Open Thread - Friday, September 16, 2016
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
~Buddha~
Hello, welcome to the Friday Open Thread, aka Funk Friday. I have been winging it for awhile now, and offer no excuses. The bottom line is I managed to get the Friday Open Thread and it's my funking Friday.
I saw where gjohnsit was calling bullshit on the median income rise. I have done my share to pull down the number. I have basically come to the conclusion that you can never catch the carrot on the stick, so don't play the game. I can live without all the consumer crap they try to convince us is needed. Our household income is 25%-30% of what is had been when we were working, but I am more contented taking care of Sweetie than I ever was working.
Sweetie's ALS is unrelenting and I sense that our time is short. I know I can handle the grief and dread the loneliness, so I have been contemplating on what to do with myself. One thing that I have decided is that I do not want to rejoin the workfarce.
Which brings me right back to, what to do with myself? Heh, I could be a pain in the ass on C99. 
Have a funky weekend!
The thread is open.
Comments
Good morning Tim,
[video:https://youtu.be/zBn5aIfZElE]
[video:https://youtu.be/MI49t7t0ZAI]
Greetings
I hope all is well on the flip side.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Good morning, Tim.
You and sweetie are fortunate to have one another. It's a beautiful thing to read your Friday open threads and the way in which you honor her.
I'm looking forward to dropping out of the workforce again, myself. I hope it sticks next time. I've dropped out of the consumer shop-force. The older I get the more I cringe at the variety of ways marketers have come up with to separate us from our money. I don't need to die and leave a house full of "stuff" for my survivors to weed through. There is not much more I "need" in this world, other than food and a few reused threads now and again.
Well, have a beautiful day!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Good for you
I have mostly jettisoned superfluous consumer junk, my primary indulgence is a man cave full of guitars and amplifiers. Otherwise, I am ready to live small.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Just when I am beginning to feel "better" after concussion
it appears that my mother, 96, is slowly checking out, moreso every day. It is easier to deal with from afar. I wrote her obit several months ago. All we can do is wait.
And now, as of last evening, my 6.5 month-old pup has developed a cough/wheeze like none I have ever heard before. Thank FSM it's Friday, I thought it was Saturday today, probably from lack of sleep. Vet office this AM, they don't open until 9:30. With stress my concussion-proximal symptoms revisit. Yee-haw.
For some working, end of week today. Hope the day goes better for all you c99ers!
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Oh no! Could be that canine flu I heard about on the news
I'm so sorry, riverlover. I hope your puppy feels better soon!
Take care
Maybe you and puppy shoul convalesce win the easy chair.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
It could
bordatella(sp?), fairly easy to treat but they sound like hell. Hoping for a good outcome both for you and your friend.
Great music selection all around, folks. Haven't stopped jambin' yet!
NCT, do what you gotta do to make it through, end of days sucks for all of us. Be well and be loved.
peace
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
UPDATE: The vet found nothing wrong, no signs of illnesses
(and no dog contacts for over 3 weeks ruled that out). Lung noises were good. No wheezing. He guessed she ate some burs that got lodged in her throat, gone with food.
So we got home and the wheezing started. Not quite so bad, but... I have some generic Benadryl I may try if she keeps it up.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
An allergy, maybe?
I hope you and your girl have a restful weekend and are both feeling better soon. I have a good friend who suffered a concussion and I have seen how debilitating it can be and the time that it takes to be free of its effects.
All the best river.
That's my thought. Benadryl dosed about 45 min ago.
Time will tell. I am more relaxed about it, anyway. Veteran dog owner, new breed.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Please let us know how it goes, river.
inspirational funk
When first starting out as the "new guy" working for a sound company in NY I was sent out on a lot of gigs with black artists.
I got to work providing the sound system at some gigs with this guy in the late 70's.
Really trippy for me and the other sound guys being just about the only white people at those shows.
The media echo chamber
Would work hard to tear down an artist like GIl Scott Heron. Hell, look at what they are doing to Coliqn Kapernick.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Some other forces worked hard to silence him back in the day
From his wiki page
Had a blowout on the way to my low paying job today
Job is 30+ miles away, so couldn't make it on the dinky doughnut spare. We dog on cops, but the one I encountered this morning, on the two-lane 65mph stretch of rural highway (no shoulders), in the dark, in an overgrown ditch, with 18 wheelers and other vehicles zipping past, was my savior - literally! Crosses line the 10 mile stretch of deadly road.
Had to call in. Will have points assessed for it. Am tempted to just take the whole day off and use vacation since the points come simply for being late and using unscheduled vacation time regardless of how late. Plus, tire place isn't even open yet. I'm almost an hour late already.
I'm sure a tire will be a week's pay too. And, I just dumped over $400 on getting a refurbished alternator installed. Am grateful for the job, but after getting a baby degree, taking out loans, it pays $2 less per hour than the one that laid me off in 2012.
Something's gotta give!
Deja, see those things, I read here and also experience
through my son's jobs, is what makes me hate this country. Nobody should ever been penalized by the employer with whatever points for being late for a reason beyond your control and using "unscheduled vacation time".
I have now seen worse even, so bad that I can't tell the story. But what I can tell you is that this country is so fucked up with regards to the protection of labor laws and how they treat their workers, that I don't want to live here anymore. If the political and social and justice system can't regulate itself and is so lost to a "everything goes" attitude from the side of corporate and mafia power, it's imo lost.
Hope you don't lose your job. And I hope you get over the "shock" of the accident and find the money you need. The reason I don't want to read anymore here, is, because I need to forget what I learned from comments like this, in order to not lose my mind.
At the tire place now
Not as bad as I thought. Borrowed the money from my mom. Two that were on the truck were 7 years old and were dry rotted. So I got 3 with the replacement certificate for $255.
Don't worry or be upset, Mimi. I'm a survivor. I'll be okay. I've also put in 11 applications recently. Six were with the state, so I'm hopeful.
And thank the gods for my mom (and stepdad who brought a flashlight and actually changed the tire).
My friend in Munich has told me of how workers are trained and treated so much better there than here. It's a big reason why I'd move there if I could.
Exactly why I can't go back
The labor exploitation and sense of ownership coupled with the authoritarian crap just won't cut it. I would end up telling someone to go a funk them self.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Good Morning NCTim
I have already gotten rid of stuff, the stuff that remains is hard to pack and handle by myself, but I will do it. The thing is most people have to be in the "workforce" to eat and even then are not sure to have a roof over the head. Not only is it hard to get into the workforce for some, it's even harder to have a secure place to sleep unbothered and independent of others. It's more a less a matter of luck, if you meet decent employers and people.
Whatever it is, the political system is broken. It's a system where everything goes. For the liberty of corporate CEOs and profits. There is nothing anymore that is not sold, not lied about, and nothing gets disclosed. A lawless, or better a legally method of avoiding the laws, that should protect the citizens. It's approaching the end of the road rather fast.
Wishing you the best.
I agree
Both Sweetie and I were professionals, and we lived frugally. I will be 59 this December , so my plan is to downsize and live frugally.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
redacted-
Hola NCTim!
Here's hoping you and Sweetie have a peaceful day filled with love and contentment.
I love that Buddha quote: it is so true! I never got into the keeping up with the Joneses material obsession. I'm glad, too. I'm getting old, and I don't have a ton of useless stuff to unload. It definitely makes life easier! REC'D!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
I'm dropping this here b/c I swore I'd never write
another meta diary:
If folks are bored with the content of site being so focused on Hillary's health, or Hillary-bashing, there's only one solution: write more content, and comment on diaries that are NOT about those things and give 'em some love.
The site is so focused on Hillary's health, etc., because Alligator Ed writes frequent diaries about it, like MsGrin writes frequent diaries about Hillary's legal woes. Gjohnsit's diaries provide something that isn't Hillary-focused, and why does that work? Because he writes a lot and people go into his diaries to comment.
If you don't like Hillary-focused stuff, write a diary about something else. Hell write a diary about "I don't like how this is all we talk about," which will rally other people who don't like it to your side. Then each of you write a diary about something else, and all of you visit and comment in those diaries. Then keep doing it.
You'll see a change in the site. Because this Hillary focus isn't being imposed from above. It's just a question of who wants to write, what they want to write, and how often.
"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
They have fallen into the trap
... Of talking about people instead of ideas.
My time is tightly budgeted, so I have no time for such trite ness.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Maybe so, but the only real way to change that is to add
other kinds of content.
"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
I agree. But, I don't know the answer, since issue-focused
essays and comments don't always pique a lot of interest (or, so it seems). It's hard to make 'tax reform' an interesting read--yet, it's vital to the kind of government we have, since without funding/expenditures, there will be no social safety net.
My best to you, Sweetie, and your children, as you continue to face so many challenges and emotional anguish, together.
[Edit: pique instead of peak--did this the other day, too. Whew!]
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Good morning--
I realized I don't know what to say in response to what you're going through.
I wish you didn't have to experience this pain, but since it's here, and undeniable, I wish you and her the safest, best passage possible.
"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
It's OK
People are resilient. Ther is no magic thing to say.
I have a buddy, who calls frequently, and constantly says, "I don't know how you do it".
I have tried to explain that you just do what needs done
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
See my post above.
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Thanks Tim. What an I say that hasn't been said, and
said better ...
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 --
Listen to the "Debate" on Francd 24 live right now
later on. You get a good impression what Brexit and the refugee crisis means to Europeans. It's an interesting because it has two editors from France (Paris Match(Le Somier) and Le Monde (Sylvie Kaufman)) and two American editors (Daily Beast and NY Times). It is also very scary to me. They also talk about the Snowden movie.
I don't think this will be resolved and it will not end well.
[video:http://www.france24.com/en/]
Oh man, can you believe all that sh...?
Julian Assange says he'll turn himself in if Obama pardons Chelsea Manning - WikiLeaks tweets offer one day before a Swedish appeals court upholds warrant for Assange's arrest
and
Swedish court upholds arrest warrant for Julian Assange - Facing extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations, the WikiLeaks founder has been confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than four years.
Only 11 years to go and the U.S./ U.K. can beat Hungary’s record
keeping a Catholic cardinal holed up in the U.S. embassy for 15 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zsef_Mindszenty
Comment deleted--wrong thread. Sorry! EOM
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Deleted--duplicate comment/correction. EOM
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.