Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Morals, Ethics, Honesty

As a writer I am aware of all of the different methods of criticism. Most lay readers aren’t reading for criticism –they are reading for interest. However, I read and write with an eye to the critic. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I write better or more efficiently; it means that I write more defensively. With this in mind I address the issues of the day.

What, exactly, are the issues of the day? In my opinion, the issues are honesty, ethics and morality. Are the leaders of this nation being honest, ethical and moral? Are the leaders of your community being honest, ethical and moral? I think the resounding answer is no.

So, what do you, as an honest, ethical and moral voter and member of the community do about your elected leaders not being honest, ethical and moral? One thing you can do is justify and rationalize their behavior. “Well, they all do it and they are just trying to bring economic development to our neighborhood.” It sounds good when your Congressman tacks on pork for that park when Congress is passing a bill to supply training to Iraqi Police.

However, that Pork takes money out of every taxpayer in America’s pocket. It is stealing. We didn’t vote for the swing set in your park. We voted for Democracy in Iraq. And if it is your Congressman or Senator that attached that pork to the bill, let them know you are unhappy about their actions.

How do you live your life in an honest, ethical and moral fashion? Well, for one thing, you can reduce your carbon footprint. Carpool, walk, ride a bike, buy local and support your community by spending your money there. There are probably five farms within 100 miles of where you live. Buy from them. Carpool to work, ride your bike, do whatever you can to avoid using fossil fuels – turn your heat down, change your filters.

I am tired of paying good money for gas and oil. I don’t think this administration is going to fix it. Speak. Do it by cutting your consumption. If every American saved two gallons of gas, we would cut our dependence on oil by 600 million gallons, or 1.8 billion dollars. It’s a simple equation. Make the math work, please!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Democracy?

Just wondering where we are going as a country when the SEC regulators are cashing in at $225K per year to watch porn while Goldman Sachs perpetrates arguably one of the largest frauds on investors. Is it just me or is our country suffering from a serious lack of morals and ethics? We are rapidly becoming third world – teach your kids to speak Mandarin because it is the new Spanish. When America is funded and backed by China, or any other country, well, “Houston, we have a problem.”

We have always benefited from fiscal relationships with other countries. We need to be diplomatic players in the world, more importantly than being the world cop. However, when we lack the moral spine to perform as a democracy, then we forfeit the right to advocate democracy. What is, and has been, happening in Washington is a travesty. And lest ye dems rise up in arms, I extend my reprobation to the administrations of both W and H, and by association of era, Bill. We forfeit our right to advocate democracy when we no longer participate in one.

Arguably, financial interests run this country. This means big business and big labor. We are corrupt, from the Mayor, or county Supervisor, all the way up to the White House. We fail to provide the minimum necessities to our constituents and hide behind the easy red herring of immigration or filibuster. The fabulously wealthy continue to enrich themselves while the middle continue to bleed sweat, tears and money into the economy. The only outlet for the middle is to climb to the top, at the expense of others. This leads to a lack of morals and ethics. Witness the many Ponzi schemes and frauds that litter the media lately. Trust me, for every one you read about, there are ten that never surface.

So, I guess the lesson is, nice guys finish last. Is this the message we want to export as democracy. Is this what we want to teach Iraq and other emerging “democracies?” No. We are morally bankrupt.

How do we fix this? Get involved, get active. Run for office, run for your school board, and then stay true to your morals. Have a compass to guide you and live a square life.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Manglement

Issue Du Jour:

We all want to get up, but how we get up seems to be an issue. Is it worth climbing over somebody to get to the top? What if that somebody is your dude, your bro, your homey? Is it still worth it?

NO! No, and no.

It is okay to rise through hard work and performance. But, it is not okay to throw someone under the bus, especially a colleague, even if that colleague is not good. It’s better to let your work speak for itself and to deflect credit when credit is due.

“Billy, you did a great job on that project.”

“Well Tony, I got a lot of help on that project from Allan. He’s a superior employee and I am glad to have him on my team.”

Who’s the hero in this situation?

“Billy, you did a great job on that project.”

“Thanks Tony, but I had to do a lot to carry Anne’s load, she was really worthless.”

Do you see how much better Billy looks in the first situation? Of course you do. Why? Because you are smart. Not like your bosses, who are stupid. Work hard, give credit and you will rise. Just ask my friend Nick.

“Nick, tell us about your boss.”
“Well, my new boss is mean. He always threatens to fire us, no matter how hard we work. We grind and grind putting in new turf, but he is never satisfied.”

“What about your old boss?”
“My old boss, Jim, used to praise us, tell us what a great job we were doing. We worked a lot harder for him because we liked him and wanted to work for him. We got a lot done with him.”

There you have it. Praise, criticize and praise. Simple management advice that even a tire store owner can follow.

Duh!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Pantoums

As a writer I am prejudiced - I hate poetry. However, understanding structure and form helps me to construct narratives. I have been exposed to different forms or patterns in prose narratives often - the buddy story, the coming of age story, the monomyth - all archetypes that I respect. Poetry is a different story.

I find that I am forced to grow as a writer by trying to conform to a structure. I like structure. It helps me write. So, Pantoums. It's not much, but it's mine.

Grass reeked today of
promise and growth and birth.
Ice cream trucks traversed the town
with promises of fun and mirth.

Promise and growth and birth
rose today on this patch of brown
with promises of fun and mirth
that made me look up, not down.

Rose today on this patch of brown
ideas of spring and summer
that made me look up, not down.
Winter wakes from its slumber.

Ideas of spring and summer
evoke memories of beaches and redwood.
Winter awakes from its slumber
prodding all of the deadwood.

I hope it tickles you.

Spike

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Pundit Profundity

I get a kick out of the pundits and sometimes, I would like to return the favor literally, not figuratively. I hate to admit it but my viewing habits lean heavily towards Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. My dirty little secrets are the Rehab series, Tool Academy, and yes, I did watch Jersey Shore. However, I am an adult, fully formed and able to make a decision about consuming things that might be bad for me, whether it’s gustatory or visual. Unfortunately, most of America is not capable of making this decision. Which brings me to Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the predatory pugilists of prodigious profundity; why do these idiots have a voice?

Of course these mental midgets are heard because they prey on the most base instincts and fears of the majority of the population. Peeps are afraid that immigrants are taking their jobs, taking their girls and ruining the property values in the neighborhood. Listeners buy in because they are given validation for their own fears and hatred. They lack the sophistication to take a step back and ask the question – what does this jerk have to gain by voicing this hatred?

Here is the answer – money. We are becoming an increasingly mercenary society. God is not dead; he has just changed his name to money, at least for these sycophants. An alacrity to articulate polemic propaganda as a means for monetary enrichment might just be the vilest violation of public trust possible. While I am not convinced of the existence of god, I still try to live my life according to the golden rule and, in my opinion; these bastards are violating that rule.

So, be fiscally responsible, be tight with a buck, be Republican, but, don’t forget, we all share this country and this earth. Follow the rule of campers; leave it better than you found it. Are these folks leaving the campground better? I think Stewart and Colbert are trying. I think O’Reilly and Beck are not, and for that reason, I think there is a special place across the river Styx that has a reservation for them.

Spike

Friday, March 5, 2010

Yadda About Nada

Seriously considering an MFA in the very near future for several reasons - the main one being selfish. I love to learn, to discover new processes and explore new ideas. I think an MFA would help organize my thoughts and provide more structure and planning to my writing. Who knows.

Little time to write these days so I am not sure why I think I could finish an MFA. I guess sometimes I get so bogged down in the day to day minutia that I just want a change, something new, some type of renewal. Of course London wrote about the two divergent paths to writing - the first path is to write everyday for a set period of time and you can finish a novel in three months. Take one off and do it again. At the end of a year, you have written three novels. Of course, they will all get rejected by publishers, but you WILL be a better writer. After five years, and 15 novels, you will be good enough to get published.

The other path is to start small, write freelance for magazines and develop a reputation. Then, parlay the rep into a relationship with an agent, write, market, etc...either way, five years.

I guess I am taking the second path. I have two shorts published with www.redrosepublishing.com and available on Kindle at www.amazon.com and the publisher, among many other sites, but, the well has dried up for now. No time -sucks to be me.

However, and this is where you come in, if I can sell a few more books, my publisher will put me into print. Then I can actually do signings at Borders and Barnes and Noble, not to mention county fairs and tag sales. That may get some more momentum to the book and motivate me to write more, so, help an author out.

If you are so inclined, drop by www.redrosepublishing.com and look me up under the author tab to purchase "A Slice of Life," or, to purchase "Pickup Lines From a Pickup Truck," look up Cara Preston (my co-author). You can also go to www.amazon.com and type in Spike Fremont in the author box. Both books are less than two bucks and you can be reading them in the next five minutes.

Keep reading - hopefully I'm on your list.

Spike

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Spike being Spike

I hope I have a few new peeps here. I have been gently promoting and it would be nice if a few folks stopped by to see me.

I am disturbed by the nature of education, but that has little to do with Spike, so I will move on. I am working on another short, hope to have it out by the summer, but the whole editing and cover art process is cumbersome, so you never know.

I would encourage visitors to friend me on facebook. I think I am the only Spike Fremont on there, if not let me know. You can email at Spikefremont@aol.com - I check almost daily.

Until I get another wild ass idea, peace!

Spike