Hallucinations of Grandeur (Division)

I was thinking about the ugliness of identity politics. I was thinking about how some of the characteristics you despise in the other position are present in your position. I was thinking about how the “woke” side and the “MAGA” side both have their own groupthink, how they both wallow in their own hallucinations, and I wrote this.

 

Hallucinations of Grandeur (Division)

woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA          woke MAGA

 

tf

 

 

 

Collecting Phrases

I love the magic of words. Weave them together like a tapestry and whole worlds can form. They are powerful alone, in small chunks, or in whole sentences. I often collect just phrases in my reading. What I mean by this is I write down certain phrases that hold my attention and strike me as beautiful or moving. I keep them in a section of my journal just for phrases and quotes. I like to look through them and observe the power of language. So, I present to you some of the phrases I have collected from my reading in the last few weeks.

• these pages – white rectangular deserts
• eyes made for weeping
• lobotomized housewife
• gravity’s verdict showing on her face
• little in that pinched skull except basic motivations
• turn boys into men and men into robots
• daring, illicit feel to the evening
• preoccupation with Ragnarok

Maybe you find some of these phrases enjoyable to read like me. Until next time, good reading.

 

A Place for your Stories

Do you like to write stories? Maybe you just like to read stories.

Then I have just the place for you to check out.

It is called Wattpad.

It is a social storytelling platform for writers and readers of all kinds.

I have no affiliation or paid sponsorship with the site. I just want to share it as a resource for those who adore stories.

The site is very organized and looks promising to anyone who has a story to share. The site is even partnered with certain movie studios so that you can possibly have your written word turned into a visual adventure. The tagline to the site and brand is “where stories live.” So, if you write and or read stories this may be the place for you.

Until next time, good reading.

 

World Book Day

Today is World Book Day!

To celebrate the day numerous organizations and websites are giving out free books.

Amazon is giving away 9 free books today and you don’t even have to have a membership.

Just do a web search for “World Book Day 2020” and you will find several other resources for free books in honor of today.

Have fun with your free books.

Until next time, good reading.

 

Free Courses and Skills Available Now

Time.

Some of us have more time available to us then ever right now. This is the opportunity to use that time wisely and invest in yourself. Take some of the hours you have available during your day and learn a new skill or take some free courses or classes.

You can pick up a new skill or take a course for absolutely nothing right now. That is an extraordinary thing.

Here is a link to an article highlighting a number of skills or courses available right now for free. They range from coding courses, to photography tutorials, to learning a new language, to online marketing, to CPR and first aid. Take advantage.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careers/skills-you-can-learn-online-for-free-right-now-to-improve-your-resume/ss-BB12og5U?li=BBnb7Kz#image=10

I hope this helps you use the time you have to better yourself.

Until next time, good reading.

 

 

Oblivion

I was thinking about isolation. I was thinking about crowds and how people behave and think when in the group. I was thinking about how privileged and entitled Americans are. I was thinking about how the average American has more entertainment, resources, and information available to them at their fingertips than any of the richest people in history and yet they still get bored and complain. It is this sardonic view of things that lead me to come up with this piece I call Oblivion.

 

Oblivion

the madness of crowds

groups are so disheartening

it is in the masses

where i feel most alone

Mr Bierce,

i respect your footsteps

into oblivion

shadows my old friend,

here i come!

tf

 

Teach Yourself about Money and the Monetary System

At some point in your life you will hear someone say “just print more money.”

In addition you might see people get excited when The Federal Reserve lowers interest rates.

People who say or do either of these things probably don’t know much about the monetary system.

Stimulus, bailouts, inflation, deflation, deficits, debt, interest rates, quantitative easing! What does it all mean?

Right now in the first quarter of 2020, The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates to zero and is set to add more capital to the money supply. Is this a good thing?

There is much to know about money and the monetary system and you are probably not going to learn it from any political leaders. We know we don’t learn it in school. Why? Why don’t our schools teach us about money, personal finance, and the monetary system? Once you enter adulthood you are left to wander into the world without any real grasp on money. Is this intentional? Some people believe it is intentional.

Once you leave high school, even once you leave college if you attend, you haven’t been given knowledge about how to create a household budget, what fractional reserve banking is, what debt is, how inflation works, usury and interest rates, or any of the myriad and convoluted aspects of our monetary system. You are thrown into the wilderness that is the economy and left to fend for yourself.

The good thing is that you can teach yourself about money and the economy, and it is not all that difficult to do.  Here are three things to do to begin learning about money and the monetary system:

1. Find a reputable website, magazine, blog, or podcast that focuses on money and personal finance.
2. Find some books on the subject and start reading.
3. Spend less than you make, save the difference, and watch it grow.

Number three is in bold because it is so crucial. Read number three again.

No recommendations were given because there are so many to choose from and navigating through the available information on the subject of money will be a rewarding process.

Hopefully you have enough now to start teaching yourself about money and monetary policy.

Until next time, good reading.

 

Carry Your Own Pen

As someone who writes in the margins of my books I am almost never without my own writing instrument. I always need something to write with as I make notes in the margins or write fallen word in my journal, but having a pen on your person comes in handy for many other things too, especially during a pandemic scare.

Now is a better time than ever to start carrying your own pen. With people worrying about catching a virus and social distancing now is not the time to start sharing pens. You don’t want to have to reach for a pen that is available to the public. Who knows how many people have touched it and when the last time it was cleaned.

So, do yourself a favor and start carrying your own pen!

It is for your own protection.

A pen is a tool.

Use it wisely and use it well. There is a reason why people say “the pen is mightier than the sword.”

So, carry your own pen!

Stay healthy, stay safe.

Until next time, good reading.

 

More Online Books Available during Virus Shutdown

If you are finding yourself with plenty of free time due to the pandemic shutdown and searching for a new reading adventure then this information is for you.

Use the following link to find out how you can gain access to 1.4 million free online books.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wxeya5/you-can-now-access-14-million-books-for-free-thanks-to-the-internet-archive

The Internet Archive might be a great place to look for your next read during these times. My last post also provided a list of resources for you to look so feel free to check that out as well.

In addition, places like Barnes and Noble are providing free curbside pickup for all online orders.

There is plenty to do without leaving the house. Reading is always a great choice to fight off boredom. Don’t let ennui get you down. Read.

Also take this time to better yourself. Learn a new skill online. Master another language. Get certified in something. Practice music or art. Do stuff that will help you when the shutdown is over. Don’t waste opportunity. These times are trying and full of uncertainty but that doesn’t mean you have to sit around and do nothing.

Until next time, good reading.