Tim Kreider sings the hits

This, dear readers, is a must read. It’s an opinion piece by Tim Kreider called, “The ‘Busy’ Trap.“

I am not busy. I am the laziest ambitious person I know. Like most writers, I feel like a reprobate who does not deserve to live on any day that I do not write, but I also feel that four or five hours is enough to earn my stay on the planet for one more day. On the best ordinary days of my life, I write in the morning, go for a long bike ride and run errands in the afternoon, and in the evening I see friends, read or watch a movie. This, it seems to me, is a sane and pleasant pace for a day. And if you call me up and ask whether I won’t maybe blow off work and check out the new American Wing at the Met or ogle girls in Central Park or just drink chilled pink minty cocktails all day long, I will say, what time?

I love this line: I’m the laziest ambitious person I know. 

When people ask me about working for myself, I talk about long distances and time between paychecks. Or jobs.

There are weeks that I have forced time off. Then there are times when I am really busy, and have to work long, difficult hours.

But it’s the downtime that I emphasize. The great thing about my work is flexible hours, and the ability to workout during the day. I don’t have a commute, so I can spend the hour(s) that other people drive cars or ride buses or trains, cooking.

I’ve worked with everyone from CEOs to interns, and the common thread among us all is the propensity to appear busy, but the overwhelming nod to laziness.

I don’t believe CEOs deserve their millions (if they’re making that) and I don’t think interns deserve pennies. We don’t need class structure. We don’t need levels of social economy. What we need is more opportunity to spend time together.

There’s something deep down in us that wants to be un-busy.

People don’t really want to work. Which is why I don’t blame people on welfare or disability.

Fuck work.

I want to spend more time with people doing stuff that’s fun. I happen to LOVE photography, and have managed to find ways to get paid for it.

But I don’t want to get to the end of my life and wonder where my time went.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the paychecks and I enjoy contributing taxes to the government.

But I understand lazy ambition. And I hope we can all learn to be lazy ambitious people who get together for lunch or a coffee on a school day.

Hat tip to Becky for the link! 

I’m especially unspecial especially if you consider how special specialness is

I keep seeing this little snippet floating around.

I’ve been sitting on it for a while. Weeks actually. The JPG has been sitting on my desktop, and I open it every once in a while.

The sentiment meant a lot to me when I believed I was saved. And I get the idea that supernatural forgiveness feels good.

But from the outside looking back, I have to say that the psychology behind this thought is a steaming pile of poop.

I’m not bragging, but I’m bragging. 

I’m not special, but I’m connected to a supernatural being that makes me special. 

I am dirty, filthy and ugly, but I shine when I invoke the name of Jesus. Knowing God makes me special … but I’m still ugly … avert your eyes. 

I’m not proud about it, but I’m putting it in front of your face. 

Let’s all agree — at some level — that this is — in fact — prideful, ugly, manipulative, divisive and silly to use expressions like this. If you’re strong enough to say you’re weak, than you can’t be all that weak.

If you’re proud enough to talk about something unseen as if he’s there, you are an insouciant, supercilious douchy person. Sorry, that there’s the stinky truth.

To claim a knowledge of the mystery that is supernatural, unseen, unknowable and too big for words or comprehension, that’s pride.

There is one truth I believe in regarding belief and believers, and that’s the believers are winners. They are going to heaven. They get the reward of all rewards.

There is no more need to brag. There is no more need to trifle over painful failures of the flesh, as they say.

And when you strip away all the belief and thinly veiled pride and “hey, look at me!” ideas … all you’re saying is that you’re human … just like everyone else.

So get on the bandwagon and whip the horses. Let’s do this … without the mumbo jumbo and confusing language.

Seriously.

Full text of the JPG below the fold.

Being old is a choice. No one chooses to grow old.

Did you know old people — who aren’t planning to procreate — are getting married?

We need to stop this blasphemy … NOW!!!

Via

What … does … Marcellus Wallace’s … 2000 calories … look like

This will not surprise anyone who has taken counting calories seriously …

Via Cynical C … who came out of retirement by the way.

Yes! There are more good people in North Carolina.

From The Daily What … Cheezburger:

The Green Street United Methodist Church in North Carolina is refusing to perform any marriages until same-sex marriage is legally recognized by the state. The announcement comes in conflict with the official laws and doctrines of the United Methodist Church, which lists homosexuality as a practice that is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” In the meantime, the church will be holding “relationship blessings” as an alternative to marriage ceremonies.

Thank human kindness and goodness — nothing else — for Rob Bell

From this editorial:

Bell went on to say that while it used to be fair to equate evangelicals with social conservatism, that assumption no longer holds true. More pointedly, he said, “I think we are witnessing the death of a particular subculture that doesn’t work. I think there is a very narrow, politically intertwined, culturally ghettoized, Evangelical subculture that was told “we’re gonna change the thing” and they haven’t. And they actually have turned away lots of people. And i think that when you’re in a part of a subculture that is dying, you make a lot more noise because it’s very painful. You sort of die or you adapt. And if you adapt, it means you have to come face to face with some of the ways we’ve talked about God, which don’t actually shape people into more loving, compassionate people. And we have supported policies and ways of viewing the world that are actually destructive. And we’ve done it in the name of God and we need to repent.”

Read the rest.

You’re right. It’s a strange world.

Seen on Facebook.

I’ll throw a bonus “sob story for the poor” graphic under the fold.

Finally! Pope Francis I Resigns

From a reliable source.

The Catholic world was rocked today as 76-year-old Pope Francis I announced plans to step down at the end of the month.

More here.

Wait a minute … DDT is good for you.

Because if it’s advertised, it’s got to be true.

Via TYWKIWDBI: “DDT is good for me !”

 

10 People to Avoid on Planes … in other words … avoid EVERYBODY on planes. Don’t travel.

Interior of a China Southern Airlines airplane. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

Amanda Black published a post in ShermansTravel Blog called, “10 People to Avoid on Airplanes.”

As if naming your enemies is going to cure the world of inconvenient travel partners.

 

Among the list are babies. Sorry, kids, if you were born a baby … you’re not allowed to fly with Amanda Baby-Hatin’ Black.

Also on the list … smelly people, talkers, tech fanatics, overhead bin offenders, and people who don’t wash their hands.

People who don’t wash their hands?

Next time you go to the bathroom on any flight, make sure you look over your shoulder while you are (or are not) washing up. Amanda Hand-Washing Police Black is likely in there with you determining whether or not she can judge you for being a non-hand washer.

Can you say Psycho!

 

Amanda Hug-n-Kiss Black stops just shy of recommending that if you travel, charter your own plane and fly yourself. Unless you fly with your mouth shut, your armpits clean, your rear sphincter corked, lugguge-less, perfectly quiet, and a blind sheep, she does NOT want you on her airplane.

So get off!

 

I’m not sure Amanda Black knows how to count. Her list title specifies 10 (ten!) people to avoid, but she recommends a total of 16 different types. Number 5 is the sick or smelly person. This is not always one person. You can be sick and not smell. And you can smell and certainly not be sick. Added, she ends her 11-people — I mean — 10-people list and then throws in five more types of assholes that bother her while traveling.

 

Hey, Amanda Black, I gotta recommendation for you: Don’t fucking travel.

 

In the conversation I’m having with Amanda in my mind, she’d respond, “Jeremy, it’s a jovial, hyperbolic list. It’s not to be taken seriously.”

 

And you may be right, Amanda Black.

 

But you can’t name EVERYONE as offensive and avoidable. You might as well write, “If you see me — Amanda Dumb Butt Black — rolling my oversized bag while sneezing onto your plane, wreaking of whiskey and carrying my iPad, listening to my iPod and talking on my iPhone, clear the plane, bitches … I just ate a pot of pinto beans and I’ve got stellar gas.”

 

If I wrote the article, I would post a picture of this guy I’ve traveled quite a bit with. I’m not naming any names, but I’ve been on planes with my dad, and he can handily clear an entire economy cabin with one single flatulent blow.

I’m sure I’ve been on planes that I wasn’t exactly the best candidate for travel partnership for Amanda Black.

 

The point is, if you can’t embrace that at least 8 to 12 of the people-types Amanda listed on her pathetic excuse for travel advice, then you’re not a good traveler.

Love the ones your with. 

People watching and dealing with variety of people is what life is all about.

I’m sorry that Amanda Black arrived so stinking late to the party.

 

They teach you in church that everyone is different. But we’re not. That’s why there are 16 identifiable types whom you should look for during flights. We aren’t all that different, you, me, them and us.

 

Instead of loathing EVERYONE.

Get on board. Shut up or ship out.