Things I Learned This Week

1. Write for Love, Let the Money Come Later

After spending a good number of months building up a readership at a couple different sites, I put them on the back burner to pursue a job with Heavy.com for the lone reason that they were going to pay me.

Ten weeks later, I was dropped via email... without ever receiving a check. I've been assured it's coming, and take solace in the fact that the continuing staff there have yet to receive their pay either, but it made me realize something.

I write because I love it and that needs to be the motivation. Ironically enough, I finished Stephen King's On Writing last night, and d'you know what the final message of the book was?

"I write because I love it, not because of the money."

2. If You Hear "No Disrespect," Expect an Insult to Follow

I'm as guilty on this one as the next guy, as I use the line, "no disrespect to (insert fighter)" fairly frequently, following it up with some statement about how the inserted fighter isn't up to par or a legitimate contender.

It's as if we think that offering up that precursor gives us the ability to say whatever the hell we want about someone. They no I don't mean it disrespectfully, so saying they look like a total jackass / have the talents of a trained chimpanzee / smell a little south of god-awful is okay...

No it isn't, and I hereby pledge to remove that phrase from my vocabulary.

3. I Love My Non-Paying Jobs

The one that pays me - picking produce orders for 35-40 hours a week at Islands West - isn't all that bad, but the pair that put little no money in my pocket on a regular basis are great.

After the whole Heavy debacle, I joined forces with the guys over at Five Knuckles. They had been syndicating my work from Keyboard Kimura for a while, have a great community and believe in my talents to help propel their site to bigger and better.

What really has me stoked is my role with Armageddon Fighting Championships. While I don't really have a defined title, I'm doing all kinds of different things, like hunting down sponsors, lining up media exposure, and building Fan Pages on Facebook.

Yes - you need to join.

Kind of ties in with the first thought of today - enjoy the work, do a good job and the returns will come in time.

4. Victoria Kicks Everywhere Else's Ass

It's January 17 and I plan on wearing shorts today. Not because I want to see if I can brave the harsh outdoors with my pasty white lower limbs, but because it's around 10 degrees, nice and sunny and there is very little wind.

Additionally, not having to shovel... awesome! Yes, it rains, but d'you know what? Rain at five, six or seven degrees is so superior to snow and ice and bullshit at some god-awful temperature well below freezing.

I've enjoyed everywhere I've lived over the years - 13 cities, 31 addresses in 31 years - but Victoria takes the cake.

5. So I Never Told You My New Year's Resolutions

1. Get a paying / full-time job in MMA: while you might think that contradicts point one of this piece today, it doesn't. I'm not going to actively chase the money, but by the time 2011 rolls around, my hard work will have brought the money to me.
2. Read More - and Keep a Book List: one book done, many, many more to come. Recommendations will come with them - if they're good. If you're at all interested in writing, go get Stephen King's On Writing... and thanks to Josh Nason for instructing me to do so.
3. Continue to Not Smoke: as of today, it's 13 weeks... how crazy is that, right? Hasn't even been that hard to be honest.
4. Be Here More: I've missed you all, and like writing this blog, so 2010 is the return of iBlog to daily status, or as close to daily as I can manage...

Thanks for sticking around... and Happy Sunday!