Turkey Day

Today I slept in till about 11:30 or so, which was nice since, I couldn't get to sleep till about 4 a.m. last night.  I pretty much sat around all day, messing around, but I did manage to get another page done today.  I've been able to get off to a really good start so far on this last story.  Its got about four different things happening at once, but it should die down soon, as the events become more connected.  There's quite a bit going on, but I think I'm doing a halfway decent job of making sure its understandable.  There's supposed to be a lot of background stuff thats going to come together later on.  Its seems like its going good.  I'm a few pages in now, and the thing is just taking off.  I had Thanksgiving by myself this year, which was one of the best decisions ever.  I didn't endure some of the irritating conversation that happens with family, and whoever.   I drank a little too much too fast on an empty stomach and eventually ended up on the couch for a while.  Oops.  Anyhoo, it was a fairly productive day.  Sadly I have to go back to work tomorrow, but tomorrow is Friday, so it shouldn't be too bad.  I hope.  Happy Thanksgiving peoples.

The Realm of Plausibilty and the Not-So-Plausible

I had an interesting idea of trying to make this last story go nuclear, but I'm not sure if I'd be drifting away from the plausible and onto something thats completely in the realm of fantasy, although who doesn't love an atomic weapon in a story?  I was shooting for realistic, but I didn't want to make it completely off the wall.  I did manage to scrap some cool little plot twists so far, and I think I am going to make my story take place in the 80s instead of the present.  Its gonna give me some ideas that'll will fit with what I want to accomplish, but I'm a little hampered since its a slightly less advanced age I'm dealing with.  I'm off to a good start though.  I'm three paragraphs in, and its going ok far.  I'm not too stressed out about the start of this, and that's not often the case.  I usually freak out, and panic out things.  There's a shot I might have a good story to write for a change.  Gotta love that, right? 

Confused No More

After being completely up in the air, I think I've found something pretty friggin' cool ideas to go with for my final story.  This has to be the most ambitious thing I'm going to attempt at least on a fictional scale.  I've been back and forth on this enough, but I think I'm getting all the right things to click.  I even managed to get started on the first couple of paragraphs today, and its not even that bad.  I might be able to keep what I've written so far instead of throwing it out.  Nice huh?  I can see the growth between this project and all my others, as this one is much more serious, and much more realistic, I guess, too.  This project is starting to bring back some of the fun I had when I first started writing.  Guess it helps to actually care about what you're doing.  Who'd have thunk it?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Crazy

I've narrowed some things down.  I think I've got all my counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and counter-whatever else is left, to about maybe...10 books or so.  I'm getting good at picking out some of the junk, I was going to waste my time on, to just the really important ones.  I've narrowed it down to all things that are more recent in our history, like the war on terror.  There's a lot of difference in technology between our era, and say, the 1940s when a lot of spy stories take place.  World War 2 is sort of the go-to for spy stories, because everyone hates Nazis and its one of the easier things to develop imagery for, rescuing the French girl from a Nazi held chalet, to deliver the microfilm...yada, yada, yada.  I actually love those World War 2 espionage thrillers.  Some of my favorites books are about that.  Its just I feel like every drop juice has been squeezed out of the orange, if you catch my drift, and I can't think of anything good.  I feel like there's always a good idea floating around, you just have to find it.  I'd like to work on my dialogue too.  It just doesn't seem natural to me...I know what I'm what trying to convey, its just dialogue is so...forced, or something.  There's this thing where its like I just have to give up and write dialogue, not because I want to, but because I have to.  I've probably mentioned this a time of two.  I think its a product of writing a lot of essays in college, I didn't learn all the in and outs of writing conversations.  I'm getting better I suppose, I just suck at it.  I'm gonna have to work on my witty one-liners and pickup lines I guess, because you do have to fit them in the spy novel of course.

El Sigho

I managed to get some note done today, but not much else.  I was actually going to try and do something productive tonight, but I got held up by at least a good 40 minutes in traffic, as I was traversed about 6 miles in those forty minutes.  I have no idea why it was moving so slow, but there was no reason for it, other than a little rain.  People act dumb in LA when it rains.  Anyhoo, I've been busy trying to figure out how to analyze current events a little better, so I can fit some kind of realistic scenario.  My problem is I'm not all that patient with this pre-writing process junk, and I just want to get it done already.  I'm thinking it might be a good idea to put off publishing and try and get the spy novel thing done before I publish and put it into the revision, that way I save some time and money down the road.  I can't imagine trying to do all the stuff needed to publish three separate times.  It'll take a little longer, but I think it could be worth it.  It was close to what I intended to do in the first place, so this could work out nicely.  Also.  Its Friday.  I have no idea what that means other than I get to sleep in tomorrow a little bit. 

Post Election Depression

Well thanks America for voting the wrong way.  Yeesh.  Somehow this might be the fitting end to this year.  I'm not into that Mayan crap, but let's be honest here, things are pretty bleak, and about to get worse.  I just can't fathom why people want Obama running their lives, and driving up the cost of everything.  It makes no sense to me.  This is the most corrupt administration ever.  And he gets a free pass from the media, and you're called racist if you criticize him, even though he's also half-white.  Its crazy.  People complain about spending, but when they're guy does it, its suddenly ok?  Its ok not to respond to a terrorist attack?  Its ok to hand cartels guns so law abiding gun owners get blamed?  Its ok to take personal healthcare decisions out of the hands of the people and put into government run programs?  Yeah...this isn't going to end well... 

I'm gonna try and do a little writing I suppose, if I can't fit into my busy schedule of depression and cartoon downloading.  I'm trying to figure out if I can maybe work on two or three books at the same time.  I'm thinking one or two of these might be a good thing to have done before the next election.  Anyway, its something I have to think over.  I'm a little weird right now, and I need to figure out a good timetable for all this.  I'd like to finish about 7 or 8 books before the year is out.  If I can finish those books off, I think I can get some early stuff out of the way, and I can maybe spend some time around Christmas and New Year's working on a plan for just reading in 2013.  Alright its now time to think about getting in my five minutes of writing in for the day.  Sheesh.  Onwards and upwards...

A Plea to You Before The Biggest Election Perhaps in Our Nation's History

Tomorrow many of you will go to the polls and vote.  Typically people have their decision made up the night before the election, and tomorrow is probably the biggest day in history, in a very long time.  I'm not gonna ask where you stand on abortion, gay marriage, illegal immigration, gun rights, etc, etc.  I'm simply going to mention economics.  I'm a single dad in California, I live under the poverty line, and work typically 40 to 60 hours to be there.  I made $3,600 less this year than last year.  That's with Obama as president.  I literally can't imagine what next year will look like, or the year after.  I'm worried I could be on the street, and lose just about everything.  I implore you to vote Romney tomorrow, because he is a business man, and understands what is needed to balance a budget.  We have 6 trillion in new debt, and the Federal government is the largest its ever been.  There's no reason to blow money at a rate like this, and in your heart of hearts you know this isn't right.  I'm asking to simply vote on economics.  If you take out the social issues, which aren't really the main focus of Romney's campaign anyway, you're left with the same system we've had since our founding. 

Its capitalism vs. socialism, and really its capitalism vs. communism.  I'm broke, I don't fault the wealthy, for working hard and achieving things.  And if it really came down to it wouldn't you rather be rich too?  Obama says he's the champion of the middle class, but the middle class income has dropped under his so-called recovery.  I work for a small business, I can tell you I live in the reality of how business has been cramped, and bogged down.  This is an election of values.  I'm trusting you have some, or there wouldn't be things you are passionate about, or care about.  This election is not about the social issues, which are important to us, on either side of the aisle, this is about how to make prosperity for ourselves and for our children.  You know how to make and recognize prosperity, government does not.  Tomorrow is your opportunity to show that you know how to run your own life better than government does. That's what this is about in a nutshell.  I simply can't afford to have government spend its whatever it wants whenever it wants trying to get me to live a certain way, and I think you know you can't afford it either.  Go to the polls tomorrow with that in mind.  Thanks for letting me borrow your time.

A Little Election Humor

Here are my old "teleprompter pickup lines."  I was going to put them in my book revision if I could, but since the book isn't ready yet, here you go.  They're meant to make fun of fun Obama, but feel free to try them out on unsuspecting women. 


"You have a beautiful readout..."

"I love it when you tell me what to say."

"Do you need help with your power supply?"

 "I could totally lose myself in your video monitor."

"You have the prettiest camera lens I've ever seen."

"Can I check out your software?"

"Can we spend some time programming each other?"

"You have such a nice tripod"

"I always feel so important with you around."

 "Can I plug you in?"

 "You have such a nice casing."

 "I'm just here to make sure all your parts are in working order."

"I just want to make sure you're getting the right amount of electricity."

"I brought the non-streak glass cleaner this time."

"I love the heat from your power connection."

"Your lens says 'no no' but your power light says 'yes yes.'" 

"You look so good in that carrying case." 

"Made in China?  Baby I thought you were made in heaven."

"Just once I'd like to give you something to say."

"The gentle warmth of your power supply, lets me know you're burning energy for me."



I know, I know, they're kinda chessy. 

Sunday...

I'm going to knock off some more books off my reading list I think.  I've been doing that a bit anyway, but I need to step it up.  I looked at my library, and realized I still need to ditch a couple of hundred books.  I'm trying to unload some more, but it seems like I take in 10 books for every 20 I get rid of.  I'm working on trying to get back up to whipping through a book in a week, but I seemed to have slowed down more and more over the years, and it seems like my memory is getting worse and worse too.  I can't tell if its aging, or the lack of not having to use my brain for too much more than driving a forklift these days.  I'm also having trouble telling if I'm repeating myself when I blog.  This might be a problem later, for my writing, especially if I'm trying to write mysteries, and spy stories.  Its tough to remember what clues I dropped where in a story, and what nuance I wanted to convey...  Wow, I just used nuance in a sentence.  Fancy.  I'm really just tired of life.  I don't mean in a despair sort of way right now, just tired.  I'd like a nice solid month in Hawaii.  That's not too much to ask for is it?  I've got a lot more notes this time around than I have before too.  I guess this is so I can remember things.  I'm trying to be better with it, especially since I hate doing them.  Diagraming, and outlining, are things I really despise.  I used to pride myself on having a good memory, but I guess those days be over.  And so children, I leave you with this, take notes, because one day you'll be thinking you're going to remember something that was a brilliant idea, and find out later you didn't remember at all.  Fin.

Saturday

Its been kind of wacky day.  I was going to sleep in till 10 or 11 today, and had that plan destroyed when some guys were taking down a tree or something at 8am.  If 10 or 11 seems late, keep in mind I stayed up till 2 or 2:30 last nite, and I don't usually sleep too well during the week.  SO...I go to the bank, and can't cash my check because its drawn on a different bank, so I have to deposit the check instead, which means I can't get at the money I need.  Then I took a nap.  Then I watch a movie or two, and now I'm working on a book title for the novel, and maybe just maybe work on finishing that last story for the book revision.  I used to have a great knack for getting motivated if I missed a day of writing, but now I'm worried I'm getting lazy about it a little.  Anyhoo, I guess thats it.  Tune in tomorrow, when we find out whether or not I was able to get any work done tonight.  Ha.

Meh

I get to sleep in this weekend.  Yeah, baby, yeah!  I'm super tired, mostly physically, and could use the time to myself.  I'm on empty.  Its getting closer to the holidays, so I hope I can expect some time off then too.  There's really a lot to do as far as research is concerned, and I'd like to knock some of it out before the year is out, since I'm not too likely to finish the book revision this year like I wanted.  I'm already two months behind of where I wanted to be on it, but I guess you can't rush greatness.  I think I can finish all the counter-terrorism, and espionage type reading in a few months, but I gotta organize a list for the history book, and I gotta work a little harder at putting that list together.  Sometimes you can track down other materials by checking out the bibliography in the back of a book, so you can see what books, and things, were used for that particular book.  I did that a little in college, when I'd writer a paper, and needed other sources to cite.  Its a handy little tool sometimes, and makes you look scholorly and intelligent, because you found a bunch of sources and are well-read.  Yadda yadda yadda.  I'm gonna be reading well into 2015 or 2016 I guess, maybe longer.  Chicks dig smart guys right?

Dear Diary...

Heh, just kidding about the title.  Today, I got some cool stuff, all espionage-y and whatnot.  I got some books on the Secret Service, the CIA, and a few wacky conspiracy ones, but the best one has to be the book of Reagan speeches.  I was a just a kid during his presidency, I don't really remember much of the 80s really, and I thought it'd be good to read about the best president of the modern era.  So there you go.  I'm working on a title now for the novel now.  I say "working" but really I haven't got started on it yet.  I've been consumed by trying to read up on spy stuff, that I haven't given too much time to finishing the stuff I'm working on, or the stuff I want to start working on.  Oh yeah, and its officially Christmas time, the Starbucks cup I got with my coffee said so...