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Each of us have different reasons that we put pen to paper or finger to keyboard. I write because It is the best way I have of expressing that one true story that lives deep in my bones. I tried everything else first. I tried to be an artist, but even my stick figures were unrecognizable. I tried singing with limited success, and I even thought that sports would be an excellent instrument through which to share my story. None of those have the resonance of writing and nothing in writing is as powerful as writing fiction.

I write to tell stories about the connection between thinking beings. I believe that a side effect of any society is that it creates barriers between people. Romeo and Juliet–heck even Twilight exist because of those barriers imposed on us. The same can be said of any story. Django is about the separation of people based on the qualities they are born with. The Great Gatsby, City of Bones, Divergent, and the Hunger Games are all identical in that respect. I suppose I write to illuminate those barriers in hopes that by recognizing those barriers, even metaphorically, we can make progress towards defeating them.

At a time where Obama choosing to shake hands with vs. salute a soldier is a real news story, I am starting to wonder if the end is nigh. Think about it. We’re at the point the Romans were before the fall, where gladiatorial combat, death and sex is all we talk about anymore. The people in power choose not to talk with each other, and the banks represent the real power structure in our country and beyond.

I think the biggest threat to the continuance of our society is the fact that nobody trusts each other anymore. We definitely don’t trust the media and the government. Why should we? We were clearly lied to about the Iraq war. We were also lied to repeatedly about 9/11. I believe those two instances further eroded the trust to the point where a discerning audience questions everything. In fact, the biggest new conspiracy theory I’ve encountered  is not about secret alien technology or multi-governmental pacts, but Sandy Hook Elementary. There is a groundswell of belief that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged. I’m one to believe that terrible things can happen, and when it happens to children I tend to question last and get angry first. This common habit is partially responsible for why the act imprinted itself on us so quickly. But how many of us stopped o consider if this was real?

Maybe the end is near and we should all be working on our post-apocalypse skills. Maybe I should learn how to change car batteries, tires, and all that stuff. I don’t know. If the end is really nigh, guys like me won’t make it too long anyway. Too tech dependent.

Just the other day Rex Ryan appeared to realize that his job is on the line. After watching Sanchez throw 3 picks in 11 passes (statistically similar to his normal turnover rate), Ryan said the # of turnovers was unacceptable. This is against a rookie DB on one side of the field. Sure, he has absolutely nobody to throw to and he is performing better (sort of) than Geno Smith (3-10 with a pick). The bottom line here is the Jets have no QB of worth and given the loss of Tebow, no weapons of any sort to put under center. Perhaps it is finally time the Jets crawl back into the closet of useless obscurity and let the G-Men shine, shine, shine.

Okay, 10 minutes to totally nerd out.

I am struggling with Redstone. A central part of Minecraft building, The low lying red rock represents ‘Craft’s form of electricity. As with all electricity, redstone is best applied in circuits to move and activate objects. I am using redstone to power hidden doors, and that is where my struggles begin.

Redstone circuits, like electric ones, have two basic states–on and off. The circuit I’m building is set to on as a default and I need to turn it off from in front of the circuit barrier and behind it. This is made difficult by the limited number of switch options employed by the game. I can use a button, a switch, or a pressure plate. The fourth option, called a Block Updater Switch, is not really an option for this particular endeavor.

So, I am presented with a challenge–be it a juvenile and largely meaningless one. Still, I am fully engaged in the challenge and will update you on my progress as the puzzle is slowly unraveled.

Some Thoughts:

1.  I’m not quite sure if Michael Strahan crossed over or sold out. The co-star of Live! with Kelly & Michael was once the cream of the NFL crop and a hero to thousands of inner city kids. Now he is the hero of middle-class white moms.
2. Mattress Firm is making particular use of the primacy effect in their ‘8 yr mistake’ commercial. By first establishing the 8 yr time frame, you are immediately persuaded that a mattress can only last 8 yrs. furthermore, you are persuaded that the purchase is an 8 yr commitment–much like American marriages.
3. You do something long enough you start to think you’re good enough at it–regardless of if you actually are good at it.
4. I want another shot at owning a business. The last business, djmalik.com, was a single proprietor operation that denied me the opportunity to manage staff. Staff would be a great challenge to experience in a non-acedemic setting.
5. Dear Overstock.com: ‘Saved thousands’ and ‘got me an engagement ring’ don’t really work in the same commercial let alone the same sentence. Please reconsider your marketing strategy.

I remember how I felt the first time I experienced how drugs can tear people apart. It was more than just  the destruction of a physical individual but the tearing down of morals, family, societal bonds and taboos. People are inherently animals. This I know now in a visceral way. We wear the heavy cloak of civility but beneath we are flesh, bone, desire, hate, and pure reptilian instinct.

Falling back into the smooth routine of daily work comes easier than I thought. Jamaica Kincaid once waxed philosophical about the detrimental effects of vacations (specifically in regards to the mindset the vacationer has towards the vacation spot). I feel now that vacations are meant to be limited things, especially in cases where what you do defines a significant portion of who you are. Who I am is a person that dances lightly between creating curriculum and fiction. Being away from both too long is known to trigger headaches and clammy skin–much like alcohol withdrawal. Now that I’m back to work the only real difficulty is deciding what to do first.

Some Thoughts:

1. I was recently informed that upwards of 200 Maricopa school children are underfed. In fact, these are the children who only eat when free meals are provided at school. So, from the time they leave school on friday until monday morning’s school breakfast these children are unfed. That doesn’t sit right with me at all. I cannot watch my own three boys poke at a meal knowing that someone they probably know is unable to eat dinner every night and unable to eat at all on the weekends. I decided the moment I heard this that I would need to do something. Maricopa is not necessarily a poor town, but as more people move here, it does feel like the median income is shrinking. I moved here because the demographics worked for me and it felt like a town just starting to come together and I wanted to be a part of that. I still want to be a part of that. Now I want to be the part that helps people in need.
2. My heart goes out to the people of OK who are dealing with a horrific tornado disaster. 51 declared dead in Moore, OK as a result of an EF-4 Tornado said to be two miles wide with speeds up to 200 MPH and perhaps more. This is one of the few times that I find purpose in the 24 hr news cycle as it gives us a chance to stay abreast of an evolving situation.
3. Speaking of 24, the hit series about a day in the life of Jack Bauer is set to return in 2013 for a 12 episode mini-series. I’m stoked about the return, but I am also a little hesitant given Fox’s recent track record with action-adventure series.

I was able to update the blog for the first time in days today. Whatever small glitch my system has seems to repeat itself once in a while, leaving me unable to post to the blog itself. I am instead left to write in my Evernote with hopes of updating to the blog proper as soon as possible. The return of function is the perfect coda to my short, sweet vacation. I spent a week hanging out alone and playing minecraft, all in an attempt to clear my head and ready myself for what lies ahead in the next few weeks. I need to do a great deal of planning for classes and more than a little paperwork to see myself ready for the summer. The kids will be here with me some of that time, so I must learn how to make do with the few short hours I have without them.

I still have my summer goals. I still have my desires for vacation. The refund situation remains unresolved. I hope to use that small bit of currency along with the book money to fund summer trips. The first such outing is the 20 yr reunion in NYC. I’m excited about that one. I hope to be able to connect with old friends.

The lion’s share of my workload is comprised of three online classes that are each stumbling towards capacity. It is no great secret that my online classes stank. I use the past tense, because I expect things to be different this summer. I am dedicating myself to making the experience extremely interactive and worthwhile.

Sociology will tell you that a man lives longer when in the company of a good wife. What science hasn’t said but should is that people live longer in the company of good friends. As my life goes on, I learn more of the value of good friends. Since moving to Maricopa I have developed a handful of very good family friends–folks I can spend time with family to family. Ten years ago I would never have thought of this as very important but now it seems that these are the primary type of friends I am looking for. I find myself seeking out folks I can spend time with and that my family can spend time with and we can both understand what we’re going through in our lives.

I want to preface this story by saying I’m talking about a team of 8-9 yr old players. The conflict started when my team faced off against a rival team whose coaches are not the happiest bunch in the bushel. In that first match the rival assistant coach accused one of my players of jumping on to the field to kick a ball. That did not happen. We won the game and the animosity built. A week later was pulled aside by league officials and warned about my players punching other boys. That low blow really upped my anger. Talk about me all day, but go after my players and I get upset. I contacted the officials who reffed the game and they confirmed there was no hitting.