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The dilemma. A very autocratic and often brutal police state. Capable of suppressing the tiniest (Democracy Wall), and largest (Tienanmen) trace of popular dissent, and of bullying almost all neighboring states (Tibet and South China Sea). Yet capable, as a partial result of the above, of 30 years of near ten percent yearly GDP growth, and, after initial duplicity, of manhandling the C-19 virus. It may well be a cautionary tale of where national governments may be going, as the world is choked by mismatches between resources and population, all lubricated by nationalistic demagogue tinpot leaders. We hear and read these ideas from academics, but it really hasn't reached the level of the body politic world wide. The trade off. Increased surveillance, and decreased personal and civil rights freedoms, in exchange for material goods, and "stability". The latter for comfy higher members of the one Party. There's a story about a lady Wuhan bound train passenger, in December of last year, reading a medical journal, and on crossing over into city limits, spontaneously putting on her mask. She was alone in this on a train full of citizens who were clueless as to C-19. As a doctor, she knew, but couldn't let others know that this was different from the usual mask wearing custom. The academic discussions may soon extend to every day folks, who are less worried about the right to speak out against the government, than to forego a new toaster, or electric back scratcher.. Paraphrasing an American statesman, those who will easily trade freedom for security, will soon have neither.

I want my mtv







share your favorite tune

passes the US House of Reps. on thin stark party lines, but hasn't a prayer in the US Senate, much less with the pen of our Brilliant and Dazzling President Trump. As always, the devil's in the details. Millions for artsy programs, and other political pork, gets little shrift in the alt left biased media. But the real story goes much deeper. The title of the plan includes the language 'aid to states and municipalities'. And here's the rub, oh my dear taxpayers, and debt strapped generation to come.
For generations, many US states and cities have suffered the mismanagement of ueber left, often minority, corrupt Democrat pols. Now the yard birds are back to roost. Illinois (Obama land), Californicate, NY, NJ and others, if in the dreaded private sector, would long be soundly into the courts' protection of bankruptcy. OK, so just keep raising taxes. But taxation has limits, and default is not legally an option. Even so, there is already talk of such, most recently by the governor of NY, care facility resident killer, Andrew Cuomo. So instead, why not take advantage of a crisis?
This plan would be little more than a bailout for this fiscal mismanagement of these government entities. Mismanagement? Begin with unsustainable bureaucratic government growth, including the sky high costs of make work, paper pusher, "Jobs", with their sky high bills for salaries, benefits, and topping all lists, ---unfunded RETIREMENT PENSION PLANS. The dirty huge secret is that these wasteful approaches to big government, defined pensions, have long vanished in the dreaded private sector, yet, with small changes, still are part of every government "worker's" retirement support expectations. It gets worse. Over the past few months, during Covid-19, these employees have continued to collect pay checks, and benefits, such as health plans, all typically unavailable to real workers in our real economy.
So we have two systems of employment. Secure statist paper pushers, and for the rest of us, well, not so much secure. And so the Republican resistance to millionaire Pelosi's bailout for Democrat government mismanagement. Oh, sure, the lefties will toss about terms like "uncaring Republicans" and such. Don't be fooled. Bureaucracies are like untreated cancers, in terms of uncontrolled growth. This is the real story behind Mrs. Pelosi's doomed plan. Don't take my words for it. Just compare the sizes of government bureaucracies, including buildings and pay/pension rolls, between now, and a few generations ago. Again, the lefties will say this incredible growth corresponds to population growth. No comparison, taxpaying lemmings, no comparison.

Mostly seen in the US and ooouuut there in Canada, eh? Two of my favorites here in the North Country are: 'Woman wanted---must be able to skin, gut and put up a deer, trout fish, have a noisy big PU truck, and a large dog. Send photos of truck, dog and fishing gear.' And,--- 'Save the black fly'. Clues to the driver's mind set.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

? Lao Tzu

Life is a series of constant choices.

Adam was 50% of the world’s population when he took the first choice. The apple looked juicy and was being offered by the only one naked temptress around.

And the world never got back on the right track again!

With the second easement of restrictions coming into effect today, yet with active Covid19 cases consistently in double digits in the last days, indicating the possibility of the beginnings of a second ’wave’, today could be the date that might be marked in our history books as the day that was a break dealer for the country (Malta).

Of course it all depends on us. All of us, shop owners, retailers, service providers, customers, diners and shoppers.

And how we, ALL OF US behave.

The country is experimenting with a delicate tripod to balance health, wealth and peace. Naturally, there can be neither health nor wealth if peace is only found in RIP.

And in that one, as with the fact that the coronavirus does not distinguish, everyone is equal.

Well, they do say that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but in this climate, it’s better to tell Adam be aware. act safe and stay safe.

Peace.

thevirgosign

Music videos have been around for some time now, however, really started making a visual statement (as art) in their own right (apart from the song); probably in the late 1980's. This was when "basic" special effects (generated by computers) came along.

Back then, (if you lived in Australia) you had to watch a show called "Countdown" (top of the pops format -on TV) to see your favorite musicians perform. In Australia, The ABC television station has a music video all night (weekends) TV show called "Rage" . In America it is MTV (or it was in the late eighties). Nowadays; of course, we have most music videos on youtube.

Anyway, you get the idea.

Blog open for each person to post their favorite music video/s.

(please post a maximum of 1 per comment). Comments are sought for each music video - Why do you like it? What makes it special?

To kick things off, I'll post a few of my favs. (there's really too many, to choose from)...

The bewitching hour of midnight.

Waiting for a train to nowhere...

Said my bit now deal with it...

What's yours? I used to collect stamps. I started when I was 10. My mom went to see a lawyer about squeezing some more child support out of my dad and the lawyer asked me if I collect stamps. He showed me a small handful of stamps he tore off his mail I said no. He said too bad I was going to give these to you if you did. I really wanted those stamps cause I thought there might be a few unused ones in there. So I started collecting stamps figuring my mom would take me back to see the lawyer and I would get those stamps. Well, I never saw the guy again. I wound up becoming a stamp collector for most of my adult life and I got very deep into the hobby including attending stamp auctions and stamp shows.