Together • Progress Report • BOTs • Sharp Thinking
I.
The only way out is through. The only way through is together.
Robert Frost + John Green
The mash-up quotation comes from John Green’s recent book The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet. It’s a fine book; I give it four and a half stars (read the book and you’ll get the joke). I just finished “reading” the audiobook narrated by the author and it’s excellent – make that a full five stars. (But oh, how he overrated Indianapolis. I know better about that burg.)
But it’s the quotation I want to focus on.
Together. It matters. A lot.
I find it difficult to work on projects alone. I can only wish I was a professionally published author with an agent and editor and publisher people. I respond well to working to meet other people’s expectations; going it alone is a lot harder.
Of course, I haven’t been truly alone in any of my latest ventures. There have been beta readers (bless you) and ARC readers (bless you) and some professionals I’ve contracted with; friends and neighbors to share news and vent frustrations with. But sometimes, when I’m trying to be the CEO and strategic planner for Me, Inc., and my only employee finds himself doomscrolling on the Internet, I get very frustrated and want to fire the lazy %$@&#!!!
(The little string of punctuation marks above has a name—it’s a grawlix. What a great word!)
So, it seems like I am always struggling to figure out what’s next and what should be next and of course, to get the job done. It ain’t easy.
But, I will say this. You, dear reader, make it easier. A kind note; a thoughtful critique; or even a vociferous objection; provides energy. It keeps things moving for me.
And with that in mind, let me add—the more the better. Please talk back, comment, object and offer alternate perspectives whenever. It is so much appreciated.
I’m pretty sure John Green added the second line to the quote. That’s the money part.
The only way through is together.
Quadrants
When I was thinking about quadrants, I was working in two dimensions. The logo shows that. It’s logical. Quad. Four. Makes sense. And then I made a paper model. What do you see now? Are these quadrants? How can they be quadrants, there are eight major spaces? Which one, dear Trekker, is the Delta Quadrant?
The paper model has been sitting on my analog work desk since then. It’s a reminder. Of what, I’m not sure. For the moment, it just seems to be saying: “It’s complicated. “
II.
Going to Prison
A couple of weeks ago I visited the North Centra Correctional Institution in Gardner, MA. I’ve described my trip as a meeting with 15 of my most important book critics.
I was meeting the students in the first classes to use The Richest Man in New Babylon as a text for a class in personal financial planning—15 of my most important book critics. The book, the workbook, the leader’s guide—all being put to work. The results are not in yet, but the feedback I got from the men was encouraging. They were saying things like “I wish I’d had this ten years ago” and “I want to give this to my wife.” I ran into a CO (corrections officer) who had been reading the book and complained that his copy had gone missing. I told him that the headteacher had just gotten some more books, and a couple of hours later, I learned he had borrowed one.
I’ll be meeting with the men again when the class officially ends in mid-May, and share the results from the final reviews.
No B.S.* Rules
The B.S. stands for “Boring Stuff” – remember that.
This new book—The No B.S. Rules for Taking Care of Your Money—is the distilled essence of The Richest Man in New Babylon. Just The Rules. No Boring Stuff. It’s in final manuscript form and I’m sending it out to beta readers. It may be heading for publication in June. Based on previous experience, that probably means August. Anyway, it’s happening.
Anyone interested in being a beta reader, send me a message (ridgek@gmail) and I can share an electronic copy with you – MS Word or PDF. It’s your chance to get in on the ground floor of the publishing industry and probably earn a place on a page of acknowledgements. What a deal!
MuchAdo
While visiting with relatives in MA on my trip to Gardner, I was talking theatre with a young actor/director/playwright. And I started talking about my unproduced play. I said I’d share a copy. And when I got home, I pulled out a copy and said – it’s still a good idea. Bottom line: I can publish it on Stageplays.com and maybe Amazon, too. Get it out there.
MuchAdoAboutNothingDotCom – A Play with Rhymes for Modern Times, coming soon to an e-bookstore near you.
The BAGgregator
New Jersey is phasing out plastic shopping bags – like tomorrow. Just in time, The BAGgregator is here. It’s a bag for bags, containing not just shopping bags but produce bags and smaller bags, too.
Christine Marlowe, a teacher of handcrafts at the Fiber Craft Studio in Chestnut Ridge, NY, was kind enough to turn my (terrible) sketch into a working prototype. The idea is to share the BAGgragator idea with craftspeople and artists and encourage them to make, improve, refine and share and “SAVE THE WORLD FROM PLASTIC.”
A website is coming soon. Stay tuned.
Another Portmanteau
Another great word: portmanteau. It’s a word for a word made up of two words that combine meaning and sound in a meaningful way.
BAGgregator. Bag + aggregator. A device to aggregate (gather up) bags.
Here’s another that is living large in my thinking these days: Angertainment. Anger + Entertainment.
I made an outline yesterday—trying to put all the thinking I’ve thought about angertainment into a coherent shape. The words at the beginning of the outline say “Angertainment, Inc.: How a small portion of the entertainment industry took control of a political party and threatens democracy in the U.S. (It’s just notes, nothing serious.)
III.
Books & BOTs
I still say “books on tape” but tapes have been gone for decades. And CDS? You can’t buy a car with a CD player in it these days. So, if you are smartphone-enabled, see if your local public library offers Libby or Hoopla (or some other online audiobook service).
I need to start listing and mini-reviewing all the books I’m “reading” via Bluetooth headphones, mini speaker or (should I admit this?) directly to my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids.
If you want to isolate from the world for a while, enjoy a good read while you prep dinner or drive somewhere, or just sit and enjoy a good book with your eyes closed, bring on the BOTs.
As an aside, the founder of the Books on Tape company, Duvalle Hecht, died in March. A good story—another fine NYT obituary.
IV.
Playing
I know that playing an instrument (guitar, mandolin, uke) and singing a bit is one of the healthiest things I can do for myself. Yet I’m not doing it. I seem to be so purpose-focused – there’s something I’m prepping for. If I’m not, I’m not practicing. For example, here’s a link to something I did for the first virtual NEFF a couple of years ago. But not much since. Thoughts on getting past this and doing better will be appreciated. Please share.
Knife Sharpening
When was the last time you sharpened your kitchen knives? If you can’t remember or it was like—a year or so ago—you can make your cooking and kitchen prep much more fun. Just sharpen your knives. It’s such a pleasure to work with really well-sharpened knives – safer too as you don’t have to press so hard.
So, if it’s been a while or longer, consider checking out a local knife sharpening service. They charge by the inch around here. Take a few of your workaday knives in for sharpening and see what it feels like to use them when they are keen. If you enjoy the feeling, you can keep using the service or get a good home sharpener. I’ve tried the static ones – you put it on the counter and run the knife through it—I am not at all satisfied. They’re no better than a sharpening steel which does not sharpen—only straightens and/or removes burrs. If you want really good results, you need an electric sharpener.
The Chef’s Choice sharpeners are well regarded. That’s what I have. Wirecutter recommends the Chef’sChoice Trizor XV for serious cooks and the Work Sharp Culinary E2 for “occasional” cooks. Consumer Reports has the same Chef's Choice Model XV as its “Editor’s Choice.”
BONUS TIP: Do you want a great chef’s knife that you won’t worry about sharpening because it’s so expensive that you hate to grind away even a little bit of metal? Check out the Victorinox line of knives. The 8-Inch chef's knife with Fibrox handle should cost less than $40. The Fibrox handles are great, providing a good grip even when wet or slick with oil. Great knives. I have at least a dozen including a santoku, filet knives, a bread knife, and a bunch of paring knives.