Yard work, my least favorite pastime. Cutting back weeds, spraying, killing ant colonies, cleaning the driveway, these are not my idea of puttering around the yard. I don’t have a nagging wife to avoid or Jone’s to keep up with. And when I do get a house, I’ll plant a hedge this high so nobody can see my lawn or lack thereof. I still need a new camera, and here is the world’s smallest digital. With one of the world’s largest price tags, $2,100.00
Am I falling behind in the technology race? Nope, that was just to get your attention. First of all, it isn’t a race and secondly, no single product or innovation is going to eclipse a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experience. But I was still jealous when Alaine called this morning about her new iPad5. (Oddly, it is difficult to find a web page with good information on this device.) She wants to learn everything on it, except I don’t know. I shun products that require a contract before they work.The club has used these gadgets to look up parts and directions, but that was Agt. M’s department. I only viewed the results. And learned later that M has cancelled his service. I find the pads too limited for computer use and too bulky to lug around for much else. I suppose having instant everything is important to some people. Now to look more closely, and that means to look from the top down. I totally understand the average school kid knows more about these contraptions than I do—at the present time. Remember, in my mode of learning, all knowledge is scalable and therefore success or failure are just two of many possible outcomes.
Professor Howard is plugging his new book “Apocalyptic Ring Tones”. I guess he finally found that text conversion program we looked for in June. His writing style contrasts with mine so I’ll wait for my complimentary copy. In a given situation, his writing is more apt to focus on what people do, where I am prone to describe motives and events. I like that meme about the Mayan calendar, if I find it again, I’ll post it. To the effect that they may have predicted 2012, but they sure as hell didn’t see the Spanish coming.
There is a meme generating site, and here is one of my early efforts. This meme is “good-guy Greg”, a dude who always does the opposite of what a dork would do. Most memes are cartoons or stereotyped men, although OAG (over-attached girlfriend) is a welcome diversion. Have you seen her? The embodiment of clinging plain-Jane states of emotional denial. She probably works for the government.To the waterfront! I rode the eBike to Hollywood Broadwalk, and ran into Charles the sax player. I’d done the whole area when I heard that sax sounding better than the original, and sure enough, it was the man himself. And he was playing at Jake’s, formerly HWB. Yes, he would be interested in helping out with a riff or two on my project.
Curiosity has found water-rounded pebbles on the Martian surface. Good. And some gypsum which is largely a liquid water byproduct. Also, the ground has been tested to contain around 1% water. Where there is water, sunlight and soil, I say life will spontaneously evolve. Could this be the verge of the single biggest event in history—the refutation of all organized religion on Earth? Well, make that recorded history, since that is where religion makes its claims of exclusivity. There will still be religion even if life is found, but it will take its place next to superstition and tribal lore.
This morning I read the newspaper. It doesn’t really matter which one, they are all owned by the same people. Cruel as it seems at first, I had to snigger at the man who shot dead the burglar in a black ski mask in the driveway at 1:00 AM. Turns out to be his 15 year old son. T’was a jury of his peers. Or how parents are getting concerned about the amount of personal information needed to get their kids on sports teams, one author saying people should show the certificates, but not allow the teams to record the data. Hmmm, sounds like what I’ve been saying since 1980, don’t you think?
ADDENDUM
I see Germany is again tempted to clear out of the Euro community. I find it ironic that Berlin is bailing out entire countries that recently fought against it. And to me, it plain stands to reason when outfits like Italy and Greece want to go partners with you, time to lock your windows and doors. These countries, despite billions in foreign aid, still can’t manage to grow their own damn food. In other news, Russia is about to invest $20 billion in Venezuela. The east end of the Orinoco is sitting on massive reserves of heavy crude.
Germany should do a Ronald Reagan with Europe. Withhold all money and technology until they come around to admitting they’ve always been wrong AND [we] continue to do nothing until they and their reprehensible systems collapse. That’s what Ronnie did to the Soviets, and I point out that the 95% of all reporters, experts, newspapermen, television personalities, diplomats, and generals disagreed with him. Every one of them were all totally off the mark, and their big-mouth wives, too. Funny thing about America, how so many of them kept their jobs anyway. (They have still not stopped claiming they were right.)
These are the people that predicted doom if we did not work with the Communists, forgetting that nothing had worked. For anyone who doesn’t remember, Reagan bankrupted the Soviets. Like my family, the Soviets merely adapted to endless confrontation, meaningless talks, broken promises, endless snooping, political intrigue, stolen ideas, and thirty years of portraying themselves as victims while ever stabbing you in the back. They assumed they had bested you at every turn and would play the same game forever because you were not as good at it as they were.
Reagan said no and his opponents screamed the Soviets would refuse further negotiations. (Ronnie said “So what?”) American students would protest. (“Let them.”) The ambassadors would be embarrassed. (“Big deal.”) The press would scream doom. (“Who cares?”) In the end, Ronnie was right and I was on his side from the word go.
Nor would I object to a collapse of the American elite. Reagan came from the west, where any man who had privileges was because he earned them. The east wants to return the US to the past, where the rich live in the splendor of inherited wealth, where they control the means of production through ownership. All others belong to a caste system where their lot in life is determined by birth and blind acceptance is their only hope of keeping out of prison. I say Germany should clear out and look after herself.
Romney, the presidential candidate, who I remember because his name rhymes with "twit", made a comment about the 47% of Americans on government assistance. The caused a wail, but he’s got a point. Those who get a handout will never vote for a balanced budget or fiscal restraint. It could cost them their free ride. If you want proof, look at Canada. The Liberal party expanded the civil service so much that no new platforms will ever win in that country unless the west separates.
Although I don’t know how Romney got that number, it seems a fair estimate of all people on some form of welfare. The only program I exempt is social security because it is an insurance plan, but I disagree with how the money is commingled with regular taxes. But, the able-bodied should work. And yes, lady, if you can have children, you are able-bodied. Who was it that said all the sins he used to know have now become diseases? No welfare for psychological disabilities. If someone is so crazy they can’t work, free money isn’t the answer. Put them in the asylum.
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