Lemming

Well, job I had a number of years ago, would often have a lot of free time on the night shift, and access to a computer,
Thus my mind wandered.

As I recall I'd often look up bit random questions, opinions, of politics, morals, philosophy, so on.

At that time was around a website called Debate.org, that kept popping up in my Google searches,
It had opinions and polls, some of them fairly interesting to read of various opinions, some well written, well thought.

Myself having free time, and not to my memory having talked or tested my beliefs against others much, I joined for the first time, a social networking site.

I found it an enjoyable stress relief, to vent emotions, to express myself,
Interesting to read people's posts and with the effort required to make oneself legible to others, form and post my own opinions.

. . .

So quick spoken, I had a lot of free time, access to a computer, and had not connected and spoke to groups and individuals of my own opinions and ideas.

I feel that the apostrophes add a bit of, inflection, to words,
They feel a less bold way of adding emphasis, than 'bolding a word.

Well, I was disappointed that DDO went the way it did,
And I wasn't 'fully on board with DART,
So I didn't keep the name Leaning, then,
Lemmings are known for mass migration,
And it sounded 'close to Leaning, Leaning, Lemming, Lemming, Leaning.
,
So Bit disappointed, not fully committed, I chose a name 'similar to my last, picked more as a snide joke about everyone leaving and following a similar path.

Lack of formal use of writing, I suppose.
Maybe if I'd been to college, had to write paper after paper, I'd be more in line.
Or if I'd written more letters in my life, or emails.

But, I've not.
And after a time, just come to enjoy writing as it comes to me, 'mostly.

Neutral, as I don't know much about it.
Has a rich and far back history, cultures.
Sounds like it's not perfectly happy with it's leadership, for a while.
Experiencing many climate issues.
'Large military.
A country that the USA would want to be friends and allies with.

No,
I don't know much about global politics, so perhaps I 'overestimate worries of the future, perhaps America will be as influential and strong as ever, perhaps other countries are not rising threats/competitors, perhaps war is no worry.
But I 'do worry, many powers in history have shrank to shadows of themselves, just the way it goes.
Lot of land in the rest of the world, if countries get their act together, keep it together, build infrastructure, unite demographics, tech up, many nations we don't think much of power-wise, may strengthen. Countries whose outward instability makes one nervous.
And even if war isn't a worry, "politics is war without bloodshed", there are other ways to win a game of Civilization than one's military.

Still, of my 'own nation,
Times are 'always changing I suppose, but I'm a traditionalist, and I like a number of our traditions, customs, status quos. Though not all, I dislike how complicated our tax system is, for one.
I disagree with some SJW programs, but we'll see how that pans out.
Of the upper, middle, and lower class, I don't care for the direction we're going, and think there 'may be methods to stop it, but I don't care for the 'Lefts methods.
I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be better for big companies 'to fail,
Top positions could stand to tighten their belts, And not be paid X times more than their average worker,
'Why bail out companies, If they're not willing to cut CEO pay significantly.
A person isn't really incentivized to cut costs, Or make an effort in quality, If someone else is footing the bill.
I'm not a 'fan of monopolies, Preferring small business.
But eh, I don't understand economics very well.

But I'm rambling at this point. . .
I think America will do all right, but I look at it a bit uneasy, that it might suddenly 'tilt a bit.
The way to fix it in my mind, would be individuals and movements, of organizing and living life as they see right.
Not the politicians we have now, or all these movements trying to force 'others, rather than themselves.

Jan, 2022

Truthfully, I'm not educated enough on politicians to know,
I suppose I'd prefer someone in the middle, who neither side objects to,
Who can help this country move, react, without going overboard on anything.

I suppose if I had to pick a specific person, without much thought of them fitting my criteria, I'd say a 'bit randomly,
Condoleezza Rice.

Of Brandon Sanderson, I've a neutral opinion, I'd say, as I've not read anything by him. Though I 'have heard other people mention his works frequently, so I figure there's something in it, a fair number of people like. Just haven't had the motivation to read them myself.

His hard and soft magic systems, is a bit of an interesting thought. Similar to other such hard and soft distinctions in fiction, of how much realism or detail one uses, of 'various systems.

'Some year/s in High School, Teachers had us read,
Grendel by John Gardner,
I did 'not like it, though I found it riveting, fascinating. It was too. . . nihilistic, sad, for my liking, 'still is, though I find it thought provoking. Basically Beowulf from the other perspective, 'still in ancient times, but the style is different, being written by someone of the modern age.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller,
I did not like it at the time, feels dull to read something someone else insists you read, at times. I also felt uncomfortable with the sexual parts of the book, at the time. As time went by, I came to appreciate the books themes on the military, absurdity, bureaucracy, leadership, war, capitalism. The books style and humor.

In the Language Arts Textbook, or whatever that class was called, Literature Studies 4th grade or 5th grade, 'maybe?
Anyway, there was a story about a kid, and a couple new companies in the Mall.
One was an Ice Cream store, that sold these apparently 'delicious and memory 'invoking ice creams, that people couldn't seem to get enough of. Though there was a side effect, in that they made people gain weight 'very easy, lot of calories or something.
The other business, was this fat reducing machine or something. I think the kid had a theory space aliens or something, were selling the ice cream to get people fat, so that they could steal/buy the people's fat.
. . .
I also vaguely remember the picture, at the start of the chapter, looked like ice cream on sticks, that were oddly colored. With leopard spots, or zebra stripes.
Always made me think an interesting ice cream, might be one with a 'bit of a taffy like inside, but the outside is like cotton candy.

Last year of High School, teacher had us read, that I remember.
Some book about a Native American girl and her youth and difficulties,
Another about some prehistoric hunter hunting a mammoth,
Some book about a girl from Mexico born into a wealthy family and how her father lost his wealth and they had to move to America and her struggle getting used to the difference in lifestyle and work.
I didn't really 'like any of these books in my last year of Highschool, but I 'vaguely remember them.

Yes.