Random Thoughts, Notes, & Incidents

In the previous post, going back to last Sunday, I was kidding about joining Arnold and applying for a job in his administration. Well, now I can get to the truth behind my job search: after next Friday, I will be once again looking for work in this lousy economy.

It's a long story, that I'd rather not get into at this time, but it's essentially a lay-off to allow a restructuring of the position and the office. I've known it was coming for a little over a month, and have been working with my boss to set the timeframe for the transition, etc. We announced it this week, and my staff (or, former staff) are really pissed-off, as are some key constituents.

Anyway, that's why I've been a bit pre-occupied and stressed-out, and not posting here much. Once November 3 hits, and I don't have somewhere to head everyday, I'll be posting a lot more.

Hey - So how about some good news? I've come across (from one of my many Yahoo! Groups writer lists) a new Print-on-Demand publisher called Lulu.com.

The positive part of Lulu: There are no set-up fees involved, and publishing is nearly instantaneously. You can upload your documents, type in the description, and have it available for sale within minutes, with absolutely no up-front investment.

The negative part of Lulu: Although you can purchase an ISBN (bringing in extra fees and set-up costs), it's unlikely that you'll have even the same distribution possibilities of an iUniverse. What you'll sell is what you can sell off of the Lulu site.

What this could be good for: I wouldn't use Lulu for another full-length work of fiction, but I think it has great promise for smaller projects. I'm planning a series of booklets (about 24 pages each) on political topics to test this out, and posted the first one last night...

The Conservative Roots of Business Affirmative Action by Ken Goldstein. Richard Nixon a liberal? Nixon's "Black Capitalism" initiative did more to bring about the development of minority business enterprises than all the Democrats from FDR to LBJ. Learn about it in this informative 23-page booklet.

"A review of the development of minority business enterprises, from the Civil War to the present, shows that it was Republican President, Richard Nixon, who brought about some of the greatest gains. How is it that only thirty years ago both major parties agreed on the reasoning and need behind Affirmative Action policies, and only differed in the approach they took? This booklet, adapted from the author's Master's thesis, is an attempt at bringing the public discourse back to a place where we can look objectively at programs, goals, and methods and rationally discuss what race-based remedies are still required (if any), without the vitriol and animosity that has marked previous debates."

The printed booklet is $5.93 and the ebook is only $0.95. How could you resist one? Buy it today!.