Speaking of serial killer fascination…
Lilith sums up sociopaths and why rebound-dating is bad:
“So, essentially, Frasier was a toy you played with briefly and then threw away; a fellow human being whose emotions you twisted for your own satisfaction, with no consideration for his feelings.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lottery
Should have been a Twilight Zone episode. It could have ranked right up there with ‘It’s A Good Life’.
Ah, those were the days…
A must-read if you want nothing to EVER be a must-read:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
Achievement: “Life, uh, Finds A Way”.
The lack of humility…before nature being displayed by this achievement (and this post, and this website, and…), uh, staggers me.
*JOKE*
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – A great clip from a decent if overrated movie. Ian Malcolm explains why science isn’t always worthy of unquestioned worship.
“The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the power of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms—this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the rank of devoutly religious men.”
To clarify, I do *not* oppose science.
I do not oppose science facts; and I wholeheartedly denounce “alternative” facts.
The point I have tried to make, via much more intelligent sources such as Paul Feyerabend and George Orwell, is that you should always think for yourself.
That doesn’t mean make up your own facts.
It means do careful research, gather input from all sources, analyze all the data available, and make a realistic, informed decision; taking into account facts and opinions, and ignoring outright lies and propaganda.
The ultimate enemy is propaganda, in ANY form. You can’t use propaganda to defeat propaganda; that’s called hypocrisy.
With an open mind and an open heart, always seek out the truth in your self and in the world. This is how to respond to “alternative facts”.
And, when you know something is propagandic BS, the very worst thing you can do is to ignore/accept it.
If you can’t oppose it, you can at the very least mock it.
You know…ridicule it. In public, yet.
Well whaddya know, Dick Dawk’s advice finally proves useful. For SOMETHING.
*SATIRE…SATIRE…SATIRE*
Suggested Reading: ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. Yes, I read it…I even *reviewed* it!
I’m not sure about their main number, but here’s their alternative fax:
202-225-3121
“Don’t let the bastards get you down.”
“My daughter’s just discovering Nirvana…and…she…she’s realizing the energy; that energy that she feels when she listens to it…it’s not something that she’s heard from her generation. She hasn’t heard that. She told me; because I said ‘Ok, so nothing you’ve heard reminds you- “Uh, there’s nothing like that. Nothing is exactly like that.”‘ – Tori Amos
To open: I think Trump is a scumbag and I in no way support him. HOWEVER…
“Protesters who assembled in the area — some throwing rocks and bricks at the police — had smashed car windows…Earlier in the day, protesters destroyed the glass front of a Bank of America and a Starbucks in the area; images captured some people holding hammers…”
So, to protest the election of a hateful candidate, you engage in violent, hateful, destructive activities? Yeah, that makes sense.
Also, you are aware – I hope – that being a police officer does not make you inherently a Trump supporter (amazing I’d have to say that, but see below), and that police officers preventing people from smashing windows has nothing to do with Trump. It’s called “their job”. You know…keeping the peace? Something you (I would assume) supposedly support?
Point of note: Just because you think Trump wants to set up a fascist “police-state” does not mean that ALL police officers are – on election day – SUDDENLY fascist opponents of freedom and ardent Trump supporters.
I mean, what are you, ignorant? Read a fcken book or something.
““Police officers,” a woman in the crowd grumbled, “are Trump supporters.””
What are you, a moron? Your actions and your rhetoric are just as ignorant and hateful as the rhetoric you’re SUPPOSEDLY protesting.
It’s called a PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER. Respect it, you dumb fcks.
You wanna protest? Fine, protest. But do it peacefully. You know, like civilized, not-hateful, non-ignorant people. Like the people you supposedly are, not like the people you supposedly oppose.
“They chanted — “We are a peaceful protest!” — but by late morning, several shop windows in downtown Washington had been shattered…”
Ummmm…yeah.
By the way, you wanna know why Trump won? I mean, besides racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, etc…
But seriously, ONE small part of why he won is this: A lot of people that are NOT racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic a$$holes were just tired of the upward-trending snarky elitism from certain groups…
So way to go, antitheists. You’ve helped elect Donald Trump.
I think Dick Dawk’s “Mock them. Ridicule them in public.” method didn’t work QUITE as well as he’d (and they’d) hoped.
“…kind of a slob…and really just a boy, who’s never grown up. You know…I think sometimes when you uh…uh, have disturbing things as a child you kinda never wanna get out of your childhood because you want to keep it going and make it good, some day, you know?”
“Promise?”
“It means something that you can’t break…ever.”
“Uhhh…a friend…-”
“Is someone that you’d do anything for…”
“And they never break a promise.”
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – Great remake; inspired.
Make what you want of any of it, I know what it all means.
I am the God I AM THE GOD!
“Kirk: It’s been my experience that the prejudices people feel about each other disappear when they get to know each other.
Elaan: It’s not in my experience.”
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – Pretty good clip from a great movie. The beginnings of a friendship.
To whom it may concern:
“…it’s just cuz (they’re) pissed off.”
“(he/she/it/they/them) didn’t believe in sh1t. None of ’em did.”
“There are many who are uncomfortable with what we have created. It is almost a biological rebellion; a profound revulsion against the planned communities, the programming, the sterilized, artfully balanced atmospheres.” – Spock
The ultimate paradise – the only in any way “controlled” form of existence, in terms of individuality/emotions – is, in my opinion, the world of the ST:ToS episode ‘This Side Of Paradise’.
As many things will attest (“In Wildness Is The Preservation Of The World”, my ‘San Junipero’ review, my ‘The Return Of The Archons’ review, etc) I’m totally on the side of individuality – and, unfortunately, all the problems it brings – over conformism, control. Even in ‘Return’, where most of the people are, in a sense, content…it’s “vacant contentment”, as Mr. Spock put it: “…a soulless society…all is indeed peace and tranquility; the peace of the factory, the tranquility of the machine…”
But in ‘Paradise’, the only “control” is happiness.
There’s no hive mentality, there’s no enforced behavior or thought or emotion, it’s REAL, people retain their PERSONALITIES: they’re the same as they were, only happy. Perhaps for some that’s not enough, but for everyone to live as individuals, benevolently by *nature*, happy in who they are, co-existing with each other and accepting their differences…it’s impossible, but in that ONE instance (which would never happen, but IF it could) that would seem to be the ideal society.
As Spock quite honestly and accurately put it, while in and while out of that society:
“It’s a true Eden, Jim. There’s belonging, and love.”
“I have little to say about it, Captain. Except that – for the first time in my life – I was happy.”
Wow. Really.
I guess it’s even closer than he (and I) thought.
“The Careculator”.
(See: ‘Black Mirror’, episode “Nosedive”).
It’s scary. I mean, I’m not joking. It is.
If it doesn’t scare you…WAKE UP!
“No… could you repeat it, because I can’t believe my fcken ears.”
Crusading atheists/antitheists…just, stop it. Please.
“People are killed in the name of religion” is a popular refrain from them.
Well, I think insane people kill people because they’re insane. You know, like in ‘Seven’. John Doe, if you’ll notice, is insane. He also *identifies* as Christian. But he’s not, obviously. He’s a lunatic. People aren’t killed by John Doe because he is or is not Christian. People are killed by John Doe because he’s a lunatic. The fact that he identifies himself (falsely) as a Christian is completely unrelated.
If he were a devout atheist, and killed people for *believing*…would that mean that atheism is dangerous? I mean, by the logic of “if anyone of X does something, it applies to all” that you like to (try to) use, it goes both ways. Assuming character was atheist and killed people for not believing, according to the CA/A argument that “religion is harmful” because a miniscule minority of people that identify as religious do harmful things, therefore (according to your own argument) atheism would be proven dangerous. So therefore it must be campaigned against.
Which is utterly absurd. And illogical. And ridiculous.
I mean, don’t quote the fcken Crusades as “an example”…a lot of things happened CENTURIES ago. Gimme a fcken break. Read Paul Feyerabend’s reponse to that piece of BS.
The reason people do harm (where applicable) is this alone: people choose to do harm (where applicable).
You can assign any “reasoning” you want to it, but (to use the ‘Seven’ example) John Doe’s behavior is not because (and therefore the following groups are DANGEROUS!…*SATIRE…SATIRE…SATIRE*) he is:
– Male
– Over age 30
– Under age 90
– Thin
– Soft-spoken
– Owns a glowing cross night light
– Urinates when necessary
– Defecates when necessary
– Eats
– Walks
– Talks
– Breathes
– Exists
– Identifies himself (incorrectly) as Christian
He’s a lunatic. The above groups should not be maligned because of that.
Here’s a question for CA/A’s: Do/did you ever watch ‘The Daily Show’? Or ‘The Colbert Report’? MST3K? ‘Cheers’?
And did you not do so (in part, at least) because it was comforting in a way? You were “part of the crowd”, “one of the guys”, etc? It was company, in a way? Friendly company when you wanted it?
How would you feel if someone went out of their way to invade your personal space to tell you “It’s not real! You’re not really part of that!”?
Assuming (and I am not saying this is TRUE, or that I BELIEVE it, but CA/A’s do) that religion is false, “unreal” (like the above)…so what?
Assuming that people take comfort in their religion, that it helps them in times of trouble, that it makes their lives happier, that they enjoy the sense of community…
Just leave ’em alone, man. I mean…get over it.
There is no causation between religion and ANYTHING harmful. So please, again…(I think M. Palin said it best):
(3:49 – 4:20)
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – The above is a good clip from a Monty Python sketch, and also is a great example of someone going ON, and ON, and ON…
The main thing that I like about ‘Black Mirror’ creator Charlie Brooker – besides the fact that he can write and direct well, making his episodes worth watching in the first place – is that his style is generally similar to Rod Serling’s, host of another show that Brooker’s has been compared to.
And it’s this: He doesn’t tell you what to think, he *makes* you think.
He writes (at least some) very powerful scenes, in episodes that CLEARLY *could* make a definite statement, that could say “This is right, that is wrong, and here’s why…”
Instead he makes them as “real” as possible, as impressive as possible, as emotional as possible, as POWERFUL as possible…and then, when he could take all of that and very cleanly and tidily (and simply, easily, commonly) put his opinion on it with an end that says “THIS is the point”…he doesn’t. He just lets it go, as it was, and you watch and wait for the comforting, easy-to-understand and easy-to-agree-with ending, and it never comes. It just…ends.
Because of this, you *have to* think; you have to wonder about the different points, the different emotions, the different viewpoints, the different meanings.
Is yours, eventually, what his is? Or what he thinks it should be? Or what he wants it to be?
Maybe, maybe not. But because he doesn’t TRY to force an opinion on you, you are forced to come up with one. And that provokes thought. And sometimes, that provokes some serious thinking and emotion, and opinion. But that’s the point: it’s YOUR opinion. It’s your emotional/intellectual analysis of what has happened and how you view it, from your perspective.
And thinking is a good thing. Thinking, feeling, considering. All of these are good, and often one or more are missing in many shows/movies…because it’s easier (and more commercial) to write something with a definite and obvious opinion behind it; to make it clear *THIS* is the right and *THAT* is the wrong, and here’s why.
By not clearly defining an opinion, by leaving that fairly ambiguous, it provokes YOUR opinion. It makes you think. And that is a very good thing, I think.
Message to Brooker: PLEASE, PLEASE write a movie.
I want to add something to my A List. I want to be blown away, inspired. You certainly are *capable* of doing it, as you’ve proven three times already.
Do me, and the the world, a favor: MAKE A MOVIE.
Spend a little more time, flesh out what would make a great episode, and make a great movie.
“We are asleep. Our Life is a dream. But we wake up sometimes, just enough to know that we are dreaming.”
“Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present.”
“There are, indeed, things that cannot be put into words. They make themselves manifest. They are what is mystical.”
Wow. Very impressive.
Hard to believe I would start off with that, the way this started…but I was wrong. You fooled me, I admit. Good job, and thank you.
My first notes seem irrelevant after watching the whole thing, but here’s a bit of it:
Low-key and convincing from the start. I buy the lead; the wilder cohort is decent. The former stays good, the latter…in a manner of speaking, gets better – just give her some time.
There’s a scene where – based on my perception of the story – I felt it TOTALLY lost it: completely out of character, focus lost, destined for mediocrity at best. Fortunately I was wrong…give it a chance.
It “recovers” (even before I accepted the gaffe as…acceptable?) and stays on course for a while. Parts are low-key, calm, sedate…tranquil, in a comforting way. The music, the backgrounds, the acting, the silences; seem to, for parts at least, slide into this state, this feeling.
The futuristic twist comes with about a third left, and is interesting…and quite a changeup. The state, the feeling…they seem to make sense now, totally, as at times before.
I said in a previous ‘Black Mirror’ episode review that “I wouldn’t ruin it for you”. In THIS episode, I mean it. Don’t read the summary before you watch it, just watch it. It will produce a real experience, I think.
Magic Card for this episode (in multiple aspects): “Tranquility”.
Near the end, there’s a fairly powerful speech, and a choice is made.
In keeping with recent posts, here is a movie clip.
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – A great clip from a good movie.
The choice made in the episode is FAR more difficult, but is has some relation.
Powerful ending. And perfect song. Watch the credits, too.
Truly touching, truly emotional. Truly…that is to say, REAL.
Like a deep puppy once said: these moments always come. They may be rare, they may be separated by huge gulfs of darkness and despair. But they are there, waiting for you if you wait for them. And that is worth living for.
Lots of deep thoughts here, potentially. And I can’t imagine making the decision made at the end, by the cohort. It’s made in the dark, and…somehow, as was wondered, TO ME…it cheapens reality.
If it MIGHT be as the cohort imagined…even MIGHT…I’d like to say I would decline. Fantasy or reality; how much can you live in the first, without making things in the second – things filled with pain, joy, sadness, love, hate…LIFE – meaningless?
Incredibly difficult, but…I would never cheapen the true emotions of my reality. No matter how tempting. And even if…well, it means a different, and total, end. The emotions and memories I have, that I cherish, are too powerful for that. Too real.
Inspirational Quote (from a book): “Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase, ‘form is emptiness.’ That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, ‘Emptiness is form.’ One should not think that these are two separate things.”
So…REQUESTED prescriptions refills (for medications I’ve already been prescribed, no changes) and agreed to an APPOINTMENT ASAP if necessary to make this possible. So, let’s hope this works. If not…
Here’s my plan: I’ll hope my situation gets resolved reasonably, and if it doesn’t, I’ll post here about the state of my decline as I run out of necessary, prescribed medications and/or head to the emergency room. Oh, and I’ll provide the names of some “doctors” people may want to avoid, maybe.
“I do not threaten. I merely state facts.” – Spock
“Hmm…hmmm…Hippocratic Oath…it’s not in there, jolly good. Very useful. Next!” – MPFC
Here’s a lovely clip:
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – A nice little clip about a horrific doctor.
Humankind’s ability to destroy increases in direct relation to humankind’s ability to create/improve/advance.
That is why all science/invention/advancement must be taken with a grain of salt; all possible uses for anything new should be examined, evaluated, and prepared for with the best interests of humankind at heart and as the first priority.
Exhibit A: Atomic power.
Exhibit B: Advanced technology.
Exhibit C: Make up one of your own, you know you want to.
This is probably stating the obvious for most people, but…just sayin’.
I’ve seen some posts about how this is a “deceptive” slogan and “misleading”.
BULLSH1T.
Of COURSE dog breeders are gonna say that. I mean, COME ON.
FACT ONE: Purebred dogs are wanted by a LOT of people. Very few, if any, will ever be put to sleep.
FACT TWO: LOTS and LOTS of dogs and cats in shelters around the U.S. WILL be put to sleep if they aren’t adopted.
FACT THREE: EVEN IF a particular dog or cat is not put to sleep, think about this: since purebreds are pretty much guaranteed a home, if people didn’t adopt these non-purebreds, exactly how would they find a home? They wouldn’t. They would live in a cage without a pet owner to love and take care of them.
So…to anyone who hates “Adopt Don’t Shop”…I think D. Vinyard said it best: “…get your head out of your a$$”.
10/19/16: It’s sad when the best propaganda that anti “Adopt Don’t Shop” people can come up with is that it’s all an “agenda” by “extreme animal rights activists” to eventually have all dogs “freed”, to roam the streets.
Fck, I mean Trump can come up with better BS propaganda than that.
Look up the word “outlier”.
Are there people out there that want all breeders outlawed, all animals freed, cows no longer viciously milked, mice free to explore career opportunities, mosquitoes saved from horrible hunters that kill them for their wings (which can fetch up to .8 of a penny)?
Sure. There are outliers to EVERY cause, EVERY movement, EVERY position. EVERYTHING in the WORLD that can possibly be subjective in ANY WAY has outliers. That’s what they are: outliers.
The VAST majority of people who urge people to adopt (including me) do NOT believe it is assault to milk a cow, do NOT believe cats and dogs can be converted to vegetarianism, etc…
In the same way, the VAST majority of people who buy purebred dogs do NOT believe there is a “conspiracy” against purebreds, do NOT think that we must defend breeders rights NOW or they will soon be gone!!!
I mean, come on. As is almost ALWAYS the case, the TRUTH lies somewhere in the middle of two extremes.
Are there some good, reputable breeders who love their dogs – and dogs in general – and aren’t evil monsters just in it for the money? OF COURSE.
Are there some good, reputable shelters who love their rescues – and rescues in general – and who exist to help give abandoned animals a second chance? OF COURSE.
I mean, what moron actually believes that puppies are NEVER bought because they’re “cute and little”, and then dropped off at a shelter when they grow into adult dogs? And that these dogs are somehow “defective” because of that? And that these dogs don’t deserve a home as much as ANY OTHER dog?
Oh, and to the people that say dogs are simply “property” (yes, I’ve read at least one rant about that) that’s just not true. NOT TRUE. Period.
See…this pillow I sleep with is property. If I want to, I can punch it, kick it, not give it food or water, dropkick it around the house, eat it, shove it up my a$$…WHATEVER. It’s a FCKEN PILLOW.
Dogs and cats are NOT property in anywhere NEAR the same sense. They are not merely “things”. If you think they are, then by that belief you show you don’t really care about them.
There are LAWS against animal cruelty. FACT. Dogs cannot be forced to fight and kill each other. FACT.
There are no laws against pillow cruelty. Noone will be appalled if I tell them I was really frustrated and so I hit my pillow. Noone will try to stage a pillow intervention to remove it from its abusive environment. Noone will campaign for pillow rights. Noone is insane enough to do this, or believe it will happen.
In conclusion, here’s the middle ground between the two extremes (The “milking cows is the same as raping a human woman” ones and the “all animals are property and anything can be done with them that anyone wants including sadists and Jeffery Dahmer-wannabes):
Not all breeders are bad. Not all shelters are bad.
Research where you’re thinking about getting a pet from. Make sure they treat their pets humanely. Make sure you can care for the pet properly. Make sure you are willing to keep the pet for its lifetime. Make sure that the pet has no behavioral issues that would cause you to return the pet. Make sure you LOVE THE PET.
Any objections?
Feeling:
…After you’ve seen something, sort of a “My God…” realization – because in that moment you’re not debating theism or reason – “…my life could be so much worse.” It’s sort of like time freezes; everything that went too slow before is fine, everything that went too fast is fine, everything outside of you and that feeling, basking in it, feeling it slowly drain away with an odd sort of sadness with the relief. And you think about everything that means something; nothing else seems to matter.
It seems so simple.
…what the Hell was that? Hmmm. Oh well, back to life…
“…This is hard rock as the term was understood before metal moved in–the kind of loud, slovenly, tuneful music you think no one will ever work a change on again until the next time it happens, whereupon you wonder why there isn’t loads more. It seems so simple.”
– Robert Christgau on Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’
Exception To Def Leppard Lyrics Insult:
Hysterical – Catchy, and not always horrible:
“…I will FEEL…I WILL FEEL…”
It’s the feeling you get over and over; very very rarely, but consistently. You feel it wash over you, you’re awed by it. You wonder how it could possibly be so amazing and achingly beautiful. You wonder how you couldn’t see it before. You know you didn’t; there was a time the feeling was gone, it didn’t exist, but now it was evoked. Sometimes you don’t know why, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Whether you write the most beautiful poem or just sit and marvel at what it is to feel, and think, or say, “wow”…it is what matters in that moment, and that moment is pure beauty. And you wish so strongly that it didn’t have to fade, because you know it will. And you wish so strongly it would go away, because you’re too weak and awed to handle both its power and its loss. And then, slowly, it’s gone. And you go about your life; sometimes wistful, sometimes forgetting altogether, for months, years…but it always comes back. And that is worth living for.
I wonder how I’ll feel about this tomorrow?
I’m so glad I got to type this, that it came to me and I was able to let it out, using the best words I knew to capture the feelings.
If you’re ever lost, think about this.
“I will not beg for your understanding…nor will I parade it for you to gain. My love…is too deep for display.”
I apologize for the delay in Grimmsy Grimmling, it was due to me being a selfish, insensitive, self-centered a$$hole.
I’m trying not to be any of those things now, or in the future, especially for people who absolutely don’t deserve it, and MOST ESPECIALLY for Dave and Jet – the two best friends I’ve ever had or could ever have.
I love you both, and I echo the sentiment of the following clip from the character of Carlito (towards two people INFINITELY more worthy of it than his target).
2:37-3:00
You’re the family I choose (gender irrelevant in the following quote):
“Hey! Kleinfeld is my brother. Look at me! He’s my brother.”
“When you make love;
do you look in the mirror?
Who do you think of;
does he look like me?
Do you tell lies;
and say that it’s forever?
…”
Nuance. Subtlety. Empathy. Sarcasm. Irony.
There are many different ways to communicate other than 1+1=2; which is what dogmatic following of language “rules” is.
There are many words that are REAL WORDS (as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary) today ONLY BECAUSE people used them INCORRECTLY as SLANG often enough.
In the same sense, dogmatic following of science “rules” serves one purpose: keep everything safe, orderly, unchallenging.
Protect the weak minds who are incapable of creative intellectual thought by establishing “rules” to be learned that are, once memorized, as easily fallen back on as 1+1=2.
Mediocre scientists follow; great/innovative/REAL scientists lead.
And, while I’ll admit that a lot of what he said was horsesh1t…
1) A lot wasn’t AND, more importantly;
2) He was not ALWAYS intending to state everything as a dry, formal recitation of facts.
“Do not be misled by the fact that today hardly anyone gets killed for joining a scientific heresy. This has nothing to do with science. It has something to do with the general quality of our civilization. Heretics in science are still made to suffer from the most severe sanctions this relatively tolerant civilization has to offer.”
“Most scientists today are devoid of ideas, full of fear, intent on producing some paltry result so that they can add to the flood of inane papers that now constitutes “scientific progress” in many areas.”
– Paul Feyerabend
“Feyerabend attacked science because he recognized—and he was horrified by—its power, its potential to stamp out the diversity of human thought and culture. He objected to scientific certainty for moral and political, rather than for epistemological, reasons.”
If you’re too emotionally stupid to understand nuance, that’s your problem; PLEASE, let’s keep emotional intelligence alive. Once in a while, say something that isn’t PURELY LOGICAL.
Try it.
Do you know one of the reasons more and more people have problems with emotional intelligence, with empathy?
Because it is not encouraged…because it’s not “logical”.
Which is a travesty and a load of sh1t.
Stay human, people.
KEEP THIS ALIVE:
“…it doesn’t quite ring true.”
…
“There are no ‘superior facilities’; he knows that. But that’s not the point.”
I think it’s really, really, really, really, REALLY sad that the prevailing dream of kids today for “What do you wanna be when you grow up?” is “A scientist!” instead of an artist, musician, philosopher…
We have plenty of scientists.
Science is not dying, it will never die.
INSPIRED MUSIC…*REAL* music…now THAT is dying.
I can only assume that the CA/A’s trying to hack into my website disagree strongly with the following:
…Rationalism… is a secularized form of the belief in the power of the word of God…”
“…The separation of state and church must be complemented by the separation of state and science, that most recent, most aggressive, and most dogmatic religious institution…”
“…Unanimity of opinion may be fitting for a church, for the frightened or greedy victims of some (ancient, or modern) myth, or for the weak and willing followers of some tyrant. Variety of opinion is necessary for objective knowledge. And a method that encourages variety is also the only method that is comparable with a humanitarian outlook…”
Paul Feyerabend, ‘Against Method’
‘Hagakure’ and ‘Against Method’: two invaluable reads.
Some things in each may contradict the other. Hopefully, that is.
“…I’m not saying they killed him. They just worked on him.
The way they’re working on you.”
Neil Young sums up very well what it’s like to have unwanted fans.
“You think I’m cool? So what?”
…”Doesn’t mean that much to me, to mean that much to you.”
I’ve reviewed very few indie musicians/movies/artists.
This is not because I don’t want to.
Nor is it because I don’t think they’re worth it.
The main reason I have not reviewed many indie artists (music, movies, etc) is that indie artists are inherently harder to find.
The co-main reason is that VERY few indie artists – given the opportunity – have expressed ANY interest in me reviewing their work.
And in terms of “supporting” new/indie artists…how the fck can I support something when I haven’t even seen it?
It’s just as possible that the person behind an indie is a greedy sonofab1tch as a mainstream. It’s just as possible they’re just in it for the money (TRYING to get the money, that is…churning out stuff they know is sh1t but they ALSO know is generally popular): hoping to make money off a name, get signed by a mainstream, pander to a market, etc…
Being indie doesn’t make you noble. Just like being “mainstream” doesn’t make you ignoble. One thing has nothing to do with the other.
So, after babbling a bit, I AM TOTALLY WILLING to review movies/music/comics/any other form of art I find interesting, REGARDLESS of who it’s from/how popular it is/if it’s indie or mainstream/etc, etc etc…
The PROBLEM is:
I don’t support something just BECAUSE it’s indie.
I’m not going to say “Hey, check out X!” just BECAUSE they’re indie and ask me for a plug. I’m not, sorry.
If someone ASKS me to review something/support them, I’ll do what I think ANY critic (and I am, albeit an unprofessional one) SHOULD do:
I’ll look briefly at the subject. If I know I’m gonna hate it, I’ll decline…because I DON’T GIVE FREE PUBLICITY. I *PAY* for this site. I make NOTHING from it. I never have, I never will.
Only the most blithering of idiots couldn’t see why saying “Sure, I’ll pay money to view/listen to something I know I’ll hate so I can give you free publicity” is RIGHT OUT.
HOWEVER…
If I think I MIGHT like it, I will almost certainly agree to watch/listen to it, and review it. I’m not gonna PAY to do this, of course. Just like I don’t get paid TO DO it.
And my review will come after watching/listening to THE WHOLE THING. Critical integrity, you know.
And my review will have nothing to do with how nice you are…you have to separate the artist and the art.
Critical integrity, you know.
So, basically, I am a means of gaining free publicity. Even a bad review is a review.
The problem is…while *I* am quite willing to do this, VERY FEW people are willing to agree to this. They want a free plug, or a guarantee that I’ll review it positively, etc…and I don’t do that.
Why? Same reason you (hopefully) don’t sell out the first chance you get: artistic integrity.
My reviews are art. Perhaps not very GOOD art, but art, in my opinion. Putting aside the fact that if I gave EVERYTHING a positive review, NOONE would care about my reviews, EVER…I just personally, myself, don’t want to. I want to be – as every artist should – genuine.
SO…if you want YOUR art reviewed – be it a short film, a comic, an article, a poem, WHATEVER…all you have to do is ask. And the worst I will do is say no.
And to close, of course, two quotes:
“…The only thing that matters is what actually winds up on the big screen, not how you got it there. You could make a cartoon in crayons about a red square that falls in unrequited love with a blue circle, and there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the house if you know how to tell a story…”
“…You never want to lie to your audience… you can trick them, you can disturb them, you can annoy them, but you can never lie to them. To me commercials are nothing but lies.”
I consider honesty one of my virtues.
“Anti-theist Central”
Just saw their ad on Facebook.
Wow…Chris Hitch looked…really happy, huh?
I think he proves (well, proved) that the following is correct:
“…For is it not possible that science as we know it today, or a “search for the truth” in the style of traditional philosophy, will create a monster? Is it not possible that an objective approach that frowns upon personal connections between the entities examined will harm people, turn them into miserable, unfriendly, self-righteous mechanisms without charm or humour? “Is it not possible,” asks Kierkegaard, “that my activity as an objective [or critico-rational] observer of nature will weaken my strength as a human being?” I suspect the answer to many of these questions is affirmative…”
Thank you, https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_Karl_Feyerabend
OK, so I’ve taken some slack for defending freedom of religion and putting down fervent CA/A’s…but here, something I just saw that is at least as ridiculous as anything a CA/A has ever said (I know!):
On Facebook, a “Suggested Group” for me (???) with a picture of Obama with a moustache made to look like Hitler (????) and the name “Atheism – A Pathway To Extreme Ideology” (?????)
I think this is the only proper reaction to that, besides the far too obvious ‘Billy Madison’ quote:
(1:45-1:50)
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – A great reaction to something utterly absurd.
Oh btw, if any CA/A thinks this is my suck-up attempt cuz you’re bangin’ away at my site: Go fck yourself. Thank you.
Ah, praise Jesus for the “Reason Rally”:
Dick Dawk advocates intellectual assault, Penn Jillette talks at length about truth as climate change DOES NOT OCCUR!!!
…
(SATIRE…SATIRE…SATIRE…)
…
“The withdrawal of philosophy into a “professional” shell of its own has had disastrous consequences. The younger generation of physicists…may be very bright; they may be more intelligent than their predecessors, than Bohr, Einstein, Schrödinger, Boltzmann, Mach and so on. But they are uncivilized savages, they lack in philosophical depth – and this is the fault of the very same idea of professionalism which you are now defending.” – Paul Feyerabend
…
“Holes In the Foam
Yet, it seems to bother a goober like you enough to have to comment ad nauseum about it with absolutely ridiculous drivel. Funny how that is. Shut the fck up loser. :D” (edited for naughtiness)
…
Your “yet” has no basis, since in my extreme mockery of the pointless waste of time that is the Redundancy Rally I am quite clearly trying to show how incredibly stupid and pointless it is. “have” is used improperly, I LIKE pointing out horsesh1t. I know you have no actual basis for saying “absolutely ridiculous drivel”, so I’ll NOT ask “what do you mean by…”
etc, cuz who gives a fck anyways, who the Hell are you you attention whore. Ummm…to finish, no, it’s not funny in a funny sense or in an ironic sense. But to finish, my two favorites before I post this and your best twaddle on my website (TOP OF THE WORLD!!!): 1) You using the phrase “ad nauseum” of course INSTANTLY makes your opinion, whatever it may be, correct, and anyone else’s incorrect. 2) Well yeah, I’m a loser, baby, so why don’t you kill me? *Dundun DIN dunDIN…*… and so on, and so on…
…
Jesus H. Christ!
…
It’s so great that, like…there are so many weaknesses you probe for…
so many you’re accustomed to, so many you have so many pre-programmed scripts for, etc…but I have ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THEM. I mean…you’ve got nothing. I…think I just might orgasm. Maybe that’s because of Hitchens though. No, wait…there is ABSOLUTELY no necrophilia in the British Navy. Absolutely none. And when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount.
…
And I close, of course, with a quote from The Three Stooges:
“You too, rain-in-the-face” – Moe Howard
I truly believe that the reason he doesn’t write more commercial music is that he simply doesn’t want to; he’s creating, he’s expressing.
He’s not selling.
And he’s a brilliant lyricist, at least at times.
“A dreamer of pictures, I run in the night…
you see us together, chasing the moonlight…”
– Neil Young, “Cinnamon Girl”
Regarding a previous post regarding those that insert random Latin and/or random “scientific” into their conversations (written or spoken), I believe the obvious parallel (and reaction) come courtesy of Diane Chambers and momma Crane.
(First, a bonus! From the same episode, some pseudo-intellectual analysis!)
“The primary symptom of postprandial trauma is the blurring of the metatarsals…”
(Frasier’s Mom) “…I wanted to save you from ruining what could be a brilliant career. I just can’t stand the picture of you being married to a pseudo-intellectual barmaid. No offense intended.
(Diane) None taken. C ne fit rien…”
And, of course, one eventually comes to terms with it, albeit grudgingly:
“I never understood your spider collection either, but I grew to accept that.”
Or does one?
(Frasier’s Mom) “I understand you used to date that woman. I want to know how much you’d charge to start things up again.”
(Sam) “You don’t have enough money.”
(FM) “How would you know?”
(Sam) “There isn’t enough money.”
(FM) “I know what you mean.”
(Sam) “I don’t think you do.”
(FM) “I think I do.”
(Sam) “Oh, no…”
(FM) “Oh, yes…”
(Sam) “OH, no…”
Un Scene De Diane Chambers
FIN
My apologies to the fictional character of Diane Chambers for lumping her in with this grouping, but it’s for a good cause. I actually LIKE the character of Diane Chambers because – while she may be somewhat pretentious – she is, at heart, a truly caring person. Very noble indeed.
And, bonus…Diane and Woody talk about an antitheist’s manifesto and a normal person’s reaction to it, Diane having praised the manifesto: (JOKE)
“No, he tossed it in the thresher.”
Thank you Cheers, episode ‘Diane Meets Mom’.
To save some of you the time you appear to be taking:
Q: If I’m blocked for doing/attempting to do anything at all naughty to the website, how long will it be before I become un-blocked?
A: Hmmm…well, assuming I live another 40-45 years, whoever inherits this site might lift the ban…then again they may not. So let’s go with 40-45 years…but I can’t GUARANTEE that.
From My Review Of ‘Babe’
I can’t resist a wry smile when two groups are presented, both of whose opinions are narrated with complete neutrality, both of whom prove to be wrong. It’s an obvious reference to “ism”‘s of any kind (Sex, Race, Etc…) as being, above all else, stupid. It’s quite clever and, to quote a wise (fictional) being – “I do, in fact, agree with it.”
And then…
“You know, I don’t know what y’all believe and I don’t really care.” – Bill Hicks
Assuming this person – who I was in contact with, but am not now – actually gave a fck about me, and I wasn’t simply a curiosity; an amusing toy to play with and then throw away…a final, vaguely regretful message:
“Honors English, (X) was a BRILLIANT student…like you. But (X) hung out with simple-minded fools…also, like you.”
“…(X) you are too d@mn smart to be floating around here pretending you don’t see all the holes in this bullsh1t…”
“…I’m tired of feelin’ pissed off. I’m just tired of it.”
Merry Fcken Christmas.
It’s absurd…I mean, there are people that will refuse to watch/listen to BRILLIANT works of art SIMPLY BECAUSE they have religious references/connotations. Come on, man…
A short list of songs we’d never hear again if extreme antitheism won:
“Dream On”
“Stairway To Heaven”
“Hotel California”
“Sweet Home Alabama”
“Baba O’Riley”
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”
“Like A Rolling Stone”
“Gimme Shelter”
“House Of The Rising Sun”
“My Sweet Lord”
Three quotes to end:
“I mean I really don’t give a fck whether it’s about religion or not. I don’t give a fck what their belief is, or is not. All I care about is: is this something I enjoy listening to, for musical and/or lyrical reasons? As for the rest…who gives a fck? If your hatred of religion is so extreme and invasive that you can’t enjoy GREAT music because of it, that’s your loss; and you’re an idiot if you can’t see that.” – Me
“Here’s the thing with me and the religious thing. This is the flat-out truth: I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music. I don’t find it anywhere else. Songs like ‘Let Me Rest on a Peaceful Mountain’ or ‘I Saw the Light’ – that’s my religion. I don’t adhere to rabbis, preachers, evangelists, all of that. I’ve learned more from the songs than I’ve learned from any of this kind of entity. The songs are my lexicon. I believe the songs.” – Bob Dylan
“Rock ‘n’ roll is everybody’s f—-n’ music…I think that’s where God and the devil shake hands – right there.” – Neil Young
A great big thank you and kudos to all involved in resisting this very recent DDOS attack.
The effect on the site was virtually nil as far as availability/accessibility.
Less than two hours left!!!
Now’s the time for you at home to play along!
WILL they break 10,000 hits today??!!
Stay tuned for riveting, heart-pounding DDOS excitement!
10:16 – And DOWN the stretch they come!!! My GOD this is thrilling!
10:18 – 8921
10:19 – 8988
10:24 – 9098
10:28 – 9240
10:35 – 9326
10:43 – 9402
10:55 – 9522
LESS THAN AN HOUR LEFT! Oh Sweet Jesus this is exciting!!!
11:04 – 9644
11:13 – 9831
11:18 – 9958
YES! YES! It’s so close I can almost TASTE it!
WE HAVE A WINNER!!!
Official Time: 11:21 PM EST
Official Count: 10,087
I’d like to thank everyone who made this possible…words can’t describe how I feel about you. Really, they can’t.
Just over 7,100…
Is that it? Is that all? You all done? You through? You all through?
Passing 7600…
Passing 8000…
Passing 8750…
Passing 9400…
“Houston, United States
IP: 73.32.148.162
c-73-32-148-162.hsd1.tx.comcast.net
Firefox version 0.0 running on Win7
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:40.0)
Gecko/20100101 Firefox/40.1”
That’s kinda scary, I mean, as if Texas didn’t already have ENOUGH problems…
I mean, “Houston, we have a…” and all that. But people outside of Texas sometimes forget the enormous problem ALREADY in Texas.
Vis:
4:30-4:36.9
FAIR USE: CRITICISM – A good, sharp-mocking MST short.
