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.

Narrative Poem: The Invitation.

 

My Dear Children;

I went with your mother to Springville the other day to look the town over while she worked at the H&R Block office for four hours. I strolled around, got chilled, went back to her office, saw she was busy, went to the library, and started to read Irving Stone's "The Agony and the Ecstasy" in one of their comfortable chairs. 

Then I got hungry and walked a half mile to the Art City Trolley Restaurant. Where I was ambushed by an unexpected kindness.

I guess I look pretty forlorn when I'm eating by myself anymore. I'm always worrying about how much to tip (or whether to tip at all) and I always decide I ordered the wrong thing while I watch other people enjoying their meals.

While I was sipping my water (I never order a beverage -- my cheap-itis won't let me) a woman from a nearby table came over and invited me to join them. It was apparently a large, rollicking, family table. Celebrating an anniversary or birthday. I thanked her for her kind invitation, then turned her down. At her disappointed look, I simply said I enjoyed sitting by the tilework on the wall. She smiled uncertainly and went back to her table.

Why did I do that?  I enjoy company and conversation while I eat. Always have. I didn't hesitate to turn her down. Why? 

I decided not to overthink it at the time. And I refuse to feel guilty about it now.

Maybe I was just not in the mood to explain myself to strangers once again. It always happens -- when I'm introduced to new people and they find out I was a circus clown they begin to drill me with the same old questions. Of course, I could lie. I was wearing an old blue shirt I got at DI. It had SEARS embroidered above the pocket. So I guess I could have spun a yarn about working at Sears for thirty-five years before being forced to retire on a reduced pension. I think I would have gotten a lot of sympathy. And if I had played my cards right I bet that whole table would have taken up a collection for me. Poor old lonely man!

But I didn't have the energy to sustain such a bamboozle.

I'm reminded of a few years ago, when daughter Daisy came over one summer Sunday afternoon to ask if I wanted to take a walk with her. There again, I didn't hesitate to turn her down flat. Why? I don't really know myself. I have always craved the company of my children and I enjoy short walks in the park. But that day I told her my back was giving me problems -- but then, my back is ALWAYS giving me problems. I'm used to it by now. So Daisy went for a walk by herself.

My best guess is that I'm so used to looking for silt that I don't recognize the river. When good things are offered to me I automatically think of why I can't accept it. 

Thank God I didn't feel that way when your mother came to me last September to ask about getting remarried!

Your mother, by the way, made a dynomite bowl of potato salad last night, and I'm eating some with a slice of fried ham right now. It makes me happy as a clam and as satisfied as a pig in mud. And so I will leave youse guys on that happy note.

Roses are red/violets tremble/when they think/of Sarah Siddons Kemble. 

Love

Heinie Manush.

Haiku: ブランケットのブタ Pigs in a blanket.

 Pigs in a blanket --

tawny glister of syrup;

sneak on more butter.

Pigs in a blanket --

the black griddle needs cleaning;

off to McDonald's!

Pigs in a blanket --

a cold glass of choc'late milk;

throw out the lettuce!

ブランケットのブタ
冷たいチョコレートミルクのグラスで-
レタスを捨てろ！

Haiku: 痛い足を浸す Soaking my sore feet

 

soaking my sore feet --

washing rancid socks each day;

when will we all float?

Soaking my sore feet --

too much striding through strip malls;

so many shoe stores!

Soaking my sore feet --

the light gray cement sidewalk;

destination lost.

私の痛い足を浸す-

ライトグレーのセメント歩道。

目的地が失われました