Hop's Thoughts

I know. If this were a popular blog, it would be the nine-millionth piece written on this beaten to death topic. I don't have the readership of any major news source or even that of a subway car, but I write what I think about and for me, and for me, the very topic is pretty much why I started this. When I started this a few years ago, it was to be funny, relevant, to keep writing until the day I finally decide to attempt something for people other than my friends to read, but most of all, and this is very serious, it was to give myself a bit of self-therapy. I've long felt a debate was a bit of a stress reliever. Much like athletics, or sports in general, you exert energy to achieve, win, break personal records, or simply get a workout in. A debate, while not as good for your cardio, does much of the same for your brain. It is not the action that is relaxing, it's the after-effects. One thing is important to note. You can't get anything positive out of a debate if yo...

As the days go by, some obvious, some Tuesdays feeling like Saturdays, we're surviving. Some of us have grown frustrated, while others have grown accustomed to their leisurely activities. Some are working outside, some inside, some from home. All, I'm sure, are given a fresh perspective on their lives and the lives of others. Some have been granted a gift of "free" money, while others are waiting for theirs. Some are being paid, less than those who aren't, and some have simply not felt the changes we're all being forced to speak about daily. Masks are worn, some not. Confusion as to how they fit, how they work, and how we're supposed to move forward have consumed many. There is fear. There is joy. It's a weird time, but in many ways, it's like all other times. What's really changed other than our routines? The same routines we complain about, even when they bring us some happiness. We're taught that efficiency is brought on by routine. Rout...

The run of emotions has been plenty during this time. The same face every day can be a blessing or a burden. Personal space seems smaller. The outdoors seems more wonderous. Breaths are deeper, but for those who can adapt, please don't confuse them for sighs. The sound of purrs and pants bring comfort. Meditation comes by accident. Expectations are lowered, but letdown feels magnified. Alcohol seems to have less effect. despite the increased quantities. Beauty shines. Ugliness appears like Medusa, halting time, and our ability to escape it. Complaints brought on by one's self are telling. Empathy warms the heart. Days move by quicker, often with us forgetting their names. Children's laugher, while less frequent, echoes within. For those of us who are alone, meals feel like a friend. How we treat them is reciprocated. Evening thoughts feel different. All the plans we made yesterday cease to be relevant today. What once felt surreal has become normal. Wha...

Top 3: The Breadwinner, Roma, Lost Girls Bottom 3: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, The Possession of Michael King, Pet Sematary 2019 Biggest Suprise: Wildling Biggest Letdown: The Death of Stalin Best Actor: Martin Clunes, A is for Acid Best Actress: Yalitza Aparicio, Roma Best Supporting Actor: Rory Cochrane, Hostiles Best Supporting Actress: Marina de Tavira, Roma Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma Best Screenplay: Anita Doran, The Breadwinner Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma Best Documentary: No Winner These "awards" are for movies (and only movies) I watched for the first time. Titus - Hopkins, Lange, Cumming, and others do Shakespeare's most brutal play comically.  Tom Segura: Disgraceful - One of the more relatable comics I've seen. Extremely funny.  Marc Maron: End Times Fun - Intelligent comedy at it's finest and funniest.  Jay and Silent Bob Reboot - I love Kevin Smith, but had to turn it off. Pet Semetary (2019) - Whe...

I am in no way a conspiracy theorist. I believe in examining facts, even if it's a little too late, then making my conclusions based on what is known. These odd circumstances find us all wondering a little more than usual. Wondering about how, wondering about why, and without a doubt wondering about when. When will we return to normalcy? Facebook has been filled with these little games. Some ask you to name a band, some as you to show photographs, some ask you something that you believe projects who you are in a special way while showing interest in how your friends might answer similar questions. They are all harmless fun. What if they're not. What if the questions and answers themselves aren't what is being gauged, but simply will you do it and will you promote it. What if the concept isn't to find your favorite music genre, but to find out which of you will join in the herd mentality that is needed to end this quarantine and social distancing as soon as possible? I...

I don't have much flowing through my mind this morning. I have tons hidden in the back, on shelves, waiting to be dusted off, until the time someone asks. It's funny. I wonder if the handful of people I encounter daily understand what it's like to be chained inside. Not physically, but mentally. Being surrounded by people who think they know, but don't even know all, but don't even know themselves, let alone me. I have outlets, but they are few. My most intelligent conversations, in-person, have been with a cat and a dog. I long to talk about great movies, philosophy, children, sports, literature, serious social issues. Anything but headlines about a virus most fear, but are too lazy to investigate on their own, simply trusting those that share will prove smarter than they. This silent disease has become our religion. Unexplained, unrepenting, and one we've somehow gather communally to show our faith, not in its word, but in its destruction. A fox shrieks and so...

I'll keep this brief, as I'm sure there are people, at this moment, writing a thesis on this very topic. With all tragedy and success, we look to blame and we look to give credit to those we believe are responsible for how this affected us. Not us, in terms of the world, the country, or even our small region of the world, but us as individuals. We find out specific news sources, which cater to our specific ideology, and it fills us with a warmth that we are correct in our judgments. We then share this with others, hoping those who view their tiny worlds as we do, will agree. Very rarely do we care about the best scenario or outcome for the most people and very rarely are we concerned with credit going elsewhere or critical comments befalling our politicians or anything else that may conflict with what we had predetermined before doing our "research." This isn't helpful and this surely isn't the way Americans think. For the first time since 9/11, we are thrus...