Famished Writer

The internet was supposed to make us smarter. Google thinks that’s one of Alphabets main jobs, or they advertise themselves as Information Providers anyway. It’s not working. We are either getting righteously naive or socially inept, or both.  Way back in the early 2000’s, at the peak of my world wide connected optimism about this new democratic, humanitarian, freedom of information age, I taught my toddler how to ‘surf’ and ‘use a mouse’-now that terminology even dates him. On a positive note, he actually did turn out to be really smart. That may be because the chicken came before Google or if you asked the nurses at the hippie hospital he was born in, they would say it was the breastfeeding-but I have proof that’s not it. And that is just it-yes, I said it’s not it, but it is. The amount of misinformation that lingers and spreads, the lies that are let live-it’s not any better with the internet-or smart phones. Proof? Ok, my daughter. As though needed more to be said, still, ...

You’re sick. You are all sick, those of you that are writers, you are, and you know it. Let’s talk openly about it for a moment without fear of confirming anyone else's assumptions about what being a (w/ air quotes) “writer” (hand does circle motions by the ear) means. It's neither wholly crazy or lazy (although both are constant threats). Honestly, it’s quite chivalric the way writers donate their minds and bodies for the sake of the craft and not for want of fame and money- No Siree!  Nope, most writers give their work away for free and willingly even, like charity without philanthropy.  Because ultimately a writer has to get it out and if its good-someday, someone may notice, that’s why. That’s what motivates writers to spill ink on the page-I know, that isn’t the way it’s done anymore, 'spreading ink', but spreading pixels across the screen doesn’t sound dimensional or nearly dramatic enough. “Get Ink and weep/ Write of it. Sob your heart out sin...

  Photograph by Orren Jack Turner, Princeton, N.J. Modified with Photoshop by PM_Poon and later by Dantadd. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. A re men better than women at math? I have often wondered if this is a genetic tendency just as men have better spacial (not special) sense than women.  Since women are wired with a stronger sense of smell you would think I could smell a sexist generalization, but I sense that there may be something to this. As a writer, the common stereotype applies, I personally prefer letters to numbers, and especially abhor word problems but love logic puzzles. How’s that for typical? And since there are writers of both sexes, I guess that generalization is more grandiose than Texas. I digress, after watching a match genius on The Ellen Show , who is of course male, and who could add 10 numbers in seconds after they were flashed in (fast) sequence, I was astounded at his skill. It is a skill, he confirmed, not a “gift” as some may conclu...

Image By Roberto Hoyos (http://throwboy.com/images/icons/Polaroid_fd01.png) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons. I t’s no secret American’s are obsessed with their “things”, we invented hoarding. In fact, if you ask Donald Trump, he’ll tell you we invented “things” themselves. Most Americans will also agree that there are certain “things” that are more “Uh-mare-kun” than others; like Coca Cola, Levis, Elvis, Apple Pie and baseball (but don’t mean to blow your blimp-those last two are really adaptations of other nations traditions). Nothing is (capital t) Truly more American than the starving artist. No, is that Parisian? Okay, nothing is more American than the dejected, rejected (aka self-employed middle class) ‘creator’ of anything. Creating is hard in this country. And while I particularly love salmon, I am sick of the thought of all this fighting upstream is just to end up where I started and die. No, persistence doesn’t always “pay off” in cash, but it is the key to happiness, es...

In my not so little anymore community (not pictured), there is a heated debate currently underway about a new development project that is counter-intuitively been dubbed the “85/15 Open Space” project. The coastal area in which this development is proposed will enable the natural landscape (specifically estuary and lagoon) to become more accessible for walking and viewing by the public as a natural reserve. The proposed development also includes park areas along a green belt, and an outdoor mall less than 1 mile from an existing ‘Outlet Mall’). Another part of this 85% for nature and 15% for humans project includes the protection of a community loved, family owned and operated large strawberry field (supposedly due to close based on financial instability of the owners and the costs associated with the property). In every town across America, in perhaps every community in the world , there are two opposing camps trying to find a happy medium where both can live in harmony. ...

Image By U.S. Navy photo by Chief Warrant Officer Seth Rossman. [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. E verybody loves a hero. Americans love heroism so much if there’s none to be found we will make one up. Not just Hollywood but the national media is churning out everyday heroes every day.  There’s nothing wrong with that, heroes prove fairy tales can be true. A reason for hope perhaps, but we often forget the best fiction is made from non-fiction, even the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. Mythical creatures are often utilized to separate reality from fantasy and yet these “fantastic” stories are based on humanity’s version of good versus bad. The good guy (like you) will always win.  Image By United States Army [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Master Sgt. Juan Negron, listed as an overlooked medal of honor recipient.  Most would define a hero as selfless, courageous and strong (they must survive in order to b...

September Morn (1912), Image of painting by Paul Émile Chabas [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Skin, Oh skin, where to begin? As the largest and most visible organ of the human body, our skin really gets the smallest credit. There are plenty of sayings about skin but perhaps our skin has become too thick to absorb more than the skin deep (surface) meaning. Slap me some skin No skin off my back/nose That makes my skin crawl I jumped out of my skin By the skin of my teeth Comfortable in your own skin You're just skin and bones And of course, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, old sayings die hard as they say without saying exactly what is meant. Metaphorically, our skin is our container, our packaging, the exposed and judged part of our life that we carry with us from the moment we receive our first sensations of light and heat to our last dying shudder marked with chicken skin (goose bumps). Our skin has a built-in recipe for magic called hea...