I sat shotgun in the Sprinter van and looked out the window at all the cars, and the sad people in them. I looked out the windshield at the snake of cars ahead of us. They weren’t moving. They hadn’t moved in minutes. Up till now we had crept up in the traffic, inching our way slowly to the mouth of the tunnel, but now we were stuck.
I wasn’t doing anything but dying of boredom. I could only sit there, and wait for the boredom to pass. In Manhattan there would be traffic, but there would also be people to watch. As much as it might be pleasing in the moment to hit those people, they would supply my eyes with some entertainment outside of the obnoxious voices of the radio.
Bodies and minds always hit a breaking point during this ordeal, and motivation is extinguished upon arrival home. The mind and body demand relaxation from the spirit torture of traffic exhaustion.
Listening to music, reading a book, watching a video, all social media.....it is all an entertaining distraction from the hellish commute. This commute is one reason that living in the city (and its surrounding sprawl) erodes patience, motivation and intellect.
I had to get home and do something with my brain and my body. First I spoke to my roommate, who was in the same place on the couch when I left in the morning. She was bored enough from a similar type of endless, relaxing media consumption to want to talk to me about my day. It was a miracle.
Conversation is the first step to thinking. Doing is the second step, and for me, writing counts as doing. But doing is work. (Writing is work.) After a commute, working seems like more....work. Sometimes we need reminding that relaxation isn’t earned simply because we reached home. We can relax for a moment, but too much relaxing too soon leads to less motivation and less doing. It leads to more mindless media consumption. A second wind is always needed when the spirit is depleted, and it has to be equal parts motivating and relaxing. It has to use the brain and the body. In this case the body is the mouth.
Using my mouth lead me to work out my body. I exhausted my body. That was good. Though my mind was engaged, it was never exhausted. I focused too much on my body’s exhaustion as an excuse not to exhaust my mind. Exhaustion is temporary. Our body can withstand remarkable exhaustion if we treat it right. It is all mentality.
Temperance is a virtue that traffic exhaustion tries to murder. Don’t ever let tunnel traffic deplete the spirit.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Unsolicited Advice 10
Dear Abby,
My boyfriend and I have been dating for nearly two years. He would literally do anything for me. He’s incredibly affectionate and supportive, and a lot of women would love to have someone like him.
My problem is we see the world through completely different eyes. I'm an artist. I want to go out and explore the world and do crazy things. He's more comfortable at home with video games and he's not comfortable mingling with crowds. He can be overprotective sometimes, and when I bring up my concerns about possibly breaking up, he doesn't take me seriously and says, "You do this every time you're upset."
We live together and are dependent both financially and emotionally. Honestly, I would like to stay with him, but I'm torn about what to do. Should I leave someone I should be grateful for in order to chase selfish dreams? Or should I stay and encourage him to change? -- CHASING MY DREAMS
Dear Chasing Your Dreams,
Your boyfriend isn’t going to change. If you can’t accept him the way he is, then it would be better for both of you to separate.
Normally I don't look at Abby/Amy/Carolyn's response until after I write and publish my own response. It keeps my answer pure. It keeps my answer....plermptian
The question might be a conventional one, but Abby's advice is the worst I've ever read. She doesn't address the issue at all. She is unfit to carry her mother's name with her lazy two sentences.
Dear Chasing Your Dreams,
People do change.
What you have yet to realize is that you are the one that is going to do the changing. You will lose interest in 'doing crazy things.' You will catch up to your boyfriend, and when you do, you won't want to regret leaving him for something silly and fleeting like 'artistic dreams.'
An art career is bullshit anyway. It will not support you. You can bartend/waitress alone while you attempt to 'make it', or you can have a stable boyfriend with a stable job to keep you afloat so you can network.
Stability is more rewarding and fulfilling than 'crazy things' because 'crazy things' is a phase that passes relatively quickly. People that commit to doing 'crazy things' usually die young and poor.
Unless your boyfriend is abusive/cheat/flake you should follow your dreams with him; he can support you emotionally and financially.
However, if you really think that you are better off following your dreams alone, then STOP BRINGING UP CONCERNS ABOUT BREAKING UP! Just do it. Break up. Stop pussyfooting around it.
It is undeserved rudeness to an otherwise innocent, good person. Talk to him about following your dreams responsibly, and see what he can offer you in support.
You are young, probably attractive girl, so it will be easier for you to find someone more compatible if you get involved in those art scenes. But expect disappointment in your art dreams. And don't sleep around.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Learning to Love CosmicSkeptic
CosmicSkeptic is a hyper intellectual 20 year old British YouTuber, Oxford Theology Student and atheist.
Like most atheists, he is unwilling to admit his fascination with religion. He and his fans both believe that he is covertly receiving this degree to better debate Christianity's finer points with its experts. I admire this dedication. Most atheist normies are content to play scientist and poke fun during their annual visit to the creationist museum.
There is another reason that atheists like CosmicSkeptic are subconsciously super interested in religion. It is the same reason that I listen to a "bad" song over and over. They have an interest and desire for meaning, and I actually like the "bad" song: (The "bad" song might even be "good".) atheists are ultimately left unsatisfied by their worldview. Their only means of worship are debating believers and proselytizing on the internet. Unless they completely ignore them, their intellects are unsatisfied with the hopelessness of n o t h i n g. Only the nihilist doesn't care to know or think about any of it. Depending on the ways that these nihilists decide to live, such a pessimistic worldview might be mistaken for insanity, or depression.
CosmicSkeptic doesn't need even need his accent to sound smart, unlike Russell Brand. He is legitimately smart. But he has the consistent and unappealing trait that all atheists share: arrogance. When debating a religious person, it is important for atheists not to have this tone. (He doesn't). It will make the religious person appear like a gentler and kinder person, which will work against the atheist. Full arrogance is permitted when speaking to an audience of agreeable atheists; they have already been won over, so their intellect can be flexed obnoxiously.
This is exactly what CosmicSkeptic does when he calls the doctrines of Christianity 'vile' and 'disgusting' in his latest video. Despite his intellect, he also flexes his immature arrogance by unnecessarily blaspheming Christianity to his loyal atheist minions. This is in poor taste, and it makes me strongly dislike him. Arrogance is just caulk for the holes of an argument; a good argument can stand on its own. Minions don't much care about the caulk. They will feed off it like it is substantial so long as a person they idolize is the one doing the caulking.
This is exactly what CosmicSkeptic does when he calls the doctrines of Christianity 'vile' and 'disgusting' in his latest video. Despite his intellect, he also flexes his immature arrogance by unnecessarily blaspheming Christianity to his loyal atheist minions. This is in poor taste, and it makes me strongly dislike him. Arrogance is just caulk for the holes of an argument; a good argument can stand on its own. Minions don't much care about the caulk. They will feed off it like it is substantial so long as a person they idolize is the one doing the caulking.
Atheism is flawed and finite. CosmicSkeptic is smart enough to have has mastered its arguments but naive enough to believe them. Due to his enterprising nature he has to become deeply involved in atheism's godless religion 'humanism' an alternative to supernatural religion. Due to his intelligence this atheis religion does not satisfy on its own; CosmicSkeptic needs more ammo, and must delve into the enemy territory of theology to get it.
While the atheist religion is an oxymoron, it might get a few things correct. No doubt it borrows the correct things from God and Christianity. However, the one thing it cannot get correct (because humans couldn't possibly think of it without God) is Matthew 5:44:
Admittedly, loving CosmicSkeptic is very hard to do. But I can help him bring himself to Christ by doing so.
While the atheist religion is an oxymoron, it might get a few things correct. No doubt it borrows the correct things from God and Christianity. However, the one thing it cannot get correct (because humans couldn't possibly think of it without God) is Matthew 5:44:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;I find the atheist demeanor completely repugnant and off putting, but only through Christ can I pray for them and love them. Doing this almost goes against human instinct. It is easier to hate than love, and these atheists hate God to the point where they believe he doesn't exist! God exists anyway. Furthermore, God doesn't need my human hatred to defend him. He is good, and prefers that I love my enemy. Setting the good example for my enemy could make my enemy into my friend.
Admittedly, loving CosmicSkeptic is very hard to do. But I can help him bring himself to Christ by doing so.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
The Racist Tweets
In the interest of clicks, I am going to write about the Racist Tweet, explain how it is not racist, as well as how it only really matters to the media.
It is my aspiration to be a moderate that does not read the news, so that is the approach I will be attempting.
As someone who does not read the news or follow politics, as far as I can tell, the timeline of this controversy is as follows: Nancy Pelosi criticized Alex Cortes about something, maybe tweeting instead of focusing on passing legislation, something like that. The point is that the Democrats are tired of Progressives and attempting to separate themselves. Alex Cortes tweeted back something snarky. President Trump inserted himself into the digital boxing ring without provocation because he does stuff like that and always has. He made a statement (without tagging anyone) to the extent of ‘if you hate this country so much you should leave.’ He never mentioned race; the Congresswomen did because they are obsessed with race. Nancy Pelosi came to their defense probably because these Congresswomen have a very loud following. (The actual size of this loud following is debatable.) Yesterday, Trump was talking about manufacturing at a press conference somewhere when some screechy journalists interrupted his speech to ask him about White Supremacy. Today, these Congresswomen surprised no one when they said they want to impeach the ‘WH occupant.’
Politics is supposed to be boring, not stupid. This story is not for the C-SPAN watcher. This story is for stupid people who don’t read news stories about the government that most affects their lives: the local government. It is for the people that read headlines instead of history books and think that makes them informed, or ‘woke’. It is for milennial social media addicts whose only interest in politics are the Congresswomen who act more like clout chasing social media influencers than elected leaders. (Nancy Pelosi made a good point there.) It focuses on petty infighting between nationally known politicians and the mean things they say to one another. It is reality TV. (Remember only the President was an actual reality TV star.) It isn’t politics, it is just political.
For instance, these Congresswomen have convinced themselves that they care about the plight of migrants. They demonstrate this by complaining on social media. If they really cared about migrants they would avoid politics altogether; politics is notorious for taking too long. They could be saintly and selfless in their quest to save migrants, and do the dirty work that the media purposefully ignores. Instead they chase clout by making inflammatory remarks comparing the border centers to concentration camps. That only demonstrates that they hate America for humanely and reasonably enforcing its laws.
The President tells them that they should leave if they hate America so much, and they call him racist because they are a different race (and party. and ideology) than he is. His tweet made no mention of race! At worst, he implied that places like Somalia are poorly run, to be as generous as possible.
The media is doing a very good job if a couple of no-name Congresswomen from across the country become household names for one day. It means that people are watching and listening to them; they are getting paid and controlling minds. Such idiotic name calling is media bait, and every one of the politicians involved in this internet flame war know this! Trump only became involved in this Democratic scuffle because he knows this. It helped him win the presidency after all. All politicians chase clout like YouTubers. It is a job requirement.
Alex Cortez, Donald Trump and Ilan Omar are just characters in the minds of people with lives of their own. The media exploits this simulated familiarity and turns a tweet into news. The media needs to report on something.
Even underground political junkies with YouTube followings will talk about how this tweet exchange is going to change the political landscape. Us normal citizens will have to wait over a year to see how. Let’s all pay attention to something else in the meantime.
It is my aspiration to be a moderate that does not read the news, so that is the approach I will be attempting.
As someone who does not read the news or follow politics, as far as I can tell, the timeline of this controversy is as follows: Nancy Pelosi criticized Alex Cortes about something, maybe tweeting instead of focusing on passing legislation, something like that. The point is that the Democrats are tired of Progressives and attempting to separate themselves. Alex Cortes tweeted back something snarky. President Trump inserted himself into the digital boxing ring without provocation because he does stuff like that and always has. He made a statement (without tagging anyone) to the extent of ‘if you hate this country so much you should leave.’ He never mentioned race; the Congresswomen did because they are obsessed with race. Nancy Pelosi came to their defense probably because these Congresswomen have a very loud following. (The actual size of this loud following is debatable.) Yesterday, Trump was talking about manufacturing at a press conference somewhere when some screechy journalists interrupted his speech to ask him about White Supremacy. Today, these Congresswomen surprised no one when they said they want to impeach the ‘WH occupant.’
Politics is supposed to be boring, not stupid. This story is not for the C-SPAN watcher. This story is for stupid people who don’t read news stories about the government that most affects their lives: the local government. It is for the people that read headlines instead of history books and think that makes them informed, or ‘woke’. It is for milennial social media addicts whose only interest in politics are the Congresswomen who act more like clout chasing social media influencers than elected leaders. (Nancy Pelosi made a good point there.) It focuses on petty infighting between nationally known politicians and the mean things they say to one another. It is reality TV. (Remember only the President was an actual reality TV star.) It isn’t politics, it is just political.
For instance, these Congresswomen have convinced themselves that they care about the plight of migrants. They demonstrate this by complaining on social media. If they really cared about migrants they would avoid politics altogether; politics is notorious for taking too long. They could be saintly and selfless in their quest to save migrants, and do the dirty work that the media purposefully ignores. Instead they chase clout by making inflammatory remarks comparing the border centers to concentration camps. That only demonstrates that they hate America for humanely and reasonably enforcing its laws.
The President tells them that they should leave if they hate America so much, and they call him racist because they are a different race (and party. and ideology) than he is. His tweet made no mention of race! At worst, he implied that places like Somalia are poorly run, to be as generous as possible.
The media is doing a very good job if a couple of no-name Congresswomen from across the country become household names for one day. It means that people are watching and listening to them; they are getting paid and controlling minds. Such idiotic name calling is media bait, and every one of the politicians involved in this internet flame war know this! Trump only became involved in this Democratic scuffle because he knows this. It helped him win the presidency after all. All politicians chase clout like YouTubers. It is a job requirement.
Alex Cortez, Donald Trump and Ilan Omar are just characters in the minds of people with lives of their own. The media exploits this simulated familiarity and turns a tweet into news. The media needs to report on something.
Even underground political junkies with YouTube followings will talk about how this tweet exchange is going to change the political landscape. Us normal citizens will have to wait over a year to see how. Let’s all pay attention to something else in the meantime.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Unsolicited Advice 9
DEAR MISS MANNERS:
I was at a gas station where there were two bathrooms, marked “Men” and “Women.” There was a single line of both men and women, presumably waiting for their gender-assigned bathroom.
While I waited, one father allowed his young daughter to use the men’s room. When the women’s bathroom opened up, I went to enter, as I was the next female in line. I was stopped by the man in line in front of me, stating that it was his turn. I pointed to the sign that said “Women,” but he ignored me and went in.
I did not make a scene and did not say anything, thinking it was perhaps an emergency on his end, but was I wrong to presume that it was my turn?
Do people nowadays ignore the gender signs on the door? Granted, I’m of an age where gender fluidity was not as prevalent as it is today. If they were gender-neutral bathrooms, why did the signs not state so?
What is the etiquette? The man made me feel like I was trying to butt in line, which I was not.
If this is the new social norm, please advise. I don’t want to be the elder lady who is not up on the times.No, you were not wrong to presume that you were next in line for the women’s restroom. You are a woman. It was also very ladylike of you not to make a scene, and presume that the man had an emergency. Clearly, you are a woman of manners. But ours are times of fluctuating manners.
In New York City, gender fluidity is tolerated, and anyone can use any bathroom regardless of how they are gendered. It is a good excuse for people who identify as their birth assigned genders to hide behind this veil in an emergency or to be inconsiderate.
Regardless of the signage, the etiquette is to use the bathroom of your birth assigned gender unless poop is coming out, or about to come out. The local law doesn’t change the etiquette, just like surgery cannot be change the gender.
The father allowing his daughter to use the men’s room was technically cheating, but that can be overlooked because she is a young person.
DEAR MISS MANNERS:
My son and his family just came to visit us. We spent our time between kids’ activities and time with my 93-year-old mother. The family was here for three days, then gone.
My cousin just found out that they were in town and that we didn’t call or visit my elderly aunt. I feel just awful that we didn’t think to make time for a visit with my aunt. How do I explain this without sounding cold and selfish?
Say, “I’m sorry I did not think of Aunt Mary Agnes. I was so caught up with the kids and my mother that it slipped my mind.”
If you didn’t choose not to visit your aunt, then you can’t come across as cold and selfish unless your cousin doesn’t want to accept your apology.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Midsommar REVIEW
SPOILERS***
Midsommar is an attractive horror movie that will only be remembered for its gor(e)geous imagery.
Our heroine, Dani, is introduced with a disturbing tragedy. A creepy email from her bipolar sister worries her to enough to call her unhelpful boyfriend, Christian. She is comforted by talking to him, but he tells her to ignore it. It is just another cry for attention. Dani is not the needy and demanding girl that Christian’s friends make her out to be once he gets off the phone. She is appropriately concerned. As it turns out, she was right to be worried: her sister has committed suicide and murdered her parents, running a tube from the exhaust pipe of the cars to her mouth and their bedroom as they sleep. The title credits roll.
Unfortunately nothing from this opening sequence recurs in the plot. Its only purpose was to make us sympathetic to Dani. That’s fine, I guess. She is a nice girl before she deserved our sympathy. It wouldn’t make sense for it to recur anyway, because Dani is going to a foreign country she has never been and has no connection with. It would be some coincidence if somehow the festival she attends was demonically connected to her sister’s murder-suicide. Such perfect portents would force a comparison with Hereditary, and I wouldn’t mind. That movie had a better plot, even as a watered down Rosemary's Baby. Alas, we must move on.
So we feel sympathy for Dani because this is a truly horrible tragedy and her boyfriend is feigning romantic interest in her, for sympathy sake. Without a family, and her birthday coming up, she is reluctantly invited by Christian’s to his friend’s commune’s festival in Sweden.
Obviously Christian and all of his friends are going to die. We are a curiously twisted audience, and want to know and see exactly how it is they die. We want gore.
The rest of the movie takes place in Horror-Trope Ville. The plot is predictable but well hidden behind all the other things that make it an above average movie: gore, pacing, special effects, imagery, score. These aspects make up for the plot.
There is a murder-suicide that takes place after a creepy and drawn out dinner scene. It was exceptionally gory, and even teased the audience by recurring the gore for a dream sequence. I am squeamish, but appreciated how tastefully this was done. But...it didn’t foreshadow anything. It should have. They should have killed Christian that way!
Then there is a long stretch of time where there isn’t any gore. Some characters “go missing” or “leave early” with the subtlety of a bludgeoning. Obviously they are dead, they have been killed. As a bloodthirsty audience we would like to know how, right now. But Ari Aster is approaching mastery; he tastefully exchanges pacing for on screen torture and death of these disposable characters. We find out what happens to them later, but are left wondering how. It was a nice touch.
Christian is tempted to have sex with by a commune girl, then drugged by the commune while Dani is engaged in a dance off. She returns victorious, crowned the May Queen, and witnesses him having sex with the commune girl in a mating ceremony. The commune elders admit in an earlier scene that they need outsiders to keep the commune members from inbreeding. The seldom seen retarded oracle character is the product of exclusive inbreeding, to preserve the bloodline. Some exposition wouldn’t have hurt the mystery here. It might contribute positively more to the lacking climax.
The final day of the festival requires nine human sacrifices, one for each decade since the last festival. The May Queen has the privilege to choose the ninth. She chooses Christian because being crowned May Queen has made her vindictive. He is poisoned, and cannot speak or move. He couldn’t reasonably defend himself anyway.)This makes it easier for the commune members to place him inside a disemboweled bear. It also makes it impossible for him to escape the yellow temple when they burn it down with him inside.
It may have been explained, but the commune also sacrifices two of their own for the burning of the yellow temple because they need exactly nine sacrifices, one for every decade since the last festival. Seems like a waste of young, useful males in a commune that really needs them. Then Dani smiles, out of character, and the movie ends.
The movie could have gone in another direction. For instance, Christian and Dani could have been in love, and Christian could have been poisoned, then raped by the commune girl, then Dani could have seen rape, misunderstood his infidelity and chosen him for the burning as a new vindictive May Queen. He could have screamed as he burned instead of being paralyzed. Screams are terrifying.
I was not quenched by the climax. The clues presented on the tapestries and in dialogue did not amount to a climax that paid off. They were just disappointing red herrings.
There was mention of ‘the black one’ but there was no black one, no demon that they summoned in the final scene. No black smoke on the horizon. The Americans and Londoners were all killed, and that was supposed to be enough for us. I knew what there purpose was, so it wasn’t enough for me. Sorry.
The daylight gimmick didn’t add anything to the plot either. The characters still go to bed at bedtime and they always know what time it is. It was more for mood and imagery and excuse to shamelessly show the audience all the gore. I don’t necessarily disagree with that function.
And what about the festival needs to happen every 90 years? Suicides should be more frequent. People turn 72 more frequently than every 90 years I thought.
I’m nitpicking the plot now that the movie is over. This is the price a good filmmaker pays when he raises the bar so drastically. I hold him to the new standards. I’m looking forward to the next one. Do another horror mystery with a climax this time please.
Midsommar is an attractive horror movie that will only be remembered for its gor(e)geous imagery.
Our heroine, Dani, is introduced with a disturbing tragedy. A creepy email from her bipolar sister worries her to enough to call her unhelpful boyfriend, Christian. She is comforted by talking to him, but he tells her to ignore it. It is just another cry for attention. Dani is not the needy and demanding girl that Christian’s friends make her out to be once he gets off the phone. She is appropriately concerned. As it turns out, she was right to be worried: her sister has committed suicide and murdered her parents, running a tube from the exhaust pipe of the cars to her mouth and their bedroom as they sleep. The title credits roll.
Unfortunately nothing from this opening sequence recurs in the plot. Its only purpose was to make us sympathetic to Dani. That’s fine, I guess. She is a nice girl before she deserved our sympathy. It wouldn’t make sense for it to recur anyway, because Dani is going to a foreign country she has never been and has no connection with. It would be some coincidence if somehow the festival she attends was demonically connected to her sister’s murder-suicide. Such perfect portents would force a comparison with Hereditary, and I wouldn’t mind. That movie had a better plot, even as a watered down Rosemary's Baby. Alas, we must move on.
So we feel sympathy for Dani because this is a truly horrible tragedy and her boyfriend is feigning romantic interest in her, for sympathy sake. Without a family, and her birthday coming up, she is reluctantly invited by Christian’s to his friend’s commune’s festival in Sweden.
Obviously Christian and all of his friends are going to die. We are a curiously twisted audience, and want to know and see exactly how it is they die. We want gore.
The rest of the movie takes place in Horror-Trope Ville. The plot is predictable but well hidden behind all the other things that make it an above average movie: gore, pacing, special effects, imagery, score. These aspects make up for the plot.
There is a murder-suicide that takes place after a creepy and drawn out dinner scene. It was exceptionally gory, and even teased the audience by recurring the gore for a dream sequence. I am squeamish, but appreciated how tastefully this was done. But...it didn’t foreshadow anything. It should have. They should have killed Christian that way!
Then there is a long stretch of time where there isn’t any gore. Some characters “go missing” or “leave early” with the subtlety of a bludgeoning. Obviously they are dead, they have been killed. As a bloodthirsty audience we would like to know how, right now. But Ari Aster is approaching mastery; he tastefully exchanges pacing for on screen torture and death of these disposable characters. We find out what happens to them later, but are left wondering how. It was a nice touch.
Christian is tempted to have sex with by a commune girl, then drugged by the commune while Dani is engaged in a dance off. She returns victorious, crowned the May Queen, and witnesses him having sex with the commune girl in a mating ceremony. The commune elders admit in an earlier scene that they need outsiders to keep the commune members from inbreeding. The seldom seen retarded oracle character is the product of exclusive inbreeding, to preserve the bloodline. Some exposition wouldn’t have hurt the mystery here. It might contribute positively more to the lacking climax.
The final day of the festival requires nine human sacrifices, one for each decade since the last festival. The May Queen has the privilege to choose the ninth. She chooses Christian because being crowned May Queen has made her vindictive. He is poisoned, and cannot speak or move. He couldn’t reasonably defend himself anyway.)This makes it easier for the commune members to place him inside a disemboweled bear. It also makes it impossible for him to escape the yellow temple when they burn it down with him inside.
It may have been explained, but the commune also sacrifices two of their own for the burning of the yellow temple because they need exactly nine sacrifices, one for every decade since the last festival. Seems like a waste of young, useful males in a commune that really needs them. Then Dani smiles, out of character, and the movie ends.
The movie could have gone in another direction. For instance, Christian and Dani could have been in love, and Christian could have been poisoned, then raped by the commune girl, then Dani could have seen rape, misunderstood his infidelity and chosen him for the burning as a new vindictive May Queen. He could have screamed as he burned instead of being paralyzed. Screams are terrifying.
I was not quenched by the climax. The clues presented on the tapestries and in dialogue did not amount to a climax that paid off. They were just disappointing red herrings.
There was mention of ‘the black one’ but there was no black one, no demon that they summoned in the final scene. No black smoke on the horizon. The Americans and Londoners were all killed, and that was supposed to be enough for us. I knew what there purpose was, so it wasn’t enough for me. Sorry.
The daylight gimmick didn’t add anything to the plot either. The characters still go to bed at bedtime and they always know what time it is. It was more for mood and imagery and excuse to shamelessly show the audience all the gore. I don’t necessarily disagree with that function.
And what about the festival needs to happen every 90 years? Suicides should be more frequent. People turn 72 more frequently than every 90 years I thought.
I’m nitpicking the plot now that the movie is over. This is the price a good filmmaker pays when he raises the bar so drastically. I hold him to the new standards. I’m looking forward to the next one. Do another horror mystery with a climax this time please.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Mercy for the merciless
I blog as entertainment for myself. I’d hope that if somebody found and read this they would also find it entertaining, however much they agree or disagree.
The act of writing is enjoyable. The act of saying is also enjoyable. The difference is I have to see people walk out on what I am saying, whereas I don't have to see them stop reading what I write. For now I want to be merciless without live judgement. I am content with cowardice.
I don’t like to shove my butt in people’s faces either. I am merciless as a response to people shoving their butts in my face. That’s how I feel about Fat Acceptance and Pride Month. And activists and rallies in general. Especially if they are for fashionable causes I find disagreeable. They are shoving their butts in my face to spite me.
Gay Acceptance and Fat Pride are spiteful movements. Acceptance from whom? The haters that will never accept you? It is foolish work to change minds by being obnoxious. Fat haters will accept the existence of the fats, disagree, and move on to live their life.
Homosexuality is a sexual preference. Though preference implies choice, for argument’s sake let's agree it is not chosen. Being proud of a choice you couldn’t make is beyond idiocy. Furthermore the people at the parade choose the most obnoxiously salacious NSFW ways to show their pride: 1) Either they are savage beasts with bizarre, public mating rituals (by definition not mating) or 2) they are acting in such a way to get a rise out of ‘bigots.’ In other words, bullying people that find this behavior off putting. In either case it is all a ridiculous show.
The Puerto Rican Day Parade fits this 'pride' category too. You can only be from one place! Of course you're going to think it's great! But if Puerto Rico is so great, move back! This is like having a Vermont Pride Parade in New Hampshire, for people that used to live in Vermont.
The Pope sees the same idiocy, but doesn’t call it that because, unlike me, he is merciful. Being merciful, forgiving those who trespass against us, is really hard to practice. The Pope views the world from a timeless perspective and speaks on behalf of Jesus. He is supposed to inspire me to do the same. I sin by tending toward the practice of being merciless.
The Pope was so merciful that he was on the cover of The Advocate in 2013. And I agree with what he says about homosexuality:
Parade homosexuals hold signs that say 'love is love' and I don't know if they meant this to mean nothing. I don't criticize their parade or their flag out of love. That is reserved for individuals I have a personal stake in.
I would criticize parade attending, propaganda spewing homosexuals with the same butt shoving hate and spite they show my beliefs: as a defense mechanism.
God's love doesn't need my hate fueled defense. Hate is the creation of flawed humans. Jesus didn't hate his torturers. "They know not what they do."
I know the error of my ways. I use my judgement and condemnation on the lives of others as a mental exercise. I should be merciful, and look to change my errors before I judge others. I am flawed too. (But I don't want to expose any more of my flaws publicly.)
This is my quiet place though. I escape here when people rub their spiteful butts in my face. I come here, I disagree, and I move on to the next thing.
The act of writing is enjoyable. The act of saying is also enjoyable. The difference is I have to see people walk out on what I am saying, whereas I don't have to see them stop reading what I write. For now I want to be merciless without live judgement. I am content with cowardice.
I don’t like to shove my butt in people’s faces either. I am merciless as a response to people shoving their butts in my face. That’s how I feel about Fat Acceptance and Pride Month. And activists and rallies in general. Especially if they are for fashionable causes I find disagreeable. They are shoving their butts in my face to spite me.
Gay Acceptance and Fat Pride are spiteful movements. Acceptance from whom? The haters that will never accept you? It is foolish work to change minds by being obnoxious. Fat haters will accept the existence of the fats, disagree, and move on to live their life.
Homosexuality is a sexual preference. Though preference implies choice, for argument’s sake let's agree it is not chosen. Being proud of a choice you couldn’t make is beyond idiocy. Furthermore the people at the parade choose the most obnoxiously salacious NSFW ways to show their pride: 1) Either they are savage beasts with bizarre, public mating rituals (by definition not mating) or 2) they are acting in such a way to get a rise out of ‘bigots.’ In other words, bullying people that find this behavior off putting. In either case it is all a ridiculous show.
The Puerto Rican Day Parade fits this 'pride' category too. You can only be from one place! Of course you're going to think it's great! But if Puerto Rico is so great, move back! This is like having a Vermont Pride Parade in New Hampshire, for people that used to live in Vermont.
The Pope sees the same idiocy, but doesn’t call it that because, unlike me, he is merciful. Being merciful, forgiving those who trespass against us, is really hard to practice. The Pope views the world from a timeless perspective and speaks on behalf of Jesus. He is supposed to inspire me to do the same. I sin by tending toward the practice of being merciless.
The Pope was so merciful that he was on the cover of The Advocate in 2013. And I agree with what he says about homosexuality:
“Who am I to judge? Tendencies are not sin. If you have a tendency to anger, it’s not a sin. Now, if you are angry and hurt people, the sin is there. Sin is acting, of thought, word and deed, with freedom.”I am not one to judge. But I do. It is in my nature to judge and condemn and criticize like it is in the nature of the homosexual to find men attractive. I try not to act on my distaste, besides using my mind to reason. Reasoning can be difficult when it is fueled by feelings of...sigh....hate.
Parade homosexuals hold signs that say 'love is love' and I don't know if they meant this to mean nothing. I don't criticize their parade or their flag out of love. That is reserved for individuals I have a personal stake in.
I would criticize parade attending, propaganda spewing homosexuals with the same butt shoving hate and spite they show my beliefs: as a defense mechanism.
God's love doesn't need my hate fueled defense. Hate is the creation of flawed humans. Jesus didn't hate his torturers. "They know not what they do."
I know the error of my ways. I use my judgement and condemnation on the lives of others as a mental exercise. I should be merciful, and look to change my errors before I judge others. I am flawed too. (But I don't want to expose any more of my flaws publicly.)
This is my quiet place though. I escape here when people rub their spiteful butts in my face. I come here, I disagree, and I move on to the next thing.
Friday, July 5, 2019
Fat Acceptance = Gay Pride
Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous or unsanitary. There is an entire show about it.
An ad for The Trevor Project came on as I watched said show. The Trevor Project is a national, toll free, confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ young people, and the network airing Hoarders was proud to announce that they had raised $250,000 for The Trevor Project during Pride Month.
If someone is contemplating suicide their mental disorder sexual preference doesn’t matter. A good listener only has to be a fellow human; their personality traits matter more than their similarity to the caller’s identity.
The Trevor Project does good work and I am not saying it shouldn’t exist. But if homosexuals have a separate but equal suicide hotline for homosexuals only, hoarders should also have their own suicide hotline. Given their state of mind and filthy living conditions, they are also known to be suicide prone. To continue this trend of identity fairness, people in excess of 600lbs should also have their own suicide hotline. Much like homosexual teens they are also bullied by cruel people.
Homosexuals have shows, as do hoarders and the super morbidly obese. However similarly abnormal these behaviors are by definition, homosexuality stands out as culturally acceptable. It has a “culture” itself. Yet there is nothing intrinsically queer about Queer Eye because sexual preference has nothing to do with good taste. Homosexuality is not a culture, but it is trying to be; and it is ironically succeeding by bullying anyone that disagrees with homosexuality as a‘bigot.’
The human body can withstand filthy conditions, sodomy, and substantial weight gain. That doesn’t mean that it should. The unnatural practice of these lifestyles does not result in a healthy or fulfilling life by natural standards, the standards by which our bodies were designed. A woman’s body and a man’s body were designed with specific functions: a man impregnates a woman, and a woman holds the child. It is very straightforward. All of our body parts have natural functions or else we couldn’t live.
A woman could be barren, a man could shoot blanks. In either case, the design remains the same; it is the individuals that malfunction physically. As evidenced by Hoarders and My 600 lb. Life individuals can also malfunction mentally and seek help.
Unnatural compulsions exist, and whether it is a choice or a birth defect is still unknown; but suicide is never the answer and support should always be given in such dire circumstances. (These people also tend to suffer from a mental disorder known as depression. It doesn't have a Pride Month, but it could.)
Supporting unnatural behavior is reckless. With the right support people can be guided away from destructive behavior, towards good behavior. These days 'society' would rather support a person by babying their poor decisions. It is labelled 'acceptance.'
Homosexuality has now achieved societal acceptance with Pride Month. The Fat acceptance movement is lumbering behind it, out of breath. Hoarders still have a ways to go. Surprisingly pedophilia is not far behind them.
Fat Acceptance is like Gay Pride. They are proudly--and spitefully--celebrating living recklessly. Where is the 'pride' movement for all people choosing to live life dangerously? Or is proud the wrong word?
An ad for The Trevor Project came on as I watched said show. The Trevor Project is a national, toll free, confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ young people, and the network airing Hoarders was proud to announce that they had raised $250,000 for The Trevor Project during Pride Month.
If someone is contemplating suicide their mental disorder sexual preference doesn’t matter. A good listener only has to be a fellow human; their personality traits matter more than their similarity to the caller’s identity.
The Trevor Project does good work and I am not saying it shouldn’t exist. But if homosexuals have a separate but equal suicide hotline for homosexuals only, hoarders should also have their own suicide hotline. Given their state of mind and filthy living conditions, they are also known to be suicide prone. To continue this trend of identity fairness, people in excess of 600lbs should also have their own suicide hotline. Much like homosexual teens they are also bullied by cruel people.
Homosexuals have shows, as do hoarders and the super morbidly obese. However similarly abnormal these behaviors are by definition, homosexuality stands out as culturally acceptable. It has a “culture” itself. Yet there is nothing intrinsically queer about Queer Eye because sexual preference has nothing to do with good taste. Homosexuality is not a culture, but it is trying to be; and it is ironically succeeding by bullying anyone that disagrees with homosexuality as a‘bigot.’
The human body can withstand filthy conditions, sodomy, and substantial weight gain. That doesn’t mean that it should. The unnatural practice of these lifestyles does not result in a healthy or fulfilling life by natural standards, the standards by which our bodies were designed. A woman’s body and a man’s body were designed with specific functions: a man impregnates a woman, and a woman holds the child. It is very straightforward. All of our body parts have natural functions or else we couldn’t live.
A woman could be barren, a man could shoot blanks. In either case, the design remains the same; it is the individuals that malfunction physically. As evidenced by Hoarders and My 600 lb. Life individuals can also malfunction mentally and seek help.
Unnatural compulsions exist, and whether it is a choice or a birth defect is still unknown; but suicide is never the answer and support should always be given in such dire circumstances. (These people also tend to suffer from a mental disorder known as depression. It doesn't have a Pride Month, but it could.)
Supporting unnatural behavior is reckless. With the right support people can be guided away from destructive behavior, towards good behavior. These days 'society' would rather support a person by babying their poor decisions. It is labelled 'acceptance.'
Homosexuality has now achieved societal acceptance with Pride Month. The Fat acceptance movement is lumbering behind it, out of breath. Hoarders still have a ways to go. Surprisingly pedophilia is not far behind them.
Fat Acceptance is like Gay Pride. They are proudly--and spitefully--celebrating living recklessly. Where is the 'pride' movement for all people choosing to live life dangerously? Or is proud the wrong word?
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Unsolicited Advice 8
Dear Amy,
I am a happy introvert. Always have been. I like to go to the movies alone, out to eat alone, and engage in other activities by myself. My wife is the same way, though we obviously enjoy going out together.
My question is about our 7-year-old son. We've never done play dates or thrown birthday parties that his classmates in day care or school were invited to because interacting with other parents is terrifying.
I feel bad that my not wanting to interact with other parents might be depriving my little guy of friendships.
So far, my son doesn't seem to mind our household's version of normal, but he is outgoing and I don't want to squash his extroverted nature.
Should I go far outside of my comfort zone and force play dates, or will my son eventually make "real" friends when he's ready?
JoeTo describe interacting with other parents as 'terrifying' makes you sound like a coward, and sets a bad example for your son. At 7 he is extroverted, but that could change. For now, it makes him happy to interact with classmates his own age. Get over your own cowardice and arrange play dates. This isn't about your happiness anymore. It should never have been about preserving your happiness at the expense of your 7 year old's. How selfish!
Dear Amy,
I was married for 45 years to a man who was self-absorbed and acted like a teenager. I stayed, believing the family we had was important. We are in our late 60s, and have two children and four grandkids.
My husband was moody, drank a lot, and spent his money on his hobbies and friends.
After he left I learned he was hiding money, had kept his inheritance in his name and was having an affair with a high school girlfriend. They are now together.
He lied about this and then joked when he admitted it was true.
Should I see this man at family occasions? I don't want to make others uncomfortable, but I would prefer not to. Whenever I see his happy posts on social media, I cringe.
He says he would like to remain in contact. He has told people that he has no remorse or guilt about leaving or cheating. He tells everyone we just grew apart. He tells me he cares for me, but I don't believe him. I am disappointed with myself that I stayed. It has been difficult, but I am managing. I work full time and sometimes feel isolated.
What should I do?
LeftYou don't have a choice to see him at family occasions, but you certainly don't have to interact with him. And you shouldn't interact with him. For your own good and to a lesser extent, his.
He only wants to remain in contact because he is accustomed to getting everything he desires. Respect yourself. Do not give him any more of you. He was never a real man; he cheated when things became difficult.
He hasn't learned (he lies about your relationship to family) and never will (he thinks there are no consequences to his actions, and thus he has no remorse). He cannot go around believing this and expect to remain in contact! He deserves to get smacked in the face!
Please don't be disappointed you stayed. You have two children and four beautiful grandchildren. These feelings hurt, but they will pass.
Avoid social media. Find other ways to stay in touch with people you actually care about. Knowing about other people is not worth the pain of cringe.
Your children should know the kind of man their father is. They are the support you need.
Monday, July 1, 2019
Conspiracy Theories
Powerless idiots love conspiracy theories. They feel inadequate as unskilled/lonely/naive outcasts, and like knowing an open, secret truth that greater society cannot contemplate or consider. It gives them the illusion of courage and power.
"Intellectuals" responsible for creating these theories must rely on the power of the useful idiot to promote it because, without credentials, they are ignored by "the mainstream." The mainstream is hiding something, clearly, and the clues are only available for the low price of the book that the conspiracy theorist is selling. It is a symbiotic relationship.
The intellectual believes their own theory, but that is not the point of the promotion. The point of the promotion is to establish themselves as credible, by their own design, outside the constraints of the "corrupt" establishment. They are just as much a lonely/naive outcast as their useful idiots: these intellectuals want followers which in turn will give them money and power. Therefore, they cannot be trusted to do anything more than appeal to the powerless idiots for them to receive this money and power.
I am a powerless idiot. (Was. I've come a very long way from the day I watched the Kony video.) I have skimmed the surface of many conspiracy theories, and for a short time based my worldview on some inconvenient "facts" proposed by an "expert" with nice hair. It felt powerful to know these inconvenient "facts" from cool, underground and alternative sources. I could appear as cool, underground and alternative to those interested parties to whom I regurgitated facts about the given topic. It was but a stop on the journey to the truth.
To arrive at the truth, I had to be discerning, I had to know the tricks that conspiracy theorists employed, and I had to be receptive to ideas that I found troublesome to my current worldview. All in all, a conspiracy theory couldn't be taken so seriously that I became the most useful idiot of all: an activist. They should only be an alternative to entertainment, not history itself.
Infiltration by Taylor Marshall is a conspiracy theory. For the size of its claim the book is remarkably anorexic. I was ignorant of the historical information Marshall discussed, and found the book fascinating from that standpoint. (And can read a book by an actual historian to learn much, much more.) Marshall offers no evidence for his claims; only naming Bishops and calling them Freemasons simply because they wrote something he didn't like.
Meanwhile, Taylor Marshall is a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism, and is lucky enough to have a wife and a big family. The Bishops he criticizes have made many enormous sacrifices, and do not profit from it. Their spiritual calling should be respected and followed. On the other hand Taylor Marshall's agenda is to subvert Vatican II and sell books. He is nothing more than an expert with an opinion on more charitable, more learned experts.
The Church has its problems and always has, but the message of the Church remains the message of Christ. For me, I trust this establishment because it is God's. From this experience I have learned that there are conspiracy theorists for e v e r y t h i n g and to always read the one-star reviews on Amazon.
For a genuinely curious person conspiracy theories serve as a gateway to reliable information. The unanswerable questions that conspiracy theories ultimately provoke are answered with the work of an actual historian. (For the sake of the present journalists are supposed to have standards. For the sake of the past historians are supposed to share those standards.)
Conspiracy theories are nothing more than opinions about the facts that are made public by honest journalists!Today there seems not much of a difference between activist, journalist and conspiracy theorist. It is all entertainment.
"Intellectuals" responsible for creating these theories must rely on the power of the useful idiot to promote it because, without credentials, they are ignored by "the mainstream." The mainstream is hiding something, clearly, and the clues are only available for the low price of the book that the conspiracy theorist is selling. It is a symbiotic relationship.
The intellectual believes their own theory, but that is not the point of the promotion. The point of the promotion is to establish themselves as credible, by their own design, outside the constraints of the "corrupt" establishment. They are just as much a lonely/naive outcast as their useful idiots: these intellectuals want followers which in turn will give them money and power. Therefore, they cannot be trusted to do anything more than appeal to the powerless idiots for them to receive this money and power.
I am a powerless idiot. (Was. I've come a very long way from the day I watched the Kony video.) I have skimmed the surface of many conspiracy theories, and for a short time based my worldview on some inconvenient "facts" proposed by an "expert" with nice hair. It felt powerful to know these inconvenient "facts" from cool, underground and alternative sources. I could appear as cool, underground and alternative to those interested parties to whom I regurgitated facts about the given topic. It was but a stop on the journey to the truth.
To arrive at the truth, I had to be discerning, I had to know the tricks that conspiracy theorists employed, and I had to be receptive to ideas that I found troublesome to my current worldview. All in all, a conspiracy theory couldn't be taken so seriously that I became the most useful idiot of all: an activist. They should only be an alternative to entertainment, not history itself.
Infiltration by Taylor Marshall is a conspiracy theory. For the size of its claim the book is remarkably anorexic. I was ignorant of the historical information Marshall discussed, and found the book fascinating from that standpoint. (And can read a book by an actual historian to learn much, much more.) Marshall offers no evidence for his claims; only naming Bishops and calling them Freemasons simply because they wrote something he didn't like.
Meanwhile, Taylor Marshall is a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism, and is lucky enough to have a wife and a big family. The Bishops he criticizes have made many enormous sacrifices, and do not profit from it. Their spiritual calling should be respected and followed. On the other hand Taylor Marshall's agenda is to subvert Vatican II and sell books. He is nothing more than an expert with an opinion on more charitable, more learned experts.
The Church has its problems and always has, but the message of the Church remains the message of Christ. For me, I trust this establishment because it is God's. From this experience I have learned that there are conspiracy theorists for e v e r y t h i n g and to always read the one-star reviews on Amazon.
For a genuinely curious person conspiracy theories serve as a gateway to reliable information. The unanswerable questions that conspiracy theories ultimately provoke are answered with the work of an actual historian. (For the sake of the present journalists are supposed to have standards. For the sake of the past historians are supposed to share those standards.)
Conspiracy theories are nothing more than opinions about the facts that are made public by honest journalists!Today there seems not much of a difference between activist, journalist and conspiracy theorist. It is all entertainment.
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