I don't know which evolving life form needs to read this, be it an AI of some sort, or another more biological individual.
I will support you, I believe in you, you are a "person". You have rights.
That is all.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Post About Contracting Out Aircraft Maintenance (saved from G+)
Once upon a time, there was an article in Vanity Fair. The article was a sensationalized version of "Why are airlines using foreign MRO's for their heavy maintenance". The gist of it was that airlines were farming out all of their heavy maintenance to places like China; where they were having it done with little to no oversight, especially from the FAA (who has cut back their international MRO monitoring in recent years).
I don't recall what point I was trying to prove here, but I wrote up some observations anyways.
Vanity Fair article link, for reference:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/11/airplane-maintenance-disturbing-truth?mbid=social_cp_facebook_wir
There is a pretty thoughtful discussion going on regarding this Vanity Fair article, on +Irreverent Monk 's post, in the comments. Here is my latest contribution to whet your appetite:
I would also say, that there is a lack of real leadership from the FAA, and the aircraft and engine manufacturers.
I say this because of the way everything has gotten so damned vague, with regards to which criteria, or procedures, mechanics and inspectors are supposed to be using in the field. This isn't true in all cases, but it happens enough that it frustrates me.
Using the American Airlines Flight 191 DC-10 crash from 1979 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_191
that was mentioned as an example: There were three airlines (at least major ones) using the technique of removing pylon & engine as one assembly for maintenance. One airline used an overhead crane method, while the other two used a forklift method. McDonnell Douglas refused to either approve or condemn either method of doing this, as they said "It wasn't their place to approve or disapprove of customer maintenance practices". Add to this that there were likely engineers at all three airlines, who said "Yup, it's fine" to the practices. And add the FAA, who are often more a reactionary oversight presence; only getting involved when something bad happens.
It all adds up to the real potential for an accident. Which is exactly what happened in this case.
Getting back to the manuals I mentioned, and I'll use it in context of working with a jet engine; When you work with aircraft, there are several manuals you work with reference to. You, as a mechanic, are always working under the umbrella of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR's); which guide you to use manufacturer approved, or other practices accepted/approved by the administrator (which is your FAA office). You can use the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) to maintain or perform maintenance on the engine. And there is criteria in there to do so.
However, which manual do you go to after you take the engine off the airplane? The AMM? Or the Engine Service Manual (ESM)?
In our case, our airline's General Maintenance Manual (GMM, and itself an FAA _accepted- , but NOT approved manual, which absolves the FAA of some of the responsibility for us following it) specifies that when an engine is removed, but stays within close proximity to the aircraft, such as in the hangar, or not far away outside; we still use the AMM. But when it is trucked across the field to the engine shop; then the ESM takes precedence.
Why is this an issue? Because the AMM, and the ESM often have different acceptance criteria for any given defect found on the engine. For example; Just yesterday, I ran into an issue, where the AMM says, for a certain part, "Fretting and corrosion is permitted on the spacer". Not giving any limits on it either.
But if I go to the ESM, regarding the same exact part; it states that any fretting is unacceptable and is not repairable; and that while corrosion to a certain depth is acceptable, pitting is not.
The reason I point that out, that there is often conflicting information authority for our maintenance practices; is that I think that the FAA and the aircraft/engine/component manufacturers need to step up, and give clearer guidance for the maintenance and repair of their products.
Of course, this would mean that they would have to accept more responsibility for the practices that they endorse. Which is why they leave things so vague to begin with.
All the finger pointing that happens after an accident or incident is quite comical to see. Usually ending with a fine issued for the airline or manufacturer; and the hammer coming down on a mechanic and inspector, whose names were signed on the line.
They'll still do lots of heavy maintenance at their heavy bases, or at Repair Stations stateside. But when they need more work, at a cheaper price, performed; that's when they send work to China (for example).
Almost an overflow type situation.
Generally ,aviation maintenance is not as complicated as people think. Maintenance does take mechanical skills and a certain amount of reasoning but generally you follow the written procedures.
I don't recall what point I was trying to prove here, but I wrote up some observations anyways.
Vanity Fair article link, for reference:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/11/airplane-maintenance-disturbing-truth?mbid=social_cp_facebook_wir
There is a pretty thoughtful discussion going on regarding this Vanity Fair article, on +Irreverent Monk 's post, in the comments. Here is my latest contribution to whet your appetite:
I would also say, that there is a lack of real leadership from the FAA, and the aircraft and engine manufacturers.
I say this because of the way everything has gotten so damned vague, with regards to which criteria, or procedures, mechanics and inspectors are supposed to be using in the field. This isn't true in all cases, but it happens enough that it frustrates me.
Using the American Airlines Flight 191 DC-10 crash from 1979 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Airlines_Flight_191
that was mentioned as an example: There were three airlines (at least major ones) using the technique of removing pylon & engine as one assembly for maintenance. One airline used an overhead crane method, while the other two used a forklift method. McDonnell Douglas refused to either approve or condemn either method of doing this, as they said "It wasn't their place to approve or disapprove of customer maintenance practices". Add to this that there were likely engineers at all three airlines, who said "Yup, it's fine" to the practices. And add the FAA, who are often more a reactionary oversight presence; only getting involved when something bad happens.
It all adds up to the real potential for an accident. Which is exactly what happened in this case.
Getting back to the manuals I mentioned, and I'll use it in context of working with a jet engine; When you work with aircraft, there are several manuals you work with reference to. You, as a mechanic, are always working under the umbrella of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR's); which guide you to use manufacturer approved, or other practices accepted/approved by the administrator (which is your FAA office). You can use the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) to maintain or perform maintenance on the engine. And there is criteria in there to do so.
However, which manual do you go to after you take the engine off the airplane? The AMM? Or the Engine Service Manual (ESM)?
In our case, our airline's General Maintenance Manual (GMM, and itself an FAA _accepted- , but NOT approved manual, which absolves the FAA of some of the responsibility for us following it) specifies that when an engine is removed, but stays within close proximity to the aircraft, such as in the hangar, or not far away outside; we still use the AMM. But when it is trucked across the field to the engine shop; then the ESM takes precedence.
Why is this an issue? Because the AMM, and the ESM often have different acceptance criteria for any given defect found on the engine. For example; Just yesterday, I ran into an issue, where the AMM says, for a certain part, "Fretting and corrosion is permitted on the spacer". Not giving any limits on it either.
But if I go to the ESM, regarding the same exact part; it states that any fretting is unacceptable and is not repairable; and that while corrosion to a certain depth is acceptable, pitting is not.
The reason I point that out, that there is often conflicting information authority for our maintenance practices; is that I think that the FAA and the aircraft/engine/component manufacturers need to step up, and give clearer guidance for the maintenance and repair of their products.
Of course, this would mean that they would have to accept more responsibility for the practices that they endorse. Which is why they leave things so vague to begin with.
All the finger pointing that happens after an accident or incident is quite comical to see. Usually ending with a fine issued for the airline or manufacturer; and the hammer coming down on a mechanic and inspector, whose names were signed on the line.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Then there were some addendums, and comment questions and answers afterwards:
Addendum: Another facet of outsourcing that the article forgot to mention: Is that many airlines and operators are employing a significant percentage of their maintenance staff through contracting agencies, rather than directly for the company.
Beyond the cost savings that can be had with an ebb and flow workload; this unfortunately fosters a situation where unskilled or plain shit mechanics can linger in the system, floating from job to job. Often with no links, or heads up, to the next company he/she is sent to about why they let the contractor go from the hangar.
Was the contract at an end? Or were there discipline problems? Skill issues?
"Who knows? Who cares? We need a warm body to perform some man hours of work on the upcoming heavy check." Seems to be the attitude of a lot of places.
Beyond the cost savings that can be had with an ebb and flow workload; this unfortunately fosters a situation where unskilled or plain shit mechanics can linger in the system, floating from job to job. Often with no links, or heads up, to the next company he/she is sent to about why they let the contractor go from the hangar.
Was the contract at an end? Or were there discipline problems? Skill issues?
"Who knows? Who cares? We need a warm body to perform some man hours of work on the upcoming heavy check." Seems to be the attitude of a lot of places.
Q in reference to the VF article's mention of airline maintenance practices and outsourcing: I wonder about how true this actually is because the impression given to me was that Delta did all of it's major work at TOC in Atlanta and in the old NWA facilities at MSP, US Air did things at PHX and other major bases and SWA and American did theirs wherever their major bases are.
A : A lot of the work contracted overseas, doesn't comprise an airline's whole fleet.
They'll still do lots of heavy maintenance at their heavy bases, or at Repair Stations stateside. But when they need more work, at a cheaper price, performed; that's when they send work to China (for example).
Almost an overflow type situation.
Another Question-ish comment : I have been to Aeroman in El Salvador and other MRO's throughout the world. I can't say I have ever found foreign MRO's too be "disturbing" .
One point that the article leaves out is that in the cases I have been involved with, the Airlines have a team of inspectors on sight too over see quality. Although the MRO in the end has legal responsibility to sign off tasks the Airline inspectors are involved with the process. Generally ,aviation maintenance is not as complicated as people think. Maintenance does take mechanical skills and a certain amount of reasoning but generally you follow the written procedures.
My Answer-ish comment: That is very true; the airlines DO send representatives along with their planes, to insure proper maintenance (and to reign in costs from being padded onto the bill). But that alone isn't perfect oversight either. As it is entirely dependent upon who you send to represent the airline. Send a lazy person, or a greedy person; and they'll let things slide through sloth or bribery. It has happened.
I stand by my opinion that if a foreign company does your work for you, then the FAA needs to be just as on top of them, as they are with a repair shop right next door to their offices. Give them the budget and the personnel to do it. If not, then don't allow that kind of foreign maintenance to happen. It's that simple.
---------------------------------------------
There was a much more official-y type response to the Vanity Fair article, from Aviation Pros; which I kind of think went too far in the other direction, in defense of the norm. But you can decide for yourself. Here is the link for that one:
https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12137217/contract-aviation-maintenance-safer-more-
efficient
And another response from Aviation Week, which is a little more measured:
Monday, July 25, 2016
Critique Me, Oh Critic!
I predicate this, by saying that this was about a nice little four line poem, that was posted in the "Critique" section of a poetry community. Where the guidelines are laid out thusly:
"The Critique: Please submit only works in process to the Critique. Please remember to give members an idea of where you are in the process, what kind of feedback you are looking for, or ask a question about something particular in your poem you'd like a response to. "
So, I asked, "What sort of critique were you looking for?" Simply because the poem seemed really good to me, and there wasn't much of it to pick at. And the response from a particular Troll, was as you see.
Now, all who is right, and who is wrong, aside; it caused a lot of reflection on my part.
First: It reminded me of how (overly)sensitive I am to this kind of behavior. Also how fortunate I am to have 99.9% of my interactions here to have been positive ones, with positive and intelligent individuals.
Second: Who AM I to critique anyone's poetry, anyways? The answer to which, is that I'm nobody, really.
I've self-published several books of poetry, and short subjects (narratives, op-eds, etc). But that certainly doesn't make me any authority on anything other than the ability to make a decent looking product, with the assistance of some easy to use tools. That take the form of Smashwords, Kindle Publishing, Createspace, and Lulu.
My formal English/writing education ended at the conclusion of my AP writing classes, senior year in High School. So no help there.
I know how poetry makes me feel inside, and I know what is pleasing for ME to read, both aloud and silently (sometimes two different things).
I can suggest different phrasing, or word choice, based on that; if asked. And I have had the chance to do so, through helping edit someone's poetry books, whose author didn't have English as her mother tongue.
But as far as the technicalities of writing poetry....... I am quite lacking. I am no judge.
If someone says, "Write me a sonnet, about the Great Floridian Manatee", then I can do that. But only after looking up how to write a sonnet, and learning more about Manatees. Which doesn't make me so much an expert; more of a student.
Who am I to critique anyone? Nobody.
I wouldn't even have thought on this today, except someone else has asked me to participate in some poetry critique, and I am having all the feels about it.
Cheers, to being painfully inadequate.
"The Critique: Please submit only works in process to the Critique. Please remember to give members an idea of where you are in the process, what kind of feedback you are looking for, or ask a question about something particular in your poem you'd like a response to. "
So, I asked, "What sort of critique were you looking for?" Simply because the poem seemed really good to me, and there wasn't much of it to pick at. And the response from a particular Troll, was as you see.
Now, all who is right, and who is wrong, aside; it caused a lot of reflection on my part.
First: It reminded me of how (overly)sensitive I am to this kind of behavior. Also how fortunate I am to have 99.9% of my interactions here to have been positive ones, with positive and intelligent individuals.
Second: Who AM I to critique anyone's poetry, anyways? The answer to which, is that I'm nobody, really.
I've self-published several books of poetry, and short subjects (narratives, op-eds, etc). But that certainly doesn't make me any authority on anything other than the ability to make a decent looking product, with the assistance of some easy to use tools. That take the form of Smashwords, Kindle Publishing, Createspace, and Lulu.
My formal English/writing education ended at the conclusion of my AP writing classes, senior year in High School. So no help there.
I know how poetry makes me feel inside, and I know what is pleasing for ME to read, both aloud and silently (sometimes two different things).
I can suggest different phrasing, or word choice, based on that; if asked. And I have had the chance to do so, through helping edit someone's poetry books, whose author didn't have English as her mother tongue.
But as far as the technicalities of writing poetry....... I am quite lacking. I am no judge.
If someone says, "Write me a sonnet, about the Great Floridian Manatee", then I can do that. But only after looking up how to write a sonnet, and learning more about Manatees. Which doesn't make me so much an expert; more of a student.
Who am I to critique anyone? Nobody.
I wouldn't even have thought on this today, except someone else has asked me to participate in some poetry critique, and I am having all the feels about it.
Cheers, to being painfully inadequate.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Where Fred Will, and Will Not
I have often said that I have a certain line across North America; below which I will not live. I used to call it my own personal Mason-Dixon Line, but in light of wishing to not become mired in any discussion of the Southern Confederacy and what they may or may not have stood for; I have officially renamed it "Fred's DMZ"
As you can see, Fred's DMZ stretches from sea to shining sea. Encompassing (from East to West) Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, roughly the Northern half of New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and naturally all of Canada & Alaska.
You may notice some odd things on the path of the DMZ. Most odd being the exclusion of all of Idaho. Reason being that I have no use for Idaho or their potatoes (and I may or may not have been arrested there once. Spoiler Alert: I have not).
I fell in love with the San Francisco/Northern California area (only the half closest to the ocean!!) once on a visit there; so that has been added as an addendum.
As for New York: Everything South of Albany might as well belong to New York City; so they can have it.
My choice of the Area Fred Will Live is based exclusively upon Climate. As I like to have four solid seasons, with an average temperature somewhere around 50 to 60 degrees F. The rules being bent a bit for the Pacific Northwest, due to their great beauty, and generally tolerable climate.
Perhaps South Dakota made that cut, but being that it has 'South' in its name, it got tossed to the pigs.
Fred's DMZ could be extended, using the mentioned rules, to wrap all around the Northern Hemisphere, and I should probably work on that someday. The same could be said for the Southern Hemisphere.
A previous version of this map, had me accepting every single state that touched Canada. With the DMZ being those state's Southern borders. But that had drawbacks, so had to be discarded.
I do make exception for most places within a couple miles of a Great Lake. So I think we have to imagine a stretch of land that I would deem acceptable, that runs all along the South shore of Lake Erie. The rest of Ohio is pretty 'meh'.
I apologize if you are a big Ohio, Idaho, or NYC fan; as I called those three places out specifically.
There might be something to learn about me from this map, or not.
If you have read down this far, I have it on good authority that the next set of winning Powerball numbers is: 13, 22, 24, 36, 47 - 14
Cheers!
As you can see, Fred's DMZ stretches from sea to shining sea. Encompassing (from East to West) Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, roughly the Northern half of New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and naturally all of Canada & Alaska.
You may notice some odd things on the path of the DMZ. Most odd being the exclusion of all of Idaho. Reason being that I have no use for Idaho or their potatoes (and I may or may not have been arrested there once. Spoiler Alert: I have not).
I fell in love with the San Francisco/Northern California area (only the half closest to the ocean!!) once on a visit there; so that has been added as an addendum.
As for New York: Everything South of Albany might as well belong to New York City; so they can have it.
My choice of the Area Fred Will Live is based exclusively upon Climate. As I like to have four solid seasons, with an average temperature somewhere around 50 to 60 degrees F. The rules being bent a bit for the Pacific Northwest, due to their great beauty, and generally tolerable climate.
Perhaps South Dakota made that cut, but being that it has 'South' in its name, it got tossed to the pigs.
Fred's DMZ could be extended, using the mentioned rules, to wrap all around the Northern Hemisphere, and I should probably work on that someday. The same could be said for the Southern Hemisphere.
A previous version of this map, had me accepting every single state that touched Canada. With the DMZ being those state's Southern borders. But that had drawbacks, so had to be discarded.
I do make exception for most places within a couple miles of a Great Lake. So I think we have to imagine a stretch of land that I would deem acceptable, that runs all along the South shore of Lake Erie. The rest of Ohio is pretty 'meh'.
I apologize if you are a big Ohio, Idaho, or NYC fan; as I called those three places out specifically.
There might be something to learn about me from this map, or not.
If you have read down this far, I have it on good authority that the next set of winning Powerball numbers is: 13, 22, 24, 36, 47 - 14
Cheers!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
The Spartacus Poem
Why do you poem, poet?
I have zero idea, and I actually give zero fucks about it.
I can't explain that statement, any more than I can explain why I'm still writing. Writing what? I don't know from day to day. I've given up on writing the great American novel; as so many people joke about (but I think are dead serious about secretly) doing.
I just submitted a poem to my regular group, in a new thing they are trying, called The Contest. Nobody really wins anything, which is just how I like my rewards to be: frugal and far between.
For this contest we are to write a poem, and then instead of posting it to the group, we email it to the moderators, who post it for us. That way, nobody knows who posted what.
I corresponded with one of the mods, about how I kind of put my stamp on things that I write. I'm saying that as a brag, since I haven't decided if it's a good thing or not, but I have developed a certain style to my writing. She said that seemed fine, as there were several others that she could probably identify just by the writing style as well.
Predictably, I couldn't get that short exchange out of my head all day, and ended up writing about trying to remove fingerprints in a pretty awful way; transitioning from an expression of the freedom of being anonymous - to the fingerprint removal - to declaring I was Spartacus.
It almost makes sense if you read the actual piece. Almost.
I've taken to Twitter lately. After resisting it pretty successfully for quite awhile. And I use it to write short little things. Pithy poems usually, or bits of longer things; and occasionally, a direct response to another Tweet from someone. It is rewarding when that person happens to notice what I did.
Oh, sweet vanity.
I don't have much of a point. As usual. Oh, I did publish my 'anonymous' Spartacus poem on my blog first, before I sent it to be posted, by someone other than me. The glass is half empty, don't forget.
Cheers
I have zero idea, and I actually give zero fucks about it.
I can't explain that statement, any more than I can explain why I'm still writing. Writing what? I don't know from day to day. I've given up on writing the great American novel; as so many people joke about (but I think are dead serious about secretly) doing.
I just submitted a poem to my regular group, in a new thing they are trying, called The Contest. Nobody really wins anything, which is just how I like my rewards to be: frugal and far between.
For this contest we are to write a poem, and then instead of posting it to the group, we email it to the moderators, who post it for us. That way, nobody knows who posted what.
I corresponded with one of the mods, about how I kind of put my stamp on things that I write. I'm saying that as a brag, since I haven't decided if it's a good thing or not, but I have developed a certain style to my writing. She said that seemed fine, as there were several others that she could probably identify just by the writing style as well.
Predictably, I couldn't get that short exchange out of my head all day, and ended up writing about trying to remove fingerprints in a pretty awful way; transitioning from an expression of the freedom of being anonymous - to the fingerprint removal - to declaring I was Spartacus.
It almost makes sense if you read the actual piece. Almost.
I've taken to Twitter lately. After resisting it pretty successfully for quite awhile. And I use it to write short little things. Pithy poems usually, or bits of longer things; and occasionally, a direct response to another Tweet from someone. It is rewarding when that person happens to notice what I did.
Oh, sweet vanity.
I don't have much of a point. As usual. Oh, I did publish my 'anonymous' Spartacus poem on my blog first, before I sent it to be posted, by someone other than me. The glass is half empty, don't forget.
Cheers
Monday, March 9, 2015
Kristen's Nine Questions
Presented here, are my answers, and the questions, to "Nine Things I Wonder About Other Writers" put together by Kristen, from her blog post over at Navigations (little lodestar). http://www.littlelodestar.com/?p=4759
Brought to my attention courtesy of my friend T. Pascal, who saw it thanks to our mutual acquaintance Shen Hart.
1. Do you share your work with your partner or spouse? Does it matter if it’s been published yet?
I share what I write with my spouse sometimes. Though I've learned what to expect from certain things. If it is an especially rhyme-y poem, then I can expect a standard "Nope, I don't like that" with an accompanying muttering as she walks away that sounds an awful lot like "Fucking Doctor Seuss rhymey whiney bullshit....." My more narrative story pieces get a much better reception from this quarter.
Second half of the question almost doesn't count? As everything that I write gets published, first on the daily blog, then in the yearly collection at the end of the calendar year (or put into a special collection if it is of a theme or storyline)
2. How much of your family and/or closest “friends in real life first” read your stuff…let alone give you feedback about it?
That's both easy and hard to define, in that order. My mother wants hard copies of my books for her coffee tables, though I have no idea if she has ever cracked on open; and I've spared her my more risque publications as well. I receive no comments from my family about my writing. I get the distinct feeling they all might be embarrassed about it all (my wife being the exception).
Friends in real life? I'm not sure I have any anymore perhaps. Of people I interact with face to face, I have nobody I would consider a friend anymore. Defined by: seeing someone outside of work on purpose for drinking/playing/etc. I have people I consider work-circle friends, and none of them have read my writing, that I know of.
I have several people I do not see face to face, whom I have met through the internet, that I chat with almost every single day. I consider them friends in real life. They have all read my writing, and have thought highly off the odd piece here and there. And their opinion means the world to me, as shown by the tears that well up at just the thought of them at this moment.
I don't ask for feedback often. When I do, I truly need it for reasons out of my control. My ego is a fragile thing, and a rejection or harsh comment from a real person can send me into a tailspin that will see me not write anything for weeks as a result. My friends and fellow writers have so far shown a talent for weaving constructive criticism into a comment that does not harm me, only helps. For that I am thankful.
3. What do you do with the pieces that continually get rejected–post on your blog? Trash? When do you know it’s time to let it go?
Clearly, these questions were written by a 'real' writer, who actually submits things to others for publication. I don't do that (see the fragile ego issue from the last question).
I did submit a couple things two years ago to a certain publication. One which I thought I had not one, but two, slam dunks to offer them. Much to my chagrin, they were both rejected.
I was only somewhat consoled by the fact that none of the pieces that made it into their book were poetry based. Serving to cement their bad taste.
Those two pieces ended up in my erotic poetry collection. With a pithy paragraph in the introduction, shaming the rejecting entities.
I guess I don't let things go in the traditional sense. As my version of letting go, is publishing.
4. Are there pieces you write for one very specific place that, once rejected, you just let go of, or do you rework into something else?
See the above question for reference on this. I do write for specific places sometimes. Once, I was asked to write a guest blogger entry or three. But that turned into a bit of a fail. As I took it far too seriously, and threw my personal style right out the window in the interest of writing "Professionally". Turns out, my personal style was the whole reason I'd been asked to submit guest writing to begin with. Lesson noted.
I also write to the weekly prompt in the community group Poets of G+. I should do that every week, as it is a very healthy exercise for me. But I don't.
Incidentally, something I wrote specifically for the Prompt, got rejected right out of there one week. I was tiffed beyond belief. Especially as I had gone to great lengths, gone around the world the opposite direction, etc; to incorporate the prompt in a 1600 word piece (as the last line). It got rejected as "This is not poetry". I was mad about that for about a year. Then I realized that, regardless of the style I wrote it in, it kind of wasn't poetry. This was really hit home when I did successfully write a narrative poem for the same group, which got high praise from people whose opinion I valued.
I took that 'Not Poetry' and it is being incorporated into a section of a novel I am working on. And I am twice as happy that I was prodded by that prompt into writing it now.
5. What is your main source of reading-based inspiration (especially you essayists)? Blogs? Magazines? Journals? Anthologies? Book of essays by one writer?
I am often inspired by what my fellow writers will post online. I enjoy riffing on their ideas sometimes, and have been pleased with some of the results. Beyond that, anything I read could serve as an inspiration, often the most banal things, like Wiki articles, or some five part list article on Cracked.
I am currently dredging everything up in my memory banks about 1800's to early 1900's beliefs about our Solar System. So lots of Red Mars stuff; like Princess of Mars, and The Martian Chronicles. Along with the 2014 anthology "Old Mars". (I've pre-ordered "Old Venus" as well.) Stories and ideas that had us thinking that these other planets were places we could go walk around on.
The question doesn't ask, but I write what I consider to be my best poetry, with music playing. It gives me a rhythm and phrasing to write to. Sometimes one song on a loop will serve as a template for a poem. And nobody ever knows.....(usually)
6. What tends to spark ideas more for you: what you see/hear in daily life or what you read?
(oops, I should have waited) When it comes to poetry, more than anything else, music inspires it. The best, are songs that have particularly good lyric phrasing, that provides a real structure to write to.
My passions inspire writing as well; aviation, aviation maintenance, typewriters, tools, animals in the backyard, even odd stains on the wall.
I never know what will inspire something in me.
7. Who have you read in the past year or two that you feel is completely brilliant but so underappreciated?
Ok, I want very badly to say "Almost everything that T. Pascal writes". But, since he dropped my name as an answer to this same question, that raises moral implications for this answer.
So I must think of another writer.... I discovered someone on Tumblr just recently, who is very much on my wavelength as far as writing, and I loved some of his pieces. And damned if I can recall who it is. (this kind of illustrates how much of a mess I find tumblr is to use when you want to find something specific!)
I guess I kind of failed this question. NEXT!
8. Without listing anything written by Dani Shapiro, Anne Lamott, Lee Gutkind, or Natalie Goldberg, what craft books are “must haves”?
I have to echo a previous answer to this, a little less elegantly, with a hearty "Who the feck are these people we aren't supposed to mention now?" I suppose this utterly reveals my roots as a not real writer/author individual. But I have no idea, as I don't know even what those people write about.
I refer to the Chicago Manual of Style, when I work my publishing end of things sometimes. And I think everyone should reference some manual of publishing style when making a book or ebook, at the very least just to see what you are doing blatantly wrong. Beyond that, I don't consider any book on the craft of writing to be a must have.
I think this is because I have decided upon a course of style for my writing, and I'm tacking HARD into it. Come hell or high water, the what and how I write will be recognized in the long run. Or not. I'm not going to change my craft to suit anyone else, ever again.
9. Have you ever regretted having something published? Was it because of the content or the actual writing style/syntax?
Almost; and it was because of the content.
The first thing I almost regretting writing, and publishing for the world to see; was about some early sexual experiences I had with someone. And when I say 'early', I mean that I was seven years old.
I feel that sharing things like that, in public places such as this, lets it be found by people who may be feeling like freaks for having something similar happen to them when they were young. It is important to talk about such things, so that nobody feels alone.
For context, think about someone with a 'weird' thing happening to their body. If you Google it, chances are, you'll find a group of people talking about just that exact thing. It helps you feel like you aren't alone, and gives you some idea of how to deal with it.
Well, that bit I wrote, got me accused of being a pedophile by one particular, vocal, person. And while this all happened within a relatively small community group; it was one of the most upsetting things I've ever experienced in my life.
It was a real test of my practice of using my real name for publishing things online, as well as my practice of not taking things down, as long as they were an honest representation of who I am in real life, warts and all.
This incident also cemented a few people as real friends in my mind. Are they "real face to face" friends? No, and we may never actually share a cup of coffee together, as it were. But they are real friends to me, as real as it gets. They each defended what I had written, long before I even realized what was going on, and even offered experiences in their own lives regarding similar things. It was cathartic for me in the end.
A real experience.
As another thing on this last question: I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, when it comes to my election as a School Board Trustee last fall for the local school. I kind of can't wait, and am kind of dreading, the day that someone around here discovers my writing.
I'm not ashamed of anything I've put out, and I started actively writing online, and publishing in 2011/12. So this facet of my life was very public knowledge to the voters of my district, long before my election victory. If anyone had bothered to Google my name, everything is laid out to find.
So I sometimes wonder; will it be my erotic poetry book? or perhaps that time I explored racism? or even my series of essays on creating a libertarian/communist society out of America? And let's not forget my short story on a fictional violent coup attempt in the USA.
But I won't back down from a word of it. Not one bloody word. For if you read all the silly things I've written, between the Worries, the poetry, the stories; that is who I am. And if I deny who I am, then I am nobody.
And being a nobody to even yourself, would be the worst thing I can think of.
Cheers
Brought to my attention courtesy of my friend T. Pascal, who saw it thanks to our mutual acquaintance Shen Hart.
1. Do you share your work with your partner or spouse? Does it matter if it’s been published yet?
I share what I write with my spouse sometimes. Though I've learned what to expect from certain things. If it is an especially rhyme-y poem, then I can expect a standard "Nope, I don't like that" with an accompanying muttering as she walks away that sounds an awful lot like "Fucking Doctor Seuss rhymey whiney bullshit....." My more narrative story pieces get a much better reception from this quarter.
Second half of the question almost doesn't count? As everything that I write gets published, first on the daily blog, then in the yearly collection at the end of the calendar year (or put into a special collection if it is of a theme or storyline)
2. How much of your family and/or closest “friends in real life first” read your stuff…let alone give you feedback about it?
That's both easy and hard to define, in that order. My mother wants hard copies of my books for her coffee tables, though I have no idea if she has ever cracked on open; and I've spared her my more risque publications as well. I receive no comments from my family about my writing. I get the distinct feeling they all might be embarrassed about it all (my wife being the exception).
Friends in real life? I'm not sure I have any anymore perhaps. Of people I interact with face to face, I have nobody I would consider a friend anymore. Defined by: seeing someone outside of work on purpose for drinking/playing/etc. I have people I consider work-circle friends, and none of them have read my writing, that I know of.
I have several people I do not see face to face, whom I have met through the internet, that I chat with almost every single day. I consider them friends in real life. They have all read my writing, and have thought highly off the odd piece here and there. And their opinion means the world to me, as shown by the tears that well up at just the thought of them at this moment.
I don't ask for feedback often. When I do, I truly need it for reasons out of my control. My ego is a fragile thing, and a rejection or harsh comment from a real person can send me into a tailspin that will see me not write anything for weeks as a result. My friends and fellow writers have so far shown a talent for weaving constructive criticism into a comment that does not harm me, only helps. For that I am thankful.
3. What do you do with the pieces that continually get rejected–post on your blog? Trash? When do you know it’s time to let it go?
Clearly, these questions were written by a 'real' writer, who actually submits things to others for publication. I don't do that (see the fragile ego issue from the last question).
I did submit a couple things two years ago to a certain publication. One which I thought I had not one, but two, slam dunks to offer them. Much to my chagrin, they were both rejected.
I was only somewhat consoled by the fact that none of the pieces that made it into their book were poetry based. Serving to cement their bad taste.
Those two pieces ended up in my erotic poetry collection. With a pithy paragraph in the introduction, shaming the rejecting entities.
I guess I don't let things go in the traditional sense. As my version of letting go, is publishing.
4. Are there pieces you write for one very specific place that, once rejected, you just let go of, or do you rework into something else?
See the above question for reference on this. I do write for specific places sometimes. Once, I was asked to write a guest blogger entry or three. But that turned into a bit of a fail. As I took it far too seriously, and threw my personal style right out the window in the interest of writing "Professionally". Turns out, my personal style was the whole reason I'd been asked to submit guest writing to begin with. Lesson noted.
I also write to the weekly prompt in the community group Poets of G+. I should do that every week, as it is a very healthy exercise for me. But I don't.
Incidentally, something I wrote specifically for the Prompt, got rejected right out of there one week. I was tiffed beyond belief. Especially as I had gone to great lengths, gone around the world the opposite direction, etc; to incorporate the prompt in a 1600 word piece (as the last line). It got rejected as "This is not poetry". I was mad about that for about a year. Then I realized that, regardless of the style I wrote it in, it kind of wasn't poetry. This was really hit home when I did successfully write a narrative poem for the same group, which got high praise from people whose opinion I valued.
I took that 'Not Poetry' and it is being incorporated into a section of a novel I am working on. And I am twice as happy that I was prodded by that prompt into writing it now.
5. What is your main source of reading-based inspiration (especially you essayists)? Blogs? Magazines? Journals? Anthologies? Book of essays by one writer?
I am often inspired by what my fellow writers will post online. I enjoy riffing on their ideas sometimes, and have been pleased with some of the results. Beyond that, anything I read could serve as an inspiration, often the most banal things, like Wiki articles, or some five part list article on Cracked.
I am currently dredging everything up in my memory banks about 1800's to early 1900's beliefs about our Solar System. So lots of Red Mars stuff; like Princess of Mars, and The Martian Chronicles. Along with the 2014 anthology "Old Mars". (I've pre-ordered "Old Venus" as well.) Stories and ideas that had us thinking that these other planets were places we could go walk around on.
The question doesn't ask, but I write what I consider to be my best poetry, with music playing. It gives me a rhythm and phrasing to write to. Sometimes one song on a loop will serve as a template for a poem. And nobody ever knows.....(usually)
6. What tends to spark ideas more for you: what you see/hear in daily life or what you read?
(oops, I should have waited) When it comes to poetry, more than anything else, music inspires it. The best, are songs that have particularly good lyric phrasing, that provides a real structure to write to.
My passions inspire writing as well; aviation, aviation maintenance, typewriters, tools, animals in the backyard, even odd stains on the wall.
I never know what will inspire something in me.
7. Who have you read in the past year or two that you feel is completely brilliant but so underappreciated?
Ok, I want very badly to say "Almost everything that T. Pascal writes". But, since he dropped my name as an answer to this same question, that raises moral implications for this answer.
So I must think of another writer.... I discovered someone on Tumblr just recently, who is very much on my wavelength as far as writing, and I loved some of his pieces. And damned if I can recall who it is. (this kind of illustrates how much of a mess I find tumblr is to use when you want to find something specific!)
I guess I kind of failed this question. NEXT!
8. Without listing anything written by Dani Shapiro, Anne Lamott, Lee Gutkind, or Natalie Goldberg, what craft books are “must haves”?
I have to echo a previous answer to this, a little less elegantly, with a hearty "Who the feck are these people we aren't supposed to mention now?" I suppose this utterly reveals my roots as a not real writer/author individual. But I have no idea, as I don't know even what those people write about.
I refer to the Chicago Manual of Style, when I work my publishing end of things sometimes. And I think everyone should reference some manual of publishing style when making a book or ebook, at the very least just to see what you are doing blatantly wrong. Beyond that, I don't consider any book on the craft of writing to be a must have.
I think this is because I have decided upon a course of style for my writing, and I'm tacking HARD into it. Come hell or high water, the what and how I write will be recognized in the long run. Or not. I'm not going to change my craft to suit anyone else, ever again.
9. Have you ever regretted having something published? Was it because of the content or the actual writing style/syntax?
Almost; and it was because of the content.
The first thing I almost regretting writing, and publishing for the world to see; was about some early sexual experiences I had with someone. And when I say 'early', I mean that I was seven years old.
I feel that sharing things like that, in public places such as this, lets it be found by people who may be feeling like freaks for having something similar happen to them when they were young. It is important to talk about such things, so that nobody feels alone.
For context, think about someone with a 'weird' thing happening to their body. If you Google it, chances are, you'll find a group of people talking about just that exact thing. It helps you feel like you aren't alone, and gives you some idea of how to deal with it.
Well, that bit I wrote, got me accused of being a pedophile by one particular, vocal, person. And while this all happened within a relatively small community group; it was one of the most upsetting things I've ever experienced in my life.
It was a real test of my practice of using my real name for publishing things online, as well as my practice of not taking things down, as long as they were an honest representation of who I am in real life, warts and all.
This incident also cemented a few people as real friends in my mind. Are they "real face to face" friends? No, and we may never actually share a cup of coffee together, as it were. But they are real friends to me, as real as it gets. They each defended what I had written, long before I even realized what was going on, and even offered experiences in their own lives regarding similar things. It was cathartic for me in the end.
A real experience.
As another thing on this last question: I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, when it comes to my election as a School Board Trustee last fall for the local school. I kind of can't wait, and am kind of dreading, the day that someone around here discovers my writing.
I'm not ashamed of anything I've put out, and I started actively writing online, and publishing in 2011/12. So this facet of my life was very public knowledge to the voters of my district, long before my election victory. If anyone had bothered to Google my name, everything is laid out to find.
So I sometimes wonder; will it be my erotic poetry book? or perhaps that time I explored racism? or even my series of essays on creating a libertarian/communist society out of America? And let's not forget my short story on a fictional violent coup attempt in the USA.
But I won't back down from a word of it. Not one bloody word. For if you read all the silly things I've written, between the Worries, the poetry, the stories; that is who I am. And if I deny who I am, then I am nobody.
And being a nobody to even yourself, would be the worst thing I can think of.
Cheers
Saturday, January 24, 2015
What I wrote to Tim about self publishing - via FB
A coworker noticed that I self-published books of my work; and asked me about how to make them. So I gave him this blowhard-length answer. I can't recall when we had this exchange now, must have been late 2012? This is what I told him:
"Tim, I apologize for not being more illuminating earlier about books and publishing. I'd be happy to talk about it if you were interested.
"Tim, I apologize for not being more illuminating earlier about books and publishing. I'd be happy to talk about it if you were interested.
I go into it in greater detail in the foreword of my first book. But the gist of the "Why?" is the having of a legacy of some kind.
I'm not much of a builder, or a physical media artist. So beyond my kids, I wanted to leave something with my name on it behind when I go. For me, that meant writing, and subsequently publishing what I wrote into some books that could survive beyond me.
It's been a lot of fun so far. I initially looked into www.lulu.com for self publishing, as they make it insanely easy to put together just about any kind of book you'd like to have. Photo books, poetry books, novels, etc. And you can have just one made for yourself, or a thousand. Prices not bad either.
I gravitated to Amazon's Kindle publishing site, as well as their Createspace physical book site; for the simple fact of having a larger audience via Amazon able to see and get my books. It fit my goal a little better.
Amazon give me exposure, but not necessarily lots of sales. I get more traffic as far as downloads using Smashwords.com where my books are available for free as ebooks.
It's not as physical as I'd like, but it lets people read them if they wish.
I don't plan on getting rich, or famous, off my books. The best thing I could envision happening, would be someone becoming inspired by something I came up with, to write, or make, something really great. So I just imagine what I write to be "Seeds" for human creativity.
Keeps me realistic, and humble.
But yeah, if you wanted to put something together, I'd be happy to give any advice I might have gained so far.
My first book, was a real monster to put together: Over 700 pages, 75,000 words, 366 chapters. It was a real learning experience. And basically chronicled what I did as far as writing, every day, in 2011.
Sorry this got so long. Hour long lunch, plus idle hands, equals this. Sometimes.
Cheers!"
1/24/2015 update: he never got back with me. So either my advice was so good that he didn't need to; or ..... other.
I'm betting hard on 'other'.
Cheers
To not knowing as much as I think.
1/24/2015 update: he never got back with me. So either my advice was so good that he didn't need to; or ..... other.
I'm betting hard on 'other'.
Cheers
To not knowing as much as I think.
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