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Ranting and Raving...Updated

This entry has taken me awhile to get to. I'm not nearly as worked up as I was when I started this entry 10 days ago. It hardly seems worth mentioning now...but seeing as I'm already here...and you've stopped by for a peek...here goes...

My upgrade runs out in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if it was worth it...afterall in the end I am paying for others to read my stories and stuff...plus I get the added bonus of having 1's and 2's tacked onto them for extra incentive. What bothered me was that greycases...people with nothing in their portfolios...sometimes with nothing more than a handle...can rate items. I don't have anything against greycases. They may be shy or unsure of themselves or just testing the water before jumping in. Great. Good for them. I'm also no cyber genius so I don't know what safeguards Writing.Com has to prevent abuse...but to this cyber moron I can see all kinds of potential problems with this policy. What's to stop someone from signing up and rating just because they're the type of person who enjoys handing out pain instead of support? Hell...they don't have anything to lose as far as I can see. Either put up or shut up. Not that I'm the type to return a low rating with another. That's not my way. Making yourself open to criticism should be reserved for those willing to make their items public. What's to stop others from opening up several accounts and rating their own items? Maybe I'm just being naive but I've also noticed I get my low ratings when I enter contests. I understand my friends may rate me higher than complete strangers...but I've been here for over a year now...with probably well over a hundred different members to my port in that time. I've long since passed the 1,500 point and this journal alone has long passed the 1,000 member views despite the fact I seldom come out of my port and I'm almost always invisible. (I wonder why I was ever promoted sometimes) It was only when I started entering contests recently that I got the low ratings. According to the stats thingy I'm not very popluar with teenage girls. Hey...I wasn't trying to be. I'm wondering if other contest entrants rate stuff low to try and influence the judges. I hope not. Ratings I've said don't mean much to me...but that isn't so easy to say when an item gets four 5's and a 1. That 1 was making me doubt an item's worth despite the four 5's. There are usually no comments...although I have gotten a comment for a poem...to paraphrase..."This really touched me. I can REALLY relate to this." and it got a 3.5. I never did like the rating system. I'd like to be able JUST to comment without a star tacked on. Your 5 and my 5 may be totally different. That's a problem. I'll bet that person who rated my poem a 3.5 has a different value of what a 3.5 is worth than I do. I'm not into rating. I'd much prefer to have all my items unrateable...like I did for several months...but I won't go into how biased this site is to unrated items. I don't drive around with little signs to stick on people's front lawns...with one to five stars...for how well I think they mowed their grass. I don't walk around malls with pockets full of stars to stick on babies foreheads...one to five...of how cute I think they are. I guess there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who feel the need to rate sunsets...one to five...and those who enjoy each and every sunset for what it is...flaws and all...and leave the judging to others.

Having said all that...I haven't giving up on this site. I'm actually thinking of upgrading for a full year this time instead of the usual 3 months like I have been doing. Hmmmmmmmm I'll probably go with the 3 months again...for now...only because I'm worried the novel I've started may peter out. I hope not. It's not really like anything I've ever attempted before. Kind of a romance/tragedy/experiences thing. The frustrating thing is I have sooooooooooooooo many stories but sooooooooooooooo little time to get them all down. Well over 30K's worth of writing so far and it's only scratched the surface. So if I don't seem to be around much it's coz I'm busily typing away on my stories. So far I'm very stoked. I haven't felt like this since I first started writing poems. Yippie! Can't wait for my first 1. Funny how a complete anonymous stranger's opinion could make me have doubts about an item's worth. Well no more. I write for myself and I'm usually quite happy with my silly stories and other assorted crap. I very seldom feel the need to rate myself...or give myself a 1 or 2. Ewwwwwwwww I just thought...I wonder if some rating fanatic people keep a running record after each time they make love...sticking little stars to their lover's foreheads afterwards...one to five. Thank God numbers don't rule my life. You'll know I like you by the size of my smile...among other things.

Okay...enough ranting. That's not really who I am.

Raving...yeah...I'm much more of a raver me.

I originally had all kinds of raves for here...but that was before I realized my "stories" could maybe be a novel. I say novel when in fact I'm not sure what they'll be...I just know there'll be a lot of writing before I'm through.

Mitchell told me just now he's decided to go all the way and become a Vegan...instead of being a wishy washy vegetarian like we have been for the last 2+ years. That means no more eggs, milk, cheese, ice cream...I'm sorry...I LOVE ice cream too much. I gave up sooooooooooooo much...I can get by without milk and eggs if I really have to but PLEASE don't ask me to give up ice cream and cheese too. What else is there? Whole grain seed puddings with soya or coconut milk? I did notice he had a piece of the cherry cheesecake I left in the fridge last night however. Hmmmmmmm Could be he'll wait for it to be finished first before converting entirely. Maybe in the future I'll convert with him...but for now I'm very happy with my mint chip ice cream and four flavour cheese pizzas.

One last thing before I go and add some to my stories...I just realized any new readers stopping by may wonder who Mitchell and Derek are...you nosy devils you. No...I don't live in a college dorm and NO...I don't have a gay threesome going. Derek and Mitchell are my sons. I'm a veggie ice cream, cheese and animal loving single father who loves to type away on my silly stories all for the thrill of a quick 1 or 2 from my adoring fans. I best go...Do I sound bitter? I hope not. Do I? Tense maybe. Testy even...but I hope I haven't crossed the line into bitterness yet. Shit. There's nothing worse than a bitter whole grain seed pudding with soya or coconut milk kinda guy whining about something or other.

Ta ta for now

Updating this update

Mitchell just told me he's reconsidered becoming a vegan...at least for now. The lure of cherry cheesecake was just too strong.

I'm also considering making my story thingy briefly viewable to everyone...FOR A LIMITED TIME. Why? Coz it's taking me FOREVER and if I post it FOR A LIMITED TIME then at least you'll be able to see what I'm working on. Please remember it's just the first draft...and it's FAR from being done. This is only the boring first stuff. It's the next chapter I'm looking forward to writing. I'm still not sure if this is a good idea but what the Hell? I best do it now before I change my mind. It won't be up for long though...I want to finish5 or 6 more chapters before posting it for real.

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