Human beings, as complex and multi-dimensional as they are, like to think in very simplistic terms.  We like to find the answers that are the most satisfying, while at the same time are summed up in no more than five seconds.  From the outset, this may seem like a smart move, but from an academic and intellectual standpoint, this is a very juvenile way of looking at things.  For instance, we’re trained in school to look at all possible outcomes and conduct research by forming an opinion based on numeral sources.  In the real world, however, this is not so – opinions are usually formed at the behest of someone else’s and like a virus this spreads until it corrupts.  Although this is partly why politics and diplomacy fail, and why those who purport the failure don’t have to live with it.  This in and of itself is satisfying to some, but isn’t solely what drives us to perceive evil the way we do.

As people, we normally see things as black and white – what is black is black and what is white is white.  In truth, human beings are born in shades of grey and shaped by our experiences.  At the same time, we’re taught that good and evil are blanket statements – what is good is good and what is evil is evil.  This is not necessarily true.  What one person may see as good, another might see as evil.  So it isn’t about what is good and evil, but how good and evil are perceived by individuals.  For instance, “God Fearing” religions try and impress upon us that we as a race are filled with greed, jealousy, and avarice.  Instead of hoping for the best, they assume the absolute worst.  I am going to submit that the aforementioned traits are purely limited to experienced circumstances.  Compassion, love, and hope are also part of the human condition.  You see, what separates human beings from the rest of the animal kingdom is that we are higher functioning and possess the capacity to defy our nature.  It is in our nature to automatically think negatively, to assume the worst, to aspire to be better.  In truth, we already are, we just don’t know it.

The Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1918, effectively ending World War I.  In truth, this only laid the seeds for World War II to begin.  The Treaty itself brought to bear about the worst of possible circumstances on Germany, because it was unanimously decided that the Germans should be blamed for starting the war.  Imagine yourself a German, having fought for your country, losing everything you had, only to find out that your country is now in debt to the rest of the world with reparations.  In short, you have absolutely nothing to show for your service, except maybe a missing limb.  What most people don’t know is that one little Lance Corporal, also an aspiring artist, would get swept up in the fervor for revenge and eventually catapult himself to the head of the most hated regime in history.  We don’t want to think of Adolf Hitler as being human because of the weight of his crimes, that seeing him as having any personal desires would douse the flames of malignancy that surround his crimes.  Recognizing the fact that Hitler was a human being makes him more culpable for his actions and tells us just how far all of the wrong circumstances can push a human being to insanity.  I believe that misdirection, inability to express his emotions fluently, sexual frustration, and revenge mentality pushed him to become what he is historically recorded as.  We don’t want to think of what the man was like before these things drove him to insanity.  The truth is, we need to know what happened to him, to find out what made him tick so that something like this doesn’t happen again.  I could have simply said that “a pissed off people elected a pissed off leader and took revenge on the world for what it did to them,” but that statement is both too simplistic and absolutely juvenile.

As long as there is a system in which poverty exists, in which people are born into classes, in which some are seen as strong and others weak, you will ultimately breed evil.  The very belief that one is doing good almost insures that an equal or greater amount of evil will be present to counter-act it.  Just as good and evil cannot exist without each other, good justifies the existence of evil.  If you have a group of people who have lost everything and have nothing left to lose and then exact their revenge on those who put them in that position, the reaction from the oppressed group to the control group is perceived as evil, not necessarily evil.  I’m going to submit that it is equally evil to knowingly put people in that position.  I am also going to submit that it happens on a fairly consistent basis in the modern world.  After all, the more devout you are with your beliefs, the more things seem less evil and more negotiable.

It is said that Hitler’s evil genius was to fuse his innate abilities as an artist with the persuasion of politics.  What the world does not want to accept about this man is that he was the first to discover that Art + Politics = Power.  He used this to his advantage, and for it, yes, he was a genius.  The world would consider this as uniformly evil, but I have to ask, doesn’t this happen almost near consistently today?  Hitler was right in this regard, that politics is the new art.  It is the art of lying, cheating, stealing, and bullshitting, legally and legitimately.  So I’d say that every crooked politician to have ever walked the planet since is as guilty as Hitler was of this “evil genius.”

Good and Evil have, are, and continue to be perceived notions, rather than physical actions.  Unfortunately the “moral majority” and the rest of the world would have us believe that good and evil are concrete abilities.  Whether as interpreted concepts or tangible aspects, one cannot survive without the other.  As long as there is good, there will almost always assuredly be evil.

Writers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are young, some old, and some use one skill while others use another. It is an indelible fact that writing must be learned and subsequently honed to maintain top quality. Some choose to keep a journal, others use poems, short stories, or little novel scenes as means to doodle with their craft in hopes that one day someone will catch their eye and look at them professionally. For most writers, however, this is a foregone conclusion -- they know how hard they will have to work to earn the rite of publication, and it will take years, even decades before they even see the light. Even writers who know very little about the publishing industry know that it isn’t easy, and a few letters to their favorite published writer will confirm the tireless efforts they will have to front in order to make publication happen.

For the mostpart (though not always true) writers start very young. Imaginative and creative, these qualities will shine with simple games as pretending to be a superhero or a favorite video game character, re-enacting critical, yet provocative scenes. At an extremely young age (before knowing how to write clearly), this is a very popular way for the imagination to manifest itself, becoming ever more pervasive as the young writer ages. Around nine or ten, as a parent, you can expect your son or daughter to start doodling little stories. Albeit they may be simple adventures, the implications are very serious. Still older, those same adventures begin getting a little more complex until they become poem or short-story worthy. And so the quest for the writer begins.

I find an inherent difference between writing as it comes naturally or being “inspired” to write because of this or that. This is largely what separates Christopher Paolini’s fans from his critics. His critics, by and large are writing out of necessity, the feeling that if they don’t write (or otherwise create), some part about their lives is not complete. His fans, on the other hand, have only the concept of his writing and nothing greater than that. To anyone who’s ever read Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, seen Star Wars or read any of the accompanying spin-offs, knows that there is something seriously wrong with Mr. Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. It is an old addage, how he blatantly ripped off these franchises for his own deliberate use, and it’s stood the test of time because this accusation has never once been challenged. The fact of the matter remains that for us “young” writers, all of us were fifteen at one point, and all of us had something under our belts. The only difference between us and Mr. Paolini is his publication and us... well, we’re still working on it.

Why do I get upset when I hear Mr. Paolini speak? Well, for one he’s not telling me anything I haven’t encountered at least once before. In other words, he’s not telling me anything I don’t already know. Every time he speaks, he tells fellow aspiring writers to “never give up.” Every time I hear this, it makes me cringe. What does he care whether I succeed or do not? The only thing I truly hear coming from him is “ha ha, I’m published you sore loser.” Hmm... I guess somebody should have told him that just because you’re published and making millions off of your tripe work does not make you cream of the crop. How do I know this? Because every age is defined by those who have railed against the system, who have gone against the grain, who have dissented unto a dying breath.

It brings me to what young writers are truly afraid of... to see the worlds they’ve created and characters they’ve nurtured (some for a lifetime) reduced to something sub-par of its former self. The publication of Mr. Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle is one more step toward confirming that fear. If it is true that unrefined tripe like that of Mr. Paolini can be published on such short notice, then it must send a message to the rest of us young writers to reduce ourselves to that level just to jump on the bandwagon. If that is indeed the case, the question for us would be one more of morality rather than integrity -- should we knowingly dumb ourselves down to get published, or retain our dignity and show a stiff upper lip?

There are a myriad of works, a plethora if you will, which deserve more of a keen eye than they’ve been given, and the recognition and fame that comes with it to congratulate the author. I think more of us could easily pass up on the idea of celebrity, of fame or fortune. To us, it isn’t about the money necessarily. It’s more about a feeling of accomplishment after years of back breaking, painstaking work which in some cases drives us to hold it higher than our next of kin. It’s just that important to us. But no, instead Mr. Paolini comes along and spreads about us how he did all of these presentations dressed up in a “jaunty” Medieval costume. Hmm... I wonder if the schools in question had to ever pay for any of his appearances? Let’s toss that aside for the moment -- I understand with vanity presses, books sold means food on the table. We’re not blaming Paolini for that, we’re asking why it was made so easy for him, when the rest of us have to go through hell or high water for the same thing? It’s like having to take out a loan to pay for the same education a rich boy is getting because his parents could afford it. It’s like being forcefully drafted into the Armed Forces in front of a Senator’s son because you’re looked at as completely worthless next to the guy. Seriously, it’s about equality, about everyone having to go through the same system, regardless of financial standing or relationship with industry insiders.

The publication of Christopher Paolini (and yes, Stephanie Meyer) have pressed upon an unsuspecting public that publication is easy. Anyone who is or ever has been a writer knows that publication is one of the hardest things in life to achieve. It’s almost as difficult, if not as difficult as raising a child. Just as you aren’t paid to raise a child, you are not paid before you get your first publication contract. All the writing done before hand is as a hobby, during free time. The rest of us young writers actually have to hold down one and two other jobs just to get by and use what little free time we have for our noble pursuits. Then Mr. Paolini comes out of the woodwork and talks like getting a normal “job” is a huge catastrophe, that he couldn’t imagine himself (or his family) having to apply for regular work. Sorry to tell you this, Mr. Paolini, but you do not live in the real world. In the real world, sir, the rest of us actually have to deal with utter bullshit all day just to get by, knowing that it’s utter bullshit. Like you’ve ever had to sit through a minute of company rhetoric!

Please forgive the intimidating title, but it will, as you will come to see, serve a purpose for being the glorious old saying itself. I cannot say, through my course of the study of United States history (and that of world history in general), come to a period of time where more people are paid to gab than to act. It has vexed me, to the point where my head is on the teetering edge of rupturing due to a massive volcanic aneurysm. That’s because much of what I need to discuss (ie. bring to light) is wholly self-evident in its own special way, and that the actions of those who perpetrate this behavior makes them all the more responsible and the act itself absolutely unforgivable.

By now, you may have already heard that there was a massive earthquake in the country of Haiti, specifically centering around the city of Port au’Prince. Because I rarely watch the news anymore, I have only very recently become aware of this happening. To those living in countries and portions of countries who suffer from the breath of this beast, you know all too well the ramifications of what can happen in as little as fifteen seconds. Having grown up in Southern California and experiencing a couple of earthquakes myself, I literally felt like the world was coming to an end each time. Having said that, this isn’t a trip down memory lane, it’s about the self-evident truths of people who continually run their mouths on end, without ever having gone through the experience of whatever it is they’re speaking on. I will begin with the most obvious of these caveats, not because it is the most obvious, but because it is the most common among certain circles of certain types of people.

WAR. So I wonder, how’d you guess I was going to say that? No, really, this is the most common offense of talkers who never take part in the actual conflict. These are people like Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, and Bill O’Reilly, people who have never served in uniform, are not ever required to serve in uniform, and yet do not have to worry about whether or not they’ll have enough food to eat tomorrow because of other brave souls stepping up to the plate in their stead. I’m talking about people who like to see the burden of dirty deeds shifted off their shoulders and onto others. Much of the time, I like to think they take a certain sadistic pleasure in pushing their rhetoric in the face of people dying in order for them to even be able to push it. Never was there a time more self-evident for this than 2000-2008, though I will say that Senator Joseph McCarthy and his “anti-communist” sentiment of the fifties and sixties certainly comes close.

Now, I can hear some of you say, “well Robert, you never served in the Military, so what gives you more right to speak out about those who serve versus those who don’t?” Well, to answer this most puzzling question, I don’t -- I don’t inflame my opinions to the bitter end and shoot my mouth off about how we all should “support the troops” and yada, yada, yada. Anyone with a brain can figure out that all of this pep talk is merely a brand name. Really, I’m speaking out against those who do shoot their mouths off, those who fervently believe in paternalism, who think they know what’s best for me... and you, when they don’t even know what makes water boil. I’m speaking out against those who are paid an obscene amount of money to exert their opinions and potentially brainwash and blindside less informed people into their way of thinking, simply because it makes their ratings look better. I mean, it’s really funny how the tables turn when you’re taken care of, right?

Economy. Mom, Dad, when you were my age and in your twenties, did you ever have to pay almost $5.00US for a gallon of gasoline? Hmm..., no, I thought not. You see, not only is my generation fighting a two front war that is bleeding us dry, but we’ve also had the rug ripped out from underneath us by unchecked and unchallenged greed. It was summarily allowed to run rampant by the stupid, unintelligible fucks who ran this country like a god damn college fuck fraternity. On top of that, those who were most responsible for the mess in the first place were bailed out by the government -- so that pretty much tells you where our tax dollars are going. Did you know that those bumbling AIG executives took a $400,000 vacation in California and then went to England for an $85,000 hunting excursion -- all on our dime? (By the way, yes, I’m really pissed about that).

Here’s the point -- the people who perpetrated this, even our parents’ generation do not have to suffer for this incompetence. We do, and our children do. Our parents decided it was fun times to borrow against future generations who have no say in the matter. Funny that, because legally acquired loans require a contractual agreement between the lessor and the lessee, to ensure the collection on said loans is legally binding. Such things wreak of Ancient Rome, of the wealthy who would sit on their asses (literally) while the poor and enslaved starved and died in disease ridden slums. It’s kind of funny how many “democratic” governments in today’s world mirror the behaviorial patterns as that one just two millenia ago. It really begs to question whether democratic is really democratic, or if it is merely a fanciful name for oligarchy or dare I say it, fascism. It’s not funny to make people believe in something they don’t really have, point and laugh and say, “ha ha, I tricked you, it ain’t so!” That’s the kind of attitude which spawns revolutions and civil wars where lots of people die.

Irony. There is nothing more ironic, more ridiculous than this self-peddling attitude of entitlement. It is a view which says you have the right to something just because you can afford it, regardless of whether or not you earned it. Just because you have a million dollars doesn’t mean you should go out and spend it -- nor are you entitled to, because you owe yourself as much respect as you would owe the next man. If you don’t respect yourself, you don’t deserve to be respected. The irony is that we live in a time where the majority of people think they’re entitled to certain things on a “just because” basis, yet this is the exact same thing we’re taught to avoid as children. As children we’re taught to share a play as equals, where one in no more important than the other. Then when we grow up and become adults, all of these life lessons are shoved aside in the face of happless greed and bitter disrespect that human beings really have toward each other. I know that we are animals and are equally part of the Animal Kingdom, but what separates humans from other animals is that we possess higher functions -- fundamental logic and the ability to choose. We can choose to defy our own nature if we wish. The reason for this is because our survival is dependent upon one another, where ordinary animals are ultimately forced to fend for themselves (with the exception of pack species). But even pack species can’t examine the morality of their kills. They are very linear. Human beings differ in that we can.

Love, trust, and respect -- all of these values are earned. Yet in spite of this, many people think they’re entitled to them “because” they simply are. The reason why these things are earned is because it proves culpability, capability, humility, and character on the part of the individual earning them. If we all had our life’s goals slammed down right in front of us, there wouldn’t be no real sense of ownership or committment, two things which some people think they’re deserving of right out of the box without ever having to work for them. That is why I have problems with rich people who inherit their wealth. They learn no real hardship, no real value, and subsequently become leaders in the face of what they have, not what they earned. This is why the world is the way it is today, because it is run by those who think it’s better to inherit their wealth than work for it... and as a subsequence, laws are written to protect those who have, not those who earn.

Last Words. It must be real great to be in a position where you can sit and talk about people going to war or dying in Haiti when you’ve never actually been in either situation. I guess that’s what you get when it’s no longer your burden, right? That’s right, I’m talking to you Limbaugh, to you as well O’Reilly. You think it’s funny to run your mouths, then sit back, cackle, and pretend like its not your problem. Those who attack human kindness and humility with such questions which shouldn’t even be called into question are the hallmarks of your fear. The truth is, Limbaugh... you’re afraid to be figured out, to be run into the ground by the very people you lambaste and confuse, to say nothing of the fact that you never yapped about George Bush sending aid to the Tsunami victims of Southeast Asia in 2004... or spoke out against his unwillingness to better prepare people on the gulf coast during the events which culminated in Hurricane Katrina. Yet you’re so pompous and fired up about Mr. Obama sending aid to Haiti? Mr. Limbaugh, whose side are you on?

And as for you, Mr. O’Reilly... the Factor is about more than those petty little Nielsen Ratings you peddle about to Mr. Olbermann. It’s about whether or not you speak for the majority of Americans or yourself. But that doesn’t mean I’m without sympathy for you. I do stand with you on a single issue which you’ve come out about personally, which is not influenced by your personal politics -- your view on child predators. They need to be locked up sir, and you are a valiant crusader in that effort. But I bid this as well to you, Mr. O’Reilly... when it’s you or your child(ren) in harm’s way in as much as the people of Haiti are right now, I don’t think you’d be wondering where “all that money” is coming from or going to. Right now, the situation there is about survival, and we have just as much an obligation as does the rest of the world to lend a helping hand. I mean, you don’t want to be seen as cold and cruel do you? Becoming what you hate is not a noble effort.

Judgement is a fickle thing. For those who place their burdens on others without regard for life or welfare, will see said judgement metted out on them in the end.

If you’re educated and even if you aren’t, innate logic should tell you that we never stop learning.  There are multiple angles and outcomes to everything, even if the undesirable conclusions to problems present themselves at the most inconvenient times.  In a wordplay on E. Magill’s scheme of learning new things each year, I felt I had a responsibility to share with everyone what I learned, with both fact and fiction.

 -- Admission is an Abdication of Torment --

 For a long time I’ve been holding my parents guilty for their actions towards me as a person.  From a young age all the way up through college, I’ve felt they’ve favored my sisters over me.  Unfortunately, that part of it is the indelible truth.  On the other hand, admitting to myself that this is a fact and it cannot be changed (at the very least what has happened in the past) makes it much easier for me to live my life.  I still have a hard time forgiving them for their actions, however since I don’t focus on the irrationality of it as much as I used to, life in general has become much easier to cope with, on a personal and professional level.

 -- Having a Child Would Complete Me –

 Sometimes, things that are imaginary have a far greater impact on a person’s psyche than most real things in this world.  Just because we can’t use our five physical senses to tell us that an object or person exists doesn’t make it any less real.  For me (if you’ve been following me at any length), that’s my little baby, Azlynn.  I don’t make any bones about this; he is my religious experience as a writer, much in the same way that writing him has become very paternal in nature to me.  It is his story and my imagining myself in these paternal situations with him which has put me in touch with the lighter side of life.  At the same time, I must confess how having a child would make me deathly afraid of the powerful people in this world – those who would, without the shadow of a doubt, send my boy into conflict to fill their coffers.  On the other hand, having a real-life Azlynn to hold, hug, and kiss would change me entirely – just as any person does who becomes a parent.

 -- I am a Lonely Man –

 It took me a long time to realize that the absence of a significant other would make love and marriage that much more important and special to me.  Well, that and the ability to have and raise a child… to pour into that child all of the love and affection I never received as a child.  In a strange twist of fate, it’s sort of like that Journey song.  On the other hand, you never know what you have until you don’t have it anymore… or you realize just how much you’ve been missing from your life without it.  I don’t think sex is an issue, because if it was, I would have broken down long, long ago.  But seriously, can you tell me you know that many [males] who have refrained from sex in the light of waiting for the right person to cross T’s with?  Funny how I’ve been told in the past the woman who winds up with me would be very, very lucky.  I guess that’s why I haven’t given into the pleasures of the flesh for fear of doing such things with the wrong people.  But twenty-seven years without love, sharing feelings, and indeed sex, will do that to a man.

 -- A Masterpiece Can Come Anytime –

 There aren’t enough pages in the world I could utilize to describe how much Azlynn has changed me and how I’ve grown with him.  I remember some odd years ago, all the way up until recently, how I was all skiddish about someone misusing him or exploiting him in a sexual manner.  I realize that this is all part of the game, and that with a writing contract will come fans and a fandom of this and I’m willing to accept that.  It doesn’t change the fact that Azlynn, however I may wish to look at him, is my masterpiece.  I would think it uncommon for writers to sit down and craft these things at early stages in a career filled with wonders, but I still haven’t decided whether I want my career to revolve around this one character or not.  While I do believe this is possible, what ultimately makes Azlynn the one for me is that I will never experience again in my writing life what I’ve experienced with him up to this point.  In other words, if you’re a writer, you don’t have to wait thirty years into your career to let out what is yours, true in nature.  If it’s there, let it out.  You’ll be glad you did.

 -- Incompetence Runs the World –

 Following up on The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter, I have come to realize that those who are least qualified to lead are usually the ones who end up in leadership positions.  This is why you have flawed marketing attempts, too much work for too few people, uncalculated and unchecked greed, and falsely executed wars.  No matter the color and shade of your leadership skills, there will always be a portion of it at which a person will miserably fail.  As such, the result is a mundane world where high school is relived in droves.  Our idea of success stems from the very regression of technology and innovation which has made the human race a most positive force in the universe up until recently.  We think that college degrees and inherited wealth are the hallmarks of what makes a person truly successful, forsaking natural talents for those which are manufactured.  That doesn’t mean we should lose faith in who we are – it simply means the disenfranchised minds of society have to work that much harder to attain the same things as everyone else, because we are skeptical of just about everything we’re told in the face of incompetence.

 -- Failure is Rewarded, Hard Work is Touted –

 We live in an age where the sub-par and the half-assed are granted more face time than they ever should.  Let me be clear – it is much harder to fail at something than it is to pass, because we, as human beings, are geared to survive, not sit and do nothing in the face of our own extermination.  My belief that failure is rewarded in plight of success stems from the fact that we are and have been a service-oriented society since the end of World War II.  It is a common thread now, especially in the retail industry, that customer service is the number one priority.  What people don’t realize is that outstanding customer service breeds another type of incompetence and laziness wherein people think they are entitled to a certain level of treatment – all of which I think should be earned.  Unfortunately, as long as cashiers and other pee-ons are willing to take the brunt end of the stick for some asshole who doesn’t deserve the time of day, nothing will ever change in this regard.  It’s just a way to abandon one level of incompetence for another.

 -- History Can and WILL Repeat Itself –

 The end of 2008 saw a near collapse of the American economy, a daunting fact which lasted throughout 2009, and much of which the country is continuing to struggle with today – cut hours, no jobs, and people being forced on welfare and food stamps in spite of it.  Even now, at the beginning of 2010, things don’t look so hot.  Many companies are still looking for ways to save the extra cash by eliminating job positions which people are so desperately in need of right now.  On top of that, a college degree really doesn’t help in the slightest when there are no jobs to be had.  In fact, some students have even taken to suing their alumni because they can’t find jobs (yes, I understand that a college degree does not guarantee a job, but the amount of money spent on college tuition says that a school has a partial responsibility to help their students find work after graduating).  Personally I disagree with the motive, but I do understand the reason why students would do it.  All I can say for you fifty and sixty-somethings is that you’re dealing with one pissed off generation of young people.  Let’s see, a two-front war, lies that know no end, unscrupulous greed on the part of already insanely rich men, and no jobs to usher in a new era of “prosperity.”  And we’re going to fucking pay for their incompetence. Yeah, that’ll pretty much drive any young person to the brink of their own sanity.

 -- …And ye Almighty said, “Let the Children Protect the Parents.”… --

 The recent history of the United States, and indeed the rest of the world is littered with stories of young people (namely young men), either forced against their will or otherwise encouraged to take on violent roles, train to kill or be killed, and sacrifice every fiber of their beings for this little thing the elite like to call patriotism.  At least that would be the very argument of Dick Cheney.  He would see no two ways about it but to send young men into combat without an ounce of regard for what would happen to them, all in the name of national security.  If there’s one thing I learned more than any other this year (and indeed, all the years summed up since seeing my generation placed into this conflict of wills), it’s that children are constantly asked and pressured to put their lives on the line for their parents.  Even the Selective Service System takes any man from eighteen to twenty-six (this of course assuming he’s not the son of an important political figure).  Funny thing is, I always thought it was nature’s way for the parents to protect the children. We’re even becoming soft on monsters who would kidnap and molest our children for their own benefit.  I thought the rule of law was geared toward protecting individuals from harm, including harm from one-self.  I never expected the rule of law would be so disparaging as to only hurt the law abiding. 

I guess what I’m trying to say here is simple – if you want to have a war, that’s fine.  If you want to piddle, pillage, and destroy, I say to each his own.  But if you’re going to do this, let’s make it even across the drawing board, okay?  There’s no natural law that says a fifty year-old man cannot fight as well as a twenty-year old man.  In fact, some older men are much better fit than younger men these days.  However, the note of importance between the two is that the fifty year-old has experienced some facet of life whereas the twenty year-old has not.  So when I just happen to hear that a twenty-two year old soldier died in combat, who graduated high school after me, it always begs me to question why so many older men like to say, “that’s the way it is,” and treat us young men like pawns on a chess board.  And to any parent who would be proud that their son or daughter was killed in action, I say you need to be COMMITTED, immediately!

I believe that it is a parent’s responsibility to protect their child, regardless of age, until they shuffle off this mortal coil… period.

 -- No News is No News – 

I know writing, and the invocation of what is known as journalism today is not writing… not even close.  That’s because, as I’ve had it put to me, what is journalist is more artisan than artistic, and in a way that’s a credible threat to any writer worth his salt.  There is nothing in the news today which is noted positive – only the perpetuation of fear, hatemongering, and people paid to spread their personal political bias.  In reality, there should be nothing in the news politically motivated – it should be unbiased and just, enough to give average citizens the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.  This is what we would call true journalism, and it’s why I never set foot in a journalism class in middle school, high school, or college.  Instead, we have a slew of news organizations run by political hacks of all stripes, whose only goal is to see who gets the highest Nielsen Ratings.  I’ve never encountered something more juvenile than that.

As someone who has worked briefly in a news organization, I have to say I’m severely disappointed in the way things are run.  And no, your news paper is not different from everyone else’s.  It’s the same fucking thing with a different shade of red or blue.  To anyone who would take one of these so-called “journalists” seriously, I have to tell you that living by the words of a political pundit is not the path to a healthy lifestyle, nor is it the proper use of the Force.  Seriously, all you have to do is listen to someone like Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly talk for more than a minute.  In fact, the only person I’m willing to strike from my list of retarded hacks is Keith Olbermann.  Of all the news anchors I have watched, none of struck me as more journalistic than this man (although I will say some of his coverage and nitpicking can be a little over the top).  Nevertheless, he is an intelligent, all around American with a general concern for the health and safety of his people.  Oh, and his show is completely approachable – it doesn’t make you feel like a lemming.

But as I said before, no news is no news, which is why I haven’t taken a good, hard look at any current events for the past five weeks.  Things get much easier with your life when you realize there’s more to this little world than what the news organizations would tell you, and believe me when I say that they have no problem invoking your response of fear.  They did it to me and I was a fool for having ever spent as much time paying attention to it as I did.

As with all things, I like to end introspectives like this on a high note and so I’ll go with a little something from Dr. Denis Leary:  “That was the whole idea.  You took the donut, you dunked it in the coffee, thus the fuckin’ title of the place… DUNKIN’ DONUTS!”