#hireme – Jeff's Game Box

Personal Share: The Great Juggling Act

I’m venting in rant mode. If anyone needs me, I’ll be wrestling monkeys in bubblegum while trying desperately to stay positive..

It almost never fails.

The Universe loves us enough to challenge us. It responds to our emotions and we attract what we feel. Feel the flow and high vibrations, watch more joy and love to you. Get stuck in a lower vibration, and things go a bit more sideways. Such is the Law of Vibration, and consequently the Law of Attraction.

The thing I’ve always had to ponder is why people get physically ill. I don’t think it’s entirely a low vibrational thing. Maybe the Universe does it to teach us something? Or to mind the physical as well as the mental and spiritual aspects of our lives?

People all over the world wonder why terrible things happen to good people. The truth is, we still don’t remember. IFF what we call “reality” is actually a simulation, then why simulate the bad stuff? I get video game reality, but we’re not out casting fireballs and fighting dragons with glowing magical swords. We create our reality, but shit happens in a way we didn’t intend. That part still confuses me. I think the messed up world of Covid proves it.

My oldest has Strep Throat and a nasty cold or something. Yesterday my wife spiked a 103.9 degree fever. She’s doing a little better today, but we’re not sure if it’s Strep, a cold, or that other thing. Our ten year old got one of his trademark migraines last night. I’m going bonkers trying to take care of everyone, including myself. Our internet connection is haywire, unemployment is a mess this week, and the rest of my kids are acting like little maniacs.

It’s not helping that ALL the kids are home from school today. I mean, yay Martin Luther King Jr Day. That’s great. But this garbage where the Des Moines Public School District has to have two more days after this for “Professional Development?” On top of Friday being a snow day? This is getting out of hand. Get these kids back in the classroom.

I would also like to touch on the fact that our Governor of Iowa, the illustrious Kim “Reaper” Reynolds decided to monkey around in the unemployment benefits this week, making it like pulling teeth just to get a claim filed. I’m guessing if she and her flunkies had to do it, unemployment would get a lot simpler. Obviously she’ll never have to worry about money but I seriously hope she loses her position as governor this next election. Between Gov Kimmie’s meddling with the schools (long saga) and this latest unemployment debacle, the woman just needs to get out of office so we can have some sanity back in Iowa. We won’t even get into the fact that she’s a Republican and has to continue toting the Trump line in front of the Biden administration.

Not the scale of consciousness this time. I’m unemployed and annoyed.

Oh, and why do I need unemployment benefits? Well, a certain employer decided to rid themselves of me back in July for unknown reasons. New employers aren’t exactly beating down my door trying to hire me because I went to college and have the loans to prove it. That degree is doing me so much good these days, let me tell ya. The State of Iowa and their rabid stupidity at IWD are trying desperately trying to fill jobs that require little to no training, pay like dirt, and have employers known for treating people like crap.

No, Covid didn’t help the employment situation here in Iowa. But employers aren’t helping, either. Look at the number of people quitting their jobs right now. Overworked and underpaid for some big, nameless, faceless, emotionless corporation is not the road to prosperity. Why get a college degree if all employers in Iowa want are kids fresh out of high school trained to do one job? But IWD will “help” me get trained to be a welder or a nurse if that’s what I wanted to do. Again, why did I go to college? Oh yeah, because for almost 50 years there was a massive push to “make something of yourself” by going to college and getting that “high paying” job. Which, in my life has turned out to be a big, smelly pile of bullshit.

So, in conclusion, I have other things to do and the Universe has taken a dump on me and my family today. We need to get everyone healthy and back on course. Yes, this particular post was kind of negative. I’m trying to keep my stuff together. Needless to say, times are challenging.

Between Biden’s dinking around with loan forgiveness and IWD’s unemployment nonsense, I’d about like to get the crayons out and explain some shit to these people. (At least that’s the nice way of saying it.) I don’t like to talk about politics, but things are just bonkers from the top on down to the bottom today. If anyone needs me, I’ll be wrestling monkeys in bubblegum while trying desperately to stay positive..

Mighty Powerful “Morphering” RPG

Personally, I have campaigns for a sentai built outside of the Zordon era and a couple of campaigns for Rangers that wouldn’t be part of the Morphing grid, but would easily be Power Rangers games.

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers RPG from Renegade Games has dropped.

I have to say, I’m excited someone finally dropped an official version of this game. Some of us have been playing various versions of the world’s most famous superhero sentai for a long time or at least have campaigns waiting in the wings. I know the overwhelming concern with many game designers was the fear of being sued by mega giants Hasbro and Saban Entertainment for making an unofficial, unlicensed version of the game.

I was hyped when Renegade announced Power Rangers, GI Joe and Transformers are coming as RPGs. They’re all a d20 based system, probably as to make it friendly to the D&D players. I kind of wonder why Hasbro didn’t simply enlist the folks at WotC to do these games, but maybe they wanted to separate the licensing out.

Personally, I have campaigns for a sentai built outside of the Zordon era and a couple of campaigns for Rangers that wouldn’t be part of the Morphing grid, but would easily be Power Rangers games. I will say FATE Mecha v Kaiju did an awesome job of setting up a similar campaign. I’ve also come up with my own FATE sentai series, played around with Henshin Sentai RPG and have a Cartoon Action Hour campaign that is a fusion of Power Rangers and another popular kid’s cartoon that has its own trademark police. Needless to say, I’ve loved the concept of Power Rangers for years now.

My kids convinced me to watch Mini Force, so I could create a campaign for that any time as well. It’s a cute show. Lil fuzzy Power Rangers from SAMG Entertainment. It might be kind of a short campaign, though. Heh heh.

I grew up watching GI Joe, Transformers and Power Rangers after school. I’ve thought for years that a fusion of all three would be amazing. Take the zords to an all new level and have them be akin to Autobots and combine into a Megazord. Watch out Devastator! Likewise, making the Rangers into a military organization and have them fight terrorists from space would be epic, but a little outside of the scope of a Rangers TV series.

As a side note, I hung onto a lot of my old GI Joe and Transformers figures from back in the day. Still waiting for the crossover movie. Might have to do it as an RPG some day.

Dear Renegade,

Please email me a pdf copy of this game for review jeffcraigmile@gmail.com or drop me a note and I’ll send you my home address for a physical copy. I promise I’ll say good things on every website I can reach. I’ll even put up a YouTube channel just to review your games. Yes, seriously. I’m good for reviews of GI Joe and Transformers RPGs, too.

I’m also available if you’re hiring, especially writers. Thank you!

Your pal,
Jeff

Okay, before I drop any more puns intentionally or otherwise, I’m out. Have a great day. Game on.

Breaking Into the Industry

I’ve been getting turned away by publishers since Gygax ran T$R and the RPGA was still around.

I saw an article today that really made me stop and think.

I guess it’s not your grandpa’s TTRPG industry any more, but still. This article from Flagons and Dragons really is cause to pause. Here’s the article: https://medium.com/@FlagonsNDragons/is-money-destroying-ttrpg-91627fd8981e

I have several points in the article that caused me to raise an eyebrow, but I’ll just touch on a couple of points from my old guy gamer point of view. Yeah, I’m “old” officially. I turn 49 in June. Sigh. My last trip to Gen Con was almost 20 years ago. Dude… But we’re not here to discuss that.

Yes, D&D in particular has become big business since 5th Edition happened.

With Critical Role and D&D 5th Ed causing quite a stir and pushing the game into the limelight, we’re no longer just nerds rolling dice. Obviously Hasbro has money to go around from years of action figures and board games. It’s truly sad that the lawsuit baggage follows D&D around like a hungry revenant or a pack of ghouls. This has not changed since, um…. ever? Those new to the game might not be aware the #TTRPG world is littered with bitter lawsuits from way back in the day.

I don’t think it’s fair to say “money ruined the game” so much as greedy people are ruining the game. That’s been the case for a long time, as the article mentions. D&D 2nd Ed was a result of Gygax’s divorce. You can’t even hint about a lawsuit in front of certain Palladium folk. Same thing with Paizo if I’m not mistaken. The current debacle over Dragonlance is probably going to kill whatever chance we had of the 5th Ed official setting. It’s sad.

What hope is there for the future?

There are a lot of fresh faces in the #TTRPG field. Again, it’s not just all of us old farts sitting around a table laughing and rolling dice. Yes, books have gotten pretty pricey. As the article mentions, you used to be able to outfit your entire gaming library for less that $50 USD. I think my 1st Ed PHB was $15? Maybe? Now you can’t even get a pdf sourcebook for much less.

And who thought it was a good plan to charge paper prices for PDFs? Seriously, if you want to talk about greed? There you go. Bless One Bookshelf for their creations, DriveThruRPG, DMSGuild, etc… They’re great sites and they help new designers get pdfs out for (usually) reasonable prices. Which is not to say I approve of certain industry giants who dominate the market and charge the same for pdfs as they do for print.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” –Snake Pliskin, Escape from L.A.

So, I tracked down one of these $35,000/year jobs the article mentioned. Then, I sighed the old familiar sigh when I read the requirements:

Not naming the company who posted this. My goal is not to shame, just to educate.

“Previous published game design experience.” Gosh, it’s like 1985 with T$R all over again. It’s like saying, “We won’t hire you until you’ve been in the industry for a while,” but then no one will hire you to give you the experience you need to get into the industry.

Solution: Self publish a pdf or know somebody with their own company. Only back in the day, there were no pdfs. It’s still the same old, tired, song and dance. Pretty sure the people you’re looking to hire already have jobs. Just sayin.

The rest isn’t all that surprising or hard to come by even for someone fresh out of high school or more likely college. Although I would be curious to hear what “Deep hobby or professional experience” looks like sometime.

And as another side note, the preferred qualifications made me sigh the same old sigh again. A year or more self-employed or freelance game design work and “Experience as a game designer and writer without formal guidance…” Seriously? No offense intended to whomever wrote this description, but I think you’re reaching considerably. Without formal guidance? So, no editor. I mean, I get it, but if I was doing all of this as a self published writer, why on Earth would I want to drop everything and work for any other company?

We’ve had other recent events in the RPG industry that really make me scratch my head. Paizo employees just formed a union because they wanted better pay, benefits and working conditions. Jolly good for them. Interestingly enough, Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite started at about the same time. There is no such thing as coincidence, folks.

What are the odds?

Do I personally think I have a snowball’s hope in Hell of getting hired? Not really, but what’s the best that could happen? I did apply for the one quoted above, btw. The problem is, and I suspect this for many of us, is that my actual resume and my gamer resume look nothing alike. Gaming has been my hobby for the most part and my side hack at best.

Is being a game designer/writer my dream job? Ya think?!? Of course it is! I ate, slept, ran and played RPGs for years before I “settled down.” My college degree is in Sociology/Journalism. Think about it. People + Writing/Editing = RPG Industry. There were no classes in 3D printing or Diceology back then. Heck, I’ve watched the publishing industry go from print and hand-drawn layout to completely online publications and I still have the border tape and Pica ruler to prove it.

I’ve been getting turned away by publishers since Gary Gygax ran T$R and the RPGA was still around. Gen Con was still in Lake Geneva for crying out loud. The first two RPGs I ever ran both came from T$R and came in a box with dice you had to ink yourself. I remember Star Wars RPG before it was a 30th Anniversary reprint. I used to play with one of the original play testers for that game.

Writing for RPGs has literally not changed in almost 40 years. You need a good imagination, a grasp of game mechanics, and a certain degree of map-making as well as writing skills. It hasn’t, sigh, changed on the publisher end, either. As I mentioned above, it’s pretty much easier to start your own company before you can get hired by the big guns. If you’re going to do all that, why not just stick with your own company?

I still drive by the abandoned building that used to be The Game Shop (Yes, that was literally the name.) where I bought my first books, minis, and dice. I still have the dice, too. The thing that amazed me the most about old-time game stores was the cottage industry that sprouted around the various game products. People sold minis they painted for resale. Writers sold copies of rulebooks they printed and stapled themselves. Art and jewelry used to be sold right alongside comics in many places.

Grouchy old men used to talk about 14mm scale Historical battles in front of the same counter where us nerdy kids went to buy the latest copies of Dragon and White Dwarf. Anyone could make a game with little cardboard chits and plain paper hex maps and get it published locally if they had a little startup cash.

The RPG industry has the greenest of grass roots. Only the labels and the technology have improved. There was literally a company here in Iowa that started in a little old abandoned schoolhouse. They published the most epic and phenomenal D&D 1st Ed adventure modules. Why did they break up? Beer in the vending machines. Even if that were legal, the fistfight that ensued because the employees were drunk wasn’t. Tis sad, but illustrates a point. Indie RPG publishers can turn a few dollars even off of licensed properties. Just maybe no beer in your office vending machine?

What’s the takeaway?

The original article is basically correct. The RPG industry is a cottage industry first and foremost. Big corporate mentality might work for games such as Magic: the Gathering and Warhammer 40,000, but the RPG industry has always been and industry by fans, for fans, and primarily made up of fans.

I hate to say it, but D&D may be the top dog forever, but the massive wave of popularity the game is riding currently will eventually die down. WotC is already gearing up for a new edition as early as 2024 in anticipation of this happening. If you look on Kickstarter today, the number of 5E products from indie publishers is phenomenal. (Hey, I’ve backed some. I get it.) Looking at DMSGuild.com, the number of published alternate rules, adventures, and supplements puts good ole 3rd Ed to shame. That’s quite a feat if you think about it. (Yes, I went there.)

I’m not even anticipating people getting burned out on the hobby. The fire has been lit. RPGs aren’t going to up and vanish overnight. The hobby will still be going years, if not decades from now. Board games have been around for, um… ever? RPGs can probably expect good longevity. I think the large corporate mega-giant RPG companies may never become a thing, however. The industry will probably keep going, just more spread out and diverse.

Also, if by some fluke a game company exec reads this:

Stay safe. Game on!

The Vicious Cycle

Some would say I’m looking for work in all the wrong places and I should just stick to what I know. Those people are called WRONG! I gotta be me.

This is an age old dilemma that I never imagined facing at 49.

When I was much younger, it went like this: You can’t get a job without experience, but no one will hire you to get experience. If you didn’t know someone/have family in a specific trade or company- sorry, not happening. Back then it was pretty much who you know or who you could, um… well ya know. If you didn’t have connections it was either fast food, groceries, cleaning toilets, or good old fashioned manual labor somewhere else. The old broken paradigm of you can’t get a job unless you have a job to get a job just needs to go away. I thought it was nonsense then, and I think it’s nonsense now.

I mean, for cryin out loud. I have a family to feed nowadays. I’m not getting any younger, my back is shot to pieces, and I’m in pain more days than not. Here’s the kicker- I still don’t know anyone (quite literally) and my job experiences over the last 30+ years still add up to diddly and squat in terms of the type of work I want to be doing. I’m too poor to take on an internship and too broken to work in any number of “industries” I used to work in. I’m not trying to complain, it’s just the honest truth.

So, what am I going to do?

Here’s my brilliant plan so far and we’ll see how it pans out: This week, I’m working on building a portfolio or at least creating some writing samples. For those who don’t know, it’s like a demo recording for writers. I have my blog here as well, but some of my better stuff had to be taken down for, um… uh… reasons and stuff. <cough> that I can’t go into here <cough> because my blog and my social media might be getting monitored by certain slimy characters.

The second step in my plan is to take a few online courses to brush up on a few things. I’m 20+ years out of college, and wouldn’t ya know? The internet has changed some. Go figure. I have free time and access to free classes. May as well, right?

The magical third step is to maybe do some free work as demo material to potential employers. I have a few friends I’m thinking about asking if I can go in and maybe do some work for them. I mean, what up-and-coming YouTuber, social media or maybe even game designer doesn’t want free publicity?

It used to be if you didn’t hand out ten business cards per day, you might as well hang it up. The world wide web kinda made business cards obsolete in some ways. I’m not sure what the modern equivalent is, but I’m working on figuring it out.

Writing is pretty much my dream job. It’s never too late to start anything. You’re never too old. I’m determined not to go back to the 9-5 grind. (If that’s your thing, cool. Just not mine.) Unless Dr Steven Greer, Añjali, or one of my friends in the paranormal field call me up and ask me to go help with a project somewhere, this is what I’m working with. (Btw, offer always stands…)

Coming up, more on UFOlogy, some spiritual lessons I learned recently, and a few personal things I maybe want to get off my chest. (Hey, it’s still my blog.) Til next time, stay safe and have a lovely week.

Publius. (Yeah, I know.) Nobody says that any more. BUT I DO! Bwahahaha ha!

No, really. That was all I had. Have a great week.

The Work Ethic

I’m starting to sound like the LoA and spiritual folk that I used to rail so hard against just a few short years ago. The ones who regularly encouraged people to quit their jobs? Ya know, those people? I used to go off on them. Now I just want to give everyone a hug and thank them for their patience.

Coming up on a month off work. It’s been interesting. I’m not panicked like I would be normally.

To be brutally honest, I’m not in a hurry to get back to the regular 9-5 grind. Yes, it goes against the stereotypical midwestern Iowa work ethic. No, I’m really not too worried about it.

For the first time ever, I’m going against the grain of the old tried-and-true paradigm of “You gotta work hard every day if you want to succeed in life.”

That tired and blue, worn out, broken old paradigm just needs to be put out to pasture somewhere because it’s bullshit. Pretty sure a bunch of my extended family are rolling over in the grave fast enough to warm the ground above them now. But it’s true. Yes, I know how it sounds.

But here’s why: We were put on this 3D Earth to experience life, not grind away on the same tired old redundant stuff one day after the next until we finally die. Oh, and make sure to get married and have a family as to best pass on the redundant boredom.

Someone is probably saying, “But that’s just lazy. Stop and smell the flowers for a minute and get back to work, deadbeat.”

Please do what you need to do to stay in abundance. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Umm… No. I’m going to avoid going back to a 9-5 day job for as long as I freakin can. (My wife will likely have a conniption of some sort if she reads this. Sorry, Hon.) I just can’t see forcing myself into that old work-a-day grind at this point.

I’m starting to sound like the LoA and spiritual folk that I used to rail so hard against just a few short years ago. The ones who regularly encouraged people to quit their jobs? Ya know, those people? I used to go off on them. Now I just want to give everyone a hug and thank them for their patience.

I always have to add the caveat that if you’re working 9-5 at a job you’re happy in, that’s great for you. Please continue doing so. Yes, make responsible life decisions. Please take care of your family and loved ones the best you can. That’s awesome. Definitely keep that up.

Sounds like I’m becoming a deadbeat communist hippie or something. I still have a family to support. I’m not giving up on business and commerce completely. I just don’t want to go about it in the traditional way. And no, I don’t 100% beyond a doubt have a plan laid out just yet. I just know that the old ways are not for me.

I think a lot of creative people hit the point I’ve reached recently.

I’ve read a lot of work from various entrepreneurs, creatives and self starters with a common theme. In fact, it’s the one I’ve already shared. They got tired of the old paradigm. They got tired of the old 9-5 trap and were not satisfied with it. They started to groove to their own jams. They checked out of the old system. That’s where I strongly feel I am right now. That pinnacle moment where the old has to go and the new needs to be ushered in.

It’s not even that I don’t want to “work hard.”

I will sorta go back on something I said earlier. I want to work hard.

BUT… not just to put more money in someone else’s pockets. Especially not the pockets of some big, slimy, greedy, money-grubbing corporate McShmucks. Never again. Ever. They don’t deserve the time of day. Sorry if I offend.

I mean, I’ll bend over backwards for myself, my family, my clients (if I’m ever so blessed,) even strangers if they need some help. But I’ll be damned if I’m ever going to grind away day after dragging day ever again. If I’m not enthusiastic about what I’m doing, if I have to put on my “game face” just to go to work in the morning- I’m not doing it.

Do I hate money and those who have it?

Hello. Have we met? If you’ve been reading my blog, you already know what I’m going to say about that. If this is your first time here, welcome. If you’re just scanning my posts looking for something to hold against me, this is a good time to question your ethical compass and why you’re really reading this.

I love money! I love the things it can do for me. I want to feed and educate my kids, keep the lights on, keep my laptop and phone somewhat up to date. I love clothes, books, polyhedral dice and trips. At the beginning I did say we’re here to experience life. Money helps with that. Yay!

And I never begrudge anyone for making money. If you’re the CEO of Giant McMegacorp, good for you. Glad you got where you are. Hope that’s working out well. If you’re a multi-millionaire investor in real estate or some other high finance operation, good for you!

Now, I will say, somewhat contradictorily, that I will take issue if you treat people like dirt. If you’re filthy stinking rich of the blood and tears of others and continue to act like a dictatorial turd, then I will call you out. If you regularly treat your employees like crap and blame them for your perceived failings, we have issues. If your workplace is giving the appearance of thriving on toxic positivity and other ultimately destructive practices, I will shame you to the Nth degree possible.

But even on my worst day since learning about prosperity and the Law of Attraction, have I ever said, “Grr, rich people are bad.”

I mean, for crying out loud. I want to be rich. I’m just going to be super fussy about how I go about it. Believe me, I have an ethical code. Actually, it’s fairly strict. If I can’t go about something the way I think it should be done, I just won’t go about it.

“You just don’t know how to handle money, so you could never be rich.“

Bet me. Give me a million or even two million dollars and I’ll put it to work for both of us. Just because I’m not a millionaire now, doesn’t mean I can’t think like one. I’ve done the mindset work. I get what needs to be done. I’ll be grateful and overjoyed for every cent I have every day in every way.

Younger me did not understand a lot of the things I understand today. That’s my answer to why I haven’t done it already. If I had known then what I know how, this would be a different conversation entirely. Hearing abundance LoA talk from a millionaire is a lot different from hearing it coming from me today.

My plan is to take care of basic needs, build, grow, and be as loving and charitable in between as humanly possible. I truly want to give to people, communities, and family as much as possible. My ego is out to prove it can be done with a vengeance. The rest of me just desires peace and prosperity above all else.

Until next time, keep looking up. Be good to one another. Take care.

Please Hire Me

I’m looking for work, like nothing I’ve ever done before. Please let me know if you need help. Looking to work from home, maybe do some writing.

This is the most honest and impassioned plea I can put forward.

What can I do for you?
– Web Design
– Copy writing
– Research
– Promote your business or services
– Write reviews of your book, product or service.
– Anything else online within reason and legality.
– Heck, if you live close enough, I’ll walk your dog.

If you have suggestions for other enterprises, I’m all ears, within reason. I’m pretty flexible as long as there’s some sort of legitimate, real pay attached to it. Extremely reasonable rates.

I’m ready for a change.

This wouldn’t be my blog if I wasn’t going somewhere with this.

Sure, I have a résumé. I’ll even send it to you if you’re a potential employer and you want to see it badly enough. BUT, it doesn’t say much about me in the context of what I’m moving into.

It won’t tell you that I have a highly creative mind. My résumé doesn’t speak to my passions or what I truly enjoy doing. Why not? Because I’ve almost never gotten to branch out that far in the past. All that document really shows is the human doing, not the human being. I’m more than just a sum of my pieces and parts.

That man on my résumé was pre-spirituality, pre-personal development, pre-light-code-activation, and not the guy I am today. Yay, I worked all these jobs that don’t represent who I am now- who I’ve become. I love that guy to pieces, but he’s evolving. I’m here and I’m ready for something more.

This poor ole blog gets used to vent a lot of stuff.

If you’re here from somewhere else in interweb land, I write about a lot of stuff. Sometimes I get a little heated, emotional, or even triggered. I maybe don’t always use all the proper punctuation, grammar, or spelling. I do use a lot of Bitmoji art, Pexels royalty-free images and pictures of my cats. I work with what I’ve got. My blog, like me, is evolving every day. I learn as I go and build on what came before.

What I need right now more than money:

A very close friend of mine once reminded me that money is not a value in life. (Thanks, Laura!!!) Yeah, it buys awesome stuff that makes me smile. It puts my kids through school and pays for vacations. I mean, yay money, but right now I need something more.

I’m looking for things that bring me joy. I want to do work that I’m passionate about. I want to do something that matters. Sure, I could flip burgers or sell magazines over the phone, but that’s not my thing. If it’s your thing, great. But I’m looking to make more of a difference.

I have a few of close friends and family along with about 500 bunnies I met on the Internet.

I’m not perfect. My biggest hurdle at the moment is that I don’t have any references. I am literally a WYSIWYG human right now. In other words, if you hire me, you’re hiring me on good faith that I will do the best I can for you. That’s tough, but I have to start somewhere.

I have met some wonderful friends on Instagram and even YouTube, but unfortunately, years of being nocturnal have taken their toll. The number of people I keep in touch with out in the “real” world are very few and far between. Certainly no one I’ve worked with even recently can vouch for me, nor would I ask. I’m not the same person I was twenty years ago, five years ago, even last year at this time. Please get to know me in the now, not the then.

Thank you if you made it this far. I appreciate your support wholeheartedly. I can’t do it without you. Take care. See you next time.

Jumping Through Hoops

Question everything!

It’s a well known fact that I do NOT jump through hoops well.

It’s just short of a miracle that I made it through college. I know how to do homework, sure. I know the how-to’s of test taking. I can write 20 page papers in two days on no sleep and three squares per day of granola bars and ramen noodles. But what drives a lot of people nuts- what’s the point.

Had I been born in the 1990’s or early 2000’s, I would have skipped every extra curricular activity in high school and ignored college entirely. Let’s face it, our education system is being replaced by online courses and specific skillset training that anyone with a smart phone or a computer can access, often for free or at a fraction of what a university charges.

I follow one basic rule especially dealing with education:- Question everything!

I changed majors in college several times over. I ended up with a double major. Problem was, I couldn’t land on anything I was satisfied with. Education is a tool. If you can’t tell me what the practical purpose behind studying any give topic is, we have a problem. Namely, I lose interest really fast.

Why is this hoop here? Why is it on fire? Do I have to jump through it? Can I just walk around? Is this really a smart idea? Wouldn’t it be more practical not to have a hoop? Yeah, it probably does cheese some people off.

The older I get, the more experience factors in.

And I know that’s not the answer some people necessarily want to hear, but it’s often what they need to hear. There is certainly a lot of room for new paradigms and moving forward. That’s cool, too. But there are also times when I think people should stop and listen to what some of us older folks are saying.

Another thing about that- you can teach an old dog new tricks, but he doesn’t forget the old ones. Likewise, you get to be an old dog by surviving the dumb stuff you did. There are times it’s okay to take a risk. And there are also times when playing it safe is perfectly okay. Sometimes the old wisdom isn’t so terrible, but sometimes, it’s just old.

Today I find myself at a crossroad in life.

I can play it safe, and find that crusty 9-5 job and trudge toward the grave for another 15-20 years, (like a damn jail sentence,) which is literally jumping though the hoop by my estimation. It’s what’s expected. It’s “normal.” It’s “responsible, reliable, dependable and predictable.” (Can you hear me getting ready to barf?) And believe me, if that’s what you’re doing and you’re satisfied, good for you.

OR I can figure out my own thing. I can come up with my own hustle. I can find some way to provide for my family, keep my dignity, fulfill my life’s purpose, maybe even help some folks along the way, and be my own boss. I think just typing this in charges me up more toward doing my own thing. So, I’m building my own hoop. I’m setting it on fire. And I know the motorcycle can make the jump.

Until next time, stay safe. All flaming hoops and sharks in this blog are fictitious. No Jeffs or animals were harmed in the making of this blog. More to come.

Available for work.

If you need/want help with your spiritual or UFO/UAP related business, I’m here for you.

PLEASE HIRE ME?!?

I’m looking for work now. If anyone knows of anything in the Spiritual, UFO or Law of Attraction communities, please let me know. I’ll work on the cheap, especially for a good cause. I’m fairly proficient in Social Media, web design, general office work, newspaper reporting. I haven’t offered myself up as any kind of life coach yet because I want to make sure I’m certified first.

Laughably, I say it a lot. Someone probably should hire me before I really get going on my own too much. That, and if I’m around the house too much, it will drive my wife and kids nutz. (Kidding!)

This is my chance at freedom. This is a good time to become my own boss. Most importantly, this is a time for me to really show the world what all I can do. But, I can’t do it all alone.

If you need/want help with your spiritual, Law of Attraction- related, or UFO/UAP related business, I’m here for you. I’m also around if you need a research assistant, ghost writer, poet, alt text, social media, or any casual freelance writing. I’m open to quite a bit, actually.

A Chance to Grow.

I haven’t stopped saying or feeling this!

I have always liked the phrase, “When one door closes, another opens.” If I’m a true believer in Law of Attraction, like I am, then things will come into my vortex. Source never puts more in front of us than we can handle. However, it usually does match us vibrationally to a challenge.

I have plenty of time for some of my many back burner projects. It’s time to get more serious about writing. It’s time to look toward my YouTube channel again. It’s time to really jump in and start working more with ET Contact experiencers and possibly some paranormal investigations. I’ve also got my side, side hack of tabletop roleplaying games I’m going to get back to soon.

I’m also going back into The Six Habits for a while for some additional guidance and structure in my life. Yes, I remember. I never truly stopped, just eased up considerably.

Some Gratitude.

I know I say it a lot. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here on the Earth Plane at this time. I’m grateful for my family and their continued good health. I am grateful for the wealth and prosperity that comes into our lives endlessly, effortlessly, and copiously every day. AND… If you’ve read this far into the article, I’m grateful for you and your support. THANK YOU!!!

For Now, Meditation and Reflection.

I’m going to take a few days and chill, not sulk. I’m going to meditate, reflect, and pray for my family’s well being. My wife and I have some plans in place. Just going to keep my spirits up for now and move on.

Duality and $eparation

If you own your own company, be kind and considerate to your people. Uplift and inspire.

2:22 — Look at both sides. Change. Change. Change.

I’ve actually put this particular column off for a while now. It’s really stuck in my proverbial craw for quite a while now. (Translation for the youngins: It’s been a triggering subject, kay?) All my life there have been struggles with money. Call it an old paradigm. Call it what you will. Some in the Law of Attraction community will probably lose their marbles regardless.

This whole odyssey of money talk when a certain LoA guru was being a straight-up d*ck to one of his people. I don’t give a flying f*ck how rich you are, you don’t treat people like that. Further more, if LoA works as awesome as he says it does, why are you telling people to “hustle harder, work more?” Where’s all the love and light, universal consciousness, third eye meditation talk? What happened to teaching and guiding as opposed to shitting all over one of your employees? Not kidding, the dude went from being a spiritual warrior and an authority figure on LoA to being the biggest jackass on YouTube, instantly.

And I would have said he was having a bad yogi day if it was an isolated incident. The guy continued to flog it over the course of three or for more videos. Sorry, I lost count because I stopped watching. I think all the fame, fortune, Lamborghini, and Netflix documentary went to someone’s head. Either that, or he sold out to the other side and became Illuminated, if you know what I mean.

But that brings us back to the question, which is it? Work hard and hustle, hustle, hustle so you can sit in the boss’ office someday? Or is it raise your vibration, focus on your vision and act when the time is right with the appropriate amount of effort. Is it chase til you drop or let go and trust the Universe has your back?

I wish a certain “Master” had remembered this quote instead of being a jerk.

My apologies, this is a long article. Let’s look at Duality for a moment. Light or dark? Up or down? Left or right? Male or female? In or out? Welcome to the 3D Earth plane where we are not all one.

Likewise let’s look at Separation for a moment. Because the Almighty decided to experience all forms of itself in order to experience itself, to paraphrase Eckhart Tolle, it separated into billions upon billions of forms. (Talk about perspective!) So, on top of Duality, we have the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots.” We have the stupidly rich 1% and the continuum of the other 99% of us. We have those who are sure they’re going to ascend and the rest of us who will get to the Fifth Dimension regardless of what they think, eventually. (Longer story there for another day.)

So, ‘Master Knucklehead with a Lamborghini’ as I now call him went from being a benevolent, philanthropic, caring, entrepreneurial millionaire to a really sleazy, slimy jackass of a boss who I wouldn’t want to work for, ever. And furthermore made me really wonder wtf if wrong with LoA if this is what people turn into when they hit the big time. Seriously, it’s like LoA became the biggest psy-op since UFO conspiracies.

If someone working for me came to me and asked, “How can I get promoted in your company?” My response is not going to be “Hustle harder. Work more hours. I should fire you because you’re not working hard enough. There’s nothing separating you from all the dime-a-dozen workers out there. I can replace you with anyone off the street today.” While this might not be a popularity contest, I think there are far, far better ways to answer that question. If my boss said that to me, I’m pretty sure I’d make him fill my position today because that’s bullshit. You don’t treat people like that.

I think a better, more benevolent response from a higher vibrational standpoint might have been something to the effect of, “Here’s what I’m looking for in a manager (or ‘X’ position.) Let’s see what we can do to get you there.” Your value to any company should not be determined by strictly how hard you hustle and how indispensable you make yourself. In the rather greasy corporate world especially, we’ve seen time and time again where all that hustle and grind still lands you in the same unemployment line as the person who did the minimum to get by. People get treated worse than cattle by the 1%. I love prosperity, but I don’t want to ever treat someone like they don’t matter.

That’s my next point. I’m about love and light. I’m about prosperity for all. If the universe wants us to experience and much beauty, love, fun, and joy all around as possible, let’s help one another get there. I cringe when I hear LoA gurus tell people they’re “not good enough.” Maybe pushing a lack mentality is not the best way to demonstrate the abundance mindset. Let’s elevate instead of telling people to stay stuck in that tired, destructive, competitive old hustle paradigm.

It’s not a competition. We’re forcing the idea of separation on ourselves every time we compete. If the person next to me gets the big promotion, great. I’m happy for them. Awesome. Am I going to ask what I need to do to get there next time it comes up? Definitely. Who wouldn’t?

If my employer can’t tell me how I need to improve, then obviously they don’t need me that badly because they’re not trying to build a business. I put forward to any business owner, that if you’re not working with your people to improve them, elevate them, educate them, inspire them, and build a strong team, then you’re not serious about your business. Sorry. (God, if only my bosses read my blog…)

Now, my friend Laura DiBenedetto made a very good point once when she said she didn’t just sit on her meditation pillow and poof, one day it all happened for her. She worked freakin hard to get where she is now. I love and respect that so much. Retired at 37? That is pretty impressive, but it didn’t come easy. I call her “Boss” and I don’t even work for her officially.

Laura DiBenedetto, Founder of Vision Advertising, Author of The Six Habits, TedX speaker, and someone I admire greatly.

Truthfully, Laura has made her share of mistakes. She’ll be the first one to tell you that. She is/was a fan of what I call the hustle-and-grind mentality. BUT, she will probably also be the first to remind us that there is more to life, more to abundance than your job, your paycheck or your position in some company somewhere. Truthfully, as LoA people go, (my words, not hers,) she’s about as practical and realistic as one can get. Actually, her outlook toward success and abundance leans mostly toward JOY, which is to say as high of a vibration as possible. That’s where the focus should really be, shouldn’t it? That’s really the end result we’re all striving for, isn’t it?

I don’t know how Laura is as a boss, truthfully. I can speculate all day, but I don’t work for her as an employee, although I do think it would be pretty cool. However, I can honestly say, she is a great motivator, someone who asks questions to make you think, be honest in her responses to your questions, and will inspire you get to where you want to be in life on your own power without running you down. (Much like any other time, she has no idea I’m doing this.) Yes. Go read The Six Habits. Please note, I’m not paid a dime for promoting it. This is strictly because it’s a good book and the author has been an inspiration to me.

I’ll probably revisit this subject at some point in the future. My struggles with Law of Attraction are uh, soon to be over. (Nervous giggle.) At least, that’s what I’m supposed to say. Because if I say, “far from over,” then that implies it’s a length of time out of this now moment as to make it nigh unreachable or that it hasn’t happened yet.

I want to make one point very clear. I love prosperity, whether that’s money, property, love or good health and good times. I do not begrudge others their prosperity. If you’re a millionaire, more power to you. If you’re a billionaire, more power to you. Do no harm. Good intention will always uplift.

I’m going to throw down my mission statement right now. I intend to work for myself and be as prosperous as the Universe will allow however it happens. I intend to be the best employer I could ever work for and be as considerate as I can dream. I will value Kindness, Presence, Gratitude, Intention, Acceptance and Goodness every day. I will strive to embrace love and joy as much as possible for the greatest and highest good of all.

If I ever do manage to employ other people, which might not happen, I promise to be the best freakin boss I can be. I promise to uplift and educate. I promise integrity and philanthropy will be a high priority. And lastly, I promise not to be a jerk to my employees, and if/when I do screw up, to accept criticism with kindness and grace as is due my station as a leader.

Much love and light. Stay safe. Be back soon.

It almost never fails.

The Personal Share Part.

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The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers RPG from Renegade Games has dropped.

Dear Renegade,

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