Author: sean

Long day is long. I did make it through, though, and voted against the patronage candidate for governor. Much as they like to tout that they’re totes different these days, they nominate someone who’d be very much at home in the Byrd Organization.
I think, though, the literature peddler outside the polling place was surprised that I didn’t want his sample ballot…..
On to the prompt.
Have you ever felt that you were singled out even though someone else was actually breaking the rules but you weren’t
This is one of the areas where my dad really comes out in me. One of his favorite phrases was, “what says that/where’s that written?”
Between that, my own Army training, and my law school prep, doing things completely free-form is totally foreign to me.
Much to Boomers’ chagrin, I don’t have my own style.
Yes, there’s room for creativity in how you choose to comply with published rules, but that doesn’t mean you just ignore that they exist.
In fact, worrying about how to comply with rules can actually improve your solution. I’m hammering this out after dealing with a work problem that just by approaching the problem differntly, it is possible to do things more efficiently, and follow the published rules.
I know, unpossible, right?
Been doing this a long time
At least, now, I’m away from the pittance I was making before. But the situation still sucks.
For tomorrow, where I’ll have more time to write as I’ll be away from home, again…..
Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

Things are very disjointed today. I actually forgot about trying to write during the day. Amazingly, though, I wasn’t incredibly sleepy during the day. This is a big change for me. That I fell asleep during the Sunday night football game last night, plus missed Saturday Night Live the night before probably didn’t hurt.
I’m craving a Negroni after some searhces yesterday morning, and discussions in the office today.
A brunch visit might be in order….
Something your significant other is into that you are not?
She’s looking for me to say, “anime.” Yes, certainly. I can’t seem to pay close attention to it. Certainly my poor vision makes watching things with subtitles a non-starter, but even the stuff that’s dubbed in English I can’t stick to. To me, TV is really a passive thing. My time in radio probably hasn’t helped, there, either.
Do I dislike it? No. Just not something I can easily follow.
She also watches a lot of things about the British monarchy. I care even less about that than I do Japanese cartoons. There’s things about the British system of government that are admirable, and they’d be just fine without a king or queen. I do respect a parliamentary form of government. It, of course, is the basis of the Commonwealth forms of governments present in four US states.
I kinda like that local governments can’t do anything unless the central government explictly delegates the authority. In Virginia, as we’ve got an election tomorrow, I’m dismayed that the candidates for office don’t seem to give any sort of deference to the General Assembly.
For tomorrow: Have you ever felt that you were singled out even though someone else was actually breaking the rules but you weren’t
Going to tackle this one, because I get singled-out for breaking unwritten “rules.” I did something wrong? Okay. Please show me what rule I broke. I’ll be here waiting for your citation.

Getting into the swing after a few days, or maybe my meds are kicking in. Who knows?
Would you read a controversial book, such as “Mein Kampf” or “The Communist Manifesto”?
I’ve read The Communist Manifesto a couple of times. The first was out of sheer curiosity. My dad had a copy in his book collection, dating back to his college studies. He’d taken Russian as a minor in college. Then he went to try and kill Commies for a living.
I read it again in college, and was even less enthused. I guess, maybe, I can see how someone might be intrigued by the ideas, but I never was. I do believe in freedom, and surrendering to an all-encompassing government that leads you to whatever never really appealed to me. What Is To Be Done I found more compelling.
It’s incredible that so many people subscribed to the idea of the eventuality of socialism. Many still do. I seem to remember one of Obama’s inspirations still, in the 21st Century, referencing Mao.
But, then, it wasn’t that long ago that Chomsky and Herman published Distortions at fourth hand.
Hitler, too, believed in the eventual triumph of Socialism. Lenin had drawn a distinction between agrarian Russia, and industrial Western Europe.
Hitler, of course, was also littered with bad early 20th Century pseudoscience, and anti-Semitism. I’d imagine his rant would be filled with the same if I cared enough to read it.
Maybe that’s a polite way to say, and this’ll get the Antifa kids amped, “FUCK HITLER.”
If I had the luxury of doing that sort of “work,” I might like to explore these things further. That said, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be accepted in modern academia. Next Saturday marks the 99th anniversary of the end of World War I, and I don’t think it gets the attention it deserves.
For tomorrow, since I’ve been asked about when I’m going to write about it…..
Something your significant other is into that you are not?

Today I wanted to free write. Sarah thinks that it’s a cop-out, but I was really tired yesterday.
I’m still tired, but the Tysabri infusion is starting to kick in.
Today’s accompaniment to writing The Fifth Column. They’re discussing Kmele’s soon-to-arrive daughter. Lots of birthdays, right around now, too.
*does the math*
Valentine’s Day.
But today is my grandfather, a few FB friends. Next week is my mother and brother.
Facebook’s been bouncing back and forth with college memories, since a former classmate is involved in a rather heated race for the Virginia House of Delegates. Mike and I had some political and philosophical differences back then, but I think he’s a good guy. Does it mean that if I lived in that district I’d vote for him? No, but that’s more about his partisan allegiance. But not because of a picture taken during a game of Beer Pong decades ago.
A lot of what I’m seeing from his party, though, is rank patronage. That their gubernatorial candidate is a VMI product illustrates that beautifully. With all the Kevin Spacey innuendo going around, his description of knocking the Citadel ring speaks to the boys’ network.
I’m not a part of that. My family is too poor, too Catholic, not white enough, etc..
But speaking of Byrd Organization products, I haven’t been back to read my entry from yesterday. I’m sure it’s disjointed, but that’s kind of my existence these days. The situation with health insurance is incredibly frustrating.
There’s a lot of choices that put me in this position, but so far as science can tell, nothing I did led to my physical condition. I had symptoms before I did any of the sorts of things that might be considered deleterious.
Maybe one of these crowd-sourcing pleas would be appropriate to pay for my health care.
I’ve tried, professionally, to take positions that’ll keep me cared-for. What do I have to show for it? The prospect of paying over $1,000 a month for health insurance next year.
With that, though, I can’t go up on the roof of my building with a glass of Scotch, and a cigar before it’s too cold.
Ummm….
Is there anything else I’d really like to write about? No, not really. The Saints are in first place, which probably surprises people. But, then, you might could attribute it to the Failcons doing what they do best.
I’m anxious to get back to OD to write.
But, much like the cigar and Scotch, will I have money to spend on it?
Tomorrow’s prompt: Would you read a controversial book, such as “Mein Kampf” or “The Communist Manifesto”?

Introduction. Why am I doing this, and how long have I been doing it?
This is year eight. Why am I doing it? Well, because it’s something that settles my brain, and gets me ready for the end of the year.
I can look back, and see what I’ve done over the past year, and maybe write a bit about other things on my mind.
In the month of writing leading up to my birthday, I was kind of spiraling. I was unemployed, poor, and trying to decide where to go next. Thankfully, I was able to find work, albeit not what I was hoping for.
But it pays the bills. Sorta.
Things really got knocked askew in May, when we were forced to move out of the place where I’d been living since 2007.
The new place is considerably smaller, but it’s also a lot more expensive. I don’t know that we’ll be staying terribly long.
I admit that I’ve not really put out my prompts for the month. I do have some of the ideas my wife helped me put together stashed aside. I also have some birthdays I’ll write about. ArmisticeVeterans’ Day. Thanksgiving.
Purportedly, Open Diary, where I wrote pretty regularly from 1999 until its closure in 2013, is returning sometime soon. I am also writing on ProseBox.
I think, though, what I’m going to do is end each entry with what I’m going to write about tomorrow.
Do you ever feel conflicted when someone you admire comes under controversy?
Maybe this weekend, I’ll get this better set up. We’ll see. On my lousy blog, my wife may be joining in on the fun.
I would write more, but today’s been incredibly long. I did get my infusion this afternoon, so by the end of the weekend, I expect my energy level to be back to peak.

Yes, I am planning to write this November. Yes, I have plenty of writing topics, largely due to my wife’s efforts.
I am weeding through, and trying to decide which ones I’ll use.
Definite targets:
Three free-writes, including 30 November.
Thanksgiving plans.
Thanksgiving recap.
Veternas’ Day.