Bill Brenner

Racists AND Idiots

by Bill Brenner September 26, 2011 Political discourse

I’ve received some interesting feedback to Friday’s post about the gay soldier who was booed during the most recent Republican debate. Instead of repeating all the background, I refer you to the post “Gay Haters Or Just Idiots?” I suggested that there was more stupidity than racism going on, but I’m thinking these comments from a couple friends are painfully true as well: Mood music: Joe Yuska: “What made this so egregious was that after…  [Read More]

Beauty And Gratitude In Every Bad Thing

by Bill Brenner September 25, 2011 Adventures in writing

In the battle to manage OCD and all its byproducts, I’ve learned something that’s helped me a lot: To always see the blessings hidden within the bad stuff. Mood music: –When I lose people close to me because of death or resentment, I try to remember the good stuff we got to share and how lucky I was to have known those who eventually left me. –When I feel my addictions starting to creep up…  [Read More]

Why Is This Blog So Dark?

by Bill Brenner September 24, 2011 Addiction

People occasionally ask me why this blog covers so much dark ground. Let’s see if I can explain: My life has been much like any typical run. We all go through our sad and tragic episodes, with a lot of good times and beautiful experiences mixed in. There are happy moments and terrible moments. Some get swallowed up by the darkness and descend into a life of crime, addiction and death. Others find a way…  [Read More]

Be Yourself, And Let The Chips Fall Wherever

by Bill Brenner September 23, 2011 Addiction

If someone doesn’t like you, too bad for them. Mood music: From the good folks at “Choose Happiness” — something to keep in mind when people get all snotty and hypocritical about who you are and what you do:

Gay Haters Or Just Idiots?

by Bill Brenner September 23, 2011 Political discourse

A lot of people are furious over a bit from the last Republican presidential debate, in which an openly gay soldier was booed for asking if the candidates would, if elected, reverse the progress made on gays in the military. Some people around the Internet have called the booing of a gay man “indefensible,” “disgusting” and “evil.” There’s also a lot of anti-Texas commentary making the rounds, and a lot of comments about Republicans being…  [Read More]

I’m A Facebook Hypocrite

by Bill Brenner September 23, 2011 Communication Skills

I’ve gotten some static lately over what I post and how often I post it. Much of the feedback is fair and I’m working on it, but I can’t help feeling like there’s a little hypocrisy going on. Many of us have the same problem: We want to say what we want at will, but don’t want anyone else to do the same. I can be a hypocrite with the best of ’em, so I…  [Read More]

One Slip Of The Tongue Can Ruin Your Whole Day

by Bill Brenner September 22, 2011 Communication Skills

I long ago lost count of how many times I’ve gotten in trouble for letting bad words spill from my mouth in a split second of carelessness. I’m from Revere. It happens. When you run off at the mouth, people can be quick to judge you and label you for life. But those who judge forget how easily verbal gaffes happen. I saw a video clip on Youtube yesterday that reminded me of this. It’s…  [Read More]

Call It An Allergy And Walk Away

by Bill Brenner September 22, 2011 Addiction

If someone offers me a drink and I tell them I’m sober, they accept it and that’s that. If I’m offered food that doesn’t fit my recovery program for compulsive binge eating, I can’t say it that way without getting odd stares. This is something all compulsive binge eaters deal with in society — a big, ugly lack of understanding that destructive addictive behavior takes on many forms, and that food can be as destructive…  [Read More]

Paranoia Was My Destroyer

by Bill Brenner September 21, 2011 Addiction

There’s a particularly insidious side of my OCD that I have to fight hard to contain, because it’s the thing most likely to destroy me. This is a story about paranoia. Mood music: Let’s start with a definition from Wikipedia: Paranoia is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself. Anxiety and fear once played a major…  [Read More]

A Zombie’s 10-Step Guide To Productivity And Effectiveness When Traveling

by Bill Brenner September 20, 2011 For travelers

It happens whenever I go on business trips: I stay up far later than I normally would (it was past midnight before I crashed last night) but I’m still back on my feet by 5 a.m. Fortunately, I’ve developed a system for getting through the morning. Step 1: Take the weak-ass hotel coffee that room service just delivered and mix in a packet of Starbucks Via. The resulting concoction will get you half way to…  [Read More]

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