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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.