If You're Smart...

...you probably wouldn't forget to replace the oil filler cap on your car, somewhere back in Arizona, most likely.

If you are like me, then you may not be smart.  The good news is that I discovered it, and it may be possible that I left it off or loose after Arizona.  I keep thinking  I looked at everything when I got back, and was all ready to add oil, but it didn't need any.  I bet I left the cap off because I was so sure the oil would be low that I did everything getting ready to add, before checking the oil level.

Tomorrow I'll find a new cap.  In the mean time I cut a red solo cup to make it short enough.  It needed some custom modifications.  Along with a bunch of duct tape, the cup turned out to be a fine temporary cap.

That sort of thing is not my usual behavior.  I normally double check things like that a lot before closing the hood, or whatever indicates time for obsessive compulsive second guessing is over.  I have to force myself not to over check things. I already know the score, you just did item X.  Don't go back to see if you did item x. You already know.  You locked the door, now go.

I'll bet I was trying to be less double track, but picked a bad time to go on faith.  Got to pay attention.

I wonder if there are generic oil caps at the parts place.

Really? Maybe People Were Always Nuts

On that pseudo-intellectual facebook page, the one which includes french phrases or latin, for no apparent reason, and which touts any limousine liberal talking point, no matter how unfounded or absurd, the profound comment, "The major cause of poverty is excessive wealth" appeared.

Really?  They believe that?  Keep in mind, these are people with pensions, money for world travel, grants, and various perks from the public purse and university system.

Who decides what is excessive is unknown to me.   As they enjoy the things a little extra wealth can bring,  they seem to hate industrial and manufacturing type enterprises, even as they complain about outsourcing.  There is an abundance of hypocrisy in that sort.   "I don't want to be second guessed, and under the thumb of the state, but I'll fight to the death for your right, and obligation to do so, for your own good.  So you can have health insurance and subsidies".

Sorry, but those people are not making it easier for anyone.  But wealth causing poverty?  I think this may be simply wrong.  Or maybe it is only that too much wealth makes poverty.  I've never received a paycheck from a pauper.  And when people were "excessively wealthy", I sometimes made it a point to get paid even closer to what I'm worth.  I don't think I've ever been paid as much as I'm worth, but the actual job was only worth so much, so what can you do.

People must be thinking along these lines lately.  One side will scream and yell about Koch brothers, and the other about George Soros.  The real problem is that people are being told things that aren't true regarding race, privilege and every other worthless idea in the world.  And they'll believe anything, especially if you convince them they are victims and/or give them  person or group to hate.

I'm at a loss to understand how people who are living really, really well can claim that poverty is due to wealth.  It is fashionable to be somewhat of a neo-marxist, and even smart people will tie themselves in nonsensical and contradictory knots just to be in vogue.

 Well, I found it a stupid and crazy thing to say.  But I think I need to embark upon a plan of no news, no looking at the country club Obama worship, wealth is bad, you must be a racist if you disagree, page.  I need to avoid it all.  Not that I'm all that emotional about it.  I like many limousine liberals and defenders of, and fighters of, things they've never seen in person.  Guess many of my friends and family are hypocrites an misguided neo fascists and bolsheviks in my book.  They don't care.  They rarely want to hear my viewpoint.  Maybe never in most cases.

All that kind of thing can deflect one's attention from what is important.  I forgot what that is.  See what I mean?

I will say that it is worth considering that continually allowing the same people who waged the war on poverty and the war on drugs to control power and policy may be a little self defeating.  They did nothing to reduce poverty, and they promoted drug use more than anything.  Might not be the best people to handle your money, education, etc.

This is what happens.  I forget that everything else is more important than that stupid government related nonsense.  Then I forget what is there that isn't illegal, and doesn't require a prohibitive fee or license.

I think I'm restless.  OK.

Poor Seattle

Until that mouthy guy went off on hi punk, redneck, lowlife gibberish, I was unsure who my super bowl preference would be.  No question now.   I must withdraw the secret mojo I bestowed upon Seattle.  I will transfer it to Denver, who probably doesn't even need it.  Seattle does, but they blew it by letting that guy get near a microphone.

Each team should be able to designate certain players as DMs (designated morons).  These players would be forbidden from saying anything to anyone with a camera or microphone.  If they do, they lose big money somehow.  It would all be in the contract.

That would save us all from those moments of unbearable pessimism which follow viewing something like that interview with the Seattle corner, whatisname.  Upon viewing such a spectacle, many people instantly lose hope, thinking to themselves, "the human race is doomed.  We're toast.  We are evolving into an unsustainable wreck in which incoherent shittalkers reap gigantic rewards.".

Causing such negativity is not a thing to be proud of.  But a DM does not know that.  And in most cases will never know that, no matter how many times and ways it is explained.  With luck we'll get through the year without someone shooting that guy or vice versa.

Trust me, Seattle, he got lucky and saved you at the last second tonight.  He's going to be more trouble than he's worth in the long run.

Makes me sorry I didn't pull for San Francisco.  Not that sorry.  Kind of a hypothetical sorry.

You wonder why I didn't do mojo on San Diego if it's o powerful, don't you?  It doesn't work on all teams.  San Diego is impervious to mojo.  That's their charm.  I guess.  You could give SD the crank to the scoreboard, let them crank it any way they choose, and they'd still not make it to the super bowl.

Get rid of that creep, or publicly muzzle him and I'll one day pull for Seattle again.  It is improper to show disrespect to worthy adversaries, and it is supremely bad form to do so while praising yourself and drooling.

That's my in depth analysis of the pro football situation.  We probably are not doomed, so erase that embarrassing spectacle from your mind.  Imagine how much fun it is to screw up one of the happiest moments of your career, and that of your colleagues, as well.   That is a bad way to feel.  Sometimes justice works best without people trying to work it.

Busted!!

Never think people don't find and read your blog.  You may think, "oh [person X] would never make the effort to come read this.  That requires hitting a link somewhere or something."  Oh boy would you be wrong to think that.  Possibly, embarrassingly wrong.

What can you do?  Life's short.  Shorter for some than others, and how do you know?  So what do you do?  Own up.  sort of.  No more than you have to though.  Then again, what's the truth?  What's right, kind, and whatever else principled people dream up to prevent trouble?

I'm not sure.  I only know what I know.

Today was a music day, and some people sounded great.  I almost got a piece of paper because of all the obvious triggers that I used to use to go outside and smoke.  I don't like to sit there for too long so rather than just walk out and enjoy the sun, I used to smoke.  Or if I played well I'd get self conscious and go smoke when I was done.  Or if I played poorly.  Or if blablabla.

I did not want to smoke today.  It was a little freaky witnessing my own reflexes to certain stimuli.  It was the sort of thing you notice when you are changing a behavior.  Especially a behavior that involves reacting to things.

But today started out very well.  By midday, pacific time, I received a boost of the spirits that left me in a great frame of mind all day.

I'm almost in disbelief over how much better my lungs seem to work.

This was such a good day.

What's The Point of Conspiracy Talk re smokes n junk?

I'm glad you asked.  This is something that applies to smoking, drinking, or any other activity one voluntary does which is known by that person and others to be detrimental.

It is a false rationalization placing the responsibility for your actions onto others.  If you look for it, you'll find a conspiracy of enemies out to make you do any stupid thing you can imagine.  The enemy is largely created and organized in your own mind.  It is fiction.

Obviously no one can make me start smoking again.  If I want to I will, and any other explanation is total garbage.  If I do, it will be because I am not thinking straight.  Most, probably all addictions feed on a person's ability to lie to himself.  Or her/it/they self.

Sometimes people see odd things I write and wonder.  I guess I don't blame them.  Of course I don't.  They took time to notice.  But I play around a bit and rarely feel emotionally all that angry when ranting.  When I get all sappy and sentimental, I'm probably coming from a more heartfelt emotion that I let completely out.  I'm a lover not a fighter.  Wonder if I've forgotten how to do either one?  Probably not...

By not letting life's triggers, which are all part of the conspiracy to make me do what is not what I should do, dictate my behavior, I win.  See?  I beat Them, even if there actually is no Them.
Never mind.

You probably couldn't see the other dimension friends and things, that float all around me, if I introduced you to each and every one by name, and they all tweaked your nose.

Better Lay Low; facebook is the devil-part01172014

Don't even try to tell me there is no conspiracy trying to make me smoke.  Obviously, there is.  I'll give one example, provided I don't get carried away and give five or ten.

They have a page for the regular saturday open mic thing.  Actually many very experienced and good players attend this.  It is more like a big social club where most of the people play some kind of music.  Not everyone is all that good, but most are experienced and have played good paying things at some point.

Anyway, there is a violin player who used to come around.  He's played everything from classical to bluegrass, and is very good.  He had to move away for whatever reasons, somewhere north of here, so he only gets down this way once every several months.  Everyone is happy when he shows.

Well, he posted on the page that he'd be here tomorrow, and said he looks forward to playing, then he said "and I have been practicing so please...bring your A game."

Slowly I turned...
Needless to say, this struck a nerve.  Really.  You announce you are coming into town and tell everyone what amounts to, "you better play at the top of your game because I, the creme de la creme fiddle del mundo am making an appearance."   I know he is in on the let's-anger-John-and-make-him-smoke bandwagon.

It won't work.  I did the mature reasonable thing.  I posted a reply to his egotistical announcement which says, "Screw off.  I'm bringing my B game".  

Now I'm thinking, "cool comment. Wish someone else had thought of it first.".    This guy is somewhat of an icon I think.  You know, the type who many put in that class of people who enjoy a different set of standards and expectations than the average peon in a given group.  I know this syndrome both from being in that spot a time or two, and from experienced observation.

So, maybe someone will get a kick out of it.  Or maybe not.  Either way I can see the trouble I am prone to if I read things and comment.  

The Obamabot posted one of those half true talking point pictures which gave all these figures about when the big O took office as compared to now.  I know of many things that would shoot some of the figures down, but even in my somewhat agitated condition I'm not going to get into a skewed statistics pissing contest with dedicated statists.  

So, I just commented "Utopia!!!"

The reply was, "hell no, but it beats Romneytopia!"   Slowly I turned...

What I replied is too long unless I cut and paste.  The first line says, "A kick in the nads beats having an eye poked out, but I've never experienced the latter.", then it goes on and on, and who knows what I said.  How the hell did Romney get in there?  

Obviously the conspirators are laying traps to get me so fed up with humanity, so mad at everything that I'll decide I have to smoke or else I'll drink.  And I walked right into the traps.  But they can not 
win.  This is bigger than me now, and I have to do it for God, Freedom, and all that is holy, and whatever it is that makes women so powerfully irresistible.   And, I'm doing it for the children!

I'll have to go into camouflage mode for awhile.  This is war.  And war requires strategy, patience, and stealth.  If I were to light up, they'd spot my position and shoot me.  Sneaky infidels!  I'll not do that today!

??????????? comments, we're doomed

Just a quick WTF.  I was reading a little article about Obama telling democratic lawmakers that he planned to do things with or without congressional cooperation in the coming year.   What is new?  He's saying he'll use executive tricks, directives and the usual moves to push the envelope of executive power.

Presidents have been doing this for some time.  Each one seems to step it a little further beyond legitimate constitutional authority, and they get away with it.
Their own party is always ok with it.  I'm not.  Big deal.

In the comments some character was listing all the flaws of this president; narcissist, messiah complex, etc.  He wrote well enough, and spelling was OK--rare for political commenters.  Then he says at the end of the list, "and a severe edifice complex".

What is an edifice complex?  Is it something to do with buildings?  Maybe he thinks he's a building or ..I don't know.  If the guy meant Oedipus complex, I'm still not sure I get it.  And he said severe, so I guess he really wants to do his mom, and maybe kill his dad?  Oh well, too late on both counts.

It could be he actually meant edifice complex.

Finally, I found it in the urban dictionary:

(n.)An Edifice Complex is a serious budget-busting illness that typically manifests itself on modern college and university campuses. Soon after their inauguration, an incoming university president will frantically and feverishly fall all over themselves to relentlessly badger wealthy donors and students for the purposes of leaving a mark with their name on it on the campus by constructing a new, over-priced, prime parking lot removing, ten-story structure post-modern eyesore whose purpose is solely to house administration, their support staff, and grace the cover of university brochures and websites. Faculty and students then are given the vacated, broken down, second and third string buildings for use as classes and offices.

So, maybe that is what he meant.  Budget busting, ego-centric policies.  

Still, I wonder.  I'm no fan, but it takes support of congress for a president to get away with madness.  Unless of course you are G.W. Bush.  In that case you are so powerful you can make hurricanes, and do anything, even hypnotize the democrats to vote for your wars and wipe out their memories so they forget they did it. 

A severe edifice complex.  I think it would be more fun if he had a severe Oedipus complex.

Either way, if you read comments on news stories, you may find them even scarier than the news.

Review of Lone Survivor; maybe review of the reviews

First let me address the idea that this flick in any way promotes the thrill of touring Afghanistan via the US military.  If anything, it does the opposite.  Especially because it highlights the unrealistic practice of placing soldiers into war zones under ill conceived rules of engagement.  And it also casts a casual light on the typical difficulties bureaucratic arrogance precipitate.

That anyone escaped alive is nothing short of a miracle.  There is good reason that so few qualify and make it through SEAL training.  That aspect, I can see wanting to do.  Perhaps if I had been exposed to that branch of military at an age prior to 16, maybe I'd have tried to prepare myself and sought that as a goal.  Probably not, but I do see how a young guy might do that.  Maybe girls do, but I don't get that.  Sorry.

Anyway, I was prepared for gratuitous blood and gore.  It wasn't like that.  Highly intense battle scenes were well filmed and effective.  Keeping in mind that this was a real mission, and it is based on the book which details the account of the only survivor, it is mind blowing.  When the realization sinks in that this stuff happens, this is what we actually send people out to do, it makes me angry and more convinced than ever that politics attracts sociopaths.

No one else would conduct such a foreign policy and place such valuable, incredibly bright, disciplined, well trained people into such situations which do not have more direct connection with the defense of our country.  They essentially use the integrity of these teams for their own political gain.  It is maddening.

I'd definitely say this movie highlights the very best of what a soldier can be, and the extremes of mental and physical toughness a human being can achieve.  It reflects well on the best of the best in special military forces.  But it in no way glorifies the context in which they have to do their job in modern times.

Another point to counter some of the lies from critics; the Afghanis were not presented in a bad light.  Taliban  were portrayed as badass brutal lunatics, which is probably pretty accurate for any islamic extremists.  Other Afghanis had a code of honor, and a compassion, without which we wouldn't be having this discussion because Marcus Luttrell would not have survived, so no one would be around to tell the tale.

Now I have to read the book.  My impression is that the movie is not too much over the top, like some. How there could be any controversy, or why some think they are taking the liberal line by downplaying this story, or a conservative line in promoting it, I have no idea.  People are idiots and willing to hijack or demean anything to further their stupid agendas.

If you want to see an amazing, edge-of-your-seat, almost incomprehensible survival story, see this.  You leave thinking, "Holy smoke, how did that guy manage to live?"  How did any of them survive as long as they did?

And for all the redneck tough guys out there, black white, or whatever, you think you could do one tenth what these guys did?  I seriously doubt it.  Most wouldn't have the brains or education to operate the equipment.  And you would never make it through training, providing you have the smarts to even qualify for training.  (Sorry, I hate gangs and thugs and punks with a passion)

Score 1 for the elite of the military and minus 1 for the political elite who decide where we go to war and how the war is conducted.  That is how it goes down in this movie from my perspective.

I'd class this as an anti-war film, but not one of the in your face bullshit ones written by naive dolts.  It's an anti-stupid-war film.   Good movie.

Casting Pearls Before Swine

Seriously, I wonder what I should do about this.  The last 3 or 4 posts here are as good as anything since the stories of Tito Bandito and his perpetual McDonald's soda cup.

The world just keeps going, paying no notice of it.  Probably trying to make me smoke.  Is there no one who is not part of this conspiracy?

I'm going to go see Lone Survivor.  I read some reviews and a few reminded me of a time long ago when Once Upon a Time In the West came out.  It was during a period when it was hip to decry anything slightly violent, unless the violence involved mobs storming administration buildings or snarling and stopping traffic in the name of peace.

Wait.
So it is bad if a politician screws with traffic because someone is not in his camp---could be dangerous and cost lives---but ok when unions or others do it in the name of some self righteous zealotry?  Let's think about one set of standards someday.

Anyway, the film critic at the Miami Herald made such a complaint of the opening scenes of that movie, admittedly walked out in the first 10 minutes,  slammed the flick so hard that it was pulled after just a few days.  It was one of the best of westerns--spaghetti western with Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda and others.  Pure classic.

But it was the pretense of the critics that they were giving original viewpoints, when they were merely echoing the hipster intellectual party line of the time, that was obvious to me.  That kind of trendy pseudo-intellectualism has always made me want to rebel or punch someone.  I see similar idiocy in the language of many of Lone Survivor's reviews.

My response to pandering critics is, I'll see the flick, even though I think our mideast involvement has been insane since probably the 1950s.  Certainly since the 70s.  But that is not the point of the thing.  I do not dislike our policy because I think the cultures and people there are marvelous and wonderful.  I think they are examples of the mass insanity typical of religious fanaticism, and religious states in general.  Especially Islamic states.  Very brutal and backward and impossible.

You cannot deal with religious states, and we should mind our own business, and define "our interests"  little more narrowly.  As it is, we could go to war anywhere in the name of national security and "US interests abroad".  This crap about bringing democracy to everyone in the world is improper on various levels.  For one thing democracy and liberty are not one and same.  For another, if those societies wanted something different they've had many centuries to change things.

So there.  And you can't make me smoke today, so quit trying.

Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Junkies

This damned keyboard is driving me to sniff glue or point toy guns at the ground while cops shoot me down.  The s and d aren't printing on the screen much of the time.  They know when I'm not watching. That's when they lay out.

It is the keyboard of the laptop.  I have one that plugs in to usb or other port.  I guess I have to break it out finally.  What a pain.

I should not be going through withdrawal at this point but it is monumental today.  And it is making me have to fight myself not to fly into an unfocussed rage.  I tell you, it is the curse of my people; the ones of high cheek bones cursing my light eyes side.

For that reason I do not give in.  The bastards want me to fail.   I am sick of them winning.  They are as obnoxious as the one sided, half truth Obama worship that guy keeps posting on facebook.  Republican this and republican that.  They are all posted from other fanatic sites.  And then they claim, oh look, a 53 billion dollar surplus in dec.  Thank you obama.  Then all the comments go back to republican this and republican that.  Explain how you have a surplus if your debt is in the trillions and not going down?

And leave republicans out of it.  They do not hold the major power, and don't do much to counter the shysters that do.  And that is on the page where everyone plays Mr and Ms Ultra intellectual.  They really do pretty much go off in the vein of angel dancing on the head of a pin, except they always mange to spin it as something regarding republicans; either outright or implied.

So you hate republicans.  I'm not arguing.  But I do think, since we never nailed Bush for things like prosecutor Johnny Sutton's criminal acts and pandering to Mexican crooks, we can avoid the same mistake and hold this group accountable for their gun running fiascos, both in Mexico and, in another context, in Benghazi.  And IRS and NSA abuse; just to scratch the surface.

But nooo. Any mention of any of it and here we go with republican this and republican that and opponents just want to take Obama down because he is black.  What part of bullshit do these sycophants not understand?   It is annoying me to no end today.  It is like a bunch of automatons programmed to parrot the same thing over and over, no matter what facts or questions lie before them.

They want me to smoke.  You think I'm going to do what they want me to do?  No!  They can probably turn that into some republican this and that nonsense.  Obviously they refuse to hold the two teams they think cover the entire gamut of human discourse and thought to equal standards.   A republican can sneeze in a closet and it is some evil racist plot, most likely involving the Koch brothers.  But Pelosi or Feinstein can be making millions off of government favors and any mention is back to republicans this and that and furthermore fox news is bad.

I've never seen anything like it.  And it is all a plot to make people smoke cigarettes, sniff glue and give up.  And you better buy insurance or they'll mess you up so you have to go to the hospital, and then you got some 'splainin' to do.  But they aren't republicans, so that makes it all OK.  That is, apparently, the whole democratic platform; we aren't republicans and every screwed up, corrupt, crony ridden act we make is not our fault.  It is all because republicans hate women, puppies, old people ("seniors" barf), the children, education, art, and they love mass murder.

These are people who probably do well at scrabble and other smarty pants contests, yet they continually pump out this one sided, half true or totally false nonsense.  They sincerely believe that you can run the US like a small european state and that making everyone but them pay for it is going to be utopia.  They must be on grants.

I want a grant to research how not to smoke when the Man and his herd of elitist sheep drive you over the edge.

==============
Been reading Roxanne's dad's books about the airlines and his life.  What a cool guy.  A movie should be made without a doubt.  Really something, I think.  Most WWII veteran airline pilots were 1st class jerks.  Heroes, sometimes, but total ego-swelled pricks.  I knew many, including my own dear dad, pbuh.  Facts are facts.  Papa of Roxanne was not like that.
I don't know why Roxanne isn't putting the full court press on me.  She really should.  If she isn't totally nuts we'd be good.  If I had a game, I'd step it up.  Friggin subliminal attack is not yielding any obvious results.  She's probably in on the make-John-smoke conspiracy.  Not sure if she has high cheek bones.  I only know I do because some people said so.  I don't even know what that means.

In any case, papa Roxanne is an excellent example of how to live your life.  I'm sure it hasn't all been roses, but I think he's kept his end of every bargain, and been gentle and forgiving of those who may have fallen short.  Although he probably held a hard line at times.  He married someone who never quit being ultra attractive, and probably hasn't spent a boring moment since birth.  And he has good looking daughters, and a son that did quite well.

So, the ones who can't address an envelope without going off on republican this and that, the ones who want a king, Roxanne, the Cherokee nation, and maybe the Sioux, are all trying to make me smoke.  This is now a battle of wits, and I think it inconceivable that I will lose.  Been taking DHA to make my brain optimal.  They have no chance.