Sidebar (everything else)

The book writing continueth and other news!

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Hi everyone! I thought I’d keep the site active and update folks on my writing and some other significant news.

First, writing has proven to be quite a challenge. I’ve never been the most disciplined writer, or most disciplined anything for that matter, so writing tends to come in fits and starts when I have time. Even when I do have time, I often find it interrupted by something, either a dog needing to go outside or my own brain working overtime on something else. But I have begun looking at publishing options, so we are at least reaching that stage. More to come, including maybe some sample chapters!

Second, I’ve been strongly reconsidering my membership in CPSP. As I’ve worked more and more in leadership positions, I’ve seen more and more dysfunction. Over the past year, things have really come to a head to the point where I don’t believe I can continue on in CPSP much longer unless things change drastically at the national level. Because of this, I’ve taken off a few articles that I had written about certification through CPSP, because I don’t think I can recommend it right now.

Finally, on a better note, I recently got back from a trip with my wife to Colorado. It was a wonderful time to reconnect and simply relax in nature. We’d never been there before and it was a great experience, although my wife would also add “terrifying” to that description. The term “road” in Colorado is applied very loosely.

Thank you everyone and I will try and keep things updated more often.

Colorado Springs from an abandoned railway. I wasn’t driving, which made my wife happy.

The Art of Ending Well: Grief, Grieving and Avengers: Endgame

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Turns out Tony is pretty good at dying (from Marvel’s 2016 series Civil War II)

Before I start, I don’t think I can get two sentences in to this subject without mentioning massive spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, so if you don’t want them read this after you’ve watched the film. I also assume you’ve seen Avengers: Infinity War, so you may as well watch that too. Heck just go watch all 22 movies. I’ll wait. Continue reading →

Sidebar: Katie Rottner Sings About “Broken Records”!

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One of my readers sent me an email regarding my last post on helplessness and hopelessness.  She had actually written a song very relevant to the discussion and shared it with me and I wanted to pass it along. She shared some of her valuable insights as well.

“I wrote it because my friend was struggling quite a bit in her grief, following the loss of her mother. She expressed to me that she didn’t want to sound like “a broken record,” by talking about her mom’s death so often. But she just couldn’t stop thinking about it. My reflection was that this language of “broken” language is problematic. What if there isn’t anything wrong with the record at all — what if it’s repeating itself because what it’s saying is important?

Perhaps, like you wrote in your post, a grieving person just needs a different listening ear after a while, to help them process it?”

You can listen to her perform the song here on Bandcamp.

Thanks Katie!

Sidebar: Everyday Evil and the Visions of 616 Hickory Branch Lane

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Virginia, The Vision #5

“…mental illness in general is the price we have to pay for being human…” Anton Boisen, Religion in Crisis and Custom

“Am I normal?” Vin, The Vision

I’m a comics guy, but not a huge comics guy.  When I first read that Marvel was creating a limited series focusing solely on one of their more B-list heroes, the android synthezoid Avenger known as the Vision, I was puzzled. When it was regarded as one of 2016’s best, I still didn’t pay it much attention. After finally reading it through, I can attest to how wrong I was. Continue reading →

Sidebar: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Titan (or, Infinity War and God the “Moral Monster”)

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Thanos and Gamora: original art by firasd/Reddit

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to surprise me. The fact that it has, for the past 10 years, created not just a series of blockbuster movies that are often fun and occasionally downright compelling is pretty darn impressive. The fact that these movies actually all join together in serial form culminating with Infinity War is even more impressive. The fact that Infinity War itself manages to tell a coherent story across multiple simultaneous arcs and over a dozen primary characters is amazing.

To me, the biggest surprise was Thanos.

Marvel has not always done well with its cinematic villains. The worst (Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2 for example) come off as fairly standard tropes. Their motivations are standard – power, glory, revenge, etcetera. Even the better villains such as Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron) I found somewhat disappointing, as came off to me as another take on the monster who destroys its creators as well as everything else.

Thanos, however was quite different. I’ll say why ahead, but if you haven’t watched the film yet what follows may spoil some of the film for you. I’m also going by memory (and Google), so bear with me if I make storyline errors. Continue reading →

Sidebar: The Power of Narrative Preaching (or, The Preacher as Dungeon Master)

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One of the side things I enjoy is playing fantasy roleplaying games with a group of friends online. Destroying giant bees ridden by bow-wielding goblins from the comfort of my office chair is always fun. However they can be very exciting not merely for the fun of fighting but the chance to create stories in imaginary worlds where choices are hard and have consequences. Continue reading →