Monday, August 28, 2017

R.I.P. Jerry Lewis

I'm guessing the late Jerry Lewis was plenty pissed with that Jerry Sandusky fellow.
Namely because, for decades, the term "Jerry's kids" was synonymous with Lewis' annual televised Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy marathon.  But after the revelations of the Sandusky fiasco the sick jokes came out of the woodwork.

One question:  Why did it take so long for everyone to "figure out" what that Sandusky guy was up to?

Oh-h-h, yeah!! ...Of course!! ....
Jerry Sandusky was a "respectable" "upstanding" upper-middle-class professional type.  "Credible" and "respectable".  Not the type who is "supposed to" engage in such lasciviousness, especially habitually.
Naturally they had to "reclassify" him, "demote" him to the lowest social-status category possible.
Society's all about profiling and pigeonholing you know ......
Society is ...
people with peculiar quirks who make fun of you for being "weird"

Society is ...
contemptuous and condescending assholes who condemn you for your "lack of empathy" or for your "lack of consideration for others"

Society is ...
hysteria-ridden individuals who shun you on account of your "mental illness"
  Two things to know about the rules and the laws ...

A) You really have to "walk on eggs" at all times ....watch whatever you say or whatever you do, as you're always subject to arrest anytime---or at least eviction or banishment ...for you're constantly under penalty of law

B)  Others around you are allowed to pretty much do as they like and go anywhere they please, as somehow they're not under the same martial laws you are

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

                           Adage #3 For Today
Those who make the rules and write the laws are those who will, for example, make it an offense to "disturb the peace by making sudden unexpected loud noises"
...then proceed to start sticking someone repeatedly with a sharp object.
                                           Adage #2 For Today
What I hate most about the world is the way it's run by and for bigots, tyrants, tricksters, hypocrites, and the eternally clueless
                           Adage #1 For Today
                There's only one way anyone should ever have  a problem.
                                  And that way is "Solved!".

Thursday, August 10, 2017

 Let's hope the eclipse doesn't eclipse the world's better judgment
August 21st promises to be a(nother) "world event"---a "once-in-a-lifetime experience".  A total solar eclipse transpiring in a good 1/3 of the U.S..

It shows how cosmically provincial humanity is, even to this day.  Everything is so earthcentric.  That's why two to five minutes of darkness in either mid-morning or mid-day is such a cause for celebration.

Some are even attributing metaphysical elements to this event, like it's somehow "ushering in a new age for mankind".

Certainly the Gods are responsible for this act.  It stands to reason that the ones who/that created everything, likewise, are the ones who/that established all cosmic patterns of the universe, including the patterns of our own solar system.

But this pattern and all other patterns have been preset hundreds of millions of years ago.   It's part of an overall pattern of which our solar system's is but integral.

My only actual concern about this event is the "tourist attraction" aspect.   That could be a disaster in the making.
       Contempt for Construction Obstruction
As I've said before, one thing I detest about all this excessive construction all around me is the way they have to tear up every place all at once, the way I have to go a dozen blocks to the left, 4 more to the right, then a dozen to the right---just to walk somewhere a few blocks up.
Then, once one figures out a good detour these assholes start tearing up THOSE streets and sidewalks, practically fencing me in so I can't go anywhere.

That's what I hate about American society.  Once one figures out a good compromise the system has to block that path as well.  It's like any portals you discover they have to destroy as soon as possible.  Society just doesn't want its citizens to have the right to just simply live.

The biggest mistake one can make is assuming everything their society builds and creates is for their use and benefit.   But, just as women dress up and doll themselves up NOT to "attract men" but for each other to "see who can look the most polished", likewise societies are trying to see which ones can have the most advanced technology, or have the most sophisticated highway system, or have the leading edge in medical research, or have the world's best public transportation system, or the most sophisticated and functional international airports, and the like.

Their civilian population are but incidental beneficiaries of such egotistic endeavors.

Song Analysis: Do What You Do Do Well

This 1965 country crossover hit by Ned Miller about an affectionate and philosophical father imparts some essential advice that can pertain to just about anyone:

That whatever it is you find you have a strong aptitude or penchant for you should make strong efforts to enhance and exemplify that aspect of yourself.

Even if you don't have what it takes to be a scientist, historian, or medical researcher, it doesn't matter.
If you have a penchant for making designs, or for drawing, or writing, focus on those attributes and try to be the best you can be at those.  That'll be your merit in life.




On a separate note ....
A CeleDeath:  Glen Campbell, one of the best vehicles for a few of songwriter Jimmy Webb's best songs, died Tuesday.
And HE leaves behind quite a legacy, as do many other recording acts who've passed away within the last few years.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

                                            Unbridled Synergism
Richard J. Daley, Chicago's illustrious 5 1/3-term mega-mayor, might have been among the most corrupt politicians, with his mob ties and the use of "dirty money" to fund a lot of his agendas, but he was also known for being quite resolute in his convictions and also quite meticulous in the way he often carried out those agendas of his.

Take, for example, his commitment to the city's park and recreation systems.
During the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention protest riots at Lincoln Park and Grant Park he would put the orders out to his minions in the maintenance division of the Parks and Recreation Department to thoroughly clean up and restore the parks back to a level of cleanliness and manicured perfectionism each night after all the participants, protesters, media and police departed the premises.

And thorough the maintenance crews were.  Every piece of litter, down to each and every candy wrapper and cigarette butt, picked up.  And the grounds completely scrubbed down.   All within mere hours.
Anyone who visited either park the very next day would never guess the day before there were violent demonstrations and police confrontations if they hadn't already heard about it on the news or read about it in the papers.  That's how good a job Daley's administration performed.

No matter how anyone feels about Richard J Daley, no matter how much of a bastard one thinks he was, one has to admit this level of synergy is the stuff of the most idealistic of dreams in terms of organization and functionality.  Very rarely does one find this kind of cooperation, even within organizations, institutions, or workplaces (NASA's Apollo program being among the exceptions, naturally).
                     Ohio Suicide Fare State Fair
These days nothing seems to work or function properly ...
*Air bags in vehicles that shoot out sharp metal fragments when inflated
*Shoes that wear out completely after 6 months of use
*Constant recalls on vehicles and consumer products
*Improperly installed underground cable wire and gas pipes
*Shoddy repair jobs
*Incompetent public servants and a system that doesn't work
*Commercial and public transportation that's inadequate and falls short of serving the needs of passengers
*Poor craftsmanship, bad design, and second-rate materials used to build consumer products
*Public utility companies that overcharge and provide poor service

And it's only been getting worse and worse every time one turns around.
One can add amusement rides to the ever-expanding list now.
What happened at the Ohio State Fair a week ago is a prime example.  An exotic ride literally falls apart at the seams during mid-operation.  Like it was made of LEGOs, Lincoln Logs, or Tinker Toys.

It is called the Fire Ball.  It is one wild ride.  In fact a bit feral.
And, true to it's namesake, this ride is sparking some hot debate about safety procedures, regulations and standards.

To me it's a case of "style over substance" or, as Ralph Nader used to say about the automotive industry, "style over safety".

It's another violation of what one might refer to as "the trust element".
When one buys a food item they expect to not get poisoned.
When one plugs in an appliance one expects to not get electrocuted or set their residence on fire.
When one uses a shampoo or hand soap one expects to not suffer chemical burns.
When one uses a household cleaning product one expects to not find themselves overwhelmed by toxic fumes.

When one goes on an amusement ride one expects to not suddenly get their ass thrown out into the air 20 feet above ground to fall straight down onto hard pavement.

Having a trust element in such a corrupt society such as ours is a bit of a tall order though.

Song Analysis: The Entertainer

This 1965 hit by Tony Clarke concerns a stage actor who recently broke up with his girlfriend and is now so depressed and downcast he feels he "can't go on".

But he's reminded that once one makes a commitment to others, that when others are counting on him, he can't back down on that promise.

A true professional understands that once one assumes a position of either authority or servitude one can't allow their personal issues to interfere with carrying out their prior commitments.

Even in everyday life there are expectations placed on the individual, and one can't just "stop whatever it is they're doing" every time something "comes up" in their life.