Tag Archives: BOI

Guest Post: Patrick Bailey’s Review of ‘Edgar’s Worst Sunday’

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Today, we have a guest post from a fellow blogger kind enough to review some of my stories!

-Click Here to Visit Patrick’s Site-

Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoys writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.

Patrick’s Review of ‘Edgar’s Worst Sunday’:

Considered to be one of the masterpieces of Brad Oates, “Edgar’s Worst Sunday” speaks of how something could possibly change someone. In this novel, he gives an interesting narrative of someone’s journey towards realizing certain things about his life.

The main character, Edgar Vincent, lived a semi-successful life as a composer. He embraced a so-called rockstar lifestyle.

Amid this, his Saturday nights were filled with nothing but excessive drinking, unthinkable promiscuity, and cruel comments. It was as if he needed rehabilitation treatments.

His Sundays were a different story, though. It was a time for him to realize that he actually had regrets. It also served as the moment for him to feel the pain of being sick.

The plot twist happened when he found himself inside the fluffy clouds up in the sky. Yes, Edgar is already experiencing how it is to die. It felt surreal but it was already his truth.

It was a Sunday morning, a bleak one at that, when he became fully aware of his current state. While facing his own death, he finally gets a clear picture of how hard it is. However, he believes that it is not as hard as seeing himself and dealing with it.

Despite the fact that he is dead, he still maintains that he must not hurry in changing his self-serving attitude. But, how long does he stay this way?

-Click Here to buy ‘Edgar’s Worst Sunday’-

The story paves the way for the readers to realize the painful reality of self-discovery. For someone who has been seeking pleasure, it could never be easy to slowly discover whatever is wrong with it.

Oates has surely achieved in presenting this in this novel. The way each scene is revealed is fantastic. The author has successfully developed the character in a manner that makes anyone hooked to what it next.

The following are some of the many lessons that one can get from reading “Edgar’s Worst Sunday”:

One can never do all his desires forever. There is always an end for everything.

No matter how much you believe that you can do whatever you desire forever, that can never happen. There will always be an end to it. It is inevitable that one will die. You could be the most powerful man in the world, but, that can never stop your death.

Would you wait for it to come before you change your not-so-good ways?

Being hedonistic could lead to a wasted life.

Feeling the pleasure of doing something may bring you fulfillment at some point. Nevertheless, being hedonistic may potentially ruin your life. Such an attitude may push you towards living a wasted life. You could be doing things that may shorten your existence.

One must not wait until his death to change.

Should someone wait for afterlife before changing his ways? Should he consider getting better only after he dies?

It may sound preachy. It is worth noting, however, that if you still have time to improve yourself, do it right away. When you are already dead, what could still be the point of changing yourself? Would your loved ones appreciate it?

It is, therefore, important to make them feel and experience the change. Thus, it has to be done while you are still alive.

It is never too late to change.

You may have been showing nothing but an ugly personality and behavior. However, it does not mean that you have to stay that way for the rest of your life. For as long as you are alive, you still have the chance to redeem yourself. One can change and become a better version of himself if he truly loves the people around him.

Find time to examine yourself.

Everyone must consider examining himself from time to time. In short, you can set aside a moment to check if you have offended someone. You can evaluate yourself and determine how you can improve further and be a better person. This is an important time for you to find out how you are in dealing with others. This could be your basis in embracing some changes about yourself.

Patrick’s Review of Brad OH Inc.’s ‘Single Serving Stories’:

“Of Pipers and Pigs”:

This novel talks about life’s uncertainties. One can be a big name now but suddenly becomes a nobody later on. This can also be applied to how you view yourself in a humongous world in front of you. You could be a witness to a number of great things. On the other hand, you still cannot identify your role amidst all these things. While you are expected to play a role in this life, you find it hard at times to identify it. Despite this, you must never stop looking for that relevance for you to continuously do your share.

“Edmonton: Unbound”:

For someone looking for a book featuring several stories with varying plots and genre, this can be the best option. “Edmonton: Unbound” is a compilation of 14 short stories. This presents different tales about the hometown of the writers belonging to the Edmonton Writers’ Group. You can read stories that carry a sci-fi theme or those that talk about the mundane daily interactions. There are likewise those that give a deep and profound demonstration of psychological introspections.

“The Election”:

This features a cynical journalist who is keeping track of events relative to the 4th Annual United Corporate Election. This book is about the negative events that usually occur during this season. The protagonist, Duke O’Brady, tries to experience the madness behind the world of politics. This is because he wants to have a first-hand account of this crazy reality. If this is indeed a good idea, that is something you need to find out.

“As It Happened”:

The story of “As It Happened” revolves around change. This talks about a couple continuously facing several changes and challenges. As things continue to unfold, how would they respond to all of these? No one can stop change. Therefore, you have to learn to deal with it.

We are extremely thankful to Patrick for taking the time to write up these reviews. Be sure to check out Patrick’s site here!

-Brad OH Inc.

Project FearNaught- ‘It Was Never an Apple’

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Temptation is among the core themes of many religious and philosophical conversations. In Christian culture, the apple in the garden of Eden is often the first example of temptation, and also cited as the source of the fall of man.

Funny enough however, most remember this story wrong.

…it was never an apple.

The story goes that the fruit that was eaten came not from an apple tree, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

That’s a crucial distinction.

It was not a randomly selected fruit, used as a temptation for humanity to test their resolution. The consumption of this fruit was not simply a failing in our self-control, but represents rather a crucial definition in the capabilities of humanity which is closely tied to our concept of the Metaphorical Imperative—it’s about the expansion of our cerebral capacity that makes us human.

Like our ability to ask and answer questions about the world, this knowledge of good and evil is to humanity not a fall, but a burden or responsibility. With our minds, humans are capable of thought, consideration, and knowledge—and this gives us the responsibility to act rightly. We have this responsibility simply because we know better…we are accountable.

If we were no more mentally competent than locusts, our destructive actions would be excused by our nature. But eating from the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil means that we know better—human consciousness sets us apart, and it thus behooves us to act like it, or suffer the consequences.

Original Sin therefore should not be taken to mean that we are born of sin, but rather that we are born with a responsibility to avoid it. It’s a key part of what makes us human, and also what makes us fallible. Knowledge—and free will to use it as we choose—is the true Original Sin.

Knowledge is ever a double-sided blade though, as our ability to consider extra-temporal reality allows us to create it—which also allows us to make excuses and ultimately let ourselves down. Just as we know the difference between right and wrong, we know the shortcuts to fooling ourselves, to deny this truth, and to act against it.

In a perfect world, this knowledge would be enough. To rise above the domain of brutes and act upon this morality that we can clearly see should be our destiny, but because we know that not all will do so, we are often hesitant to risk it ourselves. Acting right when others do not may open us up to deception and cruelty, and soon the world begins to look like a non-zero-sum game; what others take, we may lose, and thus we, besot by doubt, hedge our bets against decency, and towards self-preservation.

In all things now, there is doubt and fear. In business, in friendships, in relationships, and in our daily conduct, the taint of fear has bewildered our senses and blinded us to the basic truths of our being.

Our knowledge is both our blessing, and our downfall. It has long been the bane of political philosophers to seek some system of governance that would allow people to thrive happily and free, but each one fails due to greed, pride, and fear.

Simple codes have never been enough, nor have the religious doctrines which are meant to bolster them.

It grows hard to believe these days…the light is fading.

What can possibly bring us back to those truths now? What story or system can erase this fear, and help us to chart our course through these dark tides? What must we risk to find it, and what will we lose on our search? These are the sources of fear we must face, no matter the associated price. For if our will is bent, if we fail now, there may not be another chance.

We must persist, because we know better.

…I know better.

Be part of the debate: ‘Project FearNaught’ is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’

Unions on the High Seas

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Ladies and Gentlemen, we here at Brad OH Inc. are writing you today not with the usual merriment and cheer you have come to expect from our Corporate correspondence. No, today we are writing to address a grave concern.

Talk of ‘Worker’s Unions’ has grown to a dreadful cacophony, and menial labourers the world over are falling under the illusion that they are deserving of the same sorts of rights and freedoms as those who possess great wealth as a result of their breeding, connections, conniving, and/ or dumb luck.

Now, those that have never had will surely never understand the high position of those who have never wanted, and trying to explain such grand distinctions will be lost on the sort of people who spend their days on dull tasks like counting change, saving money for Doctor appointments, or worrying if they will be able to run their car the next day.

I mean…running your own car…for heaven’s sake!

In time’s like this, we feel it better to take a simpler approach—the sort of approach that even those who have not been afforded the finest educations can appreciate. That is to say, a direct moral analogy.

Often, when trying to decide if what we’re doing is right, it’s best to examine how we feel as we attempt it.

So, to those poor (literally) souls trying to unionize, let’s take a stroll through the steps forward to see if there are any points you may want to reconsider.

It starts off—to my understanding—with sneaking around like thieves in the night, trying to get the support of your comrades while avoiding the attention of your rightful owne…bosses. You’ll need to get over half of them on board before launching your hideous plan, lest you risk being thrown out for your treasonous efforts.

Meanwhile, your oblivious and well-intentioned bosses go on with their daily routines—you know, things like scheduling work, paying your way through the world, and creating an economy in which you might eke out your meager existence. All the while, you are plotting to undermine, betray, and steal even more from them.

If all of this doesn’t make you recoil with shame, perhaps the analogy will do the trick. If you cannot think of any particular historical situations where the same descriptions might apply, we’re happy to help.

Mutiny.

You are basically planning a mutiny—overthrowing the rightful captain of a ship to take it away from them, claim it as your own, and send into fatal exile the one person who created everything you covet.

Now, if that still doesn’t give you pause, consider that the historical punishment for mutiny—even a whisper of it—was death.

Of course, the modern ‘PC movement’ would prevent your overlords from literally sentencing you to death for planning a union—at least if we ignore the potentially fatal consequence of not unionizing—hunger, poor education, lack of healthcare, lack of insurance…but we’re getting distracted here.

In all likelihood, your efforts at subversion will need to be combatted in a more ‘modern’ way, but rest assured, we’re working on it!

In the meantime, it may be in your best interests to show a little gratitude for what you have rather than slathering over what others have. Of course, if that’s not good enough for you, maybe a bit of distraction is the ticket. In that case, it might be best to follow the profound wisdom of Delta Airlines—some of the saltiest Captains sailing the highest of seas.

You can find that advice right here.

We sincerely hope this has been an educational and reflective experience for all you workers out there. Please remember, everything you need will be provided by your dutiful Corporate masters.

There’s nothing more you could hope for…trust us.

-Brad OH Inc.

Spin Top

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Under the Green Desk Lamp…

You can feel it in each day,

As the plans just slide away.

You can feel it in the minute,

Perhaps there’s just more in it.

More to look back on,

To miss where you’ve come from.

You’ve made it nowhere before long,

Into the distance the road goes on.

The axis spinning starts to wobble,

Yet unfinished on you hobble.

More to do, and more to see,

And more to meet, and more to be.

But every year’s a little faster,

Can you hear the laughter of the Master?

-Brad OH Inc.

Where to Buy Edgar’s Worst Sunday

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Have you picked up your copy of Edgar’s Worst Sunday yet? We certainly hope so, and if you have don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon.com. It’s a big help, and is always very much appreciated.

If you haven’t found a copy of Edgar’s Worst Sunday yet, we’ve compiled a list of all current options to correct that obvious mistake!

You can get your copy of Edgar’s Worst Sunday at:

-Click Here to Buy your Copy-

We hope that’s helpful, and look forward to hearing your thoughts! Have you found Edgar’s Worst Sunday anywhere else? If so, let us know in the comments!

Thanks,

-Brad OH Inc.

The Bushido of Bogney, Part III

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Under the Green Desk Lamp…

Bushido: (武士道) literally meaning “the way of the warrior”, is a Japanese word for the way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry in Europe. (Source)

Bogney: A tiny dog, wise for his years.

Today, we once again combine the old and the new for a fresh new perspective on life through the eyes of our classy canine friend. This is the daily living of a small dog. This is the extrapolated wisdom of the ages…This is the Bushido of Bogney.

-Click Here for Part I-

-Click Here for Part II-

The face of an animal may speak volumes to one who can read it.

As I prepare to leave for another day of work, I look upon the tiny dog I will leave behind. There is a sadness on his face, and it confuses me at first.

I am going to work—but he gets to stay home. Should I not be the sad one? He never has to work, he gets all that he wants provided for him. How can he be sad?

Bogney yawned and stretched. I saw the age in his face.

A thought occurred to me then.

If one human year is 7 dog years, one day must be the equivalent of a dog week.

If so, how similar it is to our own.

Bogney’s day begins with a walk, some play, and food. It is a relaxing joy, much like a Sunday.

This is followed however by a long stretch of time alone. He cannot do what he wants, eat what he likes, see who he wants to see, or go where he wants to go.

He sits, I assume, patiently waiting for this boring stretch of time to end. This is not unlike the work week.

Finally, I return to him, and he resumes with fun and play and food and happiness. This is much like a Saturday.

Suddenly, I understood how similar are the lives of dog and master.

I looked at Bogney anew.

What a somber realization, I thought.

His wise brown eyes agreed.

-Brad OH Inc.

Yesterday’s Signing at Chapters Strathcona

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I had a fantastic time at yesterday’s signing event for Edgar’s Worst Sunday! Thanks to everyone that made it out!

-Brad OH Inc. at Chapters Strathcona-

If you weren’t able to make it, have no fear. I’ll be back in action selling and signing copies again soon. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information and a Facebook Event for the next signing.

I hope to see you all there!

-Brad OH Inc.

Reminder: Edgar’s Worst Sunday signing at Chapters Strathcona

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Remember to join me on Saturday, Mar. 30th, at Chapters Strathcona (10504 82nd Avenue) for the instore signing of Edgar’s Worst Sunday!

Come by anytime between12:00pm-4:00pm to grab your copy, get it signed, and chat with the author.

You can get more info, and save the date on the Facebook Event here.

See you there!

-Brad OH Inc.

T.K. Boomer’s ‘Alpha Tribe’ Review

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Today, we are taking moment to recognize the awesome work of our friend T.K. Boomer. T.K. recently released the second book in his Fahr Trilogy, ‘Alpha Tribe’.

-Click Here to Purchase your Copy-

Alpha Tribe is a wonderful sequel to the first book in the Fahr Trilogy, Planet Song. The contact between the Fahr and humans is as intellectually stimulating as it is entertaining, and the book’s fast-paced plot keeps the reader turning pages eager to learn more. Alpha Tribe builds well on the story-arc, adding in some fantastic surprises, and setting up for the eagerly anticipated third book of the Fahr Trilogy.

Learn more about T.K. Boomer here, and pick up a copy of Alpha Tribe here.

-Brad OH Inc.