How to Move On from this Election

The 2016 Election is over and it generally shocked most people. My predictions were way off but that's the way it works. In a Democracy sometimes the other guy wins. It's not a big deal. You have a drink, brush off the dust and move on with your life. Having said that, we're seeing some serious cry baby tactics this time around. While many attacked Donald Trump as sounding like a third world dictator, some on the losing side decided to act like they are living in the third world by protesting the outcome of a perfectly legitimate process. Time to grow up.

First off, you might have noticed that protests don't accomplish very much. At least not anymore. This isn't Selma and this isn't Kent State. A protest is not going to change the outcome nor will it alter anyone's opinion of the President Elect. The only thing you are prolonging is your own misery. Public opinion is more likely to turn against you thus weakening your cause. Stop wasting your time.

As for Trump, this will sound crazy to lefty zealots but it's time to give him a chance. He won. You might not like the way he did it but it's his turn to try to makes some changes. Bill Clinton had 8 years, W had 8 years, Obama had 8 years. If Trump screws the pooch we cut him off at 4. But first he gets a chance to govern. Being POTUS is one of the hardest jobs in the world. If you really think Trump is a moron then you won't have to wait long for him to trip on a pitchfork.

Also, let stop playing the blame game. It's not Florida's fault or Pennsylvania's fault or Michigan's fault. It's not third party voters or Millennials or uneducated white women who made this happen. Hillary's job was to win over enough people to get to 270 electoral votes and she failed. Hillary failed and no one else is to blame.

America is a strong country. We can survive anything that Trump comes up with but let's be fair about the most likely direction. Every president has succeeded in some ways and failed in others. Clinton got impeached but passed a balanced budget. W invaded the wrong country but made huge advances against sex traffic and AIDS in Africa. Obama stopped the great recession and killed Bin Laden but left us with a crippled healthcare system. Trump will likely makes some strides and also fumble the ball. If that happens we can recover it.

We control our own actions and reactions. We control our own decency and grace. Don't let the media tell you otherwise. After watching Lawrence O'Donnell's diatribe dramatizing the Trump victory as the end of American Greatness, I shut off my TV. The broadcast media has proven itself untrustworthy, hopelessly biased and beyond redemption. It's time to pick some new messengers. It's time to move on.

Why Hillary is Going to Win Big

One thing that has been clear during this entire election cycle is that you can't trust the media or the polls. We know this because there has been more misinformation, manipulation and even fake news stories than ever before. The polls, which are supposed to measure long term trends, have been erratic and flawed focusing on short term emotional reactions to individual news stories. It's no wonder that Americans are confused as to what is really going on.

I have made predictions in the past about Hillary winning and the most common reaction came from people who said, "I'll listen to the experts." I agree, you should listen to the experts but actually listen to them don't just assume that they are right because of their job title or specialty. For example millions of people visit FiveThirtyEight.com to follow the aggregate map of genius pollster Nate Silver. Nate and his team have done a fantastic job in the past by collecting all of the credible polls and weighting them together. However, Nate himself is constantly warning people that even his average can be tilted off balance. In fact some are calling 538's model an outlier because it sits apart from the other five forecasts. Whether they are overly cautious or right on the money won't be known until election night.

I might be just another voice in the wind but here are my data points for your consideration.

* Hillary is Winning with Women: 72.8% of eligible female voters are registered this year and their rage is overwhelmingly against Trump. Only 69.1% of eligible men are registered and their vote is split. Women will decide this election.

* Hillary has a Larger Base: 85% (roughly) of registered Republicans are backing Trump. The same percent are backing Hillary among Democrats but here is the kicker - There are more Democrats. Among registered voters 26% are Republican, 29% are Democrats.

* Hillary benefits from Early Voting: Traditionally Republicans come out early to vote but this year the numbers are close to equal in several important states. This means that Democrats are motivated more so than in years past. If my guess is right, we won't be waiting late into the night for a result on Election day. Read the current numbers state by state.

* Hillary gets the Secret Vote: Trump has suggested that he would benefit from people who secretly want him in office but the truth appears otherwise. Voters (Many of them Republicans) are so nervous about Trump's temperament that they more more likely to keep silent and make their voice known only in the booth.

* Hillary gets the Latino Vote: This could make a big difference in three swing states - Florida, Nevada and Arizona. Latinos are very unhappy with Trump, both his words and his policies. 67% of Latinos favor Clinton and appear to be coming out in record numbers.

* Hillary embraces Economic Stability: While this might not appeal to some voters, it appeals heavily to the stock market. Many people vote with their wallets and don't want to see long term investments crash under the weight of instability. In the last few days the market has been sinking due to a tightening of the polls and the possibility of a Trump Presidency.

* Hillary wins the Big Question: Every Presidential election over the past fifty years has been decided by one question - Which of these candidates is least likely to sink the ship? Trump's negatives are astronomical for a candidate at this level at 63% unfavorable. His personality has been described as Narcissistic, Egotistical and even Psychopathic. Americans might be squeamish about Hillary but they are outright terrified of Trump.

Keep in mind, I'm not cherry picking because I'm not a partisan. I voted for Gary Johnson. For many citizens it has been easy to get lost in shuffle this time around. No one group will tip it. All of these factors together will decide who becomes the next President of the United States. By most relevant and measurable statistics it looks like we'll witness the rolling surge of a Hillary tidal wave on Nov 8th.

4 Inconvenient Predictions about Election 2016

1. Trump will Win the Debates and Lose the Voters

This is probably the most obvious prediction but it needs to be stated. The man known for his outlandish outbursts will be unlikely to contain himself when standing against Hillary Clinton on the debate stage. Taking a page from Romney vs Obama's first debate, Trump will go for blood. He will try to establish dominance over his female opponent in order to feed the fetish of his fanatical followers. The news media will declare him the winner but the polls will swing heavily against him as Hillary picks up the sympathy/rationality vote.


2. Gary Johnson will reach 15% but still won't be allowed in the debates

Get ready for voter rage. Libertarian Gary Johnson has been defying expectation by climbing in the polls instead of fading as most third party candidates do when it gets closer to November. His petition for the debate commission exceeded 1 million signatures and he has reached double digits in almost every state poll. He represents the hopes of millions of Americans who want another choice and yet, this is when the commission will suddenly get really strict about who is allowed to speak. They will deny him that chance. The two major parties have a history of dirty tricks against third parties but this is the first time all Americans will see it.


3. Hackers will present an October Surprise

Hackers have made some waves in this election cycle but they are far from done. I believe they are saving the best for last. These hackers (Who are probably not Russian or partisan) appear to be dedicated to exposing hypocrisy and revealing the truth. So, what is the one piece of information everyone wants but no one can seem to get their hands on? Trump's financial statements seem like a good target. This would be especially interesting if, as some suspect, Trump is exaggerating his wealth and hiding business dealings with international criminals or even individuals on the terrorist watch list.


4. Hillary will win a One Sided Election

With Trump on the ropes because of the October Surprise and with Johnson blocked from the debate stage, all things will roll in Hillary's favor. Even if those things don't happen you have to consider that she has the backing of more than 80% of her party, she has consistently led in the national polls and she is favored on the electoral map. Trump has a much weaker grasp on his party, he fumbles terribly in the demographics battle and he has almost no ground game for voter turn out. It is quite possible that we have seen all of Trumps cards and his entire campaign is something of an illusion. When it comes right down to it independent voters will always choose the person less likely to sink the ship.

Why I'm Voting for Gary Johnson

It's 2016 and we are embroiled in the dumbest election cycle in my lifetime. Ugh! At the beginning of the year I really didn't know what to think. I wanted to stay out of it. That appears to be impossible this time around. So, I did what any responsible citizen should: I opened my hears and listened to all of the candidates. All of them, not the just the big two. Whenever any of them spoke, I listened. Sounds crazy right?

It reminded me that you need a process for picking a candidate. It's kind of like buying a car. You do the research and take in numerous considerations. Then find the best value that fits your needs and the needs of your country. Unfortunately many voters rush into the sale. They latch onto one or two issues, one or two sound bites and pull the lever too quickly. The result is buyers remorse.

Let me fill you in on my political background so you know where I'm coming from. I grew up in the blue state of Massachusetts but my parents were self-declared Independents. They usually split the ticket, opting for Moderate Democrats and Liberal Republicans. My father, a Vietnam Veteran who had suffered from the horrors of war, generally leaned toward peaceful candidates. I adopted some of his thinking on that subject.

My personal political journey started when I was in the U.S. Army. During basic training in 1992 we were given forms with which to vote. This sparked a discussion among my platoon. My battle buddy Aaron explained his position this way: If you like the way things are, vote Republican. If you want things to change, vote Democrat. That made sense to me. Being generally unhappy when it came to the circumstances of my life, I wanted change. I voted for Bill Clinton. Sometimes we vote on a whim. Like I did for Billy Bob. I got lucky when it came to him but basing such an important decision on so little information is not a smart process.

Shortly after leaving the Army I was severely depressed. I was looking for an outlet, a direction for my life. That was when I found Rush Limbaugh. This was kind of like taking two steps forward and one step back. I was reading more about politics and history but it was being filtered through the narrow lens of ideology. I had become boisterous about political issues, trying to hurl my new found ideas at everyone. Didn't make many friends during those years. There were some issues in Conservatism that I could not embrace. Once I discovered that the commentators and their policies were riddled with greed and hypocrisy, it was over.

1996 was the first time that I truly paid attention to the Presidential race. I listened to the candidates and read a couple books by Ross Perot, who I ultimately voted for. In this case I did do my homework but was still severely limited in my knowledge about the issues. The misinformation derived from Conservative commentators had put everything into doubt.

By 2000 a new party was starting to make waves in Mass. The Libertarians were becoming an interesting option. I read books about them, went to meetings and met the candidates. During that cycle I worked on two campaigns (Congressional and Senatorial). This involved knocking on doors, asking for signatures and meeting voters face to face. This is when I learned about the huge gap between the voice of the voters and the whim of elected representatives. Dirty tricks often kept our candidates from having their voice heard on the big stage. I cringed at the laziness of newspapers who didn't want to cover anyone new. Their attitude was reflected by some voters who stuck with a favored party even if they didn't agree with their own candidate. Despite all of this, 99% of the people I talked to wanted a third option on the ballot. That year Libertarian candidates earned half a million votes in the State of Massachusetts.

By 2002 my fervor for Libertarian purity was waning. The Iraq war changed a lot of things, including my party affiliation. I was so angry at George W Bush that I joined the Florida Democrats. I took election training with the Orlando Dems, met Bill Nelson and volunteered for his Senatorial race. In 2004 I met the Libertarian candidate but wasn't impressed. Instead I voted for John Kerry.

By this point reading about Politics and American History had become a hobby. I surpassed 100 books on the subjects and consumed more everyday. I started writing political commentary for a website when a little known Senator from Illinois caught my eye. Barack Obama represented a lot of things to a lot of people. He was a black, left-wing rock star with the hopes of millions resting on his shoulders. I helped the campaign through the primaries and during the first election in 2008. I became disillusioned by 2012. It wasn't his fault really, it was ours. The voters asked and expected way too much. The best he could do was keep the ship afloat.

So here we are in 2016. Most people would agree that this is the craziest election ever! We are caught between an Ego and a Liar. Both appear to be blatantly irresponsible. Neither one seems to have our best interests at heart. Neither one seems to have any new ideas. What are we to do?

Here is a summary of what I have learned over the years. These are my personal guideposts for choosing the next President.

* No more Rock Stars! We have reached the point where celebrity translates as credibility. That is total crap. Experience is important. The ideal person for the Oval Office should know how to successfully run both a business and a government. They should be confident, capable and it might help if they were a little boring.

* They must stand for Something! We knew Obama would pass the Affordable Care Act, not because he had a Democrat Majority Congress but rather because his mother died of Cancer at 52. He stood for something and made it happen. His determination was obvious whenever he spoke of her. If he did nothing else as President, he was going to pass that bill.

* The old ideas didn't work! We have been stuck in left vs right mentality for so long that we can predict what is going to come out of their mouths just by knowing what team they play for. Here is how I know that the old ideas didn't work - Look where we are! The problems we have now were created by the policies formerly implemented. Duh! We can't get out of this rut by choosing the same people and same policies over and over again. That is the definition of insanity!

* The media is working against us! Luckily this is the one fact people have figured out. The cable news media in particular is on its last legs. They are soon to fall from the public eye and they know it. The only way they can keep the attention of the American people is with scathing 24 hour commentary on this embarrassing situation. Thus, the horse race is a fraud and the polls are a joke. If this year really is different then we deserve a new outcome.

I don't expect to change anyone's mind by telling them my personal history. The sad truth is that we are creatures of habit. Most often we take the path of least resistance. All I can say is that by my experience and using these guideposts, I will be voting for Gary Johnson. I'm not going to sit here and extol his virtues or defend his missteps. You can find that stuff elsewhere. I will ask that if you haven't heard him speak, please take a moment to do so. We have heard plenty about the other two. I believe Gary deserves a few minutes of your time.

Thank you, Alex Hutchinson

5 Clues that you might be Politically Brainwashed

Welcome to twenty first century America where everyone has an opinion and hardly anyone knows what they are talking about. How did we end up in this mess? We can blame the educational system, the internet or bad parenting but there is still one primary source of information that passively feeds most of the nutballs you meet - the media.

Since the birth of our nation political discussions have taken place in public forums but none so public as the one that makes money from our discontent, the forth estate. It used to be that reporting the events of the day was enough to satisfy viewers but not anymore. Facing our shortened attention spans the media has become more and more brazen in its attempts to capture our interest and loyalty. In fact you might say they've got it down to a science.

OUTRAGE + Monetized Ideologies + Baseless Convictions = Cultural Warfare

The result is a country overrun by political wannabe's. You know who I'm talking about, the people who so rudely slip politics into nearly every conversation. They are filled with anger, always pointing fingers and arguing incessantly despite their lack of understanding. We try our best to be nice to these people, to placate their frustrations but there are just so many of them. Thus begs the question: Are you one of them? Are you politically brainwashed? Read these five clues to see if they apply to you.

5 Clues that you are Politically Brainwashed

1. You HATE a politician - HATE is a very strong word. It's perfectly reasonable to disagree with someone or to dislike them but to HATE them is a whole other level of emotional commitment. HATE is a word most associated with criminals, terrorists and fanatics. HATE is a word that often precedes violence. Do you really HATE that politician? Have you ever met them? Or has the media attributed so many negative associations and bad intentions with said personality that you think you must HATE them?

Being brainwashed means having someone guide your thoughts to their ends. The media needs a dedicated audience to keep making money. If they can get you to HATE a public official, you become a follower of that cult. You will keep coming back to the source of that information. You will fill their enormous bank accounts with HATE money and the cycle will continue.

2. You use FALSE attributions - Liberals and Conservatives are not people, they are ideologies. You can call yourself Liberal or Conservative or Libertarian but that self-attribution doesn't change anything about you, it is paint on a doorknob. You are tall or short, you are male or female, you have hazel eyes and brown hair. These attributions are real, they don't wash off so easily.

Being brainwashed means someone has convinced you to accept and cast FALSE attributions. The media has discovered that if they break the world down into two separate and warring ideologies they can convince you to pick a side. You will become a dedicated cultural warrior. You will cast FALSE attributions on anyone who opposes any part of your ideology. This constant judgement of self and others is both self-defeating and exhausting so you need constant reinforcement from the media to fuel your battles. Each day they will give you a new topic or enemy to rail against.

3. You argue to WIN - Democracy is a sharing of ideas in a public forum to find compromise solutions for our most difficult problems. It is not about winning! If one side conquers the other, it will no longer be a democracy. The same falls true in our personal interactions. Marriage, business, family, all relationships are hinged by our ability to compromise. One of the worst things we can do is enter every conversation with the determination to win!

Being brainwashed means you won't compromise over anything. The media has successfully equated political contests with ideological victories. They use black versus white dichotomies to instill a sense of certainty, uniformity and rigidness in their followers. These people are not arguing to learn or to advance a cause or to persuade others. They argue only to win. This tendency advances nothing. Since there is no true exchange of ideas, the person trying to win simply declares themselves the winner and moves on to attack another person. 

4. Your certainty lacks experience - Remember that person who loves to argue? Remember how certain they are of their beliefs and their determination to win? More often then not that person has never worked in government on any level. American politics is one of the most complicated,  multi-faceted subjects on the planet. That person might never have studied any aspect of United States history, economics or law. In other words they are operating without a degree. They are building a house without a hammer and nails. They are play acting.

Being brainwashed means you don't know what you are talking about but you think you do. When the media says, "Don't take my word for it, look it up for yourself." You assume that they are being honest so you NEVER look it up for yourself. Here is a little secret that many people don't know - The media has no legal responsibility to tell you the truth. They lie about things all the time but call them facts. They select these facts to further their own cause. The result is an echo chamber that captures weak minds like rats in a maze.

5. No one wants to talk to you - It is simply not polite to talk about politics. Politics are incredibly personal. Granted the issues involved affect many millions of citizens but those conversations happen in public forums, on the floor of state and federal congresses and in the ballot box.

Being brainwashed means that you interject politics into every aspect of your life and do so against the wishes of others. If the Arab guy at the gas station gave you the wrong change, its not because he's an evil Muslim trying to undermine our economy, it's because he made a mistake. If a teacher corrects your child on a test it's not because she's a liberal infecting your daughter with lesbian cooties, it's because your kid is stupid. Let's face it, your kid is stupid because you are stupid.

The biggest reason the media is holding sway over so many people is because the masses have never been the brightest bulbs in the box. Study history and you will find that small groups of educated and dedicated people have always made the biggest difference. If there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is this - Being politically brainwashed is only the start of a journey. Many people have their eyes opened by the media but with study over time, they outgrow it. If you don't want to be brainwashed simply shut off the TV, crack open a few books and volunteer during the next election cycle. Your political education won't happen overnight but it will happen and we will all be the better for it. People who are politically brainwashed don't help anyone except their media overlords. People who are politically educated can help make life a little better for us all.

By the way, if you think this article was written by a Liberal to trash Conservatives

or the other way around - You are Politically Brainwashed.

Want to learn more? Here are a few articles that get deeper into the techniques used to brainwash the masses. Remember, no matter the slant of the writing, all media uses some of these techniques.

Encyclopedia.com Brainwashing Facts and History

Fourteen Propaganda Techniques used for Brainwashing

Brainwashing Techniques and how to avoid them

Top 5 Reasons People LOVE Comic Book Movies

A friend of mine commented that he didn't understand the whole comic book movie trend that has taken over Hollywood. Why are people so fanatical about these films and TV shows? What is the appeal? Being a mega-fan myself I thought the answer was obvious but apparently not. It turns out that there are some people who didn't grow up reading comic books. Go figure?

I decided to break it down in a way that these outsiders can understand. Here are the Top 5 Reasons these films and shows now dominate the entertainment landscape.

5. Identification - Have you ever read a book, fell in love with it and thought, I hope they make this into a movie. Then they do make it into a movie and you get to enjoy it from a whole new perspective. Now imagine that you read a book, fell in love with a character and found out they wrote hundreds of books about this character. Then you read those books over the course of many years. Then a movie comes out about it. Can you imagine the bond you would have with that character? The love you would have of their story? This identification is what comic book fans feel when a new film or show is introduced.

Personally I grew up reading Daredevil. I loved the idea of a man without fear who snuck around the city at night saving innocent people and catching bad guys. I read more than 150 issues of that comic book when I was a kid. The catharsis I felt when Netflix created a television show about Daredevil was truly an awesome feeling. It was like a joyous part of my childhood had been brought to life for all to see.

4. Sincerity - Hollywood has the tendency to make a lot of five minute films. This is where some writer comes up with an idea for a movie, puts in about five minutes worth of thought and then pitches it to a studio. The film is usually full of special effects, cheesy drama and over the top conflicts. The movie is also empty of any real meaning. These weak action flicks used to be referred to as 'Straight to video.' They often lost money in part because they lacked sincerity.

One of the draws of the new comic book trend is that the studios are taking long established stories that already hold deep meaning for the audience and then working to bring that vision to life. This form of artistic sincerity takes a lot of hard work but the end product holds up. Iron Man might be the best example of such integrity. The film had excellent acting, brilliant recreations of comic scenarios and strong secondary storylines relevant to current events. It was an all around good flick. It received 60 award nominations with 19 wins and a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94%.

3. Variety - Movie makers sometimes suffer from creative laziness. They to make the same film over and over again assuming that a new audience will appreciate it. In the age of digital media where people can watch any movie from any era with the click of a remote, redundancy has become unappealing. Movie goers are more open minded than at any point in human history. They want to expand their world, they want to see something new.

Comic book stories have a huge appeal because they solve this problem. Marvel Comics alone has over 9,000 characters. The stories take place all over our world and on various other worlds. The characters are made up of every race as well as hundreds of different alien races. These are stories of honor, revenge, love, redemption, you name it! Comic books are a gold mine of tall tales and colorful personalities with virtually no end in sight.

2. Expert Audiences -  When you walked into Forrest Gump you were just another face in the crowd. Likely, you had no stake in the success of the movie and no inside information about the plot or characters. That is the way movies used to work. Comic book films, on the other hand, are fast becoming audience driven projects. The producers, directors and actors hear the voices of the fans and learn what is expected of them. These new audiences are full of experts who know the characters inside and out. The watchers have become a powerful part of the production as their input actually makes these movies better.

The best example of this exchange is Deadpool. This project was a bit controversial due to its unavoidable adult themes. It sat on the shelf for 11 years, stalled by uncertainty. Then some mysterious person leaked a teaser trailer. Comic book geeks spread the video like wildfire. It gained so much attention that the studio had to take notice. When they saw that the movie had a huge and enthusiastic potential audience they gave it the green light. Deadpool became the biggest R Rated opening weekend with 132.7 million dollars. It was the biggest opening weekend for a first time director, Tim Miller. It was the 17th biggest opening weekend of all time. As for quality, it earned a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 84%.

1. Money Makers - The entertainment industry is an industry, duh! They are thrilled with anything that makes money and comic book films make big money. The Avengers (2012) made 1.6 Billion, The Dark Knight (2008) 1.5 Billion, Spider-Man (2002) 1.4 Billion, Iron Man 3 (2013) 1.2 Billion and the list goes on.  How can you argue with these numbers? Success breeds success. For each comic book film that does well, there are a hundred pitches for the next one in line.

It is fair to say that not only have comic book movies come to stay, they are quite literally changing the way Hollywood does business. They are connecting movies with each other, with TV shows, with video games and most importantly they are interacting with the audience. They have brought life back to a dying format and done so in spectacular fashion.

When I was a kid I was a little embarrassed that I read comics. Only my closest friends knew how much those colorful pages inspired me. They provided me with motivation and ambition. They instilled in me a sense of right and wrong. They gave me unique ways of seeing the world and my place in it. To tell the truth I feel bad for people who didn't get to read comics when they were growing up because I can't imagine a world without them.

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About the Author - Alex Hutchinson is an award winning short story writer and recreational athlete. His 8 books and 700 articles have been enjoyed by thousands of readers. His latest book Twisted Trails was an Indie Excellence National Book Award Finalist. He lives in Florida with his wife Terri and their three cats - Raistlin, Dalamar and Gideon.

Putting an Artist on the Payroll

Here is my gripe: This is something that has been driving me crazy lately. I'm in the market for a new job. I tend to do driving jobs because it is the one thing I never get bored of. God forbid you tell anyone that you are looking for work. People immediately get political. First, they recommend the worst possible job, like McDonalds and then say, "You can't be picky" or "Just be happy with anything." As if McDonalds is hiring 40 year old writers. No, Micky D's is hiring teenagers.

Let me spell it out for you. Twenty and thirty year old single guys get management positions at places like McDonalds so they can mack on the barely legal teens they hire to work there. For a comical version of these events watch the movies Waiting or Clerks 2. Fast food and restaurant employment is largely a dating scheme. I did work at Mick D's as a teenager and saw this with my own eyes.

As for other types of work? There are many reasons I choose driving. First, I'm good at it. There are lots of bad drivers out there, I'm not one of them. With 15 years experience at multiple delivery jobs in multiple cities, this is clearly a skill set. My longest jobs have been behind the wheel.

So what else do people do? They recommend jobs that are clearly unsuitable. "You could sell medical equipment or pharmaceutical drugs or real estate." Seriously? I'm a writer, an artist. I'm the opposite of a salesman. I have a conscience. Granted it is a burden but it's the type of burden we want humanity to hang on to. If you want to have a long, deep meaningful conversation about philosophy, identity or our place in the world, then I'm your man. Need someone to sweet talk a corporate suit with slogans and numbers, I couldn't do it if I tried. And I have tried. It was tragic.

Then comes the most insulting set of questions. Why can't you make a living as a writer? Doesn't the best writing rise to the top? If you were a good writer you'd be able to earn a living, right? I really want to believe that these things are true but they are not. Percentage wise there are very few writers who make a living from their craft. The market is overflowing with books, articles and unemployed journalists. Three million books are published each year. The number of them that makes a profit is less than 10%. The number of them that reaches a national audience selling millions of copies is a fraction of 1%. There are bad authors with movie deals and good authors who can seem to get noticed no matter what they do. The latter has been my social cage.

"Why don't you just quit? Do something else? Why be a writer if it's not making money?" These are real quotes from really dumb people. Why? Because being an artist is about purpose not prizes. This is very hard for the average person to understand. No one works in an office or a warehouse because it is their life calling, their divine purpose for existing. Artists are not driven by money. We need it to survive but we live in a country where only a select few are appreciated.

The drive that pushes someone to paint, sculpt or write for thousands of hours over the course of decades, slowly perfecting their craft has very little to do with monetary reward. It has a lot to do with vision, love, truth and expression. Art is not about the bricks that build the world. It is about the shape those bricks will take and how they will affect those who see them and live within them.

I have applied to yet another driving job. Fingers crossed. I will keep writing with the hope that maybe someday my hard work will come to fruition. It is difficult to believe that I will never get noticed. Never is a long time for a melodic voice to go unheard. I have faith that things will work out. It's not an easy way to live but these are the cards I have been dealt. All I can do is decorate them.

Also, buy my book. If you purchase a copy then I will be less poor, less angry and less likely to one day go mad becoming a diabolical supervillian who annihilates millions of people. Not that it will happen but you know, why take the chance? Save yourself, buy a book and I'll put you on the do not annihilate list.

Get your copy now!

      

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8 Tricks to make you a Little Less Crazy

Have you given up on sanity? No worries, sanity is overrated anyway. However, there are some ways to make you seem a little more sane. My first public work of writing was a self-help handbook. I had broken through a very dark time in my life by facing a lot of fears and unraveling a series of psychological knots in my personality. I wrote down all of the tools I had used in a small book that I sold at Maria's Hallmark shop in Middleboro, Mass. The booklet, though simple in design, caught on locally and was even presented in a high school class that addressed students who were dealing with depression.

I never considered writing any more self-help because most of my issues had been resolved. However, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she really needed advice. She had fallen out of a relationship and was very frustrated in several areas. I always feel compelled to help my friends but I also know that most people don't listen to advice, even if they ask for it. Having said that, I started listing some tricks that I had used over the years to set my life back into order when things seemed darkest. Maybe if I put these out on the internet then people who are looking for answers will have one more place to find them.

Here are 8 Tricks to make you a little less crazy.

1. Don't Outsmart Yourself. Intelligent people do this all the time. They take a simple issue, over think it and grind it into existential drama. This is a waste of effort and energy.  It's not your job to figure out the whole world, only your part in it. Think of the Gordian knot. If a problem is huge, overwhelming and confounding, maybe you just need to take an Ax to it.

Hutch: Personally I have struggled with the modern onslaught of political propaganda. I feel the need to correct people who repeat mistaken information. Then I have to remind myself that I don't know everything and everyone has a right to their own beliefs.

2. Pick your Battles Carefully. If your Facebook feed is a long list of things you are passionately for and/or against - you might be fighting battles on every front with no resolution in sight. If you intend to rip your psyche to shreds, this is a good way of doing it. No matter how dedicated you are to justice, you cannot fight every battle! Your personal power on this planet is very limited. Use it wisely in focused efforts on a specific problem and you will make the world a better place. Using it too broadly on too many issues and you will make no discernible difference.

Superheroes on bicycles by Mike Joos

3. Do Something Mindless. Physical activity is an important key for having a happy life. It burns off energy (both emotional and physical). It gives you time away from your problems. It fills your lungs with fresh air and your brain with endorphins. Exercise gives you a primal venue for bonding with other people in a way that doesn't require intense conversation. Running, rowing, skating, surfing, pick your passion! The benefits are innumerable.

Hutch: Personally I prefer cycling. In all of its amazing forms this activity can provide a whole new lifestyle for those who choose it. If you are interested in learning more check out my cycling blog: Bog Dogs Secret Stash.

4. Make Yourself Uncomfortable. Day to day life can stagnate us. We have to do the laundry and the dishes, cook our meals, pay our bills...etc. Our routines make the mundane easier to handle but those same routines might keep us from getting out of the house to try new things. Broadening your horizons is an awkward process. It forces us to expand our comfort zone by feeling uncomfortable. You need to break out because you will never find rewarding experiences hiding under your pillow cushions.

5. Listen to Others (For Real!). Listening doesn't mean you are sitting there developing your own counter-argument and waiting for the moment when you spring it on them. It means you take their advice, jot it down if you have to, and try some of it. Be experimental. Other people might have learned something before you did. That's nothing to be ashamed of. By listening to their experience you don't have to fall into the crocodile pit. They could tell you where it is at and how wide it is so you can jump right over.

Hutch: Personally I'm a stubborn individual who usually reinvents the wheel no matter what arena I enter. Having said that, I'm learning to geek out on more information from others before making my decisions.

6. Find Someone to Love. Don't look for someone to love you. Find someone who deserves to be loved and love them more than you love yourself. Nothing on this earth will make you happier or more fulfilled. To clarify - you are not supposed to sacrifice yourself for a relationship. That is not what it means to love. If you are trying to give more than you have, that will bankrupt you. That's not love, that is martyrdom. Also, if you are giving with the expectation of return, that is also not love, it is bartering.

7. Reserve Judgement. Notice that I didn't say don't judge. Judging other people and ideas is a necessary part of making smart decisions. What I recommend is that you reserve judgement. Don't compartmentalize or dichotomize humans or ideas. This is the shades of grey reality we all live in but don't like to acknowledge because it's easier to get stuck on a label than to hold your tongue. Anyone you meet will have both good and bad traits. Any idea will have good and bad merits.

Hutch: Personally I have never met a label I didn't hate. Some of the people I admire most are individuals who didn't give a very good first impression. It was only later that I learned about the meaningful moments and selfless acts that made them so valuable to society.

8. Change your Personal Narrative. We all have definitions for how we deal with the world. Repeated failures are merely signals that we need to edit them a little, change a few perspectives that are not working for us. Failure doesn't mean you are a bad person, it means you mis-read a small part of reality. Now you have a chance to use your delete key. You are the lead character in your story so take another path, create a new identity. Send your character on a journey that is even bolder than the original.

Granted it takes more than a blog article to change your life but it can be a good place to start. I read a couple hundred self-help books and held onto a few tid-bits of useful knowledge that got me along a better path. More important than anything, don't be too hard on yourself. You can't control how you were brought into this world. You didn't get to pick your family or your level of wealth but as an adult you get to make daily decisions that affect your path forward.

Since forward is the only direction we have left, make the best of it. Sincerely, Hutch.

Dumb and Dumber: More than a Movie

I will admit to being one of those people who are easily influenced by movies, even bad movies. Back in the winter of 1994 when the movie Dumb & Dumber hit the theaters, my life was in a little bit of a rut. I was a big Jim Carrey fan and really needed a good laugh so I went to see it.

If you don't know the plot it is rather simple. Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) are a couple single guys in their twenties living in Providence, Rhode Island. They are down on their luck in large part because they are not very bright. Lloyd, working as a limo driver, picks up a pretty lady named Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly) who loses her bag in the airport but Lloyd scoops it up and decides to deliver it to her... in Aspen, Colorado. This sets the stage for a wild and crazy road trip across the country where hilarity ensues.

The critics kicked it pretty hard by stating that it was little more than a collection of slapstick jokes, pranks and exploited stereotypes designed for a cheap laugh. On the better side some recognized that there was more going on underneath the guilty pleasure of scatological humor. What critics couldn't know was what the movie meant to people like me.

Rewind to my life in the winter of 1994. My friend Derek and I were sharing a one room apartment with a broken heater that sat above a pizza shop in downtown Middleboro, Massachusetts. Neither one of us had a home to go home to, we were rejected by our families and had to scrounge to survive. Derek was driving a snow plow on those rare occasions when a drift collected and I was delivering lunches for a gourmet shop two towns away. Our meals came in the form of fast food or were cooked on a camper sized twin burner on the counter. I've had some very tough times in my life and this definitely belongs in the top ten.

Watching Dumb & Dumber was like looking at our lives from an outsiders point of view. Lloyd and Harry are destitute outcasts. They both have menial driving jobs, they're living in a crap apartment and their dreams, silly as they might be, are falling apart.

For me this movie became more than just a comedy when the two men hit the ultimate low point. Both become unemployed and for once looked clearly at their lives to see that it's just not happening for them. In the midst of this heart felt awakening came the lines that hit me the hardest. The words of Lloyd's epiphany rung in my ears, "I've had it with this dump!" "What the hell are we doing here?" "We've got to get out of this town!" Then finally the three sentences that made the biggest impact on me, "I'm sick and tired having to eek my way through life. I'm sick and tired of being a nobody. Worst of all, I'm sick and tired of having nobody." I had to hold back the tears.

Before you fall into characterizing me as a sentimental fool, let's talk about what it means to be dumb and what it means to be unstable. For some reason these terms are often misunderstood.

I grew up believing that when someone is unstable that it means they have something wrong with their brain. It implies a character flaw or a psychological disorder. What I have come to understand over the years is that being unstable demands a literal meaning. If you don't have a stable home, stable family life, the social or emotional bonds that develop one into a well rounded, empathetic human being that's when you should more accurately be characterized as unstable. An unstable person is someone without support, a person truly alone in the world. They didn't piss away their fortune, they simply never had one to begin with.

Now a word about being dumb. People who meet me now just assumed that I have a college degree. They assume that someone who has written several books and several hundred articles must have been great in school, especially English. The truth is that I was terrible in school. I got my first D in the 6th grade and after that I never organized myself for the disciplines of scholarly life. All my early assessment tests placed me in the median range at best. At 15 years old I took the ASVAB test and scored a dismal 28. At 19 years old I took it again and still only scored a 49. I didn't even qualify for full time military service - not smart enough. It took another decade of self guided study to earn the adjectives associated with intellect.

So there I was at 21 years old living in that tiny apartment with my friend Derek. I was not smart and I was not stable. I had a terrible job that barely paid 50 dollars a week. I was a night school graduate and a college drop out. I felt no brighter than those characters on the big screen because I probably wasn't.

So after the epiphany, Lloyd and Harry agree to go on this epic road trip. Here were two guys who had clearly never left New England, breaking out on an adventure across the country. They had nothing more than a dog shaped van, a paper map, a pocket full of petty cash and a briefcase. None of that really mattered because for once they had a sense of direction.

It couldn't have been more than a few days later when my boss, Shauna, requested that I learn how to work in the shop helping to make the sandwiches that I would later deliver. At the time I was working for a set fee per delivery with tips added. I thought I was getting a promotion so I asked about pay. She said there would be no extra pay. Excuse me? She wanted me to do more work, more time, more effort, more hours for no additional money. She implied that I should be grateful for having a job at all.

If there was one thing I have always had, it is dignity. No one steps on me. Unfortunately when you accept part time jobs many employers think of you as undeserving. So I took my final paycheck in cash and drove away. It wasn't really about the work, it was about my then meaningless life. I couldn't do this anymore, "Eek by." I didn't want to drive back to the apartment so instead I parked at the edge of Woods pond and forced myself to make a decision. After skipping rocks along the ice for an hour I had made up my mind - I was leaving Middleboro tonight!

Was Dumb and Dumber just a silly movie about comedians doing anything for a laugh or was it about aspiration? Here were two guys with no means and no support who enjoyed every second of their lives. It was about breaking out of the comfort zones we were born into. It was about striving for something better even when it feels like you have no chance in hell of making anything happen.

Lloyd and Harry travel across the country and climb the mountains into Aspen where they end up discovering that the briefcase they were carrying all along was filled with money. You can call it an easy plot twist but I prefer to see it as a metaphor for the unexpected riches that come from chasing your dreams. Sure there is a secondary plot surrounding a kidnapping and a bunch of bad guy characters who are after the money but that stuff is just filler.

I believe that a movie becomes art when it inspires you to action. Thanks to Dumb & Dumber I broke free from my freezing one room apartment and drove my car 1,500 miles to Florida. This trip provided a huge confidence boost that allowed me to start living on a higher level. I would return to Florida several times over the years. I met my future wife there, got married in Punta Gorda and ended up staying as a full time resident. And we lived happily ever after...

Middle School Student Arrested

"You thought it was a real gun." Jeremy stood in the doorway, a goofy bemused expression on his pot marked face.

  I stood behind the teachers desk in an otherwise empty room looking down at the revolver, still confused by the small flicker of flame dancing on the end of the snub nosed barrel.

  "It's a lighter you retard." He studied my awkwardness and started developing conclusions, "What were you gonna do if it was real?"

  My confusion made way for embarrassment. I dropped the fancy cigarette lighter back into the teachers top drawer and slammed it shut. Movement in the hallway motivated me back to my desk but Jeremy just stood there, the gears in his mind ticking away.

  "Who were you gonna shoot Hutch?"

  "None of your business, shut up!" I could barely contain my disappointment but it paled in comparison to my new fear - that Jeremy would talk. Gossip was becoming an unforgiving enemy and this would spread like wildfire. "You better not tell anyone Jeremy."

  "Oh? And what are you gonna do to me Hutch? You gonna shoot me with a lighter?" He started to chuckle, the flab of his belly bouncing in time, "Then you gonna stab me with a spork? Huh?"

  "I will do something..." The powerlessness of my situation was becoming evident as my imagination stumbled over unrealistic options. There was nothing that could stop him from talking and why wouldn't he? The benefit of gossip is social interaction. By judging me he would receive attention from other students and enjoy a surge in public popularity. I, on the other hand, would fall further in contempt and rise only in suspicion.

  "You'll do what?" Just then the students started pouring back into the room.

  "I'll stop you..." I said under my breath.

  All that evening sleep had eluded me. It was the first night I could recall where my nerves kept me from feeling any sense of tiredness, where my fear of the next school day bore into my heart like a rusty screw. After a couple hours of watching old movies on my black and white TV, I shut it off and pulled out a notebook. On one page after another I wrote down every nasty thing I could think to say about Jeremy Jones. My words mocked his hygiene, his clothing, his family, his acne. I accused him of numerous minor crimes, keeping it insidious yet realistic. I copied page after page naming him as a pervert and a druggie. There was no proof of any such things but I didn't care. I needed to discredit him before he humiliated me.

  The next morning when Mrs. Steed, my homeroom teacher, asked for a student to deliver a message to the front office, I weakly volunteered.

  "Are we participating Mr. Hutchinson?" I merely shrugged. Bypassing her initial surprise, she sent me out the door with a folder.

  The office was empty. The secretary was busy in the next room when I placed the folder on her desk and that was when an opportunity presented itself. The teachers received their in house messages using a series of cubby holes that lined the wall next to the front desk. Each hole had a teacher's name where they picked up their mail. With no one present, I pulled out the slanderous papers I had written about Jeremy the night before and tucked each one into different random slot. I ran out before anyone saw me. My heart was racing as I walked quickly back to my homeroom.

  For half the day I prayed not to get caught. I didn't sign the paper or leave any indication that I wrote it. When no one came looking for me and no one mentioned the gun, I figured the plan had worked. In fact, the day had become suspiciously quiet as if there was something going on but no one knew exactly what.

  When Lunch let out, a crowd had gathered at the doorway between the cafeteria and the front doors. Two policemen stood inside the front office talking to our short, puffy faced principal while hovering over a single student who sat head down in the chair beneath them, it was Jeremy.

  "What did he do?" I asked no one in particular.

  A red haired, freckle faced girl answered, "Someone narced on him. They told the teachers that he had drugs in his locker. That's what I heard."

  At first this seemed unrelated to my scheme. I didn't know Jeremy had drugs in his locker and I certainly didn't write that in the notes. Then again, amongst many other unflattering terms I did call him a druggie. Perhaps the teachers took it literally.

  This type of search and seizure was unprecedented at our middle school, the first of its kind. Drugs had not yet become a common subject so the thought of a 12 year old carrying them seemed preposterous. Yet, Jeremy was caught red handed for possession of marijuana. That day he was taken away by the police. He suffered a very public expulsion and received a mark on his juvenile record.

  More importantly, to me anyway, was that the incident with the fake gun was never mentioned to anyone. I was off the hook thanks to a well timed piece of slander. For the second time my written words had displayed the ability to affect the world around me. It was a skill that was becoming useful even if I didn't fully understand its power.

Brotherhood of Chaos

"Throw it to Hutch." The red dodgeball soared across the tarmac during recess and I snatched it from the air. I wasn't brave enough to deliver a clever rebuke but I was angry enough to chuck the ball into the woods. A teacher reprimanded me for the act but he didn't know what was really going on.

  The game was called 'Kill the kid with the ball.' Whoever caught the ball would have to run for his life as everyone else chased him down. It was organized by the newly self-proclaimed Brotherhood of Chaos, the first gang at our middle school. These brothers weren't related, they just lived in the same apartment building together and liked to cause mayhem whenever they could. So far they were responsible for shooting a BB rifle at a classroom window during midday studies, climbing on the school roof and they were the back-up squad who encouraged my ex-best friend Dale to beat me up at the high school field.

  One of their goons retrieved the ball and found an easier target.

  "Jason caught it." We had a new kid in class. He had a short, blonde mohawk and a general lack of fear. Jason knew the rules but still he caught the ball and ran. He twisted past the jungle gym and jumped the see saw before someone finally threw him to the grass. They tried to hold him down for the intended beating but he scrambled to his feet and fought his way out. Surprised by his tenacity, the brothers backed off.

  "Blondie thinks he's a tough guy." They deliberated out loud so other students could hear.

  "He should prove it." One of them decided.

  They invited him into their confidence, "Listen dude, you've got spirit. We think you could be a brother of chaos."

  Jason might have been fearless but he wasn't stupid. It was a new school and he wanted to fit in, or at least not make enemies on his first day, "What do I have to do?"

  "See that kid over there." They pointed at me. "Kick his ass and you'll be one of us."

  The incongruity between my bold self-image and my actual abilities made it impossible for me to back down. Jason wasn't bigger than me. He didn't appear to have any special skills or strengths. His lack of fear might mean that he would underestimate me. It was a risk worth taking.

  We stared each other down for what felt like forever but was probably no more than ten seconds. The brothers egged us on and then it happened. Instead of freezing in place like I did against Dale, I attacked. The two of us became a blur of grabbing faces and throwing punches. We almost immediately landed on the grass in an awkward wrestling match that was quickly broken up by the teachers.

  "You two knock it off!" We were separated and sent in different directions. "Jason, try to stay out of trouble." Then he turned to me, "Alex, you can head back to your homeroom and wait for class to resume."

  I welcomed the escape from recess. Crossing the basketball court I re-entered the rear door of the sixth grade wing and returned to my room. Before reaching my desk I decided to test a theory. Mrs. Steed, my homeroom teacher, usually kept her top desk drawer locked but maybe, just maybe she forgot.

  I snuck around the desk, listened for movement in the hallway and then gently tugged on the drawer. It opened easily. Moving aside her copy of the school poetry book I saw my prize. I slowly gripped and lifted the snub nosed revolver. It was heavy and shiny. I felt a jolt of excitement shudder through my veins. The Brotherhood of Chaos was in for a big surprise. Now I had a way to even the score with so many people.

  My heart was racing, my nerves were on edge as I stroked this new found power. When the bell rang to signal the end of recess I was so surprised by the sudden loud noise that my hand flinched causing me to accidentally pull the trigger.

The Smell of Fear

  "Give me my hat!" Charlie and Don were tossing my winter cap back and forth like it was a football. I was forced in the middle of this game of keep away, unable to stop it. It was an old trick used for decades by bullies but on that day it was new to me and it was infuriating.

  "What are you gonna do Hutch? Fall on the ground and cry about it?" The incident at the high school field with Dale didn't bother me half as much as the lies and gossip that followed. The prevailing story about our fight was that I was a coward who chickened out until three "Friends" tricked me out of my house. They dragged me to the field where Dale beat me into the ground. According to numerous accounts I curled up in a ball and cried like a baby. My side of the story was irrelevant.

  "Charlie! You have three seconds!" I stopped playing their game and started walking towards one kid. If he wanted to see tears so badly, perhaps this was the time for redemption. Charlie could see the fire in my eyes. I probably wasn't a threat but I felt like it. I wanted to be fearsome.

  "Here, have it." Charlie caught the hat and threw it in a mud puddle then stepped on it as they both ran away. I went to reach for the knit cap but it was drenched and disgusting. It was there I learned that kids are like dogs. They can smell fear. They can sense weakness and they mercilessly exploit it.

  Had it just been Charlie and Don, I wouldn't have cared that much but the violence was expanding. It felt like everyone was sniffing for a fight. Another former friend pushed me when we were walking home from school. I pushed him back so he punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. In history class the kid who sat behind me kept kicking my seat. I told him to stop. In between classes he held me against the green board and slapped me with an eraser until I was covered with chalk. I couldn't stop either of them. My mind imagined winning fights but in real life my body was awkwardly thin and weak even for someone my age.

  The final blow came when a girl named Lisa, who had physically matured early, decided that she too was stronger than I. She manhandled me in an effort to prove it. I was more confused than hurt. I was told never to hit a girl so even though she was larger and stronger I didn't fight back. She slammed me repeatedly into the air conditioners below the school windows as other students cheered her on. It was then that the teacher returned.

  "Mr. Hutchinson, what are you doing?"

  "Um, I don't...she..."

  "Lisa, was he bothering you?"

  "Yes Mrs. Steed." She replied respectfully, "Alex thought he was better than me."

  "So you felt the need to prove him wrong." There was snicker from the class. "Get in your seat."

  I was returning to my desk, overwhelmed by a sense of humiliation but I was also feeling something else. Something new was growing inside me, a primal resolve, a twisted sickness born of injustice.

  "Mr. Hutchinson, come to the front of the class." Why! Why me? Never before in my short life had I felt this way. It was like a clawed hand was squeezing my heart making me want to scream. To roar at anyone, everyone, for anything! I needed to rip away the veil of shyness and perception of weakness that made me a target for their cruelties. I was feeling rage and the more desperate I became, the stronger it grew.

  I stood before her desk with the sound of blood pumping in my ears. Mrs. Steed spoke with dull authority, a warning perhaps, I'm not sure. My eyes had locked on an item of greater importance. In the open top drawer of her desk, next to the poetry book that started all of this trouble, there lay an item I had spied once before. Back then I wasn't sure if it was real but now, in clear sight I could see the handgun. I didn't know teachers could keep handguns in their desks. I wasn't sure why she had it but I knew that I needed it. I was absolutely certain that a gun would solve all of my problems. Now I just had to find a way to steal it.