sagiquarius

Greetings all! I'm 33 and am diligently improving my writing skills. I don't think I'm bad at writing but I really do need to learn the technicalities of punctuation and all that. It's something I've always wanted to do personally and professionally. This is the final result of a writing exercise for one the courses I'm taking. The goal was to be descriptive and active. This is my first creative writing piece, be gentle yet honest, please! :-) Thanks for any feedback you may wish to offer. == Rain drops rolled down it's glistening orange exterior as I sat in my office glaring out into the dreary, rain soaked parking lot - "What the hell just happened?" - I asked myself, as I scoured the evanescent memories of the past three weeks, desperate to understand why it was sitting there taunting me. Stupid car; it even has a cool name - "Veloster." The freshly painted, dark orange exterior so well matches the early October leaves upon which the car rests that I almost feel guilty for hating the infernal machine. "Look at the way the falling leaves match the color - No! - I'm not keeping it, damn it!" The decision to purchase the car beast haunts me because I knew it was a mistake; I knew it before I signed the elongated paper work and received the final congratulatory hand shake from the sales guy - the dude with the black, bristly mustache and beady little eyes nestled behind oval glasses - and now I'm obsessed with the financially ruinous task of trading it in on another vehicle. I wouldn't be in such a state of disturbing self-doubt if I would have listened to the steadfast little voice - who sort of sounds like Richard Simmons - in my head exuberantly yelling "Don't do it! Run away with your little red rocket in your pocket and don't look back!" My Little Red Rocket was a 2003 Honda Insight with manual transmission; it was the best car ever. It had anachronistic plastic covers that left half of the rear wheels exposed where rubber meets the road; a unique tapering tear drop body design that flowed from front to back, and it was covered in awesome sauce getting an average of 60-70 MPG. Oh, I almost forgot: It had been paid off for at least 6 out of the 10 blissfully efficient years I drove it. And now the Little Red Rocket's senior miles are being driven by another while I sit here and ponder what to do about this orange wretch of a vehicle that serves as a stark reminder that I may not be as cognizant of my motives as I once believed.

Going from the information you've given so far (and from my personal experiences) I would say that you have not completely come to peace with your attraction to this person. If she was attractive to you when she was single, is it not reasonable to say that she is still attractive to you regardless of her relationship status? Is it possible that you are some what uncomfortable around her because you have this attraction for this unvailable woman that also is a good friend of yours? I think you're concern in becoming part of an emotional affair is quite valid. I suppose, what I"m asking is that if you were really at peace with your status with her, would you be feeling like engaging her (as a friend) is morally questionable? Has this woman ever expressed attraction for you? Perhaps directly spoken or in body language, etc. I'm curious how this is working out for you. Personal relationships are like "my thing" because they are so damned important. Cheers

Would some one help me understand why getting a small amount (small compared to what?) is frowned upon? At what amount would it not be frowned upon? Perhaps I just need to be in "those shoes" to understand. It's not that I don't empathize with the feeling but I'm not understanding it's source nor can I envision myself feeling that way over a small donation or tip. Conversely, I don't understand why this dynamic exists to the degree that others would use it to say "fuck you" to another person. As in, "he was a shitter waiter so I'm leaving him my two cents, literally." Put it this way, it's as foreign to me as some one saying "bless you" or whatever in response to a sneeze. I'm being dense, yes?

Thanks for making these videos Stef, I very much enjoy them. I see the data and I would say you're making reasonable arguments based on said data. Seems fairly evident to me. I wonder, what is it about marriage? More stable and secure for the kids? Does it require the presence of a hetrosexual couple or would a married homosexual couple do just as well? I doubt these people need be married because marrige (to me) is a contract agreement that has nothing to do with a loving and respectful relationship. Could not two folks wish to have kids while living together and not be married? Does the act of marriage help form some sort of deeper psychological and sociological bond that "live in" domestic partnerships lack? Is the concept of a "family unit", regardless of how it is formed, so important to human development that a child in a single parent home will seek a family unit (even if in a violent gang) outside of the home? To that question, would the child born to a single parent that wanted the child be as pron to violent behavior or poverty? I suppose that would depend on the parents extended support group (grand parents, siblings). Thoughts?

To which which event do you refer? Sandy Hook? Batman shooting? Any other shooting even that featured the AR-15 weapon? I'm inferring that you're premise is that said event didn't happen. Is there credible evidence that said event happened or isn't there? What do you find to be "credible" evidence? Clearly, I think many have demonstrated an ability to hold a temporary discussion regarding a debate between person A and B whilst still holding to the premise that society is fucked up and it is for that reason (and many others) that this forum exists. It's not like this little thing was all that distracting, if at all.

This 14min interview was much better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJdhAm_oUUs Ben made the argument much better and allowed Piers to clearly display his lack of integrity. Piers keeps making it about the AR15; once folks like him have his way on that weapon he'll want more once he sees that banning assualt weapons won't solve the "problem."

A little crazy? I'm very familiar with his style and schtick. I'm accustomed to dealing with his mouth to try and "pick the pepper from the fly shit." AJ was like a rabid animal in constant fear. He answers questions by spewing a deluge of stats and facts and doesn't link them well into an effective argument or concise point. Every opporunity I perceived in this video to make a clear point against more gun laws and enforcement was wasted by his screaming. I haven't listened to his show nor watched his videos for a very long time. This absurdity reenforced my decision. I made an exception because it's rather unusual for him to appear so high in the rankings. I thought perhaps he was acting more mildly or something; nope. At least the man is consistent. You may be correct in that the staff on the show knew he would behave this way and so left him have at it. AJ should know better by now and wasted the opportunity by behaving expected. Some would say it was done on purpose to weaken the position AJ supports. There is nothing he said that I perceived to be helpful or help make the argument. IMO, this was nothing but entertainment and masterbation for his listeners and reenforcement for those that already hold him in low regard. Ug, infotainment.

I'm reading thru Stef's books now. I have read Atlas shrugged and the fountainhead. Following that, I plan on reading this book. My goals are to learn more of pholosphy in general and to practice and learn to "think and speak" more philosophically and logically. Ya know, 'cause there is always more to learn and skills to refine. I'm also taking a couple of philosophy courses from coursera starting in a few weeks. thank ya