In addition to my usual stuff, I am going to start writing some more very quick, basic, silly top 10 lists. I have certainly done many lists before, but I mean, this new material, it’s… downright generic. Here: Top 10 Weather Phenomena & Top 10 English Language Greetings. Will be fun to see who reads and what sort of response I get.
###
Google+.
I mean, it’s significant. Google and Facebook are two of the largest, most significant, most life-altering entities on the planet. And Google wanted to hang on Facebook’s turf. So they tried. They sure tried.
But I agree with this Slate.com article that, basically, says Google+ had a chance to compete but that chance has passed. It is not going to catch on, I am convinced. It is now the wasteland of the hipsters and snobby techies. Two reasons I dislike Google+:
1) I completely agree with Slate.com on the fact that, when Google initially discouraged brand pages on Google+, that was, quite simply, a dumb decision. It was mind-boggling, for them to think that they could compete with Facebook, yet not allow one of the features that enables Facebook to be a valid media feature (take that phrase however you would like). By the time they did allow (due to the DUH-WHAT’D-YOU-THINK-WOULD-HAPPEN level of inevitable pressure and complaints) the feature, the damage was done. It was too late. Google had shown its hand, and its hand was an outdated, dumb philosophy.
2) I have, on multiple occasions, requested that someone kindly, plainly explain to me how Google+ can be viably used as a marketing and promotions platform. It has yet to be explained to me. I cannot take it seriously.
So not only have I started writing fiction again, as I mentioned in the last post, but I have even been dabbling in poetry.
###
Speaking of basketball, a classic scene from an awesome film:
###
Not only have I been writing fiction, but I am re-committing to writing more articles as well — even back to some half-hearted attempts at humor (I’ll get there)… like the Top 5 Ways To Break Up With Your Girlfriend.
###
Closing Thought: “Act as if everything depends on you, pray as if everything depends on God.”
Well, for years, I wrote fiction and very much enjoyed it and eventually made money from it and perhaps the pinnacle of my fictiony endeavors was a science fiction novella entitled One Day, which is sadly (for me) no longer available for purchase online, or I would happily link to it.
Then, one day, due to a terrific mix of unfortunate circumstances, I decided to quit fiction.
To be honest, this was mostly due to the market on fiction having dried up in the freelance arena, with publishers and even content farms leaning much more toward a model that rewarded knowledge-based non-fiction work.
However, the straw that broke the me-camel’s back was… chronicled in this rant.
In short: My writing style, upon formal examination, is criticized for not meeting standards — yet today’s best-selling authors do not meet those standards.
What a stupid environment.
Yet, here I stand, about to start writing fiction again. Just submitted a couple short stories (flash fiction, specifically) and even a few poems (gasp) for a money-at-stake-for-top-three-finishers contest. I imagine I will submit more pieces in the upcoming weeks and months. And, in years, will likely write another novella, if not a full-length novel altogether.
Despite my hatred for how standards are deemed and maintained and such, my position has changed and I am willing to give it another good ol’ try for one perfectly frank reason: At this point, the market for any type of freelance writing online is drying up, and to not be open to certain marketable needs that I may be capable of filling because I have a negative opinion on something would just be silly.
If I can get paid for fiction, I am going to write it. Period.
###
Football: I am, painfully this season, a fan of the Indianapolis Colts, by virtue of having been born in Indianapolis then living there for 20+ years before moving to Bear country. Since I enjoy the product that the NFL has to offer, I naturally have to pick some sort of allegiance, and the Colts have been a rewarding franchise to follow.
But, as to my thoughts on this season, on Peyton, on Andrew Luck, well, I almost hate to say it, but: I would be totally cool if the Colts tanked it this season, got Andrew Luck, and traded Manning. Is that blaspemy? Maybe. But is this the best time to trade Peyton, before he shows his decline? Yes. Is he getting old? Yes. Does he obviously now have some serious, permanent health issues? Yes. Wasn’t he the last quarterback to be as highly touted as Luck is now? Yes. Wasn’t it totally worth it to endure a rocky season or two before he became one of the greatest pigskin-slingers of all time?
… that bit is actually debatable, and maybe I will go into that with another post (summary: for as good as he was at his best, he should have won more than one Super Bowl, though it hardly sounds fair to “complain” about “just one” of those), but basically, the point is one last question: Would I gladly go through the risk, growing period, and potential upshot of Andrew Luck? Yes. Yes I would.
Oh, but American football is different from soccer, which is what most of the world’s population knows as football (or futbol, etc.), and this is relevant because I found this video of a French humorist (?!) that happens to have MIND-BUSTINGLY amazing skills. Seriously, this is awesome stuff:
###
Financial Occupation: A lot (A LOT!!! I AM TYPING IN ALL CAPS AND USING MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION POINTS TO EMPHASIZE THIS DESPITE ACCESS TO BOLD AND ITALICS!!!) can be said about the Occupy movement, but, as far as all that Occupy Wall Street stuff goes, my position is this:
If the point of the Occupy movement is to highlight the fact that in America it is absurdly too easy for some to acquire wealth while absurdly too difficult for others, then count me in. 100%. I am there. Sign me up.
Because, indeed, the system has flaws and sometimes it flat-out sucks and makes too many things too many difficult for too many people too often. Period. I love the economic concept of capitalism, but when those who wield power over it exhibit unethical tendencies, the result is definitively bad.
Recently got involved in a couple lengthy debates, in terms of word count, concerning Christianity. Both, within the span of two days oddly enough, began when someone on Facebook posted a picture that not only made fun of Christianity (happens all the time, I would not have a spare moment if I were to respond to every one, nor would I feel the desire to), but contained a factually inaccurate depiction of Christianity as well.
And, in both cases, my attempt to simply correct the misconception turned into a me-against-many debate that basically boiled down to the validity of Christianity vs. secular atheism as a belief system.
Which is fine, because I am the one in the right, and have become much better at such debates. Still some work to do.
Okay, everyone, I found it: This is the reason the Internet exists.
See, it’s a highly skilled thing, that took time, and nobody would’ve appreciated it — but, thanks to the web, a half a million people and counting can genuinely, deeply get a fun little kick out of it, including me.
###
Now: Pretend like I also wrote a whole profound big entry about how the term “floppy empire” can serve as a parallel to current-age America.
Insightful, yeah? Right? I know.
###
Speaking of which, I used to actually blog. Like, produce my own content and try to be clever and cultivate a brand and everything.
But now, despite my knowledge of the criticisms against them, I totally understand why merely recycling the content of others is the way to go.
I mean, sheesh, it’s so much easier. Did you see that earlier? I posted a link — to material much cooler than anything I could’ve produced.
###
Well, I do have one thing, though.
My website got on Reddit (the “front page of the Internet”) social bookmarking site this morning and, to be honest, that little even worked out really well for me.
So, if you have a reddit account and wouldn’t mind upvoting it here, that would be greatly appreciated.
###
Oh, and God totally answers prayer. Definitely. Just so you know. Had a good moment there.
Also, a video explaining why professional video gaming will be difficult to catch on.
###
And a super creepy video (well, creepy to me at least – perhaps adorable to everyone else) about an aquatic creature trying to communicate with people by mimicking the noise of their engine.
Uh oh. Have been feeling ridiculously creative lately. Not that I have been ridiculously creative, but I certainly feel that way. If this continues, expect more content here. Will need an outlet.
More relevantly: Earlier tonight played basketball in front of my house for the first time in Peotone with four guys. I would have felt pretty darn proud of my performance had they not all been scrawny little 14-year-olds. Nonetheless, it was fun to play with some people who actually wanted to play a decently competitive game, and get to show off maybe just a little.
One, the one who lived at the house that the portable rim was in front of, stayed behind after the other three had left. We talked as we shot around. He gave me the 411 on our street — which house has the crazy dog, which family is a bunch of stuck-up snobs, what people do for fun, etc. Actually, now that I think about it, we discussed a rather lot, as we were able to touch on music, parenting, politics, sports, American history (his favorite school subject), future aspirations, family life, father figures, scary movies, video games, and plenty else. I get the feeling that this is just a beginning. I live just across the street, after all.
Some basketball observations after a few years not playing in the streets:
1) Being smarter truly does make a player better.
2) At first, before I was able to join in, I watched a game. As I watched, I noticed swearing and bickering, and the cantankerous, cranky-old-man part of me thought, boy, they sure do swear a lot and argue about stuff. But then I spent three seconds considering what I grew up with and, in reality, what I was witnessing was rather tame.
3) Highlight of the night: Getting an elbow jabbed into my ribs. That may sound odd, but trust me, it meant a lot to me.
4) Second-place highlight of the evenings: Being asked, “Are you still in high school?”
5) I love the fact that you can travel a couple hundred miles and still play the exact same rules and use the same lingo.
6) When I was your age, we didn’t have cell phones in our pockets when we played, and if you answered a text during a game you’d get laughed off the court, pretty boy. Just sayin’.
More to come, I’m sure. Basketball, I mean — not necessarily observations. We’ll see.
-~-
Oh, and:
“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Recent Comments