text:
Any reproduction of this material is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

The Burden of Being a Writer

          "When you're a writer, you no longer see things with the freshness of a normal person.  There are always two figures that work inside you, and if you are at all intelligent you realize that you have lost something.  But I think there has always been this dichotomy in a real writer.  He wants to be terribly human, and he responds emotionally, and at the same time there's this cold observer who cannot cry."
                    ~ BRIAN MOORE
          Let's get one thing perfectly clear:  I am a hobbyist author.  For most of literary history, the term "author" has described both a professional and his or her profession, and by no means has that profession fallen by the wayside.   But now, over the past decade or so, through the magic of the internet, it is the case that anyone can write anything they choose and, without regard to whether they have any idea what they're doing, make a few mouse clicks, and voila, their opus is for sale on  These are the hobbyists, myself among them, who publish 5,000 new books every day.
          Those 5,000 new books run the gamut from "How does this guy not have a book deal?" to "This guy is unable to form a sentence in the English language."  The only statistic in question is how many of us admit that we're hobbyists, and how many put that unedited, virtually unreadable first-draft up for sale, and immediately list "Author" as their profession on their tax return.  But there is one area in which the professional and the hobbyist are indistinguishable.  I refer here to those hobbyists who have put at least some level of effort into learning The Craft.  You've taken a class, read some how-to books, or otherwise made some effort to grasp the basic principles of what you're trying to do.
          Once you understand how plots and characters are created and developed, you always have one eye out for another author's technique.  Now, when I read The Sword of Shannara, I'm no longer just on an epic quest through the wild with Shea Ohmsford.  Part of me is standing behind Terry Brooks watching his technique, second-guessing his choices, trying to understand why he gave the reader this critical piece of the puzzle now, and not earlier or later.
          You are told what the author feels you need to know at the time you need to know it.  That's all well and good, and when you are immersed in a tautly-crafted read, you aren't even aware that you're reading; the experience being described in the book is going on around you, and you aren't just reading.  You're hearing the twig break in the darkness, smelling the prosecutor's harsh after-shave lotion, and even though there is nothing to hear or smell, you are there!
          Compare this to what happens on a movie set.  The camera is dollied along a suburban street, and you as the viewer take in the details of everything from the house numbers to the garden gnomes, and maybe wonder what sort of life is lived in this house or that.  But those houses are only the fronts, plywood cutouts hung on scaffolding, and as a writer, part of you is constantly trying to pull back the veil and see how this other writer built his scaffolds.
          I myself write in third-person viewpoint, which means I tell a story in the form of "he did this," and "she said that," but I'm not completely omnipotent.  Each scene has a "viewpoint," a character through whose eyes that piece of the narrative is told.  I aim for 80-100 scenes, generally four to a chapter, with plot twists at the quarter, halfway, and three-quarter marks, and never more than six viewpoints.  The majority of the story is told through the eyes of the Protagonist, with a lesser number of scenes falling to the Opposition, the Confidant, and the Henchman.  My protagonist always has a distraction going on, rats in the basement, so to speak, while he's trying to deal with the wolf at the door.  Sometimes this distraction takes the form of a fifth character, and on rare occasions, I'll use a sixth just to stir the pot, but never more than that, and when I see a well-established professional introduce that seventh main character, I'm out of the plot.  I want to know why, what story point made it necessary, what was the author trying to accomplish, did she succeed, how did she make it work?
          And that's the burden.  You're a reader trying to have a good time, but you're also a writer trying to improve your own Craft, and how better to do that than to crack the code of J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or Michael Crichton?  If you're a writer, you know that it never stops, and it does interfere with your enjoyment.  I can't say whether it's worth it.  Financially, certainly not.  I often joke that one month, my book sales paid for my internet service, but that isn't really a joke.
          But as a hobbyist, it has been very much worth doing.  I have a number of writing friends that I get to rub elbows and compare notes with, and the feeling you get when someone tells you in person, or better yet, posts a review praising your stellar work and divine skills is worth almost any sacrifice it might take to get it, even if the numbers aren't that great.  And they won't be.  I have turned down a book-signing, a couple of conventions, and a radio interview, because even though the chances are infinitesimal, there is that fraction of a percentage point of possibility that some unsuspected event could catapult me to celebrity, and I don't want to live that life.  I'm happily retired, have a great relationship with my family, and that's the way I want to keep it.
          Doesn't mean I don't carry the burden, though.  How about you, my writing friends?  Do you experience anything like this?  Leave a comment, and let's explore how it affects you.

*          *          *

          In other news, Den of Antiquity is set to release over the coming weekend.  A dozen members of Scribblers' Den, myself included, contributed short steampunk stories to this anthology.  The theme of the stories was to include a "Den," be that a cozy room in one's home, an animal's lair, or a den in the sense of a den of thieves.  This will be sold on at a modest price, and in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, all proceeds will go to Red Cross Disaster Relief.  All of which means you get to have a good read and do a good deed all at the same time.  I will have full details of the purchase options in my next post, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, so whether you're a dyed in the wool steampunk aficionado looking to sample some lesser-known voices, or you're curious about the genre, and would like to dip your toes in around the edges, this is a great opportunity for you to add some excellent works to your library without cleaning out your wallet.  Check in here next Tuesday, or if you can't wait that long (I hope!), visit Scribblers' Den or many of the fine blogs in the sidebar on Saturday for opening-day announcements.
          And on that note, I'm going to skedaddle.  I'll have the house to myself today, which means some more work on Stingaree will be getting done, so I need to do a little housecleaning and run an errand so I'll be in position to take advantage.  Be here next Tuesday for the anthology, and of course my scintillating blog post, have a great weekend, and always remember to read well, and write better!

~ "Blimprider"

  1. Great post, Jack. Actually one of the biggest mistakes I've seen (and even made in my early days) is to go to a convention or do a book signing with the idea that it would catapult me to that next level, whatever it will be. It won't happen. The reason to go to those things is to have fun interacting with fellow readers and writers. If you do have fun doing those things, they're great. If you don't, you probably shouldn't go. There are lots of great and successful authors who make few, if any, public appearances. By the way, I read my preview copy of Den of Antiquity last week and really enjoyed your story.

    1. Good morning, David. First of all, thanks to you, and everyone who took the time to read and comment. I think I'm viewing it in exactly the opposite way that you are. I don't attend cons and so forth in the hope that they will make me a star. I avoid them in the fear that they might. There are stars out there, and something launched them. I don't know what those somethings were, but it seems a good policy to not court something that you don't want. Plus, I prefer people in small groups.

      So glad you enjoyed Brass & Coal. That was really a step outside my comfort zone. My take is that I failed to really hit the comedy notes I was trying for, but it's not a bad story for all that. I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks of it. My computer had a fit when I tried to download my copy, so I haven't seen anyone's yet. I'll be seeing them with virgin eyes tomorrow. The Jackalope Bandit is a great title, speaking of comedy, and I'm looking forward to a fun read there.

  2. I've just read the latest book from one of my favourite authors, and am still digesting it. I've come to grips with her style over 8 or so books, so I get swept up in the narrative now without getting too caught up in HOW she did it, but I know what you're getting at. While I was doing a lot of exhibition reviews (when there was still some money in the arts in Australia) people used to ask me how I enjoyed the shows if I knew I was going to be writing about the work... Then again, I'm an artist myself, and figuring out how someone made an object or drawing is part of MY craft too... Ultimately, I think as makers (and given my background, that's how I see myself as a writer too) we are always going to be curious about how someone else tackles the technicalities of the craft. The real trick, as for any other craft, is how we learn those tricks and then create something that's ours and original, rather than a pale copy of something by someone we admire...THAT'S the eternal challenge, isn't it? Finding our own voice, creating our own handwriting, so to speak...?

    1. What? My new book isn't out yet! No, seriously, I get that. With close to 40 books by R.A. Salvatore in my wake, I have come to love and expect certain aspects of his style. The last book of his that I read, The Last Threshold, saw him depart so far from his literary home base, that I have not yet returned to the series. I have read about various reasons for him doing this, from tiring of the series to rebellion against some draconian demands from his publisher, but there's a lesson there for series writers everywhere.

      And there's one of the lessons I've learned from an established author: You cannot get so big that your fans won't turn on you, and if you've found success with a certain formula, change it at your peril. And thus another bit of knowledge goes into my Personal Style, and R.A. Salvatore's experience enters my writer's DNA. Incredibly enjoyable, this challenging journey!

  3. Great post, Jack. I'm at the other end. I hope to make this a career (albeit a poorly paid one). I do writing courses, read books to improve. I understand this will be a hard slog.
    I still get excited when someone buys my book. Conventions are fun; I get to chat with fellow authors, get tips, get contacts and have a grand time. I love meeting and interacting with my readers. It gets me out into the real world again.

    1. I wish you the best of luck in that aspiration, Karen. While the odds are, indeed, against you, people break out of the pack and find success every day, and there's no reason you shouldn't be one of them. The beauty of writing is that while you're waiting, it is a most enjoyable and satisfying pursuit to engage in for free, and nothing you learn on the journey is wasted. So yes, by all means, attend every event you can reach, accept every interview, keep improving your Craft and keep it out there in front of readers every day. Before you become dominant in any field, you must first become known.

      By the way, I still get excited when someone buys my book, too. The validation that comes when someone finds your work, your humble effort, worth paying money for is indescribable. But of course, if writing is in your blood, you write no matter what. It's nice to be recognized, though, and readers of this comment should pay special attention to Karen's story, All that Glitters, in the anthology being released tomorrow. There's a good likelihood that she's going to be a strong voice in the genre, and this is a great opportunity to say you knew her when...


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
Rit-DYE.. How not to!

September 16, 2008

i decided last week to dye anything i owned that was light colored Black. This of course would have been a fabulous idea had i actually finished the process. But to my dismay the clothes are still sitting in a tiny little trashcan looking well actually more like a tie-dye experience i had when i was 8 then solid dark black.In true Ty form i somehow managed to end up dyeing everything very well except for the clothes. I have ended up with a fabulous ring on my hardwood floors, stains on my porcelain stove top and the worst of all black hands because i refused to walk right down the stairs and across the street to get a pair of gloves.

I don’t know what it is about me that refuses to take the needed precautions in life so that i don’t end up causing a horrific mess and not to mention hours of extra work. I just get so excited about my projects and jump in full sail ahead.  Usually i find it hysterical that this is the way i function but i do admit I have been slightly embarrassed about the state of my hands this week. I guess i figured burning and sawing them daily was not hideous enough because now they are stained an awfully dark shade of gray. It is as if my hands are dead, mangled and truly not extensions of my living self. Oh well, maybe now that I am thirty I can try to work on this character trait but for now I will copy the directions for dying with Rit  so that maybe next time the directions will be embedded in my brain.

This is the best technique for dyeing small or delicate items.

  Fill sink or bucket with enough hot water for fabric to move freely. Remember: Use 1 package of RIT powder or 1/2 bottle of RIT liquid dye and 3 gallons of hot water for each pound of fabric. Pre-dissolve powder in 2 cups of hot water. Add pre-dissolved powder or liquid to dye bath. Stir to mix.
  Wet fabric in hot water. Uncrumple and add to dye bath.
  Stir constantly (back and forth, up and down) for 10 to 30 minutes.
  Rinse in warm water, then gradually cooler water until water runs clear. Wash item in warm water with mild detergent and rinse thoroughly in cool water.
  Dry item in dryer or air dry.
  Clean sink or bucket immediately with chlorine bleach or scrub with chlorine-based powder, liquid, or gel cleanser.

One Response to “Rit-DYE.. How not to!”

  1. jessie said

    Oh my gawd. This is funny. All in true Ty form! You have a thing about grabbing a bull by the horns, friend, and this is not a bad quality. I hope that your hands have returned to the land of the living!
    Love you.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this:

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-179-56-52.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-05
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for January 2018
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

text:
[Skip to Content]
[Skip to Content Landing]
Citations 0
December 22/29, 2004

Physician Specialty Board Certification

JAMA. 2004;292(24):2972-2974. doi:10.1001/jama.292.24.2972-e

To the Editor: In their Special Communication, Dr Brennan and colleagues1 propose that a physician’s current certification status should be among the evidence-based measures used in the quality movement. The authors equate “certification” with the process and certificate of one of the 24 medical specialties comprising the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). However, there are other organizations that provide certificates to physicians which allow individuals to claim certification status. As an example, a parallel certification process to that of the ABMS is offered by the American Osteopathic Association, which allows many osteopathic physicians to become board certified. The Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists of the American Osteopathic Association has 18 certifying boards for specialties including family medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and surgery.

First Page Preview View Large
First page PDF preview
First page PDF preview


text:
iSafe Reflection

I have begun participating in the iSafe certification modules and have found myself feeling very unsettled thinking about all that we must do as educators to inform and protect children online. I have these feelings as I am a teacher and a parent.

I had to think about my role as a parent and what I needed to do to teach my own children about using the computer and devices appropriately and safely. There is so much to teach them. Watching the videos brought up a fear within me but also thinking about how these videos and information have some dated information and technology within them. This got me thinking about what is out there that I don’t know about or know how to use that could be used by my own children or by students and that could be dangerous. It is one thing to be able to use the lessons and videos with students but with some of the outdated technology (i.e. MySpace and IM) I think it will miss some of the older students.

The younger grades lessons and videos are relevant and will be a huge asset to have the knowledge of and access too. It is something I want to bring to my district to invest in as I am pretty sure that we don’t have access already. It is perfect to have these lessons to choose from in order to teach the necessary skills to be safe online from kindergarten up. I could definitely use these lessons this year as a part of my library lessons.

Not only did these modules have useful information about keeping kids safe with online communication but it also helped me understand things a little clearer myself around firewalls and unknown emails with attachments. I always felt a little iffy around receiving an email, even one that looked like it was a real one from a company or bank and realizing what to do when you get an email like that. This information is not only practical and important for students to know, but also as an adult. I will be continuing my module learning tomorrow but felt the need to reflect on where I was within this learning here.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Friday, February 5, 2016

黒夢 - 生きていた中絶児・・・・

Surprisingly Raw

My first exposure to 黒夢 (Kuroyume) was actually their debut single on Avex, Misery. It was more or less a random stumble on youtube, but one that would ultimately contribute to my personal musical journey. Western fans are probably more likely to know Kuroyume as that band Kyo was a roadie for back in the day, but don't think their influence ends there. In fact, Kuroyume are easily among the most influential visual kei bands of all time and predated the huge influx of visual kei bands in the 90s. They're probably more well known for their major label pop rock stuff, but the band was a completely different beast in their indie days. 生きていた中絶児・・・・ (Ikiteita Chuzetsuji) is an old demo tape that later was on remastered and properly released on CD. It's a short, 6-track EP, but it's the band's heaviest release.

Kuroyume really started off as a dark, gothic/post-punk band that teetered dangerously close to metal much to my surprise. I assume that this period of the band shares much in common with the British post-punk/gothic scene, but I'm really not too familiar those bands to make any meaningful comparison. What I can say, however, is that this is particular EP is actually pretty damn heavy. The guitar is often heavy on distortion, and there are a lot of riffs employed by Shin here. True to the gothic tradition, Hitoki's bass tone is very thick and serves as backbone of all of the music. As the literal translation of the band's name implies, these 6 tracks are all very dark and melancholic in mood.

Kiyoharu's vocals are the rawest they have ever been. Multiple times throughout the runtime, he utilizes some very powerful screams that would surprise anyone who is only familiar with their pop rock material. Another surprising thing is that the songwriting is actually often rather complex and more nuanced than you'd expect. That's not to say Kuroyume went progressive rock or anything, but there are moments of legitimate time signature changes, rhythmic variations, and unexpected melodic patterns that show some serious nuance. Hitoki's performance on bass, the building block of the music, is excellent and goes through a large variety of melodic lines.

I enjoy all of Kuroyume's stylistic shifts, but my preference is definitely the period of time when Shin was in the band and wrote the songs. Fortunately, Hitoki and Kiyoharu were capable of writing good songs and released quality material after his departure. But the stuff that Shin wrote is really quite special and nothing afterwards is on the same level for me. One reason for this is because he was a really damn good guitarist. On some later works, it's really easy to get distracted by Hitoki's flashy bass runs, but the guitar is quite in your face here so it's hard to ignore. And of course, you certainly don't want to ignore it since there are quite a lot of riffs here and plenty of the solos are dissonant shredfests that are well placed and fit the mood of the album. It's also worth mentioning that the orignal version of 親愛なるDEATHMASK is actually different than the one that would show up on their debut album. Neither version I'd consider truly superior, but there's certainly some pros and cons. I much prefer Kiyoharu's screaming on the rerecorded version, but this one has some extra bass lines and accents that I love. I'd also say that the buildup to Shin's solo is not nearly as good on this version as it is on the first album.

Unfortunately, there is one blight on the mini album. It's the closing song, 鏡になりたい. It's a dark ballad that works very well instrumentally, but Kiyoharu pretty much messes things up on this one. On the rest of the EP, he's absolutely excellent and delivers one of his strongest vocal performances ever. I love his over-the-top, emotive style and the harsh vocals he uses here are all really awesome especially in songs like 黒夢 . But on the final track, it's just too much for my taste. I'm usually pretty tolerant of out of tune, ridiculous vibrato, but he really should have reigned it in on this one. Kiyoharu sounds pretty damn goofy here, and it pretty much nulls any potential emotional impact the last song could have had for me.

But the good news is that the first 5 songs are all a huge thumbs up. There's never a dull moment and even the unnamed session drummer does a pretty good job. It's a really nice blend of dark, gothic rock with some metal elements that does a great job conveying a dark, melancholic mood while showcasing a good degree of musical complexity and proficiency. There's no doubt that this is easily one of the band's strongest releases.

Rating: 93/100

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

  2. Do you know ROUAGE? I guess so. But just in case I recommend you hear their independent album of 1994.

    I also recommend Awake Of Youth(1993 first album) from MEDIA YOUTH.


text:
Jan 2018 4

Photo Essay: Vancouver’s Holiday Lights

Posted by

Whether we have snow or not, there is one thing that can't be missing every holiday season besides the many ice-skating rinks and Markets to get you in the festive mood; the colourful decorations all over the city! Vancouver lights up its parks, the shopping centers certainly don't hold back and everyone living in Vancouver and its suburbs wants to have the nicest front yard of the street. Holiday lights are, however, not just about beautiful views and thousands of twinkling lights: they can also serve a good cause by supporting a charity. Where to see the City's most beautiful holiday lights? See a selection of our favourite places in this photo essay!

VanDusen Festival of Lights

Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5151 Oak Street
When: December 1 - January 7

The VanDusen Botanical Garden is worth visiting every time of the year - but it is particularly magical in the winter season! In 1994, a small part of the garden was turned into a beacon of light. Since then, the VanDusen Festival of Lights became the City's most popular and longest running Christmas attraction.

The 15 acres area is decorated with more than one million lights - and not only literally. A group of volunteers check the bulbs each year and it takes months to create this beautiful winter wonderland. This is the perfect place to take beautiful photos, watch the dancing lights show on Livingstone Lake or simply enjoy a walk with a hot drink in your hands. You can also contribute to a good cause by supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which works to grant the wishes of kids with life-threatening illnesses by lighting a candle at the Candle Grotto.

The VanDusen Festival of Lights features several themed areas and runs from December 1 to January 7.

Stanley Park and the Bright Lights

Where: Pipeline Road in Stanley Park, via the West Georgia Street park entrance
When: November 30 - January 6

One of the biggest parks in Vancouver, Stanley Park, lights up with almost three million twinkling lights during the holiday season. Which is really nice, considering how early it gets dark this time of the year! When you enter the park, it feels like you're entering a fairy tale: this is the best place to take children in December to see holiday decorations and illuminations in the Lower Mainland. Some of the popular features are the miniature train with a ride full of breathtaking displays, and live performers along the route, Santa’s Workshop or the craft hut.

Bright Nights has been running at Stanley Park since 1997 annually from the end of November until the beginning of January. Admission is by donation with proceeds benefiting the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund. $1.4 million has been raised to help burn survivors and their families since 1998.

Lights of Hope

Where: St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street
When: November 16 - January 8

Every year, over 100,000 bulbs and hundreds of sponsored stars illuminate the St. Paul's Hospital as part of Light of Hope, St. Paul's Foundation's campaign raising funds for the hospital’s most immediate patient care and equipment needs. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the campaign that raised more than $31 million since its launch in 1998. The installation opens each year in mid-November with a festive, family friendly launch event featuring fireworks and live entertainment, taking place outdoors the hospital.

Lights of Hope brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to see the beautiful light tunnels and the building lit up with stars from top to bottom. The iconic installation, which is built by volunteers using donated materials, features over 10 kilometres of lights. The Lights of Hope is shining from dusk till dawn until January 8th.

Light a Life - Canuck Place

Where: 1690 Matthews Avenue
When: December 7 - December 31

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice annually lights the hospice and surrounding gardens. by 60,000 lights that are installed over a period of one month. These lights represent the spirit of care and support

This event has been a wonderful tradition since the Canucks Place opened in 1995 and is a celebration of the donations given towards the hospice's care to children, however, this isn't the only way to get involved: during the holiday season, anyone can contribute to the hospice through the Light a Life campaign.

While the Hospice is decorated to bring joy to the children and families and isn’t open to the public, you can enjoy the lights from outside the gates.

Meet The Photographer: Ricardo Vacas

Ricardo VacasRicardo Vacas

Ricardo Vacas, owner of the firm Kerp Photography, always showed intense interest in many forms of creative arts. His professional photography career started in his home country, Spain, where he was the official photographer of several music bands, models and clothing brands. He decided to move to Wellington, New Zealand in 2012, knowing his real interest was fashion photography more than any other field. Currently living in Vancouver, Canada, he now combines his fashion, editorial and commercial photography projects with regular trips to Europe and USA.

Leave a Reply

* required


text:
A Look At Speedy Systems For free slots

Guaranteeing You Get the Best of Free Slot machines Video games

If an individual were to inform you about free ports, you may perhaps begin with questioning more regarding how this alternative might in fact be a truth. Actually, if you dig a little much deeper, you might find that a sizable variety of people are in fact enjoying this alternative actively. For this reason, this may get you to consider how it could be possible for you to additionally benefit from this alternative. After all, if others could take pleasure in something without having to pay any kind of kind of cash for it, you too must be able to make use of the exact same.

Recognizing where to look

One of the first things that you could wish to do is to probably keep an open view concerning having a look at the various choices around as well as knowing the appropriate ones to look forward to in order to take advantage of these ports. Once you have this with you, reaching the complimentary slots shouldn’t be a trouble thus, since you will certainly know precisely where you might maybe want to go. This is yet an additional element that you might maybe wish to think about, considering that people act quickly as well as end up not obtaining what they were trying to find.

Registering at the most effective time

Web sites that offer complimentary slots consistently run competitions and supply offers that make it fairly possible to get a truly good deal on your cash. In fact, you could be rather surprised at the large amount of cash you might wind up conserving if you look in the ideal places. In a lot of cases, people waiting to obtain a good deal and when they do get it, they immediately get on get more info it. For this reason, you too can check out for some bargains and determine the best one when you do have accessibility to it. This is probably the very best means to tackle this, which will certainly enable you to play several of the most effective slots free of charge.

Getting the word out

If you really do like what you have actually encountered, it could possibly be a great idea to spread out the word as well as stand to obtain a great referral bonus offer. In many scenarios, people end up assume that not spreading the word concerning these things and also simply holding into the information could possibly be the means to go. As you may quickly find, this is not really the best technique, because raising recognition will help make certain that the web site gets the traffic as well as possibly even give out far better offers later.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Home > That's Life > 200 and counting

200 and counting

Well this is my 200th post on this blog. While I am not the most avid blogger, (though I do run 4 blogs with combined viewership of nearly 30,000) I do find it has been quite a journey, since January 1st 2006 with 200 posts, 172 comments, 14,454 visits coming from every continent except Antarctica.

To be more exact it has been 997 days, or 2 years, 8 months and 23 days (42 weeks), or 86,140,800 seconds, thanks to this great site (timeanddate.com) that did all the counting for me.

From starting out just commenting on news, movies and funny things to trying out on you my readers stories and thoughts (some of which have been reprinted as Refelctions, and one travel article is being printed in a academic publication in Slovenia this month), ramblings, music impressions and personal photographs it has become a potpourri of things that make my life as a Family single guy different then most others personal family-orientated blogs.

While I do not understand who would have time to read and follow a lame blog as mine I am happy to have met many of you via this format and find like-minded bloggers and follow the blogging experience together that is a wonderful thing and way to express our faith, heritage and hopes to each other and others of the life we live for others.

As I start the next century of posts I look ahead to where this blog can still grow and it is almost endless, I have a long way to go in writing, creative story telling, and there are always new things and ideas as the web, witnessing and technology continue and new avenues to try new things in this blogosphere, and I will do my best to help bring them to this little page as they happen.

Thank you all for bringing me into your lives in this way!

Categories: That's Life
  1. September 27, 2008 at 10:35 pm

    Hey J! I enjoy reading your blog, even though you’re not the most avid blogger 😉 At least I know that when I get on here, I’ll read something interesting. Keep it up! Maybe one day we’ll bump into each other (outside of the virtual world).

  1. No trackbacks yet.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Summer Bunnies Mix

SPRING’S SPRUNG SPRANGING, so dust off that ghetto blaster, hop on the cruzer and head to the beach because Mike Bubbles has a mix to shake you out of your winter stupor.

The Summer Bunnies Mix is not for the funkaphobics out there, blazing with hot n’ fresh New Jack Swing and R&B cuts that will leave you looking like a rock lobster if handled improperly. It gets real real good around the 18:30 mark, with the Arnie’s Love track stealing the show.

Download it here and peep the tracklist below.

Mike Bubbles also just dropped Bubble Works, his juicy debut EP that’s super G-funky, silly, and full of fun with “The Chill Line” leading the way on jazner repeats.

Big ups to Dipped In Dollars and Astro Nautico for leading the way in Mike Bubbles appreciation.

Groovin 4 The Sistaz

Summer Bunnies Tracklist

1. Jasia 10 – Oil Of Olay
2. Big Gigantic – Foxy
3. Mike Bubbles – Bubble Blimp
4. B. Bravo – Cascades
5. Mike Bubbles – Groovin 4 Tha Sistaz
6. Annu – Runner
7. Lexx – Trouble
8. Machinedrum – Pillow Lustt
9. Thriller – Genie
10. Falty DL – Discoko
11. Guy – My Business
12. Arnie’s Love – I’m Out Of Your Life
13. 213 – Joystick
14. Mike Bubbles – I Can’t Lie
15. Funkineven – Mad Swing
16. Paul White – Funk Positive
17. Pharrell/Stevie Wonder – That Girl’s #1 (Mikey B Original Blend)
18. Krystal Klear – Anteater
19. Eliot Lipp – Sand Castle
20. Christopher Williams – I’m Dreamin’
21. S.O.S. Band – Weekend Girl

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Pursuing the Creative Muse

54a7f-billie-joe-armstrong-20260132723How do you get good at anything?

How do you get great?
Obsession—Practice most all the time.

Pick any famous author, artist, musician, and they’ll all have obsession in common. And while we, the public, enjoy the fruits of their creative labor, those closest to these individuals were/are generally left wanting.

Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, “was an indifferent and often inattentive father and husband.”

Rod Serling, of Twilight Zone fame, “worked 12 hours a day seven days a week, [and] his wife, Carol, tended to their daughters, Jodi and Anne.”

Adrienne Armstrong, wife of Billy Joe Armstrong of Greenday said of her husband after the release of the album American Idiot, “I think it challenged us to a new level, pushed us pretty far, the farthest I ever want to go.”

The creatives above are all men. All married and all had/have children.

Now lets explore a few famous women.

The romance novelist Jane Austen never married. She was, in fact, ‘relieved in later life to have avoided the pitfalls of married life, not least the huge risks of childbirth, “all the business of Mothering.”’

Georgia O’Keeffe, the surrealist artist “wanted to have children but agreed with him [her husband, Alfred Steiglitz] that motherhood was incompatible with her art. She needed to focus all of her attention on her painting.”

Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul has never married, “the very idea of what it means to be a wife and the responsibility and sacrifice that carries — I wouldn’t have held that very well.” And she never had children. “If I had kids, my kids would hate me. They would have ended up on the equivalent of the “Oprah” show talking about me; because something [in my life] would have had to suffer and it would’ve probably been them.”

Ms. Winfrey had the guts to address the unvarnished, unspoken truth when she referred to the “responsibility and sacrifice,” in being a partner and parent. The investment of time, physical and psychic energy it takes to keep a marriage vital, and the even greater demands of being a conscientious parent, interferes, and often waylays the creative process.

Men have historically been the breadwinners in the family environment. And while this trend is slowly changing, the fact is women who seek personal excellence, especially in the arts, often have to choose between pursuing greatness and being, at least, an available partner and parent. Even today, men rarely have to make this choice. Regardless of this disparity, anyone, man or woman, obsessed with becoming great [at anything] should recognize the ‘sacrifice’ and costs to pursuing brilliance.

As a wife, mother, and a writer, my creative muse is constantly vying for prominence over the needs of my husband and especially my children. When my kids were babies, the creative process encountered fewer distractions. I could stay rapt in story, run dialog in my head while changing diapers or pushing them on the swing at the park. Small kids, small problems. Big kids, big issues. Now the parent to a tween and teen, my siren is often overwhelmed by the very real traumas and trials of adulthood my children face every day. To help them navigate these tumultuous times, I question, probe, even invade their space to stay connected, be there for them as a sounding board, a trusted confidant to lean on, to envelope them in a hug and hold them when they’re falling.

I chose to marry, to have kids. And while I willingly choose to be present, available for my family, forfeiting the relentless pursuit of my creativity is a battle I engage in daily. Much of my fiction focuses on this internal war, as in my novel Reverb, through James Whren’s obsession with his music, the cost to the lives he touched and the price he eventually paid absorbed in making it with his muse. My recent novel, Disconnected, explores the propaganda of the 1960s still being sold today, as Rachel struggles with the reality that we can’t ‘have it all,’ be everything we want to be, and still be there for our kids and family.

We glorify the brilliant author, the renown artist, successes in business, often secretly wish to be one of the famous. But to become great at anything means obsessively working at the job or craft, honing a skill set with relentless practice, which is the fundamental reason why genius is so rarely achieved. The price those who solely engage with their creative muse must pay is actualizing a full and balanced life.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s