Lazily Writing about things that I Want to Write about and a Very Short Story with a Point

I accidentally posted a duplicate of my last article but, luckily, I managed to delete it before any votes were wasted on it. However, I kind of feel like that obligates me to write something else tonight. I didn't really have anything in mind; at least, not anything that I have really thought through but I can discuss some of the topics that I have been considering for future posts and talk about what has been going on with me lately.

I have been toying with the idea of writing about the seemingly "magic" quality of language but I can't seem to nail down my thoughts on the subject. We utter words. They are only sounds but they can transmit images into another person's mind. That is fucking amazing but because it is such a fundamental part of our lives, we rarely take any time to reflect on the power that it gives us. I feel like there is something there but I don't think I have enough to say to be able to spend several hours writing about it.

I also want to discuss the connection between psychedelics and cultural development. When we see societies that have embraced their use, these drugs seem to have a great effect on things like art, music, and religious belief. I would certainly have plenty to say but the subject is still raw in my mind and I would like to do some background reading about of the cultures that I would cover. I know quite a bit about tripping but I don't think I am knowledgeable enough to talk about pre-Columbian societies and other "psychedelicly" (I don't think that's a word but it should be) influenced peoples to speak on the topic.

There are a plethora of political issues and social problems to write about but I don't want that type of thing to take over my blog. I love to go on about how "the Man" is screwing us all over (and "he" is) but I don't want to be defined by that. Although, I am still tempted to return to that content more frequently because I have seen some pretty stupid stuff floating around the mainstream media lately. Case in point, I know that the gun issue is polarizing and I often choose not to cover it directly but I also possess some basic expertise in how firearms function and I can, with absolute honesty and certainty, say that the media greatly exaggerates the capabilities of these weapons in order to generate fear and manufacture outrage among the population. One may support or oppose private gun ownership as he or she likes but the blatant misinformation that is presented in relation to guns is undeniable and verifiable with minimal research. There are other issues I could cover too and I suspect some of the ideas that I am currently fleshing out will show up on my blog sooner or later.

I suppose that I should write about more than other things that I'd like to write about.

I recently had to call upon my union to protect me from abusive labor practices and I believe the incident illustrates an important truth. I had been being required to work frequent split-shifts at my job (this was the reason for my recent month and a half long "break" from posting). That is allowed by the contract that governs my employment (though, that will change when I am promoted) but it was being asked of me excessively and in a way that violated other contractual rules. An employee can not be required to be at work for more than a twelve hour span in one day, even if he or she leaves and returns several hours later. However, my days would often take up to fourteen or sixteen hours even though I was only on the clock for eight or ten hours. I complained to the union, they called management and demanded that the practice come to an end, and the problem was almost immediately resolved.

I believe this little story demonstrates the power that the masses can wield over the ruling class. Whether we are talking about a workplace or a country, the authority can only govern with the consent of the governed. Because the people in my profession have united, we can apply force to our authority and ensure our protection from the abuses that it would surly inflect, if it was left unchecked.

The system likes us divided because division makes us weak. I think that we need to seek unity with each other and stand together against those who would seek to use their power and influence to exploit us.

Sorry if this post was kind of meandering and pretty unpolished. I wasn't expecting to write this evening but I am probably off tomorrow so I will try to deliver something better then. I think I might have started the ball rolling on a few ideas here so maybe something good will come of this, after all.

Peace.

All the images in this post are sourced from the free image website, unsplash.com.