Answer Something

Raise your hand if you could have the millions that some athletes and other entertainers have-stay out of the limelight and not get into legal issues. 

If...

If I were a woman I would own about a 1000 pair of shoes.

And would probably lease the rest...

NBA Tonight

NBA DEBUTS TONIGHT!!!

Oh how I wish I could be excited. I grew up in the Magic-Bird era with a some guy named Jordan coming into his prime right behind them.

I know we all think our era is the greatest at everything. But 1980s NBA basketball has to be up there.

I just think today's NBA has too many average players who make a ton of money for doing average to below average things. Only a few guys in their primes as of right NOW could compete at a high level in any era. Remember when I say they are in their prime right now. Kobe, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett or past their primes.

Lebron James.
Carmelo Anthony
Derek Rose
James Harden
Tony Parker
Kevin Durant
Russell Westbrook
Chris Paul

And NO I did not forget Chris Bosch and Blake Griffin.

TLC

OMG was the TLC movie good.

I loved T-Boz.

Goran

I'm watching a little Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

Robert Goran is by far my favorite detective off all time.

Twitter

If I were the coach of a college program I would not allow players to comment on team related issues on their twitter accounts.

As a pro coach I would actively discourage it.

Twitter is a dangerous outlet at the fingertips of somehow who loves to hear the sound of their own voice (or the clicks of keyboard).

Back to Life

Rangers-Caps
Flames-Ducks

I'm going to sit back, truly relax (meaning no computer), and enjoy these NHL games tonight. I haven't truly been able to concentrate on anything else thanks to the crisis in the news over the past few weeks.

I can't wait.

:)

Venting

I'm not old enough to have experienced the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 though I've seen a movie or documentary or two on the subject. I could only guess at the fear that Americans felt during the weeks of the standoff facing a nuclear holocaust.

I was in my teens in the 1980's when the movie "The Day After" aired. The plot was about a nuclear confrontation between The United States and the now defunct Soviet Union. What was truly frightening to my adolescent mind, was the fear entrenched on the character's faces as the fictional chain of events unraveled until the missiles were finally launched. I had never been so disturbed by what I was seeing...so scared for my life and those who I loved and cared about as I was in the days after that movie's airing.

Not until the past week.

The fear entrenched on the character's faces in that movie mirrored my own.

However any of us may lean politically, doesn't everyone agree that there is something wrong to engage in mutually agreed destruction (the debt ceiling) only to pull during the last hours.

I don't have ALL the answers. I don't have ANY of the answers.

I just don't want to experience these feelings of frustration, helplessness, and most of all...dread that I have.

I just needed to vent. Thanks  

Kobo

I'm reading that Kobo is suspending publication of self published works because of their continuing issues with porn and erotica.

The articles aren't clear if this is a temporary move. The articles aren't clear if this for their UK site only or all of their sites.

I'm just passing along the info to all you indies out there. This is especially important to you erotica writers.

W

It is hard to tell what a person truly means by what they punch out on a computer screen. But I try to express consistency to what I mean from my brain, heart, and mouth(fingers) at all times.

That being said, I wasn't a fan of George W Bush's presidency, but when I read about his artery blockage issues I find ANY thoughts from ANY one that doesn't support his full recovery as disgusting.

I know we live in probably the largest political divide outside the Civil War in our history, but at some point we need to be reminded to mind out manners.

Get well W.

And STAY well. 

The Gospel According to John: How Elway saved us From Tebow, his Media Cronies, and an Inusffarable Fan Base

This Ebook is FINALLY available on ITUNES, Barnes and Noble, and other outlets.

Remember this article is free on all outlets except Amazon.

I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed presenting my arguments.

One last thing: Fair reviews are appreciated.

Thanks.

Draft2Digital

If anyone is frustrated or flat out finished with Smashwords as a e book publishing outlet you may want to try Draft2Digital.

I haven't tried it myself yet, but I'm strongly considering it.

I won't try to persuade you guys one way or another, but I do think the site is worth investigating.

Whats next?

It looks as if the rewrite of my novel "where are our children" may be next

A Bridge over troubled waters.

I was a bit surprised to here that NFL scouts grade Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater along the lines of Alex Smith when he came out in the draft.

He is still regarded, by most, as the number one QB on the board.

As of today I would hope my Jags would take him, but we still have a loooooooong way to go till the draft.

Coughlin

I thought this would be Coughlin's last season in NY. The Giants are having a difficult season and his relationship with the media there has always been just "functional" at best.

I'm more than appreciative of his time here in Jacksonville. And considering his age I would go into glorious retirement with a smile on my face, in good health, with a bank account full of money.

Yet, knowing Coughlin (at a distance, of course) I get this feeling, The New York job is not his last coaching gig.

Happy Birthday...to me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

44 today.

That number brings me both joy and sadness at the same time.

I feel very blessed to reach this age...yet sometimes, I wonder where did the years go.

Slow Rowing

The publishing process has really slowed at Smashwords. I'm through the meatgrinder with the Tebow article, but it's still taking its time getting to the retailers. I have seen it up at Kobo but it is taking it's sweet time showing up at ITunes, Sony, and Barnes and Noble.

I'm not mad about it. If anything this shows how much the site has grown with all of the people submitting to it than when I published here at the first of the year.
 
I've got to keep all this is mind when I publish again at Smashowords. 

A Wonderful Night Out

I had a better than expected time at the NBA pre-season game here in Dooooovall last night that my wife bought me tickets for my birthday.

I saw a couple old classmates, my cousin I hadn't seen in some time, and a former neighbor.

The announced crowd was over 9500 which is excellent in football happy Jacksonville..

The only real observations I have from the game is that Anthony Davis looks as if he's on the way to being a beast. The other is, again, My issue with today's NBA is that too many players can't do enough of anything special and yet are paid like to be multi-millionaires.

The highlight of the evening is that the city honored local college legend Artis Gilmore. And some of his former NBA-ABA buddies joined him for the ceremony. I saw Christian Latiner, David Thompson, Rick Barry, George Gervin, and best of all- Julius Erving up close and personal.

I don't get out to live sporting events nearly as much as I did when I was a single guy but it was nice trip backwards.

All in all a wonderful evening.

Bond

Daniel Craig IS Bond.

A little something educational

I'm going to try to give the government stuff a rest for today. The wife purchased NBA pre season tickets for the game here in Doooooovall (Jacksonville) tonight for my birthday.

So I'm chilling right now, surfing the net and watching something very educational on my Blu-ray.

First Blood.

Where did Summer go?

It's like 59 degrees this morning here in Dooooovall.

Where is my coat?

A true Sports Fanatic

I proclaim myself as an avid sports fanatic, and I am.

Yet, I read a story this morning about a fan showing up at the home of Houston Texan QB Matt Schaub berating him and taking pictures of his family.

Being a hard core Jaguars fan I dislike the Texans and believe that Schaub has always been overrated as a NFL QB but this entire paragraph is irrelevant to the real problem.

This "fan" took the time to find the man's house and yell at him about a GAME in front of his family.

This act crosses so many social lines (and a borderline legal one) that it is truly sad.   

Elizabeth Smart

Elizabeth Smart is one brave woman.

God bless you.

QB turnover

The QB turnover around the league is going to be SICK.

I can see as many as 10 to 16 different starters.

Dodgers

Dodgers first to move on out of the MLB Divisional Playoffs .

I love LA.

Actually, I don't. At least not the Dodgers.

I'll only cheer for them if they were to match up with the Red Sox in the World Series.

gino smith

Jets rallied in last minute to beat struggling Atlanta.

My fellow Jags fans are crying. Why didn't we take Gino in the draft?

Again. It doesn't matter that Gino may be better than Henne or Gabbert. I want a franchise QB that can help give Jags LONG term success. I'm not convinced Gino has a high enough ceiling to warrant the second round draft spot he was given last year.

If we use the logic that every time a QB wins a game he is the answer then Gino Smith is a franchise QB over Matt Ryan. He isn't.

Vince Young won games early in his career. So did Mark Sanchez. My God, so did Tim Tebow. I want better for my Jags.

Losing stinks. Losing the way the Jags have this season stinks more.

I'm still willing to wait on a franchise QB.    

Decisions, decisons, decision

More on my point about whether to mass produce or not.

The sports articles are fun. The research is relatively easy. I have plenty of source material from dozens of Internet sites, sports radio and TV.

I've used the interview type format because it makes the process of getting the information out in an entertaining fashion. The interviewer (my co-host) is a fabric of my imagination. What it serves is the Every Man voice. The voice on the street with a common or distant view of sports issues.

This is not meant as if I am a sports expert. I am not. I never will be. I just try plunge into these matters with a deeper perspective than the average sports fan would. That doesn't make me better than those who read my articles.

In speaking of the interviewer, I am considering altering his voice starting with my next article. In my opinion Dan Patrick is the best sports interviewer in the business. He is tough but firm. He is fair. He can be funny without being silly or condescending. I think using Patrick as my interview model would take my articles to a higher level.

Again, these sports stories are fun. They don't require a lot of work from me. LIFE demands a lot of work and energy from me. I don't know if I would have anything left to devote to volume writing.

Fiction takes a lot more energy from me because creation exhaust a lot of energy. Believe it or not, plotting is pretty straight-forward but prose is hard. Writing from the point-of-view of different characters is DAMNED hard. 

It also isn't easy to write interesting setting, breathe life into characters, and place all of the senses on every page without OVER doing it. Anyone out there who has written fiction can appreciate what I'm saying.

I'll admit though, when I finish a fiction piece, there is a certain rush that I don't get from doing non fiction.

Again, I have decisions to make.

The Wife is right.

I'm still debating about how far to take my writing.

My life is stressful enough. Perhaps I inject some of this stress on myself by worrying about things that are out of my control. Yet, my passion about life, is who I am as a person. I believe in getting stuff done. I believe in doing what I say I'm going to do. I believe in being organized and paying attention to details

My wife says if makes me a wonderful provider, but at times a distant husband because it always seems if something is on my mind. I never seem to relax in her mind.

My wife is as smart as she is beautiful.

And she is right.

Which brings me back to my original point. Do I try to write for profit? I believe that the only way to truly be successful in the Indie author business is to write in VOLUME. I think this is even as if not more important than quality.

This means...a half dozen novels a year. This means 50 short stories or articles a year.

It is a crowded market. Volume is the only way to fight the crowd. Let one piece market the next.

I have a decision to make.

And I would think I need to make it soon.

Bitchin about Bitchin

I probably complain too much on my blog.

I LOVE my job. I do. I just get aggravated with all of the politics and sorry folks I have to deal with every day that I am there. Still, I'm smart enough to know that this kind of stuff exist on every job no matter the pay or benefits that job provides.

Anyway, I have the week off. Yea. 7 whole days. And I still draw a nice paycheck Thursday. Not bad for a high school educated black guy from a questionable neighborhood. 

My family has their stomachs full and they have a more than adequate roof over their heads. (My hard working wife has a LOT to do with this as well.)

I'm sitting in a comfortable chair. I'm watching NHL Center Ice (Devils-Oilers until Rangers-Kings comes on.)

I got my spoiled pooch lying next to me with her ears sticking up.

I apologize for complaining all the time.

I just want to work, have a little money left over, and be left alone.

I don't think that is too much to ask for.
 

Next

Oh Yea...what's next:

Don't hold me to this but I think I have another article coming. This one on whether or not we should pay college athletes (football and basketball) players are not. "Pimp Daddy: Why we should...or shouldn't pay college athletes." This is a tentative title.

I think my next step is to finally finish the second draft of my novel "Where are our Children?"

For those who have read my blog from the beginning, the first draft of this novel was written during the heart of the Great Recession during 2009 when I was out of work for significant periods of time.

Writing this first draft helped me focus my energy, my frustration,  and my anxiety in a positive outlet: I finished writing my novel.

Anyway, I owe it to myself, and this story, to go back and finish this. It is wonderful story. I can't promise you that I've done a fine enough job in telling it, but it is a wonderful tale none the less.

What's Next?

What's Next?

First, I need to get through this debt crisis thing. Rather I should be worried about a default or not, I AM. I suffered through the Great Recession like many of you out there.

I'm ready to move on to something else other than proceeding to the next self inflicted economic crisis that we Americans have been through the past few years.

No matter what side you are on, I think we are all ready to move on to something else.

more later...

Amazon Sale

I actually made a sale on Amazon today.

Wow!!!

Thanks to the customer. I hoped you enjoyed my piece, but just as importantly, I hope you think that I at least presented my argument well.

Remember...fair reviews are appreciated.  

Made It

Tebow's article made it through the meatgrinder!

Readers should look for it on their favorite reader within a few days to a week.

Enjoy.

OMG!!!

The NHL is back.

Leafs-Habs

Orr- Parros fought

Parros head hits ice during fight. He's out cold.

OMG!!! 

Detractors

To my detractors on Tim Tebow:

There are 32 NFL owners, general manager's,  head coaches, and various assistant coaches, and  scouts who feel more like I do...

...than you do about Timmy.

Thanks.