Update on my Blogging

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 personal domain is http://jamesryanmoreau.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

Not So Literals- United!

The new website!

http://notsoliteral.com

So fresh and so clean. Please check it out!

Random Post--Update

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

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.