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 My primary Writing.com blog. |
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Logocentric (adj). Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics). Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:  "The Soundtrackers Group"  "Blog Harbor" "Blogging Circle of Friends " "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" "JAFBG" "Take up Your Cross Blog Forum" Thanks for stopping by! 
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For this challenge, I wanted to pick an artist that I haven't often featured in my Soundtrackers entries, which meant that a lot of my go-to favorite artists with a discography large enough to support ten song picks (Taylor Swift, The Band CAMINO, etc.) were off the table. I almost went with Linkin Park because I had picked them for my ill-fated "Musicology Anthology" entry this year that never got off the ground, but then I really thought about artists that I've been listening to a lot recently and for some reason Avril Lavigne popped into my head.I used to listen to her music a lot in college (Let Go, Under My Skin, and The Best Damn Thing were all released either during my college years or in my early-to-mid twenties shortly after), and then I kind of lost track of her until a song from a 2019 album caught my attention a few years ago. Then I didn't think much about her again until earlier this year when a song from her 2022 album found its way onto my Spotify playlist and I decided to take a trip back through her discography. I was really surprised to find that she's now released seven studio albums in the past twenty years. This was the song I wanted to pick first for the "Barrel of Monkeys" challenge because it perfectly encapsulates what I really love about her as an artist, which is that she's unapologetically pop-punk and doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. The whole "I'll never grow up" vibe is something that's easy to claim and sing about in your twenties, but when you're still doing it twenty years later, it has a bit more cache to it. I like the fact that, while she has evolved as an artist, it doesn't matter if you're listening to a song off her 2002 album or her 2022 album; the sound is the same and she knows who she is as an artist.I think I have a particular affinity for this song right now, too, because I'm in the middle of one of those adulting seasons where there's so much to do, so many responsibilities to fulfill, and where life just doesn't seem like much more than repetitive not-very-fun tasks that you have to do because you, you know, an adult with tiny humans that rely on you to provide for them. There's something I deeply empathize with about looking back on your earlier years when your biggest priority in the world was having carefree fun with your friends. I'm really excited for this Barrel of Monkeys challenge this year, and especially to a deeper dive on Avril Lavigne's discography. I plan to take a look at songs both old and new, ones that I listened to on repeat between classes in college two decades ago, and ones that I've discovered and been listening to a lot this year after a period of rediscovery. Thanks for joining me. (501 words) |
| WDC 48-Hour Challenge: Media Prompt | Prompt ▼ This song officially falls in the "WTF did I just listen to" musical genre.  I really don't know what to say about a song about disco snails, so I decided to do a little research on where this came from instead. Apparently "Vulfmon" is the solo alias of a musician named Jack Stratton, who also created the funk band called Vulfpeck which has released multiple albums and EPs. While I can't say that funk is a genre I'm particularly interested in or excited about, I do have an appreciation for what this band has managed to accomplish. In particular, there are two accomplishments they're particularly notable for: First (and most recently), they're the first band to sell out Madison Square Garden without the help of a manager or backing label. They ended up recording that concert as a live album and releasing it in 2019. Second (and most impressively), they are also somewhat infamous for exploiting Spotify's royalty structure with their 2014 album Sleepify which is actually an "album" consisting of ten tracks (each approximately 30 seconds long) of complete silence, which they encouraged their fans to listen to on repeat while they slept. They then planned on using the royalties earned from millions and millions of Spotify listens to crowdfund a free public concert for their fans. They ultimately earned just over $20,000 in royalties from the album, although it was subsequently removed from Spotify after a little over a month. Gotta respect the hustle.  (251 words) |
| To qualify for my Watch List every month, the following has to be something that I've watched that's new to me. It doesn't necessarily have to be a current show, but it can't be reruns or rewatches of something I've already seen. So if I'm including it in this list, it means this month is the first time I've watched it. I'll put "DNF" (Did Not Finish) next to anything that I stopped watching and have no immediate plans to finish. Movies  Harold and the Purple Crayon The Monkey King The Sea Beast Ultraman: RisingTelevision The Bear (Season 3) Betrayal: The Perfect Husband Unicorn AcademyOther Critical Role (Campaign 3, Episode 102) Critical Role (Campaign 3, Episode 103)August, if you couldn't tell, was a "mostly watched stuff the kids picked out" kind of month. I can't say that any of the movies really impressed me, and the television was pretty lackluster too. I really love The Bear, and the episode "Forks" from Season 2 is probably one of the best episodes of television I've seen in the past five years, but this season left a lot to be desired. The first two seasons were working toward something (the protagonist coming back and taking over the family sandwich shop after his brother's suicide, and turning that sandwich restaurant into a fine dining establishment, respectively), but the only thing that happened this season was a bit of soul-searching, it seemed like. It was slow because none of the characters seemed to be working toward any kind of goal, and no narrative was developing. There were still some good episodes, for sure, but it was kinda slow going and didn't live up to the hype of the first two seasons, IMHO. One thing I did get back into recently (as also evidenced by my reading, which everyone in the "Book Brothel" is probably tired of hearing about ) was watching the Critical Role webseries, which is a live-play Dungeons & Dragons campaign where the Dungeon Master (DM) and the players are all voice actors. It's easily the most popular live-play tabletop roleplaying game program on the internet (of which there are now many), and I've been watching it to get some ideas for my own campaign about how to structure gameplay. Matthew Mercer is one of the best DMs out there, and it's fun to see how he tells a story and runs a game. I've definitely taken a few tips and tricks from him and have incorporated them into my own home game.TOP PICK: Critical Role |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3197 Prompt ▼ The things I tend to pull from real life for my writing tend to be more indirect. I'll get an idea for the subject matter for a story from something I've experienced in real life, or will find inspiration in some other kind of media I've watched or listened to. I read a lot of different types of things and stuff will stick in my head that I'll reference or adapt at some point when the situation calls for it. A lot of writers swear by finding inspiration for characters in real life, either basing characters on people they actually know, or stories that they've experienced in their actual lives, and I can't say I find either a particularly effective writing tool for my own work. I might use a personality trait or quirk that I notice from one place or another, but I've never been the kind of writer who writes down snippets of dialogue overheard out and about in the real world, or take an entire personality wholesale and transplant it into a story. When I write fantasy and science fiction, I definitely look for historical narratives or even current news that I can adapt for an alternate setting. I tend to use those more frequently than characterization because I think fantasy and science fiction are at their best when they're allegories for something in the real world, and it also helps add a familiar framework or structure to what can otherwise be a really hard to relate to pair of genres if they get too weird or "out there." I tend to stay away from friends and family entirely, and that's for a few reasons. First, I don't want them to recognize themselves in the fiction I write (unless I'm intentionally trying to do so with their knowledge and consent). Second, most of my family and friends are just regular people, and I tend to enjoy writing stories about extraordinary circumstances. Realistic, everyday fiction isn't really my thing. And third, I get enough of my family in friends in my real life. Writing fiction for me is an escape, so I generally focus on characters and situations that I don't experience in my everyday life. Overall, I think it's safe to say that we all draw inspiration from real life, whether it's intentional or not. My inspirations just tend to be more of the indirect variety rather than direct lifts from the real world. (407 words) |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3190 Prompt ▼ I'm typically the most influenced by two types of people: the ones I really admire, and the ones that really drive me crazy. People that I really admire give me something to aspire to. Over the years, I've found friends, coworkers, religious leaders, family members, etc. to all be huge influences on who I am now. In particular, a former boss and then mentor at work was the first executive who really showed me how to be a supervisor and a leader without being a jerk. My parents also taught me general responsibility and a strong work ethic. My pastor helped shape and better understand my faith. People that drive me crazy can be just as, if not more influential for all the things I've learned not to do. I had two bosses, one of which was an egomaniacal narcissist and the other which was a passive aggressive manipulator, and I learned from both of them how not to manage people and conduct business. I've met plenty of religious people who have shown me how not to live out my faith. Generally speaking, I'm okay with all the influences in my life because they've all shaped who I am today... and I'm pretty okay with who I am today.  Both good and bad influences have formed my view of the world, and how I interact with it. If I didn't have those good and bad times that created those environments and the takeaways I had from them, I don't think I'd be the same person.(257 words) |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3183 Prompt ▼ I'll be the first to admit that my fashion choices (particularly when it comes to shoes) are not the most sophisticated. As someone who works from home most of the time (and even when I do work in the office, the entertainment industry is famously casual on the production side), I don't have a lot of occasions to dress up. Most years, I wear a suit (or shirt and tie) less than half a dozen times. My go-to is a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves... with athletic shoes. I have a couple of pairs of running shoes that I wear most often (Hoka and Brooks are my favorite brands), and then I have a couple other pairs of casual shoes (currently Vans). Part of the issue is that, even if I did have an occasion to wear nicer things, I doubt I would because I just don't really care all that much about being fashionable. Comfort trumps style in my book, so even if someone came to me and said, "I'll buy you any pair of shoes you want," I'd immediately start thinking about something that I can comfortably wear day-in-day-out rather than, say, an expensive pair of dress shoes that would come out of my closet maybe a couple of times a year. I suppose if I could try anything out, I'd go for one of those hybrid shoes that they're starting to make now, where they're leather dress shoes on top, but have athletic shoe soles. They're supposed to be super comfortable and also look a little classier. There's a version by a company called Wolf and Shepherd which I've never heard of before and charges $295 for the shoes (also more than I'm likely to ever spend on a pair of shoes), so I suppose I'd take a flier on something like that if I ever had an opportunity to go out and have someone buy me a new pair of shoes. In the absence of that, I'm probably sticking with my year-old Hokas and Vans until it's time to replace them. (352 words) |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3176 Prompt ▼ I've owned pets for most of my life, although we don't currently have any. I've loved animals ever since I was a young kid, which is probably why I've had three dogs and probably a dozen cats over the years (a couple at a time, not all at once ). The last cat we had was one that we had for nearly twenty years and she passed away around the time we started fostering our kids, so we haven't replaced her yet. We also live in a place that doesn't have a fenced-in yard, so we're hesitant to get another dog if there isn't anywhere for him or her to run around and play, especially while were not at home since my wife and I both work.Our family really loves animals, though. The dream one day is to have a house with a big yard so we can have all kinds of animals running around. I'm pretty sure my wife secretly wants to live on a farm... not to do any actual farming, but to get a chance to see all the animals that you typically find on one. Me? Personally, I'd just settle for a single family house with a modest backyard so we can get a dog and let them run around back there when we're out and about. In the meantime, while we do love animals, we've also really enjoyed not cleaning up after a pet for the past five years or so. After so many years of having them, I'd almost forgotten what it's like to leave the house without having to worry if they're fed, to plan to go on a trip without looking into pet sitting or boarding options, etc. While I'm absolutely sure that another pet is in our future at some point, it's been nice not having one from a clean house and maintenance (and cost!) perspective. (320 words) |
| To qualify for my Watch List every month, the following has to be something that I've watched that's new to me. It doesn't necessarily have to be a current show, but it can't be reruns or rewatches of something I've already seen. So if I'm including it in this list, it means this month is the first time I've watched it. I'll put "DNF" (Did Not Finish) next to anything that I stopped watching and have no immediate plans to finish. Movies The Adam Project Deadpool & Wolverine Despicable Me 4 The Fall Guy Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire IF Trigger WarningTelevision 3 Body Problem The Acolyte The Boys (Season 4) Owning Manhattan True Detective (Season 1) True Detective (Season 2)I watched a lot of really good stuff in July. On the movie side, Despicable Me 4 was a fun continuation of the popular Minions franchise, and IF was a surprisingly heartfelt and enjoyable movie. The Fall Guy would have been my favorite movie of the month if it weren't also Deadpool & Wolverine release month, and that's a movie that's been an absolute beast to work on, but is something that I'm really proud of and has been a much needed hit for us at work, so I'm a bit partial. I also happened to watch Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds' previous collaboration The Adam Project which was just okay. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire wasn't great, and Trigger Warning was billed as a "female John Wick" movie starring Jessica Alba but it was ultimately pretty forgettable.On the television side, my wife and I finally started watching True Detective, although we liked the second season a lot more than the first season, even though it's been the least popular season to date. Each season is a completely different cast and different crime that's being explored so it keeps things interesting. Owning Manhattan is the new show starring Ryan Serhant, a New York real estate broker that first starred in another real estate show years ago called Million Dollar Listing New York and this one followed him growing his own brokerage firm, which is actually pretty interesting to watch. The Boys is always an entertaining show, and I think I liked Star Wars' The Acolyte more than most fans did. 3 Body Problem was a little slow to start, but really interesting toward the end. I've been meaning to read the books, but after looking over a synopsis of the books and how complicated the narrative is, maybe I'll just stick with the show... TOP PICK: Deadpool & Wolverine |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" | Day 3167 Prompt ▼ I don't believe that #2 has ever applied to me since I've always had to work... ask me when I'm retired in 25+ years and I'll let you know how I feel about it then!  The other eight comments I've experienced at one time or another, and I find them all annoying for a variety of reasons. I guess the "back in my day" and "I just want what's best for you" are probably the least annoying because they involve someone contextualizing their experience or emphasizing that, whatever was said was done with good intentions. I don't really fault people for either of those things unless they veer into the territory of the next group of comments... I get annoyed with the number of times older people seem to use it, but hey, nothing wrong with a little nostalgia for the past. The ones that annoy me are the ones where there's an implied condescension. "Oh, you're still doing that?" and "We never did things that way..." and "Are you sure you want to eat that?" imply that the person you're addressing is wrong in their choices, but the person making the comment doesn't have the courage to actually directly disagree; they just want to passive aggressively let it be known that they disapprove of your choice. By far, the ones I am most annoyed by are "That's not how we raised our children" and "I was just joking." "That's not how we raised our children" isn't just annoying to me; it's personally offensive. Unless I'm specifically asking you for advice on how to raise my children or I'm doing something that violates some law or major moral standard, asserting that my parenting choices would not be your parenting choices is not a piece of information that I'm particularly interested in knowing. I don't really care if you think my kids go to bed too late, or get too much screen time, or are encouraged in a behavior that you personally find undesirable in children. And, statistically speaking, you're unlikely to have raised perfect children yourself, so I think most parenting choices can be filed away as "matter of opinion" or "doing their best" and deserve considerable deference from the rest of us. Again, assuming we're not talking about something illegal or harmful to the children. But even the "condescending parent" dynamic pales in comparison to the "I was just joking" excuse. While there are certainly times when you're trying to make a joke and it doesn't come across and you have to clarify that humor was intended, I think this excuse is far more often applied as a way of glossing over or excusing someone who wants to say something that's just plain critical or mean. I've seen this excuse used by significant others, colleagues, family members, etc. and I'd guess that maybe ten percent of the time it's an earnest, "Sorry, I meant for that to be funny and I guess it didn't come across that way." The other ninety percent of the time? It's a flimsy excuse to say, "That insensitive thing I just said? Just get over it already." If you want to tease, insult, or hurt someone, at least have the guts to do it without then gaslighting the recipient by claiming that it's humor that they're too sensitive to appreciate. All of these sayings are annoying, but I think the "I was just joking" is actually a damaging, hurtful thing to say on top of being annoying. (585 words) |
| "Blogging Circle of Friends " | Day 3556 Prompt ▼ On July 20, 1969, my mom and dad were 16 and 18, respectively. They wouldn't meet for another few years, wouldn't get married until 1975, and I didn't come along until 1981... so no, I definitely did not see the coverage of the moon landing on television as it was happening.  Had I been alive at the time, I imagine I would have been glued to the television with rapt attention. Space exploration and the possibilities of what might be out there in our own solar system, let alone galaxy, let alone the whole big universe have always been something that have resonated with me, and I have a feeling that seeing that first "small step for man, giant leap for mankind" would have been something that, to me, hinted at endless possibilities going forward. I wonder what I would have thought at the time if, after the amazement and wonder of that accomplishment in 1969, I had known that the next humans to set foot on the moon would be Apollo 17's Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt just a few years later in 1972... and then that would be the last visit to the moon (let alone anywhere else beyond the International Space Station) by any human being for at least the next fifty years, I think I would have been really surprised and more than a little disappointed. For a lot of us, I imagine the accomplishment of putting a person on the moon was the first of what would be a long line of accomplishments in space, and the idea that it could have instead been a high water mark or the pinnacle of what we could accomplish in space would probably be pretty disappointing. As someone who thinks the idea of space exploration and interstellar travel are fascinating and something that I hope will one day become a reality, I think seeing a man land on the moon would be a revelation. But as that same person who thinks the idea of space exploration and interstellar travel are fascinating and something that I hope will one day before a reality, I think I'd also be all the more disappointed by the lack of progress we've made since. (377 words) |
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