Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Unconventional Publicity - I'll take it!



ROB'S RANT

I really don't mean to beat a dead horse, but if this is the only way I can seem to get publicity or attention for my writing, then so be it.  I'm not going to turn it away, nor am I going to shy away from it.  Lord knows I have tried all the conventional routes to get my writing, ideas, and concepts out there to share with the public.  So if an article, which was supposed to be one man's opinion about a celebrity's mishap on a plane is the platform that springs my career to the next level, who am I to argue?

Now, do I think it's ridiculous that this has to be the way, of course.  But in a messed up world where 6 seemingly unintelligent, drunk, bafoons have number one ratings week after week on the Jersey Shore and are getting paid millions of dollars, and where delving into the lives of perfect strangers who usually have no shame is all the rave, who am I to challenge it?

For those of you who live in a bubble, last week, Alec Baldwin was thrown off a plane for not shutting off his electronic device on which he was playing a word game.  Being that I was unceremoniously thrown off a flight back in June, and it became world news for some reason, I was contacted by CORKY SIEMASZKOa reported from the Daily News, who asked me for my opinion about the situation.  (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/booted-passenger-flight-attnedants-power-hungry-tyrants-article-1.989843)  Little did I know that the entire article would be about me and the world-reknown actor would be nothing more than a side blurb.  At first, I was a little uncomfortable with it, but when I went to check on my Kindle account for my book, The Dividing Line, it said that I sold 280 copies in two days.  I don't know if I've been able to sell 280 copies in two years.  As of today, it is up to 319 e-books sold in three days.  That's awesome no matter how you look at it.


Will I shamelessly milk this publicity or attention as much as I can, hell yeah, I will.  I didn't take full advantage of the media hype back in June, and I was always a little confused as to why I didn't.  I think I was more afraid of it affecting my Producing career more than anything.  But I'm over that.  Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.  Government conspiracy fiction is what I write about best, and I hope that if you decide to check out the book, you enjoy what you read.

Most recently, I have teamed up with Paul Alessi (http://www.pauljalessi.com/) and Warren Goz to bring The Dividing Line, the movie to the big screen.  I will be updating everyone on those developments as soon as they are finalized.

ROB'S ADVICE

Hmmm.  My advice...well, I would suggest getting thrown off a plane - just kidding.  But if you are someone who finds themselves in a situation that garners this much attention, and you are in a profession where no publicity is bad publicity, then I say use them as much as they are using you.  I did not get thrown off a plane with the intentions of this ever happening, and I didn't do anything to warrant me being thrown off anyway, and I was vindicated on that, but the media sold a lot of papers and got a lot of viewers because of it.  In this social media driven, internet crazy world we live in today, someone in New Zealand is as easy to reach as your next door neighbor.  I guess the one piece of advice that I would tell people is to stand up for what you believe in and work for what you are passionate about.  Whenever I am feeling defeated or get down and think that I am never going to make it, I always look at this card my mother gave me with the most amazing quote by H. Jackson Brown Jr., "Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do."

You're the only one who knows what that means to you.

And please read this link.  It's awesome.


POEM

The Secret Origin of Mirrors

As I look at myself, rubbing my eyes,
The solid mirror has changed.
Or was its sleek texture just a disguise,
Hiding these men who look strange?

Is this just a dream, can it be true?
The people behind my mirror
Working and moving, are they my muses?
I think it’s begun to get clearer.

I notice they're making something, I see.
A beautiful Angel of ice.
Dipping and gliding she looked to be free,
I couldn't help but look twice.

And in through the mirror I walk where they work
To look at the craftsmen's job.
I keep my distance, they give me a smirk,
As their families form a large mob.

They say they're making an Angel for town,
But do not mention the Witch.
The Angel will help all the families around.
The Other just makes people twitch.

When the workers are done, the Angel is free
To help all those people they talk of.
Her grace, her beauty, and even her speed
Make the people adore her and love her.

This splendid creation for beauty and peace
Sets off to do work for the needy.
She glides and she grooves with the utmost ease
Always helping those sickly and bleeding.

For days she travels and does great good
For women, children and poor.
She even helps a thief, a young sparrow brood,
Never seeing what she is in store for.

The wicked old Witch sits where she can see,
Pretending to cry, spit and choke.
Faking her sickness, she slumps near a tree,
Deceiving by wearing a cloak.

 As the Angel slides in just to do good,
She is met with a terrible fate.
The wicked old Witch is under that hood,
Enticing the Angel like bait.

Enchanted and still, the Angel of peace
Stands frozen like frigid wood.
Her angelic senses are at their least,
For once she cannot do good.

The wicked Witch screams, she cries out for joy,
"I've truly destroyed her…I win!"
Then she struts over there to break her new toy,
Unaware of her terrible sin.

But as she gets closer, her joy fades to fear,
There lay her reflection, she’s seen.
The joke was on her and she shed a tear.
It made her as sick as she'd been.

She dies on the spot from her ugly appearance,
Stumbling back past the tree.
She tumbles and falls just over the clearance
Into a ravine right near me.

When the people find the Angel on sod,
She seems like she’s dead as the air.
But the Angel who helped in the vain of a god
Has defeated the Witch of despair!

But one man calls down when something is seen.
It is an incredible wonder.
The old Witch's plan wasn't so keen.
It was clearly a beautiful blunder.

The Angel stares back, reflecting their image,
Something they love right away.
She has truly granted an amazing privilege,
Now they can look at themselves every day.

The people, they celebrate with wine and with beer,
With food, with handstands, not fear.
With hugs and with laughter and everything good,
Then one of them yells out a cheer…

"Thank God for the Angel who made everything clearer!"
Now I, too, have seen the Secret Origin of Mirrors.