Sunday, March 25, 2012
The Hunger Games
I never read the book series, but I saw the movie yesterday. I've got to say...hearing that youngsters were offing one another was much easier to hear about than to see. I thought I could handle the older of the teens doing it, but when young 12 year olds and such were getting killed, I quickly realized how horrible stuff like that was and how much of a pacifist I am. Honestly, if you're going to take someone to see this, be fully aware that kids who look even YOUNGER than 12 (Which was supposed to be the minimum age for "tribute" from what I can recall) are getting slaughtered, so make sure you know they can handle it and that it won't affect them. If I had kids, I definitely would NOT take them to see this. Sorry, but I just wouldn't.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Video Book Summaries for my Ebooks now on Youtube
I decided to make a video blog of my books in order to better explain the reasoning behind each of them. Sorry about the contrast issues. I swear I'm not a vampire!
https://www.youtube.com/user/brighteyes6u?feature=mhee
https://www.youtube.com/user/brighteyes6u?feature=mhee
Relationships - Searching for a mate - STOP TRYING TO UPGRADE !!!
I find it really interesting how people are always trying to upgrade when looking for a mate. What I mean is that we have a society filled with people constantly trying to get better (In their opinion, at least) than what they happen to be physically.
Even if a woman is, as an example, a mere 5 foot, they somehow instinctively think that they need a much taller man, and sometimes even way over the American average in height. Or, if a woman or a man happens to be plain, somewhat cute, or not even cute at all, that they think they actually have a shot at people who looked like they stepped off a runway, or out of a swimsuit magazine or off of a calendar.
It boggles the mind. The reason for my rant is simple, and it all has to do with a recent profile I read from a woman who was a mere 5 ft 2 and she stated that she would not even respond to anyone who was under 5 ft 11. Was I a bit unnerved by that? As a man who is only 5 ft 8, of course I was. However, it went deeper than that because even the average American male after the age of 20 is only 5 ft 9 1/2. (5 ft 10 for those Americans between the age of 20-29)
The height thing always made me wonder, actually, because it's self-defeating to the human race to want people who keep getting taller and taller and taller. Most people who make it to one hundred plus actually are on the shorter side, and it's not all due to shrinkage. (Which only accounts for an average of 1-2 inches by the time someone is old)
Basically, if you have the same engine in a compact car and a stretched limo, which engine do you think is going to have to do more work and, in turn, conk out earlier? Something to think about, especially for women, since they live an average of 5 years longer than men in this country and, even then, shorter guys live longer than taller ones on average to begin with.
Anyway, whatever the case, I just keep seeing this pattern of people wanting to physically upgrade (In their opinion, at least, but not always mine) on singles sites over and over and over again. People want something above and beyond the ordinary, even if THEY are not that extraordinary.
I'm sorry, but if you don't look like a supermodel, don't think you can get one. If you're a female, for heaven's sakes give guys closer to your own height a shot. Or if you're a male OR a female, if you're pudgy, give pudgy people a shot, if you're thin, give thin people a shot, if you're plain, give plain people a shot, if you're cute, stick with cute people but don't go for gorgeous, and so on and so forth.
Although I realize that we are biologically engineered to always try to go after the strongest and the most muscular and the most fertile and so on and so forth to supposedly make the species stronger, in effect, while it might make it stronger and more powerful and of taller stature, that does not mean it'll help it to live longer or BE better.
In today's society, we strive for relationships, and those that will LAST for as long as humanly possible. So don't be so freaking picky, and stop trying to upgrade. Sometimes what you think is actually an upgrade may, in fact, be a downgrade when it comes to overall life and QUALITY of life as well. Therefore, give other types closer to your own type a shot. You may be quite surprised at what they can really give you.
PS--For you statistics hounds who want to dispute the height theory, read the following…
http://books.google.com/books?id=PCU0RwDI6c4C&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=average+height+of+centenarians&source=bl&ots=syWH-qE8Rg&sig=FtyaBeuefFFYXTCnZgor3odNXvQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DZhtT6vEC82asgKmj_WDBg&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=average%20height%20of%20centenarians&f=false
Even if a woman is, as an example, a mere 5 foot, they somehow instinctively think that they need a much taller man, and sometimes even way over the American average in height. Or, if a woman or a man happens to be plain, somewhat cute, or not even cute at all, that they think they actually have a shot at people who looked like they stepped off a runway, or out of a swimsuit magazine or off of a calendar.
It boggles the mind. The reason for my rant is simple, and it all has to do with a recent profile I read from a woman who was a mere 5 ft 2 and she stated that she would not even respond to anyone who was under 5 ft 11. Was I a bit unnerved by that? As a man who is only 5 ft 8, of course I was. However, it went deeper than that because even the average American male after the age of 20 is only 5 ft 9 1/2. (5 ft 10 for those Americans between the age of 20-29)
The height thing always made me wonder, actually, because it's self-defeating to the human race to want people who keep getting taller and taller and taller. Most people who make it to one hundred plus actually are on the shorter side, and it's not all due to shrinkage. (Which only accounts for an average of 1-2 inches by the time someone is old)
Basically, if you have the same engine in a compact car and a stretched limo, which engine do you think is going to have to do more work and, in turn, conk out earlier? Something to think about, especially for women, since they live an average of 5 years longer than men in this country and, even then, shorter guys live longer than taller ones on average to begin with.
Anyway, whatever the case, I just keep seeing this pattern of people wanting to physically upgrade (In their opinion, at least, but not always mine) on singles sites over and over and over again. People want something above and beyond the ordinary, even if THEY are not that extraordinary.
I'm sorry, but if you don't look like a supermodel, don't think you can get one. If you're a female, for heaven's sakes give guys closer to your own height a shot. Or if you're a male OR a female, if you're pudgy, give pudgy people a shot, if you're thin, give thin people a shot, if you're plain, give plain people a shot, if you're cute, stick with cute people but don't go for gorgeous, and so on and so forth.
Although I realize that we are biologically engineered to always try to go after the strongest and the most muscular and the most fertile and so on and so forth to supposedly make the species stronger, in effect, while it might make it stronger and more powerful and of taller stature, that does not mean it'll help it to live longer or BE better.
In today's society, we strive for relationships, and those that will LAST for as long as humanly possible. So don't be so freaking picky, and stop trying to upgrade. Sometimes what you think is actually an upgrade may, in fact, be a downgrade when it comes to overall life and QUALITY of life as well. Therefore, give other types closer to your own type a shot. You may be quite surprised at what they can really give you.
PS--For you statistics hounds who want to dispute the height theory, read the following…
http://books.google.com/books?id=PCU0RwDI6c4C&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=average+height+of+centenarians&source=bl&ots=syWH-qE8Rg&sig=FtyaBeuefFFYXTCnZgor3odNXvQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DZhtT6vEC82asgKmj_WDBg&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=average%20height%20of%20centenarians&f=false
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Writing - Why I do what I do
I'll admit, people either love me or hate me. They either read what I have to say in my ebooks and everything clicks and a light bulb goes on over their heads, or they end up thinking I'm a complete ass. Generally speaking, that's how it typically goes.
Most people who don't understand me, quite frankly, were usually just raised in a completely different manner. Sometimes their ways are just different and that's perfectly fine. However, if they're different BUT those things are holding them back, maybe those people need to seriously let go of the past and their prior methods and try something different for a change.
What really gets me are the people who know they have a problem, but refuse to try something different or do anything about it to correct it. For example, if you can't figure out why your relationship partner is frustrated with you every time you're in a relationship, maybe you shouldn't always put the blame on them. Maybe YOU are actually doing something to make them that way. In addition, maybe it's not just something that would bother THOSE people you've been with, but maybe it would bother EVERY person.
Or if it's something more personal. Like, say, you're overweight, and instead of truly doing something about it, you try to convince yourself that you're just fine like you are and get ticked off when people try to help you.
If there's one thing I know about overweight people, they're generally pretty unhappy with the way they look. In 9 times out of 10, they hate it actually, and instead of doing something about it, they have a tendency to try to force themselves to be okay with it, even though that's a cover and not really how they're feeling or what they want.
So, basically, if you complain about something or have major self doubts about yourself, you have NO right to feel that way or to complain if you don't try to do something about it. People who are truly OKAY with themselves do NOT have a bad self image, NOR do they complain about something.
This is why I write a lot of self-help books. I've learned that, if people want to make things better or try something different, only those who are ready and willing to make things better will actively seek out new ways to do it.
I've tried in the past to help people who actually asked, but when asked I go full steam in trying to help them, and most people just aren't ready to take that kind of help yet. However, when they are willing to spend a little money to find help, you know they're really at the level to be helped. But before then? Not usually.
Therefore, writing helps me help people when they truly are looking and ready to find some fixes to some simple problems. Is my advice for everyone? No. Is everyone going to understand it or even agree with all of it? Again, no. But will at least some of my ideas help some people? Yes. Each and every one of us has some kind of knowledge that could help some people some of the time. That, to me...having actual chances to help some people, is worth it.
To be a writer of anything, whether it's how-to-guides, self-help guides, novels, or even reference books, a person has to have PASSION in what they're doing. They usually want to mentally touch other people and make them happy in one way or another. Writing is a tough business and it doesn't usually make loads of money for most people. It just doesn't. But it doesn't matter to us because touching the minds of others is what fuels us.
It's not about selfishness. It's not about making money. It's about being expressive and opening up someone else's eyes really wide, making them expand their minds to accept interesting and unique ideas and to take them to places they've never been before. It doesn't have to be Oz or Narnia. Not all of the time. Sometimes it could simply be as close as someone's bathroom mirror.
That's why I write. Because we all have at least some chances to make some people see things in ways that they may not have thought about. I'm smart enough to know that I'm not going to help all people all of the time, but I do know that I will probably help some people some of the time, and that's definitely good enough for me. Knowing that, even in subtle ways, I'll help some people and actually make a difference.
After all, isn't that what everyone really wants? To somehow make a difference?
Author Pages:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Jonathon-Jones/e/B006PE7K8U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/jonathon-jones
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/brighteyes71
Lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=jonathon+jones&x=0&y=0&sitesearch=lulu.com&q=
Apple: (Not all titles are listed yet)
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jonathon-jones/id400208973?mt=11
Most people who don't understand me, quite frankly, were usually just raised in a completely different manner. Sometimes their ways are just different and that's perfectly fine. However, if they're different BUT those things are holding them back, maybe those people need to seriously let go of the past and their prior methods and try something different for a change.
What really gets me are the people who know they have a problem, but refuse to try something different or do anything about it to correct it. For example, if you can't figure out why your relationship partner is frustrated with you every time you're in a relationship, maybe you shouldn't always put the blame on them. Maybe YOU are actually doing something to make them that way. In addition, maybe it's not just something that would bother THOSE people you've been with, but maybe it would bother EVERY person.
Or if it's something more personal. Like, say, you're overweight, and instead of truly doing something about it, you try to convince yourself that you're just fine like you are and get ticked off when people try to help you.
If there's one thing I know about overweight people, they're generally pretty unhappy with the way they look. In 9 times out of 10, they hate it actually, and instead of doing something about it, they have a tendency to try to force themselves to be okay with it, even though that's a cover and not really how they're feeling or what they want.
So, basically, if you complain about something or have major self doubts about yourself, you have NO right to feel that way or to complain if you don't try to do something about it. People who are truly OKAY with themselves do NOT have a bad self image, NOR do they complain about something.
This is why I write a lot of self-help books. I've learned that, if people want to make things better or try something different, only those who are ready and willing to make things better will actively seek out new ways to do it.
I've tried in the past to help people who actually asked, but when asked I go full steam in trying to help them, and most people just aren't ready to take that kind of help yet. However, when they are willing to spend a little money to find help, you know they're really at the level to be helped. But before then? Not usually.
Therefore, writing helps me help people when they truly are looking and ready to find some fixes to some simple problems. Is my advice for everyone? No. Is everyone going to understand it or even agree with all of it? Again, no. But will at least some of my ideas help some people? Yes. Each and every one of us has some kind of knowledge that could help some people some of the time. That, to me...having actual chances to help some people, is worth it.
To be a writer of anything, whether it's how-to-guides, self-help guides, novels, or even reference books, a person has to have PASSION in what they're doing. They usually want to mentally touch other people and make them happy in one way or another. Writing is a tough business and it doesn't usually make loads of money for most people. It just doesn't. But it doesn't matter to us because touching the minds of others is what fuels us.
It's not about selfishness. It's not about making money. It's about being expressive and opening up someone else's eyes really wide, making them expand their minds to accept interesting and unique ideas and to take them to places they've never been before. It doesn't have to be Oz or Narnia. Not all of the time. Sometimes it could simply be as close as someone's bathroom mirror.
That's why I write. Because we all have at least some chances to make some people see things in ways that they may not have thought about. I'm smart enough to know that I'm not going to help all people all of the time, but I do know that I will probably help some people some of the time, and that's definitely good enough for me. Knowing that, even in subtle ways, I'll help some people and actually make a difference.
After all, isn't that what everyone really wants? To somehow make a difference?
Author Pages:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Jonathon-Jones/e/B006PE7K8U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/jonathon-jones
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/brighteyes71
Lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=jonathon+jones&x=0&y=0&sitesearch=lulu.com&q=
Apple: (Not all titles are listed yet)
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jonathon-jones/id400208973?mt=11
Monday, March 19, 2012
Offering Help to People...A disclaimer.
Have you ever encountered someone in a relationship who had a really low self-image? And then you offered to help them improve it, and you tried, but then later when the relationship went belly-up they tried to say you were hurting them because you weren't accepting them just as they were?
Maybe it's just me, but isn't it a bit whackadoo to give someone permission to help them, but then turn around later and say that their help was hurting them? Isn't it, in fact, THEIR fault for not just saying, from the beginning, "I just don't want help and I like myself just like I am" if they were truly more comfortable with that?
I mean, when someone tries to help you be better in some way, they're doing it because they care, NOT because they're trying to hurt you. But if it does hurt you by them even trying to help you, isn't it YOUR responsibility to grow a backbone, stand up to them, and tell them how you really feel BEFORE your feelings escalate out of control and go in a downwards spiral?
I just don't get some people.
-If you don't want help, DON'T accept it.
-Communicate
-And don't chew the hand off of someone in the end if that hand never knew it was doing something wrong because you never told it that it was, and ESPECIALLY if you asked for it in the first place. Believe me, in nine times out of ten it was just trying to help.
Sheesh. Some people need a serious wake-up call. Folks, if someone tries to help you and you don't want it, you either let them know that asap or you accept it, but you don't just put up with it if that's not what you want. Because THEN it becomes YOUR fault for not speaking up and holding your ground.
Maybe it's just me, but isn't it a bit whackadoo to give someone permission to help them, but then turn around later and say that their help was hurting them? Isn't it, in fact, THEIR fault for not just saying, from the beginning, "I just don't want help and I like myself just like I am" if they were truly more comfortable with that?
I mean, when someone tries to help you be better in some way, they're doing it because they care, NOT because they're trying to hurt you. But if it does hurt you by them even trying to help you, isn't it YOUR responsibility to grow a backbone, stand up to them, and tell them how you really feel BEFORE your feelings escalate out of control and go in a downwards spiral?
I just don't get some people.
-If you don't want help, DON'T accept it.
-Communicate
-And don't chew the hand off of someone in the end if that hand never knew it was doing something wrong because you never told it that it was, and ESPECIALLY if you asked for it in the first place. Believe me, in nine times out of ten it was just trying to help.
Sheesh. Some people need a serious wake-up call. Folks, if someone tries to help you and you don't want it, you either let them know that asap or you accept it, but you don't just put up with it if that's not what you want. Because THEN it becomes YOUR fault for not speaking up and holding your ground.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
What Women Really Want: An Online Dating Guide for Men
New book! I had written it a while back when I wrote the version for women, but never released this one. I decided to go ahead...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007M03I78
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007M03I78
Saturday, March 17, 2012
New vintage toy book now available on Amazon!
Toys, Games, and Action Figure Collectibles of the 1970s: Volume II: Grizzly Adams to Play-Doh is now available for purchase on Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KN1N2E
For those of you who do not have a Kindle reading device, you really don't need one as long as you have a computer. You can download a Kindle reading program for the PC here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311
and a Kindle reading program for the MAC here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_mac_mkt_lnd?docId=1000464931
Thanks! It was fun writing, so I hope you enjoy it!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KN1N2E
For those of you who do not have a Kindle reading device, you really don't need one as long as you have a computer. You can download a Kindle reading program for the PC here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311
and a Kindle reading program for the MAC here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_mac_mkt_lnd?docId=1000464931
Thanks! It was fun writing, so I hope you enjoy it!
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