Booty not Boots

Not worry. "No boots on the ground in Libya" Anonymous sources tell us that was a "mis-speak". What he meant was "No booty on the ground"

Habits

Habits and ruts are tough to change, even when you know if the status quo is allowed to prevail, an unhappy demise is imminent. This is probably due to some conflicting organic survival imperative; something hardwired in the human being.

Probably the design assumption is that if a thing has not killed you yet, it must be a good habit which helps the organism survive. So, all the inner workings tend to want to keep things as they are. There must be some circuit which operates on the assumption that people do not voluntarily do the stupid.

Well, that is a flawed design. Once the stupid becomes accepted as OK, people will do the stupid. Maybe that is overlapped with the herd instinct, and tendency to follow the leader. Binge drinking with those funnels and buckets would be an example. Not too sure how all that paraphernalia operates, but it looks like a bad plan. Then again, maybe it is enough to turn many of the participants off to overdoing it in the future. hell if I know. The point is that few would do it if it weren't for that follow the leader, please like me, instinct. The social factor.

Unfortunately, humans, at least ones like me, do not have idiot proof programming. The basic stuff of life and survival is there, but it is easily bypassed and distorted. And once it gets a little off for a period of time, it tends to go way off.

I have got to change this way I am doing things. I can see what is needed, but find it almost impossible to do. One thought is that, if I can manage to change this setup, it will be a remarkable example for anyone else in my particular circumstances who may believe it is too late to try. I wish I knew of someone who was in my stage of life and situation who finally got the fire going. That might help.

But screw it. I believe that a person writes his own script for the most part. You can't always control the set and all that, but you do have a say in how you use it and react to it.

Two things I do not want: I do not want to die with a bunch of junk and mess for others to deal with, and I don't want to cash in the chips looking like a lifelong moron. I'd like to leave at least one valued work or trinket or remembered influence. If I drop today, my landlord would be pissed that the place is packed with chaos and mess, and I have no idea what or who in the way of life insurance. I think I have some, but forgot who gets it, or even who gets whatever else. That would be a dirty trick. The LAW never makes it easy on family left to its own devices.

I'll attempt to outlive everyone so none of that is an issue. In the mean time, the lifelong struggle to believe it is OK to succeed and to enjoy life and to change my destructive ways continues. You'd never believe the supposed potential. I've been a misfit since I was four years old. I am not sure if that was due to nature or environment. I tend to think environment, too many blows to the head, too many betrayals and a far to naive nature. So, a combination of internal and external factors.

None of that matters. If one can identify the problem, know it should be corrected, then he has what he needs to take measures to improve the situation. The whys and hows of it becoming a problem are irrelevant. Compensate and conquer. I wonder why that is so hard to do? It is the part about being willing to do it that is the toughest. What I see in front of me is not that damned hard. Maybe it is because at some point I risk failure, and risk confirming that deeply held notion that I really am a nincompoop, which freezes me in my tracks.

Then again, it may be a sign of brilliance that I see my lack of it.

In Search of the Short Statement (Searching for Gato, etc.)

I've been trying to locate an old friend for a long time. He's harder to track than most. Finally I paid 1.50 to an online outfit to dish up the report. So far I have not used the addresses to contact him.
He was known as Gato Loco, and I was another sort of gato. Long story, and if you weren't versed in, and entertained by, spanglish in S FL it would mean nothing.

The stupid place has my phone number and now wants to give me $100 in gas vouchers for paying another dollar to test drive some service for two weeks. Of course there may be an issue with canceling it. There always is.

No, I said. No, no no. I wonder now what is next. I better monitor my bank statements closely.

This kind of thing is where people give capitalism a bad name. Semi-deceptive sales techniques which offer you something FREE and you don't have to do much of anything. They don't volunteer the issue of you being responsible to get the thing stopped if you don't want some recurring charge of who knows how much. That part is hidden in the background, in the fine print, the super fast spoken announcement.

It uses the old con man technique--bait 'em with something for nothing.

Some would say more regulation and government oversight is the answer. I think not. That is half the trouble. Enforce the standing laws against force and fraud. Splitting hairs gives rise to loopholes.

Yes, people should be vigilant, but really, this is not what trade and commerce ought to be. You knew I couldn't get through this without pointing out how our own government, on every level, plays the same game. That, I suggest, is part of the problem. Would people be so hard up for employment that they have to do the bidding of deceptive firms had government not taken over 40%, or whatever it is, of the work force? And the laws, control, and educational sytem, as well as the press, selling their nonsense at every turn in every aspect of life--geez.

There must be a better way, and it damned sure isn't along the lines of solidarinosc. Something else that doesn't require running in a pack, or playing tricks just because you can get away with it.

Sorry. It wasn't that short. I tried, I swear.

Tips for YoYos

Local spellcheck here on blogspot does not approve of my spelling of "yoyos" or of "blogspot" for that matter. If I were telling you this in person, don't worry, I wouldn't use air quotes. I only use air parentheses these days.

I'm a yoyo so the term is not meant so much in a derogatory manner, as it is merely describing a condition. Many are given to sudden waves of melancholy as well as sudden waves of euphoria. I'd say I fall in that camp. It probably doesn't hit me as hard as some, but most likely it hits me harder than most. Who knows?

There is no benefit in dwelling upon a condition as if the universe has somehow picked certain individuals to victimize. This just happen. Life is about how you deal with it. Compensation of one sort or another is very much the name of the game.

Anyone who has lived long enough to recognize their own history of highs and lows is at an advantage because they have enough information to wage the battle. It is not like you can make it stop completely but you can temper its effects. You know the extremes are not forever, even if they feel like it, and you know the resulting thought patterns are likely flawed.

It is especially useful in the down wave to avoid the temptation to believe you are a victim or that peace of mind will never return. Draw your attention to something you know you thought was beautiful or fun when you were not steeped in the blues. Take care not to form an opinion like, "Oh, I will never enjoy that again", "I could never do that now", etc. Just know you once got pleasure from whatever it is, and let it go.

Lie to yourself if need be. "In another mind frame I would have thought that sunset a work of art. Now I hate it and it makes me sad." There is where you have to tell yourself, OK, I know I don't really hate it, I just don't enjoy the way I feel at this moment. Do something, anything, that is unrelated to feeling good or bad. Eat a sandwich, drive to the store. Hunt down a homeless person or gimme dolla guy and give him fifty cents. If he asks for more, tell him it is in the mail, or ask for a refund.

If it is an obnoxious gimme dollah guy, ask him for a dollar. That has helped me in the past. I even made friends with one or two, like the helmet guy in Memphis.

Mostly, just know it will run its course and it is not the fault of other people. If you start festering resentment, or reviving old grudges, cut off that thinking then and there. Indulging what some call "justifiable anger" in that way does you no good whatsoever. I guess it helps if you do not have the sort of philosophy that assumes the good fortune of others is the cause of your misfortune. Sometimes it is, like when they steal your design, patent it, and enjoy a lucrative career, but that still is not the cause of the depression. Deep down you know that, or at least you should. It helps the cycling phenomenon be far less unpleasant--to yourself and others.

Others have difficulties too, and often they have troubles you can't see and would not want. So that bit of indulging resentful envy is not only often unfair, but it is self destructive.

Another good thing for the yoyo blues is popcorn, a movie but not something where the bad guys kill the dog, and sleep. But as soon as it lifts a little, if you can do something constructive, it really helps to do it. Usually the things that help are the things you put off or don't do because you have a faltering, weak belief in yourself. Just the attempt is a small victory. If you fail, all isn't lost, and some experience or knowledge is gained.

If you are riding the high, keep that in mind. You may not be the genius that feeling leads you to believe. Beware the crash that you know from experience will follow. The upswing is a good time to do nice things for friends who tolerate your madness, and to try to deal with any personal loose ends like unpacked boxes, unopened mail and the like.

Whatever the situation, there is much less pain and life mess if you resist the temptation to lash out during the tough times and to blame or try to make others endure some of your mopeyness. If you are like me, you have enough blues to go around a times. It really is inconsiderate to bring others down and spread the misery. Plus, you end up regretting the result it brings.

That's about it. Things change constantly, and you cannot know all the factors in the universe, so assuming nothing can get better is not really the fact based conclusion you might think.

Mostly it is good to understand that the mind will lie to you, especially when it is telling you to be miserable beyond hope or when it is telling you you are immortal and indestructible and a super genius.

***It is possible that some sort of prescribed drug will help. So, if you are really bonkers and have access to a good shrink, I say take advantage of your resources. That falls in the realm of not my business.

I do know that self medicating with alcohol or most recreational drugs actually worsens the problem, long term. For one thing, alcohol is a depressant, and though it may seem to help at first, overall it will do the opposite if you are really a true blues yoyo.

I'm undecided whether the right mushrooms with a talented sex therapist (amateur or not) would help in the long run. Unfortunately, I do not think it would do a lot of good for more than a day.

They Must Have All Settled or Plea Bargained

+++

Chances are I would have let them all walk, and not tolerated any sissy, frivolous, politically correct lawsuit. Torts, we in the trade call it. Torts aren't always BS, however they have grown to be that in way too many cases. Like the people who get a tax deductible non-profit because "The Earth Needs a Good Lawyer". Oh yea, like WTF? Is it because Japan and Haiti are suing for damages?

Anyway, my name wasn't called so I was able to leave at noon. Not many names were called. I guess it was luck of the draw.

I owe it to El Cajon to say that everyone running this operation was very good natured and competent, and the general facilities were better than expected. Most of the cops I saw were from the sheriff's dept., no Highway Patrol. Don't let that old, lame program CHiPs fool you. They are not that cool, or even that goofy. Hardened criminals.

What is with the entertainment industry that cops are considered neat-o? Does the public not realize that we have more people in prison than just about every other country? It makes no sense. Is it really thrilling to see cops manhandle down and out druggies, vagrants, and misfits? That is sick.

I took a photo (top of page+++) of the judge who gave a speech after our TV orientation show. At first I think many of the people thought he was joking. This guy was a piece of work. I'd have been freaked to be defending myself in his court. He moved like an aging robot, and spoke with a screech, kind of like a cross between Andy Devine and Gilbert Gottfried, with a touch of Walter Brennan thrown in.

If those references are too distant or unknown to you, picture a six foot 2x4 with a mustache, glasses, arms and legs, nailed to the floor so it is perfectly vertical screeching loudly into a microphone about how lucky we are to be in America, and how he has been in the legal system (on tax dollars) all of his life. He's been a judge for 20 years. I'm not disagreeing about being lucky to be here. He seemed to feel lucky because he was The Judge and had never had a private sector job. Prosecutor and judge. I feared he may have seen his job as being the guy to be sure jail space wasn't wasted. Who knows. I wasn't picked.

Talk about adding insult to injury--can you imagine being sentenced by a board wearing a suit, with the vocal chords of a rooster on steroids, blasting at you on a decibal level just shy of ear bleed?

Squawk squawk--you are sentenced-squawk squawk- to 90 years hard labor for painting your house without a permit-squawk squawk. Yikes!

I guess he got in the judge spot and at least knew not to run for senate or something. You think Ross Perot could have used some voice coaching. Seriously, he was like butter compared to judge Stiff-as-a-board.

Anyway they had paperbacks you could borrow or keep, so I am halfway through a Steven King novel I never heard of. It is not all scary and bizarre. I have never read him, so this is good. I wanted to experience his style. This is all dialogue, from one person. It is interesting enough. I take it back. It is a little bizarre. I like to see how people write who make big bucks, particularly if they hold my interest.

So, if you had a trial today, I am sorry they didn't pick me. I heard some girl at a nearby table in the courtyard, where I hung out for awhile, telling the two guys she was with, "Well the last time I got out of jail I was like seven months pregnant..." She went on to describe how she found a pipe and some kind of dope which sounded not like pot in a box in her stuff when she got home. I didn't catch the whole story or context. She was actually good looking, too.

The guys looked like jail hardened types. But they were not all punked out. There was a cold, kind of con man look to them. But nothing warm at all. They didn't seem angry or friendly or remorseful or scared. Just cold in a strange way.

Plenty of waddle pants punks waddling in and out of courtrooms. Why would you go to court with waddle pants and a sideways baseball cap? I might not have let them off even if they were innocent. OK. I would have, but I would have suggested someone beat them up just because.

Left handed Justice, or something

Tomorrow, I try again to get to jury duty at the appointed hour. I checked and double checked, triple, quadruple, etc. checked, to be sure I remember the right day this time.

I'm allergic to government buildings and especially prosecutors, police, and rules. Even so, I will do my best to be good. If they are crazy enough to actually pick me, then it means someone in the process has some sense. It would behoove a defense attorney whose client is innocent to put me on board. Lots of people are inclined to be as closed minded with presumption of guilt as the average El Cajon highway patrol officer.

Left handed has nothing to do with it.

I was wondering if most right handed people twist the lid off of a stubborn jar with their right hand while holding the body of the jar with their left hand, or not. I always use my left hand to turn the lid itself. I'm mostly right handed, but not in all things.

Playing harmonica, it is standard to hold the harp in the left hand and use the right to do the flutters and whatnot. I do that stuff with the left hand. But I don't really hold it correctly, or with one hand in the standard way. I do have left over right, instead of the standard, right over left.

So, I'm curious about the jar issue. You never know, this could have bearing on a case. What if they determine that the victim was attacked by a left hander, and the defendant is right handed but opens jars left handed? An over zealous prosecutor could send an innocent person up the river. I do not intend to let this happen.

Blues Union

Once again, I was thinking.

"Why would you do that?", you may ask. Often times, it is fun. That's why.

It started with pictures and video of people trudging around in a circle chanting in unison, with signs that said things like "solidarity" (nothing else, just that????), and "tax the rich" (again, WTF???)

It struck me that most of those things deal with high class problems like pensions, health insurance, more vacation, or possibly it is just a hobby for some people. The camaraderie and all that.

"These are not people who have the Blues", a voice inside my mind lamented. I had to agree. They got no idea bout the trouble I seen.

What about a Blues Union, I thought. What would the signs say and what would they chant?

The first thing that came to mind, which could be on a sign, and/or chanted, is the list of the basic essentials familiar to every bluesman. It is universal:

LOOSE SHOES
TIGHT P***Y
AN' A WARM PLACE TO S**T

Don't blame me. I am only one who's got the blues from time to time. I didn't invent the thing.
However it would be a most effective and natural chant for Blues Union members.

HEY HEY HO HO
THAT CHEATIN WOMAN GOTTA GO
-Another good blues chant. It's universal, and a bit of a double entendre, which is always fitting in Blues speak.

My Union could come up with plenty more.
Woke up this mornin
thought I was deaf
that screamin mama finally left

If we go with the megaphone call and response, it might go like this:

megaphone: what we been?
Union crowd: down so long
megaphone: how it look?
union crowd: like up to me

My personal story is a simple one. This picture, which I first saw at the Factotem's, tells my story quite elegantly, I think

I wondered what the blues union should be called?
In keeping with the tone and spirit of most unions I thought IBS would be appropriate International Bluesters in Solidarinosc

Weak, perhaps. Maybe WGBU, not catchy, We Got the Blues Union.

Don't assume that just because I use the term, "bluesman", that it excludes them wimmins--cheatin or not.

The wimmins maybe get blues too. Matter of fact, some play 'em like I know they got em. It's what we call a universal pronoun-bluesman. No one who is really living the blues is politically correct. Can't be done.
No blues men or wimmins are politically correct. So don't be listening to no NOW or PETA or other do-gooder group try to tell you different. Good sex and heartbreak just don't know no political corrections.

Great Thinkers of the Americas: Part 1-Al Gore Award for Deductivity

CARACAS (Reuters) - Capitalism may be to blame for the lack of life on the planet Mars, Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday.


Hugo Chavez, pictured above, thinking deep thoughts.

"I have always said, heard, that it would not be strange that there had been civilization on Mars, but maybe capitalism arrived there, imperialism arrived and finished off the planet,” Chavez said in speech to mark World Water Day.


The man is a friggin' genius. A great thinker.
I've seen the term "thinker" used on TV news when they did not know what else to label one of their pompous guests. I am pompous enough, if need be, to be called "thinker" and earn a few bucks for my unique and amazing insight.

Anyway, there is no disputing the fact that Hugo is an astro-biologist and thinker of Einsteinian proportion.

He is pictured, below, with some of his genius colleagues from foreign lands. They, too, are experts and great thinkers:
Even geniuses of science and the arts take time out to play. Above, the great man with fellow thinker Mua, as they cross the finish line of the annual three legged race to raise funds for the oppressed proletariate on Mars.

In this one he and fellow Hollywood genius swap banter (and back stage, spit) "Oh no, YOU are the greatest of thinkers. Oh no, YOU are. Please. Have my baby!"


---The thinker on the left is apparently in a gang, hence the gang sign in photo. You have to do that if you are a banger. She also raps.

We are so lucky to have him so near. If our thinkers need some of his thinking, they can call and be in the same time zone, or close to it. Is that cool or what?


{{{{if the UN saw the el cajon highway patrol in action, would an international consensus decide to bomb to get them off of civilians' backs?}}}}

Ever Wonder if it Was a Dream or a Daydream?

That has been happening lately. I wonder, did I dream that, or was it a daydream? I'm pretty sure it never happened because that would require very rapid changes in time and place for myself and others.

Then again, it could have been one of those alternate universe experiences. So, if you crossed my path under similar circumstances, then perhaps all that did happen. Just not here in this bubble.

Otherwise I bet it was in between a daydream and a dream. I live in that place way too much of the time. Or maybe, not enough.


ps: why is that lunatic eric holder, attorney general, answering press conference questions about Libya? Oh well. the scariest part is that many who don't approve of this group in the executive branch consider them too moderate or conservative. Many would love to see stalin, lenin or castro clones running our lives. and they'd be orgasmic if chairman mao had a second coming.....so to speak
so be careful what you wish for

Brief Message to Dems and Repubs--then back to real life

Actually, this is just to republicans.

As much as I am not in line with anything that the Obama, Pelosi, etc. wing of politics has wrought or has shown a desire to implement, I have to say their best friends are the powers that be in the republican party. For one thing, do you think the presidential election would have gone as it did had they put up a candidate who was a little more defined than McCain, and less of a target than Palin? I think they threw it, just like Bush #1 did against Clinton. Bush 1 looked like he was worried he might win so he pushed like crazy at the last to dork it up into a loss. That's how it looked to me.

The congressional aspect means little to the public. Clinton got good things done but the congress passing those things was republican. oops. That is not what people look at. Obama's America is in somewhat bad shape, especially if you live hand to mouth and like your mobility--transportation costs up, food way up, jobs not growing on trees. Tax paid employees are doing better than the rest, but the rest pay for them and are bled dry, so they are now threatened with less gravy. That's where the solidarinosc issues come up. You can bargain all you want, but sooner or later people refuse to live on the edge of poverty while paying you a healthy pension and permanent health care after you retire at age 50.

It doesn't matter though. Here's how republicans can guarantee that Obama wins in 2012. Run any of the people who have gained the press attention as candidates; Palin, Romney, Huckabee, all of them. Any of them are guaranteed to lose. Or if you really want to screw to pooch, run Donald Trump. He'll somehow make money off of it, but Obama wins huge in that scenario.

If republicans want to win run Allen West and Marco Rubio. I'm not sure it matters in which order; West/Rubio or Rubio/West. That is the best shot. I do not see any viable female candidates on that side. Nt being sexist. Palin is perpetually in a defensive position--damaged goods. It would take five years just to sift the myth from the reality in her case. Too many stories have been put out, then retracted, but people don't know about the retract. Just too much. Plus she is crazy to even go for that job. Just don't. Same with some others. Right or wrong, their reputations are in a state of defense.

West and Rubio would win. I put West up against anyone in debate. He needs no teleprompter, has an incredible memory for fact and shows no weakness. Repubs must hate that. They always have to run a total dork and it is annoying because dems run people who rape the economy in the name of helping people like me (who want to be left alone), and in the end they take away all kinds of freedom.
It is subtle but effective. Repubs take away other freedoms and go gung ho in other ways without analyzing it. Can't say either one is likely to fight more wars. They compete. I suppose if you look honestly at the record, dems have put us in more long term wars, and have yet to get us out. Odd since most who are on the pacifistic side tend to be dems. You been had, dupes.

Anyway, that is all the repubs have to do to win presidency. West/Rubio. Everything else I'ver heard mentioned is a slam dunk loss.

But, in some ways, it may be good to have a repub congress and a dem president. But some restraint has got to be put on one man directing war efforts without a single resolution from our own congress. Having international consensus or UN approval counts for zip. I thought that was illegal. People forget, Bush had support of congress, including Hilary, when he went into Iraq. So, it doesn't mean they make the right choice, but at least they had influence. Later they pretended they were duped but the case for that is weak. The real false premise was that even if Iraq was pursuing bad weapons, and you know saddam was, was it necessary to put the armed services there and use our resources that way? Only if you never planned to quit playing in that part of the world. Obviously neither Obama nor Bush ever thought of changing the policy of the last 60 years.

Damn. I went off on tangents. OK. Dems, if you want to win, just blame bush for all the bad stuff, and claim credit for any cuts in budget the repubs manage to put through, and wait until the repubs run a Palin or Romney, then play the race card again, even if there is no reason for it. Just by implication, you can get by with it.

Of course a West/Rubio ticket kills you on the race and ethnicity question, and both can hold their own in front of the camera. I doubt the repubs have sense enough to see that it just so happens that their two best hopes are a Black man and a man of Cuban lineage. I refuse to hyphenate, sorry. They are both Americans, and unless they have dual citizenship, which they don't, that is that.

Then there is the possibility that presidents are picked, not elected. I have come to believe there is truth in that more and more.
So. I've done my best to let the other party of power know how to win. I'll lay money out that they won't. And I will not invest any emotional energy in the matter.

Now to again reset my personal short term and medium term goals. Real life things. My life is my own journey and not something to be wasted with emotional upset over Big Brother's stage play and mind games. There really is more than that.
'Sunshine, ocean, mountains, wild women, music and hot fudge sundaes.