There Is No Government

The conversation somehow managed to worm it's way into a political discussion, my least favorite topic of discussion.

Mainly because most people only want to talk politics in order to spew out propaganda that favors their own political opinions, or their favored politicians.

Sure, some of the propaganda is well thought out, reasoned, agreeable, and maybe even appealing, but it's still propaganda.

Rarely (in my experience) is the propaganda a true personal opinion - it's usually just a rehash of some narcissistic megalomaniac's ideas on how the world (or country, state, city, neighborhood, etc.) should be run.

And I just don't have time (or patience) for that crap.

I do know a number of people I can have calm, rational political discussions with, conversations that don't devolve into name calling or mudslinging, but the guy I was talking with was not one of them. 

I was quickly beginning to understand that he was, for all intents and purposes, a political evangelist, dutifully spreading the word of his favored political party.

Full disclosure: I hate political parties, all of them, even the one I have been loosely affiliated with since 1984.

To cut to the chase, the topic of conversation became political the second he started in with "the government doesn't want that to happen - the government needs to keep people in line."

Whenever anyone starts a discussion with the assumption that there is an entity out there that is "the government"...well, my opinion of them drops considerably and I start looking for an exit.

Someone, somewhere was the first person to use the term "government" in the sense that the elected representatives and the hired bureaucracy constituted an almighty hive mind that acted in unison to manipulate the citizenry, and that person should be forever cursed by all humanity.

Because that first person has forever enabled individuals who are employed by the government to act as if they are the government, and avoid all accountability for whatever actions they take while simply being an employee of the government.

And that distinction is incalculably important.

The Mystery Box

Can I Get A Side Of Fries With That?

 

All C's* Fan Expo At The Doubletree

This afternoon JER and I ventured out to Aurora in order to partake in the All C's Fan Expo. We met up with Ken the Twin just after noon and proceeded to make a day of indulging our collective collecting jones.

The vendors at the All C's Fan Expo offered quite a broad range of collectibles - sports memorabilia, comics and related materials, toys, coins & currency, models, games, trading cards of every stripe, artwork, and of course tons of of pop culture novelties.

Jerseys of some all-time great athletes...and some that may become all-time greats

                      Nice selection of Gold, Silver and Bronze age comics

                Refrigerator magnets and decals for every taste and inclination

        Never pass on an opportunity to get your photo taken with Stanley Ipkiss

           Need to fill a hole in your sports card collection? This be the place to do it

  One of the above figurines may be the basis for this years Halloween costume

A cabinet filled with (and topped by) some very interesting small sculptures 

One of one original cover created specially for the Fan Expo

                             $3.00 toys, a treat for children and parents alike

                       The extremely talented Matt Campbell hard at work

                 No fluffy dogs were harmed in the production of the Fan Expo

*All C's means Cards (sportscards primarily), Comics & Coins, but is in no way limited to just those items.

Wilting Flower

She stated she had no desire to quit

As she really loved the feeling that she got

When she put that needle in her arm to get her fix

Said she could feel the solution running hot

Through her veins and to her brain

Asked what her parents thought, she said she didn't have any

She's over 21 besides, so what the hell would it matter

Her family were her friends, and she said she had plenty

A little heroin and the tent she shared was all she really needed

Didn't want to live like a caged animal, didn't want to be told what to do

Had to be free to do whatever she wanted, couldn't stomach being impeded

Through her veins and to her brain

Loved everyone she said, except the cops and the do-gooders

Wished they'd all leave her alone, stop trying to control her life

Didn't need to be saved, wasn't looking for anyone to rescue her

Had no use for anyone causing problems, bringing strife

Through her veins and to her brain

The Lack And The Inability To Deal With It

He was the type of individual that stilled blamed his parents for a horrible childhood long after he had reached the age when he should have realized that they were doing the best they could with the limited abilities and resources they possessed.

Neither his mother nor father had ever abused him in any way, mentally or physically. They simply were not of sufficient means to provide him with all the clothes, toys, presents, etc. that the parents of his friends could bequeath them.

And he blamed that lack of material goods and his parents failure to keep up with the Joneses for his current situation, which was admittedly dismal, but which was also 100% his own fault.

If his parents could be blamed for anything it could be for trying too hard to make his childhood as comfortable as his friends appeared to have it instead of just living within their means. Their reluctance to let him suffer the pangs of want likely had more to do with his seemingly permanent state of dissatisfaction than anything else.

The Difficulty In Discussing Sports With Social-Political Idealists

 "In the future, when individual wealth accumulation has been made illegal, free education is available to all, and the state guarantees food, clothing and shelter along with universal health care, then and only then will mankind know true equality!"

'Uhm, okay, that's all very well and good, but I'm asking what your thoughts are regarding the new NFL procedure for resolving games that end regulation play in a tie score, not for your Wellsian influenced Utopian ideals."

Get Your Minerals, Fossils, Gems & Jewelry Off...

 Attended the 2022 Denver Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry show at the Denver Stock Show complex with JER the other day. 

Fascinating subculture, that.

 

Mirror, Mirror

 

The Fair Turnabout

 After nearly two decades of marriage the couple agreed that this was the year they'd start taking separate vacations. 

The husband went off by himself first - two entire weeks in a small Florida beach city with nearly every minute spent sport fishing.

The wife decided she was going to take in the Northern California wine country and off she went, two entire weeks spent sampling wines at vineyard after vineyard.

When the wife returned the first thing she did was to corner their youngest son and ask him, "Jeremy, while mommy was away did Daddy bring the cleaning lady into mommy and daddies bedroom?

"Yes he did mommy," young Jeremy replied, "Do you want to know what he did with her?"

"Come with me!" She said as she grabbed Jeremy by the arm and led him into the living room where her husband was watching the news.

"I've got the goods on you now!" She exclaimed angrily. "Jeremy, tell your mother what you saw your father doing with the cleaning lady!"

"Sure mommy," Jeremy said, "the same thing you did with the landscaper when daddy was in Florida last month."

Decidedly An Odd Sight

 Tall and thin black man on the corner

Just about half past ten in the evening

Wearing shorts and tennis shoes, no shirt

He had both hands wrapped around a broom handle

As if he was cradling a microphone on a mic stand

Singing his lungs out to the waxing crescent moon

He sang unrecognizable lyrics to an unrecognized song

With all the passion of a hyped up Al Hibbler

But none of the actual talent

Do Not Go Near The Hatch

 

The Most Talked About Motorcycle In America

Was leafing through the June 1949 issue of Science and Mechanics (The Magazine That Shows You How) and my eyes were drawn to this ad.

Not only because the bike featured in the ad has a fairly contemporary look (for a 73-year old model, it really sings), and not even because the ad depicts both a man and a woman riding the bike.

Nope, what caught my eye was the name of the bike. The Jawa 250. 

And the quote, "Look, the Jones have JAWAs too"

And the name of the company - The JAWA MOTORCYCLE Co.

And the logo. JAWA

By chance did George Lucas catch a glimpse of this ad sometime in his youth?