Loosely Speaking

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Everything Else

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Crisis

This morning I woke with a sense of confidence in the multitude of American people who, after taking a moment to gasp for breath, are now breathing steadily. There is resistance, both social and legal, to the flurry of insupportable, capricious and malicious absurdity emanating from the White House. It took a minute, but everywhere Americans are joining hands to bring about a correction, It is useful to remember that there was no landslide, nothing even close to a mandate: Most Americans did not... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Figuring out BlueSky

It's a thing more Twitter-like than Fbook-like, and I have not been twittering for some years now... But I like the idea of something not owned and manipulated by the likes of Musk or Zuck, so there I am on BlueSky: @clbaggins.bsky.social I finally figured out how to add a post, and now I am trying to find out how to look at my own posts instead of just a parade of others' posts. Getting there, though... Just posted a thing over on Fbook, then had to shorten it for BlueSky--an interesting... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

A matter of trust

I learned early in life that authority or the claiming of authority is not to be trusted. There has never been a time in my life growing up and living in the 'modern' world that lies have not filled the atmosphere: Anyone can say anything. And now, anyone can create false photos of anything. Our senses are constantly bombarded with lies and bullshit, there is always someone attempting to manipulate our senses and our minds in order to sell us whatever product they profit from. I have lived with... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Keeping the candle alight...

In these dubious times when many of us are fearful for ourselves and our friends, our relatives and neighbors and others, who are targeted or will be by the current misadministration, I am always looking for a reason to hope for better. After all, anything can happen to change the conditions of our lives at any time, things utterly unforeseen, for worse, perhaps, but possibly for better. In view of how like these times are to the 1930s in Germany, it gives solace to be aware how many more people... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

The Value of Trust

Hannah Arendt told us: The lies are not meant to be believed, they are meant to make us not trust anyone about anything. And being unable to trust the information we're given, we can't make any choices because there are no sure safe trust-worthy choices. And that's why so many Americans stayed home on Election Day: Unable to make what they could believe would be a good choice they froze embraced apathy and disenfranchised themselves. All Republican Presidents after Eisenhower prepared the ground... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Never has the dysfunctionality of this country been so exposed & highlighted as it has been this past month. The dysfunction is nothing new, it has been brewing for decades, for generations, as profit became the most important thing, and humanity the least. The writing has always been on the wall, but it was not convenient or too complicated to read it and act, to correct the course. Or it was what was wanted: a dream for many no matter how unlikely and unrealistic for everyone who dreams to... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

We'll see...

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed: Neighbor: “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied: “Maybe so, maybe not.” A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbors shouted out: “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied: “Maybe so, maybe not.” Later that week,... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 2, 2024

I beg to differ...

...with all those who sneer at the human race, who blame everything going bad in the world on the uselessness and stupidity and selfishness of the human race. Today there was another such assertion:... humans have fought each other throughout their existence. Such a waste of the gift of life on our planet. People have also loved and created and protected and cherished each other and the Earth. We have dreamed nightmares but also visions of beauty and improved our knowledge of the Universe even... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Beeting the season

I've always like borscht, that Russian soup made from beets that might be served hot or cold, and sometimes has sour cream blended in, and sometimes not. It's been said that there are as many recipes for borscht as there are Russians. So I don't feel out of line inventing mine as I go, Today it will start with chicken broth--reduced salt--and will continue with a can of sliced beets, juice and all. I have some mushrooms to add, and maybe some corn as well for no other reasons than that I like... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, October 14, 2024

Reframing the Election Basics

This election isn't about liberal vs conservative, it's about sanity vs insanity. It's between a professional vs a dilletante in the art of government. We are facing more years of traumatic instability favoring the few ultrarich vs a return to a steadier, more Middle-class community-centered and supportive normalcy. The choice is between a man operating from irrepressible personal fantasy vs a woman well-grounded in American realities. It isn't about policies, it is about character. Don't be... Sign in to see full entry.

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