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Red States

Since the re-election of Obama there has been talk of secession. Several states have had petitions to secede form the union and I say good riddance. Moreover since the President acted on gun reform there has been talk of revolutions and I say bring it on. Why should I or any other progressive continue to foot the bill for these treasonous bastards?

image by canuckboy (sxc.hu)

Why not go our separate ways and let them fend for themselves. The fact is Red States take in more federal aid than they pay out. So let them put into practice trickle down economics and see how fast they come running back to the union. Let them turn their states into a Randian wonderland and see how long until their populous revolts.

By getting rid of these backward states we would be better off in terms of being a more progressive country and moreover would be better off fiscally.

It is the Republicans who constantly block legislation to balance the budget by raising marginal taxes on the super rich and cutting defense. They are the ones who want to privatize social security and cut medicaid. They are the ones who voted against a relief bill for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

So let them have their guns, God and unfettered Capitalism. The grown ups will go about the business of running a country where everyone is valued and has equal protection of the law.

How to Slay your Inner Demons

Ever time you think you’re not good enough or that you suck at writing that’s fear messing with your mind. Fuck fear. Every time you hear its demons whispering doubts into your ear, remember the only thing you have to fear is fear itself.

image by kamila_t (sxc.hu)

Remember every time you were afraid but had the courage to try anyways. Hold on to this feeling and let it be your sword and shield. When the dark days come, and they will because there is an eternal balance to the universe, never forgot what you’ve been through and that you’re still standing.

When just getting out of bed is a battle remember you aren’t alone. You’re the sum of all those who came before you. All their struggles, pain and sacrifice led to you. Never forget this, honor it and know that you too will get through this.

Over The Rainbow

I was 19 when I came out and though it’s been almost a decade I’m still surprised by the hostility certain segments of the “community” have towards anyone who doesn’t fit into their clique.

image by dinny via sxc.hu

In my naivete I thought I’d be embraced by the community, yet no. Let’s try a thought experiment. Close your eyes and picture a gay male. OK odds are you immediately thought of some blond haired, blue eyed suburbanite from either New York or LA.

This is the dominate image GLADD GLSEN and other LGBT groups have put forward in an tempt to secure equal rights. the result is anyone who doesn’t fit this mold is invisible.

Moreover if people of color are mentioned it’s either in the context of HIV/AIDS, the DL, or to play up racial stereotypes. go to any site geared towards bi/gay males and 90 percent of the ads will be for porn sites which play up homo thugs dominating innocent white boys, or play into the Mandingo myth of blacks having huge penises.

Moreover this along with body fascism, the notion that one must be in excellent shape in order to have value, leads to a group of hyper shallow men who are only interested in the hot new thing on the block.

This isn’t conducive for finding a long term relationship nor is it healthy. studies among gay males have shown higher incidences of eating disorder on par with straight females. It’s no wonder given the obsession the community has with youth and beauty. The point is muscles and looks fade but with insides doesn’t change. So don’t be so quick to dismiss a guy if he’s not your “type” because you could be missing out on something great.

Agree or disagree? Comment below.

4 Steps to Find your Muse and Keep it Happy

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1.Show up

Sometimes it is when you least feel like writing that’s when you should. Coming out of your comfort zone is key to finding your passion and keeping your muse happy. This means having a set time to write and sticking to it.

2. Quality vs. Quantity.

Anyone can pump out mediocre crap. Your job is to put out the best product you can. Do this and your muse will never fail you.

3.Perfection is overrated

Yes you should be concerned with the quality of your work, but not so much you use this as an excuse not to write. Perfectionism is a problem I’ve struggled for the years. The trick is to accept that all first drafts suck and move on.

4.Be Daring

Explore new genres and points of views. If you fail so what you’ve learned something in the process. The only way to grow as a writer is to push yourself beyond your boundaries.

7 Lessons Twilight Taught Me

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7.Vampires Sparkle
Instead of bursting into flames or being weakened, Meyer-pires glow like a disco ball.

6.Stalking is romantic
Bella thinks it’s totally cool Edward sneaked in her room and watched her sleep for months before they got together.

5 Shallow relationships are epic win
Bella tells us ad nauseum how hot and rich Edward is. Their relationship boils down to Bella smelling go to Edward and him not being able to read her mind.

4. Abusive relationships are OK
Edward is physically and emotionally abusive throughout the series. He took the engine out of Bella’s car so she couldn’t visit Jacob. He also with holds affection and sex from Bella.

3. Minorities and ugly people are evil
The Vultori are described as being old and ugly and the Quileutes become antagonists after Bella becomes pregnant.

2.Bridezilla
Getting married is more important than going to college and doing something with your life.

1.Damsel in distress
Women are nothing without men. Bella slips into a three month coma after Edward leaves and then puts herself in danger to hallucinate hearing his voice. Moreover she always must be rescued by Edward.

Weight of the World

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The Green House Effect, Global Warming, Climate Change, whatever you call it matters not. The fact is the Earth has warmed and continues to warm. Recent events like super storm Sandy have pushed talks of climate change to the forefront, but the problem is people are science illiterate and innumerate.

This especially true in the US where people wear their ignorance as a badge of honor. This anti-intellectualism often overlaps with fundamentalist beliefs, so to save time this piece is targeted at those who are either on the fence or have no opinion either way.

Let’s get some facts straight. (1) 625 Trillion gallons of water cover the Earth’s surface.(2) the energy to raise one gram of water one degree Calvin is 4.184 J. This is a standard calorie. (3)One food calorie is a thousand standard calories. (4) An average person weighing 220lb (100kg) requires 2000 to 2500 food calories to maintain his/her weight.
(5) the average temperature of Earth has risen 1.4 F(0.6C, 273.66K)

Thus for those of you who struggled with your weight know how hard it is to take and keep off the weight, now image that times a factor of a million and things begin to come into picture. When you do the calculations, and I encourage to do so, the energy required for this “small” temperature change is 2.786(10^21)J.

To put this in perceptive that’s enough calories to feed 266 trillion people for one day or enough to feed 7 billion people for 104.25 years. Moreover it’s the equivalent of 47.6 million H bombs. So yes this is a big deal and I encourage you to do your own research and let me know what you get.

Quiet

image by BeverlyLR via sxc.hu

The follow is a short story as part of Fiction Friday. Enjoy and comment below.

Tristan Atlas awaited the appointed time for his execution. The crime scene was a bloody mess. Twenty headless corpses scattered around the Atlas farm, all missing their hearts. They found them burnt to a crisp in pit at the corner of the farm.

Tristan’s attorney tried an insanity plea but it was rejected. Throughout the investigation, and the trial that ensued, Tristan never spoke a word. The judge held him in contempt but it changed nothing. After three months they finally gave up.

He was convicted on twenty counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection. They served him pizza for his last meal and then the wait began.

“It’s time my child.” The chaplain performed last rites and asked him to repent while he still had the chance. Tristan’s response was silence.

“Ha, any last words?” The guard’s laughter was cut short.

“Yes. Those thing I killed were vampires. They’ve lived among us for centuries.They picked off a few people here and there but they’ve grown bolder. All those news reports about mass shootings are cover for the truth. There’s a war going on and we’re losing it.

“They may have stopped me but all around the world others like me are carrying out missions to destroy these scum…”

And with that Tristan fell dead.

“What a nut job,” the warden said.

“Yeah.” And with that the guard ripped out the warden’s throat and exsanguinated him.

We are all Heroes: The Search for Identity via The Monomyth

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Who are we? this plagues us all and ultimately it’s the answer to this question which propels us forward to find our place in the world. The first inkling we get about our identity is from our parents.

“Mother is the word for God on the lips and heats of all children.”
–William Makepeace Thackeray

She is the sacred feminine, the kisser of boo-boos , the cooker of meals ,the protector of the realm. She is all this and more, for she is who teaches us what love is. It is through her we learn about compassion and empathy. But as we grow she become a nag: pick up your clothes, take off your shoes, go take a bath, etc. She does this not because she’s mean but so we learn these habits when we’re ready to leave the nest.

For boys our father is our first hero,part action hero and demigod, woe be upon any who challenges his prowess. He is the squasher of bugs, the reader of bedtime stories and the final authority on matters. He is who we look to on how to be a man.

As we grow his luster fades and he becomes all too human. Gone is the Herculean warrior and in his place is another mouth telling us what to do. We think he doesn’t care about us because he doesn’t tell he loves us like Mother does all the time. He,like all males, is told from the moment he can understand that he has to be stoic. Big boys don’t cry. walk it off, man up, there’s no crying in X.

Though he may not be there all the time it’s so you can have all the things you take for granted. If he seems hard on you it’s because he knows the world is harder and must prepare you to face it when the time is right.

These polar opposites cause divided loyalties and hence Mommy’s boys and Daddy’s girls. Moreover it is these opposites in our selves that we must marry in order to become a fully formed adult. The hero’s tale as put forth by Joseph Campbell echoes this journey we all most take and thus why it’s a common theme we return to again and again.

Do you agree or disagree? Comment below.

duality

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One of things that surprises about writing is how it is simultaneously easy and hard. When the muse strikes the words just pour from me without end. Other times I agonize over the perfect word choice. Since starting Jeff Goins’s course on writing I’ve found it easier to turn off my inner editor.

The thing that surprises me the most is when I go back to edit I often have moments where I go “did I write that?” and get caught up in the story. Has that ever happened to you? Has your story ever struck a chord in you or surprised you in a good way?

Masturbation 2.0

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Why is it so hard to find someone who just wants to be friends? It seems like everyone is either in a rush to get married or only cares about hooking up? What happened to dating for while, finding some friends, and having a bit of fun along the way?

When I go to dating sites it’s like what’s the point of it, because I hate feeling like a prostitute being pimped out on the corner. I get that you have to sell yourself but why must it be in such as asinine way. I’m so much more than the words in a box or a picture in the corner.

I hope, dream and bleed like everyone else. So why should the primary criteria for just talking be based on such a shallow evaluation of a person?

I like a pretty face as much as the next guy, but what do you have left once those looks fade? I don’t care how hot you are, if you can’t stimulate my mind or have diarrhea in your soul I want nothing to do with you.

I can’t count how many times I talked with a hot guy or girl only to be shocked at how rude and ugly they act. Being hot isn’t a license to be a douche. If you’re not feeling me say so and we’ll part ways, but don’t play games.

Sure, I’ve had my share of hook ups, but I need emotional content. otherwise it’s just masturbation 2.0. As of three weeks ago I decided to be celibate for awhile and just concentrate on making friends and dating.

If the right person comes along I have no problem being more than friends. I just want sex to mean something again and be more than just about getting off. Is that too much to hope for?

The Passion of The Writer

by mrceviz via sxc.hu

Have you ever read or seen something that gets your blood boiling? Well when that happens to me I find it leads to some of my best writing. Passion is one of the keys to finding your muse and then using it.

How many times have you let a moment like that slip by? How many times have you turned a blind eye because you’ve been trained not to rock the boat?

It is in these moments when we are compelled to come out of our comfort zones that we should embrace because that is when our writing has its biggest impact. It’s this fear of offending that stops us from saying what’s really on our mind.

The truth is some people will be offended by whatever you write, so screw them and be true to yourself. The job of a write is to evoke emotions,but they needn’t always be positive. There are times when you must offend to wake people up and challenge the status quo.

My challenge to you today is to come out of your comfort zone and do something you’re passionate about.

Enough

by svilen001 via sxv.hu

Yet another shooting has taken place, this time in the same city as the Dark Knight Rises theater shooting. Again the same questions are brought up. Why did he do it , how can we prevent this, etc.

How many more people have to die before this country wakes up and realizes that a heavily armed populous is not a good thing.

How many more mass shootings will it take before we do something? Each week it seems another shooting happens yet nothing changes. The media descends like vultures then when the next story comes along they leave.

We as a society have become desensitized to these tragedies. We shake our heads and say that’s awful but I can’t do anything so why bother. This is the by stander effect; no one wants to be the first to stand up and say enough is enough. Well I’m sick of it.

The time for talking is long gone. We need action. Reinstate the assault weapons ban. Stiffen the penalty for straw purchases and the illegal sell of guns. Close the gun show loop hole and enforce the laws on the books. Resend all Stand Your ground laws.Put pressure on politicians not to cave to the whims of the NRA.

Emphasize conflict resolutions skills so people aren’t so quick to pull out their guns. Above all else just treat each other with a modicum of respect. We may not like each other but we do have to live together so why not work to make the world a better place.

the Unaffordable Care Act

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When the affordable Care Act (Obama Care) was signed into law there was much rejoicing form the left and boos from the right, however the act has huge problems. First is preexisting conditions.

If you’re under 19 you can’t be denied covered, however if you’re over 19 insurance companies can deny you coverage until 2014. This is asinine, everyone with preexisting conditions should have been guaranteed coverage once the bill was signed into law.

Moreover, the only recourse people have is to either apply for emergency Medicaid, for which the funding has been cut, or join high risk insurance pools.

This first assumes your state will opt in to Obama Care; second that you can afford these high risk pool insurance plans; third, that you can afford the doctor’s visit required to get the paper work signed to verify you have a preexisting condition. Moreover these high risk pool plans end in 2014 so you’re looking at a gap in coverage after having jumped through all these hoops.

Everyone should have become eligible for either Medicaid or been allowed to buy into the same insurance plans members of the House and Senate enjoy on day one. As it stands Obama Care is a massive give away to HMOs and the pharmaceutical industry.

The individual mandate forces people to get insurances, yet there is nothing to prevent insurance companies from jacking up co pays and deductibles. Nor is there anything to prevent them from denying you coverage for things your primary care physician deems necessary.

Nor does Obama Care address one of the leading drivers of health care costs: prescription drugs. It maintains the FDA’s policy that importing drugs from Canada or else where is not safe and thus illegal.

This is asinine as senior citizens and others routinely make pilgrimages across the border for their meds. Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t competition with these cheaper drugs drive down the cost of US drugs?

Obama Care also fails to bring down the cost of medical supplies. we’re talking about things like people being charged $100.00 for the gown their doctor wore.

Yes doctors should compensated for their work, but come on the needless gouging has to stop. Either allow the importation of medical supplies at a reduced cost to consumers or set a fixed rate for how much hospitals can charge for them.

While the Affordable Care Act is a step in the right direction it doesn’t go far enough in terms of covering all Americans and further legislation is needed to address the holes in the current system.

Meeting Mengele

This is the first installment of Fiction Friday

photo by egomedis via stock.xchng

Johann’s head spun. He remembered his friends dared him to spend a night in the asylum.

The area was honeycombed with tunnels. Johann just finished exploring a hole when he received the dare. Fresh from university he was a new lodger at the local boarding house and was desperate to prove himself .

His eyes were drawn to the blood stained swords hung in the lobby. There was nothing on the first or second floors, but upon entering the basement he felt a chill then blacked out.

“Awake, good.”

Johann’s screams echoed as the cybernetic Mengele harvested replacement parts. A bond of flesh and blood forever linked them now.

SJS

Photo by linder6580

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a long term that for me translated into pain. I was six years old when I had my first allergic reaction. It happened the week before I was scheduled for brain surgery.

I had flu-like symptoms followed by hives, a high fever, and finally my skin sloughed. I lost 85 percent of my epidermis, and also had damage to the lining of my lungs and trachea. I had to have an emergency tracheotomy after they removed me from the ventilator.

My stay in the hospital lasted over a year. I was in a comma for six months, followed by months of physical therapy. My parents had to be trained to take care of me so that added more time to my stay.

My immune system was compromised and I was constantly in hospital with one respiratory infection or another. The procedure was always the same.

Sign in. Fill out the forms. Wait hours to be seen. Go for chest X-rays. Be admitted and wait more hours to get a bed. My medical records are voluminous so every time I was admitted they grabbed a sliver of it: an eight pound, ten inch thick binder.

Five failed reconstructive surgeries later I still have the breathing tube. Over the years the list of allergies grew and became a litany.

I felt so helpless at times that I tried to control the one thing I thought I could. I memorized the list of medications I was on and their dosages, my allergies, and the various surgeries I’d had.

Moreover, I tried to control myself. I suppressed my emotions because I thought they were a weakness. For the longest time the only thing I let myself feel was rage at the world for what happened to me. I wallowed in pity until I got older and stopped blaming others for my problems.

Yes what happened to was traumatic but I’m not going to let that define me. I’ve moved on and released all the hurt I’ve held inside. It took deep soul searching for me to get over this and I know there will be some stumbles along the way, but it’s high time I stopped dwelling on the past and move forward.