New Feature: Email Form

Contacting me directly: problem solved.

In a better world, I’d simply post my email address, boldly… proudly.

Unfortunately, that’s asking for spam and fraud… and worse.

For messages unfit for public comment or guestbook posts, I can be reached with ease from this page. (A direct link also exits under “Navigation” on the sidebar.) 

Several people have contacted me through my Retaggr widget or Facebook because my email address isn’t clearly available. (It can be found, if you dig!) I do my best to respond to all legitimate messages, however they come. If you’ve tried to contact me and haven’t received a reply, please leave a comment here (with valid email — don’t worry, it’s not displayed to the public), or try my new email form.

Thanks again for all your support. I’m having a blast with this blog.

Other modifications and changes.

I’ve added several things to my sidebar after some rearranging, including a direct RSS FEED link. I’ve also increased the number of entries displayed per page, from five to nine. I’m blogging more, and it’s great; in-part, because of this platform. Squarespace feels extremely powerful… its UI and customer support has handled everything I’ve wanted and asked for, and I’ve barely dabbled.

I know that I can do so much more here, and I’m happily experimenting somewhat, in preparation for my rerelease of the Bradtastic Premier business website. In-tandem with “Superfluous,” it’ll represent the online-epitome and essence of Brad Chin — and that’s thrilling.

New content will appear frequently — I’m shifting gears for 2010. This isn’t about “get rich, quick” — my business associates and friends create classy, responsible, quality content. If you’re working on something that coincides with my endeavors and would like to contribute or collaborate, please let me know — no guarantees, but I’m open to many possibilities.

Always thinking ahead and beyond.

If you have a feature-request, please don’t keep it to yourself. This UI allows for many additions and modifications without extreme-coding — perfect for me at the moment, as I’d rather spend spare-time focussing on writing and typography. Squarespace would likely make a great host for your website (not just “the blog”) — click here to get started with a 14-day free trial. [Using that link with my affiliate ID will help to offset some of the costs here, and it’s a nice way to boldly state: “I like your blogging, Brad.”]

For the artists:

If you can design and/or code and are looking for new projects, let me know. I can offer many opportunities and commissions to serious people almost immediately. I’m more interested in dedication and work-ethic than talent; if you’re new to design, but you’re willing to work, don’t be shy just because your portfolio isn’t perfect.

If you have a friend who may be interested — and qualified — let them know that Bradtastic is looking. Help your buddy find quality work!

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In a few hours, I’ll post my next ink blog entry. Articles in-progress include: a Canteo Classeur A5 lined notebook review (a Swiss-made journal previously-unavailable in the US… and still incredibly rare!), and an “art of impression” recap — a culmination of my experiences with relationships, marketing, sales pitches, pickups and presentations… so if you’re not subscribing to my feed, you should follow @bradtastic at Twitter or my Facebook!

The Blog, Bradtastic

I’m trying to find some balance in life — not always an easy thing to do. In many ways, things are so much better than they were just one-year ago, but there are complications. I’d like to write more, and I’d like to try and make this blog more exciting, and perhaps, more personal.

I often try to avoid writing directly about my thoughts and feelings; when I write about my life, it tends to be about circumstances and happenings. I’d like to post more images and artwork — even if it’s just a doodle or something. I’d also like to start inkblogging again.

The problem is, when I stumble upon free time, I chose to read and relax. My shoulder hurts so much — so much of the time — when I have free moments… I just think, lie down. Not conducive to blogging.

It certainly doesn’t help that I like video games, either… even though I do consider that type of entertainment important.

Well, at least there’s technology.

There’s a lot of new technology — and we’re on the brink of revolutionary changes in computing and entertainment. Glass-less and goggle-free 3D movies, games and TV is right’round the corner — in space time, mere moments away! There are too many mobile phones (this, I don’t understand… iPhone, anyone? Enough said, moving on), tons of portable gaming options… hundreds of notebook computers, desktops and ultra-super-tiny tech toys.

Some of these devices and products are useful — important… the rest are clutter. I’ve been asked about several things in-particular, so I’ll start organizing my thoughts, opinions and ideas into something bloggable to soon share with y’all.

I’m also organizing a few interviews and guest articles about supernatural phenomena, science and magic. At the forefront of my list: hypnosis. Interesting, right?

The “Bradtastic Approved” stamp is about to land on a few more deserving items. I’m still looking into moving Bradtastic Premier and redesigning this site. I’m even considering looking at TypePad again. Last, if you have something interesting to share, let me know. I’m always curious.

Bradtastic, Unravelled to the Core.

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my new personal website!

This blog is a little bit of an experiment. For those of you who know me, you’ve probably seen (or heard of) Bradtastic Premier (aka bradtastic.com), my current and soon-to-be ex-personal blog — turned “business blog.” There are many reasons for this change-up; it’s something that I’ve thought about for well over one-year now, but more-recent events have given me a little extra motivation.

A while ago I “unveiled” Brad Loves Us, a somewhat undirected attempt at creating a personal site. The only major problem was that the domain was originally purchased and setup to do something entirely different, and thus, the domain-name wasn’t my favorite (nor first pick) for a “personal site.”

Wanting to show United States solidarity and pride as well as benefit from the obvious domain hacks (such as “del.icio.us” — Wikipedia entry), I thought about what other .us domain names appealed to me. I thought long and hard across several weeks, not wanting to make similar mistakes a second time.

I’d resolved, “Henceforth, I shall pre-plan my planning phase before implementing anything.”

Well, not really…

However, I did think about what I was doing, how much writing I was producing versus “releasing” (… to the public), and what a “personal blog” really meant to me and what kind of content would end up there. I wanted it to be humorous; I wanted to laugh about it some, use it as an outlet — relieve stress — whatever… I wanted to make others laugh and relax. Life is serious business so much of the time; short, painful and confusing. Play shouldn’t be.

In the past, I’d treated my blogging with essay-to-thesis-like discipline… 

I was taking my entries too-seriously — it wasn’t really blogging. Since then, I’ve read several books on the subject (and on the subject of “making real money” with blogging — hah!) and decided to follow some of the advice. I didn’t want to prep, plan and outline my entries all of the time. I didn’t want to stress about my personal blog.

Ditching the formalities. 

I’m not overly “square” and I’m not politically-correct. I love some things and some people, like a few, too… and hate a lot of things. And people. I hate a lot of people. There, it’s been stated. I think if most people were honest, prejudices, hate and anger would come spewing out.

I’m not violent (really… c’mon.) and I don’t act publicly on my previously-stated-hatreds… most of the time. In the classic Dennis Miller style, “I don’t want to go on a rant…” 

but sometimes… 

Sometimes, things need to be said — and that said, when those time arrive, I find it best to insert snippets of ingenuity, go high-voltage with the humor, and heavy-dosage with the hyperbole.

Like I’d said before…

…many, many times, time and time again — life is short, hard, and stressful. Work isn’t always a friendly thing, and right now, most of us — first as people, then friends, families, societies and as a Nation — are struggling, battling, and constantly being tested. Bombarded by

• bills we can’t pay, 
• taxes we don’t think we can afford, 
• government policies we may disagree with

and beyond that — scandals, affairs, corruption and crime… negativity isn’t really what’s needed. Hate seems so wrong; like “stealing candy from a baby,” or “kicking a man while he’s down.” There’s not much need nor room for complaints, so I’m not planning on cursing and ranting about every little annoying thing in each entry at this blog. To do so would be to flagrantly disregard our predicament, unfair, and… unfunny. I believe that honesty is important, however, so I will call things as I see ‘em.

The platinum-lined night skies…

For those of you who don’t know me, you have a little bit of background. To add to that, I’ve felt eosophobia in the past (strong dislike, mild fear of the sunrise — like a sense of dread with the rise of a new day; the end of night), I’ve been identified as a “psychic vampire” or prana taker by a Rabbi, I prefer the darkness and have a disability caused by chronic shoulder pain plus medications’ side-effects.

But I haven’t lost faith.

I can feel the strength of others; I feel as though I can tap into that energy to help manifest the incredible. I have hope — I feel the presence of a guiding-force and something beyond what Science can currently show us. Though I see and feel the bad, awful and evil in this world, I know of a stronger force within our capacity — a source of good and purity with which we can fight back, against the wrongs and hardships we face.

I believe in it.

Yes, I know of anger… and yes, I know of hate. However, I know also of love, and have felt the spirit and presence of grace.

Those around me will survive and thrive… because that’s what we do — we believe… and we feel. Together, we aren’t afraid.

Update on 2009-08-12 04:10 by Bradtastic

I know that this entry hasn’t been the most “informal.” I know that I’ve started-off with a more-serious tone — inasmuch as it could be called “excessive,” I didn’t want to have to write a rambling “about” page ne’er to be seen by the many…

And for (mostly) that — “entry one” exists as a partially-stated raison d’être.

It won’t be the norm.

At the moment, I’m trying to get other workstuff done and I have other things to write and publish. More on that later. Thanks for following my little journey.