List of Previous Titles

Saturday, February 24, 2018

HASHTAG:YOUTOO




Consent: To be in full agreement.

Rape: Against his or her own free will.

Why has it taken so long for humanity to reach the place at which we now find ourselves? Perhaps as long as there have been people of power and wealth there has been people who have been taken advantage of.

 It seems to be a flaw in the personality of human beings to inflict ourselves upon others, whether in race, religion, politics or gender. Although present across all walks of life the most obvious industry has been the entertainment professions because there has been so much to gain. So, you want to be an actress, come and sit with me on The Casting Couch and let us discuss it.

 Finally, Rose McGowan, an aspiring actress with enough Chutzpah has said to her tormentor, No! Basta Ya! Enough already! I’m sick and tired of this treatment and I’m not going to take it anymore.

 And now we are at a place where everything has to change, is changing and will change.

Rich, powerful and famous have only to simply be accused and no-one has yet even gone to court, but they have been absolutely destroyed in the court of public opinion!

What does this mean? I’m speaking to all men everywhere:

It means that it is not alright to demean women in the street or anywhere as a joke. It never was.

 The word No deliberately has two letters and one syllable, so what’s not to understand?

 Women, If you mean maybe that’s what you have to say.  If you say no, we cannot and will not read your minds.

Men, when we hear the word no we must stop what we are doing and step back. Even a prostitute has the right to say No! Stop!

 It's all about respect for the other person's dignity.

I respect your mother as you respect my mother.
I respect your sister as you respect my sister.
I respect your daughter as you respect my daughter.

"Until we are all free we are none of us free!" Quotation by Emma Lazarus.

Copyright (c) 2018
Eugene Carmichael


Saturday, February 17, 2018

Natural Justice





Life in the jungles of Africa is hard. It is a constant struggle for man and beast to find food and drink every day, and things like comfort and dignity are luxuries. Man considers he is at the top of the food chain therefore animals are there for the purposes of serving him.

Animals are hunted and slaughtered for their skins and their meat; such has been the tradition since the coming of First Man. The first instinct of mankind is to obtain protein from animals, and so it has been that the majority of humankind exists from the sacrifice of the animals.

Where the biggest problem arises, other than for vegetarians, is that poachers have no respect for animals that do not serve them for food. They will stalk elephants and other prey to take such things as tusks and horns which he sells for a fortune to him, but to us is a mere pittance. Of course it’s easy for us to condemn him as we have jobs and careers and pensions, but he has only hunger.

In the process lives are lost by the Park Rangers whose job it is to protect the livestock, but the poacher comes armed and very dangerous and will kill any human he finds in his way to win the prize that will feed his family and perhaps give them some little comfort. The poacher is Public Enemy Number One in those societies so it is no surprise that they get no sympathy when things go wrong for them.

A recent headline tells the story of at least one poacher who met his match in a pride of hungry lions. They dished out revenge for all that he had done to harm animals, and for the sins of his compatriots. They killed him and sat down to dinner. All that was left of him was his head. They left that because it was even too disgusting for them.

Every now and again in the wilds of Africa Natural Justice is done, perhaps more so than we imagine.

Call it the Circle of Karma, for what goes around, comes around.

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael


Saturday, February 10, 2018

Jealousy




Jealousy is a perfectly normal emotion. We have something that is ours we guard it and we are jealous if we see someone else who is envious. It turns us into a protective force as if we were a bear with young cubs that it feels it has to protect.

That’s when an otherwise tranquil person or animal becomes a major threat. When we are young and insecure our first girlfriend is the worst because we are so proud and happy that she finds us to be attractive enough to have chosen us. If another man looks at her in that way we want to tear his head off.

It’s only as we grow and become more secure and confident within ourselves that we learn that yes, other men will naturally be attracted to our lady for the same reasons we are. Most guys will see that you and she are an item and they will respect that. There are others who will challenge you to be able to hold onto her and they will flirt.

After you have seen her put them in their place with a good telling off that left them thoroughly embarrassed you learn to relax. You grow out of your concerns and jealousy moves to the back of the bus. When you are in your active jealous stage you are a real pain in the ass to your significant other and to everybody around you.

There is a young woman living in my village who is in her prime. Everything about her is perfection. She is amazingly beautiful; she carries herself with pride and grace, she is friendly and warm with a kind word for everyone. She must be the most desired woman for miles and miles around. Most men wouldn’t know what to do with her, and because she gives the impression she is unattainable most guys don’t even try.

At least one guy did try and much to his surprise she invited him in and now they are the most talked about item in town. He is Mr. Luck Pot!

He is not handling his good fortune well at all. In fact he has turned into a first class ass. He is smothering the girl, insisting on being with her everywhere she goes and even hanging out at her job, watching her every move.

Before he came into the picture she was the most popular girl in the community. Everyone had a word with her; we were all her friends. Now all the guys stay well away from her for fear of stirring up trouble. To make matters worse he is a big burly guy and looks as though he wouldn’t think twice about ripping my head off and sticking it down my neck. He is absolutely dangerous.

Obviously he is bad news for her but how does she get out from under this crazy man? This is not going to end well at all. What a crying shame.

Stay tuned!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

Saturday, February 3, 2018

The Importance of Communication





The dictionary description of communication is: “The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing or using some other medium.”

How deceptively simple that sounds when put into practise. In terms of the importance of communication skills I rate it second only to that collective group of elements that give all creatures life.

Had all people been created speaking one language and sharing the same culture life would be so much simpler. However that would have been a life without challenge so we have been given the task of succeeding at whatever we choose to do in spite of our differences.

Even among people of the same language and culture the skill of communicating effectively and efficiently seems among the missing gifts of life. We must learn the skills and develop them and keep them alive.

Communication problems start in the home, first between brothers. These are people of the same blood and gender who have the best chances of understanding each other, as does their sisters. Yet they are constantly fighting each other over misunderstandings. What chance have their mother and father, a man and a woman who as we know come from different worlds,

So far we haven’t even left the four walls of the home and already the war is raging. It only intensifies when politics and religion are introduced. Then when we introduce someone from outside the home, such as an intimate friend of the boy or girl we really begin to stir things up.

Thus far the home serves as a microcosm of society in general except that it hasn’t introduced into the mix the foreign tongue and culture unless that came in with the lovers of the children.

For adults and children we try to make ourselves understood.  What do we need? How should we ask for it so that you completely understand? Sometimes I actually know what I mean, but how are you supposed to understand me if I am not even clear to myself?

The plot thickens very fast when we try communication across languages and cultures. However, communication can also be tremendously funny when we want to be.

Here are some famous examples:

“Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.” Anonymous

“I find I scream the same way whether I`m about to be devoured by a Great White, or a piece of seaweed touches my foot.” – Kevin James

“Throwing acid is wrong, in some people’s eyes.”- Jimmy Carr

“If at first you don’t succeed read the manual.” Montgomery’s Law

“The first draft of anything is shit-“Ernst Hemingway

And finally this real gem from George Carlin:

“Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?”

Ah yes, communications. Ain’t it grand?



Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael