Pearsonally Speaking

Category: Essays

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Biography / Blog / Essays / History / Science

Humboldt at 250

Recently I have been re-reading one of the first true old-school scientists I read in my youth.  The writings of Alexander von Humboldt were pointed out to me during my first year of HS, as the then-topical scientist Carl Sagan had released his book Cosmos and the PBS 13-part documentary series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage”. Luckily, the librarian engaged me about my interests, and with science and the writings of Carl Sagan being top on my mind, she pointed me to a dusty book also called Kosmos, but written with even more depth than Sagan’s accessible prose, though extreme in detail. ...

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Blog / Essays / Far-Right Politics / Politics / Scumbags

Trump’s Messaging to American Racists

On Sunday, July 14, 2019, the person with the highest position in the world stooped to one of the lowest positions in the world: telling his opposition in Congress to [paraphrasing] ‘go back to their countries’. This hate-filled trope has been a common racist call – originally leveled at the Irish, Jewish, Italian and even African-descended immigrants – for over a century. Members of my family used to use it in regards to the Mexican-descended family across the street, despite being model citizens and neighbors and being entirely born here in the US. The same call was leveled against Muslims (even...

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Blog / Essays / History / Science

Pop Population

Of the Census years I have been alive, America’s population has certainly grown, but it has also shifted.  In 1970 there were 6 American cities with a population of more than 1 million.  They include the typical big 3 we would always think of: NYC, Chicago and LA, in that order.  At that time the list also included Philadelphia, my birth town of Detroit, and Houston, which had just hit the million-resident mark with that Census. In 1980 that number stayed the same with NYC, Chicago and Philadelphia losing a combined 1,445,504 residents.  The listing places for the 4 top cities...

Easily Shattered 1

Blog / Essays

Resolving Resolutions

Certainly the most common promise to ourselves we break are New Year’s resolutions.  I resolve to have the resolve to resolve the resolution of my resolutions. Uhh…I think. 7.  Finishing + + One of these days, I’ll stop procrastinating.  But just not right now. Of course I have to do something.  And quick.  For quite a while I’ve put off taking the 2 tests, and receiving the 2 certifications, I need to begin making more money with haste.   A burgeoning financial dilema approaches, and I will — hopefully before things become desperate — be eligible for either an internal or...

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Biography / Blog / Essays / History / SciFi

Harlan Ellison, RIP

a remembrance HARSH LANGUAGE AHEAD.  MAYBE. As I recall, I was a wee 12 years of age when I first read the short story ‘”Repent, Harlequin”, Said the Ticktockman’.  Having heard about the famous short story from others, and conveniently holding a collection of short sci-fi, I must have read it twice that day.  At least. Eventually, as my immersion is sci-fi fandom became deeper, I collected and consumed his paperback short story collections in my later teen years, oftentimes from Waldenbooks in Southgate Mall, and increasingly from the huckster table mazes at sci-fi conventions in SE Michigan.  Second copies of...

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'Star Wars' / Blog / Essays / Movie Reviews and Essays / Movies & TV / SciFi

The Force Has Awakened

Yes, Everything Old Is New Again WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD, BUT I PROMISE NOT TOO, TOO MANY Mea Culpa Voluntaria I am proud to say many things regarding my moderately-immersive involvement in the universe known as Star Wars (although ‘galaxy’ would be more retentively accurate). I have seen every movie, excepting the first made, on opening day. The first, the original Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope), had to wait about a week for this young padawan’s presence. I did, however see it in one of the first limited-run 70mm prints. Wow. I have been alone in an elevator with the...

Blog / Child Abuse / Essays / History / Religion / Science

“Is It Farther Than The Stars?”

Puffs of Smoke “Why do they hate her?” Coda   {n.b.: This post is in limbo/suspension until a certain matter can be worked out. Until then, just go elsewhere.} note: this essay, in a slightly different form, appeared in one of my published works, this time in a collection of essays by a regional Atheism group who shall here remain nameless, as I otherwise love and respect them and their Director. However, my essay, and only my essay, was changed, chopped up, and indescribably mangled. I sent the editor, and copied to the Director, my concerns as to why I was...

Marcos Perez, Scumbag Extraordinaire

"Christian Victimization" / Blog / Child Abuse / Essays / Far-Right Politics / Politics / Scumbags

Marcos Perez, Scumbag Extraordinaire

We don’t yet know, above all, what the world might be like if children were to grow up without being subjected to humiliation, if parents would respect them and take them seriously as people. ― Alice Miller The first reality in some of today’s most prevalent “news” stories — far too often proffered, polished and promoted by any mental midget with a cell phone camera or computer — is the lack of objectivity accompanied by its unthinking acceptance by an uncritical populace unequipped to filter differences in importance between civil wars in Middle Eastern countries and Lady GaGa’s latest hair color....

Blog / Essays / Green Party / Politics

Why I Party (Mostly) Green

Why I Party Green by Paul Pearson, posted at Pearsonally Speaking (delta9marketing.com/pearsonally) on Sept. 10, 2012 this post is still in the works “Huh?” “What?” “Who’s that?” “Is s/he Democrat or Republican?” “Whoever heard of him/her?” Such are the responses I receive when I answer — when queried about my voting choices — who will be getting my single, lonely selection on election day. Let’s just face it. Most Americans have barely heard of the Green Party, or only faintly remember Ralph Nader’s runs against Bush II in 2000 and 2004 (blamed both times for shifting Dems and independents away from...

The 5-Minute Hate Session

"Christian Victimization" / Blog / Essays / Far-Right Politics / History / Politics / Religion / Scumbags

The 5-Minute Hate Session

The 5-Minute Hate I am reticent to admit it, but sometime, I give “the other side” a chance. Note the dichotomous language here, as if I represent one side, and “the other side” is a creature of a different color, a   As soon as my dial hit 88.3, KAFR, on the FM dial in Houston, I knew what was being said was, to say the least, not at all near the truth. The day is August 27, 2012, and I was on my way to work. Scanning the radio for some interesting talk, I stopped it on Bryan Fischer’s show...