A long time ago, off in the lands of Mesopotamia....in the age of Sumerians, we had a bunch of pretty creative folks. That's over 4,000 years ago, and likely going way past that point.
The locals of the time got around to the art of telling stories....more or less to entertain folks. You do that when there's no TV, radio, or internet.
Now, it has to be said that these were of the Hemingway or Steinbeck type story-tellers....that they got hooked on a decent story, and there have been literally dozens of variations of the story told.
So, we come to what is referred today as the 'Epic of Gilgamesh'. It survive mostly because we've found tablets which lay out this story. This version which survives is done in the poem method, and it makes some folks think that it was done to preserve the story in one simple constructed story and prevent forty different stories being manufactured.
The original version? Translated into English....Surpassing All Other Kings.
The first tablet lays out the story, and I'll tell in a basic fashion....without the poetry or fine words...just in plain-speak....southern-style.
Out yonder in the lands....there lays this land of Uruk. There was a king of the region and his name was Gilgamesh.
Folks tended to respect Gilgamesh because he was two-thirds god and one-third man. Now, usually some engineer or intellectual guy from the audience would halt the story-telling and say you can only fifty-percent X and fifty-percent Y.....or you could be one-quarter this, and one-quarter that....etc.
Well....you just have to accept the fact that Gilgamesh, for the purpose of this story....was a one-third, two-thirds kinda of guy.
Course, this would bring up the next question....how would you know that he was only one-third man? Well, it's just a story....don't get all tangled up on this.
So, we get back to this story.
Its safe to say that things weren't great in the land of Uruk, and some folks felt that Gilgamesh was oppressive in nature. At this point from the audience, the engineer would ask....you mean like Trump?
No....not like Trump. Gilgamesh had invented some method of understanding that it was fine if he slept with women on their wedding night. No one is saying he had 'seconds' or 'thirds'....that he had this understanding.
Questions from the audience would arise again....what if there were twenty women getting hooked up this Saturday? Well....this is just a story. There just isn't any king-like guy going around and hooking up with twenty women in one night.
Now I should point at this point that the tablet where this part of the story would have some more details....is a bit broke, and we are left to wonder what the heck happen to Gilgamesh on these special nights., but the information just ain't there.
Guys were complaining as well....mostly over too many physical tests or events...or through too many construction projects in his land.
So, as folks pleaded with the Gods (plural) to fix this Gilgamesh business....they responded.....more or less.
Way out in the rural regions of Uruk...there was this rather non-intellectual guy...a plain regular sort of dude, who went by the name of Enkidu.
Legend has it that Enkidu had a pretty nifty beard, and had a fair amount of body hair (something women admired in those days).
The few folks who knew Enkidu....spoke of his preference for the life of simpleness, living under the stars, and sipping spring-water. Some local hunter had a problem with Enkidu because he was always springing his traps. We don't know what kind of critters the hunter was going after but it appears to be small game....not tigers or lions.
The hunter guy then told the sun-god Shamash about Enkidu.
No one knows much about this sun-god dude but he was popular.
An arrangement was made with Shamash, who felt that Enkidu could be brought into the real world....taught a few things....put on some clothing....become more sociable. In order to make all this happen.....Enkidu is introduced to a gal called Shamhat.
It's safe to say that Shamhat was a bawdy gal....a lady of the evening....or a harlot. The poem doesn't go into details. We don't get the description like Steinbeck would give....golden flowing hair.....legs that drive a man crazy....or million-dollar lips.
It's hard to say how young men around the campfire and hearing the Gilgamesh story imagined Shamhat. It was probably a five-star lust scene and guys just making up different images of her.
Shamhat had the sole job of teaching Enkidu manners. As the story goes....after seven nights in some tent with Shamhat....Enkidu emerged half-way to being civilized. How this is possible, is left out of the story, and probably discussed later by various men sipping wine and offering observations over Enkidu.
Enkidu left out of the love-tent business and headed off to a shepher'ds camp to get the rest of the lessons.
What's generally said then, as we conclude chapter one....is that Gilgamesh woke up from some dream about the arrival of someone to change his life. No, it's not Shamhat, if you were thinking that.
End of the first poem over this story.
Now, I admit...there's a whole lot of information left out and I suspect that there are other tablets out there with a better version....probably racier and a bit more sensual in nature, but that's the one and only version dug up so far.
Saturday, 7 October 2017
Money Laundering
After the hype of the Vegas shooting....the term money-launderer has been uttered a couple thousand times.
For the benefit of folks who don't grasp the amount of money being shifted around in the underground economy......some numbers ought to be mentioned.
In the first decade of this century....it's generally believed that one trillion got moved out of China alone.
It's believed that three-quarters of a billion got moved around by Russians to situations outside of Russia.
It's estimated that almost half-a-billion dollars left Mexico.
It's estimated that a third-of-a-billion dollars left Malaysia.
Its estimated that a quarter-of-a-billion left Saudi Arabia.
You can add it up, but generally....it's around fifty billion dollars a month during this entire decade....that money had to move around without being noticed.
Around the US? No one ever wants to sit down in front of Senators and talk over the issue, with numbers. You have to figure that at least 100,000 individuals are working around the clock....to launder money in the US.
It has to go into fake companies or business operations, or fake apartment buildings, and come out clean at the other end to be used for real cash assets for people.....or be moved overseas where it's laundered into another country's banking system.
What you need to take out of this? For a period of a decade (2000 to 2010)....roughly three trillion dollars were likely moved around the globe quietly by a number of individuals. And I would imagine for the period of 2010 to 2020....it's probably double that amount.
For the benefit of folks who don't grasp the amount of money being shifted around in the underground economy......some numbers ought to be mentioned.
In the first decade of this century....it's generally believed that one trillion got moved out of China alone.
It's believed that three-quarters of a billion got moved around by Russians to situations outside of Russia.
It's estimated that almost half-a-billion dollars left Mexico.
It's estimated that a third-of-a-billion dollars left Malaysia.
Its estimated that a quarter-of-a-billion left Saudi Arabia.
You can add it up, but generally....it's around fifty billion dollars a month during this entire decade....that money had to move around without being noticed.
Around the US? No one ever wants to sit down in front of Senators and talk over the issue, with numbers. You have to figure that at least 100,000 individuals are working around the clock....to launder money in the US.
It has to go into fake companies or business operations, or fake apartment buildings, and come out clean at the other end to be used for real cash assets for people.....or be moved overseas where it's laundered into another country's banking system.
What you need to take out of this? For a period of a decade (2000 to 2010)....roughly three trillion dollars were likely moved around the globe quietly by a number of individuals. And I would imagine for the period of 2010 to 2020....it's probably double that amount.
Maybe the End of the Bergdahl Episode
This past week, if you went to page two news out of the US....there's this story over Sargent Bergdahl. He's the guy who felt the Army was doing him wrong, and just decided one day to walk out the back of a Army post in Afghanistan....then being captured by the law-lords of the region, and held as a captive for five years. Thankfully, President Obama and team decided to trade some Gitmo folks for him. Sadly, the Army didn't feel any positive stuff over his adventure and charged with some crimes.
This week, Bergdahl said he'd accept a guilty deal without a lot of court action, over the charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Generally, you could get five years max for desertion, and life in prison for misbehavior before the enemy. The judge will make the final decision. Some folks feel that he ought to be shot. Some folks feel like the guy, having spent five years in some Taliban-like prison deal....ought not get much more than five years of Army prison.
Why avoid the court action? I think he had five years in the Taliban-like setting and got his rational sense back into his system.
What I'd give the guy? I'd give him a fifteen-year prison sentence, with five of those hooked to credit with the time in the prisoner setting with the Taliban folks, leaving him ten full years in the Army prison. If you look over his attitude and intelligence level....it's kinda obvious that the Army should have dumped him by the fourth month of service. He just wasn't Army-material. Taking him off to Afghanistan? Big mistake on their part. Maybe if he'd gone through a six-month long boot-camp period and really gotten orientated about the team-concept.....things would have worked out. He wasn't motivated or capable of handling Army-life. I'd take a guess that a quarter of the American population would not be capable of handling three years in the Army.
As for his future after leaving the Army prison-life? I just don't see this guy doing much more than flipping burgers or stocking shelves at some grocery.
This week, Bergdahl said he'd accept a guilty deal without a lot of court action, over the charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Generally, you could get five years max for desertion, and life in prison for misbehavior before the enemy. The judge will make the final decision. Some folks feel that he ought to be shot. Some folks feel like the guy, having spent five years in some Taliban-like prison deal....ought not get much more than five years of Army prison.
Why avoid the court action? I think he had five years in the Taliban-like setting and got his rational sense back into his system.
What I'd give the guy? I'd give him a fifteen-year prison sentence, with five of those hooked to credit with the time in the prisoner setting with the Taliban folks, leaving him ten full years in the Army prison. If you look over his attitude and intelligence level....it's kinda obvious that the Army should have dumped him by the fourth month of service. He just wasn't Army-material. Taking him off to Afghanistan? Big mistake on their part. Maybe if he'd gone through a six-month long boot-camp period and really gotten orientated about the team-concept.....things would have worked out. He wasn't motivated or capable of handling Army-life. I'd take a guess that a quarter of the American population would not be capable of handling three years in the Army.
As for his future after leaving the Army prison-life? I just don't see this guy doing much more than flipping burgers or stocking shelves at some grocery.
Friday, 6 October 2017
Pepsi and Nasty
Carmen Yulin Cruz.
Yesterday, she did an interview wearing a 'nasty' t-shirt. It's supposed to be some kind of message, but it's hard to say what.
Typically, you were appearing in front of me, in some leadership role or executive role....wearing a t-shirt saying 'nasty'...I would likely have tainted or misguided thoughts. For some reason, the image and 'nasty' would burn into my my mind. After that....every time I saw the person...I'd be thinking 'nasty'.
Forty years ago....no mayor would have gone out and worn something like this, period. Today? It's a provocative lifestyle and people want to entice you or draw you to some fake conclusion.
After a while, you look at the whole image of the photo, and then you latch onto the Pepsi machine on the right-side of the image. "Nasty" and Pepsi? A subliminal message? Something to do with titillating or wicked thoughts?
Now I'll start thinking something sensual every time I see a Pepsi machine, and think of the word "nasty". I'll probably have to go and visit a mental health expert now.
The Plane Story
I noticed in today's news that the passenger gal who got all upset about two dogs being carried in the passenger area for a flight, then got dragged off by airport security when she made a case of dogs on board...intends now to carry forward a legal situation with the airline (Southwest).
Southwest says (at least that's their position)....that they are awful sorry that the lady ended up getting off by airport security and they've been trying to have a chat with her.
Some people were leaning toward the gal in this story...until it came up three days later that she was a professor of Islamic studies at a prestigious US university. Folks who know the Islamic religion well....also know that Muslims tend to be anti-dog (a good bit). The idea of riding in a cabin for two hours? It might be unsettling.
Why she complained in the first place? She says she had to be on this flight, because her elderly father being sick. In her defense, she says she's got a serious allergy issue with dogs. Actual proof of the allergy? Well, that will pop up in court and there might be a discussion about the nature of this. If she has the paperwork, then the judge is going to ask how she intended to travel while knowing dogs might be part of the deal. She might not be able to answer that one. All future air travel with this gal? Well....yeah, it's best not to ask about this either.
The folks handling this on the plane? Well.....I ponder upon this.
Back thirty years ago (1980s), you could walk out to the airport and tended to find generally nice folks standing there and flights were a special thing. It didn't matter how bad the food was, the bitchy-nature of the stewardesses, the funky smell in the airplane bathroom, the weird nature of the ticket-lady, or the lateness in taking off (folks didn't say much if it was two hours late).
In the past fifteen years....something has occurred with air-travel and it's not the same experience. Part of this is the cheap nature now, and you have all those Greyhound bus dimwits who pay the $150 for a round-trip deal from Atlanta to Detroit, and the whole nature of the experience is gone.
Folks whine about the food, the knee space, the amount of bags that people drag onboard, the after-shave that 'Bob' is wearing, the funky grandma-smell from some of these older women, the drunk-level of guys onboard, the slutty dress and attire of some women (the boobs literally just falling out of the apparel), and any flight being more than 25 minutes late is now a big deal. Some folks just get disturbed if the stewardess appears to be over the age of fifty and a bit chunky.
The front-desk folks and the airport security staff? Well, they really don't want to let some idiot go and make some type of negative experience out of the deal. I noted a video from last month that I watched where some anti-Trump gal got hyped up over a young guy sitting next to her, and she tried to get the staff to remove him (he had a pro-Trump-shirt on). There was one brief attempt to calm her down, and then they called for security. She was going to exit the plane at that point....no questions or begging would help.
I look at this professor and I see the same situation....you get one chance to calm down, and then the security folks step in.
All of this brings me to my point...the public probably needs a reminder now....that just getting from point A to point B is the test of flying around the nation. You want to get there safely, and you'd best not find 688 reasons to whine over the conditions or the attire of the fellow-passengers, or their dogs.
The issue is that we seem to want to draw a line and let people know how we feel....trying to force change or force others to accept our vision of things. The sad thing is that once this starts up....you might have a guy like me standing there and noting your slutty attire as being too obvious, or me suggesting a dry-county approach to alcohol on board the plane. Note as well, I'd be perfectly happy for dinner options on a plane if you just handed out Mountain Dew and beef jerky. The dog thing would be acceptable to me, as long as it was a border collie (not one of those poodles).
Southwest says (at least that's their position)....that they are awful sorry that the lady ended up getting off by airport security and they've been trying to have a chat with her.
Some people were leaning toward the gal in this story...until it came up three days later that she was a professor of Islamic studies at a prestigious US university. Folks who know the Islamic religion well....also know that Muslims tend to be anti-dog (a good bit). The idea of riding in a cabin for two hours? It might be unsettling.
Why she complained in the first place? She says she had to be on this flight, because her elderly father being sick. In her defense, she says she's got a serious allergy issue with dogs. Actual proof of the allergy? Well, that will pop up in court and there might be a discussion about the nature of this. If she has the paperwork, then the judge is going to ask how she intended to travel while knowing dogs might be part of the deal. She might not be able to answer that one. All future air travel with this gal? Well....yeah, it's best not to ask about this either.
The folks handling this on the plane? Well.....I ponder upon this.
Back thirty years ago (1980s), you could walk out to the airport and tended to find generally nice folks standing there and flights were a special thing. It didn't matter how bad the food was, the bitchy-nature of the stewardesses, the funky smell in the airplane bathroom, the weird nature of the ticket-lady, or the lateness in taking off (folks didn't say much if it was two hours late).
In the past fifteen years....something has occurred with air-travel and it's not the same experience. Part of this is the cheap nature now, and you have all those Greyhound bus dimwits who pay the $150 for a round-trip deal from Atlanta to Detroit, and the whole nature of the experience is gone.
Folks whine about the food, the knee space, the amount of bags that people drag onboard, the after-shave that 'Bob' is wearing, the funky grandma-smell from some of these older women, the drunk-level of guys onboard, the slutty dress and attire of some women (the boobs literally just falling out of the apparel), and any flight being more than 25 minutes late is now a big deal. Some folks just get disturbed if the stewardess appears to be over the age of fifty and a bit chunky.
The front-desk folks and the airport security staff? Well, they really don't want to let some idiot go and make some type of negative experience out of the deal. I noted a video from last month that I watched where some anti-Trump gal got hyped up over a young guy sitting next to her, and she tried to get the staff to remove him (he had a pro-Trump-shirt on). There was one brief attempt to calm her down, and then they called for security. She was going to exit the plane at that point....no questions or begging would help.
I look at this professor and I see the same situation....you get one chance to calm down, and then the security folks step in.
All of this brings me to my point...the public probably needs a reminder now....that just getting from point A to point B is the test of flying around the nation. You want to get there safely, and you'd best not find 688 reasons to whine over the conditions or the attire of the fellow-passengers, or their dogs.
The issue is that we seem to want to draw a line and let people know how we feel....trying to force change or force others to accept our vision of things. The sad thing is that once this starts up....you might have a guy like me standing there and noting your slutty attire as being too obvious, or me suggesting a dry-county approach to alcohol on board the plane. Note as well, I'd be perfectly happy for dinner options on a plane if you just handed out Mountain Dew and beef jerky. The dog thing would be acceptable to me, as long as it was a border collie (not one of those poodles).
Thursday, 5 October 2017
The Time Travel Story
I noticed this story off Fox News today. There's this guy up in Wyoming, who appeared in Casper on Monday night looking for the cops. Cops found him, and he wanted to let them know that Earth was going to be attacked, and that he'd come from the future (2048) to warn them of the attack.
Normally, police in Casper don't get many time-travelers.
At some point, they decided a alcohol-test was necessary for the time-traveler dude. End-result? .136
A fair amount of alcohol. Course, he wasn't driving, so DWI is not possible. Drunk and disorderly? Well...he wasn't disorderly. I'm guessing he'll rest out the next twenty-four hours and then get released.
What he said while in this stage....aliens are coming in 2048. He was originally aiming for 2018, but landed in 2017 instead.
The thing about this is that thousands will read the story, and just wonder about this. Was the guy for real? Are there aliens invading in 2048? Did the guy really travel through time?
This guy....as fake as he might be....just earned himself a title for the rest of his life....the 'time traveler'.
Normally, police in Casper don't get many time-travelers.
At some point, they decided a alcohol-test was necessary for the time-traveler dude. End-result? .136
A fair amount of alcohol. Course, he wasn't driving, so DWI is not possible. Drunk and disorderly? Well...he wasn't disorderly. I'm guessing he'll rest out the next twenty-four hours and then get released.
What he said while in this stage....aliens are coming in 2048. He was originally aiming for 2018, but landed in 2017 instead.
The thing about this is that thousands will read the story, and just wonder about this. Was the guy for real? Are there aliens invading in 2048? Did the guy really travel through time?
This guy....as fake as he might be....just earned himself a title for the rest of his life....the 'time traveler'.
Sunday, 1 October 2017
Days of 'Whatever'
A couple of months ago, I got all interested in Evergreen College (public college in Washington state) and their various issues with out-of-control students. I've essayed two or three pieces on the college and their woes.
Yesterday, I sat and read over two particular days of each calendar year that the college seems to recognize in some fashion.
There is the Day of Absence...which is recognized as a local community day for discussing and getting hyped-up about 'identity groups'. Naturally, if you were white....you aren't among the 'identity groups'.
You can join up with various groups....just to mostly sit around and talk....excessively from what I can figure. All of this is supposed to lead in some way to anti-racism. The evidence of such? Well....it's best not to ask for facts or evidence.
The second day in question is the Day of Presence. This one is interpreted in various ways by different people. It's mostly the day after the Day of Absence discussions and supposed to be when students show 'strength' and 'power'....although again, it's best not to ask how or why, nor should you suggest any debate over the topics.
After some reflection, I came to ponder this idea...that this college needs a full calendar of days to think, discuss and reflect a lot of things.
They need a day of pestilence (to reflect upon disease), a day of Apocalypse (to reflect upon coming evil times), a day of Anhedonia (to reflect upon the lack of pleasure), a day of gluttony (to reflect upon over-eating), a day of fragility (to reflect upon the chaotic times upon us), and even a day of fatuousness (to reflect upon the sad state of stupidity in the world today).
There's probably over 250 days required for folks. You could have a day of harvest (to reflect upon the hard work of farmers), a day of asininity (to reflect upon craziness around us), a day of indomitable (to reflect upon stoic nature), and perhaps even a day of beer (to reflect the essence and wonder of beer).
Yesterday, I sat and read over two particular days of each calendar year that the college seems to recognize in some fashion.
There is the Day of Absence...which is recognized as a local community day for discussing and getting hyped-up about 'identity groups'. Naturally, if you were white....you aren't among the 'identity groups'.
You can join up with various groups....just to mostly sit around and talk....excessively from what I can figure. All of this is supposed to lead in some way to anti-racism. The evidence of such? Well....it's best not to ask for facts or evidence.
The second day in question is the Day of Presence. This one is interpreted in various ways by different people. It's mostly the day after the Day of Absence discussions and supposed to be when students show 'strength' and 'power'....although again, it's best not to ask how or why, nor should you suggest any debate over the topics.
After some reflection, I came to ponder this idea...that this college needs a full calendar of days to think, discuss and reflect a lot of things.
They need a day of pestilence (to reflect upon disease), a day of Apocalypse (to reflect upon coming evil times), a day of Anhedonia (to reflect upon the lack of pleasure), a day of gluttony (to reflect upon over-eating), a day of fragility (to reflect upon the chaotic times upon us), and even a day of fatuousness (to reflect upon the sad state of stupidity in the world today).
There's probably over 250 days required for folks. You could have a day of harvest (to reflect upon the hard work of farmers), a day of asininity (to reflect upon craziness around us), a day of indomitable (to reflect upon stoic nature), and perhaps even a day of beer (to reflect the essence and wonder of beer).
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