This month saw the 70th anniversary of the world's largest
mass murder
in history, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp exterminations of the 30's and 40's by the Nazis. About 300 people
liberated from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp returned to the camp to retell their memories of the place where
more than a million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis. The survivors
are now so old that soon there will be no more to remind us of the
unspoken fact that humans always will have a potential for unspeakable
cruelty.
Many of the 300 said they made the journey to Auschwitz in search of a
little "closure" 70 years after they lost their homes, their
communities and,
in many cases, their loved ones. But they also remind us that there are
present day behaviors in the mold of the Nazi's of 70 years ago. One
may make a case that Isis and many of the other radical Muslim fanatics
are the new Nazis today and that they must be stopped immediately. They
do exhibit many of the same characteristics and methods of the earlier
version that operated Auschwitz. They show us that another
Auschwitz-like genocide not only can happen again, but it is already
happening, albeit in smaller numbers.
Too many of us today are not even aware of or do not understand what
happened at Auschwitz and that the evil
of that sort continues in part because of that ignorance. Each
decapitation of innocents we see and casually accept is a mini
holocaust, but has now become almost ordinary to many of us. The
surviving 300 Jews who met again at Auschwitz are a plea to the world
to
prevent another genocide, whether against Jews or others. Sadly, I
think we are too detached from that reality and distracted by the
imaginary problems our technological gadgets give us.
It wouldn't surprise me to see another Holocaust happen, and it could
even be directed again against those of the Jewish faith. Evil is
still with us but too many of us seem to carry too little that it
exists.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Not Fit To Print
The truth hurts, or at least doesn't sell as well in today's
publications as does rumor and falsehood. The days of publishing after
substantiation are over in our multi media news world. We know live in
the age of slander, libel, rumor and titillation, not patient vetting
of facts before publication. For today, speed is what matters. Get out
the story fast and worry about the veracity of it afterward. After all,
this is also the age of the 5 minute attention span, and if lies are
printed they will quickly be forgotten without fear of penalty for
publication of them.
Need an example. How about the lawsuit filed that accuses (no evidence presented, but today's media prefers the scandal rather than the facts) of Prince Andrew of Britain being accused similarly of being a participant in a same sex slave ring. The outlandishness of many that claim increased as the sheep in our media world jumped on the civil lawsuit filing that alleges it and broadcast the allegations as if truths.
In fact, because most judges and lawyers discount such allegations as more often leverage the accuser uses to force a "settlement" from the accused in order to wipe away the allegations. The vast majority of the kinds of lawsuits that Prince Andrew faces never make it to trial, given there is no evidence of their being based in fact. On the other hand, today anything that appears in a court document immediately becomes libel proof and therefore reportable. So the media finds it convenient, easy to "report" on the suits. Some things are too profitable not to report, especially without there being consequences, or the need to assume responsibility, for reporting it. "It's in the court documents," says the media. "We're just reporting it".
That story began in Britain and formerly would have died there, but today's scandals are no longer localized, given the media technological revolution. Here in the U.S., where Britain's intense coverage of the court filing quickly became an American curiosity and suddenly, again with no further verification, made it seem like a rapidly unfolding scandal. Today's media just has to cover what everyone else covers. Never mind whether there is worth in printing or broadcasting it.
And the implication is that we as consumers of such garbage are partners to it. Instead of ignoring the rumor as news, we thrive on it, and often transform such stories into truth. But then, life today is far more about thrill than the reality. Shame on all of us for it.
Need an example. How about the lawsuit filed that accuses (no evidence presented, but today's media prefers the scandal rather than the facts) of Prince Andrew of Britain being accused similarly of being a participant in a same sex slave ring. The outlandishness of many that claim increased as the sheep in our media world jumped on the civil lawsuit filing that alleges it and broadcast the allegations as if truths.
In fact, because most judges and lawyers discount such allegations as more often leverage the accuser uses to force a "settlement" from the accused in order to wipe away the allegations. The vast majority of the kinds of lawsuits that Prince Andrew faces never make it to trial, given there is no evidence of their being based in fact. On the other hand, today anything that appears in a court document immediately becomes libel proof and therefore reportable. So the media finds it convenient, easy to "report" on the suits. Some things are too profitable not to report, especially without there being consequences, or the need to assume responsibility, for reporting it. "It's in the court documents," says the media. "We're just reporting it".
That story began in Britain and formerly would have died there, but today's scandals are no longer localized, given the media technological revolution. Here in the U.S., where Britain's intense coverage of the court filing quickly became an American curiosity and suddenly, again with no further verification, made it seem like a rapidly unfolding scandal. Today's media just has to cover what everyone else covers. Never mind whether there is worth in printing or broadcasting it.
And the implication is that we as consumers of such garbage are partners to it. Instead of ignoring the rumor as news, we thrive on it, and often transform such stories into truth. But then, life today is far more about thrill than the reality. Shame on all of us for it.
Five Oldest Humans
Can you believe it? There are five people alive today who were
born
sometime in the 1800's. That means that today they are at least 115
years old. All of them are women and three of them are
Americans. The oldest is 117 years old and lives in Japan. The fifth is
Italian, proving that some people won't die for pizza.... or something
like that. But there seems to be no rhyme nor reason why those
particular five made it to life during a third century.
In reading profiles of each I noticed that some have bad diets, some good, some had great stress in their lives and some not, some lived in poverty and others with no economic stress. Each has a disparate life style pattern from the others. There is no magic elixir that unites them. This leads me to suspect that, aside from accidental death, genetics rules more often than environment, and that we will probably live close to the ages of our closest ancestors,
regardless of whether we have healthy lifestyles or not. I may eat some donuts to celebrate that conclusion! My grandmother died at age 102 and her sister at 104. (Some of the five oldest today also had a number of ancestors that lived into their 90's)
But how long is long enough? If you ask the ancient five, who have "relatively good health" today, none would say they are ready to die. They all have some activity or activities they look forward to each day and each has family support. One likes "wheelchair dancing" and another ice fishing. They all seem to not be bored with life, and that is amazing. I have always thought that one element of dying earlier than we should is that we, in our late years, tend to become bored with life, uninterested because we have already experienced everything we can physically experience.
Perhaps future technology will give the elderly some virtual technology that is connected to the brain that will make the old believe and experience in their minds a new stage of youth. We might be able to "live" again, maybe even from childhood, as we experience a new virtual life just as we did the first time we were young. But is that living longer or are we merely becoming a computer that is only imagining life? Is not life our every day experiences with real humans, and nothing else?
It's ironic that the debate we have now about whether a dying person should have the plug pulled and die naturally, might be replaced with a debate as to whether we should plug in to extend our lives, but only in the imaginary sense.
In reading profiles of each I noticed that some have bad diets, some good, some had great stress in their lives and some not, some lived in poverty and others with no economic stress. Each has a disparate life style pattern from the others. There is no magic elixir that unites them. This leads me to suspect that, aside from accidental death, genetics rules more often than environment, and that we will probably live close to the ages of our closest ancestors,
regardless of whether we have healthy lifestyles or not. I may eat some donuts to celebrate that conclusion! My grandmother died at age 102 and her sister at 104. (Some of the five oldest today also had a number of ancestors that lived into their 90's)
But how long is long enough? If you ask the ancient five, who have "relatively good health" today, none would say they are ready to die. They all have some activity or activities they look forward to each day and each has family support. One likes "wheelchair dancing" and another ice fishing. They all seem to not be bored with life, and that is amazing. I have always thought that one element of dying earlier than we should is that we, in our late years, tend to become bored with life, uninterested because we have already experienced everything we can physically experience.
Perhaps future technology will give the elderly some virtual technology that is connected to the brain that will make the old believe and experience in their minds a new stage of youth. We might be able to "live" again, maybe even from childhood, as we experience a new virtual life just as we did the first time we were young. But is that living longer or are we merely becoming a computer that is only imagining life? Is not life our every day experiences with real humans, and nothing else?
It's ironic that the debate we have now about whether a dying person should have the plug pulled and die naturally, might be replaced with a debate as to whether we should plug in to extend our lives, but only in the imaginary sense.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Fried Chicken
There is a "best fried" chicken tasting contest going on in
this city. Nominations from readers of the local newspaper picked the
contestants, the four with the most votes from readers. Then a panel
visited each restaurant to choose a winner. Good luck to them. Fried
chicken may be the most popular casual "bad health food in the world. I
can't think of any nation that doesn't hold fried chicken dear. Just
look how many of those KFC franchises are scattered all throughout the
world. And is there a more popular street food?
Every culture has its own twist to it with spices breading, oil used for cooking, marinades and just about anything else one can do when frying a piece of chicken. Fried foods date back to ancient cultures in Europe, Asia, and even North America. No one knows who first fried a chicken. But we know that in medieval times, fried chicken was already being eaten in western Europe. And there is some evidence chicken was first fried in China. Scottish immigrants to the United States are often credited with being the ones to introduce fried chicken to the U.S.
The most common version of fried chicken found in most cultures today came from those Scottish immigrants.
So if you are the food police and curse KFC for clogging out arteries, hurl a few curses at Scotland too. The one indisputable observation one can make about chicken is that it is so mild in taste most people love it. The cook has to add a lot to the coating the marinade or apply spices to bring out taste.
In the United States there's a National Fried Chicken Day in July. Fried chicken is so popular that the average American eats about 40 kilos of fried chicken each year. But the world leader in chicken production is China, which breeds 3.6 billion chickens every year. That's almost 2 billion more than second place United States, and may explain why there are more KFC franchises in Shanghai than in any other city in the world.
Oh well, I 'm hungry so I think I'll shut up and take a fried chicken break.
Every culture has its own twist to it with spices breading, oil used for cooking, marinades and just about anything else one can do when frying a piece of chicken. Fried foods date back to ancient cultures in Europe, Asia, and even North America. No one knows who first fried a chicken. But we know that in medieval times, fried chicken was already being eaten in western Europe. And there is some evidence chicken was first fried in China. Scottish immigrants to the United States are often credited with being the ones to introduce fried chicken to the U.S.
The most common version of fried chicken found in most cultures today came from those Scottish immigrants.
So if you are the food police and curse KFC for clogging out arteries, hurl a few curses at Scotland too. The one indisputable observation one can make about chicken is that it is so mild in taste most people love it. The cook has to add a lot to the coating the marinade or apply spices to bring out taste.
In the United States there's a National Fried Chicken Day in July. Fried chicken is so popular that the average American eats about 40 kilos of fried chicken each year. But the world leader in chicken production is China, which breeds 3.6 billion chickens every year. That's almost 2 billion more than second place United States, and may explain why there are more KFC franchises in Shanghai than in any other city in the world.
Oh well, I 'm hungry so I think I'll shut up and take a fried chicken break.
Least Favorites
My financial adviser called the other day and said "It's
time to update
your will". Ouch! It's like being reminded to have the prostate checked
or that your least favorite relative is coming for a visit. You know
it's inevitable, but you would like to go to sleep while it happens.
Wills are a great thing when death does come, but like everyone else I
don't want to be reminded that I am mortal. Making a will is one of
those necessary but least favorite things. Yes, you're going to read
some more of my least favorite. Feel free to reply with some of your
own.
We are all so different in perspectives that one person's dread may be another's non event. Hmm, for example, I like my dentist appointments. No, it's not because of that sexy dental assistant who massages my gums...uh, that's another different story I best leave unwritten. It's because I am fascinated by dentistry, thought about studying to be a dentist when in college, and because I know how regular maintenance of the teeth dramatically improves not only the teeth, but the general health. To those who fear dental procedures I am a nut...but we already know that. I suspect my mental condition is unrelated to teeth or dental appointments.
For me, besides will making, some other least favorite things include:
- rap music (no need to elaborate.... all other rap haters understand)
- dancing (even my father hated it.... I know the dance floor is where the ladies are, but they also stop dancing and come off it. I'll meet them there)
- political correctness (it's a sign that the PC human is a non thinking being..... dare I say "global warming" advocates are terminally afflicted with PC)
- cell phones (they are the indication that civilization is dying)
- religious zealots who try to convert (they should be crucified)
- new year's eve celebrations (the ultimate artificial celebration about "nothing")
- reality TV (name one way any of those abominations resemble reality? they make me want to resign from life...which is why I need to update my will)
- special privileges for the elderly, minority races, the wealthy or anyone (life is hard enough for the unprivileged.... you make it harder when you anoint privileges)
- people who give their car or phone name (I suspect they don't even know the name of their human children)
- men who wear suits all the time (stop pressuring me to get out of my t shirt and oversized athletic pants)
- those car alarms that scream out when I get near (no one pays attention to them other than being annoyed by "step away from the car" and other idiocies they speak)
- phoning a business, being put on hold and forced to listen to music (I thought that was one of Dante's levels of hell....I wonder if it's my future)
- anything trendy (trendy people are usually the most stupid people....I pray one day they all turn into sheep and go out to pasture)
- patriotism (let me act on the basis of reason, not artificial duty)
Well, those are a few of my least favorite things. any comments from you are welcome, but your comments are sometimes on my least favorite list!
We are all so different in perspectives that one person's dread may be another's non event. Hmm, for example, I like my dentist appointments. No, it's not because of that sexy dental assistant who massages my gums...uh, that's another different story I best leave unwritten. It's because I am fascinated by dentistry, thought about studying to be a dentist when in college, and because I know how regular maintenance of the teeth dramatically improves not only the teeth, but the general health. To those who fear dental procedures I am a nut...but we already know that. I suspect my mental condition is unrelated to teeth or dental appointments.
For me, besides will making, some other least favorite things include:
- rap music (no need to elaborate.... all other rap haters understand)
- dancing (even my father hated it.... I know the dance floor is where the ladies are, but they also stop dancing and come off it. I'll meet them there)
- political correctness (it's a sign that the PC human is a non thinking being..... dare I say "global warming" advocates are terminally afflicted with PC)
- cell phones (they are the indication that civilization is dying)
- religious zealots who try to convert (they should be crucified)
- new year's eve celebrations (the ultimate artificial celebration about "nothing")
- reality TV (name one way any of those abominations resemble reality? they make me want to resign from life...which is why I need to update my will)
- special privileges for the elderly, minority races, the wealthy or anyone (life is hard enough for the unprivileged.... you make it harder when you anoint privileges)
- people who give their car or phone name (I suspect they don't even know the name of their human children)
- men who wear suits all the time (stop pressuring me to get out of my t shirt and oversized athletic pants)
- those car alarms that scream out when I get near (no one pays attention to them other than being annoyed by "step away from the car" and other idiocies they speak)
- phoning a business, being put on hold and forced to listen to music (I thought that was one of Dante's levels of hell....I wonder if it's my future)
- anything trendy (trendy people are usually the most stupid people....I pray one day they all turn into sheep and go out to pasture)
- patriotism (let me act on the basis of reason, not artificial duty)
Well, those are a few of my least favorite things. any comments from you are welcome, but your comments are sometimes on my least favorite list!
Overprotection Syndrone
The other day I read of parents of a 6 year old and a 10
year old in
the state of Maryland who are under investigation because they let
their kids walk together around the neighborhood together,
unaccompanied by an adult. What? Is that child neglect? I thought it
was normal to allow kids to enter the world. But then this is an age of
political correctness and near insanity, I fear an age of the loss of
some very normal freedoms long never questioned.
This irrational fear syndrome and overprotection of our kids hit the Meitivs family when two separate callers alerted Maryland police and Child Protective Services that the two kids were walking together in a neighborhood near the Meitiv home. The Meltivs said police and social service workers questioned their children at their elementary school without their permission or knowledge. "And when they were talking to them, they were painting a picture of a world that is very scary," said Sasha Meitiv. "They were asking my son Rafi what he would do if he was grabbed by a stranger. Telling them, you know there are creeps out there that are just waiting to grab children if they're walking by themselves," Sasha said.
As one who roamed neighborhoods far and wide when I was under the age of 10 that kind of fear seems a bit paranoid. What next? Will Maryland require all parents to taste their kids food before allowing them to eat? Even though crime figures and crimes against children in the Silver Springs, Maryland area where the Meitiv family lives very low, Maryland law prohibits children under the age of 8 from being unattended in a home or car, but makes no reference to the outdoors. A person must be at least 13 years old to supervise a child under age 8. Maryland says that child neglect as a failure to provide proper care and supervision of a child. But is allowing your two kids to walk in a nearby neighborhood "neglect".
If so, I and many others in the U.S. or anywhere else, for that matter, are guilty of neglect. Is not proper parenting encouraging children to be more independent, including walking in safe neighborhoods in pairs? I think so. But the state of Maryland is not giving up on enforcing it's safety rules. This week, a Maryland child protection agency worker came to the Meitiv's home with a "safety plan" for the Meitivs. "When I said that I couldn't sign the illegal paperwork before our attorney looked at it, she said if you don't sign, we will take your kids right away and she called the police," Sasha said.
Has modern life really come to this, that kids can't walk in their own neighborhood even when the danger is remote? Maybe instead of wasting time on this, child protection agencies should focus on real dangers and real neglect that children suffer. Seems to me the lesson of this is that Maryland is teaching its kids to be afraid of way too much, even the normal, while emphasizing that kids should rely on their parents for everything. That's not a good recipe for a child maturing into a responsible and rational adult.
This irrational fear syndrome and overprotection of our kids hit the Meitivs family when two separate callers alerted Maryland police and Child Protective Services that the two kids were walking together in a neighborhood near the Meitiv home. The Meltivs said police and social service workers questioned their children at their elementary school without their permission or knowledge. "And when they were talking to them, they were painting a picture of a world that is very scary," said Sasha Meitiv. "They were asking my son Rafi what he would do if he was grabbed by a stranger. Telling them, you know there are creeps out there that are just waiting to grab children if they're walking by themselves," Sasha said.
As one who roamed neighborhoods far and wide when I was under the age of 10 that kind of fear seems a bit paranoid. What next? Will Maryland require all parents to taste their kids food before allowing them to eat? Even though crime figures and crimes against children in the Silver Springs, Maryland area where the Meitiv family lives very low, Maryland law prohibits children under the age of 8 from being unattended in a home or car, but makes no reference to the outdoors. A person must be at least 13 years old to supervise a child under age 8. Maryland says that child neglect as a failure to provide proper care and supervision of a child. But is allowing your two kids to walk in a nearby neighborhood "neglect".
If so, I and many others in the U.S. or anywhere else, for that matter, are guilty of neglect. Is not proper parenting encouraging children to be more independent, including walking in safe neighborhoods in pairs? I think so. But the state of Maryland is not giving up on enforcing it's safety rules. This week, a Maryland child protection agency worker came to the Meitiv's home with a "safety plan" for the Meitivs. "When I said that I couldn't sign the illegal paperwork before our attorney looked at it, she said if you don't sign, we will take your kids right away and she called the police," Sasha said.
Has modern life really come to this, that kids can't walk in their own neighborhood even when the danger is remote? Maybe instead of wasting time on this, child protection agencies should focus on real dangers and real neglect that children suffer. Seems to me the lesson of this is that Maryland is teaching its kids to be afraid of way too much, even the normal, while emphasizing that kids should rely on their parents for everything. That's not a good recipe for a child maturing into a responsible and rational adult.
Tattoos For Sale
First I admit that I do not like tattoos. From my perspective
they are
a mutilation of the body, look ugly and un natural and after a while
they become redundant. But everyone should have the right to do
whatever they wish with their body as long as it does not hurt others.
That includes those tattooed to the end people, those who have more
tattoos than bare skin. An obsession with tattoos can
be..uh.......ugly. How many freak show circuses used to display the
"tattooed man" or "tattooed lady"? They were humans covered entirely in
tattoos.
Well, here is a new version of the tattooed lady. It's the "tattoo me for a fee", lady. A 22 year old California artist whose love of tattoos who currently has 47 is just a few days into a campaign to become her very own art installation. For $10, people can get their name or one to two words of their choosing tattooed on Illma Gore's body (Hmmmm Is that tattoo prostitution?). the only requests she says she'll turn down are words of hate or discrimination.
"Tattoo Me," as she calls it, is an experiment to be a "piece of un sellable artwork" that will end in an exhibition in late March where some of the final tattoos will be put on her live on TV. "There is something absurd and beautiful about having an accumulation of absolute strangers names draped over my pale goth skin, even if half of them are 'Penis Butt,'" she writes on Illama's GoFundMe page, which will fund the exhibition itself.
She says it will take more than 60 hours to complete the tattooing. I wonder what tattoo Illma will do when she runs out of tattoo body space. "Almost every mentally stable person has told me not to do this," she says. "I understand their views. But it's my vision. They don't have to like it." I'm not sure I trust Illma's judgment on who is or isn't mentally stable. She probably thinks she is stable. But then, with all those tattoos maybe she just can't see what is wise and what is not.
Well, here is a new version of the tattooed lady. It's the "tattoo me for a fee", lady. A 22 year old California artist whose love of tattoos who currently has 47 is just a few days into a campaign to become her very own art installation. For $10, people can get their name or one to two words of their choosing tattooed on Illma Gore's body (Hmmmm Is that tattoo prostitution?). the only requests she says she'll turn down are words of hate or discrimination.
"Tattoo Me," as she calls it, is an experiment to be a "piece of un sellable artwork" that will end in an exhibition in late March where some of the final tattoos will be put on her live on TV. "There is something absurd and beautiful about having an accumulation of absolute strangers names draped over my pale goth skin, even if half of them are 'Penis Butt,'" she writes on Illama's GoFundMe page, which will fund the exhibition itself.
She says it will take more than 60 hours to complete the tattooing. I wonder what tattoo Illma will do when she runs out of tattoo body space. "Almost every mentally stable person has told me not to do this," she says. "I understand their views. But it's my vision. They don't have to like it." I'm not sure I trust Illma's judgment on who is or isn't mentally stable. She probably thinks she is stable. But then, with all those tattoos maybe she just can't see what is wise and what is not.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Cheese Lover's Day
Every year Cheese Lover's Day is celebrated on one of those
cold
January days
when people have nothing else to do, I guess. It is a day which is
specially meant for the cheese lovers. You probably know some cheese
lovers. They are just as snobbish as wine or coffee lovers and just as
irrational about their cheese. Ask one of them if cheese is a healthy
and they will swear cheese is a health food. Put a piece of cheese on
your burger and that same cheese health nut will exclaim, "It's bad
enough you gorge on burgers, but adding the cheese is too much".
Cheese is not a health food. It tastes good and like the mom who swills a bottle of wine before dinner but tells her 10 year old that he can't have ice cream because, "It's bad for you," cheese is a guilty please. So be it. People like it. The average American consumes about 31 pounds of cheese each year, but those snobby French cheese heads eat an average of 50 pounds. Given that there are more than 900 known cheeses in the world, who can blame them.
I could go on about this, but to show the influence of cheese on the world one need only think about all the expressions in language that involve cheese. How about what we call a big shot, a "big cheese". Big cheese cam about after American President Thomas Jefferson was given a huge wheel of Cheshire cheese in 1802, other dairies made and displayed huge wheels for publicity purposes. The cheeses attracted lots of attention, and so it wasn't much of a jump to referring to someone who attracted attention as a “big cheese.” I already know I am a "little cheese". No need to remind me.
Another expression derived from noble cheese is what we say when the photographer is about to snap a picture- "Say Cheese". They claim it makes the subject to be photographed more likely to smile. That's a whole lot better than the expression "chew the cheese', meaning to vomit. I wonder what would happen if the photographer said "chew the cheese' instead of just "cheese".
If you "cheese someone off", you make them angry, but if you "cut the
cheese" you pass gas. "Crotch Cheese" is a nasty, smelly substance that accumulates around the genitals. Ugh! I am getting visions of that. Anyway, I
presume this shows that cheese is a versatile product. All three terms
are better than being called a "cheese eater". If they call you that
name they are calling you a rat.
Oh no! I just discovered that tomorrow is National Blonde Brownie Day. Don't be a cheese head. You can have my cheese, I'm leaving and will have a brownie.
Cheese is not a health food. It tastes good and like the mom who swills a bottle of wine before dinner but tells her 10 year old that he can't have ice cream because, "It's bad for you," cheese is a guilty please. So be it. People like it. The average American consumes about 31 pounds of cheese each year, but those snobby French cheese heads eat an average of 50 pounds. Given that there are more than 900 known cheeses in the world, who can blame them.
I could go on about this, but to show the influence of cheese on the world one need only think about all the expressions in language that involve cheese. How about what we call a big shot, a "big cheese". Big cheese cam about after American President Thomas Jefferson was given a huge wheel of Cheshire cheese in 1802, other dairies made and displayed huge wheels for publicity purposes. The cheeses attracted lots of attention, and so it wasn't much of a jump to referring to someone who attracted attention as a “big cheese.” I already know I am a "little cheese". No need to remind me.
Another expression derived from noble cheese is what we say when the photographer is about to snap a picture- "Say Cheese". They claim it makes the subject to be photographed more likely to smile. That's a whole lot better than the expression "chew the cheese', meaning to vomit. I wonder what would happen if the photographer said "chew the cheese' instead of just "cheese".
'Chalk and cheese" is not
heard so often. It refers to two objects
that, although appearing to be similar, are in fact different. Just like varieties of crumbly white cheese might at first glance resemble chalk, so for example, might two brothers
who resemble each other also might have completely different personalities. They would be said to be as different as chalk and cheese. I have eaten some
cheese that tastes like chalk, but that's a different story.
Oh no! I just discovered that tomorrow is National Blonde Brownie Day. Don't be a cheese head. You can have my cheese, I'm leaving and will have a brownie.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Another Technological Annoyance
It was bound to happen. I am not sure if it is the
end of civilization,
but it's at least close. What do I refer to? Sigh....an addendum to the
technology I most hate, the cell phone. It's the so called
"selfie-stick. The selfie-stick is a long expandable poll, which allow
users to hold their cell phones a few feet away so they can snap
pictures of themselves, admiringly, I guess. No more do self absorbed
types need to bother passers-by to take their pictures, no more
fretting about strangers taking lousy shots or running off with their
phones (darn it!).
They claim is that the selfie-stick allows narcissists to take clearer, wider shots of themselves so they can post them on their social media, to the annoyance of the rest of us. But what about the interaction that came with politely asking a stranger to snap the photo? Is not travel about meeting and conversing with locals? Just as the cell phone tends to cut off relationships, even awareness of the "real" world, in favor of a restricted "connection", the selfie-stick does the same. Our electronic technology tends to limit our interaction with the culture as a whole in favor of our own private world. Selfie-sticks a in keeping with that and probably why those who find the self absorption of them as unappealing as I call them the "narcissi-stick".
Selfie-sticks are just showing up at tourist attractions in many destinations all over the world. The selfie-sticks range in price from $5 to $50. Simpler models merely grip the phone, so users must trigger the shot with a self timer on the camera. But the fancier ones use Blue tooth technology or connect the phone to the stick with a cord, with a button on the grip triggering the shot. Here's a cnn video abut Korean government reaction against the selfie-stick that shows you how those things work http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/living/selfie-sticks/index.html
So is the selfie-stick another annoyance reflection of modern narcissism or just a clever tool for better mobile photography? Hmmmm I suggest if you use a selfie-stick that when you're done taking a picture you can hit yourself in the head with your selfie-stick. It might know some sense into you!
They claim is that the selfie-stick allows narcissists to take clearer, wider shots of themselves so they can post them on their social media, to the annoyance of the rest of us. But what about the interaction that came with politely asking a stranger to snap the photo? Is not travel about meeting and conversing with locals? Just as the cell phone tends to cut off relationships, even awareness of the "real" world, in favor of a restricted "connection", the selfie-stick does the same. Our electronic technology tends to limit our interaction with the culture as a whole in favor of our own private world. Selfie-sticks a in keeping with that and probably why those who find the self absorption of them as unappealing as I call them the "narcissi-stick".
Selfie-sticks are just showing up at tourist attractions in many destinations all over the world. The selfie-sticks range in price from $5 to $50. Simpler models merely grip the phone, so users must trigger the shot with a self timer on the camera. But the fancier ones use Blue tooth technology or connect the phone to the stick with a cord, with a button on the grip triggering the shot. Here's a cnn video abut Korean government reaction against the selfie-stick that shows you how those things work http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/living/selfie-sticks/index.html
So is the selfie-stick another annoyance reflection of modern narcissism or just a clever tool for better mobile photography? Hmmmm I suggest if you use a selfie-stick that when you're done taking a picture you can hit yourself in the head with your selfie-stick. It might know some sense into you!
Mardi Gras Music
I never get tired of Mardi Gras, and it's about as
good I time as any to be in New Orleans. So I have dusted out my Mardi
Gras music treasure trove to get me in the mood for the world's
greatest free show...that would be Mardi Gras.
Did you know there is a huge Mardi Gras music genre in New Orleans? Given the nature of the free spirited ness of the festival and that New Orleans is a music city, Mardi Gras music evolved there. Almost all of the songs were written by locals, many of them during the heyday of Mardi Gras music, in the 50's and 60's. They have endured and become beloved. There are many such tunes, and if in the city you'll hear them played often from now until after Mardi Gras is over. Here are a few Yu tube links for a sample to get you into the mood. They represent a wide range of the style of Mardi Gras music. Listen to the whole tune before judging it, and pay attention to the off- beat lyrics in them. New Orleans defines off-beat, singular, and different and these songs give you a taste of it
The first is the official theme song of Mardi Gras, 'If Ever I cease to Love". The nonsense words are appropriate to the idea of Carnival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5lANGWr8o
The next one is 'Big Chief'' with some amazing gymnastics in famed Jackson Square
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voB6WiP83NU
If you like beat of that one, here is the same song with vocals by famed N.O. musician "Professor Longhair". Bizarre tribute by black New Orleans to the American Indians who lived in the area. I love the whistling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjZ0RgxtLvY
Next is Carnival Time by Al Johnson. This song defines what Mardi Gras is to the locals. Catch the opening lines that shows the New Orleans attitude- "The Queen's room is smoking and the bathrooms burning down, throw the baby out the window let the joint burn down. Because it's carnival time".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccu2_MRMF5Y&index=4&list=PLA8736288583E3FD4
Do you remember long ago that Paul Simon had a big hit with a Mardi Gras song. Here it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkaMN-T_HKw&spfreload=1
Here is one of my favorites that shows the jazz influence. Jazz was invented in and is still embraced in New Orleans. It's an instrumental called 'Second Line' (people at a parade, in their enthusiasm, follow a parade and dance to music in their own so called parade. In New Orleans they are called "second liners".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w58XVr5YE8w
Those are just a few of my favorites. There are many more, but I suspect you had enough listening to those. One more note about this Mardi Gras music thing. Did you know that the famous Bob Dylan song, 'Mr. Tambourine Man', was written by Dylan after he witnessed a Mardi Gras parade in the city and was entranced by the tambourines in a marching group he saw. He went back to his hotel and wrote the song. Happy Mardi Gras!
Did you know there is a huge Mardi Gras music genre in New Orleans? Given the nature of the free spirited ness of the festival and that New Orleans is a music city, Mardi Gras music evolved there. Almost all of the songs were written by locals, many of them during the heyday of Mardi Gras music, in the 50's and 60's. They have endured and become beloved. There are many such tunes, and if in the city you'll hear them played often from now until after Mardi Gras is over. Here are a few Yu tube links for a sample to get you into the mood. They represent a wide range of the style of Mardi Gras music. Listen to the whole tune before judging it, and pay attention to the off- beat lyrics in them. New Orleans defines off-beat, singular, and different and these songs give you a taste of it
The first is the official theme song of Mardi Gras, 'If Ever I cease to Love". The nonsense words are appropriate to the idea of Carnival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5lANGWr8o
The next one is 'Big Chief'' with some amazing gymnastics in famed Jackson Square
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voB6WiP83NU
If you like beat of that one, here is the same song with vocals by famed N.O. musician "Professor Longhair". Bizarre tribute by black New Orleans to the American Indians who lived in the area. I love the whistling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjZ0RgxtLvY
Next is Carnival Time by Al Johnson. This song defines what Mardi Gras is to the locals. Catch the opening lines that shows the New Orleans attitude- "The Queen's room is smoking and the bathrooms burning down, throw the baby out the window let the joint burn down. Because it's carnival time".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccu2_MRMF5Y&index=4&list=PLA8736288583E3FD4
Do you remember long ago that Paul Simon had a big hit with a Mardi Gras song. Here it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkaMN-T_HKw&spfreload=1
Here is one of my favorites that shows the jazz influence. Jazz was invented in and is still embraced in New Orleans. It's an instrumental called 'Second Line' (people at a parade, in their enthusiasm, follow a parade and dance to music in their own so called parade. In New Orleans they are called "second liners".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w58XVr5YE8w
Those are just a few of my favorites. There are many more, but I suspect you had enough listening to those. One more note about this Mardi Gras music thing. Did you know that the famous Bob Dylan song, 'Mr. Tambourine Man', was written by Dylan after he witnessed a Mardi Gras parade in the city and was entranced by the tambourines in a marching group he saw. He went back to his hotel and wrote the song. Happy Mardi Gras!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Most Annoying
Today's remarks are
directed about and toward what we in Portland have way too much of- the
environmentally conscious, politically correct, mindlessly liberal,
backpack/sling addicted, judgmental and protesting imbeciles. I can't
figure out how they function, or even why. I can't even find a noun to
name them. They may be from another planet, because they have never
accepted the restraints and realities of earth. They are the ones who
eat only organic foods for health reasons, but abuse their bodies with
drugs as often as they can afford them.
In Portland we have hordes of this type, they who campaign for the legalization of marijuana, while at the same time advocating that cigarettes not even be allowed in open outdoor spaces. It does not figure, but then logic is a rare commodity for them. Since few of them seem to have ever learned to think for themselves, they have no ability to distinguish between a proper protest or cause and the trendy ones they adore, as in "The War on Women" (There is no such war here), "Income Inequality" (They don't understand that capitalism is all about income inequality and self actualization) or "Police Abuse" (In fact, the criminals are abusing the police more often than the police abuse them).
It's not hard to understand why they are so utterly out of touch. It's because they live in their own bubble, not in the physical world they inhabit. The real world is too unpleasant for them and won't pay attention to their nonsense. That's why you'll often hear them parrot the slogans that make them feel self righteous. They can be heard saying, "The debate of global warming is over" or "Jesus was a hippie". I think all the technological devices they use may have impaired their brains. Instead of hugging their children and encouraging them to go outside and play with other humans, these dolts hand junior an ipod so they themselves can log on to their own escapist technology without distraction.
Maybe the favorite cause of the Portland version of these creatures is the bike path. They love bike paths and demand that budgets for road maintenance give equal funding for installing more bike paths adjacent to the city roads. This is problem because it leaves too little funds to repair and build the highways that 98% of the population use (only about 2% of Portlanders use the bike paths). No wonder that Portland has the country's best bike paths and some of the country's worst roads.
I probably should end these remarks right now because they will most certainly be "offended' by my remarks. They want censorship of anything they deem "incorrect thinking", because, well only they know what is right. I do hope that they find a bike path that will release them from their bubble.
In Portland we have hordes of this type, they who campaign for the legalization of marijuana, while at the same time advocating that cigarettes not even be allowed in open outdoor spaces. It does not figure, but then logic is a rare commodity for them. Since few of them seem to have ever learned to think for themselves, they have no ability to distinguish between a proper protest or cause and the trendy ones they adore, as in "The War on Women" (There is no such war here), "Income Inequality" (They don't understand that capitalism is all about income inequality and self actualization) or "Police Abuse" (In fact, the criminals are abusing the police more often than the police abuse them).
It's not hard to understand why they are so utterly out of touch. It's because they live in their own bubble, not in the physical world they inhabit. The real world is too unpleasant for them and won't pay attention to their nonsense. That's why you'll often hear them parrot the slogans that make them feel self righteous. They can be heard saying, "The debate of global warming is over" or "Jesus was a hippie". I think all the technological devices they use may have impaired their brains. Instead of hugging their children and encouraging them to go outside and play with other humans, these dolts hand junior an ipod so they themselves can log on to their own escapist technology without distraction.
Maybe the favorite cause of the Portland version of these creatures is the bike path. They love bike paths and demand that budgets for road maintenance give equal funding for installing more bike paths adjacent to the city roads. This is problem because it leaves too little funds to repair and build the highways that 98% of the population use (only about 2% of Portlanders use the bike paths). No wonder that Portland has the country's best bike paths and some of the country's worst roads.
I probably should end these remarks right now because they will most certainly be "offended' by my remarks. They want censorship of anything they deem "incorrect thinking", because, well only they know what is right. I do hope that they find a bike path that will release them from their bubble.
Love Those Possessions
I saw another one of those news stories about a man who had
fallen in
love with his car. He didn't like his car, he was in love with it in
the same way a man falls in love with a woman. He is planning to secure
the right to legally marry the car. I suppose on their honeymoon night,
the car will claim she has a dead battery instead of a headache. I
guess he loves putting
his loose change in her glove compartment...or something. The
phenomenon of humans feeling love for material things is either more
common or just more reported, given our insufferable inability to
escape all of those devices.
Oh, and is there any single material device today that humans fall in love with more often than a cell phone? Probably not. But then the electronic medium are seductive to both sexes. I also think some people prefer their Ipods to their children. Well, in some cases they may have a good reason or two to feel that way. Their Ipod doesn't talk back or get the neighbor's daughter pregnant. And if the ipod no longer pleases the owner he can throw it away for a new one. I am pretty sure we can't throw away our kids.
Sometimes humans are unsure about their own self worth and it is easier to show affection toward outward material things rather than to have others reaffirm their worth. Those cell phones never question a human's worth, never judge what kind of person they are. And they are a more personal object than the traditional favored possessions of previous generations, the house, car, that clothing item worn for many years. Now we love things so much we bond with and interact with them repeatedly every day.
I suppose, if asked, we would have many different answers to the "which possession do you love most" question. And material possessions are not inherently bad. We all receive satisfaction from possessions, and we use our possessions to establish common points of interest. Having things makes us feel we are more desirable as humans, that others will value us more.
But in the end, material possessions do not determine who we are as human beings. Ok, maybe to the cell phone addicts they do!
Oh, and is there any single material device today that humans fall in love with more often than a cell phone? Probably not. But then the electronic medium are seductive to both sexes. I also think some people prefer their Ipods to their children. Well, in some cases they may have a good reason or two to feel that way. Their Ipod doesn't talk back or get the neighbor's daughter pregnant. And if the ipod no longer pleases the owner he can throw it away for a new one. I am pretty sure we can't throw away our kids.
Sometimes humans are unsure about their own self worth and it is easier to show affection toward outward material things rather than to have others reaffirm their worth. Those cell phones never question a human's worth, never judge what kind of person they are. And they are a more personal object than the traditional favored possessions of previous generations, the house, car, that clothing item worn for many years. Now we love things so much we bond with and interact with them repeatedly every day.
I suppose, if asked, we would have many different answers to the "which possession do you love most" question. And material possessions are not inherently bad. We all receive satisfaction from possessions, and we use our possessions to establish common points of interest. Having things makes us feel we are more desirable as humans, that others will value us more.
But in the end, material possessions do not determine who we are as human beings. Ok, maybe to the cell phone addicts they do!
More Islamic Hate
Thou shalt not apologize for opinions. That should be an Islamic
commandment. But it's not so among some sects of that religion. You
know
which ones. The world knows, But few humans inside it will speak out
and condemn the intolerance and hatred of those groups. The Parisian
massacre of 12 journalists at the headquarters of a humor magazine,
Charlie Hebdo, that
parodied "The Prophet" Mohammed, was the second attack on freedom of
speech against that magazine (In 2011 Charlie Hebdo's offices
were firebombed after a cartoon made fun of issue of Mohammed). France
has been more than welcoming to so many Muslim immigrants, for this to
happen there is beyond sad.
Even in the very real face of this murderous violence, the question facing all journalists, thinkers and artists is this, shall the pen be mightier than radical Islam's sword? This is no time to stop drawing cartoons about Islamic nuts or any other deranged and evil faction that threatens humanity. The martyrs in Paris who died for the right of free speech are showing us that we ought to speak out even more against intolerance and hatred, especially if it emanates from hate groups lie the perpetrators of this carnage. The only good to come of this horrific assault on humanity is that it further aids us in identifying the haters and their hateful followers for what they are.
And who should lead the charge against those who practice madness in their Muslim theology? I suggest it is the ones who have been most quiet in the face of Islamic extremism, the mainstream Muslims. They might stop and think why their religion has been redefined by those crazies who have found refuge within it, all while they twiddled their thumbs and pretended not to see. Strange, when Nazi's ruled Germany and later so much more of Europe in the years prior to and after the start of W.W. II, Christians pretended in the same way as they watched Jewish people slaughtered. Humans do sometimes have a tendency to run from a fight they don't see is their own. But all fights against fascism and intolerance belong to all of us, directly or not.
And the best, fairest response from we who are not Muslims to this inhuman attack is to promise that we will defend freedom of speech every time it is threatened, stop bowing to those who claim offense and the right to kill in response to being "offended:, and stand up to every thug that thinks, for whatever their perverted reasons, that they have the right to silence others because of an imagined "offense".
Even in the very real face of this murderous violence, the question facing all journalists, thinkers and artists is this, shall the pen be mightier than radical Islam's sword? This is no time to stop drawing cartoons about Islamic nuts or any other deranged and evil faction that threatens humanity. The martyrs in Paris who died for the right of free speech are showing us that we ought to speak out even more against intolerance and hatred, especially if it emanates from hate groups lie the perpetrators of this carnage. The only good to come of this horrific assault on humanity is that it further aids us in identifying the haters and their hateful followers for what they are.
And who should lead the charge against those who practice madness in their Muslim theology? I suggest it is the ones who have been most quiet in the face of Islamic extremism, the mainstream Muslims. They might stop and think why their religion has been redefined by those crazies who have found refuge within it, all while they twiddled their thumbs and pretended not to see. Strange, when Nazi's ruled Germany and later so much more of Europe in the years prior to and after the start of W.W. II, Christians pretended in the same way as they watched Jewish people slaughtered. Humans do sometimes have a tendency to run from a fight they don't see is their own. But all fights against fascism and intolerance belong to all of us, directly or not.
And the best, fairest response from we who are not Muslims to this inhuman attack is to promise that we will defend freedom of speech every time it is threatened, stop bowing to those who claim offense and the right to kill in response to being "offended:, and stand up to every thug that thinks, for whatever their perverted reasons, that they have the right to silence others because of an imagined "offense".
Top Related Google Food Searches
For the past 14 years, Google has carefully kept
track of what its
users have searched for and, at the end of the year, released a wide
ranging report on queries about everything from health to pop culture
to entertainment — and especially food. There are more than 1 trillion
Google queries in nearly 150 languages every year. No, I don't have the
results of them all.
But there were a few curious ones this year. Searches for “strawberries and cream” most often happened as expected everywhere in the world during the Wimbledon tennis tournament that made that dish a hit. Among oddities, the Japanese searched for French food more than the French, Australians searched for Argentinean food more than Argentines, and Brits searched for Indian food more than Indians. And guess what the Jewish population most searched for on Christmas Day. It was Chinese food! Tradition has it that many Jews eat Chinese and go to the movies on Christmas Day, since their religion has nothing to do with the holiday itself.
Evidently, the food police and food nuts were still eating the trendy and allegedly healthier foods. According to the latest Google search data, people searched for a lot of health foods. They were clustered near the top of the Google search list. This year, it was all about goji berries and chia seeds, which replaced last year's trendy health food kale and quinoa. Those two didn't even make the top ten this year, proving that real food like donuts, which every year are in the hearts of eaters as well as on the list, trump health food every year.
Before I spoil your appetite, here's a link to the Google slide show highlighting some edible things we most searched for in 2014. http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/top-food-and-drink-searches-2014-according-google-slideshow
But there were a few curious ones this year. Searches for “strawberries and cream” most often happened as expected everywhere in the world during the Wimbledon tennis tournament that made that dish a hit. Among oddities, the Japanese searched for French food more than the French, Australians searched for Argentinean food more than Argentines, and Brits searched for Indian food more than Indians. And guess what the Jewish population most searched for on Christmas Day. It was Chinese food! Tradition has it that many Jews eat Chinese and go to the movies on Christmas Day, since their religion has nothing to do with the holiday itself.
Evidently, the food police and food nuts were still eating the trendy and allegedly healthier foods. According to the latest Google search data, people searched for a lot of health foods. They were clustered near the top of the Google search list. This year, it was all about goji berries and chia seeds, which replaced last year's trendy health food kale and quinoa. Those two didn't even make the top ten this year, proving that real food like donuts, which every year are in the hearts of eaters as well as on the list, trump health food every year.
Before I spoil your appetite, here's a link to the Google slide show highlighting some edible things we most searched for in 2014. http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/top-food-and-drink-searches-2014-according-google-slideshow
Memories Are Important
I read a newspaper story today that was one of the typical
retrospective columns that appear at the end of a calendar year, a kid
of year in review. It was about which celebrities died during the
course of the year. Most of the names I would not have remembered had
the story not reminded me. Those kinds of remembrances are interesting
because they remind us of what happened, of how important those stories
once were to us, and about how trivial they seem now that we are
removed by the calendar from the time when they happened and were
reported on.
It reminds us of how transient life is. If we hold on to information too long it seems to damage our ability to function in the present. Memories are important, but I think they are only selectively important. I remember (this is an example of a good memory for it is useful here) that an author once wrote that "We must always have old memories, and young hopes." Strange, because once we are older (like me) the young accuse us of having too many old memories, while we accuse the young of having had too few to understand much of what happens each day. Our experiences remembered become a substitute of our inability to do in the present.
There is an advantage to having the bad memory that inevitably comes with aging. If our memory is bad we can enjoy the same good things for the first time. Too, we can use our bad memory as an excuse. "Oh, I forgot", almost always works better for the old than the young. We are expected to forget when we are old, while the young are vilified as inattentive because they have too few memories to retrieve. But then, our memories give us roses in December and the feeling that things were better in "the good old days" when we most need it.
When we lose the ability to retain and categorize our memories we have Alzheimer disease or some other from of dementia associated with dying brain cells. We become too confused to remember the essential, but ironically, our long term memory of even the most ordinary and irrelevant memories is enhanced. Old memories linger while new ones die. But that just shows us how each of us remembers different things for different reasons, and for no reason we can understand. How frightening must be memory confusion and loss to the ones afflicted with those brain/memory diseases.
As the Irish say, "May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten."
It reminds us of how transient life is. If we hold on to information too long it seems to damage our ability to function in the present. Memories are important, but I think they are only selectively important. I remember (this is an example of a good memory for it is useful here) that an author once wrote that "We must always have old memories, and young hopes." Strange, because once we are older (like me) the young accuse us of having too many old memories, while we accuse the young of having had too few to understand much of what happens each day. Our experiences remembered become a substitute of our inability to do in the present.
There is an advantage to having the bad memory that inevitably comes with aging. If our memory is bad we can enjoy the same good things for the first time. Too, we can use our bad memory as an excuse. "Oh, I forgot", almost always works better for the old than the young. We are expected to forget when we are old, while the young are vilified as inattentive because they have too few memories to retrieve. But then, our memories give us roses in December and the feeling that things were better in "the good old days" when we most need it.
When we lose the ability to retain and categorize our memories we have Alzheimer disease or some other from of dementia associated with dying brain cells. We become too confused to remember the essential, but ironically, our long term memory of even the most ordinary and irrelevant memories is enhanced. Old memories linger while new ones die. But that just shows us how each of us remembers different things for different reasons, and for no reason we can understand. How frightening must be memory confusion and loss to the ones afflicted with those brain/memory diseases.
As the Irish say, "May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten."
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