You've got to admire Venice's ingenuity

 

The following video describes how Venice came into being, and the engineering that went into its construction. An amazing thing to see.

P.S.

The YouTube channel for the content creator of this video has an equally amazing video of Granada.

Matt Lowne's going to move on

It's a pity. People don't seem to like the good stuff. They like the junk.

 

Why say that? Like everything else, it's what I think is true. Lowne's page is not getting enough views, and that is what counts. Why not produce it because it is good? Why not produce it even if people don't llke it? I liked his presentation style. He doesn't annoy me. Most of them annoy me.

 

 

 

It's all about the Benjamins

 

That's kinda what I figured out awhile back. For me, writing about it again is just re-inventing the wheel. I've been there, done that.

I could link back to it, but people might think that I'm not really adding anything new. Well, yeah. There's nothing new here. Maybe there's nothing new, ANYWHERE. In the Bible, it says that there's nothing new under the sun.

So, most everything you see that is wrong is going to money being at the heart of it. It's all about the Benjamins.

An interesting day it was

4/15/25:

 

I've remained purposefully vague about what I mean in this post. Should I start specifying details?

 

Perhaps I should not. Not because it is some sort of deep mystery. But instead of mystery, it is a generalization that applies across a great many occurrences.

 

To specify it too much would destroy the meaning more than to clarify it.

 

I saw something today that was "interesting". Hence, the update of this post. Truly interesting times, indeed.

 

4/9/25:

 

Well, this is going to be a think piece. Or an attempt at one. So, let's get on with it.

Lately, I've been watching Tubi. It's not really TV. It's a video streaming service that offers movies, documentaries, and such. One movie that I watched yesterday for reasons I don't know besides the obvious one of passing some time; and I observed something of note. Because of that, I wanted to remember it. Fortunately, I was able to remember, and here I am.

The plot of the movie is not what I want to discuss. At least not much of it. There was indeed a part of the story that stood out in bold relief. It seems that the main character was trying to fight back against the political machine was destroying him.

It stood out in bold relief because it was a page out the playbook in which politics is played in the country to this very day.

Yes, I thought that was worth mentioning. Anyway, the main character is struggling against this machine, and it looked like he was about to lose. But something like a miracle happens that saves the day.

The point? The movie was made in 1939. After all that time, little has changed. I guess that's the point. Nothing has changed.

But one thing may have changed. Miracles were believed in back in 1939. I wonder if we who populate these here United States can believe in miracles anymore? Is it possible to turn back the clock and get people to believe that a miracle is even possible? Or have people become so jaded that they couldn't believe in miracles? That too was part of the film. One of the characters had become so jaded that she was losing hope.

To tell you the truth, the first few minutes of the flick was almost unwatchable for me. The main character was so naive. It was cringey as hell and as hokey as hell. But I stuck it out, and watched it all. Talking about miracles. But I jest.

So the main character was naive and the leading lady so to speak was the opposite. She was totally jaded, but felt a bit sorry for him at first. Then she made a 100% turnaround and started to believe.

There was another turnaround in the characters of this movie. A bad guy who pretended to be a good guy and was seen as a good guy actually changed his ways and stopped being a bad guy. He owned up to his wicked old ways and fessed up. I guess you can say that that was the miracle. He saw the light and changed. But he tried to commit suicide, but was stopped.

Can people change? I'm getting so jaded right now that I'm like that gal. It's really hard for me to believe these days. Nevertheless, I keep on. I keep on because there's nothing else to do. In a way, miracles have been happening all along. I got through yesterday. That was a freaking miracle.

Bongino rule paraphrased here: "Don't repeat their narrative. Give it 24 hours at least. By that time, the real story will emerge."

And so it has. Seen on Instapundit. He wanted a follow, but I have a problem with that. Not with him, personally. But with our spy crazy internet system. No privacy.

 

No, CBS, Maryland is not part of El Salvador by Don Surber

In the 21st century, illegal aliens have more rights than a citizen

Read on Substack

Bushmen tribe ( repost from January 26, 2011)

4/15/25:

 

 

More fine wine. This one gets better with age! I gare-un-tee you one ting for shore! ( a little cajun lingo there pards)

 

The liberals have absolutely, positively no sense of humor at all. Anybody who can laugh at themselves will have a HUGE advantage. Nobody likes a self-important jackass. Just about all liberals are like that. I am like that myself, but a hard lesson had to be learned in order to learn this one. Anyway, they think that they have a sense of humor because they can laugh at others. But if you criticize them in any way, they get mad.

 

Well, boo-hoo. Here comes some more, libtards.

 

 

11/21/24:

 

 

The reason for this update is that it is something that people need to keep in mind. I think it is important that censorship is kept at bay. There is a strong tendency amongst the left to rely upon it in order to prop up their point of view.

 

 

But why would their point of view need propping up? The political left is too fond of censorship. As for the rule-of-law, it is against the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The political left needs to be reminded of that, and so does the general public.

 

 

That is all.

 

 

 

 

12/18/12:

 

 

Note:  I am re-posting this as a suggestion in how to handle wayward boys.  These are the kind of boys that need the kind of attention that the Bushmen used with great effect amongst themselves.  A kid who threatens others and himself is using those threats as a way of being manipulative.  He becomes arrogant, I suspect, because he learns how to control others.  He becomes more and more dangerous the longer he is not confronted with his natural born aggressiveness.

Anyway, the original post below:

Bushmen tribe

In connection with current events, in particular this business about "vitriolic" speech, let's take a look at one of the practices of the Bushmen tribe of Africa. I mention this tribe because something about one of their practices struck me and has remained with me for over 30 years now since I first read about it in an Anthropology textbook. It was the Bushmen's attitude toward arrogance and how dangerous it can be to the safety of the group.

Briefly, the story went like this: an anthropologist studying the Bushmen decided to buy an animal which was to be slaughtered for a feast for this small group. Instead of being grateful and praising the quality of the animal he bought for them, they kept saying how rotten it was. The man didn't get upset, but he did get curious and finally asked why they kept downgrading his gift even when they had to know it was of the best quality available. The answer was "arrogance". To the Bushmen, someone who is arrogant is dangerous. He can endanger others in the group, and so this problem has to be dealt with aggressively. So they tear down a person's sense of superiority, as the Bushmen are very egalitarian. In the words that I remember, the man explaining says it cools his heart and makes him more gentle. The Bushmen are relentless in cutting you down to size. They won't put up with swelled heads.

Now let's look at this complaint about "vitriolic" speech. What's so bad about criticism even if it is unjust? The Bushmen didn't seem to worry about it so much. Actually, they seemed to profit from it. Our politicians can be even more dangerous than a wayward Bushman is to his tribe. The effects of arrogance can be much more serious in a nation which is among many other nations who possess nuclear weapons. A little vitriol from time to time can go a long way to cooling some swelled heads in Washington who get a little too sure of themselves.

Therefore any complaint about "vitriolic" speech should be looked upon with suspicion. If politicians only want to be praised and told how wonderful they are, that should be a red flag. This is why I don't watch State of the Union speeches. It seems that it is just one long self serving promotion of a politician and his supporters in Washington. It wasn't even the custom of the President to address Congress in person. Thomas Jefferson started the tradition of sending written messages to Congress rather than address the body publicly. He considered it too imperial in its implications. This complaint about vitriol in the public discourse is a troubling thing if it was intended to squelch dissent just before an imperial address before Congress.

It should be noted that the practice of the President addressing Congress in person ended with Woodrow Wilson. This was during the so called Progressive Era in American politics. It was also the same time that the income tax was adopted and the Federal Reserve was created. It was the time before two great wars and the beginning of the modern system of big government. Was this a good thing, this growth of government and the tendency toward an imperial Presidency?

Quick news blurbs and quick whatever in response

 

-The Fedsurrection story might be all we got before it's all over. I got a bad feeling about this.

-Some scuttlebutt out there suggests that Trump is going to go balls to wall on developing America's natural resources. I say "Amen" to that. The usual suspects will try to Lawfare it to death, as usual. And the usual suspects, aka "RINOS" will let them. Rule of law, ya'll. Funny thing about that, the commies only like the rule of law when it is convenient to them. They also love the Constitution, when it is convenient. Otherwise, they hate it with a passion that won't quit.

- A quick perusal of the market indices show a rise, but it is still in correction territory. There is some talk about a "death cross". Those who trade might know what that means. I think technical analysis in stock trading doesn't tell the whole story.  I read every book I could get on the subject, but it didn't help my trading any.

- In other words, it's Lawfare and FUD for the Dems. As for Trump, I hope is isn't the usual shuck and jive of the RINOS.

More conspiwacy tearwies

4/14/25:

Hmm. Pretty much think that Richard Pryor is dead. Prior to that, I am sure that he was alive, too.

Anyway, the phrase came up again today in my web travels. That and the word "fascist". It's an old story here at this here blog. I don't believe in the left-center-right political formulation. Fascism was always of the left. Even Adolf Hitler said he was a socialist. He also said that ex-Communists made the best Nazis.

As usual, the pinkos are trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. They'll have a cow if anyone goes off the reservation. Commies don't allow any dissent, comrades. Ax Bill Maher, the running dog of American Imperialism. He's got a bourgeois attitude, and we can't have any of that.

11/11/24:

As the late comedian Richard Pryor would say: "Who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?"

Counting votes a week after the election is over invites doubt in voter integrity, therefore, the practice needs to be banned.


Drop-Off in Democratic Votes Ignites Conspiracy Theories on Left and …
archived 10 Nov 2024 13:27:39 UTC

Sen. Cornyn of Texas is going to be primaried

 

4/14/25:

 

Cornyn is a failure. The usual thing is to vote for the Democrat, right? That's wrong, though. Although the GOP is a disappointment, and Cornyn is bad, the Democrats WON'T improve anything. They'll just go about the task of making things worse. What do you do? Well, you do your best in a bad situation. Not doing anything at all is even worse still, in my book.

 

4/13/25:

He's already campaigning, for cripes sake. There was an ad blitz on Tubi yesterday. Judging by his picture, and what appears to be his strategy, I'd say he's running scared. Big time.

Which begs the question ( or is that a wrong usage of the phrase?) What the hell is he so afraid of?

Fake?

 

Here's who Herb Cohen was is. Yikes! I thought the Herb Cohen that died in 2010 was the guy I'm referring to. But it wasn't him after all. The real Herb Cohen is still alive.  At least that's what the Wikipedia says.  ( There's also a disambiguation page I should've looked closer at.)  We know how authoritative they are.  How embarrassing.

https://t.co/6KGE9mhaex --- Couldn't resist quoting the late Herb Cohen, who once said, "once you get past the phony tinsel, you get down to the REAL tinsel". IMO, what ISN'T fake in this day and age.

— BootsandOil (@BootsandO6892) April 13, 2025

Hmm, I was looking for a video and found this. Now this IS embarrassing.