Mingo's Lingo

[the mingo]

Isn't it one of the world's most amazing things that a woman can reply to you with just her eyebrows ?

Isn't it wonderful that I can sit here and watch the boombooms in Libya provided by myself, my neighbor, the folks waiting to cross the street with the light, the girl who sells me gas and lottery tickets, the propane guy waiting for me to pay my bill and all the other taxpaying folks in this great nation of ours ? We have let our foreign policy into the hands of those who say they can handle it but it's rare when that proves out as a wise move.

We are locking up a soldier today for killing Afghan "civilians". We should lock ourselves up and be done with it.

Elizabeth Taylor is gone. Baby, you were among the queens of my adolescent dreams & that's everything I can say 'bout that. Now you're gone & left me alone. You have me heart and me gratitude. Bye, Love.

Thomas Paine held only for a strong navy when it came to military matters. A strong navy whose only goal was to protect our commerce. He said our commerce was our greatest weapon. By our trade we would defeat our enemies and be most comfortable ourselves in the process. We have realized only the smallest part of that vision, the rest we have made unrecognizable. FUBAR to be precise.

I hear they are pole dancing for Jesus in Texas. O the wonder.

To hold any natural born man or woman up for admiration is to recognize our own poverty. It is also to become an idolater. An idolater is always barking up the wrong tree. The wrong tree is what began this bloody circus in the first place.

When will it happen that we become happy with the pursuit of happiness ?

The next time I read that someone does not want to see windmills from his front window I hope to God I can get to him in time to strap him face down to any one of the leaking reactors at Fukushima or to the ground anywhere within 50 miles of those reactors and let him crisp awhile.
Turn until golden brown. Bury far far away at sea.

I live within ten miles of three nuclear plants. I just learned yesterday that I will be among those who will be evacuated in case something "goes wrong" with these perfectly "safe" & tidy nuclear fires. No one has yet said what will happen if something "goes wrong" with the evacuation. When the Cherokees were "evacuated" from North Carolina almost half died before they reached "Indian Country" in Oklahoma. Of one thing or another. And who do you suppose will take you in when you get out of the danger zone ? We will all be kept in shelters they say. Not for our safety but for the safety of others. We will not be let out to wander. Just beautiful. We can all sit around in each others radiation, won't even need a light to read at night. We can all watch each others skin slough off or just hang in shreds. No one has said for how long this will go on. 'Til next week? Next month ? Next year ? One thing for certain - no one will be going home.
And if a policeman stops you for speeding on your way out of the hot zone will you be able to sue him for the extra radiation you were exposed to while he writes you a ticket ?

A spokesman for one of the owners of one of the plants near here said in the paper yesterday that nuclear energy is truly a "green" energy source. Because it saves burning fossil fuel. It's green alright, green and glowing.

Are we happy yet ?

O Liz honey, you checked out just in time. Take me with you. Please.

Not to worry though. The Titanic didn't really sink. After all, it was unsinkable. It was all a media stunt to increase ticket sales for the daring & adventurous.

[judih]

just when i thought i could take a breath of fresh air (no siren alerts, no bomb blasts in the hood, not even a peacock shriek) you mention your ever-present threat. damn, mingo. here i thought you with the kayak would be the safest among us...
damn those nuclear plants. what the fuck is wrong with us? solar power, wind power, dean kamen the inventor is working on other amazing powers - let's simplify before we all fall down.

[Arcadia]

here there are people talking about Yacyretá´s old age, sleepy placas that could awake suddenly, its fraudulent making and big scars and the risk that us, someday, we´ll be finally covered by Paraná´s waters ... well, I don´t know... I hope we´ll find other ways to go with or against the stream meanwhile...

beautiful rant, it makes me want to give you a big hug, mingo...!!

[Doreen Peri]

Gawd it's good to see you posting your stuff up here.... I just love your writing and I miss so much because in your Mingo's Lingo artlog, there's only a few threads and all these gems are hidden in there in the conversations and sometimes when I'm reading down there, I get lost in the conversation and feel like I might be interrupting a private conversation or something and I miss stuff like this that's in those threads.... sighh....

Anyway, you're a really fine writer and I just love this piece!

[the mingo]

judih - It's just like you to express concern about me and my proximity to the nuclear plants up the road a piece while rockets fly in the skies around you. Should you know it or not you have been quite the ambassador, to me at least, for humanity itself. I follow with interest most all your posts and all the pics you send up - as much as time allows. Many of the things in those posts have led me to investigations of my own for which I now thank you to let you know that I have been down many paths because of you & the things you have posted over the years. Anyways... keep your wits about you & your head down. I worry 'bout you and hope for the best for all of you there and by the way, just so you can have some peace on it, even if I go green and glow in the dark , they can have my kayak paddle when they can pry it from my cold dead fingers.

[the mingo]

Veronica - Would to God I could get that hug in person ! Still, ya touched my heart with your words and the sentiment expressed. I always take the time to see the pics you post here. They always show me something and I always enjoy. Just so you know. When I see your photos it's like I'm back in the Navy and seeing things I've never seen before and it's always a kick. I'm glad you enjoyed the piece I put up here.

[the mingo]

doreen - I hear what you're sayin'. I've just been complacent down on my log for a long time. I forget there is more to this site. I didn't know where to put this piece to tell ya truth. Anyways, you girls all gave me a kick with your responses & I thank you all for that. And I'm glad you enjoyed the piece yourself. Did you do the poetry thing with Mark yet ? & if you did how did it come out ? I would like to meet him one of these fine days face to face. He's not that far south of me, certainly not out of range. I really enjoy his spoken word posts he puts up here. Thx again for reading doreen.
You ladies are all so beautiful...sighhh...

[Doreen Peri]

Well if you're close to Wireman, you're close to ME! I live only 40 minutes from Wireman. I've been doing shows with him in person for 10 years approx.

I had no idea where you lived. This is very cool! Let's get together. Come on down to the next poetry reading in Frederick, MD or wherever we have it.

[the mingo]

Thx doreen for the invite. I didn't realize you were in the neighborhood so to speak. Took a look at the maps this morning when my coffee kicked in. I knew you were in Virginia but I've never actually taken a look at it in connection with where Mark is there in Maryland. You're right, it's all certainly close enough to be done and I'd like to get down there one of these days. You won't see me during kayak season though, if the weather is even halfway decent and the water is open I'm on it. I won't forget the invitation, I would enjoy seeing the both of you face to face. Thx, doreen.

[the mingo]

Ps - I forgot, I live a few miles east of Oswego, Ny. Check it out.

[mnaz]

good stuff here, mingo. i might come back to this when i have more time. just wanted to comment about nuclear power. mixed feelings about it. it's good because it's a plentiful energy source and it's not fossil fuels. but is it really a "clean" energy source? hard to swallow that claim. unless they can get a hell of a lot better at limiting the toxic waste generated. so... problem here.

and a bigger problem is the potential for large-scale toxic disaster, both from the plants themselves, as we're seeing in japan, and from the stored waste. (they were set to build a giant waste dump at yucca mountain, nevada, an area of potentially high seismicity, and less than 90 miles from death valley-- brilliant). nuke plants have been around for quite awhile now, and from the '80s on in particular, outside of chernobyl, the overall safety record is good, as far as i'm aware. but it's the sort of thing where, it only takes once or twice...

[the mingo]

Thx, mnaz. What's goin on in Japan is just a wakeup call. Not to a war on the situation but to a road we have not taken. Hope to God we all get there.
Thx for reading.