Fourteen Years of Blogging Pleasure

To be completely honest, I never thought I would take blogging this far...

After all, most of my time is spent writing for Chicago Now's One Cause At a Time (with recent posts on Opulent Credit Builders and the Paschen Scholars program receiving a lot of traffic - Google Analytics doesn't lie, you know), and between that and my writing (pulp stories and academic papers don't write themselves), my time writing for this blog has been...well, sporadic in nature.

Sure, I have some good reasons - choosing to live closer to Mom to take care of her while balancing freelancing and caregiving eats away at the schedule...but in recent months, I've realized that I miss blogging.

I have two posts due to I Hear of Sherlock (I was provided complimentary copies of work for review, so I feel somewhat obligated), and will be working on more personal projects (because I have a backlog of stories in the process of being published, and I want to ensure that I give myself plenty of time to create things out of pleasure, not obligation). But I have to admit that right now, with no pending deadlines and a work schedule that's starting to fill up...

I'm rediscovering my love of writing...so much so that I'm more than happy to try to post here on a regular (aiming for weekly) basis.

Sure, I may fail...but the main point is that I need to reconnect with others. Thankfully, I'm starting to regain some semblance of a social life, and I'm reducing my commitments to a coworking meetup and the Chicago Doctor Who Meetup. (Meaning that I'll have more time for myself, and to do cool things like run Doctor Who panels at C2E2). I'll have more time for friendships that don't involve tagging them on Facebook.

In short, I'm reclaiming my life...and that means, hopefully, making blogging a regular part of my life.

My Cyber Security Chicago Wrap-Up for Chicago Now

Last week, I was fortunate to acquire a complimentary pass to Cyber Security Chicago, a new tech show, and I covered it for Chicago Now's One Cause at A Time.

This past week, I spent four days writing up everything I learned (both in sessions and in private interviews), and in an effort to be complete (as well as bolster search), here are all four parts

• Part One - Kevin Mitnick of Mitnick Security on How Hackers Operate
• Part Two - Rotem Katsir of Votiro on Security Basics
• Part Three - Mark Lambiase of Fox Technologies on Cloud-Based Technology
• Part Four - Final Thoughts 

As much as I want to say that this reminds me of the "good old days" of blogging when I was blogging almost daily.... It doesn't.

God, I'm getting old.

If It's Sunday, It Must Be a Blogaround

Well, things are perking up this Fourth of July weekend - I'm gearing up for a one week work assignment while putting another freelance project on hold; working on finishing a comic script and will be starting a short story due in August for later publication....

....not complaining, mind you, but things are keeping me active.

However, I'm not so busy as to avoid my usual monthly summary of other Internet goings on, mostly in an effort to keep my search rankings clean and, more importantly, provide content for the blog.

As you all know, my most recent story for Pro Se Productions was published in their Pulpternative anthology. If you're considering purchasing the book, why not take the time and purchase one of my other writings via Amazon? Or even subscribe to my Facebook author's page?

(You can even read a sample of my story via Smashwords - formatting gets a little glitchy, but worth checking out)

Hey, look - one of my Flickr photos was cited in this recent article. I'm flattered!

Speaking of other writing, I've managed to highlight a great resource for nonprofits for Chicago Now's One Cause At A Time, and my CompleteSet piece made it to Den of Geek. Great to be mastering the art of online content!

Finally, in podcasting news, thanks to both Art Sippo and Matt Peters for featuring me on their podcasts. Listen to my talk with Art here, and my conversation with Matt here; finally, via YouTube, the latest episode of Zone 4: 

Twelve Years of Blogging

It all started twelve years ago...because I was bored at work.

My community organizing and mobilizing work had come to a pause (between tobacco retailer education and an upcoming youth conference), and I was bored. Working through my e-mail, I had just come across news about Blogger being open, and so I started an initial blog for about two weeks....

....and then changed the name. Because "gordond.blogspot.com" doesn't quite have the right ring to it.

Pulling from a past classmate's snarky remark, I created a new blog - this blog you're reading right now - and ended up deleting the other blog. Because if I'm going to blog, I'm gonna go all out.

And those early blog posts....well, they were typical newbie posts. Eventually, I alienated myself somewhat from that early crowd, but I found myself enjoying the process of writing on a regular basis. Even if I was clogging up the blogiverse with memes and half-hearted posts, I was expressing myself. Getting into the habit of hitting the keyboard on a semi-regular basis.

As I sit here now, I'm thinking about the irony - I'm writing more, but blogging less. My paid fiction writing is taking off (with more releases on the way - after all, they don't give Amazon author pages to anyone, you know), and I'm stretched out over a variety of outlets (including one that you'll be hearing about within the next few weeks, if all goes well).

So consider this my public re-dedication to blogging: I may not post here every day, but I will make an effort to be more consistent. This will still contain my usual rantings about comics/television/pop culture stuff, but I will work to make my posts matter in a way that they haven't before.

Because after blogging for twelve years, I'm nowhere near the desire to end this blog....and I'm not sure that I'm quite done with it yet. 

My Online Shenanigans While Not Busy Blogging.....

As I mentioned yesterday, although I haven't been blogging in the past few weeks, I have been busy with other online writing pursuits.

(As well as pursuing other opportunities, one of which will be coming shortly....)

For example, if you read Chicago Now's One Cause At a Time, you'll find some reflections on both Prince's passing and taking the professional road less traveled.

You also missed one of my first interviews as a professional writer....read now and help drive that online traffic!

I'm also making plans for the upcoming Celebration of Star Trek at DePaul as well.....

And also, I'm working on a four issue comic for Last Ember Press - I'll provide the details when it's closer to being released. But trust me, you'll dig it....

Now that I have some time on my hands, I'll get to catch up on reading, writing, and blogging. I'll be honest, even though my blogging has been minimal these past few months....it definitely beats the alternative

Back to Too Much Time On My Hands....

So you've probably noticed that I haven't been as active on this blog for the past month....I have a good excuse.

I've been working. Part-time, freelance, and it's been...a challenge.

Won't go into too many details - let's just say that when you're dealing with an organization in transition, personal and professional time need to be allocated in different ways.

My non-personal blogging writing has been pretty consistent....and you'll see the results in a day or so. I've also been working on some other projects, and...well, you know.

At this point, I'm not folding this blog at all, but will need to rethink how I approach it. Part of it may just be letting go of the whole must-blog-once-a-day mentality; part of it will include creating an editorial calendar (so that I have something else to ignore).

But for now, I'm taking some personal time - time to work on some other writing projects, time to relax, and time to rejuvenate.

After that, I've got a lot of catching up to do.....

Kicking Off 2016 With Online Shenanigans

Despite being busy the past few months (with both family illness and my aunt's sudden death), I have managed to maintain some creative momentum. Once again, in an effort to both maintain my blog and keep my efforts search optimized, here's the monthly summary of my various comings, goings, and writings online.

First, you've all been reading about various stories that have come out, including Airship 27's benefit anthology Legends of New Pulp Fiction . I'm happy to say that you can find a nice, complete summary of my writings via my Amazon Author's page, and you can keep up with my reading and writing efforts via my Goodreads page and my Facebook Author page.

Would you like to know how I felt about Sherlock: The Abominable Bride? Review's up on I Hear of Sherlock. Spoiler alert - it ain't pretty...

Over on the Chicago Now blog, I've summarized the past year (kind of like how I handled this blog), and I've put out a call for input to help drive the blog.

Also, a C2E2 update: a panel I submitted is on "standby"....and may be livestreamed rather than a real panel. But my participation is going to be relatively iffy.

Finally, if you want to hang out with me, here's where I'll be next Wednesday evening. 

Pausing for a Moment

Just a heads up - family health issues have been keeping me busy; hence the post NaBloPoMo drought.

Working on my Chicago Now post to (hopefully) go up tomorrow.

Sunday will bring the last of the Doctor Who reviews.

And besides Mondays with Columbo, have a great idea for a semi-regular post.

Until then, keep the faith.

A Marvel Movie Scene We'll Never See

Between writing, work, etc....yes, I know. I'm writing more, but not as much on this blog.

No, I won't be giving this up any time soon.

But in a moment of snarkiness, here's a scene we will never see in a mainstream Marvel Studios movie...

Post Memorial Day Blogaround

It's the day after Memorial Day...and yes, I've been busy writing and doing actual paid work. (Which has meant that there's been little attention paid to the blog, but has done wonders for launching my marketing consultancy). However, think of things as starting to crank up for me....with potential grist for the mill for this very blog.

It's official - with the impending release of Dreamer's Syndrome: New World Navigation (now availble for pre-order!), I now have my own Amazon Author page. Anything I've written (and which is available for purchase) will be posted on the site. Please feel free to check it out....

...and if you read my Chicago Now blog, I've announced that I will be participating in Chicago Care's June 27th Serve-A-Thon. Between this and preparations for Chicago TARDIS, I will have a slightly more active next few months (but one without the stress of "where's the next job gonna come from"....even though my current gig's temporary, I've been laying the groundwork for more work).

I'm also quite glad to get a mention to pal Roger, who celebrated his 10th blogiversary earlier this month. Although I admire a guy who can blog once a day - every day - I'm glad that I can take pride in my own writing efforts, which have expanded for the better.

So all in all, pretty good stuff. Now, I just have to remember to write here about it once in awhile....

Orson Welles: The 100th Birthday Blog Retrospective

To think that it all started in high school AP English class....

That's when I first saw Citizen Kane....but more importantly, was introduced to the talent of Orson Welles.

I remembered him (at that point) as more of the "Paul Masson wine" guy - you know, the fat man who would sell no wine before its time? But after that point, I was....well, much more open minded...

Then I saw The Third Man in college - as well as the later restoration rerelease....and was hooked. Heck, I even wrote a Welles-themed story for Airship 27 Productions. (And yes, Ron, this is a very blatant attempt to bully and blackmail you into publishing it).

But on this 100th anniversary of Orson Welles' birth, I am choosing to celebrate not with reminisces....but with some choice selections of Wellesian fare from this very blog.

• The Ballad of Harry Lime, which is all about The Third Man;
• The Many Lives of Harry Lime, its radio (or "audio drama") spinoff;
• The Stranger, one of his lesser known (but really good) films;
• A review of the recently released My Lunches With Orson; and
• Some various Welles-ian tidbits (including the infamous Pinky & the Brain sketch)

The  best tribute I can give to Welles is to point to his work. Enjoy!

This Week in Blogging Goodness

Don't worry - I haven't forgotten to blog; I'm playing catch-up with some freelance work. Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting my C2E2 review, a little bit about the latest Second City review, and some other information.

But first, Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy engages in some audience anarchy. Enjoy!

Away From The Keyboard: I'm An Election Judge

Today, I'll be serving as election judge in the Chicago Mayoral election, so I won't be posting anything today. (It's against the rules, you know).
But if you want insight into the experience, please feel free to check out both:

• My post for Chicago Now's One Cause At a Time on my initial experience as election judge; and
• My follow up post clearing up some misconceptions about serving as judge.

Most of today will be spent catching up on reading, and most of my work will occur once the polls close. So please feel free to hang out here, check out my personal and business sites (join the business page on Facebook!), and please - don't break the Internet while I'm gone....

Your Weekend Blogaround Moment of Zen

Right now, things have been busy - both in terms of seeking other freelance work and in terms of other writing. (Don't worry - I'm not neglecting the blog at all). So in an effort to play catchup, I'm engaging in my semi-regular posting of various other writings on the Interwebs, or whatever phrase those who are hip and cool are using at this present moment:

• One of my major projects this past week has been sharpening my professional profile, including my personal web page. I have tweaked some of the text, and added an online bookstore. Much like my Linked In profile and another initiative I'm hoping to launch, it's hopefully a stronger marketing strategy that will bring me more work. Enjoy!
• As you can see by the graphic, I wrote about Last Week Tonight's #jeffwecan segment for the Chicago Now blog. It might seem like I'm being flip, but trust me - that segment actually has me nostalgic for my past work in tobacco control
• For I Hear of Sherlock, I have a review of the Baker Street web series. Trust me, you really ought to give it a view.
• Although several other projects have fallen by the wayside (don't worry - they weren't announced), I am glad to say that the Chicago Geek Breakfast will hold its first event in March. Here's the Eventbrite link - if you're available for one of our upcoming events, please let us know. We'd love to have you!

Last Random Appearances of 2014

Yes, for one final time in 2014, it's the monthly blogaround - in which I post a variety of mentions, writings, and other random appearances. Think of it as one stop search optimization/reputation management, as well as a good way to kill time until New Year's Eve.
And so, with Jake the dog as your unofficial host, let's begin our exploration of the Internet....

• Let's begin with episode 300 of Zone 4 - it's a great, celebrity-filled reminiscence through 45 years of entertainment and laughter. Or, more accurately, it's a few hours of fun, laughter, and comic/pop culture mirth.
• Also on the Comic Related tip, there's my review of Doctor Who Series 8 on DVD. Special thanks to BBC Home Entertainment for the review copy - and yes, I'll be catching the DVD of Last Christmas in February, why do you ask?
• On the Chicago Now blog, I've put together some New Year's Resolutions for 2015...and I probably should follow them for this blog, shouldn't I?
• Finally, a guest appearance about Chicago TARDIS on another Doctor Who podcast. 

And so, another year is almost over....and here's looking forward to the next one!

Welcome to NaBloPoMo 2014!

Yes, it's that time once again - welcome to NaBloPoMo 2015!
In an effort to drive traffic and play major league catchup with the blog, I'm going to post once a day - every day - for the next 30 days! Think of this as my way of holding my own marathon of writing.

(Yes, I could do Nanowrimo, but with several fiction assignments pending....well, I'll be doing it anyway. But this is a way for me to stay current, keep myself blogging, and quite honestly, keep the creative juices flowing.
This year, the blog will be focusing on several key issues (and hopefully, I can make all 30 days). Coming soon:

• An essay about how "Causing McCausland" from Pro Se Production's anthology Tall Pulp came about;
• The Second Annual Cheapskate Film Festival
• Liveblogging the series finale of Doctor Who Series 8! and soon...
• The glory of Kill Shakespeare!

So hold onto your hats, people - it's going to be a very interesting ride!

Cleaning Out the Notebook

Nope, I haven't been sleeping or ignoring the blog - quite the contrary.

Seeing an uptick in work with a potential new client, which has meant that a variety of projects have been pushed to the forefront....and the blog has taken a back burner.

No problem, no big issue, but here's what you can expect from the blog in the next few weeks:

• A review of Doctor Who: Deep Breath in glorious full screen!
• The second annual Cheapskate Film Festival!
• Gratutious jokes and whining!
• More stuff!

And yes, I'll be pumping out content this week - have a bunch of deadlines which are coming up, and quite frankly....with one or two more freelance clients, that means I can get back to a regular posting schedule. 

Is Blogging About Blogging a Sin?

When you're working freelance, especially when it comes to writing (and like near-twin Roger, I consider myself a writer), things can often get you busy. Thankfully, this means not just further appearance of my name online, but better search optimization.

For example, you all know about the work I'm doing on Chicago Now around social good and tech, but I was fortunate enough to get a review posted on I Hear of Sherlock.

In a strange case of unintentional synergy, a recent episode of Zone 4 (focusing on Spider-Man) appeared soon before my review of The Amazing Spider-Man.

(Oh, and if you haven't already, please like us on Facebook. We'll shout you out, and I promise we'll only say nice things about you. Honest)

Finally, probably the coolest, most obscure shout-out I've ever received (please scroll down to December 2nd, 2013. You'll thank me later)

Support The Blog - Buy A Top Pick for 2013!

I've been working on my obligatory "Best of 2013" blog posts, and thought to Hey, with the Amazon store up and running....maybe I can help readers use all those neat-o Amazon gift cards they received!
myself,

So I'm posting a cool online widget with some of my personal favorites from 2013. (I also included a book I reviewed for I Hear of Sherlock as well, so don't worry if you can't find the post in this blog). Can't include all of them (due to tech/coding limits), but these are definitely a few of my must-reads....and I get a little bit of cash back, so if you can afford to purchase something, please do.

Nablopomo - It's Over!

By the time you read this, NaBloPoMo will be over....and you'll see whether I've been successful in my efforts to keep you entertained this month.

And much like Robert Culp in The Outer Limits (more specifically, the Harlan Ellison-written Demon With A Glass Hand), I'll probably be missing a couple of fingers....and feel a bit out of time.

But fret not - I'll be busy with the Chicago TARDIS charity auction, so don't be surprised if I take early December off.