» Fringe Blog – Writing on Film, Culture, and Things on the Fringe

It’s Not Personal, It’s Business

jelewis8 — Mon, 28 May 2007 18:27:42 +0000

As you know, I recently took the first step in what I hope will be a running stream of non-invasive and unobtrusive advertising that will help augment Fringe’s existence as a more networked, widely-read site.
There comes a point in every blogger’s life when he sells his soul in order to keep doing the thing he loves. I recently arrived at that point when I decided to allow advertising on my site. The truth is, I strove to keep this site advertisement free, and for four years I was able to do just that. I also made approximately seventy dollars over the course of that time, through donations and/or sales of DVDs. That’s not counting hosting and domain costs, cost of production of said DVDs, and other miscellaneous fees.
So less than $20 gross profit per year for a site that has almost 6,000 posts covering a wide range of topics, from Politics to Ireland to Movie Reviews to Fiction Writing. I’ve been trying and failing to attract a larger audience for this site, which I feel is a showcase for my writing and other creative endeavours, most of which could potentially be leveraged into a career at some point. But for whatever reason, Fringe has not caught on. Oh, it’s gotten some notice from a few people, but I don’t have the traffic that I really want. I started Fringe to attract people to my ideas and thoughts.
The research I’ve done suggests that as long as I continue to provide quality content, I shouldn’t piss off too many people. Whilst I do feel like a bit of a sellout, it’s not devoid of merit.
Thanks for your continued patience as I experiment with some new models for the site.

HR Puff ‘n’ Stuff

jelewis8 — Thu, 19 May 2005 19:46:56 +0000

Obviously, I am not a great fool…you would have counted on it! So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
From the Huffington Post, a link to a New York Times article with the waspishly hopeful headline Senior Officer in Iraq: American Enterprise in Iraq ‘Could Still Fail’. Would I be in error in observing the following maxim?
Where there is the suggestion of American foreign policy failure, there you will also find the stifled smiles of blue staters.
I realized last night that I’m really not a good blogger, in the sense of maintaining a cohesive, consistent viewpoint. I began Fringe as an outlet for my political rage (just kidding, sort of) but I’ve moved almost completely out of sync with posting politics here. For some reason, I am more comfortable keeping politics out of sight for a while. Even when I get the urge to say something, I’m reminded of the paltry fact that someone else out there has probably said the same thing, only better.
It does piss me off that blogs like the Hooverington Post don’t offer comments. I’d like to have words with the cretin who continues to mislead the public by insisting on the myth of 100,000+ dead Iraqi civilians. Wasn’t the Lancet report debunked so much it had stretch marks?
How about this golden newbie?

Newsweek relied on faulty intelligence to write a magazine article. George W. Bush relied on faulty intelligence to start a war which has cost over $200 billion, and which has taken the lives of over 1600 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.
Here’s the difference. Newsweek didn’t know its intelligence was phony. And Newsweek apologized.

Wait. Fault or phony, which is it? There is a difference, you know. And even if Newsweek didn’t know its intelligence was phony, they sure rushed to put that information out, which has helped splinter relations with Afghanistan (most Iraqis seem less affected by the phony allegations of Koran flushing). How long did Newsweek wait to post their uncorroborated source material? A week? That’s pretty generous, considering how little vetting that info actually received. My bet’s on the hour. Rush that sucker, it further paints a picture of the decadent corruption of the American military!
Here’s the real difference: Bush supplied more than faulty intelligence for adequate reasons to go to war. And he waited a year and a half after 9/11 to give other options a chance. Given the good faith Bush supplied the UN in offering that corrupt world governing body a chance to actually follow its mandate, and knowing now how nearly every country who opposed invasion had their hands stuck so far up Saddam’s coffers they came out looking guilded, it’s a stretch to compare a shoddy reporting job with a legitimate attempt at restructuring the Middle East through a process of war, diplomacy, and installation of infant democracy. Big stretch.
The author of that post better get with the party line there at the Hufflepuff Post regarding civilian dead. It’s 100,000+, you dolt! Not tens of thousands!
And I’ll be waiting in line tonight for the big event. You know the one. Revenge of the Sith, or How I Learned to Cause Fanboys and Nerds to Stop Living and Prostrate Themselves At the Throne of the Almighty George. I think that second part is an unofficial title. I have criticized Lucas before, even offering some suggestions for Episode Three titles. But I can be gracious when I need to be. I will admit to being excited, though not ecstatic, at the prospect of this dark third. Maybe it’ll be good. Maybe it’ll blow my low expectations into orbit. Maybe, just maybe, Jar Jar will die.
And maybe Shooter5 is reading this now. If so…you were right.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

jelewis8 — Sat, 14 May 2005 07:48:16 +0000

Is the entire galaxy of interwebs broken? I click on a blog comment link to leave my piece of digestible wisdom, and what do I get, but Blogger spitting in my face. Click to check to see whether my gene mutation vs. gene heredity post on MonkeyFilter has been flamed and I discover the whole dang site’s been pulled over by the bandwidth cops (at least, it’s what I presume–I’ve had several run-ins with the law myself regarding excessive traffic). Don’t worry, I didn’t put on the brakes, like every other idiot who sees a cop pulling someone over (duh, they’ve got their catch of the moment–you’re free and clear, jerk). I drive by at my normal operating speed and head over to the ever reliable IMDB and download screen covers for the latest films I’ve just tossed sixteen bucks to.
That’s right, it’s movie review time once again here at the Fringe–long, ponderous, meandering, often pointlessly erudite–I once read a comment on someone else’s blessed site regarding my reviews saying, and I quote, “…poor guy, I wonder how long he’s been writing those long-ass movie reviews.” Believe me, I was touched, as if by an angel of flatulence. But I forge ahead.
And I offer you three reviews. And if at any time you notice my head asploding, don’t worry. Happens every beginning of summer, when the fertile fields of Hollywood produces a sweet crop of movies more numerous than a farmboy like me deserves. Enjoy, my pretty little pets…

Bits and Pieces

jelewis8 — Mon, 09 May 2005 19:19:19 +0000

Say, is John Kerry ever going to release those military records like he promised?
How good are you at English? Maybe not so good after taking this remedial quiz. I passed, by the way. Via Tim Blair
I’m sure as heck not going to post a “blogger code of ethics” on my site, least of all at the behest of this guy.
If Piper heads to Lebanon for the women, can I go to southern Califor…
It’s started in Austin. The way I figure it, if smoking in bars is banned in Texas–TEXAS!!–we’re all pretty much screwed.
Among other things, VodkaPundit is going to be a daddy. Congratulations, and don’t let the blue pencilnecks get to you.
House of Wax: “‘…the 2nd best Paris Hilton film I’ve seen this year. ‘”
Tales from the Darth Side: “Okay, I admit it. I cut off the kid’s hand. Everything went downhill after that.
Blast! Blast! Blast! I am such an idiot.”

YR L1CNS 1S RTRDD

jelewis8 — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 08:09:40 +0000

I’ve nearly had it with people who put the kind of car they drive on their license plates. In fact, my disgust with these kinds of people goes beyond my dislike for the jerks who put those “My kid is an honor roll student at Milk Dud High School” stickers on their bumpers. Like we care!
No, I’m not some mean old man who’s grown bitter and tired of the world. In fact I am a young man who’se grown bitter and tired of the world (on Tuesdays, at least). I find both practices patently offensive to intelligence, common sense, and rules of nomenclature. We know you have a Dodge Viper because it says so in chrome letters on your bum. Is there really a need to reassure me that you do indeed have a Dodge Viper by putting VIP3R on your license plate?
The fact that you used a 3 for the E means that some other idiot already took VIPER. That should have been your first clue that this would wind up on some anonymous blogger’s site. If you read Time Magazine (which you don’t, you’re not the type, I can tell by your license plate), you’d know that bloggers are a powerful force. We can wreck your life. You don’t want to get on our bad side.
Your second clue should have been the look the DMV lady gave you when you requested that sequence of letters. Those DMV clerks can smell pathetic before you even take a number, and believe me, they smelled it on you like cheap cologne from Bath and Body Works:
Looking for an enhancer for that lame Emo bullcrap you call a persona? This time, wrap yourself in the alluring scent of Loser. This whiny, freshman underoo cologne combines the irritating musk of your first failed sports tryout, the dungpile fragrance of all of your romantic failures, and a mealy-mouth, butt-kissing office jockey stench that will surely leave you breathless with pathetic gasps for air through your tiny, malformed lung tissue. It debuts on your birthday — to commemorate the day the world’s biggest wiener was born — and will be available in any cheap outlet store or your favorite body care and home fragrance essentials shop. When you want to smell like you, choose to Lose with Loser Scent and accompanying soaps and shampoo.
The last clue, and most glaringly obvious one, was the fact that you thought it was a good idea to put VIP3R on your license plate. What have I told you before? Any thought that starts with “I think this would be a good idea” should immediately be jailed, sentenced, and then drawn and quartered in a very public ceremony that will leave all other stupid thoughts quaking in mortal fear of being sent up the pike in a similar style. Get it!?
Now when it comes to vanity plates, one must approach with care and caution. Not every vanity plate must be funny, but it should be a socially viable message, ie. one that most of the driving populace can “get” and appreciate, if not admire. This means no plates with your initials and those of your lover/partner/driving instructor. I’m serious. It must contain the most amount of information in the space provided, and must be clever. In other words, B0BSCKS is lame.
TI 3V0M, on the other hand, is exceedingly clever, as the full weight of its message is only appreciated when looking at it in the rear view mirror.
When possible, you must form a vanity plate that contains multiple meanings. Entendres are clever, as are personal intents that become, by dint of social perceptions, jokes and teasers.
Here’s one I like: NDFLMKR
There’s two, maybe even three legitimate conclusions you could draw from this plate. It’s got mystery, but also style and a sense of confidence that proves that the driver of this car–a 1990 Honda Civic, in this case–isn’t afraid to bare his passion, his soul, and possibly his body in pursuit of the noble art of cinema. Or it might just be that he’s from North Dakota. Alas, neither of those explanations is true (there is a third alternative), but are examples of a private life becoming a public joke.
I won’t tell you how I know all this, I’ll just say that one gets more questions regarding said license plate in parking lots and at traffic lights than you will believe.
All this is to say: if you’re going to remind us all what kind of car you drive by putting the make and model of it on the license plate, don’t be surprised if you find yourself the subject of ridicule on some guy’s website somewhere. If you’re contemplating making this socially suicidal move, just think:
It could be you. And you really, really don’t want it to be you.