(We apologize for the delay in broadcasting our next episode of the NOTEFLIX series “Troubles in the Garden“. Last night our production facilities were marauded by a gang of scabs and our set was nearly destroyed. Fortunately, our security cameras show who did what and justice will be served. Notwithstanding the vile efforts of our detractors, Episode #4 will be produced by Monday’s posting.)
WORDS TO THINK BY
- SCAB: (Webster’s def. #3): “A contemptible” creature. …or, one who disrupts regular workflow.
- GHOSTING: When a worker simply doesn’t show up for work, forever. These “Silent Exits” are on the rise. (Times are a changing. I remember when the boss would disappear every once in a while; but never the worker-bee. What is going on?)
- TRABAJO BASURA: (Spanish. We will try to add foreign words in each posting – for broadening purposes) This term translates as: Garbage Work. Low paid, dead end work. Many people out there who are looking for jobs, for the new jobs coming into the economy, think it is all TRABAJO BASURA. (The J is pronounced as an H , like “Trabahoe”)
- SHEEPLE: People who are docile, compliant, easily influenced.
- RESPONSE FATIGUE: This refers to when the sense of urgency is worn down. …the result of too many warnings about the bad weather coming in, or oncoming industrial pollution, or election lies…some SHEEPLE just can’t take it in anymore and are exhausted by it all and then do not move out before the floods come – even though they were told they were in harm’s way.
- RANSOMWARE: This is a malware program that requires its victim to pay a ransom to access its own encrypted files. (Usually, payment is made through Bitcoin.) To date, over 170 cities in the U.S. have been the victims of this form of blackmail – and have paid. It seems the bad guys are several towns ahead of the posse. They make Butch and Sundance look like pikers. I cannot see where this will end. I cannot imagine the solution.
- THE LAMPPOST PROBLEM: …A metaphor alluding to the drunkard who uses the lamppost not just for illumination; but for support…and he is looking for his wallet only in the lamppost lighted area – for he cannot see beyond that. (It seems to me we are hanging on to the lamppost to solve many of our problems, but the difference, today, is the light shows us the solutions in many cases – we just can’t let go of the post. Something like that.)
ENOUGH WITH THE WORDS. TIME FOR SOME INTERESTING THINGS
- Hubie Blake, the jazz great said: “If I had known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself”. Mickey Mantle said the same thing. Jackie Kennedy said,”If I had known I was going to die of cancer I would not have done all those sit-ups.” I heard about a man who said on his deathbed that he wished he had worried less. Me? I find that wondering about things like RANSOMWARE, RESPONSE FATIGUE, TABAJO BASURA and Jackie Kennedy’s sit-ups – keeps me going and interested in what is going to happen tomorrow.
- Reports tell of “Toppling TV’s”. Yes. Apparently, these large TV’s we buy are mounted on our walls and sometimes they topple over…injuring thousands and killing over 300 last year. There are worse ways to go. Do as the man on his deathbed suggests, and do not worry about this. ( Unless you are sitting under a TV.)
- Crime numbers spike in NFL cities during home games. This has nothing to do with the betting spread. It has to do, primarily, with crime in parking lots: stealing stuff from cars and stealing cars themselves. The second highest increase in crime is under the classification of ‘Home Invasions’. The bad guys seem to know the ticket holder’s house is empty for a few hours of play. It is not out of the realm of possibility that a toppling TV could kill one of those invaders. And that would be justice.
- I read the Obits. The other day I read the man (F. Corboto) who invented/introduced the computer password to the world – passed away. He seemed like a nice family man and I do not wish him ill or to confine him to Dante’s 9th Rung – but I do think he has to come back to make amends.
I am not a nihilist, but I have three arguments which lean in that direction:
- “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.”(-Nobel Prize Winner R. Feynman, when awarded for his work on Quantum Physics)
- “Nobody knows anything about making movies.”(-W. Goldman, Oscar award winning script-writer, The Sting, Butch Cassidy, Princess Bride)
- “Nobody knows anything, especially the ones who think they do.” (Maybe, -cem, The winner of “The Most Improved Swimmer of the Year” in Third Grade summer camp.)
Until Monday,
