The Overpass

OK, I may be a little anal, but just when it comes to facts, though, yes, I, too, make the occasional mistake. But the type of mistake I may make is of an entirely different nature that doesn't involve verifiable facts…

Here’s a perfect, clear-cut example of wrong info getting carried over from one influencer/outlet to the next, becoming the ‘established’ fact amongst a huge swath of the media ecosphere, despite being wrong.

In this case, the error is benign, but I constantly see this type of ‘bad reporting’ carry over across outlets—usually, through ideologically-related parts of the mediasphere—when it also involves clear misinformation, rumours, or skewed interpretations that are tribally beneficial, and far from benign. 

The Example

The article—I can’t recall which outlet it was—that I had read in 2024 had mentioned 500 tons of cocaine in relation to the charges brought up against the former Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who, on 26-Jun-2024, had been sentenced to 45 years of prison.

That’s the number that had always stuck in my mind: 500 tons, or 500,000 kilograms. I had also read a portion of the indictment some time later, which burned that number in my brain.

However, as his case became relevant again following Trump’s pardon, which happened while the Trump administration was actively telling the world that Nicolás Maduro is an evil narco-terrorist that needed to be ousted and imprisoned, the number that repeatedly shows up in everyone’s mention of Hernandez is now 400 tons. I'm sure that that's the number that you, too, have heard from whichever outlet or Youtuber/social-media personality you may follow. You want examples? Just look up any recent mention of Hernandez.

I’d silently mouth, “No, it’s 500,” each time. Then looked it up, just to be sure. And continue mouthing the correct amount with each mention made by all outlets, big or small.     

The charge in the indictment clearly specifies 500 tons. 

“Since at least in or about 2004, members of the conspiracy transported through Honduras more than approximately 500,000 kilograms of United States- bound cocaine.” 

And, no, I’m not confusing Metric tons (or tonnes) with U.S. tons, as the latter would bring the amount way below both the reported and official amounts, for:

400 Metric tons = 400,000 kilograms
400 US tons = 362,874 kilograms

That means that one major outlet or influencer got it wrong, and everyone else is working off of secondary sources rather than the primary source. And that those who hire fact-checkers are wasting their money? (By the way: If someone would like to hire me for fact-checking work, don’t hesitate…)

This is bad, compounding some problems, and, in many cases, merely feeding idiotic, hate-filled tribalism.
There's a reason why the media, no matter which side of the spectrum, makes me swear so much. Being anal... it's not easy.

Indictment: https://dn710202.ca.archive.org/0/items/gov.uscourts.nysd.578666/gov.uscourts.nysd.578666.423.0.pdf

Follow up on a previous post: Israel Recognizes Somaliland.

Is there a link between the sudden rise in anti-Somali sentiments seen in the U.S. in recent months—all of it triggered by Trump who, while taking aim at Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, categorized all Somalis as “garbage” people—with events unfurling in that part of Africa?

Even the recent, viral, alleged fraud case in Minnesota exploits this sudden hatred; it’s not about ‘fraudsters,’ it’s about ‘Somalian fraudsters’. Details? Proof? Who cares! Deport all Somalis!

The hate that’s suddenly expressed by a portion of United Staters on social media and elsewhere… Oh, my! You’d think that Somalis were responsible for all of U.S.’s woes, the targeted hatred voiced in a manner that suggests that ignorant right-wing racists have forgotten all about Mexicans and other Latino ‘brownies’.

This wasn’t an organic ‘happening’, and, habitually, that kind of governmentally-prompted public hate campaign heralds a nefarious move by Washington.

So, what to make of the fact that, in 2025 alone, the Trump administration carried out a record-breaking 127 airstrikes on Somalia, eclipsing Trump’s 2019 record of 63 strikes on Somalia. These strikes are said to have been carried out in order to “degrade” the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab ‘terror’ group, but, nonetheless, assuming this is true, why Somalia?

AFRICOM (U.S. African Command), in all of their related press releases, tells us that the aim is, “to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.”

Really? 

That comes across as a very empty, proper PR excuse, not the truth, more so when considering that the official claims don’t always mesh with the on-the-ground reality reported by locals—Nigeria and “Christian genocide” being the most blatant recent example—and never mind the U.S.’s complex, hushed relationship with these terrorist groups.

With that, and now having looked deeper into the reasons as to why Israel would want to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign nation, I refuse to discard my view that both it and the U.S. are seeking to destabilize many parts of Africa, but I must now acknowledge a more practical reason: Israel is getting ready to forcibly displace Palestinians. And they need a place for them.

On 20-Mar-2025, Israel's Yeshiva World News reported:

“A senior Somaliland official has signaled openness to discussing the possible relocation of Gazans to the disputed African territory, but only under one condition—formal diplomatic recognition.

“In an interview with Israel’s Kan broadcaster, Abdirahman Dahir Adam Bakal, Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, responded to inquiries about reports that Israeli and U.S. officials have approached Somaliland, Sudan, and Somalia as potential destinations for displaced Gazans. While confirming Somaliland’s willingness to engage in talks, Bakal made it clear that only nations that officially recognize Somaliland’s sovereignty would be considered as negotiating partners."

Meanwhile, ‘Sudanese officials have explicitly rejected the possibility while Somali authorities are denying that such talks ever took place.’

On 31-May-2025, the Mogadishu-based Caasimada Online acknowledged the prospect whilst emphasizing that no formal plans had been put forth.   

"Although no official resettlement proposal has been made, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and senior refugee officials confirmed the breakaway republic is open to offering refuge to Palestinians—emphasizing the region’s history of hosting displaced communities.

“'The Palestinians are our brothers,' said Abdullahi in an interview with The Guardian . 'If they choose to come of their own will, we don’t mind. But there are no formal discussions underway with the Palestinians or with any other country.'”

Since then, was an agreement formalized?

Sources

Somaliland Open To Taking In Gazans—But Only If It’s Recognized As A Nation

https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/2379667/somaliland-open-to-taking-in-gazans-but-only-if-its-recognized-as-a-nation.html

Somaliland offers to take in Gazans forced out by Israel

https://www.caasimada.net/somaliland-offers-to-take-in-gazans-forced-out-by-israel/

AFRICOM Press Releases

https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/

Oh, the irony!

On 26-Dec-2025, Israel officially recognised Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, the first and only U.N. member state to do so.

And by doing so, Netanyahu instantly destroyed all the arguments that he and his sadistic Zionist pals had put forth against the several governments who, last fall, recognized Palestine as an independent nation.

Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, declared itself a republic during the 1991 Somalia civil war, and has been seeking official recognition as an independent state for the past three decades.

Originally taking shape under various Muslim kingdoms, then occupied by clans, the region arrived at its present form through colonialism, as its territory was formalized in 1884, when Britain took over the region from Egypt, establishing a protectorate it aptly named British Somaliland. Somaliland gained independence from Britain in 1960.

The African Union, as well as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Egypt, condemned Israel’s decision, stating that it sets a “dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.”

Somaliland is firmly divided between secessionists and unionist communities who’ve been living in relative peace under the current state of affairs, having settled into a broad cohesion, and this move is expected to stir a deeper fragmentation and to trigger violence across the state.  

The UNSC has announced that it will hold an emergency session in the upcoming days in order to discuss the matter.

Israel’s recognition comes immediately after a four-day U.S. forces bombing operation in northern Somalia.

As reported by Task & Purpose on 28-Dec (and by no major media outlet) :

“On Saturday, U.S. Africa Command confirmed airstrikes against ISIS in the country on Christmas Eve and Christmas, marking four days of operations from Dec. 22-25. They happened while the U.S. launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles at ISIS fighters in Nigeria on Christmas day.

“All of the airstrikes between Dec. 22-25 targeted militants in the Golis Mountain range, in locations roughly 90 kilometers southeast of the city of Bosaso in northern Somalia”

AFRICOM (U.S. African Command) states that, in both Somalia and Nigeria, operations were coordinated with the local government.

Somaliland lies in the Horn of Africa, opposite Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. One third of the world’s shipping passes through Bab-el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea via the Suez Canal.

In a televised phone call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Of course, I’ll communicate to President Trump your willingness and desire to join the Abraham Accords.”

One would be foolish to believe that Israel’s act stems out of respect and care for the people of the region. Clearly, this is a purely strategic move by Netanyahu.

The aim? One can only speculate at this point, but, given its location, it seems clear that securing a partner along the heavily-used sea route is a part of it, while, in combination with the U.S.’s recent bombing campaigns, it seems even clearer that Israel, with U.S. backing, is hoping to destabilize this region as well as other parts of Africa.

Sources

US targets ISIS in Somalia with multiple airstrikes over four days:

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/somalia-week-strikes-isis-africom/

U.S. Forces Conduct Strikes Targeting ISIS-Somalia:

https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36160/us-forces-conduct-strikes-targeting-isis-somalia
https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36159/us-forces-conduct-strikes-targeting-isis-somalia
https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36157/us-forces-conducts-strikes-targeting-isis-somalia
https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36156/us-forces-conducts-strikes-targeting-isis-somalia

I’m totally numb.

That’s about the only way that can come close to describing what I’m currently feeling.

When I sat at my computer yesterday, getting set to work, I was hit with the news that my work account had been suspended due to a Terms of Use violation; according to them, my account was being used fraudulently.

That’s all I know.

Surely, this is all an error that’ll be quickly rectified, I thought. I appealed the decision but got the same response a day later (today); they’re adamant I exploited their system in order “to gain an unfair advantage.”

What I did, I haven’t a clue. 

And just like that, for reasons I absolutely do not understand, I’m now out of a job. 

I honestly loved what I was doing and making good money to boot. Plus, things were going real well, and my supervisors were happy with my performance; I was convinced things could only get better.  

Last week was when things took a wrong turn, I think. My PC was acting increasingly erratic and giving me problems. It would suddenly lock itself or shut down, doing so without warning until it simply refused to boot up again.

I used my phone to access the messaging app in order to contact my supervisor. This set off a fraud warning, I was told, as the number I used wasn’t the same with which I had applied. I explained that my phone had been suspended due to the financial woes I was in prior to starting, and that, in between applying and beginning to work for them, I had switched to a monthly plan with a different company in order to have a phone, an absolute necessity these days, especially if one is looking for work.

Apparently, this was sorted out, the change was noted in my account, and I was fine.

However, I no longer had a working PC. I wasted no time, found a great deal on a used system and jumped on it. I’d notified my supervisor to ensure that this change would not create similar problems. All’s good, I was told.

I resumed work as normal as soon as I could. I put in two full days, but I did notice a strange shift that forced me back to my dashboard after I’d submitted what was to be my last bit of work for them. I didn’t think much of it given the constant glitches on their platform, and I closed up for the day. 

In the early hours of Wednesday morning (1:17 a.m.), I received an automated message telling me that my account had been suspended. When I woke up Wednesday morning I noticed that I no longer had access to my work dashboard; I then saw the email.

The way everything ties a user to a unit these days, be it a phone or PC, the change in PC and the way I’d quickly set it up to work ASAP, adding my account on top of the admin account that belonged to the previous owner, that's the only thing I can see that could have set off any alarm bells. 

I’m seriously dumbfounded and clueless as to what I could have done to suggest fraudulent activity, and I can only assume that, from their end, they must have noticed a mismatch between the info registered to this PC and my regular account.

We were constantly warned that monitoring is strict and that they don’t kid around—every document is stamped “classified info” and even taking a screenshot of anything could get one in big trouble—but I expected that behind that wall was a bunch of reasonable people who’d work with us to sort out such issues and get to the truth of the matter.

Boy was I wrong, it turns out.  

On top of that, given the reason, they’re withholding what’s owed to me. So, not only have I lost days working for free, even attending an unpaid workshop, I’m suddenly left up shit’s creek without any paddles, my only recourse being an appeal that was denied.

This actually puts me in a worse position than I was in before as I highly doubt that I’ll stumble on another job in the next few days.

My landlord isn’t going to be as forgiving, yet again, I’m sure of that. I’m out on the street for sure now without some solution coming my way fairly quickly.

I knew I had cause to be worried over the fact that things were suddenly going too well, I just knew it!

Right now I'm just numb, but as it's wearing off, I'm feeling myself sinking into heavy depression.

It seems that, no matter what I do, happiness isn't for me, and that, when I do find it, it doesn't matter how hard I try to hold on to it.

I don't know what message I'm meant to get out of this event. Is this a sign that I wasn't yet where I'm meant to be? Is this a sign that, as it was getting less and less of my attention, DMS&UY is meant to be my focus? If so, what am I do make of that as I abruptly find myself with zero revenue and renewed financial commitments re my debts, per the steady income I was expecting?    

I'm deeply confused and feeling lost. Not sure I see a point to anything anymore.

I think this is the last straw for me; I've endured too much shit for too long to make any of it seem worthwhile.

A bit of self-indulgence.

This one had gotten a tremendous number of plays when I'd originally shared it in the now-defunct "Daily Run Down My Street" section.

It's called "Nostalgia Fuels Hope" and was recorded on 24-Jan-2023. 

This one, too, is fully improvised; one take, no edits.

This is the original recording and could do with some equalizing and noise cleaning, this aspect not being my forte.

Out taking a walk and listening to some tunes as I enjoyed the lush, cared-for alleyways Ville Émard offers, the player on my “phone”, being set to “random” for some reason—which tends to annoy me, as I like to listen to selections from an artist if not a full album—offered me this pdl original, an improvised track I had completely forgotten about.

I had gotten in the habit of recording at least one per day, so I can’t be expected to remember them all, I suppose (or hope… it’s not “age” settling in, I’m sure).

It was recorded on 20-Jan-2023; I’d titled it “Plotting One’s Revenge”, which may have something to do with whatever motivated it, what I may have been feeling when I sat down to play, or the imagery that ran through my mind while playing or listening through the recording.

It’s a brooding piece, managing to surprise me throughout, not anticipating where the varied turns I took took me (sounds weird, but it makes sense).

The revenge could be the ending; I wanted more, and was angry it ended abruptly.

I’m not sure, but I believe I used two loopers, though it may be three. Several effects are also used throughout. As usual: one take, no edits.

I do miss my guitar, so very much, it being one of the first things I was able to sell. Eventually, certainly—definitely—I’ll get another. But I did love that one. Deeply.

Currently working on a Llama LLM, also doing ML with Python scikit… however, I'm not doing it for DMS&UY and good, humanitarian reasons, playing a role in helping to bring about a legitimate change—as I’d hoped—since, combined with the journalism-geared, topic-relevant etymology and taxonomy I’ve developed, along with the DBs I’ve spent hundreds of hours compiling, those efforts could have provided the framework, tools, and insights that indie news outlets can only dream of, certainly not being able to afford those kinds of devs by anyone focused on the usual, dare I say "normal", life stuff.

As I couldn’t afford it or accomplish it on my own, not without field-appropriate “allies” and less than $20,000, which includes the “salary” I was willing to take, such an amount being peanuts for some or easy to raise if those with thousands of fans combined fundraising efforts, instead, I’m doing it for a super-rich corporation just so they can get richer and leverage more power over all of us.

But, at least, I’m making money, right?

Am I genuinely happy? Not really; I could be far happier. But now, at least, I can eat and pay my bills.

Anyone who thinks that the money is what really matters to me doesn’t “get” anything about me, period.

The irony is that I’ll now be doubly shunned, accused of being nothing more than a part of the PMC—Professional Managerial Class—after I’ve tried damn hard to bring my PMC-ness and skills to those who whine incessantly about PMCs... yet rely on them in one form or another.  

•      •      •

I received news two days ago that changes everything; had I been aware of this two week ago, I don’t think I would have accepted the job.

In truth, what this change made me realise is that the only real reason why I took it is because I strongly felt that I needed to do the expected and responsible thing in order to pay off certain debts, the main one, which is the largest and the one I felt most guilty about, is being wiped clean, though not without a long-term cost in the form of a major rent increase, albeit, now being the only original tenant from when I moved in, it’s one that still keeps my monthly rent $200+ below the 7 other similar units in the two apartment blocks owned by my landlord—prices have skyrocketed in Montreal (and Canada as a whole). He’s putting both up for sale in July and this increases represents a big advantage for him and, in a way, helps protect me as well, as a new landlord would surely use the declared loss by my landlord and my far lower rent to boot me out and raise the monthly rent by $400-500.

Anyone not familiar with Quebec rental/leasing laws may think our laws strange and excessive, favouring either renters or landlords, depending on the issue and which side one finds themselves on, but, having been both renter and owner, and having experience in these matters across three provinces and some familiarity with the laws across Canada, I do think that Quebec is the best system in Canada and one of the best in the world.

The laws here are firm, easily accessible, and real clear, and aim to protect renters and landlords equally, providing clear, efficient, and binding recourse for any abuses suffered, be it on either side of the renting tango.

However, one particularity certainly makes Quebec a “special case” worldwide: July 1st; that’s our official moving day across the province. All leases officially start and end on July 1st of every year, making one’s first lease either shorter or longer than 12 months to adjust for that date if one happened to move in before or after July 1st.

February 1st is the deadline for landlords to notify you of any changes, such as rent increases—which are capped yearly—and March 1st is the deadline for renters to notify landlords whether they accept the increase or wish to cancel their lease. Three months notice is the minimum time required by law to cancel a lease, and (crappy) landlords can hold renters responsible for the monthly rent until July 1st. If a landlord wants you to move out prior to that day, they have to have a good reason among those accepted by the Régis, and pay you a minimum of three months of rent plus one month for every year over two years for which one has been a renter.

These days, landlords are real happy to see any long-time tenants leave so they can adjust the rent way up, per current rates. Many of them lie, telling renters that they wish to rent out their unit to a family member, immediate or not—which is one of the valid reasons—but if you can prove that it’s not a family member who moved into your place, then they’re in trouble, facing big penalties paid out to you.

Our system that protects employees and employers is equally well-defined and good, with stern repercussions against those who abuse the laws, so that simply threatening to file a case with that Régis against any employer who knows they’re in the wrong is usually enough to get them to do what’s right.

•      •      •

All and all, having developed the habit to not spend more than I had over a decade ago, my whole debt load is now below $5000, most of that having been incurred since COVID, and roughly 1/5th of that is federal income tax from 2022—due to governmental COVID aid—that I haven’t yet paid off.

My situation could be far worse.

To think, when I was 24, mortgage, vehicle, credit cards and all, I was close to $140,00 in debt.

•      •      •

Since I work remotely, this aspect keeps me relatively isolated and continues to feed my loneliness somewhat, which I’ve put some degree of effort toward rectifying by re-establishing contact with some long-time friends, this change having been helped by my mention that I was leaving Quebec, probably for good; all of the above confirms my notion that life is little more than an ironic twist with a big dollop of absurdism.

I feel I’m back in control of my life and I'm no longer in a depressive state. Yet, albeit I no longer find myself having to leave, there’s a deep yearning in me for a drastic change that’s still present, and, for reasons that are too hard to explain, I feel a sense of regret for not having finally followed through on a long-time dream to sell everything and travel the world freely, writing about my adventures. Plus, the work I now do is "remote", which means I can do it from anywhere.

•      •      •

I’ve looked into Airbnb, which isn’t allowed for the postal code I live in—a regulation passed a few years ago to limit all the conversions to Airbnb-focused units that made renting just a regular apartment increasingly harder—and I discussed a sublet with my landlord, as this would allow me to keep much of my stuff as well as a pied-à-terre in Montreal, and at a relatively decent price, while having the rent paid off and making a bit of extra cash each month, all whilst living out an adventure… but he's entirely against the idea of me subletting the apartment. I've to comply, especially after all he's done for me.

So, what to do???

Like much of the world, but all the more so on a personal level, I’m in need of a drastic change, and staying here, working for a corporation, sure as hell isn’t it!

What an awful week I just had. Seems like they're all like that lately, compoundingly so, as every glimmer I see turns to naught, leaves me in a worse off situation, but always managing to fuel some degree of hope beforehand, albeit the fact that any optimism is pretty much being entirely sucked out of me as I morph into full pessimistic cynicism. Slowly. But surely? 

I've that "part 4" and another post on the Iran-Israel situation that should have been posted by now, but I've been having a difficult go at doing anything this week, having had a fever for the past few days due to an imposing abscess—I'm badly in need of oral surgery that I can't afford, this aspect providing one more challenge in terms of interviews and impressions as, along with teeth issues, last December, I fell, and, freakish luck, as plagues me, all my front bottom teeth broke in half, giving me a pretty awful, yokel look. Not something I'd mentioned—ego and all—but just one more thing that's made life increasingly unbearable.

 The infection swelled half my face and made even a light tap on that side some of the worst torture I can imagine, and, of course, my whole condition isn't aided by my bad—and worsening—diet, eating what I can, not what I want or need...

If wondering, that meat didn't do wonders on my gut. That was more meat in one week than I normally eat in two months. 

My "bonus" month is over, and I'm still in the same situation, which means that, by this weekend's end, I'm on the street and officially homeless again...

I'm so fed up. I know I've said it quite a bit recently, but all I do is keep on sinking, no matter what I do or try... 

Here's another Bill Frisell Trio concert that's definitely worth the listen, making every second spent on a re-listen priceless moments.

SInce hearing it for the first time yesterday—an event I can best describe if using the word "orgasm"—life is mostly priceless...

With two more years playing with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston since the 2021 Jazzaldia Frisell concert I had shared, and with a Fender rather than the Gibson, Frisell is delivering from a place of absolute comfort in this showing. And the world is better for it.

The energy bristles and snaps, peaks to its loudest through soft sentences and filled silences; it's infectious, coursing through listeners who are complicit, drawn into the exchange, hearing, reacting, electrified vigour having laken over when the distortion mounts and the reverb amps up... and where's the madman with 5 arms and 7 drum sticks? That dude looks way too chill...

The sound sculpting by Frisell on this one establishes why so many try so hard to emulate him, only managing to achieve it in an ephemeral manner that offers but a surface glimpse of the artist.

At the start of a concert I was at, John Scofield—a guitar great in his own right—had mentioned Frisell and the show he gave within the same festival, then went on to praise Frisell, saying, though I'm paraphrasing: "I also play with tone, and I can do loops, and I know how to use the same effects as Frisell, so, I figured I'd be able to do his stuff no problem, maybe even better... but, it turns out, Frisell does all three at the same time, and he adds emotion and passion on top... that, I can't do."

Rudy Royston... jeez, man! Like, holy crap! Some of the time changes he manages, inserting odd-beat oddities that fit right in, filling more space than one realised was there as he's continually accentuating, never simply setting time.

He's just at the edge of overstated and over-the-top at times but he never crosses that line, never going into "look at me," Steve Vai-styled gimmickry that easily wows publics but offers as much substance as a Big Mac.

Thomas Morgan, however, you kinda forget he's there at all, frankly, which, practically, makes his performance a "perfect" one if seen with the symbolic significance of a baseball pitcher throwing a perfect game.        

This version of "What The World Needs Now Is Love" is far superior than the Jazzaldia one, but, for one of the best, have a listen to the one in this 2017 Montreux Festival live show he did with his previous Tony Sherr, Kenny Wollesen trio.         

"You Only Live Twice" appears to now fill a spot in Frisell's changing repertoire of standards. While the Jazzaldia version had "wowed" me, this one solidified my "awe"; the three just make it groove, but do so by focusing on the melodic brilliance of the chart, not on its groovability potential.

On the other hand, 'Shenandoah" is one he seemed to have let go of for a bit, bringing it back for this live concert. 

Frisell recorded a version of the Americana trad-tune "Shenandoah" with Ry Cooder for his 1999 Good Dog, Happy Man album, and, although hearing two guitar masters with a love of Americana come together to cover it should provide the go-to reference for those wanting to hear Frisell's interpretation of this classic, it's the one I'm least likely to think of and to go to, the takes that managed to truly move me all coming out of his live trio performances. This version also now sits before his 'official' 1999, Cooder-collaborated cut.  

Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" is another that delivered an intimate, powerfully profound and moving Frisell reimagining that's no longer making a regular showing in his setlist. Eager to see this trio tackle it.

I'm actually glad he keeps altering as he also keeps on writing new charts, too, which is why he hasn't had anything I'd qualify as a stale period, nor the typical breakout-turned-stale career; always Friselling, he is! 

.

Setlist

I'd been contacted by a firm in Bahrain on 4-Apr, and finally decided to contact them back on Friday, 12-Apr. I won't offer more pertinent details at this point, for whether there's something worth telling at all now depends on them.

But I will offer some bits about the reflection that analysing, deciding, and acting on have led me to have.  

One aspect that surprised me: I seem to be willing to accord better intentions to individuals if said individuals are foreigners from certain countries and from certain types of institutions then equal "ranking" non-foreigners from similar, North-American-based or Western institutions. I see one as them offering me potential and opportunity and the other as seeing only a potential opportunity for them in me.  

The last is mostly true if a US firm within any financial/banking sphere. Anything "Wall Street" makes me cringe and recoil. Maybe lash out, too.

But there's no hard-and-fast rule that I'm aware of; instincts and non-tangibles based on personal experience appear to largely account for any variance, which may offer the reverse given a different reason altogether to consider 'which would be the best option'.  

Then there are those I'd never trust or wish to be associated with in any form whatsoever... The Nigerian Princes are among them, but only because they always seem so desperate to leave Nigeria, so, leaning on any "Nigerian" part like they do makes me think they're not serious as Princes; I like my royalty to be dedicated to their kingdom, thank you.

I was also contacted by UAE tech firm about entirely different matters, which I definitely should reply to; I hadn't as I'm always expecting the DMS&UY site to be forced down due to a lack of funds, yet, months later, I'm still here whilst having established that contact and adding my name to their "vendors list" may have helped in rectifying that.

I truly am an odd one. Perhaps far too caught up on correct principles and on good morals, always acting in concordance with my strict personal ethics and within my own moral framework?

If only I'd given more thought to my ethics and morals before becoming so attached to my framework, I'd surely have a more world-friendly and economically-functional take on "killing babies" and about what to do with those dreaded "others"?

As long as it's 'other' people's babies and kids, where's the problem, right?

And if I really were serious about earning my rightful place in the world, I'd scrap fluff-words like "people" and learn how to use "animals" properly instead whenever I'm dealing with such within a pertinent context.

Damn my parents! I blame them for those word choices I invariably seem to make.

Any hoot, related matters provided another instance that reminded me just how impossible it is for me to ever do things the "proper" and "expected" way, for which a "How To" or set template is almost always available. So many times, a voice in my head tells me I shouldn't... just follow the by-the-numbers cookie-cutter approach... But if I did that, then, I'm not being genuine, making "honesty" a secondary feature less desired than "expectations"? That definitely ain't right, leading to false presentation and unwanted representation on my side, and, possibly—and more than likely—on theirs as well.

Here's a post scriptum to my email, a formal business one sent to a person located in Bahrain; I added it because I felt a need to address one aspect, but felt that doing so brought me to a place that just isn't me, which gave me license for absurdity rather than simply avoiding any mention unless/until absolutely necessary: 

P.S. Times being what they are and cause for condemnation quickly found when so desired, I specify the following to avoid potential headaches only, doing so given your location: I’m willing to focus my efforts, but I’m not interested in betraying the West in any manner whatsoever for money; I’m just as equally uninterested in betraying any nation, or any religious, political, or cultural group for money. Except, maybe, that country with weird toenails and pubic-like curls to their hair… what‘s the name of that place?

If it’s on the tip of anyone’s tongue, that may not be a good sign. At all.

Honesty. True impartiality. A genuine attempt to understand. Hatred-free. Better steps leading to a true, lasting peace. These are things I will never betray, unless the amount to do so is so big I can then buy the world and set things right. Maybe get rid of those people who don’t like my music or cooking, while at it. Cursed be those people!

That was the email; the "formal" doc I'd attached offered similar moments...

All these formalities, they're always a firm slap in my face, for they act as a reminder that I seem to operate on a different plane of reality, one that's detached from the set formulisms put in place to gauge one's worth within said formulisms that operate per a set hierarchy, itself defined and dependent on set formulisms. If without them, then how is anyone to judge what's good or bad, right or wrong?

Thinking on that brought me back to my nine-year-old self and a second-grade art project I'd been chosen to create first, so the class would then have a model to go off of; I was almost always selected for such roles when artistic goals and imagination were the focus. One day, I wasn't... I had a mini identity crisis, age 10. 

We'd moved to Toronto from Montreal and, at that point in my story, I couldn't say with any degree of confidence that I spoke English, but neither could I longer claim total ignorance; I "got" the gist, not the details, but this facet doesn't explain my boneheadness, which is the appropriate label, in this case, I feel.

The project: Use your initials to create a colourful patterned overlay on a holder-box for notes that we first had to create.

Here's the thing: I somehow never caught the "your initials" part; I selected my letters based purely on a letter's aesthetics, per the font used to create the stencils from which we were to create our masters. O, Q, and R. The letters had zero meaning to me.

My initials being PL, or PDL for those who know me well, and PDGAJL for those who know me too well... I didn't even manage to hit one! When the teacher, Mr Cody, then used my model to show the rest of the class what to do, none of the kids understood why, then, did I use those letters. It took a few minutes for what people were saying to sink in and what had been meant by "initials", which sounds a lot like the French "initiales", though not so much like "yorreenētials" to a young Québécois with no English.

When it finally sunk in, I felt kinda foolish... pretended those letters had a meaning. Maybe I was making a gift for my mum; how do they know I'm not... so there. Also, in my defense, the teacher had placed much emphasis on "example", and I recall that having an impact on my choice.

For the rest of the year, students had a personalized holder-box that identified them. The one that identified no one was mine...

That reminds me of a speech I did for the annual competition we had, winners going on to the regional and then national competition. I'd discussed video games, mentioning a "pool" game in the speech, but referring to it as "billiards". Except, I didn't know how to pronounce that in English, and used the French pronunciation—it being a French word, after all—which sounds like "B Arr" in French, and nothing like the English "bill yards".

When I was done, a student raised his hand and asked me what "B-R" was. 

"Bee-har", I asked back, "where?" I hadn't a clue what he was referring to, getting caught on B and R without being able to link it to the French "billiard" that sounds like "B Arr".

"Yes, I wondered that, too," said another student. "You mention B-R a lot, and I hadn't a clue what you were saying."

The whole class wondered about that, too...

I finally clued in weeks later, upon hearing someone pronounce "billiards" the proper English way and reacting with "Oh, I thought it was pronounced Bee-harr."