Catch Up

In hopes of playing some catch up and building some internal momentum in writing, I believe I shall take tonight (which is really this morning) to write a short bit on nihilism, what it means, and how I view its usefulness in this modern era. This post will (hopefully) be one of two this weekend as I am still a post or two behind schedule. Nihilism after the jump.

Death and Other Downers

Today's post will likely be short in hopes of turning out another tonight. As of right now, I've got two projects running simultaneously in my head and I'm trying desperately to figure out how to make some money on my writing sooner rather than later.  But more on that later. For now, an idea I had about the nature of living after someone you care about isn't around any more.

General Degenerate

I'm sure you'll tire of hearing of my procrastination, so my only solution is to stop procrastinating. That means there will need to be two more posts today (other than this one). To get started, I'm going to try an idea for a zombie story that I've been bouncing around for a while now. It will be graphic and likely unsuitable for some.

Story after the jump.

P.S. It's turned out longer than expected, so I apologize for that.

Deadlines

The mysterious genius that was Douglas Adams once said "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." I really don't have much to add other than the fact that I don't have the luxury he had. Which is to say I'm not near as smart or prolific as Mr. Adams came to be. There's nothing else to add to this post except to say that the following was likely inspired by an event this past week. And that I want to look at the formatting and flow of it at a later date.

Pirate's Life For Me

Today's post is brought to you by a single sentence. A friend of mine called two hours ago, say. He was trying to get some writing done, but couldn't, for the life of him, settle on a topic he liked. I've come to him for the same advice, and have gotten results from it. The previous entry, actually, was inspired with his help. So when he asked for my help, I agreed, but decided we'd make a ... I hesitate to say competition, but no better word springs to mind. So for this game (aha!), we'd both start with the same sentence and write from there. My writing is after the break. As always, critique and enjoy.

Forgot Way Too Quickly

Well it does appear that I've found my topic for this (admittedly late) post. And just as quickly (which is to say not very quickly at all) I've decided to change it. The previous title was "Violence in Video Games." While I think it's something I'd love to touch on some other time, a line has come to me and I cannot sit idle as it slips from my mind. So without further ado, we're off.

Actually, it appears not, as I managed to forget it in a very short span. But here's something else for you to enjoy and critique.

A Day Late (Already)

Clearly, I am off to a great start. I've kept to my schedule with the strict rigor and discipline of a monk. I met every deadline I laid out for myself, and ahead of schedule. Right? Well if you don't count this weekend (who would really, it was Super Bowl Sunday) then I have, and one might even call this a bit early for the Tuesday update. I could do that, give myself a free day for the big game, and no one would blame me. Hell, it would even be easy. I don't have anyone to apologize to, anyway. But I'm not going to do that. This is Sunday's update and as I write this it is at least 20 hours late. Which tells me I need to make this a stellar little story to make up for it.

Off the top of my head and starting after the break, here we go.

Straight to Religion

Find me a Christian who believes in Santa Claus; one who legitimately has faith in a man in a red suit slinking down their chimney and leaving presents every year on a day that, for all intents and purposes, was made to replace a pagan ritual. Simpler, I’m sure, to find one who believes in the almighty being, the creator, God, et al. But just as ridiculous. The same applies to those of every belief, be it Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Wicca, or any of the other multitude of religions that I’ve not even heard of. When viewed from an objective view point the beliefs seem utterly ridiculous. So why, then, do so many hold them so strongly? Because religion makes them feel safe.

The security blanket of religion is a powerful shield from the horrors of the world. Like Linus, people are scared, clutching at anything that makes them feel safer. I believe it comes from a time when the world was darker, when we couldn't explain the shadows or the stars. It was used to explain the things that couldn't be explained any other way. When death was common by the age of forty, thirty, and even younger. It gave hope that there was some reason to the terrible things that were common, that there was a greater purpose to working and to life than to die.

But we can explain those things now. I'm not saying all the explanations we have now are correct, but to me they're better than a 'because God made it so.' One just has to work to find them, to understand them. And therein lies the problem, I think. Religion is easy. If you make a mistake, you ask forgiveness, and, more times than not, you are granted that redemption. In the real world, it's not that easy. Bonds that are broken do not repair themselves because you say thirty Hail Mary's, disease is not cured by prayer and heaven doesn't justify the death of an innocent child. But I think it's time that we, as a culture and as a people of the world, stopped needing religion.

The cures to disease will come in time, as the science becomes more and more advanced. I think it's time that we do right simply because it is right, not because a burning bush told an old Jew to. I think it's time that we come together, not as Americans, British, Russian, German, or Iraqi; not as Christians, Jews, Muslims or Atheists, but as homo sapiens.

Inaugural

This is something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Some days I'll post a little bit of writing that I manage to eke out. Others I might find it in me to drive for a larger goal. Or maybe a simple commentary on something I've noticed. But I will post three times a week. If I falter, chastise me. If I succeed, critique the work. Hang me out to dry and beat me like a dirty rug. Thank you all.

First bit after the jump.