O Pinions!

#1068722

April 14, 2024 at 5:46am

Re "Forth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros. After reading reviews I'll skip this. Squid Games? Cliche enemy to friend romance? Related to reality in what way? Is there any value to this other than popcorn, screaming and crying? I will watch silly BL series from Thailand, thank you. At least I'm learning about language and culture, even if some are just silly or fluffy. So why does everyone LOVE this? It's an escape. It's sugar-coated vengeance and anger. Much what the averag... [Read more]

#1067622

April 5, 2024 at 1:36am

A response to : 1) Does the syllable follow in English? If not, what does? As you know... Japanese does not count syllables, nor is it a metered language like Norwegian. Syllables are too 'heavy' in English. Spanish, however, is much better as it's a 5 vowel language like Japanese and cvc syllables can be avoided. Too many cccvcc words in English. 'stretch' comes to mind. 2) Does the last line have to relate to nature or the natural world? Westerners do not ... [Read more]

#1067059

March 28, 2024 at 1:44am

I commented to Steven: "My best efforts don't necessarily win contests. When judges aren't familiar with what they are judging that's a problem. Some of the best in their field are not consulted. Or some... have semi-retired. Contest winners are not necessarily nominated [for a Quill] by the owners of the contests. Very few people are involved with the Quills. They desperately need readers who aren't stuck in just one genre or put off by the ratings. At times WDC feels... [Read more]

#1066046

March 11, 2024 at 7:46am

Trump would burn down our nation to rule over her ashes because that outcome is preferable to a jailed twilight of his life. Rich Logis of "Leaving MAGA". I really do think that the former president is an existential threat to the American Experiment. The idea that "we can all get along" is an anathema to those who know that some people are better than others. The grievances of those who feel that their piece of pie is being stolen by those unworthy of eating is a co... [Read more]

#1065677

March 6, 2024 at 6:11am

I used to keep my most personal thoughts and situations in a blog set for yellow cases+. It's now open... but it took many years for me to share myself. My first blog is still chugging along. I used it to share my reality whilst homeless. That outer reality shocked some but interested others. The daily drama was like watching a train wreck. For years I've had a place for raw opinions and I've managed to offend quite a few here by blog comments and posting on the Newsfeed. Do I ca... [Read more]

#1064893

February 25, 2024 at 11:32pm

An answer to Read long pieces: I agree; however, I'm a slow reader and long is problematic when I'm trying to garner bits and pieces of everything. Determine what to focus on: Good advice for others. I look at patterns and being unfocused works for me. Seek out the articles: Again, great idea. Videos tend to be biased or second-third-hand. I don't make the time. Because I'm in slowmo most of the time however long it takes you multiply by two or three. Ask yourse... [Read more]

#1062514

January 17, 2024 at 2:15am

An Australian friend I met in Mexico posted something on buukface that disturbed me. Yes, I agree that the current president has issues; but, the alternative may be a wannabe-nazi. And yes, I think there are two candidates for that ignominious position. For those who are upset by the use of the term "nazi" I'll remind them that Germany democratically put the Nazis in power in the 1930s. One aspect in the aftermath of that election was that the socialists and communists were fi... [Read more]

#1061328

December 23, 2023 at 7:26am

Dorothy Thompson writes in 1941 "It’s fun—a macabre sort of fun—this parlor game of “Who Goes Nazi?”. She describes various people, those who are born Nazis, become Nazis, will never become a Nazi. She concludes: "Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi. They may be the gentle philosopher whose name is in the Blue Book, or Bill from City College to whom democracy gave a chance to design airplanes—you’ll never make Nazis out of them. But the frust... [Read more]

#1060424

December 2, 2023 at 12:29am

Zionist or Jew? 2.desember.2023 Not the same. "Judaism is a religion and a cultural identity, while Zionism is a political ideology focused on Jewish nationalism and statehood." Many American Jews are not Zionists. In my opinion, Israel has a right to exist... but so does Taiwan, Kosovo, Gaza, Palestine. Becoming a single-religion theocracy instead of a refuge is not a right that was granted in any accords (that I know of). American support for some theocracies while w... [Read more]

#1054023

August 12, 2023 at 10:40pm

Inspired by a blog entry by . Sidewalks... I know a few. Missoula Montana is good at maintenance for safety. Snow removal is not as big an issue as elsewhere in the North but it's addressed. As summer AirBnBs and second and third and fourth homes multiply this may become more salient if seasonal vacancies are not kept up. People are aware of heat problems as our new bridge had a surface that scorched. Folks here love their dogs and it was not safe. Debris, oil, trash, et ceter... [Read more]

#1044666

February 12, 2023 at 11:20am

Today is Super Bowl Sunday in a world far far away from Reality in the Land of Smiles and Stench (disclaimer: I do not work for the tourist bureau). SB LVII will be start at 06:30 ICT. I'm sure that there will be a crowd of expats watching; however, I wont be one of them. I do like both teams so I have no favorite. But... UStatians love to choose sides and fight fight fight. It's a basic bread-and-circus extravaganza brought to you by America, Inc. The players, no matter ... [Read more]

#1044530

February 9, 2023 at 10:23pm

Yes, most children should be given aptitude tests and standardized tests are useful to gauge where they are at. Unfortunately, children are not standard size boxes meant to be stacked in a warehouse, to be used up when needed by society and thrown out if substandard or useless. It's why the former middle class is outraged. They were standardized and fed like beloved chickens. Now they run around after their heads were cut off. No one welcomes feeling disposable. So, yes, I think t... [Read more]

#1044295

February 5, 2023 at 11:56am

Shit, suck, fuck... any of those words are safer than Trump. At least swear words have lost some of their luster. Trump has lost none of his bluster as he can still muster his minions to repeat lies. Lies and conspiracies. Can't talk about those either. Ah... The Insurrection will stir up the pot! In America we have to have someone to hate. If we get tired of hating on each other, nations we don't love or understand will do. Russia and China easily fulfill Amerikkkas deepest xe... [Read more]

#1044236

February 13, 2023 at 5:52am

Americans are wrong! Lost an entire entry... just as I was finished... This is just a few thoughts so I can rewrite it. A week later: Unfortunately, I'm stressed and I have a deadline. And I'm angry. Learn another language? Hell yes. The rest of the fucking world doesn't have a problem picking up skills. Language, art, music are all skills that make Humans less of an Ape. Americans think that their military power and wealth makes them exceptional, almost holy. Get... [Read more]

#1043976

February 1, 2023 at 6:07am

Nothing comes for free. In Thailand your family looks after you => you look after family. Most Asian cultures operate on this system. The concept of individualism so popular in the Wild West version of America isn't the norm. The saddest Thai is an orphan without friends. The Korean movie "My Perfect Roommate" explores the sad situation of those who have no family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ER5sZRzP3M No, nothing comes for free. But Americans decided on public s... [Read more]

#1043683

January 26, 2023 at 9:55am

It's a 13 minute walk from Ponnya's workplace to home. I timed it tonight. No need for a car. There are 14 floors which include parking, a pool, a fitness center... no 20 acre suburban sprawl. Thailand is more compact even in rural areas. People live in communities and aren't as isolated from others (nor as fearful of them). In Montana they could build with better heating/cooling in mind, and not build throwaway structures that fall apart in 30 years. We have good water, so that&... [Read more]

#1043344

January 19, 2023 at 1:09am

Don't spoil it for others. Americans love their independence but no one survives alone. Humans are social animals. We need each other. We also make mistakes. And we need to be seen and appreciated. Where should the line be for the common good on personal freedoms (yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, etc.) and who should draw it (government or ?)? Every community draws lines. In Thailand one CANNOT insult the king or the royal family. This is NO joke. In the USA the presiden... [Read more]

#1043145

January 15, 2023 at 10:00pm

Which is worse, local or national politics/politicians? My dreams soar into realms of the unknown, unknowingly forgetting that the farther they go the greater the fall back to reality. The same seems to apply to idealists that enter government. Good intentions does not equal good governing. And those who have no ideals have no vision and those without a heart no shame. At least those who have nefarious intentions unabashedly ignore the consequences. They tend to rise to the top. Mos... [Read more]

#1042705

January 5, 2023 at 8:13pm

I remember the smell of rotting tomatoes while 'taking care of business' as a child. I suspect that anything rotting was thrown into my grandparents' outhouse. Outhouses were topped with lime and eventually moved to a newly dug hole and the old one filled. Most anything was thrown into outhouses. I shudder to think of outhouses in cemeteries... I'm sure they once were common. If not for the guests then for the ground crews and grave diggers. But... if an outhouse is... [Read more]

#1042661

January 4, 2023 at 9:54pm

I believe in more calories for my buck. Upscale 'heathy' markets are expensive. Mega-marts offer 100 types of peas. Who needs peas, please? I want calories. In Missoula we have summer and winter markets. They focus local on produce. Our region is known for locally gathered huckleberries and morels, cherries and peaches, melons and tomatoes. Dairy is controlled by Washington state; beef is sent to China; potatoes are grown in Montana, locally even, but the market is dominated by Idaho.... [Read more]

#1042622

January 3, 2023 at 8:36pm

A proper outhouse is biodegradable and self-cleaning. At the end so is the Earth and so are we. There has been an effort in the last century to mechanize everything and eliminate the need for slaves humans. Here in Montana I share the toilet. I realise that this is un-American; but, so be it . One of our local poets is our janitor and I'm thankful for his 14 plus years of cleaning up after me. I do try to not make a mess. In Isan I will clean our toilet if Ponnya doesn'... [Read more]

#1041677

December 11, 2022 at 12:22am

To Holly: "Brevity isn't always better than clarity but it's more digestible. A religious example would be the 10 Commandments. It's been argued about for centuries but compared to the Talmud it's the go to teaching. Both exist for reasons. Children start with the commandments." To expand... technical abstractions are revered by some but they don't get the rice planted nor harvested. If it is important enough to say or do it's important enough to translat... [Read more]

#1036927

August 25, 2022 at 8:44pm

Contests at WDC 25.august.2022 To huser:glarg1675 re a new flash fiction contest: "If you do, seriously look at the current daily one that's been around for years and how it's done, maybe ask huser:arakun what she thinks. Trope-based? Ask huser:soledad_moon. Genre based? There are plenty to choose from but folks here don't always leave their comfort zone. You'll have to decide on word limits, 300, 500? Prompts that are too strict are confining. At times, I ... [Read more]

#1036540

August 15, 2022 at 9:58pm

Blog City Prompt: “If you have no suffering, you have no story to tell.” ~ E.J.Koh, The Magical Language of Others To Jessica: Agree and disagree with quote. I think there are plenty of non-suffering stories to be shared. I think of Erma Bombek... There are great stories without tragedy. That said, much comes out of suffering. It's hard to have empathy otherwise. When I spoke of homelessness, I wrote in present tense from my own experiences. I'm not convinced that assump... [Read more]

#1036164

August 5, 2022 at 9:59pm

I learned long ago that I will learn what I want to learn when I'm ready; or what I'm forced to learn whether I'm ready or not. I find exterior discipline annoying but useful. I learn incredible stuff on-line but one-on-one in a classroom setting is best. Mentoring, maybe hands-on multi-sensual apprenticeship works best... for me. There are many learning styles. In spite of reading books and articles, most of what I learn by traveling is experential. Will buildings and institu... [Read more]