Naked Dating...???

For several weeks now, recent holidays have kept me sequestered from alternate realities, and so passing news reports, good, bad, or ugly, have managed to escape my miniscule viewpoint. However, all things must come to an end and let's face it... media has a way of grabbing one's attention.

With today's International headlines hawking stories of wars and rumors of wars, as well as second and third page human tragedies, there are definitely bigger and more important issues to make comment over. However, this one, in the starkest of contrasts, simply screams for a shot or two.
  

From an article recently published online by Huffington Post and other news media, it is being reported that “...During an episode of the risque reality show "Dating Naked" which aired on July 31, New York model Jessie Nizewitz claims the cable network aired uncensored footage of her privates.”

In a statement made by her, Ms. Nizewitz says something to the effect that, despite repeated assurance by the production companies involved, that both her’s and her date’s sexually-related physical parts would be shadowed, or blurred out of scenes in final production, that a violation of this understanding had taken place. As a result of the now infamous, public screening, and the questionable “accidental or not” reveal of her “naughty bits”, she now feels that she was manipulated and lied to. Consequently she has filed a lawsuit against the show for ten million dollars, and either knowingly, or ignorantly, has automatically provided the producers with immeasurable free publicity.

Whatever the outcome of this specific media circus, previous similar events indicate that the network and it’s affiliates will be the overall winners of the battle, while the model’s concerns regarding her virtue will quickly vanish into obscurity. For a while at least, until something more pruient comes along, this particular reality show’s sagging ratings will most likely sky-rocket, as will the pricing the producers are now able to charge for advertising.

Unfortunately, as a cruel and bullying addendum, the New York Post is already reporting that Nizewitz has been heavily mocked online, "...making her literally, the butt of everybody's jokes."

I have not seen any episodes of the show, nor do I intend to do so, but since it’s first early advertising spots, made mental note of the fact that reality programs in general and this one particularly, have managed to rapidly sink to new lows in television standards. They seem to be desperately grasping for market share and appear willing to promulgate any concept that might generate a bit more money than the other guys. At the same time, perhaps in light of, or despite my own questionable follies of the past, I couldn’t help but also wonder how anyone, either man or woman with even the smallest shred of integrity, and/or intelligence, could involve themselves in such a production, without partially sensing that their participation would ultimately be exploited to the fullest extent legally possible.

There is an old fable told of a snake that was trying to scale a mountain in order to get to a spot where it could warm itself in the afternoon sun. The route, although easy at first, had become extremely rugged and rocky, making it difficult for the reptile to slither its way further to the summit. Frequently, the sharp stones would cut into its skin and  force it to pause to regain energy. The snake was about to give up the quest when finally, it saw a man rapidly hiking his way to the top, nimbly hopping from one craggy boulder to another. 

“Please!” begged the serpent plaintively, “Have mercy on one of God’s lowliest of creatures. Put me in your pocket so that I can get to the top safely and without further havoc or accident.

“But, you’re a snake,” replied the hiker, “and a poisonous one at that. There is no doubt in my mind that upon placing you at the top of the mountain, you will strike me dead!”

“I promise by all that’s holy in the serpent world that I will not bite you, but instead praise your name to all, for the kindness you will have extended to me.”

The possibilities involving the two went on for several minutes until the man reluctantly agreed to put the reptile in his jacket pocket and carry it on towards the mountain’s peak. In short time, the summit was reached. The good Samaritan took out the snake and carefully placed him on the sunniest part of a precipice. Immediately, the snake unleashed it’s coils, striking the hiker’s hand.

“Why would you do that?” the hiker asked in disbelief... “after all which you had promised?”

“I am a snake!” the reptile hissed, watching the man slowly fall to his knees. “I am a snake! And you knew that when you picked me up!”

It may not parallel exactly, and without being a first hand witness, I am only guessing as to the real truth of the situation detailed above. In reading anything these days I try hard not to be judge, jury or executioner...but it sure seems, on the surface at least for Ms.Nizewitz, that perhaps this same sort of thing happened to her.

Well... ten million dollars, whether earned or awarded, is a nice paycheck whichever way it is penned. I just wish that all the BS was being shoveled out by the media moguls alone. At least that way a person could utilize the remote or the delete key more effectively. - J.

Article Copyright J. Michael Lyffe - 2014

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum…

In a world where there are so many people sincerely trying to do good, attempting to live decent and positively progressive lives… earnestly sharing their skills and talents in efforts to improve the common good, it is nevertheless severely challenging to be faced, almost daily, with blatant, deeply rooted corruption at the highest levels of our so-called “civilization.”

 

Sadly, it is a repetitive phenomenon within human history that when individuals and organizations manage to gain a certain level of authority, unrighteous dominion begins to taint their interests; power and gain become their hidden agenda, and wholesale corruption becomes their legacy.

 

Gratefully, in growing opposition to that malignancy, there are much more intelligent voices crying in the wilderness collectively illuminating the corruption; ever hopeful of diminishing the negative influence and removing its destructive potential.

 

An unknown author wrote that: “Corruption is authority, plus monopoly, minus transparency.” Consequently, the more we do as individuals to add our singular lamps to any problem’s shadows, the sooner the true essence of the image will be revealed. Ingenuous authority can then be challenged more effectively, and the scurvy of monopoly eventually eliminated.

 

A present example of increasingly questionable legitimacy is that of the FIFA organization (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) the governing body of European style football that we in the untamed New World call "soccer." Initially founded in 1904 with the noblest of intentions to foster and encourage popularity of the sport, the association has succeeded beyond it’s wildest dreams and has become a major player in influencing world governments to support its endeavors.

 

Perhaps due to an unknown quark of cosmic consciousness, the pendulum of avarice has been legislated to swing both ways, and Karma inevitably, must come due. The debatable financial rewards reaped by those in authority, and the ensuing havoc created by such corruption is now generating sufficient critical commentary that eventually the focus will be so intense upon the association, that its final existance will be nothing more than a flash in a pan.

 

In reference to the current World Cup event being held in Brazil, architect Miguel Capobiango detailed that… “in order to stage the tournament, the country built or refurbished 12 stadiums at an estimated cost of $3.6 billion, including one in the city of Manaus deep in the jungle. This particular 42,000-seat Arena de Amazonia in Manaus cost an estimated $319 million but will only see four World Cup games. In addition, after the event, the stadium's future is unclear, since Manaus's home club, Nacional, only attracts about 1,000 spectators per game.”

 

And, in addressing the dubious social benefits FIFA claims to produce for it’s host countries, Scottish journalist Andrew Jennings, author of Omertà: Sepp Blatter's FIFA Organized Crime Family, brought up the controversy surrounding the planned 2022 world Cup in Qatar, the sweltering Gulf state that is currently the subject of a FIFA bribery investigation.

 

"[FIFA members] either have to be committed to an asylum for the mentally ill or taken to court and accused of corruption. You don't give it to Qatar in the summer."

 

And finally, to lighten things up and bring the entire fiasco into sharper focus, the sarcastically biting wit of John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” injects the dot of the needle right over the i and slashes surgically across the t in a brilliant, but regretfully true, condemnation of one of humanity’s greatest weaknesses!

 

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

 

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum... I smell the blood of an Englishman! - J.

 

Article Copyright J. Michael Lyffe - 2014

Absolutely FREAKIN' Brilliant!!...

Every now and then, I hear about someone, or something, that is so far beyond my scope of intelligence that my ego is stunned into frenetic submission, like a person Tasered by a troop of enthusiastic, but well-intentioned, gendarmes.

While my own personal problem of the day might be pondering the repercussions of whether or not I should shave, others of a much more illuminated plane of thought, are actually trying to enhance, salvage, or restore, the overall well-being of this planet’s inhabitants.

Such is the case with Scott and Julie Brusaw of Sagle Idaho, and their idealistic concept of replacing the highways and byways of America with hexagonally shaped platters of virtually indestructible solar panels.

As proponents of the ingenious scheme proclaim, not only would the resulting production estimates of viable electricity be more than triple current demand, the disks would also drastically reduce, and even eliminate, many requirements for snow clearing, and dynamically lower the carbon footprint now demanded for asphalt paving. The addition of digital L.E.D. circuitry to the plates would also permit roadway lane illumination and parking lot signage, as well as emergency alerts and highway directions and notifications. And, the additional fact that the segments can all be generated from recyclable materials has the majority of environmental advocates giving the project a big green thumbs up!

Critics of the cause present some interesting and possibly valid objections to the Brusaw’s proposals, but so far, the inventors have been able to parry effectively with counter-points backed by very convincing statistics. You can check out their FAQ site here.

Personally, I love the idea that if a moose, deer, bear, coyote or other animal of known local habitation chooses to cross the highway in front of me on a dark evening, digital signage in the roadway could alert me well in advance to slow down sufficiently to hopefully avoid a tragedy involving them or my family. Plus, I am totally jazzed about the possibility of turning an entire shopping center’s parking lot, or a city square into a series of gaming courts or even a disco ballroom at the flick of a sequence switch.

As a Canadian citizen I am a hockey fan by automatic mandate, and so I am obliged to imagine the chilling entertainment and even the horrendous advertising possibilities of one of these things installed under the ice. Oooohh! The endless potential and advantages make me shiver in erratic anticipation. I can almost see and hear hockey commentator Don Cherry now, demanding a suit made from the same materials.

And, as far as concerns go... I am already wondering just how well the heated highway would work during a week or two spell of our Great White North’s -40C winter weather, with potential intermittent snowfalls of between one and three feet. In addition, with the current price tag of the individual solar segments being so high, I question who would pay for the 24-7 armed guards who would need to be deployed, fed, and housed, along the proposed construction route in order to fend off would be road warriors from hi-jacking the honeycomb.

 

Nevertheless… the concept is stunningly magnificent! Hopefully, it will stimulate each person who views the project into visualizing a much more progressive world which is actively engaged in the collective well-being of our environment rather than it's destruction, and how we might someday, somehow, assist in the former, noble undertaking.  – J.

Article Copyright J. Michael Lyffe - 2014

Say Cheese..!

In keeping with the title/theme, or whatever flavor this blog might be or become, it is only fair to comment on the discovery I happened upon recently of a distant artful blogger and his experiments with “The 100% Cheese, Grilled Cheese Sandwich.”

 

Unfortunately, the specific curd product combo mentioned in his description (Carr Valley Cheese) is not readily available in my neck of the woods and so I will have to wait a while before I make effort to replicate his masterpiece. But thanks to the marketing moguls at Amazon.com even that minor miracle, sans CBSA confiscation, is only a few days away.

And, as I pondered the sandwich’s potential for sheer genius, my only hesitation in ordering the item was not for personal concern regarding any medical issues even close to lactose intolerance, but rather for whether or not my already palpitating heart would be able to handle such a magnificent creation, considering the sheer caloric intake involved.

However, the fact that someone was so inspired in their culinary endeavors to even think that such a possibility could exist, illuminated the article, and the overall blog site, to one of particular fascination for me. It is just not how my own delegated portion of grey matter works… and so encountering this ability in another is almost like chancing upon buried treasure.

Temporary aside: I think that’s what I find most intriguing and exhilarating about the Internet. Not only are it’s participants presented with a gamut of fact or fanciful information on just about every subject on, in, around and under the earth, we are also sparked within our own imaginations by the digitally induced flavors, senses and colors that inherently make some of the data so unique and of notable merit.

This may all add up to simply being trivia absorption at best… but it is amazing trivia, akin to the hypnotic effect of Ripley’s “Believe it, or Not! 

In this particular case, my ignorance was inadvertently and thankfully diminished (even if only by a smidgeon) with the discovery that not only is there such a thing as “Bread Cheese”, but also that it has been around for over 200 years, having originated in northern Finland and Sweden as something called Juustoleipa. Apparently it’s unique flavor and texture characteristics come from the fact that it is traditionally made from Reindeer milk and can be dried to an almost brick-like consistency, permitting it to be stored without refrigeration for many years. The necessity of grilling the sandwich simply softens the product appropriately and increases it’s overall flavor, lending it the necessary practicality in sharing berth as a 100% Cheese, Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Whether or not it ends up being classified as the “Perfect” one… the taste of time can only tell, but I certainly appreciate Nick of DudeFoods.com for toasting it!

Encore, encore! 

And if you just want to know more about cheese in general, check this out.  

 

That's probably enough Cheesy advertising for one day, even though it is a tasty subject.  J.

Article Copyright J. Michael Lyffe - 2014

Mello Jell-O... Quite Rightly!!

Being “In The Moment” is one of those Zen-like concepts that seems readily expressed these days, for the promotion and enhancement of personal awareness, in relationship to just about anything. However, like most philosophical insights it’s real nature is about as difficult to grasp as it is to nail Jell-O to a tree... in a forest where no one is present, to hear whether or not the potential timber yells “ouch!”

 

For anyone who has ever been “on stage” for a theatrical performance, act, speaking assignment, skit, solo, concert, or similar event being presented to an audience, the heightened levels of sensory consciousness generally experienced bear vivid testimony of a very tangible, and keenly focused vitality that is frequently generated. This ethereal essence augments the particular talents being utilized for the event and assists in conveying the artist’s message more powerfully across the footlights. The performer, if skilled sufficiently in harnessing the dynamic, becomes “the moment” with each note, gesture, word, or flourish; and onlookers, willing to temporarily suspend their personal realities for the cost of admission, vicariously embrace the magic.

 

The performer captures the moment; the moment becomes enchanting; and those of us in the plush velvets are caught up in the bubble of emotional euphoria being generated. This is the invisible, sparkling opiate that hooks thespians to the boards and seals their common kinship with each other.

 

In a separate form, a master archer is able to envision an arrow piercing a target’s center mark within the same instant he or she withdraws it from a quiver and notches it in a fluid, full draw and release motion of the bow. Years of self-discipline and keenly focused practice permit the warrior to become “one” with the event; having compressed the individual coarser segments of the act into a singularly perfect, combined moment of purest thought and movement.

 

In the wisdom of Yoda and early 80’s Cinemasophy this would translate as “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”

 

During circumstances of extreme external stress or trauma, either our perceptions, or the properties of time itself seem to change dramatically. The shift occasionally permits us to view and experience otherwise instantly occurring events as slow motion, drawn out, and intimately inspectable, micro-second slices, which give the illusion and overall effect of being “in the moment!”

 

Can you imagine then, if our awareness was somehow “quickened” to the point where time ceased entirely?

 

Actions and their consequences would be generated within identical points of existence, while a paralleled decision to initiate the action in the first place would be correctly determined WHILE the button is being pushed.  Talk about being “In THE Moment!!”

 

This non-time fictionality could then be easily extrapolated backwards from our reference point to the specific nano-fraction flash of existence; when the so called “Big Bang” may, or may not, have taken place. Within that slivered wafer of potential eternity, all possibilities of reality both in advance of, and post advent of the mega-boom would co-exist in some mystical realm or another. And, of course… the fact that you and I are currently able to experience any of this, in whatever rippled status we have somehow been caught up, must mean we are part of the whole shebang.

 

Are we perhaps then, not only “IN The Moment,” but also co-equal witnesses OF it?  Somewhere off in the distant expanse of possibilities do we have the potential of not only being the actors, but also the audience of the plays we are currently producing?

 

And now that my brain is in synaptic hyper-drive, I believe I could really enjoy a bowl full of Jell-O.   J.



Article Copyright J. Michael Lyffe - 2014

Deception as Perception...



While any good will that may have come from the recent Russian hosted Olympics is quickly being funnelled out of the country almost as quickly as their troops have been poised to enter the Ukraine, earlier today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, at U.N. meetings in Geneva, explained the reasoning behind Russia's military invasion of Crimea.

 

"This is a question of defending our citizens and compatriots, ensuring human rights, especially the right to life," he said.

 

And of course, none of this has anything to do with oil and gas pipelines that happen to run through the country. J.

 

'Nuff Said...

Where have all the flowers gone?