Just a Thought: Choose

Nope.  Think I'll pass.
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Just a Thought: Tan

Truth is just truth. Sad to say.
And so it goes.
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Remember.

Nine Years Ago.

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Just a Thought: Bullets

Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

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Just a Thought: Training

You're never too young to learn to live

in a Police State.

More later.
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Just a Thought: Tea

Enuf said.
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Civics Lessons, Anyone?

I'd hope that this has been PhotoShopped, but it seems pretty close to the reality of the thinking of the Crazies in this country.

More later.
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R.I.P. - Maya Angelou

More later.

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A Fair Weekend and a World’s Fair

Turns out those Friday afternoon storms that caused the blackout/power outage lasted for about 3 hours tying up traffic, causing bad drivers to show their lack of driving abilities (as well as their bad tempers) and shutting down businesses on a 3-mile stretch of busy commercial real estate. 

As mentioned in the earlier post, the city of Rehoboth wasn’t affected, which (thankfully) is usually the case. The rains however, didn’t let up until late evening. Leaving us with a very quiet and peaceful night. 

Yesterday dawned with blue skies and mild winds and I got out to run a few errands.  Even went down to the beach, grabbed an iced coffee and sat on a bench by the ocean for a while before taking a walk on the boardwalk, and heading back home.  The fresh air was good for the soul and body.

The town is packed with people for the weekend and the weather is supposed to be lovely, in the 70s throughout. I want to get the shopping done early this morning before anyone begins to stir or get on the roads.  Also early enough that I can enjoy another iced coffee on the boardwalk before the hordes finish breakfast/brunch. 

Sounds like a good plan to me. The 2 units of blood seem to have boosted my energy level this weekend. Still not sleeping much, (the Benadryl only offers a few hours at best) but I’m not falling all over myself in a stupor, either. 

This is a new book I’m currently reading and since I worked at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair it’s a eye-opening look at the overall picture of what NYC - and the world - was like during the years from 1960 through 1967 and how the events of the time played a big role in the failure of the Fair. Yes, Robert Moses was the biggest problem, but the entire country played a huge part in the changing attitudes of the times, mocking the message and theme of the World’s Fair both years. “Peace Through Understanding” was hardly a realistic outcry of the times. 

I’m little more than 60% through and it’s a good read. Anyway, it brings back memories and forces me to think of where I was while the world changing events were taking place all around me. I remember many of the incidents sited in the book only vaguely since I worked 6 - 7 days a week for the 2 years of the exhibition, spending the other hours either under ground on the subways to and from work, or at home, pretty much sleeping as much as possible. 

The fact that I would become part of the social unrest and the anti-war movement less than 2 years later, the gay rights movement 3 years later, makes me chuckle today.

That said, I made lots of money and had a great time. The Fair was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.  The book is giving me an overall view of what I was only slightly aware of all those years ago.

And so it goes.

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Operation American Spring?

Well, that was fast.  Bwwaaaaahahahahahahaha!

Yes, well...

And so it goes.
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Michael & Vito

Since this photo - and related video was released the so-called media hounds have been apoplectic in their attempts to identify the smaller white guy wrapped in Michael’s arms sucking face.

Well, his name is Vito Cammisano, who was on the swim team - and OUT athlete - at the same university as Michael.  I think they make a handsome couple.  I don’t care what the homophobic sports jocks think.

As you may know, I am not a fan of American (grunt) Football.  I prefer soccer, for obvious reasons. That's another story. But, I do have one major concern, however. And that is accidents (or otherwise major injuries) to Michael on the playing field.  Call me paranoid, but I don’t trust the locker room mentality of these guys, most of whom cannot write an intelligent sentence or speak in words of more than 2 syllables. If you get my drift.

Still, I think they make a great couple and wish them both well.

More later.

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Defend the President

That I do. Through all the hateful bile he has maintained his dignity and sense of humor and remained focussed on making lives of all Americans a little better.

And much to the dismay of his many enemies, he endures.

More later.
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World AIDS Day - 2013

By this date 30 years ago I had already lost a half dozen friends. Others were being diagnosed weekly and struggling to cope with the inevitable.

Sweet Honey in the Rock recorded "Patchwork Quilt" on their "In This Land" CD and it's been my personal tradition to listen to this powerful song every year as I remember my friends and the good times we shared.

I couldn't find a Sweet Honey performance on video, but here is a stylized version by the young people at Goucher College.

There is a candlelight procession through town culminating with a service of remembrance and reading of names at a local church.  Even if I am unable to attend, I am glad it's happening.

More later.

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Please, Tell Me Again About the NEW South.

When I first heard about this story I must admit I threw up a little in my mouth. It brought back many ugly memories of growing up in the deep south.  On the recent New Orleans trip I came face-to-face with some of those memories, which I plan to share in the near future.  Anyway...

But having learned that the humanoid wannabe behind the comment/slur was none other than that tin-foil hat wearing Texas Senator, Pete - "Privatize Social Security" - Sessions, I can't say it came as a surprise. I mean, it could have come from any number of knuckle-dragging mouth-breathing Sons of the Sunny South, but Short Bus Sessions continues to live up to his well deserved reputation.  At least he's consistent.

REID TOLD CAUCUS PETE SESSIONS WAS BEHIND OBAMA INSULT.WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told his Democratic caucus last week in a private meeting that a top House Republican said to President Barack Obama, "I cannot even stand to look at you," according to two Democratic senators who were present.
The account was confirmed by two Senate Democratic aides who said they independently learned of the exchange from other senators.
A White House official said Thursday that the administration did relay such a message to Reid, but that it was the result of a miscommunication.
“While the quote attributed to a Republican lawmaker in the House GOP meeting with the President is not accurate, there was a miscommunication when the White House read out that meeting to Senate Democrats, and we regret the misunderstanding," the official said in a statement.
Asked to clarify, then, what the White House meant to tell Senate Democratic leaders about Obama's meeting with House Republicans, the official said only, "Not going to read out the details of private meetings with the President, or private meetings between WH and Dem leaders."
The two senators who spoke to HuffPost did not hear the Republican make the remark, but said a top White House aide who was present during Obama's meeting with Republicans later told Senate Democratic leaders that the lawmaker who made the remark was Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Rules Committee.
Reid relayed the story to the entire Democratic caucus on Tuesday, Oct. 15, and named Sessions, according to one of the two Democratic senators who spoke to HuffPost. Reid also told the caucus that he was “sorry” to have to tell them about it, per this senator, but gave Obama credit for his “dignified” response to Sessions. Reid reportedly told the caucus that Obama responded to Sessions by saying he understood that they disagreed on many issues and he respected their differences.

Even if there is a quick cover-up and denial this incident ever happened,  many of us know down deep inside that, Yes, it could - and probably did.

So don't be fooled, any reference to the new South is wishful thinking laced with propaganda.  Just scratch the surface and out pops a Southern Gentleman still living the Plantation mentality.  The old South is alive and kickin'. And that's the way they like it.

Just my 2-cents, plain.

And so it goes.
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It's Over! Lessons Learned?

I don't think so.

The delusional are still in denial, but the bullying has been smacked down. The whole world has been watching, shaking its head and saying WTF?  Thank you Mr. President for not caving in.

Now that the National (International?) embarrassment is coming to an end, lets make some tea, move on, and remember the bullies at election time, shall we.

More later
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Nelson Mandela

We're on a death-watch for my hero, Nelson Mandela. He's been failing for the past week. He's on life support in ICU as I type and I know the end is near. He may already be dead, but I wanted to pay tribute to him here tonight.

His words and deeds opened my eyes and moved my heart.

Here's to a mild-mannered giant.

And so it goes.
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Techie Success! Well Kinda, Sorta

I have been unable to get the (now, twice revived) PC to recognize the printer drivers, trying everything I knew to make it happen.  It's been a long time since I've been able to print anything. So today, I took a different tack.  Searched for any file remotely resembling a printer driver file and (depending on the date) deleted those most recent files.  Now, if you know MS Windows, you know that the fucking OS stores files in many places, and some are obscure, even unknown,  to the average user. Don't ask me why.

Being far from a techie geek, I made one last ditch effort to download the driver files and get the printer working again. Although the new driver is a generic one for all of this series of printers, I got it to work. I am back in the printing business and so far, no problems with the driver on my model.  No errors or bizarre characters appearing.  Just great, solid text.  That's all I wanted, anyway.

Of course, there's still the issue of the OS recognizing my programs that were functioning before the heart attack.  Stranger things have happened. So, for now, no Photoshop, Pagemaker, or Paint Shop Pro, but MS Office is working fine.  Well, of course it is,  silly - it's from Microsoft.

Have I mentioned how much I loathe Microsoft?  Oh, I did? Never mind. The only version of Windows that ran without a hiccup was Windows95. The plug and play was without a doubt the best thing about it, especially considering MS past and present. What went wrong?  Dunno and don't care.

It's time to set out on a search for a new computer as I start my 6 or 7 day work schedule next week. If this tired ol' body doesn't fall apart, I hope to put aside enough for a holiday (not enough for the Alaska cruise) and a new computer.  Probably will be a Mac. Yes, I hear the learning curve is steep, but those who make the journey never look back.  Besides, from what I hear and read, Windows 8 is a disaster and all new PCs come with 8 pre-installed. Sounds like a rerun of the MS Vista nightmare.  Oh Bitch, please!

It's been raining all day, so all the indoor chores are done - and the additional success with the printer - I am feeling pretty good.

Well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere and I smell olives. Cheers!

And so it goes.
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The Value of Silence

David really nails this one. I think it's what I've been feeling since the bombings.
 David Sirota:

Can you hear yourself think? Can you manage more than bursts of confusion and anger? Can you feel your own humanity anymore? I'll admit it — I've had trouble this week, too. After an explosion like the one in Boston, it is indeed hard to hear one's own internal monologue, much less meditate on such horrific events. Polluting that sacred quiet of the mind is both the haunting boom of the bombs themselves and even worse, the noisy coda that we've become so accustomed to.
Sensory overload, of course, is the deafening effect of the Catastrophe Aftermath — one of the last unifying and consistent rituals in our atomized nation. Yes, regardless of whether the tragedy is a school shooting or a terrorist attack, the epilogues of these now-constant mass casualty events have become prepackaged productions that seem less like reality than scripted television dramas.
You know how it goes. Cable outlets blare breaking news chyrons. Twitter explodes with declarations that we are "all from (insert city name) today." Websites post videos of viscera and other disaster porn. Pundits wildly speculate about perpetrators. The president promises justice. Law enforcement press conferences review body counts. Municipal officials insist the community will "stand united." Funerals commence. A media icon says something outrageous. Other media carnival barkers then react to the bombast. Ultimately, the whole episode becomes another excuse to limit civil liberties and is forgotten by all but those personally affected.

Go and read the rest HERE.  You may feel better, as I do now.

And so it goes.

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Teabagistan. Wingnuttia, the Dodo, and a Geek

What is all this? I spend a day in bed resting my voice, heart and soul and wake up to more crazy than you can shake a stick at, though I would like to give that a try.

Wingnuttia & Teabagistan have already decided that the nasty Muslims (with Obama as leader, of course) are responsible for Boston bombs, even though the investigation had turned up nothing overnight.  The sooner they go the way of the Dodo, the better off we'll all be.

The bombers planned to maximize the damage to the lower body by stuffing bits of ugly and sharp things into pressure cookers.  And they were successful to a point. The ongoing investigation is offering more clues as to why this happened.

Note: I will postpone the purchase of a pressure cooker for the time being, since that kitchen marvel is now linked to the bombings and resulting carnage.  Is there any innocence left in the world? I am not making light of this news, believe me. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that a warped mind would take such a useful device and use it for such destructive purposes.

I was out of bed only minutes when the phone rang. It was Eddie (co-worker & computer geek) asking if he could drop by and pick up my desktop to clean it up and restore Windows 7 and MS Office.  I will likely lose most programs and all files I couldn't save to disc beforehand.  That's OK.  I've lost more important things in the past, so this is nothing in comparison.

Having spent Tuesday indoors and mostly in bed, I had to make a run to the grocery store before Eddie arrived. I was still unable to talk, not sure of my balance, but I headed out and was back home within an hour. Aside from the necessities I stocked up for Cara-Cara oranges, red grapefruit, bananas, and a mini watermelon. So, me has a craving.

 Eddie arrived a shortly thereafter. He unplugged all cables from the CPU and took it with him saying he may have it back to me by tomorrow evening.  In the meantime I am using the laptop connected to the network and gradually building up my cache of fave sites and blogs and tapping into the advertising websites I have to update for the restaurant. I'm glad I bought the laptop when I did for the very low price  because had I not done so, I'd be left high and dry for these past few days.

Still congested and unable to talk much, but I think I've crossed over to the healing side of this cold/allergy thing, and just in time to return to work tomorrow.

And so it goes.
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What If...? Indeed, What If?

I am still processing the past weekend's events and a post will be forthcoming, but this arrived in my inbox and took my breath away.  I wanted to share.



If we could only imagine such a world. What if all these people were long-lived?  What might they have accomplished and given to the world?

But, they're not here.

And so it goes.
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