Tag: thinking

Twosda’s Theme Music

The clouds dominating Ashlandia yesterday went stealth mode and vanished. That cleared air permitted the temperature to drop like a stone in a well. But then night pivoted to day and sunshine shoved the cold out of the air, already carrying us to the mid 40s. We expect ten more degrees today. Rain? Hey, it’s always possible at this time of year, even though the sky is cloudfree and blue. Mo’ definitely feels like sprinter up this way.

My morning news scan depressed the Jesus out of me. Fair warning, didn’t have much Jesus in me to begin. The United States is now proudly *cough cough* aligning with the Iran and Russia in a U.N. votes against a resolution. Yes, we’re the new Axis of Evil. Took PINO Trusk less than two months to upend a military and political alliance that goes back decades. What’s to worry about, right? Wonkette has the full dispiriting tale for us. If you need an Axis of Evil primer, here’s a Wikipedia link.

Has the Great Awakening begun? I doubt it. In my mind, after the 2024 Elections came the Great Shitstorm of 2025. The Great Undoing began immediately after that. The Reciprocal Wave is next, as the consequences of PINO Trusk’s actions hit people like a pie in the face. Then comes the Great Awakening when people realize, “Hey, he’s not making things better for me!” But we know from bitter experience not to hold our breath that people awaken, realize they’ve been conned, and admit it. Many never will just to save face or because they’re lunatics or fanatics, i.e., MAGAts. But in a small burst of hope, PINO Trusk’s poll numbers show growing displeasure with his royal Trumpiness. Just wait until the RW starts pummeling them in their banking accounts. Then we’ll see some poll numbers worth cheering, I think. Of course, reading the linked Reuters story causes sustained concern, as many Republican streaked individuals still believe much of what PINO Trusk does is just smoke without consequences. Sure.

One bit of news did cheer me up in an oblique way as a little schadenfreude: North Korean hackers steal record $1.5 billion in single crypto hack, security firm says. Yeah, good, hit ’em in the old cryptocoin. More disconcertingly, North Korea uses such funds to fund its nuclear weapon development.

The Neurons have The Hollies singing “Long Cool Woman in A Black Dress” in the morning mental music stream. The 1972 song is playing just because of the song’s line about working for the FBI. That comes after reading news about the FBI. That’s just how the mind sometimes works. Hope you enjoy the song.

Coffee has infiltrated me again. I think it was an inside job. Hope your day becomes something awesome for you. And here we go, one more time, in three…two…one…

Oh, quick reminder. Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, is a planned day of boycott. Hope you’ll participate. We are. The more the merrier. While it’s targeted on corporations which rolled back DEI policies under PINO Trusk’s encouragement, like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, PBS, NPR, Coca Cola, Pepsico, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and more. Costco is one of the few major corporations which stood firm against DEI changes. Share the news. Make it real. It begins at 00:01 AM on Feb 28th and ends at 11:59 PM.

Cheers

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Sunda’s Theme Music

It’s a balmy sprinter day. I thought winter had the upper hand but then sunshine cleared its throat and gave a roar and clouds parted like, WTF was that? A wind has genned up. A winter iciness was embedded in its front end but that wind fell away to a warmer, friendlier fellow.

Today is Sunda, February 23, 2025. I’m in a chillin’ and willin’ mood. My wife seems a little off. I know back pain has been needling her on top of what we endured with the passing of Tucker (pronounced Tuck-ah) and politics like the bullshit SAVE act and other assaults on women’s rights. She answered, “I think I feel a depression coming on.” Sorry to hear that. “What ’bout you?” she asked. “How are you doing?”

“Emotionally coming back up, physically strong, intellectually sharp. But I have had coffee, so….”

57 F outside now, we don’t expect much temperature increase past this. Some clouds sometimes rush past and spit at us. In other words, it’s a variable, sunny, cloudy day with strong winds and a chance of rain in Ashlandia.

I’m off to a late start with this post. I typically get up, go through the dreams, do some meditation, then feed cats and myself and begin writing. Today, I was thinking about politics and went in and wrote a lengthy post first off — after feeding the cat, of course. I mean, I’m not inhumane.

After writing and posting that, I did my leg massages, ate, and now, here I am. I heard “Livin’ on the Edge” by Aerosmith on the radio yesterday. That’s a song for the times, I thought. The Neurons agreed. They kept the 1993 song going in the morning mental music stream. And why not? The song was written in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Those riots came after people reacted to four white officers being acquitted of using unnecessary force when they severely beat Rodney King. His beating was a trigger point for already existing issues.

The lyrics fit these times:

Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you, yeah
If Chicken Little tells you that the sky is falling
Even if it wasn’t, would you still come crawling
Back again?
I bet you would, my friend
Again and again and again and again and

[Verse 3]
There’s something right with the world today
And everybody knows it’s wrong
But we can tell ’em no or we could let it go
But I would rather be a hangin’ on

h/t to Genius.com

The line, “If you can judge a wise man by the color of his skin then mister, you’re a better man than I,” was part of a Yardbirds 1965 song, “Mister, You’re a Better Man Than I” by The Yardbirds. I thought I’d post that up here, too, because I like that connection across over almost thirty years of rock and roll.

Coffee has been snuck into me. Here we go, another day. Hope you have a great one, wherever you are. Cheers

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Wenzda’s Theme Music

Greetings to all on this day, Wenzda, February 12, 2025. Sunshine is blazing across a bold blue sky, dazzling off the disheveled snow comforter still in place around much of Ashlandia. It’s 24 F, up from 19 F. Gonna get up to 42, 43 F, ‘they’ tell us.

A gorgeous full moon visited last night. Light sprayed across the snow, throwing deep shadows around trees and houses. One of those wondrous sights that hold your attention and forces you to invest in deep philosophical thoughts about the nature of existence. At least, until the wine runs out.

Happy Darwin Day! “Charles Robert Darwin, who first described the process of evolution of species in the plant and animal kingdoms through natural selection, was born.
It is now celebrated as Darwin Day, when the common language of science, bridging language and culture, is recognized and appreciated.“ stolen from Scottie’s Playtime. A friend puts on a one-person play as Darwin to honor the man. We were planning to attend but with the rise of flu and other respiratory illnesses, we backed off that intention.

That’s Dr. Pepper Trail on the right.

I also have another lymphedema bandage session this afternoon. The left appendage and all of its accessories responded well and I may come out of there wearing a normal shoe on it. The right, which had the surgery, still had some space to improve.

Today’s song is “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John with Lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Released in 1973, while I was in high school, it’s one of those songs which are easy to sing along with…if you know the words! It’s like, what is he saying? Hearing the actual lyrics cause conniptions over meanings and associations. Some seem straightforward enough but others give a ‘huuuhhh?’ moment. It’s about longing to me, though, about being in a different place and time, one where you feel more comfortable. That’s why I The Neurons have delivered it to the morning mental music stream. Reading the world’s news, especially politics in the U.S., I wondered what road we’ll need to follow to survive and free ourselves of this mess. Where is the yellow brick road?

Coffee grabbed me as I was walking by and took me into the kitchen, where I indulged a cup to wash down a lemon turnover. Hope your day goes well. Stay safe out there. Cheers

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Oh, The Wonder

Daily writing prompt
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
View all responses

Time’s spend has changed since I was a child. Then I came to understand, oh, it’s not time that changed, it’s me. Time speeds up as we age. But with time passing, I also gain greater perspective. I can look back at certain events and interactions and comprehend them with better insights because my life’s experiences expanded my base of understanding.

And I have found that I can keep learning. But changing? Changing also becomes harder as I age. It seems like I’m like water. Like a stream, I was looking for my course to follow. Once finding it, I don’t want to leave it.

Time’s passing also changed perspectives on fashion. I’m less enthused about dressing to impress others these days and more focused on being comfortable. I can more easily shrug off others’ opinions of me because I know how transitory and incidental these things are.

My final observation was that I didn’t really fully appreciate my body when I was younger. As I aged, different alarms went off at specific times, triggering events and changes that I never expected. Like my metabolism jumping off a cliff. And my prostate en

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Munda’s Wandering Thoughts

“It sure is coming down,” my wife declared a while ago. It’s an expression we heard often from our parents. I don’t hear many say it any longer.

Watching the snow, she chose to walk to her exercise class. It’s about .6 miles. She caught a ride back home.

“How was your walk?” I asked.

“Slippery! It’s very slick on the sidewalks. The roads don’t look too bad.”

That was three hours ago. The roads have gotten worse. Snow hasn’t ceased. The temperature continues to hang around 32-33 F. All of this triggers memories of snowstorms I’ve endured. It’s good to have experience but one thing that you learn from experience with this sort of weather conditions is that anything can happen without warning.

You gotta remain vigilant.

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Sunda’s Wandering Thoughts

Snow was falling, and I was walking through it. No wind was bothering us, and the temperature is hovering around 33 F, so it’s not too cold. I enjoy walking in general but walking in snow is special. Snow affects all the senses for me. As it collects, it muffles sounds. Falling, it alters light. Snow flakes feel different, too, because each is as unique as a person, animal, or leaf. Everything seems magnified, walking in snow.

At the intersection of all these sensations, I fall back into memories of being a child, walking through snow. Tasting snowflakes with my tongue. Watching air condense as I breathe out. Examining the world as a new cover falls over it. Snow often drove people into buildings, and my walks outside were rewarded with solitude. Sometimes, semi-profound observations visited, but I mostly just walked, holding hands with nature.

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Twosda’s Theme Music

This is Twosda, January 28, 2025. Sunshine has won another Ashlandia winter morning. It’s been served with a lavish side of blue sky and a big bowl of stagnant air. Temperature is 34 and will probably achieve something in the low 50s F, ‘they’ tell me. That’s where it went yesterday. They keep telling us cold weather is on the way but it’s remained generally the same for a few weeks. Still no snow, and no sign of any arriving soon. Nor have we had rain in a while. The Southern Oregon University graphics paint the scene.

I went into the stagnant air late yesterday afternoon to do a few quickies: collect mail, put out the trash and recycle, pet Papi as he rolled around on the driveway. The air had a funky smell. It reminded me of the odor that came with pouring starter fluid on charcoal briquets and lighting them. Don’t know if you’re familiar with that scent. I know it well from childhood. Not a good smell to have no matter where you walk outside. I don’t think it’s healthy, you know?

Trump and the GOTP continue their grand destruction tour. He thinks bullying Colombia with tariffs demonstrate how ‘tough’ the U.S. is. He’s such a sad joke leading a sad party. It’s terrible that ignorance et al has empowered him. Well, the FAFO hits will just keep stacking. Overreach, followed by a tipping point and a crash will bring the party to a calamitous halt. Tragically, given his obstinate nature and his circle of sycophants, the signs will be missed until it’s a HFM. That’s those morons’ proven history in this century.

In dreamland, I am now embarked on this weird erotic dream series. I seem to have one every other night for the past two weeks. My dreams often go into cycles. The normal cycles focus on driving cars, making discoveries, surviving disasters, or being reassured. I also cycle into periods of dreams that seem like adventure movies. I often wonder about the conditions which trigger these different cycles. I have a sketchy grasp on some but the bigger picture eludes me.

Der Neurons have brought music by the Offspring into the morning mental music stream. The 1997 song is called “Gone Away”. A box of thoughts kicked the song out of the mental dust and into the MMMS. Thoughts about going away, combined with thoughts of checks and powers going away, with a tincture of reflections about about who have passed, and there you have it.

Coffee made some overtures to me, and I accepted. Now we’re sitting together, enjoying a hot cuppa. Hope you have a strong day and a satisfying life. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Frieda’s Theme Music

Twenty-three days of 2025 are done.

Here we sit, on January 24, 2025. Looks much like yesterday in Ashlandia. Blue skies beckon you into cold — okay, coldish, 36 degrees F — air. We’re heading into 50 something degrees later, or so ‘they’ tell me.

Hear ’bout the new ‘constitutional amendment resolution’ proposed for Trump? Sure you have. Idea to sketch a work-around to let him and only him serve a third term. Because, in the GOP’s eyes, he’s been so brill. Man, they don’t let history or facts into their brains. And what arrogance and hubris, yeah? Days into his second term, and they’re declaring it a success.

You know, I read a David Brooks column in which he noted that Trump seems to long for the days between 1830 and 1899. Seems about right. Before vaccines were widespread and had mitigated so much death. Before the digital age, where lies are shown in techno sharpness, complete with date, time, and context. I’m sure Trump would much rather live in an era where his sloppy thinking and brazen bullshit doesn’t constantly reappear to bite him in the ass. As Brooks points out, sure, that’s a golden time back in that century, in those days, in certain ways, if you’re willing to whitewash history and gloss over some details like slavery, poverty, and women’s rights. Trump and the GOP are certainly willing to do that.

Today’s theme music was also the choice back in January, 2021. I‘m often surprised about how music seems to arrive in memory at the same time of the year. Anyway, today, Der Neurons have “Drive” by Incubus from 1999 circulating the morning mental music stream. The recurring chorus drives my beloved Neurons.

Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there
With open arms and open eyes, yeah
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there
I’ll be there, yeah, ohh

h/t to Genuis.com

My eyes are open, and my arms will be open for positive change, and not the crap being levied on us now by the billionaire administration.

Coffee has approached me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. Here’s the music. Twenty-three days done. On into number twenty-four. Cheers

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Sa’da’s Wandering Political Thoughts

Crooks & Liars offer a post that shows PINO-elect Trump’s approval ratings are underwater. Conventional wisdom will suggest that’s not good news for him.

“A NPR/PBS News/Marist College poll released Wednesday shows that just 44% of Americans view Trump favorably, while 49% view him unfavorably. That’s nearly identical to the 45% approval rating Trump has in Civiqs’ tracking poll.“

Sorry, but I shrug. After that last election, I just don’t trust polls any longer. But I did enjoy reading — sorry, can’t help myself — “Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, has just a 19% approval rating in the NPR/PBS News/Marist College survey. And the survey was conducted before Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, when Democratic senators laid bare the nominee’s abhorrent behavior of alleged sexual assault, womanizing, on-the-job drinking, and misogynistic remarks.” 

It’s thought-provoking information, even if I’m no longer certain where polls fit.

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Saturday’s Wandering Thoughts

We use ‘mink’ blankets on our beds for warmth during the winter. These are fuzzy polyester creations. One is royal blue; the other a bland beige. Cats usually love them, going into kneading, purring — and sometimes drooling — ecstasy. Thing abut these two blankets is that my wife and I bought them in Korea in 1983. $20 each. Forty-two years old, the blankets remain in excellent condition.

I think that they remain one of the best buys of our lifetime.

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