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Foreword (By The Author)

"You need a portfolio site!"  This from a friend of mine who has read way too much of the stuff in my morgue.

Oh, sure.  Let me just pull that one out of my butt.  Think I've got it stashed next to the Krugerrands.

 *     *     *

 Honestly, I blame Andy Weir for this.  Dude writes The Martian by serializing it on his blog, and ends up getting a movie starring Matt Damon.  Do I honestly expect I'll have the same luck?  No.  Would I turn my nose up at a similar situation?  Hell, no!

 I also have to fix a goodly portion of blame on the current state of HR staff and recruiters.  People seem to think writing in one area will not translate to another area.  If, for example, one has been writing ad copy, an HR rep will automatically assume they can't write essays, or blog posts, or critical analysis.  Having talent beyond their prior work history?  Perish the thought!  Being fair to them, sometimes they are right.  But automatically assuming they're right all the time is just plain stupid.  And if they're going to be that stupid, the only thing one can do is to hit them over the head with the work they lacked the imagination to envision themselves.

 I can hear somebody in the Peanut Gallery saying, "Chasing fortune? Frustrated spite?  Is that all this is about?"  Of course not.  But like a lot of writers, I'd like to be making a living off my work.  I'd like to be known for something other than video game journalism and the tech support jobs I took to pay the bills.  And since the usual stuff hasn't been working, I'm going to have to do something which is going to get people's attention (and which doesn't involve me committing a felony).

 Welcome to the Lab.
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