Situational ethics

We've all heard a person say something is, "Wrong. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. I'd never do that. That's the sort of thing that only a bad person would do." Hell, most of us have said something like that. Sometimes you'll even hear them say something like, "That ought to be a crime." Then they find that, for some reason, they are engaging in the tabooed activity. Oops. Now what? Some who find themselves in this situation also find that they've learned something about themselves. It takes a bit of introspection. Sometimes, with some brutal honesty with oneself, lessons can be learned; personal growth achieved. Others seem to just redefine the sin, "I'm not doing that. I'm doing this other thing that, while it appears to be the same thing to you, is completely different in my made up reality." "It's ok, because of [insert here some extenuating circumstance that is only related by... well, sometimes they don't need to relate at all, do they?]" Still others just ignore the change altogether. We've all had to change our beliefs at one point or another. Maybe not wholesale changes, but change is a part of life, so some will be unavoidable. The key is to learn from the mistakes we make. Wait, that's a different rant, sorry. They key, here, is to understand that they shift. To delve into the cause and decide if we really believe in our new course, or if we've just fallen off the path we know to be right. If we believe, we need to own up to the fact that things have changed; take ownership of the new, improved (please, please, let it be an improvement, if you're going to stick with it. Fight Entropy!) person we've become. If we've slipped, it's time to end the hypocrisy. Face your mistakes; do the hard thing (almost guaranteed to be the right thing); get back on the correct path. It may seem harsh, but in the long run, it is what's best for you. Doing the right thing (especially when it's the hard thing) builds character. The beauty of this is that Character makes doing the right (hard) things more natural; not easier, but natural. The bad part is that, until you've built the necessary character, doing right may seem to be more than hard, it may seem impossible. It's not, and next time it will be a little better. Failing to do the right thing destroys character and makes the new path you've chosen more palatable. The next wrong decision will seem more acceptable. Unchecked, this leads to being a bad person. Trust me. I've been there. The trip back from hell is much more arduous than staying out of hell to start with.

Welcome to the new Trevor order.

A week ago today, I had never sent a text message. It had been ten years since I sent my last instant message. I communicated with 1-2 people a day on average, outside of work.

Since then, in the last 160 hours or so, I've sent and received around 200 texts. Interacted via instant messenger for hours. and sent / received 42 e-mails. Oh, and posted on a couple of blogs and don't get me started talking about the networking sites.

Crazy how things can change in an instant, no?

I really need to slow down, my reading time is being seriously cut into here.

In other news...

I figured out my alibi. The vacuum tight alibi I've been working on for decades. Finally. Of course, I can't tell you what it is. Then it would be more of an airtight alibi. You might tell someone else about it. Then it would degrade all the way to watertight. So, I'll keep it to myself. Get your own perfect alibi.






Although, I might trade you my alibi for your designer's guide to utopia...

Death & Duty

Lead me not into temptation - for I shall eat that apple - seeds, stem, worm, and all. Once all of the apples are devoured I will cut down that tree for heat and begins the search for the next fruit. So begins an era of debauchery that my college years will be put to shame.

I am thoroughly fed up with doing the right thing. Those who know me know that I will do the right thing, my duty, to the best of my ability without regard for the damage done. Or who is damaged.

Of course, this brings up the question, "Where does one draw the line?" The problem is: I don't know. I know I live my life trying to avoid hurting others whenever possible. I know this seems out of line with the last paragraph, but note that I did qualify the last sentence with a mention of possibility.

I get around the contradiction, for the most part, by surrounding myself with people who are unlikely to cross the bounds of what I feel is right. I've been wrong about people before, but they've all been excised from my life. Again, where possible. Sometimes we are not as in charge of our lives as we'd like to think we are.

If you disagree, pray that you never learn the reality. Not pretty. Now, I know there are folks railing. Some are saying, "Aren't you the one who's always talking about taking responsibility for your actions?". Well, yeah. I do believe that we are all responsible for our action. Regardless of the amount, or number, of inhibition lowering drugs in your system. I didn't say anything contradictory to this philosophy. We are absolutely responsible for all that we do and say, we just aren't in control of the results or the outside forces.

Duty hurts. Death would be better. It's not dying time, yet. There are things that need doing. Breathing, for instance. Taking over the world, maybe. Stuff to be done.

Duty crushes. Death would be easier. It's not my time, yet. Duty won't allow it.

So, as expected, I'll continue to do my duty. I'll just have some more depravity mixed in to make it more fun.

Me? I think it's you, Zombie man.

I got my first spammer today: the day after I started being associated with your blog. My mom always did say hanging out with tall, dark men would lead me to ruin. I was so excited, I though someone I wasn't related to had read my blog of their own free will (rather than because they felt obligated).

Yummy down on this...

I made pasta and cheese sauce with cumin and fresh cracked pepper and you're bitching because I didn't make nachos? What, the pasta wasn't crunchy enough for you? Next time I won't cook it.

Seriously, though, what's for dinner, Zombie man?

We both know what I want to have for dinner, and it's exactly the inverse of "What's good for that.

Ha! That's funny. Think about the inverse of "that".

You Know What's Good for That?

Nachos. No, really, I'm still waiting for those damned nachos. And waiting this long, they'd better be the best damn nachos on the planet.

Food? Overrated

I have not eaten. Well, that's not true. I've had 2 properly portioned bowls of cereal and a Ho-Ho. Since 10/19 at around 1600 hours. This is probably not healthy. In fact, it is almost certainly not, but I just cannot seem to find an appetite. Perhaps I have a tapeworm. No, that works the opposite way, so it's can't be a tapeworm. Perhaps I have a cheating spouse. That's like a reverse tapeworm. Isn't it? So here I'll liken it to a bad bowel obstruction. You know, the kind that makes your balls ache like they got kicked yesterday. mmm mmm good.
My friend from zombieboomstick insists that I need to eat something. Soon. I think he's just hungry and wants me to feed him some nachos. Well, maybe I'll have some, too.

Will Smith doesn't have to cuss to sell records. Well, I do. So fuck him and fuck you, too.

Oh, not you. and not you. Yeah, YOU!

Dense? Naive?

Am I just terribly dense? Or am I unbelievable naive? What is wrong with me that I cannot grasp simple relationship concepts? Why do women date? Why would she date someone who couldn't fulfill her dreams? If a particular thing makes a woman so angry, at a level so basic she cannot even tell that she is monumentally angry, does it make sense to anyone else that she would seek out that same thing in her next relationship? Seriously, what am I missing? What piece of elemental female psychology do I not get? Do you know guys who do the same thing?
I'm honestly flabbergasted (although I do love that word). It's free to post comments, you don't need an account. I'd really appreciate anyone's input.