INSTANT DOGMA
Opinions, essays, blog posts, articles, op-eds, ruminations, soapbox rants, and much more
The Futurn
It was a time like no other voices in Rooms of desperate escapes from Conditions woven in the wombs of Neglectful dejection by unelected Henchman of the apocalypse within But also to their chagrin a brand new Beginning was unleashed from its Moors as the tired and poor took their Fair share of the
Civilization Crumbles
“Pass the salt.” “Wha-a?” “I said, pass the salt. I can’t eat this crap without it.” “SO picky. How did you even survive the Upheaval?” “Very funny. You know that I carried your sorry carcass out of the gates of hell and into this even worse version of a world.” “Tsk. You’d think one
Button Pushers
When the machines take over, it won’t be with a bang but a whimper. Or maybe even just a glitch… Did you ever have the feeling that every time you push a button, it pushes you back? Extrapolating from Newton’s law of “equal and opposite reaction,” we might update this to note that everything
Powered By Practice
“I…can…hardly…breathe.” “It’s okay,” Toran reassured me. “Focus on the silence, feel it around you, let it keep you safe. One deep breath, then another. Good, keep going. Almost there…” they whispered. “Okay, thanks, I feel better.” This was the third time this month that I had a problem during the service, but so far
On Brand
They spend a lot of time ticking boxes Selecting options to be somewhere else Someone of wealth claiming the flame At all costs of appearances keeping Up with the image of foes and trending In the feeds taking cues from below Far down the queue who post meager Reviews for shoppers and hoppers galore
Next Pair of Dimes
The sign blinked insistently, making Fredd really anxious. Not that he needed any help — the whole stupid affair had him on serious edge already anyway. But that damn sign, over and over again: “Please insert 20 cents to continue the session.” Without this, the gate would close and the drones would arrive. He had
Therefore I Was
Cogent I think right now What really rends In the end Isn’t decay Or disease Or tragic events But more so A failure to See light ahead And a purpose To continue Against all logic A tenuous existence So beautiful and frail Horrible in its gravity Never knowing the truth Ergonomic Woke today From
Life Is Good
So at Least There’s That… I was listening to a recent podcast where the discussion was about how we value the support structures in our lives, as well as the obstacles put before us. Not surprisingly, the conclusion was that people tend to overstate the latter and underestimate the former. In other words, we tend
Bed-death and Beyond
The day the inevitable happened was, surprisingly, warm and sunny. I’d always pictured it as forebodingly dark with a torrential downpour of historical — nay, biblical — proportions. Since I knew it was of course coming at some point, I suppose it was comforting to think of it as somehow dramatic or noteworthy. But
By Grace
You think there’s always time To do the things you want to do To finish that abandoned project To get over to that faraway place To reach out to long lost friends To abandon reason for intuition To revel in awe of time and space To rediscover that dormant art To plant seeds before
Arc of the Pilgrimage
As we progress in years, holidays oftentimes can lose some of their luster. Things just don’t have the same spark anymore, the sense of magic and wonder ebbs a bit, and the latitude of a “day off” gets supplanted by a multitude of logistics and preparations. Still, some holidays resonate on a different level
In Case of Emergence
IN CASE OF EMERGENCE… Find the courage to live up to your vision. When the fear surges take another breath. If you’ve lost the narrative keep writing anyway. Build a foundation worthy of your failures. Remember where you’re from so you can get back. It’s all a cosmic movie being written on the fly. Your
Anthroleum
The pumps were working day and night, emitting a low (and not unpleasant) humming sound and the faint stench of rotting flesh. Since the discovery three years ago of the first large deposit, thousands were attracted here by the promise of steady work and maybe even a chance to become wealthy fast. For those
Climate Decade
The consensus of climate science has given us about a decade to turn things around. That’s not a literal deadline or doomsday prophecy; this isn’t Y2K or an exact-date apocalypse, but a political and scientific statement. It means that we have roughly a decade (at current projections) to make some hard and necessary changes
Queen Arthur
The Legend of QUEEN ARTHUR and her nights at the Round Table Sally Arthur — a 30-something single mother of three, server at a local restaurant, and artist in her spare time — could sling hash like nobody’s business. Not that she literally slung hash (which to her sounded like a euphemism for something unsavory),