Change the Greed

I have been seeing a bunch of stuff online recently that is filled with anger and fear. It’s really kind of bugging me. Not in a really angry way. More of a “wake up, people.” kind of way.

 

Republicans are saying that Democrats are taking away our rights. I just want to say that I do agree with some of the stuff posted (2nd Amendment rights, mainly. The Public shall have the right to have guns (yes even “high-powered “Assault” weapons”) to defend against any US government that tries to overthrow the people. That tries to force it’s will upon the people in an unfair way. Like skyrocketing taxes. We fought a King and his army over crazy, stupid taxes. We have the right to do so against our own Banker/Politician Kings).

But that all this negative stuff about Obama and Democrats is getting old. The reason I say this is that the Republican Party is not that great either. They are made up of the same greedy, controlling people who really, honestly don’t give a damn about The People. They only care about Money and Control. How to get more money, and how to get people to give up their own control of their personal lives.

 

Honestly, if Romney won the Office, we would still be having many of the same situations now. Possibly not the Gun stuff going on, but all of the other stuff. Increased taxes upon all but the rich (who have all the money right now), and human rights being taken away, or curtailed. Including treating women with equality and respect. We would still have jobs leaving, and assistance for people who need it being taken away.

And no, most people who need assistance, need that, assistance. Not hand-outs, and “free lunches”. They need food stamps and financial assistance because all of the jobs have been taken away, or the hours have been cut so much that one can’t even pay their bills. People don’t “want” to be on assistance, they want to be able to have a comfortable home, with plenty of food on the table every day, for all meals. They want to have a nice, reliable vehicle, they want to be able to afford fuel for that vehicle so that they can continue to go to their place of earning income (preferably doing something they enjoy, as opposed to a job they HAVE to do). They want to be able to afford healthcare for themselves and their ENTIRE family, including their “furry children”. They want to have a healthy planet to take their family on outing without worrying about swimming in sludge, or camping on bio-hazard waste.

They don’t want “freebies” they want to Live, and love, and enjoy life with their family and friends.

 

But the Bankers and Politicians are giving away all of the jobs in this country in order to not have to pay Americans for their services. All so that they can get more money in their own pocket. So that THEY can have the nice house, great car, affordable healthcare, and good food on their table for every meal. They are doing all this stuff for themselves, and then turn around and say that the people they have made unemployed or destitute are scrounging, and stealing money from “Good, Hard working Americans”.

They are spreading lies that these no-low income people are just useless drunks and drug users trying to skim free money to buy more drugs and booze. No, they are not. The vast majority of people who are trying to get financial assistance and EBT (food stamps) are trying to Live. They are trying to survive. They don’t want to survive, but the greedy Bankers, Corporations, and Politicians are forcing them to live well below human needs. The fact that there is a large group of Americans who believe that these people WANT to stay poor and homeless and starving so that they can get “freebies from the State”, are, well, fucked in the head.

 

No one wants to starve. But when food costs so much that even cheapo Ramen Noodles (definitely not good for anyone. It’s just starch and MSG. Not even salt. No nutrience) is too expensive to buy, that is not living, nor surviving. That is starving. And the people who buy into the lies from the Bankers/Corporations/Politicians that the poor are ruining the nation, they need to really rethink what’s going on. Actually, they need to think, period.

 

Again, this is not blaming the Republicans (although they are the majority who are trying to take away Living Assistance from people), but the Democrats are to blame as well. They are just as hypocritical, and greedy as the Republicans. The entire system MUST be TORN DOWN and REBUILT.

 

It is possible for this Nation to employ most all Americans. There are many who actually are not capable of working. Who have disabilities that do keep them from being able to hold a job. I know. But this country has enough land and resources to employ most people and pay them a very good wage (not minimum wage BS. A real wage). To feed all Americans healthy, organic, free-range food. With the wealth that could be equally distributed Americans would be able to Live again. Have a nice home, a nice vehicle, a healthy family, and plenty of food, without the need for Assistance.

The only ones who would truly need financial, medical, and food assistance would be the disabled. Even then they don’t like it when people believe they are considered a “burden”. They want to help Society, and other people, but they cannot either due to mental or physical disabilities. Demonizing them doesn’t help anyone.

 

And that’s another thing. ‘Help’ is not an evil, Socialist, Communist, Satanist, freeloader thing. Help is something that is a good thing. It shows us that we are not “thinking of only Number one.” We are thinking of others, too. We are all human beings. Regardless of the pigment of our skin, eyes, hair, Beliefs, etc. The “Evil Brown Muslim” (lies from politicians/bankers, Greedy folk) want the same things we do here. They want to not have their homes invaded, to have plenty of food for all of their meals, to have a means of working, and to have good healthcare for their ENTIRE family. And they want to be able to thank whomever they choose. Just as we do here in America.

 

We The People want to have nice things and live a happy and fruitful life giving thanks to whomever we choose. We do not want to be slaves under the yolk of a few hundred rich people doing what they say what we need to do. They are the ones saying the “brown person” is bad and that we have to invade in order to save ourselves.

Those same rich people are over in the Middle East and Asia saying “The White person is evil. Destroy them because they are trying to keep you from happiness.” It’s the same lies being told to all the People of the World from the same small group of rich people. THEY want to keep the “little person”, the “peon”, angry at something so that they don’t realize that it’s just a small group of “kings” trying to keep all the wealth for them (they have all the gold, after all). If they keep us distracted then we won’t rebel and take their money, and control away from them. THAT is their biggest fear. Their loss of Control and suddenly being poor, like the “vermin we control”.

 

I agree with the Constitution of the United States. I agree with some of the Amendments made to it. But any amendments made that keep ANY person from Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is not right, and not allowed. I also agree with the Bill of Rights. Politicians do not. They use those “pieces of paper” as a tool to take away our basic inalienable rights, and give them to themselves. All while saying the Poor and Middle-class, non-Christian (or Christians who don’t hate people who are different) are evil people, causing the Worlds problems. This country, and this Bank Controlled World needs a full colonic and a healthy reboot.

 

We are ALL One. We are Human Beings. We are a part of the Planet and all Life upon it.

There is no Us vs Them (overall). There is only Us. We. The only “them” is a small group who can grow. Because they, too, are Us. We. We The People of Planet Earth respect all Life on our planet and within the Universe. Namaste, Amen, Blessed be, Right on!

Twas a Red Green Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all ’round the Lodge

Not a vehicle was stirring, not even my Dodge.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In the hopes they’d stink less if they’d gotten some air.

 

The Lodge members were nestled, collapsed in their beds

While visions of hangovers stomped on their heads.

And I in my retainer, and Uncle Red in his cap,

Had just crashed on some couches for a post-turkey nap.

 

When out on the lawn there arose such a smell,

I dashed to the window and said, “What the He-ck?”

Away to the window I flew like a flash

And threw open the shutters that fell and went smash (sorry).

 

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Couldn’t hide where the septics had all overflowed.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a minivan full of women and beer.

 

With the driver in vinyl and artificial fleece,

I knew in a flash it was my wife, Bernice.

One old lady had a mouth drawn up like a bow,

And the hair on her mole was as white as the snow.

 

Another was hammered, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when she belched, in spite of myself.

They spoke a few words and went to the kitchen,

While the men started waking up, scratchin’ and itchin’

 

They brought turkey and sausages, kippers and trout.

They said, “Have fun boys. Cuz, tonight, it’s Ladies Night out!”

They sprang to the Magic Wagon, to the horn gave a honk.

And away they putt-puttered to go out and get stonked.

 

And I heard them exclaim as they drove out of sight,

“Merry Christmas to all. Be home early tonight!”

Peace and Love to All

Someone sent a scam email through one of my Writing Groups.

One of the members said that it was a scam, and another member joked, “You mean the $500 I sent him was for a scam? lol.”

That got me to thinking.

It is a shame that people cannot help someone who needs it when there are these scammers about. Just the very simple act of changing a person’s tire, or giving someone a ride from the side of a highway has become a scam sometimes. And in rare occasions a dangerous one. Now, it’s to the point where most people have been lied into not helping a fellow human who is in need because they are afraid of being scammed, or hurt.

It’s to the point that if a person does not make much money, or has lost all of his money due to a scam by the Banks, any assistance they receive (Medical, Financial, Food Stamps) they are being called ‘lazy’, ‘useless’, ‘scammers of the State’, ‘Liberals’, and other epithets.

All this because a few people are trying to separate humanity by scaring them. Instead of Unifying humanity by loving them.

In ancient times, as the story goes, God was jealous and angry of humanity’s growth and unity with each other. Such was their Unity they were able to build a Tower. He destroyed the Tower and scattered their language so that they couldn’t unite again.

Well, people are beginning to unite again, and the ones in power (mostly Banks/12 families who control Politicians) are spreading fear, hatred, and separation in order to keep humans from setting aside their differences (created by greedy politicians and bankers) and uniting for a better life for all of humanity.

Most of the soldiers I have spoken with love this Country. But they do not agree with what the politicians and bankers/fossil fuel barons are demanding that they do. Invade another Country in order to bring peace. “Oh, yeah, and we’ll just happen to have oil and other resources from the icky, animalistic, non-Christian, primitive, backwards people. Kill ’em all, and We’ll sort it out.”

The soldiers I have known do not agree with that. They have said, ‘I signed on to protect this Nation from invaders. Not to invade another Country and force my County’s beliefs onto them.’

It’s all about a small number of people with most of the money (which in itself is an illusion. Humans did live comfortably without money even being invented for a long time). This small cadre of people, Bankers mostly (even the Churches rely on money from the Banks), have been doing what they can to keep people hating each other in order to maintain control over the “useless dregs of Society.” Well, without these “useless dregs” your products don’t get made. Your property (that you really don’t own. You just have a printed piece of paper that says you own something. But, honestly, you don’t. You just took land and said it was yours) doesn’t get houses put upon it and rented/sold because the “useless dregs” have to buy/rent and build on the property.

Without the “useless dregs” you, Bankers, Politicians, Churches do not exist. You can not exist. It is the “useless dregs” that have the power to choose whether we want to be bullied by you anymore.

As soon as the vast majority of us “dregs” wake up, and come together, we will see that you are not needed for use to benefit from a wonderful, peaceful, and fruitful life.

That is why they create strife and separation. They are afraid of Us. They are afraid of the “chattel”. They know that we are more powerful than them. They KNOW that Love and Unity are stronger than the illusion of Fear and Separation.

It is only a few greedy people who are telling us to hate.

Most people don’t want to hate others. Some do. They do not live very long. The stress of being angry and hateful all the time takes it’s toll and causes the body to break down. Stress does kill.

The illusion they have been feeding Humanity for so long seems real. But it truly is not. Honest. Their lies are not real. Yes, there are other people in the world, and they have their own name for a Spirit of Love. They all want peace. The yellow ones, the white ones, the brown and red ones. All of them make up the rainbow. A rainbow of people who just want to live in peace and harmony.

We will achieve it. Very soon. We are on that path right now.

Happy Holidays, Super Solstice, Merry Christmas, Kickin’ Kwanza, Happy Hanukah, Frickin’ Festivus, Yippie Yule!

Namaste, Blessed be. ♥

April

Writing Advice that sounds good

I want to share something one of my writing group friends wrote and shared. Thank you Steve Nichols. It’s very good information.

 

Think of your screenplay, novel, short story–whatever you’re writing–as a SCULPTURE. The first draft is putting together the clay that resembles what you’re trying to create. The rewrites are where you cut a little here, remove a little there, and ultimately reveal your work, adding bits of clay as needed to support and form your sculpture. The polish is where you painstakingly refine your work into a professional piece. This philosophy removes the necessity for perfection at the beginning of whatever you’re writing and allows you to enjoy the process more.
While the advice speaks for itself, I’d like to further illustrate just how powerful a tool it can be to writers at any level of their career–and how I’ve leveraged it in my own works.
OVERCOMING WRITER’S BLOCK
If you’ve ever faced writer’s block, then it probably won’t surprise you to know that perfectionism is one of the main culprits. Many of us feel the need or obsession to get everything right the first time. Perfectionism leads to paralysis, which leads to procrastination.
But as most writers have heard before in some form or another, “great writing is rewriting.” This is absolutely true. When I look at the difference between my first drafts and final polish it can be quite sobering. Yet is a wonderful reminder that I must be less critical of my first drafts–for they are merely the clay with which I sculpt my work.
This hasn’t been easy philosophy for me to embrace. I constantly have to remind myself to follow it. But every time I do, it frees me as an artist. Whenever I think of my first draft as the clay, suddenly the pressure to be perfect evaporates. I know that I’ll have plenty of time to refine and polish my work in later drafts.
Once I’ve made that subtle shift in my expectation, I not only increase my enjoyment of the writing process, I also become much more prolific.
I used to be the type that edited while I was writing. This was a painfully slow and arduous way of writing. It would take me days–even weeks to finish a few pages of fiction. I used to justify this to myself by saying “well, my first drafts are like other writer’s sixth drafts.” And while there is a kernel of truth to this, my first drafts were also devoid of the kind of spontaneous creativity that I have now.
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
I have used this tool successfully in multiple forms of media, so no matter what you write (articles, novels, short stories, plays, screenplays–even a blog); I guarantee that you can apply this to your own work.
• FIRST DRAFT: Throw all of your clay onto the table. Don’t worry about how ugly it is. Just dump it all out on your paper or hard drive. Does a sculptor look at the blob of clay on the table and judge it for its artistic value? Of course not, they know it is just the first stage of their creation process.
• REWRITES: This is the where the real craft comes in, trimming and cutting to reveal the work, or adding bits of clay to support and form your sculpture.
• POLISH: As a sculptor of your story, this is where you grab the sandpaper and fine tools and refine your work into a professional piece. A last minute word change can make or break a sentence, and attention to the details (e.g. grammar and punctuation) is absolutely critical.
I hope you find this tool as helpful to you as it has been to me over the years.
Do you have any writing advice you want to share? I would love to hear it.
Happy writing!

Steve Nichols

Your Heart is a link to your Soul

I have learned (although I admit I don’t always follow it at first, but I always go back to it) Follow Your Heart. 🙂

I have spent nearly 20 years building models on commission, or as a contractor. Until about 5 years ago when I started having difficulty building anymore.

Not that I couldn’t physically do it. My Heart wasn’t in it.

But I told myself I had to keep building. It was what I knew how to do. It was something I was good at. I was earning money being artistic. I *had* to keep building.

But I found myself falling further and further behind completing client builds. What used to take me one month to do was taking me six.

Then I thought, ‘Okay. I just need a break. So I will take one for six months.’

That worked for a bit.

During that time I was thinking, and feeling, that I wanted to start writing fiction again as I used to. Plus get my tales published.

But I was afraid. I didn’t have a lot of experience (compared to model building), and many of my past experiences were not positive (if you recall from my earlier post). Plus, I kept getting ideas nearly everyday for builds I could/wanted to do (Spirit wouldn’t give me ideas if I was supposed to stop building, right? (I struggled with that, too).

So I felt I needed to keep building.

After the six month break, I felt better. More rejuvenated. I was able to complete 2 commissions and 2 personal builds that year.

Then, burned. Again. This time it was taking me longer that six months to complete a commission.

Even having difficulty building models for myself.

I took another break. About four-ish months.

After which I was able to start a few other models, including a commission that I have had for about 4 years waiting to be done (I have been SO lucky to have kick-ass clients who love my work and are patient. BTW, no. He hasn’t put money on the build yet. So he’s not lost anything).

Now, I am at a point where I have finished a Drabble Fiction story and sent it to a publisher, and have no real desire to build anymore. Even for myself. The ideas still come, but I am not as attached to them as I used to be.

I have much more desire to write.

Something that has been rearing itself more and more these past 5 years (I had always written scenes and notes and characters years before I built for pay). Now it seems my Heart has won through.

Models are being put away. Not forever (something I was afraid my Heart was telling me to do. Hence my additional inner-fighting to not write), just for now, for who knows how long.

So my suggestion is to go with what your Heart wants you to do.

You’ll be happier. 🙂

Namaste ♥

Something surprising (to me)

It’s been a little while, so I thought I would post something I found interesting today.

Someone posted this link in the Fantasy Writers Group I am a member of. Here it is: ‘I Write Like’ http://iwl.me/

I did as the instructions ask (copy at least a few paragraphs to get the most reliable results). I actually posted, in some cases, a page or two.

The results were pretty trippy to me.

My Western story that I just sent to a publisher (‘1850’) says I write like James Joyce.

My Space Opera (‘The Epic of Battlestar Olympia’) says I write like William Gibson (author of ‘The Di Vinci Code’).

And my Horror (‘The Horror of the Mist’) says I write like Dan Brown (author of ‘Neuromancer’).

My “fractured nursery” story [it was a Group Challenge to write a story about a wolf. Mine is about homosexual lovers. Not pornographic, but marginally erotic. Tastefully, and tactfully, done that a Young Adult could read it and not be offended] (‘Peter and the Wolf’) says I write like Rudyard Kipling.

I am kind of surprised that I would have so many different writing styles. I would have thought that a person’s writing style would be pretty consistent regardless of genre.

I have never even read these authors. Well, Joyce and Kipling in high school. Even then only one story a piece that I don’t recall well enough to emulate. lol

I am just writing from the heart I guess you could say. I am not trying to emulate anyone.

As I said, trippy. Well, to me anyway. 😉

Cheers and Namaste all. ♥

April

I finally did it: Part 1a

My story is a Flash fiction Western. 100 words. But I am very proud of that story. I enjoyed writing it and even reading it.

The nice thing is that I can expand upon it and make it into a Steampunk (Romance?) story.

Either way. I am stoked. I am also pretty proud of myself, come to think about it.

I have always been too scared to let too many people (especially people I don’t know) read my creations. This time, I told myself I had to do it. I had to submit one. At least a short one.

Who knows maybe the Mayan Calendar (and the Doomsayers who choose to interpret it their way) is right and the World will be destroyed December 21st this year. I will never have even attempted my dream of being published in my lifetime.

Do I really want that? No.

I wanted to at least try and get something of mine published before I am too old to enjoy myself as an author, too old to type, or just flat out die. Who knows I could be hit by a truck while going to the store and never have submitted anything due to fear. One never knows.

(Just so you know. I do not think the World is going to end in flame and darkness. I believe the Mayans were just letting their decedents know that the World as we know it will end, and a greater, enlightened World will begin.)

So I said to myself. Okay. I have a 100 word story that I really like. It’s been edited and cleaned up. I’ll find a Flash Fiction publisher and give it a try.

The one I chose, Vestal Review, was closing it’s submissions the end of November.

I took that as a sign. I had just enough time to submit it and get the additional information they require finished (Cover Letter and Bio).

So I finally did it.

I’ve finally done it!

Today is the first time I have submitted a story I have written to a publisher. So I figured I had best have a blog site as well.

I have always been scared to submit my stories.

Many years ago, I took a Creative Writing course in college that was taught by two people. In this case they happened to be men. Anyway, of the class, only one liked my work and said “She gets what it’s like to be a Private Investigator. I like her style.” The rest of the class and the instructors did not. The students, mostly women, were writing Harlequin-like romances, and fairy tales. Nothing wrong with those at all. I was writing Adventure stories, plus a couple of Horror stories, too. The teachers, who had only published anthologies of other writers’ work, said that I had no future as a writer and to quit at that point while I was ahead.

Well, I never quit. But I never finished most of my stories, nor submitted any of them for actual publication. I have kept most of my notes and scenes that could be culled into a larger narrative or two, though.

I have quite a few first drafts and some rough drafts. My novels? Well, they are not in a cohesive state at the moment. But, as I said, I have notes and scenes written and many still in my head.

So, today. This is a Big Day for me. 😀

I am also very grateful to KateMarie Collins and Mona Lisa Castillo for their comments and suggestions which helped me get a Cover Letter and Bio ready for the publisher. Thank you both.

Namaste,

April