More Content Talk

It has become commonplace for modern day political theorists, historians and armchair philosophers alike to paint the majority of human beings as well meaning, yet misguided individuals who are basically decent. Rarely will you hear a popular theorist talk about the hidden dangers of the human mind, and how if, left unchecked, it seems to follow the same path to death and destruction, that being the path to tyranny. Before beginning this diatribe I noticed an article in the Intelligencer, and rolled my eyes, partially out of annoyance and partially out of complete terror. The title of the article was "Conservatism Is Not Fascism". Bravo, I thought, they are in denial as well. Of course conservatism, by definition, is not fascism. No one has ever claimed that. But definitions are for dictionaries and the people who read them. Any party, no matter how well meaning, can be usurped by a substantial faction of dissidents who wish to use the party name for its own benefit, such was the case with the socialist party in Nazi Germany, and such is the case with the republican party in America today. Just earlier today I saw a republican on CNN state that, though he believed that Donald Trump was not a suitable choice for the presidential nomination in 2024, mainly because Trump failed to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States of January sixth 2021 when his followers unleashed their failed coup, a solemn oath that every president takes, he still knew there was solid support for Trump in the republican party nonetheless, and that Trump is very much a front runner to be the nominee in 2024. So, let me get this straight, the republican party are nothing like the Nazi party, even though the republicans who support Trump tried to overthrow the government and refuse to denounce their foolish leader for the terrorist he is. If you ask me it seem as if the Intelligencer is seriously lacking in intelligence. You may recall that the coup was a largely Christian affair complete with gallows and crosses. You may not recall that Hitler had managed to coax a large part of the Christian population in Germany into supporting him and his long list of atrocities or that millions of Germans were unemployed due to an economic crash brought about by unreasonably burdensome debts. Yeah, no, none of this sounds familiar at all. After a fire in a parliament building started by a single communist, Hitler and the Nazis eroded the rights of the German people and political opponents were outlawed. About 100,000 communists and political dissidents of Hitler's were interred or executed. This was shortly followed by the enabling act, which allowed Hitler to create laws at will. Political parties were banned, trade unions were infiltrated by Nazi strongmen and Jewish and politically suspect civil servants were fired. That is how quickly the Nazis took over Germany. But it was the cooperation of groups like the Catholic Church that made it possible. The Catholics, who made up 40% of the population and had their own Catholic Center Party (moderates anyone?), were too scared to stand up to the Nazis. "That concern prompted officials of the Vatican to discuss with Hitler the possibility of an agreement: the Church would pledge to abstain from political activity in Germany in exchange for the Reich’s promise not to persecute the Catholic Church and its members." (facinghistory.com) Edith Stein, who had converted from Judaism to Catholicism years earlier, pleaded with the pope for help in Germany's darkest hour. "Is not this idolization of race and governmental power which is being  pounded into the public consciousness by the radio open heresy? Is  not all this diametrically opposed to the conduct of our Lord and  Savior, who, even on the cross, still prayed for his persecutors?" Neither the pope, nor his successor, responded and Stein was executed in a death camp. The center must always follow the leader.    

Do you value learning? Do you learn from your mistakes? Okay, now that we have gotten your trained education makes the world go round response, mostly taught to you by television and job recruiters from various monopolies, answer the question again. Do you really value the notion that learning is key to the human experience? Well, if you are like half of America, you clearly do not value education. Half of the nation now wants education to occur from their personal perspective. They want to rewrite curricula to fit their standards, not that of educators. The rewriting of history, scientific discovery, psychology, and mathematics is rampant in America. No two schools seem to learn the same things anymore, and yet parents want even more learning options for their children. Instead of going to college, sixteen percent of parents now want their children to go to non-college training programs such as plumbing, automotive repair or other forms of job training skillfully dressed up as education. Eight percent of parents want their children to go to community college and to skip the four year degree. Finally, a whole twenty-two percent of American parents want their children to skip education altogether once they have graduated high school and to become a volunteer worker, a member of the military, start a paid job, or join a family business. This paints a much clearer picture, I think, of what many Americans actually mean when they say that they value learning. Many of them consider educational institutions like college to be a waste of time with no real benefit. Believe it or not this trend has accelerated in the last ten years with more and more people becoming disenchanted with the high cost of college tuitions and the seemingly low return on that cost. This makes sense because Americans measure the value of education with their finances, not the life lessons, business connections, exposure to diversity, and natural boost in self-esteem that comes along with a college degree. Essentially half of the nation believes education is just a way to get more money in their pockets. They are failing to realize the responsibility and stability that exist outside of one’s bank account like the fact that you develop long term relationships in college that can lead to work after you graduate or how college graduates are more likely to have children who value education or that states with higher educational attainment also tend to have lower crime rates. It is interesting to note that, while America saw its biggest jump in violent crime in 2020, that increase in crime was part of a larger trend that began in 2014, around the same time this interest in alternative forms of education began to develop along with a distaste for “intellectualism” and college education. It seems that many Americans are redefining what good education is, and by doing so choosing a path that could set their communities up for some serious failures. This surge in skepticism when it comes to our education system is partially due to an old myth that different people have different learning styles, a myth that, while rampant on both the left and the right, has never been scientifically proven. “Many people, including educators, believe learning styles are set at birth and predict both academic and career success even though there is no scientific evidence to support this common myth, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. In two online experiments with 668 participants, more than 90 percent of them believed people learn better if they are taught in their predominant learning style, whether that is visual, auditory or tactile.” (APA) Why do Americans still believe that genetics predict learning ability when there is not solid proof for that assertion? And, more importantly why are we measuring the quality of our education based on how well our children are doing in school instead of how well they recover from failure? 

2021 is just about dead in the water and, if I am completely honest, there was not all that much difference between 2020 and 2021. The right wing's bat shit crazy attempted coups continued, although this time on the state level. The needs of black people everywhere went unheard as usual. Rich people made even more money, while poor people lost even more money. And all over the news today there was the usual empty chatter about "hope" and "optimism", briefly followed by the next story about some robbery or some murder or some family being displaced because of climate change. The pandemic continues to be a nuisance and all over the country many families, which every American pretends to care about while simultaneously talking shit about kids and the relationships that produce them on social media, are wondering how they will continue to feed themselves after the Cadillac congress failed to go to bat for them, again. Yep, nothing new here. Same old story. Same old carelessness. Same old kill or be killed attitude. Same rat race mentality. Same get the fuck out of my way America. But, still, I am not all that disappointed. I have learned not to expect much from my nation. To be completely honest, I do not even expect a hint of decency from people who I have not known for years any longer. So, for me, this was a year of coming to terms with the bleakness of American life, realizing that people do not keep their promises, ever, and that no one is really trying to help anyone but themselves in the end. Such is life. So goes the American dream. But there are always positives in a year filled with negatives, and, in many ways, our devastating tragedies add a bit of extra shimmer to our shinning accomplishments. So, this year I will leave the New Year's resolutions for the people who are wealthy enough to waste time sitting around thinking about how imperfect they are. Instead I will give you some of the things I accomplished this year. All the positives of 2021 happened because of me, not anyone else, which taught me that I did not need other people to be happy, and that is the most important life lesson I can impart on any of you. I taught myself to cook better. I make a mean fondue now, way better than the microwaved greasy stuff my family used to make. I taught myself to be healthier. I added running back to my exercise routine and I am looking and feeling better than ever. I also am eating more fruits and vegetables, something that my friends from high school would be completely dumbfounded by. I also rediscovered my joy for writing. It is still odd to me thinking about how important good writing is to podcasts, but in the last couple of months I saw the proof of that firsthand with the show growing to nearly 4,000 downloads from 1600 downloads in just that short amount of time! Who would've thought that the people who would finally appreciate my writing were the same people listening to podcasts? Not me, but thanks for proving me wrong. Life continues to be interesting, engaging and oh so surprising, even through the bleakness. So what can I say about 2021? I can say that neither political party gives two shits about me. I can say that America still doesn't give a damn about black people, and likely never will. I can say that billionaires will take care of billionaires and no one else. I can say that celebrities can get away with saying pretty much anything now, while at the same time complaining about being "cancelled". I can say that the Supreme Court is a complete joke. I can say that people will always blame people like me for all of their problems in an attempt to avoid responsibility for their own failings. And, finally, I can say that I have my family. I can say that my wife is still the sexiest piece of ass I have ever seen after knowing her for 24 years. I can say that I am proud to be myself, and don't care who else is. So happy new year folks. May all your heartaches lead to joyous triumphs. Happy new year! 

"Remember those morals I built? Well baby they don't matter now. And I didn't even put a fight. I made myself act like a clown. I treat strangers like they're my kin. Because I fell for their bank accounts. Standing in the light of their halo. I got my placebo now." Guess what folks. The jig is up. You are not fooling anyone. You are all the same. You make heroes out of monsters and monsters out of the oppressed. You rail against judgement, seemingly of any kind, aside from the judgement that comes from employers, aside from the judgement that comes from teachers, aside from the judgement that comes from preachers, aside from the judgement that comes for your politicians, and so on, and so forth. In reality, you love judgement and you engage in it everyday. All this talk of love, all this talk of acceptance, all this talk of unity, and you judge people based on the way they speak, the way they look, the way they write, the way they style their hair, and, let us not forget, by how big their bank accounts are. If a person has a voice that is pleasing to you then you will allow them to get away with pretty much anything. However, if the person hits a few bad notes, all of a sudden they are less trustworthy. If a celebrity you adore enters the room, your heart races and your mind is full of love and adulation. If a person slouches when they walk, your mind begins to fantasize about this person's lack of refinement and dignity. Surely those with bad posture are not worth your time because you value posture and you also read a study that said whoever has bad posture is a complete dolt. Yes, I can see your halo effect. No, the song at the start of this little essay is not a shot at Beyonce, though that is likely how some of you took it, especially if you happen to like Beyonce. I honestly cannot say that I like Beyonce, not because I dislike her music. She sounds just fine. I cannot say that I like Beyonce because I do not know her. I have never met her. The two of us are not friends and so there is no way for me to know anything about her personality. Thus the only logical thing for me to say is I don't know if I like or dislike her, but her voice sounds fine. Most people do not take the time to separate their liking of a person's art from the actual person. People believe that, if an artist is able to impress us, that means that they are good people who are trying to help us, and, therefore, trustworthy. This is known as the halo effect, and believe me when I say that I can see it. I see it in all of you on a daily basis. I have proven it time and time again. Everyone believes they are impartial, a fair judge, a balanced critic. No, you are not. You like certain things, and if a person is able to replicate those things for you, those things that you like, you will fall head over heels in love with that person. You will think that they can do no wrong simply because they satisfied your urge for creative expression. This happens in relationships all the time; it does not matter how developed the relationship is. It always happens. If someone is able to impress you then you will allow them to lie, cheat and steal with impunity, as long as they keep singing the songs you love, dressing in the clothes you like, preaching the psalms that speak to you, producing the videos you love, writing the books you are addicted to, making the arguments that destroy your opponents, tickling your funny bone in just the right manner. You may not like it. You may disagree. But I can see your halo effect. It materializes differently depending on your culture. Perhaps it makes you take medical advice from Joe Rogan or it makes you take dieting advice from Oprah Winfrey. Perhaps it makes you copy the playlist of Barrack Obama or makes you vote for Donald Trump. It doesn't matter how it happens, the point is that it does happen. You get caught up in the moment, captivated by the perfect speech and then they have you in the palm of their hand.  

Sex scares conservatives and some liberals too. It downright terrifies them. It puts them on edge, throws them off kilter. Trying to discuss sexuality or sexual education in America is like trying to have a discussion about empathy with Donald Trump. It just ain't gonna work, no matter how many interesting charts and cool pictures you include. America is still very much in touch with its puritan side when it comes to sex. No one wants to talk about it and so all kinds of awful ideologies spring forth. Ideas of sexual purity or sexual normalcy abound in America. Take this example from thechurchofjesuschrist.org (apparently Jesus has his own website now), "The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. God  has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage... When  you are sexually pure, you prepare yourself to make and keep sacred covenants in the temple." Sacred powers? Sacred covenants? The temple? Sounds like an Indiana Jones movie to me. Someone call Harrison Ford! This is total copyright infringement. And what's the deal with the usage of the term "employed"? I get down with my lady like everyday, but she has not paid me one dime for it. Am I owed money or something? Because if I am I'm about to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or maybe that should be the Freaky Business Bureau. I don't know. I'm confused. Let's see what else the puritans have in store for us. "God created sex. Because of our sin, sex often serves as part of our self-destruction. But God offers great hope of redemption, restoration, and real joy." (desiringgod.com) Uh wait a minute. Did they just tell me to desire god while talking about sex at the same time? Also, on what planet does sex lead to destruction? Every time I have sex all I experience is an eruption. Great, now I have Snoop Dogg stuck in my head. Okay, moving on. "Today’s society is obsessed with sex. The question Christians must ask:  How should we as followers of Christ, living in an increasingly secular and amoral society, behave concerning sexual activity? Certainly not as  atheists and agnostics behave! One way to recognize a Christian today  should be by his or her sexual purity. Yet it is difficult to maintain  purity in a culture obsessed with sex and permissiveness toward all  forms of sexual expression. That difficulty makes sexual purity a good  test of who really is a follower of Christ. It takes more than the best  effort of natural humanity to maintain sexual purity. It takes the  redeeming and sanctifying work of God in our lives." (religiousinstitute.org) Hold on a second. These holy rollers think America is obsessed with sex? Ha! The only time I ever hear Americans talk about sex is during a gender reveal party or when deciding which bathroom they should use. Also, America is not really a secular nation; it's much more of a center nation that leans toward the right. Most politicians that hold major office, for example, are Christians. But they're not the "real Christians" because they do not nose around in other people's business trying to regulate their sex organs. They also do not take little cheap shots at atheists and agnostics quite as frequently as the puritans do so they do not get to call themselves "real Christians", according to these folks anyway. You also have to love the use of the term "permissiveness", as if there was some sort of need for us to be blessed to express ourselves sexually. Who are we trying to fool here? Sex is normal! Talk to your parents and grandparents and they will likely tell you a story or two about things that were considered taboo in their day that they did anyway because well, it made them feel good. And those impure actions that your ancestors engaged in may very well have led to you being here in the first place. Sexual purity is the problem 

We are natural problem solvers. We diagnose. We prescribe. We medicate. We analyze. We identify the problem and quickly develop a solution to said problem. In order to do this we seek out reasons for everything. But what if our reasons are wrong? What if we simply do not know the answer to some questions, but are still carrying on as if we have all the answers to difficult questions? At times life is so difficult that we cling to the answer that makes the most sense, that seems to explain away the difficulties in reality. But this is laziness, not sophistication. There is no room for laziness in life. Relaxation is wise because it breaks the chain of dullness that could easily destroy us, but laziness is foolish because it tricks us into thinking we have all the answers. We do not know everything. Studies are often compromised. What appears factual to the human eye is often just the thing that makes the most sense, not the thing that is the most accurate. Being sensible and being accurate are two different things. It is sensible to arrive early so that you are not late to a show. It is accurate to arrive just early enough so that you do not have to stand out in the rain before the doors open. Accuracy requires that we investigate thoroughly, painstakingly even. But the brain is always looking for shortcuts, always trying to find an easier way of doing things to preserve precious energy. And so we often find ourselves stuck somewhere between close and not close enough when it comes to precision, when it comes to truth. Does this mean we are crazy or does it just mean we are human? This is the difficult question I place before you. Can you simply write everyone who does not behave in the appropriate way off as crazy or is there something more there? Are self-deception and lunacy the same thing? Let's take a look. Lunacy is extreme folly or eccentricity while self-deception the action or practice of allowing oneself to believe that a false or unvalidated feeling, idea, or situation is true. Clearly, the two are very different for escaping reality is not strictly foolish. Reality is harsh, cold and unforgiving. So humans turn to fantasy to alleviate the pain. This is not unreasonable or foolish. It is just how the human mind copes with the real world. It would be easy to defame our enemies, to say that they are nothing more than lunatics, but solves no problems. Searching for reasons why we believe what we believe does very little as well. We must stop thinking in terms of why and start thinking in terms of what. If I am unhappy then what will make me happy again? If I am not feeling up to working a my job anymore then what can I do to find something that actually motivates me to go to work? If we ask why we are unhappy we obsess over that and go on an existential journey to find the meaning of happiness. But why should we waste time searching for the meaning of something that only we can subscribe meaning to? If we ask why we do not enjoy our job, we will begin to feel as if there is something wrong with us, that we are being too demanding? But how can we be wrong for feeling unfulfilled? It is important to stop and remember that things will continue to get worse, but that we do not have to allow our worsening environment to inform how we react. There are practical steps that we can take to protect ourselves and our families as long as we seek out that which can actually be sought. We cannot hack our brains, nor can we make them work for us. But, if we are willing, if we are brave, we can work with our brains and the brains of others to create a more informed perception.    

If you work hard enough an angel will descend from heaven and bless you with the gift of happiness with ice cream and extra cherries on top. This is the lie that every American is told, and the lie that almost all Americans, regardless of race, culture or religion, believe. It is difficult to believe that there was once a time in America where people fought to work less, but there was. Brutal deaths while working on coal mines, railroads and industrial factories brought about great change in America, eventually giving birth to the forty hour work week, a required eight hours of sleep and paid vacation time, among various other benefits. After the industrial revolution came to an end and America was the most technologically advanced nation in the world, there was even talk of shortening the work week even more. After years of toiling in unsanitary conditions for slave like wages, the age of leisure had finally arrived in America, or so we thought. Enter the 1980s, an era that everyone you speak with today seems to love for reasons I cannot quite understand. Many publications, including the LA Times, have argued that the 1980s was a time of growth in personal freedom, but that is simply untrue. Hours of work fell faster between 1946 and 1979 than at any time during or after the 1980s. Reaganomics led to the cutting of taxes, the deregulation of markets and the eventual return to industrial revolution type working hours that would come into play during the 1990s and early 2000s. Prior to Reaganomics the United States was on its way to a thirty hour work week and potentially less. Today the average American works forty-seven hours a week, and is damn proud of it too. Americans will brag to complete strangers about how hard they work, as if this is some sort of accomplishment, as if our ancestors worked hard so that we could work harder. That does not sound right, and you know it. Parents generally want their children's lives to be easier than theirs, not more difficult. So why is this considered an accomplishment? Why do people brag about working themselves to death? Americans essentially work six days a week. But keep in mind that forty-seven hours is the average, which means that some work even more than that. "11 percent of those surveyed worked 41-49 hours, 21 percent put in 50-59 hours every week, and a whole 18 percent work 60 or more hours." (Blue Water Credit, July 2021) That's right, eighteen percent of Americans work more than seven days a week! How is that progress? How does that increase one's amount of personal time? On what planet are people on that they are able to completely deny math while keeping a straight face? Where are the fact checkers when dimwits at the LA Times sing the praises of hard work ethic, arguing that working more, which is nothing more than devoting your time to your boss, makes you somehow have more time to yourself? Perhaps the fact checkers are too busy working at their entertainment side hustle to check the facts. There is something dubious about the term "side hustle". It seems to give one the feeling that they are going against the grain or being unique, but all it means is that you have a second, third or fourth job, which means that you have less time to yourself, less freedom, not more. In the last twenty years, the American economy has grown an astounding sixty percent off the backs of hardworking people who seem to care much more about their shopping spree than they do about living past sixty. Productivity has surged, but income has stayed still. While monopolies like Amazon bragged about their higher wage of twenty bucks an hour, anyone with a calculator and basic math skills knows that, had the median income kept pace with the economy since 1970, it would now be $92,000 a year. But you are nowhere near that America, not even close. In 2020 the median American income was $69,521, a two point nine percent decrease from 2019, and that included stimulus payments.   

Hark the herald, angels sing; joy to the Burger King! It's Christmas time again folks and that means that it is my personal favorite time of the year. Ever since I was a boy, apart from my brief stint as a rabid and rather boring fundamentalist Christian Grinch, I loved everything about Christmas. Yes, even the parts that require hard work like cooking and wrapping presents. I still remember my mom, sister and I all hanging out together wrapping presents, telling jokes and watching Christmas comedy movies like Home Alone II, A Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (one of the most underrated Christmas movies ever made in my humble opinion). What a joyous time of year that was! We would wrap presents and laugh together for hours on end. Then it was time to cook and we always made the most wonderful scalloped potatoes drenched in heavy cream and Swiss cheese. I can see them bubbling now. As I write this on what was a very Merry Christmas Eve (my sister even visited us this year; we missed out on last year so it was really nice spending time with her again) I am also planning my cooking schedule for tomorrow. I will be making a nice beef roast, those bubbly scalloped potatoes, roasted corn, and garlic cheese bread. In case you have not noticed I love cheese. I already have some chocolate cherry cookies ready to go for when my mom comes over, and I will probably bake more cookies and pies tomorrow, along with a little homemade eggnog. So, you know, no big thing. Just the usual yuletide schedule. This year, in celebration of my favorite holiday, my gift to you is the origins of Christmas time and what it has meant to different cultures down through the ages. While it is certainly true that Christmas is not a Christian holiday, I also am sure to recognize the various contributions that Christians made to it, like making fruitcake more palatable, cutting out the whole slaves cleaning up their masters' barf thing (yes, that was actually a real job that Romans slaves had to do in ancient Rome, and you thought your job was bad) and discouraging random drunk carolers at ungodly hours. However, I cannot help but give the pagans their props as well. Paganism has been so demonized by modern conservative Christians that you would think it has had no influence on Christmas whatsoever, but nothing could be further from the truth. If anyone knew how to party, it was the pagans, and Christmas is still, to this very day, even with all the conservative chestnuts out there, a time for great joy and revelry. This comes from the ancient holiday of Saturnalia, which has been described by pagan historians as being like the movie "The Purge". There were no laws during Saturnalia and you could pretty much get away with anything you want. Gender bending sex was allowed and so were other vices like gluttony, hedonism and bad singing. While we have left a lot of the less savory parts of Saturnalia behind, gender bending sex is still widely available on the internet for free and country western stars everywhere release a new Christmas album every year to keep the bad singing thing alive and well. But Saturnalia is just one of the pagan traditions that Christmas is based on. There was also the pagan celebration of yule, which is where we get terms like "yule log and yuletide", which many modern day pagans, Wiccans are a good example, still celebrate today without even getting their houses burnt to the ground or thrown in rivers to drown this time around. Now that's what I call progress! So, this year I ask you all to appreciate Christmas for what it is: a combination of many different cultures coming together to exchange gifts, eat rich food and get a pretty good buzz going. If there is one thing that I can be apolitical about, it is this truly joyous day. Even the Christians of old refused to let Christmas die because they wanted to remember their ancestors. So let's not be Scrooges or Grinches this year. Happy holidays!  

According to ABC News, "People who seek revenge are driven by anger and violence and have not thought about how to channel their negative feelings into something positive." Well, I hate to break it to you ABC, but that simply is not the case for all of us. Revenge does not have to be driven by violence, nor does it have to be driven by anger. Of course the precursor to all revenge is anger, but that anger subsides with time. I still remember the blinding rage I felt when was told I was fired at the start of this pandemic. I still remember throwing remnants from all my years of hard work in the theater in the recycle bin. I still remember never wanting to see any of those programs again, wanting to forget that I had ever even set foot in a theater. I remember it just fine, but I am not longer angry about it, nor do I have any desire to commit an act of violence. Those who commit violent acts may indeed claim that they were seeking revenge, but what they are really experiencing is aggression, which just happens to be triggered by alcohol, bullying and narcissistic personality traits. But not everyone who feels the need for revenge is an alcoholic, nor a victim of bullying, nor a narcissist. I am none of these things. I care deeply for others, even strangers. I was one of the most popular children at my school and I gave up on alcohol years ago after it worsened my epilepsy. Indeed, one of the main things people overlook about the character Hamlet is that he is grossly insulted by King Claudius, who sleeps with Hamlet's mother shortly after having his father killed. Most people may not call that bullying, but bedding another man's mom after you off his dad is certainly a huge insult that would probably drive most people to violence. I have not been insulted. Sure, people have tried to insult me. But how do you insult someone who could care less about the opinions of others? You cannot, try as you may. No, this is not about insults. This has nothing to do with narcissism. This is about the science of life, the truth behind the fiction. The reality is that people seek revenge because of the pleasure it brings. It feels good to get back at others, or at least to level the playing field. In the old days, they referred to this as justice, the most humane of all forms of revenge. Admit it, you feel good when that politician you hate sticks their foot in their mouth and takes a dive in the polls. You rejoice when that news anchor you cannot stand slurs his words. You practically jump out of your seat and dance when your old boss gets caught embezzling money from the company. Yes, revenge is sweet, but justice is sweeter. And so I am always out for a more just form of revenge. Harming others physically simply will not do because I find no pleasure in harming others. So what must be done is to tell the truth, the real truth, the inconvenient kind that makes you question where you buy your products. That is where you hit people the hardest. That is where you exact true justice. What is true can never be controlled. Liars can only run away from the truth and try to hide it everywhere it turns up, but eventually they all crack under the pressure of their own lies. You will always find me there, applying the pressure to the liars until the cracks begin to show. It may not seem like it now, but trust me when I say I have them on the ropes. They have already achieved and so are busy playing defense, whilst I launch my full offensive of inconvenient truths in their pitiable directions. I am not vanquished. I am stronger than ever. What was it Hamlet said about Claudius? "Up sword...When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed; at gaming, swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in't; then trip him..." Every great man falls eventually. It is just a question of when. I shall outsmart them all. Brevity is the soul of wit, so says black Hamlet.     

Everybody wants to be perfect. Everyone wants to win the contest or at least know the person who won the contest so that they can learn how to win a later contest. Everyone wants to win the big game, buy the perfect gift, cook the best meal, write the ultimate witty retort. Because of this yearning, this nagging desire for perfection, we miss out on the good times in life, but we do not want to have a good time, not really. In America good is secondary; good is middle class or average and a C is never good enough in America. You need that A; you must excel at every little thing otherwise you will be left out of the party or the college or the competition. You will be eliminated like a reality television star who just could not quite get the judges to like them enough. So close, yet so far. You have been eliminated and now you are no longer a member of the elite club of perfectionists. You are doomed to a life of good enough. But why isn't good enough enough? Why do we desire more than good? Why is it bad to do a good job? You may make a little less money, but you gain a whole lot more sanity than people realize. No one will ever be perfect so striving to reach that goal is a fool's game. Eventually you will be as optimized, maximized, and actualized as you could ever possibly be. Then there will be nowhere else to go, nothing else to improve upon. And then what? Do you push yourself even more? If you do, at that point, you just might fall over the edge. If you push yourself too hard you will be burned out, apathetic and unable to find joy in the passion you once had. Passion itself will disgust you because your passion will have failed to please you in the way you once thought it could. Then what will you do? More is not a goal; it is not a career. More is a desire, a craving, a lust for excess. Striving for more can kill you. Trying to be the best can make you tired and that fatigue can kill all ambition within you. I recently had a man tell me that he was irritated by the backup in deliveries with Amazon. When I asked him why he did not just go to the store and buy what he needed, he responded that he did not have time because he worked thirteen hours a day. Thirteen hours a day? But why? Why do that to yourself? What are you going to get out of it? I understand the person probably has more money than I do, but they cannot even find the time to spend the damn money if Amazon is experiencing delays for god's sake! In the old days, money gave you freedom. Today it cannot even get you a package delivered in a timely fashion. That is what perfection does to people. The will to be the best, to make the most money, to have the nicest car, to throw the biggest party, simply ends up making you a slave to the hustle, the grind, the rat race. You lose sight of that comfort you once thought your job would bring you. You become super pissed off that you cannot take that trip to Italy. So you work harder and harder and harder. Next thing you know, you cannot make time to spend with your loved ones anymore. You speak with them via text message, but only on the Holidays because those are your designated texting days now. No cellphones at that thirteen hour job. The boss might get upset. Maybe you feel lonely and want to get involved in a romantic relationship, but you don't have the time for that now because you have to get to work, so maybe you will have time to fall in love after you get that promotion in ten or twenty or thirty years, considering the company doesn't go under in that time of course. If it does then it will be more like forty years. But none of that matters. You do not need people in your life because, well, you have it all. You are wealthy, smart, pretty, and alone with practically no time for yourself or others, just how you like it. Isn't it grand? You did it. You are finally perfect like a beautifully built statue that people ignore on their way to work, that birds shit on from the sky. Sweet, smelly perfection