Wanted: More Babies In Game Of Thrones

There aren’t enough baby characters in Game Of Thrones! Peanut can hang with adults but every now and then she wants to chill with someone her own age.

Let’s admit there are plenty of characters that act like babies and haven’t died yet. But of course George R. R. Martin decides to keep the most prolific gut wrenchingly jerky characters alive.

Oh Georgey, what a fascinating writer you are. I don’t understand how people get all flustered about GoT killing off a character. ‘But I loved that character and there was so much character development for him to get where he finally is…’

Personally, I love it. You never quite know when who will turn against whom or someone has a change of heart (much like life).

Wah, wah. You people cry more than Peanut (which really isn’t that much so you cry more than whiney babies).

Speaking of whiney babies, what purpose does Craster’s last son (one of the only babies in GoT) have in the story? He certainly brings out the mother wolf in Gilly. But I absolutely believe that ‘ol Georgey Martin formulates the relationships of his characters first in some cases. Certain qualities draw characters together and if one doesn’t exist yet – the author needs to create one to keep the story going or at least be marginally interesting.

For example, Sam (introduced pretty early on during the first season) was rejected by his family, specifically his father and eventually stumbles upon one Craster’s wives.

These characteristic push and pulls is what the membership GoT world is all about.

Perhaps the introduction of a baby character or even pregnancy could imply other than just a new friend for Peanut. Yes it can bring out the parent in a character like Sam and Gilly. But perhaps it were to bring about an heir to a certain throne that’s made of giant swords and iron!

I haven’t even read the books so I’m just spit ballin’ here and going off of Peanut’s concerns for a new friend. Or maybe she’s still waiting for the dragons to cool stuff.

Either way, we’re both screaming like babies in anticipation for this new season coming up.

 

When Life Gives You Lemons, make…limoncello

Peanut here (I stole Dad’s laptop!!)

I have no idea what limoncello but Mama always laughs a little when she says this and then explains that when I am 21 I will understand. But for now, I will be drinking “lemonade.” For me, this saying simply means when life is being particularly hard on you just make the best of it.

It drives me bonkers when I hear people complaining about the little annoying things that happen over the course of their day. Ugh, all it does in February is snow.. 1month later… Ugh March is such a long and cold month; I can’t wait until April….1 month later…Ugh, all it does is rain in April; I can’t wait until the summer.

People love to complain, especially about the weather. Also, a lot of people like to complain in general about anything possible. It acts as their form of venting or distressing but in doing so I find it brings down the people around them. Complainers attract more complainers and nothing ends up getting done at the end of the day. Oh, and the stuff they were complaining about has since amplified in the mean time while they were complaining. It does nothing but hurt self-esteem, team collaboration, and efficiency.

Now I am going to stop complaining about people complaining about life because that’s rather hypocritical of me.

The other day I was upset about my teeth (which hurt a lot and I wake up in the middle of the night to let everyone know). And while I was upset, my mom first told me the classic saying about making this limoncello stuff.

So I’m like, “Hey, that sounds pretty yummy. Does it taste like milk?”

I thought about this saying for a while and realized that even though my teeth are painful I will be able to chew new food soon with my teeth, yum I can’t wait. So my solution to the problem was to realize everything is going to be okay (who woulda thunk it).

So, instead of complaining about my teeth, I will keep thinking about the good food that I can eat. It is this kind of thinking my mom says leads to happier days. And it is the happy days that lead to good things in the future.

I don’t just talk to talk. I make it count. So in the future, if you’re going to complain always have a solution to back it up. And remember Acta NonVerba (Actions Not Words).

No one enjoys sour lemons…make the good sweet stuff.

Picture Perfect

Easter was this past weekend. That means long meals with mostly unhealthy foods and posing for family pictures every ten minutes. After all the festivities died down, Peanut goes, “Dad why are so many pictures taken?”

So I go, “ because people want to remember special moments.”

Peanut fires back, “people must have really bad memory then. There are too many pictures. People should just fully experience the moment like me. That way they can remember it better.”

In a digital world where everyone fancies themselves a photographer, the Internet might burst at the seems with crappy photos. No literally, this article says the Internet is being affected by all the E-waste online and eventually hurts us as human beings.

Moral of the story is if the last four pictures on your Instagram account are selfies chances are no one likes you. Question your existence in knowing that you’re contributing to the fall of the Internet.

Okay, enough picking on the narcissistic readers out there.

You may say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but it’s hard to justify that statement when 400 of those words would be ‘like.’ And if anyone in the audience can write 1000 words describing a selfie of theirs, please send us a message. We are genuinely curious in reading your eloquent prose.

I don’t even think Shakespeare did that but hey, maybe we have a savant in the audience.

Instead of just bashing bad photographers, I’ll give you some advice.

Take a hike.

No seriously go for a hike or take a walk. And capture what you see through the lens. Photography should exude some resemblance of what your reality is and if that reality is duck faces at the bar try mixing it up a bit.

In a world crowded with selfie sticks and duck faces, I tip the hat to those who keep real photography alive. Simple, inspiring, emotional photography. If you don’t already follow these accounts you should probably get in here: Chris Burkard, Paul Nicklen, HUNY, and Theron Humphrey.

Ansel Adams limited himself to one picture a day during some of his most creative phases. Now I know I don’t have that diligence to just take one (it’s like eating cookies or chips). All I’m saying is make it special. Make the photos you take special and you will get more from them.

If those photog accounts above didn’t motivate you enough just google ‘urban photography’ and see what comes up. It’s funny how some of the best photographs occur in the oddest of places.

Have fun and don’t forget: Shoot Responsibly

Cheese Addiction, Binge Watching And Human Self-Sabotage

Peanut asked me the other day, who’s idea was it to eat cheese? And I was like, yo I have no idea quit playin’. Then she just looked at me with that ‘nah man I’m serious’ look. So naturally some research ensued.

Seriously think about it though. 2,000 something years ago some guy was probably super drunk, had the drunchies and said, ‘Ya know what screw it, Ima eat that. What’s the worst that could happen?’ And from one man’s impromptu drunk food adventure came today’s wine and cheese parties.

Dairy actually contains something called Casein and when digested, Casein fragments are converted into Casomorphins – which has effects similar to an opioid. Dairy cows have this inherent chemical breakdown in their milk to help baby calves eat more and grow bigger.

After thinking about it for a while, I realized drinking the milk of another animal is absolutely absurd. And to what extent that first guy needed to go to in order to chase down that poor cow.

Humanity will always find a way.

It doesn’t matter what the addiction is, humans find a way to over use everything – cheese, food, drugs, alcohol, video games or Netflix.

Netflix or more generally media addiction is really prevalent and is constantly down played in social settings.

“Have you seen the new season of that show?”

“Yeah, I’m totally addicted. I binge watched the whole thing.”

This conversation has become a reality in today’s world. People deflate the reality of wasting hours at a time as if it’s not a big deal. Ya’ll should be aspiring to more than that and you know it.

When that 30-second timer pops up saying the next episode is about run, stop the playback loop and do something else. You’ll thank Peanut and I later at some point, trust me.

In moderation addictive things are radical and can really be cool, but when abused they take over your life. Over consumption of dairy product rich in proteins or probiotics can cause stomach and heart problems. An awe-inspiring Netflix show can just blur into a giant blur of staring at a screen. Video games can increase reaction times and creativity, but when used too much it over stimulates the brain and users get less quality sleep.

Again, Peanut asked why do humans go out of their way to hurt themselves and ruin really cool things?

I wanted to just say, “Cuz they’re human, honey” but I know that would just be followed by a “but why?”

Simply put, people have a hard time saying NO. The more disturbing thing is when other people (like marketers) take advantage of this inherent disposition, but I digress.

So, how do we avoid addiction?

It takes saying NO to break the cycle. Then follow up that NO with some action. This reinforces new habits.

Find addictions or habits that are beneficial to your wellbeing. Instead of eating cheese and watching Netflix on the couch eat something that makes you feel good (You Are What You Eat) and go to the gym (Babies Workout Too).

 

 

Baby Time

“Honey, what time is it?”

“Hmm… It is 7:45 AM.”

“Gotta go, running late again.” And with a quick kiss on my forehead daddy disappears through the door.

Most mornings, while I sit awake on mommy’s lap I hear this quick exchange between my parents and then go back to playing my own version of paddy cake . What is this ‘time’ thing anyway and why does it take someone away from playing with me? Not cool. It’s as though ‘time’ controls people, yet I have never seen this ‘time’ —its as though an invisible hand is constantly turning peoples’ heads on a string and Father Time is the puppet master. All I know is that I’m not a fan of time.

 

Why time sucks

Have you ever ventured into a busy city? If so, you will know exactly what I am talking about when I say city folk are always in a rush. Even the cars and taxis whizz and weave through a sea of people trying to cross the street Now why is it that people plow through each other, bumping into everything in their path? As mentioned early, this thing called time commands it of them. The scepter of time mandates the mad dog rush.

Time constricts people, creating specific scheduled blocks for different things to be accomplished. Time tells people when it is appropriate to wake up, eat breakfast, shower, dress, go to work, drink coffee, go back to work, have that second or third cup of coffee, leave work, go home, have dinner, go to bed, and repeat and repeat and repeat. If there happens to be a fumble, like sleeping an extra five minutes in the morning, you are screwed.

People end up going about their day only thinking of all the stuff they need to accomplish within a certain block of time, and this takes away from any form of creative or provoking thought. Amongst a vast sea of quick paced zombies, there are a few bodies who do not let this time control them; often these people are criticized and thought of as irresponsible. But why?

Despite different states, countries, and even cultures living by different standards of time, it still seems to have the same effect on people? We feel confined by these invisible barriers set-up by time, and yet, there is no actually physical thing holding us within them.

 

‘Depends On The Meaning What Is Is’

What if you remove time? Will all of the accomplishments, meetings, money made and money spent be lost? Who (or what) are you left with? A liberated soul. You’ll find it easier to think for your self and feel the urge to do something outside of the box.

Adherence to time leads to mindlessness. Robots lack creative thought and creative thought is unique to a human existence. Humans should not be robots.

Since the social construct of time isn’t going anywhere, how do we deal with the smelly old elephant in the room? Live moment to moment. I honestly don’t know what is going to happen in the future, and because of my immature brain, I have no recollection of the past. All I care about is ‘what is.’

I eat when I am hungry and sleep when I am tired. When my basic needs are met I carry on the rest of my day pontificating and swinging my arms around (because that’s rad and I might be a boxer when I grow up). Interestingly enough, by concentrating just on the current moment, I am influencing my future.

 

I Dare You…

No, I double dog dare you to question your existence. (Ever been double dog dared by a 2-month old baby? Didn’t think so). The possibility of time stopping if you do not finish the objective at hand is slim to none, so focus on ‘what is’ and hey, that mad dog rush may just slow down into a nice stroll.

 

 

What’s Your Nickname?

Disclaimer: All of the nicknames used in this blog are real…

Nicknames are fun. They also have an amplified meaning, just as names do. daughters nickname is Peanut, hence the name of this blog. Who was James Bond without his esteemed (and nicknamed) secretary, Money Penny. Let’s just say he’d miss a lot of appointments and not be as smooth.

Peanut, for whom this blog is named after, is a little pistol of a girl who has enough attitude and glowing smiles to bring an auditorium full of drill sergeants to their knees. Peanut’s nickname just kind of happened, like any other great nickname.

To better remember people’s names, I add a description of something significant in my phone contacts. ‘Flimsy handshake’ or ‘talked about her Senior Thesis all night at the bar.’ While these aren’t quite nicknames, they cut to the chase and help to remember the essence of that person.

Sometimes there’s a story behind it but the best are really backed up by that gut feeling of “oh yeah, he does look like a ‘Claw’ because he holds his hand in that weird way or ‘Chainsaw’ because his jean shorts look like they went through a chainsaw”

Other times, the nicknames are SO much better than the original, so referring to them by their socially ordained name really makes all parties involved happy.

Tiger Woods’ first name is not Tiger (so disappointed at first, I know). When hearing that his first name was indeed, Eldrick, I wholeheartedly agreed with the well-advised substitution.

In many circles of friends, if you don’t have a nickname you’re not really close with the group. It’s a way of bonding and showing respect for one another that the nicknamed can joke and be joked about.

In my personal friend group, we all have nicknames. Mofo, Big Dog, The Bird, Nud, Cowboy, Scuba Steve, Doctor, Poth, Trugs, C-rad. All of them make absolute sense when you meet them. The name calling process allows creative juices to flow and everyone has a little fun.

Nicknames can be hilarious. So if your friend group doesn’t have any, you should probably address that dire situation ASAP.