Viral Vicissitudes

Potluck of today (brought to you by your neighborhood smoke outlet) Which used to consist of… “bring a pot, a main dish, or desert to pass, and we’ll pass the time via idle gossip…” The new consistency… “plenty of pot to pass around and hashish to help us hash tag keep it on idle…” Lots of luck… finding work, under such conditions, of the “no compete pause#”😎 “My ass is grass!”😫 should come of no surprise, given the mass consumption… If you still have the appetite… “Poly want a crackup?” coming soon, once the smoke clears…(fair warning: "it's a gamble") 

History in the making "They said it couldn't be done..." A typical introduction readying you for something in the making, such as breaking a record, rather than one that just sounds like a broken one. An actual speech from an actual King (formerly known as "Prince"😎) - which managed to bring not only both parties, but two houses of Congress, to their feet. Which managed to reach not only across the aisle but the entire expanse of what we fondly call "the pond" and address our differences (that he blithely referred to as "language barriers", a subtle reference to how our leader "obliterates" the Queen's English in understated Brit humor) and our common ground that, while we, here claimed our independence (the cause for the biggest round, of applause), almost 250 years ago, we "share an unbreakable bond of heritage and history" (the latter remark made a bit later, at the steak (?) dinner). Spanning many significant land...

Serve us stations, down graded  “Fill ‘er up…with premium grade…” Followed, almost always, it seemed, by “Charlie” It was as if every service station attendant who, in our locale, doubled as owner, with not only his name tag but signage over the cash register proudly announcing this. Given the frequency with which our dad got his car refueled here, it got abbreviated to “Chuck” Who, after filling the tank and cleaning the windows (with some type of magical liquid that never left streaks) paid our parent the courtesy “check under the hood for you today, to see if you’re down a quart?” And, of course accompanied by the subtle kick, of the tires (which we thought as youngsters was just for good luck, but turned out to be more functional, as in checking for leaks…speaking of, “if you need to, it’s right around the back”) Chuck, of course, is long gone, only to be replaced by “Bud” (same name I hear for every other male in my waiting room) - not the given name of the attendant (as there...

Smashing success ! Lessons in Obliteration. "They said it couldn't be (und)done..." Whereas one came in a whole half minute below two hours, smashing the previous records and his own humble prediction...the other usually, almost always runs over two hours....on purpose. While one simply laces up, his shoes and goes out to, according to eyewitnesses, "sprint to the finish", the other's is laced, with profanity, and usually slows down the farther he runs on... And, one more study in contrasts, while one had a few pacemakers drop off, after doing their jobs, the one on this side of the pond, had many adjusting theirs, at home. Both called marathoners, record breakers in their own right, the one, according to one veteran sports reporter "obliterated" the previous record, while the other self-promoter "obliterated!" the Queen’s English, in record fashion… Flipping the script … aka cultural shift. Where one did it at home and the other went to ...

Daly double  - "Three Sheetz to the wind" Drive ins, on the outs... used to be that in order to eat out, of your car, you placed the order from within your auto and within just a few minutes...out comes a platter of food, which was, in some cases of "drive ins" sped up a bit, if they (the food servers) brought it on rollers...as in skates. This was well before the drive by windows that you and your car have to drive up to, to be handed your food (talk about im-personal). Back, where you were either politely asked or gestured by their free hand, motion, to roll down your window, but just halfway. This, in order to hold up, your order. After which (usually she) put her tray down and converted your cash into change...at which time, if it was on or near payday, it was super cool to hear our dad "keep the change"😉 Sound complicated? Well, it's what we boomers call "living in simpler times" And speaking of change, man, how things have...as in one ...

Swing, swat..."she loves me..." Call me sentimental... and I'll show you the fundamentals...of what's called a swing pattern...a matter of physics...embedded in the American past time....which long ago, in simpler times prior to bumper music that, along with the jumbotron brings you so many "in real time" personal stats on each batter...lazily making their way from the on-deck circle...which, if you're watching the televised version, given the right screaming service. features an ad-on logo in the corner ("this on deck moment brought to you buy..."). The moment finally arrives for the elongated, slowing down an already... Pace of play rules... which came to the MLB some years back during the off season, when the rule makers try to busy themselves, until the next pre-season in sunny wherever... now partially represented by some rules allowing a bit of ump discretion, if a batter is deemed to encumber, via "prolonged warm-ups (isn't that...

How to win, without spin... fan dumb They (pitchers) call it a knuckler... we, who wait on it, a matter of great frustration...the batter, catcher, ump, and company.   Then there's the sliders... not talking about the ones where you get your pants dirty, nor the mini burgers you can pop up, in your mouth. The fast ball, of course... has only gotten faster, to the point of what us strike out kings, call terminal velocity.  The curve balls... now have more curves than (have to say it, as we are in polite company) the Mississippi. The biggest change, up... comes in the form of what's termed in pitch-out lingo "circle change" which, according to young pitching coaches (well, they might not look young, but they're teaching kids) like, to at least delay them, from throwing their arm out, of the socket (if you see the grip you'll see why it could result in a delay, of game as well). Collectively called a "pitcher's arsenal" along, of course, with what...

Pirates, in search of a porch... A rising tide... of Tide, as well as every other brand, of detergent Can't see the forest... due to all the potted plants...what's called a garden variety Isles and isles, of textiles... from tops to bottomless pits Veranda rites... used to consist of sipping lemonade on the porch, but now it's a bit crowded. In the words of George Carlin, if you want more stuff, going to need a vaster veranda  A driving force... which due to the rising demands, includes planes, trains, automobiles...even drones with phones "Ahoy there!"  "Shiver me timbers!" a popular pirate phrase, the origins of which trace back to the sounds of wooden ship frames "shivering" under the force of storm...which translates quite nicely into floor boards creaking, under the weight Treasure hunt... which starts, more often, late at night, on QVC, sending you on the hunt, for that one thing that you've been missing out on and didn’t even know it...

"The truth will set you..." Fed up ? With your news feed, with all those playing loose, with the truth? And the ones that launch a smear campaign on social media? Well, I'm here to tell you..."I've never been a big...only think on occasion, which makes me, at least on Truth Social, a social thinker"    The hole... truth, along with what my lawyers have taught me are a few technicalities: "I'll give you it to you straight -- the Straits are now open...if you mean open fire!"  Next install-meant: the genuine article (if you're truly a truth seeker...)

Everything seems to ring (familiar) with Ding! Buzz in... is more like it. As in first our home town, which spread to the metro area, and then east to NJ, his new place, of residence. With JD being not only his initials, but the next degree he seeks. When not preoccupied with cross training, that is. As in crossing categories on Jeopardy, without, even when under the bright stage lights, breaking a sweat. Another night, another win, and we at home, break into...applause!  Hometown hero… not so much because he managed to take his previous Quiz Bowl Championship to another level, not because he outran the curriculum and graduated early, but more so in view of the fact that, due to his humility, even his own parents didn’t detect…”We knew he was smart but…” A narrow category these days. So, we here all cheer “Bring it home Jamie!” (to 48236, just in case you’ve forgotten your zip code among so much stored up knowledge) 

Health care prose, formulaic language - insurance and assurances “complete these…” “forming a new health care alliance…” “the line forms…” These and so many more…that collectively represent our prior experience ("conditions") with such orgs that seem to prioritize “form over function” (which is ostensibly to serve us) But here comes… "This is to in-form you..." Why, the medication that you formerly took, has been, itself been taken...off, no longer included..."on our list of covered drugs (called our formulary)...or is included on the formulary but subject to certain limits..." Me, being previously uniformed turned to where else… Glossary of terms... the word forms of which, only managed to gloss over, the true meaning...through what's termed automatic speech, or embolalia: "the insertion of meaningless sounds or words into speech..." And I thought that HR speak was full of them... Return to form... or, frequently appearing on paperless forms...

🎼Science Fair, the musical… My take… on this room full of talent, representing the full range…of scientific inquiry…from trials in vials, on to genetic expressions...of fruit flies, of all things (that our fam favorite, aka our graduating grandson,  tells us we share about 60% 😲) with the accompaniment, of course, by three people of particular interest— blamely, the judges, who stood out from the onlookers and other inquisitors, not only being stiff as a bored, but carrying clip boards...😓 Culture wars... the only one they're preoccupied with, is the ones grown in the lab, which are grown in what  -- to be fully transparent here, looks a lot like that which was earlier developed by Robert Koch, but modified enough to name it a Petri dish...a fundamental tool in what those in the know simply refer to as "micro" - which only makes sense, since students who study cellular...biology, spend so much time bent over...a microscope (a remarkable finding in and of itself, for th...

A few choice words, word choice I mean, if you have to pick and choose… between word salad and meat tenderizer…may as well economize, get right to the heart of the matter… Citing chapter and verse… comes across as terse, remarks - “pope on a rope” as a “get right to the point, why pussy foot around…?!” Mimicking Muhammad…Ali, his famous “rope a dope” strategy of tiring out your opponents with rhetoric and rant, until you simply punch their lights out..."is he even Catholic?!"   Slip, of the tongue... the only thing that would explain it, as he's never been characterized as being much of a drinker, this president that makes so many slurs in his speech.  Speech-less...  "If you can't say something nice...never been one to stick to the script"  (Post Script: "did I tell you, I love the pope and the papal palace...going to offer them a deal…”) 

All systems go-eth - career launches Systems engineering - so you want to become part of something bigger than you, what you as an adolescent complained so much about -- 'the system'. You're actually going to embark on some advanced studies and in turn, systematically analyze, design, and build even better ones, that could land you in many different industries, such as manufacturing and aerospace. But, you ask, what happens when such a simple system as indoor plumbing is outrun by the human body system broken down to #1 or #2…now THAT could land you in hot water…”all aboard!”

Bridges out, waters in - “Fix the dam dams!” The newest political war cry - in our great lake state, where the “fix the dam roads!” our guv.org rode as part of her campaign to head of state, are underwater, and one lake is attempting to run into another... "Waffling?!" So, it might appear to the untrained eye, unless you have a degree in political science. Where you learn the art of shifting positions in response to a change in conditions. Even if it means evacuating... “Run for higher…” office, where the grade is rated as below sea level and otherwise downgraded as swamp land…(sign on office door says she’s on a book tour, which we think is all wet)... “Dammit all!” Strategically stated, as a way to broaden your political base… Lots of states have wacky weather but ours is also known for polar opposites...where, despite the job(less) numbers and the students' readership being one of the lowest in the nation, her own numbers are up. Talk about weird science. 

Pretty, as a portrait - poster bored assignment "OK, class..." your assignment, the day you all marked on your calendars, as "the tax man cometh"...get out your piece of poster bored you were told well, in advance would be needed, and gather all your Crayola's you have scattered through your house...and using all your imaginative powers (can't take those away, Ai, at least not nyet) and create what's called an artist's rendering, which features those most prominent in your mind, to characterize the buy in line..."render under Caesar..." But if you want full credit, don't just include the obvious...hands out...voracious appetite...lined pockets...got to go above and beyond (dig deeper is more like it) ...taxing ain't it?   

Cable costs “It was worth every penny…” Glad you spared no expense…the best cable money could buy…given all the cost overruns, sure glad they didn’t cut here…and thanks to the local carrier, we didn’t travel far for a strong signal…the shortest part of the trip was the wildest and the stage I had been waiting for…being pulled into the copter by cable - it’s all part of space travel 🙃 Next up... for grabs, in this miniseries on space travel - "It all add up to..."

Where It all began… “It will take its toll…” A worn out phrase referring to situations, that will wear you right out…over time… Industrious R Us… inventions to replace the conventions, that we found boring, lacking in purpose… Wish fulfillment… “wish I could free up some time, to pursue…”  In hot pursuit… “according to our automated system you owe…in unpaid tolls…” 

Every body loves a parade…right? May-be, depending on the conditions and point of view… Parade route... first off, I wouldn't say winning by six can be considered a route...especially given they were favored by a 6.5 margin...so I guess you'd have to term it a marginal win... Taking the lead... a term we heard whenever this team on a few occasions, found itself just a few points in the rear, whereas this team of cheerleaders are strategically placed to remind the crowd as well as the players (some of them new to us), “It’s great to be. a Michigan wolverine” (good luck finding one outside of Ann Arbor) Buy standers… the ones that purchase tickets to be positioned…”just so” This is where the "viewing stand" comes into view - as those who pay the most can stay seated, while enjoying the view of those who strike a pose, in front of them (it's as if the posers have been prompted, prior to the parade “give them their money’s worth, a title wave”)... A three hour tour......

“Splash down" ratings... "Houston...  looks as if we have a problem...the seas seem a bit too calm... isn't the goal here, if we're going to get the highest score, from the highest dive ever know, to make the least splash possible?" Oh, if you didn't look close enough, it was easily missed. Such a smooth landing...so much so that the judges rated it perfect, across all those in attendance on the John P. Murtha (LPD 26 for you Navy geeks), as well as those  viewing it from 1300 miles away in Mission Control --  "Welcome aboard!"    

Ai finders "Oh, the places you may go..." And the people you might (not ) see...at least not recognize. Where this whole thing, may take us, if we take it too far. Siriusly… “Ur in a heap…” of ruins. Told you that if you went back in time far enough, as in the Book of Joshua, you'd find evidence in the form of ruins... "And so it goes..." that according to the biblical account..."the men of Ai, thinking they will have another easy victory..." was far from being certain. Perhaps there's still hope... "Only time...Tell" coincidence or providential, that the Ai's ruins are commonly thought to be in the modern-day archeological site of Et-Tell...in the West Bank of a place that came to be called Palestine. See how far we've come? (and how far we have left to go, in making peace, with it?) 

how “Dear John” got "Hi Jacked" Omni-present - From “Jumping Jack Flash” which was no doubt played by the acclaimed DJ “Wolfman Jack…” and which became a political war cry “You’re no Jack…” So many references it’s forced our hand, to always keep an eye open, for Jack…see where I’m coming from? Well dear John did finally get his day as in becoming almost as appreciated as the one that replaced him. I mean, when was the last time you overheard someone coming into a restaurant asking, “Where is your Jack at, I really gotta go…” Get my downward drift...  John is to Jack, as Jane is to Jill... all downhill from here.

House broken 2.0 Let alone... All those security measures... Remote controls... that allow us to once again, to monitor things around the house, now that more of us called back, to the brick and mortar walled in office (or whatever cubicles are made of these days) Pet Smart … that will take a bite out of your household budget …ouch, that smarts!  We’re talking homeland security that absorb most of our other securities, landing us...elsewhere (you'd think we have enough to worry about around home, before tinkering in the affairs of others)

Space Savors and Favors: "the more things change...." They (the stats) say... that aerospace engineering and the associated Space force continues, despite the gradual increase in females into the designing and building of spacecrafts, and those now donning (going to have to come up with a gender neutral name) a spacesuit, to be a male dominated profession. Once they (the female fellow travelers) are welcome aboard, however, the whole direction of space travel takes a different trajectory. Just a few examples to show you, the earthbound, that they continue to be a force of nature, are the following outtakes from the most recent mission..."Lost in space...?! didn't I tell you to stop for directions, now we're a few light years off our schedule...and for the last time, can you please put the seat down?!" So much for the male dominant gene.

Working stiffs  At least we’re feeling it… stiffed. that is. Being called back, punching in, after being allowed all the flexibility of working from whatever remote location, even on vacation… well,  time to do some reps and rotations…even take what’s called a circuitous route, to work. Oh well, if you have to go back to the mundane work station, you can at least vary your routine, especially as in a change, in altitude... Modern in-conveniences... you think you got it bad…how would you feel, after enduring a ten-day commute, wearing the same suit, without dependable indoor plumbing, only to encounter “No public restroom”. A close number two - believing you are the first to arrive, only to find “Occupied” on the door. “Moon You!”  (“Lost in Space” and other signs that the more things change…next exit) 

This space, left intentionally...empty. Everyone was encountered such times... that they either came unprepared (e.g., no dish to pass) or came with their arms full, went home empty handed, having gained nothing. But then there came such a time that coming upon an empty tomb, was a reminder of the Word fulfilled.  Happy Easter

Property rites, watered down version  From the ground up... look at them from our point of view, for once -- that of the grounds and their  keepers. Looking through the looking glass... can't see the forest, for the mass, of grass, or whatever they're calling "Mary Jane" this time around. It's pretty much taken over what used to be considered sacred ground. But what the new land developers saw as "such a waste" Blood shot eyes... given all the blood, shed on my soil.  Going under... ground, to dig up all the land mines left behind. Boots, on the ground... which only makes sense, since all the tires are on the road. Ground troops... TG, they've finally come, to till the soil, so I can turn over, a new leaf. Stomp removal... wouldn't that be a welcome procedure, given all the stomping grounds, going on... Ground cover... just when I was going to get a drink Lots to think about, next time you complain about your rights getting trampled on.   

An Ode to Code breakers…  “ Braker, braker…”  "Those who break, have to pay for them…” It's code for unemployment compensation. Code of silence... the few exceptions that go the full sentence, without being broken. Launch free zone… used to be that those who learned to write code were guaranteed at least a strong career launch, the ongoing trajectory was then up to author…but ever since this Ai guy showed up in our launch room, it’s as if the rest of us have been left out in the code. Self-writing... this is where Ai hasn't quite got it right yet, as in homophonously... where two words, sounding the same, can have, at least slight variations, in their impact ..."a self righting rocking ship is one that relies on a balance between buoyancy and gravity"...whereas in current coder lingo, one that writes itself is what other human coders would like to deep six. (whereas "heave to" is another navigational code that refers to slowing a vessel's forward pr...

The updated Countdown routine: ”T minus equals…”   Preflight checks… "whose got the check book, could take a while to reconcile, if Congress is any example..." Rebegin launch sequence... "ten, nine...stop, time out...this one called by the media, which is the newest form of buying time...does anyone in this capsule have to go pee?"  Final countdown...  "major eruption, of applause, as it got off, just before it got eclipsed, by the King's speech...no interrupting this guy once he gets started" 

“Only Fools Russian…”    “ Sheer Lunacy!” as in trying the same thing over and over again…getting men and a woman in a confined space…as well as those from different cultures…NOW we're talking a supercollider again... "It's a hoax!" more like a practical joke, they are trying to play on us, sending this daughter of Zeus, sister of Apollo (aka Artemis), up into space...next thing you know they'll try to get us to believe our entire world is based on the moon phases. Must take me, for a fool... "Sputtering Sputnik!" the newest minced oath, to mark the day, we got behind in the space race. No joke, as it became something Sirius.  4-1 for all, the fools out there.