Tuesday 29 December 2015

Drunk Santa

Surveillance footage of our favourite Christmas character after a night on the town.


Uploaded on Dec 9, 2010 by SkaN
YouTube: Drunk Santa Caught On Surveillance Cam !

Í first discovered the above video when I ran across this animated GIF. I'm sorry; I must be a sick puppy because I was rolling on floor. I have no idea why this guy wasn't knocked out cold from the way he fell against the car.

“God always helps fools, lovers and drunkards.” -Unknown (explanation of the quote and its many variations)


Thank God nobody was filming when I had one too many.

my blog: Robert Wilkinson: (A Drunken) Bohemian Rhapsody - Apr 6/2012
In November 2011, 29 year old Robert Wilkinson of Edson, Alberta, Canada, gets arrested by the RCMP for being under the influence while driving. A camera in the squad car recorded Mr. Wilkinson as he is being transported back to the police station. At one point, our budding troubadour breaks into a complete and faithful rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I just checked. This video of Mr. Wilkinson has now been seen over eleven million times. So much for your fifteen minutes of fame.

And to all a good night.


References

my blog: Ah, Christmas - Dec 24/2014


2015-12-29

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Monday 28 December 2015

CeeLo Green: Working Class Heroes (Work)



Get up, get out, go get that money
It’s time to work

Up early in the mornin’
I’m ready to go
It smells like struggle
When you open up the door
Everybody gotta grind
Got hustle in my blood
A little bit is not enough

I go to work
Said hold up wait one minute
I go to work
I get out there and I go get it
I go to work
I don’t leave ‘til I come home with it
I go to work, hey

It’s the concrete jungle
So you got to understand can’t judge no body
Gotta get it how you can
Gotta handle your business when the baby gotta eat
Gotta get a real job
Or get it off the street

I go to work
Said hold up wait one minute
I go to work
I get out there and I go get it
I go to work
I don’t leave ‘til I come home with it
I go to work, hey

Calling all ladies don’t be shy
Don’t let the moment pass you by
Grab your girls get on the floor
This is what you’ve been waiting for
WORK
There ain’t no problem that music can’t solve
And I work it out, alright
If you wanna have fun when the weekend comes
Let’s work it out
I got to work (let’s work, let’s work)
I got to work (let’s work, let’s work)
I got to work (let’s work, let’s work)
I got to work (let’s work, let’s work)
Hey, hey

Now let me see you work
Said hold up wait one minute
I go to work
I get out there and I go get it
I go to work
Don’t leave ‘til I come home with it
I go to work, hey, hey
Now let me see yah work


References

Published on Nov 6, 2015 by Cee Lo Green

Wikipedia: Heart Blanche
Heart Blanche is the fifth studio album by American recording artist CeeLo Green. It was released on November 6, 2015 by Atlantic Records.

Wikipedia: CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974), better known by his stage name CeeLo Green (sometimes rendered as Cee Lo Green or Cee-Lo Green), is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman.

Curious Discovery
I ran across this song thanks to the following trailer for an up-coming movie. I will add that oddly enough, I have never seen any of the Barbershop movies although Rotten Tomatoes gave the 2002 original a score of 82%.

Wikipedia: Barbershop: The Next Cut
Barbershop: The Next Cut (formerly known as Barbershop 3) is an upcoming 2016 American comedy film directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It is a direct sequel to the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business and the fourth film overall in the Barbershop film series, following the 2002 original Barbershop film and the 2005 spin-off Beauty Shop. Barbershop: The Next Cut is scheduled to be released on April 15, 2016.

YouTube: Barbershop: The Next Cut - Official Trailer

CeeLo Green
This artist has put out some fabulous music. Check out my favourites below.

my blog: Cee Lo Green: Bright Lights Bigger City - Apr 9/2012

my blog: Cee Lo Green: It's OK - Feb 7/2012

my blog: Cee Lo Green: Cry Baby - Feb 6/2012

my blog: Cee Lo Green: F**k You - Feb 5/2012

2015-12-28

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Sunday 27 December 2015

JustSomeMotion and Parov: I just gotta dance!



I sat there alone,
Listening to the saxophone.
Whiskey-sour at the bar.
Then I saw her silhouette.
Next to me she came and sat,
Asked me for a cigarette, that's how we met.

She be cream and honey.
My personal Playboy bunny,
OOO, I was her hundred dollar bill.
We spent all our money
Always out looking for a thrill.
It's never cheap in Beverly Hills.

Josephine
Don't get me wrong.
I know I'll miss your face,
But I'm movin' on.
Josephine
All I know.
You and me we had something.
Now I got to let you go.

I don't know.
It's a matter of my taste.
I like them bad girls,
Always been this way.
You know the type,
So badly behaved.
Don't care about nothing but trouble
And they don't care what you say.
She was my honey,
Ain't It funny how it goes?
The rises end in falls,
But oooo looking back I got no regrets at all.

Josephine
Don't get me wrong.
I know I'll miss your face,
But I'm movin' on.
Josephine
All I know.
You and me we had something.
Now I got to let you go.

Josephine
Do me wrong.
I know I'll miss your face,
But I'm movin' on
Ooh baby
All I know
You drive me crazy
Let you go

Josephine,
Don't get me wrong.
Josephine,
I said I'm movin' on, yeah.
Josephine,
Don't get me wrong.
Ooh, Josephine,
I said I'm movin' on, yeah.
(oh, oh)
Ooh baby,
All I know.
You drive me crazy.
Let you go.
Ooh baby,
All I know.
You drive me crazy.
Yeah yeah yeah!


Published on Dec 24, 2013 by JustSomeMotion
YouTube: JustSomeMotion (JSM) Parov Stelar - Josephine - #neoswing

my blog: Forsyth and Parov: I just gotta dance! - Apr 9/2011
Parov Stelar is a musician from Linz, Austria who started as a DJ but has now become an artist unto his own right. He has been credited with if not founding then bringing to the public's attention a new genre called "Electroswing" and [this video gives] you a good taste of just what this is: a combination of electronic music, house or dance music, and the melodic style of 1940s swing music.

I wrote the above blog entry three years ago. Since then, Pavlov Stelar has become more popular, not just with the public, but with amateur dancers. There are a number of them publishing their own videos to showcase their dancing talents and it is impressive to see what's going on in the world.

Wikipedia: Videodance
Videodance is a genre of dance made for the camera. In videodance, movement is the primary expressive element in the work rather than dialogue (as in conventional narrative movies) or music (as in music videos). Other names for this form are screendance, dance film, cinedance, and dance for camera.

Social Age 2007-? Selfie Dancing
A current social trend is people recording themselves dancing and posting to social media sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. These typically consist of low resolution, mobile phone video clips of someone dancing to a popular song. However, a group of young choreographers are popularizing a much more sophisticated style of selfie video dance. Among the most highly viewed are TakeSomeCrime, his self-acknowledged protégé JustSomeMotion and Josy Carver among others.



References

YouTube channel: JustSomeMotion

Facebook: JustSomeMotion

Twitter: JustSomeMotion

official web site: JustSomeMotion

Wikipedia: Parov Stelar
Parov Stelar aka Marcus Füreder (born November 27, 1974) is a musician who lives and works in Linz, Austria. He performs with his Band - the Parov Stelar Band - and as a DJ worldwide. Parov Stelar is the head of Etage Noir Recordings.

official web site: Parov Stelar Band

Wikipedia: Electroswing
Electro Swing is a relatively new term that has been coined to describe a type of music that blends many elements of both electronic music (from a very wide range of styles, not just, as the term might suggest, Electro music) with elements of 1920s, 1930s and 1940s Swing music and Jazz. Its earliest origins are probably in the birth of sampling (music) within popular music.

my blog: eN and Parov: I just gotta dance! - Aug 17/2015

my blog: Neiland and Parov: I just gotta dance! - Aug 10/2015

my blog: Forsyth and Parov: I just gotta dance! - Apr 9/2011

2015-12-27

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Saturday 26 December 2015

Mark Morrison: Return Of The Mack



Oooooh, come on, ooh yeah

Well I tried to tell you so (yes I did),
But I guess you didn't know,
As the saddest story goes,
Baby, now I got the flow,
'Cause I know it from the start,
Baby, when you broke my heart,
That I had to come again,
And show you that I'm with.

You lied to me,
All those times I said that I loved you,
You lied to me,
Yes, I tried, yes, I tried,
You lied to me,
Even though you know I'd die for you,
You lied to me,
Yes, I cried, yes, I cried.

[Chorus 1:]
Return of the mack,
It is,
Return of the mack,
Come on,
Return of the mack,
Oh, my god,
You know that I'll be back,
Here I am.

[Chorus 2:]
Return of the mack,
Once again,
Return of the mack,
Top of the world,
Return of the mack,
Watch my flow,
You know that I'll be back,
Here I go.

So, I'm back up in the game,
(Running things like my swing),
Lettin' all the people know,
That I'm back to run the show,
Cause what they didn't know was wrong,
And all the nasty things you've done,
So, baby, listen carefully,
While I sing my comeback song.

You lied to me,
Cause she said she'd never turn on me,
You lied to me,
But you did, but you did,
You lied to me,
All this pain you said I'd never feel,
You lied to me,
But I do, but I do do do.

[Chorus 3:]
Return of the mack,
It is,
Return of the mack,
Hold on,
Return of the mack,
Don't you know,
You know that I'll be back,
Return of the mack,
Oh, little girl,
Return of the mack,
Once more girl,
Return of the mack,
Up and down,
You know that I'll be back(round and round).

[interlude:]
Ahhhhhh Mark
Stop worrying about your big break

You lied to me,
Cause he said she'd never turn on me,
You lied to me,
But you did, but you did,
You lied to me,
All this pain you said I'd never feel
You lied to me,
But I do, but I do do do

[Chorus 1]

[Chorus 2]

Return of the mack


References

Uploaded on Jun 23, 2007 by markmorrisononline

Wikipedia: Return of the Mack
"Return of the Mack" is a song written and recorded by English R&B artist Mark Morrison. It was released in United Kingdom in March 1996 and reached the number one on the UK Singles Chart a month later. It reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in early summer 1997 for one week, kept from number one by Hanson's "MMMBop", and went platinum. The song's beat is sampled from the song "Genius of Love" by American band Tom Tom Club. It additionally samples "Games" by Chuckii Booker.

A music video to accompany the release of "The Mack" was first released onto YouTube on 28 June 2011 at a total length of three minutes and fifty-five seconds. It features Mann, Iyaz and Snoop Dogg, at a pool party that starts off in the day into the night and they are surrounded by women. Mark is also shown entering London Heathrow airport and then driving a car.

Wikipedia: Mark Morrison
Mark Morrison (born 3 May 1972) is a West German born English R&B singer. His single, "Return of the Mack", became a number-one or Top 10 hit in several European countries in 1996. The song peaked at number 2 in the United States the following year.

Legal issues
Morrison has faced various criminal charges during his career including a 1997 conviction for attempting to bring a firearm aboard an airliner for which he served three months just as his hit song, Return of the Mack, began rising up the US Billboard charts. In 1998, he failed to appear in court on charges of possessing an offensive weapon. In 1999 he was convicted for armed robbery for holding up a liquor store. In 2002, Morrison was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and car theft. In 2004, he was arrested and spent a night in custody after a fracas started when his medallion went missing. In 2009, Morrison was arrested for an assault in London.


Published on Mar 14, 2013 by grimpr
YouTube: Extended album version



2015-12-26

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Friday 25 December 2015

Christmas 2015 Alone: A Time of Reflection

This represents my new holiday tradition: my sixth year in a row spending the 25th of December by myself. No family dinner, no visits, and no visitors. In fact, my company shuts down over the holidays, so from December 24th at noon until January 4th at 9am, I’m all by myself. In re-reading what I’ve just written, I’m sure the majority of people will find that strange. Heck, maybe it is strange. However, I’m looking forward to the time to catch up on things, to catch up on my me time.

A few years ago, I looked out of my apartment window on the morning of December 25th to discover a rent-a-moving van parked outside my building. It suddenly occurred to me, the majority of the world isn’t Christian and don’t celebrate Christmas. In other words, the Earth continues to rotate on its axis and life continues to get on with its existence. It’s just another day. And to me, that’s what it is, just another day: a cup of coffee, peruse the headlines, a little house cleaning, catch up on my paperwork, some exercise, and attempt some of the things I procrastinate about during my normal working schedule. And that’s a good thing.

I’ve been through the hubbub of many a family Christmas: a celebratory maelstrom of food, drink, and gifts. I’ve participated in many a conversation with people, even members of my family; I don’t know all that well discussing matters I wasn’t necessarily interested in. Now, I get up the morning of December 25th and it’s silent. It’s just me. There’s nobody else here except, perhaps, God. And I find He or She is pretty quiet. I think we both like to be quiet in the morning during that first cup of coffee.

Out of curiosity, I did a Google search “number of people alone at Christmas” and turned up various articles listing what to do when you’re alone, enjoying being alone, and the people who choose to be alone at Christmas. Considering the turmoil I’ve experienced firsthand of planning and executing a family Christmas dealing with young children, in-laws and outlaws, large meals, and an endless stream of visitors delivering an endless supply of goodies, I had to chuckle in reading in the last article from the BBC: "When I've told friends and family that I'll be spending Christmas alone, a couple of them have even been quite jealous." Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

I’m sure at some point in the future, I will again participate in a full-blown Christmas. However, it will be as a visitor, not as an organiser. In the meantime, as I sit here on Christmas morning typing these words while sipping a second cup of coffee, I will savour this moment of solitude. I will be thankful for past times and I will look forward to future adventures. But for the moment, I will be grateful for my me time.

References

my blog: Christmas 2014: What’s next? - Dec 24/2014
Being alone may seem undesirable if not sad. Oddly enough, I’ve been looking forward to it. I have a little more than a week off and I have all this time for myself, to do whatever I please. Eat, sleep, think, and watch YouTube videos: the possibilities are endless. And therein lies the question to be answered. What’s next?

my blog: Christmas 2013: I have options - Dec 25/2013
The area gets hit by an ice storm and I go without power for now, going on four days. My office is a few blocks from where I live and the building has never been without power. I sleep at my apartment but I spend my time at the office with a frig of my food, a micro-wave, and Internet access. I can shower at the gym around the corner. I am without power but I have options.

my blog: Christmas 2012: Home Alone 3 - Dec 25/2012
Traditions change: death and divorce. ... Christmas number three represents my new tradition: another day devoted to me... Sound sad? It's not. As odd as it seems, I am enjoying the peace and quiet. I have at times enjoyed the holiday hubbub but right now I'm enjoying the freedom from tradition. Yes, I sometimes get nostalgic but one has to come back to that Zen master stuff (or is it bulls**t?) and move on. You have to enjoy life right now as it is, for what it is. After all, what else exists? Is the glass half full or is it half empty? Heck, it's the only glass I got!

2015-12-25

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Tuesday 22 December 2015

Bernie Sanders on the real issue about Donald Trump



“Somebody like a Trump comes along and says, ‘I know the answers. The answer is that all of the Mexicans, they’re criminals and rapists. We’ve got to hate the Mexicans. Those are your enemies. We hate all the Muslims because all of the Muslims are terrorists. We’ve got to hate the Muslims.’

Meanwhile the rich get richer. So what I say to those people who go to Donald Trump’s rallies: understand, he thinks a low minimum wage in America is a good idea. He thinks low wages are a good idea. I believe we stand together to address the real issues facing this country, not allow them to divide us by race or where we come from. Let’s create an America that works for all of us, not a handful on top.”

Published on Dec 19, 2015 by ABC News
YouTube: Democratic Presidential Candidates Remark on Calls for Muslim Ban

As I wrote in my blog Why I’m not writing about politics: I’m bored. (Dec 13/2015), the political debate has gotten completely inane. Donald Trump exemplifies the right end of the political spectrum where ideology has become divorced from reality. The so-called Republican leaders are deliberately leading people astray with artificially created issues that have nothing to do with the serious underlying problems of the nation and of the world. The entire election process is not about doing what's right; it's about winning at all costs. It's shameful. And it's stupid. We have stupid leaders and stupid followers as the electorate are just as much to blame. They have no idea what's going on and keep supporting that which in the long run harms them. Donald Trump? Ben Carson? You've got to be kidding me. These people are no more fit to lead than Forest Gump. No, wait. Forest actually had more common sense than any of these people.

A curious note
I read Wikipedia's article on the 2016 Election and discovered, as of this moment (Dec 22/2015), there are three people running for presidential candidate of the Democratic party: Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Martin O'Malley. However, there are thirteen people vying for presidential candidate of the Republican party including the likes of one Donald Trump and Ben Carson, but also notable divorced from reality idiots such as Rick Santorum. Why single out Mr. Santorum? This man has such a strong anti-homosexual agenda, he brought down upon himself the condemnation of syndicated columnist Dan Savage who successfully campaigned for a neologism based on the name Santorum.

The campaign for the neologism "santorum" started with a contest held in May 2003 by Dan Savage, a sex columnist and LGBT rights activist. Savage asked his readers to create a definition for the word "santorum" in response to then-U.S. Senator Rick Santorum's views on homosexuality, and comments about same sex marriage. In his comments, Santorum had stated that "[i]n every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be." Savage announced the winning entry, which defined "santorum" as "the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex". He created a web site, spreadingsantorum.com (and santorum.com), to promote the definition, which became a top internet search result displacing the Senator's official website on many search engines, including Google, Yahoo! Search, and Bing.

This isn't the only time those against homosexuality argue by equating it to pedophilia and bestiality. Go extreme or go home.

Final Word
I'm tired to listening to the GOP. They're crazy. They make no sense. They open their mouths and spout off such bullsh*t, it isn't worth my time to even supply a rebuttal. If they can accept the Bible as the word of God, if they can accept the Earth was created six thousand years ago, if they can accept that dinosaurs and humans roamed the wilds together in peaceful harmony, they can believe anything. Defunding Planned Parenthood is a good thing. Obamacare must be repealed. Mexicans are rapists. Muslims are terrorists. And for sure, the top one percent deserve more tax breaks.

Bernie is a very nice man. Hillary will probably win and that will still be a good thing. Being more middle-of-the-road, she may be better equipped to deal with the right. However, I will repeat that Bernie is a very nice man.



References

my blog Why I’m not writing about politics: I’m bored. - Dec 13/2015
Back in 2011, I went nuts about the GOP nominations. In 2012, I went nuts about the election. Now, in 2015, nary a peep. I have no plans for 2016. What gives?

my blog The 2016 Presidential Race and The GOP Nominations - Jun 22/2015
I’m Canadian. If you listen to Fox News and the rest of the Conservative ilk, I live to the north in a bastion of socialism. Canada, a country which has had universal health care for decades. Canada, a country whose banks did not collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. Canada, whose life expectancy is 81 years as opposed to 78.7 south of the border. And I ain’t a socialist. And Canada is a democratic country. And Fox News knows Jack s**t.

2015-12-22

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Monday 21 December 2015

John Legend - Who Did That To You (Django Unchained)



Now, I'm not afraid to do the Lord's work,
You say vengeance is His, but I'm a do it first,
I'm gonna handle my business in the name of the law, aah, ohh,

Now if he made you cry, oh, I gotta know,
If he's not ready to die, he best prepare for it,
My judgement's divine, I'll tell you who you can call,
You can call...

You better call the police, call the coroner,
Call up your priest, have them warn ya,
Won't be no peace when I find that fool,
Who did that to you, yeah,
Who did that to you, my baby,
Who did that to you, uh,
Gotta find that fool, oh,
Who did that to you?

Now I don't take pleasure in a man's pain,
But my wrath will come down like the cold rain,
And there won't be no shelter, no place you can go,
Hey, Heeeey,
It's time to put your hands up, time for surrender,
I'm a vigilante, my love's defender,
You're a wanted man, and everybody knows,

You better call the police, call the coroner,
Call up your priest, have them warn ya,
Won't be no peace when I find that fool,
Who did that to you, hey,
Who did that to you, my baby,
Who did that to you, ahhhh,
Gotta find that fool, hey-ah,
Who did that to you?

Now he'll keep on running, but I'm closing in,
I'll hunt him down until the bitter end,
If you see me coming then who you gonna call?
Yeee-aaahhh,

You better call the police, call the coroner,
Call up your priest, have them warn ya,
Won't be no peace when I find that fool, hey, hey, heey-ah,

You better call the doctor, call the lawyer,
I chase 'em all the way to California,
Give 'em hell ya trying to find that fool,
Who did that to you?


References

Published on June 15, 2016 by Django Unchained

Wikipedia: Django Unchained (soundtrack)
Django Unchained is the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's motion picture Django Unchained. It was originally released on December 18, 2012. The soundtrack uses a variety of music genres, relying heavily on spaghetti western soundtrack.

Tracks composed for the film are "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross and produced by and featuring Jamie Foxx, "Who Did That To You?" by John Legend, "Freedom" by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton, "Ancora Qui" by Ennio Morricone and Elisa.

Wikipedia: John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He has won nine Grammy Awards, one Golden Globe, and one Academy Award. In 2007, Legend received the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

2015-12-21

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Saturday 19 December 2015

Tell me something which would make me happy and sad at the same time





Uploaded on Jun 30, 2010 by JokeToons

YouTube channel: JokeToons
JokeToons will entertain you with wild jokes from around the world told for the first time in stunning 3D animation!

Twitter: @JokeToons


2015-12-19

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Thursday 17 December 2015

Random Stuff - December 17, 2015








Ms. Ciccone (2009) by Lori Earley, Surrealist; Wikipedia; Pinterest



Jace Wallace, Freelance Illustrator; Gallery; Gallery





Bobbie Morgan (1964-2015): A Good Woman's Dirty Mind; my blog



2015-12-17

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Sunday 13 December 2015

Why I’m not writing about politics: I’m bored.

Back in 2011, I went nuts about the GOP nominations. In 2012, I went nuts about the election. Now, in 2015, nary a peep. I have no plans for 2016. What gives?

In 2011, I discovered the Republicans had been taken over by the Tea Party, a far far right Christian fundamentalism, white male dominated, faith before facts brand of conservatism to beat all conservatism. It was hilarious. People would open their mouths and then, without any reflection, without obviously any knowledge, experience, or logical powers of reasoning, utter the most inane bits of nonsense as if they were Moses coming down from the Mount doling out profound words of wisdom God would be proud of. I suppose this has existed for all times in the political arena, but I can’t help thinking the craziness of the past few years started with the arrival of Sarah Palin on the scene. As I’ve written elsewhere, John McCain, in hopes of getting votes, did one of the greatest disservices to the American political process. Sarah Palin should not have been allowed in the building, never mind being allowed on stage. She makes Forest Gump look like a genius.

Of course, an astute observer is quite rightly going to say that a comparison to Forest Gump is a hyperbole meant for humorous effect. Guilty as charged. However, the latest crop of GOP presidential candidates is no better than the 2011 line-up and certainly no better than Palin. Whenever Ben Carson or Donald Trump open their mouths, I ask myself why anybody is listening to them. This is no more worthy of my attention than the drunken lout staggering out of a bar at one in the morning incoherently spouting off about God only knows what.

Back in my twenties, my artsy fartsy period, I became fascinated with all things intellectual: science, art, philosophy, and religion. I was willing to talk, expound, debate, and argue to the wee hours of the morning, sorting out all the ills of the world. One of the hot topics of the time was that age-old favourite: God. Does He exist? Is He a She? Can we know His design? Is the Bible His word verbatim? And those conversations went on ad infinitum. Or should I say ad nauseum?

One time, two smiling enthusiastic adherents of the Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked at my door. They made the mistake of accepting my invitation to come in. "Abandon hope all ye who enter here." Much to their surprise and consternation, I was not looking for salvation. For about an hour, both sides laid out their positions, detailed their arguments and proselytised the sh*t out of their beliefs. At the end of the match, the judges declared no knockouts and awarded each party a tie.

What I did not grasp at the time is that when it comes to faith, you don’t argue; you believe. There are no rational arguments to justify your beliefs. There is no logical train of thought, which systematically steps through the empirical evidence to objectively arrive at the only acceptable conclusion. You believe. You believe for every drop of rain a flower grows. You don’t care about science. You don’t care about witnesses. You don’t care about verifiable and repeatable experimentation. You believe. Period. End of story. This is where you put both hands over your ears, squeeze your eyes shut, and loudly say, “La, la, la, la, la.”

An acquaintance became a born-again Christian. She took me out to one of her evangelical church services; I suppose with the idea of saving my soul. I remember being startled by random members of the congregation periodically standing up and loudly proclaiming, “Praise the Lord!” That was certainly something I had never seen growing up in a Protestant family. Imagine my perplexed consternation at behaviour, which was completely at odds with my logic trumps all attitude toward solving the issues.

Today, if I meet a believer, as in the Earth was created six thousand years ago, people and dinosaurs lived in peaceful harmony, and the Bible and all its contradictions is the exact word of God, I do not take up the challenge. I say, “That’s nice,” and move on. It’s not worth the time and effort as that person has crossed over to the other side. Once you’ve crossed over to the other side, there is no logical, rational discussion to be had about anything, as you believe. Period. End of story. You may come back to this side, but you will only do so of your own accord. Nothing I say is going to sway you. So I’m not wasting the spittle.

Politics is very much like religious beliefs. I would like to think there is a logical discussion to be had in order to arrive at the best solution to whatever issue is on the table, but if anything, from the past few years of blogging about politics I realise that people believe what they believe. There is no discussion about the evidence, as people don’t believe the evidence. Who needs facts when you have faith?

Is this “blind belief” tied to education and world experience? The more you know; the less you know. And the opposite: the less you know; the more you believe. On occasion, I’ve heard the expression “the dumbing down of America” and the Tea Party and the GOP in general seem to be representative of that. The utterances of the candidates in the line-up for the GOP nomination display such an ignorance about facts and world affairs, I’m sure the rest of the world is appalled at the possibility of the Republicans winning the White House. The Ugly American indeed.

Several years ago, Jay Leno of The Tonight Show had a bit where he would stand in the street and ask strangers random questions. One time, he shows people a picture of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. and asks them to identify the landmark. Several people said it was The Space Needle, the name of the tower in Seattle. These tests of general knowledge and the failure of each passer-by were comedic, but also raised questions about American politics and what we’re seeing today. These people are voters. How can you cast a good vote if your knowledge about the issues is nonexistent or distorted by ignorance and blind faith?

PoliTech is a non-partisan political organisation at Texas Tech University. On October 28, 2014, they released the following video in which they asked students several questions.

1. Who won the Civil War?
2. Who is the current vice-president?
3. From whom did we gain our independence?
4. What show is Snooki on?
5. Who is Brad Pitt married to?

All students on camera could not answer questions one and two. One student correctly answered number three but only after hesitating. Everyone answered questions four and five, both based on pop culture.


In reporting on this, the web site Winning Democrats states: Mark McKenzie, assistant professor of political science at Texas Tech called the answers “jaw-droppingly shocking,” but indicated that they are typical of the population as a whole.

What exactly are we seeing here? These people are the next generation of voters. Heck, they may be voting right now. How can they possibly cast a good vote if they are so out of touch?

The Globe and Mail – Dec 11/2015
Trump’s true believers: How he’s gone farther than Europe’s far right, and who got him there by Doug Sanders
An ABC News/Washington Post poll in late July found that Mr. Trump’s strongest support came from “people at the margins of the Republican primary process.”

Notably, it found that his support is four times higher among those with no postsecondary education (32 per cent of whom support him) than it is among university graduates. Polling at the end of November showed similar results, with Mr. Trump the favoured choice among voters without college degrees by a two-to-one margin over other candidates.

We’re afraid of the unknown. I’d say it’s a common characteristic of the human animal. However, the more ignorant you are of things, of politics, of your country, of the world, and of life, there is quite logically more to be afraid of. We want somebody to make the bogeyman go away. Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and now Ben Carson and Donald Trump. Let’s vote Republican because... well, I have faith.

In 2000, the American public voted George W. Bush into office. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have a price tag of four to six trillion dollars. (Washington Post) Need I remind you that there were no weapons of mass destruction. (Wikipedia) The 2008 financial crisis has been estimated to have cost Americans twenty-two trillion dollars. (Huff Post Business) Let’s not forget about torture as interrogation and domestic surveillance.

His presidency has been ranked among the worst in surveys of presidential scholars published in the late 2000s and 2010s. -Wikipedia

History repeats itself. We have a tendency to forget about yesterday. Humorously or I should say seriously, politics is like Groundhog Day. What if Trump won? I’m now thinking that when Trump says, “You’re fired,” he’ll have the launch codes.


References

The 2016 Presidential Race and The GOP Nominations
The Conservative end of the political spectrum is no longer funny, it is now full out bats**t crazy. The belief system of the right is no longer of the right, it has moved to the far right. It has become more and more extreme, more entrenched in ideology than logical debate, more based on faith than on fact. The truth is no longer relative to the conversation.

The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
The Apprentice is an American reality game show that judges the business skills of a group of contestants. It is closely associated with real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, who hosted 14 seasons of the show from its inception in January 2004 until 2015. ... Each episode typically ended with Trump eliminating one of the contestants with the words, "You're fired" (which has become a locution of both the program and Trump).

2015-12-13

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Saturday 21 November 2015

Bobbie Morgan (1964-2015): A Good Woman's Dirty Mind

She's gone. I'm stunned. I exchanged some comments on Facebook with her just this past weekend and now, the news. It's hard to grasp. Any moment I'll get another posting, another tweet, or even an email.

I first met Bobbie back in 2013 when she was running #AdultSexEdMonth. I had no idea what this hashtag was about, but decided I'd post some of my own blog postings about our favorite topic, sex. While I did make it on some lists, I never considered myself a sex blogger per se and was in no way in the same league as Ms. Morgan. She was prolific and dedicated. Yes, as with all things sexual, there is a wink wink nudge nudge side of it, but Bobbie was trying to get the message out there that none of us has to stay for the rest of our lives in the shadow of a Puritanical patriarchy. Sex is good. Sex is fun. And sex is normal. I have to admire her for her hard work. If #AdultSexEdMonth was popular in 2013, in 2014 it got bigger and 2015 saw it get bigger still.

Passion and Parrot
Bobbie spoke about sex, but she also spoke about passion. As odd as this sounds, I looked upon the relationship she had with her lover Parrot, the stories of passion, of playfulness, of the zest for life and all goes along with sharing life with an enthusiastic partner with whom you click on all levels, as an example of the ideal relationship, the relationship everyone should have. I have wistfully sighed about my marriage and subsequent divorce and thought if my wife and I had had half the passion, half the intimacy, and half the connection that Bobbie had with Parrot, we would still be blissfully married. My condolences to Parrot. This must be a huge loss to him.

What happens now?
Bobbie mentioned in her blog that not many people in her "real life" knew about her alternate persona. Does her family know? Did she leave any instructions for the next of kin about her web site? If nothing is done, her domain name will expire. What did she pay for last time? One year? Two years?

What happens to #AdultSexEdMonth? I suppose that's up to us who participated in it. Will we continue to post under that hashtag or will we all forget about it? Bobbie set up a site to provide links to all articles. We all looked because we all wanted to see our names. Will somebody else take on this responsibility?

Two days shy of 52 years old. It's moments like this we are reminded about the fragility of life. You never know when your time will be up. Yes, it's a reminder about the fragility of our own lives. Time's a-wasting. If you don't do it now, you may never get to do it.

She's gone. I'm stunned. This is quite a hole in the world. Facebook. Twitter. The blog. There is one less contributor to the betterment of our lives. Bobbie Morgan, it's been a pleasure. I thank you for the privilege and the honor to have met you. I will miss you.


“The greatest thing in life is finding people that turn small moments into great moments.
Nothing in life must be eternal only unforgettable.”
-Unknown



I started this blog in September 2012. It was built on the inspiration of the love affair of a lifetime between me and my lover, Parrot. So often we’d say (and still say) that if most people knew of how amazing our sex and relationship are that they’d never believe it. If only we could teach, bottle, sell or share our secrets of our great sex, romance and relationship, more people would be happier and more fulfilled.

Like the way Parrot and I talk with each other, A Good Woman’s Dirty Mind is open, frank, and nakedly explicit in the way it talks about sex and relationships. It’s not explicit in a pornographic way, but my stories get to the point without hiding behind a cloud of euphemisms. As I often say, if you can’t talk (or read) about sex, you have no business having sex.

In short, A Good Woman’s Dirty Mind is all about real sex — and really great sex at that — for real people.

Kinkly: Top Sex Bloggers of 2015: #29


Parrot's Pen: In memoriam - Nov 22/2015
It is with indescribable sadness that I inform my readers of the passing of my love, my muse, Bobbie Morgan, on November 18, 2015. She inspired many of the stories in these pages. I am sure that, even though she is no longer here, she will inspire many more. Her memorial service is today, November 22, 2015. This is her eulogy.


Kayla Lords: A Good Dirty Woman is Gone – and She Will Be Missed - Nov 20/2015

2015-11-21

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