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Perspective

Yesterday, I watched the movie Gran Torino. It is a story about acceptance and transformation leading to some form of ultimate salvation. This is a perfect film that feeds into the idea underlying a New Year’s weekend.

Usually, I link to some music that I am listening to while I am writing a blog posting. However, I am listening to a full album today. The Who’s 1971 classic Who’s Next. It is a complete album because none of the songs on the album exist as just “filler”. It has one of the best opening songs for an album ever with “Baba O’Riley”. (OK. I linked to one song. However, do yourself a favor and get the whole album.) It is kind of sad that now a day’s many music artists cannot construct an entire album’s worth of songs. The ability for many people to listen to an album as a whole seems to be a fading memory too. Channel surfing in the digital Internet age is too easy and also too arbitrary at the same time.

I am like many people at this time year trying to figure out how to make a fresh start to the year. And how to achieve that break through you desire. I am not going into the details of a few events that happened to me in late November through December of 2009. It was hard enough. The other problem is that I cannot write anything in detail that would provide any noticeable insight or any ultimate wisdom that was acquired. All I can hint at is that my perception of things that I have held on to for a long time may not be actually true. Or they really may be true. It is a conundrum. (Yes. I had to look that word up.) Sometimes when looking at the equation of your life you have to remove yourself from that equation. Sometimes your own ego is a killer in the equation.
I also need to recharge the mental battery a little bit while I am going about things. I have been reading the book. Ignore Everyone and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod. He started by making comics on the back of business cards. He also posts on the site GapingVoid.com. He had one of the biggest downloads with “How to Be Creative” and it form the basis of his book. I got back into checking out his website recently. He is very insightful on how to use the Internet to promote your creative endeavors. It is good to know there are resources out there to look to for support. Even if you are just a “browser”. I recommend this site for anyone trying to be “creative” and needs some insight.

He posted this comment on his FaceBook page.

“What’s the one thing that ALL of the SUCCESSFUL artists I know personally have in common…? They crank the shit out like short order cooks.”

This is a key to me throughout this year. I need to be more prolific in my postings. It is like exercise. You cannot get stronger if you do not keep exercising the muscles. I need to put out more content. Hopefully, it will lead to more opportunities. It is better way than using fast food to expand my horizons.

In the picture is a small notebook I carry around with me through the day at work. I make notes of any thoughts I may have that may help at some point in my writing. I make notes from various podcasts I listen to. There may be books I need to read. Films I should watch. I note websites I need to check out. I have been asked from time to time about how I know some much “weird” shit. I just watch and listen. But more importantly I make notes.
I then need to get to writing out on the notepad on the clipboard to expand out the ideas I noted. And make them appear on the website.

I also need to clean up the home office. But that is another sad story. I wish I had enough money to pay for a “support” staff. I wish I could outsource the petty things I need to accomplish so I can get to the major items on my “to-do writing list”. Sadly, “No man is an island”. However, I have made a good case for a man being a “landfill”.

Going Back to the Drawing Board

It has been a while since I have been posting to this blog. I have been in a lot of deep thoughts and other issues over the last 2-3 months. For example, I was wondering this thought. Whatever happened to Steve Guttenberg? And the Internet provided the answer. My mind does wander to some REALLY strange thoughts for time to time.

I have been studying this chart I found that also mimics my own personal evolution (or lack thereof).

(It is a pretty simple explanation.)

I have also been watching movies lately. They have made me think more about making a career change. I want to become a pizza delivery guy. It is refreshing to know that there are women out there who appreciate good prompt service. And they are willing to give a nice tip. Finally, when the transaction is completed they do not have any appearance of regret. Just admiration. Life seems so grand in the movies.

The reality it seems that I have been doing a series of experiments in order to have submissions for “F My Life”. I will spare the details. This is not the forum for them.

I write with music playing in the background. I may come off as a quiet person. I just do not deal well with silence. I usually link to a clip to link to in order to play will you are reading the post. I know I have a wide range of taste when it comes to music. I have been putting this blog off for way too long. However, it does not mean I have not been thinking about this posting. It has been a long time. And that means the music list grew long. So this posting is your choice if you choose to listen.

MUSIC: Dream Theater, Perfect Circle, Sponge, Rollins Band, Husker Du, Pearl Jam, Mastodon, The Headstones, Moist

Now I need to deal with the “Elephant” in my apartment. It begs the question. And given the place’s current condition. How the hell did he find any place to stand? And why can’t he at least be useful while standing there?

The “Elephant” here is my writing. And it needs more on the output side.

I am trying to get back to writing. I have started to carry a small notebook with me during the day. I use to write down ideas. I also use it to make notes about thinks I see and hear during the day. Books, websites, podcasts etc I need to remember to check out. It is basically, a copy of my own Rorschach test of what is going on in my head.

I have always had a problem with getting feedback and acknowledgment of my writing works. However, I cannot control that aspect at all. It is an external factor. I can control (or at least attempt to) the internal need to write ideas out. I may not achieve great vast recognition. The problem is when I am not writing then I am denying myself. And this has been going on for way too long.
I going to paraphrase a passage from PJ O’Rourke‘s book Driving Like Crazy. An adventure has two great parts to it. The beginning and when it is all over with at the end. It is the middle part that can and most likely scares the crap out of you. This sums up my website at the moment. I am not sure where it is going to end. I had energy at the beginning. But right now I am in the middle. And needless to say I am bit confused at the moment. I just renewed the site. But part of me was wondering why. I wanted the site to create opportunities. The thing is I wish I was a bit more on the clever side than I am perceived to be. I wish I could create something that I can at least put on a t-shirt and sell. So you are asking is what I am doing all about “merchandising”. I just want to be able to make a living doing something other than the current source of my income. My website is the “door” to that reality.

This is why I need to go back to drawing board. I need to and I am in the process of rethinking my website.

And I need help to do it.

I am looking for someone who is able to reformat the look of the site. I need a completely new template from which to work with. If that means an entirely new program to work with for the site then that is fine with me. I am willing to learn. I just need to find someone who is capable and willing to teach.

I want to take my website to the 2.0 version.

www.foleywrites.com

I need suggestion. But I also need guidance in how to make them happen. It can be very frustrating sitting alone with a computer manual trying to figure out how to do it. Yelling “What the Fuck?!” at the computer screen has yet to provide any real technical answers.

My first priority is to write.

I need help to implement the writing into a better website presentation.

I guess you do get a chance for a “do over”. Staying the course seems to only apply to bad foreign policy and stimulus packages. But I do not want to go there.

I can create the “Second Act”. And if need be the third, fourth, fifth and so on.

MOVIE SPOILER (DO NOT read on if you have not seen) There is a scene near the end of the latest Star Trek movie. The Young Spock meets up with the future and older Spock. Young Spock has spent the whole movie trying to come to terms to which ideology he is going to live his life by. He is trying to come terms to being half human, half Vulcan and on top of it a member of Star Fleet. The future and older Spock tells him to basically take the whole idea of an all encompassing ideology and “throw it away”. In other words, to have a full life he must learn to “just enjoy the ride” but remember there will always be challenges.

I am not looking for an all encompassing ideology for my writing.

I just need a better idea about it.

And yet a better to present it.

If you can and are willing to help then please contact me.

Aftermath and the Grindstone

MUSIC: Rolling Stones

As I have said in previous posts that I listen to variety of podcasts and music on my MP3 player. In fact, if it ever fell into the wrong hands it could be held against me at the hearing for my mental competency. There is no way a sane person would ever possibly put those together on the same MP3 player. They say, “Variety is the spice of life.” So maybe you should try it on your own MP3 player, IPod or whatever. One the podcasts, I listen to on a regular basis is NPR’s On Point. There are many times that I have no idea about the topic but I will listen to it anyways. It is a chance to broaden my perspective on things. I know many people who need to try something like this. I listen to this show the other day on Randomness. It is about mankind’s perspective on how events happen to them. How mankind tries to predict and control the outcomes to events. It also had some points on picking good movies. This story is takes an approach similar to Freakonomics to the topic. It talks about statistics without going heavy into the math behind them.

My circumstances like many of you are finding out for yourselves are changing. The rhetoric about that is getting worse every day. This being a Presidential election year only makes it worse. I used to feel it was required for a person to be aware of current events. I am beginning to rethink that policy. The problem is the rhetoric is becoming the equivalent of high fructose corn syrup. It may be very filling. But it was no real nutritional value to it. To sum it up, I am totally burned out by the news. My recommendation is watch or read the news in moderation. Better yet watch it at a bar. Homer Simpson said it best. “Better the cause of and solution to most of life’s problems.” Change is always with us. For example, I was looking forward to a vacation at the end of July. However, current economics and logistics are slowly making that slip away for this year. It is disappointing. But I have to accept the honesty of living within my means and capabilities. And I want a life within those means at the same time. So that most likely means staying close to home. And that is not necessarily a bad place to spend some time. There are a few projects I have put off too long. I guess this summer is beginning to look like it is more based on re-creation rather than recreation. This opportunity is the undertone to American society when you think about it.

The big thing is I need to figure out how to improve and grow this website. I have been looking at the stats meter on both my website and my blog. Sadly, I wish I was getting more traffic and feedback for both of them. I have been trying to figure out how to gap the divide between myself and the readers. And please DO NOT think that I am mad at anyone who takes the time to read and go through my site. I am just trying to figure what is hitting and what is missing. I am going paraphrase Stephen King who said, “First Draft the door is closed”. The door is open for everything else after that.” In a way it means in the beginning tell no one but then you have to show everything to some degree.

I have also posted my latest script entry from MoviePoet.com. It was my April entry. The script could not contain any dialogue or narration. This means the story had to be told using only visual action. My script is entitled “Last Call”. And here are the comments on it. As I have said before my writing is very much a work in progress. It is very much a learning process that keeps going. I have to said, I became somewhat disappointed on the results for this entry. I need to get back to the “grindstone” and rework this script. I wished I had come across much better than I did. Please Do Not be offended by the following term. I call this being “artistically autistic”. I am trying to create or in this case write something. However, I came up short or failed in trying to communicate this “idea” in my writing. And typo errors seem to be like ants. You never seem to be able to kill them all. In the end, I have still have to keep that chair in front of the “grindstone” or in this case the computer. Hopefully, my May entry of an adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe short story does better. June entry may be tough for me. It has to be a family friendly script. I am definitely not a “G-rated” person.

Finally, I have to pass this along when it comes down randomness. Check your Junk E-mail folder carefully before you delete the contents of the folder. I found a pleasant surprise in it last night. I do not want to go into details about it at this point. I feel that if I talk too much about it then I will over analyze it. And that can lead to it becoming “cursed”. I am trying to get into the “Zen” of it. In other words, I am going to try to “go with the flow” on this one. Let it be what it is. And hopefully see what it may be become. I hate (I really do) to be vague but I am trying to manage the expectations of it by not getting wrapped up in the hype.

New Writing Tool

I would like to start with an observation here. Do you ever find that when you are in a “hole” and asked for help? The first thing you are handed is a shovel and told to dig yourself out. It is kind of like when you are drowning and the lifeguard reminds you of the importance of staying hydrated during heavy physical exertion. It is just the wrong time for a lecture. And the wrong “tools” for the job.

I bring this up because we live in a time where it seems like most of the people want to buy themselves out of a “jam”. No one wants to work themselves out of it. Work smarter. They seem to throw money at the problem. The problem exists in the plan. It is not necessarily in the funding. But trying telling that to government officials and those in public education. For your safety avoid them when at all possible. Money does not insure quality. Watch Basic Instinct.

I was trying to find an affordable copy of Final Draft program. I realize that I needed a screenwriting tool. I learned a hard lesson in some of my screenwriting reviews. Format counts. I did not realize that a margin or indent than may be off by 1/8 of inch would be a problem. But remember “close” counts in horseshoes,hand grenades,thermonuclear war and the time I missed the tree and peed on my friend’s shoe. I could use the dreaded credit card thus digging into that “hole” just a little more. I was reading my reviews last week. I came across a recommendation for using a free scriptwriting program called Celtx. I was a little hesitant at first. I was thinking if it free than I was getting a low grade version that would wind up frustrating me. And so far, it has not been bad. I am slowly working my way through with it.

I wrote a short script using it. This script was just a short project just to get some ideas out. It is just one scene. Let me say a few things first. I was trying to write something. So I took some inspiration from by surroundings. I am trying to be a better writer. I do own an apartment building. And there four people living there. I am interested in what makes people coexist with each other. I also like stories with a cross section of people in it who under normal circumstances would never be together. I also like attempting to write (and I hope I do) interesting dialogue. I have known people who talk like this. I swear. I also like trying to find balance between comedy and drama. I think they can be interlaced. If you ever have a chance watched a MASH episode on DVD but turn the “laugh track” off. You will see what I mean. I am not sure if this scripted scene will lead to something. As I said I was just trying to write something.

Here is the link for the latest script. And feel free to send me a review.

I have also been re-reading Robert Rodriguez’s “10 Minute Film School”. Learning and Re-learning is a never ending cycle.

Cleaning up the Website

MUSIC: Chris Cornell

Although I have really been liking this song from Robert Plant and Allison Krauss

I have been trying to rework my website’s format. The new format is slowly taking shape. I am slowly plugging my way through learning to use DreamweaverMX as my new editing program. I never realized that designing a simple link button would be such a pain in the ass. But that was nothing compared to my over the weekend adventures in home furnace repairs. My Catholicism is very dusty and rusty and I could not remember if there is a patron saint for home furnaces. But I did make it through the dilemma. Luckily there are professionals to call for such things.

I have added one new script and the rewrite of one to the site in the Screenplay section. Both were from entries to MoviePoet.com. It is also a site I need to refocus on contributing to.

Any suggestions on how to clean up the site are more than welcomed.

For now it is back to the “grindstone”.

Perspective

Going Back to the Drawing Board

Aftermath and the Grindstone

New Writing Tool

Cleaning up the Website

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