Random Randomness

We survived yet another apocalypse prediction! Yay us!

A few random thoughts and then I'll let you go on your way:

1. Talk of what the "Fiscal Cliff" will do to our economy: Stock markets will tumble, we'll all pay higher taxes, the economy will stop its recovery.

Bullshit. Yeah, things might seem bad at first, but the thing I've learned about the stock market: It goes down. Then it goes up! Then it goes down again, and then goes up, inching higher and higher until something happens that 'corrects' it. This is one of those corrections. And guess what? When the stocks tumble someone with a lot of money will pick up those stocks that tumbled and then eventually turn a profit on them. Let's make them pay taxes on it! Then the government will have money to do the things it needs to do without borrowing.

2. Speaking of borrowing, I had an idea the other day. I know, I get too many ideas. And not enough money to make them happen. Well I've decided to concentrate my efforts. Not on Mike's News Hangout, though there will be news on that shortly. Project Five Star will have to wait. I'm going to concentrate my efforts on my writing. *GASP* Yes, the one thing I have proven talent in. Some may suggest that talent isn't very good, but I'm going to work on it.

You've seen my 'Shy Boy' snippets here. I want to turn that into a script. I want to sell that script. Now I could and will work on that while I'm homeless (makes for a better background story) but the shelter wants me to find a job, and I can't tell them my job is a writer, when I have no income. Eventually they'll get tired of that and force me to leave.

Instead, I'd like to find a benefactor, a patron, who can provide me with living expenses while I finish that and other scripts. I think you'll find I can survive off a very tiny sum of money compared to others.

I've tried the 'crowdsourcing' methods. I've tried asking for money directly. I know I don't qualify for a loan, so I'm asking one person, with more money than they can use, to help me out.

What do I have to offer in return? To pay back the loan with interest when I sell a script; to give you credit as a benefactor when I win an Oscar ;-); to donate signed copies of my scripts to you that may be worth something someday.

And my everlasting gratitude.

3. My videos have made a record setting (for me) amount of money this month, and it's not over. As of right now, I've made $10.66 for the month of December from AdSense, and the total made is $60.84. I know, to others it's not much, but to this poor homeless person it's a small fortune. I don't get any of it until it breaks $100, though, and then we start over. Please watch my videos and click on the ads!

That's all the randomness I can generate at the moment. Have a wonderful New Year!

5,000 Views and Counting

This site just passed its 5,000th view. I want to thank those that took the time to read my rants. I'm hoping for a lot more views in the future!

A few meanderings:

On "Superstorm Sandy": My heart goes out to those affected by the storm. Here in Raleigh we experienced rain and wind, but not as much as other areas. I'd like to comment to those who blame this storm on global warming, or God's Retribution: First, this was only a category 1 hurricane. It happened to hit land in the most densely populated area that it could, and that is what caused the damage. Second, this was an act of nature. It wasn't nearly as intense as it could have been. If the storm had come ashore in the Carolinas, it would have fizzled before hitting anywhere else. Let's clean up and move on.

I will be starting a new class at Wake Tech on Monday that will cover working at the front desk in the medical field. It's a free course to me. I'll learn about medical billing etc. It should be fun!

I'm still hoping Mike's News Hangout will get funding. After all, if no one else will hire me, I know I will! Current totals from AdSense are $45.40. And growing.

That is all!

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!

Help Wanted: Mike's News Hangout - Assistant

It's time to pull all the stops out and get this company off to a roaring restart. I plan to finish putting together a business plan that will highlight what I've done so far, what little money I've made from it, and what money could be made if I can get the funding for one year of operations.

The key is for me to hire someone who is energetic, young, appealing, an extrovert and is capable of helping me shoot, edit and post videos, as well as sharing the driving.

No, I don't have the money right now. So if you want the job you might have to help me raise some money.

So here are the qualifications I'm looking for:

18+ (I'd consider 17 if you've graduated from High School.)
Energetic
Visually appealing (as in when people see you on video, they like you.)
The ability to shoot, edit and post video. Experience with youtube is a definite plus!
Computer and Internet literate - Windows (or you can bring your own Macbook.)
A valid driver's licence with no recent marks against it. No DWI at all!
Non-Smoker (I'm allergic to cigarette smoke, not good to piss off the boss.)
No drugs (especially if you drive.)
Willing to spend some nights in a motel (separate beds) and some nights sleeping in the van to save money.
Willing to interview people (personable, friendly.)
I'm willing to accept applications from male or female, but if you're male, you'd better knock my socks off. I need someone to counter my deficiencies.
Willing to commit to the road for one year. I'll make it worth your while, I hope.
I'd be happier if you were a geek and can speak 1337-speak along with me. If you're a gamer, even better. Not necessary to like World of Warcraft, but it will help, since at least some of our videos may center around that.

What I need from you:
An email to me at mike.fox.wow at gmail.com that gives me your name, and a little about yourself and why you want the job. Attach or link a video that gives me the basics of your personality. It can be made for me, like an interview (use your imagination, a good thing to have), or something you recorded before. Why do I need this? Several reasons. First, I need to see how you look and act on video. Second, if you get the job, I want something I can present to a potential lender to show them that I want to hire someone to help me make money from this.

One more thing I'll need if you get the job is help raising money. Being the introverted person I am, I'm not outgoing enough to be the spokesperson. I need an extroverted person who knows a lot of people who can donate small sums and help us get off the ground.

My Donation Page

What I'm willing to give in return:

Assuming we make the goal for donations and/or loans, I am willing to pay a salary of $20,000 for the first year, plus room and board (yes some nights spent in the van) for the entire year. If things go well, I'll pay a bonus based on the profits (after loans paid) of the advertising we get.

What you get:

A chance to see the country.
To see your smiling face on youtube.
A chance for others to see your smiling face on youtube.
Oh yeah, a place to stay and food to eat and $20,000 at least.

My Youtube Site

Here you can see some of the video I've already show and get a feel for what I want to do. (And why I need help!)

Okay, that's it! I may (with permission) post some of the videos on my youtube site. Good luck to all of us!

Mike Fox
Owner
Mike's News Hangout

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.

Why I Want to be a Social Media Journalist

A few posts back, I laid forth an idea for a business, where I would buy a van, a computer or two, a few cameras, a wifi router, and then go out and about the world whoring myself making video to be posted on youtube. I want to take a moment to talk about why I want to do this.

First, it's a source of income. Yes, I'll need to borrow to make it happen, but based on what I've read on the youtube site, it's possible to make substantial amounts of money through partnering with youtube. I also suggested building a web site with live streaming video and selling ad space there.

Second, it's a chance to leave a lasting impression. I'm a writer, primarily, and my writing has not taken off yet, so how then can I be remembered after I'm gone? By making a video that goes viral. Maybe making many videos that go viral. It doesn't take much. I could film cats in cute positions all day and post that and probably make a lot of money. But being homeless, I don't have a cat.

Even so, this is not how I want to be remembered. In the late '90's I took several Broadcast Journalism courses, and even worked at two television stations behind the scenes. I would have loved to be behind the camera during a live event back then, but I was stuck in the studio, behind a camera, editing video, running a CHYRON and an audio board, popping tapes in and out of a player. I was, for a brief time, an Associate Director, which meant I ran the board that actually displays the videos on-air. Unfortunately, my dexterity and the patience of the producer proved to be less than optimal. I still loved the whole news.journalism thing, and though I got out of the field, I'd like to join it again - on my terms.

Third, I want to be there as events unfold this year. If the Mayans are right (and who am I to argue with an extinct race of humans) 2012 will likely be one of the busiest news years ever. Even without the Mayans, things are happening all over the world that need someone to record them. Much of the mainstream media is ignoring, or worse, putting down the Occupy movement, which I think is a very bad idea. We have a Presidential election going on, and two conventions that need an impartial eye watching not only the candidates, but the people around the conventions: protesters, law enforcement, the movers and shakers of Washington. I want to be there for those events and make some money from them!

Fourth, lest you think I'm attention whore, I'd like to cover other parts of the American way of life: baseball games, football games, basketball, hockey and not just professional. I'd like to travel from city to city, town to town and take the pulse of America. It has been too many years since we saw something along the line of 'On the Road with Charles Kuralt.' I'd like to cover major and minor events. Since I'm a geek, I'd like to cover geeky stuff, like anime conventions, Doctor Who, ComicCon, and the like. And then I'd like to post the results on youtube and make some money on it.

The goal for the first year of operation, other than covering the conventions, is to hit every Major League ball park for a game and a tour, and to look at what kind of people go to those games. I'd like to do the same for NFL football, the NBA and the NHL.

And if in my travels I happen to be around when a major news story breaks, well then I'll have the privilege of covering that, maybe even exclusively. I want to cover social issues that are near and dear to me, like the Occupy movement, like the homeless situation in each city or town I breeze through. I want people to see what's really happening in America.

Fifth, I want to host and moderate Google Plus Hangouts with people who have ideas, or people who have educated opinions on the events of the day, who have answers to the questions that people are asking, like what the hell's a Google Hangout anyway? I'd like that to be done on a daily basis.

And finally, I want to travel like I haven't done in years, and really, like I've never done. I feel restless staying in one place too long, and there is so much of America and especially the world that I haven't seen and experienced. I want to experience other cultures, other ways of thinking within this country that I love so dear. I've traveled quite a bit, born in France, moving from state to state and country to country as an Air Force Brat. I want to travel more.

So this is what I want to do. I want to be the most objective, impartial journalist I can be. What do I need? Really, all I need is a van, a high quality camera, a high quality computer (Mac Book Pro!), and access to the internet through cell or satellite systems.

Do I need $100,000 like I asked for? No, not really. But it's nice to have a cushion to fall back on, so that I can take a few weeks to prepare for my journey and not be in the shelter. So that I can buy a new van with a warranty, and can afford the insurance for it. So that I can get the health care things that I need for a healthy body, eyes and mouth. I need glasses. I need to get my teeth fixed. Can I work without them? Well, not the glasses. I need them to drive. Teeth? Maybe. But I'd make a better impression with a mouth full of shiny white teeth than a mouth full of what I have now.

So the call goes out again. I could use help setting up a business plan that will get me a shot at a loan. I could use a co-signer because my credit sucks. If you want to donate equipment, I can do that. If you want to donate or lend money, it would be appreciated and paid back.

I'm trying my best to gather all the tools I need to do this by myself, but even the most affluent people needed help at some point in their lives. So I'm asking for help. Can you please help me? Can you make a difference in the life of someone who has struggled and now only wants a chance to make a difference himself?