Such as these comments recently on CBS’ Late Late Show with James Corden. I can’t explain it but can’t get it out of my head:
“I think the consciousness of the higher self and the eternal self is determined by how much fear you have, or allow yourself to have. And that’s what I’ve been working on. The older I get the more I realize it’s love versus fear, not love versus hate.”
another observation that you and Shirley might like:
“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around us in awareness.”
― James Thurber
Shirley McClaine is one spaced out woman. Her early movies, 1950’s, are a treat to watch. The Trouble With Harry is a fine example.
Catching up on Trail Mix:
My grandmother, actually my step-grandmother on my mother’s side, willed me her cookbooks, including her hand written recipes. My favorite is for Cornish Pasties. Made with suet crust.
For flavor in meats you need to find a butcher who buys from farmers or ranchers who raise old line breeds in old fashioned ways. Locally I buy from the Amish market. The meats are not filled with water. You can see the skin of the chickens is deep yellow. I try to buy eggs from local chicken and duck raisers. Those are good eating. I also buy vegetables and meats from the Asian markets. Highest quality and again the meats are not filled with water.
Reading: I usually have two or more books open. Currently I am reading Janet Evanovich, Hot Six is open. Also, I am starting on Frozen Hell, The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40, William R. Trotter. It covers a war which is little reported, but extremely significant for WWII and even today. Plus a couple other reference books on genealogy and cloud data management.
bbronc, putin keeps presenting arguments about crimea and other neighbors as part of old russia and therefore reannex-able. why shouldn’t mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto use the same argument for “invading” by migration texas and its neighbors?
and another question for you, bbronc, is about that 2 1/2 hour tete a tete amongst 2 neophytes and 2 old pros. you think they might have been taken for a ride? maybe brain washed a bit? fed a few faux-ities? do hope they were sprayed/swept for bugs after…. wouldn’t be fitting to infect the other 18 of the g20.
Patd, I wouldn’t worry too much about the annexation of Texas or Arizona. There’s more gunpowder in these two states than in all of Mexico (and more guns).
good, but lengthy article in the guardian
excerpt from Elon Musk’s big battery brings reality crashing into a post-truth world
….
It seemed that truth no longer mattered. Facts were not just unimportant, but barriers to be smashed through with rhetoric. Demonstrating beyond reasonable doubt that a politician was lying no longer had any impact. Even when people agreed that he (usually) was lying, they still supported him, because he activated a frame or a value that drove their political decision-making.
At the same time, political scientist Brendan Nyhan conducted fascinating and depressing research on what he called the “backfire effect”. Although this research isn’t conclusive, he showed that using facts to try to reverse strongly held political views – such as on climate change, vaccination, gun control – was worse than useless, generally ending up emphasising existing views rather than altering them. He also showed that these tribally-based political views trumped (and I use that word advisedly) our ability to do maths. We can read graphs really well. Except when they contradict our political views. Nyhan showed a clear tendency for people with high numeracy skills to misread graphs about gun control or climate change, even when they’d just correctly read the same graph about soap.
What’s this got to do with Elon Musk’s great big battery?
Often politics deals in ephemeral ideas, subjective ideas, ideas about how well off we are, how confident we might be about the future, how safe we feel. Decades of political focus on the dismal science of economics has enabled this. Politics can become a confidence game.
But sometimes politics comes up hard against reality.
For months now, Malcolm Turnbull, Josh Frydenberg, various fossil fuel energy executives and media commentators like Paul Kelly have been rabbiting on about the “energy trilemma”. It’s their contention that energy policy must deal with cost, reliability and emissions, and that it is impossible to achieve all three at the same time. Conveniently, they choose to put emissions at the bottom of this list and bury it under a pile of coal, which they claim is cheap and reliable.
This is not true. Not even close to it. It doesn’t stand up to basic scrutiny.
[….]
Musk’s gambit closes this book. He has brought reality crashing in.
Within 100 days, there will be a huge battery system making South Australia’s energy grid clean, affordable and reliable, and benefitting the eastern states along with it.
All the talk of building new coal-fired power stations, or a Snowy Hydro 2.0, no longer sounds vaguely “truthy”. It sounds ridiculous. It sounds silly. It sounds like old men yelling at clouds.
This won’t suddenly bring back a cherished (and somewhat mythological) era of truth in politics. But it will have a real, demonstrable impact. It will help. We all owe deep gratitude to those who have made it happen.
Putin, of course, knows that Drump is completely exhausted after 20 minutes…..
I read a Shirley book long ago…..not about after or past lives, but about her early days in the movies….it was a great reading about movies and movie-making.
Also learned a great new word when she described Dean Martin as being a true “menefrigista”……..italian word denoting does not give a fuck. It’s how he was able to walk away from Martin and Lewis, how he took the tv show with very low pay but with stock payoffs in NBC, which wound up making him very wealthy, etc. etc.
Loved yesterday’s thread, and today’s looks like it is going to be a good read as well.
Am linking this article from Kos. A sad and all too common dose of reality. For me at least it sums up pretty well what the fight over health care is all about. Hope the author wins that seat! A very worthwhile read if you have the time.
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/7/6/1678313/-They-said-it-s-esophageal-cancer-inoperable-we-re-calling-hospice?detail=emaildkre
My favorite MacLaine movie was Irma la Douce……..another of those I saw while in the middle of the Pacific Ocean somewhere……
“Auction? Sure I know auction…..I crossed the Atlantic Auction, the Pacific Auction….sure I know Auction.”
—Chico Marx
The little knitting circle held with only two translators (one at least is a SVR or FSB agent), a secretary, a minister (at least an SVR agent), a president with no experience in real life against a KGB agent, and a KGB agent could not come out well for the U.S. From what we know about the senile old man who would turn over his wife for someone telling him he looks like a strong man, is that he is out of his league. He would be out of his league with any diplomat, as we keep seeing.
My main concern is that SFB offered up the spy houses in NY and Maryland.
Most telling of the little love fest is there were no note takers. Not one American person, I am sure the Russians were wired for audio and video, has a verbatim record of the event. We know we cannot rely on SFB, he has no ability to remember that he rides in a big black limo that blocks the stair of Air Force One. Tillerson is a Russian hero, recipient of the highest civilian honors, which most likely means he is an agent. The translator would not say anything, at least until Mueller interviews him or her. So we will never know the U.S. version of what he gave away.
Summer is when the Russian military conducts large scale exercises. This year they have been on the Finnish and Estonia region. Although the Russians have a lot of people to take over Europe, they still face a large American force in Germany. That is until SFB decides to reduce American presence in Europe. Watch for that move to make final decisions about whether the guy has turned.
bbronc, I suspect some of those “large scale exercises” they’re doing this summer are right now going on in the streets of hamburg messing up angela’s little meeting. distractions can help with the disinformation dissemination.
sturge, I sure wish they would do a remake of “Irma la Douce” keeping it truer to the play which was a wee raunchier than the movie… and funnier. easier to produce stuff like that nowadays than in Shirley’s younger day. maybe even revive some of the original French farce parts.
particularly liked this from the score
https://youtu.be/wvpCEnebk8A
Keith Michell. Elizabeth Seal. Irma La Douce.
good script writing here for a movie back in the old prudish days. btw, was an early sixties movie still burdened by the code of Legion of Decency?
It is fear that keeps a lot of people from doing things that would be fun or beneficial
fear of the unknown or fear of failure or that voice someone installed in your head telling you really bad things are going to happen if you do whatever it is.
Fortunately, my parents raised me not to be afraid although there are times when they wished they had not.
Anarchists and provocateurs are a Russian specialty. Disrupt and cause causalities, and then Putin shows the video to keep tighter controls on Russian people. I expect SFB to do the same here in an attempt to destroy the First Amendment.
Putin is very popular at home — generally the Russian economy is improving and pocket book issues matter. Hard to believe 85% view him as harsh but a good leader.
What I don’t get is why the rest of the world acts like they are in charge. They are a big flaccid nation with resources but largely incompetent and run in the private sectors by flawed businessmen in the mold of pussy grabber. They only excel in the arts and criminal behavior.
Speaking of baseless fear – why is everyone afraid of them?
ps
Responding to BB
I believe that Pussy G will try to impose martial law and suspend elections if things get bad for him. He will use “crime” as the excuse the police need for assistance – he telegraphed that when he kept talking about fixing chicago
“…why is everyone afraid of them?”
kgc, maybe this from wiki will tell you
According to the Federation of American Scientists, an organization that assesses nuclear weapon stockpiles, as of 2016, Russian Federation possesses 7,300 total nuclear warheads, of which 1,790 are strategically operational. This is in large part due to the special bomber counting rules allowed by the treaty which counts each strategic nuclear bomber as one warhead irrespective of the number of warheads—gravity bombs and/or cruise missiles carried by the aircraft. The figures are, by necessity, only estimates because “the exact number of nuclear weapons in each country’s possession is a closely held national secret.” In addition to nuclear weapons, Russia declared an arsenal of 39,967 tons of chemical weapons in 1997, of which 57% have been destroyed.
and just today on cnn, a former spy reminded us they have enough to blow up the planet several times over.
also, beware the tea… even the tea cup. just ask Alexander Litvinenko
KGC, thanks for tackling the fear thing. By the way, FDR got the “fear itself” mantra from his psychiatrist.
Not saying this White House is incompetent, but how do you forget to make room reservations for the G20
No Room At The Inn
Fear can be crippling. Although fear of the unknown is terrible. For a lot of people their fear of events is all too real
We also have enough nukes to blow ourselves to where ever Putin doesn’t want to blow himself up – in many ways, it is kind of an empty threat.
Shirley MacLaine has been one of my favorite actresses for years simply because she becomes anyone and makes it look easy to do. Favorite role: Ouiser in Steel Magnolias.
FDR got good advice from his shrink
I think one of the greatest examples of triumph over fear is Rosa Parks
Jamie, I agree. she and Olympia Dukakis must have had a great time with some of their fight scenes
🙂
.
Good sized piece of wood in your hands…..
Fear when properly handled can be healthy – it makes you prepare
I’ve read some of MacLaine’s books.
Craig… what she’s saying is that people hate things they are afraid of…. such as I hate Trumplestiltskin because I’m afraid of how he’ll damage this country. It’s just basic psych 101 packaged in new agey googly gook.
Makes sense RR, you should be her translator
Craig,
Don’t go near the eagle nest http://www.dceaglecam.org/ right now. Honor got a nice big fish and
Glory is up on a branch screeching for the leftovers.
“Our world has never been so divided,” French President Emmanuel Macron said as the talks broke up. “Centripetal forces have never been so powerful. Our common goods have never been so threatened.”
whaa? what did he mean by centripetal force? [c f as described by Isaac Newton: “a force by which bodies are drawn or impelled, or in any way tend, towards a point as to a centre”] to whom or to what was my little French cupcake referring…. sounds pretty fearsome whatever. g20 closes with a “goodbye, cruel world” shake of the head.
This headline syncs so neatly with today’s topic I just had to break my Trump silence:
Trump leaves leaders fearing the future as G-20 summit closes (WAPO)
But do they hate him? Guessing so. The body language at their group photo ops sure indicated that to me.
Jamie, if they were eating pigeons I’d watch and cheer
I highly recommend Jim Hightower’s newsletter The Hightower Lowdown
there is an amazing story about big corporations denying the right to repair your own stuff
http://www.hightowerlowdown.org
fighting back sites like iFixit.com
Unfortunately for you, the eagle area of the Arboretum is closed to foot traffic while they are nesting, so you can’t throw them pigeons.
Jamie – The herd of syncopates that SFB has brought into the WH does not include the people necessary to do planning. They probably called someone in to help.
But, and this is a big but, he may have told them he was not going to go to the G20. His dislike of anything and anywhere that is not under his name is known. And, trying to get someone with mental medical issues to change routine is difficult. The stress he is under to be more than a school yard bully is intense and may be causing rapid decline of his facilities. I accidentally heard something from him doing his “i’m a victim and the media hates me” speech a day ago. I am positive he is slurring words and stretching the sh sounds. It is very possible he may be in a meeting and stand up, look around, walk over behind someone’s chair, unzip his fly and pee on the back of it thinking he walked down to the gent’s room.
Craig, I don’t know why you hate pigeons; they flock to you
BB
There were several places in the speech where he mangled simple words. It got very noticeable toward the end.
May 28, 2008 – I don’t remember why, it is an Ernest movie after all, but one turtle says to the other “I’m scared, Sarge.” The other turtle replies “We’re all scared, son.” Who knows why this sticks with me but it does …
—Eric Dewey
Flatus, I’ve just won my latest pigeon battle. A couple trying to nest under my grill. Snuck up on them and sprayed their asses with Roundup. They got the message.
Putin: Knight Fork…..
There is a lot going on in the world. It is difficult to see, understand and react to a world of action. Especially when your world is confined to “i’m a victim and the media hates me” reaction and then going to the golf course to cheat at the game. Twitter does have a good use if you follow the right people. Here is a current tweet regarding military exercises ongoing. I am sure no one will tell SFB as to keep him out of the loop and not
call Puttie with information about US and UK ships in the Bosporus.
BB, strange vessel in the photo. Appears to be listing to starboard, has pilot aboard with pilot boat ready to debark the pilot.
Queen Ivanka (not to be confused with Dowager Melania) sat in for her father at G-20 meetings, as if she were a peer of other world leaders. A vapid, unfeeling, unelected socialite and wealth-junkie represented you to the rest of the world, thanks to nepotism. Feel free to vomit up all that good food you made, yesterday.
“Hey, Frank! Did that dick try to spray you with herbicide, too?”
“He sure did, Louise! Do you think he knows we are birds and not plants, right?”
“Not sure about that, but he is obviously unaware that it is a violation of Federal and State law to use that product in a manner inconsistent with its labelling!”
“Wow, Louise, you’re really smart! You should be a lawyer!”
“Unfortunately, Frank, I am a bird and not human, therefore that avenue is not accessible to me. Besides, all the good jobs in that field go to the daughters of fathers that want to fuck them. Let’s just poop on this guy’s sill, again.”
“Tweet chirp, tweet tweet coo.”
Craig,
I am a veteran of the pidgeon wars. Speaking from extensive experience, I can say that you need to upgrade your PAP (Pidgeon Abatment Program) You are in a war and one gurialla attack with a herbicide no less will not hasten the outcome.
You must stand at the battlements and be ever on guard for their return. Should you fail to do this you will find yourself shoveling pidgeon shit three inches deep off your roof and out of your gutters. Trust me on this.
Should you require an able ally in this battle, I am available and willing to travel. Be advised however that I will arrive at your doorstep with .410 in hand, and a sandwich board with the words Got Squab? emblazoned on both sides. By putting this in front of your house it lets your neighbors know that you mean business and they should not ask too many questions.
I work cheap, bourbon and beef and a place to sleep. Most of all I gaurentee results. Both birds and I should be out of your hair in two or three days.?
True story: Basic military training (BMT) Lowry AFB. We were in the new barracks, actually dorms on a pedistile. Show flight, USAF, ready to show off the newest and finest. My flight started with 119 airmen.
As time flows on, we dropped several each night due to URI infections. Really nasty stuff.
Each day we would do all the military stuff starting at 0500. And, we would dodge the pigeon droppings (bombs). In fatigues we could get away with crap on us. But, Sundays in our blues it was a very serious issue. We hated every moment having to leave our sanctuary and having to dodge the bombing. One Sunday we were inspected by the base commander (I tend to remember just a Colonel). He left with several spots on his Blues and cover.
The next day we went on one of those infamous hikes.
The following day we ate “squab” and there were no more pigeons around our barracks.
More mean, stupid humans trampled in Pamplona. Go, bulls!
Jace, I’ve got this under control. No nests on my property.
Craig,
Glad to hear it. Don’t let them come back.
In Trump’s defense for today at the G20 summit. Who the heck schedules a meeting for a Saturday? Saturdays are for golfing!
If youse was hungry you’d pay a pretty penny for those liddle birds……..
I think i might be building them coops
I mean you might get sick of pigeon etoufee but there are worse things.
Racoon etoufee, for one.
And the possum say, “Hold my beer.”
Rodent to human who is under a tree, gnawing at his belt::
Man, like what happened to you guys? You had it all……prehensile thumbs, really great brain, stand up and shit? What happened?
BiD
I love watching Darwin at work … Take ’em out Toro!!!