Greetings, Bearers!
Decisions, decisions, thrust upon us. On the one hand, we have political decisions abounding. We have Republican candidates on the one side (of which I am not fond, save perhaps for Ron Paul-yes, I am letting a little of my political persuasion show), a sitting Democrat incumbant on the other side (of which I am even less fond), a screwy bill being passed through Congress that’s more akin to the Spanish word for soup than it is akin to anything intelligent or meaningful (And the funny thing about it is that no citizen on ANY political side seems to like it, yet the politicians on EVERY side are pushing for it. Strange days…), and Newt apparently wanted an open marriage.
Can’t we just vote “None of the above” like Richard Pryor suggested in the movie Brewster’s Millions?
Just a little sidenote here: I have political principles, but as a general rule I’m not going to permit this blog to turn into a political rant scene. For starters, my purpose as an author is primarily to entertain, not to propagate politics. Nor do I like to turn my stories into platforms for promoting “Conservative talking point X” or “Liberal talking point Y.” We’ve got too many people already ruining good stories with their insertion of activism and politics into their plots. I’m not going to do that.
Also, to be point blank honest, I’m simply burned out on all things political, and I’ve caught myself turning into a cynic. Anybody who says that hypocrisy is only on the other side of the political aisle is being naive. Too many people cheerlead their own political side as if their candidates can do no wrong, and don’t independently think outside of the partisan box of their own party. Being around those people, regardless of their stated party affiliation, has left a bad taste in my mouth.
So if you want to know my political thoughts, feel free to privately contact me and we can talk about it. But I won’t turn this blog into a partisan debate forum. Besides, talking sports and scifi and fantasy is just more fun! 😀
Speaking of which, the other decisions we have to make: 49ers, Ravens, Patriots, or Giants? In lieu of my beloved Packers falling to Eli Manning because apparently Dom Capers doesn’t know how to set up a defense against Hail Mary passes at the end of the first half (Not that I’m keeping track, mind you…), I really don’t have a dog in the fight, so to speak. Plus, all four teams have Michigan players on their rosters, so I’m cool for the most part with whoever wins (although I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of Bill Belichik as a person. Good coach; not very good at admitting he’s wrong. See Spygate, 2007). What I hope to see is a good game on the final night of pro-football, just like I saw at the final game this year between my beloved Wolverines and that school from Ohio. Or like the basketball game that occurred a few days ago between my beloved Wolverines and that school in East Lansing :p
Aaaaaaaaanywayyyyyy…… another decision that I’ve been trying to keep up with daily is sticking to my New Year’s resolutions. It’s not as easy to do as I’d like; as a matter of fact, I’m finding it easier to stick with my workout regiment than I am my writing regiment, in part because I can work out with noise and distractions, while my writing requires complete and utter silence (HA!) with the exception of an occassional motion picture soundtrack playing in the background for enjoyment.
But a kick in the rear is sometimes what I need, and it’s what I got yesterday from a fan. He has persistently bugged me, contacting me about when the third novel is going to be finished, and I’ve been responding to him that I’m almost done for the past month-which is true, mind you, it’s just that the last part of a novel can be the most diffcult part to write. So his persistence has been an incentive to me to finish this novel up as soon as possible, to get it done and ready for the readers to read.
Thanks for that kick 🙂
So anyway, continue to read on! Those of you who have provided me with feedback about the novels, thank you very much, and continue to spread the word about the Vein!
See you in the Vein!
J. Dean
The World of the Vein 