Bloggerstock - Inspirational

I'm going to call this the Last Minute Bloggerstock.  Seems that I wasn't the only one who completely forgot and busted out a post this morning (we were supposed to submit on the 30th). I had a belly full of beer, sushi, and Korean BBQ last night so my only inspiration was laying on the couch like a bloated beached whale.   However I did manage to put something together after a cup of tea & irish cream at 8:30am which can be found over on Emily's blog at Phraseless . She's super sweet and puts up with Alberta winters as well so do check her out and give her a little HURRAH!

Today's bloggerstock post is brought to you by Michael from: Walk-On-Red.

(He refers to the Flying Spaghetti Monster so he's pretty bitchin' to me.)

Enjoy!

INFO & INTRODUCTIONS

Q:     So, what's this Bloggerstock nonsense all about anyway?

A:    Bloggerstock is a group of bloggers blogging on other bloggers' blogs with all the blog posts linked to one another creating a circle-jerk of bloggy proportions related to one topic.

December's Topic:

What (or who) inspires you to do whatever it is that you do?

So before we get too far, let me introduce myself; hey, I'm Michael, your guest blogger from Walk | On | Red. If you're looking for Kick Her Right In the Habit, you can find her guest blogging on Emily's Phraseless. Also visit Walk | On | Red and see what Kris from Because or Why Not has to say!

Alright! Now that we're all on the same page, let's get down to business...

---

INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE

Religion is not an area I'm very comfortable. Mostly because I don't agree with a lot of what religion entails or dictates, however, I'm a spiritual guy. Okay, not super spiritual like the viral sensation Double Rainbow guy that has an orgasm at the sight of a double rainbow, but spiritual enough to appreciate the beauty and wonder of double rainbows and viral videos alike.





As a spiritual person I recognize "God." Or "Higher Power," "Great Unknown," "Flying Spaghetti Monster," call it whatever you want, but it's that SOMETHING that inspires me.

Go outside and take a moment to look around. Really see what you're looking at. Need a better look? Get up close. Do you see the things that just are? Yeah, that's awesome and that translates to inspiring. Trees, shrubs, lakes, the stars, insects, humans, we're all the same: creations. Whether these creations are the work of a big bang or a magic man in the sky, they're awesome and that inspires me.

Really, inspiration is everywhere.

Watching people interact is priceless. As an actor, I need a catalog of different emotions and characters to pull from and there's no better way to fill that catalog than by just observing. From the kindness of strangers comes relief and gratitude. Or the same could be true when the asshole on the phone that just cut you off in traffic caused you to slam on your brakes, spill coffee on your khakis, and see nothing but blind rage! Suddenly you're filled with no greater desire than to create a scathing blog post about what a clusterfuck your day has been...

To me "art" is the creative expression of vulnerability. Watching a play, visiting the gallery, or listening to an album inspires me, if for no other reason, than the artist having the guts to proverbially "put it all out there."

What inspires YOU?

Michael

---

Michael Venske (Walk | On | Red) is a Minneapolis-based actor whose career highlights include hugging Grammy-award winner Chuck Mangione and being paid. Michael has been blogging on and off for nearly ten years. Read other subjective thoughts at Walk | On | Red or on his acting blog.

It's Bloggerstock! "What am I NOT Thankful For..."

Once again it is Bloggerstock time!  You know the blog-swap-ring type thing. 
Today's Post is brought to you by....
Riley Carson from http://wayfaring-stranger.com/
*Round of applause please*

She has a rather lovely blog with beautiful pictures so do stop by for a visit and enjoy! (It's all like...professional looking and stuff.  I hope she doesn't feel grungy from posting on this dive!)

Oh and please check out my post over on Ohemgille's blog .  It's a bit more serious than my usual and I spent more than 5 minutes on it.  I also was in the camp lounge chugging sipping on spiced rum and gingers.  Didn't even proofread (why start now?).

Enjoy:


The Native American’s found the Jamestown Settlers in such a wretched, starved state that they began to teach them how to farm, to fish and to survive in the nutrient dense forests of Virginia. The Settlers were so disgustingly bad that they had resorted to cannibalism, digging up graves and eating corpses, or lapping up the running blood from recent dead! One man allegedly killed, salted then ate his pregnant wife. Thank God for the Native Americans that helped the incompetent settlers.

Then a century later, the Native Americans were given small pox infested blankets, and taken away from their native lands into the deserts, the barrens and the horrible places in the middle of the country.

I bet they regret their little act of charity. I bet that’s something they’re not grateful for come November time during a celebration where Indians and settlers allegedly broke bread – ah, what a Myth .

It’s an interesting holiday for me, and the twist of traditions has an ironic flavor that tickles the cockles of my heart and sends a silly smile to my lips.

So when Bloggerstock made the theme “What are you not grateful for?” I jumped on the bandwagon. It was too good to pass up and, I think, is more in line with the history of the holiday than the tradition of going around the table for a feel-good ‘what are you thankful for this year?’I’m Riley Carson soldier, blogger, writer - and this year, I’m not grateful for propaganda.

I can’t flip a channel without seeing another enlisted soldier talking about how he’s from some farm in Bum-Fuck Nowhere, missing his wife, his mom, his kids and apple pie. Then there’s flag-waving, God Bless Americas and a short skit about how our boys overseas are still fighting the good fight.

Here’s the issue; not all soldiers came to the army by way of a turnip truck. Many soldiers aren’t boys, but men and women who don’t appreciate being infantilized. At it’s very core, we can even examine the part where “God” is always mentioned – we’re operating under the assumption that we all believe in the same God, or any God at all. There are plenty of atheists in foxholes, with Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and pagans. Let’s not forget the gay/bisexual soldiers that wouldn’t even be able to acknowledge who they miss while on Deployment. Heck, some people don't miss their spouse/significant other at all because Deployments are the best time of their life!

Soldiers are simply a microcosm of society; they’re as diverse, as intricate and as interesting as any other society. They’re not so two-dimensional that you can wrap stars and stripes around one and say that he can represent every one.

Propaganda is potent; One day, I’ll see an Asian female soldier (like me) that’s not on a computer while wearing an Air Force uniform, but not this year. The Media wants to show the sweet faced Caucasian boys and girls with a slight southern drawl, sometimes focusing on an African American, if the diversity bug bites them. They conform to a pretty little box, a wonderful little stereotype! That makes people wave flags and go “Support the Troops!” So when someone makes the broad brush statement of “Senator so-and-so doesn’t support the troops!” we can all be filled with hatred and make sure we defend our defenseless kids who are fighting over seas and don’t have the means to vote and defend themselves.

Soldiers are being used as tools in the political game. We’ll tug your silly little feel-good heart strings as you think of us and buy yourself a little $2.00 yellow ribbon which finances some sweatshop overseas. It’ll tug the Patriotic American heart-strings the way the myth of that first Thanksgiving in Jamestown does.

It’s cute. It’s sweet. I hate it.

It’s not the truth! The truth is so much more interesting! I'm the ungrateful Riley Carson from Wayfaring Stranger, have a day! 

Riley C.

Riley@wayfaring-stranger.com

Wayfaring Stranger an outsider's social critique

----

It's BloggerStock Spooky Time!

A Spooky All Hallows Eve to you crazy kids!  

My Halloween started off with a stumble and dry heaving.  Then I chugged some juice and there was no longer a dry to my heave.  Long story short, I'm a lil' green around the gills this morning. A couple of glasses of red wine, spiced rum and ginger, jager shots etc cuz I always drink responsibly like that.   

So it's BloggerStock time!

I'm supposed to give you a brief description of what it is.  Basically this crew of Bloggers got together and started Bloggerstock where you sign up, you're given a topic and the fellow blogger where your guest post will be.  A blogging ring basically.  I don't believe there is any laundering of posts mind you.


My post can be found at Icewolf's blog.  He hasn't posted it...actually I think I'm the only one up posting ..bunch of lazy bastards.  Mind you if I was actually home I would still be in bed and/or hopefully fornicating watching a movie. So what it comes down to is that I'm jealous so bite me.


So today's theme is Spooky and is brought to you by Seen-and-Said .
(I just realized she beat me to it!  There is someone else awake and functional! I don't feel so bad now)


Enjoy!

Ok..Halloween and Bloggerstock is Cumming!

Oh I so can't stand it when people mistakenly use the word, "Cumming," instead of "Coming."  

It's just so dramatic and dirty, which is so unlike me.  Erm right. 

So once again, like my Birthday we are here in NEVER-Never-want-to-be-here-land-except-making-more-money-than-home-LAND for Halloween. 
   No fun outfits, no parties, just work and the usual evening routines not including hookers/blow/blow-up dolls/whips/chains/all the things that excite me  you know, like eating and sleeping.

I effin' love Halloween so it kinda sucks.  You know what doesn't suck?  This Chickie who has way more followers than I do  and is way more talented with the um..paint....whatever thing programs than I am because I don't even know what the fucky they are called.  I do want one.  I told Manfriend so.  I also asked him if there was one that was retard friendly user friendly, seeing he's an IT guy he might know.  (OK by retard I mean slow...slow friendly as in me.  I'm slow. DON'T HATE)

But ANYWAYS I'm way too liquored to continue on.  I just wanted to say that I'm kinda blogger stoked for my first blockerstalk ...I mean BloggerStock post!

It was totes fun writing it.  It was actually Manfriend and My date night.  Yes, we spend a lot of time together but we don't always have quality time.  Our quality time is eating a simple microwave meal, both dressed in satin in some form (hey, before you get carried away with your sick dirtay imaginations...there are satin men pj bottoms) bloggging (that's me) and he playing whatever geeky PC game.  Well he's done that game and I'm just about done blogging.  You know what that means??  ADULT GAME TIME.

Nighty nite bloggers!