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75 years and still counting

by LEP Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 07:54:00 AM EST

Today is my 75th birthday and I'm furious and want to go and occupy Wall Street. Unfortunately I'm occupying  my local pharmacy instead if only to keep my body functioning, which body houses my brain, which still seems to be functioning OK, maybe.

The bullshit in today's world pains me; a world in constant financial crisis without any leader to step in and lead the way, any way other than the status quo; even Putin, one of the few who had some spine, is on his way out.

Obama was supposed to be our big play man. He who got a Nobel Peace Prize just before he doubled the size of the Afghanistan war. We needed a Jackie Robinson-instead we got Eddie Stanky, a very good journeyman player but no hall of famer. And the modern freakin' Republicans; some of the most disgusting people I've ever seen in Western politics.

In France, where I live, Mr."Fric" himself is leading the way, desperately trying to save the irresponsible big French banks, controlled by his buddies, from collapse.

Etc., etc., etc.

I'm doing OK, and so are my two kids in the U.S. and my two kids in France. But I'm furious because I know that there's an awful lot of suffering going on out there that didn't have to be, because of those greedy conservative bastards who want it all.

I'm also furious that I'm 75 and don't know where the years went. C'est la vie!

Hey you kids get off my lawn!

Display:
75 years and still counting | 51 comments (51 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 15)
Don't yell at me. Your wife is the one who leaves the apple pies on the window sill to cool.

I met LEP at my very first meet, discovering a remarkable man, despite being old enough to know who Eddie Stanky was. Im sad you're so  furious, but that's better than my depression. As much as you can, keep your voice heard here on ET.

All the best, and many healthy more to come.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 08:23:23 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 9)
CH. You're too young to know who Eddie Stanky was.And I don't believe for a minute that you're depressed with all those sweeties surrounding you.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 08:48:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 9)
you rock LEP

thanks for all the great input over the years

and thanks also for helping 60 feel young lol

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 12:44:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 3)
Well said melo. Do well LEP.

Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.

Frank Delaney ~ Ireland

by siegestate (siegestate or beyondwarispeace.com) on Fri Dec 16th, 2011 at 08:38:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 9)
Happy, happy birthday LEP!! Your pictures and your posts always brighten my day. Just you keep counting those years my friend, and don't let the turkeys (or greedy conservative bastards) get you down. Good things are surely bound to come our way if we can just live long enough.
by sgr2 on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 08:38:42 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 12)
LEP, that's three-quarters of a century there. I don't even know if we should believe you. In fact, I don't.

So I hope you're having an amazingly happy twenty-fifth birthday. Keep coming in here to remind us that the world is not entirely fucked-up and depressing. Thank you for doing that.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 08:58:53 AM EST
It's starting to get dark in Lyon (4.00 / 11)
and I'll be off to see "the lights". I'd light a candle for your birthday, LEP, but I might be mistaken for a worshipper of Our Lady of Fourvière, and neither of us would like that.

I wonder who I'll bump into tonight? That was pretty freaky last year, when we bumped into your daughter's best friend. Like last year, I'll be running around trying to locate my daughter. She has lost her key to the apartment.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 10:52:50 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 11)
Happy birthday, LEP.

The lack of a leader isn't a disadvantage, I think. They can't let us down then. We will have to find ways to organise and lead ourselves.

by Katrin on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 11:52:48 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 8)
Your thesis is being tested as we write ;)

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 12:11:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 11)
Happy Birthday indeed, I didn't know they fitted 25 year old brains in 75 year old bodies :)

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 12:00:06 PM EST
St Lep of Montmartre (4.00 / 14)
Furious maybe, but ultra-compassionate with it. We oldies need causes to keep us alert and alive, and your photos of demonstrations, and the things that interest you, show how involved you remain.

A bar in Paris.
Sven: "Look at that painting of those two old fogies - that'll be us in 20 years"
LEP: "It's a mirror"

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 12:54:36 PM EST
Re: St Lep of Montmartre (4.00 / 12)

Len standing, Sven seated.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 03:53:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: St Lep of Montmartre (4.00 / 3)
Jez, you guys do look OLD!  Makes me feel really good.  Time to replace all the mirrors with paintings.  

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears
by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 10:06:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: St Lep of Montmartre (4.00 / 3)
Wow. All "oldies" should be so good-looking. And I'm with Melo; thanks for making 61 feel young.

'tis strange I should be old and neither wise nor valiant. From "The Maid's Tragedy" by Beaumont & Fletcher
by Wife of Bath (kareninaustin at g mail dot com) on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 03:18:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 12)
Happy birthday LEP!  I was thinking of you earlier and I pop in and here we are, birthday time again!

I turned 33 last week which means it is 15 years since I was 18 and I don't like that too much. I guess I'll be furious at 75 too.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 01:18:04 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 10)
Yes, you're really aging ;) I was happy to hear from afew that your photography was going so well. Keep it up!

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 01:28:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Happy Birthday LEP (4.00 / 9)
Serenity Prayer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

And the friends to help me widen the range of things I can influence...

Index of Frank's Diaries
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 02:22:56 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 9)

Hell hath no fury like a man whose hopes have been scorned :-)

Stay angry, stay foolish :-)  

More photos.

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.

by Ted Welch (tedwelch-at-mac-dot-com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 02:38:56 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 10)
Happy birthday, LEP, and good thing you're furious: it shows you've been paying attention, and we do need that in France (and elsewhere).

Stéphane Hessel has written Indignez vous! at the age of 93, so the best of your career is still ahead of you, that's all I'm sayin' :)

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 03:59:58 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 5)

That was last year, now at the age of 94, with Edgar Morin, who's a mere 94, he's published "Le chemin de l'espérance" (The Path of Hope). He's till doing lucid, eloquent interviews in French or english, as here the other day on France 24 English:

http://www.france24.com/en/20111206-2011-12-06-1242-wb-en-interview

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.

by Ted Welch (tedwelch-at-mac-dot-com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 06:12:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 1)
Thanks for this link Ted; very impressive.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 03:58:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 7)
Happy Birthday (even if I wouldn't count it on my own behalf, since I only count the ones that end in '0' ever since I passed 30).


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 04:01:21 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 11)
Happy Birthday. :)

There are many things to be angry about, but being 75 and on ET isn't one of them. :)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 04:06:00 PM EST
Happy birthday, Len. (4.00 / 6)
This looks like a good place to slip into the thread, as I certainly agree with TBG. Lots of other great comments, too; but this one speaks for me best. Mirta sends best wishes, too.

Don't know if you caught my announcement in October, but my daughter had her own beautiful daughter finally. Makes up for a lot, doesn't it.

paul spencer

by paul spencer (paulgspencer@gmail.com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 11:26:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Happy birthday, Len. (none / 1)
Thanks Paul. I did miss your good news. Congratulations to you and Mirta.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 02:46:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 5)
Happy birthday LEP! And many more!

I think the lack of leadership is not an accident. It is part of the whole neo-liberal and neo-conservative economics package. The goal is to cede leadership the the wealthy so bunglers are put forward as choices to the electorate and the electorate is propagandized to reject vision, passion and determination as "dangerous".

It is maddening to watch, but it is one of those pivotal times that we are privileged or condemned to live through. Keep on keeping on.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 05:03:29 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 7)
OMG what a bunch of old farts we are. (With some exceptions.)
by asdf on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 05:24:13 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (3.89 / 9)
I prefer to think of us as a cellar of fine, aged, wine slowly turning into vinegar.

;-)

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 05:41:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 5)
Happy birthday LEP! I hear you...All this mess makes me angry too. I wonder what else is in front of us and why the heck we have to go through all of this instead of having peace now when we are getting old(er). But then again it must be life...We may consider ourselves lucky if we are not to witness another WW.
I never was an optimist, ha-ha, but this is what counts for optimism nowadays, ha-ha.
Not a thing is in our hands but we can (still) cry and get furious at least here on ET.
Good to see you here...keep going.


Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind...Albert Einstein
by vbo on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 07:38:35 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 6)
Happy Birthday LEP. When do you plan to visit DC again? I hear they are holding a spot open down at "McPherson Sq".  

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears
by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Thu Dec 8th, 2011 at 10:17:51 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 10)
Thanks Gringo.It's possible I'll be there in March but I have to try to get my boating license in Feb. and March. I bought a small riverboat last August but it still reauires a boating license.
Here's my new escae.



Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 02:55:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Aye, aye (4.00 / 2)
It also needs a black flag - if you're going to do the job properly...

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 08:08:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Aye, aye (4.00 / 2)
HOIST THE COLORS!!!



She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 01:01:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Aye, aye (none / 1)
Exactly. LEP take note...

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 01:37:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Aye, aye (none / 1)
Observe the correct spelling of "color" in my comment and the incorrect spelling "colour" on the YouTube.  

DEATH TO SUPERFLUOUS "U"s!!!

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 02:12:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Aye, aye (4.00 / 5)
That shold be SPERFLOS.

Thank yo very mch.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 02:20:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Aye, aye (none / 0)
Yo're welcome, dde.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 02:23:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Aye, aye (none / 0)
deth tu extra stuf
by asdf on Sun Dec 11th, 2011 at 01:26:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 6)
Hi Len, a late but very, very Happy Birthday and may the new year of your life also be filled with many happy experiences, despite the challenging times. :-D
by Fran on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 10:58:06 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 0)
Thanks Fran.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 11:18:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 3)
A belated happy birthday to you. Your brain seems to be functioning very well.

luis_de_sousa@mastodon.social
by Luis de Sousa (luis[dot]de[dot]sousa[at]protonmail[dot]ch) on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 11:31:40 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 4)
Wow, four kids and... how many wives is that again? ;)

Belated birthday wishes, but sincere for a' that!

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 12:19:07 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 0)
Only 2 wives ;)The first 20 years and the second almost 22.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 12:37:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 1)
2 for me aussi, but we were on the standard 7 year cycle.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 9th, 2011 at 12:44:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 2)
Happy Birthday indeed.

And although we hope the light burns for a long time yet, this guy knew how you felt

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.



keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sat Dec 10th, 2011 at 02:14:33 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 1)
Happy birthday, Len.

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Dec 12th, 2011 at 11:46:48 AM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 1)
I'm late, but Happy Birthday, LEP!

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.
by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Mon Dec 12th, 2011 at 03:17:02 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 4)
I am way late, but better late than never. Happy Birthday my good man! Make sure to take a pause from your rage occasionally to smell the flowers and keep taking great photos! Damn man, we are all getting older...I turn 60 in April! Anyway, blessings for the coming year to the only person I ever met who was a Martin Luther King Jrs "I have a dream" speech - keep the dream alive! Peace! - Bob

"Once in awhile we get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if we look at it right" - Hunter/Garcia
by whataboutbob on Sun Dec 18th, 2011 at 04:21:46 PM EST
Re: 75 years and still counting (none / 1)
Thanks Bob. Long time no see!I hope things are good for you ;)

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Sun Dec 18th, 2011 at 06:18:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 3)
I'm hanging in there Lenny, Life in the desert is different, as is working for an Indian Tribe. It gives one a different perspective. Will try to drop in more often...Lil wants us to move back over there...if we can just figure out what to do!!


"Once in awhile we get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if we look at it right" - Hunter/Garcia
by whataboutbob on Wed Dec 21st, 2011 at 12:14:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 75 years and still counting (4.00 / 2)
Hi Bob, good to see you!
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Wed Dec 21st, 2011 at 01:21:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
75 years and still counting | 51 comments (51 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)


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