Merry Xmas

One question:
What does the song MY FAVORITE THINGS have to do with Christmas?
Aren't the lyrics the kind that can be sung any time of the year?

Plus ...the song's lyrics are so vulnerable to being subverted by any devious mind with a dementedly macabre sense of humor:
          "20-car pile-ups on the freeway"
          "Another mass shooting on a public square"
          "Sexual relations with underage lovers"
          "Domestic violence and beatings in households"
          "Being robbed and beaten on the streets now"
          "Explosions at an oil refinery"
          "Losing home and possessions in massive wildfire"
          "Tornadoes, hurricanes and powerful earthquakes"
          "Being homeless and out on the streets now"

 "...these are a few of My Favorite Things"




                            Another site to check out: www.thecommercialcurmudgeon.com

The most humiliating aspect of getting in trouble with the law (or with the "system" in general) isn't so much the threat of incarceration or of lawsuits.
It's the way everyone suddenly has the right to defame you, to freely engage in committing collective mass character assassination against you.
The way you're made to feel like you're "the only one" who's human and "severely 'character-defective'-ridden" in a world of "perfect" "flawless" humanoid robots.




                 The above is my Musing For Today

          Babysitting the babysitters (Revisited)

The parents hire someone to babysit their two small children so they can go out for a night on the town.
But the babysitter sits around talking to her friends on the phone while getting drunk and high watching movies, eventually passing out.
The 4-year-old winds up being the one who has to take care of her 9-month-old brother.  Even figuring out what to fix to eat when they get hungry.


A government agency requires notification of change-of-address from those it serves when said client moves.
Client brings proper documentation down to one of their offices for a face-to-face meeting to inform said agency of their new address.  The employee behind the counter programs the new information into the agency's computer network.
... Three months later, client gets mail from agency---forwarded from his former address.



                          When I was young I was taught there were those who would "kill" my "snakes" for me
                                                   i.e.: the church, i.e.: the schools, i.e.: the government
                                                   But what did you learn, my lord?
                                                   I learned I had to "kill them" myself
                                                               Donald Philip ("Donovan") Leitch

The issue I have with a lot of those who call themselves Christians is that a lot of them are either politicians or upper-middle-class types living a comfortable existence, with "too much money", a lot of good social ties, material amenities galore---from sophisticated gadgets to brand new cars.  And they're usually those with strong ties to their communities, a good reputation, who are accepted by the society they live in.

Jesus Christ himself was the polar opposite: a social outcast who preached what he believed to be the truth, regardless of whether or not it adhered to popular viewpoint or common prejudices.
As a result, Jesus ultimately wound up "criminalized" by the system and was executed by the proper authorities (the ones who are supposed to be the "good guys") upon conviction for "high treason" against the system as well as for "blasphemy" for expressing views contrary to the popular religions and politics of the time.
The purpose of Jesus dying this way is so that He could relate to ALL of humanity as a whole regardless of disposition, iniquities, or frailties on the part of any given individual.  He was "the sacrifice for EVERYBODY".

But so many practicing "Christians" are nothing like the "social nigger" and pariah Jesus was.  They live comfortable lives, are accepted by those around them, and concern themselves with "respectability", "reputation", and the "creature comforts" the world has to offer.
They're, essentially, two-faced "trophy pricks" and "trophy cunts" who suck up to and sell themselves out to the world itself.

Perhaps a "War on Christianity" isn't such a bad thing after all, as most of these "Christians" are such fakes anyway.




                    The above is my Musing For Today

Stockholm Syndrome

One such is living in a "default" society where everything has been rigged: from the places available for you to go, to the choice of products you have to purchase, to the subjects that are taught to you in school, to your choice of various employments, to the places available for you to live--based on your finances, reputation, social standing, etc.

The way everyone is "held captive" by the social climate of wherever they're living and whose only choices in their life is whatever limited options are allowed them by whoever or whatever elements are in charge of their culture.

And the way we all not only adjust and get used to this myopic environment, but also how we grow attached to what is basically a rigged formulaic and despotic system.

"Individual choice" is one in which we decide whether or not we want what is either "behind door #1", "door #2", or "door #3".

"It doesn't look like a Buick."
"That's because it's a BMW, dumbshit.  No, wait a minute... it's a Toyota, actually.  My mistake."

"It doesn't look like a Buick."
"What is a Buick supposed to 'look like'?  These days ALL cars look the same.  You have to look at the insignia on the front if you want to know the make and model."

"Now THAT looks like a Buick!"
"Yeah, but it's a 1961 model.  Back then cars all had their own style and 'look'."






                                                                Adage For Today
      The squeaky wheel may get the oil, but the quiet wheels that perform and function the best eventually get the praises.

           Transportation(?) Service(?)

                                         What's with the bus service lately?
Oh, the buses run regularly enough.  If I miss one another comes by within a half hour, if not sooner.

My beef is:  Any time I ride from one end of town to another the driver frequently parks at a bus stop for a good five minutes before continuing on.
And not just once or twice, but a good half-dozen times within each trip.  Each trip I take, it seems lately.  Every time I take the bus.

I know this is a common practice for when a bus is "ahead of schedule", but I don't remember the buses being so regular with this practice in times past.  For some reason the system now seems to be having problems with their "staying on schedule".

Maybe they should just start the buses running a half-hour late from their terminuses.  That way they can simply "just keep running" steadily all the way.

I get so edgy just "sitting still".  Like I'm "not making progress" or I'm "in suspended animation".
Or maybe it's my personality.  I can be so "impatient with life" sometimes.  Well, quite often, actually...






                                     Another site to check out: www.humantransit.org

                Traveling abroad?  Like hell...

It's my understanding that, come lately, when one enters another country the Customs agents, when they run a check on a prospective visitor, are able to access arrest records, even dating back decades.
And that, often, if one has any past convictions, even for misdemeanor offenses, they stand to be denied entry into said country.

There are stories of people being "turned away" on account of a single conviction of (for example) "shoplifting" or "assault" dating back to the 70s or 80s or ten years ago.

While I understand that Customs officials are also authority figures, and that the purpose of authority is to control people and force the laws of the land down their throats no matter how irrational and illogical some of those laws may be, it still seems a bit too extreme to be this clinically persnickety, especially in such a contemptuous manner.

What's needed is some kind of international legal decree comprising specific clauses which would forbid the use of a person's past criminal offense for minor crimes as an "official reason" for refusing entry into any country, provided there's been at least ten years since the last offense, there have been no felony convictions, and the officials are reasonably convinced there are no signs of potential recidivism on the part of the individual-in-question.

A "conditional pardon", so to say, in which a criminal past is still known to authorities, but in which the consequences of such are suspended on condition the person-in-question does not engage in any illicit, questionable, or unethical behaviors while in the host country.

In my opinion that would make more sense and be more equitable
...but don't expect any changes in either laws or attitudes.
Bigotry and dogma have always been, and still are, the rule.  And the authorities are, essentially, the "protectors of the system" ...whatever it may be at the time.

One question:
When you're out and about and you see the police come cruising by, do you think to yourself  "Oh good!  Society's 'saviors'. So glad to see them. Now I feel so safe, knowing that if there's a problem of any kind I have someone I can trust who I can run to."?

Or do you cringe and get all uptight because you fear that, at any time, you stand to get tripped up if you make even the slightest misstep?

The problem with those who are "in charge": They never take care of things or solve any problems. All they seem to care about is pulling rank and forcing dumb rules down everyone's throat.




                    The above is my Musing For Today

                                                          What if ...

ISIS is a "rod of God's wrath" toward western societies for having become too hedonistic, materialistic and corrupt?
...and having long become spiritually dead to the point of eschewing compassion and decency?

My disdain and contempt for "normalcy" is on account of all its bigotries, dogmas and pigeonholing.

Everyone is too lazy to get to know anyone outside of their close relatives, best friends, or intimates.

Yet one's still affected by whoever one makes contact with in any way, and the "invasive" nature of such is unnerving enough one has to have a response of some kind.

Hence, the response is often to slander and stereotype in a disparaging way whoever grates on you.


                The above is my Musing For Today 

                                  Adages For Today

Any time the deeds of another messes you up, either they're clueless and incompetent or they're playing some kind of "politics" with you.


When things go wrong the problems they create tend to be so "Sisyphean".  Once something gets bent out of shape it never seems to be able to regain its original form.


You should know:  it's morally wrong to hold anyone accountable for whatever they do or say while inebriated, distressed, exasperated, or blindsided.


Society is this place where people routinely throw rocks at you for sport then act shocked and appalled when you show disrespect toward them.

                                         O   C   D   (Revisited)

Although I've never been officially diagnosed with O.C.D. I'm pretty sure I must have it.  At least to some degree.  I'm always "double-checking" what I do, often repeating the same action twice or running through my mind repeatedly what I've just done to "reassure myself".

That said, there's been recent controversy over a T-shirt the department store chain Target has been selling which states:  "OCD Obsessive Christmas Disorder".  Last I heard they took it off the market for being "offensive".

Frankly I think this whole affair is way over-the-edge in terms of overreaction and overreach.
And over what's essentially a somewhat silly lame parody slogan.  And one I think is based on the truth myself.

People ARE obsessed with Christmas.  And not in the "celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ" sense either.  More in the secular commercial aspects of the season.  (Which is why those who are atheists or non-Christians are so foolish to be flying off-the-handle over the mention of the name "Christmas", since the origin of the namesake gets so lost in all the commercialism anyway.  And, also, because Jesus Christ himself wasn't even born this time of year anyway.  I think he was born during the spring ...or maybe the fall.)

Also: The letters "o", "c" and "d" are merely three letters of the alphabet.  And "O.C.D." could be the initials of any slogan or namesake in which each word within starts with those particular letters.

Another CeleBirthdate

Singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot turns 77 today.

Forty years ago the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a turbulent Lake Superior during a violent "frontal boundary" storm on November 10 1975
...a week before Gordon Lightfoot turned 37.

A year later, in November 1976, Lightfoot's ode to this tragedy was climbing the singles chart as he turned 38 that month.

The city of Columbus Ohio has recently initiated a "pedestrian safety" campaign.
The top priority?  More stringent enforcement of jaywalking laws, including ticketing jaywalkers.

Anything else?  Hmmmmmmm, let's see....
Are they doing anything about motorists who fly in and out of parking lots and driveways at full speed?
...No.

Are they ticketing motorists who violate NO TURN ON RED intersections?
...No.

Are they ensuring drivers slow down and signal when making a turn?
...No.

Are they doing anything about bicyclists who fly down the middle of the sidewalks like they were in a race?
...No.

Are they ticketing bicyclists who run stop signs and red lights?
...No

All they seem to care about is "blaming pedestrians" for all manners of traffic ills.

As a full time pedestrian and bus rider it feels great to have a cultural status comparable to that of the Jewish population of Germany during the early 1940s or of a black citizen of Mississippi during the 1950s.

"Pedestrian Safety" is clearly a synonym for "Pedestrian Persecution".

If the Taliban, al-Qaeda, or any other terrorist group wanted to, once again, blindside the U.S. population with another attack similar to the one on September 11 2001 all they'd have to do to catch us off-guard is "reverse the date":  Strike on "11-9".

WAIT A MINUTE!!!   TODAY'S 11-9!!!!
In which case I hope they never do what I just stated above.  Because I would then stand to be accused of "complicity" for having expressed the idea in this post.

And ...their doing so would be a good way to inadvertently "commit a conspiracy against" ME.




                   The above is today's Musing For Today

                       Still Undecided on the Abortion Issue

I don't question the moral aspects of the arguments presented by the anti-abortion crowd.  That, even biologically speaking, the fetus is a designated developing member of whatever given species its parents are, "pre-programmed" to become another member of whatever animal species its parents are.  I get it in the literal and clinical sense.

However, any time I have to deal with ignorant or obnoxious individuals whose actions and behaviors interfere with my own existence, either physically or psychologically, I tend to start becoming prejudice in favor of the pro-abortion crowds.

I think the real question is:  Why are all these women allowing themselves to become so carelessly pregnant in the first place?  If they kept themselves from becoming pregnant then "abortion" would never become a potential "consideration" as a "viable solution".
Are they just being coerced into satisfying the demands of a strong-arming boyfriend who "has to feel a wet bare pussy rubbing against his dick rim in order to get off"?

Another question:  Just what kind of individuals are we, as an "advanced civilization", breeding and raising in the first place? 

Ben Carson

is in the wrong profession.  He should have been an anthropologist or even an archaeologist.

I mean, his theory about Joseph being primarily responsible for initiating the creation of the pyramids.

All that sophisticated design and structure, the top-quality materials used and molded to geometric perfection and bonded airtight and weather-and-environment-proof.
And the usage of top-notch architects and construction crews in addition to the best materials.

And for the purpose of storing essential food supplies.

And to think all this time I took for granted the great pyramids predated Biblical times.

Computers

are not intelligent.  They can't do anything on their own.  They depend on electronic input from an outside source.  They're the ultimate "minions".  Only as good as either whoever installs their programming or whoever creates and produces the content that's infused into their system.

If the programmer or scriptwriter is lacking in knowledge or wisdom, or is unscrupulous in their intent or purpose, then what you end up with, in the system or on-line, is total crap.

Reliability and credibility are just as important on-screen as they are on paper.

Prejudice is a tricky thing.

You and the other guy make a conditional truce to refrain from slandering and defaming each other.

Then the other guy says something disparaging about "the way you look" or about your beliefs or lifestyle, and your reaction is "Oh yeah?  Well, since you told me what you think of me I'll tell you what I think about your gaudy excuse for a wardrobe, the crappy-looking clothes you parade around in.  That myopically idiomatic religion you're so committed to that's such an 'end all'.  Your roguish line of ancestry.  Your lascivious and kinky lifestyle..."

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is why there'll always be bigotry and prejudices. 
Parade around with your banners and chant your mantras all you want, but that'll never put an end to six-million-plus years of any of the vices of human nature.




                                          First Musing For Today

                      This world has been so consistently bleached
                       It's lost all it's color and flavor
                      And it's fabric has been worn away.

                      Everything is so bland and without character.
                      The only dynamics left are all in nostalgia, in it's past.




                                     Second Musing For Today
                      

                                          Musing For Today

I get tired of other people's "rights" and "liberties".  I think that kind of rhetoric is little more than a front for the desire of others to hog more for themselves and to engage in select manners of undiscipline while evading the consequences of such behavior.
I also think it's a front for those who are "bothered by whatever I do" to conjure up excuses to interfere with my activities by simply stating that whatever it is I happen to be doing is somehow "offensive" or is "bothering" them.

I think if we're going to have laws and rules EVERYONE should have to be subject to them.  No favoritism or being deferential to certain individuals or groups.
Enough of this "freedom" and "rights" crap.  ALL countries ever in existence (past and present) are "republics"---countries primarily ruled by "the letter of the law".  As such, ALL countries are a little "communistic" and somewhat socialistic by virtue of default due to the necessities surrounding their being inhabited by large numbers of people within their borders.

There HAS to be certain restrictions and a bit of despotism on the part of ANY type of government in their attempts to prevent any and all manners of anarchic behaviors.

               BRUEGGERS BAGELS

"Yes.  May I help you?"
"Yes. Cinnamon sugar bagel and small coffee."
"Room for cream?"
"No thanks."
"Do you want anything on your bagel? Cream cheese? Butter?"
"Would it be extra?"
"Yes."
"No thanks."
"Alright ...99 cents for coffee, $1.50 for bagel..."
"Wait a minute.  It says coffee is $1.99."
"Well the coffee itself is only 99 cents.  But the cup is a dollar extra."
"Oh ...it just says $1.99 for a small coffee."
"Well, people always get confused if we list the price of the coffee and cup separately.  So, rather than having to explain, we just list the whole price as $1.99."
"And the bagel?  The price listed is $2.50."
"The plate is a dollar extra."
"A 'dollar extra'? For a small styrofoam plate?"
"EVERYTHING is 'extra' here."
"Why?"
"Because ...this is Brueggers Bagels."



Just for the record:  I DO like their cinnamon sugar bagels.
Nonetheless it doesn't escape me that Brueggers is a bit ...modern-day "hipster"esque.
Probably part of the "grand gentrification" effort of the 21st century.

Responsibility (Revisited)

I think the disdain one may have toward the concept of "responsibility" is on account of not wanting to be the one for whom "the buck stops here".  No-one wants to be "held accountable" for all that's not well when they're simply "one among many".

But "responsibility" is not so bad when it's either self-imposed or aligned with one's personal beliefs.
Taking on anything from owning a pet to engaging in a passionate hobby, for example, one understands what's involved in doing such properly and effectively.  One is willing to be "their own dictator" because it's being done for a purpose and for their benefit.
There's also the "necessary evils" one must engage in out of necessity/default: shopping; cleaning; bathing;washing.  You can't allow essentials to get used up without being replaced.  One must maintain cleanliness because one shouldn't wish to live in filth or in a messy personal environment.
There's also the "moral obligations" one has by default as a result of being an integral part of the world in general.

What's undesirable is "responsibility" that's either extorted, imposed, or done with "revenge" in mind.  Rules you're not totally in agreement with that are mandated, or those who feel animosity toward you--- trying to make you "responsible for" alleged wrongdoings or who find anything you do or say "offensive" and have to be retaliatory toward you in response.
In cases where "responsibility" is but a front for some kind of underlying prejudice or attempts at scapegoating.

Check out the site The Political Hat (www.politicalhat.com).  This writer has a strange fixation on the antics of every fringe group from transexuals to those who have the most bizarre fixations imaginable themselves.

One recent post focused on an individual who has a strong sexual attraction to cats
...yes, that common miniature feline creature often kept by many as pets.  Yes, sexual attraction.
Most interesting reading if you're up to that sort of thing (October 10th post).

For those more into reading more sensible fare catering to common sensibilities, you might prefer sticking to the likes of www.susanlapin.typepad.com or www.ianwelsh.net. 

                                      Musing For Today

I remember, hitchhiking around the country back in the 1980s, being in the McDonald's in Berkeley California---the one on University.
On the wall a sign that read "30 minutes maximum while consuming food and drink".  But on the counter they had copies of the Oakland Tribune as a "house paper".

Like, who would ever have time to read beyond the comic section, or a page or two of the front section, in 30 minutes or less?  Keep in mind back then newspapers were full-size and, even during the week, had multiple sections to look through.






                                      Another site to check out: www.blackfemlens.blogspot.com

  The Rock and Roll Hall of ...Phooey

Great news!!!  The illustrious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is FINALLY considering nominating Chicago, Yes, Jethro Tull and The Steve Miller Band for possible inclusion in their official display of musical memorabilia representing "Rock and Roll's roots and greatest achievements".

Thank God for that!!!  That means I can, once again, start listening to those groups again, KNOWING that now they're actually OFFICIAL "icons of rock and roll".  Up until now I felt sort of "funny", you know, liking groups and performers like them, even remembering hearing them a lot when I was in my teens and twenties, but questioning their validity.
But now that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognizes them all will be fine.  We all know what a barometer the "Hall of Fame" is for establishing the history of rock and roll.  Otherwise how else would we have known that, among the "pioneers of rock and roll", the likes of Madonna, Mariah Carey, and 2 Live Crew deserve to stand alongside Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, and Ray Charles?

I mean ...a TRULY balanced historical perspective of a pop music genre...
it's not like rock and roll, perhaps, ALREADY has a history of its own.  Everything must be "validated" by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

                                   High-Tech Worship

Why do modern-day 21st century people even bother with the rituals and perfunctorisms of church-going or worship
...when they have long since acquired the ultimate "secular God" of all times?

Mainly...fancy small high-tech gadgets!
The iPhones, iPads, digital cameras.  These are the REAL "gods" of modern times, and the multitudes of users are quite religious about their micro-contraptions.
They worship these hand-held entities even more intensely than the "Inquisition"-minded terrorist group ISIS does the "unadulterated" "uncompromised" version of Islam.

                                    Traffic Light Conspiracy

You know, when you're out walking and you get to an intersection and have to wait out the light and it finally changes and flashes "WALK", it would make sense if the "WALK" light lasted for more than ten seconds.

Ten seconds isn't quite enough time to give a person to cross over four lanes worth.  And, let's not forget there are a lot of people strolling around with walkers, canes, and in wheelchairs.
Do you think ten seconds is adequate enough for them to get all the way across?

Traffic engineers are either retarded or they're crafty conspirators.  There can be no in-between on this.  It's either one or the other.

                       WARNING

If you or a loved one took the blood thinner XARELTO and experienced: 
internal bleeding 
hemorrhaging 
or even death 
You may be entitled to a substantial lump sum settlement.

XARELTO is a blood-thinner medicine used by heart-valve patients that's been linked to hemorrhaging and internal bleeding events.

If you or a loved one have taken XARELTO and experienced: 
internal bleeding 
hemorrhaging 
or even death as a result 
Call the law offices of Amber, Lance and Chaser.

Our trained professional staff of lawyers are on standby day and night.  And our trained staff of mediums ensure contact with those who've experienced death as a result of taking this blood-thinner medicine, enabling them access to the same claims and potential awards and entitlements as well.

You're late for work and in a hurry to get to the office.
Two miles out, as you come upon a set of railroad tracks, here comes a 40-car freight train as the gates come down just as you approach the tracks.
The train's going slow enough you figure you should have enough time to beat it, so you weasel your way around the gates and proceed to cross ...only to get your left front tire stuck in a damn pot hole between the tracks.
You scurry out of your brand new pickup as quickly as you can, making it out just in time to see your "precious baby" crushed into a flat clump of scrap metal.  You are completely heartbroken at the very sight.
Even more heartbreaking: You then get in touch with your insurance company and they refuse to reimburse you for the price of your brand-new truck, double your monthly rates, and even threaten to drop you altogether.
How can these people be so insensitive?  Are they not human themselves?  They've never made any mistakes in their life?

To all landlords/landladies:

    Why, when an apartment has been vacated and you get it "ready for" the next tenant, do you not invest the time and money in fixing whatever's damaged, or repair/replace worn-out plumbing, electrical fixtures and appliances?
Some landlords/landladies don't even repaint the walls, or fix loose fixtures or loose tiles (and the like).

    The tenants have to take it upon themselves to do "spot repairs" in a lot of places.  Even buy batteries for smoke detectors (in one place I know of the tenant had to buy a smoke detector himself).

    As harsh as the rules and bylaws are where "the responsibilities of the tenant(s)" are concerned, shouldn't the burden of such responsibilities be 50/50 between all parties?

    And the way some places hand their tenants a "laundry list" to fill out in which they (tenant) "note any and all damages or defects they spot in the place", isn't that rather condescending, trying to either "guinea pig" or "test the honesty of" said incoming tenant?
    Why not simply have the god-damn place ALREADY fixed up and ready to occupy?  If there are any damages or obvious abuses afterwards, THEN said landlord/landlady has a case.

    The worst of it:  the level of authority landlords/landladies (or any OTHER type of official or "in-charge" types) have.  And the way us poor underlings are so vulnerable to "taking the blame" or of "being under suspicion" for anything "out of place".  Often things we have no control over.
  

      "All Lives Matter"?  A Very Subjective Notion

Doesn't whether or not another person's life "matters" depend a lot on different variables?

For example:
If some stranger walks up randomly and makes sexual advances toward your lover, would you consider that other person someone who "matters" or would you just consider them a nuisance or even a potential threat and just want to "beat the crap out of them"?

If someone committed identity theft against you and you found out who that person was, would you be revering them as someone who "matters" or would you be wishing you could "find a rope and a second-story balcony" and "hang 'em high"?

Just how much do YOU "matter"?  To the government, to your boss, to your landlord, to society in general?

Isn't it true that the only lives that "matter" are those of whoever we're intimate with, good friends with, or those we admire for their accomplishments, abilities, or meritable traits?  As well as whoever treats us decently?

In an overpopulated capitalistic world comprised of republic-style societies any person's "worth" is determined solely by how said person "benefits" said society.
If that person is a bit heretical, becomes a threat (either real or perceived), or just doesn't wish to "contribute" to the society in any way, then said society is not likely to think that individual's life "matters" much.

One more thing:  If someone else doesn't think your life "matters" chances are their life probably won't "matter" much to you either.

Requiem For A Long-Gone Site

What does one think of a very creative site full of clever and biting satirical wit and social commentary (often derisive and disparaging toward subjects well-deserving of such), very sophisticated, well-crafted, perfect script coupled with fitting photos to match?  A site in which obviously each post had to have taken a lot of time, effort and passion on the part of the blog's owner to put together?

And suddenly, unexpectedly and out-of-the-blue, the site's curator just takes the whole thing down? 
And when asked why he simply states:  I've been complaining about (this problem) for years now and nothing's ever been down about it.

Does this guy not understand the make-up of a society?  Or the theory behind what comprises the concept of "living in a society"?  It's like this ...There are: those who fuck things up; those who get outraged by how screwed-up things are and openly protest about them; those "in-charge" who promise to fix things, then don't do shit-for-fuck about anything; clueless types eternally indifferent to all things around them (focused only on their own personal affairs) who somehow don't seem to get snared the same way a lot of others do, and somehow have no problem getting on with their life.

As a social commentary columnist/blogger you're among the "protesters".  You go off about anything/everything that's off about the culture you live in.
But ...never EVER are you ever to expect anyone to ever actually DO SOMETHING ABOUT whatever's wrong with the collective social environment.
THAT'S the eternal concept behind what's commonly known as "living in a society".

"All these years I constantly exposed, on my site, what was going on in my city and, still, nobody ever tried to do anything to put a stop to it all..."
That alone is no reason to dismantle and dissolve (what was) an excellent and brilliant site 
...one sure to still be "sorely missed" to this day. 






                                        Another site to check out: wwwirritant.blogspot.com 
                                            The name of the site is The Daily Irritant 


     

                                                   Musing For Today

                                            The ultimate remedy for relieving stress:

Tell the world to quit fuckin' with me.   Quit getting in my way all the time.    Get rid of all these stupid laws: there's way more on the books than anyone could ever possibly follow or even be aware of half the time.
Do away with favoritism: EVERYONE has to follow the same rules.    Equalize "responsibility": quit blaming only those with little or no clout or means of defending themselves for whatever's wrong with the current social climate.    People should quit pigeonholing each other, and then being so nemesis-like toward anyone who doesn't also custom-fit into whatever "country club" they've decidedly affixed themselves to.    Quit being such coup d etats: quit "taking over" public and commercial spaces as if you and your friends or family members "just laid official claim to" wherever you happen to be at the time ...I shouldn't be made to feel like I'm "crashing someone's party" every time I enter someplace or try to use the same facilities as everyone else.

                                           Hey
                                GEICO

I'm glad you appreciate what a "safe driver" I am.  Never mind the fact that I've never even had a driver's license (outside of a "temporary permit").

Still, you guys keep sending me offers for a "discount on my car insurance", stating that "careful drivers like you with a proven safety record deserve to pay less for their car insurance".

Even though I've never owned a car in my entire life.
(I know: Quite an anomaly for someone from the U.S.)

                               For Tenants Only

The owners of an apartment complex have rules and regulations aimed specifically at the tenants of the complex:

SPEED LIMIT:  15 MPH in driveway, parking lot, and alleyway.
Are outsiders who cut through the alleys or parking lot also obliged to abide by this requirement, or can they fly in and out at 30 MPH the same way they do anywhere else?

Residents are not permitted to loiter, gather, or play in stairwells, hallways, corridors, parking lots, or anywhere in or around the building where they may unnecessarily disturb other residents.
What about "wandering drunks" on the weekend or scavengers rummaging through the trash bins (looking for some kind of "lost treasure" or "hidden gold" or whatever)?  And roving gangs?  Can they be as loud and invasive as they want?

No smoking in the building, in any of the units, or even within 25 feet of building outside.
This means the tenants only.  Anyone walking down the alley or cutting through the parking lot just puffin' away ...what can you do about them?  They're not residents so they'd be exempt from "house rules".

No clunkers or junkers allowed.
Of course the tenants in a HUD-subsidized apartment complex ought to be wealthy enough to be able to afford a Lincoln Continental.

No loud or disturbing noises permitted between the hours of 10 PM and 10 AM
Again:  This is tenant's only.  Construction crews, loud no-muffler vehicles (belonging to non-tenants of course), and the neighbors who live a block or two away are exempt.

All burdens for compliance rest on the shoulders of the hapless tenants, who have no control over how anything goes down.
It always makes sense for accountability to rest on the shoulders of those with no authority or say-so over anything.
That's how things get done and how problems get solved.

                            NYC's MTA:  Professional?

I've read recently about incidents involving the city transit drivers in New York City in which pedestrians are being run over in the crosswalks (while crossing legally with the light) by MTA buses making right turns without slowing down.
And, also, about city council members and local lawmakers considering a bill that would exonerate city bus drivers from accountability for injuries and even death to pedestrians and bicyclists as a result of being struck by any MTA buses.

Years ago, in 1977, I befriended an A/CTransit driver (in Oakland/Berkeley) and managed to have a few interesting chats with her.  Among them she mentioned how, as part of the training process, potential drivers were also being trained in "defensive driving".  How they're taught to be alert and on-guard for "anything unexpected and unpredictable" the average motorists were apt to do on a regular basis:  sudden stops mid-intersection, backing up without warning, cutting in front, sudden U-turns without warning, and the like.

Contrast that with the type of erratic and sometimes "offensive driving" practices of the MTA in 2015---coupled with requests for exemption from what is actually a reasonable expectation of responsibility on the part of both the drivers and of MTA with respect to overall public safety.

There's no reason why a TRUE professional driver shouldn't already be of the mindset of "taking the whole environment around them into consideration" and conducting themselves accordingly in the most discreet manner.

When crossing the street, especially legally with the light, one shouldn't expect to have to worry about professional drivers the same way they do about the "average clod" in their personal vehicles.

                                               Curtains For Consumerism

When purchasing curtains recently I discovered, the hard way, one doesn't simply pick up a package of 42" by 63" drapes.  One has to make sure they're also the "light blocking" type as well.
...AFTER purchasing 3 "One Window Panel" ones.
Yes, I DO buy curtains for the purpose of attaining privacy.  It would never have occurred to me before that there are actually such things as transparent see-thru curtains.

It would be nice to live in a culture where it was also a top priority to ensure even the average underling was reasonably educated about practical matters.  Including about all the different "varieties" of presumably common consumer products.  Instead of standing by and watching people make mistakes involving the use of their personal finances.

It's obvious modern-day industries and merchants have no actual appreciation of those who would spend their good money on the items they produce/sell.
Seriously!!!
If you created, produced, and put on sale a product or device you created yourself and anyone would be interested enough to want to purchase it from you, wouldn't you feel gratitude toward said patron?

Modern-day commercial industry/merchants have no such feelings of gratitude toward any of us collective consumers/customers.  They seem to think we only exist to be fleeced, sold the latest trendy versions of popular "snake oil" products ...that we're just a bunch of fools "anyone could sell dogshit to" if only they can figure out how to make us feel it's a "must-have", or how to make it look "cool" or like the "latest rage".