The Lighthouse Society

Many of us having some ideas of how we truly want to spend Boxing Day. In most years, businesses and offices are open per usual and consumers who are working will run rampant to begin the ritual of returning unwanted gifts. Now I can’t say as though I have any experience with this. I see Boxing Day as somewhat akin to Black Friday and quite frankly, wouldn’t go near the mall if you paid me, but at the same time, I rarely have to work on this day either. So what does one do? Those with kids usually have the week off and plan around the busy vacation week, but again, this doesn’t include me. Nope, I find that the day after Christmas is a good time to begin to think about the end of the year. With a week before the end of the calendar year, it is a time to reminisce about the good and the bad, and yes, time to think about goals and hopes for the New Year. Like many, I always have a hard time keeping New Year’s resolutions, but I still make them. Why? Why make a resolution if it is just going to fall by the wayside? Not a bad a question, but I think it all plays into the aspect of hope and aspiration. If I can better myself in any way, I would like to. I think that the mere thought of making a change means that some change is possible, even if it isn’t the one I had set a goal for.

Where the summer sun could fry an egg on the hood of a pick-up truck and hometown football is king, a special breed of man is known to roam the plains in search of black gold. Skilled in the dangerous and fast-paced world of oil drilling, these men have always been known as roughnecks, and no, not everyone is suited for the job they do – not even close!

Not unlike fishing in Alaska or truck driving in the arctic, oil drilling takes a special breed of human – polo-shirt-wearing college boys need not apply. As you can see from some of the truTV BLACK GOLD characters in the video below, this work is not for the faint of heart and it takes more than just some thick skin to be a roughneck. Truth be told, you either are a roughneck or you are not. Just like you are born to fish for crab in the Berring Sea or you are not. Realistically, some kid from New England, such as myself, shouldn’t be the one to point out the characteristics of a roughneck, but if you tune in at 10pm on Wednesday nights to truTV BLACK GOLD, you can see for yourself. Hey, perhaps you’ll decide that you fit the bill and you’ll head south to the oil fields!

Regardless, I think that the true appeal of Black Gold is the fact that the jobs these men – excuse me, roughnecks - do is some of the most dangerous in the world. The reason I think that it is appealing television because while these guys make pretty good money, they aren’t getting rich out there and yet they are putting their lives on the line every day. It’s reasons like these that really make you like guys like Gerald, Cheston, Tank, and Brandon. They’re all unique, they’re hotheads, they’re tough as nails, but most of all, they‘re real people, working real hard. That’s not reality, it’s actuality.

After years of defrauding unsuspecting, aspiring authors of literary work and screenplays, it seems that Robert Fletcher’s luck may finally be running out. In the past week, Florida’s Attorney General, Bill McCollum, filed a lawsuit that outlines the years of fraudulent activity Mr. Fletcher allegedly pursued as the principal of several literary agencies and publishing companies, which were big on promise, big on up front fees, and small on returns. With around 50 aliases and a carousel of company name changes, thousands of writers have submitted their work to the purported literary agencies as Writers’ Literary Agency & Marketing Company (formerly The Literary Agency Group, Inc.), WL Children’s Agency (aka The Writers Literary Agency – Children’s Division) (formerly The Children’s Literary Agency) (Dorothy Walker, Robert West),
Christian Literary Agency, New York Literary Agency, WL Poets Agency (formerly The Poets Literary Agency), WL Screenplay Agency (formerly The Screenplay Agency), Stylus Literary Agency (formerly ST Literary Agency, formerly Sydra Techniques) (Robert Fletcher, Jill Mast, Mark Bredt).

Some of Mr. Fletcher’s purported publishing and/or editorial companies are American Enterprises Group/AEG Publishing Group, Strategic Book Publishing, Eloquent Books, My Editor Is A Saint, The Writers Literary & Publishing Services Co.

The lawsuit is seeking “seeking full restitution on behalf of all victimized consumers, civil penalties of $10,000 for each violation of the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and reimbursement for fees and costs related to the investigation.”

In 2008, Fletcher sued authors and heads of the literary watchdog group, Writers Beware, A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss; accusing Writer Beware of libel and defamation against Mr. Fletcher and his companies. In a separate lawsuit, Fletcher brought suit against author James MacDonald. Both lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice and at least in the case of Writers Beware, Mr. Fletcher was ordered by the court to pay all of the defendant’s legal fees.

There is no word yet, on any criminal charges, but keep your eyes peeled and your wallets closed if this guy is around. The promises are lies!

Everyday there are more and more people voicing their opinions on everything from politics to sports to hobbies like writing – Pretty much like what I do here on The Lighthouse Society blog. I chose my hosting site for various reasons and knew what I wanted and needed. But what if you’re the average Joe who wants to do the same; however, you don’t know where to go to get started with your new site? Some of the things you’ll want to consider are cost, storage space, and web options. Different web hosting companies offer different packages that may be ready for the site you envision or even some that will tailor a specific package to suit your individual needs, but before you get to that decision, you should read up on your choices and check out ratings and reviews.

When choosing a webhosting service, you also need to consider the type of operating system you have, what you plan to do, how much you want to spend on a monthly or annual basis, and even the length of time you want to commit to a particular service. For example, I got a pretty basic hosting plan that had an original duration of 2 years. Some hosting services are going to be better for sites that have lots of pictures or videos and that may be particularly important if you plan to host a website like this blog. As with anything, the more research you do, the better and more informed decisions you will make.

Do you ever find yourself stuck I a writing rut and haven’t a clue as to why? Sure, everyone gets writer’s block, but I’m talking about something more severe – a situation where you haven’t even gotten to the stage in a work in progress where writer’s block can even really be an issue. I haven’t a clue what this would be called, but I found myself in such a place recently and while talking it over with a writer friend on Facebook; I decided that I’m currently stuck in the wrong genre.

Seriously, why do I think I need to write mystery? I’m clearly no good at it and I can’t think of a new and complete plot to save my life. What I have been able to do is think of middle grade and science fiction plots and thus I told Celeste that I was done with mystery. OK, that likely won’t last too long, but for the time being, I want to write something different and a new project may very well help me get out of this current funk.

Not all reality television shows are alike. Some networks put a bunch of people into a house and let them squabble till only one is left, but other networks dare to dig deep into situations and occupations that tell the tale of humanity by showing extreme conditions and hardships. For me, The Deadliest Catch is staple of weekly television, reality or otherwise. From the creator of The Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers, comes the second season of truTV’s Black Gold.

Perhaps you’ve seen some of the tough love and harsh working conditions in the Bering Sea, but when you’re dealing with thousand’s of pounds of pressure from beneath the Earth, the supervisors on Black Gold have no use for sugar-coating what they want done because in the sweltering heat in the middle of the west Texas oil fields, on the job training is not day that the beach.

Now, in our own real worlds, we deal with finances, deadlines, and annual reviews. As you might expect, the roughnecks in this truTV’s Black Gold trailer put their lives on the line everyday, have pressure from oil companies to deliver the goods, and when their backs are up against the way, the employee reviews bay take a colorful tone!

BLACK GOLD Premieres August 19th at 10p/9c, with all new episodes Wednesdays at 10p/9c on truTV!

Earlier this week I was conferencing with my dad about a planned trip to the car deal to get a routine fluid change and tire rotation. Given the recent issues with auto industry, I’ve noticed that the service departments have been really pressured to make up for the lack of sales in the showroom by over-charging and over-selling service that just isn’t needed.

Did I say how much I really hate that? Yeah, well, I do, and quite frankly, I cringe when they call to say my car’s ready ‘cause I know what’s coming. So I half jokingly told my dad that I was getting ready for the dealership to tell me that my car was falling apart and I needed more parts and service than could even be imagined. OK, that wasn’t exactly how it went, but I knew that the old reliable “Oh, you need all new brakes was coming.” Why? It’s like the staple of this dealership.

So that afternoon I get the call and I was amazed when Sharon told me that the mechanic said I needed all new breaks. “Really, Sharon?” I said. “I’m a little shocked ‘cause not only have I had new brakes, but my mechanic said my rotors were fine.”

Sharon was silent. I’d called her bluff and she was probably pissed.

“While I appreciate the help, Sharon, I’m just going to get the standard service.”

Sharon reiterated the quote I’d received when I dropped the car off and told me when it would be ready. Heck, she didn’t even go for a second plea for the service sale. Seemingly, Sharon understood that I understand their game and I was having none of it.

While my car – SUV or whatever the hell you want to call it – is four years old, I do need to stick to the service plan for my warranty, but I am sick of the crap that can go along with it. I’m pretty sure Sharon got that, too.

Are you looking at the news each day with the talk of the bailed-out banks and Cash For Clunkers deals and wondering if there is someone looking out for your interests? Well, I can say that if you’re into fantasy football, the folks over at Waiverwire.com have put together

Now, I have to admit that I’m quite partial to my boys from Foxboro, specifically, Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and Richard Seymour, but after two weeks of pre-season games, all the NFL teams are in the midst of full training camp and behind closed doors and on the practice fields, teams are starting to come together, player by player.

With all the excitement about the NFL season getting under way, it’s easy to get info on every team, player, and move being made by coaching staffs across the league, but once the season is underway, your team should be set and you should have a stocked depth chart, ready for all takers.

For a limited time, WaiverWire is offering their own stimulus package. The best part about it is that it’s free! You’ll get everything from depth charts, red zones stats, up-to-date strength of schedule listings, player projections, player comparisons, and even access to WaiverWire’s own social networking site. Get update on player injuries, expert analysis from some of the best in fantasy football, and again, this tool from Waiverwire is free!

Another day, another rejection, and such is the life of an aspiring writer. We put ourselves out there, on the line and get rejected, dejected, and somehow, we keep coming back for more.

Of course the latest rejection was one that was hardly unexpected. To be frank, I never thought the editor from Kensington Books would even respond to me. I had submitted to them without an agent and they happen to be one of the largest houses in the country. Nevertheless, I did get a response and was happy with the critique I received. Why? Because it was quite clear that the guy who responded, had actually read what was sent it. To those who don’t know about the commercial publishing world, such an occasion is rare. Most submissions are relegated to the slush pile. That being said, he did pass, but I was pleased with, and agreed with, his feedback. Perhaps not about the part where he said no, but as for the constructive criticism, it was pretty much right on.

I have found a small independent house that I am interested in and it happens to be in Boston. Charles River Press doesn’t put out a lot of titles and they might not have the same bookstore presence as one of the New York houses, but I get a good vibe from them. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Let’s call a spade a spade, I am not tech-savvy, but even if I had an electrical engineering degree; I’d likely have trouble when it comes to remote controls. Why? My living room has just too many. I’ve got a remote for the TV, the digital cable, the stereo, the DVD player, and even the VHS that’s somehow still operating. Do you realize how confusing that can get?

If you’re at all like me, you know the feeling of frustration and long for a viable solution to this problem. Just last weekend I was at my folks’ place and my dad asked me to come into the family room to help with a movie. As I saw a black screen in front of me, I didn’t have a clue which of the four remotes on the coffee table was responsible for the predicament. After literally 15 minutes of trying to figure out who pushed which wrong button, I was able to get the movie going, but this would have been a lot easier if they’d had a Yamaha neoHD. With the Yamaha neoHD you have one remote and one console for all your entertainment center devices. What could be better?

Do you want to win a free Yamaha neoHD? Enter the Yamaha neoHD Sweepstakes now and one of these babies could be yours. You cane simply enter by visiting blog.izea.com or Tweeting the phrase, “I just entered to win a #neoHD b/c I have too many remotes, visit (blog.izea.com) to enter” and leave a comment about why you desperately need a Yamaha neoHD. You can even find the neoHD on Facebook. Perhaps you should become a fan!

Are you a writer trying your hardest to reach your goals of publication? Perhaps you’re looking for an agent or submitting your work to a small publishing house. Both are fabulous goals and dreams of us all, but make sure to be careful what you wish for. No, I’m not saying to back away from you dream or chasing any less diligently, but as a writer, you work for yourself and it’s super-important to protect yourself and your work.

And while I’m not here to judge the types of publication that others choose, I surely have my own preferences and the number one rule is that money flows to the author and no the other way. What do I mean by that? I mean that as a writer, I refuse to pay agents fees or pay to publish my work. Does that mean that self-publishing is wrong for everyone? Not at all, but for fiction, it’s just not profitable and unless you intend your books to be read by you and your friends, stay away from such an option. The same goes for vanity or subsidy publishing. Those two terms are used to describe presses that charge you all or part of the fee to publish your work and then promise you the world by posting your book on their site and others like Amazon.com. The fact of the matter with self-publishing and subsidy publishing is that you can have your books available on sites like Amazon, but in reality, anyone who gets an ISBN can do the same. It says nothing about promotion and marketing, which is how others find out about your book.

Do you have questions about whether an agent charges fees or if a publishing house is on the up and up? Do you research and BEWARE of the scammers. You deserve better!

I suppose you could call it a step in the right direction – the fact that instead of just imagining new ideas for a novel; I’m actually starting to sketch a bit of a plot. To be honest; I have a head full of partial ideas and have found myself caught up in the trap of thinking that I need to have a full outlined story all drawn out, in order for it to work. That’s just not how it works.

Perhaps I need to take a step back and commit that first heinous s=crime to paper and see how it plays out. Maybe I should develop a dozen more characters and develop them so they can be easily inserted into a scene. I guess I don’t know and that’s okay. What I do know is that I need to read more and write down every idea I come up with. I can only hope that sooner, rather than later, I’ll be writing page after page and be on my way to that happy place of constructive creativity.

Getting back into the swing of the publishing world is like a trip down memory lane. No, I’ve never actually had one of my novels published, but with my recent aggressive push towards agents and publishers, I feel like it’s 2004 all over again. Perhaps the difference is that I’m no longer a full-time writer sending out query letter after query letter in the hope that someone will bite.

I did feel that it was time to get myself back out there and see what the market is like and to be frank, it’s worse than it was. It’s understandable with the current economic climate, it’s still surprising to see that the same people are still in the game, there are many names out there still searching for that elusive publishing dream, and there are just as many scammers trying to steal people’s work and try to sell them their own book. Yes, that is partly a reference to Publish America and the other vanity presses conning the naïve. I just have to do my best to not be one of the ones who falls for the trickery as the scammers are getting better and better.

From August 27th to the 20th this summer, NFL teams will be narrowing their roster and making sure they have their teams in the best position to win when the regular season begins. And while nothing can really compare to the heat of the football practice field when players are vying for the final spots on their respective teams, Las Vegas will be scorching as the fantasy football world as we know it converges on sin city.

Yes, you and your friends can hang out in your home town and have your usual fantasy draft, but wouldn’t it be better to get away to Vegas for the long weekend and joining the Superdraft with thousands of other competitors from around the country? Whether you’re looking to land that coveted pass attack or you need to bolster you secondary, you’ll get all the exclusive benefits of your fantasy draft with the added benefits of exclusive tailgates, “Overtime” pool parties, and concerts but the likes of Flo Rida and the legendary George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic.

Whether you’re like me and plan to stay at the Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino or you choose another one of the fabulous Vegas landmarks on the strip, get your league ready for the Las Vegas Fantasy Football Superdraft today.

It really seems like yesterday when we were watching the stock market and the business news reel while first quarter earnings for 2009 were coming in. After such a devastating economic crash, it seemed that every bit of news made investors do something with their money, but now after a month of loses in all the major indexes, investors once again eye the big companies as the earnings season hits full stride this week.

And while I do expect a good overall season, which I really think will be anchored by the financials; I don’t expect the movement in the markets we saw in April during the last round of reporting. Yes, good news will bring positive gains, but most investors already believe we are on our way out of the recession and thus the excited will be tempered to a degree. Yet with the recent moderate pullbacks, there’s still a lot of money to be made as stocks look to regain more of the footings that have been lost over the last fiscal year. Will you be on the winning end?