Tumbleweed Nomad

I remember discovering Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, and Hitchens. I’m so over Dawkins now, and recent events have soured Harris for me.

I often feel like I’m just screaming into the void.

You don’t win a tug-of-war by moving towards the center.

Less leads to more. More leads to less.

I often say that a conservative can live a conservative life (more or less) in a liberal society, but a liberal cannot live a liberal life in a conservative society.

A bunch of years ago I was out of work because of major depression. I watched every Star Trek episode, in chronological order (starting with Enterprise). My memories of that time faint, but I do remember the brief feeling of triumph at the end of Voyager (or was it DS9?).

Many philosophies say the only way to defeat negativity within yourself is to offer no resistance and maybe even embrace it. that does not mean you act out that negativity. Just like a bully needs a reaction from their target, if you choose not to react to negativity it has nothing to latch onto.

www.instagram.com/reel/DGJZtu5...

I live in a county that voted overwhelmingly for Trump. Also, an overwhelming number of flags flown are at least frayed if not actually in tatters.

3. No more champagne contributions. All champagnes are funded through a government fund and all candidates get an equal share.

Restriction ideas on politicians: 1. Must be within a certain range of the average age of the population (no more old people!). 2. No more governor’s mansions or shot like that. All politicians will live in dormitories and get paid something akin to the average income of their constituency.

The drinking of the Kool-Aid is strong with this one!

You can bet that public libraries will be on the chopping block. Even if you don’t need anything from them (who doesn’t need free books and movies and more?!?!), check stuff out on a regular basis to boost their circulation and have a defense against being defunded.

You know, with everyone saying to give Elon a break about the “salute” because he’s on the autism spectrum (self-diagnosed?), it occurs to me that he is then a DEI hire.

Be careful about giving out information that could potentially help hackers and such access your accounts.

It’s a class war. It has been waging for the entirety of human civilization. Since the very creation of classes. After the Great Depression, America levied heavy taxes on the rich and we all prospered. Regan started the process of supporting the rich and suppressing the rest of us.

Hmmm. So many to choose from! The Attitude Song is fun. Ya Yo Gak is great. Voodoo Acid is spot on. Juice is intense. The Audience Is Listening was my introduction to Vai (not realizing he was in David Lee Roth’s band). The Fire Garden Suite. …

I just listened to an interview with a guy who did some research and found that upwards 3 million voters were somehow suppressed. Primarily people of color, but also young Democrats.

YouTube video by Peter D Social Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race - Please Watch to the End. Thanks.

It turns out that if you show people that video that perfectly explained systemic racism 7 years ago half of young men and their mothers might think it’s a good idea

youtu.be/4K5fbQ1-zps?...

If everything connected to Christianity disappears (is forgotten, etc), but for one Bible, would anyone coming across it think it was depicting reality?

Fun with Photoshop

Trump and his administration need to be criticized and revealed, but be cautious to leave the door open for those who voted for him to change their minds and come over to our side. If we attack them, that may just push them further into MAGA when they might have left it.

I know someone who is perpetually angry with little-to-no patience nor tolerance. I’ve found the best way to deal with them is to be as kind and compassionate as I would with anybody. It has worked wonders compared to when I would act more negatively towards them.

For myself, I find that even as I pass 50 I am still learning and growing. Part of that is getting diagnosed with ADHD and getting a new perspective on maybe why my life has been so chaotic and directionless. Though my title here is one I came up with 30 years ago, I see now how perfect it is.

Mr. Binx

Sometimes I wonder about the people who buy every Vai or Satriani signature guitar model that comes out (usually a new limited edition every year or so), but then just keeps them in storage in their cases and never plays them.

There’s a Swedish proverb I like, “He who buys what he does not need steals from himself.” But I think it’s incomplete. Because by buying that thing, he is also keeping someone who does need it from being able to buy it.

Such a simple thing, but I love the little button to go to the top of whatever feed I am doomscrolling on.

I not sure that acting on negativity has ever made the world, let alone my life, any better. But I don’t suppress it. Those moments of negativity reveal to me that something needs changed, healed, loved. Maybe there is nothing supernatural, but there is a deep truth of humanity in love.