Thursday, August 31, 2017

All Temporary

After Hurricane Andrew, way back then, I remember thinking how temporary things in life are.
More people are affected in Houston and area than were by Andrew.  Plus this flooding is another world.   Seems to be the trend in Gulf cities.  Time to cut it out.  No more floods.

The clever mayor told everyone not to leave.  Until it was too late.  You'd think they would have info on where the low lying areas are. Plus cities, airports, anyone like that is supposed to have plans in place and go through mock exercises modeling various emergency situations.   He acted like he was concerned about traffic.  If you have a plan, it should work.

So, lots of people were just trusting their local officials not to be dimwits, too lazy to talk to the weather professionals, civil engineers, etc. before pronouncing the best thing for people to do.

It is hard when hurricanes are coming.  The local press and everyone emotional cripple looking for an excuse to freak out over states the case with every hint of a storm.  It is the principle illustrated by the fable, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".  "Nobody believes a liar, even when he is telling the truth."  Aesop had it going on.

The result is people stuck in a mess.  This time the local authority advised hunkering down.  No one ever advises hunkering up, as far as I know.  Wonder why.

I do not know where you are free of possible cataclysmic events.  I'm thinking the trick is to pick your poison, but still try to land where the threat is mitigated somewhat.  Do you hate fire more than floods and tornadoes?  Do you worry about earthquakes?  Volcanoes?  Location, Baby.  See how it is?  One man's Worst Calamities, especially as listed here, may fall in a different order than his colleague's list.

Not much went wrong in Greensboro, except occasional ice storms taking down powerlines so no power.  They would put it back the way it was and act as surprised as they could when it happened again.  It was crazy. Probably still is.  But no big fire scare, rarely any hurricane influence, not many tornadoes.  But it is not the same town.  Last time I was there, it seemed kind of hostile and ugly.  Not completely, but moreso than back when.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Yay, September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month

I have been improving over the last year, but not always.  My energy level peaked when I was in Texas, but began to wane, even before I left.  Still it is better overall.  Mentally, and I suppose emotionally, I am a mess.  Who cares, you can change your own mind easier than physical malfunctions.

The MPN people sent out an email discussing the reasons why re awareness, I guess.  People always talk about awareness related to this that or the other.  I generally scoff and become annoyed. Great, I am aware that wars are rarely what they appear to be.  That sure helps. Not

BTW, MPN means myeloproliferative neoplasms = bone marrow malfunction.  Got a mutation and blablabla.   ET is what they settled on for me after first thinking PV.   ET= essential thrombocythemia---more platelets than is good.  Way too many if unchecked.   PV polycythemia vera= over production of red blood cells.  Those are simplifications.  Lots of overlap and that sort of thing.  Biological stuff is like that.  Messy, with vaguely defined parameters and boundaries.

Here's the first part of what they sent.   I have no idea what friends and family think. It is not that relevant.  I am the one who generally refuses to believe I have any other problem than that I am a defective, weak minded person, and I imagined all this.

Deep down, I do not think I have a disease, I think I am just no good and can't manage to live a good life like most or some people.

Here's prt of the mpn outfit's message:
What does an "awareness" campaign have to do with PV, ET or MF?

Dear (My name, which I will pretend you do not know) 


In a few days, the  month will change to September, which is recognized nationally as Blood Cancer Awareness Month. While you are already aware of MPNs, or myeloproliferative neoplasms, there are many factors indirectly but adversely affecting people living with Polycythemia Vera, Essential Thrombocythemia and Myelofibrosis. A few we hear from patients frequently are
  • Friends or family not believing they are "really" sick or have cancer
  • Insurance or disability denying coverage or a claim
  • Problems getting medication, either because it is too expensive, their deductible is too high, or the medication is not approved for MPN
  • No suitable clinical trials for their diagnosis of PV or ET
  • No way to prevent progression
  • (Since I am doing well on the cheapest, easiest pill, Hydrea, I have had no coverage issues.  I have not sought any sort of disability or any of that.  Not disabled. Especially now.  Far worse 2 or 3 years ago.  Medicare and others play a game. If you let them they will screw you.  It is how they max profits/cut costs/meet budget.  Certain things they flag automatically  hoping you are too sick to argue, then you die--problem solved>  And therein lies the biggest question over single payer---will they actually be more dogmatic and arbitrary, leaving you less recourse than you have now?  I said it was a question. I don't know. Sometimes, I don't care)


Here we are playing heart of Georgetown, TX.  We drew and held a crowd.  I am on far right. The fiddle and I were getting used to one another.  He is stellar.


They go on:
These are problems being addressed by the MPN Research Foundation and other advocacy groups 12 months of the year through education, research funding, and advocacy. Although a month of awareness won't resolve the issue completely, it is a good opportunity for us to work together toward improving the lives of people with PV, ET, and MF. Here are a few activities you can share with friends and family during September to spread awareness about MPNs:...

That's end of them and what follows is my point of view.  I left off their list of things.  Not making an MPN-centric twitter profile pic.  They actually have it, you just click here and there.  I do not do twitter. 

In that I am trying to lead by example.  It may take time before enough of the country follows that example.  Especially elected officials.   Twitter would improve if they banned politicians, 501c and any other blatant power vehicle.  I probably would still ignore it.

               In Texas in early August.  There is absolutely no way I could have done this 2 or 3 years ago.  Even a year ago, I think.  It would have resulted in a pruritus attack like you have no idea.  Unless, of course, you do.  Seriously, a big step.  Other factors, too, besides the intractable itch attacks.  No hives but feels like attack of hyper active ants running all over.  That day was energy peak for last year or more.  Now I wonder how all the big houses built up high on the banks fared with all the flooding.  This was closer to San Antonio, but rivers don't always care.


OK, I am not doing the social media and battery of links they have in their message to me.   If anyone cared to look it up they can go to mpn.org or other place.  

The Houston flooding will influence some of the ongoing research and upcoming stem cell transplants.  
I think Houston has a nit wit mayor, like New Orleans when Katrina hit.  Maybe not as bad as that, but still a nit wit.  The governor of Texas seems competent in this scenario.  Plus the people of Houston are less dimwitted overall than New Orleans people were.  Like it or not, they were dumb as rocks.   People try to blame Bush, but the governor and mayor involved with Katrina were absolutely incompetent, negligent, and too stupid to know they were worthless.  Remember footage of even the cops looting?

Oh well.   This really sucks.  I can only hope that Spike Lee doesn't get involved and try to make another natural disaster into a racial issue.  Those people ought to have enough money by now, so playing on hate and fear and lies should be a thing of the past for them.  Give it up race fanatics.  You are dumber than you think.

OK.  Sande, the lady in whose band I play, won the Western Country Music Assoc. entertainer and vocalist of the year, in her age category and for female.  Genre was called "new country".  Despite all the categorization it is a big win.  She goes to Nashville vicinity for nationals in March.  I guess that is probably a solo adventure, as was this round.  No telling, I may be in Texas by then.  Hard to say.

I'd just like to go see what those people think of what I do.  So, if I had a chance to go, and maybe back her on a show or even open mic at the Bluebird, I'd like to try it. I think I taught her everything that scored her these awards. Two trophies, vocalist and entertainer. 

I bet hematologists and oncologists just made up the whole mpn deal.  They didn't used to know what it was.  I guess the test for chromosomal mutation is their tangible proof.  It is bogus.  Or could be.  Easily.  Something that people can live with for years.  Somewhat active years.  So, my guess is that it is a designer disease.

That's OK. Pretty sure blunt force trauma, resulting from something stupid I may do, is much more likely to do me in than this nonsense.  


Sunday, August 27, 2017

Not Everyone Has Heard This Story---kkk back east over thirty years ago.

So, I was heading toward my big slam into the earth, nose diving in life.  Drinking days.  And I was playing harmonica for Marvin's Rockabillys.  Exceporot he stuck letters on his vintage Les Paul misspelling his name.  The klittle raised aluminum mailbox letters spelled out, "Mavrin's Rockabillys".

I did not say anything for a couple of months, if I recall correctly.  When I did, it broke my heart because he never noticed.  I ruined his bliss by compromising his ignorance of that spelling fact.  It is not always noble to enlighten the ignorant if there's no need.  That's my new stance on that issue.

One time we had a gig at the Men's Gun Club of Whitset (NC).  It was this sort of clubhouse, dance hall out in the sticks.  Outside of Greensboro, Burlington, outside of everywhere.   I thought people were just ribbing me when they said they thought it was a klan place.

It was unimaginable to me that people would still be that nuts.   They were, and I guess a few still are.

The stage had a big wooden cross on the wall behind the stage.   Red lightbulbs, maybe 40 watters, running vertically and horizontally to spice up the cross.  On one side stretched the American flag.  On the other, the stars and bars of the Confederacy.

What a bizarre gig. I think Mavrin may have been one of them.  It was a great dance.   All the underage klan girls were trying to use me to get caught right there with their pants down.  To keep one of them pacified, I had to set a time and place.  And I did, in another town, and I never showed up.

No one said or did anything racist, but I am pretty sure they would have been problematic if any black musicians sat in or danced with their aggressive, under-age daughters.  Girls like that are either hard core rebelling, or a bit too close to kin.   Precocious in an idiot savant sort of way.
I was so much wanting Greensboro to be perfect, or at least not mean and backward.  I was naive.  And nuts.  Still am.

Sometimes I Think, "I can't do it anymore. Can't live like this, but how to change it?"

That's what I sometimes think.  And what I pretty much all the time think is that this is not going to end well, but it probably will end before too long.   Has too.  No one can go indefinitely like this.

But I have to avoid fatality until everything is clean tidy, organized, and I am sure I will not be one of those pain the neck dead people who left a mess which the state loves making worse.  The state loves to punish the living.  The harder their lives, the sadder the are, the more the State loves turning screws.

Sadistic bastards wherever you go.  But you can be sure, the highest concentration of dedicated sadists outside drug cartels and inner city gangs is government.  I would say that, on sheer volume, government wins the most total number of sadists in one general organization or occupation.

That is why, in local elections, if the brief bio of a candidate indicates, he/she/it/q was a prosecutor I will never give them my vote.  Prison guard, forget it.  I am highly suspicious of even public school teachers who want to be obn city council or otherwise interfere in the lives of others.  I am not one of those who "applauds our teachers for their sacrifice", or who automatically thinks military people or police are wonderful.

I dabbled in military for a bit and I did not find that it made everyone wonderful.  I would gleefully attack those who show no respect for what many in military service go through or have done.  So, there that is.  I have friends who were marines.  And other.   I had a friend who was a cop for awhile but didn't fit too well.  I still dislike that general "calling".  Really screwy laws and if you accidentally show up in wrong place at wrong time, you can be the victim of their gleeful idiocy without deserving it.   They do deal with thousands who ought to be beaten and abused.  Trouble is, those people usually get a pass and the bullying is saved for the less deserving of it.

This who Trump mania stuff has become scary.  People make it up a lot of the time.  They are unapologetic about false quotes, saying, "He is so bad, he could have said it, so it doesn't matter---Trump bad, let's throw piss on people!!!" yay

Granted, I think he is not my idea of anything I want in my life or country, however I still say he's better than Ted Kennedy.   And he is legally president.  I do not approve of the insane resistance that attacks not what he does or doesn't do, but simply piles on with cheap shot ridicule at him and his family.  And those behind the millions of snarky memes circulated daily are not the friends of a free society.  People are being used by them.  It is more power play stuff in the works.

People seriously believe Trump is out to raid their social security.  Nonsense.  Won't happen.  Watch the damned democratic party.  They are thieving, lying, trouble.   They are not your answer.  YOu don';t have to go to the dark side just because you don't like Trump.  And I really don't much like Trump.  And the republican party is clearly not really the answer if you find the Pelosi/Schumer, et al power machine to be disgusting, shady crooked nastiness, which I do.

I find the backlash to Trump to be far more dangerous than he is.   It's like comedic automatons, "Yea, I bet that crocodile would choke on Trump, hahaha."  "Yea, if only the eclips meant Trump would melt in the sun, hahaha"... and on.  IT is insane the stupid stuff like that which people spout from nowhere---looking for peer acceptance.  A little you go girl (hate, hate , hate that phrase) or an attaboy.  They deny it, but peer pressure drives most Alinskyesque, ridicule based propaganda efforts.

Anyway, I don't care, except my youngest relatives will likely live if the koolaid addled world of the future, believing all the nonsense, until it implodes, if it ever does.

As for me, give me liberty or give me death, or both.  But only after the house is cleaned up.

.

Monday, August 21, 2017

We Need A New De-Tox Program

It has been going on all my life, and much longer; the cult of personality myth.   For example, many Cubans used to say, "But for one man, Fidel Castro, Cuba would be free!!!"  And others said stuff like that about Hitler, "One man did all this.." blablabla.

That is all inaccurate.  Without Kennedy and a a host of other officials there would be no Fidel.   Ike, you name it.  Without a cooperative army of greedy bastards there would have been no communist Cuba.  It was not Fidel's disdain of capitalism, but his unabridged greed that set Cuba on its path.  You think he wanted to be saddled with rule of law, a constitution?   No, not likely.

People get all focussed on one figure to deify or hate, as the solution to all or the cause of all evil.  It indemnifies them from just handling their own lives, admitting their fears or shortcomings.  It is great for those who like to arrange power plays and the destination of your money is secret deals.  The perpetual distraction.  No one wants truth, they just want the face in front of them that they are told to hate.

The Trump fanaticism has gone off the charts.  I am not a fan of his, but truth is truth, and I still think the democratic party is a jackboot outfit.  Republicans are clearly not a good alternative.  They are like the comical relief.  It is a game.

Anyway, the Trump hysteria and bashing has gone so far it has lost all meaning.  Those in the fray resent it like crazy when I say it is peer approval driven to a large degree.  But it is.  I saw a thing on FaceBook that discussed the sun, the eclipse and blindness.   Someone commented with the question of I wonder how many will end up blinded.  Right on cue we get a typical anti-Trump reply:  "I hope Trump looks at it without any filter."

Really?  WTF?  We're talking eclipse.  Chances are, if you post on social media, sharing the fact that you ran over a bunny rabbit, you'll get a reply from someone who bemoans the fact that you did not run over the president.

It is so absurdly stupid and contrived.  But they get the attaboy or you go girl BS from the "resistance" as if they actually expressed a real thought.

I do believe it has gone to the point of a real sickness.   Many were big on Obama cheap shots, but nothing to this extent.  Not even close.  The NY Times has op eds that have gone into such convoluted comparisons, and analyses of Trump's thoughts, and possible motivations and what ifs< treating them as fact, that I am surprised even those editors wouldn't be embarrassed.   Instead, they double down.

Say it enough and maybe it will be so.  Over and over they claim that Trump defends the kkk and nazis.  Never happened. What did happen is a governor and mayor facilitated a violent confrontation. Trump blamed all the thuggish outfits instead of just the idiotic tiki torch brigade.   Also, many were upset about the monument controversy but not supporting kkk or white supremacists.  Nuance and truth is lost on social media.  Current logic rules include emotional triggers and feeling offended.  Can't actually reason with that because you'll be told your privilege is showing.

I got yer privilege right here, biotch!

 I guess the Donald could have been stupid enough to defend racists groups (but he didn't); anyone dumb enough to engage in a public feud with that classless crude creep, Rosie, is pretty dumb.  Especially because he was just as creepily classless in the back and forth as was she.  Topping or equalling Rosie in the realm of crass, disgusting northeastern culture low life banter is an accomplishment.   Two peas in a pod.

I can right now go on thousands of different FB pages and just say something irrelevant in comments bashing Trump and people will lol or otherwise jump on the Trump-bad-must-bash-blindly-like-zombie bandwagon.  And I can feel OK and accepted, one of the gang.  I belong, at last.

It is so over the top. And it is so much part of the news that whatever is really going on is getting under reported or hidden, if reported at all.

In the mean time we pretend antifa and blm are not hate groups and that Trump is Grand Wizard of the kkk.  And also whatever they call the head nazi.  I don't like TRump, but this stuff is nonsense.  I hate people who have to lie. Or institutions that do this sort of lie.  The old Alinsky ridicule routine.  That's what I hated about dade co public schools and the democratic party--same false narrative tactics, always.  They claim to stand for the "little guy", etc., but they are actually brutal to anyone who does not conform to their templates.  Always been like that.  The party that hates people while pretending to protect them.  Toxic.  And I only wish I knew what was what republican wise.  But they seem to get caught in weird myths and issues which I think should be outside government's purview.

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Ballistic Mountain, CA, United States
Like spring on a summer's day

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