tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101432482024-03-14T02:03:57.557-04:00Chicken ScratchOne part Doggerel another part Adoxography ~ Gentle Reader, welcome to Chicken Scratch where we have been actively exploring a vast selection of oddities and diversions since 2005! ~ NOW with added Slactivism!Evil Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538032282444045320noreply@blogger.comBlogger622125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-12360964519251425372023-09-03T23:48:00.000-04:002023-09-03T23:48:34.755-04:00...Is This Thing On?<p>Why, yes. I think the lights are still on, here. "Blogging" has taken some hits due to the advent of social media and the open sharing of ideas on all of the various platforms. But, those platforms are particularly rancid and venomous. Social media was fun and informative. It's been hijacked by the old devil itself - the REAL devil, <i>human nature</i>. </p><p>Yeah, we're pretty awful. That awfulness is easily exacerbated by sitting in front of an anonymous keyboard and filling one's mind with only opinions that cater to your world view.</p><p>"It is what it is," said Kurt Vonnegut.</p><p>Anyway, I noticed this very evening, that it had been over a <b>YEAR</b> since I posted anything here. Forgive me, Gentle Reader. I heeded that siren call of social media, of Facebook, Twitter (now know as, "X" for some selfish reasons unbeknownst to me), and YouTube - for me, the 'big three'. I've done my 'blogging' there, instead of here. </p><p>Forgive me, 'Chicken Scratch'. I never meant to be such a neglectful blogger. The winds of the zeitgeist blew and I was swept away by their velocity.</p><p>It is what it is.</p><p>Winds change, however. Perhaps they will blow me back one day?</p><p> One never knows. </p><p><br /></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-49854628238918776252022-08-20T22:28:00.009-04:002022-08-20T22:40:10.441-04:00Barry Manilow - Hits 2022 Tour, Philadelphia <p> And so, it came to pass, 8/14/2022… </p><p><br />My wife and I are both longtime fans of Barry Manilow. We had his LPs growing up – as a matter of fact, the first album I ever bought was a Barry Manilow album, <i>One Voice</i>. A few months back I was able to procure two tickets (section 102, seats 7 & 8) to see Barry in Philadelphia. The day came and we started to balk. We did some hemming and hawing, but we went to see Barry Manilow on 8/14/22 for the <b>Manilow: Hits 2022</b> tour. The hemming and hawing were not because we don’t love him or his music, no; we were concerned over the ravages of time. We did not want to behold a cherished singer from both our pasts not be able to do what he did so well – sing the truth from his heart. It would have been a stark reminder of the toll the passage takes – of what was and is now diminished or even gone. <br /><br />Well, that is not living in the moment, is it? No. We are given only so many of them and we must make them count for something while we are here. We went and beheld a 79-year-old Barry Manilow knock us dead. <b> What a GREAT SHOW!</b> There he stood on stage at the Wells Fargo Center in all of his modest glory performing the songs that we know so well, and <b>he was so good</b>. Hearing those songs, sung by Barry, and sung so wonderfully, <b>defied time</b>. His performance declared, <b>we are still here and we have a voice</b>. So use that voice. He celebrated all the moments from the 70’s to now and we celebrated them along with him. <br /><br />Here is the set list… <br /><br />1. It’s a Miracle <br />2. Can’t Smile Without You <br />3. Looks Like We Made It <br />4. Brooklyn Blues (w/ Dave Koz – who opened the show) <br />5. This One’s for You <br />6. Daybreak <br />7. Even Now <br />8. The Old Songs / Ships / Ready to Take a Chance Again <br />9. Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again <br />10. Weekend in New England <br />11. Let’s Hang On <br />12. All the Time <br />13. Could it Be Magic <br />14. I Made It Through the Rain <br />15. Mandy / Could It Be Magic <br />16. I Write the Songs <br />Encore: <br />17. Copacabana <br />18. It’s a Miracle (Reprise) <br />Encore 2: <br />19. Old Friends <br />20. Once Before I Go <br /><br />I’ve seen a few shows in my time but this one touched me. There were moments that brought tears to my eyes. I’m a softy and the tides of time and of nostalgia rose over their banks. He told a story of his grandfather recognizing that a 4-year-old Barry was musically inclined taking him to Brooklyn every Saturday to record his voice in a sound booth designed to cut records that could be taken home to play. There were pictures and samples from one of the actual recordings. He told of how years later – the first time that he played Carnegie Hall, how his grandfather led the standing ovation when he came on stage and how he kept standing and clapping when everyone else started to sit down. He said, “I think of him every single time I play…” and then he started<i> This One’s for You</i>. There were tears. <br /><br />With, <i>Could It Be Magic</i> he did a duet with himself from 1974 via archive footage. Yes, it was magical. <br /><br />Within this bag is glow stick that was handed out to everyone upon entry, one of the streamers that blew out into the audience at the end of the show, and, of course, this write up. <br /><br />Thank you for defying time and reminding us that we are still here, we must appreciate the moments we have, and that we are – still after all these years able to hear that one voice singing in the darkness. <br /><br />For a life’s worth of memories, songs, and feelings, thank you, Mr. Manilow. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyReJwTwEszzE9T8m8uWroAlXoitUObMV6LIaL99whev7n7ZtpxuLYknpTqjjX9MYBjJmjRh0Hyvq-kMDkWAtH8PMmi7B7vETDNEY2FKBZrRZy5FOBcDl4CibSswF96HML71t05NSgzQPcnMfp5FsTJ6R80Tz1DFGouNRV7Rw-dm6L8fDOg/s4000/20220814_205053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyReJwTwEszzE9T8m8uWroAlXoitUObMV6LIaL99whev7n7ZtpxuLYknpTqjjX9MYBjJmjRh0Hyvq-kMDkWAtH8PMmi7B7vETDNEY2FKBZrRZy5FOBcDl4CibSswF96HML71t05NSgzQPcnMfp5FsTJ6R80Tz1DFGouNRV7Rw-dm6L8fDOg/w504-h378/20220814_205053.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-23220125191985208772021-08-29T13:01:00.001-04:002021-08-29T13:01:45.470-04:00Rehumanize Yourself<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We are an angry nation. <br /><br />Why is this so? <br /><br />One could write several doctoral dissertations on the topic of how humanity coped or did not cope during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, I am reminded of a tweet that I saw and saved for posterity a few days ago on 8/26. Josh Moon said… <br /><br /><i>“One thing that about this pandemic that I’ll remember forever is the way many people got irrationally angry at people who were trying to help them. Angry at scientists. Angry at teachers. Angry at doctors. Angry at anyone who told them helpful info they didn’t want to hear.” </i><br /><br />He is not wrong. This underlying anger, fueled by fear and hate, serves the darkest angles of our natures. The anger, fear, and hatred are real. These emotions need to be acknowledged. Emotions are a natural, human response; we all have them. It is, however, what we do with them that defines us. Is our reason swept away, robbed from us by serving some mob mentality? Or do we ask ourselves the deceptively simple question, “Why?” We, as thinking, rational human beings must search ourselves and ask the hard questions, why am I angry? Why does what I do not understand frighten me? Why do I hate? <br /><br />If we can examine ourselves, if we can be honest with ourselves, and if we can reason for ourselves, then we can channel these negative emotional responses into something better – something positive. This takes an act of will, an act of humanity on the part of each of us. Do we join the unthinking mob, or do we join humanity and ask ourselves the hard question of “Why?” <br /><br />We need a mass re-humanization, sooner rather than later. As human beings, we have the capacity to be so much more than what we are. The capacity to look beyond ourselves, beyond our own needs & desires – to look and see how we can lift others up instead of tearing them down, to help instead of hinder, to do what is right for everyone and not simply for ourselves. <br /><br />Here, in the United States, our humanity has been compromised by politics. The simple act of wearing a mask and getting a vaccination to help stop a world-wide pandemic that has claimed over 4.5 million lives – 637,280 of them right here in the United States – is questioned by those who have chosen the whims of the mob over betterment of humanity.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ilHChm1t_MA/YSu2LChZBdI/AAAAAAAACMg/PrAa1hQVHxMJ_tp8mYSt5MlDM1lbUn3CQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="940" height="210" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ilHChm1t_MA/YSu2LChZBdI/AAAAAAAACMg/PrAa1hQVHxMJ_tp8mYSt5MlDM1lbUn3CQCLcBGAsYHQ/w533-h210/image.png" width="533" /></a></div><br />Those who cry, “My body, my choice!” I hope you remember that phrase when it doesn’t only apply to your own situation – your own ‘needs’. I’ve seen some ugliness from people who have only been thinking of themselves for the last year and a half – we all have. Today, you could make that choice to rejoin humanity and do what is best for all, instead of acting or not acting out of selfishness due to anger, fear, and hate. The excuses only go so far - the vast majority of them have <i>no footing in reason</i>.<br /><br />It is past time to grow up. <br /><br />It is not a political issue. It is a public health issue. <br /><br />The Delta variant is filling hospital beds, taking such beds away from others who need them. Vaccinating would ease this pressure. It would be good for you, good for them, good for everyone. The mob destroys, humanity builds. <br /><br />It is time to build. <br /><br />Rehumanize Yourself. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><p></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-72615571209059098522021-06-12T11:49:00.001-04:002021-06-12T11:50:38.826-04:00"It Belongs in a Museum"“Archeology is our religion, yet we have fallen from the pure faith. Our methods have not differed as much as you pretend. I am but a shadowy reflection of you. It would take only a nudge to make you like me. To push you out of the light." – Rene Belloq <br /><br />Belloq said that to Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr. FORTY years ago today. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is one of my all-time favorite films. The prequel and the sequels are fun (although Crystal Skull has some…issues), but there will never be another, Raiders. I remember begging my family to see it. My dad relented and 40 years ago cinematic history blew me away.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tI4Gs8m2PkE/YMTVUl7nc7I/AAAAAAAACJA/nUaYK8kMSJMo0_HxC0j2f_KqkF2XQsmeACLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Raiders%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="290" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tI4Gs8m2PkE/YMTVUl7nc7I/AAAAAAAACJA/nUaYK8kMSJMo0_HxC0j2f_KqkF2XQsmeACLcBGAsYHQ/w284-h488/Raiders%2B1.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><i>This original movie poster hangs in an undisclosed location – somewhere in the bowels of New Jersey…</i><br /><br />Principal photography for Indy 5 started earlier this week in Northumberland, UK. The working theory is this one takes place in the sixties. The fifth installment is being directed by James Mangold and not Steven Spielberg. Mangold directed “Cop Land”, “Walk the Line”, and “Logan” – he is Indy worthy. I’m rooting for this project – Indy deserves an excellent closing act.<br /><br />Harrison Ford will be 80 years-old when part 5 is released. I hope that they play to the character’s age – Indy’s is supposed to be 37 in Raiders, 39 when he and his father thwart the Nazis in “The Last Crusade”, and 58 in “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, which takes place in 1957. Using this as a baseline, Indy is going to be in his sixties in the sixties. Not only do I hope they play to his age, but I also further hope they remember that Dr. Jones must lose an eye (as per, “Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”). Continuity matters.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1o2H4FlTt-c/YMTWSLBzNJI/AAAAAAAACJQ/_zvQcrdQaUgSCe7uYLeicZdSAmTGlJiiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s313/Raiders%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="220" height="335" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1o2H4FlTt-c/YMTWSLBzNJI/AAAAAAAACJQ/_zvQcrdQaUgSCe7uYLeicZdSAmTGlJiiwCLcBGAsYHQ/w236-h335/Raiders%2B2.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It turns out that Harrison is, at this moment in time, 78 years old. George Hall, the actor above who played a 90 + year old Indiana Jones, was 74 when he shot his bookend scenes for “Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”.<br /><br />However, it pans out, “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage.” Raiders is in my top 5 films of all time. It has a bit of everything and proudly wears its Saturday morning cliffhanger cereal roots and fedora at the same time. I can't wait for opening night.<br /><br />Happy Birthday, Indy.<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-84117416830292620412021-06-06T23:04:00.004-04:002021-06-06T23:25:48.706-04:00Fear and Loathing<p>A member of the GOP recently said...</p><p>"Democrats want to use the criminal process against president Trump because they fundamentally fear him running in 2024, obtaining the republican nomination, and reasserting his time in the White House."</p><p>I saw one Twitter user, Stonekettle, answer quite appropriately...</p><p>"OR Maybe it's because he's a goddamn criminal."</p>Circa 2015, when asked about what real power was, candidate Trump said... <div><br /></div><div>“Real power is – I don’t even want to use the word – fear.” </div><div><br /></div><div>And that, at the end of the day, is what he inspires his devotees to do, to live unquestioningly by his example and try to spread fear. He gave them a permit – a license to intimidate. This is why we have seen such an upswing in white supremacy, Nazis, domestic terrorism, intolerance of people of color & LGBTQ+ citizens. </div><div><br /></div><div> People were given the go-ahead to let the darker natures of themselves out to that the darkness could see the light of day and spread like a cancer. Fear? Perhaps. Men do evil things. But there is good, too. “Fear” of what another Trump presidency would do to our citizenry, his cult, domestic terrorism, our sensibilities, our ability to reason for ourselves, reality, our constitution, the rise of an autocracy which replaces our republic, our very union through violence or seduction of those who cannot or will not think for themselves or treacherous souls who wish to scoop up some of that “power”. That is what scares me. </div><div><br /></div><div>We should all be terrified of these things. It is a testament to candidate Trump’s words that this manipulation has worked so well and so far. He inspires those who want to make others fear and by doing so elevates himself. This is how he has always been. Some contractors don’t get paid for their work – <span style="color: #6aa84f;">no problem, I’m too big to touch and those around me will be able to brow beat them down. I have bigger lawyers</span>. I don’t pay my taxes – <span style="color: #6aa84f;">“I’m smart,” and my brain-dead minions will say out loud, “Trump is sticking it to the government!”</span> I don’t win a legal election for the Presidency of these United States. <span style="color: #6aa84f;">“The election was stolen and I am going to march down to the Capitol and let them know that – who’s with me!”</span></div><div><br />- Real fear of being sued out of business because you can’t afford the lawyers that Trump can.<br /><br />- Fear used as a tool to manipulate people into thinking not paying one’s taxes is the “smart” thing to do and – amazingly – the concept that “Trump is for the little guy!” <br /><br />- Real fear of our democracy crumbling due to insurrectionists defiling the Capitol & fear as a tool of manipulation to control a mob just waiting to be told what to think – what to do next.<br /><br />Yes, fear has been used quite effectively by Trump. There are two all too real quotes from two fictional characters that come to mind. Simply because a character is not “real” does not negate that power of their words, the power of myth – the power of story… <br /><br />“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” – Master Yoda<br /><br />“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over and through me. And when it is past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. When the fear is gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” – Bene Gesserit teaching, the Litany Against Fear<br /><br />Fear is a natural emotion and like any emotion it is up to us to determine if we have the emotions or if our emotions have us. Fear easily leads to anger, hate, and suffering. We must be mindful of not only the fear in ourselves but also the fear in others for we do not know where they are on the scale; is their fear passive or active or rather, is the outside world affecting them or are they affecting the outside world? Has anger and hate brought suffering? Were you the recipient of the suffering or the one who caused it? Emotions can lead us to be motivated and manipulated. We must, as the Litany Against Fear states in its mantra-like way, make a foothold against fear so that we are not swept away by it. So that we face it with our minds instead of being obliterated by the emotion itself.<br /><br />So, back to point. <b>Rule by fear is what tyrants and dictators do</b>. Trump is still - even after losing a legal election - a wannabe tyrant and dictator. Those who do not see this and support him are either easily manipulated or are people who want to be the tormentors or oppressors themselves – to scoop up those little bits of power wherever they can find them. <i>That is the character of today’s Trump supporter</i> – from those in high places to the hundredaires who defend the billionaires with their Trump flags-a-flyin’. Fear brought them to where they are now and power by fear is that little thrill that they need to keep feeding – from the low to the high. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don’t buy into what they are selling. Those who pedal in fear are usually very afraid and emotional themselves. They will call you a “snowflake” or accuse you of being, "triggered" whenever you say anything against their regime or their perceived power. They crumble when faced with logic or reason. As an effort to save face they will emotionally exclaim, “fake news!” or “Bengasi!” or “her emails!”, still to this day. As a squid releases ink to escape a predator a Trump supporter will start spewing agitprop when confronted with reality. They do so in fear. They do not like it when the predator becomes the prey.<br /><br />I wouldn’t mind if their ideals and goals didn’t mean the fall of decency, our republic, and democracy but here we are.<br /><br />Until such time that critical thinking returns to a populous that chooses to use reason and reality as a base of operations, I will keep the Litany Against Fear close at hand. I will fight against tyranny, fascism, and ignorance of fear with the meager tools at my disposal – my voice and my keyboard. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will support the oppressed and not the oppressor. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will be part of the future and not a slave to the past. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will try to make things better not simply for myself but for my/our children and my/our children’s children.</div><div><br /></div><div>We need more kindness than we need brutality. This is how you fight fear and tyranny. One must “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Deeds, not words. I don’t have to change the world, I need to live a life that inspires by example, that builds people, ideas, and concepts up instead of tearing them down, a life that was worthy of being remembered for more of the good and less of the bad. Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world and bettered the tradition of mankind." At the end of the day that is my desire. <br /><br />Fear happens. It is part of being human. It is what we do with that fear that defines us. Who do we want to be? </div><div><br /></div><div>I choose the light.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I choose to let the fear pass through me.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have a serious battle ahead of us in the 2022 mid-term elections. The GOP must not take control of either the House or the Senate. They have taken major steps to ensure that their proto-autocracy grows akin to a cancer. They are doing so through voter suppression laws and through gerrymandering. They do not wish to live in a representative republic or a democracy - they only crave power and they have stacked the deck in their favor by exploiting voting laws in individual states. The Supreme Court of the United States has already said that they will not hear any case on gerrymandering, placing the onus on the states themselves to be fair. This is giving the wolfs the key to the hen house and, rest assured, the republicans will carve up districts that do not represent the people but will only represent their lust for power. What is happening is disgusting, corrupt, and - literally - un-American. Our vote is our voice and they want us silenced. </div><div><br /></div><div>During the last administration, decency, reason, reality were all sacrificed to the object of their worship or for most of them, a means to an end. That's what Trump was to the career republicans in the House and Senate. It did not matter how low everything sank, how close to fascism we came, or even when their very lives were threatened on January 6th during the insurrection of the Capitol - as long as they remain in power they don't care who the next republican demagogue is in the oval office. Presidents come and go but a gig in the Senate can be lifelong. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, term limits should be a thing, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fear is healthy. It is natural. But it is what we do with that fear that makes or breaks us. Now, we must prepare to VOTE come 2022 and that means getting people excited about voting in each and every election from schoolboards to sheriffs to fire chiefs, to representatives on a state lever, and to representatives on a federal level.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Our vote is our voice." </div><div><br /></div><div>Use it now for there are those who want to take it away and they are known as republicans. </div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-38533931813964809312021-03-16T01:58:00.000-04:002021-03-16T01:58:18.288-04:00One Year Ago, TodayI wrote this on my calendar one year ago today...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QTR64traV1c/YFAd6NNPv6I/AAAAAAAACDI/03oYx01EpmsOc2ASoUnsppXnY6trc9h7ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QTR64traV1c/YFAd6NNPv6I/AAAAAAAACDI/03oYx01EpmsOc2ASoUnsppXnY6trc9h7ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" /></a></div><br />My daughter and I happen to work in the same building within the same organization. We were sent home from work early on March 16th, 2020 for an undetermined length of time. <div><br /></div><div>I have been keeping a journal since this - the coronavirus started - widespread, here in the United States of America. This is my entry from, exactly, one year ago today... <div><br /></div><div><i><b>“3/16/20 <br /><br /></b></i></div><div><i><b>Disneyworld shut down last night due to the threat of the Corona virus. Today, there were 80 more cases diagnosed in New Jersey. The governor put in place a soft curfew of 8:00 pm for people to be home. The casinos in Atlantic City shut down at that time, too. Restaurants and bars are switching over to take out status and closing earlier. There are several closings—come to think of it tonight, at 8:21 pm, my supervisor texted our group saying that if we were, “non-essential” personnel, that we did not have to report to work tomorrow. So, in other words, my job has been postponed due to COVID-19. My daughter and I are off until further notice. When we return is anyone’s guess. <br /><br />This shutdown makes sense. There are those who feel otherwise, but they are wrong. The best way to contain this is to, “flatten the bell curve” and to practice social distancing (limiting one’s own movement and avoiding public spaces). The spread can be slowed but people must be open to making this happen. The universe has given us time off so that we do not contract and/or spread the virus. Who are we to argue with the universe?”</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>My daughter and I now work from home. It is the same with my wife. My wife is looking forward to returning to her routine and her office. My daughter and I, however, are happy working from home. But all that is a tale for another day - a different journal entry altogether. </div><div><br /></div><div>That journal, by the way, is now over 3,300 pages long. A <i>lot has happened</i> in a year's time. I thought that I would document it as best as I could. You should know, Gentle Reader, that it is not all me and a lot of it is not fit for human consumption. There are hundreds of pictures and articles - all sited mind you - and, of course, there is commentary and observation from yours truly. An everyman's view of this time in history. It has grown <i>long</i> but the work must continue. It will continue until I feel that we have either placed COVID-19 behind us or we have adapted to a "new normal" where COVID-19 remains with us, but due to vaccines and personal responsibility it will be kept at bay. Personally, I believe it will be the latter. There is no magic bullet for the coronavirus. I believe we will have to adapt. When we do, I will call the journal complete. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are better days ahead. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. We will get there. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Until then, get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing. Be good to each other. Perhaps if most of us can do these simple, unselfish things, I will not have to write <i><b>another</b></i> 3,300 pages come this time next year?</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay safe.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-82608472451382695282021-01-20T13:19:00.000-05:002021-01-20T13:19:06.961-05:00Today is a Good Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E28Is6HcSD8/YAhrjGBOspI/AAAAAAAACAM/w6ismwYJ87g0mNHWqJ4J4dsCZXTENmKRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s733/Today%2Bis%2Ba%2BGood%2BDay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="733" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E28Is6HcSD8/YAhrjGBOspI/AAAAAAAACAM/w6ismwYJ87g0mNHWqJ4J4dsCZXTENmKRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w536-h305/Today%2Bis%2Ba%2BGood%2BDay.JPG" width="536" /></a></div><br /><div>After our democracy was tested its breaking point – both figuratively and literally – Joe Biden has become the 46th, President of the United States. </div><br />“Today is a good day.” <br /><br />I recall hearing those words before and for the very same reason that I use them today. It was 11/7/20. The time was 11:28. My wife had been wanting to go out, after all it was a beautiful day, but I was working in my journal that I have kept since the beginning of quarantine and I had my eye on the Electoral College numbers. Was today going to be the day? <br /><br />“Come on,” she urged, “Get ready. Let’s go. I want to head to the bank, and they close soon.” <br /><br />“I’m just finishing a thought…” I said as I typed away. “…There.” I said, let me get dressed and we can go.” I went into our room so that I could get dressed. I was just pulling up my pants when she exclaimed from the other room… <br /><br />“The AP called it!” she said, “Biden is the winner!” <br /><br />And so, he was. We both sat down at our computers to glean as much information as possible. God knows the states had been careful in counting and, therefore, had not had a clear winner until 11:28 am. My daughter came downstairs and joined us. Linda found a linked site on CNN with the banner, “BIDEN WINS” in large font across the top of the page. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrrT1F6ZHbU/YAg_TRvkayI/AAAAAAAACAA/ZNbgE3qYQXMeJERkbxmQvtsOU_u87EfswCLcBGAsYHQ/s587/Van%2BJones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="587" height="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrrT1F6ZHbU/YAg_TRvkayI/AAAAAAAACAA/ZNbgE3qYQXMeJERkbxmQvtsOU_u87EfswCLcBGAsYHQ/w531-h332/Van%2BJones.JPG" width="531" /></a></div><br />We watched, Van Jones started speaking, live to the world. What he said, brought me to tears because in two minutes he was able to describe and give a glimpse into the dystopia that the last four years have been. A two-minute microcosm of TRUTH. With all the noise, chaos, and shameless lies being on the menu these past four years, hearing the truth brought me to tears. It did so because the last four years have been bad. Worse than bad. Across America the spark of our negative impulses, hatreds, and inherent selfishness were kindled to near conflagration by the occupant of the White House, 2016 – 2020. Now the occupation of the People’s House – the White House, was near an end. Mr. Jones’ words hit me when I saw them happen live. Later, I took the liberty of transcribing his words… <br /><br /><i>“It’s… um… Well, it’s easier to be a parent this morning. It’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier… It’s easier to tell you kids, ‘character matters’. It matters. Tellin’ the truth, matters. Being a good person, matters. And it’s easier for a whole lot of people. If you’re Muslim in this country, you don’t have to worry if the president of this country doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant, you don’t have to worry it the president is going to be happy to have babies snatched away or send dreamers…. Back for no reason. This is vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered. You know, “I can’t breathe” – you know, that wasn’t just George Floyd – that was a lot of people that felt they couldn’t breathe. Every day you’re waking up and you’re getting these tweets and you just don’t know, and you’re going to the store and…and people who have been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier to you. And you’re worried about your kids and your worried about your sister and can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without somebody saying something to her. And…and, you’ve spent so much of your life energy just tryin’ to hold it together. And this is a big deal for us – just to be able to get some peace. And…and to have a chance for a reset. And the character of the country matters. And…and being a good man matters. You know, I just want my sons to look at this – look at this. You know, it’s easy to do it the cheap way and…and to get away with stuff. But it comes back around. It comes back around. And it is a good day for this country. <br /><br />I’m sorry for the people who lost. For them it’s not a good day. But for a whole lot of people, it’s a good day.” <br /><br /></i>Your vote is your voice. <br /><br />The noise and the lies have been rejected. <br /><br />I am not exaggerating, Gentle Reader, when I say that I feel lighter. It is as if a weight has been lifted. The occupation is over. The hate that has been a hallmark of the last administration has been exchanged for HOPE. <br /><br />I am not gloating. I am telling you the truth. And the truth is something that we have grown unaccustomed to hearing. God knows we have problems, but the first thing one must do is acknowledge them so one can do something to fix them and move on. <br /><br />The reset button has been pressed. <br /><br />I’m ready to for better days.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-18243395295525099662021-01-19T00:28:00.001-05:002021-01-19T00:28:25.059-05:00The First Step to Recovery One of my closest friends posted on Facebook concerning it being Martin Luthor King Jr. Day, that we have major underlying problems with racism, and that the problem is worse than normal & has been emboldened these past four years. <br /><br />He is not wrong on any of these points. The mob mentality of certain disappointing Venn diagrams of people I know has been eye opening. It is one of the reasons I have cut back as much as I have concerning Facebook – the people. Now that I have seen their true faces – the ones that they used to hide – I find I cannot tolerate them for extended periods of time. If their transgressions are too much they are banished and blocked, which is mutually beneficial I don’t miss them and they don’t miss me. Is this how echo chambers happen? Sure – but I am DONE with entertaining flat-out racists & radicles. If that means I’m in an echo chamber at least I know its not in theirs. <br /><br />But, getting back to my friend’s post… <br /><br />I used to think so much better of us. I thought that we were better than who we are as a people – as a nation. I thought that people were treated fairly no matter what shade of the rainbow their skin was. It turns out I was in a cocoon – a comfortable, white chrysalis – wearing my rose-colored goggles. I was wrong. I didn’t know any better. I grew up. I matured a bit and was able to see the cracks in everything around me & I began to question myself about those cracks & everything I took as indefatigable truth. The world is a much larger place than the one we are presented with as children or adolescents. <br /><br />We have a MAJOR underlying problem of systemic injustice right here in the United States of America. COVID-19 exposed a great many of our most dirty secrets. Fears, superstition, racial injustice, hidden hatreds, civil rights, healthcare, science denying, selfishness, conspiracy zealots incapable of maintaining a baseline reality, domestic terrorists – yeah, this is America. Not all America – but the America that we are presenting to each other and to the world. When people do not feel as if they are in “control” they are susceptible to wrong thinking – susceptible to falling for opinions rather than thought; because, if anything, social media has taught us is that opinions are so much easier to have than thoughts. BUT there is hope. I truly believe that this is a time where we can do something we need to do as a society – recognize that we have problems – SERIOUS problems; because if we can recognize that there are problems – identify what they are – then we can do something about them and start to build a nation where we can TRULY say that we stand for “Liberty and justice for all”. That words such as, “We The People” stand for ALL people, because they must or they mean nothing. We need the courage of our convictions. Not the situational ethics that have suited us for years. <br /><br />Things are changing – COVID-19 saw to that. Our dirty secrets are not secrets any longer. They have been laid bare. Since they are in the light let us work together to make them better, to fix them – all people of good will working together for not simply our own benefit but for the benefit of all. We are at a unique point in history where we can & must recognize these issues – our problems and do something positive to change them. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our country, we owe it to the world, and most of all we owe it to the future – to our children. This was part of Martin Luthor King Jr.’s message, “There is nothing to keep us from remolding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood.” That is from his book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” I’ve had enough chaos. It’s far past time we started truly building that community.<div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOMlfkm31Gs/YAZr_BzCSkI/AAAAAAAAB_o/Y6P9Siw5EOs5eVyY7VpUua6WjeRztYfRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s698/MLK.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="698" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOMlfkm31Gs/YAZr_BzCSkI/AAAAAAAAB_o/Y6P9Siw5EOs5eVyY7VpUua6WjeRztYfRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w543-h234/MLK.JPG" width="543" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-51350930414179443372021-01-04T22:45:00.000-05:002021-01-04T22:45:38.412-05:00Common GroundThere are agents of chaos. To them – the true believers, the ones who have embraced hatred to the point that they wish to commit violence for no rational reason whatsoever against our fellow citizens. Stop. Think of what you are considering over these next few days. It is not hard to see on social media, I mean there are some of you who are not even bothering to cover your tracks, which in itself is a cry of desperation. The truth of the matter is none of these threats or plans that you have made need to happen. There is no sense in it. <br /><br />You may be excited to be going to the “Rally for Trump” but 1 + 1 still equals 2. He lost, at this point we are looking at basic math. 60 lawsuits later – each without merit. He lost. I do not say this to gloat. It is what it is. Four years ago, the Electoral College voted him in, and he won. Four years later, the Electoral College voted him out and he lost. As I said, it is what it is. It is not the end of the world and, you never know, perhaps things will not be as bad as you expect them to be. I hope that is the case. I hope for another one of the pillars of our democracy to work as it has these past 244 years – the peaceful transfer of power. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2oCW5Pc4FmM/X_Pf-fZu4LI/AAAAAAAAB_I/alhUB-5YV5cjzUlJTe0dY5P4N72lKB4vACLcBGAsYHQ/s759/Pogo.JPG"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2oCW5Pc4FmM/X_Pf-fZu4LI/AAAAAAAAB_I/alhUB-5YV5cjzUlJTe0dY5P4N72lKB4vACLcBGAsYHQ/w457-h306/Pogo.JPG" width="457" /></a></div><br />We have consisted on a diet of lies & fantasies told by madmen and manipulators for far too long. Some of these claims have been repeated and accepted by some to the point that they are not only believed but taken to heart as gospel truth. We cannot base such serious actions, which are being discussed openly on social media, upon these delusions. We cannot. We are better than that. We must unplug from the big voice that reassures us, that keeps us warm and safe in our comfort zones – telling us what we want to hear. No, the voice must be rejected. <br /><br />“What are you talking about?” <br /><br />Smoke and mirrors are what I’m talking about. The illusion may be comfortable but there are two things that I challenge you to do: 1., Think for yourselves. This is not an insult – this is a calling. Voltaire said, “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” We need a baseline reality that we can all work from. For that to happen we must think for ourselves. 2., Think of others. It is not all about me or you. We share a world with a great many different types of people in it. Wanting to hurt, maim, or kill others because they don’t look, worship, or vote like you or I do is not only illegal, but it is also ethically bankrupt. Doing so to any level cheapens whatever cause you believe you are fighting for. We are Americans & entertaining such plans is at its very core un-American. We are better than such things. We have more in common than we don’t. But, in order to see that, we have to consider that there are other people in this world and, thankfully, here in the United States of America it is this diversity that continues to make us all the stronger. <br /><br />My girl lost and your guy won in 2016. My guy won and your guy lost in 2020. It is what it is. Society and our representative republic need come to a baseline reality – a balance that we can mutually accept as the truth. We need at least two political parties who can abide by reality. This is not an insult this is real. Denying reality only goes so far until reality doesn’t move any longer to fit our own personal narrative. Let us seek the truth together – standing on common ground. Let us work together for the betterment of all. We are all in this together, Americans – We The People of these United States. Together we can make a better world for our children and, at the end of the day, I think that is something we can both get behind – it is that common ground. <br /><br />We are in this together – as we should be. Great things are possible if we realize the potential in ourselves and lift those around us to realize theirs. Hope is one of my favorite four-letter words. Let us be the people we are called to be and move into that future together – a future found on common ground. <br /><br /><br /><br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-35763751176831892202020-12-20T14:26:00.000-05:002020-12-20T14:26:27.928-05:00I Can't Wait for the Vaccine<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Yes, I can’t wait for the vaccine. I’ll take either the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine – I can’t wait for that RNA to do it’s thing. I feel this way for two reasons; 1., the obvious - this is the light at the end of the tunnel that will usher in our new normal. And 2., protection against the non-science believing rubes who don't care about anything but illusions. <br /><br />I saw this out there on the internet...<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DeQ3Dz8501I/X9-dm3v0dPI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/cLIWL_MpWOwFl73d9I9CaCNlk25_fGoAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s433/Stacey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="433" height="338" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DeQ3Dz8501I/X9-dm3v0dPI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/cLIWL_MpWOwFl73d9I9CaCNlk25_fGoAQCLcBGAsYHQ/w386-h338/Stacey.JPG" width="386" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't wait for the vaccine for it will protect me and mine from people like Stacey, here. I’m tired of having to depend on Stacey’s ability to grasp common sense or for the common health & welfare of others. She is lacking. Stacey has proven herself a danger. The concept of other people and their needs escapes Stacey. You may want to brace yourself, Stacey, but it’s not all about you. It is because of the Stacey’s in this world that we – <i>right here in the United States</i> – have well over <b>300,000 DEAD</b> due to COVID-19. </div><br />Yes, Stacey – the vaccination will free me and mine from the likes of YOU. The stupid, the ignorant, and the evil – a trifecta of protection in a series of two shots, each 21 days apart. There are precious few moments in life when one can get a shot in the arm and be protected from the ineptitude of others. It will be refreshing - liberating really. <br /><br />I cannot wait. I cannot wait to embrace the light at the end of the tunnel. I know that the Staceys and Karens of this world may not take the vaccination. If it was only about them, which as we have previously established – it is not, BUT if it was only about them, I wouldn’t care. The trick is our actions, or our inactions affect others - we know this, this is beyond them. Yes, the Stacey or Karen will refuse the vaccination, contract COVID, and take it to their parents, their friends, and their coworkers. They do not care since it is all about them – it always has been. People like us? We are background actors – non-player characters in Stacey’s or Karen’s world. Therefore, the onus is up to us to outthink and/or outmaneuver the Staceys and the Karens. I can only hope that those around them knows them for what they truly are – the stupid, the ignorant, and/or the evil and they get vaccinated as soon as possible so that they too will be protected against their Staceys and Karens in our selfish, unkind, unenlightened world. <br /><br />Again, how many times in history can we point at where a vaccination can not only save lives but offer protection against indiscriminate killers - spreaders like the Staceys & Karens?<br /><br />Not too many. When it becomes available, get vaccinated.<br /><br />Until such times, wear a mask, wash your hands, and maintain social distance. We will never know how many lives have been saved by these simple measures. Conversely, we will never know how many lives were lost because such measures were ignored.<br /><br />Do your part and, when you can, get vaccinated.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-36632201298559630792020-11-22T23:38:00.005-05:002020-11-22T23:42:20.952-05:00MARVEL 616<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EapbKjC4mwQ/X7s8Ik6t_YI/AAAAAAAAB9c/fAsCX4DgiesWo2iay3g6qhQMUII4xXyHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/MARVEL%2B616.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EapbKjC4mwQ/X7s8Ik6t_YI/AAAAAAAAB9c/fAsCX4DgiesWo2iay3g6qhQMUII4xXyHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h240/MARVEL%2B616.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> Let's talk a bit about, <b>MARVEL 616</b>.<p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">“What’s that?” It’s
a show on Disney+. I just finished the
first season and I loved it.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">There are 8 documentaries about Earth 616. And, in the MARVEL Universe, World 616 is us –
it is our home-world. These
documentaries, filmed by 8 different documentarians, examine, “the
intersections of storytelling, pop culture and fandom within the Marvel
Universe.”</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Brief breakdown of the documentaries…</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Japanese Spider-Man.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 41 episodes of Spider-Man that were
produced in Japan that the western world didn’t know of until about 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interesting story. OH, and if the rumors of a
Spider-Verse movie are true <em><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Shinji Tôdô</span></em>
NEEDS to one of the Spider-Folks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Higher, Further, Faster.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Representation matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important that kids can look around and
see a hero that represents them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
matters a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, there are more
women working as writers, artists, and editors, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worthy episode.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Amazing Artisans.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technology has made the world all the
smaller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This episode follows two Marvel
artists – contributors to Miles Morales and Moon Girl, both live in Spain and
both meet their deadlines.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Lost and Found.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one made me giggle and then laugh out
loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul Scheer is on a search to
reboot a forgotten team of Marvel superheroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good luck with that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Suit Up.” Is all about cosplay at the New York
Comic Con.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Unboxed.” This one explores, “the relationship
between toys and comics.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing the
inner workings of Hasbro and Funko was fun.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“The Marvel Method.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how Stan Lee wrote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would come up with characters, a villain,
and a plot and then he would give it to artists to tell the rest of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most comic writers these days use a script,
which makes things easier for artists, pencilers, letterers, and editors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan Slott, who had a 10 year run on, “The
Amazing Spider-Man” is not one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He uses the Marvel Method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved
this episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you like to write – you
too will LOVE this episode.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Spotlight.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t know that Marvel produced high school plays for the stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This final episode of the first season
follows two classes of kids producing two different plays – Squirrel Girl and Ms.
Marvel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one is all about theater and the process of collaborative storytelling. I loved those kids and their teacher - but I speak too much - go see it for yourself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dug it.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I am looking forward to season two of, ‘MARVEL 616’. And Disney+, if you're out there, PLEASE greenlight Season Two! You must do so, for there are still so many stories from Earth 616 to tell.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-77519307307571450372020-11-14T16:23:00.002-05:002020-11-14T16:31:16.800-05:00Unus Annus - a Momento MoriI stayed up with my oldest daughter and my son to watch it all end – Unus Annus, that is. We were there when it ended. At 3:00 am, EST, the timer hit, “00:00:00:00” and with a click of a button, it was gone.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e5EqD99ggYk/X7BEyMU5MGI/AAAAAAAAB8c/wXqh1LjdO3wB7Rj5nWOCmP-IX9x0SpuAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1118/Memento%2BMori.JPG"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e5EqD99ggYk/X7BEyMU5MGI/AAAAAAAAB8c/wXqh1LjdO3wB7Rj5nWOCmP-IX9x0SpuAACLcBGAsYHQ/w522-h297/Memento%2BMori.JPG" width="522" /></a></div><br />A moment after this image - everything went black. Unus Annus, was gone.</div><div><br /></div><div>What am I talking about? Well, therein lies a tale.<br /><br />I discovered Unus Annus through my kids. They were there from the start – they have seen EVERYTHING. I would hear them laughing in the next room and the voices of both Ethan & Mark and from time to time I would join them to watch, enjoy, and to spend some time together making memories. <br /><br />“So, what was Unus Annus?” <br /><br />Well, Wikitubia (<a href="https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Unus_Annus">https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Unus_Annus</a>) says this… <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i06XsAudf6Y/X7BEF7GfPGI/AAAAAAAAB8U/vS-guMHXeqs2t2Tzz0cELn2L8vqlTz0hwCLcBGAsYHQ/s881/Unus%2BAnnus.JPG"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i06XsAudf6Y/X7BEF7GfPGI/AAAAAAAAB8U/vS-guMHXeqs2t2Tzz0cELn2L8vqlTz0hwCLcBGAsYHQ/w574-h342/Unus%2BAnnus.JPG" width="574" /></a></div><br />Yes, Ethan and Mark are…or were, Unus and Annus, however there is a third member who is only heard or glimpsed from time to time and that would be Amy. To paraphrase Mark, ‘Amy is a creative force unto herself and Unus Annus would not have been the force that it was if not for her presence.’ And what a creative force the channel was. Over 365 videos, at least one a day, this past year. I now take you to IMDB for three screen grabs – one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end…<br /><br />In the beginning…</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3cyZU8XvGU0/X7BGq3Gm87I/AAAAAAAAB8o/9xXze0eDZl8mgKPnWrJkD4j9tX2YoF0WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s673/UA%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="607" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3cyZU8XvGU0/X7BGq3Gm87I/AAAAAAAAB8o/9xXze0eDZl8mgKPnWrJkD4j9tX2YoF0WgCLcBGAsYHQ/w384-h425/UA%2B1.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At the meridian...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-6FZlmba_Y/X7BG4XddKKI/AAAAAAAAB8s/NfU8iTHxm-kKM390zNqI72WGojkEhDmLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s696/UA%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="607" height="449" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-6FZlmba_Y/X7BG4XddKKI/AAAAAAAAB8s/NfU8iTHxm-kKM390zNqI72WGojkEhDmLwCLcBGAsYHQ/w390-h449/UA%2B2.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At the end...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNvhty4Hz0M/X7BG_zL48eI/AAAAAAAAB80/FYdu5nglx20KOxSwKkFxEfQld6ds0mWIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s655/UA%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="612" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RNvhty4Hz0M/X7BG_zL48eI/AAAAAAAAB80/FYdu5nglx20KOxSwKkFxEfQld6ds0mWIQCLcBGAsYHQ/w398-h426/UA%2B3.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><div><div><br />It was fun while it lasted. But all good things… no, that’s not completely correct… ALL things must come to an end.<br /><br />Unus Annus went live with a retrospective on 11/13/2020, at 3:00 pm, EST – or noon PST, where the live stream is happening on YouTube. Before midnight, all the Unus Annus social media accounts were deleted, one by one. <br /><br />“But why would they do this?” you may ask. “They must be making a huge amount of money – 1 million views per video, advertising revenue, and merch – WHY?”<br /><br />Money was not what Unus Annus was really about. <b>Unus Annus was an art installation.</b> Ahead of its’ time or, perhaps, the first product of its’ time. Mark, Ethan, & Amy created something that was not meant to last. But, in all reality, what is? It was built to illustrate that time is precious. Moments count. The message – pack life into the time you have for time is precious. Use it. <br /><br />They never forgot their mission and they saw it through to the end. True to their word, at 12 am PST / 3:00 am EST, time ran out for Unus Annus. The only record of it exists in the viewer’s minds – in the memories. You either watched their videos for the time the channel was alive, or you did not. You either participate in the time you are given, or you don’t. ...So, participate. Do. Create. Dance. Take that Chinese archery or drum lessons you’ve always wanted to try. Try sipping different fluids through a Life-Straw. Search for the mighty <b>HEE HOO</b> but beware of the <b>GONGOOZLER</b>! Know in your bones that the search for each is a memory made. DO NOT PUT IT OFF. This is not a dress rehearsal. Go and make memories. Let us all remember that, for a short time, WE WERE HERE.<br /><br />Congratulations for the tremendous Momento Mori of Unus Annus to Ethan, Mark, Amy, and all the other’s behind the scenes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for the memories. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For everything there is a time. Make your time count.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--nLva3z2fDI/X7BHiFU25tI/AAAAAAAAB9A/SyZYpz0dkRAdS-0Co2PpIsuVqV1g2uiCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/UA%2B4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="287" height="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--nLva3z2fDI/X7BHiFU25tI/AAAAAAAAB9A/SyZYpz0dkRAdS-0Co2PpIsuVqV1g2uiCwCLcBGAsYHQ/w352-h392/UA%2B4.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /> <br /><br /> </div></div></div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-68302242628301474422020-11-08T12:11:00.001-05:002020-11-08T12:18:19.197-05:00It is Sunday MorningThe dawn of a new day across America. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDtPKTy6BSY/X6gn_Dl7lYI/AAAAAAAAB78/LC5PKr_nuZUdmZxAXiQXjsDKMRcX7GMHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1420/Morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1420" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDtPKTy6BSY/X6gn_Dl7lYI/AAAAAAAAB78/LC5PKr_nuZUdmZxAXiQXjsDKMRcX7GMHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w517-h205/Morning.jpg" width="517" /></a></div><br /><div>All votes have been counted. Joe Biden will be the next President of these United States. Pulpits from sea to shining sea will be delivering messages concerning this very development.<br /><br />What that message says will tell everything about where their hearts have been over these last four years. Did these last four years reflect the Gospel, love, compassion or was another message sent to a watching and waiting world – something else entirely? <br /><br />Speaking for myself, before yesterday I felt that if Trump were to get in, that things would become worse than these dark, past four years have been. Entropy. I felt that if Biden were to get in, that things would begin to get better, but I knew that it would not be easy. There are so many things that we as a people need to recognize, fix, and move forward on. I knew that there would be the true believers, those susceptible to Trump's cult of personality were still there just waiting for some ‘word to be given’, to sow violence and discord. Those who would want to see things get worse. <br /><br />God help us all. <br /><br />This is purported to be a “Christian Nation”. I have serious doubts about that for over the last four years I have not seen the evidence of that faith. I have not seen the fruit in the walks or lives of those who profess the name and calling of “Christianity”. This may be a watershed moment, in that, now that Biden is in, Christians will have to have the courage of their convictions. <br /><br />Romans 13:1, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Therefore, now that Biden is considered to be the President elect, it is God’s will. A Christian will accept that. A “Christian” (with quotation marks), will not. <br /><br />The reaction from the “Christian” evangelical right to Donald Trump, shook my faith even further than it was shaken prior to the election of 2016. Watching the American “Christian” evolve over these last four years has demonstrated to me the principal of the duck. That principal? “If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s a duck.” The American “Christian” neither resembles nor sounds like a follower of Jesus Christ. No, American “Christianity” resembles idolatry to me. American “Christianity” has taken the Gospel and has misused and mistreated it as a means to praise, elevate, and worship Donald Trump. It was not that long ago that Romans 13:1 was used to defend Trump. Well, the Gospel is a double-edged sword. Come what may, God is still in control. Biden won the election, American “Christians” will have to come to grips with that. Christians will understand that God is the ultimate authority. American “Christians” will not, for they have been too concerned with Trump’s kingdom and have ignored God’s. <br /><br />What damage has this done to the representation of the Gospel? On this side of the veil a Christian is the only Bible some people will ever read. What is that example? Where is the fruit? Can anyone look at an American “Christian” and honestly think to themselves, I want what this person has in their life? No. People are stepping away from the church due to the fact that people see that American “Christians” are not people who have joy, peace, or love in their hearts. They do not practice what they preach. Loving one’s neighbor, feeding the hungry, housing the poor, seeing to the sick – these have been branded as, “socialist” by American “Christians”. They have formed the message to their own ends. They have remade God in their own image to suit their needs. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 7:15-20… <br /><br />“15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” <br /><br />There has been a endless parade of false prophets during the last four years. People making spectacles of themselves for a larger station in Trumps kingdom. So much damage has been done. So much continues to happen. To them, I can only say, stop what you are doing. You are misrepresenting the Gospel that you are claiming to represent. If you claim to be what you claim to be, repent. Repent of your sin. Go, and sin no more. <br /><br />Repent. <br /><br />Forgiveness is a watermark of the Christian faith. I have boatloads of issues and forgiveness is one of them. That is my cross to bear. However, those who can recognize the evils that have been committed, the ones that continue to happen, and now want to work to change them & make things right – forgiveness is a given. For those who cannot understand this – those who simply will not or cannot recognize just how far we have fallen, I can only offer up Matthew 7:21-23… <br /><br />“21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” <br /><br /><i>“…I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” </i><br /><br />As a Christian, that should terrify you. As an American “Christian”, ambivalence is to be expected but you should know that if you ever, truly want to get rid of those quotation marks, “”, the current marks of the Beast, put your faith in Christ and not man – certainly not Donald Trump. <br /><br />The American “Christians” lost me for good at Charlottesville. I saw their true face then. Christians know that we are only saved by the Grace of God. It is that grace that I hold onto, not the flawed and twisted doctrines of man or of American “Christians”. <br /><br />If you ever where what you have claimed to be, repent – and return to the Grace. The nation needs love and healing right now. We are called to be the light. Repent and be that light that our world so desperately needs. <br /><br />Shine. Let people see love, let them see the Gospel, through your life. Make sure the message that you are sending as a Christian is one of love. Do not diminish the Gospel. It is not about man’s kingdom, but God’s. <br /><br />It is a new day. <br /><br />God is on the thrown and he has seen fit to have Joe Biden be our President. <br /><br />Let us have the courage of our convictions. It is time to heal, to unify. It is time to represent Christ in this world by our example. <br /><br />Anything less is window washing. <br /><br />It is time to shine. <div><br /></div><div>It is, after all, a new day. <br /><br /> <br /><br /></div></div>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-83176025468672188562020-11-08T11:44:00.003-05:002020-11-08T11:45:20.168-05:00Dawn<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Lincoln Project, which was created by conservatives
& republicans to turn away from the cult of celebrity that is Donald Trump
put out a video</span>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMzjA6asUDg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dawn</span></a>, <span style="font-size: medium;">that reminds us that our vote is our voice and that with
President Joe Biden in office, better days are ahead.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"The end is coming.
The end of the noise and lies.
The end of the chaos and division.
The end of the hate. In it’s place
a new America is ready to stand tall again.
Ready to restore the goodness in the heart of our nation. Ready to put people before politics. Ready to lead, to innovate, to grow, to
heal. It won’t always be easy. There are tough times to come, COVID to be
defeated, an economy to restore, but that new day is coming. A day when words like, ‘caring’, ‘competent’,
and ‘professional’ won’t be insults. A
day when compassion and character mean more than celebrity. A day when every American’s rights are respected
and valued. That day is coming because
of your hard work. Your commitment, your
energy, and passion. That day is coming
because of your vote. Joe Biden – our President."</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6Gwcs8F-Dk/X6gQXDxLyQI/AAAAAAAAB7w/UqX1hTJed2UGj1q5-JGU9FE6JxGwoqU2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s961/Joe%2BBiden%2Bour%2BPresident.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="961" height="261" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6Gwcs8F-Dk/X6gQXDxLyQI/AAAAAAAAB7w/UqX1hTJed2UGj1q5-JGU9FE6JxGwoqU2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w477-h261/Joe%2BBiden%2Bour%2BPresident.JPG" width="477" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-10260944767024481042020-10-24T17:19:00.001-04:002020-10-24T17:20:05.461-04:00A Simple Hope<p>I changed my Facebook cover photo to this…<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svnDSfPuFUk/X5SWAkS44XI/AAAAAAAAB7M/68CrObwe3KAb4OVy5a0T4RLLL54JsDu5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s853/Amazing%2BSpider-Man%2B-%2B790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="853" height="182" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svnDSfPuFUk/X5SWAkS44XI/AAAAAAAAB7M/68CrObwe3KAb4OVy5a0T4RLLL54JsDu5ACLcBGAsYHQ/w547-h182/Amazing%2BSpider-Man%2B-%2B790.JPG" width="547" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Spider-Man reminding us all to check our pride. “…We need to give each other the benefit of the
doubt, or there won’t be anything left of us but our pride.”</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">“When you walk around only expecting the worst, that’s all you’ll
ever see.” – George Scully</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I have grown weary seeing only the worst. That’s why I am not on social media as much
as I was at one time, these days. I have
trained myself to see the worst. In my
defense there have been some very good examples of the worst given by my peers
and friends. And I have cut some people
off for the simple reason that I don’t need the additional head noise. Some had to go because I do not do conspiracy
theories on my own time – nor white nationalist agendas. That bullshit had to go. In the wake of their exit I have become
sensitive to seeing ‘the worst’. I can’t
live there, though. I need to believe (apart
from glassy eyed believers and Nazi sympathizers) that we can give each other
the benefit of the doubt. I need to believe
this because Spidey is right, if we can’t, “there won’t be anything left but
our pride.”</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">A simple hope. The return
of normalcy, of dignity, of unity. No
cults or bigots. A place where confirmation
biases are recognized – both yours and mine – where we can set them aside, rationally
discuss issues, compromise, and move forward towards a common good – towards a
future. A future for all. A future worth having.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">A simple hope, I know. But
a worthy one.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I look forward to a time when this election is behind us. I hope it is a future without the current
occupant of the White House for reasons found on the previous 1,367 pages of
this tome<b>*</b>. The future I see is after
this dark time in history. It will come –
eventually. When it does, may we have
the eyes to see our mistakes, the ears to listen, the hands to help, and the
heart to change. We will need them all
for healing to happen but happen it must.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">It will.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We owe it to the future – to pass on to them a world worth having.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Perhaps, one day, we will look back in remembrance of the lessons
learned from this time – a time then far behind us and wonder at the changes
that have come to pass and how far we have come. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">I hope so. It is a simple
hope – for a better future.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Simple but worthy. </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Selah.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>*</b><i>Gentle Reader, I have been keeping a journal since the beginning
of the quarantine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This humble blog post
is part of a much bigger project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
project is growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will keep doing so
until the new normal is established as, well, the new normal or, probably, for
another 1,300 pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not fit for
human consumption at this time, but it is doing exactly what it needs to do –
mark this time in history, document day to day life, and keep me sane.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-34407434848468687472020-09-08T18:33:00.000-04:002020-09-08T18:33:15.613-04:00Happy 54th Birthday, Star Trek.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S96p_YfhgBY/X1gGQz5DDaI/AAAAAAAAB6E/kA1OpahFCtcu7oC98axHlygWuXUGiifyQCLcBGAsYHQ/s922/Enterprise%2BNCC-1701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="922" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S96p_YfhgBY/X1gGQz5DDaI/AAAAAAAAB6E/kA1OpahFCtcu7oC98axHlygWuXUGiifyQCLcBGAsYHQ/w500-h241/Enterprise%2BNCC-1701.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing">It was a show that ran three seasons and launched a
narrative that is still expanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
premiered today, September 8, 1966.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I was born during the original series run and truly
discovered it by watching reruns in syndication with my dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Star Trek had a startling impact on me and
generations of others, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were born
into it.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">The real promise of Star Trek lies not in the technology,
or the intergalactic travel, although those are great, but that’s not it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No - the real promise that Star Trek presents
is a world where people have learned to live together and constructively move
into the future united...as one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
future that is there to be explored and understood for the good of all peoples
- whether they hail from Earth or not, whether they are human or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">So many of the technological predictions have come to
pass as reality - communicators to cell phones, tricorders to iPads, high
capacity computers that run starships to laptops at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUT the real promise of the future is a
sociological one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A promise that has yet
to become a reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That promise is our
capacity, as a species, to work together, unselfishly, for the good of all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A world where all races and creeds are all
part of a human family, united.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A future
where the needs of the many are more important than the needs of the one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A future that has learned from our successes
and from our failures. That is the real promise of Star Trek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The promise of a future worth having.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I hope that we boldly go towards such a future …someday.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Happy 54<sup>th</sup> Birthday, Star Trek. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May you live long and prosper.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-3374374296495485892020-08-28T00:59:00.000-04:002020-08-28T00:59:40.747-04:00There. I Fixed It.<p><i>A blog in two parts</i>.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i>There are two parts to this. Part one consists of words verses words and
it is a bit incendiary. Part two is
about the power of words and the stories that we choose to believe. It is a bit less provocative, but then again
it’s hard to get the toothpaste back into the tube once one squeezes it onto
your brush.</i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>Part I…</b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">So, I came across a political meme that has been making
the rounds on social media, yesterday. That’s
really not a hard thing to do these days.
Pick a side and run with it to your hearts content. There’s something for everyone. Pick something that fits your world view,
your confirmation biases and there you are.
Just try not to get too carried away.
This meme gets a bit carried away with itself.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I decided that I was not going to cut & paste it here as it is presented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, that wouldn't be proper, it needs some fixing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it’s part of my own
confirmation bias, but I believe the truth should still mean something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, instead of just cutting & pasting, I’m
simply going to describe it for you, Gentle Reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a picture of Trump glaring at the
camera and pointing a finger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The words surrounding his precious little head read…</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">“In reality they’re
not after me they’re after you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXdump6XioY/X0huSrL7Q9I/AAAAAAAAB5Y/ac7_ZPxQXkwzPbfEpCG_XXTdYVdNQs5UQCLcBGAsYHQ/s369/crazy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="369" height="53" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXdump6XioY/X0huSrL7Q9I/AAAAAAAAB5Y/ac7_ZPxQXkwzPbfEpCG_XXTdYVdNQs5UQCLcBGAsYHQ/w62-h53/crazy.JPG" width="62" /></a></div>
<p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">I’m just in the
way.”</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">At the very top, above the postcard picture of that <i>man
of the people</i> are those words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words written by a peeved Proud Boy(s), a Trump cultist(s), a campaign writer(s), or
some combination, thereof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words
specifically designed to strum all the strings of manipulation at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words designed to divide – it is an election,
after all, but, regretfully, the last four years have gifted us with nothing but division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The words used here are marching orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words that say, in no uncertain terms, that Trump
is the conduit to a golden future for the United States and if you think differently, you’re simply wrong, you
Godless, leftist, Democrat, and you deserve to be crushed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I have taken the liberty to address the points raised by
this patriotic young lad(s) or lass(es), wherever your pronouns may be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote in the brackets – <b>emboldened</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To answer all of those of you who
would say “I can't believe you would vote for Trump." Well folks listen
up! I'm not just voting for him. I'm voting for the second Amendment (<b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">be</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">cause</span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">they’re coming
for </span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">your
guns!</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>SPOILERS, no – that old chestnut is not true</span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, no one is coming for your
guns unless there is a good reason for it</span></b>). I'm voting
for the next supreme court justice (<b>due to me being jaded and chocked full
of biases</b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
also I don’t like balance</span></b>), I'm voting
for the electoral college (<b>how do I feel about gerrymandering? Hold on, I have to look that up</b>), and the Republic (<b>dystopia</b>) we live in.
I'm voting for the Police (<b>the good ones, the ones who kill
people that are not the same color as I am, or the stormtroopers who make people disappear?</b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many to choose from these days!</span></b>), and law and order (<b>I do</b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no</span>t like protesters and my second amendment
rights are more important than <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">their</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> first
amendment ones</span></b>). I'm voting for the military (<b>you
mean the e</b><span class="hgkelc"><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">stimated U.S. military spending is $934 billion*.
It covers the period October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021?</span></b></span><span class="hgkelc"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)</span></span>, and the veterans (<b>who are having
problems getting their medications through the mail since </b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mango Mussolini tried to kill</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> the United States Post Office</span></b>) who fought for and died for this Country.
I'm voting for the Flag that is always missing from the Democratic background (<b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">another </span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">contrived lie</span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">; also, I’m beginning to think
you don’t like Democrats</span></b>). I'm voting
for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored (<b>Come now, you have never had a
problem voicing your opinion – </b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">whether it’s not wanting to wear a mask during a global pandemic
or just the casual refusal of science, voicing your opinion is not one of your problems. But, hey, </span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">if you could lay off the conspiracy theories,
though?</span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> it would be appreciated</span></b>). I’m voting
for secure borders (<b>and against Mexicans because they don’t look like me</b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> – any other people who also do
not look like me</span></b>). I’m voting
for the right to praise my God without fear (<b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Come now, let’s not be coy,</span></b> <b>you praise your God without
fear already. As an American your idea of religious persecution pales in
comparison to the real thing. </b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, God - which one</span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> are you referring to? Hard to say – there are so many. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing the odds, 74% of the U.S. claim Christianity.
Out of curiosity, if you claim to be a follower of Christ, which title do you
prefer, Capitalist or Christian? Asking for a friend).</span></b> I’m voting for
every unborn soul the Democrats want to murder (<b>this, too, is a lie</b>). I’m voting
for freedom and the American Dream (<b>as long as it is for people who think and
look like I do</b>). I’m voting for good and against evil (<b>No, you’re really
not & horribly, <i>horribly</i> mistaken</b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> in this case</span></b>). I'm not just
voting for one person, I'm voting for the future of my Country! (<b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Trump gave you a voice. You’ve
kept so many things bottled up inside of you; poor dear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s different now - now it can be your boot
on the throat of those you think are your enemies. Your taking your country back!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll show ‘em all, won’t you, Sport?</span></b>)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What are you voting for?!?! (</span><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am voting t</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">o cancel </span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">yours</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. <b>That’s a true story, right there</b>).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In God we Trust; One Nation Under God
(<b>added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, BTW</b>)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Copy and paste. I did. (<b>Of this,</b>
<b>I </b></span><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">have
no doubt. There is no way you came up with this. It must fit your assumed world
view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately for you</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, there are </span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">hosts of people</span></b><b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> out there – the Alt Right, Nazis, KKK
members, run of the mill Karens oblivious to their own white privilege, etc. – </span></b><b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">who will give you all the
opinions you should have and, after all, “It has always been easier to have an
opinion than it is to think”, hasn't it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it has.</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There – Fixed!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">It could be fixed better, but it holds water – <i><u>depending
on the intentions of the words</u></i>. </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Look, I get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is an election year, that’s one of the reasons it’s so slanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is, neither of us - the author(s) of this meme or I, are going to be
changing our minds on the topic of Donald Trump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I can't speak for you, author(s), I can only speak f</span>or myself, and I can honestly say that if you identify as
a republican or a democrat, that I'm fine with that. It's the way it is here in these
United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third, fourth, or fifth parties
are swallowed by the political machine so, effectively, we have a two-party
system – republicans and democrats and, leaving the extremists out of the conversation for a moment, we can find common ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can work with either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you
identify specifically as a Trump supporter, flags start to go up for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just being honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that I write you off completely, that’s not the
case, but it tells me a lot about what you, your priorities, and the stories you believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I’m mistaken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has happened on occasion, so I am not
blindly casting my nets out into the waters and saying, “All Trump supporters are wrong.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I'm not doing that. But, with God as my witness, you are suspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">You have earned it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I have my own reasons for this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">You wouldn’t care about them if I told you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I have my reasons.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">You can shout, “God bless, Donald Trump,” all you want,
but try to understand, when you do so, I have deep and serious misgivings as to
whether you know either party.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">But, hey, that’s my confirmation bias.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I have said this before and I can still say firmly, and without a shadow of doubt, it does
not matter what side of the aisle you find yourself sitting on politically – we
all lost on Election Day 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He found a way to unite us at last
and right there at the very beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We all lost.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8IlLSjNA7b4/X0hwriw__bI/AAAAAAAAB5k/5zh16UQHsa4iy9k6nCO1ihz2jvCwHlVgQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Any%2BFunctioning%2BAdult.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8IlLSjNA7b4/X0hwriw__bI/AAAAAAAAB5k/5zh16UQHsa4iy9k6nCO1ihz2jvCwHlVgQCLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h512/Any%2BFunctioning%2BAdult.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>SPOILERS, this
precludes Donald Trump…</i></div>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i>And now, for Part II…</i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">“All I suggest is a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards
the rest…” Simon & Garfunkel, <i>The Boxer</i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><br /></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>Part II…</b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Words mean things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That shouldn’t be a revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The old adage about ‘sticks and stones’ is a lie. Words can hurt you, and in the wrong hands and they can be deadly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Language, written language especially, is a funny thing. </span>Words come together – a noun here, a verb
there, and, before you know it, there’s a sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those sentences become paragraphs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those paragraphs become chapters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories are saved and told and repeated and those stories – the ones
that are accepted and believed, hold <i>everything</i> together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the story true or is it something else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words and their resulting stories can unite, uplift,
and inspire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opposite is true, as
well. Words can build up or they can destroy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, critical readers – critical
thinkers, are essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a society,
we need to be able to sift words through the filter of the truth. It has always been important to chose the stories we hold closest to our hearts, wisely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Unfortunately, we focus more on the story and, more often
then not, lose focus on the words that are used to tell it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Case in point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could tell you that I believe in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
amendment but that I wouldn’t mind mental health background checks before you are
able to get one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may say to
yourself, “Well, that’s not so bad.” Or you could say, “That is an infringement
on the right to bear arms”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or you could
ignore the words altogether and go right for the story, “They’re coming to take your guns!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In two out of three of these options there is
room for discussion – for give and take, room for, dare I say, compromise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the other tale, the story that the gun lobby
has woven is the only thing you need to know, there is no room for debate or for thought. There is no rhyme or reason, it’s an opinion gone
wild. Discussion or compromise? Sorry, there's no room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how you get people who deny
things like Sandy Hook – they believe the story that the NRA has seeded and some twisted souls mutate it to fit their own sick narrative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lobbyists tell such great stories and their
pockets are full so they can pay off as many politicians they can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is corrupt and disgusting but it is the way
of American politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will collapse due
to internal rot one day, but for now, it’s business as usual in Washington, DC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why there is never discussion about
reasonable gun laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there never
will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People go immediately into DEFCON 2 in defense
of this story – the one where they are the lone patriot and the government is
coming to disarm them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really not going to happen,
but the true believers don’t hear that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are too many
defense perimeters to plan for, too many ammo caches to stock up on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Molon Labe,” baby!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compromise and reason do not fit into their
narrative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t fit into the story
they believe about themselves, because – after all, it is all about them and compromise is for the weak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never mind that here in the United States there
have been at least 2,654 mass shootings since Sandy Hook, with at least 2,908
killed and 11,088 wounded**.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When new
facts are presented the story must adapt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At Sandy Hook Elementary School 26 people were slaughtered, 20 children,
six adults, and the shooter who took his own life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t fit the overall narrative from the NRA, so the story
must evolve – “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy
with a gun.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story feeds itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There is no room f</span>or reason or rhyme, no discussion, no compromise. Nothing happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story is a fantasy spun by a lobby group that speaks to the internal narrative of some heavily armed civilians who have their guns oiled, magazines full, with one in the chamber. Who knows, in the next chapter, maybe a few of them will get to shoot some, "bad guys" and all those fantasies can become a reality. </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">So, is the government coming for your guns?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Will there be any meaningful discussion about practical
gun laws?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Will anything change concerning this issue in the United States?
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">There will be no change with gun laws until people start
caring about the lives of other people and, let’s face it, if we didn’t do anything after Sandy Hook,
we are not going to do anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
listened to the wrong stories for too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is too much money to be made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our fantasies that fuel our personal narratives were more important than the lives
of those school children, their teachers, and the lives of all who have fallen since that dark
day in December, 2014. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">What we believe – <i>our stories</i>, can be dangerous
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many people have died
because of an ongoing narrative or narratives through the years?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People die for stories every day, let alone in the sweeping epics of the
history of mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even before the
discovery of gun powder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>History has
devoured their bodies and all we are left with are the survivor’s stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for what we believe – the stories we hold
dearest, we latch onto the ones that appeal to our vanities or our hopes, and we take them with us as far as they'll go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
said in Part I, opinions are much easier to have then thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opinions are preconceived and accepted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A data-set, so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea is that the individual no longer has
to think about any given data-set because it has worked for them in the past and it is
presumed that it will work for them in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right up to the point it doesn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right up to the point where new data becomes
undeniable and it is there that two things will happen – the narrative will evolve
or it will be abandoned for a different story altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Perhaps it is a</span> tale that fits best with what the believer once held as gospel truth. Perhaps not.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">I took the first point from the manipulative
political meme introduced in part one and examined it a little closer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
could have kept going down the list of unscrupulous presumptions found in the
meme, but to what end?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The meme is pure biased
opinion that is the narrative it serves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It is supposed to not only preach to the choir but also to let the people sitting in the back pew of the church know where the speaker stands. It's a</span> rallying cry for those who prefer to have opinions rather than
thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The meme deliberately attaches
itself to a host of other stories that fit the personal narrative of about 40%
of the population of these United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can’t ignore the words and just accept the stories we are being told
any longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must challenge ourselves
to find the truth behind the stories that we have been told and the ones we choose to believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth should mean
something, the same is true for words, and for people’s lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">So, here’s to the truth, Gentle Reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Find yourself a good story, one you can believe in - one that is worthy of your faith.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an abundance of false prophets and ravenous wolves running
around these days, right here and right now in these United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn to spot them and turn them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stand in the truth and move forward from
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Until next time, stay safe, wear a mask, and wash your
hands.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Peace.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">*Source: <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320">https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320</a></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">**Source: <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/mass-shootings-america-sandy-hook-gun-violence">https://www.vox.com/a/mass-shootings-america-sandy-hook-gun-violence</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-73543199971784164662020-07-30T16:24:00.001-04:002020-07-30T16:24:57.962-04:00Domestic Kidnappings and What Can Be Done About Them<p class="MsoNoSpacing">These are strange and dangerous days here in the United
States. Strange happenings that, if you
are paying attention, should send chills down your spine. On top of social injustice, people confusing
public health with personal freedom, and economic woes – there are now federally
authorized kidnappings happening right now within the United States. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Business Insider, reported this week, “A former Border
Patrol agent describes the special federal unit deployed in Portland as one of
'the most violent and racist in all law enforcement'” The article by Oma Seddiq, can be found right
here: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-border-patrol-agent-describes-unit-portland-violent-and-racist-2020-7">https://www.businessinsider.com/former-border-patrol-agent-describes-unit-portland-violent-and-racist-2020-7</a>. Jenn Budd is the former Border Patrol agent. She describes the Bortac (Border Patrol Tactical
Unit) as, “elite federal unit deployed by the Trump administration to quell
protests in Portland, Oregon, as one of the "the most violent and racist
in all law enforcement."” She goes
on to describe them further, "They don't exist within the realm of
civilian law enforcement. They view people they encounter in the military sense
as enemy combatants, meaning they have virtually no rights."</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">The trick is, these are American citizens and <i>not</i>
enemy combatants, meaning <i>they have rights.</i> Trump has authorized this ‘elite federal unit’
on the citizenry of Portland, Oregon and on these United States. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">“But these are lawless protesters!”, you may have grown
fond of typing or screaming. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">One could just as well say that these are citizens who
are using their First Amendment rights to assemble and petition the government
for change – in this case, the Black Lives Matter movement. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying rioting
is a right, but I am saying that peaceful protest is. But, as Juvenal the Roman poet said, “Who
will guard the guards themselves?” It
can be hard to hold those in power accountable.
These are soldiers who have been used as muscle to threaten, intimidate,
and kidnap American citizens. Stomping
over the First Amendment betrays the oath that they took in becoming soldiers in
the first place – remember, that oath to defend the Constitution? These presidentially authorized kidnappings and
federally authorized terrorist actions, are by definition and scope, completely
un-American. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">It is disconcerting.
<i>Here</i> in the United States, if you exercise your right to peaceful
protest, you can get carted off by a goon-squad that is all too happy to be
abusing their power. The oppression is real,
and it is here. It is the natural progression
of tyranny. Trying to control and
manipulate the news, trying to block publications, making people disappear to
silence them – these are all hallmarks of a totalitarian regime. It is only a matter of time before things get
worse. Perhaps when they get to the
writers and the bloggers, you’ll see people like me disappear too? There is historical precedence. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Disturbing, to say the least. The brutality of despotism here in the United
States is something that keeps me awake at night. Mainly due to the fact that for my entire life
as an American citizen – 51 years, mind you, I have been taught to believe
otherwise. We all were. Brutality, authoritarianism, tyranny were
things that we fought and not practiced or stood up for. It is a hopeless situation we find ourselves
in. But then I remember, Charlie Chaplin
and his final speech from the 1940 film, “The Great Dictator”, and again, I
have hope. You can see that speech here:
<a href="https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/films/7-The-Great-Dictator/articles/29-The-Final-Speech-from-The-Great-Dictator-">https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/films/7-The-Great-Dictator/articles/29-The-Final-Speech-from-The-Great-Dictator-</a>
and here...<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>I’m sorry, but I
don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or
conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile -
black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that.
We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We
don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for
everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of
life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Greed has poisoned
men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into
misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us
cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too
little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness
and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be
lost….<o:p></o:p></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>The aeroplane and
the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions
cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for
the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the
world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a
system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>To those who can
hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the
passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.
The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the
people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never
perish. …..</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Soldiers! don’t
give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment
your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill
you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give
yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine
hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the
love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the
unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for
liberty!</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>In the 17th
Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one
man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power
- the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people,
have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a
wonderful adventure.</b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Then - in the name
of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new
world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give
youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes
have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never
will!</b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">
</p><p align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dictators free
themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that
promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers -
to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason,
a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers!
in the name of democracy, let us all unite!</b><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UbBPEpS_2Q/XyMo1yjAoRI/AAAAAAAAB4k/Q-LvmolkPf8bgep93ITxX3korKi4Yd_kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s779/great-dictator-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="779" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UbBPEpS_2Q/XyMo1yjAoRI/AAAAAAAAB4k/Q-LvmolkPf8bgep93ITxX3korKi4Yd_kQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h304/great-dictator-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Thank you, Mr. Chaplin.</i></div>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Hope in a bottle, the vintage label reads 1940. I read this speech and, once more, I have
hope. Hope that we can rise above the quagmire
that the last four years have brought us.
Hope that, one day, we remember the people we are supposed to be. Hope that there is a future for the United
States of America and that we won’t collapse from the decay of corruption,
greed, & lust for power. The
coronavirus exposed our weaknesses. The
social and economic fault lines are exposed and it is time to fix them – the injustice
woven through our society, the lack of healthcare so people remain exploited,
the willful ignorance where we haughtily reject expert opinions for YouTube
videos or for people who have degrees from the “University of Facebook”. It is time recognize our problems, address
them, and move into the future – a decent and good future for all. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Chaplin’s words hail from 1940 but they are more relevant
today than he ever envisioned. There is
an important election coming up here in the United States. Read this speech before you vote. Watch it again before you cast your
ballot. This next election is for the
soul of our nation. Register to vote, if
you have not, especially, if you haven’t voted before. The Millennial generation and the marginalized could
shift the balance of power and they should for a variety of reasons, but let’s
just stick with the most obvious one – this is YOUR country, it is time to put
someone in office who represents you and not their own polluted interests.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Read the speech again.
And again. Allow it to sink
in. </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Read it and hope.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>“Don’t give yourselves to brutes.” </b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Read it and <b>#VOTE</b>.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Final speech from The Great
Dictator Copyright © Roy Export S.A.S. All rights reserved</span></em></p>E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-78078465162755737102020-06-19T12:06:00.000-04:002020-06-19T12:11:27.404-04:00Happy Juneteenth<br />
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Today is Juneteenth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4eYlBkUOIo/Xuze6wuVLaI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/dzkyv9-3-Xgr2KsONFf7QNSnjYy1VQLQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Juneteenth%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="495" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4eYlBkUOIo/Xuze6wuVLaI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/dzkyv9-3-Xgr2KsONFf7QNSnjYy1VQLQACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Juneteenth%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“What’s that?” you may ask.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Juneteenth celebrates the freeing of American slaves. 155 years ago, today - two and a half years AFTER the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and the Civil War was over. Texas got word that slavery was over. </div>
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Let us consult my favorite second brain, Wikipeidia, for further details...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“<b>Juneteenth</b> (a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmanteau" title="Portmanteau"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">portmanteau</span></span></a> of June and nineteenth), also
known as <b>Freedom Day</b>, <b>Jubilee Day</b>, and <b>Cel-Liberation
Day</b>, is an American holiday celebrated annually on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_19" title="June 19"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">June 19</span></span></a>.
It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union general <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Granger" title="Gordon Granger"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Gordon
Granger</span></span></a> read federal orders in <span style="color: white;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston" title="Galveston"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Galveston</span></span></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas" title="Texas"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Texas</span></span></a></span>, that all
previously enslaved people in Texas were free. Although the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation" title="Emancipation Proclamation"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Emancipation Proclamation</span></span></a> had
formally freed them almost two and a half years earlier, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War" title="American Civil War"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">American Civil War</span></span></a> had largely ended with the
defeat of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America" title="Confederate States of America"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Confederate States</span></span></a> in April,
Texas was the most remote of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_states" title="Slave states"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">slave
states</span></span></a>, with a low presence of Union troops, so enforcement of the
proclamation had been slow and inconsistent. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i>Celebrations date to 1866, at first involving church-centered community
gatherings in Texas. It spread across the South and became more commercialized
in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. During the Civil
Rights movement of the 1960s, it was eclipsed by the struggle for postwar civil
rights, but grew in popularity again in the 1970s with a focus on African
American freedom and arts. By the 21st century, Juneteenth was celebrated
in most major cities across the United States. Activists are pushing Congress
to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. Juneteenth is recognized as a
state holiday or special day of observance in 47 of the 50 states.</i><i><sup id="cite_ref-8" style="unicode-bidi: isolate;"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></sup></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i>Modern observance is primarily in local celebrations. Traditions
include public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing traditional
songs such as "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Low,_Sweet_Chariot" title="Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Swing Low, Sweet Chariot</span></span></a>" and
"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_Every_Voice_and_Sing" title="Lift Every Voice and Sing"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Lift Every Voice and Sing</span></span></a>",
and reading of works by noted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans" title="African Americans"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">African-American</span></span></a> writers
such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Ellison" title="Ralph Ellison"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Ralph Ellison</span></span></a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou" title="Maya Angelou"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Maya
Angelou</span></span></a>. Celebrations include rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family
reunions, park parties, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_reenactment" title="Historical reenactment"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">historical reenactments</span></span></a>, and Miss Juneteenth
contests. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascogos" title="Mascogos"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Mascogos</span></span></a>, descendants of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Seminoles" title="Black Seminoles"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Black
Seminoles</span></span></a>, of <span style="color: white;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coahuila" title="Coahuila"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Coahuila</span></span></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico" title="Mexico"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: white;">Mexico</span></span></a></span>,
also celebrate Juneteenth.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I first heard about Juneteenth around 2002ish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had not heard of the occasion prior to that
and I had to do some investigating on the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Now, e</span>ither I was not in class when it was taught or it, simply, wasn’t
taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is, most likely, the latter. There are so many things that have missed our history text books. <b><i>So, what is Juneteenth?</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Juneteenth celebrates the last domino to fall
concerning the news that slavery had been abolished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened in, Galveston Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once Texas recognized the Emancipation Proclamation—slavery
was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, Jim Crow
started to go into effect soon afterwards reinforcing systemic oppression and
segregation, but to victory of slavery being abolished deserves to be celebrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fresh horrors that Jim Crow would bring are staggering and helped pound a racial wedge through our society helping an already racist system become further segregated. Juneteenth should be a celebration. In all honesty, it should replace Columbus Day as a National
Holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Frankly, we have failed ourselves by not teaching our own
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been whitewashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This needs to be recognized, taught, accepted, and learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Education is key to addressing systemic
racism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must, therefore, educate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not tell fabrications, half-truths, or
omit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our history needs to be acknowledged
so that when someone says, “There is no such thing as systemic racism in
America.” We can hear those words and know that this person is either ignorant
of their own history or a bigot who benefits from keeping someone else down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignorance and bigotry are staples of American
culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This must end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy Juneteenth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-86215911052010509212020-06-03T18:24:00.000-04:002020-06-03T18:25:14.508-04:00Baratunde Rafiq Thurston's TED TalkBaratunde Rafiq Thurston wears many hats. All of them interesting ones, but, before we get to that you need to see his TED Talk, which can be found right here:"<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/baratunde_thurston_how_to_deconstruct_racism_one_headline_at_a_time?utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=talk&utm_term=global-social%20issues&fbclid=IwAR1kcD3ivfS4h8t9jkc4Qp6Zc1XMN1y8VZyA2arAfJnL0iqa-BjYOVcCOxw#t-998912" target="_blank">How to Deconstruct Racism, One Headline at a Time</a>".<br />
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It's a little over 16 minutes long.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Go ahead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I'll wait.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finished?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s GREAT,
RIGHT!?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know!<o:p></o:p></div>
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TED introduces Mr. Thurston, as thus, "Baratunde
Thurston has worked for The Onion, produced for <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Daily Show</span></em>, advised the Obama
White House and cleaned bathrooms to pay for his Harvard education. He's the
host of the iHeartMedia podcast <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spit</span></em>, wrote
the <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">New York Times</span></em> bestseller <a href="https://geni.us/JkbJ" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white;">How to Be Black</span></span></em></a> and serves on
the boards of <a href="http://build.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white;">BUILD</span></span></a> and
the <a href="http://bklynlibrary.org/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: white;">Brooklyn
Public Library</span></span></a>. He makes media, delivers keynotes and promotes
action with his unique blend of criticism, humor and optimism. He's most
invested in topics of race, technology, democracy and climate, because the hard
stuff has already been solved."<o:p></o:p></div>
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I find this worthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, in these trying times, inspiring and hopeful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>COVID-19 will be the harbinger of a great
many social and economic upheavals—but these upheavals are long
overdue. Inequality, systemic racism, hunger, poverty, healthcare,
exploitation by the rich, education, injustice—these are things that were part
of the old normal. That old normal did not work for a great many
people. We must do better and now is the time to do
so. We have a chance to rebuild as we reopen (sensibly, scientifically). The status
quo doesn’t work now. The truth is it didn’t work then, at least not
for all. It is a shame that progress has to look like destruction,
but now is the time to rewrite the playbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>NOW is the time to rebuild the whole narrative.<o:p></o:p></div>
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"We change the story by changing the action."<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is beyond time to change the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-67676358441274553632020-06-01T23:08:00.000-04:002020-06-01T23:10:50.876-04:00His Name Was George Floyd<br />
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I’ve been keeping a journal. I call it, “Life During Quarantine”. Very early on, I predicted "tremendous social
and economic upheaval." We are due. It is undeniable, there are changes that must be
made. One of those issues that can no longer be ignored, is the issue of race. We have a systemic racism problem here in the
US. We have a huge section of the American
population who are living in a dystopia due to the color of their skin and
there is a big chunk of white America that sees no problem at all due to the
comfortable bubble we were gifted and grew up in. </div>
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We must recognize this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are other things of note that are happening in the
shadow of the coronavirus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A man named George
Floyd was murdered, on video, by a group of four police officers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the police officers had his knee
against Floyd’s neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Floyd is heard
begging on the video to be let to breathe or to have some water, probably to open
his throat again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His words are ignored,
and the officer keeps up the pressure on his neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Floyd stops talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Nine m</span>inutes pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He dies under the knee of this officer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did I mention that Mr. Floyd was black?<o:p></o:p></div>
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We have a horrible double standard in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are marginalized communities from sea to shining sea and the
majority of them are categorized by the color of their skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marginalized for treatment under the law, for
poverty, for opportunity, for healthcare, for everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad truth is most white people have no
idea that there is anything amiss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
no idea that we are living on the bright side of dystopia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blissfully ignorant, tranquilly seduced into
seeing that nothing is wrong with the way things are for me, so it must be alright
for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffering is real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Racism is real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hate is real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fear is real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can pretend that
they don’t exist and stay in our, “Live, Laugh, Love” bubble, but that is all an
illusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I lived my life with rose-colored glasses on never suspecting once that
they were on at all or that I was ever wearing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw cracks appear in the lenses when I was
in my teens when I started to realize that injustice was real and that “and
Justice for all”, only seemed to apply to those who could hire the best attorneys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you were poor, you get court appointed
representation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you live a little
more, see a few more things, and, suddenly, deeply held beliefs in our system
of law, government, and religion are inevitable to miss if your eyes are
open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is getting harder to see
through the cracks in those rose-colored glasses, but they are still on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are still a part of that comfortable entitlement
of being white and, to a degree, you always will be—you’re white, after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are not automatically thought of as a
threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something to fear, something to
hate, something to be kept in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No,
you have all the possibilities that American society offers splayed before you
to explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your future is bright, and
you don’t even know how bright it truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, it is your birthright, that blissful tranquility, that
entitlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But life goes on, you stand
on your own and you open your eyes further, there are too many cracks in the
lenses to see properly now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since you
can’t see out of them any longer, you now have a choice—you keep them on, try
to buff out some of the scratches, and retreat to your comfort zone or you take
them off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Suppose you take them off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time has passes, things have change, you’ve
supported yourself a while now, you’ve met, worked, and befriended a host of
people who are not the same shade of skin that you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You find that people are people, each with
their own unique set of needs and desires—in other words, just like you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You begin to hear their stories—tales of how
they struggle, how they live, how they make do, how petrified they are for themselves
or their children who may run into the wrong group of white people or, worse, a
police officer who wants to ask them questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And their stories horrify you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, you haven’t had the same inherent problems coming up in American
society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would you? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re white—with all the unseen advantages
that brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about the police?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a kid, I was told that they were the, “good
guys”, your friends—not the hand of a system designed to keep you where you are,
your oppressors, or your executioners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the dystopian, oppressed, reality for a large section of America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure—provisos all around—but the fact is,
those who enforce the law (just or unjust) are part of the machine—good or
bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the enforcers and, in some
cases, the oppressors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are good
police officers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the ones who, “Serve
and Protect”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones who want to make
their communities better, safer places for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must hope that the majority of them have
this creed in their hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I
can only hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The ongoing slaughter of black men is what the, “Black
Lives Matter” movement is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black
lives that are threatened by police officers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Therefore, Colin Kaepernich took a knee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To protest black men being slaughtered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This upset an entitled nation of white people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of whom went bug-nuts crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, why should an athlete who is paid to
entertain me have any reason to spoil my fun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What does HE have to protest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
great many things, in all reality, a great many things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White people were incensed that something as
trivial as black lives could spoil their football game!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started to take things in other
directions, “It disrespects that flag, is what it does!” or, “I didn’t fight in
the war just so a …football player can disrespect Old Glory!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironically, free speech was one of the things
that, we are told, war defends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well,
Mr. Kaepernich pissed off a lot of white people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was followed by other players—which pissed
off more white people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It pissed off the
police because, how dare the black population be upset at us for killing them
so often?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The police formed the, “Blue
Lives Matter” to protest the “Black Lives Matter” protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the entitlement of a white nation kicks
into overdrive for a segment of society that just wants things to remain the same;
people who are all too happy with their own situations to care about someone else’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially if that someone else is a black person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We collectively forget until the next black
man is killed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Something has to change. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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We have a race problem here in America, 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It stretches back beyond the slave trade,
which was alive before America existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
system is not set up for justice for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is set up to keep those in power in power, and, shock and awe, that
is a group of old, rich, white men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is an injustice that we cannot afford to keep sweeping under the rug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a society we must take ownership of the
past, the evils that have been done, recognize the wrongs that have been and
continue to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to recognize
systemic racism so that we can stop it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We must check our own biases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realize
where we are and be willing to be the people that we should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to acknowledge this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need make amends, and we need to move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American experiment is for ALL of us—regardless
of the color of our skin. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Peaceful protests over George Floyd’s death have
escalated to, “rioting”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am reminded
of the words of Martin Luther King Jr., when he said, “A riot is the language
of the unheard”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is remembering
that one now—but it needs to be remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is far beyond time that they were heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all in this together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us not give in to the forces that benefit
from keeping us apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was moved by
the pleas from Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her heart breaks for her city. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Peaceful protests have escalated to chaos all over the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From sea to shining sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard community leaders say time and
time again, calling for the violence to stop, and to go home, to fill out the census,
and then go out and vote. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Beat them at
the voting booths”, I heard one man say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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My rose-colored glasses are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a collection of real-life circumstances
and experiences that scratched the lenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do not pretend to know what it is like for a person of color here in
America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have some ideas—but they are
only that, ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a good
imagination, but that only goes so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The reality of the situation is that we can no longer turn a blind eye
to racial injustice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must recognize systemic
racism and stop it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yesterday, in the city of Camden, NJ as the protesters approached
a group of police the officers held up their own, “Black Lives Matter” signs
and joined them in their march.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was another group of protesters from Coral Gables, Florida who when they came
upon police officers both the protesters and the police took knees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are examples of similar stories
happening all over the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately,
there are bad things happening too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can’t condone violence or rioting; however, I agree with the protesters, George
Floyd is where this needs to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
for the record, I am not anti-cop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good
ones do a job I could never do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
so much pressure riding on their shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The good ones ‘serve and protect’ for the betterment of their
communities—no matter what shade of skin the people in their districts may
have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world is a better place
because the good ones are there. </div>
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So, how do we stop the riots?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We start living by our own ideals—understanding
that, “All men are created equal”, that “We The People” make up this nation, and
that everyone should have, “liberty and justice for all”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those ideals can’t be for the entitled few—they
must be for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not an us
verses them scenario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all in this
together—black, white, & everything in between—police, civilians,
protesters, and community leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Times
such as these force us to grow and, God knows, we need to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a time for growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is long overdue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-70114324329219483712020-04-16T14:47:00.000-04:002020-04-16T15:28:39.358-04:00Adventures In Shopping, Part II<br />
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My wife and I ventured out for supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited a few different places, all the
while, masked and gloved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst we were
out, I took some pictures of what life is like out there now during quarantine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started by filling up our tank at BJs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the gas station attendant and I were
masked and gloved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dropped off some
books that we were getting rid of at the <i>Better World Books</i> bin next to
the Regal Theater in Vineland and, in an empty parking lot, I took a picture of the marquee.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The marque reads, “CLOSED FOR NOW – STAY TUNED”, with the
“Y” in ‘stay’ hanging askew. It will be
interesting to see how theaters, which were struggling before the appearance of
COVID-19, will fare in the new normal on the other side of this. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our journey of re-supplying then took us to Taco Bell,
which is drive through or delivery only now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We chose Taco Bell because, to date, they are the chain who has <b>best
adapted</b> to life in quarantine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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They take your order, you drive up to the window, the gloved
and masked server holds out the debit card reader, the customer inserts or
swipes their card so no there is no physical contact with Taco Bell and the customer
at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The card reader goes away, and
the Taco Bell employee returns with your order inside a plastic receptacle—plastic
box—drink holder, which the customer grabs, and takes away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the most efficient, sanitary method
of delivery that I have seen put in play in the world of drive-through cuisine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It beats Wendy’s & McDonald's gloved hands
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made certain to thank the Taco
Bell worker for being there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After chowing down on our Taco Bell in a parking lot, we
headed over to Aldi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a line of
people waiting to get into the store that stretched down the side of the
building.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I don’t know, should we just go to Shoprite?” I asked my
wife.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I don’t know,” she said. “Should we be taking pictures
of people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone’s going to kick your
ass.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“No, they’re not,” I said. “They’d have to get out of
line.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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As it turns out, that ALDI line was the line that we got
into next.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Going into the store, ALDI does all they can to reduce
transmission of COVID-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a masked
and gloved employee up front who asks you if you need a cart or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do then, with Lysol, she wipes down
the handle and the two plastic flaps that are designed for baby’s butts and rolls
it towards you for use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The employee
then counts who enters and who leaves, thus balancing the number of people who
are in the store at one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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After our trip to ALDI, we had a few items that we needed
so we visited our Shoprite. My wife went after the list and I waited in a small, socially
distanced line (6-feet away between customers) for my turn and when it was my
turn, I asked to purchase two lottery tickets, which I did so with quarters
left from laundry day. One could make a
compelling argument that I am throwing good quarters away by playing the
lottery. That it is a hidden tax and
that the odds are astronomically against winning. One would be correct on all these points. I cannot argue one of them. My only defense against such points is to
offer up Doctor Schrödinger and his cat.
COVID-19 has changed the lottery, as well. The Powerball has cut its payout in half,
since not as many people are playing these days. There are more important matters at
hand. Yet, there I was. It’s more like Schrödinger’s lottery.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Thank you for being here.” I told the lady behind the
counter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have seen each other before,
but we have never been properly introduced, so we don’t know each other’s
names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know each other because we are
part of the same community, whether we are in a pandemic or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You are holding together ‘normalcy’,
whatever that was.” I said. <o:p></o:p></div>
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She smiled and asked, “How are you doing during all this?”
<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Oh, fine, I suppose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How about you?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Well…I miss my family.” She said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately, I felt horrible for asking the
question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least in some way work is a
respite for this woman for the simple reason she is busy helping others and
keeping everything afloat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s so busy
at it that she has time to not think about the family that she can’t see due to
the self-quarantine rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked
away, suddenly reminded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am an ass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Much love.” I said to her putting my hands together and
bowing—hoping against hope that she gets that chance to see her family soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“…Thank you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you, indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If it weren’t for her and people like her—like all of the people that we
had social distanced, gloved, and masked contact with today—everything shuts
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essential workers have been carrying the early
birth-pangs of whatever the <i>new normal</i> is going to look like on their shoulders
while trying to maintain what the <i>old normal</i> was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They put everything on the line to keep
things moving forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We owe a debt to
the essential worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have kept the
world going just by showing up to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Spoilers</i></b>—they
always have, even without the threat of COVID-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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There will be changes ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Major changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweeping social and economic ones and that’s
okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change is how progress is made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that on the other side of this once
the quarantine is lifted and the vaccination is discovered that the reconciliation
between the old world—what was and the new world—what it will be, is more
enlightened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is historical
evidence to suggest that this may be the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After the black plague came the renaissance—200 plus years of reason,
science, thinking, art, and creativity that ushered in the modern era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After COVID-19?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are due for an age of enlightenment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An age where essential workers make a fair
wage, where healthcare is no longer a business, where scientists and experts
are heeded, where reason is tempered with kindness, where hope for a better tomorrow
is feasible for ALL regardless of circumstance, where we shift our priorities from ourselves to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine such a future?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
future that we would be proud to hand over to our children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a future this New Renaissance would
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I live to see it all come to pass.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Until such time, stay home, stay safe, stay healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The curve is flattening so keep on keeping on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-83860777031305350992020-04-13T12:48:00.000-04:002020-04-13T12:53:18.703-04:00Let's Talk About Essential Employees<br />
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This morning, at 11:16 am, pandemic time, the power went
off. It is a windy, grey, rainy day and
I’m hoping that it is only a felled tree.
The sirens that we are hearing whisper of other possibilities. I pray that is not the case. I can imagine the complications that such an emergency
provides now with all first responders having to wear gloves and masks—if not
full bodies Tyvek suits. You don’t know
what the person in the wrecked vehicle has and you don’t know what you may be
passing to them. Just as the pandemic
has changed the rest of the sociological strata—our old ‘normal’—so it has
changed, I imagine, how first responders go about their work of saving
lives. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Essential workers of any kind—are precisely that—<b>essential</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m saying right here and right now $15.00 an
hour for minimum wage needs to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, the title, “Minimum Wage” should be changed to “Essential Salary”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The person flipping burgers and serving us at
the drive through is putting their life on the line doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in NJ, the person pumping your gas is doing
the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cashier at the grocery store—yes,
her too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALL of them deserve medals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of them deserve a livable wage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When this is over there will be a concerted
effort to forget that these days happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES should not be forgotten.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“How would we pay for all these people getting a living
wage?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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How can’t we, after this globally shared experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These essential workers put everything—their safety,
their family’s safety—all of it, on the line every day just by showing up to
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll go further, if it were not
for these essential employees showing up society itself would collapse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think a toilet paper shortage is bad,
consider grocery stores being boarded up and closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, the comforts that we take for
granted, we can’t take for granted anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>$15.00 an hour is the right thing to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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But, not to ignore your original question, hypothetical questioner, how
about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work in a cube farm, in a
rented floor, in a rented building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
building requires electricity, water, heat, and upkeep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a LOT of money going out and for what—a
mailing address?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A post office box could
accomplish the same for a pittance of the price it takes to keep the lights on
in my building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This quarantine has
illustrated that, in all actuality, half of the workforce across the nation
could work from home and accomplish the same amount of work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For both public and private organizations, in
the new world order, this is a money saving, viable option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, you are not paying rent, electricity,
water, sewer, heat, cooling, and upkeep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suddenly, you’re saving money just by having your people work at
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, you have enough to pay
essential employees serving their communities $15.00 an hour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You’re welcome, America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of essential employees and medals—I’m predicting
that TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year will be Essential Employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The doctors, the nurses, the EMTs, the linemen (who are mobilizing right
now to get our electricity up and running again. …I’m running on my laptop
battery for this section of the journal), the cashiers, the fire responders,
police, truck drivers, people who stock shelves—ALL of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They deserve that title, Person of the Year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So, @TIME Magazine, what do you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s 12:15 and the power just came on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, linemen from Atlantic City
Electric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are essential, not only
for electricity but for a functioning version of whatever, ‘normal’ used to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You and a host of other essential employees at
this unique moment in our history are doing what you do, what you’ve always
done—holding everything together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-16406382571205362342020-04-05T18:03:00.000-04:002020-04-05T18:07:39.732-04:00Adventures in Shopping, Part I<br />
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The following is my 3/25/20, entry in my COVID-19
journal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been keeping it since the
beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought that this one was
fit for human consumption…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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3/25/20<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dan and I went out to Shoprite to replenish some
supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan wore a Pokémon bandana as
a facemask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not out of fashion;
nearly half of the other shoppers were wearing masks of some sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were plenty of latex gloves in use,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shoprite has remained a beacon of
hope in the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the grocery and convenience stores that
have stayed open and continue to operate are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, if the stores are open then things can’t be all
bad—right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Shoprite has made some changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are signs that say to maintain 6 feet
distance in the front of the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have changed their hours to 7:00 am – 9:00 pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Disinfectant is being used by cashiers and, the young lady who checked
us out spray cleaned the conveyor belt and was wiping it down as she beckoned
us into her lane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are plexiglass
barriers between the cashier and customer now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is that way for all points of purchase—except for self-checkout. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Did you find everything you were after?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“More or less, I’d say.” I said, looking at the newly
installed force fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“These are a
good idea.” I said.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Yes, although maybe they could be a little bigger.” She
replied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a look and, yes, she’s
right, maybe they could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
erected at the place where the customer is closest to the cashier and not at
the card-pad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How have you been making
out in all this?” she asked us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Oh, we’ve been okay. How about you?” <o:p></o:p></div>
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“I’m the one who does the shopping for my grandmother and
me.” She said. “I get home, see to things, and then go get what she needs—if we
don’t have it already.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“That’s very good of you.” I said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a good kid, doing the best she can
presented with the circumstances as they are. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“I’ve seen some things here,” she stated. “I had a woman
throw chicken at me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“That’s horrible!” Dan exclaimed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Yeah. I told her that Shoprite had a “one package per
person” limit on certain items—including chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She got so mad that she threw it at me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Times like these bring out the best and the worst in
people.” I said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s assault.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“That’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
why there are security guards roaming the store now.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Really?” Dan asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Oh, yeah.” She said.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They must be good,” I volunteered, “I never even saw
them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason or another, I was
thinking that stealth may be beneficial at times as a member of a peacekeeping
security force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…And then it hit me how
much things have changed in such a short amount of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two weeks ago, these factors—the 6-foot rule,
the masks, the barriers, the security guards—all of it, was to be found in
science fiction and not in the ‘real world’, whatever that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hit me that this was the new normal and
would be for some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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We bid each other the best and went on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a good kid and, most certainly,
deserves better than being attacked by a panic-stricken woman who can’t have
two trays of chicken because there are other people in the world besides her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Thank you for all that you’re doing.” Dan said as we
took our leave from her. “Stay safe.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“You, too.” She said as we left.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, young lady who checked us out at Shoprite this
morning, thank you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, once again, to
all the workers who are serving their communities at this time, THANK YOU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are not and never have been, “just a
cashier”, you are a reminder of the normal that was and may be again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are hope and there is no price tag on
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To my fellow customers, remember, you/we are not the only
ships out on the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a light
at the end of the tunnel, and we can get there together—in one piece—if we
think of others as we are thinking (and shopping) for ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s be good to each other out there. A little kindness, some reason, and social distancing will help us through to the other side of this pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So, thank you to the common everyday people who have been
deemed essential—the woman who checks you out at the grocery or convenience
store, the medical staff—the nurses and doctors doing everything they can to
keep people healthy, EMS workers, the people keeping the electricity going—the linemen
and everyone else who stands behind them keeping the juice flowing, the fire
and police, the garbage collectors, all the people that we don’t see and take
for granted for the mere fact that we don’t see them. Everyday life is ‘normal’ because of what
they do. “Normal” is a relative term,
these days. Each of those listed here
have become heroes just by showing up to work.
Society works because they do. <b>There
is NOTHING common about the common man</b>, there never has been.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Your efforts have not gone unnoticed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you, one and all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stay safe, stay healthy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10143248.post-59502830267767102002020-04-05T17:41:00.001-04:002020-04-05T19:44:20.382-04:00Confirmation Bias<br />
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There is an excellent book review about confirmation bias
from the New York Times by Michiko Kakutani concerning Tom Nichols and his
book, “The Death of Expertise” (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/books/the-death-of-expertise-explores-how-ignorance-became-a-virtue.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/books/the-death-of-expertise-explores-how-ignorance-became-a-virtue.html</a>) The review is entitled, “’The Death of
Expertise’ How Ignorance Became A Virtue”.
From the review…</div>
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<i style="background-color: black;">“While the internet has allowed more people more
access to more information than ever before, it has also given them the
illusion of knowledge when in fact they are <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><b>drowning in data and cherry-picking what they choose to
read.</b></span> Given an inexhaustible buffet of facts, rumors, lies, serious
analysis, crackpot speculation and outright propaganda to browse online, it
becomes easy for one to succumb to “<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><b>confirmation bias” — the tendency, as Nichols puts it, “to look for
information that only confirms what we believe, to accept facts that only
strengthen our preferred explanations, and to dismiss data that challenge what
we accept as truth</b>.</span>”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: black;">Citizens of all political persuasions (not to mention
members of the Trump administration) can increasingly live in their own news
media bubbles, consuming only views similar to their own. <b>When confronted <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">with hard evidence that they are
wrong, many will simply double down on their original assertions. “This is the
‘backfire effect,</span>’” Nichols writes, “in which <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">people redouble their efforts to keep their own
internal narrative consistent, no matter how clear the indications that they’re
wrong</span>.” As a result, extreme views are amplified online, just as fake
news and propaganda easily go viral.</b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: black;"><b>Today, all these factors have combined to create a <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">maelstrom of unreason</span></b>
that’s not just killing respect for expertise, but also <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><b>undermining institutions, thwarting rational
debate and spreading an epidemic of misinformation.</b></span> These developments,
in turn, threaten to weaken the very foundations of our democracy. As Nichols
observes near the end of this book: “<b>Laypeople complain about the rule of
experts and they demand greater involvement in complicated national questions,
but many of them only express their anger and make these demands after
abdicating their own important role in the process: namely, to <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">stay informed and politically
literate enough to choose representatives who can act on their behalf</span>.</b>”</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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“We have seen the enemy, and he is us.” – Pogo<o:p></o:p></div>
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I ran into such a situation this morning on Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not unique—it is one of the byproducts
of social media—this “backfire effect”, as Nichols warned about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a meme of one of the sons of Trump at
the header with a picture of Nancy Pelosi that read something along the lines
of, “Democrats are organizing a special committee to investigate Trump’s
actions in the COVID crisis!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
Facebook friend exclaimed in her repost, “These people are evil!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both she and the meme insinuating that democrats
are obviously wrong for investigating the president’s actions during this
trying time in American history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is,
of course, her confirmation bias and the backfire effect is that she has
doubled down on an exponential scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The facts, however, are hard to argue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is Trump responsible for COVID-19?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, a molecule is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A dangerous molecule,
but a molecule, nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could one
make a reasonable argument that he was negligent in his response in mobilizing the
fight against COVID-19?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a doubt (simply do a Google search
for the president’s statements on the coronavirus from January through April—they’re
all there and very well documented).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should
that be investigated by a committee from the House of Representatives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is our system, a system of checks and balances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one branch becomes unbalanced, then it is
up to the other two to right the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is basic civics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the tables
were turned and there was a democratic president in the White House during this
crisis, rest assured, the republicans would be forming an investigative committee,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To be honest, I have had to beat down my own confirmation
bias to stop myself from responding to her post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reason should win the day and, ultimately, in the war on ignorance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, if we can
learn anything from the times that we find ourselves, that’s not a guarantee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is, at best, a 50—50 proposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At worse, the odds are not in reason’s favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reason, the facts, and the truth—keeping with
the season—are often crucified on the cross of confirmation bias.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Facebook friend and I are on opposite sides of the
isle, so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By succumbing to confirmation
bias, we may just as well be standing on different planets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, I said nothing on my friend’s wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no use in arguing with a mind that’s
been made up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theirs or mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take my shot—they take theirs and then we
head to our neutral corners to have our wounds seen to before the bell rings
and it’s time for the next round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
ineffective, inefficient communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
we start throwing around big words only designed to make each other look
smaller we need to look for that common ground. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must put aside that voice that tells us
that, <i>I must be right because this is what I believe</i> or blindly trust in
what we have been told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to hold
our own confirmation bias in check before we address the confirmation bias in
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will help us in finding
common ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll go one step further,
I would hope that, once the quarantine is lifted this and similar conversations
should be <i>face to face</i> and NOT on social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easier to empathize with someone if they
are a <i>someone</i>—a real person and not an avatar with an agenda that has their
mind already made up.</div>
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I hope that on the other side of this we can find common
ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things are going to be
different, but we have the capacity to work together through those differences—those
inevitable changes to the world that are ahead of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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“How do we get through that?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />E. Chickenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023100728269149780noreply@blogger.com0