Pros & Cons

Pros & Cons lists can be helpful.  I have made them before.  As I have mentioned, I am indecisive, so such lists can help me make decisions.  This one is about relationships.
Cons-
There are at least several cons associated with being in a relationship with a woman.  Since this recently happened, I will address it now; this weakened, debris (I think they were bricks.) fell off a truck in front of me.  I believe my car ran over at least one brick as a result.  I have told myself that I should avoid driving behind cars or trucks that are carrying stuff, because stuff is always falling off such vehicles and onto the road, but I suppose I thought I was far enough behind this truck: obviously not.  Any moron can load a truck with stuff, but many of them won't do it properly, and will put other drivers at risk as a result.  I checked my car, but there seems to be no damage.  I got most of the license plate number of the truck and called 911 anyway.  The point of this in regards to a relationship is that a relationship means going out more, which leads to more driving.  All sorts of horrible things can happen when we drive: accidents, hitting animals, dealing with road rage, etc.
One of the biggest cons associated with being in a relationship is not being able to be who I am.  I am real.  Using the woman that wants to go on a date with me as an example, as I mentioned, she only keeps her "positive" friends.  I'm not "positive;" I'm real.  I don't' consider myself to be a pessimist; I prefer the term "realist."  As a matter of fact, I've already thought of so many cons here, that I think I shouldn't be phony with her at all.  I shouldn't hide who I am at all from her (or any potential girlfriend), because it could just result in wasted time.
That's the next con: wasted time.  Perhaps my time would be better spent writing, or reading, than being with a woman.  There is a finite amount of time in one's life to create.  Should I allow a woman to chip away at that?
Wasted money is another con.  I come from a very thrifty family.  I like to save money.  I don't' like to spend it.  I pretty much only spend it on necessities.  I don't want to spend it on a woman.
As I've mentioned, I think sex is disgusting.  That being said, I'm a human animal that is hardwired to want it, and I do.  The vaj is only a few inches away from the bunghole, which is so gross.  Women poop, and that is disgusting.  I know, I poop too, and I fully admit I'm disgusting.  Making out is gross: exchanging saliva with someone.
I love metal.  I have to be able to listen to it.  Most people, especially women, don't' like metal.
She looks good in the picture, but the woman who asked me out recently is lying in some grass in one of her photos.  My thoughts eventually went to Lyme disease, which I recently wrote about here.  Did she check herself for ticks after lying in the grass?  Lying in the grass is basically an invitation for ticks to bite into your flesh.  I will have to talk to her about ticks and Lyme disease if things progress between us, because I don't want her to transfer a Lyme-disease-ridden tick to me.
I have mentioned here that I am a slob.  I hate to clean, and I only do approximately the minimum amount of it.  If she came over and saw my apartment the way it is now, she would probably lose interest in me immediately.  So I would have to clean for her, which is both a pro and con.  I'm not happy with the filthiness of my home, so if she inspired me to do extra cleaning, that would be a good thing.  On the other hand, it seems like I'm content to be a lazy slob.
I'd have to do more laundry, and I hate it.  I'm content to wear dirty clothes, as long as I think people won't smell them (I admitted that I'm disgusting.).
The woman who asked me out eats meat, and that is a big problem.  Should I compromise who I am as I vie for nookie?  She suggested that we go to a vegetarian restaurant, and it is good that she is sensitive to the issue.  But anyone who knows this blog knows I am very passionate about this issue.  I am willing to get into a very loud argument about it, because, again, it is simply wrong to support animal cruelty by buying meat and leather. 
The woman who asked me out also has kids.  Again, people who know this blog know how I feel about procreation.  So, you see, I'm concerned about all the things that she wouldn't like about ME, when I, quite frankly, have 2 very important issues with her (and many people).           

Pros-
For some reason, when the dating website I frequent sends me an email with potential matches for me, I look at it, and I contact some of them.  I suppose I wouldn't do that if I didn't want to be with a woman.
Companionship is important, and aside from talking to coworkers a little, I don't have it in my life.
Touching is important, and aside from petting dogs a little at work, I don't have it in my life.
They say these things are quite necessary when it comes to combatting depression.  
 

The Second-Worst Conspiracy

The second-worst conspiracy is procreation.  There are way too many people in the world.  The law of supply and demand states that the more there is of something, the less the item in question will be worth.  This applies to people as well.
Trillions, quadrillions (or more), people throughout the years, have essentially said, "Sure, life sucks.  It's hard.  It's more shit than sugar.  Maybe, if I brought a baby into the world, that would cheer me up.  And then, when I'm old, too old to take care of myself, then that baby, now an adult, will take care of me; sign me up!  Yeah, sure, in this dangerous, violent world, all sorts of horrible things can happen to my child, but my parents did it to me!  If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my child.  In fact, it's a kind of revenge.  Someone brought me into this hellhole to suffer, and now it's my right to do it to someone else!"  How much pain and misery has this course of action led to?
Think for a second about how the quality of life has sucked throughout the years.  Imagine life without electricity, toilets, running water in the home, or cars.  It was REALLY shitty to bring people into a world in which those things did not exist.  But procreation is still a very shitty thing to do.  I'm not going to list all the things that are wrong with this world; I've done that over and over again.  It's a very long list.  At anytime, you could be struck by a serious illness, you could be the victim of a nasty car accident, and so on.  SUICIDE IS CONSISTENTLY A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH.  Doesn't that tell you a lot about human existence?
Even at its best, life sucks.  There's always the pooping, ass wiping, and pissing.  Things haven't been going too badly for me lately.  It looks like I'm going to have a date with a woman I met online, although there are tons of reasons why things wouldn't work out between her and I.  She mentioned, in her dating profile, that she only keeps her "positive" friends.  Well, if she reads this blog, I'm in trouble!  She also doesn't like "loud, crazy" music, and I do.  Maybe I've been feeling better because I recently purchased healthcare, so I know that will begin 1/1/18.  I also have an old prescription for antidepressants, so, if I'm willing to pay over $100 for a months' worth, I can do that.  But there is still the shitty, boring job.  There's no getting away from the knowledge that, considering my age, I make, and I have saved, very little money.  I am a loser in this society.  That's me.  It is what I am: my place in society.  There is still the need to make so many decisions. What should I be doing with my time?  I'm indecisive.  I don't like too many choices and decisions, which is what life in this society consists of.  Inevitably, there's guilt over not doing this, or not doing that.     
I mentioned that some people seem to be addicted to having kids.  I haven't had cable TV for years, but I know there are reality shows about people who have tons of kids.  People who know this blog could probably figure out that I'm disgusted by such people.  But my parents only had one kid, and I wish they hadn't.  I've already experienced too much pain and misery; I shudder to think what the future holds. 

Corpse Dragger

Today, after writing about animal cruelty, I went for a walk.  It rained all day today; usually that would stop me.  But the upcoming work schedule has me working till 10:00 pm the next 3 nights.  I just don't exercise when I work till 10:00 pm.  I could exercise before work, but I tend to fart around home prior to the commute: old habits die hard.  So I felt the need to do it today: despite the weather.  I dusted off an umbrella that probably hadn't been used in over a year.
As I was descending a steep hill that leads to a river, I saw someone approaching me.  It looked like he was dragging something, and he was stopping periodically.  Great, I thought.  I need to piss badly, and I can't have him interfering with that.  You used to be able to piss in public, and if someone saw you, they could go fuck themselves.  But now every asshole has a cell phone and can call the cops to snitch on you.  I was also wondering if he was a freak.  I saw a freak yesterday.  He was kicking a book hard against some vertical concrete: among other crazy things.  I watched him, because he was approaching my parked car, and I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything to it. 
It turned out the man had been fishing.  He was dragging 2 very large dead fish behind him.  He said hello to me.  Though I didn't want to, I returned his greeting.  I couldn't help it; I was raised with manners.  I don't understand why people, that I walk by in parks, insist on talking to me.  I don't want to talk to you outside a park; I don't want to talk to you inside a park.  I just don't want to talk to you.  I took my piss; then I started to walk up the hill.  I was wondering if he was going to ask for help dragging the fish.  Of course I wouldn't.  The only question was how rude and loud I was going to be if he asked.  Of course he didn't ask me.  I just passed him silently. 
I have compared meat eaters, and leather wearers, to cavemen before.  Cavemen, and cavewomen, used to eat meat and wear furs, so it fits.  They also used to drag the animals they killed.  The guy with the fish is a caveman.  He hasn't evolved.  Those that have evolved are non-violent, and they eat healthy foods: like fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, seeds, and whole grains.  As I mentioned, I passed him (easily).  I wasn't burdened by the weight of dead flesh, and that's how I live my life.       

The Worst Conspiracy

The worst conspiracy is animal cruelty.  Trillions (or more) people over the years have essentially gotten together and said, "Let's pick and choose which animals we care about and which we don't.  We'll care about a small minority of species (pets), but even then, many of us will be cruel to these animals when we feel like it.  For example, we will confine many pets to small cages and fishbowls.  The vast majority (countless) of animals we won't care about.  We will do what we want to this planet.  We will pollute it, which will kill many animals.  We will procreate absurdly, many of us addicted to having kids, which will require that more housing for humans be built, which will result in more wilderness being destroyed, which will push wild animals further into a corner that gets smaller everyday.  We will harm animals at will."  It is likely that, shortly after we got up onto two feet for the first time, we began to attack animals.
I was watching a documentary last night.  A boy had made a slingshot, and was showing another boy how to use it.  I had a bad feeling about where this was headed, and it was confirmed.  One of the boys shot a stone at a bird, and the other boy said, "Awesome!  You almost hit it."  The camera crew should not have allowed that to happen.  One of them should have told the boys that it's wrong to attack animals, but, obviously, they let it happen.  I suppose they consider that to be part of their "art."  Attacking animals for real in a movie is not "art;" it just makes it a sick, twisted piece of shit.
Back to the conspiracy.  "There is no need to eat meat, but we will do so, because we can.  We are stronger than the animals are.  We are smarter than they are.  We will use these advantages to terrorize them.  We will use our cunning to come up with new ways to make them suffer.  Money matters more than anything in our 'culture,' so, of course, we will exploit animals for profit.  Money in our pockets matters so much more than the pain and suffering of animals, that we can't even begin to measure it.  It will be proven, over and over again, that vegan whole foods (fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, seeds, whole grains) are the healthiest foods for us to eat, and that we don't need to eat meat at all.  Plenty of doctors will say and write that eating too much meat can lead to cancer and heart disease, but we don't care.  We want to eat whatever we want to eat.  If MacDonald's came out with a snake burger, and it tasted good, then count us in.  We don't care about our health.  We will do drugs, drink too much, smoke, and be obese, because no one tells us what to do. 
We will kick the dog when we want to.  We will harm her for no reason, because, unlike people, she can't call the police, so we will get away with harming her.  Whenever we feel like it, we will try to make our pets miserable, because we are miserable. 
We will experiment on live animals.  We will do incredibly cruel things to animals in the name of science and progress.  We will not lose sight of the fact that people matter and animals don't, so, therefore, anything we do to an animal, no matter how horrible, if it benefits humans, it is okay.  Even if animal suffering in lab experiments doesn't benefit humans, it is still okay, because it is the thought that counts, and as long as the cruelty wasn't suffered by people, it is okay, because, again, we, humans, matter, and animals don't.  We only care about ourselves; meaning, I don't care about you, of course, just myself: maybe my kids, but if I cared about them, I wouldn't have brought them into this fucked-up world in the first place (but that's another conspiracy).
Even though we support heinous animal cruelty when we buy meat, leather, fur, etc., we will think that we are good people.  As long as we aren't horrifically cruel to people, then we will consider ourselves to be good people.  We will smile when we talk about our favorite meat dishes.  We will dance while eating chicken.  We won't be ashamed of the aroma of the tortured animal flesh we are roasting.  We will shut off the part of our conscience that cares about animals (assuming it was ever there at all whatsoever).  Meat is a thing.  It is no longer an animal.  Come to think of it, the animal was a thing.  He or she was an 'it.'"
Very, very sadly, with attitudes like this, it seems as though there is no end to widespread, systematic, institutionalized animal cruelty.  There has been, and continues to be, an immeasurable amount of needless animal suffering, which exists because far too many people don't care about animal cruelty (Because they don't have to worry about being the victims of the cruelty.).
But you, who supports animal cruelty by buying meat, remember this; TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT; BILLIONS OF WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT; NO AMOUNT OF WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT!  If you are a mentally-sound adult who supports animal cruelty, if you are cruel to animals, you are CRUEL (PERIOD).  There's no getting around it.  You better hope that karma isn't real.  If you're religious, you better hope there isn't a hell, cause if there is, get ready to burn.       

The Acorn Relocation Program

I love squirrels.  I used to feed a squirrel, Nutsie, who lived in my apartment complex.  I only fed her pure nuts.  She knew me.  She'd chase me.  She'd come right up to me to be fed.  She even touched my shoe with her face.  Then I stopped seeing her, so she either left or died.
I have mixed feelings about feeding wildlife.  Many people think it shouldn't be done.  I understand that.  Many people feed unhealthy food to animals.  As I just mentioned, I haven't done that (as an adult.  As a kid, different story.).  I've seen neighbors feeding white bread to birds and squirrels.  I wouldn't do that.  I wouldn't even buy white bread, cause I wouldn't eat it myself.  But even if you're feeding animals healthy, natural food, it can be a problem.  You could affect the natural order of things.  What if, by feeding wild animals, they procreated more, because food was so plentiful?  And then, what if I stopped giving them food, or gave them less?  Or what if I moved?  Then, perhaps, they would really miss the food that I had been supplying.  It could end up hurting them, which, of course, I don't want to do.
Regardless, I can't help participating in the Acorn Relocation Program.  I can't recall having seen any acorns in my apartment complex (That I didn't put there.).  Squirrels live here, though.  When I go for a walk, I'm on the lookout for acorns.  When I find some, I pick them up and put them into the plastic bag I brought with me.  Sometimes I gather quite a few of them.  Then, once I'm back home, I throw the acorns onto a patch of grass that is located in front of my windows. 
It doesn't take the squirrels long to find the acorns.  It's a lot of fun to watch them, and that's why I do it.  It brings some joy into my nearly joyless life.  The other day, after putting lots of acorns out for the squirrels, 3 of them were all over the treats.  They get so excited.  They grab an acorn, then dash off to bury it.  I read somewhere that, according to a study, squirrels are good at remembering where they have buried stuff.  I hope so.  The squirrels around here have buried a lot of acorns.      

Under Our Skin

I just saw a great documentary called Under Our Skin, which is about Lyme disease.  I watched some of the extra features, and the director mentioned that people have called the movie a real-life horror film, which is what I was thinking.  It is very scary.  Lyme disease is very easy to get.  All it takes is getting bit by an infected tick.   Once you have it, you're probably in for a nightmare.  When you have Lyme disease, your body is being attacked from the inside by an aggressive, and destructive, bacteria.  The pain can be horrible.  You might have seizures.  It can affect your nervous system.  You might not be able to function nearly as well as you used to.  It can take over your life for the worse.
There is no cure for Lyme disease, and there is a major controversy surrounding it.  A small group of doctors came out with a report on Lyme disease.  Many people disagree with the findings in the report.  The report said there is no such thing as chronic Lyme disease, which seems to be absolutely false.  It also said that Lyme disease shouldn't be treated long-term, which is another thing that many people disagree with.  It is alleged that about half of the doctors who contributed to the report had a conflict of interest, because they stood to benefit financially from the results.  This report is also an excuse for insurance companies to refuse to cover long-term Lyme disease treatment, which many say is absolutely necessary.  What's even worse is that doctors who treat Lyme disease effectively (They are really helping people.) are being prosecuted.  These doctors' licenses are being suspended, and an insurance company sued a doctor for $100,000,000.  So if a doctor really wants to help a Lyme disease victim, he or she risks losing their license and/or being ruined financially.  Once again, in America, money matters more than anything: animals, people, everything. 
I remember, when I was a kid, a tick was found on my leg.  It had embedded itself into my flesh.  I cried as my stepfather used a knife to cut the tick out of my skin.
Another thing that pissed me off was this particular woman featured in the movie.  She had Lyme disease, but that didn't stop her from procreating.  She said that she had 4 or 5 miscarriages; at least one of them was confirmed to have died from Lyme disease!  I believe the baby was 18 months old when he or she died.  Eighteen months of pain!  This stupid, cruel, selfish bitch should be prosecuted for the murder of multiple children!  Even though she killed all those babies by passing her Lyme disease on to them, that didn't stop her from having another kid: unbelievably cruel!  It was so sad and infuriating to see her playing with her little boy, because she mentioned that he tested positive for Lyme disease!  She said that he's fine, and she hopes he'll continue to be.  What a piece of shit!  This is all part of why I've railed against biological parents so much.  I'm gonna consciously pass this horrible disease on to my little boy, and HOPE he'll be okay!  Fuck you!  Her fucking uterus should be removed.  She's a kid killer!          

Kill Me, Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want you to kill me, mom!  I, of course, don't mean you personally.  You can't do anything right!  You can't even screw in a lightbulb without quitting and asking someone else to do it!  Pathetic!  Maybe that's all part of the reason why I'm a fucking mess that's praying for death!  I want you to find whatever doctor replaced Dr. Kevorkian, and get him or her to do it!  I already tried to hang myself, and I failed!  I'm worried that if I jump, I'll survive!  And then I'd really be fucked (with every bone in my body broken)!  No, I want to die, peacefully and painlessly, in my sleep.  You brought me into this world to suffer, and now I want you to take me out of it!  I'm sure I've had enough!  Do it!       

Cruel Joke

What a cruel joke life is with all the pain, fatigue, asshole neighbors, shitting, ass wiping, pissing, and shitty, boring, soul-destroying jobs.  It's not even 9:00 am yet, and I've already shit (and wiped excessively thanks to OCD) twice.  My ass felt "less than fresh," so I wiped it again.  Indeed, it was confirmed that the last dump required 2 (update: now 3) separate wiping sessions.  And there will be more.  I'm sure there will be more shit (Update: I've shit 3 times now, with probably still more to come.  When will I learn that eating less leads to less poop?), and more wiping, today.  Of course there will be more piss.  And I have to work today, which will destroy my soul, already severely damaged, some more.

Chickens

This is how chickens should be treated.

Think of how small and vulnerable chickens are.  They don't have a chance against humans.  What people do to them is absolutely horrible.  I've mentioned before how I'm always being offended by people's callus attitude toward many animals: especially "food" animals.  I was watching a TV show, when a couple of characters started talking about chicken.  One of them called chicken the "queen of meats," and the other laughed.  This was obviously supposed to be funny.  I didn't even smile.  I was offended.  When I think of chickens, I think of animals who need to be liberated incredibly badly; I don't think of them as meat.  To make a joke about chickens being nothing more than meat is disgusting.  To laugh at their suffering is unbelievably shitty. 
That was yesterday.  Today, I stopped watching a movie, because a scene began in which a guy chased a terrified chicken around, as other people helped contain the chicken to a certain area.  Again, I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be funny.  Once again, I didn't think it was remotely funny; I was offended.  Seeing a chicken who is running scared, trying to get away from people, is just a sad reminder of the way things are.  People terrorize chickens, on a massive scale, everyday.
It's so sad that chickens, and those who want to liberate them, face such an uphill battle.        

A Day in the Park

I was feeling like crap this morning.  Maybe I shouldn't have eaten that expired margarine the night before.  But once I drove to a park and started walking, I began to feel better. 
I saw some deer.  They were staring at me.  I stopped and stared at them.  They weren't far away from me.  I smiled, waved, and talked to them.  I told them they were beautiful, and they are. 
I saw a guy and two happy dogs approaching me.  The dogs started to make their way to me, and the guy assured me that they were friendly.  I petted the first one to reach me as the other one ran toward me.  He was quite enthusiastic, and he jumped on me and slobbered on me, which was okay.  The guy yelled at him to leave me alone.
A little later, I could hear a dog approaching me from behind as I was walking.  Then I heard the guy yell, "Bucky!  Leave him alone!  He doesn't want you slobbering on him!"
None of this would have happened if I hadn't gone outside.

Shut the Fuck Up!!!!!!

I'm so sick and tired of having to deal with the popularity of American football!  I don't give a fuck about it at all!  Oh, you're so offended that players aren't standing for the national anthem, but you're apparently fine with extreme animal cruelty, because you support it regularly by buying meat, you fucking hypocrite!  You care more about a flag, a fucking piece of cloth, than flesh and blood animals: your fellow earthlings!
I have to hear people, at work, talking endlessly about football.  It's a good thing the players have a week off between games, cause it gives these morons plenty of time to talk about football!  I've walked by groups of coworkers, where one of them is pontificating so solemnly about football, and the rest of them are listening with apparently the utmost respect.  What a fucking joke!  How about talking about something more meaningful: like fucking anything!  Here's a thought.  How about discussing what cruel, selfish shits you are to support animal cruelty by buying meat?  Rather talk about football?  Then shove a football up your ass!  Just think of all the new insights you'll glean about the game with a football up your ass!  That'll put it in perspective quite well ("Footballs are bigger than I thought!").  If you really knew as much about football as you think you do, then you wouldn't be working here; you'd be making a living by betting on it! 
Wow.  A quarterback handed the ball off to a running back, and he was tackled after gaining a few yards.  How many times has that happened?  Millions?  Billions?  It is boring, and it happens all the time in football games!  Wow.  The quarterback threw the ball out of bounds.  Again, it happens all the time, and it is boring.  The only people who should care about football are those who are profiting from it: players, coaches, commentators, etc.  As for the rest of you (who care about football), get a fucking life!           

You Got What You Deserved (Smartphone Edition)

You're walking while your face is firmly in your smartphone.  You're not watching where you're going.  Apparently, it's the rest of the world's responsibility to get out of your way.  You step into the street.  A truck squashes your body as though it was a bug.  You got what you deserved.
You're walking on a sidewalk, and your face is in your smartphone.  You don't realize that you're walking straight toward a particularly violent ex-con, who's having a difficult time acclimating to his new-found freedom and longs for the simplicity of prison life.  Since he doesn't mind being incarcerated again, he punches your face viciously just before you were going to bump into him, which is only the beginning of the brutal beating you will suffer at his hands.  You got what you deserved. 
You're surfing the web while you're driving on a highway.  You get into a nasty accident, which is 100% your fault.  The other driver in the accident is severely injured, so he sues your ass.  Your injuries are worse than his, though, and you will never walk again.  You got what you deserved. 

Dog's Worst Friend

As I mentioned yesterday, decisions, decisions.  There are so many to make.  Do I work on my next book, that probably no one will be interested in, or do I type out another one of these?  This one I feel is somewhat important, which is why I'm currently ignoring the book.  Writing, for me, is a way to reinforce a thought.  I've got a thought, or something to do, that I want to remember.  Just writing it down is a way to help remember it, even if I don't read it again.  I want to remind myself of something in particular. 
The title here is, of course, a flip on "man's best friend," which is what dogs are, and that's correct.  I love dogs.  They are fantastic.  I believe I mentioned that dogs are allowed to be in the store where I work, and that is, by far, the best thing about my job.  It is my goal to pet a dog every workday.  I recently petted 5 dogs in 1 day.  I think that was a personal record. 
I attached Michael Vick's photo to this, because he is infamous for being involved with dog fighting, which is an obvious example of dog cruelty.  By the way, he's an example of how "important" pro football is.  His crimes didn't stop him from playing again.  What other crimes haven't prevented players from playing pro football?  Assault (against men and women) and rape.  All animal cruelty is heinous and wrong, but when it is directed at pet animals, there is an additional problem.  Pet animals (dogs, cats, etc.) have learned to trust humans.  I've seen medieval paintings that depicted humans with dogs.  So these animals have had a relationship with people for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.  That's quite a long time to establish trust.  So the dog or cat trusts people, lets his or her defenses down with someone, and the person abuses that trust by maliciously harming the animal: horribly heinous.   
Humans are cruel to dogs in all sorts of ways.  They starve them.  They chain them to a small spot that they never get to leave.  They leave them outside in the cold.  They breed dogs.  No one should be bringing dogs, or cats, into the world.  There are tons of unwanted dogs and cats languishing in shelters.  Breeders betray these animals by bringing more dogs and cats into a world where they are not wanted.  The breeders ensure that shelter animals will have a harder time finding homes.  Puppies are cute, but I usually feel a tinge of sadness when I see one, because someone brought that puppy into a world that is already populated with many unwanted dogs.  Some people are only interested in puppies and not non-puppies.  These people are like biological parents: cruel and selfish. 
Unfortunately, I have witnessed dog cruelty in the store where I work.  Some people control the dogs that are with them extremely closely.  They are constantly watching, criticizing, and scolding them.  This is a form of cruelty.  I think it's possible these people have a fetish that has them needing to control living beings.  Perhaps they'd rather closely control people like that, but they can't find someone who'd submit to their control.  I've also seen people choking their dogs.  I saw a man walking a dog at my workplace, and he choke, choke, choked the dog repeatedly while walking him or her.  That's why I feel it's important for me to write this.  I wanted to say something to him, but I didn't.  I didn't want to get into trouble at work.  I let that dog down.  I'm hereby challenging myself to say something if I see something like that in the future.  I have confronted strangers while not at work, to protect animals, at least a few times.  I've told myself that I'm willing to get into fistfights over animal cruelty.  If that is what is required to protect an animal, then it is the right thing to do.  Fuck the law.  Laws were established to protect people: not animals.  There are a few laws that exist to protect pets, but not nearly enough.  "Food" animals, like pigs, cows, and chickens, have extremely little protection from laws, because many people have decided that their lives don't matter to them.  My life, certainly my job, is nothing compared to the massive issue of animal cruelty.  Animals can't call the police if they are the victims of cruelty.  They need people to help them. 
I hate animal abusers.  I only saw him do this one particular day, but I'll probably never forget it.  He was at the store where I work with a woman and a puppy.  The puppy was in a shopping cart.  He pulled the leash, which was attached to a collar around the puppy's neck, repeatedly.  Perhaps he enjoyed choking the puppy.  He has since returned to the store a number of times, but that's the only time I saw him bring the puppy.  The last time I saw him, he had a few kids with him: not surprising.  Animal cruelty, which includes purchasing meat, goes with biological parenthood (It's cruel to bring people into a fucked-up world.) like peanut butter and jelly.           

Too Much Information

from "Too Much Information" (The Police song)-
"Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
Overkill
Overview
Over my dead body
Over me
Over you
Over everybody"

They weren't just whistling Dixie.  That song was released in 1981; they were clearly ahead of their time with those lyrics.  Now, of course, we have the Internet, and this situation has gotten exponentially worse.  Want to know if you should take a certain pharmaceutical (for instance)?  Google it.  You could probably find over a million people that are in favor of it and over a million people who are against it. 
Once again, I'm condemning society.  There are so many, too many, things we have to do in this society: make resumes, apply for work, change jobs, fill out forms, do taxes, make decisions about healthcare, register your car, get it inspected, make decisions about repairs, make decisions about where to live, pay rent/mortgage, pay bills, etc.  This list could go on and on.  There are tons of things to do, remember, and worry/obsess about.  That's not a formula for happiness.  If we are not in the moment, if we are always thinking about what we need to do next, then we will have issues with being happy, content, and well.  Therefore, society gets in the way of happiness and wellness. 
I've seen several documentaries about prison life.  There are a lot of people who prefer living in prison to living outside of it, which speaks volumes about how shitty life in our "free" society is.  They've been there and gotten used to it.  There is no shortage of structure and order in prison.  There aren't many options or choices to make.  What they are going to do, and when they are going to do it, is mostly dictated to the inmates.  They get out, and they often are overwhelmed by all the choices, and decisions to make, that the "outside world" has to offer.  They prefer the simpler way of living.  They are probably onto something.  When it comes to life, simpler probably is better.    

Seeing Yourself

Do you ever see yourself?  I mean in a sort of literal sense.  For instance, you're lying on the couch, watching TV, and you step outside yourself a little bit.  You can see what you look like.  You imagine that you're someone else (or, somehow, still you), in the room, looking at you from approximately 8 feet away.  I think it can be a helpful exercise.  It can help you realize how you're wasting time and/or what you're doing that you don't really want to do (or spend less time doing).  I don't like to see myself lying on the futon, watching TV.  It's pathetic.  I'm doing nothing.  I'm inside (I've written, over and over again now, that it's better, more natural and therapeutic, to be outside, but, of course, most of us don't want to always be outside.) and I'm looking at a screen.  I know why I do it.  I like movies and TV shows, but only if they are genuinely worth watching (Many aren't.  I have a 30-minute rule.  I will watch a movie or a TV show [on DVD-I don't have cable] for 30 minutes, and, if it has failed to grab me by then, I will stop watching it and move on to the next one.  There are exceptions.  I recently gave Easy A less than 30 minutes before pulling the plug, because it was, in my opinion, made for people much younger than me.).  I also read, and I'd be better off doing that, but my current setup makes it less comfy to do that.  Although I probably could fix that just by moving a lamp.  There's also the issue of my asshole neighbors.  Their loud TV comes right through the wall we share.  If I'm reading, there's nothing to drown out the sound they make.  If I'm watching TV, then that noise will battle the sound they're making.
Another place I hate to "see myself" is at work.  I hate what I do: what I am 40 hours a week.  It's depressing to stand outside myself and see me doing what I do to pay the bills.  I don't even like to watch other people doing what I do; it's an unpleasant reminder.  So you see how this can be a helpful thing to do.  It lets me know that I don't like my job (I can get another one.), and I don't like watching as much TV as I do (I can watch less and read more.).
I don't mind seeing myself sitting at my computer, probably because I'm usually doing something at least somewhat constructive.  The issue there is stamina.  I can only sit there for so long, before the pain becomes unbearable (I don't have a laptop; it's a desktop.), which is why I adjourn to my futon to watch TV.  I also don't mind seeing myself exercising.  Exercise is very important: for both physical and mental health.  I don't mind seeing myself outside at all: even if I'm just standing around and looking at some trees.  There's nothing wrong with that; it's natural.  It's soothing.  Time spent in nature is time well spent.