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[video: https://youtu.be/hovJUoyxulc]
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
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This isn’t a metaphor; it’s brain biology. Scientists have found that in substance addiction, environmental cues such as being in a place where drugs are taken or meeting another person who takes drugs cause sharp surges of dopamine in crucial reward and habit regions of the brain, specifically, the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum. This triggers cravings in anticipation of experiencing pleasure and relief through intoxication. Recent studies show that similarly, cues such as experiencing or being reminded of a perceived wrong or injustice — a grievance — activate these same reward and habit regions of the brain, triggering cravings in anticipation of experiencing pleasure and relief through retaliation. To be clear, the retaliation doesn’t need to be physically violent—an unkind word, or tweet, can also be very gratifying.

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Like substance addiction, revenge addiction appears to spread from person to person. For instance, inner-city gun violence spreads in neighborhoods like a social contagion, with one person’s grievances infecting others with a desire to seek vengeance. Because of his unique position and use of the media and social networks, Trump is able to spread his grievances to thousands or millions of others through Twitter, TV and rallies. His demand for retribution becomes their demand, causing his supporters to crave retaliation—and, in a vicious cycle, this in turn causes Trump’s targets and their supporters to feel aggrieved and want to retaliate, too.

I fear the problem goes beyond just its sheer illogic and immorality. I am concerned that we are dealing with a form addiction, where every “high” delivered to the mob creates both the desire for more of that stimulation and the need for even greater stimuli to achieve the same effect. Donald Trump is a genius at recognizing this dynamic and continually testing and pushing its boundaries, tossing the “red meat” of suffering inflicted on the despised “other” to feed and fuel the addiction (and hence their attachment to him, the pusher).

We know from social science experiments that people are highly impressionable and influenced by both authority figures and their own power relative to others. Studies such as the Milgram experiments (people obeying authority figures even at the cost of violating their own norms and morals) and the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment bear this out. We have seen it play out in real life in countless historical atrocities.

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REPORT ALL INJURIES
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Ecocide Aside
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Report Ecocidejpg_0.jpg
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[video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w0CbkJQFoo]
Mildred Bailey

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It's your open thread, now...

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magiamma's picture

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In the Western world, humans spend 90% of their time indoors. The average American spends even more than that—93%—inside buildings or cars. For years scientists have sounded the alarm that our disconnect from the outdoors is linked to a host of chronic health problems, including allergies, asthma, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and obesity. More recently, experts in various fields have begun studying why buildings, even those designed to be as germ-free as possible, are vectors for disease, not the least Covid-19.

“There was a study of more than 7,300 cases in China, and guess how many people caught the disease outdoors?” Leung asks. “Just two.” Early testing following Black Lives Matter protests in Minnesota also suggested that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 outside is rare, even when thousands of people gather, talking, yelling, and chanting—at least when most of those people wear masks. Out of more than 13,000 protesters tested, only 1.8% were positive. Other states showed similar results.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-12-16/covid-pandemic-microb...

And there is this. Something excellent on sea level rise in the mainstream media...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-rising-sea-levels-worst-case...

While scientists and scientific periodicals tend to be conservative in their public projections of sea-level rise, scientists will often remark that they are concerned it may be much worse. When CBS News asked Englander what he thinks is a "realistic range" of sea-level rise by 2100, he said, "With the current global temperature level and rate of temperature increase I believe that we could get 5 to 10 feet before the end of this century."

Here is the original study:
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2590-3322%2820%2930592-3

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The Liberal Moonbat's picture

@magiamma Interesting...I guess that just makes it all the more credible, given that I'd expect it not to deviate so radically from the establishment line, and you'd think that would be easy with this issue.

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In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.

Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!

magiamma's picture

@The Liberal Moonbat
article on a potential 10’ sea level rise by 2100 from CBS. New study. They even mention reducing fossil fuel emissions. Omg!

Have a good one

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Lookout's picture

Here's a fun old movie...just 1 hour
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z86AQ7f7CoI]

Deluge (1933 pre-Code Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, Drama film)
Directed by Felix E. Feist and released by RKO Radio Pictures.

The film is very loosely based on the 1928 novel of the same name by S. Fowler Wright, with the setting changed from England to the United States. It follows a small group of survivors after a series of unexplained natural disasters erupt around the world and destroy human civilization, including a massive tsunami which inundates New York City.

Scientists discover that a violent storm is heading toward New York City and begin the warning process throughout the city. They believe that something is wrong with the natural barometer patterns and that an unprecedented event is imminent. A sudden eclipse of the sun verifies their notions and it seems that global destruction is near. Telegraphs from Rome and London explain days of unending earthquakes and state "The End of the World is at Hand." Tremendous earthquakes hit the Pacific Coast, killing millions, and it is reported that the entire western coast of the US has been demolished. The earthquakes have also caused major tsunamis in the oceans and disaster is just moments away.

Hope you all have a great holiday and have some good food!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

magiamma's picture

@Lookout
End of the world at hand. How did the know? Heh. It certainly seems like it’s on more people’s minds now both in the scientific community and in the religious communities. Friend just ran into an antivaxer from out of town who is convinced that the virus is a hoax and a plan to control people. Rich guy from over the hill that won’t wear a mask, not even to see his kids. And he is so sad that they won’t let him around without a mask. Darwin award, I say. Meh.

Take good care.

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@Lookout

I'll have to look for that movie you describe.

We just watched The Blob, first time in decades. Fun movie, some period-piece laughs. They don't kill the beast, just freeze it. The military is contacted to airlift it to the Arctic. Characters say it's not killed, just stopped, will the Arctic work? Then the last line of the movie, which twists this light entertainment 180 degrees around into reality-intruding post-modern horror:
"As long as the Arctic stays cold?"

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Lookout's picture

@pindar's revenge

but at this point can only remember the refrain. That's the way things go.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout

of all the songs I "learned" (I'll quote that word, I rarely played things right). Heh. Now I just pick a few tunes.
Swingin' theme tune, tho Smile "It creeps, it leaps"?

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To para-quote some dreamer..
A rising tide floats all boats
as they drift into our streets
and beyond. Wink

come hell or high water
Thanks for the OT!

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

of this cartoon...
9-8-War-Profiteering_0.jpg

Have a good one!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

magiamma's picture

@QMS
Your dreamer needs a parasail!

Take good care.

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enhydra lutris's picture

was probably in store, because who can resist Link Wray over morning coffee. Thanks, and such a great point made and great theme too.

Wea level -- Out there on the actual coast, 10 foot is largely no biggie for large chunks of the coastline. Inland, however, even 4 foot takes out a lot of infrastructure in the Bay Area.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris
I look at where the sewage treatment plants are located. In many places, they're close to sea level, on the coastline, to maximize gravity feed in the pipes. If they get flooded, we're up shit's creek.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@pindar's revenge

located near water - refineries. Not good.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

magiamma's picture

@pindar's revenge
are close to sea level too.

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@magiamma

I like to ask people "where does the shit go when you flush the toilet?"

We have lots of critical and dangerous infrastructure close to sea level or close to pollutable rivers, but refineries and reactors are a bit removed from daily life. Not like flushing the toilet. That's immediate and personal, especially now that everyone knows what an epidemic is. We haven't seen cholera in the US much lately, but that shit's nasty.

Two choices with the treatment plants: move them higher, which makes the sewer network less efficient, or surround them with really good seawalls and pump the effluent out. And keep tidewater from infiltrating the incoming pipes.

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magiamma's picture

@pindar's revenge
Is really close to sea level. All throughout the bay area. Good point. Much to plan for.

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magiamma's picture

@enhydra lutris
Yep, the Bay Area is a goner and the study does not even include the two feet rise from Greenland. Highway 101 is at sea level and much of the peninsula is build on land fill. Milpitus, gone, San Bruno, mostly gone, Mt. View, probably gone at least the part on land fill. Florida, bye bye, New Orleans, so long, NYC, see ya later. That's in 80 years and I'm thinking that given that it is exponential it could be sooner.

Thanks for your many comments, all of which are thought provoking. Take good care.

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enhydra lutris's picture

Outdoors, any kind of outdoors is really important. I can always tell by my moods and outlook, and I can recall a lot of pleasant times simply gathering in somebody's yard or even out in the street. One thing along that line that occurred to me was balconies.

I saw an article this year about some places built in Spain or Italy or Greece way back during some rebuild or build up as something of a work-live zone, maybe 4 stories with business on the bottom and balconies and upper story set-backs to make rooftop outdoor spaces that had become permanent vibrant happy communities, and the "built in outdoors" was a big factor in that. Way back, I think between my Junior and Senior year I had to live for a few weeks in a "residence hotel" type place on University Av. right in the center of downtown Berkeley. I had a balcony, not much used or appreciated during the day, because not home a lot during the day, but at night it was great, especially late night and early morning, Things quieted down, there was something that passed for fresh air, an open sky, with cloud patterns and/or stars and all that. Spent many a pleasant hour out there listening to the Mothers Freak Out in the background from within my room. It kind of makes me think that some, even tiny minimal access to the outside, even a sliding door to a four or six by ten "outside" zone of just about any kind is a plus. That we need such things is obvious from the fact that we build them, that they generally draw a premium, and that we use them when they are available.

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Injustice, grievance, revenge. Makes perfect sense. We're handed a script that says: Get a job, make money, take care of yourself, your family your town, Provide food, healthcare, shelter, safety for those you are responsible for and those around you. But the circumstance change. There's less money, poorer jobs, greater debt for the essentials of life, but the same old script must be followed. Can't keep up? Why?

You're just not smart enough, or lucky enough. You're willing to work hard, but there is little reward for the maximum effort. Everywhere you look there are the success stories, the wealthy, the politicians, the business leaders, the entertainment stars cluelessly flaunting their wealth and Marie Antoine-etting it through life. You feel injustice.

The politicians feel your pain, and say they'll fix the wrongs, but over and over, decade after decade nothing changes. That breeds resentment and solidifies grievance. Every election it's the same retreads and hacks running for office. Why not vote for Trump? What really do you have to lose? After all, under Obama you were just as likely to lose everything as under Trump. Trump slapped Little Marco, and Lyin' Ted and all the rest silly along with the democrats and that must have released some endorphins. Democrats have their platform that covers everything we need, but really only tinker around the edges for whatever pet cause dujour is pressing, breeding resentment.

I don't know if resentment/revenge/endorphin cycle being addictive is true, but having grievances that are becoming generational seems to heighten the need for revenge, by any means.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Snode @Snode

have thumbed their nose at the working class and the left, arguing that "you really have no other choice but us, so vote Dem and neener, neener, neener. Then in 2016 the people elected Trump, whether they choose to admit it or not, because the popular vote isn't what wind hter, the electoral votes are, and they lost those.

Now, what will they "learn" (if anything, if they are capable of "learning) from this?

1) Ok, they are capable of electing even Trump instead of us, so we have to stop blaming to be the only game in town, and pay attention to the left and the hoi polloi.

2) OK, I bet that taught them a lesson, now they'll really come begging us to join our glorious party and that "you have no other choice" line is a guaranteed winner next time.

3) Spend more bucks on propaganda and PR and get better PR. Be more assertive in pretending to care and listen.

4) something else entirely.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

TheOtherMaven's picture

@enhydra lutris

Lie to everyone longer, louder and harder. Bury the facts. Catapult the propaganda. It never fails....

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

enhydra lutris's picture

@TheOtherMaven

it is already starting.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@TheOtherMaven
Russia! Russia! Russia!

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

magiamma's picture

@Snode
What the "script" didn't include is that they moved the manufacturing base over seas and let the infrastructure implode. And they do control the media and feed us propaganda almost from birth now not to mention the already embedded programing in society.

There are a couple of studies that address the dopamine charge resulting from feelings of revenge. Will find the later and add the links here. Took a while to track then down.

Here's one that was still in one of my tabs:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2636868/

Take good care and thanks for your comment.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Snode

be sober and give up my grievances.

I'm unlikely to do either.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

ggersh's picture

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

enhydra lutris's picture

@ggersh @ggersh

could 2021 actually be worse than 2020?

yes, easily, or 22 or 23.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

magiamma's picture

@ggersh
Right on. Very clear. Go small Japanese fishermen; resistance is not futile. Tritium really needs to stay put. What are they thinking. ?

Take good care.

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mimi's picture

calm, for too many nothing is bright and for too many they are not sleeping peacefully.
[video:https://youtu.be/H4Jkjm58qjc]

Top Democrat: "Democrats AGREE with Trump" on stimulus payments

People need hope.

It is Christmas Eve here now in Germany and it is a bit tough to be cheerful. Yet I hope you all can cheer up and be hopeful.

Merry Christmas.

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magiamma's picture

@mimi
I am sending you hope and cheer and good tidings.

Take good care, mimi.

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RantingRooster's picture

Trump taps into what Gustave Le bon describes as "Contagion".

Afternoon Magi, everyone.

From "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind By Gustave Le Bon "

In a crowd every sentiment and act is contagious, and contagious to such a degree that an individual readily sacrifices his personal interest to the collective interest. This is an aptitude very contrary to his nature, and of which a man is scarcely capable, except when he makes part of a crowd.

In other words, put a group of people together, and put a charismatic speaker in front of them, and their collective intelligence drops precipitously. Especially if infused with racial under tones, whether overtly or not. It's always someone else fault for your lot in life and if we just got rid of "them" everything would be ok.

From the video Rule from the Shadows - The Psychology of Power

"The Crowd" was a revolutionary piece of work. In it Le Bon not only presented an in depth description of group psychology and how it differed from individual psychology but he also outlined a very simple set of principles that enable leaders to spark ideological contagion and thereby rise to power. Hitler, Goebbels, and Mussolini all studied Le Bon's writings and they applied his techniques to the letter. The results that they attained were precisely those that Le Bon claimed that they would have.

(bold emphasis mine)
[video:https://youtu.be/p8ERfxWouXs]

I know it's weird to think Trump is an "expert" at anything, however in this, he is a master.

Think for a moment, you're white, have a good job, health insurance, you do what you're told, you don't rock the boat but your life doesn't seem like it's going anywhere. After a while your employer moves your job to China and now you're working at Walmart, whose products come mostly from China. Or maybe you're fired / laid off, because well, "others" will work for less.

Think about the "feelings" of that individual. Where do they "vent" their feelings of betrayal (by their employer), frustration or anger? How do they reconcile the dichotomy, they were doing everything "right", but they got shafted anyway. They don't feel "exceptional", they feel worthless, which in and of it's self, is hard to deal with, especially when nothing they do from then on seems to "work properly", they no longer can get ahead as it were.

Put a person like Trump in front of a group of people feeling the same way, and you have a perfect storm as we have had to experience for the last several years.

We have a country that likes to exalt ourselves as the "exceptional nation", i.e. we are the supreme... nation but most people don't "feel" that. We are also a nation that demands obedience while promoting individuality and freedom to do what you want. In other words you are free to the extent that you obey.

Your freedom comes from obedience. This was Hitler's central thesis if you will. Just do as I say (obey me) and I'll bring you the world for 1,000 years. The Exceptional Nation as it were. Sound familiar?

Just a thought...

Drinks

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@RantingRooster One thing about freedom and obedience. Obedience is required, and non obedience can result in loss of freedom, but freedom has a value assignment, much like free speech. As in money = free speech. Thank you supreme court. The more money you have, the more freedom you have. Corporations, being people, are the most free, because they can live forever.

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RantingRooster's picture

@Snode American Freedom, and you can't have "freedom" unless your alive, both of which must be purchased.

You must earn you way...through, what, forced labor. You must "labor" to earn money to live, and hopefully one day, earn enough money to buy your freedom.

Is that not, forced, indentured servitude? (A topic our founding father's certainly knew quite well.)

We're not slaves, but, we do have to be back on the plantation by Monday morning, right?

Drinks

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magiamma's picture

@RantingRooster
Wow!

Freud, Berneys, Walter Lippman, Hitler, Goebbels, Mussolini all studied Le Bon. Le Bon

outlined a simple set of principals that enabled leaders to spark ideological contagion and thereby rise to power.

Freud also wrote a book (which leaders, the media and advertising use) on how group psychology could control people via group identity, belief systems and social structures.

Bernays repurposed the word propaganda and started the office of The Council on Propaganda Public Relations. Bernays' specialty was engineering social trends for clients. He made perception a commodity. He used three psychological tactics.

1) Creating carefully calculated associations with the subconscious fears and desires of individuals.
2) Influencing opinion leaders and figures of perceived authority figures in order to reach those who followed them.
3) Initiating the contagion of behaviors and ideas through social conformity.

Neuroscientist Gregory Berns measured brainwave activity to show that conformity actually altered the perception of the test participants at a neurological level. His conclusion: Social conformity caused the brain to rewrite reality.

Worth watching the whole thing. Thanks so much. It really deserves a whole essay. The ptb are masters at manipulation at this point. Buyer beware.

Take good care.

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RantingRooster's picture

@magiamma EXACTLY!

Social conformity caused the brain to rewrite reality.

Think of all the "media" jamming into our lives from everywhere and constantly. We can't get "away from it". Everywhere we go there's a "screen", that informs us to "obey", "conform", i.e. thus re-writting our reality.

In other words, "they" write a reality for us to conform too.

I mean, Trump's schitck is on point, whether it's calculated, or not.

1) Creating carefully calculated associations with the subconscious fears and desires of individuals.
2) Influencing opinion leaders and figures of perceived authority figures in order to reach those who followed them.
3) Initiating the contagion of behaviors and ideas through social conformity.

If you think about it, this very technique has elements in "viral videos".

And people wonder why I'm an anti-social/non-conformist/loner...

Drinks

Be safe and have a happy holiday season. Smile

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magiamma's picture

@RantingRooster
that it is not calculated. The government and the media have been using this for years. Of course they are ALL using it. Look at the maga rallies. I want to check the books out in the video you posted which take the whole idea presented in Century of the Self documentary ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnPmg0R1M04 ) to a whole new level.

You too, have a good holiday season.

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dystopian's picture

I'm with EL, when I wake up to Link Wray with my coffee, everything is gonna be fine... I will watch that movie now, had missed it, and always loved a bunch of the native American musicians. Jesse Ed Davis is the other guitarist that was world class awesome, he is on soooo much stuff people didn't know it was him playing lead. THANKS!

Please keep up the great work!

Happy holidays all!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

magiamma's picture

@dystopian
Good morning. Absolutely. Link Wray with coffee. Très cool.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Uq5TPG-T8]

Thanks for dropping in. Take good care.

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OT magi, thanks.
I finally got a chance to read it this morning.
I too missed that documentary you posted above. I second dystopian's sentiment and want to watch it. It looks good. I had not heard of Mildred Bailey, wow, she knew some of the famous musicians very early in the game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Bailey

The power of propaganda is a recurring theme around here as it should be. It is stunning how well it works. The best antidote is to understand how it sways us.

The weather is shaping up to be a beautiful day here. I intend to spend more than 7% of my day outside. I know you enjoy the outdoors as well so I hope you get to do the same.
All the best to you magi.

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magiamma's picture

@randtntx
My post to you this morning went into the ethers apparently. Rain is on the way. Very quiet here today. Went for a long walk in Wilder along the coast. Gorgeous.

7% is a bit short of an hour for a 12 hour day. I get lost outside so it’s often more than an hour. But we hover in the 50s generally. So it’s easy to do.

Best to you too rand.

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