Thursday, December 20, 2018

(K)NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN

There's just something about a young man's passionate declaration of love, even to someone like me who knows that such passion is a fleeting thing that lasts for days or maybe months or, if you're really lucky and say your payers faithfully, maybe for a year or two. But fade it will and only the memory, sweet or bittersweet or tragic will remain. 

A .gif to go along with my Facebook cover and also with the video of the song because I'm too lazy to make it into a music video and I don't feel like arguing with YouTube about copyrights.


Since Facebook Notes don't support .gifs, I had to make it into a video. 

And here is a video for the song. Lyrics are below.  As well as onscreen...

It's easy to do a manual sync. Just click on both videos. Mine is silent. I thought about singing along, but decided to spare you that.






Saturday, February 10, 2018

CHANGES by Phil Ochs

A few comments.

Special thanks to Friend Stéphanie Amesse for her great forest pictures. I hope she approves of my season-changing of them. They work perfectly. I enjoy using pictures that don't come from Google. Originals are always fresher and more fun.

I also thank Friend Lindsey Wiggers who will probably laugh at my again using her white bird. It's q wonderful picture and quite unique.

My last acknowledgment goes to Friend Ravi Singh Gill for his much-used-by-me photograph of the Himalaya Mountains taken by him returning from a mission of mercy for KhalsaAidsome years ago.

Most of the other pictures are originals by me, although I did fall back on a few public domain pictures from Google. The birdhouse is in the yard of a friend in my old neighborhood. The flowers were also from there and manipulated by Photoshop and me. The picture at the end is the one, most surprisingly to me, that is by far the most popular of my attempts at art. The title is
"And in those days when shone the sun."


I am tempted to write about Phil Ochs. He called himself a"singing journalist" and is mostly known for his so-called protest songs, but he did write some others like "Changes," "When I'm Gone," (lyrics on screen) and a personal favorite of mine about upper-middle-class life in Los Angeles in the late1960s, "Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Me." Here is the life of the USA Bourgeoisie, in caseanyone wantsto know.

Here are the lyrics to the last song listed.
Every morning at the dawn dust is in the air
Karen rises early, runs brushes through her hair
Then she buys the paper, I lay on my back
Then she feeds the monkey, then she feeds the cat
I'll talk, I'll talk they live by the sea
Surrounded by a cemetery
If you get tired come up for some tea
With Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and me
Frances is the next to rise
Powders up her nose
She's working for the tailor
Makes the western clothes
Andy drives a sports car
To the Warner Brothers ghost
He used to live in England
Now he loves the coast (chorus)
Some times a friend comes by
To sing the latest song
But David fights with Susan
Nobody gets along
Every other Sunday
It's time to make a call
Judy has a barbecue
Play the volleyball
In the evening When the sun goes down
The streets are all aglow
We walk out on the hillside
City shines below
We sit down for our supper
The news begins to play
Walter he is speechless
Eric speaks cliches
Andy plays a cricket game
Frances holds a glass
Karen reads and darns a dress
I dream of the past
Dark is spreading up now
Good evening, good night
Karen turns the bed sheet
She's turning out the light
Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and me
Written by Phil Ochs • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group
Stéphanie AmesseStéphanie Amesse

Sunday, December 14, 2014

A short course in Geography and Logistics - interesting if you like maps and knowledge.

 
  
A short course in Geography and Logistics.... quite interesting!
 
1. This map shows the world divided into 7 sections (each with a distinct color) with each section containing 1 billion people.



2. This map shows (in white) where 98 percent of Australia 's population lives.


3. It may not come as a surprise but more people live inside the circle than outside of it.


4. This map shows what is on the other side of the world from where you are standing.  For the most part it will probably be water.


5. Apparently you can't get Big Macs everywhere.  This map shows (in red) the countries that have McDonalds.


6. This map shows the countries (in blue) where people drive on the left side of the road.


7. This map shows countries (in white) that England has never invaded.  There are only 22 of them.


8. The line in this map shows all of the world's Internet connections in 1969.


9. This map shows the countries that heavily restricted Internet access in 2013.


10. This map shows (in red) countries that were all Communist at one point in time.


11. This map shows (in red) the countries that don't use the metric system.


12. This map shows (in blue) places where Google street view is available.


13. This map shows (in green) all the landlocked countries of the world.


14. And this is what the world would look like if all the countries with coast lines sank.


15. This is a map of the all the rivers in the United States .


16. And these are all the rivers that feed into the Mississippi River .


17. This is a map of the highest paid public employees in the United States .


18. This map shows how much space the United States would occupy on the moon.


19. This map shows the longest straight line you can sail.  It goes from Pakistan all the way to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia for a total of 20,000 miles.


20. This is a map of 19th century shipping lanes that outlines the continents.


21. This map shows (in navy blue) every country that has ever operated an aircraft carrier.


22. This map highlights the countries (in red and orange) with the most skyscrapers.


23. This map shows (in red, orange, and yellow) the world's largest donors of foreign aid with red being the biggest donor.


24. This map shows the most photographed places in the world.


25. And this map shows all the places where you can get eaten by a Great White shark!
 
dj
 

(Robert A.) HALL vs. (Inderjeet) KAUR





ORIGINALLY, I ATTRIBUTED THIS PIECE TO MR. BIILL COSBY. I WAS WRONG. HE DID NOT WRITE IT AND I APOLOGISE PROFUSELY. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CAREFUL HERE IS WHAT SNOPES SAYS ABOUT IT ALONG WITH MR. COSBY'S DENIAL.


Since August 2011 this opinion piece has been widely circulated on the Internet in a version that presents it as the work of comedian Bill Cosby. Dr. Cosby (who is actually 75 years old) had nothing to do with writing it, and his own site features a denial of any association with it:
There’s an email floating around — entitled “I’m 76 and tired” — purportedly sent by me. I did not write the email, I did not send the email, I’m not 76, and I don’t subscribe to the ugly views expressed in the email. We are coming up to an important anniversary on Sunday [the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks], which is a day when we should all come together. Whoever wrote this email is not thinking about our country, or what is important. If you get the email, it’s time to hit DELETE.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/imtired.asp#6kTQm2y1lX30c244.99
 HERE IS THE CORRECT ATTRIBUTION, AGAIN FROM SNOPES: this article...


was penned by Robert A. Hall, a former Massachusetts state senator and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is also the author of the 2005 book The Good Bits (The Marines, the Massachusetts Senate and Managing Associations). Robert Hall blogs as The Old Jarhead at tartanmarine.blogspot.com, and the piece quoted here, titled "I'm Tired," was his blog entry for 19 February 2009.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/imtired.asp#6kTQm2y1lX30c244.99

I retract the attribution to Mr. Cosby; I do, however, keep this post because what I have to say, I now have to say to Mr. Hall and those who agree with him.

"I'm 83 and Tired" 

Worth reading
This should be required reading for every man, woman and child in
Jamaica,
The UK , United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and
To all the world...
 

"I'm 83 and I'm Tired"


I'm 83
. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National
Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious
Health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly
40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my
Income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as
Though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.  
 

I'm tired
of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who
Don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take
The money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy
To earn it.      
   

I'm tired
of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I
Can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and
Daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight
Offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't
"believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning
Teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the
Genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and
Shari'a law tells them to.  
   

I'm tired
of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques
And madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand,
UK, America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to
Fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other
Arab country to teach love and tolerance..  
 

I'm tired
of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global
Warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired
of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help
Support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ
Rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses
Or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?
 

I'm tired
of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all
Parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful
Mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting
Caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.  
 

I'm really tired
of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and
Actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination
Or big-whatever for their problems.

I'm also tired
and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and
Early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making
Themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Yes, I'm damn tired.
But I'm also glad to be 83.. Because, mostly, I'm not
Going to have to see the world these people are making.I'm just sorry for
My granddaughter and her children.   Thank God I'm on the way out and not
On the way in.


There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us
Sends it on!

This is your chance to make a difference.

" I'm 83 and I'm tired.    If you don't forward this you
are part of  the problem".
 
************************************************





This is my response:

Worth Reading

 This should be required reading for every man, woman and child who read Mr Hall's presentation.


"I'm 59 and handicapped and I'm tired."

I'm 59. Except for a brief time in the 1980s, I worked all my life until my physical disabilities made that impossible. I paid my taxes without too much grumbling and didn't expect anyone to take care of me. 

 I'm tired of hearing people, young and old, complaining about giving something back to the society that enabled them to accomplish what they are doing or have done. 

I'm tired of reading those who are lumping groups of people together and labeling the individuals in those groups as bad because they have severe problems coping with life.  There but for fortune go you and I, Bud.

I'm tired of Islam being demonised because of the cultural - not Qur'anic - teachings of some adherents.

 I'm tired of those who regard non-incoming producing adults as parasites without regard to why they are not producing income or what other useful services they may be performing.  I'm tired of feeling like a parasite personally, although I know my feelings about myself are mine to handle and don't really belong in this public forum.

I'm really tired of listening to uncalled-for condemnation of people who take responsibility for their lives by attempting to change injustices in society.   I'm tired of  them being disrespected, beaten by police, pepper-sprayed in the face, and called ugly names.  I'm tired of those who ignore the facts about discrimination and act as if they rest of us should simply accept these inequities and pretend they don't exist.    

I'm tired of social Darwinism which condemns the less fit, by society's definition, to lives of unproductive despair with the only possible escapes being drugs or death.  I'm really tired of hearing those who have given up written off as subhuman.  There but for fortune...  

I'm tired of hearing older people mouthing platitudes about "What has become of the younger generation?"  Every generation has said that about the generation following since the beginning of human history.  It's both old and pointless. 


Most of all, I'm tired of Robert A. Hall ranting and raving and holding himself above everybody else.  I will, however, defend to the death his right to do so. 

Yes, I'm damned tired and really sorry I won't be around to see how our current societal problems will be coped with by the coming generations who will have the benefit of a wider vision and a better education provided by the Internet.  I see a glorious and difficult future ahead, as there has always been a glorious and difficult future ahead for our species.

Mr. Hall I disagree with your pessimistic assessment;  if you're ever in my neighborhood, please drop by and I'll teach you about something called chardi kala.

BTW,  I am not part of the problem.  I AM THE PROBLEM!  I disagree with you and I won't shut up.  Sure, I will cheerfully send your gloomy, hateful diatribe to others - along with my  much more optimistic predictions.

Send this on if you wish.  It's totally up to you.

I won't promise it'll save the world or bring you good luck or make God to smile upon you.  

I ask only that you include both presentations.  They balance each other. 

Monday, November 24, 2014

A VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING