Recently I had to re-edit a few of my early posts in order to correct a misspelling of one word.

That word being "voila".  I had it spelled "v.i.o.l.a." all this time, and thus had to track down a few old posts to retroactively fix a long-standing error (some posts dating back to 2011, 2012, and 2014)

...or, put another way:  I never meant to imply that one has a desire to "play Mozart or Mendelssohn on a stringed instrument" any time a revelation hits them, something seemingly happens out of the blue, or upon discovering a hidden truth or fact that's been right under their nose all this time.

                         The problem with surveillance:
They'll install hidden cameras in alleyways to catch muggers and drug dealers, but the ones who end up getting nailed are those who urinate in the bushes because they couldn't make it home from the bar or late-night coffee shops soon enough.

The age of Unbridled Anarchism

What is it with so many people these days anyway?

At a downtown intersection the signs clearly state NO TURNS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7:00 A.M. AND 6:00 P.M. MON-FRI
...yet, at around noontime or 1:00 P.M. or so I'll see one asshole turning right and another turning left, even with a plethora of pedestrians crossing.  Not to mention the signs are supplemented by additional ones with those cartoon arrows inside a circle with a slash across them.

...and idiots who play basketball on public sidewalks, tossing the ball back and forth across the street to each other---on a major boulevard, with heavy motor vehicle traffic.
What's the deal?  Not enough parks in the city to play in?

...and idiot skateboarders who cruise down the middle of the main drags, tying up traffic.


I remember when I was hitchhiking all over the country back in 1979, how vigilant the merchants and restaurants were toward loitering.
One night I was "stranded" at a Denny's in a Los Angeles suburb off the Interstate (maybe I-5 or I-405), trying to nurse a cup of coffee for as long as I could.
After a couple of hours or so the waitress at the counter---not a manager, but the waitress, mind you----went all "gestapo" on me and warned me that "we don't allow loitering here" and that I'd better get on my way.
...and she was NOT very friendly about it either.  In fact she was militant, menacing, and a bit threatening and intimidating.
One note:  Back then this was actually quite the norm, not the exception.  Especially if you looked like a "bum" or "no-count" type.

                                 My "Liberal" Side 
I have my own set of arguments for favoring the concept of Socialized Medicine.

For starters: Freedom of choice

Buying a television, or a car, or a laptop, tablet, or a new phone is one thing.  They're nice things to have.  However, one isn't going to die or succumb to illness or bad health if they do without such things.  They're mere objects of desire, not essentials.

On the other hand, an infection, a major illness or affliction, an abscessed tooth are things that HAVE TO be dealt with, PERIOD!!!  NO MATTER WHAT!!!!
They're not a matter of "desire" or free choice or whimsy.  If not taken care of these problems will or could jeopardize not only one's overall physical health but could also lead to potential life-threatening situations.

Health matters are not something to be toyed with by obsessions with the ethos of financial, political, or social protocols.
They should be kept separate from the "marketplace" mindset normally applied to the realm of consumer products and services.  They should be viewed and regarded as necessities unconditionally provided to all.

                      My "Conservative" Side
As insensitive as it may sound I'm all for cracking down on the influx of illegals randomly coming into the U.S..

Okay, sure, along the way there's bound to be a good number of individuals who get hurt in the process of enforcing the immigration and entry laws, among them those who's only crime was when they entered U.S. territory.

And how are those in charge of these operations to tell the difference between actual legitimate families and unscrupulous types with ulterior motives who may (for example) use abandoned children as decoys to pass off as their own sons or daughters for the purposes of entering to engage in illicit activities?

And, being so overwhelmed by all these desperate souls perpetually pouring into our territory by the score, spurred on by all manners of false promises of the U.S. as a "land of salvation", just WHAT kind of accommodations CAN be provided for tens of thousands who seemingly flood in all at one time?

Also...
What about the social climate of THIS country, the U.S.?
And if any one of us, who are adversely affected by the trends currently transpiring here due to our financial or social standing being low-scale, should wish to escape OUR desperate situation, what should WE do?  Stow away on a merchant ship, maybe headed to New Zealand (or wherever else)?
And does one not think the local constabularies in those places might be all too glad to "bust a few 'illegal' heads" upon discovering their unauthorized presence?

                                                   Absurdity  5
What is it with these drivers who stop at a STOP sign, wait for all of 1/10 of a second if there's no cross traffic, then proceed through the intersection
...even if there's a pedestrian stepping out to cross the street?

Newsflash guys:  A STOP sign means you have to wait for the coast to be completely clear before you continue on.  Not just of other vehicles, but also of persons on foot (or on bicycle) as well.

And, speaking of bicyclists:  Shouldn't some of you bicyclists out there be just as obliged to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk as the motorists are?  Just wondering.





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Song Analysis: God Bless The Child

This song was co-written (and first recorded) by Billie Holiday and later became a non-single hit (never released on a 45-RPM) for the group Blood Sweat and Tears.

The phrase "God bless the child who's got his own" refers not to offspring who have children of their own, but, rather, to the son (or daughter) who has been successful in establishing a life of their own---one who has his own home, who's able to earn their own money and take care of their own finances, one who's been successful at establishing a niche or trade of their own or has succeeded at being able to make a living at a common profession or occupation.
That "child who's got his own".

The child who never gets himself together, or figures out how to "game the system" to his advantage, and is still in need of help and handouts into and during adulthood is looked upon as being a burden to not only his parents but to the society he lives in as well.

"Them that's got shall have, them that's not shall lose".  
That's because societies always reward the successful and abandon the failures and "nobodies" (who are unable or unwilling to contribute to the "general good").
In other words, those who already have what they need society further helps out and assists, while those who actually need a helping hand and backing end up being trashed and forsaken.
The references to The Bible are quite appropriate, as the only thing that's changed since Biblical times are advances in medicine and technology
...human nature still remains pretty much the same.