Tag Archives: lifestyle

I Feel Just Like a Political Refugee

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Danny

Have you ever casually read through a Facebook political argument thread?  If you have you might recognize it as minutes of your life that you’ll never be able to claim back.  People arguing with zero intentions of having their minds changed with their only intention of internet yelling louder than their adversary.

And of course we know that no one ever wins an internet political argument until the mud slinging begins.  It’s like watching children argue in the sandbox.

The political environment in the United States is fairly simple.  If you support Donald Trump you’re an ignorant, back-woods racist.  And if you are a supporter of the left then you are a closed minded, child-killing, socialist.  Politics in the U.S. is quite polarizing and at the same time maddening.  And I hate it.

I don’t identify with the left because they seem to be a party who only accepts you IF you believe exactly as they believe and then tow the party line regardless.  And I don’t identify with the right these days for many of the same reasons.  I feel as though I am a political refugee without a home.

On the surface the sides seem to be dug in.  The left refuses to budge.  The right refuses to budge.  And those in the middle are stuck, left to choose between two polar opposites.  And choosing is like being asked which you prefer, to drink a cup of vomit or eat a bugger sandwich.  I wish there was an option in the middle.  A candidate who was a bit socially conscious, yet fiscally responsible.

I absolutely, positively hate politics.

Danny

Is Sugar Really That Dangerous?

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DannyI was reading an article the other day about sugar on Huffpost (you can read the article here) and I had an epiphany.  There are a lot of facts about sugar that are alarming, especially considering that food manufacturers put it in a lot of our foods.

The simple truth is that sugar might be the most deadly substance on the planet.  And even if that statement is a bit overstated, it isn’t far off.

And because of this I have decided to spend the next week or 2 weaning myself off of all sugar.  I’m not saying I’ll never eat sugar again.  I’m saying that I need to be cognizant of the dangers of sugar and then use that awareness to make better food choices.

Danny

We Believe Different Things and That’s Okay

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DannyI’m sure at this point you’ve seen the interview videos held on college campuses around the United States.  I’ve watched several of them today as I took advantage of a rainy day.  In these videos a guy or lady walks around college campuses asking students about their political views and then asks them to give specifics to back their belief system.  Rarely can the students provide substance to defend their beliefs.

One particular video grabbed my attention for 2 primary reasons.  First, because of the number of college students who seem to be espousing socialist views.  Secondly, because many who were interviewed believe that free speech only applies to those expressing views that aligned with their own.  And differing views should be considered “hate” speech.

I don’t agree with many people who are extremists, but I do believe they have the right to express their views.  And sometimes it is painful to let someone speak, especially if their views are racial, anti-religion, pro-life/pro-abortion, etc.  Opposing views should not automatically be classified as “hate” speech and it alarmed me to listen to student after student express this world-view.

And quite a few agreed with amending the Constitution to limit citizens’ right to free speech!

But when asked WHY the Constitution should be amended they were not able to provide a single valid reason why.  Eventually they fell back on their belief that “hate speech” should be restricted.

I don’t believe this is a view I’ll be adopting any time soon.

Danny

Not All People Are A** Holes…

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DannyThere are these moments when people do things around me that appear on the surface to reinforce the perception that most people are self-centered, self-focused, selfish and all the other “self” prefixed words.  My usual reaction is to point out that society is going down the toilet or that people are such a** holes these days.

I do believe that social media has changed us.  It has changed how people interact with the world around them.  The most interesting change, in my opinion, is the selfie.  Stop for a moment and imagine how you might have viewed someone 15 years ago who used their camera to take pictures of themselves.  We would have thought “how vain do you have to be?”, but in today’s world the selfie is completely acceptable.

On the surface society would appear to be spinning in the toilet bowl.  People do appear to be more self-focused.  People do appear to be less interested in helping others.

But all of these perceptions are superficial.  When I stop and think about humanity in general, I believe that most people are good.  I believe most people have good intentions.  I also believe most people care about others and are considerate.

It’s easy to be influenced by social media and the inundation of news to believe that the entire world sucks.  And I’ll admit I have fallen victim (at times) to this false narrative.

The truth is there are a lot of good people who are trying their best to make it through a hard life and a tough world.

Danny

I Have Become Judgmental & Negative the Last Few Years

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Danny

I have become judgmental & negative the last few years.

In part because I find many people in today’s world to be self-absorbed and inconsiderate which has created in me a default mechanism to “everyone around me sucks”. But there are good people in the world so I am on a new mission in life to be a better version of myself.

Less judgmental mainly.

I am working to give people the benefit of the doubt and remind myself of 2 key facts…1. I am not without my own faults (those who work with me will attest that I’m not the easiest person to be around sometimes. Don’t believe them, then ask Evelina.) and 2. I don’t know what others are going through at the moment I’m judging them.

#2 is really important for me to remember because I don’t really know what others are going through and being kind could help them in ways I’ll never know.

 

Danny