Because I'd Like to One Day Have Investors

Investors are going to be a big thing. Angel investors I think they're called. Even if it's an investment in time or in skill, (IE, a box of donuts for the writers, access to a computer with the Quark Program and the printer to print the papers out on, etc) without other people getting and staying on board, a project just can't get done.

No, seriously, think about it. How effective would Joan of Arc had been if the King of France didn't supply her with an army? Would Martin Luther King have been terribly effective in promoting the Civil Rights movement if people didn't show up to his meetings? Probably not.

So, if I'm going to get the Morlock's Voice up and running, I need help, no questions asked.

However, you're going to have questions and that's the purpose of this blog. To tell you what the Morlock's Voice is all about and what I intend to do with it.

1: It will not just be a one-sided rag. Yes, submissions from homeless people and people who are struggling to pay the bills or find work will be a huge backbone of this paper. But it will not be page after page of, "Rich people suck. Obama is at fault. Such and such from the shelter needs to stop being such a bitch, etc, etc."

But the paper will also include information, such as how not act like a jackass that no one wants to be around. Take this morning, for example.

I was feeling particularly sick and stressed today. And this young lady, who I will call Joyce, was singing in her annoying scratchy way. And let me clarify for those of you who need everything spelled out, this woman is not the next Susan Boyle. (Although, since when does a lack of talent stop anyone from getting a contract these days)

Yes, it was in the dining room. But it was six in the morning and I don't know about the rest of you, but there's only so much noise I can take in the morning. And it takes quite a bit of slow, ducks-pecking-at-my-stomach style annoyances before I'll allow someone to get under my skin. This morning, Joyce was well on her way to the muscle layer.

I asked her quite politely, "Joyce, can you please not do that right now. I'm not feeling well."

"Why?" Her Scratchiness replied. "I'm not singing in your ear."

"I know," I said. "But it's early in the morning and I am not feeling well. Can you please just not do that right now?"

Rinse, lather, repeat. I finally just got up and moved to another table.

Mind you, if someone were annoying this woman in anyway she would not hesitate to complain. (And she annoys quite a few people.)

How would I address incidents like these in the Morlock's Voice, you ask? Read on.

When you're living in a group situation, you have to remember that you are dealing with a lot of different people who are as different from each other as night from day. Some people have disabilities, or conditions, or even just tramatic events in their lives that have lead them to this situation.

That being said, it is very important that we try to respect everyone equally. Certainly I can't ask you to stop couging in the middle of the night, because that is not something you can control. Maybe you or your bunkmate suffer from bathroom related issues, and as adults, you may have to make adjustments for people in this area too.

But there are also behaviors that we certainly can control. Things that may be pleasurable or common to us, but may annoy others. Whatever the reason, if something you are doing bothers someone else, and it is reasonably within your abilities to stop doing this thing, just stop doing it. Or go somewhere that it is acceptable to do such a thing.

If you can learn to respect the feelings of the people in the shelter, you can certainly take this with you to the workplace. The reverse of course is, how do you expect to survive in a workplace situation when you can't make an effort to get along with the people you live with?

And that's just a small sample of what people can expect to read in The Morlock's Voice.

Now, what about the otherside of the coin? Yes, submissions dealing with interactions with the staff members will be accepted. Because there are staff members in the shelters who abuse their power and the worse part is, the people who are running them aren't much better. There are some gems, but they're outnumbered by the power hungry employees who seem to be oblivious to the fact that they could wind up on our side of the desk in a heartbeat.

And while I will encourage contributers to write articles based on events in the shelters, again, the point of this is not to be a bashing rag. It's to give those of us who are trying to get of that situation a voice to present to the general publc.

Lets say Peter Wicks is struggling to find work. He doesn't get it. He has no criminal background, he has no drug problems, and according to his caseworker at the shelter, he works hard and gets his chores done on time. He has an impressive background of employment, but for some reason, none of the prospective employers are biting the line.

Peter Wicks can now write an article about his experiences in pounding the pavement. Who he's gone to for help, whether he feels they've been effective, and best yet, the article lets him present a small portion of his resume. Obviously not the whole thing, for space's sake, but enough that Joeseph Tanner, owner of Airline Subcontractors, might read it and think, "Damn, we need this guy on our team. I'll give him a call right away."

Now, what else do I want to do with The Morlock's Voice? Well, I'm charging for advertising space, which anyone can rent. Bands who are playing in the area the place is distributed, small businesses, etc. Advertising space is what pays for most of those free papers you come across. But what will I do with the money?

Obviously a portion of it is going to go to keeping the paper going. Then I'll pay myself a small wage so that I can afford to spend time with it, naturally. Hey, the shelter staff at Lifebridge make 11 dollars an hour doing what they do, so don't even judge me for trying to make a small profit from this.

The major use of the money is going to go to the contributers. So I've chosen to publish Peter Wick's article. Peter's case manager at the shelter sent me a letter stating that Peter is in fact working hard to find work, so I know he's not just some burnt out crackhead trying to score easy cash. I will send Peter a check or money order for twenty-five dollars.

Anyone who submits according to the guidelines will be accepted. Peter's article may not get published if he sends it in, say, on April. But it will eventually be published if I have accepted it. However, once he is paid, he will not be eligible to recieve payment or submit another article for a full year. This is so other people will have a chance to be read and also get paid.

In that way, you, the investor or the person renting advertising space, have helped a homeless or struggling man without having to hand him money on the street and wonder what he's going to spend it on. And, because of my careful guidelines and my vow to follow up on every submission that I accept, I will be able to assure you that the money is not going to get blown on booze, tobacco and illegal drugs.