Great wallpapers for any gothic, demonic, or supernatural mood. Provided by:

http://dark.pozadia.org/

I love this one. Mitosis gone horribly wrong.

This is wonderful. Reminds me of my father. He wandered the rocky coasts, finding any piece of driftwood that would act as a perfect canvas for his metal work. He always reached upwards, fighting for life to ascend from his inner demons.

Keys are one of the more powerful concepts of the universe. They protect, conceal, harm, or alter reality at any time throughout history, in some shape across the galaxy. In whatever life I migrated to after this, I will always hold keys in the highest respect.

The Pillow Maker

 Once upon a time there lived a pillow maker in a small village, overshadowed by an ancient castle. The King requested one hundred new pillows every morning for that following eve. His bulbous head would crush most of anything the pillow maker could create, and only one hundred pillows from the wool of two dozen sheep would support the king's heavy head.

“Pillow maker,” the king would shout, “My sleep is more important than everything the eye can see from my tallest tower. If I do not receive my pillows before dusk, then I will kill one of your sons,” he ordered, and sent the pillow maker on his way.

Days turned to weeks, and all of the sheep in the land ran naked through empty streets, providing no materials for the pillow maker to use. He improvised; turning his house-hold sheets, blankets, and bedding into stuffing for his nightly order. Just before the sun crept behind the castle’s peak, the pillow maker and his sons delivered one hundred pillows to the king, and left, praying he would not notice any difference.

That next morning, the King called upon the pillow maker and his sons in outrage.

“Pillow maker,” his fat, wart clustered face tremble with anger, “You have failed me, and for that, I will kill your youngest son,” he pointed, sending his guards upon his frightened boy.

“But, I will give you one pardon: If you can correct this injustice before I retire this eve, and deliver one hundred more pillows, I will spare his life,”

“Oh you are so gracious my lord, but there is no wool in the land. What am I to do?”

“That -- pillow maker -- is for you to find out. Now leave. Be back before dusk, or your son dies,”

The pillow maker and his two sons searched every nook and cranny of every field. They ventured far beyond the thresholds of the kingdom, probing behind shrubs, rocks, and trees in search of elusive sheep. A distant cry from over the hills gave them hope, as familiar, shadowy figures crested towards them.

"Look! Sheep, father -- sheep," hollered his middle son.

Together they ran upwards, madly racing for the growing mass. As they approached, the once shaded image of hope was quickly replaced with a grim reality: the sheep did bare wool, but not even enough for one-hundred pillows. The pillow maker walked alone, trailed by his sons as he rested his defeated body against a large boulder that sat atop of the hill.

“My sons… I fear that your brother is lost, and I have failed,” he wept, sitting on the ground.

Then suddenly, a dancing man appeared, singing aloud as he tumbled towards the three.

Satin, silk, cotton, wool, 

Nothing will ever cushion, 

Nothing will ever be full. 

I offer you a simple fashion, 

To supply his majesty’s request, 

And soften his nightly unrest.

“Pillow maker, I know your troubles well. I have in my possession one pillow that will save your son,”

Inside of his green robe he revealed an ebony, scarlet stitched pillow.

“All his highness’s head will require is to sleep one night with this, and he will never have need for another until the spell wares,” he hopped to the top of a nearby rock, standing on his hands, twirling the pillow with his feet.

“What would you request in return?” The pillow maker asked.

The little man flipped over, landing between his other sons on one foot while balancing the pillow like a small ball on his raised shoe.

“When the moon births again as the phoenix arises the next morn, I will require one soul – smothered from its mortal husk with the old pillow you will receive from the king,”

Hesitantly, he stood.

“Anything for my son, stranger,” he sighed in heavy defeat.

“Then it is done. Let it be known today: If you ever fail to deliver on your end of the bargain, then I will return for the lives of your sons three,” he ended, tossing the humble craftsman the magical pillow.

“In one month, you will find a new pillow at the foot of your bed. Bring to here the old pillow that following morning, and place it below this rock,” he now spun away, kicking a pebble to the base of the boulder

“Yes… I understand,”

The dancing man was off, as with the pillow maker to the castle afar. He arrived before the sun descended, presenting the king with the dark, mysterious pillow.

“But I requested two hundred pillows, and yet you only bring me one. What manner of trick is this?” the king demanded furiously.

“I assure you, my liege. All you will need is this one pillow, and if this will not suffice, you can have my life as well,”

The king stood from his seat, immediately taking for his bed chamber. Within moments, he returned with excitement.

“Pillow maker, I do not know where this came from, but the job is done. Guards, release the prisoner. When shall I call upon you again?”

“You will know, your highness,” the pillow maker bowed, leaving the throne room.

As gibbous wanes from an infant moon canvas the still twilight, the pillow maker travels, collecting a soul to save his kin from now until forever more.

Alcohol and Social Media: The Good, Bad, and Seriously Ugly.

                A quick note: In no way, shape, or form am I promoting or supporting alcohol, minor consumption of alcohol, or binge drinking. I am a recovering alcoholic who is forever sympathetic to the calamities of substance abuse, and to those who have fallen victim to it.

The addiction of the consumption of alcohol, or the mental illness resulting from alcohol dependency, alcoholism is a worldwide problem that is responsible for roughly 2.5 million deaths annually. At one point in my life, I was close to becoming part of this ghastly statistic. Luckily for me, the birth of my son saved my mortal vessel, and washed away seven years of horrible abuse. Social media has become one of my personal saviors in these early stages of my recovery – and ironically, I use to shy away from it. Why, you may ask? I was too busy working for my family, myself, and the drink. Of course, the ever changing force that is social media has its harsh realities for anyone at any stage of personal recovery, and also, many benefits that can aid in continued sobriety.

                

         The three biggest factors that I find to be a constant in my day to day usage of social media are marketing, relapse triggers, and trending. The simplest motions of looking at your buddy’s photo album to catching up on your favorite sports team can include all three concepts simultaneously. In 2012, it was estimated that 1.43 billion people use some form of social networking, with 54% of this being for Facebook, and only 8 % for twitter. Regardless, millions of alcoholics – either recovering or still battling in the trenches – use social media, and can find themselves facing liquor, wine, or beer in a negative, enticing setting at any given time.

               
                Marketing

             

                The Good

          

          Having the ability to customize your social media account to filter out anything that you do not personally want to see or be affiliated with is huge. For me, I tend to stay away from posts, images, or tweets that contain anything related to booze. Your entire experience with Twitter, Google+, or Facebook can be altered to achieve most levels of personalization, security, and comfort. But there is a chance for an anomaly to slip through, either in the form of good old fashioned advertisements, or a common picture of your best bud downing some brews.

               

               The Bad

            

             Advertisements can be seen by those who are not intended to as well. That is the name of the game, after all. Traditional means, such as television or print, are still visible to those either underage or in recovery, but social media is a service that is chiefly operated by minors. In 2011, 69% of children, or young adults, used social media, and are suspectible to targeted marketing of alcoholic products and trends. Anyone in recovery can be just as impressionable.

                

               The Ugly

                

            One argument of the direct influx of underage drinking in Thailand is the use of social media. Top companies find ways to target the youth with virtual games that require the player to design an avatar that waits in lines outside of parties, and once inside, they can dance, purchase drinks, and interact sociably with other players. Of course, this is a country with less restrictions, enforcements, and consequences for the minor consumption of alcohol. Americans are subsequent to this as well, but less due to the FTC.

               

              Triggers for Relapse

             

              The Good

           

           Social networking offers sanctuary from every day cravings. AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) praises anonymity as one of their highest tenants, and most options of social media offer just that. Not only AA, but thousands of support groups have a Facebook or Twitter account to spread their messages. I find that if images or wording of alcohol can’t be avoided, then the repetitive motions of tweeting, liking anything, or staying connected keeps the mind preoccupied to stifle any pyshcological cravings.

              

             The Bad

           

          Alcohol is everywhere on social media – be it intentional or by accident. The number one abused substance around the globe has exploded onto any and all platforms. Every nanosecond someone posts, uploads, or likes something on the internet, the chances are that it is likely related to alcohol (or some other mind/mood altering substance) are good. As much as I try to avoid my personal demons on the net, it is highly probably that I am going to see something first on my Twitter or Facebook account before anything else that could create some sort of obstacle for me to overcome: small or big, high risk, or no risk.

             

             The Ugly

             

             Relapse. Evidence suggests that 90% of recovering alcoholics suffer a relapse within the first 4 years of post-treatment. Treatment in this sense is to be referred to as my personal favorite: rehab. Most cases show that episodes of relapse are triggered by high-risk situations – anger, frustration, social pressure and interpersonal temptation are to name a few. Any of these emotional dynamite sticks can be sparked at any time during a single sitting of your favorite website; and for the problem drinkers, this can lead pack to the pits of destructive monotony.

                

              Trending

                

              The Good

                

             As with the prior two categories, being able to steer clear from trends that are influenced by alcohol is easy. In reality, this boils down with how bad one person is suffering from addiction. Real-world tie-ins, interactive games, or suggested drinking-times are three common trends found on social media that can influence others to possibly drink. Designing your own personal network to exclude any temptation or self-sabotage through alcohol acts as a solid foundation to protect your own emotional triggers from firing off.

                

               The Bad

                

               The odds will forever be against the recovering alcoholic, regardless of the road anyone can travel. One of the largest real-world tie-ins is NEP (Nightlife Exchange Party). NEP targets themed nightclub events around the globe on conventional and social media, and represents the largest marketing outlay that Diageo (Smirnoffs parent company) has ever launched in history. Now, this might not compare to advertisements and events that are promoted by Anheuser Busch (Budweiser) on a yearly basis, but these are obviously targeted to a group of impressionable, young adults, to where many stages of early alcoholism can be detected.

                 

                The Ugly

                

           Be it social or conventional, impressionable trends can be very harmful – both physically, and mentally. One article suggests (hands down the finest I have read thus far on the subject) that for PENN State students, the number of alcohol related incidents during their school orientation rose 76% from 2009 to 2010. Out of 314 college students who used Facebook, 32% reported having posted pictures of alcohol-related content. It is indicated that alcohol trends among sororities and fraternities are on the rise, and are heavily mimed by the younger students during the first semester of their first year.

                 

              One acronym I will hold above the rest from my short military career was Drill Sergeant Pearson’s Six P’s: Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I certainly feel that by spending a little time in the beginning, customizing all of your settings on whatever outlet you choose will hopefully minimize the risk of relapse, the trap of falling into harmful trends that will compromise sobriety, and filtering out tempting garbage from every day advertising and marketing for alcohol. The battle with addiction will always be eternal, but maybe with a little extra elbow grease and insight, we can make it through the war with fewer casualties.

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2167518/Worldwide-Social-Media-Usage-Trends-in-2012

http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/

https://www.tarzanatc.org/blogengine/post/Teen-Alcohol-and-Drug-Trends-on-Social-Media.aspx

http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/04/23/alcalc.ags043

http://www.academia.edu/1524008/Everyday_everywhere_alcohol_marketing_and_social_media_-_current_trends

http://www.thedp.com/article/2012/09/some-draw-connections-between-social-media-and-drinking-habits

Karma, That Offal Bitch.

                 I think I finally got what was coming to me. It is with all seriousness when I say I have been employed with more companies or people than my age. I have worked a broad spectrum – from restaurants, call centers, retail, cable technician, and fiber glass insulation. I wish my resume could be smaller, for less is more with my laboring portfolio. On the other side, the diverse set of skills I have acquired is marketable. The one key aspect however – the reference – is suffering, for I have incinerated every bridge that I crossed. Drinking and work will never mix, trust me. A majority of the positions that I once held were lost because of my stubbornness, arrogant approach to the mundane clock punching. I felt above it. Today, I wish I would’ve just shut-up, and dealt with the bullshit. Live and learn as they say.

                    
                    In this entry, I want to see how workers use alcohol on the job. I also want to read how alcohol and substance abuse in general has impacted the basic foundations for our American work force. I think I was (and maybe still am) a rare breed, something that is mystical, yet fool-hearty and stubborn, trotting through life with a knowing of nothing. I also want to see how the concept of Karma stands in the modern work-force.

                   
                    Oh, but here. Have some Offal information.

              
               Offal, or know in the great old U.S. of A as Variety Meats, are the discarded organs, bones, heads, or muscles from a butchered or skinned animal. What meats available depend on the region, where as in America we have Rocky Mountain Oysters and Chitterlings, in Scotland, Hagis, and in France, a delicate and savory staple of Pate. Regardless, offal is either taken with a taste of delight from local or refined pallets, or as waste from the masses.

                
                 In Europe and Asia, nothing is thrown out. If the protein can be safely prepared and consumed, then it will certainly be ready to serve. Now, Offal is pound for pound the most expensive form of meat on average throughout the world. America mostly uses Offal to feed pets and livestock. Offal is not only defined to strictly animal parts, but also, Offal is by-products of grains that are leftover, and can be used in production of certain animal foods.

                
                 I am in no need glorifying or bragging the fact that I have bounced from job to job. Trust me, if I can hit the rewind button, I would. The skills, knowledge, and hands on approach I have successfully gathered over the years are ultimately invaluable going into most fields of employment. And honestly, as a new dad, I have no choice in what I do now for income. I personally just need to keep my mouth shut, and fake the funk. That is my feeling on it. I think it is mature, but we will see. I am ever the slave to trial and error… for science!

               
                 Alcoholism, or any substance abuse in the workplace, is usually bad. I do not have any other way to describe it. I have worked the later years drinking on the job – in secret, or with co-workers or owners. I was not alone in this. This article answered my one true question in its first two paragraphs (second link from the top):

Q: What are the current statistics regarding workplace impairment?
 
A: The trends between alcohol and drug use in the workplace are interesting. According to a recent study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 15 percent of U.S. workers, or 19.2 million workers, are under the influence of alcohol at least occasionally while on the job. Managers are more likely impaired on the job than are their reports. Workplace alcohol use is more prevalent with men than women, younger workers than older ones, unmarried than married, and more use by employees working on the evening shift, night shift, and irregular shifts.

High rates of alcohol use and impairment have been found in many occupations, including sales, sports, entertainment, media, food preparation and serving, arts, and building and grounds maintenance. In contrast, according to The Drug Testing Index, workplace drug use hit a new low last year. There was a decline in positive drug test results for amphetamines among safety-sensitive workers, along with a decrease in positive marijuana drug test results among the general U.S. workforce.

               

                        This guy is apparently having a grand old time. I wonder who he is singing too?

                  The remainder of the article is questions about the various means for how a company tests others, policies regarding such, and new testing procedures versus old methods. This statistic, however, is accurate. I have seen this time and time again, not only in myself, but management figures. I worked in a particular sales position, and the general manager would have an open bottle of whiskey with a few glasses on his desk.

               
              One article suggests that more times than often, the alcohol dependant employee is not the problem. Workers who occasionally drink too much and come in with a severe hangover, or call out frequently at the beginning of their work week will cost an employer more in loss productivity, and higher risk of harm to themselves, or others. Also, those who live as a family member who suffers from another relative’s alcoholism are more apt to provide only a burden to the team. I have seen others who have failed day to day as a result.

               
            Liquor is very easy to find in any shape, size, or quantity. In the U.S. alone, there are nearly forty three thousand liquor stores, with spirits and hard drink being the number one seller above all others. I personally, would find a variety store that sold liquor, and purchase my fix in the form of miniature bottles – or nips. Four and a chaser would usually run me close to six dollars, and last me from beginning of my shift to lunch, or lunch to the ride home. Some folks will consume a pint throughout the week or day, depending on need.

               
              Karma is great. I am at the wrong end of it today, but this is a simple form of atonement to live by for wronging so many others with my destructive, selfish former self. Of course, Karma is chiefly a religious belief in India. You move up the Karmic ladder by being a moral, honest, and good person. Where you end up on the ladder decides your fate when you transmigrate – and ultimately, to the truly devote, you will find happiness with Brahma.

               
                  This has to be the best definition of Karma for not only in the workplace, but in life:

               
                “The law of Karma ensures accountability for  every  thought, action and word. Each has an effect on this; and future lives.”

                 
                In the workplace, what you accomplish for good or evil will turn on you in the end and reflect your choices as a person. We can look at Martha Stewart, for example. A public figure and ruler of day-time television with her modern and plush living, she was not only uneasy to work alongside, but for. However, Karma reaped, and in 2004, she was charged with obstruction of justice and lying to investigators during an inside trade investigation.

                 
              Ultimately, we all reap. Karma comes, sure as death, taxes and commercials, to take what is right – be it for glory, or greed.

               

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offal#Health_and_food_safety_issues

http://ohsonline.com/Articles/2007/08/Drugs-and-Alcohol-Workplace-Trends.aspx

http://www.ncadd.org/index.php/learn-about-alcohol/workplace/204-workplace

http://www.statisticbrain.com/liquor-store-statistics/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_%28disambiguation%29

http://www.startwithwhy.com/Learn/LearningLibrary.aspx?control=ViewGalleryPhotos&HideLink=1&GalleryID=10&photoID=&cat=10

Playing Sole-o at the Briny Deep

.

With many great ideas comes the inevitable train wreck of time management. I write, research, edit, and strive to keep afloat financially. I posted in a previous blog that I have a perspective job starting within the month, and that still remains – latter than sooner, to my luck. Revolving everything around my family is the trick – but flying this wreck by only me is the biggest challenge. In this edition, I open a chapter more personal than informative… but first! Our flat, deceptive fishy species: sole.

Sole falls into the Soleidae family, a generally flat fish that can be seen in all sizes and found in waters around the world. Halibut, being the most commonly caught type of sole, acts as a staple for fishermen of commercial, recreational, or sporting worlds. The title holder was reeled in by none other than Gunther Hansel (I shit you not, that is his real name), weighing in at close to 500 lbs. This fish yielded over 1,000 fillets.

 Sole is a decadent substitute for haddock or cod as the protein in fish n chips, however, it is common to see it baked, broiled, or pan fried. I cooked alongside a man who wrapped sole around a seafood breading, thus making stuff sole. It was rather tasty.

Lately, I have been keeping my business of Y Drive 2 Work on the down-low for good a reason: my writing is taking control of my time. I wasn’t the easiest teenager to deal with from the perspective of others, but once I straightened my course, I took to writing and reading as my one salvation. I attempted to keep my tools finely sharpened as I traveled through life, boozing from place to the next. The dividends of experience and three novels in progress is what I can truly claim as my spoils of war with the demons inside of me.

Some would ask, why continue to even bother with Y Drive 2 Work? Easy – it’s still a great idea, and with all ideas of this caliber, it needs to roll-on at some speed. I try to instill a part-time schedule with the efforts and pledge, accelerating my stories to prioritize not only my time, but ways to make more capital for my family.

What I am struggling with most is tackling this behemoth by myself. With what I want to be updated on, accomplishing, and publishing as fiction or non-fiction (data) is hard. My biggest wish is to establish a social forum (be it social media or blogging) that just works as the alpha theater: an elite setting so everyone can come, read stories, find research, hopefully make some money, and have a great time. What income I do have, is tied up. So hiring another set of fingers and brains is out of the question. Instead, I realized that my writing is the key. Horror stories at that… who would’ve thought.

I received an e-mail from a good friend the other day explaining to me KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). I have teased a small audience on reddit.com, this blog page, and social media, but I never thought of utilizing amazon.com as an avenue to promote my horror stories. The traditional means was all that I remember from when I was serious into writing (sad to say that was in high school). I am not going to delve into the obviousness of KDP. As I mention in early posts, I am catching-up because of my own choices. Regardless, KDP is fucking unbelievable.

My writing is for a specific audience – those who love to feel physically sick, elated, or unnerved by the written word. I tend to utilize vernaculars, macabre descriptions, and intensity to really keep the reader on the edge of sanity. To say that I dream of death, demons, and chaos on a nightly basis would be accurate. I fall asleep to violent movies or vulgar cartoons. I find comedy in the ironies of life’s ugly, imperfect design. Experiences – good or bad – are my foundations for the eerie, hellish world that are my stories.

Needless to say, that is a rather hard audience to find. In my experience, most horror fans that I have met are also fans of solid comedy. So when publishing Call Now to Receive Death as a Special Offer, I wanted to approach at an angle that would result in a chuckle before a cringe. Here, check it out:

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Despite the top notch cover artwork and brilliant title, you should consider reading this for the following reasons:

1.       We all hate 1-800 numbers, and this is a great way to see some brutal, ghastly justice of sleazy middle management.

2.       I have personally worked in six different call centers in various positions, so I can say that am rather knowledgeable in most practices, setups, equipment, policies, products, scripting, and layout.

3.       I live in Maine. I am a recovering alcoholic. I have cats, and will be writing a pretty solid short story about cats/cat people. And I write macabre, supernatural tales. Stephen King can say the same. Yes, I just did that.

4.       I know the President of Albania.

5.       I also hold claim to the Oxford County Pog Champion five years running. Now this is a rather impressive feat to accomplish. The International Pog Commission literally has to spend thousands of dollars to find these things, train someone to play the game, and fly them in for a full-days worth of grueling competition.

6.       This is actually a pretty awesome short story.

Come on, it’s only one dollar. I am really not going to argue it too much. It is quite good. And if that obviously fictional bit of Pog glory didn’t sell you, then try this one-hundred and sixty character tagline… sigh…

Matthew Cass, sales pro and loyal night manager, finds his final shift to truly be his last. Read as vengeful ghosts receive their refunds.

Now, once my twitter account is lifted for attempting the selling of rare animals for the Chinese Black Market, I will be able to spread that to my seventy-eight followers.

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I thought it was clever.

I originally started with a price of 1.99$. I dropped it to a buck! I just love saying that. “It’s only a buck!” So far, I have edited it twice: the tagline, and the price. So every time I edit, I lose a few hours. Technically, it hasn’t even been up for a day. So I have yet to generate any type of reviews from the paying masses. I figure, thirty-five percent royalties is pretty fair, considering if one-thousand people read it, this story will have reached an amazing goal for two reasons: one, this is my first publication, and two, this is my first paycheck from writing. I am ever the hopeful.

With honesty, I can say that hope and creativity are two of my greatest assets that have arisen from the ashes of my drunken self. All of my ideas are ever the foolish, yet I feel driven to give them everything that I have.

A friend asked me the other day “Why charge for your first publication?”

The world has waited long enough to read my stories, and I am not going to give seven years of unthinkable true accountings of my drunken, astonishing life for people to just read at no charge. When you’re good at something, never give it away for free. Especially when the devil pays you for your services.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halibut

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_%28fish%29

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/59777/name-of-fish-most-commonly-used-in-real-english-fish-chips

http://www.worldrecordacademy.com/hobbies/largest_halibut_world_record_set_by_Gunther_Hansel_101989.html