"Dancer" Mentality

As I complete this term's group of SLOGS (excerpts from the Student Logs I keep on each student in my classes)-- I am struck by the growing level of "dancer" mentality among the Millennials.  I have students from all over the world in my classes --- and these students are often the children of "Baby Boomer" parents, many of whom chose either the academic/artistic or simply the artistic lifestyle. These children then are often exotic (because of being born in other countries, in an "artistic" family life) with few conventional leanings.

Often they are "vegan" -- at least partially so (and usually not too dogmatically in their own lives). But they truly think they have worked out the "big picture" of life. For example: healthy exercise and avoiding animal proteins leads to long life and happiness for all! (God forbid that nature should overwhelm such nurture!) The gaps in their education are wide indeed -- contemporary science, current changes in science/technology, most ancient cultures/languages, and human development generally.  Instead they substitute the sweet rhythms of their own ideas/music/meditation to assuage those weaknesses.

Just because you are 25, privileged, and with little formal education beyond primary school, and have attended the "school of life (actual profile)" -- doesn't make you a prophet for the rest of us. YOU DON'T KNOW ENOUGH!  Be humble; understand what you lack; learn; listen; grow -- in balance, not arrogance. All of us should and must follow that same advice.    

Bernie Sanders and the Beast That Got Away

Progressives can be narcissistic too! Apparently. They want it "their way --- or not at all." They would rather risk the health and safety of us all by pouting and refusing to back the Democratic nominee because their man "Bernie" did not get the nod.

How selfish; how stupid; how dangerous! Elect Donald J. Trump -- why not? Let's just see what happens. Will the world survive? Will we alienate every other nation on earth (except Russia of course -- thank you Vladimir -- kiss, kiss)? And then of course Trump's Evangelicals will be happy because we'll all be "closer" to the end of the universe --- yikes. How crazy are the "Bernie or Bust" people? Can't control a "mob" I guess!

Democrats MUST Rebound

The Democrats must rebound from the hatred, the naysayers, the hypocrites, and the Orwellian Neanderthals who support Donald Trump. It would not only be a disaster if Mr. Trump became President of the United States -- it might be an "extinction" event for smart people (see "Idiocracy"), a neo-political pogrom (see "Holocaust") for women/independents/and Americans generally, a catastrophe for life and the earth (see "what climate change")!

Mr. Trump appeals only to the lowest human instincts: selfishness, stupidity, competition to be the richest, savage ignorance, ridiculous lying, and unalloyed dishonesty!  If Trump wins; we all will lose!

 

Crimea, Ukraine, Aleppo, Syria, Trump/Election, the Baltics?

Are we in America and in NATO now facing another face-off with Vladimir Putin? Are we being propelled forward by politics and momentum to some kind of confrontation?

Is that what Russia wants? Is that what the world needs? Is Putin so blind (as blind as Trump perhaps) as to think that somehow we can stop the nuclear train several rails short of annihilation? We need cooperation not madness!

Wikileaks, Kaspersky, and the American Election for President

Is Putin really trying to "tamper" with the American election by releasing emails from the DNC -- to destabilize the Democratic convention? If he is, or if Russian hackers are, or if someone else is --- and covering their URL tracks -- it is an anemic and moronic attempt!

Americans can recognize and ignore the kinds of "big lie" approaches used in American politics. "Crooked Hilary" is a big lie -- the big lie of this GOP campaign.  Just like last cycle it was that "Obama will take away your guns" or "Obama will take away your Bibles (West Virginia ministers, 2012). The Big Lie is an old and shallow technique -- which, this far out from the election, will be defeated by the press; by investigative journalism, by the free press we all cherish.

Long Live the King

As the many Jesters crowed throughout the exorbitant courts of Europe for a thousand years: "Long live the King (the King is Dead)!  Long live the King!"

The Death of Donald J. Trump

In the political intrigue coming up to the RNC in Cleveland, we learn that Trump offered the "presidency" (note small 'p') to John Kasich, Governor of Ohio -- in exchange for his place on the Republican Ticket as Vice-President!  How can that be? It "can be" because the Trump Advisors (note Trump family) liked Kasich and though he was the one candidate who could be President while Trump was off doing what he wanted to be doing -- a kind of "superhero advisor/controller out there in the world 'making America Great again'"!

There has been all kinds of talk about how The Donald doesn't really want to BE President, he just wants to "win the Presidency" and then, incredibly, give it away to the Vice-President. At least Kasich would have been better than Pence!  Now it looks like, if Trump "wins" the Presidency (how, god only knows), that he might actually do some of the work connected with being a President -- and he won't be making any money doing it!  Yikes.

Trump's Family

We are not electing Trump's family --- handsome children, beautiful wives (former and current)! We are electing a President of the United States.

We are not electing the best "hee haw" storyteller, or the best name-caller, or the best prevaricator!
We are electing the President of the United States of America.

We are not electing the best womanizer, or the best "good ol' boy," or the best crook!  We are electing the President of the U.S. of A.

We are not electing the best fake, the best jerk, the best loser, or the best bankrupt businessman! We are electing the President of America.

We are NOT electing Donald J. Trump!

It Was The Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times!

My friend and colleague Marcellus just earned the full-time position in Speech at STC. The RNC opens its "coronation" of Trump today in Cleveland's Quicken Arena!

Hillary leads in the polls versus the "uber businessman" Trump!  Six police officers were shot in Baton Rouge yesterday morning -- and Donald Trump says that Barack Obama is to blame!

All life is fleeting!

We Weep Again -- this time for Nice

The insidious and insane terror network known as ISIS (or DASH, or ISIL, or the Caliphate) has struck again with a van, guns, and a murderous heart.

Many are dead; many are injured!  All because they were out watching a fireworks display commemorating Bastille Day in the beautiful city of Nice. I don't know where this will lead in the USA -- I hope not to Trump Presidency, I hope not to the horrific suggestions of a Newt Gingrich, I hope not to a war of violence within the US. I hope not...,.

Wait For It; Wait For It

On the 18th of July, during this year of the Lord 2016, the Republican Convention will begin in Cleveland, Ohio. That city that had been so honored by the victory by the Cavaliers will be dishonored by the GOP's cavalier attitude towards the truth.

The GOP will eventually nominate Donald Trump for President, amidst the confusion and hullabaloo
of a ritual convention -- this time bereft of honesty, fair play, and a decent candidate. And the Republican and Conservative faithful will weep -- because people are unwilling to acknowledge their own stupidity, their own crassness, their own lying about their "opponents," and will assuage their desire to destroy their own country. And the Evangelical Christians will rejoice -- for the "end times" may actually have arrived.

Hurried Hurry Up Harried

Life at times seems like a jumble of jobs, and tasks, and allegiances, and duties, and mistakes ---- and no fricking respite!

Pick up the car; get the car fixed; get ready for a trip; be back in time to finish the report; finish the report; don't rest; don't stop; don't ..........think!

The Frenzy of Life

Life, sex, compassion, death, hard times, disappointment, anger, hate, love, and on and on!  Life in just the past few days has deluged me with all these -- and more.

How about you? Does your life seem "out of control" or literally streaming over the top, faster and faster, more and more out of control? If so -- you are on a typical life's journey -- and your key to survival and success is to slow the whole damn mess down; and make honest and true decisions reflective of who you really are.

Random Anger; Focused Ignorance

Horrendous week for the United States, for its police departments, for its public and private image(s), for its conscience, for its own sanity!  American prejudices and stupidities have been exposed -- and because of that, people have lost their lives.  Baton Rouge, St. Paul, Dallas, Savannah, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York!

Society is in jeopardy because of our own polarized stupidity! Thank you news media; thank you Donald Trump; thank you haters!

Who Is Mr. Epperly?

I get literally hundreds of emails every day --- and I am not a very important person, as importance goes. But many of the emails should not be coming to me but do so because my name is mistakenly on a list somewhere -- and/or people just assume things about who is in charge -- or systems and/or people simply make numerous mistakes! So what percentage of my emails are mistake-mails? About 40 % --- yikes!

That's a lot of wasted effort, a lot of mistaken time, a lot of writing and reading and re-writing, all in vain. Take care emailers of the world --- get the person's correct name and URL!

The Beauty of Family

On the 4th of July I spent several hours on the phone with my daughter Tosha. She is family -- adopted, stolen, received, surrogate family! I love her like my daughter -- like Sheila's daughter -- like my own blood.

She and I have a different kind of conversation than I can or would have with my sister Linda. It just is -- because I am a "Dad" to Tosha, we get into things and joke about things (like her love life, MY love life (hah)) -- that Linda and I don't really have.

The Fourth of July

Fireworks, celebration, beer, hot dogs -- what is it all for? Are we really patriotic? Are we thankful to our all-volunteer army for keeping us safe from harm? Do we appreciate the sacrifices maintained by military families throughout the world -- in standing up for America, and truly sacrificing for it?

What is the real answer to the above questions? Will we still vote for a racist, fascist, xenophobic liar to be our President?

Foibles of Young Women

Unintentional flirting, allowing themselves to "play dumb" for too many specious reasons, "display" body syndrome -- in mostly inappropriate situations, asking ridiculous questions to assert their own sense of unworthiness (and flatter men), and about a hundred other behaviors -- all indicate that techniques for becoming adult are still learned in the court of "courtly love" traditions. These many behaviors become especially annoying when they are a substitute for seeking "real" knowledge, or simply establishing the reasons for their own self-esteem.

In America we all flirt badly --- too much, too little, nothing at all. But we shouldn't be broadcasting our lack of sensuality; we shouldn't be wallowing in our "grade school" romantic thinking. Life is deeper than an "Archie and Betty" comic book lifestyle.