Apr 012015
 
I‘ve mentioned before that I’m working to open up life possibilities.  Career and home location are the two big ones: family obligations limited options for the past two decades but they’re steadily dwindling as a factor.  My house needs a great deal of rehabilitation before I could get rid of it, but let’s assume I get to that point.

Where would I go? Continue reading »

Mar 312015
 
I occasionally catch grief from friends and family not quite on board with my brand of environmentalism.  Now, I’m not out chaining myself to trees marked for lumber, but I do believe a little green goes a long way.  I’m just curious about the resistance. Continue reading »

Mar 282015
 
This isn’t the article I expected to write.

I wasn’t even planning on driving down to Austin for South by Southwest this year.  I’d been to the event in 2011 and 2012, and the second time was largely an exercise in frustration.  One year seemed to make a huge difference in the number of cars and degree of chaos.  So I swore off returning for that particular reason.  But certain things came together recently to compel me anyway, especially the invitation of a friend from Finland, so down I ventured. In some respects, I wish I hadn’t. Continue reading »

Mar 232015
 
Not long ago I posted the introduction to my current novelette-in-progress, Downtime, and was pleased to see some interest and receive feedback.  Today I’ll post the revised intro and add the next section for your enjoyment and review.  Hope to hear from you! Continue reading »

Mar 172015
 
I‘m going to shift gears a bit, get out of my own head and back to broader topics.  I’m motivated today by some activities I’m doing to ramble a bit about volunteerism, and maybe help overturn some preconceived notions I’ve run into on the subject. Continue reading »

Mar 162015
 
As I write this, it’s early Monday I’m just returning from my second night of an exhausting but rewarding South by Southwest event here in Austin.  Not drunk, but certainly feeling the reduced inhibition brought on by alcohol and in the mood to continue where I left off with ramblings on dating and rebooting. Continue reading »

Mar 122015
 
I‘ve shared some of my experiences with online dating here and there, and with this post I’ll wrap it up.  Like Peter Jackson with The Hobbit, I’m turning a small, silly thing into an overwrought trilogy and I’m not apologetic.  Okay, a little apologetic but catharsis is its own master it seems.  Even a good vent can follow an orc.

Sorry, arc. Continue reading »

Mar 082015
 
So International Women’s Day got me thinking.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that in recent months the raucous discussion of women’s issues has reached epic– or maybe epidemic— proportions.  Some of the heated discourse revolves around specific, male-dominated toxic issues, like GamerGate, but there’s also a general sense that men from all walks just don’t get how to approach women.  Especially those they don’t actually know.

Subsequently, I’ve noticed a lot of related angst prevalent among men, many of whom are intrinsically decent but often come across, inadvertently, as the very boors they endeavor not to be.  I should know.

On occasion, I’ve been one. Continue reading »

Mar 032015
 
The ever-acuminate Andrea Grimes of the Texas Observer indulged a poignant twitter lecture about social trolling today, and inspired me to switch topical tracks a bit and add my thoughts.  Context is easily lost on Twitter, especially since I want to drag in some related/supportive stuff, so we’ll do it here instead. Continue reading »

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