Seeking Solidarinosc

So, I was in the coffee aisle trying to organize some grassroots action to protest the higher price they started charging for Cafe Bustelo. It jumped $2 all at once a couple of months ago. Now it is the same price the other stores in this area charge. For awhile there it was selling for South Florida prices. Down there many brands of Cuban coffee are available and perhaps competition does benefit the consumer.

But never mind that, I seek solidarinosc from my fellow oppressed grocery shoppers. What response do I get? "Well, Folgers is on sale."

Folgers? Madam, you insult my aesthetic integrity!! Have you never heard of solidarinosc? "Oh, I think I saw that on aisle six, next to the sugar."


Holy smoke, this online place where I got the photo wants over a buck more than Daniel's outrageous price. Bustelo consumers of the world unite!!! Solidarinosc, y'all.

What is the world coming to? I try to organize some collective bargaining to protect my right, as a consumer, not to go broke buying Cuban coffee and the masses are blind to their plight!! Try as I may, they just don't see how their right to food and beverage is being violated. Not a solidarinosc bone in their bodies.

Perhaps I should bring a bullhorn next time, and pen some catchy slogans designed to be chanted with group participation:
call:"What's highway robbery and red and yellow?"
response: "The overpriced can of Cafe Bustelo!!!"

Call: "Who's the racist with a heart of ice?"
Response: "The fascist manager who raised the price!!!"

Call: "What do we want?"
Response: "two bucks a can!!"
Call: "when do we want it?"
response: "yesterday!!"
Call: "If we don't get it?"
Response: "the racist manager dies dies dies!!"

It is all peaceful of course.

Maybe that will bring out the inner solidarinosc in the apathetic, downtrodden shoppers at the Alpine Daniel's Market.

I'm pretty sure my mistake was neglecting to bring in the megaphone. You have to have the megaphone guy at any protest if you want your brothers and sisters in pain to take you seriously and indulge that need to belong to a group; jump on the bandwagon.

Taking The Role Of Underdog Without The Fleas and such

I remember when the whole Solidarinosc thing got started. In Poland they have some letters than vary a bit from the ones in the English alphabet, so the closest thing I can write is spelled like that--solidarinosc.

The birth of that movement had a bit more in the way of actual oppression and lack of freedom to contend with than the latter day usurpers who took on the slogan. I think that was actually the name of the union Lech Walesa formed. It wasn't a public employee outfit but a trade union for people in the shipyard, if memory serves.

They had some tough times in Poland. Many many years of weird things. Germany, USSR, unkind jokes, etc. So, Lech names his club Solidarity, but uses the Polish word, and it caught on as well as Che T-shirts at Berkley. Compared to his risks, and the conditions he experienced, the current wave of solidarity fans live in luxury.

It is funny how a word or phrase will catch on. Or how one group of people tries to ride the coattails of another group, especially when being a victim is essential. It can work, but it often trivializes those who really knew hardship and tyranny. You can probably think of examples on your own if so inclined.

Ah, what do I know. I'm just a singer in a rock and roll band*, a rockstar.

*line from a Moody Blues song. It was Moody Blues wasn't it? Yea, I think it was

Let Wesley Snipes know, I am with you in solidarinosc, bro. And all the dissidents in Cuba and Iceland, got your back, my brothers and sisters. Solidarity out the yingyang

new spelling trap just caught; roll vs role

Holy Rolling Gig Wed

Never would I have guessed I'd be paid to play a fundraiser for a church. Lutherans. GV1 and his wife go there so that is how it all started.

Surprising to me is the fact that I find their pastor an interesting and down to earth guy. He's the sort I could be friends with. I am just probably not on the same page in a churchy way.

I played some odd fundraisers in Memphis, too. The closest to a holy thing was a fundraiser for a Jewish private school. They may not have been that into us. I found the Japanese wedding gig a little bit of an odd fit as well. They were very nice and polite, of course.

We had our last practice tonight. This time we were unplugged. Usually we have the stuff set up and the monitors hooked up. This time, no. It went very well, I thought. I worked on a few things on my own which I wasn't happy with the last time we practiced. It paid off.

It was probably good that this practice got put off a couple of days, and that we have an off day in between. That is better sometimes. As long as everyone has fun. it will go well. It may be that I can help take the lead in the attitude department.

I'm looking forward to this. We have plenty of material. Our first set is just short of an hour non-stop. That's a pretty good set. I love going an hour or more per set but I haven't been in that situation in forever. The Memphis boys were fond of short sets. 45 minutes would be a long set for them. Not that they didn't work hard when playing. And sometimes the noise triggered something that made me dizzy and the sounds all got weird.

This ought to be interesting. I just hope there will be some people who appreciate it. We'll see. My friends are good singers with some really great harmonies, and the guitar players do not play out of tune. They often catch it before I do.

***according to GV1, you know how to spot an extroverted Lutheran? It's one who looks at your shoes when talking with you.

They Give Two Sides and I Reject Both

What I find most troubling about the Wisconsin hooplah is that both sides of the alleged issue have eagerly sought and been flooded with support and opinions from outside the state. People have actually gone there to push their views on that state's business.

It is a very good example of one of the problems in modern America. People decide everyone else's business is theirs and think if they make enough noise they will get their way, even when it is not their tax money at stake, their job, their community, their state. At least ninety percent have not read whatever legislation is on the board.

I see it as a negative development that outsiders on both sides of the issue have insinuated themselves so heavily into a matter that is not really their affair. They can rationalize all they want, but I am unswayed in this view. It may feel good to have famous figures share the spotlight with you when you have some point of view on a local matter, but it is a trap. Who in New Hampshire or Texas would want people from California weighing in on their business?

We aren't talking of situations of involuntary servitude or conflict with equal protection under the law, or massacre of citizens. It just doesn't cross those lines. It is not for those who don't work, pay taxes, or vote there to decide.

In thinking of how this thought could be argued, I realized how easy it is to justify intruding on others by rationalizing that their actions somehow affect my well being. Or better yet, the welfare of The Children (closely related to the ubiquitous THEY). That reasoning allows me to exert authority over everyone everywhere. It's that butterfly effect thing.

ballistic mtn 2-28-2011

Big deal in the land of perpetual summer, near the land of perpetual spring. (out here vs coast).
In San Diego a rain shower is a winter storm.
First good snow since I've been here. It will soon melt.
I wish I hadn't partially swept off the car prior to this. It was dramatic.

update: Now it is a pure blue sky, bright sun and maybe 50 degrees or so. Never have I lived anywhere that had so many pure blue sky days. But something is different. maybe the fact that I'm thousands of miles from the Gulf Stream. I need a road trip to settle if what I feel or remember is real or imagined.
It is easy to forget that Miami is ultra hectic and peopled by the unbalanced and loud for the most part, or that there are other complications elsewhere in the east. When you are a misfit, it follows you no matter where you go. At least it does me, so far.
I periodically get freaked out about it. I never feel like I fit and I am almost sure it is my doing, but how to undo it?

It's a beautiful day and hordes of cityots have descended upon Pine Valley and points north and east to see the snow, throw snowballs at their kids, and drive two inches behind the car ahead of them.
I took a brief tour this morning and came back home. They don't know about Ballistic Mountain or they'd be sliding up our hill.

Winter Storm On Thee Ate

Not too steady with the phone camera as I risked the perils of wintry mix and snowy ice on Thee Ate (California speak for I-8).
This is just past the Descanso exit heading east on Thee Ate. I was going to Pine Valley where there was a nice blanket of crisp crunchy snow. This was just at sundown.

Originally I took the Descanso exit in order to take the scenic route but I saw a sign which said something about chains. I have none so I got back on the highway. It seems that California is big on wanting you to have chains anywhere the weather gets interesting. My natural Subris causes me to think I should be exempt. Subris is the condition that makes Subaru drivers think they can drive in anything without the usual perils. False sense of whatever. I heard that term and thought it was a great word. I believe Scribbler was the one who educated me about that.

Maybe in some locations Subaru people are like Jeep people in Greensboro. They seemed to find out the hard way that everyone has four wheel brakes and that their 4x4 Jeeps have no advantage when it comes to stopping on ice. Every winter the Jeep body shop was loaded. You'd see them come by on tow trucks right and left.

Finally Ballistic Mountain got some snow. It has covered everything nicely. It didn't get to us until late at night. Around here the weather varies every couple of miles. It is amazing.

On the way back, the few people on Thee Ate were traveling between 35 and 40 mph. It was snowy and kind of icy, and hard to see where lanes divided. No matter. There was still one guy who was tailgating people but would not pass unless there was a faster car to go tailgate.

I even saw a snow plow on the country road that leads to Ballistic road. Who knew they had such things in SD county? Not me.
It will most likely be gone tomorrow. I'm in no hurry for our little hint of cold weather to go.

According to the radio there was a three car accident at the Descanso exit. I'm assuming it happened right after I got off there. It could be the news was way behind and it happened and hour earlier. No doubt someone was way too close to someone else. maybe two people were too close. Traffic was minimal. Very few people on Thee Ate as I returned home.

I Try Not To Talk Revolution or Politics

It is true. I write about those things a lot. Not revolution so much because only one in ten thousand people would have the slightest idea how such a thing should be conducted. Most revolutions are made up of whores, pure and simple. That is why they usually sell out the people who made it possible. Like in Cuba--no one thought Fidel and his sociopathic buddy, Che, were going to install boot-on-your-head communism, comrade. They thought it was about reinstating their constitution and functioning as a democratic republic with guidelines and all that. They were duped. And the power came from the whoreswho are for anything that gains approval of the mob, and that feels like power. It snowballs. They follow the noise.

Reduction of the power of The Man, OK. Revolution, like toppling the whole thing, is probably a bad goal. I still do not comprehend why there is as much war and chaos in the world as there is. I don't think it is necessary. Governments seem to thrive on it, and quite often misguided religious zealots help it along.

Anyway, I actually keep it at a minimum most of the time. I might have to throw a stick in the spokes when someone makes a standard scripted comment regarding some person or movement, and I will embarrass them if I can by pinning them down on why this person is an idiot or that movement is whatever. Usually I just point out a specific point and say I agree with it. It is not cool or hip, but it gets off of the stupid practice of personal attack and generalizing based on repeated slogans rather than reason.

Much of the time things under discussion provoke reactions which aren't rooted in fact. The other thing is that not everyone has the same views regarding right and wrong. If you differ on the most essential of those principles, then you are reasoning from conflicting premises. The most basic being:At what point is it my right to curb your behavior on matters I personally consider wrong, distasteful or inappropriate? I tend to think I don't have very much latitude on that. What you eat or do with your pregnancy or put into your body isn't my affair if you don't do it in such a way that it crosses over into infringing on me personally.
Stealing and murder obviously cross the line.

It is one thing to write about it but rarely that much fun in one on one verbal discourse. When I forget that, I regret it. I try, but don't always exercise restraint. You can vote how you want and all that. I almost never ask a person how they voted or if they did. It's supposed to be secret ballot, and it is none of my business.

When the rules and regs are impossible to ignore, it is not easy to refrain from being overcome with an opinion about it. Those things generally bother the less powerful and those not locked into jobs with certain types of companies and institutions. The level of underground economy is something few people recognize. I think it is one reason for turning a blind eye to a lot of work done by illegals. They don't need no steenkeeng regulations to tell them how and if they can make and use the secret formula consisting of gasoline, roofing tar, etc., to create the desired look on the cedar garage doors. No way any state agency would approve it. Even so, there it is. You cannot be 100% legit and compete for that job.

I've managed to get a supplier and lessons in case I ever have to use that nasty stuff again, but I know I am doing something that would send the officials into heart arrest if they were watching. It is not so easy living on the fringe.

Many would say, "You should have thought of that when you quit that job or didn't finish the degree, etc." To them I say, Yea, I'm sure you are right--F--- off. The "you should have thought of that before" argument has never been one of my favorites. Especially coming from people who support the things that have given rise to a house of cards economy and an overreaching governing philosophy.

Easy to say here. In person I guess it is easiest to say, "Thank you for your insight and concern". The sarcasm is probably not always lost.

Who You Gonna Believe--your own eyes or me???

That is essentially what we are being asked on the level of government in this country. On just about every level, from city to state to national level, the obvious bizarre pretense is the same. And it is beyond comprehension that it is allowed.

It is definitely a case of The Emperor's New Clothes. How can city after city, and state after state be in such debt? If they were private companies, they'd all have gone belly up. What is bizarre is that the same people, in a general way, who ran things up like this are the same ones proclaiming that "we need to sacrifice", etc. All act somewhat baffled; how to fix it while still keeping on expenditures which tend to buy votes?

Of course, some of the groups who have benefited personally from bankrupting the country either turn a blind eye to avoid confronting the moral issues, or they rationalize from false premises and feel good slogans, or they just stick with the idea that it is right to get what you can for yourself regardless of expense to others--as long as it is legal. What's more legal than government money?

It is a pure insult and a show of colossal disrespect for citizens to act like everything has just happened in the short term, and that it is the fault of the economy, George Bush, etc. It has been underway for some time, and the alleged fixes have thrown fuel on the fire.

It makes me feel bad to see how we've been duped, and how we keep coming back for more, following the little crumbs tossed out. Some are in the form of money, especially for public service employees, and some is in the form of sticking it to the mythical class known as "the rich".

That is why I would not begin to vote in favor of a "temporary tax hike" like Gov Brown has suggested, or any other inconvenience to private sector citizens. The problem is government itself, pure and simple. That, and the willingness of the public to compromise principle in hopes of class revenge or some undeserved personal gain.

It really is a wild scenario. I'm curious to see how it all goes. It is not a system of things in which the players are contained within national boundaries, so actually following the money and motives is much more difficult than some think. I can't follow it, but I can see the ripples and many of the actions which result in these "Crises".

Always a crisis. That gives rise to any action the powers that be want to execute. And the public somehow goes with it. Admittedly, we are ultimately at gunpoint, but plenty just hope to get along, stay off their radar, and get what they can for themselves and their families. It is natural, but, I believe, disastrous in the long run.

We're over a barrel. How do you undo and defund these psychopaths? We have fanatics around the world who want us dead, and troops spread from here to Bosnia, and beyond. Our debt is as stretched as our military, and as planted on foreign soil.
The only way to feel good about this is to pretend. History indicates that republicans don't necessarily stand up to this much more than democrats. It is a game. Blame Bush, but forget the dems had Congress for the last part of his tenure.

Drastic action is the only real hope. The logical things would not set well with environmental groups, public employee unions and all kinds of others. But it actually would be possible to revive the domestic product, balance of trade and reduce dependence upon oil imports. Wouldn't happen overnight, but it could be done rapidly. Our population's character is not yet moral enough to allow it. For one thing the state sponsored and instigated tribalism, racism and sexism would have to stop. Either it is blind equality under the law or it is not. You cannot pretend that favoritism to any group based on sex or ethnicity or whatever else is irrelevant in any way speaks to the natural rights of all or the concept of equal under the law.

Drastic things will happen anyway. They already have. Whatever the impetus, is the Homeland Security dept and TSA procedures, and multi department exercises which raid businesses and such not drastic? I guess if you've never known anything freer and less intrusive, you don't realize what has happened, and how quickly.

I will live as I see fit, as always. And I am not rabidly emotional over this stuff like it may seem. I'm just curious to see what is next, and wish I could anticipate it in a way that would make me money without it being tax dollars.

It is not a surprise, though, to see the financial distress which has swept all these bogus governments. No more surprising than maxing out credit cards, spending more than you have, and agreeing to a mass of payments which add up to more than you have coming in, then you find yourself in big financial trouble. How shocking.

Strange Wind Blowing

Once upon a time I assumed that everyone believed in live and let live freedom. I thought everyone at least thought basic do-not-steal honesty was a good thing. Or almost everyone. I thought good people felt honor bound not to dictate to others how they must use their resources and property, and that they would never go along with things which enriched themselves at the clear expense, and over the protests, of others.

I was wrong. There are some people who think that the way to freedom is through control over others and their property. Then there are those who don't think that way. Some seem to fall in the middle because they'd still get gung ho on drug laws and support police abuse of the 4th amendment. And they think of the "unborn" as an abused minority group. I'm sorry, but that is one place I part ways with many who agree on other issues. Like it or not, and I am no big fan of it, but abortion ought to be off the table as far as outlawing, or funding. Nothing wrong with buying it on time. But using tax money for that is forcing the point.

I will say, despite how many have decided to look at the issue, I consider it a blessing when some people opt not to multiply, even if the ball was rolling. Seriously, let it go. I probably would not perform one but I sure don't see it as my business if I am not involved. I don't care to pay for it myself, but I don't think a lot of things should be tax funded. No surprise there.

The interesting thing to watch is to see how far the mob action thing goes. There is a fine line between reasoned dissent and mob abuse. To describe every riot or chanting mob as what democracy looks like is a stretch I think. Sometimes it is what a bully looks like.

The things that strike me the most are when it degenerates down to personalities, avoiding the true issue at hand. That is usually what happens. It preps the people to look for a savior to love, a leader, a king, a despot. First focus their ire on one person, then their love on another. Forget the actual morality or philosophy, or even the facts.

It's OK. As long as you can say you stand in SOLIDARITY with the union or whoever, it is always cool. The word "solidarity" is one of those unassailable terms of our times which has taken on the magic of holiness. To question what the hell that means or exactly why, I, in California would stand with people I don't know regarding issues and bills I haven't read, or regarding people and cultures I cannot honestly say I understand, would throw up my fist and proclaim my solidarity when I don't really know the philosophy or moral ground involved is considered sacrilege.
(no way I am going back to figure that sentence out so I can fix it)
They cried "solidarity" first, so I have to be one with that side. It's like calling shotgun, or dibs.

It's like those who chant union slogans and don't care if the union is right, wrong, run by mobsters, or anything else.

So. Where is it going to lead? You know there are millions of people who can't wait to find a chance to be on the news, stand in the middle with the megaphone, feel like they are a part of whatever it is. The thrill of the mob, and the self righteous zeal of the protest. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with everything that draws a crowd. I do always resent people with megaphones who shout, expecting the mob to shout a preset response, or repeat as told.

It is the difference in some basic makeup of people. I know many who relish the crowd and the loud dissent, even if it drowns out discussion. I don't fall into that group. But I don't fall into the group who reveres the police and every law on the books either. Some are OK. Most are not--in both cases.

Personally, I do not trust what is going on around the world, or at home. I only wish I had my secret bunker with ten years of good food, and other stuff in there.

They're gearing up for something stupid--I just have a hunch. No doubt it wil be glorified later as for the greater good, our safety, security, economic well being-- who knows? On the official level the reasons, the cause and effect, are always 180 degrees from what is said. (that means opposite for the compass degree challenged)

What people don't realize about mobs is that as dangerous or powerful as they can be, they can also be very easily manipulated and controlled. Rule of thumb on mob mentality is that a mob of geniuses becomes an entity with an IQ of about 82.5. It is true. It works just like committees comprised of more than 3 or 4 people. The level of intelligence is about 2/3 that of the weakest link. Can't do anything about it. That's why sub-committees were invented. The moral quotient weakens along the same curve as the smarts, as well.

I don't know. Just seems like some odd stuff all happening at once. I'm not chalking it up to a sudden mass elevation in awareness level of humanity. That would be nice, but I am not feeling it.

Pale and Pail; no, not equal

Several times lately I've seen the word "pail" used as a verb where "pale" would be correct.

Dear AP, and others--Pail= a bucket, container
Pale = lacking color, vigor {as in "that pales in comparison to his last outburst"]
also as in "Are you felling well? You look PALE"
= fence stake or boundary {as in "beyond the pale"]


Normally these things don't bug me, but there are times. It is what we get for A. spellcheck, B. the fact that most people ain't got good larnin' in the pubic skoos.

I catch myself writing phonetically all the time. And many times I do not catch it. When I see it I know. I believe most of the errors I'm mentioning here are cases of not knowing the difference. It happens.

While I'm at it, (and I, too, lack the education I think fitting a person of my stature) let's take a look at "then" and "than"
Then deals with sequence and time--as in first I punched him the nose, and THEN he shot me.
Than ideals with comparison---as in, "He announced to the entire locker room 'mine is bigger THAN yours'".
or, "I'd rather be a hammer THAN a nail"

Valley girl speak sometimes confuses the vowels A and E, so it is natural that the spelling and context of words gets screwed up in print. "she's my best girl frand, gah" "He is rally rally cute"