Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Tattoo U: Ancients Led The Way To The Popularity of Tattoos Today

Olive Oatman (left), and her seven-year-old sister Mary Ann, were captured by Southwest Indians in 1851. The tattoo on her face was controversial for several reasons. 

Good Day World!

There's nothing controversial about tattoos in American society today. It wasn't always that way however.

There was a time when only sailors, carny freaks and criminals sported body art in America. 

There's something about self-branding that's appealed to mankind since ancient times. 

Interestingly enough, in ancient Egypt the majority of tattoos have been found on women, indicating status.

Nothing new under the sun right? Women in America today are more likely to get a tattoo than men. 

The Egyptians also used tattoos for healing, religion, and a form of punishment. 

Moving on, the word tattoo is believed to have originated from the Samoan word tatau. The men's tattoo is called the pe'a, and the womens is called the malu.

Facial tattoos are common with the Atayal tribe in Taiwan. They are proof a man can protect his homeland and that women are qualified to weave cloths and perform religious ceremonies.

There was a period of time when sailors in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, got tattoos to identify their bodies should they be lost at sea or impressed by the British navy.

If you were wondering who the first documented professional tattoo artist in the USA was...wonder no more; his name was Martin Hildebrant, a German immigrant who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1846. 

Hildebrant tattooed soldiers (1861 to 1865) from both sides of the Civil War. 

The history of tattooing is interwoven in Eastern and Western cultures. Tattoos will always have a certain place in societies.

We can thank the ancients for showing the way to the popularity of tattoos today.

Tattoo to you, and may your ink always look new!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, November 21, 2016

The Death of Diversity In A Country That Once Bragged About It


                                     Good Day World!

America didn't start out being a safe haven for all races.

White Europeans ruled from day one. Slavery was in fashion and people of color had no rights.

It nearly took two centuries before Americans came together and demanded equality for all. During that time, if you weren't white, life was hard on people of color and foreign origin.

The Pollyanna's of the country may claim inroads were made on racial issues for many years. Not so. It wasn't until the 1960's before Americans got serious about treating all of it's citizens equally.

It was a long hard fight that resulted in nearly 50 years of all Americans coming together, regardless of race, gender, and place of origin.

It wasn't a golden age of enlightenment however. There were still issues to be resolved, but it was a period in our history when Americans did their best to follow the tenets of the Declaration of Independence which declared:

 "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

That has sadly changed in the 21st century when polarization became the norm. Congress was, and is, a good example.

But race took on more significance and groups like the KKK and White Supremacists have crawled out from their bunkers and have slipped into the mainstream with the election of Donald Trump. 

Now under the Trump regime we're seeing the results. So far he's appointed Jeff Sessions the 84th attorney general position.

This is the same man who was rejected as a federal judge over allegations he called a black attorney "boy" suggesting a white lawyer working for black clients was a race traitor.

Sessions once joked that the only issue he had with the KKK was their drug use, and referred to civil rights groups as "Un-American" organizations trying to "force civil rights down the throats of people who werew trying to put problems behind them."

Even of more concern, Trump's closest paid advisor is Stephen Bannon, a racist, leader of the alt-right who managed - as the executive chairman - to make the Breitbart website into a mainstream portal for hate and racism in America.

Trump continues to gather the forces of hate and violent change around him. A new age is dawning. There will be no pretense of equality for all.

Perhaps we're going back to our roots. The part where we signed a so-called nobel document, but didn't bother living up to what it said.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Sunday, November 20, 2016

The American Way: A Myth To Control the Masses


                                        Good Day World!

The American Way is a legacy myth, passed down from generation-to-generation to gullible children, who grow up to be gullible adults.

There's a big gap in the interruption of the term's meaning between the wealthy and the struggling middle class. The masses are getting restless.

Imagine a line of people patiently waiting to move forward steadily as they work hard and keep to all conventional values.

They believe in the Horatio Alger myth.

Then imagine that line stalled. Those waiting patiently watch as other people step ahead of them. But they don't get mad at first, because the myth says it is the American Way and those line-cutters are just being rewarded for (alleged) merit. 

However, the result is growing concern and insecurity for those playing the game according to the rules in the myth. It gets ugly quickly.

Waiting gets harder as a new perception sets in; "Undeserving people" are getting ahead of them in line because they aren't following the rules in the myth game book.

These others cause resentment which results in social upheaval. Look around. What do you see? I see the biggest gap in income equality in American history.

If there is such a thing as the American Way, it's our ability to survive bad leadership and still carve out a way of life in spite of it!

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Today's Mantra: Give 'em what they want

Good Day World!

Today's mantra:

Give 'em what they want.

It might not always be the best thing, but give the masses what they desire. Or they will revolt.

Leaders throughout history have acknowledged the need for pleasing the masses under their control. When the masses reach a critical mass of anger, events like the French Revolution take place.

Religion is another way to control the masses by promising a happy afterlife if you follow religious doctrines.

The ancient Romans understood how important it was to cater to the masses taste in entertainment. That's why they slaughtered people in the collisium. Gladiators were the sports figures of the time.

The masses often make mindless choices in the heat of change that later comes back to devil them. It's what happened this year when Donald Trump was elected president.

A majority of under-educated whites jumped onto the Trump Train despite the inevitable wreck looming ahead. Trump knew how to appeal to them through fear and anger.

He gave 'em what they wanted. One of the biggest, most documented liars of all time, knew how to incite the masses. 

Advertisers are always following trends to give the masses what they want. People can learn how to give and receive multiple orgasms by just reading certain manuels.

People can also get costly cosmetics, or miracle cures, from advertisers who've been studying human nature for years. Nothing is out of bounds if the masses ask.

Best selling author Scott Westerfeld summed it up nicely when he said:

"History would indicate that the majority of people have always been sheep."

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Friday, November 18, 2016

Helped Out By A Stranger: Kindness In A Stressed-Out Society

"I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."
-Tennessee Williams from A Streetcar Named Desire

Good Day World!

Have you ever been helped out by a kind stranger?

If you have, then you know what a difference it can make in your day, and sometimes your life. 

It sure did for Mike McIntyre. He set out to walk from coast to coast without a dime in his pocket. He wrote a book titled - The Kindness of Strangers - that told the story behind his six week adventure. 

Throughout his journey, the journalist became involved with people from all walks of life. He found out that sometimes those who give the most have the least to spare.

I've found that to be very true in my life. That's why I love reading about stories like this one:


How Good Found Me In A Bad Neighborhood

Sometimes when we travel alone we meet strangers who quickly become confidants. Like this story:  

Two Strangers On A Plane

One of my favorite forms of showing kindness is when someone conceals their identity and helps out people in need.
Here's a great example:

Mystery Donor Buys New Car For Paralyzed Mother of Three Kids, Helps Family Get Back On Its Feet

It's important that we don't condemn the entire population for perceived slights. Generalizing segments of society ends up being a negative narrative that will take you nowhere.  

Here's 21 Acts of Kindness That Will Make You Believe in the Human Race.

Henry James wrote, “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” 

Remember, it doesn't have to cost you anything to be kind, and the rewards are endless. 

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Thursday, November 17, 2016

He Came From Nowhere

Good Day World!

A poem for your entertainment.


HE CAME FROM NOWHERE

He came from nowhere
and spoke truth in the public square
the skinny man with long hair
had a flair
and people gathered to stare
aware
that he spoke fair
to everyone there
holding up hope in midair
a smiling Teddy Bear
a life with no warfare
and clean air
everywhere
food to spare
a world without spyware
a peaceful doctrinaire
freedom from hate's glare
enough love to share
the sweetness of mountain air
but...
the city fathers chased him out of there!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Chapter One: Blade's Revenge

Good Day World!

This is my first attempt at writing a book online. 

I'm going to post chapters in between my normal mix of subjects. 
Your input is appreciated.


BLADE'S REVENGE


Chapter One

You could walk right past Bob Blade and you wouldn't notice him.

Medium height,160 pounds, dark brown hair and shaggy beard. Tiny closely spaced brown eyes with bushy eyebrows. Jeans and a long-sleeved plaid shirt. Work boots. Black horned rimmed glasses.

But Bob Blade had a secret.

He was going to kill Hillary Clinton.

That thought was formed long before she ran for president. Seeing her on TV, newspapers, rallies and social media for the last year however, stroked the fires of hate in Bob's world to an all-consuming bonfire.

He had a good reason for wanting to kill her. The only friend he ever had, Tyrone S. Woods, was killed in Benghazi because of Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State.

Both Bob and he graduated from Oregon City High School (just south of Portland, Oregon) in 1989. They were friends throughout high school. 

Everyone but Tyrone thought he was a stupid hick and an easy mark to pick on. Bob had been dealing with bullies most of his life.

It wasn't until Tyrone came along that anyone ever stood up for him. Tryone was his first, and only, friend in the world. Tryone did not think he was a dummy because he did poorly in school.

They both loved the outdoors and went fishing every chance they got. They went hunting together and loved fast cars. Tryone was the brother Bob never had.

From the beginning it was just Bob. Alone. An orphan who wasn't adopted until he was three-years-old. Foster parents who could barely read. His foster father, Jack, was a lumberjack who for unknown reasons couldn't father a child.

When tests showed his mother, Betty, was healthy and capable of bearing children he decided to adopt a boy. And made her get a hysterectomy.

Bob instinctly understood how important it was to get out of Jack's way when he started drinking. He also, through some childish intuition, knew Betty was not in control of her moods and was one to be watched for swift changes in temperment.

Bob learned to survive using his common sense and quick reactions. He understood, at an early age, to be aware of his surroundings and always have an exit - a way to escape danger.

Bob wasn't the kind of person who spent time thinking about killing someone - despite years of being bullied. That changed on September 12, 2012.

That's when Tyrone, a CIA operative, working with the embassy's security team, played a pivotal role in defending against the Benghazi embassy attack.

Four Americans died that day. Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, and two CIA operatives, Glen Doherty and Tyrone S. Woods.

Bob was cleaning his rifle, an old Army issue M-14, in preparation for the upcoming hunting season on October 1st, 2012, when he heard the news on his radio.

The rifle slipped out of his grasp onto the table. The reports were confusing. He knew Tyrone was there. They always stayed in touch by writing letters because Bob didn't have a computer.

When he heard Tyrone's name mentioned among the casualty list the next day the blood drained out of his thin face and he grew pale. His hands shook. A cold sweat broke out on his brow. His world had instantly changed for the worst.

That's when he first seriously entertained the idea of getting vengence. As years of seething anger brewed in his brain he came to the conclusion Hillary Clinton was the cause of Tyrone's untimely death.

When she ran for president he knew the time had come for justice. The question now was how?

(Stay tuned for Chapter Two down the road...)

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

#FriendsGiving Day: A Day of Unity When Neighbors Meet and Celebrate Life




                                       Good Day World!

My neighborhood is a cross section of conservatives and liberals, yet we all get along.

Even after the nastiest presidential election in American history.

We've all decided to start a new tradition (11/19/16); #FriendsGiving Day. It's kinda like a warm-up for Thanksgiving Day.

With all the hate going on in this country we - the neighborhood - want people to know that life goes on regardless of what happens politically.

I can't begin to express how nice it is to know your neighbors. When we get together it's not about politics or religion - it's about bonding.

We know who voted for president in this closed little community, but out of mutual respect, we don't discuss it. There's no finger pointing or accusations.

We all know life is too short for that.

So we're gathering as friends who enjoy good times and good food. I think it's a great tradition to start and would love to see neighborhoods across America coming together in mutual respect.

#FreindsGiving Day is a path for re-uniting a divided America. One of many that need to be taken to restore the damage that was done in the last year.

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Monday, November 14, 2016

Lie, Lie, I Thought I'd Die...

Good Day World!

A poem to start your week.

A thought for the day.

A tidbit to chew on
and then throw away!



Why Lie?

if death were nigh
wouldn't you lie?
and say pigs can fly?
or aspargus could cry?
that unicorns only have one eye?
That the Pope gets high?
That green is the color of the sky?
and you don't know why
you're no tough guy
acting all spry
so don't even imply
that you have an alibi
to justify
why you'd be eager to die
like a samurai
to simply satisfy
and testify
that you don't lie?

Sunday, November 13, 2016

What's The Funniest Thing You've Heard Lately?

Good Day World!

I remember watching child star Jay North play Dennis The Menace on TV.

He terrorized his neighbor, Mr. Wilson, to the amusment of millions of TV viewers. 

I wondered what happened to him, and did a little research to find out what he's doing now.

Are you ready for this?.

He's now a correctional officer. Looks like the bad boy grew up to be a good guy!

-----------------------------

A campaign ad for Gerald Daugherty, a Republican candidate for Travis County commissioner in Texas, had this plea from his wife in it:

"Re-elect him before he drives me crazy!"

------------------------------

A quick change of pace. From funny to Twilight Zone...

Here's what a student (Michael Lee) said in his 1993 High School Yearbook:

"Chicago Cubs, 2016 World Champions. You heard it here first."

------------------------------

Metta World Peace, who plays for the LA Lakers, claimed ghosts were touching him inappropriately while staying at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City.

"The ghosts were all over me. I just accepted it" he said, according to NewsOk.com. 

------------------------------

Then there was the Ohio mom who put up this sign in her house:

"This room has been cleaned for the holidays and is officially CLOSED until Thanksgiving."

------------------------------

And finally, a funny famous quote to send you on your way:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

Time for me to walk on down the road...

Trump's Lowest Grift Ever Saved for Holy Week

This is a story about how the devil's puppet, aka Donald Trump, mocked Christianity by selling a book combining the Bible, the Constitu...