Gnarly Underwater-Metal-Detecting Sister Named Nora

Here she is.

請彎腰 (New Testing Method in China)

China has come up with a new testing method for the "bug" - rectal swabbing. They say it's more accurate than an oral swab, especially considering the various mutations including the dreaded "UK strain." Blimey. Why the hell not...they say you can catch it from farts. Things have a way of starting in other countries and coming here, especially when it comes to the bug. If rectal swabbing makes it to the US, and I'd be surprised if it doesn't, it'll be no problem. Most of us are already bending over.

Quote of the Day

"That ain't no 'regular' gas. A gorilla's ass don't smell that bad." - Dude's grandma, the victim of a fart-spray prank

666 Likes

I love checking out funky guitars and the one in this video is a qualifier. It's Russian, and among many other features it has a string-muting function. That's funky. People collect high-end American guitars all day long, and some are up there with the cost of a few BMWs. Ho-hum, and BTW lots of collectors have lost their shirts, as the prices of most collectables has gone way down. If I had money I'd collect guitars like this. Anyway I noticed that there were 665 likes on the video, and if I liked it I'd be #666. I couldn't click on it fast enough. The Number of the Beast is everywhere, but numbers aren't scary.

Henry Aaron 1934-2021

[ ]I just found out that Henry "Hank" Aaron passed away this past Friday. I'm deeply saddened, and I've never been saddened by the death of a sports star before. I'll go ahead and mention, since I'm a crazy "C" theorist that he died 16 days after getting vacksed, but I'm sure that's merely a coincidence, right? You can bet that little factoid won't be promoted in the mainstream news. [ ]Let's face it...when you boil it down sports is just what they say- a bunch of grown men chasing a ball around, but Hank was so much more than that. Nowadays guys sign mulitmillion dollar contracts right out of school, but for much of Hank's career things were very different, and he probably didn't make much more money than a store clerk or something. It's hard to imagine that any amount of money could be worth all the racial bullshit he and other players of color went through, but it's a testament to his character. He played for the love of the game. [ ]So many "stars" in any genre are just rich, pampered assholes. Not Hank. He never lost his humbleness, and every single time he was interviewed it was clear to see that he was extremely grateful for the good things, and all of these people aren't like that. Plus he was a nice guy. I'm not sure there's ever been a player in history any more loved than Hank. Even people who couldn't care less about sports loved Hank, if nothing else just for the work he did toward building racial equality and such. He was an ambassador for the game, and for humanity in general, and none did it better than he. He quietly but surely led by example. [ ]My dad took me to Braves' games sometimes and I saw Hank play three or four times. Once in the old Fulton County stadium I saw him hit a homer in an exciting game that went 13 innings and was finally won by the Braves at around 1am. Hank hit a ball that went over the leaping left-fielder's glove and bounced off the top of the wall and into the stands. The crowd went wild. I saw him play at Turner Field once I think but I only saw him hit the one dinger. It was great, and I can still picture it clearly. It was nice sharing that with my dad. [ ]All too often we make heroes out of a bunch of jacked-up numbnuts, and in doing so we ignore the true heroes- people who deliver meals to the elderly, those who give of their time to help someone, or a host of other things that actually make a difference in the world, but Hank was worthy of every bit of admiration. He fought through terrible adversity with calmness, dignity and most importantly respect, even when he was shown none of those things, and worse. Hank wasn't a hero...he was a role model. [ ]I should mention Barry Bonds, although I hate to. Bonds eclipsed Hank's home-run record, but it came out later that he was heavily into 'roids, so there will forever be an asterisk after his name. That means it's bullshit. He too was a black man who played baseball, but he was a geeked-up, self-absorbed, cheating, narcissistic prick. Hank wasn't. He probably made fifty times the money that Hank did, and he was a cheater. Tsk-tsk, Mr. Asterisk. You should've at least informally given back the title to its rightful owner. Hank Aaron was a man. Barry Bands...well, maybe not so much. [ ]Thanks Mr. Aaron, for showing us all what humbleness, gratitude and grace under fire look like in person. Thanks for all the knocks. Rest in peace. You've earned it.

Upvotes

[ ]This is a video of the inauguration from The White House channel on YouTube. Look at the number of upvotes vs. downvotes. That's shocking. Right now it's 6.8K thumbs-up and 30K thumbs-down, or 4-to-1. It's shocking I tell you. Comments were disabled for this video. I wonder why. In fact comments have been disabled on all but a couple of the vids, and I'm really surprised they're still up, except to cause more division. The comments on the vids where they weren't disabled are truly brutal, and pretty much echo the upvote/downvote ratio. If you want to read some of the comments for yourself and be amazed, you can go to YT and search "Inauguration 46th President." [ ]People were saying that it's just a bunch of angry Thrump supporters and of course it is, but then where are all of Joe's peeps? It doesn't jibe with them saying that he got the highest ratio of popular votes in history, but who's counting, right? So is a sampling of 300K YouTubers an accurate representation of the general public? Who knows but one would think it'd be somewhere in the ballpark. Politics is a football game anyway- us vs. them. It's theater. It's a distraction, and again the left/right paradigm is an illusion. It's two wings of the same bird, and maybe the vulture and not the eagle, as we're led to believe. Ever hear the phrase "Divide and conquer?" It's a strategy of war. We're there. Wake up. Have a nice day.

Quote of the Day (repeat)

"A dog's got a right to a man, just like a man's got a right to a dog." Buddy Ebsen's character from an incredible episode of the Twilight Zone called "The Hunt"

Question of the Day

"Why they haven't faces?" - Dan Sheekoz, commenting on a window display in a Russian mall

Meme of the Day

And voila...history repeats itself. Why can we never learn from it? It's a mystery. Oh, well. Buckle-up, and have a nice day.

Girl Eats Hot Dog in Modern Black-and-White Parody of an Old Newsreel Film, Called "Billy's Dad is a Fudge-Packer"

I believe the title says it all.

Where My Heart Lives

[ ]In my mind I live in a cool little house on a couple of acres near the woods, with a river. Every day I tend my garden, feed the critters, pack a lunch and hike along the river collecting beaver sticks. At night I build a fire and look at the sky. I make dinner with vegetables from the garden. My omelettes couldn't be any fresher. I'd still have Internet so I could sell my stuff and keep in touch with all of my amazing peeps on YouTube and order shit from eBay and such, but if I had the choice I'd rather be off the grid completely than to live in the mean city like I do now. I'm just dreaming, but that's my dream. Having a sister like this out watering the garden? Couldn't hurt.

Shots Fired (Again)

[ ]More shots fired just now right behind my building. There was a single shot, a pause and then five in rapid succession, six in total. It was hard to tell if it came from one piece or two. In the last shooting a couple of weeks ago or whenever it was there were clearly two different weapons, a shootout. My dog is shaking right now and I'm almost afraid to go outside. He doesn't like fireworks either but after the second shooting now he can already tell the difference. What a wonderful happy neighborhood this is. I do so love living here. Stay safe.

Never F*ck with a Practicing Drummer

[ ]This is Lance Campeau, and he's into cymbals. My kind of guy. He has a YouTube channel where he reworks cracked cymbals and makes his own from stainless-steel blanks, which actually turns out to be a decent metal for cymbal-making. Here he's demonstrating the durability of stainless by smashing the absolute piss out of the poor cymbal with two sticks in his hand, butt-end first. Ouch. It reminded me of something that happened to a drummer buddy of mine from the marching band in high school. His name is John Nuckols, and he's to this day one of the finest drummers in the Southeast. [ ]It also reminded me of when I first switched from traditional grip to matched grip holding the sticks, Sometimes my left hand would forget which grip it was supposed to be using and it'd get in the way and I'd whack it with my right stick. The pain was immediate. You could feel it from your toes all the way up to your ears. The worst times I'd see stars for a few seconds and my field of vision would almost go blank. That's pain. I wanted to crawl up into the fetal position and sob, but I really couldn't do that on a gig. You can't even stop to rub it. It's a game-changer, and I can relate all the better to john's story. I still have a dent in the bone on top of my wrist from hitting myself so many times. [ ]Back in high school in marching band we used huge sticks called 3S Marching. They were over 1/2" thick and longer than most sticks on the market. They were meant to get a loud sound that would carry in an outdoor stadium. The bead at the tip of the stick was big as a grape. They were badass. We called them baseball bats. In fact just like in baseball, where the guy in the on-deck circle will often warm-up with a weighted bat, many times if we were going to practice on our drum kits we'd first play for a while with the 3S monsters. After that normal sticks felt like toothpicks and you could fly around the kit. We used to keep a pair in our back pockets all day, everywhere we went and even after school, so that when we found time we could squeeze in a few minutes of practice. Plus we thought it looked cool. [ ]One day John had to run an errand in a bad part of town. He was walking down the sidewalk when a guy came out from around a corner, pulled a knife and demanded John's wallet. Number one, and this is crucial in any similar situation, John didn't panic. He said the guy was geeked-up, sweating, aggressive and almost certainly high on something, not to mention he was holding a knife in John's face, but still he kept his cool. He had several distinct advantages over the bad guy- the element of surprise, the fact that he was a drummer and so he had very quick reflexes, and he had a pair of 3S Marching sticks in his back pocket [ ]He first held his hands up and told the guy to stay cool and that he'd comply, to try to calm him down a little and not have him be so much on guard. Slowly he reached for his back pocket and in one move he pulled out the sticks and smote the guy across his arm. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT FOLLOWS. He said he hadn't meant to hit the guy so hard but his adrenaline was jacked, and the poor fuck went down to his knees, holding his elbow. The impact had broken the bone clean in two, and it was hanging down at a 45-degree angle, held together only by skin and veins. The guy pretty much forgot about John's wallet. John grabbed the knife off the ground and told the guy to have a nice day. He stopped at a phone booth and called paramedics and the cops, so they'd know what went on. [ ]John felt bad about completely snapping the guy's arm in two but he did what he had to do. If he'd hit him with one-third the force it would've completely disabled him and still probably cracked the bone. I can attest to that from the times I whacked myself with a stick not half as heavy. I'd have to stop myself from screaming out in pain and I'd have to finish the song playing with my right hand only, while my left hand lay lifeless on my leg, wondering what had just happened. I know that fucker was having a bad day after John corrected him. You never know...maybe John did him a favor. Being a drummer has its perks. I've mentioned all the amazing health benefits from drumming, and the health benefit for John that day was that he didn't get stabbed to death. Guy pulls a knife on you? No problem. Again the key was that John didn't panic, which allowed him to come up with a plan, and a good one at that. So for all the would-be perps out there is there a moral to this story? Yes. "Sticks in the pocket take an arm out the sprocket."

What are the Lights in the Sky?

[ ]It seems like every year for the past several we've gotten a new sky phenomenon. In 2020 it was the mysterious "searchlights." Videos are popping up showing orbs of light dancing around in the clouds. It's been filmed mostly at night because it's easier to see, but it happens day and night and has also been filmed in daylight.[ ]Right away some people will say it's Photoshoped, and many videos are, but as I've said, if you see dozens or hundreds of videos about the same thing, there's no way they can all be fake. It's statistically impossible. If that were true then it would mean that every single person who uploaded a video not only had some sophisticated editing equipment but was also highly-skilled in editing, and that's simply not the case. People will just say something is bogus and dismiss it before they even check it out. They're "triggered." It's a shame, and they maight've actually learned something if they'd been open-minded in the least. [ ]Besides that I saw them myself at least twice last year. I looked up and saw some blobs of light dancing around in the clouds. They were whitish and they weren't very bright. It looked like several spotlights beaming up at the sky and moving around like at a grand opening, but I knew that wasn't the case. Spotlights would be brighter, and there aren't many grand openings going on right now, plus it was around midnight when I saw them. So what are they? Got me, but they sure were interesting to see. [ ]I want to say that they've come up with an "official explanation," although if they have I can't remember what it is. I'm sure it'll be as laughable as the rest. Nothing though could top the "official explanation" for the violet-blue glow that appeared sporadically all around the world in 2019. I happened to see that too once. It wasn't as vivid as many of the photos I've seen but it still blew my mind. I've seen blue skies, red skies, yello skies, gray skies, green skies, pink skies, purple skies and every color of the rainbow except for violet, and this was at night anyway. Whatever it was it was pretty intense. [ ]I've said this before but I'll say it again, and maybe it will help someone wake up to the fact that we're being bullshitted on a daily basis, which is what I've been saying. The "official explanation for the violet glow in the sky was...drum roll please..."indoor-growing operations!" Ta-da! There you have it. Apparently these operations must have been the size of several football fields to be able to cast that much light, and they'd also decided for reasons known only to them, to leave the roof off, even in Winter. Maybe they're all growing some new Arctic strain that can withstand sub-freezing temps, but I doubt it. But that's what they sell us, and most people buy it. Seriously, that was the explanation that was given by those in charge of such things. It's pure bullshit folks. Wake up. [ ]A few people have speculated that the lights are due to electromagnetic energy interacting with Earth's magnetic field and exciting plasma in our atmosphere. It's similar to the way solar wind interacts with the Ionosphere and produces Auroras. There's actually evidence to support that theory, but what would be interacting with our magnetic fields and atmosphere? Some say another body or bodies in space, possibly the so-called Planet X. The Sun is connected magnetically to the Earth and the other planets, which are also connected. Any other large objects that might be passing by in our neck of the woods would interact with our planet too. [ ]Just like with magnets in a motor the Sun and Earth have field lines. There are pinpoint spots where they're connected, sort of like when a lightning bolt connects a cloud to the ground for a moment. It's always changing. It seems to me that if that were the case then we'd see hundreds or thousands at a time, and I only saw several at once, but I certainly don't know how it might work, or even if that's what's happening. Some people say they're just good old fashioned orbs, as in "spirit orbs," that are either angels or demons. That sounds ludicrous to most people but the truth is we can't say with 100% certainty what the real story is, and just because we may believe something it doesn't mean it's true, myself included. [ ]I can't wait to hear the "official explanation" for these lights. It really did remind me of a grand opening somewhere, with searchlights moving around in the sky, but it's its own thing. The lights were smaller and dimmer than searchlights, and there were no visible beams coming up from the ground, or grand openings either for that matter. If anything if they were projections they'd have been coming from above. They were just there, and I saw them a few months before I saw any videos about them. It's always cool to share in an experience and I was glad other people filmed them. Whatever they were they were fascinating and I watched them for several minutes both times. I was actually able to get a decent image of the violet skies on my phone back in 2019 but I lost that photo with my last hard drive. [ ]I like the plasma-interaction idea but I don't know what it is. I can't say with total certainty that it isn't spirits. It's their time to party, for those of you (lol, like anybody reads this) who know what I mean. There's some funky footage of all these crazy orbs dancing around and above certain needle-like structures in different places, and again it's impossible that all of the footage is faked. Plus I seen it with my own three eyes. I say it's going to be a sky-show in the months and years to come. A shit-kicking skyshow at that. When I say "Heads-up" I'm not kidding. Stay safe.

George and I Trippin' at the Movies (Not-so-Silent Movie)

[Ed. Note: This will be one giant paragraph and maybe impossible to read. All I can see is computer font and it won't recognize Enter and start a new paragraph. I don't know computer code. If it gets straightened out I'll go back and edit. For now I'll indicate new paragraphs with [ ]. Your cooperation is appreciated. Have a nice day.] [It's been years since I told the story of the time George from California and I ate a bunch of shrooms and went to the movies. The image in the post below of the futuristic movie theater really brought up that memory in a cool way, and it's still very vivid after all these years, especially considering how stupidly-hard we were tripping.] [For some reason we decided to go to the movies tripping one night. We'd gotten a batch of shrooms that was way stronger than the last batch, although we didn't know it, so we ended up getting way more high than we meant to, which woud've been no problem if we'd been out in the woods or listening to music or shooting fireworks or something. At a slightly-lower dose it wouldn't have been a problem either, but we were full-blown tripping, and a few clicks past the point where it was smart to be in public. As utterly blasted as I was, George got even higher, to the point of almost getting out of control, and that would definitely come into play.] [We mostly just smoked pot but we occasionally tried this or that, and since my metabolism was faster than George's I'd always get off about ten minutes sooner than he would. It became a thing where I'd tell him what to expect and such. It was fun. I remember sitting in the theater as I was starting to get off, and thinking "Uh-oh" at the very first twinge, and that was before they'd dimmed the lights. I knew we were going to be in for a very powerful experience and I was already beginning to doubt the wisdom in remaining in a movie theater or indeed in public anywhere. It was one of those trips that was a bit more than expected, where it yanks you out of reality by the skull and you shit your ego right out your butt. When George started asking me what it was going to be like I tried to be cool and not alarm him before he even started tripping, but he could tell by the look on my face that we were in for a ride.] [It was pushing the boundaries to trip in a movie theater to some degree anyway, much less full-blown zoned, and the choice of movies put it over the top. It actually was a silent movie, and the name alone was brilliant. It was a movie that was meant to make you laugh and flip you out to begin with, but the addition of shrooms took it into another dimension. We were basically "unpaid extras" as it were. There were times when the movie broke the Forth Wall, and sometimes the actors would suddenly stare directly into the camera as if they were waiting for you personally to respond, which at times George did. To this day I'm convinced that they put things in that movie specifically for people who were tripping. It's not as big of a stretch as it may sound. Most everybody back then at least experimented with psychedelics. It was the culture.] [The lights were still on in the theater but the movie had already pretty much started for me. The curtains were swaying and colored lights made patterns that were starting to dance on the walls and ceiling. The shrooms hadn't even halfway kicked-in yet but I already knew we were going to be about three times as high as we should be to be in a packed theater. I wouldn't have been faulted for suggesting we leave, and George would've taken my advice, but I wanted to at least see if we could stick it out for a while anyway, and there would've been no story if we'd left.] [When George started to get off I could tell he was going to be even higher than I was, if that were possible. When he did psychedelics he'd basically let go, where I'd try to be a bit more in control. We both knew that if a trip was more powerful than we'd intended it was best just to relax and go with it...surf it...and never, ever try to fight it. The thing is with the level we were that night it's really best to be somewhere quiet, like the river or with a few close friends or whatever. It's difficult sometimes to deal with other people if you're tripping heavily although it just takes more concentration, but it can distract from the experience. There are three things to remember about tripping...setting, setting and setting. A strong mind helps, and if you have a lot of negative shit on your mind it's usually best not to trip at all. George didn't do anything strange but he'd really let go and turn off some filters and he didn't care who heard him.] [The lights flickered three times and stayed on for a minute. I looked at George and he looked just kike a clown. I'm sure I looked hilarious to him too, but he really did look like a clown. His nose and cheeks were red and he was grinning so big he was practically laughing. His pupils were as big as saucers. To top it off he had a great Afro, and it was glowing. I took a deep breath. George was really starting to get off, and approach the level I already was. The lights dimmed and the opening credits started rolling. They were mind-bending, like a separate movie in itself. It was just the shrooms, but still they were really cool. It may have been filmed in Technicolor, but we were watching it in Shroomovision.] [George's motto was "Know your limits...then exceed them," and he lived by that. I'd been that way too, long before I met George, but he certainly reinforced it in me a lot. Tripping heavily at the movies was no different. I knew though that if we were going to be able to stay I'd have to "babysit" George. I hate to use that word but I had to keep elbowing and shushing him and reminding him we were in a public place. I was basically having to try to keep George's shit together too, when I could just barely keep mine. He was talking out loud and getting fidgety, but we were maintaining. Still I knew it was a 50-50 chance at best that we'd be able to stay through the whole movie.] [George was really getting off. Back then the big thing was rocking-chair seats. George was rocking in his seat and he was starting to push his leg into the seat in front of him, causing it to rock too, like an obnoxious kid on an airplane, and it got to where I'd have to elbow him to get him to stop. The people in front of us were very patient for a long time but they were miffed, and rightly so, but they cut us some slack. They were the first to figure out that we were obviously on something, and it didn't take very long. George was talking and laughing and rocking back and forth, as was the person in front of him. They'd have been totally justified in reaching back and punching him, but people mostly didn't behave like that.] [The people in front of us remained amazingly cool about it, but I'll never forget what one guy sarcastically said when he realized what was going on. He said "Yeah, ha-ha, my grandmother thought she was a giraffe." He was fucking with us but George didn't care. They'd have moved to another spot but every seat was taken. Bless their hearts they had to put up with some shit that night. Back then movies were big parties and some heckling and such happened, but not like what we were doing. George began to narrate the story out loud. The irony there was that it was actually a silent movie. The whole place heard him. It didn't take long for pretty much everybody to figure out what was going on.] [Nobody was angry or anything like that. As I mentioned in the post below it wasn't all that uncommon to go to the movies tripping, but generally nowhere near the level we were. As high and obnoxious as we were it was still doable, but then terror struck. I realized that I had two big fat joints in my shirt pocket. I'd forgotten to put them in the glove box. George and I strictly adhered to the "Never drive around with anything you can't eat" theory. That included baggies, pipes and such. We'd roll a few joints and always have water or something to drink in case we got pulled over and had to eat them, which luckily never happened. I'd twisted a couple of doobs for after the movie, and I'd left them in my damn pocket.] [It was an oh-shit moment. I didn't freak out or think the cops were coming, although thoughts like that can be greatly magnified when you're tripping. Again the culture was different back then, and nobody would've called the cops unless we were threatening people or running around naked or something like that, but technically it was still very illegal. I had a soda, and so I calmed back down and decided that if anything happened I could eat the joints if I had to, although I really didn't want to. I tapped my pocket and gave George a "Hey-man-my-dumb-ass-walked-in-here-with-two-joints-in-my-pocket" look, but he really didn't care. He was in his own world, and I'll guarantee one of the most enthusiastic people in history to ever whatch that movie.] [Another thing I'll never forget is getting busted by the usher. Back then they had ushers. They had little hats and uniforms and they'd find seats for you and escort you, and keep an eye on things and maybe shush unruly youngsters. That's what we were. The usher had already been keeping an eye on us since the beginning of the movie, but we weren't cursing or saying anything bad. It was obvious we were blasted out of our minds but we were definitely having a good time, and most people were cool with it, and lots of people joined in. It was a comedy after all, and if nothing else, George was hilarious.] [There's one scene in the movie that took slapstick to a totally different level. During the movie they'd periodically show a car that belonged to a pest-control company. I'm pretty sure it was a VW Bug, but it had a giant bug on top as advertisement. It showed a guy sitting at an outdoor cafe, eating a bowl of soup. Maybe by now you can guess what happened. Yep, the car got into a wreck and the giant bug went sailing through the air for half a block and landed on top of his bowl of soup, and the table and everything else, pretty much turning everything to rubble right in front of him, without harming a hair on his head. It was the clasic "Oh, waiter...there's a fly in my soup" thing, only taken to the extreme. Even though everybody in the whole place knew what was going to happen, it hit George's funny bone so hard that he just lost it laughing. He was howling. I'm laughing as I type this.] [I think that in cases of extreme tripping there's a true out-of-body aspect to it. I can still picture this perfectly, as if I were watching it from both my seat and from a few seats away. The usher had been keeping an eye on us and when that happened he came over and stopped at the end of our row, flashlight in hand. He was shining it right into our faces, just like a cop. How did we react? Were we casual about it? I'm afraid not. We sat completely frozen, bug-eyed, and stared straight ahead at the screen, just like two little kids. "Who, ME?" It was hilarious. He never said a word but he held the light in our faces for a good several seconds. We'd never done anything in our lives to warrant getting shushed by a movie usher, and believe it or not it was pretty heavy. We sat completely frozen, staring straight ahead and we didn't make a peep. It was totally out to lunch, and it was like it was part of the movie. Too much.] [That scene is burned into my brain. The image of the usher standing there silently shining a flashlight right in our faces and we sitting there ramrod-straight and perfectly still, staring ahead at the screen in silence, like we hadn't done a thing, is priceless. You have to do some work to get memories like that, and we did. That's a good way to end this and I don't remember much after that anyway. I know that it was nice to climb into the VW Squareback, spark a stick and hit the river. We watched the sunrise and cracked-up about the usher all morning. That was a transformative experience and one I'm very grateful for, but boy howdy we were trippin' hard that evening. I'm really glad we were there. Thanks Mr. Brooks.

Saving Money Online in This "Economy"

[I've picked up a little tip I'd like to share. Needless to say online sellers are geeking for our business right now. Of course many places offer discounts up-front but some don't. I've found that with the ones that don't, they'd still rather make a sale at less profit than not make a sale. Say half the sellers don't offer any discount up front. Of those I'd say at least 25% will work with you, if you're patient, and play the game a little. It's fun, and I've saved some money.] [I'll say to begin with that most people shop on Amazon, but you can find a good bit of the same stuff on eBay, and you don't even have to register to buy- it's just like any other retail outlet, and usually considerably cheaper. Overall the number of people on eBay who'll work with you is probably less than the percentage of all retailers combined, but that's because they're usually heavily discounted to begin with. Maybe 15% or so of all listings will have an OBO, or "Or Best Offer" option, and you can offer and counter-offer. Of the listings that don't offer an OBO option naybe 15% percent will still work with you, but you have to show interest. If you put something in your cart the seller will see it, and if you wait a day or two sometimes they'll send you a lower offer. eBay still rocks, and now there's none of the "auction" thing to keep people from using it. It's just like ordering from Amazon, and you're supporting your people too.] [On other retail websites it's the same thing, although you'll generally have to fill in your info to get the ball rolling. Of course we see the pop-up windows that appear when you're about to click off the page that say "WAIT...save 10% NOW" or whatever (I guess they couldn't tell you to begin with), but even some of the ones who don't will eventually start offering you discounts, and if you sit tight, sometimes they'll get bigger and bigger. You might have to click on the item again once a day or so to let them know you're still interestede. You have to bait that hook and see if they bite.] [A while back I saw a pair of shoes I wanted for hiking around at the river, at least back when I thought I was going to be able to spend some time there. They were $120 but there was no way I was going to pay that. I entered my info and got all the way to "Submit Order" and then clicked off. There was no last-minute pop-up but sure enough over the next week or so I kept getting text and e-mail offers. They started with 10% off. Pffffft. I waited. The next day the offer was 15%. I clicked on it to let them know I was a player, and backed off. The next day it was 20% off, then 25%, 30%, 35% and then 40%. They don't usually go much below that without getting pissy about it, but when the price dropped to about $65 I yanked on the line. That's what they should charge to begin with, but still it's pretty cool to play the game and see how low they'll go, just like playing Limbo, and since everything IS in limbo.] [Out of the sellers who offer no discounts at any time, another handful will still accept an offer, but you have to ask. Can't hurt to ask, as long as you don't piss them off. For most items that aren't rare I'd like to get at least 25% off, but it's negotiable. On eBay I like to get maybe 15% or so if I can, but I don't dicker with sellers on eBay as much. Yet again they're already taking a cut to begin with, and they might need the money to put food on the table these days, and it's much better to support them than to put more money in the bank accounts of a bunch of foreign CEOs. As a general rule of thumb on eBay I like to get enough of a discount to cover shipping, but I don't press it. With other retailers I love seeing how low they'll go.] [I hope this has been helpful. It may sound obvious but lots of people don't know about it, and if a company can get you to pay full list price you know they will. You have to be patient and go back and forth with them but it's worth it in the long run. BTW I used this illustration of a coupon just because I think "Horny Goat Weed" is prett funny. Even the discount code "GOATSAVE" is funny. In any case just remember what my dad used to say- "CHEAP doesn't necessarily mean "ECONOMICAL."]

A Delivery of Hope

. [I'm so sick of approaching most strangers in public. Whereas a year ago you'd have exchanged a smile or a hello or you might even have had a conversation, now when you approach someone you give them a wide berth and they you. You're lucky if they even make eye contact with you, and you can't tell if they're smiling because of the fucking masks. There's this "STAY AWAY FROM ME" vibe that you can really feel. It's deplorable. What it also is is the coming of the Beast System. We're there. The good news is that people are waking up. You damn sure don't wake up overnight, and it's a very painful process, but nevertheless people are waking up.] [One such person came by the other day. I ordered delivery and they sent a very nice and very attractive woman. I grabbed her photo and did all kinds of stuff to it to hide her identity, because I'm sure she violated protocol and she's the last person I'd want to get in trouble. I really wanted to post it because I really dimmed it and blurred it a bit and did other effects so you coudn't tell who it was, only that she had a very beautiful smile, but the background was very distinct. I may be paranoid but I want to protect her identity. I know who she is and that's all that really matters anyway.] [There was a knock at the door and my dog and I answered. There stood a very attractive woman. Right off the bat she earned serious bonus points- she wasn't wearing a mask. It was so nice to see a stranger's smile for a change. Instantly I got a really good vibe from her. My dog gave her the "family wag" so I knew she was cool, and probably had dogs of her own. Sure enough she leaned down to pat Mr. B and started telling me about her dogs. I asked her if she ever used treats and she said she used them every day. I told her about mine and she perked up when she heard the word "organic." I knew she was cool.] [I told her that if she'd give me half a minute to grab a baggie I'd load her up a sample, and she said she'd love some. "It may be violating policy" I said, "but you're welcome to come in for a second." "I'm not afraid" she said, and walked right in. What a concept. "I'm really glad to hear that" I said. "I noticed you weren't wearing a mask" I said. "Masks don't protect you from anything" she replied. "You're awake, aren't you?" I asked. "Yep" she replied. "I hate to see everyone living in fear" she continued. "Well, I'm glad to see it's not quite everyone" I said. She held out her hand and I shook it. Hallelujah. I wanted to give her a hug and I bet she'd have accepted.] [I was thrilled to meet her and I think she was pleased to meet me too. She was ten years younger, which is certainly not out of my wheelhouse. I seriously can't believe it but I didn't look for a ring, and that's standard procedure. I need to tighten-up my game. She's exactly the type of woman I'd be looking for, at least from the initial meeting. She's probably married with three kids but you never know. I sure made sure to give her my contact info along with a generous sample of dog treats. Maybe I should've told her I can cook for humans too. That usually impresses the ladies. I'll probably never see her again but it sure was a breath of fresh air meeting her. What's even better is that she's a charming and pleasant woman who certainly appears to have her act together, and she's the kind of person people will listen to. She could wake me up, that's for damn sure.] [Cheers, awake sister. It was great meeting you. Maybe we'll talk again soon, but if not I'm glad you're in this world. God bless.]

Random Images: Backstory Needed

Weather Boner (tempestas protelo rigida)

This is from an Arkansas TV station. I'm guessing it's a set-up but apparently it aired. It's still pretty funny, and Jessica the gnarly weatherperson handled it beautifully, as it were. Hot and sticky indeed.

Stuff that Never Happened: The Four-Screen Movie Theater

I love seeing old shorts, newsreels, magazine articles and such that tried to predict the future. This image is from about a century ago and shows the concept of a four-screen movie theater. Nowadays you could do this with LED screens and a lot of money, and maybe some people have, but with the technology back then they'd have had to have a huge building built around the theater area itself to allow for space for rear-projection projectors. You'd probably have to add a couple of stories or more above the main room to allow for the ceiling projector. I doubt anyone would have wanted to spend the money to make that happen but it would've been really badass. It would've been an emersive experience. It reminds me of the time many Moons ago when my buddy George from California was living here. One evening we decided to eat (a lot of) shrooms and go see the classic Mel Brooks flick "Silent Movie." We ended up getting way too high to watch a crazy movie that was trippy to begin with, in a packed theater. We should've just left and gone out into the woods and caught the movie another time, but it was fascinating to watch a movie that high, and we couldn't tear ourselves away. We ended up causing a bit of a scene, but luckily most people figured out what was going on and that we were high as fuck and it ended up being hilarious. In the 70s it wasn't uncommon for people to be tripping balls in a movie theater, and most people got a laugh out of it. What was wild is that I couldn't tell where the screen ended and where the rest of the theater began. The whole room was the screen. It was almost like we'd blasted right into the movie. It's hard to describe but it was intense, and a lot like this theoretical theater from 100 years ago. Why spend all that money for four giant screens and four projectors and a NASA-sized building...just give everyone a handful of shrooms when they buy their tickets. Just kidding. Great memory. It sure was a lot like this picture. Seeing as how we made it out without being kicked out of the theater or having the cops called, it was a remarkable experience. I'm glad for it. I'll have to send George this photo.

Glitch

Either there's a major glitch in this OS, or maybe my dumb ass accidentally clicked something that changed the format to basic HTML or computer code or whatever it is, although why on Earth anyone but a computer programmer would ever want to do that I don't know, or they're finally shutting me down. I hope not. Maybe I can figure it out but so far it ain't happening and it sucks. Have a nice day. :)

Test

Test

The Russian Food Situation: Hooray

I just found out something cool that I didn't know, which makes this a good day, and this is especially good. Say what you will about Putin but he's a brilliant mofo. For the record he says he won't take the "poke." Good for him! Anyway sometime back he announced that he wanted Russia to become the biggest organic growers in the world, and I think they've reached their goal. I applaud them. That one move ensured that the citizens there will be healthier, as will their children. Attaboy Vladimir. 

 I also just found out that fully 40% or more of the nation's food supply still comes from small backyard farms called Dachas. It was once that way in this country but of course we lost that a century ago. I can tell you this much- if we don't wise-up and get back to that lifestyle, some people are going to go hungry. Hearing this makes me want to move to Russia immediately, although I really wouldn't want to get into drinking vodka again just to have friends. I'm stuck here anyway. I'm dreaming.

 

 This is a cottage on a Dacha. Imagine if you could live in a place like this. I know it's not some people's cup of tea but I think I could make it work just fine. It's a lot like what I've imagined as a great house to live in, although not necessarily so "Russian," although this place is badass. I always wanted a straw-bale home. It sounds like something out of the Three Little Pigs but it's actually one of the best construction styles known to man, plus it's a great look if you're into stucco.

 It's totally fireproof, bug-proof and the R-factor (insulation value) is something like R-47, which is incredible. They take very little energy to heat and cool. It would have a "living roof," which basically means that instead of shingles you have a garden on your roof. How cool is that? You lay down the normal tar paper and plywood as usual but then you add a layer of soil and moss and lay chicken wire over it. You can plant grass, tomatoes, herbs, strawberries or whatever you want on your roof, plus again the insulation would be off the charts. 

 Part of the structure would be underground, which would help it blend into the landscape, save on energy and for soundproofing. It would have fiber-optic skylights, or maybe even real ones. That's where the studio would be. I'd install pipes underground, where it stays around 65-degreesF all year, install fans and have mostly a passive HVAC system, plus a small heater or a fireplace system. Blowing 65-degree air into the house would be warn in Winter and cool in Summer. You wouldn't need an AC unit. Maybe that will be my home in Heaven, 'cause it probably won't be here on Earth (sigh).

 Anyway I got sidetracked looking at this Dacha crib and wondering what it would be like to live there, or somewhere very similar. In any case good for the Russians. Back in the 70s when I got into all this I'd naively hoped that by now this country would operate like Russia is doing, but that way the Monsatan company couldn't have sold all that Roundup. The Russians said fuck that shit. They're smart. I'm telling you...we should go back to this system. If you can, plant a garden. You're welcome. 

 

Meme of the Day

Good one. 
 

"You Know..." (Tiny Tim's Last Words)

Those were the last words that Tiny Tim spoke, and this photo is of his very last second on Earth. One second later he keeled over, still holding the mic stand, and his Ukulele. May God rest his beautiful and interesting soul. Tiny was one of a kind. I remember when he hit the scene...I was in shock. I want to say I first heard him on a show called Laugh-In, where he was billed as "Novelty music."

 I thought he was a joke too...for about five seconds. When I heard his voice and his playing style, as strange as they were, I knew he was something special, to me anyway, and I've been a fan ever since. What he brought to the table was unique to say the least. I was hard to please when it came to singer-songwriter types, in other words a guy (or gal) with a guitar, much less a Uke, but Tiny blew me away. 

 I was very saddened to learn of his passing, but is this image some sort of morbid fascination with seeing someone's last moment on Earth? Hardly. I think it's beautiful. I've always said that if I could pick an activity to be doing when I die it would be playing music, and Tiny is just one of many that I'm sure had similar wishes, and actually lived, or rather died, to see them come true. Tiny Tim died doing exactly what he loved to do...what he was born to do. In my book you couldn't ask for anything more. I always try to separate the music from the musician, because a lot of them are into some weird shit, but it's always nice to know that by all accounts a musician was also a good person, and that can be said about Tiny Tim. He died with his music just like he lived with it. Thanks for the style, Tiny Tim. Rest in peace.

Sister with Beautiful Hair

Look at that hair on this sister. My goodness. With hair that beautiful I see no need to color it but it's lady's choice, and the braid does look cool with different colors. I wonder what her natural color is. I hope it's red. There's one way I know of to find out, except you never know how fancy she gets with a razor. From the perspective of a dirty old man I bet she'd look nice wearing naught but that hair. And the glasses. Definitely the glasses. You know what I mean. Y'all come back now, ya hear? Have a nice day. 
 

First Thoughts of the New Year

Many times I'll sit outside on my deckette to get some fresh air and maybe watch the sunrise or stare into the trees. Thank God there's a stand of trees behind this building. My first thought on the morning of January 1 should've been about the promise of a brand-new year and all that shit, but of course it wasn't. 

 Waking up these days is pretty much the opposite of how it's been all my life. Instead of having a bad dream and being glad to wake up in the real world, knowing it was just a bad dream, nowadays I wake up and reality is the nightmare. Except for a stretch a couple of years back I generally don't have many nightmares, but it makes a good illustration of how I feel. 

 It also reminds me of when I've just gone through a bad breakup, and when you wake up in the morning you feel normal for a second or two but then the feeling that something is deeply wrong creeps in, and then it's "Oh, yeah...that thing." 2021 is probably not going to go smoothly for me and some like-minded people, for reasons that should become clear soon. I'll say right now that no matter what others may believe, I'm very grateful for my faith. If I'm nothing but a backward-bumpkin and I'm just making up some all-powerful entity to explain unexplainable things, then so be it. It gives me hope, it eases fear about the future and if you look at this situation from a biblical perspective, all of this bizarre shit actually makes sense. 

 God is love and truth, but the Devil is the father of lies, and for now anyway the Devil is in control of this world. If that's actually true then we should expect nothing but lies. I keep trying to tell you that at least half of what we think we know is lies (bullshit), so from that point of view there you have it. You can believe it or not, and I've never tried to say that my truth is the only one, but I have been looking into all this shit for two decades now, and I bet you haven't looked into it for five seconds. Please don't tell me I'm full of shit just because you don't believe something. Have you looked into it for yourself? I doubt it.

 Anyway I was sitting outside watching 2021 roll in, and with a damn-sight less enthusiasm that on every other new year in my life. I'm about 10' off the ground. I might see two people in a hour, walking by with their dogs, and nobody gets closer than 100' away. I'm thinking that if the new prez gets his way, from now on I'll legally have to be wearing a mask the whole time. That's lunacy, but that's how it will probably be. Again I ask how the fuck am I going to catch ANYTHING if I'm outside, and away from any possible source of contamination? Can someone please tell me? I see people walking alone outside and wearing a mask out of choice, and I thank God I don't live in fear like that. Those people are gripped by fear. It's horrible. And what this is doing to our children...that's an entire 'nother post. Look into it. 

 I have to sit outside for three hours with a fucking MASK on? Every time I walk outside to water my plants I have to put a MASK on? I'll get Brown Lung from breathing in the fine particles that occur when the lining starts to break down within 15 minutes of putting one on? This is true insanity, yet I'll be called crazy for saying this. If I were in a situation where I was close to people I'D WEAR ONE, but outdoors all by myself and never being NEAR another person? Are you kidding me? How can people accept this? Oh, I know...FEAR. It's sad. Plus those motherfuckers and their mask mandate will introduce another trillion masks into the environment, but who gives a shit, right? This is evil. 

 The best way I can put it is that everything is flip-flopped, and there's a certain book that mentions it. It says there will come a time when everything will be reversed...good will be taken for evil and evil for good, right for wrong, darkness for light, etc. It's happening right in front of our noses, but most people don a mask and look the other way. Even though it makes no sense, do it anyway. Shut everything down. Fuck it...we don't need small businesses any more. They're not the backbone of our economy. If we don't kill our economy we're all going to DIE! I'd rather take my chances with a virus than to have the whole country turn into Detroit, but that's what could happen. By the by that book says "WOE" to those who take evil for good. We'll see. The truth speaks for itself no matter what I or anyone says. And the truth WILL come out. You can count on it. Buckle-up.

 I have to admit this is a bit hard to handle. To think I'll have to wear a mask outside, all by myself and out in the open, just gets my goat. The feeling in my stomach won't go away. I know that if nobody stands up to this shit or at least questions it, we're fucked. And more than that, our KIDS will have to live in this world. It doesn't have to be this way. Just ask, "Why a mask outside?" What's your answer? Wake up.
 

The Greatest Transfer of Wealth in History

Since the plannedemic began, 56 people have become billionaires, and this is just the beginning. Welcome to the biggest transfer of wealth in all of recorded history. #2 goes to the Great Depression. With more lockdowns looming, more and more people will lose their jobs, homes, businesses, vehicles, properties (not to mention their minds)...you name it, and it's 100% UNDESERVED, BTW, and it'll all be snapped up by the bad guys for pennies on the dollar. Adios, whatever's left of the middle-class. Nice knowin' yas.

 They give us Fiat currency, which literally isn't worth the paper it's printed on, but their currency is actual tangible goods, such as precious metals, property, etc. It's also a debt-based system, and a system based on debt will at some point fail. If people even understood that the Federal Reserve has absolutely NOTHING to do with federal ANYTHING, but is privately-owned, there might be progress, but people don't bother to look into one damn thing. 

 56 new billionaires this year. How did they make their money? Look into it for yourself. Look into what companies were primed to make a fortune off of all this panic, and look who owns the companies, and what they've done in the market. You'll probably be surprised at what you find, but then again you probably won't even bother. Well, then, my friend...it's on you. This doesn't have to happen. Wake up. 
 

New Year's 1921/2021

This headline is from the New York Herald, January 1, 1921. Apparently New Year's sucked a century ago too. How sad, but how eloquent and marvelous too. "Agreeably dull." "Crowds dry as Borax." "Fish horns toot in minor key." That's poetry, man. The latter statement sounds like the title of a Captain Beefheart album. 

 I'm not sure about "alcoholic ecstasy" not being in evidence this year, since alcohol use has gone up by over 40% since the start of the plannedemic, but other than that they pretty much nailed this year100 years ago. What goes around comes around. 

 What's in a century? In 1921 it was no booze. In 2021 it's no freedom. I know which one I'd choose. I don't drink much to begin with. Give me liberty or give me fish horns tooting in minor keys. That's killer.  Oh, well...Happy New Year's anyway!
 

Fiber: Nature's Broom?

They say that fiber is "Nature's Broom." In other words it cleans you out. Most people don't get enough fiber in their diet, and that's bad. Not getting enough fiber can lead to a host of problems, some minor and some serious enough to make taking fiber ever again moot point, if you get my drift. 

 Besides keeping you reg, fiber removes toxins, can help with blood-sugar and weight-gain issues, and can even help prevent cancer. There are two types of fiber: soluble, which dissolves in water, and insoluble, which doesn't. Without going into the differences you need both. 

 The most common types you see in the store are mostly Psyllium husks, often with added artificial flavors, sweeteners and colors. If you have to get store brand it's best to get plain psyllium, but there's still the matter of pesticides, heavy metals, etc. If you're okay with putting that shit into your body then have at it, but it kinda defeats the purpose. I haven't been getting enough fiber lately, and I wasn't about to buy some pesticide-laced crap. Use organic.

I just got this on Amazon. It's two pounds for $20 shipped. That's a little pricey compared to non-organic, but the quality is much better, there are three types of fiber and well, it's organic. Plus it's not gritty at all like most fiber. It has a faintly sweet flavor but otherwise is neutral. In addition to Psyllium it has Agave and Oat fiber. Both of those are soluble and much better at removing toxins. Fiber has anti-cancer properties. It's good stuff.

 Another substantial benefit of Oat and Agave fiber, unlike Psyllium, is that they're prebiotics, which create favorable conditions for the growth of probiotics, which helps the good bacteria in the gut. Having healthy gut flora is crucial for things like digestion, a healthy immune system and many, many other things, and has even been shown to be connected to good mental health. Google it, Dylan. 

 This isn't nearly as expensive as it gets for high-end fiber (who knew there was such a thing) but it's plenty good. Stuff like Metamucil or whatever it is tastes like you took a glass of Tang to the ocean, dipped it into the sand, stirred it and drank it. This stuff is actually almost pleasant and it dissolves completely. You get what you pay for and there's a big difference. Trying to do your body good by taking fiber, but taking in chemicals and heavy metals makes not much sense. Go organic. It works out to be a nickel extra per serving, if that. It's worth every penny. 

 Here's the kicker, as it were- just like way back in the day when I tried psychedelics a few times, I wanted to get the full experience and then some, so sometimes I took double or triple the normal amount necessary to take a trip and never leave the farm, and it's the same with fiber, only more so. I like to take at least ten times the usual dose of fiber. First off, do NOT try this yourself, at least not nearly that drastic. I'm an expert on fiber. If you take fiber in any amount you must take it with a lot of water. Per tablespoon of fiber you should drink at least 10-12oz of water (purified, please). 

 When I take ten times the usual amount of fiber I can't drink that much water but I drink as much as I can. It can actually be dangerous to take too much fiber without drinking enough water, but only daredevil-detoxers like me need worry. Not many people could choke down fiber dry anyway. Few people have the desire to take fiber to begin with, much less a little extra, and much, much less ten times the normal amount, but I'm the Steve-o of intestinal purification. 

 What I usually do is mix ten or more scoops, about three at a time, in a big glass of water, and then go about my business. Ha ha I didn't mean to say that as a joke, but it's true. Like psychedelics, fiber takes a while to kick-in. What I meant was that after I take a mega-dose of fiber I'll just do regular things, but access to a bathroom is part of the plan at some point. I drink some more water in an hour or two. Might as well clean out all the pipes at once. Drinking pure water is very good for you, and most people don't drink nearly enough. I have to say that taking a crazy dose of fiber usually isn't easy, but this stuff was barely thicker than water and it went down very smoothly. 

 What normally happens after taking the fiber is sometime in between a few hours later and the next morning there will be a "knock at the door," and it's best to answer it. Images of those huge tunnel-boring machines go through my head as the fiber, having weaved its magic, moves along toward the end game. As Matty K used to say, "It'll set you free!" It will too. I wouldn't try it with pure Psyllium though. It'll give you enough gas to fill 99 red balloons. Seriously, don't try it. 

 So about once a month or so I'll take a massive dose of fiber, and try to avoid travelling or going to an all-night rave, and stay fairly close to home. It's best of course to take it daily, and according to the package directions, but I ramp it up. They call it "Natures Broom." I call it "Nature's Battering Ram." "To your very good health!" - Keith Emerson