Viral Vicissitudes

I am writing this post-card ("winners and losers") To ensure you... That, putting aside my previous posts... which, despite only being put up after a lot of sweat equity, that included such 'buy-in' lines, occurring within a few days of each other -  "You're grounded!" which followed one of the all-time greats "What we've got here is failure to communicate" (which understandably, given the sloppy, disc era, could get dubbed, abbreviated "major communication failure")... I am neither, nor... As in neither do I claim to be a sage, nor do I belong to a private equity fund that staged this mess... It's only a co-incidence... That you found me, when the rest of the losers were milling around, waiting for the so-called "first flight out" - - I just happened to be in line at the poly-market counter, counting my winnings. 😁

I spy…  A new sect of Branch Nvidians A whole infestation...  I mean…whose great IKEA was this…to go out, and pay good money, just to bring a bunch of Chinese made things, that sit and stare at you…?! Bet you never thought twice. And aren’t you even  the least  bit curious, as to what the hell…is going on inside that Curio cabinet you assembled? Which now includes even the “finest China” money can (pay off)…?! It’s a little bit late… for explaining, as the injured party would reply. I mean what did you expect Lori to say, “Welcome to the family Alice” just because she shares the last name ? His claim of "No relations!"  takes us straight back to the Clinton era… A slightly used deck of cards… as in what a Sharpie can accomplish…as in just cross out and replace with... and voila! From CEO to C Oh Oh! Saving the best, for last... as in when I disciplined myself to hold off, until I at least read a few articles, prior to going to the SUPER sleuth section, as in Spy...

"Posted: NO HUNTING!" An Iconic irony post We're talking... about him running out of appeals, as he's pretty much lost his appeal, and just basically running up to anyone who will listen, to..."take this target off my back" This after targeting people, countries, or even things, such as almost as he entered the department, he saw fit to rename it..."This means War!" Wanted to, after so many others before him successfully represented the countries' interests, as in "defending" wanted to make sure..."I mean business!" Which, if anyone listened in, to his most recent press conference, basically comes down to looking out...for his own best interests. While he very well may make it through the first round of impeachment hearings, as they say in military-cum-politics lingo..."it's just the opening salvo"... A near miss … as in a shot over the bow, just enough to give him that wet look. Or is that greasy kid stuff we ...

Vet’s Day and its sub-plots For every skeptic…   “What kind of country has to remind its citizens, by setting aside special…save the date…days…I mean if it’s that important…why are they invisible on most other days…I can’t get behind such a concept…I’m like…so over it!" There’s an antiseptic… Which came to me in the form of…while I’ve never walked the beaches of Normandy, nor the battlefields of Gettysburg…didn’t quite make it to Arlington after visiting several memorials… my eyes were suddenly forced wide open when, after accepting an invite to tour a local graveyard, that was practically in my own backyard (given it was less than 30” away), thanks to a retired teacher that continues to teach, on the history…that took the form of a plot within a plot - - a section in the cemetery set aside for the civil war veterans, all marked with similar stones, as a way showing how they were united in purpose, gave up their lives to keep US that way…which I viewed with a combination of am...

  A Full House A house, full of homespun remedies… ranging from the good old “redrain the swamp…rid of the whole lot of them.. “ to a more antiseptic approach…"let's clean house..."  Housewarming gifts... that, instead of coming empty handed, you bring to your host, of the party. Here come the newest Washingtonians, bearing their version, including some slightly used sanitizer - “if you’re going to fight dirty…you’re either with us, or we’ll…” along with their bigger, better version of the doggy bag, one which, given our awareness of history, will have them taking a hefty sum, after promising to make things more affordable for the rest of us (can you say “table scraps”?) But wait, who's this... Stranger in our midst (spells “danger” to them)… who comes with the most peculiar looking…what’s called a “diplomatic pouch” which, when the host opened it, contained a simplest of messages of hope, which the card played upon opening…”🎶the more we get together the happier we’l...

Done with all the post-election moaning and groaning...   Finally, get to get back... To covering protests… the ones that happen under the cover of night…and formally begins prior to “dawn’s early light” - between the agonists and what are, despite no other body being present, called the antagonizers. Both of which are trying to out-muscle the other, to get a leg up. It can get a bit militant at time, so I wouldn't try this at home, unless yours is one of those "of the brave" types. While for me, it's all part of my morning routine, which include all the age-related stretches that are recommended, prior to throwing off, the covers. All this, just to "get my butt in gear!"😓

On and off, the field of play One of the many keys to the game... is the relationship between the coaches and the players, their ability to communicate, get them to follow through..."out there without us present" (sound familiar?). Well, if what I witnessed, after we won...the coin toss (you can toss the rest out with the trash talk, if you ask me)...if you call THAT play calling, then my best one liner, which is all that I can muster after that "ball buster!" - a game within the game, as the experts in the booth would say - - which was actually a game that came out in 1975, "...a high-energy, physical-action ball tossing and ticket-redemption arcade game..." The kind of energy that the interviewers apparently saw in this head coach when they brought him northeastern from Salt Lake to Ann Arbor town, only to rub salt in our wounds, as they say, in order to further convey "adding insult to injury" All which adds up, and played right into my hands,...

What don’t they get… About “Slippery when wet” - all those who are still wet, behind their ears, from those of US wise men, who are up, in years… Where the sands of time… mix with the winds of change... "If you're not humble... could easily tumble and fall, right into the more modern version "Quikcrete" "Now I get it..." as in "I thought you were jealous, but now realize you're just a bit jaded" 🎝 Ain't that the truth... "You're back in the 60's Daddio, welcome to the new age...when you see one cresting, you need to ride it out...surf's up dude!" (The bottom line... whatever gets the youth moving, can't be all bad..."bottom's up!")

So much for the Arts… The A of LS&A…   he may hail! from my alma mater, and apparently mastered, at least became sufficiently proficient in the scientific method, to be able to call out the question…”that’s a ridiculous hypothesis!” but if the best you come up with, in the creative content section, is “sock puppet” I can’t claim him as a colleague. I award him a big fat ”F” in that portion of the Literature, Science, and Arts (given the new "pass/fail" system👎). And as far as his dress code and Abdul’s abs go...we'll work this out later😬… “SNL…here I come!” 

“What exactly seems to be the matter?” 🤔   Any good examination… begins with a thought-provoking question. Which, if you failed my midterm, I led off with, well before the final or, for the present purpose, “general election”. “Well, doctor…"  or put it more properly…”part time adjunct associate professor” I never professed to be anything else, but also didn’t actively correct them…otherwise. Which might, depend on how you…make me just a smidgen complicit…😔😕While out at the... Podium… on to Imodium AD. What you get when, during the run up to the election you…and suddenly short on words…”shadow puppets” (if you need explanation you clearly missed it, the debate) or, in the context of professing to not ever taking corporate money…”sleight of hand” - given all the grants and scholarships he landed, as part of his higher education (this is where it gets tricky, given the corporate sponsorship to universities and colleges).. “Do I have to Sayed it again?!”   as a matter of ...

The Great Revile! "What, exactly did you expect?!" In the short term... as in immediate post mid-terms, as you tuned in, streamed, and once again screamed..."I waited all this time for THIS?!" As in all the negative ads have been replaced with trying to get us to "1-800..." file lawsuits against one another or even better yet, as in the old "cut to the chase", dispense of all niceties all together, simply challenge another fan to a DUEL😠  Over the long haul... which is traditionally harder to predict, but it's a matter of tradition here, a certainty in the midst of confusion, that the statement of empathy "I feel your pain" will be replaced with such insensitive comments as "no pain, no gain" right on to the ultimate we dread the most, as a state of indifference, which in political posturing is represented by a shrug of the shoulders, “just smile and wave” 😆😢 A rule of thumb... while it may sound a bit dumb, is that if ...

Simply a Matter of Conditioning Short and (bitter)sweet: An ongoing friendly debate in the sub-field of psychology known as Behavior Modification and its components of both pain and pleasure… An all-out assault… on our senses, which results in a multi-sensory approach, as in both the mice working overtime to find the food nuggets or sweet solution ("anything but cheese please!"), and us now known as humanoids going out of our way to avoid what we find obnoxious… Current case study… it’s not too difficult to see why we, after decrying “never again!” still chase after false promises in the ad campaigns. And it’s fairly easy to see why there’s an anticipatory rush on ear plugs, noise cancelling headphones ahead of the cacophony of caustic commercials. Which in turn free up one’s hands to deal with what we find in poor taste…as we taught our kids, “just hold your nose as you spoon it in..” Which may be strongest explanation for when, after “throw the bums out!” who usually just g...

The perfectly proportioned post Halloween/pre-election, mid-line post:  Allow for some shrinkage  And memory loss… To increase one and decrease the other, Be all in...  The promise of the pill  After you've had your fill... Only one minor side effect Of the GLP-1's Is the major bite they take out of the GNP  Or, you can endorse the alternative:  A steady diet, perhaps I'll try it Only one major problem doc - no one goes steady any more... Not sure… how the midterms will turn out, but the battle of the mid-section will rage on...  “No matter what”😒

Halloween, uncorked I've never been... a "has been" - - that was then, this is...  Up until now... I've tried my hardest to be ahead of the times, as in wearing my Grinch hair/hat combo, while dishing out candy, from a bucket masquerading as a red kettle...before they could get out the traditional greeting, I treated them to "I'm out of season, ahead of the times" Most walked away in a state of confusion, after thinking they could pull one over me. But just when I had declared "Victory!", here comes one wearing what appeared to be a throwback to times of old, as in a mocked up face, all marred with what had to be either coal or the traditional soot, that came from a cork, held over a flame - - the cork from a bottle that that grown-ups had to empty, in order to...But the one that had me frozen in place, convinced me I, myself, was perhaps nearly out...of time, here comes the Grim Reaper, wearing what else but a beeper.  "Turn back the clo...