Archives for January 2019

Day 745 Monday January 21, 2019      846 Days to Go

The band starts to play. The drummer is rapping out a beat and seems over energetic. The two guitarists are into it, no bass. The singer stands there. Where did he get that shirt? Whitish with long red streamer like pieces hanging down to below his bare midriff. There must be a shop for chic dilapidated look somewhere, probably West Hollywood. No cutout rectangular patches for these boys. Is it a guy? I think so. The singer opens his mouth. Big mouth, wow, nice teeth.  I have no idea what he is saying. It’s inarticulate wailing, much like when Gretchen Wilson of Heart sings “Barracuda”. The only word I really understand is “Barracuda.” the rest is shrill screaming with a great beat. I love that song. This guy, (it is a guy I’ve determined), not so much. His guitarist to the right is way too energetic for the few chords he’s doing. But hey, I’ve heard of this band! It’s Greta van Fleet. They’re on Saturday Night Live and we don’t speed through them because, as they say in the vernacular, “They don’t suck.” Many have said they sound like Led Zeppelin, and they do. But it’s all like that one part of “Communication Breakdown” where Robert Plant goes screaming off. You gotta build to that, not start there. All there songs sound the same – kind of. I got the CD. Why? Because the girl in Barnes and Noble said, “They sound just like Led Zeppelin.” (The latest Rolling Stone says they are tired of the comparison.) 

But it’s cool. It’s a band I know, playing on SNL. I’ve heard their music, have an opinion, and bought the CD. I rarely buy iTunes, but I have. The problem with iTunes is you don’t get any liner notes or cover art. I like to read about a new band, to look at the name of the song while it is playing.

“You’re old,” says my nephew.

“Shut up YLS,” I say.

(“You Little Sh*t”)

He loves it. Usually, he follows up with something like, “Was Led Zeppelin a band, back when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth?”

We are into our January “I can’t stand all the clutter. We have got to get rid of stuff” phase. And I hope to get to all those boxes that have junk in them and go through them. (Let’s not deal with the ones that have good stuff, okay?)

Currently, I am working on the first of three boxes of empty containers. You know, those containers you plan to use for leftovers? That container that looks real useful so you don’t throw it out? You rarely use it because you can’t find the top? If you do find the top it doesn’t fit on the bottom that you are holding so you give up, go out and buy more.  

Before I loose steam I’m doing the cupboard with the jar lids and the empty glass preserve jars that we are going to use some day, but haven’t. 

Did you see the Wolf Blood Moon? No? Ha, it was awesome. Maybe I picked up some energy from it. Yeah, that’s it. I’ve got Wolf Blood Moon energy coursing through my veins. Things are gonna change. I’m going to get organized. Yup. For sure. I feel it.

btw Hank Murphy sent me an little graphic. It says, since 1965 Republicans have been in power for 28 of those years and Dems for 25. The Republicans have racked up an impressive record, which I think is going to explode soon: 120 indictments, 89 convictions, 34 prison sentences. Versus the Dems rather paltry showing of 3 indictments, 1 conviction, and 1 prison sentence. (I don’t know if this includes the pardon sweet old treasonous Papa Bush gave to Ollie North and all those involved in Iran-Contra, but it is impressive.) I know, I know, “They do it too.” But ya gotta hand it to the party of white racist alternate fact maker uppers – They really know how to do it!

If you missed the Blood Moon never fear. I have the photo! Yes, I stood in the freezing cold for the shot. It was worth it. And Tony Romo? I love your announcing on football, but if you can’t take the time to look up what the Wolf Blood Moon is don’t act like some dumb jock and mumble “I don’t know. It a blood wolf or wolf blood or something moon.” Just shut the F up! Or – Idea? – Look it up before the game starts. Be curious. Hey, that’s gonna be my rap name “B Curious.” Yo Yo Yo.

I am the man, 

With the plan.

Don’t need no direction,

Cause I’m going for indiscretion,

So what if it don’t make sense?

It’s my two cents.

AND YA GONNA B WAILING IN THE MIC

AHHHHH YAHHHHHHH EKKKKK

BARRACUDA!

Help me.

 846 Days to Go (or not)

PS Super Wolf Blood Moon

Day 743 Saturday January 19, 2019     848 Days to Go

Rachel pointed out that on January 17^th we were at the two year anniversary of Trump’s presidency. It was on January 17, 2017 that he was sworn into office. That should mean, I concluded, that we should be halfway through this nightmare, but according to my countdown we are not. This calls into question my ability to count, either up or down. Maybe, I forgot to subtract a one from the hundredth’s place? I certainly hope so. It also makes me revisit my thinking as to what I was thinking when I started the up/down counts. Naturally, I don’t remember. This recalculation review will have to wait for another day.

Rachel did ask what you were doing to celebrate Mr. Trump’s two year jubilee as she called it. She then went on to point out the week’s headlines leading up to the anniversary date. It is like a week of no other.

I think it instructive to review. This is where we are. Here are the headlines:

1/11/19 NYT 

“F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump

Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia”

1/14/19 CNN

“Transcripts detail how FBI debated whether

Trump was ‘following directions’ of Russia”

1/13/19 WAPO

“Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face

encounter with Putin from senior officials in

administration”

1/15/19 NYT

“Trump and Putin Have Met Five Times.

What Was Said Is a Mystery”

1/14/19 NYT

“Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO,

Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia”

1/16/19 abc News

“Michael Cohen fears Trump rhetoric

could put his family at risk: Sources”

“TRUMP’S LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN TO

TESTIFY TO CONGRESS FEBRUARY 7”

1/17/19 WSJ

“Cohen Hired IT Firm to Rig Early CNBC, Drudge Polls

to Favor Trump” 

(…Mr Cohen said Mr. Trump knew he was trying to have the polls

rigged… Cohen…received…$50,000 reimbursements from Mr.

Trump and his company for the work…)

Vanity Fair Senior Reporter, Emily Jane Fox on MSNBC

“REPORT: MICHAEL COHEN HAS DOCUMENTATION

THAT TRUMP DIRECTED HIM TO RIG ONLINE POLLS”

1/17/19 BuzzFeed News

“President Trump Directed His Attorney 

Michael Cohen To Lie To Congress 

About The Moscow Tower Project”

Peter Carr, Spokesman,

Special Counsel’s Office

“BuzzFeed’s description of specific

statements to the Special Counsel’s Office

and characterization of documents and

testimony obtained by this office, regarding

Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are

not accurate.”

***********************************

Well, okay.

So I ask you, as Rachel asked her audience,

“What are you doing to celebrate the two year jubilee?” (Of president Trump’s time in office.)

 848 Days to Go

PS Former Trump cabinet officials after legal processing. No, wait. They’re Pigs! Is there a difference?

Day 739 Tuesday January 15, 2019    852 Days to Go

This is one of those times that I see correlations in many different arenas. Notably: Ancient Rome, Modern Medicine, and the Iranian Revolution. Maybe, I don’t need to go any further because it is intuitively obvious what the connections are, but just in case I’ll continue.

But first, an observation. It seems that the news is six months or so behind me. Somehow, what I say seems to catch on half a year later. (I am a man among men!)

Okay, moving on. Wait. I have to run something through the Trumpolator. That is the device I use to take what Donald Trump says and translate it into what it actually means. Here we go:

“I did not work for Russia.” => “I worked for Russia.”

“I am insulted that you even asked me that.” => “I’m still working for Russia.”

“In fact, that is the most insulting question I have ever been asked.” => “I am Putin’s, and Russia’s bitch.”

That wasn’t too hard now was it?

Okay, onto the correlations:

Ancient Rome – There was a professor on NPR who has taught Roman history for over twenty years he said that he used to get questions about how the empire fell. However, recently, in the last few years, he’s been asked about the Republic and how it ended. It ended in tyranny and then the empire. He said that there were signs of its demise. That its end was coming. One of those signs was the fact that the outlandish or unthinkable became commonplace. People were no longer offended by outrageous acts. Another thing he pointed to was the willingness of people to chip away at the foundations, just a little bit, in order to enrich themselves. HUM???

I’ve often thought that the governing foundations of Rome were a problem: 50 families, 2 pro-consuls each with a one year term. That didn’t leave any room for upward mobility or representation of others. It did allow for hubris, greed, and jealousy, which eventually did in both the Republic and the Empire. I would also note that Carthage fell to Rome because the government of Carthage would not resupply Hannibal because those in its governing body were jealous of him and his family. They let him flounder and eventually Rome got the better of Carthage and burned it to the ground, and put salt in the fields. I wonder at what point the Indians who allied themselves with Cortes to defeat the Aztec realized that it wasn’t going to work out well for them?

There’s an article in Wired magazine about a guy who says there is evidence that taking Metformin will extend your life. The problem he has is that the FDA doesn’t have a category for anti-aging. It’s not recognized as a disease, or a condition, or something they could approve. This guy says that the problem modern medicine has is that it is chasing the wrong goals. It is trying to cure cancer or Alzheimer’s, but it’s not trying to make you healthy or extend your life. In other words, it’s playing wack-a-mole with disease. It’s not working on anti-aging. Yes, you will die from the same diseases he says, but they will come much later in life. The other problem with Metformin is that it’s been around since the 1600s and no one is going to make a boatload of money off it so there’s little interest by big pharma to do anything. Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why not have the government step in? Oh no, socialism! Besides, when was the last time Mitch Mcconnell did something to help the American people, or anyone? 

Lastly, let’s look at the Iranian Revolution. I remember reading an article that told of a guy jumping in a truck and driving it somewhere to help the folks overthrowing the Shah. “Why?,” he was asked. “For the Ayatollah,” was his response. He didn’t do it for himself, but to help the common cause. 

We need to stop chipping away at our principles and foundations and get back to making this country great again. We need to do that by embracing the things that made it great. Those are not the things Donald Trump and his band of Russian enablers, neo-con money grubbers, or alternate fact idiots are espousing. They are the words of Hamilton, Henry, Roosevelt, Kennedy and the like. It’s time to save the country and the world.

852 Days to Go

PS What a croc!