QUOTESSAYS

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/11/animal-magic-why-intelligence-isnt-just-for-humans?utm_source=pocket_discover  I know my definition and perception of what intelligence is has changed with experience and age. The first illusion to fall was academic intelligence. Some of the dumbest people I ever met were at the University of California, both professors and students. I even recall at the time thinking, "Man, if this is the cream of the crop, our future is fucked." That has even somewhat played out over the years since then in our society. I believe one part of that equation is the academic route is fairly static, going from one degree to another in a cloistered environment without much real-world abstraction, distraction, grit, or acquired street smarts. There is a reason it is called an ivory tower. On the other end, some of the smartest people I have ever met were cabbies, hookers, and real estate agents. You learn psychology, economics, and many other disciplin

 Since I have been painting the Guadalupes I have been called and introduced as an 'artist' several times. That always makes me cringe a bit. Not sure slapping some house paint on a plaster statue qualifies as being an artist. Maybe the guy who designed the statue would be a better candidate for that honor. Painting the wooden plaques really doesn't count either. I am trying as hard as I can to make them realistic, and the closest I come is them looking like a character out of the Simpsons. Fortunately, this can be interpreted as 'Naïve Art' with the right spin. Spinning is my artform, not painting. I much prefer being called an 'asshole'. I have spent many years perfecting the art and craft of being an asshole and would appreciate some recognition. 

Another protege of Billy the Kid was Charlie Bowdre. His name seems to have stuck around better than some of the other Regulators. No doubt sharing a gravestone with Billy helped and he was well represented in all the Hollywood Billy the Kid films, unlike his buddy Billy Wilson. Charles Bowdre was born into a relatively prominent family in Wilkes County, Georgia in 1848. They moved to Mississippi when Charlie was six in 1854 where he worked the family farm. Looks like Charlie left home around sixteen and his life was somewhat a mystery until he arrived in the New Mexican Territory in 1874. Charlie and Doc Scurlock briefly owned and operated a cheese factory on the Gila River in Arizona. Evidently making cheese was not their forte and they ended up in Lincoln County, NM where he met George and Frank Coe and Ab Saunders. They joined together in several vigilante posses and even broke into the poorly guarded Lincoln County Jail and took cattle rustler Jesus Largo from Sheriff Saturnino B

 I have written about this incident before, but I figured the official 60th anniversary of JFK's assassination warranted another telling of the tale, plus some historical and cultural observances from a 72-year-old Boomer.   In November 1963 I was 12 years old and in 7th grade. The school environment and I had never jived, and it was getting worse. I was at the peak of my stuttering issue, and I could literally not even say my name when asked. Add to that the cruelty of kids at that age and indifferent teachers and it was a recipe for failure. And I was doing my part by failing badly. The parent/teacher conferences were being held on November 22. I was scared shitless, as I was flunking everything and knew the piper was coming for his due. I went to a friend's house so at least I would not be there when my parents got home from speaking with my home room teacher, Mrs. Williams. That is when I heard the news on TV that JFK had been shot. By the time I got home my folks were alre

  I am personally voting for Miss Teen South Carolina in the next Presidential election. She is more articulate and has a better grasp of the international political stage than either Biden or Trump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPXEdJ_Gtx0&fbclid=IwAR2j7vJsfJSSk-wDte6TqnLkAKHEdv8en_3qz4iZ3pSnAvEakVM lCWtGGYo

 Hard to fathom that Alan Watts died 50 years ago today. No one was better at articulating Eastern philosophy and religion for Western sensibilities than Watts. Add to that a God given voice and the driest of humor, and you had a winning combination. The irony was Watts lifestyle was about as far from what he was an expert on as one could get. To me that was really his charm. He did not have that irritating 'emptier than thou' vibe that so many of the white West Coast hippie Buddhists had. I can't think of any other single person who was more important in bridging beatnik and hippie culture either. He was always there in the background through the 50's and 60's in the SF Bay Area. My girlfriend at the time and I saw Watts speak at UCSC in 1970. He was truly wonderful. Some UCSC students were giving him some shit for something he said that wasn't politically correct. UCSC was way ahead of its time for being offended by everything. I had the honor of hearing one o

 More wisdom generated by AI on Inspirobot. I have often thought homo sapiens are overachieving, smarty-pants primates reaching the end of their reign. Maybe it is time for Mother Nature to wipe the chalk board clean and start over. This patchwork mess of a brain that evolution has bequeathed us may be coming apart at the seams. We need to get back to basics like the other animals and just eat, sleep, and fuck. To paraphrase that farm league Bukowski and beatnik wannabe, Tom Waits, never give monkeys guns or money. It just makes them edgy and nervous.  

  Was going to heat up some water in the microwave and noticed some Cuban 'crazy' ants inside the oven. Decided to nuke em' along with the water and wipe them out after. Imagine to my surprise all the ants survived without a scratch! Googled this phenomenon and there were tons of links. Seems the microwaves are too big to affect the ants. I believe in a 'New World Order'; however, I think it will come to us on 6 legs and be pretty cruel.......

  Always remember that at the end of the day, all these people are multi-millionaires who did real well in the system we have now, no matter what their posturing on the political issues. They have way more in common with each other than they do you and me. We won't be joining them anytime soon for drinks in a Georgetown bar.....

  One of my most treasured finds when cleaning out the homestead awhile back was a manila envelope with all my report cards in it from kindergarten till high school, along with teacher notes. They were nothing to be proud of or brag about, so my mom kept them carefully separated from the other stuff. It really has been an amazing discovery at this age and what stories they tell. By the time I was starting my junior year in '67 I could catch my breath and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had finally caught up to my grade level and I knew just how much effort I needed to slide through and had absolutely no fear of the teachers or administration by then. I wasn't thinking about college or my future one iota. All I knew was this high school hell was half over with. I took creative writing but have almost no memory of that class. I am not even sure who the teacher was, though I seem to remember her being on the younger side. They would divide up the year in 3 equal 6-week