The past few weeks have been busy: freelance work, finishing a short story (and launching into writing an honest-to-goodness graphic novel!), and other matters have kept the keyboard busy...if not necessarily for this blog.
But this is going to change all that - as I usually do, here's a collection of random sites geared towards highlighting my appearances elsewhere....and driving my search results.
Increasingly, my days are becoming busier; spent all of this week prepping for a job interview where, within 24 hours, I was politely informed that they were moving forward with other candidates.
But that doesn't mean that several other cool things didn't happen - in fact, it's nice that although I'm posting this on a Sunday, rather than a Friday (and no, it's not because I only made a token appearance on this week's Zone 4), but it has been...well, my online profile has definitely improved.
My monthly column for Comic Related focuses on one of my favorite shows, and this week, I'm hoping to write a special Doctor Who-themed post for later this month.
You've probably noticed that my blogging's gone a bit off lately....and it's not just recovering from National Blog Posting Month.
It's been a very busy time - so busy, in fact, that I've had to speed up my search for work. Without going into details, I'm desperately trying to play catch up.
In that spirit, I'm encouraging you (if you are so willing) to please be patient. And if you know someone who's hiring (and who is open to having someone work remotely), please feel free to forward my Linked In Profile (http://linkd.in/gordondym) where appropriate.
I'm not drowning, I'm waving....but things have been a bit overwhelming.
And yes, I'll still be blogging, but probably not as regularly as in the past.
As many of you know, I've been at various states of unemployment in the past few years. Mostly, I've been able to stay afloat via freelance work, and have also been applying to various positions and networking.
With Mom's recent move, I've been out of commission for the past few months, and now need to focus on finding freelance and/or full time work. Although I'll be doing the usual activities (networking, checking out job sites, etc), I thought I would take advantage of my social media presence and expand my networking efforts to say, "Hey, I'm looking - please help me get hired!"
(Others take the strategy of "please hire me", but I'm well aware through other blogging efforts that doing so is not always wise...but I am willing to "put myself out there").
So here are the fields/places where I'm interested in working:
Non-Profits - yes, I have an extensive background in working with non-profits as a program administrator/director. I'm always open to opportunities in that regard.
Social Media/Marketing - Ironically, my past efforts have helped me build skills in marketing, especially "guerrilla"-style tactics. I'm not limiting myself to just social media, but I think I have enough of a background where I could really be a good fit.
Comics/Pop Culture - Obviously, my writing for Comic Related and this blog give me a great background in being able to talk to these issues. If I were doing marketing and/or consulting for a particular publisher/company....well, I wouldn't complain.
So let me make this offer to you, dear reader - you can check out my Linked In Profile at http://linkd.in/gordondym (and you're more than welcome to tweet it as well). You'll see that I know my stuff - all I ask is that if you know someone, or have a lead - please feel free to let me know. I'm not asking to be hired, or even for freebies: my past work search efforts have resulted through networking, and this blog post is a way for me to cast a very wide net, and hopefully reach out to people who know me through this blog.
At the very least, it's a great way for me to demonstrate my writing skills.
Yes, after all this time, I can formally announce that the first page of Excelsior Comics' new Wonderman webcomic is up and running. It's a brilliant piece of comic writing and now nobody can push me around. I'm officially a "creator".
In addition, the new One Cause At A Time blog for Chicago Now is being launch. It's taking the place of my long, neglected Metroshrink blog, with a difference - slightly wider audience, as well as a greater incentive to post more frequently. I'll be gradually phasing out of Job Stalker in the next few weeks, and will post a very special "want ad" this coming Wednesday.
By the way, if you know someone who needs a great overview of social media, just found out that my Sherlock Holmes & the Social Media Mystery is scheduled for 9/10 via Dabble (For details, simply click the link and join us).
This is a huge week for me in terms of writing for Comic Related - not only did we have a historic Zone 4 podcast (which you all should listen to, right away), but I also have a guest review - and my "TV Party" column - up for your reading.
It is official - we're putting together the Bar Tab of Rassilon podcast. Maybe this way, I can politely chew out David Tennant fangirls. Because - let's face it - it's simply fun.
As many of you know, I have been guest posting for Chicago Now's Job Stalker for awhile now....but with main blogger Brendan extremely close to regular employment (and my own pressing freelance career/possible shift of non-profit blog), I thought it might be good to help a pal out and encourage anyone out there to consider taking over Job Stalker.
As with any other blogging position, there are prequisites and responsibilities. You would be responsible for posting three times a week (perhaps more frequently) about your experiences in the job search (with particular focus on the metropolitan Chicago area), as well as any resources/books focusing on the subject. (Brendan's done a great job in organizing the blog). You'll have two - count 'em, two writing/blogging eminents helping you transition, so it will be a breeze.
But what are the requirements, you may be asking? Well, let me simply list them in bullet point form:
Currently out of work and actively looking for work
Writing Ability (especially with blogging) and familiarity with WordPress
Lives in the metropolitan Chicago area
Wishes to gain visibility (this is purely an unpaid gig), but there are plenty of networking opportunities
Provide appropriate marketing via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus)
Simply, your "job" would be to write clever stuff....and get people to read it. It's a great way to expand your network (it's definitely helped me), and also would allow you to do me - and a pal - a great favor.
If you're interested, please shoot me an e-mail and I'll connect you with Brendan. As always, thanks for reading!
It's a little task that I always try to do right on the first of the year - take a look at the blog, randomly choose a quote from a post in each month, and make a list of the "best" posts of the year.
(I think I stole the idea from Mike Sterling, who is too busy, well, hanging out and writing "fake" Twitter posts. He's an online "big shot", so I don't think he'll mind if I steal one of his ideas).
So please, feel free to visit each post, and thanks to the Link Within Widget, you can explore all the great (and not so great) posts on this blog. Think of this as your "procrastination station"
As you can guess by my lack of blogging activity, things have kept me busy - Mom in hospital (although thankfully, not as long as this time last year); adjusting to freelance work (it's great, but I need to sharpen my time management skills); and basically just keeping myself busy and out of trouble.
(Aside to Roger - unfortunately, my efforts for Bogie/Serling Day are falling on deaf ears, which is a shame, because I honestly believe that atheists, agnostics, and not-at-all-religious people deserve their own non-sectarian holiday in December. However, Roger, you will be glad to hear that I started seeing someone....so far, we've drank coffee and seen The Muppets; although two dates is too early to tell, things are looking pretty cool, and aside from my Comic Related list, may be one of the better gifts I received this Christmas)
But one of the best highlights of recent years (as suggested by the screenshot) has been my "graphic" debut in the Zone 4 webcomic. Part of my free time is spent working on the Zone 4 podcast and the new "Transmissions from Zone 4" live on TMV Cafe, Tuesdays at 7 pm CST. (And by "live" I mean "we assemble various pieces and broadcast"). Whoverse is in the air indefinitely - mostly because our crack production staff is out of town, and Phil and I need to touch base after the first of the year (better known as "tomorrow") to see where we want to go with the show.
However, I've also been maintaining a regular presence on the Chicago NowJob Stalker blog - thankfully, my posts have had a slightly different slant on job seeking, but I have a need to start making some serious decisions - seek a full time job, or work freelance towards building my own business? Assemble notes and possibly take the leap into *gasp* writing full time? Maybe even write comics? For now, I'm making a small effort, and attempting to find out all sorts of various and sundry bits of information....but 2012 might prove to be a banner year.
In many ways, it's the first time I'm actually looking forward to the New Year. Heck, I'll be spending it at a comics shop, which seems all too apt.
Yes, this has been a thin week (and yes, I know I need to do my usual blog summary) - mostly, I've been busy with work (I'm going to be pretty much filling in all of next week with one assignment, and catching up on my other workload, meaning lots more blog posts in the immediate future.
However, there's been some other things on my mind - and my planning (including my New Year's Eve plans) - so you may see some posts in the next few days, but most importantly - this is my attempt to get all of you "in the mood" for the rest of the month. enjoy!
And of course, possibly the greatest holiday song ever:
If it's Friday, it means only one thing: another obligatory shout-out for this week's Zone 4 episode, where after two weeks of rest, relaxation, and peace, I return to wacky shenanigans with Brant and Ron. You also want to start checking out "Transmissions from Zone 4" Tuesday nights at 7 pm CST on TMVCafe.com.
(Whoverse is taking a little break. Will let you know when the next episode is happening).
In addition, there are not one, but two newJob Stalker posts (mostly because I'm unsure if I blogged this last week).
Freelancing's keeping me busy, Mom's doing OK, recovering from her pre-Thanksgiving fall. Planning trip to St. Louis in mid-February, with other plans (which are cool) to be followed up on.
Yes, there's more blogging goodness coming down the pike, but I thought I would take a little break and shill for some of my appearances with other people.
(Plus, I'm gearing up for Free Comic Book Day and a visit to Logan, my godson, this Sunday. So here's a way you can have the experience of being with me without coming to the blog).
You can check out my latest entry in Metroshrink, my non-profit social media blog. It's a little interesting, and hopefully, will crack the Internet in half. Or get bloggers in a tizzy. We really like tizzies, especially on bagels with jelly.
Be sure to download tomorrow's episode of Zone 4, the excellent Comic Related podcast. I made a guest appearance, and in this episode, we discuss Superman's citizenship, and I make numerous inappropriate comments. Plus, it's got Ron Fortier.
You can also read myvariousentries in that fine Sherlock Holmes blog, The Baker Street Blog. And a note - [STUD] is an abbreviation for this Conan Doyle Holmes tale, and not a description of my often blinding handsomeness.
And as always, if you keep reading, I'll keep writing. That's my personal guarantee.
(Seriously - it does for Holmes what Mike Sterling does for Swamp Thing)
But this item caught my attention because it discusses the comparison of Sherlock Holmes to Batman. Driven by a comic movie-based website poll comparing the two characters, the author was amazed that Holmes was...well, losing to Batman.
And I share that blogger's concern.
On the one hand, it would be tempting to counter that poll with snark - it's comparing the recent movie versions of both characters, and I've stated my dislike of the Robert Downey Jr. Holmes movie publicly. However, it does speak to something I had alluded to in talking about Holmes on my other blog - a tendency towards a lack of critical thinking, and that because someone doesn't like something, that it somehow makes it less valid.
Despite Downey's interpretation, the character of Holmes has greater staying power. Both Batman and Sherlock Holmes are about the ultimate "super power" of rationality and intelligence. Holmes has a greater edge in that...well, he came first. If it was not for him, Batman would just be an interestingly clad gentleman with a multitude of cool gadgets.
But even in a fannish discussion of prowess? I would have to say Holmes. Simply put, Holmes did not (seemingly) have the benefit of wealth, power, or a childhood trauma. For those who would argue in favor of the Downey version of Holmes, might I suggest first reading the original "canon", as it were - then, you might get a sense of how Downey could do better.
(And if you wanted to head to comicbookmovie.com's poll and flood it with Holmes answers, I won't stop you)
(Obligatory aside to pal Roger - happy 2011 back to you)
Like many of you, I've made some resolutions for 2011, and one of mine - for the blog - is a continuation/driving forward of things I had done in 2010.
Look in the upper left corner of your screen - that's right, they're ads. My resolution for this blog is to begin slowly, but surely, integrate more advertising and revenue generation. Not much - if I can meet a goal of about twenty dollars a month (mostly to cover domain and podcast hosting costs), I'll be grateful.
In June 2010, I achieved that goal - my next goal is to be consistent and earn twenty dollars over two months.
And so, I'm going to be more "PR friendly", but not to the point of becoming a shill - I already have an affiliate relationship with Amazon; I've just joined the WB Shop's program, mostly to focus on the WB Archive (which is DVD-on-demand with some lesser known, but equally interesting titles - see the ad for Legends of the Superheroes above).
However, this doesn't change one fundamental aspect of this blog - if you're a smaller, more independent publisher, and you want coverage, just contact me. Here is my review policy - I will follow FTC Guidelines, and although I can't promise immediate results (I still have a request from September in my e-mail), I will promise that you will get a response.
I'm a firm believer in grassroots, "word-of-mouth" marketing, and I would like to help in any way I can. If it fits, I'll blog about it.
So if you want to support the blog...I won't put up a PayPal link tip jar - to me, part of the fun of blogs is the sharing. But if you're tempted to impulse buy, and there's a link on the site....go ahead. I promise, it will only be used to support the blog, and not to buy baked goods at a fundraiser for Sarah Palin.
On that note, to thank you for reading, here's a YouTube video I had posted about a year ago, but still think it's awesome enough to repost:
First, a little bit of news - within the next few weeks, I'll (more than likely) change the layout of the blog. Found this really nice template that, if I can modify it appropriately, will make it look like I actually know what I'm doing with the blog.
But anyway, I would also like to take this time to publicly acknowledge - and add - two blogs to my blogroll. (Thankfully, Blogger allows for sharing of Google Reader feeds as a blogroll, meaning that I'll be reading these on a daily basis.) For those of you who scoff because you use Wordpress, let me just take a moment to encourage you to say hello to the Second Lifers at the couch at the other end of the room.
But enough snark - first, a hearty shout-out to Musings of a Sci Fi Fanatic. This blogger was nice enough to leave comments on my review of Doctor Who: The End of Time, and his recent Space: 1999 has me intrigued....but he won me with his review of the new DeForrest Kelley biography. Seems like a great blog, and definitely worth checking out.
And secondly is Forces of Geek, which is edited by Stefan Blitz, whose name seems really familiar, but I can't place it right now. (Maybe I dated his sister in high school....actually, I lie. I never dated in high school. Low self-esteem and too many Twinkies). Anyway, it's like an online ezine, and has some pretty cool stuff. (Including posting the 1996 Late Show tv movie via YouTube).
And now, returning you to your regularly scheduled blog post.
Yes, I knew eventually that this whole blogging/NaBloPoMo deal would pay off in time - and in celebration, here is your Red Dwarf/Rifftrax moment of zen:
You know, there's a very common sport in Chicago - at least, with my family and friends - that is well regarded.
And that, of course, is Indiana bashing.
Why, I have no idea - first, they're next to Ohio, which really doesn't do much for their reputation. Plus, any state that gives us Kurt Vonnegut and Avery Brooks gets bonus points in my view.
(Plus, my godson lives there with my cousin, so I can't really point the finger - recent photos included in the slideshow below)
But today, for no reason other than I can....I'm going to highlight some Indiana bloggers.
(And post pictures of my godson. Did I mention that?)
First, there's Mark Gibson, who writes a pretty cool blog of pop culture-type stuff. You might want to check it out, especially the fact that he seems to be pulling out of a tough period. (Plus, his writing is simply a hoot)
Then, there's mutual friend Tony Collett, whose blog has some nice, pithy little comments. (Just a heads-up; he uses one of those pay-per-post services, so you might have to wade through some "commercial" messages)
Then, one of my newest favorites is a young lady who blogs under the name, "Sea of Green". She writes about comics and other pop-culture type stuff, and although we disagree about "Justice League: Cry for Justice", she's still cool.
And no, I won't mention former co-worker/antagonist Andy, because he lives in Chicago now. Plus, he has my cell phone number, and will probably call me about personal hygiene, or something.
But enough of my rambling - pictures of Logan - for you!
