reader of the month: august

my loyal readers,

another month has passed us by, this one called august. I am, as always, very honored and humbled to offer, for the sixth time ever, frank's new blog's award for the loyal reader of the month. the month of august was a month of … it was... it was more of the same, wasn't it, but without the grandeur. it was the dog days of the road trip of life ©. it was... hot. slimy. quiet. and so we find ourselves on the doorstep of september, celebrating august for what it was.

this month we are mixing it up with our loyal reader award. this time the award is in recognition of those who are participating under the radar. loyal reader of the month: loyal lurkers!

congratulations to the shy characters among us. the quiet types. the ones who pop in and out to see what's new in the fnb community without leaving a large footprint, even in a month like august! yuck! these loyal readers aren't out for recognition, and that's why they deserve to receive it with this special award just for them.

well done, my loyal readers. you have a place in fnb's history books. you, yes, you. you are the fnb community.

we appreciate you.

-frank (sched.)

stocks are up

stocks are up, but I'm not talking about the stock market. I'm talking about the road trip of life © stocks. these aren't real stocks. they aren't something you can buy with currency. no. I'm just using "stocks are up" as an expression meaning "things are looking good!" it's just nice to recognize that every now and again.

maybe we don't have it all, but we've got what we need--the little things all around us and, most importantly, each other.

-frank

tragic news

there was a comment made here on frank's new blog that is quite troubling. we have been informed by bobody (a loyal reader here on fnb) that he was in a horrible plane crash in the swiss alps. you, as I, probably saw this on the news. he was in a coma and just recently woke up, but 20 others on the plane were killed. 

on the bright side, he appears to be in good spirits (and is still making weird comments, so not much has changed, ha ha). happy to have you back in our community. 

feel free to pass on words of encouragement and well wishes in the comments below. I am sure he will see them!

-frank

dear bobody,

bobody, get well soon. very sorry this has happened.

the fnb team

september

well, it's almost september. what more can you say... another case of "there goes august." remember the numerous discussions we previously had about time flying when you are having fun? well we must be having a lot of fun, because it has almost been 9 months since the founding of frank's new blog.

that is pretty crazy, I think my loyal readers will agree. that's 9 months of posting every single day (minus the one time I fell asleep when natalie was hosting snl and the weekend I was in jail and then the personal time I took off while I was sorting out my legal problems). that is dedication. that is stick-to-itiveness. that is efficiency and also very cool.

not long now until our 1 year anniversarial celebration.

-frank

missing

the road trip of life © is an interesting adventure. sometimes unexpected passengers join you in the car. you know the ones I'm talking about. the head scratchers. the ones where it seems crazy they would take the time out of their day to be a part of your day. and boy, is it a rush when you have them for company. that is what is so great about the road trip of life ©. people on two entirely different paths can have a convergence and share in the journey, even if it isn't for very long. maybe it is just for a few months. maybe the next day you get up and they aren't in the car anymore. and you look around and realize they might have gotten really busy with their children, husband, or acting career (just as some examples, but it could be anything). 

we still both have the memories of the time we spent together. and maybe, just maybe, our paths will cross again.

-frank

cool thing 30

a nice round number, 30.

COOL THING AUG 20th - AUG 26th:

please enjoy this very cool silhouetted samurai animated ambient music experience. 

powerful stuff.

that makes 30/52 cool things that have been created in 2018. only 22 left for your watching, listening, and feeling. (the countdown continues.)

cool thing advertising space: a little surprised no one has approached us yet about purchasing this advertising space. this space provides an impressive reach to a diverse (and global) loyal readership! that is a deal if I ever saw one.

teaser warning: their is a larger piece in development that has a similar style to the above creative work. excited to share it with you.

-frank (sched.)

saturday dream

what did I say about saturday dreams? "(if you thought friday dreams were good,) wait until you hear about [them]." and boy was I right, per usual.

I'll set the scene for this saturday dream:

I was walking around the woods with a group of friends. we were trying to get to a specific location at the center of the woods. there was rumored to be an impressive natural spring, but the path we were trailblazing through the forest was blocked by various obstacles--mudpuddles, fencing, rotting wood and leaves, rocky terrain, sandy terrain. I was wearing my german engineered arizona "stone" birkenstock sandals for this adventure. unfortunately, I was forced into a messy situation when my sandals (aforementioned) fell off at an inopportune time as I was climbing over a fallen tree trunk. they landed in a pile of sand and mud, and when I jumped down to retrieve them, I had to make a big decision; continue walking barefoot or put on the sandals. you see, the bed of the sandals was full of mud and rocks (and my feet were now dirty, to boot). if I put them on, I was sure to grind in the dirt and grime, which could ruin my sandals. eventually I decided to just wear the sandals knowing that they were good sandals that might recover from this mess, and, if they didn't, I liked them so much I would be willing to buy another pair. during this internal deliberating, all my friends had continued walking through the forest. specifically, they had climbed up and over a series of fences that marked a horse path. I set out to climb over the fences myself, but a group of horse riders passed through the corridor before me. one of them saw me starting to climb the fence and motioned me over to a place a few meters down to my left. "you can cross over here. there's a gap. you don't have to climb over," he said. "thanks," I said, as I walked around to the opening. I waited for a break in the column of horse riders and crossed to the other side, where I caught up with my friends who had gone ahead. 

there was one catch though... I never made it to the spring. I woke up after catching up to the others!

there's a couple messages to be learned here about the road trip of life © , and they are as follows: (1) along the journey, there will be obstacles before you, but they might not be as difficult as you are making them. sometimes the answer is as simple as getting directions from a horse master. (2) savor the journey as it unfolds before you, not just the end destination. (3) sometimes your sandals might get dirty and that's ok.

it was definitely a good one, you've got to admit.

-frank

really un-pumped

no dreams to report. not one. not even a half second of one. can you believe it? waste hours sleeping and not one lousy dream. 

I could do better than that being awake! I can dream any second I'm awake! 

that's not as exciting though. and we all know why...

control. there's an element to dreams outside our realm of control. the dreamscape is full of mind-bending events and realities because the laws it is bound by defy the laws of perception, physics, and time which we are bound by in this realityscape.

here's hoping things play out a little differently tonight. if you thought friday dreams were good, wait until you hear about saturday dreams.

-frank

really pumped

ever just get really pumped?

that's me right now. I'm pumped.

why? because I'm going to go to sleep and have some friday dreams. friday dreams rule. (it will be friday in a few minutes.)

something about the way gravity cycles from the lunar motion impact fluids in the receptors of the brain. I'm not kidding.

-frank

back and forth

I keep thinking that maybe I shouldn't have made that post yesterday about the dark future my models are forecasting. on the one hand, people should be left to make their own decisions; on the other hand, am I in some way culpable for their downfalls if I say nothing? a tricky situation. but at least I tried.

part of the reason I am unsure about making the post is the possibility that in making the post I set things in motion for the downfall to occur. maybe that is what the models foresaw, and thereby the future becomes inescapable and inevitable. or maybe my post will be the undoing of only a few people who heed it's warning and take drastic measures in the mad panic that I created. I would feel a little bad about that. but again, each of us has our own agency on our the road trip of life ©, and it is left to each of us to drive the vehicle.

it is also perfectly possible that my models are wrong. only time will tell.

-frank

futures forecasting

I don't normally share this kind of information broadly, if at all, but in this case I am making an exception. for any traders and investors out there: this is just an fyi that you will want to be very cautious in the coming weeks. my models are showing some really extreme possibilities, and it doesn't hurt to heed the warning signs. just keep your eyes peeled, and don't go poking and prodding too deep. things might get a little spicy... 

it's never certain with these prediction models, but there is a possibility of some world-shifting, life-altering (in a big way) changes with ramifications across the board that could come to pass. the ingredients are all there is what I'm saying. big shake ups.

everyone be smart out there, ok? you can thank me later.

-frank

versions

you know how there are versions of songs? I'm thinking of how there are live versions, acoustic versions, dubstep versions, remastered versions etc. all in all, there can be a lot of versions for the same exact song!

sometimes I think about a day and I think: I'd like to have an acoustic version of today. (that is just an example. sometimes I might want the electronic version! or the acapella version. it varies.)

my point is, music is an interesting space where you have the option to build different versions of the same song, and then, assuming you have a recording of it, experience it over and over again. you can't do that with days, even if you try! there will always be little things that are different about them. (once again, it's the pesky time as we perceive it thing.)

just something to think about.

-frank

cool thing 29

presenting...

COOL THING AUG 13th - AUG 19th:

presentations can be tough, but fear not. the fnb exclusive presentation guide on presentations is here to help you. 

not only is this presentation cool, it has the added bonus that it will make your presentations cooler, guaranteed! in the business we call that a win-win.

that makes 29/52 cool things that have been created for you and yours in 2018. only 23 left (the countdown begins).

cool thing advertising space: want to get maximum brand exposure? get in touch with the fnb team. this space available for connecting with a global audience. for more information, email us on the web at frankdotcom.webmail@gmail.com

another week, another 7 days off the list.

-frank (sched.)

saturdays

saturdays are cool. but are they more cool than any other day? I would argue no, and this is why:

saturday is nothing more than an identification tag, but other than that, it is no different than any other day of the week. 24 hours, sunrise, sunset. waking up. sleeping. eating. washing. is that any different from a monday? from a sunday? from a thursday? from a friday? from a tuesday? from a wednesday? not much. these are just words we use to help us measure our passage through the present; through time as we perceive it.

the true meaning of saturday is more a state of mind--millennials will know what I mean! saturday morning cartoons, no school, no homework, running around outside and inside. not bad!

any day can be a saturday if you put your mind to it. try it! 

-frank

now it is tomorrow.

was that so hard? waiting until tomorrow from yesterday? it wasn't. grow up.

and scene.

I hope no one was too taken-aback by the seemingly flippant approach I have utilized in the past two posts. I was playing a character. yesterday's post and today's post (before the scene ended above) were intentionally built this way as a tool for a quick discussion of impatience. in this scenario, a person asks if something can wait until tomorrow with language like "geez" as well as quick, stabbing words like "now? really?" they seem burdened by the task of asking for more time, for patience. furthermore, when the time finally comes that the person is available, they belittle those on the other side of the equation. "was that so hard?" they snap, "it wasn't." this is followed by the final, echoing statement "grow up." you can feel it reverberating, with each pass careening into and gnashing at the target, again and again. biting words. words with venom.

in the scenario, we don't know anything about the target. it's possible they are being incredibly rude, or just downright annoying, but this is all the more reason to keep your cool. you see, we are all bound by time as we perceive it. there is no way around this for any of us (yet)--at least in mortal terms--so it's important to take a step back and remind ourselves we are all victims to the moment. this is something that even someone like me can struggle with.

patience, as it were, is a matter of being bigger than the moment. the person in the scenario could have served their target and themselves better by not being so dismissive and flippant. something more like this: 

yesterday. I am busy at the moment.

hello, I am busy at the moment, but I will get back to you tomorrow.

thanks for understanding.

tomorrow. I am now free.

hello again, I am now free. I am no longer busy. what is it I can do for you? (or, alternatively: I can help you now. or, if you did the thing they wanted: it is finished.)

notice that each makes it very clear the state of affairs. "I am busy at the moment" and "I am now free." opening with a greeting is also a good way to keep things cordial. "hello." they are welcomed into conversation with you, a patient person.

each of us are, you know. I mean bigger than the moment. we are uncontained, and don't you forget it.

-frank

now? really?

I'm a little busy at the moment. can it wait until tomorrow? 

thanks. geez.

-frank

about yesterday

the post yesterday was written in french. decided I would mix things up a bit. I wanted to toss a curve ball at you, my loyal readers. something...different. least, that was my intention.

just so everyone is on the same page, here is an english translation of the post from yesterday:

hello, all the world!

ahh, yes. it is true. hello. I speak french.

it is my little secret. but, you, my loyal reader, are not surprised. because I am a renaissance man, alright? you know it to be true. search your feelings.

so, ok, I will admit it. I might be exaggerating... I speak a little French. a little. I love baguettes.

-frank

end translation. now we are all caught up!

-frank

bonjour, tout le monde

ah, oui. c'est vrai. bonjour. je parle francais.

c'est mon secret petit. mais, vous, mon lecteur loyal, n'etez pas surprise. parce que je suis un homme de la renaissance, ca va?

donc, donc… je parle un peu le francais. un peu. j'adore les baguettes.

-frank

dobbin's potential

dobbin's potential, is it something you are familiar with?

no?

I thought not.

it is a simple equation made for calculating the consistency of parallel universes within an element of space time. the quantum elements at play are difficult to predict, but using ketler's model we can simplify predictions of how quarks and half-quarks (seemingly) swap the spaces they occupy by moving the spaces (rather than the particles themselves), in turn giving us shadows we can track and digitally micro-manage.

stop.

wait a moment, my loyal readers. take a deep breath. 

I must confess to you, everything you read previously in this post was made up. just now. by me. no doubt some of you weren't fooled, but others--the vast majority--were. why? because I acted with confidence and used comprehensive and alienating phrasing. I made you believe what I was discussing was real because I made you believe I believed what I was discussing, firstly, before manipulating you by using key phrases to overcomplicate and disengage your interest. that, my friends, is the true meaning of dobbin's potential. (the complete theorem name is literally dobbin's potential to sow deceit via methods of feigned belief. popular among counter-intelligence, etc.)

it is a simple equation after all.

-frank

cool thing 28

I hope the suspense I've built up pays off...

COOL THING AUG 6th - AUG 12th:

that business tip I've been rambling about? the best business tip I've ever received? I'm about to share it with you. it has helped me to realize the true value that can be gained from business, and I don't just mean monetary gain or increased notoriety. 

some of you might not see it, or might not see it right away. but when you finally understand it, I know it will be as revolutionary for you as it was for me.

the tip follows, for your eyes only: 

if you want your business to succeed, you need to make your business your business.

it really is that simple. but hey, just because it is simple doesn't mean it is not the best!

28/52 cool things have been created for your viewing, reading, listening, and pleasure. you can revisit an old favorite or catch up on any you missed via the cool things database page.

cool thing bonus activity: I'm starting to feel like my loyal readers have lost interest in cool thing bonus activities. is this an end to an era? the fnb team is re-evaluating how this space can be better utilized. if you would like to weigh in on the discussion, feel free to comment below, or email us on the web at frankdotcom.webmail@gmail.com

keep grinding

-frank (sched.)