tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18462554991021428602024-02-18T21:55:06.479-05:00Apocalypse ComingTravis Besecker's official blog. Guinness, quantum mechanics, sarcasm, boxing, movies, books, horror, zombies and dick jokes... Award winning author of LOST IN INFINITY and coming soon, HARNESSING THE SPARK.Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-9519399077635619072014-10-10T11:25:00.000-04:002014-11-02T22:13:42.597-05:00What happened?Things kind of fell apart for almost a year. I relapsed into old habits/addictions and found myself dedicated to so many projects that I didn't know which way was up, sleep became secondary, family and friends were gently placed on the back burner and I dove headfirst into quicksand. I walked away from social media, I stopped writing altogether and ignored all the signs.<br />
<br />
After the first of the year, the GetOffended gang reconvened and the decision was made to shut it down. I didn't go down without a fight. Angie, my longtime consigliere, locked me in a closet and pulled the plug. It was depressing. We were all heartbroken. I was lost.<br />
<br />
I thought I had seen the worst of it, receding into the confines of my head, but I was wrong. After meeting with the accountant and making the official call to waive the white flag, I dove back into the quicksand. A huge part of my life, that actually began in 1985, had come to an end. My mortality was staring me in the face. I was saying goodbye to what had defined me for the entirety of my adult life. GetOffended was my fortress of solitude. I'd met so many people, made so many friends and shared so many times with my cohorts because of GetOffended... I didn't know how to move on.<br />
<br />
So I didn't.<br />
<br />
I didn't know how to say goodbye. I didn't want to. I took all of the stock left over the site (thousands of t-shirts, stickers, catalogs, office materials, business cards, etc etc) and moved them to my home office. There were many suggestions on what to do with everything, but I wasn't having any of it. It's been six months and they are still stacked in there, reminding me of where I came from. They'll probably be there ten years from now.<br />
<br />
In the spring, I was pulled out of the quicksand. I dusted myself off and did my best to assume the role of human being. I opened old projects and began to revise <i>Harnessing the Spark</i> before sending it off. The problem was, my heart wasn't in it and my head wasn't ready. <i>Lost in Infinity</i> was thrust into my face. The book had become my bane. I had rushed it with intention of getting it off my chest and never looking back. It was a stupid decision. The only thing more prevalent than my naivety was my impatience. For the last year I had stewed over its state of unrest and my inability to chalk it up for what it was. It was time to focus on making it something I was proud of in hopes of freeing myself from the chains it wrapped around me.<br />
<br />
I spent half the year reworking <i>Lost in Infinity</i> into <i>Lost In Infinity: Deja Vu Redux</i>. It was quietly released in October. The rerelease is the same overall story and concept, retold the way I had originally envisioned it. I completed the book without assistance, input or third-party editing. I chose to remove the opportunity for manipulation in lieu of polished craftsmanship. Despite the fact that the novel rests on my shoulders, I was at last able to move forward and walk away from the book feeling like it was an accomplishment rather than a means to an end. I haven't decided whether I'll pursue marketing it or attempting to get it into the hands of readers. I'm satisfied at this point just knowing that it's out there.<br />
<br />
I'm finally able to say goodbye to GetOffended without fear of losing my identity and my friends. Neigh, my family. That's what we had become. Those that made it happen, those that helped, those that supported us through the years... we became family.Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-87808929320327111322013-10-14T18:00:00.000-04:002013-10-14T18:10:48.870-04:00Scavenger Hunt<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My little sister turned 30 on Saturday. For the last seven years she has been giving me increased shit over my foray into the realm of 'mature adulthood' so when it came time for her to flip her odometer into the life of a thirtysomething, it needed to be commemorated in style. My 30th birthday was fantastic, marked by a surprise party at my favorite restaurant where my wife secretly brought together a huge group of friends, both past and present, to drink, eat and be merry, all to the sounds of one of my favorite bands, who she had persuaded to headline the shindig. Not a huge band, one that I'd been working with for a few years through GetOffended, but a damn good band nonetheless who contained guys who quickly became some steadfast and lifelong friends. I ended up so drunk I knocked over a table after consuming an ill-conceived "Irish CarBomb" using a pitcher of Guinness and a glass with more than 4 fingers of Bailey's and Jameson... all in all, it was a night I'll never forget. I have my wife to thank for that. My sister's party needed to be as memorable or more so. Her husband pulled it off. Well, he set the thing in motion and her brood of friends pulled it off. The lack of inhibition or intelligence or both coupled with a complete disregard for law and order and all things considered 'normal' meant this party will always be remembered. There are tattoos to prove it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the complete scavenger hunt rules and checklist as it was supplied to the party... trust me, nearly everything was completed and/or attempted by at least 2 of the groups. There were multiple shaved mohawks, two tattoo'd asses, a neighborhood retention pond whose skinny-dipping cherry was popped (did I mention my sister is the neighborhood Homeowners Association President?), a bunch of very confused local patrons, guests at my parents' house who got to see a couple of ass tattoos and a raid on their liquor cabinet, one shaved leg that is going to grow back so disfigured its owner could play a walk-on role in the next "messin' with sasquatch" commercial and a dozen or so cell phones full of incriminating evidence.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Enjoy. Happy Birthday, sis.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Scavenger Hunt Rules</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- The scavenger hunt takes place in the boundaries of XXXXXXXXXXXX County Ohio.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Scavenger hunt lasts between the hours of 6pm and 9pm. For every 5 minutes a team is late, 5 point deduction.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Scavenger Hunt teams will be split into teams of 3,4,5… must fit a single car load.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- All team members must be present during the entirety of every checklist item.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- All check list things to complete are under a certain point range, the amount of actual points given for each completion will be determined by the judge after the competition based on creativity, style, team participation and the "holy shit" factor.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- The Judge reserves the right to award bonus points for an achieved checklist item that the team goes extremely above and beyond the minimum requirement.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- All accomplished challenges must be in video or photo form unless items are required</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>1-2 Point Checklist:</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- All team members wear a paper hat from a restaurant</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- An orange straw</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- A receipt for 83¢ in gasoline</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate standing in a dumpster</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate in a ball pit</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 3 croutons from a grocery store</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 27 catsup packets</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate by the local "Welcome to XXXXXX, Bend Over and Grab Your Ankles" pissed about city tax sign</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- A random stranger's autograph</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate pole dancing on a "Main Street" sign</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Entire team sharing a beverage simultaneously.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Break a raw egg on a teammate's foot.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- A receipt for a glass of water</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Go through a drive-thru and order a "McGangBang"</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate petting a stranger's dog</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Wearing a pair of sandals with socks on</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Fill out and turn in an application at Lowe's or Home Depot</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate in front of a Corvette</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Entire team singing the "Wheels on the Bus" while driving</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 7 Blueberries</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>3-4 Point Checklist:</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate doing something obscene with a banana</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Shave a male teammate's single leg</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate pumping a random person's gas</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 2 or more teammates in a grocery cart in front of the beer section</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Eat 7 banana peppers from Papa John's</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Drink a full Guinness</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Dress up a fire hydrant</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Make a human chalk outline on a public street</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Go fishing in a public fountain</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Entire team sitting in an electronics section of a store watching a movie</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Arrange fruit in the shape of a face</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate biting a corn procured from a farmer's cornfield</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Paint only the pinky finger of the entire team black</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Whole team crawling through a drive-thru</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Male teammate wearing heels in a public venue</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- A piece of currency from the year 1983</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Play hide-n-seek in a clothing section</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Steal a single wiper blade from an opposing team's vehicle</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Make an "I am Cornholio" video</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Team member giving a statue a lapdance (must last more than 20 seconds)</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Locate an out of state license plate.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Prank call a teammate's brother or sister</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Get the phone number from a random stranger under the age of 30</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 5 French Fries longer than 3"</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>5-7 Point Checklist:</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate walking barefoot in a river</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- A receipt for an eyebrow wax</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Change out the right front tire of your vehicle for a spare</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Prove that you drove more than 50 miles over the course of the night</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate trying on an unbought article of clothing from the Adam & Eve adult store</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammate wearing a random stranger's shirt at a bar</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Have a random stranger buy you a drink</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Receive a citation from a police officer for having too much fun.</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 3 random store employees doing a Charlie's Angels-esque pose</span></div>
<div style="font: 10.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Entire team humming the Mission Impossible theme while sneaking through a department store</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Make a drink for a bartender at a bar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- A private address with a house number that says, "1983"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Male teammate dropping pants to ankles while using a public urinal</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Give Ashley's dad a high-five and ask for a drink of water at their house</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Ride a bicycle with helmet and padding inside a department store</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Photo evidence of a teammate the farthest distance away from the party</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Entire team must recite the pledge of allegiance simultaneously inside of the Autozone on Main Street between 7:45pm and 8:00pm</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Teammates must fill pockets with bells and have a foot race through a department store</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- At exactly 7pm, pull into the BP gas station on Main Street and the entire team must complete an imaginary NASCAR Pitstop</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>15-20 Point Checklist:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Get a permanent tattoo of your name</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Bring a random stranger back to the party to drink after the conclusion of the scavenger hunt. Nobody in attendance can know who this person is.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- 2 or more teammates go skinny dipping in a public locale</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Best alcoholic beverage that any team can bring back for the Judge</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">- Shave a teammate's head into a 2-stripe mohawk.</span></div>
Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-35513080509389038622013-08-27T10:17:00.001-04:002013-08-27T10:17:30.023-04:00I may never recover...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBCvIawlDkQmnFGmSc_IjWZd0KOZdARx4vli6V5F9IttviYCUEy-04NsNGZeeKON_xkXZ8CryBb5Ib1Rtrbrc_Xx-J4fb5aZf51QcLEnN8H6mmz-_29qggf95d3tsNMMFpdciGiHcKd0/s1600/DentistFish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBCvIawlDkQmnFGmSc_IjWZd0KOZdARx4vli6V5F9IttviYCUEy-04NsNGZeeKON_xkXZ8CryBb5Ib1Rtrbrc_Xx-J4fb5aZf51QcLEnN8H6mmz-_29qggf95d3tsNMMFpdciGiHcKd0/s400/DentistFish.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever I close my eyes, I'll forever see this monstrosity. What could possibly possess my son's orthodontist to believe this stuffed animal could, in any way, be anything but frightening and life changing for a child? I may never recover.</span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-39914630308154366832013-07-07T15:30:00.000-04:002013-07-07T15:30:08.748-04:00not that anyone's complaining...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYUGjYRfLBchcXICkmIzQfJ7LEvI66NWGNxTSzCbS4FYxygp5USiM0OtWAN2ChyWDfoymBue8Gs1LzLfMbblmdILmgdNk8Lm7lgCsqUXFb1FpCltzmdWlZu4NCNx89Ol_UO0lSBjuZA4/s1600/BMDr7BwCEAAFull.jpg-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYUGjYRfLBchcXICkmIzQfJ7LEvI66NWGNxTSzCbS4FYxygp5USiM0OtWAN2ChyWDfoymBue8Gs1LzLfMbblmdILmgdNk8Lm7lgCsqUXFb1FpCltzmdWlZu4NCNx89Ol_UO0lSBjuZA4/s400/BMDr7BwCEAAFull.jpg-large.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-49492850858993301102013-06-27T15:54:00.004-04:002013-06-27T15:54:38.544-04:00someone actually let me write something on their blog...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...and I only mentioned one headless corpse and a colon full of action figures.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Read my guest post on focus at <a href="http://frankieblooding.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/guest-travis-besecker-author-of-lost-in-infinity-finding-focus/">Frankie Blooding's blog</a> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and then check out her work at <a href="http://www.smblooding.com/" target="_blank">smblooding.com</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-----------------</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finding Focus</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The guidelines for this guest post were vague. I love vague. “Any topic is good as long as it’s writing/book related,” I was told. Someone with a brain that wanders freely such as mine needs direction, boundaries and discipline to maintain focus. I love vague, I have a strong aversion to boundaries and discipline was never my strong suit.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Two minutes into writing this post and I’m already miles away from any intended target.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">According to an article I found on the internet, whose validity is questionable at best, the most effective way to maintain focus is a multi-step process which begins with adequate sleep and ends with making sure you are passionate and happy about the task you’re performing. Sprinkled in the middle were mini rewards for your hard work and dedication, finding the right music and isolation from distractions. After reading this article I clicked on a link in the footer attached to an x-ray image of an abdomen filled with what appeared to be die-cast Lord of the Rings characters. Two hours later I was buying a t-shirt from Think Geek with a schematic for the ‘Serenity’ Series 3 Firefly silkscreened on the front. Obviously I had read over the original article with uninspired vitality.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://frankieblooding.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/guest-travis-besecker-author-of-lost-in-infinity-finding-focus/" target="_blank">Read more</a>...</span></div>
Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-17113199538675107552013-06-06T14:46:00.002-04:002013-06-06T14:46:13.446-04:00Wise Bear Books review of 'Lost in Infinity' ... "a wonderful avant-garde achievement"<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Review generated by <a href="http://www.wisebearbooks.com/" target="_blank">Wise Bear Books</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Lost in Infinity </i>has moments of brilliance punctuated by sheer frustration. The book's lengthy summary does its best to simultaneously attract and deter all but serious readers. Clearly, this novel isn't for everyone as it's an exercise in patience, wading through the unconventional structure and repetitious literary progression. However, there's a method to Besecker's madness as the concept of déjà vu is a key theme and plot device.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Travis suffers from chronic insomnia, which brings the added bonus of a variety of other emotional and social debilitating behaviors and phobias including a fear of infinity, or apeiraphobia in psychiatric terms. We've all experienced occasional restless nights of sleep, and you might think you understand what it means to be an insomniac; but the severity and ultimate consequences of not being able to sleep for days, weeks, or even months until your body literally shuts down, is inconceivable.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Diagnosed at the age of seven, Travis has had to cope with his condition for nearly three decades. It's impossible not to feel tremendous compassion for this young boy who copes by sneaking 20-minute cat naps several times a day and then must endure the nightly terror of a shadow presence who only serves to ratchet up Travis's fear of vast nothingness.Travis's condition is exacerbated by his genius-level intellect, which causes him to question, protest and defy anyone he believes intellectually incompetent. There is a fine line between madness and brilliance, and Travis is a ticking time bomb.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It takes years for Travis's concerned parents to understand the severity of their son’s condition, but eventually he connects with Katherine, a psychiatrist who manages to bear up fairly well under Travis's constant challenging behavior. Each chapter begins with a small glimpse into their sessions together. Katherine has given Travis a red spiral notebook for journaling, which she reviews at the beginning of each of their sessions. The problem—Travis is neither cooperative nor forthcoming in their exploratory work together.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Travis's highly-gifted intellect eventually propels him into a variety of creative career fields with reasonable success. He is married and father to two boys who seem to have elements of his own condition. It's important to note that while other characters exist in this book, they are mostly referential in nature, as the spotlight is always squarely on Travis and his delicate psyche.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As an adult, he seems to have managed his condition quite well. At 30, his life begins to spiral out of control into a tornado of depression and self-destructive behavior. Travis is on the verge of a psychotic break, which is a crucial element to revealing the story's ending.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In general, the novel reads like a memoir until you get 90% through—that's when the plot twists kick in, leaving no doubt about the fictional fusion with the author's reality. The debatable creation of the book's content made for lively discussion amongst our collaborative review team. How much of the content is autobiographical? Could or does this really happen to genius-level insomniacs? We can't offer any definitive answers, but you can be sure this story is truly thought provoking.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Lost in Infinity </i>has a lot of good things working for it. The story is unique and evokes a broad range of emotions and lasting reactions from readers. It's easy to get invested in Travis's dilemma and hard to forget the psychological impact of the story.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You'll want to help fix this poor kid's circumstances, but <i>Lost in Infinity </i>is not that kind of novel. Readers will be pushed to confront many of their own black fantasies in the context of the novel's circular time looping quality.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Stylistically, <i>Lost in Infinity </i>is a wonderful avant-garde achievement. Although plot and time lines may shift in confusing and unexpected ways, the abrupt nature of the structure is merely echoing the conflict within Travis. The real triumph of this book is that readers will actually share in the frustration of fictional Travis as Besecker's writing immerses readers into this fascinating yet uncomfortable story.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The all-important title and cover are outstanding. The front cover concept is based on Travis's red spiral journaling notebook with terrified drawings of his shadowy tormentor. Too often, book covers don't reflect the essence of the author's story, but Besecker's cover and title work in perfect partnership with book's plot as well as its summary.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The book has a Stephen King-esque feel about it. Like King, Besecker is clearly a lover of psychological terror. The only thing missing from this book is some blood and gore and then you'd have a full blown horror novel.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our only minor dissatisfaction comes from the story's ending, or lack thereof, as it seemed contrary to the course and direction of the first 90% of the book. The final twist abruptly moves the story out of its sweet spot, the concept of infinite nothingness, into an explanation that felt a little forced and random. We get what the author was going for or maybe we were just waiting and hoping for a good old slasher scene, but the conclusion didn't resonate with us as much as we'd hoped. That said, the final twist didn't dislodge our overall praise for this innovative literary work. And we love that the author wisely fictionalized his personal struggles rather than trying to write a memoir and have readers call into question so many of the surreal details of being a chronic insomniac.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Lost in Infinity </i>has moments of brilliance punctuated by sheer frustration. The book's lengthy summary does its best to simultaneously attract and deter all but serious readers. Clearly, this novel isn't for everyone as it's an exercise in patience, wading through the unconventional structure and repetitious literary progression. However, there's a method to Besecker's madness as the concept of déjà vu is a key theme and plot device . . . Oops, there's that circular time loop we were talking about . . . in truth the book's summary says it best, "This book is not for everyone." But if you’re a fan of psychological dramas laced with elements of terror in the vein of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, and Kurt Vonnegut, then <i>Lost in Infinity </i>is a must-read for you.</span></div>
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Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-73680234799796506212013-06-04T13:06:00.002-04:002013-06-04T13:06:20.975-04:00'Lost in Infinity' announced as a 2013 Digital Book Awards Finalist<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Lost in Infinity' was named a Wise Bear Digital Book Awards 2013 Finalist. The final award decisions will be announced in the next couple of weeks.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-24310233078317156922013-05-28T15:20:00.001-04:002013-05-28T15:20:18.357-04:00THE MURPH - a recap<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday marked my first attempt at the Memorial Day Murph. My brother-in-law, Josh, had suggested we give it a shot about 2 months ago. Me, being up for any challenge of the like, accepted without really knowing what I was getting myself into.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Murph is a crossfit workout done around the country on Memorial Day to honor fallen Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy who received the Medal of Honor after <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">exposing himself to enemy fire and knowingly leaving his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with his headquarters. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">He provided his unit’s location and requested immediate support then returned to his position to continue fighting until he died from his wounds. There is a book by Marcus Luttrell called 'Lone Survivor' that chronicles the operation.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Murph crossfit workout is based on Lt. Murphy's own favorite workout that he dubbed "Body Armor" because the SEALS completed the workout wearing their 20lb body armor vests.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The above backstory was given to me by my brother as a ploy to garner support. It worked, plus it just sounded like something impossible which in turn means I must attempt it.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Here it is... 1 mile run, then 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and another mile run. I was told you can break down the pull-ups/push-ups/squats to a more reasonable circuit set (ie 10 pull-ups / 20 push-ups / 30 squats / repeat 10 times) so that was how I trained.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Come race day, I arrived with Josh, who brought along his 20lb vest of body armor because he has a lizard brain. There were 40 people registered to give it a shot. They offered bands on the pull-up bars to hook your feet in for support, bands to wrap your upper body in to aid in the push-ups and even suggested doing some of the push-ups on your knees if needed. They also offered a modified 1/2 Murph which consisted of 1/2 mile run / 50 pull-ups / 100 push-ups / 150 squats / 1/2 mile run. Here is the kicker... because of the limited space and the number of people attempting the race, they required you to do it without circuits. You must do all of your pull-ups before moving on to the push-ups and complete those before moving on to the squats.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Many opted for the 1/2 and/or bands for assistance.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Immediately my body started to shut down. I could feel my heart start to speed up and my knees wobble. It was like getting hit in the face with a 2x4. I turned toward Josh whose lizard brain was already taking over... "We're doing the full thing right?" he asked.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">"Of course," I said as every fiber of my being screamed denial.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Ten minutes passed and we watched the first heat of 10 runners take off. One of which was an active Navy SEAL in full fatigues and body armor. "Screw it. I'll be back." Josh walked out of the gym on a collision course with his SUV. He emerged from the backseat with his own body armor.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I knew at that point, my fate was sealed. If he was going to do the full, in armor, without bands or assistance... I was too (sans body armor because I'm already carrying around an extra 20lbs consisting of Guinness, pizza and hot wings).</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">The cross-fit trainers at the gym pulled our group aside and told us they were pushing our start time back 30 minutes because the first two heats were taking a lot longer than anticipated clearing the pull-up racks (ya think?)... more waiting, sweating and baking in our own anticipation. They explained that because of the great turn out, not to think of it as a race, think of it as a marathon. We were going to end up fighting for station space and room in the gym to do squats and push-ups. That was 100% fine with me. Training, I was able to complete the circuits in 35 minutes. I figured adding in the adrenaline and race-day competitive push minus the runs and the exhaustion factor I was going to be able to top 45 minutes (a personal best). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Breaking 45 minutes went right out the door when they took away the circuits. I was going to be happy just finishing. Josh had gone into this wanting to break 30 minutes without body armor. Our whole game plan was null and void.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Ten minutes before our revised heat was to begin, the trainers grabbed us and pulled us out front for a warm-up crossfit stretch to ensure no pulled or torn muscles. Stretch? More like an added 10 minute workout. I was dripping with sweat before they ever fired the starting pistol.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">We took off in the rain (yes, in the rain) for our first mile. The course was actually only 1/4 mile long down and uphill, turn around and head back down and uphill. Upon returning to the gym, you had your final chance to switch to the half or head around for your second lap. My desire to run straight into the gym was cut short when I saw Josh rounding the building heading for the full run... fuck.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Heading back inside after the mile I found an empty station on the pull-up rack at the exact opposite end as Josh (who was already 25 pull-ups in). I'm a short guy and the rack was 7' high... I needed a 20" plyo box to grab the bar. I wasn't about to jump up and miss the bar. If I could do it now, I wouldn't be able to after 75 pull-ups. I figured my best bet was to start intelligently and finish in one piece. Josh and I had worked out a half-ass plan before we began. Because we weren't able to run circuits, the smart thing would be hammer out as many as you could before hitting muscle failure, take a break and repeat until the 100 were finished.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I started with 20 conventional reverse grip pull ups. The few people around me that were not using assistance bands were "kipping" straight pull-ups. This is something I've never been able to master; I blame it on my strict diet of Guinness and fried chicken. At 60 pull-ups the bar across from Josh opened up. I moved down to see how he was doing. "Where are you at?"</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">He didn't answer, just held his left hand up, palm out... The blister that had ripped open was about an inch and a half long and bleeding. Apparently, in his excitement that morning, he'd remembered his body armor but forgotten gloves. I gave him mine and used the opportunity to take a breather. He was at 85 and knocked out the last 15 while I contemplated hiding in the restroom until everyone had left for the day.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">I attempted 20 pull-ups without gloves, using just the chalk next to the rack... How he cranked out 85 that way boggles me.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Sets of twenty quickly dropped to sets of 15, then 10, then 8 with 30 second breaks in between. The last ten pull-ups came in sets of 2-3 to ensure my Frosted Flakes didn't make an encore appearance.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I dropped and hit the floor next to Josh. He was 120 in on his push-ups before I started number one. I was so happy I'd finished the pull-ups I was able to crank through the push-ups in sets of 15-20 without too much problem.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Squats were going to be my downfall. This was the part I'd been dreading most of all. After tearing my ACL and meniscus last summer playing soccer and undergoing pretty extensive surgery (I now have a cadaver tendon in both knees as well as a repaired right meniscus and a left meniscus that was removed, repaired and actually sewn in place on my bone) and 6 months of rehab, my left leg is still only hitting on 5-6 cylinders at best. The atrophy in my left quad has yet to dissipate.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I was 60 squats in when Josh finished and bolted for his second mile run. Without my motivation in sight I slowed considerably. At 150 the event photographer started snapping pictures in my direction. I cranked out another 50 while sucking in my gut... As she turned her attention to another station, I nearly vomited. I stood and started walking to my car without really realizing it. Half way there I came to the conclusion I was grabbing a Gatorade out of the cooler in my backseat.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I jogged back into the gym, Gatorade in hand and knocked out another 90 before Josh re-entered to complete his Murph. "How many do you have left?" he asked.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"Ten," I think I said.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">"C'mon, just do it. You got it."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">That was all I needed. I finished and sprinted for the second mile. Ok, so "sprinted" may be a strong word... I hobbled with speed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I made it half way to the turn around before I heard footsteps coming up from behind with intent.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Josh had dropped his body armor and along with my nephew, was going to finish my second mile with me. It meant a lot. Josh's final time was right at an hour in 25lbs of body armor. I finished up 12 minutes later with him effectively running a 5K in tow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">I didn't vomit. That's why I consider it a success.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Today, I feel like I've been run over by a truck. My armpits ache. I coughed earlier and nearly blacked out. My toes hurt. The back of my thighs are so tight and sore, if I have to poop, I'm just going to lean up against the back of the house because I know if I try to sit down on a toilet, it'll take Mel Gibson, a bathtub and a block of C4 to get me off the seat.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-52894776487082739352013-05-22T09:18:00.002-04:002013-05-22T09:18:58.155-04:00new cover for 2nd printing?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbxF2iyuWlDsmwEzXiovekPc1ugMxrZP4mEyp6Y78COpZP284JUn76ng_RgANuBw_C1_vY2KKIdcVA_ZgvjOFkQySyYACMXiqIPQcDLVt-dD774az_uX1JSmSXnemDiPwKPeACXmg5vQ/s1600/NewCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbxF2iyuWlDsmwEzXiovekPc1ugMxrZP4mEyp6Y78COpZP284JUn76ng_RgANuBw_C1_vY2KKIdcVA_ZgvjOFkQySyYACMXiqIPQcDLVt-dD774az_uX1JSmSXnemDiPwKPeACXmg5vQ/s400/NewCover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-61567531806438005152013-05-21T10:58:00.002-04:002013-05-21T10:58:34.921-04:00'Lost in Infinity' available in new eBook formats<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEATn2_ph0lhCRvtPXFIbEAN-px0k44ihbt2Dmpl-iO_IxW4md1-6mGjhr2crGOEipcoUO1tybrwjBiyz56w6EZYcFlHWGJifr_WBTfyMVSm6nqIZA0VqYrq16FIqMhMo2TiqWaYMZK54/s1600/LostBlack600x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEATn2_ph0lhCRvtPXFIbEAN-px0k44ihbt2Dmpl-iO_IxW4md1-6mGjhr2crGOEipcoUO1tybrwjBiyz56w6EZYcFlHWGJifr_WBTfyMVSm6nqIZA0VqYrq16FIqMhMo2TiqWaYMZK54/s320/LostBlack600x600.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lost in Infinity</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> is now available through Google Play, Nook, Smashwords and iTunes... </span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>E-Book...</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/lostkindle">Kindle Amazon</a></b>: $2.99</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-in-infinity-travis-m-besecker/1108863470?ean=2940016616094&itm=1&usri=2940016616094" target="_blank">Nook Barnes & Noble</a></b>: $2.99</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/316602" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></b>: $2.99</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Travis_Besecker_Lost_in_Infinity?id=qmSrHi-uoR8C&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDMsImJvb2stcW1TckhpLXVvUjhDIl0." target="_blank">Google Play</a></b>: $2.99</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lost-in-infinity/id650444050?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a></b>: $2.99</span></div>
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Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-38859448119608443372013-05-15T09:38:00.001-04:002013-05-15T09:48:17.398-04:00Book of the Month at WritingApocalypse.com<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Lost in Infinity' was named Book of the month for May at <a href="http://www.writingapocalypse.com/#!general-fiction/czjs">WritingApocalypse.com</a>. I'm honored to be a part of their site. Check out the review they posted as well. (click here for the <a href="http://newauthorpublishing.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/lost-in-infinity-review-book-of-the-month/" target="_blank">full review</a>)</span><br />
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<blockquote>
Déjà vu? It’s the feeling that something has already happened before. Did I read that before? <i style="font-style: italic;">Lost in Infinity</i> had me asking this question on more than one occasion. Following the story of a troubled youth suffering insomnia and a fear of infinity seemed like plot enough, but the fact that my brain was toyed with and strung along through this story only thrust me in further. </blockquote>
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What is infinity? Imagine floating through space, gazing into the wide span of darkness and tiny specs of light that create an abyss without beginning or end. The mere thought causes a powerful reaction: racing heart, surge of electricity pulsating through veins, exasperated gulps of air. It’s apeiraphobia, a fear of infinity, combine that with insomnia, a strange inner voice and The Shadow Man and a child can go stark raving mad. Did this child go mad? </blockquote>
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The story runs haphazardly between recollections, rantings, and current events causing the reader to shake his head and try to make sense out of it all. Does this work? Stick with the story, stick with the facts no matter how often they are repeated, stick with the character despite the constant feeling of déjà vu to find the plot is not at all what was expected. </blockquote>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">Lost in Infinity</i> creates the ground work for one story but leads into the path of another. It seems repetitive and redundant at points, but stay with the story to discover why these feelings of déjà vu are so important. Definitely not a book for everyone, but for those who enjoy a good insanity based book and don’t mind a sadistic twist in plot, this is a must read. Its Shutter Island meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the author makes it work, leaving the reader to grasp at straws wanting to know if the cycle ever ends. What cycle? Read the book! </blockquote>
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We are pleased to feature this quality book on <a href="http://www.writingapocalypse.com/#!general-fiction/czjs" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0060ff; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">WritingApocalypse.com</a>. We are also pleased to announce that out of the four books we read last month, this one is our new May Book of the Month. </blockquote>
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The Staff at Writing Apocalypse</blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to the staff at Writing Apocalypse and to <a href="http://twitter.com/tanialramos" target="_blank">Tania L Ramos</a> for her review. </span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-30290510025728664582013-04-22T13:22:00.001-04:002013-04-22T13:22:19.766-04:00as if that would stop me from cashing a check...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmbDMBDIHZErEQoQHBVbviAk6_NbQl7Nn3mayHe-hsJggx3So7gvurNcmYITDjvuSM8Y8GlIiAkBFPBTU7q-Gf-Sc2jc5ACx1-Q2v7U4dtHaT1RcIdSVhvSgAvvghA2BMVF5YYYTnu8c/s1600/Check.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmbDMBDIHZErEQoQHBVbviAk6_NbQl7Nn3mayHe-hsJggx3So7gvurNcmYITDjvuSM8Y8GlIiAkBFPBTU7q-Gf-Sc2jc5ACx1-Q2v7U4dtHaT1RcIdSVhvSgAvvghA2BMVF5YYYTnu8c/s400/Check.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I normally keep pretty quiet about what I do for a steady paycheck (because we all know how much money comes from being a 'writer')... Those of you who know my origins. are privy to my past exploits and what I'm ultimately at the helm of will not be surprised at all to see the above check (blurred out for privacy)... For the rest of you, no, I'm not in the adult entertainment industry. I'm in the horribly offensive joke / sticker / poster / t-shirt industry. My ties to the adult entertainment industry are modest and for shits and giggles at best.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take note at the 'Memo'. It's no doubt that this is an attempt to keep me from cashing this royalty check. Little do they know I could care less. In fact, looking down at my chest, I see I'm currently wearing a classic black t-shirt with "FISTING... It's all fun and games until someone loses a watch" silkscreened on the front. They know not who they're dealing with.</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, my parents are extremely proud.</span></i>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-47126678704781830752013-04-10T13:48:00.004-04:002013-04-10T13:50:35.464-04:00Sometimes you come across something so disturbing you MUST share...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>per the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/eel-removed-from-man-stuck-colon-photo_n_3046785.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a>:</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eel Removed From Man After Getting Stuck, Chewing Through Colon (GRAPHIC PHOTOS)</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not try this at home. Do not try this anywhere. Just do not try it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A man in China's southeastern Guangdong province admitted himself to a local hospital after he reportedly got a live eel stuck inside him. According to British tabloid The Sun, the man inserted the 20-inch-long Asian <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4880024/porn-addict-rushed-to-hospital-after-he-put-live-eel-up-bum.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #ed7d00; cursor: pointer; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">swamp eel into his anus after seeing it done in a porn movie</a>, and he had to endure all-night surgery to have it extracted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to a HuffPost translation of Chinese news aggregation website Mop.com, the <a href="http://tt.mop.com/read_13612424_1_0.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #ed7d00; cursor: pointer; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">eel reportedly chewed through the man's colon</a>, perforating his large intestine, and became stuck in his body cavity. A graphic X-ray image (seen below) shows how far inside the eel was when the man came in for treatment.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medical team members reportedly said the eel, which was “simply trying to find its way out," was alive when removed but died shortly thereafter. According to The Sun, the man is still recovering at the hospital and might face animal cruelty charges.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Asian swamp eel -- also known as the rice eel or rice paddy eel -- is a snake-shaped fish that is commonly sold live at food markets in East Asian countries.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although this type of <a href="http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/04/creature-feature-meet-asian-swamp-eel-animal-equivalent-kudzu-vine" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #ed7d00; cursor: pointer; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">eel is known as an invasive species</a> in parts of the United States, this isn't the first time that it's made its way into (ahem) foreign habitats.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2012, a New Zealand man had to have an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/24/eel-removed-from-mans-bottom_n_1909231.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #ed7d00; cursor: pointer; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">eel removed from his posterior</a>. In 2010, a Chinese man <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/03/man-dies-after-eel-is-ins_n_560842.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #ed7d00; cursor: pointer; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">died after his friends allegedly inserted an eel into his rectum</a> as a joke.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-style: italic !important; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES</strong></em></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDLWOiIUuM-8meBR4MAjW6iQQczQDvPppKSYuuQSLWDg6z46bvuXn8YP870dquatcLZfFFuoAHPNmg9msg6y1j4LkyxBWtWjqNyS27hIK5aPh3MpICWA8gtEZ3kNfmOIcimXFZGD9JTs/s1600/EEL1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDLWOiIUuM-8meBR4MAjW6iQQczQDvPppKSYuuQSLWDg6z46bvuXn8YP870dquatcLZfFFuoAHPNmg9msg6y1j4LkyxBWtWjqNyS27hIK5aPh3MpICWA8gtEZ3kNfmOIcimXFZGD9JTs/s400/EEL1.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-style: italic !important; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">An X-ray image shows how far inside the man's body the eel was able to get.</em></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGemmfvlAeUMBh5bQtQTFuNEPpNItz5J-mBghDuqv-3EsnfKaDY21Db_g8KDxM7oz_JjYs-WVW9bccQ9ZkOrp8wrMzWFQAX_I4D8cBkrVCEggjwEKNt9NfgxgCwkEUI_NiCt0LpuNu9B4/s1600/EEL2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGemmfvlAeUMBh5bQtQTFuNEPpNItz5J-mBghDuqv-3EsnfKaDY21Db_g8KDxM7oz_JjYs-WVW9bccQ9ZkOrp8wrMzWFQAX_I4D8cBkrVCEggjwEKNt9NfgxgCwkEUI_NiCt0LpuNu9B4/s320/EEL2.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; font-style: italic !important; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">This photo, provided by Europics, shows the <a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1078423/thumbs/o-MAN-EEL-UP-BUTT-570.jpg?6" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #ed7d00; cursor: pointer; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">eel after it was removed</a> from the man.</em></span></div>
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Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-14789968640535900232013-04-10T13:48:00.003-04:002013-04-10T13:48:46.697-04:00Blog Tour and other random droppings...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm considering it. Why? Why not?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It'll give me something to do while I wait for the dust to settle over the last book signing debacle... how was I supposed to know his hair was attached? Mob mentality can be lethal and cucumbers can leave permanent scars if thrown hard enough.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mark Tufo's 'Zombie Fallout' series still has me enthralled.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Need to find the time to venture forth for 'EVIL DEAD' regardless of what my gut tells me.</span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-21010997651601487162013-04-05T21:31:00.000-04:002013-04-05T21:31:07.335-04:00it's his triumphant stance at the end that gets me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-3835909250005206852013-04-03T21:02:00.000-04:002013-04-03T21:02:10.394-04:00pffffft...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-43174764136513196072013-03-26T17:47:00.003-04:002013-03-26T17:47:48.986-04:00Memorial Day Murph<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Against my better judgement, under the pressure of an older sibling who makes these things sound much easier and more fun than they really are, signed up for the local round of the 2013 Memorial Day Murph. I'm joking, it's for a great cause and although my body will hate me afterward, it's doable and should be a cool experience.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from their <a href="http://mdmfundraiser.com/">website</a>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccaca; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: 700;">June 28th, 2005</strong> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A team of 4 Navy SEALs led by LT. Michael P. Murphy on a mission to capture or kill a key Taliban leader, found themselves seriously outnumbered in a firefight with well over 100 enemy troops. Pinned down and under intense enemy fire, their communications operator severely wounded, they were in desperate need for help. Due to the mountainous terrain, their communications could not be received. Understanding the situation, LT. Michael P. Murphy moved to open exposing himself to enemy fire, to use his satelite phone to request immediate support to save his team. LT Murphy was mortally wounded making that call. They continued fighting until Lt. Murphy and two of his three team mates were mortally wounded. His fourth team member, severly injured himself, managed to escape where he was taken in by a local villager until he was rescued 4 days later. He went on to tell the story in a book titled “The Lone Survivor”</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For his selfless leadership, courageous actions and extraordinary devotion to duty, LT. Michael P. Murphy received the Medal of Honor, the first service menber to receive the medal in Operation Enduring Freedom, and the first Navy recipient of the medal since Vietnam. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; line-height: 18px;">Lt Murphy had a favorite workout he would do to prepare for his deployments. He would make sure he wore his body armor for this workout, which he started calling “Body Armor” After his death, it was renamed and would now be referred to as “Murph”. A very demanding workout had just been given a name, and a soul.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccaca; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is 'The Murph'?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccaca; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" type="circle">
<li style="background-image: url(http://mdmfundraiser.com/wp-content/themes/1/images/list-marker.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 37px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Mile Run to start</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://mdmfundraiser.com/wp-content/themes/1/images/list-marker.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 37px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">100 Pull-ups</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://mdmfundraiser.com/wp-content/themes/1/images/list-marker.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 37px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">200 Push-ups</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://mdmfundraiser.com/wp-content/themes/1/images/list-marker.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 37px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">300 Squats</span></li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://mdmfundraiser.com/wp-content/themes/1/images/list-marker.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 37px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 mile run to finish</span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm just going to go ahead and start apologizing to my quads now. To prepare, and in a fruitless effort to compete with my over-the-top-fit S.W.A.T. bro, I'll be attempting it at least once per week as part of my normal workout routine because I'm an idiot. <i>Maybe I can talk him into doing it with his kevlar and/or gear on...</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday was my initial run through. I skipped the running and ran out of time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">60 pullups / 120 push-ups / 180 squats in 22 minutes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disappointing.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to Logsitall.com the average on the Murph is 45:00. I'd be happy with 50:00.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goal is:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10:00 1 mile run</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30:00 pull ups/push-ups/squats</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10:00 1 mile run</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have until 5-27-13 to make that happen.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Issuing a formal apology to my body, as a whole, in advance.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to sign up and give it a go, check out <a href="http://mdmfundraiser.com/">http://mdmfundraiser.com/</a></span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-37871417266978602812013-03-26T11:47:00.000-04:002013-03-26T11:47:56.298-04:00don't ask<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-79927556518929672632013-03-19T17:35:00.004-04:002013-03-19T17:35:55.299-04:00ripped<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-30214441224955037382013-03-19T17:35:00.002-04:002013-03-19T17:35:15.766-04:00serious thought<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am an atheist by deduction.</span></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That said, I fantasize about leaving mainstream social bindings and living a life of asceticism.... without the religion, of course. I probably wouldn’t do it forever, but I’d definitely enjoy the solitude. I can go days without interacting with another human being except for my children, because, well, they ask a lot of fucking questions and I do receive an immense amount of personal joy from their presence, watching them and being a part of their lives… but… the life of a recluse seems so numbing. And wonderful.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can imagine being the only person left on the planet and being just perfectly fine with that.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would crawl back in on myself and live in the world in my own head. Content. Peaceful. Without guilt or judgement or consequence.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a medicinal equivalent of this... It is lovely. For awhile.</span></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a mental equivalent of this... It <i>can</i> be lovely. For awhile.</span></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t want to ever fall asleep again. I want to bask in my own delusions and build a perfect society in my head until the time comes when I finally meet the finality of the final sleep.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry, you guys aren’t invited. It would kind of defeat the purpose.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In death, because I do not believe in an afterlife, I find solace in the dream that the world I’ve come to fantasize about will thrive in my head forever and I’ll leave this existence behind and relish in my own thought, leaving the concept of passed time far behind.</span></div>
Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-34135735227639873742013-03-19T03:42:00.000-04:002013-03-19T03:42:40.332-04:00reality?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KmuTeBLy1FAImbLMx0HCr7t2sk4SEZGKOvNDHNNN4DU6pU0Hr9TVHnc8ls2v6LYEQnHFhrFWXPCR_cTDxJtgpYTvWkr4SlUQD5guuFD1VT0U5H7nYeMJ9YGc55L6VitqbxTi9apYsPc/s1600/rubiks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KmuTeBLy1FAImbLMx0HCr7t2sk4SEZGKOvNDHNNN4DU6pU0Hr9TVHnc8ls2v6LYEQnHFhrFWXPCR_cTDxJtgpYTvWkr4SlUQD5guuFD1VT0U5H7nYeMJ9YGc55L6VitqbxTi9apYsPc/s400/rubiks.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-34575146200222045282013-03-18T12:33:00.000-04:002013-03-18T12:33:34.654-04:00MY AMAZON BESTSELLER MADE ME NOTHING by Patrick Wensink<a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/hey_amazon_wheres_my_money/"><i>My Amazon bestseller made me nothing</i></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: BentonSansCondMedium, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal !important; line-height: 20px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
My novel shot to the top of the site's bestseller list last summer. You won't believe how little I got paid</h2>
<span class="byline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline-block; font-family: BentonSansBold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal !important; line-height: 24px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">BY <a class="gaTrackLinkEvent" data-ga-track-json="["author", "click", "Patrick Wensink"]" href="http://www.salon.com/writer/patrick_wensink/" rel="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PATRICK WENSINK</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: BentonSansRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">(Credit: iStockphoto/alexsl/Salon)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In one more week I was going to be a millionaire.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least, that was the rumor circulating around my wife’s family. One more week on Amazon’s best-seller list and I would have seven figures in the bank, easily. Her cousin had looked this fact up on the Internet, so it had to be true.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Please tell them that is nowhere near true,” I said. “But don’t tell them how much money I’m actually going to make.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“OK,” my wife said. “Can I tell them how many books you sold?”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Absolutely not.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why?”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn’t have a good answer. Secrecy seemed like the practical, professional response in times of success.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It made me wonder where this writerly knee-jerk reaction comes from. It wasn’t that people would think I made too much money. The opposite, actually.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past summer, my novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1621050203/?tag=saloncom08-20" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: red; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Broken Piano for President,”</a> shot to the top of the best-seller lists for a week. <a href="http://brokenpianoforpresident.com/2012/07/19/jack-daniels-lawsuit-the-full-scoop/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: red; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After Jack Daniel’s sent me a ridiculously polite cease and desist letter,</a> the story went viral and was featured in places like Forbes, Time magazine and NPR’s Weekend Edition. The New Yorker wrote one whole, entire, punctuated-and-everything sentence about me! My book was the No. 6 bestselling title in America for a while, right behind all the different “50 Shades of Grey” and “Gone Girl.” It was selling more copies than “Hunger Games” and “Bossypants.” So, I can sort of see why people thought I was going to start wearing monogrammed silk pajamas and smoking a pipe.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the truth is, there’s a reason most well-known writers still teach English. There’s a reason most authors drive dented cars. There’s a reason most writers have bad teeth. It’s not because we’ve chosen a life of poverty. It’s that poverty has chosen our profession.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even when there’s money in writing, there’s not much money.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reminded of a single page in “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”; specifically, the section where Dave Eggers breaks down his $100,000 advance on sales from his publisher. He then lists all his expenses. In the end the author banked a little less than half. It wasn’t bad money — just not the “I bet Dave Eggers totally owns a Jaguar”-type of income I expected. I mean, his name was on the cover of a book! He must be rich.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That honesty was refreshing and voyeuristic. I always said if I ever had a chance, I’d make a similar gesture. As a person learning about writing and publishing, there was something helpful about Eggers’ transparency. So here is my stab at similar honesty: the sugar bowls full of cocaine, bathtubs full of whiskey, semi-nude bookstore employees scattered throughout my bedroom tale of bestseller riches.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what it’s like, financially, to have the indie book publicity story of the year and be near the top of the bestseller list.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drum roll.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$12,000.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi-hat crash.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just started getting my royalty checks from July the other day (the publishing industry is slow like that). From what I can tell so far, I made about $12,000 from “Broken Piano” sales. That comes directly to me without all those pesky taxes taken out yet (the IRS is helpful like that).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t get me wrong; as a guy with a couple of books out on an independent publisher I never thought I’d see that kind of money. Previously, my largest royalty check was about $153. I’m thrilled and very proud to say I earned<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> any</em> money as a writer. That’s a miracle. It’s just not the jewel-encrusted miracle most people think bestseller bank accounts are made from.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The book sold plus or minus 4,000 copies. (The publishing industry is hazy like that. What with sales in fishy-sounding third-world countries like Germany and England.) Being on an indie press I receive a more generous royalty split than most: 50 percent after expenses were deducted.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can do the math. I’m clearly not buying a mansion. Hell, my measly dreams of constructing a Roald Dahl-style writing cottage in the backyard are even shelved. Twelve-thousand bucks is amazing, but it’s not life-changing money. Unless, of course, I need one of those clearance sale $11,999 kidneys.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end, I bought my wife a pretty dress to say thank you for putting up with me and my fiscally idiotic quest to write books. I also did the most rock star thing imaginable for a stay-at-home-dad/recipient-of-a-famous-cease-and-desist: I used the money to send my kid to daycare two days a week so I can have more time to write.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I have some quiet time around the house, I’ve started wondering: Why didn’t I just tell my wife’s family the truth to begin with? Why don’t most authors talk about money?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My theory: because it’s embarrassing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure, there’s a headline-grabbing thrill when Lena Dunham snags a yacht-load of money for writing about stuff only her gynecologist should know. But when a friend of mine, who is a terrific writer, told me he was offered $5,000 for his latest book, which came out on a major publisher, it left me kind of flat. It left me even more silent when it became clear that’s a pretty normal deal. This financial underwhelming hush is the same feeling I was left with after reading Eggers’ fiscal rundown. It’s something people whispered about back when I was dreaming of having a book with my name on the cover and maybe being in the cross hairs of a legal shit storm involving whiskey.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.salon.com/writer/patrick_wensink/">More Patrick Wensink.</a></span></div>
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Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-40156963185640489422013-03-17T23:52:00.000-04:002013-03-17T23:53:42.673-04:001964 Riviera… the one car I’d go all Lance Armstrong* for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHO1qm7ipVFpIBbTvDxRpcGAY-cahmZLT01zwH5jLqSA82LCPRlnIelZ9VzfBgFGva5RVNOOCU5oQIzH7wbvH5efMcDHkgi2qpTLwzVRn3I29qSSEQL4xH59IRwnTbzDfqwtx8e7KwEU/s1600/riv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHO1qm7ipVFpIBbTvDxRpcGAY-cahmZLT01zwH5jLqSA82LCPRlnIelZ9VzfBgFGva5RVNOOCU5oQIzH7wbvH5efMcDHkgi2qpTLwzVRn3I29qSSEQL4xH59IRwnTbzDfqwtx8e7KwEU/s400/riv.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>(*give my left nut…)</i></div>
Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-79477098736365939602013-03-15T13:14:00.001-04:002013-03-15T13:14:19.333-04:00'Watchers'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iAcZrd7an10_XyO2ZOBEA-DLMfmkAVDLRTaHscuHWBDnervaUm5K2V_OQeEKb1ewueT4b1Y_ZhLQa3QTNyqBtFX395hYDVZ43of5-mBkdCtXVxrYCRJYeFcZwIh-oLl02StcXuEFGN8/s1600/Watchers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iAcZrd7an10_XyO2ZOBEA-DLMfmkAVDLRTaHscuHWBDnervaUm5K2V_OQeEKb1ewueT4b1Y_ZhLQa3QTNyqBtFX395hYDVZ43of5-mBkdCtXVxrYCRJYeFcZwIh-oLl02StcXuEFGN8/s1600/Watchers.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow this book had slipped through my radar over the years. I think the horrible straight to VHS flicks with Corey Haim and Marc Singer from my days as a wee boy solidified my desire to skip this one on the library shelf. Recently, after falling in love with the 'Odd Thomas' series I ventured out to older Dean Koontz to see if there were any other gems I’d overlooked. I found 'Watchers'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">I’m a dog guy.</strong> My best friend is my Gray Ghost, Dexter. I’m a sucker for anything dogs. I’ll switch cellular providers if the Boston Terrier in the commercial is adorable enough. 'Watchers' was like crack. It takes everything I love in a book and wrapped it in Beggin’ Strips. The book may have been a little random at points and there were holes here and there, plus the plot may have been dated and far fetched even for a sci-fi supposedly based in more sci than fi, but I didn’t care.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not going into details on the synopsis or why you should read this. In fact, I don’t know when I’ll start reading another book after finishing this. It has rendered me content. I’m not looking for the next piece of fiction right now. I just want to let this soak in and stew for a while.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you love dogs, love sci-fi and want a reason to feel something honest, read 'Watchers'. Hell, re-read 'Watchers'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">favorite excerpt:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nora threw her arms around the retriever and hugged him. ”Don’t you even think such a thing. You’re a part of us. You’re family, damn you, we’re all family, we’re all in this together, and we stick it out together because that’s what families do.” She stopped hugging the dog and took his head in both hands, met him nose to nose, peered deep into his eyes. ”If I woke up some morning and found you’d left us, it’d break my heart.” Tears shimmered in her eyes, a tremor in her voice. ”Do you understand me, fur face? It would break my heart if you went off on your own.”</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dog pulled away from her and began to choose lettered tiles again: I WOULD DIE.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You would die if you left us?” Travis asked.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dog chose more letters, waited for them to study the words, then looked solemnly at each of them to be sure they understood what he meant: I WOULD DIE OF LONELY</span></div>
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Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1846255499102142860.post-52105728439439027602013-03-13T23:04:00.003-04:002013-03-13T23:04:25.298-04:00what if...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 28px;">what if we're all stuck in an alternate timeline, simply playing out a series of choices conceived, but never committed to, unknowingly biding time, waiting for that moment the original choice is decided upon and we all cease to exist?</span>Travis Beseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06843200805067626464noreply@blogger.com0