"Lookit," I replied, "I don't know you. I just got to town. It's only for a night or two, and then I'm heading up north."
He stared intently at me when I spoke.
Of course, the old man from the shadows stared intently at me when I was silent as well.
And that silence was awkward, so I broke it.
"I appreciate the offer to follow you to the original New Orleans, or whatever, but I have family waiting for me here."
Family. I chose that word, although I wasn't sure that Mattie 3.0 met that definition. He was a character from a story I had written in the first part of the century, now come to life through a process called defictionalization near the end of that same century. He was my only contact in Old Orleans, though, as I was sure that Captain Sandy had taken her boat and left town to do more of the IntransiGents' business.
His stare was unnerving. Was he from the Population Control Board? Was this some kind of test that I didn't quite understand that I might have failed in some way? He reached into his pocket and I tensed, unsure of what he'd pull from it.
"There is nothing for you in this town," he said determinedly as he handed me a small business card. "You think it over and you meet me here tomorrow night at this same time. You won't be disappointed."
He shifted backwards into the shadows, and was gone just as suddenly as he had appeared.
I looked down at what he had given me. He had told me that he was a recruiter, but it was only then that I noticed the spelling: 're-krewe-ter'. The "New Orelans" sure was strong with this one.
Unfortunately, that's all the time I have for this month. Until the last day of the month next, I remain Ilion in 2084, using Troy-in-2018's social media to stay in touch with you and to tell you of my future journeys -- wherever they may take me. Be well -- be careful -- and be prepared, for the path to where I am from where you are is a tortured one, full of disappointment.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 10/31/18
Used in a sentence: "As Abraham Lincoln himself (probably) said: 'Know ye this: free speech is the foundation of our form of government ... but our founding fathers thought just as highly of free 'snooze', free 'unfollow', and free 'block'."
With less than a week to go until the primary election (and the gloating that will happen after it), consider it my PSA to inform you that you have the power to make your day on the facebook happier. It's up to you if you want to snooze (like putting a fool in a temporary timeout for a month to think about what ridiculousness he or she posted), or to unfollow (like putting a fool in a permanent timeout where you will not see anything unless you go looking to find the latest ridiculousness that he or she posted), or to block (like putting a fool in what amounts to a permanent permanent timeout where you won't see him or her and he or she won't see you and all you will have is the memories of the ridiculousness that he or she posted).
And this should go without saying, but please also take note that the virtual world is NOT the actual world. You are under absolutely no obligation to stay connected with fools spouting ridiculousness. Honest Abe has your back whatever action you take ...
WHEN SNOOZING DOESN'T WORK:
https://www.postplanner.com/how-to-unfollow-annoying-people-on-facebook/
BEWARE THE LINCOLN QUOTE:
https://www.craftyourcontent.com/research-quotes/
ON THE FACEBOOK AND THE FREE SPEECH DILEMMA:
https://www.justsecurity.org/56864/facebook-takedown-rules-raise-questions-require-transparency/
Monday, October 29, 2018
Random Memorial for Monday 10/29/18
Also gone and soon to be forgotten: my two former "friends" on the Facebook, who showed their true colors when they commented/endorsed the notion that Soros funded the #magabomber, just hours before one of the angry hateful murderous old white guys used the exact same anti-Soros attitude to massacre eleven Jews who arrived early to get the good seats at the synagogue. In my ignorance, I didn't know before that "anti-Soros" was code for anti-semitism ... but now that I'm so informed, I will have zero tolerance for anyone using my Facebook to advance such an agenda. You two, and anyone else who conflates conspiracy with truth, will NOT be missed.
Finally ... gone but not forgotten: Joyce Fienberg, 75, Richard Gottfried, 65, Rose Mallinger, 97, Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, Cecil Rosenthal, 59, David Rosenthal, 54, Bernice Simon, 84, Sylvan Simon, 86, Daniel Stein, 71, Melvin Wax, 87 and Irving Younger, 69. Names and numbers make them real ... and their stories are included in the link below/to follow for those who have been desensitized to the every day carnage and who need to be brought back into the reality of our disappearing humanity. As is customary to say in their culture, "may their memories be for blessings" ... and as I'm going to add, may the story of 97 year old holocaust survivor and shooting victim Rose haunt those who attempt to dissociate their allegiance to all-things-Trump from these direct outcomes of the "great" America they've created so far. For the sake of our collective future, you eleven MUST not be missed.
LEST THEY ALSO BE FORGOTTEN:
https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/funeral-arrangements-set-for-man-woman-killed-during-kroger-shooting/417-608019513
SOMEHOW I MISSED THAT ANTI-SOROS EQUALS ANTI-SEMITISM:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/us/anti-semitism-attacks.html
IN CASE YOU'VE BEEN DESENSITIZED:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/28/us/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-victims/index.html
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 10/28/18
... the same thing as last week -- the election, now just one and a half weeks away (unless you early voted, and then it's all over but for the counting).
Last week, I covered the big state races (as a reminder, I wholeheartedly endorse Andrew GILLUM to be the next governor of the 3rd biggest state in our nation ... and I begrudgingly endorse Bill NELSON to retain his seat as one of our two Senators). This week I promised to review the proposed amendments to the state constitution ... but boy oh boy are they a bit of a mess.
In addition to amendments proposed by the legislature and by the people, this is also the time that a commission that meets every 20 years to review our state constitution has presented their initiatives. Further complicating matters, they are allowed to "bundle" amendments, which mean some are composed of three items -- often not related -- and the public has to vote all in (or none in). Then there is one amendment that, due to a lawsuit, got removed -- but so late in the process, that the others won't be renumbered. Plus there's the potential confusion over whether YES means NO or NO means YES or YES means YES or NO means NO, as amendments are often more confusingly written than this paragraph is. And on top of all of that, the ballot doesn't even include the actual amendments, just an approved summary -- because, you know, Florida people's reading comp scores are generally low.
In the links below, I'll highlight two different very very thorough deep-dives into everything being presented. And as for "endorsements", it is my hope that the following collect the 60% they need to become official: 4 (restoring voting rights), 12 (restricting lobbying) and 13 (banning betting on greyhound racing). The others are either bad policy or do not rise to the level of needing to be in the constitution vs being addressed by the legislature, in my humble and learned opinion.
Coming next week: the hyper-local initiatives only appearing on our SoFlo ballot.
A DEEP DIVE (IN VIDEO FORMAT):
https://www.local10.com/news/elections/understanding-florida-constitutional-amendment-questions-on-november-ballot-2018
A DEEP DIVE (IN PDF FORMAT):
https://www.jamesmadison.org/2018-florida-constitutional-amendment-guide-2/
WHAT'S WITH ALL THAT BUNDLING:
https://www.wmfe.org/why-voters-will-be-facing-so-many-bundled-amendments-explained/92787
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Random Soapbox for Saturday 10/27/18
Umberto's.
Like, really. I mean seriously, people. Umberto's.
Or, as the location closest to us is officially called, Umberto's of Long Island Restaurant and Pizza.
Or, to put it where it belongs in an old fashioned SAT analogy question (if you took the test after 2005, you may need a tutor to understand this ... and if you never visited us in Chicago when we took advantage of our favorite take out place, then you may not even get the reference anyway): Umbertos:SoFlo::Paninos:Chicago.
Or, as pictorially represented in the image accompanying this post: the place from where this feast of Italian sausage and peppers with a side of spaghetti, garlic onion roasted chicken wings, fried zucchini planks and a whole big bag of wet garlic rolls was ordered.
Admittedly, we've only ever had this delivered on nights when we're drinking, so there's a slight chance that alcohol is influencing our experience, but we are now 3 for 3 -- and the food arrives hot and tasty with oh so much home-cooked flavor that it's the kind of meal we eat and look at each other and say, "is this really as good as it tastes" while we moan and grunt and lick our fingers in pleasure as if we were Dionysus at an Umberto's catered bacchanalia (without the wild and crazy sex stuff).
On a day like today when one needs a distraction from the news of the world AND with yet another "season of gratitude" starting up next Thursday, I'm just gonna block out everything else and focus on some Umberto's to get me ready for a spell of being thankful for all kinds of things.
WE'VE YET TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH UMBERTO'S!:
http://www.umbertosfl.com/
REMEMBER THE SAT ANALOGIES?:
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/opinion/an-sat-without-analogies-is-like-a-a-confused-citizenry.html
SO MAYBE THEY WERE TOO BUSY AT THE PARTY TO EAT ...:
https://www.thoughtco.com/bacchus-roman-god-2562627
Random Posting for Penn State 10/27/18
1.) Of all the turnovers in today's game, I liked the last one the best.
2.) I stand by what I said last week -- I vastly prefer the 4th quarters when we're up by a lot over these ones where you have to watch to the very ... very ... last second. After all, I'm now an old man with a heart full of bacon grease ... and I'm not trying to go out in the last seconds of a Penn State game.
3.) Congrats to Coach FRANKLIN on his 100th coached college football game -- and I'm sure both of us are happy that it was a W.
4.) While I'm congratulating people, I'll save some for Tommy STEVENS for all the work he did there at the end of the 2nd quarter to help our efforts today.
5.) And, being as polite as I am, I'll offer my final set of congratulations to the IOWA defensive line, who prove that corn-fed boys grow tall -- like 7 foot tall.
6.) Let me tell ya -- a well documented recent case of the dropsies PLUS bad weather EQUALS a messy messy messy start to the game.
7.) Hey announcermen -- I know not everyone likes their co-worker, but it sure seems like y'all don't necessarily get along and were purposefully at odds for most of the commentary.
8.) Hey announcermen -- I may not know the difference between onsite and offsite, but I sure do know that havoc is WREAKED and not WRECKED. Please cheak yourself ... I mean check yourself.
9.) I don't care what anyone else says. *My* player of the week is going to *have* to be our boy with all the records Trace McSORLEY, who responded to the halftime question of "how's your knee" with a 51 yard TD run ... as in "the knee's just fine, thanks for asking"!
In closing, thanks to mama Oruwariye for her service, as recognized today at the military appreciation ceremony ... and here's to whatever we need to do to execute an upset next week at the 3:45pm game against the "enemy" known as Michigan.
HAPPY 100th (HAPPY 'CAUSE IT'S A 'W', OF COURSE):
http://www.statecollege.com/news/columns/penn-state-football-franklin-hits-100-vs-iowa-and-mcsorley-isnt-far-behind,1478260/
WREAK NOT WRECK:
https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2016/01/28/wreak-havoc-wreck-havoc/
THE KNEE'S JUST FINE, THANKS FOR ASKING:
https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/10/27/trace-mcsorley-right-leg-injury-penn-state-iowa
Friday, October 26, 2018
Random Flashback for Friday 10/26/18
In honor of the holiday -- and to stay true to the construct for Fridays on the blog/Facebook of telling my tale twenty years after it happened -- here's how we celebrated around this time of year in 1998.
Chris and I were just over a month into our new relationship, so we had reached the "meet the family" milestone. And by "the family", I mean *his* family, as my family situation was (and always has been) atypical. In late 1998, I wasn't yet the biological orphan that I am today, but still ...
So ... meeting *his* family meant driving up to his mom and dad's house in Wormleysburg to take his youngest nephew Robert out trick-or-treating (that's him in what I think is a GI Joe costume). Note: this may be the *first* appearance of our three nephews, but it won't be the last -- at least for the next fifteen years or so of Fridays before we catch up to the time when they all got old and moved across the country (or halfway around the world for one of them) setting up families of their own, rarely to be seen again.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 10/24/18
Used in a sentence: "It's time to update my Words With Friends record book, because, when it comes to my best scoring word, QUIP is the new COZENS."
By the way, if you're keeping score at home, COZENS had been my high-scoring word since May 20 of 2015, when it replaced ZANIES, which was first noted as such on Nov 26 of 2014 -- around the time the app first started sharing your stats on your profile page (which is also how I know I've been playing since Nov 4 of 2011).
It's a little hard to believe I've been playing now for nearly seven years -- luckily, it doesn't keep track of how many MINUTES I've lost doing so in that time frame -- but I'm not about to knock anything that serves as a distraction in these modern times.
PS -- feel free to find me on the game if you'd like to come be distracted along with me ...
WHEN IT WAS COZENS:
https://capcognition.blogspot.com/2015/05/random-wordplay-for-wednesday-52015.html
WHEN IT WAS ZANIES:
https://capcognition.blogspot.com/2014/11/random-wordplay-for-wednesday-112614.html
IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING WHAT ALL THOSE WORDS YOU PLAY MEANT:
https://levelskip.com/mobile/Awesome-Words-in-Words-with-Friends
Monday, October 22, 2018
Random Memorial for Monday 10/22/18
Warning: there's just no way around it. This is a sad one.
Popeye was the local homeless veteran who panhandled at one of the biggest intersections near our house. Seeing as how my "exercise" routine consists of frequent walks through my 'hood, up to 11 hours a week on six different possible routes, I saw him frequently. Previously, I didn't know his name ... and I actually don't think we ever made eye contact ... and I'm a total sh!t for that. I did see him often though, in his wheelchair, pushing himself backwards with the one leg he had left, shaking his fist (and, for a time, a crutch) at cars that drove past him too quickly. Sometimes, I'd be surprised 'cause he'd be up an alley, next to an abandoned building, catching some z's, just sleeping in his chair in the middle of the day. I don't recall him working a cardboard sign, but I do think there was an American flag headband ... and maybe a small flag that flew proudly from the corner of his chair.
Sadly, I now know his name because I stumbled on an article from the local paper that described his death in a late night hit and run in late September. Since learning of his passing, I now make it a point to look at another homeless guy I see frequently on my walks. He's often laying on one of the sidewalks nearby, but I'll be damned if I now don't look in his eyes as I pass. He's suddenly taken to saluting me ... and although I'm not military, maybe my tattoos and my give-zero-f#cks attitude makes him think otherwise, so I committed to doing my best to salute him back. And maybe, just maybe, #forPopeye, I'll learn that guy's name *before* I read about his death in the paper.
Popeye, to whom I dedicate the Joan Baez/Kris Kristofferson duet below/to follow*, and in whose name I am making a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project tonight, you will be missed.
*So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello"
SAD, SO SAD:
https://www.local10.com/news/local/fort-lauderdale/man-in-wheelchair-killed-while-trying-to-cross-sunrise-boulevard
#FORPOPEYE:
https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=10201&ovr_acv_id=4684&campaignSource=ONLINE&source=BS18012&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1pC17qub3gIVDVqGCh1S_Aj4EAAYASAAEgIEYfD_BwE
ALSO #FORPOPEYE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvtWrvUDQdk
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 10/21/18
The election, now just two and a half weeks away!
And let me tell you -- I've seen the ballot and it's a doozy. (I don't have secret access or anything, it's just that they send you a sample ballot through the snail mail down here going into the event.) In addition to the statewide races for governor and senator, there's also a host of tricky amendments plus the perennial local items where the government is trying to get more of your money. Over the next three weeks, I'll address each of those separate categories in turn.
First up -- I wholeheartedly endorse Andrew GILLUM to be the next governor of the 3rd biggest state in our nation ... and I begrudgingly endorse Bill NELSON to retain his seat as one of our two Senators.
Full disclosure, before our state's primaries, I said this: "For Democratic governor: I (reluctantly) endorse Gwen Graham, as the best of a lackluster group of candidates (and even though my heart says to vote for Mayor Gillum, my mind says the millions of redneck Floridians in 2018 aren't ready for him)." My heart continues to be drawn to Gillum's inspirational messages and his strong oratory skills, and every additional exposure to him and his message prove him to be calm and collected, concerned and compassionate, and mindful and measured. That being said, I'm still hoping against hope that a majority of Floridians will prove me wrong at the polls -- because what I've learned since moving here in 2014 is that the state has got a bit of an MPD problem (or, since MPD went out of vogue back when I was little once the movies and the soap operas cast a negative light on it, a bit of a Dissociative Identity Disorder problem). What I mean by that is one never exactly knows which "alter" will be in charge ... or which ones might team up to silence all the others ... and ALL of them live here: the ones from the Redneck Riviera, the drunken college folk, the rich Venezuelans in exile who took over what used to be known as Miami, the gays and those who love them, the Haitians in exile that Trump is trying to send home, the Jewish and the Gentile blue hair seniors, the retired criminals, the criminals in training, the criminals who haven't realized they're going to grow up to be criminals yet, etc., etc.
And let's face it -- DeSantis was never anything but a Trump-polyp (i.e. someone whose head is so far up the pervert-in-chief's ass that he might as well attach himself to the lining of Trump's intestine), and he hasn't established himself as something else after his surprising win in the primaries. Then along came the nationally televised debate this weekend, where he demonstrated that he might want to schedule any future head-to-heads on the radio. I've seen those tiny pupils and that grinding jaw action before and I don't know if he double-dipped into his kids' adderall supply or if he had more advanced stimulants, but he sure did look hopped up. And speaking of things he may have in common with W, the younger Bush, Ronnie has a creepy smirk similar to George's chortle that pops up at inappropriate times. I know that the debate evening was supposedly the first time that those two met face to face, but the DeSmarmy ... I mean the DeSquirrelly ... I mean the DeSantis discomfort level seemed like it was the first time he was ever that close to *any* person of color.
I'm a touch less passionate about the Senate race. Lookit -- I'm a fan of term limits ... and I applaud seniors and want them to have fulfilling final chapters of their lives ... and that's why I just can't get all that excited about sending Nelson back to DC for a fourth term. But make no mistake about it. I will do just that. Because the alternative is the bitch-ass crook outgoing-governor Rick Scott, whose favorite amendment is the 5th, and who made his millions defrauding the federal government for whom he now wants to "work". I may only realize that Nelson is my senator when he suddenly appears after a hurricane or a mass shooting (of which, tellingly, we've had more of the latter than the former since becoming Floridians), but I will begrudgingly recommend that you vote for NELSON in hopes that he announces his retirement prior to the next election for that seat in 2024.
In summary ... vote. VOTE. VOTE!!
POLITIFACTING THE DEBATE:
https://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2018/oct/21/fact-checking-andrew-gillum-ron-desantis-florida-g/
POLITFACTING SCOTT'S CRIMINAL PAST:
https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/mar/03/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-rick-scott-oversaw-largest-medicare-fra/
BEWARE THE POLLS THOUGH:
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-andrew-gillum-bill-nelson-cnn-poll-20181022-story.html
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Random Posting for Penn State 10/20/18
1.) Full disclosure: the image accompanying this post IS NOT from today's game, but it IS what one finds on the google when the search query is "empty Indiana stadium". Lookit -- I know they love their bball games at this school, but I do believe only seven "fans" and the band stayed all the way to the end to see that last TD from their team.
2.) Fuller disclosure: on a game that was supposed to be a blowout, let's just say I'm relieved that we were able to hold on long enough for the win.
3.) I'm just saying ... after the last few weeks, I was afraid our back-end-of-the-season motto was going to be "at least we're not Nebraska".
4.) In other news, congrats to Nebraska on their win today.
5.) Welcome back Tommy STEVENS, even if barely in the qb role today. It's good to think a little bit about 2019 as we pivot our focus toward our potential bowl game eligibility and beyond.
6.) In the spirit of buck-passing, I fully intend to explain to anyone who asks that today's game was more challenging than expected due to the wind. Yeah, the wind. That's the reason.
7.) Hey announcermen -- thanks for letting us know that Micah PARSONS is "special" -- and I thought that was slightly pejorative until I found out that everyone thinks he's a "freak" (in a good way it seems) and until I watched his cute little baby temper tantrum on the sidelines when he missed that interception opportunity today.
8.) Hey announcermen -- it seems you're just a touch fixated on the height and weight of every single player. I'm not necessarily saying you have some kind of obsession with size -- I'm just pointing out that you're starting to sound more and more "presidential" every time I hear you salivate over how big and tall these guys are.
9.) I don't care what anyone else says. *My* "player" of the week is going to *have* to be whomever decided that the rebuses should be brought back to the sidelines, as they have been sorely missed by me, seeing as how I love a word game wherever I can find it.
In closing, thanks to Indiana player Wes MARTIN, as his decision to collect as many penalties as he could during today's game may just have helped us break our losing streak ... and here's to being better prepared for three weeks of pretty challenging football, starting with the 3:30pm game next week against Iowa.
CAN WE JUST PAUSE AND CONGRATULATE THOSE CORNHUSKERS PLEASE:
https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/at-long-last-huskers-get-a-win/article_8f2d0e00-1c9a-5735-b29d-208e1d3c3ec1.html
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND NON-BINARIES, MEET "SPECIAL FREAK" MICAH:
https://www.collegian.psu.edu/football/article_bfcc62c0-b2a9-11e8-85fa-7b637a3d2319.html
HE MAY BEEN IN THE OTHER TEAM'S COLORS, BUT TODAY HE PLAYED FOR US:
https://iuhoosiers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7659
Random Soapbox for Saturday 10/20/18
... where on God's green earth are people of a certain age supposed to purchase new CDs upon their release now that the kids are all ituned and mp3d and spotified and digitized?
Hint: it is NOT the local Target, seeing as how the employee at that store in our town looked at me blankly when I asked where I'd find Martina McBride's newly released Christmas album that just came out on Friday, before sputtering, "well, we haven't even opened ANY Christmas things yet, but you'll find all the new releases here" as he gestured toward one solitary display cube. Although, heck, calling it a "cube" implies four sides ... and although it did have four sides, only ONE of them held CDs.
I mean of course I know that I won't find a Camelot ... or The Wall ... or Sam Goody ... or Tower Records ... and I don't even know where the closest FYE is (which, as I recall, sells more random merch and less music based on the last one I was in). And, as of July 1 of this year, Best Buy no longer lets you buy the best CDs as they come out. But I thought I was safe at a Target -- I mean, as far as I last knew, they used to have *special* releases with *bonus* tracks on them as recently as a few years back. It looks like my only choice now is the Walmart, where I'll be headed later this week to get my Martina on. (And thank goodness that rednecks in their redneck trucks still listen to music the old CD way ...)
A NEW CD, A NEW COOKBOOK *AND* A HOLIDAY TOUR:
http://www.cmt.com/news/1797884/martina-mcbride-details-holiday-album-and-tour/
IT'S NOT *AT* THE TARGET BUT IT IS *ON* THE TARGET.COM:
https://www.target.com/p/martina-mcbride-its-the-holiday-season/-/A-54085069?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1246978&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Entertainment+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Entertainment&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=s&device=c&location=9011972&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1ojglNGY3gIVAaeGCh35VAucEAQYASABEgI7B_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
WHERE ONE CAN STILL BUY CDs (ALLEGEDLY):
http://time.com/money/5329310/best-buy-no-cds-where-to-buy/
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 10/17/18
Used in a super long sentence: "Similar to the running gag on 'Brooklyn 99' where someone says something and another character says 'that's the name of your sextape', I am now actively sourcing things that get said after which I say 'that's the name of my auto-biography' ... or, in other words, take a look at this display at the local 'Luckys Market' titled 'Thrives on Neglect' aka 'that's the name of my auto-biography'."
Note: this cutesy collection of plants that will live even if you actively (or passively) try to kill them is NOT the first time I've been exposed to this concept, seeing as how Dickon tells Mary that "the strongest roses will fair thrive on being neglected" as he introduces the secret garden to her in ... 'The Secret Garden' ... and seeing as how I still tear up every time I hear the 'Wick' track from that musical. (And yet STILL some of you feigned surprise at my Sep 22 announcement this year ...)
Here's the thing ... those of us who are able to succeed against all odds due to those who noticed our "wick", proving that we are a part of that special group that thrives on neglect, need to be sure to be paying attention enough that we take care of those who may need a little more. That's *my* commitment to all of you.
IF A THING HAS WICK, IT HAS A LIFE ABOUT IT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbpze63j8S8
A LIST OF PLANTS THAT WILL THRIVE ON NEGLECT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/garden/14garden.html
PHOTO CREDIT FROM *THIS* LOCATION:
https://www.luckysmarket.com/oakland-park-florida/
Monday, October 15, 2018
Random Memorial for Monday 10/15/18
As a reminder, this isn't some protest about Bette's political tweets -- especially seeing as how I agree with the vast majority of them -- but is instead a representation of the fact that I'm discarding cassettes for which we also have the CD in our collection.
It is such a chore to pick just one tune amidst such a collection of greatest hits ... and although I have an affinity for 'Only in Miami' now that we live in the SoFlo ... and although 'The Rose' makes me cry upon every listening ... and although I remember Johnnie's last show when she sang 'One for my Baby ... and One more for the Road', I'm going to pick the melancholy opening track of 'Hello in There', for reasons I'll share soon in an as yet unwritten post ... and, because as the Marvelous Bette says in the opening moments of the link below/to follow ... "we're all here for the survival".
SAY 'HELLO IN THERE ... HELLO':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldqc0_vzfgk
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 10/14/18
The arrival of Fall y'all!
As I've previously said, since moving to the land of eternal sunshine in 2014, I've learned how important it is to honor traditions during the non-summer months so as not to forget that former life where seasons actually changed.
To whit, this weekend was our annual trip to Flamingo Road Nursery, which has specially designated weeks throughout the "harvest" season. Officially, our visit coincided with "tomato festival", but it was really all about seeing all the pumpkins on display and scoring some apple cider and other fall good-eats. The one in the cup in the picture accompanying this post was supposed to be frozen in a slushie, but it turns out that they couldn't handle the demand, so apple-cider-on-ice was the best they could do instead.
We want to officially go on record for *next* year to remind ourselves to travel there during a weekday, as the weekend apparently draws hundreds and hundreds of kiddies looking to paint pumpkins and take a hay ride (an itchy itchy hay ride in temps in the high 80's ... but, you know, whatevs) ... which can be a bit overwhelming.
Regardless, though, here's to a happy fall from us and ours to you and yours, wherever and with whatever temps you are experiencing. May your leaves turn to beautiful colors, may your pumpkins not rot two days after putting them on your porch (a problem down here in the SoFlo), and may you take advantage of whatever fall activities your community has to offer you.
(In lieu of my usual links-in-triplicate, here's a single url for the place we go to each year ... and two more photos from our visit there this weekend ...)
OUR FALL PLACE:
https://flamingoroadnursery.com/
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Random Posting for Penn State 10/13/18
1.) You know what kind of 4th quarters I like? The ones where we have a double digit leads and Tommy STEVENS (or, as per earlier this year, Sean CLIFFORD) gets a chance to play. Let's have more of *those* again, eh?
2.) In other words, ugh. Or, considering the game before the bye week that bookends this afternoon's performance, double ugh.
3.) Now I'm not saying for certain that Felton DAVIS III is a big old flopper ... I'm just saying that praise be that he was able to return to the game after his injury that caused a special time out -- ONLY one play after another teammate's injury caused another special time out so that DAVIS could ... conveniently ... recover (and you very much should have pronounced "conveniently" just like Dana Carvey's 'Church Lady' character would have done so).
4.) So ... as it is my nature to seek out silver linings wherever possible ... that stripe-out sure looked nice and stripey on the TV.
5.) Also ... silver lining wise ... at least we got to watch this game on the Big10 network what with Xfinity finally settling with them at the last minute in August of this year.
6.) Also also ... in the silver lining department ... it was great to see Saquon BARKLEY at the homecoming game ... and how cute was it that he was wearing McSORLEY's jersey? (Hint: the answer is so soooo cute.)
7.) Hey announcermen -- although I usually "ding" you in this part of the post, I will refrain from doing so in support of former Penn Stater Matt MILLEN's battle with amyloidosis and his need for a heart transplant.
8.) Hey announcermen -- notwithstanding what I said above, please please please work on your enunciation. It took me way too late in the game to realize that you weren't saying "THE ROOKIE" every time you talked about Mich State's qb "LEWERKE".
9.) I don't care what anyone else says. *My* player of the week is going to *have* to be the record breaking McSORLEY, who added "all time career PState passing yards leader" to his long list of accolades during the happier part of tonight's game.
In closing, thanks to the fine students at the Michigan State who created the FENG charging device (where the thing in the heel of your shoe charges your devices as you walk), as seen in the commercials during the game, as pictured in the image accompanying this post, and as explained in the link below/to follow ... and here's to another 3:30 pm game next week against Indiana (and can we maybe win that one please)?
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN SAQUON:
https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2018/10/saquon_barkley_returns_to_penn.html
THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN THE GAME:
http://btn.com/2018/09/08/matt-millen-fights-and-waits-as-rare-disease-prompts-search-for-heart-donor/
LET'S ALL MAKE THE FENG THING HAPPEN:
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/flexible-device-captures-energy-from-human-motion/
Random Soapbox for Saturday 10/13/18
Melania. Am I right?
First off -- some will say that the family of the idiot-in-chief (leading the #ignorantgeneration to occasional wins, but only at the expense of the future) are off-limits, but they are likely the same ones who actively supported all the frequent comparisons made of Michelle O to assorted primates, so ... you know ... I. Don't. Care.
Second off -- I was once in the group that was hoping that the First Immigrant would blink three times in an interview to convey whether or not she was being held in the relationship against her will ... and that maybe she too was the victim. Unfortunately, though, as our national nightmare continues, it appears that she might be in deeper than her husband's mushroom thingy has ever gone. And yes, this is me trying to #bebest (or to #bethebest, for those for whom English is their first language).
Third off -- to hear her recently interviewed where she expressed concern over immigration in America makes complete sense, what with an increasing chance that wifey #4 might be in that mix, and that she might be replaced by his *next* mistress. And yes, my use of the word *next* means that I stand with Yvette Nicole Brown.
Fourth off -- there is something to be said for how similar she is to Hillary in that she too is now officially and memorably and forever a cuckquean -- which is officially an obsolete Olde English noun for the female version of a cuckold ... except for how amazingly current it is when it comes to naming the Presidents wives who get to forever be linked to standing by that which their husbands did with their penises.
Fifth off -- and finally -- I am holding out hope that the eventual erstwhile Mrs. Trump ('cause that end result is an all but certain outcome that is bound to happen and would clearly represent her "being best") holds Florence Harding in high regard. In case you're not up on how everything old is new again when you try to regress to "great" times in history, Florence was the wife of President Warren Harding, and President Warren Harding was someone for whom the Republican party had to pay $20,000 to the lady with whom he was having an affair (and her husband) as they sent them overseas during the election cycle. He then campaigned with the slogan "to return America to normalcy" (I sh!t you not), and when he got into office, he didn't care much for the day to day responsibility of governing, he did whatever his advisors told him, he pushed for tax cuts for the rich and he was anti-immigration. Oh -- and he also had a new mistress that he slept with in every room of the White House. Which brings me to Florence. She and Warren eventually travelled to Alaska, and took a train ride down the coast, and "poor" Warren had a heart attack in San Francisco and died in office. Rumor has it that Florence just might have poisoned him as revenge.
In conclusion, anyone want to join me in a #beFlorence campaign to send bottles of anitfreeze to Ms Melanija Knavs at 1600 Presidential Avenue ... for country and for constitution, of course.
I'M WITH YVETTE:
http://www.vulture.com/2018/10/yvette-nicole-brown-takes-heat-over-melania-mistress-comment.html
LET'S MAKE CUCKQUEAN HAPPEN AGAIN:
https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2013/10/cuckquean.html
I THOUGHT TRUMP WAS LIKE NIXON BUT MAYBE HE'S MORE HARDING:
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/warren-harding-child-sex-sandal-121404
Friday, October 12, 2018
Random Flashback for Friday 10/12/18
By "long-distance", I mean one of approximately 35 miles -- the distance between Lebanon (where I still lived) and Harrisburg (where he had his house). I was still working the overnight night auditor shift at what was then known as the Quality Inn in my hometown ... and he was a unionized server at what was then known as the Circular Dining Room at the Hotel Hershey. I would often sneak away to his place for a visit, and he made the required trip to Lebanon in order to meet the og pit bull named Demon, where he joined us on our walk and learned the hard way that Demon needed to always be in the lead (via a quick nip when Chris tried to walk first in line). I think that was also the trip where he took one look at our batchelor pad kitchen -- and started cleaning. Together, we snuck away to Philly for a weekend of fun (details of which I'll save for the eventual actual auto-biography).
My favorite story from this time frame, though was how we would talk on the phone for hours after he got off of work, and during the slow slow time when I was at the desk of the hotel. As per my instructions, and seeing as how this was in the days before ubiquitous cell phones, I would always call him back on the special 1-800 line to save money -- and we'd talk about everything and nothing until he would start to fall asleep on the other end of the line. You can imagine my surprise when my employer contacted me weeks later to inform me that there was well over $100 in charges from outbound calls on that line, as a 1-800 number is only "free" to the people calling IN and not those calling OUT. Sheepishly, I came up with a plan to pay those costs ... and strategically, we came up with a plan to consider living in the exact same town (to be continued) ...
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 10/10/18
Used in a sentence: "Dear New Vintage Wood: you can't be everything to everybody, so please choose a characteristic already, you oxymoron in the making."
Mind you, I fancy myself more of a wordsmith and not so much of a woodsmith (although this past year, I did nail two pieces of scrap wood together to make something that would fit in the tiny space next to the bed on which remotes could be placed) ... but something about this item on display at the local soon-to-be-closed Lowes-expansion-experiment known as Orchard Supply Hardware stuck in my craw. (I say "expansion-experiment", as the company apparently existed in CA for decades before Lowes bought them, expanded them, and then closed them.)
And, as it turns out, taking new wood and making it look distressed is a real thing that people pay good money for ... or, if they are lucky and are so inclined, take on as a DIY task ... or, if they are the luckiest, grab for free from dilapidated buildings out in the countryside.
In other news, note to self: see if I can sell this same slogan to the pharmaceutical companies pushing the latest ED drugs to old guys.
BYE BYE ORCHARD SUPPLY COMPANY:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/08/22/lowes-orchard-supply-hardware-stores-close/1060236002/
THIS IS A REAL THING YOU CAN BUY:
http://www.drvawood.com/
THIS IS A REAL THING YOU CAN DIY:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-make-wood-look-old
Monday, October 8, 2018
Random Memorial for Monday 10/8/18
Columbus Day.
And I don't mean because I'm posting this around 8pm on the east coast on the second Monday of the month of October -- meaning that the so-named federal holiday is nearly over.
Instead, I mean that it's almost gone because in places not where I currently live, it's now apparently known as a number of other things -- like Indigenous Peoples' Day (a lot of places) ... or Native American Day (South Dakota) ... or Discoverers' Day (Hawaii). Or -- in Columbus Ohio itself -- they've done something trickier and postponed the whole "you get the day off" concept with Veteran's Day, a day when city employees previously had to work.
Unknown at this time is whether or not Uruguay and Belize (where it's called PanAmerican Day) are wrapped up in this controversy. Also -- I know I'm repurposing the sad Indian from the pollution commercials of the 70's in the picture accompanying this post, but I'm figuring that he can cry for all kinds of things (up to and including smallpox blankets).
That which taught me the part of the story of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria that didn't involve all the slavery and genocide and "violence, deprivation and disease", as referenced by Presidential Proclamation from the previous office-holder ... once you get removed nationally (which is certainly not expected until after we experience our own regime change here in the US), you will be missed.
HAPPY WHATEVER YOU CALL IT:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/08/us/columbus-day-vs-indigenous-peoples-day/index.html
COLUMBUS TRADES TODAY'S HOLIDAY FOR VETERAN'S DAY IN NOV:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/columbus-day-2018-columbus-ohio-not-celebrating-this-year/
AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW:
https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/08/nyregion/in-person-in-defense-of-columbus.html
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 10/7/18
The Red Tide.
Not the Crimson Tide. Not a new color of Tide Pods. But a toxic algae that had been somewhat limited to the Gulf Coasts of Texas and Florida ... until it snuck around the Everglades and started causing some dead fish to wash up on some local beaches ... and some eyes to water of those who had the unfortunate timing of vacationing here this time of year.
Or, if you eschew science and prefer scripture, both new and old:
Revelation 8:8
The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
and ...
Hosea 4:3
That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing.
Or maybe science and end times can BOTH be true? You decide ... just maybe don't go to the beach to make up your mind at the present moment.
DEAD FISH MUCH?:
http://www.myscripturestudies.com/2011/09/hosea-told-us-about-bird-and-fish.html
BLOOD RED SEA MUCH?:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sea_turns_red_as_blood
SCIENCE MUCH?:
https://www.foxnews.com/science/red-tide-crisis-the-science-behind-the-toxic-algae-bloom-on-floridas-gulf-coast
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Random Posting for Penn State 10/6/18
Just kidding! This was our bye week -- which couldn't have come at a better time in light of the potential momentum busting game last week ... (I'm over it ... I swear ... really I am -- and so should you all be [where "you all" equals "the team"]).
So I guess there's nothing to do but to wait for next week's 3:30 game against Mich State ... except to wonder if maybe Coach and I are brothers from another mother ... or, considering my mother's reputation, brothers from another father. Anyone know if James' dad worked at the chicken plants in Fredericksburg in the early 70's? Asking for a friend ...
Random Soapbox for Saturday 10/6/18
... I understand that there may be many of you who are somewhat anguished over the recent turn of events, what with there now being someone on the court who gets a a little rapey when he gets a lot drunk. Disclaimer: to avoid the Confederate Flag clan (or is that Klan?) showing up on my driveway in the morn, my lawyers want me to add "allegedly" -- to which I say, why not add it three or four times? In the end, I lost count as to how many "alleges" there were (more than Obama but less than Cosby) ... and we may never know since the final flawed FBI report is sealed up tighter than Melania's privates now that the whole world knows about all of Donny's side-pieces -- including the extreme evangelicals, who, let's face it, have a long history of supporting their OWN leaders' side-pieces, but who, let's really really face it, don't care how Pharisetical they look, because, so long as Roe v Wade gets overturned via beer-loving-Brett, then the end will have justified the mushroom-headed megalomaniac's means all along ... (and everyone that is white and pure and above a certain socio-economic status will go to the same heaven ... the end).
By the way, I was taught to always try to find the silver lining in things, and so I am just happy that Clarence now has someone else with whom he can play the classic workplace game of "whose pubic hair is on my coke can". Old Man Thomas, who's been petulantly silent at work since he went through his own public (and kind of pubic) vetting process back in 1991 (because everything old is new again, as must be when the leadership of the country is fixated on being ultra-regressive), finally has a work buddy that speaks his language -- so maybe he'll start speaking. As a matter of fact, I thought maybe Squee in the Kavanaugh calendars was possibly Clarence ... except ... well ... I also have a suspicion that Kavanaugh might not have had any black friends back then. Just a hunch -- an ivy-league frat-douche mfing-porky's-wannabe spoiled boofed-up drunken hunch.
Oh -- another potential shiny distraction? Can you imagine the Supremes' holiday party this year (which I am all but sure will be renamed the "Christmas" party after this turn of events), and would you not want to be there when he gets to the "loud, obnoxious drunk [...] prolific puk[ing]" part of the night and he and Clarence try to trap RBG in the Devil's Triangle and she castrates both of them right then and there for God and country and constitution? That alone might make all the concern and consternation of the last few weeks worth it.
Here's the real thing -- you can't get so discouraged ... or exhausted ... or blindingly angry that you lose sight of where we're headed in this war just because of a loss of a single battle. And make no mistake about it, we've been in the UNCivil War now for a few years ... and we'll be in it for a few more. (If you need to be reminded of it, watch as much of a Trumpster-fire rally as you can stomach.) NOW is the time to access your best coping skills and to compartmentalize-af in order to get past this round of disappointment.
Here's another real thing -- you can't let this sh!tshow in any way diminish YOUR story. Just because "they" aren't listening doesn't mean you stop sharing -- because there are good hearted people who are hearing what you are saying and who will be there to support you as you relive your experiences -- creating a broken-bleeding-hearts club of sorts. You have to know that just because Genital-Grabber-in-Chief with his Hop Low* dick is worried that little Baron VonTrump has to grow up in a world where he can't get blasted and pretend he doesn't comprehend the concept of consent, doesn't mean that the power of the #metoo movement will be lessened.
(*In case you missed that reference, my eternal devotion and gratitude to anyone who can get Disney to re-release it's 'Fantasia', featuring the world's tiniest mushroom 'Hop Low', redrawn as the President's penis.)
Here's yet another real thing -- if you are going to be called upon to contribute to the cause, then you need to consider doing the following four step program post haste:
1.) Take care of yourself. If that means you need a break from reality, then by all means, breakaway like national treasure Kelly Clarkson did in 2004 and hie thee hither to a little respite and relaxation (the non-military version of r-and-r) wherever and however you need.
2.) Take care of your loved ones. The elderly, likely advanced-syphilitic (wouldn't that explain a lot?), pervert who spends part of his time in the White House doesn't matter in the end. He thrives off the attention that he couldn't get from Frederick (anti)Christ Trump (who instead of love, saw his child as a tax loophole when he gave him 413 million dollars back in the 90's) -- so you know what, deny him that. He. Doesn't. Matter. In. The. End. Instead, your loved ones are the most important people in your life and deserve all that you have to give.
3.) Take care of your community. Let the rest of the MAGA maggots regress. Their time is limited -- one way or another -- but the changes you make locally can have a lasting effect. In other words, if you feel helpless, then help someone else. Take control back. Make that change. Do what you can to show them that they can't take away our humanity no matter how hard they try. We. Will. Win. In. The. End.
4.) Think local and long term. You know how this hurts more because naming a justice has a long-lasting effect ... well there's another long term thing about to happen -- and that's the redistricting that happens every ten years. And you know who redraws those lines? Your local state government. As I said at the beginning of this diatribe, don't lose sight of what's ahead because of all the manufactured drama of the moment. Focus on your local races -- get the turnout -- win those battles in this war.
Here are the final real things, in rapid round format:
Talk to the youth, because pre-crack Whitney was right in that the children are our future, and the ones who are now of voting age may be of the procrastinating last minute type who might miss the registration deadlines that are soon passing in most states.
Take comfort in knowing that our founding fathers birthed a system that can handle all of this and although it's true that the pendulum tends to swing both ways, it's only to a point where the extremes (on both sides) are no longer able to influence things.
Beware the Facebook, and its tendencies for complex issues to be reduced to sassy-ass memes, which may be funny to a certain audience, but which ultimately serve no purpose in advancing serious debate and discussion. Personally, I found it easier to put those things in perspective once I realized Facebook folks too often approach politics the same way they do sports team allegiance -- you know the pics of dogs pooping on your favorite team's paraphernalia that are interchangeable depending on whom you want to piss off? *That's* the level of sophistication that the current state of tribalism brings to "political discussion" on the Facebook. You should be embarrassed for them ... or maybe even take a knee in protest the next time you see a poorly passed around one (that probably originated from one of Putin's мальчик anyway).
Warning: you might lose a social media friend (or multiple folks) who might think your statements are offensive. But keep in mind that even Trump insults his own followers. Remember the "I could stand in the middle of 5th ave and shoot someone" and it wouldn't matter line? That's him Trumpeting the fact (as only he can) that his die-hards (whom I affectionately call "Trump-polyps", because their heads are so far up his ass they might as just well attach themselves to the walls of his intestines) are idiots without a moral compass. And really, how many friends of that caliber do you even need in your collection? Also, losing a Facebook friend is okay. Because Facebook isn't real. Coat-hanger abortions are. Don't get too caught up in the one thing that you forget about fighting to avoid the possibility of the other.
In closing -- if you find yourself "down and troubled and you need some loving care", just call out Winston Churchill's name, because he knew a thing or two about getting through a long time of trouble. I leave you with more of his words: “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." Or, in the parlance of the young folk: #resist.
PLEASE SOMEONE TURN THIS INTO TRUMP'S PENIS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzVEimF4pjA
MAYBE HE CRAVES ATTENTION CAUSE HIS FATHER SAW HIM AS A LOOPHOLE?:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html
THINK LONG TERM ... THINK COMMON CAUSE:
https://www.commoncause.org/
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 10/3/18
Used in a sentence: "Through a recent unexpected turn of events, I just discovered that I've been secretly living the SM life on the DL."
It all started, innocently enough, with a tree-trimming (not the holiday but the hurricane kind), courtesy of the landlord -- since one of the preps for this time of year is to be sure to get your foliage in order. Unfortunately, all the missing branches that used to block the setting sun (this house faces due West) are now gone ... and the hour or so before the end of the day results in blinding sunlight streaming into the main living space.
With a little ingenuity, the situation was resolved by temporarily hanging a hoodie over the front door, tucking it into the cable wire that runs across the top of it. And that's when we discovered the item in the picture accompanying this post.
First fearing someone had snuck in to execute a Haitian curse (and by "someone", I most definitely mean the old lady who lived across from us when we were in the first house who used to steal mangoes with a long pole under the fence until I caught her doing so), we did what anyone would do in this scenario -- we turned to the interwebs and did some cursory googling.
Turns out it's a Mezuzah ... and it is religious iconography that declares that those who live in the house live Jewish lives. But as you may know from the amount of bacon consumed here, that most definitely isn't the case (not that there's anything wrong with "Jewish lives" -- I'm a proud watcher of JLTV for the reruns of the original Joan Rivers talk show produced by her husband). Of course, now the big question is whether there is a punishment associated with being secretly Mezuzahed on the down-low (the SM on the DL I referenced at the outset). One of my concerns was that the text inside apparently comes from Deuteronomy (and the Pentateuch is notoriously problematic for me and mine) ... and the second concern is that one is supposed to check the Mezuzah every so often to make sure it has not become faded in the eyes of the Jewish God. It turns out that ours appears to be completely sealed -- unless there is a special Jewish key to unlock it which we do not have.
Here's hoping we haven't angered any Gods out of ignorance ... or that my circumcision (I've been told it was done well and that it's very pretty) will help us gain enough points to counteract any potential issues with Yahweh.
HERE'S WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT MEZUZAHS:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/mezuzah/
NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PENTATEUCH? HERE'S A PENTATEUCH PRIMER ...:
https://bible.org/article/introduction-pentateuch
UH-OH - THE MEZUZAH WE DIDN'T KNOW WAS THERE HAS *NOT* BEEN UPKEPT:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/256924/jewish/Caring-for-your-Mezuzah.htm
Monday, October 1, 2018
JUST ONE MORE ... midterm vote (October 2018)
JUST ONE MORE ... midterm vote.
I am aware enough to realize that most of my posts in this particular series of late have been about finding an escape from the real world ... because Good God Almighty do we need a respite and nepenthe from what is happening out there all around us. This month, though, we get back to a state of being more aligned a little more directly with the original mission: to embrace incremental change in order to empower folks (or just me) to stay positive and solution-focused in a day and age where problems often seem insurmountable, control often seems out of reach and apathy often seems to be running rampant.
Here's the thing: statistics show that only 40% of eligible voters turn out for midterm election years and that's ... well ... shameful. And another study says that just 28% of young adults ages 18 to 29 say they are “absolutely certain” they’ll vote in midterms, compared to 74% of seniors ... which is frightening in its own way to those of us who believe what Whitney promised us: that the children are indeed our future.
Not all the news is dire -- google what Yara Shahidi is doing. Support MTV (which in my generation helped us "rock the vote") as it heavily promotes its "plus one" campaign (i.e. vote ... and bring a friend with you) -- the first ever initiative it's done for a midterm election.
We *have* to Susan Powter the sh!t out of this current scenario and STOP THE INSANITY. We *have* to show up and vote in November even though it's "only" a midterm. We *have* to save our democracy from those who would try to ruin it ... who might also be reading this post ... which only means we have to deliver *double* the Trump-polyp vote since our political system is a numbers game. We *have* to take our country back from those so proudly RE-gressive in their agenda. We *have* to succeed by ultimately delivering ... just one more ... midterm vote!
Random Memorial for Monday 10/1/18
Remember, this isn't in any way meant to be disrespectful to the soulful chanteur -- it's just that the CD version of this release is also in the music collection, so it's time to purge the 80's music technology.
As for the tune to accompany this post? I'll pick the one released in October of 31 years ago (1987 for those of you who suck at math) ... and if you don't know which one that is, then let me yell at you: "WON'T YOU GIVE ME A BREAK SOMEBODY GIVE ME A BREAK NOW!" ... just in case you too are having a 'Hard Day'.
(BONUS song tonight ... you can see the Armour bag in the trash [we're having meatballs tonight for dinner], and so the song that is *really* running around my head this evening is the classic jingle for their hot dogs, which may or may not be politically correct in this day and age -- but could anyone really rhyme anything with big-boned kids?!?)
MOVE YOUR MOUTH FOREVER BUT THE WORDS SOUND JUST THE SAME:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_WeLoUXx0U
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)