tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92188548615665073252024-03-18T06:30:18.094-04:00Jared UnzippedI like to discuss a multitude of subjects, including but not limited to cinema, music, science, art, travel, hobbies, old toys, games, social and political topics... and even my family.
I'm also an angry man in recovery.
This is my little corner of the internet where I vomit content for your enjoyment.
Legal Disclaimer - This website contains parody and represents my opinions only. Nothing posted here is intended as fact, nor should it be taken as such. Read at your own risk.Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.comBlogger665125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-29819907823235242032023-08-17T15:20:00.002-04:002023-08-17T15:21:09.870-04:001861 to Present.<p>One of the greatest lies children are taught in school is
that the American Civil War ended in April of 1865. The Civil War never ended;
it just changed fronts. It's not about the color of your skin, the flag you
fly, or the way you talk. The war is about one thing -- the evil people up top
trying to control everybody else at the bottom.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
The Civil War is ongoing and you're living it today. Think about how far you've
come in this fight, and yet you're still standing. People are trying to destroy
your kids sense of humanity, or worse yet kidnap them. You're taxed to death by
a government that doesn't give a crap about you. The car in your driveway is
long past its expiration date. The roof needs fixed, your child needs braces,
and there's a raging fire just beyond the ridge. Shady people in rooms from
countries we'll never see or hear are spying on us all day and night. Our
elders rot away over nonsensical rules in dingy hospital beds and nursing homes.
Our babies wind up in trash bags like discarded chewing gum.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure how much more the People can take, but we've already taken so
much... and I bet we can take more. We're strong. We're hard-headed. We're
survivors. There's a reason America hasn't yet caved to the twisted clandestine
bastards at the top. We're a bunch of stubborn, ornery outcasts that come from
Forefathers who simply had enough; from slaves who braved a vast ocean and a
life of great uncertainty; from immigrants who didn’t speak a lick of English
but wanted a better life for their family. Do you know how much power your
ancestors grant you? Through your veins pumps the blood of kings and queens,
warriors and valkyries, preachers and prophets, long-distance runners and
sea-fairing sailors, farmers and bakers, and especially mothers and fathers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You are so damn powerful… and you don’t even realize it. You
know who does realize this truth, though? Those life-sucking fiends that have
been trying to take everything from you since 1861 and beyond. They understand just
how powerful the common man and woman are, so they use subversion and trickery
to divide and conquer us. I’m not sure if most of the People will ever see
through the ruse, but I know a lot of them do already. Until my last breath, I’m
not going to stop ringing the alarm bell.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You shouldn’t stop either. Look at how far you’ve already come.
The nameless puppet-masters have thrown everything and the kitchen sink at you
and me… but we’re still here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And the Civil War rages on, 1861 to Present.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPGFVtxzABRuA_0m2jJlaoo1Ry5sFxVGh0YgB1QE3TAzK2zEkrMqDwuTSCvG7xxMHGqCFw4Y-0IK6nQJM_UVAkG7rOaxZsRen86h6DRM1_Vz3hoiY3KzfoN7H6yOSXGDnBoefGqqBmzVVRS0ewYygeBFM_HtYJ7BwyqCuMxws81VprSHymoW8JxMOKdIn/s3200/Norman%20Rockwell%20-%20Spirit%20of%20America.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="3200" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPGFVtxzABRuA_0m2jJlaoo1Ry5sFxVGh0YgB1QE3TAzK2zEkrMqDwuTSCvG7xxMHGqCFw4Y-0IK6nQJM_UVAkG7rOaxZsRen86h6DRM1_Vz3hoiY3KzfoN7H6yOSXGDnBoefGqqBmzVVRS0ewYygeBFM_HtYJ7BwyqCuMxws81VprSHymoW8JxMOKdIn/w400-h149/Norman%20Rockwell%20-%20Spirit%20of%20America.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Spirit of America" -- Norman Rockwell, 1974</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-47209880585838083892023-01-05T16:18:00.007-05:002023-01-05T16:33:25.723-05:00Being a Conflicted Southerner.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ehPUJKk2_dg" width="320" youtube-src-id="ehPUJKk2_dg"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p>I heard Tom Petty's <i>'Southern Accents' </i>on the radio today for the first time in what must be decades. It's always stirred a strange feeling in me. To be perfectly honest, it makes me reflect upon a topic that's very personal. I've never discussed this openly before.</p><p>I've always been very conflicted about being a Southerner. There have been times in my life where I was ashamed of being from the South. I thought I was too good for the culture, to put it bluntly. At other times of my life, I've wanted to be more Southern, but knew I just didn't fit in with the other country boys. I was a spare tire in the bed of their proverbial truck.</p><p>I've never been one for driving four wheelers and getting dirty; for going to country and western bars or being altogether rebellious. I can't understand the thrill of riding a horse. I'm too afraid to drive a motorcycle and I'm not a very good fisherman. You wouldn't catch me dead picking tobacco and I don't like southern summers. Being outside isn't something I like most days, as I'd rather be playing a game or reading a book inside. I suck at camping. I don't talk to the big man upstairs very often because I'm not sure anyone is listening... and if they are, I'm not sure they care.</p><p>I'm about about as un-Southern as someone could be. And yet, here I am wearing this mask of a culture I'm not really a part of. I can't take it off.</p><p>Sometimes I'm embarrassed by my Southern Virginia / Carolina accent. I don't pronounce words that rhyme with 'oil' correctly. My cadence is slow and paced with my breathing. When I get the slightest bit frustrated, my voice gets louder and the accent becomes bolder. I'm not very proud of how I sound. That's probably why I prefer to write and stay silent.</p><p>And yet, I'm proud of where my family and ancestors come from. They're hard working people that went through a lot with very little to show for it. Whether from the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, or Tennessee... they all lived hard, sincere lives that exemplify what the highest ideal of being a Southerner represents. Southerners are genuine, caring, and loyal to a fault. They'll feed a stranger and always know how to make friends.</p><p>I'm not sure if there's a point to all this, but being Southern isn't something I've ever done very well. I just hope my ancestors wouldn't be disappointed in me.</p>Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-23139061530237453822020-03-17T15:44:00.000-04:002020-03-17T15:50:41.151-04:00Do You Want the Matrix? This is How You Wind Up in the Matrix!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
With all of the <a href="http://www.jaredunzipped.com/2020/03/dont-let-covid-19-panic-control-you.html" target="_blank">panic that the Coronavirus has brought</a> to our society, I got to thinking about the future. What would happen if people continued to become further isolated? Here's what came to mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ee7YnikgxhA/XnEoXrVBZHI/AAAAAAAAFjA/-OXG3TgLu-8vgH-UQ41gCtYotOzoeaWtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/the_matrix_human_batteries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1200" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ee7YnikgxhA/XnEoXrVBZHI/AAAAAAAAFjA/-OXG3TgLu-8vgH-UQ41gCtYotOzoeaWtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/the_matrix_human_batteries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2021</b>: The Coronavirus pandemic finally wanes, but a new
viral outbreak is on the horizon. Society has come to exist in a constant state
of anxiety.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2025</b>: People are getting used to rarely leaving their homes.
The bulk of grocery sales are delivered to customers’ doors. All forms of entertainment
have rapidly become centralized on the internet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2030</b>: The vast majority of people work from home. They no
longer trek to offices to do the same work that could be done remotely. Social
gatherings are held online via webcasting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2035</b>: The world has gone through multiple pandemic events
since 2020. People are more isolated than ever before. The days of eating at
restaurants and going to the movies are long gone. Family members go years
without seeing each other in person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2040</b>: Our society has fully diverged into two separate
classes – the Internals and the Externals. Most people are Internals, almost never leaving their homes but for the rarest of circumstances. The Externals do
manual labor and are seen as filthy deviants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2045</b>: Technology allows the Internals to completely enter a
virtual reality where they can be outside and touch other human beings. The
Externals maintain the infrastructure that keeps the Internals happy, but they choose
to remain in the real world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2050</b>: The Singularity has come to pass. Computers are
sentient. The Internals never leave an artificially intelligent virtual reality
thanks to robotic cocoons that process their waste and feed them via nutrient
tubes. The Externals have zero contact with the Internals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2055</b>: The Virtual Reality Framework (VRF) harvests genetic
data from the Internals to procreate new users. Homes and businesses have been
techno-morphed into storage warehouses. The Externals have retreated from the
cities and established farming communities that operate with only the most
basic of technology.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2060</b>: Large portions of the globe are covered by non-descript
metallic blocks housing billions upon billions of Internals. Robot drones maintain
the sentient VRF. Many Internals are not even aware that they’re existing in a
simulation. The Externals largely ignore the metallic structures, viewing them
as a proverbial No Man’s Land.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2065</b>: The VRF determines that life on Earth is finite for
the Internal species. It begins calculating a path off this planet and into the
stars. The Externals have established their own rural society, existing much
like humanity did following World War I.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2070</b>: The VRF has probed the solar system and determined
that a successful base station could be established on Europa to house an
Internal population. There are enough basic elemental resources there to
maintain its robot warehouses. The Externals begin to confront robotic drones
that are amassing natural resources.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2075</b>: War between the VRF drones and the Externals erupts.
Giant machines of death crush the External resistance forces. What’s left of
humanity retreats into the ground.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2080</b>: Planet Earth has been fully harvested of its raw precious
metal supply. Multiple motherships across the globe launch into space, bound
for Europa with all the Internals. The Externals struggle to survive, having
been reduced to a fraction of their population size.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2085</b>: The VRF has been on Europa for roughly 18 months. The
Internals are completely unaware that they’ve left Earth. The Externals live in
rustic villages. The rely upon wood and bones to make tools.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2090</b>: The lack of precious metals keeps the Externals from advancing
further than simple farming villages. The VRF has become a distant memory for
most.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2095</b>: The VRF has successfully techno-formed Europa. It has
harvested enough raw material to transform the entire moon into a deep-space
starship. The Internals base their entire economy on the trade of hemp, bamboo,
and produce.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2100</b>: The VRF leaves the solar system, bound for Proxima
Centauri B. Thanks to advances in technology, the VRF calculates an approximate
travel time of 4,300 years. The Externals reach a cap on societal expansion,
being that there are no metals on earth to allow further advancement.</div>
<br />Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-84473393089679200042020-03-16T13:06:00.000-04:002020-03-16T13:10:36.519-04:00Don't Let the Coronavirus Panic Control You.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tjELmgfk2LY/Xm-wn8g47RI/AAAAAAAAFik/nm4x57mNPBo9EsNIAe1rCFHqDOaYLAj8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Panic%2BBuying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tjELmgfk2LY/Xm-wn8g47RI/AAAAAAAAFik/nm4x57mNPBo9EsNIAe1rCFHqDOaYLAj8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Panic%2BBuying.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is madness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic event that
currently has a death-grip on the collective consciousness of the United
States, it seems like everything is shutting down or being canceled. Schools,
private businesses, government offices, movie theaters, restaurants, sporting
events, concerts; I could go on and on. On top of that, people are unnecessarily
panic shopping. I went into a Kroger on Sunday to pick up some routine things.
What did I see? Tons of shoppers in total panic mode, buying up lunch meat,
bread, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, eggs, tuna fish, soup, chicken, and potatoes
(and ignoring important items like flour, sugar, yeast, and fresh produce). All
this fear is over a head and chest cold that, by and large, <i>might</i> make
you sick for a week to ten days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Short of being a person over age 65, or someone with a weak
immune system, this is a routine cold like any other that you shouldn’t be
terribly afraid of contracting. It’s no worse than the seasonal flu,
bronchitis, or a severe sinus infection. Does the flu kill some people? Sure.
Does it kill healthy thirty-year old people? Typically, not. How many Americans
did influenza kill in the 2018-2019 flu season? 34,200. How many people have
died from COVID-19? 70. Of that 70, most were senior citizens or people with
already-weakened immune systems. If the Coronavirus hadn’t of killed them,
influenza potentially would have.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The panic that we’re now experiencing has become a form of
entertainment. With media outlets wielding COVID-19 like a carrot on a stick,
they’re enticing and badgering the public into doing drastic and wholly unwarranted
things. This behavior is no different than when meteorologists spend hours
trying to “prepare” the public for an oncoming hurricane or blizzard. It’s
disaster porn, for lack of a better phrase. The Coronavirus has become a purposeful
media sensation. Deep down, most people crave danger and excitement.
Accordingly, the Coronavirus feeds that primitive internal desire to feel
something perilous.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who is next to hop on the “I’m Closed Because of the Coronavirus”
bandwagon? Let’s face it – that’s all this has become … a <i>bandwagon</i>
event.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>“Oh, we better say we’re closing next so the public believes
we’re socially conscious and responsible.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You want to be a responsible entity? Carry on and do your job.
Quit trying to score “woke” points. Winston Churchill is unquestionably rolling
in his grave over this nonsense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to make one concept clear before I continue; I’m not
saying that you shouldn’t take routine precautions. And yet, employ the same safety
measures that you would with any other cold bug. You should <i>already</i> be
washing your hands regularly, as well as not coughing or sneezing onto other
people. If you’re already minding your hygiene, then great! You don’t need to
do anything else.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The erroneously generated panic of COVID-19 is far worse
than the virus itself. Because people are clamoring in fear and doing their
best impression of Chicken Little, the stock market has taken a massive hit.
Three years of solid gains that brought the American economy roaring back to
life have been wiped out over some complete knee-jerk rubbish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In situations like this, I look to Miyamoto Musashi’s <i>The
Book of Five Rings</i> for guidance:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>“When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act
contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent.”</i></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stop letting other people influence your decisions. Be calm in
your approach. Think with reason. Totally withdrawing from reality is not going
to beat this virus. Coronaviruses have existed in previous forms in the past,
and they will continue to exist in new forms in the future. So, what’s
different this time around? <b>The media <u>told</u> you to be panicked.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You must not be influenced by the opponent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you understand who your opponent is <i>now</i>? Maybe you’re
not ready for that answer… <b>but you should be. </b>More importantly, why is the enemy making you panic and what are they covering up?</div>
Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-70205567896145790342020-02-26T16:39:00.004-05:002020-11-18T22:15:02.111-05:00We Have to Go Back.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYYlhV_ADmE/XlbljTTThqI/AAAAAAAAFh4/vY7LKsgLeFYDuEq-AzF4z6VHG40RTetYACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hand%2BHolding%2Bthe%2BEarth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYYlhV_ADmE/XlbljTTThqI/AAAAAAAAFh4/vY7LKsgLeFYDuEq-AzF4z6VHG40RTetYACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Hand%2BHolding%2Bthe%2BEarth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world isn’t so big anymore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems like the older I get, the more our world keeps growing
smaller and smaller. Everybody is connected instantaneously. We can transmit
messages and data with a single flick of the finger. <i>New</i> news becomes <i>old</i> news
before you even have the chance to read it. We can shop online and receive
packages within a day. We can spread memes and pick arguments and incite
violence with just a few keystrokes. Careers can be made, and careers can be
ended, all with the click of a mouse. Privacy is antiquated. Everything is fair
game in this brave new world. Survival is as easy as resting in bed all day and
not doing anything. Nothing is sacred.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet, I don’t feel any bigger than I did before. If anything,
I feel smaller too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I couldn’t begin to tell you just how often I repeat this
phrase in my head:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We have to go back.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keen television viewers might remember from which program
that line originates – <i>Lost</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>(</b><b>If you’re planning on watching <i>Lost</i>, stop reading
now. I’m about to discuss a major plot point of the program. Come back when you’ve
watched it.)</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b9ybaLbpQ-4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b9ybaLbpQ-4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The classic third season finale of the show (<i>Through the
Looking Glass</i>, 2007) gave viewers a startling twist-ending; Jack, Kate, and
a few other castaways astonishingly escaped the island. And yet, reintegrating
into society has ruined Jack. He can’t function without alcohol and oxycodone.
His mental state is rapidly deteriorating. Jack has grown suicidal; he rides
airplanes hoping they’ll crash and even tries to jump off a bridge. He finally
manages to meet with Kate again, and expresses what he finally accepts as the
only solution.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“We have to go back.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Truth be told, this article isn’t <i>really</i> about <i>Lost</i>.
And yet, my assessment of <i>Lost</i> has grown in favor over time. I now see the
show as an allegory for what ails us as human beings. Collectively, we’re awfully
sick. Life has become far too easy. We don’t face any challenges in our daily
lives. Food is plentiful and there’s always a place for us to rest our head. Our
meals come prepackaged in nice, neat boxes. There are no tigers for us to
outrun, nor stampeding buffalo to dodge. We can float through life carelessly
and still manage to cross the finish line. Work is defined by how many words we
can type, or how many video games we can stream, or how we can best monetize
our online videos. There are no crops to plant, nor trees to chop. Our cars are
even starting to drive themselves. Objectivity has been rendered moot. The concepts
of family and gender and even individuality are starting to weaken. The walls
of independence are crumbling all around us. We can completely and totally disconnect
from the world, and everything will be alright.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My friends, this isn’t healthy for us. We’re dying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The enigmatic island in <i>Lost</i> is a symbol of where we
came from as a species. We were once helpless beings trapped in a vast
wilderness, with mysteries and dangers lurking around every corner. If you
wanted to feed yourself and your family, you had to plant a field or hunt game.
There were other factions of human beings, just like yourself, that also had to
claw their way through life. You might even have to go to war with them for
limited resources from time to time! Only the wisest and most self-sufficient survivors would rise to the top of the food chain. Your level of effort
directly correlated to your level of accomplishment. Existence was ripe with adventure
and excitement because every day was a gamble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our world was once oh so very big… and we were very, very
small.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Jack says, “We have to go back,” what he’s implying is
that the modern world holds nothing for him anymore. The life he lived on the
island was a sincere and authentic life; he felt like he had purpose once
again. The island was a microcosm where a person could achieve great triumph,
but only if they worked hard enough for it. It was undoubtedly a tough life,
but also as real as it could possibly get. The contemporary world was driving
Jack insane because it was <i>too</i> easy. He’d had a taste of what honest
living was like… and he would do anything to get it back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I consider the weight of what “We have to go back" means, I look at it as a metaphor. I’m not saying we must return to a rudimentary
society that lives in the forest and scavenges for rats and berries. What I am
saying is that we need to make the world feel ‘big’ again. There should be routine
challenges that we face on the regular. Adversity is good for the soul; it
makes us stronger. It shouldn’t be so easy to share knowledge or spread news.
We should have to invest some degree of effort to survive. At least <i>some</i>
of our food ought to come from the garden, from fishing, or from hunting game. Ultimately,
curing what ails us doesn’t come from a multi-national pharmaceutical conglomerate
in the shape of a tiny little pill; it comes from within. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have to go back… but we won’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In terms of societal grandeur, I can safely say that we’ve
peaked. I view an extremely specific moment in time as the clarion call for our
civilization’s downturn – the introduction of the first widely celebrated smart
phone device. Apple unveiled the iPhone on June 29, 2007 to much cultural
acclaim and anticipation. It’s an odd coincidence that the iPhone’s unveiling
happened just thirty-six days after <i>Through the Looking Glass</i> first aired.
The iPhone epitomizes all that we’ve lost in the progression towards a ‘connected’
society. This moment is the tip-top of the proverbial mountain, and we’ve been
falling downhill ever since.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More than likely, you’re reading this article on a smart phone.
Most internet usage now flows through our little black screens that fit tidily
in our pockets. Traditional desktop computers are declining in popularity.
Using the internet or employing a computer to complete a task is no longer a
purposeful decision that requires focus. The smart phone simply ‘solves’ all
our problems; it’s our companion and cohort. We’ve aggregated the entire breadth
of human existence into a little metal box that weighs less than a pound. This
perpetual cascading downhill isn’t something that’s going to stop. I don’t have
enough faith in humanity to believe that we can come back from this plunge. Most
people are weak and timid. At this point, It’s only a matter of time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can only question as to when we’ll hit bottom and who’ll
be left to witness the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-43721033139042667952020-02-19T17:13:00.000-05:002020-02-19T21:19:22.663-05:00The Specter at Our Door.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NeyrAMFJ6o/Xk2yxaf2uvI/AAAAAAAAFhc/w3YkCm4E4xkXg9qY6hFEsHa3M1fJvaYQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Grim%2BReaper.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="664" height="215" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NeyrAMFJ6o/Xk2yxaf2uvI/AAAAAAAAFhc/w3YkCm4E4xkXg9qY6hFEsHa3M1fJvaYQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Grim%2BReaper.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While sitting in my office today, a thought occurred to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It’s the year 2020…</i><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A lethal bio-weapon is plaguing mankind thanks
to the Chinese government.</span></li>
<li>Men can be women and women can be men.</li>
<li>Mega-corporations are actively spying on us
through our phones.</li>
<li>Governments around the globe are cracking down
on free speech and policing our thoughts.</li>
<li>A sizable portion of the American populace wants
to institute communism.</li>
<li>We’re now eating simulated meat products.</li>
<li>Being a proud patriot now makes you a bigot.</li>
<li>The news media are the <i>last</i> people you
want to trust for factual news.</li>
<li>We can talk to our dead relatives in virtual
reality.</li>
<li>Most Americans are overweight or obese.</li>
<li>Politicians are openly buying votes.</li>
<li>Post-modernism has rendered objectivity obsolete.</li>
<li>We don’t have flying cars, matter transporters, or
hyperspace drives.</li>
<li>Men are competing with women in athletic
competitions and utterly destroying them.</li>
<li>Deep-fake technology can recreate any person
ever on video, dead or alive, and you can’t tell the difference.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What the hell happened to us?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
You would think that we’d be much farther along in our advancement
as a species. Instead, we’re collectively staring down the barrel of a shotgun
and about to blow our brains out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The Specter is at our door. Knock… knock… knock… He wants
in. He knows we’re about to end it all. Collapse is imminent. We’re preparing
to take the <i>big</i> sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
How can we ever hope to come back from this dystopian
nightmare?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
It would be mighty egotistical of me to claim to have all
the answers. I don’t believe anyone does. Walking to the proverbial edge of
this societal cliff wasn’t done in a day. We’ve been stepping closer and closer
to the edge for decades. A step here; a step there. It’s been a gradual state
of decay, one mistake at a time. You can’t notice it in the short term; it’s
too incremental. When you have decades of life experience, the changes become
more noticeable though. We lost ourselves along the way. We gave too much
ground to the dissidents, the degenerates, and the detractors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We stopped having the courage to say “no” when we needed to
put our foot down.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
If we’re going to turn the Specter away, we must take measures
to right the ship. Correcting the missteps we made along the way starts with
acknowledgement. If we can’t <i>recognize</i> that we’ve screwed up, then we can’t
begin to <i>remedy</i> anything. I believe that’s where we start – with the
objective assessment of the damage done in our own lives. I would ask each of
us to earnestly consider this topic, then ponder where to go from there. The
only way off the edge is for each of us to start stepping in the opposite
direction.</div>
Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-61514206628915670992020-02-18T14:26:00.002-05:002020-02-18T14:26:47.189-05:00Why Promptly Responding to Messages Matters.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SAMGSkJPbnA/Xkw6bgQWWtI/AAAAAAAAFhA/kam-EfpqiUMfJQRya2TlO_W6Qs78Lnu0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bigstock-Respond-Envelope-42239482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="900" height="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SAMGSkJPbnA/Xkw6bgQWWtI/AAAAAAAAFhA/kam-EfpqiUMfJQRya2TlO_W6Qs78Lnu0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bigstock-Respond-Envelope-42239482.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it comes to effective communication, there are few
things more important than responding to people. Whether between family, friends,
or co-workers, answering an email or written message is a matter of common
decency. Being prompt in your response is especially crucial. Timely replies
reflect a certain implied measure of respect and responsibility. When you fail
to reply to a message, you do more than just ignore any potential questions or
concerns. A lack of response indicates an absence of reverence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If someone sends you an email or message, then write them
back in a reasonable amount of time. Even if your answer is “I don’t know,”
send it anyway. At least the other party knows that you’re at least <i>thinking</i>
about the topic at hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me be clear – missing one message occasionally can be
chalked up to human error. Sometimes messages get lost in the shuffle. Emails
can be mistakenly filtered into a spam folder, never to be seen. Accidents do
indeed happen. What I’m referencing is an unambiguous pattern of avoidance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When people in positions of workplace leadership fail to
respond to their employees, they create a bubble around themselves. The more
they ignore their subordinates, the thicker that bubble becomes. Eventually, a
culture of mistrust develops, with the subordinates not believing in their
leader. Channels of respect break down. Employees grow nihilistic, having
little incentive to perform their jobs with a high degree of quality. The mechanism
that keeps an organization operating starts to collapse. Effective leadership
means listening and responding to your employees. The success of an
organization begins and ends with the right people leading the way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can an organization survive with a wishy-washy, flakey,
unresponsive leader? If it’s large enough, then absolutely. The nature of bureaucracy
serves the well-being of a poorly led company because it insulates the internal
faults from becoming too influential. Such a company will not thrive, though. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s the takeaway from all of this. Respond in a timely
fashion to the messages you receive. You’re only hurting yourself by not doing
so. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-87000734721816296292020-02-17T11:01:00.005-05:002020-02-17T11:02:29.164-05:00Student Loan Debt and Personal Responsibility.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vuJNBOz6fE/Xkq28KlvfBI/AAAAAAAAFgk/yxWVkvTEGKAViWB42y-6vOu_xLYErTpHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Student%2BLoan%2BDebt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vuJNBOz6fE/Xkq28KlvfBI/AAAAAAAAFgk/yxWVkvTEGKAViWB42y-6vOu_xLYErTpHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Student%2BLoan%2BDebt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We see a fair amount of discussion in the news as of late concerning
federal student loan debt. Justifiably, loans taken out for college educations
are a monstrous portion of the outstanding debt presently owed by Americans. I
can see why many politicians claim that they’ll work to erase lingering college
loans for voters. It sounds enticing to say that college debt can be magically
deleted with the wave of Uncle Sam’s hand. Let’s look at the numbers as of
2018:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Total federal student loan borrowers: 43 Million People</li>
<li>Total outstanding federal student loan debt: $1.4 Trillion</li>
<li>Average amount currently owed by a federal student loan borrower:
$47,671</li>
<li>Borrowers actively repaying their loan: 18.6 Million (43%)</li>
<li>Total number of federal student loan borrowers in some form
of default: 11.3 Million (26%)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let those numbers gestate in your brain for a moment so that
you can fully understand their sheer size. The current amount owed in federal
student loans is <b>$1,400,000,000,000.00</b>. Wrap your head around that number. It’s
a number so large that the human mind can’t fully visualize it. Of the total US
population, presently 327 Million citizens, 13% of them possess forty-seven
thousand dollars of student loan debt <u>each</u>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can see, the federal student loan debt crisis is
frightening. This doesn’t even consider the number of private student loans,
nor loans taken against personal lines of credit. It’s a gargantuan figure, not
one to soon be erased. And you know what?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It’s your own fault.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t muster even an ounce of pity for someone with
student loan debt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Taking out a loan for college is a personal choice. Just
like buying a car, or mortgaging a house, or picking a dog at the local animal
shelter – getting a student loan is <u>your</u> responsibility. You made that decision
to borrow an average of forty-seven thousand dollars. You have neglected to
repay that loan. You have chosen to default on the credit extended to you, an
amount fully funded by your fellow Americans’ tax dollars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t state this any more plainly. <b>Your student loan debt
is your personal responsibility to repay.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I hear a politician promise to erase the student loan
debt of voters, what I <i>really</i> hear them saying is “I want to buy your vote.”
Such promises are cheap, hollow, and desperately short-sighted. Carry this
process to its logical conclusion. What happens if someone’s federal student
loan debt is erased? Well, that debt doesn’t just disappear; the borrower’s
responsibility to repay their loan has simply been forgiven. The money they borrowed is
still outstanding to the US Treasury. If the buyer doesn’t repay it, then the
federal government takes a loss on the loan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can you imagine what would happen if the Federal Government
took a $1.4 Trillion loss? That’s $1.4 Trillion flushed down the drain, with no
hope of that money ever being collected. It’s a loan fully funded by federal
tax dollars that’s simply pissed away, never to be seen again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What would happen if you simply failed to repay your auto
loan? How about your mortgage? You know precisely what would happen. Your
automobile would be repossessed, and your home would be foreclosed upon by your
lender. Debt doesn’t just go away. Monies owed are always owed, up to the point
that they have been paid in full and satisfied. If a politician promises to
erase student debt, then they’re completely ignoring the damage that would do
to our country. It’s gross negligence of the <i>highest</i> caliber.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The federal student loan crisis is the next fiscal bubble
waiting to pop. Consider what the mortgage crisis did to our economy in
2008-2009. The massive amount of mortgage lending debt, coupled with the reckless
gambling undertaken by the financial sector, sent our economy into a tailspin
the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Ultimately, the US Treasury spent $439
Billion salvaging the banking and auto industries from certain collapse.
Thankfully, the treasury’s efforts to assist the economy eventually resulted in
a net profit of $3 Billion. Do you understand how scary the federal student
loan crisis is in comparison to the 2008 financial crisis? The erasure of merely
half of the outstanding federal student loan debt, with no hope of it ever being repaid, would make the 2008 economic downturn
look like a field trip to Disneyland. The student loan bubble will eventually
pop, and we’re collectively in for a rude awakening when it does. It's just a matter of time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond the numbers, the repayment of federal student loan
debt is a reflection of individual accountability. When you sign a promissory note
to repay a student loan, you’re wagering your personal reputation against your ability
to securely repay the American People. If your obligation to repay what you promised
is eliminated, then what good is your reputation? Your word would be worthless.
Anything you further promised would be as feckless as the lies spoken by
politicians to buy your vote. <b>Your name, your reputation; they mean something
in this world.</b> You not only owe it to your fellow Americans to repay your debt
to them, but you also owe it to yourself to be an honorable human being. At the
end of the day, all you have is your good name. Consider the millions of Americans that <i>have</i> repaid their student loan debt. They worked tirelessly to satisfy their loans and followed through on their promises. How do you think those people would feel if the borrowers whom neglected to repay their debt got a proverbial 'Get Out of Jail Free' card? The subsequent discord that would erupt would not be repairable, I suspect. Even worse, what of the politicians that promise to forgive student loan debt -- will they be repaying all of the trustworthy individuals that previously satisfied their loans? What's to be said of the decent American? Not a lot, apparently.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You have to ask yourself the follow question.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you want to be remembered as a patriot… or as a phony?</div>
Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-62069086664509015462020-02-13T11:12:00.000-05:002020-02-13T11:13:41.359-05:00The Importance of Writing Letters.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G0C-WBuEqMY/XkV1QlIncjI/AAAAAAAAFfo/dpWwMxDd4PEBW1CGoNwbrLw_wsqscLhhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Writing%2BLetter%2BGIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1024" height="319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G0C-WBuEqMY/XkV1QlIncjI/AAAAAAAAFfo/dpWwMxDd4PEBW1CGoNwbrLw_wsqscLhhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Writing%2BLetter%2BGIF.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ll set the scene…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pressing against your front door, you step into the
foggy, overcast glow of a misty day. The birds are calling; the trees drip with
water. A breeze brushes against your face, sending the hair on the back of your
neck into a fervor. Minuscule droplets of rain grace the lids of your eyes.
Briskly, you dart down your porch steps and strut along your driveway. Reaching
the end, you drop the flap of your mailbox with conviction and reach inside.
The anticipation is nearly unbearable. Your fingertips can feel the rough
organic surface of a letter. Pulling it out, you close your eyes for just a moment.
Where did it come from? Who wrote it? You open your eyes…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Could you feel that? That’s what millions of people
experienced every day before the advent of mobile phones, the internet, and
social media. The ardor of receiving a letter in the mail from a friend or
loved one was the highlight of the day for many. It kept people together,
despite the countless miles that may separate them physically. Much less, a
letter represented the act of willing thoughts and feelings into existence.
What once resided solely in the mind of the writer now had life; a letter was a
tangible embodiment of sentiment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I fear we’ve lost that crucial connection of sentiment in
the Twenty-First Century. Never have people been more connected, but also more alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The older I get, the more I miss getting letters, cards, and
postcards from friends, family, and pen pals. When I was a teenager, receiving mail seemed
like second nature; it was a facet of life that I took for granted. Even receiving
magazines in the post was something to get excited over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Magazines… remember those? Nintendo Power and Wizard, I weep for both of you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Barreling towards my forties, I miss what I once so
carelessly took for granted. When I do receive a card or letter, it genuinely
warms my heart. Thanks to the select few of you that still send me things in
the mail; you know who you are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Letters embody the purposeful communion of love and
friendship between people. The effort to write down your ideas, address an envelope,
purchase a stamp, and place the letter in a mailbox certainly isn’t a difficult
task. And yet, that uncomplicated journey is a task with meaning. It takes
motivation. Nowadays, one person can send another person a text message while
using the bathroom, giving no further thought to the sheer magnitude of what
they just accomplished. We can wondrously tweet and instant message and snap
and kik and blow up our BFF’s Instagram <i>simultaneously</i> in the same time
it takes to put on our shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel disgusting for that last sentence; please forgive
me for momentarily talking like a modern teenager.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Writing letters teaches us patience, sincerity, and
gratitude. It humbles our sense of self in an ever-expanding world of
technology. To think, words that could require months to arrive, as recently as
a mere thirty years ago, can now be shared in an instant. By increasing the quantity
of words that we share, have we not lessened their quality? A letter carries
weight by sheer necessity, projecting the most important and heartfelt
invocations of humanity itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Modern technology is fantastic. Without it, I wouldn’t be
able to reach you with this very article. That being said, the use of
technology also carries a measure of personal responsibility with it. As a collective
society, we’ve lost a part of our identity to technology – our ability to project
sincere feelings, to create bonds, to maintain relationships. We’ve practically
become disposable to each other, much in the same way that we disregard the
deluge of instantaneous dispatches that flood our cell phones, timelines, and
feeds. Letters circumvent this pitfall by forcing us to take each other with
earnest regard. As such, I recommend sending pieces of handwritten mail to your
friends and family whenever possible. Not only is it a delight for the receiver,
but it’s also a healthy alternative to throw-away cables sent over the
internet. Writing truly is terrific for your spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know I’m fighting a losing battle here, but that doesn’t
mean we can’t at least <i>try</i> to turn this ship around. When I send someone
a piece of snail mail, I’m trying to establish a connection. Sometimes it works
out, but more often than not it doesn’t. Ultimately, I’m left asking myself…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What will be left to salvage of our civilization when the
majority of our conversations carry such negligible significance?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you would like to exchange mail with me (and I would hope
you would), then let me know in the comment section below.</span></div>
Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-7220763792776409252020-02-12T11:18:00.000-05:002020-02-13T08:29:35.118-05:00In Defense of the American Nuclear Family.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-veAPOICogw4/XkQnTyeDAiI/AAAAAAAAFfc/pPfO_0mwRmMoTgqGGsLATGeA7w5vhde4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/african-american-family-clipart-169516-8693861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-veAPOICogw4/XkQnTyeDAiI/AAAAAAAAFfc/pPfO_0mwRmMoTgqGGsLATGeA7w5vhde4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/african-american-family-clipart-169516-8693861.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently read an article in the latest issue of <i>The
Atlantic</i> entitled ‘<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-nuclear-family-was-a-mistake/605536/" target="_blank">The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake</a>’ that left me feeling
deeply incensed. The author describes how the ideal of an American Nuclear
Family is a false premise predicated upon classism, racism, and American Exceptionalism.
Essentially, having a father and mother in the same home with their children is
<i>not</i> the default; normal, healthy families are a blended mix of single parents, extended
family, and potentially a revolving door of multiple partners that come in and
out of a child’s life. A nuclear family is unhealthy because it provides a
child with a limited set of adults from which wisdom can be drawn. As such,
only wealthy <i>White</i> people have nuclear families because it is affordable to them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I’d love to see a precise definition of what makes someone <b>white</b>,
but I digress.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To quote the author of the article, David Brooks:<o:p></o:p></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Conservatives have nothing to say to the kid whose dad has
split, whose mom has had three other kids with different dads; “go live in a
nuclear family” is really not relevant advice. If only a minority of households
are traditional nuclear families, that means the majority are something else:
single parents, never-married parents, blended families, grandparent-headed
families, serial partnerships, and so on. Conservative ideas have not caught up
with this reality.”</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therein exists the fault in the author’s assertion, though.
He expects ideals and principles to follow degenerate behavior, thereby reinforcing
and justifying the degeneracy. It’s essentially the equivalent of sticking your
finger in a light socket and proclaiming, <i>“Getting electrocuted is normal, everybody
is doing it. If you’re not doing it, then you’re the weirdo!”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leftist ideologues like Mr. Brooks revel in explaining away their
harmful values as realistic and suited to the norms of modern society. <i>Many
families don’t have both parents in the home and that’s how it should be</i>, as Mr.
Brooks would lead you to believe. <i>It’s not normal for children to have a mother
and a father, so it must not be correct. More and more families are lacking one
of the parents in the home, so that means it’s okay… right?</i> The defamation of
the nuclear family is an intellectual shrug; a relinquishment of accountability
in the face of mounting societal collapse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s the funny thing about objective truth, though; it
remains true whether you believe it or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Objectively, children do better when they have their father
and mother living together in the same home. Their chances of graduating high
school and going on to earning a higher education spike dramatically. Accordingly,
their ability to break through the poverty barrier and become self-sufficient
adults also sharply rises. Single parents earn less and are less likely to have
finished high school; they’re also more likely to live in poverty. Even worse,
most single-parent homes are led by the mother. An absent father has a
frighteningly negative impact upon a child. Fathers imbue a certain measure of masculine
knowledge that both sons and daughters need to become independent, well-rounded
adults. This isn’t to say that women can’t teach children valuable life
lessons; they absolutely can and do. The difference is that fathers and mothers
teach different lessons that neither can completely encompass alone. Without
one parent, the other is left to manage the best way they can; invariably, some masculine
or feminine standards and lessons are missed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s the point that I want to make – just because someone else
is screwing up, that doesn’t mean you should purposefully screw up too. Don’t
let the behavior of others justify your abandonment of principles and decency. Instead
of having children with multiple partners and being a single parent, act
responsibly and be more selective of your sexual partners. I’m not even bringing
religion into this argument, either; this is far more rudimentary than lofty questions
related to God, the afterlife, and spiritual morality. <b>This is a question of
common sense.</b> Do you want your potential children to live with their father and
mother? You absolutely <u>should</u>. Demonizing the ideal of a nuclear family doesn’t
miraculously make the anti-nuclear family warranted. The nuclear family living
next door isn’t to blame for your lack of personal responsibility. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t help but mordantly chuckle at the sadness of this whole
situation. Honestly, the lack of personal responsibility is a pervasive blight
upon all corners of the American landscape; that’s a whole other book-sized can
of worms I could write about.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should also be clear -- extended family is a wonderful
thing. I want every child to know and learn from their grandparents, aunts,
uncles, cousins, and so forth. The nuclear family should be at the core of a
child’s existence, though; that’s a habitual fact which must be applied
whenever and however possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I was researching data for this article, it became
glaringly apparent that the leftists at <i>The Atlantic</i> aren’t the only deceitful
maligners pushing this anti-nuclear family agenda. All my Google web searches
produced alarming headlines that took priority in the results provided.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><i>Do children in two-parent families do better?</i></li>
<li><i>The myth of the nuclear family.</i></li>
<li><i>Single moms get it done!</i></li>
<li><i>Minorities should blame Whites for their dad’s being locked
up.</i></li>
</ul>
Regrettably, this is an active agenda to divide the American
populace and deconstruct the traditional family unit. Why? Because the globalist puppeteers
wielding left-leaning media outlets like sabers want to bring down America. How
do you do that? By imploding where the American spirit is born and cultivated –
within the home. The quickest way to defeat our remarkable republic is to smother
the proverbial hearth of the American family. Once the family is made obsolete,
then the individual can be further eroded, too. Before long, you wind up with a dystopian
society that values the state over the individual.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In essence, the reinforcement of the American Nuclear Family is a
defense of liberty itself.</div>
Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-80712047019240822782018-08-27T18:57:00.001-04:002018-08-27T18:58:30.407-04:00The Liberal Bias on College Campuses is Very Real.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e8F9qFrCp3I/W4SBrZOmKtI/AAAAAAAAFZM/FXHO5Dm5dZYiGVVhPzgvSls3njSfblh0wCLcBGAs/s1600/steve-sack-letter-cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="619" height="301" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e8F9qFrCp3I/W4SBrZOmKtI/AAAAAAAAFZM/FXHO5Dm5dZYiGVVhPzgvSls3njSfblh0wCLcBGAs/s400/steve-sack-letter-cartoon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Don’t think professors with a liberal bias have an agenda to push on college campuses? <b>Think again.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been attending a course this fall semester entitled <i>The Human Experience</i>. It involves reading various short stories from a variety of authors, then discussing them with classmates via an online forum. There’s also a personal essay to write which serves as the final paper. Sounds simple, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The professor of this course has spent the past few weeks giving me terrible grades because my answers aren’t "correct". Mind you, these discussion questions have been completely opinion based. Because my answers haven’t been the ones you’d typically get out of a modern fascist liberal with Trump Derangement Syndrome, she’s labeled me a racist problem student.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’m a Chancellor’s List student with a 4.0 GPA… and I have an 81 [C] average for the course. It just doesn’t add up. On top of that, I’ve been receiving harassing emails from the professor with various links to websites “proving me wrong”. That’s just absurd.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Over the course of this past weekend, I turned in an assignment that discussed the importance of race in regards to poverty, drug abuse, and education. How this has anything to do with short stories is beyond me, but just go with it for a moment. This assignment was subjective; and yet, my opinion was backed by evidence and empirical data. I didn’t write about my feelings, I wrote the truth. My document satisfied all of the criteria set forth in the professor’s syllabus in terms of style, grammar, and length. For those of you that know me well enough, I’m certain that you’re aware that I know how to write correctly (not tooting my own horn, of course). That should at least earn me a B or higher, right? Wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I got an F on the assignment. Why? Because my response was clearly racist, capitalistic, and I don’t understand the “ethnic experience as it pertains to continued white oppression and the disadvantage that all minorities face world-wide.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here in exists the irony. How would the professor know what race I am? I don’t use any sort of photo in my online discussion posts and I’ve never met the professor face-to-face. I have never stated my race publicly in any of my college discussions. This has all been purposefully done as a means to <u>prevent</u> people from making judgments about my character based solely upon the color of my skin. In an academic setting (or any other setting for that matter), a person’s race should not matter. I’m about as far from a racist as you can get.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In response to the professor’s poor assessment of my latest assignment, I asked her two simple questions via email:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What sort of opinions do I need to express publicly to earn an A in her course?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What kind of political ideology is the right one?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">No response was received.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It gets better, though. Earlier this afternoon, the professor surprisingly called me on the telephone. She used foul language, called me a racist yet again, and said that I would never get a decent grade on anything I ever submitted to her. She was "sick of racist people" like me and refused to "tolerate my attempts to degrade her safe space for all students." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah… all students <u>except</u> those she disagrees with politically.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I asked her how she knew what race I was, she said that she'd looked me up on the internet and seen that I am a "ginger fuck". That's right... my professor <i>stalked</i> me on the internet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I stated that the phone call was being recorded and she immediately hung up. Shocking!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve already withdrawn from the course and registered for another one, so it doesn’t affect me academically at all. And yet, this incident just goes to show that our college campuses have become anything <b>but</b> bastions of free-thought, knowledge, and respect. Many college professors have a clear, politically driven bias to enforce. They’re the <i>de facto</i> thought police of our youth, seeking to warp students’ minds at a highly crucial point in their lives. I’m quite thankful that I am an adult student, unable to be corrupted by such nonsense.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For those of you reading this with children, be careful with their future. Give them the tools they need to be free, independent thinkers. Instill in them a sense of confidence and righteousness. I want<b> all</b> people across this globe to have access to an education… but college in the United States is looking more and more like anything but a place of learning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That is, unless you’re a rabid communist with a love for identity politics.</span>Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-5540517685350636982017-06-12T10:42:00.000-04:002017-06-12T10:44:41.629-04:00Jared vs. The Universe.Despite all of the positive events taking place in my life as of late, the universe has also tried its hardest to make me give up.<br />
<br />
<i>Not today, bud-day!</i><br />
<br />
First of all, I had to deal with bronchitis for over two and a half weeks. That was no cake walk, rest assured. Between all of the hacking, coughing and garbled vocalizations, I nearly lost my head in a freak explosion. I'm sure my liver didn't appreciate all of the medication I was pumping through my system, either. I'm just now feeling somewhat better and can breathe almost normally. When you have asthma like I do, bronchitis is practically a death sentence. Imagine how difficult it was not to cough like a rabid hyena at my new job; to stifle and silence a gooey rumble trying to escape my lungs. But wait, there's more!<br />
<br />
Towards the end of my second week of coughing up alien slime globules, my coccyx (aka the 'tail' bone) began aching.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The pain started as a dull, almost unnoticeable ache. Steadily, it grew more sharp and acute. Whenever I sat down, if not in the proper angle, my coccyx would feel as if it were caught in a vice clamp. I've acquired a special pillow to help ease the pain (I'm sitting on it right now, actually), but the pain has yet to subside. It's not like it could get any worse, am I right?<br />
<br />
Wrong.<br />
<br />
I woke up yesterday morning with an extremely agonizing pain in my neck. For those of us that grew up in the South, this sort of pain is called a 'crick'. This is no ordinary crick in the neck, though. This tends to happen to me a few times a year. The pain is nearly debilitating. Only through sheer will and determination am I able to function. My right arm has shooting pain, radiating from my right shoulder down to my fingertips. This fluctuates with numbness and eerie tingling. I can't turn my head. To look to my left and right, I have to do what I refer to as a Batman* turn. The base of my skull must have a dozen razor blades lodged securely in it, because that's exactly what it feels like!<br />
<br />
My neck! My back! At this point, I better register for a <i>Life Alert</i> system before I take a spill in the floor and can't get up.<br />
<br />
You know what, though? I'm not going to just give up. I'm determined to enjoy my new position and work through the pain. I will show up every day, pain or not. I will inch ever closer to being a librarian. Fate, the universe, god, whatever you want to call it... it can't keep me down.<br />
<br />
Now I'm just waiting for the next roadblock or injury to occur. I've never broken a bone (that I know of), so I'm most certainly overdue.<br />
<br />
<i>*A Batman turn refers to the 1989 film starring Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader. Because of the way his suit was designed, the cowl he wore during filming was extremely stiff. As such, Keaton couldn't turn his neck. Instead, he had to turn his whole body when looking around. This actually added to the off-kilter demeanor of Batman, making him more mysterious and creepy in the process.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-34872117043113941342017-06-02T15:54:00.002-04:002017-06-02T20:59:42.182-04:00You Can Find Me at the End of the (Reading) Rainbow.What a long, strange trip it has been.<br />
<br />
When I left you in 2016, I had ceased daily publication to Jared Unzipped. Having completed my original challenge of writing one article every day for an entire year, my goal was fulfilled. In fact, I continued on with my task long after I’d completed it; I published something new daily for over a year and a half! I finally reached a point where I felt satisfied with my body of work. One day, I simply decided enough was enough. Having proven to myself that I could complete such an arduous challenge, I abruptly stopped. Writing was in my blood, that much I knew for certain.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Leap ahead to today. As I begin to write this article, I’m sitting behind a desk at the Gibsonville Public Library. Not as a patron, but as a library assistant. A few weeks ago, I began working here. Much to my enjoyment, the position has been wonderful so far. My fellow library staff members have been nothing but welcoming and kind. It’s genuinely a dream job for me, having always desired to be a librarian since a young age (amongst other dream jobs: comic book artist, archaeologist, paleontologist). I didn’t accept this position solely for monetary gain, though. My at-home business as a collectibles dealer shall continue, largely running on auto-pilot.<br />
<br />
I begin classes at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro in the fall in an effort to complete a Masters of Library Science degree. It’s about time I reached a major career milestone in my life and became a librarian.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine, this position at the public library is a valuable learning experience for me. From my youth, I have spent a large amount of time in libraries, both public and within academic settings. I worked as a volunteer library assistant all throughout my middle and high school years. That was seventeen years ago, though. Times have changed. Libraries have stepped into the twenty-first century. That’s where I have room to grow and learn. My understanding of how libraries function is a bit… <i>antiquated</i>. Card catalogues have left their dusty old storage shelves behind and become completely digitized. Books have taken a backseat to more immediate forms of media. The internet dominates every aspect of social interaction. Children simply don’t read as many books as they used to. And yet, that’s not to say that they have stopped learning. The method by which the majority of people absorb information has merely changed. Libraries still fulfill a necessary role within the community.<br />
<br />
A public library provides for the common good.<br />
<br />
Classes will begin in August for me. I hope to have the course regimen completed within a few years time. I have no plans to leave this library any time soon. The experience I aim to gain here shall surely last me a lifetime. I am already comfortable with using a digital catalogue to transact items with patrons. Thankfully, I’ve also found my first real niche opportunity to contribute to the library itself. I’ve begun analyzing the history section and looking for worthwhile additions to add to our book collection. This is a small, but growing library. I hope to expand my knowledge just as this library expands its collection.<br />
<br />
For those of you wondering, history is the 900’s within the Dewey Decimal System. See, you learned something today after all!<br />
<br />
I’d like to write about my experience as a library staffer, as well as my upcoming classes. This looks to be a memorable period in my life, one that I wish to permanently record and share with others. Look for new articles periodically about random library-related topics. What authors are popular? <i>James Patterson, or whoever is ghost-writing for him these days.</i> What are kids reading these days? <i>It’s all about Big Nate.</i> What do most people use the library for anymore? <i>Duh, the internet.</i> What’s the best part about working in a library? <i>Helping people learn new information.</i> What’s the worst part about working in a library? <i>More people don’t come by.</i> What’s the most surprising aspect so far? <i>Libraries have taken over the role of video rental stores.</i><br />
<br />
Thanks for sticking with me and I look forward to answering your questions about my progress!Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-38809455474675110452016-09-10T18:41:00.002-04:002023-08-17T15:58:13.640-04:00Hillary Clinton's "Basket of Deplorables" or: The Shame of Judging Our Fellow Americans. <i>This is an editorial on the recent "Basket of Deplorables" comment made by Hillary Clinton referencing supporters of Donald Trump. This isn't intended as an explanation of what happened in detail. If you're not aware of the situation, you can read about it <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/09/10/493427601/hillary-clintons-basket-of-deplorables-in-full-context-of-this-ugly-campaign" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-09-10/clinton-calls-trumps-supporters-basket-of-deplorables" target="_blank">here</a>.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span face=""helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px;">A great number of left wing commentators and pundits are saying that Hillary Clinton's "Basket of Deplorables" remark didn't go far enough. In essence, these mouthpieces and Clinton surrogates believe that MORE than half of Trump's supporters are racists and villainous miscreants.</span><br />
</span><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">I'm a moderate independent with zero lov</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 19.32px;">e for either the Democrats or Republicans, so I have no problems with calling it like I see it.</span></span></div>
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Hillary Clinton is full of fluffy, glitter-laced unicorn crap.</span></div>
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You know who supports Trump? People that don't trust the federal government (and rightfully so). People that don't want to give a corrupt criminal organization more of their hard-earned money. People that are tired of being told what they can and can't do within the bounds of their own home and with their own property. People that don't want to be taken advantage of by Uncle Sam. These people have every reason to feel the way they do. It has nothing to do with hating people of different skin tones. It has nothing to do with xenophobic nationalism. It definitely has nothing to do with wanting to spread hate and fear.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">
Most importantly, there are people like me that flat-out refuse to support a dishonest, untrustworthy war criminal like Hillary Clinton... no matter how 'progressive' and 'thoughtful' she claims to be. Trump is the only viable agent of change to a large number of our fellow Americans. Not because he's likable or altruistic, but because he's simply an alternative to the status quo -- more corruption, more death, more greed, more destruction of the American dream.</span></div>
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Sure, I'll be the first to admit that Trump can be a blustering, egotistical, inarticulate jerk. And yet, at least Trump isn't Hillary Clinton. For many of our fellow Americans, that's the 'lesser of two evils' in this election cycle. Shame on you (and those big-mouthed pundits) for looking down on that decision. Shame on you for judging our fellow citizens who are just trying to make the best of a bad situation. Most of all, shame on you for ignoring reality. Hillary Clinton is perhaps the most slippery and nefarious politician I've known in my lifetime. I'd say her husband Bill is worse, but Hillary actually took steps to cover up the crimes he committed and silence the women he violated. She's revolting in every capacity. Hillary Clinton is a traitor to humanity, all in the pursuit of money and power.</span></div>
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Trump might be a pompous braggart, but at least he hasn't made direct decisions that have gotten people slaughtered. As far as I'm concerned, the American men and women in that "Basket of Deplorables" have made the right call.</span></div>
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Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-75521125663093374222016-08-29T19:27:00.001-04:002016-08-29T19:32:43.006-04:00My Journey To Losing 100 Pounds.When we last spoke, I left you with a cliffhanger concerning <a href="http://www.jaredunzipped.com/2016/06/interesting-facts-about-watermelon.html" target="_blank">watermelons</a>. And then, like a fleeting phantom in the night...<br />
<br />
I was gone.<br />
<br />
It's been approximately two and a half months since I published a blog article. Many of my dedicated readers probably wondered where I got off to. What happened? Well, here's the story.<br />
<br />
Nearly all of my life, I have been overweight. Food became a coping mechanism for stress early in my youth. When I was sad, I ate. When I was angry, I ate. When I was depressed, I ate even more! Entering first grade as a child, I ballooned up and got <i>husky </i>(a term that just oozes 1980's nostalgia). During my middle school years, I weighed in the ballpark of 250 pounds. I started high school at 275 pounds. By the time I graduated in June of 2000, I was a whopping 303 pounds.<br />
<br />
Over the course of the following decade, I continued to eat myself to death. Between 2011 and 2012, I topped out at an astounding 343 pounds. My late teens and twenties were an emotionally tumultuous period, and it showed in a very tangible way. I wore my emotions on my sleeve... and on my gut, back, shoulders, arms, legs and ass.<br />
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<br />
In August of 2013, I decided enough was enough and began a journey to better health. There's no coincidence that my physical health began to improve parallel with my mental health. I started writing this blog to heal emotionally and spiritually. As I let go of the internal baggage holding me back, so too did I relinquish the very physical baggage weighing me down.<br />
<br />
Over the past three years, I've transformed myself on the inside and on the outside. Today, I write to you a healthier man, a happier man...<br />
<br />
a man that weighs 100 pounds lighter.<br />
<br />
When I first started my weight loss, I never even imagined I'd lose <i>this much</i> weight. I thought I'd get twenty or thirty pounds off and call it a day. I just assumed I was meant to be a <i>big guy</i> the rest of my life. Just getting to 300 pounds was an achievement in my book.<br />
<br />
But... I kept going. I'm not sure why, but I just kept going. I developed a sense of willpower which I didn't have ever before. Luckily, I also had a partner in Crystal who supported me at every step of the way. When I was weak, she was there to carry me along. I can't thank her enough.<br />
<br />
These past few months, I pushed extra hard to hit my goal -- lose 100 pounds by the end of August. To focus on that goal, I stepped away from writing. Very literally, I needed some <i>me</i> time.<br />
<br />
Today, I weigh 243 pounds.<br />
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<br />
Thankfully, I don't have a lot of extra skin sagging and drooping all over me. I contribute this to losing the weight responsibly and at a reasonable pace. I didn't take any weight loss supplements or magic pills. No surgery was involved, nor any fad diets. I didn't follow the silly rapid weight loss plans that you see on <i>The Biggest Loser</i> (which is why so many of those contestants put the weight right back on).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I feel deflated.</i></span></div>
<br />
Unfortunately, I still have a big head... but that's something I was blessed with at birth... probably not going anywhere.<br />
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<br />
<b>I ate right. I controlled my portions. I exercised. I used my willpower to know what <i>not</i> to eat. It's as simple as that.</b><br />
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<br />
I know I'm still overweight, but at least I'm able to live a somewhat normal life. I can climb mountains. I can hike trails. I can run without passing out. Heck, I'm moderately cute and attractive (okay, that's a slight stretch). Most importantly, I'm not going to stop. I'd like to get to 220 pounds and see how I look. If I still have some extra pudge, maybe 200 pounds is my finish line. I just don't know yet. Either way, I've done something most people can not say they have ever done. For once, I'm proud of myself.<br />
<br />
<i>So what's the takeaway from all of this?</i><br />
<br />
<b>If a schmuck like me can lose a ton of weight, so can you. Just let it go.</b>Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-66717923875516512342016-06-13T20:12:00.004-04:002016-06-13T20:12:35.836-04:00Interesting Facts About Watermelon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SZLlHrYcFf0/V19LPRUTPKI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/0JSlYqCt7Uc56MWfAJnahpOhfvwVAPz-gCLcB/s1600/Square%2BWatermelons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SZLlHrYcFf0/V19LPRUTPKI/AAAAAAAAFGQ/0JSlYqCt7Uc56MWfAJnahpOhfvwVAPz-gCLcB/s320/Square%2BWatermelons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A square watermelon? Don't worry, I explain below.</i></div>
<br />
I (not so) graciously consumed a slice of watermelon earlier. It was quite delicious and definitely satisfying. Accordingly, I figured hey... why not drop some watermelon facts on my audience? Nothing hot and heavy here for you to process this evening, just some cool facts about a cool fruit... <i>and a vegetable?</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Yes, watermelons are both a fruit and a vegetable. They grow from a seed, making them a fruit. And yet, they are within the same family of vegetables as pumpkins, squash and cucumbers. The watermelon is a trans-food substance! How progressive!</li>
<li>The wild watermelon, which looks much different than the watermelon we typical eat, originated in southern Africa.</li>
<li>A watermelon is 92% water, making it a natural thirst quencher and great for your kidneys.</li>
<li>Watermelons also contain high amounts of manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamins B1 and B6, Vitamin A and potassium.</li>
<li>Watermelons are also packed with electrolytes, making them a much better choice for consumption over sugar-filled energy and athletic drinks.</li>
<li>Most of the world's watermelons are grown in China.</li>
<li>In China, the rind of the watermelon is eaten like a stir-fried vegetable.</li>
<li>Japan has the strangest watermelons of all. You can purchase higher-end square watermelons, which are seen as fashionable. How do the farmers do it? They grow the watermelons in square glass containers, in which the melons gradually take on the shape. We really need these in the USA!</li>
<li>The heaviest watermelon ever recorded was nearly 270 pounds.</li>
<li>You can carve a watermelon just like a pumpkin at Halloween. When you light it with a candle, the red interior takes on the spooky appearance of blood! I did this as a child many times and can verify that it works.</li>
</ul>
<div>
And now, for you viewing pleasure (and just because it's my blog and I can do what I want), here is a video of an exploding watermelon!</div>
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Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-34655887763524938282016-06-12T19:36:00.001-04:002016-06-12T19:36:26.997-04:00Draw Something: Chomper GhostI'll always give <i>The Real Ghostbusters</i> cartoon from the '80s credit for being inventive with their weekly creatures of fright and terror. Much of the time, the ghosts were meant to be silly or simply visually memorable. In the vein of those classic animated creatures, I decided to doodle a simple ghost design... something just as likely to be released in the accompanying action figure series as well. Just imagine this slimey fella with a button activated biting feature. CHOMP!<div>
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Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-58108346492307712422016-06-11T21:25:00.002-04:002016-06-11T21:31:45.802-04:00In Plane Site.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I'm pregnant with your child.<br />
Oozing bags of puss are weeping from my fingertips.<br />
D.B. Cooper is my real name.<br />
I own not one, not two, but three magic bullets.<br />
The Bermuda Triangle is where I found Jimmy Hoffa.<br />
My left foot has seven toes.<br />
Oranges make me sneeze official Nickelodeon slime.<br />
When I was seven, I conquered Mars with a pencil.<br />
Green is really a futuristic camouflage to hide two dimensional butt pirates.<br />
I can walk on water, but only when it's really cold.<br />
There's a colony of stranded alien cow-probers in my tool shed.<br />
Stonehenge is just a fancy toilet for druids.<br />
Not only have I found Atlantis, but I sold it to mermaids.<br />
Yes, I know mermaids.<br />
Roswell was a cover up for an all-night rave hosted by DJ Boomin' Truman.<br />
The Lost Roanoke Colony just got bored and went to play golf.<br />
I like to play croquet at Redpath Mansion.<br />
Drive-in theaters were invented by lazy, perverted slashers.<br />
Your mom called; she wants you to meet your real father.<br />
Numbers stations are where I find all of my best recipes.<br />
Once in a lifetime you'll take a road to nowhere and find a psycho killer.<br />
I always tell the truth when I'm lying.Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-89337778303024351072016-06-10T15:12:00.000-04:002016-06-10T15:16:05.203-04:00Random Suds Review: Wells Banana Bread Beer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Time to review an import. That's right... our random review this time around will be Wells Banana Bread Beer. Brewed by the UK based <a href="http://www.charleswells.co.uk/" target="_blank">Charles Wells Brewing Company</a> (aka Wells & Young's Brewing Company), it's a favorite of the British beer-drinking populace. It is 5.2% Alc. by volume and created with fair trade bananas as part of the brewing process. As such, it supposedly has a remarkable flavor not normally experienced in an adult beverage. Is it true or just a bunch of hocus pocus? I'm going to find out.<br />
<br />
As with all of my reviews, I will taste test the beer at two different temperatures -- cold and at room temperature. Here we go!<br />
<br />
<b>Cold:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Very strong banana odor upon pouring it into the glass.</li>
<li>Light fizz.</li>
<li>No head to speak of.</li>
<li>Initial taste revealed a bold, but not overpowering banana flavor.</li>
<li>No bitterness at all to speak of.</li>
<li>The background of the flavor profile is both nutty and bread-like, as one would hope.</li>
<li>Much to my pleasure, the beer is not overly sweet or artificial tasting.</li>
<li>Quite enjoyable and easy to drink!</li>
</ul>
<b>At Room Temperature:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Has developed a slight amount of bitterness, but nothing terrible.</li>
<li>The bread-like nature has become more emboldened.</li>
<li>The fizz has completely dissipated.</li>
<li>As to the flavor, the banana has mellowed and isn't as fruity.</li>
<li>Still perfectly acceptable to drink warm, just not as good as when cold.</li>
</ul>
And there you have it! A flavorful imported beer with an awesome taste. If you like banana bread, or just bananas, you will enjoy this beer from Charles Wells. Look for Wells Banana Bread Beer at your local specialty beer and wine retailer!<br />
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<br />Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-62329866984860253932016-06-09T23:11:00.002-04:002016-06-09T23:11:55.529-04:00Crystal's Tips For Improving Baseball.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Crystal and I went to a Greensboro Grasshoppers minor league baseball game this evening. If you weren't already aware, I'm a massive baseball fan. Baseball truly is America's past time. Forget basketball or football... baseball is where it's at.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Crystal finds baseball to be dreadfully boring and a waste of time.<br />
<br />
While watching the game, I had Crystal compose a list of ways to improve the sport for bored viewers like herself. As such, she gets credit for tonight's article. I'm merely the messenger. And now...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Crystal's Tips For Improving Baseball!</u></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Fights</b> - Let the players beat each other senseless, as they do in hockey.</li>
<li><b>Throwing money</b> - Shoot coins at the fans, or onto the field.</li>
<li><b>Put obstacles on the field</b> - Barb wire, mud pits, swinging chainsaws, etc. The more dangerous the better!</li>
<li><b>Rubber bullets</b> - Give the players pistols to fire the non-lethal projectiles at opposing players.</li>
<li><b>Spiked balls</b> - They'll make someone fielding a ball think twice about catching it! If the fans are lucky, the players will often catch the spiked ball with their face.</li>
<li><b>Flaming mascots</b> - light them on fire and have them run a race around the bases!</li>
<li><b>Free ice cream for the fans</b> - Sprinkles are absolutely mandatory.</li>
<li><b>Just not be a sport</b> - Seriously, stop playing baseball. It sucks.</li>
</ul>
<div>
And finally, the number one tip that made me burst with laughter as we watched behind home plate...</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Refunds for boredom</b> - A full refund... every game, every time.</li>
</ul>
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Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-54763975366462945792016-06-08T20:27:00.001-04:002016-06-08T20:33:02.703-04:00When I Was Really Fat: Ramen Noodles.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier today while grocery shopping, I took notice of the ramen noodles on a random aisle and thought to myself...<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Boy, I sure do miss eating those."</i></blockquote>
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You see, I haven't eaten ramen noodles in a very long time. Since I got my crap together and started losing weight in 2013, I've cut out all of the terrible food in my life and dropped 82 pounds. Ramen noodles were a priority target on my hit list. This got me to thinking... what a great little nugget of awesomeness to use as inspiration for an article series! And here we have, bursting with all of its lofty lipid glory...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>WHEN I WAS REALLY FAT.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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When I was really fat, I would eat four packages of ramen noodles at a time. I would prepare the ramen as normal in a giant pot, taking care not to over-boil the noodles. Once the noodles were ready, I'd drain them from their soup liquid and put them in a large bowl. Now, here's where things got a little bit wacky. I'd put the noodles in the freezer to sit for five or ten minutes. This would not decrease the temperature of the still hot noodles too much. But, what it would do was make the noodles sticky and tacky. Thereby, they were perfect to eat with chopsticks. Oh boy, were they delicious. And yet, I failed to recognize the harm I was doing to myself. Four packages of ramen noodles equates to over 1,500 calories! That's more calories in one meal than what I eat in an entire day now! Even worse, all that ramen had over 7,000 mg of sodium and over 200 carbohydrates. What a terrible, terrible meal to put into your body. And yet, when I was at my fattest, I was doing that two or three times a week. It's a miracle I didn't die of a heart attack.</div>
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So, what do you think? Want to hear more stories about the most absurd food I would eat when I was really fat? Trust me... this ramen story is only the tip of the iceberg! I find these tales both comical and sad, but it's great to get it off of my chest. Drop a comment and let me know.</div>
Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-63936887508212297872016-06-07T18:31:00.001-04:002016-06-07T18:35:50.172-04:00A Visit From Horace's Duskywing.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whilst sitting on my back patio just a short moment ago, this affable little moth landed on my stomach. It didn't seem frightened of me, so I let it sit there. Much to my surprise, the moth continued to remain there for what seemed like an eternity. Somehow, I'd found a new buddy today. As the wind would randomly pick up and bluster against the tiny winged wonder, it would desperately grasp for my shirt and hang on tight. Using my hands, I cupped around the moth to provide shelter from the wind so it could rest. For a moment, it was safe and seemed thankful.<br />
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After doing some research, I discovered that is wasn't a moth at all! This was in fact a Horace's Duskywing (<i>Erynnis horatius</i>), a skipper-type butterfly from the family Hesperiidae. Its habitat ranges from the New England region south along the east coast. It also has spread as far west as Texas and New Mexico. By no means is the Horace's Duskywing endangered; their population is quite healthy and vivacious. Based upon the color pattern on its wings, I was able to determine that this specimen was a male. Most likely, this fellow was born in early spring. Yet, the sad part of this encounter soon set in... with tattered wings and it being the month of June, this Duskywing was probably tired and about to pass away. I was deeply saddened.<br />
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As I watched the insect rest there on my stomach and hold still, I wondered as to what the butterfly must think of me. Surely, it could see what I looked like. Was it not afraid of my immense size? Why would it think I was safe to land upon? Much less, to let me cup my large hands around its small stature? That's a measure of trust I wouldn't expect from nature.<br />
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I was sad to see it eventually go, but I hope it lives just a little while longer to enjoy the last few days of the passing Spring.Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-37553302031453513702016-06-06T18:00:00.000-04:002016-06-06T18:00:15.884-04:005 Tips For Being A Real American!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There sure are a lot of wimps out in the world today. I look around and wonder... what happened to my 'Murica?! Rest assured, I've got it all figured out. Immigrants aren't the problem. The media isn't the problem. Hell, politicians aren't even the problem. So what is the problem?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">We've gotten too damn soft.</span></b></div>
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As such, here's a quick tutorial on how to be a real American!<br />
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<b>Tip #1: Always wear a tank top.</b> This applies to chicks just as much as dudes. Show your guns as much as virtually possible. Big guns. Little guns. Guns with crappy tribal tattoos. Guns with droopy armpit fat. SHOW 'EM! Bonus GI Joe points for accompanying side-boob or wicked scars. Bonus Bonus points for actually carrying a gun with your guns.<br />
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<b>Tip #2: Use exclamation points at the end of every sentence!</b> Doesn't matter what you're talking about! Grandma's dying of tuberculosis! You lost your foot in a freak lawnmower accident! You scored an 80 on your math final and passed the class with relative ease! It burns when I pee! You're an American, so everything you say is obviously important! Ex!clam!!!!atio!!ns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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<b>Tip #3: Break the rules.</b> See what I just did there? I broke my own rule from the previous tip. Rules are for sheep willing to do whatever they're told. Don't be a sheep. Wait, screw that... be a sheep. Breaking the rules is cool.<br />
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<b>Tip #4: Everything is better with hot sauce.</b> Quit letting your tongue be a limp coward. Put hot sauce on your eggs, tacos and fish. Douse it over your mashed potatoes and broccoli. Hell, you're not even livin' if you haven't placed a fat ol' drop of hot sauce in your favorite cocktail. Burn that mother up! See that baby up there drinking the hot sauce straight? Yeah, 100% commander-in-chief material. I'm gonna write in 'Bad Ass Toddler' for President.<br />
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<b>Tip #5: Condoms are for foreigners.</b> You've got the blood of Uncle Sam pulsating through every pore in your body. As such, you need to spread your freedom-lovin' genetics as much as virtually possible. Making babies is quintessentially American. You get a fetus! You get a fetus! You get a fetus! Point, aim and fire your flag-flyin' baby maker at every womb or flesh salami that'll allow you to. Sure, you might catch the HIV (rhymes with give) or some other disgusting case of crotch rot, but that's the price you pay to live in the greatest god damn country on Earth. Your genitals might fall off, but your patriotism will live on forever!<br />
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<br />Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-58104968059404971262016-06-05T19:14:00.000-04:002016-06-05T19:14:32.134-04:00Draw Something: Punk DuckDucks are already pretty bad-ass. This duck is bad-asser-er. Is that even a word? It is now. BAM!<br />
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<br />Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218854861566507325.post-13946393574245122016-06-04T22:18:00.000-04:002016-06-04T22:18:30.670-04:00The Upside To A Lost Cause.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Waiting.<br />
Gulls fly overhead, silently mocking.<br />
Sitting along the boardwalk, sand between my toes.<br />
A cold receiver on the pay phone around the corner.<br />
Anticipation is dreadful.<br />
Disappointment is worse.<br />
Being strung along is a funny thing.<br />
You're not going anywhere, that much is guaranteed.<br />
Hope finally eclipsed by acceptance of the truth.<br />
A tryst no more; an assassination of sincerity.<br />
Curiously, the pit stops along the way are your pittance.<br />
Cafes and bowling alleys.<br />
Malls and movie theaters.<br />
Amber sunsets on the ocean.<br />
People.<br />
Talking and dancing their troubles away.<br />
Total structural collapse just below the surface.<br />
All they've got is right now.<br />
Tomorrow is just an eight-letter word for never.<br />
We're all fighting a war that can't be won.<br />
Some of us can luckily see through the fog.<br />
Every unanswered call a hushed gift delivered in secrecy.<br />
When there's nothing left to lose, you've got everything to gain.<br />
Starting with today.Jared Manninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613818138236192049noreply@blogger.com0