Viral Vicissitudes

Us Versus Them: Once and for All, It's "Official"  Con-cluding Remarks: As in the cons on the pros, on the eve of a new year and lots more bowl games...after we around here just witnessed yet another Bull! of our own...you'd think we'd be used to it by now. On how, even after lots and lots of ..."further review"... "False reporting"  That yet another pivotal call cost our team the game. A crucial call at one of the most critical junctures...it's as if they them-selves were guilty of falsifying theirs, after the fact...(press release:  "League officials double down...") you'd think we'd be used to this by now, after prior experiences...too many to count that ended up counting us out, of the play-off picture in pastimes -- not quite this time -- but did manage to "add insult to injury" as the saying goes... "Wasn't in the stars": After looking at this video replay from every angle possible, including ...

Cleaning House, Fan-dumb rules... Part 1: from the Rules Committee (the ones who have been meeting, outside our awareness, in the so-called "'off season", in a secret location, so as to avoid any "undo controversy")  Rules in Revue:  may as well review the few remaining rules and those that may have been changed up, since you last started, then got distracted from following through on this perennial favorite past-time...when you lost your so-called "firm resolve" to either firm up (see "mere images" from 12/28, if you need to get re-motivated)...or clean-up, around this place..."before you bring, track in any new 💩, can you at least wipe your feet...?" Covers a lot of ground already, on behalf of those already inhabiting, and those who might, on occasions of obligation, come into our homes from places far and wide (from, as in reverse order, "from over the river, through the woods, across the tracks....")  First rule: Whe...

Self-Reflections and Mere Images of our-Selves: A 2-fer, Onesie - vowing, resolving B4, after... Auld Times Sake: As we usher one out, greet the new...as in year's end and kinfolks (who have left you a bit "Kranky")...Clear out, would ya....PLEASE?! As we take just a few minutes out of other-wise hectic daze, the ones we entertained at least thoughts of spending time, showing consideration -- 'related' concepts that seem oddly out of place when entertaining some distantly related people, that you have been taught are part of your obligations...at least once per year... Left Alone: As in alone, with my thoughts, as in "all by my lone-sum" -- a place and time a lot of us deep thinkers long for, when all those "busy bodies" have crowded, after we "welcomed!" (note small W) into our homes...only a mere sampling of the types of things that occupy my mind, when I am left with-out "my own devices"...that over the years have bugged ...

 Post Christmas post - Merri-meant went, gone on Recess. So sad, too bad : That is, If you came here looking for merri-meant, as where Recess! went, playgrounds grounded, I will circle back to you, just like a merry-go-round operates, in a roundabout manner (they're on the increase a-round these parts)...But only after the current school recess! is called off, and school is back, what the educators, legis-laters call, "in session". For who really wants to entertain the thought of going back, let alone visiting the "Office of the Principal" -- where you found me the last few posts, a desti-nation I my-self am entertaining thoughts of, "getting back" after he tried, tired of putting me on the "straight and narrow" path-way (while I was at least figuratively running circles around him, in his very own office😆😅!)...But for now, let's just enjoy posting, hosting, everything holiday-ish...as in tying up a few loose ends, after untying bow aft...

Clerks of Convenience - You just never know... It's inevitable: That, sooner or later, we all find our-selves in their presence, perhaps even seeking a last minute one of our own, or a few small items, "no matter the price" to fill, stuff! a stocking, or two. More likely the result of an over-sight, as in "batteries not included". Or even a host/hostess gift, accompanied by a "message...in a bottle". No matter the cause, by the time you have come to this point, of reading this post, the time of day or night, the reason or season, it's a matter of (in)convenience that these so-called clerks, are always there for us... It's understandable: That we, my-self (elf) first and fore-most, partially through their own conditioning, take them for granted. After the initial branding of "we open when other stores close...their doors" on to 24/7, 365+ (accounting for the extra few minutes that add up to leap year every four years). And due in part ...

Be-hind, closed doors: Overheard, under-played - Private Pupil Pronounce-meants "Not just" As in what the (Un)principled One meant,  though not exactly what he said..."Open your eyes and ears, son...these are words of wiz-dumb, from one who is more experienced...in the arts and sciences of the "push and shove" of what goes on, out there, in the hall-ways...I have eyes and ears in your classroom, even on the play-ground...which is what landed US here, getting Recess! revoked...sans sands...While these words are for your ears only you can feel free to share them... The word got out, all right... "The door's wide open" While he said it as a more global opportunity, it sure seemed other-wise as he pointed to it...the door that was just a bit ajar...enough for the words to leak out, get picked up by what we used to call the PA: "...and hear this, son...." I already knew, from what history teachers tell U.S. is the value from "prior expe...

Primary Principles at Play, on the Play-ground: Play-lists and such.  Those of a Psychological Nature: As to how, why we choose to play with various toys, spend more time hanging around the swings and slides as opposed to where people choose up sides, face, oppose each other...advanced forms of "TAG, you're it!" Replaced, of course, by a so-called more "socialized form" which will not only avoid contact but that of hurting...another's feelings -- odd that while we are now, so touchy, feely, "It's" no longer allowed -- on school grounds, at least. Critical principles to be covered, at least scratching the surface in this brief time, limited space we have together, now that recess! has been reduced to what's now known to these gens as a "sound byte" and the play-ground has been shrunken (shrank?) to what used to be called a "postage stamp" which in turn has been replaced by UPS, Amazon, FED..."X". All in the name...

The long walk back; re-tracing my (miss) steps, what landed me there... "Regret-able"  Was the last word I heard, upon departure, when he was finally "done!" with me...which was preceded by lots of similar impressions he tried to impress upon me, get me to commit to memory..."You better have a long talk with your Self as to what you want for a future...put your Self back on the straight and narrow path...to success...all you've managed to do is get your Self in deeper and deeper, and risking what They, all those that preceded me in this office, by the notes left behind, from previous encounters with you, in this very office...inform me you have... had , so much potential...so much for that ...They obviously got you all wrong...too bad, so sad..." "Right!" Is what I told my Self (in a voice, tone that was just about as in-sincere as he delivered it). As I strolled the well-worn pathway, the beginning of his so-called straight and narrow; I had...

 Post Scripting Q: Where and when do you come up with all this 'crappy' material, that you never seem to run out of? A: Occasionally, in the middle of the night, in state of urgency. The rest just comes naturally, I guess... 

A-Musing Me-anderings: daily grind, mind games... Primary, secondary affects - life in the waiting room... Prior to (re)entering: The principal's office, where else would I spend so much time waiting...after being told, "Make your-self at home, you're gonna' be here a while...enough time to contemplate your future, your fate, for what you have, have not done, what landed you here...once AGAIN!" Bracing My-Self: If it worked for Ernest Brace -- who detailed the coping strategies he utilized while in eight years of captivity during the Vietnam War (eventually finding himself in the same cell as future Senator John McCain), which included working out complicated math equations and replaying movies...all in his head, given the extremely limited space and unpredictable amount of time -- then maybe, just maybe, I could borrow from these heroic examples, while I was... "Cooling My Jets..." Possessive form of "Cool your jets, son...you're not going anyw...

Peril-Us Play-Ground Princ-appalled Positions: Potential In, Out-Comes  Part One: The In's and Out's...the build-up to what's (not) to come. Feel, sound familiar all-ready? "You're Out, I mean In!" As in a time and place, if We acted out, mis-calculated, other-wise mis-read the room: "Perhaps, mister, if you had read your audience better, this whole act would not go over well...maybe, just maybe, it might bring down the house (built on sand, I might add) in front of your playground pals...whereas here and now..." Star-Dumb: When your stars are not quite aligned...as in a mirky matrix...the kinds we were introduced to "basic algebra, re-introduced in "stats" -- which actually, finally, came in handy at the doctoral "defense!" level of analysis...of just two variables...such as "Let me see...right time, wrong place...wrong place but timing OK..." After ruling out those "parameters" arriving at my most famili...

States of (what really)  Matters: Primer in Playground Physics, Pressurized Pupils.  Lessons Learned: Before we were allowed to even get a glimpse of the B's and the B's, the "good stuff" that the students of the "upper" grades conveyed to us via passing notes in the hallway, during what was, still, in some locales, referred to as "passing time" -- which became a strong ingredient of the recess! rumor mill, what we would be eventually be exposed to..."parts unknown to us" -- those that we would be informed of, "in due course". It's like They thought They all-ways knew what was best for Us...always imparting knowledge about our various body parts, functions... In's and Out's, Ups and Downs: Before We were allowed to experience various functions, what we eventually learned as "functionality" we had to hear it over and over...in forms of lectures. This, prior to practical playground applications. That is, as i...

P.S. (Public Service) - Be on the lookout for Humbugs. Saint-sational!   Easily missed, other-wise dismissed as things that might, in another place and time be considered as less under-whelming. And those that, while all our senses are inundated, to such a degree that some among us, will report "duress!"  Feeling a bit de-Santa-tized. As in "enough already, can't we just get this over with...I miss Halloween, as there were just so few expectations..." Well, as the old saying goes, "there's no time like the presents, eh?" And, of course, all the little ones will be on the look-out for the "one and only" versus all those "department store...storefront...window dressing-up types" The ones that, despite what their older sibs told them, an attempt to play spoiler (alert!) -- still found it worth their while to stand in line, wait (im)patiently, to sit on the lap of...a "jolly, old..." P.C. : Whereas, at other times and plac...

Playground Planners: PR vs. PR...fight to the finish! Inside and out: Where the respective parties are meeting, planning, strategizing -- in a (vain) attempt to hold on to some ground and play-things THEY don't even use them-selves, on the one hand, while We, under-sized but out-numbering Them, are trying to regain lost ground. What was once ours, rightfully, ruefully (what better word to sum up "act of regret tinged with a sense of humor...so sorry"?)  yanked away...while we weren't even looking, not anywhere near the premises -- a decision made at the school bored level (Coke conspirators) while most of Us were in a deep slumber, vulnerable, unexpectant (talk about a rude awakening!). We, the so-called "stake-holders" are both, in our own way, prepping to meet out there, where long last..."we'll settle this once and for all!" (a traditional Recess! battle cry). Them, represented by going around the neighborhood, accompanied by an email blast,...

Pre, Post Playground Post: "Operation PP" Pre-conditions: Those of a meteorological, ecological, political, psychological, and even meta-physical nature, in these daze of days, that for US, had to be just right before..."going, dashing, rushing, running out to play...out there...slow down mister...no running in the hallway...did you finish your homework, let alone your chores that have been left undone after several reminders...until I finally yelled and screamed..." Yes, before WE, the ones that have been held at bay, weigh too many times, left us standing, staring, longing to go out...the door -- the only thing standing between US and the playground. And when the door finally swings open, when conditions have finally, as in "You can thank your lucky stars this time, son..." WE can't be faulted for being tempted to launch our-Selves...Which, of course, historically, even under the best of circumstances, along with good intentions, can lead to a few......

Poignant Pointing Prohibited..."Strictly enforced -- children, no longer play here" Posted: "Recess! as you've known it, is toasted" While it's not what the sign actually says, strictly speaking, it's the cumulative  affects  of what the actions and collective efforts of all THOSE that have been, along the way, ostensibly...in the spirit of looking out for US school age children -- the ones that OUR fore-father, W.T. Harris, had envisioned, declared as part of OUR independence "...complete suspension of tension brought on by academics". Which came with certain rights and provisions. Or so it seemed. That is, when Recess! was actually experienced as a time of Rest and Recreation...slowly but surely came to include a whole list of Rules & Regs...the required recitation of which would easily consume such a limited period of time allotted... "What's the Point?!" What exactly was THEIR intention when THEY began to first abridge  ou...

Talk about Peed Off: Pillar to Post, Insult to Injurious Renditions of Recess! Recessed indentations: In the shape of foot-prints in the sand...that led US to some other sur-real reflections of just what might have transpired here, how this sacred ground came to be, and where it went.... Stone Age: As in how these stories about sacred-ness almost always begin..."A long, long time ago, in a land (not so) far away, in the land and age of sticks and stones...can..." One that might be within a stone's throw but, at the same time...off the beaten path...a road less traveled...one that took George S. Patton...all the way back to "The battle of Carthage!" (one of the many favorite parts of the eponymous movie, which was not yet available when WE back then had what was called an "audio-visual department") A battle to the end, that would only be rivaled by some in our own imaginations, when we acted them out here, on our own so-called "sacred" (play)g...