Men Blogs (29,433)

I'm trying to be non-political today, but I'm noticing a really high percentage of Republicans using the word 'weaponized' to describe any government efforts that follow the law. Governor Ron DeSantis says it often, probably as much as he uses 'woke' to describe some political orientation that differs from his own.

Hearing the word weaponized gets connected with the Department of Justice (DOJ) when they research into someones (believed to be illegal) activity and have proof of wrongdoing... suddenly, the Republicans (or those who support Republicans) insert that word... weaponized in their statements on TRUTH, X (formally Twitter) or news shows.

Last week, I blogged about a political 'dog whistle' where certain words or phrases are used to alert followers of a political group. MAGA was one of them and weaponized needs to be added to the list.

Wouldn't you think laws are in place for a reason?
I get it... when a government agency follows the law they are being weaponized.

Whenever I speak to a former band mate, my opening line is from the move The Blues Brothers as we are always joking about about putting the band back together.
It's getting harder to make that statement when so many of my musician friends are gone.

Phil... disappeared.
Chuck... hasn't been seen in years.
Harold... murdered.
Bill... died of a heart attack.
Larry... died of lung cancer.
Frank... died of pancreatic cancer.
Bob... died in his sleep.
Billy... drug overdose.
Danny... heart attack.
Paul... retired, not interested.
Jay... undergoing cancer treatments, would attend a jam if possible.
Carlos... full-time job, does studio work and weekend gigs.

Interestingly, I called a cousin who recently moved to South Florida to update him on my brothers kidney transplant and we got to talking about his retirement and that he and his younger brother still play music. I got the invite as they need a bass player because they are getting a band together!

Occasional parties and social events. They don't play Rock & Roll and chances are, I'll need to buy a tuxedo!

EDELWEISS
***
- Chapter I:
The ALGORHYTHM
( - )
Beginning
“If in the times I barely knew him, my interest for understanding the world I live in was somehow reserved, - this has been changed, gradually learning about what’s beyond comprehension. He had so much, to give to this world, and I wasn’t the first, nor the last, to take everything he offered. One word, to define knowledge, has the dictionary; but him, oh! He could just write a new one!
I saluted the man, waving my hand, like a child who raise a new kite into the wind, for joy filled my heart even before coming closer; was the same feeling of relief, which someone gets it when about to reach the company of a friend, a much wiser one, who seems to make all troubles disappear with a smile. So funny! When I told him my problems, years ago, he did not said anything, too much; so I insisted, returning to the subject of matter which bothered me; with calm, he asked me to take stones from the ground, - different stones in size or color, despite my asking: why? – but once I gave him all the pebbles, curious of what about them, I started laughing, when he was calling them by names and throwing one by one, far away; he named them upon my problem, and .. how to not laugh, and sudden, everything to be forgotten?! All my troubles, vanishing away!.. So was enough for me to see him from afar, and the smile to slowly conquer my heart, making itself present. What a feeling, indeed! The feeling of a true friend, who does not ask anything else, than be myself! A true friend, who is there each time one needs it. A true friend, who knows to listen. And he’s right there, under the walnut. Resting, like a sage of a different age. ..”



[ … ]
- Shall be continued…

2022 © Th3Mirr0r
EDELWEISS - Vol. I/Chapter I: The ALGORHYTHM

My brother goes for dialysis about 3 times a week. When he travels which happens several times a year, he must find a dialysis center in the location where he visits. He's been on a list for kidney transplant a few years now. I usually talk to him every other week and it's been a month so I left a message. His return call said a hospital 70 miles away contacted him at 2am. They found a donor and surgery was scheduled at 6am.

Four days in the hospital, extreme pain, but he's got a working kidney and no longer needs dialysis. He's home recuperating and doing well.

I usually visit him once a year before the winter/holiday season. This year I'll make plans sooner. Next month... gotta get busy!

We don't get many hurricanes on the West coast of Florida. Nearly a year ago, Ian cut North of the Fort Myers area with extreme flooding and loss of life. The outer bands of winds were so extreme it spawned tornadoes on the East coast 200 miles away that took the roofs off several of the houses and condos around me.

11 months later, waiting for reconstruction, I see they put new trusses on some of the 2nd story condos that were covered with tarps all this time. Those units were severely damaged and unoccupied all this time.
To those who haven't experienced the force of a hurricane and seen the devastation, words and photos cannot fully describe.

Sunday morning, I met with friends and one mentioned a tropical storm in the Yucatan peninsula with a forecast to become a powerful hurricane headed for the West coast of Florida.

Idalia is born...

Late Sunday night, Idalia was a Tropical storm and will strengthen Monday morning while crossing the Western top of Cuba, expected to be a hurricane mid-Monday making a slight curve to the East and hit Florida about 100 miles North of Tampa.

The image below is linked to the National Hurricane Center and usually updates every 4 hours.

It looks like I'll be getting new neighbors. Mar-a-Lago Club located at 1100 South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida has changed ownership. That is, depending on who you talk to. The real estate website Zillow said the property sold for $422 million but later stated it was a listing mistake. TV10 claimed the same story, but the website radaronline has a different story. They say on August 4, Trump sold the resort to a corporation named Mar-a-Lago, Inc. and it's registered agent is Donald Trump Jr.
Somewhere along the way, Mar-a-Lago wasn't in the listing. Instead, it was listed by it's address, 1100 South Ocean Boulevard.
Is there any way this transaction was handled fraudulently?
I have no idea, but I believe attorneys are 'hot on the trail' just to investigate this considering the time line to the Georgia indictment and Trump's surrender at the Fulton County jail.

Other than a name change on the title/deed, I imagine it's business a usual, less the property manager and head of computer security... but you already knew that!

Hopefully, they cleared all those boxes that were kept in the pool storage, toilet, banquet stage and possibly Barron's bedroom.

The Beatles released their 11th album in 1968 (correction) 1969 (September in England and October in America) with the iconic cover of them walking across Abbey Road. I'm doing some YouTube videos and a little history about The Beatles and saw a reference to the famous crosswalk. Well.. it's called a crosswalk in America and 'Zebra Crossing' in England. My response to that was "Zebra crossing?... get the fuk outta here."
There are NO ZEBRAS to be seen anywhere... however if you consider it coming from the land of strange names and short cuts, zebra crossing makes sense... to them.
Yeah, I get it. The white stripes are the zebra part.

One big question is the stripes on a zebra. Are they white with black stripes or black with white stripes?
The underside is white, so I'm saying white with black stripes. Yes, that's my final answer.



Back to The Beatles and Abbey Road. You see, the studio/studios where they recorded at is named Abbey Road Studios. Pretty catchy name that didn't take much thought.



I read that a zebra crossing really exists outside the location of the studio. It's a historical landmark, but now I learned the actual album photo came from somewhere else. Please, I'd like to leave my childhood memories intact.

Google maps has the exact location. Amazing.

@51.5320966,-0.1777321,116m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x48761aa33eb87a9b:0xe406bb492eaf555b!8m2!3d51.5321771!4d-0.1778452!16zL20vMDExazNt?entry=ttu

Abbey House, 1A Abbey Rd., London NW8 9BX, United Kingdom
GRJF+R3 London, United Kingdom

Producer Rick Beato was fortunate to get a tour of the Abbey Road Studios and went over some of the microphones and equipment The Beatles and many other famous groups used to create their albums.

The long time Price Is Right host Bob Barker has died at he age of 99. His TV game-show career spans more than 50 years!
Born on December 12, 1923, Bob was a few months away from celebrating his 100th birthday.

You were great Bob.




Yahoo link:

EDELWEISS
***
- Chapter I:
The ALGORHYTHM
( - )
Beginning
“I still remember this man. I knew him long ago, from time to time my life intersecting with his. The passing of time, merely if changed something; he looks the same, for the many who knew him, - still carries the same eyes full of life, despite underneath the amber traces, there is much suffering hidden; his body, athletic as in his 20’s, kept in shape well for his efforts of taking up various jobs to maintain his living, serious and hard working man; I remember his smile, even to the toughest jobs, keeping on and on saying he’s on training, - such an amusement, even to myself, to hear him when about to dig with the shovel, to say about himself that he is resting and made a deal with an ogre who came right on time, to help him digging, while when a harder effort, to laugh saying: I left the ogre go away for all were too heavy for it, so, by now, here’s King Kong, to deal with the new issue, he could take it!.. What a funny man, indeed! Was such a companion, in everything, as those who came closer to him, to remember a true friend! For the rest of the world, who never knew him enough, he was just a fool lost into the crowd, or just a madman inspiring haughtiness or disdain; while for some, a tyrant to be feared, if not a lost cause indicating one never dealing with. But I still remember him saying, loudly, without any fear of repercussions: “In a world run by idiots in the spirit of lawlessness, smart people must die little by little, so that their stupidity may thrive!” As a matter of fact, despite his incisive manner of telling the truth, I respect him, for daring to oppose, in its own particular way, to the flow of the world; that’s for because the crowds always treasured their tyrants, and the world, of course, was always bent by the will of the few to rule them in what seemed to be a never-ending slavery. I could support him, if was up to me, - but not. Therefore, I am much inclined, with a respectful shake of hand, so like a comrade on the battlefield, for I know parts of its life – his struggles – like no one could. While most were only satisfied to judge him for blessing their tyrants, or to just despise, if not even hate the ways he is, or acts, - I only knew his heart. The heart that shows Humanity. Others like him, might have been lost already across time, into the darkness and evil, with their hearts turned into stone and become just ruthless advocates of lawlessness. Yet, he struggled to not fall into such side, even with the price of being left alone. Indeed, as one who knew a little more than others, about him, I could distinguish his fight. Not for survival. When you are like a dead, into the world, only then, you start truly to have a glimpse on what’s Reality. In rest, illusions. Illusions. Theatre for the crowds…”




[ … ]
- Shall be continued…

2022 © Th3Mirr0r
EDELWEISS - Vol. I/Chapter I: The ALGORHYTHM