A World with No Empathy

Can you even imagine a world without empathy? Actually if that were the case I wouldn't be writing this and you wouldn't be reading it either, because civilization would've died out eons ago, if it could've ever began in the first place. Without empathy there would be no love. No understanding. No bonding. No relationships. No families and no children. And BTW, God bless the children. Can you imagine people with no empathy? They exist. They're not all the evil, satanic monsters who run things either. They walk among us. They might include someone you know. Your friends. Your family. Your significant other. Maybe your ex. People without empathy? THEY'RE NOT HUMAN.

Jukebox in My Head (selection B-64)

"She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles. I could just say "Hey, it's the Beatles" and leave it at that, but of course I won't. History will smile fondly upon the Beatles. No matter what bands you like, you owe a debt of gratitude to the Fab Four whether you know it or not. Pre-Beatles you had Elvis, Buddy and them, but when it comes to what we think of as "Rock" music, the Beatles did it first. They opened the door (actually they kicked it down) for every band that would follow.
 Supposedly George Martin was moved to tears when he first heard the tune and I believe it. What's for sure is that he wrote a stunningly-beautiful string arrangement for it. It's my favorite string part for any Rock song I've ever heard, if you can even call it that. I could listen to the strings alone. It's precise, majestic, sad and simply gorgeous. If it doesn't move you you'd better check your pulse.
 It tells the story of a girl running away from home after meeting a man "in the motor trade," from the parents' perspective. That alone is one of a million reasons the Beatles were so great. It captures the shock and sadness that the parents felt upon learning that their girl was gone. I can only imagine. The line "She breaks down and cries to her husband 'Daddy, our baby's gone'" gets me to this day. That's viciously-sad, man. It's getting me right now as I type. Up until then, most "sad" songs dealt with bad breakups and shit like that. This broke new ground. For those keeping score it's in 3/4, or "waltz" time. Three is the rhythm of the heart.
 It starts out with a harp, which sets the tempo and basically acts as a rhythm-guitar part, but most of the melody is strings. How many "Rock" tunes to this day do you know that start with a harp? Fucking brilliant. In fact, none of the Beatles played any instruments on it at all. I'm pretty sure that was a first too. The vocals are as beautiful as the strings. The chorus is just monstrous. It features Paul singing "She is leaving home" over a call-and-response countermelody sung by John and George. It goes "Sheeeeeeeee" ("We never thought of ourselves") "is leaving" ("Never a thought for ourselves") "hooooooooooome" ("We gave her everything money could buy"). Of course there's an obvious message there. When Paul jumps up into falsetto range to sing "Home" it just rips your face off. Monster.
 I guess the hook is when they sing "Bye-bye." There's nothing quite like it. Since there's no drums on the tune, I guess Ringo went out for a ciggy or maybe something a little stronger. His very absence from the track speaks volumes. He was such an integral part of most of the Beatles' tunes that his absence is palpable. Good ol' Ringo. I had a cat named Ringo. And don't get me started on the silly, useless debate as to whether or not Ringo was a good drummer. Anyone who even has to ask simply doesn't have any ears. He's the best Rock drummer ever to pick up sticks, in terms of playing for the song, and that's coming from a drummer. Anyway this is an incredible tune. You've probably heard it. If so, have another listen and see if it doesn't still slay you. If not, you're in for a serious treat. Enjoy. Bye-bye.

"She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBPY78D88g

Random Funny: Eatin' that Pie

I recently met a woman on YT who goes by the name of Cheese. I was telling her last night about a great channel with a guy named Bruce who has several gnarly telescope rigs and who does hi-res photography of the Moon and stars and stuff. He also takes videos in the IR, and catches things not visible to the eye, such as mysterious lights that move and fly unlike traditional aircraft. It's hard to deny that "something is out there" when you see those vids.
 A few minutes ago I noticed that Bruce was having a live stream so I popped on, and there was Cheese. I was really glad to see her and glad she took my advice. I'm still getting to know her and I wouldn't call her aggressive so far, but she wasn't born yesterday. She's polite, witty and very smart. She's only been "awake" less than two years, and all this crazy shit is new and scary and bewildering to her, and I get it. She has a lot to learn but the key is she's learning. She asks some very intelligent questions. She says she feels stupid asking about things most of us already know, but I told her that the only thing that would be stupid is to NOT ask questions. I really dig her.
 I saw her in Bruce's chat and I said hello. Bruce lives in Canada so he speaks fluent French, and American women seem to think that's hot. Cheese made a comment saying "Is it me, or do other people get hot (she used a flame emoji instead of the word) when Bruce speaks French?" Of course there was a chorus of LOLs from some of the other females in chat. I got a kick out of it. She made another comment or two but I don't remember what she said. Bruce was about to close down the show because his pizza had just arrived and it was dinner time. He opened the box to show his pizza. Cheese goes "I'm on your pizza." I lost it laughing. That's dynamite. With all due respect to non-funny women, those who have an excellent sense of humor are a turn-on. Good one, Cheese. You funny.

Injection WTF

[NOTICE: This post is not intended to replace medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure anything besides lack of knowledge. Have a nice day.]
 Here we have yet another drug on the market. It's a non-insulin injection to help control blood sugar. I'm quite sure it's been declared "safe" by the Federal Demonic Association. Yep, it's cool. Hit up. Side-effects? Oh, hell yeah. You know the story on that. All I'll say else is that if you think that meds are the only way to control blood sugar or blood pressure or any number of things, you're quite uneducated.
 The ad says "Helps control blood sugar in combination with diet and exercise." The problem with that is that most people won't bother with the diet and exercise part of the deal. And what they don't tell you is that if you really work hard at it you can control blood sugar with diet and exercise alone. So many people think that pharmaceuticals are the only way to go and they're all you need and they can fix anything all by themselves. It's sad. Look into the meaning of the word "Pharmakeia," which became our modern word "Pharmacy." It's enlightening. It's what the real story is.
 What's curious is that the ad vid for it says "Do not share needles." What, do people shoot this shit? I thought it was intramuscular rather than IV. Do people sit around going "Hey, I just cooked up a batch of Ozempic...can I borrow your needle?" Can you get high off it? They mainlining Ozempic? WTF? I'm just kidding of course and I know they're just covering their asses legally in this day and age of "idiot warnings" (Driver on closed course. Do not attempt.), which, since we're apparently about stupid as fuck, we need, but it really shows how dumbed-down of a society we've become, and that's by design. I keep trying to hip people to that idea but they can't even comprehend it. Could it be because we've all been dumbed-down, yo? Think about it. Look into it. Do it. Seriously, do it. God we're dumbasses.

Over-Singing Songs: Blackbird

Most people over thirty know the Beatles' tune "Blackbird" (written by Paul McCartney). It's one of my favorite songs on the planet. Its beauty lies in its simplicity, and the gorgeous melody and lyrics. Is it about the struggle of black people? I don't know, but it's stunningly beautiful. The guitar part is amazing and there isn't a wasted note in the whole tune.
 The mega-bonus to this track is that it features an actual Blackbird (I think) singing. I don't know how they did it or whether there was human intervention, but the bird's song is perfectly in tune. After the song stops the bird sings one more little line. It's brilliant. I love the song and back in the day bands would play it occasionally, and I always paid attention to how the singer handled it. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard people sing it- wrong.
 The vocal part is the ticket though, and so many people who learn the song sing it wrong. How? They over-sing it. It's totally understandable because it's an amazing tune and it always gets a great response from the crowd, but let's just say that most people butcher it. It's not that they don't have good voices necessarily, but they just overcrank it. BLACKBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIIIIIIIIIGHT. They add vibrato out the wazoo and they almost sound like opera singers. Sorry, wrong.
 Many times they'll add extra notes and syllables to the words and slur them like a flavor-of-the-month Pop star singing God Bless America and singing five notes over each word, and it's about their careers and what great singers they are rather than the song itself. They could be singing Mary Had a Little Fucking Lamb for all they care as long as they can show their stuff to a huge audience. But I digress. And rant. That's not how it's done. People who do have good voices tend to want to show them off. So how should it be sung? Have a listen.
 Paul sings the first part of the verses calmly, naturally and gently. It's almost a whisper at times. If anything he's not over-singing. It's very relaxed. Then when he sings the last half of the verse that goes "Blackbird fly into the light of the dark black night" (the hook) he belts it a little more. It takes the song to a whole different level, and if he hadn't sung the first half softly it couldn't have happened. He sings that part at the volume most people start the song at. When you do that there's nowhere else to go. You've already peaked. It's called dynamics, and I say it's what separates the men from the boys (with all due respect to women and the LGBTQ, etc. community) when it comes to music. As was typical of the day but generally done with machines today, he doubled that line, which means that he went back on another track and sang the same line as closely as possible to the first line. It makes it thickerer and just saturates the whole track.
 For those keeping score, the way they do it today is copy/paste. They just digitally peel the line off and paste it over the first line. Since doing it naturally will result in a combined part that doesn't quite match perfectly, they simulate that effect by simply adding a tiny bit of delay; usually around 40 milliseconds, but if you compare the two methods it's a weak simulation really. There will be a tiny delay between the two takes done manually; in other words the singer will change notes and syllables at very slightly different times, because, well...we're human, and the digital delay simulates that part of it. But there's more variance than delay covers, such as pitch. There might be an almost imperceptible warble as the pitches of the two takes are slightly different. If you ever get a chance to compare the two methods you'll clearly hear the difference. The machine version sounds sterile, and what's more is they'll often take just one vocal line and use it every time it comes up in the song and it sounds the same every time. Doing it manually it's different every time. Some people still do it that way.
 Well, there's your studio tech lesson for the day. And while I can't claim to be a great vocalist I can sure as hell tell a great one from the rest. McCartney can sing. I know this is an ancient tune and probably beyond "Oldies," but if you ever get to hear someone do it live, or on the off-chance you might actually sing it yourself one day, you'll be in the know. There's a difference. Listen to it. Relax.

Blackbird: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo

Cosmic Coincidence #73,717,192,709: The Meteor Peeps

Right around the end of 2015 I prayed that God would send me some new friends who were not only believers but also awake. I seemed to get an answer right away that said that I'd definitely meet some new people, but not necessarily face-to-face. I didn't understand what that meant but I pondered it for a bit and went on about my business. Okay, Lord.
 A few months later in Spring of 2016 I was on the meteor page. It tracks incoming meteors. I've been going there for years...I don't know how long. Most times I'd go on I'd be the only person in the world on there. It was like they'd set up the site just for me. Then the meteor activity started ramping up as the Earth entered a massive debris field which we're still going through. More and larger/longer-duration meteors were being picked up, as well as anomalous energy readings that were literally off the charts, and definitely not meteors. More people started logging on, and then I noticed comments and realized there was a chat room. I had no idea.
 I'd never said a word in a chat room and had no plans to, but then I noticed that most of these people were really intelligent, and knew a hell of a lot more than I did. Finally I got up my nerve and made a comment. Next thing I knew I was talking to all these amazing people from all over the world, and mostly through humor I began to connect with some of them. Of course you can put your best face forward on the Internet, but the more I talked to these folks, and some on the phone, I knew that they were genuine. I still talk to many of them almost on a daily basis. All these crazy syncronicities started happening but that's another story.
 One by one these people won me over with their spirit, humor and amazing intelligence. Besides regular people like me who just wanted to learn there were some serious people who really knew a lot about sky stuff, and I realized that beyond meeting some cool people in a way I'd never have thought of, it was also a great opportunity to learn. I've learned more about the sky and space and such from three years in the one chat room than in all my schooling combined, and I studied this stuff. I was blown away. The smart people were very patient and willing to share information freely, and obviously enjoyed doing so. I always say that the heart of a teacher lives there and it's true. It was humbling and incredibly inspiring.
Then one day it hit me...could these people be the ones I prayed for? It sure fit the bill and it made perfect sense out of an "answer" to a prayer that I didn't understand at all. Wow. I'd never have imagined such a thing but I embraced it fully, and I now count a dozen or so of them to be legit friends, if only digitally as it were. Was it an answer to a prayer? Nah, surely not. It was merely a coincidence. Just a coincidence, that's all. THIS HAS BEEN A COINCIDENCE. Have a blessed day.

Interdisciplines (Golf and Drums): The Toski Touch System (rewritten)

I believe that things happen for a reason and that everything is connected. My two-year foray into golf was a great way to get out of the house before we could legally drive, Besides a Pasquale's Pizza joint on the back nine that used to serve draught beer to 15-year-olds, I'd have looked back on it as nothing more than a bit of fun and exercise, were it not for a book written by Bob Toski called "The Touch System."
 I didn't actually read the book, although I've always wanted to, but I read excerpts in a golf magazine. This was a time when EST was happening, and primal-scream therapy was still holding on and the famous Sylvan Learning Academy was actually known as "Sylvan Mind Control." Yep. They dropped that term because it came to sound manipulative, and since it was being done wholesale on the public via TV and entertainment and such anyway by then they didn't need to call it that any more. It became redundant so they changed it to "learning." Same difference.
 Even with all that early New Age stuff the book was ahead of its time, as least for a sports instruction manual. Most books and articles focused strictly on technique and form and repetition and such  The closest they usually ever got to the mental aspect of it, which, like almost everything in life, is more important than the physical, was to say to imagine you were swinging a golf club as if there were a bucket of water hanging from it. That was a very good tip BTW. The Toski Touch System concentrated on how making a good shot made you feel.
Just like in drumming or whatever this was an "intermediate" book rather than one for beginners. It assumed at least a moderate amount of practice and muscle-memory time and such beforehand. It focused on the good shots, and how the brain rewarded you with a dopamine hit or whatever, and training the brain to seek that again in future shots, and automatically do whatever is necessary to make your best shot. It was positive thinking taken to another level.
 When it's time for the shot, don't think about technique so much but more on hitting another shot like the best one you'd hit in a similar situation, and how it made you feel to hit that shot. And by damn it worked. I didn't play long enough to even crack 100 usually, although I did have a few really good rounds here or there, but if by chance I'd kept it up I'd definitely have gone in that direction with golf. It's a little bit of a self-mindfuck maybe, but it's the good kind, and free. Sylvan charged a good bit for "mind control" back in the day.
 I got my first really nice drum kit at 15. I was already driving with my learner's permit, which let you drive as long as there was a legal driver sitting shotgun, and that even included guys who were 16, and would let me drive any way I wanted. I started playing music more and got busier with school. Golf faded into the past, but I took the Toski System with me. I figured it could apply to lots of things, and certainly drumming.
 The problem is in all the years I played drums up until fairly recently, I could never truly relax and let it flow like I wanted to. I tried to keep the Toski System in mind and I was able to use it here and there but it didn't really have as much of an effect as I'd hoped. It wasn't until I got an electronic kit and was able to put in long hours practicing, and have enough time to get into the "Zone" as they say, that the Toski System really came into play. I'm glad I remembered it all those years.
 After a certain amount of time in a row, a drummer or a runner or someone working out or whatever will get into the 'Zone." It's also known as "hitting the wall" or the "runner's high." It's what happens after a certain amount of repetitive physical exertion. After a time the brain assumes that the body is on a quest or mission if you will, and it releases large amounts of adrenaline and endorphins (and possible serotonin and dopamine as well) all at once to help the body on its journey. It hits all at once and it literally feels like crashing through a wall. It's a real  buzz; a high-quality buzz, and it's natural. I can see why some people run not primarily to get in shape, but literally for the buzz. I know of no drug that can induce such a feeling of being energized but seriously relaxed at the same time, with things coming into sharp focus yet demanding less attention, and making a routine that normally takes a lot of effort suddenly become semi-automatic, and your brain and body are each and together working as efficiently as possible and that's what you want. Plus there's a powerful feeling of well-being to boot. Who could ask for anything more?
 It really took me by surprise the first couple of times it happened. Once I got the kit set up and I was practicing a few nights a week for several hours at a time it started to happen. Once when it hit me when I had my eyes closed it was a bit too much and I had to stop playing and turn on the lights in order to get my bearings and "come down" a bit before continuing. It was a lot like being a little too high after eating a magic brownie. Think your own brain can't get you off? Think again. More importantly, and most people don't get this, but the brain can also heal the body just as powerfully.
 All I had to do was play long enough to get into the Zone, and the Toski System came finally into play. Hitting the wall is a trip. I've said before that the only thing I can compare it to is something most people have never experienced, but can probably follow. Back in the day when things were a bit looser, you could get behind a big rig and if the driver didn't care, you could draft him. You'd get within about two feet of his bumper and the trailer would both block wind resistance and pull your car along due to the "vacuum" effect of the vortices created. You could back way off the gas and basically get towed along. It may not have been for the faint of heart but it was no big deal if you knew what you were doing, and you depended on the truck driver to be your eyes and signal you to back off if something was ahead. You might be able to catch a draft driving to Atlanta or Florida or wherever and draft a truck for 100 miles or more and save a quarter-tank of fuel. The sensation of being pulled along was fun too.
 When I hit the wall it's much the same. I can throttle-down about 40% or more, and it almost becomes like I'm just along for the ride. Effort, energy output and even concentration go down, but power, smoothness and accuracy go way up. It's counterintuitive but it's amazing. It's almost like alls I have to do is inject just enough energy to set my hands in motion and they'll do the rest of the work. That comes from muscle memory (where each muscle has its own teeny-tiny brain) mostly, but there's something else at work too.
 Sometimes when I'm really locked in I have a very real sensation of a string running through my body from out the top of my head all the way through my core, arms and legs and then out through my hands and feet and into the sticks and pedals. It's crazy how real it feels, and again at first it was a little unsettling, and what's crazier is that I happened to catch a post by a guy who teaches Martial Arts and is a Chiropractor. He said that after a certain period of repetitive training, it starts to feel as if a string is running through the body. How 'bout them apples? I love it when my weird shit is confirmed. I got in touch with him and talked a bit more about it. The string thing definitely translates between the two disciplines. That's fascinating.
 So when I get into the Zone or Hit the Wall or get Drummer's High or the String Theory or whatever it is, that's when the real practice kicks in, and also the Toski thing. I think: "Okay. I'm there. I can throttle way back and totally relax and let it flow. So, how does this make me feel? Sad? No. Happy? Hell yeah. Locked-in? Check. Fuckengruven? Oh yes. Right then...lock this in. 'Can you dig it, brain?' File this away under 'Zone' for next time. Got it." Then I just shut my stupid brain down as much as I can and get the hell out of the way of my hands and just let them do their thing. It fuels the loop- the more into the Zone I get the more fun it is to play and the more fun it is to play the more I want to play and the more I play the better I get and the better I get the easier I get into the Zone, and the easier, blah-blah...etc., etc.
 It really works, mindfuck or not. Sometimes it takes me an hour or two to get into the Zone, and to really get the full effects it still takes that much or more, but I can get into that frame of mind much quicker as I work on it and sometimes I'm there right off the bat. Once the brain gets into whatever state that is, the rest of the body tends to fall in line and do what it needs to do semi-automatically. Like George Clinton famously said, "Free your mind and your ass will follow." Bingo. George knows. I bet George would like the Toski System, but he's already there to begin with. I never thought that a couple of years farting around with golf and reading an article in a golf magazine of all things would affect me for the rest of my life but as always, you just never know. Thanks a million Bob. FORE, lol.

There's the Door, Y'all

I just this minute figured out why my new neighbors have been acting like such complete assholes. At first they were cool and they even came over a few times and then out of the blue they acted like I'd done something. They live across from me and I cant help seeing them if we're out at the same time.
 At first they'd ignore a Hi or a wave, but lately it's gotten to the point that if I walk out they'll immediately turn off their nice Xmas lights they've strung up all pretty and get up in a huff and go inside, again ignoring even a nod when they're both looking straight at me. It's obvious and it's weird. It's a young couple in their early 20s and they recently moved here from Florida. Id never talk about petty bullshit like this except for the reason they were acting like that.
 Dude came home from his kitchen job piss-drunk. He'd gotten into it with the girl's grandfather and apparently it got really bad. When they were still acting cool they told me that her Gramps was going to move in with them "temporarily" and then find a full-time place to stay. I almost had to stifle a laugh when I heard that. Yeah, that's really gonna go smooth for y'all. None of my biz except that he he was so wasted that he was talking really loudly and I could've heard him inside. I was enjoying the night and I didn't want to go inside, and fuck them anyway. He called one of his best buds I guess because there were passionate "I love yous" toward the end of their call. He was basically blowing his top about this state.
 To his credit I get Bama culture shock. I've seen it many times and made friends with people from all over the place who've moved here. They literally have a WTF look on their faces for a long time, if they last that is. It must look like black and white TV to them, and transported back in time to boot, somewhat like my third-grade photo above of my girlfriend Mary and me during recess, and again I get it. I've been lots of places and it's a culture shock to me too. I get that there's more to do in big cities and the sidewalks don't roll up at 11pm (hey, we're making progress...it used to be 9), but dude, that's your problem.
 I get that compared to NYC or LA or wherever, this is even beyond Mayberry, RFD. It's not that dude doesn't have the right to bitch about things anywhere, and he did pick a shithole of a place to move to compared to most other areas of the state, but he was being a total dick about it and pretty much disrespecting every blade of grass in the State of Alabama, like it's the state's fucking fault that he hates it here. I almost moved to California decades ago and have thought about many other places but I've mainly stayed here and I don't regret it. I think it's what you do with where you are that matters anyway.
 Right...a young couple moves to a completely different world; takes in Grandpappy (not that that's inherently bad), work together in the same restaurant (bad idea); he in the kitchen and she a waitress, and they get to watch each other through a little window flirting and getting hit on and shit, and mix in large amounts of alcohol? Right. Dude you're screwed but please don't blame Alabama. I don't diss Florida. It really did sound like he was blaming this state for his pissant problems. Dude...state line ain't far. He did sound like he was stuck here at least for a while, and having to still pay Florida tax and blah-blah, but you ain't stuck nowhere if you don't want to be. Not to mention being complete fucking assholes. Come on, man. I mean, Cupcake. What are they...Gen V? For "Generation Victim?" Hell yeah they are.
 I did almost laugh my ass off when he was trying to convince his buddy that there was no lottery here. There isn't. No doubt he knew I was outside but either he was too drunk to care or he wanted me to hear his rant too, which wouldn't surprise me by his actions lately. And sister too. Now if she drives by me she'll look the other way. Excuse me, but I think you have a Golden Flake up your butt. Anywho, he was bitching about the liquor laws here, which granted are just antiquated and stupid as fuck, and then he said loudly, "And there's no LOTTERY here!" God that was funny and I was trying not to laugh in case he didn't know I was outside. The neighbor kid had been here for a long time and had just left. I had my laptop out showing him some bands, and it was still on, so he must have known I was there.
 His bud apparently said "BULLshit" so dude went passionately into convincing him. "YES! YES! No, I'm NOT kidding. NO SHIT. YES. YES YEEEEES! NO SHIT. YES! NO! YES! N-NO. NOOO. NO,  NOOOOOO, NOOOOOO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO...No man...you don't understand. NO, NOOO, NOOOOOOOOOO, NO, They don't have one! N-N-N-NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You don't live in Alabama! N-NOOO!" He went on for a minute and then he went on to list everything that's fucked-up about this state, and I get that too, but the time to do your homework is before the test. He went on to make up different disrespectful variations of the word "Alabama" and such, and was being such a loud, narcissistic prick that I had to tell myself to stay calm and that he was the asshole, not the state. Asshole.
 He finally ended the tirade against everything from Blue Laws to the Yellowhammer, and ended the call with what I thought were a few too many "I Love Yous" and such. I'll tell a male friend I love him, and maybe more than once, and I'll truly mean it, but I generally don't get all gushy-poo about it. I totally get the thing about hearing the voice of an old trusted friend in times of trouble, and it's just like...well, a bridge over troubled water. I'm not trying to tell anybody how to tell somebody they love them, but all the "I love you toos" were a little thick. For good measure he said he wanted to move back in with his mom already, and then a few more I love yous. It was almost enough to make me wonder...hmm...ah, yes...you know how those doors that go from the kitchen into the dining room swing both ways?
 Well his girlfriend just got back from work, and she's shitfaced and pissed too. No big surprise there but from the sound of yelling and shit it's time to go inside. I wasn't about to let some asshole chase me off the porch. I wasn't going to go all "Sweet Home Alabama" on his ass but I really wanted to. Obviously he hasn't seen any of the real beauty here, or the people, except for restaurant people, who can be from all over, and certainly not typical of the people here. It's not my problem or anyone else here's problem that they don't like their situation. Don't show your asses to me. Man, it's getting loud over there and furniture is being rammed up against walls and they're screaming at each other balls-out loud. Holy crap...that's good for the old man's ticker.
 They need to hold it down. Fuck them, if it gets much louder someone might call the cops, including me. Ironically from what they told me about the old man I'd probably be friends with him by now. They said he was into herbs and things like that and they mentioned some very specific things that let me know he was the real deal, plus he was into hiking and music and a few other things I'm into. They initially were going to have me over for dinner and to meet their cats and the grandfather, and he'd have been welcome here, but they changed their minds in a big way for no other reason than I lived in a state they hated. Heck I could have babysat for them, lol.
 Whatever I wish they'd get the fuck out of here. I hate asshole neighbors anyway, but if they're going to blame all their bullshit on the state, and me, they need to adjust their priorities. We'd welcome y'all with open arms, but not if you trash the place for no reason except that you can't handle your situation so you have to blame things on bad liquor laws and shit, and make up every potty-mouth variation of the state's name that you can think of. I guess you can be an asshole in any state. They wouldn't want you either. Florida's yonderways y'all. There's the door. Don't let it hit ya where the Good Lord split ya. Have a nice day, assholes.

 Well, if this isn't the damnedest update to a blog post I've ever seen. After I finished writing I took my dog for a walk. We went the front way through a huge parking lot/road. We were about to walk around a big truck. There was a car coming from way off but something told me to hang back. I didn't know why but I've learned not to argue with my "Little Voice." Usually cars will give walkers a wide berth. There's plenty of room, but sure enough the car didn't move to the other side. In fact it sped up and swerved toward me at the last second and then straightened back up. WTF? It was deliberate. It was the chick. I might have known. I didn't know her drunk ass had left but it was her car, with Fla plates. She could've lost control and hurt us, and on the one damn night I forgot my phone.
 Usually I take my phone with me and leave the camera pointed at the sky just in case a meteor flies by. I've already caught one. I could've filmed her ass swerving toward me and my dog and looking straight at us, and I might have thought about showing it to the cops. You don't do that shit here or anywhere else. Nupe. That's bullshit. I got back from walking and dude was standing outside in the middle of the road like he was about to get in his car, but pondering if his dumb ass was too drunk to drive. That ship had sailed several drinks ago. Her car was still running with the lights shining on him. It was a bit surreal, and illustrated perfectly a fight.
 Even though they'd been totally shitty to me, I was still going to go up to them and try to take their keys. I didn't want to see them get hurt, or way worse, somebody else, even if they were assholes, but my dog knew something was wrong and he started barking, so I took him back for another spin so he, and I, could cool down. I hope Jack and Jill didn't actually try to drive anywhere as loaded as they were. If I'd been anywhere near that fried I wouldn't have even thought about driving through the parking lot here. Cops patrol this lot all the time and if there's the slightest disturbance they're literally here in ten seconds, since they're totally swarming the roads around here mostly looking for drunk drivers at 1:00 in the morning. I doubt they'd have gotten very far if they did try to drive anywhere. I guess if they'd gotten pulled over for obliterated-driving they'd blame that on the State of Alabama too. Assholes.
Sister, you'd fucking better think twice about EVER doing anything that fucking stupid again. It's one thing to disrespect my state, but if you have to do shit like that you have a serious problem, and one that isn't welcome here. You're a fucking menace and you're fucking with the wrong guy. Trust me, you are. You do that shit again and you're really going to hate this state 'cause you're going to be looking at it from inside a jail cell, and that's no joke. There's your Southern hospitality, sweetheart. "Sunshine" State my ass. Floridians go home.

Random Funny: Describing a Busy Chat Room (Lone Eagle)

If you've ever been to a few chat rooms on YouTube you probably know that some fly by like a blur and some you could make a sandwich in between comments. It depends on how many people are in the chat. I love to read comments and I'd occasionally hop in a chat room to marvel at the comedy and lunacy and outright bullshit but I wasn't about to engage some asshole. I only said anything in one recently.
 Anything up to around 200 people is easily manageable. Up to 500 is not too bad but you have to almost be a speed-reader. Pushing a thousand in chat gets well-nigh impossible. Someone can highlight your name so you can see a particular comment, and even then you might miss it. I've seen chats with more than 2,000 people in them and it's a blur. With all the emojis and shit flying by it looks a bit like an animated graphics cartoon or something. Fancy a chat? Forget about it.
 One of my favorite people on YouTube is a guy who goes by the name of Lone Eagle. Lone is a trip. He's Native and lives in Canada. He's one of the smartest, funniest and most interesting people I've ever met. He thinks outside the box which is of course important to me, and he has a unique way of looking at things as well as a real gift for getting his ideas across in an understandable and humorous fashion. Lone is always smiling. He's so funny that he often laughs at what comes out of his mouth because it surprises him sometimes, and funny is funny. He's one of those people who can't help but be funny. If he makes a mistake he'll laugh at himself too, and that's crucial...it means he's human. Unlike many YouTubers Lone shows his face. You can see his expressions and his body language. He's a good dude and he's not faking it. You can see that. He's the real deal.
 The other night he was a guest on someone's live show. There were several-hundred people in the chat, and Lone and the host were both trying to read comments to them while talking, and Lone pretty much had to give up on it. People are always saying hello to each other. Some are discussing the topic at hand while some are just shooting the shit. Some people get hot with each other, and there can be passionate arguments, or just plain fights. Add in the "animated emojis" and it's a real circus. He was describing the chat flying by, and he goes "Man, when the chat's flying by, it's like: 'Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi, Fuck you, Fuck you, Fuck you, Fuck you.'" I almost fell over laughing 'cause that's exactly how it is. I'd never have thought to describe it that way. That's hilarious, and that's why I watch Lone Eagle. Please chat responsibly, and don't feed the trolls.

Like I've Said Before...

If you want to call me crazy, you'll have to take a number and stand in line. Only one customer at a time please. Thanks. Have a nice day.

The Great Ebb and Flow

The B*ble says that there will come a time of both an awakening and a turning away from God. It also says that a light will be shone upon the darkness, and all evil will be exposed. Sadly it says that even the "elect" will turn away from God.
 As for the turning away, that's evidenced by the satanic darkness creeping rapidly into all forms of entertainment, and anyone who can't see it basically just doesn't want to. It hurts my heart but it's how it is. Think back twenty years or so ago, or even a decade...all this slimy shit that is being rolled out in the media and such would NOT have been tolerated not that long ago, but it's the "frog in the boiling water" analogy. I hate that analogy but it illustrates the deal perfectly.
 As for the "great awakening," or people turning to God, bring it on! In my opinion there IS a Creator, and He loves us. As for the turning away, that's just a part of it too. One reason is that so many "Christians" believe that God will "Rapture them up" and they'll go floating up to Heaven before any of the bad shit starts. I don't think that for a second, and I'm afraid that if all this is real, and it does happen, they're going to be in for a shock. Not having floated up before anything happens is going to make them completely doubt their faith, and they'll reject the God they've believed in. It's sad, but they won't be able to stay the course.
 As far as a society eliminating God from prominence, I've heard all my life that every society that does so is doomed to destruction (see: the Romans, Greeks, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.). I do know of many examples, and it's a matter of record. I also recently mentioned that the researchers who study the collapse of civilizations, and the reasons why, have observed that a universal trait in all of them just before collapse is a condition known as "sexual ambiguity." We're there. With all this "gender-fluid" bullshit and the like, there you have it. Please don't shoot the messenger. I don't WANT any of this to happen. Only a madman would.
 Whatever I, or anyone else has to say about it has zero bearing on the outcome. I'm simply making observations and sharing my opinions. I don't claim for one second to have "special" knowledge or to be "enlightened," as a good friend recently accused me of. Anyone can look into all this stuff for themselves, which I've been begging people to do in this blog for a long time. The only difference is that I have looked into it, and most people haven't, even for five minutes. Knowledge is power. It's all there for anyone to see, given they have a bit of discernment. Oh, and knowledge erases fear.
 We're ALL a bit afraid in these troubled and uncertain times, whether we admit it or not, and we're all in the same fucked-up boat. With the shit I've learned (through decades of observations) you're damn straight I'd be afraid, but guess what..."placebo effect" or not, my faith eliminates fear. It's truly a blessing to look at all this shit going down and not be afraid. Actually I should rephrase that...it is definitely frightening and it does scare me sometimes, but I don't live in fear. As I've also said, knowing this shit only makes me appreciate the beauty in life that much more. It's like someone who comes back from a near-death experience, and all of the sudden the grass is greener and the sky is bluer and all of that. It's exactly the same.
 Look into it for yourself if you've a mind to. We've all been given free will. Choose wisely my friend. God bless.

Inside the Mind of a Young Artiste

I love kids' art. Who doesn't? Taking a peek into the sweet, innocent world of children is a joy. It's funny how many grownups (including myself, allegedly) try to emulate kids' style and fail miserably. It can't be done.
 I think that once a kid stops drawing houses with the chimney sticking out at a 45-degree angle, a certain phase of childhood is over. I always wanted to have a house that looked like a kid drew it, with wonky windows and a 45-degree chimney. That would be so cool.
 Here we have an untitled piece by one Kennedy Stewart. Kennedy didn't sign this piece and that's a shame, but the name is on the back and I'm assuming it's the artist in question. I paid a buck for it. 99 cents actually. It was worth every penny. I'm going to give it the working title of "Bark Worse than Bite." Let's analyze young Kennedy's painting.
 First there's a lot of orange in the painting. It's a perfect background color both in terms of compatibility with the color of the dog and people, and perfect for illustrating the urgency of the situation. The use of lines to indicate motion and the energy of the bark is fairly advanced. I suppose Kennedy just ran a few lines together on the person in front. That, or they're crapping their pants. I'd say that the person in back has a ponytail and is likely a girl, but the person in front has two. Could it be pigtails? It looks like dog ears. Could it be a "dog person" perhaps? I guess only Kennedy knows for sure.
 I really love the side-by-side ears and I actually remember doing the same thing on my drawrings as a kid. Of course a grownup artist would show them in the proper perspective; one behind the other. Ho-hum. It makes the dog look a million times more badass. Since there are no motion lines near the dog, we can assume that thankfully he isn't chasing the people. He is scaring the shit out of them though. That's a righteous bark. I notice the two dots over the tail. I wonder what Kennedy meant by that. Is it a limited-motion deal? It looks like a umlaut.
 All in all I think Kennedy did a beautiful job on this painting. It's a shame the family didn't recognize Kennedy's artistic skills. I'd have had it framed. I'm glad to own a Kennedy. Best 99 cents I ever spent.

Billion with a "B"

YouTube has recently started yet another round of purges. The thing is most people have no clue since they don't watch so-called "truther" videos, and it's understandable. I'll say again for the millionth time- WTF is wrong with finding out the truth? It used to be viewed as a noble pursuit. Not any more. Now you're labeled "crazy." Such is the way of the world, and guess who rules this world... the Father of Lies.
 This illustrates it perfectly. I've mentioned to some friends that YT was cracking down on "truthers" and whatnot and that I'd been observing it on a daily basis for three years. They'll say (with the typical smirk I might add) "I don't think so." Right. Their "I don't think so" trumps my three years of direct observations. How much time do they spend observing this? That's right...ZERO. You'd think intelligent people would at least be open-minded. Nope. No can do.
 Even though I obviously let it rip on this blog and hold back nothing, I've tried to say things on my YT channel without really saying anything. I don't want my channel taken down, but I pretty much expect it at any time. I'd hate to lose all my vids that now only live on YT. And they wouldn't just wipe my vids about chemtrails (YES, they're real...LOOK IT UP); they'd strike my whole channel. Hmmm...I wonder why...
 Well, dig this: Even though YT isn't funded by ad revenue as most people understandably think, ads obviously generate a shitload of money for whomever. If I mentioned who funds YT, people would call me crazy and stop reading right here. In any case I just read that YT has lost $2 BILLION in ad revenue by purging so-called "conspiracy" channels. No matter who funds YT, who in hell could afford to lose TWO BILLION DOLLARS? Huh? Are you serious? That's a good chunk of change. And before you go pull the ol' "I don't think so" routine, it's a matter of record. Just the fact that anyone can afford to lose the equivalent of the GNP of a small country just to silence certain views should tell you something. I was helpfully reminded that it's their platform, so they can do anything they want. Thanks, Captain Obvious; that goes without saying, but that has nothing to do with anything. You should be asking why.
 YouTube is fucking with people in any way they can, and it's only going to get worse. I saw an article just last night about how YT prides itself on being a platform where people can freely exchange ideas, blah-blah, in a free and open blah-blah...BULLSHIT. It used to be that way but it's not any more. And again, if you watch the latest Cardi B vids, how-to vids, sports vids, LOL Cat vids or whatever else, you'd never have a clue it's really going on. You'd probably say "I don't think so." It's understandable, but when you hear people like me say this it is going on, perhaps you should listen. Use your critical-thinking skills, if you still have any. At least consider it. It won't hurt you at all. You might actually learn something.
 If YT is eliminating the types of vids I've mentioned, oh, and "Christian" videos, then what do they promote? Slimy, satanic shit for one thing. Look at the latest Pop vids. It's fucking disgusting. If you watch this filth, how does it make you feel? Uplifted? Happy? Optimistic? Joyful to be a part of God's creation? I doubt it. But that's what they're promoting. Have a look for yourself. Look in the "trending" section. They also promote p*dophilia. That's right. They also have shit like women who let their dogs lick them in fun places in real-time and on camera. No, they don't show certain parts, but...OMG I'm about to hurl thinking about it. You certainly don't have to watch that shit but that's the kind of thing they promote.
They also promote the trans agenda, and the so-called "gender-fluid" bullshit. The idea that ANYONE could be gender-fluid is pure insanity, but people will, and already are, accepting the idea. Why? Because it's pushed in the media. And they call us crazy. Think about it. Do I sound crazy? I guess so. That's a shame. I care deeply for this world and I hate to see it go to shit. Yeah, there's beauty in this world. Tons of it. But a darkness is creeping across this great land just like the shadow of the Mothership in Independence Day. If you can't feel it...or at least feel like something isn't quite right, you're not paying attention. And in case you didn't know...the bad guys are coming after our kids.
 If the fact that anyone can afford to lose TWO BILLION DOLLARS just to suppress certain ideas and values; especially positive ones, doesn't wake you up I don't know what will. Sure, we don't like to think about bad shit. I get it. I don't either. People will accuse you of dwelling on this shit, but that's only a deflection. It's human nature. But knowing about something and dwelling on it are two completely different things. Knowledge is power, and the truth shall set you free. No truer words have been spoken. They say breaking up is hard to do, and it is. Waking up is a million times harder. I get that too. It hasn't been easy for me or anyone else, and once you wake up, you can't go back to sleep. You can't unsee things, as they say.
 So do I sit around in a deep state of depression over all this shit? FUCK no. Yes, it's depressing to learn. Very depressing. But guess what...in my case it only strengthens my faith, and it truly makes me appreciate the good things in life, and that's a true blessing. I KNOW who my enemy is. Or at least that's my studied opinion. You can believe what you wish, but you should at least look into this stuff. If you don't care what's happening to the world you live in that's one thing, but if you don't do it for our kids, then you're an asshole. Sorry, but you are. If ONE WORD of what I'm saying is true, we're fucked. Unless people think for themselves instead of letting Google think for them, it's over. Look into this stuff. There's an answer. Wake the fuck up. It's your only chance. It's OUR only chance. Have a nice day.

Quote of the Day

"Sodom and Gomorrah's got nothing on today's society." - Sheila Zilinsky

Quote of the Day

"Eat your Roundup, drink your fluoride and turn on CNN." - V1Rocket doodlebug, on yt