draft
Well, here we are again. The end of another formal year. Everyone present? A few of us are missing. For those of you still here, I appreciate your comments and posts. Its a hard time we live in, the failure of our society, the rise of the right wing dictatorship, one of many stages of the disaster that is global climate change, and the realization that we, as a society, could have been so much more, have been so much better, than we turned out to be. To have worked against racism, inequality and poverty instead of seeing it rise (at least in this country), the growth of sheer stupidity, that is part of the age we live in. I hope that as individuals we are better than that. I know its hard, or at least it is hard for some of us. Good luck in the new year, I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
Daniel Segovia Gross, ?-2019, RIP
Draft
Daniel Segovia Gross passed away in paris a few days ago. I did not know him well, but I liked him a lot. It makes me very sad. Clearly if Daniel can pass away, then any of us can.
Daniel Segovia Gross passed away in paris a few days ago. I did not know him well, but I liked him a lot. It makes me very sad. Clearly if Daniel can pass away, then any of us can.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Perhaps the Real Meaning of "Louisiana, 1927"
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One of the great things about a prophecy is that the listener is free to interpret what it is about, what is being talked about in the riddle from the oracle? I propose that Randy Newman was talking about the current political situation when he wrote the song "Louisiana, 1927", writing not about the flood that destroyed part of Louisiana but the flood of corruption and treason that we must endure, writing more than 30 years before it happened.
By the way, I disagree with Mr. Newman, I think his best version by far is the original one on the "Gold Old Boys" album, before the orchestra was added and he just has a piano to accompany him.
An NPR interview with Mr. Newman on the 10th Anniversary of the Katrina disaster.
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/12/431807506/years-later-randy-nemans-song-about-hurricane-katrina-is-still-poignant
One of the great things about a prophecy is that the listener is free to interpret what it is about, what is being talked about in the riddle from the oracle? I propose that Randy Newman was talking about the current political situation when he wrote the song "Louisiana, 1927", writing not about the flood that destroyed part of Louisiana but the flood of corruption and treason that we must endure, writing more than 30 years before it happened.
By the way, I disagree with Mr. Newman, I think his best version by far is the original one on the "Gold Old Boys" album, before the orchestra was added and he just has a piano to accompany him.
An NPR interview with Mr. Newman on the 10th Anniversary of the Katrina disaster.
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/12/431807506/years-later-randy-nemans-song-about-hurricane-katrina-is-still-poignant
Monday, December 16, 2019
The Protestant Reformation in England
draft
To distract me from our own little disaster here at home and the failure of our republic, I have been reading a book on the Protestant Reformation in England. Holy Moly. I really did not understand. It goes on and on, and make a wrong move, say the wrong thing about the Eucharist or the Holy Rood and its the tower for you! Off with their heads!
Nothing like being burnt at the stake to see what someone is made of!
This will add a tremendous amount of nuance to my next trip to the UK, I can tell you!
Yay!
To distract me from our own little disaster here at home and the failure of our republic, I have been reading a book on the Protestant Reformation in England. Holy Moly. I really did not understand. It goes on and on, and make a wrong move, say the wrong thing about the Eucharist or the Holy Rood and its the tower for you! Off with their heads!
Nothing like being burnt at the stake to see what someone is made of!
This will add a tremendous amount of nuance to my next trip to the UK, I can tell you!
Yay!
Saturday, December 14, 2019
My Response to the Fear Mongerers
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Every time I read or hear so-called moderate (right wing) collaborationist "mainstream" Democratic pundits fear monger that Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders are left wing socialist nuts who will reelect Trump, I give another $25.00 to their campaigns. I encourage you to give to the candidate(s) of your choice. We arent rich, so by definition we are slaves in America, but just like our pathetic vote, every little bit helps, and miracles do happen even if only infrequently and you cant count on them.
Every time I read or hear so-called moderate (right wing) collaborationist "mainstream" Democratic pundits fear monger that Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders are left wing socialist nuts who will reelect Trump, I give another $25.00 to their campaigns. I encourage you to give to the candidate(s) of your choice. We arent rich, so by definition we are slaves in America, but just like our pathetic vote, every little bit helps, and miracles do happen even if only infrequently and you cant count on them.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Two Product Ideas
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To paraphrase Agent Coulson, I lack the courage of my convictions.
If I had courage, I would do these two products, or at least one of them. Lack of money would be no obstacle!
1. Spoof web pages into showing different advertisements
Instead of annoying ads being show, trick the browsers and ad agencies to show you things of interest such as private jets or cool power tools.
2. Scrape Social Media to Run a Make on Someone
Just what it says. A tool for amateurs to gather information about a person of interest.
Dont bother me with the trivia that this has all probably been done. That has never been an obstacle to success, so far as I can tell. Being original and / or first is very overrated.
To paraphrase Agent Coulson, I lack the courage of my convictions.
Agent Coulson confronts Loki in The Avengers (2012)
If I had courage, I would do these two products, or at least one of them. Lack of money would be no obstacle!
1. Spoof web pages into showing different advertisements
Instead of annoying ads being show, trick the browsers and ad agencies to show you things of interest such as private jets or cool power tools.
2. Scrape Social Media to Run a Make on Someone
Just what it says. A tool for amateurs to gather information about a person of interest.
Dont bother me with the trivia that this has all probably been done. That has never been an obstacle to success, so far as I can tell. Being original and / or first is very overrated.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
The Role of the Peaceful Protest in American History
draft
I reviewed the bonus march because I wanted to know more, specifically what the bonus marchers did to incite the response and what result they had. What I learned was both a surprise and not a surprise. The only thing the bonus marchers did was to refuse to go away and die. They were then murdered, treated with contempt and overwhelming force, and then slandered from the highest office in the land. Their march accomplished nothing. Their service, loyalty and the justice of their cause meant nothing to our government.
The only thing that made a difference was that FDR won by an overwhelming margin and the fact that they needed soldiers for the next war. Had the margin not been overwhelming, FDR would likely not have won because as we know, in general, and on the margin many of our states do not have free and fair elections. Had the war not happened, probably nothing would have been done for the men, in fact, I am still not clear on whether or not anything was actually done for the veterans of that war.
Therefore, those who want change should know that a peaceful protest will only generate contempt on the part of the government. If they expect change, it can either happen through an election if you believe you have fair elections, or violence.
Bush/Gore, Clinton/Trump, the Republican voter purge atrocities, and the right wing supreme court failure to address gerrymandering proves we do not have fair elections.
What does that leave?
I reviewed the bonus march because I wanted to know more, specifically what the bonus marchers did to incite the response and what result they had. What I learned was both a surprise and not a surprise. The only thing the bonus marchers did was to refuse to go away and die. They were then murdered, treated with contempt and overwhelming force, and then slandered from the highest office in the land. Their march accomplished nothing. Their service, loyalty and the justice of their cause meant nothing to our government.
The only thing that made a difference was that FDR won by an overwhelming margin and the fact that they needed soldiers for the next war. Had the margin not been overwhelming, FDR would likely not have won because as we know, in general, and on the margin many of our states do not have free and fair elections. Had the war not happened, probably nothing would have been done for the men, in fact, I am still not clear on whether or not anything was actually done for the veterans of that war.
Therefore, those who want change should know that a peaceful protest will only generate contempt on the part of the government. If they expect change, it can either happen through an election if you believe you have fair elections, or violence.
Bush/Gore, Clinton/Trump, the Republican voter purge atrocities, and the right wing supreme court failure to address gerrymandering proves we do not have fair elections.
What does that leave?