Sunday, November 25, 2012

Upgrade Campaign Update:

Updating my first post:

I now have a indiegogo.com campaign underway in addition to that lovely paypal donation button right there to your right...pretty, isn't it...click it, you know you want to. Anyhow, indiegogo is cool cause we can track the progress of the fundraising. 

http://www.indiegogo.com/HereticHick-Upgrades

In addition, I've broken down the upgrade acquisitions budget here:


Apple Mac Mini:
2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with 6MB L3 cache:
799.99

Apple FCPX Upgrade:
300.00

Apple Motion Upgrade:
50.00

16 GB Crucial ram upgrade:
80.00

OCW hard drive installation kit for Mac Mini. Allows for a second drive to be installed into a Mac Mini. A fast (7,200 rpm or more) media drive is essential for video work:
42.50

Seagate 2.5-Inch | SATA 3.0Gb/s | 7200RPM | 16MB Cache Drive (The fast media drive):
60.00

Panasonic VIERA TC-L24X5 24-Inch 1080p Full HD LED (Monitor for Mac Mini):
175.00

Alesis M1Active 520 USB Audio Monitors:
200.00

CAD U37 USB condenser microphone, Pop filter and boom mic stand:
100.00

Total:
1807.00

(My goal is 2,000.00 due to indeigogo's and paypal's fees. Plus additional cost like cables, adapters, etc.) 

T-SHIRTS ARE A GO! For a 25.00 donation: Show people you're an independent, critical and skeptical thinker with a Heretic Hick T-Shirt! My logo and a funny and/or interesting saying or quote. 

Samples: 

...and gravity is also "just" a theory 

Think before you believe 

Evolution: because 95% of creditable scientist can’t be wrong 

"Wise men speak because they have something to say; 
fools because they have to say something"
 – Plato 

Why am I an Atheist? Google Burden of Proof… 

“Things or neither good nor bad but thinking makes them so.” – Albert Einstein





I am offering something else that's really killer. Donate 500.00 or more and I'll edit a video for you. I am a professional editor with credits ranging from commercials for Nike and ESPN to live performance videos, documentaries and dance films. I'll completely create a very polished and professional video of five minutes or less. You provide the footage, music, voice over recording (or I'll do one), photos, your own logos and other graphics if you like (or I'll make some) and I'll do the rest; editing, motion graphics, effects and sound design! Editors in many fields can make 500.00 per hour. Trust me, if my health allowed I'd just continue doing those gigs. 





Monday, November 19, 2012

The Great Courses company; Nazis, youtube a joke w/ copyright.

They come after little ol' me and have the first, Neil deGrasse Tyson, "My Favorite Universe" video taken down. I received several positive comments and messages about that first lecture video and the whole lecture series from many people who were very happy to have access to the lectures, many being young kids who probably couldn't ask their folks for $200.00 for two DVDS. That's how struggling parents would see it; two DVDs, two hundred bucks! Yes, they have "MFU" on sale right now in one of their typical ridiculous mark downs for $40.00 but the cost will go back up. It always irked me how one day they'll sell a course for $400.00 and the next day mark it down to $80.00. How can you ever justify charging $400.00? Think how abused the customer who purchased the course at $400.00 feels when the next day it's $80.00. They make great work at TGC but...assholes! By now Tyson has made them millions from the sell of the  "MFU" course, yet he only made a one time fee, about 30-40k, perhaps less as it's only a 12 lecture course. Greed, greed, greed. All TGC really cares about is money; not education, they just found a racket in educational videos. 

I'm going to have to halt uploading those types of videos for now and if I get another video pulled from my channel due to TGC complaining to youtube I'll take all TGC lecture videos down from my Playlists. Not to worry kids, I have a plan as to where to place the videos online and how to continue uploading more courses. Youtube is ridiculous, with millions of copyright infringed videos sitting on their servers. Just search any popular musician. Yet they want to act as though they hold no culpability and put it all on the user. 

Anyhow...that button...over there...to the right...up ever so slightly...it'll make you feel so good to help a poor man get some new stuff to make cool videos. Videos that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you question your faith...if you have any. Videos to make you feel all warm and fuzzy and full of *vigor and spunk!

-If you're not sure just what I'm speaking to, check out my first post. 

Cheers.

*Note: claims about vigor and spunk have not been tested and individual reactions may vary. 

Youtube channel and videos, computers and ebegging

As you're probably here from a link from one of my youtube videos; thank you for taking the time to stop over as I pan-handle online. My new youtube channel; at the time of writing this blog, is approaching 100 subscribers and has over 12,000 views in just over its first month. Modest by many standards but I'm a little ol' video producer and content disseminator and by no means a "full time" youtuber. 

I also acknowledge many of my subscribers and many of the views can be contributed to certain educational content I've uploaded which is less of the main purpose of my channel but I'm actually very glad to be finally getting these videos out into the online world. To provide context, I have a stock pile of videos of lecture courses (structured as college-like courses) from The Great Courses company that I've started uploading; including courses by Neil degrasse Tyson and Robert Sapolsky. I have videos I'll be uploading covering topics from quantum physics to classical music. Those courses are cost prohibitive for many young people and college students to acquire, two groups that could benefit greatly from access to them. I've always had a gripe with The Great Courses about that (and I used to work for them as a producer); especially given they do not donate any products to libraries or other resources for disadvantaged kids. This massive video uploading I'm decided to undertake; to some degree, is my protest against them I guess.

Now to the crux of the matter; the first three, and currently only, original videos on my channel were very arduous to produce. A few years ago my health took a turn for the worse and now I'm partially disabled and  racked with medical bills and expenses. I won't get into specifics as I'm not comfortable putting that information online for medical privacy reasons (and no, it's not AIDS). In lieu of my mounting financial issues, I sold my killer computer and downgraded to an ancient Powerbook G4. I didn't touch the Powerbook for editing video for over two years I guess, until the itch to do some new work and start the youtube channel hit about two months ago. I’m able to manage my health issues better than two years ago, although sometimes I just have to stop working due to pain and/or fatigue; and yes, that does suck but at least I can work to some degree on videos now where it wasn't possible for a great deal of time. Using the Powerbook is incredibly slow and glitchy; to the point I can't review edits in real time, which is essential for quality video work. I am thinking the friend I bought the computer from sold me a lemon. Its to the point I'd rather not work on the Powerbook at all and have ceased doing so.  In order to continue my new productions for my channel I must replace my gear and my funds are limited for this endeavor. I am selling what equipment I can and should to help pay for these new acquisitions but honestly I could use some support if possible. 

Feel free to check out me ebay listings:

 I don't like talking about either my health issues nor my situation or asking for help but I really want to continue with creating new content on my channel. I feel I have something distinct to offer the skeptic/atheist/education enthusiast on youtube. My current, "in the works" projects include videos that address real, tangible things atheist and skeptics can do to make a positive difference; and have their voices heard, in their communities...as well as having some fun poking fun at those really way-out fundies, creationist and others worthy of some “roasting”. 

So…over there...to the right...up a little...that donation button, if you can, it would be awesome and I'll be eternally in your debt. You can also donate at, and track my fund raising campaign at:

http://www.indiegogo.com/HereticHick-Upgrades

I can't at this time promise anything (stay posted) but I would like the begin hocking T-Shirts with some original "heretic" themed designs and funny sayings upon them and if I do (it’s about 70% yes 30% no right now) I pledge (and you can hold me to it via eharassment) a free shirt of your choice to anyone donating $25.00 or more. Show people you're an independent thinker with a Heretic Hick T-Shirt! My logo and a funny and/or interesting saying or quote. 

Samples: 

And gravity is also "just" a theory. 

Think before you believe

 Evolution: because 99% of creditable scientist can’t be wrong 

"Wise men speak because they have something to say; 
fools because they have to say something" 
– Plato 

Why am I an atheist? Google Burden of Proof… 

“Things or neither good nor bad but thinking makes them so.” 
– Albert Einstein 


I'm also looking into creating some bumper-sticker designs because nothing says casual participation in a cause like a bumper-sticker! Except perhaps a rubber bracelet: applause for the scause. 

I am offering something else that's really killer. Donate 500.00 or more and I'll edit a video for you. I am a professional editor with credits ranging from commercials for Nike and ESPN to live performance videos, documentaries and dance films. I'll completely create a very polished and professional video of five minutes or less. You provide the footage, music, voice over recording (or I'll do one), photos, your own logos and other graphics if you like (or I'll make some) and I'll do the rest; editing, motion graphics, effects and sound design!
Editors in many fields can make 500.00 per hour. Trust me, if my health allowed I'd just continue doing those gigs.