[BRINDLEKIN TALES – Book 4: Chapter 13]
Subject: Bigger Box, Bigger Fun [my latest video – 1 min.]
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: Zeke’s Mailing List
Date: June 2, 2021 10:58 AM
Canine lebensraum!
Re: SF to spend $1,000,000,000 on the homeless for the next two years!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 2, 2021 1:16 PM
> Good strategy!
The strategy is not mine if I didn’t set it up that way in the first place! Which I didn’t. It’s Deek’s own drama-queen public displays that get all the credit. If I want to continue reaching out to the pups, I very much need Deek in my world, of course. In which case I have NO option to hide my business with him from the local houseless. I’m an open book whether I like it or not. At first, I didn’t…but now I see the wisdom in the way things are playing out.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: Well guess who’s back…Arwyn!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 2, 2021 1:41 PM
> Possible they know each other already?
According to my Bodhisattva Premise, indeed they do! And explains why Deek never fails to retort (whenever I mention Arwyn): “I’ve never met the guy, you’re making this all up.” IOW he wouldn’t be so eager to negate me, were this not a clever setup. As you know, Wattson, I’ve brought this up many times before. All the world’s a stage, and I’m the star dupe. But a happy one, even for that.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: The Pups are Back!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 2, 2021 11:02 PM
> I like this a lot.
Thank you, good physician! If one believes in God, and that if he or she is a LOVING God, then my Bodhisattva Premise (a.k.a. “NeoPositivity”) is the only theory that fits like a glove.
So Deek dropped by two hours ago to pick up the pups. But he also discussed further, his frustrations with HOT (Homeless Outreach Team): how they keep brushing him off. I told him that a billion dollars will soon be applied to resolving the homeless issue in SF, “so just hang in there. Don’t let any setback ruin your day. I’m very impressed with your persistence, and that you won’t settle for any old offer that comes along, that seems grossly inadequate. Things WILL open up for you.”
He wasn’t depressed over it, just talked matter-of-fact. Deek has changed…for the better. I reminded him that he has something far better than anyone else: those two wonderful doggies, Flaco & Wiley. He agreed, said they’ll be with him the rest of his life. I also thanked him for allowing me the wonderful company of his pooches, and for giving them a luxurious break from the street scene. I think he was heartened by my encouraging praise for his diligence. He is off to a good start, a new start! And so am I.
Earlier today, I approached the front gate with the pups, right when the building manager had also arrived. He held the door open for us, and kindly remarked: “They don’t bark any more!”
I told him that it just took them longer to adapt, because this pandemic made encounters with other people in the hallway less frequent than usual. The only thing now is, they’ll bark at any dog they see inside, because they run into that situation rarely, maybe once every other month.
The mutts were totally silent all the while, patiently waiting for me to end the conversation and return hovel. Upon activating my Moto E 2020, I found an email from Chronic.net. It contained the instructions of what equipment to send back, with a bar code to show UPS, which they’ll convert into a shipping label, to deliver my package back to Chronic headquarters in Santa Roja. I kept the original box it came in, so packaging the items was a cinch. Everything’s ready to go for tomorrow morning, when I’ll step into the UPS store down the block. What a relief!
I am SO delighted about my Xfinity service, AND the Moto device w/Tracfone unlimited! As I am for this sea change in Deek’s attitude. With Arwyn lurking in the wings, ready to appear onstage at any moment. I just hope I get my lines right…I don’t think I have a prompter.
– Zeke K-Holmes
P.S.: I just uploaded a 13-minute video called “Blanket War,” and it’s an exquisite study of how well Flaco & Lucky play together. And what a good sport Lucky is to his sister..and ME! A lovely little piece of video vérité; a treasure to behold!
P.P.S.: When is this trilogy gonna end? The Final Chapter of book 3 is already up to part 12, or the letter L! Will it extend to Z and beyond? If so, what symbols will I use in place of the alphabet? EBCDIC? My geeky readers would love that! At any rate, this awesome trilogy can NOT end on any note other than a jubilant one. So plod on I will, no matter how many parts of “The Final Chapter” it takes! That woman who kept adding on to the Winchester Mystery House had nothing over me!
Subject: Of course…the pups stay overnight with Arwyn!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 3, 2021 2:56 PM
Why didn’t I think of that sooner, Wattson? Seeing as I’ve concluded a long time ago that Deek and he KNOW each other (while pretending not to), I should’ve come to that conclusion well before today. They ALL live together…where, I do not know. Though I’m sure it’s somewhere in the Castro. Now get this, Wattson:
Deek’s cousin, Dominic, KNOWS about Arwyn, yet insists they don’t hang out together, or have anything to do with each other. Yet reports come in to me now and then, of seeing the two walking together in friendly conversation. I’ve even TOLD Deek that, since he doubts Arwyn’s very existence, just ask his cousin if he’s real or not. His reply?
“Oh, I hardly see Dominic any more.”
Another curious thing about Deek, is he NEVER lets me take strolls with him, or hang out anywhere else but beside my building or just across the street…and even then it’s never more than a short while. The rare times I’ve attempted to accompany him on a walk, he grew upset and demanded to be left alone, as if I were stalking him. Naturally, I wrote this off to his excessive sense of independence, and wanting to keep his street life separate from his “Zeke life.” But his estrangement may serve a different purpose, after all:
DEEK, DOMINIC AND ARWYN ARE ALL IN ON THIS TOGETHER! And my spending more time with him–especially in other locales–would risk exposing their little secret. As for my seeing Deek and pups sleeping on the sidewalk, once in a blue moon:
Being one of my chief bodhisattva guardians these days, he sets up moments now and then, for me to stumble upon him at night, crashed out. Thus making his character as a vagrant that much more convincing. (Besides which, considering his spiritual nature, he and the pups can GO anywhere, BE anywhere, even in the most dangerous neighborhoods, and STILL be perfectly safe.) And there is NO WAY I can uncover this dupe without his willing to do just that. He has me over a barrel…they all do (meaning Arwyn and Dominic as well), until said time the revelation is exposed. Will it happen very soon? I believe so. My conjecture as to just WHEN that will be, is definitely some time this year.
But my more specific predictions as to WHICH month or special day, have apparently been premature. Now, with LGBT Pride Month beginning, and the actual March at the very end (June 30th), followed immediately by my birthday (July 1st), I have grown hopeful once again. ESPECIALLY in light of so many good things cropping up in my world, lately. Including Deek finally LETTING UP on one insult or threat after another, every time I turn around. IOW: time has come to end his role as tough taskmaster, now that I have learned to brush off The Gnats Of Angst so promptly.
In fact, I have become so blasé about perceived worst-case scenarios that will NEVER happen, that the attached pic of Lucky’s yawn says it all. And if THAT doesn’t grab ya, then Flaco’s lovely visage WILL. After all, it was she who told me (on that evening before Halloween last, which I have documented for posterity in the very first chapter of my Brindlekin Tales) that everything will be alright, I shall never lose her or Lucky. Or even Deek for that matter.
Subject: Oh please.
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 3, 2021 4:16 PM
Just checked my Chronic webmail for the last time, and THIS shows up. Gimme a break.
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Want A Free Year of Chronic Internet ?
Date: 2021-06-02 17:03
From: Chronic Crew <sales@chronic.com>
To: <ezekielk@chronic.net>
Would you like to get a free year of Chronic Internet? Refer your company
to Chronic and if they switch to an Enterprise-level service, you’ll get a
free year at home.
–end message
Meanwhile, I just had UPS ship back my Chronic installation kit. Attached is the receipt. I should mount it on a wall, like hunters do with moose heads.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: Perfect Centerfold Pic for a Gay Doggy Magazine!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 4, 2021 12:46 AM
What a hunk o’ love!
Subject: Back on Amazon Prime!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 4, 2021 9:52 PM
I needed a cell number to do anything with it, so now I have it. And Prime costs me just $6.50/month thanks to a low income…who can turn THAT down? Nice to have so many good movies and books FREE to enjoy! And items I now order will arrive in just one or two days. Chronic ISP was costing me $72/month (including landline). Here are my monthly expenses now:
For a total of $28.49 per month, not including surcharges and fees for my phone and ISP. So let’s just tack another $20 onto that, and the grand total comes to $48.49. Eventually, Xfinity will be ten dollars each month, once the EBB ends. So let’s compare the final tally of $58.48 with Chronic’s $72, and you see how much I come out ahead!
I can also use my SNAP benefits to shop Whole Foods…keeping my fingers crossed that I will be eligible for well over $16/month in food stamps this time around! My conclusion?
IT PAYS TO BE POOR!!!
Now for my smartphone update. I have THREE Android phones total, one with actual cell service…and an Android tablet. All of which I have upgraded to include the Google voice assistant (which I have hitherto disabled). Two problems, though:
Despite my having registered my Moto E with Google, it still sends alerts to all the OTHER three devices, but not the Moto E! And, as of three days ago, when I speak “Hey Google” into my Moto, my tablet responds instead. Well, it’s barely five feet away from me, so what should I expect? But none of my phones respond, and they’re much closer! So now, in order to have some PRIVACY with my Moto, I have to sneak into the closet and whisper.
Just kidding. At any rate, ALL my Android devices are good to go for stepping out. All I’ll need is wifi access to make calls with any of them via Google Voice. I have NO intention of bringing my Moto outside (on any regular basis), thus the other two serve me well. But considering my meager social life, I doubt I’ll ever have any use for GV, though it IS fun tinkering around.
Come Monday, I’m off to my bank to have them shut down my second account, which is for my GoFundMe Homeless Doggy project. GFM has proven to be a headache-and-a-half, what with sporadic rejection of my latest password, and not being able to contact support unless I’m logged in (so I have to create a new account I’ll never use, just to get in touch with them)! Enough with that. I’ll still keep my Amazon Doggy Wish List running for awhile longer. Though no one’s contributed to either account for at least four months. And I seem to be handling all expenses on my own now, anyway. Except for doggy jackets, which Deek seems to be careless about, “losing” them within a few days every time I present him with a new pair.
Nonetheless, the outreach from the MCN announcement list was AMAZING while it lasted…and I’ll be forever grateful for that!
Deek and pups showed up for a short while…and it was all drama free! After delivering him the 20-pound speaker, a disposable Bic razor, an “advancement” of Sunday’s $60 (well it’s Friday, so not too soon), water for the pups, cup of diet root beer soda and two cigarettes for him, and a fresh supply of dog food, we chatted a bit. Nothing special, but he was in good humor, as were the mutts. Sad, though, to see Flaco gaze upon me with her sweet, forlorn expression as I walked back hovel without her. She loves me so much! Not that Lucky doesn’t as well, but Flaco really gushes with sincerity and gratitude. NEVER misses a beat in saying “thank you” to me in so many ways.
Deek did make a point of thanking me for all I do…and this time, without a hint of sarcasm. Every day has been wonderful for me, since I got my second covid shot…just what did they REALLY put in that vaccine? I love so much arising bright and early, around 7 AM, sometimes earlier, and stepping out to Rosenberg’s for my coffee…and the little exchanges between myself and the clerk. Trivial but profound at the same time.
It is the pups that have turned me into a morning person par excellence! And as a result, I actually start YAWNING around 10 PM or so, and I REALLY get groggy if I’m still up an hour later. So I climb into bed with my Bluetooth keyboard for a remote, and watch some spooky movie on my large peripheral monitor. Which device I found on the back porch some two years ago, discarded by a resident preparing to move out. It’s not a cheap display by any means, but a high quality gamer’s screen of rather hefty weight. It’s a magnificent monitor, and you can see pics of it, and a review, here:
https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/dell-ultrasharp-2407wfp-24in-widescreen
I think it sold for more than $300 when it first came out, but you can buy used ones now for a hundred dollars or less. Be that as it may, it’s one of the best freebies I’ve stumbled upon in my entire life! The only other item that comes close is an Osterizer blender I found in a free box around seven years ago. Though it probably dates back to the ’80s, it was in sparkling new condition! Whoever so kindly left it out, obviously took VERY good care of it all that time. It serves me especially well these days, as it does a fine job of grinding down the duck jerky treats into a coarse powder, so I can mix it in with the kibble and gravy mix, that Flaco & Lucky enjoy their meals so much more.
I often think about the good woman who left that blender for me to pick up…and say “thank you” in my mind. And I KNOW it was a woman, not a man, who most likely kept it in such a pristine condition. Attached is a pic of it sitting atop my magnificent magnetic induction hot plate, that has cooked up so many delicious, savory and healthy soups, stews, omelets, and sautéd veggies!
Though most days I’m without the pups’ dear company, I sense their constant presence in my heart. Sometimes I turn to the cot and expect to see them there, in blissful rest…especially at night, when the shadows and lumpy pile of sleeping bags play with my perception. They could be hiding beneath the covers! But I FEEL them right beside me, always, as I sit before the workstation and compose my doggy tales. Sometimes I inadvertently extend my left arm to pet them, only to remember they’re not really here. Or are they? Love is powerful. Especially when it’s a puppy’s. Or two.
And on that note I bid you a most restful evening, my dear Wattson!
– Ezekiel Joseph Krahlin-Holmes,
consulting queer detective extraordinaire
P.S.: Jebus Freaks March into The Castro (11 secs):
Re: [MCN-Announce]- Jebus Freaks March into The Castro [my latest video – 11 secs.]
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 4, 2021 11:20 PM
> I guarantee they’re not all heterosexual.
I didn’t say they were!
They define themselves as such, regardless. Or, at worst, celibate fags for the Lord. Then there are all those confused bisexuals in the mix. And according to Kinsey, 80% of the population is born naturally bisexual.
> What they have in common is arrogance and stupidity.
Still coming from the heterosexist mindset, regardless. They are the brave, the proud, hetero-SETCH-uals who will strike us queers down with their Mighty Rod of Aaron. (Freudian slip intended.)
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: My first incoming phone call EVER!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 5, 2021 12:25 PM
That was yesterday at 11:30 AM, and lasted for 10-1/2 minutes. Had NO idea who it was, but picked it up and answered anyway. It was someone from the Idrive support team, of all things. I’ve been having problems updating my account…first with changing my username (turns out you can’t, so I’m suck with using my Chronic.net email addie forever), my new email address, and my phone number. As regards those last two, that page insisted I create a new password to effect a change in anything else. This didn’t seem right to me, but I went ahead anyway.
As a result, I could no longer log into their web site, with EITHER password. So Idrive support went ahead and changed my email address for me…AFTER an email exchange with them, where a rep. said requiring a new password for any update on your account is an important security measure. NOT TRUE, as I recently discovered…and suspected all along.
But the same thing happened again a couple of weeks later (five days ago), when I attempted to replace my old phone number. So I opened another ticket, describing the same issue, and that I fear going through the glitch all over again, so decided to NOT update these digits until I hear from them. (Via email, as that’s all the communication I’ve ever had with them thus far.) I included the new number so we could skip a step, and they’d just key it in themselves. Long story short:
Turned out to be Firefox, as I could change my phone number without a hitch in Chrome…which is Idrive’s preferred browser anyway. Though Firefox should NOT have difficulties like this (he added), to which I replied: “It shouldn’t but it does.”
He spoke with clarity and affability throughout the call. My problem was quickly resolved, and I thanked him profusely for calling me in the first place. But considering it WAS all about a phone number update, that was a clever way to go about it. As it has REPLACED one’s Social Security number for all things identity-wise.
Friday night is when I have Idrive scheduled to back up all new data, and I woke up this morning to see that, once more, everything was perfectly duplicated to the cloud. I also use “continuous data protection” set on “hourly,” and that works great, too.
Remember when I had lost a magnificent passage I just wrote, due to Arwyn’s surprise interruption? That was back in 2013, at Pilsner Inn, a gay bar on Church Street. I had Idrive set to backup every few minutes, and the free version doesn’t keep staggered copies of previous uploads. By a slip of the keyboard, I wound up deleting and saving that now-blank passage, due to Arwyn’s sudden approach. Several minutes later I realized the error, and attempted to restore it from the cloud. But it had already been saved as an empty file there, too! A wonderful piece of writing…lost, lost, lost forever! But now that I have Idrive’s paid version, I set auto backup to once every hour, in order to spare me from such an accident ever again.
Very pleased with Idrive’s performance overall. It’s EXTREMELY robust and never misses a beat. However, their web based service is limited, and not at all parallel to what’s offered via the installed app. Stick with the app, and you’ll be fine. Otherwise, confusion will reign. I’ve been using their FREE service for years, before I finally upgraded to paid, once I signed up with Chronic.net, my first broadband ISP. And that was just a year-and-a-half ago. But because their UL was barely 1Mbps, backing up ALL my latest data could take 48 hours or longer! However, now that I have Xfinity, with a faster UL of 5Mbps, that same backup takes five hours or less.
My annual payment is due in a few days, but will cost me only $34.75, HALF the standard fee. They did this because i had turned off auto-pay, but they wanted to keep my business. I had to resume auto-pay in order to enjoy the bargain. But once paid, I will turn OFF auto-pay again, and hope for another good deal next time around. In any case:
Glad to have documented my first incoming call on my first cell service ever…though I’m sure it bored you out of your friggin’ mind, Wattson! As it most likely will ALL my avid readers, once they discover my tales and join me on my doggy revelations. Which fan base is still a future thing, though very nigh bud’s blossom.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Re: [MCN-Announce]- Jebus Freaks March into The Castro [my latest video – 11 secs.]
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 5, 2021 12:55 PM
> If that stat is accurate, then you and I are in a minority.
Exactly. Heterosexuals ARE a minority group every bit as much as LGBTs. The idea that straights are the vast majority is what I call THE BIG LIE.
> Not the only minority I (or you) belong to; an even tinier minority, for example, is that of the literate.
Yet there is POWER and WISDOM as a result of this double-minority status or being gay (or gay affirmative) and literate.
> Religion, especially when it bristles with rigid dogma, has always been the first refuge of scoundrels and hypocrites.
As is its stepchild, PATRIOTISM.
> The modern American fundie version of it loves to decry “big government,” even as they invoke the biggest Big Government of them all: Big God.
Ah, but there IS a “big god”…it’s called TRUTH, and shall smite them down with the Rod of Justice. (Freudian slip NOT intended, this time around.)
> The glee with which they threaten the rest of us with Big God tells the whole sorry story.
Their arrogance is BOUNDLESS. To invade gay neighborhoods with their bold presence–especially during LGBT Pride Month–is nothing less than monsters terrorizing the populace.
> When they say: “I’m praying for you,” that’s code for: “I get my rocks off picturing you writhing and sizzling on the griddle for all eternity.” They love authority and hierarchy.
Homophobia is THE most evil bigotry on the planet. Which is a manifestation of patriarchal dogma, and a close cousin to misogyny, white supremacy, and machismo. And always erupts into Nazism on a cyclical basis.
My friends Deek and Chuck are BOTH poisoned by this dogma, because too ill-informed…IOW, not literate. But NOT to the extreme where they are beyond salvaging, thanks to my influence.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: Youtube Slammed Me Again!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 6, 2021 2:03 AM
JUST as I was about to hit the sack, this window popped up on my Youtube challenge, claiming the video I uploaded this evening is in violation of their rules. Here’s what they said:
—
Before you appeal, please review your content to ensure that it abides by our Community Guidelines, in particular the section shown below. Provide supporting details in the box.
Spam, deceptive practices and scams
Content that contains spam, scams, or other deceptive practices that seek to exploit the community are not allowed on YouTube. This includes titles, thumbnails, or descriptions that promise users something in the video but actually direct them to another site.
How this affects your channel
Your channel now has 1 strike. You won’t be able to do things like upload, post, or live stream for 1 week. A second strike will prevent you from publishing content for 2 weeks. Three strikes in the same 90 day period will result in your channel being permanently removed from YouTube.
—
And here is my reply:
—
I have NO idea what you’re talking about. This video, along with all others in my “Brindlekin Tales” playlist are the narrated versions of my original stories on my WordPress blog. IOW they are audio version of my written tales, that people who are sight impaiied may enjoy them, too. I have well over 50 chapters of my trilogy (still a work in progress) converted into narrations and uploaded to my channel. Why, now, does this bother Youtube? You can see the “[narration’]” link for each of my chapters, here:.
This is neither spam, scam nor deception. Plenty of Youtubers narrate their own tales, or those of others. And I am no different…plus all my narrations are ORIGINAL, by yours truly.
—
You’d THINK if they didn’t like me linking my narration to the written version, they would’ve complained months ago! Wouldn’t you say, good doctor? They’ve banned me from being able to upload anything for a week. And I now have one strike against me. Two more to go, and I’m shut out of Youtube forever! Hopefully, they’ll take back that strike, now that I’ve appealed it. But I’m not that optimistic about the outcome. Thank God those videos are also all on my Google Drive, for public access. Until I come up with some viable alternative. Though Youtube is THE platform to get yourself out there.
[pause]
A few minutes have passed since I wrote the previous paragraph and, guess what? Youtube automatically sent me a REJECTION of my appeal! How could this NOT be a bot? Here’s their reply:
—
We have reviewed your appeal for the following content:
Video: Book 3 Ch. 17j: The Final Chapter (part 10)
We reviewed your content carefully, and have confirmed that it violates our spam, deceptive practices and scams policy. We know this is probably disappointing news, but it’s our job to make sure that YouTube is a safe place for all.
—
It is POSSIBLE they were alarmed by my quoting from Chuck’s email where he said all sorts of horrific things, conspiracy-wise, and Youtube took it as my PROMOTING it, even though I sharply criticised his statements in that same chapter! Well, since they don’t say anything specific about my supposed violation, how can I know what has gotten their feathers in a fluff? I’ve gone through ALL their guidlines with a fine tooth comb several times, and came up with NOTHING that I have done to break even ONE of their rules. Same goes for their FIRST warning, which was my conversation with Felix at Rosenberg’s, about a month ago.
Ya know what? I’m just gonna eradicate my playlist of narrations. I can link my written tales to those narrations via Google Drive…run by the SAME COMPANY that owns Youtube! What a joke.
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: Re: [MCN-Announce]- Ruby Vinegar and Alvin Hock are bad news (anti-vax propaganda)
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: MCN announce list
Date: June 7, 2021 10:31 PM
On Mon, 07 Jun 2021 5:35 PM Harvey Winston posted:
> They cultivate their ignorance, using the most basic errors of scientific facts and statistics to formulate arguments that any eighth grader should be able to debunk.
I’d bump that estimate down a couple of notches and replace “eighth” with “sixth.”
> They lie, lie, lie, and they have blood on their hands.
Death devils, the lot of ’em.
> No, we will not provide a detailed rebuttal to the latest product of the anti-vax twaddle machine. No, we will not generate ad revenue for liars by clicking on their links. No, we are not impressed that this particular article uses numbers.
Careful, Harvey, you’ve just ruffled more than a few of their feathers. Let the clamorous clucking cacophony commence!
“Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
Covid isn’t real, and the vaccines are part of the government’s New World Order plan to kill half the population!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
Dr. Fauci created a killer virus at the Wuhan lab!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
But it’s fake, the real poison is in the vaccine!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
The masks and social distancing was to establish greater mind control over the masses!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
5G is what really caused the coronavirus, not some pangolin halfway around the world!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
The Rothschilds are behind all this, and the Mossad!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
Elvis and Bin Laden are still alive, somewhere on the Kamchatka Peninsula, snorting coke with Vladimir Putin’s pool boy!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!
Non-binary cosplay queers in drag run the Vatican!
Buk-buk-buk-buh-GAWK!”
Subject: Flaco REALLY wanted to visit me!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 8, 2021 10:58 AM
This was three afternoons ago, when Deek dropped by to pick up his devices, and more doggy food. I had crouched down for several minutes to pet and hug the pups, while Deek was talking to another vagrant. But when it was time for him to depart, Flaco refused to budge, and struggled to free herself from her leash. The collar was at a slanted angle halfway across her head as she tugged and tugged and tugged. Deek yelled at her, as I gently slid the collar back, and encouraged her to go with Deek. It was, in short, just another rosary-bead heartbreak in a long string of them, going back to when she first came into my life.
I quickly returned to the front gate in order to diminish Flaco’s attention, then paused to watch the doggies prance away with their inconsiderate master, pushing his weighted cart across the intersection, leashes attached. They haven’t been back yet, and it looks like Deek’s new schedule is to only drop by once a week for his allowance and a fresh supply of kibble. Obviously, he perceives my appeal to have the pups visit more frequently, as a trick to take them from him, rather than my heartfelt regard for their safety, and protection from exposure to the chill, damp air.
Which fewer visits only serve to increase the danger of his losing them through growing ill and perishing from hypothermia. He NEVER gets them jackets any more! Not to mention the countless OTHER risks of forcing them to remain on the streets for long stretches of time, especially at night. I’ve never witnessed anyone so foolish as to constantly set himself up for failure and disappointment. While scapegoating ME for anything bad that happens to him or the pups…it’s always MY fault!
On our meetup previous to the last one, he suddenly blurted out how I shouldn’t let Lucky play-bite me, because the pooch recently attacked someone who then got in his face and threatened to report the incident…they don’t even have rabies tags. I doubt any of that happened, that Deek merely resents the pups’ loving enthusiasm towards me, so conjured yet another fake incident. As in: he’s ALWAYS fabricating this or that horrific tale to justify keeping the dogs away from me as long as possible. As well as to set me up for blame should anything awful REALLY occur.
I tried to explain to him that Lucky only play-bites with those he loves, and he’s so careful when he does, he couldn’t POSSIBLY rip anyone’s pants, as Deek claimed. Neither of the brindlekin play with strangers, or even acquaintances; instead, they shy away. I ALSO pointed out it is HIS responsibility to get those rabies tags…to which, surprisingly, he agreed as he wandered up towards Castro Street with the pups looking back at me until I disappeared behind the gate.
It’s like I’m stuck in an endless-loop nightmare; but my dedication to the dogs overrides even THAT. For the kindness and joy they bring me is immeasurable, and I gladly owe them the same kindness in return. Now, on another note, Wattson:
I was able to resume email contact with Chuck, via my Protonmail account, for he replied to my query, “If this email reached you, please reply!” So I updated him a bit on my latest adventures, and encouraged him to switch to a smartphone, using the Tracfone service. But I ended my message with how he needs to unravel himself from this pro-Trump conspiracy nonsense, it’s a bad path to go down.
But before completing and sending off the email, I decided to phone him once again. Just a quick catching up, stating there’s more in my email about to arrive…ending once again with a warning about his right-wing babble, that it just gets him hot headed, and it’s not about what’s REALLY going on in the world. I suspect he didn’t receive my original email mocking him over this, due to that Yahoo glitch (which seems to be ongoing).
We’ll see how he handles it, but I certainly can NOT maintain communication if he persists down that deplorable road. Pressuring me to side with such garbage ideology is NOT how I care to spend my time, even if it means losing the last long-term friend in my world. It’s just like I had never cut myself off from my brother, as Chuck is parroting the exact same mass insanity. I doubt he’ll abide by my wishes, as he’s become deeply embedded in this Trumpist Cult, probably because of his resumption with old high school buddies once he returned to Philly, after being gone more than three decades. Talk about peer pressure redux!
– Zeke K-Holmes
Subject: Noisy Hohokum Punks!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 10, 2021 12:45 AM
Almost every single friggin night, Hohokum smoke shop workers hang out front with their friends and relations, disturbing the peace way into the night, sometimes as late as 3 AM! This has been going on for over a year, since they changed who runs it. The first several months after opening, everything was fine, they’d close at 10 PM, and were never a nuisance. But now it’s like living right above a club. They hang out for hours on the sidewalk, yapping away, boisterously screaming and acting out like they’re the coolest shit on the block. Just when the pandemic made our streets quiet, this started happening. They NEVER shut up, act like punks, and draw sketchy street people to their spot, because it’s the only shop open so late, and they sell tobacco, weed and paraphernalia for smoking OTHER drugs. Plus provide a distraction for their wandering the boring, dark streets. I suspect they’re relatives of Ablablah Realty, which owns my building and leases the shops below. So they think they’re SPECIAL. For whatever reason, the manager does nothing about it, so those of us living on this side of the building have our peace of mind and sleep disturbed just about every night. IT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS!
Youtube has banned me from uploading any videos for a week, so here’s the backup link (1 min.):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I5-DrgzE0wfdF7AwtAnwiCI2nLRVrj4f/view?usp=sharing
Re: [MCN-Discussion]- If “she’s” setting an example on good mental health, I think I’ll pass
From: Ezekiel Krahlin
To: MCN discussion list
Date: June 10, 11:17 PM
On 9 Jun 2021 14:46 Tanya NAZI FAN GIRL Merang squoinked:
> You’ve been remarkably insulting, abusive, nasty, rude, insulting, and mean spirited to me Zeke
Nonsense. I’ve been remarkably forthright in addressing your hypocrisy and nurturing a subscriber here for his Nazi proclivities. Must be the mother instinct, eh?
> Quite literally, you attack me,
No, I don’t attack you “quite literally,” I simply oppose your coddling a lunatic Nazi, via clacking away at the keyboard on my lap. Such hyperbole, Ms. Merang! One would suspect you have an ulterior motive, a hidden agenda, a dastardly scheme to unravel.
> because I won’t attack your enemies.
They are not just MY enemies, you deceptive Jezebel! Spike Kozlowski is a blatant Nazi, and ALL Nazis are enemies to the world.
> That is my one and only crime.
But the worst crime ever: befriending and enabling a Nazi. That ONE crime far exceeds a zillion LESSER crimes, for there is no crime GREATER.
> It seems you have only friend or foe, and no room to just let other people be.
Right, just let the flaming Nazis be, it’ll all blow over in time. I’m not stupid, I know exactly what you are doing.
> I’ve already told you on social issues, we agree more than disagree, and I’m the one who made the point our new ASH was an excellent choice.
Doesn’t matter how much we may agree on so many issues. For that ONE crime alone is so egregious as to totally WIPE OUT anything good you may stand for.
> Being in the IT field, I’ve worked my entire career with people in the LGBT Community
Irrelevant. Since LGBTs are like everyone else, in that they have their OWN right-wing cabals, including Nazi admirers. Just because you glom onto them, does NOT mean you are ipso facto a good person.
> they are over-represented because of their innate intelligence and creativity.
Obsequious flattery gets you nowhere with me, dear snake. Furthermore: MY own gay intelligence seems to elude your acknowledgment. Go figure.
> You do in fact owe me an apology, but I don’t ever expect to get it, so it’s no great loss. You’d have to admit you’re wrong, and you don’t seem to have that capacity.
I love how you toss in that guilt-trip trope, now and then. Hilarious.
> Not killing people you disagree with, is far different than getting cozy.
Well THAT’S a flakey thing to say! Whatever you’re smokin’, I don’t want any.
> Trying to find common humanity, that might inspire moving them, is infinitely more effective,
Not when it comes to Nazis…they are 100 percent bullies all the way. NOTHING can persuade them to change their ways, except being bullied BACK. For they’re cowards at heart, just give them a taste of the pain THEY inflict, and they’ll scream like stuck pigs. And you KNOW all that (that you can’t win over a Nazi through kindness)…you are obviously trying to weaken my resolve, because you are a saboteur who FAVORS right-wing trolls like Mr. Kozlowski.
Stop playing your “let’s be nice to the Nazi” Neville Chamberlain schtick…I see right through it.
> than trying to bludgeon people into submitting to your holy justice and vengeance.
More hyperbole in your juvenile attempts to weaken my resolve, this time by comparing my stance to inflated arrogance and even violence. Aren’t you the innocent little lamb! “Holy justice and vengeance,” my ass.
> All you do Zeke is polarize and make people hunker down even harder on their position.
Nope, don’t do that at all…and you know I don’t. I simply speak out against blatant lies by right-wingers who attempt to muddy the waters and sabotage the goals of decent people. You are his wing man, so to speak.
> All the while proving them right for hating you.
Wow! That was quite a leap from hyperbole into blatant falsehood. How impressive, Ms. Judas-Merang! If anyone hates me, it’s because I hold up a mirror to their ugly faces. Furthermore: hatred is NEVER justified…there is a better, more enlightened wat to deal with conflict. Mr. Kozlowski’s approach is ALWAYS to act with hatred, whereas mine is ALWAYS to act on the truth. Accusing ME of hatred is simply the act of scapegoating: blaming me for HIS sins. It’s totally ABSURD for such a foul-mouthed goat like Mr. Psychobitch to accuse me of raging with hatred, only because I stand up against the blathering lunatic.
> You think attacking me has made you look good, or just, or sympathetic? Or has it made you look like a bully, irrational, and ungrounded?
I’m not attacking you, Ms. Merang…never have, never will. I DON’T “attack” anyone. Opposing horrid words or ideas is not an attack, it is drawing the line by condemning such horrible remarks as Kozlowski makes with prolific frequency. Though I appreciate your manipulative application of the word “attack” to try to make ME look like the offender, instead of Psychobitch and his enabler (who is, of course, your dishonorable self).
> I won’t fight you Zeke,
That statement right there implies otherwise. You HAVE been fighting me all along, through deception and manipulation of your words.
> because I don’t hate you,
Yes you do. You’re a Nazi…just like your protege Kozlowski. You’ve found your comrade in this list! You do NOT lift so much as a finger, in outcry against even his most outrageous bigoty expressed so often. Including not standing up to him when he makes the most vile homophobic threats against me. It is not ME (or Alan) I’m suggesting you defend…it is LGBTs. You say you have so many queer amigos, yet you NEVER bother to denounce Mr. Psychobitch’s horrific anti-gay epithets.
> I just don’t like the way you treat people,
Oh, I already got that, loud and clear, Ms. Merang. But you absolutely LOVE a screeching Nazi, spewing one hateful comment after another, because, as you say, he’s so HONEST with who he is. Which, besides being pure BULLSHIT, is your modus operandi for right-wing infiltration. My honesty, however, appears to be a horse of a different color for you; now do not say “neigh” to that!
> I don’t like the way you yield your own moral high ground to stoop exactly as low as the people you despise. You want to be the better man… act like the better man.
Really, now, how much more hyperbole can we actually take without it being dumped like the fecal plops of a million elephants? Just asking for a friend. His name is Dumbo.
> I ask you earnestly Zeke, you talk about keeping ahead, if you’re keeping ahead of the Nazi, in what direction are you marching, and why?
Any direction that’s opposite yours. Thanks for the emotionally charged BS you flung my way…it’s been fun deflecting, like Wonder Woman and her magic bracelets. Woo-hoo!
Re: [MCN-Discussion]- If “she’s” setting an example on good mental health, I think I’ll pass
From: Ezekiel Krahlin
To: MCN discussion list
Date: June 11, 1:04 AM
On Wed, 9 Jun 2021 16:54 Terry Sachs squoinked:
> That’s all he’s ever been to almost everyone: mean, nasty, rude, and insulting.
Could you be any stupider, Mr. Sucks? Remember, YOU are the one who went ballistic over someone’s accusation that I earn money for my posts, the more posts, the more money. Then there’s your “zEEK’s puppy grift” nonsense. You should be on some strong medication, is the best advice I can give. You certainly excel at making a fool of yourself, I’ll give you that. I’m amazed that you even have the chutzpah to show your face on the announcement list any more! Or in public, for that matter.
> IT IS COMPASSIONATE THAT YOU INDULGE HIM.
That’s Ms. Merang for ya: “The Compassionate Nazi Enabler!” Perfect title for a Fox sitcom.
> He will continue to refer to you as a nazi and claim you are homophopic.
There’s a lot of that going on in these MCN lists, I can tell ya that. All it took was for just one, lone gay person to join a list, and try to discuss an LGBT issue now and then, to watch the hetsupremacist fur fly! Truly a sight to behold. And ya know, had the MCN list went on withOUT my presence, you’d have no idea how many queer bashers there really are on that list…and by extension, Mendocino County itself.
Not my fault, though. Of course, Nazis love to scapegoat, which is exactly what YOU are doing. So if ya don’t wanna be CALLED a Nazi, Mr. Sucks, then stop ACTING like a Nazi. You’re like the little skinny runt down the block who gloms onto a the neighborhood bully, in hopes HE can play the bully himself, now and then. But things never end well for those types. The REAL bully gets sick of him, a bit later on down the line. So enjoy your fun while it lasts, you clueless yutz.
> It’s his favorite insult.
Oh come, come, Mr. Sucks. I don’t HAVE a “favorite insult,” but I CAN tell you this: homophobia seems to be a FAVORITE bigotry on this list! Not my fault that no one on this list (or that other one) has ever possessed the ovaries to speak out against anti-gay remarks. Then yours truly came along to crash your Nazi party, ruining the freedom they once had to keep gays suppressed and invisible…and terrorized!
And no, I DON’T call everyone a homophobe and a Nazi on this list…just the several who fit that profile to a T. Which of course includes you, Mr. Sucks, for being that skinny twerp who cozies up to the handful of Nazi bullies on this list, including their demonic leader, Spike Kozlowski…so YOU could fuck around with that gay lister, too. Which leader now appears to have a virtual female consort to do his bidding, who is also, sadly, Asian. Now I’m wondering: how much blood price did THAT cost him? Just asking for a friend. His name is Mephistopheles.
P.S.: I’m crossposting this message to the announcement list, since they seem to know you better over there, and get a good laugh over your latest fumbling with a hidden wicked plot to hatch. For it always backfires, like a Charlie Chaplin film where he plays the hapless hobo. That’s you, Mr. Sucks: “the hapless hobo;” a metaphor that defines your soul perfectly!
Subject: Just a few hugs, then they’re gone again!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 11, 2021 5:17 PM
Using my video backup source again, as it’ll be four more days before Youtube allows me to resume uploading. Looks like such false, draconic accusations by them are the result of a poorly programmed bot. Been happening to a LOT of vloggers recently. However, I think there may be some right-wing mischief baked into it.
Click here to watch the video.
Description:
Deek showed up for a short while this afternoon, to pick up more kibble and canned stew, and collect his weeky allowance. No mention whatsoever of having them stay overnight any time soon. Well, I already knew the moment he requested a fresh supply of dog food, that he had no plans for them to stay over. So I gave the pups some hugs and kisses, and the next thing you know: they were gone again! Seven days since I last saw them, and THAT was just a few brief moments, too. I used my camera pen to record this latest meetup, but as you can see, it’s sorely lacking in being able to capture the subjects by keeping the pen in my shirt pocket. The glasses are much better because I can intuitively aim the lens where I want (without being suspected of shooting a video), but a lens popped out of it, so not very discreet as a result…just draws attention as to exactly WHY I’m wearing them broken. But on a good note: Deek looks cleaner, healthy and stable these days…and no childish drama on his part. A VERY good sign, as that implies his jealousy and resentment of the fondness between the pups and myself should soon clear up, along with his bipolar mood swings. The shopping cart was also tidy!
Re: Just a few hugs, then they’re gone again!
From: Zeke Krahlin
To: My Dear Wattson
Date: June 12, 2021 12:14 PM
> Well, I’m glad everybody looked good, but it’s still worrisome to me.
When has my relationship with Deek NOT been worrisome? As I’ve concluded per my Bodhisatta Premise some months back:
Worry is not the right path. Faith is. Though I CAN conjecture as many worst case scenarios as I choose, they will only serve to obstruct my enjoyment of each day. All shall turn out just fine, no matter what.
Don’t know if you saw the video, Wattson, but in it I told Deek he and the pups are always in my prayers, though it’s not based on worry, ’cause that’s just obsessing over bad outcomes. Which does no one ANY favor.
I figured speaking those kind words is an important step towards unraveling his jealousy and resentment that come of immature thinking. As well as finally concluding on his own, that the dogs DO need a warm, safe haven on a frequent basis…withOUT making this a battle with his inner demons. Furthermore:
Prayer is learning to RELAX in faith, rather than be a bundle of angst. Because that’s what TRUST in a higher force is all about. At least, when it comes to your OWN well-being. Because, since you ALREADY have a strong desire for things to go well and, assuming your intent is a worthy one, you HAVE been heard, thus a positive outcome is inevitable. The rest of it is just learning how to use your mind better, for your OWN sanity: what the Buddha calls “right thinking.” To be clear:
The outcome of your prayer is NOT dependent on whether or not you have the right thoughts; it is, instead, based SOLELY on sincerity and worthiness. For example: praying for a new car so you can show it off to your neighbors is trivial, while praying for the well-being of another is immensely just, no matter HOW much of a bundle of nerves you might be. This is in opposition to all the illusions hurled at you over the years, of tragic endings in spite of worthy prayers by others. And by “prayer” I mean nothing more than intent in both thought and action. For without ACTING upon your wish, your good thoughts will come to naught. SOME level of sacrifice is necessary.
So in a very real sense, this situation with the doggies is a learning lesson for me, which is how to eradicate–as best I can–even the tiniest, final twitch of anxiety BEFORE the happy results manifest. For example:
This morning as I strolled back hovel with coffee in hand, I fantasized him losing the pups through death by overexposure to dampness and cold. And as a result, cut him out of my life for good, seeing as he’d wind up adopting aNOTHER doggy or two, and the same, awful thing would happen. And I just CAN’T go through that again, I’ve lost ALL respect for him, and REFUSE to remain beside him on this roller coaster ride of bipolar/meth madness ever again. I called him a “dog killer,” for that is what he is. Then, in my mind’s eye, he screamed at me, claiming it’s MY fault, dumping all his wrongs upon this bedraggled old pilgrim.
Now THAT fantasy right there is an obsession over a worst case scenario. Which right-thinking requires flushing from one’s mind, instead of latching on. Of course, this lesson applies to ALL crises, not just to a particular situation with two doggies and their homeless master. These dark scenarios that well up in one’s thoughts ARE necessary evils, to WARN of potential danger. But allowing them to take over your waking hours is the WRONG approach, because harmful to your own state of mind.
Thus–once again according to my Bodhisattva Premise–this makes Deek a bodhisattva himself, that is: my teacher. And the lesson IS to improve upon right-thinking. Many temptations to grow angry at him are hurled at my feet…they are challenges to overcome, and certainly NOT to cave in to. He therefore MUST play the monster now and then, in order for the lesson to progress towards completion. My conclusion in a nutshell?
Long-suffering, patience and compassion are key.
The improvement of his appearance and behavior, along with spiffing up his shopping cart and no longer dumping trash everywhere, are PROOF of the good results manifesting at last. I have given him ALL the criticism needed to set him on the right path, so should do no more of that, but say everything positive to further him along. Speaking of behavior:
When I handed him his allowance, he saw that, instead of three Jacksons, they were two, plus a Hamilton. Instead of squawking, he simply said: “Fitty dollar? Okay.”
In that video, you’ll hear me immediately apologize…then run back upstairs with the bill, to return with the proper sum. Overall, the 5-minute clip shows my considerate regard towards him, in spite of all the nastiness he’s flung at me over many months. Furthermore, his new habit of always asking for an “advancement” on his allowance is not occurring in shorter intervals (which would be squeezing an extra $60 out of me each month), but has settled on Friday, rather than my original decree of every Sunday. So it’s not really an advancement at all, but a shift to another day of the week. As if, as my teacher, he is fully conscious of this change, but is testing my temper.
This “right thinking” approach strikes me as simple common sense, and is part of the Buddha’s teaching on how to live as good a life as possible. And has NOTHING to do with whether or not you believe in God, or a higher force (as some prefer to say, including yours truly). It is thus a CRIME when religions claim a monopoly on this sane strategy, and often come to blows with OTHER belief systems that teach the VERY SAME THING! Equally shameful are new-age fads such as “The Secret,” who treat this approach as if it were something totally novel, and they are the only TRUE source of enlightened wisdom. When their REAL motive is to cash in on a specious premise.
In my own Brindlekin Tales, I make it very clear that my revelations are NOT novel in any way, but are personal documentation of how I apply them in my own life: a modern spin on sage advice that has resonated through the ages of humanity. Like the sweet tones of a monastery bell, a temple gong, or even the thocks of a hollow log from the deep time of prehistory. In my case:
Using the loving inspiration of two, marvelous doggies for my springboard. Curly-tail, brindlekin joy! Let the Chimes of Puppy Love ring through every city, town, village and burg!
– Zeke K-Holmes
ZekeBlog 2.0 