When I was a kid wed go up to the secondfloor flat where my aunt and uncle lived  my aunt gave us raw potatoes if we asked for a treat

That’s disgusting.

                       You ate them?

Yah we asked  You can imagine it wasnt much of a treat 

I have a hard time imagining you ate them.

   Wha can I tell ya Growing up food wasnt something we wasted

Wasted?

           How could you possibly eat that?I would have thrownup.

Theyre not that bad  Bitter

                             Possibly why Im not prone to eating treats now

Unbelievable.

Come on man potato famine in Ireland caused many to immigrate to America

Potato?

   Potato

          Yah   Raw potatoes                  

I thought you said rotten tomatoes.

sitting across from them undauntedCeleste smiledshook her head

he cocked his

              said to her Didnt I tellya Clown doesnt listen to me

I . .

. . Have nothing to say  Zip it

1234,  Reggaefriday,  24  11. 23

1134,  Saturday,  25  11. 23

Elton John  Rotten Peaches  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlcREOS5p5c

he had sex with an otherworldly nymph cloistered in her sensuallyunfurling chrysalis

                                                                                            coloured mother-of-pearl

oystershell  although it was exoticallyerotically supple  pliable    near gelatinous

above them on a shallow dais was a lined seated chorus of handsome women dressed in diaphanous gowns elegant thin robes slipped from their shoulders heldgathered at their biceps  crooks of their elbows

seemed to himthough he was incuriousconcentrated they were performing

                                                                              she was obliviousperhaps one of them their twining bodies the shimmeringpliant carapace reflecting in the sheen off the face of the dais the sheen of the rounded faceted exquisitelyhammered shell surrounding them

her skin felt like talcum

albino

      startling oceanicblues eyes

sinuous  clutching

                    moved like an octopus

   fullfilled exhausted   spent

                                     they fell asleep

just before he did

                      he wondered if hed wake

      

AM,  Thursday – Thanksgiving,  23  11. 23

1048,  Saturday,  25  11. 23

a guy thick squat  dago-Tshirt  tatted heavily

                                                 the kind of guy who looks like hed be comfortable eating glass walked past him sipping a creamytopped latte from a Starbucks free reusable Red Cup          

he hadnt known either was a thing

                                     and he dated three baristas

he didnt think they were sworn to secrecy

particularly considering the things that came out of their mouths

                                                                   Lordy

not that they could offend him

his birth offended him

since

        NADA

not so much  

1415,  Monday,  20  11. 23

1002,  Saturday,  25  11. 23

guy couldnt shush himself when it came to AI the end-all be-all to what humanity needed in its life

he was a NO SALE

                    remembered that key launched behind the glass in old cash registers when human beings entered the cost of a grocery item drugstore item hardware item rather than scanning

                                                                                  and because of scanning he regularly had corporate refund him his money under $5 and provide the item the computer screwedup for free

                                                                                                     undaunted AI

Yeahwell, that’s not the computer’s mistake, price changes have to be entered by human beings.

Programmed By a human being

That’s what I said.

So human error is perpetuated by AI

   No.

Yes

      Not only errors but inherent prejudices

Only a matter of time before they work all the bugs out of it.

Whos they

They. Them.

Programmers

   Yes.

Human programmers

Brother Until AI programs itself AI is inherently prone to mistakes Anwhen AI creates itself I don want it anywhere near me

Then you’ll have to be dead.

Likely I will

             And billions of people are going to be envious of me and the dead for the fuckingover theyre going to have to suffer thats coming at the hands   thas a joke at the hands of AI

You’re wrong.

Ill never know

                Lemme ask you something

Something inane I’m sure.

What happens when AI gets stoned alters its consciousness

1234,  Reggaefriday,  24  11. 23

1222,  Saturday,  25  11. 23

David Bowie  Pity She Was A Whore  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zF2tsBJnpk

   he paused   considered

                               no     it wasnt so much an epiphany  rather a final aching confirmation

he found it advantageous to root for the underdog to prepare him for his life

occasionally an underdog beats the odds

occasionally he won too

he shared with his father mother  shared with his brothers and sisters

they didnt say anything

                            however  sullenly nodded     but they probably realised it before he did

he was lefthanded in a righthanded world

                                              and adamantly confronted what he didnt believe in rather than get along 

454PMpreferred,  Reggaefriday,  24  11. 23

0931,  Saturday, 25  11. 23

Beatles  Hard Day’s Night  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMSiHdrHl0g

I’m a Loser  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f70Z3cvrQd0

Black Friday

simple arithmetic

1,183,390  Trumpvirus deaths as of today

1,181,620  deaths as of November7

    1,770  dead over the last 17 days

     104  Americans died per day

TRUMPVIRUS

2244,  Reggaefriday,  24  11. 23

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl6mYIEWLak

Awright he thought as he tapped a fivegallon white plastic bucket with his foot Whodthought Id see this again yet alone within a hafhour of the first

                              also A third time wont be a charm No luck involved AT ALL

the first was a discarded box haphazardly tossed into a leggy bush

whoever threw it didnt intend to hide it

the box was just off and up from the intersection of the city sidewalk and the entry/exit of a grocery market parking lot

homeless commingled there

                             couldnt begin toYes  yes he could hed have to guess  four    maybe five times twothree squads fourfive cops rousting one two three homeless men

he walked through themthey had taken up the whole of the sidewalk from curb to dirt and crabgrass

                                                                                                           Excuse me gentlemen he said prior to entering their knot taking the book down from his face that he read as he walked

he zigzagged

               the cops the apparently about-to-be arrested were agog he walked through them he wore tandem expressions Aint-none-of-my-business  Im-walkin-here

he emerged unscathed

it was the discarded boxs colourful almostJapanese-label that caught his attentionhis attention always ridden by his curiosity I wanna see Whastha Wannabet

he crossed the smutty weedy crapgrass   yardfor lack of an alternate description to the bush and the box and tipped it with the toe of his boot

                         inside were crushed beer cans empty beer bottles emptied clearliquor pints paper fastfood wrappers AND a hefty fan of scratched Lottery tickets  had to be two dozen or more  made him think if spiralbound would have made a decent stenopad or cops ticketpad

                                                          who knew that booze and lottery tickets went together kindalike bums on baloney sandwiches  peanut butter and jelly   Ariane and Sephora

the plastic bucket looked like a castoff painters bucket but was clean-as-a-whistle inside

it stood on end in the middle of a disusedcorrupting parking lot in front of a derelict storefront a chaineddown padlocked Commercial Real Estate sandwichboard stood on the shallow porch

the continuity couldnt be more disparate Wonderwhy

                                                       he did

stepped over a chain bellied between two rusting posts guarding either side of the drive  a paintedflaking metal licenseplatesized sign NO TRESPASSING was bolted to the chain

evidently trespassing was allowed

the bucket wasnt Star Trek teleported

he looked inside it GUESSWHA

                                    more empty beer cans liquor bottles scratched Lottery tickets

did the state know thawas a thing

he sure as fuck didnt

Does a bums luck ever change

1430,  day-between-2-Ts,  15  11. 23

1045,  Reggaefriday,  24  11. 23

   third iteration

over time

first off the cuff  June 17, 2007  a Sunnyday

rewrite  September 2

   again

          yet another Sunnyday  430ishness  February 10, 2008

I am in a place

where shirts feel like straitjackets buttoned wrists  fuckin button at his throat

pants fit like knotted bondage

           a place    where the air in my lungs is smoke

prisoner

bound

no escape

no birds will feed

not insects or worms

Ive become dull  tasteless     plastic

                                        the spicedmarrow of my bones shrunken

I am

        some  other thing

300PMpreferred,  Thursday – Thanksgiving,  23  11. 23

You look steamed

I am you said you were coming.

   I said thank you for the invitation

                                            I didnt blow you off

A thank you implies you accepted.

his head pulled back instinctually avoiding a cheap shot

                                                              No

Yes.

No

Yes. 

he wondered if this could become interminable and as quickly decided it could

                                                                            I thanked you for the invitationdid I say

Ill be there  Better   What can I bring because I don go anywhere without asking if I can bring something

Do I

No.

sounded better than his Yes bell tolling

Thank you

   You’re welcome.

I thought you would come.

There was a chance then it happened and I was enjoying myself too too much

droll You were home alone . . by . yourself

Yes at last his turn

                       Enjoying my company

By yourself?

Sorry friend you shoud know by now

                                        Your company cant compete with mine

 

0303preferred,  Thursday – Thanksgiving,  23  11. 23

Frank Sinatra  My Way  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQzdAsjWGPg

Jesus

        Sometimes competent

What are you bitching about, funnyguy? Crazy how you read the newspaper and on occasion find it necessary to blurt out words, words without context, and, I think, expect me to be able to read your mind know what you’re complaining about; because you’re complaining.

Irritated   Irritated

                     Im more irritated than complaining or bitchin

What’s bugging you?

Im incredulous   Although I shouldnt be

Of everyone I know . . . you . I would think you being incredulous odd. Must have really came in from left field.

Came in from outside the park

   Outside?

Incredulous

Awright. You’ve piqued my interest. I’ll listenyou'll excuse me I don’t want to eat cold eggs.

he made her breakfast in the morning

                                        his obligation since he wearied her to the bone last nightearly this morning

this morning realised that incredulous and insatiable were tandem

No Please  Eat your breakfast

                                  Another slice of toast

No thank you. I think I’ve enough.

he didnt tell her but he made her a four egg scramble veggies cheeses he wearied her pretty good last night

Ohmy, I’m so hungry this morning.

Bingo  Confirmation   he smiled to himself More orange juice  coffee

talking around food in her mouth

                                   Mure coffee please. Are there more country potatoes?

There are

May I have more of them?

                             You do such a good job.  she chewed   Always have refrigerated boiled potatoes . .

. . When Im going to see you You bet your ass theres more potatoes Would you like the scrap also . .

. . Peease.

             If you weren’t.

Im not Im good

You had fruit and oatmeal didn’t you?

Ya know me so well You were sleeping I didnt want to make a lot of noise

And you went out for sweet rolls.

Right around the corner baby

                                   Mistakenly I bought the paper

she smiledshoveled more scramble into her mouth

                                                     You didn’t buy the paper by mistake.

No  My mistake was reading it

she took a bite of a thickcut rasher wiped baconfat from her lip with a knuckle and licked her knuckle

                                                                                                             Awright.  Tell me of your anguish.

Thought Id pop

   Stop.

          You’re small talk is every bit as sweet as your pillow talk.

he grinned

              Tell me more

Shaddup.

            Competency.

   Yah  Competent

                        Would you hire someone who was   Wait for it   he scraped the country potatoes from the castiron skillet onto her plate

                                  Hire someone who was sometimes competent

Sometimes . competent?   Thank you.

                                         Are you kidding me?

No

What are you talking about?

An prominent talkinghead an attorney is quoted as referring to formers employees as  and I quote Sometimes competent   But always loyal

                                  Seems a stupid trade-off to me

she set her coffee cup downlicked her shiny greasy upper lip

                                                                 Stupid.  But what did you expect?

Yah  Hence   Incredulous

she smiled ridiculously dimples deep leaned across the table gave him a deep breakfastykiss

                                                                                                       leaned back

You’re my guy.

Damn Your breakfast is tasty

1602,  day-between-2-Ts,  22  11. 23

1326,  Thursday,  23  11. 23

I am your retribution  Superstar  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lSZ2cb9has

Lee Michaels  Do You Know What I Mean  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY9iVKQPeXA

Ringo  George Harrison  It Don’t Come Easy  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRkfYu4wrA

 

THANKFUL   formers not

 

Isaiah Berlin wrote The Hedgehog and the Fox in 1951

                                                           a critic E. H. Carr responded that what Berlin had really said was that any political program carried to an extreme will have authoritarian consequences so it would be better to avoid the political  concluding he wrote “Surtout, point de zele.” taking the phrase from Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord a diplomat who skillfully survived the French Revolution “Above all, gentleman, no zeal.” Berlin liked it so much he adopted it as his motto for the rest of his life

George F. Kennan American historian and diplomat best known as a strident advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War his critique was that totalitarianism takes advantage of peoples weaknesses manipulates “the irrational sides of their nature . . . what preserves us from being manipulated is the recognition that although we are imperfect, our problems are susceptible to solution by rational processes, and should be so approached and solved.”

            by rational processes, and should be so approached and solved

hence the weak irrational former can be solved absorbed eliminated by recognising he is 

by recognising there is one political party in America called the Democrats Republicans are not their equivalent and will not be until they embrace governance embrace seeking compromised solutions to problems the nation faces  provides a thoughtful political platform

                              NOT UNTIL

he was invested in common sense invested in not being anyones pawn   able to think for himself 

                                                                                                          not take orders

0952,  Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving,  23  11. 23

I got a Thanksgivings Eve thought  briefly

You, brief?

I can be brief

Awright, what you got?

Historical law precedent

                           A little thing called misprision which the former is guilt of

Youll have to tune me in.

The deliberate concealment of ones knowledge of a treasonable act or felony

I didn’t know that.

You know what else

What?

   Wait for it

Waiting . . .

Misprision ought to park formers ass in prison  Funhuh

2200,  Monday,  20  11. 23

1525 5s!,  day-between-2-Ts,  22  11. 23  President Kennedy assassinated 60 years ago

Thas something you don see every day he motioned his head leftkept looking

driver glanced at himquickly followed his motion

                                                    What?

Wha  Its still happening

driver looked quickly again

                             I’m not seeing anything.

Its  still  happening

                         I cant believe itId think something out of the ordinary woud immediately capture your attention

I didn’t see anything.

   And    its  done

                        I gotta tellya your eyes are shit for detail

I’m driv . .

. . Theres no traffic youre not doing fifteen miles an hour its a worked dirt road drivin to the top of the Dump

                                                                                                               Whoya gonna kill

I’m driving.

Shit excuse

It’s not. I’m being a conscientiou . .

. . My ass Yare makin excuses

                                 Had I been driving Idve seen it

You don’t know that.

I do Even driving I see comets strafestreak the sky

                                                       This was cometish  something waaay out of the ordinary thawoud

I think natural attract someones eyes If theyre observantI don think you are an tha goes for seeing things when yare not drivin

Fuck you.

No fuck you the worlds going by anyare missin it

So says someone who walks around town reading books.

   Might wanna think tha through

What’s to think?

The hunreddollar bill I found on the street the loose change  Glancing over the top of the book I see the lay of the land whos approaching me hear who or whats coming up behind me . .

. . Yeahyeah. So what did you see?

Were in the Dump Things are dumped

 

You’re point.

Dumped things are inertagree

Inert?

Lack the fuckin ability to move  Inanimateyah

Okay. Yes.  I agree.

Fuck  Me

          An automobile tire by itself   rolled more than onehunred yards It was making a break Nobody was watching

You saw it.

Im nobody

1130,  2sday,  21  11. 23

1102,  day-between-2-Ts,  22  11. 23  60years ago President Kennedy was assassinated; 1916 Jack London died at 40

went down early last night

                            had hiked in the hillsneeded to breatheleave people at his heels gratefully he didnt come across anyone

                 so

he tuckered out earlier than his usual early morning

he wokehad been dreaming of a woman repeatedly incanting her point of personal privilege  as she did she patted the empty bed at her hip

her privilege  he have sex with her

why wouldnt he

                    she looked like Jaclyn Smith in her heyday

waking he had to use the bathroom

finished urinating washed his hands  it was still dark

he crossed the hall into his studio eyeballed the shelf where he knew a travel clock to be  he said to one of his cats who appeared suddenly at his feet Im gonna shit if theres a five in the time hed been dancing with 5s in the morning all week  he flipped the overhead light On5:45 then Off  Wha the hells tha all about

gave him something to ponder as he laid back down

the cat beat him to bed

Leftie whadayathink

she didnt think much kneaded the blanket between his legs at his crotch  curledup  sighed she was going to sleep

he thought it wasnt 5 5 5 S S S 2 2 2not going down tha rabbithole again

                                                                              Whawas with the woman

point of personal privilege how did her privilege precede his  woud he have incanted his woud she have come to bedYes

You so sure hombre  a mariachi asked

Yes

How

I lucid dream

You do

I coud have made her do anything I wanted

You coud

I coud have twisted her like a pretzel dipped her in spiced mustard an nibbled her at my pleasure

Yes

     If I may

   Yes  he had to think about it

She certainly had her way with you

She did

Do you think  maybe she lucid dreamed you

he was stunned I hadnt thought of tha

Two sides  multiple faceted sides to everything

Yes

      Thank you for reminding me

Happy to . . .

                          he fell back to sleep

day-between-2-Ts,  22  11. 23

0934,  day-between-2-Ts  President Kennedy assassinated 60 years ago

Rodrigo Rodriguez  Come Back  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zgXDsBYmXU