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Hedonism through Abstinence?

by on 26. Jul, 2011 in Life

Image: John Kasawa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My decision to give up drinking had a strange point of origin. I finally committed to the decision after reading an article on the subject by Roger Ebert, but I first started thinking about it after an embarrassing episode on Facebook. Someone I know had posted a link to a video of a large-breasted woman on a roller coaster showing a great deal of cleavage with the caption: “Girl has orgasm on a roller coaster while her boyfriend watches.” Now, this is the kind of inane babble that would make me rail against Facebook. That particular morning, however, I was groggily mesmerized by the boobs and I clicked the link. Up popped a window that claimed the video was unsuitable for underage viewers and that I needed to enter the ‘captcha’ phrase to proceed. As anyone who has been caught by this scam will tell you, instead of loading the video, the phrase you type is posted as a comment from you and the bogus link is now on your Facebook wall.

I did it twice. (more…)

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Binary Vision Chapter 8

by on 25. Jul, 2011 in Binary Vision

We’re rapidly approaching the point of no return for Mikhail. It all seems pretty inevitable to me, but I guess I know him better than most…

 

I followed Carly through the small cafe, past the counter, down a hallway and up to a solid metal slab of a door. She looked up at a small camera and waved. A few seconds later the door swung open, and I was face to face with Massimo. (more…)

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Transmedia Ramblings

by on 22. Jul, 2011 in Writing

Do you remember the first time you saw the map montage used to show the long plane trip in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark? That’s the kind of thing that gets me excited – seeing perfect new uses for a medium. For me, transmedia is about finding those perfect uses and harnessing the best ones available to tell each part of a story. (more…)

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New Tagline

by on 19. Jul, 2011 in Life, Writing

When I first started my blog, the tagline was “Writer, Editor, Publishing Consultant”. It was a reflection of the things I do professionally, in approximately the order I wanted to prioritize them. Over the years, my actual duties for Gumboot Books and Live Your Dream Workshops meant writing was, in fact, a far distant third to the other two, more pressing, roles.

With the closure of Gumboot Books back in March, I found I was spending more and more time as a publishing consultant. It’s a role I enjoy and it’s a way of taking the hard-earned knowledge Crystal and I have built up over the last 6 years and using it to help people.

The piece of the equation that was still neglected, however, was the one I felt the most strongly about: Writing.

My new tagline, “Telling Stories by Any Means Necessary” is a reflection of how I feel about using multi-media and transmedia techniques to tell stories in the way they are best told.

I think some stories make great books. Other stories look great on the big screen, or the small screen, or the stage. In the past, artists had to choose a single method to tell their story, but there is no need for that anymore. Technology provides tools that let authors tell stories without having to commit to a single medium, and that’s what I’m talking about when I say, “by Any Means Necessary.”

I understand that the phrase was made famous by Malcolm X in reference to the civil rights struggle. I also understand that most people interpret the phrase as a willingness to resort to violence (though I’m not fully convinced that was the intent). I am not making fun of those aspects, nor am I diminishing the importance of the movements that used the words for their purposes (both Malcolm X and Jean Paul Sartre).

What I’m doing is tapping into the power of a phrase to convey how strongly I feel about the art of storytelling and how excited I am about the possibilities of emerging media.

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Low Carb Final Check-In

by on 17. Jul, 2011 in Life

Well, the two-week trial is over and I lost a total of 2 kilograms (about 4.5 pounds).

The crazy hunger-pangs haven’t been bothering me since about day eight. I’m hoping that means my body is adapting to use stored fat as energy instead of just soaking up the easy calories I was consuming.

Several people have told me about their low-carb experiences and the consensus seems to be that it definitely works – if you stick with it. There were a number of warnings about how difficult it can be to maintain and how quickly the weight comes back if you “go off” the diet.

Although I originally started this diet as an experiment, I haven’t found the restrictions overly, well, restrictive. I suppose I’m probably not being as strict as I could be (I still eat lots of fruits and vegetables Dr. Atkins wouldn’t approve of) but I’ve eliminated bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and sugar. I’m not a fan of artificial sweeteners but I allow myself a packet in my coffee (my last remaining vice) and I feel pretty confident my body can handle it. Maybe the key to my success is that I don’t really see it as a diet. It’s just a different bunch of stuff to eat. A subtle difference, I know, but a critical one… I think.

I guess the final analysis is that there’s no good reason for me not to continue on the low carb route. I feel good and my productivity is excellent. I’ve been eating at home a lot more, which has been good for the pocketbook, and I know my body isn’t missing the alcohol or junk food.

I think the last factor to consider will be the overall increase in dietary cholesterol. I’m due for a checkup in September and I’ll chime in with the results when I get them. Until then I figure that’s about enough diet and exercise talk. Back to the writing!

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Binary Vision Chapter 7

by on 16. Jul, 2011 in Binary Vision

Curiouser and curiouser…

Or at least I hope so.

Anyway, enjoy. :)

 

After checking very carefully for any suspicious types in the area, I let myself into my apartment. (Once in a while I still find myself checking over my shoulder before I unlock a door). The first thing I saw was a garbage bag – the bag I had put my clothes in after using them to sop up piss that morning. My eyes went from there to the spot Massimo had dropped me. (more…)

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Transmedia Storytelling

by on 14. Jul, 2011 in Publishing, Writing

Lately I’ve been putting a lot of thought into the emerging field of transmedia storytelling. In short, it’s about telling stories using whatever medium is best suited and then rolling all those media into a single, kick-ass product.

Authors like JC Hutchins are at the forefront of this new movement, and companies like Push Pop Press are offering tools that might just put these types of projects in the hands of individuals and small publishers.

I first heard about Push Pop Press through this TED Talk. Check it out.

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Low Carb Day Ten

by on 13. Jul, 2011 in Life

Things are still going well with the new diet. I’ve dropped just over two kilograms so far and my energy level is great. I don’t know if it should be attributed to low-carbs, no alcohol or something else entirely, but my productivity over the last few weeks has been exponentially greater. Back in January it took me a full week to complete all the calculations for Gumboot Books royalties. This time around it took me just over a day.

I’m not sure this diet will lead me to six-pack abs, but at the moment I just can’t see any good reasons to go crawling back to sugar.

That being said, our reception is in a couple of weeks and I suspect I may cave – even if it’s only for a day.

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Low Carb Day Five

by on 08. Jul, 2011 in Life

Still on track with the diet and feeling great.

  • I’ve lost just over one kilogram so far. That’s not a whole lot, but the decrease seems consistent enough that I’m comfortable attributing it to the diet change.
  • Energy levels are still very good. Not missing the afternoon crashes at all.
  • I find that I’m hungry a lot. I’m hoping that means that my metabolism is speeding up.
  • Had a slightly harder time at the gym than usual. I did make a small change to my routine, so I can’t say for sure which was the cause.

The way things are at the moment, I could see continuing this diet indefinitely. It’s possible that next week will bring stronger cravings and/or some negative side-effects, so I’ll reserve final judgement until the end of the two weeks, but so far so good.

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Binary Vision Chapter 6

by on 06. Jul, 2011 in Binary Vision

I’m not quite sure whether this will wind up as a single chapter or not, but at the moment it fits, so I’ll go with it. As always, comments are welcome.

 

I was a little distracted when I met Massimo for the first time. Carly and I had only spoken a few times since my episode with Brad, and I didn’t have any solid sense of where things were. She was obviously upset, and it had to do with me telling every single person I met that we were together. How could I help it? Wasn’t she flattered that she was the best thing that ever happened to me? Had I really screwed things up by being too happy? Anyway, that’s what I was thinking about when Massimo and I met. (more…)

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