Author Archives: Garry Rodgers

About Garry Rodgers

After three decades as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police homicide detective and British Columbia coroner, International Best Selling author and blogger Garry Rodgers has an expertise in death and the craft of writing on it. Now retired, he wants to provoke your thoughts about death and help authors give life to their words.

WHAT DID JESUS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?

There’s plenty of evidence that Jesus of Nazareth—the Son of God—existed. Few sensible people doubt that. But there’s no biblical record or known drawings of what Jesus actually looked like. Most depictions have Christ as a tall, fine-featured, white man with blue eyes, a beard, and light colored, long flowing hair.

But is this accurate?

This week the internet was abuzz with a republished Popular Mechanics article, The Real Face of Jesus, reporting on a team of Forensic Anthropologists who did a serious study of what Jesus probably looked like. Their conclusion is a far cry from the picture Christian churches painted for two thousand years.

Richard Neave is a now-retired medical artist and forensic facial reconstruction expert from the University of Manchester who has a history of remarkably accurate work in recreating historical faces. He worked with Israeli archaeologists in a study of what a typical thirty-year-old Semite male from the Galilee region circa 30 A.D. would have looked like.

Realizing there’s no New Testament description of how Jesus physically appeared—and certainly no known remains to extract DNA from—Neave reached to the Bible for generalities of people’s looks from that time.

He considered the Gospel of Matthew which reported Jesus and the disciples were so similar in appearance that when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas Iscariot had to point out which one was Jesus—hence the “Judas Kiss”.

The Israelis loaned Neave three typical male skulls known to be from the Jerusalem region and the Roman era. Neave applied a computerized tomography process and created 3-D images or “cross-sectioned slices” of them. He then built a cast model of an averaged skull based on the images and applied the well-accepted method of clay modeling, using software developed measurements of what facial muscle tissue and skin would most likely be.

Two missing key pieces were the hair type and skin color Jesus had. The researchers relied on biblical scriptures and archaeological drawings found in Israel to determine that probability. They also concluded that Jesus had dark eyes and was bearded, following Jewish traditions.

The image that emerged was a dark-skinned, brown-eyed man with a wide nose, thick lips, and short, curly dark hair. From archaeological studies of average male skeletons of the time, they also concluded that Jesus was probably about 5’ 1” and weighed about 110 pounds. Given that Jesus was a carpenter and worked outdoors, they considered that his face would be weathered and appear slightly older than his reported thirty years.

Richard Neave cautions that his recreation is simply that of an adult man who lived in the same place and time as Jesus.

Alison Galloway, professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is a critic. She points out that artistic license was taken in the model, particularly around the mouth, nose, and eyelids.

“In some cases the resemblance of the actual individual may be uncanny,” Galloway says. “But in others, there may be more resemblance with other work by the artist.”

Despite this reservation, Galloway reached one conclusion that’s inescapable to most everyone who’s seen Neave’s Jesus. “This is probably a lot closer to the truth than the work of many of the great masters like Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Diego Velazquez’s Cristo Crucificado.”

So it seems the real Jesus was a little brown guy from the Middle East, single and around thirty years old, with a rebellious religious fanaticism—exactly the profile Donald Trump would ban from entering the United States.

THE LIFE OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS — AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A SCREENWRITER

Jillian Bullock guest posts on DyingWords with this insightful look behind the scenes at how CSI personnel operate. Jillian is an amazing personal success story. She rose from a street-life of drugs, organized crime, and prostitution to become a successful Philadelphia screenwriter, filmmaker, author, martial arts instructor, and life coach. Here’s Jillian’s piece.

The screenplay I’m currently writing—Listen to What the Dead are Saying—focuses on a female Philadelphia Crime Scene Investigator. Since most shows like CSI, Criminal Mind, and Law & Order aren’t accurate, I wanted to get the real details of how crime scenes are processed and how Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) work.

After I contacted the Forensic Crime Unit and told them I was a Philadelphia screenwriter and filmmaker, I was invited to the Crime Scene Unit of the Forensic Science Bureau and partnered with Jacqueline Davis, a 20 year police veteran—10 years with the forensic crime unit. Delayne Powe, my film producing partner, joined me in our search for knowledge. We got to know Jacqueline really well since we spent most of our time with her. She was a spunky, go-getter—very passionate about her job and confident in her ability to do her job well.

Four things I learned right off were:

1. The main job of a CSI is to document, identify, and collect evidence from a crime scene.

2. The job can result in long hours, nasty and dirty locations, dead bodies, and often dangerous work.

3. In Philadelphia, CSIs are also police officers.

4. The worst part of the job is when a fellow officer is killed in the line of duty.

Evidence Is Always Left Behind

As seen on many TV shows, I asked Jacqueline about Luminol. This solution is sprayed on areas which look clean to the naked eye, but can still have residue of blood. Jacqueline informed me that in Philadelphia and other cities chemiluminescence (the generic name is Luminol) is no longer used. Instead, they now use a new Luminol-based reagent called Bluestar Forensic. The benefits of this new product includes:

Does not need complete darkness to be used.
Solution can be used for several days after mixing.
Even with a second application on applied area the luminescence doesn’t diminish.
Easy to mix at any crime scene. Chemistry knowledge isn’t needed.
No high tech camera is needed to obtain good quality pictures. Works on fresh blood or old or altered bloodstains.
Even if someone has used bleach or other products to clean the area, the bluish luminescence will appear positive for blood.

Fact vs. Fiction

Due to the popularity of CSI shows something called the ‘CSI Effect’ has hampered the legal system. Many jurors who watch shows like CSI, Criminal Minds, and Rizzoli and Isles, believe everything they see on TV is true. In reality, it’s not. Forensic science is far more complex than it looks on TV and several people have not been convicted of crimes because jurors demand all the tests (DNA, handwriting analysis, gunshot residue testing, etc.) even when there is more than enough evidence and eyewitnesses to convict someone.

Here are some key facts to consider:

1. In Philadelphia, crime scene investigators’ clothes are dark blue pants, dark blue T-shirts and black boots, along with their police-issued gun, bullets, and handcuffs. They never wear stylish clothes or designer shoes that you see on TV shows. This is true of all crime scene investigators in other states, as well.

2. Chief Medical Examiners usually don’t come out to a crime scene unless it’s a murder that is extremely bloody or it’s a well-known person, e.g. a celebrity, a politician, an athlete. Forensic Investigators who work for the ME’s office are on the scene.

3. Medical examiner investigators wear full body protective clothing from head to toe when they come out to a crime scene. This can sometimes include wearing a face mask and goggles to prevent contamination.

4. No one on the scene wears the blue booties covering their shoes, like is often seen on TV shows, unless there is a great deal of blood or other body fluids at the scene. The booties are often slippery.

5. CSIs don’t do work in the field and then process evidence in the lab. That’s the job of a forensic lab technician.

Consider a CSI Career

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a CSI is between $46,164 – $56,523, but depends on the geographical location, education, experience, and training. All positions in forensics require at least a BA degree—preferably in science, forensics, or criminal justice. Most people go on to obtain a master’s degree in order to earn bigger salaries. Some cities require crime scene investigators to be police officers, others do not. Also, many CSI positions are required to earn state licensure and/or professional certification through American Board of Criminalistics.

CSIs must have great communication skills since they work with a number of other people at a crime scene, the ability to write reports clearly, and to testify in court. They must also have the ability to remain calm under dangerous and stressful conditions, to have a great attention to detail, and to solve puzzles utilizing scientific tests and methods.

Dead Bodies

On our first ride along, Delayne and I went out to a murder scene with Jacqueline and Eddie Fidler. Yellow crime tape was spread out around a wide area where the victim, a man, was shot and killed. Bright lights illuminated practically the whole, long driveway. A CSI photographer was taking photos of the crime scene area.

There were neighbors behind the crime tape looking to see what happened. News crews were also behind the tape. Delayne and I had to sign a log book that a uniformed officer was holding. I learned that a uniformed officer held the scene, which meant he had to make sure he had the names of everyone who came and went from that crime scene. Yellow evidence markers were placed on the ground—some had letters and others had numbers. These markers are used to reveal, simplify, organize, and identify evidence found at crime scenes.

One CSI tech was using something called a walking stick, which measured evidence off of property lines. The investigators looked for evidence, like the gun that was used and shell casings. Detectives were interviewing eye witnesses. The body had already been removed, but a large pool of blood where the victim was shot was still present on the ground.

The second time Delayne and I went on a ride along with Jacqueline and Eddie, we ended up in a section around Kensington Avenue called The Badlands, due to the abundance of open drug deals, drug-related violence, prostitution, and street gangs.

When we arrived, two detectives were already on the scene. Jacqueline and Eddie knew the deceased male was under a bridge where addicts usually went to get high. It was a dark and hard place to reach. They had to walk down a deep slope to get to the body. Delayne hung back with another CSI officer while I attempted to make my way down. Unfortunately, I was not prepared and didn’t have on the proper footwear. Halfway down, I could smell not only the stench of a decaying body, but the vomit, feces, and other nasty items I was standing in. After I almost slipped a few times I decided to turn back around.

Rob O’Neil, a Forensic Investigator with the Medical Examiner’s office put on a white, full-body protective suit and made his way down the embankment to the dead body. When the body was pulled up on a flat board, the other ME investigators wrapped the body in plastic and strapped it down on a gurney before they put the victim in their van. Eddie showed Delayne and me photos of the deceased—a white male’s body bloated and covered in maggots.

Riding in the police van back to the station, I couldn’t get the dead man, and how he looked, out of my mind. It was a horrible visual. Once Delayne and I got back to the police station and said our good-byes to Jacqueline and Eddie, we got to our car where I took off my sneakers, threw them in the trash, and put on those blue booties until I got home.

As a screenwriter, I must say I gained great knowledge from my two days with the CSI team. I came away with a newfound respect for what police officers deal with on a daily basis and especially what crime scene investigators do.

* * *

Jillian Bullock is the CEO/President of Jillian Bullock Enterprises, LLC, an empowerment and entertainment company based in Pennsylvania.

As an author, Jillian’s memoir HERE I STAND was published in 2012. She is hard at work on her first novel, a crime thriller titled Sunny Days, Bloody Nights. Jillian is also a screenwriter and an award-winning filmmaker, along with an empowerment speaker, professional life coach, and fitness and health expert. Currently, Jillian is in pre-production on a feature movie titled A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives. Filming is scheduled to begin in September 2016. She is also in development on the screenplay she wrote titled Listen To What The Dead Are Saying. To learn more about Jillian and her upcoming projects, go to www.jillianbullockwriter.com. To follow her on Twitter Click Here

HOW BLOGGERS REALLY MAKE MONEY

There’s no doubt some professional bloggers make massive amounts of money online. A few internet entrepreneurs have hundreds of thousands of followers and earn millions of dollars annually. These are not lucky gals and guys, like lottery winners. Profitable bloggers are intelligent, strategic, resourceful, ambitious, credible, likable, and above all, generous. And they have one common secret—the coin’s not in the blog.

So how do they do it?

First, let’s look at what blogs are and how they work. Then we’ll rip DyingWords apart to see what’s going on behind the scenes.

Blogs started in the 90’s as web logs or individual diary entries on the Worldwide Web. The term got cut to blog. Here’s how blog king Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.com puts it:

“It’s really quite simple. A blog is a type of website that is usually arranged in chronological order from the most recent ‘post’ (or entry) at the top of the main page to the older entries towards the bottom.”

Today, blogs cover pretty well every topic. News. Politics, Sex & Religion. Sports. Arts & Entertainment. Cats & Dogs. Cars. Beauty. Fashion. Travel. Games. Gardening. Garden Gnomes. Science & Technology. Lifestyles. Crafts. Men’s Erectile Dysfunction & Women’s Shoes. Living on Mars. Online shopping. Cigars. Wine. Marihuana. Books, Blogs, & Writing. And don’t forget Duct Tape and Danish Ditch-Digging.

Some bloggers make money. Most don’t. And the big guns in the blogosphere make it big by doing two things exceptionally well. They have huge audiences and have multiple products for sale—especially teaching their writing and blogging knowledge online to a multi-million audience of active bloggers and writers.

I’ve spent the past three weeks taking online courses in blogging and relevant stuff. One course is Tribe Writers with Jeff Goins through his site GoinsWriter.com. I began following Jeff when I started blogging. Back then, he was struggling to break the thousand mark on his subscriber list. I liked him. Jeff’s honest, knowledgeable, and exceptionally generous. In under four years, Jeff built a monster following and developed multiple products. Jeff teaches writers about writing and he’s good at it.

Another cool dude I follow is Jon Morrow of BoostBlogTraffic.com and GuestBlogging.com. Jon’s also the veteran editor with Brian Clark at Copyblogger.com. His blogging career has made him a millionaire. Jon’s got one unfair disadvantage the rest of us don’t—he’s a quadriplegic and works from a wheelchair. But Jon doesn’t make his money directly from his blogs. He teaches bloggers about blogging.

Mariah Coz is a young lady from Femtripreneur.co who’s using her blog to sell online teaching courses—specifically webinars—and she’s making incredible returns. I “met” Mariah through the Teachable.com group and I have to say I’m impressed all to hell with her drive and delivery. If you want to get motivated about the potential earnings from running a targeted blog site and developing online training courses, you gotta listen to what Maria Coz will tell you — for free.

Now you’re probably wondering what an old guy like me is doing hanging around people younger than my kids. Well, it’s because these impressive movers & shakers knew something I didn’t—and that’s how bloggers really make money.

Their common secret is not that complicated. It just takes immense time, enduring energy, and a proven system to build a large blog subscriber list and the initiative to create a number of quality-content products. Then, they use their blog list in driving qualified traffic to internet portals where they sell their products.

It’s a numbers game.

Whoever has the biggest list and most quality-content products—at the right price point—wins.

So where does DyingWords fit into this? Well, a tiny fish in an immense ocean.

For now.

But I’ve learned something from the past few weeks of paying people like Jon, Mariah, and Jeff to teach me their information — there’s a predictable formula to this blogging numbers game.

Here it is. If you do this—AND DO THIS RIGHT—the rule of thumb goes like this:

One dollar per month. Times the names on the subscriber list. Times the number of saleable products. Equals income.

I see what Jeff Goins is doing. He openly divulges that his list is over a hundred thousand and a look at his website indicates Jeff has about ten different products for sale through online books and courses. Applying the formula to Jeff Goins’s blogging business…

$1.00 X 1 month X 100,000 subscribers X 10 products = $1,000,000.00 per month.

Yep. Twelve million bucks a year.

Jon Morrow holds his numbers closer to his chest. He probably has half a million subscribers and at least six expensive stand-alone products on three different blog sites.

Mariah Coz is super-candid about her income. Her goal for the end of 2015 is 15,000 on her mailing list and she just pre-sold a new online course to a pile of followers for a total of $233K. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I saw her screenshots.

Mariah, Jon, and Jeff represent entrepreneurs who use their blog credibility to parlay a variety of products and services into cash. Here’s a list of the least—to most—profitable streams of revenue that comes from blogging exposure:

11. Direct merchandising — selling hats, t-shirts, and beaded Kokopelli key-fobs.

10. Donations — relying on goodwill or subscriptions to support blog content.

9. Sponsorship — backed by corporations.

8. Blog networks — paid to write other blog posts / ghostwriting.

7. Blog flipping — selling your blog list as an entity.

6. RSS advertising — links to other parties’ products.

5. Adsense — Google or social media advertising.

4. Affiliates — kickbacks from Amazon or other online marketers.

3. Freelance writing — paid articles for The Huffington Post, etc.

2. Speaking & consulting — paid for appearances and personal coaching.

1. Digital assets — selling books, courses, and webinars.

Yes, clever and credible people are getting wealthy selling products through a large following they’ve built by blogging.

So how’s Garry Rodgers and his little DyingWords blog making out?

Well, I’m happy to share this because it might give you a measuring stick and some motivation or encouragement.

I started the DyingWords blog in June 2012. I’ve been at it for three and a half years. The first three were hit & miss with irregular posts and only one product for sale – a novel that I didn’t actively promote after its initial run. My purpose of blogging was to raise my profile as an authoritative author, hoping one day I’d get connected and make some decent money through crime writing.

Over time, I built a backlist of blog posts and experimented with content. I learned the craft of blog writing and began to get noticed. I played with social media and networked with other bloggers and influencers. One-by-one-by-one, people signed my email list.

I got serious this past July. I buckled down to really learn how the blogging business works and I wrote full time—with a plan—blogging being the core of my internet presence.

Things changed.

On July 1^st, my internet traffic was good. My mailing list had 504 subscribers. My Alexa Ranking was 2,940,467 and rising. By the end of November—five months later—my Alexa ranking increased 46% to 1,587,952. But my email subscribers leaped to 1,373. Two hundred and seventy-four percent!

WTF happened?

We’ll, I’d built an attractive platform and learned more about effective list building. Other things occurred. I began getting invites for guest posts on other blog sites and I hosted a few influential folks on my own. I spent more time on social media and it generated talk. Word-Of-Mouse, so to speak.

Then… right outa the fricken blue… The Huffington Post cold-called, offering me a paid gig to write a feature article on the world’s biggest blog. Then, they liked what they saw and took me on board as a regular contributing member of “The Huff Post Signature Blog Team”. Check out my latest post on today’s Huff titled Can You Beat The Polygraph. Or check out the blogs I’ve done for them now. Click Here

My platform elevated to appearing on the Huffington Post. Their website has an Alexa Ranking of 56. I got in front of millions of viewers.

Like—you just can’t buy that exposure.

The Huffington Post opportunity came because I took my writing seriously—as a professional. I’d committed myself to full-time, professional writing.

But something’s missing from the equation.

Money.

Now, here I’m standing on my platform—shouting out to my peeps and they’re shouting back, Hey, Garry! You look good and you sound good and your audience is growing. But you only got one product to sell. When’re you gonna put out some more stuff? That’s what it takes to make a living off this schtick, you know!.

Hang on. I’ve spent the last six months building a stream of new products to come online over the next six months and most of the heavy work’s already done.

One is a new 80K word novel titled No Life Until Death. Eight are guides on Crime Writing. One is a guide on Blogging. And I still have the JFK manuscript lurking out there. So that’s ten—maybe eleven products—twelve if you take in my first novel No Witnesses To Nothing. Plus, I’m seriously thinking of getting into the online course market because that’s where the really big return seems to be. And, as I write – another balloon was floated.

Hey, Mister Future Money-Bags — How’s that fit into your fancy formula?

Well, so far, it seems to fit fine. In the month of November, I got an Amazon royalty check for $100.00 and the Huff paid me $1,000.00 USD for their feature article. With the exchange rate, that converts to $1,385.00 Canadian.

Let’s see…

$1.00 X 1,373 subscribers X 1 online product = $1,373.00

Yup. Purdy akkerate.

Remember, the formula relates to online digital products and other stuff you need to have going—speaking, freelance writing, affiliates, advertising, etc. All 11 steps contribute to the formula and support the income statement. It’s part of the formula. You need to be doing related side jobs in addition to digital books—and putting in fourteen hours a day, seven days a week.

But you’d never, EVER, be able to work the formula if you didn’t anchor it to a free blog that sells your voice.

Think about the potential with six products.

$1.00 X 1,373 subscribers X 6 quality-content, online products = $8,238.00

Imagine doubling your mailing list?

$1.00 X 2,746 subscribers X 6 quality-content, online products = $16, 476.00

Quadruple your list? Quadruple your products? Quadruple your average product price?

Does this sound like a pipe-dream? A get-rich-quick scam? Something that could only happen to someone else?

Nope. It’s happening out there.

I’m not drinking some kinda Jeff-Jon-Mariah Kool-Aid. These people are pulling it off, but they aren’t relying on a stack of 99-cent eBooks as their army of products.

Sure, they’re using some of their free and cheaper products as lead magnets and funnel books which have strategic purposes. Then they’re doing a mix of $4.99 guides. $9.99 eBooks. Some traditional publishing. Some freelancing. Some speaking and consulting fees. Lots of affiliates. Hundred-dollar-a-pop, hour-long webinars in front of two hundred eager people. And two, three, or four online courses at $499.00 each with upsells to $999.00 and even $2,500.00 if you want a couple hours of one-on-one with them.

What’s it take to get onto their train? Here’s some suggestions on how you can really make money blogging:

Be passionate!!!
Understand the system.
Network with other writers, bloggers, and influencers.
Write clean, concise, credible, consistent content in your posts.
Create multiple, quality-content products for sale online.
Build your mailing list.
Know your audience. Engage. Give them what they want and need.
Work your ass off.
Produce and sell lots of quality-content products.
Be highly professional. There’s no secrets on the net.
Never quit. It takes time.
Multiply your reach and develop multiple streams of income.
Never stop learning.
And—above all—consistently blog with your own unique voice.