we hear it often. "Oh she ( even worse I ) am fluent in such and such a tongue." I'm on Duolingo now, preparing for Ponta Delgada and Lisbon, and even they have this little progress meter, complete with progress trumpet flourishes, claiming that now, after learning a few dozen words and phrases, I am "18% fluent". WTF! For me, fluency means thinking, dreaming, arguing, conducting science and business, appreciating the nuances of lyrics and poetry, and perhaps making love. Somehow being able to stumble into a meal with a waitress, or booking a bed in a hostel, doesn't cut it. Aa.
Went to a film last night sponsored by our "Camden Conference", which like our NPR (National Proletarian Radio), claims fair and unbiased provision of info to the public, in part at taxpayer expense. It was a sore looser/manic hate feast of never Trumpism, making CNN, the major broadcast networks and MSNBC seem mild by comparison. The moderators were the usual Ivy League children of the well off, replete with the colorful faux glad rags, chic prole baubles and condescending knowing smiles. Large hall with only half a dozen attendees. They delayed film start up in the hope of better attendance, all the while discussing reasons for no shows, saying that there were many competing events. The adverts for the film were like the film itself, with every other word a conger of racist, xenophobe, anti-islam and so on. Clueless that just maybe few came out of disgust for this ueber snowflake non think. Got me thinking, about the overuse of such hate filled words and phrases everywhere in denizens of the alt left. I think the dynamic is, ceteris paribus, based on the psychological defense mechanisms of projection, reaction formation and undoing---with a little defensive smugness tossed in for good measure. The bard had it right centuries ago. Methinks, me Lord, she doth protest too much. Just sayin', peebles. Aa.
First it was suck it up. Move on. Get over it. Then slowly we learned that if not addressed properly, unresolved issues as sequellae to trauma (war, rape, child abuse, etc.) have a way of ruining lives, in those less resilient unfortunates, as mentioned in my previous rants here. Now we are seeing that trauma for some can alter the genome epigenetically. So the offspring of Holocaust survivors (where early work was done) have altered stress biochemistry, and process trauma differently from control populations. Shouldn't surprise anyone. Aa.
Surprised how EU folks seem to like the place. Moreso the South, actually. Really not as exciting as other parts of the EU. Exciting isn't always a top feature of interest for some. Funny how that works. Maine is a little boring, but I choose it over many other places as a base of living/travel operations. Perhaps Portugal will serve the same purpose for me on the Continent. Aa.
Millions world wide---tens of thousands in the EU and USA alone. After extensive medical and laboratory investigations, having seen many competent nurses and physicians, including those from complementary/alternative traditions, the health profession is clueless as to what plagues these unfortunate folks. Closest we come is to group them into some sort of possibly post infectious or environmental toxicity syndromes, with strong inflammatory, auto immune and possibly epigenetic causes. These are the achey and painy depressed low energy types, those every practitioner dreads having in their surgery. Usually what ails them doesn't kill them, but merely simmers on for years. Often they get turfed to Psychiatrists, typically the hairdressers of medicine. But not always so. Aa.
From time to time here, where almost all posts are largely in good taste, if pointed, one does see the rare quite inappropriate blog. Profanity, too direct s*xual references, and so on. If I were a betting man, I'd bet on the drink. Sad, sad, sad. I should know. Aa.
Perhaps a little overly cautious in life. Love most of the EU, but in looking for a place to spend winters, as is my wont, trying to maximize pluses, and keep the major downsides to a minimum, ---keep coming up with this unassuming, high value, very unique place. Climate warm enough to escape the worst of our Maine winters. Food and music to die for, for some of us who grew up with same. Really doesn't seem all that attractive to the Jihadis, at least up to now. Great base of operations for jaunts to alternative linguistic places. The Fourth Reich, dissolving Andalusia, bombers' delight France, Brexitland. Sure, not nearly as exciting as say a Berlin, or a Paris. But I remind myself that, while I love visits to Manhattan, after 3 or 4 days, I'm ready to scoot. So the flights are booked, and will experience an ethnic Christmas. Stop over in the Azores, to check out family roots. Several EU friends may rendezvous, Inshalla. Aa.
not exactly a love fest of it on these introduction sites. The whole format both speeds things up enormously compared to the alternatives, and allows some level of vetting, but only for the patient and for those with wits about them. But still, most replies are quite pushy for the evolution of an acquaintance, friendship, not to mention involvement. Just today a lady wrote back--- Gehen sie mit mir vor den Altar? Marriage! Sure, it could have been humor, but.... Aa.
If you get a chance, and your English is good, read some of president Lincoln's writing, and the letters of simple civil war soldiers, many of whom, like Old Abe Lincoln, never had more than grammar school level formal education. Eloquence of content and grammar in league with Samuel Clemens ("Mark Twain"). Then we hear of law school faculty today, who have to hold remedial sessions for incoming students on how to put sentences and paragraphs together in coherent form. Listen to rap and hip hop lyrics, where the rhyming is often forced at best. Of course, spend a few minutes conversing with government school "educators" at all levels, and it starts to add up. But I thank all here for correcting my spelling. ;-) Aa.
We have all wondered. Just how do they do it? I watch the ospreys and bad eagles swoop down here on the coast from a 40 meter high tree top nest, skim the ocean surface, at perhaps 20 MPH, and dip the talons into a fish, bringing it up to two hungry mouths. Or the soft/fragile earthworms, deep under ground, pushing their way through tightly compacted soil, I can hardly push a pitchfork into. And so it goes. Walking with Bravo this morning, watching him sniff everywhere, thinking, just how can he catch and catalog all that info in his brain. But has a honeybee or house cat ever pondered how Einstein thunk his theories out? Aa.
No using his name as he would like us all to do so. Every one is scrambling to find explanatory dirt on this crumb, focusing on Mental Health. Dead ends all around---substance abuse, family, trauma, recent loss, and so on. But lots of folks can present with high functioning lifestyles, while resentment/confusion simmer deep down. Two common sources of this predominate. Of course, some can have undiagnosed (even not yet categorized) genetic or environmental syndromes, which may have few physical or functional signs, and well hidden behavioral/emotional issues. Then there are those who experienced severe early childhood mistreatment. In both cases, there is the issue of resilience, whereby some so afflicted carry on with only minor challenges. And intelligence, which can provide enormous chances at apparent daily adaptability. The numbers of such potential time bombs isn't known, but few make it into the MH system for identification and diagnosis/help. And the best shrinks could spend hours with such types, and be clueless. But in the right hands, detailed neuropsychological testing can help. The squeaky wheel, people. Aa.
The real tragedy, ongoing, long time, is how this latest carnage displays, in bas relief, the severe shortcomings of our legislative system/process. Sure, the NRA is unparalleled in lobbying clout. But it actually is open to better vetting of who can acquire firearms under our precious second amendment. In fact, if you could coral NRA folks and anti gun people in a room where they could hammer out a reasonable plan to keep weapons out of the hands of persons who never should have them, and perhaps even tighten access to clearly military arms, it could produce results. But when these issues enter the dysfunctional political process, nothing gets done. Our legislatures have lower approval ratings than even used car salesmen and lawyers---the latter of which make up much of legislator ranks. Prayers for victims and families. Aa..
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