Complete And Utter Nonsense is the personal weblog of entrepreneur, eccentric koot and all around son-of-a-bitch Chris Advansun.

No, this was not a declaration of the currency instruments on my person during a recent trip through U.S. customs. This is not a game of Jeopardy; I’m not looking for, “What was the purchase price of Elton John’s Florida mansion.” Nor is this disclosure of my net worth. As I write this, alas, my net worth is a little more than $100 million shy of $100 million.

I share with you this imposing figure to let you in on a little secret. A hundred million bucks, a pile of scratch to stretch from here to the moon, is my objective, something I’m working towards obtaining.

It’s a goal I’ve set for myself. Some are loosing those incessant 15 pounds, others learning Spanish. Some are working towards home ownership and financial independence. Some are doing all these things and much more. Me? I’m myopically focused on a flush disposition, excessive cash to the tune of nine figures. Continue Reading →

It was only my second visit to this small, independent soup and sandwich joint when its owner won me over for life. My order in hand, I was fumbling around in my pockets and wallet to come up with the requisite $7.50 to complete the transaction and march away with my take.

My search produced only $6.00 and the woman behind the counter, who I deduced was an owner-operator in this apparent family business, could not accept payment by debit or credit. “I think I’m a little short here,” I said, looking up from my palm full of change apologetically. Without hesitation, she waved her hand in dismissal of my predicament and declared, “You will pay the difference next time.” I was stunned. We made eye contact, she smiled and I quietly left. Continue Reading →

In the film Major League (1989), a beautifully simple premise underlies a magnificently structured plot. The unlikely heiress to the long beleaguered Cleveland Indians baseball club plots to assemble a team so pathetic that it’s inevitably horrible performance will justify moving the franchise to Miami, where she would rather live. The resulting collection of rag-tag, washed-up ball players first collides but then bonds. Then they uncover their boss’s ploy. Damned if they don’t rise above their mediocrity to win the pennant in an epic showdown with their long time nemesis, the New York Yankees. (It’s a bit late for a spoiler alert, I suppose, but the film is more than twenty years old.)

Watching the film or reading its script, you will find not a shred of unnecessary dialogue. Everything either sets up or executes a gag while advancing character and driving action. It’s a story about second chances, redemption and the prevalence of love. It’s a classically written screenplay that contains themes of which audiences never tire, dating back to Shakespeare and then before. Continue Reading →

What follows is an email I recently sent to my brother Stephen. I thought you might get a kick out of it.

Dear Stephen,

I have finished Zen and the Art of Screen Writing, and am able to kindly return it at mutual convenience. It was a fantastic read; thank you so much for lending it to me.

Please pardon the slightly scuffed-up cover and folded corners. I tend to read on the subway, where books are banged about, bookmarks scarce.

Wait, I need to cop to one other thing: There’s a big coffee stain spanning pages 14 and 15. This ol’ Starbucks junkie just wasn’t paying enough attention that day. There’s also a good deal of coffee spillage on the cover, rendering the title and author illegible. This is of no concern to you, of course, as you already know full well what book it is and who wrote it.

Come to think of it, please excuse any notes I’ve made in the margins. You know, those little notations we all make in the margins of an inspiring book? I did a fair amount of that, jotting down quotes and references. You may even find the odd unrelated scribble. I’m quite sure there’s more than a few games of hangman in there, not to mention one or two grocery lists and a map of my neighborhood. Continue Reading →

Through the course of the several years that I’ve been a consumer in the blogosphere, I have happily witnessed its rise in importance. Blogs have evolved from the fringe pursuit of a geek minority to a source of news and opinion to the masses, standing on equal footing with traditional news outlets. Here to stay, it would seem obvious, are bloggers and their weblogs.

In my small way, by regularly reading and sometimes commenting, I’ve contributed to the ascent of the blog. More blogs are noted in my bookmarks and Google Reader than newspaper websites. I’m more likely to be informed of breaking news by a blogger than a traditional journalist. I’ve discovered more products that I now use via recommendations from bloggers than any other source, excepting my network of friends. I know who Robert Scoble, Matt Mullenweg and Josh Marshall are.

I think you get the picture. As a consumer of news and opinion (and the odd discursive rant or sales pitch in poor disguise), blogs have become an integral part of my day, indeed, my life.

Long a reader of blogs, today marks my entry to the blogging universe as a contributor. Continue Reading →