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.