215.2. The lowest number I've had yet. Not sure exactly what happened. I've literally had 3 pizza parties in the last six days, and a fridge full of leftover pizza. Went out to eat last night and had a burger, and a taco (Thin Man has 50% off their whole menu this week). I've only been to the gym twice in the last week.
But lost weight anyway?
This life makes such little sense sometimes. Even to those of us who are intelligent. No, I'm not boasting. I'm no genius, but I am intelligent. I'm not perfect, but I do have good intuitions, and can apply ideas, and technology to resolve complex problems. I have an emotional intelligence, and can understand people, motives, and behaviors. But beyond that, I have confidence in those capabilities that I possess, whereas many intelligent people that I know question themselves despite their obvious intelligence.
Questioning Yourself
Questioning your opinions is both good, and bad. On one hand, you should never be so confident in your own thoughts, opinions, and ideas that you're never willing to examine them, listen to the ideas of others, engage in debate, and be open to changing your view.
On the other hand, when your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are based in genuine, empathetic, compassionate, and positive notions; when you have a solid foundation of knowing right from wrong, and why right is right, and wrong is wrong, then you need to be confident in those related thoughts, and ideas.
As Bill Hicks said in discussing the movie Basic Instinct, it's a shitty movie. It only made waves because of the .64 second glimpse of Sharon Stone's vulva as she uncrossed, and crossed her legs. You don't need to think about it. You don't need to listen to other people telling you otherwise. If you know the movies was awful, so be resolute in that knowledge. You're right.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
This infection of listening to people who don't deserve to be listened to is at a fever high in America. We don't need to entertain flat-Earthers. They're morons. Their opinions aren't based on science. You know the Earth is spherical. YOU'RE RIGHT. Shut out the noise.
Climate change; the scientific community is almost unanimous in their findings of both the accelerated rate our global climate is warming, and changing, and the impact of human activity on it. You still listen to climate change deniers? WHY? They're not scientists. They're not leading the independent studies that consistently show the climate is changing. Shut out the noise!
The misinformation that bombards us every day is astounding.
During the presidential race of 2016, Cortney asked me during our conversations, "What if we're the ones who are wrong? What if our view is wrong, and all of these opposing views are really the ones that are right? They believe they're right, just as we believe we are, so how can we be sure?"
My response was simply, "Is your empathy wrong? Is wanting the world to be a better place for all of its inhabitants wrong? Is racism, and hatred, and war, and oppression, and the destruction of the ideals that our Constitution was written on the right view? Can you, as a very intelligent human being see the other side upholds the structures of the past that have created division, and strife? How are we wrong if we are living, and working, and fighting for a path of equality, peace, and prosperity for all?"
It doesn't take a degree in political science to see the direction those in power want to take this nation. And I really don't care if you believe they're taking us in the right direction. This isn't debatable. You're wrong. Division, oppression, inequity, and the destruction of the democratic ideals that you think are about flag waving, and blind faith are wrong. If you can't see the simple hypocrisy between crying that you need the 2nd Amendment, and your gun rights in case the government turns tyrannical, but then blindly supporting government hired police forces that systemically oppress the poor, minorities, and powerless in our nation, while crying about football players protesting those actions as their 1st Amendment rights allow them to do, then you're too disillusioned or dumb to be taken seriously. I'm not sorry. You're wrong.
As I pointed out to a friend of mine recently, as an Atheist, I know many other Atheists. From my Atheists friends I see a lot of empathy for others that aren't in good places in life. I see charity. I see efforts toward making the world a kinder, more loving place to live. I see community action. I see them desiring to have better social support from our tax dollars, such as universal healthcare, universal higher education, housing programs to help the poor, and homeless, and more equity between employers, and their employees. Liberal ideals that for the most part align quite well with the supposed teachings of Jesus in Christian mythology/theology.
Yet Christian leaders tend to align with the conservative party who seem stand against all of these things, and focus solely on greed, wealth, and power.
Can you not see the hypocrisy?
Who is right, and who is wrong? I think the answer is pretty obvious even if you stand on the side of conservatism. As I have also said, conservatives don't believe in conservation of anything but their own wealth, and resources. Which is why they have no issues repealing the laws, acts, and statutes that help protect people, rights, our ecology, wildlife, and pretty much everything that isn't something they own, because when it comes down to it, they want the chance to own everything, including YOU, and if there are laws protecting anything, the law stands in the way of that goal.
Photography Things
I have a number of cool shoots coming up, and have been reflecting on some past shoots. I need to get my creative brain in order to make some of the shoots I am planning the best they can be. I'm not sure how to do that right now. My mind is pretty caught up with my new job, and more analytical processes.
Suggestions?
Here are some of those images I've worked on, or reflected on recently.
