My father always said that I told the world what I can’t or won’t do.

2024 wasn’t a good year for me financially: I was out of work at the end of 2023 and was finally able to get a delivery job in March of ’24. Wound up having to declare bankruptcy.

Took a job as contractor to a government contractor but was set up to fail. That only lasted four months.

This month marks month seven (7) of unemployment.

I haven’t been able to get a job as an automated tester and I haven’t been able to get a job in a print shop or as a food delivery driver. No one will hire me. For anything.

Friends that were helping me with the rent couldn’t do it this month; tomorrow eviction proceedings will be started.

My bank account is overdrawn.

My choices now are homelessness or self-deletion.

But there may be one last move.

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/realprofessortom

I think the programming industry has long-since been done with me and I think I’m finally done with it. That’s more “can’t”.

However, there is one thing to try, a revision of a plan: I can research and write about American History.

I’ve already got a personal library for it. And of course there are tons of resources on the ‘net to aid in my studies.

To that end, I would like to make a plea to help me bootstrap this as a business. I’m thinking three (3) to six (6) months of expenses.

I don’t need all the money up front, just a month or so. However, the more that’s in the bank at any give time, the less I have to worry about bills and the more I can focus on the work.

How does this become business? Twofold: I consistently produce enough quality writing that I start generating paid subscriptions or donations (Value for Value, V4V) from Substack and Medium. I expect that Substack and Medium will showcase my research and writing skills and could lead to other paid engagements such as speeches, ghostwriting or being hired as a private researcher/writer.

I will judge this venture successful if I can maintain operations until the Fall semester and be able to pay for History classes out-of-pocket so I can bring even more research and content to Substack.

I will create a GiveSendGo to help fund this venture. For now, if I could get some immediate help to stay housed with an internet connection and food to keep me alive, I would be eternally grateful.