gulliver
gulliver's JournalThe three big bad wolves
Once upon a time there were three hungry big bad wolves. They drew lots, and the littlest big bad wolf won.
"Ok, what's for dinner, Little?" said the biggest wolf. "Don't say pork."
"Pork."
"That's hopeless," said the medium wolf. "The little pigs all moved into the brick house. It's checkmate."
"Follow me," said the littlest big bad wolf.
The wolves wended their way through the forest. Soon they came to the brick house.
The little wolf walked up to the right window.
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"
One of the three little pigs came to the right window. He was wearing a baseball cap and swigging a beer.
"You must be kidding," he laughed. "You're wolves. Note the brick house. Buzz off."
"We're not that hungry," said the little wolf. "If you let us in, we'll only eat the pig in the left room. I promise we'll stay away after that. You and the pig in the center room will be better off."
"Well, Ok," said the pig at the right window. "Just one pig, though. I need the center pig around. There's a lot of work keeping this place up. He does it all."
The right pig closed the window.
The little wolf next went to the left window and tapped on it. The wolves heard some bubbling coming from the room. Then coughing. Then a little pig wearing a bandana opened the window.
"What is it, man?" he said.
"My friends and I are pigs," said the littlest big bad wolf. He smiled broadly, dilated his pupils, then began to wag his tail. "Can we come in, please?"
"Sure," said the left pig. "Meet me at the door." The left pig closed his window.
"What was that?" Said the medium wolf. "Is that guy for real?"
"He knows we're not pigs. He's smart."
"But...we're going to eat him, right?"
"Yeah. He's cool with it. Circle of life, Marcus Aureli-something. I listened to his audio book." The little wolf used his paw to make the "it was over my head" gesture.
The three wolves went to the door and heard the lock beginning to open. The right and left pig began to quarrel.
"I'll get the door," said the right pig. 'It's, uh, some pigs I know."
"No, I'm getting the door," insisted the left pig. "It's some wolves who told me they're pigs."
The right pig turned away, suppressing a chuckle. Turning back to the left pig, he patted him on the shoulder. "You're right. Go ahead and open the door."
The door opened.
The left pig walked out, blinking. He petted and snuggled each wolf. Then he rolled out a big food bowl onto the lawn and climbed into it.
"Enjoy!" he said. "Can I get you some barbecue sauce? Sweet and sour?"
The wolves shook their heads and began to don their bibs. "That's Ok, said the medium wolf, glancing to the other two. We're good."
The right pig watched the events and laughed loudly. Suddenly, he came flying out of the door, a startled expression on his face, and he rolled into the food bowl. There was a dusty pig footprint near his tail, coincidentally smack in the center of his butt. The left and right pigs looked up at the wolves in amazement.
The brick house door slammed shut with a bang. A harpsichord began to play within.
We need to consider the plight of the Iranian people
Iranians judge. They and they alone have the final say about whether the unintentional collateral loss of innocent life (roughly 150 schoolkids) in their country was a necessary price for their chance at freedom from tyranny.
Remember, there was a brutish, sadistic, intentional murder of tens of thousands of liberal and progressive Iranian protesters (our true friends and allies as Democrats). Those innocent liberal and progressive victims are justly and accurately called "murder" victims.
They were murdered by far right, theocratic, homophobic, patriarchal, crony oligarchic bigots, the Iranian Islamic Republic regime. It can't be seen clearly and justly in any other way, imo. It's cut and dried.
The Islamic Republic regime dwarfs anything or anyone else in rottenness and (a term I use sparingly) evil. There is no moral or even vaguely respectable position that fails to want the Iranian Islamic Republic regime to lose. (That's an unnecessary reminder to folks with a functioning conscience like present company in this board and in the Democratic Party.)
Do I like that Trump destroyed the Iran nuclear agreement we achieved under Obama? Of course not. But we are where we are, and we need to win if possible. I think no true Dem, completely informed, wants anything else. The Iranian Islamic Republic regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I don't think any of us will be happy or safe if Trump fails to ensure that.
He and the other Paul (Simon) probably increase ageism
Same for Springsteen. Madonna anyone?
Jagger's moves are still pretty impressive. Keith Richards can still do his thing. Rod Stewart, not bad. Willie Nelson not bad. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) is still exceptionally good. These guys are the anti-ageism argument.
McCartney used to have incredible vocal range and skill. His songwriting, like Simon's, is unequaled to this day (in my biased opinion). But these guys can't perform the "young guy stuff" anymore. Rod Stewart performing Maggie May now would sound like he's the one robbing the cradle.
White Narcissism! How original!
I really think people identify primarily as some immutable or esoteric "identity" primarily, if not almost exclusively, because they have nothing else to identify themselves. Even the idea that you have to identify yourself as "something" is brutal on the soul and a rookie philosophical error.
Honestly, when I watch people who very clearly identify themselves as something, I feel pity for their mistake, and I wish they would wise up and free themselves from themselves (and the other groupthinkers). Don't hang out with bad company. Don't be bad company for yourself.
Read 10 books, write a computer program, build a birdhouse, run a 5K. You'll find you're no longer black or white. You'll no longer be a sexual orientation. You'll be a reader, a programmer, and a bird lover and, as a bonus, gloriously undefined and free.
Yes, the grifter fangs will also detach from your neck. You'll need neck makeup while the holes heal. It's a small price to pay.
I see Communism and Fascism as two flavors of junk food
They're basically both cases of the simple-minded folks (whether educated or uneducated simple-minded folks) effectively crashing out and binging on junk. The wiser people (former simple-minded people who have learned life the hard way, usually) divide themselves into politics mongers or spectators. The mongers sell "rage stew" to the crashed out, simple-minded suckers, flavoring it with intellectually third-rate ideas like Communism or Fascism. The spectators look on with empathic horror or cruel amusement. (Or combine the two to create great satire.)
On edit: There's another category of the wise people. They're the ones who try to get everyone to put down the political fritos, chocolate donuts, and hooch. They piss everyone off. They're credited for being right post-cancellation or posthumously.
Good for them!
Obviously, you can't live in the past any more than you can change it. But we all do need to get back to most of the healthy and evolutionarily tried and true ways of the past. Hopefully AI can help save us from decades-long pseudo-intellectual brain fart epidemics in the future.
Half our problem can be solved through standard liberal intellectual thinking. Simply let people be themselves, and don't just assume that any "modern framework" put together by deep thinking "credential people" and "nicey nice scolds" is obviously a great thing.
Liberal is smart. If it's not smart, it's not liberal. Unfortunately, uncomfortably nearby in appearance to real liberalism is a stupid, catastrophic, pseudo-liberal mockery. A toxic toadstool. Sometimes a wolf in the fold.
Real liberalism and its fake counterpart are very different but indistinguishable to mediocre and lazy thinking. Gen Z may be hip. Bless them if so.
I'm appalled at the overuse of the word "appalled"
Frankly, it's appalling. Can't people just use "cringe?"
Engels visiting Marx one day
"Guten Tag, Karl!"
"Hi Friedrich. Good to see you... you're in town."
"Yes. Just thought I'd drop in. I got the rent."
"Thanks"
"The landlady says the tenants in the other rooms are...it's not me Karl...or her. The tenants took up a collection and bought you this."
"Soap? What do they want me to do with this?"
"Karl, they are fools! White male European geniuses shouldn't waste their precious time on mundane things like bathing."
"Friedrich, recently I've let myself smell like this to separate the believers from the non-believers. I'll thank you to take out those nose plugs!"
(Marx waves a finger towards Engels's nose.)
"We're both old White males, Friedrich. Our natural bodily odors are of the finest perfume. Besides, I bathe as much as they do. They're Jewphobic! I tried to tell them I'm an atheist so they would like me better, but all they see is Jew, Jew, Jew."
(Marx shakes his head in disgust.)
(Engels takes out his nose plugs, wincing.)
"Look Karl, I can't stay. Here's some money. Do you guys need anything from the grocery store?"
"Paper. I'm working on my theory of capital. Maybe some more of that fish?"
"You got it Karl."
I hate haters
I even hate haters of hatred. I had a hard time typing this post because I kept punching myself.
Closing "religion loopholes"
Religion needs to be completely irrelevant when deciding issues of law, ethics, and morality. People shouldn't be able to hide behind what they say their religion is. Whatever it is, it should simply be ignored. All that matters is what their atoms are doing and what they say their atoms will do. We don't care what they believe.
For example, if someone says their religion requires them to annoy other people or threaten them or even injure them, they should simply be charged with annoyance, threatening people, and conspiracy to commit violent crime.
"Booga Booga the Mighty" told you you have to spit on the sidewalk to cleanse your spirit every Saturday and Wednesday at Dr. Pepper time? It's in the "holy book" of Boogism? No one cares, Sweetie. If you spit on the sidewalk, you get the fine that goes with it.
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