A Thought: On the Cycling of Life

Life is cyclical.  Time moves.  Seasons come and go, mostly, and the world spins on.  Life is cyclical, but that doesn't mean our lives must be.  Take control.  Find new cycles, or build them yourself.  Even if you fail, and you likely will, more often than not, you can always move on again until you find some place worth settling. Read more!

A Thought: On Media Violence

There is, in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, a number of "family focused" groups who wish to ban violent movies, television, video games and music because they claim, their words, not mine, that childhood exposure to these things desensitizes kids to violence and thereby makes it easier for them to harm and kill others. 

In the same breath, they then lash out against anti-gun lobbyists for making gun control laws so strict that kids can't be taught to respect them properly.

As an advocate of both free speech and gun control (not to be confused with the absolute abolishment of all guns ever in the whole world, so there, because there is a difference), I just feel the need to point out a wee bit of hypocrisy here.

Both of these things are problematic and both of them, as well as a whole truckload of other things, should be looked at, very, very closely, to see what role they're playing in what is an increasingly violent, and deadly, youth culture suffering from a startling decrease in empathy, inability to communicate effectively or read non-verbal social cues and, for the first time in history, be less educated than the generation before it.

We all know the problems, folks.  Time to be honest about the reasons why and how we can go about fixing it. Read more!

A Thought: On the Best Years of Your Life

The only time high school should have been the best years of your life is if you died on the way home from graduation. Read more!

A Thought: On Science and Faith

I find it very odd, those who can't rectify science and faith.  To me, one has always been the best proof of the other and to exclude either from my being would be to cut off half of who I am. Read more!

A Thought: On a Life Worth Prolonging

Before you make a change to your life with the primary intent of lengthening it, make certain that the change will be worth the sacrifice.  What is the sense in potentially living longer if those years will lack the joy that you may otherwise experience? 

Mind you, I don't mean continuing bad behaviors with no real benefit, nor am I discouraging positive changes which only suck for a little while, but with the recent surge of "life-lengthening" fad diets and regimes, I feel it's necessary to remember that life isn't about how long you live, but how much you live, and it may perhaps be of more use to conquer one's fear of death than stifle one's ability to live. Read more!

The Reason for the Season

First, the rotation of the planet and the relative position of the sun is the reason for the season.  That being said, it is 100% true that Christ is who folks are celebrating at Christmas, but, and I feel like he would back me up on this, don't forget that others are celebrating other things around this time of year that are just as valid.  Share the love, as THAT is meant to be the heart of the holidays. Read more!

Holiday Wishes...

When someone wishes you a happy holiday, regardless of whether it's the particular celebration, if any, that fits into your particular belief system, they are wishing you love, peace and joy from the part of them from which they believe these things spring.  It's the same as if it were in a language that isn't your own.  The sentiment of the sender is what matters.

If you take offense, you're missing the point, and a little bit of magic.  And you're probably kind of a dick, so you could use it.  If for no other reason than to stave off the inevitable appearance of Krampus.

That being said, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, off-date Solstice and even Festivus.  Or, if nothing else, have a wonderful Tuesday. Read more!

Conversations: The Whomping Willow

J: He's barking up the wrong tree, there.

Z: Yeah, he also doesn't realize that tree is a whomping willow who's going to beat the shit out of him if he doesn't stop soon. Read more!

For Barbara Brown...

In every one of our lives, we have a handful of teachers who come in and truly shape the people we become.  In this area, if few others, I've been overwhelmingly blessed.  All through my academic career, I've had exceptional educators point me down the path, open up new doors and expose me to things that I had never considered before.  I carry each of them with me in everything I do, in everything that I am.  They are responsible for many of the best parts of me.

I've attempted, as I've gotten older, to find them and offer what thanks I'm able, though it can never truly be enough, for all they've done for me.  About a year and a half ago, I was able to do so for my twelfth grade English teacher, Mrs. Brown. 

She came to see me when I was teaching in the same halls where I'd once been a student.  She had moved into the library and, when she heard that I was subbing in the department, she came to see me.  We hugged, talked and caught up and I made sure to thank her as the bell rang and the students began to file into my room.  I found out this morning that she passed away last night.

So, for her, I want to say these things, in the hope that, somehow, somewhere, she'll read them.  After my accident, when I was confined to a wheelchair, I spent my lunches in her room, talking with her about books, school...everything.  She never talked down to me or treated me as though the things I had to say were unimportant, though I'm sure that many of them were.  I'm not sure what I would have done without her, back then.  That little thing provided the solace I needed to put myself back together after a sudden and irrevocable change and meant more to me than I could fathom at the time.

 She was smart, kind and, as with all the best teachers, made me want to be better, to work harder, without ever pushing.  She was patient, fair and funny, encouraged her students to think beyond themselves and what they were used to, to spread our wings and follow our own paths, and always, always, made certain we knew how much she valued us and the work we did.

For that, and so very much more, I will always be grateful.  Read more!

A Thought: On the Likability of a Smartass

I've always heard people say, "No one likes a smartass."

It has been my experience, however, that everyone loves a smartass.  Read more!

I Want to Live in Newford

I want to live in Newford.  I want to surround myself with artists and writers and musicians.  I want to believe, to feel, to know the rush of being touched by something greater.  I want the community, the faith, the kindness of everyday people.  I want to live in Newford. Read more!

Hey, Netflix...My Inner Pyro Thanks You...

Thank you, Netflix, for giving me streaming fire.  Thank you. Read more!

Sometimes it isn't about you...Unless it is. And you know if it is.

It's astonishing to suddenly realize I've known someone for 26 of my 32 years.  What's more astonishing is that we've managed to stay friends despite countless moves and life changes, spending a fair portion of that time across the country from one another before the days of social networking and cell phones. 

I am forever thankful for his friendship, for his family and for his outlook on the world, twisted perfectly so that it just happens to match mine.  Happy birthday, old friend. Read more!

A Thought: On the Respective Responsibilities of God and Mankind

I've seen...too many posts and pictures and blogs asking God why He allows such terrible things to happen in the world, why children starve, poverty runs rampant, why people are hurt to satisfy the wants of others.  I ask, "Why do we?"

My answer to such questions has been to stop relying on God to solve your problems.  We were given a world, the ability to think and reason and the strength to enact change.  When the world declines, we need to spend less time looking up and more time looking inward. This planet is our responsibility and it's time we grew up and took it on.

Faith, in anything, should be part of the strength which moves you to act, to persevere.  It is not meant to be a tool of blame, nor of judgement, nor is it something from which to hide behind when you're scared, hoping the bad things will go away.  There's enough of that in the world.  If you truly want to act in the image of very nearly every major religious or philosophical figure, don't just sit and argue, pointing fingers at those who don't believe as you do, or don't believe in anything.  Do something.

If you worry about starving children, give out some food.  Don't just give to a charity that gives out food.  Make some sandwiches and hand them out.  If you're concerned over the creeping darkness in the world, get out there and spread some light. 

Go out and volunteer.  For every one of the worlds evils, there are a small group of weary people working tirelessly to fight against it.  They could definitely use all the help they can get.

Want to stop people from hurting others?  Start fighting a culture which revels in the misery of others.  Take away the revenue stream that's been built on human suffering.  Put down your reality T.V. and love your fellow Man rather than ridiculing them around the water cooler.  Start holding those in power, those who run the country, run the businesses, who buy and sell laws, not just responsible but accountable. 

Think. Learn. Seek understanding. Reach out. Don't just react. Seek those things which make us the same instead of those which make us different.  There's a LOT more to work with there.  Read more!

A Thought: On Childrearing

So many, in the wake of what happened yesterday in Connecticut, have expressed the reasonable need to draw their children in closer, to hold them and watch over them more closely.  I support that wholeheartedly, of course.

But perhaps keep an eye out, and arms open, for other children whose parents may not be as thoughtful and caring, even if you have no children of your own.  It's rarely those children who come from places of peace that become violent, but those who are left alone too long in the darkness. 

Every child is the provenance of every adult.  Love them.  Teach them.  Fight for them.  Be Patient.  Be kind.  But, more than anything else, just be there. Read more!

A Thought: On the Tragedy in Connecticut

The question should not be about the level of gun control in a civilized society, but rather about the sort of society which creates and profits from such tragedy as this.  It isn't a time for politicizing or bickering.  It is a time for grief, thought and reflection. Read more!

A Thought: On the Reality of Realism

Being a realist is a good thing.  It allows you to see the world as it is.  But it's too often used as justification for lazy cynicism, as an excuse to do nothing to affect change. 

It must be taken a step further.  You must see the world as it is, but also as it should be, and move to bring them together. Read more!

A Thought: On the Breaks in Life

Things break.  It's what you do with the pieces that matters. Read more!

A Thought: On Phones and Bathrooms.

The best way to guarantee the arrival of a phone call on which you're waiting is to go to the bathroom.

On a related note, don't answer the phone in the bathroom. Read more!

Pratchett on the Value of Foresight and Education

"Build a man a fire and he will be warm for the night.  Set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life."

-Terry Prachett Read more!

A Thought: On Contemporary Alternative

I was driving to class the other morning and listened to three and a half songs on the contemporary alternative station before I realized it wasn't the retro 80s station.  Not sure how I feel about that. Read more!

A Thought: On Logic and Running Shorts

Ladies, while I am in no way, shape or form against the trend of tiny running shorts, perhaps you should give a little thought to priorities when you wear them on days so cold that you're literally shivering despite wearing, on your upper half, at least two shirts and a sweatshirt.  Just a thought. Read more!

Overheard at the tree lot...

Woman, with disgust, when the attendant carrying the tree to her car asked if they'd be decorating that evening: "We don't believe in decorating.  The tree has dignity."

...she says rudely to the attendant hauling the chopped tree without ever looking up from her phone at the human being doing her manual labor. Read more!

A Thought: On The Portability of Light

I've seen and heard a number of people lamenting the fact that their news and social media feeds are full lately of nothing but dark, depressing news and can't help but agree that it seems as though the world is trying its best to bring down what should be a beautiful time of year, regardless of your religious leanings (if any).

Here's the solution, and it's quite simple: If you're sitting in a dark room, you get up and turn on the light.  If you're living in a dark world, go out and make some light.  Steel yourself against the barrage of sadness and pain by getting out there and lessening it for someone else.  Volunteer. Go out and help a friend.  Visit a nursing home or a hospital.  There are so many ways to help make things better, and all of them involve a little effort, but each one is completely worth it. Read more!

A Thought: On Relative Self-actualization

At the beginning of one of my courses this semester, the entire class took an in-depth survey to determine various characteristics of our personalities.  The professor released all the scores, coded, of course, last week, so we could look them over and see our own.  It was all interesting, if a little disturbing, in some ways, to see the averages for our class versus the national averages, but one of the measures was self-actualization. 

In a class of 95 students, I was the third most self-actualized.  My first thought was, "Those other two bastards are liars."  The next thought was, "Oh...That's why I'm third." Read more!

Awesome Stuff: Geek and Sundry

Internet goddess and exceptionally prodigious writer/actress/every-other-production-job Felicia Day put together a YouTube channel a bit back called Geek and Sundry.  It's full of fantastic shows, both scripted, like The Guild and the new Space Janitors, and unscripted, like her own The Flog (which has solidified what was already a massive crush) and Wil Wheaton's Tabletop (which has introduced my friends and I to many a fantastic game).

Go there.  Check it out.  Subscribe.  I guarantee you'll enjoy it. Read more!

To Penny Arcade and XKCD

I woke up this morning and, as I do every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, checked out my comics.  Two at the top of the list are, and have been for years, Penny Arcade and XKCD.  And both, this morning, made me laugh and genuinely tugged at my heart.  Exceptional work, gentlemen. 

To Mr. Munroe, congratulations.  It's a hard road you guys have walked, but it seems like you get that hope and humor will get you through damn near to anything.  Thanks for bringing both to so many.

And to Misters Krahulik and Holkins...You've got a long road ahead of you, but remember that hope and humor will get you through damn near to anything.  If it helps, from what I hear, it's totally worth it. 

The specific comics mentioned above can be found (in case you didn't find this today) here:

XKCD: http://xkcd.com/1141/
Penny Arcade:  http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/11/30 Read more!

Fun Fact: Bloody Brains

Blood is toxic to brain tissue.  At the same time, the brain requires more blood to function than any other organ. 

Gives an entirely new meaning to internal paradox. Read more!

A Thought: On the Virtue of Virtues

One of the most common threads amongst those philosophers whose works have spawned large followings is their focus upon the virtues of wisdom, compassion, acceptance, love, charity and selflessness. 

I like to think that, were they to find themselves sitting around a table, Christ, Muhammad, The Buddha and Lao Tse would get along famously.  Read more!

DeNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo has taught me a number of very valuable lessons.  First, it's helped me work quickly and efficiently on plotting and organization.  Second, it's shown me that I can, when I've done those things, write a prodigious amount in a short period.  Finally, and most importantly, I've learned that I can't write a novel in the same month that I have a persistent illness, final papers and exams. 

That being said, I've come woefully short of my word count, with only a day and a half left.  I've decided, then, not to give up but to shift my goal to December, when I've not got classes or, God willing, some kind of plague.  I'm calling my own little novel writing month DeNoWriMo and it works the same way.  I'll write, by New Year's Day, 50k words and finish the first draft of my novel.  Here we go...again... Read more!

A Case for Empathy

In 2010, at the annual meeting for the Association for Psychological Science in Boston, a research group from The University of Michigan Institute for Social Research presented the findings of a meta-study which tracked the empathy levels of approximately 14,000 incoming freshmen per year from 1979 to 2009.  The study found that students overall levels of empathy steadily increased until 2001, when there was a sharp decline, which continued through the rest of the period until, at the end, students from 2009 were about 40% less empathetic than those in 1979.  (Konrath, et al.)

Since the release of these startling findings, the reaction has been mixed, with some decrying this as the result of the evils of the digital era and others saying that it’s just a natural extension of the increased level of independence of the newer generation and isn’t worth worrying about.  While these are the extreme ends of the spectrum, the findings of Konrath and her associates are unsettling and, at the very least, beg for further study as to both the causes and effects of this decreasing empathy.

Buddhist doctrine teaches that empathy leads to compassion, one of the key components of enlightenment, and it isn’t alone.  Religious leaders and philosophers across the globe and throughout history have stressed the necessity of empathy as vital to the survival of both the individual and society.  Even today, empathy has been championed by Carl Rogers, The Stone Center Group and others as being one of the most important traits in both personal growth and the acquisition and development of interpersonal relationships vital to psychological health and research has shown that it is a key element of effective therapy.

When we seek help from a therapist, we are at our most vulnerable, by necessity.  In order to attempt to find solutions to the problems we face, we must drag into the light some of the most personal and uncomfortable parts of ourselves in front of  what amounts, at the outset, to a complete stranger.  This is made easier when the therapist is open, accepting and non-judgmental, shows an ability to listen and truly care about what’s being said, about what we’re going through.  Empathy allows a therapist to show those things, to create an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance and security.    

While empathy is an innate human trait, as with so many others, it will only grow with practice, like the exercise on page 367.  It asks the participant, in this case myself, to go out and seek members of groups, cultures and ethnicities which differ from one’s own and engage in discussions with them while attempting to reflect each other’s thoughts and feelings before sharing one’s own.  This seems deceptively simple, but proves to be somewhat more difficult in practice.

In order to find people with whom I didn’t already share a bond, I started talking with people in my classes, in the halls and, on one occasion, in a local coffee house, choosing those who fit into different ethnicities or subcultures from my own, even one person from a foreign nation.  While the experiment got some odd looks at first, it ended up being a lot of fun and was surprisingly effective.  Of the four conversations I had, each lasting at least twenty minutes and the longest lasting nearly three hours, I felt a great deal closer to the people with whom I had shared that span of time and we both ended up sharing details of our lives which we may not otherwise have shared with someone we’d just met. 

What’s more, the experience definitely opened my eyes and I found myself reflexively reflecting in some of my other conversations, if not nearly as frequently.  I was better able to listen and spent more time doing so than just waiting for my turn to talk.  Overall, the response was overwhelmingly positive and something I would like to continue developing, as its importance and benefits are even clearer to me now than they were before.

Regardless of the cause of the decline in empathy, then, it would seem to be something which could, and certainly should, I feel, after my own experiences, be fought effectively.  While I can offer no causal links between the loss of empathy and the increase in things like bullying, overt bigotry and victim blaming, the concurrence of these things is rife for speculation and hypothesis and certainly warrants study. 

Konrath, S. H., O'Brien, E. H., & Hsing, C. (2011). Changes in dispositional empathy in American college students over time: a meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15, 180-198.

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A Thought: On the Pacing of Life

Those who choose to move through life at a mindful pace are far less likely to fall, and much more likely to rise when they do, than are those who rush heedless down its paths. Read more!

A Thought: On the Infinity of Life

While our lives may be finite, the impact of our lives rarely is.  Be conscious, always, of that fact. Read more!

It's Cyber Monday!

It's Cyber Monday, which is like Black Friday, but you can shop in your underwear without getting arrested.   GO SHOP! Read more!

A Thought: On Love and Absolutes

Love is absolute.  There can be no condition placed on it without changing it into something else.  That being said, sometimes love is not enough, or the world gets in the way, or time, or timing.  But love, when true, will always remain. Read more!

Listen...

I really don't want to put the elephant on the table and attack it. Read more!

A Thanksgiving Wrap-up...

Other than having some sort of plague and coming to the sobering realization that Thanksgiving is effectively a ritual animal sacrifice, it's been a fantastic day.  Read more!

A Though: On The Serenity of Prometheus

The best thing about Prometheus was that the ship itself was a giant Firefly class ship with an extra set of engines.  Gives some credence to the theory that the Alien and Firefly universes are the same.  Read more!

A Love Letter to Quantum Leap

So I've been sick as a dog, and getting progressively worse, the last few days.  What's more, due to scheduling issues and other commitments, I've also spent the vast majority of that time alone.  Well, mostly...

I've been working on my novel and watching Quantum Leap.  It was a favorite growing up and is even more so now.  So very few shows from my childhood have held up but this one, if anything, has gotten better.  Or perhaps I've gotten older, experienced more and it resonates.  Either way, I enjoy as much or more now.

The writing isn't dated, deals with issues that most contemporary shows wouldn't touch for fear of the controversy, but always giving them the depth and respect they deserve. 

Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell are fantastic, with brilliant chemistry.   Al is brilliantly dirty and this, I'm sure, is because I'm getting more of the jokes now.  And Sam manages to be the boy scout he always was without becoming preachy or annoying.  Oh, and he looks great in a dress.  Often, heh.  If you haven't watched it before, you should.  And if you have, seriously consider going back.  It's streaming on Netflix and well worth the time. Read more!

A Thought: On Muttonchops

Unless you are Wolverine, a 19th century dandy or an actual sheep, having muttonchops is never an acceptable choice.  Thank you.  That is all. Read more!

Ah, Guitar Hero...

Never would I have thought before you that I'd ever utter the phrase, "Damn...Boston just kicked my ass."

I shouldn't be left alone for extended periods. Read more!

Scrabble With Friends

So wait...They made a Words With Friends board game? Didn't we already have one of those? It was called Scrabble. It was the basis for Words With Friends.  They didn't really change...anything.  It's literally the same game.  Wow... Read more!

A Thought: On Regret and Twinkies

You know, with the way people are rushing to buy as much Hostess stuff as possible, now that they're closing, I'm having some real trouble seeing how the company's gone out of business. 

Perfect example of not appreciating what you've got 'til it's gone. Read more!

An Open Letter: To the Denny's Guy

Denny's Guy,

   I get that you like money.  It's cool.  We all like money.  And I get that you want all of the money.  That, too, is reasonable, I suppose.  But don't try to displace your own greed by saying that you HAVE to cut hours on your wait staff or add a 5% price increase to your customer's bill to avoid the crippling cost of the health care mandate.  You don't.  Here's why...

   The average salary of Denny's wait staff is $4.25 an hour, before tips.  You aren't even paying the majority of your staff minimum wage.  Your customers are already picking up that slack.  Don't charge them more because you're scared that you won't make quite as much profit.  You will!  By paying for employee health care!  Here's why...

   There's this thing called productivity.  If employees are happier, productivity increases.  If your employees are healthy, productivity increases.  When productivity increases, profits increase.  What's more, you get the bonus benefit of keeping employees by showing that you actually care about their well-being.  Lower turnover leads to...you guessed it!  Increased profit! 

   See?  It's win/win.  This, right here, is that thing you folks in business are always talking about when you say that you just want to invest in the long-term success of your business.  Believe it or not, prior to the 1980s, giving your employees health benefits was the standard, rather than the exception.  And business thrived.  Let's go ahead and give it a shot, rather than being reactionary and clinging to outdated and/or hypocritical ideologies. 

Sincerely,
   A Rational American Read more!

Conversations: Biting in Bed

Just after turning out the lights, before bed...

J: I don't know why, but I have this strange urge to bite you.
Z: What?
J: Not like, on your arm or anything.  It's too big for me to get a good grip with my teeth.  Like your face.
Z: ... ::Offers a finger::
J: ::Nibbles on finger, then shakes her head:: 
Z: Okay.  Okay...So, I have to tell you.  If I wake up and you're trying to bite me, I'm going to assume that you've gone zombie and punch you in the face.
J: Fair enough.
Z: I love you.
J: I love you, too. Read more!

A Thought: On Secession

That so many people in this nation are supporting the secession of their respective states shows just how truly out of touch with reality they are and how much of their daily lives they take for granted without giving a moment's thought to what would actually happen were they successful, especially given how many states are incapable of functioning without significant government funds.

But hey, I say let them go.  We can parcel off some land, somewhere in The Midwest, say, and move them all there, erect one of those giant fences they're so fond of wanting, stick them with the standard tariffs and such that we erect on all foreign nations, and stick cameras everywhere to watch how quickly society crumbles.  It'll  be reality T.V. gold. Read more!

A Thought: On the Myth of Tomorrow

Tomorrow is half a myth.  There will always be a tomorrow, true.  We just may not be there to see it, nor can we be sure anyone else will.  That's what makes today so very important, every day. 

Tell those you love how you feel.  Never put off a thank you.  Be cautious, be mindful, but take the good chances, every time you're able. 

Because if you do those things, tomorrow, if you are lucky enough to see it, will be that much better for each you of them.  Sadness falls away, but happiness accumulates exponentially. Read more!

A Thought: On The Psychological Benefits of Aging

One nice thing about getting older?  You age out of the standard initial onset range for all sorts of mental disorders between 24-28.  So there's that. Read more!

NaNoWriMo: Week 2

Heading into week two of NaNoWriMo, I've got about 15,000 words done.  Mind you, I have to go back already and write myself out of a corner...BUT I've made an outline now for the whole of it, so that shouldn't happen again and, hey, adding things to make stuff make sense helps the word count.  Not that I'm worried on that front as I've only barely begun to tell my story and have already gotten more than a quarter of the way to the 50k mark. 

Now, back to add some flesh to the skeleton of my outline, then into the story once again... Read more!

The Psychology of Entitlement

Girl: What parts of the chapters do we need to read for the test?
Prof: All of them.
Girl: That's, like, 125 pages...
Prof: ...okay?
Girl: That would be alright if we didn't have other classes or anything.

Now, bear in mind that this is a senior level psychology course and she's had six weeks since the last exam to read those 125 pages. Read more!

A Question of Inspiration

Is it a better thing to live an inspiring life, or a life inspired? Read more!

GO VOTE!

Seriously, step away from the internet and go vote.  Unless you already voted.  Don't vote twice.  They frown on that. Read more!

A Quick Civics Lesson

Good God, people.  You don't trust politicians to have your best interests in mind, which is a completely founded belief, but you're willing to assume that large corporations, when given the choice between higher profits and a smaller American workforce or lower profits and a larger American workforce, are going to go with the latter? 

Oh, and stop touting that third parties are the answer to all the country's ills.  It's foolishness and shows an utter lack of education when it comes to American history.  Both parties we have now, the ones who are the current monstrous purveyors of woe, were third parties once.  Any party, given sufficient time and power, will become corrupt.  Again, I cite empirical evidence. 

If you really want to enact change, do research.  Vote the issues.  Just because the electoral college makes the presidential race all but a sham doesn't mean there aren't real, valid issues on the ballot.  Get off your butts, do some research and vote.  Then, after that, rather than coming online and bemoaning the state of the nation, go out and do something. 

Fight for term limits on Congress.  Take the subsidies from big business, not small farms.  Fight for education reform, because that's the quickest and most effective way to both decrease welfare dependency AND revitalize the American economy.  And finally, for the love of all that's holy, quit whining about taxes.  We all need to pay them.  If you want to do something about your tax burden, close the loopholes that allow the wealthy and large corporations to avoid theirs.

There is no shortage of good that can be done in this country, but to do it, we must exercise not just the rights and privileges we were given at its inception and since, but also the expectations laid upon us.  That we will stand up for what's right. That liberty and equality are not up for debate. That we will struggle together, not against one another. Go out and be Americans, not just on election day, but every day. Read more!

A Thought: On Post-election Canadian Migration

So I've heard a lot of people lately claiming that, should that tax-increasingly, socialist Obama win the election, they're moving to Canada. 

...


Really?  I feel like you may need to do a little bit of research there, folks.  I'm just saying. Read more!

A Thought: On Kindness

Kindness is always a worthwhile endeavor. 

It's easy to do a kindness for those who love us,  those whom we love,  those who have done us a good turn in the past, or those who would, if we needed it.

What's harder, though, is to exhibit kindness to those who have hurt us, to those we don't know, to those from whom we have no reason to expect it in return. 

Don't do it to get praise, nor to get a favor owed, but because the world is made better for it. 

Don't do it for the times when you may need it.  Do it for the times when you needed it and didn't have it.  Learn.


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A Thought: On the Reality of Ridiculousness

Far too many people allow the possibility of looking ridiculous keep them from doing some amazing things.

At the same time, far too few people let the reality of looking ridiculous stop them from doing some truly dumb things. Read more!

A Thought: On the Rights of Others

Be very careful when protecting your rights that you are not violating the rights of others.  There is a very fine line between assertiveness and aggression. Read more!

NaNoWriMo: Prologue

So I may have signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. And I may need ideas for a novel. Right now, I'm thinking a supernatural teen romance about a love triangle between a mermaid, an angel and a table.

The table would be beautiful and smart and funny, but have one leg shorter than the others. The mermaid and the angel would love it more because of that flaw, though. Read more!

It's Halloween!

...and I'm sick as hell.  I look forward to an internet full of scantily clad women and men doing stupid, stupid things to impress them. Read more!

Okay, people...

Yes.  Disney bought Lucasfilm.  Relax.  Think about the things Lucasfilms has done in the last few years.  Really think about them.  Star Wars?  Yeah.  Indiana Jones?  That happened, too. 

Now...clap down on your knee to stop that jerk and think about what Disney's done.  When was the last time you saw a shitty Pixar movie?  Up?  Toy Story 3, anyone?  The Avengers...and all the related (good) Marvel movies of late? 

So knock it off.  Hating something because other people do is about as lame as liking something because other people think it's cool.  Think.  Then react. Read more!

Today's Grammar Lesson: Awww... and Awe

Today's grammar lesson: Awww... and Awe

Awww... - A colloquial phrase used to show affection or to draw attention to something which is sad and/or adorable

Awe - An overwhelming feeling of reverence, often touched with fear or respect, which, ironically, generally prevents such utterances as, "Awww.." Read more!

A Thought: On the Benefits of a Long Week

Long weeks just mean you have more time to allocate to those things which make you happy, those people you love and all the things you keep meaning to do, but haven't yet. Read more!

An Interesting Piece of Mail...

Since moving into the new neighborhood, by far the most affluent in which we've ever lived, we've gotten campaign flyers and such every day.  It was nothing but annoying, until the other day.  Now, I'd heard of this but have never had it happen to me before, until the other day, when we got this...

Dear Rhonda (the woman who lived here before us),
   I am a fellow American who is very worried about out country and the future of our children.  Please pray for our country.  Our nation is in deep trouble and will not survive 4 more years like the last 4 years we have endured.  Please vote for Mitt Romney for President and Jeff Landry for Congress!

A concerned American,
    Olivia Nash

There was no return address, though I'm tempted to look her up and write her a letter in return asking her what, exactly, she has endured these last four years that was the result of the current administration, rather than the previous, how it will destroy the nation in only four more and what Mitt Romney and Jeff Landry will do to miraculously save us.  This, right here, is the product of the politically divisive, fear tactics being employed in this country to control the ignorant populace.  Yeesh. Read more!

The Louisiana Goblins

This is a statute found outside the tourist center here in my hometown of Lafayette.  I understand artistic license but...these are, what, goblins?  Or it's really racist.  Can't be sure. 

Read more!

Poetry: Between the Lines

I fell in love with a girl once,
Whose name I never knew.
I never saw her face,
Though I'm sure it was lovely,
The sort of soft, quiet beauty
That lingers in the mind
With a smile that hints
Of unspoken secret
And whispered promise.
Nor did I ever look into her eyes,
Though I can see them when I close mine,
Bright and deep,
With the faint touch
Of a sadness long past.

I found her in the pages of a book
I bought at a secondhand store.
She was there, in the margins,
In a handwriting that managed to somehow
Be both tight and flowing,
Adding things, here and there,
As though conversing with the novel.

The book, which was mediocre, at best,
Became a vehicle,
Nothing more,
For my getting to know her,
Her wit, her humor,
Twice, her pain,
Never overt, but neither hidden,
Worn with the humble truth
Of the survivor.

When it was over,
When there was no more,
I put the book aside,
It's narrative fading,
But not ours,
Fanciful as it was.
She was a dream,
Ephemeral and sweet
Forever out of reach,
The girl between the lines. Read more!

First Impressions: Evil Dead Reboot

So I just watched the trailer for the Evil Dead reboot.  I know, I know.  Raimi and Campbell both give it a thumbs up.  It seems, though, to be just another contemporary gorefest, though.  There was no trace of the humor or even the over-the-top nature of the original.  It looks as though they're trying to make it a real, dark, serious horror film...just like all the others in this new generation (except Cabin in the Woods, of course).  I'm not giving up all hope, but I'm certainly not looking forward to it the way I was.

Oh, they did keep the tree rape, though, so there's that. Read more!

A Thought: On Memory and Mortality

Memory is our consolation for mortality. Read more!

Here's to you, Pool Cleaning Robot...

We watched Paranormal Activity 3 on Netflix last night.  It was, in my opinion, the best of the three, thus far, mostly because of the lame ending of the first one, which, until that point, was stellar.  The same could definitely be said for the third, but it was still a better film, all around, I think.

The second movie was...kind of boring.  Too little happened.  The thing is, as I watched the third installment in the series, I found myself thinking wistfully to the one truly standout performance in the second, that of Pool Cleaning Robot, who had nearly as much screen time, and generally more gravitas, than did any of the other thinly written characters.  I looked forward to my glimpses of PCR, which came frequently, though never frequently enough. 

So here's to you, Pool Cleaning Robot.  You're the best and may the short-sightedness of Hollywood not impede what is the beginning of a beautiful career. Read more!

A Thought: On Persistent Perception

Stubborn is just the weak's way of saying persistent. Read more!

A Thought: On Video Games and Waterfalls

Thanks, again, video games.  My whole life, every time I've seen a spectacular waterfall, I can't help but be somewhat disappointed because there's never a hidden cave behind it, filled with awesome. Read more!

The List - Year 32

Physical

• Create and maintain a long-term free weight workout
• Work up to being able to do at least 30 minutes of cardio
• Drop two shirt sizes and ten in pants

Spiritual

• Research and explore Taoism

Personal

• Make 3 new friends
• Begin a postcard collection
• Learn at least 20 new skills

Professional

• Create and maintain a website with a storefront
• Make money writing, even if only supplementary

Academic

• Achieve proficiency in French
• Work through an inorganic chemistry textbook
• Read and review 13 books (10 fiction & 3 non-fiction)
• Memorize 3 poems or monologues
• Learn a new fact every day

Music

• Learn music theory
• Learn 4 contemporary covers (guitar)
• Learn 2 classical pieces (guitar)
• Learn 5 pennywhistle tunes
• Learn to play the harmonica
• Write 2 new songs
• Discover 12 new bands/artists I like

Writing

• Finish a novel
• Write 5 short stories
• Write 5 essays
• Write 5 poems
• Script a comic
• Write a dramatic piece
• Publish at least one piece of writing

Art

• Fill a sketch book
• Become proficient in Photoshop Elements
• Take 6 new photo sets
• Complete 3 woodworking projects
• Learn to cook 6 new dishes

Read more!

Shameless Promotion: Vamped

So some friends of mine are doing a comic called Vamped.  It's about, as they put it, "bloodsuckers in a world of freaks and geeks," and promises to be clever and funny as hell.  They've got a kickstarter going here, so go check them out and throw them your support.  Tell 'em Zach sent you.  Pass it along.  Thanks. Read more!

A Thought: On the Cleverness of Nicknames

The moment you use a nickname, derogatory or otherwise, for any political candidate is the moment I start tuning you out.  It shows me not that you're clever, but that you aren't clever enough to know when someone else's words are coming out of your mouth. Read more!

A Thought: On Internet Activism

The internet is the absolute best way to affect genuine concern for the state of the world without actually having to do anything about it. Read more!

A Thought: On Commies!

My favorite thing about this election is that it has allowed me to yell, "Commie!" in an accusatory tone while pointing at anyone who doesn't agree with me.  I mean, who'd have thought that, two decades after The Cold War, half a century after McCarthy, we'd be able to drag that one back out with the same self-righteous, blind zeal as those glory days. Read more!

Poetry: Generations

We were a generation that had never known war.
 To be born, raised,
 In a time of peace and prosperity,
 Instills a sense of invulnerability,
 A lack of awareness
 Of the fragility
 Of such idyllic things.
 To us, Vietnam was a story
 Told by old, haunted men,
 Tragic and terrible, certainly,
 But somehow removed.
 The Gulf War
 Little more than a brief memory.
 Too short and too early
 To be felt.
 So it was that,
 When the world broke,
 Its pieces ripping away
 Innocent fallacies,
 Fear slouched in.
 Creeping through fresh wounds,
 Carrying insidious infection.

We were a generation that had never known war
 And from that fear
 Was born a generation
 That has never known peace. Read more!

Old Writing: Jack - Part 4 - Final

            This will be my final letter, though I know now that you will never read it.  I have tried to change the world and failed.  My work, my crimes, have drawn the eye of the public, even that of the crown, to the travesty that is the poverty running rampant like a sickness in the veins of London.  That I should have done so much is beyond anything I or any of my accomplices could have imagined.  But it must stop now.

            I awoke recently to the newsboys outside my home proclaiming another murder in my name.  In my bleariness, I nearly fell back to sleep before the abrupt realization that it was not by my hand that this most recent of crimes was perpetrated.  I threw myself from the bed and dressed quickly, racing to catch the boy before he moved on.  A few pence later and I sat with the paper in my lap and a terrible chill in my heart.

            That same day, I wrote a letter to the newspaper which had run those previous, denouncing this most recent murder, expressing my outrage at both the killer and the news organization that failed to realize the gross inconsistencies in the separate crimes.  I waited a day, then another.  Nothing.  The letter never saw print, just as these will not, I am now certain.  They will be too rational, not sensational enough.  I will not be the monster you need me to be.  It disgusts me.

            That someone, a twisted, deviant mind, would latch on to my, our, legacy in order to commit such a heinous act is a perverse mockery of those who have died willingly at my hands in order to usher in a new era.  More so, that the sadistic lust of the populace which has turned the media into the sensationalistic, bloodthirsty charade that it has become leaves me without hope for any of you.  I suppose, though, that I should not be surprised.  It is nothing if not indicative of the opportunistic depravity of our time.

            So it ends now.  I cannot bear to carry on this work, knowing that it has, however indirectly, led to this.  There was no justification, no deeper purpose, to the slaughter of this young girl.  I am damned.  I knew the moment Polly’s argument began to sound rational on that night so long ago.  I accept that.

            But I am not the only one.  Each of you who revel in the darkness, who feel a visceral thrill in the depths of your heart or gut at the pain of others, physical or emotional, each willing to watch the world burn around you and do nothing, will be there with me.  Indifference is the greatest of sins and you are all damned.

- Jack

1888

Read more!

A Thought: On the Good in the Propensity for Evil

Those who strive hardest to be good are those who are most aware of their capacity for evil. Read more!

Old Writing: Jack - Part 3

            When Mrs. Nichols, Polly, approached me, I am ashamed to say that I at first thought the same as any of you would think and nearly shooed her away.  She was an older woman, almost matronly, who had undoubtedly been pretty before poverty and the life it had forced upon her had stripped it away, piece by piece.  She was also, I would come to learn, a very clever woman who, despite her lack of what we in the more refined classes would call true education, had learned enough quickly enough to survive.

            When she asked to speak with me, her voice strong and resigned but with no hint of solicitation, I agreed warily.  So we walked down the streets of London, she talking and I listening, and my eyes were slowly, tactfully, opened to the world as it truly is.  We have, as a ruling class, embraced complex illusions of propriety in order to, we claim, keep the world running as it is meant to run.  Deep down, however, the real reason for our reliance on this rigid social construction is simply to keep ourselves insulated from the cruel havoc we inflict upon others without a second’s contemplation, all in favor of our own comfort.

            Polly explained carefully the injustice that existed just outside our periphery, only acknowledged when we sought out our baser fancies, and only for the brief time it took to partake in them.  It was what she had done more of her life than I should rightly be so, out of necessity, and it was what, she said as we arrived at my home, was going to be the death of her in a very immediate sense.

            By the time we’d reached my doorstep, any hesitation about inviting her in had long since passed.  We had tea and talked long into the night, sometimes about her crusade, the crux of which she had yet to spring upon me, and other about her life, her family, her world.  I was ashamed of the life into which I had been born, something she insisted was foolish with a wave of her worn hand.  She reminded me of my own mother, God rest her soul.

            By the time it all came out, her plan to change the world, the fire was burning low and the first chill of the early morning was just reaching out from the shadows.  She was, she told me, going to die the following Friday.  I began to protest, insisting, as we are wont, that she not lose hope, that disease was unpredictable and medical science expanding rapidly its understanding of the body.  As I rambled on, she watched me serenely, waiting until I had finished to shake her head softly.

            “No,” she said, “You don’t understand.  I’ll die Friday cause you’re going to kill me.”

            She leaned back in the softness of the high-backed chair, into the darkness, as she laid out her plot in intricate detail.  Her words curled inside me like some malevolent serpent, twisting in my gut, in part because of the nature of the crime and in part because, as she continued, I realized with a horrifying certainty the wisdom of her words and that she was right; I was to become a murderer.

Read more!