Then I Get on My Knees and pray... We Won't Be Fooled Again!

Okay... (sharpening metaphorical pencil)

Just now, politicians can no longer support SOPA because we have spoken loud and clear against it. (high five!)

HOWEVER!

[waits for cheering to quiet] However, money talks as they say and the creators and supporters of the bill have money. More importantly they still have desire. We must ask ourselves, what it truly is that they desire. "Piracy" was just a buzz word.

SOPA is also just a word representing a bill, a static event.

We can be absolutely certain that the powers that supported the creation of SOPA with money, time and cronyism in politics COULD CARE LESS THAT WE ROSE UP AND WERE HEARD!!! 

They have not gone away beaten. They have not thrown up their hands in defeat!

PLEASE hear what I am saying. More importantly, understand it. May God grant me words that are true, understandable and motivating. I feel humbled by the importance of what is at stake.

There is zero chance that there is not a back up plan to SOPA. Only SOPA has been taken from them, not the will to accomplish their goal. If I were the enemy, I would begin passing smaller chunks of the same type of legislation, piece by piece. Time is on their side as they have one target, the Internet. They have only to destroy it once; there is no second chance for us.

THEY crave this destruction- they have politicians in their pockets already is evidenced by how close they almost came this time to not just stopping progress online; not just removing the value it has added to my life, your life and world; not just bringing unwanted destruction to what exists, BUT INSURING THAT OUR CHILDREN NEVER KNOW HOW GREAT THE INTERNET IS, CAN BE, ETC.

They crave darkness.

Why? 

I do not know the details but am sure of this- their future intent is evil.

They need  the sharing of knowledge and opinions to cease. Because of this the Internet is especially heinous to them. This is the place where knowledge is EASY to OBTAIN and VERIFY.

Knowledge being AVAILABLE TO ALL with no restriction is called FREEDOM! Such sharing is vital to a life of liberty and happiness. The Internet takes the pursuit of truth to levels that have never before in history been attainable. No one can control information while the internet exist as the ultimate trump card.

"Piracy"??? It is to laugh. They tried to hoist that flag. The trade off was stopping piracy by KILLING THE MEDIUM OF TRUTH. Even those who have been harmed by piracy did not salute.

Not exactly equal. Hence it is evident that lessening piracy was not the true goal. Beside which stopping piracy with legislation is akin to Prohibition or the War on Drugs- Failure on steroids- Pandora's box being opened.

Which leads one to speculate what is the real intent??? (note that I did not say 'was') This must be clearly understood for us to win. I honestly do not understand and that is dangerous weapon they still own. I do not even quite know who 'they' are. Shame on me, shame on us, look what nearly resulted. Remember that the game has just begun.

High fives are appropriate just now. Politicians are distancing themselves from this legislation and that is a positive occurrence.

But...

Let each resounding smacking of flesh (the high fives, not the movie), be a reminder that one battle does not win a war.

That said, it is comforting to know that we still have the Internet available in all it raw and powerful beauty to use to fight this fight together!

God Bless.

Love someone well today!

Bobby

When Godliness is Really Neurosis

When Godliness is Really Neurosis...

run with it to the nearest eternal bank.

Sponges

S'prolly been a long, long time (if ever) since you read the purposes (plural) of this blog. The list is found under the title of the blog, Baby Beetle Butts.

One is 'cleaning as a religion'. There actually is such a thing. I saw it in Mother Earth news, so it has to be true! They have gift subscriptions for $10 a year, just saying.

I have a very, very specific topic for today's rambling but readable article. This topic has been burning to be written about for months now. At last all the data is accumulated; I have done my due diligence and the results have been carved in stone (out in the back yard).

Here goes...

My kitchen sink sponge has two parts, the second being a stiff plastic weave that is safe for scraping non stick surfaces on cookware.

[You can run away now, don't say I did not warn you!]

That scrubber was costing us money in the form of trashing and replacing sponges much too fast.

My brain wanted to know why.

Now I know, not just in the theoretical sense.

Number one, if you use it to scrap stuck on cheese, you are screwed.

Stuck on cheese needs to be rubbed and rubbed with the SPONGE SIDE ONLY!

[I told you to run, it may be too late now.]

Once cheese is stuck in the scrapping side, it is just a matter of time. It is hard to get any out of there. Impossible to get all of it. The smell will become quite noticeable in a day or two.

Eggs are a separate issue. COLD WATER ONLY. Use the sponge side ONLY, unless, of course you love spending extra time cleaning it all back out of the WRONG SIDE OF THE SPONGE.

Then, of course there is the matter of hydration, more to the point re-hydration. In layman's terms (the cleaning atheists amongst you) (convert NOW!!!), dry, stuck food is easier to clean if you soak the item for a while or overnight before washing. This is very important if you have a cheese project. Ps- if soaking fails, try dehydration instead. Stuff that is really stuck will shrink. For example, a cookie sheet with a burned little bump may just wash off. If not, soak it, it should then wash right off. If not, stop scrubbing and let it dry. This will require patience, check it once in a while. When fully dry it should practically fall off. If you are in a hurry, perhaps need to use it again, put it is a low temp oven for just a bit and then let it cool. If it comes to it, scrape it off with a heavy wooden cooking tool. Do not use metal.

[I think you underestimated how fast you should RUN]

Where was I? Oh yeah...

Finally, the MAJOR CAUSE OF SMELLY SPONGE REVELED!

There is one super special secret- Always put your sponge down with the scrapper side facing DOWN. This is counter intuitive. [no, I am not carrying you out of here, you should have run while you had the chance]

There is moisture on the sponge. Personally, I have hands that are stronger than weaker and have always squeeeeeezed my sponge when I was done. Did not, does not help- at all. By not helpful I mean that squeezing will not, can not prevent the SMELLY SPONGE SYNDROME.

Instead, the moisture must be allowed to drain down towards the scrapper, not down into the sponge part.

So simple.

Do this religiously and you will never have to buy another sponge. Um, perhaps this is not technically the case. Hint, disinfect your sponge once in a while, not by putting it in the dishwasher. Just spray it with some form of Lysol or soak in some bleach solution. Best yet, spray with some vinegar.

[Still with me?] [Why do I hear crickets?]

Keep your sponge the correct way up, sponge up, scrapper down. Make gravity and the physical properties of water (two incredible and FREE tools) work for you rather than against you!

Do this religiously!!! (convert now, now, now... )

Believe your sponge can last forever and it will. This could possible save you millions of dollars a year, depends on how much you use your sponge.

At minimum, your life will be much happier, you may even dance.

It happened to me.

I have been smelly sponge free for 30 days now.

My name is Bobby.


Love someone well today.

Bobby

Just for Today

It is early yet. There is a while to go until midnight/ Monday.

Francis of Assisi and his friends took only what they could carry on their back and LIVED THAT WAY. Each new day was a new adventure.

Walden's Pond writer and Revolutionary era patriot, Henry Thoreau believed it was not those that left behind big structures (for us to find centuries or millennium later), rather those who left no sign of having existed, that had TRULY LIVED.

His point being that life is about thinking, having time to think and enjoy life. To do this you must think of physical necessities as being nearly free to obtain. Also that every necessity is related to heat energy. For example, food is measured in calories, yes?

Thoreau said he was surprised how addicting growing beans became. He estimated he was up to nine miles of planted rows. He also said that by his calculations the BEST thing to grow was barley rather than wheat or corn.

Barley is DELICIOUS by the way, and as easy to prepare as boiling water. When is the last time you had some? Could you find it at the market where you shop? When you finally do find it; you will be astounded by the small amount of shelf space it is allotted.

Francis?

He said this...

Prayed these words...

Documented his prayer...

Thank God, because they are GREAT.

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

Brain Damage

[I was a drop down drunk, but only briefly.

Thankfully, because of the brevity, I do not live with many of the harmful and permanent affects that typical sober people suffer from. I had a full health physical just after becoming sober. The doctor seemed pleasantly surprised that testing showed no liver damage.

The only exception that I am aware of is a diminished instant memory. This was explained to me by the same psychologist who prescribed Seroquel for my inability to normally recover from anxiety. Little things would keep me in a fetal position for hours and hours. That condition slowly improved, my missing immediate memory has not yet returned.

This is NOT the same as short term memory loss. In fact, (this is a strange phenomenon that happens to me) if I wait a bit, sometimes a memory will come back (I suppose as it crosses into short term). Sort of like a scrolling news ticker, info scrolls by and is immediately gone, but when you wait a bit and the data returns.]


Speaking of memory weakness---

Picture me developing a strategy for a work project. Our minds have the capacity to scribble notes, just like doing it on paper with a pencil or pen.

While these imaginary paper notes (for most people) are permanent and easily referred to as needed, my gray matter medium is much more like a chalkboard.

I will scribble notes on my mental chalkboard until I arrive at an reasonable understanding of the task. I am working backwards from the ultimate goal until I reach the most efficient method in a reverse linear format. This is good engineering.

Then, the most vital part becomes how it would be best to start the project. This last piece becomes the first step. Again, good engineering.

A simple example, clearing a particular space in a certain area because I will need it for materials or tools. One thing I might put on the chalkboard is all the characteristics of what is currently in the area and options on places they could best be moved to. That task would be one of many that comprise a subset of goals that are achievable first and achievable now (assuming I am starting now).

So far I am performing like many others. Nothing notable, but then...

My chalk board keeps only that portion (last thought, first action) of the whole- the smaller, achievable set of starting tasks along the road to the bigger goal. All the thoughts (mental notations) that went into arriving at understanding why this is so somehow and for some reason has been lost to my mind. Maybe I am crawling across it as I notate? There is just nothing left. Of course, I have the ability to recreate the same thing over again, but that is not the same as simply checking the notes I have already mentally written.

Remember the normal metaphor? When thoughts are on paper it is easy to examine HOW and WHY you have started where you have started. All I have is a bunch of mangled chalk dust!

Not for me! If asked why I am doing something, I draw a complete blank. Worse yet, since I am not adverse to answering the questioner, I become like a circular code spinning in place. There is no answer to the question in my mind. It was there once upon a time. I become frustrated thinking whether it is important to regenerate all that data from zero. I did the calculations, did my due diligence (double and triple checking the thoughts/ work) and am quite sure that there are REALLY GOOD REASONS for what I am doing just now.

Only...

I have no idea what they are any longer.

An interesting metaphor that follows is that sometimes there are interruptions.

Generally, I emotionally desire to get back to what I was last doing.

The chalkboard in my head is still clear for me to read (just the next steps remember).

The message on it is vulnerable.

After too long there will be another chalkboard with another message.

They seem to get stacked in a pile in my head. The lower in the stack a board is, the more likely the message has degraded. Eventually, what is there is undecipherable.

All in all, this condition presents a challenge to me. It can be fun, like doing a puzzle. For others that deal with me, meh, not so much.

One great advantage is that it is additional motivation to stay honest and true. If I always give my best effort, if I am always willing to do things the 'good' way, then I feel free. I do not have to rely on my memory at all. The calculating of my brain was done with good intent. It is like an anchor. Since I cannot explain why I am doing this or that, I is important to know that my intent is pure. What I am doing in spirit always has to be Right. So be it.

From this odd symptom generated by a weakness, I have accidentally found peace, at least of piece of the puzzle to build soulful peace. My days are productive. I take joy in helping others.


Love someone well today!

Bobby