This is a list that I want to be on someday. Forbes has come out with the top earning authors and they are making lots of money.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2011/08/17/the-worlds-highest-paid-authors/
Why? Books will never die but right now their format is changing. Whether the change will actually stick around or is just a fad, only time will tell. But I can guarantee, books will always be around because people like stories.
Even if you not a reader and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know a couple of these top 10 authors:
1. James Patterson - $84 million
2. Danielle Steel – $35 million
3. Stephen King – $28 million
4. Janet Evanovich – $22 million
5. Stephanie Meyers – $21 million
6. Rick Riordan – $21 million
7. Dean Koontz – $19 million
8. John Grisham - $18 million
9. Jeff Kinney - $17 million
10. Nicholas Sparks - $16 million
Here are a couple of things I’ve noticed about this list. The number of male writers outnumbers the female writers (I think some women writers are going to be moving up the ranks). There are three young adult/children’s writers on the list (which is encouraging because, hopefully it means children and young adults are reading). And there are some names on this list that have writing for years and year and, well a really long time. I also noticed that one big name was missing from the top 10 list. JK Rowlings came in at only $5 million (her Harry Potter books have run its course). How could this be? According to Forbes the income estimates are based on sales figures supplied by Nielsen Bookscan (which gets year-end sales totals submitted by publishing houses to Publishers Weekly and input from numerous agents, managers and editors).
Right now I’d sell my book(s) for a just a couple thousand dollars (what a steal!) just to get published!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Dear NFL - Here's How You Can Show Your Appreciation...
Well it looks like there’s going to be a professional football season after all. And to show it’s appreciation of all the fans, the NFL is having each team present personalized jerseys to 90 supporters.
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP24d962f2bcf2495fac6e7a2914d1582a.html
Really? Personalized jerseys are the best the NFL can do? Please.
Here are five suggestions that the NFL can do to REALLY show it’s appreciation to the fans:
1. Discount tickets. I don’t know how much tickets are where you live but here in Denver tickets for good seats for a single, regular season Bronco game are anywhere from $75 - $510. And somehow Invesco Field where the Broncos play is always filled for every home game so make it a little bit more affordable.
2. Ticket lottery. Have a lottery for a certain amount of free tickets for each home game of the season. What fan isn’t going to love free tickets?
3. Give away tickets in the suites. This would be a real treat for any Bronco fan. Give away a couple of pairs for each game. This will guarantee fan loyalty.
4. Discount parking. Parking at Invesco Field can set you back $30. Add that to the cost of the ticket and you are forking out some big bucks to see a Bronco game.
5. Discount concessions. Food and beverages at the concession stands aren’t cheap either. Give a discount for the season or just a couple of games.
Yes, personalized jerseys are nice but I would guess that most fans would really just like to go to a game without having to take out a small loan to do so. People, we are STILL in a recession and it’s all about $$$$. What could boost the spirits of fans more than being able to afford going to a professional football game?
Go Broncos!
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP24d962f2bcf2495fac6e7a2914d1582a.html
Really? Personalized jerseys are the best the NFL can do? Please.
Here are five suggestions that the NFL can do to REALLY show it’s appreciation to the fans:
1. Discount tickets. I don’t know how much tickets are where you live but here in Denver tickets for good seats for a single, regular season Bronco game are anywhere from $75 - $510. And somehow Invesco Field where the Broncos play is always filled for every home game so make it a little bit more affordable.
2. Ticket lottery. Have a lottery for a certain amount of free tickets for each home game of the season. What fan isn’t going to love free tickets?
3. Give away tickets in the suites. This would be a real treat for any Bronco fan. Give away a couple of pairs for each game. This will guarantee fan loyalty.
4. Discount parking. Parking at Invesco Field can set you back $30. Add that to the cost of the ticket and you are forking out some big bucks to see a Bronco game.
5. Discount concessions. Food and beverages at the concession stands aren’t cheap either. Give a discount for the season or just a couple of games.
Yes, personalized jerseys are nice but I would guess that most fans would really just like to go to a game without having to take out a small loan to do so. People, we are STILL in a recession and it’s all about $$$$. What could boost the spirits of fans more than being able to afford going to a professional football game?
Go Broncos!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Where Would You Live?
If you could live anywhere in the U.S. and money wasn’t an issue, where would it be? Would you like to live in big city like New York City or Chicago, or would you opt for a small town in Vermont or Oregon?
And why don't you live there now? Probably because of money (among other reasons).
According to Forbes Magazine, the top five most expensive places to live in the U.S. in 2010 were:
1. New York City, New York – I have no idea how people survive financially in this city. In general, people have to make 40 times the monthly apartment rent to qualify without a guarantor. Let’s do the math. If the average apartment rents for $2,800 you’d have to earn $122,000. I don’t know many people who earn that much money.
2. Los Angeles, California – It may be sunny there but gas prices are higher and commutes are astounding. And then there’s pollution, smog, earthquakes. Why do people want to live there?
3. Honolulu, Hawaii – This might be paradise but it comes with a price. Everything (food, household product, gas, building materials, etc.) has to be imported so it costs more. Living in this city costs 55% more than the average U.S. city.
4. Aspen, Colorado – It’s a nice place to visit and home to some major celebrities but the average house is $2.6 million. The rich and the famous have made this mountain retreat expensive.
5. Juneau, Alaska – This city has the same problem as Honolulu. If you think gas prices are high where you live, they have gotten as high as $9 per gallon the small city of Juneau.
The only one of these place that I would even slight consider living is New York City and that's because it's the publishing capital of the U.S. (and I'd have to have so much money that I would need another residence somewhere else). I’ve visited all of these places with the exception of Juneau, Alaska. I think my perfect place would be a cottage on a beach that is close enough to a city (under an hour’s drive) that had the culture (theaters) and amenities (B&N, Target, Hobby Lobby) I wanted.
Ah, maybe one day…
And why don't you live there now? Probably because of money (among other reasons).
According to Forbes Magazine, the top five most expensive places to live in the U.S. in 2010 were:
1. New York City, New York – I have no idea how people survive financially in this city. In general, people have to make 40 times the monthly apartment rent to qualify without a guarantor. Let’s do the math. If the average apartment rents for $2,800 you’d have to earn $122,000. I don’t know many people who earn that much money.
2. Los Angeles, California – It may be sunny there but gas prices are higher and commutes are astounding. And then there’s pollution, smog, earthquakes. Why do people want to live there?
3. Honolulu, Hawaii – This might be paradise but it comes with a price. Everything (food, household product, gas, building materials, etc.) has to be imported so it costs more. Living in this city costs 55% more than the average U.S. city.
4. Aspen, Colorado – It’s a nice place to visit and home to some major celebrities but the average house is $2.6 million. The rich and the famous have made this mountain retreat expensive.
5. Juneau, Alaska – This city has the same problem as Honolulu. If you think gas prices are high where you live, they have gotten as high as $9 per gallon the small city of Juneau.
The only one of these place that I would even slight consider living is New York City and that's because it's the publishing capital of the U.S. (and I'd have to have so much money that I would need another residence somewhere else). I’ve visited all of these places with the exception of Juneau, Alaska. I think my perfect place would be a cottage on a beach that is close enough to a city (under an hour’s drive) that had the culture (theaters) and amenities (B&N, Target, Hobby Lobby) I wanted.
Ah, maybe one day…
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday Blues
It takes forever for Friday to come along but Monday seems to come more quickly.
As I sit at my desk and look out my window (yes, I finally have a window) I wonder, “Wasn’t I just here?”
Of course the Monday Blues aren’t so bad if you love your job or whatever you have to do all day. And if that’s the case, consider yourself lucky. I don’t think it’s instilled in you while growing up what it means to go to work to earn money to survive (or work to support somebody who is earning money so you can survive) and that “work” may not be enjoyable, creative, or even interesting. “Work” may be mind-numbingly boring, frustrating and irritating. Nobody tells you that growing up. You are told that if you work hard you can be anything you want to be. I used the think that getting up in the morning and going to work (as oppose to school) would be kind of cool. I also never considered I wouldn’t have a job that I enjoyed. But there are jobs out there that aren’t interesting, aren’t challenging and are mind-numbingly boring but have to be done. And why do we do it? For the paycheck, of course.
Such is life, which is often contemplated on Monday morning when the work week starts all over again.
As I sit at my desk and look out my window (yes, I finally have a window) I wonder, “Wasn’t I just here?”
Of course the Monday Blues aren’t so bad if you love your job or whatever you have to do all day. And if that’s the case, consider yourself lucky. I don’t think it’s instilled in you while growing up what it means to go to work to earn money to survive (or work to support somebody who is earning money so you can survive) and that “work” may not be enjoyable, creative, or even interesting. “Work” may be mind-numbingly boring, frustrating and irritating. Nobody tells you that growing up. You are told that if you work hard you can be anything you want to be. I used the think that getting up in the morning and going to work (as oppose to school) would be kind of cool. I also never considered I wouldn’t have a job that I enjoyed. But there are jobs out there that aren’t interesting, aren’t challenging and are mind-numbingly boring but have to be done. And why do we do it? For the paycheck, of course.
Such is life, which is often contemplated on Monday morning when the work week starts all over again.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock
Time to vent a little. Today I had a follow-up doctor appointment for a surgery I had. I arrived on time for my appointment and had to wait 55 minutes to see the doctor for 5 minutes. I was NOT happy. Nobody apologized or gave an explanation for why I had to wait for almost an hour (first in the main waiting room, then in an interior waiting room and then in the exam room).
Now, this doctor has a reputation for not being on time (he was actually an hour late for my surgery) but still, show some respect to your patients, their time is just as valuable as yours (whether you understand that or not). I can understanding if the doctor had some sort of emergency and if that was the case, just tell me and I would understanding. Instead I spent almost an hour watching other patients see other doctors come and go. Not fun.
There are always situations where you are going to have to wait: in line at almost any store, on the telephone with any type of customer service rep, for the bathroom at a sporting event, concert, play, etc. But am I being too impatient in saying waiting 55 minutes to see a doctor for 5 minutes is too long?
I have to go back and see him again in two months. Hopefully after that I won't have to see him again.
Now, this doctor has a reputation for not being on time (he was actually an hour late for my surgery) but still, show some respect to your patients, their time is just as valuable as yours (whether you understand that or not). I can understanding if the doctor had some sort of emergency and if that was the case, just tell me and I would understanding. Instead I spent almost an hour watching other patients see other doctors come and go. Not fun.
There are always situations where you are going to have to wait: in line at almost any store, on the telephone with any type of customer service rep, for the bathroom at a sporting event, concert, play, etc. But am I being too impatient in saying waiting 55 minutes to see a doctor for 5 minutes is too long?
I have to go back and see him again in two months. Hopefully after that I won't have to see him again.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Summer vacation for me was five days and six nights on the California coast. July 6 was my sister’s 40th birthday and she wanted to go somewhere to celebrate. She usually gets shafted when it comes to celebrating her birthday because it’s so close to the 4th of July holiday.Five of us rented a cottage high on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The photo with the “To Beach” sigh is from the backyard. It was a very remote location. We didn’t have television reception, no Internet connect and no cell phone service (the house did have a landline though). I didn’t really mind all that much that we didn’t have these things except I missed the Casey Anthony verdict and it would have been nice to call each other on our cell phones when our small group occasionally split up.
The weather was perfect. Mild (in the 60°s) and sunny (after the fog burned off in the morning). We sat on beaches, drove through a redwood forest and taste wine at various Anderson Valley wineries. We even surprised my sister with a small little birthday cake.
The only snafu in the trip was traffic. We all ran into it getting to the house when we arrived but thought that was just because it was a holiday weekend. We were WRONG! We left on Friday, July 8 and a 180 mile trip to the Sacramento airport that should have taken less than 4 hours took 7 hours. We ran into three traffic jams (two resulting from accidents and one from just stupid drivers). Then after dropping Mom off at the airport a mere 50 minutes before her flight, we got stuck in yet ANOTHER traffic jam from an accident (we moved two miles in 45 minutes), and we were ready to get the hell out of California.
But while we were there we had a great time, of course it was just too short! Need more time and more money!
So here’s a photo showing the Robinson “girls”. From left to right: Me (holding Mateo), Mom and Jenny (sitting, holding Dante).
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Summer is a Bummer
Of all the four season I dislike summer the most (which doesn’t even start until June 21). I know most people disagree with me but I can totally justify it. Here are my top 10 reasons why I dislike summer:
1. Vacation. Summer is for kids and adults who work in education. I don’t know any other profession that gives you something like 10 weeks off every year. It’s totally unfair.
2. It’s hot. I don’t do hot. It probably has something to do with the fact that when I’m in the sun I burn. My sister tans and she knows I’m jealous. And too hot for me is anything about 70 degrees. And summer nights rarely get that cool.
3. Air conditioning. I have a love/hate relationship with the a/c. I thank God every summer that we have it (I would not survive summer without it) but I would prefer cool breezes from outside than air that comes out of a machine.
4. Hot cars. It totally sucks to get off work and have to drive home in a really, really hot car.
5. Public pools. Yes, they sound great but really, I don’t want to be around all those other people and, sorry parents, all those screaming kids (And what’s the deal with kids screaming all the time now for no reason?).
6. Sleep. I don’t sleep as well in the summer as I do the rest of the year. Mainly because of #2. I like a cold room and am too cheap to crank up the a/c to a level I really, really like (again, best scenario is sleeping next to an open window with a cool breeze coming in).
7. Cooking. Nobody wants to turn on the oven in the summer. Yes, I know a lot of people grill but not everyone has (or can have) a grill. So it’s stovetop or microwave meals for three months. Yuck!
8. Geography. I live in Colorado. We don’t really have lakes (they are called lakes but are more like ponds or small reservoirs). Summer to me means large bodies of water in which to swim in or sit by. If you haven’t looked at a map recently, Colorado is far away from any ocean.
9. Clothing. Summer clothes suck, especially if you have to spend five out of seven days in an office with a dress code. If you have a part of your body that you hate (and women, who of us don’t?) it probably something you want covered and in the summer that means you are hot.
10. Television. Reruns and reality shows. Another yuck!
1. Vacation. Summer is for kids and adults who work in education. I don’t know any other profession that gives you something like 10 weeks off every year. It’s totally unfair.
2. It’s hot. I don’t do hot. It probably has something to do with the fact that when I’m in the sun I burn. My sister tans and she knows I’m jealous. And too hot for me is anything about 70 degrees. And summer nights rarely get that cool.
3. Air conditioning. I have a love/hate relationship with the a/c. I thank God every summer that we have it (I would not survive summer without it) but I would prefer cool breezes from outside than air that comes out of a machine.
4. Hot cars. It totally sucks to get off work and have to drive home in a really, really hot car.
5. Public pools. Yes, they sound great but really, I don’t want to be around all those other people and, sorry parents, all those screaming kids (And what’s the deal with kids screaming all the time now for no reason?).
6. Sleep. I don’t sleep as well in the summer as I do the rest of the year. Mainly because of #2. I like a cold room and am too cheap to crank up the a/c to a level I really, really like (again, best scenario is sleeping next to an open window with a cool breeze coming in).
7. Cooking. Nobody wants to turn on the oven in the summer. Yes, I know a lot of people grill but not everyone has (or can have) a grill. So it’s stovetop or microwave meals for three months. Yuck!
8. Geography. I live in Colorado. We don’t really have lakes (they are called lakes but are more like ponds or small reservoirs). Summer to me means large bodies of water in which to swim in or sit by. If you haven’t looked at a map recently, Colorado is far away from any ocean.
9. Clothing. Summer clothes suck, especially if you have to spend five out of seven days in an office with a dress code. If you have a part of your body that you hate (and women, who of us don’t?) it probably something you want covered and in the summer that means you are hot.
10. Television. Reruns and reality shows. Another yuck!
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