Like Stoned, Man!

Somebody sing some Janis Joplin song for me now, It won't take long, And we can spend all night getting laid on some odd premise Of getting High or getting Low, whichever pretence you prefer.

Overheard in a Cowboy Bar

Another One Bites The Dust
Things were quiet. There was only one customer in the bar so early in the afternoon--he already looked a little hungover. "Did you hear the news that Michael Jackson died?" the bartender asked. "What took him so long?" replied the customer. The bartender shrugged. Just then the door opened and another customer came in with a brief blast of sunlight and warmth.

Iranian Clerics: War With God?

When power or authority turns you into a brute, that does not speak very well for you or your claim of religion. No matter what you say about God being "on your side", one day He may give you what you deserve. I can't believe that even you will be surprised by it. As far as I can tell in World History, all organized religions have thought and acted as if they should kill all Unbelievers (in short, everybody else!). What will we do if it turns out that the real God comes from Pluto and doesn't like any of us? I guess then it won't matter who the hell we killed...

Years Ago

I remember years ago when my friend J. advised me how much better (or easier) things would get if I could get online, at least for email. My friend's thinking was based on how few people had time any more for writing traditional letters. Email was going to relieve us all, was the thinking, of feeling compelled to write long or seriously or well. We could just dump it out there in short messy messages, a little at a time, every passing day! I guess that's what we did. But now how often do you even get emails? Blogs came along and sucked away the time and energy for some email writers. And now Twitter and all the cell phones are reducing us to smaller and smaller sound bytes! We will soon be reduced to cavemen, capable of only grunts and groans at electronic speed. And then what will all this technology and blabber have been for?

More Pandora, Cora!

I've mentioned Pandora Internet Radio a few times before. Over time I've added more and more "stations". It surprised me the other day to find that I could select classical music there because the last time I inquired, they had some po-boy excuse for not having any. To make it short, now they do! Look out, Mozart, here I come! Additional "stations" not shown in the screenshot include: Fairport Convention Frank Zappa Janis Joplin Joni Mitchell Julie London Leonard Cohen Miles Davis Nancy Wilson Paul Simon Ray Charles Rock n Roll Tim Buckley Remember that each name represents a range of music, not just music by a single artist. The other time I showed my stations was at this old post.

Another Old Poem

Young poets, Beware of ending up An old man who snarls, "I've got poems older than you!"

I HATE IGOOGLE!

Everybody Wants to be Your Everything

I was using the Google search page for my home page, but suddenly all those distant rumors of "igoogle" I'd been hearing came home to roost. I hadn't known what people were babbling about, but since I didn't seem to need to know, I just didn't think about it. Suddenly my home page was "igoogle" with it's passel of add-ons and add-ins and it's "fill up the page" peeks into the goddamn fucking Universe that I didn't ask for! I know what it is. It's the goddamn CNN school of HOW MUCH CAN I FUCK WITH YOU? where they pile on more and more explanatory text until you can't even see what is transpiring on the fucking TV screen! CNN never made any sense to me with their goddamn Font Machine and I'd like to burn them at the stake. Now I'd like to use all versions of igoogle as the firewood! I did finally figure out how to push my Home page back to the Google search page ONLY, but I'm not sure how long that'll last. It may be an uphill struggle to keep it like that if igoogle thinks so much of itself. I may keep using it for some time to come, but if I find anything I only like AS WELL, I'll leave them--though I can only pray or dream that it would ever harm them. I guess that Google has become what Microsoft has long been--which is to say, so goddamn Huge that they are Hugely egotistical and equally detestable. Guess I better start looking around for another Home.

Beautiful Diana

Here's a poem that means a lot to me, so that makes it "good". Yet it's also bad. I can't explain. Click Beautiful Diana for a fairly long but conversational sort of read. I reread it a little while ago and once again realize how much I like it.

After The Viruses

An Update

Since I let the computer system do a "PC Recovery" the other day, I have spent endless days setting things back to rights. I haven't had time to see if ALL the folders and files are all right, although they do all seem to still be present. System files and all the "shortcuts" were replaced, by something in the first case and by Nothing in the second case. I guess everything was set back to the default and I'd forgotten entirely that some of these damn settings even existed! The computer went from Dead to Alive, so I guess I won't complain too much just yet about how far from normal it is. There's a growing list of things in the back of my mind that I'm wondering "Does That still work and does This still work? And so on. I'm not very fast. I guess it's like when you move from one house to another. Even when you know everything SHOULD be there somewhere in all those boxes you packed, you don't believe it until you see it. Shitfire! p.s. After the computer's return to life, AVG and Trend Micro both at first found more viruses, Trojans, etc., but two days after the Horrible Event, the only further things found have been "tracking cookies", which is at least a lower level of panic than 40 listings of "Infection"!

But Do I Care?

Try Me!
Young poets, beware Of ending up A snarky old man who sez, "You twit— I've got poems older than you!"

Late Night

Am I the only one up late tonight? It seems that way.

Cruel Blogger

[She Said]

Some say the moon is a harsh mistress, But she's just science fiction to me. My Internet Blogger is some deep sea instead That's dark and dry and harsher still— She said she makes the moon look like a pansy Floating by lightly on carefully lifted toes While you entangle your sodden brain and soul In sailor's knots and seaweeds grown in toxic soil. We're poisoned now, and long have been, That such short shrift as ours now seem long, Too long, compared to such mileau as Twitter and Jitter. Will we go to prison for long-windedness? Though your blog was so easy at first, the hard parts increased Along with your ambition and ammunition, And she eviscerates you with ripping tentacles While you shoot too slow. It's miles to go as she chokes you with suction cups, Drowning you in languid dreams of language code, Hanging you up so high and unconcealed— Making you feel forlorn and scorned or, As the Beatles once sang, like you've never been born!

Abandonment

Gotta Go!

I am so weary. Time goes by and I can't stick to anything and nothing sticks to me. The Internet started as somewhere I could make friends with people I've never met. Now, of course, I've had the time to realize that it works as well to make enemies there. Not to mention the majority item, just growing indifferent there! In the physical world, all things continue to seem like Heavy Lifting. Earlier today, I was going to trim some branches that overhang a new bird feeder I bought, but I could not stand straight and look upward long enough to do the job. I managed one cut, in too low a location, and was in constant danger of losing my grip on the heavy loppers and letting them fall straight down on my face. I was in such a rush to put them down, I think I even forgot to pick up that one branch that I'd cut I have determined that I will abandon the Blogger Help Group that I've spent so much time on the past few years. They decided to relocate the forum and to change it in too many ways to suit me. They may have made it better, but I'm too out of sorts for the changes. They also succeeded in jarring me into a full recognition that I haven't given a damn about it in quite a while. One might say it became the biggest part of my identity at one time since I spent so much time on it, but it's not a place where respect or honor accrues. Most of the users are just passing through, so one is dealing with a new and clueless audience every 5 or 10 minutes. The probability is growing that I'll also retire from any further updates or new posts on "Most Frequent Blogger Questions". As is usual for me, I learned a lot about something esoteric and relatively useless--something that most people don't even know exists. But I am just physically tired and may as well quit just in case some day I need the time and energy to do something else. I used to say, especially when I worked for a living, that I had a "five year attention span"--I'd always change jobs or shift position within a job as if on a schedule. Maybe this is just the latest span reaching it's end. But what if it's the end of The End? I have no other interests at present. I don't even want to buy anything. I've decided that I could afford to splurge on something just now, yet nothing is attractive enough. Whatever it is that I want, I don't want it very much.

Bugs Up My Ass, Etc.

Damn Viruses

Rapacious and insidious viruses have been gnawing out the entrails of my computer for a few days. I performed a "PC Recovery", and it at least brought the computer back to life, but there are still some problems that I can't (or haven't) assessed. The relatively new mouse works, but some parts of it don't work right, even though I've installed it's software 3 times. Shit, I hate it when things are complicated. I'm not sure all those viruses are gone, though there's no evidence of their continuing presence--I just don't feel very "trusting" about it all!

I'm A Normal Guy Sometimes

Believe It Or Die!
I ain't got no rabbit habit! None of that!

Crooks Are Everywhere

Selling Shit for Peanut Butter

All businesses and service companies operate like that. I think they are now all run by the mafia--the New Mafia, the one that's not any kind of ethnic, just capitalist pigs who took it to the next level. They do slouchy work, leave dead bodies behind, and try to charge you 4 times for work done badly or not at all. They are in the exclusive business of ripping us off--no products, no service, just Theft Inc. At one time, this country was worth pissing on if it was on fire, but... Things have changed. And the FBI can't save us from that. Maybe we should just let California burn to the ground. If they survive the fires, they'll just need that much more bailout money, won't they?

Late At Night

Sometimes late at night it occurs to me That I don't have any cigarettes And how will I Ever get through the night Till I recall that it's been 10 years since I've smoked at all... So where does that demeaning thought come from? I guess it explains a little why it's so easy To be an addict of any kind!

WYSIWYG, or The Practice Blog

Extra Work, But So What?

Do you ever get sick and tired of "being surprised" when you finally publish your post and find out that it "looks wrong"? People complain at various times of how the "Previews" in Blogger are more approximate than exact--in short, no WYSIWYG! This post will give you instructions to create a "practice blog" where you don't have to share your first Publish with the public. If you're tired of your email notifications going out to your subscribers before your post is in it's final or polished version, you might be interested in making a practice blog.

Emphasis

David Brinkley: "The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were."

What's Wrong With Wrabbits?

Here Comes Silly Bunny Tale!

What's wrong with just being a rabbit? Do they actually fornicate more than rats? I think not. Maybe they do it faster, though. Rapid rabbits? But that sounds like a bad thing; good things should LAST a while! Still, the bad thing about being a natural-born rabbit is not that someone always wants to fuck you, but that someone always wants to eat you! Of course, sometimes they just want to shoot you; ask any paranoid bunny from Texas or Australia! Makes 'em crazy as a rabid rabbit!

A Blogger Dies

Notes about Maya's Granny

I hadn't read the posts at this blog for a couple of years, I guess, but I was reminded of it by the "intelligent blog" post I just made and so I clicked that label to see where else I'd bestowed that debatable honor. Mostly, I remembered them all and have seen those blogs lately, but I was horrified to find that this lady had died and her daughter had finished it up with a final post that was very touching. I'd never gotten close to that lady, but I had admired her writing and her stories about her life. I can't claim to have been a friend, only an admirer. I don't recall if I commented on her blog or not, though it is my habit to do so--therefore, it is likely. Nonetheless, that memory is gone, has escaped me. Still, it seemed very sad to hear of her death and to learn that she was younger than I'd thought. Not that her age should matter, though it makes me feel like I wasn't really paying attention to the details back when I did read her blog on a frequent basis. I'm sorry, but it's really too late for that. What I recommended back then was this very nice post by Maya's Granny.

Intelligent Post: Pretty Pink Garbage

No Painting this time!
How can Pink be biodegradeable, I wonder? See this post from THE NIGHT SHIFT and find out. Follow her link and see the short video.

THE BIG ONE

What, a new one?! It's a BIG ONE, too!

Beatles: Love Song of Youth or Song of Old Age?

The lyrics to this Beatles song never struck me as anything other than a fun love song when it was new and I was young, but now I can hardly hear it without being reminded of my stroke or my age. Bitter pill. HELP! Help, I need somebody, Help, not just anybody, Help, you know I need someone, help. When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors. Help me if you can, I'm feeling down And I do appreciate you being round. Help me, get my feet back on the ground, Won't you please, please help me? And now my life has changed in oh so many ways, My independence seems to vanish in the haze. But every now and then I feel so insecure, I know that I just need you like I've never done before. Help me if you can, I'm feeling down And I do appreciate you being round. Help me, get my feet back on the ground, Won't you please, please help me. When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured, Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors. Help me if you can, I'm feeling down And I do appreciate you being round. Help me, get my feet back on the ground, Won't you please, please help me, help me, help me, oh.

Email Icon

After all this time of wondering about my "missing" email icon (envelope), now that I have it on each post, I see that it's pretty worthless. Oh yes, it sends a goddamn link for that post to one person at a time, but that's all. I already knew how to do that. I guess I'm missing the point that the icon is for my readers to use to send an email to a third party, but only the very newest of bloggers would not already know how to do that. And the icon does not make it any faster, at least not to anyone like me who keeps multiple windows open (my gmail is always in another window when my blogs are open). And there is no option to send the full post or a partial post--it ONLY sends the link! I don't find that very attractive, but I guess some of my readers may like it. How would I ever know? I think it's just one more toy to be added to an absolutely unnecessary arsenal of toys!