Exploring Streaming, Finding Budgie

Worst-title 2: Doing my worst-best to discover the convenience of music streaming

As you’all may or mayn’t know, dear worst-readers, as an Apple fanboy, if I’m gonna finally break down (give-in) and try music streaming, it’s gotta be with Apple’s music service. Or?

Indeed-1

After a six month trial (on account I bought HomePod Mini’s last fall to provide stereo to the AppleTV I bought last year), it took me till the end of that trial to buckle down and finally figure out what this streaming krapp is all about. Yeah. Six months for free is one thing. Having to start paying for it is another. No. Seriously. I really didn’t think I was ready for music streaming. But here we are, eh.

As you certainly missed elsewhere in this worst-blog, here and here, I’ve been maintaining an SBC media server for audio and video for going on a decade now. That server has a quarter century of purchased CD music and DVD movies/tv and it’s done its job. But. As much as I’d like to keep on keeping-on with physical media, I have to worst-admit, even worst-writer has to go with the punches every once-a-once. Times not only be a’changing but maybe it’s not so bad to change a bit along with it. And so.

The question is: Which streaming service should I NOT use? That question, by-the-buy, is easy to answer. Since Spotify can’t register on my radar (on account it supports with around $100m the lie of the mind that is my beloved & missed #Americant via Joe new-born Limbaugh Rogan), the only other services to choose from that I know anything about is Amazon Music, Tidal or SoundCloud. Amazon music left a bad smell in my nose as I used what it included with Prime for a while. Both the streaming and the sound quality were awful. SoundCloud was much better at streaming, even though I only used its free-tier service. The other problem I had with SoundCloud was the music offering. Although it has lots of new artists doing lots of great music, that’s just not how my music taste rolls. That worst-said, I consider SoundCloud to be the most original music streamer out there. It’s definitely staying on my radar for the future. As far as Tidal is concerned, even though I never tested it, I knew it could be an option because it streamed lossless audio. Again. Amazon’s Music service didn’t do music justice. Higher quality bitrates or better bandwidth cannot and should not be compromised here. But then… uh oh. Apple bumped up its service to lossless and I have to admit–I’m impressed.

Indeed-2

The thing is dear worst-reader, it took me years to get used to iTunes. Remember iTunes? Once I got used to ripping and encoding my CDs to FLAC, I then had to re-encode them to the highest bitrate MP3 so my music would work with iTunes. For years I maintained two music libraries. My better-half could then use the simplicity of iTunes for her music needs and when I needed CD quality, I used other players that supported FLAC. As frustrating as all that was, I got used to it. The banality, btw, of having to do that was because Apple is either greedy, stupid or just outright spiteful towards open-source (FLAC) or it had made too many promises to the music industry–which doesn’t make sense to me because I always bought my CDs. But on that worst-note, I should die-gress.

Almost conclusion

Now that I’m a paying, streaming customer, the question lingers whether or not I’m gonna stick with it. It’s been about two months since taking Apple Music seriously. In that time I can’t say that streaming has knocked my socks off. Then again, the convenience when out-and-about and calling up a song is kinda cool–especially when the streaming quality is better than anything I experienced previously (Amazon). When at home and streaming to my stereo system from iPhone, iPad or Mac, Apple’s lossless rivals any quality I achieved using FLAC. Then there’s the interface…

Sucky interfaces

The Apple Music (app) interface sucks. And get this. It sucks more than iTunes ever did. As a top category for picking/choosing music it has what it weirdly calls Apple Music. This category designates Apple’s streaming service. Oh really. The streaming service has three sub-categories namely Listen Now, Browse and Radio. Whaaaaa? WTF do I need Radio for? Go into one of the other categories and you’re overwhelmed with choices galore that somehow are deemed worthy by those who set up this $hit. The only way I’ve been able to find music is by using search, the results of which are as confusing as anything else. Wait. Am I too old for this krapp? #Nomatter

Another category in the Music app is Library. This is something like what iTunes used to be–I’m guessing. It has sub-categories that makes sense that the streaming service (above) doesn’t have. This is the users library which stems out of all your owned music that is converted into this service when you activate it. That conversion, btw, is another reason I postponed or was skeptical to sign up in the first place. Now that I know how NOT to loose my music data to Apple (by maintaining my media library on a separate server), I’ve simply added some of my music here and now it’s part of my library. Which is cool on account I had lost a few songs from Aerosmith and Bad Company and now I have them back–until I cancel. Whoopi! Which begs another worst-question: If I’m streaming music why do I need a library? Ok. At least Library has subcategories that I can relate to like Album and Artist. But. Again. I’m now using a streaming service and…? Ok. I don’t get it and I probably have to spend some more time to figure it out. Then again, who are the people (automatons) that come up with this $hit in Cupertino? Die-gress.

Audio tech confusion

There’s another little issue that’s bugging me, dear worst-reader. Now that I may or mayn’t become a music streamer, I’m also an avid non-audiophile. After years of fiddling with the idear of being an audiophile, I gave up on that krapp toot-sweet. The only thing the audiophile world taught me was that audio equipment sucks–and the industry is filled with grifters–like the bicycle industry, btw. Does that mean there’s no quality differences in audio reproduction? Heck not. There are huge differences. But audio reproduction can be scary–above and beyond being a money pit. Hence I couldn’t wait to get rid of all that dead-weight that was/is the BS of surround-sound, hi-res, fifty pound amps, DVD vs Bluray and, the worst of the worst, subwoofers. It took me the better part of twenty years to figure out that all I need is STEREO. Since then, after the discovery of Raspberry Pi and managing a home media server, all my audio equipment is the cheapest best sounding music reproduction I’ve ever heard.

And one more thing

What I dislike about audiophile BS is the krapp between amp, pre-amp, volume control, input-output, cinch, DAC, subwoofer, etc., etc. Obviously this technical krapp has to be dealt with if one is not gonna listen to music through laptop speakers or wants to enjoy music as one sees fit thereby getting on with the digital age–and not breaking the bank. When I can, I prefer streaming music from my Mac to one of three Airplay speakers in my little townhouse. Reason? The Mac (to worst-moi) sounds best–and I can’t figure out why–compared to streaming from my iPhone. A second set of stereo speakers are in our bookshelf and are driven by a RaspberryPi and a Hifiberry Amp2 (60w class D amp). A third set of stereo speakers are upstairs in my workroom and are connected to a second RaspberryPi using a Hifiberry DacPlus that is connected to a Teac mini integrated amp. Considering that two of these players use an open-source version of Airplay (shairport), it all works like a charm–with only a few hiccups here or there.

The hiccups are mostly about volume control–or is it pre-amping? Here’s an example. There is a significant difference in audio quality when streaming Apple Music using the Mac system volume or using the volume control in the app. WTF! Should I have paid more attention during my frivolous audiophile days concerning what the fcuk a pre-amp is? I’m guessing this has something to do with how these devices differentiate sources. To try and figure this out, dear worst-reader, I even rode my e-bike to a local Apple Store and asked one of the blue-shirts what this is all about. The answer was the same as most answers I get from blue-shirts: Wow. That’s above my pay-grade. You buying a new Apple Watch or not? They had no idear what I was talking about. But at least they did suggest I get in contact with Apple support online. Who could have known, eh. (Sarcasm off.)

Worst-conclusion

I’ve never been into modern pop-music. It’s one of the reasons I’ve avoided music streaming services. Is that a generational thing? Maybe. That brings me to a few worst-questions: What am I paying for? What if I don’t like the music being pushed? Why is there so much disparity between music source and music player? Is this all about convenience? I mean. Yeah. It is convenient. WTF! Seriously. After fiddling with this for the past six months, I still don’t care about whatever Apple is pushing. That’s what streaming services do first, right? That worst-said, the other day, on a whim, I asked Siri to play me some Budgie. And she did. Now that takes me back to a time (70s) where three Englander-dudes played music as though they never had fun doing anything else. Seriously. They make music as though it’s better than making…

But I die-gress.

Thanking you for all the good-luck wishes in exploring music streaming services (at my age) and dealing with the Godzilla of monopolies that is in my worst-face every fcuking day: Apple.

Rant on.

-T

Dissecting A Joke

Time-stamp of vid is 3:51

Worst-title 2: Pete Buttigieg can watch my grandchildren anytime.

Wow, dear worst-reader. Did you get a load of President Biden’s WHCD speech the other night? Even though I voted for him, grew up in MD, which neighbours (his) DE, I’ve never been a fan. Reason? He’s part of that cult of the Democratic Party that turned too far to the right to appease the wackiness of Ronald Reagan and his cohorts, the results of which is the kinda hell we’re living in now. As a senator his performance during the confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas, grilling Anita Hill, was despicable–I remember watching it. Serving over fifty years as an elected official, as noble as many find it, is also nothing to brag about when one considers how politicians these days afford their election campaigns. But. Again. Considering what my beloved & missed #Americant puked with the election of the #MAGA cult, I’ll vote for Biden again. Best of the worst, eh. Or. What else are (rational thinking people) gonna do (vote for)? #Nomatter

Worst-writer digs WHCD. Wait. I dig the comedy acts. But sometimes even the presidents get involved in the entertainment. Barry-O’s last WHCD was awesome. Since former prez pee-pee-hair is too thin skinned to participate–because he knows he’ll be drilled a new one (arse) with comedy galore–the whole show has been shut down for the past six years. Enter Joe Biden the comedian. And what an entry, dear worst-reader.

The joke I want to dissect is short lived. At about 3:51 in the vid, Biden says this:

I told my grandkids and Pete Buttigieg they could stay up late tonight.

The crowd got it. I got it. But did you?

Pete Buttigieg is the Secretary of Transportation appointed by Biden. He’s also gay, married to a man, and they both have children. For those of you not in the know, Mayer Pete’s attributes cause about seventy-four million #MAGA voting, former prez cheeto-jezus whack-jobs, to lose their $hit. Reason? Well. As we all know, right-wing nut-jobs in my beloved & missed #Americant have waaaaay bunches of hate all bottled up inside them. They hate minorities, a woman’s right to choose, people who don’t buy armoured tanks and bazookas and assault rifles every weekend and they especially hate gays and lesbians and gays and lesbians that think they have the right, like everyone else, to get married. Yeah. Lot of hate there, eh.

The worst-thing is, dear worst-reader, right-wing nut-jobs have unleashed hell on my beloved & missed #Americant’s different thinkers, different idear makers, different ways of lifers. In lieu of this, they are censoring books in various states that may or may not contain what they consider dubious stuff. They are passing archaic laws repressing LGBTQ rights. They are gerrymandering voting districts to coincide with their hate and bigotry. And, as I was just reading in the newz, their stolen SCOTUS is in the perfect position to finally ban a woman’s right to make her own decisions. As all of this right-wing legislating has been going down for the past forty years, what do they resort to now? They make fun of people–as they’ve always done but it was well hidden–like Pete Buttigeig because he’s gay, he’s married, and he has a family with his husband. If you listen not-so closely to most right-wing talking heads, they too have a bunch of ugly things to say. And so.

Biden’s dig the other night was f’n brilliant. For you see, dear worst-reader, unfortunately there’s more to their hate. Take for example the term groomers. This is the gist of Biden’s joke. Right-wing nut-jobs, especially the religious fanatics, you know, the folk in #Americant that have gone full and comfortable heathen with krapp like prosperity theology, think all people that don’t adhere to archaic religious dogma by choosing a different lifestyle, are or can be groomers. The rest of #Americant should be afraid of groomers because groomers are after the children. WTF!

The only worst-question that remains, considering the state of the world right now, is how much worse can these arseholes make things? If only there was some kind of politic that could stand up to all this. (Sarcasm off.)

Rant on.

Convolutionism

One of the issues worst-writer is struggling with in the whole bunches of #interwebnet content, whether on the youtubes or whatever website, which is mostly progressive and lefty on my part, is how easy it is to convolute the/any issue. Since I follow as much world news as I can, and I’m thankful to be able to do so at such low cost, there are moments when I just can’t comprehend the POV of some folk. I’m referring to right and left political punditry. Political punditry, as informative as it can be, has an agenda above and beyond opinion and editorialising. That’s especially true when it comes to the vast amount of opinions that can be so easily published (worstwriter), shared, or, when all goes well, it goes viral. And that’s fine & dandy. Everyone (who can’t figure out the trick like worst-writer can) has to make their way though this life. Or? The worst-thing is, dear worst-reader, over the years, of the lefty stuff I consume on the #interwebnets, it’s getting fewer and far between. Not the stuff, mind you. The pundits.

As a pseudo-lefty (I am worst-writer) I don’t consume much right-wing media. Can’t stomach it. Reason? Right-wingers make me cringe. How’s that? Well. Maybe it’s because 1) we (humanity) can’t choose our parents and 2) having grown up in their (right-wing) neighbourhoods I couldn’t wait to expatriate to a different part of the friggin world? Or maybe it’s because right-wingers, down deep, are incapable of original thought? #Nomatter. I should die-gress. Indeed. I should die-gress because, well, most of the people I worst-write about here don’t really call themselves right-wingers. Yeah. I should leave that. Remember, this is a worst-post about convolutionism. Moving on.

I’m not sure of the date/day when it began but there were, let’s worst-say, a bunch of writers, YouTubers, pundits, I liked. Now? I’m not much of a fan. The reason I don’t like them isn’t so much their politics or punditry but instead some of them seem to have… I don’t know what to call it. Do I mean that some of these writers and pundits and YouTubers have a huge, massive chip on their shoulders? Yeah. That’s the ticket.

I liked these people because I thought they were doing unbiased journalism, even if it was sometimes clouded in punditry. I feel confident enough at my age and literary knowledge to be able to filter stuff I consume on the #interwebnets. At least I can filter out the stuff that makes me cringe. But. As worst-said, something has gone awry with these people. And I don’t get it.

Glenn Greenwald is one. I thought he was a heck of guy having helped out Edward Snowden in his time of need. But look where that got Snowden. I also liked Max Blumenthal. I ate up his book Republican Gomorrah. Then there’s Lee Camp. Although his wiki page describes him as a comedian, his show on RT America was a blast to watch because he made it uniquely informative. Since the cancelling of RT America, due to sanctions, Camp has to find a new means of distribution, which I’m sure he will. And what about all the talking-heads that seem to have exploded in recent years due to YouTubes and so-called social media that are very good at serving the industrial punditry complex? Like Jimmy Dore. He was a great voice on TYT. But something happened there that I’ve never quite understood. The comedy spots on Dore’s YouTubes show are hi-larry-us. Then there’s the Joe Rogan. He was the first #interwebnet talking-head that I gave up on account, even though he’s a great interviewer, he just sounds too much like a Rush Limbaugh spawn that puts nasty-chills in my tummy. Can you see Rogan becoming the new & improved Limbaugh as soon as his fancy and lucrative streaming contract runs its course? But. Again. I should die-gress.

The skill these people have, above and beyond writing, journalism and showmanship, is convolution. That’s not to say they don’t know what they are talking/writing about. It’s more about how they know exactly what they’re doing but they’re doing it in a way that serves something other than the subject matter. Take for example Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Greenwald and Blumenthal easily convolute what is an illegal invasion of a sovereign country by Russia with my beloved & missed #Americant’s foreign policy of the last, shall we say, hundred and fifty years. Obviously they are focusing mostly on the US invasion of Iraq–which was illegal and unwarranted IMHO. They do this by screaming and yelling at Democrats and all they hate about Democrats. Or is it the establishment? It’s mind boggling at best and ordinary at least. Greenwald’s almost fanatical punditry that spews his hate of Hillary Clinton is absurd and delegitimising. Blumenthal at times does the same thing. And although they may or mayn’t say they like former prez pee-pee-hair and his #MAGA cult, they sure do have a lot to say about The Left instead. I guess, for them, it’s all about everything but the problem. Does that mean, in the world of punditry, there are no solutions?

The article below motivated this post.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-sneakiest-defenders-of-vladimir-putins-ukraine-invasion-and-chinas-xinjiang-repression

Martial Law v Marshall Law

Worst-writer’s un-empirical spellcheck test

Marshall Law could be a name. A cool name. Or it might be the name of some cheesy #Americant tv show. Martial Law, on the other hand, is not a name but is what authoritarians seem to luv–as much, I’m worst-sure, as they luv cheesy, mansplaining #Americant tv. Worst-writer can see mixing them up, especially if one is in a hissy-fit twenty-four-seven on account their existence, upbringing and world-view–not excluding #Americant public schooling–of white supremacy is threatened. In fact, after a bat$hit congress-person used the former instead of the latter, because she either can’t spell or the spell-checker misfired or she simply doesn’t know what she’s talking/tweeting about, I did my own little un-empirical test. Keep in mind, worst-writer has sympathy for misspelling, including a bit of worst-grammar. For I am worstwriter dot com, don’t you know. But my sympathy stems out of having lived abroad for most of my life where I also speak a foreign language ninety percent of the time. In fact, after all these years I’m very afeared to write that foreign language on a daily basis because doing so might show how worst if not kinda stupid I really am. But on that worst-note, I die-gress.

The un-empirical test I tried went thus. I went into the google-machine and started typing marsh… (pics above). Turns out that it’s pretty clear if one knows what one is talking/tweeting about, has a bit of sense and intellect–or may have read a book or three in life–it’s kinda hard to misspell martial law. With that in worst-mind, is it of any surprise that the hacks and bigots and inner-ugly people that get elected to run the greed $hitshow that is #Americant are as dumb as they look/sound/tweet? You betcha, baby. So let’s have a giggle together, dear worst-reader. But don’t giggle too long as us worst-thinking people need to remain aware and vigilant about the rise of authoritarianism in my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

Look Where

Source of pic: screenshot with some extra safety

Can you believe it, dear worst-reader. My better half finally singed up for one of those streaming services. I mean. We’ve actually tried it before but gave up on it pretty quick. That was back in 2015. Something about there just not being much available that was worth couch time. Since we’ve been able to stream via a certain online distribution website, as movies and shows are included with its yearly subscription, we’ve kinda settled for that. Till now. I guess. The reality is, my better-half watches this stuff more than I do and for the past year she’s been complaining about not having anything new to watch. Oh well.

We decided long ago that we would avoid subscription services in our media consumption. Instead we relied on AppleTV and would pay for whatever it is we watch. But then AppleTV+ hit and I had just purchased a new MacBook, which meant that I got the service for free for a year. I have to admit, I kinda liked it–even though I didn’t renew it after a year when it costs money. Even though some of Apple’s shows were a bit–how should I worst-put this–almost amateurish, more recent productions have definitely moved things to a higher level. So when my better-half wanted to sign up, I tried to push for Apple. As usual, I lost that argument, which I might be kinda sad about. Boo-who. But. I am using Apple Music right now after they offered me a six month free trial. Why does it hurt me to admit that I like it? Since I have to start paying for it next month, we’ll see how long I really like it. Moving on.

Pseudo-Review: Don’t Look Up

My better-half is pleased so far. She binge-watched a tv series the other weekend and enjoyed it. We watch our first movie together the other night and I’m not disappointed. The movie: Don’t Look Up. And that brings worst-moi to a few worst-words about it.

First. Great movie. Great acting. Ok directing. Sufficient drama–or in this case comedy. Like I’ve worst-said here and here about comedy, especially political and social satire, what now? Also. Who is this movie for? I mean, is there an intended audience? If you haven’t seen it, here’s worst-writer’s summary. And be warned. Spoiler alert!

The planet is about to be struck by a humungous asteroid or comet. A planet killing comet. Two scientists who discovered the comet are summoned into a/the world of politics and media in order to advise the president of my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant about how to deal with this comet. The president is a woman and her chief of staff is her son and as the story progresses these politicians unabashedly become the spitting image of former prez pee-pee-hair, his family, and all the corruption and ineptitude and greed-mongering that went along with it. But this movie is a comedy. Or. Put another way. This movie is a satire. With that in mind, let’s take a short break and look it up, shall we.

Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. -Source: Wiki

Now. This film is probably the busiest left-wing, environmental film I’ve ever seen where it does its best to shun a genre by just showing reality in a hi-larry-us way. I mean. Obviously. The writer’s intention with this movie is to provide one of the clearest mirrors ever that would/could/should enable so many people, like the seventy-four or so million who voted for former prez Cheeto-Jezus, to take a good look at reality. The thing about mirrors, though, is you can’t make people look into it–unless it’s about vanity. Am I wrong. The other problem is, even if you get someone to look into a mirror absent vanity, you can never really know if they know what they are seeing. A manipulated mind do play tricks, eh. Which brings me back to my question: who is this movie for? Is it a way to busy creative types? Is it a movie to motivate those who already know that the planet killing comet is a metaphor for climate change–and we’re doomed #nomatter what? Or did the producers of this movie get a freebie where they were able to show Meryl Streep’s gorgeous Arschgeweih (tramp stamp). Who knows, eh, dear worst-reader.

Very fun movie nevertheless.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

The iOS Regime

Can’t update because you made it obsolete. Bitches!

Ok. As you may or may not have worst-read, dear worst-reader, I’m an Apple fanboy. Well. I am until I boot-up my Raspberry Pi and get lost in Linux. #Nomatter. The thing about Apple is, I like MacOS. Is it the best operating system? Don’t know. It is the best of the worst, I’ll give it that. That worst-said. I can’t stand iOS. I mean. I really hate it. How Apple has been able to get away with this sandboxed, top-down, un-intuitive mobile and small device operating system, shouldn’t surprise me–but it does. Of course. It was always Steve Jobs intention to lock things down and only make things available via Cupertino central services. iOS does this best. This tyranny harks back to the original Mac days. You know. Jobs literally created a new screw (or something) that required a tool that only Apple had so that no one could open the Mac and fiddle with its insides. You know. Jobs wanted to hinder the whole idear that made the personal computer a hit in the first place. But that was the early to mid 80s. Flash to now and worst-writer has to beg the question: have things changed?

The only reason I own an iPhone is because it does three things. First. It’s a phone. We all (kinda) need a phone, right. Second it’s a great audio/podcast device when I walk Beckett, the killer pug. And third? It’s a pretty good mobile internet device. Now. I know. I know. It has a great camera on it and if you like you can even make movies with it. Heck, you can use it as a recording studio or movie editing platform. Whoopi. But what good is all that tech–if it’s not used? Wow. Ok. I’m getting into real whacky territory here. Moving on.

Why do so many people have so many apps on their iPhones? For. Don’t you know, dear worst-reader. Apps are nothing but silly little programs that connect to the #Interwebnets. The only difference to traditional computers and connecting to the world, isn’t the fact that you can do PC stuff on a phone. No. The reason there’s so much potential on a simple little phone is because the friggin eco-system is owned and controlled and centralised and basta! Oh. And let’s not forget. There’s no way out–once you’re in. Hence I prefer MacOS for any productivity or work (and I’m seriously considering dumping it all for linux–but that’s a whole ‘nother worst-post). Put another worst-way. Apple has finally created another dream device where it owns the key, the tools, the innards, everything. That’s life, eh.

I only have two screens available on my iPhone. In those two screens I have four folders with a few apps in them. The only apps I use on a regular basis are those available from Apple. You know. Podcasting. Mail. Contacts. Etc. Although few & far between, the third-party apps I use include the Covid warning app. AdGuard to block obnoxious advertising when I use Safari. DHL for tracking packages. Etc., etc. My worst-point is, I think I’m pretty frugal when it comes to loading stuff on this device. I’ve never attempted to make a movie. I rarely use the camera and more and more it’s only used for scanning or taking picture of information. My point with this convoluted paragraph is that the iPhone, as smart as it is, is actually kinda stupid. But I die-gress.

Ok. Good. Let’s get to where this worst-post is supposed to be going.

The pic above is a recent screenshot from when I tried to setup Apple’s new Account Recovery Contact. Now. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to set up the service. Reason? That’s right, you guessed it, although my iPhone has the latest iOS update, my beloved stainless steel Apple Watch 2, does not. And so. You want to know how your device is made obsolete? In all my tech years obsoletism has never been out in the open. The people running these companies that make this krapp probably never even talk about it. It just happens. And it’s obviously very convenient for profits. So. In a way. This is a first. WTF. Or maybe not.

Lo and behold the benefits of hand-me-downs.

I have the privilege of being able to use two Apple Watches. Reason? Like all my iOS devices, I don’t buy them, except for the phone and my MacBook. My wife is on her fourth Apple Watch and her third iPad. Unlike me, she needs these things. She needed a new Apple Watch on account the old one’s battery was dying. So she got the Apple Watch 6. Don’t get me started on iPads, but she’s broken so many of those I’ve lost count. (It’s at least three.) Her previous watch, a stainless-steel Apple Watch 2, she reluctantly handed down to me, but has since given up on it because, well, the newer Apple Watch 6 is so much better. She especially likes the fact that it’s waaaaay lighter. After a while I started to fiddle with the Apple Watch 2 and then I took a real liking to it–and not because it’s so much slower than my Apple Watch 3. It’s something about the stainless steel, the weight, the shine, I think. Anywho.

My Apple Watch 3 was also on its last battery legs. As I fiddled with these two watches to see which I like best, I was just gonna sell the other. Then I discovered that iOS lets you use two watches at the same time by enabling something in the watch app on the iPhone. Ok. Cool. The problem is, getting hand-me-down devices also means you get worn-out batteries. Like I said. As I fiddled with them for a few weeks I quickly realised that my battery situation was critical in both watches. Neither watch would get me through a few hours, let alone a full day, without having to charge it. What a pain in the… Anywho.

I really took a liking to the stainless steel watch so I decided to use Apple’s renewal program where I paid the €98 fee, they sent me special packaging, I packaged it, and then sent it in for what I thought would be a simple battery replacement. Turns out they don’t just replace the battery. They sent me a completely new stainless steel Apple Watch 2. This thing cost €800 when my wife bought it, which was right after its introduction. So I was tickled to death thinking, even though €98 for a battery renewal is nothing to laugh at, I got a new friggin watch. But then. About a month or two of full-time use, letting my Apple Watch 3 collect dust, Apple pulls a whammy. Apple made the Apple Watch 2 obsolete. In other words, it doesn’t receive updates anymore. Ok. Fine. As long as the watch works, I don’t care. And it does work. It’s brilliant. In fact, I think it works for two days on one charge. It’s also perfect for telling time, controlling podcasts and music and receiving/answering messages. But then I tried to set up the Apple recovery thingy and bam. Nothing works. Which means, I have a choice. Not only is the Apple Watch 2 obsolete, but I probably have to stop using it because I can’t use the Apple recovery thingy. So the choice is to not use the Apple recovery thingy or… Ok. Great. Not.

My point with this worst-post is 1) we really need some right to repair laws and 2) we also need to regulate the $hit out of corporations that think they’ve earned the privilege and it’s now their right to rip us off. With that in mind. Do I like the Apple Watch? Sure. I do. Would I go out buy one. No. My wife breaks enough of her stuff or uses it long to have to replace it which means I’ve got lots of hand-me-downs to play with. But. This is a friggin watch. Can’t they (Apple) at least put some effort into one product and not make it obsolete? Please.

Rant on.

-T

A Most Unentertaining Film

Worst-title 2: How things look while you wait for American Dream death.

Worst-title 3: Pseudo-Review of the documentary Nomadland.

No. Seriously. Dear worst-reader. Nomadland has to be one of the most bizarre if not surreal movies ever. No. Seriously. I’d even compare it to the ending of 2001 Space Odyssey. You know. All the colourful mind-fcuk Stanley Kubrick did with the death (rebirth?) of Bowman. The only difference to Nomadland is that after the first ten or fifteen minutes of it my mind’s eye kept showing me images of worst-writer asking himself in front of a shiny, black monolith:

But. Wait. There’s no story here.

Or is there?

A few hours after watching it I came up with the following mind’s eye explanation for Nomadland. Are you ready? Here it goes.

This is the greatest master degree thesis submission in the history of #Americant university curricula that is Radio, Television & Film.

Does this mean I wouldn’t recommend the film? No. Stream it now, dear worst-reader. It’s actually kinda cool. I mean. It has no point. It has no story. It certainly doesn’t have any sex and violence or comic book value. But it is kinda cool. So what does it do for worst-writer? Ok. You asked for it. Buckle up buttercup.

First. Movies like this usually motivate worst-moi to read the book. You know, artsy-fartsy films. A film about vandwelling in a country like my beloved & missed #Americant, though, doesn’t motivate. Oscar nominations don’t motivate much either. I should add that I didn’t mind waiting for the film to be available via streaming, with or without Covid. So it took me a while, after its release, to get to it.

According to sources (Wiki), the author of the book is an “American author who writes about subcultures”. Ok. That’s fancy, I guess. Then there’s the inclusion of lots of real-life folk in the film. You know. The director only used a few seasoned actors. Which means the other characters weren’t characters at all but instead real people, filmed in their environment, which makes this film a documentary, IMHO. Am I wrong?

One of the biggest questions I have about the film is the director. This film certainly motivates me to watch some of her other work, but I’m not gonna rush out to do it. I will simply tip my worst-hat off to her for putting this subculture in a confused movie that is worth your while, if you like artsy-fartsy films.

Which brings me to McDormand. What a resume she has, eh! Oh, how being married to one of the Coen Brothers can make for great film making. Personally, I think she’s great in Raising Arizona, Burn After Reading and Three Billboards. But her crown jewel has to be Fargo where to this day, after so many years, I can still hear her Dakota accent and those boots crushing through frozen snow in every damn scene. That worst-said, for the life of me I can’t figure out what earns her an Oscar for Nomadland. The film earning an Oscar? Yes. But it’s a documentary. And she won best actress. Repeat: for best acting. In a documentary. Sarcasm off.

The thing that gets to me about this film is the confusion between content and context. Vandwelling is nothing new in my beloved & missed #Americant. When I was a kid (in the 1970s) the dream of every working-class stiff in rural bum-fcuk, redneck, white-trash #Americant, was going on a cruise or owning an RV. Heck, those who were able to manage the purchase, also managed to make an already ugly neighbourhood uglier with noodles and oodles of these massive car-houses on wheels parked in yards, on account they didn’t fit in driveways, rotting like everything else. Ah. The spoils of consume-to-survive post WW2 #Americant, eh. That RV living was replaced with van living only means that all those damn hippies in their VW Busses I guess did leave an impression (on society). Moving on.

Obviously an RV is different from living in a van–until one considers the ramification of Reaganism, which, ironically, according to worst-writer, the same cruise ship, RV, VW Bus people enabled and facilitated and thereby turned their nomadic dreams into the/a downtrodden van nightmare. Which brings me to the only scene in this film that stands out for having any dramatic, redeeming value.

While McDormand’s character is borrowing money from family to fix her broken substitute home (van=poor man’s RV), there is a conversation about real-estate. McDormand sits idly by while others discuss the potential of #Americant’s last hope to make money in the crooked and misaligned economy that is the before and aftermath of the great (2008) depression-recession. You know. The buying and selling of real-estate which always requires someone else’s money. During this conversation McDormand blurts out a question that goes something like this:

Why would you buying something that you can never own?

Good question, eh, dear worst-reader. The question is especially good when you consider this film is based on a book written by someone who specialises in subculture and it was directed by Chloé Zhao who is from China and has a not so uninteresting family. I mean. Remember the context here. This is a film slash documentary about #Americant and how it has fallen prey to the whims of having elected morons and greed mongers as political and economic leaders. Of course, being nomadic has nothing to do with being forced into poverty because you’re a fcuking idiot and you spend your entire life chasing after candy that’s being held in front of you by moneyed and political ideological interests. Candy that has never held a grain of truth. Come and get some, baby. Come and get some.

The thing this film fails-upwards at is replacing the obvious (poverty) with new-fangled imagery (nomads). Perhaps that’s what makes it charming. Yeah. I guess it’s charming to play around with the obviousness of what has given rise to #Americant. Is the obvious better interpreted through the book? Maybe. But. Like I wort-said. I’m not interested in reading it. I grew up in and around the subject matter tackled here. The problem worst-writer has with this film is its portrayal of generational wanton political and social ignorance and ineptitude that is well hidden, disguised, avoided. Instead. Everyone in this film wears that new-fangled #Americant symbol that has replaced the stars & stripes, the bald eagle, Rosie the Riveter. That new symbol is nothing less than the smiley-face. You know. That non-dimensional figure that has the for-ever forced human expression of having to cope with meaninglessness galore and never understanding how or why. Or something like that.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

Pseudo-Review: Keychron K2 V2

Worst-title 2: This is one cool keyboard that I didn’t know I needed

Every once-a-once, dear worst-reader, whether in a computer section of a retailer or fiddling around at an Apple Store, I always give keyboards a test. The thing is, as a MacBook user for the past (going on) twenty years, I’ve never really liked the keyboards. And even though there’s been a lot of complaining about the 2015-2017 12” MacBook’s butterly keyboard, I’ve actually taken a liking to it compared to their chiclet keyboards. That worst-said, over the past few years when trying out all these fancy gamer keyboards, which are nothing but copies of keyboards from the IBM PC days (1980s), I couldn’t help but think these things are more for nine¹ finger typers. And so. I’m there. I need me some new keyboard.

When my MacBook is in clamshell mode I always use an Apple wireless aluminium keyboard that dates back to 2010. Yeah. In fact. When I bought my 2017 12” Macbook I also took in my trusty albeit broken keyboard hoping they’d repair it. And get this. After I paid for the MacBook, I’m sure, the Apple Store just gave me a new aluminium wireless keyboard. Now. They didn’t give me the newer magic keyboard. Of course not. But they had an actual new-old aluminium keyboard and they didn’t even charge me for it. Ain’t that cool.

New-old keyboards betold

I broke down the other day after visiting with my son who just bought a new gamer keyboard. After I finished fiddling with it–where he always admires his old man’s nine finger typing skills–it didn’t take long before I knew what was to be done. And so. When I got home I started doing some research.

Which of these new, fancy, higher tech copies of 1980s keyboards should I get? Keep in mind. I’ll rarely refer to these things as mechanical keyboards. They are NOT mechanical in the least. If you notice in the pic above, I’m still an avid worst-typewriter. Now that’s where you’ll find mechanics in a keyboard. Moving on.

Long worst-review almost short

I decided for the Keychron K2 version 2 bluetooth and RGB keyboard with the aluminum bezel. Since it was also on sale I kinda new the stars were aligned. As soon as I hit the buy button I continued watching reviews on the youtubes and blogs to see what I’ve gotten myself in. Luckily, unlike many other tech purchases I make, the reviews about this keyboard didn’t make me regret my choice. The only problem? I got a delay message from you-know-who online distributor which meant it took almost a full week for it to arrive. You know, a full week after we pay that annual fee that’s supposed to give us two-day shipping. Sarcasm off.

Brown, Red, Blue

This keyboard is much heavier than I expected. I suppose that has something to do with the aluminium bezel. As far as the design and styling, I like the contrasting grey keys and the orange accentuated ESC and RGB lighting key. I’ve only begun to understand the meaning between red, blue and brown key mechanisms so the jury’s still out on that. I have the brown mechanisms. I think my son’s keyboard is red. If the brown mechanism is supposed to be between the red and blue in loudness and tactile feel, I’m not sorry with my choice. I don’t need anything louder–but a bit more key resistance would be welcome. Then again. Beggars can’t choosey, eh. For whatever reason the red key device was only available in the larger (with number keys) keyboard and was significantly more expensive.

RGB Backlighting

I’ve been worst-typing with it for about three days now and it’s gonna take some getting used to, which should be expected after typing for the past (almost) twenty years with krappy chiclet keyboards. But my first impression is positive. Even though I’m still not quite sure what the RGB backlighting is all about, I’ll probably only use white light when I need it in the evenings. BTW. This is the first external keyboard I’ve owned with backlighting, so that’s cool. I guess I can see the lure of the fancy lighting for young folk. Then again. Keychron does market this little keyboard to gamers, which, even as a non-gamer, doesn’t make much sense with its compactness. Don’t gamers want more room? But I’m just gonna let that sit for a while till I figure out more ins and outs.

Design

I was a little surprised how large and bulky it is compared to my aging Apple keyboard. In fact, directly compared, its size is not insubstantial. It’s at least, I’m guessing, two and a half times higher and, as I already mentioned, it’s waaaaay heavier. When typing intensely on the Apple keyboard I would often have to adjust its position as it moved around with my finger hacking. The Keychron doesn’t move at all. It’s more planted on my desktop and its rigidity makes typing more precise. In fact, I would compare it to how the rigidity of a car or motorcycle chassis (without getting into suspension) determines how well it handles on the road. That’s cool, right.

Bluetooth

One of the issues I was concerned about is bluetooth. Although I’m a bluetooth fan, for as long as bluetooth has been around, I’m kinda surprised that it doesn’t do more. You know. Like polish my toenails or just work. Luckily I’ve had no issues, except one. The keyboard immediately connected to my Mac and I guess it’s polishing its toenails. What more could you ask for, right. There is a lag between the keyboard waking up (after sleep mode) and then reconnecting. This takes a few seconds–where the Mac keyboard had zero lag. The good news is, once the keyboard wakes up, the number 1, 2 or 3 key lights up in blue. This lets you know which of three bluetooth devices is connected. Yeah. That’s worth a few second wait.

Macintosh & Linux

Obviously I bought the Mac version of this keyboard. It has a sliding button on the left side that allows you to switch to Windows. It also includes a bunch of spare keys to replace the Mac keys. What would have been really cool is having spare keys for Linux. I think Keychron is working on that. As of the writing of this worst-review, and I’ve not yet connected it, but I also use a Raspberry Pi 4 (see pic above) for $hits & giggles. I’m looking forward to just hitting a button and connecting to my Pi. Previously, I would have to disconnect my Mac keyboard and then reconnect it to the Pi. Had to do the same thing when reconnecting to my Mac. Yeah. That was no fun. Oh. And before I forget. This Keychron K2 has a few more keys than the Apple keyboard. I can now finally enjoy using the page-up, page-down, home and end keys. Heck. It even has a dedicated del (delete) key. Do you have any idear, dear worst-reader, how long it might take me to get used to NOT using the option back-space key for delete, i.e. the standard key combination I’ve been using on the Mac keyboard layout for all these years?

Worst-review conclusion

Is this keyboard a keeper? Yea. I guess it is. Well. I think it is as long as the battery life lasts, the keys don’t corrode and it doesn’t stop cleaning my toenails. At the least, if it fails or I find fault in it, I will most likely upgrade to another Keychron. I’m sold on these new fangled keyboards, that’s for sure. Is it worth the price I paid considering what a new Apple magic keyboard costs? A new Apple magic keyboard is but another chiclet keyboard, and it costs quite a bit more. Since the wireless/bluetooth seems to work reliably and the key feel is a pleasure to type on and and and… It has a delete key!

All in all, let’s see how it goes.

Even if I don’t end up keeping this keyboard, I don’t think I’ll give up on Keychron. The K2 V2 is already an out-of-date model (hence the sale price) and what I’ve seen of newer models there’s been a whole lot of improvement. I’m sold.

Rant on.

-T

Nine finger typers are those who learned to type with every finger except the left thumb. ↩︎

Creeps R Us 101

Worst-title 2: How two people converse without talking to each other.

Had a hard time with this video, dear worst-reader. In fact, I could only watch it in parts. With that in mind, I should probably also note that I’m a Bill Maher skeptic-fan. That is. I used to like the guy–a lot. But then something happened with him. I don’t quite know what it is. I regularly listen to his Real Time podcast (the only way I can get the show on this side of the pond) and back in the day I would switch between him and Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. But then Stewart dropped out of the business to be superseded by Stephen Colbert’s The Colbert Report. Now. I’ve said a few things here and here and here about all these parody and/or satire comedy shows. In short. I can’t say that there’s a form of comedy from the past decade or so that I’m a fan of. I guess I prefer smart comedy–even though that’s probably not a thing because stand-up comedy requires lots of smarts. I will turn away from insult and/or shock comedy, though, which seems to be all there is. But what do I know. What I’m trying to get at is… Well. Something ain’t right in the world of money, prestige and laughter. Could it have anything to do with there being so many comedians and everyone has to outdo the other–with insults and shock–which has lead to a kind of self perpetuating demise?

There’s two things Bill Maher does that gets me off my happy tippy-toes. The first is his tolerance, if not outright appeasement, to the right-wing politics of my beloved & missed #Americant. Then there’s the way he interviews people. He interviews people, whether questioning or conversing, as though he knows all the responses or answers. I mean. He doesn’t do it in a bad way–most of the time. And I get the fact that he needs an audience, which he’s nurtured and cultivated through out his career. And he is funny. I guess. Whereas, maybe, The Colbert Report was a funny show that just happened to be about politics. Ok. Stop. I need to think about that some more. Moving on.

The whole point of political satire is to make fun of the right wing. Why? Because you can. See anybody in Russkyland making jokes about Putin these days? The thing is, when you make fun of left wingers, it’s just funny and gets kinda boring on account left-wingers can laugh at themselves. Do the same of right-wingers and, well, it’s not only funny but it usually reveals something deeper, if not more profound that goes beyond laughter. Now. Don’t forget. In a democracy it’s hard to kill-off a comic which is why most right-wingers are finding it harder and harder to take a joke. Hence, right-wingers would prefer to use violence and authority to solve (any) issues. Now contrast that with the 2022 Oscars. I suppose you could also contrast it with the Jan. 6 insurrection. Or did you not think some of the people hanging like wilted dildos from the walls and fences of the Capitol weren’t high-larry-us? Anywho.

It’s ok to have right-wingers as guests, as Bill Maher does. Heck. Even I’ll admit that some of them are rational. (Just don’t ask me to name them.) But he has this shtick where he claims that rational thinking people can’t completely disconnect from right-wing bat$hitters. He adds that because seventy-four million #Americants voted for former prez pee-pee-hair, those of us who did not vote for him, because we can see through the vail of evil or the mantle of stupidity that has overcome the nation, have to find ways to get along. Well. Worst-writer say: bull$hit! In fact. Right-wing bat$hit reared worst-moi. That’s why I jumped the sinking ship almost forty years ago–and I don’t have to appease anything. Except my wife. Yeah. Lots of appeasement there. But before I get too far off worst-subject.

Like I worst-said. Something’s up with Bill Maher these days and the video above is another example of it. He not only panders to right-wingers but here’s shtick-2: He has no clue what to think of young people. I mean. Bless Bella Thorne’s heart. She handled herself brilliantly through out this interview. Is this proof that some men never grow-up? Maher is pushing seventy and here he is in an obvious state of squandered, youth-less delusions interviewing what he calls a hot chick (video time-stamp link). WTF. He even refers to her once or twice as honey or baby. Again. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a fuddy-duddy. I try to use endearing language when appropriate. Heck. Is Bella Thorne hot? (Uh-oh. I just googled her.) Holly cow is she hot! She reminds me of Raquel Welch. You see. With a reference like that at least it proves that worst-writer can act his age! Moving on.

With such an age gap maybe Maher’s tone and choice of words could be less demeaning if not less sexist. He could also figure out how to let someone else talk or at least finish their thought. Even though she’s got that typical #Americant female guttural, kinda made-up, deep voice, where every once-a-once a high-pitched girly snarl can be heard, I would have liked to hear more of her thoughts. But Maher constantly interrupted her. Why couldn’t he be a bit more tolerant of her thoughts regarding therapy, her traumas (in life), her chosen profession which I can imagine plays havoc on a woman’s mind where everything is sexed-up to the hilt–and probably because of all the free porn. (Don’t worry. I’m not googling that.) But all Bill can do, it seems, is hide the fact that he’s way out of his league and that makes him enamoured if not a bit obsessed with her looks, the shine that is youth filled with a future–as he continues to dry up. He’s trying so hard to hide flirtatious intent that all that’s left is the occasional demeaning reference to “her generation” or his inability to grasp her anxieties. Wow. WTF. Again. My hat is off to Bella Thorne.

Rant on.

-T

Who Gave You Permission

Russian graffiti in Bucha Ukraine — Rough translation: who gave you permission to have nice things

The essence of political and/or lifestyle conservatism is? Very simple, dear worst-reader. Or maybe not. The essence is nothing other than NOT allowing others to make their own decisions. Also. It’s controlling the means with which one can make decisions. Conservatives hate it when others think different, or even if they have the gall to think for themselves. And then there’s the pinnacle:

Who gives you permission to do anything?

And so. Now that the Russkies are showing their true colours, where do we go with all this conservatism that is making the world mental? How bout we just skip the foreplay and go straight to arse-play hell. Yeah. That’s the ticket.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Then again, if reports are true and if the translation is correct, how are free thinkers supposed to cope with this level of conservatism? It reminds me, don’t you know, of a confrontation I once had with a girlfriend’s dad. Let’s call him Joe. And so.

Joe: So you want to have nice things, eh?

While meeting Joe for the first time I was trying to make a good impression. At the time, though, I had just moved to Germany for a summer job stint with an American management consultant company. The plan was to get a bit of work experience and then return to the US where I hoped to get a job. Joe’s daughter and I were having a long distance relationship and it was going pretty good since my job required constant travel to NYC and she was from New Jersey. Although she visited me in Germany a number of times that summer–and was very taken with Germany, for she’d never been to #Eurowasteland–I was hiding the fact that my stint could become something else. It seems that Joe’s intention, as should be the intention of every father, I suppose, was to consider my bona-fides (pronounced “bon-a-feedus”) regarding his daughter. Since he was obviously a conservative man, stuck in the past as they all are, while questioning Germany’s and #Eurowasteland’s socialism, he let it slip out that he knew I wasn’t gonna return to the US anytime soon. He could tell, he smirked, after I mentioned that I had never been so often to a doctor or a dentist in my life because the United Mistakes of #Americant had such a stupid medical insurance system, that one can easily lose one’s way when it comes to socialism–and that’s not the American way, he added. In other worst-words, he thought I was selling-out because I obviously preferred NOT to follow the #Americant system, which, he added, is what has made it so great. Uh. Ok.

In other-other worst-words, Joe was spiteful towards me because I had somehow managed to find a potential way through life where I wouldn’t have to rely on greed and selfishness in order to live good–if not medically insured. “Europeans,” he added, “don’t have to fight their way through life. That’s what makes them European and that’s why they started all the world wars. That’s not our way.” Uh. Ok.

Who told you you could live well?

Anywho. My worst-point is thus: conservatives are highly spiteful and bigoted peoples. We know that. But the depth of their bigotry is perhaps somewhat unknown. How far are they willing to go? Conservatism is like living in $hit, don’t you know. How does one know what $hit smells like if you live in it? Hence, the pic above. Conservatives inadvertently become what they project. They do this is in very subtle but obvious ways. Like. For example. How Putin was made. He was made by the same kind of (political) conservatism forced upon all others. For it was, I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, told to Boris Yeltsin, when he asked president George H. W. Bush what he was supposed to do with all the corruption overwhelming the former Soviet Union: be more corrupt than they (oligarchs) are.

Does the pic, written by Russkie soldiers in Bucha, Ukraine, after they laid waste to it, say enough about the mindset of the greedy and spiteful and bigoted? I mean. This goes beyond the petty and the obvious, don’t you know. The is downright evil beyond any evil of late. Say what you will about the tenants of national socialism (Nazi) or Soviet totalitarianism, both of which are politically conservative movements like no others. Heck one could even equate such mental mayhem with what’s been going on in my beloved & missed #Americant for the past (insert you’re number here) years as it’s so gallantly cultivated a new & improved fascism galore with its shiny smiley face. Yet. And so. As the greed-mongers fight among themselves the world literally becomes a bully of six year olds invading a sandbox of three year olds and thereby doing nothing but stealing all the toys, all the lunches, raping the mothers and grandparents and then yelling at the top of blue painted lungs:

Who said you could have nice things?

The thing is, dear worst-reader, I’ve been against every war that has taken place since I was born (1963). But this one is turning me in another direction. What is taking place in Ukraine is as bad if not worse as what lead to WW2, the only war, btw, that holds any merit as far as worst-writer’s concerned. With that in worst-mind, how does one fight against those whose minds are so corrupt with greed and bigotry and hate and spite and and and…?

Who gave you permission?

Good luck suckers.

Rant on.

-T

Toll Road Hell To The Bluest Eyes

You have to know, dear worst-reader. I’m approaching a year without having returned to my beloved & missed #Americant. I know. I know. Why should an expat want to return? Yeah. That’s for another worst-post. Of course. I did go after a year and a half during the covid pandemic. But that was different on account, well… Covid. Anywho. I actually travelled to my beloved & missed united mistakes last summer during what some/history may consider the pandemic’s pinnacle. And I went un-vaccinated. For. Don’t you know, dear worst-reader. The intention, then, was to get vaccinated. You know. On account the #Eurowastelanders weren’t/aren’t as advanced. (Sarcasm off.) And so. I took advantage of being #Americant. Got me some relief cash, too! In other worst-words: There’s no vaccination like #Americant vaccination that includes a few thousand $$$. Or? But let’s leave that for yet another worst-posts because the summer of 2021 was also the summer I disconnected from my mom. Moving on.

After getting my first two vaccinations in my beloved & missed #Americant in the summer of 2021, I returned to #Eurowasteland with good conscience. Since then I received my third vaccination aka booster in Germania. So I’m good to go (so far) until that fourth booster. But having worst-said all that… what’s with the pics above?

The pics are from an interesting encounter after receiving my first covid vaccine in May 2021. I was driving my mother’s car across the Maryland Bay Bridge albeit without having secured a toll payment. WTF. Don’t you know. I’m slowly learning here & there that in order to drive my beloved & missed #Americant road(s) you have to first secure a payment method for tolls galore. Did I know that the toll booths were out of order which means you have to pay online? And to that I worst-say: WTF! But that’s neither here nor there. For…

We got a flat. That’s right. I suppose if Mercedes made tyres we wouldn’t have had a flat. But. My mother’s car, which she purchased used and on a whim prior to my arrival, was in need of new tyres. It was in need of new tyres on account, well, she didn’t rely on me to help her with such a purchase but instead relied on a new friend who has now become part of our family–and worst-writer disapproves. But I won’t get into any of that even though my disapproval is also part of the disconnect with my mother. Indeed. And so. What’s important is that, after inspecting what lead to the flat tyre, just after getting a ticket crossing a toll-bridge without paying, I was able to find a place that wouldn’t take us to the bank and replaced all four of the warn-out tyres that she mistakenly purchased with this car. And while all the tyres were being replaced I had the pleasure of hanging out with a cat. And not just any cat. It was the most gorgeous friggin cat I’ve ever seen. A cat with the most exquisite… Well. You get the picture.

Rant on.

-T

Room With A View

No. Seriously, dear worst-reader. I’ve never been much of a peepee (peep-n-tom). That may or may not have something to do with my relations (successes) over the years. But enough about my ageing worst-libido.

I’ve often wondered about the bourgeoisie I’ve encountered here or there that have telescopes in their flats. That worst-said, while working the other day and resting my eyes from staring at a screen, I took my regular eye break and had a quick look out the window. It was a nice day. You know. Eye exercise. And what do I see?

I’m only posting to prove that I’m not the peepee here. Sorry for the pic but it’s probably better that it’s low quality. The thing is. I’ve long since learned that one of the reasons there are so many peepees (especially the ones with the telescopes) is because there are so many who don’t mind their own voyeurism. Then again. I live in the Germania of #Eurowasteland. This ain’t the first time I’ve seen humanity’s better-half hanging out on a terrace or a balcony or a living room ironing in the most luscious undergarments. But. Again. I didn’t go looking for it. It’s just there. So what are you gonna do?

Rant on.

-T

Homo Economicus Greed Mechanicus

There are moorings galore at the end of the beach, just outside of swimming reach. If you channel your way along tip-toe shores, you’ll always find the best eats. If not don’t fret for there’s a song to be sung. You just have to prepare your ears a bit for they will send a signal to your brain even if it isn’t yours.

Invert the fcuking thing and do it! she commanded.
I can’t, I responded. It doesn’t work that way. I can’t fit it in.
Then what good are you, she said and continued on her way of defeating the world one fcuk at a time.

Disclaimer: this worst-post is NSFW.

So goes the worst-dialogue of a scene I once tried to worst-write where I wanted to invert joy and suffering thereby being as emotionless as possible but still coercing a reaction. It’s that old chestnut don’t you, dear worst-reader? You know. It is what every Hollywood movie NEVER does. Or rarely does. Or have I missed it where evil prevails over good? Maybe not. Or what about wrong winning over right? And then there’s my favourite:

What is to be done when the question of love vs hate is mute because hate should never be in the equation in the first place?

For. Don’t you know. Dear worst-reader. What is the opposite of love? How bout respect? I mean. Hate’s too easy. No? Let’s worst-move on.

The shocking images coming out of Ukraine play havoc on the mind. How is that? I mean. Haven’t we all been groomed for this? Well. One has to first un-understand the mindset that lead to this war. Is that mindset different from any other mindset that resulted in (any particular) war? Luckily the mindset is best exemplified in the guy that pulls the trigger. Or? I mean, who pulled the trigger for Afghanistan and Iraq? #Nomatter. Let’s not get bogged down. For the images, as they are strewn across websites, newz shows and #Interwebnet you-tubes, are more than shocking. I am the bringer of death, someone is saying with a loud voice–a voice that may be a singing voice at the end of your beach vacation. Do we care about the tone or pitch or melody of what’s sung? Of course not. We’re at the beach. All that’s left for us is the un-understanding or if we can swallow. Un-understanding as determined by what we know, what we can comprehend, the means with which… The chef drills a bit more just off shore and he finds us the sweetest Meeresfrüchte (seafood).

At this current stage of un-understanding The War, worst-writer has busied himself with the term Homo-Economicus. Say it three times to yourself, dear worst-reader. Are you finished? How does it sound? Remind you of Monty Python’s Biggus Dickus? Indeed. What a funny scene that was, eh? But do these funny words serve something higher? Something to make us trot along and/or do more than just consume-to-survive? Take, for example, a scene from The Godfather? The Godfather is, don’t you know, the greatest film/story of all time where evil wins against evil. There is no good in The Godfather. Am I wrong. There may be a slight hint to something good. You know. The scene where the worst of us learn what an abortion is and why a woman should have the right to choose. But on that worst-note, I should die-gress.

Where were I.

Homo-economicus is but another terminology consistent with neoliberal or, perhaps, even, new-world-order. It is terminology that enables the inversion of knowledge that serves a(nother) purpose. That purpose, of course, is the human drama that drives us all–at least from the POV of the coiners of homo-economicus. For it is all about the self, the self and more of the self. As in self-interested. Self-serving. Go ahead a fcuk yourself. Still. I can’t quite get behind all this un-learning, un-knowing, and un-understanding that is pursuant to the un-understanding and/or desire to be free. Remember. There is only THE FREEDOM TO BE STUPID. Or have I missed that whole cookie bake-off where there are no cookie jars? #Nomatter.

It should come to no surprise that worst-writer has taken this long to confront the term homo-economicus. Imagine how many more un-meaningful words are out there? It’s just. Well. These un-understood words are starting to get to me. Not unlike the words spoke (or translated) in justifying war (see link below about Putin’s Feb. 22, 2022 speech). For. Don’t you know. All you have to do is pick out the words to a willing and un-enabled audience that can’t think for itself. And. Bam! There you have it. You have those who would believe that there is some good in The Godfather when in reality it’s just about how to be bad and worst all in the same breath. But. Again. I’m off worst-subject.

As far as what’s eating me, dear worst-reader? Well. I just can’t get over the fact that a guy like Putin could have a world-wide audience and tell that audience the inverse of the truth and get away with it. If there ever were recourse for what he’s done maybe it should be that he has to spend the rest of his days alone on a beach with a chef and a mooring and that’s it. But what do I worst-know?

Rant on.

-T

Links:

Feindesliebe Or Stockholm Syndrom Or Both?

Worst-title 2: After Nazis and DDR what will be Germany’s third atonement?

Oh, it’s so rare, dear worst-reader. So rare that I sit back and watch a German tv-movie. You know. Those movies that have looked, sounded and play-out the same since… Well, since post WW2/Wirtschaftswunder Germany got all whacky with their Tatort and Doctors working in the German Alps, etc, TV shows. Or something like that. But before I get too far off worst-subject complaining about the same looking actors on the same looking shows, let me worst-move on.

I watched the film Honecker und der Pastor the other night. The creative personality behind this film is no-less than Jan Josef Liefers, who I believe is one of the founders of the #allesdichtmachen campaign that I’ve worst-written about here (more info below). In the spirit of keeping my worst-writing as short as possible, allow me to say this as my worst-critique of this movie: what a missed opportunity. Now that we have that behind us, let’s get it on.

The thing is, dear worst-reader, I was here when the wall came down. At the time I was glued to the news and tv and papers and magazines through the whole ordeal. I took a few train rides to Berlin during that time. I remember trading a pair of Levis for a watch with a random guy from Dresden that I’ve since lost and it only worked for a week after I got it. The reason I traded something valuable for something worthless was because the watch had written on its face: Made in the DDR. I thought that was cool. I also worked for the Truehandanstalt that was responsible for privatising and/or selling-off the DDR’s state owned enterprises. Yea. I did all that while at the same time securing my future as a loser on account I should have jumped ship just as fast as I did when I left my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant. You know. I’m one of them slow learners. So it took me a few years (a few years too late) to figure out that once the train got rolling that would become REUNIFICATION, as a foreigner, my days were numbered as a productive participant in good ole Germania. Hence, by the end of the 90s, I got the full wrath of Deutschland den Deutschen (Germany for Germans). Obviously I never left but I also found a way to give up any career aspirations on account there are just too many lonely people in godforsaken Germania and #Eurowasteland. And so. Having been forced into a kind of early retirement, I gave into the idear that I would simply marry-well, stop working all together and that’s that. But enough about worst-moi and the uninspiring choices I’ve made, eh.

The early days of German reunification was kind of mind-boggling. That the Helmut Kohl government committed to a one-to-one exchange rate of West Deutsche Marks to (worthless) East Deutsche Marks was a shocker. Then there was the Solidaritätszuschlag which was an abrupt and not insubstantial tax surcharge that would be added to a life of über-taxation–which to this day I believe still exists. And let’s not forget about the Ossi vs. Wessi culture war that engulfed the new unified country–and which I had a particular fun time with on account it added to the schtick I played as a stupid Ausländer (foreigner) making fun of both sides. But none of that holds a crock of significance compared to how the commie cocksuckers of the DDR got away with more than just murder. In fact, I was shocked out of my wits when the Germans let the Honeckers leave for Chili. For let it be worst-said here, dear worst-reader. If there’s anything I hate more than monarchs, it’s commie cocksuckers that get away with (more than) murder.

Which brings me back to my worst-critique about Honecker und der Pastor that Jan Josef Liefers screwed up. For you see, dear worst-reader. Germany has much to atone for in its short history. Keep in mind. The country of Germany, as we all know and love–you know, its Fräuleins, its Bier, Cars, Autobahns, bread and the women, the women, the women–has only been in existence since 1949. And in that short period of time it has to show the world that it can do better than Nazis. Unless, of course, you are a fcuking commie cocksucker. Which also means this relatively young country has to show the world that it can do better than the DDR. As far as I’m concerned, it’s done a pretty good job regarding all them fcuking Nazis. But it’s not done a good job about the DDR. Why that is remains to be seen but I’m guessing it has to do with stuff that I’ll never understand. You know. Pacifism (for the sake of pacifism). Free will (until it has something to do with someone else’s money). And let’s not forget that whole god and religion thing. For if you’re not aware, dear worst-reader, religion still plays a huge role in the life & times of most of #Eurowastelanders–and especially Germanians.

The story of Honecker und der Pastor is about a brief relationship between a DDR Evangelical pastor who takes into his home the former leader commie cocksucker Eric Honecker, who just happens to be, due to certain circumstances (sarcasm off), homeless and destitute. Of course, the pastor doesn’t just put up Eric Honecker but also his wife Margot, who is more of a commie cocksucker than Eric. These two people, who once brutally and ruthlessly ruled East Germany as though they were the hand of some commie cocksucker evil-god, stayed with the pastor and his family until they would eventually leave Germany for Chile. Now. That’s fine and dandy. Jan Josef Liefers does a good job of putting this story together. Where he fails–in worst-writer’s opinion–is finding more ways to be critical of what commie cocksuckers really are. Namely. Commie cocksuckers and any other form of authoritarianism, whether religious or political (ideology), deserves no respite when it comes to ridicule, criticism and being portrayed as anything other than, well, commie cocksuckers. It’s the job of the artist–the true artist–to do just that. That is why as I watched this movie I had the following dialogue with my better-half.

Worst-moi: What’s the point of portraying the Honecker’s as human? It’s the same mistake they made in the movie Der Untergang (Downfall).

My better-half: The movie is not about the Honecker’s it’s about the Pastor and his family. It’s a nice story.

Worst-moi: No woman! You’re wrong. It’s not a nice story. Germans don’t have nice stories. And besides it should be a movie about how this fcuking country should atone for all its sins, which now includes the fcuking DDR! Fcuk. This $hit pisses me off. How come they don’t hire me to write this $hit. I’ll give you and your fcuking Germans a story. A fcuking worst-writer story about fcuking commie cocksuckers, baby.

My better-half: Oh. Atonement. Yea. More atonement. That’s a good one.

Worst-moi: Fcuk!

As good as the movie Der Untergang is, it shares one thing with this movie. For whatever reason the Germans are having a hard time, at least in their story telling, dealing with their past. Politically and legally, I have no issues with Germany. In fact, unlike my beloved & missed #Americant, I’d put Germany up against any western country that claims to be law abiding and politically just. As far as Germany’s capitalism, well, that’s a whole other worst-post. But let me worst-say this. Considering how Germany’s capitalism has reunited this country, I’d say there are worse examples out there regarding the what/how countries distribute consume-to-survive and/or wealth. Is that, perhaps, a reason Jan Josef Liefers thinks it’s ok to portray monsters as humans? And even if Honecker und der Pastor is about the humanity of a DDR evangelical family, I’m worst-wondering if this movie would have been better served without so much of the Honeckers that history only needs to remember for their disservice and abuse (of humanity).

Rant on.

-T

Links:

Feindesliebe is from Matthew 5:44
Honecker und der Pastor | Wiki (German)
Jan Josef Liefers | Wiki (German)
Allesdichtmachen | Wiki (German)

Overcooked Pasta Ain’t All That Bad

Worst-title 2: Review of the movie Pig (2021) and SPOILER ALERT!

The most profound moment in the entire film is when Robin Feld (Nicolas Cage) tells a former cooking student that he always overcooked the pasta. Now. In this film/story we’re dealing with a somewhat famous albeit now reclusive/austeiger chef from Portland, Oregon, who has turned to hunting truffles while living in a shack in the woods. Portland is a place, by-the-buy, I’ve been to once–and will probably never return. And I’m not worst-saying that because of the pretentious nature of everything involving the service industries in that part of hourly-wage #Americant. It’s just a place, like most of the North West–if not all of #Americant–that gives me the creeps. I don’t know. Maybe it’s how the weather is so similar to German weather. Or the wet forests out there that can only breed vampires, wolves and she-males that should be lifting weights or gutting forests. That worst-said, this film threw worst-writer for a loop so far and wide that it’s been added to my list of great movies–or at least one of the best movies I’ve seen in years. I mean. I didn’t know what to expect when I started it the other night. Nor had I heard anything/much about it. But it is starring Nicole Cage. And even though I’ve not seen anywhere near ALL his movies–because he’s certainly prolific in that arena–there are a few that will always stand out in my worst-mind. Wild At Heart is one. Raising Arizona is another. Adaptation is NOT one as I can’t stand that film and I’m sorry I ever tried to watch it. Cage is also fan-fcuking-tastic in Lord of War. I thought he was pretty cool as that demonic-thingy that turns to a skull and catches fire and rides around on a motorcycle saving the world. Or something like that. Whatever. Needless to say, I dig Cage. Especially now.

The thing about Pig that I find sooooo cool is 1) its originality (even though it takes place one of the most unoriginal places in the universe) and 2) the title is a give-away about what this movie is about–and it wasn’t hard for wosrt-moi to figure that out pretty early on (hint: overcooked pasta = a country of overcooked stupid people). It’s also about the pig in everyone that is subject to the mediocrity/mendacity of a place-in-time where nothingness and superficiality and submissiveness rule everything because of greed and dollar worship. This movie is about how one person was able to find a way out of $hit but because everyone else (EVERYONE) can’t find their way out he has to return. And so. Cage’s character has to return to this world of $hit $hit $hit only to find out that nothing changes except now all that non-change has killed a pig that he didn’t even need to hunt truffles. The pig was just the best human replacement friend he had.

Consume to survive, baby.

Wow.

Rant on.

-T

Search For Mother

Not sure when this worst-thought first came to worst-moi, dear worst-reader. It’s a recent thought though, within the past year or three I’m sure. This thought has been percolating in a corner of my worst-mind as though it were a distant memory suppressed. It’s certainly been magnified since last summer. Indeed. Last summer is when I lost Mother. Oh don’t worry. She’s still alive. But lost she is all the same. And so. This morning. While walking Beckett, the killer pug, I happened across my favourite dog walking friend and I inquired as to his thoughts on the film Rollerball (1975). The reason for my inquiry–beyond the fact that he’s quite the film buff–has to do with the wife of Jonathan in the movie. With that in worst-mind, how bout a quick summary.

Spoiler alert

Jonathan (played by James Caan) is the world’s most famous Rollerball player. Rollerball is a violent, Roman gladiator-like sport that involves a ball that is ejected out of cannon onto a circular roller skating rink. The object of the game is to catch the cannon ball and then score a goal with it. As its champion, Jonathan is facing both his retirement and the reality of (his) life that evolves around this game. The movie is pretty abrupt in telling us from the beginning that Rollerball is more than just a game, though. For example. The players of the game and the audience represent the working class. The ruling class, on the other hand, is made up of those who own and control the game. In this dystopian world there is nothing but Rollerball–except a reference or three to some extreme bourgeois, elitist behaviour, i.e. the tree burning scene, which I’ll get to in a sec. There’s also a bit of this-that regarding the up-n-coming computer age. But before I get too bogged down with all that…

Because of Jonathan’s popularity the ruling elite want to martyr him. As the story progresses, each game results in Jonathan resorting to not only winning (at all costs) but also fighting-the-man at all costs, even as each game becomes more and more violent. Hence the drama and suspense that Hollywood does best. In the end, the corporate elites fail to kill Jonathan. Instead his symbolism has been raised to the highest level which may or may not represents fighting-the-man. I guess. As the credits roll Jonathan skates around the Rollerball rink as the ultimate champion. Who wins what? I have no idear. Luckily there was never a sequel to this movie.

With that worst-summary behind us, what’s going on with this movie and worst-writer’s worst-thoughts about Mother? Well, don’t you know, dear worst-reader, it’s a lot. For you see. The thought that stirred me the other night as I was thinking about my youth, rollerskating, my mother and, most important, how wives become mothers, I also started thinking about Jonathan’s wife, Ella (played by Maud Adams). Although I’m not sure what the original intention of Ella is/was in this story–keep in mind I’m writing all this based on my memory of having seen the movie in the late seventies at a drive-in–along with a few recent views of web posted vid-snippets. Anywho.

There is one very subtle and extremely important issue regarding Jonathan’s wife. First. Ella is now someone else’s wife even though through out the movie Jonathan clings to her. She is the protaganist love-interest, if you will. And even though she’s with someone else, there’s no jealousy or bitterness between her and Jonathan. In fact. I don’t recall there being a divorce. But I could be wrong on that one. But that doesn’t matter. There does seem to be lots of compassion and understanding between these two working class adults. Also. Guess who her new husband is? No. It’s not a rival Rollerball player. No. It’s not a famous and rich doctor. Oh wait. Did you say that she probably left the world’s greatest athlete for a movie star? Ok. That’s a good thought. But no. It’s wrong.

Ella’s new husband is no less than the owner of Jonathan’s Rollerball team. And he’s a really old, elitist white guy. Could this old elitist white guy be the answer to a woman wanting to marry a grown up man instead of haphazardly marrying a man-child that never grows up and out of (his) game-play? Wait. Scratch that. Move on.

This thing is, dear worst-reader, this old white guy isn’t just any Rollerball team owner. If I’m not mistaken, all the owners of all Rollerball teams are also CEOs of the worlds biggest corporations. But don’t worry, dear worst-reader. That’s not even the reason I found myself worst-thinking about Ella. Or is it?

As I posted in this worst-blog-post some time ago, there is a fight being fought for the world at large. This fight, don’t you know, isn’t a traditional fight. Nor is it a gladiatorial Rollerball game. For you see, dear worst-reader, there are fights being fought each day, every second of each day, and that fight involves Mother. Which begs this worst-question:

What came first, Mother or…?

Forgive me, dear worst-reader, if I’m treading on your chicken & egg answer-question. For we all know by now how and what the answer is to that one. Or? Indeed. That’s right. The egg came first! (There! Worst-writer said it.) But to the question of whether or not Mother came first and if she didn’t what did… Now we’re getting somewhere, aren’t we? Which brings me to the whole idear of Nature. Or it brings me to humanity’s hate of nature–especially nature as Mother. And how is this hate personified? If you haven’t seen it then go ahead and have a look on the #interwebnets at the tree burning scene from Rollerball. Here’s a link that may get your started. During this scene, in worst-writer’s humble opinion, something extremely important takes place. Here’s what goes down.

An elegantly clad group of elites exit a mansion’s garden terrace with champagne glasses in hand. They cross the patio and walk over a field of grass. When the camera finds them all together in the middle of green we see a woman in a red dress convincing a man in a tuxedo, with a gun, to let her have that gun. When she finally gets the gun she proceeds to shoot at a tree. After initially missing the tree she fights off those who would say they can shoot better. She then proceeds to shoot again and hits the tree. The tree immediately goes poof and burns bright orange and red and smokes. Immediately the camera focuses on a different woman who now has the gun and she proceeds to shoot another tree, this time hitting it with her first shot. Then another woman gets the gun and does the same thing to another tree. I can’t remember exactly how many shots were fired but I can remember that they were all fired by women, surrounded by cheering elitist men, and all the trees were set ablaze. There is a brief moment during this scene where the first woman who shot the tree seems to regret or question what’s she’s just done–but that scene passes toot-sweet.

Now. I’m sure there are a few things worst-written about this movie and the tree burning scene and that’s fine & good. I also think this is a very profound moment in the movie–even though it doesn’t really have any connection to the drama of Jonathan, Ella, Rollerball or worst-writer’s Mother. But. Then again. Here’s where it all might come together.

Has there ever been a clearer moment in time where the obviousness of humanity’s ill-ways was more apparent? (Than now?) Ill-ways being man’s fight against not only other men but nature itself? Hence the likes of Putin, #Trump and the lust of constitutionally ordained FREEDOM TO BE STUPID? Again. If I recall from the movie Rollerball–as it’s been so long since I’ve seen it–Ella is taken away from Jonathan in order to control him and hence his popularity, his game play, his effect on the lower classes. But Ella didn’t leave him by her own accord. She left him because she was coerced by the corporate elites who had threatened Jonathan’s life. She loved him so much that she gave herself, if you will, to the biblical. She gave herself willingly to be coveted by a brother’s keeper. Is this the true fate of man vs nature? Is there a better example of humanity going against nature than to portray a woman (potentially a/the Mother) going against her nature–which may or may not be LOVE? That means, potentially, Rollerball is a movie about how to avoid not only corporate elites ruling the world but also, maybe, it is an allegory to help us figure out the true meaning of love, sacrifice, commitment and NATURE. Or. Wait. Maybe…

No. Scratch that. Moving on.

Yeah. Bag that. The friggin movie is about those damn trees and the gun that turned them into poof the friggin magic dragon run amok. And it’s about macho men doing their thing in sporting events that get men laid thereby leaving women to fend for themselves–until they get a better offer. Don’t you know. I guess. Yeah, baby.

And so. With that in worst-mind…

Rant on.

-T

PS This is what happens when I can’t maintain my thoughts. When I let my worst-self get too far off subject. Oh well. At least I still know the difference between good vs #MAGA idiots.

Pseudo-Review and Long-Term Test: RPi4 As A Desktop PC

Today, dear worst-reader, it is time to take another look at worst-writer’s experience with a/the wonder of the tech world. I’m worst-writing, of course, about nothing other than my favourite computing platform the Raspberry Pi. Specifically. I’m reviewing today my trusty Raspberry Pi 4 after having fiddled with it for the past two years as a desktop alternative, among other uses. For those not in the know and at the risk of being a bit redundant, Raspberry Pi is, IMHO, the mostest tech hardware innovation since the #interwebnet itself. But don’t worry. I know. Some worst-readers think that the personal computer (Mac or PC) or the smart-phone or tablets or gaming or cloud computing, etc., should be included in any claim of great tech innovations. But I’ll leave that worst-argument for a different worst-post.

My setup

As far as my experience with single board computing (SBC) goes, I’ve currently got four Raspberry Pi’s in full-time use as media and/or audio players in my little townhouse. In other words, I’ve replaced ALL old-school tv receivers, radio, stereo, video, etc., with SBCs. Other than Raspberry Pi, I’m also using a RockPro64 SBC running Jellyfin media server. This device is also my home data server using Samba that includes 6TB of data storage. Along side that I have a Rock64 (the little brother of the RockPro64) running an ad-block server. Both these devices are from Pine64.org which is also a great SBC maker. Unfortunately, and once again, IMHO, Pine64 takes a backseat to Raspberry Pi when it comes ease of use, setup and software. But that’s neither here or there. These are all great devices. That worst-said. All my SBCs, except the RPi4 being worst-reviewed today, are running linux and I manage them headless via SSH. But let me not get too far off subject.

The device I’m pseudo-reviewing today is a Raspberry Pi 4b with 4gb of RAM. It is one of the first iterations of this board, which also means that there is a new iteration that can do a bit more $hits & giggles. There’s also a Raspberry Pi keyboard-computer that came out two years ago which has the same specs as mine, but don’t worry, I won’t be getting into product iteration details here. Or will I? #Nomatter. Let’s move on.

I’ve been testing my RPi4 as a desktop PC ersatz for a while now. In other words. Although my daily computing driver is a 2017 12″ Macbook with i5 CPU and accelerated 500gb HDD–which cost around sixteen hundred Euros new–I’ve often wondered, since the day I started fiddling with Raspberry Pi’s, if I could actually quit Apple (and thereby quit standard, old-school PCs) and use an SBC instead. I mean. Heck. Come on. Even with all the covid BS and subsequent economic downturn and supply chain issues, inflation, greed-galore, etc., SBCs cost a fraction of a traditional PC. As I worst-write this post and, although they are pretty much out of stock in Germany, a Raspberry Pi is still worth its weight in gold compared to my MacBook. Indeed. As far as old school desktop PC work goes, I think I’m finally coming around to accepting what may ultimately be my future in computing. In fact. I’ve fiddled enough with Raspberry Pi to learn, in a pinch, I could even make the likes of an RPi3b a total and functional desktop device. Worst or best case scenario considered, one just has to curb some enthusiasm–as the saying goes–and these things work like a charm even if they are a bit slow. The only serious issue one has to consider when making this leap is the tech learning curve compared to old-school computing, which boils down to convenience. More on that in a sec.

Which OS

I’ve tested three operating systems for regular use while considering the RPi4 as a desktop device. The first is Raspberry Pi OS, formerly known as Raspbian (if I’ve got the vernacular correct). The second OS is Manjaro. And the third OS I’ve tried is DietPi. Long story short, you can forget DietPi as a desktop alternative. It’s just too cumbersome. As a headless device, though, it’s all I use. That said, as of the 64bit version of Raspberry Pi OS, it is the clear winner. The only reason that Manjaro loses out in this race boils down to my choice of keyboard and Bluetooth. I’m using an old Bluetooth Apple keyboard. I’ve NEVER been able to get this keyboard to work consistently with Manjaro or DietPi. And let me tell you, I’ve since learned a thing or three about configuring via bluetoothctl. That is, if/when I have to restart the OS–which is often–I have to go through the whole reconnect thingy with the keyboard. With the recent 64bit upgrade to Raspberry Pi OS, though, it seems to connect directly, #nomatter how many times I restart. That means I don’t have to worry about replacing my trusty old Mac keyboard that I’ve been using for the better part of ten years.

As far as software, looks & feel, Manjaro is the clear winner. It’s impressive what the Manjaro team has done. It doesn’t win based on the amount of software available, though, or its ease of use. The interface of Manjaro–especially the Gnome and KDE versions–are simply brilliant. In fact, Manjaro is so good it made me give up on Ubuntu, hence the reason it’s not in the running for my favourite Raspberry Pi OS. For whatever reason, Ubuntu has always been the most bloated and slowest OS I’ve tried.

As far as interface and design goes Raspberry Pi OS is totally functional. It’s not as pretty as Manjaro but it certainly gets the job done. Although its software repository is borderline obnoxious to use and it reminds me of everything I hate about computing, once you get used to it, it works. But. Then again. Beggars (or hunters for free software) can’t be choosy, eh. The simple fact is, for worst-writer, after two years of fiddling, the recent Raspberry Pi OS 64bit on the RPi4 is killer good. It works like any OS for real world computing and that’s pretty impressive stuff.

Is this thing a viable PC ersatz?

Yes. Basta!

The learning curve

As indicated, the only thing that should hold anyone back from using a Pi as a desktop PC is getting it to work consistently, which in and of itself might be the only reason to not use it. Considering how much it costs, though, should also make this decision a no brainer. Even though flashing a micro SD card is fairly straight forward, maintaining the card w/ backups and data recovery is cumbersome. For what ever reason and error on my part, I’m sure, I’ve lost two SD cards to data corruption. I attribute that to the constant requirement to do hard restarts every now and then. The Debian based Linux kernel works like a charm but it still has ALL the quirks and challenges of Linux. For example. Accessing the software repository leads to the majority of crashes and restarts I’ve experienced. I have no idea why but I’m sure it all has to do with my lack of linux abilities. Configuring and personalising the interface is also a challenge and I pretty much refrain from fiddling with it anymore. Until the recent 64Bit update, though, maintaining OS updates was also a challenge. Now it works like a charm. But that’s probably all higher tech stuff that normal users shouldn’t be bothered with. Word processing, note taking, file management, connecting to my network, surfing the #interwebnets works flawlessly, albeit sometimes a bit slow.

Conclusion

Considering the one-way greed street that is the tech industry–where nothing seems to change in the right direction, as far as I’m concerned–it’s a wonder to me that the Raspberry Pi isn’t more wide spread as a desktop alternative. Perhaps its keyboard design will change that. Even at its current inflated price, though, it’s certainly worth consideration. Hopefully when this stupid economic and covid crisis is over the Raspberry Pi foundation can get back on the development good-ship and up the ante with upgrading its specs. Not sure how that can be done, though, with its 5v power consumption and credit card size. It is entertaining to watch videos of guys out there adding water cooling to coincide with over-clocking. Which begs the question: am I ready to replace my Mac for this thing? Maybe not right now because I can afford a new Mac. But what is clear, as far as tech in my house goes, there’s nothing that can beat these little things.

Rant on.

-T

Dada Dodo Doodoo

Worst-title #2: Dada-absurdism conspiracy-theory galore?

Worst-title #3: Another Bielefeld Conspiracy?

Here’s a time-stamp link to the YouTube video.

Had a rough night, dear worst-reader. Probably drank the wrong thing–again. You know. Wrong cocktail mixed with a bad vino. Or maybe not. Although I didn’t have a headache when I awoke around two in the A.M., there was an urge to busy myself after which I’d find my way back to deep sleep. Usually I’ll read something or watch an episode from Star Trek (TOC, of course). Or I’ll find a podcast and lay in bed with my ears propped up like a puppy, waiting for something interesting to be heard, at which time I’ll eventually fall asleep again and forget everything I heard anywho.

Something interesting was heard and I didn’t get back to sleep. But before I get to that.

Ever heard of the Bielefeld conspiracy theory, dear worst-reader? From what I understand, it’s one of Germany’s first #Interwebnet conspiracies dating back to the days of Usenet. In short, a couple of Germans came up the idear to mess around with people from the town of Bielefeld thereby making the following claims:

Do you know anybody from Bielefeld
Have you ever been to Bielefeld
Do you know anybody who has ever been to Bielefeld.

That’s it. Pretty funny, eh? I mean. Pretty funny as far as German humour goes. The idear is that the town of Bielefeld is a government/alien/blah-blah fictional town for the purpose of… I don’t know what the purpose is. Then again, I’ve been expatriated in Germany for well over thirty years and I still can’t laugh about the Bielefeld conspiracy. Is that because I’ve been to Bielefeld? Or that I’m an alien (which I technically am)? Not sure. But I suppose that’s neither here nor there. So let’s move on with more pertinent conspiracy-theories, shall we.

Although I’ve been sporadically following BirdsArentReal for a while, it’s never crossed my radar as something that needs deeper thought or consideration. It’s more performance artistry, don’t you know. I mean. It’s yet another fairly straightforward conspiracy theory that continues the intertwining of simple minds. Yet there is something different about this one. Or is there? Unfortunately the interview I heard last night with the creator of BirdsArentReal is proving that he’s not quite ready for prime-time performance artistry. With that in worst-mind, what is this guys schtick? Well. It goes something like this. A young man has found meaning in his life–in a world that is forevermore meaningless. It is a meaning that contains a narrative. A very entertaining narrative. Does it matter that this narrative is a bit farfetched–in a world of conspiracy-theory farfetched-ism? Of course not. So let’s move on.

When I first heard about birdsarentreal sometime late last year, I loved the idear. What a gob smack of creativity, I thought. For me it reeked of anti-establishment behaviourism albeit from the left. For you see, dear worst-reader, the conspiracy-theory goes something like this. Birds are not real. Instead birds are government made drones. For. Don’t you know, dear worst-reader. The reason birds sit on power lines is because that is how they recharge their batteries. Or didn’t you know that? Batteries that drive the motors that enable them to fly. Right? They sit on telephone lines, btw, because that is how they transmit the data they have collected about us and send that data to the government. You getting all this, dear worst-reader? Amused yet?

The thing is, dear worst-reader, in order to maintain this sort of bat$hittery, aka conspiracy-theory krapp galore, there has to be a way to maintain the/a narrative. The best way to maintain a narrative is to get lots of people to believe in the conspiracy theory and to buy the t-shirts and baseball hats and hoodies and get lots of people talking (about you). In other worst-words, there has to be a social-political-economy behind the whole schtick. Hence, my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant, like so many other countries, is awash in conspiracy-theory bat$hit galore. And now the bat$hit galore has a new generation taking hold. Look what they’ve come up with, eh.

Hail conspiracy-theory anew, baby.

In order for conspiracy theory to thrive a few things have to come together–according to worst-writer. The first is the gullible. The second is no way out. The third is the narrative. I’m sure there is a lot of other stuff that hold conspiracy-theories together but that ain’t what worstwriter.com is about. For that apply your #interwebnets activity as you see fit. Anywho.

If you have a look at the video/interview linked to in this post, the kid that started this new-fangled conspiracy-theory bat$hit is struggling to maintain his narrative. And we all know what happens when certain types of people get too much attention for things they may or may not have expected. As far as I can tell, based on the video/interview, this kid is losing touch with all the stuff that makes this bat$hit thrive and all the stuff that made his narrative entertaining. But I’ll let anyone interested in that worst-theory be their own judge about that.

So what is the point of this new-fangled conspiracy theory? My initial guess was thus: $hit on #okboomers and all those who’ve f’d the future of Gen-Xers. For don’t you know, dear worst-reader, I sympathise with Peter McIndoe. He’s the same age as my son. And even though I’m a late #okboomer, I certainly do not share the mindset that has lead to the times we are all forced to live in now, which is obviously stealing life away from Gen-Xers. You know. Capitalism run amok where it only serves the old (old money). War. War. War. And let’s not forget this/a new way of life that is FREEDOM TO BE STUPID that has lead to the advent of former prez pee-pee-hair, #MAGA and #Americant.

I’m starting to feel bad for this McIndoe. His conspiracy show, which, btw, is traveling across the US, not unlike barber surgeons of yore, might lose its momentum though. Reason? Well. Even though McIndoe is a pretty good narrator (of is conspiracy-theory), there is one key element that he seems unlikely to maintain based on how he interacted with this particular podcaster. In short, there is the adage that goes something like this: don’t shit where you eat. In other worst-words: if he wants to be so defensive and combative he should do so on platforms that his conspiracy-theory narrative espouses to bat$hit upon. The fact that he tries to label The Majority Report and Sam Seder the media is simply preposterous, if not blatantly ignorant. But on that note I should die-gress.

The gullible. No way out. Narrative.

Conspiracy theorists have to be combative. And that’s cool. Being defensive ain’t the worst to end all either. But this kid, by attacking a left-wing podcaster, who I’m sure up to the point of this interview was also very entertained, might be pushing his bat$hit-show in the wrong direction. As I worst-noted, of the three things required to maintain the social-political-economy of conspiracy-theory, you got to have three things working for you. Of those three things, you might be able to lose one of them but you can’t lose all three. Hence the gullible, no way out and the narrative are easily maintainable when it comes to moon landings. I mean. How many people are privileged enough to prove things otherwise? On the other hand. Being unable to maintain these three things might be the reason Alex Jones is facing financial ruin because his conspiracy theory about Sandy Hook being a government hoax is beyond evil.

Ok. I might be off subject a bit–or confused. But hear me out a worst-sec or two more.

It’s unfortunate that I was once entertained by BirdsArentReal and now I’m pretty much sick of it. Such a short-lived fun bat$hit show, eh. Then again, is there something more to not only a Gen-Xers anger regarding his life being ruined by old people, greed-mongers and politics-of-bat$hit? Of course there is. Peter McIndoe should pick his enemies better if/when he comes up with a new & improved meme that may or may not make him a buck. For. Don’t you know. Dear worst-reader. I was on the verge of buying one of his t-shirts. But now. No. He’s just too friggin mean & stupid. So let’s all just keep laughing at what got BirdsArentReal going–the whole thing about birds charging on power lines–and forget about this kids almost psychotic way of handling interviews with rational thinking people.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

Apple Fanboy Unfun And Bath Salts

Even though there’s a lot of know-non-sense here about worst-writer’s tech preferences, I’m always afeared to admit that I am an Apple fanboy (aghast). Which means, it cannot go un-worst-said: my choice of tech is NEVER about what one can do (w/ tech) but about what one can circumvent to make due (with tech). Or is it do? #Nomatter. In other worst-words: technology today is not about what you can do but about what IT lets you do. All of it determined by the graces of monopolies, of course. But enough about worst-conspiratorialisms galore. Or maybe not.

As far as a fanboy goes, I like most things Apple Macintosh but have a take-it or leave-it attitude towards all things iOS. That is, I really don’t like anything touch screen. Hence I’ll use an iPhone (what other choice is there really) but could give two hoots about iPads. But. Again. Enough about my prejudices.

There was yet another fruit event this week, dear worst-reader. And. Yes. I watched it all on my iPhone 11 while bathing in a tub full of Kneipp Salz (bath salt). What? Never heard of Kneipp Salz? It’s really cool stuff, don’t you know. You consume-to-survive these little packets of crystalline what-not, throw it in a tub full of hot water and within fifteen or so minutes you kind of dissolve. Of course. I have no idear what the therapeutic value of this stuff really is. But. Considering it stems out of a period of #Eurowasteland history where people didn’t know the value of good food, proper hygiene, and a bit of exorcise, etc., it’s no wonder that it has lingered through the centuries albeit reduced to marketing bull$hit galore not unlike what Apple does to get me throw money its way. And keep in mind, when I worst-say throw money, I’m not really talking big bucks here. For worst-writer is nowhere near spending the big bucks on computing power that some folk spend. Indeed. That worst-said. I’ve thrown a penny and three at Apple over the years. And now. Let’s move on to closing this worst-post.

Apple is unfun because it is a fcuking monopoly that deserves as much hate as love. Or maybe not. Basta!

I started using Apple’s Macintosh computers back in the mid-90s. There was a small stint there (during my divorce years at the end of the 90s) where I was reduced to piecing together a cheap PC–on account I could no longer afford a Mac–but after that, once things recovered from the monotonous lie that is industrial matrimony, I quickly got back on the Mac ship. By the mid 2000s I was full-on Mac again. That said. After all these years, I’m glad that I’ve finally figured out what it is this device can do for me and all my worst-writing. Hence, the lust driven by Steve Jobs marketing bull$hit galore for a new & improved glorified typewriter every year is mute. I can now stretch the use of a Mac for up to five years. I know there are some out there that can push their devices for much longer, and you can do that with Macs, and that’s cool, but I decided to not go through any more divorces, which also means I can easily afford a new Mac every few years. It also means, I have to keep an eye on what’s new in the Apple-verse. Aghast! The only problem is, when Apple goes through its marketing freak shows, like it did the other day, I have to sit through all the bull$hit before something interesting comes along. You know. The bull$hit about iPads and iPhones and AppleTV blah, blah, blah. Needless to say, my lustful eyes perked up when they finally get to the serious tech stuff i.e. the Mac.

But then I was, as usual, let down.

The thing that surprised me with Apple’s recent announcement was that there was no new chip. At least no new chip in a device that I wanted. The introduction of the M1 chip (2020) threw me in a tizzy, dear worst-reader. Wow, I thought. Apple is finally done with Intel. But are they really? #Nomatter.

I rarely buy first generation Apple products. My trusty 2017 Intel MacBook, which I bought in early 2018, is still going strong. That said. I knew it wouldn’t be a problem to NOT lust after a first iteration M1 device. Instead. I could just wait for them to introduce the M2 or a new designed MacBook Air, which would then be second iteration. But that didn’t happen. WTF? No one wants my money? That worst-said. Looks like I’ll be waiting a while longer before getting rid of my 12” Intel MacBook–which I’m still kinda loving, btw. Yes. I’m even kinda loving the butterfly keyboard. I’m worst-typing on right now and it feels odd, vague, unreal but kinda good. What’s everyone’s problem with the butterfly keyboard? But I digress.

The Apple event was boring–but the bath salt felt good. Yet I’m intrigued by the continued development of the ‘M’ series of new CPUs aka SOCs (system on a chip) even though it become more and more obvious as I watched the show that I wasn’t getting a new MacBook anytime soon. That worst-said, the way Apple is positioning these new chips I find kinda odd. As good as the M1 is, #nomatter which iteration (M1, M1plus, M1max, etc.), there’s something missing. Keep in mind, being a fanboy doesn’t mean that I’m blind, nor does it mean I don’t follow other parts of the tech world. I mean. If this chip is so good and under complete and total control by Apple, why hold back and continue after almost two years with the same M1 label? Could it be that they can’t develop an M2? I’m sure that’s not the case. But still. The same chip (M1) for more than two years? WTF?

Worst-writer’s quick & dirty assumption is thus: Apple obviously doesn’t give a hoot about the rest of the industry–nor does it really care about competing with Intel (anymore). That ship has sailed. Yet. As I watched the Mac presentation I couldn’t help but wonder between all the tech comparing and contrasting that perhaps the M1 ain’t all its cracked up to be. Which is fine. For the Mac world it obviously works. I mean. I’m a creator. Worst-creator. Or? Ok. But I’m also anti-monopoly. Yeah. Ok. But let’s move on.

Here’s another worst-writer thought about what Apple is doing. If these chips are so awesome why hasn’t any company from the gaming industry ported their fancy-pants games in order to utilise Apple’s incredible GPU capacity? Again. It’s been two years. Even though I’m no gamer, I’d buy Call of Duty if it ran on my Mac. You know. For $hits & giggles! But perhaps I should stop there. I really don’t know much about the gaming industry–other than it requires krapp loads of computing power to make it all happen. Yeah. Moving on.

I’ve considered more than thrice to simply dump the Macintosh because of what Apple has done to it over the years–especially the years following the introduction of all-things iOS. And even though I’m working on one of the last Jony Ive Macs, I certainly don’t miss him and his confused industrial design bull$hit either. I’m pretty confident at this moment that I could easily transition all of my worst-writing over to a linux based laptop. Since I’ve got all my home networking and media devices running on Linux it would be a no brainer. So what’s stopping me? In short:

Even though Linux is awesome there’s much to be desired out of the confusion of linux software and hardware.

I was impressed with the introduction of the M1 chip in 2020. The thing that impressed me about it is not just the chips technical prowess, though. I was hoping that because Apple is no longer dependent on Intel maybe it could also depart from the vertical monopolisation of its product pricing. That is, I always thought/hoped that Apple’s devices are expensive not ONLY because of all the Apple bull$hit behind them (designed in cupertino) but because all the bull$hit combined with having to pay-off the likes of Intel now means there could be a bit of a dividend for users. I know. I know. How naive of you worst-writer. Then again. The price of a new M1 MacBook Air is between five and six hundred less than what I paid for my 12” Intel based MacBook. And, according to the numbers, a new M1 MacBook Air is probably twice, if not three times, faster. Oh yeah. I’m running the faster 12” MacBook with the i5 and larger/faster HDD.

The introduction the other day of the new Mac Studio though has yanked my chain in another direction. Holly krapp is that damn thing expensive–which shouldn’t surprise anyone. This is Apple, right? Does the marketing bull$hit work getting potential users riled up about its speed and technicality, #nomatter the price? Of course it does. But can you open it up? Can you change parts? Does anyone really need to hook up five friggin monitors? Obviously none of those questions apply to worst-writer. Worst-writer just needs to worst-type. Then again. The thing that’s got me worst-riled now is that Apple didn’t introduce a new M2 MacBook Air because it’s in the process of disappearing the cost savings it gained by stealing from open-source chip architecture (ARM). Indeed. I was hoping with the intro of the M1 that Apple would/might free-up not only its hardware and software integration but also its old-economy pricing. But. Again. How naive of worst-moi.

Obviously no new MacBook means that I’m gonna continue evaluating a new laptop purchase. As far as replacing my Mac with a Linux laptop? Yeah, that may still be in play, even though I thought I would buy an M2 MacBook Air this spring. Then again. The only comparable Linux machine that I can buy will have to be with an Intel chip. And who wants that these days, eh. Which begs this last worst-question: why ain’t there an ARM based laptop out there to compete with what I’m forced to buy from Apple? Pine64 Pine Pro? Not quite up to par, I’d say. System76? Darn tooting except for the fact they’re all about Intel–and, as far as I’m concerned, overpriced! But what about a Framework laptop? Now that’s something on worst-writer’s radar–except that it too is all about Intel and it also is supposed to have linux OS issues. Oh well. The fight against the monopoly continues.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M1

Old General’s Movie Worst-Words Lingering Large?

screenshot from the #interwebnets of the movie Patton

Not sure what motivates worst-moi to worst-post this. Could it have something to do with Russia and Russia’s recent attempt at enabling/facilitating a new tzar, i.e. Putin? Then again. Europe, as I worst-write this, is (once again) at war. I mean. Don’t you know. It’s as though #nomatter how many generations of war-mongers pass–as in pass on to the netherworld–Europe can do nothing else but war war war. And so. Here’s a quote from an interesting movie about the mindset of war-mongers at the end of WW2. You know. That most recent war thingy that lead to the world finally realising (or not) that maybe it’s time to stop with all this bull$hit. Oh. And. By-the-buy. This is, of course, from the winners of said war. You know. Winners. The ones that write the history.

The war shouldn’t be over. We should stop pussyfooting about the Russians! We’ll have to fight them anyway. Why not do it now, when the army’s here? Instead of disarming Germans let’s get them to help fight the Bolsheviks.

The quote above is from the 1970 movie Patton starring George C. Scott. I saw this movie for the first time in the mid 1970s–even though I was to young to actually be let in (to the cinema) on account of the extreme (curse word) language. But that’s neither here nor there. I was pushed to see this movie because the pushing is/was what’s done with young American males. The cinema, don’t you know, gladly let me in–and not just because I could afford the fee. Indeed. So I watched yet another propagandist movie. And to this day I kinda like it. Or was it a movie about good feelings galore regarding where/what I was born to love (or not)? #Nomatter. Moving on.

A few years after watching this movie I would go to a US armed forces recruiting centre regarding whether or not to volunteer, join, the forces. Needless to say. The movie mentioned above lingered large in my mind back then. Could I actually sign-up for four years (that was the commitment back then) and follow all these guys who don’t seem to think twice about killing others? Is the military a life for me–which was the reason I had to talk to military recruiters in the first place on account that’s where the American poor go if they believe it will be a spring-board to something better in life? As far as worst-writer was concerned, I chose to leave it all on the table. In fact. I can still remember one of the young army/navy/marine recruiters getting pissed off and gruelling me about wasting their time if I couldn’t sign up to the greatest fighting force in the history of mankind where I would find glory defending my country. But before I get too far off topic.

Although I’m not sure if General Patton actually said the words that George C. Scott said in the movie (quote above), considering Scott’s portrayal of Patton, it doesn’t seem far fetched. Then again. How does one sell the American dream, the American story of glory, persuading poor souls to go their way instead of a different way that doesn’t involve killing Russians, Vietnamese, middle-Americans, Arabs and muslims and and and, etc.? I obviously don’t know anymore the answer to that question(s). That was so long ago. Yet it all lingers. Lingers large. In the back of my mind. And. Like I worst-said. I left it all on the table. But. Then again. Considering Ukraine and the issue (currently) of more useless death in Europe… No. Stop.

That’s not the reason I’m posting this. The question I have now is, after so many years, after the Cold War and squandering my youth because I couldn’t kill, what’s with the Russians right now who can (kill)?

Rant on.

-T

Link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton_(film)

How To Denazify The Renazified

The Germans and the Italians lost WW2 but the fascists won. -George Carlin

Once again, dear worst-reader, let’s review worst-writer’s worst-world view, shall we. Or. Put another worst-way, what is a fascist and, at the same time, since they are similar, what is a Nazi? I suppose, of course, the whole nazi-thing is easier to understand. Reason? There is a face and a body and a stench and an ideal that is a nazi and it seems to walk among us EVERYWHERE. Fascists and fascism, though, is a bit more packed away and stealthy. With that in worst-mind. Both these idears are usually made up of white, male, sexually repressed dudes from mothers (dedettes) that probably should have, for just a little while longer, kept that aspirin between her knees. Then again. I worst-write about all these worst-issues because I’m genuinely concerned about this worst-world as worst-words like nazi and fascist get thrown around like a crate of wiffle balls in a world where little, itty-bitty man-children have no wiffle bats. For you know the old adage, don’t you, dear worst-reader:

In a world of wiffle bats everything is a wiffle…

Wait. Scrap that. Maybe I’ve got things backwards. #Nomatter. Move on.

I spent a bit of time yesterday reading Putin’s February 21, 2022 whack-job speech, including his follow-up speech on February 24. But before I get to the speech, you know what baffles me? After reading one translation of his speech, I thought I should also try to find another version to read. You know. I was looking to see if there’s a difference in translations.

Btw. There is one thing I will never forget about those days so long ago when I tried to learn a bit of Russian. Of the few languages I’ve tried (and, of course, failed) to grasp, Russian was the most curious language to me. Reason? And I hope I’m not too far out of my league here. The Russian language felt to me as though it is wonderfully, magically nuanced. In other words, it can–if one wills it–be extravagantly nueanced or it can be lugubriously precise. Very much unlike the German language, don’t you know. With that in worst-mind, nuanced precision is a good mix–hence my love of Dostoyevsky and Gogol? I mean, these über-great writers did so much more than wax poetic about the human soul–through the mind of oppressed humanity. Indeed. Yet Putin’s speech in all its Russian glory….

Holy krapp, dear worst-reader. If I haven’t worst-said it enough already, then let me just go ahead and say it more more: we are doomed.

If there was a pinch of hope where I thought that maybe Putin could do something worthwhile with his dictatorship antics, that hope is now forever squashed. In fact, I have the squash residue lodged between my left ring finger and pinky. I’ve tried several times since yesterday, even applying mechanic’s hand cleaner, to get it off but I give up. My squashed residue is now forming a wart and I’m sure, soon enough, it’ll have to be surgically removed using a dental drill, sulphuric acid and some K-Y Jelly. But don’t lose a thought or three about my ailments, dear worst-reader. It all ends up being yet another scar that will makeup the coffin of worst-writer’s end. And so.

The thing that gets me about Putin’s speech is that it was tedious just finding a copy of it. It’s everywhere to hear and see, don’t you know. Yet to find a transcribed version of it isn’t easy. Am I wrong in worst-assuming (or conspiring) that no one outside Russian influenced spheres of the #interwebnets wants to publish it—in transcribed form? There are, of course, numerous sites that quote from it and even dissect it (see links below). Which begs the question: WTF? Perhaps I’m over doing it thinking I need to read various translations. Still. After reading it once in english and once in German, I can’t help but wonder if something is awry. Or maybe it’s just too winded and rambling. Either that or there’s a little dark patch in the back of my brain that can’t accept the reality that we’re living in a world that is so deeply stuck in late nineteenth and early twentieth century precision nuances, where knowledge ain’t power and the end is nigh and things free will be squashed and and and and…

#Nomatter.

Putin’s attempt at justifying a war with Ukraine is beyond absurd. Yet, so much absurdity cannot be dismissed. In fact, the last time I heard something as absurd that could also not be dismissed, former prez pee-pee-hair of my beloved & missed united mistakes of #Americant was flooding the zone with so much right-wing bull$hit that seventy-four or so million morons tried to re-elect him. And now many of those same morons are being told by various bat$hit newz sources that Putin is kind of OK. Indeed. Dear worst-reader. Fake newz, nuking a hurricane, grabbing them by the pu$$y, etc. is no different than Putin’s defence of defending his fear that his cuck is just too friggin small. Or is there too much friggin in the cuck of our small…

The gist of Putin’s speech is, like I’ve said, beyond absurd. But while worst-writer is also not dismissing it, what can we take away from it? Well. Like all sexually repressed right wingers, authoritarians, fascist, let’s have a new worst-look at Nazis. Or. As Putin puts it: de-nazi.

Wait. Is that how he puts it?

First. Denazification is a real thing. Austria and Germany went through it. Supposedly the same basic thing was done in Iraq. Then again, the Chinese revolution, which gave way to the China we know today, also pulled off some serious de-imperialisation. And that’s the ticket, eh, dear worst-reader. When the likes of Putin uses terms like denazify or decommunise, what is he really saying? Here’s where the biggest crock-of-$hit of his speech blossoms its fruit. How is it that anyone can take what Putin says seriously when he’s obviously showing all his cards when it comes to all-things imperial, authoritarian, controlling galore? Can all this boil down to projection? You know what I mean with projection, right? You know, that whole Freudian Projection thing. While claiming that Ukraine is full of communists and nazis and he’s the only one to get rid of them, isn’t he really talking about himself, his regime, his dictatorship–the weakness and fear of who and what he really is? How is it that this man can rule over a country like Russia–especially after the failure of the experiment known as the Soviet Union? That worst-said, his speech has got to be one of the most profound speeches ever. Profound in the sense that it reveals so much of what’s wrong with being human. Ok. Am I worst-rambling-ranting yet?

Ok. One more worst-shot at the denazification thingy.

One of the things I learned about Nazis when I expatriated to my mother’s country of birth is that they’re everywhere in #Eurowasteland. Not unlike my beloved & missed #americant, of course. But in Germany there are two points-of-view when it comes to all-things Nazi. The first POV is that some Nazis were turned and by turning they’re OK now. You know. They’ve seen the ill of their ways. They’re not gonna kill anyone anymore and they’re not gonna persecute unbelievers anymore either. Heck, a whole bunch of them served in various government and even more in private sector positions after WW2–which ended up turning Germany into the economic juggernaut of #Eurowasteland. Don’t even get me started on all the former Nazis I met while briefly circling in and around certain upper German classes.

The second POV, though, is a bit more nuanced. And it stems out of the former GDR, i.e. eastern Germany that was so conveniently gobbled up after 1989. You know, that whole reunification thing. But get this. One of the pillars of the then East German school of ideology was that it had no Nazis. It not only had no Nazis–but there was no reason to even talk about them, learn about them, study them. East Germany was simply the answer to what would have become of the Germans if it weren’t for uncle Adolf. In other worst-words, if you were a Nazi then you’re a friggin communist now. Oh. And let’s not forget. The Nazis, the East Germans thought/believed, were all in The West. Ok. So there’s that.

But where does all this flinging and swirling of the Nazi stuff come from at a time when the Nazi belief system, although thoroughly defeated, has long lost its affectation? I mean. Why/how could a leader of a superpower use such archaic if not jingoistic terminology in a major speech given to the world about why he needs to kill people? Well, here’s worst-writer’s simple worst explanation. The essence of being/thinking/living the Nazi dream is not all about authoritarianism. It is, though, about the human propensity to control what is perceived to be inalienable. Hence, Putin’s need to protect what he believes is his/a inalienable right to arbitrarily wield power in the name of protecting those from the very same thing that he espouses: control. Control of everything. Especially control of money, greed, possession(s) and more control. Wait. Why did I use that word twice? #Nomatter. The thing is, Putin even eludes to all this in his speech by constantly reflecting and recalling the failure of the Soviet Union which employed the same disastrous ideology albeit painted in a different color, wearing a different frock, sporting a/the new & improved sportcoat–of all things nazi-like-authoritarianism, etc.

Remember, the difference between a fascist and Nazi is in nuance. Ok. Maybe there’s also the construct of nationalism. Hence the N in nazi. For the fascist, on the other hand, it was all about capitalists protecting capital–from the likes of communists, socialist and those who really get their kicks out of questioning the legitimacy of the Haves, the Have-Mores and the system that makes all that happen. For Putin to claim that he must denazify Ukraine really means that he wants to control those who think his brand of top-down socialism should not have to subject itself to money and money and lots more money–all because Ukrainians just want to have more fun than Russians do. And if that worst-thought is true, why doesn’t Putin just call a spade a gardening tool? Why use all these old, archaic, run-out-of-steam labels?

But before I reveal more worst-writer naïveté…

#Nomatter.

Good luck suckers.

Rant on.

-T

Links:

Fifteen Year Single Malt Darkness Joy

Source of pic: worst-writer doing his thing.

The storm’s name is Eileen. I think. Hitting UK and the continent bigly. I have one of those massive Strandkorb chairs on one of my five balconies and I just missed being able to film the thing being toppled over as though it were a leaf in the wake of an angry woman scorned. So I left the hallow wet-noise of the upstairs and sought some refuge with Beckett the killer pug on more solid ground flooring. I turned up the hifiberry stereo with trip-hop, hip-hop, downtempo instrumental and watched the rain pound the windows of my atrium. BTW, I have no idear what trip-hop or downtempo is but I like it. I fits well with a stormy afternoon and an early scotch. Also. I guess I’m glad it’s not hailing. Big hail would certainly break a window or three of my atrium. Or? #Nomatter.

To go with storm gusts in the middle of flatland Germania I cracked open my birthday present. A bottle of fifteen year old single malt scotch. It tastes like caramel and seared chocolate and at forty-six percent it hits the nostrils hard but then a poof of forestry and shaved fresh timber hits my smell centres as I move it to throat. The high alcohol doesn’t hit the tongue as hard but smooths out a pathway touched with a silky, mighty, albeit mild aroma that may or may not have ridden the crack moon of a peat field. But then I sensed a slight flowery bouquet–which I thought couldn’t be right. The flower stuff is in my second birthday present which is a twelve year old Japanese bourbon that I can’t wait to crack. Then I realised that, perhaps, that smell was coming from my better-half’s tulips that her useless husband bought her for Valentines day. Remember those days fellow worst-writers? The days we bought the chicks flowers to help smooth out the evening. But now that you’re committed (locked), smoothing things out is a bit less demanding. Or is it? #Nomatter. Yeah. The bouquet of tulips might be influencing my scotch–but in a good way. And there’s still the hint that woman scorned could strike anew.

Rant on.

-T

Oldest Profession vs Three Trillion Dollar Man

Disclaimer: if you’d prefer to skip all the/my worst-writing about the pitfalls of being an Apple fanboy, scroll down to buzz-word-monopoly.

As an Apple fanboy let me first get this out of the way: technology is never about what you can do but instead about what you cannot do. Taking that worst-thought one step further: the reality of (post-Dotcom) technology is not about progress but instead consolidation and/or dictating profits–as opposed to earning one’s keep in a functioning market place. Worst-writer’s worst-opinion regarding non-open, monopolised markets? I can’t tell you how many times a day, when using Apple tech krapp, I ask my-worst-self: why can’t it do this or why can’t it do that? And don’t you know, dear worst-reader, the reason(s) it can’t do any of the stuff it should (be able to) do has nothing to do with technology itself. The capacity to do what I wish it could/would do is there. Instead, we’re all forced to live with the monopoly i.e. corporations owning/controlling everything. And don’t get me started on the stupidity of krapp tech services e.g. Siri, Apple Music, etc. Ok. Maybe just a few worst-thoughts on that.

After giving up on iTunes years ago, I finally broke down at the end of last year because Apple made an offer I couldn’t refuse—to try its Music (streaming) service. Instead of the standard three month trial they offered it to me for six months. Ok, I thought. Six months might be the time I need to evaluate this krapp. After a week or two of consideration on whether or not to try it–for I must contemplate deeply compromising my worst-principles–I took them up on their offer. I mean. What the heck. I’ve put off streaming since its inception. I just never thought I needed it. Tick that off to I’m an album guy, I hate wawawa pop music, the music industry sucks anywho, etc. But get this. With three months remaining in my testing of this krapp I can honestly say that I’m not impressed. In fact. The only thing I’ve gained from giving this a try is the reassurance that I’ve been worst-right all along. Apple Music and any other streaming service (both music and video) is nothing if not the long grift. Long live physical media, eh. Long live owning what you pay for. In fact. I’ll just keep maintaining my CD and DVD collection that I access through my dirt-cheap SMB Linux-based home media server. As far as the convenience of streaming? What a crock of $hit. And since I don’t consume music that way–which means I can’t find a reason that warrants paying hundreds of Euros a year for this krapp, WTF? And by the buy. The reason I won’t sign up for AppleTV is the same. I would rather rent movies via AppleTV or buy DVDs. (That’s right. DVDs, not blue-rays, are perfectly fine.) And so. Are these worst-capitalist times we live in where everything has to be monopolised–because these organisations can monopolise–worth it? Hell no, baby. On the other hand, I’m just another ageing fuddy-duddy stuck in an eco system–until I finally make the hundred percent jump to Linux. Am I wrong.

Buzz-worst-word: monopoly

While I was reading through a post about yet another lawsuit involving Apple’s monopolising over everything, its recent situation with the Dutch struck my fancy. Now. I don’t always feel sympathy for software developers, which is the reason I use open-source whenever possible. But software developers (the guys who actually write/create stuff) deserve their due–if their software warrants it. What determines software’s worth? Well. That’s a whole other worst-blog-post. But then something else hit me about this situation.

According to Apple’s latest attempt at justifying what is obviously monopolistic behaviour, I can’t help but want their to be some long over-due and serious government regulation to get this bull$hit under control. If I understand the situation correctly, see link below, the Dutch government is siding with software developers in their fight against Apple’s unjust payment processing system that is the Apple App Store. Now. I don’t know about you, dear worst-reader. But get this. Apple actually believes that it has the right to dictate away a third of potential earnings from app developers simply because it arbitrarily controls the means with which software is forced to transact through its system. As is always the case with greed-mongering, perfected, of course, by Steve Jobs, delusion becomes reality. And delusion is part of the downfall of capitalism, hence the likes of former prez pee-pee-hair, right-wing political bat$hittery, and we’re all now on the brink of WW3, etc. These are all signs of a system that is in free-fall. But don’t get me started on politics, eh.

Allow worst-moi to worst-write what I think needs to happen in order to stop all the monopolies and all the arbitrary (meritless) money making that is today’s digital world run amok.

The Internet is a public utility
- no ifs ands or buts
ALL personal information is private and NEVER a mechanism for corporate profits
- find another, more socially productive way to make money you cucksuckers
No corporate Internet for stupid people
- e.g. facebag and social media should have to jump through regulations hoops galore in order to make money because that would be a good thing
No software, protocol or hardware is allowed to monopolise data that curbs individuals choice(s) regarding use of personal data
- no more .doc or file systems (ntfs) or containers (HEIF), etc.

It’s an unfinished list, dear worst-reader. A bit of worst-mind farting, if you will. It’s also, obviously, less than empirical. But it might contain a seed of legitimacy. In any case, something needs to be done about monopoly corporate power that is nothing less than grifting.

There’s one other thing about Apple’s App Store bull$hit. In the few articles I’ve read about this stuff, everyone is concentrating on the obvious. That is, Apple’s arbitrary requirement of 30% would be ok if developers had other choices where to sell their wares.

It’s essentially the same issue between Apple and Epic software (Fortnite). The problem is, due to the monopoly of the App Store, developers have no other choice. Aren’t we supposed to have free markets? For those out there that claim the Apple App Store is no different from a mall, which also charges outrageous fees for retail space, that issue is mute. I mean. Could one argue that the reason Malls are dying-out is because the free market challenged the arbitrary costs they added to retailing? The Apple App Store is obviously not a mall. Is it a service? Sure. Why not. But does it deserve 30% of developers earnings when those same developers have no other choice in selling their wares?

There’s one other issue that I’d like to address regarding Apple vs Dutch. Keep in mind that what we’re dealing with here is a dating app. The developers of this dating app don’t want to have their margins reduced (or have to raise their prices to cover lost margins) because of unwarranted fees. Ok. That’s fine and dandy. I’ve already worst-established where I stand on that. But how ‘bout this worst-thought: could it be that the Dutch government has gotten involved in this issue because, well, don’t you know, a dating app in The Netherlands could threaten tax revenues on what the Dutch do best, other than selling (taxing) dope: selling the oldest profession? Indeed. Dear worst-reader. Now that’s a worst-thought or three about how to deal with too much corporate power. Or?

Rant on.

-T

Links that motivated this post:

Patriotism vs Nationalism

Worst-subtitle: The meaning of words don’t matter if everything else is un-understood

So. Like. A thought hit me a few years back, dear worst-reader. Been kinda busy with it ever since. It goes something like this. I was questioning (my) worst-choices in life that had lead me to hang-out in one of those lodges for a few hours. You know the lodge I’m referring to, eh? One of them humpty-dumpty buildings/facilities either right in the middle of nowhere or next to a barbershop or a five-n-dime, in and around suburban-hell? On the outside it never looks like much but inside you’re overwhelmed with red, white & blue taped and glued everywhere, except for the 1970s fake wood paneling, which is taped and glued but hides walls from interior and exterior cheapness galore, covering everything up with more and more 1970s cheapness galore. These lodges always have a bar, a pool table, foldable chairs and foldable tables and those obligatory candy striped table cloths that may or may not be made of plastic which has the sole purpose of covering über plastic dining furniture. There is always a jukebox to be found and lots and lots of neon mirrors decorated with Bud and Schlitz and Coors advertisements. Another indicator that I was stuck in humdrum-hell was the average age of the lodge’s patron-members. Yeah. These lodges are full of two kinds of people. There are the old and old-old people and then there are the bearded, middle-aged children of these old-old-old people–who are getting old-old to. You know the children, don’t you, dear worst-reader? They’re all fat and full of eat and can’t find the right thumb on their left hand and because of the behaviourisms of their parents are relegated to repeating their parents idear of fun and enjoyment and life’s meaninglessness. For. Don’t you know. Dear worst-reader. These lodges are the only places where the working poor families of my beloved & missed #Americant can wet their whistle at the cheapest prices anywhere–especially during happy-hour. Even though this is a member-only lodge, outsiders can get in as long as they’re with a member. Membership, along with a small yearly fee, is possible only with having served in the US armed forces. Yeah. I was a real outsider.

Now. There is a reason worst-writer has no friends and doesn’t do much socialising—and is also an expat. This place I was stuck in for a few hours is part of that reason. Ever since I was a child I never fit anywhere. I barely had any friends and, to be honest, I have never minded a second of it. Solitude has been good to me. Other than that, I’m a pain in the arse to talk to. I also can’t stand small-talk and my contempt for most people stems out of my super-power which was/is to have learned the magic of reading at a late date in life. You know. Reading to expand and not close the mind. Anywho. If I do end up talking to someone about the weather (in any given situation), I’ll find a way to make them feel bad about their existence–or at least make myself feel bad for having partaken in their f’n existence. Then again. If the topic at hand turns to all-things politics, that’s when I have to re-evaluate (my) life choices and at the same time figure out if I’ll get out of this conversation with mental capacity intact. Put another worst-way. Before getting it rhetorically on in an #Americant lodge of misconstrued patriotism and what I think of #Americant politics, national interests, the latest score from a sporting event, etc., there always seems to be a moment where I just lose my $hit.

Exactly that is what happened while I was bored out of my mind in this lodge and a geezer (old man) tried to strike up some small talk on account he wanted to know why I no longer live in my home country. That bit of information, btw, he surmised out of being friendly with my mother and her new lodge member boyfriend, which he also called his member-friend. Long worst-story short, after I insulted him a few times about the mendacity of discussing the weather on account my beloved & missed #Americant just elected a $hitbag to the presidency (this was around 2017-18) I wound up asking him if he knew the difference between patriotism and nationalism. Bingo, baby. What do you think could come of such a conversation with a former Korean War vet?

Below is part of a winded “mission statement” from this lodge that I researched after I got out of dodge. Please keep in mind, dear worst-reader, it is not my intention to criticise or denigrate this lodge and/or organisation. May its god bless its members. I do respect what these places are supposed to be. But that’s where my niceties end. Hence I have a lot of contempt for all-things organised, ritualised, laid to waste in the rot-bed of nostalgia and, lastly, dumped on the dungheap of weak-minded tradition(s). Even though one might assume that I’m a bit disgusted with all-things #Americant at this point in my worst-expat-life, I still believe that there is lots of room for improvement when it comes to what and how people believe in the things they think are true, righteous, meaningful. It’s just that in my life I’ve found that most of the beliefs stem out of something misconstrued if not downright diabolical. With that in worst-mind. As with anything that requires belief, faith and submission, there still needs to be rational thought, consideration (for others and everything else) and, perhaps most important, tolerance. And as you now shall see, with words like these, things get complicated—especially in times when most people are intellectually incapable of figuring out the $hit they’ve gotten themselves into. People are so deeply indoctrinated in things of the past that there is no way to see or imagine a future that could/should be different. Hence, as of February 2022 Russia and the US are the brink. China is hosting an olympics where all visitors and guests and athletes are not allowed to mingle with its people–which I suspect would be the case with or without Covid-19. And the whole world seems to be basking in the crunch-krapp of financial woes that has enriched the rich to a level comparable to late 19th and early 20th century megalomania.

Which begs the worst-question: What’s the difference between patriotism and nationalism?

But before we get on with providing worst-answers to worst-questions, one of the things I did, as mentioned, after I finally got out of that lodge, was to look up their website to get a bit of edumacation about something I’ve always been aware of but never really gave much worst-thought. What threw me for a loop was when I came across a long winded Mission Statement of this lodge (organisation). The preamble list below (numbered) is a small part of the entire mission statement. The indented comments (-) are from worst-writer. Keep in mind, dear worst-reader, as a college drop-out, a man that is a hop-skip-jump away from sixty, and worst-writer that has never been able to earn a dime with what is I wanted (and still want) to do with my life, I’m comfortable in claiming that I know a thing or three about subtext, innuendo, social and political framing, newspeak, etc., etc. Not unlike how some interpret things like religious scripture or Constitutions, now more than ever, it’s time to get a grip on what is making people do what they do so that the world and life cannot move forward (progress as opposed to regress).

Mission Statement:

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America
- Is anybody doing this considering the current state of affairs both domestic and international, especially considering Jan 6, 2021? Also. A great example of not upholding is how political ideology has practically occupied the judicial branch of the US government via the Supreme Court.
To maintain law and order
- Why do such words give off a feeling that a foundation of fear is being entrenched, deeper and deeper?
To foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism
- Ok. But does it have to be my way or the highway all the time? When can we get back to sneakers and jeans and loose women and junk food–and bigotry and racism and hate stuffed in the corners of a dark closet–left to rot?
To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars
- Uh, right. War. Violence. Preserve the tradition of it all. Consider the wars that have been fought since WW2, of which none have been won–only money made.
To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation
- Wow. This one’s so bad I’m just gonna leave it un-worst-commented.
To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses
- WTF!
To make right the master of might
- Are you guys serious? WTF x 2 = WTFFFFFFFF
To promote peace and goodwill on earth
- So now you’re a beauty pageant?
To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy
- Yeah, this is gonna be great in a few hundred years when enlightened people get a load of what their great, great, great grandparents were up to. Will it be hard to accept that you’re from a history of dimwits.
To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness
- Ok. That’s cool. I’m too tired to worst-write anything about this one.

Ok. Ok. That’s a bunch of words. In a neat list. Nice sentences, too. I’ve even included a link below where you can read a whole bunch more just like it. But here’s the thing, dear worst-reader. How much of this mind-boggling, superficial, mendacious $hit can humanity take? Even if I do not rip each of the ten preambles apart to reveal subject, meaning and subtext–in the context of what is going on in the world today–is it a surprise to those of us who strive for higher intellect and knowledge, especially when it comes to the worst-written word, that this stuff is part of the reason #Americant is THE LAND OF FREEDOM TO BE STUPID? Btw, it seems to be accompanied wholeheartedly by Canada at the moment. I mean. Read through those words again, dear worst-reader. You could consolidate all ten preambles into about three concepts.

Submission
- Get with the program
Coercion
- My way or the highway, baby
Behaviourism
- Be me, be like me or be NOT

The worst of it all? None of it is about getting people to think for themselves. Wow.

Again. Don’t get me wrong, dear worst-reader. I don’t want or mean to insult people who believe this $hit. Seriously. Whatever floats your boat. But in these times of #Trumpism, right-wing bat$hittery, all of which fits perfect to the ten preambles (above) as long as you believe and follow and never, never question, the only solution to absolve one of his/her mindless sins: it to get the fcuk out. I mean it. Get the fcuk out of Dodge. In case you’re still confused…

to make right the master of might; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism

Wholly krapp, dear worst-reader. WTF is going on! And it’s not like these words are new. They’ve been around for longer than I have, I’m guessing. How come it took me so long to see through them? Wait. Scratch that. It took me quite a while to see through religion. And all the while the country that is supposed to be leader of the free world is stuck in grade school, maybe even middle school and it will most certainly never graduate high school. (Or did you actually think former prez pee-pee-hair was a grownup?) And to think this organisation with such a sincere mission statement is one of the biggest in the world? Not unlike a church. Not unlike a mindless society. Orwell–your work is done.

I’ve well established that I am an avid anti-trumper. But I’m also of the idear that former prez pee-pee-hair is not the sickness but instead a symptom. If that’s true, where/what is the sickness? Could it be in the banality of the ten preambles listed here? Or could it be in the horror of asking an old man in his favourite cheap-drink watering hole what the difference is between what he believes and what he is incapable of understanding/comprehending/knowing? Yeah. Indoctrination is a biatch.

Which brings me ‘round to the difference between patriotism and nationalism. I suppose some would simply say there is no difference. Whereas others might go all out and write a doctoral thesis on it. As far as worst-writer is concerned, it’s probably time to figure this out. As in. Patriotism is ok and in most cases acceptable. I mean. What’s not to like about loving your country. Nationalism, on the other hand, is what becomes of patriotism when mass delusion-confusion sets in. Hence the ’n’ in nazi. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is there is a difference between these two concepts and only one of them could be something less than evil. Have a read of the link below for more info. And so.

I finally got out of that lodge and swore to never step a foot in it again. The problem is, every time I visit my mother I have to pass by it. And I have to accept the fact that her new boyfriend is a member of it. The saddest part of it all, dear worst-reader, is that my mother will end her life never having lived it without depending on yet another flagrant, arrogant, generationally privileged white guy that proves proof is in the pudding named #Americant. Oh well.

Still gotta luv mom, eh!

Good luck suckers.

Rant on.

-T

Links that helped with this post:

Blathering To The Stars

With all the deserved criticism of rich people these days, worst-writer considers Elon to be less worthy of such criticism. The problem with having (so much) money, dear worst-reader, is that it usually turns people into arseholes. The reality is–in these pseudo-capitalist times–the vast majority of rich people are not rich because of merit but instead because of privilege or some other obscure reason devoid of productivity. That’s what happens when capitalism inevitably regresses to its origins i.e. feudalism. Hence, worst-writer say: stop worrying about capitalism’s gyrations. There’s no such thing. Instead worry about capitalism eating you. But I die-gress.

How bout worst-writer’s thoughts on Jeff Bezos? Bezos, the most successful banker-type that made it in tech, is a perfect example of a rich guy who has charmed his way round rotting barrels more than most. Or did you not get that scene where über-proud Canadian Bill Shatner cried after returning from a 10min space ride that was paid for by impressing Bezos as a kid when he played Captain James Tiberius Kirk on TV? Am I wrong. Or do you consider Bezos success as a distribution cut-throat disguised as a tech guru all that special? Then again. No. Seriously. Amazon is a distribution company. If I have to give Amazon credit for actually creating something that was/is productive yet based on technology, it would have to be AWS–which I hate anyway. Then again. Bezos did put the likes of Walmart in its place. So there’s that. Or? #Nomatter.

Even though Elon Musk’s (see vid above) speaking style is tiresome (Asperger), I follow as much of his doings as possible. This guy is nothing short of spectacle-testicle-amazing. Does it bother me that he is (could be) the spittin image of Weyland, the old filthy rich financier from the movie Prometheus? (Although the movie got bashed, it’s one of my favorites, btw.) Which begs the worst-question: will Elon, while on his space faring exploits, end as Weyland ended? Honestly. WGAF.

My worst-point is this. Of the rich arseholes around the world, why is it that Elon is the only one that gives off a vibe that he’s actually doing something? You know. Doing something other than making money off money. But what do I know. I can barely spell anything and even though I could act as good as Bill Shatner, I don’t think there’s a billionaire out there that’s gonna take me up with his penis rocket. And don’t get me started on not having learned a thing about writing while being schooled in the hell-scape of suburban-hell #Americant. But. Again. I die-gress.

Rant on.

-T