6-Month Wall

  The year 2020 will go down in history books, and I'm certain all of us will remember it long after the dust from this pandemic settles. A phenomenon known as the 6-month wall occurs in any sustained crisis, that I'm sure many are feeling about now. We've been in this for a little over that time, and I have personally experienced it during rough times in my past. Long deployments, trainings, and even personal events have pushed me against this metaphorical wall.


  During those times, I have felt depressed, anxious, lethargic, and even a loss of creativity. The desire to get away or make it stop can be intense. I have had to power through this 6-month hump to find the other side many times before. I want you all to know that if you're feeling these things, it is perfectly normal. There's nothing wrong with you. Based on personal research and experience, the best way to handle this time period is to know that it is temporary. There is light on the other side. It also helps to look back and see what we've accomplished during those 6 months.


  This pandemic has fundamentally changed the way our society--and even the world--operates, bringing on a "New Normal." We've learned new ways to do grocery shopping, teaching, learning, holding meetings, doing business, and so many other things. Human beings are the most adaptable creatures on Earth. It hasn't been easy, but we've done it. Together we'll have the strength and will to keep going. There is no benefit in ramming against the 6-month wall and trying to knock it down. It will break in its own in time. Instead, find out or remember what lets you relax.


  Everyone has their own way of destressing. For some, it is religion, or reading a book, or spending time with friends and family. I encourage all of you to think about what does it for you, and go out and do so safely. If you enjoy riding a bike--motorized or pedal--or maybe putting on some headphones and jamming out, maybe playing that game on your phone or computer or a board game with your family... Do it. Find some time this week, and re-center yourself. Know that while it may seem dark, and the path unending for now, it IS temporary.


  The news and the media paint a dank picture. That's their job and how they make money. Facebook is rife with stories both true and false. I won't tell you what to believe, but encourage you to do your own research before sharing that post from Uncle Fred. As we head into winter, the days will get shorter, colder, and darker. There are still things that must be done during this time. Work. Teach. Cook. Pay bills. Exercise. Don't expect to suddenly be sparklingly ecstatic because you've read my words. I wish I had that power... But by doing the things that help you find yourself, by meeting obligations, and by being kind to family, friends, and even coworkers, we'll come out the other side of this in better shape than we went in.


  If you've ever listened to the safety briefing before a flight, they tell you to take care of yourself before helping others. The same is true here. Find yourself. Be kind. Know that this will end. Take heart. We have navigated this harrowing global disaster for over 6 months. We have learned, we continue to love, and happiness can be found if we but look for it, even in these rough conditions. If nothing else, this is hard evidence that we have what it takes to grow, persevere, evolve, and make this world a better place.

Open Letter to Educators for 2021 School Year

Dear Principal, Educator, or Guardian of Future Learning,

 

I’m certain that you receive multiple complaints, gripes, and other negative messages daily. I will strive to ensure this is not one of them. This COVID-19 pandemic has seen the best, and the worst of humanity come to the fore. Between worrying about how our economy will survive businesses being closed, to listening to news and social media spread conflicting information faster than the disease it’s about, America is at a crossroads for how our future generations will look back upon this time.

As a parent of two boys who are both high-risk, as well as having two high-risk adults living in our home, I worry about how institutions across this great nation will proceed. I understand that we have the choice of keeping our children home and using online tools for their education. If it follows anything similar to how the last school year ended, I fear my children’s success. Individual teachers acted as though their class was the only one, and piled on one to two hours of work each day per class. Even with three adults helping supplement the reading my children did and trying to teach them the subjects that the online tools couldn’t, they struggled. The biggest problem with online tools is that it offers little opportunity for the students to ask for clarification, or to have something rephrased.

I don’t want this to seem like a gripe letter. Some teachers were excellent and contacted their students to work with them via Zoom or other online tools. While this still left a significant burden on parents who continued working, it was much appreciated. One on one training like this isn’t sustainable in most situations, however.

With some parents complaining about forcing their children to comply with state and local mandates to wear masks, it puts everyone who attends the schools in person at risk. Faculty and Staff will be forced to spend much of their time and effort either enforcing the rules instead of educating their pupils, or putting themselves and other students at risk as well as the families of students and teachers. I will gladly fight and argue for people being allowed to make their own choices, except when they are putting others at risk to exercise their freedoms. An adult may drink alcohol to excess, and that is their choice. But the second they get behind a wheel and decide to drive—again, their choice—they put others’ lives at risk, whether they end up in an accident or not. People can choose to wear a mask or not at home, but the second they leave and interact with society, they are putting others at risk. The argument that they are healthy, so why wear a mask, sounds the same as the drunk stating they are good enough to drive. Their judgment is impaired by the aforementioned social media and news spreading conflicting information.

I was raised never to present a problem unless I had a possible solution. Schools can offer their classes virtually. And educator can connect to a Zoom meeting—or whatever means the school district dictates—and students can log in and listen to their teacher. The technology is there that students can ask questions when they need, and teachers can provide instant feedback. This method also allows for a digital process of roll-taking. Chats can be incorporated, allowing for group note-taking, should the teacher allow it. I acknowledge that this will create a little more overhead for teachers, as they schedule their classes. But once set up, it would be little different than how education proceeded for centuries. The teacher stands and instructs, the students take notes, listen, or ask questions as appropriate. Assignments can still be given out via email or your school’s portal and turned in by the same method.

Teachers would still be able to utilize their classrooms for instruction. They would spend the same amount of time in their classrooms as they did before. There would be less trash and mess to clean up at the end of the day. Books could be delivered digitally, cutting back on waste. Even if a child is sick, they would still be able to attend lessons. It would offer more opportunities for children NOT to miss school. This method protects everyone, and no one would have to wear a mask.

I know that this would drastically change our education system. Teachers would have to pay closer attention to whose face is logged in at the other end. Parents will have to keep a closer eye on what their children are doing during school hours to make sure they are where they need to be.

I will admit that there will be difficulties. Despite government efforts, broadband is not available everywhere. Not everyone has a computer or smartphone to connect to classes. These issues are a minority. School districts can work with these families to provide a system for the student if they meet qualifications. If their access to the internet is insufficient, I must ask how they finished the last school year? I do not want to disparage their ability to learn, as a good education is the best hope for everyone’s future. There are programs to get them the internet access they need.

The only hurdle that cannot be overcome with this method is the social engagements and interactions that students enjoy during school. They could interact through the virtual class during appropriate times, but they will miss the physical interactions. My best solution to this is that parents of students that do not have a high-risk person in their home could schedule “play dates.” Those that are high risk will not likely be sending their children out to bring back a disease that, as of this writing, has about a ~4% mortality rate in the nation. While some places boast of a <1% mortality rate, I must ask at what number is any death justified because of the discomfort of wearing a mask?

I ask that you consider the path of teaching via virtual classrooms to ensure that the best education is offered to our children, while simultaneously allowing people not to wear a mask, and keeping our future generations safe.

 

Thank you,

A Concerned Parent

 

Good luck with that...

     I have kept my mouth shut. I’ve kept quiet. I’ve tried to be that watched pot, and not boil. The pressure has built up, and now it’s time to burst. This nation—this wonderful nation—is wounded. Full disclosure before I move on to my rant: I voted, but not for Hillary, or Donald, or as I called them, Dillary. I didn’t make the decision on who I voted for based on sex. I could care less what kind of sex an Oompa-Loompa has. I didn’t make my decision based on gender either. I disagreed with too many of their promises (pronounced in this context as “lies”) to pick one, and my conscience wouldn’t allow me to “pick the lesser evil.” Okay, with that out of the way… Wait, where did I put my soap box…? Hmm… Aw, screw it. Moving on!

     Many of you know my stance on various topics because you’ve read my previous blog posts. If you haven’t, bookmark this post and go ahead and read them. I warn you, my opinions (hereafter referred to as facts) can offend some people. Read the lighter fare and decide if you want to risk this one. I intend to be blunter here. I intend to be honest and truthful, even if it paints me in a poor light. I even intend to back up my facts with a work’s cited at the end! Oh, joy!

     Now to start out with, let me get this off my chest: I don’t care who you voted for, or who you supported during the election. If you voted, good on you! If you didn’t, hide your shame and do better next time. Donald Trump, with all his orange, er… colorful characteristics won the election according to the laws of this nation. If you stand up and claim that he is not your president, then you are either an illegal immigrant or intend to move out of the United States. If you’re sticking around, then he IS your president, like it or not. I didn’t like Obama and his politics, but he was still my president for the past eight years. I understand that Trump lost the popular vote, but our election system is based on an electoral voting system and has been for longer than anyone has been alive. “The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.” (What is the Electoral College? n.d.) If you don’t like that fact, then write your congressman or representative. Standing in a crowd and proclaiming that the legal winner of the election is not your president does nothing. Unless Trump is found guilty of some impeachable offense, he IS the President of these United States… At least until the next election.

     I’m not saying that protesting is pointless, or shouldn’t be done. Rioting, looting, and breaking laws because you don’t agree with something SHOULDN’T be done. Legal protesting should happen, but done with intelligent action. Protest the election process, not the final result. Protest a law BEFORE it’s passed, not after it’s too late. Yes, laws can be repealed, but that’s like going on a date with a known killer. You know what could happen by doing it, but what’s the point in complaining when they’re holding a knife to your throat? Bit extreme? I’m not sorry.

     I’m sick and tired of all of this apologizing for things that are ridiculous. I will not apologize because I am a white male. I was raised Christian, and have many of those beliefs, though I’ve decided to form my own religion: Humanity. What I was born and raised as does not mean that I am a bad person. What I’m driving at is this movement of political correctness. In my humble fact, the most egregious of this is the taboo term of Muslim Extremist Terrorism. No, not all terrorists are Muslim, and MOST Muslim’s are peaceful. But when they decide to go to the extreme and commit terrorism, then call them what they are! If they're a terrorist, but not a Muslim, then that term wouldn’t fit them. Yes, some terms have an insult built right into them like the infamous “N” word. But calling a person of color African American, when they’ve never been to Africa seems a little silly. They’re black (or brown), just as I’m white (or beige with a hint of pink except when I get burned in the summer). I don’t expect people to refer to me as European American. I have a friend who came to America from Madagascar. Great guy! He was my roommate during my last tour of Iraq. He qualifies as African American.

If you’re still reading this, then you seem to have thicker skin than most. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back. Or better yet, send the link to this blog to another person who has or needs common sense in their lives.

     I want to go back to the political situation. No, I’m not going to tackle the whole “Alternative facts” fiasco or the fake terror incident. That has enough comedy written into it without me adding. Believe what you will about Left Wing protesters blocking security entrances during the inauguration, but consider the sources, and ALWAYS use Snopes (www.snopes.com) to verify anything, especially if you read it from Facebook, or Breitbart, or any other site that is not legitimate news. Be very wary of fake news. If it is something that sounds unbelievable, it might actually be. I even encourage you to follow up on this blog post and check for yourself.

     I’ve heard and read many people saying that they hope Trump fails… Let me allow that statement sink in a little bit. They want the leader of this nation to fail, and thereby drag this nation down with them. This is the true height of folly and hubris. People are so upset that their candidate didn’t win, that they want the nation to fail. Make no mistake: the President of the United States is the leader of this country, and if he fails, we all fail. Like it or not, Trump is the man in that seat. This is like being on an oceanic cruise, and a fellow passenger shows you a tape of the captain making a sexist remark. Instead of disliking the captain, you want him to run the ship into an iceberg… Brilliant!

     Don’t take that the wrong way. What Trump said in that tape YEARS AGO was sexist, misogynist, and is held in almost every high school locker-room across the nation. I’m not condoning it, but men talk like that when it’s just men, and they feel comfortable doing so. The small budget movie, Range 15 (Range 15), is a great example of how men act when they’re alone. Believe me when I say I’ve heard much worse during my time as a soldier. It’s not right, and it’s not appropriate, but if you want a man who has never spoken that way in his entire life or been a part of such a conversation, you’ll have to find one who has never been through puberty or one who was never alone amongst other men. I’m not proud of it, but even I have been caught up in one of these conversations, though I never said anything as crude as what was on that tape. I won’t defend my past actions, but I will say that in my house, the toilet seat gets put down, my wife’s needs supersede my own, and I believe in equality. Did I just contradict myself in that last statement? Maybe I should be a politician!

     Let’s do a quick tally… At this point, I’ve probably pissed off the race-sensitive, insulted the brainpower of some protesters, torqued the religious from my previous post, struck a chord with the bleeding hearts, and inflamed the feminists. Who’s next? The minimum wage millennials, or the Obamacare fanatics? Heck, why not take them in order.

     Let’s do some simple math. An employer needs to pay their employees a decent wage. That wage comes out of the business’s profits. When a person works hard enough to increase those profits, they deserve a raise. If an employee gets a raise, but there isn’t a corresponding rise in profits, that money has to come from somewhere. Either cut costs or increase the price of goods. Cutting costs could mean letting employees go. Increases the costs of goods does nothing for the employee, whose higher pay rate now goes to cover an increase in the cost of living. So… The minimum wage goes up, and either people lose their jobs, or the cost of living increases, making the whole thing moot.

     “But wait!” you say? “The greedy employer should just cover that. Why should they make that money, when I’m the one working for it? They should be the ones to take the loss.” That answer isn’t as simple. A business owner is at risk and has put a lot of their money into building their business. Small business owners often have a very small margin that they take for themselves. They aren’t greedy, and they often work harder than any of their employees, making less per hour for their efforts. “Okay, okay,” you’ll reply, a sneer in your tone as you think you have me cornered. “But what about large corporations? They can afford to take a pay cut to make sure 16-year-old Tommy can make $15 per hour flipping burgers.” Please stop here for a moment and give me a second to stop laughing… … … …

     Large corporations won’t do that. They’ll put in computers, or robots, or machines that cost a lot up front, but will be less expensive in the long run. Especially when you consider the cost of health insurance, Worker’s Comp, paid leave, etc. (Peterson, H., 2015) Gripe, and groan, and protest, but big business isn’t going to cut their profits. And now for my coup de grace on this subject: minimum wage was never designed for someone to make a decent living. It was designed for high school kids, and those joining the workforce to get their foot in and work their way up. Yes, I know this economy hasn’t been the best for that. I know many people would love to work their way up and earn a better income. I did that. Unfortunately, there is a large vocal group that wants to make more without earning it. The unfortunate trend shown in the media over the last few years has been a mentality of give it to me now, and I’ll earn it later. Good luck with that.

     And let’s talk about that insurance. Here’s where I’m going to lose a few more of you. I mentioned near the beginning that I didn’t support President Obama or his politics, and his Affordable Care Act was one of those agendas I opposed. Before the pitchforks come out, keep reading. I’m not against affordable healthcare. Heck, in fact, I’m all for it! Many of you know my wife’s health issues, and there have been times when we couldn’t afford the medication that keeps her alive. My objections were with the way the wool was pulled over the American public’s eyes. They (Here the word ‘they’ refers to all the politicians that were trying to push the ACA through) stated time and again that it would not be a tax, though those that were fighting it claimed it would be. In the end, in order for it to pass the Supreme Court, it had to be classified as a tax… “The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax. Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.” (Supreme Court ObamaCare) And who could forget such wise nuggets of common sense like this quote, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.” (Christopher, T., 2013) I understand what she was trying to say, but she failed miserably.

     The ACA was something that had the right ideas behind it, but poor execution. My insurance premiums went up, making it harder for me to make a living and afford insurance. Insurance that I have to have, or get fined/taxed for not having it. I’m not saying the healthcare system was perfect—or even good before—but the ACA broke it for those who could afford healthcare, and caused problems for those needing to get it. So let me say once more, the ACA was a terribly implemented good idea, but there has to be something better. Too bad all we have are politicians to figure out what that something better is. I know more people have healthcare now than did before, but time will tell as the years pile onto the ACA. Will it be repealed, and replaced with something better? We’ll see….

     Wow! I think I’m almost out of steam here. Are there any groups left that I haven’t offended or upset? Like… Oh. My. Gosh! There totally is!

     The Gimme Generation that needs a safe place to be cuddled and swaddled in. I’ll make this one brief. Yes, you’re special, but you’re not a little snowflake. Grow up, and realize that the world doesn’t owe you anything. Go out and earn it! Don’t give excuses as to why you can’t! Come up with solutions. You’re tougher than you let on. Quit asking for handouts. Dang it, now I’m starting to sound like some self-help infomercial. The fact of the matter is, in this world, if you want something you have two choices: take it from someone who worked for it, or work for it yourself. Too many are starting to do the former, without even trying the latter. Listen, I get it. It’s easier to take than to put forth the effort and work for something. Unfortunately, you’ll never get anywhere other than being a bottom feeder with that mentality. Don’t take this as criticism of the entire generation. There are many good eggs in it. Take this as criticism of the bad eggs that are spoiling the rest of the bunch.

     I think I’ll finish this rant with an eye on the gender confused. Whoa, whoa! Put down that organic latte, and listen to me. I don’t care if you were born a man, and identify internally as a woman. I don’t care if that last sentence is backward to your situation. I couldn’t care less if you’re a potato and identify as a strawberry. If you want to be a woman, become a woman. If you want to be a man, then do so. BUT, until you do, use the bathroom that matches your plumbing. If you’ve made the change, then your plumbing has been swapped, and you can use the appropriate defecation location.

     If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re either a human being (or some other sentient being) with a soul and a fair amount of common sense or have a very thick skin. I do have to wonder who might have quit reading, and either blocked me or went straight to the bottom to comment.
Well, I think I’ll step down from this soapbox, and let you get back to your regularly scheduled life!

Works Cited

Christopher, T. (2013, November 17). The Context Behind Nancy Pelosi’s Famous ‘We Have to Pass the Bill’ Quote. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.mediaite.com/tv/the-context-behind-nancy-pelosis-famous-we-have-to-pass-the-bill-quote/

Peterson, H. (2015, August 06). McDonald's shoots down fears it is planning to replace cashiers with kiosks. Retrieved February 02, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/what-self-serve-kiosks-at-mcdonalds-mean-for-cashiers-2015-8

Range 15, www.range15.com, 2016.

Supreme Court ObamaCare | Ruling on ObamaCare. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://obamacarefacts.com/supreme-court-obamacare/

"What is the Electoral College?" National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

*I'll

My New Religion

With all the hate and vitriol being spat out in the media, politics, and the internet, I decided to do something worse. I am starting my own religion!

Now, before you start slinging mud, let me say this: I am not doing this for power, monetary gain, or because I’ve received a vision from a burning bush or on a hillside. I’m doing this because I believe in my deepest heart, that this needs to be done.

I guess the first thing that needs to be done, is to name my new religion. I thought about naming it Jace-ism, but if you look at my second paragraph, you’ll see why this is a bad idea. I’m not doing this for notoriety. How about calling it Humanity? I think you’ll see why this name fits as you continue reading. You are still reading, right? You’re not on your way to my house with pitchforks and torches? Great!

So, I guess the next thing to do is state my beliefs. My first belief is that human beings by and large, are good. The media may portray us as bad, evil people, but if you think about the billions of people in the world, and how only a few are performing terrible acts, then I have to conclude that we are good overall. If not, humanity would have died out centuries ago.

My second belief is harder for many people to follow. Live and let live. A simple statement, but in this era of reality television, government spying, and internet access shrinking our mental image of the world, too many people are putting their noses where it doesn’t belong. To follow this tenant of Humanity, all you have to do when confronting someone is ask yourself a simple question. “Do their actions/beliefs/words/appearance/etc. affect me in such a way, that it impedes on my life?” If the answer is no, then leave them alone. Here is an example: your neighbor’s dog regularly defecates on your lawn, and you have to clean it up. Yes, this impedes on your life, and you should talk to them. Notice how I said “talk”? I didn’t say fight them, or force them to conform to your views. If they choose not to change their actions that impede on your life, then take actions to stop them, without impeding on their life. Put up a fence. Spray your lawn. Heck, toss it back into their yard, but don’t throw it on their porch or their house. That’s disgusting, and goes against a belief further down about revenge.

Another portion of this belief is to live your life in such a way that you’re not impeding someone else’s life. You can talk about your beliefs, but it is wrong to try and force your beliefs on them. If someone wants to pray in school, let them. If someone doesn’t want to, don’t force them to. If someone wants to say, “In God we trust,” that’s just fine. If someone doesn’t, okay. Don’t try to force your way of life or beliefs onto another.

As another example of live and let live, your neighbor is gay, or has a different religion or no religion, or has facial piercings. They aren’t trying to get you to follow their way of life. Neither are they trying to hide who they are. In this circumstance, they aren’t affecting you, and you should let them live the way they want. I don’t care that an ancient text states that they’re wrong. My Humanity religion says to let them live the way they want, as long as they aren’t trying to force you. Don’t force them.

Okay, I think I made my point there. On to the next principle belief of the new Humanity religion. Be quick to forgive. This one can be truly difficult. Some wounds cut deep. I’m not saying you should forgive every hurt done to you, either. But I will say that revenge is a terrible idea. I’m also not saying to turn the other cheek. Instead, turn your back on them and walk away. No good comes from continuing a fight, unless it is to stop further harm. Here are some examples. Someone says terrible things about your children that aren’t true. Set them straight, then walk away. Don’t insult their kids; don’t insult them. Just state your piece and walk away. Another example: someone shoots your dog. Call the cops. Don’t shoot them. Don’t threaten them. Let the authorities do their job. Once restitution is achieved, forgive and forget about them. The only time force should be used is when it is absolutely necessary to stop violence. You see someone beating someone up? Restrain them. Don’t use any more force than you have to in order to stop the situation.

You’ll likely have noticed at this point that I’ve yet to mention any deity or higher power in my new religion. There is a good reason for this. My religion of Humanity doesn’t hinge on the belief or disbelief of any one single or multiple powers that be. Because of this, you can follow my new religion and continue in any other. You can be Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Wiccan, or even atheist, and still be a believer in Humanity. Humanity doesn’t discriminate against other religions, but accepts them, without trying to coerce a change in your core beliefs. There are no weekly meetings for Humanity, only what you hold in your heart. There are no tithes, or offerings made to Humanity, unless you choose to donate to verifiable charities. My new religion does not accept offerings, but encourages helping those less fortunate.

There are some things that go without saying in my Humanity religion, but I’d better say anyway so that there is no confusion. Don’t kill other humans. Don’t kill animals only for sport. Killing animals for food is just fine, as long as you do your best not to waste. Don’t steal, don’t lie, and don’t commit adultery… Sounding familiar? These things are truly easy to follow, if you follow live and let live. Once again, let people live the way they want, and don’t strong-arm them to follow your beliefs.

My last tenant of Humanity is arguably the most important. Children are our future. They must be raised with an open mind, but a firm grasp on reality. This can be difficult today. It is my belief that children should be disciplined when they do wrong, and praised when they do right. This does not mean taking a belt to them, or anything that can leave a bruise when disciplining. I’m also not condoning hiding your disciplinary measures. Too often today we see kids in the grocery store throwing a tantrum, and their parents ignoring them. Or worse, they’re hitting or causing damage, but the parents seem apathetic. When these children grow up, they will think the world should bow to them and their wishes. They will feel entitled, but the world doesn’t work that way. I believe that there should be an escalation of force when it comes time for punishment. At the first sign of poor behavior, warn them. If that fails, follow through with your warning, whether that means taking something away, or grounding them. If the behavior continues, escalate. A spanking should be the last thing to occur, and even then kept to a minimum. I’m not saying don’t spank, either, but keep it under moderation. I’ve had to spank my boys on rare occasions, but when I have, it was a single one, and they behaved. I have never had to spank more than once.

Parents shouldn’t ignore their children. This goes for both the good and bad behavior. When your child passes a test, praise them. When they fail a test, make them study harder, don’t blame the teacher. We all love our children, but as much as we want to believe otherwise, they’re not perfect. It is our responsibility as parent’s to get them as close to that goal as possible. Also, make sure they know they are loved. Sometimes, all it takes is saying the words. “I love you.” Three little words, but they can mean a whole lot to little hearts and minds.

Finally, I will say this for my new religion: there are no priests, or bishops, or clergy of any kind. We are all equals in Humanity. Treat each other as such, even those that don’t follow these words. Don’t hate your neighbor, or coworker because they hold different beliefs from yours.

As with any religion, this one isn’t perfect. Detractors of Humanity will say that what I’ve written here will make me a pushover. You’ll note that I never said you can’t stand up for your beliefs. I actually recommend that you do. Just don’t take it to the point that you a attempting to force someone else to your way of thinking. Force is the key word.

Others might claim that the religion of Humanity will me a bleeding-heart. If caring about my fellow humans, while being tolerant of any ideas or feelings they have that differ from mine make me a bleeding-heart, then fine. I accept that.

There are likely other points of view that I am missing. If so, I would like to hear them below in the comments. Some of you who know me may think that this is a joke, but I am being serious. Today, December 1, 2015, I am declaring the new religion I have called Humanity to be a real one. No, I will not apply for a tax exempt status. If any of you who are still reading this believe as I do, great! If you don’t, that’s fine also. My reason for doing this is because I’m sick and tired of hearing all the vitriol and hatred on the news, in politics, and from other religions. Today I declare myself a part of Humanity!

I'm back! [Finally!]

Wow, it's been awhile since I've been here. Please excuse the dust. I can't say I'll post regularly, but I plan on posting again! Keep your eyes peeled, and your ears and hearts open. Things are about to get rough.

Why don't Kuwait for me? Iraq as soon as I can.

My first post from a foreign country, and when I say foreign, I really mean alien. Being a young man (Please let me keep my illusions) born and living the majority of my life in Utah, this place is... Dead. I know Utah is considered a paradise, but frankly, it is a tropical paradise compared to Kuwait. There is no (and I stress NO) vegetation anywhere in sight. No grass. No trees. There aren't even any weeds! Technically this is my third time here, but somehow I had forgotten what a desolate wasteland this is. Buildings, sand and rock as far as the eye can see (which is pretty far, considering the extreme lack of mountains).

On a brighter note, they just fixed the AC, and I now have power again, so there is something! They also have wi-fi internet that is rather expensive, considering the speeds I am pulling. And even though it is 120 degrees outside, it is a dry heat. I solemnly swear never to complain about the heat again, so long as it is dry. I much prefer the weather outside, to 90 degrees and 80% humidity. Crazy I know, but I prefer to breathe my air, not swim in it. I will never understand why the military thinks it is a great idea to have us train for a desert environment in a humid place. The food is worth the price I paid for it, which is free, but there are other choices, ranging from the likes of KFC and Taco to Baskin Robbins and Starbucks/Green Bean. They also have the most high-class port-o-potties here, complete with tile flooring, and porcelain urinals and toilets, and in this heat, I must say they are a true pleasure to use (To much sarcasm?).

The best part of this short trip through the Devil's backyard, is that even though we will be here for a little over a week, there are only 3 days of training planned, and all of the training could be compressed into 1 day, if not for the heat. Guess I am going to get in a lot of movie time.

Well, the dinner bell is playing (They just played retreat.), so I am going to eat. Take care, all!

Freedom - Poem

Freedom

The crowd gathers, listening,
To those who scream so loud,
About injustice and the war
And how they are not proud

Of the men who went to war
To combat terror's reign.
They sat we have no business there,
That we are all insane.

They burn our Flag, our Banner true,
The symbol of our land,
Not thinking of the millions dead
So that it could stand.

They call our soldiers butchers,
And protest through the night,
Not remembering men have died,
So they could have that right.

They call our country wicked,
And say that we're a shame.
Not thinking that there, people die
For saying Jesus's name.

They call our soldiers evil,
And say they shouldn't fight;
But if everyone had that mindset,
We'd lose our every right.

So think of all the people
Who fought through mud and dust.
And all the unknown soldiers
Who died for “God We Trust”.

You have your freedom easy.
You take it for granted, see,
But remember those who died for you;
Because freedom's never free.

Unknown

Is there a "write" or wrong way?

Wow! Talk about a busy few weeks! As many of you know I am going through the beginning pains of a military activation. The tearful goodbyes, the acclimation from a dry climate to a hot & humid one, and then the poorly thought out rules. No leaving post, no alcohol, and of course, no entertainment on post. But that is okay, because I truly don't have time for entertainment. But I didn't start this post to complain, so on with the show!

I have been told that I am a discovery writer, and I believe this is true... To an extent. I don't start with a written outline, or even research and notes. I do start with a story mostly fleshed out in my mind, then sit and start writing. Often times the characters will take the story in places I hadn't originally anticipated. When I create a character, I will have a rough idea who they are supposed to be, and how big a role they will play, only to learn through their dialogue and actions that they aren't who I thought they were in the beginning.

Some might be thinking, "But wait! You are the author... Don't you dictate who they are and what they do?" My answer to this is yeah/no. I create them, give them voice, and design their setting, but their actions have to be taken into account on everything they do. If I were to force their actions, it would be apparent in my writing, and I don't want that. I sometimes feel like a parent to these characters, even getting teary eyed when one has to die. I HATE killing my characters.

The one thing I feel I can force, is the scenery. It rains when I tell it too, the sun sets and rises on my whim, and the geography is laid out rather nicely. At one point in my story, I realized that there had been no rain. So, to make up for it, I created a downpour... And one of my characters ended up getting sick. A great (IMHO) delusional scene came from that. My character was fleshed out more, his motives examined, and in the end, he was a stronger character. But none of this was in my original vision of the story. There are many, many other examples of this happening in my story.

In the end, I wouldn't say I am a cut and dried discovery writer, but rather an amalgamation of sorts.

What kind of writer are you?

Back it on up!

Aaaannnnddd.... I'm back! Sorry for the long delay, but here we go!

So over the weekend my mother's laptop went down. (It was a Dell, and despite my many comments on the quality of Dell systems over the years, she has still purchased them because of their price... And has to get new ones every couple years.) Luckily she has a geek in the family (namely me!), and I got to work on it. Unfortunately the hard drive was bad, data unrecoverable by any of the means at my disposal. My sister had been using this laptop for work, and... Wait for it... She hadn't backed up her data. There is a saying I used to use when I worked in St. George as a computer technician at PC Innovation. "If you didn't back it up, then it wasn't important." Many people have their entire lives on their computers, but never consider the very good possibility that something will break, and all will be lost. I have known people who have lost all their wedding photos, years worth of financial records, and on a more personal note, I have had to rewrite the beginning of my novel 3 times, due to not backing up properly. (See how I tied that into being an aspiring author?)

With today's technology it is so easy to backup the important things, everybody should be doing it. There are many options available as far as backup suites and automated software, but in truth, the best way I have found is to simply copy the data you need to an external source. Whether that is an extra hard drive, thumb drive, or even to the internet. Thumb drives are cheap, and will fit most people's need for backup space. Those that need more room can go for an external hard drive. My preferred method is call Dropbox. What it does is create a folder on your computer. Anything saved to that folder is automatically backed up to the web. Better yet, because it gets backed up to the web, you can set it up on multiple computers, and access (or update) the files from anywhere. The next best part is that you can get almost 3 gigs (gigabytes) of storage for free! (Full disclosure: I am in no way financially tied/linked to Dropbox. I have a free account with 2.75GB of available storage. If you choose to use the above link to create an account with them, I will get credit for it. I recommend you do your own research, and choose for yourself how to go about storing your backups.)

"Well, that's all fine and dandy," you might be saying, "but that doesn't really help me back up, just tells me where to put it." I used to have a hard time with my wife. She would do a lot of photo editing, then browse the internet, get a virus, and loose her work. Naturally I was to blame, because I hadn't backed up her work for her, and she didn't know how. (Yeah, I know... I didn't marry a geek, but she makes up for it in other areas.) I created a batch file (more on that later) that would backup all of her data for her. 3 months later I checked... and she hadn't done a backup in 3 months, go fig. The moral here is, BACK UP your data!

Now I will help you create a batch file to help you backup your data:
1. Right-click on a blank spot on your desktop, and select "New" -> "Text Document"
2. Name the file "Backup.txt" without the quotes.
3. Open the file, and copy and paste the following text into it.

@echo off
@echo WARNING!
@echo This will overwrite anything
@echo in the destination folder.
@echo Press CTRL-C to cancel, or
pause
@echo Backing up files
xcopy /e /v /y *.* c:\Dropbox\
@echo Backup complete
pause

4. Save the files as "Backup.bat" (Again, without the quotes)
5. Place this batch file in any folder you want backed up.
6. Run the file whenever you want to backup.

The batch file is pretty simple, and can easily be modified to fit your needs. Say you only need your pictures backed up? In that case, change *.* to *.jpg (or *.mp3, or *.(whatever extension the file(s) have)) The batch was written assuming you have a Dropbox account, and created the folder on the "C:\" drive. If you want to backup somewhere else, just change the last of that line to the destination. C:\ is the drive letter. If you are using another drive, change C to that drive letter (i.e. D:\ or G:\)

For a walkthru on making this automated, visit here.

Questions, comments, or better ideas? PLEASE lemme know!

The Call

We know that day will come,
When the call to serve will ring.
For some it brings fear,
And some a sense of well being.

We know that day will come,
When the call to serve will ring.
For others hope will rise,
For truth & justice, and freedom bring.

We know that when it comes,
We will rise to The Call,
To leave our families, our lives,
And to fight for us all.

We know that when it comes,
We will rise to The Call,
And see that evil everywhere,
Before our feet will fall.

We are the Triple Deuce,
And to the world we’ll show:
The strength inside of us,
And give tyranny a mighty blow.

We are the Triple Deuce,
And then world will know:
That when we receive the call,
The Triple Deuce will go!

J Knight Bybee

Prequel: Chapter 1

Because I have actually had to work for a living these last couple weeks, my blogging & creativity have taken a hit (Unless you count the poem I wrote last night at midnight... Yeah, highly sleep deprived!)

If you have been following me, You know why I have been struggling. So in an effort to at least try and stay on top of this whole blogging thing, I have decided to put up the first chapter of my prequel. Please, please, please (I can beg more, just ask me) let me know what you think!






Chapter 1
Commander

Alarm klaxons rang out, echoing loudly off hallways and corridors. Rushed footsteps, and shouted commands were buried under the noise. Tension hung heavy in the air as all hands ran to their respective stations. A few paused along the port side to catch a glimpse of the war vessel that was threatening them.

"I said, Turn off that klaxon!" Star-Commander Renile screamed (the klaxons ending in the middle of his request). "Thank you," he snapped. Renile, his hair gray at the temples, and the still flashing alarm lights reflecting off his bald cap, was in a very poor mood.

Renile faced his second in command, Captain Hapter, and glared angrily. "How did they follow us? You said that warp jump would leave them behind!"

"I'm not sure, Sir. It should have worked. I don't understand how they made that second jump so quickly." Hapter's voice was strained, and Renile smiled inwardly. It was always good to keep your underlings in their place. He let none of that smile show, as he faced the mammoth display on the far wall. "Status report!"

The bridge went into a flurry of action, as everyone turned to face his or her terminals.

"Sir," an Ensign stood and saluted, "with the upgrades to the warp engines, we will be ready for another jump in about fifteen minutes.” Sweat began to bead on the younger man’s upper lip. “Sections two, seven through ten, and twenty-four are venting life support. The areas affected have been sealed, but we have lost access to some key parts of the ship. Also--"

Already bored with the report, Renile cut off the Ensign. He knew that they had taken damage. That’s war. He wanted to know if they could fight back. "What is the status of our shields and weapons?"

The Ensign, Renile couldn't remember the man’s name at the moment, and truthfully, he didn't care, glanced down at his portable screen. "With the damage to section eight, our weapons are at forty-three percent, and our shields are still down."

"Sir?!" Commander Renile demanded, angry that this lowly Ensign had forgotten to address him properly.

"Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir."

"Divert all available resources into getting our weapons and shields back up." Renile grunted in disgust. The fool Ensign probably hadn’t even thought to do any of this. Renile knew better than to trust that men would do what was common sense.

"Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir.” The Ensign glanced down at his handheld. “It will take several days to fix the shields and get them operational. We can’t even touch the weapons until we fix the holes in our hull."

"Sir," Captain Hapter interrupted, "they are hailing us."

Renile glared at his captain before flicking his wrist at the screen.

The image of a handsome woman appeared, her brown hair pulled back sharply and forced into a tight bun. Her austere face and small nose showed none of the familial features that ran in the Renile family.

"Star-Admiral Renile," Thal Renile addressed his younger sister, "I am so glad you were able to keep up with us."

"Drop the crap, little brother, this ends now. Your shields are down, your weapons are crippled. Surrender and I will try to make sure you have a fair trial." He bristled at being called little brother. He was the elder, but she outranked him, and had him in height by a couple inches.

Thal could feel Keirin Renile's cold fuze to his bones. He had been right to defy her, to refuse to attack that frigate filled with refuges. That she would talk down to him in front of his men, just added more insult. He had earned the title of Star-Commander, and he expected to get his due.

"I will surrender when I'm dead! Those refuges didn't need to die. They were no threat, and were unarmed. You should be placed on trial."

Commander Renile turned away from the screen and gave the signal to terminate the connection.

"That was a direct order! It is your duty—" His younger sister's voice was abruptly silenced as the signal was cut.

"Sir, they are powering up their weapons. We won't last long under another bombardment. We need a few more minutes before our next jump is plotted. We won't live long enough," Hapter stated beside him.

"Well, we will just have to jump with the data we have."

"With all due respect, Sir, there’s no telling where we’ll end up." Hapter's jaw snapped shut at Renile’s look. Did the man really think he was an idiot? How could Renile have become a commander without knowing that? Jumping without having the entire route plotted could land them anywhere, including inside a planet or sun?

"Do it, or die! Or would you rather I boot you out the hatch to her?" Renile said, nodding to the empty screen.

"Plot the jump quickly, Ensign Keller." Hapter ordered.

Ensign Keller's hands flew across his terminal.

Renile sat in his chair, trying to present an air of confidence, but inside he roiled.

"Incoming barrage, prepare for impact. Ensign, it's now or never. Punch it!" Hapter yelled.

The ship lurched, and shook, then everything went white.


Okay, I lost some of the formatting on pasting it here, so please forgive me if I missed a paragraph. And please let me know in the comments what you think.

A Soldier

I passed a soldier the other day,
Talking to his family far away.
He gave his love, claiming all would be "alright"
They need not fear, he was far from the fight.

I asked him why he chose this life,
Away from his family and wife,
He said it was for their rights,
That he would always choose to fight.

That day, his words stuck with me,
That for their rights, he wouldn't flee.
He would fight for his beliefs,
For others, he delivers relief.

Months later, I would see him in the news,
There would be a fight. One he would lose.
He fought bravely, and not in vain.
Many enemy soldiers he had slain.

His friends were in dire straights
They needed help, before it was too late.
Three soldiers owe him their life,
He left behind two kids, and a wife.

I tell this tale not to make you sad,
Though I know, there are those that will get mad.
These words were written, tears in eyes,
For all those soldiers, families, lives.

A solder right now fights for rights,
Be they ours, or under some distant lights.
Even when they are very far,
Their heart sits next to all of ours.

So when you see a soldier in the street,
Make a point to give a greet.
They have families just like you,
In this country of Red, White & Blue.

Author: SGT Bybee, Jace K

Coping with Time Management (Or Lack Thereof)

Wow! I started to get a great schedule down, blogging on Mondays, editing on Tuesdays, working on my prequel Wednesdays. Thursday was reserved for tying up loose ends. By then I am with my family, and though I love my family dearly, it is impossible to work on my writing with them around. (Note: Yes, today is Friday, and I am around family. It has taken me over 30 minutes just to write this much.)

So what happened? Fridays have become my new days to blog, and no time to write or edit. (Okay, absolutely no joke, it is now Saturday morning, and I am at work... Shh, don't tell my boss.) What happened was a shift in work for this month. Instead of getting paid for my hobby (if you have been following me, you will know I am a geek!), I have been put on orders till near the end of next month. This shift has taken away nearly all my time. Never fret, I will endure, and get back on schedule as soon as possible. My WIPs are screaming for attention, and I want to work on them. Which is probably why this post is going to be so short... Ta-ta!

How do you deal with time management issues?

Confidently Humble

I have a phrase I use to describe myself. "I am the ultimate geek, minus three things: I don't wear taped together glasses, I don't wear a pocket protector, and I am danged good looking!" (Note: Last part is edited for younger readers.) Yes, I am confident in myself. I know my skills, I know my personality, and I know who/what I want to be. Why, then, do I find myself so nervous when someone is reading my WIP(Work In Progress)?

Last Monday, at my Writer's League meeting, we broke into two groups to help critique what others had brought. I had brought the first two chapters of my as yet unnamed prequel. Two others in the group brought their WIPs, and five in the group meant that not all of us were reading, some waiting. I waited... It felt like I had handed my newborn baby to a stranger. What would she think? Would she hate it? Was it even worth sharing?

Parts of my prequel are sci-fi, the first two chapters, very much so. The nice lady reading my WIP wasn't a sci-fi fan, and didn't understand much of the lingo. She gave some wonderful advice on a few terms that could use some clarifying. The next round I was able to read someone else's, which took my mind off of my own. What I read was good, and truthfully, there was little I could offer to help her. I received some good feedback on mine: A few sentence structure issues, but otherwise a good start. The next person to read mine is a real-life editor. Within seconds she was marking up my pages and writing in the margins. After page one she looks up at me, and asks if she what she is doing is okay? I'll be honest, my first thought was, If it is that bad on page one, how bad must the rest of it be? Knowing that, just as we sometimes have to let our children get hurt so that they can grow, my WIP needed this in order to get better.

Our meeting ended before she had the opportunity to finish reading. She gave me some excellent advise, and began going over what she had marked. As she turned to page three, I saw how marked up the page was, and was surprised by my own reaction: I was ecstatic! When finished, she told me she wished she had the time to finish reading it. I was more than happy to let her. In the end, she said that it was a good story and really drew her in. She couldn't wait to read the full thing.

At this point, some of you are probably wondering if I am writing this just to brag, or what the point is. I have been called conceited and cocky (Derned right!). I have also been told I am too polite, (I'm sorry). In the end it all boils down to this. When meeting and networking with other people, it is good to be confidant (not cocky), but when it comes to letting others handle your WIP, be very humble. They are not out to destroy it or you. They are there to help it grow and become much stronger.

Tell me in the comments below how you handle others reading your WIP?

The Life and Lies of Every Author

I was once asked if I truly believed that the things I write were real. Since I write fantasy/sci-fi, I had to stop laughing before I could answer. Do I believe that dragons roam the world, and elves are hiding in every forest? Of course not! But afterwords it got me thinking.

This subject came up during the recent Life the Universe & Everything event last February and it got me thinking again. As authors we can see our worlds, hear our characters, and touch their lives. Does this make them real? No more real than any of the other myriad thoughts that flutter through our minds on a daily basis. What then of the thoughts that lay behind our make-believe worlds and characters? Those can be very real.

Dan Wells doesn't have to be a serial killer or even believe that what serial killers do is right, to write about them. That doesn't change the fact that serial killers exist. I have often heard it said that an author writes what they know. (for Dan's sake, I hope he acquired his info from studying rather than experience.)

We do things to our characters, and model these worlds from the clay of our creativity. We force our characters to endure things that would make many normal people break, and then think, What else can I do to them? Part of this is necessary. You can't write a good book without conflict, and it will get mighty boring if the main character does nothing but win all the time. Sometimes it is hard to punish our characters, who want nothing more than to survive to the end of the book, and sometimes it is truly wickedly fun.

In the end, I truly believe that when an author writes, they bare a portion of their soul, or their own psyche if you prefer. Some authors are able to write scenes that would make a Marine cringe, but balk at scenes dealing with *gasp* sex. While some of this may be due to what genre is being written for (i.e. keep erotica out of the hands of YA), I can't help but believe that a large part of the scenes and scenarios that we craft are built from our own moral fiber.

Please tell me in the comments below if you have ever written a scene or story that has made you extremely uncomfortable.

Walk, Crawl, Stumble. . .

Okay, so be honest. Who looked at that title and thought, "Wait! That's backwards. You have to crawl before you can walk!" Well, in truth, normally I would agree with you, but when it comes to my writing, this seems to be the pattern I follow.

I sit down to write the story, my creative juices flowing, not like a river, but more like a steady stream. Finally after much work and effort, I hand my new work to my critique group. As thanks for my efforts, they beat, mutilate, and abuse it. With a smile, I take it back, knowing that they have my best interests at heart.

Here is where I crawl. The edits are great, and I know they are needed, but I have to stop and analyze each one. If it is punctuation: just fix it. If it is grammar: Okay, now how do I fix this? If it is a story issue: here are the hardest ones, as in some cases it is already fixed later in the story. Some I need to figure out how and where to fix it. This process is slow, and difficult, but again, necessary.

Story written, edits done, now you would think I could at least run, but no... Time to have my critique group check my query letter, send them out and wait. Receive rejections, but keep striving forward, knowing that someone will see my work, my passion, and want to take my work to the next level.

Hopefully when that finally happens, I will begin to run. Till then, my fingers will continue to tap out pages, my mind will continue to visit my wide tracks of property in la-la-land, and I will move ever forward.

First post is always the hardest.

Okay, so after three wonderful days this last weekend at LTUE (Life, The Universe, & Everything) at BYU, the advice that was most often stated was that social media- i.e. Facebook, blogging, Twitter, etc- was by far the best way for an emerging author to get their name out there.

For those who are curious as to why on Earth they would want to follow my ramblings, I'll give you three reasons. Because let's face it, three is the fairy-tale number, & it just works! 1. I will blog about what I learn as a new writer, as I try to get published, and post links to other bloggers that interest me. 2. I will keep everyone up-to-date on the status of my W.I.P. (Work In Progress), and maybe even hold contests. 3. On a different note, I will also offer computer advice. Those who know me, know that I am a true geek, and will post advice as I see it.

So to make sure I keep all my promises in one post, step one is already done. New writers should use all possible social media outlets to get their name out there and interest in their books. Also, check out Diana Shaw-Tracy's blog at http://dstracywrites.blogspot.com/.

Next, I am currently editing my trilogy, "Shadows of the Dragons" (thank you Diana for your edits!), as well as working on a prequel to this trilogy, thus far unnamed.

Computer advice? Well the best I can give you now- Trust me this fixes 80% of computer problems- turn the computer off & back on. You will be amazed at how often things will work after wards.

As a final word, any & all advice is welcome. Lemme know below!