“Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not.”
Isaac Asimov
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01/1
Montana Becomes Third State to Legalize Doctor-Assisted Suicide Props to the Montana courts. I’ve always supported the patient’s right to choose what happens with their own life.
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January 1, 2010 Culture
The first day of the New Year never feels any different to me than the day after yesterday usually does, except that it comes with a vicious hangover. Sometimes I think we drink on New Year’s Eve so that the next day’s pounding headache will guilt us into keeping the resolutions we drunkenly pronounced at the party the night before.
I’m not being cynical, just realistic. How many promises to yourself have you broken in the past year? I don’t need science or statistics to support this conclusion; I know from experience what it means to break a promise to myself. What makes you think your New Year’s resolution will turn out any different than the promises you failed to keep before?
As far as New Year’s resolutions go, it’s impressive if you make it through the first two weeks. If you’re a gym rat, you know exactly what I mean.
As for me? I don’t make any resolutions. I can’t break a promise I never made to begin with, so I’m in familiar territory. There’s no reason to start the year with a disappointment.
Not that resolutions don’t work, or that no one can affect a change in their life by sheer power of will (possible, but unlikely). I’m simply pointing out that just because it’s the start of a new decade doesn’t mean you’ve got more gumption than you had yesterday, or two weeks ago. Today is still the day after yesterday no matter how proudly you turned the page on your calendar this morning, while holding an icepack to your throbbing head.
If you’re going to make a resolution, don’t do it out of hangover-induced guilt, or because all the cool kids are doing it. I’m all for bettering yourself, but change doesn’t work unless you believe in it too.
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
J. R. R. Tolkien
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12/30
Why ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Works (And Why Sherlock Holmes Always Will) – That fireball scene was pretty ridiculous, but overall the film is good entertainment
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“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”
Jack Kerouac
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December 28, 2009 Photo
Christmas was a whirlwind. In typical fashion, I abandoned all semblance of routine during the holidays and focused on enjoying my vacation. Between moving to Germany, spending time with family, holiday shopping, reading good books, meeting new people, and lapsing nightly into a full on home-cooked food coma, I had plenty to keep me occupied.
The photo above is a dazzling view of the village and rolling German hills where I now live. It will make a fantastic base from which to start (and recuperate from) as many trips as I can afford/manage in the next year or more. I spent some time hiking around the hills with my dogs taking photos, but this view is by far my favorite, because I don’t even have to put on shoes to enjoy it.
Enjoyment can only last for so long before it deteriorates into excess, however, so us little elves went to work on the site behind the scenes. You’ve probably noticed the beautiful new design. It’s better organized and all the words have plenty of room to breathe. We even have a little logo up top now.
I’d like to thank James for all his hard work and generosity. The new design is the best Christmas present I’ve ever been lucky enough to receive. Visit James at The Phuse and commission him for some work if you need a snazzy new design for your own site.
As I work on new content, is there anything you’d like to see me write about this year? Leave a comment and let me know! Your input is priceless.