Tag: blog

life

I am probably going to make a vlog about this in the near future, but I have successfully stretched myself too thin creatively. I am writing a new book, I have one submitted to a new publisher who promises to reply by the end of the summer, and and I keep coming up with vlog ideas instead of blog ideas, if that makes sense.

No, I am not scrapping this site. To be as utilitarian as possible, I use it for advertising and notice of publication and tangents about literally nothing but what is going on in my mind.

Yes, this is a hint that updates will be slower than you may be expecting.

I ask for your ongoing patients and love for the next few months. I will be dipping in and out with nuggets of text and I will always link my latest videos here, as well as flooding my socials with them.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, I have a BuyMeACoffee account. Great way to financially support me and my stupid artistic endeavours. As I mentioned, new book news I hope available soon. New book being written, and NO YOU CANNOT READ IT.

If you haven’t yet, pick up a copy of You’re Not Dead. Or, at the very least, let someone know that it exists. It would be really cool if you gave it a rating, but even knowing that you have read it tickles me to my core.

Not Dead Day

Today marks nine years since my first public announcement of my surviving. I made that sound mildly hyperbolic, I assure you that I am downplaying for dramatic effect.

I will recap the day even though I think I did a decent job describing it in my book for those of you who have not read it yet.

Basically, as far as the world outside of my direct circles were concerned, I died on or around my 25th birthday. Imagine the confusion when I post on my FaceBook “Alive and kicking in Hamilton”.

What I don’t think I have discussed, that was a bit of black humour, on my part. I was already fit with a wheelchair. In fact, at that moment, I was still considered a quadriplegic. The simple message I sent to my friends and family took me almost an hour to construct. Yes, I had most of my arm functions back, but I was still sloppy and shaky as I acclimatized to the situation. There was still a fair amount of shell-shock, regardless of the fact that I had been conscious for the last four months.

After nine years, I have to thank my family and friends who have stuck by my side. I have to thank the few people who keep reading my updates. I have to thank the people who have bought my book and read it. I have to thank the people who haven’t given up on me.

I love you.

Inspiration

That was a kind of trick. I really do not have any answers on finding inspiration, or on how to cope with the reality that you have to continue to exist without any.

One trick that I have discovered is to just kind of write with nothing in mind and see what happens. Maybe mess with grammar and formats to see what kinds of actions jog the creative streak. Of course, I am talking about writing in this instance. I have no clue how to cancauct creative stive in other feilds.

Oh! Another path I tend to lead myself down is to flex vernacular waves and push myself to expand what I think that I comprehend. Yes, I did just write that sentence to flex. Fight me.

Something I have been struggling with, as of late, is having a lot of things going on all at once, but not having anything concrete for a single one of them. It is fun, but also very stressful.

Too life.

I am sorry I have not been doing proper updates. For transparency sake, I haven’t been writing my next book, either. A lot has gone on over the last month, and my mind has been everywhere but the keyboard. I think I’m back into the groove, now.

WAIT.

No, false alarm!

My next book, yes, I should probably talk about that at some time. It’s mostly done, and I only have a few points I need to either elaborate on, or completely re-write. A special thanks to “Some Guy Named Rob” for putting up with my bullshit over the last month or so. Have you check his YouTube profile? He’s doing some really cool stuff, and that is aside from his podcast about my book! The music he produces weekly is some of the best instrumental ambient/soundscape stuff you will find. I am not saying that from bias, it’s very much the truth. I will fall on that sword, if I have to. His podcast voiceover? Beautiful. Am I gushing again? I’m sorry.

SPEAKING OF PODCASTS

I have been spending a lot of time working out my next “script”, and I really hope you all enjoy and subscribe. I am sorry if you are sick of my shilling, but I will continue until I no longer feel the need for an external source of advertising.

Also, I’m thinking of dropping the numbers from the podcast. Verdict? Leave a comment below, or get hold of my privately. Whatever works for you, really.

it’s HERE!!!

I finally have my copies of the You’re Not Dead re-release! It’s beautiful! I am ecstatic!

…ahem…

I will be posting a more comprehensive list of places to buy it soon, but in the meantime: I will post a link to the Olympia store here. I know that it will be available on Amazon.co.uk, and I know of a couple others by name, but the Olympia store is the best and most immediate way*.

I hope to have more information by next week, but the announcement of this will hold you over, I hope.

SUCH A BETTER COVER!!!

*If I am wrong, in anyway, I am sorry.

Soon

In 10 days, my latest publication of You’re Not Dead gets released through Olympia publishers! I am beyond excited. I have paired it down so it’s just the tale of hospital life, I was given over 300 new edits that needed to be made, and I signed a contract that my next book has to be pitched with them!

Okay, the last point was more of a humble brag, but I am very excited!

The book has a new cover, as well! I will not spoil it until I get my copy, mostly because that does not seem fair to me, but I can assure you that it looks pretty! Probably because I didn’t make it this time in 20 min while I waited for water to boil for my fifth cup of coffee.

Anyway, as soon as I get more information, I will be sure to pass it along. Keep your eyes peeled to this site, as I will be posting the new cover once I get the final proofs and whatnot!

Just a reminder that I scrapped my Patreon, and am now using Buy Me a Coffee. It seems like exploitative to ask for donations when I actually produce something as opposed to demanding a kind of subscription. I am prone to go silent for weeks at a time; and, for that, I am incredibly sorry!

Canadian Civics

*long, exaggerated sigh*

I was going to make this a podcast, or whatever, but I am just so frustrated. I keep seeing people push blame onto our Prime Minister here in Canada for stuff that has little to nothing to do with the Federal branch of our government. It makes me wonder if people actually remember the half-course that we all had to take in highschool, or if they just wished we lived in a dictatorship so they could take the easy road of blaming one person.

Federal Government
– Maintains spending on a country level
– Deals with military actions
– Handles foreign relationships

Provincial Government
– Healthcare, schools, provincial roads
– Housing, taxes on fuel, licences
– Has the most impact on your daily life

Municipal Government
– Local Streets and Parks
– Overall look and feel of immediate area
– Garbage and recycling

There are some crossovers, but nowhere near as many as people seem to think there are. Yes, the Federal Government can suggest laws down the line, but really that is all they are going to do. Let’s take into consideration the lockdowns that have been happening. The Federal branch recommended to the Provincial what should or should not take place. Enforcements were to be taken primarily on a provincial scale, with smaller infractions to be handled by Municipal governments.

Yes, these are just broad-strokes. There are a million tiny things, points, and ideas that I have left out because I could be here writing this for hours. No, I am NOT a professional. I am not even involved in politics at this time, aside from what I read in passing. I did NOT want to have to write this, but everyone is getting on my nerves by accusing arms of government for not doing what they think they should, or giving a pass to arms of power that do not deserve them.

oh hai thurr

This is kind of a long overdue introduction to me, because I am an arrogant person who seems to write far too much about myself.

I was born in London, Ontario. Lived in Ingersoll for a number of years. Moved to Cambridge for 20 years starting about the age of 6. I went through elementary school and had little to speak of, as far as doing anything too noteworthy. High school is when things got kind of neat!

I started my own record label when I was 15. It was right after recording my first demo with my first band and I felt that it gave us some credibility. It did not, but I felt special anyway. That was All Cut Up. I was with that band from 2005 to 2009. Over that stretch, I helped in the writing and recording of 4 sessions, including 3 EPs and a full length album. We disbanded, and I joined The Twin (who kind of tricked me). I was supposed to just be doing studio sessions while they figured out the first album. They told me that they were looking for another member. About two months into playing with them, they informed me that I was always intended to be their full drummer.

Three EPs and a few hundred shows later, that chapter closed because I had started to join Chance Procedures. It was just me and two others doing instrumental tracks that carried the burden of keeping attention with nothing but fantastic hooks.

From 2007 onward, I was working at a used record shop. I loved my job, and it exposed me to literal months worth of music that I still love today. I was hired part-time, but slowly I moved my way to being the manager of the Cambridge location.

One night, my parents were concerned about the way I was acting and took me to a hospital. I died two times in the following two weeks. I was in a coma for just shy of a month, and I don’t actually have memories from the middle of Octobre 2013 to February 2014.

I was quadriplegic for the next six months. I moved from Toronto, to Cambridge, to Hamilton. All of those hospitals and no exact diagnosis. I regained movement of my arms shortly after I entered Hamilton, and I was finally able to announce my continued existence to the world.

Since I can no longer play the drums like I used to, I started writing to express myself in some way. I now have a book out (3rd edition not released at the time of writing) and another on the way. I know I glazed over several interesting steps, but I assure you, my book goes further into detail about what I went through.

Any additional questions? Leave a comment somewhere! I’ll do my best to answer!

Overwhelmed

Hi!

I’ve been horrible. I haven’t done an update worth anyone’s time on any public forum. Not that I haven’t tried, but simply because everything I have done, as of late, has turned out poorly.

This is the fourth or fifth time trying to write this blog, and I have written several about other topics that I have scrapped. I have recorded a new vlog/podcast a few times, and get so frustrated in the editing phase that I scrap them completely. Even Facebook and Twitter posts are deleted before they are posted, for no reason outside of vanity.

I think part of the issue, but not the whole issue, is that I am in flux again. I am sitting on my hands waiting for my novella to go to print. I have three books on the go, only one is at any point of finality, and it’s still not long or good enough.

I wonder if I am being too hard on myself, or if I just need a month where I actually get some time off. I can hear it now: YoU aRe UnEmPlOyEd!

To fight that point, I am working on three books, pencilling out a new vlog/podcast, and I am trying to keep coming up with new blog posts. So, yes, a month off of everything would be nice.

None of this includes the stress of the day-to-day, which is more annoying than anything. I have some reasons to think that I am only a month off of better and more stable things. I won’t get into all of that yet.

The end point is that I need some support. Emotionally would be great, but I would also like to hit 300 followers. Consider donating to my Patreon so I can keep progressing this site, and maybe look into something else cool. The next book I am for sure releasing is almost written: I am doing my reading of it to look for structure issues. If you would like to be included in the substance editing, let me know somehow.

I haven’t recorded it in a while, so I’ll say it here.

I love you.