Pondering things.

As much as I did not enjoy the work in my old job, the money made it tolerable. It’s scary to think of what we are willing to compromise for money. What happens to a dream deferred? I think Mr. Hughes had it right when he said that maybe it just sags, like a heavy load.

I don’t remember having any dreams of the future when I was younger (and maybe this is the saddest part of all) but I’m sure it never involved working behind a computer for the rest of my life.

I’m glad I have a clear vision of what I want to contribute to the world. I want to say that it’s a shame that it took me so long to come to this but I’m also one hundred percent grateful and recognize that there is little reward in beating myself up and thinking about what ifs or shoulda woulda couldas.

I wish tumblr was more of a writing community.

Is writing just too much work for people? I keep up with my blogging as a way to flex whatever localized area of the brain that is responsible for transposing thought to written word. I’m sure there is a whole bunch of shit going on in the brain when we’re forced to write and you can probably find a neuroscientist out there to confirm that.

I love it when I stumble across blogs of acquaintances because other than satisfying my voyeurism, I think it’s really interesting to experience somebody you know in a different way. Blogs are a bridge between Facebook and journals/diaries. You know the person writing is writing with the intention that it’s going to be read by SOMEBODY on the internet, but there’s still a personal element to it.

Maybe people are writing shy, like how some people are camera shy? Maybe they’re not comfortable with their voice when they write? Maybe it’s easier to curate how you want your life to look one neat status at a time. Blogging is a little more work.

I’m wary of hero worship or any type of idolatry for that matter, but Joe Rogan is as close to an idol or hero to me as anybody could possibly be.

I am always violently offended when people don’t know who Joe Rogan is until I get over the fact that not everybody has seen Newsradio or Fear Factor or know of him from his commentary in the UFC or knows him from his standup.

It’s okay though because I’ve never tried a Big Mac in my life so it’s understandable that SOME people can be late to the game in life but still appreciate it when they arrive.

I’m in agreement with his outrage over marijuana being classified as a Schedule I substance. Why the fuck is something as harmless as marijuana classified as a Schedule substance?

I love his open minded attitude towards hallucinogens and spirituality.

BUT why I really love Joe Rogan is his passion. He is passionate about combat sports, the art of comedy and pool. People comment on what a workhorse he is for pumping out the amount of podcasts he does in addition to his other work and he always says it never feels like work to him. He also happens to be great in everything he loves to do. He’s a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a GREAT mma commentator, a relatively prolific comedian, and a highly skilled pool enthusiast. PLUS he is a great podcaster.

I can go on and on about Joe Rogan so let me stop now before the mancrush thing gets too out of hand.

Today is one of those days where I just want to crawl into a hole and die. I’m physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and the worst part is that I haven’t even been operating at 100%.

I wish I could just yell to the world TIME OUT but there ain’t none of that in this game.

Major IDGAF-mode right now and I’m totally going to attribute my current bitchassness to these flu-like symptoms that are here one minute gone the next. 

Quick News Recap:

It’s that wonderful time of the year people!

According to receipts and initial growth estimates, the American consumer spent cautiously this holiday season. Consumer analysts relate this behavior as a direct projection to a public worry of potential tax hikes triggered at the end of the year. The American media calls this the “Fiscal Cliff” crisis, an automatic discontinuation of Bush Era tax-cuts mixed with spending cuts and the shelving of stimulative measures initiated in the aftermath of the Recession. 

This abrupt shift in economic policy will erase enough growth in GDP to place the United States, and related western economies, in Recession-or deeper. What the media seems to forget to explain is that the direct effect of said ‘fiscal cliff’ is a direct consequence of the debt ceiling impasse of 2011, when the effort to raise the debt limit of the government- and not default on accrued debt- was compromised by the philosophical infighting of a divided 112th American congressional body, bringing the actual cuts and projected tax hikes to occur this year if there was no agreement otherwise. 

Due in part of this being 112th congressional body’s lame duck session, it may just seem like we will in fact go over this ‘cliff’ and enjoy Clinton-era tax rates…

Happy Holidays Everyone. 

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre, I’ve found it interesting how important it is for us as a society to understand tragedies like this and how to prevent it going forward. Absolutely reasonable and understandable, of course. These are not things we want to promote as a society, and it is in the best interest of everybody to work towards a world that values peace, love and life.

Everyone has an opinion.

• Gun control laws are too soft.
• God is missing from the classroom and we need mandatory prayer.
• Mental illness as an issue needs to be part of the conversation.

Etcetera etcetera.

When I hear somebody adamant on what the problem was or what the solution is, what I hear is oversimplification to a complex problem. I applaud Obama for stating that “these tragedies must end,” and it is undoubtedly necessary to do our best to prevent things like this from ever happening, but will tragedies like this ever end? Those are great words from our country’s leader, but I don’t believe we will ever be able to prevent tragedies from occurring, and I’m sure you don’t either.

We can do our best to make sense of the senseless, but I believe it’s important to accept it as an act of senseless violence instead of believing that we can control everything. Let go of the idea of control.

This also brings to mind something a very wise person said recently. How much better is it to be FOR something, than to fight AGAINST something? We are focused on this idea that we are always at war with everything. To me, it’s not simply semantics. It’s a shift in thinking. Instead of fighting against hunger, how about being for a world where each person gets to eat and be properly nourished. Instead of preventing tragedies like this from occurring, how about being for a world where children are nurtured with love.

This tragedy has not tarnished my faith in humanity. I was incredibly moved by the heroism displayed by the teachers and I’m proud to live in a world where there are people who acted so selflessly at a time when there was every reason to be selfish.