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 |  My new blog |
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It is well known that for every measurable human trait, there exists a bell curve. This bell curve is precisely what creates the average. The vast majority of the human population lies in the "average" measurement, and for every person that deviates from the average, there is one other person whose deviation is equal, and opposite, and averages out the first. The standard method of classifying and measuring traits uses percentiles, measured between 1 and 100. The 50th percentile represents the average. So for every individual in the 40th percentile, there is another individual in the 60th percentile. On a more extreme end, for every individual in the 2nd percentile, there is another individual in the 98th percentile. This pattern can be observed in several human traits. In intelligence, for example, there are those whose IQs are below average, even developmentally disabled. There are a roughly equal number of people with IQs above the average, even extremely above average, those we call geniuses. Similarly, and on the more physical side of things, is weight, or more accurately, body fat percentage. Some people are simply born with a higher fat percentage, what we call the "fat gene". On the other end of the scale, some people are born with a lower fat percentage. If such bell curves are known to exist for both mental and physical traits such as these, why not others? It has been shown that some people can be naturally "forgetful". Their brains simply do not retain and recall information as well, or as efficiently, as others. For whatever reason, that part of their brain is simply underdeveloped. Yet despite this, many scientists are reluctant to concede that true "Perfect Recall"--the ability of the brain to remember everything, and in perfect detail--exists naturally. They say that those who claim to possess Perfect Recall simply use memory techniques, or train their brains. Yet if natural forgetfulness can exist, if a person's brain can be underdeveloped in such a way as to hinder memory retention and recall, why can't the opposite exist? Why isn't it possible for a person's brain to be overdeveloped, in such a way as to allow greater retention and recall? On the physical side, a rare condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, colloquially known as "Brittle Bone Disease", is known to exist. True to its colloquial name, it is a condition which inhibits the proper growth of bones, making them more likely to break. If such a condition exists, why couldn't there be a similar "condition" with the opposite effect, causing one's bones to be LESS likely to break? Similarly, some children are known to be born sickly, and immuno-compromised. Their immune systems don't work as well as they should. It stands to reason, therefore, that there should also be children born with a stronger immune system than normal. It makes no sense that there should be individuals on one side of the immunity bell curve, but none on the other side. It's possible, and, I believe, probable, that there are, in fact, individuals on the other side of the bell curve. It is a near-mathematical-certainty, in fact, that they exist for those traits mentioned above--memory, bone strength, and immunity--and others--muscle mass, sensory input, and reflexes, to name but a few. We do not recognize these qualities as abnormal or extraordinary, mostly because we don't even notice them. Nobody notices if a person doesn't get sick. If a person is in an accident that should injure them, but doesn't, we attribute it to good luck, not good genes. These are the traits that are often depicted in comic books as superhuman powers. They are exaggerated in comic books, of course, and some comic book powers--flight, for example--are not possible for humans, but some certainly are. Take, for example, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who at the age of four could play, flawlessly, minuets taught to him by his father, and was composing his own pieces at five. Take Leonardo Da Vinci, for another example. Sketches have been found, drawn by Da Vinci, of birds in flight. No photographic technology existed in that day, and therefore no photographic images taken of the birds in flight. And yet, Da Vinci was able to draw their wing beats with astonishing accuracy. It is believed by many historians that Da Vinci possessed what you might call a "high-speed eye"; he could see minute details, even at high speeds. Those who speak of humanity's arrogance would be shocked when they thought about humanity's low self-esteem. We readily accept and believe that we are imperfect and flawed, even searching out the "down side" to positive traits we possess. Yet we are reluctant to accept, and even refuse to believe, in spite of logic, that we can be, and sometimes are, quite extraordinary. When we don't get sick, despite being surrounded by contagious people, we say we are lucky. When we survive a horrible accident, we say it's a miracle, and we thank God. We fail to consider the possibility that the miracle doesn't come from God, but is, instead, inside ourselves. |
| I got a job! I start on the 14th, at a place called 2k Games. I am going to be a Video Game tester. I'm supposed to test for bugs and whatnot. It feels good to have a job, finally. And video game tester...nice! Not many things better for a nerd like me. My sister asked if they provide Doritos and Red Bull. I don't know about the Doritos, but they may need to provide Red Bull, as it is the night shift, 5pm-2am. But it makes me think...now that I have a job, I think I'd like to start going on MORE interviews, but interviews for jobs that I know I am not going to get, and don't even want. That way, I can fuck with the interviewers. Them: So, why are you interested in working for us? Me: Well, I've walked by the building a couple times, and I've seen a really hot chick in the uniform going in and out, so I thought that working here would be a great way of getting a shot with her. Them: What would you say is your greatest strength? Me: I have the entire Gilligan's Island theme song memorized. Them: ...and your greatest weakness? Me: (thinks) I steal. I mean, I steal a LOT. And not little things like pencils. Big things, like...computers...and...coworkers' cars... That would amuse me to no end. |
| I was talking to a friend once, and I was discussing the phenomenon of "Fairy Rings", which were once thought to be gateways to the Fairy Land, and are caused by fungal colonies growing in a circular pattern. I don't recall exactly what her response was, but the general meaning was that by being interested in the "natural" causes, I somehow lost sight of the beauty and wonder and mystery of the phenomenon, and the lack of spirituality to it. I was confused by how she misinterpreted my thoughts. Similarly, it confuses me how so many people on this site (and just, you know, in general) seem to shy away from science and mathematics because they are "artists". And they seem to think that because I am interested in Science, it somehow means I am less interested in art. Here's the thing...I like to consider myself a Renaissance Man. Somebody in the tradition of Leonardo Da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin. Yes, I am a man of science, but I am also an artist, a philosopher, a man of spirituality. I am interested in politics, psychology, history. Although I personally find most organized religion to be distasteful, the subject holds much interest for me. Although most modern sports bore me, the underlying principles of athletics interest me. Even war holds an academic interest for me. I was reading recently about Richard Feynman. He was a scientist, a physicist. His artist friends would look at a flower and say "it's beautiful," and he would agree. They would then say "as an artist, I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. But you, a scientist, can only see parts put together. You can't appreciate the simple beauty of it." Aside from being presumptuous and rude, it's also inaccurate. Feynman would always say, and I agree, that a knowledge of the science behind the world does nothing to diminish the beauty of it, but only enhances it. It's true, I don't see the simple beauty of it; I see the intricate, complicated beauty. I see the perfect radial symmetry, creating a funnel shape, designed to allow pollen to collect in the center. I see bright colors, to reflect sunlight into the center, and to attract pollinating insects. With flowers, as with people, beauty is more than just how nice it looks. There's more to it than that. The bright colors, the pleasant smells, the warm sunlight, these things are the clothing of nature. Science is nature's soul. Feynman said: "To those who do not know mathematics it is difficult to get across a real feeling as to the beauty, the deepest beauty, of nature ... If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in." Well put, Dr. Feynman. |
| Hey everybody! Today is...or, rather, was...March 14. That's 3-14. In case you didn't know, that means it was a very special day for Math Nerds... Pi Day!! Pi Day is, like, quite possibly the greatest holiday ever. I don't care if some people think it's become too commercial. Do you know how you celebrate Pi Day? Why, by eating Pie, of course! And even if you're not a Math Nerd...really...is there ever a bad excuse to eat pie? ...I mean...really... ...is there?! I mean...seriously... ...PIE!! And, in the spirit of Pi Day, a very nerdy goodbye... 0100111011011110110111101100100011000100111100101100101 |
Robert Waltz   left a comment on my last entry reminding me of the theory that all human emotions are essentially just love and fear. I've heard this theory before...now, granted, the first time I was exposed to it was in a movie (Donnie Darko) which derided the concept, but nevertheless, although I do see the point being made, I'm afraid I have to disagree.To say that all human emotions are essentially either love or fear is akin to saying that all music can be expressed as nothing more than a series of high-frequency sounds and low-frequency sounds. Or, actually, even more than that, like saying that all flavors are expressions of some combination of either sweet or bitter. While one could certainly find an argument to support this for every flavor imaginable, it seems like a bit of a stretch...which doesn't even matter anyway, because that's not the point. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not, but if I'm enjoying my deliciously salty Chicken Noodle Soup, I don't particularly care if it is some expression of sweet and bitter. Furthermore, the other problem I have with this theory is that--as a common tool for motivational speakers--it almost always involves a lesson on how one should live/change one's life, which presupposes that one emotion is inherently superior to another. And while human psychology naturally states that love is PREFERABLE to fear, that doesn't mean that it is a more valid emotion. And even the psychology note is not necessarily true. To be more accurate, one would say that common intuition would assume that love is preferable to fear--in the same sense that common intuition would assume that sweet is preferable to bitter. However, just as alcohol and coffee proves that some people actually prefer bitter flavors, thrill rides and horror movies prove that some people quite enjoy fear. Every emotion, however unpleasant it may be perceived, is valid and important. What's more, value judgements about emotions are academic at best, anyway. Emotions simply ARE. They just happen the way they happen. You respond to a particular stimulus with a particular emotion. There is no value to draw from the result. It's just a feeling. It is our actions, our physical responses to those emotions, which should draw a judgement value. The fact is, the love/fear dichotomy fails to satisfactorily explain such emotions as anger. When I am angry, I'm not fearful, or loving. I'm angry. It also doesn't quite account for happiness. Why does one feel happy? What about optimism--those times when one feels happy when there is no logical reason to? Reducing all human emotion to a dichotomy of love and fear ignores, or at least devalues, a huge range of emotion. What about pride? What about lust? What about the rest of the seven deadly sins (another demonization of emotion that I don't like)? I believe that we humans have a wide range of emotions for the sake of using them. Experiencing that broad spectrum of emotion is what makes us human, it's what I believe defines "the human condition". If the whole spectrum of human experience can be boiled down to two things...I for one don't think I want to be a part of it. I feel many emotions, and whether or not you can connect them to love or fear, I don't care. I like the way they feel, by themselves. In my opinion, it's just a game, an amusing distraction--Six Degrees of Love or Fear. You can play it if you want. I'll just as soon take it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly (I'll also take a fistful of dollars, and a few dollars more, if you got 'em). It seems to me that this theory is designed for escapism. We find certain emotions unpleasant, so if we can boil them down to two things, then we can choose the more pleasant one. "But there are so many better things in the world...like...silly...and sexy...and...brief..." To me, emotions are like colors...musical notes...words. They are beautiful things. You can use them to create something even more beautiful. A work of art...music...poetry. There's no way I would ever reduce poetry to "yes" and "no". |
| I've decided that the flag of the United States of America...Old Glory, as she's called...should be replaced. It should be replaced by something which better captures the spirit of what America is all about. I nominate Edvard Munch's The Scream. We as a culture are inundated by fear. We're surrounded by it. Our leaders, our media, our authority figures, our friends, parents, all tell us that nobody can be trusted, that we should be afraid, very afraid. And, ironically, we are told to be afraid of...our leaders, our media, our authority figures, etc...along with our technology, our food, our medicine, our homes, our cities, our environment...neighbors, strangers, other races, other religions, people different from us, people the same as us, our own families, our own friends, our own bodies. Sun, rain, snow, fog, all things to be feared. We are such a fearful culture, that they have coined quite possibly the most ridiculous phobia ever... ...fear of success. Franklin Roosevelt said "we have nothing to fear but Fear itself"...well, that's good, because we're afraid of fear, too! They have commercials for Anxiety medication, what is anxiety? Fear. "Do you suffer from Anxiety?" "Shit, do I? Oh God, I think I do!" We're afraid of moving out legs, because if we do, we might have Restless Leg Syndrome. But then, we don't take the medication, because...we're too afraid of the side-effects. Fear is a fascinating subject to me. To be honest, I rarely experience it. Real, true, genuine fear is a rarity for me. I once saw a special on TV, and subsequently read about the phenomenon, of a man with a genetic predisposition to fearlessness. Apparently, there are a variety of genetic factors that influence a person's natural fear response, and the actual level of a person's fearfulness runs a large gamut from almost completely fearless to almost completely fearful...something which fascinates me, because of how it relates to the intro to this blog. Could fearlessness be considered a super power? Daredevil is nicknamed "the Man Without Fear"...and the Green Lantern Power Ring is supposed to go to a man who has never known fear. But is fearlessness truly an asset? Or is it, perhaps, a liability? After all, if you are unafraid to walk across a busy street, that could certainly be quite hazardous to your health. Then again, is that truly a question of fear, or simply common sense? I believe that I am somewhat on the "fearless" side of the genetic scale. I do not go walking across busy streets, but not because I am afraid to. Rather, I am aware that if I do, I may well be hit by a care, and whatever goal or goals I intend to accomplish, short-or-long-term, getting hit by a car would be counter-productive. It doesn't take that much more effort to walk to the nearest crosswalk. Other situations that would give many other people fear do nothing to move me. Walking through a dark alley at night, for example. Walking through a bad neighborhood, for another. In the latter case, I believe fearlessness to be an asset. The thing to fear in a bad neighborhood is things like muggings. Muggers are predators. I mean that literally. They behave exactly like predators in the wild. If you do not feel fear, or at least do not show fear, you project confidence. A confident person is likely to have a reason to be confident. At any rate, a fearful, nervous person is more likely to be helpless/defenseless. Otherwise, why would they be afraid? And the fear itself is another tool that you can use to control them. A confident person simply isn't worth the risk to attack. A fearful person is always a safe bet. If you're a mugger, you're bound to see plenty of people walking by. Personally, I would let the confident one go by, and wait for a nice timid one. Separating the weak and the sick from the rest of the herd. Remember the story of the two men running from the tiger. One says "we can never outrun this tiger!" and the other one says "I don't need to outrun the tiger; I only need to outrun you!" You only need to be less worth the risk than the next guy who happens by. On a different, but related note, I'm thinking about possibly starting a group, or perhaps a contest, for old pulp-style horror short stories...like Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft style. It could be set up like one of those old pulp magazines. I wonder if anybody would be interested... And as far as the "Loathing" in the title...erm...that's just there for the Hunter Thompson reference. Don't fear the reaper... |
| I can't sleep. I very rarely can. Honestly, it doesn't bother me that much. I always hear about what an affliction Insomnia is. I suppose if I literally didn't sleep at all, ever, it would probably get to me, but to be perfectly honest, at this point I kind of like being awake all the time. My only complaint is that it gets a little boring. If I had more to do, I could totally get into it. If I had a choice, I would totally choose to not NEED sleep. Such a thing would probably only work if I lived by myself; other people for some reason get annoyed when you're up all night. But then again, ideally, I think I WOULD live by myself. I wouldn't really say that I don't like people; they're annoying, but as a general rule I get along with them pretty well. But I'm definitely a recluse. I like to go out and interact with people...sometimes. And I like interacting with people via the internet. And sometimes...sometimes...I even like sharing my living space with a person for a short while. But by nature I'm pretty antisocial. What can I say, but that I'm a Scorpio? Arachnids don't play well with others. I hate extreme-late-night TV...like, 3am TV. The commercials are a pain in the ass. They have commercials for sleep aids, which makes sense of course. It's good marketing, really. Not only is your target demographic likely to see it, but they're probably also groggy from sleep deprivation, and therefore aren't paying as much attention to your horrific side effects. But 3am TV ALSO has commercials for "male enhancement" more than any other time slot, which is just curious to me. Is there somebody at home saying "gee, I would be sleeping right now if my cock were bigger"? Speaking of TV, has anybody seen any ads for this new movie, Untraceable? One of the little blurbs for it says it is "the Silence of the Lambs for the internet age"...ok...that's a bit much. You know some of these critics are paid off to say good things about it, because they WAY overshoot...it's like you're watching a TV spot for Will Ferrell's new movie, where he plays a dimwitted, arrogant (insert profession here), and one of the little blurbs says "this is the single greatest thing that the human race has ever...or WILL ever...produce". I've heard some of those blurbs are actually written by the studio heads, or by the marketing department or something, and attributed to fake critics for fake newspapers in fake towns. Know how you can tell which ones are fake? It's the ones that use the word "rollicking". Because no real human being has ever actually used the word "rollicking". Decades ago, MGM commissioned Dr. Seuss and said "what's a good word that sounds exciting?" And Dr. Seuss said "I don't know...rollicking?" Jesus, I wish I could make up words for a living; I've been looking for a job, with very little (ahem, NO) luck. The reason I haven't had any luck is because even answering an ad for a place looking for a janitor, you have to have, like, nineteen years of toilet-cleaning experience, and you have to take a little personality test with questions like "have you stopped smoking crack?". I'm sorry, am I not experienced and/or ethical enough to stand behind a counter and ring up people's DVDs? Is it really necessary for me to suffer the indignity of showing up in a suit with a resume to apply for a job involving a name tag, looking like I'm applying at the First Fucking National Bank of Toolsville? And after all that, do you really have to bring in the clinical psychologist, interrupting her study of rapists and murderers for her thesis, to design a little test to determine whether or not I am ethical enough to wear your goddamn name tag? Experience? You want experience? You want someone with three years retail experience? If I were still in high school and trying to get my first job, I wouldn't HAVE three years experience. Right now I'm 25, and I still don't have three years retail experience, and you know something else? If I HAD three years retail experience, it would mean that I have been working retail for three years. If that were the case, I wouldn't apply for you, I would probably, y'know, kill myself. Because if I've been working retail for three years, and I'm actively seeking a NEW retail job, that's probably it for me, that's probably going to me my life. If I'm going into my fourth year in a retail career and no other opportunity is presenting itself to me, I can probably expect to be working at that same Wal*Mart until I'm 80 years old and I keel over in the middle of saying "Welcome to..." You know why the economy sucks? Because the job market sucks. You know why the job market sucks? Because it's full of bullshit, that's why. Everybody is trying to do as little work as possible, so they create such ridiculous restrictions to getting a job that nobody can get a fucking job! Anybody who can jump through your myriad hoops--and has a modicum of self-respect--is overqualified for the job you're offering. You are not that special. If someone meets all of your requirements, they're not going to take your job, because they can probably get a better one. The people who NEED the shit job that you're offering do not meet your requirements. The job market sucks because only people who have had jobs can get jobs. That's why the job market sucks, that's why unemployment is so high, which is why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and why homelessness is so high, why poverty is rampant, which is what breeds desperation, which is why the crime rate is so high. And that's why the economy is in tatters. Which is bad enough, but then we have to stare at the face of our leader, a frat boy who sports a shit-eating grin every time he gets to use a word from his word-a-day calendar while he takes orders from Oswald Cobblepot God bless America. We sure as Hell need it. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress. |
| Thank you guys for your support. Seth is doing alright. The story that I heard from him is that a few weeks ago, he started getting migraines really bad. Eventually, it got bad enough that he went to the local hospital. They gave him a migraine shot and sent him on his way. About a week later he was back in the hospital. They took a spinal tap (fuckin' OW!!) and determined that he had a spinal infection. They actually had to perform brain surgery on him, and a part of his skull was so infected that they couldn't save it. He is going to have to have a plate in his head ("the bad new", he says...we both agree that as far as bad news goes, he could do a lot worse). Yes, I did get to talk to him personally. His aunt told me a lot of the story, and told me that he's okay, he's recovering now from the surgery, is alert, and has a phone in his room, so that's when I called him. He sounds weak, and is speaking a bit slower than usual, but otherwise sounds alright. His aunt tells me that his head is still swollen, and apparently the infection was worse than any the hospital had ever seen before. That in itself is something of a blessing in disguise, because that means he was sent to OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) so that they could study him. Not too shabby, considering he doesn't have insurance. Unfortunately, it isn't all sunshine and roses. His aunt says that his swelling isn't going down quite as quickly as the doctors expected. I'm hoping that's not a bad thing. So, anyway, that's the news. All in all, I am pretty relieved. Thanks for your well-wishes and prayers, and I am in much lighter spirits, now. |
| A very quick word of prologue: I have a friend, named Seth, who has been my best friend since kindergarten. 20+ years. He has officially transcended the title of "friend"...truthfully, he did that several years ago. He's family. He's my brother. I don't even say he's LIKE a brother to me. He IS my brother. This past year I learned that he has liver cancer. Thus far it hasn't seemed particularly serious. I just received a message from his aunt: "I am Seth's Aunt Holly. We met when you were much younger. Seth is in the hospital and would like me to let you know what is happening to him. It's pretty serious." It worries me that he was apparently entirely unable to contact me himself. At the moment, it is too late to call. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what is happening. I hope to hear good news, or at the very least, not the worst news. I hope to hear that this is temporary, and he will leave the hospital. I hope to hear that he will live for quite some time to come. I hope to hear his voice again. I hope to see his face again, the next time I go back to Oregon. I hope to make him best man for my wedding, whenever that will be. I hope to hear that I will not lose my brother for a very long time. But I am very worried. I am so worried, that when I read the message from his aunt, I did something that I have only done, sincerely, twice before in my life. I prayed. I prayed for the Great Spirit to watch over him, and help him, and give him health. Anybody who read my last blog, anybody who knows me, knows what a momentous thing that is for me, and that should give you some idea of how I'm feeling now. And I am asking all of you (all two of you, apparently)...whatever your beliefs, whatever God you would be inclined to pray to, if you think that you can, at all, find it in you to pray, and mean it, I am asking you...please pray for my friend. Pray for my brother. Whatever mistakes he's made in his life...he's a good man. And I love him. Please, pray for him. Thank you, and...I'll keep you posted. |
| So, here in California there are some ballot measures, 94 through 97, the purpose of which is to get state revenue from Native American tribal casinos. Now, it's my understanding that the state will allow the tribes in question to build casinos off-reservation, on the condition that the state receives a certain percentage of the revenue. This way, the tribes get revenue that they couldn't get if they did not share the profits. The main arguments against these measures is that they are designed to give money to the "four richest tribes" (which is a little bit like being the strongest paraplegic) in the state. MY problem with these measures is actually in the basic premise of it: I honestly do not think they should share. And that brings me to the topic of tonight's blog. One of the most common arguments I hear against Indian casinos in general is that they rake in a lot of tax-free money. I've heard this argument from many people...from friends...from otherwise liberal people. Let me tell you what's wrong with this argument. I'll start with the tax issue. Yes, the money from casinos is completely tax-free. The casino doesn't pay taxes on it. The tribe doesn't pay taxes on it. Nobody pays taxes on it. That is because the casinos are not in the United States. Thus far, all Indian casinos have been built either on reservations, or at the very least, on land owned by the respective tribes. All (federally-recognized) Native American tribes are sovereign governmental entities. To put simply, every Native American tribe is a sovereign nation. They are under the semi-colonial rule of the United States, but for all intents and purposes, they are their own nations. The concept is similar to Puerto Rico, but with actually MORE autonomy. So that is why they don't pay taxes to the United States. Why should they pay tax to a foreign nation? The tax issue actually really touches the heart of the second issue. You see, the argument that "Indian casinos rake in tons of tax-free money" is misleading. Yes, it is tax-free, and yes, the casinos do technically bring in a lot of money, but what you have to realize is that many tribes--my own included--do not require their citizens to pay any taxes. Those tribes that do have considerably lower taxes than the U.S. Bear in mind, these are sovereign governments. The only U.S. law enforcement with jurisdiction on the reservations are the Bureau of Indian Affairs police and the FBI. That means that every tribe must maintain its own police force. Reservation residents cannot make the commute to off-reservation schools, so every tribe has its own on-reservation school system, which must be maintained by the tribe. The government itself must have a place, some kind of capital, at which to convene. Housing, waste, energy, water, all must be maintained by the particular tribal government. That all requires government revenue. If the citizens do not pay taxes, where do they get the revenue to maintain police (and other public services)? Correct. From the casinos (and other revenue-building ventures, but the casinos are most focused-on). The casinos really only take the place of taxes in other governments. Some tribes, my own included, even allocate a certain percentage of the revenue to divide up among the tribal members. That does NOT mean that we tribal members are up to our ears in money. On the first of every August I get a check from my tribe. Last August the check was for just over a thousand dollars (every tribal member gets an identical amount). I think you'll agree that that is hardly a lot of money. So the casinos provide revenue for the government that in other governments is acquired through taxes. That must mean that we have all our needs covered, right? Well... If you are interested in seeing just how financially secure we really are, I would urge you to take a trip to the nearest Indian reservation and see how the people live. It's third-world conditions. When I mention this, the most common response is "well if it's so bad on reservations, why do the people live on them?" This sounds to me exactly like why people continue to live in ghettos. They have no other option. The people are poor. They can't AFFORD to live anywhere else. It's the reservation, or the streets. Some people actually choose the streets. Seriously, find the reservation nearest you, and go check it out. And while you're there, visit the casino. And try to lose. It's pretty cheap rent, in the long run. I'm Silver, and that's news to me. |
| So, here's the thing...I hurt somebody's feelings recently with something I said, and while I meant what I said, and still do, I regret that I hurt this person's feelings, and should have been a bit more delicate with it. Which brings me to something you should know about me. Something which probably is no huge revelation. Something which probably does not come as a surprise at all, yet people still seem to forget it. I am an irritable person. Truly. I love you all, you're all great people, you're my friends, but I guarantee you, every single one of you does something, has some habit, which aggravates the hell out of me on a regular basis. If you have had a conversation with me, with very few exceptions, you have irritated me. That is my nature. I am what I am. This is not restricted to you. This is universal. The good news is, I am aware that I am overly-irritable, and so I behave accordingly. By which I mean, I bite my tongue over 90% of the shit that drives me nuts. Do you realize how many times I'm talking to somebody...somebody I LIKE, whom I consider a FRIEND...and I just want to grab them by their head and scream "your grandmother was NOT a Cherokee princess, you douchebag!!" or "it's pronounced 'NUCLEAR', not 'NUKULAR'!!" Ever watch Curb Your Enthusiasm? That's me. I am Larry David, George Costanza incarnate. Honestly, it's a miracle that I have any friends at all. I attribute this to the fact that those that are my friends have come to accept it, and know that if I do reach the breaking point and go off on them, it's nothing personal. And it does happen. I try to keep my mouth shut, but I can only take so much. So sometimes I do go off on someone. If that happens with you, all I can say is that I'm sorry, and it's nothing personal. I'll be honest with you, whatever it is that I rant about, you could make my life a little bit easier by examining that behavior of yours, but even if you stopped doing it, it would probably be replaced by something else which drives me nuts, so it's probably not worth your effort. Don't worry about it too much. Honestly, your best bet is just to let it roll off your back. Roll your eyes, shake your head, give me a little pat on the shoulder or head or something. Say something like "awww, your grumpy! Somebody needs a hug, Mr. Grumpy Man!" Just a little something from the Silver Instruction Manual. Goodnight...and good luck. |
| Lewis Black turns 60 years old in August. Don Rickles will turn 82 in May. Conclusion: venom, bile, and spite are the keys to eternal youth. Good news, Waltz! You and I will never die. The meek will inherit the Earth, my ASS!! Now get the hell off my lawn. |
| Hey everybody. Yup, I finally got my upgrade back, and finally started my new blog. Huge thanks go out to Robert Waltz for the upgrade. So, about the blog introduction up there. I know it doesn't seem like your usual blog intro, but it's been a topic that I've wanted to tackle for quite some time, so I figured, why the hell not? So, I can't think of anything specific to talk about at the moment, so I'll just say: I'm back, bitches!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!! And that's the way it is. ![Merit Badge in Appreciation
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The Aristocrats managed to shock even me. LOL Good job, Silver. And you look so sweet and innocent...*^*Laugh*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Job_Well_Done-1150.gif) ![Merit Badge in Writing.Com 3rd Anniversary
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on his face and reached for his gun - I jumped into the trees. Yeah, I have a nice ass, and I'd like to keep it that way.