Note from the Producers of NOTEFLIX’s production of “Troubles in the Garden”: Beware! You may think you are looking at members of our cast; but in this strange new metavarsal world – they are looking at you…and they are not understanding what they see. This could be because they are stuffed animals (which are not capable of understanding anything since they have no brains) or, because we are beyond all comprehension.
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- ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS: A new thing (For me) to worry about. If you believe what you read in the “Lying” newspapers. there are ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS floating around in the skies these days; especially over places like California. They are actual rivers of water, some thousands of kilometers long and hundreds of kilometers wide, up overhead, hundreds of meters up – bigger than the AMAZON river even, and ready to drop their goods down on the ground – and on you, if you are in places like California. We name the rivers which are down on the ground. We name hurricanes and floods. I think we should name these things which are floating around up above. I’d volunteer to be on the committee to name them. “DOOM RIVER”, “UMBRELLA BREAKER”, “DON’T LOOK UP – PART TWO”…those are just a few examples of my possible inputs.
- METRIC & CELSIUS: I see I have used the METRIC system in the previous paragraph. I read we are the only “Industrialized” country in the world which does not use the METRIC & CELSIUS system. This is a good thing, because I cannot ever figure out how hot or cold it is if it is in the CELSIUS system. And what if our football players had to go for ten Meters instead of ten yards? Who could understand anything, anymore? (Studies show neither can our school kids, teachers and over 75% of this Blog’s readership)
- TEASER HEADLINE: I saw a TEASER HEADLINE for an article I could read if I paid $99 dollars for an annual subscription: “How To Turn Your Dreams Into Reality.” Recently, a lot of my dreams have been nightmares and I would rather they remain in the distant mists of my subconscious. Those Nightmares are saving me $99. However, some of my worst dreams look like they might become reality in 2024 – for free.
- JOBS: I read in the past three years more journalists lost their jobs than coal minors have. Journalists need to pay a Congressman to be on their side and then they could get their jobs back.
- ADDICTS: I have also read many people have become addicted to their Smart Phones. Someone should start a “12-Step Program” for iPhone addicts. I’m not that person, because I’m busy naming ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS. You can only do so much in this world.
- MORE: Another headline blared “The Future of Climate Change Depends on China”. This gets my hackles up. I thought we were the world’s biggest offenders. What do the Chinese know about emitting Carbon and pollutants into the air? And in Joe Manchin we’ve got a big ex-College Football Defensive Lineman in the role of a Congressman to keep our reputation in this field at the top of the ranking, China notwithstanding.
- THE INVISIBLE HAND rears its ugly head. In some recent economic reports I am learning China is too big a trading partner of ours for us to have ‘moral concerns’ about how they behave domestically. Several decades ago, the belief was “If you did business with us, eventually you would become nice, too.” I guess we have given up on that thought – and we just go for the price.
- THE FIRST 100 DAYS: was Kroger & Walmart was shipped Covid test kits…and they had to sell them at cost – for a hundred days. THE FIRST 100 DAYS are over and Kroger & Walmart can now sell Covid Test kits for a profit. These will become ‘Profit Leaders’. You watch.
A few words from MATHUZALA, our Guest Columnist:
MATHUZALA SPEAKS
“Your Scientists have done a lot of research on us rats – and I am not aware of any studies done on our dreams. So. Here it is: We do not dream. We Live the Life. And our life is good, except for when humans get in the way. Join us in our way of living and forget about having bad dreams, the Overhead Rivers, and the ‘Invisible Hand’ – whatever that is.”
If you want to know how to join MATHUZALA and his crew of Chumpers, go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and buy “THE RAT PAPERS” …read it, and Live the Life.
NOTES FROM TUSCANY:
- Going into serious ‘Green Pass’ mode here.
- Masks are mandatory – even outside in the fresh, cold, damp air.
- The weather here is unseasonably cold and the locals talk about it just like the Americans do…but I am still learning the language, so do not trust me on this.
Below is a photo (by Irina) of yesterday’s snowfall, which landed a few kilometers up the road from our Piazza.
A few related quotes and then some:
- “Corporations are people, too.” -Senator Mitt Romney and Citizens United
- “People are people, too.” -cem
- “To be Stupid, Selfish and have Good Health are three requirements for Happiness – though if Stupidity is lacking – all is lost.” -G. Flaubert
- “The highest activity a man can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.” -Spinoza. (But did Spinoza understand: ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS? NIGHTMARES becoming DAYMARES? or THE INVISIBLE HAND grabbing your wallet?
And that’s all there is room for this week…Go out there and Live the Life…and “Hello” to Brian, wherever you are.