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- June 5, 2018
- World Day Against Speciesism
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One of those modern tragedies in which we now live is the so-called "animal holocaust" whereby we are losing species of animals due to poaching, habitat infringement, pollution, and generally reeking havoc on the biosphere as though we own it.
Unfortunately, the cause suffers by radical lefties such as the Farm Animal Rights Movement and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals who attempt to form public opinion in their own image by promoting a rather self serving World Day Against Speciesism annually on this day.
While I am all for conservation of natural resources, be they animal, mineral, or vegetable the entire idea of speciesism and it's assignment of different values, rights, or special consideration to individuals solely on the basis of their species membership is a bit far fetched for my personal tastes.
The concept leads us down the trail that "animal rights" are being subjugated primarily by carnivore and trophy seeking humans for their own agrandisement and that as people we should 'cease and desist' in favor of letting animals assume their own roles with their own rights and so on ...
This has led to habit provision for retired scientific test animals which I view as heartwarming and wonderful but the entire notion of invading scientific laboratory sites for the emancipation of lab animals is deleterious to the pursuit of testing prior to application and therein lay the crux of my opinion:
Animals do not possess intrinsic rights, to live or otherwise because the human species has dominion over them.
While it would be lovely for mankind to leave the animals alone and subsist on soylent green or some other manufactured foodstuff I feel it's unlikely this will ever become a practicality.
Those methods imposed by Peta and the rest of the tree hugging animal rights advocate wussies can just go on whining about how horrible the rest of us are.
Then ... please just shut up and pass the A1.
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- June 4, 2018
- Me and X-Ray Specs
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When I was a rambunctious misbehaving child in Virginia Beach that fantasy land which constituted the bulk of my existence included various products my gullible little mind believed in to the nth degree ... oh how in retrospect the clarity in realization of my utter naivete still stings to this day.
One of those coveted possessions I never acquired were X-Ray Specs, as advertised in the many comic books I read as well as a little rag called 'Grit' that the kid next door would let me read because he always had extra copies and I rarely had any money.
It seems that these things were touted as a 'real' functioning x-ray visioning system one could slap on their head and get busy with all manner of peeping tom like skullduggery for the sum of one whole dollar.
Oh the fantasies that notion triggered in my little pea sized brain to include seeing Sandy White from down the street nekkid (sic) or perhaps the charming and beautiful Georganne Cosgrove from across the street, Angela Bohannon on the other side of the Boulevard ... or one of the pretty little Fisk girls next door; not to mention those little Page girls over on Clover Street and OH ... I never did anything.
It seems that the lack of that experience was not for naught as well for in my fresh young uninitiated mind I could not account for the lack of a high power mechanism driving a cathode and anode in a vacuum tube in the presence of some visualizing screen. That information wouldn't come for years later, long after leaving Lavender Lane.
So, as it was Angela, Sandy, Georgeanne, and the little Fisk and Page girls were totally safe from my would be peeping predatory inclinations ... inasmuch as they could only exist in my imagination ...
It seems that the things I never had the opportunity to get away with eclipsed those for which I was punished many times over. If only I could have pulled off ANY of those little boy schemes I planned with such care and in such detail as a pupil in the second and third grades at Aragona Elementary.
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- June 3, 2018
- World Clubfoot Day 2018
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The term 'clubfoot' (Talipes Equinovarus) in the context of diagnoses refers to a deformed foot which exhibits a twisted configuration such that the sole cannot be placed flat on the ground..jpg "Talipes Equinovarus (clubfoot)")
Typically, it is either congenital (a birth defect) or the results of poliomyelitis, an infectious viral disease process affecting the central nervous system which can cause temporary or permanent paralysis.
World Clubfoot Day was introduced in 2013 by the Ponseti International Association, and is observed on the third of June each year corresponding to Ponseti's birthday.
The date arises from the signing of the Iowa Clubfoot Declaration during the 2nd International Clubfoot Symposium which was held in Iowa City, Iowa on October 4 and 5 in 2012.
The goal of World Clubfoot Day is to raise awareness about clubfoot disability and its prevention using the Ponseti method.
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- June 2, 2018
- International Whores Day 2018
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As a sailor I liked whores.
©2003-2018 IllustratedEye
Not the domestic Spruill Avenue variety, but those in foreign ports. Some of them were very accommodating offering various comfort items in addition to the primary commodity and Barcelona in particular had one lady I actively sought out for that very reason.
We became rather good friends as it were.
It's easy to cast judgement on those who require means of putting food on the table, paying rent, buying necessities and so forth.
I have always been lucky to have a skillset which was somewhat in demand. Everyone is not so lucky.
Today is International Sex Workers Day. On June second the day honors sex workers and recognizes what is frequently exploitation of both their persons and their working conditions.
The day commemorates the occupation of a church called Église Saint-Nizier in Lyon by more than a hundred sex workers on the second of June in 1975 in an effort to publicize their inhumane working conditions.
It has been celebrated annually since 1976.
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- June 1, 2018
- Neighbors Day 2018
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There is a concept known as "Home Owners Associations" in the United States. Some communities both require you to be a member, pay dues, then allow them to rule you into the ground. My late stepfather was not too big on the idea. He declined the $20 annual dues and would not participate in their activities.
Today is Neighbors Day. It is an offshoot of those Housing Associations located in cities and towns internationally.
In the literature the day is listed either on or shortly before or after the first of June. The crux of the celebration is inviting the neighbors over for some type of celebration of living in proximity.
Personally, I'd just as soon be left alone. I suppose I get it honest.
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- May 31, 2018
- Jean Stapleton
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Jean Stapleton was one of those standards from my childhood. All in the Family was a series on the teevee which my father had pretty much taken to and watched regularly, meaning that we all sat and watched it with him.
Born Jeanne Murray, she was an American actress who graced stage, television, and film.
Among those elements of an immense body of work, she portrayed Edit Bunker, wife of Archie Bunker and gave that character a certain child like innocence abd wonder yet retained that firm grasp on life and living.
There were many lessons from what she imparted to the presentations covering the full spectrum of both emotions and social awareness to her performances.
She passed on this day in 2013 and the world will be hard pressed to replace her in those dramatis personae of which she was so integral a character actress.
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- May 30, 2018
- John, Joy, and the last birthday cake
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Today is John's birthday. He's been gone what seems like long years now. We try to honor him at the Fort Jackson National Cemetery and we remember him most every day. It's hard to suffer the passing of someone who cared about you so much and there are moments that are more difficult than others.
We can only wait for that grand reunion when the blended family circle will again be unbroken and we meet in the eternity.
Happy Birthday John and we miss you !
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- May 29, 2018
- little caesars extra most bestest stuffed crust
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So after a very long while I returned to Little Caesar's ...
You know, in an attempt not to sell them short based on my last visit which was a dismal abysmal gastronomic disaster. I ordered their extra most bestest stuffed crust pizza in the pepperoni variety and waited about 5 minutes or so to get it.
They were really busy and being kept hopping so I didn't mind the wait.
When I returned home I ate about 3 pieces or so one with the way overpriced garlic sauce I bought and placed the rest in my fridge — perhaps for another day ... or not.
The pizza was indeed hot and fresh with plenty of pepperoni to it's credit though I missed the cheese in the stuffed crust at first but found it after a piece or so.
The verdict was in shortly into my repeat foray and that being the pizza was a vast improvement over the last one I had about a year ago I guess.
However inasmuch as I give it a strong 4 out of a possible 10 I suppose that the pizza just isn't really for me. I like a much thinner crust, more toppings on the same pie, and cheese in the crust that is obviously there.
This fare remains for those who will be happy with anything as long as it's cheap and plentiful.
Well, God bless all of you Little Caesar types out there but I suppose I continue to decline to be one of you. Guess I'm just one of those "choosy mothers" out there getting grub to go.
However, in a pinch and were I quite hungry I could certainly go for some.
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- May 28, 2018
- Memorial Day
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Memorial Day is that mark on the calendar reserved to honor and remember those who died in active military service . It is traditionally observed on May 30 but has been relegated to the last Monday in May to accommodate the opportunity for a three day weekend.
The day is marked with a variety of observances typically ensconced in military tradition and often includes those individuals with lifelong military service or service with distinction.
Now that we have a Commander-In-Chief truly worthy of the title I will be celebrating the day a lot more than I have over the previous eight years of the brigand democrat usurper who tainted The Republic with his surreptitious damage to our nation for which he has not yet been held accountable.
The deep state will eventually fall when all of their criminal atrocities become known by enough of the tax payers.
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- May 28, 2018
- My Bucket List Was Emptied Friday, May 30, 2014
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A couple years back I had a bucket list. I had always intended to reconnect with my childhood friend Chris Gagnon who I knew way back when in Key West — you know, talk about old times, see how he was doing over the years, reminisce ...
Alas, this became undoable when I found out that he passed when we were both around 40.
Though quite a while back I remember that time well as a busy educator wasting my life in the stupid state technical college system and trying to adapt to that blended family which was my brother's propensity for abandoned relationships shirking everything beyond a three foot radius around him.
In all the disappointment — which was mostly about me — I almost lost sight of the true tragedy which was the loss of all that Chris was ...
An artist, musician, writer, and voracious reader, hysterically funny, the epitome of kindness, and possessing impeccable manners. So in all my present day "phobic" rejection of same sex anything I am given pause to consider my fine friend Chris; who I wish were still here to share that which he was with the rest of the world.
Sometimes we tend to casually dismiss that which should be embraced in our humanity. Chris certainly deserved the consideration and the world is far less than it was when he was around to grace it's countenance with his easy smile, intuitive nature, and excellent conversation. He was a nice person as were his parents and I have missed them over the years as well.
Lately I've found that the realization of the nature of his passing makes me feel badly about myself and my attitudes sometimes. It's not that I consider my bucket list to be lacking either, for I have experienced most if not all of that which people accumulate in their experiential inventories over the years. I suppose the lack of items in my bucket list leaves time to work on me and how I feel about things in my continuing quest to actually kick that bucket as far off in the future as humanly possible.
I was originally thinking about a memorial entry on the White Street Pier in Key West because Chris went down hard and I'm sorry for that fact. I just think he should be remembered and he was very difficult to locate. It took me 40 years and all I was able to find were a couple of photos and his obit. A sad notion indeed — but he departed a 20th century man; just prior to the advent of widespread broadband internet and it's subsequent social media, blogging and all of the communication avenues available nowadays.
See also:
Chris Gagnon Obituary
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- May 27, 2018
- I wish I'd never heard of Windows 10
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I wish I'd never heard of Windows 10. I wish I'd never heard of Microsoft, Bill Gates, or the rest of that slimy group of pirates claiming that their purloined booty is "innovation".
10 Technologies Microsoft 'Borrowed'
My problem revolves around the fact that they release product way before it's ready for production implementation and then force 'updates' on you til you're sick of them and their half ass offerings period.
Doug Barney
Redmond Magazine
I recall a a lovely article on the AP wire back in 2016 when Microsoft claimed that users can still opt out of Windows 10 upgrades.
Then you have family members forcing your hand by upgrading unbeknownst to their support person — namely "me".
So I have to upgrade so when the inevitable problem goes down I have some point of reference from which to troubleshoot.
Anyway, now my dear John Pruett is gone but Windows 10 persists as the bane of my Microsoft hating existence.
You may ask yourself, what are the alternatives.
Well ... there are a number of them I would be perfectly happy with because between the open source and pay for play products all the bases are covered quite nicely. I find those desktop operating systems in the Unix/Linux realm most attractive as Microsoft alternatives. No. I don't need Microsoft. I don't need Bill Gates. I don't need his asian indian stand in Satya Narayana Nadella either.
It is a sad commentary when a populace can only envision one environment anywhere. This myth that Microsoft is "the way" is evidence for that lack of intellect which has progressively overtaken the United States and therein lay the crux of the problem.
We are too stupid as a people by and large anymore to get out there and cultivate options. So I'll just have to "be me" and live for that day when I can abandon the support needs of all too many around me and go for the technological platforms I prefer rather than allow the poor choices of those around me rule my life to the point of distraction as happens now.
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- May 26, 2018
- National Paper Airplane Day 2018
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When I was a kid I certainly fashioned my fair share of paper airplanes. While I'd like to say they were the aerodynamic pest de la resistance of their time, I'm sure you know better.
We would make them, fly them, then suffer the consequences when the teacher caught us in our various maneuvers culminating in a confiscation and scolding or two periodically.
Today is National Paper Airplane Day. It's one of those unofficial things we do to celebrate various aspects of life which might go unnoticed otherwise. Paper plane aeronautics may be simple but they are also universal outlets to both little and big boys everywhere.
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- May 25, 2018
- Geek Pride Day 2018
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Geek Pride Day 2018
Today is Geek Pride Day, a rather informal initiative to promote geek culture which comes down each year on this day.
It began in Spain in 2006 and has spread via the internet and came to the fore in US geek culture two years later.
Though I am the classic geek with pursuits that are highly technical and eclectic ... I don't really indulge geek afterhours pursuits such as cosplay, card games, many of the films and such.
It's okay though because when it comes to those things in geekdom which really matter like writing programs, troubleshooting networks, repairing hardware, and subject matter expertise I can certainly hold my own with the best of them.
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- May 24, 2018
- International Tiara Day 2018
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A tiara is a jeweled ornamental band worn on the front of a woman's coiffure. It is a favorite piece of jewelry worn by my favorite girl, Dr Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory television show.
It's all the perception of her thrill at both receiving it and wearing it that amuses me most with the diadem. I also view it as one of those trinkets a lady should receive if the relationship is viewed as exceptionally valuable to the gentleman because they're intricate and involved and project status as should be exhibited in that relationship between the giver and receiver of such jewelry.
I understand that many of the female persuasion admire tiaras as an art form but our modern age really doesn't provide many opportunities to wear them ...
The tiara, or diadem is symbolic of rank and status in various societies throughout history — and has been from time immemorial as a substitution for the crown.
Today is International Tiara Day. It is observed each May 24th, which is the birthday of Queen Victoria.
So it is my personal feeling that if the mood strikes you should don a tiara for that regal touch whenever you feel it is appropriate because like Amy Farrah Fowler all ladies are special.
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