Just an Aside

I feel your pain; intellectually.  I've known he was a bit troublesome from the get go.  The funny part is that you really think the phonies in charge, even people like FDR, are not all the things you attribute to you-know-whom.

The funny thing is, he's actually not as much those things as the Kennedys were, as Slick Willy, and any number of others.  He's just blunt and probably suffers culturally for being stuck too long in NYC.  It is scary, I admit.

The real scary thing is that you think this is scarier than before.  You actually think the UN is an altruistic organization which only an awful fascist would criticize.  That is naive.  Geez, a place where slave states have equal say, and are treated as dignified colleagues. What hypocrisy.

I guess it has a purpose.  My point is that it is scary that people only now seem to note the cronyism and such that has usurped power, from before I was born.  It is how nations and governments are.  People just have that compulsion to treat everything like a holy God, so they jump at the chance when politicians come on like some new version of priest, promising to "fight" for them.

What makes it so that I need fighting for?  Unless the state takes such control of resources that only those authorized to function within its halls have any control or say in its proceedings.  So I have to have the legal priests fight for my right to live, fight for my dinner.  Crazy.  Oh thank you, holy ones.

That was the way of it long before now.  And people are freaking as if it has always made sense until now.

What we are seeing is one of the slickest, nastiest, most coldly calculated PR stunts ever.  And that is from the side freaking out over this president.  He rates scrutiny and resistance, I'm sure.  But what is not seen is the implied Soviet, or Cuban style of societal control that the organizations and individuals behind this want.

I can fight a fire with a rocket launcher.  That does not enable me to save the building any more than the original arsonist's actions served to save the building.

Peer pressure and image won't allow many to really look at things without going berserk.  So, I just don't try to change any minds.  I just hope they do not block traffic because I would be likely to bump people out of the way or even push their car with mine.  Or stop and run around like a maniac with my machete.  So it is better if they don't stop traffic.

That is so 3rd f'ing world.  We used to know that.  Thank you 60s, you gave people the idea that violating the rights of others is peaceful protest.  You use force then it is not peaceful.

God, I really dislike mob demonstrations.  I get their appeal, but I don't enjoy mobs at all.  Some people do.  They love the mob mentality--chance to violate their own boundaries safely.  That's why mobs are dangerous.  Pack behavior is not the same as civil individual behavior.

Damage and Optimism, or not

One goal that recently crossed my imaginary desk is the goal of believing one is not damaged beyond repair.   Some are damaged, and some are not, and it is all a matter of degree.  That's the point.  Some may feel like there is no hope of repair.  That is probably not a good thing.

Most things can be repaired if they still operate at all.  Or you can just reform them into unusual Christmas ornaments.

Privilege

They are now teaching courses in how to detect white privilege.   I'm assuming that may include conditioning the crackers to also muster the proper amount of guilt for being who they are.

Condition of birth.  Not something we fight anymore, hoping to judge by "content of character" rather than color, self proclaimed gender identity, etc.  Now we embrace it as many in ancient India embraced the Caste system.  I guess it still goes on today.  Lucky them.  Back in fashion.

I thought about how to better improve the curriculum of these new privilege spotting courses.  I thought it would be a clever idea to drop the white students in the heart of the 'hood, say in Watts, Liberty City (Miami), various places in Memphis, places like that.   And take the non transparent students, those "of color" (sorry, I hate that racist BS tag), and drop them off in a predominately wealthy white neighborhood.

Have them meet you at a predetermined spot maybe a mile or two away.  Then you all go back and compare your experiences to see how well the white privilege worked for those students, and how tragically the lack of privilege caused pain and hardship to the colorful pedestrians.

It's scientific so we can't possibly predict the outcome.  I suggest early evening.  Just after dark, to give the whole experiment a bit of ambiance.

Also, I suggest traveling about to other countries, but not on a big budget.  Money can sometimes be confused for racial privilege and we don't want that confusion.   I suggest this because I have heard that in places like China, the Chinese seem to have an edge when it comes to being accepted and knowing how to get a long.  Chinese privilege they call it, especially in Tibet.  Go figure.

I predict that in some of these places, they won't even bother to speak your language.  Unless there is plenty of money in it.  But anyone that rich should feel bad and either give it away or jump from a very high place.  It is only fair.

It has been said that if you don't know of your privilege, or believe it, then that proves your privilege and your privilege is showing.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

Life and Punishment

There is probably crime involved, but nothing of the mainstream crime ilk, I don't think.  Some of it may be genetic or hereditary.  Some of my blood line have taken aloneness to ridiculously awful levels.  I may have surpassed the others, I expect.

For unknown reasons we indulge in the irrational, refuse good judgement and the result is isolation and loneliness.  It is like a punishment.  That is absolutely nuts.  And eventually fatal.

Even after all this time, I don't get it.  I can feel the handicap, not knowing how else to class it.  I don't even know how to define this "it".  But I know how it feels.   Limiting and like home at the same time.  But
never mind
Always can make use of what's there to best possible, and things go well.  But some have a built in motion brake.  If you do not have one, then you wouldn't believe how powerful it is.  It makes no sense.  But this is what we do; deal with the imaginary demons of life, and hope I don't somehow offend governmental people, real people, or other things.

Understandable Worry, But What's With The Costume?

Before I recall whatever the point was that inspired this post, I have to say that I think dressing up like genitalia and pretending to be profound and righteous is a nonsensical pretense and you may be nuts.  I'd say get help, but I think that won't happen.  The new normal and all.

But, holy smoke!, if you look at faceboo there is one crazy story after another.   Trump set to appoint TV judge to Supreme Court.  No.  It is a lie.  No matter, the total supporter of the potus shares it, and comments favorably.  Someone points out that it is fake and then they point out that snopes is biased.

But the story is made up, with or without snopes' opinion.

There was a rash of anti-Trump overwhelming everything it seemed.  One friend was sharing all the koolaid memes as fast as they poured over the Niagara Falls of partisan propaganda.  So many of them proved inventions of some hack that he seems to have let up, for the most part.

If things are progressing according to FB news, I'd be way more freaked out than I am.  I would not march around dressed as a component of human reproductive materiel regardless of what the federales and Nr T decide to do.

Keep in mind, presidents are not kings or unlimited in power.  But, when you have encouraged increasing the reach of executive action and power because your man was in the catbird seat, you set the stage for someone who scares you being elected to that office and automatically having more power than he/she ought.  You helped set the stage.  As do all people who forget principle, or cannot grasp the concept, so they go for personality and emotion.

This may be a big surprise to some but I hope New England wins.  And I hope this administration is not as nuts as the zealous false stories that the ultra koolaid logged tend to share and cheer.  They want the crazy stuff.  As spooky as the ridiculous costumes.

Policing Strangers; part of the problem

So, here we go.  Now I see what worries some of the overly panicked who are in the thick of protests and whatever.  They do tend to fuel one another's fears and misinformation, but when I see some of the reaction from those celebrating, I can see why.

Made up stories for every view abound.  Many are used to discredit, and many are used to fuel that lynch mob mentality like in the old westerns.  At the heart of it is that need to feel power over others; to micro manage the lives of those who aren't marching in your band.

It is troubling that neither side sees it when their direction is something that is not in the spirit or letter of the Constitution,  and is something that restricts individual autonomy while further empowering the state.   Disaster.

Realizing that the need to feel self righteous and to cloak vindictiveness in fabricated crises, and that most people have never understood the ideals embodied in our system is disheartening.   There's a lot of , "hell yea, string em up" sort of mentality.

How people can enjoy being crammed in chanting crowds is beyond me.  I get that many really believe.  I also get that a huge percentage of participants and "leaders" are their for peer approval and self aggrandizement (Michael Moore, Cher, a cornucopia of attention seeking thespians).  Never under estimate the power of peer pressure, or the psychopathic nature of crowds and the group psychology that develops as the crowd becomes its own organism.  I do not think women's rights are as threatened as they think.  But I get how the hysteria can multiply.  Like usual, how to get from A to B is the real dispute.  I hate the massive crowd approach in most instances. They are subject to being used for ends and interests they do not even see. pbuh

Like chanting "Lock her up" at the inauguration.   Really?  That is over.  She lost, and it was a dumb sentiment in some ways to begin with; not that she didn't majorly mishandle her job and information. It would do no one any good.  But that attitude at the inauguration seems to indicate that people think that now that Trump is in office we'll have a hellfire theocracy of some kind, and all the pain they wanted to visit on infidels and others who don't conform to their ways can now be accomplished, no holds barred.

Think again.  Some of this nonsense is not going to happen.  I hope.

One big myth is that food stamps and welfare are out of control and a big drain on the economy.  No. Wasteful, I am sure, but the stuff people are putting out there is not really accurate.  The big money is in the program of never ending wars.  Not only do we seem to stay engaged forever, but we haplessly attempt to rebuild countries where people love to fight one another, and we aren't making it better.  You go.  Don't send others and pretend it is worthwhile.  Often it is nonsense.

So often people get sent in to battle, and then they have the rug pulled out from under them by rules of engagement or political nonsense.   Remember the lies about the video causing Benghazi?   Somewhere back in this blog I recall claiming it a suspected hoax before it became known.  Just because it made no sense.  The video was hilarious.  It was a trailer for a film that I guess does not exist.  I found it at the time.  Lot of green screen work I guess.  Made the actor look like he was floating.  Anyway, it was a lie.  Probably a jailable offense, but that would do not good.

You have people who think the problem is that we don't put enough people in jail.  What nonsense.  The US is like the number one prison happy country and we are supposed to be the opposite.    The main good thing Obama did was to commute so many sentences and to pardon many.  In some cases I imagine it was a mistake but in most, I doubt it was.  Many were in for things that would yield a slap on the wrist today, if that.

I'd rather see a hundred guilty go free than to see one innocent person jailed.  It is a sick system and needs re-thinking.  But that is no fun for those who like to feed that little mean streak masquerading as righteousness and "common sense".

Common sense is nonsense.  Uncommon sense is what we're after.  Common sense told people the earth was flat, that a bubble balance is as good as spin balance, etc.  Common sense tells people the easy, obvious, fallacious conclusion.  You have to dig a little deeper to hit truth.

Like climate change.  It's hot so the world must be warming.  It's cold so it must be cooling.  On and on.  Since Al and others say it is serious and climate change is absolutely due to this or that, people choose a side (in ignorance, truth be known) and then fight for all they are worth.  Neither side could even do the math involved in analyzing the subject, let alone have solid proof that they know all of the influences on climate and the relative weight of each.  Maybe a little clue but not the totality.  Not at this point.

But facts don't stop people.  It is like people pretending all the migrant illegal visitors are picking fruit.  Turns out to be a small percentage.  I know that many make very good money in construction and else.  Some scrape by doing manual labor, and some work with gangs and drug lords, etc.  The point is, people paint the picture that suits their conclusions, making up their minds then searching for a fact or two to support their view. They avoid that which may shoot down the desired conclusion.

One subject that has come out recently is drug testing welfare recipients.  Mostly this would further humiliate those who need or seek help.  The scammers would still find a way around it, and the tax payers would spend yet more money for no good purpose.  Thinking it would save money is nonsense.  It is a feel good bit of vindictiveness that is not even warranted.  First drug test elected officials, daily, if you are so concerned about the secretly addled brains of others.   You think that because a drug is prescribed it is less detrimental than drugs that are not?  If so, you are in the dark on the subject.

But it makes people feel like they are getting back at "them", the damned riffraff ruining the country.   Here's my take:  the drug war, and the DEA, the prison system, and public education as it has been used, all combine to help develop and swell the ranks of the riffraff who make problems.  It is insane.

What has happened is that false premises have been so often repeated that we take them for fact.  Or we assume that certain things are good and others bad, without investigating.

So many things that never should be under government purview, and certainly not part of federal power, but people don't question it.  They think we are a democracy and that means if the majority decides the proper diet for all then so be it.  That is not the deal.   It is so hard to let much of individual behavior be off limits to government overview.

The big difference in the USA was that, here, the government's powers are by permission of the people, rather than the people's rights being granted as privilege by government.  That is a very important distinction.  Fewer and fewer seem to comprehend that concept.   And therein lies the problem.  WE have even been taught differently than that, but the basic premise of the Constitution is just that.

I worry that people are so willing to see the state wield power over the individual in matters which do not directly involve or harm others.  You can pretend anything harms you, I guess.  If you have bad diet and exercise habits, your kids will be obese and unhealthy, so let's get the state on them right now.  That is the kind of logic I see.  It is too bad.  People should either be smarter than that or should be taught the reality of the philosophy of self government as introduced by our system.  It was unique.  But they pretend not.  Public schools teach the compromised philosophy which puts the individual at the bottom of the list of importance, rather than the top.  It is criminal and annoying.

And it carries on to the news sources, which have forever been the government's sales force, selling more and more erosion of rights.  Selling a self sacrificing program of national self hate and spending money on nonsense.  Nothing happens that they don't push for more laws, even when the disaster of the moment was either related to present laws being enforced or not enforced.

Gun free zones have helped facilitate problems.  Immigration issues are often a case of not enforcing the existing laws, and then someone wants another law.  Happens all the time.

Someone is driving unsafely but we need to make micro laws specifying texting etc.   You're driving like a drunk idiot.  Who cares why?  Laws are already there.  That one is minor. There are better examples of writing laws over existing laws which aren't enforced.  Can't draw one up just now.

Anyway, I do not like the over-reaction to Trump.  The mantra being repeated of racist sexist etc.  If you were a fly on the wall in NY power circles or even DC, you would know these people are not what they pretend. Even the democrats.    Shreds of truth to the chants but not extreme relatively speaking.  Ted K was Trump's abusiveness or personal bullying on steroids.

I also don't like the reaction of people who actually think Trump is going to send all obnoxious groups overseas or back to Mexico or something.  Not happening and the idea is nuts when you are talking people legally here.  I have seen a little of that on the net. "Go back where you came from!"  REALY? People are so proud of their ignorance and idiocy if they have peer support.

Maybe these marches will be wonderful.  Just leave traffic alone.  But keep in mind the mantra of misogyny xenophobia racism etc., may be over the top.  The imitating the disabled guy has pretty well been debunked because that is his go to pantomime whenever he mocks anyone.  Maybe not good, but not specific to the guy.

I never liked Trump or Rosie O, or any of that kind of people. That petty back and forth insult.  That does not mean I think people are not going overboard, half baked on half true information.  And they know it.  They just can't let go of that feel good zealotry,  aimed at whichever side.  Bunch of friggin neo bolsheviks on one side, replete with millions of duped, useful idiots, and a bunch of yahoo, round'em-up-and-let's-have-a-neck-tie-party nuts on the other.  Throw in religiosity here and there, and lots of pretense, and here we are.

No need for this idiocy.  But I don't care what anyone says.  Freeing federal prisoners is probably not a case of loosing rabid cannibals on the street.  Most in federal prison are not there for horrendous crimes.

Looks to me like both sides want totalitarian government.  It is just that they differ on how people should be forced to live.

I guess it is true that people are just not that bright.  But look at how we live with such great things like planes and cars and nice beds, etc.  So people cannot be that stupid.  I guess it is a matter of character then.  They cannot resist ill gotten gain/power, finding enemies to hate, and they can't resist having more control over their neighbors than is really necessary or right.

Always an excuse, though. Greater good, what God wants, who knows what else.  Just lame excuses to control or punish others.  Crazy.

Look at me!!! I'm famous!!!  Thank you Mr. Trump.  

Without you I would have no hobby and no fame

Now, if I can just figure out what I have accomplished here...

Creativity Curve

When you are young, as in late teens and first couple of decades of adulthood, you tend to want others to know what you feel inside, to recognize your ingenuity; you want to be seen and understood.   It drives you to write, start enterprises, live.

After enough time being inundated with false information and petty emotions, one tends to lose that drive which fueled that zest for life.  I consider the entrepreneurial spirit a symptom of a zest for life. Writing, creating, inventing, building. All that.  Not everyone is programmed with the same false premises about life and themselves, or to the same degree.  So any specifics drawn from my generalities could be in error.

I resist using French cliches to describe the phenomenon of which I write.  I speak some form of English and I hate it when people throw in paragraphs in Latin, or various phrases from other languages (usually French), just to let the reader know that, though he/she/it/none/all/trans is the only one in the room, he/she/it/none/all/trans is not the smartest one in the room.  The author is, of course.

If punching the written word would, through the mysterious machinations of voodoo, translate into the author feeling a punch in the nose, there would be many bloody noses out there.   Many.

As I get older I tend to care less about being understood.  And I absolutely don't want to really be known.  If you knew me, you'd have as low an opinion of my worth as I often do.

In the spirit of the new year, or perhaps an early Lent, I will endeavor to remove the "in" from my way too prevalent state of insanity.  So, with luck, I will be visiting a state of sanity soon.

The drive to create has dwindled down to a memory.  And now I am not quite so despondent that so much of business is half thought out, ignores collateral damage, and is so in bed with crooked government nonsense as I was before.   Probably because I am doing nothing that would be affected.

Most very cool stuff is initiated by people in their twenties.  They are less trapped by the financial system and our system which still holds on to the whole feudal model.   When you come down to it, people, or some kinds of people, cannot really let go of the concept of slavery.  Not along racial divides, just slavery in concept.

That is why companies often act like they own employees.  And treat workers as capital, like machines.   They have their useful life, depreciation, etc.  It makes sense in an arithmetic sort of way.
It is not working overall.  Only in pockets here and there.

I have no doubt that people would trade the lives of others if it meant keeping their 40k/year job.  Or 20k/year.  It has always amazed me.  The less they pay the more inclined they are to see you as chattel, property.

In my situation, creativity and enterprise are my main hope of surviving any length of time.  Yet I hardly care enough to shake the fog and the freeze ups, and get to work on the simple things that could yield betterment on all fronts.  This little writing fit is an effort to confront myself so I react by saying, "What's to lose?  I will do XYZQTLBGTOTHER and overcome this mental block and freeze of action."  That is the hope.  Imaginary binds which hold me down.  Is that nuts or what?  OK.  I will quit being a wimp.

No, I won't.  I doubt I will ever do what I ought.  We shall see.

Things I Don't Say on Facebook

Avoiding much comment on facebook is not always easy.  Time after time I write some lengthy rebuttal or comment regarding an assertion made in a post, only to immediately delete.

I know that comments can lead to trouble and the pretend tough people get all upb in your figurative face about everything.  When the reason stops, it is pretty clear.

The last major meme which appeared to be hoax was one touting Trumpcare, the alternative to Obama care.  I am seriously skeptical of this story.  It pretty much says Trumpcare is a government pay insurance companies and you get your part tacked onto your tax bill.

That is kind of a single payer system, and no one gets a choice.  That's the forced buy concept amped up.  Single payer--US government, and single collector, IRS.  But this is right there in the taxes.

They said you choose doctors etc.  I think it is a garbage story.  Makes no sense.  No way I want to get into it on FB.   I still think we do not know--most of us--what the ACA entails.  Nancy said we'd see what is in it once passed.  We still do not really know.

Repealing it and going with whatever is supposed to happen will probably remain unclear.  On FB, at best you invite a bunch of talking point parrots when you question things.

When have we heard what exactly is the current healthcare situation?  What is wrong with it, what are they planning to do to make it right?  Are they going to remove government from healthcare completely?  That won't happen.

So, lets cheer for replacing what we don't understand with something we can't name.  Maybe start with those whose premiums went up along with deductibles.   If you really think the bill had zmuch to do with your health, I think you've been duped.  It is a thousand pages of crony, and another thou of ism.

But aside from that, I think the peer pressure thing of being cool by fabricating Trump hate and refusing to accept the transfer of power is a mistake.  Each pseudo intellectual activist tries to impress all his or her peers by coming up with the cleverest of disparaging comments re Trump.  It need not be true or have anything to do with values or actions.  They seem to want to totally disrupt the inauguration.  Third world action.

They call that democracy.  It is purely mob action.  They want a mob big enough to bully the process.  And to what end?  Get your candidate in office?  It is a bad trend.

But mobs stopping traffic and using other forms of force, while claiming to be peacefully protesting has been a danger forever.  Same idiots who thought the orchestrated Arab radicalization and destabilization was the "Arab spring" think this kind of thing is just free speech rather than insanity and bullying.

It is dangerous to go about it like that.  You don't get your way so you shut down businesses and harass people.  They cannot refuse you cakes or service of any sort, but you refuse if you choose.  (directed at progressive 'activists').  You retain your freedom of choice while trying to deny it to others.  Which is it?

Worst case is they disrupt so much that they legitimize some lunatic's declaration of martial law.

Probably won't happen.  But who knows.  My koolaid addled friends who have some connection to academia seem to be screaming "lalalala" while plugging their ears with their fingers.  They only want to hear what they like.  Truth be damned.  If it doesn't further cast aspersions upon their perceived foe, then it cannot be heard.

I see the hard left working themselves up to a dangerous frenzy; to the point where they do not know what it is they even want.  They just know it is cool to imagine further monstrosities about Trump.  True or false.  In their mind it is the same as how no one but white people can be racist; no anti-Trump meme can be false, no matter how untrue.

That is a danger.  The backlash is as worrisome as a president who cannot let one comment pass, no matter how superfluous, without going on a twitter binge in response.  Really the guy is worrisome.  But no more so than the drooling, rabid fanatics over dramatizing and failing to understand the system or the value of truth.  There are legitimate means if an elected official is too far out there.

This hysteria is based on partial truths and is a manipulative effort to gain power. Pure and simple.  So, playing the high road because it seems so easy when Trump is involved, is not the high road when force, hitting horses, and lies are involved.

Repeal It To See What It Is

The ACA has been both vilified and praised.   Trying to find actual facts to back up either force is tough.  There are people whose deductibles are prohibitive; they would do better out of pocket and no premiums.  Then you hear about people who have coverage which otherwise would not have happened.

In reality, many people don't know what this Obamacare thing is or is not.  Pre-existing conditions is apparently in there.  But pre-existing doctors of choice, not so much.  And it was a lie that if you liked what you had you could keep it.  That is where lots of high deductibles came in.

Of course if you are in a government job or on a government or military pension, you really have little clue how the thing works in the real world.  If you are in Congress, you are special, so all this is for the "masses", not you.

The term, "the masses" is messed up.  I think it came from one of the communist thugs of early 20th century.  Both a telling and a demeaning term, I think.  There are those who like being part of the masses.  The oozing jelly of solidarinosc folk who blanket the streets, harassing the disinterested among the other masses while screaming at some power or another; their idea of God--government.

Anyway, blanket repeal of something no one actually fully understood to begin with is another move in the dark.  It could get weirder than ever.

I know from my own efforts in trying to find and read the affordable care act that it is incredibly obscure and complex and covers thousands of pages of confusion.  Most of it comes down to a clerk's judgment somewhere in the bowels of the federal government.  Surprising how many threads end there in trying to follow that bill.

I do not really know what to make of it.  In principle, the buy or die approach is not what I consider right.  Opting out seems to be a basic right.  But be prepared to die should you get ill rather than expect the good treatment.

By being forced to show coverage, semi poor folk are forced to take your generous subsidies, or else. I know I appreciate it.  But I don't know if what I am doing is really part of that act or not.  I know I pay more than what it would cost out of pocket with no insurance.  But if I progressed to the next phase of this condition, just one month worth of drugs might be 10k or more.  And I could conceivably want some stem cells to go.  That has to be costly.

In no time I'd cost thousands, tens of thousands of dollars more than I pay.  I actually couldn't pay more, and barely swing the bit I do.  If you are so indigent that you pay zip, your choices are very limited, and sometimes the only options available to you are not the best ones, and you will die.  I believe that is the point; make it look like compassion, but really it is just a pretense at care while you die off and shut up.

So, I hate to think of some of these goof balls grand standing over health care while making it worse. They have nothing to lose.  I'm too lazy to follow any money to see who gains.  I just do not think I trust any of them, demo or repub, to do anything sane and useful.

One thing for sure, do not do anything until you know the big picture and know what will work out better.

I believe they figured out the cost of this overly centralized system represented by the ACA was such that they could have just direct paid for people's health care 100% for a long long time, eliminating numerous middle men.

Corruption is a nervy vocation and it is astounding how it is conducted in plain view, yet "the masses" seem to be content to go alng with all pretenses that these people and things they do are not totally engineered and implemented according to corrupt motives and practices.

For God's sake, for my sake, for everyone's sake, will we quit having government by twitter, immediately, please?

Well, Nancy lied.  We did pass the Affordable Care Act, but still do not really know what is in it.  I suspect repealing it will not shed any light on it.  Especially considering the players involved.  Please save me from the Schumers and Warrens and Ryans and McConnells and other grandstanders reaping the spoils of power.

Town up on the ridge

There is a community up above Harbison Canyon, the community where the wild music ranch is located.   Crest is a suitable name because it is on the crest of that geographical deal going on up there.

Some years ago, but definitely this century, they were devastated by the Cedar Fires.  Like hurricanes, big fires out here have names.  But they usually relatye to the event rather than just name it after your dog or aunt.

They rebuilt, and rebuilt a very nice community building on the edge of the park.  Every other month they have a music night.  It is hosted by a trio called, Baird and Silva.  It used to be a duo until my friend J-Rod was brought aboard to play bass.  Tom Baird is really good.  Love his original stuff.

Anyway the format is three acts or artists play.  Each plays a fairly short set and they go around again.  Sometimes at the end, everyone plays.

I've played Crest Community Center several times, both with Copper Creek and with the current group, Enter the Blue Sky.  And I always love it.  The sound is great, the setting is perfect and it just pleases me.  I also like to go there just to listen.

One problem,  much of the time when I come to listen, I get recruited to play.  I rarely know there songs.  They save the easier 1 4 5 stuff for others I guess.  I get who knows what, and if the Gods aren't pleased, I get stuck playing some friggin' Neil Young cover.    I am not a big Neil Young anything.  I like some of his songs.  I seldom want to play any of his songs.

Oh well.  I got recruited last night.  The guy is good and I didn't want to say no.  They know I don't travel far without my harps in the car.  I guess I did OK.

A couple of other friends were playing and even though I love playing with them other times, I was grateful they did not succumb to any thought of having me sit in.  I liked hearing the combination of those two, plus the girl with harmonies.  There are times it is better when I sit and listen and enjoy.  Plus, I already know their opinion of my playing so no need to be concerned about hurt feelings if they don't redo a pre-planned gig to include me at last minute.

It is flattering to walk into a place slide in to the middle of the room, being anonymous and then be summoned immediately by the performers.  It is nice.  I am so surprised how often that occurs.  Especially because I try not to make it happen in most cases.

But last night, it was OK.  I needed the contact.  I am a little shaky in the mental health department, I suppose.  The ending jam was much fun.  The quality of the musicians last night was just tops.  Truth is, the music I most enjoy these days seems to be music my friends play.

If I could describe what is my issue or conflict or whatever, the picture would look really stupid, so I will shutup and get better.

Crest is really cool.  Way up on a ridge.  Muriel and I took a walk back behind the park and you could see El Cajon and beyond to the west, three or four thousand feet below stretching out for a couple dozen miles toward the coast.  A sea of lights.  But up there is mostly dark.  Damn barky dogs caused me to turn around.  Good for owners--to a point.  But they screw up the leisurely stroll.

Not as afraid of strange snarling dogs as I have been most of my life, but still not good with it.  Even though I get along with everyone's dogs very well in most settings.  It's the unknown snarlers that trouble me.  I guess you tend to be a little shy if you ever got a taste of an attack dog wanting to rip your thigh.  Fortunately my friend at 10 years old was able to immediately pull his psycho dog off before damage got done.  We were both 10.

They called my house worried we might sue.  So glad we weren't of that ilk.  They got rid of the dog. Had not had it long.  It was nuts but trained guard dog. Shepherd.  He answered door and bam His dog, Ted Bundy, ran past him,. latched onto my thigh and started shaking back and forth.  But he let the kid pull him off and give whatever command.  I don't care what you say, you get jerk animals just like you get jerk humans.  Happens.

So, nice place usually for a walk.  But anywhere you go is hard to walk because people's dogs do not know when to harass you and when not to.  Dogs that know that stuff are the minority.   Same with people, now that you mention it.

Has POTUS Weighed In Yet?

You may or may not have heard about the four people of color holding and torturing a mentally challenged colorless person in Chicago.   They aired it live on facebook.  They ranted about white people and Donald Trump.

There is question if it is a hate crime.   If only the perps were colorless and the vic had color.   Very similar to a crime outside of Greensboro which occurred when I lived there.  Same mix but the vic was a challenged female.  It was not reported but as well as multiple rapes she was more or less skinned alive.  In that one there were as many females involved as males.

Don Lemon of CNN says it wasn't a case of evil.  It is just bad parenting.  Perps are not juveniles.  Don Lemmon is a creepy idiot.  He always looks like he's trying to lie and screw someone over. The look is always there.  I bet he's a back stabbing coworker.

But where is Obama on this?  Could that have been his son?  Have yet to hear from Al, et al.  I'm sure we will.  We'll end up distracted by more faked, staged incidents of "hate".  Like burning churches and spray painting "go Trump".  That could have been my church!  You do know that was a parishioner of the church and one, reportedly, not devoid of hue.

This asinine racist and racial pretense is proving fatal.  And part of the collateral damage is that it will spawn more idiotic white racist people.   There are very very few as it is.  But the constant badgering and poking and bigotry by Black, encouraged by pandering guilty whites and opportunistic activists of color, schools, media, even academia, and others has become so offensive that only the most hard core of pretenders can ignore it.  Many motivated by guilt and the requisite dose of self hatred.

It has come to the point that the act is not what matters.  Only the race or ethnicity or other irrelevant characteristic.  Hence Don Lemon won't call this incident evil.  But a fake assault with races changed, like Mike Brown, and what does he say?   Liar, hypocrite, creep.

Please God, I pray; do not let Donald Trump tweet about this.  Amen.
Thank you

Tonto : Secret agent of the West

photo abc television

I don't care what you say or who hates it. Tonto was a badass. They were out to make things better. This would have been a good presidential ticket.  Probably they'd have to put Tonto as pres and the Lone Ranger as VP.

Not sure how they'd address the mask issue.  Probably, they'd stage a distraction, just like they do in the real world now.

Imagine if they re-wrote the ACA,  somehow making sense of things.  (just an aside, didn't they figure out they could have paid for everyone's medical care anyway with the money it cost to implement the ACA?  Something like that--at least paid all the lower income people's stuff.  Maybe not.  Have to check out exactly what it cost. )

We could call the updated version of Obamacare, Tontocare.
From papoose to purgatory, Tontocare's got your back.

I can't expound on the details of the Tonto -Kimmesabie (sp?) plan.  We need to get it passed to see what it is exactly.  Tonto likes it, and that's good enough for me.  Besides, Tonto is a name you can trust.  Tontocare for all.

Fun fact:  You won't catch Tonto doing any twitty tweeting on twitter.  No way.   Cuz he ain't no twit. No @therealTonto for him.
Presidents, past, present, future---do not do twitter.   Great place for half truth and quick lies.  Not for complex reasoning, or much reasoning at all.  No twitter for government officials except to say, hey the forest is on fire and headed your way.  Presidents.  Please, NO MORE TWitter!

Here's the dilemma

Should I fear more the lash or the backlash?  It is often a coin toss, especially when I see little promise in either.

For example, Trump is a tweeting nightmare sometimes, but the backlash to him is absolutely out of their minds, creating half truths and total BS to paint themselves as freedom loving saints.  And freedom loving they are not.  Not if it is you choosing freely for your  own life.  That's their job.

I fear that both the lash and the backlash in this case are ignorant of the constitution; both its spirit and letter.  Or else they just don't like it, in general.   I know the democratic machine hates misfits like me.  They always have, and I have grown to detest their language and their authoritarian ways of pretending to help people when they are just keeping people under their governmental thumb.

They truly think they should be the arbiters of all your choices.  They know best. Always.

Right now I actually think the backlash may be more dangerous than the lash.  I believe there is nothing Obama and this administration plus supporters wouldn't do in order to make it very tough for Trump to slide into office--even if it meant war or any other detriment to the country.  I believe they would sabotage things in such a way as to guarantee disaster and lost lives, if they could make it look like his fault, or just leave him with clean up.

I thought Trump was nuts forever.  Especially since his lowlife public battle with that disgusting creep, Rosie O'.   Two sides of the same classless coin, although she may have the edge.

But the left has been a cruel force forever.  They hate nonconformists and minority viewpoints.  They love identity and tribal politics. Because they need that peer approval.  Lacking in original thought and in depth reasoning ability.  Even smart people are caught in that petty quest for approval.  And, believe me, academia is full of small character people like that.  Same ones who run public school in most cities.

I admit.  I have deep resentments of these creeps.  The problem is that we give too much power to governing bodies.  Governing bodies are too top heavy; too centralized.  And since everyone, including myself, are on the take in some way from the public purse, we just keep on with it.

Lots of stuff works out for a lot of people.  Screw the ones who never managed to fit in.  Pretend to help them as you sweep them into demoralizing programs and hope they die or get shot.

What a scam.  And people are running around as if Trump is the big worry.  Like we had Utopia then along came this mean guy and made mean states vote for him so he could hijack the electoral college.

It wasn't Utopia.  He did not force them to vote for him.  Did you really find it that easy to deal with life and government before?  I never have.  Not really.  Only if I turn a blind eye and ear to many things.  Then I can tolerate these bastards. Simple as that.