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Month: May 2019

Surprise Thursday links

I seem to keep collecting them without even trying …

To trust or (mostly) not to trust; that is the question

An author gone sadly astray I was thinking about trust when I picked up two books by David Paulides. Trust has been on my to-blog list for weeks now. Paulides had never entered my consciousness until the library put eight of his paperbacks on display next to the main door. The series is called Missing 411, with each thick tome containing the author’s “investigations” into missing persons. Lost mountaineers and wandered-to-doom children make sad but gripping reading. I had no idea at the time that Paulides is the guy who dubiously “proved” Bigfoot exists. I also had no idea that…

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Will somebody please tell me why …

… the talking heads are talking about the U.S. going to war with Iran? Since February, as you know, I’ve worked at becoming blissfully ignorant of “news.” This doesn’t come naturally to me, having been taught at Mama’s knee to Care Deeply any time some politician or anchorperson anywhere on the globe blows his nose. So I occasionally tune in NPR on the car radio while running errands. The last couple of days they’ve abandoned their standard “immigrants good,” “guns bad,” “hate Trump all the time.” routine and are talking war-war-war-war-war. With Iran. Why war? Why Iran? In all the…

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Tuesday links

A few links for a change. Some are new, a few I’ve been saving for you … So-called Modern Monetary Theory will be a Modern Monetary Disaster, as anybody beyond the pink unicorn stage of development can see. Speaking of which, the NYT reports that Venezuela’s inflation is now worse than Zimbabwe’s. They still can’t bring themselves to use the “S” word, though they admit that the “economic policies” of Chavez and Maduro may have something to do with the problem. John Wick Part III, aka Parabellum was released last Friday. Seems everybody, including Rolling Stone has high praise. Seen…

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A whole head full o’ nothin’ but spring

Written Sunday evening; posted Monday morning from my car, grabbing a few minutes wifi. —– I’ve beat my brains this weekend trying to come up with something brilliant for you. I’ve got nothing. But aside from feeling guilty for the nothingness between my ears, having nothing is a blessedly pleasant state. I’ve been sewing. And cleaning junk out of the laundry room in preparation for the next round of serious minioning for The Wandering Monk. And buying fabrics for $1 a yard from one of the local thrift stores, which just inherited 20 boxes of sewing supplies from some woman’s…

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Mildred: A life in 40 patterns

Realizing my readership is mostly male, I hesitate to post the following. But don’t tune out on me, guys. Or at least not instantly. Don’t assume from the topic that this post is too girly for your macho selves. Think of this like finding a box of old gun or car parts or fishing tackle, all from one guy’s garage. —– Behind one of the local thrift stores are boxes of freebies — loaded up every morning, then tossed out at the end of every day. These are newly donated items that are almost trash, but Chris the manager hopes…

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Guardians

My “guardian” dream from late last month continues to haunt and puzzle me. Though I’m no closer to understanding it (and it demands understanding and perhaps action), I’ve had some help along the way. I’ve already mentioned Commentariat member Shel leading me to Jung — actually two Jungs, Carl and his wife Emma. Then yesterday I found an unexpected gift in a locker at the post office. That up there at the top of this blog is a framed and bejeweled print of a 15th-century Russian icon of a (or perhaps the) guardian angel. Or as the handy translation sheet…

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Thoughts about politics, privacy, and power over people

Someone asked me why I don’t write about freedom as much as I used to. Every time I pick up a pen or put fingers to keyboard I’m writing about freedom. I just don’t write as much about politics any more. Or techniques of anti-politics. But it’s all about freedom. —– People also come around once in a while, hoping to learn new techniques for alternate ID so they can live their way around “enhanced” government drivers licenses, e-verify for employment, facial recognition systems, and such. I have nothing for them. Not that there aren’t ways. I’ve said it before;…

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Observations in a graveyard

Because I didn’t think I was my best shiny-souled self when last I blogged, I sat down yesterday at the library to noodle something “lite” but good for you. Anyhow, I tried. No sooner had I taken care of a few bits of online housekeeping than I flew into rebellion against all acts of duty. I couldn’t blog. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t bear the noise of the library. I couldn’t face the prospect of going home and cleaning my car (which I had to do because I was scheduled to drive a friend to the hospital and I’m…

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Quite a random ramble

Random action produces random results. The last two weeks have been busy-busy, with little time for reflection. It’s been the kind of busy-ness that leaves you (meaning me) tired and depleted but barely able to point to any accomplishment. At the end of the day, I ask myself what I did and can recall a lot of activity, signifying nothing. In the last week, I even attended two Dreaded Social Events. One of them was actually a hoot; but that sort of thing saps all my creative and spiritual juices, sometimes for days afterward. Oh, I also managed a smattering…

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