Throwing Pearls To Swine

                       "It's a crime of divinity the way the Heavens smile on some while being so cruel to others"


Have you noticed the most prosperous and privileged have the most formal education yet the least imagination, perspective, and insight?

Those in charge of the Internet would like to have it join the ranks of all the other media outlets:
full of advertisement, homogenized, blase, "nonthreatening".

No web site or blog site too controversial or exposing or too candid about critical things.
Nothing too analytical.
If it would be in their power to do so they'd shut down such sites, or make accessing the web as difficult as possible for any "heretics" and any other dubious of the "system of things".

The Internet would eventually become sort of a "MacBook club", so to speak, as those who can afford the best gadgets and accessories for such tend to be among those upper-middle-class types who have never been in need or want of anything and have little or no concept of dealing with an existence where "the cards are stacked against you" or where one "has to put themselves out that much more" to get by.
And, as such, put out web sites and blog sites with first-rate layouts and the fanciest designs, but whose content is vapid and superficial...all provincial fluff:  vainglorious testimonies to self-celebrations---all you ever wanted to know about them, their friends, their relatives, where they go to school, what they had to eat the night before.

But---write about anything meaningful, or about things of substance, and you're either boring and too tedious...or either offensive, menacing, or "uncooperative"...or some kind of rabble-rouser of sorts.

Just like with any other kinds of media, whoever's in charge of the Internet wants it's contents to be "clean", "innocent", and "correct-minded".
Sooner or later the bonafide "normal" and "whitewashed" will also own the web the same way they do everything else in this world of ours.

Happy X-mess

My Christmas meals for today:

Morning:
Cheddar Cheese; Choclolate Chip Cookie; Banana; Coffee

Evening:
Chef Boyardee; Uncle Ben's "Ready Rice" (Creamy Four Cheese); Frozen Broccoli Spears and Brussels Sprouts; and a Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich.

Yum! 

So...what are you people having for dinner this Christmas day?

More Myopic Musings and Annoying Adages

Someone once quipped:  "Why would anyone want to 'steal my identity'?  I'm a convicted felon, the only jobs I've ever held were menial ones---restaurants, warehouses...the most I've ever had to my name was somewhere around $2000---give-or-take.  And never much in the way of a 'love life'---a 'one-night-stand' or two."


Most people one runs into don't seem to have much in the way of having a "sense of boundaries" except for when THEY'RE the ones who are being violated.  THEN they suddenly "become conscious of" the fact that "others have rights too".
But when THEY'RE the ones being imposing they're usually oblivious to it. (Unless you point it out to them---in which case they get annoyed at your "being oversensitive", or something along that line.)


I get so tired of everything in life.  Most things I rely on seem to be little more than a bunch of "broken light switches".  They don't work like they should.


The best things in life are either those which are easy to navigate or whose "surprises" are along the line of serendipities.


Most things in life are about as trustworthy as setting your car on cruise-control when taking a cross-country trip on the interstate so you can catch some sleep on the way without having to stop, figuring "Hey, what the hell---no stop signs or traffic lights. Straight shot all the way".


In response to the massacre in Newtown Conn.:
"Should we start sending our kids to school with bulletproof backpacks?"
By all means, why not?  Even if we can't save the little brats' asses, at least other kids could use a few nice resilient backpacks.


A great idea for reducing the crime rate:
Stigmatize ALL offenses the same way they do "sex offenses".
Approach all types of criminal activities and wrongdoings with the same type of dogmatisms they now levy on the average "sex offender".
If any kind of "offender" automatically finds themselves "transformed" into becoming some sort of "social leper" it would take all the "glamour" away from, for example, gang memberships---or drug-dealing---or identity theft...

Jesus, the temple, government, consumerism,and businesses---or my way of saying "Merry Christmas"

When you buy a product or pay for certain services is it because you desire to make whoever owns the business or service provider "that much wealthier" out of your own pocket?
...or is it because of the promise of obtaining a quality product or recieving first-rate service at a reasonable price?

I'm betting the second reason is why you would bother at all to invest any of your good money in a product or service provider.

That's from the viewpoint of the consumer.
But apparently the viewpoint of the business and political factions are quite different.  They seem to abide by the notion that most people are suckers, meant to be taken advantage of.  That businesses only exist to see how much profit they can accumulate by fleecing consumers while going through the charades of providing goods and services when what they're actually doing is putting out second-rate products, a lot of them under reputed brand names which, at one time, had merit and used to live up to their reputation...and also providing second-rate services but still charging an-arm-and-a-leg for doing so, all while feigning "professionalism".
And then there are the politicians misappropriating taxpayer dollars for their own personal use, or to pay for secret projects that are totally irrelevant to the general wellbeing and functionalities of society-in-general.

One knows the story of Jesus "clearing the temple" of all the "moneychangers".
He walks in only to find the sacred temple He founded in His name having been taken over by scam artists and charlatans taking advantage of the loyalties of the congregations and church members.
Outraged He just ups and "lets them all 'have it'", turning over tables, throwing items across the room, and eventually physically tossing a few of the asshole con-artists themselves out onto the streets.  (I think, contrary to the stereotypical representation of His physical appearance as is so many depictions of the man, Jesus was more-than-likely one of those hefty muscular types.)

Anyway, it's Christmas---presumably celebrating the birthdate of Jesus
...nevermind the fact that He was actually born sometime during spring as opposed to during early winter.

Now---if Jesus were to return at this moment...would he toss out the "moneychangers" who run both our major businesses(i.e.: corporations) and government factions?
Return us to the concept of "businesses primarily existing to earn their profits by providing quality goods and good services at reasonable prices" and "governments existing to serve their citizens and take care of it's land, both the natural and man-made physical entities".

2012:

The worst year for anyone named "Sandy".

Hurricane Sandy ...Sandy Hook.

Never has a proper name been so circumstantially unintentionally desecrated.

Too Many Liberties, Too Few Boundaries

"So long as you're willing to put up with me, I'll put up with anything you do.
However, if you start getting all 'zero-tolerance' jackboot with me, I'll take that to be a 'declaration of war' on me."

...hopefully a "cold war" and not a "full-frontal" type conflict.

The way most people are brought up in this culture:
to be self-important, self-righteous, despotic and domineering...

...obsessed with what they "have a right to" do, say, or go and be.
Everything is about their "rights" and entitlements...always deserving the best, always unconditionally entitled to "respect" and consideration (even when not returning the same themselves)---with "the right to" retaliate in a strongarm manner (or enlist someone else to do so on their behalf) or make extortionistic threats to take such actions ("You have a right to defend yourself." "Don't let anybody mess with you." "Stand your ground---you're #1: remember that.") if anyone should dare do or say anything unpleasant or "offensive" to them, always "right all the time"---if they like something (book, movie, song, TV show, etc) it's because it's great...if something doesn't appeal to them that means it's either crappy or something's wrong with it---they don't have "opinions" or "viewpoints" like others...they're smart and sane enough to tell what's "meritable" and what's either "disposible" or "mediocre"---if they decide they "don't like you" it's probably because of some "character flaw" on your part and not because of any prejudices or judgmentalisms they themselves may have (of course they're not "prejudice"---they're perfect, remember?), and always "in charge"---they "own everything" (the streets; the sidewalks; the aisles in stores, restaurants, laundromats) and you're always forced to either move around them or to get out of their way...

Sure, people are also taught about their "responsibilities" and "duties", but mainly as an "aside"---sort of like such things are among the "Catch-22"s of life, among the things to be suffered and disdained, the "necessary evils".

Such upbringing produces a "civilian monarch" mindset in which one develops a smug self-assured demeanor in which they assume they "deserve" whatever may be desirable or appealing to them, with covetry and jealousy for anyone who has whatever it may be that they desire which they don't possess---the feeling being along the lines of:  "Why is THIS person 'more worthy' of having that than me?  You know, I could put that item to better use than they ever could.  I should certainly be just as entitled as they are to it!"

It also creates this "Me first!" mindset of the kind that characterizes the likes of "Black Friday" or the aggressive driving habits that sometimes culminate in "road rage" incidents.
But, even in the most benign situations and circumstances you'll see the "silent contempt" in a lot of people's faces and in their demeanor's and body language...kind of like an ongoing "cold civilian war" that occasionally erupts into a "full-frontal" conflict.

This type of social climate---where others are adversaries and intruders instead of "fellow humans"---also creates a paranoid and defensive mindset among it's many occupants.
And the need to "defend" or "protect" onself and one's loved ones or associates.
And also what creates a need for "revenge" against those who dare to "offend" or threaten you (whether said threats are real or imagined)

Those "needs" are also what brings about a market for devices which enable one to both "protect" oneself and attack those either threatening or who are deemed "offensive", thus creating an opportunity for those who provide such to start and run successful and profitable businesses catering to these tendencies found in such a great number of individuals.

And with that in mind, I think all this talk about "stricter gun control" or even "banishing" certain types of guns, while it all SOUNDS rational and idealistic, is way shortsighted.  Even in the most unlikely event we actually would succeed in destroying the worst such weapons, we'd still be but creating yet another "prohibition" period, much like in the 1930s or with the "war-on-drugs".
The black market would not only pick up where the now-defunct legitimate companies left off, but all those assault rifles and such would eventually reappear on the streets again as the technology and knowledge, once developed, will never disappear...so the means and materials to rebuild and recreate such will always be an omnipresence.  Part of the price one pays for "progress".

And with human nature always being part of us, along with the mantras of "individual rights" and "personal rights" being preached as part of cultural norms and tradition further enhancing narcissism, hedonism, and hubris, there will always be the market for any kind of weapons of defense-and-attack, "the more effective the better".
And someone's going to the beneficiary of such a social and business climate.  It's simply a question of who they will be.

A ban on even the worst type of weapons, while appealing in the idealistic and moral sense, will only backfire and create another "prohibition period" with all the iniquities associated with such.

The System

...that "Frankenstein" of all civilizations from long before the pre-Biblical times to those of the present.

No matter who you are or what your livelihood is, you're codependent on "the system" of whatever country you reside in
...you don't dare defy it's laws without getting locked up or fined
...you have to follow it's traditions and agree with it's belief systems, dogmas and popular prejudices or face ostracization by your "fellow citizens"
It's the governments who control their countries, no matter which country one's talking about, or of what kind of "government" said country professes to have. Whatever those-in-charge say goes is going to be whatever goes down in that particular piece-of-regulated-collective-real-estate.

This is why I get irritated by those who complain about those who "use the system to leech off of the rest of society" and how they're "sick of paying taxes to support" such types.
Even if one does work-for-a-living, earning their own pay and such---it's only because the government who rules over wherever they live allows such interactive flexibility, allowing for a limited amount of free movement within their overall system.
The government could just-as-easiliy mandate that all their citizens work only for them and reward in basic amenities with sporadic amusements thrown in on-the-side.

And that currency one gets paid in:  the government created and produces it as well.  How much of it one's entitled to is based on predeterminations by both employer and other officials.
(Travel abroad, and this "money-of-yours" has to be exchanged for whatever amount of THEIR currency that other government decides is equivalent to whatever amount you have on you at the time.)

Furthermore, if one's employed that means one was dependent on another party (or other parties) to decide they were worth "taking a chance on" when considering someone to hire to fill a needed position.
What if they doubted you?  What if other potential employers doubted you as well?  And it took over a year for you to find employment?
Would you have simply rode it out, without food, money, shelter?  Then what?  Who would then hire a starving, stenchy sod so weak he couldn't even stand up?

For that matter, as far as "being employed" being an indication of whether one is "being productive" or not, let it be known that a lot of paid jobs are actually kind of useless---cliche rituals of menial tasks that don't really have any overall long-range benefit for others (or for much of anything).  And also that one can accomplish a lot simply working on a personal hobby (at their own expense, no less).

Even if one owns their own business---doing everything themselves, isn't there still a codependency on certain financial establishments trusting you enough to "take the risk of" loaning you out a certain percentage of their money in the good faith you'll be able to return it to them in good time?

The truth is we're all "leeches" to some extent.  Unless one's some kind of all-around genius, the aptitude to own and run a restaurant (for example) doesn't give one the aptitude to do construction work, or to take on plumbing, or lay down wiring and underground pipes and cables.
One would still be codependent on the system to provide streets, roads, bridges, utility services, to write and enforce laws that protect one from malicious actions of others (theft, robbery, vandalism etc).
And, in the case of restaurant ownership (or of any other type of shop ownership), one depends on their customer base determining their products and services are worth whateve they happen to charge for such, and being able and willing to do so as well.

And let's not forget that the government, being ultimately in charge, can decide whether or not you get to keep your earnings---either in part or in whole.  And there's nothing one can do about it.
Yes, taxes---love 'em or hate 'em.  Without them you'd have no roads or streets to drive on, nor any buses or subways to transport you to your destinations as well.  And, if someone were to break into your residence no police to report it to.

The word is "integral".  Remember that word, now.
It means everyone and everything is but a part of the whole.
It means everything isn't about just you---everyone and everthing else is in the "mix" as well.

Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats, Cats...Everywhere!

My brother lives about 40 miles away from this frumpy dumpy urban craphole I live in (my sister also lives in this urban dump as well).

Each Thanksgiving we visit him and his "godmother" former English professor he resides with (actually it's her place---well she and her late husband).

My sister has a romantic relationship with a former coworker (since retired), and she, me, him, and his 9-year-old grand-daughter cruise on out to visit my brother and the retired professor on this annual endeavor of ours.

I should also mention that my brother and his "godmother" have about 20 cats (give-or-take) on their farm.  And that they freely come-and-go in and out of the house at their own will (there's a little panel on the back window the cats use when the doors are closed).

Anyway, the granddaughter, when her teacher was asking the class what they "were doing for Thanksgiving" replied "Grandpa and me are going to the cathouse!"

Of course her embarrassed parents and grandfather had to explain what she meant by the "cathouse".

The reason she refers to it as the "cathouse" is simply because there's a plethora of pussies, that's all.

Who's that at the door?  Children's Services?  What do they want?

Enough Is Enough Already!

I'm gettting tired of reading about all of these dumbass "random shootings" in schools, shopping centers, restaurants, hardware stores, parking lots, county fairs, or wherever.

What's up with these people and what's up with this "firearm" obsession or theirs?

Seriously, I think it's high time the U.N. and the World Court enacted an "emergency" martial law mandate requiring 95% of the world's population be sterilized...even including nations which aren't part of the U.N.

There's just been "not enough to go around for everyone" for far too long now.
And what it's done to both the physical and social atmosphere is nothing short of catastrophic.
This world, it's societies, and it's inhabitants are so insufferable...and nobody's interested in doing anything to solve these long-ongoing issues.

As a private individual in my own right a demand to be able to reside in a wold that's actually LIVABLE

Finally honoring "The King Of Female Songwriters"

...or should that be the "queen" of female songwriters?

No matter.  Carole King is finally getting a little overdue recognition from the "powers-that-be", so to speak.

She is set to recieve the Library of Congress' Gershwin award---the first female songwriter to do so (we're making progress in the "gender equality" area---it's only the the second decade of the 21st century, and ALREADY...)

You might ask:  Why just Carole King?  There are plenty of other female singer-songwriters besides just her.

True, but how many of them can lay claim to having written songs recorded by the likes of:  Bobby Vee, Herman's Hermits, The Chiffons, Blood Sweat & Tears, The Carpenters, The Tokens (and The Rockin' Berries), The Drifters, The Righteous Brothers, The Cookies, The Shirelles, Aretha Franklin, Little Eva, The Animals, The Monkees... ?

Some people are just...you know..."extra special"...

So, what about Hannah Sabata?

I suppose by now everybody knows about the small-town upstart who stole a car, robbed a bank, and then boasted about her exploits on YouTube.

And, no doubt, everyone has their fair share of disparaging opinions about her
...her "elevator" doesn't quite "go to the top"
...or, maybe, she's psychopathic.

Truth be known, she more-than-likely has as normal an intelligence level as most anyone else.
And as far as being "psycho" that still wouldn't be enough to make her "different" either.
Everybody's a little "nutsy", because this world is so full of adversarial elements which are bound to impact an individual in one way or another.  If one's not a little "looney", then one's probably not even living.
Truth be known, she's probably about as sane as most anyone else.
You see, we all have our fantasies about doing outrageous and malicious things. Or of losing our inhibitions doing the forbidden in inappropriate places at inappropriate times. We all have our "wish lists" of things we'd do if only we "were invisible" or what-have-you. But most of us know the importance of self-restraint...of keeping our composure.

No, my friend, what Ms. Sabata is, is that she's simply 200% irresponsible---PERIOD!

You see, what she did was to try to "experiment" with life itself---using the world itself as her own "testing ground" ("What would happen if...?").

The problem with using the world itself as your own "laboratory" is that this world is probably the worst "guinea pig" one could ever choose for trying out one's unorthodoxic and/or subversive notions.
And it has no sense-of-humor and takes itself quite seriously to boot as well. 

Society's Motto:

"If there's a way to make things easier, more efficient, and more effective
WE'VE never heard of it."

Don't ever fall down a 30-foot hole, because your rescuers will cut off 30-feet of rope (to a tee), and three of them will be on one side (of the rope) to pull you up with the other side dangling 5 feet above your head, out-of-reach.
Of course they won't be able to figure out what went "wrong"
...all they'll figure is: Forget the rope. That's not going to work. Let's try something else.

I remember, in junior high, having a math teacher who stated the following:
Those who are not able to take Algebra in high school will never be able to figure out how things in the world really work.

Remember---once upon a time---a period when the world was fascinated by the concept of "progress" and "making things better"...
...where the contention was that things were meant to be IMPROVED UPON?

Not Too Keen On Xmas

...it's so-o-o-o...smarmy!

It's supposedly this sacred season of "goodwill", "charity" and "unity" between all people.

But it's little more than a plethora of Gregorianisms and mantras and cliche rituals (although ideal for advertisers and scam artists preying on those hypnotized by the collective "festive" mindset).

Not to mention the idiotic tradition of gift-giving in the name of one-on-one charitism between relatives and close associates.

The way I figure it:  I don't want any unasked-for material items nor any gift cards myself.  If someone has the money to spare on me, I'd much rather they just give me that money itself and let ME decide how it should be "spent on me".

The true "spirit of Christmas" can be seen in the recent story of the subway passenger in NYC who threw a fellow passenger off the platform as a commuter train was approaching, resulting this other passenger's untimely demise.
Yet another perfect example of the long-ongoing Great American Civilian Cold War, wherein different classes and social demographics coexist with one another grudgingly and "conditionally"..."Stay in your own place and don't invade mine and we'll get along just fine.  Get too close and there'll be a problem".

The Christmas mantra is, in part, to pretend this mass disunity doesn't exist
...at least during the month of December.
And I'm too cynical to seriously get into it myself.

Traveling experiences

Although I've never traveled abroad myself (save for a couple hours in Niagra Falls Ontario),  I've heard and read the accounts of others who have.

Often they'll rant on about how much they love Paris...or how corrupt the government is in Belize...or how bad the attitude is towards Americans in so-and-so country...or how great the food is in such-and-such other country...or how overcommercialized Japan is...

Over time I've been gathering that all the grand proclamations these folks make about their experiences in various places (both domestic and abroad) are, shall we say, a bit arbitrary.  In other words, opinionated...judgmental.

I think people judge places and things the same way they judge other people.
If someone/something is easy for them to cajole, navigate, or manipulate to their liking, or is already agreeable to them in some way, they'll praise said subject and hold such in high esteem.

However, if someone/something "calls their bluff" in some way (so to speak) or comprises "disagreeable" elements, is stubborn or obstinate, or even appears adversarial, then they'll be condemning toward/of said subject and speak and think ill of such.

That said, I guess the only way to know what another place is really all about is to be lucky enough to be able to travel there yourself and have your own experiences there, as each person tends to have their own experiences wherever they go, based on how their personality and character interacts with the social climate of wherever they go as well as with whoever they happen to run across while they're there

Another Annoying Adage

Dealing with this world is like having a rattlesnake for a pet.
No matter how nice you are to it, or how well you take care of it, it'll still bite you.
...the same way it will if you're abusive or neglectful toward it.

Additional Adages and Myopic Musings

The definition of a "Savant":
Someone who's exceptional in one or two areas...usually at the expense of all their other ones.


Coincidence or Conspiracy?
Just how many times can fate itself seem to "have your number" before you finally realize it must be a series of deliberate attempts to "do you in"?
The only question is:  Are the sources mortal or divine?


If one wishes to do me any "special favors", let it be known that the only things I accept from anyone comes in the form of $5s, $10s, and $20s.
Try to give me anything else, you're just wasting your time.


A lot of people are like small towns. Very provincial.
But yet also very ultraconservative.  They'll hate anyone who has any kind of heretical characteristics: the freaks, the wierdos, the oddballs, the perverts.
Yet, ironically, they never stop to think about how arbitrary they are themselves.

Who's REALLY "In Charge"?

I've mentioned before about how I tend to normally be quite reclusive.

The reason I never feel comfortable when I'm out in public is because societies tend to be socially corrupt.
They're ruled over by blowhards, bullies, hedonistic space-hoggers, and their toenail-painting J.A.P.-esque "trophy cunt" daughters, wives, and girlfriends.

A lot of people readily assume it's the governments, authorities, and police who are in control of things, but actually they're little more than the henchmen for the "overprivileged" and "socially-correct".
Their main function is to kow-tow to all these civilian monarchs and keep them happy.  "Law enforcement" is primarily going after whoever makes these overprivileged types "uncomfortable"---the eccentrics, the oddballs, the wierdoes, the lesser-class, anyone "outside their league" who gets "too curious" or tries to get too "friendly".

I go out in public about as much as anyone else, true
...but you'll never see me walking around wearing headphones, or texting, or using any kind of electronic device.
I depend on "staying alert" as much as possible because I know one thing for sure:  One never knows what someone's going to do next.
I see too many people running around acting too "freely", even as I myself have to make sure to "walk on eggs".
They seem to get away with things most would never tolerate from the likes of me.  And I don't want to get into any conflicts with anyone over anything, because I don't know how the situation would turn out.

Here are a couple more blog sites to check out:

www.llcooljoe01.blogspot.com

www.natalk.blogspot.com

Hope you enjoy these as well.
The second one listed is Native American Blog.  From the perspective of the descendants of this continent's earliest inhabitants.
Very insightful---probably some of the most insightful perspectives one may ever come across on so many important subjects.

Gordon Lightfoot...

...born November 17 1938 in Orillia Ontario
He's 74-years-old tomorrow.

Always a pleasure to listen to his songs
...always a great reminder of what REAL music sounds like.

Speaking of which---when listening to any of his material, never use as "background sound".
His songs are to be actually LISTENED to.  They're not "wallpaper" fare.

Where do I stand?

You may wonder: Is this guy a "liberal" or a "conservative"?

It all depends on the subject...

For example, on the subject of people entering this country illegally I'm a bit consevative.
I simply can't understand why it should be alright for anyone to simply come into this country randomly and get to enjoy benefits and liberties afforded it's own citizens---especially when most other countries would never afford us Americans the same privileges.

However, on the subject of infrastructures, availability of decent public transit to everyone, and the notion that the government should serve everyone not just a "chosen few", I'm quite liberal.

Essentially, I'm what one calls a "God-damn Independent".
Someone who thinks for himself and forms his own personal viewpoint on things.

I'll do whatever's right for the subject-in-question.
It's like:  You don't use a hammer or saw to bake a pizza; or a mixing bowl and roller pin to fix plumbing; or run a delivery service using a vaccuum cleaner.
You do whatever the subject calls for
...and that's how I form my viewpoints and opinions as well

Additional Adages and Myopic Musings

What is a person worth?
As the adage goes:
One's only as good as their aptitudes, means, and motivation.


I'm not much impressed by those-in-charge
...most of them don't seem much interested in taking care of things or solving any problems.
They seem to only want to control us and steal our money.

Hackers (revisited)

...I don't get them.
What's the purpose of "breaking into" someone's computer?  What's to be accomplished by doing something like that?

They must figure that, simply because one's connected to the internet, that individual's activities are a bastion of all kinds of electronic financial transactions complete with credit card and debit card numbers and passwords.
Then they eventually come to realize that said individual's online activities are all passive---browsing the web, e-mailing, making entries onto their blog site.

Out of spite, after having having gone through so much trouble to install spyware and such, they "play games" with said user's computer: locking up their keyboard, disabling the "internet explorer" so they cannot go online---or freezing it up so they cannot freely go from one site to another or they remain stuck on their home page...

Sort of along the same line as a burglar who breaks into someone's residence only to find that person "lives modestly".  No fancy "trendy" gadgets or anything else they could sell for "crack money" (or whatever)
...so, out of spite, they crap on the floor, urinate on the electronic devices, spit on (or chow down on) the food items on the shelves or in the refrigerator.

It's like those who "don't respect boundaries" tend to have this underlying notion that there are some kind of "hidden treasures" or "guarded secrets" being withheld from the likes of them and that they have to "take it upon themselves" to find out what those "treasures" and "secrets" are---figuring most people will only give them the runaround or hold out on them if they try to ask permission for access to such legitimately.

Responsibility Is...

...when something needs to be done (or at least should be) and it's obvious no-one else is going to address it
...so unless I take care of it, it won't get done.

In Biblical times responsibility came with being granted authority of some kind---a reward for displaying the intelligence, integrity, and aptitude for being worthy of a certain position or of a high rank.
So being resposible was part of being allowed power-and-control over certain select factions.

In the modern world it's more of a series of mandated expectations and obligations required of everybody-in-general unconditionally.
In fact, the more prestige and authority someone has, the more exonerated they seem to be.
It's those who have the least amount of control over the general course of things who end up being held the most "responsible" for things-in-general.  Quite the opposite of Biblical times.

Also, in the modern world, the concept of responsibility seems to encompass retaliation and punishment: as in "making someone answer for" either a wrongdoing or a serious mistake, especially one resulting in damage, destruction, injury, or death...or, in some cases, even personal insult---psychological damage, so to speak.

Personally, I wouldn't mind passing a lot of my own responsibilities along to someone more able and knowledgable than I.

East Coast Resurrection

How long do I figure it'll take for NYC and the shores of New Jersey to finally be reasonably restored back to some semblance of normalcy?
I'd say at least a good six to nine months.

What about the oncoming winter weather? How do the displaced residents deal with this?
My only response to this question is: When donating to the victims of this disaster, maybe include sleeping bags and comforters among your contributions.

Did the kids in New Jersey get to "trick-or-treat" on Halloween?
No.  Someone actually asked the officials if Halloween "was still on" for the kids in the neighborhood. N.J. governor Christie gave a most straightforward and exasperated response: "...I wouldn't think so...I don't see how that's possible!..."
(Maybe give them a couple hours or so to clear all those pesky tree branches, car parts, foundation chunks, boat parts and such out of the way and then "trick-or-treat's" on.  Of course no guarantee anyone'll be home---or that the homes themselves will still be in their normal spots.  They're liable to be ten blocks further up the street, laying on their sides and everything. But, hey, got to keep our priorities straight---what's more important than our kids having their fun on Halloween?)
Kudos to the N.J. governor for his diplomatic and professional response to such an idiotic question ever-so-inappropriately posed on such a most-inappropriate occasion.
...seriously---the whole Jersey coast looks like it's been nuked ten times over.

The problem with this particular disaster is that these east-coast cities are among the very first built on this continent.  They already existed while we were still British colonies and were already well-established when the Constitution and Declaration of Independence was signed.
So they're about 300-years-old (give-or-take)---which means they were built up incrementally over a period of nearly three centuries.
So, to be "taken down" overnight and then rebuilt is going to be quite an overwhelming task, as what was there wasn't exactly "built overnight".  And it'll take forever to "bring it all back".
It's safe to say that this area will never be the same again, the way it has been for so long.
Never!

Monster Storm Just In Time For Halloween

Sandy has shown itself to be quite a demonic storm, wrecking havoc over practically the entire eastern 1/3 of the U.S.
So it's quite fitting that it WOULD come around just before Halloween---it's character fits the bill for "hellishness".

One question: Should the New York state tourism department really be showing their ads at this point in time, with the slogan "There's a lot of things happening in New York"?  At this particular point in time it sounds like a bad joke
...especially the way Sandy has literally butchered New York City alive (literally!)

Maybe this storm is "God's will"---He figures the U.S. could use a litle humbling.

More Annoying Adages

WHY I NEVER FOUND ROMANCE IN THE COURSE OF MY LIFETIME

Any woman who ever caught my fancy was either underaged or engaged.
(...or a lesbian...or "through with relationships altogether")





                                 Straighten up and fly right!
...and you'll find you not only get to your destinations a lot sooner, but you also don't have to continually stop to "refuel" so frequently.



Why is life so much like some "psychological problem"?
Things often perform "below par" or inefficiently because they always seem to be "getting hung up on" something or another.



(Okay FACEBOOK---let's see if the above are "worthy" of APP status.  Will folks be downloading these cheesy sayings onto their FACEBOOK pages or no?)

Jesus Gives Congregation a Lesson in Percentages, Ratios, and Fractions

Jesus and his disciples were on a town square preaching and had drawn quite a large crowd---many who had left gold and silver coins and rubies at their feet.

At one point a beggar woman walks up slowly and lays a small coin at their feet, then walks away.
A number in the crowd start deriding her for "making such a small contribution" after having contributed so much themselves

...upon which Jesus stops his sermon mid-sentence and points out that, in fact, this woman has been far more "blessed" than any of the others in the crowd, for being someone who possesses next-to-nothing that "one shilling" she donated represents almost everything she has on earth---whereas all the gold and silver nuggets the others donated represent only a fraction of what-all worldly goods they have.
In short, these wealthier STILL had plenty left over of their own even after their donations, whereas the "beggar lady" gave away just about everything she had.

It makes sense:
80% of $10 is $8...80% of $1000 is $800
...while $800 is a greater amount than $8 in the more practical sense, proportionately the balance is still equal when in relation to what it is one is starting out with.

4/5=8/10...2/10=6/30....2=20%...2/10=20/100

Remember that?
Back in the 1960s they often referred to it as "6th-grade-level arithmetic".

Birthdate Wishes

Van Morrison
Born Geoger Ivan on August 31 1945 in Belfast
He'll be 67-years-old a week from Friday

Debbie Gibson
Born August 31 1970 in Long Island
She'll turn 42 a week from Friday

Missed this one:
Madonna
Born Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16 1958 in Bay City.
She's 54-years-old now...
...Elvis Presley died on her 19th birthdate.

REALLY missed this one:
Cat Stevens
Born Steven Georgiou on July 21 1947 in London
He's now 65-years-old.
(However did I miss HIS birthdate?)

 

ANOTHER "Election Year"?

With a presidential election coming up, I thought I'd direct you to a website which, I feel, best describes what the United States of America is REALLY all about:

www.happierabroad.com/ebook/Page31a.htm 

Authority Adage

Check out Writog (www.writog.blogspot.com) Aug 18 2012: ARE THESE IMAGES ILLEGAL?

In a perfect world authority is also characterized as much by stewardship as by it's "disciplining" aspects---the idea of being both an overseer and a keeper-of-the-peace.

In the real world, though, it seems the only type of personality attracted to positions-of-authority are the power-and-control junkies.

"Despotic-style" authority tends to influence the average person into a minset of "intolerance" and "judgmentalism".

...that being we live in a culture of those who display "zero tolerance" toward what we say and do while thinking nothing of imposing their elements on us and expecting us to overlook their mistakes.

It's a Noisy World

However, the real problem is that there's too much cacophony and not enough songs, poetry, stories, or needed information.

Television and radio is now for tabloid fluff fare instead of good entertainment and news, sports, and weather.
Telephones and computers are tools advertisers use to hustle potential customers...and for hackers to use to harass users for their own personal amusement.
And motor vehicles are toys and the streets are playgrounds...no longer are they about transportation and "getting from point A to point B".







                                        Speaking of GOOD Sounds
Kent Kotal's FORGOTTEN HITS site is up-and-running again and going strong.  Check it out:
                                                         www.forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com

  

DON'T JACK WITH IT

In a segment of a popular South Korean drama, one of the characters----a young who had to move to the U.S. in order to have life-saving surgery performed on her, but has now returned home (to Korea)---learns that one of her favorite restaurants is still in business and, sorely missing how delicious she remembers the food being, decides to have lunch there (with her former boyfriend).

...however, upon taking the first few bites of one of her favorite dishes, she puts her fork down and exclaims:  "This isn't right. It's not the same as it was before
...I don't understand people.  They finally 'get it right', then they change the way the food tastes."

Of course this is a dilemma that seems to afflict a LOT of things in the world
....this obsession with "always having to change something", whether it's really necessary or not.
Even if everything is working and functioning just fine and to a tee, they STILL find it necessary to think "I'm tired of the same-old same-old.  Let's change this---and let's change that..."
And, oftentimes, the new methods, procedures, or substitutes are inferior to the old ones...resulting in diminishing quality and functionality.

Also, there's the "priority shift" syndrome as well.
When they decide, suddenly, that one factor is the "most important" and, thus, abandon everything else.  They put all efforts into improving that one area at the expense of everything else (sort of a "rob Peter to pay Paul" scenario)
When she said "They finally get it right, then they change the way the food tastes", it could have meant that the place improved on other factors:  redecorating the interior, improving their service, creating a "kosher" dining atmosphere---and then decided with these elements now attracting more business, they no longer have to focus on the quality of their food anymore---so they slacked off in that area.

And that, obviously, to this young lady, the quality of this place's food was her primary reason for coming there
...but, with that element gone, she has no more reason to come there anymore.

We're Being Robbed...of Common Sense

A protester walks into a bank holding up a sign that reads YOU'RE BEING ROBBED

...of course he's referring to the way the banks are "robbing" their customers nowadays---with user fees, penalties incurred if the account goes below a certain amount
...unlike, say, 30 or 40 years ago, when one would start a savings account and stood to accrue a certain amount of interest (on whatever they put in the bank) every three months (no matter how much or how little the amount).  Back then the banks GAVE their customers "extra money" as opposed to the way they now fleece their customers.

Now, one does not walk into a bank making statements about "being robbed"...any more so than one makes jokes about "bombs" or "guns" at an airport.
To make a long story short, this hapless protester ends up being arrested and charged with "attempted robbery" and "making terrorist threats"---both felonies under federal law.

I tell you, those "official" types have no sense-of-humor about ANYTHING
...and they're pretty bureaucratically persnickety in a most militant fashion when it comes to interpreting laws in the most literal manner
...and with no sense of discretion involving circumstance and "intent"
...like they've been taught to not be able "to tell bean paste from crap"
...the word "facsimile" just isn't in their vocabulary:  whatever it looks like---that's what it is.

...so I guess this protester is going to be a "convicted felon" all on account of a moment of flippancy on his part.

You have to love the way our laws protect us from dangers and never fail to serve our best interests.

The Lost Drivers Of Columbus Ohio

The streets of Columbus Ohio can be quite confusing.
Not all of them go east-west.  Quite a number of them go north-south
...can a layout get any more perplexing?

Take North High Street, for example
...one of the city's "main drags", it goes north-south.  Maybe that's why so many people get "lost" on it.

Lately every time I go out anywhere I always manage to see no less than three or four cars turn into a parking lot, driveway, or alley, make a U-turn, then head back out onto N. High going the other direction
...I even see people turn onto side streets, pull into residential driveways, back out, head back to N. High, then head out in the other direction.

I've yet to figure all this out.
Maybe these people are on a "spy mission" of some kind.
(Keep in mind I only go out about two or three times a week).

I never did like Columbus much anyway
...the people here always act so suspicious---not exactly your "everyday people" type.
They're among the most collectively meddling and invasive I've ever witnessed in a place of this size with so large a population.

It's really creepy and Orwellian
...like even the residents themselves are engaging in surveillance activities as well as are the officials.

I don't know how to explain it
...this city just seems to be a bastion of conspiracy and underhandedness.
Dishonest and secretive...not at all on-the-level.

The Experts Say...

...that one should always try to get at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.

...that being sleep-deprived can lead to all kinds of health problems and impair vital mental functions.


So why, then, does society subject us to so much "Mickey Mouse" bull-shit we're up half the night from being stressed?

...and then are rudely awakened early in the morning by construction crews or utility workers and their jackhammers?

...or by carpoolers who park and hammer repeatedly on their horns, waking the whole neighborhood just to get the attention of ONE person---because they can't walk their lazy ass up the front walk and simply knock on that person's door?


They say they're "so concerned about" our sleep and health---however, their actions seem to indicate otherwise.

Another Myopic Musing

                                                Definition of RACKET

                         Something that presents itself as legitimate, innocent, or innocuous

                         but which, in fact, has ulterior motives

                         ...either out to steal what's rightfully yours

                         or to control you in a perverse way:

                         throwing obstacles in your path to sabotage your efforts

                         or requiring "Catch 22s" from you before approving your intentions.

                         ...causing even the simplest undertakings to become so complicated you either

                         "throw in the towel" or, upon completing project, are so "burned out" or "shellshocked"

                         you have no stamina left to "take on" anything more.

Materialism Dilemma

I've mentioned before how most consumer products are little more than "mantel pieces"

...how one assumes, when they buy an expensive product, they're paying for a "better product"
...when, in fact, these days all expensive products are are simply "status symbol" items
...you only buy them to "show off" to the world that you're able to afford something exquisite

Remember:  The U.S. is a culture of trend-obsessed blowhards, and the "American life" is mostly about being ostentatious and staying "one up on" everyone else.

...so don't be surprised if whatever you buy has a brief "shelf life" and falls apart on you should you ever try to actually seriously USE the item for whatever it's been presumably "designed" for.

This isn't the '70s anymore
...it's not about "you get what you pay for"
...well, actually, you do---but nowadays it's not about paying more for better quality...it's all about image and status symbol
...being "on-top-of" whatever the latest trends are and possessing whatever's in vogue at the current point-in-time.

I DO hate summer

This particular summer has been particularly harsh and brutal, what with all the extreme heat and unusually barbaric storms.

Of course I, in general, can't stand summer anyway
...as far as I'm concerned it's little more than a "breeding season" for mildew and fungal infections.

Although it's probably good for the profits of CLOROX corporation as well as those companies who make medication to treat athlete's foot, jock itch and vaginal yeast.
 

"...Shoot 'em before they run now..."

You know that James Holmes guy?  I'm wondering---was he, perhaps, the victim of identity theft by any chance?
I know if someone embezzled MY checking account or looted my credit card account to buy themselves some "nice toys" I'd probably be mad enough at the world to want to "get revenge on society" myself, what with all the crap one puts up with from it in general..."the straw that broke the camels back" and all that...

Of course I could never afford all that illustriously exotic arsenal of weaponry that guy has
...I'd never have THAT kind of money, and if I did I'd be more inclined to want to spend it on things more pleasurable and productive.  (Save the "mass annihilation" stuff for the military and terrorists).

It's amazing, though...Holmes set out to "get revenge on" a group of over-privileged upper-middle-class types
...and yet he himself comes from the same background.  
A bit ironic, no?

But you should know these sort of events are what's ruining society.
Already you must've noticed that, even in your own home town, there are hardly any 24-hour restaurants, coffee shops, and laundromats left anymore.

It's all on account of the collective paranoia surrounding the increasingly violent social climate of the last 20 years (give-or-take)
...the way society's given up it's authority and turned it over to the gangs and such
...plus this inexplicable ongoing phenomenon of all these "average" type guys suddenly going bonkers and massacring large groups of people for seemingly no good reason.

While I'm not even going to speculate on what's up with this "gun obsession" stuff, I will mention that this society of ours is but one step away from the kind of martial law mandates of World War II era 1940s:  food rations; 9 P.M. to 7 A.M. curfews; "lights out" after 10 P.M.; civil defense emergency drills.
Little by little we're returning to the days of Al Capone, Bonnie & Clyde, and the height of a "mafia-ruled" society.

If everything keeps going the way it is, this is our immediate future---guaranteed.  

Comedy Central---hardly the center of good comedy

...or at least any kind of REAL comedy anyway.

What's with that which is considered "adult humor" anyway?
Seems to me it's little more than a facsimile of 6-year-olds telling "dirty jokes" to one another to appear more "grown up" and "worldly" to the others
...except that it covers racy and "intimate" subject matter, but otherwise with all the worldly wisdom and integrity of 5-year-old kids who can't help laughing hysterically every time they hear someone fart.

Sort of makes you wonder about those among us who are old enough to drive a vehicle, legally buy alcoholic beverages, and vote
...what is their level of emotional and spiritual development?

Taking a look at the program agenda on the cable/satellite channel COMEDY CENTRAL:
TOSH.O
THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN
...it's not enough that the actors and comedians themselves are so ineffectual and unconvincing---their aptitude for delivery being not much better than that of most child actors...but the scripts themselves are so capricious---completely lacking any kind of imagination or meritable premise
...a kind of "appeal to overage '10-year-olds'" disguised as rough "in-your-face" style humor
...such hackishness being so unbecoming of what's supposed to be a "professional" cable/satellite station.

I'll throw this back in their faces:
I'm not the least bit impressed by nor interested in your sophomoric "offerings" in the name of cheap laughs
...I have a sense-of-humor, true---but, for me, the jokes and scripts have to be actually FUNNY in order for me to be "rubbed-the-right-way" by them.

Thanks AT&T...

...for the increase in my monthly phone bill.

It makes sense I should pay more for you to allow all those solicitors, robo-calls, and other assorted oddballs the privilege of their daily reign over your lines.

...nothing like playing back a "message" on my answering machine and hearing a minute or so of background cacophony then a "woman's" voice telling me:  "You've been kicked off this dialogue".
...I can really make sense out of that, can't you?

...and, of course, all the idiots who keep calling repeatedly (for the past five years or so) with their offer to "reduce my credit card debt" or whatever (I've never had a credit card, just for the record).  Not once have I ever responded in any way to them, but they still don't get the message:  I'm not interested and quit bothering me all the time.

AT&T is just like everyone else I guess...just out to rob others of their time and money.

Another Upcoming Celebritory Birthday

In another week-and-a-half---July 26, to be exact...the world celebrates the 69th birthday of a certain Michael Phillip Jagger

Yes, Mick Jagger---the illustrious lead vocalist of The Rolling Stones---will turn 69 that day 
...and what a better age for an obsessive womanizer to be than 69?

He was born in Dartford England on July 26 1943.

                                             Happy Birthday, Mick!

Everything is so in vain...

Life itself is so much like working in a restaurant
...you scrub the place down after closing time, getting all the cracks and crevices until it's all shiny and spiffy
...then you wonder "Why?"  It's just going to become a mess again in a few more hours anyway.
The reason this place exists is for customers to be able to come in and have food-and-drink for a set price
...which involves putting grease on a hot grill on which to cook up whatever's been ordered
...but the minute you heat up the grease it's going to splatter all over and send the grimy fumes out all over the place
...and then, when the dirty plates, bowls, and cups come back, it becomes necessary to splatter water and food residue all around in order to keep the dishware clean and usable for the next patrons.

Just like one's own body.  You shower and change your clothes---only to continue sweating and excreting afterwards
...so your butt and armpits start stinking again shortly after anyway (especially in the summer).

Just like the way you brush your teeth in the morning to get rid of that nasty "morning mouth"
...only to down a doughnut, banana, and cup of coffee
...and you realize:  to consume any kind of food and drink is to have chronic halitosis.