This post really should open up with the sounds of men working. Imagine the sounds of a hammer beating down upon an anvil, the sound of a forge or something similar. That is not a perfect description but it works for now. I blame the lack of coffee following a great night for a description that is lacking that oomph that it deserves.
TheJackB continues to grow and prosper and I am pleased with its progress but there are some issues that need to be addressed. There are two issues that I notice more than anything else; broken links and broken videos.
There are simple explanations for these things. YouTube videos disappear because of copyright claims or because the account associated with them is terminated. It is not unusual but it is irritating because the end result is a giant hole in the post.
Some of these posts are built upon those videos so their absence makes the post worthless or at at minimum...crippled.
Broken links aren't limited to videos. I learned a long time ago much to my chagrin that things I linked to were not permanent. Much as we talk about how things on the net never disappear it is only true to a point. Posts from other bloggers sometimes disappear as do news stories from around the web.
The end result is that TheJackB and this blog look a bit like a cyberspace version of Swiss cheese- they are riddled with holes. I have taken some steps to minimize the problems created by this, but it is not perfect. Still if this were the worst of my problems I would be happy to have it as such.
Building The Blog- Wordpress Edition Part 298
The newest love of my life, the mighty ship known as the TheJackB has been at sea for more than a month. Not unlike the Starship Enterprise it is on a mission to seek out new life and to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Unlike the Enterprise it is not equipped with a full crew. Scotty, Mr. Spock and Bones are no where to be found. Chekov and Sulu are living in the land of reruns and have not returned calls, or Starfleet transmissions. I had thought that I would at least be granted a Yeoman Smith but the guy finally realized that every time he is asked to explore a new planet he'll be the first to be eaten, tortured, disintegrated etc.
So your old Captain Jack is here by himself and that is ok. I like living by my wits and dumb luck. It is comfortable and familiar to me.
At the moment we have run into feed problems at TheJackB but not the sort that make a man hungry enough to eat the mast. There is plenty of real food. No, this is the feed that some would call RSS and the damn thing ain't working properly.
We're doing our best to diagnose, repair and return to sea but it is a bit slow going. so we recommend that for the interim you do your blog reading the old fashioned way. You must actually visit the blog. But if you know me you know that there is always a massive amount of quality content to read and enjoy.
Unlike the Enterprise it is not equipped with a full crew. Scotty, Mr. Spock and Bones are no where to be found. Chekov and Sulu are living in the land of reruns and have not returned calls, or Starfleet transmissions. I had thought that I would at least be granted a Yeoman Smith but the guy finally realized that every time he is asked to explore a new planet he'll be the first to be eaten, tortured, disintegrated etc.
So your old Captain Jack is here by himself and that is ok. I like living by my wits and dumb luck. It is comfortable and familiar to me.
At the moment we have run into feed problems at TheJackB but not the sort that make a man hungry enough to eat the mast. There is plenty of real food. No, this is the feed that some would call RSS and the damn thing ain't working properly.
We're doing our best to diagnose, repair and return to sea but it is a bit slow going. so we recommend that for the interim you do your blog reading the old fashioned way. You must actually visit the blog. But if you know me you know that there is always a massive amount of quality content to read and enjoy.
Live In The Past To Move To The Future
Sometimes the ghosts of the past meet the echoes of the future and for a brief moment in time I feel like I have been granted the kind of clarity that we all wish for. I see a clear path from the present into the future and know precisely what it is that I am supposed to do. There is no guesswork or worry about making a mistake All I need to do is keep on walking.
The rub is that the fog that obscures the future eventually returns and I find myself straining to determine if the path remains clear or if there are pitfalls that can foul up my journey. Let's face it, there are always pitfalls and hurdles to be overcome. Even if the condition of the actual road remains free and clear there are other obstacles and obstructions that you will have to deal with.
You trip can be impacted and or derailed by other drivers. Live stock and or animals from the forest can wander on to the road and create a hazard for you and the other drivers. They don't have to be struck by another vehicle for their presence to be disruptive. All they need to do is stand in the middle of the road and impede traffic from passing and or moving at the speed limit.
So your job as a person and traveler is to pay attention to that which happens around you. The smart traveler accepts the obligation to educate about the things that can impact their journey. They understand that though they may not be able to direct the current or control the wind they do have influence over the journey.
They can look backwards at that which has happened so that they might be able to move forward without fear or concern of that which could happen.
The rub is that the fog that obscures the future eventually returns and I find myself straining to determine if the path remains clear or if there are pitfalls that can foul up my journey. Let's face it, there are always pitfalls and hurdles to be overcome. Even if the condition of the actual road remains free and clear there are other obstacles and obstructions that you will have to deal with.
You trip can be impacted and or derailed by other drivers. Live stock and or animals from the forest can wander on to the road and create a hazard for you and the other drivers. They don't have to be struck by another vehicle for their presence to be disruptive. All they need to do is stand in the middle of the road and impede traffic from passing and or moving at the speed limit.
So your job as a person and traveler is to pay attention to that which happens around you. The smart traveler accepts the obligation to educate about the things that can impact their journey. They understand that though they may not be able to direct the current or control the wind they do have influence over the journey.
They can look backwards at that which has happened so that they might be able to move forward without fear or concern of that which could happen.
Join Me
I am on a quest to change my life and that is why I am reaching out to you. I am an almost 42 year-old man who wants to be more than he is now. I am a dreamer who believes that he can turn his dreams into reality and spends time daily working on that plan.
It is no secret, I want to be a writer. Let me clarify that, I am a writer now who gets paid for freelance work. I want to crank it up about 10 notches so that writing becomes my full time job. I want to put myself in a position where I can write that screenplay you hear me talk about. I want to turn my Fragments of Fiction into a book.
There are stories inside my head that can't remain trapped in the emptiness between my ears.
I am going to do this. I am going to write the stories and the screenplay. I am going to do it regardless of whether I hit that place where I earn enough to make writing my profession and not a hobby. I am not waiting for hope to transform itself into something other than what it is.
That is not a smart way of doing things. I am doing what I can to take control of my destiny which is why I ask you to join me. Join my Facebook Fan club page for my new blog TheJackB and you can help me get that much closer to where I want to be.
If you like my writing tell your friends about it. If you don't like my writing tell your enemies. I don't care who just tell someone. I am not hiding my intentions or trying to mislead anyone.
I ask for your help because I believe that more exposure can only help me. I won't bribe you with promises that I can't uphold. But I will promise to do what I can to help you.
The way I figure it, there is no harm in asking.
It is no secret, I want to be a writer. Let me clarify that, I am a writer now who gets paid for freelance work. I want to crank it up about 10 notches so that writing becomes my full time job. I want to put myself in a position where I can write that screenplay you hear me talk about. I want to turn my Fragments of Fiction into a book.
There are stories inside my head that can't remain trapped in the emptiness between my ears.
I am going to do this. I am going to write the stories and the screenplay. I am going to do it regardless of whether I hit that place where I earn enough to make writing my profession and not a hobby. I am not waiting for hope to transform itself into something other than what it is.
That is not a smart way of doing things. I am doing what I can to take control of my destiny which is why I ask you to join me. Join my Facebook Fan club page for my new blog TheJackB and you can help me get that much closer to where I want to be.
If you like my writing tell your friends about it. If you don't like my writing tell your enemies. I don't care who just tell someone. I am not hiding my intentions or trying to mislead anyone.
I ask for your help because I believe that more exposure can only help me. I won't bribe you with promises that I can't uphold. But I will promise to do what I can to help you.
The way I figure it, there is no harm in asking.
The Words We Speak
It has been about five weeks or since I opened up the new blog and set sail through cyberspace. TheJackB is a work in progress as is every blog but it is one that means a lot to me. Words cannot adequately express just how important blogging has become to me. Much of it is because of the interaction with others, but the primary reason is because of my love for writing.
I shouldn't be surprised by this. It shouldn't be a shock, but it really is. Not the fact that I love writing, but the depth surprises me. Something has changed and I feel more fulfilled by writing than I ever have. Consequently I am making a bigger push to find a way to make more money from this. To me it is no different from the advice I would offer someone who has fallen in love. If you find that one special person that you want to spend your life with, you go the distance. You take the time to try to figure out how to make them a part of your life. You exhaust yourself trying to find a way to make a life with them because we only get so many chances to enjoy that kind of happiness and you shouldn't waste the opportunity.
On a related note this is part of why I am continuing to explore and experiment with different tools. It is part of why I am searching for easy ways to share audio/video with you. I want to be able to create and share my creations with you.
Anyway, I am curious to see if this works so I am going to sign off and see what happens.
The One That I Wouldn't Let Get Away
Old Jack has a lover that he has never managed to let go of. They have broken up on more than one occasion but it has never completely taken. Every time he thought it was done and that there could be no reconciliation they somehow found their way back to each other.
Every time he found himself staring at her he would get lost in her eyes and that old familiar scent would waft its way into his nostrils. It was intoxicating, invigorating and infuriating. He wanted to let go. He wanted his freedom. He wanted to run the other way and explore new opportunities.
She never did tell him whether she felt the same way or not. She was silent. It was impossible to tell if she was unmoved by his words or if she just didn't speak because nothing needed to be said. He suspected the latter. It made far more sense and in truth it didn't scare him the way the other one did.
Because the thing was, she didn't speak. She didn't share her feelings and she never had. So the idea that this would suddenly change was more than a little disturbing. It would have changed the entire dynamic of their relationship and what was the point of that.
I suppose that it why I showed up on her doorstep again. Another Friday night, but I didn't bother with flowers or candy. No card, no note and no words. Since I never gave away the key I didn't bother knocking. I just walked in and took a seat.
Together again, yet still alone with my thoughts I stretched my arms over my head and screamed. It was an unexpected release of pent up energy. Still silent I moved closer and let my fingers begin exploring the trail that they had been down so many times before.
I did so knowing full well that when my business was done I would leave again. But we both know that I'll be back. Because the thing is that for the time being I haven't figured out how to get all of my needs met elsewhere. Fortunately there are no hard feelings because the lover I speak of is this very blog.
Yep, this joint, right here. So whatever feelings exist are those that I have placed here. It is still not my primary place of residence, but it has a piece of my heart so for a while I suppose that I will continue visiting.
Every time he found himself staring at her he would get lost in her eyes and that old familiar scent would waft its way into his nostrils. It was intoxicating, invigorating and infuriating. He wanted to let go. He wanted his freedom. He wanted to run the other way and explore new opportunities.
She never did tell him whether she felt the same way or not. She was silent. It was impossible to tell if she was unmoved by his words or if she just didn't speak because nothing needed to be said. He suspected the latter. It made far more sense and in truth it didn't scare him the way the other one did.
Because the thing was, she didn't speak. She didn't share her feelings and she never had. So the idea that this would suddenly change was more than a little disturbing. It would have changed the entire dynamic of their relationship and what was the point of that.
I suppose that it why I showed up on her doorstep again. Another Friday night, but I didn't bother with flowers or candy. No card, no note and no words. Since I never gave away the key I didn't bother knocking. I just walked in and took a seat.
Together again, yet still alone with my thoughts I stretched my arms over my head and screamed. It was an unexpected release of pent up energy. Still silent I moved closer and let my fingers begin exploring the trail that they had been down so many times before.
I did so knowing full well that when my business was done I would leave again. But we both know that I'll be back. Because the thing is that for the time being I haven't figured out how to get all of my needs met elsewhere. Fortunately there are no hard feelings because the lover I speak of is this very blog.
Yep, this joint, right here. So whatever feelings exist are those that I have placed here. It is still not my primary place of residence, but it has a piece of my heart so for a while I suppose that I will continue visiting.
Technical Difficulties
The mighty ship, TheJackB is currently being worked on by a crack team of technicians and sailing experts. Apparently the repairs and updates have been a bit more labor intensive than we expected so we're temporarily down.
In the interim you can continue to find new posts at Fatherfolk and Odd Dad Out.
In the interim you can continue to find new posts at Fatherfolk and Odd Dad Out.
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