An Innocent Time

 

A simpler, innocent time:

 

Goodbye Brian Wilson. A troubled man but a genius musically.

God only knows how much we will miss you, and what we would have been without your music.

Rest in peace Brian. 82 years young.


And another icon that we lost today. Again at 82 years of age.

We are all everyday people. Rest in Peace Sly.

A sad day today.

Shakeyjay… out.

 

Mark? My Words…Please

The “EBook” and / or Paperback version are now available and can be purchased through Amazon. You can also get the audio format.

Kurofune: The Black Ships is a war story, a love story, a story of redemption and rebirth.

The Battle of Saipan saw the Pacific War’s largest Japanese Banzai attack. Over 4,000 Japanese soldiers died while about 1,000 Marines lost their lives during this harrowing nightmare of a suicide thrust by the Japanese to push the Americans back into the sea.

“Kurofune” tells the story of that tragedy against a backdrop of nationalism, military fanaticism, heroism and self sacrifice. Yet Kurofune is also a love story, a war story, a story of redemption and a story of rebirth.

An excerpt:

“The entire western seascape off of Saipan’s horizon resembled a
solid black mass of hellfire, with shell after shell expunged from the
depths of their magazines only to be fired in quick succession. It
remained a massive display of firepower—so massive that the ground
shook and the entire island seemed as if it was trapped in a never
ending battle between Numazu and the Japanese god Kashima. The
air was extremely heavy. It was difficult to breath. It was as if a ridge
of high pressure toxicity had descended on the island, covering everything
and everyone in a suffocating blanket of that gray combat dust
of fear.

Where was the Combined Imperial Japanese Navy?

Saito and Nagumo finally realized that an amphibious assault was
imminent. Saito radioed his superiors in Tokyo, as well as all theater
commanders across Micronesia, to the threat that he faced. With
limited resources on the island, especially food, water, fuel, and
ammunition, and with reinforcements highly doubtful due to American
submarine and air patrols, Saipan was cut off.

Saito and his General Staff accepted their reality that an assault
was forthcoming. But from where? There were no amphibious
assault or transport ships visible anywhere off of Saipan. His ability
to send reconnaissance aircraft out to find the amphibious fleet was
undermined by the American’s control of the airspace. Furthermore,
additional American battleships and cruisers were beginning to
bombard the east coast of Saipan: Magicienne Bay, the Kagman
Peninsula, the south coast off Naftan and Agingan Points, and to the
north and west sectors of the island north and east of Tanapag
Harbor. Even Mount Tapochau received the odd shell.
Saito felt that the beaches around Chalan Kanoa would in all
probability be the primary point of ingress by the US Marines. This is
where the Saipan Garrison had focused its defensive perimeter of
bunkers, pillboxes, and enfilading fire points. This area was considered
a strategic focal point by the Japanese General Staff in that it
provided direct access overland to Aslito, a distance of about two to
three miles from the beach. They could also take out the temporary
airstrip at Kanoa as well. With Aslito in American hands, it would
only be a matter of time before a wave of military might would roll up
and over the rest of the island, including Tanapag Harbor, another
strategic point on Saipan. With Aslito, the Americans would control
the entire airspace over the Saipan battlefront.

Saito understood the importance of the Chalan Kanoa beaches,
and he knew that the attack would invariably take place in this area.
Nevertheless, the bombardment in other parts of the island, especially
the northwest beaches, concerned him. When an amphibious
force of some strength appeared off the beaches around Makunsha
village, he was forced to send some of his troops to that area in
response. Indeed, General Saito radioed Tokyo with a report that an
invasion force was curtailed by Japanese forces in this area. Yet not a
shot was fired by either force, although the US Navy did support this
assault with gunfire. Was this a ruse on the part of the Americans?
Perhaps. Saito was not fooled even though he left some troops in this
area, just in case!

Where was the Combined Imperial Japanese Navy?

General Saito could only hope.”


“We can pray differently. We can gather in different places of worship, but all of us must come together around the values of Eid,” he said. “The values of community, of generosity and yes, of sacrifice. These are Muslim values. These are Canadian values.”

I will not tell you who said that, but you can guess!

Sacrifice, Muslim values are Canadian values? Pretty soon, sharia law will be here in Canada. Mark my words…in my flesh!

Overheard at a Muslim / Canadian Christian poker game.

“I see your one child infidel and I’ll raise you ten. My Call.”

What they couldn’t do by the sword they will accomplish demographically.  Divershity is our strength. Don’t ya just love that word. Like existential. Sounds good but means nothing.


Canada’s Prime Minister or Canada’s Chief Mortician

Mark CarneyI know the Canadian economy is dead but don’t you worry cause I’ll take care if it.  The country is in good hands.

Carney, AKA…Snidely Whiplash


Violence erupted in Downtown Los Angeles Friday as angry leftists surrounded and eventually began to vandalize an ice facility and attack officers following a step up in raids and detention of illegal aliens by the federal agency.

The Los Angeles Kings were not amused.


Quote of the week:

Militancy is great…for pacifists!


Interesting song. #2 song of 1967 – the Summer of Love. It is only two minutes long and its lead singer in only 16 years old. Huge hit back then.

Shakeyjay is out of sight, out of his mind and out of here.

Have a nice day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow! Sign Me Up

The “EBook” and / or Paperback version are now available and can be purchased through Amazon. You can also get the audio format.

Kurofune: The Black Ships is a war story, a love story, a story of redemption and rebirth.

The Battle of Saipan saw the Pacific War’s largest Japanese Banzai attack. Over 4,000 Japanese soldiers died while about 1,000 Marines lost their lives during this harrowing nightmare of a suicide thrust by the Japanese to push the Americans back into the sea.

“Kurofune” tells the story of that tragedy against a backdrop of nationalism, military fanaticism, heroism and self sacrifice. Yet Kurofune is also a love story, a war story, a story of redemption and a story of rebirth.


Springtime in Paris – the city of lights! Literally and figuratively.

This past weekend.

Have a great time. Fireworks are awesome. So is the gas. It will bring tears to your eyes – guaranteed.


Hey, Elbows Up, as our seniors in Toronto will need strong arms and massive can openers to open the front doors of their new living shipping containers that are slated as their new living quarters, erm homes.

“Can’t wait,” one senior was heard to say. “Wooo Hooo. Tomato soup for evah!”

“Awesome,” Mike Meyers commented when he heard this breaking news. “Elbows Up man, Elbows Up. Seven Up!”

“Nana, you’re going to love this. Just think, you can share your container with drug smugglers, human trafficker’s, illegal aliens, and so much more. Being old and retired doesn’t have to be boring Nana.”

“Sign me up Son. And dear Lord, please thank the Chow, Chow mayor for this.”


Quote of the week:

A Canadian consultant is:

Someone who is adept at making the simple, complex.

Latest Canadian obfuscation heard in passing.

“Your barrels of oil will be approved for transit so long as those barrels have been de-carbonized.”

Duh. What does that mean? That is like saying we will allow you to drink that beer, or soda, as long as it has been de-carbonated! Yuck, flat! No fizz. No bite. Sucks bigly.


Kinda relevant in today’s world.

Shakeyjay is out of sight, out of mind and out of here.

Have a great day.

Existential…..Man

“Hey, we’re in a crisis.”

“What crisis? ”

“You know, that existential crisis.”

“What’s an existential crisis?”

“Well, it is a really, really, like, really big crisis.”

“Crikey, we should get on with it then.”

“Yes, it is after all existential, and you know what that means?”

“No? What does it mean?”

“It means it is existential, out of this world of ours. Out of our very existence. Like an alien nation that we are. Like existential as in the word like, like, like wow man. Cool, pass the weed. Man this is good stuff. It is existential, out of this world man.”

“It is E.B Bud – existential to the core.”

Smoking Weed Wallpapers - Top Free Smoking Weed Backgrounds - WallpaperAccess

“So, if we are in an existential crisis and our very survival as a sovereign country, nation is at stake, what are you….hmm…erm…man this stuff is existentially wicked man…so what are you going to do about it, dude in charge?”

“Existentially??”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“I am, we are, going to DISNEYLAND.”

“Existential…………………….man!”


My book of the month? Kurofune: The Black Ships. See link above for more information. It is available on Amazon. In audio format as well.

https://shakeyjay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Kurofune.mp4?_=1


Quote of the week.

“Like it is existential man. Like who’s on first it makes no sense. It is nonsense.”

Shakey jay is out of sight, out of my mind and out of here.

Have a great day.

Wordy

I Thought I’d Died and Gone To Heaven

An irreverent look at growing up in a parochial, conservative environment in pre-woke era Toronto of the 1950s and 60s.

Just click on “Buy on Amazon” to purchase on line. You can also get this book in audio format. Go to Amazon.ca (Canada) or Amazon.com (US Residents) and type in audible and the book title.

Real cheap. Buy one and support a struggling Canadian author.


 

So, how was your day: blame it on Trump, maybe climate change, because if the ice had not melted near Trondheim, this would not have happened. No, tariffs are to blame. Insurance scam is my bet on this.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1953D3SgQy/?mibextid=wwXIfr

And we all know there are plenty of them around.


An excerpt from my book: I Thought I’d Died….

Words! What is in a word? My kingdom for a word! A horse
it may be but a horse is only a word that by any other name is
still a word. Words declare wars, they garner peace. Words can
be hurtful, they can be playful. Words describe words as in
spiteful words, hurtful words, insightful words. We can have a
war of words, crosswords, or them’s fightin’ words. Words can
be theatrical: we can have a play on words. Word is the law. It is
the word. Words are prophetic. Words can be the gospel truth. So
sayeth the word of the Lord. Words inspire, they transpire. Words
transcribe: you have my word on that. Failing that, can I have a
word with you? But words are not enough. That’s why we have
lawyers. Words can also be despotic, or chaotic. A single word
can inspire poetry, lyricism.

And when a few words are taken together, we have a phrase.
And when a couple of phrases are linked together we have, in a
word, a sentence. And when a group of sentences are grouped
together we have, in another word, a paragraph. And to describe
or summarize a paragraph, we can go right back to the beginning
of this word-train of thought—to paraphrase!

We can combine words to make quotable quotes: some
profound, some sublime, some simplistic, some stupidly clear:
“To be or not to be—that is the question.” That may be, but
on Jeopardy it is the answer!
“If things are good in moderation then they must be great in
excess.” My favourite.
“If something is worth doing, then it is worth overdoing.” My
other favourite.
“Baseball is 100 percent physical. The rest is mental.”
Adapted from Berra.

Yet words are not enough when communicating. Context and
understanding are crucial. Without context, meaning is confused
to the point of ridiculousness. Let me try to illustrate this by
something that I learned in school:
Take the word nit. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary
defines nit as a stupid person, a louse. Then add the letter k
before the n and you have knit. Yet the word nit from the word
knit is a whole different kettle of fish. And what is that anyway: a
kettle of fish?

Now, let’s take the word wit: defined as someone with a
sharp sense of humor, a player of words perhaps. As in, “That
man possesses wit. He has a sharp mind.” But then add the letter
t before the w and you have twit. Or combine the word nit with
the word wit and you have a nitwit. But nit and twit together does
not sound quite right—nit-twit?

Nonetheless, given that a nit is already defined as a stupid
person, and wit is someone who has a sharp mind, then nitwit
defiles all logic in a descriptive sense except perhaps to define
someone who possesses a stupid wit—which in itself is
oxymoronic. But dimwit already has that locked up. Yet what is
really frustrating about the undercurrent of this word is that
dimwit is the opposite of someone who has a sharp wit. So, that
being the case, let’s call him or her a blunt-sharp person!
To make matters worse, a twit could be someone who has a
sharp wit, and is still a nitwit or a dimwit. So why can’t we call
him or her a nit-twit? Or a dim-twit? The bottom line is that
nitwit or dimwit sounds better. The other bottom line is that
English words are just downright confusing without context and
a shared understanding of the contextual environment we are
communicating in.

Who ever thought that a single word like please, in context,
could be so humorous? Yet Henny Youngman made a comedic
career out of four simple words and a pregnant pause: “Take my
wife… please.” Yes, the word timing says it all.


Shakeyjay is out of sight, out of mind and outa here.

Have a great day.