The Advance

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

2006-09-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

Well, Well... It's been too long since I posted a thought here at the old blogspot. I'm sure you've been wondering... What's going on in that head of His....? What are His thoughts on the current situation....? What would He do....? Well, I'll tell ya'. I'd sleep late and then eat a bowl of cereal and some cinnamon rolls with extra frosting, then I'd play with my kids for a while, then I'd watch some Sci-Fi Network re-runs - preferably the new Battlestar Gallactica series or Firefly (which was the greatest show to ever be cancelled after one season), - then I'd play with my kids some more, and, finally, I'd work on my next novel for several hours, give my beautiful wife some lovin (if she was done shopping) and go to bed. That's what I'd do. And then - just to top it all off, I'd wake up the next morning and do it all over again. But that series of events, of course, would only happen if my world were perfect-which it ain't. You've got all these fools out there blowing stuff up in the name of God, and then you've got these fools out there who think that's a really good idea. Then you've got these other fools out there blowing stuff up in the name of "national security", and then, of course, you've got these other fools out there who think that's a really good idea. Then you've got this bank, that pretty much owns my house and one of our cars, and they want money every month, so I've got to deal with all these clients (who, sometimes, believe it or not, can be unreasonable, self-absorbed and dangerously unaware of the details of their particular situation(s)) who don't want to pay their bills in a timely manner...

Sounds like I'm complaining......... not really. I'm just thinking out loud.. and it sounds like complaining. I'm actually a relatively happy fellow. I've just been watching and/or reading too much news lately and that generally seems to put me in a bad mood. I really just want to write books and play with my kids, but all this "life" stuff keeps getting in my way. Not that I mind living... It's the best thing I've ever done. I just wish the others.... you know.... them (no-not the agents and publishers who won't take the time to read my novels because my name won't automatically sell a million books...yet....)... the other them. I just wish they would answer the call of that guy who got beat up by those cops in LA. It was video taped and everything, and the cops still got off the hook. Rodney King... that was his name... and in the middle of the LA riots - you know, the ones that Sublime sang about participating in. Anyway, in the middle of those riots, they got him to come on TV and say those very profound and tearful words... "Can't we all just get along?", to which everyone responded in a resounding chorus that rang throughout the universe.................HELL NO!!!!! Burn that bitch to the ground!!!!!

And so, I go to work and pay the bills adn send out query letters and read form rejections and watch the news and hope no-one decides to blow my little town up. I just hope that the impending global climate change doesn't messs everything up for my kids. God - by whatever name you choose to call him - gave us this great blue ball to play on, but like so many kids on the playground of life, we break all the toys, poke holes in the balls and leave our trash for somebody else to pick up and put in the garbage can. Sometimes you just gotta say...........WTF????? Can't we all just get along????? And, why won't you pay a new author (but a fairly decent one if the critics are correct) a big fat advance so he can chill out and write more books and play with his kids and watch Sci-Fi re-runs on a big screen TV.

Now go read my book. www.michaelwilliamsbooks.com

Iran Solution

2006-05-09T07:46:00.000-05:00

Let me begin by saying that every country on this planet has a right to peaceful scientific progress toward a goal of improving the quality of life of its citizens. That said, Iran has a right to pursue the development of nuclear technology to provide energy for its people. What we (and the rest of the free world) fear is that Iran's stated nuclear ambitions are covering up a secret weapons program. Given the recent statement made by the Iranina president regarding the destruction of Isreal, the majority of countires agree that the development of nuclear weapons by Iran is a no-go. We are spending massive time and resources trying to force Iran to give up its ability to control its own destiny in regards to the production of the materials necessary to generate energy with nuclear reactors. Simply put, we don't want them to have the fuel necessary to feed nuclear reactors because we think they are lying about their true ambitions. I've got a solution. The UN Security Council members are all in agreement that Iran can't be allowed to have weapons, but some of the members believe that they have the right to create and possess the tools necessary to produce nuclear energy. I think the Security Council should pass a resolution saying that Iran is free to pursue the production of nuclear energy and the necessary components of that production. The resolution should then bind each member nation of the Security Council (U.S., China, Russia, France, Germany, etc...) to the immediate and complete destruction of Iran should it become aware thta Iran is seeking to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. In other words, we take Iran at their word - that they are not trying to produce weapons. If they've lied, they will be utterly and absolutely destroyed.

Guardian Angels

2006-05-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

Have you ever sent an email that was taken the wrong way by the recipient? Maybe it hurt their feelings or made them mad, and all you were trying to do was get a smile or a laugh. If you're a blogger, have you ever read an article or news story that made you mad - so mad that you immediately started typing a blog post ranting about the injustice of it all. I've done both, and in each even, I wished I could take it back - that I'd never typed the words in the first place. But, once you hit "send" or "publish post" as the case may be, it's too late. Your words are zipping through cyberspace, headed to the intended recipient(s), and you can't do anything about it. But sometimes, I think my guardian angel (which in my case is my paternal grandmother, Betty G. Williams) steps in at the last moment and somehow prevents me from sticking my proverbial electronic foot in my electronic mouth. I had just such an experience the other day. I read an article on Slate.com about the FDA releasing a statement saying that marijuana has no medical value whatsoever, and it pissed me off. The FDA is supposed to be looking out for the health and safety of American citizens, but in this case they were noting more than political bitches answering the call of their holier than thou master (aka, Rep. David Souder, R-Ind). It's not that I know differently, after all, I'm neither a scientist or a physician, but I can at least admit it. There needs to be more testing done, but the Feds won't allow it. They already know the likely outcome of any studies contemplating the medical use of marijuana and they can't allow that type of information to be made public. It just made me mad that the FDA would issue such a statement for political reasons. Especially when we are talking about an issue as important as our health, and moreover, when the blind adherence to a politically and economically motivated position of pharmaceutical, tobacco, alcohol and synthetic textile producers leads to the arrest and imprisonment of citizens of our great country, which in turn destroys individuals and families and leads to unnecessary harm to our economy and environment. Anyway, I wrote this long winded post, going on and on and on about how corrupt/stupid/hypocritical/etc... some of the elements within our government can be (it looks like I'm doing it again). I let loose with numerous arguments for the legalization of medical marijuana and industrial hemp and generally slammed the stupid people who perpetuate the stereotypes of marijuana smokers and those who follow the advise of companies with a financial interest in maintaining the current status of hemp and marijuana.

Now to the point of this post. When I clicked on the "publish angry post" button, my computer froze up. It wouldn't post the rant to my blog. As a consequence of that electronic malfunction, I spent some time cooling off and thinking about everything I'd said. Perhaps it would be better if I revised the post a little. Just tone it down, so that no one got the idea that I was trying to start an armed revolution. I think good old Gra'mom was quite literally my "ghost in the machine". She probably knew that I should think a little more about what I was saying before I released it for the whole world to see. Thanks Gra'mom. Thanks for being the best grandmother a kid could ever have, and thanks for looking over my shoulder as I write this post. I sure do miss you, but it makes me feel a whole lot better knowing that you can crash my computer when you see me leaping off the deep end.

Now go read my book: www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

Thank God for the FDA

2006-04-25T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well, we can thank our lucky stars that the good people at the FDA are looking out for the American pharmaceutical companies... no wait... I mean the American people. Yeah, that's it. They are looking out for us.

In the FDA’s ultimate knowledge and wisdom (and political affiliations), they have stated definitively that marijuana (a.k.a. - the devil's weed) is of absolutely no medical value whatsoever. Never mind the numerous scientific studies from around the world concluding that the opposite is actually the case. Never mind the multitude of testimonials from people suffering from conditions relating to cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, panic disorders, etc...who swear that it has made a huge difference in the quality of their lives (at a fraction of the cost and without the addiction that accompanies the often ineffective drugs prescribed to them by the medical establishment). Never mind the fact that 11 states have passed laws allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana (that, by the way, is more than 20% of these United States of America). Never mind the fact that the FDA has approved a synthetic version of THC, the psychoactive compound of marijuana (apparently, if it's grown in the garden - it's bad, but if some pharmaceutical company can synthesize it in a lab - it's good. Does anyone see the stupidity of that argument?). If it has no medical value, why would they approve a synthesized version of its active ingredients? I'll bet it has something to do with money. If you've read my novel, you probably already know that I suspect there's more to the drug war than genuine concern for the common man. It's statements like the one recently issued by the FDA that really upset me. It's like a slap in the face. They expect me to believe that they care about my health when they say that marijuana - which has never killed anyone - is worthless and evil, but a good ole drink of alcohol, or some cigarettes, pain killers, or tranquilizers (that are approved for human consumption) have value to society. Unfortunately, they don't take the real danger of marijuana into account, namely, the fact that you can go to jail for possessing it. Funny thing is, that can easily be changed. Why do you think it hasn't been changed?

Hurry Up and Wait

2006-03-24T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm back! What..., you didn't notice that it'd been ten days since my last post. I'll bet you haven't been checking my blog regularly. Shame, Shame, Shame on you. I could've posted something very important... something earth shattering, and you would never have known. I'll bet you feel ............ Oh, never mind. You haven't missed a thing. I'm still practicing law, raising kids, loving the wife, writing books and hoping to get discovered by one of those big New York agents and/or publishing houses. Not much has changed since my post ten days ago. I do have a couple of things on my mind this week that I'd like to share. And here they are..................

First, I finally got my first "professional" review published. South Lit Magazine and its related website, www.southlit.com, have released the very first published review (by an actual industry professional) of the The Four Horsemen, and I've gotta say that I'm really very pleased with it. The reviewer compared me favorably with some guy by the name of John Grisham... another lawyer trying to write books about lawyers. While he (the reviewer - not John Grisham) wanted to see more character development, he seemed impressed with my writing abilities and even went so far as to say that I am an "up and comer".

At long last..., I have the written approval of someone who is someone in the publishing industry. I'm not sure how much of a someone he is actually, but he's more of one than I (at least as far as writing books goes), and I like him.

Having self-published The Four Horsemen, professional reviews are hard to come by. The reasoning goes: since any old schlock can be self-published, it is likely that anything that is, in fact, self-published is schlock and, therefore, unworthy of review by a true professional reviewer. There is certainly some truth to that, but it is generalization and when you get right down to it, it's not true. There are many great self-published books out there. Just have a look at www.girlondemand.blogspot.com and you'll see a long list of worthy self-published titles (not including my own.... hummmmmmm). There are, of course, reviewers who do not subscribe to such reasoning. There are reviewers who will at least consider self-published books, and I've been looking high and low to find them. I've actually found many willing to review my novel for a fee, but something about paying someone to review your work seems to diminish the credibility of the review. Oh well, I will keep searching and submitting and accepting rejection like the most professional rejection collector out there. At least I can say, at this point, that all of my published reviews have been great. That could change if I get another one.

Second, I've discovered a new literary agency. Well, it's not really new. What I mean to say is that it is newly discovered... by me anyway. I won't say the name of the agency because they have not responded to my query, and I wouldn't want to diminish my chances of getting them to represent me (one never knows - they could find their way to this blog), or should they reject me, I wouldn't want the next agency to which I submit to know that they are my second choice. I've done some research on the internet and have spoken with one of their clients, and I really feel like this is the agency for me. I've thought that I might fit in with many of the agents I've queried in the past, but I really think this is where I belong. I've just got this feeling... Now, I realize the odds of getting picked up. They are not good. But that's nothing new, and if you've been paying attention to my posts, you realize that nothing will stop me in my quest to become a successful author. It's what I was born (and raised) to do. So regardless of the odds, I will submit... and submit.... and revise.... and submit... and edit.... and submit (begging this time).... and edit some more... and submit... you get the point. NOTHING CAN STOP ME BUT ME.

That's all I got to say about that. Now go read my book: www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

The three P's

2006-03-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

I went to the Chattanooga Writer's Guild meeting Tuesday night to meet a newly published author. His name is Shane Berryhill, and he's written a young adult novel titled The Adventures of Chance Fortune. It's a series with an interesting premise that is sort of the antithesis of Harry Potter. The first installment is due out in August 2006 and I plan on getting a copy. You should do the same.

Anyway, one of the things I was reminded of while listening to Shane speak is the importance of the three P's - Practice, Persistence and Professionalism - in the publishing world. If you have spent any time reading this blog, you know that I am a writer trying to get a publishing contract with a major publishing house (i.e., one that pays enough for me to write full time). That is no small task and I often get very discouraged about the prospects of attaining my goal. There are so many writers out there trying to accomplish the same objective. I'm just a needle in a haystack, but listening to Shane speak gave me hope and reminded me that us needles are discovered all the time.

If the needle keeps moving around, it will be easier to spot amongst the hay. By moving, I mean the three P's.

Practicing: write as often as you can and put it out there for people to see. Not only will you hone your craft, but you can become less like a needle and more like a nail. Eventually, you'll be like a railroad spike, and that wouldn't be too hard to find in a haystack.

Persistence: keep on writing and submitting, even when all you seem to get is one rejection slip after another. One sure fire way to never be published is to quit trying. You've got to believe in yourself and your abilities. You've got to know that, one day, no matter what anyone says, you'll be sitting right next to John Grisham at those writing conferences, telling your story to those who are still trying to get published. You've got to keep on going and going and going and..... like the energizer bunny. Can't never did.....

Professionalism: In all thing you do, whether you're writing novels or practicing law, you need to be or appear professional when dealing with others. You need to try to do it to the best of your abilities. It just shows that you care about yourself and what you do. No one wants to deal with a person that they cannot count on, or someone who does not appear to care. I'm not talking about whether you are attractive or good looking. I'm talking about how you present yourself. You just have to look like you care in order for people to believe that you do.

So, I'll keep struggling..., persistently practicing in a professional manner, and one day -- maybe today, maybe tomorrow -- the right person will get a hold of something I've written, and they will give me the break I need to move up through the publishing food chain. It would certainly help if you'd go buy my book.

That's all I got to say about that. Now go buy my book... www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

What's out there??????

2006-03-09T11:22:00.000-05:00

I read a great article today (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11730484) about new faster than light, or "FTL", proplusion ideas that are on the cutting edge of scientific thought and could eventually enable humanity to visit some very exotic destinations. The article leaves you with the impression that we're not that far away (in the grand scheme of things) from traveling between the stars. Perhaps our great-granschildren will be able to visit the planets orbiting distant stars. That possibility excites me.

Maybe I've watched too many Star Trek episodes, but I've always had this idea that humans have the potential (if not the destiny) to expand our influence beyond this solar system. But I believe that it will take the combined efforts of all the races working in harmony to figure out the keys to the puzzle. I think God created all the different races and endowed each race with its own unique abilities... its own piece to the great puzzle, if you will... as a way to ensure that we wouldn't leave our own backyard before we are ready. He gave us reasons to fight so that we would learn that fighting accomplishes nothing. Until humans can learn to live together peacefully, we have no business exploring beyond our own planet... taking our greed, immaturity, hatred, jealousy and insecurities into the cosmos. I believe that one day scientists from all over the world, working together for the benefit of all humanity - without a thought of which country or political power owns the rights to the research - will stumble across the secret -- each race providing it's own insight into the mystery to come up with the answer, and only then will the true exploration begin. I believe that there are countless inhabited planets out there going through the same struggle. Each asking the questions: Why are we here? How did we get here? What is our purpose? What is out there? -- And each held back by childish beliefs that the good of the individual outweigh the good of the species. When we are children, we say: "That's my toy. You can't play with it because its mine. As we grow up and mature, we realize that sometimes it’s better to share, just for the sake of sharing.

Christopher Columbus, Magellan, Lewis & Clarke... all the great explorers had a need to see what was out there. It is our nature, and I believe it's in the nature of all sentient beings throughout the universe to explore and to seek the answers to the age-old questions listed above. Unfortunately, we are bogged down in the struggle about whose religion is right and who has the right to control what real estate and its resources. If we can ever find a way to get over our need to have more than the other guy, to realize that we are all in this together and to share for the sake of sharing, then I think we will be able to unlock the door to the cosmos. And when we do, I believe that we will have accomplished what God really wants for us. We will have fulfilled his expectations, and he will reward us with the beauty that he has created throughout the universe.

That's all I got to say about that. Now go buy my book www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

Thoughts on religion....part 1

2006-03-03T23:23:00.000-05:00

Every major culture/society/military power throughout human evolution/history has had its own religion. The Egyptians had a pantheon and existed their society thrived for millineum, the Mayan and the Azteks had their own sets of gods. They to thrived for longer than United States of America has existed as a country. The Romans had a pantheon, as did the Greeks, and they too seemed to have their turn at the wheel. The European powers in recent human history... the French, the British, and North America.... have Christianity to guide us. The Arabs have Islam.

If you take a minute to think about it, the civilazations with the bloodiest histories are also the ones with the most radical religious beliefs (i.e., the type of religious beliefs that provide a strict moral code and exclusivity of participation in the afterlife, those that require require manifest devotion and material support). If religions are mutually exclusive (and I believe most of them claim to be), the real question is, was one of those past civilizations right? Should I be worshiping Zues or Apollo. Is one of the current civilizations right? If a civilization existed closer to the dawn of time....the point of creation, as it were..... wouldn't it be logical that their explanation of the meaning of life would be more corect than something that arose later in history? Wouldn't the Mesopetamians, the first major human civilization, have it correct. I don't even know what they believed. I could be in trouble--the eternity in hell kind of trouble, and not even know it.

Maybe their all wrong. Maybe religion is something the ruling class needs in a civilization to help maintain order. It has been said that religion is the opiate of the masses. Maybe it's the citizens who need religion and the sense of purpose/direction that it brings to an otherwise random life to separate them from the wild jungles that surround them... or used to surround them, before we cut them all down to make office furniture and bowling alleys. I don't know,--maybe we should all be good to one another simply because we want everybody else to be good to us. Maybe we ghould be kind to one another because we're smart enough to realize that it's the only way we'll ever get anything accomplished in this otherwise random life.

I think that's generally what we do, and why we do it. I have great faith in the human race. I just hate to see all the carnage religion brings to the table. I wish we were strong enough as a species to be able to cope/advance/achieve without needing religion. I truly believe we'd be a lot closer to where we're going without it--or, maybe we'd have killed each other for fun... who knows??????

That's all I got to say about that (for now anyway)..... Now go buy my book www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

Recovering

2006-03-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't been able to post anything for the last few days due to some sort of flu like illness that has descended on my house. It started on Sunday, and I spent most of the day in bed. Monday, I felt better, and Tuesday I was fine. Yesterday morning, however, it was back with a vengeance (and was attacking my wife and 18 month old son as well). It was horrible. I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow. (You can bet that my wife was pleased about that) If I did lift my head, the room would start to spin and it was straight to the bathroom................ I thought I had the bird flu and was sure that death was just around the corner. I slept all day yesterday, and felt a little better this morning. Well enough to come back into the office to get some invoices out and do some other work that was starting to pile up. I hate being sick, but it reminds me that, as humans, we can all be turned into a puny, sniveling ball of slush in a very short amount of time. It doesn't matter if we're rich, poor, black, white, leader or follower.... whatever. The flu is an enemy to every person and it takes no prisoners.

I'll return to regular postings tomorrow. In the mean time, Go buy my book... www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz I'm sure that selling lots of copies of The Four Horsemen will make me feel better in no time.

Winning the War in Iraq - Are we????

2006-02-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

As news of the bombing of the golden dome shrine in Samarra, Iraq, and of the escalating reprisal violence spreads - leading toward all out civil war, our faithful leader sticks to his guns and reassures the sheeple that we are "winning" the war in Iraq. I'm getting sick of hearing how we are "winning". What does that mean... to "win" the war in Iraq. We're not looking to keep their land or their oil, or to enslave their people. We're not looking to acquire anything tangible out of this war. Winning, in this context, apparently just means that we are able to leave at a leisurely pace without people shooting at us on the way out. Now that my friends is a goal worth fighting and dying for.....NOT REALLY.

Does anybody really think that we can "give" democracy and our way of life to another group of people. Yes, obviously lots of people do believe that democracy can be given away. Otherwise, our president and his cronies wouldn't have such a strong following. But history tells us that you can't give or impose democracy on a people any more than you can stamp out the use of drugs or prostitution, or require people to believe a particular religious doctrine or moral code or none at all. It just doesn't work... Never has... never will. Eventually, democracy will spread on its own, because of human nature. People want a say in their future. They want to know that, if they work harder than the next guy, they can get more stuff than the next guy. Eventually, they will demand those basic principals out of their societies. Democracy will prevail in time, but we can't force it on anyone before they are ready to get it on their own. We can provide the model, not the timeframe.

What makes me so sad is that there are so many people out there who blindly follow their leaders down a path to destruction. On both sides of the conflict, people carry the banner of ignorance and blind faith headlong into battle. Stop and think for yourselves people. Just because somebody tells you something doesn't mean it is true. They cannot force us to believe according to Islam and we cannot give democracy to people who don't understand (or want) it. If they do want it, it should be up to them to fight, and if necessary, to die for it. Americans had to fight for our independence, and the Iraqi people (and the Chinese and the Sudanese and the Somalian and the North Koreans.... you get the picture) are going to have to fight for theirs. If they hated Saddam so bad, it was their job to overthrow him. Not ours. All we've done is create a mess, and it is going to take a lot of blood (both ours and theirs) to clean it up. I just hope that the Chinese don't decide that they need to come over here and liberate the Native Americans from the brutal regime that murdered, raped and tortured their people into submission... in the name of God and manifest destiny. Our history, and the conquest of this country by Europeans, is no less brutal than the society we now condemn. How easily we forget what principals America was truly founded on (or at least how the acquisition of the real estate occurred). There were people here when our ancestors arrived. Have we forgotten what we did to those people? True, we used Gatlin guns instead of mustard gas, but that's only because we didn't have any mustard gas. Maybe it's easier to forget because there are so few Native Americans left or because we've got them contained, for the most part, on small reservations trapped in poverty.

Our leaders say that they had to get rid of the evil dictator who tortured and killed his own people. Well, we've killed (or caused the death of) more of those people in the last 3 years than Saddam would have. How many Iraqi soldiers were killed in our invasion... hundreds of thousands...., and how many civilians? The fact, as I see it, is that Iraq is a much more dangerous place to live than it was when Saddam was in power. But what do we do now? We've opend the proverbial "can 'o worms". If we pull out now, we're opening the doors for the creation of another Taliban type regime and the worlds largest terrorist training camp. If we don't get out, we're going to loose more and more Americans in a fight that has no end. These people have been fighting each other for so long, they don't know anything else. Religion is the problem. But they aren't about to give that up, any more than we are. I'll bet that God is disgusted with both Christians and Muslims. They act like sheep, treating a book like it was written by the hand of God himself and believing what any of their leaders tell them without question. It is sickening. God gave us brains and free will, but so many choose not to use them. They just follow in the footsteps of their ancestors. Blindly doing what mommy and daddy did, never questioning whether they were right in the first place. It seems pretty clear that any religion with such brutal and violent histories (the crusades, the inquisition, the dark ages, suicide bombers, martyrs) cannot be what a true and just creator intended, but our religious leaders figured out long ago to teach (brainwash) us as children that it's a sin to question the"word of God", so the sheeple fear the shephard and the lie is perpetuated.

It frustrates and angers me. Especially when I watch our president pandering to his religious fundamentalist base. That type of politics is just as dangerous now as it was in the middle ages. Actually, it's more dangerous now, because we have developed weapons capable of destroying our entire world with the touch of a few buttons. Bush is surrounded (by design, I fear) by people who think that God put him in the presidency, and he appears at times to believe it. Wake up people! God doesn't care who the president of the United States is. He doesn't care who serves as the prime minister of Canada. Or who the most powerful war-lord in Somalia is. If he cared, he'd do something about it. He's actually intervene. He gave us all the rope we need to hang ourselves with. But I do believe that he cares how we treat our neighbors and what we do for those that are less fortunate (not the less wealthy, but those who are actually less fortunate). He cares what we do with the intelligence and free will he bestowed on us, and whether we really try to fulfill our individual potential, and he rewards those who think for themselves. We need to quit listening to people who are deeply entrenched in power (whether religious or political leaders), because they are (more often than not) primarily worried about maintaining their power.

I's a huge mess and I don't know what the answer is. It's going to take a lot of intelligent people putting their heads together to figure out how to get out of this with the least amount of death and destruction, but a good first step would be for our president to quit (i) being a politician, and (ii) candy coating the situation. He should have the balls to tell the American people that we're going to have to do what it takes to stabilize Iraq, which probably means sending another 500,000 or so troops there to confiscate all the weapons and take out all the insurgents and religious leaders who are using their pulpits to spread hate and perpetuate violence. Pussy-footing around and trying to play "Mr. politically correct, nice guy" with these people isn't going to work any more than it worked with the North Vietnamese. Bush and Rummy didn't care what the rest of the world thought when we invaded Iraq. Why do they care what anyone thinks now? Why are they so scared to admit what I pray they are smart enough to have realized: that finishing the job is going to be 1000 times harder than they led us to believe.

Our other option is to get out. Just tuck our tails between our legs, duck our heads so they don't get blown off, and get the hell out of the middle east all together. We've got enough oil here to satisfy our demand while we develop the infrastructure to supply alternate energy sources. If we spent the war budget on developing that infrastructure, we could build enough solar, hydroelectric and wind power generators to power all of our needs. Then we could actually secure our borders, sit back and wait for our enemies to kill each other... all they need is a little time.

Okay... that's ll I got to say about that right now. Go buy my book: www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

How to sell books?

2006-02-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

This blog serves two purposes. First, to put some of my dialy musings in a form that I can share with the world. Second, to market my novel(s). I've only published one novel so far, but I will keep cranking them out until I'm making a living writing and selling books. That, of course, means that I need to sell more copies than I'm selling now. Based of the feedback I've received so far (e.g., emails from readers and reviews posted by strangers on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com), I believe I've written a good suspense/thriller novel... at least as good as most of the other thrillers that are on the bookstore shelves right now. Maybe its just a matter of exposure, but I know that there are many poorly written novels that are outselling mine by leaps and bounds. My question is this: how do you think I can most effectively market my book(s) using this blog and/or my website? I want to hear from the readers (and potential purchasers) out there. What would drive you to my website, www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz? More to the point..., what would make you buy the book of an unknown author? Is it good reviews, interesting cover, celebrety endorsements, give aways, naked pictures...? As a new author, I'm not sure how to most effectively market my novel(s). This blog gives me the ability to ask millions of potential customers what they think (or how they think) about the book buying process. I'm working hard to learn what makes people buy books, and I'm not afraid to ask for help. After all, it's you I'm trying to sell them to. I'm pretty sure that most people who read my first novel would at least give my second one a chance, but I've gotta know how to get you to buy that first one. If you've got any ideas, please share them with me. Thanks!

The Proud Parent of a Champion

2006-02-20T13:37:00.000-05:00

There's nothing quite like watching your kid do something well.... except for watching your kid be recognized for doing something well. The pride in their eyes and the satisfaction they obviously get from making thier parents proud just makes everything else in life seem... I don't know.... inconsequential, I guess.

We went to a soccer tournament in Atlanta this weekend. My 9 year old daughter plays on a U-10 select team, and it's outdoor season again. This was their first outdoor tournament of the seasan and they went 4-0, winning the champoinship game 5-2. My daughter is the goalie, and for a 9 year old, she's exceptional. Well..., maybe I just think that she's exceptional because she's my daughter, but either way, she stops a lot of shots. Anyway..., they got first place trophies at the end of the tournament and it just made me so proud to see her and her teammates being recognized for their hard work. They played some good teams and it never ceases to amaze me, just how well these young girls can play. I know they would make easy work of us parents if we were dumb enough to get on the field with them (not likely to happen).

Selective Prosecution???????

2006-02-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

http://reuters.iwon.com//article/20060217/2006-02-17T150411Z_01_N16412200_RTRIDST_0_ODD-CRIME-FORTUNETELLER-DC.html.

Prosecutors in Florida have gone after a "psychic" for taking money from people and telling them (among other things) that she could heal them of illness by praying over their money. That sounds just like something I see on TV all the time...oh.... except the people on TV pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. What is the difference? Either way, somebody is still sick and out of their hard earned money. Psychics have been around longer than Christianity and should have every bit as much right to bilk people out of thier money. I'm sure that one could find stories of "miraculous" healings that have been performed by psychics, so it must be true....right. I just wonder how many people send their hard earned money into the televangelists on the Trinity Broadcast Network with the hope that it will be returned to them, ten-fold, or that they will receive healing from Jesus. In my book, it's a crime no matter who's doing it.

I grew up in a southern Church of God, where they speak in tounges and heal people every Sunday... then I went to a local comedy club and watched the hypnotist get people in the audience to do the same thing... while acting like a chicken. It struck me that I'd never seen a person truly healed of a disease... only pain, which, of course, is processed by the brain. Simply put, the preacher was getting these poor people into a trance state and then suggesting that they were no longer feeling their pain and that they should give money to the church. You know what....it worked....for a while. Pay attention and you'll notice that people are temporarily healed from their pain, not the underlying cause of the pain. It will come back, but so will they (for another fleecing).

I believe in God, but I hate religion. Now go read my book www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz

Gun Control - an economic analysis

2006-02-16T14:44:00.001-05:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/16/politics/main1321815.shtml

It looks like NYC (and some other metro centers) are finally going to the source of the problem.... gun manufacturers.

When I was in law school, I learned about an area of the law called "Products Liability". One of the basic principals behind product liability is the theory that a manufacturer who places a product that, when used as intended, is inherently dangerous (e.g., explosives, poisions, etc...) into the stream of commerce, can be held liable for injuries sustained by someone from the use (or forseeable misuse) of that product. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. A company who chooses to put dangerous items in the market place ought to bear some responsibility the costs incurred by society from the use of those products -- especially if that manufacturer does little - or nothing at all - to prevent the products from getting into the hands of people who cannot (or will not) use them safely or in a manner that society has deemed acceptable.

When we buy a car, for instance, part of its price includes the cost incurred by the manufacturer to defend against the lawsuits filed by people who were injured, in some way or another, by a design element or defect or some other aspect of the vehicle that contributed to their injury. Liability for injuries is part of the true cost of having cars in society, and it's a good thing - as a general rule of economics - that goods and services placed in the stream of commerce come with a price that attempts to reflect their actual cost to society. That's why we don't have 3wheelers any more - even though they were so much fun. No one is willing to pay what they actually cost, and having a product reflect its true cost allows consumers to make an informed choice about whether or not to buy it. That, in turn, help ensure that our planet's limited resources are put to their highest and best use.

The cost of handguns, on the other hand, bears no relation to their actual cost. Perhaps that is because their manufacturers have found ways to influence lawmakers (read: MONEY). It is hard (for me) to believe, but there are actually laws that prevent an injured person from suing a handgun manufacturer in most cases. It is just plain stupid to argue that a company that produces thousands of handguns a week, month or year - day after day, year after year - doesn't realize (or even expect) that a significant percentage of them are going to be used for their intended purpose - to kill people - under circumstances that society has deemed unacceptable, and it is more stupid to argue that they shouldn't be held financially responsible to some degree when that happens.

I'm not advocating that handguns be outlawed. On the contrary, I believe that we should be allowed to own firearms, and I believe that our founding fathers wanted a country that is able to quickly produce a fairly well armed citizen militia. But to quote the words of Lynyrd Skynyrd (as every good southern boy must do from time to time)... "Handgunds are made for killin'. They ain't no good for nothin' else." I agree that handguns are useful for self defense, but I would also argue that shotguns are more useful for that purpose (and much more difficult to conceal as you are walking through the bank or 7/11 parking lot). Again, I am not suggesting that handguns be outlawed, only that their price reflects their true cost.

There are lots of inventors and entrepeneurs out there who come up with ideas for products other than weapons. Why do we give an unfair advantage to the weapons manufacturer. I'll bet Ford or GM would like to know that they couldn't be sued if they produced a car that could go 250 mph, but didn't have any seatbelts, airbags or a roof. If they could sell them for just the price of the raw materials and labor, they'd probably be pretty cheap. They would sell like hotcakes and would probably be a lot of fun too. I'd also bet that pharmaceutical companies would like to be able to produce drugs without facing any liability for their unexpected effects on society. But they don't get to do that, do they. Do you think the tobacco companies would like to get their money back from all the tobacco litigation? Do you think smokers would like to be able to buy cigarettes for less than $4.00 a pack?

I'll bet that if a "cheap" handgun cost $10,000 on the street, there would be a lot less gun crime and that's all I got to say about that.

Now go read my book - http://www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz/

Disappointed

2006-02-14T11:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!!!! Valentines, however, is not the subject of this post. I must say that I am pleased -and not at all dissappointed - with my valentines and the gifts they presented me with. My wife (the beautiful Elizabeth) got me a very nice tackle box from Wal-Mart that I can fill up with all my fancy fishing lures that I don't know how to use properly and a very nice card that almost made me cry. My kids got me cards and lots of candy. Oh..., I love my kids!!!!!

Writing, on the other hand, can sometimes be a lonely and disappointing experience, and I must tell you that today is one of those days where I am disappointed with the way things are going in my writing life. There is a blog out there called POD-DY MOUTH. It is a great site that is maintained by an anonymous fellow writer who wades through the haystacks of "Print-On-Demand" ("POD") published novels in search of the well written "needles" (if you don't know what a "print-on-demand publisher" is, google it, and you'll get a wealth of articles and opinions on the subject). The author of POD-DY MOUTH (who goes by the handle "girlondemand") chooses 50 well written POD published novels out of the thousands published each year, and then gives a "Needle Award" to the top 5. She and a small group of publishing industry insiders (e.g., agents, editors and writers) get together to pick them, so it's not just some solitary crazy person out there randomly picking the books. Anyway, as the recipient of a Needle Award, you don't get any money or anything- only an endorsement that may get the attention of somebody who could actually give a writer the break we are all looking for (and I become more and more convinced every day that the real hurdle to becoming a traditionally published author is the size of your sphere of influence).

I had submitted my novel, The Four Horsemen (published through iUniverse, the largest of the POD publishers) to her in hopes that she would select it as one of the fifty candidates for the "Needle Awards". The last of the fifty candidates was posted yesterday morning, and - you guessed it - The Four Horsemen was not it. I know from the feedback I've received from readers that it is well written, or, at least as well written as most of the suspense/thrillers that the "big" publishing houses are putting out there, so I was hopeful that she would put it in the running, but the contest ended this week... I must admit that I got it to her a little late in the game (read: last week). She says on her blog that she gets about 15 submissions a day, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised (although getting it there late may not have anything to do with why she didn't pick my book). I was just hoping... Oh well, there's always next year.

If anyone out there would like to make me feel better, go to www.michaelwilliamsbooks.biz or amazon.com or barnes&noble.com or iUniverse.com or BooksAMillion.com (you get the point) and but a copy of The Four Horsemen. Then read it, enjoy it and post a nice review on any or all of the aforementioned websites. I'm hard at work on my next novel, and if I can sell enough copies of the current one, I won't need any endorsements. And, if you'll buy a copy, you'll be my valentine!!!!!!!!!!

Cheney and Entwistle - guns in the news

2006-02-13T17:49:00.000-05:00

Well..., there's 2 shootings in the news today.

First, our Vice President accidentily shot one of his hunting companions over the weekend. I'm not a big fan of professional politicians (as you will come to find should you continue to view this blog), but I'm sure Mr. Cheney feels pretty bad about it. Why he didn't immediately notify the press is beyond me, but he didn't. Let's not crucify him for it. I've been quail hunting twice myself (although it's been many years since I gave up trying to kill things for "sport"... except for fish, but I never catch anything anyway, so I'm not sure if that really counts), and every time I raised my gun to shoot, I was worried that I would hit someone or one of the dogs. Look, the fact of the matter is that any sport that involves guns is inherently dangerous, and I say that Mr. Cheney's victim knew the possibilities when he decided to go. No doubt about it, it was Cheney's fault -- even if Rush Limbaugh says that the victim should've moved out of the way quicker. You just don't pull the trigger of a loaded weapon until you're 100% sure that there are no people in the way, but it was an accident and I would assume that his conscience is punishing him pretty severly. At least, the guy wasn't seriously hurt. I do wonder if the guy will file a civil suit against Cheney though... All that pain and suffering needs to be compensated, plus it would give the press something to focus on for the next 2-3 years.

Next is Niel Entwhistle, the guy from Boston who allegedly shot his wife and child then fled to England. If he did it (and the evidence against him is pretty strong), there is no punishment severe enough -- the death penalty would be too good for this guy. As a father and a husband, I can't imagine what could be bad enough to cause a person to contemplate murdering their family (especially their infant son). They say he had no job and mounting debt... Welcome to life. Things don't always go our way. That's why we have bankruptcy and divorce. Anyway, he'll get his day in court, and I just hope that, if he's convicted, they find him a nice cell with a 300 pound sodomist who likes british accents.

Greetings

2006-02-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

MGDubya here, and this is my first post, so I'll post some bio and background stuff so you can get a sense of what you might find here...

I'm a 34 year old attorney and a writer of fiction (yes..., there is a difference) from northwest Georgia. I'm married and have two beautiful children. I've published one novel, The Four Horsemen, that came out in August '05. You can check it out at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0595344887/qid=1123896685/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/104-2834776-7127917?s=books&v=glance&n=283155. If you like suspense/thriller novels, take a look.

I guess I should also take this opportunity to tell you that I'm a Libra... shouldn't I?????

Anyway, as I said above, I'm also an attorney. I practice mostly in the real estate development area... representing commercial and residential developers and contractors with projects all around the country. I also prepare wills and other estate planning documents and draft contracts of all sorts... Rarely, if ever, do I find myself in a court room.

I got my start in real estate development by going to work with a medium sized law firm that represents a very large shopping center developer straight out of law school . It took me several years to figure out: (i) what I was doing; and (ii) how much more money I could be making (or less hours I'd have to work) if I didn't have 45 bosses skimming the top off every penny my clients were paying. Once I did figure it out, I took off and opened my own firm.

Practicing law is a good gig (read: pays the bills), but writing is what I love to do, and will hopefully pay the bills one day. I'm still searching for a well connected agent and that ever elusive publishing contract... the big advance, multi-book type... but I haven't found either yet. I'll just keep plugging away until someone notices.

I plan to post all kinds of stuff here... thoughts, impresions, beliefs and/or disbeliefs, shameless self promotions.. you name it. Just remember.. nothing you see here is legal advice... so don't sue me. I do hope that anyone who stumbles across this page enjoys reading it (and if you happen to be a literary agent with connections at one of the big publishing houses - or a literary agent with a strong drive to succeed as such, please feel free to take a look at my work and get in touch with me).

War on what?

2006-02-12T20:31:00.000-05:00

Which will kill more Americans this year.... Al-Queda or Al-Cohol? I don't have the numbers to prove it, but I'm pretty sure that alcohol kills more Americans each and every week than Al-Queda has ever killed. I'm not suggesting that we don't do everything possible to fight the war on terror, but I wonder why we don't devote more resources to fighting Anheuser-Busch....