Day: October 25, 2018

Twin Brothers

Fandango3 Comments

47F8E577-D33D-4FA0-80A0-444DBB30446BMike and Mark were identical twins. From their carrot-colored hair to their large, light brown eyes, it was close to impossible to tell one from the other. But even though they looked alike, their personalities couldn’t have been more opposite.

While Mike was a studious, shy, and retiring type, his twin brother, Mark, was a wild and crazy guy who would not hesitate to grab a close friend and engage in some zany escapade that inevitably got him into trouble.

Another big difference between the twins was their taste in movies. Mike was into lightweight comedies and drama, while Mark preferred gory sci-fi and horror movies. As it was getting close to Halloween, Mark dared Mike to join him at a Halloween horror marathon at the local movie house.

It took some convincing, but Mike reluctantly agreed. Little did either of them know what they were getting themselves into.

*****

Okay, folks. This is where I ran out of steam. So I’m going to tear a page out of Teresa’s (The Haunted Wordsmith) book and toss this over to her to finish the story.

Written for these one-word prompts: Daily Addictions (identical), Scotts Daily Prompt (carrot), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (opposite), Ragtag Daily Prompt (friend), Word of the Day Challenge (escapade), and Hour Daily Word Prompt (gory).

Tale Weaver — Genius or Idiot?

Fandango18 Comments

B6D26D41-911E-4D97-A338-FA419FF4705AThis week the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Tale Weaver prompt asks us to “consider the notion of what constitutes a genius and how different are they from a person who might be considered an idiot.”

What immediately came to mind to me was how Donald Trump calls himself a “stable genius” when, in fact, he is neither stable nor a genius. What he actually is is a delusional, unhinged idiot.

So in Donald Trump’s case, what are sometimes thought to be polar opposites — genius and idiot — are both rolled up into one man.

Wait! I take that back. There’s no genius involved. Trump is a combination of con man and idiot.

Need I say more?

I’m a Believer

Fandango30 Comments

If you’re reading this because you think this post is about the 1967 song “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees, it’s not. Not even close.

022D0AC0-1820-43FC-91E9-2EF94E30FEDAWhat this post is about is that I was talking to a friend of mine this past weekend. He’s a fairly religious person and he knows that I’m an atheist. He told me that he didn’t understand how anyone could be a “non-believer.” Apparently he believes, like many people, that being an atheist means that you’re a “non-believer.”

Do you tend to call those who don’t believe in God “non-believers”? Well, if you do, your definition of “believer” is way too narrow. You’re thinking that the word “believer” applies only to a belief system, a religious belief system. A belief in a supreme being, a greater intelligence, a supernatural deity. And for most Americans, that means believing in God, Yahweh, Allah, or whatever you call your deity.

As an atheist, I believe that God does not exist. I believe that Christians, Jews, and Muslims made up God in the same way that Greeks and Romans, for example, made up Zeus and Jupiter and all the other gods they believed in.

But just because I don’t believe that God exists doesn’t make me a non-believer. Because that would imply that I don’t believe in anything. I believe in a lot of things.

I believe that we didn’t exist before we were born and that we will cease to exist in any form after we die.

I believe that our universe is almost 14 billion years old and that the planet we live on is 4.5 billion years old. I believe in evolution. And I believe that we are working pretty damn hard to destroy our planet’s ability to sustain human life.

I believe in a woman’s rights to choose. I believe in free speech, in freedom of (or from) religion, in equal rights for gays, and in gun control. I also believe in the separation of church and state.

But wait, there’s more that I believe. I believe that humans are fallible and that we all make mistakes. Some more than others. I believe that most people are good, decent, and moral, regardless of their religious beliefs — or lack thereof. And I believe in my country. Just not in “God and country.”

Yeah, I know. You’re thinking that these beliefs make me a liberal, which is the next worst label a person can have after atheist, right?

You’re also thinking that these are not beliefs. These are philosophies. These are ideologies. And you’re thinking that I’m expressing political opinions, not, you know, beliefs.

Sorry, I don’t believe that. Yes, these are philosophical beliefs. They are ideological and even political beliefs. But they are, nevertheless, beliefs. Other than from a very narrow religious perspective, just because I don’t believe in God, doesn’t make me a non-believer. I have a whole host of beliefs. Because I am a human being and I am alive.

There is not one of us — unless you’re dead — who doesn’t believe in something.

And now, for those of you who took the time to read my 520-word post, here’s a reward for your effort.

FOWC with Fandango — Opponent

Fandango30 Comments

FOWCWelcome to October 25, 2018 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “opponent.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.