WRITING: How did I get the book done

Sunday, March 29, 2009

On 03/20/09 11:22 AM, JohnB wrote:

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John, did you have any problem staying focused/motivated while writing your book? If so, do you have any tips or tricks? I’ve been hammering away at something for years now and I always find myself distracted and starting back at square one.

*** end quote ***

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The book was written mostly from 5AM to 6Am every morning for many months. I cheated a little and thought about it while I was commuting. I cheated more by thinking about it when I’d go to bed, head, or waiting. I cheated a little because it’s somewhat a psuedo autobiographical of my day dreams in Church back when I was in Eighth Grade.

I could have written it 45 years ago. The basic story was there. So, I really never got “writer’s block”.

I did have some equipment failures that were setbacks. One night when I couldn’t sleep, I got up and wrote for two hours. For some reason, darn windoze, it was lost. It was really good too. Oh well.

I have a good outline of the 100 chapters. I was posting it on the Frugal Squirel’s Patriot Story forum. So I have a lot of positive feedback.

I think it has to be a labor of love. With passion. I still cry when I read certain chapters. (Everyone dies in the end. rofl!)

Once I got into the habit, it just took on a life of its own.

I’d previously put a year’s worth of my blog posts in a book using Lulu to print it. My mom was thrilled. My friends were polite. But, that showed me what was possible.

Does this help?

Since, I bought a MacBookAir and a Time Machine to prevent lost data and bought “SCRIVNER” that does housekeeping for the novels. I have 11 outlines — fiction and non-fiction — in queue. May not write them all, but they are there for the “doing”.

Hope this is what you wanted,

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JOBSEARCH: STRATEGY Get your writing noticed?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

OK, we all agree its a tough world out there.

And, as you despite being an expert in <insert favorite aspect of your career>, you, (and me), AIN’T drawing a paycheck.

(And, for those smug overconfident soon to be unemployed, you may have drawn your LAST one!)

Here’s a way to get your content out there. I don’t particularly care what content it is. AS LONG AS IT’S SPELLED RIGHT and gramatically correct. (Wouldn’t that be the kiss of death. Like having a typo on your resume!) And, it isn’t too controversial (e.g., “How I was abducted by aliens”; “How to conceal your drug habit?”; “Padding your expense account”; “Best racist dirty jokes”). You get the idea.

I do know that this site has “buzz”, is indexed by Google, and has high traffic counts.

SOME folks are even putting their resumes on there. (I’m not so sure that’s a great idea.)

But if I was a lean and hungry seeker. I’d get soem high quality content up there. ESPECIALLY if I was an expert in something other than the lifestyle of turkeys (i.e., out of work jobseekers) large and small.

fjohn
the big fat old turkey hisself

p.s., I’m putting stuff up there. We’ll see if it works for fat old turkeys!

http://www.scribd.com/

*** begin quote ***

Welcome to Scribd!

Congratulations, you’ve just joined the world’s largest community of readers. Now that you have an account, you can:

* DISCOVER fun or functional writings and documents on any subject – explore by category, by browsing or just typing in a search topic.

* SHARE your own writings and documents – dust off all that great content on your hard drive or in print. Then check back for comments and analytics on how many people have read or downloaded your doc.

* DISCUSS topics of interest to you – leave comments on other people’s documents, join groups and express yourself.

… and a whole lot more. Also, don’t forget to check out the Scribd blog for updates on new product features and other Scribd news!

– The Scribd Team

*** end quote ***

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TECHNOLOGY: Watching the NCAA men’s online

Friday, March 20, 2009

http://mmod.ncaa.com/?source=mktg_09MMOD_EMnc319

Watch live games from the 2009 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship online for free

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Watching. Pretty good! Impressive. Who needs TV?

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INTERESTING: Ca125 blood test and sonogram

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Ca125 blood test and sonogram can detect ovarian cancer?

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WRITING: CHURCH is on final approach

Friday, March 13, 2009
CHURCH 10●19●62 front cover

CHURCH 10●19●62 front cover

CHURCH 10●19●62 back cover

CHURCH 10●19●62 back cover

An alternative future history. What might have been? If Nikta hadn’t blinked. If children were allowed to “be all that they could be”. If adults didn’t waste their time and attention on memes and paradigms that are insanity. If I’d known. Shoulda, coulda, and woulda! The human race’s millstone — obsolete thinking. Here’s what I think might have been possible.

The labor of love — telling a story I’ve had in my head since 8th grade — is almost complete. Lulu is shipping me my final proof. I think, I hope, I’ve solved the light printing problem.

We’ll see.

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TECHNOLOGY: Free utility turns windoze display 90 like kindle

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Note the free downloadable utility that would allow the “pink elephant” to imitate a Kindle reader for books.

March 4, 2009 2:00 PM PST

Kindle, schmindle…I’ve got your $350 e-book reader right here

http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10188221-12.html?tag=nl.e404

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TECHNOLOGY: Tried to put Google Voice on to my the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom blog — NG!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Tried to put the new Google Voice on my blog

<embed src=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231&#8243; width=”227″ height=”93″ wmode=”transparent”></embed>

<A HREF=”http://www.backwoodshome.com”><IMG SRC=”http://www.backwoodshome.com/banners/bhms1.gif&#8221; WIDTH=”120″ HEIGHT=”120″ BORDER=”0″ ALT=”Backwoods Home Magazine – practical ideas for self-reliant living”></A>

<A HREF=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231″><IMG SRC=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231&#8243; width=”227″ height=”93″</A>

<img style=”visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;” border=0 width=0 height=0 src=”http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyMzY4NzEyMjExNDQmcHQ9MTIzNjg3MTI*NjgxMiZwPUdyYW5kQ2VudHJhbCZkPSZnPTEmdD*mbz*5NmUxOWFhYzUyYjQ*OGI5YTQwMmFhMTgxYTQ1NmJkNA==.gif&#8221; /><embed src=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231&#8243; width=”142″ height=”54″ wmode=”transparent”></embed>

<A HREF=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231″><IMG SRC=”http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyMzY4NzEyMjExNDQmcHQ9MTIzNjg3MTI*NjgxMiZwPUdyYW5kQ2VudHJhbCZkPSZnPTEmdD*mbz*5NmUxOWFhYzUyYjQ*OGI5YTQwMmFhMTgxYTQ1NmJkNA==.gif&#8221; width=”150″ height=”93″</A>

Failed!

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HARDWARE: $100 Linux wall-wart launches

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS9634061300.html

$100 Linux wall-wart launches

Feb. 24, 2009

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Marvell Semiconductor is shipping a hardware/software development kit suitable for always-on home automation devices and service gateways. Resembling a “wall-wart” power adapter, the SheevaPlug draws 5 Watts, comes with Linux, and boasts completely open hardware and software designs, Marvell says.

In typical use, the SheevaPlug draws about as much power as a night-light. Yet, with 512MB each of RAM and Flash, and a 1.2GHz CPU, the unobtrusive device approaches the computing power found in the servers of only a decade ago.

Furthermore, the platform is available in single quantities, and is priced within reach of students, hobbyists, and tinkerers. Its hardware design is completely open — everything from schematics to Gerber files will be available on a website, Marvell said. For those that do wish to build products on the platform, volume pricing could fall to $50, Marvell expects.

On the software side, the company says ARM ports of several popular Linux distributions are already running, and included. More importantly, Marvell has committed to do everything it can to ensure the best Linux support for SheevaPlug going forward. Raja Mukhopadhyay, product marketing manager, commented, “Whatever the community needs to facilitate development, we will provide the critical resources needed to facilitate that.”

Mukhopadhyay calls the SheevaPlug an “ideal platform for in-home service delivery,” and adds that he is looking forward to seeing what kinds of products and services are built on top of the device. He said, “We believe that for the consumer and the service provider in the home, it’s the right time for some disruptive application delivery. We believe that having a completely open hardware platform will be key in letting people productize it however they want.”

*** end quote ***

If it supports “power line networking” or wifi, then you have a server on your wall.

Fantastic!

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SERVICE: WIKIPEDIA the sum of flawed human efforts

Saturday, February 28, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org

There’s no doubt that I like this. I recently spent some time editing pages about my fellow alums. (Hey, you can’t always be seeking that elusive CTO08824!)

It’s a great resource. At best, I’d call it uneven. When you consider it’s the sum of many people each moving a pebble to create the great pyramid, it’s astonishing.

So go move a pebble! I am.

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WRITING: Need to redo my book; splitting into two

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Readers here know some of this already. But let me recap.

I’ve used Lulu, a Print On Demand vendor, that will allow any book to be ordered on Amazon and such. The upfront cost is zero. Which, of course, why I liked it. Lulu offers an e-book option. The printed copy will be ~$40+ and the download is 5$.

In a prior effort, for example, I printed 35 copies of my blog book last year. It was a book of all my blog posts for a year.

(It was a vanity effort. I gave the first copy to my Mom for mother’s day. She was tickled. I sent friends copies. I’m told it made a great doorstop! LOL!!)

(One friend gave his two kids each a copy in lieu of a Christmas present. He had me write a personal note and sign it as a “first edition” of a future famous writer. He tells me that you had to see their expressions. He later relented and gave “real presents”. He goes into spasms of laughter every time we talk about it.)

In my spare time, I wrote a novel: “It Started In Church – October 19, 1962”. 700 pages; just under a half million words. An hour a day every morning for a year. It’s an alternative future history of what I might have been, if the Cuban Missle Crisis had ended differently. Khrushchev pushes the button, bad things happen, and, children practiced, I and my classmates wind up in a shelter. And, stuff happens from there. All that illustrates how we have “low expectations” for children. Yeah, I know corney. It’s a story I have had in my head for 50 years. Better late than never. I wrote the novel more as a goof, but I got tremendous feedback on the Frugal Squirrels web site. The more I got into it, the more it took on a life of its own. I’m very pleased with it. Now, it’s my opus.

“It Started In Church – October 19th, 1962”, or more simply “CHURCH 10●19●62” will have a link through http://www.itstartedinchurch.com/ into Lulu.

The novel on Lulu is about 600+ pages which has to cost more than $40.

That wouldn’t be SOOOO bad, BUT, (there is always a big butt), the print is too small.

I printed it at Kinkos for 50 bucks, and the result was very readable. Two iterations thru Lulu are much smaller. The first iteration was very light and barely readable. (Right Wacki?) The second iteration was better but, based on feedback from our “Rutgers Basketball Game” friends, it’s STILL too light and small. So Lulu is a little cheaper, produces a better “finished product”, and can get it into Amazon. BUT, Lulu is not without it’s challenges. Lulu has an absolute page limit of 700 pages for the size I’d like to use and 740 for the size I tried.

Argh!

So kicking and screaming, I’m forced to split the book into tow volumes. Bump up the font size and try some more.

Thus far, I’ve spent $150 and don’t have a great result.

ARGH!

Lessons Learned: What I have learned is that for “specialty texts”, like IT specialty topics, where you could sell copies at 50$+, that you could have a working business model. I think that it would be possible to “produce” topical texts that the big publishing houses couldn’t address.

Just learning about a different kind of “technology”. Next I’ll be consulting on scribes and amanuensises.

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JOBSEARCH: Two minutes of inspirational speeches

Saturday, February 21, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6wRkzCW5qI&eurl=http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2009/02/09/inspiration-motivation-just-the-way-i-like-it-short-sweet-2-minutes/&feature=player_embedded

Inspiration, Motivation Just the Way I Like It: Short & Sweet 2 Minutes

Posted in February 9th, 2009

Hat Tips: eppsnet.com, http://blogs.jobdig.com, “What would Dad say”

Two minutes of inspirational speeches.

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Excellent for turkeys who are down in the dumps.

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PRODUCTIVITY: Keep a “day book”. Start now!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

*** begin quote ***

As a member of the class of ‘XX, my recollections may be as unreliable as a deposition from Rod Blagojevich, but this is my recollection.

*** and ***

Most of this I am fairly confident I have right as to the essence.

Where I am fuzzy is how it unraveled. My recollection is that part of the deal with

*** and ***

Where I am most uncertain is how the deal unraveled.

*** and ***

What I do recall is that some of us were very suspicious/cynical that shortly afterwards

*** and ***

Now that I have written this all down, I am beginning to suspect my memory, because in 1970 when this would have unraveled

*** and ***

Anyway, that’s my story, open to revisions of those with clearer memories.

*** end quote ***

Interesting the human mind.
So vivid, yet so frail. Perhaps social networking and blogging will allow people to remember better.
Clearly, I’d urge all young people to start a diary and keep a “day book” to document their progress thru life day by day. Then when they reach the end of life’s road, they wouldn’t be struggling to remember.
I can only imagine all the good ideas, acquaintances, and stuff that are lost forever by a failure to remember.
All very sad!
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TECHNOLOGY: QR codes

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

200902171740.jpg

200902171742.jpg

Anyone reading them?

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SERVICE: FREETEXTHOST, a inet scratch pad?

Monday, February 16, 2009

http://freetexthost.com/d46tdyaqri

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The site allows visitors to host text without having to sign up or give any personal information. One possible usage for this is to host code snippets, but it can be used for just about anything really. Options include the ability to enter a password to allow you to edit or delete your text, and the choice to use preformatted text and make links clickable.

*** end quote ***

Now what can one use this for?

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JOBSEARCH: An interesting “job search” “social networking” site

Saturday, February 7, 2009

http://www.zumeo.com

Interesting approach to start. Should weed out the zombies and other strange people.

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SERVICE: JIBBERJOBBER as a Ventine’s Day gift? Sure!!!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Now this may sound dumb or unromantic but in these tough economic times, how about something that can help their significant other keep their earning power — Jibber Jobber. http://www.jibberjobber.com

(Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in Jibber Jobber. I’m not even an active user. I did alpha testing for Jason Alba the owner developer. But, I do help a lot of out of work folks who have no clue about networking. An, think this would be a very valuable gift.)

Assuming that the relationship is heading towards marriage or whatever today’s equivalent is, a gift subscription might make real sense. The couple could even cuddle up in front of a warm computer screen as the couple works to get all the significant others contacts into the Jibber Jobber database.

If both are yuppies, it could be a mutual gift and each could help motivate the other’s data collection and networking activities.

It may sound goofy, but it’s an off-beat cheap gift that can pay big dividends by next Valentine’s Day. Other than working on each other’s income taxes, I can’t think of a better couple building activity. After the flowers, chocolate, expensive dinner, and jewelry are long forgotten, JibberJobber will be paying big dividends.

Yeah, I know, I’m a real romantic. But romance ain’t going to keep the paychecks rolling in. Networking, assisted by the focus that JibberJobber gives, will pay off handsomely.

And, I bet you won’t see that suggestion in any other Valentine’s Day story!

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QUOTES: Impossibe!

Friday, January 30, 2009

http://www.plaxo.com/events/show/133143714

If someone says: “That’s impossible!”

You should understand it as: “According to my limited experience and narrow understanding of reality, that’s very unlikely.”

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INTERESTING: Creative Commons Licensing comes to music.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

http://creativecommons.org/

CASH Music: Exploring Creative Commons Licensing in the Music Industry
Cameron Parkins, January 21st, 2009

*** begin quote ***

CASH Music, the CC license using music label/creative community we have discussed numerous times before, just launched a wonderful new Creative Commons Portal for understanding how CC licenses can be utilized by record labels and artists.

*** end quote ***

Creative Commons Licensing comes to music.

The end of the RIAA?

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INTERESTING: An amazing six month exposure (I agree!)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21666

The World’s Longest Exposures
by Ransom Riggs

*** begin quote ***

British photographer Justin Quinnell is making waves with an amazing six month exposure he made in Bristol, England of the sun rising and falling over the city’s famous suspension bridge:

*** end quote ***

A very interesting result. With makeshift equipment. Truly stunning. Take a look at the pic. Amazing!

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PRODUCTIVITY: Why don’t businesses use blogs … …

Thursday, January 15, 2009

… … with rss for knowledge worker’s. I’ve tried this several times. But, never could get management or leadership interested. Most want a big central system tied into “human resources” and annual performance appraisal “systems”. Unfortunately, it’s about productivity; not “gotchas”. Might be just my impressions, but the honchos were worried about bad press. As opposed to getting all their “human resources” in alignment. With the appropriate categories and tags, anyone in the Enterprise could tap into status information.

Might be interesting to work that idea up for some one?

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SERVICE: Tabloid makes an rss feed into a pdf

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

http://www.tabbloid.com/

Take one or more RSS feeds, add them, select a schedule! You get emailed a PDF.

Interesting alpha. Needs a way to limit the amount of RSS feed it takes. Like a daily take, should limit it to a day.

Maybe?

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WEBSITE: An online diary? with TWITTER-like limits. Good for kids?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cool-websites-and-tools-238/

As suggested by MAKEUSEOF

*** begin quote ***

(2) Memiary – Online diary keeping tool that helps you remember what you did each day and come back to it after years. You’re given a simple template where you can add 5 interesting things that you did today. Read more: Memiary – Online Diary Keeping Made Easy.

*** end quote ***

A tool for youngsters who don’t keep a diary?

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SERVICE: Flash cards on the web

Monday, January 5, 2009

http://www.emilychang.com/go/ehub/app/cramberry/

Courtesy of Emily Chang:

*** begin quote ***

Jan 04, 09

Cramberry

A web app that helps people (students, actors, or anyone else) memorize things (schoolwork, lines in a play, etc.) using flashcards. Users create a blank “set” of flashcards, then name the set, and start adding cards to the set. Once you’re ready, the app presents these cards to you in a random order so you can answer the cards.

*** end quote ***

Tried it. One link wrong on their main page. But it does work.

Needs maturation.

(1) No export. (2) No way to monetize your sets of flash cards.

Interesting concept.

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TECHNOLOGY: Slashdot has the beginnigns of a giant internet issue

Sunday, December 28, 2008

http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/12/27/1833202.shtml

*** begin quote ***

Fairpoint Pledges To Violate Net Neutrality

Posted by timothy on Saturday December 27, @02:46PM

from the we’ll-read-it-to-you-over-the-phone dept.

The Internet Censorship Communications

wytcld writes “Fairpoint Communications, which has taken over Verizon’s landline business in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, has announced that on February 6 ‘AOL, Yahoo! and MSN subscribers will continue to have access to content but will no longer be able to access their e-mail through the third-party Web site. Instead, Yahoo! and other third-party e-mail will be accessed directly at the MyFairPoint.net portal. Since Verizon spun off its lines to Fairpoint in a maneuver that got debt off of Verizon’s balance sheets by saddling Fairpoint with it, there was concern by the public service boards of the three states about how Fairpoint would deal with that debt. Fairpoint’s profit plan: force all Webmail users through Fairpoint’s portal, by blocking all direct access to Webmail portals other than its own. Will Fairpoint’s own search engine portal be next? What can stop them?”

*** end quote ***

Here’s one to watch.

Not sure where the needle is in this haystack! BUT, (there is always a big butt), it seems as if the ISP FAIRPOINT maybe, while taking over from Verizon, screwing all the customers.

I know that is a total surprise.

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” Captain Renault in Casablanca

At the very least, it’s a good reason NOT to use your ISP’s email address. I do feel sorry for all those @verizon.net users who now will have to change their email address. (I preach having your own domain! No one listens. Sorry, no sympathy here.)

I can’t wait to see how this plays out.

Whose got the popcorn?

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INTERESTING: Change your Brain, Change Your Life

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Change your Brain, Change Your Life 1/7 20080420

I watched this last night. Pretty interesting stuff.

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QUOTE: Pick your battles

Saturday, December 6, 2008

“Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win.” – Jonathon Kozol

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