Coping with Stress and Anxiety is a Life Skill Worth Learning
In 2021, the dangers are far less likely because dinosaurs only exist in movies and we are the über-predators on the planet. Our biggest danger is ourselves and our over-active imaginations.
I Believe... [The Venn Diagram is Just a Circle]
I believe... that, ironically, the Venn diagram between calling for the destruction of the world's only Jewish state and calling other citizens "Nazis" is simply a solid circle.
Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of May 16, 2021
The idea that all Jews must support whatever Israel does doesn’t quite play out logically. Let’s follow that logic. Looking at it through the lens of religion, if all Jews must support Israel then all Catholics must support pedophilia. And that’s fucking insane.
Refusing to See the Grey is the Achilles Heel of Modern Americans
So what prevents us from recognizing that the cat is gradually becoming a dog? Anti-intellectualism that goes back to pre-Enlightenment times. The battle between religiosity and scientific inquiry has been raging since the atheists and agnostics determined that living in a closed off, black and white binary is the road to authoritarianism. Allow the 'truth' to be dictated by a few and those few will gain and wield enormous power.
America is Back, Baby!
If your friends jump off a cliff, it is perfectly safe for you to also jump off a cliff.
When I Grow Up I Wanna Be...
I lost my class ring when I was 17. Now, a thousand years later, it has returned to find me a completely different- and yet, the same- person.
I Believe... [Children Listen]
I believe... that if you treat people like children, they learn to behave like children.
The Racetrack
At the race tracks, my job was pretty simple, but potentially dangerous. A flat-bed truck delivered large heating and air-conditioning units to the site. A crane with a large boom was brought in, a big hook attached. The hook had to be put in the eye bolt which was fastened to the top of the unit.
Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of May 9, 2021
I support Israel’s right to defend itself. I also support Palestine’s right to defend itself. Furthermore, I support Palestine’s justification for being pissed off for 73 years since its citizens were displaced and its land confiscated for Israel’s use. And finally, I support anyone’s right to criticize Israel’s policies and actions without being labeled anti-Semitic by the most simple of unprogressive minds.
Mooning the Crowd and Waving Your Balls was Funny—Until It Wasn't
Have you seen a dick? They're hysterical! Like a flabby mushroom connected to a flesh bag. Or a skinny turtle out of his shell. A turkey neck without feathers. Who designed this, an idiot? The vagina is far more practical.
Liz Cheney Ousted! The GOP Bounces a Fact Check
And yet they are happy to ignore that Rand Paul calls himself doctor.
The Basecamp Dilemma Facing the Desire for Self-Expression
The 80's has been labeled the "Me" decade. Pursuit of selfish interest became the mantra of the day. Today is the "Look at Me" decade, when establishing a personal brand is tantamount. The concept of subsuming your brand identity (and your identifiers in sum) is off the menu. Corporations aren't loyal to the labor, why should the labor be loyal to them?
I Believe... [Defining Hate]
I believe... that speech you hate is not “hate speech.”
Smooth
Eddie played short. He had what the scouts called the quick twitch. It made him a natural. He could pick anything behind the bag, go deep in the hole, jump turn and throw mid-air to first, in a freakin’ blur. On a pop fly, he’d go out hard, back to the infield, make the grab over the shoulder–no problem.
Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of May 2, 2021
Think about it: the Full House theme song is a cry to make America great again.
The Bottle Washer
As a young hospital administrator at Rush Medical Center, one of the things I was encouraged to do is to make rounds on the various patient care units and support areas. These visits helped me build and reinforce relationships with the medical and nursing staff and drop in on some of the recently hospitalized patients.
Now Hiring! An Honest Amazon Job Posting
Find the right Amazon opportunity for you (The one that will kill you least.).
I Like to Watch | The Walking Dead
At the (long) tail-end of the pandemic, the rest of the 10th season of The Walking Dead resumed airing and I found myself undeniably un-inspired. I didn't really care much for The Whisperers and after they bumped Rick Grimes off and then carted him away on a helicopter, the show sort of fizzled. I couldn't figure out what was missing (besides Rick) so I decided to go back to the beginning and watch the whole thing again.
I Believe... [Parsing Out Sensitivity]
I believe... that we should all be more sensitive but not be more sensitive. The former is about simple politeness, the latter is about myopic self-centeredness.
A Cruel Summer in Need of Some Hugs...Or Something
We need some de-escalation techniques of our own.
Jake and Caroline’s first date was at The Whistler. They talked about Ronnie, how much they loved The Diplomat, and debated the better ride-share service, Uber or Lyft. She was Uber, he was Lyft. They got wasted on Sazeracs and had sex at her apartment. It was incredible for both of them. Caroline stopped taking sex advice from Ronnie.