Explaining Nerdy Things

The hardest part about explaining anything to anyone is getting past their own preconceived notions on the topic.  Some people will always see the thing you are trying to explain as silly, and your attempts at explaining it only make it more silly.

You really get into a bind when something is preconceived as ‘nerdy.’  Once it has that connotation, you might as well just give up trying to explain anything.  LARPing is the best example I can come up with right now.

My Process of Writing

I’ve always been amazed at how much really needs to go into writing to make it good.  Long fiction especially.  The research alone can be a daunting task.  There are many methods, but only one has worked for me, and I’ve learned it through so much trial and error that I can sometimes get overwhelmed.

First and foremost is the idea.  What is the story going to be about?  And trust me, there are many many many ideas to chose from.  I’ve had two big writing failures in my life.  Most would try to tell me that they weren’t failures, one actually did pretty well.

(poem) - I Belong in Her Arms

Is a dream a dream
(A crazy little dream)
If its based in reality?

What about pain?
(Is it pain?)
If its based within the mind?

Its hard not to scream
(Scream so loud)
When a dream involves pain?

Why does it hurt
(Its hurts so very much)
To have your heart broken?

I once had an ideal
(Such a great ideal)
Of what the perfect woman should be.

But the woman that was perfect
(Perfection on another level)
Broke the mold of everything that was

She changed my life
(Which needed changing)
For the better in every single way

And became my wife
(The perfect wife)
Making me the happiest man alive.

But I still remember the past
(Oh so very long ago.)
When heart break felt like it would kill me.

I remember those times
(Times best forgotten)
Crying over some foolish idiot not giving their all

I always gave my all
(Pouring my very soul)
To make sure that my love found its home

But it never did
(It grew stronger, harder)
And somehow found its way into Lisa’s embrace

This embrace
(This beautiful embrace)
Is something amazing that words cannot describe

Poetry
(No matter how you write it)
Cannot match the beauty of my wife’s soul

She survived
(Things I cannot imagine)
To be with me here, laying her head against my chest

How did either of us make it here
(This wonderful place we’ve found)
After going through so damned much without each other?

The answer is so simple
(Yet so very silly)
We survived what we had to, to be together.

Because this is where we both belong
And belonging is pretty awesome
When you belong in someone’s arms.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Emerald Refection of the Future

There’s nothing quite like fumbling around with an online store front.  It can be a bit frustrating, but once you get the hang of it, it can just be a bit time consuming.  But in the end, its always worth it to have product out there for sale.

Ever since I got my very first camera, I’ve always wanted to use it for something.  For years I lived in one of the most beautiful places in the entire world, and I used the time there to learn to take some truly spectacular shots of nature.  Sunsets, flowers, and landscapes.  Every great now and then I’d get a girlfriend who’d stand in front of the camera, or a friend that would go hand out and bring along kids.

The Challenge of a Video Game

Is there anything more frustrating as trying to beat a simple game 100%?  Many of the least challenging video games I’ve played in my life have some specific ‘extra’ stuff you can do to get something ‘extra.’  And frankly I enjoy a challenge, but sometimes...wow those things are hard.

I know they had them way before this, but the Xbox started a Gamer Score way back when.  It was the first time we, as gamers, could point at something and say, “Yeah, I beat that.”  It turned those little challenges into something truly fun to try to accomplish.