Wednesday Wandering through the Blogosphere

I’m Doug’s guest on waking ambrose today which for for some reason having to do with his url, I insisted on blogrolling as bitterbierce.

TB didn’t mean to rush the figures; it was, uh, sort of obvious that it would happen soon.

Ruined the one night I actually watch TV when the show is on. To hear James Spader talk about growing older and how women have it easier, because they don’t get fat–well he was talking to Candice Bergen. James Spader of Sex Lies and Videotape, White Palace, Secretary, talking about aging on Boston Legal

We all have issues about growing older; we all want to look as good as we did at 39. Read in People once that most people consider that their ideal age. I did for many reasons I won’t get into here. Yes I have advanced degrees and certificates in aging, why did I pick People ? Because the words in that article have stuck with me; because they interviewed celebrities we’ve all grown up with or have watched grow up; and they have more vested in their physical appearance.

Guess what? We go on with our lives anyway. To call people superficial because they have the nerve not to get with the program and age gracefully is shallow in itself. When you call me superficial for talking about the downsides of aging and how I can try to stave it off, how honest are you? I loved James Spader more than ever for talking about aging; I will always be a James Spader fan because he has always risked in his acting.

Taking risks is important, and keeps a person young. Not talking about climbing the highest mountain or walking over fire; I’m talking about a shy person standing up for a cause he believes in; I’m talking about beginning a blog and not hiding under a fake identity; I’m talking about losing shame over something a person should have never been ashamed of to begin.

I’m talking about women who have never had mammograms going for their first one because life is so much more precious then giving into fear. But I so understand giving into fear; I have had more than my shares of phobias. While I always knew that they were irrational; I felt so less than. Something else I knew to be irrational.

Taking little risks are much more important in the end than the big ones. The fear that keeps people from taking little risks is larger than the highest mountain.

Little risks entail other things than fear of course. It’s taking the road with all the curves in it on purpose in case you miss an adventure. It’s being true to your beliefs. It’s writing your truth in a public forum, and hoping that five people will understand, and that the inner voice from so long ago won’t come out to tell you to do things differently; to refuse to pander. Little risks entail always questioning and being always willing to learn.

Little risks involve knowing when to begin and when to end therapy. It’s remembering to take the damn medication that really does help focus you. My problems weren’t diagnosed until I was in my 30’s in the late 80’s. This doesn’t mean I didn’t have a wonderful charmed life before then, but almost everything entailed a little risk. Couldn’t spell so I developed a large vocabulary.

That was a good pay off but it wasn’t worth the suffering. The little risks shouldn’t have involved dry mouth but pure excitement. As I ran on adrenaline, and never slowed down, except to read, everything was exciting. In order to understand myself so that I could function properly, I had to read, observe and ask questions. So yes I am self absorbed in a sense; it saved me, and kept me in the larger world.

I have always been fascinated by the concept of risks, and how enough little risks can change a world, a system or a person. Every great artist bare non, have taken a series of little risks. I realized that I have no patience for Broadway because so few plays take risks. Even Off-Broadway feels banal. Some films take little risks, and they’re the ones that I can watch over and over again. A few TV shows continually take little risks, and they’re the ones I will watch “live,” or not DVR’d.

Little risks can be as simple as playing the role differently than most people would have. I have always loved James Spader for that and always will. I want to watch him age.

It’s James Spader, pointing out, to the two people who might have missed it, that he lost the big eyed little boy look he had in all films before Secretary where he was the sexiest man on earth. Can’t wait until A History of Violence comes out on DVD. Then I can have a Viggio Mortenson/James Spader DVD Vibrator Rating Duel Off.

Told a real life friend that if for nothing else I will go down in history as the inventor of the Vibrator Rating System for film and DVDs. Hey, he found it funny, and he’s my real life meter for wit; mature and not.

I was never a Molly Ringwald or Andrew McCarthy fan; it was always and will always be James Spader for me. In the next episode he will get into a big argument with his best friend, William Shatner’s character, Denny Crane. Why? I believe that he will defend a deserter from the Iraq war who had already served his National Guard time and more time. Denny is of course a rabid Republican who supports the war.

Even if you believe in this war, and I’m not debating that, why should people in the National Guard have to serve and serve and serve until they become one of the casualties TB talks about? This war is a monumental exercise in ego. No I’m not debating the war either. If you’re looking to get a rise out of people, go to Bring it on! Don’t mean it like that but, uh, Cranky’s always up for a good debate, and he will tear you down before you can get out your comment.

Or before you comment think about all the lies we have been fed. Read Moxie’s post on Bring it on! and at Moxiegrrl.

There’s also a great poem that was put on Bring it on! as a comment; it’s being turned into a post. Read it!

Indictments are about to be handed down; okay not today, but… Was reading The New York Times headline; “leak counsel…” knew that they were talking about leaks–duh–but in my head it should have been “lead counsel…” because “leak” seems so informal.

It’s blogging that has helped both the indictments being handed down, and the informality of speech. I consider newspaper writing becoming so informal that the meaning can be taken several ways as a big indicator of what’s wrong with society.

Words are how the majority of us express ourselves. Some new words are great; and should be used in the lexicon; other old words are being used cutely, or because they’re short and can fit in headlines or sound great. But if they’re not comprehensible what good are they? If they can be taken several ways why have them in a headline?

Why learn grammar and syntax if words are going to be misused because they’re the first words to come to mind? EB White should be rolling in his grave.

Comment trolls are an even bigger indicator. They don’t argue facts; they argue character. No, no, no. At Courting we’re proudly sinful. My values aren’t up for debate; values in general might be when I decide I want to argue them.

Though I do love blogging, I do. Blogging so that people want to read you even if you’re behind in comments, takes both a series of little risks and an ability to use words so they sing as you say something and not just take up virtual space.

Indictments better be handed down or I become all politics all the time because I have great faith in the people of this country and none in its leaders.

I neither debate nor argue politics here. They are my personal opinions; and not subject to debate in this space. Have I said that enough?

I will however talk about changes in speech patterns because of blogging and other reasons. Will always discuss James Spader and William Shatner.

Obviously back in full blogging mode. Tomorrow will have a quick Traffic/Blind Faith/Cream story that always makes me laugh.

To all you who troll through the blogosphere to look for liberal blogs to bash; don’t even think about it. You will be shocked by all the people who are tired of trolls.

Yes sometimes I edit a post during the day for clarity or because I have thought of an idea I want to add. It’s how I give into my lack of impulse control. Kind of kidding about that one. I’m impulsive about putting up posts, but never about the big things in life.