Page 25 | MediocreMan

Save Often · 7 September 2024

When you post your blog, save often. When you post your blog, save often. When you post your blog, save often.

If you are wondering why I wrote the same sentence three times, I am about to explain. When you post your blog, save often. It is actually pretty simple. When you post your blog, save often. You see, it is a mantra. When you post your blog, save often. A mantra that I am going to have when I post my blog. (Bet you thought I was going to say, “When you post your blog, save often.”)

Actually, I do not really need to save often. I just had a problem with my blog post about the number 1 at the end of original movies that have sequels. If you recall, there is no number 1 at the end of original movies that have sequels. (And no. My head is not exploding.) You see, with that post, I had to put HTML tags in for italics words. And since there are movie titles in the blog post, I had to put many HTML tags (both opening and closing tags) into the blog post. After all, I put in several movie titles. Some many times in the same sentence. Or at least the same paragraph. And since convention says that movie titles go in italics, I had many HTML tags to put in.

Well, I was almost done putting in said tags when I hit the wrong button. Silly me. Trix are for rabbits. Oops. I hit a button that starts a new blog post. I tried to go back, but alas. My almost finished blog post was no more. I had to start over.

Which does not mean that I had to write it again. Oh no. I write my blog post on my word processor and then put it on my website. I just had to copy and paste it again. And then, I had to go through and put in my HTML tags again. So even though it was a pain. And even though it took too much time. (Did I mention that I was almost finished?) I got it done. Obviously. At least it is obvious if you have read said blog post. Which reminds me. Do not comment if I missed an italics or have too many. Well, okay. Comment if you must. After all, I like comments.

Which reminds me.

If you read any of my books or any of my blog posts, I would really appreciate reviews or comments. (I think I wrote a blog post saying that I would only mention that one time, but I could not help myself just now. Sorry about that. But I might do it again some time. Sorry about that too.)

At any rate. I need to remember to save often. Especially, when posting my blog. And in case you need a reminder. Here is my mantra again.

When you post your blog, save often. When you post your blog, save often. When you post your blog, save often.

Maybe that will help you remember to save often when you are working on your computer.

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There Is No Part 1 · 31 August 2024

When you have a sequel of any kind, there is no Part 1. Unless you are Star Wars.

I was on a kick about not being in a funk. Three blog posts on the subject. Apparently, I did the same with Kimchi a while ago. But with Kimchi I had four parts. Albeit, those posts were over about a year and only two were consecutive weeks. So apparently, writing blog sequels is a thing. Or at least it is a thing with me. Do not worry. This is not a fourth blog post about not being in a funk. It is a post about sequels. Rather, about what the original is called.

If you have ever been in a conversation about movies, you have probably heard somebody say something about Rocky 1 or Jaws 1. Those movies do not exist. They are called Rocky and Jaws. Period. No 1. Arabic or Roman numeral. No 1 at all. And yet people say it all the time.

“Oh yeah. Rocky 1 still works today.”
“I saw Jaws 1 again. I won’t even go in the lake for weeks.”
“I saw A Nightmare on Elm Street 1. It still scares the bejeebers out of me.”

I know the reason people do it. When you just say, “I saw Rocky last weekend,” somebody inevitably asks, “Which one?” So you just say, “Rocky 1.” Even though there is no Rocky 1!

Of course, you could just say, “The original.” Or you could cock your head sideways and not say anything. But when you do that, whoever you are talking to will undoubtedly say, “Oh yeah. Rocky 1. I love that movie.” And if your head explodes when you say, “There is no Rocky 1!”, your friend will say, “I know. I just like to see your head explode when you say, ‘There is no Rocky 1!’” With friends like that…

At any rate.

I simply do not have that conversation with people. I just let them go along their merry way thinking or at least saying that there really is a “1” at the end of the original title of a movie with a sequel or five. After all, I hate it when my head explodes.

There is, of course, an exception to the No 1 rule. Star Wars. (By the way. There is an exception to every rule. Right? Except that one. Or is that a paradox or a conundrum or something like that?)

Star Wars is a conundrum all by itself. After all, the first one is actually the fourth one. Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope was the original Star Wars, but you cannot call it Star Wars 1. Which is a relief. Unfortunately, it causes its own conversational nightmares. Nightmares not on Elm street.

Or maybe it gets rid of conversational nightmares. Think about it. Star Wars movies have their own numbering system. They are episodes. And those episodes are actually in the titles. Which is great! You can just say which episode you are talking about by number and people will know exactly what you are talking about.

Except they do not.

When you say, “Star Wars 1” or “The first Star Wars” or even “Star Wars: Episode I”, people will still ask you, “Do you mean the original? Or the actual Episode I?” Probably just to see your head explode.

At any rate. I hope this clears things up about ones.

Remember, if you are talking about the original of a series of movies, you do not put a “1” after the name. Unless there really is a one there. Which is an interesting thought. Somebody ought to make a movie with a “1” at the end of the title and not make a sequel. No doubt people would then ask if you had seen the movie but will leave out the 1. Probably just to see your head explode.

And with that ends part 4 of not being in a writing funk (just kidding). Just remember, the original does not have a “1” at the end. And remember. It is nothing like Star Wars.

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Three Blog Ideas in One Night · 24 August 2024

I am definitely not in a writing funk. I had three blog ideas in one night! Three!

I may be taking the notion of not being in a funk too far. But I am in good company. After all, what movie making company does not make a sequel or five when the franchise is making money. Why not write three blog posts about not being in a funk? Of course, my blogs do not make mega-dollars in a weekend. But that is not the point.

The point is that I actually had three blog ideas in one night! Which definitely means that I am not in a writing funk. Although, two of those blog posts might not make the cut. One might see light as an essay one day. The other though seems a bit out of my norm. A bit too deep or dreary or something. Not really my thing. But who knows? I might need to put it out there one day.

The third idea was this one. Three blog ideas came to me in one night. Or at least three writing ideas.

You might think that is cheating. After all, it is not really an idea, right? At least not on its own. It is not like there was some topic that needed to be discussed and I wrote about it. No. It was just a happenstance. I had two ideas in one night and since I had two ideas, I thought I could write about that, which means I had three ideas! Which I think it is a great idea. Three for the price of two.

Of course, since two of them might never see the light of day, then the three for two is not really a thing. Even if I wrote them all. Which I did. Rather, I am writing the third one now. So I will get all three of the ideas written. I will only be posting one. At least for now. Which is okay. To write three and post one. That is still batting over three-hundred. Pretty good for a hitter in baseball. Maybe not so great for a blogger. Ah well.

The biggest thing though is that I had writing ideas. It does not matter whether they see the light of day or not. I had the ideas. I wrote the essays or blog posts. And that is all that matters. Oh. And I got to have a second sequel (which would be called the third) to the blog post about not being in a funk. After all, if you get three ideas in one night, you are definitely not in a funk. Which I said three blog posts ago. (By the way, there is never a 1 if you have a sequel or five. Except with Star Wars. But that is a completely different story.)

Well, this post is a bit short and redundant, but you get the idea.

I had three ideas. I wrote the essay and blog posts from said ideas. And I got to have part three of not being in a funk. All in all, not a bad few days of blogging.

And if I did not mention it enough times, I am definitely not in a writing funk. Or any kind of funk whatsoever.