So whereas that stuff I consumed with great gusto so long ago was the real thing — nowadays the word caviar is extended to any fish or shellfish roe derived by any processing which may transpire.

Suffice it to say, the expense of caviar is not something I justify in my life anymore.

The little implements, wedges of lemon, and those crackers aren't part and parcel to that off time ... which now doesn't include reclamation of my soul from the clutches of purest evil.

So now I enjoy it when I encounter it; but no longer actively pursue it.

www.nationalcaviarday.com
 

Today is World Emoji Day — an unofficial holiday celebrated on July 17. Said to be a "global celebration of emoji" it is marked with various events and products released for the occasion.

The word Emoji means picture letter and is a a small digital image or icon by which an idea or emotion may be expressed in electronic communication.

Emoticons are pictoral representations of facial expressions usually formed by keystroke combinations like ;-) for the purpose of conveying feelings or tone.

The world in all it's facebook, twitter, and social media glory has embraced these in electronic communication for whatever value they may personally glean from their use.

The cutesy cutesy of it all having been lost on me back in the 80s, what was once a fad is now quite the mainstream social media lemming bulwark and there is even a study of emoji use by persons in states ranked by popularity.

Okay, maybe I am a word purist and maybe I could at least try to be a little more fun and YES, I have used both the emoticon and the emoji in various past lives ... but really and truly my cutesy phase ended some forty years ago and though I personally now fail to see the allure — by all means the rest of you go for it.
 

The news threads are reporting a resurgence in the manufacture, sale, and use of Methamphetamine. I personally feel that there has been no resurgence — with the frequency pretty much remaining fairly high across recent history.
 

Methamphetamine has been rampant in my home county for years now. There are stupendous spreads of rows and columns of mug shots featured in the local newspaper ... mentioning the busts of meth kitchens, 60 arrests, and a veritable plethora of fugly individuals who should take a look in the mirror and understand what meth is doing to them.

It's not bad enough that cooking methamphetamine presents hazards in the form of toxic pollution requiring industrial cleanup methods coupled with the real and present danger of the effects of repeated volatile inhalants plus the possibility for violent explosion ... there are also those effects the drug imparts to the user before, during, and after exposure.

Mug shots in particular are typically dramatic in that you could tell those individuals with more lengthy histories of drug use compared to others who were 'newbies' in the drug culture.

The addictive nature of the drug is why the manufacture operations are so prevalent ... and obviously the craving for the drug tends to make an addict oblivious to the obvious detrimental effects it has upon them. It appears to leech from their pores and addict complexions are the most striking hit of meth use. Then there is a general disheveled appearance with diminished hygienic maintenance and the dull blank stare many display as well. Others look intensely angry in their throes of withdrawal — for one thing incarceration does for them is keep them away from the drug.
 

Personally, I don't think you can really call it a "drug" either. This is a toxic chemical admixture created by amateurs for morons such as themselves. It would never be for me and I am sorry for all of them. Based on physical appearances in the aforementioned mug shots draped across the front page of the local newspaper, jail has been the best thing to happen to a number of them for a long time.

Seems that the dreaded 'downward spiral' takes many forms these days ... I'm having problems coming to terms with all the things which presently pass for recreational drugs. Bath salts or methamphetamine cooked up by some unscientific goon in a kitchen or living room somewhere with questionable equipment and methods -- and all kinds of dirt, adulterants, insects and vermin -- simply doesn't conjure up such visions in my little brain of an ex-head long ago ... and the people continue to ingest these substances regardless of what it does to them as a result.

Having given up all recreational drugs some thirty years back I consider myself fortunate to have missed the entirety of the meth epidemic for it is truly a horrific site to behold from the standpoint of those users caught and made to answer to the law.