Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Life is hard, but you are NOT alone!

Not asleep yet. So many emotions. Third friend/classmate in three years who's taken his own life. Troubled. I'm so troubled. Full of sadness and frustration.

Life is hard. It's so freaking hard! I know this because the past four years have been HELL for us in this family. There are times when I haven't wanted to get out of bed or even wake up the next day and face another day of b.s. and soul-crushing challenges. But nobody ever promised me that life would be easy, and although it's rough terrain, I have no idea what awaits me over the next mountain pass (so to speak) and I'm not giving up on this journey until I see what the next roadside attraction is.

I don't know what YOUR b.s. and soul-crushing challenges are, but every day IS another day...and all cycles end. Nothing stays the same forever. Some cycles are longer than others. Some cycles feel like an eternity (believe me, I'm in the middle of one of them!) I just know that, although it doesn't seem like it right now, you CAN make it and you CAN get past these things you're dealing with.

Please, please listen to me: I can't do much, but if you are having a hard time and you need to talk to someone -- if you're to the point of NO RETURN -- please get in touch with me or at least talk to someone...please reach out...please don't cross that line of no return. Okay? Please do this for me, friend? Here is a number you should write down and put where you have it at all times. Memorize it or do whatever...just USE it, if need be:

1 (800) 273-8255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Languages: English, Spanish
Website: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Life can be dark, painful, disturbing, and any number of other things. But think of life as a book full of chapters, full of pages, full of plot twists. You are the author. You are writing this book. You can't control everything, but you can control your part and how you react or act upon things.

Look, I can be blunt at times and come off as an a-hole at other times, but deep inside, I'm really not. You matter. You freaking matter, okay? Believe it. Know it. We have more laughs to share here...and if I haven't offended you yet, then you HAVE to stick around, 'cause I'm trying! *smile* Plus I have more dirty jokes to post and crazy stuff to share.

In all seriousness, you're gonna be okay. You got this. Promise. And if you need to lean on others to find your strength again, then take my hand...and someone else's...and someone else's beyond that. It's okay if you feel fragile, weak, worn out. You're human. We all are. And until you can find the strength to support yourself and stand strong again, there are those of us out there who will help you stand.

Reach out...my hand is waiting.

Friday, September 18, 2015

[Infographic] Global Literacy is Everyone's Concern

Literacy Day

Infographic courtesy of Grammarly.

Meet the Sninchaks!



Meet the Sninchaks is a blog that covers the daily (and sometimes odd) life and thoughts of Bev & Paul Sninchak, word nerd wife and tech geek husband. 

We like books, art, B-horror movies, most types of music (NO country!), World of Warcraft, pets, and binge-watching Netflix. 

As you may have guessed, we're also introverts. You'll probably never see us at a loud party or a raucous event, unless it's a heavy metal show. You never know what you'll find on our blog, but stick around and you'll find out.


A Conversation with Penn Jillette 09/01 by TheThinkingAtheist | Education Podcasts

A Conversation with Penn Jillette 09/01 by TheThinkingAtheist | Education Podcasts

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Elemental Muse rides -- or broadcasts -- again (but with a slight twist)! 09/14 by Bev Sninchak | Writing Podcasts

My podcast "The Elemental Muse rides--or broadcasts--again (but with a slight twist)!" just aired 09/14/2015 at BlogTalkRadio.

To listen to the archived show & see details for future shows, click the link below or visit my show page at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nocturnalmusings

The Elemental Muse rides -- or broadcasts -- again (but with a slight twist)! 09/14 by Bev Sninchak | Writing Podcasts

Monday, September 14, 2015

Do good for good's sake, whenever possible

Never understood why I end up talking to strangers about their problems under the weirdest circumstances. A depressed and nearly suicidal college guy was playing in WoW and was obviously in need of help.

Everyone ignored him and he said, "Well, I guess I should quit college and hang myself." Yes, he could've been joking...but a longtime friend and classmate of mine, Harold Hitt, committed suicide in August 2012 and it's haunted me ever since. I should've picked up the phone and called to see how he was doing. I should've done something...even if it didn't stop him in the long run and he killed himself anyway.

Another friend, Terry, committed suicide a couple years ago. I only knew him through Livejournal, but I'd been online friends with him for years.

Both of those events still haunt me. So when I watched this situation unfold in World of Warcraft, I couldn't just be silent and ignore him. So I talked to him for about a half-hour. Found out he was drunk and depressed, feeling like his real-life friends had abandoned him and were ignoring him.

Anyway, those are the basics -- but I talked to him, then another person joined in the conversation as well. The end result was that the depressed college fellow said he was feeling better, and that what we told him made sense, and that he was going to log off and seek out his friends and do something that made him feel better.

I'm not sure what will or won't happen. I can only be sure that I tried to help in some way -- as did the other person. Before he left, he told both of us that we seemed 'legit' and like decent people, and he thanked us.

I hope he has a better day tomorrow, and all days after that. I never want to hear about a person I know (or become acquainted with) committing suicide or being ignored when they're depressed.

I suffer from major depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Without my family and friends, I may not have been here to this day. But I am. And as long as I'm here, if I can do a good deed that helps someone else -- even if they don't know me -- that's what matters.

Do good for good's sake, whenever possible. It may save someone's life.

Another person died yesterday because of a selfish jerk

A main intersection up the street from us at Circle and Uintah was the scene of a tragic accident yesterday. A drunk driver ran a red light, hit a car w/ two people, and the passenger in that car died. The driver sustained injuries, but will survive.

I keep thinking about that accident because we use that intersection all the time. It could've been any of us or one of our friends/neighbors! Alcohol and speed are to blame. Makes me sick. unsure emoticon Two people probably running an errand or doing something mundane and some dickhead had to get all liquored up and injure/kill innocent people.

I hear people gripe about marijuana all the time, but I guarantee you'll find more tragedy connected with drunk driving than MJ. It's NOT weed that's the TRUE scourge. When it comes to destroying lives and killing innocent people, alcohol is unparalleled in its taste for destruction.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Recruiting for The Nazzgul (Horde guild on World of Warcraft)


I'm not only a writer, I'm also an avid gamer. Sharing the following post on this blog in case anybody might be interested in joining:

Although I rarely play my Horde characters on World of Warcraft, I guess that's gonna change as of NOW.

Signed on earlier tonight to play my character Adrasteia (she's a retribution paladin). Discovered I was still in a guild, but the guild master left four years ago and the guild was inactive. So I'm now Guild Master of The Nazzgul on the realm of Elune.

Paul & I are looking to recruit more guild members, too! This is a casual, friendly guild for players who just want to get on and play without all the b.s. gaming politics and stupidity.

We are NOT a hardcore raiding guild and we don't have scheduled events going on every night (I've got a life to lead + writing, work, and editing to do.)

If you or someone you know is looking for a laid-back guild on World of Warcraft, you can find us on Elune. Again, the guild name is The Nazzgul. I'm the Guild Master and Paul's character, Radu, is Asst. Guild Master.

Message me here or in-game (or drop me an e-mail at scribequill -at- gmail.com) and let me know if you want to join. I also just finished adding The Nazzgul to the WoW guild list so people can find us there as well.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Nothing is paranormal, because SCIENCE.

After conducting over 100 investigations with our paranormal team, Colorado Springs Paranormal Association (C.S.P.A.), I've come to realize that some people dislike when Paul and I tell them that, in our opinion, X or Y isn't paranormal, and the claims they're making can be explained by mundane means.

They want the Hollywood creepy stuff; they want the 'woo-woo.' They want it so much that they manufacture it, even subconsciously. Most of us have done that. I sure have -- countless times!

As I've said before in other posts, I do not believe anything is truly paranormal or supernatural. To me, it's all natural and can be explained by science -- if not now, then eventually. 

All the amazing events that happen in our universe -- and beyond -- are still awe-inspiring, thrilling, and magickal, even without the 'woo-woo' attached to it.