LegendaryLife Blog

I am looking forward to switch gears and start blogging about health and inspiration as opposed to science fiction and a host of other projects that are keeping me very busy at the moment. Life is sure flying very fast right now!

I am doing some final correcting before releasing my second book, “Transforming your life from blah to legendary” and sometime over the weekend, I will hit the halfway mark for my science fiction book, 2847AD. LegendaryLife.com is still under deep production and through all this, I am really enjoying designing stuff for my WoodMarvels.com site.

I feel like taking a break from writing books after my science fiction one is finished, it’s an incredible amount of work, far more than I realized at the onset but also very rewarding. I challenged myself to do something out of complete ignorance and it’s nice to see that I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If I would have known that it would be this much work creating a possibly alternative solar system based far in the future, I probably would have given myself a few years instead of my self-imposed deadline of having it all done by September of 2009. So, I got 3 months of writing left before it’s all done

I did a little research and found that there are quite a few authors in this world who struggle all their lives to make something of their work while others get “lucky” and hit the jackpot right off the bat. Although I hope I am “lucky”, the personal challenges I set for myself are, by far, the most rewarding. Talking and doing are two very different things and I am very happy that I am still willing to jump head-first into the unknown.

I have so many things I want to write about, and so little time I feel to get it all done in.

I wrote a small piece for LegendaryLife’s sister company, WoodMarvels.com that I think you would enjoy if you are an entrepreneur, designer or thinking of starting your own company.

WoodMarvels.com Marketing Advice

I haven’t been updating this blog as much as I would have liked - it isn’t from a lack of material but time. LegendaryLife.com is under heavy production and I am also very busy getting my first science fiction book up to spec. I am also reviewing drafts of my second book, Transforming your Life from Blah to Legendary which I hope to have published sometime next month. It will be nice to get all three of these major projects behind me so I can start on some new fresh stuff!

Luckily, in the grand scheme of things, I have plenty of energy to pursuit my passions which now include writing, just got to get through this time crunch!

Long ago, before we had the luxury of convenient and grocery stores, modern agriculture and “civilization”, we use to have to hunt and gather each and everyday for our days food. Each day was filled with trying to live one more using nothing but our wit, strength and endurance. The reason our bodies are so impressive today is because of the work our ancestors did, each and everyday, in order to allow our species to conquer this planet.

I watched this video a long time ago and was incredibly impressed by the use of persistence to hunt down large prey. What was once common place among our species seems sadly foreign to me, I never had to “earn” my life like our ancestors. I believe this is the reason why our species suffers from depression, anxiety and invests in materialism instead of itself, we have lost touch with our inner senses and nothing quite fills that void like earned nutrition. Notice in this video, the guy isn’t 20 years old either, he is probably healthier than most people half his age… this guy, who never had a job his entire life, never owned anything of (our perceived) value and nor has any wealth to speak off has both my instant admiration and respect. We can truly be amazing animals when the desire and circumstances warrant them. I would feel honored to be able to do this, at least once, in my life.

Could you imagine having the mental and physical strength to run for 8 straight hours in the burning sun with nothing but a spear for your diner? Think about it.

I decided to do a little research online regarding my (so far), two cease and desist orders originating from Mannatech’s legal department and guess what, they sent the same identical letter to others as well! Each time, to people who disprove or question the validity for their sales people’s claims that their products cure diseases and illness. Same situation, the blogger writes that their products are essentially a scam, a Mannatech representative says the opposite and voila, Mannatech’s legal department springs into action against, no, not the Mannatech representative telling their lies but the person who put into question their products. I am seeing a pattern here.

Background story regarding my joy of Mannatech here:

• Mannatech cease and desist… again!
• Mannatech sends me a cease and desist
• Mannatech: Overpriced Sugar Pills
• Mannatech Strikes again with Holy Water!
• Herbal Remedies’ aren’t without risks

First question, am I legally liable for comments posted on my blog?

Technically you are not liable for blog comments/forum posts on your site posted by others. You are responsible and liable for comments that you make, but it is very difficult to prosecute or pursue, primarily because of jurisdiction. The Internet is global and there is not one single governing force. Not only is the location of the blogger/poster a factor but the  location of the web host and the laws that govern their locations are a factor.

Source: http://businesscommunicationblog.com/newsletters/?p=43981

Makes sense… I agree Mannatech is barking-up the wrong tree, their threats are as empty as their distributor’s promises.

Where Mannatech learned about Cease and Desist letters…

http://www.rickross.com/reference/mannatech/mannatech49.html

Now I know where the idea for Cease and Desist Orders comes from… the SEC! It seems that the seeds they have sowed all these years are finally starting to sprout weeds!

Mannatech’s SEC problems are on top of a complaint filed by the Texas attorney general’s office last year. In July 2007, the attorney general filed a lawsuit accusing Mannatech of exaggerating the therapeutic benefits of its products for people with cancer, Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis and other serious conditions. That suit is pending in Travis County District Court. Mannatech CEO Wayne Badovinus acknowledged last quarter that dealing with the attorney general’s complaint, as well as related shareholder lawsuits, was taking a financial toll on the company.

This is starting to make sense, they are covering their ass as much as possible with these legal orders as they face an increasing amount of lawsuits based on the practices of their distribution channel.

Deja vue?

Here is a great link to somebody who had exactly the same situation happen to them! Mannatech lawyers go after him instead of commentators working for Mannatech and accuse him of something he never did! I sent his response to Mannatech as well, it’s fantastic! Peter’s response is a very good read - well worth it!

I thought I had made this clear last year when I received a similar complaint from you. I do wish that you would actually take the time to read the page you are complaining about, but just in case you can’t do that I will reiterate what I said last time (and which appears on that page).

At no place on my site do I state, suggest or imply that Mannatech nutritional products prevent, treat or cure disease, or state, suggest or imply that Mannatech nutritional products are a substitute for a doctor’s standard of care. I would not do either of these things because I do not believe that such statements would be true. I do not care what Mannatech’s policies are with regard to such statements because I am not a Mannatech distributor.

Before you write to me again with complaints about things I do not do please try to read my clearly expressed opinions about Mannatech. You only make yourself look foolish by displaying a total lack of comprehension.

Again, I would like to thank you for implicitly informing me that Mannatech products have no role in the prevention, treatment or cure of any disease and that they do not provide an alternative to professional medical care. I will cite this to Mannatech distributors who contact me with anecdotes suggesting otherwise.

As is my usual policy, your email and this reply will be published on my web site.

I have a wish

I wish that Mannatech would spend a few million dollars and perform a clinical, double-blind study relating the the effectiveness of their products… so far, they have a legal department that is unable to comprehend their mother tongue and sales people who must believe their own lies in order to sustain their financial health. I see nothing positive nor progressive coming out of Mannatech. Please perform this completely unbiased study so you can implode.

Here is a fantastic article by ABCNews, Cure for Your Disease or Empty Promises?

The Bottom Line

You reap what you sow.

I have discovered something while writing my next book, 2847AD… writing science fiction is really hard!

Imagining the uninvented

Creating a whole future civilization across multiple colonies is a challenge in itself, trying to imagine technology that doesn’t exist, hasn’t been seen or experienced first-hand is quite a task. Describing how things work, describing how one machine affects another or trying to keep things consistent “feel wise” is also a very tough challenge. When I first started writing 2847AD, my third book, I thought naively that it would go as smoothly as my first two books but saying you will do something and actually doing something are very different.

Creating merchandise

I am both writing this book and creating a merchandise line for it at the same time within my other company, WoodMarvels.com. This may seem like doing twice the work but it actually helps me to create visuals in order to establish the unique characteristics and hence, attitudes of the various civilizations involved in 2847AD. Here is an example of a Ruskian Fortress.

I like trying new things that I have never done before, creating a world is fun and associated physical items that fit within the storyline is also an enjoyable experience. Being able to multi-task is a great ability that I have been able to develop in strides and so far, it has become very handy on this project.

Time lines

Unlike my other books, this one deals with such fun tasks as character development, time lines and leaving small breadcrumbs that won’t be revealed until the very end of the book. I have so far about 20 pages down, which isn’t a lot but it has been re-writen so many times that things are starting to be in sharper focus. You can’t hope to start something that will be good based on a weak foundation, so it’s critical to get the first few chapters down and most of the stories dynamics realized before proceeding with the rest of the story. Science fiction, I don’t think, can be something you are in a rush to complete as the complexity involved can quickly become overwhelming.

My general goal is to have the first draft of my book done sometime in the summer, then let it get some dust before doing another review a few months later.

My second book, which is a motivational self-help book, is being reviewed now by editors, I hope to have it published in a month or so depending on how many changes are required.

The Bottom Line

Unlike a biography or other pieces of writen work, science fiction has a host of challenges that are only apparent once you begin working on it.