Lizzer & DocStoc: New Online Services with Pep, Next Step for me

My new baseball book cover

I still feel a bit lost in the malaise that is the Web 2.0 (or 2.2 or 3.0). I found useful these sites:

DocStoc provides a nice upload/download service that generates cash for all the documents you place online that are downloaded. ($.10 per download.) It offers many features - browsing items, html code insertions into blogs & homepages. It really is a slick site.

From their site:

Docstoc is the premier online community to find and share professional
documents. Docstoc provides the platform for users and businesses to upload and
share their documents with all the world, and serves as a vast repository of
documents in variety of categories including legal, business, financial,
technology, educational, and creative. All documents on docstoc can be easily
searched, previewed and downloaded for free.

Docstoc also provides technology through various APIs and Widgets to
help facilitate the sharing and promotion of documents across the web. The site
has popularized the use of embedding documents throughout the blogosphere and
mainstream media. You can learn more about embedding documents here: http://blog.docstoc.com/embed-documents-on-docstoc-into-your-blog-or-webiste.html

Lizzer seems a way to put Google, Blogger, Youtube, Docstoc on your websites. I haven't done much yet, just got the account yesterday, but I will attempt it later.

As time marches, I find myself hoping these services last beyond 2009.

I am no longer going to ignore promotion, SEO and other techniques to generate the almighty dollar. While it was nice to stay above the fray, trying to make engaging blogs and content, what I did not do was go out of my way to promo things I did do.

Somehow that was considered pure and free of deplorable shilling of my stuff. Well, those days are coming to a halt.

To anyone who is doing well in this recession, I need new techniques to make money. Any suggested outlets?

I will likely spend next week on two things: reorganizing my online presence and research on a book.
I will post at best once a week.

What I think of Love: Question and Answer section

DR. K.C. posted about Love using a Biblical quote from – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1. “Love is patient, love is kind.”


2. “It does not envy. It does not boast.”


3. “It is not proud. It is not rude.”


4. “It is not self-seeking.”


5. “It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”


6. “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.”

She adds her comments on each, then asks, "Love is there for you…it WILL find you when you least expect it. Believe…How do you define love?"

So here goes:

Love defined for me is in the enjoyments I have: music (currently, http://www.theairbornetoxicevent.com/videos), movies (Star Trek relaunch), books (baseball & biographies & history) and writing (when I don't get distracted.)

The interpersonal relationships are fraught with potholes, hairpin turns, drunk drivers while I've moved my cargo of feelings along an interstate that has too many greasy spoons packed with dirty customers, shrill waitresses and sloppy, ex-felon cooks. While it is easy to be ever the optimist - reading positive thinking books - the stark reality hits like a 110 degree sauna in 'Zona without any H-2-O to quench that thrist for the kind of relationship you described, biblically.

I've never experienced any of that - from anyone - in my life. Family members have been selfish since I was born. (I feel I was meant to be halved by my family.)

Since they did not teach non-toxic skills, I've had trouble. And because of that, I am my own best friend. (And that does sometimes get lonely.)

In the few meaningful relationships I've had, though I can take 100% the blame for whatever happened or fell apart, the other side had their choices too. And made them. (And apologizing never solved or salved it either.)

They likely haven't looked back much - I am forgettable enough, most days. When I do, hindsight has only pointed to my flaws and somehow forgiven theirs. (Which sucks, really.) But they did have flaws; just theirs don't matter, and mine did.

And while it is not our American society's fault, it has become more negative for those that are not interconnected well, or at all. The internet has helped (and hurt) certainly when it comes to finding a friend/acquaintance.

But that's the problem: the deeper connections we search for do not exist. Twittering won't solve this, except in some 1 in 100,000 dice throw.

People are too afraid all around. They stick to what they know. Getting to know anyone is a chore most avoid. (Oh, and for many, outward appearances, aka money & power, seem to be the attractor.) Once again, not a strong suit. Gotta play off-trump cards.

I am outgoing and have no problem talking to anyone about anything. But the presentation likely needs some zip and the package needs a better bow and wrapping. But then what? (I've posted my sit. before - no need to revisit.)

Point is: often, the people in need of such advice and uplift are not very likely to get such benefits. Maybe it's karma or poor timing, or something else more concrete, but firm is the wall standing in front of them.

I often think I'd like to talk to that loud ceiling guy (the man upstairs) and say, "why the f--k did you make this world so blessed screwed up? Why can't we all have enough of whatever - and quit fighting over land, people "we love", and You, for instance? What did I ever do to you? [Avoiding that whole killed your son topic.]"

In love, I think we've got no real choices. Some fall into it like being at a summer pool party where every bikini and swim trunk is packed with a great bod and everyone is smiling bigger than a beauty queen doing her spinderella walk.

If I find a woman EVER and we both LOVE each other - that would be like Noah sinking his ARC. A-Rod being a baseball 'saint.' The Donald being humble. Or Obama being able to balance the budget in 4 years, get us out of two (three) wars, and get us back to full employment. Or me getting on The NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list.

Shit like that doesn't happen.

Love (for me) is mirage in the Mohave and Miracles are still in the Bible.

New Rock Music Videos and a Leftover Copy: U2, The Airborne Toxic Event

The defining band of the 1980's EuroRock:U2
Magnificent by U2 (Live from the BBC on a ROOF!)



Heard this song for the first time two days ago, and said: "Damn! I gotta get something up on them." The Airborne Toxic Event has a 1st album out, #1 on the new artist chart, but they have been together for a while. Well, here's to a persistence and success!!! (Good Luck and don't F-ed it up!!!)
Sometime Around Midnight (May 1st Video on their site)

Lastly, it is strange to post something left from another user. Not really, the library offers these weird occurences often. So, because it seems harmless, because it is indicative of the times we live in, and it includes a British flav, I posted it. Not too personal - more conversational than anything. They obviously won't mind...

Left Over Copy & Paste from the last user:

If it makes you feel any better, I have gone thru this many many times before
and I'm still getting by. Look on the bright side, now you can get a new
job....maybe even in Munich! Wouldn't that make a lot of people happy. Want to
go on Holiday? Do you get seasick? The Islands are LOVELY this time of year. On
a more somber note, I'm still waiting for a job for this season. It's quite late
in coming and I'm begining to think they are trying to tell me something.
Although it would NOT be in my best interest right now, I guess I could retire.
Hey, while you're looking for your job, keep an eye out for me too. If I do have
to retire I will still want to get a few more years of income. Of course, I
could just moore at the base of Tower Bridge and have dinner at Browns on a
regular bases. That's really not a bad thought.

Stiff upper lip and all
that rot

Love Ya

Da

Star Trek: The New Frontier, the New Franchise

Last night, Star Trek opened in Lansing, IL to a sparse crowd. I mean sparse...like 25 people. However, the area is not known for being receptive to this sort of movie.

J.J. Abrams has taken over the Enterprise (NCC-1701) and the franchise that is Star Trek. With that weighty responsibility (for the Trekkies) Abrams exploits the one fundamental ingredient in Sci-Fi that is the most malleable to all these adeventures: Time.

Copious amounts of stories can be written, and undone, with the modification of the space-time line. Change of events, change of results. Like rolling a 1,000,000 sided dice to get a different outcome.

The Enterprise crew is everyone from the original series launched in the 1960s. This is an origin story, at first, but soon sets up the future events for the new director of the course of the Enterprise's adventures.

Cast

John Cho as Hikaru Sulu
Ben Cross as Sarek
Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike
Simon Pegg as Scotty
Chris Pine as James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto as a young Spock
Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson
Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura
Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy
Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov
Eric Bana as villian Nero
Leonard Nimoy as Old Spock

Now, everything can be seen as far-fetched and difficult to understand in this origination story line. Roger Ebert, not always in his right mind, was playing his critiquing games on this classic. Which is always why it is annoying to please critics. They pick. They look for gaffs. They conjecture about what is wrong instead of what is RIGHT.

The cast pulled off an admirable job in framing this close enough to the 1960s characters while adding in the small amount of personal lives and new ticks that can be explored and elaborated on in future films.

And that is what I liked.

Technology is catching up to the Star Trek dream. Even the gritty scenes of the inside of the Enterprise seem a bit out of step with what is suppose to be happening in the 23rd century.

But it is the adventure of movies that makes a place like a Star Trek movie go where no movie has gone before...we hope.

Saturday Dance Vids: Unforgivable, Begging, My First, My Last, My Everything

I listen to Dance Factory a LOT out of the Chi. (That's Chicago for the uninitiated.)
Armin van Buuren feat. Jaren - Unforgivable


The mixes are pretty decent. Repetitive. Sometimes whacked. But overall, I can get my blood pumping while missing racoons, skunks, deers and whabbits. One has to, or else, the boring task will overwhelm you - not in thought - but in the fact, you can do more but have to settle (right now) for less.

I do that a LOT too. Settle. There comes a point where you have to risk comfortable mediocrity for unknown successes (or failures.) What do I want and more to the point, what do I value?

We value what we put the most efforts towards. What gets us up and hopeful, not what makes us sad and forgettable and dull.

But most always personal sacrifice and what we are willing to give up in life (family, friendships, status, etc.) is the the caveat to such dreams. Lately, I have pondered signficantly how much can I give up (in my unhappy life) to go elsewhere and do whatever. (Let's say write and eek out a living doing something mundane to pay rent and for food.)

Madcon Frankie Valli - Beggin (Remix)

It is not the basic will to do it. I have that much.

But it's the unknown. I have no real friends. And convicts that move to other places don't get hired easily. (In a deepc recession - likely worse.) Can I find a job and place to stay? Where I want to be?

I believe I have a modicum of ability, but it will take years to complete, or publish anything that could lead to better things. (Even then, it might just be a piped dream.)

But can I leave on a whim? Without resources? That's the deal with me.

While Chicago pumps out that music every night, I want to be in tropics, writing a Ludlum thriller, or John Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, winner of the 2009 Pultizer Prize. Undoubtedly, they wanted something different too - at some point. They found subject matter and made it their first, their last, their everything.

You Are The First, My Last, My Everything (Barry White)