November 14, 2016

Choose your lines in the sand

This is an open letter to everyone in America, but especially to anyone who thinks a Trump administration might not be as bad as it seems. So, mostly straight white guys, and a few straight white women. https://twitter.com/KameronHurley/status/796814584623624192 If there is one ray of hope in Trump’s election, it’s that he’s untrustworthy. He’s the type of man who would say anything to “win,” and now that he’s won, there’s no guarantee he’ll follow through on his heinous promises. He’s already...

November 13, 2016

Never again

A lot has been regretful about the last week, since the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. (Ugh, even typing that tastes foul.) Most of it hasn’t been within my circle of control, and I did what I could—I cast my vote, I encouraged others to do the same, and with those (precious few) I met who were undecided, I had the necessary discussion. I did not stand idly by while this travesty occurred. But I’m not without personal regrets. I could have done...

October 27, 2016

Vote like a minority

It’s election season in the USA, so let’s talk about that. Not the candidates, but my philosophy of voting. (Though I’m not going to talk about the candidates, it’s probably easy to figure out who I’m voting for from my twitter feed. If authors expressing political opinions annoys you—though it shouldn’t—I suggest you avoid that. If not, have fun.) First and foremost: vote. No no no—I don’t care if your vote “won’t matter.” I don’t care if it’s “logical” to say that your one...

October 24, 2016

A billboard in congress

I spend a lot of time listening to podcasts, and the Tim Ferriss Show is one of my favorites. Tim interviews high-performing individuals, and he often asks his guests a few reoccurring questions. Here’s one: “If you could have a billboard anywhere in the world, where would you put it and what would it say?” I’ve wondered what I would say, to this and many other questions. It probably depends on what I’m thinking about at the time. If it’s art and writing, my answer would...

October 16, 2016

Moody blogger

I’ve been thinking about my ViVid Strike intro at RandomC. In the comments, I received some criticism that struck a chord with me. Several people wondered whether I was cynical for not being taken in by the main orphans’ struggles. From where I stand, that’s absurd. In the context of my life, I’m the least cynical version of Stephen W. Gee that’s existed since I was a child. Teenage Stephen was a cynical bastard. College Stephen was only a little better. Early professional Stephen was...

October 3, 2016

Understanding catcalling via beer

Gentlemen, if you want to understand why women hate catcalling, or think you understand it but want to experience it yourself, I have a suggestion: take a job delivering beer. There’s something about wheeling a full keg of beer into a restaurant that makes people feel like they just have to comment. “You can put that in the car over there!” “Wheel that down a couple blocks, to the house on the right!” “You can leave that here with me!” It’s...

September 26, 2016

What happens when you work 80+ hrs a week

If you want to understand why it’s so hard to rise out of poverty, work 80+ hrs/wk for not a lot of pay. Even if you’re (mostly) doing work you enjoy, as I am now, it’s illuminating. What I’m being brutally reminded of is that it takes time and effort to save money. That seems obvious, and the typical rejoinder is “If it’s important, you’ll make the time!” But what if there isn’t a lot of time to make? I can manage all...

September 19, 2016

Re Zero: The hero who strives

There’s a reason most people prefer Asuka rather than Shinji in Neon Genesis Evangelion*, even though they’re both about as functional as human beings (i.e. not very). Asuka isn’t even as effective at her job as Shinji is, much to her intense frustration. Yet it’s Shinji that’s universally reviled, whereas she’s just reviled in certain circles. (No one comes out of that series looking good.) Why? Because she strives. Ineffectively and often recklessly, but at least she tries. Asuka is a fighter, the type who will...

September 11, 2016

I have four jobs right now

I’m an author. I’m a blogger at RandomC. I’m a night auditor at a hotel. I’m a salesman of craft beer. I have four jobs at the moment, and I’m working 60+—usually 80+—hours a week. This is what I was talking about when I said some cool things were going on in my life. Turns out cool can actually mean hectic. I’m dyin’ over here, y’all. “But wait!” you might be saying. “Two of those don’t really seem like jobs. You like to...