Generating Income

As an addendum to my last post I commented that my AdSense account had generated a few dollars from the last report. I'm pleased to report that has increased again in the last few days, and October has proved to be the most profitable month so far, generating more than $5 in income, raising my total to above $44.

The big generators so far have been my video on how to set up KeyClone, which was done several years ago, and by the way is still valid, my videos dealing with my Panda washer, and my videos on how to work Sudoku.

I fully expect those videos to continue driving income, hopefully more, but I'd be satisfied with the current level, if I could only generate other videos to drive even more income.

Well, short of a benefactor to help me get started, the only way for me to get things going is by my own hard work. I've been taking a course on how to find work online, work at home type things. Now my current situation makes phone work unappealing (Who wants to hear the sounds of a shelter in the background of a phone call?) so I'm working on finding work that does not require phones, such as proofreading, online chats/emails for tech support or customer support and the like. This line of work has real potential for someone working at a shelter, and I'm hopeful that something will be forthcoming soon. I can also take this type of job on the road as long as I have access to the internet.

So that is the plan for the next 2 weeks, find what I can and then work it as often as I can.

Healthwise, my shoulder gets beat on 2 times a week, by a very competent therapist. We're making progress, as he stretches my shoulder and arm where they haven't been since the accident. It is a painful process, though. One particular tendon isn't cooperating and just hurts like hell when it is manipulated. Still, I'll survive.

That is all!

The Evolution of My Sanity

I was bored the other day and started looking at my blog archives. When I started this blog I was working for Alpine Access, from home. I didn't get out much because it was cold and I was poor. But I was working, and playing, and writing (Oh My!).

The first blogs were me explaining myself, my personality, a little about my job and a little about my gaming. Then things started getting serious as I became homeless for the first time in 5 years.

I realized that I have not had a 'permanent' home since 2010. I've lived outside the shelter for short periods. But I haven't had a place to call my own in that long.

Maybe that's for the best for me. I've found if I'm too comfortable then I don't want things to change. And I DO want things to change. I want my writing to be 'discovered' and paid for. I want my videos to be 'discovered' and generate ad income. I want - in short - for people to discover me, and that is what bothers me the most - not that I haven't been discovered so much but that I'd WANT to be discovered.

I've been an introvert my entire life. I don't even know how anyone can be anything but an introvert or an extrovert, but apparently it's possible for some people to switch between worlds. But the point is, I'd like nothing better than to be alone for the better part of my life. But sadly for me, unless you inherit money, and I didn't, you gotta work to pay the bills, or live off the land, which I'm definitely not suited for.

I've read articles on good jobs for introverts. Computer programmer came up. I've tried that. Unless you're writing apps in the privacy of your home, you still have to report to someone.

Self promotion has always been hard for me. Yet I can still force myself to
appear eager during an interview. I hate being forced to do anything. Promotion for writing, however, is another tale, and I can attest that writing is the hardest field for an introvert like me to break into. Not the writing part. That's easy for an introvert. What's hard is the schmoozing that takes place when you're trying to sell your  work.

'If you build it, they will come...' Oh how I wish that were true. Oh how I wish I could just plug all my writing down, oh, say, in a blog, and people would flock to it. Some people make a living blogging. I make pennies a day. I guess what I need are interesting things to say, or images of cats in cute positions.

I love cats but I won't exploit them - much.

I'm at a crossroads here. I have so many things I'd like to do, so many people I'd like to help. And in the process help myself. I've been reading successful blogs, wanting to know what makes them successful. It helps to be famous already. I'm tempted to make use of my name (Michael Fox for those that don't know) and feed off of people who think I'm the actor.

I'm rambling now, aren't I? This is how my mindset works. One idea comes into my head for a minute, then goes out the ears the next, replaced by a different idea. 'Normal' people have no idea how this works. 'Crazy' comes to mind. But as the name of the blog insists, I'm sane.

How do I know this? Well, I'm not certified if that's what you mean. I've never even talked to a psychiatrist. I know I'm sane because I read about insane people, and I see crazier people than I'll ever be every day. I'm sane because they're not. They give me a good sense of what the extreme is. I don't even think I'm borderline crazy. I'm frustrated as hell, but not crazy.

What's the point of this blog? You tell me!

/rant

Re-introducing: Mike's News Hangout!

I've been vacillating lately, between what the shelter wants me to do, which is find a job - any job, by brushing up on my job search and interviewing skills as well as putting in applications, well, everywhere; and trying to find funding for Project Five-Star, which is still high on my priority list but the obstacles to overcome for that seem insurmountable; and finally the business that I tried to get off the ground back in February: Mike's News Hangout.

All the work I've put into all of those endeavors and right now I don't have much to show for it: No job, only a few donations to Project Five-Star, and a stalled business...

Well that's not exactly true. Mike's News Hangout at the moment is the only aspect of my life that's making money. It's not much money, but the whole business plan was to make money through ads on the youtube videos that I posted. At last count there are 392 videos on my Youtube account, and I have $39.24 in my AdSense account. I don't get any of that until it reaches $100.

I had hoped that the money I got from AdSense would have paid for my expenses while on the road. Perhaps I need to edit my videos better, and I will, but the bottom line is that people watch the videos. I get 1,000 - 1,500 hits every month, not a small amount, but unfortunately, it's not enough to make ends meet.

So what's an entrepreneur to do? If I had money I'd buy ad space on Youtube so that more people will watch my videos. Of course, if I had money I'd be on the road.

So I'm taking another look at Mike's News Hangout. A re-introduction if you will. No, I don't have a car or van. Even my camera is sitting in a pawn shop at the moment. But I do have my computer and I have some time. I want to edit the video I have shot to put it in a more coherent form, package it, if you will.

I have plans for Mike's News Hangout. The original idea was shoot events and people and especially baseball games. I've changed things a little. I want to find the good in America and other places; people, events and generally feel-good moments.

And I want to hire someone to travel with me, to be the face of Mike's News Hangout. I'd prefer a female, cute, geeky and an extrovert to offset my maleness,  my lack of cuteness, and my introversion. I'd like to do a nationwide search for that. I'd like a lot of things. I need money! If you're a venture capitalist, I'd love to hear from you!

I have put up a google web site at https://sites.google.com/site/mikesnewshangout/ and I have also put up a contribution site at http://igg.me/p/230641?a=1176407, through Indigogo.

Will it lead to anything? Only time will tell.

If you like the videos on my youtube page, click like and share. If you don't like them, I can live with that. Let me know what kind of video you'd like to see. And contribute, so that I can start shooting that video.

And as always, thanks for watching!

Mike Fox
Owner, operator and all around nice guy at Mike's News Hangout.