The quest to complete a set or to find an elusive book or comic book is the ultimate form of hunting. Keeping lists of what has been acquired and what is yet to be found is a thrill far beyond anything that can be found in the woods. The endless search for the Intellivision cartridge “Tutankham” (why did they not spell it ‘Tutankhamun’?) is one of many examples. Hunting for a harmless creature in the woods is a cake walk compared to the quest for this elusive electronic beast. Complete LEGO sets from the 1970’s, a Galaga standup arcade game in mint condition, the entire curriculum reading list from St. John’s College, Monocyte #3 and the complete Witchblade issues in the world of comic books, an original Battleship game still in the wrapper, the Six Million Dollar Man action figure, first edition of the Feynman Lectures. The list goes on and on and brings great joy. Once something is found and conquered there is no need to haul a carcass out of the woods, dress it up or dress it down, whatever the hell that is called, process the damn thing, wrap it, store it, freeze it, BBQ it with your cousin Dale. No, once something is found in the world of complete collections the work only entails clicking on “submit order” and crossing the item off the list. Much more civilized and it can all be done indoors, as nature intended.

The reason behind the women’s marches occurring all over the country today is not difficult to grasp. It is certainly not about women whining and wanting special treatment. It is not about a group of snowflakes that simply do not know their place. It is not merely about opposition to an election result and opposition towards an unfit leader of the country. Men who think any of the above are certainly part of the problem and are absolutely ignorant about why these marches are happening. It is about equality and being recognized as equals. Women are tired of being seen and treated like second-class citizens. They are tired of making 70% of what men make for the same job with the same experience. They are oh so very tired of being told what they can and cannot do with their own bodies by ignorant and bigoted white male politicians. They are tired of not having absolute control of their own reproductive decisions. This is a very simple concept and this is what the marches are about.

The days of “men’s work” and “women’s work” are far in the past. A women’s place is absolutely anywhere she wants it to be. Women should not be seen only as primary caregivers, mothers, and quiet wives to their husbands. Women are not here to serve men and should have no obligation to do so. These are the days of cooperation within a relationship and an equal distribution of daily chores and work that needs to be done to sustain a home, a family, and a lifestyle. Men that expect women to put dinner on the table at a certain time and to be subservient in any way are absolute dinosaurs. There are so many men out there that still have this outlook and I say to these men “cook your own fucking dinner!”

Personally, I want to be surrounded by and challenged by strong independent smart women. I want to go head to head on an equal basis for job opportunities, promotions, and anything else where men have often had an advantage in the past. I want to converse with women who have been supported and loved by men who do not tear them down but build them up. I want to know parents that raise their daughters letting them know they can do anything they want in life and be anything they want to be. I want to know fathers who allow their sons to wear pink and to embrace their feminine side. I want to know mothers who support their daughters being absolute tomboys and support the confidence they have in themselves from a young age.

Men, and there oh so many of them out there, that have an issue with women being vocal about wanting to be treated fairly and equally need to change their wives. Bigotry and misogyny are going to be called out each and every time it rears its ugly head. A man threatened by a strong woman has issues that he should resolve any way he can.

Under this new administration I am a member of the group that will have the least number of bulls eye on their backs and are the least likely to be attacked. I am male, white, privileged in the sense that I am educated, employed, and can easily pay my bills. By sight alone I am a member of the protected demographic. However, just below the white pasty male middle-aged upper-middle class surface is a strong defender of LGBTQ equality, whose own sexuality is somewhat fluid and not rigid, who is a proud liberal with no religious affiliation. I am EVERYTHING the Trump administration and Trump supporters despise and I am proud to state that publicly.

To my friends in Denver who are marching today I support your efforts 100% and I am oh so sorry that this sort of action is necessary in our 21^st century society. To those I know that are marching in Washington, D.C. be strong and be safe and know that there are men out there that have your back and will support you any way possible.

To the men out there that disagree with my words, I care nothing about your outdated Neanderthal beliefs and I care nothing about your weakness and inability to be a strong defender of girls, women, mothers, members of the LGBTQ community and women of color everywhere. Your cold dead thoughts are powerless against the strong, the bold, and the intelligent.

There was a small human female at the Coffee Trader this morning likely around age 6 or 7. She was sitting with her Dad having a fun drink and a cookie. In front of her were a coloring book and an action figure of some sort. The action figure was keeping watch as she colored. An older woman walked in and caught her eye. The woman, who I am sure thought she was being well meaning, went up to the little girl and talked to her briefly. Everything was going fine until the woman asked the little girl “What do you want to do when you grow up?” The small human, much to her credit, paused dramatically and replied, “I’m just a kid, I just want to play.” Well done small human, well done. Thinking the exchange was over and I looked away and then heard the older woman tell the small child “Well little girls need to grow up to be good wives and mothers.” Holy fucking hell lady what are you saying! These words actually came out of her mouth. She had a look on her face that oozed pride and self-righteousness. Why on earth would you tell a 7-year old girl that her goal should be to grow up to be a good wife and mother? This is just fucking offensive on several levels? What levels you ask. These levels. It is asinine to think that a girl has only one lot in life and that is to breed and to marry. The girl’s interest in art/coloring and the presence of an action figure was ignored completely. Why not ask her about the coloring and the action figure? This seems like a terrible message to give someone that young. It is as if the lost goals or a life unfilled by the older woman was spewed all over the innocence of the young girl. Ugly and disgusting.

The first computer we had at home was the Sinclair ZX81 that came with 1kb of memory that could be expanded to 64kb. The small black unit with keys that were flush with the surface hooked directly into a TV (uhf) and the display was in dazzling monochrome. The computer operated on Sinclair BASIC and came with a small programming guide where you could write your own programs and watch them operate on the screen in front of you. This had to have been in early 1981 and using a computer on the kitchen counter was very new and exciting.

Next in line was the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A. This unit was likely introduced later in 1981 or early 1982. Yes, this could have been confirmed with a Wikipedia search but this is not a research project. This is a pull memories out of ones ass sort of exercise. I remember that this display for the Texas Instruments unit was big and bright and was very prominent in the electronics department at the local K-Mart. Seeing the visuals, the games that were available, a list of what the computer could do made you feel the need that it had to be yours. This computer was hooked up to a monitor of your choosing and I remember mine had a very green background with lighter green letters when displayed. The game of choice was a climbing game where you used the arrows keys to move yourself up a mountain. The easy level was a fairly low mountain with few instances….it moved up to the Matterhorn…and then the ultimate goal was to conquer Mt. Everest with its snowstorms, falling rocks, and the occasional attack by a Yeti.

Late 1984 or early 1985 brought the Tandy 1000 that could only be purchased at Radio Shack. This unit came as a full system with a monitor which was exciting because everything could be used and connected right out of the giant box. A printer was extra and it was of the dot matrix variety whose biggest challenge was lining up the perforated paper correctly so the printing would start at the correct place on the page. Programming was done on this computer as well as early word processing. Games were mediocre compared to console units such as the Intellivision. Similar computers were used in the high school computer lab.

College came in 1988-1993 and all computer work for all classes was done in the John Tomlinson Library on the Mesa State College campus. No personal computer was owned during this time and having one in the dorm room was never even a consideration.

The first laptop was purchased while living in Denver in late 1993 and was an IBM ThinkPad. Papers for graduate school were written on this beast and it saw a lot of use with  America Online. At the time it was black and sleek and sexy and portable. At this time it was clear that computers were just going to get smaller and smaller and exponentially more powerful as time moved forward.

via Daily Prompt: Artificial

The clerk at the grocery store who calls everybody “sweetie” or “hun” or “honey” is the very definition of artificial. I get that they are trying to be friendly but when a word is used consistently without pause it loses the very meaning that it is trying to convey. This goes with all words but especially overly sweet terms of endearment aimed at strangers and of course the word FUCK. Useful on many levels but not when used every fourth word.

While the words “hun” and “sweetie” are pouring out of this woman’s mouth aimed at every person in front of the register, the details of the operation are lost. It is these very details that keep the line moving in the first place. Scanning the coupon that is sitting right fucking in front of you! Having a basic grasp of 2nd grade math and being able to see, just by looking and having lived to an age above 8, that 88 cents x 2 is not going to be “about $1.60 I think hun” and that is actually more than that. The total comes up as $1.85 and the purveyor of the sweet little nuggets of endearment FREAKS OUT and wants to get a manager for an override. “Nope”says one person in line in a voice that seems sane and stable but probably is not. “88 cents x2 is $1.76 with 9 cents tax added is actually $1.85.” Yes, the advanced computer system in front of her gives the total as $1.85 and GASP it is correct. Okay hun, no need to get the manager for an override, we can get through this together sweetie.

You do not know me. We have never met. I am in know way sweet and trust me on this, I am absolutely and in no possible way your hun, honey, or any other simple minded sugar coated 1-2 syllable word you can muster out of your mouth. Please stop being so artificial and keep the line moving. The 14 people waiting will appreciate it oh so very much.

When questions have been asked three times or more it seems that it should be answered with more than one word. The question, and its close variations, are “Don’t you get tired being in front of a computer?”, “When do you get tired of screen time?”, “Don’t you get tired of typing?” The answers are no, never, and no. Sitting in front of a computer all day typing reports to earn a living. An iPad and an iPhone, a serious NETFLIX addiction, and a side job that requires a computer and typing. Work deadlines can get tedious and very stressful. Not being able to let go of work weighs heavily on the mind. Being in front of a computer doing things for pleasure or grasping onto a device actually relieves stress rather than adds to the pile. Technology is not going anywhere and will just be more and more integrated into our lives and time move forwards. The pleas for limiting screen time, re-connecting with nature, re-introducing yourself to friends and family, and everything else along those lines is not only mental masturbation and verbal diarrhea it is a desperate plea from those that simply don’t see where tech is going and/or have no idea how to use it in the first place.

This is what should happen in the near future. A small triangular device that would be implanted just under the skin. Upper left side of the neck under the hair would be a good place. For me, I want that thing bored into my left wrist and wear that sum bitch like FitBit. This device would act as a wireless receiver and could be easily replaced with the next model or two that would allow direct access into your brown. This would allow you to a see a holographic semi-circular display at eye level. Accessing any site on the internet would be completed with a simple touch of the air in front of you or a simply swipe moving from one area to the next. Those around you would only see a person pushing and swiping at empty air in front of them. So many people would think you are crazy but you know what? Fuck em. You are able to function outside in the world around people while still being jacked in and jacked in hard to the network. They are the ones that are crazy for not jumping onto the bandwagon.

This possibility has been a minor obsession for some time and drawings have been done outlining how it would look, how it would work, and what kind of hardware would be needed and involved. For minor notes see the photo below of a journal entry that came late at night because it had to be expunged from the inner cranial areas. The concept is beautiful and would be a welcome addition to the current existence of hand held devices.

So no, typing and tech and screen time never ever get old. The only thing that feels as safe and as comfortable as screen time is page time in front of a book. 

104am and it starts with a distinct disturbance in the force. To my right is the head of a puppy dog who is clearly being asked to go outside. She is let out and then it begins as the dread sets in knowing that there is probably a clown in the house. The clown is crouched and lurking some where barely able to contain its laughter. This has happened before in the middle of the night and the only thing that makes the bad feeling go away is my friend Kelley Raymond singing “Eddie Spaghetti’….for some reason this makes it all better. The dog is done and we both go back to bed. 117am and the desire to fall asleep once again is almost overwhelming. It is at this very point that the thoughts start to split and each one becomes exceptionally clear like a laser. The clown theme has now changed to an analysis of the Stephen King novel “IT” and wondering if the new series will be good. The preliminary promotional photos look amazing. As this stream of thought another opens up as I begin to become very aware that Lady Gaga and Alan Turing are in the bed next to me and that think they are being discrete but they are not succeeding. Without any warning thoughts turn to the GADBERRY which I know is something that has to do with reproduction. I feel a desperate need to find them so that I can find Hermione Granger. She is the only one with which the GADBERRY will work. The quest starts as I mentally feel like I’m getting out of bed. There are now three trains of thought going at once and as each begins the others do not fade in the slightest. It is as if each are happening separately but they are going at the same time. The Harry Potter theme continues as I am now being sorted by the Sorting Hat. There seems to be a problem as the hat cannot decide to in which house I should be sorted, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. There is something clearly wrong as McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Luna Lovegood go into private conference. This craziness continues along with everything else and the speed in which things are unfolding seems to be speeding up rapidly. The fifth stream opens up in the back left corner of the brain and it involves walking through a room with a vast number of numbers written on the walls. They are scattered, sideways, and upside down. For some reason they make perfect sense and there is a sense of calm looking at the walls and walking through this room. Layered on top of this is the feeling that I’m being followed as well as moving towards somebody. There is a sense of chaos in this stream of thought that is very peaceful. The five streams of thought are now emitting different colors as if lasers were shooting out of my skull. The colors are my favorite colors…purple, green, orange, deep blues….and they are streams with movements within the stream that cannot quite be made out. It is as if each stream has a cartoon playing over and over. Let’s just hope that one of them is Scooby-Doo. During this entire episode there is tossing and turning back and forth and the sound of the dog snoring is really the only foothold in reality. The digital clock now says 222am so it is clear that time has passed. Asleep and dreaming? Or awake and freaking out? No way to really tell which. My friend who has since moved away makes an appearance in the next stream of thought that opens up. For some reason it is very clear that Heather Martin Zeilman has given birth to another great idea. Now, if you know Heather she has a lot of great ideas. But…well….in this version she has literally given forth and given actual birth to a great idea. She is carrying the idea around and has named it Alice. (My grandmother’s first name….WHAT….THE……FUCK?) Anyway, this idea somehow grows up..the actual idea itself…not Heather….to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Yeah….no idea. But this stream of thought seems to play out in real time but can only have lasted minutes because by the time the Nobel is awarded it is only 251am by the digital clock. At this point everything clear as day and it is like watching eight movies at a time. A sense of unease covers things like a blanket because the desire for quiet and dark sleep is profound. The next one opens up without warning and I am now sitting at a rainbow colored picnic table on the shores of a vast lake with two of my most favorite male humans Eric Krch and Garry Baker. Behind Eric and Garry is a large bookcase filled to capacity with some of my favorite books. The titles are not visible but I know they are there. The entire bookcase is held on a dolly and next to the dolly are two Oompah Loompahs from Willy Wonka. I guess they wheel the case around wherever I go. More than a little disturbing but I appreciate their assistance. Two more streams open up at the same time. One comes from just above my left eye and is the movie Young Frankenstein playing at 2x speed. The other one is the movie Closer playing at 1/2x speed. This second movie opens in a stream just above my right ear. The laser colored lights are hitting the walls and things just play out. 512am and things calm down. It is at this point that I feel like I could actually fall asleep normally and get some rest. But at this point I know people are actually up and doing things with their lives. I lay there fully awake and wait to get out of bed and start the day.

Some basic definitions need to be thrown out before things begin. A “nerd” is someone who is overly intellectual, seen as socially awkward, obsessive, and can often be a collector. A “geek” is someone who is also socially inept and who can discuss things such as computers in great technical detail. A geek is more likely to tear a machine apart and put it back together again than a nerd. On the other hand, a nerd is more likely to dress up in a Star Trek uniform than a geek. These are give and take fluid definitions so getting caught up in exact details and examples is not necessary.

It was just decided that this is part 2 of the rant on bullying from about a week ago. To put this blog in context it must use the example of the bully to move things forward. Let us go back to high school and the classmate who was pretty, popular, and to be honest, not very bright. This classmate could have been male or female so getting hung up on the word pretty is a waste of time. This individual would often have not so nice thinks to say about other classmates. While their hangers-on were hanging oh, they would with great pride say derogatory things about the kid in chess club or the kid who was just minding their own business drawing superheroes or reading a comic book at lunch. A not so witty statement is thrown out, the hangers on laugh like hyenas, and the entire lame posse strolls down the hall or out of the lunchroom. Four hours later this very same person is at home drawing pictures of their future wedding dress or pickup truck, reading a fashion magazine or Sports Illustrated, and getting a lot of pleasure of thinking about the things they love. There is really no difference. The target of the bully and the bully are both nerds in their own way. The interests of one is just seen as more socially acceptable and less threatening to the mental midget’s than the other.

The football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, or wrestling participant makes fun of someone in their class because instead of playing sports they play an instrument. This person has now been labeled a “band geek” and a great sense of personal accomplishment falls over the witty athlete and his snarky comment. Here is a little secret. those in band call themselves “band geeks” so the comment really was not witty on any level. For the purpose of comparison, let’s look at what a football player does versus what a band member does during the fall semester. Football: practice, compete, and dress in a uniform. Band member: rehearse, go to competition, and dress in a marching band uniform. Pretty similar really. The only real difference is that band members go to sport balling events on purpose to support those playing with their….balls. When was the last time a football player or the entire team showed up at a band competition to show support? Yeah, that is what I thought.

An eight year old boy collecting Matchbox cars and an eight year old boy collecting NASCAR stickers. A fifty-year old woman working at the Yarn Barn or a fifty-year old woman working at an APPLE store. Hours and hours spent in front of a TV watching sports or the same number of hours in front of a screen watching Battlestar Galactica or playing video games. It does not take a lot of deep thinking to realize that all of us are nerds and geeks.

Comic books are to the world of fantasy and science fiction as opera is to the world of music. A complete art form whose existence relies on the coming together of multiple separate art forms and skills. In four colors and six panels per page, comic books can bring action to the observer that would require millions of dollars to put on film. Storytelling and graphic visuals come together to tell a portion of a story in 32 pages. Comic books bring the reader along for a ride and pushes them forward in a story arc. Visuals are as important as words but neither one could exist without the other. Comic books are snapshots of different worlds and different people and species. Worlds far from our own collide on the pages and engage the reader immediately. Fans come back to the same stories time and time again. At the same time, comics offer the reader information into other genres that they would not have known about had they not been reading a comic book. A simple ad describing a new comic book from a new publishing company. The re-issue of a timeless classic that has been out of print for years. An introduction to young new artists and storytellers that will begin the search for new comics. A never ending process that the reader never wants to end.

The only people that honestly think that newspapers are “quickly” disappearing are those that never read them in the first place or simply read their local offering that see as the be all and end all of news and information. Yes, some newspapers have gone under but many more continue to exist and have piles of loyal readers all over the country. Lovers of newspapers, wherever they may live, will continue to flock to the New York Times as if it is the holy grail. The search for the Times continues in small towns across the country by those looking to get a dose of real world news that goes beyond church updates and sportsballing information.

Another group of people say that there is nothing like the feel and smell of an actual book. I agree with this wholeheartedly. However, a true lover of reading cannot push themselves away from eReaders as if they were the work of the devil. When you are stationary or not traveling far it is easy to have real books around you at all times. If traveling long distances, it is simply impractical to take what you may want to read with you in the form of a real book. This is where the eReader comes into play. How else can a reader take 32 books with them to Costa Rica? Both real and electronic books have their place and one should not and will replace the other anytime soon.