Getting the chance to freelance the hours away — I’ve never hidden the fact that even before the company I used to work for “retired” me, I was taking on freelance jobs as a side-hustle for extra cash. Before the Great Unpleasantness (getting written off the employment books), I wrote product descriptions for a company on the weekends and…

Things you must do if or when the grid fails — I’ve never thought much about preparing for a doomsday event aside from bending over and kissing my ass goodby. I’m willing to bet there are a shit ton of people on this platform and all over the world who might be of the same accord. As a freelancer, I have…

Some of these crazies have gotten used to applying burn cream — Whether you’re using an urban dictionary or searching for the meaning of “playing with fire” in Websters, the term typically refers to a person or group of people who practice dangerous activities that result in harm coming to either themselves or others. For some strange reason, many Americans seem to…

Musicians and writers and artists, oh my! Regardless of the type of creative you are (or want to be), it’s a safe bet at one point in your life, you’ll try to monetize your gift in some fashion. …

The invisibility of a pen name won’t work for some The reasons for writing under a pen name are as varied as the number of writers who do it. Some well-known writers have released quite a few stories under a different name. Stephen King wrote under the name of Richard…

The reasons may not be what you think — Most of us have something to say, and many of us never pass on the opportunity to say it. It’s what we love to do, offering opinions or messages we want to share with the world. There’s a problem with that, and we know it all too well. Many of…

Learning how to cope — Over the years, I’ve learned to deal with sticky situations in a relatively calm manner. Call it old age or just not giving a shit anymore; when things prove difficult, I’ve been able to work it out without blowing a casket. Until now. Retirement is a foreign concept to me…

A lifetime of meh isn’t going to cut it Like so many others, I’ve spent the previous two years on autopilot. Although it wasn’t by choice, we’ve all hunkered down and settled into a lifestyle of routine habits. Each day, we get up and perform the same things we did…

A life spent writing is a cautionary tale — Sipping coffee this morning, the one cyclic thought I had on my brain was that I must be crazy to think I can sit down each day and write something that will make enough money to survive. So far, I haven’t, but it’s not just the lack of funds that…