The Word of 2023 is...
Lots of uncertainty and, as is typical, uncertain people tend to get anxious and pissy.
![I Believe... [Santa Heavy Lifting]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1703421756818-ZI1P20YW46MMTTSW1KHS/IMG_1879.JPG)
I Believe... [Santa Heavy Lifting]
...that, if Santa were actually real, he’d have a hard time wrapping both a Trump conviction and a Trump presidency for the population of the US. If he’s real, he might be able to pull it off, though.
![I Believe... [Yes or No Questions]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1702757565194-5U8LTW4IN36YBQKZIHJE/IMG_2022.JPG)
I Believe... [Yes or No Questions]
...that anytime anyone demands you answer a ‘yes or no’ question, it’s a trap.
Striking for Jobs That Will Soon No Longer Exist
Simply put, these unions are fighting a battle against two things: greed and technological advance. They may win (and have been) in the short term but it’s really just fighting a battle for jobs that will no longer exist in ten years.
![I Believe... [Musky Tantrum]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1702242181383-6BM0QCR3OE8A930OUG1J/IMG_2541.JPG)
I Believe... [Musky Tantrum]
...that Elon Musk decided to destroy the thing he was forced to buy.
Fighting Unwinnable Battles Will Exhaust What Good Can Be Done
No debates, no stalemates.
![I Believe... [Wear Out or Rust?]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1701632848973-J4U7JB59P56AW70CPM05/IMG_1272.JPG)
I Believe... [Wear Out or Rust?]
...that each of us will either wear out or rust from complacency and I’’m choosing to completely wear this body out like Charlie Parker minus the heroin.
New Generational Nicknames
They’re sort of like astrological signs, casting individuals into large groupings in some sort of mystical horseshit to explain why someone born in July is aggressive or someone born in February is elusive.
Performative Apathy | A Brief Guide to Navigating Meaningless Conversations
The key difference between apathy (the state of simply not giving a shit) and performative apathy (the appearance of not giving a shit to accomplish a swift exit from a circular and pointless argument with an outraged person seeking validation rather than communication) is big.
![I Believe... [In Corporal Punishment]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1701042359013-2GLNKXCKF116QGL2F5WA/IMG_2541.JPG)
I Believe... [In Corporal Punishment]
...that adults who truly believe that words are violence were never slapped in the mouth for talking back or walloped with a belt for bullying their sibling.
Dear John: A Customer of My Ex-wife Reviews the Book
When, this weekend, I was alerted to a new Goodreads review of the book, I opened up the website to discover a Five-Star review of the book from...
...one of her clients. When I say "client" I mean "john." By “john” I mean “paying customer.”
![I Believe... [A Five-Part Story]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1700334222476-1I1M8AKEDWM701ZB0SXW/IMG_2255.JPG)
I Believe... [A Five-Part Story]
A quick slice of life in 2023 America
The Expectation Trap
If you expect to fail, you will.
A Case for Commonality versus Group Identification
Our differences are minimal with two exceptions: economic class and political influence. Everything else boils down to cultural costumes and religious belief.
![I Believe... [Do Something, Already]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1699792815985-WTAAM1JATCZW9V552LUF/IMG_2236.JPG)
I Believe... [Do Something, Already]
...that the solution to most of our anxiety is to do something. Anything. Anxiety resides in the space of a fear of the unknown. Action solves that problem.
What's Wrong with Marvel?
The results are obvious. It’s a freaking mess.
![I Believe... [Pick Up Lines]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1699204153727-HTRJ2MCU4KBKFZDQMJ0P/IMG_1272.JPG)
I Believe... [Pick Up Lines]
...that among the worst or best pick up lines for a potential date is “Hey. What’s your favorite dinosaur?”
![I Believe... [365 Halloween]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/579fa3912994ca0eff850271/1698624230227-K75BE4YO8HS5QL6GCSUT/IMG_2569.PNG)
I Believe... [365 Halloween]
...that, with all the identities being claimed in our modern age, we’re just celebrating Halloween every day of the year!
No True Objectivity and Yet...
Moral relativism aside, Western society is engaging in an attempt to reframe reality in postmodernist terms.
On Believing What You Hear About the World
According to national surveys the current state of media is that it is overwhelmingly viewed as not to be trusted. Common sense observation indicates the same.
How do you want to be defined? By one action? By some opinion that could evolve? By a mistake, regrettable only with hindsight? Or by the sum of your parts? Okay, do that for other people. Start the trend.