Cryptocurrencies Return to Nowhere
The Biggest Reason Florida Suffers from the Red Tide
Don't listen to weather forecasters and local news reporters who focus in on hurricanes. They have jobs to protect. Of course, hurricanes make everything worse, but that's not, and never has been the main reason for the persistent out of control algae blooms.
Buddy
Rest In Peace ♥️ Buddy ♥️ Play Movie >
Jackson Browne – Live In Concert
SET LIST (Times preceding titles are start times, not song length.): 00:18 - Black and White 07:12 - I'm Alive 12:54 - Farther On 18:51 - The Naked Ride Home 26:21 - Live Nude Cabaret 30:57 - Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate 33:32 - The Pretender 40:34 - A Child in...
How Creators Crushed the Music Business
Many important takeaways from this accurate thumbnail history lesson. Well worth 14 minutes of your time. Watch it in full. >MB "You do not need to be part of a huge corporation to get your message out to millions of people...anybody can do it...if you have...
The Beginning and the End
The Beginning and the End: Robinson Jeffers’s Epic Poem About the Interwoven Mystery of Mind and Universe “Pleasure and pain, wonder, love, adoration, hatred and terror: how do these things grow from a chemical reaction?” BY MARIA POPOVA “We forget that nature itself...
Einstein on Free Will and the Power of the Imagination
“Human being, vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to an invisible tune, intoned in the distance by a mysterious player.” By Maria Popova We are accidents of biochemistry and chance, moving through the world waging wars and writing poems, spellbound by the...
Franklin’s Guidelines
“Even when he was unable to reach the ideals of personal growth, by either his own vices or by circumstance, he was constantly able to improve by means of practice. And, in the end, isn’t that what matters?” At the ripe old age of twenty, Benjamin Franklin set out to...
Recognize the Truth of Others’ Pain
Being at peace with others’ pain helps us be supportive of their pain. Courtesy of Psychology Today/Rick Hanson KEY POINTS There is unavoidable emotional pain when those we care about are threatened or suffer. Most of our stresses and upsets come from needless...
Avoid paraffin candles. Yes. Regular exposure to burning candles can hurt you. The above link is just one of many many resources that explain just one aspect-parafin. But, the burning of anything that emits carbon or by-products in the smoke itself, is not healthy to...
Andrew Sullivan Visits Club Random
Bill Maher and Andrew Sullivan randomly riff on Andrew’s history in debating, the legality of certain substances in England, the terrifying nature of the Catholic upbringing, the people Andrew bonds with best, their mutual moments of enlightenment as kids, the...
When we love someone…
Joining and Separating
https://youtu.be/VjJ2dFRvLoM
Letting Others Influence Life Decisions
It’s risky to open our personal lives to others. Sometimes we just have to do it when we're overmatched by our internal struggles and need a trusted ear to vent the pressure. It makes sense to find a release valve. Life demands it from time to time. We have free will...
What God Wants
Roger Waters & Jeff Beck - What God Wants, Pt. I (2015)
Jeff Beck RIP
Related: Why Jeff Beck is uncopyable. Full Concert at Ronnie Scott's.
Ten Years Gone
Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes July 10, 2000 Jones Beach Amphitheater Wantagh, NY
25 Ways to Help a Fellow Human Being Today
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama Adapted from https://zenhabits.net/25-ways-to-help-a-fellow-human-being-today/ Too often the trend in our society is for people to be separated from each...
Are You Listening?
“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.” ― M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth The following is courtesy of Julien Elia Much ink has been spilled on the importance...
In the Shape Of A Heart- Jackson Browne
Marketing the Messiah
Sub Par
Above image: President Emmanuel Macron of France, second from left, and Malcolm Turnbull, then prime minister of Australia, third from left, on an Australian submarine during a 2018 visit by Mr. Macron to Sydney.Credit...Ludovic Marin/Agence France-Presse — Getty...
Climate Change Hasn’t Changed
Recently, while cleaning out some files, I came across a news story I saved from 2009. It still resonates today with the same common sense logic and awareness that remains elusive among the masses, and frustratingly absent from public policy, political power groups,...
What Does It Mean for a Whole Nation to Become Uninhabitable?
By Devi Lockwood Ms. Lockwood is the ideas editor at the website Rest of World and the author of the forthcoming book “1,001 Voices on Climate Change,” from which this essay is adapted. Devi Lockwood spent five years traveling the globe talking to people about changes...
Unethical? Unnecessary? The COVID-19 vaccine booster debate intensifies
As United States reveals its plan to offer an extra dose of COVID-19 vaccine, equity and scientific questions abound. A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 373, Issue 6558. As the extraordinarily infectious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread...
Spike Protein Produced by Vaccine Not Toxic.
This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform. CLAIM: COVID-19 vaccines make people produce a spike...
VAL
I tried this with measured expectations. Admittedly because of preconceived assumptions, I figured it was another formulaic celebrity bio of the usual recipe. A surface skimming with one part intimacy, two parts fun and frolic, a few dashes of zaniness, and maybe some...
From 9/11 to COVID-19: A Brief History of FDA Emergency Use Authorization
Useful background and a reality check on the..."reality" of the situation. The thing about actual history and scholarly text such as this one is they try and paint a picture of current events as accurately juxtaposed to past events. This is what gives perspective. And...
Stop Talking: Why You Shouldn’t Broadcast Your Relationship Status
Courtesy of Abby Stern At some point in every relationship we all need a shoulder to cry on and an open ear to listen to us. While you may think venting to your friends is helpful, it can also be hurtful. Unless you’re going through a major issue in your relationship...
The Anti-vaccine Con Job Is Becoming Untenable
When I was in my early twenties, I discovered The Atlantic magazine. Soon, I decided it was one of the best all around magazines available for general reading about news events, culture, art and a grab bag of other editorial focused articles. Today, deciding if The...
How does the Delta variant dodge the immune system?
By Apoorva Mandavilli July 8, 2021 The Delta variant of the coronavirus can evade antibodies that target certain parts of the virus, according to a new study published on Thursday in Nature. The findings provide an explanation for diminished effectiveness of the...
Seek First to Understand
Stephen Covey published The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in 1989. For those of us who read it, it changed the way we interacted with others, with ourselves, and with how we strove to grow, and achieve balance in personal and professional lives. Decades...
The Pretender
For fifty years Jackson Browne has rolled out platinum after platinum after platinum. To this day, he has the voice, emotional range, sensitivity, and personal presence that just stick. <MB
If You Don’t Want to Go, Say No
Most social obligations would be best left in the Before Times. Jessica Grose, New York Times When I was in my early 20s, my friends started calling me “The Bailer.” I was infamous for making plans and then canceling the day before. Even at the time, I knew this was...
Social Media Is Addictive. Do Regulators Need to Step In?
Social media is designed to keep us scrolling even when we know we’d be better off putting the phone down. Yale SOM’s Fiona Scott Morton and her co-authors argue that smarter and more robust antitrust enforcement can help, by making room for new social media platforms...
Can we have democracy without political parties?
Around the world, voters appear to be turning away from traditional political organisations, but can democracy survive without them? From Knowable Magazine In 1796, President George Washington lambasted political parties for allowing "cunning, ambitious, and...
Need a Reset? The End of Pandemic Life Can Be a Fresh Start.
Studies show that moments of disruption offer a unique opportunity to set and achieve new goals. Tara Parker-Pope, New York Times If there was ever a perfect time to make a life change, this is it. Behavioral scientists have long known that times of disruption and...
These Days
https://vimeo.com/220050785
The Vaccine is the First Step. Not Your Last.
As we have seen over the last year, perceptions of the Coronavirus/Covid lethality, the risks of contraction, and the vaccines available to contain it, vary among the population. The response has been predictably wide. Ranging from thoughtful and informed behavior...
New Vaccine Needed to Combat Willful Ignorance
I don't use the term lightly. It sounds harsh because it is harsh. I confess there's something about avoiding premature, preventable death that brings out the judgement in me. Its a shame that differing opinions on protecting ourselves from Covid continues on a...
A Nation of Citizens All Too Used to Watching Re-runs
Reading the latest CDC guidelines, as well as recognizing some states' loosening, one would hope, think, we are moving in the right direction. Its something at least. Right? But, given the UK B1.1.7 variant (already dominating the U.S.), the So. African B1.351, and...
A Look Back at My Posts from December 23, 2020 to March 14, 2021
No One Should Ever Feel Bad for Feeling Bad.
On this eve of my birthday, I find myself in not the best spirits as I wish I could be. Not because I'm normally in better spirits because its my birthday. The birthday has nothing do with it. At least not since I was...I dunno...ten. No. I am normally in good spirits...
The Sign of a Broken Supreme Court
Excellent points here on the dishonest, and/or, incompetent ruling and opinions from the Conservative Supreme Court justices. When opinions like this are heard from anyone, most dismayingly, from federal judges, it really is impossible to believe they are literate. MB...
Sorry, I Can’t Take Your Call.
The Story of Osho and Rajneeshpuram
Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com wrote "by handling this story so intelligently and by opening its heart to a very complicated idea of good and evil, Wild Wild Country has a profound, mesmerizing power itself". Remarkable, remarkable story. Even those of us who recall...
Alt-Right: Age of Rage
Disturbingly important to watch. Produced in 2018, here is a palpable demonstration of what has been happening in plain sight these last four years. There is no mystery that Donald Trump has emboldened the Alt-Right movement, and borderline psychotics like Richard...
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
There are so many articles about the Donald Trump Presidency that serve as a springboard to larger discussions, its no effort to search them out. They hang out there every day with the next load of news. Donald Trump will try his best to co opt the RNC for himself...
The Great Disappointment
"It's easier to fool people than to convince them they are being fooled". -Mark Twain
Bacon
Works for me! 🙂 5 Actual Health Benefits of Bacon https://www.smokedbbqsource.com/health-benefits-of-bacon/ You're welcome! 😀
How a Pandemic Can Split or Strengthen Bonds
The following article was originally published in July as cities started reopening. Opposing personal views on safety at that time caused ruptures among many families, friends and partners. Today, nearly five months later, the pandemic is back with a vengeance, and...
Senate Blocks Trump’s Controversial Nominee To Fed
Encouraging news from a recent Senate not known for any. MB Senate Blocks President Trump's Controversial Nominee To The Federal Reserve Board by Vanessa Romo NPR - November 17, 2020 The 47-50 vote came as Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins sided with Democratic...
This is Why Democrats Are in Trouble
I don't need to add much more to Bill Mahr's acerbic wit on this point. If there's anything that kills off a political party's strength, let alone any group supposedly unified for a common goal, it's divisivness. For Democrats right now, here is their problem... <MB
Cults in America
Yep. Close enough. What Is A Cult? There are thousands of cults in America, some harmless and some that can be very dangerous. A cult is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader or ideology. It has a belief system that has the...
A look back to 2016: TRUMP WINS??!!
Four years ago I wrote the following post mortem on Donald Trump’s election win. A few of the names have changed, but the accuracy and spirit of my words is as true as ever as we stand once again on a tipping point in American history. Today, even though he was...
Dr. Anthony Fauci
If you've been wanting to hear more from Anthony Fauci than you get in a controlled press conference, invest your time here.
A Vision of Romantic Love, by Dr. Nathaniel Branden
For many years, Nathaniel Branden has remained a major influence on my life with his incisive writings, and rationale on the subject of romantic love. Branden was a pioneering psychotherapist and historic voice on the study of self esteem, and its inextricable ties to...
Oki’s Anniversary
One year ago tonight, this little girl came into my life. She was sick, frail, and half blind, but holding on, and irresistibly cute even in that sorry state. I had to take her. Today she is all good, and all cat. She exceeds both fantasies and nightmares. We’re...
5 Simple Steps for Safer Socializing
Smart says stay the course. Be smart, or you'll be the other thing. MB
If you party now, we’ll all pay later. Bet on it.
I really hate posting this stuff. I can think of countless other topics I would prefer. I've drained my tank of political diatribe. That ship sailed out of my emotional dock many months ago when I decided it was healthier to take a breath and envision the next...
Something to hear…
to feel...to sense...to reflect upon... best w headphones. mb
Safety in the Eye of the Beholder
First off, contrary to the posed question of the headline below, I am most certainly NOT ready to expand my quarantine bubble. I've been off the radar for any social hubbubs for three months. I don't see any compelling reason to return to the fray at this moment in...
THINK TWICE!
Connecticut is but one single solitary state that has clamped down on public activity, business operations, and asserted itself in cautious messaging to its residents for the last two months. There are 49 other states in our country. Many have done the same, if not...
Reopening Never Sounded So Glum
As I've written previously, the decision on how we as individuals react to official reopening announcements should be taken in a serious context first, and foremost, within actual virus transmission rates, and testing volume, and ongoing testing access. I've said it...
What’s Next with COVID-19: New Normal or Second Wave?
Everyone is eager to get back to normal life. But what does it mean for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis to be over? It’s not a matter of flipping a switch and going back to life as it was before. As long as the virus persists—even at a lower level—the norms...
Balancing Economics, Public Health and Psychology
I’d like to believe most people don’t need to read articles like this one in order to understand common sense and perspective. I'd like to. What’s about to happen this week is based in gigantic proportion on economics. That’s a super valid concern. It deserves some...
The Power to Be Vulnerable
It's common to use anger to deny feelings of vulnerability Via Psychology Today, Leon Seltzer, Ph.D. This is Part 1 of 3 parts. Parts 2 and 3 will be posted soon. Part 1--Denying Vulnerability: "You're Really Making Me Angry!" To feel anxiety and not back away from...
Stupid America. Get Used To It.
Considering the man that millions of Americans elected their President, it should come as no surprise, that the same shortfall of common sense is happening all over again with the Covid-19 situation. Political tribalism is bad enough, but when one side mutates into...
SURPRISE!
Intellectual Humility
We Have Good Reason for Humility
Go Ahead and Complain. It Might Be Good for You.
A mantra to embrace: “This sucks I’m unhappy with what’s going on.” Via The New York Times, By Micaela Marini Higgs, January 9, 2020 Even though it may come naturally, griping isn’t necessarily always a good thing. Ruminating on negative feelings, and reinforcing them...
The Corona Virus is Novel. The Global Threat Is Not.
Here is Bill Gates from 2015. "Bill Gates is worth 96 billion dollars. He has been personally funding world healthcare for most of his middle life, but he alone is not capable of funding the trillion dollar + government initiative required to fight these killer virus...
The Dangerous Delays in U.S. Coronavirus Testing Haven’t Stopped
Without adequate testing, people with coronavirus symptoms are left to agonize over the right course of action on their own. Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here. Robinson...
Coronavirus Is What You Get When You Ignore Science
Scientists are all we have left. Pray for them. Via NYTimes, By Farhad Manjoo Let us pray, now, for science. Pray for empiricism and for epidemiology and for vaccines. Pray for peer review and controlled double-blinds. For flu shots, herd immunity and washing your...
Super Dave Tower Jump
Who doesn't like Super Dave?! 😀
Originals by Adam Grant
I heard Adam interviewed recently, and a few snippets from his Ted Talk. He's a really smart guy. Eye opening and great practical knowledge. But also, just plain enjoyable to learn. 😉
The Wannabe King Personality
Some people want to be the king. Their personality patterns suggest the future. Bill Eddy LCSW, JD, Via Psychology Today “Presidents are not kings,” wrote Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday, in requiring a White House lawyer to testify in response to...
We Made the Coronavirus Epidemic
It may have started with a bat in a cave, but human activity set it loose. By David Quammen, Via NYTimes Jan. 28, 2020 The latest scary new virus that has captured the world’s horrified attention, caused a lockdown of 56 million people in China, disrupted travel plans...
This Impeachment Is Different—and More Dangerous
Americans haven't been this siloed since the Civil War. Here's how to prevent a bigger breakdown. By LAWRENCE LESSIG, Via Politico. (Orig. published 12/7/19. First paragraph excerpted for context.) ...it’s easy to assume this is a path the nation has walked before....
Who Controls Trump’s Environmental Policy?
By Lisa Friedman and Claire O’Neill Jan. 14, 2020 A small number of people at a few federal agencies have vast power over the protection of American air and water. Under the Trump administration, the people appointed to those positions overwhelmingly used to work in...
Environmental Rules Rolled Back Under Trump
I try not to get too upset at this President, or his supporters anymore. I’ve had to stomach three years of this mess in our government, and by extension, the social fabric among its citizens. It hasn’t been good for any part of my physical constitution, stress...
Question # 7
Is a regret the same as a mistake?
Question # 8
Can true forgiveness be conditional?
Even Nobodies Have Fans Now
Outstanding piece by Jamie Lauren Keiles.Well worth your time. By Jamie Lauren Keiles, via NYTimes Nick Walters listens to a bunch of different podcasts, but none speak to him the way “Failing Upwards” does. The weekly show, hosted by the men’s-wear enthusiasts and...
How to Manipulate Young Minds
I’ve heard many times how the young new age minds and voters ultimately triumph over the anachronistic old guard trying desperately to maintain power and political influence. This may be true, in concept, without the substantial presence of other interference to...
Eric Johnson – Live From Austin Tx ’88
Eric Johnson - Austin City Limits,1988 Long below the radar, here on Austin City Limits. Still at it, and currently touring. (Additional set links supplied in blue.) Setlist: 01. Righteous 02. Love Or Confusion 03. Steve's Boogie 04. Trail Of Tears 05. Western Flyer...
Americans Trust Local News. That Belief Is Being Exploited.
A growth in impostor local news that promotes ideological agendas. By Brendan Nyhan, Via NYimes Oct. 31, 2019 The nature of the news misinformation problem may be changing. As consumers become more skeptical about the national news they encounter online, impostor...
Why Congress Might Impeach Trump and Actually Remove Him From Office
On target reading. Via New York Magazine, By Jonathan Chait If you have seen the 1995 movie Casino, the fate of Joe Pesci’s character gives a fairly good sense of how Donald Trump might eventually be impeached and removed from office. If you haven’t seen Casino,...
Commies Versus the Klan? Democrats and Republicans Have a Dim View of Each Other
Democrats and Republicans all think the other party is composed of extremists. Accuracy is often as easy as opening your eyes. Herewith, a quick study at where we are, and where we’re headed. I’ve bolded some key passages. Btw, I like both donkeys and elephants. ;)...
Could President Trump Be Impeached and Convicted – But Also Reelected?
The real question in the room. Will enough of the same people who voted him into office, vote him back in anyway? Some surely will not. There actually are people who admit they made a mistake in 2016, and may sit out 2020. But, given the broken electoral college...
How Each Big Tech Company May Be Targeted by Regulators
Via NYTImes, By Jack Nicas, Karen Weise and Mike Isaac Sept. 8, 2019 Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have been the envy of corporate America, admired for their size, influence and remarkable growth. Now that success is attracting a different kind of spotlight. In...
For a Longer Life, Get Moving. Even a Little.
Some of the greatest gains are seen when people shift from being sedentary toward ambling for even one extra hour each day. Via NYTimes, By Gretchen Reynolds Published Aug. 28, 2019, Updated Sept. 3, 2019 Men and women who move around throughout the day, even if they...
Question # 6
Is true love devotional?
Deep Listening in Personal Relationships
Studies have shown that those who listen have more successful relationships. Diana Raab Ph.D., Via Psychology Today For the most part, in all relationships there’s one person who speaks and one who listens. But . . . is the listener really listening? Many people think...
Give Up Phone Number. Give Up Privacy.
I Shared My Phone Number. I Learned I Shouldn’t Have. NYTImes Personal tech columnist asked security researchers what they could find out about him from just his cellphone number. Quite a lot, it turns out. By Brian X. Chen, Via NYTimes Aug. 15, 2019 For most of our...
Seagulls: Birds of Consumption Made In Our Own Image
You’d be forgiven to not believe rumors before reading this article, but this actually happens a lot. One angle that is missing from this coverage, however, comes from the American preoccupation with providing food at every turn of real estate where any sizable crowds...
Happiness is an emotion NOT a destination.
I like who I am. I don't have major issues of character or personality problems. I'm guilty of no great transgressions, emotional assaults, nor profound negative behavior towards anyone in my life. Certainly nothing consciously deliberate. I think I am a pretty damn...
Jordan Peterson and Bill Mahr
https://youtu.be/8wLCmDtCDAM
Question # 5
When facts don't follow belief, what is the definition of reality?
Why Aren’t We Being Protected?
An excellent and important read to understand where we are as a country on this subject, and where we could/should be. Big as California is, they can't get everything right. In the big picture, successes and failures combined, California tries harder than most, if not...
The Social And Political Underpinnings Of Health
Good work here. Well worth reading. Book Reviews Well: What We Need To Talk About When We Talk About Health June 4, 20195:01 AM ET Via NPR, Stephanie O'Neill The typical American conversation about health focuses on personal choice as a key driver — the foods we...
Red State Blue State
If you watch one sociopolitical satire and commentary this year, make it this one, and just stop there. It is very very funny, and it is pitch perfect. Watch it. Pay for it. Subscribe to it. Whatever you need to do. Just watch this. >MB...
Can CBD Really Do All That?
How one molecule from the cannabis plant came to be seen as a therapeutic cure-all. Excellent coverage, and a must-read for anyone interested in this soon-to-be explosive market. To access the full feature online, via NYTimes subscription, or complimentary access,...
Question # 4
Do the words, love, and burden, ever belong together?
It’s Not Always the End of the World
Political prudence isn’t in vogue, but it should be. Via NYTimes, By Greg Weiner May 22, 2019 A quarter-century later, as Lincoln prepared a bold stroke that helped define his own legacy — the Emancipation Proclamation — his annual message to Congress spoke of...
Taming the Apex Predators of Tech
To rein in monopolies, maybe we need to rethink what a monopoly is. Via NYTimes, By Kara Swisher May 21, 2019 In a tech galaxy that now seems far, far away, everyone was terrified of Bill Gates. He was the Apex Predator of Tech. You wanted to make software?...
Question # 3
If time was irrelevant, would our lives be better?
Highly Potent Weed Has Swept The Market, Raising Concerns About Health Risks
May 15, 20197:27 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Via NPR, By Rhitu Chatterjee As more states legalize marijuana, more people in the U.S. are buying and using weed — and the kind of weed they can buy has become much stronger. That concerns scientists who study...
The End Of Empathy
Via NPR, By Hannah Rosin Militia leader Ammon Bundy, famous for leading an armed standoff in Oregon, had a tender moment in November of last year. He recorded a Facebook post saying that perhaps President Trump's characterization of the migrant caravan on the...
The Moral Peril of Meritocracy
Our individualistic culture inflames the ego and numbs the spirit. Failure teaches us who we are. Via NYTimes, By David Brooks Mr. Brooks is an Opinion columnist. This essay is adapted from his forthcoming book, “The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life.” April...
Downgrading! The Next Big Thing!
Like this. I really like Pamela. ☺️ Sliding Backward on Tech? There Are Benefits Pamela Paul, editor of The New York Times Book Review, decided to downgrade her tech two years ago. It has worked out, with paper and DVDs instead of the latest apps and gizmos. Via...
Suicide: The Final Act of Mental Illness.
Here is an article and POV that presents a clear set of ideas that are supposedly going to address a suicide problem. According to the way it is written, suicide is not primarily an inherent mental health problem, but a situational problem. With all due respect to Dr....
Defining a Real Candidate is Harder Than You Think.
Whether you’re already a Buttigieg booster, or, you’re not, or, you’re on the fence, please take the time to read this. It’s excellent perspective, and underscores the importance of doing real comparative study on political candidates before jumping on a bandwagon...
Introspection
Introspection From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology, the process of introspection relies exclusively on observation of one's mental state, while in a spiritual context it may...
Movie 43- Homeschooling
Movie 43 is an acquired taste, to say the least. Mostly inconsistent, but in between the misses, there were hits that almost broke me in two. Watch Jeremy Allen as the abused and irreparably confused son. Don't try and look away. It doesn't work. 😀
How A.S.M.R. Became a Sensation
Interest in A.S.M.R by region I am not an avid YouTuber, which leaves me fraught with conflict about why I haven't taken advantage of it. Because there's money to be made out there with material as written about here, that honestly, I find dumbfounding. But, no more...
Why Are Americans Still Uncomfortable with Atheism?
Really, really good. A lengthy read, but deservedly, requires it. Ask me about my own views on this subject, or religion in general, and I will answer for as long as your attention span allows, perhaps in ways that will make your eyes glaze over. Then you will still...
Question # 2
Can we know love without knowing heartbreak?
An Incomplete Story with Insufficient Study on Conservation
Meal Kits Have A Smaller Carbon Footprint Than Grocery Shopping, Study Says Via NPR Read full article > The study is weak on enough fronts that the headline is misleading. I don’t like this article. First, the NPR sponsor tie-in is a factor. Sorry. It just is....
Again…Measles
Measles Cases Surpass 700 as Outbreak Continues Unabated The outbreak is now the worst in decades. Children under age 5 account for about half of the cases. Via NYTimes, By Donald G. McNeil Jr. April 29, 2019 Measles continues to spread in the United States, federal...
Jared Kushner on Russian Interference
I’m pretty much done characterizing Donald Trump. There’s long been nothing more to learn about this man that people don’t already know. Jared Kushner, on the other hand, is a different story. He lays low and has an ounce of measured judgement about when to open his...
Kohl’s Will Now Accept Amazon Returns At All Its Stores
Can't beat 'em? Join 'em. Sigh... April 24, 2019 Via NPR, Laurel Wamsley Buy something on Amazon and want to send it back? Kohl's will take it off your hands for you. The department store chain announced Wednesday that starting in July, it will accept Amazon returns...
Measles Q & A
Measles Outbreak: All The Questions You Want Answers To Via NYTimes, By Pam Belluck and Adeel Hassan Updated on April 25 The United States is having its worst year for measles since the disease was declared eliminated in the country in 2000. Federal health...
Antibiotics Aren’t the Problem. People Are.
In a Poor Kenyan Community, Cheap Antibiotics Fuel Deadly Drug-Resistant Infections Overuse of the medicines is not just a problem in rich countries. Throughout the developing world antibiotics are dispensed with no prescription required. The story headline is bad....
Google May Help Law Enforcement, But It Still Invades Privacy
Read on to find out what you can do to protect whatever you can protect. Its not that difficult, but it does take time. You have to be willing to spend a few minutes. Okay, five, ten, fifteen, whatever. Privacy deserves attention. Does it not? And, by the way, this is...
Sometimes the Second Cut is Exactly What You Want.
I'm sorry. I'm a meat eater, and that's just that. Invite Brisket’s More-Tender Brother for the Holidays By MELISSA CLARK The New York Times For years, I thought brisket was by nature a somewhat stringy, dry and chewy cut of beef. No matter how exacting the recipe or...
Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond
David Gilmour still tours, and still performs tight sets that live up to the best of Progressive Rock's golden age. Nowadays, he tours mostly without the original members of Pink Floyd, but, he always includes exceptional musicians in the entourage. Here he is with...
Ok. I Guess You Don’t Have to Care!
I’m sorry but this is not a convincing essay on plastering yourself to a smartphone excessively. Samantha Irby writes “...maybe it’s worth it.” Ok, fine. She's a comedian, so this is supposed to be...funny? Not sure here. I think she's into her phone big time, and...
“What You Do With Your Spare Time Matters”
"What you do with your spare time matters." Love that. I like Aristotle's thinking. Take the part "...true human flourishing requires activities like philosophizing that are pursued for no other reason than their intrinsic quality." Beats in my heart, that one....
Please Recycle Your Batteries
Lots of batteries get recycled. Lots don't. Take alkaline batteries, for instance. You know, the double, triple A, C,, and D batteries many of us use? Do you know there is only one state that requires alkaline batteries to be recycled? Of course, its California. For...
AC/DC- Dirty Deeds
Set it to11
Some Things are Just Begging for Regulation. Here’s One of Them.
As E-Scooters Roll Into American Cities, So Do Safety Concerns The above is an article from last October connected to a newer article below this post.. I start with this one because it describes the basic problem: Electric scooters in cities. After reading several...
The Con of the Side Hustle
Mainstream news media is routinely attacked as an unreliable source for deeper truths, let alone, in-depth reporting. That may be true in all too many cases, but, media provides public platforms for opinion writers. Read enough of them, across the spectrum, and you'll...
How to Practice Humility (With Pictures)
Very useful. An in-depth look at how truly living with humility is not just checking off a few boxes now and then, but recognizing that it is a full spectrum way of life that involves many decisions on how we feel about, and conduct, ourselves around others almost...
Wireless Companies Sell Your Data, and Invade Your Privacy.
Another buzzkill reminder about modern life in a society with a government that seemingly doesn’t care enough to protect its people. Corporations that think nothing about its customers privacy as long as a dollar can be made selling it? As much as I think the causes...
The Deepest Hunger of the Human Soul
"The deepest hunger of the human soul is to be understood. The deepest hunger of the human body is for air. If you can listen to another person, in depth, until they feel understood, it’s the equivalent of giving them air." -Stephen R. Covey
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Keep A Little Soul
From the 60-song collection, An American Treasure, released last Fall, this previously unreleased track is one of many that remind fans how sad a loss to music, Tom's unexpected passing was. Related: Tom Petty's 'Keep A Little Soul' Is The First Taste Of A...
One Step Up. Two Steps Back.
We
As I am apt to do, I think about big picture life in quiet moments. Especially when I am in a pleasant environment around nature. I thought about what I wanted life to be, wished it would be, hoped it was underneath all of the overlays of existence. Its overwhelming...
Dick Dale’s Surf Remains on the Horizon
Dick Dale had a name that more people remembered, than who he actually was. What they remember is his sound. Beyond that sound, Dale deserves to be remembered for the huge influence he had on the musicians, guitars and amplifier designs that followed into the glorious...
Is Betomania Real or Phony?
A fair portrait of Beto’s current status, and his reception. The piece is long, but I found it useful, and worth digesting to round out his picture. As for me, I lean Nay on his chances for nomination, let alone beating Drumpf. Beto strikes me as a Bernie wannabe...
The Problem with Teenage Vaping Lies at the Feet of the Adults in Charge
Yet another "Duh" piece of news that should've, could've, been addressed properly, the moment big tobacco and vape manufacturers embraced plunged in to the market, and played down its dangers. Government regulators failed, and are still failing, to protect the public,...
Self Awareness
Here's today's self improvement post. Courtesy of the Pathway to Happiness website. I think there's valuable instruction here that all of us can use. Creating Happiness is done in many steps. Only with self awareness can we see where our steps are taking us. Self...
What Is Brexit?
Oh, alright! Here's what you need to know. Now you can have a conversation with somebody about this mess, and seem all...I dunno...intelligent? Happy now? But, if you really want to know what the deal is, according to me, make sure you read my thoughts about...
Living Honestly
To live honestly, is to spend quiet time with ourselves doing nothing but thinking about life, and what we feel about it. Deeply, honestly, I don’t mean some few random minutes of thumbnail introspection, whilst in the throes of passion, perhaps during a conflict or...
Pale Blue Dot
Melissa Etheridge – Like the Way I Do
Question # 1
What's more reliable, Like, or Love?
Audioslave – Original Fire (Video)
The Number One Cause of Arguments and Fights
There is so much good in this article. So much that can help people not be in conflict, and distant from each other. This is just one article, of so many others of this type, that are out there to help all of us overcome roadblocks to peace and understanding in our relationships.
Bonnie Raitt – I Can’t Make You Love Me
Let Children Get Bored Again
Courtesy NYTimes By Pamela Paul “I’m bored.” It’s a puny little phrase, yet it has the power to fill parents with a cascade of dread, annoyance and guilt. If someone around here is bored, someone else must have failed to enlighten or enrich or divert. And how can...
Hey! Hey! We Were the Monkees!
I barely remember this film for many of the reasons cited in this effectively illustrative review. Reading now, I am on my mission to seek it out and live through everything that writer Petra Mayer describes here. I was a prime audience member of the Monkees time on...
Social Worker Led Frugal Life To Leave Nearly $11 Million To Children’s Charities
A nice story of generosity. December 29, 201812:47 PM ET Via NPR Friends remember Washington state social worker Alan Naiman as being frugal. He wore old shoes held together with duct tape, bought his apparel at the grocery store, drove jalopies and ate at cheap...
Trump EPA orders rollback of Obama mercury regulations
This is an update on the earlier NYTimes article/post from September. There are so many areas to fight back and resist this President's actions against the environment. If you choose one fight against this administration, make it this one. By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, AP...
What Foods Are Banned in Europe but Not Banned in the U.S.?
I don't wonder too much why this is the case. The U.S is famous for getting tied up by corporate lobbyists, stifling bureaucracy, and a wholly inefficient, meek FDA. Further insult to public health is the plain greed of sellouts to corporations rich enough to pay for...
Romantic Love Between Two People
Love, to Me... Everyone is entitled to their own definition. Some may abide by more liberal views. Some are more constrained. Some of us put weight in demonstrative actions. Others treasure words, and expressions. The ways we develop, recognize, and show romantic...
Trump’s Problem…Mostly
Thinking, about this headline. Thinking, I agree. Thinking, that one, one of the key issues for my distaste of Trump, may very well have been his association with the Right side of government, and it’s ideology. In this regard, the question to all of us left of center...
No Process. No Progress
It certainly is true that Brexit, and the relationship with the EU is complicated. But, the reasons why this leave/don’t leave conflict has become a two year long fiasco mess that it is today, is not as complicated. The general public, the voting masses of citizens,...
Yes, You Can Be an Ethical Tech Consumer. Here’s How.
Products that we enjoy continue to create privacy, misinformation and workplace issues. We can do better at getting the industry to do better. Via NYTimes, By Brian X. Chen It has never felt worse to be a technology consumer. So what can you do about it? That’s the...
Trump Prepares to Unveil a Vast Reworking of Clean Water Protections
By Coral Davenport, Via NYTImes Dec. 10, 2018 WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is expected on Tuesday to unveil a plan that would weaken federal clean water rules designed to protect millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of miles of streams nationwide from...
How to Foster Empathy in Children
This is a very serious problem that is surely underestimated in its negative societal impacts. Children lacking empathy grow into adults lacking it. Once in adulthood, empathy is much harder to teach and appreciate. More focus needs to be placed on this with children,...
What These Medical Journals Don’t Reveal: Top Doctors’ Ties to Industry
“Calls for transparency stem from concerns that researchers’ ties to the health and drug industries increase the odds they will, consciously or not, skew results to favor the companies with whom they do business.” At this point in the medical...
Arrest Shakes Huawei as Global Skepticism of Its Business Grows
A shopping mall in Shanghai on Thursday. China sees Huawei as a main driver of its ambitions for technological leadership. But much of the world sees it as a potential conduit for espionage and sabotage. Via NYTIMES This is a complicated situation that warrants...
Life is Not Related to Any Classroom
I have to say, that growing up, I felt really unattached to the smarty nerds in my classes. all through grade school, junior and high school and through college. Maybe I just didn't connect with any of them as role models. Fair enough, and I did get into trouble...
More Salt, Fewer Whole Grains: USDA Eases School Lunch Nutrition Rules
The Trump administration is giving schools more flexibility in the meals they serve. Critics say the rollback on school lunch rules is bad for kids' health. I don’t read a shred of rational logic in any part of this decision. It’s nearly incomprehensible that this...
George Bush and the Obituary Wars
Enjoyed this... We like our villains without redemption and our heroes without blemish. What happened to shades of gray? By Frank Bruni, NYTimes Dec. 4, 2018 On Twitter over the weekend, the television writer Bryan Behar did something unconscionable. He praised George...
There’s No Real Difference Between Border Walls and Border Fences
CBP Agent standing before southern border wall This article touches on a single issue regarding the erection and political effects of border walls and/fences. The issue explained highlights a valid grievance from author, , but, the way I see it, no matter what the...
North Korea says it will not denuclearize until the US eliminates ‘nuclear threat’
These two guys with nuclear bombs in their hands. Yea, this is good. It is only a surface observation to make this a conversation about two men. I was probably six years old when I decided that nuclear bombs had no rational place in humanity. Soon after, as I realized...
Not All Trump Support is Ideological.
BULL'S EYE! Maybe They’re Just Bad People VIA NEW YORK TIMES, By Michelle Goldberg Seven years ago, a former aide to Ralph Reed — who also worked, briefly, for Paul Manafort — published a tawdry, shallow memoir that is also one of the more revealing political books...
Retailers Plan To Clear Deadly Paint Removers From Shelves, As EPA Delays Ban
The voluntary action of large retailers is a positive sign for consumers concerned if their health in light of inaction by the government. The takeaway of this fragmented outcome of action is an old one. Corporate money is powerful. Corporate fiscal interests outweigh...
Will One State Go It Alone to Make Polluters Pay?
Proponents say Washington State is a good place to try out carbon reduction ideas because it has abundant hydropower and a waning reliance on fossil fuels. The coal-fired power plant near Centralia, Wash., is scheduled to start shutting down in the next few years....
A Future Where Everything Becomes a Computer Is as Creepy as You Feared
The issue here, the answer, and the question, lies in demand. It is the end user, the consumers, who will dictate the success or failure of this potential reality of tech growth. If you look around, interview, or talk, to people, your friends, family, those in all age...
A New Prescription For Depression: Join A Team And Get Sweaty
I've believed in this a long time. Exercise and training is a monotonous bore fest only accomplished through discipline and cold commitment. Not the most inspiring motivators. Sports and games are actually “fun!” They build camaraderie, healthy (hopefully) competitive...
Frogs Are Disappearing. What Does That Mean?
Banded bullfrogs, native to Southeast Asia (and not yet endangered), on their thrones of chanterelle, lobster and shiitake mushrooms. For ages, they have been symbols in human culture — of fertility, gastronomy and now the alt-right movement. But these noble...
Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl
Uh huh...a major buzzkill. But, it happened. Uh huh...yeah. Translation not necessary. Only the stamped memory and awareness of what followed. The 4:43 trailer is all but enough to watch, but there's nearly two hours more of it in the finished film, reflecting the...
Coffee Rust Threatens Latin American Crop; 150 Years Ago, It Wiped Out An Empire
Via NPR/Jeff Koehler Five years ago, Finca El Valle, a small, family-run coffee farm south of Antigua, Guatemala, was producing 140,000 pounds of superior-quality Arabica for a select handful of America's premier specialty-coffee roasters. An outbreak of coffee leaf...
Louis C.K. Slithers Back, Whether We’re Ready or Not
Thoughtfully written. Asks questions that need answering. By Amanda Hess Aug. 30, 2018 He’s baaa-aaack. Louis C.K., the comic who in November admitted to having masturbated in front of female colleagues, climbed back onstage and tested out new material at the Comedy...
Toxic metal cadmium found in chain stores’ jewelry for adults
This is why costume jewelry is best avoided. Certainly, anything from China.Stick with quality metals and designs from individual artisans, you know, or at least, have a reputation. October 11, 2018, CBS News LOS ANGELES -- Jewelry with the toxic metal cadmium is...
We Could All Use a Little Snail Mail Right Now
What the world needs now? Handwritten cards and letters. No other written method of communication shows you care as much about connecting personally, than pen, ink, and, when called for, a stamp. It asks for more of us, more time, more creativity, and more commitment....
Tech Workers Now Want to Know: What Are We Building This For?
Really important! This is exactly how to truly evaluate a company's real values, if not, their moral position towards development technologies. By Kate Conger and Cade Metz, NYTimes Oct. 7, 2018 SAN FRANCISCO — Jack Poulson, a Google research scientist, recently...
Aging Comes Without Our Help. Contentment Does Not.
As good a read as it is difficult to execute. Take the headline itself, which contains the word, if not offered remedy, contentment. Well, that's not loaded. Is it? Thing is, its a tough proposition for most (not all) people, at any age, say...over...50? Give or take?...
The Anti-Environment President
Trump Administration Prepares a Major Weakening of Mercury Emissions Rules By Coral Davenport, NYTimes Sept. 30, 2018 The Trump administration has completed a detailed legal proposal to dramatically weaken a major environmental regulation covering mercury, a toxic...
How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t
A nicely written essay on the challenges between well meaning people and our imperfect, if not broken, political system. The example of the traveler to Scotland, illustrates one of the primary, most enduring themes of how a single individual, and any of us, can be...
Want to Seem More Likable? Try This
It’s easier than you think! Many people I have known don't ask lots of questions in social conversations. Its as if they don't see the value or potential in attempting to learn something of their conversational partner beyond small time banter. I wonder if they are...
Alcohol and Cancer Risk
I still drink, but way less than I used to. I started gradually to move away from it some two years ago. I love a good red, but more than a glass is a rarity for me these days. Martinis? Mixed drinks? Beer? Love'em all, but I just get plastered so easily with two or...
3 Tips to Have Better Conversations
Be genuine. Be interested. And stop hogging the conversation. Recognizing a person who practices conversation etiquette is often as simple as noticing just one or two things. They listen, and pay attention. Not so easy to find, and all the more reason it is so...
Hurricane, Typhoon or Cyclone? Same Storm, Different Name
Damage caused this month by Typhoon Jebi in Osaka, Japan. By Jennifer Jett, NPR Sept. 12, 2018 Hurricane Florence is bearing down on the eastern United States. A powerful typhoon, Jebi, tore through Japan last week, and another one, brewing in the Pacific, is headed...
U.S. Plans to Pay Mexico to Deport Unauthorized Immigrants There
A disgusting man who is stealing money or withholding it from government funds that should be helping people, not serving political purposes or lining one's pockets. Via NYTimes, Gardiner Harris and Julie Hirschfeld Davis Sept. 12, 2018 WASHINGTON — President Trump...
From Criminal Convictions to Ethical Lapses: The Range of Misconduct in Trump’s Orbit
Anti-Trumpers long ago stopped needing reasons to reject this presidency and it’s administration. Most saw it coming from day one of his candidacy. Let alone nearly two years in. By LARRY BUCHANAN and KAREN YOURISH, NYTimes, SEPT. 1, 2018 Since President Trump’s...
Earth
An absolute lullaby. On any screen. Sit back and enjoy the ride. EARTH from Michael König on Vimeo.
How Far America Has Fallen
Excellent. To be understood by anyone still puzzled and looking for answers. The thing with every shocking revelation about Trump is that it's already baked into his image. I've never met a Trump supporter who did not know exactly who he is. By Roger Cohen,...
The Full-Spectrum Corruption of Donald Trump
Another excellent essay on what’s happening. I only wish the amount of people behind this man was subject to reduction of any amount. Even the slightest migration of heretofore supporters away from Trump has the potential to build to a tipping point and puncture this...
A Day At The Beach Won’t Be The Same After ‘The World In A Grain’
August 14, 201810:01 AM ET Courtesy NPR: Genevieve Valentine The first time you see 'sand piracy,' it might sound surreal — a misguided Pixar villain whose lackeys race down the beach with empty buckets and sinister intent, doomed to fail in the face of a resource...
Which Vision Of Farming Is Better For The Planet?
Along the back of this field of sugar snap peas, sunflowers and bachelor buttons at Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center is a buffer of maturing big-leaf maples and red-osier dogwoods. It's a combination of forest and thicket that the farm has left standing to help...
John James, Black and Republican, Thinks He Can Crack the ‘Blue Wall’ in Michigan
This election is extremely important to the potential of black voters moving towards a Republican agenda. It’s dangerous because many of them will not study the deeper roots of the party’s idealogy, but focus only on a charismatic black voice ostensibly standing...
What Is QAnon? The Conspiracy Theory Tiptoeing Into Trump World
Signs bearing the letter "Q" are visible at President Trump's campaign rally in Florida on Tuesday. They're related to the "QAnon" conspiracy theory. The country is abloom with more crackpots than ever. The world follows. More are born. And the future looks worse for...
Russian Hackers Targeted The Most Vulnerable Part Of U.S. Elections. Again
Anyone involved in, or running a political campaign, especially a non Republican/Conservative, from here on, probably forever more, who doesn’t, at very minimum, use two-factor authentication, plus demonstrate extreme vigilance over their operation and people, is...
How Trump Won Re-election in 2020
A sneak peek at the Times’s news analysis from Nov. 4, 2020. President Trump at a Make America Great Again rally in Duluth, Minn., on June 20 Really good. Are Democratic power brokers and lead pols smart enough to see this now? If not, check back here and see how...
Wave of plastic hits Dominican Republic
This was the scene on a beach in the Dominican Republic after a storm on Thursday. We spoke to the organization who shot the footage of the plastic on the shoreline. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-44914919/wave-of-plastic-hits-dominican-republic
A Landmark Legal Shift Opens Pandora’s Box for DIY Guns
The law can address this situation properly given a wary enough Supreme Court, where this will end up, but it’s not likely to matter anymore than the laws already against illegal gun ownership. The real issue, and cause, for gun violence past, present, and still to...
More Screen Time For Teens Linked To ADHD Symptoms
Definitive, preventative action from responsible parties, should not be postponed because there is not a direct connections proven. Open eyes see the way teens, already behave - necks bent, preoccupied checking their phones, bizarrely concerned with every post on...
Twitter Is Removing Millions Of Fake Followers From Users’ Lists
This is exactly what Facebook should be doing...constantly. It's also why I spend so very little time on either of these social media platforms, and in fact, sadly, am very suspicious of all social media now that is based on accruing followers, click-like buttons,...
An Indian State Bans Plastic Bags, Straws And More. Will It Work?
July 9, 20185:06 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition, Via NPR From June to September, monsoon rains fall on Mumbai, India's largest city, delivering relief from stifling heat and vital nourishment to surrounding farmland. But they also bring an unwelcome visitor: Tons of...
Officials Say Illegal Pesticide Caused Deaths Of 13 Bald Eagles In Maryland
Farmers can be painted with a stereotypical salt of the earth wholesome image, but that doesn't mean it's true. There's a dark, selfish, and nasty side to many of them. Here's one example. by Vanessa Romo NPR - June 22, 2018 Robert Edgell has grown accustomed to...
Behind Trump’s Plan to Overhaul the Government: Scaling Back the Safety Net
The related stories to this current article are staggering in their volume and focus. DeVos, Mulvaney, Pruitt, along with others in the Trump administration, who support them, become as close to defacto evil, as human beings can get, when their judgement suffers from...
Anthony Bourdain, Chef and Gifted Storyteller
Anthony Bourdain was a refreshing breakaway from the huge crop of foodie chefs that rained down on restaurant and eating culture from the 1990s on. For nearly twenty years after retiring from the grinding restaurant business, he lived his loves of food, travel,...
Apple Aims To Help Parents Crack Down On Kids’ iPhone Use
A child plays with a mobile phone while riding in a New York subway in December. Two major Apple investors urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone use among children. Ok...fine, but if parents cave to their kids' whining, and pouting when...
Another WHY not asked by surface reporting.
Takeaway Quote: "...of the 1,566 institutions studied, 242 reported higher grad rates for their Pell students." The focus of this article is about the majority of Pell students having lower grad rates when compared to non Pell students. However, the writer doesn't...
Life, Pain, Art, Death
Scott Hutchinson, singer songwriter, founder of the band, Frightened Rabbit, died earlier this month. I didn't know him, nor the band's music well, so I decided to listen some. I came away feeling a familiar sadness, as I often have, after an artistic soul of uncommon...
How A Drugmaker Gamed The System To Keep Generic Competition Away
When it comes to corporate theft, betrayal of public trust, nonexistent ethics, immorality, and anything else from the playbook of man's darkest sides, big pharm companies stand alone in the spotlight of evil, right next door to cold blooded murder. Read the article...
Belief is not Truth
Understand the new environment we are all in regarding the fight for credible news reporting, and the lack of visible sourcing. Most especially, this is evident in the new distributors of news and information, that live entirely online, and have no legacy of...
“The First Thing We Do is Listen to Each Other”
Listen to each other. Each other. Who woulda thought??!! Solid advice on how loving partners survive conflict, and grow together. If you find you can't do this, nor consider it a priority above all else, or just feel put upon to do it, you really don't belong in the...
Iran Deal: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Understanding Iran and global relations is not a laughing matter, and should never be reduced to a series of smarmy jokes and cheap laughs, but, if your attention span is not geared to digging into the history and politics of this region and U.S. behavior towards it,...
Why No World Power Really Wants To Topple Syria’s Assad
Dear Greg Myre of NPR: Your article has a good headline, but you write almost nothing that actually answers the question you posed. It's very difficult to do, but you could've tried. You did not, and that's the problem with current mainstream journalism. It does not...
Losing the Power to Fight
I have lots of company joining me, exhausted with the ongoing news cycles for the last year and a half. It’s not subsiding any time soon. I’m thinking years. Given the American culture, and habits of, news reporting, its consumption, buying it, selling it, sponsoring...
The Suspense Will Kill You
You're going to watch this, and you're going to like this. All seventy-seven minutes. I'm working on a full length dubbed voice over. No, I'm not.
Anthem Says Eye Surgeons Should Monitor Cataract Anesthesia Themselves
There is no way I would allow ANY doctor to administer anesthesia on me instead of anesthesiologist. This is awful and should not be tolerated.States and medical associations should organize and fight back on this, in Washington, if necessary. Michelle Andrews, NPR If...
Lazy Psychology Yields Lazy Answers for Complicated Questions
Following the horrific school shootings in this country, numerous articles have been written connecting mass shootings to fatherless boys and broken homes. Most of them are associated with Conservative media and their journalists. After reading the older article from...
After Sandy Hook, More Than 400 People Have Been Shot in Over 200 School Shootings
How unbelievably tragic that the parenting experience now has to include day to day anxiety of wondering if your child is going to be shot dead in a classroom. By JUGAL K. PATEL FEB. 15, 2018 NYTimes When a gunman killed 20 first graders and six adults with an assault...
Keep Your Head Up: How Smartphone Addiction Kills Manners and Moods
By Adam Popescu, NYTimes Jan. 25, 2018 Let’s play a game: The next time you’re sitting among a group of friends or out on a date, measure how much time passes before someone grabs their phone to look at it. How long can you last? “If that happens, that’s when dinner...
Dogs
Dogs Pink Floyd You gotta be crazy, you gotta have a real need You gotta sleep on your toes, and when you're on the street You gotta be able to pick out the easy meat with your eyes closed And then moving in silently, down wind and out of sight You gotta strike when...
One of these Days, Alice.
The Only Way to Live
To live honestly, is to spend quiet time with ourselves doing nothing but thinking about life, and what we feel about it. Deeply, honestly, I don’t mean some few random minutes of thumbnail introspection, whilst in the throes of passion, perhaps during a conflict or...
Recycling Chaos In U.S. As China Bans ‘Foreign Waste’
How ironic, that China, who has been caught red handed tainting everything from pet food to pharmaceuticals, and vitamin and herb supplements, has become oh-so-picky about its recycled imports. American households, businesses, municipalities do not do a good enough...
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week
I was not of the teen or young adult generation who grew up with the Beatles, but I was solidly attached in adolescence to my evolving musical taste. In the spring of 1963, I officially became a Beatles fan, with the release of the single, I Saw Her Standing There,...
Uber Data On 57 Million People Stolen In Massive Hack
I have never trusted the Uber model because I never liked its CEO and co-founder, Travis Kalanick. The privacy theft UBER engaged in with its app update earlier this year revealed the first public glance at how he ran this business. I am sure most riders let it slide....
Malapropism
Malapropism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A malapropism (also called a malaprop or Dogberryism) is the use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance. An example is the statement by...
Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue - Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic (1976)
Edges
We all have strong protective edges. They help us forge on, against friction in life. When challenges arise, or things get difficult, the edges come out of our psychological sheaths, to cut through the resistance. On the other hand, when they become locked behind...
The Silence of the Democrats
OpEd from the NYTimes By MICHAEL TOMASKY OCTOBER 29, 2017 A recent speech by George W. Bush made headlines for its pointed criticisms of Donald Trump, but there was something else he said that I found far more compelling. As soon as he finished his thank-yous and his...
Quotes
I wonder if we could love passionately, if ecstasy would be possible at all, if we knew we'd never die. —Abraham Maslow “Where is wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” —T.S Eliot The mind learns by doing....
Florida Chicken Parm
Tom Petty and Gary Shandling
This is NOT a Tom Petty interview. Its a Tom Petty/Gary Shandling hang-out. Staged by Shandling, as only he can do. Oddly entertaining, and real.
The Trump Doctrine
So many citizens of this great country voted for this Bull-in-a-China-Shop President. The substantial forces of racism and xenophobia, sadly contributed greatly to this train wreck election, but many of the other Trump supporters hold self defeating tendencies by...
The G.O.P. Is a Mess. It’s Not All Trump’s Fault.
The floor of the Quicken Loans Arena, site of the 2016 Republican National Convention. Most of this is obvious by now, but its valuable to recognize ongoingly. Well written summation. Worth reading. Courtesy NYTimes, OP-Contributor, Peter Sudman If the modern...
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Live From Gatorville/Gainesville, FL (HD) (FULL CONCERT)
The full concert from Gainesville. One of his best shows. Watch it in HD on a big screen with some good speakers. Available free on YouTube. Worth any Tom Petty fan's time.
The Sole Pursuit of Selfhood Leaves Out Deeper Fulfillment
I'm on board with David Brooks here. Maslow was a great thinker, but the pursuit of self as the highest goal, which has spawned the "me" generation, has always struck me as a cold and removed way of living. Selfish, in more pedantic terms. Especially when juxtaposed...
Jerry Lewis
The Nutty Professor and The Bellboy had me in stitches, and can still do it to me today. I continued to laugh at Jerry through most of the 1960s. In the late 60s and 70s, as he moved away from filmmaking into his iconic role of telethon toastmaster, he became a sober,...
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini retired from the NBC orchestra before I saw him perform live, but later on in the 1960s, NBC had showed reruns of these famed orchestra performances. I watched them as a young boy, and was riveted by the music, and by Toscanini. After reading a recent...
Long Strange Trip
Most entertaining. If you were just half a Grateful Dead fan, you will breeze through all six episodes. Every interview has intelligent and thoughtful accountings of the odyssey of the Grateful Dead. The depth was unexpected. Tons of great unearthed footage and...
Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton
The impressive output of life work done by both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton after they left office is unchallengeable, if not extraordinary. No matter what their political or personal failures had been as Presidents, nor their mistakes in calculating complex...
Gregg Allman: 20 Essential Songs
The rock band that sold me the blues. Outstanding list including some of the very best from the band's legendary heyday. Each one deserves a listen. Respect! RIP Gregg. Gregg Allman: 20 Essential Songs Southern rock pioneer fused country blues with San Francisco-style...
It’s Chicken or Fish
As Tom Friedman points out in the fourth paragraph, "The G.O.P. never would have embraced someone like Trump in the first place...; all the good men and women in this party’s leadership have been purged or silenced; those who are left have either been bought off by...
Massive cyberattack targeting 99 countries causes sweeping havoc.
I've been a Mac person since 1993. There was never a question for me. Since that time, and after Microsoft launched its first Windows platform, the main reason individuals and companies chose Microsoft over Mac, was cost savings, and, where applicable, compatibility...
Judges Take Up Big Soda’s Suit To Abolish Philadelphia’s Sugar Tax
An appeals court hears arguments Wednesday on the future of Philly's landmark tax on sweetened drinks. The money is funding preschool for low-income kids, but the soda industry says it's losing jobs. In observing those people who are directly involved in the sales and...
Need A Happiness Boost? Spend Your Money To Buy Time, Not More Stuff
Of course, this assumes you have enough disposable income to even have choices. The problem with American culture within those who have fair amounts of disposable income, is the preoccupation with consumption and fleeting pleasures, as opposed to more thoughtful...
Why Didn’t Zika Cause A Surge In Microcephaly In 2016?
I don't normally think of animal testing for medical research. It's a hornets nest of moral questions and human purpose that for me, is almost impossible to get through unharmed from guilt, and some degree of hypocrisy. For some reason, today, I revisited the quandary...
Farmers Fight Environmental Regulations
by Dan Charles NPR - March 7, 2017 The way environmentalist Craig Cox sees it, streams and rivers across much the country are suffering from the side effects of growing our food. Yet the people responsible for that pollution, America's farmers, are fighting any hint...
The Problem with the Long View
A good read. Overall, makes sense to me, though... Though optimism is always welcome, here it's awkward, because author, Cowen, frames it only in relative terms. That's all good, if you want to play long view, historical, cyclical, and all that, but in the real world...
The Right Way to Say ‘I’m Sorry’
Excellent. MB Via NYTimes, By Jane E. Brody Jan. 30, 2017 Most people say “I’m sorry” many times a day for a host of trivial affronts – accidentally bumping into someone or failing to hold open a door. These apologies are easy and usually readily accepted, often with...
Trump Does War
People who understand global dynamics can be nothing but alarmed. All the rest don't understand the words. Many of Trump's supporters make vigorous arguments about how he's going to fix their country. That’s all well and good, but they don't seem to give thoughtful...
Spells
I've become a man of spells lately... Dizzy spells Hearing spells. Headache spells Vision spells. Equilibrium spells Orientation spells. Loss of Memory spells Spells of spells... I think I know what it is, what they are. Or, I don't know what it is. Somehow none of...
School’s Out/Barely In
What's up with the half school days here? Not one to miss an opportunity to recite yet another "When I was a kid…." story, I have to say how annoyed I am with the public school system here in CT. I also can't miss another opportunity to clarify that I am not a native...
Live Longer
Dramatic medical progress and scientific breakthroughs all point convincingly to human beings living much longer in the coming decades and beyond. Below is a quick glance at the projected outcomes of what to expect in the near and not-to-distant future. Life Span -...
Do We Always Forgive?
Do we always forgive? The question came to me in a dream last night. There was/is no clear trigger, or connection to my conscious state. At least not in a direct way. Symbolism? Well, we could go on all day about that with dream content. Been thinking a lot about it…...
TRUMP WINS??!!
With his election to President of the United States, Donald Trump, amazingly, has risen higher than most of us, maybe even he, thought he ever could. President of the United States, Donald Trump! If anybody thought his insatiable ego was through the roof before, it is...
Dating and the Timing of Sex
For some, the decision on making moves towards sex, even the most innocent kiss, can be fraught with fear and awkwardness. Here's my criteria for working through the early emotions: First Date: No. Its rushing. Second Date: Eh, not really. Its impatient. Third Date:...
Burgers
Chiller Theater
Still, the scariest show I ever watched as a kid. In the 1960s, I went to bed watching Chiller Theater at 10pm (way past my bedtime), with a craft model of Frankenstein standing atop the black and white TV set in front of the nighttime sky. As much as I prepared for...
On Protest Voting and Non Voters
The outcries against Hillary Clinton are loud and clear. Excluding the obvious Trump supporter, Hillary's most vocal detractors are roughly divided amongst three groups, some of which can overlap. 1) Lowly educated voters, "some" of whom, are racists, misogynistic,...
Walking In Nature
Since moving to Connecticut, I have discovered how important it is to take time to escape the stress associated with noise, and unsightly visuals of over-development, sprawl, relentless commercialism, and worst of all, litter, and filth. I discovered the value of...
Sugar Industry Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat
Fifty years of misleading and dishonest research. Imagine how different things might be with public health and education if these bogus research papers weren't given the credibility they received. The second to last paragraph from the NPR article below says it all....
The Joke of Donald Trump is Lost on His Supporters
After Trump’s really awkward and 100% phony trip to Mexico, followed by the insufferable speech in Arizona, I have finally reached my personal end point with following the activity of this stunningly incompetent clown! I felt it was important to keep tabs on him just...
BigFat-ChickenScratch-MagicMarker-SharpiePen-SprayPaint-Graffitismack
Copyright © HMBailey | All rights reserved
What Brexit Signals for the U.S. and Beyond
If you understand just a tiny bit about Brexit, you know its parallel to what’s happening politically in the U.S. Beyond that, trying to dissect the impact, now, and going forward, is a long, certainly stressful, and perhaps unnecessary conversation, until effective...
New York Dealer
I interviewed these guys for a "personal project" video doc I produced in the heights of urban cocaine use, 1981. All the years since, I still contain the same mixture of impulses ranging from laughter, puzzlement, confusion, to complete bafflement. This group of...
The Pause
Part of the complete book STOP AND GO MADNESS
What Is Hidden
When I was a little kid, I used to hear people say the world is not fair, people will screw you over, nice guys finish last, you can’t succeed if you don’t step on other people. I always had trouble with these statements. I thought they were coming from people who...
There is No Free Internet
The concept and vision of "net neutrality" is easily expressed. Its far more difficult to protect, given the manipulative tendencies of corporate behavior, and millions spent on lobbying. Cell providers and internet giants never do anything without profit, and/or...
Pooky
Pet Services
Doctor’s Consultation
(Overheard almost verbatim in a doctor's exam room next door.) Doctor Spencer: So, you have two children now? Patient Montana: No, Doctor. I have four. Doctor: You just told me you had two children. Patient: Those were just the ones living with me. Doctor: I see. So,...
Useful Text for Your Next Outburst of Passionate Rebuttal:
Feline Fables
Mood Chart
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Eyes
Copyright © Michael Bailey | All rights reserved
Cautious Dating
Rules for Women Meeting Blind Dates 1) Make sure you meet in a public place, preferably one that has a bathroom with a large window to climb out of. 2) The first chance you get, accidentally drop your can of mace from your purse so he can see it. Then, pick it up and...
Not Feeling Well?
What's a short trip to the doctor's office? Go ahead. Go! Better safe, than sorry. In Alphabetical Order ANTHRAX AVIAN FLU BELLS PALSY BIRD FLU BRAIN TUMOR BRUCELLOSIS BUBONIC PLAGUE CHOLERA CROHN'S DISEASE DENGUE FEVER DETACHED RETINA DIABETES (IDIOPATHIC) DIPTHERIA...
Passion
It's about time I conquered my demons and finally decided to live my life the way I want to, not the way other people see me, or think I should be. Damnit! Life is too short to waste precious days, hours, minutes, seconds doing anything but what beats within my heart...
How to Choose a Spouse
This chart is kind of a joke, but it was inspired by a similar one I saw in an issue of Psychology Today on how to make decisions. I'm wondering if there's anything on this I should apologize for. Finances? Hm...maybe. Tough one. I'm thinking there's not. Its gender...
Catch and Release
Similar to Her, my first one-sentence stream written a year before this one, Catch and Release brought out from me another spontaneous flow of words about, well...okay...yes...another woman. I remember this one being more practiced, as a second to an original always...
More Comix
Her
Further back than I care to accept, before I moved out of NYC, but right on the cusp of my exit to supposed greener pastures, I pulled into a gas station in the Bronx community of Riverdale. I just stood there watching her walk back to the pump, as I filled my tank. I...
Pompous Cyclists Join the Ranks of the Rude
Used to be I was happy to take a walk along a path away from cars and smelly, noisy, dangerous street traffic. Nowadays? Not so much. I've written here about deranged drivers of cars and trucks on the roads and highways. Now its time to draw a comparison to other...
Do this! NO, DO THIS! Not that! THIS!
Are you tired of reading anti-exercise philosophy articles? Here's an anti-anti-exercise philosophy article. I've written here before about my own view on exercise fanaticism. Not that there isn't enough around elsewhere. I've decided that people who flame the type A...
Phono Needle Screech
So, I tell you this. You tell me that. We meet, share a table, smile, laugh, flirt, go to the movies, say good night, share another table, watch the sunset, kiss, have sex, have breakfast, and presto, we have someone who gives a damn for some indeterminate period of...
Arnold Calls an Escort Service
I know this is stupid, sophomoric and the lowest level of creative sharing, but I gotta put this somewhere, and you guys are the lucky winners. If you're an Arnold fan, you'll laugh. If you're not, you'll sit there and probably mumble to yourself. Perhaps in a nagging...
Ecstasy Painting
To request an estimate by email, click here. COPYRIGHT © MICHAEL BAILEY | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Men Without Paint
Click for feature story. In order to successfully complete the Certificate Program for Desktop Publishing at CUNY in New York, I had to prove proficiency in the layout skills I was taught. I chose to create a magazine column layout with a feature story and images. The...
Why Won’t They Listen
In 2004, mid way through the Bush v Gore Presidential campaign, my sister and I started feeling uncomfortable with each other. It actually included her husband too, but he didn't disturb me as much. It was Cindy who bothered me the most. Because, well, she was/is my...
Soul Mates
His Personal Ad click Her Personal Ad click All content COPYRIGHT © MICHAEL BAILEY | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I’ll Take the Chicken Fingers!
click for menu (Just read it...all. I promise it will grow on you.) COPYRIGHT © MICHAEL BAILEY | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
More About All This…
I've gone back and forth on what to do with blog technology. I waffled for years among a myriad of choices and creative approaches between building a site with higher social or communication purpose, and building something of a more self absorbed level. These two...
Are You In Sync?
What does it mean to be in sync? Particularly with another person. I've been thinking about how hard it is to connect with certain friends by phone. Just to say hello. For these particular friends, it's not easy at all. We often call each other's voice mails,...
Non Drivers (Warning: Potential Offensive Language.)
For the love of god, will you people who tailgate please get some psychological help. For the record, I am not a slow, crawling driver. Anything but, actually. I've had my share of speeding tickets, and beieve 55mph is a ridiculously slow speed limit on most highways...
Cat Litter…again.
Cleaning the litter box is not what it used to be. Does anybody know what I mean? Pooky is fifteen. That's a long time cleaning up someone's poop every day. I mean, really. Cleaning up someone's poop with a scoop that puts your hands only inches away from a substance...
Multiple Choice
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Extra Virgin Suicide
Here is an excellent illustrated interactive time line produced by Nicholas Blechman of the New York Times, about what has, and is going on in the world of EVOO. Personally, I am suspicious of many so called "high end" food products' origins and quality. Our own U.S....
Comix
Oops!
Copyright © Michael Bailey | All rights reserved
Let It Snow (Warning: Potential Offensive Language)
"Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! My Ass! Get that shit outta here! Get that motherfucking white dirt black slag shit crap outta my face. Fuck this!!...