Violence lost, passive aggressive won

Mr Satan believes in violenceWhat does violence look like in a passive aggressive culture?

It is commonly understood that violence is a bad thing. I disagree. I think violence is all around us, and that it in itself isn’t a bad thing.

What’s toxic is when bullying is combined with violence. Mugging someone to steal their purse or wallet is bad. Punching a friend in the face can be good. Context has to matter with something so sweeping.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as:

The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.

Their definition makes it sound terrible, and I’m glad it is declining worldwide. But, is passive aggressive conflict rising to take its place? And, is it politically correct of me to ask?

As the mighty Vegeta said:

It will take more than head games to stop me. You may have invaded my mind and my body, but there is one thing a Saiyan always keeps. HIS PRIDE!

The novel (Destiny’s Hand) I’m working on takes place in a future setting far advanced down a path of non-violence. This does not mean life in it is fair or healthy. For better and worse, a passive aggressive culture won and rules.

A slap can be very honest.

Continue reading Violence lost, passive aggressive won

Birthday At The Beach, Spindrift In July

Spindrift beach cottageThe beach is a nice lawn

An ocean’s beach has the constant ambiance of a seashell’s breath. For my son’s fifth birthday, or rather the weekend after, we’ve been marinating in a hundred and two year old seaside beach house designed by A. E. Doyle.

The beach view couchIt’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the Oregon coast as a family with friends in the midst of the optimum season.

The location and birthday make it a once in a lifetime experience.

Continue reading Birthday At The Beach, Spindrift In July

Possibly Dogs In Space?

I’ve decided to enhance the presence of pets, particularly dogs, in the setting of my book Destiny’s Hand.

Ipo my dog, a brave little sweetheartI got a dog at four.

Her short name was Ipo, “Sweetheart” in Hawaiian.

Her full name meant “brave little sweetheart”; I don’t remember the Hawaiian.

She was my friend when I was alone in Fern Forest on an island with volcanic sunsets and a Green Sand Beach.

She wasn’t a pet. She was family.

Continue reading Possibly Dogs In Space?

My son’s weight in cherries. Summer is berry fun.

Cherries taste better by the bucket.

Wolfe's Cherries, inexpensive organic ripe and deliciousA berry tastes better when U-Pick, though I’m not complaining about the sixty five pounds of ripe picked organic cherries for fifty seven dollars that we got on the fourth from Wolfe’s.

I think my son Yuri may be able to eat his weight in berries.

Continue reading My son’s weight in cherries. Summer is berry fun.

Political Experience Prepared The Generation Ship

Political reality in a space village.

A tube of air, dirt, and water, of flora, fauna, and people, Ship Of Destiny’s habitat would spew very organic paste if squeezed hard enough.

Jacksonville, representing a political village.Destiny’s Hand is a story based in a spaceship that will take fifty generations to arrive at its destination.

I’ve imagined that with a target population of only a thousand to maintain, life on the ship is something like life in a village or a very insular group within a city.

Varied experience with small political landscapes makes me comfortable writing fiction with related themes, especially passive aggressive power struggles.

“I have political experience” is like saying “I’m an American” abroad.

Continue reading Political Experience Prepared The Generation Ship

Actually Daddy, I’m The Boss. Now Play With Me.

Actually, you know, like, um; actually, you know, like. um….

Clipped all by himselfMy son, Yuri, is actually a good kid.  We survive his shenanigans with little harm to home or body. But with him turning five, there is worry about how fast he is growing, both physically and in expressing independence.

Our children are a product of ourselves interacting with their environment.  Whenever they say or do something bad, as a parents we should feel partially responsible.

Certainly my wife blames me for Yuri’s rude habits, as if I’m a big brother rather than a father.  Children are sponges.  Four days a week at a school/daycare, means he picks up actually quite a lot.

“Geeks smell bad and nerds wear plaid.”

Continue reading Actually Daddy, I’m The Boss. Now Play With Me.

“Need to work on my dialogue tags,” I groaned.

Bird Vacuum“Dialogue—Ouch, my OCD,” said editor

Some dialogue from my draft:

“The peace makers have successfully vacuumed up the hummingbird.” The pleasant female voice pauses then continues. “And are requesting that it be expunged into space.”

Adjusted to:

“The peace makers have successfully vacuumed up the hummingbird,” says a pleasant female voice, “and are requesting that it be expunged into space.”

Barely six pages into my Destiny Hand’s doc before a friendly editor student had an aneurysm.  Apparently I’ve developed, refined even, some bad grammar over the decades.

And she said,”Commas are your FRIENDS

Continue reading “Need to work on my dialogue tags,” I groaned.