Please Hear Me Out...

Well... It has certainly been awhile. If history has taught me anything about blogging, it is that I am really not very good at it. I am definitely not good at doing it consistently.

That said, I have been wanting to put these thoughts out there for a pretty long time now. There are probably other people who are saying the same thing, but I haven't heard them and maybe I can reach someone else who hasn't heard them. It's going to take a lot of words to get through this, so stick with me. Please. I really think this is important and I genuinely hope you will think it is important too once you hear me out.

Stop. Being. So. Damned. Combative.

Ok, that really didn't take a lot of words, but there is a whole lot more to the thought than just that. Here's how I see it.

The world today, and for the past couple/few years, is an absolute bloody madhouse. (probably a lot longer, really, but this feels different to me.) Everyone is pissed at everyone else. Everybody is shouting and none of it is actually making a damned bit of difference. We are surrounded by hateful rhetoric FROM BOTH SIDES.

Lest anyone think I am casting stones, I am definitely as guilty as anyone and probably more so than many. I have been angry. I've ranted and railed against things being as they are. I've tossed insults at people I don't know and judged those I do.

I know exactly how bloody HARD it is to pull on the reins. To take a step back. To own that I am part of the problem.

It is tremendously important, however, that I do. It's important that you do, too, regardless of what side of things you are one.

I understand the allure of venting all your anger. I  love that warm feeling inside when you give release to your passion; your pent up anger and frustration. I yearn for that embrace of others when they shout out in agreement with my words. I even tremble with anticipation at the thought of someone coming back at me, ready for a fight. Hell, I am SPOILING for a fight. I'm revved up. I am ready to take that punch and come back with a dozen of my own!

Problem is, we've already stopped listening to one another. We haven't even started yet and we are passing judgement; deciding there is no way we are going to find a common ground.

Where the hell is that getting us? Nowhere good, that's for damned sure.

In fact, lets just be honest here, it's likely to perpetuate this divide that is already present and ever widening. Pit brother against brother and all that jazz. Each of us growing continuously more self-righteous and, correspondingly, less willing to listen to the words being shouted at us by the other jackass.

I am pretty sure that if you step back and consider it honestly, you will find that this is exactly what you've been doing. I know I most certainly have. Our points of view are dissimilar enough that we fail to understand one another. We even tell ourselves that we CAN'T understand one another; that the difference is just too much. Too ingrained. (Betcha half a dollar we're wrong on that score.)

From this dubious starting point, we usually devolve to name calling and accusations. "That's the problem with all you damned liberals..." is hurled from one side only to be met by, "Those ignorant-ass conservatives and Trumptards..." We drum up charges and accusations without regard to anything other than, "I'm right and you're wrong." We scream labels at one another like Republican, Democrat, Catholic, Jew, black, white, conservative, liberal... The list goes on and on. Every-hurtful-thing we can think of winds up being flung at one another in an actual attempt to wound.

As if inflicting wounds is a way to win someone to our side...

Let's be honest for a moment. One or the other of the examples I just used probably triggers you. If not one of those, certainly something else someone from the other side says. It isn't helpful and, frankly, it isn't healthy. It is sure as hell no way to have a productive conversation, never-mind attempting to run a government.

We can do better.

We MUST do better.

Maya Angelou said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

So how? How can we do better? What steps must we, as individuals and as a collective, take to do better?

I don't have all the answers, but I think I can see the beginning.

1. We need to stop name calling. Name calling invariably riles a base of like minded people and puts everyone else off or, worse, hardens the hearts and minds of the opposition. 
2. We need to listen. ACTUALLY listen. Don't just sit there and fume and think about the next thing you want to say. Listen to what the person you are talking to is saying. Ask questions. You don't have to agree with them, but you do need to hear them out and try to understand their point of view. 
3. Stop telling ourselves all these stories about how the other guy is bad. People are not, as a rule, bad. People have a different frame of reference and have different motivations, but not generally bad ones. Someone having a wider or narrower view of the world is generally based on their circumstances.
4. Stop assuming. You do not know where he came from. You don't know what she's been through. In a lot of cases, you probably can't even imagine. We all have our demons and we all have our blind spots. 
5. Stop trying to win. Try to just understand. If we can start trying to understand, ON BOTH SIDES, maybe we can start to actually communicate again. Maybe we can have a conversation. 
6. Cut the self-righteous bullshit. I know some of us are prone to spouting off, whether it be aloud or in our own heads. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that there are people reading this now thinking, "I don't want to understand those muckity-mucks on the other side. I ain't gonna. Nope. No way, no how." Hell, I am prone to going there first myself. Of course I think my views are right. If I didn't, they wouldn't be my views. But I am not such a self-righteous asshole as to choose to remain ignorant of the other side of the conversation. Not once I know that is what I am doing. Willful ignorance is just ignorance reinforced by pride. Knock it the fuck off.

I mean, I am nobody, but I am pretty certain that's where we need to start. Of course it is not going to be easy. Very few things that are worthwhile ever are. It is, however, very simple. Just start. With yourself. With your friends. Stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. Every damned one of us is capable of doing better once we know we can. 

We can. 

We must. 

I will. 

Will you help me? 

Agents of Shield... SPOILERS!...

Fair warning folks, I truly mean it about the spoilers thing.

So here are things as I see them...

Charles Gunn, having somehow survived the LA apocalypse, decided, "screw this shit, I am getting the hell out of this game."

Unbeknownst to him, the PTB (Powers That Be) granted him with some super powers since, as far as I can tell, both Angel and Spike had their asses handed to them by a Dragon.

Anyway, being a city boy at heart, he didn't really move on as far as he might have. More to the point, due to the previously mentioned apocalypse, he knew he would need to to lie low so he picked up the identity of Michael. (It isn't like getting a fake ID is exactly hard. Ask any 16 year old.)

High Powered Lawyer at Evil Incorporated gone turncoat and, so far, only known survivor of the apocalypse. Demon Hunter. Vampire Hunter. It all sounds cool as hell on paper but doesn't make for the best talking points in an interview. Failing to give notice at Worfram and Hart was probably a black mark on his resume too, so having few to no employment prospects (despite what he tells his son) he found work as a common laborer. He was probably happy for a while. Settled down, got married (To Annie was my hope. Sadly, the flash of photograph later on would seem to indicate otherwise.), had a baby and all that... but once he started manifesting super powers, old habits kicked in and he started working all kinds of crazy hours which eventually led to his wife leaving him. Unless she was killed by a vampire like his sister had been. That would be some shit, wouldn't it?

Of course, he probably considered using the Dark Avenger as a tag but that would have been disrespectful to Doyle and I would have had to kick his ass. (I have super powers too but we will get to that another time.)

Moving right along...

Of course, Michael, formerly Gunn, gets spotted saving random chick "A" because all his smarts have faded since leaving the firm and things are about to get real for our old friend.

Enter Agent Coulson. Coulson may or may not have been killed by Loki not too long ago. Right now, there are a ton of theories being thrown about to explain how he made it through that debacle. I have two favorites that I am going to share. 

First, the one originally put forth in the show, that Fury faked his death to draw the Avengers together as a team. Now, this seems reasonable enough and I would be willing to let it go at that were it not for the lines following immediately afterward that seem to indicate that this is complete bullshit but that Coulson cannot be privy to the truth regarding his own demise and subsequent rebirth.

Enter theory number the second.

Coulson is a clone, memories and all. Not only that but, (and this is my own personal twist here,) he is probably not the first either. Remember that hero worship he has for Captain America? Well, remember that kid who was thrown in the water and then told Captain Rogers to go chase the other dude because he knew how to swim? My money is on that having been Coulson as a lad. (The first one.) who later grew up to join Shield and be just like his hero. We know there is something especially fun about Nick Fury, why not his right hand man? But it couldn't be the same thing and so I am going with perfect cloning.

Enough of theories for now...

Speaking of longevity, HOLY SHIT! I KNOW WHAT SHEPARD BOOK DID BEFORE BECOMING A SHEPARD!

That is right boys and girls. Shepard book was around forEVAR! He has seen the forming of the Alliance and the tera-forming of hundreds of new worlds... And all of that is AFTER all of the background we are about to learn watching Agents of Shield!

And let's face it. If he has survived that long it makes perfect sense that the alliance is able and willing to render medical aid on his say so alone. Hell, I would go so far as to say it is likely he will somehow manage to pull through or be revived in the DarkHorse Comics that are coming soon. Probably be best if Captain Mal doesn't find out about that any too soon though.

For that matter, I imagine that somehow Mr Universe's entire rig got it's start with Rising Tide girl who is just plain hot in so very many ways. (I can't help it. Smart/strong chicks are sexy as hell.) It is all about the signal. From here to the eyes and the ears of the 'verse... Seems like the family motto started way back when, doesn't it?

Anyway, it turns out that it wasn't the Powers That Be that gave Michael Turner his fancy schmancy new powers but, instead, some sort of tech that has been grafted to his body.  Turns out he got hurt and his wife bugged out because, well, I honestly don't have enough information to speculate. Suffice it to say that shit took turns for the worse. You would think that with his experience with this sort of thing he would have been ready for when he turned bad but I suppose a run of bad luck can turn anyone a little hard. I blame the monotony of factory work.

Oh! You want to know who else is a badass?

Mulan.

It is pretty evident that she always has and always will kick ass. I was, however, slightly disappointed that she didn't have a chance to break into song. Maybe the show will go on long enough for us to get a musical episode. Or a puppet episode. Oh my gods! Singing puppets! Muppet Show! Fraggle Rock! Holy shit! Can David Bowie do a guest spot?

...

Alright, I have it together. Lets sum matters up here...

There are a few other characters... A couple of braniacs collectively called FitzSimmons (nice play, by the way) and a pretty boy who I hope gets interesting later. All in all, it has a good bit of potential so we will have to see what happens.

Oh, and as a parting thought, where the hell is my hover car? It is 2013 already. Why aren't these in mainstream production yet?

Welcome to 2013...

Alright, I admit it... Making myself write and post here regularly has been difficult. I have things I want to say but I have trouble finding ways to articulate the thoughts I wish to share in a fun, yet meaningful manner. I am going to try again but I need to ask for some help...

Let me begin by offering a quick summation on what I am doing here right now...

2012 was a hell of a year. There were a lot of ups followed by a lot of downs. 2013 is going to be better if only by act of will alone.

I have made a lot of changes in the past few years and I have a lot more planned for the upcoming one. Including, I hope, a more successful return to writing and sharing on a regular basis. How can you help, you ask? I need encouragement. I need to know that I have an audience who are seeing what I am choosing to share. Whether you agree or not, say a few words. Conversation is good. Sharing thoughts are good.

What I really mean is that I need to know that there are living, breathing people with more than half a brain out there.

Now onto the message I wish to impart as my new year's greeting... 

As I am writing this, I have Hulu playing in the background. There is a commercial playing during each break in the programming that makes me despair for the human race. It is for a show on MTV called "Snooki and JWOWW". I'm not positive but I think I may be having a fucking aneurism.

Now, first of all, I want someone to round up the people who came up with the idea of Jersey Shore and put them to a very public and very painful death. Once they are gone, I want someone to find me everyone involved in deciding there should be a spin-off following this useless whore. These people, I don't want killed. I want them propped in front of a television set and forced to watch video of this bitch twenty-four hours a day. In this way, I expect one of two things to happen:

A.) Their brains will liquefy and dribble out their ears and down their neck. When this happens, we strap them to a table and administer electroshock therapy until they fucking well apologize. I mean it. They suffer until they apologize for subjecting anyone and everyone to their particular brand of stupid. Then, and only then, are they allowed to leave the building to be trotted out into the public where I expect them to be pelted by rotten fruit and vegetables every day, for the remainder of their miserable fucking lives.

B.) Their brains may already be liquified or moldy and rotten or something. (Thus explaining the fact that they were ever able to have this fucking idea in the first place.) In that case I suspect they will will begin convulsing in some sort of bizarre cult-like ritual. At this point, we use them to film a new commercial along the lines of the old, "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs." commercials popularized back in the 80's. The main difference will be that we crack their skulls open with a frying pan and televise the resulting sewage. This commercial is to be shown three times in a row, every ten minutes, each and every time the fucking Snooki hour is on television.

Once we have gotten rid of them, (and I should stress that the MTV executives that Okay-ed the show in the first place are every bit as culpable and were therefore were included with the shows originators), we round up the show's fans. Every-single-gods-damned-one of them is to be sterilized without regard to age, sex, race, creed, or sexual preference. None of these fuckers are allowed to procreate. There will be no second chances. Their worth has been weighed, measured, and found wanting. There shall be no next generation of these useless pieces of shit.

Now, astute readers may note that I was referring to these people as individuals apart from my readership. I assume that since you are here, you are able to read and that you have better things to do than spend your time on the previously mentioned shows. In the event that you are a fan, I need a few things from you.

First, and most importantly, please don't tell me. It will change my opinion of you and I think we are probably both happier with me not knowing this particular secret of yours. If I found out, I would be forced to dole out grievous bodily harm and nobody really wants that.

Secondly, take a step back and have a good hard look at yourself. Really examine your life and your friends and the choices you have made to become who and what you are. If you are the type of person I am ranting about you should probably leave and, if you can find a sharp enough implement, cleanse yourself from the ranks of humanity. If you do not think you are the type of person I am referring to, STOP! For fucks sake, have some respect for yourself and find better programming!

Seriously, please. PLEASE. Somebody shoot these fuckers before they do another season. 

Now, lest I give the opinion that I am just an asshole biased against one particular show, allow me to clarify...

These are not the only people who need to be forcibly sterilized. I think we should also include anyone who thinks "Idiocracy" is a comedy rather than the mind freezing, terrifyingly possible, horrific commentary on the direction our world is heading that it is. I often jerk awake in a tearful cold sweat when I dream of the world prophesied in that film. If you don't, you should. 

There are plenty of other warning signs that you might be part of the problem. Far too many for me to include them all here. If you are uncertain, look around yourself at your closest confidants. If you see them and think to yourself, "Wow, all my friends are fucking morons!" then chances are you are made of the same mold. Off your friends then off yourself so that you can herd them into the next life. Please do not continue from previous saved points.

It is 2013 ladies and gentlemen. It is about time some ignorant mother fuckers be cleansed from the planet. If we can't cleanse them because of some sort of law or sense of civic responsibility, please, do the responsible thing. Hit them on the nose with a rolled up newspaper. If that isn't enough to snap your friends and family out of this shit, try a baseball bat or a 2x4. The world is going to pot and the country is growing more and more terrifying each day. 

Do your part. Smarten up a stupid mother fucker.

If you are afraid or unwilling, leave their name in the comments and I was bitch slap the stupid out of them for you. It is time to do our part!

On the Quality of My Friends...

Welcome, again, to another edition of whatever the fuck I want. I have given things some thought and decided that this post is going to be about the quality and caliber of those individuals I am privileged to call friends.

I have spent the past sixteen or seventeen years collecting the group of friends I have now. I have people from all walks of life, as well as, more than a few of the way stations of my journey.

There are terribly few things held in common by all of these people. The first and most obvious one, of course, is that they are friends with me. The second - and this is probably why they are friends with me in the first place - is that they are each highly opinionated and tend to spend time and energy learning about those things that they feel strongly enough about to have an opinion on. (First person to give me shit about ending a sentence with a preposition gets a kick in the face. Just sayin'.) They are generally well educated - or at least well informed - and if I ask them for an opinion, they will usually be willing to share their thoughts on whatever topic is up for discussion.

With this in mind, I boldly returned to my blog (which you are reading now, in case you were confused or had forgotten where you were), and immediately set out to initiate a discussion that I thought had merit and that I hoped would spark plenty of comments and thought provoking anecdotes from these opinionated and occasionally brilliant friends of mine.

Sadly, I had forgotten to take into account the third thing held in common by most of my friends which is that most of them are also obstinate assholes.

To be clear, I wouldn't have them any other way and I do not mean that as a necessarily negative thing. Their obstinance has led to many wonderful conversations, devious arguments, and a host of wonderful memories that I wouldn't trade for anything.

However, it does mean that my recent post flopped in a fairly spectacular and genuinely disappointing way. By no means is this their fault. Truthfully, I probably shot myself in the foot when I asked the question of several friends a week or so earlier, when the idea had first occurred to me. Having already shared their opinions with me privately, they no doubt thought they had nothing more to add to the conversation.

No, the fault was mine and I will try to avoid similar pitfalls going forward. At some point I will revisit that post once I have a more involved audience in the hopes of succeeding in my original goal. Hell, I will probably just brush it up and re-post pretty much the same thing. Chances are, by then, I will have a different set of readers anyway. Actually, if all goes well I will have the same, but expanded, set of readers.

At this point, I am going to take a short break to share something that is painfully inappropriate and unrelated that just wants to rattle around in my brainpan a little bit.

Please note that I do not condone, practice, or in any other way approve of abusive behavior in relationships. Something about the very inappropriateness of this overreaction and situation tickles something I can't quite put my finger on.

 Also, I would credit the picture to it's creator but I haven't got a fucking clue who it is so if it is someone you know, please thank them for me and give me their name so I can update this. 

So here we are, at the end of what I had intended to say. I will sum up here simply by repeating that the strange and wonderful qualities shared by my friends are things I cherish deeply, and I want to thank each and every one of you assholes for supporting me in this endeavor. Talk at you soon!