Friday, August 23, 2013

(poem) - Clung for Far too Long

I made mistakes early on
Wishing I could find the one
Looking past an idiot’s flaws
My fate’s conclusion seemed forgone

I lost my faith
In failed love’s wake

The true love I thought I’d never find
Was you

Life brings all sorts
Of slings and arrows to your ports
Love is extremely hard
When it was used, before, to extort

But then I came around
Thinking true love was not to be found

I had to give up on my false idea of love
For you

I woke up one day
Very far away
From my dreams and reality
I gave up on love in every way

I was lost
Without knowing the cost

And the person that found me
Was you

I never knew
This day would bring you
And I would experience
A love known only by few

I was found
And quite knowingly bound

The woman I call my wife
Is You.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Life as an Individual

One of the best things in life is being different, but its also one of the hardest things you could ever try to do.  I know, because I went out of my way to be different, to be myself, and the ridicule and flack I got from it, will haunt me the rest of my life.

There are no good role models for individuality.  Most who are revered for being such, have gone to the extremes.  I never went to any extremes, I simply was who I was and am who I am.  I don’t apologize for it, because its others who should apologize to me for trying to pull me into the herd.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Artistic Work

I have never written so much in my entire life.  I can easily compare it all to my early adulthood, when I was writing 8 hours a day.  I spend so much time in front of the computer now, its crazy.  And I have nothing but a backlog of work.

Thing is, its not just the writing, it’s the photography, the blog’s promotion, the working with Lisa on her newest novel, brainstorming.  I’m completely shocked at how much there is to do now that I have absolutely nothing to do.

Friday, August 16, 2013

(poem) - The Rewrite Struggle

There is nothing like a rewrite
To make one feel odd
Pushing text in a different way
In order to get a different nod

Different drafts
Are entirely other beasts
As opposed to writing
An entirely different feast

To keep the main idea
Is the absolute key
While removing bad content
And letting the story free

The real question is
Will it all work
Or by changing the story
Will it do nothing bur irk?

Such is the life
A writer has to live
While balancing on the edge
One cannot afford to be passive

This body of work
Is mine to tame
If I cannot work it out
It will be even more lame

But I shall not put down
This ever so epic tale
Because I believe in Deeya
Enough that I shan’t fail

Buried Secrets
Has arrived again
A new format for the tale
Is being achieved under my pen

I refuse to loose readers
Because of bad choices for a first draft
I am not sailing this ship
As if it were a raft

No,
The story will be told right
For this
Is my eternal fight

To conquer my writing demons
To challenge myself in every way
And win
Upon this very day.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

The Death of the Social Pariah

One of the worst things about human behavior is childishness.  I can understand it when you are a child, but sometimes, its like people never truly do.  If you make an adult decision, then stand by it.  Don’t get all petty later.

One of the biggest issues with this problem is the fact that kids become adults far too quickly.  Girls are pushing out children at an alarmingly early age.  And its very obvious to point out, they just aren’t ready for the responsibility.

Monday, August 12, 2013

What to do about Near Miss, Elderly Missiles....

After being almost run off the road, ran into in the parking lot, and almost turned into while driving a straight road today, I have to ask....  Why are the old allowed to keep their driver’s licences long past the time they need to be revoked?

Many people joke about this subject when driving, some joke about it seriously, but nothing is ever done about it.  Admittedly, they should still be allowed to drive if they CAN drive, but there should be mandatory testing, or something, after a certain age.

Friday, August 9, 2013

(poem) - What is That Smell?

There’s nothing like a smell in the house
One that you just can’t find.
It smells like a giant dead mouse
Or a moose’s putrid behind.

It lingers in every room
No matter how many candles you burn
You try to spray perfume
But your nose does nothing but yearn


For a time when there is no smell
A room that does not make you gag
Damn this place smells like hell
Or a discarded wash rag

We’ve emptied the trash cans
And searched every cranny
We cannot find the deadman
Nor his putrid fanny

But we will keep up the search
For this affront to the nose
But allowing it to continue the stench
Would not be a good way to end the prose

It’s the quest
For the Holy Grail
And I can attest
We shall not fail

Because we are sick and tired
Of this awful reek
We don’t want to be mired
In the smell of something that died last week

Help us
Oh mighty lord
Deliver us
From this smell’s deadly sword


And bring to us
Gentle smells
Of beautiful rose buds
Or other flowers of bright pastels

But until you do
We have the Scentsy burning bright
And we will leave them all on
If we have to, all bloody night....

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Internet is Taking Over the World!

Just recently we decided to jump onto the Netflix streaming services.  Instantly I was amazed at the selection, but also dismayed at it.  It got me doing tons of research over which is the ‘best’ service.  But something happened somewhere along the way, and I realized a few things.

Fact is, the internet is taking over the world, isn’t it?  TV can practically be replaced with the right combination of streaming services.  Fact is, even streaming radio is a ton better than the repetitive crap that plays over the airways just about anywhere.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Status Update of the Blog and Life 08/2013

There’s nothing like a little update on how everything’s going on the website, hopefully I can drum up a bit more interest in certain things while doing it.  We’ll see, though.  If you haven't checked it out, be sure to read the Press Release that came out on August 4th.

As of this last weekend, the 6th serial story in the Ballad of the Emerald Bard came to a close.  The next order of business in the Ballad is to rewrite the 2nd story.  Buried Secrets was a 5 part story that, I realize now, was poorly written.  Part of the grand experiment of this serial webfiction is to fix mistakes after they are published.  Its something I knew ahead of time I wanted to do, so here’s my first chance.

Friday, August 2, 2013

(poem) - Passing the Time Away

There is nothing
Like passing the time away

Reading books
Enjoying the hooks
Writing a novel
Can’t be that trivial

Singing a song
Under the rain
Can’t be wrong
Using the brain

Video game are a challenge
If you take the plunge
Experiencing a story
Told through allegory

There is nothing
Like passing the time away

Poetry and rhyming
Are much like breathing
You just start doing it
And never ever quit

Fame and fortune
May never arrive
But I live my life fun
This is for what I strive

Art flows from my fingers
Onto many, many papers
Words forming thoughts
Keeping my wit very taut

There is nothing
Like passing the time away

Jobless
But not homeless
I work for a bright future
Based on our love for each other

Nothing will keep us apart
The beauty of love brought us together
Every day we create amazing art
All the while, ignoring the weather

The climate of the entire world
Is trying to make our life unfurl
We will make it through this
For, together, we have nothing but time to pass

Fact is
There is nothing
Like passing the time away.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Water Heater Conundrum

I hate our water heater.  With a burning passion.  There are very few people I hate worse than this contraptions design.  I’ve never had a water heater need so much upkeep.  Hell, I’ve never seen any appliance in an entire house need so much upkeep....

Such is the price of home ownership though.  When things go wrong, you have to fix them, replace them, or pay someone way too much to deal with it.  Fact is, we’ve had several people look at the thing, and only one person understood the problem, but his ‘fix’ was a workaround that is a bit crazy.

Monday, July 29, 2013

When College Comes a Knockin'

I wish I remembered the point in which colleges started scouting me and my fellow highschool friends.  I know they did, just a little bit, but yeah, I’m sure its nothing like what going on in our house now.  Part of me fully understand what exactly is going on.  But lets start somewhere else.

C.J. is getting college letters from all over the US.  Reading these turns out to be quite interesting.  About half of the colleges that have seen packets have truly interesting financial aid statements.  Obviously I need to do more research, but they all read in such a way that make me believe that the tuition/room/board free.  Part of me obviously doesn’t believe this, but yeah, its an interesting read, none-the-less.

Friday, July 26, 2013

(poem) - The Poetic Justice of Mankind

There’s something poetic
About the fall of mankind
No matter how it is portrayed
It’s artistic to my mind

In popularized myth
We destroy ourselves
Poetic justice
For the environmentally conscious

Unleashing terror after terror
Humanity falls into oblivion
If not filling the entire planet
With tons of carcinogen

Many eyes turn to the sky
Will destruction come from above?
That’s what many astronomers
Would definitely love

A chunk of rocking
Falling from space
Destroying the world
This entire place.

Some even fantasize
About an alien invasion
A higher technology
Come for colonization

All are interesting thoughts
But the oddest one of all
Is that we dream of this
Fantasizing destroying this planetary ball

I do not suppose it is odd
To wonder about our eventual doom
But putting it on the movie screen
Seems to make it all loom

Just over the horizon
Somewhere in the land of tomorrow
Lies our eventual end
That chills some to their marrow

All I know
Is what I’ve always known
You have to live today
Because tomorrow we might all be gone

Life is a beautiful
And amazing gift
Enjoy it all
Don’t let fear cause a rift

Because if a rift forms
Between enjoyment of today
Then something will be lost
And that is a sad thing to say.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Small Town Drama is Small Town Entertainment

There’s something odd about the ‘human condition.’  The fact that paranoia and silly unsubstantiated fear can completely override logic.  All this truly rears its ugly head when people watch Fox News, but its prevalent everywhere in life.

Its strange to me that people will believe what they want to believe when shown facts and amazing evidence to the contrary.  Sure, I COULD be talking about religion, but I’m not.  I do remember a conversation with a woman who said, “Well why couldn’t everything have just ‘started’ six thousand years ago?”

Monday, July 22, 2013

Why So Many Churches in Small Town, USA?

Why are there so many churches in small town USA?  I mean, seriously....  It doesn’t make too much sense.  I suppose it does when you get down to normal human social interaction, but...I thought religion was supposed to bring humanity above such nonsense....

Its when you talk to people that you realize what exactly is going on.  People not liking a particular preacher because of something he said about somebody.  Or people not knowing why certain people go there because they are too poor or too rich to be in the same company as others.

Friday, July 19, 2013

(poem - Deeya) - Altar of Desires

I think of the ways we've been
I think of the ways we want to be
I want to see you in your glory
I want to see you dance for me

My heart beats within my chest
Souly for you, do my desires crest
I give myself freely
I sacrifice my body, unto your altar

I'd love to see you in the moonlight
With your head thrown back
And your body on fire
Lit by the lashes of my desire

My soul is yours, my body as well
All my sins are yours to sell
This I declare in the name of the night
Everything I am, is rendered in your plight

As our bodies join together
And our screams escape
I will call out your name
Urging you forward

To a time when our souls merge
Our bodies as one
The love we both share
Combined and done

For you I exist, for you I do dream
A future where we will forever
Never refrain
From loving completely, all of our strains

This night is but one
Of many we'll share
This I do promise
This I do swear

I will see you in the moonlight
Your head thrown back
Your body will be on fire
Lit by the lashes of my desire.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

New Orleans: A City of Amazing Food

Architecture, beauty, the occult and religion, and weirdness aside, New Orleans is know for its food.  Creole food.  Hot and spicy and completely different than anywhere else in the world.  You know what adjective describes it best?  Good.

I’ve had knock-off Cajun food all my life, and though I was always impressed, I’ve never been overly turned on to it.  I can say that the Cajun spiced chicken is the only chicken I’ll eat without a ton of ketchup, and the Cajun spiced turkey is the best tasting lunch meat you can get.

Monday, July 15, 2013

New Orleans: A City of the Dead in Truth

I’ve always known that, if I ever did it, the minute I stepped in the French Quarter in New Orleans, I’d be blown away on many different levels.  Even knowing that, I was still blown away on so many levels....

I’ve visited a few cities in the US in my life.  Many of them had crazy histories that were well worth listening to.  But none of them compare to New Orleans.  I dare say that New Orleans is the only city in the US that has a history that is comparable to some of the cities in Europe.

Friday, July 12, 2013

(poem - Deeya) - A Closed Heart

My heart was closed
For so very long
Closed to all
Who wanted to get along

I had suiters
To be sure
But I cared for none
No matter how pure.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Fictional Characters Are Old, Dear Friends

Just the other day, I finally finished the Wheel of Time series started by Robert Jordan.  It was the second epic fiction I ever started reading, and honestly it is probably the most memorable of all time.  Before his passing, everyone was scared of Robert Jordan not being able to end the series because it was growing too long, and fans feared the worst when it was announced he did pass away.

Luckily he left extensive notes, so when Brandon Sanderson took over the helm to conclude the series in a trilogy, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  In the foreword of the first book in his trilogy, Mr. Sanderson wrote one of the most touching and most true statement that resonated deep within my soul.

“I love this series as I have loved none other, and the characters feel like old, dear friends from my childhood.”

Monday, July 8, 2013

My Soul Mate

The concept of a ‘soul mate’ is an interesting one to talk about.  There are so many ideas and folk lore associated with it.  Mom wanted me to watch a movie called Made in Heaven the other day, and though I did not like the movie, I loved the concept, as it portrayed why some people fall in love, get married, and then it just doesn’t work out.

The problem with the movie was it skipped around too much to truly follow, and had moments that were obviously important, but never really explained them.  I saw that it was made from a book, so I figured the only way to really appreciate the movie was to have read the book.

Friday, July 5, 2013

(poem) - Stupid Phone

Stupid phones are everywhere
No matter how smart they say they are
Having to disassemble them
Because they lock up from time to time

A phone should never
Lock up, like ever
And I flat out do not see
Why people buy Sony

Android phones are trash
They flat out do not last
They cannot take the rigors of every day
I’ve seen them lock up in every way

My wife takes the battery
Out of her’s daily
That is a sad way to be
Phones should be about simplicity

I sit back with my iDevice
Smiling at her torturous device
Wishing a better phone for her
While playing my apps that load with a blur

The fact is simply put
Phones are designed without consumer input
Bells and whistles are nothing but crap
They just want to check their social media app

It’s a shame that people argue
Over which smart phone is better for you
As all have their issues
Making people break out the tissues

But cell phones absolutely rule the day
People use them as much as a tired cliche
They definitely aren’t going away
I just wish they’d make one that would work okay.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Rivers of Inspiration in our Home

There’s something rather insane about living in this house.  Mainly...its the people in it.  Everyone in this house is a artist of some sort.  It makes the conversations interesting, with never a dull moment to be had anywhere....

One of the main things that attracted me to Lisa was her being a published author.  Not a self-published mind you, a real published author.  You can see her books over on the right hand column.  They are quite imaginative, and an interesting read.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Secrets in the Modern Age

Watching the season finale of Doctor Who, and the episode about the Fifth Doctor, I was struck with a statement someone said.  It was about how there were surprises back then, shocks that no one saw coming, and how impossible that is to pull off in today’s age.

It is really driven home by how much we already know of the upcoming season of Doctor Who.  There is supposed to be all this secrecy about who John Hurt’s Doctor really is, but people have picked apart a pair of interviews, and spread it around the internet.  It’s a shame too, as I would have been wonderfully surprised by it.

I still remember watching Doctor Who when I was a child, and seeing him regenerate for the first time, I was shocked.  When Aldric died I was absolutely flabbergasted, and that single moment taught me so much about life and death and so many other things.  If I’d have known about it ahead of time...I know it would have been completely different.

Here’s something that’s hard to imagine, but try.  Star Wars Episode I.  I know, I already hear the groans, but imagine this for a moment.  Watching it for the first time, and not knowing that Maul had a double bladed lightsaber.  Just imagine that.  People in the audience would have leaned forward thinking, “Oh man, this shit just got real.”

Most movie trailers have a snippet of the last scene in it.  It might not reveal much, but if you know what to look for, then yeah, its pretty telling.  Promethius would have been a ton better of a movie if we hadn’t known about the Alien tie in.  We would have sat there thinking, “Oh wow, that looks familiar,” until it was revealed.

Surprises do still happen.  The Red Wedding hit people that watch A Game of Thrones on HBO quite hard, even though the book the event took place in was published thirteen years ago.  The Walking Dead tries pretty hard to keep a lid on things with their surprises, and succeeds in most cases.

I think back to the older days of TV.  The ending to the Rosanne show was pretty unique and a wonderful surprise.  Bob Newhart had a great surprise ending to his last TV series.  If I remember correctly, in both instances they actually filmed a false scene to throw people off.

In today’s age secrets dissolve quickly, as social media has made gossip and sharing something world wide almost instantaneous.  The only real surprises seem to happen in books and video games now-a-days.  Which is a shame, as both of which are technically niche audiences.  Certain movies in the past would have been far better without spoilers in the trailers.  TV shows and movies have so many people working on the set, its impossible to truly keep a lid on anything.

Honestly, I never saw The Sixth Sense, but the ending was pretty easy to figure out with the trailers and all.  What was the last TV show or movie that surprised you?  I’m curious as to what you think about today’s technology and how hard it is to keep secrets from people who want to learn everything about a production.  So please comment below!

Friday, June 28, 2013

(poem) - Travel

There’s something beautiful
About traveling the country
Once you get past
Other driver’s stupidity

It makes one tired
Of driving real fast
When you have to hope
That the other drivers you can outlast

It is what it is though
Because you will be able to see
So much
Of this world’s history

Every mile I’ve traveled
Has led me to something amazing
Where I could just sit in awe
Letting my soul rise up and sing

The truly crazy thing
Is that I’ve not seen much
A barely calculatable amount
Have I gotten to touch

I have seen enough
To know I want to see more
The beauty of this world
Is something I truly adore.

In the end
Home is where the heart may be
But my home is where
My wife is most happy

My heart beats
Within her chest
So I make sure
That our travel is always the best

Where we will go next
I have no clue
But there is one thing
That I can promise you

I’ll be with her
And she’ll be with me
Because my wife and I
Will be together eternally.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

An Example of Media Non-Bias

Sometimes bias in the news and media is so apparent it’s a slap in the face.  I’m always saddened when no one else seems to notice.  I mean...wow sometimes....

The other day we were watching the news and there were two back to back items that made me shake my head.  Let me say this first.  The Railroad is something that has been falling behind in the USA.  A very large portion of the world utilize this amazing form of transportation and moving freight, because the sheer amount it can carry makes it extremely viable.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Lisa's Turning me Back into a Nerd

As I walk down the street now-a-days, something happens that hasn’t happened to me since the 90s.  People stop and tell me how cool my shirt is, ask me where I got my shirt, or go about telling me a memory sparked by the shirt.

Fact is, back in high school, I wore nerdy shirts.  From Wolverine to the house crests from the A Game of Thrones novels, I enjoyed sporting the shirts based in the books and comic books I read.  I would always sport some kind of shirt that meant something to me.  The last one I bought, before meeting Lisa, was from Princess Mononoke, a wonderful anime movie.

Friday, June 21, 2013

(poem) - Art is Not Defined as Being a Confusing Mess

It rained once
Inside my mind
Where all the dry stuff waits
Yet the humidity declined

It was an odd time
To be alive
When the boys there
Tried to strive

I don’t like random
With no conjunction
It makes no sense
Has no function

I’ll end the movie
Before it begins
So I won’t have to deal
With puzzling at the end.

Why do people try
To be all artsy fartsy
With out any real
Substance to their story?

Normally I like
A really good art flick
But I do not want to be told
How to feel by some prick

Beautiful movies
Are true experiences
They are so rare to find
As they have to jump over so many fences

But some movies
Just get put out
Because people don’t understand
What its really about

And they think
“It must be art!”
When its really just
Not very smart....

But in the end
I completely digress
I must bet back to art
And looking at a lioness


For pain supercedes
The rainbow’s true love
Ravens come out of the sky
From the clouds above

And rain their love
Down upon the ocean
Where rocks float
Among the graves of the lemon.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

What My Life is About

I always hate looking at my blog topic list and not seeing anything on there I want to write about.  Its not technically writer’s block, or being burnt out, its just...ambiguity I guess.  So much good is going on around me, so much fun.

This blog is going great, I’m loving my camera.  The hammock is such a great place to be, enjoying the hell outta my marriage.  Got my Kindle loaded with books to read, and am writing a novel while helping Lisa write her newest.  Exercise flows decently easy, though I need to do more of it, and I’ve got a great collection of stuff.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Seeking Artist for the Ballad of the Emerald Bard

The one thing my blog lacks, and I know it lacks this more than anything else, is photos and pictures.  I get a decent amount of traffic and I’m very proud and humbled by how much I do get, but there’s no telling how much more I’d get if I spent a bit more time and tossed in some pictures.  So, I’ve decided to go out of my way to attempt to add a bit of life to at least part of the blog.

Recently I’ve started a campaign to get some artist renditions of the Ballad of the Emerald Bard’s main character, Deeya, drawn.  Its actually quite daunting looking at artist’s work and then seeing how much they would do a piece of art for.

Friday, June 14, 2013

(poem) - The First Test of Love: Wedding Planning


There’s nothing like
The stress of a wedding
Plotting and planning
Along with all the double checking

It makes one want to scream
With all their might
Waking from a dream
In the middle of the night


I know
Because I have been there
I’d do it again in a heartbeat
And marry Lisa anywhere

But thankfully
We are done with our nuptials
And are just enjoying watching
Other people’s wedding battles

I swear weddings are bad on purpose
To put couples through big stress
To see if they can handle
The bride worrying about her dress

If they can get past that
Then they can get past most anything
It’s the first time a couple is truly tested
Before they put on each other’s ring


Before they spend life together
They have to survive each other
And only a few can do so
Without becoming a strangler

The best that I can ever say
Is to enjoy your beautiful wedding day
Because it only comes once
At least, if you do it the right way

So cheers to you and yours
Cheers to love conquering all
We gather here this day
To witness the union of those in the hall

Because they survived
The planning of their wedding
We rejoice their love
May it be everlasting.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Spices are the Flavor of Life


I honestly can’t imagine a world with spices.  Known now, in the internet cute cat world, as ‘flavors’ food is pretty crappy without them.  Its amazing how for granted we take spices now, considering entire empires rose and fell because of the spice trade.

Spices go way back in human history, and have become such an integral part of every day life.  They are even mentioned a few times in the Bible, of all books.  Oddly though, I think of all the fantasy stories I’ve read, and they don’t really get too much into spices....  A shame.  Fantasy and Sci/Fi have really drawn a new connotation for the word ‘spice.’  In Star Wars and Dune ‘spice is a form of drug.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Watching the Weather


There has always been something beautiful about nature.  I’ve known so since I was a child.  I would sit on my grandmother’s porch and watch the storms roll in, and be happy as a lark.  There was a form of serenity as you’d watch them off on the horizon.

I’ll always remember the first time I saw a tornado, was standing out in the front yard with my mom.  We looked to the east and saw the big shadow kind of pass behind all the rain so far off on the horizon.  The destruction was rather unparalleled afterwards, but it was an experience I know I’ll never forget.

Friday, June 7, 2013

(poem) - A Strength in True Love

There comes a time
When all men die
But sometimes first
They live the lie.

There is something fanciful
About living life
No matter how much
You go through strife


There will always be
A lie down deep
That prevents you
From getting sleep

Pain will set in
If you let it start
And all your friends
Will faithfully depart

Alone
Trapped in a mine
Alone
Within your own mind

I’ve watched it tear
The strong apart
The weak
Simply do not have the heart


To do what I did
I did it right
I trusted my spouse
Without a fight

I believed in her
She believed in me
And somewhere along the way
Her and I merged into We.

I made a choice
Where some simply cannot
To love her dearly
Until I rot

Yet being buried
Is a long way off
And at men’s typical weakness
Doth I scoff

I enjoy being hers
In every way
Knowing that my love
Will never sway

There is a strength in that
I have found
That most never do
They do nothing but cheat at the sound

Of winter coming
And old age drawing near
I accept its coming
With my love I hold so dear.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

A Fine Dining Lie


Maybe its just because I’ve traveled a bit....  That has to be it, because...when I think of Fine Dining, I don’t think of a crowded hole in the wall, waiting an hour on food, greasy food that I end up throwing up when I get home, or over peppered chicken that drowns out any other flavors that may have been there.

Part of me wonders if its just the city itself, its not a very big city, but it really seems to try (and fail) at certain things.  The weird thing is, people eat up this ‘fancy’ talk and really give these places awesome reviews....

Monday, June 3, 2013

Old Wounds


There’s nothing quite like getting old.  It seems the more you age, the more you hurt.  But I always looked at a bit differently.  It seems the longer you live the more wounds you collect.  And nothing hurts worse than old wounds.

Yes, I’m talking about physical and emotional.  On the physical side, I have the one that scares me the most.  A few years ago, I feel off some rocks on the California coast.  I hit my head pretty hard, bled quite a bit, but it stopped quick enough.  That injury has caused me to have acute motion sickness now.  I never had it before...but now, I go up in a plane with Lisa, and if I haven’t taken something, then yeah...I know it pretty quickly....

Friday, May 31, 2013

(poem) - To Flow From Here to There


This is a poem about poetry
Poetry that rolls with the flow

Flow that continues down the hill
The hill of life that goes forever down

Down into the depths of despair
Despair that brings all to their knees
Knees that bleed from the impact of life
Life that goes on until death

Death comes for us all
All we are will be carried by memories
Memories fade like passion’s flare
Flares that shoot into the sky

Skies that are brightened up by sparks
Sparks that look like falling stars
Stars that harbor distance planets
Planets that may hold alien life

Life that blooms everywhere
Everywhere around us
Us who live and exist through time
Time that has a beat


A beat that measures the flow
The flow of poetry
Poetry that comes out of my fingers
Fingers that fly upon the keyboard

The keyboard that relays this poem
This poem that went to the far edges of the universe
And Back

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Hyper-Boredom, the Misdiagnosed Problem with the World


Part of me wishes I had made up the term “Hyper Boredom” but I didn’t.  Its been bounced around for a bit, used as a title to a blog or three, and been dropped a few times by other bloggers just rambling on.  One in particular listed boredom as a huge thing with suicide, and mentioned that most mental illnesses either are boredom, or are rooted in boredom.

For the longest time, I’ve fully believed that boredom was a HUGE issue, and it iss odd to watch it in the current teenage generation.  I’ve experienced boredom, a huge amount of it, all my life.  But there’s something more to it now....

Monday, May 27, 2013

Decadent Artistry


There are few things in this world as decadent and wonderful as chocolate.  I truly feel sorry for those that don’t like the stuff, because they are truly missing out.  Throughout my life, I’ve eaten quite a bit of chocolate.  I’ve even taken a class on how to eat chocolate with wine.

Being an amateur chef, I find flavors to be one of the greatest things about being human.  You can do so much with flavors and taste and spices...yeah, I can go on and on.  But when you find places that does such thing with chocolate, you know you’ve found an amazing place.

Friday, May 24, 2013

(poem) - The Consequence of Breaking the Rules


Roses are red
Violets are blue
Some poems rhyme
This one don’t.

Okay, Just kidding
But seriously, isn’t it nice
To break the rules
Just like breaking the ice?


The ideas
That can be expanded upon
Are sometimes held back
By the rules we rely upon

For instance this rhyming scheme
Can be a bit droll
I sometimes have to hit a website
That can give me a word like hole

Sometimes ideas
Simply cannot rhyme
Even if you try to do it
With all of your time

The sad fact is
Some rules have to be broken
So others may take their place
Else you just rhyme a word as a token

Break free of the chains
That bind you to your silly ways
It is the best way
To get noticed and get laid


Don’t believe me?
Well you should
I’m eclectic by nature
Half crazy under the hood

Yet somehow I’m married
To the most amazing woman in the world
An amazing development
As my life has unfurled

The fact is
My rhymes hide the fact
That I have problem with ‘beats’
Its just something I lack

So for now I bid you goodbye
As I work out this last rhyme
Or maybe I won’t rhyme at all
Only time will tell if I succeed.

Need, bleed, creed, feed....
AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH
I can’t not rhyme....
*cry*

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The Visible Effects of Hard Drugs on the Body


One of the ugliest parts of living in a small town is the ratio of people who use drugs.  What is really sad is how apparent it is.  Many drugs damage the body in many obvious ways.  Crystal Meth is one of the most obvious.

Lisa and I are close to the same age, yet there are people she graduated with that look well over double our age.  The scars, the sagging skin, the wrinkles, and the teeth are all huge indicators.  There are so many folks she’s introduced me to that look as old as Lisa’s mother (who has aged decently well) yet are either our age or younger.

Monday, May 20, 2013

What is 'Rushing' into Love?


Lisa and I had what most would call a whirlwind romance.  We met through an online dating service, which took quite a bit of luck in and of itself, and then we just FELL.  Before we even met in person we knew there was something interesting there, and after that first meeting, we both had fallen for each other.

We tried to keep from rushing as much as we could, and every time we did ‘hold back’ it would cause strife between us.  I still, to this day, catch grief for not wanting to say “I love you” first even though we both felt it.

Friday, May 17, 2013

(poem) - Some Bosses Have it Coming


Bad bosses, bad bosses
They are all around us
Those that take their power
To throw us under a bus

I’ve dealt with them
All my life
They are good for nothing
Except way too much strife


But how do you get them back
When you’ve finally had enough?
Do you lash out and quite
As soon as it gets rough?

Say the day before your scheduled
Would that be okay?
To walk up to the boss
And tell them to have a nice day?

Or maybe you shouldn’t
Even show up at all
They’ll call to yell
And you can tell them where to crawl


Or are you the ‘better person’
And allow them to win
By turning in your two week’s notice
Showing up until your days end?

The fact is, many bosses have it coming
They allow their power to go to their heads
And treat their workers
As if they were brain dead.

Why do people get that way?
How do they fall so far?
Or are assholes predisposed
To climbing the corporate ladder?

All I know for sure
Is that I’m sick to death
Of all these douche bags
Being allowed to take another breath

So if you are in a position
To screw your boss over
I say go for it
Its not like they’d give you a good reference ever

Don’t let anyone take your happiness away
Especially not for a paycheck
Money might be hard to come by
But if your on the way out anyway...what the heck?

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Sane Person in this Insane World


I’m almost to the point that I’m ready to kill the next person that acts so f’n stupid with their own choices that its detrimental to everyone else around them.  I mean, seriously....  This has GOT to stop.  I can’t be the ONLY sane person in this insane world.

I understand that no one really changes, especially ignorant people, but you figure they’d figure it out sooner or later.  If you shoot yourself in the foot cleaning a gun, surely you’ll remember next time to make sure its not loaded....  I mean...surely you would.....

Monday, May 13, 2013

The Equal Rights of the Upper Body


I’ve never truly known how to broach this subject, because being a male, this comes off somewhat self serving.  But honestly, I’m sick of seeing double standards in society.  There are a few blogs that cover this topic, but I’m me, and I want to know, why am I forced to see a nasty, fat man’s bare chest in public, but its illegal for a woman to go topless?

In the end, I’m arguing the other side, because honestly, I DO NOT WANT to see a topless man.  90% of the time, what I see out being shown is disgusting.  I can’t believe they are allowed to show THAT in public.  Especially when a woman can’t.

Friday, May 10, 2013

(poem) - The Choice of Happiness or Pain


Things progress through time
Even when the lines don’t rhyme
Flowing down a river
Into a happy ether.

Dreams normally speak to me
Of things beyond reality
Yet now they speak of the present
Where love is quite pleasant



Yet how am I supposed to create?
Isn’t pain creativity’s bait?
Maybe I’m wrong
Because pain fed me for so long....

Happiness is an amazing thing
I feel as if I’m flying up a string
But when I sit down to write
The easiest thing to plot is a plight

There are those that create
Where happiness doesn’t abate
They inspire me unbelievably so
With love’s undeniable throw

But when I do such a thing
I start to wonder about flooding
Too much of something can drown
How much should I share before I clamp down?

The things I worry about are silly
Of course my wife and I are touchie feelie
But I know you don’t want to read that
Day after day of love’s mushy format



Luckily there are day to day problems
That need working out with a blog’s dictums
I might be happy as a lark
But there are still problems quite stark

With life in general, and life all around
Like how most of today’s youth is Hellward bound
And luckily, with my happiness where it is
I can use my inspiration to find the best solutions

For that is why I read blogs myself
To work through the pains I sit on a shelf
My dreams of love can fully abound
Because of this way out I found

I shall write and write and write some more
Because writing is something I fully adore
And my wife will fully attest
For she loves my writing the best

So I do it for myself and I do it for her
And I will continue to mention she makes my soul purr
Even when I write about pain
It will always come back to my love for her, again and again.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Doctor Who Saved My Soul


Doctor Who, for those that don’t know, is one of the most popular television shows in the world.  It originates from Britain, and is actually celebrating it beginning 50 years ago....  I don’t see how its not the longest running show ever....

When I first saw it, there was nothing on TV like it, especially not in the USA.  The humor was not only funny, but incredibly smart, filled with all sorts of wonderful imagination.  After watching that show, way back in the 80s, I grew a sort of disdain for the television shows in the US....

Monday, May 6, 2013

The World is Built on Imagination


Somewhere along the way, I started collecting knowledge.  My brain just soaks it up from all over the place.  And somehow, along the same way, I proved Einstein right....  It all comes down to me having that childhood I discussed in The Time I Learned How to Pretend to Smile.

Einstein once said that, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”  I know I use that quote a lot, but wow, what a quote....

Friday, May 3, 2013

(poem) - Knowledge's Famine


We need more
Lovers of fiction
Because the worst thing
Is taking art out of education

Parents clip the wings
Of their child’s sweet dreams
So they grow stunted
And believe the blaspheme



After childhood I awoke
To a world in dire agony
Where lies are on everyone’s lips
Being the antagonist’s progeny

The problem is
That very analogy
‘Waking up from childhood’
Undermines imagination, you see?

Imagination is what
Makes the world go ‘round
Okay, maybe that stretching
But its why we know what we found

Science is based
On understanding what we don’t
Imagining a world
In which applied physics work.

Without that imagination
We’d still be in the dark ages
Branding those that look beyond the horizon
As ignorant rather than sage



I know what I’m talking about
For I have lived a life
Where my imagination ran free
And though I have seen strife

I have also seen beauty
Beyond any compare
And seen the eyes of the ignorant
With that dull stare

I know what it means
To be looked down upon
Because I’ve dreamed too big
And seen what’s beyond the horizon

I lived my life
Free of the chains
That have bound the ignorant
To their own constrains

And for this I was blessed
Beyond what you can imagine
Because you have abandoned imagination
To knowledge’s true famine.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

The time I learned how to pretend to smile.


Most people don’t know this, but I went through a very large portion of my life, faking laughter and smiles.  I actually got quite good at it.  At times, its hard not to think about that period of my life as the ‘dark time’ but the fact is, there was quite a bit of good in it.

During that time, I had completely given up on happiness, and started to acquire habits that were extremely hard to get rid of.  I suppose that’s how its supposed to work, the whole idle hands thing.



The most interesting part about this is, though, that I’d bet most don’t know when that time was for me.  I guess that’s also kinda sad, as this period of my life was the most influential of any other time in my life.

You know the old psychology question, “If life is a play, and everyone has their part, what part do you play?”  Are you the lead character?  Are you a supporting character?  Are an antagonist?  Lets get a bit outside the box, are you maybe the director?  Script writer?  Producer?  Better yet...what part do you think I play?

During the most unhappy portion of my life, I learned that I was the audience.  That’s right, I’m the one sitting in the crowd watching it all.

The cool thing is, I pay attention, I learn from watching other people’s mistakes.  I’ve watched romances, death, degradation, and hilarity.  I’ve witnessed just about every plot life can throw at someone.  I watched how people reacted in those situations, and came up with conclusions.

Then, I hit highschool.  Suddenly, I could answer people’s life’s questions.  They’d come to me for all manor of questions, and I could sit back, think about it, and give them an honest answer.  Suddenly I was a ‘wise man’ that could help even the most lost individual.

It was an odd transition, going from this well of unhappiness, of being lost in life, of just existing, to what I became.  I pulled together friends from all aspects of highschool life, and somehow we formed a family.  The nerdy smart kids hung around with some jocks who hung around with the creative outcasts.  And we all sat at the same table at lunch, far away from the cafeteria.



During that time of unhappiness, there WERE moments of joy, but they were few and far between.  I would wear a particular piece of clothing to school every day, and somehow identify with it.  On the weekends I had friends outside of school, the neighborhood kids, to hang with.  I had video games and Star Trek The Next Generation.  My imagination ran free and wild, and I sat back and watched life happen for so many people.

I’ve always said that one must appreciate the darkness within their own soul to truly understand the light.  I have met people in life, that saw the darkness behind my eyes, and got scared and ran from my life.  I’ve met those that were attracted to it for all the wrong reasons.

What I can tell you is this.  I wouldn’t change my life, because it made me who I am.  It definitely wasn’t a horrible life, just at times it just overflowed with unhappiness, which isn’t exactly sadness.  I’d do it all again for sure, without hesitation.  Life is special and beautiful, and to think about it versus never existing, seems ludicrous on an insane level.  I am who I am because I was allowed to become me naturally.  Its hard not to be grateful, awe-inspired, and moved all at the same time.  And it all happened, because I lived a portion of my life, where I had to learn how to fake laughter and smilies.


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