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“I wondering if this is just a Woman’s Thing, your reluctance to stand apart.”

This is one woman who doesn’t give a shit about conforming. Life’s too short. I’m not letting a herd of bleating sheep tell me which way to go.

They don’t get it that the very Founders of *America* were bugfucked iconoclasts who they’d *protest* against today for being so “independent” and “leftist.”

I could kiss you for that.

I’ll admit I got my world rocked yesterday and today a little on the indie thing, and began to doubt, but hell, I’m on this path, right? It’s too late for do-overs, so I’ll walk it and enjoy it.

Live by the words of Grace Hopper: “It’s always easier to apologize afterwards than to ask permission first.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_hopper

And if you want advice from a man, no better than Ty Cobb:

[. . .] Cobb spoke of why he was constantly on the warpath up north: “I get into a lot of trouble and have made many enemies. But my philosophy is brief. I think life is too short to be diplomatic. A man’s friends shouldn’t mind what he does or says — and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don’t count.” [Cobb: The Life and Times of the Meanest Man Who Ever Played Baseball - Al Stump; pg. 237]

And, oh, there’s male “bitches” too: They’re called bastards.

And I’ve been thinking about how MANY self publishers who were men have succeeded vs. women. And I do think there is a tendency for women to give into pressure and “just get along.”

And it’s made doubly hard by the fact that men are ‘assertive’ and women displaying the exact same behavior are ‘bitches.’

Though Tom just thinks I’m ’sassy.’

Women are HEAVILY socialized to just “go along” and “be agreeable” and “Don’t be too competitive, that’s not attractive.” So I pretty much fight against that conditioning constantly.

And you’re absolutely right about that idea “the right people will get this joke” hahaha.

And very true about “they obviously don’t live to please you.”

hahahahahaha, The comment box is as big as you want it to be.

I wondering if this is just a Woman’s Thing, your reluctance to stand apart.

I mean, that para I quoted above (from your quote) is how I live. It doesn’t bother me.

Wil Wheaton (yes, THAT one) had this one his blog yesterday:

>>>Those obscure jokes were one of the main reasons I loved MST3K so much, so I paid very close attention when Joel said that they didn’t ask themselves, “Will anyone get this joke?” but instead they said to each other, “the *right* people will get this joke.”

– Wheaton quoting from a site.
http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/11/in-which-i-once.html

Harlan Ellison once wore a T-shirt that said: “Dig. Or Split.”

Everybody wants a *conformist* “uniqueness.” “Oh, it’s OK to write that crazy shit — but WTF?, you mean you’re like that *in person too*? OMFGZZZ!” Well, who the eff do they think would turn out crazed stuff — Mr Pinstripe Suit who sits behind a desk vetting loan applications?! Listen, these people don’t understand. They don’t get it that the very Founders of *America* were bugfucked iconoclasts who they’d *protest* against today for being so “independent” and “leftist.”

Don’t try to please others. They obviously don’t live to please you!

Christ, I hope I’ve made some sense here. My own head is spinning. This Comment box is too damned small!

Oh wait…that’s not me.

Seriously, I’ve found lulu to be a good jumping-off point, to get my feet wet, to learn the ropes [insert cliche of your choice here]. I like its CHD (Click Here Dummy) approach to formatting. It gave me the confidence to go for bigger things. And bigger things is what I’m after.