I'm tinkering with my list for the coming year and I'm debateing somethings.
Not really wether to do them. These are things I sort of have to try my hand at. The issue is how to make it a goal.
See when I made the list last year most of the things I got a technical victory on were because of the rigid wording I used for them. If I'd set the goal of getting a computer in the year rather then a wireless laptop then it would have been easier.
So I'm looking at my wording carefully this year. I like to think of it as making a contract with myself and to say I'll do something is to put my honor on the issue. I don't know how others feel about it but when I say I'll do something I feel it's my duty to uphold my commitment.
So to say that I will be doing a word puzzle a day, or to say I'll do 7 word puzzles a week makes a differance to me.
One of the other things I worry about is commiting myself to one project to rigidly defined and not be able to alter it to suit the real need for the project. A good example of this is my having said that I would design a new origami design each month for the year... and having to realise it was more suited to my needs to fold a new pattern rather then design my own for each one. And on top of it I made it about origami and left out other paper craft projects which now look to be something of value to me.
I'll post my rough draft list tomorrow.
take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Master list revisited
Here we stand on the end of a year and I can look back on a great many projects that I have done, some listed here and some not, with some amount of pride.
I learned many things and am looking forward to doing more and learning more in the coming year.
Right now I'll be reviewing what I have done and then over the next few days I will be refining a list of to dos to post up as my next master list.
Here they are
1 - Write the rest of my 2007 script frenzy,
I've been procrastinating this one but I still have time to apply some effort to it this year, or I can roll it over and try next year.
2)In 2008 rovingjack went nutters and convinced himself that not only would he write a script frenzy idea he had passed on but that he was going to try his best to get 5 script frenzy scripts written. Operative term is try. He wants to try one each of graphic novel/manga script, Movie script, TV, Radio and Stage play.This was a project for April, which I am happy to say I succeeded at. Though much of these works reached their qualifying goal some are in need of an ending and all need editing.
3) Return to my previous nano writings and finish, expand and edit them.
I'll likely have to use part of january for this but I can hopefully have the first nano winner ready for sumbission at the end of january.
4) Submit one or more of the above writings to some form of public (published, or web posted).
I'm calling a minimum technical success on this as I did sort of write a collection of short stories and then submitted several to online groups for whome they were intended. Not to mention I have released a book of hand drawn mazes to the public.
5) Design a greeting card a month, and see about printing them through an on demand publishing company.
Twelve done, three in my shop (only available one at a time right now but hopefully soon I'll expand my store.
6) draw a map to be used in a piece of fiction of mine.
Done and is now something I'm exploring more of as a side bussiness idea.
7) Learn some of the basics of the Sumerian language system.
I learned some of how the system of language works, but found out it's likely to take an increadible amount of memorisation and a very flexible interpretation to use it. It's rather cumbersome as far as languages go. So technically done.
8) Use knowledge of English, Mandarin, and Sumerian (among others like Latin and Gaelic) to devise a fictional language for a setting.
Okay I'll call this done though it feels a little like cheating. In my latest novel I have used butchered versions of greek, spanish , mandarin an a bit of gaelic as languages. They are not technically fully created languages but at the same time a native speaker of the language used as a basis would not fully be able to recognise what was being said. So it's a start.
9) Learn a computer programming language.
While it's not really a programing language I did study HTML and can do a bit with that so I'm again saying done..
10) Illustrate and write a picture book that conveys a deeply powerful message (this idea came to me a few years back and is something I have to do).
Never even got around to doing much of anything with this. sad really but I'll have to keep it on the list somewheres.
11) Make a project from Make Magazine.
I have to be strict here and call it half done. I did technically try a project from make and in fact worked with two projects of intrest from the magazine but one was completed with the use of an outside kit and the other failed to be successful. I'll say done but continue to come up with and tinker with some projects.
12) Build and use a pinhole camera.
I did it and hope to get some of the film developed soon and see the results of my work.
13) Take a Lampwork glass, or stained glass class.I did in fact take a stained glass class in April while writing 5 scripts. I enjoyed it and think that I may return to it when time and space can be found.
14) Make a possible action figure for another project.I’m trying to get the things I need for this so that I can complete this by the end of the month. It’s the little things that keep getting in my way.
I've designed one but have failed to make it physically real. So I'm calling that a not successful.
15) Grow a bonsai tree.
Though they have since died from cold an lack of light in my crumby room, I had some promising little ones that I'd even experimented with shaping a little.
16) Relearn mathematics in a way that works for me.
I made a breakthrough discovery that has improved my math substancially and am looking forward to getting even better.
17) Design a new origami object each month.
Sigh the modified version of this is done in it's way. I have tried new forms and folded some new ones each month. I also have learned that perhaps I'd been too limiting in my avoidance of kirigami and modular forms. I'll call it done and set it aside to stew while I start to think of how to complete the project that this was to be the foundation for.
18) Design One hand drawn maze a day.
I've done this faithfully and have one book for sale online, and two more to come.
19) Water color paint again.
Done
20) Send a message in a bottle, but my message will be art, and my method will get it to people and make sure I'm not littering.
http://groups.google.com/group/mess-n-bot
21) Generate three hundred dollars through some creative project before June. Use the money to get a wireless laptop and repeat for investable/savable money.
Creative financing and creative interpretation of the dealine and definition of the computer allow me another technical success. Considering it's not june yet and I have a computer (which is current suffering some problems that make it not fuctional to me). I'll call it done with a bit of anger at the parts that were out of my hands.
22) Integrate my spiritual world and my day to day together better.
I’ve done this to some degree, and I won’t go slinging it around as some big important story, it’s enough that I took some steps and continue to walk my path.
23) Bring into being a community benefitting project.
http://firstgiving.com/rovingjack
24) Look into getting a house of my own
did it learned some intresting things and now have to apply them.
If I don't miss my count I think I can call that 21 done out of 24. That's better then I figured. It stings that they didn't all go the way I planned but I've done something with them and learned about the projects and some I'll know how to do better next time. A started and not terribly impressive project result is better then none at all.
I think I can be a bit hard on myself. When I look at a project that didn't go as planned I tend to consider it not done, when I could say it was done (all be it done badly) and it's a good experiance for me to learn either how to do it better or that it is not where I wish to direct my energies.
That makes for a happy year end for me. and an intrest in doing more and better this coming year.
I'll work on my list for the coming year and get back to you.
Take care of your selves.
Roving Jack
I learned many things and am looking forward to doing more and learning more in the coming year.
Right now I'll be reviewing what I have done and then over the next few days I will be refining a list of to dos to post up as my next master list.
Here they are
1 - Write the rest of my 2007 script frenzy,
I've been procrastinating this one but I still have time to apply some effort to it this year, or I can roll it over and try next year.
2)In 2008 rovingjack went nutters and convinced himself that not only would he write a script frenzy idea he had passed on but that he was going to try his best to get 5 script frenzy scripts written. Operative term is try. He wants to try one each of graphic novel/manga script, Movie script, TV, Radio and Stage play.This was a project for April, which I am happy to say I succeeded at. Though much of these works reached their qualifying goal some are in need of an ending and all need editing.
3) Return to my previous nano writings and finish, expand and edit them.
I'll likely have to use part of january for this but I can hopefully have the first nano winner ready for sumbission at the end of january.
4) Submit one or more of the above writings to some form of public (published, or web posted).
I'm calling a minimum technical success on this as I did sort of write a collection of short stories and then submitted several to online groups for whome they were intended. Not to mention I have released a book of hand drawn mazes to the public.
5) Design a greeting card a month, and see about printing them through an on demand publishing company.
Twelve done, three in my shop (only available one at a time right now but hopefully soon I'll expand my store.
6) draw a map to be used in a piece of fiction of mine.
Done and is now something I'm exploring more of as a side bussiness idea.
7) Learn some of the basics of the Sumerian language system.
I learned some of how the system of language works, but found out it's likely to take an increadible amount of memorisation and a very flexible interpretation to use it. It's rather cumbersome as far as languages go. So technically done.
8) Use knowledge of English, Mandarin, and Sumerian (among others like Latin and Gaelic) to devise a fictional language for a setting.
Okay I'll call this done though it feels a little like cheating. In my latest novel I have used butchered versions of greek, spanish , mandarin an a bit of gaelic as languages. They are not technically fully created languages but at the same time a native speaker of the language used as a basis would not fully be able to recognise what was being said. So it's a start.
9) Learn a computer programming language.
While it's not really a programing language I did study HTML and can do a bit with that so I'm again saying done..
10) Illustrate and write a picture book that conveys a deeply powerful message (this idea came to me a few years back and is something I have to do).
Never even got around to doing much of anything with this. sad really but I'll have to keep it on the list somewheres.
11) Make a project from Make Magazine.
I have to be strict here and call it half done. I did technically try a project from make and in fact worked with two projects of intrest from the magazine but one was completed with the use of an outside kit and the other failed to be successful. I'll say done but continue to come up with and tinker with some projects.
12) Build and use a pinhole camera.
I did it and hope to get some of the film developed soon and see the results of my work.
13) Take a Lampwork glass, or stained glass class.I did in fact take a stained glass class in April while writing 5 scripts. I enjoyed it and think that I may return to it when time and space can be found.
14) Make a possible action figure for another project.I’m trying to get the things I need for this so that I can complete this by the end of the month. It’s the little things that keep getting in my way.
I've designed one but have failed to make it physically real. So I'm calling that a not successful.
15) Grow a bonsai tree.
Though they have since died from cold an lack of light in my crumby room, I had some promising little ones that I'd even experimented with shaping a little.
16) Relearn mathematics in a way that works for me.
I made a breakthrough discovery that has improved my math substancially and am looking forward to getting even better.
17) Design a new origami object each month.
Sigh the modified version of this is done in it's way. I have tried new forms and folded some new ones each month. I also have learned that perhaps I'd been too limiting in my avoidance of kirigami and modular forms. I'll call it done and set it aside to stew while I start to think of how to complete the project that this was to be the foundation for.
18) Design One hand drawn maze a day.
I've done this faithfully and have one book for sale online, and two more to come.
19) Water color paint again.
Done
20) Send a message in a bottle, but my message will be art, and my method will get it to people and make sure I'm not littering.
http://groups.google.com/group/mess-n-bot
21) Generate three hundred dollars through some creative project before June. Use the money to get a wireless laptop and repeat for investable/savable money.
Creative financing and creative interpretation of the dealine and definition of the computer allow me another technical success. Considering it's not june yet and I have a computer (which is current suffering some problems that make it not fuctional to me). I'll call it done with a bit of anger at the parts that were out of my hands.
22) Integrate my spiritual world and my day to day together better.
I’ve done this to some degree, and I won’t go slinging it around as some big important story, it’s enough that I took some steps and continue to walk my path.
23) Bring into being a community benefitting project.
http://firstgiving.com/rovingjack
24) Look into getting a house of my own
did it learned some intresting things and now have to apply them.
If I don't miss my count I think I can call that 21 done out of 24. That's better then I figured. It stings that they didn't all go the way I planned but I've done something with them and learned about the projects and some I'll know how to do better next time. A started and not terribly impressive project result is better then none at all.
I think I can be a bit hard on myself. When I look at a project that didn't go as planned I tend to consider it not done, when I could say it was done (all be it done badly) and it's a good experiance for me to learn either how to do it better or that it is not where I wish to direct my energies.
That makes for a happy year end for me. and an intrest in doing more and better this coming year.
I'll work on my list for the coming year and get back to you.
Take care of your selves.
Roving Jack
Thursday, December 25, 2008
What was that? Did you hear something on the roof?
Grab your ray guns and holographic sheild projectors, it's a full on invasion of ...
Wait what do you mean Santa?
Coal you say, Hmm, and that is supposed to be disinsentive to storming the roof with ray guns blazing. I think the old man has slipped a cog, Coal is bloody good stuff.
I can make inks for cartography with it and we could use it in the bar-B-que when the power goes out again. Not to mention as fuel for a host of steam powered minion with which we can take over the world.
Mwah hah hah ha. Lets take the roof gents there is a holiday icon on the loose with a sack full of toys that can be used as parts on our engine of world domination, and a sack full of coal to fuel it. I can't eat the venison but the good doctor there might be able to figure out what all this flight bussiness is created with and at the very least give us the secret of one of them with the Phospherescent proboscis.
Hope you're all having a good holiday, and get all the coal you could wish for. Stay warm, stay safe and take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
(ps. provided that we don't loose power AGAIN, I'll try to write more tomorrow.
Wait what do you mean Santa?
Coal you say, Hmm, and that is supposed to be disinsentive to storming the roof with ray guns blazing. I think the old man has slipped a cog, Coal is bloody good stuff.
I can make inks for cartography with it and we could use it in the bar-B-que when the power goes out again. Not to mention as fuel for a host of steam powered minion with which we can take over the world.
Mwah hah hah ha. Lets take the roof gents there is a holiday icon on the loose with a sack full of toys that can be used as parts on our engine of world domination, and a sack full of coal to fuel it. I can't eat the venison but the good doctor there might be able to figure out what all this flight bussiness is created with and at the very least give us the secret of one of them with the Phospherescent proboscis.
Hope you're all having a good holiday, and get all the coal you could wish for. Stay warm, stay safe and take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
(ps. provided that we don't loose power AGAIN, I'll try to write more tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Oh, D-d-d-dear
Said piglet to pooh bear.
Mhm, I just got's me a smackerel of honey. MMM.
Considering it's about the only carbohydrate I can eat without getting ill I get a fair amount of it in a week.
Guess how much. Go on, guess.
Nope. more then that. try again. Let me put it this way, if I didn't get some for a few meals at work and a couple of drinks during the week (honey and water) I'd probably still be dropping weight and looking like skin and bones. But also I'd be going through more then the one bottle I usually go through... a five pound bottle.
Thank goodness for Sams club. I can't eat most of the foods there, but five pounds of honey for under ten dollars is a good deal.
My membership is coming up on renewal time and I'm hemming and hawing about it. Like I said I can't eat most of the food, and I don't shop for much else there so I'm trying to figure if it's worth it. But at five pounds of honey a week, it just might be. And I may find other things of value to me through the year.
It's not much of a post but I'm still here and happy to have net access again.
Hoper you're all well, and taking care of yourselves on this celebrating time of year,
Rovingjack.
Mhm, I just got's me a smackerel of honey. MMM.
Considering it's about the only carbohydrate I can eat without getting ill I get a fair amount of it in a week.
Guess how much. Go on, guess.
Nope. more then that. try again. Let me put it this way, if I didn't get some for a few meals at work and a couple of drinks during the week (honey and water) I'd probably still be dropping weight and looking like skin and bones. But also I'd be going through more then the one bottle I usually go through... a five pound bottle.
Thank goodness for Sams club. I can't eat most of the foods there, but five pounds of honey for under ten dollars is a good deal.
My membership is coming up on renewal time and I'm hemming and hawing about it. Like I said I can't eat most of the food, and I don't shop for much else there so I'm trying to figure if it's worth it. But at five pounds of honey a week, it just might be. And I may find other things of value to me through the year.
It's not much of a post but I'm still here and happy to have net access again.
Hoper you're all well, and taking care of yourselves on this celebrating time of year,
Rovingjack.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
snow snow snow
Making it hard to get out and go.
I took care of some important things,
and ...
Ah the heck with the ryhming bit. I'm off to watch a movie with a former coworker. Then run some late night errands if I can then Likely hole up for sunday too. More snow is on the way. Monday the labs are closed and I'm thinking monday night or tuesday I'm going up to family. So You should hear from me by tuesday.
Right now it's just trying to pull the last bit of december together and then starting another year of doing Big Fun Scary challenges.
I'll talk a bit about that.
Take care of yourselves.
I took care of some important things,
and ...
Ah the heck with the ryhming bit. I'm off to watch a movie with a former coworker. Then run some late night errands if I can then Likely hole up for sunday too. More snow is on the way. Monday the labs are closed and I'm thinking monday night or tuesday I'm going up to family. So You should hear from me by tuesday.
Right now it's just trying to pull the last bit of december together and then starting another year of doing Big Fun Scary challenges.
I'll talk a bit about that.
Take care of yourselves.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Yay, BFSC is back
The forum for the year of doing big fun scary things is back on the nano boards.
I'm a I'm another year into the archives of girl genious, it's quite fun to read.
I was a bad Jack and didn't work on Runcible again. I also didn't call Eddie to work out when we are going to get together again. I do plan on making my map entry to this months challenge at the guild though. That's going to have to happen in the next few days (the labs close on monday until after new years and they have the only scanner I can use for my work).
I'm not sure what to do about holiday gifts this year for some people.
And I still haven't done any editing on my writing yet.
Sigh. What to do with myself? I do sometimes wish there was a way to become multiple people for periods of time. I could work on it all in the same amount of time and then combine myself together for memories of all of it at a later time. Oh well.
If the weather isn''t too bad Ill be running some errand tomorrow and maybe getting together with Eddie for a movie. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow. Maybe by saturday I'll give an update post But somewhere I hope to get one more post in before monday.
Then I'm likely visiting family and should get a bit of access then for my usual duties online.
It looks like it's getting hectic again for the last bit of the month.
Take care of yourselves and celebrate safely.
Roving Jack.
I'm a I'm another year into the archives of girl genious, it's quite fun to read.
I was a bad Jack and didn't work on Runcible again. I also didn't call Eddie to work out when we are going to get together again. I do plan on making my map entry to this months challenge at the guild though. That's going to have to happen in the next few days (the labs close on monday until after new years and they have the only scanner I can use for my work).
I'm not sure what to do about holiday gifts this year for some people.
And I still haven't done any editing on my writing yet.
Sigh. What to do with myself? I do sometimes wish there was a way to become multiple people for periods of time. I could work on it all in the same amount of time and then combine myself together for memories of all of it at a later time. Oh well.
If the weather isn''t too bad Ill be running some errand tomorrow and maybe getting together with Eddie for a movie. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow. Maybe by saturday I'll give an update post But somewhere I hope to get one more post in before monday.
Then I'm likely visiting family and should get a bit of access then for my usual duties online.
It looks like it's getting hectic again for the last bit of the month.
Take care of yourselves and celebrate safely.
Roving Jack.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Distraction distractions
If you tried that little game out you either think I am a complete geek or you can sort of see how fun it can be.
It's also a distraction that can slow my progress in other things. So like today I've been swallowed up by one of the things I was just going to look into. Sigh oh well. Sometimes one has to allow for a bit of time to just goof off.
The thing I wonder sometimes is wether I do anything else. I mean I've a million and one novels and stories and inventions tummbling through my head and a billion and one question I want to explore but it alwasy seem that I'm not really working.
Not to imply that I'm broken or anything, which is also true, but simply that I can't for the life of me see myself as really interconnected with the rest of the world. My intrests and projects and thoughts seem to be just slightly outside of the lives of most people.
One of my bosses at work is spending his holiday with his wife in her hoe town... Kyoto Japan. And I am quite envious of him. But that's the thing that's another one of those pointeres telling me I'm just ... well a little bit off. When I've talked to some people about the envy of that trip they talk about how it a smaller area then tokyo and...
Yes but I would actually rather go to Kyoto. I would love to see the Fushimi Inari shrine. and tada there it is. Like admitting I have a favorite platonic solid, or a favorite marsupial. Like laughing at baulder being used in place of thors broken mallet, or getting excited by a recent development in nanotechnology, or writing a story about a super hero named Runcible.
There are things I like about being differant and then there are times where it's just... well, lonely. I think that's why I like going to connecticon, or socrates cafe, or my meeting with a group of people each month.
They are similar mind, granted similar is as close as they get, and even to many of them I'm a bit odd, but then they are a step off of the path most traveled themselves.
Hmm, this was not really what I had intended to write about today, but well there you have it.
I'm not sure how the weather will play out tomorrow but I'd like to post again, at the latest I will get something here by saturday.
Until then Take care of yourselves,
Roving jack
It's also a distraction that can slow my progress in other things. So like today I've been swallowed up by one of the things I was just going to look into. Sigh oh well. Sometimes one has to allow for a bit of time to just goof off.
The thing I wonder sometimes is wether I do anything else. I mean I've a million and one novels and stories and inventions tummbling through my head and a billion and one question I want to explore but it alwasy seem that I'm not really working.
Not to imply that I'm broken or anything, which is also true, but simply that I can't for the life of me see myself as really interconnected with the rest of the world. My intrests and projects and thoughts seem to be just slightly outside of the lives of most people.
One of my bosses at work is spending his holiday with his wife in her hoe town... Kyoto Japan. And I am quite envious of him. But that's the thing that's another one of those pointeres telling me I'm just ... well a little bit off. When I've talked to some people about the envy of that trip they talk about how it a smaller area then tokyo and...
Yes but I would actually rather go to Kyoto. I would love to see the Fushimi Inari shrine. and tada there it is. Like admitting I have a favorite platonic solid, or a favorite marsupial. Like laughing at baulder being used in place of thors broken mallet, or getting excited by a recent development in nanotechnology, or writing a story about a super hero named Runcible.
There are things I like about being differant and then there are times where it's just... well, lonely. I think that's why I like going to connecticon, or socrates cafe, or my meeting with a group of people each month.
They are similar mind, granted similar is as close as they get, and even to many of them I'm a bit odd, but then they are a step off of the path most traveled themselves.
Hmm, this was not really what I had intended to write about today, but well there you have it.
I'm not sure how the weather will play out tomorrow but I'd like to post again, at the latest I will get something here by saturday.
Until then Take care of yourselves,
Roving jack
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
AH head going to explode!
I've sort of been playing my favorite game lately. Well one of my favorites anyway.
You should try it. It's got the working title of link chase. All you have to do is learn about something that you've never learned about before and then do a net search for it. Read the first result that catches your attention and then follow any links on the page.
Repeat until you've consumed hours of your spare time and avrious parts of you hurt or go numb from sitting so long at the keyboards.
I've discovered a few things that I very much want to learn more about and some I actually want to participate in. Learned a few things about myself too. And all the while I've been sorely neglecting poor Runcible, and Attir too for that matter (characters in some of my incomplete fiction).
Sigh, I'm sort of too scatter brained to post much more then this tonight though earlier I did have some intresting things to discuss, I'm affraid I might do a perfectly good topic disservice by discussing it in this state.
Tomorrow then. But In the mean time I'd like to give you something to start a round of link chase with. Here are a few, some old and some new:
Otherkin
Fresnel lens
hypersphere
Inari Shrine
Have fun with them and I'll post something better tomorrow. Feel free to play this game with any of my posts.
Take Care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
You should try it. It's got the working title of link chase. All you have to do is learn about something that you've never learned about before and then do a net search for it. Read the first result that catches your attention and then follow any links on the page.
Repeat until you've consumed hours of your spare time and avrious parts of you hurt or go numb from sitting so long at the keyboards.
I've discovered a few things that I very much want to learn more about and some I actually want to participate in. Learned a few things about myself too. And all the while I've been sorely neglecting poor Runcible, and Attir too for that matter (characters in some of my incomplete fiction).
Sigh, I'm sort of too scatter brained to post much more then this tonight though earlier I did have some intresting things to discuss, I'm affraid I might do a perfectly good topic disservice by discussing it in this state.
Tomorrow then. But In the mean time I'd like to give you something to start a round of link chase with. Here are a few, some old and some new:
Otherkin
Fresnel lens
hypersphere
Inari Shrine
Have fun with them and I'll post something better tomorrow. Feel free to play this game with any of my posts.
Take Care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thoughts on Creativity
I'm looking at my master list of twenty four projects and thinking that I may not make all 24 happen this year (those that don't get done will continue into next year) but I am caught by the realisation that of those on the list I have done about 15 of them as intended, and three more of them are 'technical wins' in that they technically meet the qualifications even if they don't exactly match the spirit in which I intended them.
Eighteen personal challenges during the year is nothing to sneer at and that's not even counting the other side projects I worked on and succeeded with. This coming years goals will be just as colorful and maybe even more so. I've decided that this past year was the learning and foundation year for me. I set 24 goals and wanted to do them all. But I was doing it in a vacume.
Now I know what I have done in the past and it will help me guage and tackle a new list for this year. So This coming year I will make another long list of projects, and instead of commiting to a certain set of them, I will say that of this list I will complete at least 18 goals.
I really think I have a chance at doing some more amazing things in the coming year. I'm finding that where I should be feeling like I'm a bit used up and slowly recovering from my Nano experiance, I am infact coming up with lot's of new ideas and projects and my intrest and excitement just keeps building.
I'm wondering if I've stepped up onto a whole new level of personal creativity for me. It was a little alarming to realise that I had actually forgotten some of my new ideas in the last week because I hadn't stopped to write them down in my notebook when I had them. I think my workbooks are going to be filled at an ever increasing rate from here on out.
I'll post again tomorrow and Wedns. and tr to get a post up of what the holiday season posting will be like. Work will be out and the computer labs will be closed but I will also be visiting family and possably going down to connecticut for a day.
We shall see.
Take care of yourselves.
Rovingjack
Eighteen personal challenges during the year is nothing to sneer at and that's not even counting the other side projects I worked on and succeeded with. This coming years goals will be just as colorful and maybe even more so. I've decided that this past year was the learning and foundation year for me. I set 24 goals and wanted to do them all. But I was doing it in a vacume.
Now I know what I have done in the past and it will help me guage and tackle a new list for this year. So This coming year I will make another long list of projects, and instead of commiting to a certain set of them, I will say that of this list I will complete at least 18 goals.
I really think I have a chance at doing some more amazing things in the coming year. I'm finding that where I should be feeling like I'm a bit used up and slowly recovering from my Nano experiance, I am infact coming up with lot's of new ideas and projects and my intrest and excitement just keeps building.
I'm wondering if I've stepped up onto a whole new level of personal creativity for me. It was a little alarming to realise that I had actually forgotten some of my new ideas in the last week because I hadn't stopped to write them down in my notebook when I had them. I think my workbooks are going to be filled at an ever increasing rate from here on out.
I'll post again tomorrow and Wedns. and tr to get a post up of what the holiday season posting will be like. Work will be out and the computer labs will be closed but I will also be visiting family and possably going down to connecticut for a day.
We shall see.
Take care of yourselves.
Rovingjack
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A proposal
I would like to offer you all a proposal. I've written here for a while and you've seen that I do some writing projects and hopefully you are farmiliar with my Master List of other projects.
What I'd like to propose is that anybody who reads thins post think good and hard on what you'd like to do or be over the next year, and make a list of the things that will get you to that point. I want others to participate in the adventure of doing this type of thing with me.
I'd encourage you all to join either Nanowrimo.org and find the Big fun scary challenge, or go on over to 43things.com
But if that is just one more site to join or one more location you won't participate in then do it with me. No joining nessecary. Make your list and see what you can make of yourself and your life. Post replies to my blog if you can, or email. me at rovingjack@gmail.com
I want you to be able to set realistic goals (don't do the same things that so many try, loose weight and clean more... they are hard to do because they are not actually goals. Loose 15 pounds or spend an hour cleaning on saturdays work better) and set a pace for how you can change your life in one year.
An example is how I now face the last 21 mazes that I will draw by hand. It is something I have done for nearly a year, every night. I will in some ways be glad at not having to find a time to fit one in when I'm busy. But I will likely forget and make more after the year is up. I'm so used to it. I've got nearly 345 mazes already and a book of hand drawn mazes up for purchase on a website. There are enough now to make two more books.
Think about that, something that I spend maybe 15-20 mins on each night and am so use to that it's part of my bedtime ritual. They can be made into (and will be) three books that I can sell online.
I've gotten some cards for adoptees up and sort of going in my web store at cafepress. I've written scripts and novels, I've done a charity event, and built a web page, learned some HTML coding, learned something about sumerian cuniform and improved my math. There is even more that that. So much that I can hardly remember it all. and that was all done in the last year.
So join me and ask yourself: What can we do with the moments of our lives that will awe us in a years time?
I've got some cramming to do over the next several Days so I'm skipping Blog posts until Monday night.
Until then take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack.
What I'd like to propose is that anybody who reads thins post think good and hard on what you'd like to do or be over the next year, and make a list of the things that will get you to that point. I want others to participate in the adventure of doing this type of thing with me.
I'd encourage you all to join either Nanowrimo.org and find the Big fun scary challenge, or go on over to 43things.com
But if that is just one more site to join or one more location you won't participate in then do it with me. No joining nessecary. Make your list and see what you can make of yourself and your life. Post replies to my blog if you can, or email. me at rovingjack@gmail.com
I want you to be able to set realistic goals (don't do the same things that so many try, loose weight and clean more... they are hard to do because they are not actually goals. Loose 15 pounds or spend an hour cleaning on saturdays work better) and set a pace for how you can change your life in one year.
An example is how I now face the last 21 mazes that I will draw by hand. It is something I have done for nearly a year, every night. I will in some ways be glad at not having to find a time to fit one in when I'm busy. But I will likely forget and make more after the year is up. I'm so used to it. I've got nearly 345 mazes already and a book of hand drawn mazes up for purchase on a website. There are enough now to make two more books.
Think about that, something that I spend maybe 15-20 mins on each night and am so use to that it's part of my bedtime ritual. They can be made into (and will be) three books that I can sell online.
I've gotten some cards for adoptees up and sort of going in my web store at cafepress. I've written scripts and novels, I've done a charity event, and built a web page, learned some HTML coding, learned something about sumerian cuniform and improved my math. There is even more that that. So much that I can hardly remember it all. and that was all done in the last year.
So join me and ask yourself: What can we do with the moments of our lives that will awe us in a years time?
I've got some cramming to do over the next several Days so I'm skipping Blog posts until Monday night.
Until then take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Well a bit of a change of plans
I'm going to have to wait on the ostrich meat I think. My system will need to recover... Because I had one really bad night last night. Actually it was only about an hour that was bad, but when you go that bad it tends to make the rest of your night uncomfortable. Gotta love this disease.
Anyway I can still get together with Eddie and try to get him to try some new things. He's never had sword fish (he doesn't like fish) but I think I can make it something he could enjoy. But I do have the backup chilli for a week for less then a dollar a meal. It's actually pretty tasty from what I remember back when I could eat that sort of thing without getting violently ill. I'd love to be able to eat it again.
Ah well, enough about the food. On to other things.
I've kind of found a craft project idea that both appeals to me and goes against the grain a bit. Altered books. There is just something that seems sacreligieous about deliberately destroying a book, but the end results are wonderful in many cases. I'm thinking that I might try playing a bit with the trashy romance hardbacks at the thrift stores. They are the kind of thing that just sits there until the employees go through a few times a year and throw out the shelf warmers. I think I might be able to shred and alter one of those. It'd be a bit like shoot old yeller' but I think that once I get over that first one it would get easier to give these things new life as art.
I gotta get to work. Tonight I hope to start the adventures of the Superhero in training known as Runcible. *Cackle*
Type to you on the morrow.
Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
Anyway I can still get together with Eddie and try to get him to try some new things. He's never had sword fish (he doesn't like fish) but I think I can make it something he could enjoy. But I do have the backup chilli for a week for less then a dollar a meal. It's actually pretty tasty from what I remember back when I could eat that sort of thing without getting violently ill. I'd love to be able to eat it again.
Ah well, enough about the food. On to other things.
I've kind of found a craft project idea that both appeals to me and goes against the grain a bit. Altered books. There is just something that seems sacreligieous about deliberately destroying a book, but the end results are wonderful in many cases. I'm thinking that I might try playing a bit with the trashy romance hardbacks at the thrift stores. They are the kind of thing that just sits there until the employees go through a few times a year and throw out the shelf warmers. I think I might be able to shred and alter one of those. It'd be a bit like shoot old yeller' but I think that once I get over that first one it would get easier to give these things new life as art.
I gotta get to work. Tonight I hope to start the adventures of the Superhero in training known as Runcible. *Cackle*
Type to you on the morrow.
Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
Monday, December 8, 2008
Oh so much to enjoy
So many project I need to get down to doing. I'm actually skittering about at a loss of where to go next. it's a little confusing after coming out of Nano.
I mean During november it's really only one thing that I have to deal with, well that's a half truth. I set myself up so that my writing is the goal, and occassionally other things can be fit in. I literally wake up and think about writing and when and where it's going to happen over the next four days. But once I make the goal by the deadline I find myself facing a wind down and refiguring of priorities.
It actually takes a few days to get used to the idea that I don't need to make a certain amount of novel appear out of nowhere for a while.
There is a kind of relief and yet a bit of sadness to that too.
But there are plenty more projects where those came from. I've done a bit of reading (three or four books, and read the short story I mentioned last time and got so caught up in it that I continued into the next story.
I think tomorrow I will try to post my blog entry before works, and use the time after work to do a bit of writing of a superhero story for a web site. And depending on how that goes maybe do some editing of past Nanos to get them closer to the finished point and ready to submit to somebody.
Then on thursday I really aught to get my car an oil change and winterised. Sigh more money going bye-bye.
Then I should look into finding one more gift for family. I managed to find several good things over the later half of 2008in thrift stores. I know it sound cheap but some of these things can't be found elsewhere for a decent price and most have never even been read/opened.
Friday I'm getting together with Eddie again. This past friday we played a word/card game, I ate venison (better then beef but still not my type of meat) and watched Hancock, and Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow. Thjs friday I may finally get to try ostrich meat, now that is something I'm intrested in trying.
The weekend should be set aside for working on a few of my last remaining master list projects. Mostly finishing writings and submitting them somewhere.
I'm already filling up spaces for the next years master list. Oh there is going to be so much to enjoy.
I'll post a bit more on that fron tomorrow. Until then...
take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
I mean During november it's really only one thing that I have to deal with, well that's a half truth. I set myself up so that my writing is the goal, and occassionally other things can be fit in. I literally wake up and think about writing and when and where it's going to happen over the next four days. But once I make the goal by the deadline I find myself facing a wind down and refiguring of priorities.
It actually takes a few days to get used to the idea that I don't need to make a certain amount of novel appear out of nowhere for a while.
There is a kind of relief and yet a bit of sadness to that too.
But there are plenty more projects where those came from. I've done a bit of reading (three or four books, and read the short story I mentioned last time and got so caught up in it that I continued into the next story.
I think tomorrow I will try to post my blog entry before works, and use the time after work to do a bit of writing of a superhero story for a web site. And depending on how that goes maybe do some editing of past Nanos to get them closer to the finished point and ready to submit to somebody.
Then on thursday I really aught to get my car an oil change and winterised. Sigh more money going bye-bye.
Then I should look into finding one more gift for family. I managed to find several good things over the later half of 2008in thrift stores. I know it sound cheap but some of these things can't be found elsewhere for a decent price and most have never even been read/opened.
Friday I'm getting together with Eddie again. This past friday we played a word/card game, I ate venison (better then beef but still not my type of meat) and watched Hancock, and Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow. Thjs friday I may finally get to try ostrich meat, now that is something I'm intrested in trying.
The weekend should be set aside for working on a few of my last remaining master list projects. Mostly finishing writings and submitting them somewhere.
I'm already filling up spaces for the next years master list. Oh there is going to be so much to enjoy.
I'll post a bit more on that fron tomorrow. Until then...
take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
Thursday, December 4, 2008
A creative mind set free
I'm from the school of thought that says, if an idea occurs to you for something that is truly weird then you must share it with the world.
I'm part of a fan base of a web series of superhero stories, where there are fan fictions posted on a regular basis. I've actually written one about a guy who works in the mall because he did want to and wasn't suited to being a super hero. But a recent topic concerning ... well I guess I'll just have to say it... sigh, Runcible spoons, has come up. And somewhere along the way I devised a super hero in training called Runcible. At first it was just supposed to be a smart alek bit.
But the character has grown a bit from there and while it will have its fair share of absurdity it will also be a well developed and intricate character.
I'm going to switch topics rather abruptly here so hang on. I found a card model (paper craft) human figure that might just work for my action figure goal on my master list of projects and so I'm happy I might actually get that one done.
On the other hand almost all the growing plants I was in the process of making bonsai from shriveled and died the other day. The cold of my living space and the poor light conditions are to blame for some of it.
They thrived out of doors during the summer. I'm bummed about that but I can technically call it an achieved goal for the fact that I grew them from seed and did in fact shape them. I'm still hoping one or two will pull through. Sigh I stink at plants.
Tomorrow I'm off to a friend’s house to watch a movie and play a game, and he has offered me some venison. I'm going to do it because I don't believe I've ever had it and I should be able to say I at least tried it.
I've never mentioned it here before but aside from health related dietary restrictions (actually rather severe, but not relevant in this post) I also have for many year made it a practice to never eat any mammals. It's just a personal preference, but I will make an exception in this case I guess.
Yeah maybe sometime I'll explain the intricate world of what can be eaten by myself, and what I do eat, and things I'd like to try, and foods I miss.
Oh I almost forgot, I spent some time attending a discussion earlier today by some big names in the local banking and real-estate industries discussing the state of the economy and what it all means.
A topic of some interest to me, as I am sure it's of some to you as well right now. And while it was interesting there wasn't a whole lot of new info put forth. But all in all I'm glad I went. It just reaffirms my need to get some things in order now so that I can act on some of this. Otherwise I will likely regret it in the future.
That's a good place to leave it today. I think sometime this weekend or by Monday night at the latest I'll be back with a bit more to discuss, but more detail and maybe a bit less all over the board.
Til then Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Some thoughts.
I've come to the conclusion that I can do whatever occurs to me to do with my blog. It may not hold the same audiance from day to day or topic to topic but I think I need to be able to just not have to portion myself out to fit some Niche.
Besides I'm Roving Jack, of many a trade ... they call me jack of all trades. So I'm gonna wonder and cover many and myriad topics for the sheer joy of experiancing my world as myself.
So to start off I'll let you Know that I am going to reread one of my favorite short stories tonight. It's one of the things that I connected so deeply with when I was but a lad, and it has sort of given me permission to have such an eclectic set of intrests. The story is calling In Hiding by Wilmar Shiras and it's the first in a series that was compiled into the book called Children of the atom (pst, there is a preview of the story on google books).
I first read it back in highschool when I was devouring the small sci-fi section at the local library. It was unnerving that this character should have some ideas I had been thinking of and it was inspiring too. I returned the book and then wanted to re read the story only to realise that I had forgotten the story name , author and book name I had found it in (it had been an anthology of multiple authors works). I searched for that story off and on over ten years.
Some wonderful people over at Nanowriom happened to know the name when I asked and told me there were sequels and that they had been compiled into a book called Children of the atom.
Well I bought it then and there off of ebay and to this day it is one of my most cherish posessions. I reread it in whole and in parts when I can.
And I will do so again tonight.
Then for a bit I think I will start going through some other books and then write about what I thought about them.
With some science stories and projects to post aboput in between.
So That's the plan for now, I'll post again tomorrow.
Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
Besides I'm Roving Jack, of many a trade ... they call me jack of all trades. So I'm gonna wonder and cover many and myriad topics for the sheer joy of experiancing my world as myself.
So to start off I'll let you Know that I am going to reread one of my favorite short stories tonight. It's one of the things that I connected so deeply with when I was but a lad, and it has sort of given me permission to have such an eclectic set of intrests. The story is calling In Hiding by Wilmar Shiras and it's the first in a series that was compiled into the book called Children of the atom (pst, there is a preview of the story on google books).
I first read it back in highschool when I was devouring the small sci-fi section at the local library. It was unnerving that this character should have some ideas I had been thinking of and it was inspiring too. I returned the book and then wanted to re read the story only to realise that I had forgotten the story name , author and book name I had found it in (it had been an anthology of multiple authors works). I searched for that story off and on over ten years.
Some wonderful people over at Nanowriom happened to know the name when I asked and told me there were sequels and that they had been compiled into a book called Children of the atom.
Well I bought it then and there off of ebay and to this day it is one of my most cherish posessions. I reread it in whole and in parts when I can.
And I will do so again tonight.
Then for a bit I think I will start going through some other books and then write about what I thought about them.
With some science stories and projects to post aboput in between.
So That's the plan for now, I'll post again tomorrow.
Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Where do we go from here
Well I've done some writing about projects I have, and a little about my life and some of my thoughts on writing. I've got another blog elsewhere for another purpose and so I'm asking myself now what the focus of this blog aught to be.
I have always had a tny bit of trouble when it comes to focus. I once quipped that I was looking for a giant fresnel lens to rectify that. Oh the puns upon puns.
I did for a while post on a favorite web board about news and Tech developments that I'd get excited about. That was sort of fun for a while, it's just that my intrests are so broad spectrum that any one topic I wrote about would be such a small sliver of what travels through this wild mind of mine.
I'd hate to not be able to share that with people. Because for the longest time I stiffled it because it was not helpful to be that unusual.
I mean I could have fun talking with folks about a topic but I'd have to bottle up the eight or nine other areas due to their being outside of the realm of these freinds and family.
So do I write about a myriad of esoteric intrests or do I specialise and make myself only partly available through this blog. Hmm I'm gonna have to brainstorm on this a bit and get back to people.
I'll write some thought about the direction of this blog tomorrow and then things may really start taking off.
Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
I have always had a tny bit of trouble when it comes to focus. I once quipped that I was looking for a giant fresnel lens to rectify that. Oh the puns upon puns.
I did for a while post on a favorite web board about news and Tech developments that I'd get excited about. That was sort of fun for a while, it's just that my intrests are so broad spectrum that any one topic I wrote about would be such a small sliver of what travels through this wild mind of mine.
I'd hate to not be able to share that with people. Because for the longest time I stiffled it because it was not helpful to be that unusual.
I mean I could have fun talking with folks about a topic but I'd have to bottle up the eight or nine other areas due to their being outside of the realm of these freinds and family.
So do I write about a myriad of esoteric intrests or do I specialise and make myself only partly available through this blog. Hmm I'm gonna have to brainstorm on this a bit and get back to people.
I'll write some thought about the direction of this blog tomorrow and then things may really start taking off.
Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack
Monday, December 1, 2008
Glory onto the Nanowrimo
For it has made of me a wild adventurerer.
Yes folks another Nano has come and gone; and while some part of me shall miss it, another part is glad to be able to slack off for a bit.
I mean my word, I managed 100,000 words in two novels in 18 days. That's a heck of a rate. Even when averaging (5555 words a dayish) But when You consider that it wasn't so cleanly split and that my personal best was a day where I pumped out 9000 words in 8 hours. That's none too shabby. I've heard advice from many professional writers who don't write that hard.
But now for the sad news: the stories, while resting, are far from done. Infact Attirs war decided earlier in the process that It would rather be a series then a book and is at the current 50,000 words only just begining. Portal city is further along at it's 50,000 being about 1/3-2/5 done. Now there will be sloppy areas and extra stuff to be trimmed but there will also be areas that need expanding and elaboration too. There are a few areas in Portal city that border dangerously on monolouges and lectures and so hould be broken up and made more story like and less information dumping.
It was wild and I'd do it again (and a bit more) given a little more time and some changes to my computer access situation. Which should have been solved this time (grumble... ripped off... grumble).
But for now I'm laying those storys down for a nap, they nolonger need to be rushed through my muses. And I will still be doing a fair amount of writing in December due to some of my goals from the Master list coming up on the deadline. Yes By new Year I will be looking back on my list of 24 things and seeing most if not all of them taken care of. And then being silly in the head enough to make a whole new list.
I'm in the thick of it these days. No longer am I asking where is this life taking me, I'm asking where am I taking this life.
I'll be here again on the morrow.
Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
Yes folks another Nano has come and gone; and while some part of me shall miss it, another part is glad to be able to slack off for a bit.
I mean my word, I managed 100,000 words in two novels in 18 days. That's a heck of a rate. Even when averaging (5555 words a dayish) But when You consider that it wasn't so cleanly split and that my personal best was a day where I pumped out 9000 words in 8 hours. That's none too shabby. I've heard advice from many professional writers who don't write that hard.
But now for the sad news: the stories, while resting, are far from done. Infact Attirs war decided earlier in the process that It would rather be a series then a book and is at the current 50,000 words only just begining. Portal city is further along at it's 50,000 being about 1/3-2/5 done. Now there will be sloppy areas and extra stuff to be trimmed but there will also be areas that need expanding and elaboration too. There are a few areas in Portal city that border dangerously on monolouges and lectures and so hould be broken up and made more story like and less information dumping.
It was wild and I'd do it again (and a bit more) given a little more time and some changes to my computer access situation. Which should have been solved this time (grumble... ripped off... grumble).
But for now I'm laying those storys down for a nap, they nolonger need to be rushed through my muses. And I will still be doing a fair amount of writing in December due to some of my goals from the Master list coming up on the deadline. Yes By new Year I will be looking back on my list of 24 things and seeing most if not all of them taken care of. And then being silly in the head enough to make a whole new list.
I'm in the thick of it these days. No longer am I asking where is this life taking me, I'm asking where am I taking this life.
I'll be here again on the morrow.
Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack
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