Litmocracy Forums

Ahem… The House Of Litmock

2014-07-13T17:43:59-05:00

Aloha friends,

Or Hau, yo all our other Lakota Sioux braves out there, Cuz’ I am like largely Sioux. Well partly. Okay, so I’m really a mutt, but there is serious Sioux blood in this puppy. Anywho, no smoking of the peace pipes today, just dropping a line, for the first time in a long time, to let everyone in Litmock land know what’s up.

Star and I are finally moved into our house, mostly anyway, and it’s time to catch up. This is pertinent because my years of working with Litmocracy and with Dave, through many ventures such as Bitcoin and investments along with our work here, helped pay for this house. So it’s the house that Litmocracy built, literally, because the sucker is paid for in full. Litmocracy does some wonderful things if you get involved with it! And we’re not done yet, we will be running some new contests shortly, I am open to ideas, so just tell me what you have in mind and we might run it.

Meantime, as we settle in to our new abode, much has been transpiring in and around Litmock land with our many talented members. Prometheus, for example, recently had a successful book signing for his book Tony’s Tale. His blog is doing well, and he continues to pound the keys and write away.

Our good friend Dean M. Drinkel won best screenplay at the Monaco Film Festival… AGAIN… as if once wasn’t enough, and is ripping up the Continent as we speak. In fact, he was even featured in the horror genre stalwart magazine Fangoria recently, which is quite a feather in the cap. I still remember doing somersaults getting subscriptions to Fangoria and Starlog among a few other mags I loved when I was a kid. I did end up writing a column for The Main Event, one of those gift subscriptions, years later, but I never got into Fangoria. Dean, I love you my old friend, but I am jealous. It was an interesting read, and still a great magazine, as always. On a side note, Dean and I are collaborating on a script for one of my stories, an old winner in the early days of this website when I won money for posting the story as a serial here. It’s called Zombie Stew. Whale, that’s all for now, back to unpacking and such, and watching the Orioles blow a 3 game lead in the A.L. East!

Ho hum, thus is life.

Ciao…

Ahem…. Bitcoin, you say?

2013-08-08T17:24:49-05:00

NuqneH,

To all of our Klingon friends out there, and to all the fans of The Big Bang Theory who are denizens of Litmock land, that one was for Sheldon. Bazinga. Hope all is well. All is sane here, which is weird for me. Makes me feel like I need a trip to the Vet or something. Like my nose is not wet and it should be. I was recently wormed, so I know I’m good there. Oh well.

Anyway, today I want to let you all know a little bit about Bitcoin, because Dave has gotten into the stuff and is now a Bitcoin dealer. I apologize to all you techy heads, who know all about the stuff, but for those of you like me who are amazed that the light comes on every time you open the fridge (I still believe there’s a little gnome or troll that lurks in there and works the light), Bitcoin may be a bit confusing.

So here is a description of Bitcoin in a nutshell: Bitcoin is an online payment method that eliminates the middle man. It is foolproof and always traceable, and will protect you if you want to transfer money or buy things online, while saving you fees like Paypal charges. One Bitcoin is worth about $105, though the trading rate does fluctuate, kind of like Gold or Silver. So the Bitcoin you receive if you win the Voluntaryist contest we have been asked to enter is worth about $105. Along with the silver, there are some sporty prizes in that contest.

Anywho, if you are looking to buy or sell some Bitcoin, Dave is in the market. Here are the details. Here is our direct link for anyone in the market. And, hallelujah, football season is back, so I have to go watch the first Ravens game, even though it’s not a real game. It’s been a long time since the SuperBowl, so I’m Jonesing.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Don-N-Dave

Ahem… Inside and outside contests, book collections and such…

2013-07-01T21:44:44-05:00

Bonjour, Alo, and How Bout Them Habs, eh?

For all of our wonderful Canadian friends on Canadia Day (yes, I know it’s Canada Day, back off, I’m jest playin’). Hope you enjoyed your wonderful National Day and celebrated with great fervor. Guzzled some maple syrup. Kicked back some Labatt’s. Rocked the lumberjack suit.

Whatever floats your easygoing boat!

Me, I’m hanging in there. Barely. For a few more days maybe. I am the latest victim of the great Housing Bubble Crash of 2008. Iza’ nightmare, and unfortunately, I keep waking up from it and to it. Whatcha’ gonna’ do? Been let down, betrayed and left for dead, but no worries, my ghost will haunt this website for years to come. Some of our members, however, have some great news.

Jason Gaskell, a long time member, has had a great collection of ten short stories published by Simulacrum Press Publishers. Congrats to him, and it is worthy of a thorough read. Anyone who wants to check it out or wants to help a fellow member and maybe buy a copy, purchasing a good read in the process, can take a peek here, or here if you are across the pond in the U.K. So help a brother out and check out the book.

Also, don’t forget about the Steve Hockensmith Contest we have running here and the contest open to us from our friends at the Voluntaryist. They both feature great prizes. Unique prizes. Riches and wonders beyond your dreams. So strap your thinking cap on and write a winner, then kick back and enjoy your loot.

Until next time, assuming I extract myself from this nightmare,

Sayonara

Ahem… Outside contests and stuff…

2013-05-18T16:48:17-05:00

Aloha,

To our Hawaiian ccmpadres. And if you’re lucky enough to be hanging ten and sucking ‘em up on the beaches of Oahu, uhm, I think I hate you. So enjoy. Eat some Chicken Adobo, some BBQ and some mahi for me, and throw back a few pineapple infused Blue Hawaiians in my name while you’re at it.

All has been grueling here. The weather forecast is dismal. I’m not even planting a garden this year. Why bother? Of course, that means I’m less likely to accidentally bury myself, but you never know. I manage to get myself in some weird predicaments. Attendance and site traffic are up, so that’s good. The Hockensmith Mystery Contest is swimming along, but we need more entrants. We’ve had a few site glitches and fixes, so there’s that. If you see any issues, let us know so we can fix them.

The fine Libertarians over at the Voluntaryist are running a writing contest. They welcome anyone looking to write and win some fantastic prizes, including 5 ounces of silver. It would be more fitting if it were 30 pieces of silver I think. I tend to agree with Libertarians in principle, but not in practice. I’m wholly against taxation (theft) and socialism, I just like to do what I can to make a difference when possible. Libertarians like to point out the problems, and though they often have the means, they do little or nothing about it. They are very ostrichey. They remind me of a mechanic in the desert who tells you your engine is smoking, and you say, ‘I can see that, but I don’t know how to fix it, and if I did, I don’t have any tools. Since you have the tools and the know-how, why don’t you help me fix it and I’ll give you a ride back to town.’ And they shrug their shoulders and tell you they quit town because it was just too big of a mess, but it’s okay because they have a tank of water and some canned goods out here in the Utopian desert. As smart as they are, they don’t realize the canned goods and water will eventually run out. Fixing the bigger issues would be better for all, and would have better long term ramifications even in purely selfish terms. Libertarians, at least the ones I have dealt with, usually want to leave the country and start or join a community with like minded people on a small island, thinking there will be no problems and they’ll build Ayn Rand’s miracle Gulch. Like the socialist government will stop at the borders when there’s nothing left on the mainland to pilfer? No one is safe until the socialist snake loses its head. But I guess that’s why I’m not a Libertarian, or any other kind of “ist”. I’m just Don, a writer and a Dad.

Anywho, here’s the contest details:

How Do You Explain to People That Taxation Is Theft? If you are interested in educating others about Voluntaryism, if you are interested in delegitimizing the State, if you are interested in helping people understand why they must withdraw their cooperation and consent from the State, this is the contest for you!

Those of you who have followed my writings in THE VOLUNTARYIST know that taxation is an anathema to me. Why it should be so is perhaps mostly a matter of logic. As Lysander Spooner pointed out, government is dependent on money and men. With money, it can hire soldiers and police; with soldiers and police it can enforce its edicts and collect more money to support itself. Murray Rothbard in his classic definition of the State refers both to its coercive monopolization of a certain geographic area and its forcible collection of revenues, known as taxation. Without the ability to collect taxes we would begin to see the demise of the State.

As much as I have written in opposition to taxation, I still feel much like the voice crying in the wilderness. For whatever reason, few have joined in my crusade to persuade people that the stealing commandment applies to both individuals and governments and the people working on their behalf.

It was recently pointed out to me by our webmaster, Dave Scotese, that practically all people agree that stealing is wrong, but that most of them do not see taxation as theft. This was a new way of addressing the problem. Dave suggested I adjust my focus by finding the best methods and/or best arguments for convincing non-voluntaryists that taxation is stealing.

That is the crux of our contest:

HOW DO WE BEST EXPLAIN THE VOLUNTARYIST POSITION AND BRING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT TAXATION IS THEFT?

Rules: Contest closes December 31, 2013. All entrants give The Voluntaryist permission to post their entries on the worldwide web and to publish in The Voluntaryist newsletter and in any book edited by Carl Watner. Authors’ names will be used unless a request for anonymity is made. Please submit all entries via email to . If your entry is sent as an attachment, please send as an rtf (rich text format) file. Entries may be of any length. You may submit as many entries as you wish. All suitable entries will be considered for the Grand Prize Award, though there is no guarantee that a Grand Prize Winner will be selected. Entries will be screened and be deemed acceptable by a panel selected by Carl Watner. Acceptable entries will be eligible for the Grand Prize. All acceptable entries will receive a complimentary 4 issue subscription to The Voluntaryist newsletter. Entrants please include your snail mail address if you wish to take advantage of this offer. If chosen, a Grand Prize Winner will be announced during the month of January 2014. Carl Watner will make the final selection, although he may consult with members of his panel. The Grand Prize Winner will receive five ounces of silver, .999, fine and 1 bitcoin. Go here for more details, if you have questions, or for additional notifications.

Back to the drudgery. Maybe I can tread water for another day or two.

Peace out.

Ahem… Tatoos for your submissions… Whale, I guess they’d be Litoons!

2013-03-25T14:18:46-05:00

Hylo,

To all of our Welsh friends out there. And if you are one of our Welsh friends out there, send me one of those great local brews, quit hoarding the stash. Nothing like ales from Wales. Anywho, Hello, Bon Jour, or Aloha to the rest of you.

Today we are starting to institute a cool new practice here at the old writer’s watering hole. We will be selecting a few recent top submissions and then we will be having some rather awesome illustrations done for those winners that have been chosen. This means, if you have submitted pieces recently, keep your eyes peeled for artwork that might be attached to your submission, in honor of your submission. Art made from your art. I think it would be kind of cool to have a cartoon illustrating my writing.

Though I wouldn’t know, because, uhm, none of my work was chosen.

Not that I’m bitter though, no, not at all. And if the site happens to go dead for a few hours later in the day, that had nothing to do with me pulling the plug in retaliation at all.

Stop looking at me like that. I’m innocent I tell you.

So, this is not a one time thing. Going forward, select new submissions will also get the same treatment, artwork for their submissions, until we work our way up to animations made from submissions, which we are and have been working on. That, indeed, will be madly cool. And so help me, if one of my pieces isn’t chosen to be made into an animated cartoon, I swear, I will throw down. There will be some ruckus up in here.

Also, for those of you getting entries together for the Steve Hockensmith Mystery Contest, quit lollygagging. The PR campaign has started and will be running for some time to come. The word is spreading, here are a few early examples of the PR campaign that we are unleashing, here, there, and everywhere. Or you can check this search and see how the word is spreading around the world. So get those submissions IN. I want at least one of our old timers to take a prize!

Until Later,

Ciao.

Ahem… Let The Games Begin!!!

2013-03-06T16:47:03-05:00

Ciào, to all of our Italian friends,

Hello and Aloha to everyone else out there. If you are one of our Italian friends reading this, you should make everyone else in litmock land some of your famous, delicious food. Some lasagna or spaghetti and gravy or some manicotti or something, isn’t it traditional to bring a dish to a party like this anyway? I mean, whaddaya’ thinking, coming to a community newsletter like this empty handed?

Ah, who am I kidding, nobody’s bringing nothing, I’m just hungry and craving some yummy Italian food. So anyway, on to business! It’s Hammer Time (HO-O, HO-O, break it down)!

Hmmm… though Hammer Time IS a blast from the past, perhaps it should stay in the past. Those pants are hideous. Okay. So lets get onto contests and activity. The Steve Hockensmith Mystery Contest is finally ready to begin. The award winning, best selling author has been busy lately, but we have the prizes here and we’re ready to go. We are giving 15 prizes away, including autographed Old Red and Big Red books, cash, and some excellent reading material penned by Mr. Hockensmith himself, and I mean Cadaver In Chief, written by Steve, not books that his Dad is giving away.

Steve has some very big news of his own in the coming months, so you should get submissions in (here) as soon as you can. I know a few of you I have talked to are working on some excellent entries, so I’d get a head start. You can edit them throughout the contest, with help from feedback you get from readers, because that’s what the site is all about. We are, however, getting ready to publicize this contest big time in the next few weeks, so we will be finding many new contestants to take advantage of the first ever Hockensmith Mystery Contest. Plus, as I said, Steve has been busy as well. He has some other irons in the fire that we’ll find out about in the Spring also.

It is a good time to be a mystery reader… or writer… but it’s never a good time to be IN a mystery, because you might end up dead or have your valuables robbed or end up in a gunfight or a train wreck. In the case of some of Hockensmith’s Old Red and Big Red stories, you might be involved in all of the above. And that is just not a pleasant day.

Anyway, this will be a wide open competition, so let’s get the ball rolling. I’d love to see some loyal, long standing Litmock members take home some prizes, but if talented newbies win, they win. I’ll enjoy reading and voting on submissions either way.

Onto local Litmock news, our good friend Prometheus isolated a submission problem. Our PHP wasn’t playing nice with some code thingy, or interfacing properly with a bunch of 0’s and 1’s or whatever, and Dave fixed it. Submissions are working fine now, though not hard enough if you ask me. Our good friend and long time member Dean M. Drinkel won an award at the Monaco Film Festival for best action screenplay and has been whooping it up ever since. Congrats Dean! Enjoy. Dean and I are working on a collaborative horror-comedy, which we started before he won, and we hope to give you some news on that soon as well.

I guess that does it for today. Star wanted to take our son out to play in the 2 feet of snow we were supposed to get, but we only got about 7” and it turned to slush quicker than a G.I. Joe doll melting in an Easy Bake Oven. I think I better go console them before they start dressing the poor dog up like a reindeer and riding him around the room like a demented Santa and a psychotic little helper.

So until next time,
Sayonara!

The Steve Hockensmith Mystery Contest

2013-01-27T16:18:39-05:00

Welcome to the Steve Hockensmith Litmocracy Short Mystery Contest. This will be the first installment of what will become an annual contest. The rules are simple, we’re looking for is the best short mystery stories that we can find, the best 10 to be exact. Each story can contain up to 10,000 words, and this is the place to submit them. Voting will decide the winners, so post and vote.

This year, there will be 10 prizes awarded to winners. The top 2 prizes will be autographed copies of the Steve Hockensmith books, The Crack In The Lens and The World’s Greatest Sleuth, two of Hockensmith’s famous Old Red and Big red mysteries. The prizes are as follows:

1. Top Prize: Autographed The Crack In The Lens
2. Runner Up: Autographed The World’s Greatest Sleuth
3. $50 cash
4. $25
5. $10 cash
6-15. Free downloads of Hockensmith’s excellent ebook, Cadaver in Chief

The contest will conclude and winners will be awarded on April 30th. Here are a few words from the author himself:

“I’m thrilled that Litmocracy has launched a Steve Hockensmith Mystery Contest. Now readers around the world can tackle that greatest of mysteries: Who is Steve Hockensmith? At the moment, the answer’s known only to a select few—myself, my family, the Litmocracy staff and (perhaps) my agent. But now that’s going to change…I hope. Good luck, entrants! May the Golden Hockey* soon be yours!”

*Note: There is no such thing as a “Golden Hockey,” and we don’t know why Mr. Hockensmith seemed to think it was the contest’s grand prize.”

As normal, Steve’s tongue is firmly planted in his cheek. Steve is a former New York Times bestseller for the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, and was winner or finalist for the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award for Best Short Story, the Anthony and Barry Awards, and the Audie Award for best first novel for Holmes on the Range. Good luck and enjoy.

Ahem… Big News On A new Contest, Litmock Members On The Move, & Buckle Up As We Ride Over The Fiscal Cliff…

2013-01-02T16:43:22-05:00

Sawubona,

To all of our Zulu speaking friends out there. Hello, Ahoy, Aloha, or simply Hi to everyone else out there in Litmock land. It’s time for another newsletter, and we have much news to pass on, a big new contest, some achievements and activity going on with some of our esteemed brethren. But first, we at Litmock wish everyone a Happy New year.

Or, if you’re a pessimist, a happy death to the old year. Half full, half empty, whatever floats your boat.

It’s been an interesting year. The world ended on December 21st, according to the Mayans, whose world, ironically, ended many centuries before this year. The fiscal cliff loomed large here in America, threatening to destroy the very fabric of our existence, ripping apart every citizen at a microcosmic level.

Yet, here we are. The fiscal cliff, which would have raised taxes for all Americans, was averted by our ever effective politicians… (YAY….HUZZAH….BOO YEAH), and then we Americans found out that to avoid the fiscal cliff, taxes were raised on all of us anyway.

So, whatever. On to some good news. Here’s some from two of our beloved, long time members:

*Dean Drinkel’s script for Bright Yellow Gun won the award for best thriller at the Monaco Film Festival. Congratulations my old friend, you earned it. Next time we tip a few, though it’s been two decades, drinks are on me!

*Our old friend and talented contributor Prometheus has made his way to America to visit for a year. He has been trying to get here for many years. I hope you enjoy, my friend, and look forward to finally meeting you.

And now onto the Litmocracy news front: We have a new contest to announce, and we’re quite fond of this one: The Steve Hockensmith Annual Mystery Story Contest. Yes indeed, Mr. Hockensmith has consented to help us with a contest dedicated to the best mystery story we can find. Steve is a celebrated, great writer in regards to his own work. He’s been nominated for or won the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award for Best Short Story, the Anthony and Barry Awards, and the Audie Award over the years, and you can read all about him and hear from him here.

So what we’re looking for is the best short mystery story, up to 10,000 words, that we can find, worthy of the Hockensmith prize. Actually, there will be 10 prizes for contestants in all. Top prizes include 2 autographed Steve Hockensmith books, as well as $50 cash, $25 cash, $10 cash, and the last 5 prizes will be downloads, on us, of Hockensmith’s excellent ebook, Cadaver in Chief. I read it and thought it was quite awesome. A contest page is being built now, and you will be able to post soon, with more details forthcoming in the next newsletter and on that page. We will be advertising this contest and marketing it quite thoroughly, so this is a head start for existing Litmocracy members. Now is the time to get your best work together and get ready. The contest will begin January 10th and will end on April 10th.

Until next time, Ciao. And good luck to all.

Don

Ahem… Football season is upon us, so who wants to make a few bucks???

2012-09-29T15:46:16-05:00

Namaste, To all of our Hindi friends out there…

Hello to everyone else. Hope all is well. Hope the Summer has treated you well, because Fall is upon us, and soon, XMas (or as I like to say, Excessmass will descend upon us, like a thief in the night or an IRS auditor on a binge. So for those of us who like to plan ahead, we have a way to make a little Christmas money. For those of you with kids, you can never have enough.

This particular contest is for those of us who love sports, in particular, football. Not the International stuff where 1-0 is a good game and more than enough to start a riot. No, good ol’ American football. The kind of game that separates the men from the boys, and then the men from their helmets and their teeth, after a particularly good hit.

Anywhoo, I need 10 people who want to participate in some Alpha testing of a site we’re working on, called Talking Trash For Cash (TTFC). There will be some pretend trash talking and some picking of favorites, and $30 in cash prizes for the 3 top participators. There will be a prize for everyone who gets involved.

Trust me, if you like sports, it will be a blast, and you don’t even need a man cave or a woman cave. Contact me directly at deminizer13@99burning.com for details.

On a personal note, sadly, Dave’s mother, Carol Scotese, passed away September 12th. There was a Memorial held at St. Martin Of Tours in La Mesa, California this past week, on September 27th. He is doing well, as he always does, but his father and kids are doing their best to adjust. I would appreciate it if your thoughts, and prayers, even though I’m an atheist, go out to them. They are good, no great people.

I only met her once. She was a lovely, attentive woman, who very much loved her family, that was very obvious. As we all had dinner and Dave, his father and I discussed politics and what we were up to with this here site, among other things, she professed that she didn’t really understand what we were doing, but that she trusted Dave was doing something useful and good. I’m here to say, she was right, and that trust in her son and the love and respect she had for him (and vice-versa) was justified. As I say, I only met the woman once, but I’ve known Dave for years, he’s my best friend, and the most righteous person I know, in an unassertive, unpretentious way. If she did nothing else, she did a hell of a job raising him, and he in turn is doing a hell of a job with his family. If we all did only that in our lives, this world would be a better place. And Dave founded Litmocracy, so there’s that too. I’m thankful for that and for her, and I’m sad she’s passed, but understand her pain and suffering is over. My condolences sincerely go out to all those affected by her, and a few words from you to Dave could probably go a long way.

Sorry my friend. Here’s to better days.

Be back in touch soon with some more news, and as always, look forward to hearing from you.

Aloha.

Ahem… Riding the dusty trails with Steve Hockensmith… oh, zombies, weird Xmas tales and such…

2012-08-24T16:15:18-05:00

Ola,

To all of our Mayan friends out there, and hello to the rest of you, you know who you are. Hmm… wait, there are no Mayan friends out there anymore are there, so I guess tu heel k’iin (goodbye) is a bit more appropriate, especially since they’ve told us that the end of the world is upon us.

Well, that being the case, at least I won’t have to figure out that pesky Facebook timeline thing, which is far too annoying. Guess I can stop paying my bills too. Oops, too late, already did that. Maybe the world isn’t coming to an end, but the economy has already given up and died. If the world does come to an end, however, the least it could do is spare us election season. I mean, what’s the point of an apocalypse if it comes 6 weeks AFTER the polls close. That’s like a bank that loans you money after you win the lotto or a Jehovah’s Witness coming to your door before you buy the trained Rottweiler.

Speaking of elections (see what I did there) we recently had an interesting interview with Steve Hockensmith, a fantastic award winning author, who has just released his new book, Cadaver In Chief. No, it’s not a non-fiction biography of Obama or Bush, it’s an extremely entertaining tale about what happens come election season AFTER the zombie apocalypse falls upon us. For those of you who know, Mr. Hockensmith (Steve, not his dad) is the award winning author of the Holmes on the Range series, among other excellent books. For those of you who don’t, shame on you. You can read more about him here. I strongly suggest that you read Cadaver In Chief, what’s $2.99 for some serious entertainment? That’s only like a nickel a day at the pace I read, you can’t beat that.

Also, on the home front, you can still help out with the Kickstarter project for Down for the Count and the litmock publishing arm, or you can just buy a copy here. You can also borrow it with Amazon Prime. Either way, it helps.

S’anyway, the website refurbishing is done and we’re still looking to expand. As always, any help or suggestions can be posted in the workshop. We’re running a $10 contest for the 2 best posts added by September 15th, too, winners announced shortly thereafter. Until next time,

Sayonara!