I, too, have been called names. I have found myself sharing the living and thinking space of people with Cluster B personality disorders. I have seen them conjure worlds, hammer manacles, and shape the world with their words and beliefs. And while their tutelage was hard, I learned a great lesson, which I will share: … Continue reading Don’t Mistake Theater for Your Reality
Category: writing
Book Review: A Pillow Book by Suzanne Buffam
A book of apercus, i.e., brief comments or references that makes an entertaining or illuminating point, framed around the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, a book apparently famous for its lists. An illustrative example: DishearteningHonorable mention. Spider veins. Wet socks. A half-hearted massage. No coin for a fountain. Fine dining at the mall. Passport pictures.Petting … Continue reading Book Review: A Pillow Book by Suzanne Buffam
Work != Self-Worth
"Writers, actors, musicians—everyone who’s rejected a lot—have got to learn, early on, to separate their work from their worth as a person......At the same time, it’s important to learn to take honest criticism or suggestions in good faith."—Ben Yagoda, "Separating your work from your worth: Three Questions with Ben Yagoda." Chip on Your Shoulder. November … Continue reading Work != Self-Worth
True Diversity of Perspective Means Looking Left
In the United States, the political landscape ranges from moderate right to right wing. No one is talking about socialism, which is defined by state ownership of the means of production, even though we have many institutions that have characteristics of socialism, e.g., the U.S. military, police departments, utilities, etc. It's rare to find any … Continue reading True Diversity of Perspective Means Looking Left
Suggestions for Good Health
Blue Zones is a good place to start. However, if I were to give advice to my younger self, I'd focus on: Sleep: Get a full night's sleep and take a midday nap for a total of eight hours.Food: Limit eating to four consecutive hours a day. Eat mostly plants. Drink powdered psyllium and water … Continue reading Suggestions for Good Health
Put Some Pants On. You’re Creeping Me Out.
Wanting to Die
"Which I suppose calls the question: is it ever possible to really, really want to die when we have people we love here on earth?"—Courtney E. Martin, "Birth and Death in the Bathtub." courtney.substack.com. November 16, 2019.
Theory of Obscurity – A Film About the Residents
"Through fly on the wall observations and candid interviews, this film tells the story of a group that has always played by its own set of rules. We traveled with The Residents around the US and Europe during their 40th anniversary tour as they staged their elaborate productions, shooting more than 20 performances and also … Continue reading Theory of Obscurity – A Film About the Residents
What’s Wrong With Twitter: #TooFarLeft
"The hashtag 'TooFarLeft' trended on Twitter on Saturday morning, in part because of comments made Friday by former President Obama...Obama spoke at a fundraising meeting Friday evening and warned donors of the danger of the 2020 Democratic primary field moving too far to the left."-Marty Johnson, "'Too Far Left' hashtag trends on Twitter." TheHill.com. November 16, 2019. I … Continue reading What’s Wrong With Twitter: #TooFarLeft
Thank You For Your Service
"Almost half of U.S. veterans and active service members feel uncomfortable with being thanked for their service, a new survey has revealed......The poll found that instead of saying the simple thank you, most veterans and service members preferred gratitude that went beyond simple platitudes and that tried to connect with them on a more personal … Continue reading Thank You For Your Service
Blue Wall Voices Project
"One year out from the 2020 presidential election and without a clear frontrunner in the Democratic primaries, a large share of voters –about four in ten (41%)–say they have not yet made up their minds about who they plan to vote for in November 2020. These 'swing voters' either report being undecided about their vote … Continue reading Blue Wall Voices Project
Change Your Conversations/Life
tl;dr: Discussions with people with love and respect done in the spirit of discovery of truth can be a powerful force for personal change. Without love, respect and a concern for truth, discussions devolve into signalling group allegiances and programming / deprogramming The Others and is best avoided. "Anti-idiotarianism: Opposition to idiots of all political … Continue reading Change Your Conversations/Life
Overly Attached Gen. Z
-from Teen Voices: "Dating in the Internet Age." Pew Research Center Hourly? Let's just say there is much in this report that makes me very happy I did not to have to navigate my adolescent years during the "Internet Age."
Triage Your Hells
Listen. In a perfect world, we'd all be able to work through our problems with love, compassion and understanding. We'd see that we are all flawed human beings looking for measures of love, respect and power over our lives. But, we don't live in that world. In our world, some people only understand violence. Some … Continue reading Triage Your Hells
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