he said that he was the wrong person to ask. When he was growing up in a family of 6, the blue mantra was that if you got a good job at a factory or somewhere within that realm, had a family, a house a car, etc. everything would be cool. Now, the average worker changes they don't even know how many jobs. Check out this Wall Street Journal Article...they are just as confused because nobody really tracks it, but the consensus seems to be about 7 careers which is neither here nor there. The point is, long were the days of staying behind the wheel of one job and retiring in that job. I got wind of that the first time, about 20 years ago when my dad, step dad and step mom all got laid off from Rubbermaid and Monarch Machine in Cortland, NY. Times were changing then and they are continuing to shift. That's all well and good for an opportunist like me, would be event better if I had the heart to be a grifter. Oh well, instead of being a sophisticated con-artist, I've decided to go legit. Below are my current opportunities in which I will attempt to once again make something out of nothing. Go ahead a VOTE in the comments section for your favorite.
1. May start a farm enterprise with an Army and college buddy. We are meeting tomorrow to discuss and I really have high hopes. I need to find a land companies for agricultural in Bartow, Paulding or Cherokee county. I really like landwatch but I don't find as much ag in those areas and some stuff has been sold months ago. The truth is, if I had 10,000 dollars, a couple months to get started and at least 20 acres, I would already be farming. This is the perfect realm for the dabbler as everyday is different and you can change it up from time to time. I certainly wouldn't expect to be an industrial farmer but those hippies at the Chattanooga farmer's market are making a killing selling certified organic to yuppies. Some people can make a decent living at it but I would be in it for the quality of life. It's not really a matter of if I will have a farm one day, just when.
2. I looked at a couple of commercial properties on Friday, checking out the possibility of being a landlord and having a place to conduct my various businesses, or more appropriate, dabblings. The only decent prospect so far was a mansion type in Canton, GA zoned office and professional (OP) with 7 lawyer/accountant type offices, 3 are rented bringing in 1000 already. It has been redone but it is a tough sell because...well it's downtown Canton, GA and really a 20 year play. At 160K and completely renovated, it's a steal. But Marc, how could you afford it??? OWNER FINANCING. Best way to go, how I bought the hoarder's house and how I will buy all property if I have to finance. Me, my lawyer and the seller is the only way to go...banks suck and make you justify your existence now...for good reason, they really screwed up a few years back. Needless to say, I will keep looking.
3. Precious and I have been talking about going into the studio recording business for years. He has the knowledge and the equipment, I have the business savvy and the ability to make the phones ring with my glamorous personality. Just a question of where??? Need space which ties in a little with #2 and maybe #1. We figured the other night we could actually build a control room in a trailer, check out this possibly overpriced design from Markertek. Could be done cheaper starting out with one of these from trailershowroom . Then we could come to you and record your tabernacle choir on site! Almost bought a house boat, whew! Good thing I lost that eBay auction. That would be cool and easy to market but dismal during the winter months.
4. Marketing Co-op that I will be project manager/copywriter of. We meet for the first time next week and I have a high hopes. A Co-op defined here if you don't know. This could end up funding everything if it works out.
5. The always trusty taxi-cab leasing business. Will probably use this to fund #3 until #3 funds itself but it is always a good back up. Send your unwanted cars to me.
6. Finishing my MFA in Writing at National University. Fiction Workshop starts tomorrow, I am so happy. I get to get all turbines running again and get some feedback on my work. One more step closer to being an English adjunct prof. so watch out univ of Phoenix English 1101. This is interchangeable with all endeavors previously listed as it makes me a better writer and I can teach English part time from the beach. I am a writer, for now I will compile it with this though, need to finish at least 1 of 4 books I am working on.
7. April 20 ish I'll get my first finished motorcycle from the Ogre to sell, dawning the new era of J&M Powersports.
I probably forgot some current endeavors but as you can see, I have a whole lot to ponder. I did lay in my garden for the season, so at least my food will be subsidised by..me.
My father would have never thought it possible to use 40+ a week this way. The truth doesn't change though, NONE of these endeavors will succeed without a good woman, some good old fashioned HARD WORK and some know-how. Opportunists unite.
After having a good conversation with my dad, I have come to the conclusion that the American dream as he knew it is well...different. It's probably a tad retro actually, although not the 70's or super cool 80's kind. More likely, it's sharing similarities to the age before we had industrial giants who could be bought out and lay off hundreds of workers at a time...era. Sorry technocrats, HARD WORK and plain know-how doesn't just go away in 2013 though...unless you are on the dole.
I say this because I asked my father what he would do in my shoes, staring down the barrel at numerous opportunities. I am trying to decide which should carry the most weight. He got it right when he said that he was the wrong person to ask. When he was growing up in a family of 6, the blue mantra was that if you got a good job at a factory or somewhere within that realm, had a family, a house a car, etc. everything would be cool. Now, the average worker changes they don't even know how many jobs. Check out this Wall Street Journal Article...they are just as confused because nobody really tracks it, but the consensus seems to be about 7 careers which is neither here nor there. The point is, long were the days of staying behind the wheel of one job and retiring in that job. I got wind of that the first time, about 20 years ago when my dad, step dad and step mom all got laid off from Rubbermaid and Monarch Machine in Cortland, NY. Times were changing then and they are continuing to shift. That's all well and good for an opportunist like me, would be event better if I had the heart to be a grifter. Oh well, instead of being a sophisticated con-artist, I've decided to go legit. Below are my current opportunities in which I will attempt to once again make something out of nothing. Go ahead a VOTE in the comments section for your favorite.
1. May start a farm enterprise with an Army and college buddy. We are meeting tomorrow to discuss and I really have high hopes. I need to find a land companies for agricultural in Bartow, Paulding or Cherokee county. I really like landwatch but I don't find as much ag in those areas and some stuff has been sold months ago. The truth is, if I had 10,000 dollars, a couple months to get started and at least 20 acres, I would already be farming. This is the perfect realm for the dabbler as everyday is different and you can change it up from time to time. I certainly wouldn't expect to be an industrial farmer but those hippies at the Chattanooga farmer's market are making a killing selling certified organic to yuppies. Some people can make a decent living at it but I would be in it for the quality of life. It's not really a matter of if I will have a farm one day, just when.
2. I looked at a couple of commercial properties on Friday, checking out the possibility of being a landlord and having a place to conduct my various businesses, or more appropriate, dabblings. The only decent prospect so far was a mansion type in Canton, GA zoned office and professional (OP) with 7 lawyer/accountant type offices, 3 are rented bringing in 1000 already. It has been redone but it is a tough sell because...well it's downtown Canton, GA and really a 20 year play. At 160K and completely renovated, it's a steal. But Marc, how could you afford it??? OWNER FINANCING. Best way to go, how I bought the hoarder's house and how I will buy all property if I have to finance. Me, my lawyer and the seller is the only way to go...banks suck and make you justify your existence now...for good reason, they really screwed up a few years back. Needless to say, I will keep looking.
3. Precious and I have been talking about going into the studio recording business for years. He has the knowledge and the equipment, I have the business savvy and the ability to make the phones ring with my glamorous personality. Just a question of where??? Need space which ties in a little with #2 and maybe #1. We figured the other night we could actually build a control room in a trailer, check out this possibly overpriced design from Markertek. Could be done cheaper starting out with one of these from trailershowroom . Then we could come to you and record your tabernacle choir on site! Almost bought a house boat, whew! Good thing I lost that eBay auction. That would be cool and easy to market but dismal during the winter months.
4. Marketing Co-op that I will be project manager/copywriter of. We meet for the first time next week and I have a high hopes. A Co-op defined here if you don't know. This could end up funding everything if it works out.
5. The always trusty taxi-cab leasing business. Will probably use this to fund #3 until #3 funds itself but it is always a good back up. Send your unwanted cars to me.
6. Finishing my MFA in Writing at National University. Fiction Workshop starts tomorrow, I am so happy. I get to get all turbines running again and get some feedback on my work. One more step closer to being an English adjunct prof. so watch out univ of Phoenix English 1101. This is interchangeable with all endeavors previously listed as it makes me a better writer and I can teach English part time from the beach. I am a writer, for now I will compile it with this though, need to finish at least 1 of 4 books I am working on.
7. April 20 ish I'll get my first finished motorcycle from the Ogre to sell, dawning the new era of J&M Powersports.
I probably forgot some current endeavors but as you can see, I have a whole lot to ponder. I did lay in my garden for the season, so at least my food will be subsidised by..me.
My father would have never thought it possible to use 40+ a week this way. The truth doesn't change though, NONE of these endeavors will succeed without a good woman, some good old fashioned HARD WORK and some know-how. Opportunists unite.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Find Your Game, Play to the Best of Your Ability, Cheat when You Can
There is an old saying with the green men that goes: "if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'..." And I believe this to be very true.
At some point in my existence, I was asked, "Are you left handed?" My shivering response was an automatic "Yes!"...followed by "Good, because if you weren't, I would have failed you." For the rest of that day, I proceeded to do everything left handed, including signing my name. That's all well and good since I was in a knot tying class with demolition and the consensus was that my life depended on it somehow.
I reassure you that I am in fact typing this right handed and I just happen to bat the same way...
If you are intending on branching out in your life and you want to succeed, it is important to:
1. Figure out the game you want to play to give your life the change-up it deserves (examples: investor, farmer, marketeer, professional bowler, jockey, taxi driver, taxi company owner, circus clown, writer, used car salesman, whatever your heart desires)
2. Find out everything there is to know about the chosen game and really sink your teeth in. This is an important factor not only for doing your very best as an individual, but also for step 4. After all, we are living in the information age here, anything you want to know but were afraid to ask your buddy is on the web...Below are some how to examples:
Intro to Beekeeping
Learn to Scuba
Metal Roofing (I actually used this one for my own house)
Counting Cards (don't condone because they are watching but scam school is cool)
Drill Your own WATER WELL!!!
Raising Sheep & Goats for Profit
See? You don't even need to read anymore. If you do, even better!
3. Do the best you can with the talents that God gave you. If you have none, start over with step two or proceed *With Caution* directly to step 4.
4. Cheat as much as you can without legal or bodily harm. This means finding an edge somehow and exploiting it to the best of your ability. Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales displayed this edge finding the best. This DOES NOT mean that you steal money (outright) or sell cars with bad transmissions that you knew about, more than once or twice anyway. It can mean doing your taxes in an accurate fashion to get the most money back. You wouldn't want to be a loafer or leave money with your name on it just hanging out there. This absolutely DOES NOT mean that you pencil in the wrong score on your mini golf card just to win a bet. (Those establishments have a no eraser policy for a reason.) It could mean that you buy land and rent the trailer on it to make your own payments, or find used tools to start your contracting business from others that are going under instead of buying anew.
Clearly, there is a distinction between cheating with malice and finding an edge where and when you can, like a gentleman or a lady.
The following are some games/professions where cheating of any kind is highly discouraged:
1. Firefighter
2. Craps shooter (May lose a limb)
3. Tax professional
4. Pro Fisherman
5. Guy/Gal that trains Killer Whales (May lose another limb)
6. Archery (either you hit it or you didn't)
7. Pro Skydiver that teaches other people
8. Hot Air balloon pilot
9. Government contractor...wait...this belongs on another list
10. Heat Seeking Missile
Remember...if you are ever asked if you are left handed...or you if you are the "Gatekeeper" you just say YES and move on like you know exactly what you are doing.
At some point in my existence, I was asked, "Are you left handed?" My shivering response was an automatic "Yes!"...followed by "Good, because if you weren't, I would have failed you." For the rest of that day, I proceeded to do everything left handed, including signing my name. That's all well and good since I was in a knot tying class with demolition and the consensus was that my life depended on it somehow.
I reassure you that I am in fact typing this right handed and I just happen to bat the same way...
If you are intending on branching out in your life and you want to succeed, it is important to:
1. Figure out the game you want to play to give your life the change-up it deserves (examples: investor, farmer, marketeer, professional bowler, jockey, taxi driver, taxi company owner, circus clown, writer, used car salesman, whatever your heart desires)
2. Find out everything there is to know about the chosen game and really sink your teeth in. This is an important factor not only for doing your very best as an individual, but also for step 4. After all, we are living in the information age here, anything you want to know but were afraid to ask your buddy is on the web...Below are some how to examples:
Intro to Beekeeping
Learn to Scuba
Metal Roofing (I actually used this one for my own house)
Counting Cards (don't condone because they are watching but scam school is cool)
Drill Your own WATER WELL!!!
Raising Sheep & Goats for Profit
See? You don't even need to read anymore. If you do, even better!
3. Do the best you can with the talents that God gave you. If you have none, start over with step two or proceed *With Caution* directly to step 4.
4. Cheat as much as you can without legal or bodily harm. This means finding an edge somehow and exploiting it to the best of your ability. Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales displayed this edge finding the best. This DOES NOT mean that you steal money (outright) or sell cars with bad transmissions that you knew about, more than once or twice anyway. It can mean doing your taxes in an accurate fashion to get the most money back. You wouldn't want to be a loafer or leave money with your name on it just hanging out there. This absolutely DOES NOT mean that you pencil in the wrong score on your mini golf card just to win a bet. (Those establishments have a no eraser policy for a reason.) It could mean that you buy land and rent the trailer on it to make your own payments, or find used tools to start your contracting business from others that are going under instead of buying anew.
Clearly, there is a distinction between cheating with malice and finding an edge where and when you can, like a gentleman or a lady.
The following are some games/professions where cheating of any kind is highly discouraged:
1. Firefighter
2. Craps shooter (May lose a limb)
3. Tax professional
4. Pro Fisherman
5. Guy/Gal that trains Killer Whales (May lose another limb)
6. Archery (either you hit it or you didn't)
7. Pro Skydiver that teaches other people
8. Hot Air balloon pilot
9. Government contractor...wait...this belongs on another list
10. Heat Seeking Missile
Remember...if you are ever asked if you are left handed...or you if you are the "Gatekeeper" you just say YES and move on like you know exactly what you are doing.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Fishing, Farming and The Best Death Ever
Yesterday was day one of my fishing adventures at Lake Allatoona. It was me, my friend who is not necessarily an Ogre and my trusty flat back canoe with a trolling motor. Like all days dedicated to fishing, it had much potential. We kept it light and easy with the logistics, learning over the years that driving 2 hours+ to command the boat for an hour to get to the "spot" does not always create a day of good fishing, just more time wasting than anything else.
The results are in:
Once again, I have proven that I must not have the means necessary to charge a marine battery, luckily we brought a backup. My trusty 25 year old canoe did start taking on water for the first time which usually doesn't go away by itself.
I also knew in the back of my mind that fishing while the weather is acting crazy is either hit or miss, usually miss big time. I remembered why I ceased all winter fishing operations here in GA a few years back when I unofficially became an adult of sorts. The wind was cold, the water was cold and due to the weird spell this week, the fish aren't spawning yet. *whisper*That means they weren't having sex (in their own way) where we could find them. Nope, no shallow action was to be found. It does seem a little crazy to take advantage of bass while they are having all that fun.
It was a beautiful day with only one or two bass boats in sight or threatening us with drowning in their wake. I did see a houseboat that was being prepared for service which was cool, I WANT ONE. I would like to make a recording studio on one and have live shows, they would always sell out but I am sure the insurance would be astronomical.
What's next? Farming. Due to our inability to catch a large bounty of fish, most of today was devoted to my pleasure garden...I mean vegetable garden. Yes, I have planted the following fruits and vegetables thus far:
1. 12 Tomato plants to include Black Cherry, Beefsteak, Roma
2. 60 or so Red Onions
3. 1 Black grape plant?
4. 8 Strawberry
5. 3 Mixed lettuce
6. Hens and Chickens (not for eating, I think)
7. Irish Moss (not for eating, unless it is the seaweed variety, which this is not)
Among others, seeds are literally being sowed as we speak under my full spectrum lamp in the basement (only legal seedlings this year, sorry) and I hope to have much more to report on in the weeks to come. I will devote one blog at least to getting a garden started, probably next week with links and pics for anyone who will listen.
Keep in mind that not too long ago everyone had a garden at their house and it is a noble tradition to continue.
Now death!
I have always had it in my heart that I would like to be eaten by a shark. Being out on the open water where their are deff no sharks reminded me of this. Now, not a small sharky mind you, that would take too much time and I would likely die in a hospital later from infection, not cool.
This time last year, I jumped from a C-130 (airplane) into the ocean ON PURPOSE. It's ok, the green men said it was cool. I almost drowned but was rescued by a Zodiac with my name on it. The night before, I looked up how many sharks were in Tampa Bay and was highly disappointed by the sizes offered.
Seriously people, suicide is stupid. Kidding not aside for the moment though, I was fearless jumping out of that plane knowing that this was my big chance....The headlines, oh the headlines:
MARC DIES DURING AIRBORNE OPERATIONS IN TAMPA AFTER LANDING WITH PARACHUTE IN THE WATER AND BATTLING A VICIOUS GIANT MONSTER SHARK...THE SHARK ALSO WASHED UP ON A NEARBY BEACH SOME TWO HOURS LATER, DEATH FROM FATIGUE AND BLUDGEON.
The results are in:
Once again, I have proven that I must not have the means necessary to charge a marine battery, luckily we brought a backup. My trusty 25 year old canoe did start taking on water for the first time which usually doesn't go away by itself.
I also knew in the back of my mind that fishing while the weather is acting crazy is either hit or miss, usually miss big time. I remembered why I ceased all winter fishing operations here in GA a few years back when I unofficially became an adult of sorts. The wind was cold, the water was cold and due to the weird spell this week, the fish aren't spawning yet. *whisper*That means they weren't having sex (in their own way) where we could find them. Nope, no shallow action was to be found. It does seem a little crazy to take advantage of bass while they are having all that fun.
It was a beautiful day with only one or two bass boats in sight or threatening us with drowning in their wake. I did see a houseboat that was being prepared for service which was cool, I WANT ONE. I would like to make a recording studio on one and have live shows, they would always sell out but I am sure the insurance would be astronomical.
What's next? Farming. Due to our inability to catch a large bounty of fish, most of today was devoted to my pleasure garden...I mean vegetable garden. Yes, I have planted the following fruits and vegetables thus far:
1. 12 Tomato plants to include Black Cherry, Beefsteak, Roma
2. 60 or so Red Onions
3. 1 Black grape plant?
4. 8 Strawberry
5. 3 Mixed lettuce
6. Hens and Chickens (not for eating, I think)
7. Irish Moss (not for eating, unless it is the seaweed variety, which this is not)
Among others, seeds are literally being sowed as we speak under my full spectrum lamp in the basement (only legal seedlings this year, sorry) and I hope to have much more to report on in the weeks to come. I will devote one blog at least to getting a garden started, probably next week with links and pics for anyone who will listen.
Keep in mind that not too long ago everyone had a garden at their house and it is a noble tradition to continue.
Now death!
I have always had it in my heart that I would like to be eaten by a shark. Being out on the open water where their are deff no sharks reminded me of this. Now, not a small sharky mind you, that would take too much time and I would likely die in a hospital later from infection, not cool.
This time last year, I jumped from a C-130 (airplane) into the ocean ON PURPOSE. It's ok, the green men said it was cool. I almost drowned but was rescued by a Zodiac with my name on it. The night before, I looked up how many sharks were in Tampa Bay and was highly disappointed by the sizes offered.
Seriously people, suicide is stupid. Kidding not aside for the moment though, I was fearless jumping out of that plane knowing that this was my big chance....The headlines, oh the headlines:
MARC DIES DURING AIRBORNE OPERATIONS IN TAMPA AFTER LANDING WITH PARACHUTE IN THE WATER AND BATTLING A VICIOUS GIANT MONSTER SHARK...THE SHARK ALSO WASHED UP ON A NEARBY BEACH SOME TWO HOURS LATER, DEATH FROM FATIGUE AND BLUDGEON.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Go Ahead, Prove Me Wrong...
And there it was...exactly what I needed to get the blog juices flowing. The writing gig to end all writing gigs.
Call for Submissions: Erotic fiction and poetry
And you thought you had the best job ever when you could be writing erotica!
Seriously though, if you are going to make an online literary magazine, you really need to own up to what you are selling and what?????
NO PAY??? Which is fine, but if you are just spending your precious time and dirty little thoughts to the dark void of internet stealer space, you need to rethink why you waste your time coming up with crafty schemes that aren't porn...in the first place.
Writer friends...wait, only two people read this and I'm pretty sure they are still working on crayons, so....notes to self regarding submissions to online literary erotica or whatever your game of the moment is:
1. NEVER submit work to a no name anything.
2. Always look for at least free copies for compensation, that way even if you can't pay the mortgage, it can add to your trophy case your mom keeps for you back home. "But I don't have any trophies!" I know, you still get the point.
3. Shop shop shop around and send out often.
4. Never underestimate the power of old school snail mail submissions with a self addressed stamped envelope and all that...Real is real and killing trees does suck, so does burning coal.
5. Hey...before you submit, READ the magazine first to know what they publish and what they would like to see in their issues.
6. The list of obnoxious and obvious answers to life is over, take a look at these real submission criteria from random places I like to visit, harass and send threatening letters to:
Seriously, these are what submission criteria should look like:
http://dreamsandnightmaresmagazine.com/guidelines.htm
http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/poetry.shtml
http://krakenpress.com/?p=37
https://mixerpublishing.submittable.com/submit/4810
http://www.albedo1.com/?page_id=82
#Krakenpress is so awesome, I want to sweep their virtual floors.
Anyway, feel free to post any good publishers or literary magazine links on here, even the real deal erotica action, oh yeah.
Besides, the best erotica was written years ago by a WOMAN, Anais Nin's Little Birds and Delta of Venus , the latter being the best by far...go ahead, prove me wrong...
Call for Submissions: Erotic fiction and poetry
And you thought you had the best job ever when you could be writing erotica!
Seriously though, if you are going to make an online literary magazine, you really need to own up to what you are selling and what?????
NO PAY??? Which is fine, but if you are just spending your precious time and dirty little thoughts to the dark void of internet stealer space, you need to rethink why you waste your time coming up with crafty schemes that aren't porn...in the first place.
Writer friends...wait, only two people read this and I'm pretty sure they are still working on crayons, so....notes to self regarding submissions to online literary erotica or whatever your game of the moment is:
1. NEVER submit work to a no name anything.
2. Always look for at least free copies for compensation, that way even if you can't pay the mortgage, it can add to your trophy case your mom keeps for you back home. "But I don't have any trophies!" I know, you still get the point.
3. Shop shop shop around and send out often.
4. Never underestimate the power of old school snail mail submissions with a self addressed stamped envelope and all that...Real is real and killing trees does suck, so does burning coal.
5. Hey...before you submit, READ the magazine first to know what they publish and what they would like to see in their issues.
6. The list of obnoxious and obvious answers to life is over, take a look at these real submission criteria from random places I like to visit, harass and send threatening letters to:
Seriously, these are what submission criteria should look like:
http://dreamsandnightmaresmagazine.com/guidelines.htm
http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/poetry.shtml
http://krakenpress.com/?p=37
https://mixerpublishing.submittable.com/submit/4810
http://www.albedo1.com/?page_id=82
#Krakenpress is so awesome, I want to sweep their virtual floors.
Anyway, feel free to post any good publishers or literary magazine links on here, even the real deal erotica action, oh yeah.
Besides, the best erotica was written years ago by a WOMAN, Anais Nin's Little Birds and Delta of Venus , the latter being the best by far...go ahead, prove me wrong...
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
I Can't and Will Never Resist
"Yeah but, I didn't think you would actually do it, it was simply a suggestion."
Ah...so many times this has been said to me over these 3000 years, I can only imagine.
My older sister learned by the age of 10 or so not to double-dog dare me to do anything or she would have to listen to me scream like a half-run over cat.
I remember it well, my face was bloody, and my ankle was broken inside my girly boots that I had to borrow just to go sledding. I took down that hill and ice with my ninja turtle sled knowing that I would show her, and indeed I did. The once half-melted, now frozen again snowman at the bottom of that amazing trip showed me that it was not in fact a jump after all. Both of my siblings thought I was kidding so they headed home, scared of the crazy scene I was causing. Luckily, a trusty neighbor was by her house phone and called my Dad. The worst part of riding in the back of Dad's friend's van (really?) was that I was wearing those girly boots with different colored hearts. I thought surely, it was the tight boots borrowed from my little sister that caused all this mess in the first place. If I had my own boots on, none if this would ever have happened, they would have taken the strain caused by the giant block of ice and I would be having hot chocolate and watching the Wonder Years by now.
And then, after many other instances like this, there was the bookstore...
I worked at the Strand in NYC (http://www.strandbooks.com/) which was one of the best jobs I've ever had. Didn't pay much, but I met alot of nice (women) people and got to read alot. Like everything I do, I dabbled at The Strand. I worked in the warehouse upstairs because I failed their book quiz during the interview, I drove a van, I also worked in art and photography section (best job ever). You could buy books half off as an employee and you were FORBIDDEN FROM SELLING THEM ON THE INTERNET but I did it anyway. Later, after being a doorman (get to that another day) I shopped there once a week or so, still selling books on Amazon, Ebay and abebooks (www.abebooks.com)
Things really picked up when I got hitched and my wife left for Christmas as she was still in college and I was left to sulk. I put my idle hands to good use and BAM dawsonbooksellers was born. This went on for quite some time from our Bay Ridge, Brooklyn apt. and I would shuffle books from old ladies houses by the boxes, as much as I could fit into a cab, later our '88 Olds Cutlass Cierra.
Spanning time ahead, moves, moves, making moves, next thing you know, I am a Southerner living in Kennesaw, GA with not much space and a whole lot of books. The idea is you buy lots of books and sell them one at a time.
I started doing business in Rome, GA with the only guy who would buy my unwanted stock. I would bring a truckload, we would shoot the breeze and I eventually went from selling him my books to buying his store, the whole turn key operation. He was going under simply because he didn't have an Internet market. You cannot rely on brick and mortar any longer unless you are The Strand. Everyone thought and knew I was crazy, even me. But cheap bookstore? I can't and will never resist.
This was great, I loved having a bookstore. We redecorated, I got a cat for the place, everything was cool. The structure was in a traditional southern downtown (Broad St. = Main St. ). I could have been there forever and made it work but green things came and took me away, made me jump out of planes and put me in charge so I had to get out.
My employee at the time was a very eager English major. He was my third and I almost lost his resume but I kept it in some rusty coffee can marked "just in case". I paid him next to nothing and he showed up to work anyway. I eventually sold the store to him and he has done very well (he is still there anyway, and he probably still has my risk board.) Alan, you're a good guy. Check it out, http://paradiselostbooks.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/paradiselostbooks
+Paradise Lost Books
I hope Alan learned from some of my mistakes, I know I sure did. Next time, and there will be a next time...I want to have a book barn so I can do all of my evil deeds in one cozy place. I can see it now...books downstairs, recording studio upstairs, antiques and art gallery throughout, garden outside with Crepaux (French) farms vegetable stand on the corner...kids eating Popsicles and selling tomatoes...Taxis dispatched in and out...plays performed in the amphitheatre...frogs hopping in the pond...
Ah...so many times this has been said to me over these 3000 years, I can only imagine.
My older sister learned by the age of 10 or so not to double-dog dare me to do anything or she would have to listen to me scream like a half-run over cat.
I remember it well, my face was bloody, and my ankle was broken inside my girly boots that I had to borrow just to go sledding. I took down that hill and ice with my ninja turtle sled knowing that I would show her, and indeed I did. The once half-melted, now frozen again snowman at the bottom of that amazing trip showed me that it was not in fact a jump after all. Both of my siblings thought I was kidding so they headed home, scared of the crazy scene I was causing. Luckily, a trusty neighbor was by her house phone and called my Dad. The worst part of riding in the back of Dad's friend's van (really?) was that I was wearing those girly boots with different colored hearts. I thought surely, it was the tight boots borrowed from my little sister that caused all this mess in the first place. If I had my own boots on, none if this would ever have happened, they would have taken the strain caused by the giant block of ice and I would be having hot chocolate and watching the Wonder Years by now.
And then, after many other instances like this, there was the bookstore...
I worked at the Strand in NYC (http://www.strandbooks.com/) which was one of the best jobs I've ever had. Didn't pay much, but I met alot of nice (women) people and got to read alot. Like everything I do, I dabbled at The Strand. I worked in the warehouse upstairs because I failed their book quiz during the interview, I drove a van, I also worked in art and photography section (best job ever). You could buy books half off as an employee and you were FORBIDDEN FROM SELLING THEM ON THE INTERNET but I did it anyway. Later, after being a doorman (get to that another day) I shopped there once a week or so, still selling books on Amazon, Ebay and abebooks (www.abebooks.com)
Things really picked up when I got hitched and my wife left for Christmas as she was still in college and I was left to sulk. I put my idle hands to good use and BAM dawsonbooksellers was born. This went on for quite some time from our Bay Ridge, Brooklyn apt. and I would shuffle books from old ladies houses by the boxes, as much as I could fit into a cab, later our '88 Olds Cutlass Cierra.
Spanning time ahead, moves, moves, making moves, next thing you know, I am a Southerner living in Kennesaw, GA with not much space and a whole lot of books. The idea is you buy lots of books and sell them one at a time.
I started doing business in Rome, GA with the only guy who would buy my unwanted stock. I would bring a truckload, we would shoot the breeze and I eventually went from selling him my books to buying his store, the whole turn key operation. He was going under simply because he didn't have an Internet market. You cannot rely on brick and mortar any longer unless you are The Strand. Everyone thought and knew I was crazy, even me. But cheap bookstore? I can't and will never resist.
This was great, I loved having a bookstore. We redecorated, I got a cat for the place, everything was cool. The structure was in a traditional southern downtown (Broad St. = Main St. ). I could have been there forever and made it work but green things came and took me away, made me jump out of planes and put me in charge so I had to get out.
My employee at the time was a very eager English major. He was my third and I almost lost his resume but I kept it in some rusty coffee can marked "just in case". I paid him next to nothing and he showed up to work anyway. I eventually sold the store to him and he has done very well (he is still there anyway, and he probably still has my risk board.) Alan, you're a good guy. Check it out, http://paradiselostbooks.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/paradiselostbooks
+Paradise Lost Books
I hope Alan learned from some of my mistakes, I know I sure did. Next time, and there will be a next time...I want to have a book barn so I can do all of my evil deeds in one cozy place. I can see it now...books downstairs, recording studio upstairs, antiques and art gallery throughout, garden outside with Crepaux (French) farms vegetable stand on the corner...kids eating Popsicles and selling tomatoes...Taxis dispatched in and out...plays performed in the amphitheatre...frogs hopping in the pond...
Self-Publishing: An Introduction
I am going to introduce and lay some of the groundwork here for self-publishing eBooks. There is a whole lot to cover but I will attempt to provide links and some insight into this ever-changing method of publishing your work. By far, the most beneficial links I can give you are going to be listed right after this paragraph so that you can geek out and look on your own. Below the link list is a narrative that I would like to be continued by all who are interested. One thing that I want everyone to remember that a fine young woman said to me: "Books don't have to be good to sell, you just have to have a niche, a ton of material and know how to market." I am paraphrasing a little because I was obviously distracted by the beauty here but there is some truth in that. Please, stay away from most of the "Secrets to selling eBooks and getting rich" type of material sold on www.Amazon.com For some of the eBook one stop shops, keep in mind that for the majority of these, they are looking to sell 10 copies of 150,000 books, not 150,000 copies of 10 books. That is how they make their money.
Links to add to your favorites to look through as you geek out and read the rest of my post:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10119891-82/self-publishing-a-book-25-things-you-need-to-know/
http://reviews.cnet.com/how-to-self-publish-an-e-book
(The above two are from +David Carnoy really great links here and an excellent summary of what it all means for self-publishing an eBook. Really a great how to.
http://www.authoragency.com/ (basically a middle man, but they offer some good, expensive services)
http://www.ingramcontent.com/pages/home.aspx
http://web.blogads.com/adspotgroups/mininetwork.2007-04-27.1123778986/ba_mininetwork_view
(paid blogs to get book reviews)
http://www.smashwords.com/
http://www.publishgreen.com/
www.createspace.com
(The above two are from +David Carnoy really great links here and an excellent summary of what it all means for self-publishing an eBook. Really a great how to.
http://www.authoragency.com/ (basically a middle man, but they offer some good, expensive services)
http://www.ingramcontent.com/pages/home.aspx
http://web.blogads.com/adspotgroups/mininetwork.2007-04-27.1123778986/ba_mininetwork_view
(paid blogs to get book reviews)
http://www.smashwords.com/
http://www.publishgreen.com/
www.createspace.com
Novel Concept
publishing (http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/) is a small-scale publishing house that focuses on the editing and
production of eBooks. They publish +Jason Halstead works which I wrote a review on yesterday. Traditional publishers and writers may consider up and
coming publishers like Novel Concept a “subsidy press” or “vanity press”, which
produce books upon acceptance and up-front payment from authors who may be
considered not publishable by traditional means in the traditional market (www.poets.org).
From the writer’s point of view, using a subsidy press is advantageous in that
it represents an elimination of an unreachable and often unwilling middleman,
the traditional publisher, in the process of publishing a work. The combination
of the eBook market and disenfranchised writers has led to a streamlined production
process. Truly, anyone with a computer, Internet, and written work can
self-publish. They can either opt to gain assistance from a small publisher
such as Novel Concept or go it alone.
The
solo approach can be difficult as there are so many business which offer
services to aspiring authors and publishers. www.Bookbaby.com, along with www.CDbaby.com for
music, boasts “eBook distribution to the biggest retailers in the world,
including Apple's iBookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store,
Kobo, and more…with 0% cut of the sales” (Bookbaby.com). Bookbaby, among others,
takes payment for publishing packages. They offer “editing and cover design,
to ISBNs and author websites and
printing services…” (Bookbaby.com). There are many one stop shops similar as
this option. Any young writer would truly have to weed out all of the choices
out there as some are simply looking for the immediate payment alone. For some of these, they are looking to sell 10 copies of 150,000 books, not 150,000 copies of 10 books. Amazon
also has a direct approach for authors and publishers to produce material direct
to their Kindle marketplace.
Unlike
Bookbaby, wwwAmazon.com has its own built-in marketing strategy, boasting “massive
amounts of data mirroring user patterns and buying preferences, allowing
further customization of the user experience” (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html). The
marketing strategy described relates to everything else that Amazon sells,
which is nearly anything. This brings the consumer in direct contact with what
they are most likely to buy, or most likely to decide to buy without prior motivation.
While there are many options for self-publishing or independent publishing, writers
and small publishers have to choose strategy carefully as marketing is
ultimately their own responsibility.
Marketing is again a large portion of a traditional publisher’s budget which an author would have to do by himself if choosing to self-publish. With the recognizable advantages of social media, personal promotion is certainly possible, especially within the growing eBook realm. Developing a digital social base is of absolute importance for writers who wish to promote. If a writer is truly interested in selling eBooks, he or she has to create a fan base within the same digital realm in which he or she wants to sell. Marketing platforms such as personal websites, www.Facebook.com, www.Twitter.com and www.blogger.com can be used to empower authors and drive customers to new work. A vanity style press or self-publishing business model must take advantage of social media in order to be successful and build a brand. This marketing technique would have meaningless impact on the book market for author and consumer alike if not for eBooks and the direct-to-consumer scenario they harbor.
Truly
a modern market, eBooks have augmented the traditional book and publishing
systems with high impact in such a short amount of time. Each year, companies
develop new devices to lure away traditional book buyers and add to the ease of
access that current eBook consumers enjoy. The United States leads this market,
with “3.7 million eReader owners at the end of
2009…and eBook revenue accounting for 7.2% of all consumer book sales in 2010” (PriceWaterhouseCoopers). Trends also suggest that “eBooks will have a market share of 22.5% of
consumer books in 2015.” (PWC). As all of these statistics suggest, the eBook
market is not going anywhere but up in the near future. Due to the direct
approach that self-publishing or subsidy publishing represents, one can easily
recognize a beneficial relationship for writers, sellers, and consumers. You can look up more eBook stats at http://www.infodocket.com/2011/05/23/aap-releases-march-2011-book-and-ebook-sales-numbers/
Jason
Halstead (the author I reviewed yesterday) has benefited from the current open market described which allows
authors the freedom to personally have a hand in the marketing process. Amazon
empowers all sellers to set their own pricing. Many young authors who are
promoting a series will “sell” the first book for free, counting on avid
readers to be hooked and buy the rest of the series. The Voidhawk series dances between two genres that are known both for
series writing and readers who avidly consume multiple works. A unique
marketing scheme is needed for this scenario. Halstead lures readers of both
genres by giving away the first book for free. There is nothing lost to the
consumer here except the minuscule amount of space used for a Kindle file. The
book is also listed in multiple sections of Amazon.com when listed for free,
heightening the chance that a buyer will randomly browse the book. If the
reader likes his work, the reader can then choose to purchase the other books
in the series.
Writers
decide pricing on Amazon.com and can make pricing changes at any time. This
allows the author to increase the cost of books as the series increases in
popularity. Some readers may be lost in this model due to pricing changes or distraction
but monetary gain may remain the same due to the tiered pricing system. Also, when readers search through genres or
subgenres, overall Amazon sales rankings dictate how often certain titles will
appear to the user. Amazon sales rankings are determined by frequency of sale
over every thirty day period. This mathematical ranking system does not reset
each month, instead, titles start out at their current ranking at the beginning
of the month and go up or down from there. This is the same scale used for
hardcover and paperback books as well.
The
process of direct selling and the means through which an eBook reaches
customers makes the cover of a book all the more important. Consumers can view
thousands of titles in only minutes on a digital buying platform. The design of
the cover art must also meet all guidelines of the marketplace as it is made
into a small thumbnail and therefore must catch the eye of readers browsing
very differently than they would in a bookstore (Rich). Halstead has done an
excellent job in the design of his covers, essentially branding the Voidhawk representation of the name on
all of his titles making them easily recognizable during a search.
eBooks have augmented the traditional book and publishing systems with high impact in such a short amount of time. Jason Halstead has benefited from the current, more open market described. Authors have a high degree of freedom to personally have a hand in the marketing and production process upon completion of their written work. This new era of book marketing, does not change the fact that a book or series must be original and compelling enough to develop a fan base and sell copies.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Tiny Salvage
+Ed Cyclist recommended that I watch this video from http://tinytexashouses.com/:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acD_f_5YJpc
I have to say, I am quite impressed that someone can make all of these houses from old found material and turn them into livable spaces. I wonder how well they would do in GA though with all of the termites.
Then I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2igl5wd2c8 which lays out a whole new business plan for me to consider. Not really, I wouldn't have the space or the time it took for this man to acquire all of this stuff over the years, nor do I have the mind required to put the puzzle pieces together to make a livable structure. I would sure like to and kudos to this guy for pulling it off.
All of his houses seem to be selling and I wonder if he is running out of stuff anyway. I would really like to have one of these to use as a recording studio, it would be small but quite unique. He may want to have a female sidekick spokesperson to keep him centered and fill in the gaps, but with her, him and the cameraman, it could get quite crowded.
Last year, I bought my hoarder's house that I am now living in and I am a little depressed about all of the junk I threw away and burned. But all of the wood that I burned was sitting outside for a real long time and what could be used was taken away free by other people.
It is appropriate to recognize the people that can make money from nothing and take advantage of the insane amount of waste that occurs in our society. As a business enterprise, it is certainly viable but not so much for me cool Texas guy but the new wood you buy at HD from Canada really does suck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acD_f_5YJpc
I have to say, I am quite impressed that someone can make all of these houses from old found material and turn them into livable spaces. I wonder how well they would do in GA though with all of the termites.
Then I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2igl5wd2c8 which lays out a whole new business plan for me to consider. Not really, I wouldn't have the space or the time it took for this man to acquire all of this stuff over the years, nor do I have the mind required to put the puzzle pieces together to make a livable structure. I would sure like to and kudos to this guy for pulling it off.
All of his houses seem to be selling and I wonder if he is running out of stuff anyway. I would really like to have one of these to use as a recording studio, it would be small but quite unique. He may want to have a female sidekick spokesperson to keep him centered and fill in the gaps, but with her, him and the cameraman, it could get quite crowded.
Last year, I bought my hoarder's house that I am now living in and I am a little depressed about all of the junk I threw away and burned. But all of the wood that I burned was sitting outside for a real long time and what could be used was taken away free by other people.
It is appropriate to recognize the people that can make money from nothing and take advantage of the insane amount of waste that occurs in our society. As a business enterprise, it is certainly viable but not so much for me cool Texas guy but the new wood you buy at HD from Canada really does suck.
Jason Halstead - Book review part 1
So, I've read this really cool series of books that combines sci-fi and fantasy quite well by Jason Halstead. http://www.booksbyjason.com/ under an up and coming publisher http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/
I thoroughly enjoy this series and even wrote a paper on it and the self-publishing market for my Intro to Modern Science Fiction class at national university www.national.edu . One day this week, I will really dig into the self-publishing market and lay out some ground work, likely boring one of my two readers out there. First though, Mr. Halstead does a great job with the Voidhawk series.His books can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Halstead/e/B0049AXHP2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364312389&sr=8-1 among other places. I haven't been able to read his other works yet, mostly due to time, but I have already loaded my Kindle with some of them for the next trip. I am still trying to finish Needful Things by Stephen King alone, at night, with only my Kindle lamp to guide me, so I get a little scared, plus King is wordy as hell. Onto the review:
The new and exciting digital book market has brought in a score of new readers and writers alike. With the explosion of both demand and production of books, many new sub genres and marketing tools have been created to keep up. Jason Halstead is one of those exciting young writers that is paving a new way forward and taking advantage of an ever-changing marketplace. He has published forty four novels which span the genres of science-fiction, fantasy, action and pulp. This author has also managed to mold science-fiction and fantasy seamlessly into one comfortable genre with his Voidhawk series. This series represents Halstead’s use of unconventional tactics, genre flexibility and eBook marketing strategy.
The Voidhawk series consists of five books: Voidhawk, The Elder Race, Redemption, The White Lady, and Lost Soul. The first book of the series was originally written as ten separate episodes, later compiled by the author for the novel. The tale begins with the assembling of a crew, each character with a unique story and an individual specialization. The lead character, Dexter, is a swashbuckling human who serves as an pilot for the military and flies small scout ships while scheming, leading up to an adventurous future. Dexter stows away a transport ship in order to assemble a crew for mercenary and space, or “void” hauling work. He employs his best friend Kragor, a dwarf with great mechanical skill to help with the arming and beefing up of the old transport. Halstead continues to assemble the crew piece by piece over the first half of the opening book.
Eventually, the roster is somewhat complete as the story continues into the second book of the series. The crew is ultimately rounded out with a female elf, half-elf, human juggernaut, a werewolf/paladin, an adolescent female slayer creature, and an indestructible pleasure golem. Others characters appear throughout the series who are either permanent or temporary. The diversity of fantasy characters which Halstead develops to make the crew of the Voidhawk is somewhat typical of the fantasy quest. Each character adds unique skills to the ever-changing mission as the crew flies through space for hire.
Mixing of typical fantasy characters with a common goal would seem trite in this day in age. J.R.R. Tolkien was one of the most well-known authors who created many of the character types we see in modern fantasy. With so many Tolkien knock-offs and Dungeons & Dragons, or gamer quest based tales produced, it can be difficult for an aspiring author to find a niche. After the release of The Lord of the Rings movies, the challenge for the author lies in pulling a fantasy work off and succeeding with a very expecting audience. On the other hand, the physical qualities of these characters are already set for a writer in this genre. A writer rarely has to explain what an elf or a dwarf looks like. This allows an author to build further on these traits and focus on substantial character development.
Book three of the Voidhawk series, Redemption, is largely devoted to an offshoot story of the main human juggernaut crew member, Rosh. Rosh’s character is another example of shallow turned deep. This character starts as a happenstance oaf who is guarding the original crew after being captured. He later becomes immortal, convinces an entire world that he is their creator, and is an excellent example of the duality of man. It often proves quite successful for a series writer to devote one or two books in a line to one character with an offshoot story. This adds to the development and allows the writer free reign on new content without repetition.
The author’s knowledge of nautical jargon is excellent and the mode in which the characters travel the void is quite unique. Basically, ships and objects retain their own atmosphere and gravity bubble. This freedom of movement concept gives the author free reign on design of ships traveling throughout space.
The Voidhawk and other ships in the series follow a comparable design of ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. The vessels host weapons such as harpoon cannons, boarding gear and single shot pistols or swords for crew members. Descriptions of the quarters along with the overall use and purpose of the transport vessel in the story is also similar to the colonial era. The idea of solar sail propulsion, a method of fueling the ships, becomes a believable concept without the overuses of technical speak usually found in science fiction.
The Voidhawk crew explores new worlds and strange species, always dancing between magic and mysticism, science and speculation. There is surprise for both the sci-fi reader and fantasy fanatic around every page. With these unique qualities in mind, one could argue that a series of this type would be a tough sell to a publisher or agent. Which genre would a writer of this kind of work target? Publishers could easily scoff at the idea of marketing a fringe concept to a reader base that can often be polarized.
Tomorrow, I will lay out the ground work for self-publishing a book like this among others. The point will essentially be to educate my two readers (if they are willing) on the eBook market, hopefully someone, anyone will continue the discussion. Can I get anybody more coffee?
If anyone else would like me to review their book/magazine/crayon drawings, send $200 dollars in a hilarious birthday card to Kennesaw, GA. They'll know where to find me. Or, you could simply email me: marc.crepaux@gmail.com
I thoroughly enjoy this series and even wrote a paper on it and the self-publishing market for my Intro to Modern Science Fiction class at national university www.national.edu . One day this week, I will really dig into the self-publishing market and lay out some ground work, likely boring one of my two readers out there. First though, Mr. Halstead does a great job with the Voidhawk series.His books can be found on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Halstead/e/B0049AXHP2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1364312389&sr=8-1 among other places. I haven't been able to read his other works yet, mostly due to time, but I have already loaded my Kindle with some of them for the next trip. I am still trying to finish Needful Things by Stephen King alone, at night, with only my Kindle lamp to guide me, so I get a little scared, plus King is wordy as hell. Onto the review:
The new and exciting digital book market has brought in a score of new readers and writers alike. With the explosion of both demand and production of books, many new sub genres and marketing tools have been created to keep up. Jason Halstead is one of those exciting young writers that is paving a new way forward and taking advantage of an ever-changing marketplace. He has published forty four novels which span the genres of science-fiction, fantasy, action and pulp. This author has also managed to mold science-fiction and fantasy seamlessly into one comfortable genre with his Voidhawk series. This series represents Halstead’s use of unconventional tactics, genre flexibility and eBook marketing strategy.
Eventually, the roster is somewhat complete as the story continues into the second book of the series. The crew is ultimately rounded out with a female elf, half-elf, human juggernaut, a werewolf/paladin, an adolescent female slayer creature, and an indestructible pleasure golem. Others characters appear throughout the series who are either permanent or temporary. The diversity of fantasy characters which Halstead develops to make the crew of the Voidhawk is somewhat typical of the fantasy quest. Each character adds unique skills to the ever-changing mission as the crew flies through space for hire.
Mixing of typical fantasy characters with a common goal would seem trite in this day in age. J.R.R. Tolkien was one of the most well-known authors who created many of the character types we see in modern fantasy. With so many Tolkien knock-offs and Dungeons & Dragons, or gamer quest based tales produced, it can be difficult for an aspiring author to find a niche. After the release of The Lord of the Rings movies, the challenge for the author lies in pulling a fantasy work off and succeeding with a very expecting audience. On the other hand, the physical qualities of these characters are already set for a writer in this genre. A writer rarely has to explain what an elf or a dwarf looks like. This allows an author to build further on these traits and focus on substantial character development.
Book three of the Voidhawk series, Redemption, is largely devoted to an offshoot story of the main human juggernaut crew member, Rosh. Rosh’s character is another example of shallow turned deep. This character starts as a happenstance oaf who is guarding the original crew after being captured. He later becomes immortal, convinces an entire world that he is their creator, and is an excellent example of the duality of man. It often proves quite successful for a series writer to devote one or two books in a line to one character with an offshoot story. This adds to the development and allows the writer free reign on new content without repetition.
The author’s knowledge of nautical jargon is excellent and the mode in which the characters travel the void is quite unique. Basically, ships and objects retain their own atmosphere and gravity bubble. This freedom of movement concept gives the author free reign on design of ships traveling throughout space.
The Voidhawk and other ships in the series follow a comparable design of ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. The vessels host weapons such as harpoon cannons, boarding gear and single shot pistols or swords for crew members. Descriptions of the quarters along with the overall use and purpose of the transport vessel in the story is also similar to the colonial era. The idea of solar sail propulsion, a method of fueling the ships, becomes a believable concept without the overuses of technical speak usually found in science fiction.
The Voidhawk crew explores new worlds and strange species, always dancing between magic and mysticism, science and speculation. There is surprise for both the sci-fi reader and fantasy fanatic around every page. With these unique qualities in mind, one could argue that a series of this type would be a tough sell to a publisher or agent. Which genre would a writer of this kind of work target? Publishers could easily scoff at the idea of marketing a fringe concept to a reader base that can often be polarized.
Tomorrow, I will lay out the ground work for self-publishing a book like this among others. The point will essentially be to educate my two readers (if they are willing) on the eBook market, hopefully someone, anyone will continue the discussion. Can I get anybody more coffee?
If anyone else would like me to review their book/magazine/crayon drawings, send $200 dollars in a hilarious birthday card to Kennesaw, GA. They'll know where to find me. Or, you could simply email me: marc.crepaux@gmail.com
Monday, March 25, 2013
The Dabbler Strikes Again
It appears that the two people that read my blog are only up at night and I wouldn't want to disappoint my audience by only blogging during morning coffee so here is your nightly shot of powerful insight and highlights from the day back home in Kennesaw, GA.
Today was a fascinating day, met with the trailer park men (owners) and was introduced to a wonderful new side of the Underbelly. I saw free decrepit trailers for the taking, chickens dancing, all in an urbanish environment outside an Air base. I was inspired by the smell of mold, cat piss, and the freedom that comes from mobile homes broken into for years. I am rekindled at the thought of somehow, somewhere in America people are picking up the pieces and moving on. To what?I have no idea, just keep moving. I stepped into a time machine there to the future, a post-Apocalyptic wonderland fit for the children and rust. While I wasn't carrying at the time, my gracious host was, openly, in this great place we call Georgia. I felt well protected and important. I had an amazing trip and was even offered the grand opportunity to buy in on this miraculous business venture. The Mrs. and I will pass this time, but I will keep an eye out for trailer parks here in the northern areas further from Atlanta so that I may too own a piece of a micro American dream.
I did start a business today with my good friend, Joel, which was my first unofficial meeting of the morning. It is so polite for an Ogre to text "Knock, knock" instead of banging on the door. I discovered that he too had a blog, but it is somewhat mismanaged. We have been knocking heads together for awhile regarding the joint business venture we need to accomplish and have finally come to an agreement. The first meeting ended with only defined questions but by the end of the day, we've developed the handshake plan for my newest business venture J&M Power sports. Essentially, we are going to buy/fix/sell stuff that wives hate men to buy on impulse like Boats, Motorcycles, knives, loose women and vegetable baskets. We will launch officially soon and eventually come up with a better name.
Speaking of good names for Power sports business, I want to give a shout out to my friend Jon Adams and his Power sports company in Central New York:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pin-Up-Powersports/308293999198689
Really cool logo there Jon.
I probably talked too much today like I always do and I listed for the trailer guy my current endeavors that aren't helping me focus. I know you all need a list, so I am going to conveniently display my dabblings that I thought about out loud today with other people, I am unsure about the reaction so if I still have a following tomorrow after the head spins, see you after/during coffee.
1. Literary magazine
2. J and M Power sports
3. Farmer
4. Music Producer
5. Copywriter
6. Writer
7. English professor (yoyo)
8. Taxi tycoon
9. Trailer Park tycoon
10. Tycoon tycoon
11. Professional Scapegoat
This list is not in any particular order, remember that when it goes to microfiche.
Today was a fascinating day, met with the trailer park men (owners) and was introduced to a wonderful new side of the Underbelly. I saw free decrepit trailers for the taking, chickens dancing, all in an urbanish environment outside an Air base. I was inspired by the smell of mold, cat piss, and the freedom that comes from mobile homes broken into for years. I am rekindled at the thought of somehow, somewhere in America people are picking up the pieces and moving on. To what?I have no idea, just keep moving. I stepped into a time machine there to the future, a post-Apocalyptic wonderland fit for the children and rust. While I wasn't carrying at the time, my gracious host was, openly, in this great place we call Georgia. I felt well protected and important. I had an amazing trip and was even offered the grand opportunity to buy in on this miraculous business venture. The Mrs. and I will pass this time, but I will keep an eye out for trailer parks here in the northern areas further from Atlanta so that I may too own a piece of a micro American dream.
I did start a business today with my good friend, Joel, which was my first unofficial meeting of the morning. It is so polite for an Ogre to text "Knock, knock" instead of banging on the door. I discovered that he too had a blog, but it is somewhat mismanaged. We have been knocking heads together for awhile regarding the joint business venture we need to accomplish and have finally come to an agreement. The first meeting ended with only defined questions but by the end of the day, we've developed the handshake plan for my newest business venture J&M Power sports. Essentially, we are going to buy/fix/sell stuff that wives hate men to buy on impulse like Boats, Motorcycles, knives, loose women and vegetable baskets. We will launch officially soon and eventually come up with a better name.
Speaking of good names for Power sports business, I want to give a shout out to my friend Jon Adams and his Power sports company in Central New York:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pin-Up-Powersports/308293999198689
Really cool logo there Jon.
I probably talked too much today like I always do and I listed for the trailer guy my current endeavors that aren't helping me focus. I know you all need a list, so I am going to conveniently display my dabblings that I thought about out loud today with other people, I am unsure about the reaction so if I still have a following tomorrow after the head spins, see you after/during coffee.
1. Literary magazine
2. J and M Power sports
3. Farmer
4. Music Producer
5. Copywriter
6. Writer
7. English professor (yoyo)
8. Taxi tycoon
9. Trailer Park tycoon
10. Tycoon tycoon
11. Professional Scapegoat
This list is not in any particular order, remember that when it goes to microfiche.
I want to make it clear to the two people that read my first blog post that I do not intend on making my blog a stupid rant that goes on forever and ever with the woe is me attitude and all that mess. I would like to have a good time here and encourage many people to contribute to the chaos and the scathing reports. I will however, always have:
1. lists
2. poor penmanship
on this blog. Maybe one day I will go total pro sports writer blog on you and lists will have to scale down a bit. Until then, dry humor is the way to go, just like washing machines were.
My mild acquaintance, John Shirley blog:
Wandering Thoughts: What We Think We Know...about Victorians
is pretty good. He seems to know what he is doing with blogging so I will attempt to lure him into Rusty Wheels with some random junk from the closet and cheese so I can pick his brain. Hopefully he responds in this open forum here and changes the whole dynamic.
Have to go for now, I am meeting with some people who bought a trailer park (or, at least part of one) in Marietta, GA., after my Ogre friend stops by, maybe he will have some dynamic business venture for me as I am perfectly capable of doing the following in five minutes:
1. Build a website for the business venture
2. Online marketing for the business venture
3. Making a phone number so people can call and demand things from the business.
Check out this poorly maintained blog: http://joeldockery.blogspot.com/
The list at the bottom is my resume for all inclined to give me money. It lists all the jobs I've had since the beginning, if I've missed any, let me know.
janitor, waiter, fry boy, cashier, construction, musician, real estate,mover, warehouse goon, bellman, doorman, concierge, online bookseller, back to construction, soldier, security guard, student, airborne daddy, bookstore owner, forklift driver, taxi driver, taxi business owner, flip cars, writer, poet, painter, part time farmer
1. lists
2. poor penmanship
on this blog. Maybe one day I will go total pro sports writer blog on you and lists will have to scale down a bit. Until then, dry humor is the way to go, just like washing machines were.
My mild acquaintance, John Shirley blog:
Wandering Thoughts: What We Think We Know...about Victorians
is pretty good. He seems to know what he is doing with blogging so I will attempt to lure him into Rusty Wheels with some random junk from the closet and cheese so I can pick his brain. Hopefully he responds in this open forum here and changes the whole dynamic.
Have to go for now, I am meeting with some people who bought a trailer park (or, at least part of one) in Marietta, GA., after my Ogre friend stops by, maybe he will have some dynamic business venture for me as I am perfectly capable of doing the following in five minutes:
1. Build a website for the business venture
2. Online marketing for the business venture
3. Making a phone number so people can call and demand things from the business.
Check out this poorly maintained blog: http://joeldockery.blogspot.com/
The list at the bottom is my resume for all inclined to give me money. It lists all the jobs I've had since the beginning, if I've missed any, let me know.
janitor, waiter, fry boy, cashier, construction, musician, real estate,mover, warehouse goon, bellman, doorman, concierge, online bookseller, back to construction, soldier, security guard, student, airborne daddy, bookstore owner, forklift driver, taxi driver, taxi business owner, flip cars, writer, poet, painter, part time farmer
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Wanna Be a Blogger
Someone recently told me that if I want to get anywhere in my desired profession, I must be a blogger. This sounds stupid even now, considering the fact that I should be working on my books and not blogging at all, every word counts.
What is my desired profession? Not sure yet, will let you all know what I want to be when I grow up. For now, I am at another crossroads where the "evil doers" are trying to get me to work for them and I am truly thankful the economy is in the state that it is in so that I can continue to sham and use it as an excuse for not getting a "real job" or starting a "real" career. I may or may not be an Army officer, so we'll leave politics out of this for the most part and just discuss the facts.
Facts:
1. I hate working for other people. (not totally true if you are cool)
2. I hate going around to interviews, proving myself to other people.
3. I like wearing suits, uniquely designed ones though but not for other people.
4. I have about four albums worth of material to be put out, sitting in my basement, waiting to be edited (music).
5. I have four galleries worth of empty canvas, paper, paint, charcoal and ink in my basement.
6. I have three books that are not finished.
7. I have poetry that is ready to be submitted, but to whom?
8. I have a 1983 Volvo 240 DL that I planned on restoring that is sitting at a shop, me and the shop owner are having a stand-off.
9. I have a part-time/sometimes mega full time job that demands physical and mental labor, travel, and danger that allows me to pay some taxes and gives me cheapish health insurance.
10. I have too many ambitions.
11. I want to be a writer/publisher/musician/producer/poet/blacksmith/hero/artist/traveller...guy.
12. I want someone to give me land with no zoning restrictions, point to it and say here kid, do what you will.
Now that we have gone through these 12 very important facts to nobody in particular, I think it is obvious that I am a dabbler and I should probably just be a farmer. How can I get a small business loan? I looked it up once and was turned away. If anyone would like to offer any advice, please send a $200 check and the advice scribbled on a paper airplane made from a yellow legal pad, all other career advice will be turned away.
What is my desired profession? Not sure yet, will let you all know what I want to be when I grow up. For now, I am at another crossroads where the "evil doers" are trying to get me to work for them and I am truly thankful the economy is in the state that it is in so that I can continue to sham and use it as an excuse for not getting a "real job" or starting a "real" career. I may or may not be an Army officer, so we'll leave politics out of this for the most part and just discuss the facts.
Facts:
1. I hate working for other people. (not totally true if you are cool)
2. I hate going around to interviews, proving myself to other people.
3. I like wearing suits, uniquely designed ones though but not for other people.
4. I have about four albums worth of material to be put out, sitting in my basement, waiting to be edited (music).
5. I have four galleries worth of empty canvas, paper, paint, charcoal and ink in my basement.
6. I have three books that are not finished.
7. I have poetry that is ready to be submitted, but to whom?
8. I have a 1983 Volvo 240 DL that I planned on restoring that is sitting at a shop, me and the shop owner are having a stand-off.
9. I have a part-time/sometimes mega full time job that demands physical and mental labor, travel, and danger that allows me to pay some taxes and gives me cheapish health insurance.
10. I have too many ambitions.
11. I want to be a writer/publisher/musician/producer/poet/blacksmith/hero/artist/traveller...guy.
12. I want someone to give me land with no zoning restrictions, point to it and say here kid, do what you will.
Now that we have gone through these 12 very important facts to nobody in particular, I think it is obvious that I am a dabbler and I should probably just be a farmer. How can I get a small business loan? I looked it up once and was turned away. If anyone would like to offer any advice, please send a $200 check and the advice scribbled on a paper airplane made from a yellow legal pad, all other career advice will be turned away.
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