Kamis, 19 Januari 2012
Cara Memasang Fitur Blogger Star Rating di Posting Blog
Rabu, 18 Januari 2012
The Eyes Have It
After writing my first novel, I started using the Internet to promote my book, while writing like a mad hatter to finish the sequel. I became involved with a Web site, Twitter and Facebook. I also starting having book signings anywhere I was welcome and a few places I wasn’t. I would even ask people in stores if they liked murder mysteries. If they did, I was on them like a cheap TV commercial. Much to my surprise, I even sold books at yard sales.
After three years of meeting other newbie authors in person and on the Web, I have come to the realization that we all have three things in common. The first and most important is passion. In my lifetime I have not met a more passionate group of people. It’s palatable in nature and almost like you could cut the passion with a knife. Each and every one of us could talk for hours about our work – not in an egotistical way, but in a passionate way. We absolutely love what we do!
The second is the look in our eyes. I have looked in the eyes of many authors and the result is always the same. There is a fire behind those eyes and they burn bright with intelligence, eagerness, awareness and (of course) passion. Sometimes it can be a little disconcerting because it’s like looking into a mirror and I wonder if my eyes look so intense. I have never been able to see in my eyes what I see in others, but friends have assured me that I have “the look.”
The third thing is universal craziness. Yes, we all must surely be nuts and close to certifiable. Any person who spends every waking moment of every day writing, promoting, facing rejection and ridicule along with praise from some and a stoning from others, must be crazy. With every positive come just as many negatives. Selling your books is like selling vacuum cleaners door to door. We know our work is very good because we put years into writing and promoting it, but that is never enough to become a “best seller.” Frustration is the mother of insanity and sometimes it’s enough to put us in a padded cell.
My hat is off to the hundreds of newbie writers who have the passion and internal fortitude to attempt to write a novel. The journey is fraught with danger, disappointment and rejection; but at the same time, it can be overwhelming with the pride of accomplishment that you have done something not many ever do in their lifetimes. You wrote and published a novel. It is even more exciting if you have written more than one.
What keeps me from the padded cell? I refuse to succumb until I finish my third novel. I keep procrastinating because once it is finished; my wife will surely have me locked away in the loony bin.
I’m just saying,
Mittster
Selasa, 17 Januari 2012
It's All In My Head
Consider fifty years of construction, starting with being an apprentice for four years while going to night school after working all day; then on to being a project manager for millions of dollars worth of new schools to cap a career. This and all the learning in between stored in a brain that still works well, but the brain case grows old and is beginning to wear out.
Over the years, I have wondered why learn at all? When we die it is lost and no one benefits. All the learning is wasted. When you are gone there is no one to teach what has been learned. The thought depressed me a little and I began trying to figure out how to leave something behind that could benefit young people as they began their careers.
My first thought was to write a book about construction. I started it many times, but the content put me to sleep. Eventually I started writing murder mysteries that basically have no social redeeming value (except maybe – don’t get murdered).
They are great for people who love to read that sort of thing, but what about the 50 years of construction experience in my brain that will be lost forever when I leave the planet?
Enter my insatiable desire to learn things scientific. I watch The Science Channel and any other channel that teaches me about science and the cosmos.
I have been known to Google questions about our universe and the scientists who study it with great delight…even though it seems the more I learn, the more I need to learn. Each answer poses yet more questions, but that is the nature of infinity. Everything goes on forever, including questions.
One thing I have learned that has helped me cope with the question of losing knowledge when we die is that information is never lost. Physics teaches us that all information, no matter what state it has become, can, theoretically, be remade to its original state at the molecular level. In other words, the atom can always be re-arranged back to its original configuration.
Physics also teaches us that atoms contain the information of all things past, present and future. Soon scientists using quantum physics will produce computers using atoms instead of chips to produce machines that will revolutionize our world. Just think, a machine that can store your life’s learning and can be studied by future generations. Our life’s learning gleaned from a voice command. What an exciting world it will be! Sometimes I wish I could believe in re-incarnation so I could come back as a computer student, but with my luck – I would come back as a roll of toilet paper. I know the toilet paper information would never be lost. That’s what scares me!
I’m just saying,
Mittster
Senin, 16 Januari 2012
Will peace ever come?
A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time.
So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was, walking slowly up to the holy site.
She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview.
"Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?
"Morris Feinberg," he replied.
"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"
"For about 60 years."
"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"
"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims."
"I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop."
"I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults and to love their fellow man."
"I pray that politicians tell us the truth and put the interests of the people ahead of their own interests."
"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"
"Like I'm talking to a fucking wall."
Alien Manifesto
I have known from the very beginning that my identical twin brother and I are not of this world. Our minds are connected and nothing escapes our attention when it comes to knowing what we are thinking even though we might be miles apart.
I am surprised the Feds haven’t rounded up all the identical twins in America and deported us to Egypt. It is obvious we are a threat to National Security. After all, if we (identical twins) united, there is no doubt that we could take over the planet.
OK, here is the skinny. We were originally from the planet Zarg in the constellation of Orion.
Embryos of our species were implanted into Neanderthals 10,000 years ago by robotic starships disguised as apples. Neanderthal women would pick and eat the apples and “walla” identical twins would be born. It didn’t take long for the Neanderthal men to realize eating the apples was a woman thing. It was actually great because it left more meat for the men.
It took hundreds of years for the twins to mate with only twins, thus ridding the population of Neanderthal traits completely. As our species spread over the planet, we eventually settled in Egypt.
It was there that we learned of our true identity. Our 5000 year history of being the most advanced civilization the world had ever known was cut short because of one flaw in our plan to take over the world. The Mesopotamians started eating apples too. Who could have known that our ancestors seeded too many apple machines and the whole world started eating them. Now there were identical twins everywhere and they had no clue as to their real origins.
My brother and I alone know the truth, and we are about to spread the news via the Internet that will unite the identical twins of the world. What better time to strike than while our government prepares for a general election? They will be so engrossed with trying to win that no one will see us coming. Once we have taken over America, we will use a far superior military to take over the world.
My brother and I will rule the world until our deaths. Only identical twins will rule from that time forward. The new class of rulers will be as follows. Identical twins shall be the chosen ones, while paternal twins will run everyday government functions. Non-twins shall be worker bees and do all the physical chores like changing diapers and raking up leaves.
While we are not tyrants, tomfoolery shall not be tolerated. Remember non-twins, we can squash you like bugs with our superior intellect. Our goal is to govern without greed, dishonesty, lies or deceit. We won’t have to resort to any of the above-mentioned traits that permeated our governments of the past because we will live in the lap of luxury right out front, just like the past rulers of Egypt. We will rise again and rule for thousands of years or until the end of the Mayan calendar, in which case our rule will be short – very short.
For those of you who have read this manifesto up to this point, it proves that you are just as nuts as the nut case who wrote the stupid thing in the first place. It’s nice to know that I am not alone in my craziness. Welcome to the “you have to be crazy to keep from going insane” world of the Mittster!
Write on
Minggu, 15 Januari 2012
Sunny Saturday
OK, I promise not to rub it in that we were riding Harleys during sunny, 73 degree weather in Phoenix, Arizona, Saturday. We ended up at Arrowhead Haley-Davidson just in time for a great swap meet. Later the four of us had a fabulous lunch at a great Italian restaurant across the street.
Today (Sunday) we are heading back to Phoenix to visit Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson so my son Jay can shop for a bike. He is ready to buy another Harley after selling his 1979 Shovelhead almost ten years ago. He has been riding, shall we say, “other” bikes ever since. He has finally decided to retire his 1975 first-year Honda Gold Wing and join us in the 21st century. I knew he couldn’t stay away forever.
Arrowhead Harley-Davidson
Swap meet
Bikers taking advantage of warm weather
Mark and Julie's Super Glides
Hoppy and his V-Rod in the back ground
Mark (right) holding down the fort while the rest of us take a pee break
Hoppy strolling back from checking out all the wall pictures
Mark and Julie
Hoppy and yours truly (no, we are not an item - our wives don't ride! lol)
When this body finally wears out - I plan on jacking it up and putting a new one under it so I can ride for another 50 years!
Today (Sunday) we are heading back to Phoenix to visit Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson so my son Jay can shop for a bike. He is ready to buy another Harley after selling his 1979 Shovelhead almost ten years ago. He has been riding, shall we say, “other” bikes ever since. He has finally decided to retire his 1975 first-year Honda Gold Wing and join us in the 21st century. I knew he couldn’t stay away forever.
Sabtu, 14 Januari 2012
List Batasan Blogger & Akun Blogger Yang Wajib Diketahui
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)