Meet the New Boss

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. The Who, Won't Get Fooled Again
Tomorrow, at long last, we have the midterm elections. And, they will change little, if anything. The Republicans will still do their thing and the Democrats, theirs. Business as usual. Once upon a time, that was fine, because at least they were, if not on the same page, in the same chapter. Now, they are not even in the same book.
We are in the midst of a massive, overwhelming paradigm change. People do not see the World as they once did. Fine. That is the way it shoud be, but in such shifts, there is always great chaos. The problem is, in great part, we are trying to deal with that using the old style politics. The old game of fixers and manipulators, of threats and rants, od accusations and wild promises, of backroom deals and campaign fund payoffs, will not help. In fact, it will make things worse.
The electorate is frustrated. That is whu we are seeing such viscous rhetoric. I will not be surprised if, here and there, we see substantial violence in tomorrow's wake.
We will be stuck once more, with the same old politicians going about their work with the same old, tired, routines. No changes, even in the face of a Nation and a World that are changing ar a frantic pace.
I would say, as I gave in the past, a pox on them all, but is insufficient. Nothing that will happen that will solve our staggering load of problems. Vote Republican or Democrat, whatever you choose. Or just ignore the whole rotten mess.  Spend the day doing something that really counts. Make something, Learn something. Help some one. Heck, hus go out and pass a football around' at least you'll get some exercise. Then get ready to duck, because something si going to hit the fan.
The only way around this mess is, I am sorry to say, to learn all you can about what we are discovering about our Earth and its inhabitants. This will give you a clue about the nature of the paradigm shift and some ideas of how we need to change. Or, at the very least, it will give you an idea of how to get around the agents of the status quo. The end of the old age is here and they do not know that. But they will. Harsh thoughts? Yes, but this can be a harsh World. The best way out of this is to just ignore the rantings of power mad old men and women.
I will leave you a line from Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. 'Let us not talk falsely now for the hour is getting late.' Have a Blessed, healthy and happy day.

TGIF

It is true that I no longer hold a job. Retirement is a mixed blessing, but that is not what I want to write about.
Even retired, I look forward to weekends. There is just a different aura hovering in the air starting Friday evening. Some of the tension leaves people, and there are different activities afoot. Now some of those activities get a might unsavory, but mostly they are good, naps, sports, shopping, meals, and just general nonsense. I like nonsense.
Maybe my love of the weekend is just a memory of what they were when I was younger. I realize that these days many work those days. I guess I get stuck ib the past a bit, but I also think that it is food to rememver the days when, for two and a half days, folks just tried to enjoy themselves. It was good for body mind and soul.
To those who say that our economy os booming, I have a question. If things are so great, why are people working so many hours just to get by. Yes, some people do love their jobs and some are just work-a-holics, but trist me, I have been there and worked with a whole lot of folks and I can say that most people just pur up with their jobs, and that becomes more and more the case when they are working 55, 60, or more hours a week.. That tolerance soon turns to loathing and no one should have to spend  most of their waking hours at something they detest.
The answer is simple. Let the big corporations, and smaller businesses that are making large ,profits turn loose with some money. Increase wages, and even the Government's numbers show that wages are still too low and hire more people. Give folks more of their own lives back. When you already habe a lot of money, do you really need that much more? When does the profit incentive become just plain, stupid greed.
To those working this weekend, I hope things change your way, For those who have the time off, enjoy every minute of it. Enjoying your weekend has almost become a revolutionary act. Blessings to all.

The Ghosts Are Gone

Halloween is past. When I was a wee tyke, it was just a fun day. No big deal. Trick or treat, a few parties, it was just a bit of a laugh.
Now, it has become a mega big holiday. Many millions are spent on costumes that will be gone the next day and candy that will be gone just as fast. Don't get me wrong. I love silly little holidays. However, you can take a food thing and blow it up into a monster.
The saddest thing is that trick or treating is now a hazardous outing. No sane parent would let their kids do that and it is a shame. Again, we have changed a harmless, fun day into what is just a bizarre near obsession.  In days of old, All Hallows Eve was a day to remember the dead and to acknowledge and appease other spirits. Sort of like, but bot exactly like Mexico's Day of the Dead. This is why very conservative Christians have always loathed the day. Well, they need not worry. As we usually do, we have taken a semi-spiritual day and turned it into a cash cow.
There are merits to that. We really do not need folks spending a lot of time dealing with dark spirits and you can remember the spirits of loved ones any time. But, we do need to tone down the whole massive spending spree that Halloween has become. Folks can take that money and spend it on a variety of fun events instead of spending it all on junk. Some candy, a party or two, maybe some well supervised trick or treating in safe neighborhoods, fine. Massive spending and excessive partying, not fine.
But, folks will do as they please. Remember though, at Christmas, when you really want a big celebration and you are sgort of cash, that you did not need to spend all that money on Halloween.

The Aliens Are Invading - Run For Your Lives

Another short post because I am buried inn things to do. I have ti comment in the latest immigration lunacy.
You would think that Attila the Hun was massed at our border with at least a million heavily armed troops. Our President is threatening to over ride the immigration laws, even Constitutional rules, by executive order. We are rushing 1000s of troops to deal with them.
Well, there are a few 1000 immigrants, poor, some kids, some not  at all well, walking. Slowly. They are about 2 months away and may not even make it this far.
But boy are we worried and we are prepared and it is all a bunch of nonsense. All of this is just a political game. It is all about power and it is a waste of time and money and every one who is wringing their hands and getting hysterical about this should be ashamed of their selves.
Just chill out and stop all of your lunacy

Brazil

One of the most overlooked and important events of recent days is the election,, in Brazil, of an extreme right wing President. Okay. Fair enough. It is their Country.
But, watch what happens. I have written a lot about our mistreatment and neglect of our Southern neighbors. Again. The chikens come home yo roost.
Brazil certainly has problems. Deep poverty alongside decadent wealth is never a good thing. Neither is way too many people in latge urban areas and a wildly uneducated population.Crime is outrageous.
The newly elected President promises  to be tough on crime. Good, but their is a fine line between tough and nightmarish. Just ask the people of the Philippines about Duarte.
The new Brazilian regime promises economic growth. Great. But, how much will reach their wretchedly poor urban population.
To get that growth, he plans to whack down some more of the Amazon rain forest. That cannot be allowed. With climate change a reality (yes, President Trump, it is real, not a Chinese hoax), to cut down that vast canopy of trees would be disastrous. If Brazil; proceeds with this, the rest of the World needs to hit them with every sanction imaginable. We can get along without their mineral wealth (which is considerable, but there are other sources), without their timber (we grow our own on properly managed tree farms and are coming up with new alternatives to timber every day), and the little bit of oil they pump.
What else do they have? Sugar, and we all eat way too much of that. Ayahuasca, a hallucinogen,  which we definitely don't need. Throw in some produce, and that's about it.
They also need tourist dollars and the new President's extreme dislike of gay people will not help that at all. Carnival brings in a lot of money and picking on gay folks will not do Brazilian tourism a lot of good/. Again, it's their Country and they can do what they want, but this cannot end well. Watch an old movie called, appropriately enough, Brazil/ It is sort of a comedic take on 1984. let's hope it is not prophetic

Hello

I have way too much to do, so I just want to write a brief note and say,'hello.' We are trying to move and that is not  easy. But, the day is fair, we both feel pretty well, and it is important to be sociable and wish someone a nice day.
Actually, that is one of the most important things we can do, every day. The stock market is jumping up and down, we still don't really know what happened with those bombs, A synagogue was shot up and 11 killed. We are still figuring out what to do with the Saudis and those immigrants are still on the way.
But, it is a grand day and there is no point moping around when things go  badly. I am always aware of the negative. That is just part of life and I will never change that. i would not even if I could because it is just how things are and I am not qualified to remake Creation.
But, I can control my reaction when things go off the rails, and I refuse to let any of it get me down. So, I am going to have a great day and I urge you to do the same.

Dogs

Today, no bombs, no immigrants, no elections. Just dogs. I love dogs. They are a joy.
But, an ill mannered dog can be a nightmare. They may still be lovable, but they are a problem, unless you properly train the, and remember a few things.
They are easy to train because they want to please you. They are extremely social and when they come home with you, they want to be a part of your family and will gladly follow family rules. Bit, they have to be taught the rules. Use short commands and be patient while they learn the,. Use positive reinforcement. A pat on the head carries far more weight than a whack on  the bottom and a 'good dog' and a small treat does more than screaming at them.
If you cannot handle their training or are short on time, obedience school are a fine idea. You must be consistent. If you allow something sometimes and not others, you are confusing them.
Also, get the appropriate breed. mixed breeds are best because they are not products of inbreeding, a common practice among greedy breeders. If you have a small apartment, don't get a Great Dane. Unless you have a lot of time to exercise them, don't get a dog bred to work, like a border collie. If you have no time to spend with them, don't get one at all. Again, they are very social and don't like being alone. If you are always busy, get a cat. They have no issue with being left alone. If you have small kids, a tiny dog may be a bad idea, because your child may not understand that they have to be gentle with the tiny creature.
All of that said, dogs are one of Natures finest efforts. Intelligent, playful and loving, they are noble beings. Treat them well and train them well and you have a fine companion. They are so full of sheer jot while they are in the World. I have often thought that if we could find a way to mix our intelligence with their pure joy, it would be an incredible mix. You can do the next best thing. Get a dog to hang out with them and, of you pay attention, you will learn as much from them as they learn from you.
Normally, on a Friday, I leave you with 'have a fun and Blessed weekend.'Today I will leave you with a hardy "Woof."