Meandering Twilight Rant #002

So, it's definitely been a while since I have last posted. Not only is that unacceptable, but it's inexcusable, as well. I could blame it on my new job (the fourth in six months), or a slow news week (which we all know would be a lie), but I am trying this new thing where I don't make excuses. I have about a week of punditry to catch up on, so for tonight's post, I will forgo any in depth, politically-themed ranting. Instead, I will take the time to allow the handful of you who actually read this to get know me a little bit better.

As some of you know, I am a writer. I don't make money from it (yet), but I do it nearly every day. Some days, it comes as easily as breathing; others, it's like moving a mountain. This last week, while full of realizations and epiphanies, it has been full of the latter. Usually, I average about ten to twenty pages. I think I've written about five since Monday. "Progress is progress," you are say, but I say that is not so. I tend to hold myself to a higher standard. It separates me from the dreamers.

However, I have reached a mind-blowing conclusion. Just because I enjoy writing horror, does not mean that's all I can, should, or want to write. Possessing the capability to write anything from romance to transgressive pieces, warrants actually writing those genres. The talent is there, of that I have no doubt, so why should I stick to only one. I shouldn't, which means I will be producing more work than I ever have. Branding and Marketing have turned out to be my enemies, for now.

This next bit has nothing to do with writing...

We all have friends who are guilty of this. Shit, we're all guilty of this at times, but what's with all the negativity? Throughout my day, I typically hop on facebook because I am bored, curious, or my hands need something to do. Instantly, I am besieged by a torrent of whiny laments. They're not of the "Holy shit, I have cancer" variety, which would be understandable. Mostly, they're of the "I hate my job/life/ex" variety. My only question: If you are so unsatisfied, why don't you do something to change it?

When something in my life isn't living up to the standards I have set, I think of ways to make it better. Working a slave job is pretty much inevitable for a large part of the population, but that's why friends, hobbies, and bars exist. Find an outlet. Don't spew your crap all over the internet. Find something enjoyable and do that. If you're depressed, either get professional help (which I know isn't available to everyone) or talk to a friend or relative. Don't seek attention from one of your eight-hundred followers on twitter, because seven-hundred-eighty-two of them do not give a single fuck. Not even half of one. What you're actually doing is feeding the gossip mill.

My plan to fix this: Three strikes, you're out. If a week passes and I see four nonsensically negative status updates, tweets, or posts, goodbye. I don't need that shit in my life.

The last topic of this meandering rant is a series of questions, of my own devising, to let you, the reader, know where I stand on several issues.

1. Are you a Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian?
None of the above. I tend to focus on policy, rather than the party line. Though, when it comes down to it, I would have to say I'm a Socialist of the scientific variety. If you don't know what that means, read Socialism: Utopian and Scientific.

2. Are you pro-choice or pro-life?
Seeing as how I do not possess a uterus, I am neither. Generally, I refuse to partake in the debate. I believe abortion should be legal (within reason), but only because there are not enough women policy makers to settle that debate.

3. Do you believe in same-sex marriage?
Yes. If a Muslim, Hindi, Mormon, Christian, Atheist, and Buddhist couple can get married, I see no reason that two consenting adults of the same biological sex shouldn't marry. Marriage is not a religious institution; it's a human one. If your particular set of religious beliefs does not condone same-sex marriages, don't let them get married in your church. It's that simple.

4. How about universalized heath care?
Will I pay higher taxes, so that every American has access to decent medical care? Of course. Just because I'm an Atheist, does not mean I don't subscribe to the "Love thy neighbor" mentality. There is no reason that anyone should be forced to choice between rent or groceries and necessary medical care. Besides, preventive care would alleviate a lot of the stress in our health care industry.

5. Woah, woah, woah, you're an Atheist?
Eh, it's easier to claim atheism than it is to actually explain my spiritual beliefs. Anyway, they're my spiritual beliefs, and spiritualism of any kind is a personal thing.

If you have any questions I haven't covered feel free to use the comments section. As for now, the Guinness is doing its job. Happy hunting!

 

Romnify: V. To deliberiately mislead or fabricate.

Man, Romney is certainly on a roll. Too bad it isn't necessarily a good one. Too bad, that is, for him. In a recent interview, Romney claimed Obama's stimulus plan was the definition of "insanity". You know the one: repeating the same action, but expecting a different outcome. If I wasn't so irritated with the steady stream of disinformation from the Red corner, I'd find this rather hilarious, considering that his economic and foreign policies are pretty much just the same failed policies enacted under the Bush administration, which is no surprise since he's working with the same advisers. Romney doesn't even have the decency to repackage it. The talking points his campaign have spewed are the same ones we've been hearing for the last decade.

The cherry topping the entire shitstorm sundae is Romney's refusal to disclose anything more than his last two tax returns. Both sides have agreed, he would benefit from the disclosure, unless he is, in fact rather than speculation, hiding something. He's running on the platform of a common sense businessman, who plans to put the American economy back on track. Showing the voters how much he pays into the services we all use would do wonders for his credibility. Unless he utilizes offshore accounts to stash his millions, depriving the American economy of any sort of benefit. Actually, he does. It's well-documented. Perhaps his reluctance stems from his prosperity through clever manipulation of the tax code. Hell, that'd sure put a damper on his claim that he's good for American business.

Another recent development is with his "tax plan" which would place a greater burden on American's making less than $200,000 a year while reducing the Upper-Class's tax burden by an average of $87,000 a year.  Now tell me, how many small business owners gross $200,000 a year in profits? For someone who acts as if he's the champion of small business owners, his tax plan sure seems to do a lot of damage, especially when you factor in the exemptions and deductions he plans to cut. Maybe it's a matter of definitions. Maybe to Romney a small business is like T-mobile, you know, compared to AT&T.

Honestly, his dishonesty is so readily apparent that if anyone who makes less than $200,000 a year actually votes for him, I don't think I can take their opinion seriously. He's the embodiment of Big Business and Corporate Fat Cats. If you think anything else, you might just be delusional.