Up

... and forward.

Not a combination on a video game controller, necessarily. For that to be the case, one would have to follow up with fierce punch or A, B, X, Y, Y, A, B, A, A, back, back, fierce kick.

Up and forward simply (nothing can ever be truly "simple", can it?) refers to the only logical and effective directions in which one can and must head in their endeavors and pursuits.

Nothing ever good came from heading backwards or downwards, in a physical sense anyway.

In the more philosophical sense, regression makes little sense given that regression and devolution pisses all over progress and the great strides made forward.

Heading backwards only leads to miserable tears, a mutilation of the self and soul, and spitting in the face of the future which only comes back to hit one in the face with a far more painful sting of goodness knows what.

To avoid falling into a miserable trap of misery, melancholy, self-loathing, and all that stuff one is compelled to move up and forward.

Age

"Age is just a number, baby." Not really. Age has a varying degree of significance with people. Some look at age as an important factor in deciding all sorts of stuff. Others disregard it in favor of experience and knowledge. I probably fall in with the latter school of though. Beyond that, age is a number of different things.

It's another measurement of time and the slow crawl towards the inevitable. It is to be expected, however, "slow" becomes "Damn! Time just flew! What the hell!?" We have reminders of it but its becomes this sort of phantom that just lurks around. Or that weird friend that tends to sneak up behind you to try to scare you. Time is a ghost? Sort of.

And when the fear strikes correctly, you miss deadlines or appointments and all that.

But regarding age. It is some sort of painting on the wall that has weird eyes that follow you everywhere. It's there but nobody really notices it until someone else points it out:

"Wow! You really grew (insert noun/adjective/word here)!"
"How long has it been [since we last spent time]?"
"I haven't seen you in [time]!"

And similar questions irritate because they provide a lazy attempt at concern/attention or whatever you want to call it. Only if there is no follow-up. Other times, it's just insulting to hear what is tantamount to "You're old!" Ah the eternal specter (not to be confused with SPECTRE.) that haunts people (as specters are wont to do).

I don't really mind it anymore even if it's that time of year again.

Have a good one, reader(s?)

British Dinosaurs (not The Rolling Stones)

A history professor once pointed out that in order to have a successful revolution one needs violence. "You need violence" he said a few times. Though he's actually quite a jolly man and loves his job. Though he did swear although it was used to emphasize certain points, not just using fuck every other word.

I've often thought about those words and what he may have really meant by it. I doubt he meant to break someone's jaw and yell "No more government meddling!" while at it. Because the following week, you'd break another person's jaw and yell that the government should be doing more. At least, that's the logic I follow in these scenarios: everything has a consequence which comes in varying degrees and intensity.

Similar to that idea of time travel into the past: crushing an insect, even if accidentally, will cause the British to use dinosaurs to maintain their empire well into the 21st century. A rather adverse effect. Not because of the British maintaining their empire but because of the wanton devastation caused by the use of dinosaurs who should have been extinct ages ago (assuming this warped timeline is the status quo and not just the imagination of a slightly deranged and deluded blogger). In a way, I'm upset that history textbooks don't include the words "the British and their velociraptors". But ultimately, I'm thankful for it. Moreso because the amount of violence is decreased radically and thus creates a safer place- safer than having dinosaurs, adorned with the Union Jack, stomping the fuck out of George Washington. Excuse me while I shudder and get back on topic.

"You need violence in order to have a successful revolution" alone implies that one is already smart enough to know what they're getting into.

You can't be some sheep that hurls half a dozen molotov cocktails just because someone tells you to do so. It doesn't make you a revolutionary if you're fighting for the wrong cause- the wrong cause being one that you know absolutely nothing about. The wrong cause is the one you choose to fight for not because you genuinely believe in it but because you think you think [sic] you believe in it. This makes you a complete tool and a waste of space. Why think for yourself when someone else will do it for you? Why decide when it can be dictated?

On that note, violence serves as that plan B people tend to jump to rather than implement plan A, or see it all the way through.

I just think you need to be able to control your anger and release at the right time, in appropriate amounts. Or to be more precise: you need to know what the fuck you're doing. Be a full grown cobra, not a baby cobra.

I say that because violence is often misconstrued as acts of hatred and destruction. This becomes the case especially in situations in which one is susceptible to falling into a state of mob mentality. Unable to think for themselves. Someone slightly more conscious throws the first punch, and then there are 15 others who are imitating the impact of the first punch with varying implementations and varying degrees of success. In some cases, something as civil (albeit irritating- based on one's perspective) as a sit-in could do the trick.

When you've exhausted diplomacy, roll up your sleeves and give them what for.