Smarturday – 051824

Abridged vs. Saga

Abridged – adjective – reduced or lessened in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminished or curtailed

Saga – noun – any narrative or legend of heroic exploits or any very long story with dramatic events or parts

How many bridges are involved in an abridged version versus a saga? I think there would probably be quite the difference. It will not always be the case because I take immediate issue with this intro from a concept of quantity versus quality. However, the point stands. Opportunities to build best bridges increase in a saga as opposed to anything abridged.

In another way to consider, would you rather live an abridged life or a life experience that could be retold as an epic saga? The answer is easy in my mind. Before you roll your eyes too much, though, please understand that I do not imply opulent glitz and glamor. I think a lavish lifestyle can still be summarized succinctly if it lacks character and depth. Where are any intricate details if you simply waste your resources unendingly unto the very end? Should our legacies outline luxuries that we lauded or a lifetime of legendary lessons? :)

Siddhartha Gautama fascinates me. Most people have surely heard of him in some way, shape, or form along the way. He bridged so many divides. If you are not sure, can you picture the happy, fat guy sitting there (typically enameled in gold) with his hands often in some kind of intriguing pose? Yes, Buddha. He was Siddhartha Gautama prior to his awakening and/or enlightenment. He was not happy with the world. Despite being born into a comfortable, royal, and wealthy position, he sought deeper meaning out of life. He wanted to figure out why we are all here and what it all means. Lofty and idealistic, sure, but perhaps he is one of the original human rights activists. After all, he felt empowered to determine why humans suffered. He studied and reflected on that idea for very long periods of time. He searched far and wide. What was he doing when he figured it out? What was his “light bulb moment”? Sitting under a tree. As simple as that. My mind then jumps/bridges to Isaac Newton and the supposed story of how he discovered gravity. He was sitting under a tree, too, when the apple fell down and jolted him. Hm, where else can an apple be connected here next as a bridge to other meanings and possibilities?

If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.


-Isaac Newton

Nature brings solace in all troubles.


-Anne Frank

Talk about an abridged life that could still be a saga. Until recently, I did not realize how short of a life Anne Frank lived. Perhaps I knew it once, but I forgot it. She died at the age of fifteen, yet her impact reverberates through the ages. Life is not in the quantity; it is in the quality. Each day can be mundane and abridged if you so choose. Or, each day, you can choose to search for and secrete your own saga worthy of a song that sailors would sing around an evening campfire. The choice is yours. What bridge are you building? Can you also secure its supports on top of the shoulders of those who have come before us?

Things might seem dark. You might feel stuck in a deep rut, seemingly isolated and alone. Thomas Edison improved the light bulb significantly. He bridged that gap into mainstream modernity, and he also philosophized the following1:

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.


-Thomas Edison

It is no fun being knocked off your bridge. Trust me; I know. I have been there, down in a rut, more times than I care to count. However, I now seek sagas. I choose to avoid an abridged experience in this life. Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.

  1. I really wanted to make this “phollowing” :) ↩︎

Thanksday – 051624

When I think about bridges and who or what I am thankful for, I think it would be a little too “on the nose” to express gratitude for a famous architect. It would also be difficult to pick from among the many great bridge-builders. Instead, I choose to be metaphorical. :)

I am thankful for Jackie Robinson. Yes, that is right – I am going to talk about baseball twice within one week. I am surprised because it is one of my least favorite sports, but evidently there is still plenty of value there and lessons to be learned. Even though I do not prefer this sport among other options, I can still appreciate it and its history. We each have opinions on favorites; tolerate them all. We will not agree on everything, y’all…

Again, I am extremely grateful for Jackie Robinson and all that he accomplished during a difficult age of segregation in America. He was the first black player to integrate into a Major League Baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was mindful of the racial gap, and he bridged it spectacularly. I finally watched 42 earlier this year; I loved it so much. Chadwick Boseman has represented so many remarkable members of our collective consciousness. Both Jackie and Chadwick have bridged so many racial and societal gaps; they both broke through so many bombastic barriers.

That is precisely the point here. Both could have accepted the status quo. Both could have let others get to them and compromised their own values or moral compass. Both could have fallen off their bridges, but they did not fall. They persevered and prevailed against perilous problems. They powered through and pressed on. Jackie dealt with so much direct hate on all levels – emotional, mental/psychological, physical, spiritual, etc. I will not sugarcoat it; sadly, the majority of white masses back then acted egregiously and offensively, trying to knock him down or to break him down. Who truly knows how many times they came close to succeeding… I hate even considering it, but it is a probable truth.

It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down. All that matters is you get up one more time than you were knocked down.


-Roy T. Bennett

Circling back to his values and moral compass, I think Jackie knew well what kind of bridge he was building. His values ignited a self-determination so fiery and passionate that no one would stop him. He continued on in the direction that his compass pointed, along his bridge being built. His supports were solid and sound, too; they secured his safety and strengthened his resolve. He put up with a lot to pave the way for so many.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.


-Jackie Robinson

Please, y’all, let’s stop trying to knock each other off of our bridges; instead, let’s support and strengthen one another. Altogether, let’s see how high all of our bridges can be built up brightly and better side-by-side. Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. <3

Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.


-Jackie Robinson

There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.1


-Jackie Robinson

  1. We can even expand this last quote to be broader and all-encompassing. There is not a citizen of this world free until each and every one of us is free. It feels like a truth to me. ↩︎

Soulday – 051224

I ended last cycle with eight great speeches. Now, to bridge the gap, I want to start with one of my all-time favorite opening scenes1. It gives me goosebumps every time I see it. It also helps drive me forward to strive for better change by trying my best to bridge the gap. I think things are bad right now: corruption, famine, global warming, racism, war, etc. All that bad does not stop me from still seeing limitless beauty all around me. Even when current events are awful according to most places you look in the media, I still love those around me, and I still love everyone else to varying degrees, too. I feel like the darkness wants to close in and enshroud us, yet I happily press on. I choose to change myself and to control my light. I choose to try my best and to build a bridge towards a future that I can truly be proud of. We each have a lane to live in. I now think about the elevations of each of our lanes, too. Here is a sugjestion: is your lane down in a rut right now, or might it be sky-high? Also, how do you think those changes in elevation happen? By choosing to build a bridge. So, mind the gap as they say across the pond, and then bridge the gap.

The best and safest style of bridges need the right types and amounts of support in the optimal places. The starting point of the bridge is your past; you have to own where you came from and what has made you you along the way. The bridge’s ending point should be some goal(s) that you have for your life. My next sugjestion is to start there if you do not have those plans in place yet. Then, as for the supports of the bridge in between the beginning and the end, I believe that is where your values or moral code come into play. By first building yourself up correctly from the ground up, later on, you will have no need to question the reliability of the supports that hold your bridge up optimally and safely.

Steadfast belief and confidence in yourself is what I suppose I am getting at here and trying to recommend to each and every one of us. Be able to meet resistance along the way from any and all sides; do not let it sway you. I am not saying to proceed blindly, foolishly, or stubbornly, though. It is important, IMO, to continually question our beliefs and our surroundings. I often practice a running (or perhaps walking) internal dialogue of Q&A in order to keep reevaluating my beliefs so that I can learn and grow. We can each question these things and adapt accordingly while also maintaining belief and confidence in our values or moral code. Ideal self-belief should be shored up strongly as a constant. Belief of or in true truths should be sought after sincerely as a sustained, secret search.

I believe that we each must be the architect of our bridge(s). After all, IMHO, we should each be responsible for our own lanes. If you rely on others, then just stop and imagine what happens to that bridge of yours when they pull their supports out from under it… and from under you. I am truly happy to consult with you on bridge building. I like to see how much I can learn from others, and maybe, just maybe, I can help others, too. So, to be transparent with y’all, I plan on revamping other pages of this site this week/cycle. After all, it has already been up and running for three full cycles. I consider that first one to be pure chaos as I slowly pieced the plan together more and more. Then, it was love, and, most recently, it was change. As we swirl through this chaos, I believe we must channel love and change if we wish to grow and thrive. If we can help work on building the best bridge(s) that we can together, then check out the Donate page once it is overhauled if you want to reach out and see if we can connect. I am new to this, but I am eager. I will give you my best for a week if you are willing to take a chance and adventure with me.

Repeating myself to build a solid support, I will say it one more time because I think the best parts need to be shouted louder for those in the back (or those down in the ruts):

Mind your gap, then bridge your gap. Please. :)

There is enough room on the high way for us all.

Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.

  1. Language warning – some profanity in the video ↩︎

Freeday – 051024

Bees are so cool. I may eventually write more about them in detail, but I love this sports story so much that I want to highlight it this Freeday. Evidently, honeybees are a sign of good luck from ancient times. A full team win resulted from teamwork and cooperation.

This seemingly-random first paragraph is in reference to a fun article that I recently read:

Dodgers-Diamondbacks delayed by bee swarm at Chase Field

How much change was endured that day? The starting pitch was delayed by two hours. The first, ceremonial pitch was given ad hoc to the “hero of the hour”. That hero had to change up his plan of watching his son’s tee-ball game. His drive in to the MLB stadium was smooth, though. That feels right.  It is a more literal take of sorts on what Matthew McConaughey talks about with Green Lights. Letting him throw that first pitch in his beekeeping suit feels right. Stunning those bees and relocating them safely feels right. I was on pins and needles for more of the article than I care to admit, but I was so fully and physically relieved when I read that they were frozen and relocated in a peaceful way. Otherwise, I am not sure if I could have held it back anymore; instead, I can let it go. :) <3

Bees are essential for our survival; I beelieve that. Again, I will save any more details here for a future post and/or cycle. Honey can be explored in detail, too, either in tandem or completely separately. We shall see… so many connections can be made if you keep your mind open enough. Bridges can be built between almost anything and everything if we simply put forth the effort and try. That is why the theme of the next cycle will focus on bridges. I hope you will cross this bridge with me. Is it wise? Is it dumb? Time will tell.

As a bonus bridge here, do you know what does not feel right to me? A bunch of college seniors out there who are missing out on their graduations. Violent protests should not be rewarded. Violent anything should not be rewarded. We must first learn to live and act peacefully in my wholehearted opinion. However, many of these students worked hard for years. To punish the many due to the few does not feel right to me. In case it offers a small consolation prize for any who may see this post, please celebrate yourself. Please set aside time to memorialize your milestone with these moments, these past commencement addresses that I feel are right. These moments met the mark of merit. These memories mirror manners and meaning. May you even learn and grow from and through these untimely hardships. I am so sorry you had to deal with this. Imagine what seniors four years prior had to deal with graduating in a pandemic1. We all have to deal with lots of change. How do you react and respond to it, though? Do you react in kind from a low road, or can you rise up and do better? Can you bee better than those before us? That is what I am trying to do here; that is why I write. I feel a sense of duty that calls me here. I have a love so deep and profound for all of us. Yes, all of us. Even those whom I have disparaged in past posts. I know what good they could be capable of. Choose to push buttons for productive progress. Change to make the world better for all beings.

In lieu of your own commencement and guest speaker, please enjoy any or all of these:

Chadwick Boseman

Gloria Steinem

Elie Wiesel

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Steve Jobs

George Takei

Barack Obama

Amanda Gorman2

Howard University must be doing something very right, IMO, to show up on here twice. Nice work. <3

Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. 

  1. As I reviewed this post, I realized that this timing actually and sadly presents a double whammy for many. For those adhering to the standard or typical American higher education path, y’all graduated high school four years ago… at the peak of the pandemic. FWIW – I am so sorry you now experience this double whammy.  ↩︎
  2. Not quite a commencement address per se, but it is so powerful and strong IMO. ↩︎

Wondersday – 050824

Have you ever wondered… about Karma? I have. A lot actually. Maybe that word eeks or irks you. At a recent lecture that I attended, a guest speaker described karma as cause and effect. So, do you at least believe in that? In another way, it was described to me as reaping what you sow, so your actions, good or bad, will make their way back to you. They can be reminders or wake-up calls for change. I believe in karma. Wholeheartedly. What do you believe in? Have you started to ponder these things at all? Why or why not? Is there something that you are afraid of? At least initially, it is often not pretty looking inside, but therein lie your secrets. IMO, if you only stay at surface-level, then you lie to yourself. You overlook or ignore those good (and bad) secrets that are awaiting within. They are not going anywhere, so what are you waiting for? Simply ignoring them and hoping they go away seems insane to me. After all, what is one definition of insanity?

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.


-Albert Einstein

Repetitively paraphrasing again, I think of karma as a call for change. Our past will always catch up with us; our reckoning will come knocking. What will you do moving forward? Does anyone else have nights where one or two dream sequences will repeat themselves until you break the insanity and make the better or different choice? That, too, is karma. You can repeat your errors unrelentingly, or you can reconcile and resolve your reservations and restrictions through reflection, realization, reevaluation, recalibration, and readjustment. Please remove your restraints to revel in and relish reality. Really.

I sugjest slowing down some and looking inward. I will HOTly (Honestly, Openly, and Transparently) admit to y’all now that it has done me a world of good. I know it could do the same for you if you try and let it. As a fair warning, it is not easy, and it certainly is not all fun and games or rainbows, sunshine, and unicorns. It can be downright scary as you begin to figure things out. Reliving past traumas is rarely a bundle of joy, but it is oh so worth it in my most honest opinion… maybe it’s wise; maybe it’s dumb; time will tell…

Last NFL season, I watched what could easily have been my first-ever NY Jets game. I was excited to see what Aaron Rodgers would do now that he was no longer a GB Packer. Evidently, surprisingly, and unfortunately, not too much. His body got busted during the first series. I think they made it to the second set of downs before he went down. It was not pretty, but I also believe it was karma. Now, I will choose to recognize and respect his rehab and recovery. How he bounced back so fast post-surgery was truly impressive, but it also did not matter; the Jets did not make it to the playoffs last season. No single player makes or breaks things in a team sport, only himself or herself instead. I might speculate reasons for karma; I sugjest Aaron ruminate on it during his next retreat.

I think that he thinks of himself as “the greatest thing since sliced bread” or whichever aphorism more appropriately fits here in your mind. IMHO, I would love to sugjest to Aaron that he finally fill in that “chip on his shoulder,” and I would sugjest that he stay in his lane which should not be a very scientific one. Him spouting half-baked conspiracies is not helping any cause. I sugjest making your own loaf whole and truly great before blindly misdirecting followers more. That is my $.02 or 2% to serve alongside a slice. 

For right now, unfortunately at this point in time, I think A-A-Ron is just an A-A-hole, but he could be more. He could be better. We all could, if we each try more. I firmly believe life is about learning lessons if we learn to listen. Again, it takes work, but it is worth it. 

I think it is important for us all to do our best based on what feels right in our soul instead of basing our actions or choices on some “cool”, “dope”, or “swag” factor. Karma does not care about how many likes, replies, or shares we get. Karma catches up with all actions, including rhetoric that makes one simply question it sometimes with, “WTF, why would you say that?” Aaron Rodgers does not know about vaccines; he knows about football. Has that honorary doctorate (in humanities) gone to his head? IDK. While he may be “a genius on the football field, Rodgers has revealed himself to be a pandemic ignoramus.”

Honestly, I recommend DBT1 and not any other three-letter thing out there. In my most honest and humble opinion, DBT can do more good by slowly shining light on your own inner darkness as opposed to trying to turn off the lights on the outside more. What would A+A+Ron look like? I wonder… and I also truly hope he will show us that at some point if he can realize that there is a wide world of experts to rely upon beyond himself.

Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all!

  1. Dialectical Behavior Therapy – learning how to act, feel, and think better/clearer ↩︎

Mournday – 050624

So it begins…1


– Théoden, Lord of the Mark and King of Rohan

…and so it ends. One beacon is no longer lit. I had started planning for a different post this Mournday, but I changed course when I saw the unfortunate news yesterday that Bernard Hill passed on from this life. I stand by this decision to be flexible with these posts because I believe that we should roll with the punches, regardless of if they are thrown by orcs or goblins, icebergs or humans. Realizing I had a chance to talk about LOTR2 in any way, shape, or form excited me. I will happily choose to take these nerdy opportunities when I can. Tolkien is one of the greatest world builders to have walked this planet. I am ever grateful for how he changed us with his creations. I think he would be proud of what Peter Jackson accomplished, and I imagine Bernard had lots of fun playing King Théoden, leader of the Riders of Rohan. This group stayed on the sideline for far too long. They changed their mind, though, and chose to be active at the right time. Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor who lived on courageously for about seventy more years. He studied religions. He jested at the Ten Commandments as impractical.

The greatest commandment to me in the Bible is not the Ten Commandments… my commandment is thou shall not stand idly by.


-Elie Wiesel

Sitting or standing idly by while many injustices unfold in this world is probably one of the worst apathetic actions that we as humans can take during our time here on Earth. Again, I am not sugjesting violent recourse. That is where fantasy may always appear more appealing and flashier from the outside looking in. Instead, learn to speak your mind. Learn to voice concerns for those who may struggle to do so themselves. It is not ideal if we simply ignore suffering around us. We should not turn away from it. Is it uncomfortable? Of course! What if we can help, though? What if someone lights a beacon and calls to us for aid? It is easy to stay in our “castles”, safely secured within our own walls. That is too comfortable, though, and too lazy. Helm’s Deep would have surely fallen if not for each group choosing to show up and do their part in order to change the tide of that battle. Yes, I know that it is a fictional battle, but how close has Ukraine come to falling without aid? How many times has Zelenskyy tried to light beacons? They are enduring a long night that has stretched on for over two years now. Famine is setting in amongst the Palestinian population. Israel just shut down Al Jazeera, one of the largest news networks in the Middle East, within the confines of their country. Israel’s leadership is actively banning, stifling, and putting out any possible beacons. That feels so shady to me, figuratively and literally. It makes me wonder just how much they are truly hiding. How many injustices and war crimes have occurred? So many children could still have all of their limbs if they had been able to receive more timely care. However, many, if not all, of the hospitals in Palestine have been destroyed. The death toll is disproportionately exorbitant3. If aid routes were truly open and accessible without fear of death, then why is famine still spreading? I believe that the leaders of Israel have a lot to answer for. I believe that Putin has a lot to answer for. What I think they both fail to realize is that:

Every individual matters.
Every individual has a role to play.
Every individual makes a difference.


-Jane Goodall

Any human being is a challenge.
Any human being is worthy of my attention, of my love occasionally.


-Elie Wiesel

With those said, I believe we all have a lot to answer for. Our own actions add up over time. Will you sink with your ship, O Captain my Captain, or will you rise up alongside supportive masses? We all have choices. We all can change. Will we turn towards the beacons and do something, or will we continue to cower comfortably and complacently? Choose to change your chats; choose to talk about what truly matters. Please choose to acknowledge the suffering of others. For that matter, please also recognize your own suffering. Sit with your emotions, feelings, and thoughts to figure out how to make yourself whole again as we then work on wholly healing our people and planet.

Thank you, Bernard, for playing your roles so well. I will miss you, Mr. Hill, and I will enjoy reflecting on the art that you have helped leave behind in your stead. May his legacy and memory serve as a hill for us all to stand on together to each do our best. Personally, I feel like the world is aflame these days. Will we still ignore that beacon?

You’re not obligated to win.
You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.


-Marian Wright Edelman

Maybe it is all wise. Maybe it is all dumb. Time will tell.

  1. Fun Fact: as a proud part of a nerdy family, for one New Year’s Eve celebration, we started watching The Two Towers at the exact time so that, when midnight struck for the New Year, Bernard Hill’s character, King Théoden, said this line on cue :) ↩︎
  2. An acronym for “The Lord of the Rings” ↩︎
  3. I find it fascinating (sadly so) that an Archaic definition for this word is “outside the authority of the law.” I think Netanyahoo has grossly overstepped his lane a lot. ↩︎

Smarturday – 050424

Word vs. Sword

Wordsmith vs. Swordsmith
Wordsman vs. Swordsman

I think swordsman is such a cool word, aside from its masculine default. If you drop the first letter off it, what do you get? Wordsman. Why is that not also a word currently? Conversely, wordsmith exists yet swordsmith does not? Some bizarre differences…

I think these words should exist. However, I sugjest a slight adaptation – wordsperson1. Incorporate a fully-inclusive ideal as we change things for the better. That is my goal. Personally, I think it should be the overall goal in general, too. It is how I write as a wordsperson, and it is what I am working on when I speak, too. It is not easy at times, but I feel strongly that it is worthwhile work, so I am happy to continue whittling away at it2.

Recently, I read an article about different radical US militia groups starting to ramp up recruitments. It reminds me of and reinforces my focus – words instead of swords, ballots over bullets, and alliances in lieu of altercations. Here is another sugjestion for both sides – stop being sore losers. 2016 sucked for nearly half of us Americans; 2020 sucked for nearly half of us3. To state it clearly, 2024 will also suck for nearly half of us. Do not hate the players or the voters, but hate the MF game. Choose to change the game, but please do so peacefully and productively. Process your emotions first prior to proceeding. Approach this problem from a well-positioned point plus perspective. Plan positive projects, not destructive divisions. Do not delve into yet more dilemmas that damage, deface, or diminish our delicate dealings. Please choose to channel charitable care.

Sharpen your words, not other tools. Learn how to have difficult discussions. Compromise is when both people walk away feeling like they did not get everything that they wanted. You have to be able and willing to meet in the middle. That is how we each best stay in our own lane. Worry about tending to your lane; do not worry about what others are doing in and with their lane. If they are trying to step into your lane uninvited, then use your words to effectively defend yourself. I understand words will not always work. That is why we have law enforcement and such. There are ways to enforce and uphold words. If you try, you can look at, listen to, and learn from the lanes of others, too, but please do not step into them. I think that is why violence upsets me. It is a physical clash of control for lanes. It does not feel right to me, and I think it only rarely yields appropriate results.

Ultimately, I think it boils down to this – are you controlling your emotions, or are your emotions controlling you? If the latter, then change is needed, and I believe that firmly. Resorting to violence is unacceptable. Control yourself first and foremost. Learn how to present your opinions and stances in a meaningful and productive way. For whatever it is worth, I realize as I write these words that I still have plenty of work to do here, too. Maybe a lot, if not all, of these posts are more for me than others. I do not know right now. It is all here, though, in case others choose to look and possibly be helped, too.

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.


– John Wesley

I am going to paraphrase repetitively – words over swords. Please, y’all, let us all try to slow back down and use our minds as best as we can instead of instantly trying to resort to our muscles. Those will come and go with time. Our minds can keep being honed if we are ready and willing to put in the work. Verbal battlefields over literal minefields. No life should ever be lost over any differences of opinion. Is it wise? Is it dumb? Time will tell.

  1. A person who uses their words (written, spoken, etc.) wisely and powerfully. ↩︎
  2. Will some consider this a run-on? Sure. I do not care. It makes sense; it works. Flexing my license as a wordsmith ;) ↩︎
  3. Really, it sucked for all of us because pandemic. Life as we knew it changed. ↩︎

Thanksday – 050224

For this next ThankSday, I ThinkS I need to honor a person who, IMHO, is a SainT of modern pop – TSwift, Taylor Swift. Thank you for all that you do, and thanks for being (mostly) unapologetically you. I used to feel weird about identifying as one for far too long, but, at the end of the day, I suppose you could say that I am indeed a SwifTie. Changing my view to ignore common conceptions and public perceptions, I am ME!

Now, to digress briefly, I choose to clarify that I love most, if not all, music out there. My opinion of best artists may be different than yours. We should have favorites, but we should also keep an open mind to hear more than what we already know. Essentially, I am sugjesting a choice to consider change. Your favorites can and probably should change over time. We all go through different phases and stages of life. Your favorites will not always change, but they certainly can and probably should in some cases. If that idea is upsetting to you at all, then maybe you should reflect on that some. Why are you choosing to be inflexible and stagnant? Might I already sugjest You Need to Calm Down?

 

As a Swiftie, I have been listening to her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, a lot as of late. It is a sadder album than I probably need in my life right now as I deal with more changes than I necessarily desire, but it does help me sit with my feelings more. In addition, it helps me reflect and ruminate more. It reminds me that I, too, am not alone. My experiences are similar to what others endure. I will not say that they are the same because they are not; we each live individual and unique lives, yet we can track trends and share similarities1. In doing so, we can advance better together, and we can change our outlook and grow through any and all shared experiences… if we choose to do so. 

Today is never too late to be brand-new.

You can still be Innocent.

It takes work, but it is worth it… <3

Personally, I listen to SiriusXM a lot. For this past month or so, Channel 13 has been exclusively dedicated to Taylor Swift. What stands out to me is the different audio clips between songs – there are insights from the legend herself as well as neat stories and confessions of admiration from some of the adoring Swifties. I really appreciated how people acknowledged Taylor’s change and growth throughout her career. She is not the same woman that she once was. I think that is one of the best points of life. Why would you want to always be the same person? We can continually learn and grow as the world around us continues to do so. We have opportunities to reinvent and improve ourselves over time with incremental iterations of what is ideal or important for our most idyllic life. 

Thank you again, Taylor Swift. I applaud and appreciate your willingness to be as authentic and real with us as possible. I imagine that it is not easy being the monster on the hill. I think you are doing a great job at showing many people how to feel more empowered and encouraged to enjoy experiences. You have educated me a lot.

Long Live well-lived and better-loved Legacies <3

Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell. :)

  1. I love the idea of tinkering this into shimmerlarities :) ↩︎

Soulday – 042824

How are you? Good.

How ya doin? Fine.

What’s up? Not much.

I hate these exchanges so much. More often than not, they are simply not true at all. First and foremost, there is so much up above us! Yes, it is cheeky, but it is also quite accurate. Inauthentic answers align with apathy. Why are two people even interacting then, huh? Let’s shake it off and try something new to rekindle conversations. Here is my sugjestion:

Oh, hey, friend! What’s your current charge?

Well hello yourself, friend! I’m at about 85%. You?

Hmm, I’m right around 100; thanks for asking!

An equilibrium is established; an equivalent exchange is effected. I love this idea. It feels so fresh and right to me. How does it feel to you? Yes, it is different, and it is atypical from current norms/standards. Do you like it, though? I think it can help actualize even better, higher-quality, and more charged conversations amongst us all. Do you see what I did there? I believe in change, and I believe in charge. I also believe in being creative. Even if I could, I will not make this choice alone. It is up to all of us. If you like the idea in general, then please adapt it to best fit your needs as you see fit. Incorporate this livelier idea into your daily routines however it helps you best interact with those around you all the time.

Another perspective here is what else charge means. What duty are you charged with? By trying to think about a change in charge, we can adjust our outlook and perspective on life. The clinical or medical world uses this idea of dutiful charge a lot, and it was referenced in olden times a good amount, too. Are you aligning your current charge with and for your life’s charge? If your charges sync up, well, that sounds harmonious. Contrastingly, what do you expect if your charges are in dissonance?

Are your frequencies in tune, or are they scrambled?? Are you charging yourself and those around you, or are you draining and/or wasting precious charge and/or energy??

Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. For now, I will charge on, friends :) <3

Freeday – 042624

Given the theme of this cycle, I choose to immediately start this post with this sugjestion:

Where is the love?

To finish this cycle this Freeday, I want to stress how important I feel self-love should be for all of us. If you cannot love yourself, can you truly love others? Perhaps you are trying to love yourself by loving others, but I think that kind of love will only last temporarily. Anything external will not be reliable over time in the long run. Confidence, direction, maturity, and stability need to be built up and relied upon internally IMHO. If you cannot appreciate yourself and your feelings, can you truly appreciate anything else? Honestly, I am not sure. It is only a sugjestion for you to ruminate on. I think about it a good amount.

Take care, be kind, be considerate of other people and other species, and be loving.


-John Lithgow

I like this quote, but I think it should be directed towards one’s self, too. Not in a selfish way, mind you, but in a mindful, healthy, and balanced way. I believe that our bodies are temples. We are blessed to walk this earth and cohabit it with all other living beings. We should treat it all with respect, including ourselves. How often might we not think twice about what we may be doing to our own bodies or what we may be putting into them? For a long while, I was very guilty of not thinking more first nor being more aware of my own actions and choices. As I consciously choose more nowadays, the experience is far more rewarding IMHO. The intention with which I pour into my life now makes me a better person. I am better-spirited, I am friendlier, and I am happier. As I tend to my temple as best as I can, it in turn takes the best care of me. While everything outside may (and often can) change continuously, I remain steadfast and resolute in my beliefs and my loving self-care. IMHO, proper self-love paves a path towards equanimity. In my mind, this segues perfectly between cycles. I tried my best to stay focused on love for these two weeks. Next, I will focus on change. It is one of the constants in life. Try as we might, we cannot control everything.

Are you building your temple up, or are you breaking it down?

Are you raising it or razing it??

For now, I’ll just keep swimming. See y’all on Sunday for the start of the third cycle. I appreciate anyone and everyone who takes a look here. Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell.

It is love alone that gives worth to all things.


-Teresa of Ávila

Wondersday – 042424

Have you ever wondered… about soulmates? I have. I honestly believe that I am bonded and/or bound, maybe for life. Time will tell, but I know I am bonded/bound here and now. Different beliefs and cultures talk about a red thread or an invisible string between two people as two examples. Maybe it is not physically tangible, but I believe that I can feel it on some level. Raise your eyebrow(s) if you want… but… does it make you… wonder? ;)

IMHO, there are other species out there who do a better job at bonding for life than us humans! The number of other animals that are often better at lifelong commitments makes me feel at least a little sad for humanity. Yes, I recognize that not all relationships should endure forever because some, if not many, are not built on the right foundations. However, other animals on this planet do not struggle with the difficulties that we do. “Red foxes form a monogamous pair, share their parental and hunting duties equally, and remain a unit until death.”1 There are a wealth of birds, sea creatures, and other animals that exhibit exquisite exclusivity. I’ll leave one more example article here to reference.2

As with most things in life, I think there still needs to be a healthy balance to establish. Otherwise, why do you think the term “codependency” exists? I do not need to wonder much about that one. I know I have struggled with it enough already. I will save anything additional on that topic for another time. I choose to focus on soulmates for now instead.

I will probably never love another person in the way that I love my soulmate. I will love other people, sure, but I doubt it will ever be with as many layers/levels of love. As I have said numerous times now, I love love, yet I reserve some of my love for her and only her.

After all this time?

Always.


-an exchange between Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape

Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.

love will sing

Stay wondrous, y’all <3

  1. Are We Biologically Inclined to Couple for Life? ↩︎
  2. Seven animals who mate for life ↩︎

Mournday – 042224

I mourn the loss of true love – real, authentic, soul-bonding&binding, ever-lasting LOVE. We all seek it or should seek it IMHO. Maybe you realize you have it with yourself. I am not sure there because I do not feel that way myself, yet I am trying to consider how to fully include the asexual community and any adaptations of that sexual orientation, too.

I consider myself extremely fortunate and perhaps even rare to hold such a connection near and dear. I wandered lost and alone for a long time. I found my own pockets of happiness and progress along the way, but she is a catalyst for my change. I owe so much of my self-improvement and, honestly, self-advancement to having a supportive partner. She had no clue what I was doing here. Psh, I had no clue what I was doing here. Inklings, sure, but I was “blindly playing, searching around in rooms for an invisible dot.1“

Y’all, I hate reality TV shows. What an oxymoron! Reality on TV?!? As if!!! Reality is out here. In the moment. Here and now. With each and every single one of us. Recorded and possibly-even scripted BS on a screen does not deserve such a title IMO. My case in point is the Golden Bachelor. 3 months – that is how long they lasted in “holy matrimony.” Holy cannoli, what a bunch of bologna! Ingesting such inane and innocuous/in-noxious in and out each week… you are zoned out and zombified on your couch, chair, floor, whatever.

Whenever, wherever did we lose out on sparking our own joy? Why do we need to waste precious half-hours to hours of our time hoping these two clowns pick each other?? My sugjestion: what if you spent that time improving yourself? What if, by putting in effort to make yourself better, you attracted all the things that you best love in and around you?

I know that the responses to this “Tarnished” Bachelor divorce announcement have been polarizing. Some support it, and some balk at it like I mostly have so far. I balk, though, because I think they are lazy. IMHO, they are not willing to put in the hard work that makes it work well. How quick were they to quip that it is irreparable? What cannot be repaired after only three effing months? The main (and only?) reason that I see detailed so far is their living situation. Here is a fun fact – despite how in love I am, and in spite of me having a soulmate, I do not live with her. There are progressive lifestyles out there nowadays that can help alleviate this sort of dissonance between two people. What works best for each of y’all? Why can you not try an approach like LAT (Living Apart Together) for some time before simply and slothfully throwing in the towel? That is what makes me so angry here – a sense of entitled laziness like they have exhausted all possible options for how to make it work. Did y’all even try any marriage counseling together? There is yet another sugjestion. I need to slow down and breathe some because this is how and why reality TV makes me so livid. IMO, it is a virtual swamp.

Switching gears entirely to lighten the mood before signing off for today, I want to wish a Happy Earth Day! Here is a fun video to watch that I loved seeing yesterday. It should probably include an epilepsy/seizure warning, though, IMHO. One final bonus sugjestion – what if we each did a little bit more for our planet that we are sharing? It does not have to be much. If even a small percentage of us start doing more, it will add up. Personally, I try to carry a bag with me now when I go out for walks. It allows me to pick up random pieces of trash when I see them. Then, it is easy enough for me to throw that bag away at the end of my outing/walk. It does not take that much extra effort from me, yet I know I am slowly making this planet prettier again. This cycle has a lot to do with (self-)love. A new song talks about cosmic love as one of the lyrics. I think that is cool; it is another take on agape IMO. I suppose, here, I am pushing for planetary love. Currently, like our bodies, it is the only one that we have. Do we really want to ruin it? I don’t. Do we need to keep destroying anything and everything around us? Let’s build it all up positively please. Let’s rediscover our health and Earth’s health. Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell.

 

  1. Adapted/paraphrased from Ready Player One ↩︎

Smarturday – 042024

hot vs. HOT

I am redefining, for myself at minimum, what it means to be hot. I no longer care about trying to be hot for others as in worrying about whether or not people find me physically appealing or attractive. Instead, I now choose to focus on being HOT – Honest, Open, and Transparent. Think about it for a moment if you are willing to do so – do you appreciate when people are being authentic and true with you, or would you rather them be fake and false? It’s a true or false pop quiz! ;) If you are like me, then you prefer the former.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.


-Khalil Gibran

Superficial and superfluous stuff feels so wrong to me. I do not intend to offend anyone here (with this particular paragraph within this post). I am simply expressing my opinion. When I saw RFK, Jr.’s (third) wife standing next to him after the VP announcement, I was horrified by how she appeared. Everything about her face screamed fake and inauthentic to me. I wonder how many surgeries she has had. Plastic surgeries. I could debate that whole topic of “plastic” in and of itself for far too long, so I will definitely put a pin in that for a future post. The person closest to me in my life pointed out what I consider to be a profound perspective that I had not previously pondered – did Cheryl Hines choose these procedural paths for herself, or did she feel pressured by the patriarchy positing power over her? Our choices should be individual. I have already said that who knows how many times within these first two cycles of posts alone. I believe it firmly, so maybe that is why I keep stressing it repeatedly. HOT truth can take time to sink in gradually. After all, we can look a gift horse in the face and say “Nay”, eh? Our choices should be our own.

If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it!


-Ruthie Lindsey

To part this post, here are some sugjestions to consider: are you being HOT1 with others? Are you being HOT with yourself? Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. :) <3 

  1. HOT – Honest, Open, Transparent ↩︎

Thanksday – 041824

Now that we have the silly circus/parody post over and done with from two weeks ago, please allow me to introduce the current and possibly-permanent plan for Thursdays:

 

Thankful Thursdays – Thanksday

THis first official one, THough, will be THanksday. ;)

I am thankful for Tom Hanks <3 To me, it sounds like he connects with anyone and everyone around him. That is beautiful and incredibly underrated IMO. I wish we all worked more to build up that skill better. I am certainly trying my best to work on it as I can, when I can, and where I can, but it is not always an easy thing to do. However…

The best things in life don’t come easy, but those things are the ones worth the sacrifice.


-Adriana Locke

As I learned more about Tom and his life, I realized how much I think he is full of wisdom:

I show up on time, I know the text, and I have an idea.


-Mr. Tom Hanks, “America’s Sweetheart”

IMHO, he’s one of the good ones. The basis of his work ethic reverberates reverently – “we’re all in this together… how can I help you?” Thank you, Mr. Hanks, for reminding me to bring solutions to the table in order to try my best to help resolve any and all problems that I can. Who cares if I am the reason for it in the first place or not? “Not my problem” is such a jaded and lazy response IMO. We can all fix plenty of problems if we give it a try.

As a few sillier highlights of why else I am thankful for Tom Hanks, I think his SNL skits are classics in the archives, and he evidently gifts his acting partners with typewriters as a means of codeveloping their roles via snail mail – typewritten letters back and forth in character. What a thoughtful and immersive experience to engage in with one another!

As I reflect more on an interview that I heard with him recently, another lesson from his life that I think could/should serve as a life lesson for us is that there is no specific order to how you should live your life. IMO, there are best/optimal ways to live life, but you can “figure it out” at any point should you so choose. He was already married and had a kid before I think his light bulb clicked on. It sounds like he was still in a happy-go-lucky, too-cool-to-be-bothered, young, dumb, and invincible phase despite already needing to be responsible for a family. Fortunately for him and those he supported, he clicked quick.

I want to be cheeky here and say “I think I love you, Tom,” but it would not be true. I know I love you, Tom. I think that you are such an incredible individual and that the world is so much better because of you, so THanks :) Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell.

Any questions? :) <3  

Soulday – 041424

IMHO, it can be so easy to get swept up in anger and hate. I know all too well how quickly those strong emotions can take over and override the system. It can be blinding. In extreme rage situations, why do you think the term “seeing red” exists? That is what Kate Martin felt after a celebrating fan ran into one of her teammates earlier this season. Logic and reason (wise mind) check out while base instinct (basically dumb mind or lizard brain) checks in. Look at Draymond Green. I want to believe he means well, but I do not think he processes his emotions well. I think his internal systems get easily overridden. To be clear, I am not trying to discount or disrespect him. I love him, y’all, like a brother. I see his struggle, I feel for him, and I want to help him as best as I can, like a brother. IMHO, feeling & recognizing your emotions are some of the first steps towards becoming better.

Growing up, I was raised in a very religious household. One recurring lesson/theme on worship days seemed to circulate annually-ish and continually sticks with me to this day (because I believe it held kernels, nuggets, or seeds of wisdom). The leader liked to talk about the types of love. Not just love but the types of it because there are differences! Why should we only believe in one type of love? IMO, I think we often limit ourselves too much. Case in point: as I researched this topic to fact-check myself to the best of my abilities, I learned that the very leader who I looked up to back then did not even tell us all the types of love; I only recall three or four foreign words. Evidently the ancient Greeks had a number of different layers/levels of love (like an onion, or a parfait); some sources talk about 3 while others have 4, 7, or even 8 different types of love!!!!!!!! At the end of the day, I believe love is whatever you make it. My first sugjestion today – why wouldn’t you make the most of it? Why would you limit yourself to only one or two types of love (or even no love)? I will not. I choose to channel as many levels of love as I can; I find it to be very fulfilling and rewarding. What do you choose to channel; how do you find it to be?? To be completely honest, the last level I see scares me because I know how obsessed I can be by default with my basic personality type. Once again, feeling & recognizing it are some of the first steps. Therefore, in the interest of not withholding (what I deem to be valuable) information, I will detail all 8 levels or types of love that I found in preparation:

Agape1 (love for everyone)

Philautia (love of the self)

Pragma (longstanding love)

Philia (deep friendship)

Storge (family love)

Ludus (playful love)

Eros (sexual passion)

Mania (obsessive love)

Before researching the above information, I was prepared to expound on a point where I do not think that I was taught about, let alone how to correctly practice, self-love way back when2. That oversight disappoints me so much. IMHO, I think there is too much blame and/or responsibility that gets shifted away from ourselves. I believe that we fix our own problems (else we simply stagnate/stall). Can others outside and/or beyond us help? Sure. What do you think I am trying to do here? Ultimately, though, I believe it boils down to what you choose to do. How can you best help yourself? Currently, I feel that self-love is extremely underrated and underutilized in this day and age. Let’s work on it!

Over time and through education, I learned that, in the Arab world, it is common for two male friends to hold hands while walking. You will react however you are doing so right now. I can easily guess how much balking and eye rolling is going on because of what I’ve said. Honestly, though, I think it says more about you and your personal shortcomings than anything else. Why does that notion make you uncomfortable? What is it that you are missing out on in your life? Maybe you are jealous of how comfortably they can love. Love does not always have to be sexual. That is only one level out of at least eight! It doesn’t even have to always be sensual. IMHO, it should be one soul caring for another. Short, simple, and sweet. Hopefully and/or ideally, that other soul reciprocates the caring back to you, but it is not even necessary to receive that reciprocation in order for you to love regardless. I think we are often too afraid to love, so we miss out on so much of life! My last sugjestion for today: learn the layers and/or levels of love. Let it light a fire inside you and shine a beacon outward for all. Please, and thank you. Also, I love you. Yea. :) <3

Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Maybe “All You Need Is Love.”3 Time will tell. 

  1. I was very intrigued to see this definition for the Greek word “Agape” because it is one of the few words branded into my brain from all those years ago. In the past, I had been taught that it was love for a higher power. How neat to see it differently. ↩︎
  2. I wanted to write “when I was growing up”, but, IMO, I am still growing up, even to this day, so that is why I chose to write it the way I did with a different approach. ↩︎
  3. Please note: water and food for survival are still strongly encouraged, too… ;) ↩︎

Freeday – 041224

I like to think of Friday as my day to freestyle – Freeday. In my head, I keep picturing the Wild card from Uno. Each 2-week cycle, I want one oddball day/post. Some cycles may have more of that type, sure. Carving out a dedicated day, though, is still appealing. It feels right to me. That is what this is all about. What feels right? What is our best for humanity? As a perfect segue, I’ll tell you something that could be our absolute worst:

Nuclear war/holocaust/apocalypse

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.


Albert Einstein

I know that went dark, literally and thematically, fast, but hear me out please. I am very overjoyed for a new TV show that is premiering on Amazon today – Fallout. I have been playing a number of their video games for years. Can it be depressing and dystopian AF (and even scary) at times? Sure, but the creativity that the game developers pour into its design and detail is so vivid and captivating. Deathclaws terrify me whenever I encounter them in-game, but they are also still so cool (IMO)! I am excited to watch the show soon.

In case you cannot tell already, I am a big nerd. I’m fascinated by languages and words, I’m infatuated with knowledge and learning, and I love love. Sure, some of that may sound weird, but what is wrong with any of it? Absolutely nothing. Say it again!

Now, for the next post and even as much of the next 2-week cycle as I can, I will focus on love. I think that will be important because I have recently said some disrespectful things to some worldly bullies. However, with that said, I have one more to focus on for today…

Marjorie Taylor Greene, you disgust me. Your lack of respect for basic decorum let alone your actions towards others is downright sickening. You should feel ashamed IMO. Do I think you will anytime soon? Nope, I won’t delude myself, but I want to state my opinion of you loud and clear for any who choose to listen. Maybe others will start to see you like I do – an unruly, petulant brat throwing nearly-nonstop temper tantrums. It does certainly help me better understand the company that you choose to keep. Between you and he-who-should-not-be-named, y’all set the bar so very low. How blasphemous of you to dare feel so bold as to try and translate, nay, warp and bastardize natural events to fit your own agenda. MTG, WTF?!? GTFO with that effed up BS, you babbling, blithering buffoon. “Nasty woman” is a fitting throwback as well. It could’ve been easy to use a different b-word at the end as well; I’m actively working on improving. I’m doing well. Are you? The expletives you say are inexcusable IMO. Being so rude as to interrupt our POTUS during his SOTU is wholly unacceptable. Your childishness is quite laughable.

You are a laughingstock IMO. Hahaha, and that is coming from a sugjester! I wish we could lock you up in some stocks for periods of time whenever you start acting up too much – a public timeout. What is so wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. Say it again!

With the recent fallout of disappointing decisions across southern states related to abortion rights (or, truly, the lack thereof), I want to highlight my favorite news in recent months related to the topic. Y’all, France enshrined1 a woman’s choice as an amendment to their country’s constitution. In America, I am culturally predisposed to think of French people as pretentious, but this news makes me deeply question that predisposition because, in my mind, there is no question as to which country is doing better here. Without hesitation, the answer is France for anyone trying to be difficult right now.

If only we could head-butt some sense into all of us stateside, oui?

IMHO, each individual can and should develop their own belief system. I recommend doing so with as much creativity and vividity as possible. That is my opinion and my choice for my system at least. That’s how I choose my fighter. A pacifistic one, mind you please. Let’s do better… together. Let’s stay in our individual lanes and keep our choices, especially when it comes to our own bodies, in our own hands and minds <3 Good gosh, y’all. What is life good for? What are you good for? I believe a lot. Do you? My first belief, summarizing it again as I culminate the completion of this first cycle, is that I believe in me. You can probably guess what the next one will be even before Sunday. We shall see.

Is it wise? Is it dumb? You choose; time will tell.

  1. such a cool word IMO – “to cherish as sacred” ↩︎

Wondersday – 041024

What if you wake up each Wednesday morning and simply shout (aloud or internally):

“Wondrous!”

Please don’t try to scare anyone else because then it defeats the purpose (you jumped beyond your lane IMO), but, just think with me for a moment please… how silly. How ridiculous. Yet how much fun if you get a little uncomfortable and just try it out at least once. Let loose and live a little please. What have you got to lose by trying? You may feel foolish, perhaps think of yourself as a clown or… a sugjester? Stay wondrous, y’all! :) <3

Have you ever wondered… about being your best self? I have, and evidently so too has Charlie Smyth. He has played a lot of Gaelic football over in Ireland. It sounds like he is a phenomenal kicker. For years, he has worked hard to get even a single opportunity to prove himself at the professional sports level. It started as a seemingly-farfetched dream, yet he has already made it onto at least the practice squad for the New Orleans Saints. How wondrous! I am so happy for him and what he has worked hard for to accomplish. He could have given up at any point over the years, but he pressed on and persevered.

I also want to appreciate what the NFL did with the International Player Pathway (IPP) Program. IMO, they pioneered or at least were an early adopter of DEI before it became a buzz word that now catches such a bad and unfortunately-negative reputation stateside. Expanding each team (at least at the practice squad level) to encourage global growth by recruiting international talent is quite commendable in my mind. Special teams positions were previously not included until this year (2024). I am grateful that they expanded this inclusion criteria because it allowed me to learn about Charlie. His work ethic impresses me immensely. Whether he knows it or not, I think he seems to at least follow the fourth guardrail really well. When interviewed for the article, I was amazed by what he shared:

I don’t want to be one of those boys who comes from the IPP just to sit on the practice squad for three years…

I’m doing it because this is what I love to do, and I want to be the best version of myself. To me, it’s not really about money. It’s about being the best version of myself and representing the country on a world stage and inspiring younger lads to follow suit. If you have a passion or a work ethic to achieve something, then why not go and do it?


Charlie Smyth

Why not indeed? :) Wise words from a man in his early twenties. I applaud his focus and tenacity. I resonate with his purpose and approach. We both strive for our best selves.

In summary, Charlie Smyth, in case you ever read this post or hear about it, I want to say thank you. Your words ring strong and true to me. I believe in you, and I wish you the best of luck. Not that you need it – your work ethic sounds exceptional – but because I choose to also believe in cheering on good people. How are you becoming your best self today? Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all. Please and thanks.

Mournday – 040824

I was not sure at first how or where to start this inaugural Mournday1, but then we lost the lives of seven brave and heroic souls approximately seven days ago. They were each fighting the best fight they could. I’m proud of their actions, and I’m heartbroken for their losses. May each and every one of them find the peace that is not here now:

 

Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha

John Chapman

Jacob Flickinger

Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom

James “Jim” Henderson

James Kirby

Damian Soból

I’m a little ashamed to admit that, when I started drafting this post last week, I had not yet realized that I would be publishing it one day after the 6-month mark since all of the massacres have materialized. 

I guess time told me, huh? Raising an eyebrow? ;) I will probably raise many eyebrows with what I am about to say next, but I do not care. I could care less, sure, yet I do not care enough to stop. 

.أشوفكم و أشعركم, أصدقائي العرب 

Please note and understand, I do not intend this to imply that I do not also see and feel my Israeli friends. My education is limited, with little to no Hebrew knowledge currently. However, I also feel that the current injustices lie more heavily on the Isralie side as of late. I won’t begin to try and claim that I am fully abreast of all of the history here, but I do know that two wrongs don’t make a right. I do know that the stark difference in these staggering statistics2 do not feel right. I do know that we are often each capable of doing more if we so choose. Here is my question/sugjestion – why are we each not doing more to end this nightmare? Why are we creating our own living hell amongst one another?

I am appalled by the ridiculous claims that I have heard about some Israeli nationalists who want to reclaim their homeland/birthright/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. My next question/sugjestion – where is the compromise here? What land are you willing to offer in exchange? Everyone is hurting. Everyone is struggling. We have so many inner demons. Why must we also focus so much on perceived outer “demons”?

The wiser you get, the more experience you have, and the more you see people for who they are as human beings, as opposed to figures you have to fight against.


Vanessa L. Williams

Would you honestly tell me to my face that the starving Palestinians do not deserve to eat in order to live? Do I really have to remind you about who was starving 80 years ago? I hate going there. I despise myself for referencing it, but maybe it is a connection3 that someone needs to hear in order to change. Maybe that is a barrier to break down in order to broker the peace that so many are asking for, pleading for. Hate me for it, that’s fine, but please love your neighbor. Please let them eat and have basic human rights. An entire population should not be punished as a result of a subset. Judgments should be individual. That’s my opinion/belief. I’m not sure which right now. I’m too yangry to debate that part right now. Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell…<3

As for a synchronized solution, let’s settle the sands simultaneously and systematically. Are we really all squabbling over the same territory? Is the biggest debate related to one holy ground? How about if no one has it and yet everyone has it? There is talk of a third temple, right? Let’s try a trifecta. Let’s appoint a combined team of experts that includes equal representation from all sides. It was a temple, it was a church, and now it is currently a mosque. Let’s make it all three, coexisting peacefully. I am not saying congregate collectively but collaborate constructively. Each worship area can and should be singular IMO; walls, though, can and should be shared. The team can design this idea. It can be reviewed and revised. It does not have to be rushed whatsoever. IMHO, we all should have it, or no one should have it. Is it wise? Is it dumb? Figure it out! Time will tell.

Teamwork can make dreams work. I believe that.

Benjamin Netanyahu does not strike me as a team player. As I prepared for this post more and more, I see his stubbornness. There are deals to be made, accords to be struck. Instead, he sinks his heels in and refuses? During the first truce, Israel almost reached the halfway mark for freed hostages. We could possibly be fully past this point by now with peaceful pacts. Your asinine attitude, Benny boy, allowed for additional atrocities. Your idiotic idealism instigated how much more insufferable harm. IMHO, Israel needs a leader who can truly lead. Leaders should not deal in absolutes. I believe that. I also believe a leader should be fluid and flexible, not rigid and uncompromising. Earlier in this war, after one of the prior mistakes by you and the IDF, you said Israel will “learn the lessons” of the accident. How can we see that learned lesson last week? Hagari even claims, “we do not strike in places where we know there may be hostages.” How about in places where there may be foreign aid volunteers who are out there literally risking and now losing their lives? After six months of this insanity, what did he claim on the anniversary? “The achievements of the war are considerable.” Sickening; warped and wild IMHO. Your atrocities of the war are considerable and damning. After an ultimatum by Biden, it sounded like progress was being made. New aid routes were opening up for Palestine. What did I see this morning, though? Delays with these deliverables. There is so much here that does not add up, and so much here does not make a lick of sense to me. I agree with Chef José Andrés who wants an independent review of it all. IMO, Israel should be offsetting, if not overcompensating for, the food supplies that were interrupted by their terrorism. Are my insights incendiary? Yes, and so were your missiles – not just the one. You had survivors from the first car in terror, and you circled back to finish the insanity that you introduced… Inconceivable. Inexcusable. Inexplicable. Infuriating. Inhuman.

Adina Moshe, in case you ever see this, thank you. Thank you for being such a sound voice of reason. Your words were a breath of fresh air that I appreciated immensely as the storm raged and roiled in my soul. She was one of the hostages. She was being held in Gaza captive for seven weeks. IMHO, she sees more clearly than Netanyahoo. To me, it feels like he is remaking a mockery of The Hunger Games right now. IDF have killed Israeli hostages. IDF have killed starving people vying for food. IDF have killed real and true heroes who put themselves in the line of fire to do what they knew is right and best. Over half of Palestine is on the brink of starvation. What I cannot figure out, though, is if you are Snow or Coin. Maybe you are both – a freakish chimera. Regardless, any of it and all of it still means that I think you, Benny boy, are corroded and delusional. It has already been two months since you boldly declared your braggartly bravado… what’s next, Netanyahoo? Be wise in time please, and thank you in advance… <3

Lastly, I choose to finish with a final vigil as well. After this paragraph, the rest of this post (aside from the footnotes) will be comprised of 13,031 broken hearts. That amount is only for the lives lost among the Palestinian children. How many more hearts are also broken by those losses? Mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Friends and neighbors. Classmates and coworkers. The limit does not exist for what harm and heartbreak has happened. It’s not irreparable, though. Many won’t believe that part right now. Emotions are too strong right now, but I firmly believe that repair and reconciliation can and should be possible. What else will stop all of us from dragging on fighting? Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell. Be well.

</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3</3

  1. Please note: This is easily my longest post yet. Who knows if it will be my longest post ever, but I appreciate any time and consideration you are willing to give it. Clearly I had a wealth of thoughts and feelings to share on this sad topic. ↩︎
  2. The horrid sneak attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. Since then, over the past six months, it has been estimated that 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of whom were women and children. Now, one million (1,000,000) more Palestinians are on the brink of famine/starvation. I’m no mathematician, but I do know that 1,200 < 33,000 < 1,000,000… WTF, people?!? ↩︎
  3. I was frustrated yet fascinated when I recently read this article. 1) I didn’t realize that additional concentrations camps have existed around the world. American POWs have evidently endured similar suffering. 2) Actions speak louder than words. They also judged the individual, not the populace, in the end here. Some extra “food for thought” IMO. ↩︎

Smarturday – 040624

Suggest vs. Sugjest

I am here to try and write the best witticisms that I can. Therefore, I believe it is within my right(/write) to occasionally flex (and even introduce) adaptations to existing words in order to best fit the needs of these writings. What else really is a writer’s license, eh?1

Along those lines, how else has wise/dumb language continued to evolve over time?

Suggestions are suitable substitutes for influence.

Sugjestions are perhaps slightly sillier substitutes. Regardless, they are still substitutes for influence all the same. As I started scripting this site, this subtle shift in the styling of a single syllable of a word served as a stark sentry surrounding my sensibilities…

Do not get completely lost in the work; do not forget why you are doing what you are even doing in the first place. Keep in mind what the point of it all is…

What even is the reason for all of this? As I understand things better (which isn’t that well IMO, mind you), I can say now that duty and love are what drive me. They are two of the main reasons why this site even exists. However, at the time when “sugjestion” became an idea in my head, I needed to remind myself then to also have some fun along the way… otherwise… (or otherdumb)…

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.


-ambiguous source – James Howell, The Shining (1980), etc.

IMHO, there’s already too much red rum2 out there in this world currently. I wish Jack Sparrow could be speaking up instead right now and asking all of us why it’s gone :)3

IMO, it can be so easy to get swept away by the global dismay that waylays our brains, capacitays, and personalitays. Therefore, for this first-ever Smarturday (which is when I’d like to encourage or sugjest to us all to reflect a bit more and look inward a bit more, as best as we each can), I want to clarify my definition and/or idea for sugjestions and what it means, to me at least, to be a sugjester.

First, suggestion is softer than most words. I like that idea, and I prefer that approach a lot more. My inherent intensity can instigate inconducive and inopportune interference with individuals if I don’t instinctually instill it incrementally. In that vein, if I invoke my insights as idyllic idiosyncrasies, I intrinsically introduce DEI. IMO, my writing is diverse. My focus is equity, and, if I sugjest to the best of my abilities, then perhaps I can idealize the implied intent here – inclusivity <3 interested? intrigued?? invigorated??? inywho… ;)

Second, jest can often catch a bad and possibly false reputation. I like focusing on the playful side of jest, not the derisive or demeaning aspect of it. Owning some hypocrisy there, yes, I am aware of writing that after more or less demeaning someone a good amount in the previous post. I mostly had fun with it, though, and can you really, truly tell me that it was not justified and/or warranted there? :) My mind is now toying with the idea of “jestified”, but there’s a time and a place for optimal change; while I want to have fun here, I also choose to remind myself to reel it in responsibly as well (within reason). Perhaps that aside helps paint the picture, though. Perhaps you can see how I try to find a balance – take the purpose seriously and enjoy the process. Have some fun along the way, please and thanks; when and where you can and as best as you can, inject your jests in healthy and loving ways… that’s just my sugjestion for us all :) <3

In conclusion, I choose to be one of the sugjesters. There are so many of us out there, even if that may not necessarily be how we all self-identify. I see y’all, though, and I appreciate y’all. So very much. Thank you for doing what you are doing. I love you <3

maybe it is all wise… maybe it is all dumb. Time will tell.

  1. Please note: this term is better known as artistic license or literary license ↩︎
  2. Spoiler Alert – it’s a Shining reference to “murder” (what is it backwards?) ↩︎
  3. In case you have a minute-ish to spare to enjoy this brief beach scene… :) ↩︎

Trumpsday – 040424

Hear ye, hear ye! By royal decree (this is a parody), Thursday shall be henceforth and forever known as Trumpsday! ;)

If he can threaten that a state (Pennsylvania) will have its name changed by some unnamed and unsourced entity (“they”)1, then I can change a day of the week, right? After all, why shouldn’t I honor him and all the great things he’s done? Wait… honor? No… HORROR. Absolute, terrifying, jaw-dropping WTAF HORROR.

WHAT. was that man thinking? In my opinion, I don’t think he was thinking. I don’t think he does think (often at least). I think he simply spews venom, vitriol, and filth – a bunch of despicable and disgusting dung delivered from his dome… where doth dangle dein Herr, Drumpf?

He is a poop peddler; he peddles piles ‘o poo. Within only a few months already this year, “he” has produced two “new” “products”:

  1. stupid “gold” shoes with a silly slogan and an even sillier price tag
  2. a sacrilegious abomination of a holy text

What happened to the separation of church and state? Evidently it’s now OK to blend and literally bind them together?? Do you know what I recently learned??? In the dictionary, under “book”, one of the actual definitions is an entry about “the Book” as the Bible. Donny boy went so far as to bastardize the best-selling book in the entire world. What on Earth gives him that right? How sickly narcissistic and terribly toxic does one individual have to be to think that they can do such a thing? To be clear and honest here, I doubt that he is solely responsible, if at all responsible, for creating this propagandistic poop, but he chose to be the selfish face of it all. I sugjest considering these questions:

  1. When, if ever, have you seen Donny boy wear a pair of those new golden shoes?
  2. When, if ever, have you seen Donny boy open and actually read any excerpts from that book?
  3. Is he trying to make money for himself, or is he actually trying to take care of America? He’s politicizing personal products while preening and pining for presidential power. IMO, Trump is patronizingly “patriotic”.

IMHO, I think he does not care about any of us at all except for himself. When have you last seen him with Melania? Why might we trust this old boy with our highest honor?? IMHO, I hope we won’t; I hope we will stand up together and say, “no more piles of poo please.” Please, let’s choose someone who actually cares about more than their own personal perpetuation.

Look, y’all, I know that Biden also isn’t great, but I think that he is clearly better – better than the man child and better than RFK, Jr. Joe probably sleeps better (& possibly more) than either of them which is honestly a good thing IMO. Based on what I’ve learned, the only time when our brains can expand back in size is when we are sleeping2. Did you know that? It’s such an interesting fact that I find to be quite mind-blowing. Knowledge can be so cool and powerful, y’all. I digress… Sleepy Jo(e)kes aside, I will mention a neat thought that amused me a ton as I prepared this post. Once it crossed my mind, it was really tough to not feel compelled to try and fit “Hodor” into the first part as “horror” was repeatedly referenced. Unfortunately for us, the great big oaf that we all actually love is fictional.

After this post, I will actively work on never saying or writing Trump’s name again. Forevermore. Instead, I will simply refer to him as “He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named”. There are very few people, IMHO, who should ever receive such treatment. However, sadly for him, I think he easily makes that list… Is it wise? Is it dumb? Time will tell…

Oh! And, if you’re still here, for the record, a US state has NEVER had its name forcibly nor involuntarily changed (by “they”, them, or anyone). Based on my research into this topic3, just recently in fact (in November 2020 – 2 months before one of our candidates attempted a coup to corrupt our democracy), Rhode Island’s state citizens voted to amend the formal or official title of their state. It used to be “the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”, and THEY voted, as a state, to simply make it “the state of Rhode Island” instead. That right there, y’all, is the power of the people, and I’m proud of those participants. Let’s please publicly push for more positive progress like that one. In closing for today, which recent topics have you reliably researched yourself?

  1. trump pennsylvania state name change – Google Search – Note: please be prepared for yet more parody if you also click into the StateCollege article because I was briefly fooled for a bit while trying to fact check myself well here… :) ↩︎
  2. sleep expands brain size – Google Search or sleep study brain size before and after – Google Search ↩︎
  3. rhode island state name change – Google Search ↩︎

Chooseday; Snoozeday – 040224

I believe that rest is important. I have an energetic drive that’s difficult to quell at times. Therefore, on most, if not all, Tuesdays, you won’t hear from me. There may be urgent and/or pressing circumstances that warrant a rare exception, but I choose to snooze on Tuesdays. I’ll mostly make it my own Tunesday – lots of music to rest and recover well. How do you choose to spend your Tuesdays? Do you still dread this point in the week? Why? I know I used to, so, in my opinion, it’s a… fine… approach. However, that tends to make me think of “fat Gandalf” and one of his rare speaking lines in Deadpool 2 (2018):

You know what ‘fine’ stands for, Wade? [Effed] up, insecure, needy, and emotional.


-Buck

I try to avoid that word nowadays as a result of this one scene, so thanks, truly, David Leitch and whoever else we have to thank for this beautiful moment. There are so many whimsical words out there in this wide and wonderful world awaiting our witty writings while we wile away our waking hours. Maybe it’s wise. Maybe it’s dumb. Time will tell :)