Extra! Extra!

 

In films, extras are background people to fill in a restaurant, office, or sidewalk scene. It’s minimal wage (called scale) but it’s way to pay the bills. Whenever I go to a movie I imagine being background just to be a fly on the wall and experience the nuts and bolts of film making. Not a major or supporting role mind you, my chances of being in a big movie are about as good as winning the lottery. At the most, a bit part – they pay you more for a speaking role. So I imagined being in this summer’s blockbuster Superman.

(Scene interior: A woman seated at a desk in a large office at the Daily Planet typing or filing papers. She wears a dress shirt and a ID tag on a lanyard. The phone rings, she answers in business like manner)

                                                        Natalie

Daily Planet, information desk how may I help you? (beat) Clark Kent, he’s in the news room I’ll trans- What? ( listens in growing confusion) You’re kidding? You think Clark Kent and Superman are the same person? (beat, rolls her eyes in familiar annoyance) No, no, not even (beat). I know, because I see him every day and he can barely tie his shoes without adult supervision that’s how. (beat) Ma’am, ma’am ( interrupting patiently) Clark Kent is not that smart and we know Superman is not that dumb, but thanks for calling. ( hangs up phone, under her breath) They don’t pay me enough for this nonsense.

The Magic Wand of Presidency

If I were President and could fix three things, here’s what I would do. Number one, every American would be required to work in a government office at the local, state of federal level for two years with full federal pay and health care. It may sound like a hare brained idea, but if you want to know how government works, you can even as as a lowly civil servent.

I worked as a clerk in the office of the local community college and it was an eye opener to see how dysfunctional management can be. I also worked in the college print shop and near the end of the term I noticed them spending a lot of money. Turns out if they didn’t use their budget it would be reduced, instead of letting the savings roll over to the next term. It was distressing to see frugality punished while waste rewarded. It’s the kind of insight into the working of bureaucracy you don’t see unless you are in it and learn how things operate.

Number two. Most people are hired based on their experience except, it seems, at the executive level. Federal or cabinet positions candidates should be required to have some experience related to that job. Not a TV news show host, a generous donor, or a teenager -someone actually qualified for the position, you know like in real life. That kind of favoritism always backfires and it’s embarrasing.

Number Three. Repeal Citizens United immediately. Get big money out of politics; with hefty pensions, insider information and connections members of Congress can enrich themselves once they leave office but not while they are paid to serve the country as an elected offical.

Lastly, just as a simple voter who wants a change, what we really need is a third party, one that is actually in the center instead of the lesser of two evils we have between coke or pepsi. Unfortunately Democrats and Republicans loath and fear that because they would lose votes. No kidding, why should we vote for your extreme narratives instead of moderation which I believe a third party would create.

Ah, if only I had a magic wand.

There's a Hole in the Bucket

 

Kate Farley/New Yorker

Once upon a time I had a cell phone with a cracked screen and a dying battery and I just wanted to get them replaced. “You should upgrade” everyone told me. So I looked around and found a used SE iphone at a decent price. While waiting for it to arrive, I realized I will have to upgrade my old mac, fair enough it’s been years since I did so.

Did you just hear an ominous chord?

That will be stressful, as my usual computer guy who handles these things dropped off the face of the Earth after taking my other old computer to his shop months before. I appeal to a computer savvy friend for help. One hurdle overcome.

The new phone comes and I call cell phone company on my land line to make the switch as the new one couldn’t talk to the old one and there was some problem switching them and guy from Consumer Cellular was not sympathetic when I began to melt down at the complicated directions with the SIM thingy. Now I had two cell phones and neither one worked. In order to activate the new phone I would be texted a verification code on the old phone to enter into the new phone but since neither was functioning—there’s a hole in the bucket dear Liza...

Once again I reach out to a techie friend and after an hour and a half on the computer with Apple support and using another friend’s phone to text me the code- which turned a simple transaction into a Byzantine ritual. Cracking the DaVinci code would have been easier. I got a working phone.

How did the old screen get cracked you ask? I dropped the phone within a day of getting it, thankfully the demon who introduced to the Goddamn thing in the first place, had a protective cover on it. Wisely, I go and get one and a protective case. Unfortunately the cover interfered with the touch function which I couldn’t adjust because the touch function was not working (don’t ask me why) so I removed it out of frustration. The case was safe enough I decided and I was super careful when I put it down. There was still more fiddling to get all my old info on the new one so yet another friend helped out. After three weeks of hassle, frustration, and tears I was back to full service. I swear this is the last cell I will ever own, I hate the damn things.

I’m happily talking to my dear friend Martha on my land line – Thank God I kept that- and told her how her nieces Megan and BJ were so kind and patient with me when I glance down at the new full operational cell phone in horror. I have no idea how this happened as I have been very gentle and never moved it from my desk.

The screen is cracked.

There’s more to this Greek tragedy, as I notice my texts are slow and call Consumer Cell again to inquire. Oh I should upgrade my wifi router. Really? Do I need to? Yes, it will be more secure, don’t worry we’ll send someone out to get it installed, no problem. I await with dread.

The wifi guy comes, changes it out quickly checks his phone to make sure it’s on line and directs me to changes on my computer.

It refuses my entreaties to connect. I have no internet. “That’s weird” the tech says which is not the right response. I’m told to call the company tech and he leaves.

So I call Hunter Communications and the tech tells me to do a “DNS flush” whatever the hell is that. I call again and get Carlos who is more helpful and finally get the router to talk to my computer -never mind the phone OS- which I’m told should also be upgraded to deal with the new router. Uh-uh I ain’t touching that, the texts can be slow, I’m not risking a stroke over that battle.

I share the wifi with a friend but her computer can’t connect to the new router. It takes another week and guidance from Carlos to get her service working.

At this point you might be attempted to suggest I could have done this or that but it’s too late. As God as my witness I will never upgrade again. However, I still need to get a new battery as this one is dying and replace the cracked screen.

There is a hole in the bucket dear Liza.

Rise Up People

 Still relevent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp5JCrSXkJY

How to Piss off a Dictator and Restore Order

 

    You know I used to view politics as something abstract. Something that happens over there and doesn’t have too much affect on our daily lives. Those days are over. I generally don’t like to discuss politics because there is no chance of convincing someone and it only leads to higher blood pressure. Those days are over too. It’s time for communities to step up and say “enough” not just to government but to the prevailing attitude that this doesn’t affect any of us, it’s those people who will feel the wrath of American supremacy. Democracy is being replaced by old and familiar clanism.     

    Us vs them, except the enemy is us as Pogo said. Fear causes people to close ranks and drive away anything or person seen as a threat. So extremism replaces common sense. We must employ new tactics to reverse the trend.

    The current POTUS acts like a dictator and that has a lot of people very angry. The one thing dicks hate is being ridiculed or ignored. Here are a couple ideas to piss off 45.

    Years ago Dan Savage got revenge on Rick Santorum for saying very mean and stupid things about gays. He and his fans came up with a definition for Santorum that is is really filthy. The result raised the joke on Google’s algorithm ( look it up, you’ll see).

    Well, you can bet ole 45 likes to see his name mentioned a lot on search engines. Instead refer to him as 45, his number in the first term, not 47 like he thinks he is now. Also he is nicknamed TACO by Wall Street investors. It stands for T**** Always Chickens Out. He lashed out recently when called on it. Mention this as much a possible. TACO man, TACO 45.

    It’s not just him, his lackeys are also targets for ridicule. I heard one commentator refer to Hegseth as Hogsbreath. His Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller is the modern version of Himmler, who was charge of the final solution during WW2. Surely someone can find a scathing moniker for this evil piece of shit and his purge of decent folks for no reason.

    Then there is Sen. Joni Ernst from Iowa who when asked at a town hall meeting about people being cut from medicare and SNAP dying responded with “Well we’re all going to die.” and smiled.

    This is the attitude of someone who believes she will not lose her seat because there will not be another election as promised by the TACO man.

    These are the kind of people currently in power. The next time Sen. Ernst goes to a restaurant or business she should be denied service to see how it feels to be treated as a nothing. It should happen to any member of Congress who votes against the population. There are many guerilla style tactics that ordinary people can take to undermine the chaos.

    You do not play nice with bullies and tyrants. It’s time to stop trying to sweet talk these fascists. If they want to play dirty so can we.

    Target losing business after supporting 45 and ditching DEI. This is what happens when you follow ideology and not the consumer market. Avelo Air – avoid at all cost, they are flying the illegally deported to God knows where for money.

    The names and faces of ICE officers should be discovered and revealed. Most likely they are members of the “proud boys” who were at the Jan. 6 insurrection.

    TACO Don is trying to shut down NPR and take over Library of Congress. I’m guessing it’s because they have solid information on the election interference. Their motives are transparent because they think they won’t get caught. Look out where else his gang is trying to take control.

    I’m no expert but Optor- a student led movement is and it’s been effective at stopping dictators. Believe it or not non-violence is the best way to go according to them. Most important is organize, organize, organize. This is a cause that affects everyone so as many people as possible should be involved.

    When any one of our rights is threatened all of us are damaged. It's time to stop the ramapage.