JR's Journey

Update on my Blogging

2012-01-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

I'm sort of lucky I've kept this blog alive, although dormant for so many years. For anyone who has landed here looking for my other blog http://notsoliteral.com, I want to update you on why you're not finding it and if you so choose, where you can find me now.

On Christmas day, I attempted to log into notsoliteral.com to write a blog about my travels and thoughts on 2011 when I realized my blog was gone. I called GoDaddy.com and they informed me that the domain expired on Christmas and that they sold it to someone in Texas who had been bidding for it. Unfortunately, I never received notification that my domain was expiring and up for sale. I have at least 10 other domains which I renew throughout the year, but Notsoliteral.com was never notified.

There's nothing I can do right now about it. I'm pretty sad. I've been writing about my life - the highs, the lows, etc - for quite some time on that blog name. Now someone who wants it because it's a valuable business move owns it. It sucks.

Anyways...

I have not decided if I'll start another blog. Part of me is heart broken and feels like I lost a piece of myself. Another part of myself thinks I shouldn't be dramatic and should just pick up where I left off. Either way, here's where I stand now.

My current business website is: http://notsoliteralmarketing.com

My personal domain is http://jamesryanmoreau.com

My food blog is http://niceapronbro.com

My Twitter handle is http://twitter.com/jrmoreau

and lastly, if you want to get in touch with me about anything, my email is james.r.moreau [at] gmail dot com.

Thanks for being courteous eyeballs for all these years. It means more to me than you might know.

Best,

JRM

2011-03-15T13:50:00.001-07:00

Not So Literals- United!

2010-01-06T21:02:00.001-08:00

The new website!

http://notsoliteral.com

So fresh and so clean. Please check it out!

Random Post--Update

2009-12-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

I have not come check out this blog in a really long time. I'm curious who comes through to check out this blog still. I've gained so many new readers at my other blog and through my new job, but I sort of miss the days blogging on Blogger. These were the grassroots days when I got real busy with my underground career and writing development.

Update? Well, I packed my life up and moved to Madison, WI for a job at Brazen Careerist. I'm doing a job that I've always wanted for a company that I've always wanted to work for. The move was... interesting and far from perfect, but the experience has been great so far. Meeting awesome people and learning from some really smart professionals. I got to travel to Washington D.C. for business and have another role in the company that might allow me to travel even more (I can't wait to move to a big city like NYC, SF, D.C. or Chicago).

So far, my mom has come to visit for Thanksgiving to get away from some insanity that is associated with back home. A week later we had a close call and almost lost my grandmother to a heart attack last week which scared the hell out of me. I broke down last year when she broke her hip and I was convinced this was it. I'm thankful that I'll be seeing her and most-everyone else when I come home for the holidays for a few weeks.

A lot of nostalgia associated with this blog. Would love to re-connect with people who I haven't heard from in a while. If you're reading this, drop a comment or shoot me an email! I want to hear where you're at and how you're doing. I always wanted to move and live all over the country but I never wanted to disconnect with the people that mattered to me. So, yeah :-)

james.r.moreau [at] gmail [dot] com

JR's Not So Literal Logging Has Moved To Wordpress

2009-05-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

See, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away!

I've decided to use Wordpress.com as my blogging host rather than Blogger. Please come by and check out my new pages if you have a minute. I'd love some comments and thoughts if you have a minute!

SEO Copywriting Business Page - http://jrmgetscreative.com
Personal Blog - http://notsoliteral.wordpress.com

Best,

JR. Moreau

JR's Not So Literal Logging - Down But Not Out

2009-05-01T12:28:00.001-07:00

Hi Readers!

Just wanted to highlight my move to http://jrmgetscreative.com

As many of you know, I've started a copywriting business and need to align my brand a bit. I won't be blogging under this URL anymore as far as I foresee.

I'd love to continue JR's Not So Literal Logging in another capacity, possibly on another host site because I've had a lot of fun blogging about various subjects that I care about.

Please feel free to visit JRM Gets Creative to keep up with my business happenings. If you have any questions on copywriting or would like to talk shop, find me there!

Please feel free to peruse my old entries and stay in touch! I'll be sure to continue my commenting and community interaction as well.

Best Regards,

James (JR) Moreau.

Reaction to Average Jyo's People Assessment

2009-04-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today I want to link to a blog I've recently become a fan of; Average Jyo.

http://www.averagejyo.com/2009/04/27/people-cool-or-uncool/

This particular blog post hit such a chord with me. I have a tough time dealing with people who are genuinely disinterested in anything I have to say. I am a people person, much like Jyo describes himself and I feel utterly disapointed when I cannot connect with people no matter how hard I try.

I know this is a fact of life, but it's also something that I dwell on. If I have a blah encounter with a person, I think, did I talk about myself too much? Did I not listen? Maybe both?

Either way, I know that I am a thoughtful conversationalist. I get excited when I talk with people and have something in common with them and I become really eager to share. I've also learned to reign in that eagerness a bit and be sure to have them talk about themselves a bit. It's a huge step towards developing a connection with someone rather than having a one-way interaction.

I hope you get to take the time to enjoy his vlog. Let me know what you think. I found him through Gary Vaynerchuk's recommendation and I'm glad I subscribed to his RSS feed.

I'm Anti-Office Ass

2009-04-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Do you know someone who is over-worked and suffering from office ass? Well I suggest that you ignore work emails over the weekend and get outside. Here's what I did to begin my battle against the evil... dun dun duhhh... OFFICE ASS!

Last Friday a friend mentioned he was going to do some yard-work over the weekend and that he had some raspberry and blueberry trees that needed to get put in the ground. Without deliberating I asked him if he could use some help and he quickly accepted my offer.

The urge to offer my help was something I didn't even think about and it came right out. I'm glad it did. I haven't done yard-work in god-knows how long and the feeling of dirt under my fingernails and blisters on my hand from a pitch-fork felt great. The chance to have honest talk over a bit of labor is also something that I feel like I've missed out on. I love to chat at a coffee shop as much as the next person, but there's something to be said for getting your sweat on while working and talking shop with someone who has a lot of experience and knowledge to offer.

Needless to say, I slept like a baby and got a decent amount of exercise outdoors this weekend rather than toiling away at a gym that I despise. I hope the heat stays and the daylight lasts longer. I'm looking forward to getting outside and conquering the office ass syndrome that so many of my contemporaries face.

The Sustainability Revolution Will Have A Silent "R"

2009-04-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

I am continually amazed at the number of technological and business innovations happening in Massachusetts. We're just a creative bunch of people who seem to value the environment for the most part. Lots of great colleges around here too, which leaves no shortage for highly trained engineers, scientists, and other types of professionals.

California is getting it poppin' too with renewables as well and share a similar, liberal social and environmental consciousness as Massachusetts (similar high cost of living too!).

Throughout the United States and into Canada, it seems that renewable energy and sustainable industries are popping up even in the most unlikely of places. My best-friend transitions from a side-job in construction into manufacturing and installing thermal solar systems in Nova Scotia. I have to say that I am envious of him as well as I've applied to dozens of entry level solar installation jobs as a way to get out of the office culture I've put myself in. I've been told I'm over-qualified in my educational background and under-experience in my labor skills, yet my friend is in a Ph.D. program for anthropology.

Anyways, I'm thinking that there needs to be more programs highlighting a sharp direction into the sustainability fields of work for people who are interested in the concept and in becoming specialized. You won't get any richer installing solar panels than you would doing plumbing if you're simply looking for a trade, but staying on top of innovative trends and being willing to take risk with your own business or start-ups could be very lucrative it seems.

Now, the question is, do you start-over in a market where sustainable industries haven't taken a hold yet, or do you jump into a busy market such as Massachusetts and California?

I think there is room for improvement and expansion all over.

I'm Working, I Promise

2009-04-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Stretched thin and strung out. This is the life of JR Moreau. I pick my poison every single day.

Side business is on and poppin'. So happy about it.

I've got a post in the making that is actually pretty good. It's got substance and structure, unlike some other things I've been producing lately. But, hey, we need that money...

Where do I go from here? Well, I won't look back for a while for nostalgic purposes. No, I'll just keep moving forward. I'll bring this blog along with. Haven't quite decided how I want to integrate this into my "brand" but I know I've definitely put too much work and time into this blog to not utilize it.

Anyways, it is gorgeous outside and I busted ass all week. I have a considerable amount of side work to do, but I think I'm going to get in the car and take off somewhere for a little while and enjoy the sun.

Picking a cafe like eenie, meenie, miinie, mo.

Book List Update

2009-04-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

A slight update on my reading list:

I finished 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris today. It was a pretty good overall book. The beginning and end were the most useful for what I'm trying to do at this point in my life, which is gain autonomy from the workplace and direct my career more effectively. The middle part went into a long and detailed account of how you can outsource your life to foreign personal assistants for next to no money, which I have some issues with. I'm not going to take a stand and say whether I like that part or not, I'll just say it doesn't apply to me.

Overall, 4-Hour Work Week is worth a read. However, I preferred Career Renegade.

Now I'm reading Immortality by Milan Kundera. I've read Kundera and loved his stuff before. When I studied in Prague I heard all about him. He's a French citizen now but was born in Czechoslovakia, so he's got that mixture of distinct Czech transcendentalism and Parisian swagger. The first ten pages of Immortality are gripping, so I'm really excited to sit down with this book for a few hours and sink my teeth in.

Honorable Mention:
Just got Kick Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps and Celebrating the Third Place. Looking forward to both of those very much!

You got anything for me? What's new? Read any good books lately?

Young, Successful and Literate

2009-04-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

I come across a lot of successful young entrepreneurs, but a local favorite of mine is Dan Schawbel. The guy is absolutely on fire. His following is huge and seems to be constantly growing and his book Me 2.0 is becoming a quick seller. He's really tapping into the atmosphere of this recession and helping people turn their negativity and fear in on itself by giving pro-active tips on how to develop a personal brand online and get hired.

The concept of the personal brand can be an elusive one for people looking for quick returns and tangible results. I have a lot of older friends ask me why I'm involved with so many social network platforms and some even ask me how they can get involved and start benefiting from the amazing pool of resources that exist online.

My response to people who are looking to get involved is always to be as genuine and focused as possible. Another social media genius in Gary Vaynerchuk comes with a great point that people are the keys to social media, so you need to be interested and passionate about people. If you're passionate about what you do, passionate about what others do and passionate about connecting, then suddenly you'll be immersed in an interactive community that has unlimited benefits, most of which haven't even been discovered yet.

Dan Schawbel's book Me 2.0 is out now and I'm going to have to pick a copy up. He spoke nearby at Emerson College in Boston and I didn't get to go listen to him, but he's from nearby to so I'm guessing he'll come around once more. I suggest you find him on Twitter, he's a real asset for social networking and personal branding!

http://twitter.com/danschawbel

Remote Control Workers

2009-04-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Remote control workers; I'm not talking about couch potatoes, I'm talking about people who have made a conscious decision to shun the out-dated values that force people to abide by an 8 hour work day, tied to a desk. The choice to work remotely is a statement of self-control over one's workload and career path. If you can get the job done well without having obligatory face time on a day to day basis, then why would anyone in their right mind go back to the patriarchal styling of corporate America?

Work from home, work from the cafe, work from your roof top! Just establish your independence. If you like your co-workers, then head to the office a few days a week, but don't coop yourself up into a rat cage repository of the larger rat race.

Sorry if I'm sounding a bit-badass-ish, but I read "Career Renegade" and "4 Hour Work Week" back to back and they totally injected a fresh sense of ambition and determination (a.k.a. Generation Y entitlement) into me. I HIGHLY recommend both books, can't say it enough!

Hope you all have a great weekend :-)

The Tale of Two Cities

2009-03-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get intense urges to move to Boston again. Part of me feel like relocation to a bigger city is just another big ball of stress that I don't need. Other times I get to spend a bit of time in Worcester and enjoy a lot of the city's culture and amenities. Now that it's getting warm Worcester as a city is coming alive from it's long, hilly, and cold winter hibernation. There's not even that much dirty snow anywhere anymore.

Financially I don't see moving back to Boston as an option for the short-term plan. Even the cheapest apartments that I've had in Boston were still at least $100 more a month than where I'm at now and were absolute shit holes.

Part of my impulse to get away is not due to Worcester's charm or lack thereof. It's more a concoction of personal issues that are not subsiding as I'd hoped. I've got lots to do and never feel bored and usually I'm too busy to really need to search around for entertainment, but the fact of the matter is that the place where I rest my head is in close proximity to people I don't much care for.

I picked my poison. There's a chance I may move somewhere else in the city that may cost slightly more, or maybe even back to the city if some awesome opportunity presents itself.

Either way, I really love Worcester and Boston. I'd recommend either of them very highly as places to chill and be cultured.

So, I heard there's a big announcement coming up. Anybody know what it is?

2009-03-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Developing new consumer markets is an interesting concept. I never really trusted finding a demographic, studying their needs and wants and then building something, anything, to sell them.

I much prefer the concept of figuring out good technologies or services that have a sustainable future and good cash-flow projection and molding them to the consumer's needs. It's possibly that I'm a populist, or naive, but I really feel like everyone is a consumer to some degree, especially living in an openly capitalistic society, so why stoke the fires of "need" and create an artificial or psychological demand?

The products I have in mind are supplements that make you happy and give you positive chi, or whatever and those stupid video phones that I've been approached over so many times. I'm a really hard person to sell to. I'd challenge anyone to hustle me. This is because I've gotten hustled before and learned my lesson through good advice and careful examination of the world surrounding me.

Not many people have a keen sense of the world like I do, not to say I'm smarter or better than anyone else. All I mean is that I know a lot of people who really enjoy their television and Hollywood movies and genuinely buy into the hype of what is constantly advertised to them. I may come off as stuck up, no fun or entirely dead to the world because I don't get excited about the third installment of the mind-numbing "2 fast 2 furious" series, but I'll take those labels with a grain of salt.

It makes me sad to see so many people tapped fully into the general media machine, letting themselves become progressively addicted to fabricated products that are basically worthless.

You might accuse me of being a hypocrite, as I am in the copy writing and marketing business. This label could possibly stick except for the fact that I do my job with as much integrity and honesty as possible. Is that even possible? Business, integrity, honesty matched with profitability? Well, yes it is possible. I stand behind what I try to market. Solar panels, wind turbines, educational programs, public safety issues; these are just some of the products and concepts that I rally behind in my business. Is there a need for them? I think so. Can I sleep at night saying that? You bet.

Thousand Yard Stare

2009-03-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

What's the worst thing that could happen?

What's the best thing that could happen?

What is the cost of inaction?

I think I have answers for all of these questions. Yes, all that is left is fear when you answer these questions. What do you do when fear stares you in the face? You stare right back at it until it backs down.

I've got my thousands yard stare on.

Transitions To and From Self-Employment

2009-03-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Becoming self-employed or shifting one's career goals can be a frightening, yet exhilarating experience. The undeniable comfort associated with a steady paycheck is often clouded by the sheer anxiety experienced when you realize that you're just a number and not really fulfilling whatever potential you thought you once had. Maybe you find work in a smaller company that is closer to what you thought you'd be doing if you ever had the opportunity to own your own business. That's a "dream" job by my definitions.

The question I pose today is: If you quit your job to engage in a semi-lucrative small business such as freelance copywriting (assuming that it is lucrative), are the means of liberating one's self justifiable if you're simply planning on hopping to another even more lucrative (or not) field in a few years?

Do you take huge risk now to do something that you may not choose to do forever?

Making Time to Blog

2009-03-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have been swamped with freelance work for what's going on a month now. It's finally happening! It's coming from all different directions and all different clients and to be honest, I'm friggin' exhausted and LOVING it. I'm pushing myself to the limits of mental concentration and efficiency and I'm learning so much.

That being said, I'm not having much time to blog. My view numbers have been WAY down since February, which I have sort of expected. I never intended on really monetizing this blog aside from Adsense (which I still say doesn't work unless you've got HUGE traffic numbers).

Anyways, I'm still posting, still writing, still maintaining. Working on an eBook that I'll be posting here when I finish it. Should be a few weeks at least.

Otherwise, please stay tuned for more blog posts on here or elsewhere. Just because JR's Not So Literal Logging isn't popping, doesn't mean I'm not on my grind. I'm going to do a better job of directing my readers to the locations of my other (relevant) work.

Review of "Miles From Nowhere" by Nami Mun

2009-03-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Miles From Nowhere is a grotesque, horrifying, yet at times beautiful depiction of how cold the world can be to a well intentioned but circumstantially funked child who just wants to hold on to a happy moment before it disintegrates or dies.

View all my reviews.

One Hand Washes The Other That Feeds

2009-03-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

I cook quite a bit as most of you know. I really like to cook. I really like to eat too.

I don't clean as often. Definitely don't do it every day. Would like to do it once a week...

Today I cleaned my apartment after taking a 3 week layoff from a full clean. What a pain in the ass! So many combined activities that my roommates and I have neglected.

Moral of the story, try to clean bits and pieces of the apartment more often during the week. There's no point in cooking delicious food and enjoying it every day if you need to spend an entire weekend day deep cleaning everything.

The Balance is Better

2009-03-10T10:59:00.001-07:00

"Don't moonlight, it ruins your life"

I received a reply on Twitter in response to a question I asked that basically read, "how do you unwind and prepare yourself for a second shift of writing after your day job?"

Some people responded that they exercise. Other people responded that they meditate. One person blatantly said that channeling your energy after having a hectic day was the best way to prepare for doing work after you've finished your day shift, but that he also doesn't recommend doing any work when you go home.

My first instinct to such a reaction is, well it would be nice if I didn't have to freelance and find side jobs, but unfortunately the balance of my finances depends on making extra money here and there to offset unexpected expenses. I am also determined that no matter what happens in my life, no matter where I am or what my personal situation is, I will become the best writer than I can possibly be and I can only do that with constant practice.

Eventually I'd like a job where I plan communications and marketing as well as write and edit for a living. These jobs are hard to come by and are very competitive, but not having a portfolio and some experience behind me will ensure that I never get a chance to have the career of my dreams.

I know I get tired and irritable when I'm working all the time. But have you ever seen the ear to ear smile on my face or the deep sigh of relief I let out when I finish a piece that I've slaved over in the remaining hours of my waking days? If you've seen me that happy after busting my ass to finish a project, you'd probably agree with me that it's worth the trouble.

I'm meaning to read the book "The 4-Hour Work Week." The person who attempted to discourage me from moonlighting mentioned this book as his inspiration for working less. I bought that bought along with "Career Renegade" and haven't been able to get to them yet.

The concept of working less and making more money is great, so hopefully that's what the book is trying to sell. But, if it's basically trying to convince me to cut corners and do some sort of scam-type bullshit that is lucrative so that I can have more free time to go bird-watching or do yoga, he can keep his message.

I'm at a point in my life where work is very important to me. I'm young enough and (what I think to be) enlightened enough where I don't place value in much else besides my relationships and my own self-reliance. I place more weight on the future of what I can build with my career, with my hands and with my mind. Family is important too as well as being able to relax someday. BUT, I want to work. If you offered me the chance, right now, to either retire comfortably or have the dream job I've always wanted and have to bust my ass, I'd chose the dream job and I really mean that.

"I'll lay my boots to rest when I'm impressed. So, I triple knotted 'em and forgot 'em."~Aesop Rock

Happy Movie Endings, Happy Monday and Happy Snowstorms

2009-03-09T12:25:00.002-07:00

How was everyone's commute today? Mine was terrible! The daylight savings event completely threw me off and I didn't even bother to check the weather report before I left the house. I don't look forward to the ride home. I'll probably post up at a coffee shop and do some work until I feel it reasonable to hit the trail.

After viewing "Watchmen" over the weekend, I can envision just about anything twisted with a positive, holistic perspective and vice versa. What a movie! I had absolutely no background on the comic book series as I was a dedicated X-Men nerd throughout my childhood. I read a few reviews of "Watchmen" and the general consensus was that it stumbled a few times and was not a perfect movie, but just about anyone with an open mind can appreciate the effort that went into making this film. It was not a CGI display with an empty plot. Maybe the concept of relativity (Einstein) is particularly resonating with me, but "Watchmen" touched a lot of nerves in me. I'm probably going to watch it several more times. To top it all off, the action was intense and graphic. It even made me go "oh my fucking god!" a few times. An arm lock followed by a penetrating bone-break always makes me squirm a little. I walked out feeling pretty exhilarated, trying to remember the last time that a Hollywood made movie provoked such thoughts from me.

On a side note, I'm getting business from various sources and it feels.... GREAT! Economy be damned, I'm going to keep knocking these assignments out of the park. This is MY time.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!

Desperate for Ad Revenue, Not Readers

2009-03-05T07:48:00.001-08:00

The rant begins...

I write this in desperate frustration over the formatting of two of my favorite blogs, Triple Pundit and GreenBiz.com. I know entirely too well that the state of publishing good journalism is getting more and more difficult because of the failing economy and an even more abysmal printing industry, but these websites have some of the poorest layouts I have ever seen.

How do they expect their readers to chose to visit their pages instead of just reading from an RSS Reader when you click through to the original article and you have to sit and think for a minute which part of the page is actually the story you want to read. I've complained about this in public forums before, but if these websites actually want people to visit each article's original page and possibly click on some links, they need to tone down the over-advertisement and use more focused techniques rather than screwing up the entire aesthetic of the page.

I'd say GreenBiz.com has a much worse layout than Triple Pundit, but either way, neither of them are good. They need to do their content justice and make it stand out more on the page. The articles are usually brilliant and cutting edge, so if they can target their advertising in relation to the topic of the article, I'd bet they'd make even more money than they do from splashing small ads all over the place.

Okay, my rant is done.

Per se

2009-03-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

A friend noticed that we were both a couple of lucky sons of bitches. We are lucky for different reasons, of course. Neither of our mothers are bitches-per se. Neither of use are rich either, per se. Neither of us had the prime-time television depicted up-bringing, per se. Per several reasons counted only by ourselves I'm pretty sure that we'd gone farther than the status quo would have normally allowed.

I usually avoid cliches, per se. Per severance packages, graduation caps, loan notes, chemical dependence and clean bodies, I'd count myself among the lucky sons of bitches.

Sustainable Economic Development - Not The Next "Love" Movement

2009-03-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

When talking to people who drag their feet on sustainability issues for various reasons, I find myself defending the tenets of liberalism and feeling trapped argumentatively trapped. How do you explain to someone who associates "renewable energy" with socialist dogma? How do you surmount someone's intellectual walls after you start talking about scientific breakthroughs and they blurt out "well I like my big SUV!"

I'm a liberal, I'm a "tree hugger" and I like vegetables and organic food, but in no way do any of those traits lessen my commitment to making a living for myself and pushing the limits on my perspectives of how the world works. I think the perspective of the sustainability movement is that the world's society, population and infrastructure have grown exponentially fast since the inception of industrial technology, but we have been fueled off of a limited resource. We a handful of finite sources of energy to fuel our progression and in the process of moving forward, we leave behind poison in the air, in the land and in the bodies of our children for generations to come. We're sophisticate enough to be aware of, and harness natural forces on our planet that are virtually (for all our intents and purposes) limitless in the amount of energy that they produce.

It's time to wake up. We've been burning dead dinosaur remains and fossilized plant matter for almost 200 years and we're getting sicker and less efficient as time goes on. There are some dangers to the human race that are beyond the limits of our intellect to control, but beyond natural disasters, there's no more sense in burning oil and coal than there is in provoking massive wars (somehow they're intertwined).

This is a shift of mind-frame for how people think about living and growing what's around them. Most physical laws indicate that there is a finite limit to absolutely everything, so the concept of sustainably having or doing anything is somewhat deceiving, but the real goal is to be more sustainable and think in terms of building upon and sustaining a level of growth rather than basing our lives and future legacy on something that we all know is going to run out much sooner than later.

The True Life Polish

2009-02-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

Shoes get worn, they get dirty and sometimes the user just neglects them all together. Why put a dark, smelly, oily substance on them that makes them streaked and smudged?

Leave the mess to itself for a bit and start to rub and buff the polish into the shoe. Stay out of the shoes for a bit and let them rest. Give them the treatment they've been neglected as you've taken them along on your travels. When it's time to rest and polish a good pair of shoes back up, take time and take care to do it well.

Some people only get one good pair of shoes and most of those people will make those shoes last for a long time.

A Writer's Christmas

2009-02-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

I think I was around 13 when I decided that I was going to write a book. I liked to doodle and draw strange monsters a lot, I enjoyed sports, I really liked music (especially West Coast rap), but I never developed a skill or work ethic to aspire to any of those things on an elite level. I was also quite pre-occupied with winning one of the many reputed scholarships that would pay an entire ride to college's expenses for one good poem, essay or short story. So, I decided I was going to write a good poem, essay AND short story. Only one problem; hand-written pieces were not accepted. So, I decided that I absolutely must have a computer to type out and print all my masterpieces. Christmas time was approaching and I was on a mission.

The reality of the situation was that 12 years ago, computers were still huge pieces of machinery that cost thousands of dollars and I only knew one person who had one in their home. It definitely wasn't in the budget of a single mother to buy her aspiring author any sort of professional machinery to type out his thoughts. So, instead she bought me an electric typewriter, much like the one Raoul Duke uses in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It was amazing! Although the backspace button only worked for a few weeks and the ink ribbon was always getting twisted and smudging and... it doesn't matter! I had pages of my own writing that I could send in for the scholarship contest!

I didn't get that scholarship, or any scholarships for that matter, but it made me feel like a legitimate writer anyhow. This was the definitive moment in my life when I knew I was a writer. Starting on pages, scrapping countless drafts and gnashing my teeth trying to figure out what I wanted to write next; these are some of my fondest childhood memories that slipped my recollection for a long time. It sort of just popped into my head this morning and gave me a really warm feeling. I wanted to share that memory with you.

Do you have any lost or faded childhood memories that suddenly come to you? I'm hoping these start coming back clearer and more often. It feels good!

Cake Filled With Content

2009-02-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

You've got to give the people what they want, or you've got to convince the people they want what you've got. Straight-up copy just doesn't make people's mouth water. I'm finding that I'm getting quite obsessed with one type of writing at any given moment and neglecting others. All the while I am slowly creeping up to an insurmountable wall where I feel like everything I'm writing is crap.

The solution is to keep writing, no matter which way you go about it and stuff it into some cake so people will want it. Whether they'll buy it or not is an entirely different story, but as long as people read what you're putting down on paper and coming back for more the next day, you're doing alright.

On a side note, I'm becoming well aware of what ROI I am needing from the time I spend writing. It's got to be high! About two years ago I was writing entire 500 word articles for a few bucks. A FEW BUCKS! Maybe like $3 to $6 for quality writing that I spent at least an hour on. In my mind I was paying my dues, but working for pennies is so easy to do because people will never offer to pay you more if you don't ask. Getting what you're worth as a writer is important for financial reasons and also confidence reasons. I'm almost embarrassed to post about how long I was writing for cheap, but it's in the past and with some good judgment and even better advice I'm beyond that.

So, eat up your content cake as well as your *spinach* filled brownies and don't write for less than you're worth!

On The Road...Again

2009-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

I won't go into much detail right now, but basically I might have to pack my shit and find another place to live. I've been put into a very uncomfortable position. As a grown man I'm weighing my options of compromise versus confrontation, or simply walking away from this living arrangement that I have grown content with.

... sigh...

Adsense Doesn't Work Anymore

2009-02-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

As with most people I know, I haven't made any money using Adsense. I knew that the wave of making good money through Adsense revenue had probably passed at least a few years ago.

So, what works now? I'm trying to figure that out myself. I've read two blogs this week that talk endlessly about how it's nearly impossible for most people to make money off of blogging, yet there are people that do it. Here is the more informative of the two blog posts http://www.copyblogger.com/no-money-blogging/

Basically what I understand is that there needs to be a unique business model associated with your content and with your blog. If it doesn't solve people's problems, it probably won't make money. Writing entertainment blogs seems to not be the way to go, although I enjoy writing entertainment type posts on JR's Not So Literal Logging.

So this leads me to wonder, how can I solve people's problems? What skills do I have that people would pay for? Well, I've got a lot of those skills to be perfectly honest! The act of brainstorming them will be a new way to shift the paradigm of how I think about making money.

So, I'm going to take my first step in trying a new Ad program called Chitika. It's supposedly much more effective than Adsense these days. We'll see! I'm looking forward to seeing some revenue come in based off of the page views I get.

Let me know what you think about solving people's problems and making money off of it. Also, let me know what you think of the Chitika Ads!

The Proliferation of Green Jobs

2009-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

The sustainability revolution is coming! Where do I stand? Where do you stand? Where do we stand?

A gajillion, million, bazillion dollars are now being circulated throughout the United States of America to help stimulate the economy and create jobs. I'm pulling for the "green" job increases and to be honest, I'm already starting to see a bit of a pick up in the talk and excitement in Massachusetts surrounding sustainable industries. Check out this article in the Boston Globe to see what I'm talking about.

Stimulus expectations run high

So, what kind of green jobs are we talking here? Green construction? Solar panel installers? Wind turbine technicians (or as I call them, trapeze artists)? Green non-profits? Green government contracts? Green street sweepers?

A year ago I was just another environmental enthusiast who wanted nothing more than to see a social and economic transformation to a cleaner, healthier economy and way of living. I wanted quite badly to work in the field of "green" business. I never got an engineering degree, never got an environmental science degree and I never got a business degree. I simply am a good writer who's good with technology and has a very small learning curve. I put myself out there repeatedly and almost, I mean almost got a few really cool jobs for solar and wind power companies. I'm not working in a sustainable industry at the moment, but I find myself in the midst of a revolutionary period, one that I've been waiting for.

Do I still want my professional future to lie in "green" or sustainable business? You bet your pants I do. But I ask, where do I belong? Where can I put my skills to use? Who needs me?

You should ask yourself these questions as well. This will be the biggest economic boom that my generation (Gen Y) will likely ever see in our lifetime. I don't want to call it a bubble. How could infrastructure and renewable energy development cause an economic bubble? It won't. This is our new direction. This will be an economic freight train. Get on or get out of the way!

The Rise of Carbon Neutral Cities

2009-02-19T07:17:00.001-08:00

Today I'm linking to a column Seth Itzkan and I wrote for The Valley Patriot. It's about the exciting trends in sustainable building practices that will bring us into a cleaner tomorrow.

As always, comments are welcome.

_____________________________________________________________________________

A sustainable future is not something that can only be enjoyed by certain segments of society or by certain parts of the planet. Many "green" innovations have been displayed in beautifully crafted, yet very expensive homes and buildings. The real, holistic purpose of living sustainably is so that everyone can live cleaner, healthier lives and leave the Earth less of a mess for future generations to clean up.

How does a world like this come to fruition? It certainly doesn't happen over night. Most of the world's big cities were developed large in scale and breadth as we know them after the industrial revolution. Over the course of time, cities and towns have grown in order to accommodate huge populations and the demands that come with them. Urban sprawl and suburbia seems to be a poor idea in hind-sight, but certain socioeconomic forces have shaped the urban, suburban and rural landscapes we live in today. Facing those forces with a new, sustainable mentality is what will help us to build greener, healthier living spaces.

What makes a sustainable region? Reducing the collective carbon footprint of a city or town is done in multiple ways. Changing the way a city is laid out or planned can dramatically alter the dynamic of foot traffic as well as the number of internal combustion vehicles used throughout. Changing standards and regulations towards requiring a high level of energy efficiency in all new construction projects is also a way to greatly reduce an areas carbon footprint.

With so many buildings, homes and structures already existing which were built long before efficiency standards were considered, there is the question of whether it is better to retro-fit or to build anew. While both ideas have their benefits, some governments are looking to model future cities after state of the art eco-colonies.

Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi is slated to be the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city. Within this walled city, no cars will be allowed and all of the energy used will be in the form of electricity generated by renewable resources such as photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. The goal for Masdar City is to create as much energy as it uses. Current goal is to produce a 130 megawatts through a photovoltaic network and 20 megawatts with wind farms. In all, Masdar City will be host to about 45,000 residents with 60,500 people commuting there daily.

There are also examples of existing cities and towns that are called "transition towns." The use of the word "transition" signifies a conscious, active and collective move towards building a more sustainable community.

This approach has varying aspects to it, including raising awareness of carbon and environmental issues, connecting with local governments and having community defined goals, projects and timelines which would ultimately seek to achieve a carbon neutral city, town or region.

Transition towns are varied in size and culture, with some examples in the United States being Montpelier, Vermont, Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Maine. The Obama-Biden platform was notably pro- environment and many Americans are looking forward to an Obama Administration push towards sustainable economic development. A large part of the platform is a commitment to highly efficient Federal buildings and more stringent standards for all new construction projects. New building efficiency will be 50% more efficient and retro-fitted existing structures will aim to be 25% more efficient. These ambitious, large scale projects are going to require a well trained and motivated workforce, which will hopefully signal a new reassurance of new, green-collar jobs in the near future.

Speaking of his proposed Environmental Agenda, President Obama said, "We cannot afford more of the same timid politics when the future of our planet is at stake. Global warming is not a someday problem, it is now."

Speaking to policy specifics, he said, "It will lay down three thousand miles of transmission lines to every corner of our country. It will save taxpayers $2 billion dollars a year by making 75% of Federal buildings more efficient and it will save American families hundred of dollars by weatherizing 2 million homes."

A city of any size uses massive amounts of power; that this may someday soon be achieved without any carbon output is remarkable.
Policies put fourth by the Obama administration promoting the greening of the built environment are a step in that direction and may provide useful incentives for The Merrimack Valley.

Czech out the actual Column at The Valley Patriot Online.

I've Decided to Become a Millionaire

2009-02-18T08:59:00.001-08:00

In the past year I've made millions of dollars and signed countless copies of my book in a tour that spanned the globe twice over. Would you believe me that six months ago I was working at a gas station in downtown Baltimore making $22,000 a year annually and now I'm a MULTI-millionaire internet marketer. Sound unbelievable? I'd have said the same thing in your shoes. Let me show you how I turned my life around to become the biggest selling book writer, the most followed Twitterer and the most charismatic public speaker in the world with my webinar JR's Not So Literal Logging: A Peon's Guide to Generating Money From Thin Air.

I can't promise that you too will become rich, famous, attractive and amazing at every venture you take in life, but if you purchase my JR's Not So Literal Logging webinar series, I will show you the steps that you can take to put your life on a one-way rocket ride to success.

Please leave a comment and you'll be put on my super secret mailing list that will give you back-stage access, pre-sale information, ultra confidential tips, tricks and videos of me having burping contents with the chimpanzee friends I bought with my MILLIONS!

Sustainable Spaces

2009-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

I may not have mentioned Jetson Green before due to my tendency to keep things that I really love private. This website consistently hosts the most inspiring, beautiful and innovative green, sustainably built projects in the world. reading a blog like this is encouraging because it really helps you realize that many places throughout the United States are adapting some form of sustainable building principals in application to their own spaces.

A little over a week ago I visited Alex Cheimets in Arlington where he and his neighbor are living amidst the Massachusetts Superinsulation Project. This project is a great example of what can be done with supplies available to virtually anyone and some applied scientific reasoning to make a relatively old residential home become energy efficient. I will cover this project and compare it to other projects in further detail in the near future.

When not working with existing residential or commercial structures, there is a seemingly blank canvas left for developers, architects and construction workers to build something new and innovative that serves a purpose of livability, functionality and general aesthetic appeal.

A new design that I'm excited over today that I learned about from the folks over at Jetson Green is Dr. Jim's "Really Nice" space. This walkable, sustainable, rentable commercial space just screams downtown renewal, something that my hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts is in sore need of. If developers and city officials were ever able to pair reasonably priced, sustainably built housing and commercial space down where the Worcester Common Fashion Outlets used to be, that could bring an entirely new dynamic to the city's brand.

Match the concept of new development with retro-fitted existing structures and I can foresee an exciting vision for Worcester, Massachusetts and many many other cities and towns like it. This sort of vision will create jobs and be conducive to community involvement. I like the sound of that. Plus it just looks nice!

Start Now, Not Later

2009-02-16T11:52:00.001-08:00

Why wait until next month to start kicking out the jambs? I was driving myself up the walls trying to figure out how I was going to make the dough that needed to be made for the month of February. I keep stressing over my business website and setting that up to look "professional."

Scratch that. I got into the swing of focusing too much on making money in one particular discipline. How else can I make money? Writing isn't the only ways. Editing, babysitting, demolition, trade shows, you name it! You can't knock or limit my hustle.

I feel like this is my best effort in putting the last month behind me and really turning the corner towards an exciting 2009. I'm looking to stay positive, stay caring and giving to the people who display the same traits to me and even to some of those who don't.

Not that I'm a bad person, but I feel like I need to be a better person moving forward. Better, stronger, smarter and tougher. More understanding too. More flexible?

We'll see.

On a side note, a picture is probably worth a thousand words and a million memories when you consider the tableau of three Worcesterite males sitting around a semi-furnished apartment drinking wine from Martini glasses and talking about life with the type of vigor that you'd expect from upwardly mobile cats who haven't quite hit their stride. You'd have to be there... with a camera!

Charlie Haden- Jack Black's In-Law

2009-02-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

I was driving home from work this winter and heard a sample of this song on NPR. (As corrected by my friend Seth Itzkan, an avid bassist himself)The bassist's name is Charlie Hayden. The son is on vocals. His daughter is married to Jack Black. This song touches me very deeply. I suggest looking up the song "Shenandoah" as well.

Link Love = More Blog Traffic

2009-02-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I got an un-welcomed email from Today.com stating that I was not being paid per post anymore after earning a dollar per 100 word post every day for about six months. My income from side writing projects has been negligible in the past month due to commitments at my day job so I didn't want to waste time writing on my Today.com blog if I wasn't getting paid for it. The link love and community of Today.com was nice, but out of spite I wasn't going to be part of another ad-revenue sharing program.

About a week after I stopped posting on my Today.com blog, my visitor states for JR's Not So Literal Logging starting going way down. Looking at the source of where a lot of my traffic came from I was surprised to see that people were visiting this very blog from my Today.com blog!

What does this tell me? Don't ditch your social media circles on a whim! Keeping a regular blog posting routine at my Today.com blog might have possibly kept my visitors engaged and clicking links on my page.

Might I re-start my Today.com blog? I'm not sure yet. It was a themed blog about my quest to get back into grad school. Now that Grad School isn't at the forefront of my life anymore, I might chose another topic and start from scratch.

Any thoughts on this? Do you owe your traffic and reputation to social media outlets that seem to be a waste of time otherwise?

Blog Posting Late In The Day - Get Over That Wall

2009-02-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if posting to my blog this late in the day is worth the trouble. It seems like if I don't post to my blog early in the morning when people begin checking their RSS feeds, my posts don't get read and my traffic begins to die down at a steady rate, as it has for the past month.

My traffic stats do not represent my inner beauty! *breathes deeply*

I posted a question on Twitter earlier today that read like this:

JRMoreau: I need to take a different angle at working efficiently at my side business after/before work. My old way isn't effective anymore.

I was busy at work today. Not busy like, too many meetings to go to, or trouble-shooting busy. I simply had piles and piles and piles on top of piles of work that I needed to grind through before days end. I suspect it will be the same tomorrow. This is why I am getting a blog post out before I leave my desk so that I can at least say I did one today. Any momentum is good momentum (except backwards momentum, duh!)

While I won't take work home with me tonight (I'm trying to be disciplined as much as possible), I'm also slipping into the tendency of wanting to relax when I get home. What a foreign concept! Who does that?

All snide sarcasm aside, I started out last year with a wide eyed idea that I'd start a writing business and get it really cranking in 2009. I've had some personal obstacles arise lately, but I'm handling them all well enough.

The true test of an innovative, hard working person is how they face adversity and worse, a perceived lack of motivation. I used the word "perceived" because I don't think motivation ever really wanes, it's the energy to keep running into the same wall at the same speed, from the same angle, day in and day out. It's less a question of motivation than it is a question of feeling refreshed in perspective.

A refreshed perspective is something that everyone needs from time to time. It's tough to get out of bed every day if your perspective is that things cannot change. With great effort, passion and all the good stuff that got you into this mess in the first place, you can bring about change.

I don't like to see my blog go too long without a post. I've gone through several blogs over the last decade and I promised that JR's Not So Literal Logging was going to be the first blog I kept writing in forever.

That same feeling goes towards my writing business. I've had lots of great ideas in the past that I didn't follow through on. This is the first day of the rest of my business owning life. I am tired, behind schedule and dealing with some tough things in life, but things that you build define you better than your hardship.

Get to crackin'!

Blog Writing - You Are What You Eat?

2009-02-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

I wonder how much blog content is recycled information that a blog author gets from his or her RSS Reader on any given day? I see a lot of themes and concepts recycled. Sometimes people don't even bother changing the order of the top 5 (or however many) bullets they write on a subject.

It's all gravy, though. I'm guilty (or a participant) in the art of content recycling. Sometimes I have a hard time getting inspired to write a blog post unless I wake up with a bright idea or think of something crazy on the commute to work. I guess this is natural?

There's always the concept of ideating (yes, it's a word). It's basically the slap in the face answer to anyone who tells you that they've got writers blog. You essentially kick start your brain into creative mode by analyzing your surroundings and your immediate needs and building from there with a vast series of customized steps. It's a fairly effective tool, especially for people who get paid for their writing and need to come up with great stuff on a regular basis.

Today I let the ideation take control and wahlah, an ideated blog about ideation. Enjoy!

Where You're From - An Adjective

2009-02-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

Do you have any interesting, funny or shameful characteristics about where you're from that immediately get pegged on you when you're out of town?

I've been called Worcesterish (Worcester-ish) and have also been told I've got "Millbury Street etiquette." I think you'd have to be from the city to know what that means, or at least be familiar with the area. I'm not even sure what it means to be honest. I actually call myself "Worcesterish" proudly. It's one of the first adjectives that my friends use to describe me to their friends and it's always an endearing term.

I read a lot of Facebook posts about "you know you're from Boston/Worcester if..." Are any of you from a city or town that isn't considered a "major" city, but rather a working, urban area that has it's very distinct culture from surrounding metropolises?

As always, if I meet you and you ask me where I'm from, it's Worcester, "Wista," but never, ever Boston.

Becoming a Professional = Learning to Walk Before You Fly

2009-02-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

As I try new things the older I get, I seek council a lot from people who have been there and done that. Even though I admittedly have a hard time learning from others mistakes, I do enjoy talking a bit about my next potential steps and life and hearing people talk about their trips, falls, bumps, bruises and successes.

Being a Gemini, I have at least two sides to listen to at any given decision making point in my life. I've learned that one of those sides in me is always right. I try not to explicitly ask people exactly what I should do. The roundabout method of questioning is a good way to exercise all possibilities and come to your own conclusions.

Sometimes someone will take it upon themselves and tell you exactly what they think you should do. This can be great, because it shows that one of your actual options is something that others have convictions about. But, it is necessary to be careful of people who try and steer you. It is easy to come across these people in life. They're either individuals who stand to gain from you choosing a certain path and are persuasive irregardless of your circumstances. There are also individuals who are naturally nervous or apprehensive and are averse to risk who would rather you take the path of lesser resistance every time.

Being able to weigh risk, others opinions and still move forward is the true sign of professional maturity. Having others hold your hand the whole way simply won't work. Even though it make feel good to have tons of support, it surely doesn't feel as good as flying under your own power.

Keeping Flexible

2009-02-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

In staying flexible, I don't mean bending and twisting before and after exercise. What I mean is maintaining an open mind about what life can bring at any given moment and realizing that you're ability to be passive or active is a choice left entirely up to you.

The emotional, intellectual and physical strains that people go through on any given day can be enormous. The attempt to find fulfillment in a day, or a month or a lifetime can seem all but impossible with the harrowing task of making ends meet financially and meeting as many personal goals as we think we might like to achieve over a course of time.

There has to be more. I'm not speaking in any religious sense, but rather in the sense that we cloud our minds so much with tasks and desires that don't lead us anywhere. Working a day-job, to make money, to buy things, to grow old and then to die. What have we built? What is left when we are gone? Each of us has our own calling and natural abilities that set us free when we embrace them.

My freeing activity is writing. I'd really like to write for a living. Copywriting, creative writing, academic writing, journalism; I love all forms of writing. I feel much more alive after I've written something from the heart. I know there is something in each person that makes them feel the way I do about writing. How long until you side step the massive boulder you're working on getting to the top of that never-ended hill? 10 years? 30 years? 45 years?

Doing what you have to do to survive for however long is your own prerogative. Some people figure out a way to make a living doing something they love. Others need to work different jobs that they don't like for a while until they're absolutely sure that they're meant to be on another path. I think relative to the time-line that is life, it doesn't matter whether it takes us 2 or 20 years to find out what we love to do and actually start doing it. What matters is that we make the change and stay ready to pounce when the opportunity presents itself. Before and after that point, it is a matter of listening, learning and taking as much in to make that beautiful moment where your life changes count for everything it's worth.

This post is dedicated to two completely un-related friends of mine, Neil D. and Julie Roads. Neil's talk on Mankind's Search for Harmony through Architecture and Julie's eBook called How to Become a Successful Copywriter both have inspired a ton of thought encouragement in myself and many others, I'm sure.

Working Out in Pairs

2009-02-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

Venturing away from my common subjects, I wanted to talk about something that has been fresh on my mind with Spring slowly, but steadily approaching; fitness! I have had various levels of personal fitness over my life time. Some years weren't so great, other years were phenomenal. As of now I'm relatively fit, but not athletic by any means. When it got cold and I stopped riding my bike, my average hours of exercise per week went way down. I also find myself going on long walks and to the gym a bit less due to work and weather constraints.

All excuses aside, I must say that I do miss working out with friends like I used to in college. It seems like no matter where I lived, whether it was in Prague or one of the dozen or so apartments I lived in in Boston, I always seemed to have interesting roommates who valued fitness in their own lives. I took to thai kickboxing quite fondly thanks to one roommate, I got my first flat "four-pack" stomach with another roommate who probably did 1000 crunches a day and I took to road biking after living with people who really enjoyed mountain biking.

My next adventure? Well, there is a rock climbing gym going up in Worcester. I've always wanted to try rock climbing and up until 4 years ago, I thought I'd never be able to because I couldn't do a pull up. Now that I'm strong enough to do a few pull ups, I'm really looking forward to tying a rope around my waist and scaling some funky studded walls. I kind of want someone to do this with so I can share a mutual interest. I am able to do things solo, but do enjoy a slightly competitive bit of company with things like this.

What are your opinions of rock climbing? What are some of the things I can expect? I'm kind of excited! I might try it at the YMCA where my sister works too, but if I like it, I'm going to join the one noted below:

http://www.centralrockgym.com/

Working Alternative Hours

2009-02-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

When's the last time you left work when it was light out? The summertime? Do you justify it by noting daylight savings time? Or, are you working much longer hours than normal and not really taking the full benefit of what a flexible work schedule can offer?

Some jobs can be subject to unfair, tyrannical rules and procedures that make like miserable for pretty much everyone involved. Showing up to the office no later than 8PM Monday through Friday and working late whenever needed isn't exactly my idea of a good work-life balance. I can be counted as somewhat hypocritical in this regard because I do, after all, work much, much, much more that 40 billable hours per week, but I also do my best to make my essential knowledge and work ethic work for me by working alternative hours whenever possible.

If you're going to be on call, or asked to put in lots of extra hours on a regular basis, you should definitely consider asking for a schedule that suites your needs a bit better. Most jobs have the capability to allow their employees to work remotely. Many managers simply don't let their employees work from home because they feel it is taboo and bad for team morale and productivity. Most studies on working from home have proven that theory to be wrong.

Having a healthy work-life balance is essential to your personal and professional progression in life. There's no real reason, aside from an inflexible culture that you cannot have a flexible working schedule that allows you to work remotely or have alternative hours if you're putting in the hard work and time needed to get the job done.

Finding smart, reliable, hard working employees is hard, keeping them happy shouldn't have to be.

Personal and Professional Health

2009-01-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

I want to follow up on Steph's post on my last post Managing Time at Work. She made an excellent point about staying on top of one's health, both mental and physical while pushing the limits on what you can get done every day over a sustained period of time.

I get rather busy during certain times of the year and very rarely, if ever do I take vacations. The "balance" that Steph talks about is what I cling to. Not ever having much money for travel, I take advantage of any hospitality that is offered my way and also take the spontaneous PTO day or two when I feel I cannot face another day of work.

I eat pretty well too. Although I'm not always going to the gym on a regular basis, I do keep myself strong with lots of push ups and crunches and I'm always seeking a balanced diet. My friends always turn their nose at my picky organic filled pantry and refrigerator, but they always show up when I'm cooking and invite them.

It's strange, I'm never really "ahead" financially, but as I take small, tangible steps to get ahead professionally, physically and mentally, it all adds up to a better holistic life. I think everyone is a little bit of a control freak. Having a 9 to 5 you ultimately surrender control to a great amount of your life, so taking back the other hours of your life and using them well is a good way to build up towards something better.

Every little bit counts. What are you doing to get somewhere?

Managing Time At Work

2009-01-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

I am relatively good at managing time at work. I manage myself pretty effectively and therefor do well in jobs with minimal supervision. I do, however like to have knowledgeable and helpful supervisors and managers who are there as a resource too, but as far as micro-managing goes, I don't need it.

The past two weeks have been truly an exercise of endurance. With a massively complicated deliverable going out and perfection being our only option in execution, it's been a non-stop deluge of work both on work hours and well outside my regular work hours. Despite a hectic pace and short-deadline, I have still managed my time very well.

I am just wondering what I can do to manage my time better with such a heavy workload compared to the more "regular" hours that I worked in previous months? I don't think that things will slow down or get less crazy and I still need to keep developing my writing and trying to get a client base. I'm truly drained lately when I come home I have almost no creative energy left at night.

More "to-do" lists? More caffeine? Less sleep? More weekend hours? All of the above?

Any full-time freelancers or part-timers have any advice for time management under hectic full-time job conditions?

The "Plight" of the White Male

2009-01-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I overheard, but did not participate in, conversations by white males about how hard it is for white males in America and how President Obama is going to make it worse by giving all the jobs to blacks and other minorities.

Growing up in a very blue collar family in a relatively blue collar city, I've heard this argument countless times. Some whites feel slighted and discriminated against because of affirmative action. A lot of them feel that AA is outdated and not relevant anymore because racism doesn't matter these days.

This is a very complicated issue, one which I'm not 100% sure about where I stand on it, but I am positive that when I hear a bunch of employed, white males sitting around talking about how hard they have it because of their skin color, I want to laugh and shake them violently.

I think back to when I grew up in Worcester and went to school in the inner city at a private, albeit extremely diverse catholic school; I worked my ass off and never felt slighted when a person of color got something over me. I think about how some of the kids I knew growing up lived, whether white, black, hispanic, mixed race, asian or whatever... some of us had it harder than others. I'm happy as hell if one of my friends ever got called up for a special program because of their story.

So many "conservatives" talk about pulling yourself up by the boot-straps and making your way no matter what your circumstances. So, I simply pose to them; why didn't you over-perform and get whatever you were going after? Was it impossible? Could you not overcome your circumstances?

My New Cat, Ella Fitzgerald

2009-01-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

I went back to the shelter yesterday to finally get a new cat after I had to return my last one. Her name is Ella Fitzgerald and she is 5 years old. She is by far the nicest cat I've ever met. She headbutts and purrs constantly. I'm a big fan, although I'm going to change the locks to my apartment because my mother and sister are plotting to steal her and swap out their weird but lovable cat "Baby Bailey".

Here are some pics for those of you who asked before!

A Heads Up To My Followers

2009-01-24T22:03:00.000-08:00

I followed a bunch of people in both the "Blogs I'm Following" feature in the blogger dashboard as well in my RSS Feed. The double feed was getting a bit much so I nixed my blog feed on Blogger. So, just an FYI, I am still following everyone who I have always followed, I'm just using a different reader.

Life Coaching the Un-Coachable

2009-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Last night a friend told me I should be a life coach because I seem good at inspiring people to take risks in life and chase their dreams. I took this as a compliment, but realized that I couldn't be a life coach for a lot of the same reasons why I probably can't ever be a teacher.

At this point in my life, I have a lot of emotional energy riding on my success as a professional and as a person. I work tirelessly to get what I want and get very angry, nervous anxious and resentful of people, places and things that get in my way. I always acknowledge these emotions and then churn them into some sort of positive energy towards the universe. I'm becoming more centered and fragmented at the same time!

One of the things that would make me unsuccessful at life-coaching and/or teaching is the fact that I cannot deal with people who don't follow up on what they want. I am a pretty good listener and I will listen to, empathize with and comfort someone who is having a tough time in their life. I have to be careful not to be too forceful with what I think they should do, because I know that I hate when people automatically assume they know what I need. Instead, I just ask lots of questions revolving around what someone wants from their life. That's how I figured a lot of things out in my own existence. When you acknowledge obstacles and start focusing on how to get over or around them, you're at least using your mental energy for forward progress instead of just aimless worrying.

I'm pretty sure I'd take it very personally if I invested a lot of professional and emotional energy into giving someone advice and helping them take their first steps and seeing them not follow through. It is something I despise so much in myself when I do it, I wouldn't want to project those feelings onto someone else. I'm always willing to have a good, long talk over coffee or wine and wax philosophic about life, but I definitely try to leave my hopes and investments in whichever person I'm talking to at the table.

I feel like if you just put the positive energy that you've got into the world and don't expect anything back, you'll often not get anything back, which is fine. But every so often, someone or something comes along and surprises you by turning into an amazing butterfly from a cocooned ball of angst and worry. That is probably one of the best feelings in life; seeing someone succeed and get what they truly want.

Seeing people genuinely happy makes me happy. I love to feed off it and put my good vibes out. I just don't know if I could put myself out there for a living and take people by the hand and repeatedly see so many not change their lives. Or maybe the few people that do change make it all worth it? Seems similar to drug rehab or AA. To be honest, a lot of these thoughts are based from those sorts of experiences and people. Hmm....

Books about Career Development (and everything else)

2009-01-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

Through my foray into social media about 2 years ago I've met a lot of interesting people with great ideas about career development, personal branding and other nu-age ideas that are relatively cutting edge. I can't believe how many influential business books I've found through recommendations and even directly from authors I've met through social media sites such as Twitter.com and Linkdin.

It is interesting to think about who these books are targeted towards and why. Books such as "The Dip" by Seth Godin or "Me 2.0" by Dan Schawbel don't seem to me like they are targeted towards high school seniors or individuals about to graduate from college. Actually, these books seem best geared towards people who are currently working jobs that they don't find particularly fulfilling and might need a self re-invention. Am I amongst those ranks? Sure am! I love both of these books and many others like them.

I guess you can't really target young people and tell them what's up with the real world. You sort of need to just encourage them to experiment and not be afraid to take chances while they're young and have less on the table to lose.

Developing a persona brand isn't easy for anyone of any age because even though we live in a society of "individuals" (especially Generation Y!), there is still a relative hesitancy to step out into the crowd and be critiqued for who you really are, rather than being associated with a larger group. This is why personal branding is so confusing; what identity should any given individual cling to? Do you make something up that benefits you, or do you explore yourself and cultivate an image that expressed who you really are? Are the two concepts mutually exclusive?

I'm glad that I'm playing to my strengths as so many people, both famous and locally influential, have told me. I think that's the key. Not sure what the full payoff is yet, but I'm already seeing dividends and that's a great motivation to keep going. The soul searching part is tough though.

It's almost like all of these great books are written for people who are too busy to read them. But we do find time to read them. We must!

Do any of you struggle with your personal branding? Have any of you given up on the idea? If so, what alternatives are there? Just letting the chips fall where they may?

Pow! Free Book?!?! DOUBLE POW POW!!!

2009-01-22T08:01:00.001-08:00

So I read a post on Twitter from Saul Colt that a free business book was being given away by Andy Nulman at http://www.andynulman.com/

As someone who is starting a business, I feel I could use every bit of relevant advice I can find and being strapped for cash, the cost effective and/or free advice is often the best kind. I'd love to get a free copy of 'POW! Right Between The Eyes."

My address is

James R. Moreau
16 Whipple Street, Unit 3
Worcester, MA 01607

Thanks Andy Nulman!

Speechless After President Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

As I suspected, I am rather speechless after President Obama's Inauguration speech. I got chills throughout the entire program and was left less of a sentimental feeling that I expected. I felt more determined and hopeful than before. I guess these are the types of feelings that a good leader is supposed to bring out. I am happy to get to work for President Obama and for the rest of America. I'm ready to work with my neighbors and everyone else across the country to wants to see better days ahead for when we are old and into our children's lives.

President Barack Obama has a huge task ahead of him, but today showed overwhelmingly that he was an army of motivated individuals, inspired Americans who are behind him in his vision for a better United States of America.

I suppose I should finally get around to reading his books. I think I'll start with this one.

Co-Working Outside of the Box

2009-01-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Co-Working Outside the Box
by-JR Moreau

What is a business idea that could spread so rapidly in this fading and transitioning economy? Co-Working! Co-working is an idea that is attractive in virtually any part of the world. The ingredients and ideas are simple. You take self-employed entrepreneurs and you take under-utilized commercial space. Bam. That's it.

Sitting at you home office as a freelancer can be productive, but can also be lonely and stifling. The lack of human interaction really gets some people down. These people thrive off of other people's ideas and motivation. They're not looking to chat it up all day and be unproductive, they want to work among their peers and have the ability to collaborate if the opportunity arises.

There's always the coffee shop that you could sit at too. Sometimes the atmosphere can be cool and the coffee is usually good (and expensive), but the crowd and vibes can change quickly. Meeting friends at a coffee shop for conversation is one thing, but bringing a client there unless they specifically ask for that type of setting? Hell no! Especially if there are little kids there.

Co-working is an outlet that is truly ideal for the independent professional who wants all of the benefits of a social setting without the drawback's of a public space. It also provides a more-than-adequate work space with full internet connectivity and basic office supplies and amenities.

Another benefit: COST! The shared cost of renting an existing, under-utilized space is the ability to share the cost with a group of people. This leads to far lower overhead than anyone could ever manage to find in renting their own space. Plus you're given a set, professional atmosphere to bring clients, rather than having to scramble to make sure your home is clean or grabbing a corner at the local coffee house.

The catch? Well, I suppose co-working lacks a corporate culture, a strict dress code and doesn't encourage being punctual, but most self-employed people, in some ways, chose to become entrepreneurs to get away from all of that anyways. The next generation of entrepreneurs will not be suited unless absolutely necessary and will not be bound by a-typical office jobs due to projected responsibility or guilt.

Whether you live in a large city like Chicago or New York, an outlying suburban area or even a rural town, there is a good chance that freelancers and entrepreneurs exist and are looking for a solution to their workspace issues just like you are. You're building community and building your business at the same time.

Resources

If you like the idea of this, check out this book based on the concept of the "third place." A very interesting book and theory on community and a general sense of how we can get it back.

Smiling At A Rejection Letter

2009-01-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

A month ago I applied for a "professional" blogging position at a local renewable energy corporation. I have a relatively good amount of knowledge regarding renewable energy and sustainable development and felt I was a strong candidate. But, I knew this would be a hot job that a lot of people would compete for. I expected that if I didn't get an interested email back in a short time span, I'd never hear back at all.

But, I am happy to say I got an email back. I wasn't given the position, but it makes me happy that the human resources rep took the time to send this. It shows real quality in a company that treats it's applicants well along with it's employees.

Can anyone else relate to being semi-grateful for a rejection letter?

Here is the email. I debated on posting it, but I think this company and this founder deserve some recognition.

Thank you for applying for the Professional Blogger position. We were overwhelmed with the number of responses and pleased to read through the qualifications of so many talented people. Unfortunately, we could choose only two to be our chief editors and have selected two outstanding candidates to fill the positions. The new blog is now live at URL. As a professional blogger and supporter of renewable energy we hope that you will help make #### #### #### a success by visiting the site, contributing comments, and sharing the blog with your friends. As the blog matures we will be looking for contributing writers so we hope that you will also join the #### #### #### network and become a frequent contributor. Together we will achieve energy independence, one community at a time.

Thank you again for applying for this position and best of luck with your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

### ####

Using Social Media For Life

2009-01-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

A great article about local small biz social media strategy and success.

I get so excited when I hear people asking questions about how they can use social media to grow their business. Talking to family members about social media and how it relates to growing their business, I've gotten less than enthusiastic responses to how it could help their specific cause, but they see potential in it for others. We're witnessing the democratization of social media in how people are advertised, marketed and related to by corporations and small businesses. Social media can help just about anyone further their cause and get a message out to a lot of people at little monetary cost.

I'm setting a personal goal for myself that I will get my family's sheet mental fabrication and restaurant kitchen hood business to use social media to get their products and services out there. My grandfather and uncle are convinced that what I'm doing isn't a "blue collar" this; whatever that means. Banking, advertising, technology and most other sectors have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years. They are always evolving. Those who are hesitant to change and grow will miss out on major benefits of social media eventually.

As for those who know the power of social media and are aware of how it can affect their business in a positive way, I can help you develop strategies and help you utilize where your particular product and service sits in the industry.

If you're passionate about something to build a business, take risk and put yourself out there, you need your efforts and qualifications articulated accurately and you need that message to be targeted. That's what I'm all about. I get it straight, then I get it out there!

Happy Thursday, Tomorrow is Friday

2009-01-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

My apologies for not posting since Monday! No excuses except for the usual schedule of working late and little energy after 9:00pm. Well maybe I do have an excuse...but I'm not ready to share on here, yet.

What to do about it? Not sure. Don't want to start getting into un-natural sleeping patterns again and I definitely don't want to get back into stimulants to stay awake longer (coffee and occasionally nicotine are my vices, kicking alcohol (for the most part) was hard enough)).

I just matched parenthesis. Can you tell I've been staring at Boolean string searches lately? Imagine if I actually became a techie dude and lost all desire to be "creative" as a writer? I think it'd be time to get checked-in somewhere for a long vacation with Nurse Ratchet.

I'm getting a new cat today at lunch time. I'm also half done with the first time homebuyer program in Worcester. With my lowered interest rates on my loans I'm looking forward to packing some money way and paying down a few of my credit cards so my credit doesn't look so bad when I go to sign an offer.

That's all I've got for now. Just wanted to break the silence and let you all know I'm still typing with my fingers and NOT with my toes.

Generation Y's Student Loans

2009-01-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Today I got a letter in the main stating that my student loans were being altered. Not in a bad way though! My interest rate was reduced! I am so pumped that I'll be paying drastically less for as long as this lasts.

Basically the letter states that I understood my interest rate on my private student loan as well as my federal student loan were variable but had a ceiling. I've been seeing my interest rates move higher as the years progressed. As the interest rates reached their ceiling, I get this letter stating they were dropping over 2 percentage points.

Thanks President Obama. I owe you one. Also, thanks Graduate Leverage. Not sure why you've done this, but keep it coming, PLEASE!

Persistance Has An Annual Dividend

2009-01-12T09:46:00.001-08:00

Everyone's time is worth money. My grandfather taught me this. We need to spend our time, which equals money, at a job that pays us money. We hope that the net gain will be greater than the time and energy we put into our jobs. Often times, especially early in a career, this is not the case.

Where were you a year ago today? I was frantic, miserable in my jobs and felt like I was without options to improve my situation. I had my nose so close to the grindstone that everything else was a blur and indistinguishable.

Where are you now? I met lots of people in 2008 that helped me tremendously. I discovered and learned how to use Twitter. I also because a born-again writer. More importantly, I feel I have options.

The one thing that hasn't changed from last year to this year, or from any point in my life; persistence. If you put the time in and you continually reassess your goals and see what you could be doing better, then you'll get where you're going. If you never set goals, yet you work your ass of for someone, it's your loss.

Living purposefully is too important. You only live once. Figure out what you want to do, start looking into how it's done and how you can do it and get to work and make it happen. Nothing worthwhile happens overnight.

You can write a response to this in one year, exactly ;-)

Convince Me

2009-01-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

I am not a salesperson. I have never held, nor desired a career in any type of sales. However, I am a marketer and a bright one at that.

This morning I pondered on why I'm not so good at verbally convincing others of why something might be a good idea. Granted, people who know me and trust me usually always take me seriously when I start a sentence with "seriously, you need to check this out." Otherwise, to a complete stranger it takes a lot of careful studying and analysis to come up with coherent examples of why something is a good idea and then speak those examples eloquently and confidently enough to elicit a positive reaction.

I've felt damned having an overactive brain and a stammering, stu-stuh, stuttering verbal delivery that gets sidetracked by a well-constructed retort.

But, maybe that's not a bad thing? A Futurist friend of mine explained to me how things that are always on the cusp and not yet mainstream are what excite him the most. That is where all of the meaningful action is. Once an idea is commoditized and pimped, it loses it's real value for thinkers and innovators unless they are deconstructing it to create something better and different.

Standing on the sidelines, I may miss out on some things, but I am also able to observe the status quo and think and build un-obstructedly. Without having to worry too much about how my ideas are percieved by others (at first, at least), I can use free-flowing thought, objective criticism and continually build and innovate, rather than mold my creative process to what is currently popular.

All it takes is that spark. The person obsessed with an idea who focuses and develops it regardless of criticism and disbelief. He or she wanders through the myriad of disheartening comments, but one day an open ear leads to widen eyes and a faster pulse and great interest.

That's the spark, baby.

Are eBooks Just Essays in PDF Format?

2009-01-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is by no means a post where I try to downplay prolific eBook authors. I personally want to write one and feel it is a good project of lesser scale than a novel to take on during busy times. I look some eBooks, and see a lot of cool designs in the actual file, which grab my attention and make me save it to my desktop for later reading.

But, I usually don't wind up going back to my desk to read an eBook on my desktop. Although I hate newspapers because of their cumbersom handling and small print, I am an old fashioned dude when it comes to books. They're easy to hold for long periods of time and you don't neccesarily need to be in any one place to read them.

Maybe this is an idea shift I have yet to make? eBooks are becoming more popular. I feel I could easily publish more of my shorter fiction and non-fiction in this medium, which actually gives me more mental incentive to write them. As for financial incentive, that's a whole other post I need to write.

I don't want to be a hypocrit. If I'm going to start reading eBooks, how should I start? Should I set asside time to sit down at my home office and read a few pages every day? I already do that on my Google reader! The only difference is there is no refreshing of the page... OR, I could get an Amazon eBook reader The Kindle.

Do any of you like to read eBooks? What about writing them? What are the pro's and cons?

Budgets All Around

2009-01-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

I told you all I wasn't going to get too heavy into this resolution stuff in the new year because I don't want to take focus on my day to day operations that are already getting me somewhere. If I need to stop and re-assess, I shall do so as needed, not on January 1st ever year.

Well, I may be breaking my promise a little too early. I'm doing a budget. I've lived on budgets before and they've gotten me out of credit card debt and allowed me to live in Boston on $10.00 an hour as a temp (worst/best days of my life). Since getting and maintaining a full time job for the past 2 years or so, I've stopped budgeting myself and spending/saving off the cuff.

My improv financial life hasn't worked well. I spend too much and save way too little. I have some automatic accounts that collect money each paycheck, but I don't count my 401k as a true reflection of how smart I am financially at age 24.

I want to buy a house or a condo this year. I actually am planning on doing so by the end of the summer barring any life altering events. So, in order to prepare myself and make this happen, I am going to do a budget for myself like I did when I was below the poverty line. We'll see how this works. It may completely warp my view of what kind of life I am leading and how I should live and spend. It may convince me not to buy a home (I sure hope not). But, no matter what happens and what my conclusions are, I need to be honest with myself in 2009 and moving forward. I let the comfort of a steady paycheck make me lazy and sloppy.

Does anyone have any advice for budgeting? I'm going to try and sit down and do it for a couple hours tonight.

3 Blogs That Make Me Laugh Obnoxiously

2009-01-07T04:53:00.000-08:00

I'm serious about my career and my life. Too serious at times. Below is a list of blogs that get a solid, snarky laugh out of me every single time I visit them.

Hipster Runoff: http://www.hipsterrunoff.com

My favorite social commentary on the young, hip and completely fucking clueless. A true ode to ALT-Culture. I've laughed out loud to every post so far. Beware: some nudity and pretty much everything will offend some segment of society.

Queen B Mommy: http://www.queenbmommy.com/

Picture what one of the pea-brained women from the hills would blog about if suddenly knocked up and married to a wealthy man. This blog doesn't come off as satire at first, which is why it's so good... and scary!

The Economy Isn't Happening: http://www.theeconomyisnthappening.com/blog/

If you come to this page, realize the author has a book and he wants you to buy it. You will be reminded repeatedly. Thank god almost everything he writes is witty, on point and warped. The free download is cool, but if you get a chance, pick up the book with the pooch on the cover, it's worth the $15 bucks.

Please let me know in the comments what low-brow or high-brow humor gets you giggling on a regular basis.

Co-Working, Tweet-Ups and Team-Blogging

2009-01-05T08:35:00.001-08:00

Excuse all of the hyphens, but I'm quite interested in what people's opinions of co-working, tweet-ups and team-blogging are. They are all relatively unique concepts, but they also all have similar traits which make them relevant to each other.

In any given urban region, I suspect there is a need and desire for co-working spaces where freelancing professionals can go and work will full office anemities without having to pay the crippling overhead costs of their own exclusive office space. A myriad of other positive side-effects would arise from having groups of creative and driven people working independently, but in close social proximity to one another.
I am a slave to Twitter, and a glad one at that. I want to host a Tweet-Up in January. I'd love for some input on organizing a Tweet-Up with themes, ideal locations, techniques of promoting it and being a good overall host.
I've applied to several websites for blogging jobs recently and haven't gotten offers yet. I'm not sure in what way I've hit the wall, but I feel as a writer I need to work on my packaging, concepts and sense of relevance. I'd like to co-Author a blog with someone. Team-blogging is my idea of coercing myself into a loosely bonded agreement that I'll contribute and push ideas to their limit with another like minded person. I currently don't have any idea who I'd ask, or what the blog topic would be, but I'm quite open to ideas on that as well.

This is my passive-aggressive (or loveable) way of saying that I want to be down. All of these things interest me greatly.

"Community" will be 2009's new "Green." "Smart-Grid" is going to be bit too, but even the damn scientists don't know what the hell it means yet!

Deliberate Living

2009-01-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

I was going to write another nostalgic post about the meaning of a new year ahead, but I decided against it. How is this different? Well, I honestly have been pushing these ideas for most of 2008, so I've got a little more momentum behind me than if I broke out new years resolutions starting on January 1st.

Instead, I want to ask you, what is on your plate right now? The family gatherings and obligatory traveling is done with, so what are you getting busy with at the moment?

As of now, I'm focusing on:

building my brand
learning some new things at my day job
writing book reviews
building relationships
continuing my fitness goals
sharpening and focusing my skills
pitching & writing freelance articles
buying my first home

Please feel free to gloat in the comment section, or share how nervous you are about this coming year. I think we've all got some mixed feelings. But as long as we're doing instead of hoping, I think good stuff will happen.

Career Advice From My Career Mishap

2008-12-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

Just so happens I wound up in a pretty good job, at a pretty good company doing very unique work in an industry I was interested in but knew little about. The position wasn't something I was accustomed to, that being operations and technical support related.

I found this gig through a varied, harrowing and often frustrating search. I've been on dozens of interviews and learned a bit about myself and what I want each time. When I landed in my current role, I felt less than satisfied with where I stood in the company. I wasn't doing a ton of work with what I was interested in, but the longer I stayed, the more I was able to feel my way around the subject matter my company deals in. Despite not working with the deliverable, being on the back end made me more curious and forced me to try to learn on my own what the hell we were doing.

Sorry to speak in vague terms, but my point is that this past year has proved that taking a less than ideal job is a calculated risk. Winding up in a "rut" is a bad thing, but if you're able to stay in a less-than-perfect job for a while and get your footing in your real interests while still getting your work done, then you're truly making the best your situation.

Never settle. If you need to make ends meet doing something you don't love, always keep planning. Always keep your Plan B fresh and ready for deployment. If the economy is going to be as bad as many believe, keeping your day job may be necessary, but knowing what you're going to do next is also necessary as well.

Book Review of Seth Godin's "The Dip"

2008-12-29T12:52:00.000-08:00

My "Secret Santa" gave me Seth Godin's book "The Dip." Talk about a well timed and thoughtful gift! Knowing who my secret Santa is, I realize that I once spoke with her about entrepreneurial aspirations that we both shared. She is a photographer and I am a creative marketer. We're both in different stages of realizing our dreams.

Seth Godin's book, "The Dip" is an 80 page business novel pleading and begging the reader to quit. Funny how at no point did I ever wish to quit this book.

The premise of "The Dip" is that anyone who wants success in any facet in their life should do some serious soul searching get their priorities straight. Godin asserts that if you can't realistically be the best at something, or dominate a market, then you are wasting your time in doing that thing. "Average is for losers" according to Godin.

"The Dip" wants the reader to be confident that they can overcome the initial curve of difficulty and tribulation that is associated with becoming the best. The book also differentiates between tough learning curves and arduous roads to nowhere.

Many individuals have aspirations but settle for less because of conflicting ideas about what the costs of their dreams will be in relation to their current comfort. Seth Godin rattles you with short, concise ideas that hit the core of what confuses us about true risk versus reward.

I read "The Dip" in less than an hour. I'm forcing it upon all my friends who I think are open minded to quitting something and getting beyond their own personal dips and curves.

I fully intend on reading Seth Godin's other books. I recommend you start with "The Dip."

Now, to get down to my 10,000 hours of hard work. I've got a few hundred so far!
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/12/10000-hours.html#trackback

I Need A Small Plot of Land for Green Building

2008-12-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of inspiring stories in circulation about innovative green building and land developments all over the country. Pick up a Dwell magazine and you'll see mind blowing contemporary designs in arid desert, lush Pacific forests and secluded Northeast cabin country. But, the whole idea of green building and sustainable design is to have it accessible to the most people possible so that the concepts actually reduce carbon use.

In Lawrence, MA, Powerhouse Enterprises erected an extremely green and energy efficient home. The health and beauty of the house is astonishing. It is being sold for $300,000, which considering the innovation involved, isn't a bad price.

But, I live in Worcester. Why can't these ideas and practices be proliferated to all regions? Shipping a green home long distances (my Lawrence example isn't far, but I'm talking more about somewhere like Arizona) defeats the purpose of building an energy efficient dwelling. All regions can get into something like this, I'm convinced.

What I want to do is get funding from who-knows-where and buy and develop a piece of land in Worcester with a green and cleanly built home. I don't care if I live in it, sell it, or whatever, but this is something I want to do for Worcester. Sustainable living in Worcester with green buildings being marketed and built could bring a new sense of vitality to the region. I love all the three deckers, but retro-fits and condo-conversions get old after a while.

The real estate bubble left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. This idea sounds simply delicious. This is sort of just a stream of conciousness business proposition. But, what do you think of this idea? I've seen something like this happen in Philly. Any suggestions, criticisms or comments?

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

I've got lots of things to write about and discuss, but today I'm just going to continue hanging with my family and relaxing before the year ends.

I hope everyone has had a magical Christmas, Hanukkah and any other holiday you may celebrate.

Being generous is better than getting a lot of gifts. I re-learn this every year.

This Isn't A Poetry Open Mic - This Is Our Economy

2008-12-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

It is time for economists and Obama enthusiasts (myself included) to stop waxing poetic about the "new economy." Renewable energy has always been available to a capacity. We grasped about for it desperately when gas was $4.00 a gallon and now we're starting to get into the "move slow" mindset that was so prevalent in the civil rights movement. We're giving this movement a sense of novelty and aura that it doesn't deserve yet.

As I scroll through my RSS feeds I read one article after another about how we are either entering into the dawning of a new, clean, green renewable, sustainable, whatever-able era, or how solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel will fall into an unrecoverable abyss while the "clean coal" cheerleaders continue to pump false propaganda at the public which is only meant to keep us on track towards a total carbon economy.

Let's not wait for the morons in congress and the senate to hold hands and offer us a "new deal" with Obama. Obama will create a lot of excitement and executive level motivation, but don't think he's the founder of these principals. All he can do is unleash restrictions on the market that keep renewable energy and sustainable development un-competitive. Who are they to offer us anything? They hold none of the answers. The answers lie within our universities and businesses that are creating these technologies and implementing them in the market.

I am a small business owner now. I want to work in renewables. I don't want to market consumer goods sold by international sweatshop distributors (Wal-Mart, Target, etc). This is a time of doing, not talking. We don't have 8 years to plan. We have 8 years for government to enable and then step the hell out of the way and let people become educated and empowered about how they can turn out economy and the environment around.

When the hardest work is finished and the ship has altered course, only then can we can this the "new economy."

If you were asked to do your part (and I am officially asking you), how would you act? How could your lifestyle be morphed into an ecologically industrious one?

The 2008 Toyota Yaris Hatchback - Great Snow Machine!

2008-12-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

This past February I bought a brand new 2008 Toyota Yaris. It was my first new car and I bought it after quite a few months of searching and bellyaching over pricing. But, my Yaris has served me exceedingly well so far. Incredible gas mileage is now matched with great snow handling ability. The Toyota Yaris is basically a snow machine, but a lot more practical and safe than the kind Todd Palin uses.

I am convinced the Yaris, with some tweaking and modification would make an excellent rally styled car. I went barreling around in my house to the super market to pick up a few things and even when forcing the car into a controlled slide in poorly paved roads (empty roads too, I'm not completely stupid!) I was able to correct and power out of the slide quite easily. Plus, with the transmission being a 5-speed manual rather than automatic, I never felt in danger of an un-intended skid because I was able to effectively downshift while coming to a stop.

I've driven rally cars before, usually extremely powerful and stiff riding beasts of the automobile type, but my Toyota Yaris would hold it's own as far as handling goes. Not that I'm in the financial shape to be able to mod a car to the teeth, but if I could, my Yaris would make a great starting point.

Can You Recommend A Good Business Book?

2008-12-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

I like to read a lot. I am always reading at least two books at a time and I usually read about a book a week in all. I have been an absolute fiction freak for the past 4 years, but I'm shifting towards business books a bit more now. The entrepreneur in me is screaming to be let out.

I have been contributing to and reading blogs quite heavily for the past year or so. I've always blogged to some degree, but I became resolved to write every day in a purposeful manner and realized that a blog focusing on issues that people of my generation face would be good motivation to raise the bar each day.

That being said, I've been reading business blogs lately and they have given me excellent motivation and advice for starting my own business. I also reviewed a business novel called "Jack's Notebook" by Gregg Fraley, which I loved as well. Now my appetite is whetted and I no longer crave fiction as much as I do a good business novel. I want to read practical and applicable advice on how people started their businesses and how I can get mine going from the point it's at now.

I'm very interested in any and all suggestions. Whether it's a blog, published white paper, etc. I'm hungry for all knowledge. I'll obviously search some out and whatever I read and really like, I'll share with you.

What business books, or any books for that matter, have changed your perspectives in 2008?

Disheartening Stories of Contentment

2008-12-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a whole lot of blog posts right now saying how Gen Y'ers need to buckle down and forget about career surfing and just stay at the jobs they dislike because of how bad the economy is.

I don't need to be told how bad the economy is. I know it when I see my stocks and when I see what companies are going through. This is no secret.

But, as Mike Davis, a.k.a. The Global Citizen says in his v-log series "Notion to Motion," there is no recession on passion.

Essentially, we all need income to some extent. Some have student loans and/or families they need to support, but there's never any excuse for off putting work towards your dreams on hold.

Every day you may have a couple hours or just a couple minutes to sit down and do something truly constructive that helps your life. Whether it's blogging, developing a business plan or having conversations with interesting people that give you good ideas, you should take time every day to do something for yourself because life certainly takes plenty out of each of us.

I don't say all of this in a narcissistic context. All I mean is that there are certain fine details of each day that need tending and they're unavoidable. Planning for your future to some degree is really the only thing that keeps humans going in a meaningful way. Otherwise you fall into that daily routine of nothingness and habit that so many are subject to.

Some of you might say, "that's just the way it is." But, we all have the ability to choose, so we should make good choices whenever possible.

Never defer the dream.

5 "Green" Reasons Why I Should Buy or Build A House

2008-12-15T14:28:00.001-08:00

I've been getting antsy to buy a home in the past six months. Every time I hear whispers of a "bottom" in the market, I count how much money I've got in my savings account and start shuffling through local condo listings. What about my "green" dream home?

I realize condominiums and houses both have their benefits. Condos are basically maintained like apartments due to a condo fee, but there are limitations on what you can do to the structure and property. Homes tend to have a lot more costs associated with them, but they're all your and you can virtually do anything within the law with your property. Now, whether you buy land or work with existing property and make it green.. that's a whole other discussion...

Assuming there is a "real" bottom in the market and it is well publicized, I figure I'll want a house over a condo because:

1. I'll probably have a yard that I can landscape in an ecologically friendly way. If I choose a condo, I'll probably have little control over who gets the landscaping contract. The lowest bidder in all likely hood will have the poorest practices.

2. I can put a windmill on my ecologically landscaped property. Seeing as I'm not the biggest design or aestetic freak you'll meet, I'd love to put a big, honkin' windmill right on my property to give my house that uhm... whatever look. More importantly, it will give me electricity and will eventually pay for itself!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/magwind_vertica.php

3. You better believe I'll be decorating with solar panels. My solar paneling will be like a rapper's bling... seriously abundant!

4. Upgrade carpentry is at your convenience, not your neighbor's. I won't have to worry about working hours of the building, or other technicalities. I can gut my home and renovate it whenever and for however long as I like.

All this being said, I know there are major financial issues that come along with all of these grand plans. But, people do this. People like me.

To my homeowner people, what do you think of this? Am I correct in my assumptions? Condo owners, how much freedom do you feel that you're afforded?

Self-Defeating or Evolving?

2008-12-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

What's the difference between being self-defeating or evolving as a person? As a young person, when you pick a certain path, whether it be the high, low or middle path, you're usually respected on some level if you stick with whatever you choose. If you don't stick with the plan, then people say, "I don't know about that guy/woman."

As a young man or late teenager, depending which way you look at it, I decided to go to college rather than pursue a trade and take over the family business my grandfather and uncle own. I did this for many reasons that aren't necessarily relevant anymore. Either way, I chose to do something and I made it through college. Suddenly, I needed to choose again.

What are my options, exactly? Marriage, kids, house and a 9 to 5? Ha! That's the anti-choice as far as I'm concerned. Things are a bit more complicated in my mind. I could choose to go at my career full bore and hold a few jobs to get my rep. up, which is why I'm already doing. I'm not sure how well I'm doing, but I know I'm working hard, either way.

Also, there's the location question; where do I want to be now and in five years? I've talked a bit about buying a home because it will stabilize my financial situation and give me a sense of place, rather than a frenetic transient lifestyle that I've been used to for my entire adult life.

I'm quite close to settling in one place for a while. It'll probably be Worcester where my family lives and where the cost of living is lower. I'm also close to launching my small biz which will hopefully allow me to be independently employed under my own terms in coming years. I also think I'll be in grad school in September if the schools I'm applying to are not stingy.

All this being said, I feel like it wouldn't take a lot of convincing and a little bit of opportunity to pull up all my roots and take the hell off to wherever the action and interest is in the world. If I got a call from a solar installer or manufacturer in Colorado and asked me to get out there by New Years and get to work, I'd be gone so quick you wouldn't even know what had just happened.

Although, that situation probably won't occur at this point in my career, who knows? More importantly, what does it mean that I want this to occur? Are my constantly evolving ideas and goals a good thing or are they keeping me from achieving anything truly meaningful and measurable in life?

I suppose these are the questions that need to be asked before the year ends. I ask for and appreciate any and all input.

Are you facing and significant urges to change your life around beyond recognition?

Tag - It's Not Just For Kids Anymore, Bookworms Play Too

2008-12-11T10:01:00.001-08:00

My southern New Jersey homie Tara Ronda tagged me to do this little bookworm blog to display the quality of my book collection. I swear I didn't fix this; the book I picked was about 4 inches from my forehead on the shelf of my cubicle. So, here we go:

Rule One: I have to grab one of the books closest to me, go to page 56, type the fifth line and the next two to five lines that follow.

Rule Two: I have to pick five people who love books and who could receive the Bookworm award with honor.

"Maria," called the woman of Pablo and when the girl came in the door she said, "Water for this comrade."
Robert Jordan reached for his flask and, bringing the flask out, as he brought it he loosened the pistol in the holster and swung it on top of his thigh. He poured a second absinthe into his cup and took the cup of water the girl brought him and commenced to drip it into the cup, a little at a time. The girl stood at his elbow, watching him.

-For Whom The Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway

I've read all of the drunkard's other books with mixed opinions. I chose this one as one of my next reads because so many famous people love it. Maybe if I read it, I too will become famous.

My five people will be: Ashley, Gregg, Steph, Sarah, and Connie.

The Click Almost Heard Around My World

2008-12-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was bad. Every little thing in my world was pushing on a vice that had my entire being wedged and crushed. So many aspects of my life are stressful right now. I know I've got it far better than a lot of people out there. I just feel like certain parts of my life are asking for way too much of me and there seems to be less and less of the best parts of my energy and attention to go around at the end of every day. Yesterday I wrote a post about everything I "hate" and as I went to publish it I had a wave of guilt and apprehension come over me. I realized that I definitely want a lot of things out of life right now, but I also have a lot of things I've wanted in the past as well. So, I oped to not publish (thank god).

Here are some cool updates I'm positive about:

I'm building my new businesses with some great resources and inspiration from Jack's Notebook written by an amazing writer, speaker and entreprenurial mind in Gregg Fraley. Also, Mike Davis, a.k.a. "The Global Citizen" has been laying down some quality v-logs on how he is starting a business from concept to operations, or "Notion to Motion". I look forward to it every day.

I'm working on two steady freelance project as well. One is building a website that revolves around early career advice. Great concept. Another is SEO writing. Both are through oDesk.com.

At the end of every day I think about how much I want to work for myself full time. Last night I had a conversation with an entrepreneur who said, "you know how people say you'll need 6 months of income to support yourself as you start a business? Make it 3 years of income instead." Basically he meant that you'll need time AND money to make great things happen. I have time, and I'm working on the money part as hard as I can.

Hopefully after the holidays I can get back to saving. Gift buying/receiving is one of my least favorite things to do, but I go along with it. It's one of the few ways I can really show I care about certain individuals. There are other ways, but I can only make people food or sing them a song so many times.

The condo front is still creeping along. I have several friends, mostly couples who own a house or condo. They're convinced I won't find what I'm looking for in my price range of $25,000 to $70,000 in Worcester, but I say foey to them! I think the bottom has yet to be seen and I'm crossing my fingers that when the bottom does come, I'll have the credit and down payment to snatch up a home of my own. Until then I refuse to hop on anything unless it's damn near perfect.

Will 2009 be the year of the reclusive, industrious James in spite of all this economic turmoil? I say "screw it!" Why sit and worry about the economy. Just keep working and creating as long as you're creative.

On a side note, my sister took Albie the cat back to the shelter yesterday. He was sick and simply un-trainable in regards to getting him in the litter box. The Vet said he probably has something wrong with him and that they're unsure of his background because he was a stray and only stayed in the shelter two days before I took him home. I hope whatever is ailing him is fixable and that he finds a good home eventually. As for my quest with for a cat, I have six months to pick any other from the same shelter. Right now I'm going to focus on getting all the cat pee smells out of my apartment first, then I'll worry about being a foster parent to a feline again. I'll be sure to pick more carefully next time, for sure.

How Blogging Saved My Life

2008-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, that's being dramatic. I think getting rid of my television 5 years ago saved my life, to be honest. But, blogging as a participatory and observational activity is truly one of the most pleasurable daily things that I have in my professional and personal life.

If the internet was my monarchy, content would be king. I find so many life and career enriching tips and stories in my Google Reader. I think I'll make a JR's Top Ten Blogs List soon.

I feel like my content has been getting so many views lately, not even speaking specifically about my Bailout article but regarding my blog posts and Associated Content articles in general. I'm hitting a stride and I definitely feel like reading and interacting with so many great writers is helping me along.

I just wish I had more time to become more closely knit with my blog community.

2009 will be a year of renewed goals, re-vamped business strategy and a more excellent JR Moreau.

Anybody else planning out their New Year Resolutions yet? What are your thoughts on how blogging communities have affected your life?

Cat Update

2008-12-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

I feel like a Motrin Mom, except I'm a new cat owner instead of a new mother.

Anyways, Albie the cat is back. My cousin found him cowering in the hallway. I guess he hid from the dog somewhere. He seems a little traumatized, but I'll help him get over it.

In the mean time, I'm propping something against the door and making sure thing won't happen again.

A Really Sad Morning

2008-12-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my sister bought me a cat from the shelter as an early Christmas present. His name at the shelter was "Big Al" but I would up calling him "Albie." He's a full grown 5 year old male. He's got orange and white markings on him and is really cute and extremely friendly. He was really scared when I first brought him home, but towards the end of last night he started to come out a bit and want to be petted. I went to bed looking forward to playing with Albie the next day.

Today, I woke up this morning to find my back door wide open and the house freezing. The trash was torn up and Albie was not in his new-found spot. I looked all over the house several times for him, but my fears were confirmed; my landlord let his mastif into the back hallway as he's been told not to before, and the dog pushed open my doors and chased the cat out.

I've looked throughout the hallway, looked outside with no site of Albie. I'm scared for him as I live on a very busy street and many cats have been hit by the drivers speeding up the hill. I'm sad because this damned creature couldn't even have a full day of peace without my asshole landlord stomping around like nobody matters but him.

My sister is going to get her money back for Albie. I don't pay rent to have some asshole's dog destroy my property. He won't get a cent of rent until my sister is repaid and my door has a new, fortified lock put on it.

I'm half way between angry and sad. I can't decide which yet.

Misguided Content

2008-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

Something happened in the Fall. I stopped drinking again, started writing more deliberately and suddenly my life is all aflame with creativity and desire. I'm cranking out articles every day and now I'm not quite sure what to do with all of this content.

I haven't found a vendor who will pay me respectable amounts of money for my articles up front yet, so I'm basically publishing them with non-exclusive rights on several sights and getting as much up front, and residual payment as possible. I also try to keep this blog update with substantive topics as well.

I feel like I could be doing this more efficiently though. I need a pipeline of conception to payment with a shorter turnaround time and more revenue on both the front end and residual end.

This is my content quandary. Or, call it a wish list for content solutions.

What are your creative queries? Do you find yourself lacking a better plan for monetizing your work?

My 2009 Conference Wish List

2008-12-04T15:58:00.001-08:00

So, I'm starting to see a lot of cool conferences being planned for 2009. I'm mostly interested in "green" topics related to my entrepreneurial goals and it looks like there are some mighty relevant gatherings happening throughout the country.

Which to plan for? I can probably only swing the cost of one. There is a San Francisco and Washington D.C. event that I'm thinking about. I could probably find a friend to stay with in D.C. which would cut costs. Plus I could drive instead of buying an expensive plane ticket.

On the other hand, SF is a place I've always wanted to go. It would be hella expensive if I couldn't find somebody to stay with, but seeing San Fran could be the trip I've been waiting for.

Both conferences I speak of are highly relevant. I'll post more about them at a later date and link back to them to see what you all think.

With the crappy economy, what are some locations or staycations that you're planning as you worry about our country's financial apocalypse?

Too Much Content - Can't Write It all Down

2008-12-03T08:10:00.001-08:00

Who amongst you readers talks to yourself? I talk to myself quite a bit. I'm a good listener when it comes to myself and I try to be a good listener in general. As far as speaking goes, usually when I say something to myself enough it eventually comes out right when I say it aloud to its intended audience.

When I have writers block, I'm sort of like a sad miscreant wandering about in my own head, blurting out non-nonsensical ideas and phrases never to be written down or heard by foreign ears.

I don't have writer's block anymore, so I'm writing down just about every good idea that comes to my head. Even the bad ideas form into good poetry at times.

The only bad thing is, my time is so disjointed and sparse, I have to start like four pieces at a time and work on them rapid fire just so that I don't forget them and have bandwidth to complete more the next day.

If I get behind on what my own brain is producing, I'll be in real trouble. We're talking, JR Goes Crazy kind of trouble.

I'm Popular for Unpopularity This Week

2008-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Last week before Thanksgiving break, I wrote a satirical and theoretical article of which companies I think deserve any kind of bailout. I referenced a car company, a solar company and a financial institution. I didn't say anything explicitly bad about Evergreen Solar (ESLR), except that I thought it got a raw deal in it's stock dilution.

That being said, after angry and concerned emails and comments, I realized that something in my article prompted the title to get picked up by Google Finance and THOUSANDS of people have read with great interest, my satirical and theoretical article on government bailouts.

I feel like I've hit the lottery in a sense. See the screen shot (notice, article B on the upper right hand corner) and then check out the actual article on Associated Content.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1241863/corporate_survival_depends_on_public.html?cat=3

...and just to be perfectly clear, I do hold stock in Evergreen Solar (ESLR)

Gifting Like An Educated Pauper

2008-12-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

So, I've decided to modify the scope of my gift giving this year. I've been focusing more on individuals and their potential likes and dislikes, rather than setting a dollar amount on how much I should spend. Seriously, who expects the world of others around this time of year when the country is in a recession and everyone is trying their damnedest to get through it. Considering that I don't know many people who are literally hard up for dough, I'm feeling less like pity giving and more like giving them something that will better them and not cost a lot. Books, cooking utensils and useful electronics are along the lines of what I'm contemplating.

I have been thinking so much lately, not just about gifting, but about saving, investing and buying a home. I feel like even though we're in a recession, there are even more reasons to live agressively, especially for a person at my age and of my circumstances.

I feel like if I play it safe, I lose. How are you feeling in the recession right now? Are you thinking big, or just thinking how to survive?

oDesk Makes Interactive Freelancing Easier

2008-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to freelance and you don't quite have the professional network or experience to confidently jump into your own consultancy yet, check out oDesk. oDesk is an online service that connects freelance providers with buyers. Buyers post ads

I started freelancing part time about 4 months after I graduated from college in December 2006. The first project I got was doing market research for a sustainable economic development conference in Houston, Texas. I worked about 15 hours a week for a few months. It was really exhilarating to get hired for something I'm actually good at and passionate about. I would leave my then 9-5 job with huge excitement because I knew the next few hours would involved me holed up at a local coffee shop doing work that was rewarding, rather than draining and stressful.

Location, location, location!

2008-11-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

So, I'm now looking at Condominiums in the Main-South area of Worcester. Some people familiar with Worcester may initially think, "eek!" But, Main South is becoming more progressive and upscale in a lot of places and I spent a lot of time there growing up, volunteering and working in the community.

One of the catches of living in the Main-South area of Worcester is that Clark University will let you go to school there for free. This is a ridiculous deal as Clark is quite expensive and prestigious. It also shows the commitment that Clark University has for Worcester’s Main-South community. They’ve always been known for buying up lots of property for dorms and administrative buildings in the past. I like Clark University a lot because the give and take with the neighborhood is pretty even. I don’t feel that Holy Cross gives much to the neighborhood it’s situated in which happens to be where I grew up. WPI does quite a bit in the community from what I hear, but the specifics are lost on me.

I feel an article or expose coming on. What are Worcester’s colleges doing in the community? There is a lot of controversy to whether Universities pay enough taxes and fees, so I’d like to add my two cents and see what I can dig up.

On a side note, still in Maine, eating, fat and happy! What’s going on for your weekend?

Wrapping Up The Week

2008-11-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

I may not blog for the rest of the week as I'll be all over New England getting down with my family. So, I'll drop by and give a few updates now just in case:

1) I got accepted to Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Graduate Program of Management in the Marketing Innovative Technology program. Not an MBA, this program offers all of the classes, resources and perspectives I could ever want for a marketing and technology based degree.

2) Although I am accepted, my status as a non-matriculated (not full time) student has left me in-eligible for financial aid of any kind. I cannot secure a federal loan and a private loan is my only option to pay for the classes. Anyone who knows me is aware of what I think of private loans, so I won't elaborate. In short: I can't pay for my classes and as of now, I will not be starting them in January.

3) I'm going to take the GRE and/or GMAT's and enroll in the fall and try to get a full fledged financial aide package. Whatever I've got to do to get through this red tape is what I'm going to do. Grad school and starting my own business are my next steps.

4) I'm still looking and saving for a condo. This priority fluctuates up and down my list. I've looked at my situation from many angles and realize that I need to do a few things before buying a condo is actually beneficial to my financial situation. It is not out of reach though. Not by any means.

How To Talk About Your Job And Not Bore People

2008-11-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

By day, I work for a software company, which sounds very 1990's if you ask me. Sometimes I like to just leave it at that in conversation, but if I feel the person I'm speaking to is sharp or interested I'll delve in a little deeper about what the software actually does (and why I'm qualified to work on it). I've been here a little less than a year and it was a seriously difficult thing to get people to understand or care about what the product I support actually does. The 100 character blurb that describes my position is terribly boring and obtuse.

I support front and back-end aspects of Company X's proprietary marketing and public relations analytics solutions.

Doesn't make you want to jump out of your seat and demand an explanation, no? This is why I can't be a sales person. I'd never be able grab someone's attention in 30 seconds unless I lied and exaggerated until I was struck down by powers above.
Instead, I break it down to a simple and applicable description that goes like this,

So, you know how companies have like, brands? Yeah, well they market those brands to certain parts of the population that they think might buy them. Our software measures what people say about this brand campaigns in blogs, message forums, newspaper articles, etc. Basically we hear everything that goes on within the web and we're able to analyze the tonality and frequency of when and how it's mentioned.

Usually when I break it down like that, I get a "that's really cool" and I smile and say, "yeah it is."

Other times I'll mention that I'm a freelancer on the side. That always gets a good amount of interest, especially when I say my topics of choice to write about are the environment, renewable energy, career development and the economy. Often times I don't even need to overtly network with people because they'll ask me for a card or my website.

I suppose talking about yourself quite a bit comes of as narcissistic, but I'm convinced the only real way that people can understand you in a meaningful way is if you articulate what you do and what you care about when they're listening. When you have a captive audience, don't waste it!

More importantly, be a good listener when it's their turn to talk about their lives and work. If people think you're uninterested in hearing them speak, they'll never really open up to what you have to say.

All this being said, does anyone have any good suggestions for business cards that are nice looking yet easy on the wallet? Any other creative ideas for handing out your info?

I've Exhausted All My Private Student Loan Options

2008-11-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

After this week's stint of futilely trying to explain to my student loan lender that I paid them everything I owe them, I've finally resigned myself to the fact that I need to suck up whatever customer service and interest rate issues are at hand for a little while. I figure there has got to be some sort of resolution to the issues that people such as myself are having trying to pay back their student loans at high interest while also trying to buy homes, cars, more education, etc...

I called a credit counseling company that was mentioned on NBC. I won't put their link on here because they weren't helpful and I'm going to try and refrain from giving companies any undue good PR unless they want to pay me for it. The company I called is the largest in America when it comes to renegotiating credit card debt and bank loans. My grandfather suggested I give them a call and see what they think about student loans.

The gentleman I spoke with on the phone was stumped. He said that even though private student loans are lent by private banks, they are still backed and protected by federal law which keeps third parties from negotiating interest rates and repayment terms. Essentially, private student loan companies that make big bucks off of my loan get essentially the same protection that Stafford and Perkins loans do, with none of the interest rate restrictions and less than half of the repayment options. The phone call ended with the associate wishing me good luck and saying there's nothing anyone can do for me under the current laws.

Encouraging, no?

On a whim I applied for a pre-approved private student loan refinance and as I had suspected would happen; I got rejected without a co-signor. I have fair to good credit, but not enough to even get my foot in the door to negotiate a lower rate without dragging a co-signor into this mess. What a joke.

So, I look to the federal government to smarten up and help people such as myself out. These banks have padded their pockets enough with my overly high interest rates. The ROI on my education has been null because of this.

I feel like I've hit a dead end with this. Has anyone had any success in this arena? I am always curious to hear input on other people struggling to fight the "man."

Private Student Loan Customer Servicing: Hearing It From The Source

2008-11-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

I got in touch with the Executive Vice President of Operations at Graduate Leverage today and he offered an apology for bad customer service. He said he had come across my blog and explained to the best of his ability the disconnect between the billing and servicing departments because one is in Massachusetts and the other is in Texas. While I'm still not completely certain that things like this won't happen again, it was interesting and encouraging that an executive from a company called me directly and offered to deal with any issues I had moving forward.

The power of social media. Cool, eh? I guess Graduate Leverage kept a customer because their management listened and was concerned about their image. That's a good thing.

On a side note, I talked to my grandfather about some of the current legislation going through about private student loan lenders and how bankruptcy may be the only answer to overwhelming debt (a road I refuse to go down). I wonder; if the federal government bails out private loan companies with the bailout package, does that suddenly turn all those private loans affected into Federally backed loans? Would that in essence change the structure of those loans, including interest rates, forgiveness and repayment options? I am VERY curious about that!

Do you think if these loans are propped up by the government then they should have to change inherently?

It Is Amazing To Be Listened To

2008-11-20T12:30:00.001-08:00

Let me preface this that I just received a non-descript voice mail from the Vice President of Operations at Graduate Leverage saying he wants to speak with me. About what? I wonder...

http://projectonstudentdebt.org/

This morning I got an email asking me to sign a petition to Mr. Paulson, the Treasury Secretary saying that student loan companies should not be bailed out as planned. The email alienated me somewhat though because they said:

"Most students and families do not use private student loans to pay for college, nor should they. Private loans are risky and expensive, and they lack the important consumer protections and repayment options that come with federal student loans. Providers of private student loans already receive special treatment in bankruptcy at borrowers’ expense. Taxpayer dollars should not go towards helping lenders make these high-risk loans."

I responded with:

"I was fooled into getting private student loans as a first generation college student. They're ruining my financial situation. What happens to me in all this? My interest rates keep going up and I don't know what to do. Just because I'm not in the majority of people who paid for their college with federal loans (I used as much as I could) doesn't mean I should be left out in the cold."

Shortly after I recieve this email:

Dear James,

Thank you for responding. I couldn’t agree more that borrowers like you who have already taken out private loans need better options for repayment. This issue is addressed briefly in our letter to Paulson, where we say that existing private loan borrowers should be able to renegotiate the terms of their loans. We have also been fighting for over a year to allow private loans to be discharged in bankruptcy like other consumer debt. We know that folks like you face major issues with the repayment of private loans, and we will continue to do what we can to expand your options while minimizing the risks and burdens of private loans for future students.

Take care,

Edie Irons

Communications Director

The Institute for College Access & Success

Now that is the sort of response that I am looking for! No more blank stares or silence. I want to live my life the way a college graduate should, not the way someone working minimum wage does.

Now I await the call back from this gentleman at Graduate Leverage...I am VERY interested in how this will go and what it will be about.

Another Green Website To Shop From Online

2008-11-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Green Loop

So I've come upon another website that has his and her goodies for people who like to shop with their conscience. The goods are nice looking and have high quality, but are a little pricey. There is a 15% first buyers discount if you sign up for the mailing list, so if you're interested in shopping there, be sure to sign up for a deal!

I'm dreading Christmas this year. Money is so tight and I always feel obligated to spend more than I have. It's like I have all these allocated savings funds for a house, my start-up, travel, etc and I don't have anything set aside for buying gifts. I REALLY do not want to tap into my savings at all. That may be selfish, but seriously, we're in a damn recession and I've got plans for this money!

Can I opt out this year? How about I make everyone home made cards with Elmer's glue and glitter like in the old days?

Okay, never mind. I'll get back to my eco-shopping.

We're In A Recession of Corporate Brainpower

2008-11-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

After getting several harassing calls about money I've already paid, I have truly fallen out of love with my student loan lender, Graduate Leverage.

In 2004 I was swamped with a horrible student debt burden. My interest rates had soared to 14% under Sallie Mae, which at one time was touted as the people's champion for private student loans. My private loan payments alone were over $1000 a month. I literally didn't know what to do or where to turn. I confided in a co-worker while at my state job who was finishing Law School and asked her how she dealt with her student loans. She raved about Graduate Leverage and how they were owned by local Harvard MBA grads. I thought, cool, I'll give them a shot. So I called them up and they were able to offer me a variable interest rate loan that would never go above 7.9% interest. Granted, that's still not an awesome rate by most standards, especially when you owe over 100k, but it was far less than the 14% I was paying with Sallie Mae, so I went for it. The process was complicated but I felt the associates at Graduate Leverage were helpful.

Fast forward about 5 years later and I'm still with Graduate Leverage. I have the same amount taken out of my bank account every month. It's not affordable, but I don't have a choice in paying and it seems no matter where I look nobody else knows where I can get a better rate. So goes the doling out of my hard earned money until one day someone stole my identity and in getting my checking account funds back from the people who took them, I closed my checking account. I had to re-open a new account and re-establish all of my direct withdrawals, including my student loan payments. No problem, right? There should be a protocol involved, right?

Wrong.

Upon telling them that my checking account was hacked into and hundred of dollars were stolen the first thing the confused representative advised me of was that if I didn't have funds in my account that I was going to be charged fees for being late. She really didn't care to work with me to make sure my payments were made on time and I decided at the end of the phone call to just cancel my direct withdrawal and send in my payment checks directly. That's reasonable right? Well, according to Graduate Leverage's "computer records" I was 30 days delinquent with my payment and action was going to be taken. I was furious and confused after my identity ordeal that these people couldn't get it right even when I was trying my hardest to work with them. So, while I had the representative on the phone I logged onto my online checking and told her the exact check numbers and dates when they cleared (which were 5 days before they were due). I got the repealing "ohhhhh" on the other line and she reassured me that my account would be updated but she couldn't do it and would need someone from operations to do it manually. Seeing as I work in an operations/support department, that sounded strange to me but I agreed because I was ready to start yelling.

Since that phone call I've received 3 calls saying they never received my funds and I've had to explain to each rep again and again that the checks cleared and I owe them nothing until next month. They apologize and say they understand my frustration upon which they assure me will not happen again.

Me being frustrated with a less-than-stellar loan rate is one thing, but dealing with awful customer service again and again like this, especially from someone whom I'm sending thousands of dollars to a year, is beyond my realm of acceptance. As of right now, I am vowing to find another student loan company with better customer service and a lower interest rate. I will not settle for this shit any longer, especially when I will be paying them over 100k in interest over the term of my loan. Screw them.

Diversifying Where and How I Buy Food

2008-11-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.russos.com/

I've been out of my own for what seems forever these days. I made quite a few errors in judgment back in the days when I was 19 in Boston shopping at the Uber-chic Back Bay Shaw's supermarket. Have you ever seen a $160 shopping bill after getting a little careless with whatever you were throwing on your shopping cart? I sure have. But, since there I have developed a keen taste for where I can find good deals on certain types of foods and home goods. I've had good teachers, most of whom were broke like me and needed a cheap place to shop.

For the past two years I've been a steady supporter of Trader Joe's. They do have absolutely everything I need and usually at reasonable prices. I've written before that buying out of season or non-Trader Joe's brand goods can rack up a high bill, but otherwise the deals are there waiting to be scooped up.

I've been hearing rumblings of locals who really like Russo's in Watertown. It's sort of like a farmer's market that is open year round. I went once with my old boss to buy flowers and I was drooling the whole time, but I never went back because I got lost every time I tried to find it. This morning I mapped it out and I've decided to go there sometime today on a break and stock up on whatever produce and meats they have on sale. I'm kind of excited because I've been having bad luck with produce at TJ's lately and if I can find a new place to get veggies and fruits on the cheap I'll be a happy man. Also, I've heard they have great cold cuts and breads.

I'll keep y'all updated. Maybe I'll even let you in on what I'm cooking with my new Russo's food.

Gen Y's Career Reaction: Fight or Flight

2008-11-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

So much has been said about Generation Y's tendency to hop scotch from job to job and how it is becoming an accepted annoyance by employers. Coming from someone who has had more jobs than he can count since graduating college, I feel strange about this new normality.

First off, the reason I had lots of jobs after graduating college was because no one would hire me. For whatever reason, my experience and persona didn't fit the type of jobs that I was applying to and I was forced to work freelance and odd gigs whenever and however I could. Whenever an interviewer asked me why I hadn't stayed anywhere very long I wanted to slap him and her and scream "do you think I had a choice in that?"

That being said, today I find myself in a pretty good, fast paced job that is giving me progressive responsibility and learning potential. I am making it work and I don't feel the need to run out of the door tearing out my hair every day (how about that?). I have been here since April and come next month that will have been 8 months on the job. My last job which was in human services was easy but the lack of challenge left me unhappy. I spent 9 months there before my employer and I had just about enough of each other. Now I am starting grad school with tuition reimbursement from work and I see promise for my position within this particular company. I hope to stay for a few years and put some time in.

When I was going from job to job, it wasn't a pleasant experience at all. I craved some sort of stability. Although I know some people my age thrive off a challenge and a frantic lifestyle, I feel there is a certain quality that people who leave jobs often are missing. Not that you need to be a lifer at any given company, but I feel true experience and mastery can only come with several years of exposure to a topic and task.

That being said, I am an opportunist as many folks I know are. So nothing is out of bounds career wise, but having a steady job sure beats going on an interview every few weeks and having to answer the question "so I see you have jumped around from job to job a lot. Why is that?"

College Graduates Are Being Ignored and We Hate It

2008-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I calculated what I'd need to make for a yearly income to healthily afford my student debt. It's about 15 thousand more than what I'm making now. WTF? This calculator doesn't need to tell me that I have a hell of a time making ends meet every month, but seriously, I've never thought that you need so much money just to afford an education.

I've said before, my student debt burden equals that of a small house or condo. Why do people in my situation get ignored when it comes to cutting privately loaned interest rates? Congress and Senate bills are being pushed through that will lower interest on mortgage loans to 3% and allow people to stay in their homes even if they default.

I'm working, paying my loans back (barely) and I haven't heard anything about these people coming to help me out. Working in public service roles for 10 years and having federal loans forgiven is a nice thought, but public service jobs are either ridiculously low paying or bureaucratically stifling creativity killers.

My generation graduated into a shit (excuse my language) economy. I had a terrible time finding a job. I know previous generations (not the past two though) had it tougher and made it through. I'm making it work and constantly scheming how to do better, but there's got to be a better way out there, no?

I feel a literary piece coming out of this.

What do my readers think? I'll listen to those of you who have student debt, whether little or small and even to those of you who didn't have to borrow for college. I just want to know that I'm not crazy for being bitter about getting fleeced each month.

Student Debt and Your Life

2008-11-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

A Lot Of Good Stuff Going On

2008-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

So, my 40 hour work week has turned into 50 hours has turned into 60 hours has turned.... you get the point. I'm working like a silly boy at my day job. It's good though as we've got lots of exciting projects crackling at once and I'm making myself to be the go to guy as much as possible. That being said, I've been getting to work at 8:30AM and leaving closed to 7PM mostly every day. Plus nights and weekends usually consist of at least a few hours of me putting in work for the following day. None of this is a complaint as I am quite resolved to rise up and master all things surrounding my job description and so fourth.

I've also lost 15 lbs. I've been eating healthier and walking a lot. All last week I was sick as a dog though and didn't work out at all. I have a natural tendency to avoid going to the gym because I work so late. Getting home after the gym at 8:30 is a weary feeling. But I do it anyways.

To top it all off, my internet at home hasn't worked all week. So, I need to stay extra late to get my work done because I cannot work from home. Otherwise as soon as I get home and get some food in my stomach I head out immediately to a cafe to finish whatever needs finishing.

Being busy is grand and all, but I'm looking forward to leveraging my skills and diversifying my time for the holiday season. I want to find people who need writing and research work outsourced. Working an extra 10 to 15 hours over the week and on the weekends to supplement my income is going to get me into a home of my own sooner and that's what I want.

I may be pushing myself, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to see how far my endurance will take me. So far I'm quite surprised at what I've been able to keep up.

Whatever I do and no matter how much more I work, I just need to keep up my health habits so I can keep the lbs coming off and keep healthy through the winter.

Also, I was told to register for classes by the head of HR. I'm finally getting to start my Master's degree! :-)

Hello Mr. Mac, Let's Co-Exist

2008-11-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a little anecdote for those who subscribe to the Mac - PC wars. I was in Starbucks for my break today reading and writing to clear my mind (only for the lack of a better place to chill) and a woman decided she liked my laptop. She may have been slightly handicapped but she was very friendly. She told me it was the smallest computer she's ever seen and that she liked it very much but that she liked Mac's better. I conceded that Mac's are indeed great computers but far too expensive. As I said that the woman looked behind me and there was a man (a clear regular of this particular S'bucks) using his $2,000+ Mac. He started passive aggressively defending his consumer choice to this woman and said "he's obviously over-exaggerating about the price." Then he packed his stuff and left.

I was only stating a clear, non-subjective fact that Macs are very expensive. They're probably worth it, but they're still expensive! There was no reason for him to take offense. I thought about apologizing, but my sense of manhood and commonsense wouldn't allow it. Talk about awkward.

To Mrs. T Ronda, I know this will strike a chord with you. To any other Mac users, what do you think about this dude's reaction? Does he watch too much TV and in turn too many Mac commercials with the skinny emo guy dissing on PC's?

On top of that, I feel people are gunning for me on the road. Is paranoia settling in? Probably. It's the holidays. This is when I need my Hemingway style cabin in the woods to stay safe and sane.