It has been a good bit since I posted last, but this morning I was inspired to take a few minutes and discuss something that annoys me to no end. Drama. Over the course of the last few weeks I have been witness to some truly heinous acts of drama. It comes in many flavors. There is baby-momma/daddy drama. This is a favorite of talk shows every where. There is relationship style he said/she said drama. Then there is the type I despise the most. I think we all have seen severe cases of "look at me" drama. From here on out I will refer to them as "llamas". It is easy to spot the llama in their natural habitat. This of course being the center of attention.they have many ways to draw attention to themselves, from being obnoxiously loud to dressing provocatively to butting into every conversation around them. All of which are equally annoying. The real question of course it why? Why do they do it?
It is perfectly normal to want to be part of a group. Human instinct does not allow for most people to be loners. You crave the attention and the acceptance of your fellows. On some level though, a few go above and beyond. Last night I some how ended up at a party that was so full of llamas we needed a dog with a good herding instinct to keep them all together. There was life of the party llama (X3), then there was look how low cut my dress is llama (complete with large fake breasts), then there was who wants to have sex with me llama (complete with slutty dress), and of course there was "why are you having fun? stop that and pay attention to me" llama (X2). All the rest of us could do was stare in amazement as the drama unfolded. It was starting to wind down but then the relationship drama of all these llamas started to unfold. It was time to call it a night.
When morning came around everything seemed normal again with the llamas. We had separated them out to different pastures and all is going well again. So the drama is low at the moment. But the question of why still remains. And what do you do to get along with your llamas? This is not the topic I thought I would be discussing when I finally returned, but it was in the forefront of my thoughts last night and I have always written about what is on my mind. If anyone else is still reading this, I would love to know your thoughts on the topic.
Careful, they spit.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Friday, May 27, 2011
Are you really a believer?
Do you really believe, or do you just tell yourself that's the way it is and go with it? You see this all the time within closed religious communities. Ignorance and sometimes brainwashing convinces people that they believe things no rational person could ever buy into. In today's society of wishy-washy followers, it seems like true believers in any thing are getting to be rare. The people you see who are hardcore in their beliefs seem to be random nutjobs (see recent not quite Rapture). What is going on out there? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I want a world full of super religious people running around out there chastising the rest of us (we've had enough Crusades), but there are just too many half-assed ramblings going on for comfort. I am all for having a belief, or having faith as I think of it, but make sure you are really following your own heart.
Faith is something that should be a part of daily life. It inspires you and gives you motivation to move forward, to take chances, and to better yourself. Religion does not have to be part of your faith. You can believe in any number of things without the need for a God or a Goddess. Try having faith in yourself, or in your loved one, or in any number of small mundane things that you encounter throughout your day. I think you'll find a little bit goes a long way.
Just don't have too much faith in me posting more regularly :p
Faith is something that should be a part of daily life. It inspires you and gives you motivation to move forward, to take chances, and to better yourself. Religion does not have to be part of your faith. You can believe in any number of things without the need for a God or a Goddess. Try having faith in yourself, or in your loved one, or in any number of small mundane things that you encounter throughout your day. I think you'll find a little bit goes a long way.
Just don't have too much faith in me posting more regularly :p
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Motivation
What motivates people to do the things they do? There are many theories. It could be based on childhood experiences, or perhaps on peer pressure. Some scientist say argue for nature, and others for nurture as our prime motivations. Any way you look at it, its complicated.
Why did people look angry when I was driving around early this morning? Surely the fifty year old man who cut me off in his giant SUV wasn't still angry over his parents not sending him to summer camp. Perhaps he is angry at the media and the constant loop of nonsense they repeat every five minutes. Maybe he skipped breakfast and had low blood sugar. I'll never know.
Some people seem to be able to motivate themselves. They get up every morning with a plan and take care of business. Others have to be constantly reminded by friends and family that they have responsibilities as adults. For the life of me I don't understand how people muddle through the day in a haze of other people's directions.
All people want to be treated as reasonable adults, and have the respect of their peers. Even if they do not deserve it. As you begin this month of May you should look into your own motivations. Ask yourself why you do the things you do. Are your actions your own? Are they based on other people's expectations? Are they based on guilt? Look deep inside and find the fire to drive yourself on to your next accomplishment.
Nothing is more gratifying than seeing success resulting from your own initiative.
Why did people look angry when I was driving around early this morning? Surely the fifty year old man who cut me off in his giant SUV wasn't still angry over his parents not sending him to summer camp. Perhaps he is angry at the media and the constant loop of nonsense they repeat every five minutes. Maybe he skipped breakfast and had low blood sugar. I'll never know.
Some people seem to be able to motivate themselves. They get up every morning with a plan and take care of business. Others have to be constantly reminded by friends and family that they have responsibilities as adults. For the life of me I don't understand how people muddle through the day in a haze of other people's directions.
All people want to be treated as reasonable adults, and have the respect of their peers. Even if they do not deserve it. As you begin this month of May you should look into your own motivations. Ask yourself why you do the things you do. Are your actions your own? Are they based on other people's expectations? Are they based on guilt? Look deep inside and find the fire to drive yourself on to your next accomplishment.
Nothing is more gratifying than seeing success resulting from your own initiative.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Serendipity
Serendipity denotes the property of making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated, or the occurrence of such a discovery during such a search.
With this in mind I will describe the event that lead up to what amounted to a near perfect day.
Around noon we arrive at our B&B in Savannah with plans to leave our car there while we wander off downtown. As luck would have it they did not have anyone staying in our room the previous night, so we checked in early.
We head off walking and quickly make our way to a tattoo shop we had located on the internet. Both of us wanted a relatively simple tattoo and after talking to the owner of the shop on the phone, we were surprisingly comfortable with our decision to use his shop. We arrive forty minutes ahead of our appointment time, but he greats us with a smile and tells us to come on in.
We get tattoos. We also make friends with the artist and wish each other well for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festivities. Peter at Savannah Ink does simply fantastic work.
Lunch is just around the corner at a pub we have been trying to find a seat in for the last few years. For some reason it is pretty empty when we walk in and we get a seat at the bar, our favorite place to sit. The food is as amazing as our friends promised. If you are ever hungry in Savannah, Molly McPherson's has the best bangers and mash on the planet.
Being a little tired from the excitement of the ink (it can really drain you, ever for small works) we head back to the B&B for a nap.
Waking up and feeling refreshed, we head to the parlor for wine and h'orderve. Flipping through the big book of recommended dinner accommodations, we settle on a place specializing in tapas. It is one of the busiest days in the city, but they happen to have an immediate opening for us.
After arriving at the tapas bar, we are warmly greeted and seated in an ideal people watching location. the dinner is amazing. If in Savannah, we highly recommend Jazz'd. Great food and a fantastic atmosphere. While dining we chat with our server and learn about a rooftop bar above one of the high rise hotels downtown.
The rooftop bar is pretty easy to find and soon we are overlooking all of Savannah. A beautiful city that pays a lot of attention to ascetic values. Everything is cozy and comfortably laid out. While at the bar we meet a few new friends, and notice River Street, which is normally a zoo by now, is relatively quiet. With this in mind we work our way down to it.
After a short walk down the river we stop in a place for a potty break. It is better to buy a drink somewhere than to use a porta-potty. While she is in the restroom I chat with the bartender and learn of a small pub only the locals seem to know about.
Being a little tired at this point we decide to head back to our room. On the way back however we turn down a side street and run into the little known pub the last bartender had described.
Walking in we find a simple wooden bar with simple wooden stools in front of it. Very quiet at this point, and obviously not a tourist trap. We decide to have a few drinks and people watch for a while, when who should walk in but our new friend the tattoo artist.
We drink, talk, meet his wife and friends, and so on. It is a great time. After a while of this we head back to our room, only a short walk away.
With only the basic concept of what we wanted, the day unfolded into a fantastic mix of food, drink, and amazing people. It really doesn't get much better than that.
With this in mind I will describe the event that lead up to what amounted to a near perfect day.
Around noon we arrive at our B&B in Savannah with plans to leave our car there while we wander off downtown. As luck would have it they did not have anyone staying in our room the previous night, so we checked in early.
We head off walking and quickly make our way to a tattoo shop we had located on the internet. Both of us wanted a relatively simple tattoo and after talking to the owner of the shop on the phone, we were surprisingly comfortable with our decision to use his shop. We arrive forty minutes ahead of our appointment time, but he greats us with a smile and tells us to come on in.
We get tattoos. We also make friends with the artist and wish each other well for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festivities. Peter at Savannah Ink does simply fantastic work.
Lunch is just around the corner at a pub we have been trying to find a seat in for the last few years. For some reason it is pretty empty when we walk in and we get a seat at the bar, our favorite place to sit. The food is as amazing as our friends promised. If you are ever hungry in Savannah, Molly McPherson's has the best bangers and mash on the planet.
Being a little tired from the excitement of the ink (it can really drain you, ever for small works) we head back to the B&B for a nap.
Waking up and feeling refreshed, we head to the parlor for wine and h'orderve. Flipping through the big book of recommended dinner accommodations, we settle on a place specializing in tapas. It is one of the busiest days in the city, but they happen to have an immediate opening for us.
After arriving at the tapas bar, we are warmly greeted and seated in an ideal people watching location. the dinner is amazing. If in Savannah, we highly recommend Jazz'd. Great food and a fantastic atmosphere. While dining we chat with our server and learn about a rooftop bar above one of the high rise hotels downtown.
The rooftop bar is pretty easy to find and soon we are overlooking all of Savannah. A beautiful city that pays a lot of attention to ascetic values. Everything is cozy and comfortably laid out. While at the bar we meet a few new friends, and notice River Street, which is normally a zoo by now, is relatively quiet. With this in mind we work our way down to it.
After a short walk down the river we stop in a place for a potty break. It is better to buy a drink somewhere than to use a porta-potty. While she is in the restroom I chat with the bartender and learn of a small pub only the locals seem to know about.
Being a little tired at this point we decide to head back to our room. On the way back however we turn down a side street and run into the little known pub the last bartender had described.
Walking in we find a simple wooden bar with simple wooden stools in front of it. Very quiet at this point, and obviously not a tourist trap. We decide to have a few drinks and people watch for a while, when who should walk in but our new friend the tattoo artist.
We drink, talk, meet his wife and friends, and so on. It is a great time. After a while of this we head back to our room, only a short walk away.
With only the basic concept of what we wanted, the day unfolded into a fantastic mix of food, drink, and amazing people. It really doesn't get much better than that.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Slacker
I know its been a while since my last post, but a lot has been going on over here. I promise all of you a decent post the next few days and maybe some exciting photos of my up coming trip to Savannah for St. Patty's.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Fresh Paint
I was painting my office a few days ago and the difference had a serious impact upon me. A space which I had previously enjoyed was now on a whole new level. It is amazing the change in my attitude when I enter the room. It is much more peaceful and much more attuned with the person I am. It made me think about other applications for this mentality.
How many other things in life just need a fresh coat of paint? An old table or chair? Another room? That old bicycle in the garage? Does this apply to other things? Perhaps your relationship just needs a little gloss? The little day to day things we live with just need a little sprucing up. Next time you are looking around and feeling dissatisfied, try to figure out what you can do to make it better. Perhaps it only needs a little paint.
How many other things in life just need a fresh coat of paint? An old table or chair? Another room? That old bicycle in the garage? Does this apply to other things? Perhaps your relationship just needs a little gloss? The little day to day things we live with just need a little sprucing up. Next time you are looking around and feeling dissatisfied, try to figure out what you can do to make it better. Perhaps it only needs a little paint.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Let there by light!
After reading the news feeds again this morning I am having a lot of trouble with the above statement. According to Christian mythology their Lord spoke the words of creation and the Universe sprang into existence. In a number of movies and other forms of media the words "let there be light" are used as a dramatic effect invoking the power of the Christian God. A fine idea if you are into a lot of religious drama.
So lets look at a few events in history performed in this mind set. First to mind is the burning of witches. In the 1400's the Catholic church released a book called the Malleus Maleficarum. It gives a detailed explanation of how to identify a witch and the measures you should undertake to torture a confession out of them. This was done with the intention of bringing them "into the light." All non-christians were assumed to be devil worshipers. Of course this was also a convenient way to get rid of political rivals. We saw this religious fervor reappear in our own country in the northeast during colonial times. It still exist today, just try applying to BYU, you'll pay double for the sin of being non-mormon.
These days it does not take much to be considered a heretic. Fundamentalist Christian groups are very quick to call some one in league with the Devil and to descend upon them. An odd idea for a religion supposedly based on the concept of brotherly love. In some places they have decided to reject the ideas of science when it comes to education. Replacing our research based explanation of creation for a religious one. These deeds are done with a self righteous attitude that is as contagious as it is destructive.
The recent story of the old woman burning a dog to death because it ate her bible (so must be in league with Satan) is what caused this most recent soapbox event. If you have your own stories of Christian atrocities I would love to hear them. Just make sure you don't live in Alabama, I hear non-Christians might be banned there soon.
So lets look at a few events in history performed in this mind set. First to mind is the burning of witches. In the 1400's the Catholic church released a book called the Malleus Maleficarum. It gives a detailed explanation of how to identify a witch and the measures you should undertake to torture a confession out of them. This was done with the intention of bringing them "into the light." All non-christians were assumed to be devil worshipers. Of course this was also a convenient way to get rid of political rivals. We saw this religious fervor reappear in our own country in the northeast during colonial times. It still exist today, just try applying to BYU, you'll pay double for the sin of being non-mormon.
These days it does not take much to be considered a heretic. Fundamentalist Christian groups are very quick to call some one in league with the Devil and to descend upon them. An odd idea for a religion supposedly based on the concept of brotherly love. In some places they have decided to reject the ideas of science when it comes to education. Replacing our research based explanation of creation for a religious one. These deeds are done with a self righteous attitude that is as contagious as it is destructive.
The recent story of the old woman burning a dog to death because it ate her bible (so must be in league with Satan) is what caused this most recent soapbox event. If you have your own stories of Christian atrocities I would love to hear them. Just make sure you don't live in Alabama, I hear non-Christians might be banned there soon.
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