Random Thoughts

"Writer's Block" by Mike Bobbitt
http://offthemike.com/2011/09/02/3227/
No Copyright Infringement Intended

Two of the biggest challenges that I face is in making sure that Codified: The Life and Thoughts of Matthew Morse is interesting, not just to others, but to myself, are that the overall narrative of each entry is insightful and that the writing is in the correct "voice."  I have been struggling to fulfill both of those aspects relative to a concern that I have at the apartment complex where I live.  My first attempt made prolific use of the word "we," in an attempt to draw you into the story artificially.  Additional attempts have sounded alternately preachy or whiny - or both.  There are also corollary concerns as to post length and to finding images that go along with my thoughts - as well as to finding sufficient credit for those photos.

Today's entry will consist of shortened versions of some ideas that have been languishing in my own personal editorial hell for at least a week.

Open Sesame!

One of the topics that has been on my mind for the last week - in fact, I started writing a draft about it immediately after posting the last update - is how people react when having to use a shared resource such as the United States Post Office, the public library, the weight bench at the gym, et cetera.

People Waiting in Line
http://theultimateyoulifetool.blogspot.com/....
No Copyright Infringement Intended
No Endorsement of Source Material Intended

One arrangement of which I often take advantage is the community computer located in the clubhouse at my apartment complex, as it has more-updated versions of a few programs than my own computer does.  Given that there are eighty-four units spread across seven buildings, it is often the case that someone will come in with similar purposes in mind, and their various reactions absolutely fascinate me.

Without getting into an excessive amount of details, there is one particular resident who, when she comes in, does not address me for some reason, so there are times when I don't even know that she is there.  The funny thing is, I would probably finish whatever I was doing in five minutes - ten at the most - and let her have it to her heart's content, but if she doesn't ask me, I might have no way of knowing.  We are trying to build a community here, and that starts with dialog - an "open sesame" of our thought processes, if you will.  Since is seems that she is having a challenge initiating the conversation, I will look for opportunities to engage her.

Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders, Artwork by Russ Nicholson
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fiend Folio (Published  1981)
http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/Tannhaeuser/....
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Excessive Posting

Note:  The image at the right really has nothing to do with the subject at hand, but when I put a particular set of (somewhat unflattering) terms concerning original thoughts into Google Image search, this was one of the results.  As Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was one of the most popular pastimes in my youth, this was too good to pass up.

I "like" over 1,000 pages on Facebook.  One of my favorite things to say is  that I like everything from a talking marshmallow to the Queen of England.  In addition to over two-hundred mermaid-related pages and over sixty-five burlesque-related pages, I also follow wineries and vineyards, media organizations, and the vibrant stage theater community in the Twin Cities, as well as a wide variety of other interests.

Some of the administrators post sporadically throughout the week, some on a daily basis, and others a few times throughout the course of the day.  Then there are the pages that post as many as forty times per day!  It can be a bit overwhelming, and what is worse, it chokes my News Feed.  I also have a few friends who go on "sharing" binges, posting photos of nature scenes with Bible quotes, funny cats, and any variety of images and thoughts that are not of their own manufacture.  One friend posted nineteen times in a sixty-minute period on January 19th, and that was frustrating.  I don't want to "unlike" the pages or "unfriend" the individuals, and it is certainly not within my rights to tell them how to conduct themselves.  I just wish they would show a little bit more restraint sometimes.

Bat Guano 10-3-1 High Nitrogen
http://www.biconet.com/soil/batguanoHN.html
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The Differently Disposed

As you know, there have been a number of gun-related tragedies over the course of the last few years alone, not to mention throughout the history of the United States.  I addressed some of these in a post dated December 6, 2012, eight days before the horrific tragedies at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Just as there are websites devoted to Hurricane Katrina being a terrible, swift sword wielded by the almighty hand of God or how God is punishing members of the United States Armed Forces because our nation allows homosexuality, so too are there a shocking (to me) number of individuals who apparently believe that these various shooting events are actually elaborate conspiracies staged by anyone from movie studios to the Department of Homeland Security, and that the individuals who lost their lives were in fact actors who lived - not to tell the tale, but to keep their silence.  If these subjects were not so heart-wrenching, the fabrications might have some value as works of fiction.  Unfortunately, the only dubious purpose that they serve is to throw salt into the wounds of an already beleaguered society.

Our Rights

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
http://musicians4freedom.com/restore-the-republic/....
No Copyright Infringement of This Image Intended

In her biography of Voltaire, the English writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall penned "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides for, among other things, the freedoms of speech and of the press.

As trying as these conspiracy theorists are, they are given privileges within our great democracy.  As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (with whom I share a birthday) once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried."

I may not like what some people have to say, but the alternative is something that I shudder to consider.

How do you handle it when someone is using a common resource, or when someone overwhelms you with a great deal of information all at once?  In the case of information with which you disagree, do you give it any attention, or do you disregard it altogether?  Please feel free to share your thoughts below.