Where am I?

3/19/2017

I just took a look at this page and discovered that I haven't updated it in over a year. Sheesh. It goes fast.

I get messages asking what's happened, or what's happening, or what's going to happen with the NonStampCollector channel. The answer to those questions is the same as I've been giving since 2013.

Look, when I started making NSC videos in 2008 I was working part time (at best), having just arrived in the country I now live in (Japan), with a girlfriend (now wife) who worked odd hours (in the healthcare field), giving me a lot of time to myself. Back then I could open up a script document and know that I'd have a few hours to concentrate, play with it, channel ideas from the ether, and polish the shit out of it. Nowadays, not only do I have a full time job that is very satisfying creatively, but I have TWO KIDS, 3 and <1.

We knew, when we decided to have the first, that it would change everything and we'd have less time to ourselves. That was fine, and we both opted for it. Now we have two. 'Spare time' now comes in small windows of about 30 minutes at a time. Scripts simply can't be written that way. Especially if when they do come I'm prone to fall asleep within minutes.

I have a video project in Final Cut Pro now that needs probably about eight-to-ten more hours of work, and I don't expect to be able to give it any time before the middle of the year. And in the middle of the year I'm going to Australia for a few weeks so it won't happen then, either. Plus an idea that I had whilst reading James Tabor in the bath a month or two ago that I'm BUSTING to write, but which will require not only time for writing, but extensive reading from a wide variety of sources if it's going to be as devastating as it has the potential to be. The idea came, and I just stared into space realising that it is as good an idea as I have EVER had for a video. Just unrebuttable. Nail-in-the-coffin shit. I just have visions of believers staring at the screen sputtering, then going and checking their bibles and realising that I'm right. Damn straight; I want to produce that video.

I'd love to. It would feel like I'm 30 again living the dream. The thought of sitting there drawing my pathetic MS Paint characters gives me a little thrill. Imagine having time to do that!

I have a Patreon account, but even the promise of a good wad of cash doesn't make time materialise out of nowhere. I've tried to prioritise video-making time a number of times over the last year with Patreon money as a justification, but it just doesn't fly. It doesn't help me get home from work any sooner, it doesn't justify leaving my wife with two kids hanging off her for the entire evening as well as the entire day while I sit somewhere quiet trying to nut out biblical history after a full day at work,... It seems ungrateful of me to not accept money from people who have offered it, but... shit man, I just don't have time.

So - that's where I am. Raising kinds. Working on creative projects in the real world. And sleeping. Early. Like - falling asleep whilst reading stories to my boys at 7:30pm.

I'd love to do more NSC work, and I intend to. The family and real-life work is taking priority these days.

I'm glad my videos are still being enjoyed and that they mean enough that people ask for more. The popularity that my videos had (have?) was truly life-changing back in the day, and the benefits I gleaned from it really did bleed into other areas of my life and set me up for much of the success (?) I am enjoying in my real life work. Through the evolution of my NSC videos I developed a creative process that worked, a bolder creative voice than I'd ever had before, a sense for accurately predicting what would 'work' and not work during the writing process, a sense of argument/persuasion; that kind of thing has stayed with me and lends itself in valuable ways to academic writing, presentations, and resource development.

I want to do more with NSC and the platform it gives me, because not only did I enjoy every aspect of the creative process, I know how important it has been to people. I remember the emotion that filled some of those messages I used to receive from people crediting my work with changing their lives. It was surreal. Maybe there's more of that in the future? I'd like to think so.

I'm grateful for the support that has always come to me from the kind viewers of NSC videos! I hope there's more enjoyment in store for us all in the future.

37 Comments

NonStampCollector

Youtube antitheistic video maker. See "info" section above for more of who I am.
This blog is a place for me to write or present things that are too long for twitter, and not of a 'video' nature.
Follow me on twitter (above) or sub to the RSS feed (below) to be notified of when I've put something up.
Thanks for taking a look, feedback welcome.
NSC.

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I proudly and enthusiastically advertise this, and only this, on my website.
I've been a BackBlaze customer for about 15 years, and sincerely recommend that you become one, too. BackBlaze constantly backs up all of your computer data remotely on-line, so your files and photos are safe even if your hard drive crashes, or your computer is stolen, or your house burns down with your backup hard drive inside!
I'm glad that I could find something to advertise on my site that I truly, enthusiastically feel evangelistic about!

NSC.

3/20/2017 04:41:01 pm

You're a fine fellow and you've made a huge difference.
I thank you for all you've done.
I'm sure you don't need a stranger on the Internet who doesn't know you or your situation, to tell you that you've already made a huge difference with nsc.
Rest easy. There are others fighting the good fight.
Enjoy the family. That's a project that will produce amazing things for you!
A fan.

Josh

4/10/2017 12:03:05 am

The good thing about your work is that the videos tackle timeless subjects. I am sure people are still discovering your videos and delighted to find how many already exist.

Anytime you produce something new is just a bonus.

Jeffrey Frey

4/11/2017 11:01:32 am

We will wait patiently. Glad things are going well for you. All the Best. Jeff

Monica

6/6/2017 07:38:35 pm

I like your videos and will wait patiently for you to upload more.
Wish you the best!

Oscar

6/14/2017 04:41:46 pm

Hi NonStamp Collector how's the collection of non stamps doing? I read your post and I fully understand you. well not quite fully because I don't have kids or a family yet, But I see what you're saying,I too have a full time job that consumes all of my time, energy to even thing of creating something as creative and wise. I will truly miss new material but just a thought...
ever thought of getting help? I mean I know that projects like yours are gold because it all comes from you, the mastery of editing , timing and even the characters have all your charm to it because it was only you who did it, but have you ever consider having someone that can help you do the editing, drawing and some other things you would put in the main idea, you would get help in writing the final script, have some revisions and play around with it in lesser time than it would take for you to do it yourself, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of fans of yours that know how to edit a video, and mimic your style on MS paint, and you would be the director, just like normal movies work, you would also add the final touch yourself as well as the awesome voice over work you used to do. I am a video editor and would be glad to help, although i am in a bit of the same situation as you time wise, but I'm sure other people would be glad to help, just think about it, we would love to keep your Non Stamp Collector universe alive!!! I wish you all the best and I hope you keep on having an amazing time watching your family grow. I am a big fan

Susanne Klasen

4/24/2021 07:50:40 pm

I totally agree with you.

Cody Heimbach

6/22/2017 01:11:24 pm

If you come back, I'll kill a goat for you. Then I'll splash its blood around and burn it.

Sark

6/24/2017 05:14:43 pm

So hypothetically we can expect more frequent videos in >18 years?

nyenye

6/28/2017 05:59:25 am

Hey, does anybody knows how to translate the closed captioning for his videos? I'd like to share them with non english people.

Jake

6/29/2017 10:20:40 pm

I know like everyone has asked you to, but it might be a good move to try to team up with dark matter or someone. You could write the amazing scripts you write, and colab with him or someone else to do the animations, so you could get your messages out there but still have time for family. Im sure darkmatter would love to as he's mentioned you with high regards in a few videos.

Armando Esteban Quito

4/19/2018 11:14:52 am

That is an amazing idea. The community would love that .
A good plan today is better than the perfect plan tomorrow. (See: Axl Rose and Chinese Democracy)

Harry

7/21/2017 07:06:08 am

I absolutely love your videos. I have watched many of them multiple times. They aren't just educational but hilarious! The voices crack me up and the MS Paint is awesome. Wish you could do more all the time but I understand. You should team up with some popular youtubers and make another one whenever you find time.

Wayne J

1/8/2018 09:19:25 pm

Ditto

David

12/7/2017 03:44:34 am

Hope you're still doing well, and congratulations on the happiness you've found with family and work.

I love your videos, and I'll wait as long as it takes for more. But you do you first, you've already produced a trove of content that's both entertaining and informative. My absolute favorite video of yours is High Stakes Intelligent Designing.

Pat Harty

12/15/2017 06:44:10 pm

Hey man,

I've loved your videos for years and recently introduced my 17-year-old son to them. He loves them as much as I do and we've each watched all of them, some multiple times.

It would be great if you made more videos, but only if your heart is in it. Don't do it because the volume of rabid fans clamoring for them grows past a certain point.

The work you've done is likely far more important and influential than you know. Years from now the videos you have made are going to be having a positive influence on the lives of people.

Cheers!

4/24/2021 07:55:05 pm

Exactly!

Joe

2/8/2018 07:57:40 am

I've enjoyed your work ever since I stumbled across Quiz Show several years ago. I absolutely love what you do, and I look forward to seeing this unrebuttable opus...in a couple of years, I guess. :)

Shafty

4/12/2018 01:06:06 pm

I'm glad you are doing well in life! Don't feel obligated to come back, if you want to make a come back do it because you want to!

4/19/2018 11:06:02 am

I stumbled across Quiz Show (Bible Contradictions) about 6 years ago during the very beginning of my deconversion process. During the video, I found myself staring off into space asking, "Can this be true?". Does the Bible *actually* say these things? No waaay. It blew my mind. I had never really questioned or analyzed the Bible. I certainly never would have imagined there were such obvious contradictions.
When you illustrate the Bible verses like you did, they sound awfully silly. But, in fact, that is the truth of it. Peace.

4/24/2021 07:57:27 pm

Absolutely right!

Holden Wildeman

5/3/2018 01:57:33 pm

Hello, I just found your videos, and as a Christian all my life, I wanna thank you for waking me up! Perhaps maybe we can do something where I animate your videos (I am pretty good at Inkspace could probs figure out Microsoft) and you write the script? I would be down! It’s up to you of course!

Alexandra link

7/12/2018 03:11:06 pm

Hi nonstampcollector, I know that you are a super busy man and I hope your wife and children are doing well. I have a few ideas for videos that you might be interested in. May I also know what software you used to make your cartoon videos?

Sava Čajetinac

7/30/2018 07:17:25 am

Thank you for the videos. Unfortunately, I discovered them only few days ago - 2 years after the last video.
And who am I to question your omnipublishing abilities when you don't have time since you're omnipotent to create time...
And please, please, don't be an omnibenevolent father who's going to sacrifice his children due to his vanity.

All the best,
S

Miriam English link

9/3/2018 02:20:59 am

I found your videos just a couple days ago and binge-watched the lot. They're wonderful! Thank you for making them. I hope and expect they'll cause more than a few people to shrug off ancient superstitions and to join us atheists.

With luck you'll gradually find more time as your kids grow and you delegate and streamline more at work. We, out here in audience-land, will await your return. As a few people have mentioned above, perhaps the key to producing more would be collaboration.

I write too, though haven't made any videos... I should, but never seem to have the spare hours. (I sympathise with your difficulties in finding time.) Some of my writings have comments about religion, for example "Honesty"
http://miriam-english.org/stories/short-stories/honesty/honesty.html
which uses the pretext of two religious people discussing corruption in the church.

Most of the protagonists of my stories are atheist, but my novel "flying"
http://miriam-english.org/stories/books/flying/index.html
uses a young religious girl as the primary character who finds out nothing is what it seems.

I am very proud of a short script I wrote called "Grace"
http://miriam-english.org/stories/scripts/Grace/grace2.html
which uses virtual worlds to explore how bat-shit crazy it is that a god would want us to worship him. I wrote this back in the days when I used to build 3D virtual worlds on the net for a living. I always wanted to make a story play out inside a virtual world and that theme pops up again and again in my stories.

I also wrote a short piece about the usual concept of the soul can't exist.
http://miriam-english.org/articles/soulless.html

And there are a bunch of other short articles on various topics as well as religion, for example,
http://miriam-english.org/articles/flyingElephantism.html

I'd be delighted if you were inspired by some of my humble works. All my stories are free downloads or can be read online.

I'm also a rather unproductive artist (some of my art is online).

Thanks again, and very best wishes to you and your family.

Matt The Man

9/23/2018 08:13:44 pm

In other words, your videos and arguments have been dismembered, and they suck.
The idea that you had some sort of philosophical or theological opinion, when clearly you have no idea what you are talking about, is why you have dissipated.

David link

10/3/2018 04:38:35 am

I was reading this book https://archive.org/details/pdfy-9SJQolWByYI1w0U4/page/n0 and came accross what was described as a deliberate comedy written into the gospel message. A part of it is how the 4 gospels have the visits to the tomb at different times and when logically and with a knowledge that rising from the dead is impossible and one would have to be mad to believe it, the disciples are painted as seeing each other as angels telling each other Jesus is risen. I haven't checked it in the bible yet but if it checks out it lends itself to an awesome and genuine laugh at the gospel story and the gullibility of believers. It's The Puzzle of the Empty Tomb on page 125. There is also a heap of dynamite material in this poorly written book which brings to the table a very interesting piece of the Christian religion puzzle.

Jules Manson

10/8/2018 08:08:51 pm

Your animations and stories are nothing short of genius. Others such as DarkMatter2525 are now making a fine living doing this full time. Please consider that route. You have many fans and many waiting to discover you.

ken furue

11/4/2018 05:39:11 am

hi, hope you get back soon! Im from japan okayama, i know work hour is long here, overtime and 6days a week work is what im used to.
You need to get back and make videos or blogs and team up with other popular militant athiests like Richard Dawkins etc. You don know how much you helped someone deconvert from their religion!

Isaiah barrett

1/1/2019 01:29:44 am

Hey, happy new year, woo 2019, I hope you find the time to make some content this year, nothing crazy, though <3 love your work

Metroid Mayhem

8/15/2019 08:08:29 am

Thanks for the videos. The comedy is golden but most interesting is the research to get the facts.Then the facts are blendeded in that beautiful comedy gold.
I get your busy I have 3 kids and a job as well so I completely get that. So not gonna beg for more thankful for what we got and anymore is a bonus.
Hope all goes well

Mysty

1/7/2020 12:10:17 am

Hi,

I really don't know how to send you a message, so I'm going to put it here. The first video I saw of you was the bible contradictions one. It was amazing, I laughed and thought to myself 'hey, I'm not the only one who thniks the bible is idiotic!' Then I started watching some of your other videos and got a little bothered. And before you go 'oh no, not again', I'm not some religious nut. In fact, I can't stand religion. However I do differentiate between religion and god(s). You see, religion and religious scripture, in any form, is all a concept made by mankind. Every story, rule, word and letter is written down by people. People often claiming to have written down what god has commanded them. These days someone making such claims, would be diagnosed with something like schizofrenia, and get mental help. Even the vatican will do so nowadays, but not in the past when scriptures were written. What I'm trying to say is, in your video's you portray god as the one who created the bible, when in fact PEOPLE created the bible, and the entire christian believesystem. I'm not trying to say that there definetly is a god or something. I'm just merely stating that religion and god(s) are seperate things. Furthermore, I invite everyone to think for themselves, and not blindly follow someone/anyone elses opinion. And I'd like to apologize for my shitty english, it's not my native language.

9/15/2020 12:21:01 pm

Why do you equate being a non stamp collector with being an Atheist? You believe stamps exists, don't you? But you have no belief that God exists. It is not that you don't participate in religion, in the same way you don't participate in stamp collecting. Do you write posts and create videos on why stamp collecting is risible and those who participate in it are foolish? Saying you are a non stamp collector is not something that is normally said, and sounds awkward and pointless. Why not say what you do collect or believe in? Make good arguments and present what you consider evidence to support your belief. Is it not better to say what is true than be indirect, and just focus on what someone else believes is true. Stating "I am a Christian" is a comprehensive declaration that states what I do and do not believe in. Stating that "I am an Atheist" is not a commiserate or complete statement. It only indicates what you do not believe. I am a Christian. What are you? Please answer in kind. I said what I do believe, not just what I don't believe. What do you believe about about God?
Thanks,
Joe

9/15/2020 12:25:48 pm

Sorry, I misspelled a word.
"Atheist is not a commiserate or complete statement."
Should have been-
Atheist" is not a commensurate or complete statement.

Matei

7/9/2021 09:54:19 pm

Two kids??? What the hell were you thinking? You know, the problem with God is that it doesn't cease to exist when you stop believing in it. It exists and it's a sick sadistic pervert who will send us all to hell, including (and especially) your kids and you could have prevented that by not having them. What puzzles me is how come a lot of atheists have kids (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens etc.). Ok, so you don't care about what happens to you after you die, but towards your kids I think you have a responsibility.

And about the Bible: yes, it's horrible, but so is the world in which we live and I don't think it's a coincidence.

Question?

12/6/2021 12:11:27 pm

I was hoping you can make a video specifically addressed to people who were once christians who are not anymore. There are possibly plenty of people looking for answers including myself whom are trying to escape our indoctrination of the good book and religion.
People such as myself dont do the mental backflips trying to justify that God is good and that he had a reason to do, command and or allow barbaric injustices in the OT times, rather im spontaneously doing mental backflips trying to find that God doesnt exist and that the bible is errant. Because of my religious indoctrination, upbringing and beliefs im not able to find what im looking for. Plenty of us are seeking answers and cant find the ones were looking for "God doesnt exist, hes made up" because our past beliefs and indctrination doesnt allow us to. This isnt a troll.

Mark link

1/15/2023 07:58:07 am

Just wondering if you've ever produced the video you refer to in this quote, or is it one we're still waiting for?

"Plus an idea that I had whilst reading James Tabor in the bath a month or two ago that I'm BUSTING to write, but which will require not only time for writing, but extensive reading from a wide variety of sources if it's going to be as devastating as it has the potential to be. The idea came, and I just stared into space realising that it is as good an idea as I have EVER had for a video. Just unrebuttable. Nail-in-the-coffin shit. I just have visions of believers staring at the screen sputtering, then going and checking their bibles and realising that I'm right. Damn straight; I want to produce that video."

Eric

11/29/2023 01:18:01 am

Thank you so much. Comedic and logic genius.

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