3 January 2010
3 January 2010
A 230 SECOND VIDEO CAN GET YOU $30 MILLION…
0828 by Jeff HessFede Alvarez makes it work…
And the music video version…
I predict a big uptick in YouTube shorts like yesterday.
3 January 2010
3 January 2010
FROM MY DAD…
0630 by Jeff Hess
I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.
Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life. — Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.
Warning: never trust an Internet quote without checking something other than Google. I’m willing to bet that less than 10 percent of these are real or accurate.
3 January 2010
FROM MY CHAPBOOK…
0030 by Jeff HessFound in my electronic chapbook.
[W]e can examine some of the reasons why a pen name can be useful: the author”s own name is unsuitable; the author has a specific reason to avoid recognition; the author is writing different types of books; the author is too prolific; the author wants to look like an expert; or, the author is not proud of what he has written. p. 63-65
From Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block.
2 January 2010
GOOD MORNING MYANMAR…
2130 by Jeff Hess
What were initially political charges against American citizen Kyaw Zaw Lwin of sedition and the formenting of political strife have morphed into mundane criminal charges of has become one of forgery and violation of the foreign currency act according to the New York Times.
It is not clear if Myanmar’s military dictators sought to avoid a political prisoner label for the U.S. citizen, but I doubt anyone is fooled by the change.
2 January 2010
2 January 2010
HOW TO MAKE A LIVING PLAYING MUSIC…
0658 by Jeff HessCan you remember the last time you read a 4,353-word blog post from beginning to end? Me neither.
Yet, that’s what I’ve done this morning and if you have any artistic bent, if you’re a musician or painter or dancer or actor or, as I am, writer, I strongly encourage you to read Danny Barnes How To Make A Living Playing Music. Danny’s not all that into textual formatting, so if you need niceties like capitalization and some air around the words, I’ve done a little editing and put his piece on a page here.
There’s a lot in these words and its difficult to pull out an excerpt, but I think think Danny sets a perfect tone with his beginning:
i hear so much complaining about this subject, i just wanted to lay my practical experience on you. free.
first, three pre-conditions:
1. if you are a very materialistic person, skip this article, i don’t think you are going to like what it says.
2. if you don’t have the music where you want it art-wise, you might want to go work on that, this article isn’t going to help you much either. you will be better off by practicing and studying and working on your music instead. you will need to get the art pretty close to where you want it, before you should worry about making much of a living out of it.
3. determine if you are actually called to be a musician. if you aren’t called, all the gyrations in the world, won’t make it work. if you are called, no matter what you do, it’s going to work. this determination will solve most of the problems you are going to encounter.assuming these three conditions are met, you are financially workable and you have the music where you want it and you are surely called into the art, here goes, in no particular order as i am wont:
a. keep your expenses very low. read that one again. move someplace cheap. drive a good used car. do all the things it takes to be a secure un-monied person. you have to have health insurance. you have to have a reliable car [unless you live in nyc or something]. you have to have some money in savings. you have to pay your taxes. don’t have a big expense of alcohol or drugs or any drag on your system like that. i wouldn’t even smoke. use your head. spend very little, save as much as you can and don’t get into any big expenditure until you can afford it, maybe never. buy your gear used. research as much as you can. think about it really hard before you part with a dollar.
learn how to honestly add and subtract without emotion. if you spend more than you take in, you lost money. i can’t tell you how many folks that i run into that have trouble with this. if you bring in more that went out guess what? you just made money.
stick to this low-overhead model, if you end up making a bunch of dough, you already know how to deal with it. if not, you still get to keep working because you don’t have a bunch of stuff that you have to dust and pay for.
the more overhead you tack on, the harder it’s going to be. and the easier it is to get knocked off course.
If that strikes a chord with you, set aside an hour or so today and read the rest.
2 January 2010
FROM MY DAD…
0630 by Jeff HessI could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.
Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry I mean I’d love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff. — Mariah Carey
Warning: never trust an Internet quote without checking something other than Google. I’m willing to bet that less than 10 percent of these are real or accurate.
2 January 2010
2 January 2010
FROM MY CHAPBOOK…
0030 by Jeff HessFound in my electronic chapbook.
Until then, just sum up the editor”s ancestry and personal habits in a few terse sentences-and get your manuscript back in the mail. p. 62
From Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block.
1 January 2010
GOOD MORNING MYANMAR…
2130 by Jeff HessThe story about rising phone charges in Myanmar seem to be everywhere in the lead up to the nation’s celebration of its 62nd anniversary of ndependence from. To we in the west, the cost, even if it is more than tripling, seems minuscule until you consider how oppressive regime maintain power is by limiting and controlling communications.
From Voice Of America:
Unnamed officials say that starting January 1, the price of local landline calls will increase from 15 kyats (1.5 cents) per minute to 50 kyats (5 cents) per minute.
The price of mobile telephone calls that now cost 25 kyats (2.5 cents) per minute will double.
1 January 2010
1 January 2010
1 January 2010
1 January 2010
1 January 2010
1 January 2010
MOVE YOUR MONEY…
0812 by Jeff HessThis year, my bank, AmTrust, nee Ohio Savings, failed. It’s now owned by New York Community Bank in, Westbury, New York. I have to make a decision now as to whether NYCB qualifies as a smaller institution under Move Your Money’s guideliness.
I’d appreciate my readers’ thoughts on this.
1 January 2010
THE PROPER RESPONSE TO OBJECTIONABLE SPEECH…
0658 by Jeff Hess
Make no mistake, the creation and distribution of this poorly photoshopped image of President Barack Hussein Obama shining the shoes of failed Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is free speech fully protected by our Constitution.
It is clear that the person who created the objectionable image is racist. The proper response to such protected free speech must be more protected free speech. The tiny minds must be constantly exposed as laughable knuckle draggers that they are.
The surest way to demonstrate to a bully that they are impotent is to laugh at them. Nothing removes power like laughter.
As to the person who helped to distribute this image, he ought to be disciplined. Not for exercising his right to free speech, but for theft. By using his work account to distribute this image the un-named Colorado State employee stole time and resources from his employers: the tax payers of Colorado.
That crime is not protected by our Constitution.
1 January 2010
FROM MY DAD…
0630 by Jeff HessI could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.
2010 Contract
After serious and cautious consideration, your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2010. It was a very hard decision to make… so try not to screw it up!
My Wish for You in 2010
May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had, forget your home address!
In simple words: May 2010 be the best year of your life! Happy New Year!
