Look on the Brightside - With Music (Reprised)

I always have things I want to write about, that’s not the problem. But sometimes the things I want to write about seem too philosophical, too serious - or gloomy? - and I don't wish to inflict it on other folks at this time of the year. When this happens, I will occasionally go back in my "vast catalog" to find things that I have written about before that shook me out of a dreary place. I am in such a place and I have gone back and found something from 5 years ago this month that might do. In fact, given what is going on in the country today it's perfect! (Although admittedly the music is 5 yrs older.)

Back then we were finally coming out of the pandemic but life still seemed to be beating up on us a little and apparently this idea popped into my feverish brain. I re-share now with the hope that you find it at least a little bit of an upper as it did – and does now – for us.   

March 2021

Mrs Dear Leader and I each have a friend who is in hospice, friends of many years. Having also lost two of my closest buddies of over forty years just in the last year alone I think I can say, this really sucks. In fact, life has been tough for a lot of people the last few years and it's easy to get down about it. There's another way to think about this though. As difficult as it is, sad events like this should make us realize. No. Remember, that life is precious. Yup, we have a lot problems perhaps individually and certainly as a country but you know what?  If you’re still vertical then things aren’t so bad and there is always hope. Nobody has ever called me a Pollyanna but maybe we could stop whining and realize how lucky we are? Okay, end of sermon. 

With that said it’s time to embrace the sweet fragrance of spring in Minnesota. The days are getting longer, golf courses are opening, lakes are turning from white to blue - can flip flops and sun dresses be far behind? Best of all, unlike last year there’s real hope that life is slowly returning to normal - whatever that is. (Current Note: okay, we do have a lot hard work ahead of us for normal but whatever!)

I’ve always said that there’s nothing like music to be your personal time machine. (You can ask anyone, really, I have always said that.) Music will take you back to exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the song - and just lived for the day.  I suggest you just do that, look for a favorite song from past and go there. Go ahead, give it a try.

Here’s a bunch of summer music (and other tunes with good memories) along with my recollections for your consideration. I apologize for how old most of these songs are but like most people I quit paying attention in my 30’s so these are what I know. Hopefully you’re old enough to remember at least some of them.

Pick a couple to play or find your own and ask yourself where you were then. Bet it’s a happy place!

Summer Song, Chad and Jeremy – 1964  

Holy mackerel, it’s true, a driver’s license and girls don’t mix.

Summer in the City, Lovin Spoonful - 1966    

Hot damn, they let me graduate from high school!

59th St Bridge Song  Simon & Garfunkel – 1967     

Spring quarter freshman year down on Park Point in Duluth. Listening to this it was very hard to not skip across that Aerial Lift bridge.

Hot Fun in the Summer Time, Sly and Family Stone – 1969    Working at Donaldson's Dept store in summer - and watching the moon landing. 

Also between my junior and senior year in college, road trip with three other cadets (French for idiots) to ROTC summer camp in Spokane WA - legally drinking beer and listening to Sly (and Steppenwolf!)

Just a few months after originally writing this, I discovered I had another pink bundle of joy join the family in 1969 - surprise!

Green-Eyed Lady, Sugarloaf – 1970 

My God, can it be over 50 55 years since I snuck out of college with a diploma AND those brown bars? I wandered off to AF navigator school and this song seemed always to be playing every time before takeoff on early morning training flt's – that sort of fluke kinda sticks with you.

Summer Breeze  (Possibly the greatest summer song  ever made.) Seals and Croft – 1972

I was just starting AF career, flying around the world in the giant, globe-girdling C-130 without a care in the world. In some officer's club in Turkey the pilot, Johhny Mac, taught the young lieutenant navigator to love martini's - bastard! Anyway, a good year (except for a little detour to Vietnam.)

Piano Man Billy Joel – 1973 

Back to SEA and Thailand accompanied by the Piano Man – “There’s someplace he’d rather be. . .” Still, it all worked out.

Find Your Place in the Sun Pablo Cruise – 1978   

Turning thirty was such a drag - says the old guy 43 8 yrs later! - but at least there was still really good music.

We Are Family  Sister Sledge – 1979

Okay, it’s disco but good disco – and nice way to introduce our son to the family.

Hey Nineteen  Steely Dan – 1980

Well, if I’m going to welcome a daughter to family too what better than possibly the greatest music group ever, The Dan! 

Walking on Sunshine Katrina and the Waves – 1983  

If you can sit still while this is playing there is something seriously wrong with you – especially if you have two young kids!

Boys of Summer (Close 2^nd to “Summer Breeze”) Don Henley – 1984   

A family man and inching closer to being one of Henley’s boys of summer. (FYI - It’s actually a sad song but it’s still a great tune.)

Someday We''ll Know  New Radicals - 1999

Yup, someday we'll know why the sky is blue . . . Got my MA and met future Mrs Dear Leader - it was very good year.

And to at least get into the 21^st century and prove there’s still great music - and memories - out there. . .

Clocks  Coldplay - 2002 (Elton John considers this a perfect song)

Use Somebody  Kings of Leon - 2008

Hall of Fame The Script - 2012 (You gotta see this video)

(Special shout out to my music-loving coffee klatch)

Well, I could suggest a ton more of good songs but it’s time to do something functional – like study for our Italian class. (Yeah, buon giorno to you too!)

Okay, one more. Since we’re reminiscing, we might as well end with this - what the hell, enjoy it while you can!

It Was a Very Good Year, Frank Sinatra

To my long time readers I hope you didn't mind this trip down memory lane and to everyone, thanks for reading, hope it helped you find  the brightside even if only for a little while. Remember, if you’re still vertical then things aren’t so bad and there's always hope!

Solving Immigration

 

Dear Leader Takes on Immigration . . .

(For Better or Worse)  

ICE Detainees - CECOT Prison El Salvador
(of Kristi Noem picture fame)

Hold on to your hats, this could be a doozy!

Prelude

I won’t go into how we have arrived at this crappy point in time because it’s a story we all know. It’s about a dysfunctional government that goes back many presidential administrations as it regards immigration (and a lot of other things.) Let’s just say, it is what it is.

On the Horizon

It is important that we to consider something else as we try to fix our current immigration woes: a looming international humanitarian nightmare. I have written about this before - and perhaps you have already thought about it too - so it shouldn't be a surprise. Like our current mess this is a complex and unpleasant topic but understanding it has great bearing on what we do in the coming years. 

Modern Migrants

Experts tell us that humans started migrating out of Africa 50,000 years ago. Imagine the courage and determination it took for early humans to leave the only home they had known for thousands of years and just start walking. Now, imagine the 2500 generations that experts say it took us to spread all over the world. THAT’S bravery and persistence - not unlike that of many migrants today.

Today, due to conflict, persecution, violence and other crises, there are some 117 million refugees wandering throughout the world. Our ancient ancestors dealt with wild animals, deserts, and mountains. Today migrants must deal with arbitrary national borders and a modern world that neither trusts nor wants them. These numbers do not count the millions of people who will become homeless due to climate change, especially all those people living close to the oceans of the world.

For example, it is not difficult to envision large numbers of our fellow Americans being uprooted here in the next 50-100 years. Florida, Louisiana, the Carolina’s with their hurricanes and flooding. Arizona, Nevada, So. California with drought. Millions of people are going to be on the move. Where will they go? 

 

Hoover Dam & Lk Mead today - 30% of capacity

Back to Today

A brief recap for those unfortunates who missed my earlier post, "Things I Think I Think," regarding immigration and the ICE invasion here in Minnesota.

There is no doubt that millions of people have entered our country “illegally” and it became a Trump (along with Stephen Miller) promise to get rid of them. It was the “worst of the worst,” according ICE leaders, that were the target of their actions. So far, so good. If that were true very few of us would have resisted. The brutal tactics in our state by those ICE agents, however, totally belied that goal. Sadly, their actions were also completely predictable; it was also going to be punishment. 

Punishment for having the temerity to not vote for the would-be Fuhrer in the White House.  Of course, there is also a strong strain of racism, white nationalism and general nastiness that has not been seen in this country since the 1930’s. All of it condoned if not outright encouraged by this administration. It all went horribly awry, however, with a heavy price paid by us including two people murdered. In the face of that tragedy I am mightily proud of how my fellow Minneapolitans keep fighting back.

Brave ICE arresting terrorist protester

We all want to throw the “worst of the worst” out, the more the better!  But "shockingly," the DHS lied about who they detained and why. In Minnesota of roughly 4000 individuals apprehended, about 25% had any criminal records and less than 10% of those could be considered worst of the worst - and many of those were already in jail. (BTW 3000 Agents, 10 weeks, 4000 arrests = US cost $200 million. Minneapolis cost = $200 million, two dead and one wounded.) 

Of course, Minnesota is not alone in ICE pain. This from Wes Moore, governor of Maryland:

    "And just recently in Salisbury, on the Eastern Shore, a mother with a sick son was arrested by ICE. She told them she needed to see him, and they didn’t care. He died of cancer while she was in custody. This cruelty isn’t making any of us safer."

The facts: about half of "illegals" came here legally but overstayed their visa. Millions more were allowed in under an international law for refugees. The rest? Well, like many of our ancestors, they wanted a chance to improve their lives so - no way around it - they snuck in. Sorry.

Of course, none of these reasons are legally right. On the other hand, they are hardly heinous crimes either, certainly not deserving of the horrendous treatment many have received. Whatever their crime, there is no denying that our immigration system is terribly misguided, dysfunctional, and essentially effed up. At one time DHS was underfunded but is now very well-funded (more than the entire US Marine Corps!) - just not in the right areas.

     Perhaps the only bright spot of this ugly episode is that many Minnesotans, and perhaps even most Americans, have come to a new realization about our "invisible illegals.” That is, how deeply most have become ingrained in the fabric of our communities. The vast majority work hard, go to church, and pay taxes - including Social Security which they will NEVER collect unless they achieve citizenship - and generally live quiet peaceful lives. (In many cases much better than us natural borns.)

     Quite a conundrum. What are we to do, how to go forward? Here's Dear Leader's suggestions:    

     First, before all else, knock off the overwrought rage aimed at immigrants in general. This has been an age-old tactic by authoritarians throughout history: the Jews, the Irish, the Catholics, Hispanics . . . the Trans? They create and demonize a subset group of people giving the “good" citizens an enemy to blame. (And deflect from a lawless government.) 

     Next, stop indiscriminately throwing out all the non-criminal immigrants, "legal" or not. Congress should come up with a path to citizenship for all those law-abiding immigrants that want to stay here. Also, both parties need to stop politicizing immigration for their campaign donations.     

     Finally - and this is the hard part - I believe we need to make the process easier rather than harder for immigrants to come in. Of course, we can’t take in an infinite number of people so we will still have to decide by some sort of triage or limit for any particular group of people – as painful as that will be - but instead of giving billions to ICE for simple (vicious) enforcement, give them billions to build the infrastructure for organized, efficient and effective screening and management to help the most immigrants possible to join our society.  

Why do this?

We need to recognize it is unlikely that we are ever going to get many doctors, lawyers and professionals (read:white) from other western countries. Why would they want to come here? 

But we still need people.

1) Demographics - This a very big country with a very big economy - and we need people.  Without them we are a shrinking state and nation which is bad in every way.

2) It’s simpler, cheaper, more humane – and the right thing to do. 

Nice ICE  -10 degrees
(Looks like a good place to leave him)

3) Regarding the borders, the third and final reason may be the most important of all.  As mentioned in the opening, the vast national and international migration of people is a much larger problem on the horizon. It will require a totally different mindset about immigration and borders. It will also require international cooperation and massive economic changes. (I shall now commence holding my breath on that.)

     I understand that there are those of us who simply want them all gone on the principle of "fairness" or borders but it's a fact that we, the world, our country - reality? - constantly change. Many laws, rules and lofty, philosophical ideals or beliefs also must (or should) change in the face of that reality. After all, we have amended the Constitution 27 times.

     As an aside, I understand there are those who worry about the “replacement theory.” That is, replacing white, northern (Christian) Europeans – like me – with “others.” Personally, I think that train left the station a long time ago and no amount of wishful thinking - or racism - will change it. You can hate "DEI" but diversity itself is the way of the world; live with it. 

     Who knows, if we were to make our country more welcoming with things like reasonable healthcare, affordable daycare, and reduced crime (read: shootings) and income inequality, we might even get a few Norwegians to move here!

    Fini

     Yes, we have our hands full today and it is difficult to worry about the distant future. To me, that means we need to fix our current immigration morass as soon as possible with what is looming in the near future. Most of our problems today were predictable and could have been eliminated or minimized years ago if we had had a functional, forward-thinking government. (Lmao!) Sadly, this won’t help us now as we are bearing the results of past mistakes and negligence. That said, perhaps we can make things a little easier for those poor souls who are currently stuck in this nightmare. (And a government that doesn't appear in the mood to solve it.) In the long run, however, will we condemn many of those future migrants to poverty or death because we can’t - or won’t - allow them across the borders into our city, state, or country?

Okay, I realize that many folks won't like my suggestions and that's okay (Hey, at least I'm trying - I'm Dear Leader, not Dear Immigration Genius!) but the question remains: what will it take to solve it? Will we even try? 

. . . Or just stay

I guess “we” is not quite the right word. A better word is "you." As with so many other current problems, this old baby boomer will be leaving this one behind too as a “gift” for my children and grandchildren.

Sorry guys, good luck.

 Immigration Blues     Chris Rea

Please feel to the share with friends who want to know stuff.

Hurray for Upscale

If you have been paying any attention at all to economic news the past few years you might be familiar with the term "K shaped" economy. The top part of the K represents roughly the top 20% of families (really 10%) with the income that account for about 60% of all spending. As you might guess, the bottom of the K represents the other 80% - lucky us who get to divvy up the other 40%. 

I'm sure I wasn't the first to notice this but I bet I was earlier than most - and I can  prove it. Here is a post from 2022 - and it had been bugging long me before that!

(Things apparently haven't changed much for us proletariat in the intervening years.)

America's Economy - of the 20%, by the 20%, for the 20% . . .

Dateline: April 2022

Upscale home you want for $500,000 . . .

Have you thought much about the adjective "upscale?" as it's used today? Probably not - why would you?! - but a couple recent articles in the Minneapolis Star Tribune got me thinking about it. Here, let me bore you with my thoughts.

The first article was about why homes were so expensive to build (Apr 21.) As the commenters note, builders can’t really build affordable homes profitably (for a lot of reasons, allegedly) so they build “upscale” homes.

Home you get for $500,000 - in Robbinsdale . . .

“Upscale.” Is it just me or does it seem like everything is going/gone upscale? I mean you can’t swing a dead developer without hitting an upscale store, restaurant, house or apartment complex. Really, you never hear, "Hey, we're building a plain, average apartment building, come on down!" Or "There's a new restaurant in town - no artisanal 12 grain bread, no kale, no raw dead fish - just meat and potatoes, oh boy!" So, this raises the question: why do we hear the term "upscale" so much? (Okay, it raises the question for ME.)

We’ve always had stuff that was expensive, classy, high quality – or all the above. (The corollary, of course, is that we’ve always had people with bucks.) In general, though, those things were also exclusive. By that I mean it was rare; relatively speaking, the shops were few and far between. Upscale homes were relegated to small, exclusive neighborhoods (you know, where the doctors, lawyers and air line pilots lived.) Nothing wrong with that - many people have always aspired to live in really nice neighborhoods and shop at expensive stores because it was a sign of working hard and succeeding. For that same reason you would drive an expensive car or vacation in Maui – it’s a symbol of “arriving.” (So, what statement does my 2016 Hyundai make? Retired on fixed income!) Anyway, generally this was a pretty small percentage of people – early One Percenters? – and was a very small part of the overall economy. The REAL money got spent by all the rest of us, the great unwashed - and the largest middle class the world had ever seen. (As with today, to hell with the actual poor people.)

Ha, I laugh at your puny price of 110 grand!

Factoid: about 20% of households (not individuals) in America make $100K/yr or more (In MN we make around 10% more – aren’t we special?) Let's face it, a hundred grand ain't that much anymore so if you make much less than that (like 80% of us) how likely are you to buy an expensive (and very profitable for makers) upscale SUV, plan extravagant upscale vacations or move to an upscale neighborhood? Not very. Nope, no money in those folks, it's in the upscale 20%. That is why most businesses are now focused on those folks who have the money and are willing to spend on “upscale” (profitable) things. Optimistically, you might say that upscale folks make it possible for companies to make low profit stuff for the hoi polloi. You know, sort of like business travelers subsidizing us cattle in the back of the plane.

Um, flight attendant, could I have some peanuts?

So there you have it, why everything is going upscale. The rest of us? "Hey, move to Commonville where all the houses, cars and people are average - Target, Olive Garden and public golf course, here I come!" (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

Upscale Soup Nazi, “No Tesla for you!”

So, can roughly 32 million families support the entire economy of a country of 330 people million forever? Guess we better hope so.

Oh yeah, the second article. It was regarding an outlandish (my choice of words) pay package for modest accomplishments (my words again) of health care executives. (Apr 22.) A local healthcare company that lost a billion dollars last year rewarded the CEO with a pay package worth nearly $182 million. (His pay check last year was “only” $2.3 million.) Note: this is a teeny, tiny company in the very huge - and very profitable - healthcare industry where 8 figure executive pay is the norm. Come to think of it, that’s norm for most executives in big companies anymore. (It is good to be king, er, CEO!) In fact, in 1979 American CEOs made 31 times more than the average worker did, now they make 351 times more – wow, talk about improved CEO productivity! 

Come on, slaves, row faster, the CEO wants to waterski!

Here's the most productive CEOs of all!

(Some names may have changed but not the net worth)

So, what has this got to do with upscale? Well, I’m just spit balling here but I wonder if pay skyrocketing at the top while pay for the bottom just stumbles along correlates with an economy dedicated to the upscale market (of course driving up prices for everything.) 

Nah, gotta be a coincidence.

Oh well, have an upscale day! 

PS

Can I assume you gather how I feel about the term "Upscale?"

 Good!

Some apropos music . . .

Money     Pink Floyd

As always, I would be interested in your thoughts.

Things That I Think I Think

Huh, odd place to build a mental institution . . .

Despite what you may think, I don't write just to bore you. Well, not intentionally. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before - I’m old and tend to repeat myself – but I write a lot: letters to the editor, this blog, long tedious emails. There was a time I even fancied myself a poet. But mostly I just write to figure out what I’m really thinking. I will often be curious about something, do some Googling (or an occasional AI search) and begin to write about it. Then as I go along, writing and thinking, thinking and writing, I will often arrive at a completely different place. Thus, you always end up getting my well developed and eloquently expressed thoughts. 

Okay, maybe not always. 

Anyway here’s a special post this month.

The depth of winter tends to send we hearty Minnesotans into a sort of cold-induced meditative torpor (when not interrupted by whistles!) I mean what else do we have to do but hunker down and think great thoughts. Okay, okay there’s skiing, skating, snowmobiling and other dumb stuff but take a moment to thaw out and think great thoughts . . .

 warm, dreamy days, drifting on a northern Minnesota lake in a canoe. One hand trailing in the water, the other gripping your favorite beer while kids laugh and play together on the beach. Sun dappled trees lean in close to the water and. . . 

Wake Up! That’s not what I meant by great thoughts, I meant thoughts like this . . .

Things I Think I’ve Been Thinking Lately.

Protest songs. 

How come we don’t have good protest songs anymore? I mean, we had a ton of great songs in the 60’s about the war in Vietnam: Four Dead in Ohio, Fortunate Son, War, Fixin’ to Die Rag, Unknown Soldier. 

I freely admit that's not really fair. Bruce Springsteen recently put out a great protest song, Streets of Minneapolis. Not Four Dead in Ohio good but good. And a few other songs are popping up so that's positive. The larger question though, is where were those songs during our 20 years' war in the Middle East? We should have been flooded with great protest songs! I mean we babyboomers basically invented protest songs (then, of course, turned into our mousey parents.) Are the next generations so content with their lives that they can't express indignation at the crap we have been living with for years? I don't believe it - but something is going on.*

If you have a theory about why this fine American tradition is MIA I’d like to hear it. 

* It is also possible that due to my mouseyness I haven't paid attention since the 70's)

Are Americans too Dumb for Democracy? 

I know, not a fair comment but one sometimes wonders. The science-fiction writer, Isaac Asimov, once wrote: “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”

Spoken like a true intellectual - but it is hard to disagree when you look at the last several years. This is not a right or left thing, there's plenty of stupid to go around. 

Obviously, many smart people can and do just as much damage as the dumb people they mock. Yet in the end, who would you rather have running things in the country? 

               This guy?

Science Experiment?. . .

         

 

                                                                                or 

As if you need more incitement, here's a quote attributed, falsely as it turns out, to Winston Churchill but something I bet has occurred to you a few times too: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

Luckily neither you nor I are average, right? RIGHT?!

Something I Thought About (but Wished I Hadn't)

Do you know who this guy is? You don't? Loser! This is Jim Donaldson - aka Mr. Beast. He is a social media influencer. Not just any influencer but one with 484 MILLION YouTube subscribers, the most in the world. And what do influencers do? Well, they influence people to buy crap, of course. They live perfect, beautiful lives with the perfect, beautiful products that they are hawking. You are certain to live that life too if you just buy those products. 

Now here's an idea . . .

(I'm kind of in a different mood and there’s a special reason as you will see at the end.)

Some Positive Thoughts . . .

I'm Thinking I'm Really Proud of Minnesotans and Americans in General. 

I am proud of the fact that Minnesotan’s are responding so powerfully to this cowardly and unnecessarily brutal invasion of our city and state. (I got your Minnesota Nice right here!) Did you see that crowd in downtown MPLS on Jan 23rd? 50,000+ people - including my daughter and her husband - on the coldest day of the year. Three shot and two murdered and we are still hanging in there - and the whole world is watching.

Make no mistake, if deporting “the worst of the worst" illegals was the goal most of us wouldn’t complain (Except perhaps a few goofs.) That, however, was strictly a "marketing ploy," just plain BS: around 15% of the thousands detained so far are hardened criminals and 75% have no, or very minor, criminal  records at all.  

Liam Ramos   5 Yr old criminal
He's back in MN - but not for long

Minnesota Anthem

Appropriately, song written by a Swede

It was a lie and an excuse to legitimize inciting fear and punishment through their tactics. I suspect - and hope - that not even those who support throwing out all the immigrants are okay with these tactics.

On a positive note, we did the rest of our blue state brethren a favor in couple ways: When they "surged" more thugs into our state they had to come from somewhere -  almost certainly blue states. Also, our sacrifice, including blood, stirred resistance in many other cities.

Sadly two of us paid the ultimate price . . .

I survived ICE AND January

Geez, even a few Republican politicians have apparently been reminded that they might actually have a manhood-like "anatomy" and are beginning to act like it. (Of course, not our  MN Republicans. History will not be kind to those gutless wonders.)

Anyway, makes a person think there might actually be hope. We may be stuck with them for now but like winter it won’t last forever. (okay, brave talk but let's hope so.)

(More on immigration in general in next post - I think.)

More Thinking About Hope  

People talk about Karma all the time. Mostly it's a great way to think about other people getting what they deserve . . . usually something bad. I am not a religious person but as I've climbed (descended?) the ladder of life and getting close to the last rung I have come to consider this in a somewhat different and more serious personal manner. 

50+ years ago I spent a lot of time in Thailand (another war to make the world safe for democracy.) While there I became enamored with both the people and their version of Buddhism. It isn't really a religion but like one, it has many aspects and instructions. So like a true American, I embraced the easiest part to grasp, Karma. 

Lately I've been thinking there might be something to it. Or, perhaps like most "spiritual" things, HOPING there's something to it? (And yes, it would have been smarter to take this more seriously earlier in life but no sense crying over spilled vodka.)

Cliffs Notes on Buddhism: The entire point is to reach personal enlightenment through self-empowerment and "proper actions" (sorta sounds like Stoicism mixed with every moral code or religion in history, right?)  In Buddhism every action has an effect and every effect has consequences to yourself and others which build up over your life - and Karma is the scale that's keeping score. (I said Cliffs Notes, obviously this doesn't do justice to the elegance of the whole philosophy.) 

I'm a simple man so to me that just means try hard not to be a dink and you will generally get a good score (and if you're really good, enlightenment.) 👍If not . . . well, it will be 👎 for you, buddy.

Main point: Shamelessly, I am really hoping that Karma works properly for all those people causing so much pain and suffering in our country today. Big👎

Conversely, for me I'm hoping it only focuses on the decent things I've done - assuming it can find any.

 

Oh yeah. There's a reincarnation thing involved too although I'm not so sure about that. If it is real though I hope those folks come back as rats! (I, of course, will obviously come back sort of like a George Clooney clone.) 

Whew, well that's it for things I think I think so I think I will leave you with this:

When you're not shivering, try to think great thoughts, winter - and the other ICE - will be over before you know it.

But before you go . . .

A special eulogy for my and Mrs Dear Leader's  beautiful girl: 

         

                                                        Dear Prudence

                                                4/12/2013- 1/22/2026

I cannot express it any better than this . . .

      

 

 

Maggie's Song     Chris Stapleton