Saturday, May 9, 2015

The Revelation It is Done.


   In May 1989, I delivered a child into the world, wiping away the blood from her body with my tears. I would be fortunate six years later to have another safely arrive.

  In August 1997, I began to write of the role of a father in the lives of their children after divorce, and of how now no person should interfere with that. I did not know at the time, I would be asked to stand on every word I had written.

  In February 2005, I left two children in care to seek out a new role as a functional father. I never gave up my children, I never excused myself, and I maintained the pressence I could.

 In November 2012, I last spoke to both children, amid hostility in their household.

  On November 29, 2014, I posted Christmas cards to both of my children. On May 9, 2015, it came back marked "return to sender, no longer at this address."

  Our lives now exist on eight photographs, and within several hundred pages of a diary.

  I now understand when my father once told me, that he moved away "because it was easier that way". I now understand why the father of the girls mother moved away and never made contact - not because it was easier, but because he understood that if he remained, what poison would be inflected.

  My role, as their father, has been severed. It is, over.

  And now I make all things new.
  He also said to me "Write this, because these words are true, and can be trusted."
  And he said, "It Is Done."
      - Revelations 21 5-6. 

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Collecting on Writers Revenue



  Recall four months ago I wrote of Google cancelling my Google's Adsence based on reported fraudulent activity.

  Recall that I wrote of discovery that Google cancels Adsence accounts just prior to payout, then keeps the money already paid by the advertiser.

  Recall that I contested their abomination and would proceed through the judicial system to recover monies?

  Rest easy, it appears that Google had a change of philosophy and paid out the earned revenue.

  Writers revenue: if it's acknowledge that approximately 50% of royalties are unpaid to musicians, I can only imagine that there is a similar volume of unpaid revenue to writers. Perhaps even more that do not pursue their earnings.


Sunday, April 12, 2015

This Week In a Publisher's Office


"I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself." - J.K. Rowling.





 








"I can accept that you don't want what I write. I'll take it elsewhere." - Grant Madden


Sunday, April 5, 2015

Writer Frustration: Resurrected


Easter Sunday.

Three and a half hours to do a twenty minute rewrite for Eugene Daily News. (Thank you Firefox, Explorer and Chrome for a glorious morning.)

Two more hours to work why the Xbox would not let me sign in with my email account. It is, after all,  clearly me.

One hour trying to multiple guess the password I have for the email account upon which I do password resets with.

Twenty minutes trying to remember which letter of the password is, or is not, capitlatized.

Grant @ SC
Thirty five minutes to work out how to sign out of Google Plus, after spending fifteen minutes looking at my circles thinking "where is my profile picture?", only to realize I somehow created two Google Profiles. (Side issue:  this is me, as pictured.)

 Writer accomplishments today:  zero.

  Frustration level: resurrected. 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Tacking


     Sixteen years ago today, I commenced racing in a catamaran series that would eventually produce the fifth of my seven championships. I won the fifth championships with a perfect score, in part, because nobody could "go to windward" better than I.

     The act of going to windward requires sailing in one direction, and then, changing to another direction. The act of turning, is called tacking. When going to windward, a boat may make several tacks, to counter tide, wind, and competition. Sometimes the fastest way to windward is to tack back and forth. Other times, it's two long treks separated by a single tack.

Calypso 4.4
    Writers, like sailors, are often called upon to make decisions similar to those encountered in sailing. What's the best path to the next mark? What is the preferred tack? And most importantly, how to cover the immediate threat. Tacking, is about making decisions, and at times, the realization you have to go in the unfavorable direction, to come back on the preferred path.

    As an author, protecting your unpublished work prior to getting to the printing press, may require a different tack.

    Head to wind, loosening the sheets, pointing the boat through the eye of the wind and letting the sails fill on the "other side". Tacking.





Sunday, March 22, 2015

Back from Oregon.


  T'is been a busy week and a half,  and a deliberate omission last week not to publish.

  Let's bring the fan base up to date on events.

  Orgeon - always wonderful, always wet, and as always, good company.

  Eugene Daily News - always great to come home to the team. 

  The upcoming book - we have the editor.

  Alaska Airlines - on time and on budget.

  Irony - the cover of the inflight magazine has a story titled Strong for Kids. It's about having character for children in the face of adversity. I'll drink to the story. 



 

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Google Credability Eroded


  Last week I wrote of Google's email of personal identification information that they had detected.

  Apparently, such information was incorrect, and the email was sent in error.

  When a beloved company starts sending erroneous information, credibility is eroded and it is fair to ask "what else was erroneously sent?"

  Is it possible that my Google Adsence claim was another of their erroneous letter?

  Note too, Google Adsence Advertisements continue to appear on my blog.  Even though Google Ads have been disabled, they continue to appear and continue to earn money.

#fraud #googlefraud