Where opinions are ferocious and weird
I wonder if there’s a certain point in time in our lives when we stop adding new things to our brains.
I think about it this way – from the moment we’re born to a certain point, we are constantly cramming things into our brain. We are learning language and social interaction and mathematics and how peek-a-boo is a brutal assault upon our souls.
Continue reading “The opposite of “backward” is “forward.””
A review of Jonathan Moon’s book Stories to Poke Your Eyes Out.
Sometimes I read a collection of short stories and it feels like a roller coaster ride that I’ve been on before. I know the twists and turns, and I can anticipate each one. I have a great time. When I’m done, I feel lighter in my feet.
Continue reading “A certain beautiful brutality”
**A review of Bruce Taylor’s book Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity**
There are two aspects to Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity. They are very different aspects, but I love both.
Continue reading “Clever, beautiful, and heartbreaking at times”
**A review of Lisa Deeter’s CD Just Comparing Notes.**
I was surprised by Deeter’s album Just Comparing Notes.
Continue reading “An amusement park for grown-ups.”A review of Noel Figart’s book At the Foot of the Throne.
I enjoyed At the Foot of the Throne.
That might seem a somewhat simple statement to make, but please let me clarify.
Continue reading “It navigates tricky waters very well!”A review of J. T. O’Connor and J. Walt Layne’s book The Coming Of T’Loal.
O’Connor and Layne remind us that some of the trickiest bits of Lovecraftian horror aren’t the monsters or the rubber suits or the excess use of liquid latex on set.
Continue reading “A fun tour through a Lovecraftian minefield!”
A review of Unknown Music from Dream Quest of Kadath.
Continue reading “A haunting accompaniment”
**A review of Stan Ridgway’s CD Partyball.**
Continue reading “Welcome to America!”
I suspect a lot of people would be a lot less outraged if they considered two possibilities Very Seriously before they opened their mouths or acted:
Continue reading “Plan or Perish”
I’ve been experimenting with the word “creepy” and what it means.1
Continue reading ““Creepy, doll.””
I have always known that people have interfaces. People have ways in which they model their interaction with the Universe around them. Sometimes it is their language, they way in which they speak to each other. Sometimes it is their body movements, they way in which they hold themselves. Sometimes it is via the rules of their custom, the way in which they were raised. Sometimes it is the way in which a lover or friend taught them. Sometimes they pick it up from a book, or a magazine, or a pamphlet, or a piece of nearly random graffiti half-glimpsed through a train window.
Continue reading “Interface Clash”
Welcome to my half-assed manifesto. It’s a bit of a map of how I got to where I am, which is a place I happen to like. There’s an extremely slim chance you might find something interesting in here, which is one of the reasons I’m posting it online.
Continue reading “The Simple Guide to Relationships… or Why Love is Simpler Than You Think”
First, let’s get one thing straight. I call this The Dumbass Trifecta because I’m very hard on myself. If I engage in this behavior – in any element of it – I’m being a dumbass. I don’t care what you call it. Call it whatever you like. Call it “The Unfortunate Triangle.” Whatever it takes. Just read and see it and take note of it and please do your best to not let it ruin precious things for you. Don’t let the name of my container interfere with the message. Or, go ahead and use the name. After all, it helps me, so maybe it’ll help you.
Continue reading “The Dumbass Trifecta”
The problem with love is this: love is wonderful, beautiful, terrifying, debilitating, painful, glorious, and a joy.
The reason that’s such a problem is because people often mistake wonderful things, beautiful things, terrifying things, debilitating things, painful things, glorious things, and joyful things for love.
That’s the problem.
Fixing things is tough. Fixing social things is especially tough. People are dynamical meat systems, and capable of nearly anything.
Continue reading “The Fix Is In.”
There is a value. It is a numerical value.
It is the number of children who have been abused. It is the number of incidents of an organization covering it up. It is the number of times a priest has been moved to a parish to avoid dealing with pedophilia. It is the number of times a priest who tries to stop these incidents or begs the Vatican to stop and change their course is told to shut the hell up and pray and reflect upon what they are trying to do. It is the number of times people are willing to look the other way before they can no longer look the other way.
Continue reading ““It’s a PR problem” is the problem.”
I was joking around in another thread in response to “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” attributed to Sir Isaac Newton.
Continue reading “Let There Be Giants”
Phantom-fighting is all the rage.
Continue reading “Phantom-fighting”
I have seen too many people get screwed by being unable to communicate (myself included). The usual pattern of events ends in something that can best be summarized by “I didn’t know what was going on.” Now me, I hate being ignorant, so I started taking a look at social interactions, with an eye toward simplifying.
Continue reading “How to Communicate”
It feels as if there’s an inverse relationship between a group’s claim at the efficacy of their self-policing and the actual ability for them to self-police.
Continue reading “We all need mirrors”
Power consolidation combined with opaqueness is the perfect hiding place for scoundrels.
Continue reading “Power is a great fertilizer.”
I think one of the greatest personal conflicts any of us has to face – and we do so on a regular basis – is the conflict between what we observe, and what we wish we would be observing.
Continue reading ““But I thought you…””
I’ve known a lot of people who seem very unhappy because they keep forgetting one of the most important relationship facts ever.
Continue reading “It’s like The Drake Equation for sex!”
I read an amusing list online a few days ago. It was a list of how not to be “creepy.” It was all the usual things, such as “don’t touch people without their permission,” and “don’t corner people when they’re alone,” and “pay attention to subtle little things like how we lift our pinkies on Thursday nights when the buffalo calls out to determine whether or not we might or might not be approachable,” and so forth.
Continue reading “We are the cops. You and me.”
I think I’m going to use Sasquatch as a metric of accountability/accuracy.
Continue reading “One Sasquatch”
There’s this sense that people are composed of discrete emotional elements that can be easily separated and encapsulated if need be.
Continue reading “Not the Sum of the Parts”
There are a lot of different essays and documents on having a civilized discussion with someone else. This is mine. I’ve updated a few things.
Continue reading “On Civilized Discourse”
Remember that thing you missed out on, years ago, and how really awesome it was and what a bummer it is that you missed out on it? I suspect it wasn’t quite as sparkly as you remember.
Continue reading “Loss Boosting”
I did not learn to cook until I was quite definitely an adult. I took one Home-Ec class in grade school, but, having a penis, was mostly ignored, or asked to make pillows in the shape of footballs.
Continue reading “Anyone Can Learn to Cook”
You’ve been in a pet store. You’ve seen the signs: “Please don’t tap on the glass.” I try to imagine what tapping on the glass of an aquarium must be like for a fish. I imagine it’s a bit like three or four cars exploding near me, maybe with an airhorn or two to destroy the high end of my hearing, too. I imagine it’s quite traumatizing.
Continue reading “Tapping the Glass”
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