Disqus - Latest Comments for endlessmonkeys

Re: Imagine Books Without Batteries

Endless Monkeys — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:04:48 -0000

- Print is dead.
no.. far from it. Print will always be alive, but we'll get back to how it was around the time of the first presses (no, not trials for heresy...). Books will become something akin to art. We'll see a resurgence of illuminated texts and elegantly-bound volumes. The upshot will be that they price point will be rather low, so yay for that.

- It’s hard to get published.
Physically? No. There are self-publishing companies all over the place. Getting into stores? Ok, THERE is a problem which dovetails nicely with..

- Authors see relatively little of the proceeds in the end.

If you self-publish and handle your promotion (which you should, honestly), you'll reap mega benefits. If you hire out, you'll see less and for good reason. You have a staff and staff needs to be paid. You can debate the merits of an agent/publisher/printer amongst yourselves.

- Fat cat publishing houses are akin to pompous gatekeepers.

Don't be butthurt because supply-and-demand economics works as intended. <3

- Super mega popular blogger announced his future books will be digital.

And John Lennon said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus and, somehow, everything is ok.. except for him-getting-shot part... that part sucks.

People are just fascinated right now. Print will live, especially in magazines. The iPad is cool, but people don't want to hold an iPad while taking a poo. :)

Re: Goal-Oriented Content

Endless Monkeys — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:57:42 -0000

Sooo late on this, sorry.

I think this is a good way to look at things. I'm of the same mindset for Deviant Industries. Sure, I'd LOVE it if it made money, but I'm realistic when people ask. I mean, Deviant Advice is barely 2 years old and My highest days average about 10 readers. So yeah, I got a long way to go, but I don't mind. It's a steady thing since, last year, I was sitting at around 7 users. So hey, it's an increase. And I've often said that the sites won't make me a dime, book deals will be where money comes from. The sites are more for fun than anything else.

Re: KFA for the USA

Endless Monkeys — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:35:07 -0000

YES!!! We need Truthiness restored! Come on Stephen, we've tried your shenanigans.. and now you try ours...

Re: Back to Woohhh… uhm.. yeah.

Endless Monkeys — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:01:19 -0000

Thanks.

And I do understand the pursuit of a solid career over a paycheck, no two ways about it. Additionally, I am lucky in that I have few expenses (car payment, cat, and under $10k in miscellaneous debt.. in fact, I think it's even under $5k at this point), so now is the best time for me to say "eff it" and try.

Thing is, the fear still speaks rather loudly. It says I can't do it, I'll fail, yadda yadda. I know I'm going to screw up, but I just can't seem to nudge myself to say "ok. let's screw up and then get back up again and fail harder next time." I dunno. I guess when I'm truly ready I'll do it.. hopefully I can work hard and make it soon. I'm fairly serious about this October deadline.

Re: Sugar (My Art Spark 8 entry)

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:18:57 -0000

Thanks for the compliment. A novel? Well, I am debating NaNoWriMo...........

Anywho. Art Spark is a competition of sorts, but it's not Portland-based. It's over at getsparked.org and it currently happens 4 times a year (next one is in August). The basic groove is that it pairs artists (and other visual media folks) and writers together. I create an inspiration piece for my partner (who, in turn, photographs or paints off of it) and they create one for me and I do the same. :) It's a LOT of fun and was my first one. I'm already excitedly looking forward to August.

Re: So I’m getting divorced.

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:15:59 -0000

Hey Kim.

Thanks for the compliment! And trust me, everyone has something that's worth blogging about. Even if your daily life involves doing the same 4 things every day, there's something that goes on that makes it interesting... it's just all in how you present it :)

Re: So I’m getting divorced.

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:14:37 -0000

This has taken some time to get to this point. Earlier on, I was pretty bad and highly emotional. It took some time to really come to terms with the whole thing. Granted, I'm not exactly proud of how I've acted... but I'm just not all that ashamed either. It's a process, just like most anything else.

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 31

Endless Monkeys — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:42:47 -0000

"Of course, these are behavioral triggers. The brain associates these triggers with getting nicotine and therefore expects some kind of nicotine rush when they occur. How long before my brain gets used to there not being a nic fix with these situations and stops craving it? Time will tell."

From a psych perspective, habits are formed in 21 days and I think I read somewhere that it's twice that to break a habit. So, roughly, 2 monthsish. But that's baseline and, depending on addictive personality aspects, can be higher or lower and it sounds like you're lower.

"why should I stay on Chantix?"

Because most meds require you to complete a full course because it's weaning something out of your system. The pill strength isn't the same. It's akin to being issued a script for antibiotics and them dumping them after 10 days because you feel better. While your symptoms have backed off, your immune system still needs some boosting. The same goes with Chantix.... or any other med really. Now it doesn't mean that, ZOMG, you're going to lose your mind and smoke an entire pack at once, it just means that you stand a proportionally larger change of actually smoking again because the Chantix isn't shutting off the receptors in your brain anymore.

Interestingly enough, I'd be curious to see what other addictive behaviors/cravings that Chantix could cure based on how it's formulated. Granted, I think it's meant to bind explicity to existing nicotine in the blood stream and then target those receptors and do its magic, but I know that there's not a specific nicotine receptor in the brain, so it makes me wonder what else happens to be tied to it. Specifically, caffeine.

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 28

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:03:16 -0000

"I am a finely tuned smoke detector too.
When someone walks past the office who smoked in the car on the way to work, I can smell it. When someone two cars up is smoking at a red light, I can smell it. And man, when someone’s smoking weed? Wow. You can smell that shit a mile a way."

Strangely enough, when my mother quit smoking (back when I was about 12 I think), this same thing happened to me and persists to this day. It's a bit spooky honestly.

Glad to hear that it's going well though.

Re: Oklahoma House Bill 2656: NOT ANTI ABORTION

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:59:58 -0000

This legislation seems to specifically target disclosing of genetic/development impairments that are viewable via testing. That said, I'll spend some more time looking at the legislation from the standpoint of your comment and see how it goes.

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 20

Endless Monkeys — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:38:44 -0000

No problem, I'm happy to be a regular. And even happier to finally be back into it as well. Sorry you got tech sickness and had to miss vegas, es no bueno.

Re: By the time I get to Arizona…

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:08:50 -0000

Again, my understanding is that they can now stop you just to check and see if you're legal. To the best of my knowledge, police can't currently stop you and ask for ID unless there's probable cause. Now, if you're driving, that's a whole other issue that isn't protected by the Fourth Amendment, so that's of no concern to me. Again, my understanding of the law seems to imply that if I'm walking down the street, an officer can just ask for ID or papers. I really really do need to read the actual letter of said law to get a better understanding of it.

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 20

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:46:43 -0000

"I’ve already got some good ideas for Gearbox Magazine, which I hope will also benefit from the new video camera."

Sounds awesome. I've been wanting to try my hand at video editing lately, this might be a good project starter.

"It was really a Panamera or whatever that 4 door Porsche is called."

I'm sorry, but much like folks who deny the existence of Highlander 2, I deny that Porsche has ever made anything with 4 doors.

"I’ve quit smoking."

Totally bad ass man. You deserve more kudos and internets than are currently available.

Re: By the time I get to Arizona…

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:29:48 -0000

Ok. So my understanding of the law -DISCLAIMER: I have not read the actual legislation- is that it gave AZ police the ability to detain people almost at their own discretion. Not that they can just start busting into home or anything zany like that, but they can stop people in public.

The thing is, immigration NEEDS to be reformed in this country and Arizona's method to help this problem out is slightly misguided. I think.. no, I hope this will create a slight storm of controversy in Arizona that gets more people looking into better ways to reform immigration. As far as racism goes, I do think that will be a problem, but in probably only 1% of the cases.. but those 1% will surely be noisy.

Re: By the time I get to Arizona…

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:09:03 -0000

And that's the problem. There's no real way to enforce this as it's written because of numerous issues, the least of which is the manpower it'd take to achieve the aims of this law. So I respect the hell out of AZ for trying to put some legislation with teeth out there, I just with those teeth weren't all turned inward.

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 9

Endless Monkeys — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:41:06 -0000

Yech. Sorry about the incident with 464... es no bueno. Glad to hear the Chantix is holding up and, well, not quitting today seems like a good move to make really.

You know, since we last discussed our writing ideas and challenges for 2010, I've been in heavy debate regarding education myself. Part of me says "go for the English degree and become evern MORE of a pretentious douche" and the other part says that industry certs (hello Media Bistro) are better and, generally, cheaper... just not subsidized by Obama's sweet sweet Socialist Muslin monies, so I can't get extra cash for whatever the hell it is I might want. That said, MBA programs are notorious for pumping out legions of idiots who can only barely spell "business" anyways, so it seems the MBA is brutally devalued. I think the ability to demonstrate practical, real-world experience will trump the classroom any day. And with that in mind, I'm going to go take naked pics of me with my editing books........ oh NYT Style Manual, you're such a tease...

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 8

Endless Monkeys — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:46:32 -0000

So as a Catholic, I sorta gotta get martyred if I'm not a Pope.. damnit.

So I guess once Benedict passes, we can try to darkhorse me into Conclave?

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 8

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:14:28 -0000

I so totally relate. You're quitting smoking and I may be indirectly quitting polyamory..

Well, or something. Anyways.

So far I've been digging the column work and think the Gearbox stuff is mind-blowing. I keep trying to remember to recommend the stories over on FB when I can since I dig promoting your site. The work is fantastic and your vision is grand, but easily attained.

Good job on making it this far. I great great things about the Chiantix and it seems like your story is confirming it. Honestly, I now want to start smoking just so I can quit with this stuff.

And happy -belated- birthday Driggs' mom too...

Re: My Chantix Experience: Day 2

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:12:45 -0000

Haha. You're going batshit. :P

I await more trippy dreams. this oughta be good...

Re: Bond Cars: Goldfinger

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:24:13 -0000

In virtually every Bond movie, the car is pretty much the unofficial co-star of the production. Honestly, my favorite is still the Lotus Esprit Moore sports in "For Your Eyes Only." Specifically, the red-ish one he rolls up in front of the lodge with. Don't get me wrong, the Esprit needed the damn turbo because it was a bloated pig of a car, but FYEO was the first Bond flick I ever saw and, frankly, the cars grabbed me instantly.

As far as Connery's run at Bond, I think that the ultimate car he got set up with is the Aston Martin you mentioned at the start of this post. It's an outstandingly well-designed car (the regular car of course, Q's awesomeness is pretty much a given no matter what) and it looks as good going as it does just sitting there. Plus there is the considerable legacy of the sheer brutality of the Aston Martin's power plant. If it weren't for the fact that I had more love for Lambos (I like angular, go fig), I'd probably be all over the AMs as a my "Dream Car."

And then there's the Lotus. Honestly, if I were rich enough to have my Lambo already, my next target would be an Esprit Turbo. Long nose, no ass, birthing hips, guttural exhaust note, enough torque to murder your entire family and the neighbors, too. Lotus: Pretty is Pointless...

Except the Exige...

Re: Badge Engineering As Usual. The New GM Isn’t.

Endless Monkeys — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:34:18 -0000

The thing is, "I'm not a fan of rebadging" doesn't equate with "I won't evar rebadge." I think it more points to the fact that he doesn't want to have to give up everything that he loves the most, which seems to be the G8. It may be that the current rebadging is something that he simply HAS to tolerate in order to keep profits up enough to keep the G8 in it's current form?

I dunno really. It's an auto-industry exec, so he is probably genetically gifted in the art of talking out of his mouth AND anus.

Re: I’m Taking a Survey… On Surveys.

Endless Monkeys — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:07:18 -0000

"So my question to you: Do you think surveys should always offer a dissenting option?"

Nope. The nature of any survey is typically to gauge public opinion about a certain subject, it's rarely to be used in any way other than to say "people LOVE this, or people love this, or they don't care." Offering a contrasting opinion is rarely the goal of a poll. So should they? Nope. Would it be nice? Honestly, it'd be annoying. When someone is shoving a survey into my face, I really am not looking to engage them in debate.

Just my two cents. Should I:

a) shove it
b) shove it HARD
c) waffle cones bitch!
d) get with the shoving

Re: That Galant VR4 is finally for sale!

Endless Monkeys — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:57:35 -0000

I'll give ya fiddy bucks for it?

*har* in all seriousness, this car looks GREAT man. It's actually making me want to find a DSM around here (yes, I read your article, I know) and work on it myself since I need something zen-like lately.

Good jerb.

Re: UNEMPLOYED: Week 3 – There Will Be No Week 3.

Endless Monkeys — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:23:46 -0000

I think it's really cool that you've managed to find such a great victory in all of this. And add to it that the victory is just one small part of something (hopefully) much greater and this is an absolute win. Good job!

Greg

Re: ShirtsMyWay: 7 Trillion Ways to Design Your Dress Shirt

Endless Monkeys — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:36:37 -0000

This is a really slick idea. I'm a bit gunshy about dropping 65 bucks on a shirt that I can't get my hands on until the finished product comes out.. but I occasionally debate on an Ascot Chang shirt, so there's that.

I get paid extra next month... *hmmmm*