Tag: Buffalo

Weigh-In Wednesday – Back On My Soapbox

Sure, more people do die from other sources than have died from Corona virus thus far. But the Corona virus is deadly, and stopping it from spreading will SAVE LIVES. As noted in this handy “I’m Conservative So I Think The Media Is Evil and I Only Listen To InfoWars and Rush Limbaugh” chart that proves nothing other than people die from many sources, people still die from other things. Duh.

The difference is, these other things aren’t contagious. You’re not going to contract Heart Disease by shaking the hand of someone with Heart Disease. If a diabetic sneezes on you, it’s gross, and rude, but you’re not going to become diabetic from the exposure. See the difference?  No? I have no hope for you then.

Lackawanna, NY 1911

Weigh-In Wednesday – Moving Forward

People look at the past, and long for the good-ol’ days. We romanticize what used to be, focusing on only the good, and forgetting how much was bad, or even worse than bad. We look at our present, and we focus on the bad, and what we want to change, then dream of a future that is only good, not imagining the negative consequences of what we’re doing today. We say, “Things weren’t like this back in my day,” but odds are, they were. People don’t have less of a respect for life today – mass shootings, and the brutality we see every day isn’t a function merely of a change of attitude toward what life is worth. Were we as a species really respecting, and valuing life when we were burning witches for baseless religious accusations? How about when indigenous peoples were being slaughtered? Gladiator tournaments? Hangings? Beheadings? Crucifixions? Monarchs ordering executions on a whim? Do these all show how we respected life? Are the 2A gun nuts really showing a respect for life by fighting harder for their right to own military grade weapons than seeking to find solutions that would stem the tides of gun related deaths we have in our nation?

Weigh-In Wednesday – Still On My Soapbox

Still seems like the reichwing christian ideals align a helluva lot more closely to what Sharia law wants, as opposed to freedom, and democracy. They just have their own twists based on their own wants, and beliefs, and their own twisted patriotism that they think is the only patriotism that matters. This is why I keep reminding you, my kind, and intelligent readers, that when Russia launched a social media campaign to influence American public opinion, and sway voters in a way that would damage American democracy, and create a national divide, they targeted right wing conservatives. They did so for a couple simple facts, and those being that the conservative agenda is the one furthest from the ideals of American democracy, freedom, and decency, and the fact so many uneducated Americans buy into the preachings of right wing conservatives; they’re the most gullible, and easiest to influence.

Weigh-In Wednesday – Happy Holidays, and Other Useless Junk

The people who post these stupid, “Want to trigger a liberal? Wish them a Merry Christmas” crap, it makes you look pretty damn uneducated. Say Merry Christmas – celebrate Christmas. Hell, we won’t even force you to grow a brain, and learn the true history of the holiday. All anyone ever said is, other people celebrate holidays BESIDES Christmas, so when someone says “Happy Holidays” in return, because, there are multiple holidays to celebrate this time of year, even in your own little narrow minded world, don’t get so butt hurt about it.

Christians in this nation are the most quickly, and easily offended people going, but seem to think if they don’t get their way they’re immediately being persecuted, and everyone else is offended by them. We’re not offended – we just find you to be ridiculous, and stupid. Fucking grow up, and learn how to exist in a world where other people have different perspectives. We’re going on probably over 1500 years of this bullshit from every sect of your cult, and you still haven’t learned how to do that.

Weigh-In Wednesday – The Ten Year Challenge

Our Meet The Filmmaker interview went well, but as always, the questions I anticipate people will ask about the movie are not the questions that are asked. Meet The Filmmakers will probably be released in late Spring/early Summer. Before then, however, Stages will be shown at a movie night at Buff State’s Upton Hall on Friday Dec 6 at 7PM. This is an event hosted by Mike Raisch for his recent production Smith and the Devil which I assisted slightly in helping to shoot some video elements (under water, no less). There will be a Q&A afterward, and I will be speaking about Stages, so feel free to come, and ask questions.

Weigh-In Wednesday – The Uniqueness of You

I learned in time, that’s just how it is, and I need to have patience with myself, more than patience with others. In those times when you’re stopped worrying about it, and start focusing on other things, amazing people come into your life. When you’re forcing it, less than amazing people come into your life.

Just my two-cents of my old age wisdom. Picture me peeling an apple and eating slices off the blade of my pocket knife while sitting in a porch rocker while telling you this. It might make more of an impact.

A straw hat, and denim overalls are also nice additions.

Weigh-In Wednesday – Searching for the Sun

Sometimes, being positive isn’t about finding the silver lining in the storm clouds, or seeing the sun from behind the rain. It’s about appreciating the rain, and how refreshing it can be while it is coming down. It’s about appreciating the dancing shadows in the storm clouds as they roll, and flow. It’s about recognizing your pain, embracing it, and realizing it will pass. 

Not everything is good all of the time, but even when things aren’t good, they’re useful. Flowers rarely grow from sunshine alone. It takes a balance of rain, and some lumps of shit, along with the sunshine for them to thrive.

If you spend your time trying to only be positive, not only do you fail to learn to deal with your problems, but you lose the experience of the pain your problems bring. Without being able to feel, embrace, and deal with pain, you can’t fully appreciate the happiness, and the good. As I’ve said many times, the valleys help define the mountains.  The oceans help to define the land. Contrasts exist to show us what can be, what is important, what we should value, and the things, and people that deserve our greatest efforts.

Stages - 5 Award Nominations at the Buffalo 48-Hour Film Project

Weigh-In Wednesday – September 11

Yes, we all know it’s September 11th.  As we have been told, we haven’t forgotten. We’re not allowed to forget, and with that, many aren’t allowed to reconcile the grief that day has caused.

It is a tragedy that honestly started our nation on a downward spiral of economic disarray, and increased ethnocentrism. Which is probably exactly what the terrorists wanted. Yes, honor the fallen, honor the first responders, remember them on this day. But maybe also realize our current state of affairs, and the endless wars that have further demonized us in the Middle East, and the breakdown of our alliances that we now have is evidence the terrorist got what they wanted. In that respect, we’ve failed to honor the fallen, and first responders correctly.

Symbolic memorials mean nothing if you don’t live in a nation that upholds the values it wrote into its Constitution.

But, who am I to say? After all, most conservatives still blame Obama for not being in the Oval Office when 9/11 happened.

Adversity

Weigh-In Wednesday – What’s New?

Just a note: if you find yourself in a debate over which fast-food chain’s chicken sandwiches are better, you might want to consider that you have the diet preferences of a 10-year old, and perhaps work on finding a little more culinary culture, or at least a healthier diet.

Am I one to talk? Is my diet perfectly healthy? Hell no. But deep fried chicken sandwiches aren’t a point of debate for me, and I would rather patronize locally owned, and developed establishments rather than a national chain that either doesn’t give two shits about the markets they invade, or spread bigotry against marginalized groups through their religious rhetoric, while using their employees’ generous nature as a national marketing campaign as if the company is the good-doers, and not the individual slaving for them at minimum wage.