If I'm not dead...
It's not over. I'm worrying worrying about tomorrow. My workplace better half just got laid off, so that means I am going to be slammed with work. And I'm stressed. What will happen? What will I do.
There's one thing I don't want to forget tomorrow. It was a story related by Paul Arden.
In the story, a friend of Paul's whose father had links with the IRA was in a spot of bother, so he went to his father for advice.
He said, ‘Dad, I’m in trouble.’
The father asked, ‘Are they going to kill you?’
He said, ‘Oh no, no.’
His father said, ‘Son, you don’t have a problem.’
So I'll remember that. Because I do care about my work. But I also care about my life. And if they're not going to kill me, it really isn't that bad. And I'm certainly not finished until they do.
It's not over. I'm worrying worrying about tomorrow. My workplace better half just got laid off, so that means I am going to be slammed with work. And I'm stressed. What will happen? What will I do.
There's one thing I don't want to forget tomorrow. It was a story related by Paul Arden.
In the story, a friend of Paul's whose father had links with the IRA was in a spot of bother, so he went to his father for advice.
He said, ‘Dad, I’m in trouble.’
The father asked, ‘Are they going to kill you?’
He said, ‘Oh no, no.’
His father said, ‘Son, you don’t have a problem.’
So I'll remember that. Because I do care about my work. But I also care about my life. And if they're not going to kill me, it really isn't that bad. And I'm certainly not finished until they do.
The web isn’t free, motherfucker.
Contrary to popular opinion, the internet is NOT free. I can posit the thought process that goes on in the modern web users mind: the content is free, it is easily accessible, so why shouldn’t the creation and publication of said content be free and easily accessible.
That’s fantastic, until the realization of skill comes into play. I’ve worked in web for a short number of years. When I started, there was a more wild wild west feeling to the people who created web sites. A lot of people were just taking the money and running out of town.
As it populates and proliferates, I find myself no longer struggling for legitimacy: I don’t feel guilty, I’m coming into less and less situations where a client has been jacked up by a wanna be site creater for half of a deposit and left for dead. Trust me, it’s really the last thing I want, because I was raised as a somewhat honest guy by a man who ran a small-business. As I emerge with somewhat of a skillset, I do have people asking for free stuff, and now I find myself on the other side of the well.
You have to come strapped with cash. And that’s that. I know it’s difficult to make a website the way you want it to look and function. That’s what I’ve been doing to make a buck these past few years. If you want good work, you pay. For fuck’s sake, you could build your own car, but there’s a reason why you go to a car dealership. Even if cars were free (they’re not), someone would have to pay for the labor. I mean, really… think about it.
If internet programmers didn’t draw pay, the web would recess to porn and websites for the type of shit web programming types really care about, which is not a fantastic web site for someone else’s brand new business idea. Let’s say I was an accountant. If I didn’t get paid to look over your taxes, why would I give a fuck about your return? My buddy Mike does returns for his family. And that’s pretty much it as far as the free shit goes.
(It’s such a bummer, right. This was supposed to be a NEW ERA. Where tons of stuff is FREE. Everything you want. And man, you’ve got a real cherry idea, huh? Once this site gets made, the cash will just start rolling in! Henry Ford, you are not. He was an extraordinary guy. Chances are, you are probably not an extraordinary guy. Hey you should learn web programming. I hear it’s pretty lucrative.)
So, before you go to somebody who does web for a living, talking about your next great idea, consider this: show up with some cash in hand. Money speaks volumes as to the seriousness of your commitment, and the likelihood of future returns. A lot of people want to talk about ‘future equity’ and all its synonyms, but forget that. If you want it done, get some money, save it, do whatever you have to do to get it. For God’s sake, show some commitment to your idea. Because if it’s really that great, you should be willing to make a sacrifice to make it happen. If that means the downfall of the web industry (I doubt it), I’ll be happy to move into some other field. Until then, free ain’t shit my man.
Contrary to popular opinion, the internet is NOT free. I can posit the thought process that goes on in the modern web users mind: the content is free, it is easily accessible, so why shouldn’t the creation and publication of said content be free and easily accessible.
That’s fantastic, until the realization of skill comes into play. I’ve worked in web for a short number of years. When I started, there was a more wild wild west feeling to the people who created web sites. A lot of people were just taking the money and running out of town.
As it populates and proliferates, I find myself no longer struggling for legitimacy: I don’t feel guilty, I’m coming into less and less situations where a client has been jacked up by a wanna be site creater for half of a deposit and left for dead. Trust me, it’s really the last thing I want, because I was raised as a somewhat honest guy by a man who ran a small-business. As I emerge with somewhat of a skillset, I do have people asking for free stuff, and now I find myself on the other side of the well.
You have to come strapped with cash. And that’s that. I know it’s difficult to make a website the way you want it to look and function. That’s what I’ve been doing to make a buck these past few years. If you want good work, you pay. For fuck’s sake, you could build your own car, but there’s a reason why you go to a car dealership. Even if cars were free (they’re not), someone would have to pay for the labor. I mean, really… think about it.
If internet programmers didn’t draw pay, the web would recess to porn and websites for the type of shit web programming types really care about, which is not a fantastic web site for someone else’s brand new business idea. Let’s say I was an accountant. If I didn’t get paid to look over your taxes, why would I give a fuck about your return? My buddy Mike does returns for his family. And that’s pretty much it as far as the free shit goes.
(It’s such a bummer, right. This was supposed to be a NEW ERA. Where tons of stuff is FREE. Everything you want. And man, you’ve got a real cherry idea, huh? Once this site gets made, the cash will just start rolling in! Henry Ford, you are not. He was an extraordinary guy. Chances are, you are probably not an extraordinary guy. Hey you should learn web programming. I hear it’s pretty lucrative.)
So, before you go to somebody who does web for a living, talking about your next great idea, consider this: show up with some cash in hand. Money speaks volumes as to the seriousness of your commitment, and the likelihood of future returns. A lot of people want to talk about ‘future equity’ and all its synonyms, but forget that. If you want it done, get some money, save it, do whatever you have to do to get it. For God’s sake, show some commitment to your idea. Because if it’s really that great, you should be willing to make a sacrifice to make it happen. If that means the downfall of the web industry (I doubt it), I’ll be happy to move into some other field. Until then, free ain’t shit my man.
Pretty happy right now. Made some music progress in songwriting, going skateboarding tomorrow morning. Happy I still have a job too. Bad week at the workplace... two people gone and we only have about fifteen in the office altogether.
Peace,
G
Peace,
G
How do I get a lot on the front page, so you all can read my incoherent ramblings when you first login? I either have to become a Suicide Girl, or something something. But I'm too lazy to find out what that something something is. Hence my predicament.
Supposedly John Updike wrote three pages a day. I haven't even come close to that. Supposedly John Updike is a master of all genres, though he is, in my mind, a very foreign and distant name. Maybe someone who aspires to be a writer should be a slave to all things literate, but I am not. I do like Henry Rollins and Nick Cave - they are what I would deem "literary dudes".
But being a writer is just not sexy or rock and roll enough for me to get down with. I think, one of my more literate friends would be appalled by this statement. But that's just me. Give a wild ride instead of a perfectly structured sentence. Give me something I can feel.
But back to Updike - I have to admit, it's a good place to start. It's very boring and workmanlike, but the most amazing creativity comes from persistence. Ask anyone (that's good).
But being a writer is just not sexy or rock and roll enough for me to get down with. I think, one of my more literate friends would be appalled by this statement. But that's just me. Give a wild ride instead of a perfectly structured sentence. Give me something I can feel.
But back to Updike - I have to admit, it's a good place to start. It's very boring and workmanlike, but the most amazing creativity comes from persistence. Ask anyone (that's good).
Let the right one... in
At the recommendation of a list buried somewhere on the pages of Suicide Girls.com, I recently watched the Swedish film "Let the Right One In". Fantastic. Amazing. There were a few moments where I said "HOLY SHIT" loud enough for my neighbors across the hall to hear.
Admittedly, that's no impressive feat because you can hear a good deal across that four feet of space.
And it brings me to my main point, which is American cinemas need to appropriate and re-make every single foreign film that rates somewhat decently. I don't get Hollywood really, but if you have enough money to fund a god-awful remake of a grand film, then surely you can take the ego hit and actually force major distribution of the original film. Actually, that seems easier, doesn't it? Less labor intensive, really. Sure, you'll probably have to suffer a bunch of douchebags scratching their heads, but you can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs, right? What about all the people that would actually LIKE the original and don't have the means to see it.
I'm just saying... why re-invent the wheel? I've seen enough crappy jacked up American flicks. The remake of Shutter cost $8M to make, and returned $25M domestically.: three times the original investment. Do I think the Thai version could have done just as well in the U.S.? If you bought it for $2M, you would only have to make $6M to get the same rate of return. Granted, it's less money, but you also free up resources for other projects while keeping Joshua Jackson out of work.
I'm sure if some executive read this, they would say "what does he know, he doesn't understand, the business is complicated", but in all honestly, business is not that complicated when it comes down to bare numbers. To boot, the original Shutter was an amazing film.
P.S. Anyone that wants to argue for the Departed, I would say this: it is the exception that proves the rule.
At the recommendation of a list buried somewhere on the pages of Suicide Girls.com, I recently watched the Swedish film "Let the Right One In". Fantastic. Amazing. There were a few moments where I said "HOLY SHIT" loud enough for my neighbors across the hall to hear.
Admittedly, that's no impressive feat because you can hear a good deal across that four feet of space.
And it brings me to my main point, which is American cinemas need to appropriate and re-make every single foreign film that rates somewhat decently. I don't get Hollywood really, but if you have enough money to fund a god-awful remake of a grand film, then surely you can take the ego hit and actually force major distribution of the original film. Actually, that seems easier, doesn't it? Less labor intensive, really. Sure, you'll probably have to suffer a bunch of douchebags scratching their heads, but you can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs, right? What about all the people that would actually LIKE the original and don't have the means to see it.
I'm just saying... why re-invent the wheel? I've seen enough crappy jacked up American flicks. The remake of Shutter cost $8M to make, and returned $25M domestically.: three times the original investment. Do I think the Thai version could have done just as well in the U.S.? If you bought it for $2M, you would only have to make $6M to get the same rate of return. Granted, it's less money, but you also free up resources for other projects while keeping Joshua Jackson out of work.
I'm sure if some executive read this, they would say "what does he know, he doesn't understand, the business is complicated", but in all honestly, business is not that complicated when it comes down to bare numbers. To boot, the original Shutter was an amazing film.
P.S. Anyone that wants to argue for the Departed, I would say this: it is the exception that proves the rule.
