tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30465999279052030562024-03-05T05:12:57.091-08:00Damned Old CrankA blog about life and gambling, not necessarily in that order.Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.comBlogger321125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-82877149742328588202023-11-30T11:10:00.000-08:002023-11-30T11:10:30.138-08:00This "might" be my last post here, but now I'm on Substack<p>Everything on my "to do" list is complete, so...I had time.</p><p>Subscribe if you dare (or if you can read this). Do it <b><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/mikeexinger/p/why-the-hell-not?r=4ypx1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">here</span></a>.</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thanks.</span></b></p><p><br /></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-89169555540888556512023-08-23T21:02:00.021-07:002023-08-23T22:04:35.276-07:00Hey, I wrote something (actually, some things, and I don't mean this post)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFT72eeGTMy_fsEC6uUY3G4yKgYYoerTENBLXeDNjCQT6Ny7F9nx98076mmJOI-B32QAJXHFpdPJoPy305U4FePSesdc09oi7c6I28fis6-CYok5uKIemncM6DdufRQ21kufWHjYu7Zqq89kRpvjDI4ipnJSnoT71IFfPvXKAwjSBZLQqoGhF-qlrv56M/s4950/ebook%20cover%205.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4950" data-original-width="3103" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFT72eeGTMy_fsEC6uUY3G4yKgYYoerTENBLXeDNjCQT6Ny7F9nx98076mmJOI-B32QAJXHFpdPJoPy305U4FePSesdc09oi7c6I28fis6-CYok5uKIemncM6DdufRQ21kufWHjYu7Zqq89kRpvjDI4ipnJSnoT71IFfPvXKAwjSBZLQqoGhF-qlrv56M/w126-h200/ebook%20cover%205.jpg" width="126" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">So, if you follow this blog, you’ll note that I haven’t
posted in a long time. That doesn’t mean
I haven’t been writing, though. Let me
tell you about it.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been working on a variety of YA (young adult) products,
all under my pen name, Rex Michaels. The
first was a novel about a young boy who wants to be a radio DJ in the worst
way…and succeeds…in the worst way.
Titled “Heavy Rotation,” it was (self) published this spring. You can learn more about it (and buy it)
here: <a href="https://books2read.com/heavyrotation">https://books2read.com/heavyrotation</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The second project was a novel, but I decided to try this
new Amazon Kindle Vella. It’s an
episodic story program – you write episodes and release them over time to a
“waiting audience.” Readers can see the
first three episodes for free, and then read subsequent episodes by using
tokens (the rate varies as to the length of the episode). Each reader gets 200 FREE TOKENS just for
signing up, to be used however they wish.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCX3pgvpBB48oZ2q60qfkDBkxkS8Zvtl7-CSpLJY8BbFvTbXlUW571daGzvbEy2cgAoqw3C7XB2qLpCL3qmEfVbvyOuW0V7XIW9wLPXeIBRUFVIQyMcpk2IQecZhpLJinPkJU4n1Nd_JA7E1nouS5XKfyQGQK7UOmgGTc_vjnbCXtMWBFJ-07pg5F5Oac/s1600/my%20apple%20sq%2016.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCX3pgvpBB48oZ2q60qfkDBkxkS8Zvtl7-CSpLJY8BbFvTbXlUW571daGzvbEy2cgAoqw3C7XB2qLpCL3qmEfVbvyOuW0V7XIW9wLPXeIBRUFVIQyMcpk2IQecZhpLJinPkJU4n1Nd_JA7E1nouS5XKfyQGQK7UOmgGTc_vjnbCXtMWBFJ-07pg5F5Oac/w200-h200/my%20apple%20sq%2016.jpg" width="200" /></span>I asked a few fellow authors if they had any experience with
Vella, and the overall consensus was “meh.”
So, I have low expectations…however, you are more than free to check it
out as the first three episodes are up, and I’ll add an episode every other day
beginning August 27<sup>th</sup> (and remember, the first three episodes are
FREE) and you get 200 FREE TOKENS just for signing up, so you can read as much
as you like. Or none at all, but
seriously, go check it out here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0CG8DZQSP">https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0CG8DZQSP</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oh, what’s the story about?
It’s a fantasy called “Otis, the Boy Who Could Control Gravity
(somewhat).” Otis is a young boy who
accidentally discovers he can change gravity’s flow…sometimes. He’s actually scared to death about his new
superpower, which isn’t all that super.
Anyway, he learns more about it and tries a few things and…oh, go read
the write-up and the first three chapters (did I mention it’s FREE) here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0CG8DZQSP">https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0CG8DZQSP</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Finally, I wrote a third YA novel, but I’m not releasing
that one. Yet. It’s all about mini-golf!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Watch this space.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-30554037215758597252022-12-21T08:13:00.000-08:002022-12-21T08:13:50.651-08:00TWITTER JAIL!<p><strong>I DID IT!</strong></p><p>Late last night I was responding to a post over "there" by <a class="mention" data-id="8597b92f-2d1a-4161-be6b-30c1229a482d" data-label="davidcorn" href="/davidcorn">@davidcorn</a> on the "news" that the former President might just have been a tax cheat. He concluded his post that these revelations "showed us who he really was."</p><p>My response was merely a tepid reply that rather than show us, it merely reminded us, as many of us already knew this information. I did not swear (for once), nor did I threaten, harass, defame, etc., nor did I use any racial/sexual/etc. slurs.</p><p>Hateful conduct? "Skank" got me tossed? Seriously? After more than a decade of f-bombs, a-holes, and worse, I get nicked for "skank?" Jeebus.</p><p>Of course I've appealed, but this just proves beyond a shadow of a doubt what a complete dumpster-fire Twitter has become of late. </p><p>I'd call it worse, but why tempt fate? The tweet in question:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADxaW1eRi4ceSsti56wgUjeNjAwIGaei-JeHQk8RtAKrapZkxbC67BUFKgaqQG2xr_k3kR4QQwwyXEl3d2QlvZ5k9xYS_5OX0SJ3sUudjtpw7xTKasz00ygt1KoV53X5xLI3JAnMIlUkMzzYJwtGSNXkE5N-szlpn-VCHc1hc5s6Dd3B6H2wSSU9W/s587/twit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="587" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADxaW1eRi4ceSsti56wgUjeNjAwIGaei-JeHQk8RtAKrapZkxbC67BUFKgaqQG2xr_k3kR4QQwwyXEl3d2QlvZ5k9xYS_5OX0SJ3sUudjtpw7xTKasz00ygt1KoV53X5xLI3JAnMIlUkMzzYJwtGSNXkE5N-szlpn-VCHc1hc5s6Dd3B6H2wSSU9W/s320/twit.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-47380757656100827962022-12-11T16:21:00.000-08:002022-12-11T16:21:28.940-08:00SOCIAL MEDIA BOLLOCKS<p>I am cross-posting this blurb at the following, the reasons
for which will be clear enough once you read the blurb…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Damned Old Crank” Blogspot - <a href="https://mexinger.blogspot.com/">https://mexinger.blogspot.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mike.exinger/">https://www.facebook.com/mike.exinger/</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeExinger">https://twitter.com/MikeExinger</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Post.News - <a href="https://post.news/mikeexinger">https://post.news/mikeexinger</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And for you Twitter readers, sorry, but you’ll have to go to
(one of) the links to read the whole thing because of the 140-character limit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To be honest, I don’t use Social Media all that much (yeah,
I’m going to continue to capitalize it – deal).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been on the Interwebs in one form or
another for almost 30 years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
designed webpages (long live MS FrontPage!) but didn’t get on Facebook until we
had the ice cream parlor and everyone said, “OMG you <b><i>have</i></b> to have
a Facebook page so you can get reviews” and since it also required having a
personal page, I did that, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
started my blog when I started publishing my eBooks, thinking that this would
be a great advertising method AND a way to vent frustration on a variety of
topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got on Twitter because there
were a few people I wanted to follow and I was utilizing it’s 140-character
method for messaging Congressional reps and others about important issues of
the day (mostly gambling related – sue me).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over time the need to tweet lessened as gambling soon became
almost ubiquitous in the states (still no online Poker in Oregon but we have a
shitty Sportsbook, so there’s that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Facebook is great for staying in touch with old friends and posting
Wordle scores, and I haven’t blogged in over a year (a while variety of excused
I could give you, but that’s all they are).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frankly, I use Social Media mostly to see what others are
saying – my commentary has been reduced to clicking the “like” or “care” icons
and offering responses like “Lock HIM up!” “LFG!” and “Bingo!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s rare that I take the time to correct a
commenter on his or her wrong-headed views of the world, of politics, of the COVID
virus or vaccine, of gas prices and what causes their rise and fall, etc.
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See: Pig Wrestling.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, my use of Twitter especially has been reduced to
scrolling just to see what others say, and that’s why I started looking around
for another spot to roost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twitter’s
demise has been predicted for weeks now, ever since Elon Musk bought it and
started to “modify” content (90% of which seems to be either about Musk,
Twitter, Nazis, or “Nazis on Twitter”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many LIBS such as myself have been looking at other Social Media outlets
like Mastodon, Tribel, BlueSky Social, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having a communication outlet controlled by someone who is…well, use
your own description here.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For me, Musk is just another one of those incredibly rich
assholes who believe they are infallible and can do whatever they want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse yet, as they expand their empires, they
attempt to “control the narrative” as to who they actually are (many websites
actually credit Musk with creating PayPal, and…uh no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the BS I’m talking about).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even this weekend the NY Times seems confused
as to what Musk’s political leanings, are with the article headline: “<i>Critics
Say Musk Has Revealed Himself as a Conservative. It’s Not So Simple</i>.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the “Twitter
Files” non-bombshell nothingburger, readmittance of Trump and other ultra-right-wing
coup-plotters wasn’t enough, there’s this:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So even if Twitter doesn’t implode like a bad-wired Tesla, I
plan to leave the platform by the end of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’ve landed, for now, at Post.News.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know if my habits will change all that much with the
move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might post a bit more there
since the long form is “in style.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
never had big followings anywhere (and the Blog was the only place that I tried
to make that happen because of the books, and since they’re selling better now
than ever with no posting on the blog whatsoever…), so unlike a lot of Twitter
users, it’s NBD to me one way or the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do admit to a morbid curiosity of wanting to watch the last days of
Twitter, like when Trump finally decides to return in his futile bid to stave
off further investigations or indictments, and/or whatever other follies occur
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, I can’t recall seeing
any business anywhere else go through so many changes so quickly with a new
owner…and so disastrously as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
wonders if self-destruction was actually part of the plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It very well might be.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’re on Post.News, I hope you’ll give me a follow and I’ll
return the favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Side note 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Facebook has its own issues, and since Mark
Zuckerberg reads everything on FB, let me advise him of his latest F-up –
today, for some reason, whenever I “like” or “care” or choose some other icon
to comment on an existing post the cursor <b>moves up</b> one, two, or even
three stories from the one I “like” on so I can’t even see it in my
browser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WTF, Mark?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">Side note 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looks like Elon might reconsider the
140-character limit and bump it up to 4000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Problem is, <i>Mein Kampf</i> was longer than that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-91309702650002730602021-11-01T15:01:00.006-07:002021-11-01T15:01:58.624-07:00 Face it – LGB fits the GOP to a T<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjOV68U_FGPPjEhKSZLkDnR1IHpaDiosFtNgvtkkCoICFsxqHek8-tJn7dImFgLAkaAuZosJa7Qu2XTKLYHYZQblBqt_gNQeg0ZAXy6zDLzJ9G7w0xuziflVl1AviDknFiyl46ice4y8/s1500/lgb+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="1500" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjOV68U_FGPPjEhKSZLkDnR1IHpaDiosFtNgvtkkCoICFsxqHek8-tJn7dImFgLAkaAuZosJa7Qu2XTKLYHYZQblBqt_gNQeg0ZAXy6zDLzJ9G7w0xuziflVl1AviDknFiyl46ice4y8/w320-h306/lgb+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">What is surprising is that they spelled it correctly.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I’m sure you’re familiar with the right’s newest meme: “Let’s Go, Brandon.” If you’ve been living under a rock, it’s everywhere, though some still might not know what it’s about (short answer: code for “Fuck Joe Biden”).</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I think it’s the PERFECT descriptor for the Republican Party, because:</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">• It’s based on a mistake</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">• It doesn’t mean what it says</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">• It covers a vulgarity</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">• It’s only being used to either</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> o Be hurtful or spiteful, or</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> o Be printed on clothing, hats, masks*, bumper stickers, etc. and sold to the rubes...er, faithful – it’s such an obvious grift.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">* What could be more iconic/ironic that someone wearing a “Let’s Go, Brandon” mask while protesting a government mask order? I mean, you CAN’T wear the mask in “chin strap” position and still get your message across, which is…what, exactly?</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">What did I miss?</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"> or</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Prove me wrong.</div></div>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-34869379348964173732021-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:002021-09-14T07:44:04.054-07:00The Dog Ate My Ballots<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWseJggsu6LQgxDZZTGA0zlmNFK9zRz7lTFXK_yD4eCYO5n5jCINx5wDwEQTxoZr3dpi3EaUJhJIdaZEfiUvMHPn4H2RQK6wIH2qXvcsV28tS0bXh4hKvEOq-1Z5H0C3OG3cqAplcUgs/s1920/fraud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWseJggsu6LQgxDZZTGA0zlmNFK9zRz7lTFXK_yD4eCYO5n5jCINx5wDwEQTxoZr3dpi3EaUJhJIdaZEfiUvMHPn4H2RQK6wIH2qXvcsV28tS0bXh4hKvEOq-1Z5H0C3OG3cqAplcUgs/s320/fraud.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Every student knows this one
trick, and it’s not even weird. It’s a
cliché. Didn’t get that homework
assignment done in time? No sweat – just
tell Teacher that the dog ate the finished product. You’re blameless and best of all, there’s no
evidence (the dog ate it – get it?).</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kinda like <b>VOTER FRAUD</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s become the GOP cliché to
claim that every election is due to one reason and one reason only – <b>VOTER
FRAUD</b> (always capitalize, and <b>BOLD</b> when necessary; <i>italics</i>
might make some feel that the phrase is being used ironically – laugh
here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They lose not because they don’t
have the best interests of voters in mind, nor that they failed to “get out the
vote” or because they have absolutely no good policies or even because they ran
shitty candidates or IT’S A FUCKING LEFT LEANING STATE FOR CHRISSAKE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope, gotta be <b>VOTER FRAUD</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And <b>VOTER FRAUD</b> is
just like “the dog ate my homework” in that (a) teachers/gullible conservatives
tend to believe it without any evidence, and (b) there’s never any
evidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy peasy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It doesn’t even matter if
there were hundreds of thousands of votes and the margin of victory was tens of
thousands, 10% or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those wily
Democrats imported ballots from China or Norway or somewhere and maybe the
governor’s dog ate a whole mess of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And any whiff of potential
fraud no matter how many times it’s been debunked or explained is worthy of
reporting…over and over and over and over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Red meat for the base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If 300
ballots are a small part of some larger mail heist IGNORE all that and <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/voter-fraud-and-suppression/desperate-election-fraud-claims-california-recall-fox-news-grasps">tell your viewers</a> just how diabolical those pesky Dems are, and assure them that mail-in
ballots are the devil’s work and that fraud is in the air, everywhere and the
election is rigged – hell, every election is rigged.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unless you win, and then it’s
all good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Voter fraud is, in the words
of <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/Briefing_Memo_Debunking_Voter_Fraud_Myth.pdf">Brennen Center for Justice</a>, “vanishing rare, and does not happen on a scale even
close to that necessary to ‘rig’ an election.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>OF course, that never stops Republicans, especially now that <b>VOTER
FRAUD</b> has been given Carte Blanche by the former guy (I am surprised he
didn’t use it in the big heavyweight fight he did commentary for on 9-11; and
gosh, wasn’t THAT patriotic of a former President?).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, for the record, let me
state that:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Almost twice as many
Californians are registered Democrats (46.5%) than Republicans (24.0%).</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">California’s two Senators are
both Democrats.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Forty-two of the 53 House of
Rep seats are held by Democrats (that’s almost 80%).</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">The California State Assembly
is overwhelmingly Democratic, 60-19 (1 indy).</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">So is the State Senate, with
Dems having a 30-9 advantage.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">IT’S PROBABLY THE MOST
LIBERAL STATE IN THE UNION.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>Every</u></b> pre-election <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/california-recall-polls/">poll</a> this
month showed the recall failing and/or failing badly (and before this month
there were only three polls out of 26 that showed a potential for recall.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">But <b>VOTER FRAUD</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Riiiiiiight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the record,
loser-Republicans who bitch about imaginary <b>VOTER FRAUD</b> are pathetic
whiny-ass-titty-babies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And let’s not forget that
Republican-in-case-this-recall-thing-works candidate Larry Elder put up a <a href="https://stopcafraud.com/">website</a> on Monday…the day BEFORE the election…to claim that
they already found fraud:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: red; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Statistical
analyses used to detect fraud in elections held in 3rd-world nations (such as
Russia, Venezuela, and Iran) have detected fraud in California resulting
in Governor Gavin Newsom being reinstated as governor. The primary
analytical tool used was Benford’s Law and can be readily reproduced.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the record, loser-Republicans who bitch about imaginary <b>VOTER FRAUD</b> are pathetic whiny-ass-titty-babies.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And for the record, at the time
this website was live and the above was loudly proclaimed, NO results had been
released (since the election was THE NEXT DAY).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also for the record – I had
to look up what the hell <a href="https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2017/apr/excel-and-benfords-law-to-detect-fraud.html">Benford’s Law</a>
is, and while it’s fascinating, it cannot be used to prove fraud for ANYTHING
(merely a <i>potential</i> that something <i>might</i> be amiss). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And also too – <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-benford/fact-check-deviation-from-benfords-law-does-not-prove-election-fraud-idUSKBN27Q3AI">voter distributions</a> do NOT fit into the standard data used in Benford’s Law tests; ergo,
not only can it NOT be used to prove fraud, it cannot be used in a
statistically valid manner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m sure Larry Elder knows
that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fucking pathetic
whiny-ass-titty-baby.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-82927547979570112402021-08-22T13:51:00.002-07:002021-08-22T14:53:29.679-07:00 Is EVERYTHING Joe’s Fault? (No)<p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPByOdjtGh1JmGx-kDLfYrLnsT7u19Aa61kfpCS2YJT2tXT4E8ems08vWeF9ErgMUR4PwL7cGJOl76klZSfvwBY1iG7kYoGb6Igkgmz4igeBly9IYhS8fW-TQ1Y0rJUGS2moiOpuzM-OA/s480/biden+2.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="480" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPByOdjtGh1JmGx-kDLfYrLnsT7u19Aa61kfpCS2YJT2tXT4E8ems08vWeF9ErgMUR4PwL7cGJOl76klZSfvwBY1iG7kYoGb6Igkgmz4igeBly9IYhS8fW-TQ1Y0rJUGS2moiOpuzM-OA/s320/biden+2.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>It's OK to look, Joe.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I read a headline earlier this week that said President
Biden’s approval rating had taken a nosedive, citing two reasons – the current situation
in Afghanistan, and the ongoing COVID crisis.
I found this amusing and insulting, for a couple of reasons.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First off, both of these problems are inherited
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The war in Afghanistan goes
back twenty years, through FOUR administrations:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Bush, who started it all,</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Obama, who actually accomplished one of the goals by eliminating
Osama Bin Laden, and</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Trump, who, like everything else he touched, fucked it up.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was Trump who set the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/politics/2021/03/17/us-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-trumps-deadline-weighs-biden/4667248001/">deadline</a>
for troop withdrawal there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Trump
who cut a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-exclusive/exclusive-planned-1-billion-u-s-aid-cut-would-hit-afghan-security-force-funds-idUSKBN21N0CJ">billion
dollars</a> of aid there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Trump who
released all those <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/10/asia/afghan-release-taliban-prisoners-intl-hnk/index.html">Taliban
prisoners</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Trump who invited
the Taliban to Camp David for talks ON 9-11!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it was Trump who explained all of this and <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/07/09/mike-pompeo-surprise-trip-afghanistan/769735002/">Pompeo’s
mystery trip</a> there this summer to the new administration when they handed
over the keys to the White House in all of those transitioning meetings they
held.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I kid…there was no transition, and Trump left Biden in the dark
on this and everything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-17-21/h_aea922aba189bc45d8d2d966055dc433">fucked</a>
it up (on purpose?) and Biden was left holding the bag.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But Joe gets the blame because it happened on his watch (despite
the timetable being set by Trump).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And COVID is the same thing, of course, except Bush and
Obama are blameless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite Biden’s
call for every American to be vaccinated and his administration's continued
reminders for people to take precautions and practice measures like masking up
and social distancing, the virus rages on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But…even though some vaccinated individuals who swear they
wore masks all the time are catching the disease, it’s mostly an unvaccinated
issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those areas that have low
vaccination rates are the ones experiencing the highest COVID-positive
rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the highest serious illness/hospitalization
rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the highest death rates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And to no one’s surprise, these same areas are red states or
red counties in blue states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s
governors of red states (DeSantis, Abbott, Hutchinson) who rule our mask mandates
and are putting their citizens at much higher risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are literally killing their own
citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But Joe gets the blame because it happened on his watch (despite
EVERYTHING conservatives and Fox News has done to thwart everything he’s
accomplished).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">That’s not the most galling thing about the Blame Joe
movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With both the Afghanistan
pullout and the battle to contain COVID, there’s been plenty of blame thrown
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of that blame for Afghanistan
comes from warhawks like Rice, Bolton, and Cheney – folks who got us into this
mess in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the hawking
media has been piling it on, too, conveniently forgetting all that’s happened in
and to Afghanistan before 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And COVID…can you <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trump-imagines-how-people-would-squawk-had-covid-erupted-on-his-watch_uk_6110d9dbe4b0e28b31e33ec1">imagine</a>
what people might have said if Trump were President and there was a dramatic spike
in COVID cases?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, HE actually said
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if no one could imagine
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because we don’t have to imagine
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But it’s not who is blaming Joe that’s the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is – that’s ALL they’re
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blaming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Not offering alternatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not explaining what THEY’D do in the same situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To my knowledge, no one has offered any sort of alternative
solution to either Afghanistan or COVID; just blame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There could be a good reason for this – there
IS no alternative solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly
Bush, Obama, nor Trump pulled the level to end what in pretty much everyone’s
opinion was (another) failed operation in the Middle East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And certainly bleach, ultra-violet light, and
ignoring the problem wasn’t the solution for COVID.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In fact, COVID’s problems are so entrenched that one
possible idea that I thought might make a difference is not only off the table,
but it illustrated just what Biden is up against.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Months ago, it was suggested that Donald Trump
make PSAs suggesting that his fanbase get the poke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the other living Presidents have been
very vocal about being vaccinated and even though Trump did his in secret, he’s
made a couple of off-handed comments about getting the shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many thought that if he made a sincere effort
to reach out to his supporters, it might make a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Last night, in Alabama, he kinda did just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his 90-minute rant of greatest hits
(complaints), he mentioned that it was a good idea and that people should get
vaccinated against the virus.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And he was <b>booed</b> <b>loudly</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He quickly backtracked, and never mentioned it again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So yeah, scrap that idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ain’t NOBODY gonna change the minds of those spreadnecks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But blame Biden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Joe Biden is doing the best he can, and it seems half of
this country is making him do it with one hand tied behind his back and blaming
him for damn near everything that goes wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">At least they’re not blaming him for rising gas prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, wait. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-72315754892930391472021-08-10T17:35:00.004-07:002021-08-10T17:35:51.521-07:00People Like Us are Not Exactly Like Us<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygtoiGLTpo6k_17xCntCOmnsHjjKc3W2X-jDR-MRDY-8qE01-aaX75RpoG3ey6XlcojXVDewDhF-dcPtuQWF3voOtKkxi_VitgQzqLO8Kio-pF4TooFW7iOeDEOkD8Akuvc6Ucn7of2s/s640/bad+samaritan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="640" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygtoiGLTpo6k_17xCntCOmnsHjjKc3W2X-jDR-MRDY-8qE01-aaX75RpoG3ey6XlcojXVDewDhF-dcPtuQWF3voOtKkxi_VitgQzqLO8Kio-pF4TooFW7iOeDEOkD8Akuvc6Ucn7of2s/s320/bad+samaritan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">They're not ALL like this, but enough are</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>I spent several hours the last few days arguing about
vaccines and masks and the whole COVID thing online, and before you say, “Well,
Jeebus…what a waste of time and energy,” let me say a couple of things.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First, you’re right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I knew well in advance that I would change exactly ZERO hearts and minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing was altered, no one was moved, no animals
were harmed in the making of my posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it’s like potato chips; you can’t just stop at one, and once I’m engaged
with a poster, the gloves are off.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Secondly, despite the accusations that I am a bully and I
want to FORCE people to mask up and get vaccinated, the truth is that I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, I think that any rational and sane
individual should get vaccinated, if at all possible, the sooner the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, everyone, vaccinated or not, should wear
a mask as recommended by the CDC and in some cases mandated by either local
government and/or private businesses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But FORCE someone to do that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m actually kinda libertarian in that
respect (don’t tell my friends).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, if you suffer the consequences for your foolish
actions, don’t look to me or the government to bail your silly ass out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the real reason I spent so much time online arguing was
that I cannot stand people who LIE about what’s happening with this virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check that; I can’t stand people who LIE
about anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s particularly galling
to see the flow coming from an eruption from Bullshit Mountain regarding mask effectiveness,
vaccine effectiveness, etc., etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try
to counter with facts, truth, links, and what do I get for my efforts?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More bullshit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can tell you confidently that NO, Bill Gates has NOT been
arrested (yet), and NO, the majority of doctors and nurses HAVE been vaccinated
(the last thing I read reported doctors at 97%, and that was a while
back).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was equally confident in
thinking another claim was bogus, though I had nothing but my own experience to
explain why, so I didn’t respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
that’s the subject of today’s post.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Amid all the BS and nonsense (and the responses who tried,
like me, to inject some reality into the discussion), one poster bragged that “<span style="color: red;"><b>No one I know has contracted the disease, and no one I know
has been vaxxed, and no one wears a mask, either.</b></span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I merely responded “<span style="color: #002060;"><b>Well,
in that case, good luck,</b></span>” and let it go, but let me explain why I think
she was in error.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I learned long ago (before marketing research), that
everyone is different, but we tend to think that people like us are like us
about damn near everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tend to hang
around with people who think like us, dress like us, eat the types of food we
do, believe what we believe, and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Up to a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may agree about
a lot of things, but…except for identical twins, no two people are exactly
alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone has some idiosyncrasy
that makes them just a wee bit distinct from everyone else.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, it’s certainly possible that the poster does not know
anyone who has had COVID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re a small
county, population 53,000 and change, with a total as of today of 2,182 cases –
just 4% of the population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If everyone
they know lives around here, then yeah, chances are slight they know anyone
with COVID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truth is, I only know of
four who have had the disease, and none of them live in this county, or in
Oregon for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of those four,
two are dead, so those percentages aren’t so good.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As far as no one she knows being vaccinated, that’s also <i>possible</i>
– as a county, we’re still batting under .500 despite the total percentage in
Oregon being just under 70%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Possible,
but…I know for a fact that not everyone “brags about it” either online or in-person
for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only found out about
a neighbor being vaccinated by luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
conservative, so I assumed he’d be resistant to getting the poke, and he’s not
one to talk much about anything, let alone anything personal, but I happened to
run into him at the grocery store as he was coming out of the pharmacy, and he
admitted he was there to get his second shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, she could have friends like that, too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And as for everyone not wearing a mask…many businesses have
been following the CDC guidelines, saying that vaccinated shoppers are welcome
to come in without a mask, but non-vaxxed folks should mask up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So not sure where her friends are shopping,
and now many of those businesses are revising their mask policies to require
everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear a mask, so…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, it’s probably bullshit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But that’s not why I think she’s probably wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said earlier, it’s because we always
assume that everyone’s just like us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exactly
like us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s a fallacy that I
love to expose by telling this story…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was damn near 30 years ago when I was general manager of
a brand-new public radio station in Monroe, LA, an area that was (back then) one
of the largest parts of the country without such a station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We set up the “standard three-legged stool”
of programming – NPR news in drive-time, classical during the day, and jazz and
eclectic programming on nights and weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Folks were happy to have us on the air, but of course, newshounds wanted
more news, jazz fiends wanted more jazz programs, and of course, the classical
crowd wanted more classical music, especially at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, most everyone was glad we finally made
it on-air after a lengthy fundraising campaign and construction on the
university’s campus (and on their dime, too). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’d been on the air for about six months, so the honeymoon
was about to be over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, on this night
I was basking in some leftover triumphs as I attended the first concert of the Monroe
Symphony Orchestra’s 1991-2 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After the performance, I met many of the symphony supporters at the reception
where in no uncertain terms <b>everyone</b> told me that <b>everyone</b> wanted
more classical music, and all their <b>friends and neighbors</b> and <b>everyone</b>
<b>else</b> they knew felt that way, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At one point, several surrounded me, voices rising as one…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And we want more classical music, especially at night!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“YEAH!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And get rid of that jazz and new age crap.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“YEAH!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And play more opera!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah…maybe….”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And get rid of that darn <i>Car Talk</i> program!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“<b>HEY – I LIKE CLICK & CLACK</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re a hoot!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And just that like, a donnybrook ensued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The circle suddenly opened like the Dead Sea
for Moses, although I didn’t escape right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I moved to the side to watch, amused, as bosom buddies and best mates suddenly
pointed fingers not at me but at each other over <i>Mountain Stage</i> and <i>Fresh
Air</i> and “maybe we’ve got enough opera in the <i>Metropolitan Opera</i> and
we could use more from the baroque period…” and “I don’t see why we have to
turn down our noses at 20<sup>th</sup> Century composers; after all…” and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few minutes, no one noticed I had quietly
left the building.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">OK, it wasn’t all that quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I laughed loud and long.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-80315444098968630482021-07-20T14:46:00.004-07:002021-07-20T14:46:42.767-07:00Glad, Sad and Mad About COVID<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nDoPKKYSW3kXwlpz4aDeCkvm6sai9vnD9RSRAw71V3Rf8neU-LcWIjWpHHkR4EtdmbSM2g2-dt5xmE3buBwebea-nf8FhuCmpj8wOkpDZOJsqFYZN_0WRgkKL-z5JWeTlUoK1t6ZxkM/s300/covid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0nDoPKKYSW3kXwlpz4aDeCkvm6sai9vnD9RSRAw71V3Rf8neU-LcWIjWpHHkR4EtdmbSM2g2-dt5xmE3buBwebea-nf8FhuCmpj8wOkpDZOJsqFYZN_0WRgkKL-z5JWeTlUoK1t6ZxkM/s0/covid.jpg" /></a></div>I considered writing about COVID almost a month ago. At that time, I noticed a slight uptick in
cases, and more chatter about the Delta variant. I held off because:<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I wasn’t sure if this was a temporary “don’t worry about it”
thing or a new crisis developing, and</li><li>No one would change their behavior, no matter what I or
anyone else said.</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, for certain, it’s a thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cases are skyrocketing, and it’s so serious
that even <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/19/investing/dow-stock-market-today/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_content=2021-07-19T16%3A10%3A21&utm_source=twCNN&utm_medium=social">Wall
Street noticed</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/7/20/2040855/--Please-take-COVID-seriously-Hannity-reverses-course-then-reverses-again-back-to-anti-vaccine-camp">Hannity</a>
changed his tune a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a
little.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the second reason remains.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sure, some places might reinstate mandatory mask
requirements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s still in force at
local clinics and hospitals, but c’mon – what do medical professionals know
about viruses, anyway?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, that’s sarcasm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the real reason I debated so long about saying anything about
COVID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mood changes constantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am conflicted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’re vaccinated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s clear to us that, whatever else you can say about the virus, the
vaccines are doing what they’re supposed to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not <b>eliminate</b> the risk, but <b>reduce</b> the risk of both
catching the virus, and suffering from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve oft said that Americans are horrible about calculating risk (this
is good for those of us who play poker – more money!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For whatever reason, people got it into their
heads that the vaccines would totally eliminate the risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Never was like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think
people think that it does because people think that it SHOULD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They make the same mistake about masks –
masks help reduce the risk, not eliminate it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the last two months, death from COVID is almost
exclusively a “non-vaxxed” event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
than 99% of hospitalizations and deaths occurred in non-vaccinated
patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who complain that
the vaccines were never “tested,” I say – here’s your test result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And while I can’t put a finger on statistics, it’s evident
that non-vaxxed areas (read: conservative and voted for Trump) are getting hit
harder with COVID cases now than those areas where vaccination rates are
higher.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, some vaccinated people are testing positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was to be expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, one vaccinated to REDUCE risk, not
eliminate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just don’t expect them to
be hospitalized, though again, there is a slight <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">risk of that, and of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But far, far, far, far less risk than no
being vaccinated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there are
other steps that one can take to reduce the risk – wear a mask, stay socially
distanced, etc., etc., etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fat chance of that shit now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone is opening up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crowds are
back at games, concerts, you-name-it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
one wants mask mandates again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems
reasonable that the answer <b>now</b> is the answer we had way back when the
former guy was President – vaccinate!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Remember when they touted the virus and Operation Warp Speed – get
it to the people, STAT!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lok what they
were <a href="https://flux.community/mark-sumner/2021/07/republican-elites-loved-covid-19-vaccines-until-joe-biden-became-president">saying
back then</a>: <br />
<span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“I’ve been a big proponent of releasing it early. I think
that we’ve had enough safety and effectiveness data.” </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Another person encouraged by the rapid
production of the vaccines praised the “brilliant” way in which Project Warp
Speed had made vaccines available so quickly.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The first
speaker?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Senator Ron Johnson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Senator Rand Paul.</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #FAFAFA; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">They ain’t
singing that tune now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happened?</span><span style="background: #FAFAFA; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Joe Biden became President.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">C’mon, we’ve seen this before.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When Bush was in office and tanked the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/07/25/publics-views-of-nations-economy-remain-positive-and-deeply-partisan/">economy</a>
near the end of his term, few Americans gave the administration good marks for
the effort, and those few were largely Republicans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Obama took over and things got better,
some perceived the economy as doing better…but not Republicans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, no…things didn’t turn around at all until
2017 WHEN THEIR GUY WAS BACK IN OFFICE, AND OMG JUST LOOK AT THE ECONOMY NOW
(except nothing had changed except who was President).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know damn well they’ll do it again now
that Biden is in charge (inflation, gas prices, the deficit, etc., etc.,
etc).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know they will because…they did
it when Clinton took over for Bush Sr. and reversed their silly asses again
when Dubya took over for Clinton.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">So when Trump says it would be different if he was President,
he has a point, though not the one he was trying to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not doubt that more Republicans would
get the jab if he was still there (typing that was hard; gave me the
creeps).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s still the same vaccine
– and if you want to give him whatever credit for its development, fine (I don’t),
but…what’s changed with the vaccine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
know its effectiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s now readily
available (which wasn’t the case when you-know-who was running the place). So…what’s
the prob?</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As I said, </span>I am conflicted.<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This has gone on for so long now that folks are
frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many who are vaxxed have taken the “fine, let
‘em die” position, and I fall into that camp, mostly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes my anger boils over into sarcasm,
making fun of those who willingly refuse to take a potentially life-saving drug
(or wear a mask or take other precautions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You brought it on yourself, asshole!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But then, I worry, because the fact is that the longer this
shit continues, the more likely there will be new and different strains and variants
of COVID, some that may be more contagious and/or deadly than what we have now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That makes me sad, and mad.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But I honestly don’t know what to do about it, except talk
about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But it seems no one is listening.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for listening.<o:p></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-737022265863870192021-06-28T14:25:00.002-07:002021-06-28T14:25:26.765-07:00Waiting…<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_yFZEln-2NwC_TcG141xbKVwHfa5-vt0wOfrfXj2s1Y4QlwZY3Z3vnZ3XR5TlxoUC2tv-5SIHmpNj3SkW6xC9qE3mEV3xbr-tiBloDC5E39eFSrzpsYbRdivAx3nO-htrRo8yk4JV9U/s512/godot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_yFZEln-2NwC_TcG141xbKVwHfa5-vt0wOfrfXj2s1Y4QlwZY3Z3vnZ3XR5TlxoUC2tv-5SIHmpNj3SkW6xC9qE3mEV3xbr-tiBloDC5E39eFSrzpsYbRdivAx3nO-htrRo8yk4JV9U/s320/godot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>I could never be these guys, always waiting...</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I’ve never been a patient person. I hate waiting. Always have, although I was not born
premature. I think that was the last
time I waiting until I was supposed to.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This edginess of mine drives my wife nuts, as she is a very methodical
person, patient to a fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would
rather wait until everything is exactly right and in place before moving ahead;
I’m comfortable with charging on if we’re 80-90% complete, or sure of what
we’re doing, confident that I can repair/fix/change whatever isn’t right as we
go along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old joke I used to tell
when we ran the ice cream parlor is that if Mona had her way, waiting until
everything was “just right,” we’d be holding our grand opening in two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I told this joke well into our second
decade of business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was still
funny, because it’s true.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I’m “on hold” now because of the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you live in the western US, you know that
Oregon is under this “heat dome” where we’re getting Las Vegas temperatures
without the glamorous shows nor the buffets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was 110<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°</span> in Warren yesterday (hotter in Portland, of course), and
we’re expecting 115<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°</span> today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, it
was 95<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°</span>
in Seaside on the coast on Sunday, and it NEVER gets hot out there because of
the cool breezes blowing off the Pacific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We used to laugh at the tourists who would come out to the coast to cool
off when temps hit 90<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°</span> or above in Portland; dressed in flip-flops, tank-tops,
and short-shorts, they’d walk around with their arms wrapped around themselves
trying to keep warm, wondering “WTH is going on?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the only time I regretted selling ice
cream and not owning the sweatshirt shop down the street.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I’m waiting to do all my outdoor projects until the
heat dies down (in a day or two, promise!), and frankly, it’s not as tough as
all that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is because I’ve
been “waiting” on a lot of things lately…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m waiting for Oregon to reopen due to COVID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s supposed to happen either (a) when we
reach that magical 70% vaccinated threshold, or on June 30<sup>th</sup>, whichever
comes first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’ll be June 30<sup>th</sup>,
because while we’re close, we have plenty of “my body, my choice (this time)”
people who would not get the vaccine if you paid them, and yes, we tried that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in Columbia County, we’re at a paltry
42% it’s better in the zip code where we live, thank you); an island surrounded
by both metro counties and coastal communities in the 50s and 60s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least we’re not Malheur County (28%) nor
the 97712 zip code in Deschutes County (a whopping 9.3%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeebus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m waiting for the Democrats to do something good
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, Biden started like a house
afire, but how could he not, reversing many of the Executive Orders of the
Previous Guy and pushing through a stimulus package that gave some average
Americans (for once) some relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
voting rights, infrastructure, etc., etc.; that “progressive package” we’ve all
known and loved and waited for for so long is at a standstill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not the heat; but something that burns
even hotter – Mitch McConnel and his GOP stonewallers, reminding us that only <b>one</b>
party is allowed to skip the bipartisan gambit and push ahead with whatever-in-hell
they want (pretty sure it’s in the Constitution).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the press helps them with this bullshit,
but that’s another story.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Speaking of bullshit, I’m waiting for more arrests in the January
6<sup>th</sup> insurrection, and I don’t mean just the folks who went
inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rounding up the organizers would
be a nice touch, don’t you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
don’t think it was organized?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had
T-shirts printed up with the date and the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In advance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And speaking of arrests, it’s now being said that criminal charges
may be filed THIS WEEK against the Trump Organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the Manhattan D.A.’s office,
it’s related to tax-related conduct, more specifically, “…possibly extensive
and protracted criminal conduct" at the Trump Organization, including tax
and insurance fraud and falsification of business records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember when Trump bragged about not paying
taxes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That makes me smart,” he said,
smirkingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s well past time to wipe
that smirk from his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of
the family, too, as well as Roger Stone, et al.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And finally, I’m waiting for stuff in the garden to ripen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s an annual event, of course, but this
year it takes on a bit more trepidation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s the first year for all of our berry bushes to bear fruit, and so
far, it’s a gusher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two pints of
Loganberries so far; another two pints of Olallieberries today, and the
Marionberries…another couple of weeks, but we have twice as many plants, so
we’ll be rolling in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve harvested a ton of lettuce, bunches of
carrots (more to go), radishes, and three pints of peas with the other half of
the bed ready by the end of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still to mature - two kinds of apples, some pears, corn, green beans,
acorn squash, butternut squash, cukes, melons, pepper, and of course, zucchini
(we planted half the crop we did last year just so we wouldn’t have them coming
out of our ears).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, we
planted MORE tomatoes because you cannot have too many tomatoes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Oh, and I’m waiting for a new freezer to put it all in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When’s it coming?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I can’t wait.</span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-36071632498312711012021-06-03T13:31:00.002-07:002021-06-03T13:31:38.995-07:00Details, details, (lack of) details<p>Before we begin, it’s worth noting that this blog is almost
10 years old, or, in other words, it’s lasted almost 10 years longer than
Donald Trump’s blog (which was shut down yesterday).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, I can’t begin to tell you if I’ve sputtered more
nonsense in my 10 years than he has in the last, oh, 6 weeks or so, but I doubt
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you somehow missed the latest,
the “rumor” is that Donnie the terrible expects to be reinstated sometime in
August.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, reinstated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of these United States.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mG5vsVVJ4uo11mmJzINe7faAXSRk5bqDAsMxXsJE_hvkFqeyDJ6G0rRxaOSkLhIeiFmmNp6pobTvRdb4ME69TPlVxIyDZJIOjNQBRiLT54LNNtHGR2jNk5YmvjNQsODIziNIZzP42dg/s1920/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mG5vsVVJ4uo11mmJzINe7faAXSRk5bqDAsMxXsJE_hvkFqeyDJ6G0rRxaOSkLhIeiFmmNp6pobTvRdb4ME69TPlVxIyDZJIOjNQBRiLT54LNNtHGR2jNk5YmvjNQsODIziNIZzP42dg/s320/original.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>Republicans, marching in the same direction</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Before you go running to your local constitutional scholar
to see just how this might play out (hint – it doesn’t; that’s not how this
works, that’s not how any of this works), consider playing this fun game:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>next time you see a Trumpkin post malarkey
like this, ASK THEM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask them, exactly,
where in the US Constitution it says that a candidate who lost due to “fraud”
(be sure to include the quotation marks) gets to be reinstated once the “fraud”
is “proven” in “court.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask them what
proof is needed, which court decides, etc., etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask for lots of details.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You won’t get any, of course.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Conservatives have been horrible of late in providing
details for…well, actually, for damn near anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They make claims, they make statements, and something
is missing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Details.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For example, many Republican-controlled legislatures are
passing outrageous “voter protection” bills that do nothing of the kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they actually do is make it very hard
(for some people) to vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The GOPers <i>say</i>
it’s to stop fraud at the polls, but when you ask them exactly how much fraud
occurred in 2020, they mumble and stutter and then point to the lack of
confidence the “voting public” (their side) has in the results (because of all
the lies they told their side about why they lost).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Critical Race Theory” is being debated in many states by
all the conservatives, but…do they even know what that means?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I ask that question on the social
medias, I get:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>“I ain’t doing your homework,”</li><li>“Google it,”</li><li>“It’s just another bad liberal idea, like all of them,” and</li><li>[crickets].</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(For a good overview, see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theory">here</a>; for an
interesting analysis, go <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-is-critical-race-theory-and-why-is-it-under-attack/2021/05">here</a>.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Side note – this reminds me of a pro-Biden post I commented
on last week, where a Trumpkin posted “This story is factually inaccurate and
wrong.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked what, <b><i>specifically</i></b>, was
inaccurate and got a Sarah Palin-like response:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“All of it.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You see, if Neo-Con-jobs would actually pay attention to the
details, they might actually be able to think about the things they’re saying
and the claims they’re making and realize it can be one way or the other way,
but it can’t be both.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One example is the January 6<sup>th</sup> insurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than 70% of Republicans say Antifa
and/or was responsible, yet, also, too, more than 70% say there should NOT be
an investigation and we should move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wouldn’t they WANT to have PROOF that the nasty Antifa crowd should be answerable
for all that death and damage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How about this one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans
of the Orange Blob want Trump to get credit for rushing the COVID vaccines
through, but…they also say, ”I won’t take the vaccine because it was rushed.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh, by the way, they STILL think Obama was born in
Kenya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/xj7rpmvws8/econTabReport.pdf#page=139">Still</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And don’t forget that “U<span style="color: black;">nemployment
benefits are too generous” and simultaneously “The economy is overheating so
much that inflation is going to kill us all.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I mean, sure, it makes your head hurt, but all of this
bullshit does affect our social discourse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can you reason with people who blurt out any string of words whether
there’s any truth to them or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
can you possibly negotiate with anyone like that?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I know Joe means well, but as he would say: “C’mon, man.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Times a wastin’ – let’s move forward without the bastards.</p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-90712534034864091142021-05-17T11:20:00.006-07:002021-05-17T12:19:58.012-07:00It’s About Time (I changed the title of this blog)<p>Not quite ten years ago, I started this blog for a variety
of reasons. Since then, a lot has
changed, including the reasons for continuing to write and what I write
about. Actually, just about everything
has changed except the title. I’ve been
wanting to do that, too, but couldn’t think of a title that stuck with me,
reflected exactly what I wanted to be all about. And then it hit me.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been reading <i>American Lighting</i>, about the bombing of
the LA Times Building back in 1910 and the intersection of three prominent Americans
– Billy Burns, the famous detective who “cracked the case;” Clarence Darrow, who
defended the labor-leader perpetrators; and D. W. Griffith, the famous
director, who had absolutely nothing to do with these events but somehow author
Howard Blum wove him into the narrative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As a history, it’s a bit clunky, but Blum mostly pulls it off.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wImaHj8tND-jWkCQDd7AfKRVqtYno5LhXgCCnzHEer7cHtGHgY5BWbn5ZjyV3y6qAkcW3OOWQR9Kl7vMvzzv8FKuDQaokZdlDMXmcJINqHXEEnOsVPEcM4BTrEwt23lFS9qxerSHBy4/s447/crank+book.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wImaHj8tND-jWkCQDd7AfKRVqtYno5LhXgCCnzHEer7cHtGHgY5BWbn5ZjyV3y6qAkcW3OOWQR9Kl7vMvzzv8FKuDQaokZdlDMXmcJINqHXEEnOsVPEcM4BTrEwt23lFS9qxerSHBy4/w134-h200/crank+book.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br />But briefly mentioned in the text (he had more to do with the story than Griffith) is E. W. Scripps, and the
reference to him as “The Old Crank.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Turns out that’s not quite right – it’s <b><i>DAMNED OLD CRANK</i></b>,
which was also the title of his autobiography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I knew about Scripps, of course – started the Detroit News and later a
chain of newspapers, then created UPI, etc., etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohio University’s School of Journalism is
named after him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point, I’ll
have to find a copy of the bio and read more about the man, if nothing more
than to find out what made him tick other than his prolific consumption of
cigars and whiskey – he was reported to drink about a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1932/02/18/archives/aide-says-scripps-defied-all-maxims-publisher-drank-a-gallon-of.html">gallon</a>
a day.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So why use <b>Damned Old Crank</b> for the title of this
blog?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that a reference to the great
journalism I hope to accomplish here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
tip o’ the hat to Scripp’s moxie and drive?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just that I
not only consider myself a <b>Damned Old Crank</b>, but others do, too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My Sister-in-Law’s nickname for me is “Mr. Bombastic.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can get like that, for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife says that as I’ve aged I’ve gotten
crankier – she blames the fact that our social skills have been dulled for the
last 15 months due to COVID, while I think I come off that was because my voice
is going (I now speak in a raspy old-man growl due to throat irritation mixed with
actually being irritated by other people).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The old “Wanna Bet” title partly reflected the original
purpose of the blog (to talk about gambling) and a personal attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the day, that was my Dad’s rejoinder (and
mine) to a challenge or a claim that something we uttered was incorrect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Wanna Bet?” Dad would bellow, and I adopted the
same phrase and defiant position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later
in life, when Mona and I faced one hurdle after another, we’d respond a bit
differently (though still defiant): “Oh, yeah?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, fuck you!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like a precursor to the “Hold my beer”
prompt, and it became our rallying cry when faced with whatever challenge life
threw our way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now that we’re retired, the challenges are fewer (though no
less daunting), and while, “Oh yeah, well fuck you” sounds like a great blog title
to ME, I kept thinking I could do a bit better (and come off less crass).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So <b>Damned Old Crank</b> it is.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO1468ZTA-sUcPJc0Q6Jg84cKhaYwCnp48JpODSFk_gnaOAi7OC94ksZOudYUwa27wKdZTWdiUc6efokeapO5wEfiIri5h1_F8XuKEdzykNdvTnhjwwbJc_UlkPiESUK_Ki1L42_PqII/s456/E_W_Scripps.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO1468ZTA-sUcPJc0Q6Jg84cKhaYwCnp48JpODSFk_gnaOAi7OC94ksZOudYUwa27wKdZTWdiUc6efokeapO5wEfiIri5h1_F8XuKEdzykNdvTnhjwwbJc_UlkPiESUK_Ki1L42_PqII/w135-h200/E_W_Scripps.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><br />Your comments and sass are welcome, and no, I don’t plan to
change the picture just yet even though it’s 25 years old, because it’s STILL
the biggest check I’ve ever received from writing (both figurative and literally).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe someday once I’ve lost as much hair as
Scripps, but not now.<o:p></o:p><p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-10908819283430797622021-05-11T10:31:00.001-07:002021-05-11T10:31:49.432-07:00485 Verbal<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yqauymu4UtHGxLh6JqEJd7_JcAzHCVpIyvyuU95liMSPrXSKFpvMusVMoke4a2YDFWgGPWbSJhS4oN7B8aBSvWUFix52HwozSE539R0BgMslk1WwzGKa09DOdlMcve-OCcN04EFG_0Q/s499/stepmother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yqauymu4UtHGxLh6JqEJd7_JcAzHCVpIyvyuU95liMSPrXSKFpvMusVMoke4a2YDFWgGPWbSJhS4oN7B8aBSvWUFix52HwozSE539R0BgMslk1WwzGKa09DOdlMcve-OCcN04EFG_0Q/s320/stepmother.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">No, do not buy this.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I just finished the book “<i>The Stepmother</i>” and have
two issues, which leads to two different complaints. As noted, I am not the guy one thinks about
when one thinks of “literary criticism.”
The “485 Verbal” of the title refers to my old SAT scores (barely above
the minimum). I have no real excuse
except that I spent too much time on the match portion (685 score) and that
just totally dogged it (pretty sure my PSAT was a lot better, but I don’t
remember). My wife and I laugh about SAT
scores now because we both denied reality and obtained degrees and professions
NOT in our strong suits. I studied
Communications and went into radio, while she took up accounting and became a
CPA despite a low SAT score in Math (her Verbal score was 700-something).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But I digress…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before I discuss my issues with “<i>The Stepmother,</i>” a
brief plot summary:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor single mom acts
as a personal trainer to a rich millionaire who falls in love with her and asks
her to marry him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She accepts, which
pisses off his three adult kids (who are true leeches on the family fortune).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a threat to her life, but she survives
and marries him, and then shortly after, HE dies in an accident which looks
like was targeted for her, but instead, she winds up charged for the
crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the book is about how
she tries to figure out who really did it with the help of a friendly cop (who
she falls in love with) and her attorney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are a couple of plot twists, but nothing too complicated and it
gets predictable near the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
not my issue, although it didn’t help my “enjoyment” of the novel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No, what grinds my gears is (a), horrible grammatical
mistakes, and (b) the tendency to tell, not show, which is a cardinal sin in
writing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now explaining the concept of “show, don’t tell” to a non-writer/reader
is akin to explaining critical race theory to a Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though we call it storytelling, one
should SHOW the action, not TELL about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is Mary angry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
angry?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t tell us she’s very angry –
show us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did she grimace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bite her lip?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Snarl?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slam her hand against the
window?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw a pot at someone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SHOW us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In this book, there was far too much telling when it would have been
easy to show (the plot practically begs for it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed it pretty quickly and went back to
read the critical reviews online, and I wish I had done so before buying the
book (fortunately it was a used book, dirt cheap, but still).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And then, once you’ve shown us, don’t try to tell us what
you’ve shown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than once, there was
a line like, “Dammit,” she snapped angrily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The “angrily” is superfluous; how else does one snap the word “Dammit?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about, “Dammit,” she snapped <b><span style="color: red;">lustfully</span></b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Dammit,”
she snapped <b><span style="color: red;">gaily</span></b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
makes one wonder if the novel was edited or proofed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even more evidence of a lack of editing or proofing was the
grammatical errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Desert instead of
dessert (three times!), breath instead of breathe, not rather than now, draws
instead of drawers, and other faux pas. Every time I came across one, I
snapped, “DAMMIT,” and angrily, too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did so because “<i>The Stepmother</i>” isn’t a
one-off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one of SEVEN books by this
author, all with similar dreadful titles (<i>The Babysitter</i>, <i>The Trophy
Wife</i>, <i>The Daughter-in-Law</i>, etc).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, wait, there’s more – Diana Diamond is a pseudonym for <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">New York
Times best-selling <span style="color: #333333;">author </span></span><b>William
P. Kennedy</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, he should
know better.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It’s also not a one-off because it’s an indictment of just how stupid
we’re becoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book got decent
reviews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s apparent to me that many
readers never noticed the errors or the “telling, not showing” problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why there are lots of Facebook pages
like “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/340049826193416">America's Cultural
Decline Into Idiocy (ACDII)</a>”</span> with sign errors or other examples of
our mental decline, and they never seem to run out of examples, do they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s one of my complaints.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And </span>“<i>The Stepmother</i>” isn’t the first book I’ve read
with all these flaws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last month I
finished “<i>Mr. Churchill’s Secretary</i>,” which again had an exciting-sounding
plot but suffered from poor (OK, shitty) execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you read the reviews you see many were
hoodwinked into thinking this was a great read (enough so that the author has
ground out 10 similar novels in a short time), but if you read the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B004J4X9HE/ref=cm_cr_unknown?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=1#reviews-filter-bar">critical
ones</a>, you’d know better than to waste your hard-earned money.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other complaint is more personal – how does this crap get
published, while I can’t get anyone interested in any of my works?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first novel was rejected 128 times, and
only one agent/publisher asked for the entire manuscript (and then rejected it,
but rightly so – eventually I will make corrections and try again).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More rejections were perfunctory; “…regrettably,
your project is not a right fit for our agency,” “…it is not the type of book I
am considering at this time,” “however, this project doesn’t sound right for me,”
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://mexinger.blogspot.com/2021/03/wanna-read-my-unpublished-novel.html" target="_blank">Novel #2</a> isn’t faring much better. If there's anyone who wants to read it, let me know.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I guess what I need to do is write a mystery, claim I can do a
series of them with pithy-sounding titles, and push like crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already have Grammarly installed, what more
can I do?<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-76954271908690365142021-05-07T17:32:00.000-07:002021-05-07T17:32:12.246-07:00The Winds of Change? (post COVID)<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7Ud8fnDPwHYFnbhNHeSwJ4iPXvaZHWAqxfRH5yivAjGt-7DTZyqU0Utdt62MToZiXrvQcLxhGORKbrlkyP8Cf0zSCC-7qaascWlrwbrNHP0bQvp8P-uORbMZq8GUYgG6Y93RVVky40A/s300/button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="300" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7Ud8fnDPwHYFnbhNHeSwJ4iPXvaZHWAqxfRH5yivAjGt-7DTZyqU0Utdt62MToZiXrvQcLxhGORKbrlkyP8Cf0zSCC-7qaascWlrwbrNHP0bQvp8P-uORbMZq8GUYgG6Y93RVVky40A/w200-h194/button.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>Which direction you wanna go?</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Events over the last few days make me remember the classic
Buffalo Springfield hit, <i>For What it’s Worth</i>…<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: Roboto;">There's something happening here</span>.<br /></b><span style="color: red; font-family: Roboto;"><span style="background: white;"><b><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">But what it is ain't exactly clear</span>.</b><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">With COVID vaccines
on the rise and cases on the decline, folks are looking ahead to that magic
moment when things are “back to normal” (full disclosure – we’re nowhere near
that yet, so keep your shirts on).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing
is, there are two camps – the “back” camp and the “how about we try to make
things a little better now that we know stuff” camp.</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We now know
that, yes, you CAN have a large part of your <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/5/7/2029389/-Washingtonian-staffers-strike-in-response-to-CEO-s-op-ed-about-remote-work-and-job-security">staff
work</a> successfully at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bonus:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>many employees <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/one-year-into-covid-working-from-home-is-here-to-stay.html">LOVE</a>
this and can get more work done or do better at home that at the office, what
we call a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/03/25/covid-remote-work-office-return-survey-zoom-meeting-fatigue/6989446002/">win-win</a>
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who could have known?</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We now know
that those individuals who work for companies that must have in-person employees
(service jobs, hospitals, restaurants, etc.) are very concerned about staying
safe (not sick with COVID) and making a decent wage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many employers have experienced <a href="https://www.beachconnection.net/news/employee_shortage050621.php?fbclid=IwAR3zyXI2vQmWIb0oqIkopDnvU9bRxdIEdruVb4TwnJMq_Y-37cQbnQzfQw8">labor
shortages</a> as they try to reopen, but are amazed to find those shortages disappear
when they offer a <a href="https://triblive.com/local/klavons-ice-cream-parlor-raising-minimum-wage-to-15-an-hour/">living
wage</a> and/or insist that all <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/nevada/articles/2021-05-04/3-vegas-casinos-fully-opening-after-80-worker-vaccinations">employees
are vaccinated</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s better for both
employees and the company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who could have
known?</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">We now know
that people LOVE to vote by mail, and that more people actually vote when you
make it easier to vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who could have
known?</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And so on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A year ago, I cringed when I kept hearing people yip about “getting
back to normal” (one has to remember that the former guy was in charge and
things were anything but “normal”), and I continually offered the option that
maybe, just maybe, we could put on our progressive hats and try to think about
ways to make things better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so
many damn problems we need to deal with – infrastructure, climate change,
income inequality, and so on, and it seems like only half of the country is
offering solutions and/or partial solutions to these issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The other half just wants to “go back to normal.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Well, guess what?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am starting to see real rebellion in doing just that. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And it’s gratifying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Slowly but surely, we lurch forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We always do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This decade isn’t like the 1980s, which wasn’t like the 1950s, and so
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much of the draconian discussion
about “going back” is getting the blowback it deserves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I haven’t mentioned is the “get the
kids back to school” argument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems
like most everyone is insistent in reopening schools whether it’s safe or not
(it might have more to do with Mom or Dad wanting to get back to work vs.
getting the best education for Johnny or Jennifer), but there’s actually some
who see the benefits of remote learning (like working from home; some can, some
can’t).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I was born 60 years too
soon, as I would LOVE to learn at home via a computer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In elementary school I did a lot of “remote”
learning – I was sick part of the time and in two grades I finished the
coursework early, so was assigned extra “independent work” to do at
home/library; and I LOVED IT. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there’s
<a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-are-some-kids-thriving-during-remote-learning">evidence</a>
that some kids thrive in the new environment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So, the next time someone suggests we’re closer to “getting back
to normal,” tell them, “Gosh, I hope not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It can be so much better if we make it so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, make it so.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-14113052604402491262021-04-18T17:37:00.002-07:002021-04-18T17:37:40.502-07:00Dying to Own the Libs?<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEpSyDSMKGPk-QDyC4coY8IWHEenyY0HlRtAPOdPhxnhKGqTwYMejlk4nchZtadRJ0JoG2NsflL25DrhzFjUQaENCaUkNDpDMPRZVVVapkR7sHJpo1kIk6L6Ks-ZovEqEyEPVL4sYI8Y/s2048/covid+card+no+bd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="2048" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEpSyDSMKGPk-QDyC4coY8IWHEenyY0HlRtAPOdPhxnhKGqTwYMejlk4nchZtadRJ0JoG2NsflL25DrhzFjUQaENCaUkNDpDMPRZVVVapkR7sHJpo1kIk6L6Ks-ZovEqEyEPVL4sYI8Y/w320-h246/covid+card+no+bd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>Two pokes and done!</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The good news is that as of today, both Mona and I have
received our second Moderna shots. We’re
part of the <a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/states-ranked-by-percentage-of-population-vaccinated-march-15.html">25%
of Oregonians</a> who are “fully vaccinated” against COVID, even though “fully”
means 90%, not 100%. I guess it’s
because “close enough” doesn’t sound promising enough.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s not why some folks aren’t getting the vaccine, of
course. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You’ve no doubt read that nearly half of those who voted for
Trump do not expect to get the vaccine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, to be fair, some of them say, “not yet” and they actually give
“compelling reasons” for why they plan to wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They want to see just how good it works in actual application vs.
clinical trials, they want to see if it’s effective against the variant strains,
they want to see if any serious side effects emerge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem with their skepticism is that
they won’t do the groundwork themselves to find out the answers to these
questions, and, given their news sources of choice (Fox, Rush, Glenn Beck, Alex
Jones, et al), they won’t get answers there, either.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not good ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
true ones.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just imagine how many mental gymnastics a conservative must
do nowadays to navigate the COVID/vaccine maze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, this is a disease introduced by the Chinese that’s a hoax and
is no worse than the flu which hardly affected anyone this winter and even
though a half-million Americans are dead and there are more than 140 million
cases worldwide (and the US accounts for almost a quarter of ‘em) the numbers
are fake thanks to the CDC and WHO and the Deep State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s real because Dear Leader got the
virus and beat it and then developed a vaccine in record time all by himself
and deserves the Nobel Prize for it and even though all the former Presidents
got vaccinated in public to promote it and he did in secretly and didn’t tell
anyone but he deserves all the credit and Biden doesn’t even though vaccination
rates are four, five, even ten times higher now than they were when he was in
charge and it’s the states’ fault anyway even though it’s tough to get an appointment
and places are throwing away the vaccine because no one is signing up and I
never get the Flu Virus Vaccine except for those three times before when there
was a Republican President and that’s why I ain’t gettin’ no COVID vaccine
because even if I do get it, it won’t be so bad like a cold and poor old Aunt
Betsy was old and had a bad ticker and was gonna die, anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m sure I missed something.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXm_shJybMhWHxrBMm-tThURHDfXT59MkLsVYs6GVIKyzJBcCi5pAYIwns9dlBi40F05xSEwC43iJTZoK2ddFnkyrlEosFsqEjEHYeKBDgIipaLxzZz95s-8Ldd5HHv0MEGwIasegOK3w/s1349/covid+up.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="1349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXm_shJybMhWHxrBMm-tThURHDfXT59MkLsVYs6GVIKyzJBcCi5pAYIwns9dlBi40F05xSEwC43iJTZoK2ddFnkyrlEosFsqEjEHYeKBDgIipaLxzZz95s-8Ldd5HHv0MEGwIasegOK3w/s320/covid+up.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Last seven weeks here in Oregon. Not good.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />What I am not missing is the fact that even though more and
more people are becoming fully vaccinated like me, the case count is going up,
up, UP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, deaths are not
rising as dramatically (yet) although we still don’t know all the long-term
effects of the disease even though preliminary indications are that it’s not
good for you, period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if any illness
is.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And why are positive case counts going up, up to levels not
seen since the Christmas/New Year’s bump?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because folks are stupid.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like many other states who are experiencing large bumps in
cases (looking at YOU, Michigan), Oregon is “opening up” prematurely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, that’s my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others think differently – High Schools are
playing football and other sports, many classes are back in session, you can
eat inside at the restaurants and bars (though there’s some “limited capacity”)
and even the soccer teams are putting (some) fans back in the seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had the annual “spring break” on the
coast and big crowds in the churches for Easter and every time we go to the
market (still only once a week or less because why take the risk?) we see mask-less
folks and many chin-straps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And folks
are just SO DAMN EXCITED ABOUT IT – CAN’T WAIT TO GO EAT AND HUG SOMEONE.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like I said, stupid.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To me, it’s like someone serving a 15-year prison sentence
who breaks out of jail three weeks before the end of his sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve been putting up with masks, social
distancing, washing our hands, limiting trips, ALL THAT SHIT FOR SO FUCKING
LONG – surely we could hold off just a little longer to get (almost) everyone
(who wants it) vaccinated to eradicate ourselves from this horrible disease?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nah.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because stupid.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every day we see evidence of America’s growing
stupidity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just about COVID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just political thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just bad spelling and poor grammar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But bad decisions with horrible consequences
from folks who you wonder sometimes how they got dressed that morning they seem
so stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not only does no one seem
bothered by our increasing stupidity, but many folks also revel in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They celebrate not only the stupidity of
others but of themselves.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, I know…<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect" target="_blank">Dunning-Kruger</a> effect in action.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The stupidest idea though is the one that’s been <a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/03/12/republicans-are-trying-to-sabotage-bidens-covid-recovery-plan-to-own-the-libs-we-must-ditch-them/">circulating</a>
for a while <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/04/18/fauci-gops-refusal-to-get-vaccinated-hurts-efforts-to-lift-restrictions/">underground</a>
and is now “mainstream” because it’s been in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/us/politics/republicans-covid-vaccines.html">New
York Times</a> – the concept that conservatives are denying themselves the
vaccine because “it would make Biden look good,” ergo, “I’ll take my chances /
get sick / die just to own the libs.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now that’s <b>stupid</b>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The longer we fail to meet “herd immunity,” the longer it
will take to reach “herd immunity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
want all the restrictions lifted, and a quick return to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they won’t do the things we need to do
for that to happen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No wonder we called ‘em fuckers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, they’re stupid fuckers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And if they catch the virus, I will not cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLcm2sQv10MdSe-vmZmoIuG_6ZRZmbCUKgWdcohmhlWywqMGLdG8mbF2xPI7xugnHW7U3VEWh9ZBrP1zDFEoIViEctmy8xYaVeW-LSrPIZ_qSQMpYZLFbShKtv0ZElOI9c4yjksYBGig/s939/fear+and+stupid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="939" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLcm2sQv10MdSe-vmZmoIuG_6ZRZmbCUKgWdcohmhlWywqMGLdG8mbF2xPI7xugnHW7U3VEWh9ZBrP1zDFEoIViEctmy8xYaVeW-LSrPIZ_qSQMpYZLFbShKtv0ZElOI9c4yjksYBGig/w400-h230/fear+and+stupid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-83640885972554650182021-04-16T13:14:00.003-07:002021-04-16T13:14:17.184-07:00BETA Means “Not Everything Is Working Correctly, Maybe”<p>I do not claim to be a computer expert, but I do know something
about how they work. I know what an algorithm
is. I know how they’re supposed to work,
and I know that when there’s a pattern that is evident all the time EXCEPT in
one specific case, that specific case must have some “difference” that causes it
to be an exception.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some background:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As you may know, I have a variety of small paperbacks and eBooks
for sale on Amazon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t sell books
that often, so when I do there’s cause for celebration (about 130-150 per year,
to be honest).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s over five
different titles, but just two paperbacks make up almost 80% of sales – <i>The
ABCs of Craps </i>(over 50%) and <i>The ABCs of 21</i> (almost 27%).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amazon has a variety of features in their sales reporting system
that shows you how you’re doing; all sorts of sales reports, royalties
estimators, and the like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve made
several changes over the years, and now have a new BETA program that shows “Sales
Ranking” for the various books in a variety of categories (overall, and the
ones you assign to your books).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is where Amazon’s “algorithm” comes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, the more books you sell, the
higher your ranking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy, that’s tough
to figure out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sales Ranking is
updated hourly, which means it’s more “real-time” than the Sales Report, which
always takes a day or two to “settle” before posting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m cool with that, recognizing that charges
have to go through, be posted, all of that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’ve noticed that when I check Sales Ranking and suddenly, my
ranking goes UP, this must mean I’ve sold a book, and sure enough, a day or two
later a sale is recorded in the Sales Report.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Except for one book, <i>The ABCs of 21</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason, there’s no sync between
sales and rank change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here’s a table showing sales and rank “bumps” for my Craps book
(from the graphs I see in my reports).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Note that the last bump has yet to show up in sales (but I know it will,
today or tomorrow):<o:p></o:p></span></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 425px;">
<tbody><tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rank
jump on<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sale
made on<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Days
between<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Books
sold<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/17/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/19/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/21/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/23/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/25/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/26/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/27/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/28/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/29/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/30/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/1/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/3/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/6/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/8/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/8/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/9/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/12/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/14/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 10; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/14/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">probably
4-17<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">2-3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">And now, here’s the same for <i>The ABCs of 21</i>. I had to go back further than 30 days to show
more activity, but it’s still fucked up. </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 425px;">
<tbody><tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rank
jump on<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sale
made on<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Days
between<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>Books
sold<o:p></o:p></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">8/30/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">9/6/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">7<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">10/28/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">???<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">11/12/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">11/15/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">3<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">11/27/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">12/1/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">4<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">11/30/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">12/2/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">12/5/2020<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">???<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/10/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">???<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/18/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">3/21/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">3<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">3/28/2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">???<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/2/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">4/4/2021<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">1<o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: .2in; mso-yfti-irow: 11; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 85.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="113">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 94.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="125">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">4/13/2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 79.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="105">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">???<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: .2in; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="81">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: red; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><br />Different, huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at the
sales on 3/28.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re trying to tell me
I sold <b>FOUR BOOKS ON ONE DAY</b> and the <b>RANKING DIDN’T CHANGE A BIT</b>?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Well, Amazon is telling me that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’ve written to them (well, we’ve gone back and forth) about this,
and every time, they say the same thing using different words: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">“…there are multiple factors that determine the rank of a
book and we cannot share our sales rank algorithms and related criteria. Sales,
categories, other books determine the ranks, you are being monitoring your
tittles but there are lot of tittles that will include on how the rank of your
books change.” </p></li><li>“I do understand your concern, let me explain you how does
it works. I've confirmed that the ranking for your book(s) is correct. There
are multiple factors that determine the rank of a book and we cannot share our
sales rank algorithms and related criteria.”</li><li>“I've checked your book and also confirmed that the ranking
for your book(s) is correct as my colleague previously have mentioned. There are multiple factors that determine the
rank of a book and we cannot share our sales rank algorithms and related
criteria.”</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So, according to Amazon, all is well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly not their spelling and/or grammar,
but that’s a discussion for another day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After three days of arguing, I gave up (for a time) and went back to
check my other books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned, I
don’t sell many of ‘em, so I had to dig further, but I found that they also do
the same “Rank up, wait two days, Sale posted” dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except…one of the books shows “weirdly” in
the graph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like so:</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIYmSb8U2wfk2EbxxIJM5oeJELSaI3JK30oA6avuTUTPnqF7X9d7fLMuHjWah0drFk4iqDH8rkzyVagIaqfSPrzVALnW1kaHVF_zdc9sHz7s18GbgbL_MhsND3SGqk-vDVnYY_j5yTT0/s1600/no+be+the+king.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIYmSb8U2wfk2EbxxIJM5oeJELSaI3JK30oA6avuTUTPnqF7X9d7fLMuHjWah0drFk4iqDH8rkzyVagIaqfSPrzVALnW1kaHVF_zdc9sHz7s18GbgbL_MhsND3SGqk-vDVnYY_j5yTT0/w640-h312/no+be+the+king.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>Units Ordered = 0? Then what are those little bumps for?</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And so far, Amazon hasn’t responded to this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t imagine why.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So why is this such a big deal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two reasons; first, success begets success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that higher-ranked books sell better
because potential customers are lazy and won’t scroll through hundreds of
titles to find what they’re looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you’re not in the top few pages, forget it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this is so because I sell more books
when I “sell more books;” also, I do the same thing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The second reason is far more important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is happening to my account, it CAN’T
be the ONLY problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this because
of another situation a long time ago when I argued with my former ISP about our
business website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overnight, all my
changes disappeared and an older version was in its place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew what happened – they backed up and
restored the wrong version, and if it happened to my website it happened to a
slew of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I called Tech
Support, I got the old runaround about how I must have done something wrong and
how I needed to clear my cache and perhaps reboot my system and on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally was able to talk to the head of the
firm (who was a customer of the ice cream shop, so he knew me), and sure as
shit, they discovered I was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
happened again not two months later, and…same thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the runaround, I called the President,
and they had to admit they were wrong and I was right and they restored the
correct version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From then on, I had no further problems when calling Tech Support,
most likely because they had a large black asterisk next to my name which meant
“Don’t fuck with the old man; he knows what he’s doing.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I hope that Amazon will also install a black asterisk next to my
name soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-60584700174285861952021-03-28T17:16:00.000-07:002021-03-28T17:16:01.256-07:00Wanna Read my [unpublished] Novel?<p> Don’t be so quick to volunteer, though. Read on…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve just completed my second novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may recall that I bragged about writing
one last spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very excited and
had high hopes, but after 128 rejections…well, I tossed in the towel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sort of.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I still plan to get back to that one, but rather than make
fixes, I wrote another story, taking some of the feedback I got from the first
book to make the second one better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
hope.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s where you come in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I received a couple of suggestions to have others read the book first
before submitting it to agents, and it seemed like a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you’d like to read it, I’ll send you a
copy (Word or pdf file only - sorry, I tried to convert to .epub but I’m a
Luddite).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But not so fast.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The complete synopsis is at the bottom of this post, and I
do mean complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What looks like the
last three paragraphs (the end of the book) is there, but in WHITE, so you
can’t find out how it ends unless you really, really want to (copy it and
change the font color). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am hoping that a few of you will volunteer to read it and
then give me some feedback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t sweat
the grammar – Mona has yet to touch this (and she’s the Grammar Nazi of the
family).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’ll also give me some
feedback, but I already know what she’ll tell me (the same thing she always
does, and she’s right, but ironically, it’s the same problem she and other
authors have).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it we can see other’s
faults but not our own?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, that’s why you’re not supposed to edit your own stuff.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One more thing – the title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I started out with SPEECHLESS but there’s a shitload of stuff with that
title, then I came up with THE TOSS-UP, but then last night I had a brain fart,
and RHYMES WITH LUCK popped in my head.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which do you like?<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgay2U0kwf4Uh0h4BO6G_6bnnbUb-lVheAKfrwQ_pQLKXepKmkgR4d89olm2wNugMIK_L-JN4BVNd_1FOgdeTY767KmBlwu37a6r1j9M-cKz-apeUbfYHqhFw-k3L4t_o88Q9wPkaWNKHI/s698/titles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgay2U0kwf4Uh0h4BO6G_6bnnbUb-lVheAKfrwQ_pQLKXepKmkgR4d89olm2wNugMIK_L-JN4BVNd_1FOgdeTY767KmBlwu37a6r1j9M-cKz-apeUbfYHqhFw-k3L4t_o88Q9wPkaWNKHI/s320/titles.png" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">And here’s the synopsis:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s Fall, 1993, the start of a new semester on the Northern
Oregon University campus, and Robert <a name="_Hlk63175639">Brinkerhoff</a> is
on a bench eating lunch while watching co-eds move into the dorms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s single again, but the watching only
fuels his fantasy life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He writes short
stories on the side, and occasionally he delves into bawdy fiction for the
pulps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While that writing might help pay
the bills, it doesn’t help him find another smart, dynamic woman in his life,
and he’s also not progressing academically, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still an Assistant Professor in
Communications, he knows he can’t get on the tenure track unless he completes
his Ph.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s done as much about that
as he has his dating life.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Preparing for the new semester, he’s hoping that the new
crop of graduate assistants will pan out, and for once, he’ll get a helper for
the student radio station who knows something about radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acting as the faculty advisor for the station
is one of the many little things he does to stay in Department Head Stan
MacNeil’s good graces.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Robert is one of two professors who teach speech lectures
for NOU; the graduate assistants teach the individual lab classes, and everyone
meets once a week in “Seminar” to discuss those classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one Seminar a GA describes an unusual (to
her) event – an older student (old enough to be her mom) shocked her by using
the F-word in a speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Curious as to
the back story of the speech, Robert makes it a point to seek out the “fuck
lady.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later that day he bumps into
Rachel Shipley, the speaker, and is smitten.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">University policy frowns on fraternization with students,
but Robert thinks if he keeps it platonic, he’s OK until Rachel finishes her
speech class, the only one in his department (she’s a Marketing major).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They strike up a friendship, and he discovers
the reason Rachel gave the speech she did and used the F-word, though she’s not
very forthcoming on details.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Robert does another good turn for MacNeil and fixes the
department laptop, earning brownie points to use later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His friendship with Rachel turns serious over
the Thanksgiving break, as he invites her back to his mom’s place in Albany and
she finally tells him the whole story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When she was younger and in school the first time around, she became
pregnant and had to drop out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had
the baby but got divorced a few years later, hating her daughter and breaking
all ties with the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the drive
back to campus things get a bit romantic, but Rachel insists that her schooling
comes first, as she doesn’t want anything to prevent her from getting her
degree this time around.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Things remain cool with Robert and Rachel, and just before
the department Christmas party, he learns he’s losing his GA at the
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s bummed because he promised
Rachel he’d get back to his dissertation to finish his doctorate, but he gets
to cash in his brownie points when MacNeil assigns a new GA to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He meets her at the party and becomes
infatuated by both her brains and her beauty.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stacey Mills would be Robert’s ideal mate except for the
fact that he’s twice her age and they work in the same department, but he still
can’t get her out of his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, Rachel signs up for a heavier class load, putting a crimp in
her time with Robert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t mind
too much, as he thinks about spending more time with Stacey and fulfilling his
promise to work on his dissertation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over the break, Robert discovers the floppy disks holding
his dissertation writing and notes are damaged and his backup is blank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This causes a drunken spree and a writing
orgy, where he pens a series of <i>Letters to The Penthouse Editor</i>
featuring Stacey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the second semester begins, he’s convinced that a
doctorate isn’t in the cards, and since he’s selling more of his ribald
writing, a different career track is an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s having weekly Sunday dinners with Rachel that are fun, but there’s
no sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He finally tells her Ph.D. is
dead; she gets mad and reveals she was holding out on him so she could reward
him with sex for various completion points on his doctorate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, all that’s off the table.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the term progresses, she gets busier and puts his off;
they don’t meet for almost a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Frustrated, Robert decides to seduce Stacey, deciding that there’s no
harm if no one knows about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out
she has the same idea; they go out of town for pizza and spend the night at a
nearby motel having wild sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That same
weekend Rachel calls him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She feels bad
about everything and wants to rekindle the relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have dinner again, and finally, sex.</p><p class="MsoNormal">(last three paragraphs are in "white" font, remember?)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">Now he
having relations with both women, at different locations on different
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still convinced he can have it all
and keep it all hush-hush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Near the end
of the semester there comes a day when both Stacey and Rachel expect to be with
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he can’t be in two places at
once, he must choose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But which one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He flips a coin, an old trick his mother
taught him – when the coin is in the air, your brain makes the decision (and
ignores how the coin falls).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He picks
Rachel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">He
plans to spend the night with her, but after dinner and sex, he confesses his
love for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s convinced she feels
the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She coyly admits she feels
somewhat similar, as she was practicing signing her name “Rachel
Brinkerhoff.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She tells him it’s a lot
tougher than her previous married name…Mills.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">The
final scene finds Robert at the start of a new semester, sitting on a bench
eating lunch at the University of Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s convinced Stacey is Rachel’s daughter, and knew he had to leave NOU
and Maple Falls, and start all over again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">THE END</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-90002649882246567332021-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:002021-03-24T12:20:18.701-07:00Guns ‘n’ Motives<p>Let me start by saying I haven’t written much about guns or
gun violence. Twice, to be exact, both
in 2015 (<a href="http://mexinger.blogspot.com/2015/10/i-write-words-and-thats-not-enough.html">October</a>
and <a href="http://mexinger.blogspot.com/2015/12/stamp-out-hate.html">December</a>)
and one of those was more about hate than about guns. This time, I am writing about guns.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I’ve said previously, I have no use for guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never owned one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Can’t shoot ‘em straight if I did (I have an eye defect that inhibits my
ability to sight the target, and I proved I’m awful about this once when I did
a radio story about the local ROTC Turkey Shoot and they foolishly let me try
to hit the target for the story and even though they showed me how to do it I
wound up hitting the target…in the next booth over).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A gun, whatever the type – handgun, rifle, AR-15, has one
and only one purpose – to maim or kill whatever is being shot at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Any other “weapon” is similar to this, though there are many tools that
have other primary purposes that are used as weapons, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knives, hammers, hands, feet, and so on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Again, a gun is a weapon designed to main or kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might say, “No, I use it for defense” and
my response is “So you use it for defense, in case your home or your family is
attacked, and the purpose of this defense is to…do what, exactly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maim or kill whoever is attacking, I assume.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might “I use it for target practice” and
I would respond “Yes, so you can shoot more accurately, so when the time comes
to use the gun to maim or kill you can more accurately hit your target.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want to practice hitting a
target?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play darts, or play lawn darts
(oh, wait, that’s outlawed).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some folks hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many friends (and some relatives)
do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, they hunt animals, not humans, but
again, they use whatever weapon they use to maim or kill their prey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t deny that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bow & arrow serves the same purpose and
is much more of a challenge (I knew a guy in Idaho who was more successful getting
his elk/deer this way).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But when the national discussion turns to gun violence, we
never get to talk about guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s
on purpose.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first tactic is to delay the conversation, partly to
defuse the emotion that comes right after yet again another mass shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s too soon,” they say, and what they really
mean is “Is never soon enough for you?” because they never wish to discuss it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then, when there is “conversation” it’s merely one side throwing
out words and statistics and the other side responding with the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as you surely know by now, you can make
statistics say whatever you want.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And they do.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Recently, the old “hammers kill more people than rifles”
argument has been circulating, and you know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s cherry-picking the data, of course, but it leaves the impression
that guns are not the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s
wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the data:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKC4KMoknQ_khjAm1564-1PXs6_gpl75Ab7awUICvVa94io5Hq95Gi8pCyBZCcqkGZX_4msjNmbk6bght13tuFV3dFTYMxhAUqwHRmGfFyTlLJ5t8qdOrhI2ktKSV0NYjN5HNgBki59k/s1205/murder+numbers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1205" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKC4KMoknQ_khjAm1564-1PXs6_gpl75Ab7awUICvVa94io5Hq95Gi8pCyBZCcqkGZX_4msjNmbk6bght13tuFV3dFTYMxhAUqwHRmGfFyTlLJ5t8qdOrhI2ktKSV0NYjN5HNgBki59k/w640-h408/murder+numbers.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, you see that there are separate categories for
handguns, rifles, shotguns, and firearms (not specified).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why would these be separate categories?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One reason could be because combining all of them together makes the
chart look like this: </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4P-N6DHFaSBOI0zqmY20q5SQDtUwJmMLjo9peYUnbAQgl34thQZ70DrsZzOlFdXXAgxIdhcZSTHyyA2hGVU8Z1G0HwWbHmYJc_uw-QJ_Mo106-8rhsB3VW0I5t9p7nfHNHJBYdj2Id-M/s1205/murder+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1205" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4P-N6DHFaSBOI0zqmY20q5SQDtUwJmMLjo9peYUnbAQgl34thQZ70DrsZzOlFdXXAgxIdhcZSTHyyA2hGVU8Z1G0HwWbHmYJc_uw-QJ_Mo106-8rhsB3VW0I5t9p7nfHNHJBYdj2Id-M/w640-h408/murder+2.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All firearms are now shown to be TEN TIMES more lethal than the next highest category (knives/cutting devices). Draw your own conclusions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another argument making the rounds again is the fact that in
Switzerland, every male citizen 21 and older is MANDATED to have guns at home,
so why not do this in America?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes,
this is a true (as far as it goes) statement, because of the Swiss Army’s rules
regarding their militia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if that’s
true, why this chart?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4pFahdu2tY1SOrG1IQD2ABtvWzvzDOxzjUm7Y3JQ2HKd4Nsdspo6eOOnTFhuo_Lds8VdmYsSqKBPFNvwR7WGO5pl6QaR2IZe4oPfxwT76BeKRYj6wL3xUPkFMZiawmv9jeoox33QAkE/s601/guns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="601" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4pFahdu2tY1SOrG1IQD2ABtvWzvzDOxzjUm7Y3JQ2HKd4Nsdspo6eOOnTFhuo_Lds8VdmYsSqKBPFNvwR7WGO5pl6QaR2IZe4oPfxwT76BeKRYj6wL3xUPkFMZiawmv9jeoox33QAkE/w640-h576/guns.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Note that Switzerland is here along with damn near every other
country having low death rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer,
of course, is that while the Swiss have plenty of guns at home, they <a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/soldiers-can-keep-guns-at-home-but-not-ammo/970614"><span style="color: windowtext;">HAVE NO AMMO</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big dif.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But it’s these “facts” and “statistics” that continue to muddy the
waters when it comes to discussing guns and gun violence, as does the tired drumbeat
of “SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The facts
are that weaponry is far different now than in 1791, and the amendment calls
for a “well-regulated” militia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Consider that we’ve changed voting laws considerably since then –
in 1791 only white males who owned property could vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the militia only had three types of
weapons: <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">single-shot </span>rifles<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, swords, and cannons</span>.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It seems
that when it comes to voting, certain factions wish to make it harder to
register and harder to vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That same
faction wishes to make it EASIER to own a gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seems weird.</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Another
analogy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when it comes to abortion,
certain factions wish to make it harder to get one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That same faction wishes to make it EASIER to
own a gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems weirder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially since those who really want to
reduce the number of abortions know that reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies
is a far better method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Increase the
public’s knowledge, sex education, access to pregnancy prevention like pills
and condoms, and other methods help reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s those same steps that certain
factions wish to reduce or eliminate. </span><span style="background-color: white;">The very
things that could achieve the supposedly “goal” of reducing abortion are tossed
aside in favor of outright restriction.</span>
<span style="background-color: white;">But the very things that might achieve the goal of reduced gun violence
(background checks, liability insurance, banning assault weapons, invest in
better gun technology, and eliminate restrictions on gun violence research, for
example) are never considered in favor of…the idea that </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Guns,_Less_Crime">more guns are the solution</a><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Seems weird.</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Anyway, we’re
going to have that “conversation” again and I know how it will turn out because
it ALWAYS turns out that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still,
here is a <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/boulder-colorado-mass-shooting-gun-violence-statistics-charts">page</a>
with some wonderful charts to use when having that conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good luck.</span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-7281182895599355702021-03-21T16:30:00.001-07:002021-03-21T16:30:06.913-07:00Calculating Medical Odds (and ends)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDkLr_G_k-cEAOZ86fL9CIvHHl91FokyuNJSuHhD70ahPFaK4Z_xuikW81Eo69cFq44kwb6ta4huQ1s4FKR_qWBA0dK2dDzDqyigjiaSbzZxU_2M9KcywD7eoTeWSLGoszwVd4u5_LA8/s300/dice.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDkLr_G_k-cEAOZ86fL9CIvHHl91FokyuNJSuHhD70ahPFaK4Z_xuikW81Eo69cFq44kwb6ta4huQ1s4FKR_qWBA0dK2dDzDqyigjiaSbzZxU_2M9KcywD7eoTeWSLGoszwVd4u5_LA8/s320/dice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Not just because I play, poker, but overall, I consider myself a pretty good judge of risk. Working in Marketing Research taught me a lot about statistics, probability, and so on. It helps on the felt and in life. And when it comes to my medical history, I’m beating all sorts of odds. For example, I finally had a chance to sit down (via video) with my doctor about my test results (that I wrote about <a href="http://mexinger.blogspot.com/2021/03/testing-1-2-345.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and I received a copy of the results.<div> </div><div>What I can tell you is this – if I had any less cancer, I wouldn’t have cancer. </div><div><br /></div><div>When they do during a biopsy is gather samples from various places on the prostate, and then test each one. My results showed cancer cells in only ONE of the six areas, and on only ONE of the samples in that area. Then, they look at “how cancerous” that sample area was (using something called a Gleason Score) and determine the overall risk. My <a href="https://www.pcf.org/about-prostate-cancer/diagnosis-staging-prostate-cancer/gleason-score-isup-grade/" target="_blank">Gleason Score</a> was the lowest it could be and still be called “cancerous.” </div><div><br /></div><div>So it’s no wonder my doc said “low risk,” though it should be “low/low/low risk.” </div><div><br /></div><div>If my prostate was a hand in poker, it would be like holding pocket Aces against my opponent’s 8-3 off-suit, and the flop comes A-9-3. I am a heavy favorite to win it all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, I use this hand as an example because it’s EXACTLY the hand I wound up losing in the final stages of a tournament a few months ago (yeah, I still remember). I was up against a LAG (loose-aggressive player for those of you who don’t know the poker lingo), the type of guy who’ll play any two cards and bet big just to scare you.
In this hand, he raised things up, and as I had a great starting hand, I just called. The flop gave him a tiny pair of threes compared to my three Aces, and I sandbagged the hand by checking, knowing that he’d try to bluff a big hand. Sure enough, he shoves all in and I snap-called. </div><div><br /></div><div>And the turn card was another three. </div><div><br /></div><div>And the river…the fourth three. </div><div><br /></div><div>Grrrrrr… </div><div><br /></div><div>That’s a “less than one percent chance” coming through against me, and yet that’s TWICE as likely as me getting cancer and succumbing to it in the next ten years. So yeah, I like my chances.</div><div> </div><div>Even better, consider this – I live in Oregon, currently one of the worst states in the US in the rate of vaccinating its citizens with the COVID vaccines. Worse yet, I live in Columbia County, the WORST county in the state for vaccination rates. </div><div><br /></div><div>And yet, today I received my first shot of Moderna. As did Mona. AT THE SAME TIME. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just last week when I received my various emails and notifications from the state and county health offices about what was available, getting an appointment was a crapshoot (and I lost, though I am happy to say my 78-year-old neighbor got in for his first shot). This week? Piece of cake.
Getting the shot was easy, too. And we’ve set up a time for the second dose. </div><div><br /></div><div>I plan on being around here for a long, long time. I like my odds.</div>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-35180733463475138182021-03-15T16:02:00.000-07:002021-03-15T16:02:09.168-07:00Testing, 1, 2, 3…4…5…<p>I put off writing about this for a while, partly because I
wanted to see how it all turned out.
Turns out the ending isn’t exactly what I hoped for, but it’s still a
good story and parts of it are funny and there’s a moral or two at the end, so…here
goes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First, let’s get the shitty part of the story over
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is…I have “low risk” prostate cancer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I knew something was wrong; that’s why all the tests, five
in all (hence, the title).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t
worried too much then, and I’m still not all that worried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My doctor and I have a strategy (active surveillance),
and I plan to be here for a long time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chill.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, how’d this come about?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back in November, I had an “incident.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those of you who have known me for a while know
I’ve always had a small bladder problem (in that I have a small bladder).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This problem escalated when my prostate grew,
as is common in most older men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m always
careful when we leave the house to “go before we go,” but in this case we hadn’t
been on the road but five minutes when the urge came a callin’ and…I didn’t
make it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hurt like hell, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And an hour later the same urgency hit, and this
time, there was blood in my urine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m not a paranoid guy, but I know when I should call the doctor,
and this was one of those times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He listened
to the story and said it could be this or that, but to be sure I should see a
specialist.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyZrSl938UUmJPOe9IDpG5thB5cKbm6GovDpO5YSu3xy7FiAB5frfku87TrlWGcjtKSW5LUCjl94fjpA4YdQ_dDzNhjM1bZBJj6nzmcBC0CnrIt5zW0cHoPmbS6_kEwdXQ50uLBRB52g/s1885/doctors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1885" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyZrSl938UUmJPOe9IDpG5thB5cKbm6GovDpO5YSu3xy7FiAB5frfku87TrlWGcjtKSW5LUCjl94fjpA4YdQ_dDzNhjM1bZBJj6nzmcBC0CnrIt5zW0cHoPmbS6_kEwdXQ50uLBRB52g/w400-h179/doctors.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Flounder, Doctor, Newman, Camera, TV</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of these guys is my urologist, Dr. Woldrich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He’s a brilliant man, with impeccable professional
credentials and a very interesting background (volunteer work in foreign lands,
etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am happy to say I feel that I
am in good hands, except for the fact that I know where those hands are going.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fellow poker players – remember back in 2003, how exciting it was
to watch the World Series of Poker and FINALLY be able to see the players’ hole
cards thanks to the new technology of the “lipstick” camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, technology has evolved and cameras
are smaller than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in 2010 I
had a <span style="background: white; color: #202124;">colonoscopy so I know about camera
up my whosits, but until now I’ve never had one up my whatsits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a new one on me (or, rather, in me), and by the way, <b>numbing
jel my ass</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And it didn’t work on my ass, either.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Painful as it was, it was
necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to the “Four Ms” (the <b>M</b>arvels
of <b>M</b>odern <b>M</b>edicine, and <b>M</b>edicare), we were able to rule
out so many different possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, we didn’t know what caused the initial problem until this last
test, a prostate biopsy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several samples
were taken, and a few were cancerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not many, and it doesn’t appear to be aggressive, or spread anywhere
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chances something bad will happen
are just 1 in a 100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With </span>active surveillance,
we’ll keep testing and watching and if things go south, change our strategy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The morals of this story are simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First: <b>get checked, dammit</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad had esophageal cancer, and died from
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He should have seen a doctor long
before he did, but kept putting it off and putting it off. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he finally saw someone, it was too late.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other moral is that I realize, as you should, too, that
health care is very expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shudder
to think what I would have had to choke up if Medicare did not cover all of
this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse yet, there’s a moment when I
realize that at certain times in my life I would have had to be like my dad and
put off seeing someone simply because I couldn’t afford it. (Full disclosure: He
could have, so that wasn’t the excuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just stubborn).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The good news is that I’ve healed from this last procedure,
and “all systems are normal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plumbing
for all functions is working normally, thank you, and I know Dr. Woldrich will
ensure that I’ll be able to know whether I’m coming or going for a long time to
come.<o:p></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-43931987854716071802021-02-24T13:06:00.003-08:002021-02-24T13:06:41.015-08:00300<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJWWfKJKIgHxp9d2Jw3cv2EHfBAvJ_Aw0MsW2qCQy98AWajuBLnMUYl-QUIiXhRIpbQPGnL2Nnmt0lYALCgabnCvuJNV7nSq1qCIk88B-REHnHlWeidbuodgMhGu8mWGIbq8b_Z42LB4/s225/300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJWWfKJKIgHxp9d2Jw3cv2EHfBAvJ_Aw0MsW2qCQy98AWajuBLnMUYl-QUIiXhRIpbQPGnL2Nnmt0lYALCgabnCvuJNV7nSq1qCIk88B-REHnHlWeidbuodgMhGu8mWGIbq8b_Z42LB4/s0/300.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"</span><i style="color: #2b00fe;">Championship Bowling</i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">" host Fred Wolf </span><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">often said, "</span><span style="color: red;">If you can do it with a<br />pencil, you can do it with a bowling ball.</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">" </span><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I can assure you that you cannot write</span><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">with a bowling ball. Nor can you do</span><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">some other things I can't talk about</span><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here, because this is a family blog.</span></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I've hit 300!</p><p>Today marks the 301<sup>st</sup> post on the “WannaBet”
blog, something I started on a lark nearly 10 years ago. This blog has come a long way since
then. As have I. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since all communication has purpose, the purpose of the blog
back then was to go hand-in-hand with the release of my first ebook about
Poker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“All the trades” said that in
order to promote your wares, “ya gotta have a blog,” so I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t hard to convince, since I like to
write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always have, though I haven’t
always put myself out there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those of you who knew me back when might recall that I was a
very shy individual until about 8<sup>th</sup> grade when I did something very
stupid; I ran for class Vice President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really, I did, even though <br />(a) those things are always popularity
contests, not actually about who has the best “platform” or “ideas”, <br />(b) I knew
this, and <br />(c) I was very very unpopular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Why yes, it was a disaster, and you’d think that would have shut me up
and locked me into a deep dungeon for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It almost did, but then I got the idea to run for homeroom president in
9<sup>th</sup> grade and actually won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How could this happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I
was only president for the first semester, because I agreed to share the position
with another non-cool-kid and we basically split the cool-kids vote so that
we’d win each time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were math people
and we could add – we knew there were more uncool kids than cool kids in our
homeroom, and cool kids don’t do math.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But it wasn’t until I found out about radio in high school
that I really came out of my shell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
still wasn’t cool, but I didn’t feel bad about myself anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, I even tried out for a class play my
senior year, and that was something else (and I got a part, though not the one
I tried out for).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acting was different
than radio because in radio NO ONE SEES YOU and yet you still can communicate
with the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an actor, everyone
sees you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I didn’t wet myself, so
it turned out OK.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I never set the radio world on fire, but being in the
industry (briefly the first time) gave me more confidence, something I lacked
in spades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I matured enough to get a
job, start a career, get married<b><span style="color: red;">*</span></b>, the whole nine yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I began to do in my off-hours of
work (where ever I worked, in a variety of jobs) was write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing was like radio in that you could
communicate but people didn’t see you (so you could really put yourself out
there without fear).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, few
people (if any) saw any of what I wrote, but it felt good in a way that I
didn’t understand back then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call it
cathartic if you will, but writing filled a need I didn’t know I had.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At some point my writing “skills” tiptoed into my work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided my memos at the bank no longer had
to be boring, so I spiced ‘em up so that people would actually READ them (isn’t
that the point?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote about my memos
back in 2016 in this post <a href="http://mexinger.blogspot.com/2016/01/unconventional-and-contrarian-part-two.html">here</a>
if you’re interested, my point being that I had learned that the idea of
writing was to communicate EFFECTIVELY (even if it pissed off the brass at the
bank). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I endeavored to improve my
writing skills, and broaden I wrote about.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From the bank to the university to being back in radio to
marketing research, I wrote all sorts of stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Newsletters, memos, reports; and in each one I tried to use my “voice” –
speaking plainly, with a dash of humor, always trying to effectively get my
point across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I succeeded well
enough.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But one day…I was facing complete unemployment, wondering
what in hell I’d do for a living, having gone through several “careers” and
facing another 15-20 years of my life before I could hope to retire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>WRITING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a bunch of
freelance work, was a reporter for a weekly paper in Boise, and discovered two
things: <br />(1) I loved to write, and <br />(2) there was no way in hell I could make
enough money by writing alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fate
stepped in with a full-time job at the marketing research center, and then the
big change in life running the ice cream parlor, but all the time I kept
writing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz8lNRWZuPBrcQ7aO4755S6CH6dKX_VeTq6bf7HmTynzAk_Pl9fe-kpM63STTqGbDZpJXXF8sB7TDjOGSkoZ3FAn88M_fCpChhq5Uxj9HZt40UUp0P6337vObq6oFaAwMQUqU9346akA/s261/old+man+yells+at+cloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz8lNRWZuPBrcQ7aO4755S6CH6dKX_VeTq6bf7HmTynzAk_Pl9fe-kpM63STTqGbDZpJXXF8sB7TDjOGSkoZ3FAn88M_fCpChhq5Uxj9HZt40UUp0P6337vObq6oFaAwMQUqU9346akA/s0/old+man+yells+at+cloud.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>Not me.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In the last ten years, most of that writing has appeared
here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I’m still trying to write a
great novel (sometime soon I’ll tell you about attempt #3). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blog serves me as an outlet for some of my
anger and frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try not to be
an angry old man yelling at clouds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Early on I used my blog as a megaphone to push for online poker in the
US (which dried up about the same time I wrote the poker books and started the
blog, ironically).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sheldon Adelson was
my big adversary then; later on, it was “the former guy” aka the Orange Menace
who incurred much of my wrath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
been humor, and whimsy, but mainly WannaBet was a mirror on how I felt that
day, that week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been a few
good times and a lot of struggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Things are looking up now, and hopefully I’ll share more mirth here
sooner rather than later.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There have been noticeable gaps when I didn’t post anything
for months (in a couple of cases, more than a year).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve still been writing – mostly online
screeds or diatribes on social media (and all those attempts at novel writing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize now that the former was time
wasted, as I was actually trying to convince folks on the other side of their
folly using logic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, pretty stupid,
I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know how that turned
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tinfoil anti-antifa crowd
distains things like facts and evidence and lives for the slightly off-key
music that echoes inside their tiny heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wrote a shitload of words, all for naught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t make that mistake again, partly
because I have a block list that spans a couple of pages now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better for my blood pressure, too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So here I am babbling about, but that’s the great thing
about this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s free and you, the
reader, are always as free to reject what is written, just as I am free to
write whatever I please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do aim to
please, but sometimes my aim is off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
being drunk in front of one of those tiny urinals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for bearing with me these last 300 posts, and a
warning:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will no doubt be more.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">* yeah, sometime I’ll talk about my dating prowess (or lack
thereof), but I’ll have to be very very drunk to get that started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t hold your breath.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-51628777762475546442021-02-21T16:16:00.001-08:002021-02-21T16:16:45.347-08:00500K<p>In a week that saw Ted Cruz depart for Cancun, Rush Limbaugh
depart to hell, and Perseverance land on Mars, the news was overlooked. Or the official number trackers have yet to
make it official.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’re
not already there, we will be (sadly) soon enough.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A half-million Americans have died from the coronavirus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Five Hundred Thousand.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s one of the worst administrative disasters in our
history, and because it’s dragged on for over a year, it barely makes a blip in
the news cycle.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One reason might be the very fact that no one can say for
certain just how many have died, exactly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSCdSl4sfOkF9wOndIt1AxMN-TYVsuGPBgy66rQHEEIds3FqabIicp1nJYuqLfsnA9M-H-O4_iq9AYwH8ZADOhsyqwWhrooXGnLQBeMPyKGl04l98m1Q3DzBpMiSQR6EkfwEfOhjHo4k/s687/500K.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSCdSl4sfOkF9wOndIt1AxMN-TYVsuGPBgy66rQHEEIds3FqabIicp1nJYuqLfsnA9M-H-O4_iq9AYwH8ZADOhsyqwWhrooXGnLQBeMPyKGl04l98m1Q3DzBpMiSQR6EkfwEfOhjHo4k/s320/500K.png" /></a></div><br />As of Sunday, WorldOMeters (pictured here – it’s the one I
follow) had the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">count at 511,026.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The COVID
Tracking Project says 489,060.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the
COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at
Johns Hopkins University has 498,794.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, the very fact we can’t get an exact count is also part of that </span>administrative
disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The WorldOMeter count blew by
500K on Wednesday; the others will soon follow.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet I saw no stories or Op-Eds then about this
disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few started to pop up on
Friday, a couple on Saturday, and a few more today (Sunday).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like this caught people by surprise?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But there’s something more disgusting than having 500,000
dead from COVID, even though that itself is disgusting enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, what really grinds my gears is that a
year later, even with 500,000 dead, we’re STILL having arguments about wearing masks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re STILL arguing about keeping our “social
distance.” We’re STILL not completely trusting the scientists to do what’s
right and get our collective asses out of this fix.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yes, the vaccines are coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re being
distributed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But each of the fifty
states has their own methods, their own procedures, their own stockpiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve said this before and I will say it again:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s damn hard to believe that everything not
done about the virus and what was done (poorly) wasn’t done that way on purpose
just to fuck everything and everybody.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It’s a fucking disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The new administration has been at it for only a month and already
things have improved, but there’s still a long way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, more will get sick, and more
will die.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yes, there were others who screwed up in dealing with the virus (looking
at YOU, Cuomo), but there was one person above all who should shoulder much of
the blame. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He KNEW what was happening,
and failed miserably. Yes, the “former guy” whose name I shall no longer utter
in this blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Imagine if he had come out and said, “Y’know, this is gonna be a
tough one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay safe, wear a mask, keep your
distance, wash your hands.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing more than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine the difference it might have
meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine if Rush Limbaugh, with
his massive audience (OK, not as big as it used to be) said something
similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine if they didn’t fart
around with pushing <span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .2pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">hydroxychloroquine</span> as a remedy for
COVID.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine if they just shut the
fuck up and didn’t push push push to “reopen the economy” prematurely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine if they took the resources that were
squandered in the 2017 tax cuts and spread it out among first responders, the
unemployed caused by the shutdown, and those in need.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .2pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .2pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Didn’t do any of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And now 500,000 are dead.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .2pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .2pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And that’s probably a massive undercount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen reports that it could be 600,000 or
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a staggering number, no
matter what the official count is.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .2pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: .2pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And it’s only going up from here.</span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-10831795774846845742021-02-18T17:35:00.000-08:002021-02-18T17:35:43.011-08:00The Final Flush of Rush<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR13988a_2I92J6_XYuhqAQV6rXosMF3SgDx12u-MoWsahI6X0d1VkMSRTYXiZkzG22MydX74XqzOUrJljSS8o_XMoIIzAOX-wtvsWfrznJOY_O1xC5gvRHWEUA0OhS-DuIp6ryCBZCY/s300/rush2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR13988a_2I92J6_XYuhqAQV6rXosMF3SgDx12u-MoWsahI6X0d1VkMSRTYXiZkzG22MydX74XqzOUrJljSS8o_XMoIIzAOX-wtvsWfrznJOY_O1xC5gvRHWEUA0OhS-DuIp6ryCBZCY/s0/rush2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>From yesterday's Sacramento News & Review</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />A tremendous amount of ink was spilled yesterday reporting
the death of one radio broadcaster. As a
former radio guy, perhaps I saw more than average, as I belong to several broadcasting-type
groups, and have many friends who are still in the industry. But I don’t recall ever seeing so much
commentary about one man who, in my opinion, doesn’t deserve that much
praise. Or any, really.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I exaggerate a bit, but then again, so did Rush
Limbaugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a pious, holy man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, I lie, but so did Rush Limbaugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be fair, <span style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rush was good at what he did.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #050505; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
what he did was vile.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rush did what he did for two reasons – one was for Rush
(ratings and money) and one was for the Republican cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s no wonder the right and the far-right,
not to mention Fox News and that ilk went bonkers heaping praise on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All owe something to Rush.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The truth is, Rush owes everything to Ronnie Reagan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His gutting of the Fairness Doctrine set the
stage for Rush to be Rush, and to dominate the AM airwaves without a General Manager
having to worry about that pesky “equal time” nonsense.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rush also owes a debt to Joe Pyne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before Rush there was Pyne, and I mentioned
this on a few posts yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One guy
responded that Pyne was mild compared to Rush and Hannity and the loud-mouthed
bastards we know today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shot back that
Pyne was radical <i>for his time</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also,
the Fairness Doctrine was still intact then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though I was just a kid back then, I know Pyne was conservative and
controversial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simple – my dad never watched talk shows and
he never missed Pyne, and politically, my dad is just to the right of Archie
Bunker.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">About those broadcasting posts, there were as many posts praising
Rush as there were criticizing him, and many of the Rush-lovers got their panties
in a bunch whenever someone was critical of Rush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were horrified that people would say bad
things about him…as if Rush never made fun of anyone’s dying – he was notorious
about poking fun of gays who died of AIDS, and mocked all sorts of celebrities –
as long as they were Democrats.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had a neighbor who was a Rush fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He always would stop me to tell me what Rush
said someone said, or what Rush said someone did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, by the time Rush got around to
telling the tale there were bits missing, emphasis changed or added, and just
enough fiction tossed in to make what actually was said or actually happened
very very different than the way Limbaugh described it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was his style too to be “just the guy asking
questions here” even though he already knew the answer was bullshit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From a radio programming perspective, Rush was a “better”
broadcaster when he was on the offensive, attacking the Democrats when they
held the keys to the kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He fared
less well defending the GOP during the Bush eras as it was harder to pin everything
on Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that
he didn’t try.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, when “the Obama regime” took over in 2009, Rush
was in heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here was a guy he could
unload his entire arsenal of hate upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was only one problem; Obama didn’t do much that was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That didn’t stop El Rushbo from cranking up
the “outrage du jour,” whether it be a tan suit or Dijon mustard or Fast ‘n’
Furious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then in 2016 it was TRUMP
TRUMP TRUMP as Godzilla met King Kong and a love-fest soon followed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By then Limbaugh’s ratings were a shell of what they used to
be when he “wrote books” and “was on television” and was pretty much the only
game in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now there’s several
NETWORKS of pundits who “do the Limbaugh” and are far more outrageous than he. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time Rush got his Medal of Freedom he
was yesterday’s news, but he’d never admit it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then again, he’d be living in a fantasy-land for the last 30 years, so
why stop now?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I obviously was no fan of Limbaugh, but I never wish a
person dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he’s no one I wish glad
tidings on, either.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two others in the industry offered their perspectives, and
they’re worth reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is the
veteran/legendary Paul Harris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather
than excerpt his excellent piece, I link to it here:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.harrisonline.com/rush-to-judgement-day/">http://www.harrisonline.com/rush-to-judgement-day/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other comes from <span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Jeffrey P. Jones, the Executive
Director of the prestigious Peabody Awards and University of Georgia Professor
of Entertainment & Media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
tweeted:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What Rush Limbaugh did to us: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1. Made opponents into true enemies
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2. Revived overt and dog whistle
racism <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3. Stifled attempts to revive the
Fairness Doctrine <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4. Showed Roger Ailes the formula
for right-wing broadcast success <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5. Offered ignorance as
"common sense" thinking<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6. Created an army of listeners with little
knowledge and skills in civics or critical thinking into believing themselves
political experts <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">7. Stifled dialogue and said it was OK to talk
politics without debate (rarely took calls from those who disagreed)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8. Made partisan propaganda into a consumable
product with tremendous market value. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">9. Made hatred and violent rhetoric commonplace and
"acceptable" <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10. In sum, laid the groundwork for the triumph of
MAGA and Trumpism, a reality we will deal with for decades to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0f1419; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">All I can add to that is, “he’s gone.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-1116041363793376822021-02-12T11:26:00.005-08:002021-02-12T11:26:58.435-08:00Snow Day<p>It’s a snow day today here in Warren. That’s uncommon, sort of. I mean, it snows, but usually not often and
usually not much. But when it does…well,
it’s a whole ‘nother ballgame.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m no stranger to snow, having lived in Michigan for my
first 35 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we moved out west
in ’85 we experienced a completely different type of four seasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop was Eugene, where it was wet,
wet, wet, and then completely dry in the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wondered about winter, and came to
understand a grim reality in the fall when I asked a local about the lane
dividers in the highway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were used to
the recessed reflectors, imbedded recessed into the road – these were bumps
that stuck out a good inch above the surface.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What happens when the plows come through during winter
storms?” I asked.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What plows?” was the response.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sure enough, we got a paralyzing snow storm that
winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of about 3/4<sup>th</sup> of
an inch, enough to completely shut down everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan for snow removal is simple – wait until
it gets warmer, which it usually does soon enough.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our next stop was Boise, where it snows but not as often as
you might think (it’s very dry there).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mountains get a lot of snow, of course, so there’s equipment
available for when it does snow, and we experienced a couple of good-sized
dumps both times we lived here in the 80s and again later in the 90s.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Living in Louisiana for two years meant no snow, but people
still drove like shit there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just sayin’.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now back in Oregon, we lived in Seaside, on the coast, for
18 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we moved there, we asked
how often it snowed, and we were told, “about once every 10 years and it never
sticks.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bullshit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It snowed
13 of the 18 years we lived there, and twice the snow (a good 3-4 inches) stuck
around for 3-4 days before yielding to the rains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, everything shuts down tighter than
a Republican budget.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we moved more inland two years ago, we thought we had
it all figured out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About snow, that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Portland metro area gets one or two
snowfalls that “matter” every year, it seems, and sometimes they’re similar to
the blizzards of my Michigan youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
until today we’ve been spared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It snowed
not at all our first winter here, a little last year, and up until today we
were 0-for-everything.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You may ask – if we’re so far north (and we are), why hardly
any snow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We normally experience temps
in the 40s, and upper 30s at night, so it’s hardly ever cold enough to
snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rain, sure, we’re famous for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we need some sort of polar event to make
it cold enough to get measurable snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And we’ve got that now – a hard easterly wind is blowing cold in the valley,
and we won’t see the upside of 30<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°</span> for a few days.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So far, we’ve got about three inches, with anywhere from
4-10 more expected over the next couple of days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s enough to close government offices and
the schools, which is a pity, because some of the elementary schools JUST
OPENED YESTERDAY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One FB friend with two
kids is pissed as hell, and I can’t blame her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s had her two daughters under foot for almost a year, and she got
ONE DAY OF FREEDOM.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been happy to see the roads are almost empty, which is
a good thing, because while we do have some transplants from snowier climates,
no one seems to remember how to drive in this shit, and there’s always accidents
galore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The empty roads do allow for my neighbor
taking advantage of the big hill on our street with her two dogs. That looked like fun!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0iZ6sz8uclf0jGXS15X8ihmj2ZHd_dbkS0qXg6cDkk5CgJVJ4NhPSlO57VJjExSP9c-QsV7qvesAUdmfkvH9b0GsJVEbySkqG3giNZJBRVEQ7SGBmKdb9Hp7OvoTVpOEHANZBwzSpg4/s2048/IMG_1751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0iZ6sz8uclf0jGXS15X8ihmj2ZHd_dbkS0qXg6cDkk5CgJVJ4NhPSlO57VJjExSP9c-QsV7qvesAUdmfkvH9b0GsJVEbySkqG3giNZJBRVEQ7SGBmKdb9Hp7OvoTVpOEHANZBwzSpg4/s320/IMG_1751.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Wheeeeeee!</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As for us, we’re inside staying warm, thinking about how
just Wednesday I was contemplating mowing the lawn (really) and we were
planning the garden for this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
finished making the new garden beds earlier this week, and we moved them inside
the garden area just yesterday (I have yet to dig up the sod underneath so they’re
not in their permanent spots yet). You
can see the diff between the old ones (grey) and the new ones (cedarish-yellow). Sigh.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAxiF8RufhAaI5GSQ4xe_uJtGZWqs4ww4f2Fuekbch9kiJTQWQvaZxOTQ08Nr3r1l0xCJUinO0sslv26yGmx9Z8HzlrJnOj5FqzN2t9li5b5-9CKBbPPNahYcx-OExYXdFjq8EroXu_g/s2048/IMG_1746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAxiF8RufhAaI5GSQ4xe_uJtGZWqs4ww4f2Fuekbch9kiJTQWQvaZxOTQ08Nr3r1l0xCJUinO0sslv26yGmx9Z8HzlrJnOj5FqzN2t9li5b5-9CKBbPPNahYcx-OExYXdFjq8EroXu_g/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Empty and waiting...</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>It could be worse – just 30 minutes south of here the temps
are such that it’s not snow, but freezing rain, and more of that crap is expected
– maybe a half-inch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That will make the
roads impossible and it’s already had an effect on the power grid – several outages
have been reported and I’m certain more are on the way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of power, that’s the only downside to the snowfall
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our solar panels are covered, and
we’ll have to wait for the snow to melt before they will be functioning again
(no, you don’t scrape ‘em off – damages the surface).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that’s a pisser.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Otherwise, it’s pretty to look at, though it can go from “pretty”
to “shitty” quickly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did live in Michigan, after all.<o:p></o:p></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046599927905203056.post-73164315234780112782021-02-09T13:53:00.000-08:002021-02-09T13:53:09.351-08:00Psst: Democrats - use "The Benghazi Standard"<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZyWMnLDJzY9eweB6PdFjgHlPt_OquSwPRII74rxAwZQFFPRXGLIr6yHDmVw8UUOveGvfgbsTolbX9rr-A8k3iW0Xj_ClZhx0JLTKLblDUbF9GWQNcr6tI2NGMdPyQKVc-yQFLtzjSiY/s680/insurrection.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="680" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZyWMnLDJzY9eweB6PdFjgHlPt_OquSwPRII74rxAwZQFFPRXGLIr6yHDmVw8UUOveGvfgbsTolbX9rr-A8k3iW0Xj_ClZhx0JLTKLblDUbF9GWQNcr6tI2NGMdPyQKVc-yQFLtzjSiY/s320/insurrection.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><b>Not Benghazi</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />As the second impeachment trial of
Donald Trump begins today (with the results already known to anyone who’s been
paying attention), I wonder why Democrats don’t hold Republicans to the
“Benghazi standard.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After all, the
events of 1/6/21 are eerily similar to the events of Benghazi.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Both were attacks on US government
buildings by armed militants.</span></li><li><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Both were believed to have started
out at a nearby protest.</span></li><li><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Both resulted in damage and destruction
to government property.</span></li><li><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Both resulted in the deaths of
several Americans.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There are a few differences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one thing, Benghazi happened BEFORE a
Presidential election; the Capitol insurrection occurred afterwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Benghazi was deemed by Republicans to be the
fault of Barack Obama and his administration; they blamed him for two things:</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Not providing enough protection prior
to the attack, and</span></li><li><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Not telling the truth about the
reasons for the event.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And yeah, that does sound a lot like what happened last month. There is one more glaring
difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK, two, but I’ll get to the
second one in a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One BIG
difference is that Obama wasn’t at that protest in Libya egging the protesters
on, urging them to storm the embassy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he had, maybe the GOP would have considered
impeachment proceedings against him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who
am I kidding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efforts_to_impeach_Barack_Obama">did it</a>,
anyway.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And they held all sorts of
hearings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no fewer than eight
investigations into the Benghazi attack, at the cost of tens of millions
of taxpayer dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All these investigations
found no wrongdoing by the Obama administration. To put the GOP’s egregious
political gold-digging into perspective, Republicans “investigated”
Benghazi longer than congressional probes into the September 11, 2001
attacks, Watergate, the JFK assassination and Pearl Harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Benghazi
happened in September, 2012…BEFORE Obama’s re-election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THAT’S why the initial effort was to hang
Benghazi around HIS neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clinton was an
afterthought and wasn’t the focus of the Uber-GOP investigations until she
announced her presidential candidacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>THEN it was Clinton = Benghazi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And all of those investigations and hearings <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">achieved the GOP’s main task; to
defeat Hillary Clinton at the polls (and they needed additional help to do
that).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">But here’s the second, and more
important, difference between Benghazi then and the Capitol insurrection
now:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>back then, the building that was
attacked was on foreign soil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more
current assault happened here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our
nation’s capital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Capitol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the very fucking building where many of
the Republicans who called for all those hearings and investigations on
Benghazi WERE WORKING <b>AT THE VERY TIME OF THE ATTACK</b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In other words, the assault was ON THEM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have ample proof that the domestic
terrorists responsible for storming the Capitol were seeking congressional
leaders and Vice President Pence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to
shake their hands or ask them for a grant, but to do them bodily harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How else do you explain the phrase “Hang Mike
Pence?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How else do you explain “Shirtless Horn and Facepaint Guy” screaming that this was their house, and that they were there to take the
Capitol, and to get congressional leaders and used his bullhorn to communicate
that they were there to take out several United States congressmen?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Why aren't
Republicans calling for investigations like they did Benghazi? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why aren't they calling for hearings? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why aren't they outraged that an assault on
their workplace happened a mere month ago and we still know very little about
who, and why?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Will they ask
these questions during the impeachment trial?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or will they attempt to “move on” and “call for unity” until the next
time a Democrat is in charge?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I leave you
with this from one of the many Benghazi investigation reports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took out the one reference to the event,
but you could use it for either one – Benghazi or the Capitol insurrection –
and you’d be right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, at least you’d
be right about one of them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“What we did find was a tragic failure of
leadership – in the run up to the attack and the [during] – and an
administration that, so blinded by politics and its desire to win an election,
disregarded a basic duty of government: Tell the people the truth,” the
congressmen wrote. “And for those reasons [this] is and always will be, an
American tragedy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike Exingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01007694933774848909noreply@blogger.com0