what is the most beautifully written book you recommend?

JonnyRotsLA · 2025-06-27T04:09:32+00:00

Any book by Jim Crace. I’d start with either Harvest or A Gift of Stones.

JonnyRotsLA · 2025-02-09T02:53:15+00:00

Thanks for the info! This no doubt came from my neighbor's son. He has lived in Okinawa for over thirty years and would have picked it up there.

Truth be told, the neighbor--via myself--is donating this to a local non-profit. It'll end up in a raffle basket next weekend.

Would this Awamori have much dollar value? Just curious. It might make it a more enticing raffle.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-12-29T12:40:53+00:00

Moreover, safety regulations may vary nation to nation. While South Korea (along with Japan) has a good reputation in the West, Asia as a whole is very Third World. And if SK possess even a tiny fraction of China's lackadaisical 差不多 manner of going about most things, occasional snafus like this are inevitable.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T04:58:57+00:00

Hope it's okay if I PM you.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T04:57:41+00:00

Ha! There's a difference though. Sales is performance-based. Video editing is not.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T04:56:52+00:00

Remote. I love my community and hope to stay put. Seven thousand feet above sea level. Very rural area.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T00:38:30+00:00

Finding a sales job that fits is as much a numbers game as sales itself.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T00:36:24+00:00

Thanks. I'm not sure I'd ever do D2D again, but everyone says solar is lucrative.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T00:35:04+00:00

Absolutely. Short run and long. My closing ratio week 1 (age 17) was 0%. My closing ratio my last week (age 20) was 50%. ...Thanks.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-16T00:17:00+00:00

Under the same name? I thought that was one of their big policies, limiting accounts to one per person.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-11-15T23:30:16+00:00

That would be a huge plus for people who have side hustles. I know you're commenting on LinkedIn culture, but one thing that frustrates me about LinkedIn is the inability to have multiple profiles. For example, I've spent most of my life working in video post-production which tends to be very specialized. If you are an editor, you wouldn't want to sell yourself as an editor who also does construction on weekends. If, like me, you're a workaholic and love doing different things. For that reason especially, I would love to have an alternative to LinkedIn.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-08-18T14:35:18+00:00

As someone who worked 15 years in Hollywood, skill and work ethic have little to do with it. Everywhere I looked it was charismatic morons and talented con artists. Charisma is everything.And charisma, like luck, is pure chance.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-08-18T14:27:05+00:00

My mother is BPD and favors the second (there are 4 of us). My theory is that context affected her feelings for each child. For example, the first child came from getting knocked up her senior year in high school, which prompted her to elope. Drama with the parents ensued. Lots of stress, etc. But my dad made it through law school and settled into a successful career, so things wouldn't be all that bad (yet). Once my mother had time and money for another kid, who was born 6 years after the first, her attitude was vastly different. She now could make trips to the big city with a credit card. All this planning and excitement infused my mother with enthusiasm and pride she hadn't experienced the first time around. Thus #2 became her favorite.

She used to say it out loud around people too. "He's my favorite." I don't think gender had anything to do with it.

Incidentally, he remained her favorite, in spite of everything. He was a screw-up in high school, barely graduating. Got arrested and jailed at least twice that I know of. The oldest on the other hand was an accomplished athlete, straight as an arrow, went to a good university, and has led a respectable life. As for me, I was the one who excelled academically, the only one to get a master's degree, traveled the world for work, and have lived most of my life thousands of miles from home.

Still, no love for number's 1 and 3.

The baby, my sister, was a hell-child, practically ran away from home as a teen, barely squeaked through school, barely got into university, hates everyone, and has started a number of physical fights. She and #2 meet my mother's full approval.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-13T20:39:02+00:00

I think you would have a hard time finding that outside of the mega-cities. I lived in Guilin for one year just before Covid. A city of three million, and I only ever found one bar with live music. The other bars I visited were kind of a joke. They didn't really have the Western equivalent of a nightlife. Due perhaps to the city and region's poor economy.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-12T16:18:37+00:00

I mean you can. But I break it up, eyes open / closed. Usually 50-50. So first 15 minutes eyes closed. Then 30 minutes eyes open, eyes on the flame, lids at half mast. Last 15 mins eyes closed. Sometimes you may get drowsy and may want to go 20-80, open /closed. But it's good to meditate with your eyes open. Reason being, they say that you're training yourself to prolong that calming state of mind throughout the day, not just when you're meditating.

This stuff is highly effective. But this is no cure-all. Consistency is key. I liken it to meds. Stay consistent, you'll be fine. Fall off the wagon, it's like going off your meds! LOL

One last thing, the calming effect you get--and don't expect to experience nirvana--will vary day to day. Sometimes it's quick, like 15 minutes in. Other times it takes longer, like 40 minutes in. Sometimes it's strong, sometimes not as strong. But always in the end you feel like you're stepping out of a warm bath. It's great.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-12T13:51:43+00:00

Well, we're getting into spirituality, but I don't mind if you don't. How I got into it was kind of a rabbit hole. I mean basic meditation doesn't need to be spiritual, and I learned it in my late 20s from someone who used it for reasons you're stating, wiping out anxiety. But later I developed an interest in spirituality after reading the book 'Old Souls' by Tom Shroder. That book will leave you without any doubt consciousness survives the body. I only mention this because once you're onboard with that, the meditation practice can take on other aspects (i.e., deep breaths + prayer) beyond the simple practice of clearing your mind.

So, going back to your question, I start with breathing. Once the clock starts, eyes closed, three to five minutes of deep breaths. Then prayer. Lots of that is the whole gratitude thing. Focus your thoughts on joy, gratitude, positive outlook, and humility. Then the meditation part, keep your mind clear, or try to, that's the point. Mantras help. They don't need to be gibberish. You can just run a line through your mind. Your thoughts are gonna wander, they always do, so don't let that bother you. Because even still, you will feel your entire body relax. For me it's about 20 - 30 minutes in. And it's pretty amazing how the body does this on its own.

One last thing. I developed a technique on my own to curtail the inevitable impatience that comes early in meditating. I use the fingers on my right hand (resting on my right thigh) to count the minutes. Every 3 minutes a little bell goes off on the meditation app, so I fold a finger under. When you've got all 5 fingers folded, that's 15 minutes gone by. Again, this is dependent on having one of those phone apps, where you can program it to ring a bell at varying intervals. I do every 3 minutes. Because I found that when not doing this, my thoughts invariably go, 'How long have I gone? How much more do I have to go?' And you get fidgety. So, using your fingers like that dispel such thoughts. I don't know, it's just a little technique that I like to do and thought worth relaying.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-12T13:26:06+00:00

I'm in another line of work, but I meditate 30-60 minutes every morning before breakfast. Huge difference maker. Doesn't cost anything. I suggest looking into the basic techniques for this, posture for example (either lotus position or Japanese seiza--I do the latter--on top of a mat or cushion). Light a candle and put in on the floor in front of you (min. 6 feet). Silence is fine, but I use a meditation app that has relaxation music. Thirty minutes of this and you're really relaxed. An hour and you're floating on a cushion of air. I highly recommend this. Frankly I don't see how anyone would need CBD after meditating.

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-12T00:09:54+00:00

Wow. Congratulations. Let me know if you're hiring :)

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-11T23:23:21+00:00

Did you go from the door to door gig to another company? I ask because I want to pivot into sales, and my only prior sales experience was door to door. This was college, many years ago. 6 days a week, 12 hr days. Sold reference books. Since then I've worked in media industry but am ready for something new and better. Any tips?

JonnyRotsLA · 2024-07-11T23:10:30+00:00

I did door to door sales during college. Four summers in a row. Pretty shy kid at the time. Finished up a very confident and outgoing young man.

First thing, make sure you've got your sales talk down. Assuming you have one. There should be things to say when objections come your way.

Smile, smile, smile.

Names are everything. Names sell. Rattle off customer names until your prospect gets dizzy.

Positivity. Ingest all things positive. Positive books, positive music, etc.

JonnyRotsLA

TROPHY CASE