I feel that I have let twist in the wind the concept of designing a web presence that actually works.

I have plenty of interests: sports, entertainment, politics, book thoughts, economics, business and entrepreneurial interests, to name the brief selection.

So when things calm down, and I get time, say July 5th, I will be redesigning all 4 sites:

Anything Written
Anything Written Too
No More Mr. Nice Guy
No More Mr. Nice Guy Too

To meet the needs of the people that visit. (Uh, yeah, should have done that a while back.)

It is my ultimate hope to put the best things I’ve written, proposed and dreamed up in the appropriate categories. I will make it visually stunning – ok, that’s a stretch – but you will know what gives on the site. I tried for 3 years to write all things considered in my noodle in 1/2 blogs. It really did not work.

Meanwhile, I am broaching a point where I can actually see my baseball book come to a decisive end. The title works. The chapters are filling in. The research done in the past two years improves upon the 1st draft done in late 2007. AND — Wait for it — It might be a publishable piece of baseball history and SELL!!??!!???

Well, the last part is more my wishes than reality. But we all have dreams – like sands through the hourglass – these are the summer days of our lives!!!

I’m excited and maybe, irrational at the moment. Irrational in thinking this year is THE Year!

So I hope the redesign is received well as I move forward to the year 2010. And 37…

The Framers of the U.S. Constitution

It is my feeling that we cannot do this job alone, or without a serious overhaul of what our country is.

Back before we had a Constitution, we had the Articles of Confederation. From Wiki (I know, I know):

served as the de facto system of government used by the Congress (“the United States in Congress assembled”) until it became de jure by final ratification on March 1, 1781; at which point Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. The Articles set the rules for operations of the “United States” confederation. The confederation was capable of making war, negotiating diplomatic agreements, and resolving issues regarding the western territories. An important element of the Articles was that Article XIII stipulated that “their provisions shall be inviolably observed by every state” and “the Union shall be perpetual“.

But all of us know, and have lived under Our Constitution for nearly 225 years. The change was due to the looseness of the Confederations, lacked Taxing authority, the “1-vote per state flaw”, and the assumption of Debt payments that were being delayed by the individual states. In short, it lack the feel and philosophies of the current Constitution.

Again from Wiki:

On January 21, 1786, the Virginia Legislature, following James Madison’s recommendation, invited all the states to send delegates to Annapolis, Maryland to discuss ways to reduce these interstate conflicts. At what came to be known as the Annapolis Convention, the few state delegates in attendance endorsed a motion that called for all states to meet in Philadelphia in May, 1787 to discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation in a “Grand Convention.” Although the states’ representatives to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia were only authorized to amend the Articles, the representatives held secret, closed-door sessions and wrote a new constitution.

Which is now what I duly propose.

Our Constitution is in need of a revamp to deal with the realities and technology and pitfalls we currently face.

 A Second Constitutional Convention is needed to address problems both internal and external which can not be done by anyone person or currently elected body.

Various Excerpts from this draft:

#1: It will soon be 225 years since this monumental task was engaged in –
“to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our
Posterity…” (Preamble to the United States Constitution.)
 
At many junctures in our nation’s history, we have corrected course via
internal and external threats to our nation’s Posterity.  Seven-five years
after New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the Law of the Land
(June 21, 1788), the Civil War waged.  The bloody battle at Gettysburg
set the stage for Abraham Lincoln to speak to the existence of our
Union: “ The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here,
but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to
be dedicated here to the unfinished work [for] which they fought…”
(Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863.)

#2:Now, as we move again toward the fourth act of our nation’s illustrious
history, we face threats across many fronts – internal and external – that
must be addressed.
 
In the past quarter century, much of what America has become is being
done without a rudder or leadership or a rule or spirit of a guiding hand.
Our President, Barack Obama, spoke to this dilemma in a recent White
House news conference, saying that America was similar to a gigantic
ship that is not, “easily course corrected,” and that it responds, “slowly
to the policies installed.”
   
The recent financial collapses have left Americans trillions of dollars
poorer. Two of the largest and most venerable companies, GM and
Chrysler, are in the process of bankruptcy. The health care system
continues to escalate in cost, while nearly 20% cannot pay for coverage,
and by 2017 nearly one in five dollars will be spent on the system’s
maintenance. Nearly $1.5 Trillion dollars have been pledged to buttress
an economic system in flux, and often, in frail circumstances.
 
Our National Debt has surpassed $10 Trillion dollars. If our Government
would save $1 Billion per day, every day, it would take 27 years and 145
days to eliminate the balance. However, if interest accrues at the same
rate on that $10 Trillion, the net effort would be a zero change to our
Debt. The Crisis is only acerbated by the prolonged Recession, which
requires more deficit spending to spur growth, yet a rationale is needed
to maintain Fiscal Responsibility in the decades to come, else, We will
see unimaginable debts, and harder economic choices, than has befallen
any generation of Americans before.
 
Current Households are getting by on less; with no way to accurately
predict the designs of their companies, or if they will exist in the future
global economy. Energy, Environment, Economics and Existence are
intertwined; with the ignoring of One, or more, to come with the brutal
Human price (at some point) in the response of (and to) the Others. Such
Human costs come today with daily personal aggravations and the brutal
destruction of the Middle Class and Middle America. Dependence has
become a way of life for many, many millions. 
 
The American competitive advantage of Education, Infrastructure and
Manufacturing has evaporated as developing and developed regimes are
exploiting weaknesses and offering American multinational corporations
access to cheap, unencumbered and pliant labor forces that can not or
will not stand up for better working conditions. The enormous profits are
kept; and America grows more complacent, and less able to catch up
when our dollars stay in the hands of never-friendly, duplicitous regimes,
who, reinvest by buying American assets with little regard for the
American people’s way of life. Thus, we are trapped in a cycle that has
to be reversed.
   
Our Rivals in this global Marketplace were once the bane of our
Existence, not for their economy, education, infrastructure, or political
ideas, but because they held Freedom in prison, and ignored their people
forthwith. They still do; but now supplant their peoples’ emerging
industriousness, and desires for a political voice, with the economic
strip mining of natural resources  – and the fact the resources are
indeed, limited, makes it more beneficial to ignore the struggling
population while amassing wealth for the selected few.
 
We are engage in a war. While we attempt to extricate ourselves from
one country, two close neighbors are in need of our Military. These costs
in lives and coin are greater than we seem able to justify or maintain.
And others regimes are revisiting the Cold War with nuclear ambitions
and threats. The Middle East is still as unstable as it has been for a
Millennia.
 
Our government has been severely taxed to function properly; as the
divide over social ills, economic philosophies, foreign policy and
domestic design have been a source of bitter feuding without significant
altering of the direction of the country.
 
 And no one man is able to reset the course alone.
 
The Problems are vast; multi-trillion in nature, and currently are
addressed with only piece-meal and hen-pecked legislation. Meager
victories are attainable – but never go to the root cause – and so, the
time is ripe for amending what it is to be under Constitutional Rule.
 
The Framers to Our Constitution and the Founding Fathers were not idle
people. No one accused Adams, Franklin, Jay, Jefferson, Madison,
Morris, Sherman or Washington of inaction or paralysis in an arena of
battle. They did not sit by and wait for things to happen. They made
things happen. They were builders; doers; dreamers; leaders; opinion
makers; philosophers; scholars and visionaries.

#3: Our Framers allowed for Amendments to make clearer, and
unambiguous, the language and rights ceded to the Individual, and the
Government. Each is dependent on the other; cooperation and
compromise is the hallmark result of our ebb and flow during bitter
conflicts and the paramount concerns over the other’s intrusions into
Rights the other has. The State remains Supreme; but only by the Graces
of those Ruled.
 
A 2011 – 2012 Constitutional Convention to address our Nation’s
problems would be a vast improvement on innovating the future of
America over the piece-meal, penny-wise, but pound-foolish approach
that much of our U.S. legislation attempts futilely. And its time for the
Common Man and the Elite Minds in various arenas to dutifully attempt
to pull together to create a more perfect Union to last another 225 years.

#4: Constitutional reformation is not a new idea.
 
In the mid-1980’s, James L. Sundquist from The Brookings Institution
wrote on the subject in Constitutional Reform and Effective Government
(1986). Then, no mention was ever made of the environment, climate
change (Global Warming), genetics, technology, the internet or
reproductive rights. Only in passing was the term energy policies or
abortion mentioned. 
 
Thus, the need for an updated discussion to determine what should be
the role of our Modern Government; and what are the Rights and
Responsibilities of each branch; and the operation as it is directed
toward the Individual; and is their a better way to solve our various
problems through better, leaner, and a more focused government.
 
If indeed, a quorum develops to execute a Convention – a supermajority
of 30 states, for example – then we can proceed to selection of leaders
to be sent, and the importance of equality of representation based on
expertise, and commonality, and flexibility of action.

#5: It is a hope that with a large contingent that a wide array of opinions can
be brought to bear on the problems. And that discussion in America’s
newspapers, online sites, blogs, podcasts, talk radio, and multimedia
platforms will engage Americans in a Civics discussion of unparallel
proportions in human history.
     
It is a desire to get the best each state has to offer in agriculture, art,
business, economics, education, engineering, legal, medical, political
science, natural science, and technology sectors, to name only a few.

#6: The biggest caveat to delegation representation is that the currently
sitting Congressional members of the United States cannot be apart of
this discussion. They have plenty to handle in the daily oversight and
operation of the Country. (They could testify or provide information on
drafting amendments.) They can resign their post to join the discussion,
but cannot be apart of these two bodies simultaneously.
 
The point of the delegation is not to just bring elite minds to the table
either. At least 10% of the representatives need to be lay community
leaders who represent urban, suburban and rural areas successfully, and
uniquely. Their intimate connection is as important as the ivory tower
scientist, or tempered-glass, high-rise, Wall Street-minded executive who
will be as much apart of the discussion as his State deems necessary.

#7: Without specific numbers, but using 538 representatives as a theoretical
base, approximately 12 committees (with further breakdown as they
deem necessary) to attempt to handle the intertwined policies and
desires of the People.  (A cross-functional committee would make 13
total.)
 
This is a process that should not be rushed; as it is a hope that in two
years the debate, analysis, counterarguments, ratification process and
establishment into law can be begin – assuming the discussion will last
to the 2012 Election cycle.   

#8: Possible Committees

  21st century Business & Economics

  Arts & Education Development

  Medicine, Science & Technology

  Engineering, Energy, Infrastructure & Climate Change

  Federal Budget Reform & Analysis

  Political Reform

  Efficiency & Effective Governmental Systems

  Legal Reform (Criminal & Civil)

  Agriculture, Conservation & Natural Resources

  Trade & Domestic Employment

  Security, Terrorism and Foreign Policy

  Disaster Management & Policy

  Unified Committee to Resolve Conflicting Amendments

#9: If, at the very least, this triggers an intelligent discussion, and the
search for information and analysis of the issues to put into play by the
hopeful Designers of the 21st Century Amendments to Our Hallowed
Constitution, then the work of a Convention should be called a success. 
 
Quality, not quantity, is the Experiment that is Good Governance. If we
should ignore this, then the problems will persist.
 
The impetus for a drastic alteration should be to suppress and eliminate
a much greater and fundamentally destructive dynamic: The internal and
external forces that are waging war against America. Some by accident;
some by design; but all are a linchpin to a catastrophic collapse in our
Freedoms and Choices as American Citizens.
 
Enduring change is done through the process of Law and Order. This
proposed convention for adapting the U.S. Constitution for the 21st
century is not about any singular argument, or advancement. It is about
trusting that We, The People, can respectfully and uniformly agree on the
Necessities of our Modern Life. It is about setting examples for a World
that is often amiss. That change and adaptation can happen quickly and
with great human benefits.
 
With Duty, Honor, Courage and Commitment, This Shall Be the Case.

Note: Minutes from the Original Constitutional Convention in 1787.

I still feel a bit lost in the malaise that is the Web 2.0 (or 2.2 or 3.0). I found useful these sites:

DocStoc provides a nice upload/download service that generates cash for all the documents you place online that are downloaded. ($.10 per download.) It offers many features – browsing items, html code insertions into blogs & homepages. It really is a slick site.

From their site:

Docstoc is the premier online community to find and share professional
documents. Docstoc provides the platform for users and businesses to upload and
share their documents with all the world, and serves as a vast repository of
documents in variety of categories including legal, business, financial,
technology, educational, and creative. All documents on docstoc can be easily
searched, previewed and downloaded for free.

Docstoc also provides technology through various APIs and Widgets to
help facilitate the sharing and promotion of documents across the web. The site
has popularized the use of embedding documents throughout the blogosphere and
mainstream media. You can learn more about embedding documents here: http://blog.docstoc.com/embed-documents-on-docstoc-into-your-blog-or-webiste.html

Lizzer seems a way to put Google, Blogger, Youtube, Docstoc on your websites. I haven’t done much yet, just got the account yesterday, but I will attempt it later.

As time marches, I find myself hoping these services last beyond 2009.

I am no longer going to ignore promotion, SEO and other techniques to generate the almighty dollar. While it was nice to stay above the fray, trying to make engaging blogs and content, what I did not do was go out of my way to promo things I did do.

Somehow that was considered pure and free of deplorable shilling of my stuff. Well, those days are coming to a halt.

To anyone who is doing well in this recession, I need new techniques to make money. Any suggested outlets?

I will likely spend next week on two things: reorganizing my online presence and research on a book.

I will post, at best, once a week.

I really loved Cupid.

It was a 1-hour of watching “matchmaker make me a match” – with the knowledge that such meddling would indeed end one in an insane asylum. (A place I sometimes rather be – than walking around in a perpetual fog.)

In the world of ratings, my blog would have been cancelled long ago. Not enough readership. Too few comments. Not enough straight dope on Heidi from “The Hills.”  (And I have never partaken of said show. I’m a blogger get me the F out of this TV hell.)

By no means is Cupid some new, catchy, creative show of unheralded genius just needing a respectable fleshing out. It was driven by Cupid himself, Bobby Cannavale, and that was about it. Sarah Paulson play an ok doctor – but she was not, nuerotically-enhanced enough to provide the fodder this show needed.

Back in the 90’s, when things seemed better, Jeremy Piven played Cupid in the series for 15 episodes. This time, Cupid’s failure to launch lasted 6 episodes.

So, is love lost? Are we so blatantly ignorant to grind up the show, not once (a regular staple of TVland), but twice?

Where has my Romeo and Juliet gone to suffer? Why is taming this shrew of an industry methinks too difficult to understand? Alas, why has Shakespeare and the Roman God of Love become second-rate for 2010 TV audiences?

Love has many facets – not that my eyes shine bright and brilliant with the liquor of lusty lurches into loves’ delights – but this facet, the searching for a facsimile of familar programming on the quest and queries of love are gone with the tides, “pray, oh, pray! How I weep! While I weep…”

Is their no TV God to abort this transgression! Shall I play the fool to these minions of subpar taste?

It is a good thing it is summer. As the sun shimmers across a lake, somewhere, and I pause to partake of a beguiling beauty on the shore. I’ll say, ” time for me to try my hand at being my own personal Cupid.” The summer’s sweetest game will unlikely end in conquest of her softest treasures, but it will make the sands feel smoother than anything else, aside from said lusty lass.

And the show is forgotten.

The lamb lies down.

And the God still fiddles with humanity, while I’ll eat another cheeto watching this fall on ABC, NBC, CBS or, ugh, Fox. (As I have no cable. Alas again, methinks I’m in the 1970s.  If so: “To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there’s the rub.”)

For those that like to vote & decide fates of things, here’s your chance:

Design #1

Less formal, but the ideas are there

Design #2

Organized better, less images

So which one do you prefer?

Is the title: Bringin’ Gas & Dialin’ 9: A Seven Score Addiction to the National Pastime suit?

How about Bringin’ Gas & Dialin’ 9: A Seven Score Addiction to Professional Baseball & Its Development? (Too Long)

This book will be complete in November 2009. Revamped from the old version at anythingwritten.wordpress.com.

Short and sweet, Tuesday is the disrespected day. No one likes it – I mean, who wants to think of Tuesday as great?

I was out of ideas at the word: Tuesday. It gets no press – very little mentioning – unless it’s “Tuesday’s Gone with the Wind” by Hank Williams, Jr.

So the fact I wrote this post on it shows how bored I am. I downloaded some files today, listened to the Cubs for a bit, wrote on a book and now, I got to feed myself. (And watch Cupid.)

That’s Tuesday. Such a forgettable day. Humpday tomorrow. Friday night lights means either Star Trek again or reading at Barnes & Nobles.

Such is my life.

Chris Pine the new James Tiberius Kirk

If you’ve been living in the future for years, setting your phasers to stun and praying for a day to kick some Klingon ass, this movie comes as close to the near future as you’ll get.

I shouldn’t get too Trekkie on you, yet. But it is always a pleasure to escape the current problems of a nation via the Star Trek transporter.

The movie will take you back to the beginning, the en vogue thing to do in these Hollywood-is-out-of-ideas times. (Hey, do the Shannara series, Hollywood?)

Star Trek opens 5.08.09 to what is likely to be the largest audience looking for The Final Frontier as a means to quell their latest fears – Swine Flu, anyone?

Zoe Saldana is Uhura, and damn!!!

This cast looks every bit the part of a group destine to do some incredible things in the Star Trek movie franchise. The trailers (14 Trailers are here.) make this story move in a way that 2 hours of film time does not seem logical.

Forgive my slipping into Star Trekese since it a bad habit that only a Hypherion drink on Quantas Four could do proper justice. (Made up that too.)

Since I can’t relate any star adventures of my own, I just hope to be there when a phaser hits a baddie, and a young Kirk says something so irrational that all of us feel that it is a product of being human that make this a movie worthy of a 10 pieces of gold press latium.

(A recent review calls it ’F-ing Amazing…’)

Primary Cast members

	John Cho	…	Hikaru Sulu
	Ben Cross	…	Sarek
	Bruce Greenwood	…	Capt. Christopher Pike
	Simon Pegg	…	Scotty
	Chris Pine	…	James T. Kirk
	Zachary Quinto	…	Spock
	Winona Ryder	…	Amanda Grayson
	Zoe Saldana	…	Nyota Uhura
	Karl Urban	…	Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy
	Anton Yelchin	…	Pavel Chekov
	Eric Bana	…	Nero
	Leonard Nimoy	…	Old Spock