What's all this?Greetings friend,
This is a repository for notes, short stories, story series, and perhaps screenplays I write. The blog, Amongst Men is the best place to get an idea of where the serious side of my mind resides, while the NST-3000 tab will take you to an exhibit of my off-kilter humor from years past. You'd probably enjoy more Smurths and Smithies, the semi-fanfiction Star Wars-based saga I wrote to immortalize many of my friends from college. Previously, July 18-August 15 2009, I was in Shenyang China helping teach English at a summer camp at Shenyang BRAVE English Language Training Center. To date it was the most amazing and rewarding experience of my life. The blog "An American In Shenyang" chronicles my time there. Some of what you see on this site will defy complete understanding. Don't be alarmed or upset, I don't understand all of it either, and I wrote it. Because I must... Jesse Abram "Run for the hills, pick up your feet and let's go. We did our jobs, pick up speed now let's move. The trees can't grow without the sun in their eyes. And we can't live if we're too afraid to die." - Young Men Dead by The Black Angels |
UpdatesJune 6, 2022
- New blog post in Amongst Men blog. Winter has been two years long it feels like and now that we've hit the summer heat I want so badly to be productive. February 22, 2021 - Reposted an essay on the 2nd Amendment in the Amongst Men blog, originally from the American Policy Forum. It has to be accessed via WayBack Machine otherwise, and I refer to it often enough, and believe its content to be important enough to preserve and act upon, that it should be posted in an easy to access location. April 24, 2020 - Smurths and Smithies has come to an end, with Chapter 51. A relief and a pleasure to have an ending. It's probably not finished, it needs some fleshing out here and there, some mini-chapters to explain a few things. January 27, 2017 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 42 is now up. - The 10th Christmas Rant has appeared! - I'm a dad now. A stay-at-home dad. Pray for us. - I've started on a sequel to Humans vs Zombies: Hijacked. Working title is Rubicon 5: Hijacked, and it's set on a space station. SPAAAACE! August 29, 2016 - My, I've been away awhile. Smurths and Smithies Chapter 41 has been posted. - "He sits 'mongst men like a descended god: He hath a kind of honour sets him off, More than a mortal seeming." -- Iachimo, in "Cymbaline," by Shakespeare. September 14, 2015 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 39 and Chapter 40 posted. 39 had been out awhile on Facebook, but didn't make it here. - My father re-stumbled across my website and chided me for the lack of new content. I'm guessing he didn't mean Smurths and Smithies. Maybe I'll toss out a blog post in the near future. We'll see. I don't write about my opinions unless I'm quite sure of them. No point ruining my future political aspirations. - Oh, and, fun fact, I've sold at least one book overseas and was paid a small royalty in Euros. Internationally known author here, boys and girls. Line up to get your signed copies! - Secret project underway. I don't even know why I mention it. Move along, nothing to see here. February 19, 2015 - Christmas Rant #8 - We Speak On Many Levels posted without apology. (Seriously, never going to apologize for this.) September 16, 2014 - Humans vs. Zombies: Hijacked, the first novel by yours truly, has been published! - Having been unemployed since May, I'm anxious to again contribute to my small household's bankroll, like a good man should. If I could sell a couple thousand books, that would be shiny! August 5, 2014 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 38 posted. - Navigation aids added at the bottom of each chapter. Now you can get sucked in, like Netflix! - Send me a job, oh Lord, this endless weekend is not for me. June 29, 2014 - I seem to have announced my entry into that long, dark tea-time preemptively, or perhaps presciently, as I was laid off from my job about a month later, in the middle of May. Job hunting now. - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 38 is on the way. April 9, 2014 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 37 posted. - I have entered that long, dark tea-time of the soul. Prayers for a new source of inspiration would be appreciated. March 9, 2014 - New Life of the NoFreakin' Entry, "The Good, The Sinful, and The Silly." February 6, 2014 - Chapter 35 and Chapter 36 of Smurths and Smithies posted entirely without apology. January 16, 2014 - Holy smokes a new year. Posted a short fiction piece, The Rescue of Lorica - A Story of Fallen Earth. - Oh yea, I have a music video! "Love Me Till I Die?", an original song by yours truly. April 29, 2013 - Chapters 17-19 of Einëssa Moondance, commentary by Foxtrot Squad, completes the tale. March 28, 2013 - Chapters 14-16 of Einëssa Moondance, commentary by Foxtrot Squad. - "The View From Heaven" a zombie inspired, but zombieless, one act-play written by yours truly. It's in search of a director to bring it to life, so please give it a read. January 18, 2013 - Chapter 34 of Smuths and Smithies uploaded. - Some various layout tweaks. No apologies for lack of updates. December 15, 2011 - Chapters 10-13 of Einëssa Moondance, commentary by Foxtrot Squad. - New blog post in Life of the Nofreakin - "No time to mourn, I must dance." August 23, 2011 - Chapters 3 and 4 of He Left Me fixed. My apologies, somehow the third chapter was lost in the shuffle. June 22, 2011 - Bonus: Recovered chapters 5 and 6 of He Left Me, commentary by Foxtrot Squad. April 14, 2011 - Einëssa Moondance Chapters 7-9, commentary by Foxtrot Squad, now available in NST-3000. - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 33 available as well. - Sorry, still no new Riggs Bros. Podcast. We're looking at getting better recording equipment before we subject you to any more bad audio. March 4, 2011 - After missing a week, the Riggs Bros. Podcast (drop down from Life of the NoFreakin tab) returns with Episode 3! *big cheesy thumbs up* February 18, 2011 - Riggs Bros. Podcast page (drop down from Life of the NoFreakin tab) added and first podcast linked. Podcasts are hosted on BlogSpot.com at the NoFreakinway Annex. February 09, 2011 - New Life of the NoFreakin' blog post on seeking challenges and being worthy of praise. - Bonus: Recovered Chapters 3-4 of He Left Me. January 22, 2011 - Einëssa Moondance Chapters 4-6, commentary by Foxtrot Squad. - Bonus: Recovered chapters of He Left Me, the first MST undertaken by Foxtrot Squad which was abandoned for safety reasons. December 8, 2010 - New Life of the NoFreain' blog post on life and money. November 30, 2010 - A new work, Einëssa Moondance Chapters 1-3, commentary by Foxtrot Squad, in NST-3000. November 11, 2010 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 32: Not a Barrel Roll posted with author's notes and several chapters given names. - Check out my boss's site, www.jenniferfriend.weebly.com. So much easier for me to create for her using Weebly.com than Microsoft Sharepoint. September 30, 2010 - New chapters in NST-3000, Tango Squad's commentary on Lost in Mirkwood. - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 30 and Chapter 31 posted with author's notes. July 24, 2010 - I got married! March 2, 2010 - New blog post in Life of the NoFreakin' on wedding planning and holidays. December 7, 2009 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 29 posted with author's notes and a feedback box. October 27, 2009 - Smurths and Smithies: Tales of the Trade - The Heist Over Kuat posted with Author's Notes. - Lost in Mirkwood Chapters 3-4 posted in NST-3000. - The Truth Will Outwit, a strange tale that I liked more before I reworked it for fiction writing class, added to the Short Fiction section. September 26, 2009 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 28 - Mangled Realities posted with Author's Notes. August 10, 2009 - Updated from Shenyang, China - Too American in Shenyang updated with Day 23. My apologies for a long absence. August 2, 2009 - Updated from Shenyang, China - Too American in Shenyang updated with days 13 and 14. - New Life of the NoFreakin' post. July 31, 2009 - Updated from Shenyang, China - Too American in Shenyang has been updated through day 12. - Lost in Mirkwood, Chapters 1-2 are posted in the NST-3000 section. July 27, 2009 - Updated from Shenyang, China - Too American in Shenyang updated with days six, seven, and eight. July 23, 2009 - Updated fromShenyang, China - Too American in Shenyang updated with day five. - Life of the NoFreakin' post, "It's not the size of the man in the house..." July 22, 2009 - Updated from Shenyang, China - Too American in Shenyang updated with days three and four. July 21, 2009 - Updated from Shenyang, China - New blog, Too American in Shenyang added, with Journal entries for the first two days in Shenyang. - Fangirls and Elffriends Chapters 10-13 MST - Tales of the Trade: The Raid on Kessel declared as Prologue 0.9 and link made available on the Smurths and Smithies page. July 10, 2009 - Smurths and Smithies Chapter 27 posted with Author's Notes - A link to a sort of spin-off, Tales of the Trade: The Raid on Kessel is located in Chapter 27's Author's Notes. June 16, 2009 - Mind of the NoFreakin' retitled Life of the NoFreakin. - "It isn't love that conquers all..." Life of the NoFreakin' post. June 5, 2009 - Rewrite of excerpt in Smurths and Smithies Chapter 26 posted. Rewrite concerns Kris's reason for being on Tatooine. - Mind of the NoFreakin Blog Post May 30, 2009 - Author's Notes for Smurths and Smithies Chapter 23 - NST-3000: Fangirls and Elffriends Chapters 7-9 done. - Updates section added to homepage. Obviously. |