Shocking Vs. SHOCKING

Thanks to some recent news stories that are rather shocking even by jaded standards, I’ve heard a lot of talk about how much worse the world is getting.  Every time I hear people talking like this I’m reminded of an article I read a while back that demonstrated how much better the world has gotten in many ways.  (The only one I remember off the top of my head is that you’re far less likely to have your farm raided by bandits than you once were; yes, it can still happen, but overall it’s a lot less common these days.)

In the end though, I imagine all this kind of talk arguing about how the world today compares to the world of yore is a bit like debating whether you are more or less likely to be struck by lightning than you used to be.  I’m sure impassioned cases can be made for both sides, but in the end none of those words matter a lick to those who have actually been struck by lightning.

One Of The Girls Of My Dreams

So last night I had a dream in which I met a girl from my past, and shall simply say for the sake of discretion that in this dream we spent a great deal of time defining and redefining the concept of getting “reacquainted.”  Hardly anything unusual about that (however rarely people are willing to admit it), but I mention this for two reasons:

#1.  However unlikely I would be to actually do something like that in the waking world (my life is complex enough at the moment), this dream made me happy because it meant I got to see her again, and because I like the idea of her remembering me fondly enough for something like that to happen, even if only in dreams. (1)

#2.  My dreams being what they are, of course there came a point where things had . . . “plateaued” for a bit, and I remember her turning to me and grimly informing me that, “we need to talk about what just happened.”

While she had a point, I can’t recall a single time when I enjoyed a conversation that followed after that line, so it was with a certain amount of relief when L. (who’s been having some difficult nights lately) picked that point to wake me from my dream with a cry for attention.   Once that crisis was averted, I actually thanked him for waking me up, and stumbled back to bed.

And promptly found myself in the dream again, next to my dream girl who looked at me and said, “Now as I was saying, we need to talk . . .”

(1)  And if you’re reading this and you are a girl from my past and you’re wondering if it was you, please just assume that it was, provided that you take it as proof of the fondness I still have for you.  If this idea offends you, then I assure you that it was not you.  (2)

(2)  And if you’re reading this and you are a girl from my past and you’re sure it was not you, then don’t be so sure, provided that you take the idea of it being you as proof of the fondness I still have for you.  If this idea offends you, then it was definitely not you.

I’m Not Kidding About This

There comes a point in life when you just know that people start watching you while you sleep so they can see if you’re still breathing or not.

In anticipation of this day, I’ve been practicing holding my breath for as long as possible and then screaming . . .

Feeling Better, But . . .

You know your household has been really sick when your toddler’s two new favorite sounds to imitate are “Achoo” and “Kaff Kaff.”

Words To Live By

A sergeant in motion outranks a lieutenant who doesn’t know what’s going on.

– Schlock Mercenary, Maxim 2

Okay, It’s A LITTLE Funny Now

As you might have gathered yesterday, I’m not feeling 100%.   The good news is that today I’m feeling a little better and I have much needed backup watching L.

The bad news is that said backup is worse off today than I was yesterday.

This is one of those “funny after the fact” situations.

Oh, THAT’S What They Mean!

I’ve known a few people in my time who have claimed to “hear light and see sound,” and the like.  The term often used to describe that is “synesthesia,” though naturally there’s a lot of debate about the phenomenon.  Personally I’ve never given it much thought beyond “I wonder what that would be like?”

Well this morning while I was still in bed, it turns out that I was sick enough that when the bedroom door was opened, the modest amount of light coming in triggered a crashing sound like cymbals in my ears, which in turn triggered a series of geometric patterns behind my eyes reminiscent of test patterns or certain old style screen savers.

So now I know.

(I am also doing my best to take it easy today.)

With The Veneer, There Was At Least Less Excrement

Somewhere along the way in the realms of political discourse, we have once again lost even the veneer of the idea of “my honorable opponent,” leaving us with a screaming match between chimpanzees with knives in one hand, and clumps of excrement in the other.

Tears For Fears

Last night was a rough one for the household.  For reason’s unknown, L. spent a good chunk of the night screaming; the working theory was he was having nightmares.  It’s hard to ask an eighteen-month-old something like that and get a definite answer, but that’s certainly what it felt like, at least.

Naturally this prompted at least one person to ask, “What could a child that age be having nightmares about?!  Is that even possible?”

They’re reasonable questions; I asked them of myself, in fact.

What specifically he might have been having nightmares about I currently have no good way to answer, but as for possible . . . well . . .  Let’s just say that when I asked myself that question I felt a wave of long ago nights and undefined childhood fears that I had no way to express, and . . .

Yeah, I’d say it’s possible.

Status For 5/18/12

Two weeks into the publication schedule that I mentioned in the last update, and things are going . . . not bad.

After giving it a couple of week I’ve concluded that I don’t quite care for the font, and that one of my “great formatting ideas in theory” is great only in theory, so that’s going to be changed this weekend, schedule willing.  My first priority (now accomplished) was to get comfortable enough with the coding on the site so I could make minor changes and updates myself, and not have to rely on my webmaster for those tasks, so there is that.

Like I said, not bad.