South Of Someplace: January 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Optimism

I'm optimistic about 2014. I'm even optimistic about the mega-load of work that I'm going to have to do in order to turn that optimism into results. One small step at a time!

Richard Sherman And How Easy It Is To Be Wrong

I have strong opinions, but I admit when I'm wrong. I was wrong to judge Richard Sherman based on one televised outburst. After learning more about Sherman and seeing him in the context of a longer interview away from the playing field, I am impressed with the fellow. His infamous rant was regrettable, but we have all said ill-advised things in the moment. Those moments don't define us.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

The Age of the Murderous Malcontent

Sadly, we live in the age of the Murderous Malcontent, people whose sole and passionate objective is to take the lives of multiple innocent victims in a public display of misplaced rage. The threat of prosecution offers no deterrent. The perpetrators of these massacres willingly trade their own lives for the opportunity to murder others.

How do we stop this trend? How to we identify the ticking time bomb before it goes off - again and again and again? How do we climb into the mind of a would be mass murderer and convince him not to pull the trigger in a shopping mall or an elementary school?

Thursday, January 23, 2014

No More Casual Fridays

I've never been a fan of Casual Fridays, but I think that Topless Tuesdays could be fun.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

When Faced with a Critical Decision

When faced with a critical decision, I ask myself: What would Scooby do?

Advice For Dealing With Snakes

I have two pieces of advice for dealing with snakes:

1. Never provoke a snake. It will try to harm you.

2. Never use an encounter with a snake as an excuse to start acting like one.

Racial Epithets

I'm pondering racism and the use of racial epithets.

If I'm walking down the street and some guy that I don't know calls me a "cracker", should I perceive it differently if that guy is white or if he's black?

Here's my hypothesis:

If I let a white guy call me a cracker, but I get angry if a black person says it, then that black guy isn't the racist. I am the racist for basing my reaction to the word on the race if the speaker. I would be a racist in this context, because I have treated someone differently SOLELY BECAUSE OF THIR RACE. Isn't that the definition of racism?

I can't speak for African Americans. I don't know what it's like to live their lives or walk in their shoes. But I question how a black person could justify the acceptability of the n word based upon the race of the speaker. To my way of thinking, this selective perception is in itself racism.

Your mileage may vary.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Call It Art

If you think that something that you have create is art, call it art. Let other people figure out why you shouldn't. At least they'll have to take a look at your work while rendering an opinion.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Oops! Ice!

While turning a corner last evening during an ice storm, my feet slipped, and I took a bit of a tumble. My hands broke the fall of my body, but my head continued downward.

By chance, my face landed in a pile of snow that was left over from the shoveling of the sidewalk. The snow cushioned the blow, which might have been much worse if I had struck the concrete.

Unfortunately, the surface of the snow was covered with jagged ice crystals. I sustained numerous cuts on my nose and forehead. It took a while to get the bleeding under control, but there wasn't much discomfort, and I didn't show any signs of cognitive dysfunction.

Be careful out there! Accidents are waiting to happen. :-)

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Do It Right

If you're going to do something, do it right. It's easier than doing it wrong.

Friday, January 3, 2014

The One Thing That I Know About Women

We all have known exceptions, but in general, women invest considerable time, thought, and effort on their appearance. Any given fellow, therefore, can increase his chances of being noticed by the opposite sex by giving the impression that he, too, has crafted his appearance thoughtfully and deliberately.

It's not a particularly challenging assignment. Many men dress as though they selected their garments at random. A small amount of effort, perhaps selecting one interesting and comment-worthy item to wear - a nice sweater or a stylish pair of shoes, for instance - can stimulate the female interest level significantly.

Of course, being noticed by a woman does not mean that she'll necessarily want to sleep with you. That's an entirely different calculus and one that I have resigned myself never to understand with any degree of certainty.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Cynical Soliloquies - The Universe

Some people say that if you throw an idea out into the universe that it might return to you one day in bounteous and serendipitous ways.

I think that the universe just likes to throw things at us, and it laughs when those things hit us in the head and leave a nasty bruise.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Motivation to Exercise

At times, it's difficult to find the motivation to exercise. One of those times is called Winter.

South Of Someplace