Now back to reality and normalcy, I might be a trekkie, but I am a realist stuck in a world that needs answers.
My last day is this Wednesday at my current firm. The staff are throwing me a farewell potluck on Tuesday. It feels strange that I will be saying goodbye to them all after so many years, but that's life isn't it.
As my prior status indicated my new job has already booked me on a flight to Palm Beach Florida from 12/3 to 7. I know what this means for my future traveling plans, b
As I said I am a huge fan and I just finished the latest Typhon Pact Mini-series novel, Brinksmanship :
Spoiler Alert!
To begin this series review, I must first tell you a bit on what happened after the Dominion War. Gene Roddenberry's United Federation of Planets is no longer as naive or idealistic as it once was. The Universe after the war has become a very hostile and unstable place. With the Borg invasion about a year ago, the entire balance of power has unraveled throughout the gala
Outside of politics and other interest, one thing that might surprise people partially is that I am an avid follower of Star Trek novels, especially the re-launch titles for Deep Space Nine, Generation, and Voyager. They are considered Canon based on Star Trek timeline after the Dominion War and Voyager's return from the Deltar Quadrant. Yes, I freely admit to be a gay trekkie.
While I do know there are Star Trek fans here on GA, I do not know if there are as many novel fans.
Sorry if I
Seriously, I feel like I just got the golden ticket. It's not the best job in the world, but it is at least paying me a fair salary based on my ability, education, and licensing. I''ll get a signing bonus, a staff of three people, and an annual increase based on corporate operations. However, it's better than working for next to nothing, getting promoted and taking on responsibilities that belong to others, and never getting any respect.
My position will be just a senior level accountant, b
The job is ugly, my numbers don't see any light at the end of the tunnel if we keep this up. I am awaiting a Board meeting to make a presentation of my findings and hope some of our outside directors can see the inherent flaws in internal management. Heck, even portions of senior management are siding with me (partially to save their own asses, sad but true).
Outside of work...I have just found my new favorite gay movie: From Beginning to End
http://youtu.be/BH6vtx3HVB8
This movie wa
Crazy shit happened today as I just found another $250,000 in costs and problems with cashflow with these contracts that senior management agreed to.
Need to do a cash flow analysis, sorry if I am late with Chapter 2 of Big Squeeze.
Here's a little reminder of me for you guys:
The two creators of Big Bird were a gay couple, Christopher Lyall and Kermit Love (Nope he didn't create the frog)
http://www.queerty.com/turns-out-big-bird-is-the-child-of-two-gay-dads-20121011/
I didn't know that, now all those years of adoring the big Yellow Bird's mannerism makes sense, I think
Yes, you old Frog, I promised I'd thank you properly.
MikeL helped me out with editing the Introduction of The Big Squeeze, today. He's the best kind of reader a writer can get, some one who is willing to interact with the writer on fixing flaws and improving the story. I wanted to thank him properly as an outside contributor. I know Mike, you can't join my team of Editors and Betas (I pay people in kibbles and bones, not flies ), but I still think you deserve some acknowledgement for being
First I want to thank my Team:
NotNoNever- Thanks for keeping me anchored to the vernacular and keeping the story simple enough for readers
BlueSoxWSJ- Thanks for being my secondary source for finance information as we both come from different viewpoints, it's a thrill to do this together.
SidLove- You are a great beta and insightful on ideas. I will need to work with you and Blue on the financial appendix very soon, so readers can track back on meanings
Harcallard- Don't worry Harc, you
Okay, I have started it and began my introductions into the characters.
http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/w-l/thebigsqueeze
There are three perspectives in this story with 2008 Financial crisis as its moving plot point. I am creating a modern gay business fiction story with technical details embedded in the story and descriptions on how modern finance actually works.
My three characters present three views from which forms the greatest crisis of our recent history:
Mike- the
I am going to try to reinvent myself and my stories.
I really do write too cerebral for my own good or readers. I need to create a story with characters people can easily understand, plots that are fact filled but not going to be too rich with connections, and a concept that people get right away.
I love economics and business issues, but I don't use it as the basis of my writing. I don't know why, since I've read freakonomics several times and know it can be fun.
I mean I write stor
I saw this movies years ago and thought it was funny back then, now I am still laughing, but for other reasons:
My fellow Americans 1996
http://youtu.be/uYgaEQXYtG0
My favorite line in the movie is in this particular part during a Gay Pride Parade:
A Gay guy in Dorothy Drag shocked to see the former Democratic ex-President: "Oh My God, Are you coming out?"
The ex-Democratic President: "No, I've always supported gay rights...I'm not coming out...he is" pointing to the Republic
I think there's a piece of us in each other, liberal and conservative, which is what makes us fight so hard against the other.
As an accountant by education and trade, I have to be very stern and tight fisted with my firm's money and spending. I won't give you an extra penny that you do not deserve, because one penny taken away from one person, means some one else has to pay for it. That's how I have to operate or else the vultures will come circling. When I first started my job, I was prett
This is the part of being the man behind the numbers that I hate.
Let's start at the beginning, I had already projected a $250,000 deficit in our businesses budget, which I could fix by reducing the contract labor lines. Basically, like most businesses in the US, we have a rotating pool of contract labor from temp firms for maintenance. If we reduce the contracting and ask for more internal care and watchful of incidents, we could keep cost down without cutting jobs of full-time people in an
Not sure, how many of you were fans of this old TV show, I caught it in re-runs growing up, but even after a decade, the show still holds a strong resonance for me.
http://youtu.be/NI-qCUK_G4U
Early Edition was brilliant in many ways, because in almost every episode, a regular guy named Gary Hobson had to make choices for people and their fates based on a Newspaper that foretold tomorrow's events and tragedy.
This particular episode is remembered by fans as one of the great classic
While my story is short, it carries some interesting ideas.
My story is quite sad, but within it I tried to give people a deeper understanding on the issue of peaceful resistance against foes such as the businessman in my story. A critical flaw in the concept of nonviolence is that nonviolent solution requires human beings to have equal consciences and equal beliefs in what is right and wrong. Morality is relative to a culture, whether it is Christian, Islamic, Taoist, Hindi, or any other be
The Hangman
Shall we hang alone or hang together:
By Maurice Ogden
Into our town the hangman came,
smelling of gold and blood and flame.
He paced our bricks with a different air,
and built his frame on the courthouse square.
The scaffold stood by the courthouse side,
only as wide as the door was wide
with a frame as tall, or a little more,
than the capping sill of the courthouse door.
And we wondered whenever we had the time,
Who the criminal? What the crime?
Gene Roddenberry was a drama writer with a science fiction genre basis, I have been viewing some of my favorite TV shows created by the legendary film creator. Most people remember Star Trek as his greatest work, I freely admit that I was influenced by its exploration of mankind and social commentary.
There was another show, which was also just as good as Star Trek with marvelous stories and human introspective issues. Earth Final Conflict was originally conceived as the predecessor series t
One of the things I have been able to enjoy in the last few weeks was going to a underground Chinese website to watch a very well received, but now "banned Chinese Drama". It's English name is "Scarlet Heart". The story revolves around a modern girl transported back in time via soul migration to the past, Qing Dynasty China. She eventually falls in love with half the princes in the Imperial Palace as they all fought for the coveted role of Emperor, while knowing the final outcome of their strugg
Seriously, nothing happened today.
I woke up, checked my emails, thanked people for wishing me happy birthday, then I watched a movie.
No special party, no drinking games, no surprise inside a cake (I'd love to have that happen with a hot male stripper), and no real thrills. It was just me by my lonesome. Everyone is busy with their own lives, careers, and stuff. I am grateful to get happy birthdays, but I miss the old birthdays with actual parties and games.,
I guess I have grown up
Originally, I had conceived The Phoenix on the Dragon Chair as an entry into the Anthology, but I thought nope, it's too complex and not many people will get the gangland references or chinese idioms I am introducing, let alone the concept of customs. The idea was shelved for Which Do You Want To Die.
I know most readers see my writing as cerebral and deep, which it is and I usually go into that direction. However, I do have other interests, including Chinese triad crime fiction. I think it
I realized something today, everyone that argues, whether liberal, conservative, or libertarian. Rich, middle, or poor. We are all arguing about the same point.
One or Many?
It can't that simple, but it really is that simple.
On a side, you have people advocating for individuals defining themselves, their actions, behaviors, and even destinies as they choose. On the other side, you have people advocating for groups whether it is a society, a state, a subset of human beings (gay, blac
Well, the trip was fun and relaxing; no pressure, no hassle, it was a simple affair between strangers, who are equivalent to pen pals of old. Sometimes, I wonder how much people on site actually think about the "real" you as in the actual person behind the avatar. We're all different people with our own backgrounds and tastes.
I didn't picture Q being Mr. Dad or how cute lil' Q was in real life versus just pictures.
Cassie and I shared a hotel together, it was fun to be traveling compani
Checklist:
1. GA anthology stories downloaded Can't do it, hope there's wi-fi at the hotel
2. Alternative reading for long train ride, The Lost Bank- Check
3. Clothing appropriate for DC in the summer (I am not going nude, it'd make a bigger scene than the protesters in front of the Capitol and White House)- Check, Cargo shorts and shirts
4. Music for the ride- Check, just downloaded the new album by The Maine and The Fray + my other favorite bands
5. An emergency escape pla
