Billy Young's Blog, page 35
August 28, 2009
28th August 2009
You know that feeling you get when you’re about to come down with a nasty cold or flu. Well I’m suffering from that, hence why I a little late writing this blog this week. I went for a snooze in the hope that a bit of rest will head off whatever I’m in for. Not much hope I know because we all know what’s for you won’t go past you, right.
Anyways what else have I been doing to keep boredom at bay? First I got a light to encourage my Lemon trees as the bad summer has left them struggling and the weather folk promised us a heat wave. I was a kid in ’76 which was a real heat wave. This year we got two weeks of warmer than normal weather and they call that the heat wave, nothing like covering your back. The light I got was cheap but offers the plants the equivalent of 240 watts yet because of the energy bulbs only uses 44 watts, not bad eh.
Out in the garden my Blueberry bush and Gooseberry bush are coming on well. Though my tomatoes aren’t doing so well, really what I need is a proper greenhouse. What I have is fine as a propagator to get them started but not much when the need the room to spread out. I wish I could afford one but like most things it will have to sit on the list of things I’ll get if I win the lottery.
My venture into decorating the living room now awaits the council to send out some plasterers. The Inspector came and has put us down for the repairs but it could be a few weeks before they come. I’ll be glad when they do then I can get on with making the livingroom liveable again. It never ends does it?
Anyways what else have I been doing to keep boredom at bay? First I got a light to encourage my Lemon trees as the bad summer has left them struggling and the weather folk promised us a heat wave. I was a kid in ’76 which was a real heat wave. This year we got two weeks of warmer than normal weather and they call that the heat wave, nothing like covering your back. The light I got was cheap but offers the plants the equivalent of 240 watts yet because of the energy bulbs only uses 44 watts, not bad eh.
Out in the garden my Blueberry bush and Gooseberry bush are coming on well. Though my tomatoes aren’t doing so well, really what I need is a proper greenhouse. What I have is fine as a propagator to get them started but not much when the need the room to spread out. I wish I could afford one but like most things it will have to sit on the list of things I’ll get if I win the lottery.
My venture into decorating the living room now awaits the council to send out some plasterers. The Inspector came and has put us down for the repairs but it could be a few weeks before they come. I’ll be glad when they do then I can get on with making the livingroom liveable again. It never ends does it?
August 21, 2009
21st August 2009
Signed on, on Monday but it could be two or three weeks for my claim to be sorted. This means no income till it is, lean times ahead unless someone at the jobcentre decides to do some actual work. If they do then it will be sooner rather than later.
I’ve been stripping wallpaper the past couple of days. My mate Mickey came round to give me a hand. I was glad he did, the more hands the lighter the work, not that it was hard. Being a council house though stripping the wallpaper means one thing, as the wallpaper comes off the walls so does the plaster. Whole lumps fell from the walls which we now need to wait for the council to come and fix it. Of course first we have to wait for the Inspector to see what need repairing. Usually the Inspector is quite quick in coming out but from him coming out to the workers turning up to fix a problem is a month or two, some times longer. So now we have the joy of living in an echo box, every time one of us speaks the echo off of the bare walls amplifies the sound so it sounds like we’re shouting. Now I’m finding myself whispering almost.
I’ve been having a break from writing this week, instead I’ve been playing games. First it was Civ 4, now it’s Dungeon Siege 2. DS 2 is a good game but there have been a few oversights like when you load the game, you aren’t where you saved it but away at the beginning. As I said a few oversights, which you have to look past; other than that it is a good game with plenty to keep you busy and tuned into it. I can see myself playing for another week or so.
I’ve been stripping wallpaper the past couple of days. My mate Mickey came round to give me a hand. I was glad he did, the more hands the lighter the work, not that it was hard. Being a council house though stripping the wallpaper means one thing, as the wallpaper comes off the walls so does the plaster. Whole lumps fell from the walls which we now need to wait for the council to come and fix it. Of course first we have to wait for the Inspector to see what need repairing. Usually the Inspector is quite quick in coming out but from him coming out to the workers turning up to fix a problem is a month or two, some times longer. So now we have the joy of living in an echo box, every time one of us speaks the echo off of the bare walls amplifies the sound so it sounds like we’re shouting. Now I’m finding myself whispering almost.
I’ve been having a break from writing this week, instead I’ve been playing games. First it was Civ 4, now it’s Dungeon Siege 2. DS 2 is a good game but there have been a few oversights like when you load the game, you aren’t where you saved it but away at the beginning. As I said a few oversights, which you have to look past; other than that it is a good game with plenty to keep you busy and tuned into it. I can see myself playing for another week or so.
August 14, 2009
14th August 2009
Well I was right, I got three weeks work and now I’m back to signing on. More work could come in at anytime as the Christmas orders arrive. In the meantime I’ll have more time to work on Banshee 2. I got a start on the first chapter, which is a start and I have the plot worked out. At the same time I have begun to format Bublos. More work to do to it before it is ready for when I can go forth with publishing. I’ve still to find a publisher though Lulu has shown signs of improving its customer support. I am waiting to hear back from them though concerning some issues. They are minor ones, yet I might have to put them to the side if I wish to get Bublos into print. Mind I’ll need t wait till I have the money to go forward as the cash has been spent. I held onto the money for a while but you know how it goes when you have it burning a hole in your pocket. It happens even more when you have kids and they are in need of new clothes for school. They’re back to school next week. Oh the peace and quiet that it will bring, only joking. My kids aren’t really that noise, except when they’re arguing, which luckily isn’t too much. My son is actually looking forward to getting back to school, though my daughter hasn’t said anything. I’m guessing she’ll also be happy to get back after the six week break.
Before I get stuck back into writing I think maybe a game of Civilization 4 might be in order. Just a couple of days to relax.
Before I get stuck back into writing I think maybe a game of Civilization 4 might be in order. Just a couple of days to relax.
August 7, 2009
7th August 2009
Slept in for work yesterday but still managed to get there in time. Though it left me feeling like it was Saturday for some reason. A strange day all in it was, the heat added to that lazy weekend feeling. Today was all go in comparison even though there was little slacking yesterday. Today was busier as I had the machine I’m work going full tilt. Four bins were filled with waste that gets recycled by another firm.
Lulu seemed to be looking at my complaint more seriously. A member of staff by the name of Nick is looking into it and said he would keep me notified of progress. Now that is what customer support should be like. Maybe I might finally get everything sorted soon then I can get back to publishing Bublos. Fingers crossed.
In the meantime I’ve started sorting out a plot for Banshee 2. Detective Munroe will play a part in this one and Mandy’s family. Micky one of the characters from the first book is Mandy’s great nephew, so that will be the tie in. I’m enjoying working out the details to this one first, usually I just dive in and start writing. This time I’m setting out the plot first so I know where I want to take it. I wrote half a plot last year for it but I can’t find it now. It has forced me to start from scratch yet I think this is good because I have let the ideas from the first inspiration grow and mature a little. The plot, I hope, will add to that making for a better tale. Well that what I’ll be trying to do this weekend. At least Saturday won’t feel like Thursday or so I hope.
Lulu seemed to be looking at my complaint more seriously. A member of staff by the name of Nick is looking into it and said he would keep me notified of progress. Now that is what customer support should be like. Maybe I might finally get everything sorted soon then I can get back to publishing Bublos. Fingers crossed.
In the meantime I’ve started sorting out a plot for Banshee 2. Detective Munroe will play a part in this one and Mandy’s family. Micky one of the characters from the first book is Mandy’s great nephew, so that will be the tie in. I’m enjoying working out the details to this one first, usually I just dive in and start writing. This time I’m setting out the plot first so I know where I want to take it. I wrote half a plot last year for it but I can’t find it now. It has forced me to start from scratch yet I think this is good because I have let the ideas from the first inspiration grow and mature a little. The plot, I hope, will add to that making for a better tale. Well that what I’ll be trying to do this weekend. At least Saturday won’t feel like Thursday or so I hope.
July 31, 2009
31st July 2009
I was looking at Createspace this week as a way to publish Bublos. After checking it out though I realized that it doesn’t offer much in the way for distribution. At first I thought that their Pro Plan would offer at least distribution through all of its parent company’s many sub domains but unfortunately no. This is sad because if it had then it would have given me a way for my books to be on all of Amazons’ sites world wide, as they are the ones that own Createspace. Ah well, it doesn’t and they don’t.
I will keep looking though the cost of other publishers seem very high, from $399 up till you reach the silly money. I’ll need to save a lot before I can afford to publish again by the looks of things. Saying that, if Lulu were to get around to sorting things out, then I might be able to get on with setting up Bublos for the market. I don’t think that is going to happen though, it’s been to long and they don’t seem to really wish to answer my calls for them to come clean.
Whilst I save I can start writing my next story, Banshee 2. There’s a sub title that I won’t reveal at the moment. Mandy will be back for the funeral of one of the two men that died in the first book. I’m still working out their relationship, as there is a gap in the years separating them. Aunt, Great Aunt? As I said something to figure out this weekend, maybe.
I will keep looking though the cost of other publishers seem very high, from $399 up till you reach the silly money. I’ll need to save a lot before I can afford to publish again by the looks of things. Saying that, if Lulu were to get around to sorting things out, then I might be able to get on with setting up Bublos for the market. I don’t think that is going to happen though, it’s been to long and they don’t seem to really wish to answer my calls for them to come clean.
Whilst I save I can start writing my next story, Banshee 2. There’s a sub title that I won’t reveal at the moment. Mandy will be back for the funeral of one of the two men that died in the first book. I’m still working out their relationship, as there is a gap in the years separating them. Aunt, Great Aunt? As I said something to figure out this weekend, maybe.
July 24, 2009
24th July 2009
Started work again, Adcraft phoned me on Tuesday. So that was me back at work by the next day. It’s only for three week, with the usual, if more work comes in it could be longer. It would be nice but three weeks is better than nothing, especially as I had to pay out for a new power pack. The computer is fine though and the new PSU is a Tagan 680w, plenty of power there. It’s also the quietest unit I’ve had, which is an added bonus.
Got another answer from Lulu but it just adds to the first problem. I got a reply from my question regarding withholding tax. They said all my sales were from the US none in the UK. So that still leaves me wondering where the UK sales are. I know I have had some but they aren’t on my account. Saying that, others have been told that Amazon seems to be using a US printer for books sold through them. This means all Amazon sales are classed as US sales. This all seems to be a little confusing for me. Mind others are saying that they are missing more sales than has been reported. In the end it still leaves me wondering about my own troubles with Lulu. After all they haven’t given me anything but the run-around. I even was told off from a Lulu staff member for posting about my doubts concerning getting help from support in the forums. If Lulu doesn’t want to hear people complaining the sort out customers’ problems, don’t ignore them or give them the brush off with lame excuses.
I have four more chapters to edit in Bublos this weekend. I’m also getting some feedback from fellow writers on Authonomy.com. I’ll wait for more before I decide to make any more changes as I want to get to my next story. A follow up to Banshee Angel of Judgement is beckoning and sitting Bublos to the side till I can get it published might be a good thing. It would then let me give it a fresher look at it and give me an idea of where I need to fix it. I will at one time put the whole story on Authonomy for a bit but not yet and only for a short time, to get feed back with any luck.
Got another answer from Lulu but it just adds to the first problem. I got a reply from my question regarding withholding tax. They said all my sales were from the US none in the UK. So that still leaves me wondering where the UK sales are. I know I have had some but they aren’t on my account. Saying that, others have been told that Amazon seems to be using a US printer for books sold through them. This means all Amazon sales are classed as US sales. This all seems to be a little confusing for me. Mind others are saying that they are missing more sales than has been reported. In the end it still leaves me wondering about my own troubles with Lulu. After all they haven’t given me anything but the run-around. I even was told off from a Lulu staff member for posting about my doubts concerning getting help from support in the forums. If Lulu doesn’t want to hear people complaining the sort out customers’ problems, don’t ignore them or give them the brush off with lame excuses.
I have four more chapters to edit in Bublos this weekend. I’m also getting some feedback from fellow writers on Authonomy.com. I’ll wait for more before I decide to make any more changes as I want to get to my next story. A follow up to Banshee Angel of Judgement is beckoning and sitting Bublos to the side till I can get it published might be a good thing. It would then let me give it a fresher look at it and give me an idea of where I need to fix it. I will at one time put the whole story on Authonomy for a bit but not yet and only for a short time, to get feed back with any luck.
July 17, 2009
17th July 2009
I’m writing this on my wife laptop. Why? Well mine blew the PSU the other day. I got a new one yesterday, only for that to malfunction today. When things go bad they really seem to go down the swanny. I only hope that all the trouble with power packs hasn’t caused any other damage to other components. Because of all this I’m unable to do any more work on my story or had much of a connection to the web, which is depressing to say the least. It’s amazing how much we become dependant on the tech around us. Yes, we hear the horror tales of losing our link to the web but it is only when it happens to us that we see what others are going on about. After all there was a time when we weren’t linked through the WWW. Yet we all managed very well without it. What did we do that used up our time so well that we had no need to interact with the wider world? Before the web we watched endless TV, listened to the radio, went to the pub and breathed fresh air whilst going for a walk. We still do these things yet, somehow found we have time to talk to new friends from the other side of this small blue globe. The past few nights I have been a bored to say the least. Last night I was so glad to finally find I could once again get lost in the great digital universe and at the same time work on Bublos. Today saw me back to using my wife’s computer to do those things I think of as essential, checking on my emails, etc, etc. I only hope that my luck changes soon as I don’t think I could stand any more of the kind I’ve been getting of late. With Lulu, work and now the computer, well they do say troubles come in threes; let’s hope.
July 10, 2009
10th July2009
What a rotten day; though the weather has been good. My job ended today, yes it was supposed to last longer but a contract has been delayed. The day started bad, my water bottle burst in my bag and then I gave myself a nasty knock on the elbow; it still hurts; going to have a big bruise tomorrow. I also got an email from BBB, they got an answer from Lulu but it was the same rubbish they hit me with. As you can imagine this has been adding to that crappy feeling all day as I thought it over. Anyway if Lulu want to cause upset and ignore their users then they can’t be surprised if we start looking closer at their dubious practices. One that I have noticed is that all my sales to date, whether they are in the USA or else where, have be subject of the famous Withholding Tax. Now correct me if I am wrong but is that not supposed to be only for US sales? If so maybe it is my duty to looking into, who I should report this matter to – the IRS or Inland Revenue? I might not be taken seriously; then again it does look dodgy to me. As I said before If they treat their customers badly when they have concerns then they can’t just expect us to sit back and take it, can they? No.
As you can tell from my rant it has been a very, very bad day.
As you can tell from my rant it has been a very, very bad day.
July 3, 2009
3rd July 2009
Lulu still hasn’t addressed my problems with them. I did get a reply from support but it was unhelpful to say the least and by the answer they gave me, it looked like they failed to actually read what I was saying. I have now gone to the Better Business Bureau to make a complaint to them. Whilst at their site I noticed that Lulu is being reviewed by them at this time. I only hope that this action will lead to Lulu sorting things out for me and others but by the way things have went so far I don’t hold much hope of it.
Bublos is being re-edited by me after my wife asked a few questions. I thought I had everything neatly wrapped up. Still if I need to work on it some more to get it right then that’s what I need to do. Most of it is background or to explain what happens next to the main character. As I said, I thought the end was answered, hopefully it will be by the time I finish reworking it this time.
On brighter news, I start work on Monday. Again it is with the company that I worked for before, so it is only for three weeks. Still that’s better than nothing and I’m looking forward to be earning again. It may not be my dream job, yet does it really matter when the bills are piling up and the kids are making their never ending demands for the things that they see as essential, no.
Bublos is being re-edited by me after my wife asked a few questions. I thought I had everything neatly wrapped up. Still if I need to work on it some more to get it right then that’s what I need to do. Most of it is background or to explain what happens next to the main character. As I said, I thought the end was answered, hopefully it will be by the time I finish reworking it this time.
On brighter news, I start work on Monday. Again it is with the company that I worked for before, so it is only for three weeks. Still that’s better than nothing and I’m looking forward to be earning again. It may not be my dream job, yet does it really matter when the bills are piling up and the kids are making their never ending demands for the things that they see as essential, no.
June 26, 2009
26th June 2009
My Lulu troubles still are on going. I did get word back but it far from resolved the issues I have. I sent in my reply and now await them getting back in touch.
My wife has finished checking over Bublos, making recommendations on where more is needed. Luckily it is in only a couple of places, with more typos than I would like to sort out as well. It’s strange how they always creep into your writing. No matter how hard you work to eliminate them you always seem to find more. Sometimes I think it the word processing package not saving it 100% correctly. That will just be my paranoia though. I got the cover finished for the book and have started searching around for publishers. I did find one or two epulishers which don’t ask for cash and so look like they offer a good service. What I didn’t see on there sites was forums to gauge what others experience is with them. More research is needed before I decide how to go. I have the time as at the moment my job search is going no-where. The job market is very empty for those of us with few skills. Well not a great deal I can do about that, just keep searching and hope that something comes my way soon.
My wife has finished checking over Bublos, making recommendations on where more is needed. Luckily it is in only a couple of places, with more typos than I would like to sort out as well. It’s strange how they always creep into your writing. No matter how hard you work to eliminate them you always seem to find more. Sometimes I think it the word processing package not saving it 100% correctly. That will just be my paranoia though. I got the cover finished for the book and have started searching around for publishers. I did find one or two epulishers which don’t ask for cash and so look like they offer a good service. What I didn’t see on there sites was forums to gauge what others experience is with them. More research is needed before I decide how to go. I have the time as at the moment my job search is going no-where. The job market is very empty for those of us with few skills. Well not a great deal I can do about that, just keep searching and hope that something comes my way soon.
