The Theory of Learned Helplessness

The Theory of Learned Helplessness. Depressing theme that ironically would make an amusing band name.
The research suggests that when a sentient organism learns of it's helplessness it accepts bad conditions and gives up fighting. I been there lots of times and eventually will again. It's why voter suppression works so well.
When the people assume everything is rigged they don't care to participate.I wish they could have found that data without torturing so many little animals.
I could have told them all about it from my observations working the carnival midway.
Folks assumed all our games were rigged so that gave us licence to rig everything. You're only a sucker if you don't know you are at the carnival. :)

This made my day. Someone bought his adult daughter some O&D dolls. This was her Xmas morning

No elves on shelves here. merry christmas, y’all! — with Dingo Dizmal.

Mt Tabor romance in the cold

Last night we packed a picnic and hiked up Mt. Tabor for some dinner and romance. Really chilly. Beautiful night to cuddlepuddle and look at the town.

HEB

Xmas eve Olive and her Dad were in a liquor store getting supplies. They said they were enjoying the cacophonous bustle of a very diverse Portland booze shop when the (late 20 something) door guard approached Olive.
 "Excuse me Mam." Olive asked him if he wanted to see her ID again. "No, I just wanted to ask to see your bag. Looks like it says HEB" 

She said yes, half our family are from HEBtown. She asked "Are you from Texas?" He said yes, he is from a city called Corpus Christi (never heard of it). He was stoked to see a logo he knew so well. "Do you miss Texas?" she asked. "Well...I miss Wataburger" he replied. I relate. Wataburger is the first and last place I visit during Tejas visits.

my favorite Christmas song

 I was once in a bar sitting near an elderly Southeast Asian couple and a native American man. 
We didn't know each other. Just quietly in our own worlds. 
Then that song that goes "Do you see what I see?" came on the jukebox. 
For a while we sat quietly but I was curious if they were as unsettled as I was. 
They were worse. I could see the elderly couple was seeing Huey helicopters blowing up villages, agent Orange etc. 
All I could imagine is the classic homogenized Xmas that is about over consuming pink plastic, White Jesus and his Iron age chain letters. 
The Native guy had us beat. 
He understandably saw genocide.
 For a moment we all looked terrified. 
Then the native guy let us all off the hook when he broke the silence saying
 "I see some messed up shit man." 
Our laughter crushed the tension and we all started talking to each other. 
That creepy tune became my favorite Christmas song that almost silent night.

pics from our trips

My favorite series is close to ending.

When I was growing up in the 80's people didn't really know much about life on Earth. Folks knew a lot about religion and sports but very few were interested in life the universe and everything. Very few even knew the language of science so investigating those things was difficult and best heresy at worst.
was all in.
I grew up in a house with a lovely huge family bible and next to it 36 encyclopedias. Fact books and bible didn't mix very well and that left me very confused.
China never recorded any global flood even though their civ was around a lot longer than the Mt. Ararat clique.
It dawned on me that we evolved from other creatures and the religions that people enjoy also evolved from other religions.
There was a term "The missing link" that assumed that there was some kind of gap separating us from the other creatures that also clearly evolved on Earth.
Since the 80's there have been thousands of discoveries that tell the story of human evolution.
Sorry Jeebus, none of them have anything to do with talking snakes.
I would love to find some way to bring people up to speed but it's difficult in this day of flashing lights and manipulative concepts.
My favorite video game is Civilization because it encompass everything. This is my favorite web series because it is a largely comprehensive class (always developing) of all the critters that had to happen for us to happen. If you can follow him you rule! That means you have been studying all along as well.
I really appreciate what Mr. Ra has done here. It's the project I would have done had I been the long haired, opinionated, educated Texan that this chap is.
I love his dry humor and love of heavy metal.
That is a science class I can really get into. Watch all the episodes. look for cracks in his theories.
It's a great ride if you like life, the universe and everything.

Kitchen prank idea from Pirate chef Dingo! operation coldpan:

It's a busy night on the line. Everyone is kicking out plates in a timely manner. They look great. People are doing a ballet around each other to keep up with the tickets. If someone has to carry something hot to another station they yell "Hot Pan" and everyone is aware of the hazard.

Funny thing...if you put a pan in the freezer for a half hour you can then retrieve it during the rush and give your co-workers a friendly haze by pressing it to their skin and yelling "HOT PAN!" Therein lies the comedy as they will be distracted and caught unawares and without perceiving if the sensation was burning or freezing. Usually they jump, scream, drop what they are holding, realize they have been ha,d then mentally scratch you off their holiday card list. They will laugh and laugh, probably buy you a beer you get fired.

Only one family at our show today.

Only one family at our show today. This little cafe has been struggling to stay afloat for a long time. Pity because they (like us) are there mostly to make the world a better place. This cafe is dedicated to training baristas and bike mechanics.

They have been thru lots of managers (a different one every time) and this new leader has promised to do some good advertising.

Olive and I still had a blast. We can afford to be poor and famous so we put our show on just like it was a normal packed audience. We over did everything. At the start we were ready to apologize, make a couple balloons and tell them no show BUT they knew what to say.
"It's our last day in the United States"

The family was from Canada. They had seen us elsewhere and wanted to catch a show before they left back to Montreal today.
This was cool. As we did the show the Mom and grandmom were translating everything we said into French so the kids never missed a beat.
That was a very touching piece of parenting right there.
So the cafe made $6, we made $10 but money can't buy the joy in that place this morning.
Stoked that now I know how to do our act in Montralese.
I asked Olive if she wanted to go busk somewhere else today, she said "Bathtub".
Works for me. :) Our next show today is at Pie Spot Pie shop 4pm.

luv the pants

It's awkward to walk through a grocery store with food on a dish. I like awkward. We stopped into a grocery store for a couple of sandwiches. As we walked I was eavesdropping on a couple who were in a bad way (because I'm nosy...FOR SCIENCE!)
Then I had to have Olive reinterpret their argument to me, a simple time traveler with no smart phone and no clue.
"Why was she so furious that her dude had an Ap on his phone?"
Olive: "Because it's Tinder."
That opened up a deep rabbit hole.
By the time my food was gone I was still clarifying "So there is zero reason for anyone who is married (and not in a polyamourus or open marriage) to have that romance Ap?" Olive: "Yes, that would be problematic."
I keep thinking maybe folks would download the ap to "lover shop" for friends and family. She said that wasn't a thing. Great lunch convo though.
Glad lunch turned around. Shortly after picking up those awkward plates an older gent leaned into the back of my neck and said "Luv the pants."
I couldn't enjoy the compliment because his actions gave me road rage. I wasn't hip to having my space invaded but I had to weigh dropping my lunch against the satisfaction of freaking out.
By the time I got over myself I wasn't mad any longer and the dude had long gone. :)

We made zero dough at our gig today. That's how it goes being a busker.

Luckily Olive's plan B readily replaced the missing daily bread. Don't try this at home kids.

oliveanddingo.com/donate

OK I traded my new fancy synthesizer for this hand canon.

I'm having a bit of barters remorse (I don't like guns) so I guess I will just use it in the morning to rake some leaves and then leave it on a bus bench or donate it to the food bank.                                  Sometimes chicken sometimes feathers.

Arbiter Olive.

Busy day but we had time to stop for burritos.
As I was munching away, behind me I hear a man sit by a vid poker machine. He asked "Is someone here?"
The chair was propped backwards. That means occupied.
A middle aged black lady had been there and had got up to restroom and get her food.
Olive told him it was occupied.
The man put money into it anyway. I keep munching and soon the woman returned. She was livid. "Excuse me Sir, That's my machine, I marked it."
The man grumbled and said something to her in Spanish. She said "Don't grumble at me, get up, pull your money."
They start arguing.
I have my back to them but I was enjoying the Seagull fights...that is until I hear a familiar voice. Olive: "Yeah that was her seat Sir, ya gotta let her have her place." Then the man told the woman"I'm gonna shoot you in the parking lot."
That didn't have the desired effect as now the lady is screaming at him "Oh you gonna shoot me huh?" He added fuel to the fire by putting in more money while looking right at her.
Both Olive and the lady went to the front.
The lady was complaining Olive was being supportive...until the lady added "And you need to speak American!"
That is a great way to lose Olive support but she hung in there.
The man had several landscaper buddies with him. Anything can happen. I'm watching my food and trying to mow it down in case I gotta fight or dodge flying furniture.
I will have a great attitude until I lose my lunch. Times like this make me glad to be a Texan. I have a smile on my face but I'm easily the most ferocious person in the building. For now I'm just gonna watch (hear) the show. So the lady was grumpy, so was Olive (conflicted but still right is right) and soon the owner walks in.
He is about 300 pounds with the huge arms and no humor for this.
There was some more yelling and a little giggling (from me).
Pretty soon the man pulled his money out and slinked away.
The lady sat down and warmly thanked Olive for having her back.
On the way out Olive had a sour expression like most folks in the taco stand at that point. I sure didn't I was laughing my head off.
That was the most entertaining thing that has happened all day. It was also a triumph to see (hear) my partner relentlessly backing up a woman of color even when the threat of guns were involved.

A kid asked for my autograph. I wrote my usual one.

A kid asked for my autograph. I wrote my usual one. The kid looked puzzled. "What is Dizmal?" I forget sometimes that they only know me by the one name and never went to punk shows or circus sideshow during the 90's and Zerozees. That isn't the clown they are into. :) I'm gonna "one name" autographs from now on. If folks get me confused with an Australian dog I guess I can live with that.

This morning's car wreck tourism. :) — in Portland, Oregon.

This morning's car wreck tourism. :) — in Portland, Oregon.