Inside an Abusive Relationship, Questionable Traffic Laws, Captain Planet Gone Mad, and a Couple of Lighter Stories

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

Wow… not a lot in the feed today, but of what there is a lot of it is pretty heavy.

Guess I’m making up for all that fluff the past week or so.

The most important story is an inside look at an abusive relationship. If nothing else, it should remind us all that how our minds work on the outside of such a situation isn’t at all the same as what’s going through the head of someone in the middle of the situation. We don’t have the wild emotional connection to the events, our internal defenses aren’t firing to try to compensate for the utter dissonance between what we experience and what we want–let alone everything in between.

It’s a bit rough to read, especially if you or someone you know has been in the thick of it.

There’s also an article about how D.C.’s traffic and parking laws–and how they’re enforced–appear to be much more driven by profit motive than public safety concerns. For those of us in the D.C. area who’ve ever had to drive–let alone park–in D.C., this is no surprise at all.

On an entertaining, though no less dark, side there’s the Captain Planet shorts that Funny or Die got Don Cheadle involved in a few years back. They answer the question: What if Captain Planet Was a Power Mad Super Bastard?

And, man, do they answer it well!

There’s also the Duck Tales opening done with real ducks. That should brighten things up a little… unless you’ve got at hing about ducks… in which case I really can’t help you (and I’m oh so sorry for that video of the hundreds of ducks walking down the road yesterday…)

Here’s the feed…

Another weekend, another bunch of stuff to alleviate stress

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

Why, yes, you continue to get a proliferation of fluff in the feed. But it’s good fluff!

At least I think it is.

Creative. Witty. So wrong it’s awesome.

It’s the stuff that helps alleviate the stress that my life has been lately.

But have no fear! There are also some gems of real content in there.

Interesting bits of science. Some very insightful comments on items. Actual world happenings that we should all be aware of.

Check it out, enjoy what you can, maybe jump in and participate in a conversation (even if you’re coming across this months later… don’t hesitate to comment, I’ll see it and it may get things moving on that post again).

Here’s the feed.

Celebrity Death and Dying, A Metal Morning, Throwback Thursday, and Some Bad News for Freedom

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

Bunches of things in the feed.

A fantastic little article about Betty White and how she dyes.

The sad news that Joan Rivers won’t be dying any more… or getting any more plastic surgery… or telling any more snarky jokes.

I was in a totally metal mood this morning, so there’s a selection of tunes to rock out to. Some are more metal than others.

Some memories of making a movie and the celebration of my grandparents’ anniversary fill in the “Throwback Thursday” meme spot in today’s feed.

And then there’s the news out of New York State about how free speech is being beaten on with some campaign “reforms” that have been put in place temporarily (unless people fight to get them repealed before the end of this month… because then they become permanent… which strikes me as kind of a dirty trick). That’s not a good thing at all.

We’ve got a new War on Terror starting up as both the President and VP have said we’re going to go after this ISIS group like nobody’s business now that they’ve beheaded two reporters. Can’t say I’m happy about any of that.

And, finally, there’s the competition-killing laws that are on the books in 20 states (with more on the way) that forbid municipalities from creating public broadband networks. We all know I’m of the opinion that Internet connectivity should be treated like a public utility… so, obviously, I’ve got issues with this revelation. (Though it’s not a surprise… I’ve been following the cable business for nearly two decades now, on and off… they’ve done–and will likely do–worse.)

Anyway, here’s the full feed. I should’ve been asleep an hour ago…

Old Favorites Resurfacing, Purposeful Work, Music, and a Very Chill Sloth

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

Busy and stressful day (which ones aren’t, right?) so the bulk of the feed is just kind of distraction and nostalgia.

Good news is, some of that nostalgia is for creators that are putting out new work for the first time in a while. Faith No More announced it’s first new album in 18 years and Flight of the Conchords may be coming back to HBO after being gone for far too long. Oh, and the director’s cut of Nightbreed is starting to get advertised in places (my copy is already pre-ordered).

Amid all that an article about how doing purposeful work leads to better everything all around. I don’t find that all that difficult to believe. When I was both excited and engaged with my work, when I felt it had a clear, distinct, and necessary purpose, everything went more smoothly. Not flawlessly, mind you, but the bumps didn’t feel quite as disruptive and there was a much cleaner sense of accomplishment when all was said and done.

These days, since I’ve kind of lost all sense of purpose (also still trying to find it or something similar, so don’t worry too much), I’d much rather be spending my days (and nights) like the sloth you’ll find in the feed. Just kind of laying back chowing down on.. stuff.

Anyway, here’s the feed…

Apocalypse! Espionage! Vikings! Death! And Elephants in a Pool.

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

Some active discussions going on in the stream today (and in a previous post or two).

There’s an extended discussion of changing names when you get married. That got a little unexpectedly heated. Sometimes traditions are held to tightly and any erosion of them–sensible or not–makes people a little uncomfortable.

A very interesting chat about the police in Furguson, MO, getting cameras to wear while on duty also took place. On the surface it seems like an awesomely good thing. (And a thing that I think is, in general, a good thing.) There are questions of data retention… and access to that data. There’s also, I believe, a real necessity to take a serious and deep look at our laws as a whole. So everyone involved can have a better understanding of what’s what and, maybe, we can simplify things a little. That all happened in a post from yesterday (so don’t look for it in today’s feed).

Impending doom always brings out some fun. Well, articles about impending doom do, at least. Today’s feed was no different. An article calling back to a book published over 40 years ago that predicts societal collapse before we hit 2100 (2070, give or take, actually). It’s an interesting set of graphs, but the predictions haven’t been perfect… and seem to be skewing south of what reality is actually doing in some cases. Still… interesting stuff to think on.

So, yeah, bunches of interesting things. And then more to keep you entertained and, maybe, counteract all the death and destruction.

Here’s the feed…