Ms. Plath, I Beg Forgivness

"What is a book? A mirrored pool of thoughts, ideals so often better left unsaid, so often better left with the soft outline of a dream."

For the last twenty years or so I have falsely given credit of this quote to Ian Fleming. I was wrong. The quote is from the Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Sylvia Plath.

I am currently working on a project that includes sound and vision and stories. And the quote at the heading of this entry has always resonated with me. For one reason or another, Ian Fleming became, in my mind, the originator and I have always given him the credit. I have done searches for it before to confirm just who said it, but all of these searches came back fruitless, until tonight/this morning when Google revealed to me that the quote appears, "in her personal journals, specifically in a letter written to a friend, Eddie Cohen, around September 1950. At the time, Plath was just about to start her studies at Smith College."

And now credit can be given to where credit is due.

Forgive me, Ms. Plath. Your ethereal yet, 'to the heart of the matter' prose continue to captivate me. I beg your forgiveness.

I will do better in the future.

Rest well.

Sincerely, 

Evil Chicken   

To War of Not to War?

I wasn’t alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis, so I missed the panic & anxiety of those years gave the world. I did get a chance to participate in fallout-drills in elementary school, though, since the lurking threat of nuclear war was still in the back of people’s skulls, an unconscious yet ever-present reminder that this brave new world that we built for ourselves could, if mad men had their way, be the keys to its destruction. The treat of global thermal nuclear war was there but it was a specter that was not as white hot as it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

No, I grew up during the Cold War. There was a lot of sabers rattling between the United States and The Soviet Union until the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union dissolved. The threat of a nuclear war became a distant whisper. It became something that was a hook to hang the plot of more than a few science fiction movies from as opposed to a constant threat at the forefront of the world’s collective mind. Granted, I was a kid but the worry that mad men would turn the keys and press the button to launch their missiles, was relegated to James Bond & Mad Max movies.

And then came Trump.

2016 rolled around and suddenly the idea of nuclear war was no longer some abstract construct. And it's this guy's finger on the button. I am not going to recount the crimes that he has accumulated - the atrocities committed, the parade of ass-kissing swine in his cabinet, the spineless ‘representatives’ we have in congress. No, this is all a matter of public record. We all have the receipts. It has become exhausting trying to measure how low Trump, the monsters who work for him, or those who anoint him will go. There is NO bottom. So, I won’t. It wouldn’t matter anyway, save to future historians sifting through our ashes. I’ll just put this quote out there…

I have said & written variations of similar ideas ever since I started journaling since 2016. I started journaling when I thought it would be good to have a primary source – an everyday man’s view of the history (COVID at the time) that was unfolding all around us. I originally started writing it to document the event. I never expected it to show our true face. I never expected to dive headfirst into politics & religion but dive I did.

“I used to think so much better of us, I know better now,” has become a recurring theme throughout the journal’s pages. I thought that I would be done in six to eight months. I was wrong. Twelve volumes later ending a few months after the events of January 6^th, 2021, when our Capitol was attacked by a mob of domestic terrorists, believing a lie told by Donald Trump about who won the election. These insurrectionists were quite probably hired as ICE agents who serve as Donald's Gestapo and secret police force.   

“I never knew there were so many evil people living among us.”

Hate brewed under the surface for the tenure of Joe Biden’s presidency – NOT from Biden, but from Trump & his supporters from sea to shining sea. Again, we have these receipts. The truth may not matter when it comes to White House press releases, but it matters in other places, including my humble journal, which I picked up again after receiving a diagnosis. The long and the short of it is that I have been watching, documenting and I know I’m not alone.

But then Trump was elected back to the office that he never should have been in possession of. It was not a sweep; it was just enough to cross the finish line. Why? Perhaps because Kamala Harris was a woman, perhaps because she was black, perhaps because we lost the ability to critically think along the way, perhaps hatred & bigotry are all the rage, perhaps because the Trump cult is bat-shit crazy? Any or all of these are possible factors. Another sad issue is that a lot of voters just stayed home. This is unacceptable in a functioning representative democracy for by not voting you do not use the only voice you have in who leads the affairs of your local municipalities, your counties, your states, and your country. When you don’t show up, unthinkable things can happen.

And, rest assured, unthinkable things are happening RIGHT NOW. 

Trump started a war with Iran to distract from the Epstein List. People are dying because he is a kiddie-fiddler, a pedophile. He didn't want people to know this but much like five gallons of sewage in a one gallon bag, the truth is out. This war costs a BILLION dollars a day. This afternoon he held a press conference and said, “A whole civilization will die tonight,” referring to the bombing that he is about to start at 8:00 PM*. Yes, that's right, he is ready to commit genocide to hide the fact that he likes to sleep with children. 

A man devoid of character & decency, the anti-Christ has started this utterly needless, expensive (both monetarily and with the butcher's bill), the War of Deflection from the Epstein List is set to begin in earnest at 8:00 PM* tonight. Now, we all know – both supporters & detractors – what Trump says, the words coming out of his mouth, do not matter. He lies. Constantly. Perhaps the TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) effect will kick in, I don't know. I do know that if we go to war the bodies that they send back, many of them will belong to families who voted for Trump.

“So much winning.”

It's difficult to watch. Most of the American public wants NOTHING to do with war with Iran or ANY war in the Middle East. Those of us without our heads up our assess get to watch the events of history march by, completely powerless to do anything about it. We can peacefully protest, we can write our representatives, we can sign petitions, we can write strongly worded letters & emails to the press (which is all owned by billionaires who only wish to increase their bottom lines), we can leave messages for our senators & congresspeople, we can talk to our neighbors who are willing to talk but it feels like nothing matters. Unfortunately, history is rife with examples of those in power going not only against the will of the people but also twisting the narrative to fit their own morally bankrupt actions & crimes against humanity, and those who support them. 

The possibility of a boots on the ground war is getting more footing. The specter of global thermal nuclear war is not off the table either. To war or not to war? That is the question. Most of the citizens of these United States - and the world, for that matter - do not want such a needless conflict, started by a mad man who only wants to distract from his own crimes. And the sick rub of it is that there is nothing we can do about this. Our representatives continue to fail us - especially the republican side of the aisle where the want for power & influence is all that matters. We are so far off course. One can only hope that history will forgive us. And at the end of the day all we - the commons who make up our citizenry - can do is take stock in the words of Alexandre Dumas when he wrote, "Until the day God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words - 'Wait and Hope'".

Wait & hope...

Perhaps we won't have to wait too long and hope that the 25th amendment will be invoked. 

*  A few hours before the deadline Trump moved his threat of genocide for a time in the future. The war with Iran is off for now, at least that’s what he said but we all know what that is worth. …Thankfully, it is TACO Tuesday and cooler heads have prevailed for now. Stay tuned for the next twist in the fabric of reality.

Author's note. This blog was written on 4/7/2026 and published in the early morning of 4/8/2026.

Paramount Drops Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has been cancelled after only two seasons. Starfleet Academy was a little beacon of hope for the future that has been snuffed out by the merger of Paramount Skydance & Warner Bros. Sure, there was a cowardly upswing of toxicity with bot attacks and review bombings towards the show, but I’d bet a cargo holds worth of gold-pressed latinum that pleasing the monsters who will give the yay or nay to the merger is at the core of this warp-core breach.

It does not bode well for the future on several levels; for Star Trek of course and, more directly, for accessibility to information that isn’t from the unofficial state-run ‘Department of Truth,” that this merger will usher in. "1984" was not supposed to be a user manual, yet here we are. The Paramount/Warner merger is a blow to the First Amendment, to Journalism, and to any voice that does not genuflect to the powers that be and the idiocy that they bring in their wake. I did a quick Google search and the ACLU from Arizona encapsulates this point succinctly…

“Freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, ensures that media can report, publish, and disseminate information without government censorship or intimidation. It is considered a cornerstone of democracy, essential for holding officials accountable and informing the public. Key principles include the prohibition of prior restraint and the right to investigate government actions.”

Journalism and shows like Star Trek & The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (also owned by Paramount who owns CBS) are in the process of being dismantled. Their crime? Showing and telling truth to power. When a Paramount falls in line with the powers that be they sacrifice the truth for the favor of an emperor who is wearing no clothes. A false king whose insanity & greed has brought us to war and sacrificed any good standing we had at one time not all that long ago with the entire world.

“But the new Star Trek is woke!”

Stop. The “woke” gripe against any Star Trek series holds no water. If you think #StarTrek is “woke” then you have watched Star Trek, but you have never really seen it. No, the simple beauty of Star Trek isn’t the technology or the science, it is in the idea that we, humanity, learn to live together and move forward together into that undiscovered country, the future. There is a well known quote about Star Trek from Gene Roddenberry…

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”

I read my daughter that quote and, heartbreakingly, she said, “We do not deserve the stars.”

So, why bring the axe down now? Starfleet Academy was smartly written. They told a full story in one season’s time. This story must have ruffled feathers due to the narrative of the battle of ideologies between Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) & Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti). Ake, the voice of reason & Braka, the voice of chaos. Braka wants to destroy the Federation. He’s a loud, obnoxious, man-child, lying, bullying, tyrant of a leader who through manipulation & violence gains power. In the end he makes his case as to why he should be the leader of the new galactic order & destroy the Federation.

Ake using facts proves that Braka is wrong & makes the case for facing the future without fear or terror to worlds of beings. To the various space-faring races in attendance & to the galaxy, who is watching the proceedings, Ake says in her closing argument, “Who do you want to go into the future with?”

Braka & Ake

As a sixty year old franchise, Star Trek has always used allegory to tell stories about issues of the day that historically effect us all. Paramount cancelled Star Trek for being Star Trek. And, in all reality, this is what cancelled Star Trek. Paramount wants to please Trump’s administration so that their merger with Warner Bros. goes through, make them nearly a monopoly to shape the message of what people read, hear, & see. They would be the mega-corporation condoned voice of the state. In the show the galaxy sides with Ake, in reality, Paramount sided with Braka – a Trump proxy, all for greed & power.

It does not bode well for the future of Star Trek, at least with its present masters at the helm. The “Star Trek: Year One” concept, which would have been a wonderful pickup from “Strange New Worlds” would have been worth seeing come to fruition since we are owed two more years on that initial five-year mission. Star Trek Legacy, and any other potential projects including movies or anything else franchise related will, much like Kahn’s crew on the Botany Bay, be put into stasis.   

When Star Trek is gone from Paramount Plus, I will not be far behind. I will drop it like an overheating phaser. They have proven to be poor stewards of what they had and now that I see what they want to usher in to the world… well, no thanks. I’ll put my $15.00 a month towards other things. I encourage you to do the same. The only thing corporations care about are dollars. I’m almost done giving them any more of mine. You see, I know who I want to go into the future with and that has nothing to do with the chaos that the current administration and their toadies at Paramount are willing to sow.

To the cast & crew of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Thank you for carrying the torch of Star Trek further. You have much to be proud of. I am looking forward to season two and know that your contribution to the narrative of Star Trek – of the future, has been indispensable. One day, I firmly believe, that we – humanity, will be worthy the stars. You have helped light the way and I am grateful. 

LLAP

Poetic Dissection of Sometimes a Wild God

Whilst exploring the electric seas of the interwebs I came across a poem that I had never read before called, "Sometimes a Wild God," by Tom Hirons. 

I read it.

Then I read it again. 

It resonated with me. So, before I color your view of it, I believe it only fair that you have a chance to come to your own conclusions. The poem, read by it's author, Tom Hirons with illustrations by Rima Stains, can be found here: Sometimes a Wild God. 

Now, while you consider this piece please allow me to prattle on for a moment about art.

All art is subjective and a delicate dance between the creator and, for lack of a better word, the consumer. I use the word consumer but I do not mean monetarily, I mean that a piece or work has been discovered, used, and/or experienced. Art is that magical space where these two forces meet - creators and consumers. And this is where magic becomes real. No matter what the art form, it takes two to tango. Art tells us a story and stories connect us to a greater narrative than ourselves. 

As consumers we are all at different places in our journeys and subject to the relentless nature of time. These factors influence the effect that art has on us at different time in our lives. Case in point, we could read a book when we are young and then read that same book ten years later and, due to maturity & life experiences, the book has different things to say to us. Things that we could not appreciate ten years ago. The same shift will happen ten years from now when we read that very same book. There are lessons to be learned - wisdom to be gleaned when we revisit art. That magic place, that dance between creator & consumer, can take on an unexpected depth over the course of years.

The author, the painter, the sculptor, the poet, the filmmaker, the musician, the vlogger, the creator brings it into the world, hones it by sanding down the edges, and eventually, releases it into the wild where it finds or does not find it's audience or those who will consume it. If it is discovered the dance can commence and the magic happens.

All that said, I find this poem magical. For me it speaks of the past and how we deal with things that are too much to process. The narrator is dealing with something from his past either some deep regret that he has done or some trauma laced abuse that was done to him. This is the Wild God. The Wild God is not in itself a force for evil - it is only a specter that the narrator has buried deep from himself and the world. He hasn't told his wife. The Wild God gets into the narrator's house even though he rejects him and while he is there the narrator avoids eye contact, gives him the "worst of his food," and ultimately pours the Wild God and himself a glass of whiskey - in effect drinking two glasses for himself all to push the Wild God away, to bury him again. The Wild God is a force of nature that wants the narrator to grow. "Why did you leave me?" the god asks. The answer is that the narrator does not want to face his own past. He would rather 'move on' with his life, but the Wild God is persistent and visits him when he least expects it. The narrator refers to scores of undead soldiers emerging from their tombs to fight the Wild God and these soldiers could easily be other defense mechanisms - other embattlements that he has put in place to protect himself from the past - from the Wild God. The psychological factor of the abuse that the narrator has suffered rings fresh with the final line of the poem, "His voice makes vinegar from wine and brings the dead to life." This shows that the narrator lives with his abuse at all times and the lengths he has gone to distance himself from it. Unfortunately for him, the trauma poisons his present tense and moments that he finds respite or joy are hijacked as his wine turns to vinegar at the memory of it all. And, in that moment the authors of said abuse, of said trauma, may even be dead now but his reluctance and/or inability to deal with his past ensures that they still live. 

We all have our own Wild God. Perhaps it is trauma done to us or trauma that we have done to others. Coming to terms with the past is a deeply personal thing. I heard a wise man once say, "Love everyone. Forgive everyone. Especially yourself." Forgiveness can be acknowledgment of horror visited upon oneself, an opportunity for us to make peace with the past - not to pretend that all is well or to let the purveyors of said horrors off the hook, but to get oneself off the hook. A moment in time to say it was a moment in time and I will not let it define me. A moment to stop the past from defining ones future.

I found "Sometimes a Wild God' a thoughtful work. I hope you did too. I hope it moved you and I hope that you have peace. I encourage you to look further into Tom Hirons and Rima Staines. Two interesting artists that are most certainly worth your time to investigate in depth.

Until next time, Gentle Reader, I bid you adieu. 

Go Outside & Play

“Time, time, time. …See what’s become of me when I looked around for my possibilities?” – Paul Simon

OH, Chicken Scratch… Please forgive me. I have neglected you. You became a place for me to briefly check in and scream at injustices that weren’t fit for polite company. I stepped away, but it certainly wasn’t because I’ve stopped writing. No, perish the thought. I have enough to fill a book on COVID and a book on cancer alone! No. I believe that my lack of participation here is that my attentions have been diverted due to my participation in social media. Due to the good and the bad that such participations have wrought. I saw a bright, shiny thing and I ran after it. I’m still running for it… No, that’s not accurate; it’s more akin to a light jog or a casual walk these days.

I would like to make amends. I look at this blog sheepishly. It is dated and of a different time. The majority of Chicken Scratch has not aged well. Case in point, one of my favorite segments, the Blue-ray Dossier, was made completely obsolete with the advent of streaming which took over several years ago. I have not paid attention to Chicken Scratch and instead I have invested time and energy into other electronic distractions. I held out a long-time concerning politics and religion but circumstances since 2016 have made such banality an impossible task – especially with the advent of social media and all of it’s pomp & circumstance.

So, what does one do? I mean, the genie is out of the bottle. There is no going back, right? The fact is we love our conveniences and the things that please us. There are no atlases or maps in my vehicle any longer because I use Google Maps and all the give and take that comes with it. Sure, I can get from point A to point B more efficiently, free from tolls & traffic, but I am not the only one who is concerned with my trip to point B. Nope, moment by moment my phone is being monitored. Oh, yours it to and, deep down, I believe we know this. The fact of the matter is, we don’t care anymore. This isn’t tin-foil hat territory any longer. It hasn’t been for quite some time. Have you ever had a brief conversation with someone within earshot of your TV or cell phone only to discover that the next time you’re on Facebook advertisers are actively trying to sell you the content of your conversation back to you – be it goods, services, or ideologies both political & religious?

So, what can be done? What is a healthy balance between using technology responsibly and living in an off-grid cave in the woods? I believe we need to rethink how we approach social media. We need to realize that there is no such thing as anonymity online any longer and that words still mean things (in some quarters). Social media should not be your journal or diary. You can use it as such but just understand that each of your keystrokes are being recorded somewhere, your opinions are being documented, your likes & dislikes are being honed to sell you something (at best) or to oppress you (at worst). Money & manipulation are the names of the game. If we can accept that premise, then we can start to take back a little bit or ourselves and not completely surrender to the algorithm. Think before you type. Pretend that your keyboard isn’t anonymous – like you are having a conversation in public. If you can do that, you’re ahead of the game.

Results may vary and I am still very much a work in progress, but I find that I am happier without corporate media’s 24/7 controlled ‘news’ cycle, doomscrolling, and the ideological battles that keyboard warriors – both worthy & unworthy alike wage their battles. The time one spends on social media is YOUR time. If you wish to fill it with rage & frustration, by all means, read and respond to the comments section. No thanks. The algorithm has painted us all into where the data that AI has collected says we should be. Then there are the soulless Bots employed by would-be oppressors to contend with, as well. No, you can keep your comments section. There’s a 50/50 chance you’re not unloading on a human (rational or otherwise) anyway. I truly feel that we need a mass movement of re-humanization. A moment of self-reflection where we evaluate our place in the digital landscape. Does the time you spend on social media bring you joy? If not, perhaps it’s time to step away from the keyboard for a spell.

Read a book.

Take a walk.

Learn how to cook.

Volunteer somewhere.

Whatever you choose to do to keep yourself sane, do that instead. I am old enough to remember a time before data aggregation when the net was open and free. In days of yore the BBS boards gave way to America Online, which yielded to My Space, which in turn yielded to Facebook and then Twitter. Everything was so bright and shiny and there was a bit of a learning curve. The early days of Facebook were the salad years of social media. Then came the data aggregation companies who became brokers of personal information around the globe. But as is the case with many advancements our technology has far outpaced our ability to accurately assess its true price – what it does to us both psychologically & sociologically. We, the end users of any social media platform, are the commodity. The price of participating is revealing everything about yourself to the algorithm.

Back in the early days it was a fun way to connect with people over the internet. Back from kindergarten playground chums to souls you have never physically met from around the world, a connection was being made. Good times. Then the learning curve flattened out, and the electronic population of social media quadrupled. Advertisers, corporations, municipalities, & governments (local, national, & international) took notice of how people, for a shot of dopamine, would reveal themselves to the world. The algorithm doesn’t simply suggest advertisers to you anymore, now it reports back to whomever wants to pay the price for your information – and this whomever was never your friend. As a matter of fact, this whomever is now monitoring you for how you think, behave, believe and the tools we thought were toys are now the chains that are being held by those who desperately wish to exploit and oppress and rule over you. Yes, your algorithm has been weaponized against us and will continue to be if we do not start to control ourselves and what we project into the electronic world for everything you do on your phone or on your laptop is monitored and scrutinized by people who wish to manipulate or control you just to sell you something - either material goods or services or agendas and ideologies.

Way back in 2013 I wrote a blog, Whistleblowers & the Prophesies of the Dark Knight. I was proud of this one. I see how naive it was now. Our ability as a species to properly keep pace with the emerging technology verses our rate of absorption at the cost of said technology is a problem. That blog entry has not stood the test of time due to the fact that mass surveillance is no longer behind closed doors but is before your screen be it on your phone, laptop, or TV as soon as you hit that “I Agree” button when you sign up anything you wish to do on the computer. It does not take a team of data aggregators to see that your electronic footprint, stretching as far back as possible, can and will be used against you. Your thoughts have been weaponized - yes, even the half-baked ones that you typed into a terminal back in 2013.

"So, what do I do?"

Be discerning. Practice the words you tell others you believe - you know the ones, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." Tell the truth. Try to be on the right side of history and when the political nightmares and abuses you see in the news come crashing through your door to steal you away as you have seen others stolen away you can stand in the light of the truth. Brutality and dominion have always existed but so have kindness and freedom. The pendulum swings eternally. So, when the weight of world's ills is pressing down upon you from everything that your algorithm belches onto your social media feed what can you do? 

If all else fails, block 'em. It's your time, after all. It doesn't have to be personal, perhaps you don't want a steady diet of "Factor X" on your feed. Take it back. Try to remember that you originally came to social media for fun and if your feed on any platform - Facebook, X, Bluesky, Instagram, WHATEVER begins to resemble a cavalcade conspiracies, lies, & overt political manipulation, drop it like it's hot. I have had to do so. Some cases I have had pangs of regret but most of the time it has been for the absolute best. Social media has, after all, provided ample opportunity for people to share their thoughts, feelings, & beliefs and if you are bringing nothing but hatred, lies, & racism to my feed - you've got to go. For the most part I came to social media for positive, progressive, & pleasant intentions. It's my time and it is precious. If you are not a monster we can be acquaintances or friends in real life, but if your online presence clashes with the intentions of which I came to social media for originally (or if you are a monster), then you can do so on your own feed without me.

Stand up for kindness and freedom and step away from the keyboard.

Read a book.

Take a walk.

Learn how to cook.

Volunteer somewhere.

Whatever helps in tapping down the insanities all around us. Evil men will do what evil men do. They have better tools these days, but so do we. Take back those pieces of yourself that have not already been categorized and cataloged. Write your own narrative and do not be manipulated into serving the algorithm and having it think for you. The sad truth is that people make money that can be traded for power when our information is used against us and the human animal does not always listen to the brighter angels of our nature.

Good luck, gentle reader. We are all works in progress. While I am attempting to re-humanize I am on social media less. 

I am happier for it. 

Perhaps you would be too.

 

Fixed It

I saw someone on Facebook posted this abomination. 

I fixed it. It now reads...

Dear God, this man. 

He's an evil we can't even imagine. 

Keep us safe from those who worship him. 

Amen!

 

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson passed on September 28, 2024. He was a musician, actor, songwriter. His authenticity and honesty brought a sense of integrity to the varied creative projects he chose. 

I love the lyrics of "Pilgrim's Progress." Here they are, just as Mr. Kristofferson wrote them...

Pilgrim’s Progress by Kris Kristofferson

Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

I get lazy, and forget my obligations
I'd go crazy, if I paid attention all the time
And I want justice, but I'll settle for some mercy
On this Holy Road through the Universal Mind

Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

I got lucky, I got everything I wanted
I got happy, there wasn't nothing else to do
And I'd be crazy not to wonder if I'm worthy
Of the part I play in this dream that's coming true

Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

Thank you for the lyrics, music, and stories, Mr. Kristofferson.

Long may you ride.