Sadistic (Ex-) Friends

As many of you know, I recently experienced a very disturbing example of "kiss up, kick down" in which an old friend unleashed a flurry of emails at me listing all the ways I fell short, in his humble opinion.

Most of these shortcomings were false, but some were the necessary result of poverty.  In other words, it is true that the poor can not compete in most ways with the rich, so what?

But what was his motivation for this?  What was it all about?  My conclusion is that my friend of 30 years, a successful entertainment industry executive, is simply a sadist.  At some point, my number was up, and he decided to fuck me because he thought it was fun.

I mean, why not?  There is no downside to messing with me.  Like pulling wings off flies.

The Role of Violence in Achieving Social Justice

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A friend wants an example where violence ever resulted in anything positive.  How about the civil rights movement, the labor movement, the voting rights movement, the post WW 1 veterans movement, the American Revolution and World War II?

The best explanation I have heard for why the rich allowed the poor and middle classes to advance between 1917 - 1970 was because of genuine fear of violent revolution.  Once that fear went away, they returned to their previous policy of "we get everything, you get nothing".

This is certainly not an original idea.

Mike Amron To the Rescue

Mike drove my car to Santa Barbara where, as you all know, I am studying to be a priest.  Thank you Michael!

This is not his best picture, but he did not want his picture in my blog so I had to take what I could. I wonder if I have any other pictures on my phone?

My guess is that Mike is afraid to be associated with me, and that he only helped out for the money.

Why The Hulk Refuses to Appear in Avengers: Infinity Wars

For those reading this blog in the future, we are in the interim between the third Avengers movie and the fourth.  There are many unanswered questions about what happened and what will happen.  This post is of course a spoiler.

There are many theories about why Hulk does not want to appear and fight in Avengers: Infinity Wars, but I believe I have a special insight.  People want him around to fight their battles, but then they want him to go away and turn into Bruce Banner.  In other words, they dont really love him, they love the other guy.  They just use him now and then.

Well, this pisses him off.  Wouldnt it piss you off?  I am guessing the Hulk is saying No, love me and have me, or dont love me and not have me.  Your choice.

Thats my theory.

What Everyone In the South Knows (about the Supreme Court Decision)

I am from the South (Virginia, with time in Los Angeles) and anyone in the South would know immediately what the latest so-called Supreme Court decision means. But you might not, having grown up perhaps in a more genteel part of the world, so please forgive me if I mention something you might already know.

There have been dozens of variations on the Ohio law that the Supreme Court upheld, and they all had one purpose and one purpose only. It was to keep poor people, particular N-words, but certainly other groups as well including "poor white trash" and Puerto Ricans, and others, from voting. Period. End of story. There is a lot of history here. You and I might not know it all, but I promise you, everyone on the Supreme Court does. And anyone in the South would immediately know what this decision means.

Unambiguously, we have a racist supreme court.

Wells Fargo and Class Action Settlements

I had a wonderful conversation with a "banker" at Wells Fargo at 877 924 8697 about whether or not Wells Fargo had opened any accounts in my name.  Why they would not know that already and arrange to return any money is of course, typical corporate bullshit and theft.  But we checked and there is no unauthorized account in my name (didnt think there was, really) so I cant claim any money on the class action settlement.

What I really want of course is for their CEO who retired with $120 Million, coincidentally nearly the amount of the class action settlement, to give all that money to charity, but that will never happen in America where the rich live by one rules and exploit the rest of us.

The New and Future Blog

I cant decide what should be the purpose of this blog.  Positive? Negative? Honesty to the point of self-defeating behavior?  Marketing?  Half empty?  Half full?

Test of New Blog Approach

This is a test to see if typing directly into Blogger will result in acceptable formatting.  If so, it will greatly facilitate writing this blog given that the previous infrastructure is gone with the wind.

99 cent store

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I walked home from the train station, and found the local 99 c store. It was packed. I gave $7.00 to a beautiful homeless child outside. Maybe 17 years old. Collecting flowers. We discussed the bag of oranges she was planning to buy. She smiled at me. I hate this country.

Finally Saw Last Jedi

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Finally saw Last Jedi. The art direction & visual effects are certainly very good. Lots of good things to say about Snoke. I could see Luke going mad on that island and being apostate, maybe. But ultimately, no, it felt cynical. I did not believe that their heart was pure, I think it was all about making a buck. I look at the marketing in which the stooge, I mean the director,talked about what a fan he was. Yeah, well, maybe, whatever. I dont buy it. The diversity stuff felt cynical to me. If they donated the money to charity, I would go with it. otherwise forget about it. The dream is dead and died long ago.

In contrast, I felt Black Panther was far more sincere. What is the point of doing movies of this type if their heart isnt into it? I mean, why bother?

This is the Fate of All Traitors

Alan Dershowitz is a traitor. At a time when this country is on its knees, betrayed by the Republican Party and the piece-of-fucking-garbage Trump, it was Dershowitz who stood up and stabbed Mueller in the back.

One of several things will happen.

Perhaps Mueller will endure and bring down the Republicans and their traitorous president. In which case, Dershowitz will die, alone and despised.  Or perhaps the Republicans will establish the Fourth Reich, Dershowitz will realize that he has betrayed his country and commit suicide in despair.  That would be a happy ending, but not so happy for all those he had murdered.  Finally, if he doesnt have the guts to kill himself, the internal security forces will probably kill him anyway, as that is what they do, generally speaking, with fellow travellers that they can not trust.

But one way or another, when this country needed every man and woman to stand up for liberty, it was Dershowitz who worked to destroy the forces fighting for freedom.

Fuck you, Dershowitz.

Note to Duncan Hunter 05/08/2018

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Its been a while since I have emailed my elected representative, Duncan Hunter. I thought he might miss me so I sent the following note.

Message Text:
Dear Rep Hunter, One side effect of the Republican party's loyalty to Trump is the realization that many Americans have that Republicans can not be trusted to defend the Constitution. The last 15 months have proven that beyond the shadow of a doubt. This means that no senior military leader or court justice can be a Republican. Good job, Hunter. You guys really screwed it up. You have betrayed your country and however this works out you will take the blame. I am disgusted by you. You do not and never will represent this citizen. The best thing you could do is resign. Sincerely, MW

A Big Shout Out to Karl Marx on his 200th Birthday

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The 200 years have just rushed by and before you know it here we are. What a surprise, Karl, what a surprise. Who would have thought all those years ago that you had something to say. That a spectre was haunting not Europe but America. And the spectre was of greed, oppression, lies and racism. Who would have thought that the workers need to throw off their chains after having them reattached while everyone cheered.

The real turning point was when I read some stuff you wrote all those years ago about Globalism and what it would inevitably lead to and every word you wrote was dead on.

All our politicians do is lie and steal and fuck. They fuck us of course, useful whores that we are. So very tight. So happy to be useful to the Koch Brothers and Shithole Trump and Gorsuch and the Republican swine.

Come back Karl, we miss you.

Songs of Depression and Despair

I am listening to more music as I work and pack my house.  I really like cheery songs about depression, despair, betrayal.  Send me your recommendations or put them in a comment.  

Please dont let me be misunderstood

The weight

Heartbreak Hotel

Turn my life down

One way out

Down and Out in Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again

Feeling Alright?

Sixteen Tons

Mad World

I cant get no satisfaction

Lonely at the Top

But not for me

Suspicious Minds

Nobody knows you when you are down and out.

Make suggestions!

[We already have suggestions such as The Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers Band, and Ball & Chain as covered by Janis Joplin]

Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie Sets Off Facebook's Stupid A.I. Picture Checker

Facebook has an A.I. to maintain community standards. The following image violated those standards and got my post removed. Oh Facebook, we will miss your infinite stupidity when you are gone.

Of course, Ms. Thompson is hot, and the picture does have subtle sexual imagery, perhaps.  I really have to get over my affection for hot lesbians.  Its so juvenile.  But whatever.

It is our future to be tormented by weird, dysfunctional machine learning programs.  It is our fate, our destiny.  All in the name of greed.  We are so fucked.

Recycling Computers in California

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In California, when you want to recycle old computers and electronic equipment, you cant just give them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. They wont take them. You must take them to a special recycling center, hand them over one by one to an attendant, who will itemize them and have you sign a variety of forms that certify that you bought these devices in California. The net result is that one thinks twice or maybe three times before going through the hassle. It probably never occurred to those who make the regulations that people value their time and those who are maybe less filled with civic spirit will just throw these items away. Would it be so bad to have a dumpster or something at these recycling centers for electronic equipment that people can leave things in? Do we really need an itemized form of where they were purchased? Really?

[OK, my informants tell me that I have this all wrong.  That in other states, people pay when they are recycling their computers so they either come to California and dump them here or leave them in the desert.  In California, of course, you pay for this service when you buy the equipment. 

Also, my friends tell me that at other recycling centers in California, they literally unload your car for you and you dont even have to get out of the car, it is painless, etc, etc. ]

A Friend of a Friend

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So I look at the wreckage of this country, our humiliation, the perversion of justice, the endless religious stupidity, and then a friend of a friend starts comparing Bill Clinton to Donald “Shithole” Trump and I let loose. I tell that friend of a friend that he is a MSFB (moron shit for brains) but I do not do that to insult him, no. I do that because I am in touch with my feelings and I want him to know honestly what I think so that he can become a better person.

Its for his own good.

Thank you.

Too Bad They Fucked Up Democracy in this Country

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Oh this so needs to be rewritten.  So many more things to say.  So much left out.  What a disgrace these people are.  How much they have degraded our country.  How pathetic.

Too bad they fucked up democracy in this country. I dont want to hear about it anymore. From now until the rest of my life, if they are Republicans they are traitors. That does not mean all Democrats are great, but at least we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

We live in a tyranny by and for the rich. Here is the minimum that they have to do to restore any faith in this country.

I think that the Russians are throwing Trump a bone to save his presidency.

1. Trump goes to jail.  2. Nancy Pelosi becomes president.  3. Gorsuch off the supreme court.  4. The tax bill is revoked.  5. Trumps accomplices go to jail.  6. The electoral college is eliminated.  7. The criminals on wall street behind the 2008 disaster go to jail.

My Congressman is a Traitor

Ups and Downs in Escondido

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Ups and Downs was the name of a skating rink in Escondido, CA. I am pretty sure, but not totally sure, that it was out of business by the time I got here in 2006. It has been empty all that time.

It happens to be located next to the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and a variety of local government offices.

This is the second time I have had occasion to walk past this formerly wonderful business, and the second time that I noticed the “No vagrancy” sign and the evidence of homeless people making this their home. I wonder if they can use the local government offices for their sanitation or a shower?

There but for the grace of God, etc.

Imax Theatrical Resolution and Say What Again

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Comparing resolutions by memory is notoriously inaccurate, which is one reason why we do side-by-side comparisons in the theatre in the motion picture industry.

However, I am going to tell you flat out that to the best of my knowledge, a torrent download that I am reviewing now of Thor Ragnarok has higher/better resolution than what I saw in the theatre for a so-called IMAX screening.

About the Xi Move For Longer Political Rule

CVS and Contempt for the Patient in California

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I want to live in a country where the law works to help the patient get their medication.

I have seen a man with ALS who needs his medication to work the next day be denied that medication and go home in pain. Dont tell me this isnt true. I was there. I know what the law says, I know what the pharmacist did. I know the man drove home in pain.

This is the 24 Hour CVS Pharmacy at El Norte Parkway not that anyone cares.

Shorter Posts After the Move

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I hope to spend more time on the blog after the move. The blog will evolve to shorter posts, mere sound bites as it were as that is all I can manage at this point in time. For those who have expressed concern, I appreciate your best wishes. I dont know if things will get better, but surely they will be different. Thats all I want to say in this post. Shorter posts, more pithy, a single point.

Expectations and Black Panther

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I recently saw Black Panther. I expected an important movie about people in spandex, and instead I got a movie that discussed such things as: 1. History is important to understanding a situation, 2. Mistakes made a generation ago that caused injustice will have an impact on the situation today, 3. Subsaharan Africa has nations but those nations are also made up of tribes with their own identity, 4. History has many excellent examples where disaffected ex-patriots serve in the army of a foreign power and come home with that knowledge in a big way, 5. Both the good guy and the bad guy loved their fathers, 6. Some people care about traditional ways of doing things even if those ways do not seem entirely rational to those outside the system.

I could go on.

This is not bad for a superhero movie.

Letter to my Congressman 2/16/2018

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I am particularly proud of this one.

John Wick and the Internet Movie Firearms Database

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For those of you who have not seen them, the John Wick movies are very spiritually evolved movies about a retired assassin whose wife dies and leaves him a dog. Some idiot Russian mobsters steal his car and kill his dog, so John goes on a killing spree.

Its a very gentle movie, one with a lot of value on many levels. I doubt that more than 200 or so people are killed, although I could be wrong. I do lose count.

I am pointing you to a particular sequence listed below. The guy Wick (Keanu Reeves) is after is in the hot tub protected by maybe 30 or 40 Russian bodyguards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-HSoOFdJ3s

But that is not the point.

Reload.... fire.

The point is to introduce you to an extraordinary resource: the Internet Movie Firearms Database. In which most movies are analysed by someone very knowledgable.

So please watch this sequence and then read about it here, and you will be impressed and enlightened, I think.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/John_Wick

Millions of People Will Be Hurt and America is Disgraced

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When I discuss the political situation with friends and others, I try to make two points. The first is that at best millions of people are going to be hurt because of the Trump disaster. The second is that every day that asshole is in office disgraces America.

I am ashamed of America that we have allowed this to happen and for it to have gone on this far.

I am ashamed of America that the Republicans are all traitors trying to destroy America.

So when I meet a Trump supporter online or otherwise I tell them what I think of them. Which is to say, that I despise them, that they are morons or worse, and that they must be destroyed for the sake of America and all our people.

The time for compromise is over, and it was over a long time ago.

Visual Effects and the Art of Explosive Decapitation

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What makes truly great visual effects? Animation, design, attention to detail and many other elements. Rarely does mere story affect the greatest work in the field, as modern technology has proven that plot and story are obsolete and not worth the added expense.

Recently reviewing a much overlooked masterpiece, Pirates of the Caribbean part 18, Dead Men Tell no Tales, I came across a fabulous example of the dedication and attention to the *smallest thing* that can turn merely good work into great work for the ages.

There are few truly great head explosions in the western cinema, and if you look closely at one of the attached frames you will see that "Dead Men" contributes to this canon with a notable entry.

Congratulations to all the artists involved for making our lives that much more fulfilling and enriched through the art of explosive decapitation!

Delusions of Reference and this Blog

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Do you think you are seeing yourself referenced in this blog or on Facebook only not by name? I might say “a very successful friend of mine” or maybe “a very smart friend of mine”. And you think I am talking about you, and get offended or something of that nature.

Well, I have bad news for you, its worse than you think. In fact, there is a pretty good chance I am not referring to you at all, and if I was, you would know it because I would have asked your permission first (whether or not I use your name). Always, every time. Pretty much.

It is possible, even likely, that the person I am referring to does not exist but may contain some indefinable essence of your sacred uniqueness (as we are all unique, dont you know, all God's children, etc) in some sort of composite character that I am creating in order to make a point about society, our lives, our civilization.

And you want me to stop, in fact you demand an apology on Facebook, and after I plead innocence, you tell me that is no excuse and so I end up blocking another old and dear friend. This is a bummer.

But I am not going to stop, and you are going to have to go away bitter in total ignorance of the fact that I was not talking about you at all.

Swine McConnell Sells Us Out to the Russians

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Write your congressman, you never know. Post what you say. Encourage others. Those of you who are rich swine from the exploitation of the poor (present company excepted of course) should also make progressive donations as the great ancient philosophers have said "money talks".

Ursula K LeGuin Has Passed Away

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I wish to note that Ursula K LeGuin is dead. She was a great influence on me growing up. It makes me ashamed to have failed so completely when I had inspirations like Ms. Le Guin.

It makes me sad.

MW

Second Amazon Hub and Considerations Involving Labor and Housing

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Amazon is close to selecting its second hub and cities all over this country are bending over and spreading their cheeks for the privilege of having some employment and tax base which they suppose will come along with the Amazon hub. And indeed there may be some financial benefit to the local communities in certain sectors. No doubt the slaves will have to buy their rations from the designated franchises that are raping them for their undernourishment for example. No doubt there will be disenfranchised and impoverished men and women who will provide sex services to the slightly better off hub worker units. There will be other business opportunities as well.  

Many people believe Atlanta is a front runner in this race because of its developed airport infrastructure, mild weather, and guaranteed hostility to unions and workers rights.  We can be sure that Georgia will use the full range of the law, the police and private thugs to destroy any attempt of the workers to organize.  This makes for a productive business environment.  All of these characteristics are important and no doubt make Atlanta a plausible choice.

But there is one area that is emphasized far too much, and that is the issue of housing. Slaves should have no rights to housing. Slaves should plan on bedding down where they work, and maybe sharing a hose as a shower. It is disgusting and unAmerican to even consider giving the worker anything but a minimum fee. There should be no benefits, no time off, no over time, no health care, no pension, and certainly no housing. These are all leftover concepts from the last century.

When they execavated Caesar Augustus's house in Rome they found a floor filled with about 50 cubicles for the slaves. In our opinion, even that is too good for them and would be an unnecessary drag on shareholder value.

We are more sophisticated today and know better.  Let us hope that Amazon holds the line on these matters and does not give into any sloppy sympathy for the worker-swine.

After all, its a free country.  If they dont want to be a slave for Amazon they can go off and be unemployed somewhere else or just die as far as our government is concerned.  

Thats what America is all about.

Email to My Congressman Regarding Shithole Trump

Guess Which Picture Violates Facebook Community Standards

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Guess which of the pictures below violates Facebook Community Values and will get you blocked.

Have you guessed yet?  Examine each one carefully!  Which one is the most salacious, which one is the least?   Your average 12 year old boy would have no trouble answering this question.

The answer is image number 2 from Lifeforce (1985).   This is the image that got me blocked from Facebook for 24 hours.  The other two caused no problems with their totally automated, perfectly insane, AI guardian of public morality.

Pretty wacky, huh?

When you consider that Facebook also owns Tumblr, the very home of twisted pornography on the Internet, the mind achieves a unique state of Zen like incomprehension.

[My friend Jerry Weil informs me that there was a huge brouhaha about "nipples" on Facebook and so he knew immediately which picture was the offending one.  Well, me bad, I had missed this important social dialectic entirely but it reinforces my opinion: Facebook is not very sophisticated here, they are in fact, holding back my real feelings, near moron-like stupid.]


______________


Notes:

1. For those of you who are coming into this late, my objection is not to Facebook's removing images, my objection is to how they handle it, the lack of human communication, and the extreme punishment system which is probably malfunctioning.  You are welcome to read the forums if you want to see what other people think of this Facebook system.  Be prepared to read many swear words.

2. The other two pictures are (1) the famous Vampirella of comic book fame and (3) a still from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

Facebook, Freedom of Speech and Corruption in America

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Since I use Facebook to discuss politics with my colleagues and friends, when Facebook blocks my account for no good reason, see picture below, and since there is no discussion and no recourse, and since Facebook is my only medium for having these sorts of disucssions, then that would seem to me to be a violation of my freedom of speech. It may or may not be a violation based on the First Amendment, but it is certainly a violation of my freedom of speech.

This is not to say that Facebook can not restrict certain images, although this is mighty funny given some of the blogging sites that Facebook owns, but that is different from blocking someone entirely.

But not in America, where after all, there is no freedom of speech and the government is corrupt.

Mystery of Blogspot / Blogger Anomaly Probably Resolved

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The reason some people can not leave comments on this blog, as well as other Blogspot based blogs, is because the commenting facility is broken under Google Chrome.

Go to another browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, and it seems to work.

What is weird about this is that Blogspot.com is owned by Google. You might expect that they would make it work with their browser.

The California DMV and Insurance Industry

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I expect that various services that are required by law to be provided at a certain level of competence to the citizen.

I am required to have my vehicle insured and registered which seems reasonable, doesn't it? So I gave the state and a private company $1,500 and my car is registered until March and insured until May.

I will almost certainly be in Europe during February - May of next year, so I asked if I could register my car for next year. I was told no. I would have to do that no sooner than 30 days before. Same thing for the insurance.

Obviously, the State of California and the insurance industry which makes so much money from us does not care to do one thing to make it possible for citizens to live their lives and obey the law. You must bend over, give them money, or be punished.

I have yet to see the State of California be other than totally corrupt and difficult to work with. From the DMV, to the Franchise Tax Board, to long term asset seizure of bank accounts, they are either extremely inflexible and difficult to work with, or just corrupt.

The "Nice Guy" Recommendation to Graduate School

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This post is intended to be background information for those of you who may end up writing a letter of recommendation for my attempt to get into graduate school.  

I have agonized over this requirement (letters of recommendation)  for years without having a really satisfying solution, as you will see.   What could be so hard? 

Well, it turns out that there is a subtext here beyond merely having someone who knows you write a letter saying what a fine person you are.  I am informed by professionals in the field that these committees are looking for letters from (a) direct peers who have (b) worked with the candidate in the recent pasts, (c) who know the candidate well and (d) are willing to write a detailed letter demonstrating this. 

There are many good reasons why this is not a 

I have many friends who are tenured professors, but only one of them has worked with me in the recent past.  I have many friends who have worked with me in the recent past

The problem is, this is rather hard to arrange if you have not been in school (e.g. academia) for a while. 

But if you have been asked to contribute then probably you have written more recommendations than I will ever see or could imagine.  Almost all of you are tenured professors at a major research university and the few who are not have other research credentials.  Nevertheless I want to go over some basic principles here because (a) the situation is atypical and (b) because if I misunderstand something I am hoping you will correct me.

So what is the graduate school admissions committee looking for in these recommendations?

As I understand it, they are looking for (a) a letter from a direct peer (e.g. if this is computer science, then a professor of computer science) who will (b) demonstrate that they know the candidate in detail and has worked with them recently, and (c) will reassure the committee that the candidate is an exceptional student who will (d) be both capable of and certain to get their degree in a reasonable period of time.

And in my case, we also have (e) since the applicant has been out of school for so long, that it makes sense for him (me) to be accepted even though there are many other qualified candidates. 

Unfortunately, only one of you, Ken Perlin, fits all these criteria. He is the only one who has worked with me at all recently and is also a professor of computer science at a major university. The rest of you are either tenured faculty but havent worked with me much at all, or certainly not recently. And in one other case, you know me fairly well but are not a tenured faculty member, although you are a recognized member of the research community.

I have tried to figure out how to get around this problem now for several years and I really havent come up with much. My plan is to do fall-back applications to MSc or MFA programs in the hope that it will lead to more current academic experience and more current recommendations for the next wave of applications. Of course this only matters if I am not accepted to a PhD program. 

And so, dear friends, I hope that you can see your way to writing what I call a “friendship” or “nice guy” recommendation. This is a recommendation that says what you can of what they are looking for: that I am interesting, smart, determined, clean, trustworthy and so forth.

And that they should accept me anyway, goddamnit.

I dont expect you to agonize over this, the way I have.

Do what you can and we will see what we see.

Thank you.

The Last Jedi and Nihilism (SPOILERS)

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This post is definitely a spoiler for a movie I have not seen, The Last Jedi (2017).

I normally dont mind spoilers for a variety of reasons but I tried to avoid them for this movie at the request of Mark Hamill. He suggested that everyone go see this movie knowing as little as possible. I respected that until I started to hear some of the controversy and being a curious person I looked further. And what I found out annoyed me so much that I wrote some nasty emails and this post.

It goes something like this. Rian Johnson comes into something that has been going on for 30 years and decides to shake things up. Show a new point of view. Maybe be a little bit of a hipster. A new direction! Something like that.

A little controversy can be good. It can refresh and empower a franchise that has been around for a while. If you just keep doing the same old thing, blowing up that damn Death Star again, for example, that would be boring.

Its spoiler time, kids.

So this guy Rian Johnson comes in and here is what we get. Rey hands Luke his lightsaber and Luke throws it away. Who are Rey's parents? No one. Trash. What about Snoke, who is he, where does he come from? It doesnt matter, we just killed him. How about that secret mission that so many risk their lives on? It goes south and many people die who might not have died otherwise. It would have been better if they had just followed orders and done nothing at all. As for Luke, well he is dead for no particular reason it seems, too bad.

Star Wars was never about "no meaning".  It was all about "meaning", it was all about "our lives have meaning", there is a purpose to all this, you can make a difference.  This was your father's light saber.  He wanted you to have it when you were old enough.

Darth Vader was never just a bad guy in black with asthma.  He had a history, he had betrayal and murder in his past.  We did not know it at first, but the emperor was not just any old emperor, he was a Sith. 

A light saber was not just a weapon.  It was personally created by each Jedi as part of what made them a Jedi.  It had meaning.  It had purpose.

It was never about "stay home and die, you might fuck things up".  It was about "go out there and fight for what you believe in and you can make a difference".

It was never about "evil has no meaning", it was about "evil has a purpose and you can stand up and thwart their plans and help people".

Well not to Rian Johnson.  His message is that you dont matter, nothing matters, its all random, dont give a fuck.  Just sit there and die.

And they wonder why people are pissed off.

Republicans, Holocaust Denial and the Epistemological Crisis in America

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Today, #45 will sign one of the most insane and egregious so-called tax reform bills in American history.

Although we have not had enough time to analyze and understand all the ways that this bill violates any norm of rational human behavior we know enough to draw some conclusions.

1. We have an epistemological crisis in this country. It does not matter what is true or not true, the Republicans will believe it is true.

2. They are very similar to Holocaust Deniers who do not understand that the existance of the Holocaust is not at all debatable. They will never be convinced.

3. And just like the deniers of the Holocaust, this makes them dangerous to all of us.

4. But whatever the answer is, if there is an answer, discussion and the dialectic process is inoperative. There is no point in discussing anything with them. They are outside reason.

FCC and a Letter to My Congressman

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What I like about the FCC ignoring the will of the people regard Net Neutrality is that it shows exactly what the Republicans and Trump thinks about the American people. The People can go f*ck themselves as far as they are concerned.

Here is my recent note to my congressman, Duncan Hunter.

Have you emailed your congressman today?

Pocohontas and the Lesson of History

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Tom Sito on Facebook posted the following on the history of the Pocohontas story (which became of course a very nice Disney movie).

I made the following reply, which I sincerely believe:

If the Native Americans had killed every European as soon as they came off the boat (from a distance, preferably) and burned the bodies but studied the weapons and other technology, then maybe, just maybe, they would not have been the victims of the genocide that they were. Maybe not, also. Hard to say. But it couldn't have been worse, it seems to me.

Well, live and learn.

Mercury is Retrograde December 2017

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I know most of you dont believe in this, and even make fun of the people who do.

For those of you who, like me, have every reason to think that for some unknown reason this is a real phenomenon/a, please be aware that Mercury is indeed retrograde through the end of the year.

The rest of you, laugh while you can.

Yelping at Yelp and the Schedule

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My Facebook friends tell me that Yelp is much worse than I knew, that in fact Yelp discards my first posting because it assumes I am a troll who wants to say something negative about an enemy. Thanks Yelp, boy you sure are a worthless piece of bubble gum.

Attending the Lance Memorial set me back about two weeks on a schedule that can not accomodate being set back even a few days. Who is at fault? Well me of course, because you should never have a schedule that tight, but of course we all do.

A schedule must contain slack for real human events, and one that does not is one that is designed for the lower classes, you know, the worker scum, not the real people, the ones who matter.

Blog Notes, Valkyrie, Cate Blanchette and Heterosexual Sex

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First, let me apologize again. This blog is going to shit for a while, if not forever because I just cant put as much attention into it while I am being kicked into the gutter. Damn!

But what that means to you the reader, is not necessarily that bad. What it means is that this blog will actually be a more honest, a more direct, a more concise window into my state of mind. My soul, as it were. So when I spit little spears of venom at those who annoy the fish out of me, you will actually know what it is I am thinking, God Help You.

Second, that live action Thor Ragnarok made clear to me is that Tessa Thompson, whatever her unavailability and whatever her gender preference, would actually be fun in ... well, I mean you know, in bed. Obviously it doesnt much matter.

And ditto for Cate Blanchette, although I never had even the slightest doubt thereof.

So that is your heterosexual sex report, you are very fucking welcome.

Its also great the Blogspot's comment facility is dead, dead, dead so I can post things like this without getting my head ripped off.

Ha ha!

The Yelp User Experience Sucks

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So I want to give a review of my local water company, Rincon del Diablo Metropolitan Water District, which also sucks, so I want to use Yelp. So I write my review and then of course have to create an account on Yelp or use my Facebook account. Aint no way Jose I am going to give fucking Yelp my Facebook account so I attempt to create an account.

And I descend into hell. Yelp hell. As if the people who run Yelp dont have a clue how to write their way out of a pay toilet, software wise.

So having reset my password a few times and log in I get my little post posted! Hallelujah.

Now does anyone know how to leave a bad review for Yelp on Yelp?

Rincon Water is the Devil's Water

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The first in a series of reviews of the utilities and services of Escondido, CA.

The good news about Rincon Water is that it is actually named for the real name of Escondido, the hidden name, Rincon del Diablo ... place of the devil.

That is the last good thing I will say about this service.

At this point in American history, how anyone could think a private corporation could manage a monopoly like this is beyond me.

The price is never less than $40/month. It may be more but it is never less. There are no programs for the poor, as far as they are concerned, you pay or you die. If you are one month late, they cut you off, no notice, just fuck you asshole, and put an $80 fee for restoral. No negotations, fuck you.

If there was ever a reason for nationalizing the water monopoly, other than maybe Flint, MI, this is it.

It will be a pleasure not to have to give money to these fuck heads ever again.]

Now I have to find Yelp or something like that to make this more public.

Placeholders for Blog Posts on this Dreary and Horrible Day

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This is a reminder to myself to write four posts for this blog. I am so discouraged and overwhelmed by the events of my life and I have such a short attention span, that it is better, even necessary, for me to write down short notes and hope that I get to them later.

The lance memorial.

The offensive way the anti-male inquisition is being handled

What it means when you watch john wick and john reacher movies

One other at least

Maybe another too

That is what my memory is like today on this wretched day after thanks giving.

The Travel Plans for the Next Year

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I am leaving where I am living and presumably leaving S. California on or about the first of the year. Its a little complicated to explain what is going on, where I am going, why this is all so vague, etc. But none of it is secret, and it isnt really that complicated.

I really do not like ambiguity about where I live. If it were up to me, I would own a modest 2 story, 12 room house in Providence, RI or a classic 6 overlooking the river in Manhattan, put my library and computers there, and then travel the world. The point is, I really like to know where I am living and know that there is a place to go to where I can rest my head. When I dont know that, I am at sea.

For a variety of reasons, I have come into a very modest amount of money and for the first time since I went into computer animation, which obviously was a mistake on my part, have a small but steady income. This is not enough to buy a house and pay a mortgage, but it is enough to pay rent outside of a major metropolitan area, or travel if I do not pay rent.

In an effort to get up to date on technology, and maybe do new work, and maybe get some respect, I am trying to go back to graduate school. If nothing else, it is always fun to be around a university and learn new things, so why not. The applications go in now for a possible start next fall. I do not expect to get into a PhD program so I am also applying to masters programs as a fallback.

This means that between now and next September, I can do whatever I want as long as I am very frugal and modest. If I had a driver's license, another long story which I am trying to fix now that I have modest funds, I would spend more time at the national parks. Since I dont, or probably won't in this time frame, I will probably, if I can figure it out, spend 6 or months in Europe on various tourist visas.

For example, in one scenario I would spend 3 months in Italy, an hour or two outside Rome where I could possibly afford a room, and then 3 months in the United Kingdom an hour or two outside London. But the way short term rentals work, you can not rent them until you are ready to move in (or a week or two in advance). And I am not ready to do that yet.

Some time in this 9 month period, I will know which school or program I got into, if any, and will know which city I am living in for a while.

So it is all up in the air. If you have a cabin in the woods, or a room in the city, or wherever, that you want to rent out, let me know.

I will probably stay in touch via my blog and Facebook in this period.