I must admit, I didn’t know - much. Apparently, I am not alone and in some very good company. Last Tuesday, the New York Times ran an op-ed piece by Jeff Stein, national security editor for the Congressional Quarterly entitled, “Can You Tell a Sunni From a Shiite?” Like I said, I didn’t know. And although the article doesn’t really explain the difference (I will, my curiosity was piqued), he is surprised, as am I, that those in the highest levels of government don’t have a clue.
I am majoring in government-journalism at Sacramento State. That could mean several different career paths. As much as I have any influence over it (not much I’ve learned, but that’s another story), my path is heading towards journalism (as opposed to government or PR) with a specialty in government reporting. Within that area, foreign policy interests me the most. Therefore, I should have known the difference as well. The key difference between my ignorance and say, oh… FBI National Security Branch Bureau Chief Willie Hulon’s is not a matter of trivia – it’s life and death.
The following is taken directly from Stein’s article:
Take Representative Terry Everett, a seven-term Alabama Republican who is vice chairman of the House intelligence subcommittee on technical and tactical intelligence.
“Do you know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite?” I asked him a few weeks ago.
Mr. Everett responded with a low chuckle. He thought for a moment: “One’s in one location, another’s in another location. No, to be honest with you, I don’t know. I thought it was differences in their religion, different families or something.”
To his credit, he asked me to explain the differences. I told him briefly about the schism that developed after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and how Iraq and Iran are majority Shiite nations while the rest of the Muslim world is mostly Sunni. “Now that you’ve explained it to me,” he replied, “what occurs to me is that it makes what we’re doing over there extremely difficult, not only in Iraq but that whole area.”
I couldn’t paraphrase it any better. It is that last quote that is particularly telling.
Perhaps Hulon and Everett should pay attention now as I will briefly explain the difference not only between these two religious sects, but also a little about the ethnicities involved.
Although I still don’t have great deal of detailed knowledge of Islam, or for that matter any religion, I will try to explain why these two branches of Islam differ. According to a variety of sources, it has to do with the lineage of the prophet Mohammed. It is somewhat complex, but there is some dispute about which of the descendants should be followed. It could be likened to the various different branches of Christianity or perhaps a better analogy is the split between Judaism and Christianity.
Not to muddy the waters even further, but within the Sunnis and the Shiites, there are further divisions and factions, which probably lends a little more accuracy to the Jewish/Christian paradigm. The issue is complex indeed, but there are those whose job it is to understand our enemy and I’m afraid, as Stein so aptly points out, that this very basic crash course is more than many of them know. But wait, it gets even more complex; again, I will distill it down to my level of understanding.
In the region, there are several different ethnic groups as well. For instance, the Iranians are not Arabs, but Persians – and mostly Shiite. The Iraqi’s are mostly Arab, except for the Kurds. Most of the Arabs in Iraq are Shiite like the Iranians, but not Persian. Most of the rest of the Arab world is Sunni, as are the Kurds, but the Kurds are not Arab. Are you taking notes?
For those that have a hard time understanding how Muslims can kill each other so persistently, ruthlessly and unconscionably, perhaps remembering the slaughter among those of differing sects of the Christian faith will help put it into perspective. Maybe historical accounts of Christians killing Jews will lend a better understanding. Realizing that all three major religious divisions have a common root probably won’t help much, but it is true enough that all three are “Abrahmic” spin-offs.
So perhaps our “leaders” don’t understand that we’ve inserted ourselves smack-dab into the middle of a religious-ethnic-territorial war that is hundreds of years old. Maybe they underestimated the complexity of the demographic makeup of the region. Perhaps if they had done their homework, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Maybe it’s not too late to find a solution. It’s time to cram – finals are coming.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Six Years
October 17, 2006. It’s just another day – nothing too special about it, nothing special at all. Six years ago, October 17 was a day just like today. Not that it started just like today, or any other day for the past couple of years, but it was like any other day six years ago. Chaotic, hectic, rambling and haphazard were among the adjectives one might have used to describe my life at the time. No matter what it may appear in retrospect, in the moment, it was a day like any other; a perfectly normal Sierra autumn day.
It would not remain so for long. Before the crisp morning chill even had time to be tempered by the autumn sun, my world drastically changed. My life nearly ended that day; it hung precariously by a thread in the days that followed. I was 37 years old in what should have been the prime of my life when, in a split second, everything changed.
I was on my way to Squaw Valley Academy to drop my then 13 year-old son off at school. The school, as its name implies, is in Squaw Valley, Calif., near Lake Tahoe’s North Shore. His little brother stayed home that day… he did not feel well. Although it was not the stay-home-from-school variety of illness, well, what can I say? It was part of the insanity my life was at the time - his gain, as it turned out. Just about a mile or so from Squaw Valley…
My lifestyle in those days, as I alluded to earlier, was busy. It didn’t need to be, but it was. I was tired that morning – really tired. I wanted both of my younger sons (my oldest was 16 at the time and living with his mother) to be sick that day. I was tired and I knew it. I knew from experience that all I needed was a couple of hour’s sleep and I’d be ok. Although I don’t recall for sure, I’m pretty sure I suggested to my kids that they might not be feeling well that day.
My kids have not experienced a great deal of stability growing up. A single father brought them up for most of their formative years. We moved frequently. They have all had difficulty with school, maybe as a result, maybe not. The point is that when a day off of school is thrown their way, it is readily accepted. My 11 year-old took the gift without reservation. His brother however, threw me a curve.
It was an ongoing battle with the kids and school. I had a sort of “911 proactivity,” meaning that when the school brought the kids’ performance (or lack thereof) to my attention, I got proactive, albeit reactively. My middle son must have recently felt the sting of that proactivity, because when I suggested that he might not be feeling well, he granted that he wasn’t but then said something that surprised me, “But I’m not too sick to go to school.”
He went on to explain that he was behind and couldn’t afford to miss a day at school. I guess that last round of reactive proactivity was effective. I had no choice; I had to get him to school. It wasn’t as though I thought I couldn’t make it, it was that I didn’t want to. My inspired parenting left me little choice, and I couldn’t even be angry with him – he was the responsible one. Of course, once my little one was sick, he wasn’t planning on getting better right away!
It was cool that morning. The snow was going to be coming in just a few weeks and the Sierra was preparing herself. We were looking forward to an early and long winter – the snowboard equipment was already prepped. On State Route 89, there is a long, sweeping, right-hand turn; the Truckee River was to my left and the mountainside on my right. The police report and the truck driver said that I was asleep. I never turned when the road did. I went straight into the path of an on coming, fully loaded logging truck. The truck driver went as far to his right as he could, but he was not able to avoid me.
I wasn’t expected to survive. I lost most of my blood due to internal injuries and massive bone trauma. They say I was in and out, I really don’t know. I remember some sketchy bits and pieces, but I can’t say what was real and what was not. Everything that I know is second hand. Since this is not intended to be a thriller, I’ll say right now that my boy walked away with relatively minor injuries – physically.
Six years later, it’s almost like it was a dream. I was “revived” (I had no head injuries; but I was very heavily sedated) about five weeks later. I was confused to say the least. I had all kinds of machines and tubes and hardware sticking out of me. I discovered later some new little scars that were from the minor injuries I had sustained. By the time I came to, the stitches and the scabs were gone – just new scars were left behind. I had a full beard… and I couldn’t talk because of the tracheotomy they had to perform. I was constantly thirsty.
I slept through those five weeks, but my family lived a very real nightmare. I was blissfully unaware – my nightmare began after I realized exactly what had happened – and why. Although there is a whole lot more to this story, this brief “readers digest” version is only the beginning; it is one that has no ending. It could have been the end, but for reasons I can’t even begin to explain, it was just the beginning. It sure didn’t seem like it at the time – six years ago today.
It would not remain so for long. Before the crisp morning chill even had time to be tempered by the autumn sun, my world drastically changed. My life nearly ended that day; it hung precariously by a thread in the days that followed. I was 37 years old in what should have been the prime of my life when, in a split second, everything changed.
I was on my way to Squaw Valley Academy to drop my then 13 year-old son off at school. The school, as its name implies, is in Squaw Valley, Calif., near Lake Tahoe’s North Shore. His little brother stayed home that day… he did not feel well. Although it was not the stay-home-from-school variety of illness, well, what can I say? It was part of the insanity my life was at the time - his gain, as it turned out. Just about a mile or so from Squaw Valley…
My lifestyle in those days, as I alluded to earlier, was busy. It didn’t need to be, but it was. I was tired that morning – really tired. I wanted both of my younger sons (my oldest was 16 at the time and living with his mother) to be sick that day. I was tired and I knew it. I knew from experience that all I needed was a couple of hour’s sleep and I’d be ok. Although I don’t recall for sure, I’m pretty sure I suggested to my kids that they might not be feeling well that day.
My kids have not experienced a great deal of stability growing up. A single father brought them up for most of their formative years. We moved frequently. They have all had difficulty with school, maybe as a result, maybe not. The point is that when a day off of school is thrown their way, it is readily accepted. My 11 year-old took the gift without reservation. His brother however, threw me a curve.
It was an ongoing battle with the kids and school. I had a sort of “911 proactivity,” meaning that when the school brought the kids’ performance (or lack thereof) to my attention, I got proactive, albeit reactively. My middle son must have recently felt the sting of that proactivity, because when I suggested that he might not be feeling well, he granted that he wasn’t but then said something that surprised me, “But I’m not too sick to go to school.”
He went on to explain that he was behind and couldn’t afford to miss a day at school. I guess that last round of reactive proactivity was effective. I had no choice; I had to get him to school. It wasn’t as though I thought I couldn’t make it, it was that I didn’t want to. My inspired parenting left me little choice, and I couldn’t even be angry with him – he was the responsible one. Of course, once my little one was sick, he wasn’t planning on getting better right away!
It was cool that morning. The snow was going to be coming in just a few weeks and the Sierra was preparing herself. We were looking forward to an early and long winter – the snowboard equipment was already prepped. On State Route 89, there is a long, sweeping, right-hand turn; the Truckee River was to my left and the mountainside on my right. The police report and the truck driver said that I was asleep. I never turned when the road did. I went straight into the path of an on coming, fully loaded logging truck. The truck driver went as far to his right as he could, but he was not able to avoid me.
I wasn’t expected to survive. I lost most of my blood due to internal injuries and massive bone trauma. They say I was in and out, I really don’t know. I remember some sketchy bits and pieces, but I can’t say what was real and what was not. Everything that I know is second hand. Since this is not intended to be a thriller, I’ll say right now that my boy walked away with relatively minor injuries – physically.Six years later, it’s almost like it was a dream. I was “revived” (I had no head injuries; but I was very heavily sedated) about five weeks later. I was confused to say the least. I had all kinds of machines and tubes and hardware sticking out of me. I discovered later some new little scars that were from the minor injuries I had sustained. By the time I came to, the stitches and the scabs were gone – just new scars were left behind. I had a full beard… and I couldn’t talk because of the tracheotomy they had to perform. I was constantly thirsty.
I slept through those five weeks, but my family lived a very real nightmare. I was blissfully unaware – my nightmare began after I realized exactly what had happened – and why. Although there is a whole lot more to this story, this brief “readers digest” version is only the beginning; it is one that has no ending. It could have been the end, but for reasons I can’t even begin to explain, it was just the beginning. It sure didn’t seem like it at the time – six years ago today.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Throwin' Stones
Picture a bright blue ball, just spinning, spinnin free,Dizzy with eternity.
Paint it with a skin of sky,
Brush in some clouds and sea,
Call it home for you and me.
A peaceful place or so it looks from space,
A closer look reveals the human race.
Full of hope, full of grace
Is the human face,
But afraid we may lay our home to waste.
There's a fear down here we can't forget.
Hasn't got a name just yet.
Always awake, always around,
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Now watch as the ball revolves
And the nighttime falls.
Again the hunt begins,
Again the bloodwind calls.
By and by, the morning sun will rise,
But the darkness never goes
From some men's eyes.
It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets,
Staking turf, dividing up meat.
Nightmare spook, piece of heat,
It's you and me.
You and me.
Click flash blade in ghetto night,
Rudies looking for a fight.
Rat cat alley, roll them bones.
Need that cash to feed that jones.
And the politicians throwin' stones,
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Commissars and pin-stripe bosses
Roll the dice.
Any way they fall,
Guess who gets to pay the price.
Money green or proletarian gray,
Selling guns 'stead of food today.
So the kids they dance
And shake their bones,
And the politicians throwin' stones,
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Heartless powers try to tell us
What to think.
If the spirit's sleeping,
Then the flesh is ink
History's page will thus be carved in stone.
And we are here, and we are on our own
On our own.
On our own.
On our own.
If the game is lost,
Then we're all the same.
No one left to place or take the blame.
We can leave this place and empty stone
Or that shinin' ball we used to call our home.
So the kids they dance
And shake their bones,
And the politicians throwin' stones,
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Shipping powders back and forth
Singing black goes south and white comes north.
In a whole world full of petty wars
Singing I got mine and you got yours.
And the current fashion sets the pace,
Lose your step, fall out of grace.
And the radical, he rant and rage,
Singing someone's got to turn the page.
And the rich man in his summer home,
Singing just leave well enough alone.
But his pants are down, his cover's blown...
And the politicians throwin' stones,
So the kids they dance
And shake their bones,
And it's all too clear we're on our own.
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Picture a bright blue ball,
Just spinnin', spinnin, free.
Dizzy with the possibilities.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Written by John Perry Barlow
Music by Bob Weir
1982
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Seek Not
So far, this blog has lived almost a week in obscurity. I think I like it that way. For now, this is my secret corner of cyberspace. It’s a refuge of sorts. I can come here, purge my soul and move on – none is the wiser.
Oh, sure… I had expectations. My first blog now receives over 15 hits per day. In it’s heyday even more. Some are regular visitors, some are drive-bys and some are search word hits. The most popular search term? Thong and the plural thongs take the top honors. Dunno why.
I wasn’t going to link this blog from my others and for a couple of days that worked just fine. For reasons I can only begin to guess, I was compelled to tell someone while at the same time not… I guess it’s some sort of Machiavellian game I play on myself. Anyway, I did eliminate an inactive link and in its place, I threw this one in. It was just about in the middle of my links list – not exactly prominently displayed.
After another day I couldn’t help myself… I moved it to the top of my list. It has been there now for less than two days and still no hits from the curious or the loyal. Nothing. Not even a drive-by. And now… now, I think I like it. It all of a sudden feels as if that is just as it should be and I’m not touching a thing. I’m cool.
So is this growth? Acceptance? Maturity? Mindless blather? Yes, yes, yes and hell yes! It’s all that and more. Why? Who cares? No, no. Here’s my answer… Why not? Why can’t it be more? Why can’t I do anything, go anywhere and be anyone I choose to? There is no reason, none at all and seeking external validation serves no purpose. This blog now and officially attempts to seek not.
But discover.
Oh, sure… I had expectations. My first blog now receives over 15 hits per day. In it’s heyday even more. Some are regular visitors, some are drive-bys and some are search word hits. The most popular search term? Thong and the plural thongs take the top honors. Dunno why.
I wasn’t going to link this blog from my others and for a couple of days that worked just fine. For reasons I can only begin to guess, I was compelled to tell someone while at the same time not… I guess it’s some sort of Machiavellian game I play on myself. Anyway, I did eliminate an inactive link and in its place, I threw this one in. It was just about in the middle of my links list – not exactly prominently displayed.
After another day I couldn’t help myself… I moved it to the top of my list. It has been there now for less than two days and still no hits from the curious or the loyal. Nothing. Not even a drive-by. And now… now, I think I like it. It all of a sudden feels as if that is just as it should be and I’m not touching a thing. I’m cool.
So is this growth? Acceptance? Maturity? Mindless blather? Yes, yes, yes and hell yes! It’s all that and more. Why? Who cares? No, no. Here’s my answer… Why not? Why can’t it be more? Why can’t I do anything, go anywhere and be anyone I choose to? There is no reason, none at all and seeking external validation serves no purpose. This blog now and officially attempts to seek not.
But discover.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Let's Give This Thing a Whirl
Welcome to “Been Some Places, Seen Some Things.”
I trust you had a safe trip?
This is my fourth blog and, although it has the freedom to go just about anywhere, it does have at least an initial purpose; try out Blogger Beta to see if I want to risk transferring my other three blogs over to this new format. This blog, therefore, is something of a scout. It is sacrificial, for the time being, and it is nimble enough to navigate uncharted parsecs of cyberspace for the common good. It is a virtual warrior.
I have not yet decided whether to link this site from my others. However, I will link them from here. Right now, as a matter of fact.
“The 25 Year Plan” – And its inaugural entry:
I have been resisting this blog thing. I have a few ideas why, perhaps, but I have reconciled that I probably should just stop resisting. It is patently apparent that this is not just another passing fad. Moreover, as an aspiring writer/journalist, it would behoove me to exploit any technology that will advance my career and expose my thoughts to more than just a select few. I must admit that making my musings publicly available is somewhat intimidating, but what the hey…
I am not one to jump on the bandwagon. I have been primarily a follower and not a leader. I generally don’t like commitment and prefer to wait and see. Unless of course, it is a thing that is already in my realm of experience; that requires little or no effort to be “accomplished;” that has immediate and considerable dividends; that boosts my self-esteem; you know – that I’m good at. In my assessment, blogging posed too much risk.
To be fair, it is not the technological platform that intimidates me. Indeed, I have been into computers and networking not since the beginning, but very early on. Therefore, I have a great deal of knowledge – expert knowledge – of the inner workings of computers, their hardware, protocols and the like. Unfortunately, I somehow missed the boat that became known as the World Wide Web.
Without going into a lot of unnecessary (but interesting) details, a series of events in my life combined with (or exacerbated by) choices I made took me away from the computer industry just as the Internet really took off. I had limited my involvement to that of tinkering with hardware that was turning obsolete overnight and immersion into the endless diversions that the web offered. By the time I had come up for air, the dust was already settling. What I knew that was of value was next to worthless. I had become an end-user.
By the time I had re-entered school (another equally interesting series of events…but I’ll save these adventures for future entries), my prior life in the high technology world was of little value. However, I had apparently picked up some skill in assembling words and punctuation in a way that made some sense. I guess I always kinda-sorta knew, but now there was external and professional validation. Cool, right? I mean how much, other than word processing, could writing be affected by technology.
Well, if your reading this, then you already know. Still, I resisted for a couple of years. Why?? FEAR! That’s why! Toss in liberally some procrastination and you get a writer that can write AND has the technical knowledge, experience and the ability to learn how to create and maintain a blog AND the knowledge that doing so has evolved into a “turn-key” endeavor AND the intelligence to know that blogs and other forms of on-line journalism and writing are the wave of the future AND that he better get used to it AND YET, he waits until almost 2006. Whew!
But it’s never too late. So here it is for you to read, comment on (or not), and enjoy. Better late than never.
“Overflow” – And it’s introduction on The 25 Year Plan:
Last Sunday, a new blog was born. It made its appearance amid no fanfare, no pomp and no circumstance. No announcements were sent and it entered the blogosphere almost unnoticed. Almost. Now there is a link on my sidebar, but two of those who frequent this space regularly found it before any convenient access had even been established. Its name is “Overflow” and for the immediate future at least, that is exactly what it contains.
On Friday night, I started a project that was equal parts tribute, appreciation and promotion. It was far more work than I ever envisioned but worth every minute. Except for repairing typos and fixing links, it was written in one sitting. It gave me a great deal of satisfaction to recognize those who had recognized me and I wanted the post to enjoy prominence on my blog for at least a couple of days. Early Sunday morning, that plan was in jeopardy of failing.
I woke up early with my mind going a million miles per hour. My head was just chewing on it… I needed some relief. I was not all that thrilled to be up so early on a Sunday morning. Alas, I had to put something – anything - into print. I was soon to discover that it would not be enough. Oh, I got something down all right… some pretty darned good stuff too, but my tolerance has grown since entering the blogosphere. Just seeing the thoughts in print was not doing it anymore – I had to publish it!
Here in lies the problem: I didn’t want to burry my tribute post behind 600 words of Sunday morning revelations. Ok, fine – just save it in draft form for a day or two, no problem. There are two problems with that plan: First is that it was day-of-the-week specific. In other words, it really had to be posted on a Sunday morning. Second, there would always be something more current to concentrate on. The chances of the post never getting published were very good. This was a dilemma that begged for a solution.
I have toyed with the idea of introducing a second blog from time to time. I thought it could be a different format or “side” of me and I thought about just making it “The 25 Year Plan II.” At the moment, it is the latter. Overflow is a place to put stuff that comes at times when I may not necessarily be ready for it. I can call upon the creative process pretty much on demand, but it also has a way demanding attention on its own, often at the most inconvenient times. Overflow gives me a place to put these posts instead of overloading just one blog with too many posts.
For now Overflow is just a “plane Jane” blog. With nothing fancier than perhaps a hit counter for now (suggestions?), this blog will give those wanting more (you poor deluded souls!) a place to get it and me a place to keep the outflow... um, flowing. Overflow will be the subordinate member of the family for the foreseeable future, but who knows? It could grow and evolve into a blog with just as distinct a personality as its big brother. Before long it could be blazing new trails, breaking new ground and making its name, no longer obscured by the shadow of its older sibling. It could be another of my alter egos - altered.
“This Is Fiction” – A radical new direction for me – here is its intro:
I have never considered myself to be all that creative. I can’t sing or play music; can’t draw or paint; don’t really have any artistic talent. At least that was how I used to think. Don’t get me wrong – I still don’t posses those afore mentioned talents – it’s just that I have expanded my view of what qualifies as a “talent” and what defines art. Many things, actually, pretty much everything can fall under that umbrella. Writing, therefore, can easily be a talent that can be developed into an art.
I have taken my fair share of “assessment” tests over the years. Many measured such things as right-brained/left-brained dominances, the artistic versus the logical, mechanical against intuitive and other variances of the same psychobabble. Although there is no intrinsic harm in measuring these factors, there is considerable potential for harm in how the results may be used.
Suffice it to say, I have never been labeled as “creative.” I think it is still true in some respects, but when the criteria and definitions are opened sufficiently wide enough, we all create. My talent… my art does not appeal to the visual or the auditory, but uses those senses to create or recreate the same magic as a personalized experience for each individual mind. Writing is an art form that leaves the final rendition for the reader to define and redefine at will. My freshman comp professor always used to say, “don’t tell me, show me.”
My job is to arrange simple symbols in such a way that they convey meaning. It matters not how beautifully the words flow if the meaning of the sum is lost. It has always been relatively easy for me to be clear with the precision placement of these symbols. I have a “talent” for painting a picture with words. I could not appreciate how important, how satisfying… indeed how beautiful and powerful word placement could be until relatively recently.
I have often confused creativity with fiction when it comes to writing. “Creative writing” tries to tap into resources that I don’t posses. I find it near impossible to weave a tale out of thin air, though I could re-tell one with eloquence. Then there’s “creative non-fiction,” whatever that means. If it refers to epiphany, revelation or introspection – then I don’t know if I’d call it creative. It is still the transmission of reality through the meaning conveyed by the symbols used to form words and sentences. It is what I am writing at this very moment.
I’ve said all that to get to this. I have added a new blog to my stable. It’s called “This Is Fiction” and that is exactly what it is. Everything found there didn’t really happen, not as told anyway. However, like all fiction, mine is based on real life and real events – some are my own and some are others’. Some may, in reality, contain more fact than fiction, but it is fiction all the same. I put a disclaimer in the blog’s subtitle that says as much. This is not so much to protect myself or anyone else necessarily, but to remind me.
The first entry is a cliffhanger. It leaves more unanswered than it reveals. I know what happened, but I don’t know yet what is going to happen. That is the freedom I’ll get from this page. One needs only ask disgraced “memoir” author James Frey how much better the facts can sound if only things didn’t occur that way. In fiction, I need not stick with the facts - I can create them. This is all brand new for me – we’ll see together where it goes.
So there you have it – the fearsome foursome!
Let the games begin.
I trust you had a safe trip?
This is my fourth blog and, although it has the freedom to go just about anywhere, it does have at least an initial purpose; try out Blogger Beta to see if I want to risk transferring my other three blogs over to this new format. This blog, therefore, is something of a scout. It is sacrificial, for the time being, and it is nimble enough to navigate uncharted parsecs of cyberspace for the common good. It is a virtual warrior.
I have not yet decided whether to link this site from my others. However, I will link them from here. Right now, as a matter of fact.
“The 25 Year Plan” – And its inaugural entry:
I have been resisting this blog thing. I have a few ideas why, perhaps, but I have reconciled that I probably should just stop resisting. It is patently apparent that this is not just another passing fad. Moreover, as an aspiring writer/journalist, it would behoove me to exploit any technology that will advance my career and expose my thoughts to more than just a select few. I must admit that making my musings publicly available is somewhat intimidating, but what the hey…
I am not one to jump on the bandwagon. I have been primarily a follower and not a leader. I generally don’t like commitment and prefer to wait and see. Unless of course, it is a thing that is already in my realm of experience; that requires little or no effort to be “accomplished;” that has immediate and considerable dividends; that boosts my self-esteem; you know – that I’m good at. In my assessment, blogging posed too much risk.
To be fair, it is not the technological platform that intimidates me. Indeed, I have been into computers and networking not since the beginning, but very early on. Therefore, I have a great deal of knowledge – expert knowledge – of the inner workings of computers, their hardware, protocols and the like. Unfortunately, I somehow missed the boat that became known as the World Wide Web.
Without going into a lot of unnecessary (but interesting) details, a series of events in my life combined with (or exacerbated by) choices I made took me away from the computer industry just as the Internet really took off. I had limited my involvement to that of tinkering with hardware that was turning obsolete overnight and immersion into the endless diversions that the web offered. By the time I had come up for air, the dust was already settling. What I knew that was of value was next to worthless. I had become an end-user.
By the time I had re-entered school (another equally interesting series of events…but I’ll save these adventures for future entries), my prior life in the high technology world was of little value. However, I had apparently picked up some skill in assembling words and punctuation in a way that made some sense. I guess I always kinda-sorta knew, but now there was external and professional validation. Cool, right? I mean how much, other than word processing, could writing be affected by technology.
Well, if your reading this, then you already know. Still, I resisted for a couple of years. Why?? FEAR! That’s why! Toss in liberally some procrastination and you get a writer that can write AND has the technical knowledge, experience and the ability to learn how to create and maintain a blog AND the knowledge that doing so has evolved into a “turn-key” endeavor AND the intelligence to know that blogs and other forms of on-line journalism and writing are the wave of the future AND that he better get used to it AND YET, he waits until almost 2006. Whew!
But it’s never too late. So here it is for you to read, comment on (or not), and enjoy. Better late than never.
“Overflow” – And it’s introduction on The 25 Year Plan:
Last Sunday, a new blog was born. It made its appearance amid no fanfare, no pomp and no circumstance. No announcements were sent and it entered the blogosphere almost unnoticed. Almost. Now there is a link on my sidebar, but two of those who frequent this space regularly found it before any convenient access had even been established. Its name is “Overflow” and for the immediate future at least, that is exactly what it contains.
On Friday night, I started a project that was equal parts tribute, appreciation and promotion. It was far more work than I ever envisioned but worth every minute. Except for repairing typos and fixing links, it was written in one sitting. It gave me a great deal of satisfaction to recognize those who had recognized me and I wanted the post to enjoy prominence on my blog for at least a couple of days. Early Sunday morning, that plan was in jeopardy of failing.
I woke up early with my mind going a million miles per hour. My head was just chewing on it… I needed some relief. I was not all that thrilled to be up so early on a Sunday morning. Alas, I had to put something – anything - into print. I was soon to discover that it would not be enough. Oh, I got something down all right… some pretty darned good stuff too, but my tolerance has grown since entering the blogosphere. Just seeing the thoughts in print was not doing it anymore – I had to publish it!
Here in lies the problem: I didn’t want to burry my tribute post behind 600 words of Sunday morning revelations. Ok, fine – just save it in draft form for a day or two, no problem. There are two problems with that plan: First is that it was day-of-the-week specific. In other words, it really had to be posted on a Sunday morning. Second, there would always be something more current to concentrate on. The chances of the post never getting published were very good. This was a dilemma that begged for a solution.
I have toyed with the idea of introducing a second blog from time to time. I thought it could be a different format or “side” of me and I thought about just making it “The 25 Year Plan II.” At the moment, it is the latter. Overflow is a place to put stuff that comes at times when I may not necessarily be ready for it. I can call upon the creative process pretty much on demand, but it also has a way demanding attention on its own, often at the most inconvenient times. Overflow gives me a place to put these posts instead of overloading just one blog with too many posts.
For now Overflow is just a “plane Jane” blog. With nothing fancier than perhaps a hit counter for now (suggestions?), this blog will give those wanting more (you poor deluded souls!) a place to get it and me a place to keep the outflow... um, flowing. Overflow will be the subordinate member of the family for the foreseeable future, but who knows? It could grow and evolve into a blog with just as distinct a personality as its big brother. Before long it could be blazing new trails, breaking new ground and making its name, no longer obscured by the shadow of its older sibling. It could be another of my alter egos - altered.
“This Is Fiction” – A radical new direction for me – here is its intro:
I have never considered myself to be all that creative. I can’t sing or play music; can’t draw or paint; don’t really have any artistic talent. At least that was how I used to think. Don’t get me wrong – I still don’t posses those afore mentioned talents – it’s just that I have expanded my view of what qualifies as a “talent” and what defines art. Many things, actually, pretty much everything can fall under that umbrella. Writing, therefore, can easily be a talent that can be developed into an art.
I have taken my fair share of “assessment” tests over the years. Many measured such things as right-brained/left-brained dominances, the artistic versus the logical, mechanical against intuitive and other variances of the same psychobabble. Although there is no intrinsic harm in measuring these factors, there is considerable potential for harm in how the results may be used.
Suffice it to say, I have never been labeled as “creative.” I think it is still true in some respects, but when the criteria and definitions are opened sufficiently wide enough, we all create. My talent… my art does not appeal to the visual or the auditory, but uses those senses to create or recreate the same magic as a personalized experience for each individual mind. Writing is an art form that leaves the final rendition for the reader to define and redefine at will. My freshman comp professor always used to say, “don’t tell me, show me.”
My job is to arrange simple symbols in such a way that they convey meaning. It matters not how beautifully the words flow if the meaning of the sum is lost. It has always been relatively easy for me to be clear with the precision placement of these symbols. I have a “talent” for painting a picture with words. I could not appreciate how important, how satisfying… indeed how beautiful and powerful word placement could be until relatively recently.
I have often confused creativity with fiction when it comes to writing. “Creative writing” tries to tap into resources that I don’t posses. I find it near impossible to weave a tale out of thin air, though I could re-tell one with eloquence. Then there’s “creative non-fiction,” whatever that means. If it refers to epiphany, revelation or introspection – then I don’t know if I’d call it creative. It is still the transmission of reality through the meaning conveyed by the symbols used to form words and sentences. It is what I am writing at this very moment.
I’ve said all that to get to this. I have added a new blog to my stable. It’s called “This Is Fiction” and that is exactly what it is. Everything found there didn’t really happen, not as told anyway. However, like all fiction, mine is based on real life and real events – some are my own and some are others’. Some may, in reality, contain more fact than fiction, but it is fiction all the same. I put a disclaimer in the blog’s subtitle that says as much. This is not so much to protect myself or anyone else necessarily, but to remind me.
The first entry is a cliffhanger. It leaves more unanswered than it reveals. I know what happened, but I don’t know yet what is going to happen. That is the freedom I’ll get from this page. One needs only ask disgraced “memoir” author James Frey how much better the facts can sound if only things didn’t occur that way. In fiction, I need not stick with the facts - I can create them. This is all brand new for me – we’ll see together where it goes.
So there you have it – the fearsome foursome!
Let the games begin.
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