Dragons Weep – Ursula K. Le Guin 1929-2018.

A great sadness…

MacKENZIE's Dragon's Nest

“My soul is ten thousand miles wide and extremely invisibly deep. It is the same size as the sea, and you cannot, you cannot cram it into beer cans and fingernails and stake it out in lots and own it. It will drown you all and never even notice.” 

… Searoad

There are writers who touch us, who teach us, who look at the world in eye-opening ways. Writers who not only reflect the world we live in but also dare to shape it into something the rest of us mere mortals had not even imagined. And when they are gone, and their voices silenced, there is a hole in the world; we are all the poorer for their passing.

For me, Ursula Le Guin was such a writer. 

The Lathe of Heaven; Left Hand of Darkness; Tales of Earthsea; The Dispossessed…In Fantasy and Science Fiction, novels, short stories…

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Ugly as Dorian Gray

‘maggie the cat’

I would like to know why tax-payers money is being used so the President can go to Mar-a-Lago almost every weekend since the Inauguration & members of his family can go to Aspen or other locations – for business and pleasure – at the people’s expense.

Mar-a-lago (Not a Complete View)

A Partial Inside View of Mar-a-lago

A Partial Inside View of Mar-a-lago

Local businesses & residents have to endure a total disruption to their lives and livelihoods, with incomes suffering and even identities being called into question when they are returning to their private homes. Not to mention the strain put on the cities of New York and Palm Beach. It costs approximately $3 Million per weekend at Mar-a-Lago. Five visits so far equals approximately $15 Million. Add that to the costs to the nation of securing Trump Tower and you’re talking approximately $100 million from the national treasury to allow him and his family to live in the opulent luxury to which they were accustomed. And he’s only been president for 2 months. The total costs of Mira-a-lago & Aspen & other jaunts down the road are inestimable.

A Partial View of Trump’s Penthouse in Trump Tower NYC

A Partial View of Trump’s Penthouse in Trump Tower NYC

Who knows exactly how much the Trump-family bilking of the National Treasury will cost us, the tax payers, to cover all these unnecessary expenses for the continued future of this presidency. The White House is a palatial residence. Camp David is there for Presidents to go to relax. And to meet with other heads of state. He is the President & not meant to live in gold-plated luxury. Living his high life when he turns around and rips up all the programs that help the less fortunate is shameful. If he refuses to use the residence and security provided all previous presidents, then we should, as a Country, send him a bill for all these added expenses. I would also include New York City’s expenses to maintain protection for Trump Towers which the President has not been using. Of course, it would make sense for his wife to move with their son to the White House & be protected.  It’s the polite thing to do – they’re not the only people who call Trump Tower home. And I am sure there are great schools in the Washington D.C. area. Maybe a charter school is available.

Aspen is described as the quintessential American ski town

Luxurious architecture in Aspen during the climes of winter

Since the President obviously wants to destroy the public schools & all other, non-defense departments of the government, it might do his son good to associate with children from more honest, moral backgrounds. They might be able to teach him lessons his father never will. The games Bannon & the President are playing are not as invisible as they might think. Just leave the White House & stop ripping off the people you promised to help if you were elected. Oh, that’s right: in actuality you didn’t win the election. The Electoral College is obsolete & your Presidency is nothing more than a joke. I am waiting for you to leave voluntarily before you are found out and tried for treason. And I would like you to know we know you lie all the time & then spin the lies about your lies, trying to cause a disoriented sense of reality. You are not fooling anyone. Soon the despotic emperor will be seen for what he is: in place of his new clothes, there will be nothing but his small-handed, naked self. Ugly as Dorian Gray’s portrait in the attic.

Camp David with outside swimming pool during the frost of winter

Camp David Aerial View

President Clinton at Camp David talking with Matt Damon & Ben Affleck – A viewing party for film Goodwill Hunting – Hilary – Robin Williams & other members of the Cast & Crew

John F. Kennedy with John Jr. & Caroline on her pony walking grounds at Camp David

Camp David was Good enough for John F. Kennedy and his family, why Not-My-President? Is it not opulent enough for you? Maybe you need to take a visit with Nature. It might just clear your mind and enable you to see the world with a keener eye. OMG! I must be losing my mind. Who do I think I am talking to?

Shawn MacKenzie

A COLD UNFEELING NON-EMPATHETIC CRUEL HEARTLESS POOR-EXCUSE FOR ANYONE HUMAN. HUMANS ARE ANIMALS & HE DOESN’T LIKE ANIMALS SO MUCH. LOGIC LEADS ME TO THE CONCLUSION HE DOESN’T LIKE HUMANS MUCH EITHER. – j.kiley

Bullshit!

An important message for all those who want to understand what really is Bullshit. It’s not a lie. That can be found out. It would be nice to live in a world without so much Bullshit. Instead to have some honest reality. Thinking and developing one’s ideas and sharing them. Listen to a wise message coming from a person who shows wisdom which is refreshing. – j.kiley

BULLSHIT! – Harry Frankfurt

Harry Frankfurt is an American philosopher and author of the New York Times Best Seller “On Bullshit”. Although first conceived as an essay over 30 years ago, his theory on bullshit is more relevant than ever before.

BULLSHIT! aims to further our understanding of what bullshit is, why there’s so much of it, and how it can be a greater enemy to the truth than lies.

Posted on ‘the secret keeper’ Friday 8th July 2016

July 4th 1776 We hold these Truths…

True independence and freedom can only exist
in doing what’s right.

“Without freedom their is no art.” – Camus

Posted on July 4th 2016 on ‘the secret keeper’

Google Censorship

It has come to our attention here at Off the Rails, that one of our contributors, Jennifer Kiley, is having her blog censored by Google/Chrome.

Trying to access her blog the other day, we were met, out of the blue, by a “Stop: Dangerous Site Ahead” warning which blocked access. After much research and hair-pulling, Jennifer discovered that Google was cherry-picking words from her blogs, words related to psychiatric conditions and drugs and big pharma, to human sexuality, and what might be considered radical politics, etc, even words and phrases taken totally out of context in poems, for Christ’s sake!

To all who believe in the first amendment and freedom of expression, beware! You could be next. Time to fight back.

Big Brother Google is watching.

 

Truth vs. the GOP’s BIG LIES

In my lifetime, every election has seen more and more (mostly) white, poor-to-middle class Americans buying into the GOP’s big lies and voting against their own self-interest. They latch onto the fear of “the other” (minorities, immigrants, women, LGBTQ, you name it) being peddled in place of honest policy by those who are deep in the caverous pockets of the 1%, and despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, refuse to let go.

With the Iowa caucuses just around the corner, we here at Off the Rails are going to try to combat the Big Lies with – shock! – a little truth. We may be preaching to the choir, but always better to light a match than simply curse the darkness.

For starters, a brief video by Robert Reich, economist, former Sec. of Labor under President Clinton, and all round progressive guy.

This is truth, verifiable economic truth. No more, no less. Listen and remember when you go to the polls.

 

Sanity in a Crazy World….

Sometimes the violence and anger swirling around us grow to the point we feel overwhelmed. Will it ever stop? Will those professing to follow the non-violence of Christ, ever read the words attributed to him? Will they truly follow?

As I’ve said here before, I am not a religious person, but I am a non-violent one. I do believe there is a better way for the human race than guns and war and hatred. That is how I try to live my small, private life.

Joan Baez, a hero of mine from way back, lives such beliefs on a far more public stage and with far more grace than I can imagine, In our troubled times, her actions, whether today or six years ago, are examples to us all. For that – and her divine music – I am forever in her debt.

Read on:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/08/13/765667/-Joan-Baez-diffuses-right-wing-protest-at-Idaho-concert