Romantic Frustration Continues

Over Easter weekend I was out and about helping some friends at a fundraiser.  During this time, I had the pleasure of meeting a person.  I really had not thought much of it simply because we were both busy doing our thing, but it was clear that we had an attraction to each other.  I gave them my business card and a kiss goodbye as I was leaving the bar and let the thought flow to the back of my mind as ‘that was nice.’

The following Monday I received a text from him.  I was surprised and pleased by the gesture.  We started to chat then and continued on to Thursday, when we decided to meet up for a brief time due to their schedule.  It was a fun brief few minutes.  There are a lot of things I like about the person and I could see myself wanting to learn more about them and to grow into something if it’s meant to be.  However, that nagging thought came back to me.  I’m homeless!

That single thought can truly ruin any hopes for romance of any type.  Do I bother to spend the time to get to know them and to develop something, or do I stop it in its tracks.  Sooner or later I will have to tell them and they will act in one of two ways…freak out and disappear as so many have done, or say it’s cool and remain friends, but nothing else.

I can’t blame them for not wanting to get involved with someone who is homeless. After all, it’s not saying much for who they are.  I mean really, how could someone end up homeless, right?  If you have been reading my blog you know how it happened.  And that’s what the real aspect is, it happened and I am homeless.

What is frustrating for me is that I feel I have to cut myself off from friends and possibly romantic interest because of my situation.  When people don’t know what is going on with me, they are pleasant and kind, acting as if I am a normal person.  Don’t get me wrong, there are a hand full of people who are being supportive and I AM Grateful for them.  It does keep my hopes for human kindness alive.  But, there are those who do act differently because I am in my situation.  I get it, I understand.

Thus, the continuing dilemma: Do I say something now and let it end?  Do I keep going without saying anything in the hopes of something developing, which could then fall apart when they do find out?  Do I act normal as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening?  I do my best to be myself as much as I can and I hope they enjoy me for who I am.  In time we will see what happens.

Life goes on…I go on

Part Time Work

Over the winter I was able to work for tips at a bar doing coat check. It was not much, averaging around $20 per night, with about 3 nights per week, but it was something and I was grateful for it. It did help pay some bills and that was important.

At the end of our winter, I was asked to help out during a huge event here in town known as SXSW, South By South West. The money I had hoped to make did not happen, but again, I did make some money and that is important. It helped pay for some bills and keep me going.

Computers...

Recently, an acquaintance of mine had found out about my situation and thought he would do something to help out. He travels on the weekends about 1 weekend a month, some times more, being gone about 4 days each time. He has a dog and puts him into a kennel while he is gone. He asked me to house sit for him and watch over the dog. I was more then glad to help. He offered to pay me for it as well. I at first told him that payment was not necessary as the gift of sleeping in a bed, having access to a freg and a bath tub was payment enough. But, he insisted that I take it or not do it. I know better then to refuse a gift from the Universe so I didn't argue the point. Glad I didn't...lol.

When we met to review things, we talked about what has been going on and what I need to help make things better. I told him that other then cash, a laptop would help greatly. He suggested helping me out with that in exchange for house sitting. I ended up with a new laptop that day...YEAH! And it has been very helpful to have it. I feel that I can once again accomplish getting work done that I have been so far behind in.

Update & Panhandlers

Howdy;

It’s been a bit since my last posting which is good in a way.  I’m still alive, though I have developed another cough due to chemicals that are in the storage unit building.  I will work feverously to get rid of it as I always do.

The lady I had previously wrote about has not said anything about me to the staff and as I found out from her last week, there are about 3 other people on the property that are also doing the same thing as I am.  What is also interesting is during one of my soup kitchen outings, I overheard a conversation about the same subject.  Apparently, the homeless are sharing information on what locations are the cheapest to rent and the easiest to live in.  That is comforting in one aspect, as they have a place to go to as I do, but extremely sad at the same time.  I know that I am not the first to consider doing this, and I doubt I will be the last, but for this to be happening to so many more is just so wrong.  Facilities are packed solid every night and more and more people are being forced out onto the streets every day.

While the media may promote good economic news right now, the reality is, it will take years of recovery to get people off the streets and back into homes.  For a lot of people, they don’t have years, let alone months or days.

This brings me to another subject that I feel I must say something about; Panhandlers.  While American hearts go out to the homeless, and that is a great thing to have happen, there are too many people who take advantage of that goodness.

Panhandlers are those types of people for the most part that choose not to work, choose not to live in a shelter or some other facility for they know that by standing out on the street corner holding up a sign that indicates their desperate flight, they will make a good chunk of change.  Reports have it from a mere $20 dollars a day up to the hundreds depending on what corner you have and how well you ‘work’ it.

In the mean time, a majority of them will use that money to buy food, drugs and alcohol.  Not one of them will save it and try to use it for something else that may help them get off the streets.  They are content being on the streets and don’t want to change.

The problem with this process is that those people who think they are helping out are really not helping at all.  They are actually allowing for the continuation of a bad habit.  The money that is collected by panhandlers would actually make a world of difference in the community by giving the money to programs that work with the homeless.  Imagine this, in Austin on a given day there are about 40 panhandlers on street corners.  If each one earns $20 per day that is about $800 dollars in one day.  Multiply that out by 365 days that is a total of $292,000 per year.   That is enough money to build a new facility for housing, feed thousands of people, etc.  Money that would go much further if organizations had it then it would for those panhandlers that would immediately spend it on waste or lose it.

So the next time you have the urge to give change to someone on the street, DON’T!  Instead, go home and write out a check to a charity group, even if it is only a $1.00 check.  It all helps those that really need it the most.

Life goes on…I go on.

Wishing you a Wonderful New Year

 2012 is now upon us and depending on who you listen to, 2012 will be our last year of existence as we know it.   The Mayan’s whose calendar system has been the most accurate in history simply says that on December 21, 2012 their calendar cycle ends and a new one begins.  I am leaning towards that line of thought.

Each New Years day begins a year full of opportunity and hope and this one is no different.  We are going through many changes and challenges as seen in 2011.  Do your best to keep fear at bay so you can enjoy all the wonders this New Year will offer you, even when it seems to be your darkest hour.  Allow your hope, faith and love to guide you this year through your journey.

While you may not know where your journey is taking you, know that there is a purpose for the journey and know without a doubt you will be a better person for it.

May you and your loved ones all have a Wonderful Life in 2012.

3 Month's of Homelessness

I am past the three month mark on becoming homeless and it’s been an interesting time for me on many levels.  Overall, I good learning experience and one full of information that I can use in my writings when I finally get a chance to write again.  I’ve meet many interesting people along the way, homeless and not homeless that have taught me a few things as well.

Today, I meet a fellow storage unit renter who lost her home in the Bastrop fires last September.  What she has left is in three storage units here and she is working hard to reduce it down to two units to help save money.  Most of what she has was given to her after the fire through donations; she has very little left of personal items.  I know her feeling of lost as I have been there once before.

The only concern I have is that she ‘believes’ that I am living in my storage unit and she does know that I run the extension cord out my door.  She too wants to do the same so that she can use her PC and try to get her life back on track.  I’m concerned that she will say something or be careless about using the electricity during business hours, the time that I make a point not to.  I just don’t want any additional reason or suspicion to come down on me and my use of the unit.  Right now, I just can’t lose the use of it.  I also can’t deny her the use of what I am using for she too needs it to some extent, though she has a motel room that she is calling home for now that FEMA is paying for.  I wish I had that…lol

All I can do is sit back and watch what happens, and trust that it will all work out for both of us.

Life goes on…I go on

Eyeglasses & Judgement

Recently I was able to get my new eyeglasses and what a challenge that was.  I first had to go through the medical department for a full exam before they would qualify me for the eyewear.  Once qualified, I then had to go through the eye doctor for a prescription, which is always good to do.  Prescriptions should be done at least once a year, especially for my age group.  Up to this point, everything went smooth and pleasant.

Once I had my new prescription, I went to a retailer that was on the approved list for accepting the coupon for glasses.  It was here that things became a bit more troublesome.  The coupon was good for $65.00 worth of eyewear.  Thus, very cheap glasses were all I could get.  Anything over ten dollars I would have to pay for, ok, that sounds fair.  However, it was the additional charges that they didn’t tell you about.  For example, the fact I had to have bifocals added $5.00, and then add in the type of prescription I had was another $10.  If I wanted a warranty, no line bifocals, plastic thinner lenses, etc., it kept adding up.  By the time they were done with all the extras, the glasses would have cost me the same as if I was paying for them myself, over $300.  What was the point of the coupon?

But that was only part of the issue.  It was how I was treated that really bothered me.  I get the fact everyone wants to make money, so the extra charges and hidden fees I understood, though I did not like them.  It was the change in attitude that I got when I showed them my coupon.  From being nice and friendly to cold and rude in the flash of an eyelid.  I was amazed by this clear act of judgment and dislike towards me because I needed some financial help with my eyewear.  It was clear that I did not look, act or smell homeless, so their nice person treatment at first was understandable.  I was a customer that was acting like I wanted to spend money.  But once that coupon was shown, I was no longer that customer but some weird thing.

Now before I go any further, I have said before that I am no saint.  I have made quick judgments on my fellow homeless people now and before I was homeless, it’s a natural state we all go through.  Until I understand why they are homeless, I pull out of my mind a thousand thoughts from past experience.  Maybe that was the case with this one sales person, maybe not.  Regardless, the fact remained that someone, even if it was not me, was paying the bill for some eyewear from her store.  A customer should be treated with respect until they give you a reason not to be and even then it’s best to treat them with respect until they have left your business or space.

I left that day defeated for not getting my glasses. I didn’t have the money to pay for any extras at all.  I choose to come back to the store another day when I would hopefully have the money.  Thankfully, my dad sent me some Christmas money that covered a couple of basics that were necessary to have.  I got my new pair of glasses that were sold to me by a different sales lady who was much more helpful and friendly to me then the first.  A total, I spent $54 on a pair of glasses, while the total bill was over $110.  I’m happy to have a new pair of eyewear, especially since my last pair was over 6 years old.  It’s nice to see things more clearly now.

Life goes on…I go on.

11-28-11 Homeless Update

One of my fears that I deal with pretty much on a daily basis at my storage unit is being found out.  The last thing I need is to be discovered that I am living in it.  On Sunday, I had that feeling of anxiety heightened way too high.  As I was working away on my pc doing business items, a person arrived and went to their storage unit.  It was directly across from mine, and my electrical cord was sticking out and plugged into the storage units box.  I was hoping they would be quick to get into their unit and go home, but that was not the case.  They actually had two units, and they were both near mine.  I sat there as quietly as I could waiting for them to leave, but after a good half hour of being on pins and needles, I finally gave in and got ready to leave for my earn that I had planned that afternoon, way too early to do it, but better than sitting there nervous.

I have no clue if one of these unit renters is going to say something to the staff one day; I pray they don’t, but that fear is ever so present these days.  I try as hard as I can to be there after the staff leaves, which sometimes I am surprised to arrive well after I think they should have left only to find them still there. 

The Holidays sales for our books resulted in NO books being sold this past weekend.  It hurts me to see that for I not only receive some money from the sale, but the author’s also don’t receive money and we ALL need the money.  I’m not sure what I can do considering I don’t have the money to advertise the company or the individual books.  I have scheduled a fund raiser book sale at a local bar for a local charity, but I honestly don’t know how that will work out.

In the mean time, I still have manuscripts coming in to me by people who wish to get published, and while I want to continue to move forward, I honestly just don’t know if I should take on any more authors at this time.  It’s that negative feeling that keeps working its way into my mind and I get so frustrated with it, but I just don’t see a clear way to getting out of my current situation and to move the company safely forward.

It was great to see that Holidays sales in general were way above expectations across America, but I am also concerned at how the sales will finish out.  I believe so many people thought they were getting great deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, that when the dust settles down in early January, they will see that the Holiday sales were not what they expected.  Again, it’s that negative side of my brain popping up…HELP!

Life goes on…I go on

11-23-11 Homeless Update

I turned 51 on Sunday and it was one of my toughest birthdays that I had to experience in a very long time.

I have a very small group of friends who really don’t know when my birthday is and I do prefer it that way.  It’s just another day to me as is Christmas.  A day of celebration that should be celebrated daily and not just on one day.

And yet, for some reason, this birthday seemed to hit me the hardest and I have not completely figured out why.  Maybe it is the fact that I am homeless, or the feeling of failure in how my business is currently situated, or just the fact that I am now over 50.

I’m sure that I will figure it out over time.  Until then, the Holiday season is here and I do intended to enjoy it.

On Tuesday, I joined thousands of others to celebrate Thanksgiving at the annual HEB Fest of Giving.  It was a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and it was enjoyable for what it was.  Live music and other activities also made it festive.  For myself and other homeless people, it was a pleasant event.  For the other thousands who choose to attend for they felt that as a customer of HEB that it was owed to them, they also enjoyed it.

As for Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, I have actually turned down a couple of invitations to dinner so that I may attend a ‘bar dinner’ and bring some treats to go with the evening.  This is something I have been doing for a long time now.  This is one of the aspects of being a homosexual that I do support; other gays and lesbians joining together to enjoy a Holiday because their family and society has kicked them to the curb.  This tradition of a ‘bar dinner’ has gone back for 30 years that I know of and I am sure many more than that.  Too many from the LeTs Bi Gay community are stilled turned away from their family and thus they create a new family that includes people like themselves.  After all, you may be born into a family of people you don’t like, but you are always free to create a family of people you do enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and may you enjoy your family no matter whom’s a part of it.

Life goes on…I go on.

11-15-11 Homeless Update

About three weeks ago, I was at Occupy Austin and was interviewed by Texas Newswatch a University of Texas news program.  They used the interview for their Nov 3rd episode.

From that interview, the reporter pitched a story idea to his boss about the extremes people will go through to save their business.  I was thus interviewed again by the reporter in more detail yesterday (Monday 11-14-11).

There were two objectives to me doing the interview.  First and foremost, the hardship of what people are having to go through today due to our econ9omic turmoil.  We should not be in this position at all, but our politicians seem to think otherwise.

The second and clearly the most remote objective were to get some free advertising for the business.  Let’s face it, if sales come in and at a good healthy pace, I could in theory get an apartment once again.  And that is a major goal for me; keeping the business alive and getting off the streets to a ‘normal’ life.

It will be interesting to see what happens from this interview.  I could be discovered living in my storage unit and thus be thrown out, or I could begin to see sales that benefit ALL of my authors and artist as well as myself.

As always time will tell and I will post a link to the show after it airs.

In the mean time, I continue to get support from some of my authors through text messages and emails. While at the same time a few of them are doing their best to jump ship as they fear the worst for their work.

I appreciate the kind words and encouragement as I go through this endeavor, especially as I deal with the negative energy that is coming from a small few.

Life goes on…I go on.

11-15-11 Occupy

Over the past three days, various Occupy groups have been forced with political and police pressure to be shut down and closed.  The police of course are just following directions from the politicians who were elected by the people.  Sorry, but that’s a bunch of crap.

We all know that big business contr9olls politics, from the smallest political seat of county judge to the Presidency.  So these politicians are following the orders of their donors and not of the people.  While I have no doubt that there are a percentage of people who want to see the Occupy movement shut down, it is not the majority of people.  In fact there is not a majority of people in favor of the Occupy movement and that I put the blame squarely on the heads of the movement.

As with each positive and negative incident related to the Occupy movement, they fail to respond, especially on the positive aspects such as the 4 plus billion dollars transferred out of the big banks over the past month.  Therefore, the continued lack of and decreasing support for the movement is no one’s fault but occupy.

While I agree with Mayor Bloomberg that the Occupy tent cities have become a health hazard, I do not agree with his actions.  Nor do I agree with occupy’s continued lack of pro-active measures to avoid what is currently happening.

The Occupy movement needs to step up and create a higherarchy that is com0pletely inclusive and creates a working cooperative group that allows for self policing, cleaning/sanitation and improvements to the areas in which they occupy.  In other words, take away all negative arguments that the politicians are using to shut the tent cities down.

I realize that there will always be negative issues that arise from such an event, but by having a proactive group established, their ability to deal with the negative aspects quickly will cut down the negative press.

A case in point:  On Saturday, I had agreed to meet a reporter for a follow up interview about my homelessness. While I waited for him at the Austin Occupy location, I witnessed a very heated argument between those who consider themselves die hard Occupiers and those they saw as free loaders.

This argument which leads to verbal assaults, tears and way too much screaming carried on for 20 minutes.  Because their 2was no hierarchy established, anyone and everyone was allowed to yell and scream their thoughts.  If a group had been established, they could have addressed the issue before it became a yelling match.  Instead, the 20 minutes of verbal exchange resulted in nothing being changed or accomplished, except that the amount of anger towards each party increased more than it needed to.

While there are many in the occupy movement that feel any form of government should not exist, the reality is, there must be something or total anarchy will exist.  To change government you must do two things; work from within and from the outside of the establishment.  Clearly Occupy’s continued “occupying” is not enough to make the change.  Thus the need fo4r a political extension of the movement needs to exist.

The value and concept of the Occupy movement must NOT die.  But it does have to grow and grow much faster then it currently is.

11-14-11 #6 Causes to my Homelessness

I have over the past month listed 5 causes that brought me to my current situation of homelessness.  I would like to now venture out a bit on a 6 cause that may be considered a bit out there in the wild for most people and that final cause is Spirit.

I have been a student of Spirit and Spirituality for over 30 years and to be honest not always a very good student at understanding it or practicing my beliefs.

While I can understand the concept of balance as outlined through Buddhist practice I also understand the concept of “Life,” being caught up in the moment.

While trying to practice peace and tranquility by being centered and balanced, it is just that, practice.  When we are living in the human form, we deal with a variety of things on so many levels it can be overwhelming.  It is then very easy to forget what you are trying to achieve (peace) and allow emotions (ego) to get the better of you.

To be honest, that’s why we are here to begin with.  To experience life so that we may grow from it and hopefully find that balance, that centered peace that we can and will achieve; nirvana, heaven and pure love.

So with that in mind, knowing that we are spiritual beings that are part of god/Universe, we can then create things in our life that help us to achieve that ultimate goal.

In my case, while I have great belief in what my company is about and trying to achieve, I may have on a spiritual level set out to create my current situation.  This sub conscious act also means that the ends to my madness is there waiting to happen, however, I must first go through whatever it is I have created in order to learn what I must.  In addition to that, I also know that we work with each other on a spiritual basis to make sure that all the players are there doing their part to help one learn their lesson, while they learn their own.  Thus, even though this may seem to be ‘my’ issue, I may have also agreed to be part of a larger aspect that has not completely come to my attention yet.  That is, not until I get out of myself and stay focused on the ‘bigger’ picture.

So, even though I have pointed out 5 main causes that together have brought me to this point of homelessness, there may in fact be that 6 reason; my subconscious spirit wanting me to learn something so that I may become a greater person, or to help the Universe become greater through my actions related to my current situation. 

As I said, it may be too far out there for many people and that’s ok.  For those who read this and understand it, I hope they too may learn from my experience.

Life goes on…I go on.

11-10-11 - Negative Energy

Has I have been dealing with the financial downfall of this year, I have constantly fought with the negative energy that exist.  Most of the time I am able to overcome it with hard work and determination.  However, since becoming homeless I find the struggle to be even harder each day.  In fact, I feel my positive thoughts have dwindled to half of what they had been a month ago.

I believe that a lot of this is related to three items.  #1 – not having access to my PC and the internet as I had when I had a home.  I worked out of my house, so my line of communication was always open to my authors and artist.  I was able to work quickly and efficiently on projects and do marketing on social networks as needed.  That is not the case now.  I am limited to a maximum of 2 hours on a library PC with increments of no more than 1 hour each.  Thus, when I do get on a PC, I don’t have a lot of time to do what is needed.  I tend to miss things, which is not always good.

#2 – the lack of business growth and sales.  The continued stagnation of the bad economy keeps my business at a virtual standstill, which means zilch, nada, no sales.  This at the beginning of the Holiday sales season is not good.  I have books that need to be sold and no money to help promote them.  A vicious cycle that continues to keep me in the hole of negativity.

#3 – People that I am surrounded by are not always positive.  Homeless people in general are so exhausted and torn down by what brought them to their point of homelessness that they give up on life in general.  I understand that and see myself heading in that direction.  Thus the reason for this posting.

I DO NOT want to be one of those angry, negative people who bitch about everything and ultimately become one of those men who have lost their minds and walk the streets talking to themselves who have reached the point of no return.

It is clear that for myself, I must stay positive in all aspects of my life.  I have posted before on here about the value of staying positive and drawing positive energy to one self.  It’s not always easy.  You do have to live life and that means dealing with negative thoughts and energies.  In some cases, such as my current one, the people I am forced to be around are constantly and almost helplessly in a state of negativity.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to get some medical assistance, while waiting in line, a young lady who had been chatting with the other people in line turned to me and asked, “Are you homeless?”  I said yes with no hesitation.  She quickly responded with, “You don’t look homeless.”  I simply said, “That’s my goal.  To not look like I am homeless.”  The young lady gave me a look of confusion and then turned away as she said, “I want to look homeless, ‘cause I am.”

That response of hers was full of negative energy.  She believed that she had to look like she was homeless.  And at the same time, the tone she used indicated that she felt I was being too good or uppity about my experience.

It comes down to being true to yourself.  You may be homeless physically, but spiritually you are not.  You may be physically in a prison of drugs or alcohol, or even of cement and brinks, but spiritually you are not.

So has I deal with the constant borage of negative energy, I have chosen to say a mantra, a prayer, or a simple “Thank you,” for what good is in my life.  To be honest, I probably don’t say it enough.  Thus, I write here and now that I AM THANKFUL for EVERYTHING in my life.  I am grateful for the opportunity to grow, even when I don’t show it!!

Life goes on…I go on.

11-3-11 Positive Thoughts

Yesterday afternoon I was treated to lunch by a friend of mine.  We have met for lunch about every other month for the past year and half.  On most occasions we inspire each other with positive thoughts and discussions.  It was clear that both of us needed to have a good positive conversation yesterday.

Both of us are feeling the weight of the economic crises and our seeming inability to get about it for the past few months.

As we talked about our various projects, issues and love life, we also correlated how the world is staying just as stuck as we are.  Everyone is bombarded by negative talk and news.  It was clear that as it was for us, it was just as important, if not more important to have and do positive things to offset the negative energy.

This concept is nothing new to the Universe.  On a spiritual level it has been taught and demonstrated many times over.  And yet, we seem to continue to struggle with finding that balance that we all so desperately need and want.

By the end of lunch, which as usual lasted three hours, we both had agreed to do a project or two that would get a positive message out to the world about the new cycle of life that the Mayan’s predicted with the end of their calendar.  Actually, the Mayan’s predicted the end of their calendar which too many humans predict is the end of the world as we know it.

Many people are also on the same thought process as my friend and I are that it is not the end of the world, but the end of a way of life that clearly does not serve the best interest of mankind; mainly Greed and Self Absorption.  Thus, we will work on projects that we can create quickly and professionally to get out to as many people as we possibly can; namely books.

There are thousands of people also working on this project, for my friend and I know that the Universe puts out a message for the world, for everyone to hear, and only so many people do actually hear it and do something with it.  This can be in the form of gadgets, stories, movies, etc.  Thus why you see people from around the world working on a similar idea at the same time, and they never spoke to another person about it.  It is the same with this idea, the world needs to know that the old ways must stop and a new way of life must begin, after all, if the old way was working, we wouldn’t been in the mess that we are now, or the fact that we have been in this mess a thousand times before.

Wither the Mayan’s have it right that the world ends, or a new cycle begins, it is clear that all the doom and gloom that does exist, must be offset with positive messages.  It is our hope that we can offer ideas and concepts that show just that.  Is this why the two of us and so many others are going through this time of crisis?  Time will tell.  Stay tune and see what happens in the near future.

Life goes on…I go on.

11-3-11 Quite Your Bank Day

I have posted before about eh Occupy movements national day for switching your bank on Nov. 5^th.  Here is a poster that you can save and print out to pass out to your friends.  This is a national event, as it also needs to be worldwide.  Big banks cannot continue to treat us as they do and they only way to them to stop is to lose a great deal of money.  And no, it will not cause them to go bankrupt, and their statements of having to fire and layoff it’s employees is set off by the fact that the Credit Unions and smaller banks will hire those people.  Bottom line, they know what can happen and they are scarred that American’s will wake up and actually teach them a lesson.

Life goes on…I go on

National Bank Transfer Day - Nov. 5, 2011

 

As you know, B of A backed off from the $5.00 debit card charge they had planned on implementing.  This is due in cause by the young lady who started the petition and by the Occupy movement.  The Occupy movement has been pushing people to take their money out of large banks to show them that they DO NOT control things.  In Austin, I am aware of about $200,000 moved out of B of A and Chase banks.  That's a great start and it needs to go further.  The Banks need to understand that even though they are a business, they are there to work with US not against us, and not to steal from us.

 

I hope you will help support this movement.  Below is some additional information to help you with your decision.

 

Here is web contact for site:   www.occupyaustin.org/bank-action . Will tell you everything you need to know about how to Fire Your Bank and Hire A Credit Union with multiple links to helpful other information.

 

Life goes on...I go on.

 

11-2-11 Create Jobs for the USA

On Nov. 1^st, Starbucks launched its program to help get Americans back to work.  I had posted about it, but forgot to add a link and a pic of my solidarity for the program.  Thus, here is the link to learn more about the program: http://www.createjobsforusa.org/

Here is a pic of myself wearing the bracelet.

Life goes on…I go on.

11-1-11

Eelier in my postings, I had been clear that there were several issues that combined caused my current situation.  I have talked briefly about one of them, now it’s time to discuss another one.

I have no education from a college of any type on how to run a business.  Everything I know has been from practical experience in running restaurants to my own businesses in the past.

When a large publishing firm s crewed up one of my books, I was furious to say the least.  That to me was the death of my book and it was from that anger that I set out to create my own publishing company.

That was part of the error, no experience in the publishing world that would prove vital to establishing a publishing company.  I was therefore on a very steep learning curve that lasted four years.  Thankfully, it was while the eBook generation was being created, so like many companies, I was learning the same thing they were at the same time.

One of the other issues of starting the business was not being 100% clear about the service I was offering.  At first it was along the lines of a self publishing company format.  Over time it grew into a traditional publishing house, with the emphasis on new authors and artist.  Helping them to become their best and ultimately recovering my investment with a best seller or two.  That has not come to fruitarian as I had hoped for.

Another issue was my contract.  At no time had I locked any of my autho5rs into a multiple book deal.  That has proven costly.

Finally the big problem that every business can find themselves in is the lack of start up funds.  This has been the biggest error in starting the business.

Not having the knowledge of how to create a biz plan, and how to find investors, I have limped along from book to book.  When I did expect certain flows of income to happen, but found myself in a position of scrambling when authors missed deadlines, or printers not producing the books as hired to do, and not having the money to sue anyone for their failure to full fill their contract.  This last part alone has cost me to lose over $100,000 in revenue.

Not having the funds to hire an attorney is one of the most frustrating aspects I am dealing with.  What happened to Lawyers protecting the common man?  Forget that!  If you don’t have the money to pay their outrageous fees that are monopolized by their organizations you are screwed!

Now know that I didn’t have the knowledge to create a proper biz plan, I sought out organizations that help give you the basic knowledge, but that’s all you get, is very basic knowledge.  I don’t have the funds to enroll into a community college to learn about it.  And I have become ever so clear that investment funds are not really available for publishing companies.  Thus, I remain at square one, lack of funds.

Now that’s all the negative parts of this issue.  Here is the positive.  I come from a writer’s perspective.  I’ve gone through the publishing experiences of self publishing and large house publishing.  I know and understand what authors need and by not having full knowledge of what publishing traditions is, I can and do think outside the box.  Creative ways to help market my authors and their books.  Some of that works, some of it doesn’t.  But, I have to be honest and admit; not having the money is THE biggest obstacle that keeps me from succeeding.  And that Must and Will change.  Now, I just need the economy to cooperate…lol

Life goes on…I go on.

10-12-11 #2

A brief moment of good news to share.  I have been able to arrange about 12 hours of temp work this week.  This is money that will help pay my November bills, if it arrives on time.  Either way, its money coming in and that is always good news.