How to Move On from this Election

The 2016 Election is over and it generally shocked most people. My predictions were way off but that's the way it works. In a Democracy sometimes the other guy wins. It's not a big deal. You have a drink, brush off the dust and move on with your life. Having said that, we're seeing some serious cry baby tactics this time around. While many attacked Donald Trump as sounding like a third world dictator, some on the losing side decided to act like they are living in the third world by protesting the outcome of a perfectly legitimate process. Time to grow up.

First off, you might have noticed that protests don't accomplish very much. At least not anymore. This isn't Selma and this isn't Kent State. A protest is not going to change the outcome nor will it alter anyone's opinion of the President Elect. The only thing you are prolonging is your own misery. Public opinion is more likely to turn against you thus weakening your cause. Stop wasting your time.

As for Trump, this will sound crazy to lefty zealots but it's time to give him a chance. He won. You might not like the way he did it but it's his turn to try to makes some changes. Bill Clinton had 8 years, W had 8 years, Obama had 8 years. If Trump screws the pooch we cut him off at 4. But first he gets a chance to govern. Being POTUS is one of the hardest jobs in the world. If you really think Trump is a moron then you won't have to wait long for him to trip on a pitchfork.

Also, let stop playing the blame game. It's not Florida's fault or Pennsylvania's fault or Michigan's fault. It's not third party voters or Millennials or uneducated white women who made this happen. Hillary's job was to win over enough people to get to 270 electoral votes and she failed. Hillary failed and no one else is to blame.

America is a strong country. We can survive anything that Trump comes up with but let's be fair about the most likely direction. Every president has succeeded in some ways and failed in others. Clinton got impeached but passed a balanced budget. W invaded the wrong country but made huge advances against sex traffic and AIDS in Africa. Obama stopped the great recession and killed Bin Laden but left us with a crippled healthcare system. Trump will likely makes some strides and also fumble the ball. If that happens we can recover it.

We control our own actions and reactions. We control our own decency and grace. Don't let the media tell you otherwise. After watching Lawrence O'Donnell's diatribe dramatizing the Trump victory as the end of American Greatness, I shut off my TV. The broadcast media has proven itself untrustworthy, hopelessly biased and beyond redemption. It's time to pick some new messengers. It's time to move on.

Why Hillary is Going to Win Big

One thing that has been clear during this entire election cycle is that you can't trust the media or the polls. We know this because there has been more misinformation, manipulation and even fake news stories than ever before. The polls, which are supposed to measure long term trends, have been erratic and flawed focusing on short term emotional reactions to individual news stories. It's no wonder that Americans are confused as to what is really going on.

I have made predictions in the past about Hillary winning and the most common reaction came from people who said, "I'll listen to the experts." I agree, you should listen to the experts but actually listen to them don't just assume that they are right because of their job title or specialty. For example millions of people visit FiveThirtyEight.com to follow the aggregate map of genius pollster Nate Silver. Nate and his team have done a fantastic job in the past by collecting all of the credible polls and weighting them together. However, Nate himself is constantly warning people that even his average can be tilted off balance. In fact some are calling 538's model an outlier because it sits apart from the other five forecasts. Whether they are overly cautious or right on the money won't be known until election night.

I might be just another voice in the wind but here are my data points for your consideration.

* Hillary is Winning with Women: 72.8% of eligible female voters are registered this year and their rage is overwhelmingly against Trump. Only 69.1% of eligible men are registered and their vote is split. Women will decide this election.

* Hillary has a Larger Base: 85% (roughly) of registered Republicans are backing Trump. The same percent are backing Hillary among Democrats but here is the kicker - There are more Democrats. Among registered voters 26% are Republican, 29% are Democrats.

* Hillary benefits from Early Voting: Traditionally Republicans come out early to vote but this year the numbers are close to equal in several important states. This means that Democrats are motivated more so than in years past. If my guess is right, we won't be waiting late into the night for a result on Election day. Read the current numbers state by state.

* Hillary gets the Secret Vote: Trump has suggested that he would benefit from people who secretly want him in office but the truth appears otherwise. Voters (Many of them Republicans) are so nervous about Trump's temperament that they more more likely to keep silent and make their voice known only in the booth.

* Hillary gets the Latino Vote: This could make a big difference in three swing states - Florida, Nevada and Arizona. Latinos are very unhappy with Trump, both his words and his policies. 67% of Latinos favor Clinton and appear to be coming out in record numbers.

* Hillary embraces Economic Stability: While this might not appeal to some voters, it appeals heavily to the stock market. Many people vote with their wallets and don't want to see long term investments crash under the weight of instability. In the last few days the market has been sinking due to a tightening of the polls and the possibility of a Trump Presidency.

* Hillary wins the Big Question: Every Presidential election over the past fifty years has been decided by one question - Which of these candidates is least likely to sink the ship? Trump's negatives are astronomical for a candidate at this level at 63% unfavorable. His personality has been described as Narcissistic, Egotistical and even Psychopathic. Americans might be squeamish about Hillary but they are outright terrified of Trump.

Keep in mind, I'm not cherry picking because I'm not a partisan. I voted for Gary Johnson. For many citizens it has been easy to get lost in shuffle this time around. No one group will tip it. All of these factors together will decide who becomes the next President of the United States. By most relevant and measurable statistics it looks like we'll witness the rolling surge of a Hillary tidal wave on Nov 8th.

4 Inconvenient Predictions about Election 2016

1. Trump will Win the Debates and Lose the Voters

This is probably the most obvious prediction but it needs to be stated. The man known for his outlandish outbursts will be unlikely to contain himself when standing against Hillary Clinton on the debate stage. Taking a page from Romney vs Obama's first debate, Trump will go for blood. He will try to establish dominance over his female opponent in order to feed the fetish of his fanatical followers. The news media will declare him the winner but the polls will swing heavily against him as Hillary picks up the sympathy/rationality vote.


2. Gary Johnson will reach 15% but still won't be allowed in the debates

Get ready for voter rage. Libertarian Gary Johnson has been defying expectation by climbing in the polls instead of fading as most third party candidates do when it gets closer to November. His petition for the debate commission exceeded 1 million signatures and he has reached double digits in almost every state poll. He represents the hopes of millions of Americans who want another choice and yet, this is when the commission will suddenly get really strict about who is allowed to speak. They will deny him that chance. The two major parties have a history of dirty tricks against third parties but this is the first time all Americans will see it.


3. Hackers will present an October Surprise

Hackers have made some waves in this election cycle but they are far from done. I believe they are saving the best for last. These hackers (Who are probably not Russian or partisan) appear to be dedicated to exposing hypocrisy and revealing the truth. So, what is the one piece of information everyone wants but no one can seem to get their hands on? Trump's financial statements seem like a good target. This would be especially interesting if, as some suspect, Trump is exaggerating his wealth and hiding business dealings with international criminals or even individuals on the terrorist watch list.


4. Hillary will win a One Sided Election

With Trump on the ropes because of the October Surprise and with Johnson blocked from the debate stage, all things will roll in Hillary's favor. Even if those things don't happen you have to consider that she has the backing of more than 80% of her party, she has consistently led in the national polls and she is favored on the electoral map. Trump has a much weaker grasp on his party, he fumbles terribly in the demographics battle and he has almost no ground game for voter turn out. It is quite possible that we have seen all of Trumps cards and his entire campaign is something of an illusion. When it comes right down to it independent voters will always choose the person less likely to sink the ship.

Why I'm Voting for Gary Johnson

It's 2016 and we are embroiled in the dumbest election cycle in my lifetime. Ugh! At the beginning of the year I really didn't know what to think. I wanted to stay out of it. That appears to be impossible this time around. So, I did what any responsible citizen should: I opened my hears and listened to all of the candidates. All of them, not the just the big two. Whenever any of them spoke, I listened. Sounds crazy right?

It reminded me that you need a process for picking a candidate. It's kind of like buying a car. You do the research and take in numerous considerations. Then find the best value that fits your needs and the needs of your country. Unfortunately many voters rush into the sale. They latch onto one or two issues, one or two sound bites and pull the lever too quickly. The result is buyers remorse.

Let me fill you in on my political background so you know where I'm coming from. I grew up in the blue state of Massachusetts but my parents were self-declared Independents. They usually split the ticket, opting for Moderate Democrats and Liberal Republicans. My father, a Vietnam Veteran who had suffered from the horrors of war, generally leaned toward peaceful candidates. I adopted some of his thinking on that subject.

My personal political journey started when I was in the U.S. Army. During basic training in 1992 we were given forms with which to vote. This sparked a discussion among my platoon. My battle buddy Aaron explained his position this way: If you like the way things are, vote Republican. If you want things to change, vote Democrat. That made sense to me. Being generally unhappy when it came to the circumstances of my life, I wanted change. I voted for Bill Clinton. Sometimes we vote on a whim. Like I did for Billy Bob. I got lucky when it came to him but basing such an important decision on so little information is not a smart process.

Shortly after leaving the Army I was severely depressed. I was looking for an outlet, a direction for my life. That was when I found Rush Limbaugh. This was kind of like taking two steps forward and one step back. I was reading more about politics and history but it was being filtered through the narrow lens of ideology. I had become boisterous about political issues, trying to hurl my new found ideas at everyone. Didn't make many friends during those years. There were some issues in Conservatism that I could not embrace. Once I discovered that the commentators and their policies were riddled with greed and hypocrisy, it was over.

1996 was the first time that I truly paid attention to the Presidential race. I listened to the candidates and read a couple books by Ross Perot, who I ultimately voted for. In this case I did do my homework but was still severely limited in my knowledge about the issues. The misinformation derived from Conservative commentators had put everything into doubt.

By 2000 a new party was starting to make waves in Mass. The Libertarians were becoming an interesting option. I read books about them, went to meetings and met the candidates. During that cycle I worked on two campaigns (Congressional and Senatorial). This involved knocking on doors, asking for signatures and meeting voters face to face. This is when I learned about the huge gap between the voice of the voters and the whim of elected representatives. Dirty tricks often kept our candidates from having their voice heard on the big stage. I cringed at the laziness of newspapers who didn't want to cover anyone new. Their attitude was reflected by some voters who stuck with a favored party even if they didn't agree with their own candidate. Despite all of this, 99% of the people I talked to wanted a third option on the ballot. That year Libertarian candidates earned half a million votes in the State of Massachusetts.

By 2002 my fervor for Libertarian purity was waning. The Iraq war changed a lot of things, including my party affiliation. I was so angry at George W Bush that I joined the Florida Democrats. I took election training with the Orlando Dems, met Bill Nelson and volunteered for his Senatorial race. In 2004 I met the Libertarian candidate but wasn't impressed. Instead I voted for John Kerry.

By this point reading about Politics and American History had become a hobby. I surpassed 100 books on the subjects and consumed more everyday. I started writing political commentary for a website when a little known Senator from Illinois caught my eye. Barack Obama represented a lot of things to a lot of people. He was a black, left-wing rock star with the hopes of millions resting on his shoulders. I helped the campaign through the primaries and during the first election in 2008. I became disillusioned by 2012. It wasn't his fault really, it was ours. The voters asked and expected way too much. The best he could do was keep the ship afloat.

So here we are in 2016. Most people would agree that this is the craziest election ever! We are caught between an Ego and a Liar. Both appear to be blatantly irresponsible. Neither one seems to have our best interests at heart. Neither one seems to have any new ideas. What are we to do?

Here is a summary of what I have learned over the years. These are my personal guideposts for choosing the next President.

* No more Rock Stars! We have reached the point where celebrity translates as credibility. That is total crap. Experience is important. The ideal person for the Oval Office should know how to successfully run both a business and a government. They should be confident, capable and it might help if they were a little boring.

* They must stand for Something! We knew Obama would pass the Affordable Care Act, not because he had a Democrat Majority Congress but rather because his mother died of Cancer at 52. He stood for something and made it happen. His determination was obvious whenever he spoke of her. If he did nothing else as President, he was going to pass that bill.

* The old ideas didn't work! We have been stuck in left vs right mentality for so long that we can predict what is going to come out of their mouths just by knowing what team they play for. Here is how I know that the old ideas didn't work - Look where we are! The problems we have now were created by the policies formerly implemented. Duh! We can't get out of this rut by choosing the same people and same policies over and over again. That is the definition of insanity!

* The media is working against us! Luckily this is the one fact people have figured out. The cable news media in particular is on its last legs. They are soon to fall from the public eye and they know it. The only way they can keep the attention of the American people is with scathing 24 hour commentary on this embarrassing situation. Thus, the horse race is a fraud and the polls are a joke. If this year really is different then we deserve a new outcome.

I don't expect to change anyone's mind by telling them my personal history. The sad truth is that we are creatures of habit. Most often we take the path of least resistance. All I can say is that by my experience and using these guideposts, I will be voting for Gary Johnson. I'm not going to sit here and extol his virtues or defend his missteps. You can find that stuff elsewhere. I will ask that if you haven't heard him speak, please take a moment to do so. We have heard plenty about the other two. I believe Gary deserves a few minutes of your time.

Thank you, Alex Hutchinson

5 Clues that you might be Politically Brainwashed

Welcome to twenty first century America where everyone has an opinion and hardly anyone knows what they are talking about. How did we end up in this mess? We can blame the educational system, the internet or bad parenting but there is still one primary source of information that passively feeds most of the nutballs you meet - the media.

Since the birth of our nation political discussions have taken place in public forums but none so public as the one that makes money from our discontent, the forth estate. It used to be that reporting the events of the day was enough to satisfy viewers but not anymore. Facing our shortened attention spans the media has become more and more brazen in its attempts to capture our interest and loyalty. In fact you might say they've got it down to a science.

OUTRAGE + Monetized Ideologies + Baseless Convictions = Cultural Warfare

The result is a country overrun by political wannabe's. You know who I'm talking about, the people who so rudely slip politics into nearly every conversation. They are filled with anger, always pointing fingers and arguing incessantly despite their lack of understanding. We try our best to be nice to these people, to placate their frustrations but there are just so many of them. Thus begs the question: Are you one of them? Are you politically brainwashed? Read these five clues to see if they apply to you.

5 Clues that you are Politically Brainwashed

1. You HATE a politician - HATE is a very strong word. It's perfectly reasonable to disagree with someone or to dislike them but to HATE them is a whole other level of emotional commitment. HATE is a word most associated with criminals, terrorists and fanatics. HATE is a word that often precedes violence. Do you really HATE that politician? Have you ever met them? Or has the media attributed so many negative associations and bad intentions with said personality that you think you must HATE them?

Being brainwashed means having someone guide your thoughts to their ends. The media needs a dedicated audience to keep making money. If they can get you to HATE a public official, you become a follower of that cult. You will keep coming back to the source of that information. You will fill their enormous bank accounts with HATE money and the cycle will continue.

2. You use FALSE attributions - Liberals and Conservatives are not people, they are ideologies. You can call yourself Liberal or Conservative or Libertarian but that self-attribution doesn't change anything about you, it is paint on a doorknob. You are tall or short, you are male or female, you have hazel eyes and brown hair. These attributions are real, they don't wash off so easily.

Being brainwashed means someone has convinced you to accept and cast FALSE attributions. The media has discovered that if they break the world down into two separate and warring ideologies they can convince you to pick a side. You will become a dedicated cultural warrior. You will cast FALSE attributions on anyone who opposes any part of your ideology. This constant judgement of self and others is both self-defeating and exhausting so you need constant reinforcement from the media to fuel your battles. Each day they will give you a new topic or enemy to rail against.

3. You argue to WIN - Democracy is a sharing of ideas in a public forum to find compromise solutions for our most difficult problems. It is not about winning! If one side conquers the other, it will no longer be a democracy. The same falls true in our personal interactions. Marriage, business, family, all relationships are hinged by our ability to compromise. One of the worst things we can do is enter every conversation with the determination to win!

Being brainwashed means you won't compromise over anything. The media has successfully equated political contests with ideological victories. They use black versus white dichotomies to instill a sense of certainty, uniformity and rigidness in their followers. These people are not arguing to learn or to advance a cause or to persuade others. They argue only to win. This tendency advances nothing. Since there is no true exchange of ideas, the person trying to win simply declares themselves the winner and moves on to attack another person. 

4. Your certainty lacks experience - Remember that person who loves to argue? Remember how certain they are of their beliefs and their determination to win? More often then not that person has never worked in government on any level. American politics is one of the most complicated,  multi-faceted subjects on the planet. That person might never have studied any aspect of United States history, economics or law. In other words they are operating without a degree. They are building a house without a hammer and nails. They are play acting.

Being brainwashed means you don't know what you are talking about but you think you do. When the media says, "Don't take my word for it, look it up for yourself." You assume that they are being honest so you NEVER look it up for yourself. Here is a little secret that many people don't know - The media has no legal responsibility to tell you the truth. They lie about things all the time but call them facts. They select these facts to further their own cause. The result is an echo chamber that captures weak minds like rats in a maze.

5. No one wants to talk to you - It is simply not polite to talk about politics. Politics are incredibly personal. Granted the issues involved affect many millions of citizens but those conversations happen in public forums, on the floor of state and federal congresses and in the ballot box.

Being brainwashed means that you interject politics into every aspect of your life and do so against the wishes of others. If the Arab guy at the gas station gave you the wrong change, its not because he's an evil Muslim trying to undermine our economy, it's because he made a mistake. If a teacher corrects your child on a test it's not because she's a liberal infecting your daughter with lesbian cooties, it's because your kid is stupid. Let's face it, your kid is stupid because you are stupid.

The biggest reason the media is holding sway over so many people is because the masses have never been the brightest bulbs in the box. Study history and you will find that small groups of educated and dedicated people have always made the biggest difference. If there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is this - Being politically brainwashed is only the start of a journey. Many people have their eyes opened by the media but with study over time, they outgrow it. If you don't want to be brainwashed simply shut off the TV, crack open a few books and volunteer during the next election cycle. Your political education won't happen overnight but it will happen and we will all be the better for it. People who are politically brainwashed don't help anyone except their media overlords. People who are politically educated can help make life a little better for us all.

By the way, if you think this article was written by a Liberal to trash Conservatives

or the other way around - You are Politically Brainwashed.

Want to learn more? Here are a few articles that get deeper into the techniques used to brainwash the masses. Remember, no matter the slant of the writing, all media uses some of these techniques.

Encyclopedia.com Brainwashing Facts and History

Fourteen Propaganda Techniques used for Brainwashing

Brainwashing Techniques and how to avoid them

Top 5 Reasons People LOVE Comic Book Movies

A friend of mine commented that he didn't understand the whole comic book movie trend that has taken over Hollywood. Why are people so fanatical about these films and TV shows? What is the appeal? Being a mega-fan myself I thought the answer was obvious but apparently not. It turns out that there are some people who didn't grow up reading comic books. Go figure?

I decided to break it down in a way that these outsiders can understand. Here are the Top 5 Reasons these films and shows now dominate the entertainment landscape.

5. Identification - Have you ever read a book, fell in love with it and thought, I hope they make this into a movie. Then they do make it into a movie and you get to enjoy it from a whole new perspective. Now imagine that you read a book, fell in love with a character and found out they wrote hundreds of books about this character. Then you read those books over the course of many years. Then a movie comes out about it. Can you imagine the bond you would have with that character? The love you would have of their story? This identification is what comic book fans feel when a new film or show is introduced.

Personally I grew up reading Daredevil. I loved the idea of a man without fear who snuck around the city at night saving innocent people and catching bad guys. I read more than 150 issues of that comic book when I was a kid. The catharsis I felt when Netflix created a television show about Daredevil was truly an awesome feeling. It was like a joyous part of my childhood had been brought to life for all to see.

4. Sincerity - Hollywood has the tendency to make a lot of five minute films. This is where some writer comes up with an idea for a movie, puts in about five minutes worth of thought and then pitches it to a studio. The film is usually full of special effects, cheesy drama and over the top conflicts. The movie is also empty of any real meaning. These weak action flicks used to be referred to as 'Straight to video.' They often lost money in part because they lacked sincerity.

One of the draws of the new comic book trend is that the studios are taking long established stories that already hold deep meaning for the audience and then working to bring that vision to life. This form of artistic sincerity takes a lot of hard work but the end product holds up. Iron Man might be the best example of such integrity. The film had excellent acting, brilliant recreations of comic scenarios and strong secondary storylines relevant to current events. It was an all around good flick. It received 60 award nominations with 19 wins and a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94%.

3. Variety - Movie makers sometimes suffer from creative laziness. They to make the same film over and over again assuming that a new audience will appreciate it. In the age of digital media where people can watch any movie from any era with the click of a remote, redundancy has become unappealing. Movie goers are more open minded than at any point in human history. They want to expand their world, they want to see something new.

Comic book stories have a huge appeal because they solve this problem. Marvel Comics alone has over 9,000 characters. The stories take place all over our world and on various other worlds. The characters are made up of every race as well as hundreds of different alien races. These are stories of honor, revenge, love, redemption, you name it! Comic books are a gold mine of tall tales and colorful personalities with virtually no end in sight.

2. Expert Audiences -  When you walked into Forrest Gump you were just another face in the crowd. Likely, you had no stake in the success of the movie and no inside information about the plot or characters. That is the way movies used to work. Comic book films, on the other hand, are fast becoming audience driven projects. The producers, directors and actors hear the voices of the fans and learn what is expected of them. These new audiences are full of experts who know the characters inside and out. The watchers have become a powerful part of the production as their input actually makes these movies better.

The best example of this exchange is Deadpool. This project was a bit controversial due to its unavoidable adult themes. It sat on the shelf for 11 years, stalled by uncertainty. Then some mysterious person leaked a teaser trailer. Comic book geeks spread the video like wildfire. It gained so much attention that the studio had to take notice. When they saw that the movie had a huge and enthusiastic potential audience they gave it the green light. Deadpool became the biggest R Rated opening weekend with 132.7 million dollars. It was the biggest opening weekend for a first time director, Tim Miller. It was the 17th biggest opening weekend of all time. As for quality, it earned a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 84%.

1. Money Makers - The entertainment industry is an industry, duh! They are thrilled with anything that makes money and comic book films make big money. The Avengers (2012) made 1.6 Billion, The Dark Knight (2008) 1.5 Billion, Spider-Man (2002) 1.4 Billion, Iron Man 3 (2013) 1.2 Billion and the list goes on.  How can you argue with these numbers? Success breeds success. For each comic book film that does well, there are a hundred pitches for the next one in line.

It is fair to say that not only have comic book movies come to stay, they are quite literally changing the way Hollywood does business. They are connecting movies with each other, with TV shows, with video games and most importantly they are interacting with the audience. They have brought life back to a dying format and done so in spectacular fashion.

When I was a kid I was a little embarrassed that I read comics. Only my closest friends knew how much those colorful pages inspired me. They provided me with motivation and ambition. They instilled in me a sense of right and wrong. They gave me unique ways of seeing the world and my place in it. To tell the truth I feel bad for people who didn't get to read comics when they were growing up because I can't imagine a world without them.

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About the Author - Alex Hutchinson is an award winning short story writer and recreational athlete. His 8 books and 700 articles have been enjoyed by thousands of readers. His latest book Twisted Trails was an Indie Excellence National Book Award Finalist. He lives in Florida with his wife Terri and their three cats - Raistlin, Dalamar and Gideon.

Putting an Artist on the Payroll

Here is my gripe: This is something that has been driving me crazy lately. I'm in the market for a new job. I tend to do driving jobs because it is the one thing I never get bored of. God forbid you tell anyone that you are looking for work. People immediately get political. First, they recommend the worst possible job, like McDonalds and then say, "You can't be picky" or "Just be happy with anything." As if McDonalds is hiring 40 year old writers. No, Micky D's is hiring teenagers.

Let me spell it out for you. Twenty and thirty year old single guys get management positions at places like McDonalds so they can mack on the barely legal teens they hire to work there. For a comical version of these events watch the movies Waiting or Clerks 2. Fast food and restaurant employment is largely a dating scheme. I did work at Mick D's as a teenager and saw this with my own eyes.

As for other types of work? There are many reasons I choose driving. First, I'm good at it. There are lots of bad drivers out there, I'm not one of them. With 15 years experience at multiple delivery jobs in multiple cities, this is clearly a skill set. My longest jobs have been behind the wheel.

So what else do people do? They recommend jobs that are clearly unsuitable. "You could sell medical equipment or pharmaceutical drugs or real estate." Seriously? I'm a writer, an artist. I'm the opposite of a salesman. I have a conscience. Granted it is a burden but it's the type of burden we want humanity to hang on to. If you want to have a long, deep meaningful conversation about philosophy, identity or our place in the world, then I'm your man. Need someone to sweet talk a corporate suit with slogans and numbers, I couldn't do it if I tried. And I have tried. It was tragic.

Then comes the most insulting set of questions. Why can't you make a living as a writer? Doesn't the best writing rise to the top? If you were a good writer you'd be able to earn a living, right? I really want to believe that these things are true but they are not. Percentage wise there are very few writers who make a living from their craft. The market is overflowing with books, articles and unemployed journalists. Three million books are published each year. The number of them that makes a profit is less than 10%. The number of them that reaches a national audience selling millions of copies is a fraction of 1%. There are bad authors with movie deals and good authors who can seem to get noticed no matter what they do. The latter has been my social cage.

"Why don't you just quit? Do something else? Why be a writer if it's not making money?" These are real quotes from really dumb people. Why? Because being an artist is about purpose not prizes. This is very hard for the average person to understand. No one works in an office or a warehouse because it is their life calling, their divine purpose for existing. Artists are not driven by money. We need it to survive but we live in a country where only a select few are appreciated.

The drive that pushes someone to paint, sculpt or write for thousands of hours over the course of decades, slowly perfecting their craft has very little to do with monetary reward. It has a lot to do with vision, love, truth and expression. Art is not about the bricks that build the world. It is about the shape those bricks will take and how they will affect those who see them and live within them.

I have applied to yet another driving job. Fingers crossed. I will keep writing with the hope that maybe someday my hard work will come to fruition. It is difficult to believe that I will never get noticed. Never is a long time for a melodic voice to go unheard. I have faith that things will work out. It's not an easy way to live but these are the cards I have been dealt. All I can do is decorate them.

Also, buy my book. If you purchase a copy then I will be less poor, less angry and less likely to one day go mad becoming a diabolical supervillian who annihilates millions of people. Not that it will happen but you know, why take the chance? Save yourself, buy a book and I'll put you on the do not annihilate list.

Get your copy now!

      

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