June 2021

Hyphenated last names

Hyphenated last names became a thing when feminists determined they were going to remove themselves from the male-dominated last naming convention within marriages and maintain their last name equality by keeping both partner’s last names with a hyphen. But what happens when a feminist marries someone with the same last name? Do they just say it twice, like “Clayton-Clayton?” Or do they just leave it up to people’s imaginations to decide who won the battle? I wouldn’t think so, because most people, being oppressors themselves, would assume it was the male’s “Clayton.” Or, perhaps they would just call it…

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Selling transgender

Marketing isn’t just an advertisement telling you to buy this detergent. Marketing is culture. It’s the stories we hear and the stories we tell. It’s what people are talking about. It’s cultural influencers setting the tone and setting the narrative. If you think there’s no push to sell kids on being transgender, you’re thinking too literally. It’s far more subtle than that. Consider these two examples: It’s 20 years ago. There’s a teenager in the Midwest who doesn’t fit in. He gets picked on at school. He doesn’t have many, or any, friends. He doesn’t like or wear the…

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That dog has the most adorable bark

If you’re going to own a dog, especially in a suburban or urban setting where you live close to others, you have to train them not to bark. It’s simply selfish and thoughtless to think your neighbors aren’t going to notice or mind the constant barking coming from your house when you leave your dogs out. I’m most impressed with those who leave or put their dogs out to bark at 5:30 or 6am in the morning. The entire neighborhood can hear your dog barking, but somehow, you’d think the owner cannot hear what’s going on right outside their…

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Stop making it personal

On my short list of things I wish everyone would consider when they speak is this one: You don’t know what you think you know about anything, when it comes to what motivated another to do or say something. One of the greatest sources of division in our society stems from people thinking they know why another person said or did something. For example, in the world of politics, it is not at all uncommon for a Democrat to tell you that a Republican does this or that, “because they hate blacks/immigrants/gays/women/transgenders/children/etc.” It’s not enough to just say a…

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Knowing more vs knowing

In my charitable work, I spend a lot of time with young adults. One thing I do quite intentionally is challenge them. I challenge their thinking. I challenge what they think the know. I challenge what they’ve heard. I make them justify what they perceive and what they say. When you do this, either one of two good things can come from it: They either realize their perspective has some holes in it, and I give them something new to consider, or they make a good case for their perception, and they walk away with an affirmation that they…

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The luddite party

Obviously, our current two party system, and the two parties that occupy it, aren’t getting the job done. Neither can unify the country. In fact, neither is even fighting for this country. Republicans. Democrats. Either way, they’re in it for themselves, while the country burns. Both exist to enrich themselves at the expense of Middle Americans who make this country work. It’s time for a new party. The Luddite Party. In the last month, parts of America were halted by a simple cyber attack. Someone. Somewhere. Some underground tech professional. Perhaps just a kid who knows how to hack…

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10 masks and 3 vaccinations

Like many people, I’m not taking any chances during the COVID pandemic. When I heard some experts suggesting that two masks are better than one, I quickly took the logic out a bit further and decided I’m going to start wearing 10 masks at once to guarantee I’m virus-free. Similarly, I figured that since more masks are better, I decided to get all three of the vaccines available to the general public. It only required five shots, and I was only deathly ill after four of them, so it wasn’t that bad at all. People who are worried about…

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