America, the Hypocritical

It seems like the world is full of womanizing bastards. Only some have gotten the axe and others have not.

There are some actions that should be obviously wrong. Basically, if that person's not your significant other is a good starting point. Even if you work with your spouse, there should be a modicum of decency. I am married and I am groped daily. But, both my wife and I know the difference between who to grope and to whom we can talk inappropriately. Depending on the severity (i.e., whether it was just touching or penetration of any kind, or a rude comment), there needs to be some communication. If I would make a crude comment to someone, I would expect them to ask me to not speak in that manner. I wouldn't expect to be served with notice. If I were to accompany said comment with a touch or a grope, then I would expect to be fired.

Were these women vocal about their distaste? Were the actions obviously borderline? Was there history? Had he touched her inappropriately before? Had she previously told him not to?

These are a lot of questions that need be asked, but aren't because we are so stuck on our sides, we can't decide what is good and what is bad. So, we go with extremes. She said he harassed her? Bastard. He's accused of murdering them? What an evil dick. We are quick to judge to make ourselves feel better.

There are many times I have seen women welcome the same actions these men are being fired for. Does that mean all women like to play grab ass? No, of course not. Should men not do that, regardless? Definitely not. But, again, no one is asking these questions.

When Matt Lauer had suggested that Meredith Vieira continue to bend over, any responsible adult should know that is inappropriate. But, WHAT IF the women have been reciprocal in the past. No means no, I get that. But what if she had commented on his tight pants showing off his bulge? Might he not have thought it okay to talk to her like that?

I know that this sounds like 'Maybe she was asking for it,' or that I am defending this kind of action. There are sleezeballs who treat women like that, but then there are just socially inept men who can't read people for shit. 

And because I can...There is video evidence  and are more first hand accounts of Trump groping and molesting and whatnot. 

Where's the Fucking outrage? 

America, the hypocritical

Movie Review: He took his Skin off for me

http://hetookhisskinoffforme.com/

by Tom McLaughlin

2015, NR Directed by Ben Aston

Cast: Sebastian Armesto (Anonymous, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Anna Maguire

Think twice if you have ever said you 'would do anything for love' (unless your Meatloaf). This is a tale of love and scorn all wrapped up in a nice 11 minute package.

I have always been one for 'What-the-fuck-did-I-just-watch?' films. I could see why someone might say that about this short (and I would be inclined to agree with them, in part), but I think it would be a mistake to discount this piece as a mere horror short. It uses horror movie conventions, but twists them into something beautiful and menacing

Disfigurement is a staple of monster movies. The most commonly misunderstood beings that populate our favorite monster flicks suffered some form of disfigurement, either by ill-conceived justice or at the hands of some well-meaning, deranged scientist, etc.. In this context, the disfigurement is made horrific only when you are reminded of what he (Him) did for Her. You don't see it, but even the less seasoned horror show fans know the basics of flaying. The first view you have of him after skinning himself, he is smiling. Meant to convey happiness, it in and of itself is frightening. You expected to see him without skin, that's not what is scary.

Suspense is there, but it is dampened at the beginning because you realize that the act of losing his skin must not have been unpleasant, so he must not be pissed off. So, there is nothing to anticipate. You are lulled into a sort of surreal peace when you realize he is okay with it and couldn't be happier.

But, I think he took off more than just his skin. He depleted himself for her. In doing so, he took away from them. The feeling he was trying to convey was itself depleted through his act of love.  But the story takes a definite turn when she realizes he has changed. "Either He had less to say now, or He felt he was already saying it." After she said this, I thought, 'well, she's fucked.'

Toward the beginning of the short, the first morning after his act of love, she wakes up with his hand on her throat. The final scene, he tugs at her skin and she knows she must compensate. The abrupt ending is not so abrupt when you realize that the narrator is not so much telling a story as much as she is reflecting on events that led up to her own skinning. You think the love story this short started out as is intact, and you have your happy ending. Until you remember that look of contempt on his face before he pulls at her skin.

Quaint and beautiful piece of horror.


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NetNeutrality: Is the Sky falling?

by Tom McLaughlin

This is more of a request more than anything. I would love to know more about what you think about net neutrality.  I am still developing my own opinion of it, trying to make sense of items that aren't spoonfed to me by biased sources.

Read the plan here. 

Tired of my Own Shit

Vulture Droppings: 

So, I am letting myself do the unconventional stuff. Normally, I think I don't work because the ordered part of my brain sees the bulk of stuff I have to do as busy work. But, if I want to increase my social media presence, I need to be online, and at the very least on social media platforms to see what is trending. If I want to write movie reviews, I need to watch movies, (sometimes more than once). If I want to write about religion and atheism, I need to get into tussles and discussions every now and then. I have realized that I can't just regurgitate information and stories, and expect people to want to read them. If I want that, I need to, for lack of a better term, go with the flow.

I recently told my wife, in a flurry of information about myself apropos to nothing, that I am doing the opposite of what I decide to do. Of course, I went off on a tangent (not dissimilar to this one), and said that if I decide to go against my decision, I will never make a decision.

My point was, my decisions and habits are what have gotten me to this point in my craft: relatively nowhere. I feel like I am playing catch up.  I feel similar to someone trying to empty a lake with a bucket, all the while acknowledging that there is a waterfall emptying into the lake. If I want to cower or curl up in a corner because the mean world is too scary, I get up and I get to work. If I want to watch a movie instead of write, I will compromise and read a book.

 "You know better, Tom" finally makes sense. 

Yesterday, instead of signing up for a course that, if I followed it through to the end, would help me increase my followers and revenue, I decided to not sign up for it. I realized the only reason I was even thinking about signing up for it was that the 'deadline' was quickly approaching (it was just the deadline for the current class). 

The first time the deadline was approaching after an intro seminar, I reminded myself that I had not followed through on the last course I signed up for. I decided to use the basics the instructor had already given me, follow through and see where it lead me. It happened to work. Granted, it was on a much smaller scale than I would have expected at the conclusion of the course itself, but damn it if I didn't see a difference. I just didn't want to spend the money. That was it.

I listen to music. I leave the music on when I leave the room, even when there's people home. I read. I sing. That's my environment conducive to creating. I guess I have just become tired of my own excuses.

Give it Up

Vulture Droppings


I have been taking stock in what I do as a writer. I am literally doing things the opposite of what I have been doing to see if that will move me ahead a little. Something as simple as, 'you need to work.'  'I don't want to' '...' 'Okay, I'll work.'  Or, instead of not writing, I write. I try to complicate things. I don't want to fail, but I have been making damn sure that if I do, I can point back to myself or something else I control so I can say, 'there...it's [xxx]'s fault.

You [whoever is reading] are going to be subject to a lot of shit as I sort through what I do and who I am as a writer. I am trying to post regularly.

I just have to out think my lazy.

Writing without my floaties

Vulture Droppings (brainnuggets)

I started my new schedule today. Which means that I started a schedule. Just like any addict, I have to remove myself from situations that encourage relapse. In this case, I am seriously addicted to procrastination. I just hope I put as much systematic effort into my schedule as I have into my procrastination. Writers are usually inspired to write by something or someone. Either it is an ideology, a work ethic, not to die (the premise of one of my stories)…or it is a fictional manifestation of that ideology or work ethic. It is whatever motivates them. I believe Stephen King’s is, according to his book On Writing, a fat guy in a tutu smoking big fat cigars.

Today, I didn't Google 'scheduling' or search for an app that helped me do it. I sat down, like I normally do, to a blank page. I woke up Mr. Logic and asked it, 'what do I want to do?' The reply was, 'I don't know...stuff.' I realized that my teenaged self fell asleep in the library again. So, I shuffled him off to bed and asked my question again. 'You want to write. More specifically, you want to order your day so you can write and not be distracted by all the other stuff you need to get done.'  

I made a list of general things I need to do: fiction, content, email (check, delete), learning, and social media. I decided to not slot times for them. No one's the boss of me, except for my wife. I hate having a schedule. It's too constricting...it's a tool of the man, man.

So, to stick it to the man, I decided that each day I am going to take the general things I need to do during the day and prioritize. Today, it is content; learning; fiction; social media; email. At the end of each day, I am going to look at all the things I did/didn't do and all the notes that I jotted down while getting the prioritized things done, and prioritize for the next day. Always stop and write down new ideas. Even if you are in the middle of writing something else. Have a pen and paper if you want to keep current and unformed ideas separate. I have a new document open so I just click, type and come back to my current work. This might or might not work for me.I have a sporadic mind, but I also tend to be ‘meh’ about things that I have otherwise deemed to be important. I have realized that I am not ‘meh’ about the work itself, just the idea of having to work to get what I want. I am still very much the ‘little rich boy’ growing up in a white suburban neighborhood. I have come really far away from that. I tend to gravitate to small, rural towns where the idea of a book might be to go really fast down a hill, or people wonder what the benefit of a library really is and can they not spend the money on (at the very least) maintaining a legal association to a library (touchy issue; I won’t get myself started).

To make things work, I also have in my notes things that work and don't work. If something I know is distracting keeps distracting me, I write it down. I don't worry about solutions. They are just notes for later. 

Atheist AF: You Have Been Chosen

When I decided to learn about the bible, I did not know that the most difficult part would be actually finding one. In my search for a class, I have included links to churches offering study in case you want to check it out yourself.

The first one I tried was the International Bible Teaching Ministries, which is run by by the  International College of the Bible.  I had to read and then take a quiz. I bypassed the answers and commented. I said, 'I'm not going to BS you.' I'm not here to debate, I just want to learn the bible from someone else's perspective.

I have to wait to be matched with a teacher.


Bible Study Fellowship offers actual classes where you can question, discuss, listen and learn. You explore daily questions in the scripture. Then you discuss the passage with the class. Then you listen to the lecture. I sincerely want to go, and will if my schedule allows.


Master's: An International Online University offers not only university level classes, but also masters degrees. Being an independent course, which is another way of saying you on your honor, you need to apply for a certificate. By ordering the diploma, you "are affirming that you actually completed the course for which you are requesting the Official Certificate of Recognition, and that you understand that the fee is non-refundable." So, there's that. 


I found that at least a couple of these suggest that you pray to start out each lesson, or ask what church you go to, what your affiliation is, etc. A friend cautioned me that there are a lot of Christians who aren't very 'Christian.' Should make in-person meetings interesting. That will also play a big part in my decision in exploring other religions.