floundersgreatadventure

Well it time for the last post of the year and you know what that means we talk about STUFF. If you go around your house open closets and cabinets you will see that you have more stuff then you think. Now the question of the day is what do you do with all that stuff. Every year we get more stuff some we buy for ourselves some is given to us by others and every year we try to figure out what to do with all the old stuff we have. We could sell it or while being tacky we could re-gift some of it. Then of if all else fails just leave it out on the curb. It seem that no matter what your economical level you always want more stuff. Apple knows this when every year or so they come out with a new cell phone and people stand in line to buy it even though their old cell phone might be ok. Yes I do have a cell phone I get my wifes hand me downs. I don’t use except to talk to my wife when she not home, we’ll talk another time about cell phones. This phenomenon is not just an American one it would seem it’s world wide and goes back to prehistoric times. But as we all know it’s becoming a big problem as to what to do with all the old stuff. We do something that other countries don’t do or at least don’t do the extent we do and that is waste stuff. We discard things not because we done with them or they don’t work anymore we do it because we’re bored and there’s something new out there we want now. Manufactures know this because they build an obsolescence factor into their products. Automobiles are a good example as they have on the average a 2 year obsolescence factor. What this means is that around the two year mark the maintenance cost begin to rise disproportional to the value of the car. So rather than putting money into it people are convinced to buy a new one. Along with this the introduce new models or change the design making buying a new one seem more attractive. Cars aren’t the only thing that this process applies too it’s built into just about everything in our lives. But what we never seem to think about is, whats going to happen to our old stuff. Some people hoard there old stuff some give it to charity some actually do leave it at the curb. But the real point is why we got it in the first place because if we needed it that badly why would we suddenly decide we didn’t need it and go out and get new stuff. Well that should make you want to keep on drinking. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia and wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR .

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
–
Frances Pharcellus
Church
–
New York Sun
–
9/21/
1897
“DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
“Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
“Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’
“Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
“VIRGINIA O’HANLON.
”
115 WEST NINETY
–
FIFTH STREET.”
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the
skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that
nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia,
whe
ther they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere
insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as
measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledg
e.
Yes, Virginia
, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity
and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest
beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.
It
would be as drea
ry as if there were no Virginias
. There would be no childlike faith then,
no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment,
except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the w
orld would be
extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might
get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa
Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming dow
n, what would that prove?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real
things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see
fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s
no proof that they are not there.
Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the
world.
You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there
is a veil covering the unseen world which n
ot the strongest man, nor even the united
strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy,
poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal
beauty and glory beyo
nd. Is it all real?
Ah, Virginia
, in all this world there is nothing else
real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! H
e lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years
from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to
make glad the heart
of childhood.
This is Flounder and Fats saying Happy Christmas from Medellin, Colombia.

You might expect to see a special post after the election in Alabama and here it is. The Democratic Party should not be jumping for joy because there candidate because as a friend of mine said this has nothing to do with party politics rather it boiled down to moral issues. The Democrats should also not expect the newly elected Doug Jones to vote the Democratic Party line. Alabama is notoriously poor steadfast Republican state as seen by move already being made to get Jones to convert to the Republican Party. The only way the Trumpster is going to be defeated is if people do like they did in Alabama and vote for the better person regardless of they’re party. If you haven’t seen some of the real crazy shit being printed by Christians regarding the Trumpster recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel then you’ve missed some really whacky shit. These people are already saying it’s a sign that the Rapture and end of days is just around the corner. Like trying to start a war with just about everybody wasn’t enough the Trumpster getting God in on the act. Look people remember this it’s not just what the Trumpster does or says it’s what all the other ass holes that have drank his Kool-Aid think and do. Remember Jim Jones and David Koresh and what they were able to get their followers to do. So it’s a good thing this election and everybody should enjoy the feeling for now. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

It’s the holiday season and we should all be looking forward to spending time with our families and friends not worrying about whether we’ll have health insurance or will our children have a planet to grow up on. But the people in charge of the government have other ideas. They’re using this time to sneak every bad idea they have pass us while we’re stressed out trying to get ready for the holidays. I know how everybody feels right now they don’t want to hear about taxes and insurance they just want to see the smile on their kids faces listen to Christmas music drink spiked eggnog. Now I’m not here to make you depressed because the reality of the situation is we’ve waited too long to try and do something about it. I can hear all the people that have been posting the get the Trumpster out posts on Facebook screaming NO NO it’s not too late. But sadly Virgina there will be no Santa Claus this year. You can but the blame on politicians and you’d be right to an extent but people have been willing to let the mediocrity that has passed for government just go along. Then they got pissed the ones that have lost jobs and we’re looking for someone to blame other than themselves. I can sympathize I’ve lost jobs without another one on the horizon so I would work two sometimes three jobs of lesser pay to try and survive and yes I’ve twice been personally bankrupt but I am what my mother used to call me a survivor and now I set in another country living a good life. But yet I still write about problems I see in the US you say and to that I say you’re right. But my living in another country and being retired gives me another perspective on what’s going on. I get to see what the rest of the world really thinks of us and I don’t have pressure on me to keep a job I’m old so I don’t give a shit about repercussions for what I write or say. Wish I didn’t see what I see or hear what I hear of course I would love to able to be oblivious to it all and just enjoy life but by some quirk of fate I can’t. Thank God I got my pal Flounder around to help me forget once in awhile. But then I see my Nephews up there and my Niece up there and I fear that they may never have the chance to make the mistakes I have or enjoy the success’s I have. Well listen it’s getting near the end of the year and you know that means a post about stuff is coming and some holiday stuff barring of course nothing dramatic happens. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin Colombia.

I got to tell you it’s not fun being an American in a foreign country these days. The time of being looked at with envy because of the quality of leadership we had is gone now. The United States is no longer the leader of the free world we have become a laughing stock. Our politicians not just Republicans or Democrats are taking us down a road that we used to laugh at when it happened to other countries. Our friends in the Pacific are scared shitless that the Trumpster will start a war with North Korea just to stay in office. It would see that the Trumpster doesn’t care how many American lives are destroyed by his policies and those of the rest of the political scumbags. I’m 71 years old and my buddy Flounder is 17 and a half and we’ve never felt ashamed of where we came from. Our friends and relatives down here in Colombia laugh whenever we say something about Colombia’s government and they point and say the Trumpster’s worse and you know they might be right. The people in control now have no idea how the world operates it’s not a business that you can walk into and bully people because you have more money than them. The world is a place where a thing called diplomacy is used to get thing accomplished. The Trumpster wants to build walls and keep out immigrants. Russia built a wall in Germany, how’d that work out, a policy of isolationism has never worked well for any country. I’ve read articles that say the Trumpster will be reelected because people don’t want thing to go back the way they were. Well either do I. I want them to be better not worse like they are now. those people that said they wanted jobs to come back are being fed statistics that are saying the economy is growing. Maybe but not for people like you and me we’re still trying to make ends meet. I can’t keep talking about this shit I’m getting a stomach ache so I’ll say this is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.