I intimate my classmates were abused by Catholic priests and the response from one very empathetic individual is: So obvious now that someone points it out to me. How could I possibly have missed it all this time!? Amazing.
Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Military operation is not war. No siree. Not war at all. Heck congress passed that CinC directive without declaring war so it must not be war. Yes. That's it. Let's see where's my dictionary... war: noun; a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country military operation: noun; the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. almost sounds like a fucking tea party compared to war. JFC.
Although perhaps we all feel that way from time to time. Our national sport would arguably be AFL - Australian Football League football. There's a quick little FB article from someone in my friend list liking it. It's a complaint, that fans of a particular team dared leave the game early due to a losing position, when one of the team's players was reaching a milestone (300 games). The comments are indicative of the following snippet: I've never been interested in football. I ride a bicycle, race, and watch cycle racing when it's on TV. But the vistas from the helicopter captivate my attention as much as any racing action, if I am honest. So I look at this football story and am completely stumped. It's a game. An activity where the goal is to kick a bladder filled piece of pig skin or synthetic material between two upright posts. One of the people playing is doing so for their 300th game. Spectators have paid money to watch this spectacle. For some reason, they affiliate themselves with one team over all the others, and are probably members, where they have paid even more money to said team to be recognised as such. Randoms. Not directly connected to nor known by the player in any way. The player is being paid a salary for playing the game that would be 2-10 x more than any of the commenters upset at the early leavers. The majority of the comments are disparaging to the early leavers. I don't understand the reaction. What's possibly worse is I probably don't want to understand.
It's cold here. Tomorrow morning it's forecast to be 3C. A short FB status to this effect triggered the following meme. I stole the image from the Interwebs. Should I start a thread?
I would find the forum, then locate the most emotionally raw thread in said forum, then seek to belittle the emotions expressed in that thread, through dismissive and condescending posts. Any attempt to establish a connection with me would be rebuffed. Choose a forum name based on a belligerent TV character or personality. I fuckin' hate trolls.
So someone here posted a thread about a pill to make you straight and how they would not take it. It's so helpful sometimes to get a reality check. Some perspective. It's been a while since I rode my bicycle outside for any length of time, but I have had some incredible experiences of bigoted outrage aimed at me. Why? Because I am riding a bike. Here's an example of what it looks like: I also think that the racial prejudice and slavery, particularly in America, is close enough in our history to see a similar experience for the African American living in that situation. I boarded with a charismatic pentecostal church-going family whose son (my age) got married and had 2 kids before coming out. My Mum's best friend's son, also my age, was a friend at school for a few years and he came out quite a while ago. When I was coaching a group of cyclists I had more than 50% homosexual (gay / lesbian) riders in the group. In all 3 cases, they are just people to me. I think gays are great - leaves more women for me (!?). Dunno what the fuss is about, really. I care for all these people (above) the same way I care about anyone in my life. I see their potential and their abilities, and believe in them. Despite all these gay people in my life, I think being able to empathise, or be aware of their struggle on an ongoing basis, is easy to forget. We have our own struggles, work, incompetent team members, health, desire for a more fulfilling life, a girlfriend. But there's no issue at all if I seek out a woman, pursue or display interest. Well apart from the fact a significant number of female cyclists are lesbian, but on the whole, I will receive no bigotry or stigma for doing the heteronormal thing. I want to reply to that thread. Salute the poster, as a fellow combatant in this world. But respectfully stay silent. I have hope for the human race.
I have 2 beta readers lined up now. Patient ones, who are happy to discuss this and that and willing to wait for however long it is before I start writing the novel itself. I am also contemplating the creation of website(s) for novels, as well as an author website. *thinking noises*
Was the first poem I wrote - well apart from countless limericks but as I previously explained, they are only really noteworthy when created on the spot. This poem went something like this: Little Miss Molly Sat under her brolly Eating a chocolate biscuit Along came Rex Who wanted some too But Molly was too young to risk it. Apologies to little Miss Muffet and her various spiders.
I have been compiling research for my first ever novel, and as I think about the MC and their motivation and thus their behaviour, I realise that yes, it is a projection of me. Perhaps my ideal me, but still me. As I have never written before, I think this may be the easiest pattern to fall into to start with. But. My MC snapped into focus today, and this focusing also gives me a different entry point into the timeline of the story. A far more interesting "it's already set up and pretty much working" vs "how the flying fuck do I set this up and make it interesting because quite frankly it is going to be as boring as batshit". The MC is no longer me. The MC is now the original MC's son. A new, improved version of the original MC, who had far better nurturing and examples as he developed. So excitement. I love how the story just unfolds as I ruminate, and I have not even started writing yet.
http://www.writingforums.org/threads/poetry-contest-264-theme-windows.139128/ "Windows" There was a young fella named Bill Who seemed to be a bit of a dill He said it's ok To have 640k And he's haunted by this premise still It's subtle and nerdy and I am guessing people won't get it. Plus limericks are only impressive if you can see them being created instantly, or never wrote something creative in your own life or nothin' or never. I am going to compete, and I have time to put some thought in. I wonder if my poems will be spurned due to their adherence to rhythm and rhyme. Time will tell. I think for this poem I want to explore the concepts of windows keeping things out, keeping things in, and the "eyes are the windows to the soul" that give you glimpses into another person. I am also contemplating - rightly or wrongly - making everything I write here pertinent to my novel ideas - the trilogy I wish to write. Very fricken pleased to have a blog here I can rant on. Thanks!