Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Christmas Card - 2015




Every few Christmas Seasons, I forgo the store bought route and create my own gifts.  Because not everyone on my list might need or even want a bird house crafted from recycled materials, I turn what creative juices are still flowing to making and mailing home made Christmas cards.  My only rule is to use images I had a part in, either as the maker or the makee.

I have created more than a few over the years with mixed results.  But for me it is more the quality of the feeling I put into them than the quality of the final card.  From my crude beginnings using construction paper and kindergarten glue to what I have sent this Season, my intention is always to convey my best and let them know they are in my thoughts.  Is that not what this season should be all about?

The two image card above/left was a bitch to come up with.  I had these two images I knew I could do something with.  I wasted some ink before I came up with the final product.  It is non-denominational, non confrontational, and multilateral in that there is no bias, just enjoy your personal connections, at least for the moment.

Anyway, just thought I would share what I am doing for Christmas.

Ho .........................................................

Friday, December 04, 2015

Meaningless Definitions

And now we have to deal with endless mind numbing conversations by the media about was it "Terrorism" or just another run of the mill case of "Disgruntled employee workplace violence"?

Somehow defining this recent act of violence in San Bernardino  will tell us what level of fear to feel.  If it was just Joe Blow gunning down some workplace bullies, well, no big deal.  But if this is somehow an act of violence created by radicalized local Muslims, well, you better be more afraid. ......... Hmm

Homegrown mass killings happen about every 2 weeks in this country.  No other tier one country even comes close.  Almost all in recent years are disgruntled citizens with excuses not tied to Islam.  We have become numb to them.  We have accepted them as part of our American culture.  I am sure if I asked anyone they would not agree with that statement.  Collectively though, it seems we have.  Now use the word "Terrorism" and suddenly the violence is worse. ............... Tell that to the families of the victims of any kind of senseless violence.

Senseless violence has escalated in the USA.  I have been trying to get my mind around the why for many years now.  I think it was the Oklahoma bombing that slapped me out of my complacent mindset.  It was that heinous act that made me realize that no country harbors more wackos than our country does.  And to be more concerned about imported violence from outside our borders than the violent acts planned and executed by our own citizens was foolish.

Instead of trying to find a comfortable definition for our violent ways, maybe we should try to figure out why our citizens are so prone to using violence to make a point.

Later .............................................

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Cough and Hack

So the World's big wigs have assembled in Paris to feed lip service to the problem of Climate Change.  Some guy from China calls for the World to address this pressing Global problem, while back at home the sky over Beijing is no longer blue and the masses keep face masks ever ready to filter out the worst of the coal grit on their daily commute to and from work.

Some flounder from India calls for better technology in dealing with coal emissions before they hit the streets, while back home, India is constructing a new coal plant a month.

And now that Exxon and other big energy users and creators have been caught lying, the naysayers have finally stopped trying to use bad science to try and hoodwink us into thinking the climate is not changing.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Paris


The horrific events that unfolded in Paris yesterday find me dealing with emotions I have felt before.  Though this terrorist activity took place in a country far from here, all I can think of was how I felt after 9/11.  France has my sympathy and condolences.  There is nothing else to say.  At least, I do not know what else to say, just as I did not know what to say for several days after 9/11.

I took a break from this post and collected myself with a quick walk out in my dooryard.  The brisk air and the beautiful sunrise did not help me find my thoughts nor any peace.  Within me swirls rage, sadness, and confusion.  I want revenge.  I want to do to them what they want to do to us.  But I can't.  I am not wired that way.  And it pisses me off.

I cannot understand arbitrary acts of violence.  Especially acts of violence based on twisted views of religious doctrine.  I understand anger, but not when it results in what unfolded in Paris yesterday.

Later ....................................................

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Women

Early AM this morning I sat down here in front of my computer and pounded out 1000 words or so regarding the current political season.  It went something like this............

"Blah, Blah, Blah, fuckin Republicans are...... Blah, blah blah................and the Fuckin Democrats are not much better.............And I ended with............Blah, blah, blah."

Purged and emptied of the most egregious bile eating a hole in my gulliwuts, I went into the kitchen to brew some coffee.  I had every intention of returning to the office to fine tune my rant and then place it out here in the Internet Ether.  But one thing led to another.  One of the cats puked a trail of vomit necessitating a twenty minute clean up, which then forced an unplanned use of the washer in the garage, which forced me to move the wet clothes from 2 days ago to the dryer.  But before I could dry the wet clothes, I had empty the dryer and fold the clothes that had been sitting in it also for the last 2 days...............  Long story longer  .... I lost control of my morning.

Funny how necessary unpleasant chores can purge one of negativity as well, if not better than a good rant.  By the time I had finished the drudgery, Donald's prune face and Carson's mealy mouthed whining became but a distant memory.

I still wanted to post something.  Now I wanted to be more upbeat.

My wife began a conversation as she faced her own morning drudgery.  I nodded in agreement at the appropriate breaks, laughed at the right moments, and appeared to be intently following what she was saying.  ........................... I cannot even relate what she was talking about.  I had fallen into my "Yes Dear" mode.  Physically in attendance while mentally lost my own  Guy BoZone.

As she spoke, my mind focused on the species Woman and what they mean to me.  Words came out of her mouth and all I could do was think of  how odd and different women are from men.  That our species has made it this far relying on two different sexes is pretty amazing if you ask me.

As one thought begins and ends, it will often lead to another.  The natural progression of my thought turned to which gender was more crucial to our mixed success as a species.  Adjacent and nearby, I also wondered why we ended up with patriarchal cultures pretty much planet wide.  Yeah, yeah, I know, men hunt and protect the tribe, women bear children and tend the homestead.  What a bunch of bullshit thought up by me and my kind.

Male physical domination works okay for the four legged folk, not so well for us two legged kind.  At least it ain't working like it used to.  The fair sex is pissed off, riled up, and generally demanding we guys treat them as equals.  For the life of me, I don't get why the male half is resisting.  Just does not make any sense to me.  The half with the best survival sense is not allowed to exercise it.  I firmly believe that more women should run more countries, companies, and armies.  The myth that women cannot be ruthless when needed is based on some fantasy some zipper thought up years ago.  Golda Meir, Margret Thatcher, and Joan of the infamous Arc come to mind.

Women are infuriating and give them half a chance, they will dig into your essence and take over.  Yes, women use their sexuality in a reward/ punishment cycle to get their way over us sex crazed males.  But I have to say, women are the backbone of our planet.  Without them, our species would have self-destructed eons ago.  When times are tough, women seem to dig deep for the strength to go on.  Guys are more likely to bail, or just give up.  I think women have a deeper commitment to survival than men.

I love women even while they drive me up a wall.   I love watching a tight group of ladies sit and talk girl talk.  They are so into the conversation.  A refreshing change from the classic guy conversation, "What Up?.......... "Uh, same old shit dude, you know." .........."Yeah, me too dude.......... See Ya around."

Even though I will never understand the female half of our planet, I will always appreciate their existence.  Without them, we would up the creek without a paddle.

Later .............................................................

Sunday, November 08, 2015

The Same Ole Clown Circus

Last February I decided to stop paying so much attention to the events unfolding outside the safe perimeter of my small corner here in Maine.  Life barely made sense here locally..... forget the madness in play out there in the Real World where an international Clown Circus was doing their best to force the planet in directions the masses probably would not like if they took the time to pay attention.

So I tuned out and turned my focus inward............. selfishly inward.  I would like to say I had some Eureka moments, but that just was not so.  I did slowly work myself into a healthier lifestyle and am currently in the next phase .......... trying to trust the medical profession again.  Personally and professionally, I am in a better place than this time last year.

Okay fine.  So what the Hell was the World doing in my absence?  I decided to check.  .............. Hmm ......... Guess I should not be surprised that nothing has changed.  Life continues to be an unnecessary struggle for most because of the material and spiritual greed of the few.  I see no positive movement from the clowns in charge.  Lifting up is just lip-service rhetoric to mollify while cronies empty the house into a van parked in the alley.

And yet I remain optimistic.  No matter how much we humans try to screw things up, somehow enough of us make it through to face another day.

My question is, is there a limit to how many screw ups we have left?

Keep it 'tween the ditches ...............................................

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Politics and Snow

BBC asked me in the comment section of my Rudy post if things were going well.  I was not sure what he meant, so I am going to wing it with,  Fuckin Snow !!!!!!

With the added insult of another 5 inches of white crap yesterday, it would seem this winter is making even the hardest core Mainer sit up and pay attention to it.  It is beyond normal here.  I tried to look up snowfall totals for Acton and all I got was "not available".   Since I stopped keeping track a couple of weeks ago, I am sure we are in the 5 foot plus range now.  When we switch from inches to feet it means there is a shit load of snow out there.

Today, we are suffering the first heat wave of 2015.  The thermometer sunny side of the homestead read 52 whoppin degrees Fahrenheit.  And even though the thermometer  on the north side indicated a more realistic 24 whoppin degrees Fahrenheit, it was warm enough for me to blow snow not lookin like a toddler in a snow suit.  Of course we are supposed to see the temps drop past zero again.  Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

All this snow has a political side.  Yeah, I just had to bring up politics.  Anyway, most all town snow budgets for the winter are tapped out and are now taking healthy chunks out of the snow removal budgets for next year.

This brings sharp perspective to the plan of our governor, Front Page LePage, to shift more financial responsibilities back to the towns by not sharing the wealth accumulated by the state.  From everything I can gather about his over the top complicated new state taxing scheme is he wants Maine to become New Hampshire East.

The towns with the fancy high priced homes and deep pockets will benefit, while the towns dealing with the typical rural Maine lukewarm times  will find themselves even further outside the trickle up economy so many on the Right think will put us back on the top dog financial status we once enjoyed.

Lepage has the balls to say his new plan is simpler and will create a more "business friendly" environment when trying attract more businesses from away.   Losing the income tax and replacing it with an expanded sales tax of 6.5 % that would include most but not all service businesses to add a tax to their bills.  Lawyers would need to collect a sales tax, but doctors wouldn't.  The tow truck guy would have to add 6.5% to his bill, but the garage he hauls your car to to get fixed would not.  ....... Simpler?  I don't think so.

I know the pols always pad their expectations with grandiose benefits thought up by the people who push the new whatever it is.  But using this "taxation template" conjured up by some Winger think tank outside our state does not serve the specific needs and expectations of our state's population.  An almost identical taxation plan was implemented in Kansas a few years ago has not come close to living up to it's hype.

 Lepage is trying to sell the plan as good for all Mainers.  Bullshit.  This new plan heavily favors his rich puppet masters while leaving the average Mainer with less jingle in his pocket.

Later......................................................

Friday, February 20, 2015

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, You Are An Idiot

Apparently the bloviating leadership of the Right is on another birther type quest to create new truth from facts not in evidence.  Obama was talking about terrorism and I paraphrase, he stated that religions don't cause terrorism, people cause terrorism.   While I do believe people use religion to excuse their terrorism, Obama is right.  Responsibility, no matter the excuse, is owned by the folks blowin shit up.

Rudolph Giuliani, the Republican weasel in residence,  caught this speech or was led nose first to it by one of his faithful boot licking minions.  He is sure now Obama Man does not love America, and what it stands for.  He follows it up with ... "He doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.”

Hmm....

Again with the presumptions of the Right;  we are all of the same mind and background and we all grew up in the same neighborhood as the Beaver and the rest of the Cleaver clan.  Love of this country does not mean blind allegiance to a single ideology.  Love is complicated.  Apparently the Right does not want to recognize that fact.

I would respond to the former mayor of New York that given the current Republican platform, it is the Right Wingers who hate America.  And once again, I am reminded to turn the sound down when one of them climbs up on their daily high horse.  For whatever is coming out of their mouths is either nonsense or another whopper of a lie.

Later ....................................

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Just Another Sunday Buried in Snow

I guess we dodged a bullet.  The two storms did not come together and fornicate.  They went their separate  ways.  One got huffy and headed up to beat on east Canada leaving us with nothing but the huffy part.  The other one decided "What the Hell", might as well give it my best shot."

I cannot really tell because of the blowing snow, but it looks like we may have only received about 6" to 7" instead of the possible 20" plus had the lovemaking of the two lows actually happened.  I am grateful.  My snow blower is grateful.  And my dog is grateful.  She's a squatter, not a lifter.

Because there is nothing worth watching on the tube and its colder than a fart in a dead Eskimo outside, I had nothing better to do,....... Hmm ........well I am sure I have many things better to do, but I decided it would be better to do them another time.

Anyway, I surfed the internet highways and came upon a new trend among uber elite and super rich.  Apparently, rather than taking some of their wealth and applying it philanthropically to forestall the upcoming societal breakdown, that wealth is being used to purchase safe haven getaways and fancy bomb shelters.  Citing riots that have broken out throughout the world because of the growing inequality, land is being purchased in New Zealand, islands in all the oceans are being snatched up, and bomb shelters are being planted in remote areas of the country side.

I am not sure what to say here.  It seems to me that if society breaks down around the globe, owning a bomb shelter or an island getaway will not save them.  If society breaks down, the imaginary wealth they have stashed in imaginary accounts will be one of the first things to go poof.  Eventually they will need to re-supply and what do they do then?  If the ship sinks, I am pretty sure we will all go down with it.

Keep it 'tween the ditches .........................


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

The Fourth Estate

You like to claim you are dependable purveyors of truth and objectivity.  You often use specious ethics, yet claim the moral high ground insisting that without you, the Truth would never see the light of day.  You spew words like Freedom of the Press to impress upon us the importance of your existence.

Bullshit.

No, make that double Bull Shit and a side crock of shit to go with it.

Okay, so I guess I have established my view of any organization that claims to be part of the Fourth Estate, what we now days call the "News Media."

Of all the news organizations out there I used to depend on for at least some semblance of objectivity, I am now reduced to two.  And one of them I am becoming very suspicious of.

It really does not matter which two they are.  What matters is I have lost respect for all the rest.  The larger the news organization, the less I trust them.  News media today has become no better than the rags we all see cluttering the racks at check out counters everywhere.  I am at a point where I have more respect for the those rags than the holier than thou fair and balanced lean forward losers who twist the news to satisfy agendas hidden safely away in high rise corporate board rooms.

Deliver us please from your unsubstantiated he said she said's.  Stop using parsed quotes to bolster outrageous claims and ferchrisakes, stop snookering us into believing they are guilty just because their name came up.   When turmoil is rampant, instead of stirring up our fears, maybe just report the news and let us create our own fear.  Or not.

You assholes should be ashamed of yourselves.  And yes, there is a pecking order in worst of the worst, with Fox News setting the new lower standard most of the others are now trying to capture for themselves.  When ratings and money are more important than honoring your supposed oaths as news people, then you have become nothing but another kind of entertainment like the Housewives of New Jersey.

Later ......................................


Saturday, February 07, 2015

Progress

One hundred thousand stand next to and on top of ten foot snow banks to watch their heroes as they float by in duck boats in the bitter cold.  Many stand with their backs to this parade holding up their smartphones hoping to capture a selfie of them with one of their heroes as they pass by.  Immediate download to Facebook is imperative so their FB circle knows just how hip they are in this moment.

The parade is over now.  Thousands of spectators climb aboard the T and other mass transit conveyances to be deposited in the various communities that crowd the Boston city limits.  Though they have come down to Bolyston Square with other friends, once on the T, no interactions or conversations take place in their group as they sit hunched over their electronic devices, tweeting, texting and checking apps for what is trending that was not trending an hour ago.  The train car is eerily silent except the occasional "Damn" or "Shit" when a signal is lost or a battery dies.

The Land of instant gratification has now been successfully attached at the hip with the Land of instant communication.  Instead of reading something of importance, talking about something of importance, or just looking out the window reflecting on something of importance, these folks now take their Life cues from electronic strangers who are trapped in the same mindset as they are.  What was once just trivial and beside the point runs their lives.

And a new circle of life is created. ........  that is until a new app comes along.

And somehow we call this Progress.

Later ................................
______________________________________
Image from SFGate 

Friday, January 30, 2015

Conquering Hero

This a piece I wrote for a flash fiction challenge.  I wrote it in memory of a friend who did not die in Vietnam.  He died because of Vietnam.
______________________

His eyes were full of the things he had seen.  His mouth, full of stories better passed over than passed down.  Memories caught in his craw and woke him sweating cold in the dread of his nights and left him staring into his darkness til Dawn’s early light.


Well meaning people wearing blue scrubs and white coats did what they could.  As it was with so many others, it did not work out.  Scarred and broken he was sent back to a homeland that would never be the same.  His innocence pooled bloody on too many foreign plains.  Feeling forgotten, discarded and alone with his demons, he sought solace in barbiturates, whiskey and gin.  He could never forget his role in the pre-meditated chaos of Man killing Man in faraway lands.

One day he gave up, double hit China White, laid down, and he died.  Before his curtain closed, with one final sigh, the untold stories and nightmares at last said goodbye.  Our conquering hero had finally found his peace.
 _________________________________

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The State of the Union

"My fellow Americans."

The President pauses and looks up at the peanut gallery for just one friendly face.  He finds none. So he looks back at his teleprompter.  He sees the words so carefully crafted, polished and contrived to convince the citizens he is on top of it all.  He shakes his head and a slight grin forms at the corners of his mouth.

"My fellow Americans ......... Once a year at least, my job as your president is to come down here to the hallowed halls of Congress to make a speech.  I would rather not be here, but being here is a requirement of my job.  It is actually written in the Constitution that I show up. I have this speech set up on the teleprompter.  It is about the State of the Union.  It is my take on where this country is now, where it was last year, and where it is headed in the near future.  Once I have hit all the bullet points, you will know what we as Americans should be concerned with.  The economy, jobs, taxes, and because it is just 24 hours since MLK Day, I suppose I ought toss out few thoughts on race and content of character crap."

The President pauses once again.  This pause is expected.  It allows the audience time to fulfill their obligation to applause after every paragraph   Instead there is silence.  Nothing.  The President looks out and sees the wide eyed look of astonishment on every face in the room.  His grin turns to a full blown smile.

"But I know you don't want to hear it.  What you should be concerned with sucks hind tit to what really concerns you.  You would much rather worry about deflated footballs, what Katy Perry will wear at Super Bowl halftime and will Lenny Kravitz show wearing his classic mirrored sunglasses.  And of course there is the possible cut of Taylor Swift from Triple J's Hot 100 list.  This would indeed be tragic and affect all of us for at least the next 5 seconds.

Another pause.  Another moment of silence.  The President sweeps the room with his eyes.

"So I won't stand up here and bore you with what I think is important to us as Americans.  You already know what is important.  All you need is a twitter account and a few apps to fill you in on that.  Worrying about the ethics of our sports teams weighs heavier on your minds than the shady dealings in the smoke filled back rooms of this building."

The President doesn't pause this time.  He pushes forward and his smile fades.

"I just do not care anymore as it has become grossly apparent that you don't care either.  The state of the union is a mess and you only have yourselves to blame.  Thank you very much and go fuck yourselves."

The President steps back.  He raises his hand as if to wave and then turns his hand and flips everyone there the finger and walks out.
___________________________________

Later Gator ...................................................

Monday, January 12, 2015

Is Satan Real?

Sometime  this past summer I found my latest edition of  "The Watchtower" stuck in the storm door.  I used to actively resist rubbing shoulders or other body parts with folks of the intense religious variety.  But now I have come to terms with the Lord and how folks feel about him/her.  With less time left than I had yesterday, I decided there were things I would not, could not deal with any longer.  I still have lots to cram into what time I have left, and worrying about stuff like God, the Devil, and where they sit regarding Good n' Evil is riding the pine at the moment.  Odd how if it feels Good, it is probably Evil.

So I have become friendly and polite to the couple of Bible thumping Witness Ladies who seem intent on saving my soul.  And instead of tossing their fine comic in the trash as soon as I hit the kitchen, I take it to the office, crack it open for some comic relief, and give their propaganda a chance to turn this heathen into a believer.  Truth be told I usually open it when  under an influence of one kind or another.  And though I should treat said periodical seriously, I chuckle more than is religiously safe I am sure.

The one issue that really caught my eye was titled,  "Is Satan Real?"

I wasn't sure if this was an open book test or was I suppose to provide an essay answer and then open it and find out if I was right.  Not wanting to be caught cheating as the consequences could be rather dire,  I opted to consider the question and come up with my take before finding the "truth" of the matter between the covers of this Witness magazine.

I decided that it does not matter if Satan is real.  It does not matter if God is real.  Reality is flexible when considering notions that are created in the mind and not a result of observing the physical world.  Besides I don't care if Satan or for that matter if God is real.  If either of them are that interested in torturing me in the afterlife or before, then they need to get a life.  My impact or influence is pretty far from having any effect on the over all cluster fuck that makes up life on this planet.

I actually think a better question would be "Is Satan Evil?"  I wonder if somehow the whole Good v. Evil thing has been twisted bass-ackwards over the years.  Anything that feels good is "Evil" , yet inflicting pain and anguish on people in the name of God is somehow "Good"?

I dunno, seems one might be the other , or at the least, not much difference between the two.  Which leaves me in a quandary........... Not.

Good and Evil are not black and white.  They are every color under the Sun.

Later..........................................

Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Thousand Word Picture

My wife posted the image to the left on her Facebook page minutes after the final play of Patriots/Ravens dust-up down to Gillette Stadium last night.  No explanation, just the picture. No explanation was needed.  All our fanatical Raven relatives and friends will get the point.

Generally the Balti-moron fanbase allowed their mouths to run without brains engaged last week.  They always do. Can't seem to keep from talkin smack about this, that and everything under the Sun.


Something about talking smack with no back up.  Can't take it back and it sits in the back of the throat making one feel nauseous.  One could only hope this is the case for the multitude of loudmouths down Bawlamer way.

Meanwhile Pats fans seemed subdued last week.......  Quietly Confident?  ....... Hmm.........No, more like quietly nervous.  We didn't have the best results when meeting the evil Ravens in postseason matches in recent years.  The Ravens were not scared of the Brady/Belichick led Patriots.  They proved it today.  They smacked the Pats in the mouth early and never let up.  The Pats got back up, never gave up and took the lead with about 5 minutes left.  In a squeaker that came down to a timely interception, the Pats prevailed.

In your face big haired Raven Hon and all Raven fans everywhere.  I don't want to hear excuses, whinin, no complainin.   Already heard and read more than enough from you last week.

Later..........................................

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

SSDY

So it's 2015.  Another year has passed while another new one spits and sputters its way into life.

I have become so used to each year being wasted with rampant global stupidity, I decided I guess a couple of years ago to pay as little attention as possible to said stupidity.  Nothing seems to change much.  Good or bad.  We continue to put idiots in the drivers seats and allow them to take us wherever their interest lies.  So this year it is the Republicans who will dictate the road trip.  Already their best blowhards are posturing, slapping each other on the back, and rubbing their hands together in anticipation of screwing the average schmoe more than usual.

I especially like the Right's call to bi-partisanship.  I know they know what it is called, but over the last twenty five years I became convinced they did not have a clue on how to actually do it.  Yet here they are trying to be the gracious winners and give the impression they want to include Democrats in their plans.

Hmm ..................................... I say Bullshit.

Regardless, I will enter 2015 as I have every other year.  With some enthusiasm and optimism that this year will at the least be no worse than the previous year.  Unfortunately it is becoming more difficult to hold onto any hope of a brighter future past the first of February.

Happy New Year ... and oh yeah ... Keep it 'tween the ditches.