Month: February 2018

14 Hemp Costume Ideas

February 19, 2018

Hemp fashion is all the rage when it comes to summer festivals or even 420 events. You can read all about the benefits of hemp in the book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" by Jack Herer or "Hemp Bound" by Doug Fine, but maybe you already own those books because you're a true hemp activist and only a hemp fanatic like yourself is going to find a way to make hemp part of any get-up for that costume party you're going to or even for Halloween, right? Some of these ideas are sure to be a conversation starter at any hemp harvest party you go to, so check them out below.

1. Hemp Model

If you want to look hot this Halloween then be a “Hemp Model.” Hemp is “in” and by no means should you shy away from flaunting these fashionable hemp items. If you don’t believe us just Google “hemp fashion shows” and see what comes up!

Hempys.com sells some nice clothes items like their hemp festival vest, hemp jeans and also they have a hemp chain wallet so you don’t lose it while you’re out partying.

At e4hats.com you can order their brimmed hemp hats and at headcovers.com you can get a fedora if you would like.

For women you must check out hempest.com and see their sexy, stylish dresses like their 37% hemp fabric mojito dress and hood dress to make you more witchy or fairy like, take your pick. Don’t forget to order hemp leggings from recreator.org or if you really need to go all the way look up “hemp underpants” at Etsy.com!

A company called Rawganique has all sorts of hemp clothing available for sale and even shoes.

Can you dig it?

2. Hemp Jesus

Nothing could be more righteous than being “Hemp Jesus” this Halloween. Maybe you could carry around a bottle of CBD oil to bless people with a dropper full, but remember, CBD is not a “cure all” no matter what people be saying about it on the Facebooks! But that thought shouldn’t stop you because it’s Halloween and being Hemp Jesus means you can make miracles happen.

You could sew your own costume for that authentic look by getting some hemp fabric at a textiles company like hemptraders.com or you can just order a hemp bathrobe at rawganique.co.

To be a hip and sexy Hemp Jesus check out The Hemp Cooperative’s bone colored, unisex, 100% hemp poncho to show off your fit torso.

For your feet go to Etsy.com and search “Pure Hemp Flip Flop.” Also try rainbowsandals.com to get an authentic hemp look for the footwear part of your costume.

3. Shower Curtain

You can be a hemp shower curtain for a costume party thanks to Rawganique, a "trusted name in hemp since 1997!" Don't fear. This shower curtain is PVC-free, sweatshop free, eco-friendly and it's organic hemp from Europe, not China. There's no chemicals or toxins in this bad boy so when you're done wearing it at the costume party go home and hang it to make your shower look very nice.

4. Sea Shepherd Conservationalist

Just go buy a Noordic Parka from us.hoodlamb.com and dress up like Paul Watson, marine wildlife and environmental activist and also the Captain on that show “Whale Wars.” He’s also founder of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society a non-profit, marine conservation organization from Washington State on San Juan Island.

The shell and the lining of the parka are partly made of hemp and if it’s cold this Halloween night then it will surely keep you warm. Plus it has secret pockets for your stash! You could also sport a men’s or women’s Sea Shepherd T-shirt, too.

Part of the sales of these items goes to support The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

5. Pajama Party Costume

This costume idea is cozy. Try on some hemp long johns over at hempest.com then buy yourself a hemp plush stuffed animal from Times Hemp Company as an accessory to your outfit.

If you add some fake blood and white make up you can be a Zombie in their PJs, which should creep out just about anyone and could possibly win you a costume contest prize!

6. Hemp Farmer

Doug Fine is an amazing author who's written extensively about agricultural and even hemp. He's written "Too High to Fail," "Hemp Bound," and "Farewell my Suburu" about how he got "off the grid." If being a hemp farmer or building tiny houses made of hemp is in your future then go buy some hemp clothes made just for that!

Patagonia has lots of hemp clothing to wear for your hemp farmer’s costume. Try their fishing and travel shirt, a button down that’s super light and breathable or try their multi-functional pair of shorts made of 55% hemp. To top it off check out their M's Iron Forge Hemp Canvas Ranch Jacket, M's Iron Forge Hemp Canvas Double Knee Pants and then add the Tin Shed Hat, all the color brown, to really get that Hemp Farmer authenticity.

7. Yoga Instructor

Check out these Women's Juniper pants by Prana. They are an "organic cotton hemp stretch jersey blend."

Then carry your yoga mat in this hemp carrying bag. Look cool with this thing no doubt!

8. Carry your treats in a hemp bag!

If you are a hemp freak you will want a hemp bag to carry your candy haul with. Hempy’s and Hempmania sell some nice bags for you to tote around on Halloween Night as you walk the streets of your neighborhood.

Or you can use the bag when you go to that nifty hemp convention you have marked on your calendar. You know you will need it to carry home all those CBD oil, lotion and chap stick samples you're going to get for free there! For real.

9. Hemp Baby

Dress your baby in hemp clothes and make them look more cute than creepy this year!

Check out the website earthcreations.net and buy a “snappie” made from 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton or go to Etsy and look up “Hemptots Natural Hemp Tee” to make your babe look adorable.

Look up “Mustard Hemp Coat” on Etsy to see a cute coat that makes your kid look like an Elf with its pointy hood and big wooden buttons.

10. Hemp Candles

You’re definitely going to decorate your house with jack-o-lanterns to scare the trick or treaters when they come knocking on your front porch door this year, so why not use hemp candles to creep everyone out?

At Hempy’s they hand pour and make them in San Diego, California. Their Rainwater candle contains Jasmine, Tuberose and Essential oils and then they also have available their Egyptian Amber and Sandalwood hemp candle. Fragrant and made with a hemp wick and hemp oil they burn 20-25 hours.

11. Samue Set

Look great in a traditional Japanese Kimono!

12. Martial Arts Gi

We imagine you could pass yourself off i as your favorite martial arts hero in this "Hypnotik ZenRoll" Hemp Jiu Jitsu Gi. Chuck Norris maybe?

13. Medieval Outfit

Last, but not least, if you're going to a Renaissance Fair, check out this hemp medieval shirt below.

14. Pets

Walk your pet around with a collar made of hemp.

Or maybe you just want some hemp pet toys for your favorite dog or cat? They deserve a treat like this, don't they?

Have Fun!

This is just a smattering of what you could do to make yourself more hempy this year. Now, go use your own imagination and creativity to brainstorm about how you could show your support for hemp culture this Hemp-o-ween.

13 Halloween Toys

February 19, 2018

When I was a kid I went to Niagara Falls a couple times with my family for vacations.

Once there we would go to seafood restaurants and play mini-golf after, but also, at some point, we'd visit the haunted house, the wax museum, the torture museum and even the "Ripley's Believe it or Not" museum.

If I remember correctly I think there was even a Houdini museum.

Yeah, we saw the falls, too, and went on that boat wearing hooded orange ponchos like everybody else, but all those weird, haunted, elaborate attractions definitely left an impression on me.

Nowadays, if I wanted to, I could take a page from Niagara Falls' book and make my own house into a haunted one and you can, too, because some of the same gimmicks I saw at the Falls as a child are now for sale on Amazon!

Here are 13 examples you can go check out for yourself to decorate your home this Hallow's Eve.

The Haunted Mirror

Check out this Motion Activated Haunted Mirror on Amazon.

1. Motion Activated Haunted Mirror with Creepy Sound/Luminous Portrait Halloween Prop Decoration

Nothing could freak you out more than staring into a haunted mirror waiting for an animated image to scare you pants off! Stuff like this frightened me as a kid and made me question what's real and what isn't!?

$18.99 on Amazon!

Bringer of Death

The Grim Reaper is the bringer of death.

2. Prextex 5 Ft. Animated Hanging Grim Reaper Skull with Shackles Chains Best Halloween Decoration Prop

The porch to your house will just be barren without a Grim Reaper there. It has a skull with blinking red eyes to freak out trick or treaters. It's 5 foot tall, makes, scary sounds and the hands shake.

$25.99 on Amazon!

Lights

You are going to need lots of lit up attractions in order to make your house look really cool.

3. 2017 Night Creatures Halloween Red Blinking Eyes Scary Decorations Outside Lights Props Animatronics

Buy these blinking eyes to light up your walls, the front porch or your garage. They look like a bunch of creepy creatures in the woods just waiting to pounce!

$24.99 on Amazon!

4. 7 Pack - 9ft Neon Glow Light El / Electroluminescent Wire Variety Color (Blue/Red/Green/White/Yellow/Orange/Purple) - 3 Mode Battery Controller - Party Decoration Wedding Halloween Music Festival

Everyone needs some glowing light strings. Click here to see examples of how people outline their Halloween masks with this stuff for a cool effect!

$28.99 on Amazon!

Projections

Digital effects and projections are all the rage and here are a few you should check out to scare or "annoy" your neighbors. Take your pick!

5. AtmosFearFx Witching Hour Halloween DVD Projector Kit with 1900 Lumen LED Video Projector, Reaper Brothers High Resolution Window Rear Projection Screen and AtmosFearFX Witching Hour DVD

If you don't own a projector or screen you can order this full package deal to really go over the top this Halloween!

$249.99 on Amazon!

6. AtmosFEARfx Phantasms Digital Decoration

You can play these scary DVDs on your flat screen TV continuously if you don't have a projector.

$39.99 on Amazon!

7. AtmosFEARfx Ghostly Apparitions Digital Decorations

You could have the projection screen hanging from two trees in your yard or just hang it right in front of a window, like in your attic, pointing out onto the street to make it look like it's haunted up there with a real live ghost!

$39.99 on Amazon!

3D, baby! Yeah!

Get creepy in 3D this year and really wow the kiddies who come to check out your haunted house for tricks or treats.

8. AtmosFX 3DFX Form

You aim the projector onto a "human-shaped inflatable vinyl form," standing over 5 ft tall, to make this attraction creepy as hell!

There's also sound so you can really present something unique that everyone in your neighborhood will be talking about for days.

$59.99 on Amazon!

A Window Wonderland for Hallow's Eve, Thanksgiving and X-mas!

If you want to be ready for Christmas after your Halloween fun is over, then check out these projection devices.

9. New 2017 Star Shower Window Wonderland by BulbHead Includes 12 Original Movies for Christmas (6) and Halloween (6) (1 Pack)

You just plaster the screen against the window of your choice, aim the projector at it and now you got movies for people to see from the street for both Halloween and Christmas!

$59.99 on Amazon!

10. New 2017 Slide Show by BulbHead - Includes 12 Full Color Slides for Christmas (6), Halloween (2), Other Holiday/Celebrations (4)

$39.99 on Amazon!

Props and Decorations

If you need something simple and not complicated try these wall, window and yard decorations.

11. Amscan Halloween Trick or Treat Asylum Party Scene Setters Mega Value Wall Decorating Kit (Pack of 32), Multicolor, 65" x 32 1/2"

People can see them from your windows or inside on your walls. They won't be like CGI. More like how they used to do it in the olden days for those 50 and 60s movies. Think a big painted backdrop for the background. You know what I mean, scary bean!

$9.45 on Amazon!

12. Smartcoco Broken Finger Hand Foot Scary Bloody Broken Body Parts Halloween Prank Props Decorations

Nothing is creepier than having body parts lying around your living room or "panic" room this season.

$3.49 on Amazon!

13. Prextex Pack of 4 Halloween Décor 22” RIP Graveyard Lightweight Foam Tombstone Halloween Decorations RIP

Rest in peace this year with your very own graveyard in your yard! It's a simple, cheap, yet effective way to decorate.

$24.99 on Amazon!

Celebrate Halloween in style!

Whatever you do this Halloween makes sure it freaks you out, but be safe. Halloween is fun for the whole family and with some of these gadgets and props your "homemade" haunted house will look amazing!

For Bands Only! 7 Tips.

February 19, 2018

9/21/2017

On a Thursday night in September, at Old Fire House Books in Fort Collins, Tim Wenger lectured about how to run a band successfully.

There the small audience in the bookstore received invaluable insight taken from Tim's own experiences touring with his own band. He also talked about all he learned from his experience as a music editor at a major publication and his job as venue manager working nightly at a club in Denver.

Read on to find out what Tim had to say about how to succeed as a band in today's musical landscape.

Press Releases

"Pitching media is a big part of being in an independent band and pitching them correctly is an important thing," said Tim. "Let them know that you're building a buzz around town and they will cover you. It's their job."

Tim explained that the media does not want to "miss out" on something hot or cool like your band playing on a Friday night. Tim also stressed the importance of acting professionally in your email.

"I've seen so many emails come into me written in all caps or completely lacking punctuation or using like hip-hop vernacular or any other form of complete un-professionalism."

Editors delete emails immediately if it's not done professionally Tim said, so be sure to include a press release, a high resolution photo, a link to your music, a link to your social media account and give the editor a good reason why they should cover your event like your latest record release or a new music video. Tim stressed you should "hype" it up.

"If you don't get a response in a few days there's absolutely no harm in sending a follow up email."

Visit Tim's website HelpMyBand.net. It provides a sample press release you can use as a reference.

Image is everything!

When it comes to social media bands should post regularly, use a pic and portray an image of them moving forward in the local scene.

Tim talked about how tempting it is to be negative on social media. For example, it would be easy to bash the club you played at last night because things didn't go so well, but don't do it!

According to Tim you need to stay away from negative social media all together.

"The entire foundation of a band is built on attracting people to your band and to do that you need to create an image of positive progression. You need to create an image of a community around your band... You want to be out there mingling, you want people to see you, you want people to see that you're part of the community and you're building a movement around your band."

Pre-sell tickets for shows.

"What I see a lot of bands around Denver that are very successful doing... actually driving them to people," said Tim. "Set up like one night a week leading up to the show where one or two of your guys are going to drive around town and deliver these tickets. Take them to people's work. Take them to people's houses. Do anything you can to get the tickets in people's hands."

The more tickets your band sells the better the times slots, dates and shows you will get down the line because promoters and managers at the venues will see you're results.

The night of the show.

"You want people to leave the club with the image of you as being a professional," explained Tim. "You always want to have merchandise. You always want to have T-shirts, music. Give them away something for free. Everybody should be leaving with something that has your name on it every single time. There's really no excuse for that not to be happening. Digital download cards are a great way for that to happen."

Tim's favorite website for musicians is BandCamp.com. For merchandise he likes BigCartel.com when it comes to selling your band's wares.

Touring Hacks

Befriending another band in another town is a "tried and true technique" according Wenger when it comes to finding a way to go on tour with your band.

"Contact a band in that town, in your genre, and just talk to them," said Tim. "Ask them if they'll host you, you know, do a show swap. They bring you to their town. You bring them to your town."

Tim emphasized the most valuable thing a traveling musician could have is other bands that are friends in other towns.

"It's basically worthless to play somewhere once and never go back again," Tim added.

He mentioned the term "routing," which is how you expand your fan base in other areas.

You should go back every six months to a year and the people who saw you last time will come back and bring their friends to your next show.

There is also another term Tim brought up called "circling," which is how bands expand their circle.

"Maybe it's Denver, Grand Junction, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and then the next time you go you add two more dots to that circle, you know, you add Pueblo or Santa Fe or whatever it might be and you slowly expand your circle... It works."

Road Etiquette

There's no sleep on the road and too much junk food is bad for you, so Tim suggests putting ice in a cooler and storing good food to eat while in the van.

Also "me time" doesn't happen so much on the road and before your live show that night you should take some time to go on a walk, go do your laundry or sit in a cafe to get away from your band mates and to recharge your batteries.

Can I make a living with my band?

In all of Tim's experiences in bands he never pocketed any money. All the money made went right back into expenses and merchandise.

"It's a very taboo subject and it's something that's really sensitive for a lot of people," Tim said. "It's the 'dream' and it drives a lot of bands apart and it's very stressful over time when you're not making any money and maybe you have a kid or a wife or whatever it is. You have obligations. You have rent. It's tough. That's why I emphasize so much the making it be a part of your life, but not the entire thing. I think that's the biggest thing that leads to burnout... There's a reason why I don't have a chapter in my book called How to Sell a Million Records because I haven't sold a million records."

So, I have a band!

Tim says the biggest problem with bands is breaking up and he wrote his book to help keep bands together instead of apart.

"The entire impetus for this book is to help bands manage themselves better, present themselves better, so they can last for more than six months, two years."

Get all the advice you need on running your band today by buying, "So, You Have a Band: The definitive guide to presenting your band as serious business" by Tim Wenger in Kindle e-book form or print on demand over at Amazon.
Buy paperback for $6.27 with Prime

Thank you, Gatsby!

February 19, 2018

By Evan Hundhausen

(This piece was first published at "Kissing Authors & Astronauts" a blog at AmyRivers.com. Amy is the author of Wallflower Blooming and Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters.)

Maybe you've had a similar experience as me. I went to grad school to get my MFA, wrote shorts stories, got critiqued, and then looked for journals I should send them to only to get rejected.

After grad school I landed smack dab in the real world. I worked at a grocery store where I would see my former MFA professors shopping for organic milk in the dairy section.

Basically, I stopped writing all the time and wrote only a "little" throughout the ensuing years like that was okay!

But it wasn't.

I was uninspired and it took me a long time to realize I needed to go find some more writing classes (say what?!) even though I had my MFA degree already.

It was one of best decisions I ever made and today I'm a proud member of two writers groups, which is where I get the inspiration I need for free!

I write blog posts, I self-publish my books on Amazon and I'm currently learning how to pitch screenplays to Hollywood.

I'm not spending thousands of dollars like I did during Grad School. I spend much less and I learn a lot more in writing classes I've discovered around town and in the community I live.

I'll mention that one of the most important things I ever learned on writing happened a long time ago at a reading in New York put on by one of my favorite authors.

Tangent starts now....

Now, you should know I'm not one of those bloggers who thinks it's okay to name drop without backing it up (It's not okay. You could get sued, so don't do it!), so I won't tell you who this author was.

I waited in a long line to get this author's autograph and when I finally had my chance to stand in front of him, all nervous like, I said, "Your writing has inspired me so much!"

He replied with a shrug, "Don't thank me. Thank The Great Gatsby!"

I walked away embarrassed. What a weird thing to say to an adoring fan? Only after lots of time had passed did I realize the bomb he dropped on me.

Often I will find myself in a used book shop and will buy an old, yellowing copy of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'll put it on my bookshelf or on my computer desk where I write, so I can be reminded how to write a great book.

It's reference. I'll thumb through it. Maybe read a paragraph or two to see what I'm up against when I finally go to work on my own fiction.

This author ultimately taught me you have to study the "classics" or risk looking like an amateur when it comes to your own writing.

It sounds harsh, I know, but stick with me on this idea for a minute, will ya?

Have you ever read "Moby Dick?" You probably don't remember this, but it was written in first person. It's like the narrator or main character Ishmael is talking just to you while you both sit at a bar together.

"Moby Dick" has been made into umpteen movie versions. A common formula you will find every time you visit a Barnes and Noble; best sellers are advertised there on a table and on each book cover you see, Now a Major Motion Picture.

If you read through one of these B&N books you'll most likely notice it's written in first person just like "The Great Gatsby" and "Moby Dick."

Is this a coincidence? No way, dude!

This is what people want to read today just like they wanted to read years and years ago, so technically nothing has changed when it comes to classic literature.

I don't really want to argue with you about it, so keep writing in whatever style you want to, but honestly I can't see how rereading a book like the "The Great Gatsby" could hurt.

We all took English classes in high school and college, so we already know what the classic titles are. Now, it's time for all us "aspiring writers" to go back and reread them.

Get them at the library. Read them for free online. Get them at the used bookstore for cheap.

The "classics" are the tools you want to put in your "tool belt" to make you look like a seasoned professional. For example, you wouldn't want a plumber without a tool belt on to fix your toilet would you? Not likely.

Reread and imitate classic books.

It's the best way to end up writing a good book yourself, but most importantly, in the end, thank "The Great Gatsby" and not me!

BIO: Evan Hundhausen received his MFA in Creative Writing at Naropa University. His self-published short story collection, "Accelerated LearningTechniques for a Budding Sociopath: A Bunch of Short Stories," can be found for sale on Amazon. Currently Evan spends his time writing for magazines, writing novels and even screenplays. See him DJ at djcola.net.

I Wear a Man Purse

February 19, 2018

I’ve tried to ignore it, but I can’t anymore . . . I’ve been wearing a man purse!

I own a bag with a bunch of smiley faces on it and on the front of the bag it says SmileTrain. Inside the SmileTrain bag is my tablet, a pair of headphones, and maybe some DVDs from the library I checked out, but not much else, really.

Then I started using the bag as a purse.

Everybody knows the joke from the movie The Hangover with Zach Galifianakis.

Oh, I’d say to myself. Did I just buy a chocolate bar I need to save for later?

And I would think how convenient it was to have my SmileTrain bag in that moment.

Then there was the time I spilled coffee on my T-shirt in public and went to the bathroom to take that shirt off and button up my button up . . . that was convenient too.

Tonight there’s snow outside and I sit in this coffeehouse listening to renditions of the most popular Lorde song sung by two young bearded guys with glasses and winter caps, a duo called Stone Heart, with a thumpy drum, an electric guitar, and a microphone and of course my feet are wet because I didn’t wear my galoshes and instead I’m in my Walmart brand sneakers so I take my socks off and it’s in this moment I realize when I place my folded up elastic socks inside my SmileTrain bag . . . I wear a man purse!

Should I get rid of it?

Why on earth would I do that? My positivity coach gave it to me! Do you understand? My positivity coach gave me a bag which says SmileTrain on it!

But what I really want to know is are teenagers going to make fun of me when they see me walking down the street?

These are the consequences I must face.

Have you ever asked a girl if she would carry something for you? Every male has done this to a woman because if it wasn’t your girlfriend it was with your mother, grandmother, sister or aunt.

By the way, in any zombie apocalypse the person who owns a purse carries the ammo and that’s a very important position.

A bag is very useful, you see.

But If anyone ever asks I’ll just say, It’s for my Tablet.

If you need a bag that fits your tablet check out my design.

Leave comments about your man or woman purse below!

George R.R. Martin before HBO’s Games of Thrones

February 19, 2018

Game of Thrones season finale, The Dragon and the Wolf, is on tonight!
George R.R. Martin is famous for writing the books that are HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and the season finale, The Dragon and the Wolf, is on tonight, but did you know that he also wrote for several TV shows way back in the 80s?

He did and I unknowingly grew up watching them with my family all during my childhood.

Beauty and the Beast

One series was called Beauty and the Beast with Linda Hamilton from The Terminator and Ron Perlman from Hellboy. Ron played “the beast” of course.

It went for three seasons and the setting took place in New York City. I know my family and I watched the first season faithfully from our apartment in Brooklyn when I was a kid. You just can’t beat a New York story!

The Twilight Zone, etc.

George also wrote five episodes of The Twilight Zone back in 1986. I imagine I saw them all growing up because I watched that show loyally along with Doctor Who.

Then his novellas and short stories were adapted into movies for the screen and TV. These were called Nightflyers (1987), Doorways (1993), and Deadly Nightmares (1984).

And one of his novellas, Sandkings, was turned into an Outer Limits episode. Who else can say they wrote for both The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits? It’d be interesting to find out.

Did you know Game of Thrones is also a video game?

I am going to have to get those in the future I think. I remember how much I enjoyed playing Lord of the Rings games on the PlayStation 2. George has tipped his hat before to John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, best known for the high-fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. I guess, when it comes to writing, that means you should imitate the best to be the best!

Long live King George!

Now you know more about the famous George R.R. Martin, who has put a spell on our imagination with his wonderful series on HBO.

Take the time to click the links in this blog post so you can discover more of his creative works on Amazon.

You could also order a TV Fire Stick from Amazon and then order HBO Now to watch every episode of Game of Thrones at your own leisure!

Ray Bradbury and Stephen King Goshdarnblog..com Evan Hundhausen

Are You A Writer? Kevin J. Anderson Says You’ll Need A Recording Device.

February 19, 2018

WRITING

Did you know you can now LISTEN to this blog post? Click here!

I once read a book called Million Dollar Productivity by Kevin J. Anderson.

He writes a lot of fiction, sci-fi and fantasy books every single year. He's even written for the Dune and Star Wars franchises.

One of the main reasons he is so productive and writes so many books is because of a simple recording device.

In the book Million Dollar Productivity Kevin writes about hiking in the woods daily with a recording device in hand and talking his fiction chapters into it.

Then after he sends it to his virtual assistant and they type the chapter up for him.

To me this is an interesting concept and it was really a foreign one to me until I actually tried it out for myself.

I had to get used to talking into the recorder, but now that I have, I can see just how valuable it is to have this device on me when ideas for my fiction are running through my head and I need to get them recorded immediately, before I forget them!

I've used a Sony recorder to interview people for articles I've written for magazines, but more importantly I like capturing my ideas for stories when I’m out and about and in the car.

Also, when you have the window down and the wind is blowing it doesn’t affect quality on this cool device and it captures your voice very clearly in stereo.

There is a USB drive on it as well, so you can stick the recorder easily into your laptop to transcribe, upload, or email the audio to somebody to type it up for you like Kevin does.

The stop/start/pause record button is easy to operate and you don’t have to do much other than just turn it on and go!

The device works in loud places, too, which I would say is the best thing because I’ve found myself in many different spaces that might not be conducive for interviews or talking and if I didn't have a device like the Sony ICD recorder in those sketchy spots I would've been screwed!

You might have to spend some time getting used to talking into it yourself, but once you do it works great for capturing new story ideas or even long pieces you speak into it.

It’s totally worth the investment and a great addition to your arsenal for creating new works of writing.

It uses AAA batteries, but has like 40+ hours of life, which is more than enough to record stuff.

On Amazon it’s around $67 bucks.

A really cool gadget, honestly, and a great addition to your arsenal of tools for enhancing your writing career!

I will probably buy a second one in the future just so I'll have a backup.

You can buy one at the affiliate link below.

You won’t regret it!

Visit Kevin J. Anderson's website https://wordfire.com.

Did you enjoy reading "Are You A Writer? Kevin J. Anderson Says You'll Need A Recording Device?"

Let us know if you use a recorder like this in the comments below.

Also, don't forget to subscribe!

And put $ in the Tip Jar!

Try These Gripad Workout Gloves

February 19, 2018

I tried these Gripad Workout Gloves in the gym.

They give you a good grip if you use heavy weights, do pull ups, etc.

When I do bench press it works pretty good, but if you are used to "throwing" weights around and loosening your grip when you are lifting weights, you can't because the grip is solid and nothing slips.

You have to completely let go of the weight to release your grip.

There is no support for the wrist, which you are probably used to with regular work out gloves, but these guys free up your hands to concentrate on lifting properly and heavy with their nice padding.

Buy a pair of Gripad Workout Gloves for yourself today to see what they are like.

Buy Gripad Workout Gloves are on Amazon

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Date Hotter Women, Now!

7 Ways to be Happy

February 19, 2018

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The first thing I do is make an appointment with my therapist, but there are other things I do, too.

Walking around the block or going on a walk until I stop thinking works since the act of “thinking” itself is the reason I’m unhappy in the first place.

Listening to Abraham-Hicks on YouTube or in the car on a CD is pretty cool.

Buying a cheeseburger to eat helps.

Reading a book is one of the best things to do for sure, but not always easy for me to do even though I own a Kindle Fire Tablet and have the OverDrive library app installed.

Ten jumping jacks works like gangbusters if I can just get up and do it.

I sometimes play video games, but not that often because those are addictive and it waste lots of time. Movies and TV shows are a great way to zone out, but again can waste lots of time.

What I’d really like to know is why I find it so difficult to stop and take a deep breath? Meditation is hard for me to practice.

I’ve found my favorite thing to do when I’m unhappy or thinking negatively is free write about whatever’s on my m

I see how some people online like to make jokes about writing “not” being a therapeutic activity, but these people really don’t know what they’re talking about and honestly I go out of my way to avoid reading blog posts slanted in this way.

I talk more about the subject of thinking too much in my YouTube Video, “Thinking too much is stupid — Duh!”

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Writers Are Smart Muthas

February 19, 2018

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It’s just my opinion.

I’m a writer and that’s what I’m into, so my opinion of other writers are high. Especially when I read their books.

For example, I like “The Great Gatsby,” “Moby Dick,” “Fight Club,” and almost anything by Dennis Lehane, right now.

All smart writers. No doubt.

Get smart

A friend of mine from grad school and I sit in a cafe early in the morning on our days off and work on our fiction with our laptops a blazin’.

I’ve never partnered up with someone like this to write, but it’s powerful.

I don’t think many people I know could ever understand the power of a “buddy” system or a “mastermind” group.

Master your mind

The definition of a mastermind group is just two people and God. I once talked to an Atheist who said a mastermind group was just two people and he didn’t make mention of the God part.

In my opinion, without including God, you’re just missing out on the best part; the mysterious process it takes to becoming a better and fuller you.

Forming a mastermind group with one other person will help you focus on the things you want to do and help you forget about all the crapola that distracts you from it.

The entrepreneurs I’ve known

In the past I’ve partnered up with other people and their zany business ideas.

Basically I subjected myself to the torture of being an entrepreneur with them.

It’s lonely and depressing when you realize you have no idea how to attract the money, the customers or whatever it is you need to make your business successful.

In fact you could read blog posts all day long and learn very little about business. I’ve done it and scoured the web for “secrets” only to burn out after hours of reading BS.

Plus, don’t forget how much money you can waste on signing up for those attractive webinars you see advertised all over the internets. Yippee!

1001 things to do

I’ve done things like sales, marketing, and even waiting tables.

I’ve done all sorts of things because I couldn’t possibly “make it” doing what I wanted to do, which was being a writer or this other word I like being… an “artist.”

How wrong was I not to pursue what I wanted to do for so long?

During those times of “helping” people with their business ideas I made great friends and learned stuff, which I would not trade for anything, but nowadays, anyone who doesn’t understand that I’m an “artist” first can basically take a muther flokkin’ leap off a cliff with a giant fire waiting for them at the bottom.

I’m kidding, but you get it.

Alien Nation

Not too long ago I had a ginormous realization I’m an alien from another planet.

It took me a long time to realize this, but I finally did.

Honestly, I really wanted to fit in here, really bad, on the planet earth, but alas, there’s just no way in heck that’s ever going to happen, now.

I find it helpful sometimes to think of myself as an alien.

I want to do something with my life and I know no one will really ever understand what is I want to do except me.

It’s all on me.

Are you writing?

Over fifteen years ago I graduated from grad school and got my MFA in Creative Writing at Naropa.

Since then I’ve done 1001 things not even closely related to my field.

And during that time only one friend ever asked me, over all those wasted years:

How come you’re not writing?

What now? Meet more writers of course!

Some writer types can be a little grumpy because they’re not used to being around people, but most of them I meet are way nice and more normal than I ever could’ve imagined.

I went to many, and I mean many, writers groups locally before I found one worthwhile and worth going to every week.

It seems like once you find people who you can hang and get into it with, when it comes to writing, you rarely look back.

The obstacles in the road to finding your own “peer group” are worth overcoming in the end.

The writers life for me!

There’s always a chance this planet could distract me with something not as important as writing, but I plan to be around other writers as much as possible now, so I don’t think this will happen (Fingers crossed!).

What do you think about the writers life?

What excuses do you need to let go of to get on with your own writing?

Write about it in the comments box below if you want.

Now that you’ve read my blog post would you like to buy my e-book for 99 cents? Click here to read my short story collection on Amazon!

Listen to DJ Mixes.

Buy a T-Shirt.