THE JOKE IS TELLING

THE JOKE IS TELLING




I think I will start this blog with the punch-line.  End it now.  Before it gets weird or funny.  And this happens.  Starts out innocently enough.  Men or women or both, around the water-cooler, telling jokes or laughing or just trying to make light of something.  Give us a break.  Not everything is as serious as the morning headlines lead us to believe.  In fact, this is a blog about multiple perspectives.
 It starts out with a little fact checking. 

"Is this a joke? 


 

What are you telling me here?"  Seems its supposed to be funny, but by the time we reach the end, the punch-line or one-liner that organizes all the telling into a rational cognitive narrative or truth, we find out the jokes on you, and its not funny at all.  And that’s when its plain and simple.  The Joke is Telling.  Some things should not be aired in public.  Family Skeletons.  Dirty Laundry.  Pictures of the children at bath time.  We need to know our limits. 


 

And sometimes there it is.  A direct consequence for our actions.  Some things are best left unsaid.  Private.  Behind Closed Doors.  Like most things, we mask our experience and our reaction.  He starts to laugh, when what is going on is tragic.  We are free to speak.  And then at some point, they give us enough rope, and we get into trouble.  We become the subject of the joke.  Not Funny.

Analyze and report back to me.  Is this funny?   Is this a joke?  What is this saying or telling me?  And if you really don’t know, then its a legitimate question.  But most of us know, when we sign a non-disclosure agreement and get paid for our time and what we are doing in service with this contract or agreement, there will be no telling.  No Joke.  Could get serious if you leak company secrets.  Ok that’s the way it is.  Personal Consciousness has nothing to do with it.  Leave the position.  Live up to what you have agreed to.  And when all that becomes a violation, it all becomes serious, in a special way.  


 

Of course the punishment should fit the crime.  A crime of consciousness.  Now with motive.  Playing to  a targeted audience.  Stand-up Comedy.  Will we pay for this? Somebody will.  That is the lesson before us.

 

Ok, now we know.  Stoney Blogger has just stepped into a pile of shit.  His shoes are dirty.  Before he comes inside, smiles and joking, he needs to clean his shoes and see it all for what it is.  Not Funny.  Mom is the Master of the Moment.  She won’t find all this as funny as it seems to you.  "You smell.  Show me your hands.  Now your shoes."  And she figures it out quickly.  You don’t belong here.  Get the hose out.  Make clean of this situation.  Make nice. 
"And don’t come home, until you do." 

Social Language might protect us. " If you can’t afford a lawyer, one will be appointed and available for you."   Not sure they said, "Cost Free."  But that comes later.  For now it is important to note, you stepped into a pile of shit.  Something needs to be done.  A miracle could happen.  You could come clean, with no lasting consequences.  We can pray for that.  Yet, The Joke Is Telling the reader or careful observer something quite different.  Keep it up and we could lose a close friendship.  Even worse, nobody will come around
to read my blogs. 

And so in the end, I remind myself the-do and the-don’t of going public with something that might turn out to be serious.  Wasn’t thinking about it all that way.  Now I am.  Don’t want the joke to be on me.  And like I said.  "There are some things best left unsaid."  That’s what I am saying now.  Stepped in a pile of shit.  Now the Clean Up.  Pleasing Mother.

INTO THE FROTH

INTO THE FROTH

A synonym for churn is ‘ shake up’.  And for the moment I make a pledge to keep this safe and sane, and to stay out of the political realm and aspect of backlash and a rash of words and tantrum, when we have the temptation of joining in, pilling on, and making a scrum of the present moment.  Didn’t know exactly how I would do this, as now I am suspect.  Now, I know.  Every blog I write and post online, in the digital zone, or even talk about on my digital-slash smart-phone, can be analyzed and traced back to me. 
 

And disturbed I am not.  Innocent enough when it occurs to me to write a blog and share it with others, I realize.  As time goes by and refinement blends in process, others will use what I originate for their own purpose.  Am aware of a box that suggests: repost.  Am aware of the small print that I must agree with, prior to being ordained for this free service. 


And the more we do all this, the more aware and alert we must be, for things we did not intend from the effort performed and put out there, happen.

On this day, Into The Froth happens, mostly by innocence.  Didn’t know that there would be a flair up.  Didn’t know the conditions of the caldron I entered.  Mostly mixed and matched and came up with something different.  Didn’t know.  And if I did, would it have restricted or deterred me from being involved.  My protection is that I didn’t know.  Wasn’t there.  Didn’t realize the universal sweep and coverage of the program they were using, and I was not.  Collection and Analysis.  Haven’t named it yet.  What others are doing.  Just know.  Now it involves me. 


And perhaps its only because I am alive, have a name and can be used interchangeably.  Will have to learn the details and the essentials.  Will have to ask more questions, and trust that they will be answered truthfully.  Into The Froth.  More than carefully chosen words.  Context is important.  Judged by my peers.  Not some government edict or program that targets me, without my knowledge.  So for me its about the words I use and what I intended.  And how all of this is never ending. 

And now I know.  Never Ending.  So is more important that I use the correct words and be responsible for what I am saying and doing.  On my phone.  On the net.  Blogging.  Chatting.  What I am doing.  And so there is a sea of change.  Now I know.  Its ok.  I will say.  In the kitchen.  In the world.  In my special way.  Communicate.  Serve and Protect, both self and others. 
Common Interest.  Art.  Expression.  Life. 

And that’s what I learned this week.  They will do their thing.  I will do mine.  Do no harm.  And with that, will word play.  Stir violently.  Agitate fiercely.  Churn and expand that which is within me.  Do it willingly.  And have an intent and purpose.  Mine is to write daily.  To interact with you.  To be aware and alive.  To ignore what you do, as much as possible.  And when we come face to face.  Well then.  When the time comes, we will treat each other with respect.  Appropriate Behavior.  Individual or Government Program and Process.

 When its all known, and in time it will become revealed in public light, if there is a dispute or problem.  Trust each other.  Have your say.  And let it all come out, and by a judgment of our peers, people like you and me.  Let It Be.  And live in peace and have peace of mind.  And that’s my blog for today.  Makes sense to me. 

Into The Froth.
 

What is personal expression becomes something much more in the hands of a specialized program that examines words, and then possibly, examines me.  And so it is, we amplify and exaggerate.  We choose to do this.  First impulse and we tell ourselves, "we have to do this."  At the time its not really in mind, that this will be stored and at another time, be available.  Available and for what.  Profile.  Evidence in a legal proceeding.  General information that can be twisted and bent, for what it is. 

And I smile when I find myself going into the froth of a public situation.  Headlines, and at first I think.  "Has nothing to do with me."  Safe-guarding and basic protection.  Is okay to do your job.  Is best to sign the agreement, and get paid.  And all of this is about knowing when and where and what to say and share with others.  Its all part of the churn and stir that comes with rough seas and international movement.  Influence that is now universal and scattered around.  Not everybody is like you.

 Diverse action in a field of expanding outcomes.  Make butter.  Make nice.  And maybe not.  My purpose is to write and post and join the digital world.  And didn’t occur to me there would be a system skim, and that it would involve me.  Into The Froth as it rises.  And people realize how it is.  For them.  For others.  And how it becomes something quite different as the froth rises and can not be contained.  And here I am.  Into The Froth .

YOUR PHONE NUMBER

YOUR PHONE NUMBER

" My Mother Wants Your Phone Number."

 

This is so 1950’s .  Parental control.  Harmless.  We grew up thinking, "….. this is what parents do."  And left it at that.  Sound reasonable, at the time it did.  Now things are twisted and go sideways a lot.  And before we go too far, I have to remind myself. 

"  Things don’t just happen, we allow it."

Things like the cat and dog sitting on my lap, calm me in ways only I know for sure.  Innocent and they just want to be with me.  Or so it seems.  Creatures of Habit.  Aren’t we all.

 

There was a time and it was familiar to us all.  I would walk up to a teacher or a friend or a friend of a friend, or somebody’s parent and say, " Mother wants your phone number."  Could be anywhere.  At school or at a little league game or even at church.  We didn’t give it all that much concern or thought.  There was a time, for a brief moment when I would pause.  And say.  "  Oh O."  And wait for the hammer to drop.  Sometimes I would get some feedback and would not have to ask myself, "What’s that all about."  It was familiar to us all.  Mother’s and Fathers and parents-in-general were suppose to care and to ask such things.  But that’s not how it is today.

Today your phone number could be a hot commodity.  Verizon gives your number to somebody.  A pop-up asks you for your mobile phone number.  And its just the way it is.  Things don’t just happen, we allow it.  In a bar.  Hot girl says, "Hand me your phone."  Could be harmless, but probably not.  Anyway, the bottom-line for all of this is the part of this blog that seems to be on everybody’s mind for this week.  Our own government probing our personal data for reasons of their own.  And we must have an opinion about such things.  Just like in the old days when you were told to tell somebody, " Mother Wants Your Phone Number."  Necessary.  Harmless.  Until it happens to you, it isn’t all that important.  Or is it?

 

Mostly that is my opinion.  And is why I can sleep at night.  Has been clear for sometime now.  Not all these people who want your personal data or phone number are your friends.  Took a while for the model to emerge, and be it Apple or Microsoft or The Government, it became very clear.  Its big business.  Google got big.  Facebook got big.  How?  So if you understand that they are collecting information about you, and then selling it to anybody who will pay their price, you kind of see the big picture.  Its complicated.  Free services.  Not really.  Get something.  Give something up.  Its a balancing act.  And not every body is 100% happy or satisfied by these developments.  Hardly matters.  Life goes on.  And when somebody leaks the story, and it all has a life of its own.  Electronic Frontier and on The Internet.  And if you have to think about it too much, changes probably must be made.

It could be harmless and cause a smirk and chuckle.  Liberated Moments and People.  Mother just got divorced.  You tell your 20 year old friend.  "My mother wants your phone number."  He smiles.  Or its just the fact that everybody wants your phone number or access to your phone records, online skype or gmail conversations, or in general there is a market and purpose for gaining access to personal life and data.  Who knows these days what’s really going on.  But I will leave you with this, and is the same as I said before:  

‘….Things don’t just happen, we allow it."

 

Before I become misunderstood, let me be clear.

"….Things don’t just happen, we allow it."

I am old.  Have experience and a reference point for most things.  Loving Parents.  People who care about me. 

 Cats and Dogs.  So I offer this:

 

Heard it often during the war years.  (  WW II and Korea and VietNam and Iraq and cold-war-Russia and China ). 

Speak softly and  carry a big stick.

If this expression is not familiar to you, it can be googled now.  But remember instant information is not free.  Every time you use this service, somebody knows.  They pay for this service or its your government.  Who knows.  But somebody knows.  And if all this becomes public, well some of us are offended.  Or should be.

Anyway.  Learned it young.  Tough lesson.  NYC neighborhoods.

Speak softly and carry a big stick.  I liked the baseball bat, but could not hit that little white thing they were throwing at me.  So I had to go out for track and running and football.  Average at best.

Mother liked the belt.  Or the mixing bowl paddle.  Over time we learned.

When you see the bat or the belt, as a small child I would behave.

So for this week I have written 3 blogs that in some way reflect that I notice, when it goes sideways and mother or other’s are doing something that might involve me.  Good or Bad.  Won’t know until it happens or unravels or all the fuss just goes away and it doesn’t happen again.  For now, I will live with the media stir.  

Fast and Furious.  It happens.  

And.

 

Spying is an option.  Selling my information is an option.  Read the small print.  Get a clue.  Or not.  Spying is an option and looking in on an old friend becomes a feature of modern society, but is tainted by methodology, and as presented lately, is a feature we dislike as it comes with its very own tautology.  War of Words.  What do you mean:  "Looking in on Me?"  Before it was obvious.  Knock.  Knock.  Who is there?  " A friend."  Door opens.  Not as obvious now, the methodology and who is really there.  

 

And will leave you with this.  Things don’t just happen.  

We allow it.

TOP OF THE MORNING

TOP OF THE MORNING

It has taken me a few minutes to reconcile what is truly on my mind today, and so far the verdict is out, concerning the importance of the individual contribution to your world, on any given day.  Unfortunately unfinished business seems to be standing in my way, and there is a continuation of yesterday’s topic at the top of the reader board, and in the headlines of the internet quick news format.  About big brother society and control of information as it stands as we consolidate our position and are spending more time on the internet and on our computers.  Data Mining and what our government knows about you seems to be the hint of topic that they want to talk about, but not directly.  

 

And so it is more like old news and Animal Farm and Big Brother orwellian scare tactics rolled into the morning conversation, as if it is familiar breakfast material, ready to be served to the kids, as they stumble out of bed and prepare for their day.  And why hold back, is what I am thinking.  If this is what you want to talk about, just do it. 

 

Not sure I have anything more important to say.  Not sure what the powers-that-be are up to, nor why its important to make all this front page news, as we all know that in the modern age, on the Internet and in Google Format, there is no  FRONT PAGE.  Subjects surface for an instance and then go the way of the Gray Whale.  Out of sight, and we are left to wonder, what’s that all about.  And so it is with me today.  Curious why surveillance issues are so important just now.  Is it about money and positioning for the Black Budgets, that allocate money for important projects that we don’t really talk about.  And I smile.  Common sense.  If they are talking about it in public, well.  Hold on to your wallet and just prepare for the future, best one can.

I have decided that it is best for me to just glance at things and take a backdoor approach to the big and small of everything, that comes with  waking up and discovering what might await you, once fully conscious.  Friday and mostly it is a time of morning.   Not mourning the loss of individual rights and freedoms, but certainly if we knew more, we might consider that an important thing to do.  As for me, I am into frivolous pursuits.  Hollywood and Entertainment.  Seems last night the Mighty Yankees came to town and beat the home team, The Seattle Mariners, of MLB fame by the score of 6 to 1.  And for weeks now I have been thinking:  Triple Crown.  Horse Racing.  And if you ask, "Why are you telling me this?"  The simple answer bears down on us, "Because I can."



Things that I want to mention but not dwell on.  Allegations.  NSA program called PRISM.  Backdoor access to systems and data of the Internet.  Not sure I should be outraged.  Nor should I display indifference.  Not something that we should bring up at breakfast time and alarm the children, preparing for their day at school and beyond.  And so I change the subject.  Direct approach.  Indirect approach.  Where are we going with all of this.  And so I veer off.  Off-Broadway and repeat.  The Mighty Yankees are in town.  

How good is that?

I wanted to write a blog about expressions that we use, that are now relics of the past.  Top of the Morning is or at least was a 1900’s Irish greeting that we don’t really use much these days.  Was about wishing you a pleasant day, mixed in with small talk.  And those were in the days of larger famlies and stay at home moms, and gatherings at the breakfast or dinner table, and starting the day with positive behaviors and traditions.  Prayers.  Cleansing.  Appearance.  Family. 

And now I am thinking, "…..not important."  Top of the Morning blog and who really will relate with all of this?  And so I am preparing to blow it off and just slip out the front or back door.  Backdoor access and The Game of Thrones.  And all this has me in mixed company.  Not sure its something I should carry on about, as it will be three more days and will have to keep my head down, stay out of the way of surveillance cameras, and repeat as often as necessary, to explain my odd behavior of radical belligerence and rude behavior that shuts the government arm out of my bedroom and life  .  The Mighty Yankees are in town.  How good is that. 
Uncle Sam. 

DRAGNET SURVEILLANCE

DRAGNET SURVEILLANCE



 

I am looking forward to all of this, but first I need to make a search and see what the name of Detective Sgt Friday’s sidekick’s name was. Not sure why this is important, but I am chopping at the bit to get some meat and potatoes into this blog.  And it all starts with the title:  Dragnet Surveillance   and drags me back to simple times when all we had to do, is to gather in and distribute: 

"Just The Facts, Mam." 



 As time speeds forward it is easy to forget.  And mix up the particulars.  And this gets complicated when I TRY to blend the old and new, and find a way to make this interesting and contemporary.  And so I look forward to all of this.  Writing a blog.  Showing Character.  And not doing anything more than is necessary.  Blogging in the era of Internet and Phone log surveillance, and to do so without becoming a target of one of the agency people:  FBI   NSA  Covert-Military.  The names change, but the best part.  They do all this to keep us safe.  Is what I learned from World War II logic and the making of an atom bomb.  And from what I can tell:  Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.  That’s what is important here.  
"Just the Facts, Mam."



Just in case it is of interest.  Sgt’s Friday’s original partner was actor Barton Yarborough, who portrayed Friday’s partner, Sgt Ben Romero.  Over the years, there have been more than one partner, but that is not important.  What is important is the tie-in to today title:  Dragnet Surveillance.  And what might that be?  Begins with the narrative:  "We were working the day watch.  …… My partner is Ben Romero.  The boss is Ed Backstrand, Chief of Detectives.  My name’s Friday."  And of course that was yesterday, but the thing that remains for me, is the keeping of the continuity.  We were doing all this to protect the innocent.  And that is what I keep in mind as I read the morning headlines, knowing that authority is under attack, and the media is looking to identify the bad guy in this caper.  So let’s begin.



Has a lot to do with the on-going theme of finding somebody to blame for the mess we are in.  And new terminology to explain the Electronic Frontier and how that became a game-change®.  Kind of funny really.  Working the day watch and am asked,

"Can you name 2 people you know who were arrested lately?" 




 And because that conversation was recorded, I am now on a watch list, and its not just for one day.  Constant surveillance.  That’s the new deal.  Reading from the headlines, is how an old one like me learns from the young.  On-going political drama and finger pointing, and all in all, I realize, it all began when they recruited Ben Laden to work for us, back in the days when Russia invaded Afghanistan, and played out their version of senseless undeclared conflict, like we did in the good ole days of Viet Nam.  



So anyway.  Reading the headlines.  "….Supreme Court Says Americans Can’t Challenge "Dragnet Surveillance" Law."  Didn’t really need to read the article, but did need to check around and update my mind to take in the new vocabulary.  "Dragnet Surveillance."  And so I did.  "Just the Facts, mam."  All about NSA’s secret eavesdropping efforts.  And a ruling about all that.  Can we do it.  Is it legal.  And it turns out according to the headlines, it must be ok.  
Top Law Dogs say we can’t challenge it.  
So life goes on.



Life goes on and it somewhat amuses me.  Surveillance and Accountability.  But then, its all being done to protect the innocent.  I used to be like that.  But not now.  It is all a bit disturbing, but not really.  Comes with reading the news and daily headlines.  Come to know, its what they do in Washington DC and over there.  Looking for bad guys and somebody to blame for the mess we are in.  But its not all that bad.  Was reading.  Report:  NSA asked Verizon for records of all calls in the U.S.  And putting this out like it is brand new.  But it is not.  Only now we think we have proof.  "Only The Facts, man."  Its all shrouded in secrecy, so how do you really know what anybody is doing?  That’s the question Sgt Friday would ask.



And life goes on.  Going through the phone records each and every day of millions of Americans, ordinary citizens like you and I.  On the watch list.  Wonder how we got there, but that isn’t really important now.  Automatic program.  Monitors my phone record and calls.  Who knows what that means.  Not I.  But can imagine from the picture at the top of this blog that this is the new office and technology job that my young-people daughter or son, just graduating from college and needing a job, is doing to pay the bills. 

More jobs.  New Office.  Technology.  



And its better we don’t know.  But there it is.  Morning headlines.  Verizon is allowing somebody access to my phone records and calls.  Data Mining they call it.  And for those trained in the new procedures, it is all most revealing.  Has come full circle.  Relevant to a terrorism-investigation.  And that’s that.  If you have any questions, ask our commander-in-chief.  As for me, its what I have suspected all along.  Doing all this to protect the innocent.  



And I am thinking.  I love baseball, apple pie and mother.  Do I qualify.  For what?  Dragnet Surveillance.  Protection.  And a free ticket to The Yankees Game.  Seems like that would make me happy.  Just the fact that my son or daughter has a job.  And I look up.  All those screens.  So much information.  And I wonder.  Do I qualify for a section 8?  



Sgt. Friday reminds me.  Section 8 refers to a category of discharge from the United States military when judged mentally unfit for service.  Its a 1950’s thing.  Just like the ole detective series, complete with narrative:  Dragnet.  And it makes me wonder, does this also apply to the Commander-in-Chief.  And am reminded.  Of.  Section 8.  Thoughts for and about crazy people and ways and of the passing days.  Under Dragnet Surveillance.  Having fun.  As life goes on.  Oh wait.  The telephone is ringing?  Wonder who is there?  Don’t ask.