Re: for the abstract

On Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 12:18:46 PM UTC-8, slider wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Feb 2024 19:11:03 -0000, Jeremy H. Donovan 
> <[email protected]> wrote: 
> 
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyux-sEdlbg 
> > 
> > I hear the drizzle of the rain 
> > It's falling from my window 
> > And in the corners of my mind 
> > I hope that I'll get to see you again 
> > 
> > I hear the colors in the flowers 
> > Just like the candle snuffed at dawn 
> > You're here, you're near, you're there 
> > and then you're gone 
> > 
> > Suffering in sinking sand 
> > All the hurt 
> > See, I'm really lost, baby 
> > We suffered a rare, rare blue 
> > So much hurt 
> > On this earth 
> > But you loved me 
> > And I really dared to love you, too 
> > Perhaps what I mean to say is 
> > Is that it's amazing that your love was mine 
> > 
> > Oh, Maker, tell me did you know 
> > This love would burn so yellow? 
> > Becoming orange and, in its time 
> > Explode from grey to black then bloody wine 
> > 
> > Oh, Maker, have you ever loved 
> > Or known just what it was? 
> > I can't imagine the bitter end 
> > Of all the beauty that we're living in 
> > 
> > Suffering in sinking sand 
> > All the hurt 
> > See, I'm really lost, baby 
> > We suffered a rare, rare blue 
> > So much hurt 
> > On this earth 
> > But you loved me 
> > And I really dared to love you, too 
> > Perhaps what I mean to say is 
> > Is that it's amazing that your love was mine 
> > 
> > Lost inside a lonely world where lovers pay the price 
> > Barely get the sound of music to love and go dance to 
> > Now it's time for us to go and no one ever has to know 
> > Your love's in my pocket and your eyes, eyes are in my... 
> > Eyes in my soul, no one will know it but me 
> > 
> > . 
> > 
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPmuuo7G0l0 
> > 
> > Inflation. Of a need, a life, a cosmos? 
> > 
> > . 
> > 
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRs1GES7LcM 
> > 
> > An epic journey.* Final thanks to all who came along. 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > 
> > Great Circus 
> > 
> > 
> > The dirty canvas is arriving 
> > The great human circus 
> > With the clown's hunger 
> > And the crazy ballerina 
> > Let's celebrate 
> > The rib that will break 
> > On the trapeze is nonsense 
> > The little misery 
> > 
> > Right in the middle of this arena 
> > it's going to happen - 
> > death, glory 
> > and surprises at the end 
> > Silver and moon. bread and circus 
> > a smile will be drawn 
> > In the bitterness of this party - 
> > along with this party 
> > 
> > Up and down the mountain 
> > The great human circus 
> > On your back, on your thin shoulder 
> > carrying, silver and moonlight 
> > The mystery that will show itself 
> > On the balance wire, on the rising sun 
> > Dream awaits the great human circus - 
> > a broken heart, a human circus 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > . 
> > 
> > * "Gran Circo," by Milton Nascimento, delves into the themes of the 
> > human condition, poverty, and the allure of entertainment in the face of 
> > struggle. The song paints a vivid picture of a circus, both literal and 
> > metaphorical, showcasing the various characters and emotions within. 
> > 
> > The opening lines describe the arrival of a worn-out circus, symbolizing 
> > the hardships and struggles of humanity. The "palhaço" (clown) embodies 
> > the hunger and desperation often hidden behind a mask of laughter, while 
> > the "bailarina louca" (crazy ballerina) represents a sense of chaos and 
> > unpredictability. Despite these challenges, there is a call to celebrate 
> > and embrace the impending spectacle. 
> > 
> > The chorus highlights the significance of "Pão e circo" (bread and 
> > circus), a phrase derived from ancient Rome, which suggests that people 
> > can be distracted and pacified through entertainment and material 
> > benefits, even in the midst of suffering. The combination of "prata e 
> > lua" (silver and moon) implies the allure and glamour associated with 
> > the circus, creating a momentary escape from the bitter realities of 
> > life. 
> > 
> > The lyrics speak of the circus as a platform for intense emotions and 
> > experiences, with the promise of both glory and death. The line "Coração 
> > partido circo humano" (A broken heart, a human circus) conveys the idea 
> > that the circus is a microcosm of human existence, filled with both joy 
> > and sorrow. 
> > 
> > Furthermore, the references to the trapeze and tight-rope walking 
> > symbolize the fragile balance between success and failure, and the 
> > precariousness of life itself. The "sonho" (dream) that waits for the 
> > human circus suggests that hope and aspirations endure even in the face 
> > of adversity. 
> > 
> > "Gran Circo" ultimately reflects on the complex relationship between 
> > entertainment, poverty, and the spirit. It reminds us that even amidst 
> > hardship, there is a desire for escape, celebration, and the fleeting 
> > moments of joy found within the grand spectacle of life. 
> > 
> > This meaning interpretation was written by AI. 
> > 
> > LOL. A little lost in translation? 
> > 
> > Adios adc
> ### - how odd, both you & crsds drop farewell notices on the same day?? 
> 
> his post only showing up on google so am unable to reply directly... 
> 
> the answers are, however, the same in both instances: 
> 
> "you can check-out any time ya like 
> but you(s) can never leave" ;) 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egMWlD3fLJ8 
> 
> "head out on the highway..."

I had wondered if anyone would respond. 
I'm not sure when they're cutting off posting,
except that it was announced as "February 22".
(Why Chris and I said bye on the same day.)

Of course you're still the WILD guy.
And I do like that Steppenwolf song!
Yet it's not quite my favorite.
Since I'm still the DILD guy.  :)

In 1969, I was attending junior high school, and after school
I often went to a local pizza joint run by a real Italian family.
I'd go in by myself and order the cheapest thing they had - 
a small cheese pizza - and I'd sit in the very back, smoking,
but before the pizza was ready, I'd go over to the jukebox,
put in a dime, and play my favorite - this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPE9a_epmWw

What feels weird is how I must have done that, I don't know,
like 15 times or more, and yet now I can't ever do it again.
Unless at the fourth gate of dreaming I was to dream
that same little Italian pizza joint and jukebox. LOL.
I'm pretty sure I won't ever do that either.

So maybe we can't leave, Slider,
but we can't come back either.

"I like to dream..."
 
.

I think I still have time to type some more, so I'm going to tell
one more story - a story I only learned the ending to... today.

For many years, I had been proud of the fact that I had never in
my entire life been sued by anyone, nor had I ever sued another.
Even my divorce in 1995 was fully uncontested, for I had once
worked in a quickie divorce office where you can get paperwork
done for $68 plus a $35 filing fee, and that's just how we did it.
No lawyers, full amicable agreement on all terms. Cost:  $103.

Anyway, I had long been proud of having never been sued.

Then last year, an 'atmospheric river' storm came through LA,
with a great deal of rain and high winds, and it blew over one of
our huge beautiful old trees, and the tree fell on the fence between
our house and a neighbor's house, also barely grazing part of our
neighbor's roof.  We don't actually own the property we live on,
so we contacted the management company and put in a ticket in
to have the tree removed and the fence repaired.  The same storm
even blew over the little picket fence around our immediate yard,
and our company agreed to rebuild that fence for us as well.

Our neighbor kept texting back and forth with my partner about it.
My partner setup tickets for them in the company system and was
very responsive, and yet the company hired a contractor to inspect
our neighbor's roof that was NOT responsive.  And within four days
this guy, who we already knew was a jerk, threatened to sue US.
We'd told him we didn't even own the tree (it really barely did any
damage to his roof that I could see). But he kept swearing he was
going to take us to court, and a few months later the guy put
an unstamped letter in our mailbox requesting payment of $2500.
He even sat in his car on the street a couple of times watching
while I came down and got the mail, I guess so he'd know I got
the little letters he was sending?  He had gone to the trouble of
having some of them drawn up by a lawyer that was his friend.
My partner called this lawyer and tried to talk sense into him,
but no dice. He insisted that unless we paid we'd all go to court.

Meanwhile, our management company, which fully repaired the
fence between us, and fully cleaned up all the trees bordering
our properties, also submitted the guy's roof bill to their insurance.
But their insurance said they would not pay for our neighbor's roof
because the tree falling was 'an act of God' and THEIR insurance
should cover that part of it.  Of course that made jerkyboy furious.

The thing hung in the wind for months, and then the guy started
trying to have us served to appear in court.  Our place is kind of
insular so they never succeeded in serving anyone here, but there
had been a court date set.  Our management company tried to
get the court to drop the case, but couldn't do it and so eventually
we all had to go to court, a lady from our management company,
and both of us. But when we got there we found that the guy
had at the last minute requested a postponement for a month.
So we all went to the courthouse for nothing, and the thing
was held over our heads for yet another month.

We finally went to small claims court and made our arguments.
The guy ranted and raved in a highly speculative way about how
we supposedly hadn't cared for the trees properly, but our company
had records of every time they'd trimmed the big trees, and my
partner had a record of all the texts showing how cooperative
she'd been and what a dick he'd been.  (He had addressed me
in his attempts to collect by a name that isn't even my real name,
which was really a joke name my partner had put on a magazine
subscription, which proved that he got my name by going through
our mailbox, which is illegal.)  And we submitted evidence proving
the tree fell the very day of the big LA atmospheric river storm.
It turned out he'd sued our company using the wrong name too.

But only today did we finally hear the verdict of the silly case.
It was ruled that our jerky neighbor gets... nothing. So this dude
had sweat this dumb thing for a solid year, paid to file the case,
paid money to try to have us served three times, and before she
cut him off had ranted and raved rudely in texts to my partner.
I had simply ignored him completely the whole time. We had
never spoken a word in all the years we'd been neighbors.
Still haven't, and probably never will. Knock on wood.

But he broke the 'record' I was so proud of, dammit. 
I got sued because a tree in my yard fell down.
Pride went before a fall, I'd have to observe. 
It's amazing the useless things people do that
go on and on forever. Remind you of anything?  :)

Well, this is the last useless thing I'll ever do here.

"Not Guilty"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84MOwegIxT0

.