Viral Vicissitudes

Red Letter Days: Re-Writing the Wrongs, Pedagogical Prerogatives.   JOY X 2, Uncensored: As we grew up, most of us, our parents and teachers alike tried to instill both the joy and importance of taking information in, in whatever forms -- whether it was reading in the most traditional form, having stuff read to us by parents, siblings, Alexa, observing things from up close or at a distance, or...through free play! All the ways in which we as children learned to learn, the pure joy of it. And, on the other side, put information 'out there', whether through the most traditional forms of writing, speaking, 'acting out', playfully! Questioning as well...Why, how do you know...???!!! We didn't know any better early on, before our words, thinking, while well intentioned on the part of adults, became corrected, censured, erased...redacted! All this to make us Sharpie😕, one color of which grew into the meme "dread the red"😟😠😢 On the (high)lighter side: While w...

Re:naming Mascots, Pugilistic Prerogatives. Kick-off: As the college football season officially began, it once again kicks off a great debate, one with great implications, ramifications for students and alumni alike, throughout the nation, worldwide (which is what colleges seek to create, a "world-wide alumni, a college of lifelong learning...")...a spirited debate, involving team, school spirit...which name, school mascot has the most recognition, most frequently imitated by fans, as well as which has the most intimidating effects...on the fans of the 'other'. As yet another college has found itself front and center of controversy, one which rose to the level of international intrigue (e.g., featured during the "sports" segment on "world news" of BBC), a college which only after several decades of being well served by a local creature, decided to adopt another four legged one as its official mascot...one whose permission has been a bit elusive due...

Re:payment 2.0: debt, depth, death (?)...of gratitude...(ex)claims! "I owe ya!" Two sides of the same coin...As I claimed here 48 hours ago, and do so once again, as a "friendly reminder" (as in "...your payment is a little overdue...did you overlook...please don't forget again...")...48 hours, about the amount of time, regardless of what they owed, for an "Average Joe" to get over it, as in getting over gratitude if/when something is freely given, when a debt is erased, "Wiped Out" with a stroke of a pen... "Never Enough!" A refrain heard in many households containing children, who seem ungrateful, but then, a few years later, turn it on their parents, in the context of "no matter how good I do in school..." While these may have not been the exact words I heard/read a few days ago, minutes, hours after the "SIGNING", it sure seemed like the tone, intent, by quotes, grumblings by several potential candi...

Re:Payment: "Forgive U.S. our debts"; (owe)ning up to it.  Opposing sides: Of an argument, on an issue, those that may even polarize U.S., or the two sides of borrowing, borrowers, debts, debtors...perspectives on which give us, psychologists, insights into one's persona, psyche. Money and time management, two out of the Big Three I have talked with you so much about here. Well, the combination of these just became front and center, as in one of the 'centerpieces' of the current President's campaign promises, which he is now with gusto trying to bring to fruition (great debate will be ongoing as to whether he truly has the authority), via "executive order" to wipe out billions in student debt for millions of Americans, the effects of which will likely ripple through not only current economic conversations, but for generations to come...as in "who is gonna foot the bill then...?" That's the question of the day... "Come on man, it...

Power-full Re:MINDERS Serving Me, U: Sight Lines to See Span; Voices Past, Present. Light but powerful: As on the side of the fridge, some strong magnets with reminders of important things to do, think about, letters to write, as well as some (alphabet) letters themselves, arranged out of order, but within the sight line of a grandchild, lest they escape their awareness ("out of sight..."). Within sight of the fridge, in the form of a deformed, broken remote, a 'light' reminder of an important message of what not to do, what not to break, when there's a game breaking call from an official, which can easily ruin my day (and those within hearing distance), which stays within arm's reach for whenever the results of my favorite team are not going my way, eventually replaced in good taste, humor from my family by a foam brick, much more screen (scream) friendly. All surrounded by photos on the walls of the home, visible reminders of vivid memories, tender, treasure...

Re:Fuse: The Long and Short of It; heap of trouble...words at my disposal. "They're not gonna take it"   Variation on a theme, meme we heard as long ago as 1984, a twist on "We're not Gonna to Take It" by Twisted Sister, previously known as "Silver Star" until along came a Segall named John joined up with the original lead singers, some of who took on some interesting nicknames, a few which seem a bit twisted, if you ask me; but it's all a matter of personal taste (I'll come back to this, promise). I digress, distress, in response to the refrain I heard once again from my personal project manager (i.e., wife), reminding me "It's trash day but remember, it's also a new day with new rules about what and how they'll take it, this refuse of ours...if it's not put in the right containers and at the right place, space, they have the right to refuse it..." All this, well before there was even "Recycling😕😖!" Wh...

Re: Sorting: First, Last...Ins, Outs...Yours, Mind. Forms and Functions: As in whether we are using a word, such as "sort" as a noun or verb, as in categorizing, labeling, even stereotyping (we all learn to think categorically, at an early age, according to developmental and cognitive psychologists, and then learn to stereotype via modeling...well, sorta...or even problem solving...all sorts of uses and apps here...) Or use the added dimension, as in re-sorting, now we have a whole gamut of forms, functions, conjunctions... Yours, Mine: As I myself was sorting through my thoughts which, in this context, blogging, eventuates in an attempt to peer into yours; you and what you yourself might find useful...what might evoke, (including "Revoke the Toke?", an upcoming post re:garding the bennies and perils of pot, but that can wait yet another day, as in "Yeh, mom, I'll look for a job tomorrow" from an earlier commercial invoking the "Pot Persona")...

Re-Position Yourself: "Wiggle Room!" "It's only fitting" Only fitting that following a post on this whole fit bit, and after the advent of "Escape Rooms" which are designed to challenge our mental fitness, ability to pull together as a team, during which at least one team member throws up their hands, has a hissy fit, and the more recent development, innovation, iteration of "Rage Rooms"😠😈,for many of us becoming a 'smashing success' and others simply a beginning of an avalanche of anger (studies on 'anger management' have taught us, psychologists, this about various types of outbursts, fits, when to re-lease and when to stifle...). As for the rest of us restless types, for us who don't really fit into the other categories, there is definitely a calling for a place where we can all go and simply let loose, as in "Wiggle Rooms😄!" a place where space is not an issue, a place where we can always fit in...And, aft...

  RE: Fitting: "Try this on for size" Multi-dimensional; go figure: As I was musing about the next post, which was to be a re-visiting of pot, as in 're-potting, re-plotting...' which I will re-turn to, "in due course" in order to more fully consider, following the course of what has unfolded after we, the majority of voters at least, endorsed not only medicinal but the recreational use of marijuana, as well, of course, the growing, the re-creation...as I just said, this I will cover in due course. But a slight departure, this. Prompted by, once again, the re-peating themes and memes that go along with, that 'fit' "fit", all overheard this morning while I was attempting to stay fit, working out, while also listening to "world news" and views from many angles, from some reporters and interviewees that seemed quite similar, almost mirror images, while others provoking deeper thought, given the nuances of the situation, 'mere ima...

Re-lapse: "Have you really  lost it this time?!" Re-visiting "losing it!" And other Catch Phrases. From the looks of it: Well, from where I sit, as in the driver's seat...literally -- as we were making our way to a family birthday party across town, making decent time, despite some unexpected Sunday construction project -- unexpected by us but not by Siri, who navigated us through and around it. All well and good UNTIL, like two 'bats out of hell' !! come two high performance cars speeding by us as if we were 'moving like molasses', as if we were imitating 'Sunday drivers'...and then there were three! Hopscotching through traffic, creating a hazard for all; at least they were now in front of us where we could keep an eye out, but how many more might be behind us? Which prompted a grandson in the car to exclaim "How illegal; the police should see this!" Which prompted me to muse what might have motivated such a reckless act putti...

"I re ally think he's onto something here; what this is all RE:" Re iterations: If not explicitly stated earlier yesterday morn, in the span of a half an hour: "...all eyes re main fixed on this nation, for the re sults of the election, which will likely eventuate in a re organization of the current government...whereas this other nation is trying to get others to re new their earlier agreements, assistance, aid, to help them re arm, in order to re pel the invaders...at the same time, out of re spect, some fallen soldiers are being re patriated...and (during the same newscast, if not at "the same time")...the re presentative of this (as in OUR) nation re fused to acknowledge re gret for earlier re marks, castigations on that nation to which he is now re turning, in a (tacit) attempt to get them to re allocate some of their precious re sources..."        Then it was at least implied (that is, "an action of re peating something, typically for emphas...

If I've been Re:Miss-ed...nothing personal... Wanna bet?! If you've been subjected to "...a lack of care or attention to duty...neglect..." my guess is that it's going to have a degree of psychological impact; you might even take it as a 'personal affront' "--...an act or lack thereof that contains a deliberate display of disrespect...an intentional slight...one that might even cause offense, even outrage...as in SCANDALOUS!" Such as failing to notice or act on a gesture made by another, an accomplishment, or even neglecting something as 'benign' (to be clarified, qualified in a bit, I won't forget) as forgetting, neglecting to respond to a request to "RSVP"...OR, RSVPing and then failing to show, where you become 'conspicuous by your absence' (sometimes you hope your absence is not noticed, whereas others..."you weren't missed" could itself be an affront, personally injurious... Meaning-full, Notice-ab...

Re:Min-missing: "Now that's  not something you see every day...look who's talking now !" "My, how times have..." "Or is it just me?" ..."every time I turn around I notice something old, something new...It's so bizarre𝅘𝅥𝅮... "I'm just sayin'..." As in "people are talking..." As in...on the porch...literally... "A throwback to earlier times..."         All this, prompted by seeing a few folks talking on their cell phones, from their front porch, within enough range from their WiFi, close enough to sustain a connection, with who knows who...which brought to my own mind...you would have never seen this when and where I grew up...what, with our one phone in the kitchen connected to the wall, connected with a chord which, by the time I got to high school, had grown to the point we could stretch it some, to get behind a door, even into an adjacent room...but those overhearing could still tell, even with hushed...

RE:Order-ing; about time, over-due... Running Low? Well, then it's probably 'high time' (the appropriate, or even past) to order again, on your favorite site...perhaps nudged, prompted by your favorite voice over, producing an "Echo" effect, from A to Z, as in "Alexa" around here, "Ziggy" over there ("Ziggy" being the fifth wake word option on Echo devices, launched in the UK). Admittedly, I/we have become dependent on these devices, websites, Robo voices, well before the word "pandemic" made them "part and parcel" (basic and necessary; can't be avoided). Even our parents and grandparents found themselves, from time-to-time, having to order, re-order, "re-subscribe" -- as in the daily, weekly paper, that used to, of course, like milk, bread, come via "home delivery" (yep, even back then prior to all the re-envisioned current delivery options, which seem to lack the personal connection our pa...

RE:Doubts: Raising, lowering, through the years... Proposing, Opposing: Whenever you or I raise doubts when a proposal is being made (initially to us by our parents, then peers, then...?), as in when you first heard about the good side of "the devil" after earlier being cautioned "the devil will find work for idle hands and minds...😕😟", how someone playing "devil's advocate" ..."for the sake of debate...", even in a quest to find "the devil in the details", especially before signing on the dotted line, making an investment. That is, being a bit "dubious" as part of a process of "due diligence", especially in assessing the true value of something before sinking your life savings (or that from the US Treasury, which almost seems opposite, opposed by the recently overheard "Pass this bill and then we'll find out what's in it...")...AKA the "requisite effort", a term calling on us and on...

RE: Serve, Reserve, Re-Serve: Worthy of Our Time, Money, Consideration... Versionary: While all 3 have been part of all of our daily lives all along, different versions serving us and those around us in different ways at various points and stages, whether initially taught, then modeled, then acted out (in meme from medical schools includes "watch one, do one, teach one"), the similarities and differences between the various dimensions and iterations of serving , let alone when preceded by Re:/re, can become blurred, misunderstood, misinterpreted, let alone misapplied...which doesn't serve any of us well. So, here I am, in your service once again as your faithful blogger, in an attempt in this space and time that is reserved for such purpose, to provide a modicum of clarity and may even provoke you to either... Hold Back: "Hold in reserve"...whether money, time, or energy you may eventually need, preserving them for a later purpose, unanticipated but planned for ...