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- June 19, 2018
- World Sauntering Day 2018
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Today is World Sauntering Day. It's a day for setting aside the rat race which our workaday world may frequently become ... and stroll through this sliver of life which presents itself this day with casual stylish form.
If you can, try to spend a few moments walking slowly with aimless happiness and embrace the crux of what the day is all about — the leisurely pace of a saunter instead of that wide open stressed-out trot to your next appointment !
Happy World Sauntering Day.
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- June 18, 2018
- Yesterday was Father's Day
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Yesterday was Father's Day. I didn't blog about it; but I did remember it ...
Only quietly in the background as both of my fathers, my biological father and step father are passed these long years and it's really not a celebration anymore more a time for wistful rememberances of those days gone by.
It was a hard thing to let them go so I have relegated them to those memories and I have small conversations periodically because it is my understanding and belief that they can hear and understand me from that other dimension to which I cannot go.
So I chose to spend the day celebrating my mother and the anniversary of her birth which occurs concurrently and toward that end I spent time sketching, blogging, and entertaining various silly notions during our visit of a few hours early in the day.
Call me old fashioned but this growing up and responsibility mess isn't as fun as that irresponsible young clod thing I used to have going on what seems like centuries ago.
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- June 17, 2018
- Happy Birthday Momsey
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Your Birthday
The years fall gently from thee, love,
as petals, when the blossom's done.
I gather each one tenderly,
and save the petals, one by one.
I place each one within my heart,
and very slowly, one by one,
the petals form a rose again...
forever sweet; forever young.
Martin D. Buxbaum
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- June 15, 2018
- Remembering Jim Varney
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I recall early on that my tolerance for Jim Varney was pretty low.
James Albert Varney Jr
American actor, writer, and comedian
June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000
Therein is the crux of Ernest P. Worrell and 'Do ya know what I mean?' and Vern and that schtick which carried him so far and successfully through the commercial market, movies, and beyond.
It was that persistence of his characterizations which won me over after all.
That multitude of characters he often played concurrently were amazing gave me pause during his occasional interviews and all I could do is marvel at that very unassuming talent which was his classical thespian training which enabled him to produce flawless and consistently funny amalgums of those I have encountered during my lifetime.
In that clarity of hindsight I only wish I had gained the true appreciation for his talent much earlier for he passed very young from the sequela of chain smoking and I can only imagine his departure being that preventative of so much more which would have been ours to enjoy.
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- June 14, 2018
- Flag Day 2018
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I've always been pretty patriotic. I think it's drummed into military brats from the beginning. Some sort of subliminal indoctrination that is simply passed down.
I was obligated to show adequate respect for those ceremonial aspects of the presentation and retirement of the colors of the United States as far back as I can remember. There are many things far worse that acquiring some modicum of respect as a function of your activities of daily living.
Today is Flag Day in the United States, the day when we commemorate the adoption of our National Ensign.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the flag on June 14, 1777; which coincides with the adoption of the army of the continental United States by consensus of the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.
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- June 13, 2018
- I Voted
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Yesterday we held primaries for various state and county offices. I went and duly voted at the polling place I have been assigned.
Those candidates for which I voted won their primary with the exception of the county council candidate.
I voted for the candidate who visited me. The man who won was an old friend from way back. These are the breaks.
I'm not a political animal and it simply doesn't weigh on me like it does others I know.
Visiting the polls is one of those civic duties I try to attend to each time upon which I am called. I figure that if you don't vote, you don't have any say whatsoever.
At least if I don't like what is going on I attempted to steer thing in that direction I thought was more beneficial for the local constituency.
It's a difficult matter to keep up with everything sometimes. I entered this election without knowing a lot of the issues.
I spent some time with the various literature sent by the candidates and the actual voting took miniscule time ...
But the correct choice remains to be seen on my end anyway.
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- June 13, 2018
- fatties and uggos
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OK ... had a taste of disturbing moment on a Big Bang Theory syndication on the teevee last night. Raj and Stuart are riding with Bernadette and Howard when they started discussing problems communicating with women.
Howard suggests that if Raj is intimidated by talking to attractive girls, maybe he should practice by talking to regular people.
With a look of disdain he says "You mean like fatties and uggos?" to which Bernadette softly suggests maybe just stop talking.
It has been my experience that in that dull throb which sometimes evolves from interpersonal relationships it's far better to be who you are as opposed to appearing to be that which you aren't.
In my life I went from a young fattie who was uggo to a 28 year old superman adonis in blue jeans and now I'm just an old fattie uggo.
However, I'm much more authentic from a standpoint of "me" at this stage of the game than I ever was in my heyday.
Now, if I could only quit consciously toying with people for the fun of it.
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- June 12, 2018
- Samuel Z. Arkoff, American Producer of B Movies
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During my younger years I was a fan of the "B Movie" ... because they were mostly that "weird and wonderful" variety of my favorite horror and scifi flicks which would engage my interest in the outlandish or macabre for hours on end — sometimes interrupting my sleep as the result of a powerful imagination.
I would often times see "Samuel Z. Arkoff presents ..." or some variant thereof in the title or ending credits and I began to associate this name with a movie I could sit and watch.
Samuel Zachary Arkoff
June 12, 1918 – September 16, 2001
His formula for low budget movie making included:
- Action (excitement as a factor for entertainment)
- Revolution (controversy or unique thematic elements)
- Killing (violence)
- Oratory (noteworthy dialog and epic speech)
- Fantasy (common fantasy themes acted out for the viewing audience)
- Fornication (sex as a component of interest in younger audiences)
I suppose that my ability to suspend disbelief has beome jaded with all the cgi and over-the-top special effects we now have compared to that with which he was able to work. Regardless, the Samuel Z. Arkoff movies still have me watching; albeit somewhat less "enthralled" than I was in my youth.
He passed this life in 2001 shortly after his wife. He leaves two children, producers in their own right.
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- June 11, 2018
- National German Chocolate Cake Day
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German Chocolate Cake ... named for one Sam German's baking chocolate and NOT the country Germany is one of those intoxicatingly decadent confections which has been my most favorite since I first tasted a piece in my early childhood.
• The chocolate.
• The caramel.
• The coconut.
• The pecans.
It's an old fashioned treat in the absolute best grandma tradition.
So if you are ever fortunate enough to have one baked up for you ... you're mighty lucky so ENJOY.
Happy National German Chocolate Cake Day !
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- June 10, 2018
- Ball Point Pen Day
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So the schools aren't teaching cursive writing anymore. I was somewhat disturbed by the news when I was informed regarding it ... but others at work were more at ease with the notion of less education as a matter of course in The Republic.
My friend Chris at work said that the bulk of writing is done at keyboards anymore and the signature, the appearance of which I once held as such high value was "electronic" in our new age business models.
While I fully understand the conceptualization and implementation of such a rationale, I still think we're raising successive generations of stupidity.
I suppose this is fine and well and good given the status quo for exhibited intellectual capacity as well ... OH what am I saying. Boo.
June 10 is Ball Point Pen Day in honor of Laszlo and Gyorgy Biro, the two brothers who invented the device on this day in 1943.
Ball point pens have an ink application mechanism which was unprecedented in it's time utilizing a ball which both capped the ink inside and permitted the user to control the application of the ink onto the paper during use.
My personal preference in pens is the Bic Clic Stic which I use because of the excellent line quality it produces. It is a medium point pen and came to my attention when I noticed all the vendors handing them out as personalized kitsch at technology conventions and meetings.
Suggestions for marking the day include more inked writing during the day ...
Perhaps avoiding the computer keyboard altogether. Though this alternative is not really feasible for a coder like myself — surely some of you may find it practical at work.
Happy Ball Point Pen Day !
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- June 9, 2018
- The Devil and Joseph Welch
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Joseph Nye Welch, Special Counsel to the US Army confronts Senator Joseph McCarthy during congressional hearings
On this day in 1954 Joseph Welch faced a political devil named Joseph McCarthy who was actively engaged in a personal witch hunt for communists in the United States of America. The "Red Scare" he originated has been the chagrin of constitutional proponents since it's advent in the 1950s. At congressional hearings to determine if communism had infiltrated the United States Army, Mr Welch in the capacity of special counsel for the Army took Senator McCarthy to task regarding his blanket condemnations of citizens in search of communists who simply were not there ...
This practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence had cast a dark abiding fear over the United States and subsequently many citizens of the country were forced into a sense of angst and forboding with it's blacklists, accusatory rhetoric, and drastic consequences for those so wrongfully accused until Mr McCarthy went after one young man too many and finally met his match.
"Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness."
Thus began the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries which subsequently became known as "McCarthyism" with it's resulting mass hysteria often compared to the witch hunts of colonial Salem.
... When McCarthy indicated relentlessness, Mr Welch angrily interrupted ...
"Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
Joseph Nye Welch, Esq
Special Counsel to the United States Army
Public rebuke of Senator Joseph McCarthy
June 9, 1954
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- June 8, 2018
- Hummingbirds Going Without
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So last night I made hummingbird food and washed the two feeders.
Then while getting everything ready I inadvertently poured out the sugar water I had gone to so much trouble to prepare.
So today the poor buggers will simply do without. I'm too distracted because I hate going shopping anymore because I despise walmart, the waltons, the entire stupid fema camp partner mentality of these mom and pop operation destroying monopolistic predators —
Not to mention their base of insipid inbred southern puke employees.
I need less distraction and LESS walmart in my existence.
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- June 7, 2018
- The Engima of Alan Turing
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Alan Turing was a brilliant mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, computer scientist and visionary who was essential in the success of British efforts to break the WWII German high command's coding system known as 'Enigma'.
The rewards for his tireless works did not consist of accolades or admiration from colleagues nor the public. Quite the contrary he was persecuted for his sexuality and given the option of 'chemical castration' in lieu of imprisonment when convicted of gross indecency.
The tragedy culminated in his suicide by cyanide poisoning in 1954.
Thousands of signatures were obtained on a petition calling for the government to issue a formal apology and the prime minister of Britain, Gordon Brown has complied.
He related that Mr. Turing was treated inhumanely under a legal system which was homophobic at the time.
... Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity ...
George Harrison
from his song Isn't It a Pity
The tragedy of this story gives me pause to reconsider my petty preconceived notions regarding human sexuality, the value of life and just how much we lose when we allow prejudice to intercede in matters pursuant to the greater good.
Mr. Turing's story was one of human triumph that was unmercifully turned to tragedy by societal mores which became conventional politics and allowed to become some accusatory and judgmental bludgeon -- much like aspects of the the Inquisition, witch hunts in Salem Massachusetts, and the Nazi regime. Comply or die.
Though I might not agree with another persons sexual preferences it is those horror stories such as that of the treatment of Alan Turing by the law no less that have made me a more tolerant person and cultivated my personal wish to understand and support human rights. I am glad that society at least attempts to be more enlightened in these regards.
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- June 6, 2018
- Sandra Bernhard
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One of those entertainers who has always piqued my performing arts interest is Sandra Bernhard.
Sandra Bernhard
comedian actress singer author
I have always admired a rapier wit and succinct critical tongue and she has exhibited both in spades.
Her forte is stand up comedy but she had forays into acting and writing which were equally interesting and thought provoking.
I feel that it all falls back to that previously mentioned rapier wit being applied to other disciplines.
Be all that as it may today is her birthday and I hope she has a magical time with however that time gets spent.
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