caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

Wars at Home and Abroad

The US brought the foreign wars back home. There were two county deputies walking around Trade Day yesterday. They looked like storm troopers with their vests and arms...militarized. Used to be Andy Griffith like, but no more. Here at home we have all the ice raids, the National Guard patrolling some streets, and murders/assassinations like Charlie Kirk's. Yesterday I went in our small grocery and asked if they had any chuckeye steaks. "No, we can't get them. Ice has been raiding all the processing plants, and they don't have enough help." That's all bad enough, but our widespread mischief overseas is over whelming. We've got color revolutions all over the world. Nepal being the most obvious this week. Last week it was Venezuela. Plus there's ongoing interference in Serbia, Georgia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, and many other locations around the world. Is it possible to curb the US war machine? I can't see how...

Afternoon folks!

This week we've got two Chicago blues albums from lesser known Chicago blues guys (that everybody should get to know) there's harmonica player Big Leon Brooks and guitar player and songwriter John Brim. Following that there's an album from blues singer Robert Ealey of Texas. Moving on to the diversity department, we've got a live kinda country rock album from Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Bros and then we have a kind of peculiar but enjoyable album from genre-defying musicians the Bad Livers.

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!

Li Shangyin (c. 813–c. 858) Tang Dynasty

锦瑟无端五十弦，一弦一柱思华年。
庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶，望帝春心托杜鹃。
沧海月明珠有泪，蓝田日暖玉生烟。
此情可待成追忆，只是当时已惘然

The brocade zither has fifty strings, no less,
each string and pillar brings youth to mind.

Zhuangzi at dawn dreamt of wandering butterflies.
King Wang committed his passion to the crying cuckoo.

A bright moon shines over the vast sea, weeping pearls,
the sun warms Lantian's jade green haze.

Good morning, friends! I hope you are going to have a lovely day today. On that note, I wish to tell you about the rash of scams that have come to my attention of late.

Well, the first scam is a year old. I was helping a certified real estate appraiser with some property title issues. He wanted to look around my office which had been rebuilt from the floor up after a fire, and said it would bring $325,000 if I decided to sell it and retire. Out of curiosity, I had the top local realtor come and check it out, an she said she could put it up for sale at $95,000, but I would likely have to sell it for $80,000 tops. No, thanks, says I. I later discovered her scam. She gets a listing, fronts a "buyer", gets it sold for cheap, then puts it back up for sale at twice the price, pockets the profit, pays the front person some low fee.

Happy Friday everyone. Welcome to Friday Night Photos your once a week escape from the day to day insanity of the world we live in. Post any photos, memes, music or whatever else you find of interest that helps tune out the madness.

This month's camera club outing on Tuesday was to the Gaslamp Quarter and surrounding areas including the San Diego marina, convention center, and Petco Park where the San Diego Padres play their baseball games.

Gateway to the Gaslamp

Morning. I am back for a few weeks to to entertain you with my quirky view of the world. As I have been puttering around the farm thoughts of conspiracy theories dance through my head. When did this habit start? I have tracked down the source. It started mid seventies in the 8th grade...