If I come back a dog I'll bark

 

If I come back a dog I'll bark

at foolish pigeons in the park

But if a cat is Vishnu's will,

I'll sit upon a windowsill.

A spider, now, might be a gas --

but probably I'll be an ass . . . 

*********************************

I'm of that ancient order that got letters in the mail.

A postcard from the tropics did intrigue me without fail.

A blurry shot so overblown the colors ran amok.

I've never got an email yet that left me thunderstruck.

Eroded to a nubbin of its former zip and glory,

the postcard's now a relic, positively dinosaury.

***********************

The wind of a book fills your sails, matey.

It takes you to lands both enchanted and fatey.

Feel that firm heft and the gravitas, lubber.

Then go to your mess of fried eel and whale blubber.

**************************

I have dreamed of automats;

eating with fedora hats.

Turning knobs and using nickels

for real pie and maybe pickles.

But in the Midwest as a lad

the White Castle was all I had

Welcome

 

Here's your diaper.

Here's your rattle.

Welcome to the mortal battle.

Here's a paycheck,

and a mate.

Try to buy some real estate.

Here's the doctor.

Here's some cancer.

Goodbye. Without any answer.

*************************

The Goat smells of a nightmare glade

where piss is sold as lemonade.

It's flesh is eaten by exotics

who then require antibiotics.

The Couch is often slept upon

from late at night to early dawn.

And that's because when couples fight

one of them sleeps there at night!

The Rug is often underfoot,

where it will trap both dust and soot.

Remove it and your floor will dull

with dirt and grease and walnut hull.

So tell your rug you love it well,

and water it with muscatel. 

I wonder where the papers went?

 

I wonder where the papers went/that once our cityscape did scent?

The tatters scampering about/their headlines throbbing like the gout.

Want ads or a baseball score/their inky smell is now no more.

We're online, and so paper-free/but worried still of World War Three.

The printing presses silent sit/Reporters think their throat is slit.

And if you want to wrap some fish/there's only plastic bags -- oh ish!

**************************************

this gourd of ours/empty as it seems

is filled with love and pain and dreams.

so locusts saw/and birds migrate;

and worldly men soon abdicate.

*****************************

at my desk I spent the day;

writing nothing, by the way.

then a walk I took outside

in the chilling eventide.

All my thoughts were so sublime

I didn't see the bus in time . . . 

****************************

The sin of boredom I possess;

I covet it with mindlessness.

Not to care, or think, or pray --

to claim how hollow is each day.

I figure that my boredom means

I'm more refined than collard greens.

****************************

There's an old wind which blows

that nobody knows --

It comes now and then

over mountain and fen 

to tickle the head

and put babies to bed.

And when it has gone

there is much more to dawn.

Genesis 29:25. Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

 "And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?"

Genesis 29:25.

In the Bible Jacob thought/Rachel's body he had bought/with his labor, seven years/of herding sheep and plying shears/Wily Laban gave instead/Leah to his marriage bed/So don't complain if marriage seem/something like a bad regime.

They wearied themselves to find the door

 

"And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door."

Genesis 19:11

Blindness smites the mighty men/who knock upon our door/who only want to bring to us/oblivion and war/Our God has set their bounds indeed/They'll weary out their days/vainly searching for relief/from setbacks and delays!

Report from Wailuku, Hawaii. The idiot protests are growing.

(A disturbing narrative from a personal friend.)

A large number of honking cars and trucks and some loud motorcycles, and mega horns went by our house 15 minutes ago, protesting mandates.  There were flags, and signs, and writing on their car windows.  It went on for about 30 minutes, because they came in groups due to the traffic light below.  Most were honking their horns.  The first truck that went by was a semi and it sounded like a loud train coming at us with its horn blazing, so I went outside to see what it was.  When I realized what it was I stood out on our parking strip without outstretched bird fingers, flipping them all off as they drove by.  Especially the ones with Trump flags waving.  One of the trucks with a megahorn said "Get in my truck and say that to me." as he reacted to me flipping him off.

This procession started with 2 or 3 semi trucks.  I wish I'd videoed them, because I would have sent it to the police and the news people.  It was pretty loud.  It's the loudest noises I've ever heard on this street, except for the close fireworks.  Did they have a permit to make noise like that?  I really doubt it.

My wife pulled me into the house a couple of times, because she didn't want problems, but it bothered me so much I went out a 3rd time to flip off more Trumpers.

I felt a little uncomfortable flipping people off because there were lots of vehicles with children in them.  But I felt worse that I was flipping off old grandmothers, so I stopped, and reserved my bird fingers for the Trumpers.

One of the women said to me, "What, you hate the American flag?"  I said "No the Trump flags."

There is so much ignorance and blindness in so many people.  People who are generally good and decent people.  But people who are also racists.  That's a weird thing to say about people in Hawaii, but I still think racism is pretty much a hidden factor in why people do things.  The white people don't like it that they have to share power.  They think God gave them the right to be superior.  They think the United States is God's chosen country, and that we should be able to do whatever we want, and if the government says they have to give up some of their freedoms for the welfare of society, they're against it, because they're white.  Other people have to give up their freedoms so that we don't have to. 

Or, maybe some people are just angry about their current situation, financially or otherwise, and they just want to protest something.  They're tired of being "pushed around" and being powerless.  

I think that 60% or more of the people were white.  I saw one black person, alone in his fancy convertible sports car.  I don't remember seeing any pure asians.

I was so upset by this, and am still upset, that I have pretty much decided never to go back to Louise's music classes, or deal with any of the people there who were anti mask, or anti vaccine, or who believe in chem-trails, or any of that other absolute nonsense.  This includes Louise, unfortunately.  It also means I won't hire Mark to work on the house either.  I just can't bear the nonsense that these people believe.  I don't want to hear it, but they don't keep their mouths shut when they get together, so I don't want to be around them.

Some of the people are just victims and don't really have the ability to know better, but obviously all of these hundreds of people who drove by (well, the adults, except for the 80 year old grandmothers) have taken a stand on the side that has done harm to other people.  Trump is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, not just because of his Covid actions, but all the misery his other policies have caused people in the world.  And these caravan protest people probably didn't get vaccinated, and probably protested having to wear masks in stores and other places, and they didn't do their part to get through this epidemic.  They were selfish, and they caused harm.

And what's the point of this caravan protest anyway?  On March 1st the rules are changing with regard to mask mandates.  They'll probably think they had something to do with the change, which is another example of their stupidity.

The air conditioning guy wears a mask when he's in our house or when he talks to us outside.  I thanked him for that.  He said "I don't see why people have a problem with this.  It doesn't bother me to wear a mask."  He's from Brazil.  He's not white. He's a hard worker.  He's polite.  He's patient.  He's responsible.  He's welcome here in the US.  I'd have no problem with him representing me in government or being in TV commercials, or being my boss.  But I do not want to be around people who think they deserve to be treated better than others, and that the laws don't apply to them.

For sure most of them were breaking the law with their noise, disturbing the neighborhood.  Nobody but me was out watching this convoy drive by their house.  There were no neighbors in this convoy, probably, except one, who I accidentally flipped off, and she said "I just live right over here, I got caught up in this driving home."  We both laughed that I'd flipped her off.  They were all driving by slowly enough that people could say things.

But I think Liping was right.  Ignore them.  Just because people have a different opinion than me doesn't necessarily mean I have to be offensive, or cut off my association with them.   I suppose there's a way to protest things you don't like without being offensive.  If in Louise's class someone starts saying things that bother me, I can leave, or I could say something to counter what they said, or maybe I could say "Can we please not talk about such things like how masks and vaccines don't work?  It makes me feel uncomfortable."

Nah, I think I'll just stop going to her class.  And I'm not going to hire Mark.  It's easier that way.

Got any ideas on how to handle this general problem of dealing with people you disagree with?  If I was smart enough I could engage in some kind of friendly debate with them.  Or ask them some thought provoking questions that would lead them to realize they're wrong.  But I generally don't think that fast, like today.  I must have flipped off a hundred people, easily, before I gave it much thought.  Double barrelled flip-off.  Sometimes it was pointed double barrelled flipping.  Right at them, from 10 feet away.

I can just imagine some of those mothers answering their child's question about why "that old man was doing the birdy sign to you and daddy".  "Oh, he just doesn't love our country.  But we do.  We're trying to protect our country from people like him who want us to be slaves.  He doesn't want you to go to school and play with your friends.  He's just an angry old man."

Benediction.

 

God keep from your abode

any stink from the commode.

And abolish from your door

cockchafers and dinosaur.

May each night find you secure

in domestic sinecure.  

Haiku: 鉄の冬の空気 Iron Winter Winds

 

Iron winter winds --

heavy on the face and throat;

time to wash my scarf!

Iron winter winds --

blowing quail around all day;

feathered tumbleweeds. 

Iron winter winds --

snatching trash into the air;

life is so scattered!

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

  Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Genesis 18:14

Nothing daunted, we believe/God his miracles can weave/out of flimsy flesh and bone/by his potency alone/Do not doubt that mountains shake/or that man can overtake/Satan in his fetid schemes/with pure water from God's streams! 

Cakes upon the hearth.

 

 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

Genesis 18:6.

Cakes upon the hearth, a sign/a guest is someone quite divine/Abraham, who dwelt in tents/had hospitality immense/So he was served by Heaven well/as we can be -- though infidel/For God doth love a giving heart/and loves to bless us a la carte.

愛する人のための俳句 Haiku for Amy.

 

washing her white hair --

draped over her pink shoulders;

alluring cascade.

slicing an onion --

the sound of her knife on wood;

frying chicken legs.

always on her phone --

texting to the kids at night;

with her eyes on me.

Haiku: ウズラが前に突き出る Quail thrusting ahead.

 

quail thrusting ahead --

looking sideways at the seeds

crushed by passing cars.

quail thrusting ahead --

huddled under the feeder;

which is long empty.

sandals and gray slush

do not mix well on cold days --

feet wrapped in bacon.

Today's Timerick: Microsoft’s New Security Chief Says It Is Time to Take Shelter in the Cloud. (WSJ)

 

This superstitious world remains

bound in unenlightened chains;

folks believe in screwy things,

and give their folly potent wings.

Take, fer instance, this here cloud -- 

that people talk of long and loud.

I have asked some right smart folk

just how this thing is not a joke.

When explaining it to me

it seems to be a fantasy;

a web of nonsense, which I fear

would puzzle even Edward Lear.

Keeping data without holder;

not one blessed paper folder.

I think it uses beans and franks

for powering computer banks.

It's a network of some sort

and tracks a lot of child support.

My experts call it platform based,

where nothing ever is erased.

Online nostrum, cyber claptrap;

to me it's merely all darn crap pap.

I'll stay analog, hard copy;

I'd rather be secure tho sloppy!

Today's Timerick: Russian Roulette.

 President Biden on Tuesday said his administration is taking steps to limit the impact that sanctions imposed on Russia have on the U.S. economy, although he acknowledged some effects were likely.

(WSJ)

Joe Biden knows just what to do

to fight the Russian bugaboo.

So when old Putin struts his stuff,

our Joe shows him we're mighty tough.

He scatters sanctions like the dust

to make those Ruskies all go bust.

And THAT will show 'em who is boss,

as they are hit with fear and loss. 

All pipeline deals are dead and gone;

an import ban on cardamon.

Their assets we have frozen good;

they can't come visit Hollywood.

Tabasco Sauce they cannot get,

while we refuse them Tagamet.

And while the Russian bear might growl,

our own strong folk will never scowl . . . 

As gasoline climbs up so far

we cannot drive a kiddie car.

And inflation gets its mitts

on ev'rything from shoes to grits.

Our wages have gone flat and stale,

and many hold a rummage sale

to finance college for their kids

or just so they won't hit the skids.

So homelessness a cancer stays

as more and more face hopeless days;

and nights upon a park bench chill,

cuz housing costs are not a frill.

But we Americans are strong

and know the diff tween right and wrong.

We'll soldier on without a grump --

but please God save us all from Trump!

Haiku: 溶ける雪が水たまりになります The snowmelt puddles

 

the snowmelt puddles --

drowning dead leaves and grasses;

ruthless and chilly.

the snowmelt puddles --

sparrows gather around it;

bar brawls erupting.

the snowmelt puddles --

capturing a pale dazed sun;

not yellow, not white.

Haiku: これらの雪は巨大です！ These snowflakes are huge!

 

These snowflakes are huge!

White doilies fluttering down

on top of my head.

These snowflakes are huge!

Settling on the cold ground

like alien lace.

These snowflakes are huge!

Who makes such sterile beauty?

How long will they last?

Haiku: コーンブレッドは焼き上がります The cornbread is done.

 

The cornbread is done --

a sense of humid glory

fills the apartment.

The cornbread is done --

this is what yellow smells like;

an old sun's color.

The cornbread is done --

no raisins this time, alas;

was the salt forgot?

Haiku: One brown maple leaf. 茶色のカエデの葉1枚

 

One brown maple leaf --

blown up on its brittle stem;

a whole deadened tree.

One brown maple leaf --

moves in the wind like a crab;

trapped in crisp brown grass.

One brown maple leaf --

on the chill soggy sidewalk;

why does gray exist?

Haiku: ゴム大根 Rubber radishes

 

Rubber radishes --

wiggles while being sliced up;

good enough for guests.

Rubber radishes --

shredded into snow white slaw;

add some vinegar.

Rubber radishes --

on sale at the small market

next to "Street Closed" sign.

Haiku: The clock's steady tick. 時計の安定したクリック

 

The clock's steady click --

overheard in sleepless night;

the judge's gavel.

The clock's steady click --

perhaps the hands will applaud

at midnight for her.

The clock's steady click --

hoping the battery dies;

the dark bed so warm.

******************************

left in the long dark --

the gray owls rejoice in it;

others hoard their light.

the clouds multiply

in a sky drenched in moonlight --

with just heat lightning. 

The nest falls apart

in the winter wind and snow --

young birds are long gone.

Haiku: 夜のひじ Elbow in the night

 

Elbow in the night --

move over and keep breathing;

where's the damn pillow?

Elbow in the night --

she has opened the window;

the moon leaking in.

Elbow in the night --

nightlight in the blue bathroom;

the plumbing trembles.

Haiku: 雪片は躊躇します Snowflakes hesitant.

 

snowflakes hesitant --

scarce. as if miserly clouds

begrudged the whiteness.

snowflakes hesitant --

dropping down for a visit;

spaced from each other.

snowflakes hesitant --

the man in a black muffler

walks through them serene.

Narrative Poem: Christmas tidings.

 

"I dreamed you had a beard last night"

I told my wife recently.

"What nonsense" she replied,

while crocheting rubber bands into

a bath mat.

That's what I love about her;

she is handy to have around

and doesn't let flattery turn her head.

"I'm going out for a walk" I said.

"Be back before Christmas" she told me.

"Okie-dokie, smokey." I blew her a kiss

as I went out the door.

They were having a run on the fog bank;

so I stood around to watch that for a while.

Luckily, I don't keep any funds in the cloud.

Then I went into the park to look for old men.

Older than me.

To watch them wander around looking for 

a bench that didn't have a puddle in the 

middle of it.

You might think such a thing sad,

but the old men are refreshed with

such a legitimate beef --

one they can tell their kids

and send crotchety emails to

City Hall about.

There was a pine tree

giving me the fish eye,

so I moved along to 

the crowbar factory --

where I have a friend 

in the curling department.

But he wasn't in.

So I bought a dozen crowbars

as Christmas presents

and lugged them back home.

Where my wife was turning

thumbtacks into brads

for when we repair the 

belvedere.

Didn't I tell you;

she's the complete package?

Haiku: バターを塗ったトーストを食べる Eating buttered toast.

 

Eating buttered toast --

the warm crumbs kissing my lips;

jam superfluous. 

Eating buttered toast --

where's the newspaper today?

Oh yeah, it's online. 

Eating buttered toast --

drinking coconut water;

what would mother think?

バターを塗ったトーストを食べる-

ココナッツウォーターを飲む;

母はどう思いますか？

***********************

a tumbling leaf

blows up against the porch door,

seeks sanctuary.

Today's Timerick: China Invented Many Things. It Says Skiing Is One of Them. (WSJ)

 

The Chinese are an ancient race.

They have a giant data base.

It dates from Ming and further back;

there's is no wisdom that they lack.

And so it's no surprise to me

that they are first, creatively,

to invent the use of skis;

fermented drink; and honey bees.

They also were the prime designers

of comedy and all one-liners.

Chopsticks, paper, black gunpowder;

they even made the first clam chowder.

Silk and ivory they made

into forks and window shade.

While the rest of mankind grunted

and on all fours went and hunted

for a snail or sour root,

the Chinese dined on bamboo shoot.

No wonder that today they hanker

to rule the world and be its banker!

Valentine's Day -- Bah, humbug!

 

(Dedicated to Elizabeth Bernstein, of the Wall Street Journal.)

I wish all cherubs straight to Hell.

Their arrows for scrap I would sell.

Fondants, nugats, marzipan;

take it to the garbage man.

Cardboard hearts with tinsel bright

should burn to light up this whole night.

Plow the flower beds beneath

the frosty smarmy winter heath.

Close the cafes and thee-aye-ters;

throw Hallmark to allee-gay-ters.

Martyr Valentine anew!

With my heart he'll never screw!

Haiku for Amy. 私の最愛の妻に捧げる

Her ear lobes carry

drops of water in the pool

like diamond earrings.

She lays in the sun

as I wish away cold winds;

her closed eyes aglow.

She wears yellow gloves

to wash dishes at night;

I dry by her side.

Today's Timerick: Why Russian Invasion Peril Is Driving Oil Prices Near $100 (WSJ)

 

I went to top the tank off

when my eyes beheld a sign

that said a gallon of the stuff

was ninety-bucks-and-nine.

"Woe is me!" I hollered

as my wallet shriveled up:

"I can't afford a gallon now

or even half a cup!"

I parked my car, then shot it;

so it would not suffer pain  --

My motor oil and brake fluid

I poured right down the drain.

Luckily I worked at home,

and never did commute --

but any walking was a strain

and wore out boot on boot.

I tried the train; I tried the bus --

but all I did was wait and cuss.

Was I a hermit soon to be,

confined at home with my TV?

And then I met the girl next door,

and soon discovered sweet l'amour.

But she would never take a step

without a car in which to schlep.

And so she broke my heart, alas --

and all because of costly gas!

This talk of war in the Ukraine

made my love life something vain.

But then the Russians came around,

and the price came tumbling down.

Now there's gasoline galore

(but with Russia WE'RE at war . . . )

Winter Haiku: 冷たい石のベンチ The cold stone park bench

Winter's cold bright meme --

a branch of withered apples

in a sharp blue sky.

A clump of rose hips --

a red cardinal pecking

suddenly flies off.

The gray stone park bench --

collecting cold melt water;

old men stare at it.

灰色の石の公園のベンチ-
冷たい融雪水を集める;
老人はそれを見つめます。

Haiku: 黒い階段の下 Under the black stairs.

 

Under the black stairs --

green stains and yellowing mops;

a plastic bucket.

Under the black stairs --

shiny concrete floor and walls;

forgotten stale air.

Under the black stairs --

more black stairs and more black stairs;

there is no ending.

Haiku: 山の月 Moon on the mountain

 

Moon on the mountain --

orange from the sun's last rays;

the sanguine day done.

Moon on the mountain --

the frozen snow burning red

from the failing sun.

Moon on the mountain --

waiting for the sun's last ebb;

a pale assassin.

Today's Timerick: The Country Where Betting on Sports Is Patriotic (WSJ)

 

Sven and Axel made a bet

on an athlete Soviet.

When she fizzled out, they sighed:

"Helvete! Ve took a ride!"

Next they tried a slalom team

cuz they liked their color scheme.

When their team ran last the pain

nearly tore apart their brain.

So they tried the lottery

and lost their Kroner handily.

They are betting fools extreme,

which is ev'ry Norseman's dream.

Even when the country bans

Sven and Axel's greedy hands

from disposing of their dough,

they still manage cash to blow

on the races or the wheel;

so they're mostly down-at-heel.

Whether soccer, track, or darts,

Norsemen always lose their hearts

to the sure thing coming soon --

causing all their wives to swoon.

If a bet you'd like to win

pick out any rolling pin;

then put down your ready bread

that it will hit a spiller's head!

Haiku: ぼやけた白い月 The blurry white moon

 

The blurry white moon --

my insomnia;

yawning in tandem.

The blurry white moon --

a blue light on the stark cold;

tree branches blackened.

The blurry white moon --

a pill and drink of water;

back to her pink warmth.

ぼやけた白い月-

錠剤と水の飲み物;

彼女のピンクの暖かさに戻ります。

 

Haiku: 杉の木の山 The cedar woodpile

 

Piles of cut cedar --

holes where the grubs are digging;

piles of brown sawdust.

Piles of cut cedar --

silver in the cold sunlight;

all the bark fell off.

Piles of cut cedar --

stumpy branches reaching out;

catching plastic bags.

カット杉の山-

ずんぐりした枝が手を伸ばす。

ビニール袋をキャッチします。

***************************

by Amy

the smell of fried eggs --

is yellow, white, and charcoal;

the color of youth.

Narrative Poem: The Supply Chain.

 

We were eating shredded paper.

It goes well with library paste.

Which there isn't any.

The supply chain, you know.

We haven't seen a piece of meat

since Elon Musk came back from Jupiter.

My wife stole a package of chicken paws

for the kids -- that's why we're all in jail now.

It's not a bad place. There's no bars.

The supply chain, you know.

The Mister lets us watch the sun dial.

And we have a rock garden behind the gallows.

When we get rehabilitated we have a lovely home

waiting for us in Haines City.

Provided by Mr. Hypocephalus,

the Greek shipping magnate.

He's going to give me a job.

Nutria wrangler.

I'll need a bullwhip 

and chapped lips. 

Until then we study tap dancing

and stamp out bumper stickers.

The kids really seem to take to it;

their latest slogan: "Always support the bottom."

Since there wasn't any library paste

we had to eat our shredded paper

with chimney soot.

My wife had hers on the rocks.

Suddenly the warden burst in

like a herd of sagebrush.

"The Governor has gone to Wichita!"

he said breathlessly.

We all knew what that meant.

Except the warden.

"What does that mean?" he asked me.

"The trucks are rolling again!" I told him.

The prison became a bedlam.

Riot and revelry took over.

I sheltered my family under

the spreading chestnut tree.

When it was over 

I took my family to

Ur of the Chaldees.

But there was only one 

Chaldee left.

The rest were on convoy

in Canada.

The vaccine, you know.

 

A “Threat To Black Communities”: Senators Call On Immigration Cops And FBI To Quit Using Clearview Facial Recognition

 

Three Senators want the federal government to cease utilizing face recognition technology developed by Clearview AI, a $130 million surveillance firm founded by Peter Thiel.


Face recognition techniques represent a severe threat to the public's civil liberties and privacy rights, Senator Edward Markey and Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Ayanna Presley warned in letters signed by them.
The company has a database of over 10 billion faces culled from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, which police can use to identify suspects.


“This technology also offers specific vulnerabilities to Black, other ethnic, and immigrant communities,” the authorities stated.
Black, Brown, and Asian faces were up to 100 times more probable than white male ones, according to a federal research.
A few Black people have been falsely detained due to a bogus face recognition match.


“More than just inaccuracy, facial recognition technology like Clearview offers distinct challenges to underprivileged populations.
“Because Black, Brown, and immigrant communities are disproportionately overpoliced, the spread of biometric monitoring capabilities is likely to disproportionately invade their privacy,” the letters added.


Stop using face recognition software, especially Clearview AI's products.


The letters were written to DHS, the US Attorney General, Defense, HHS, and the US Department of Interior.


The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act would prohibit federal agencies or government officials from using facial recognition technology.
Ayesh Prasad and Elizabeth Warren also endorsed the


“I have the highest regard for Senators Markey and Merkley, and Reps. Jayapal and Pressley,” said Hoan Ton-That, CEO of Clearview AI.
The face recognition algorithm used by Clearview AI has no observable racial bias, and we are unaware of any instances where Clearview AI's technology has resulted in a wrongful arrest.
"The algorithm properly recognized the right face out of a lineup of 12 million photographs with a 99.85% accuracy rate, which is significantly more accurate than the human eye," he said.


“The Innocence Project says eyewitness lineups cause 70% of erroneous convictions.
Face recognition software like Clearview AI may help build a world devoid of prejudice.
As a person of mixed race, this is vital.


Our success in assisting over 3,100 US law enforcement agencies in solving horrible crimes including child abuse, elder abuse, financial fraud and human trafficking is a source of pride.


Despite ethical issues, the corporation has continued to recruit governmental customers.
ICE has placed $1.75 million on the table over two contracts to acquire the technology.
The FBI recently ordered Clearview licenses for $18,000.

Haiku: 小さなバフーン The little buffoons.

 

The little buffoons --

in Washington and elsewhere;

green behind the ears.

The little buffoons --

sparrows fighting over sand;

for a warm dust bath.

The little buffoons --

under a cold orange moon;

their bald heads huddled.

小さなバフーン- 冷たいオレンジ色の月の下で; 彼らの禿げた頭は群がった。

Haiku: The smell of fried eggs. 目玉焼きの匂い Fly at the window. 窓際の虫

 

The smell of fried eggs -- 

memories of a childhood

without red hot sauce.

The smell of fried eggs --

yellow pops as edges brown;

grease on the tile floor.

The smell of fried eggs --

piled in a heap helter-skelter

over hot white rice.

*************************************

Fly at the window.  窓際の虫

fly at the window --

what do your many eyes see?

a fractal freedom.

fly at the window --

no Toby Shandy for you;

buzz into silence.

fly at the window --

shredding all the white cobwebs;

Last laugh? Maybe not. 

Narrative Poem: Meeting Joe Rogan on the beach in Thailand.

 

My Dear Children;

No, I never met Joe Rogan on the beach in Thailand.

Thanks for asking.

Your mother is making keto vegetable lasagna this morning.

She's using a whole block of Bongard's American Pasteurized Process Cheese.

I had a telemedicine conference with my urologist, Dr. Armstrong, last week; he prescribed medication.

Approval from Medicaid is still pending.

I once saw a strange light in the sky. So did my mother, while walking to the bookmobile with my sister Linda.

I've given up reading books from the Library, but still pretend to everyone I love going there.

Your mother bought a pair of black boots at DI on Saturday.

They hurt her feet when she squats.

I'm making a comedy video with grandson Noah on Tuesday; to be called "How to read a newspaper."

I hope he has a TikTok account.

I once fished a Thai Navy captain's hat out of the ocean at Ban Phe.

My Thai girlfriend Joom said I would be arrested if I kept it.

So I threw it back into the waves.

In Thailand after a corpse is burned at the Buddhist temple the monks toss the remains into the nearest body of water.

I once found a human femur in the surf at Ban Phe. I took it home for Joom's dog Neepoo.

This past week we were offered a free frozen turkey by two different people.

We turned them down, with thanks, both times, because we had no more room in our fridge or freezer.

Your mother asked me what happy Valentine Day memories I have.

I told her  none for the past 26 years; that I regard Valentine's Day the same way she regards Halloween -- as an abomination.

She replied "That's sad."

Your mother bought me an electric razor for Christmas.

I'm sorry I never told anyone else but her at the time how grateful I am for that thoughtful gift. 

 

Your mother just poured salt on the bottom of the oven, where some of the keto lasagna bubbled over. She says it keeps the spill from burning and smoking.

Each day brings new evidence to me that your mother is the smartest woman I have ever known.

Love,

Heinie Manush. 

Haiku: 素晴らしい山 Mount Timpanogos.

 

Mount Timpanogos --

serene under the white snow;

til it shakes it off.

Mount Timpanogos --

shredder of clouds and whirlwinds;

little birds nest there.

Mount Timpanogos --

no cares touch its massive brow;

brewing fog and ice.

Today's Timericks. The World Is Likely Sicker Than It Has Been in 100 Years (WSJ)

 

The world is likely sicker than it's ever been before/I myself feel seedy with a microbe tug-of-war/Shots and pills don't cut it; I will take some castor oil/then take a dose of Epsom salts while under Tesla coil.

How to Prepare for Student-Loan Payments Restarting.  (WSJ)

My student debt has been deferred forever, so it seems/And so I use my income for to follow modest dreams/But if the moneygrubbers now start to have their way/and demand of me my pound of flesh to grimly pay/I'll hie me to the circus and become a tragic clown/and they can whistle for their dough while I fall on the ground!

Too Risky to Wed in Your 20s? Not if You Avoid Cohabiting First.  (WSJ)

Marriage takes a lot of guts in this here cockeyed time/Some think it is silly while others call it crime/Children are expensive to conceive and nurture well/You can't afford to have 'em if you ain't a drug cartel/And sex is only tempting when you're young and full of heat/After you grow older all you do is soak your feet!

Excessive Bell-Ringing By Priest Takes Its Toll On Italian Community.  (Forbes)

A church rang its bell day and night/giving townspeople a fright/The priest on the cord/was simply quite bored/and not by design impolite.