Monthly Archives: August 2014

Some Classics, Russia on the Move, Angry Game Trolls, Hello Kitty, and a Very Happy Porcupine

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This entry is part [part not set] of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

So I’m slowly coming out of my avoidance pattern for real news. It’s just been too much that’s too bad lately

In the time I have been actively avoiding some news, it seems that things have continued to be absolutely insane out there.

There are Russian troops fighting on Ukrainian soil, against Ukrainians. That’s potentially a very bad thing. Especially since Russia just keeps saying “Oops! Didn’t notice we crossed the border there.. sorry, we were just looking for a bathroom or something…”

Closer to home, threats of violence against her and her family from angry gaming trolls have (again) disrupted the life of a noted critic of sexism in video games and other entertainment. Yep, the best way to prove that you’re misogynist dicks is to totally behave like misogynist dicks.

But, there’s also a super happy porcupine… and some Marx Brothers… so, check that out, too.

Anyway, my brain’s about to shut down for the night.

Here’s the feed…

Lots More Funny Stuff and Some Bits on Relationships and Politics

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This entry is part [part not set] of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Still cranking away on bunches of projects. Not a lot of head space for too much commentary (that hasn’t already been spent in the comments to things in the feed over in Facebookland).

The week is winding down… but really getting tight on more than a few deadlines.

I need more hours in the day or days in the week at this point to really pull everything off the way I’d like to.

As usual.

I’d be happy to blame it on my own lack of proper time management–and I certainly do take responsibility for some of the crazy hustle I’m involved in when it comes to my personal projects–but day job stuff… day job stuff is different.

That’s inefficiency that can only come about by having to deal with bureaucracy.

I hate that.

But, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?

And so I do.

Here’s the feed.

Bits of Nostalgia and Nature, Some World News, and a Really Big Wombat

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This entry is part [part not set] of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Full day at the office followed by a full evening of more work on a freelance project I had hoped would be much further ahead than it is now.

This whole “burning out” thing happens much more quickly than it did 20 years ago.

What’s up with that?

Oh, yeah… human… aging… right.

Can’t run on fumes anywhere near as well as I used to. Especially now that everything I do is so much more complex than, well, anything I used to do.

So, because of all that, you get the big wombat picture.

Because that’s exactly what I needed to see first thing in the morning as I sat down at my desk.

A big, smiling, virgin wombat.

Just. Because.

Yeah, there’s also important news in the feed (like what’s going on in France right now… and the EU as a whole). And some other nostalgic stuff (it being back to school time and all).

Here, take a look for yourself at the feed…

 

A Weekend’s Worth of Amusement (Offset by Some Real World News)

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This entry is part [part not set] of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

It’s been a little trying here in the real world. Lots of not-so-great things going on if you pay attention to the news. More not-so-great things going on for some people I give a damn about. ANd my own feelings of utter stagnation really aren’t helping any.

So… To The Internet!

There’s no shortage of feel-good, restore your faith in humanity, mind blowingly cute, utterly hilarious things out there. Thankfully, a lot of those turned up over the past few days. Seems that sharing them has done more than a few people a bit of good.

Of course, there’s also the real world news stuff that I can’t in good conscience completely ignore. (Once a news guy, always a news guy.) But there’s also some genuinely good news of good people doing good things (that whole ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been a small goldmine of creativity and good will) some even doing good things at great risk to themselves (like they guys running aid and rescue missions in the mountains of Iraq).

The world can seem to be a really nasty place. It’s what we’re sold on TV–both in the news and in our entertainment. Visible, violent conflict is exciting (when it’s not happening to you or people you know). It gets eyeballs on the screen, which means eyeballs on the ads, which means money in someone’s pocket. “If it bleeds, it leads” remains true no matter where things are showing up.

But that’s not a fully accurate representation of the world. If it were, we’d all have been dead of one thing or another long, long ago. (And anyone who thought it was a good idea to bring a child into that fully bad world would be struck down by appalled mobs… who’d only be proving how bad things are.)

We’re still here. We’re still moving forward. There are still people fighting the good fight and many, many more quietly changing the world for the better.

Little by little, if we look, the light is there, holding the darkness at bay.

It’s still up to us to look, though. At both sides. To find the balance.

Here’s the feed…

More of a Mixed Bag

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This entry is part [part not set] of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Still kind of ridiculously busy… but I still found myself really digging in to some of the articles in the feed today.

Particularly the one about the guy who just kind of ran off to live in the woods for over two decades. Granted, he had no human contact and kind of stole everything he needed… but the basic idea is kind of appealing.

Of course, I’d also be just fine with a one way trip to Mars. So I may not be the best judge of these things.

There are also some neat tech bits. A totally tricked out “camping” trailer (not really camping if you have the equivalent of  a small house with you–complete with A/C and TV) and some revolutionary solar cells that are near indistinguishable from regular windows.

Other highs and lows make their appearance, as one would expect with the way the last couple of weeks have gone. I’m well on my way to being totally burnt out on outrage.

So, just check it all out for yourself… maybe get involved in one of the ongoing conversations I haven’t had time for.

Here’s the feed…