Black Bottom 3

Once upon a time. I took a friend to the swamp bank. It was green with algae. Ugly. Not like it use to be.

I invited a cousin. Beloved. 

We shared what we could. We answered questions. We wanted him (my new friend)  to get familiar with the past. The old days of Whitehouse/Westide. It’s fringe. It’s fun and it’s dark. It’s Southern Gothic. 

A lot was told. The Goat ( I call him that because of the stable life he has created for himself, his wife and his four daughters. He has grandchildren. He is a well known figure in the Westside community. Respected. ) made a statement about John Hysler giving the word to kill black men that were kidnapped and forced to work whiskey stills. 

The writer ran with it. He mistakenly touted stills on Old Gainseville Rd. He made up a neighborhood where the men were kidnapped from. It seems to me like these are important facts. In a story where much is left to the imagination, I cling to the known. In my opinion he made many errors. It was disappointing to me. He had no interest in us. As a matter of fact he was demeaning. As he is with most all Whitehouse/Westside people. And yet, I still call him friend.

Continue reading Black Bottom 3

Black Bottom 2

All things concerning Black Bottom. This is actually the third introduction to this topic. The first is set private. I have to make adjustments. This is an important subject to me. This has been an overwhelming, emotional subject to pursue. It’s kind of underground. (no pun but so ironic) I am committed to writing. We will see. I have witnessed numerous other writers on blogs do good work. That’s all I hope for.

100% AI Free

Making this choice is not difficult for me. Being born an artist I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am missing the boat that they’re on and they are missing the one that I am on.

Authenticity in an Artificial World

I would like to write a normal post. But I don’t believe there is any such thing anymore. Why are my photos tagged screenshot?

I just had to delete a list of freeloaders on my widgets ( the directional columns on the left), I don’t know these people. I don’t want to know them. I don’t want to be a springboard for other people’s scams and marketing tactics. I pay for this blog. I pay for it to be free of advertisements.

In the beginning, I wrote about being free of alcohol and I was loaded down with Vodka ads. I couldn’t have that.

I have never participated on this site to try and make money. And I darn sure don’t need a machine to do my writing for me. I don’t need a machine to create art or to play music. Sorry y’all but I am bored to tears when you are on stage musically masturbating with your gadgets. And then it all sounds the same. Every song. No soul.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is taking over.

Many have jumped on board. The blog posts are often appalling.

Continue reading Authenticity in an Artificial World

Circulo ~

At one time, here in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, a ponga was the way to go on the water. It was all you needed. One oar would do, if that was all you had. Get on the water and cast your lines. Fish were over abundant here. The coastline left behind, in a world of speed. Fast people living fast lives, simply were not here.

Now, the boats, people and construction is moving at a pace, equivalent of the sound breaking barrier aircraft of my youth. I lived in the country. Cecil Airfield was down the road. I would be sitting by the pool and here a boom. An aircraft breaking the sound barrier. I paid no attention. Why should I?

Today as I type, the boom here is evident. My sleepy village is alive. It’s a snake swallowing its tail.

El Mar = Vida

Daily writing prompt
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
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This is a loaded question. I can say no, but I’m not stiff with my time. I go with the flow. An eclectic cartesian point rules my world. It points towards the sea. Everything else is what happens while I create my goals. Giving my time is Love.

Agape

Daily writing prompt
What was the best compliment you’ve received?
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This was written by a friend of many years. He is on his way out. We all are. I have a deep love for all humanity. I do what I call SAMM. Surf, art, music and massage. I get many compliments. But just yesterday, I got the best ever. A young man told me he felt I had a gift for helping others. He said, “it’s not just your experience. I believe it’s a gift you have.” As much time as I have spent with people, I know this was not a schmooze. But sincere. It was deeply meaningful to me. It felt superlative.

I have a goal of agape love. What’s yours?

Toyota

Daily writing prompt
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
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We have dreamed of crossing the country in our Toyota….1989 – 500, 000 miles. Can we do it? What do you think?

Would you try?

Violent Peace

Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
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Through the years having miles of conversations concerning peace and violence, people would always bring up Ghandi. I would have to inform them he did not win India through 100% peace. He was told to give up or the British were going to slaughter a community and that they did. When this massacre became public things changed. What is wrong with people? What is the inhumane nature of humanity about? It cannot be ignored. We all must choose our paths daily. I do. It’s been a long walk.

Billy Jack, Walking Tall and My Name is Nobody are movies I frequented in my youth. Just to be asked this question has flooded my mind with childhood/teenage memories.

At one time, I knew the entire script of Billy Jack. I was enamored with the idea of pacifism. – I was expressing peace daily. Expounding on the concept of peace. As I pontificated on peace one day, my brother grabbed me and beat me up. He said that was to assure me; I was not a pacifist. I do not speak to my brother anymore. It took many years to break that familial tie, but I finally did it. I was also a runaway. I related to the kids, in Jane’s camp. There was such an underground world of care back at that time. I do not regret any of my adventures. Except for maybe not being able to make it on my own, and having to come home. I hope to enroll at the Universidad de Paz in Costa Rica, this August. I am and always have been in pursuit of peace.

Bufford Pusser in Walking Tall had similar characteristics as Billy Jack. Billy Jack was an avenger. So was Bufford. He stood up for the disadvantaged. He took names and he kicked ass. One low life m-fer at a time. Greed and corruption had taken over his Tennessee home town, whilst he was away prize fighting. When he came home, he didn’t recognize his neighborhood. Gambling and prostitution had taken over. He became the local sheriff/peacemaker. Bufford walked with a big stick and beat the hell out of the low crawling, scumbag, vermin that had infested his peaceful hill. The tragic thing was the bad guys in an attempt to assassinate Bufford, with a long range rifle, killed his wife. And they will die and go to hell for that. Walking Tall was based on a true story.

My Name is Nobody started out with a guy, in a mountain stream, catching fish with his hands. Then he was in a saloon. He drew six guns and slapped a guy in the face, faster than lightening. Pow, pow, pow! Nobody was “an out of touch with reality” character. It was a spaghetti western/comedy. I was in the eleventh grade and I would drive myself and my sister to the theatre. We would laugh hysterically. I wanted be like Nobody. Sling and slap. M-fer, you are going down. I despise the dog pile of life. And I don’t like being at the bottom. I have had to scrap and scrape in my life. These movies were cathartic for me. – Henry Fonda who played in this movie was asked, who is faster than the fastest gunslinger in town and his reply was “Nobody.” Hence, Nobody showed up to save the day.

I watched those movies fifty and over years ago. I am going to watch them again. If my information concerning these movies is incorrect, get over it. I don’t want to fight about it. Look them up and read about them. Watch them. They are great movies. I wrote this from memory. And what a special memory this has been.

It’s funny – I checked AI for feedback on my writing. I have to laugh. — Beware of the new corruption. There is zero way to fight back.

Sri Lanka

Daily writing prompt
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
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Thirty five years ago, my mother and I stood in the grocery line at Publix. I told her that I would like to go to Sri Lanka to buy cotton clothes. She asked, “are there waves there?” I said,” yes”. She replied, “I thought so.” I still think of going there and buying those cotton clothes. And of course catching waves.