The tendency to form bonds and stay together is often quite helpful. Friends and family can be great motivators. They can lend a hand when times are rough. They can entertain when we would otherwise be bored.
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| From the Metro |
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
That diamond studded collar is so very!
I think it would be fair to say that, in general, people are like dogs. We have great hair, awesome accessories, and we like to hang out in groups. Admittedly the grooming and accessories were to some degree humanity's gift to the canine, but I stand by my statement.
The tendency to form bonds and stay together is often quite helpful. Friends and family can be great motivators. They can lend a hand when times are rough. They can entertain when we would otherwise be bored.
However, they can also limit us. Depending too much on others is just as destructive as not having anyone to whom you can turn when times are rough.
The tendency to form bonds and stay together is often quite helpful. Friends and family can be great motivators. They can lend a hand when times are rough. They can entertain when we would otherwise be bored.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A messy bun? Really? You expect me to look like a school marm?
I'm sure you have noticed, as the whole world has, the the Summer Olympics are happening. I'm not an Olympian. Never have been and, chances are good, I never will be. I'm not really a fan of watching the Olympics either. (Something about them turns me into an old man shaking his cane. I don't like that since I don't have the right parts to be a man and I am SO not old.)
However, unless you live in some small village without electricity and television, the Olympics are wholly unavoidable. So I will live with them and learn from them.
As future survivors, we need to train every day just like those Olympians did to get where they are. They looked to a possible future and made it the best they could by preparing for what might happen. Their success wasn't written in the stars. It wasn't foretold by soothsayers.
The future is mutable. Bend it to your will.
The theme is not fashion. Nor is it hairdressing. At least, it shouldn't be.
Ms. Douglas was critiqued for having a less than attractive hairstyle. I believe it was referred to as "lazy." The woman is performing acrobatic feats on a balance beam. Most people I know lack the balance, skill, grace, and timing to perform those feats on the ground. If they tried them on a four inch wide beam of wood, even if it were not raised on the ground (which Gabby's was), they'd hurt themselves. I'd probably end up in the Emergency Room.
Oh, and let's not dismiss the fact that no one who competes at the Olympics is lazy. No. Just no.
By the way, she won the Gold. For her athletics.
Sometimes, despite all the preparations, you lose a battle. Look at everyone who didn't place First, Second, or Third in the Olympics. All of them trained like the top tier athletes. All of them. None of them will go home with a medal. None of them will get a trophy.
All of them will cry.
That's not to say that all the tears will be ones of pain. Some surely will be. I am sure that much of the tears will arise from a release of pressure. They will be tears that say, "Okay, I didn't win this time, but I did really frakkin awesome! I made it to where every athlete dreams to go. I'll make it again next time. And I'll frakkin win!" (I am assuming that athletes of this caliber would never sully their mouths with cuss words.)
And some of those tears, like those of Merve Aydin, will be ones of pain. Excruciating, fiery pain. But Ms. Aydin's tears were shed while pushing through the pain to make it to the end. Regardless of how she felt, despite the physical duress, she refused to give up. Those are tears of glory. Those are the tears of NEVER GIVING UP.
Goddammit! Cry the Tears of Never Giving Up!
Tell us in the comments what you have learned from this year's Olympics!
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However, unless you live in some small village without electricity and television, the Olympics are wholly unavoidable. So I will live with them and learn from them.
Train A LOT
The athletes competing at the Games didn't get there by accident. They have been working for years and training pretty much every day for the moments we are watching. None of the glory, none of the joy, none of tears, none of what's happening in the stadium and on our screens is an accident.As future survivors, we need to train every day just like those Olympians did to get where they are. They looked to a possible future and made it the best they could by preparing for what might happen. Their success wasn't written in the stars. It wasn't foretold by soothsayers.
The future is mutable. Bend it to your will.
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| Gabby Douglas (photo from Times) |
Haters Gonna Hate
Gabby Douglas is awesome at her sport. That is the theme here, at the Olympics. People who are not awesome at their sport are not invited to represent their countries.The theme is not fashion. Nor is it hairdressing. At least, it shouldn't be.
Ms. Douglas was critiqued for having a less than attractive hairstyle. I believe it was referred to as "lazy." The woman is performing acrobatic feats on a balance beam. Most people I know lack the balance, skill, grace, and timing to perform those feats on the ground. If they tried them on a four inch wide beam of wood, even if it were not raised on the ground (which Gabby's was), they'd hurt themselves. I'd probably end up in the Emergency Room.
Oh, and let's not dismiss the fact that no one who competes at the Olympics is lazy. No. Just no.
By the way, she won the Gold. For her athletics.
Cry Goddammit
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| Merve Aydin (photo from mage by Lucy Nicholson / Reuters) |
All of them will cry.
That's not to say that all the tears will be ones of pain. Some surely will be. I am sure that much of the tears will arise from a release of pressure. They will be tears that say, "Okay, I didn't win this time, but I did really frakkin awesome! I made it to where every athlete dreams to go. I'll make it again next time. And I'll frakkin win!" (I am assuming that athletes of this caliber would never sully their mouths with cuss words.)
And some of those tears, like those of Merve Aydin, will be ones of pain. Excruciating, fiery pain. But Ms. Aydin's tears were shed while pushing through the pain to make it to the end. Regardless of how she felt, despite the physical duress, she refused to give up. Those are tears of glory. Those are the tears of NEVER GIVING UP.
Goddammit! Cry the Tears of Never Giving Up!
Tell us in the comments what you have learned from this year's Olympics!
Follow us @Anypocalypse
Suggest a topic!
Friday, July 20, 2012
This is SO not Sparta!
We fight battles every day. Some we win. Some we lose. While winning (or losing) just one battle does not decide the outcome of the war, we must remember that the war is made of battles in the same way that a forest is made of trees.
The every day battles - getting to the train on time, convincing the super-health conscious barista that you really do want caffeine in your sugar-free soy latte, finding a way to keep from getting even more overloaded at your day job - are important but not crucial. When the time comes to fight real battles, you will need to know which ones are worth the effort.
(Okay, I concede: sometimes the caffeine in that latte is crucial!)
Look at what is important and pick your battles. Yes, I know, it's a cliché. Generally, I try to stay the hell out of Cliché Valley: it is terribly boring since I've already done everything there is to do there.
This one, however, is important.
When Giant Squid perfect their SCOBA (Self-Contained Overwater Breathing Apparatus) devices and attack the land-dwellers with equally giant spears, you won't stand a chance if you rush into every battle that presents itself. Before forging ahead, scope out the situation and determine your chances.
I know Ancient warriors went into battle with the notion that dying in battle was glorious. And, in an odd sort of way (even with my modern day sensibilities), I can understand that. Giving one's life for The Good Fight is noble. However, if The Good Fight is saving human kind from complete decimation by eight legged poachers, giving one's life by rushing into a doomed battle is both stupid and counterproductive.
Look at the Odds
How many of you are there against them? If the enemy has several times as many soldiers as you have survivors, the chances of a frontal assault actually achieving anything other than annihilating your group is pretty low. Take a step back and check out your other options. Maybe there is a backdoor you can utilize. Perhaps a flaw in their schedule could be exploited.
Look at Your Team
If you find yourself in battle shoulder-to-shoulder with a tactician, use her skills! You know how Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins? Ignoring someone else's superior skills in order to keep control will be an excellent example of why it's a Deadly Sin and not just a Really Not Nice Sin. Sometimes a little pride is a good thing. This is not one of those times.
Look at the Possible Outcomes
Not to be negative, but if you attack and lose, what will happen to you and your women? Will you be slaughtered? Will you be taken prisoner and forced into slave labor? Will you be made to be concubines to the Giant Squid Overlord? Will you be rend to pieces by his beak? Decide before the battle if it is worth the possibility of loss.
If you win, be gracious in your victory and decide how the enemy will be treated. War is brutal. Don't let it steal your humanity.
Look at the Cause
We aren't looking at the reason for the war here: we are looking at the reason for the battle. Why exactly are you getting ready to storm the water castle? If your answer is any variation of "because I'm really pissed off" walk away. Hell, run away!
Fighting a battle out of anger is just plain stupid. Anger clouds judgment and causes poor decision making. There are way too many hormones and chemicals and synapses all vying for attention during the height of an emotional outburst to be able to think logically.
If you want to win the war, not just the battle, logic is requisite. Use it.
After looking at your options, armory (metaphorical as well as actual), and your motivation, make a decision and stick with it. If you decide to go into battle, go. Retreat if you must, but be aware that retreat may not be an option. If you choose not to go into battle, explain why to your group. Someone will disagree. Someone will want to fight out of anger or without thinking the situation through. Do your best to explain your decision and reasoning. If the dissenter wants to wage a battle on her own, determine whether that argument is a battle worth undertaking.
What other aspects of the battle should we examine before drawing our swords? Tell us in the comments!
Follow us @Anypocalypse
Suggest a topic!
 |
| Giant Squid from National Geographic |
The every day battles - getting to the train on time, convincing the super-health conscious barista that you really do want caffeine in your sugar-free soy latte, finding a way to keep from getting even more overloaded at your day job - are important but not crucial. When the time comes to fight real battles, you will need to know which ones are worth the effort.
(Okay, I concede: sometimes the caffeine in that latte is crucial!)
Look at what is important and pick your battles. Yes, I know, it's a cliché. Generally, I try to stay the hell out of Cliché Valley: it is terribly boring since I've already done everything there is to do there.
This one, however, is important.
When Giant Squid perfect their SCOBA (Self-Contained Overwater Breathing Apparatus) devices and attack the land-dwellers with equally giant spears, you won't stand a chance if you rush into every battle that presents itself. Before forging ahead, scope out the situation and determine your chances.
I know Ancient warriors went into battle with the notion that dying in battle was glorious. And, in an odd sort of way (even with my modern day sensibilities), I can understand that. Giving one's life for The Good Fight is noble. However, if The Good Fight is saving human kind from complete decimation by eight legged poachers, giving one's life by rushing into a doomed battle is both stupid and counterproductive.
 |
| Ancient Greek Woman |
How many of you are there against them? If the enemy has several times as many soldiers as you have survivors, the chances of a frontal assault actually achieving anything other than annihilating your group is pretty low. Take a step back and check out your other options. Maybe there is a backdoor you can utilize. Perhaps a flaw in their schedule could be exploited.
Look at Your Team
If you find yourself in battle shoulder-to-shoulder with a tactician, use her skills! You know how Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins? Ignoring someone else's superior skills in order to keep control will be an excellent example of why it's a Deadly Sin and not just a Really Not Nice Sin. Sometimes a little pride is a good thing. This is not one of those times.
Look at the Possible Outcomes
Not to be negative, but if you attack and lose, what will happen to you and your women? Will you be slaughtered? Will you be taken prisoner and forced into slave labor? Will you be made to be concubines to the Giant Squid Overlord? Will you be rend to pieces by his beak? Decide before the battle if it is worth the possibility of loss.
If you win, be gracious in your victory and decide how the enemy will be treated. War is brutal. Don't let it steal your humanity.
Look at the Cause
We aren't looking at the reason for the war here: we are looking at the reason for the battle. Why exactly are you getting ready to storm the water castle? If your answer is any variation of "because I'm really pissed off" walk away. Hell, run away!
Fighting a battle out of anger is just plain stupid. Anger clouds judgment and causes poor decision making. There are way too many hormones and chemicals and synapses all vying for attention during the height of an emotional outburst to be able to think logically.
If you want to win the war, not just the battle, logic is requisite. Use it.
After looking at your options, armory (metaphorical as well as actual), and your motivation, make a decision and stick with it. If you decide to go into battle, go. Retreat if you must, but be aware that retreat may not be an option. If you choose not to go into battle, explain why to your group. Someone will disagree. Someone will want to fight out of anger or without thinking the situation through. Do your best to explain your decision and reasoning. If the dissenter wants to wage a battle on her own, determine whether that argument is a battle worth undertaking.
What other aspects of the battle should we examine before drawing our swords? Tell us in the comments!
Follow us @Anypocalypse
Suggest a topic!
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