Chaos and the Anti-Thread

[Emil El Zapato]

Thought I would throw this out there: Scuttlebutt is leaning toward Mueller determining no collusion. This is being pushed hard by the Republicans but it is a pretty ephemeral position. My impression is that the 'financial' aspects of Trump's criminality are being pursued to give a solid legal foundation to his crimes. They are black and white. Not grey like the collusion. In the end, I believe it will be obvious but the majority of Republicans will deny the reality and that major caveat would be enough to let Trump off the hook...it ain't gonna happen...not with the sweeper actiion of tax evasion, money laundering, fraud, and outright theft.

[Dreamtimer]

A day in the life...


Everyone and I do mean every single person in that establishment started comparing just what they had to cough up in taxes or just how small their return was going to be if they got one compared to last years. People were going to be short 5k minimum on their refunds. Others were in the hole to the IRS up to 12k. Vacations were being canceled. Repairs and purchases are being postponed. Vehicles are not going to be purchased.

Then the farmers started bitching about who they were going to sell soybeans to. What should they plant? Corn? Soybeans? It’s time to order seed you know? How can I make a profit if I can’t sell what I grow? Is this China shit going to be sorted out soon? Who gives a fuck about a border wall I need fucking laborers. Does that fat orange bastard really know what the fuck he’s doing? 50% of these people voted for Trump, Walker and Duffy. Now granted there were some MAGA hat wearing folks in there and a couple spouted off about staying the course and talking points. My did that go over well. Not.

[palooka's revenge]

Thought I would throw this out there: Scuttlebutt is leaning toward Mueller determining no collusion. This is being pushed hard by the Republicans but it is a pretty ephemeral position. My impression is that the 'financial' aspects of Trump's criminality are being pursued to give a solid legal foundation to his crimes. They are black and white. Not grey like the collusion. In the end, I believe it will be obvious but the majority of Republicans will deny the reality and that major caveat would be enough to let Trump off the hook...it ain't gonna happen...not with the sweeper actiion of tax evasion, money laundering, fraud, and outright theft.

i've discovered my thought wandering down the same road NAP. i'm at the point where I think U are dead on!

and..... thank RICO!! we turned a corner into a brighter light with that one...

[Dreamtimer]

Nicole Wallace recently asked what RICO was on her show. I was like, Huh? She was White House spokesperson for W. How could she not know what RICO laws are?

Perhaps it was just a prompt for explaining the law, but I'm surprised she didn't know.

[palooka's revenge]

Nicole Wallace recently asked what RICO was on her show. I was like, Huh? She was White House spokesperson for W. How could she not know what RICO laws are?

Perhaps it was just a prompt for explaining the law, but I'm surprised she didn't know.

YIKES!!

[Aragorn]

Nicole Wallace recently asked what RICO was on her show. I was like, Huh? She was White House spokesperson for W. How could she not know what RICO laws are?

Perhaps it was just a prompt for explaining the law, but I'm surprised she didn't know.

Wait... Rico was the guy who wore the diamond, right? And when he started getting frisky with Lola, Tony didn't like it, and then one of them shot the other one, but it was never resolved who shot who. And now Lola is an alcoholic. :p

[palooka's revenge]

'n it really did happen zactly like that... somewhere...:hmm:...

[Aragorn]

Wait... Rico was the guy who wore the diamond, right? And when he started getting frisky with Lola, Tony didn't like it, and then one of them shot the other one, but it was never resolved who shot who. And now Lola is an alcoholic. :p

'n it really did happen zactly like that... somewhere...:hmm:...

Aye, the hottest club north of Havana. But now it's a disco. :p

[palooka's revenge]

Aye, the hottest club north of Havana. But now it's a disco. :p

but i no speakie... i said that... but i heard he was better know as big jim... 'n he finally got his...

YUP... bob said that....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs4uRJnslLg

thank you bob...

[Emil El Zapato]

the Copa, Copacabana and the amazing thing is Ricky Ricardo was a regular there, too

[Dreamtimer]

Now that song is going to be stuck in my head.

Music and passion were always the fashion...

[Emil El Zapato]

I would always sing that song to my daughter as we were driving to Taco Cabana, naturally with my daughter as the lover of taco cabana... :)

for some odd reason she would just get mad at me...

[Dreamtimer]

Whatever for, I wonder?:ttr: I used to drive my son crazy with certain songs. I don't think I've ever seen a Taco Cabana. Are they still around?

[Emil El Zapato]

yeah, they are very common in Texas..

[Dreamtimer]

I have some family from Texas. I'll ask them about it.

[Emil El Zapato]

Now this is the kind of thing that makes me go 'hmmm'. I smell agenda:

I can't find a picture of the Illinois gunman from yesterday. My 'feel' is that he might be African-American BUT...no pictures anywhere.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF2ayWcJfxo

[Dreamtimer]

There was an image shown on a local broadcast. A black man - probably a selfie - in a hat and tie. A start page search brings up this image. The reports say that the man was being terminated from his job and that he was a 15 year veteran. I assumed military, but maybe they meant on the job. I haven't followed up.

There's a different image in the video (https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/15/5-dead-in-aurora-workplace-shooting/) in this report. And a photo as well.

[Emil El Zapato]

I see...interesting...now let's move on to Phase two of 'hmmm' inducing agendas:

See if anyone takes up 'crisis actors' and False flags in this case. In the past when a black gunmen or victims were involved it hasn't happened.

if you'll notice on CNN anyway...they always send an 'ethnic' matching the description of any 'primary' in an event...it doesn't matter what kind...natural disaster, mass shooting...etc.

[Dreamtimer]

That is such an astute observation, NAP. If it's black, it ain't a false flag. How 'bout that?

[Dreamtimer]

I heard this fellow the other day say that there is no such thing as "not a racist". And of course that got me thinking. I would certainly say that about me and others I know. We're not racists. So how do I fit in with what he says?

First off, if there is no such thing as "not a racist", then we're all racist to one degree or another.

To be racist one thing must be true: you have to believe in race. You have to believe there are different races to be a racist.

So those who don't believe in race can't be racists. They may have vile prejudices, but they're not racist.


Believe is the key word here. Because there is no objective evidence to support the idea.

We are 99 point something percent similar to chimpanzees. We can't have children with them. Thank God. No hybrids, please.

Humans can have children with each other regardless of phenotype. The appearances are really only skin deep.

The rare blood-type and genetic issues which cause individuals trouble are not evidence of race.


Seeking pure blood-lines leads to inbreeding. We see that with monarchies, Amish and Mennonites, some jewish groups, and more.

There is no pure or superior race simply because there is no such thing. The only way it could be true is if there is a new species. But species is not the same as race.

And that's because there's no such thing.


So I'm not a racist according to my analysis, but many are according to their beliefs. No such thing as race, yet folks are racist. Cognitive dissonance in full stride.

[Elen]

I heard this fellow the other day say that there is no such thing as "not a racist". And of course that got me thinking. I would certainly say that about me and others I know. We're not racists. So how do I fit in with what he says?

First off, if there is no such thing as "not a racist", then we're all racist to one degree or another.

To be racist one thing must be true: you have to believe in race. You have to believe there are different races to be a racist.

So those who don't believe in race can't be racists. They may have vile prejudices, but they're not racist.


Believe is the key word here. Because there is no objective evidence to support the idea.

We are 99 point something percent similar to chimpanzees. We can't have children with them. Thank God. No hybrids, please.

Humans can have children with each other regardless of phenotype. The appearances are really only skin deep.

The rare blood-type and genetic issues which cause individuals trouble are not evidence of race.


Seeking pure blood-lines leads to inbreeding. We see that with monarchies, Amish and Mennonites, some jewish groups, and more.

There is no pure or superior race simply because there is no such thing. The only way it could be true is if there is a new species. But species is not the same as race.

And that's because there's no such thing.


So I'm not a racist according to my analysis, but many are according to their beliefs. No such thing as race, yet folks are racist. Cognitive dissonance in full stride.

:ha: I like it!

[Emil El Zapato]

I just realized that an old friend of mine grew up around aurora, illinois and went to school where one of the dead was attending...Northern Illinois University.

[palooka's revenge]

I heard this fellow the other day say that there is no such thing as "not a racist". And of course that got me thinking. I would certainly say that about me and others I know. We're not racists. So how do I fit in with what he says?

First off, if there is no such thing as "not a racist", then we're all racist to one degree or another.

To be racist one thing must be true: you have to believe in race. You have to believe there are different races to be a racist.

So those who don't believe in race can't be racists. They may have vile prejudices, but they're not racist.


Believe is the key word here. Because there is no objective evidence to support the idea.

We are 99 point something percent similar to chimpanzees. We can't have children with them. Thank God. No hybrids, please.

Humans can have children with each other regardless of phenotype. The appearances are really only skin deep.

The rare blood-type and genetic issues which cause individuals trouble are not evidence of race.


Seeking pure blood-lines leads to inbreeding. We see that with monarchies, Amish and Mennonites, some jewish groups, and more.

There is no pure or superior race simply because there is no such thing. The only way it could be true is if there is a new species. But species is not the same as race.

And that's because there's no such thing.


So I'm not a racist according to my analysis, but many are according to their beliefs. No such thing as race, yet folks are racist. Cognitive dissonance in full stride.



the mind, where belief systems hang out, may not be racist... but... the brain? Information is percolating to the surface from the neurobiology gold mine fields that's barkin' a strong case that claim may not be so given test results indicating we may be hard wired to be racist.

Which means, if true, that wiring is in the DNA... which leads to the next question... where'd those imprints come from?

yes, there's a dif... but... the brain is only processing what it is receiving from its will and spirit... iow... in body, from our feelings... and... from our mind...

and right there, with those last words, might be a good place to start on the unpackin' I offered here... (https://jandeane81.com/showthread.php/12848-Atlantean-survivors?p=842007016&viewfull=1#post842007016) but i'm still soakin'...


meanwhile... from wiki....



Robert Sapolsky

Sapolsky in 2009
Born April 6, 1957 (age 61)
Brooklyn, New York
Residence United States
Nationality American
Education Harvard University (B.A.)
Rockefeller University (Ph.D.)
Scientific career
Fields Neurobiology, physiology,[1] biological anthropology
Institutions Stanford University
Thesis The neuroendocrinology of stress and aging (1984)
Doctoral advisor Bruce McEwen
Other academic advisors Melvin Konner[2]
Robert Morris Sapolsky (born April 6, 1957) is an American neuroendocrinologist and author. He is currently a professor of biology, and professor of neurology and neurological sciences and, by courtesy, neurosurgery, at Stanford University. In addition, he is a research associate at the National Museums of Kenya.[3]


this Sapolsky vid is an hour + 21. I thought it was x-lent and my, my, they are really getting on with it on brain function! it appears they are coming up with more and more ways to get the brain to tell on itself.

if u watch his vid DT, i'd be forever grateful in hearing your reaction on how it, when overlaid on how U now hold it, may have shifted your position as you so eloquently justified... or... perhaps fortified it...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bnSY4L3V8s&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0Z0VefwFJ7EieFHKPu8bNttVzElRHsq_r-Im6oLOtMHsHMuDDVl6LEFpc

[Dreamtimer]

Thanks, palooka. I'll give it a listen later today. :)

[palooka's revenge]

Thanks, palooka. I'll give it a listen later today. :)

1st things 1st... go play GOLF...

[Dreamtimer]

If the weather was good it'd be knife-throwing. But it's too cold and will be wet later.

I do play disc-golf.

https://s16-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimage s%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcR9iQtohuWU24JgFqvcLqNIwfnlkbGW Gn3kFIJO-QKaizTKnjf-6w&sp=7d1b9c7545fb91b5ccf3bc162f91d7d9&anticache=826878

[Elen]

If the weather was good it'd be knife-throwing. But it's too cold and will be wet later.

I do play disc-golf.

https://s16-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimage s%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcR9iQtohuWU24JgFqvcLqNIwfnlkbGW Gn3kFIJO-QKaizTKnjf-6w&sp=7d1b9c7545fb91b5ccf3bc162f91d7d9&anticache=826878

Is that you Dreamtimer? If it is...great aim for the camera. Do you still have a camera?

[palooka's revenge]

If the weather was good it'd be knife-throwing. But it's too cold and will be wet later.

I do play disc-golf.

https://s16-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimage s%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcR9iQtohuWU24JgFqvcLqNIwfnlkbGW Gn3kFIJO-QKaizTKnjf-6w&sp=7d1b9c7545fb91b5ccf3bc162f91d7d9&anticache=826878

i can see U with excellent aim... pity the bullseye... which... even as yer victim... has a deep appreciation for your finesse... as do eye... still.... if'n ya don't mind.... shoot me a head's up next time yer headed' that way...

[Dreamtimer]

From the video at 22:12,


"Few things activate the dopamine system more than the prospect of righteous punishment."

Well, there you go. "Lock her up1 Lock her up! Lock him up! Lock them up!" We've already heard the 'her' and the 'him'. Next is 'them'.

Which is us.

[palooka's revenge]

From the video at 22:12,



Well, there you go. "Lock her up1 Lock her up! Lock him up! Lock them up!" We've already heard the 'her' and the 'him'. Next is 'them'.

Which is us.

'n that's when all bets go off the table... when the survival chakra gets triggered into ignition....

[Dreamtimer]

Is that you Dreamtimer? If it is...great aim for the camera. Do you still have a camera?

I do. It's getting old and not working so well. It may be time for a new one.

I realized recently that I've completely dropped the ball on posting pictures so I'll try to get going with that again. I have thousands. It's a little overwhelming. I'm getting a photo printer up and running.

That's not me playing but it could be. The courses we play on look like that. There are trees, sometimes streams or ponds, sometimes fields. One course has a small plane airport nearby and you see all kinds of small craft coming in as you play.

[Emil El Zapato]

Reminds of a story a guy from San Diego told me once. I had joined up with him on a golf course and we were waiting to tee off. He mentioned he was from San Diego and I mentioned that I had been in San Diego the day of the airliner crash. He mentioned that some people were still highly traumatized having watched from windows as the plane came in.

Which jogged my dream memory...Last night I dreamed of the falling planes again...it was crazy.

[Dreamtimer]

I used to have dreams about planes crashing, although I can't really say they were falling. Sometimes, sometimes just flying into the ground.


Grrr...I just lost my comments from watching the video. I'll have to go back and try to recreate them.:fpalm:

[Emil El Zapato]

falling, smashing...same result...

the pieces were sizzling like shrapnel...and it got worse. I think watching 'Ninja something or other' before falling asleep might have had something to do with that. :)

[Dreamtimer]

Although I'm here for a more profound reason, I just want to say that we recently watched the Lego Batman movie and I really enjoyed it. And I've seen bits of the first lego movie, very funny. I bet it would be fun to see the newest one in the theaters.

(Thought of you, Dumpy.:batman:batman:batman)

[Emil El Zapato]

Amazon Prime 767 cargo plane crashed about 25-30 miles from me...3 crew members killed apparently. I think I had a book on that flight... shocking.

[Emil El Zapato]

Here's one for you:

Last night I dreamed that I passed through a 'preserve' and was in total fear because I was not supposed to be there...hungry lions and wild vicious monkeys. I heard on the radio after I passed through that some people considered the area dangerous because no one really knew how the animals were going to react to people passing through. Some speculated that if the animals caught scent of the humans they might actually track them beyond the confines of the preserve and 'get them'. More than weird. I was traveling around the country looking for an unfaithful girlfriend and trying to reconcile our differences... f*ck me! No one had any respect for either one of us.

[Dreamtimer]

It took me a minute to process that. You ordered a book which possibly crashed with the plane. Kinda crazy.

Slacking regulations and government shutdowns can quickly lead to that sort of stuff.

[Emil El Zapato]

true, it is a mess...apparently the plane did a nosedive...terrifying...

[Dreamtimer]

I'm flying very soon. Pray for me.

[Emil El Zapato]

you'll be fine...you don't have a fear of flying like I do. I used to watch 'Why Planes Crash' with sweaty palms...for real...

you will be fine, DT...I'm injecting a little humor for you...

[Dreamtimer]

the mind, where belief systems hang out, may not be racist... but... the brain? Information is percolating to the surface from the neurobiology gold mine fields that's barkin' a strong case that claim may not be so given test results indicating we may be hard wired to be racist.

Which means, if true, that wiring is in the DNA... which leads to the next question... where'd those imprints come from?

yes, there's a dif... but... the brain is only processing what it is receiving from its will and spirit... iow... in body, from our feelings... and... from our mind...

and right there, with those last words, might be a good place to start on the unpackin' I offered here... (https://jandeane81.com/showthread.php/12848-Atlantean-survivors?p=842007016&viewfull=1#post842007016) but i'm still soakin'...


meanwhile... from wiki....



this Sapolsky vid is an hour + 21. I thought it was x-lent and my, my, they are really getting on with it on brain function! it appears they are coming up with more and more ways to get the brain to tell on itself.

if u watch his vid DT, i'd be forever grateful in hearing your reaction on how it, when overlaid on how U now hold it, may have shifted your position as you so eloquently justified... or... perhaps fortified it...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bnSY4L3V8s&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0Z0VefwFJ7EieFHKPu8bNttVzElRHsq_r-Im6oLOtMHsHMuDDVl6LEFpc

"...In other words, If you shot up a bunch of buddhist monks with testosterone they would run amok doing random acts of violence."

Love it.

So it enhances or accentuates what a person would already do.

And oxytocin has a double-edge blade. How 'bout that?

The genes set us up, and at the same time the environment is turning them on and off.

Despite the great arguments against free will, I still operate as if I have it. That's the perception. And I keep in mind there is much I don't control.

edit to add:

I was fascinated by the part about pastoral culture and honor society. He notes its existence in the South.

Grudges are held long and retribution is fierce.

And I am aware that I may have affronted someone who is Southern.

I often wonder if the teachings of Christianity are enough to bring about forgiveness.

[Emil El Zapato]

Those of you that know I'm adopted might be wondering about my new Avatar picture. My daughter and her mother did a DNA thing with Ancestry.com and came back with the results yesterday. My paternal grandparents apparently were from Sicily and that is a picture of them...Wild!

[Elen]

Those of you that know I'm adopted might be wondering about my new Avatar picture. My daughter and her mother did a DNA thing with Ancestry.com and came back with the results yesterday. My paternal grandparents apparently were from Sicily and that is a picture of them...Wild!

:omg::magic: You look a little similar to your grandfather!

[Emil El Zapato]

you've seen my picture I guess...I know, it's true...you have no idea how amazing this is to me...my daughter has some characteristics in common with the his wife...dare I say it, my grandmother.

[Dreamtimer]

I haven't done that myself. I have a problem turning my DNA over to any business. But I'm fascinated by the idea of finding some blood relatives. That would indeed be very cool.

I was gonna ask if those were your grandparents. ;)

[Emil El Zapato]

Hi DT,

I would never have done it, I don't think...and my daughter didn't ask...it is her DNA I suppose... :)

That is what is interesting about it...If anyone else has done the DNA thing through Ancestry.com, it does do a match up...ranging from parent to 4th cousins and beyond. One thing that is noticeable is that some people prefer to remain 'private' and no information is reported on them.

I've seen a couple of other pictures of them...Honestly, just by the pictures, I got a sense of 'kindness' from the lady...I think I would have liked to know her.

[Elen]

Hi DT,

I would never have done it, I don't think...and my daughter didn't ask...it is her DNA I suppose... :)

That is what is interesting about it...If anyone else has done the DNA thing through Ancestry.com, it does do a match up...ranging from parent to 4th cousins and beyond. One thing that is noticeable is that some people prefer to remain 'private' and no information is reported on them.

I've seen a couple of other pictures of them...Honestly, just by the pictures, I got a sense of 'kindness' from the lady...I think I would have liked to know her.

There is kindness coming from both of them. :D

[Dreamtimer]

I might do it the way Conan O'Brian did it, through his doctor. (of course, I'd need a doctor who does it) Conan talks about his freaky physiology first, then tells the DNA story, then brings it full circle. Very funny.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ayIJed2dn4


"It's a bad scene, man. A bad scene."

Jungle Fever! :hilarious:

[Emil El Zapato]

lol...jungle fever...only an Irishman... :)

I was surprised that my daughter's DNA shows her as 35% Northern European...she looks like it (German/Irish) about as much as I do...One thing I don't like is the family life expectancy... :( It ain't all that great... I was hoping for the 90's...uh uh...So now I've got to start rationalizing...lifestyle...My adoptive parent and stepparent both lived to mid-90's...

[Emil El Zapato]

Even I consider this a questionable post but here goes:

There is a 6-part documentary on Netflix called 'Wild Wild Country'. It's about the Osho 'cult'. The lady that ran the organization is called 'evil' by the Oregon state attorney. I have worked with a number of Indian women, one of whom was very very sexy...we were friends... :) My Gandhi buddy called her shameless, duplicitous, and dishonest. My sister-in-law and several other acquaintances could only be described as 'vicious'. Is that a common characteristic or is it just my 'impression'. I am COMPLETELY open to other impressions or experiences. Any thoughts?

[Emil El Zapato]

On the Osho thang: There are scenes in the documentary about 'all-out sex orgies', beatings, therapeutic scream fests, uncontrolled physical and emotional orgiastic tantrums. Of course, that has therapeutic effects, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to my neighbors... :)

[Christopher]

On the Osho thang: There are scenes in the documentary about 'all-out sex orgies', beatings, therapeutic scream fests, uncontrolled physical and emotional orgiastic tantrums. Of course, that has therapeutic effects, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to my neighbors... :)

I was going to buy a book on The Genesis of the Cosmos .
Give me one or two insights as I might now rather subscribe to Nitflux . Can you tell me whether orgiastic tantrums are legal or contagious ? Would I need to buy any special equipment ?

[Emil El Zapato]

special equipment is always optional. Orgiastic tantrums are likely legal but one must be careful because it could be contagious. And if determined so, one could be charged with being a public health menace. We only have to recall Typhoid Mary!

[Aragorn]

special equipment is always optional. Orgiastic tantrums are likely legal but one must be careful because it could be contagious. And if determined so, one could be charged with being a public health menace. We only have to recall Typoid Mary!

Wasn't she the one with the broken spell checker? :ttr:

[Emil El Zapato]

Amen to that... :)

[Emil El Zapato]

Well, here I am again relating the drama that is part and parcel of my life... :)

My niece here in the Houston area did a DNA test...23 and me, to get medical information for her kids and new grandkids. My brother became a father at age 15 and got married to her mother at 16. They were divorced a year later after their home was destroyed by a tornado. They split insurance money and their marriage.

Anyway, it turns out my brother is not her biological father (which I sorta figured since 1973 and now it is confirmed). I know her biological father quite well and confronted him about this possibility in 1973. I was good friends with the brothers in the family, my brother was not. He doesn't know yet, so it is a current 'family' secret. My niece and I talked to my sister-in-law (is it possible to follow all this) about getting DNA tests for my brother or their kids. She finally decided to try one of their kids to keep the secret. We are all afraid that my brother will be devastated by the news.

I suggested my sister-in-law try her son (my nephew) to resolve some other issues. She decided on her daughter which kind of surprised me because I thought she would be reluctant to test their daughter because her sister once told me there was some 'uncertainty' about my niece...my sister-in-law...paternity. Oy Vey. Forget to mention my nephew whose mother didn't want to test him because she was afraid what he would find out about his kids.

But anyway, I suggested one of them to resolve the possibility that my brother is not my biological brother...our adoptive family's story has always been that we were bio-brothers with the same mothers. But, it seems there might be some 'confusion' as to who is what in our bio families line. The photo I put up of my 'Sicilian' forebears now seems could be a coincidental resemblance. My supposed biological father would have been 100% sicilian so for my daughter to have only 2% Sardinian genetics seems unlikely because I would be approximately 50%.

My daughter has more 'Native American/Mexican' ancestry than her mother so logic would dictate that she got 'some' from me... :)

Her closest bio match on Ancestry.com is an individual that has about 8% Native American while predominately Northern European (German) but is not related to the maternal side which is mostly Northern European...My daughter and I are pretty sure that my mother was Northern European (my daughter is 35%) but we are in a quandary about the paternal side. My suspected paternal lineage matches much more closely what my brother's and my actual life skills reflect. If my possible father actually is my father then he matches both of us...wrestler, golden gloves boxing coach, Chairman of the Nebraska Boxing Athletic Commission (and an employee of AT&T), basketball playing relatives, etc. (My brother was voted the best athlete in his high school graduating class and he didn't even graduate because he got married)

Wind's astrology guy says that March is going to be 'crazy'. For Whatever Its Worth: this astrological craziness is taking place in my 5th house, which surprise surprise, rules 'relationships with children'

[Emil El Zapato]

I once read an article regarding a study done in England where it was determined that a full 30% of children were not the products of their biological parents. Incidentally, it wasn't conducted in a red light district. I remarked to a female friend that there are species of birds that do better than that.

I am thinking that we have more in common with bonobos than chimpanzees.

[Christopher]

I once read an article regarding a study done in England where it was determined that a full 30% of children were not the products of their biological parents. Incidentally, it wasn't conducted in a red light district. I remarked to a female friend that there are species of birds that do better than that.

I am thinking that we have more in common with bonobos than chimpanzees.

Why are you so angry and full of hate ?

[Emil El Zapato]

Brilliant riposte, Christopher...

[Dreamtimer]

What's the name of the tactic that gets personal instead of addressing the issue at hand? Oh yeah, shoot the messenger. It's part of the long list of fallacies.

Argument to authority is another fav in this community.

I'm personally quite used to it at this point, though I do miss actual thoughtful commentary at times.

Fallacious arguments are boring.

[Aragorn]

What's the name of the tactic that gets personal instead of addressing the issue at hand?

It's called "ad hominem". :)

[Dreamtimer]

Our best current role model for projection is Trump. He's playing to his base. They project their fears outwards. He projects big league. They love it.

When people project then they're not responsible for what they do because the opposition is so guilty, it's really somehow their fault.

Unfortunately that ends up a devil's bargain. Because what goes around, comes around.

[Dreamtimer]

I just discovered that Tucker Carlson's name can be rearranged to spell something different (https://youtu.be/bq4UUfi35qI?t=235):

Ol' Cracker Nuts.

That's just gut-bustin' funny.

[Christopher]

I just discovered that Tucker Carlson's name can be rearranged to spell something different (https://youtu.be/bq4UUfi35qI?t=235):Ol' Cracker Nuts.That's just gut-bustin' funny.


But can you laugh at yourselves ?
I have just discovered that the name of this Forum can be rearranged to spell Monkey House .
That's also just gut- bustin' funny


On reflection it's funnier .
Symbolically and in the post modernistic sense perhaps . With links to PAL's important thoughts relating to bio- diversity and the wonders of God's creation .
And I have a friend who plans to join us . A humble and reserved Trappist monk with philosophical links to ISIS .

[Dreamtimer]

Tucker likes to call people monkeys, too.

[Emil El Zapato]

Carlson disgusts me starting with that inherent sneer of his...He is another one of those people that have zero humanity...he has no soul, that much is obvious. A perfect representative of the right, fo' sho'

Assembling a cast are you, Christopher...lol.

[Christopher]

Tucker likes to call people monkeys, too.

Am surprised to see you quoting Georgia .
All the info I received from Truth Finder gives your details in Maryland .

[Christopher]

Carlson disgusts me starting with that inherent sneer of his...He is another one of those people that have zero humanity...he has no soul, that much is obvious. A perfect representative of the right, fo' sho'

Assembling a cast are you, Christopher...lol.

Look how you have turned yourselves collectively into Godlike Productions .
As I said elsewhere there is absolutely no difference between the two social platforms . Go and look . Hold up the mirror to your true reflection .
One is littered with nutty right wingers as this is with equally deranged persons on the left .

The differences between the two Monkey Houses are very few . The similarities are huge . In fact you and Dreamtimer cannot stop talking about your cousins . Fancy some nuts ?
But no scratching please .

[Emil El Zapato]

Here is the thing, Christopher...

I give up, I don't know what the thing is...My derangement is a desire to see the world collaborate for a better experience. that's it. Please dissect the nature of that disturbance for me...would you?

[Aragorn]

Look how you have turned yourselves collectively into Godlike Productions .
As I said elsewhere there is absolutely no difference between the two social platforms . Go and look . Hold up the mirror to your true reflection .
One is littered with nutty right wingers as this is with equally deranged persons on the left .

The differences between the two Monkey Houses are very few . The similarities are huge . In fact you and Dreamtimer cannot stop talking about your cousins . Fancy some nuts ?
But no scratching please .

As I have told you, Christopher, if you don't like it here, then you are very welcome to leave. And if you continue insulting the forum, then we'd be more than happy to help you pack your bags.

[Emil El Zapato]

Honestly, Aragorn...I'm always in favor of finding compromise or a middle ground for communication...I think Christopher has zero value to offer. He has no sense...he is a lost cause unless he is only in his 20's. I used to tease my daughter about running people down in the streets. It was always good for a laugh, but at the same time, she suggested I not plow over kids, 'because they still had potential'... :)

[Aragorn]

Honestly, Aragorn...I'm always in favor of finding compromise or a middle ground for communication...I think Christopher has zero value to offer. He has no sense...he is a lost cause unless he only in his 20's.

No, he's close to my age ─ one year older, I think.


I used to tease my daughter about running people down in the streets. It was always good for a laugh, but at the same time, she suggested I not plow over kids, 'because they still had potential'... :)

Well, if you're going to be running people down, then you've got to buy a Mercedes-Benz, man. They've got a reticle on the front of the hood to help you with your aim. :p



https://blogmedia.dealerfire.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/325/2018/08/Mercedes-Benz-Star-FEATURE_o.jpg


Hmm, I guess my sense of humor must after all be larger than a proton, then. :p

[Emil El Zapato]

wow...amen to that... :)

[Elen]

No, he's close to my age ─ one year older, I think.



Well, if you're going to be running people down, then you've got to buy a Mercedes-Benz, man. They've got a reticle on the front of the hood to help you with your aim. :p



https://blogmedia.dealerfire.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/325/2018/08/Mercedes-Benz-Star-FEATURE_o.jpg


Hmm, I guess my sense of humor must after all be larger than a proton, then. :p

FINALLY...someone that made me laugh... :ha:

[Aragorn]

There was a shooting incident in Utrecht, the Netherlands, at approximately 10:45 CET this morning. The perpetrator had hijacked a car ─ a red Renault Clio ─ and opened fire on a tram. Three people are dead, five are wounded, and of those five, three are still fighting for their life.

The shooter, Gökmen Tanis, 37 years old, is of Turkish origin but was already well known to the Dutch authorities. He had already been arrested for drunk driving, shoplifting, rape, various threats and other antisocial behavior, and an earlier shooting incident in which he fired a weapon in the direction of an apartment building, all between 2012 and 2017.

He was arrested between 18:00 and 18:30 CET this evening ─ half an hour to an hour ago as I'm writing this.

[Emil El Zapato]

How faraway is that from you, Aragorn...I heard about it on the news this morning.

[Aragorn]

How faraway is that from you, Aragorn...I heard about it on the news this morning.

Utrecht is about 155 km away from where I live, or about 1 hour and 40 minutes of driving ─ mostly on highways.

[Emil El Zapato]

At least we know who we are now. It has never been clearer. This is from a Ph.D contributor to Psychology Today

An Analysis of Trump Supporters Has Identified 5 Key Traits
A new report sheds light on the psychological basis for Trump's support

The lightning-fast ascent and political invincibility of Donald Trump has left many experts baffled and wondering, “How did we get here?” Any accurate and sufficient answer to that question must not only focus on Trump himself, but also on his uniquely loyal supporters. Given their extreme devotion and unwavering admiration for their highly unpredictable and often inflammatory leader, some have turned to the field of psychology for scientific explanations based on precise quantitative data and established theoretical frameworks.

Although analyses and studies by psychologists and neuroscientists have provided many thought-provoking explanations for his enduring support, the accounts of different experts often vary greatly, sometimes overlapping and other times conflicting. However insightful these critiques may be, it is apparent that more research and examination is needed to hone in on the exact psychological and social factors underlying this peculiar human behavior.

In a recent review paper published in the Journal of Social and Political Psychology, Psychologist and UC Santa Cruz professor Thomas Pettigrew argues that five major psychological phenomena can help explain this exceptional political event.

1. Authoritarian Personality Syndrome

Authoritarianism refers to the advocacy or enforcement of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom, and is commonly associated with a lack of concern for the opinions or needs of others. Authoritarian personality syndrome—a well-studied and globally-prevalent condition—is a state of mind that is characterized by belief in total and complete obedience to one’s authority. Those with the syndrome often display aggression toward outgroup members, submissiveness to authority, resistance to new experiences, and a rigid hierarchical view of society. The syndrome is often triggered by fear, making it easy for leaders who exaggerate threat or fear monger to gain their allegiance.

Although authoritarian personality is found among liberals, it is more common among the right-wing around the world. President Trump’s speeches, which are laced with absolutist terms like “losers” and “complete disasters,” are naturally appealing to those with the syndrome.

While research showed that Republican voters in the U.S. scored higher than Democrats on measures of authoritarianism before Trump emerged on the political scene, a 2016 Politico survey found that high authoritarians greatly favored then-candidate Trump, which led to a correct prediction that he would win the election, despite the polls saying otherwise.

2. Social dominance orientation

Social dominance orientation (SDO)—which is distinct but related to authoritarian personality syndrome—refers to people who have a preference for the societal hierarchy of groups, specifically with a structure in which the high-status groups have dominance over the low-status ones. Those with SDO are typically dominant, tough-minded, and driven by self-interest.

In Trump’s speeches, he appeals to those with SDO by repeatedly making a clear distinction between groups that have a generally higher status in society (White), and those groups that are typically thought of as belonging to a lower status (immigrants and minorities).

A 2016 survey study of 406 American adults published this year in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that those who scored high on both SDO and authoritarianism were those who intended to vote for Trump in the election.

3. Prejudice

It would be grossly unfair and inaccurate to say that every one of Trump’s supporters have prejudice against ethnic and religious minorities, but it would be equally inaccurate to say that many do not. It is a well-known fact that the Republican party, going at least as far back to Richard Nixon’s “southern strategy,” used strategies that appealed to bigotry, such as lacing speeches with “dog whistles”—code words that signaled prejudice toward minorities that were designed to be heard by racists but no one else.

While the dog whistles of the past were more subtle, Trump’s are sometimes shockingly direct. There’s no denying that he routinely appeals to bigoted supporters when he calls Muslims “dangerous” and Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “murderers,” often in a blanketed fashion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a new study has shown that support for Trump is correlated with a standard scale of modern racism.

4. Intergroup contact

Intergroup contact refers to contact with members of groups that are outside one’s own, which has been experimentally shown to reduce prejudice. As such, it’s important to note that there is growing evidence that Trump’s white supporters have experienced significantly less contact with minorities than other Americans. For example, a 2016 study found that “…the racial and ethnic isolation of Whites at the zip-code level is one of the strongest predictors of Trump support.” This correlation persisted while controlling for dozens of other variables. In agreement with this finding, the same researchers found that support for Trump increased with the voters’ physical distance from the Mexican border.

5. Relative deprivation

Relative deprivation refers to the experience of being deprived of something to which one believes they are entitled. It is the discontent felt when one compares their position in life to others who they feel are equal or inferior but have unfairly had more success than them.

Common explanations for Trump’s popularity among non-bigoted voters involve economics. There is no doubt that some Trump supporters are simply angry that American jobs are being lost to Mexico and China, which is certainly understandable, although these loyalists often ignore the fact that some of these careers are actually being lost due to the accelerating pace of automation.

These Trump supporters are experiencing relative deprivation, and are common among the swing states like Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. This kind of deprivation is specifically referred to as “relative,” as opposed to “absolute,” because the feeling is often based on a skewed perception of what one is entitled to. For example, an analysis conducted by FiveThirtyEight estimated that the median annual income of Trump supporters was $72,000.

If such data is accurate, the portrayal of most Trump supporters as “working class” citizens rebelling against Republican elites may be more myth than fact.

[Dreamtimer]

Utrecht is where the original meetings were held forming the EU, n'est pas?

[palooka's revenge]

For example, an analysis conducted by FiveThirtyEight estimated that the median annual income of Trump supporters was $72,000.

holy crapola batman if that's true the dems are barkin' up the wrong tree 'n trump'l get elected for another 4 yrs...

[Emil El Zapato]

Everyone take cover...Here comes the propaganda... :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfQij4aQq1k

[Aragorn]

Utrecht is where the original meetings were held forming the EU, n'est pas?

No, that was Maastricht, which sits a lot closer to Belgium on the map. :)

(And the correct French expression is "n'est-ce pas". :p It is pronounced "nespa", just like with a Vespa, but without the two-stroke rattle and the smell of gasoline/petrol mixed with oil and the airway-irritating and cough-inducing blue smoke. :p)

[Dreamtimer]

Sorry, that was careless of me on two accounts.

[Aragorn]

Sorry, that was careless of me on two accounts.

Well, I guess the names of the cities will sound somewhat similar to a foreigner. ;) And maybe your Nespa* is more eco-friendly than a Vespa. :p




* Better register a trademark on that name, before Nestlé does. :p

[Dreamtimer]

I have not been following George Conway's tweets. And I see that it's reached the point where not only is he tweeting out the details of narcissistic personality disorder, it's being covered by Jimmy Kimmel:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEMklCZYwVg

Better than a power point.

Heckuva finish, Jimmy!

[Dreamtimer]

Dang. I thought Germans were supposed to be thorough and careful.

Deutsche Bank sure let Trump take huge advantage. The con-man extraordinaire has had a lifetime of experience...

:shocked::belief:

[Gio]

Dang. I thought Germans were supposed to be thorough and careful.

Deutsche Bank sure let Trump take huge advantage. The con-man extraordinaire has had a lifetime of experience...

:shocked::belief:

Actually he's more of a practicing felon ...



Next ... (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/business/deutsche-bank-donald-trump.html)


https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5c910e89d87bdc5978194f6f/1:1/w_500%2Cc_limit/DC031919.jpg

[Maggie]

Everyone take cover...Here comes the propaganda... :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfQij4aQq1k

I wonder what in this seems like propaganda? Is it the spokes woman being an actress? Maybe you can expand on the ideas that are thrown out so others may understand the points raised?

I know I reposted the video on CE thread where maybe some will see it and go to the upcoming summit. Overt subversion is evident in the rigged system of voting and the power of special interests to overturn popular opinion (Bernie Sanders and the super PAC put down that was tolerated even by him?????) IS a point that IMO we can all agree upon... we are not being represented by a rigged system. I actually feel inspired to get involved because the issues that bother ME... like forced vaccination come because a consortium of big business/ government handling interests is creating their serfs (by use of us) to manifest their corporate destiny of global whatevers......

[Emil El Zapato]

My goodness Maggie...don't be such a female... just kidding ... really ... :)

It was meant as a bit of sarcasm. The left would propose this kind of bipartisanship because they are capable of it...<snicker> The right isn't. The definition of the right, is of course, inflexibility, take the ball home, lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc...Whatever it takes to win.

[Maggie]

My goodness Maggie...don't be such a female... just kidding ... really ... :)

It was meant as a bit of sarcasm. The left would propose this kind of bipartisanship because they are capable of it...<snicker> The right isn't. The definition of the right, is of course, inflexibility, take the ball home, lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc...Whatever it takes to win.

I wonder if you even digested the information? I consider this a really possibly inclusive idea. I am not sure that human beings are really as binary as some assume.

IF female means having my attributes, you gave me a compliment. A very healthy narcissism means I may be strange but know I am intelligent and successful in living a really good time. I fully approve myself and I also believe in the future. I think without irony and sarcasm.

[Emil El Zapato]

lol...I was just kidddiiiinnnnggggg, Maggie...yes, I agree with your assessment of yourself...it is an inclusive idea and a very good one in my opinion. My daughter is the one that showed me this...she found it an arresting idea to say the least... :)

[Maggie]

.it is an inclusive idea and a very good one in my opinion. My daughter is the one that showed me this...she found it an arresting idea to say the least... :)

Listen to her. She knows what is fresh. We can forget about the old habitual expectation of the stale


of course, inflexibility, take the ball home, lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc...Whatever it takes to win.

We create the outer coherenece through our inner coherence. I listen to Kryon because this message is fresh.

PIrPJMcmE5I

[Dreamtimer]

Does anyone do needlework? I've recently discovered/become obsessed with Blackwork. I've been doing lots of stitching (needlepoint too). So much that I dream at night about stitching up the world's problems.

https://s16-us2.startpage.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Forigin als%2F3e%2Fc9%2F87%2F3ec987040727d83a103e8786d2ef9 256.jpg&sp=cdf55c32623f375e4c7b850d7b5e47c3

This is actually a cross-stitch pattern but I couldn't find Alien Blackwork. (it's easy to find if you look up tattoos:rolleyes:)

[Dreamtimer]

Listen to her. She knows what is fresh. We can forget about the old habitual expectation of the stale



We create the outer coherenece through our inner coherence. I listen to Kryon because this message is fresh.

PIrPJMcmE5I

Spirituality meets Physics. Good. I like it. I now always think of Brook when Kryon comes up. :love:

[Elen]

Spirituality meets Physics. Good. I like it. I now always think of Brook when Kryon comes up. :love:

I think we all miss her, Dreamtimer. :love:

[Emil El Zapato]

Brook certainly gave me insight into the death and dying process..I still have a hard time believing that she passed. It was almost as if she chose to do so...I don't know....

[Emil El Zapato]

Disclaimer: Sorry about the distinction but this is more of a chickflick than anything. But it is interesting and in English on Netflix.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkTaQ9VO-HA

[Emil El Zapato]

I was just reading over on Avalon += non mainstream data sources.

"How the MSM is lying about Venezuela" ... who the f*ck knows, but my neighbor told me this. His mother has a farm/ranch in Venezuela with grazing land. A band of would be 'freedom fighters' came to the ranch and asked her if she would allow them to use her land to 'train'. She said yes and gave them food to eat, etc. When her children found out about it...one is a Doctor, one is an oil company executive in Mexico...and then there's the black sheep of the family...my next door neighbor, they were aghast as to why she would do it. She told them that she wasn't worried because they would be gone in a very few days. She turned out to be correct...They came to her door to ask her where a more amenable area to train would be because there were too many mosquitos on her land...lol. She told them there was an open park across the street. They 'trained' there for a couple of days and then disappeared. :)

[Maggie]

Spirituality meets Physics. Good. I like it. I now always think of Brook when Kryon comes up. :love:

I miss her too.

E70Gs_VuV0c

[Emil El Zapato]

Funny, I don't think Kryon is quite himself today...but he's always cool

[Emil El Zapato]

I just found out that one of my sisters...not sure if she is a half or full sister is a psychologist in Arizona. I traded emails with her and joked that I could use her services. What tha' f*ck is next...

[Emil El Zapato]

ok, the woman is almost certainly my biological mother... :) So much for genetics. Still haven't tracked down the paternal side...That side seems to be going out of their way to avoid my messaging

[Emil El Zapato]

I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating or not: :)

THE THREE SILLIES

ONCE upon a time there was a farmer and his wife who had one daughter, and she was courted by a gentleman. Every evening he used to come and see her, and stop to supper at the farmhouse, and the daughter used to be sent down into the cellar to draw the beer for supper. So one evening she was gone down to draw the beer, and she happened to look up at the ceiling while she was drawing, and she saw an axe stuck into one of the beams. 2 It must have been there a long, long time, but somehow or other she had never noticed it before, and she began a-thinking. And she thought it was very dangerous to have that axe there, for she said to herself: "Suppose him and me was to be married, and we was to have a son, and he was to grow up to be a man, and come down into the cellar to draw the beer, like as I'm doing now, and the axe was to fall on his head and kill him, what a dreadful thing it would be!" And she put down the candle and the jug, and sat herself down and began a-crying.

Well, they began to wonder upstairs how it was that she was so long drawing the beer, and her mother went down to see after her, and she found her sitting on the setluss crying, and the beer running over the floor. "Why whatever is the matter?" said her mother. "Oh, mother!" says she, "look at that horrid axe! Suppose we was to be married, and was to have a son, and he was to grow up, and was to come down to the cellar to draw the beer, and the axe was to fall on his head and kill him, what a dreadful thing it would be!" "Dear, dear! what a dreadful thing it would be!" said the mother, and she sat her down aside of the daughter and started a-crying too. Then after a bit the father began to wonder that they didn't come back, and he went down into the cellar to look after them himself, and there they two sat a-crying, and the beer running all over the floor. "Whatever is the matter?" says he. "Why," says the mother, "look at that horrid axe. Just suppose, if our daughter and her sweetheart was to be married, and was to have a son, and he was to grow up. and was to come down into the cellar to draw the beer, and the axe was to fall on his head and kill him, what a dreadful thing it would be!" "Dear, dear, dear! so it would!" said the father, and he sat himself down aside of the other two, and started a-crying.

Now the gentleman got tired of stopping up in the kitchen by himself, and at last he went down into the cellar too, to see what they were after; and there they three sat a-crying side by side, and the beer running all over the floor. And he ran straight and turned the tap. Then he said: "Whatever are you three doing, sitting there crying, and letting the beer run all over the floor?" "Oh!" says the father, "look at that horrid axe! Suppose you and our daughter was to be married, and was to have a son, and he was to grow up, and was to come down into the cellar to draw the beer, and the axe was to fall on his head and kill him!" And then they all started a-crying worse than

before. But the gentleman burst out a-laughing, an reached up and pulled out the axe, and then he said: "I've travelled many miles, and I never met three such big sillies as you three before; and now I shall start out on my travels again, and when I can find three bigger sillies than you three, then I'll come back and marry your daughter. So he wished them good-bye, and started off on his travels, and left them all crying because the girl had lost her sweetheart.

[Aragorn]

A little early for Halloween, but a guy shared this on the PCLinuxOS forum. Obviously CGI, but done well enough to give you the shivers. :)

Some sort of human-crab hybrid? :D



10217873300685733/

[Emil El Zapato]

Holy Sh*t , that's the Mothman...

[Aragorn]

Holy Sh*t , that's the Mothman...

No, Mothman looks very different. He's got human-like legs and no discernible separation between his head and his torso. This thing here has legs like a spider or a crab, and those large and wide appendages look more like a crab's pedipalps than like wings.

That said, I'm quite positive it's 100% fake. ;)

[Dreamtimer]

Yeah, I thought crab or spider. That's really creepy. Like the video from Russia of the giant spider like creatures crawling up apartment buildings. That was way creepy, too.

It's also a little reminiscent of the flying demons that folks say they see now and then.

[Emil El Zapato]

Tangent Room Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdvwpbN-_w0

Full Movie: 1 hour long...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrIoHu_iw58

[Dreamtimer]

"Morning Psycho Responds to Faithful Viewer" happening now. :lol::lol::lol:

Life is indeed stranger than fiction.

Got to be the funniest footer in a while.

[Emil El Zapato]

Has anyone seen 'Osmosis'.

It's a French/Dutch thing I think. If one wants to see a true alien being (not makeup) watch that Netflix series. Most characters are androgynous, unusual human closeness (violations of natural human space) It's weird but interesting

[Emil El Zapato]

Osmosis Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKgKa7mlEqE

[Emil El Zapato]

Found a new relative...this guy is a 3rd cousin...He's 6'5" by the way...he must have gotten a lot more of the neanderthal gene variations than i did...additional copies...it manifests in height

anyway, this if for real:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4579525/
if you scroll down on the page you can get a view of his demo reel...

[Emil El Zapato]

Not related to the above:
Hi Aragorn, Do you know anyone in Belgium with this last name: Vermylen

I spoke with a person today whose father is from Belgium... :)

[Aragorn]

Not related to the above:
Hi Aragorn, Do you know anyone in Belgium with this last name: Vermylen

Not personally, no. :)

[Emil El Zapato]

ok, anyway she said Belgium is an interesting and cool place... :)

[Aragorn]

ok, anyway she said Belgium is an interesting and cool place... :)

Meh, for some values of "interesting" and "cool", I guess. :p

[Dreamtimer]

Osmosis looks really creepy. I'm afraid to get Netflix. Here's a song about it. (warning, an f-word appears a couple times)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J05gkdTYAyw

This chick is amazing. We saw her live. Never heard of her before that.

[Emil El Zapato]

she be jammin' - ohh, cut me to the quick...I am a Netflix junkie...but strange as it might seem, I find a lot of intellectual stimulation in watching TV...it's what I does... :)

My daughter introduced me to a Gen Z favorite journalist...the one she showed is kind of off topic for her (she said) but I think she was trying to sell me...this guy, though not one of the really biggies has a penetrating eye for newsworthy stories and he tells it well...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8r1lJVk7OI&feature=youtu.be

He is a registered Libertarian but my daughter says she doesn't get that from him...she says he is 'balanced and gives both sides fair play'

[Wind]

I used to watch Philip Defranco a lot for a long time some years ago, but later found him too mainstream for my developing taste.

That being said, I think he's all right.

[Wind]

Milan Kundera Warned Us About Historical Amnesia. Now It’s Happening Again:
https://quillette.com/2019/03/31/historical-amnesia-and-kunderas-resistance/


Milan Kundera is 90-years old on April 1, 2019 and his central subject—The Power of Forgetting, or historical amnesia—could not be more relevant. Kundera’s great theme emerged from his experience of the annexation of his former homeland Czechoslovakia by the Soviets in 1948 and the process of deliberate historical erasure imposed by the communist regime on the Czechs.

As Kundera said:

The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history. Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long that nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was. The world around it will forget even faster.

A poll in the UK by The New Culture Forum from 2015 showed that 70 percent of British people under the age of 24 had never heard of Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-Tung, while out of the 30 percent who had heard of him, 10 percent did not associate him with crimes against humanity. Chairman Mao’s communist regime was responsible for the deaths of between 30 to 70 million Chinese, making him the biggest genocidal killer of the 20th century, above Stalin and Hitler.

To get rid of an enemy now, you don’t have to prove anything against them. Instead, you use the internet to generate conflicting accusations and contradictory data. You use confusion to elevate hatred and fear until that enemy is either banned from the net, their history re-written or erased from the minds of millions through conflict-induced apathy.

If the struggle of man is the struggle of memory against forgetting, as Kundera said, then we have in the cacophony of the internet a vast machine for forgetting. One that is building a new society upon the shallow, shifting sands of Historical Amnesia.

[Dreamtimer]

Ah. And so we have Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller filtering news on Facebook.

I'm sure that'll go just swimmingly...:wry::fpalm::getcoat:

[Emil El Zapato]

I haven't gotten any comments on my cousin...c'mon. Has no one seen it or is it just that no one gets a kick from my cocaine. :)

The scene of the Priest is filmed in Galveston, TX, I think... :)

[Wind]

Venezuela descends into further chaos:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/world/americas/venezuela-coup-guaido-military.html

[Emil El Zapato]

There is an ongoing lie fest on CNN...Attorney General Barr is testifying. The right, of course, began with the usual distraction, half-truths, deflection, and obfuscation. I can't take much more of this.

my gawd, what is wrong with people. Our government is a sham...these mf'ers are f*cking liars...to their very core...they are either overtly evil or insane.

[Dreamtimer]

Barr said he doesn't really need this job, didn't really want it, even though he auditioned for it by writing an opinion about the Mueller investigation that was longer than his summary of the actual investigation which he then said was not really a summary and then testified that he didn't even read the report!

Moron.

[Emil El Zapato]

The Devil's Advocate...

[Dreamtimer]

I totally missed this until I saw Bill Maher talk about it. Hillary was on Rachel Maddow's show and said, "China, if you're listening, why don't you get Trump's tax returns."

OMG how rich. I wish I had been watching.

Bill's mad because he says Hillary is stealing his bit.

I guffawed.

[Emil El Zapato]

yup:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hBnwPycFUQ

[Emil El Zapato]

Ok, sometimes you have to offer encouragement... lol


https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4579525/videoplayer/vi2736894745?

[Dreamtimer]

In the movie La-La Land, Emma Stone goes to audition for an acting gig. It was strange and interesting to see that portrayal and I was fascinated by it.

I can't imagine actually doing it though in high school I wanted to be an actor. I discovered that when I got up in front of people I suddenly had no diaphragm, wobbly knees and a cold sweat.




I saw an ad for "earth flatware" which is silverware with nature designs.

I swear at first I saw flat-earth ware for sale.

And I thought society might be going flat earth for a moment.

And really, how much crazier would that actually be?

[Emil El Zapato]

lol...not much crazier,DT... I hear ya'

[Emil El Zapato]

It's Saturday Night Live!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy8w8-hjMjM

[Emil El Zapato]

Bill Maher:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfXEb23rmGo

[Dreamtimer]

A friend of mine told me that because Trump is so crazy, no one will attack us. He's just so unpredictable.

So she feels secure.

How's that for some A-1 rationalization?

Just after that she talked about Reagan and the freed hostages....freed because Reagan had made threats to Iran.



So in a nutshell, crazy and threats are what keeps us safe these days. :shocked::ok::scrhd::hmm::belief::fpalm::batman



Dear Lord...they know not what they say...

[Emil El Zapato]

lol...

Rupert Sheldrake:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jShyXnyv_Q4

[Emil El Zapato]

I recently saw that there is a new statehood effort taking place in the central United States that runs north and south. They're going to call it 'Dumbfuckistan'.

But seriously folks:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SOQduoLgRw

[Emil El Zapato]

Logic has never been my strong suit and it ain't getting no better... :)

Step 1: Answering Relativism
The claim: “Absolute truth does not exist.”

Why it’s self-refuting: The claim “absolute truth does not exist” is either absolutely true or it’s not. But, of course, it can’t be absolutely true, since that would create a contradiction: we would have proven the existence of an absolute truth, the claim itself. Since it cannot be absolutely true, we must concede that there are some cases in which the proposition “absolute truth does not exist” must be false… in which case, we’re back to affirming the existence of absolute truth.

What we can know: Absolute truth exists. Put another way, the claim “absolute truth exists” is absolutely true.

[Dreamtimer]

Absolutes in life: death, taxes, I gotta trust my instincts, and love is the most powerful thing.

[Emil El Zapato]

Random Thought:

If free markets take care of themselves, why are we in a trade war. Isn't that an obvious contradiction in fact, as well as, philosophy.

[Aragorn]

Random Thought:

If free markets take care of themselves, why are we in a trade war. Isn't that an obvious contradiction in fact, as well as, philosophy.

The expectations that capitalism would provide for a just and self-balancing economical model are built upon self-delusion. Even John Maynard Keynes knew that. ;)

[Emil El Zapato]

I agree...but hah...I caught you...finally... new/knew... just kidding, of course...I have a soft spot in my heart for people that are so massively intelligent that on occasion they make silly mistakes...because they just don't care... :)

I've been misspelling occasion/ocassion since i can remember...just can't stop


here's my excuse: occasion in Spanish: ocasión

[Aragorn]

I agree...but hah...I caught you...finally... new/knew... just kidding, of course...I have a soft spot in my heart for people that are so massively intelligent that on occasion they make silly mistakes...because they just don't care... :)

I've been misspelling occasion/ocassion since i can remember...just can't stop


here's my excuse: occasion in Spanish: ocasión

Actually, I do care a great deal about my spelling, my grammar and my use of punctuation. I have therefore already corrected the mistake in my previous post. :p

But that said, it wasn't so much a spelling mistake as it was a mere typo. I'm a touch-typist, so I don't look at my hands while I'm typing, and it happens sometimes that my fingers aren't pressing down hard enough on the keys of my keyboard, even though this particular keyboard here doesn't take a lot of effort to type on ─ it's a Cherry G81-3000 Professional Line. But sometimes I type with a cigarette in my hand and then I don't press down hard on the keys ─ so as to prevent ashes from falling down into the gaps between the keys ─ or as may also happen quite often, I might be typing with my right hand only while my left hand is firmly keeping the cigarette above the ashtray. And then that sort of typos occurs. ;)

But if we're going to be pedantic, the pronoun "I" must always be spelled in uppercase in the English language. :p

[Chester]

Fortunately, Aragorn, you have proven (again) that you are not AI (as Shane had suspected and had told me so). Shane's case for such was all and only based on your (near... and I mean 99.999999%) record in perfect spelling and (to the best of my own education - note: I attended the 'elite' prep school, The Hill School (there's a reason I added that... and this is the hint)) pretty darn perfect grammar to boot.

Thanks for 'busting him' NAP.

[Aragorn]

Fortunately, Aragorn, you have proven (again) that you are not AI (as Shane had suspected and had told me so). [...]

Well, there are also those three video conferences (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4HUbkSNC_5sOoTZBGe0Ps0bBc1OQ1-3B) I partook in, in July 2017. :) I look very human in those, don't I? :p

[Dreamtimer]

Has anyone seen three lights move in alignment across the sky?

I just saw that a short while ago. As it happens my son and husband were out with me and also saw them. They travelled all the way across the sky, unlike the satellite I saw a short bit later which faded out of sight.

My son got out his phone app of stars and satellites and nothing was indicated to be there.

[Aragorn]

Has anyone seen three lights move in alignment across the sky?

I just saw that a short while ago. As it happens my son and husband were out with me and also saw them. They travelled all the way across the sky, unlike the satellite I saw a short bit later which faded out of sight.

My son got out his phone app of stars and satellites and nothing was indicated to be there.

There was a whole load of new satellites launched into orbit by SpaceX a few days ago, and people all over have been reporting seeing a "strangely aligned constellation" as a result. :)

[Aragorn]

A short excerpt ─ only about 11 minutes ─ of an interview Abby Martin did of Richard Wolff. This particular passage is about Jordan Peterson's use of the term "cultural Marxism".




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liT7e5M6XfY

[Emil El Zapato]

Amen...

Per nature and connaturality, I've always known that Trees are the highest form of life on Earth... :)

[Emil El Zapato]

The real truth is that the right doesn't fear Marxism or even socialism, they fear justice over law and they fear fairness over selfish ownership.

[Dreamtimer]

Amen...

Per nature and connaturality, I've always known that Trees are the highest form of life on Earth... :)

Trees show their true selves in dreams on a regular basis. They bloom, flower, fruit, fill with lights, and more.

[Dreamtimer]

The mainstream media is reporting on UFOs again. NYT again. The reaction of folks is rather like crickets.

[Aragorn]

The mainstream media is reporting on UFOs again. NYT again. The reaction of folks is rather like crickets.

Because they can't handle it. It upsets their perfect ─ or what they perceive as perfect ─ and narrow view of reality. ;)

[Dreamtimer]

There is a pattern I've noticed.

People want folks to spend hours researching things like agenda 21. And yet the same people don't want to spend five minutes keeping up with the world and it's developments.

I think this stuff is really a distraction, to keep people from seeing what's already underway.

Keep 'em busy with Urantia, Agenda 21, etc. It takes up a lot of time. Then they don't notice the changes going on. It's easier to manipulate people who are distracted and then blindsided.

I could be wrong...

[Emil El Zapato]

heyyyy, watch what you say about Urantia...I read that book about 15-20 years ago and in my estimation it hasn't been thoroughly debunked yet... :)

Though I will admit it is a HIGHLY flaky rendition of the nature of the Universe.

[Emil El Zapato]

Question Mr. Aragorn,

Is there an easy way to post a picture that resides on my computer. I prefer a simple upload if possible (into this thread).

thanks

NAP

[Aragorn]

Question Mr. Aragorn,

Is there an easy way to post a picture that resides on my computer. I prefer a simple upload if possible (into this thread).

thanks

NAP

Yes, Mr. NotAPretender, there is. Please take a look at this thread (https://jandeane81.com/showthread.php/9817-How-to-use-attachments-to-post-pictures-in-vBulletin). :)

[Emil El Zapato]

thanks Aragorn.

Can anybody identify where this picture was taken?

2357

[Kitsune]

Are you seriously asking or is it a game/puzzle ?

[Elen]

thanks Aragorn.

Can anybody identify where this picture was taken?

2357

Yes I think I can...it's from Ålesund, Norway...a city on the West Coast. :D

[Kitsune]

Yes I think I can...it's from Ålesund, Norway...a city on the West Coast. :D

Yes it is. Looks beautiful!
https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/fjord-norway/alesund-sunnmore/

[Emil El Zapato]

Bingo...A friend of mine (former co-worker in Austin) sent me that picture of his vacation spot this year. I thought it was a personal photo (without thinking about it) but he did mention before the photos he showed me were not taken by him.

Good job! You're going to have to tell me your secret sometime. :)

Oh, that was Kitsune AND Elen. Have either of you visited there?

[Elen]

Bingo...A friend of mine (former co-worker in Austin) sent me that picture of his vacation spot this year. I thought it was a personal photo (without thinking about it) but he did mention before the photos he showed me were not taken by him.

Good job! You're going to have to tell me your secret sometime. :)

Oh, that was Kitsune AND Elen. Have either of you visited there?

I've not visited personally, but a family member came from there...the city burned down to the ground early 20th century...it was all wooden...the rebuild is all stone and in Jug-end-style. I recognized the Architecture of the buildings...:)

[Emil El Zapato]

Wow!

[Aragorn]

Bingo...A friend of mine (former co-worker in Austin) sent me that picture of his vacation spot this year. I thought it was a personal photo (without thinking about it) but he did mention before the photos he showed me were not taken by him.

Good job! You're going to have to tell me your secret sometime. :)

Oh, that was Kitsune AND Elen. Have either of you visited there?

Just in case you didn't know this, even though Elen currently resides in the land of Nessie, she's actually as Norwegian as they come. :p

[Elen]

Just in case you didn't know this, even though Elen currently resides in the land of Nessie, she's actually as Norwegian as they come. :p

Right on! I have a nephew (in Norway) that calls me "Auntie Nessie". You see...he has a sister also called Elen, and so in order to keep us apart..."Auntie Nessie", it is. :grin:

[Dreamtimer]

This guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI57hIskuBM)...

"I just didn't see..."

"I just didn't realize..."

"I just thought the Democrats..."

This is the wall I've been encountering for decades. He's only now seeing what's been going on.

Dear Lord.



I was going to guess Stockholm...

[Emil El Zapato]

I met this guy today working for a guy that is doing yard work for me. Apparently Praxedis (Logan) Lindsey is writing a book about this experience.

Walking for homeless veterans: Lindsey makes the trek from Massachusetts to Texas

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/swvatoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/53/f5301984-558b-11e6-8c60-d36c4b834909/579b546a78178.image.jpg?resize=600%2C800
Praxedis Lindsey

Wanting to raise awareness for homeless veterans, Praxedis Lindsey has now been on the road over 5 months. It’s been “step by step, and mile by mile,” and Lindsey has walked all of the way.

There have been challenges, but fortunately he said he has encountered “many wonderful people with open hearts and minds” during his journey.

Lindsey’s concern for the plight of homeless veterans is a message he shares with those he meets. “There are over 50,000 veterans living in the streets in the U.S. today – men and women that do not belong abandoned there,” he said after arrival in Floyd County last week. The veterans have returned to the country with “fractured souls and psyche from the horrors of war” and find it very difficult to reintegrate into society, he explained. The veterans are not given the adequate care they need.

“I come across many of them at intersections,” he continued. Many of the veterans are “filthy (and) holding cardboard signs, begging for help and for food. Many (are) in wheelchairs. Some (are) missing limbs. They’re sunburned….These men and women do not belong there.”

Lindsey left Massachusetts in February. His journey will end several months from now in McGowan, Texas, near the border of Mexico.

On the way, Lindsey promotes the Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, which he points out has housed over 400 vets in the last 4 years in the DC area alone. It’s an all encompassing entity, providing clothing, food, utility, medical and physical assistance, and Lindsey said he encourages people to donate to the cause. The organization’s President and CEO, Deborah Snyder, is an Army veteran, who retired as Lieutenant Colonel; she currently works for the Department of Defense.

In the past Lindsey trained Airborne Rangers, Marines and even some Navy personnel. He also once did dignitary and executive protection bodyguard work.

Being on the road takes a physical toll. Lindsey said he suffers from plantar fasciitis and also has metatarsal stress fractures. “I rolled an ankle in New Jersey, and it’s still giving me some issues.”

The weather can also get interesting. When Lindsey started his journey in Coventry, CT, there was a 74-mile per hour wind storm with torrential rain and snow.

Lindsey averages 12 miles a day, sometimes 9 or 15. “It depends on how broken my body feels and how well I’ve rested and eaten,” he commented. Occasionally he accepts a ride to a shelter or a motel, which may sponsor him for the night and give him an opportunity to take a shower and do laundry.


“I camp out 99 percent of the time with deer, ticks, skunks and squirrels,” he added.

In Floyd County last week, Lindsey was greeted with a dose of hospitality from the employees at the Blue Ridge Restaurant. He also was invited to camp out on David and Gaynell Larsen’s property near town.

Lindsey invites people to keep up with his journey by following his posts on Facebook at Walking For Our Vets. He had hoped to time his visit to this area to coincide with FloydFest, where he wanted to address attendees. Even though he arrived a week earlier, he found a place to stay until the 28th.

At times, the burden of the task he has undertaken may catch up with him, but he is quick to say: “I’ve lacked nothing. God has always provided every day. It’s His walk. Second, it belongs to the vets.

“They deserve better. They don’t belong on the street.”

[Emil El Zapato]

I just finished reading the 1st chapter of TechGnosis by Erik Davis. Here is my 'review' of it and I'm not sure where the book will go.

Davis is a very bright boy, he has a PhD in English from Yale University. Since childhood I've believed there is something wrong with those people and he hasn't as yet given me any reaon to think otherwise. The "spell"/spelling of the English magic is more than a little awry. Post publishing this book he gave up the ghost and pursued or is pursuing a Theology degree specializing in Gnosticism and Mysticism.

Davis obviously has a deep seated disdain for the Abrahamic religions and in his book makes that plain (albeit, very stylishly) while just as stylishly framing the history and nature of animism and gnosticisim without the acerbic biting prose. Imagine having all that spiritual knowledge and still 'being' without a hint of the 'nature' of the spiritual.

If I didn't know better I'd bet his daddy stupped him on a regular basis.

Not recommended for anyone but the gnostic fool.

Disclaimer: But I just read the first chapter! :)

[Dreamtimer]

I'm jumping ahead here. This is Erik on the Weirdness of Being. ('weirdo' seems to be my recent theme)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GygCKCrjEBo

[Dreamtimer]

Universal Basic Income is a topic these days.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9say1jGFFQ&t=4s

[Emil El Zapato]

I guess I'll have to read more of his book to tell what his schtick is... :)

[Dreamtimer]

Here's an interview (https://www.weirdstudies.com/48) from about a week ago.


JF and Phil sit down with Erik Davis to discuss his new book, "High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies."

In this masterwork of weird scholarship, Davis explores the simultaneously luminous and obscure worlds of three giants of Seventies counterculture: Terence McKenna, Robert Anton Wilson, and Philip K. Dick. Their psychonautical legacy serve as fuel for a deep-delving conversation on Davis' own ontological leanings, yearnings, and hesitations. We touch on his philosophical development since the release of Techgnosis in 1998, the meaning of "weird naturalism," the primacy of the aesthetic, the uses and abuses of anthropotechnics, the challenges of tightrope-walking across bottomless chasms, and lots more.



The page for this podcast has useful references with links.

[Emil El Zapato]

You know what...I don't like this guy DT... He's academic when he shouldn't be and flippant when he shouldn't be. Philosophy is serious and spirituality even moreso. And this guy is missing the essence of both...just my opinion, of course...and it may change after more listening. He just bugs me. I've known people that 'look' like him and think like him. He is way too proud of himself. He lacks intellectual gravitas...

[Emil El Zapato]

The extended story of what has been seen on MSM:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thDZf-3K_A0

[Emil El Zapato]

This is a book published by my new half-sister in California:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41g5Ak1IvYL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

[Dreamtimer]

Ravelry, a platform for knitters/crocheters has banned Trump talk. They call out the white supremacism for what it is.


We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy.


Here is the full statement (https://www.ravelry.com/content/no-trump).

They reference RPG.net (https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/new-ban-do-not-post-in-support-of-trump-or-his-administration.835849/) in terms of the statement. Apparently they have done similar.

I'm always fascinated by the sudden playing of victim by the right. The same folks who will call others 'wuss' at the drop of a hat and complain about snowflakes.

While they themselves are melting.:fpalm:

[Chris]

We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy.

Personally, I think that is the sort of knee-jerk biased reaction that leads to people abandoning the left. There is no evidence whatsoever that the Trump administration promotes white supremacy. Now, Trump, in private, may be a white supremacist, which a few of his reactions and remarks allude to, but that does not mean that his administration promotes policies of white supremacy. Believe me, if it did, we would know straight away and it would be readily apparent. Whilst this could a be a threat for the future, it is not current policy, therefore the above claim is clearly false, a vicious lie and a deliberate smear. I'm a centrist, but the double standards in this respect are something that are readily apparent. Only those on the right are being silenced currently and that is an undeniable fact. Not a huge fan of the alt-right, but the very fact that all the big tech and media giants are making a concerted effort to shut them down should concern everyone who cares about freedom.

[Aragorn]

Personally, I think that is the sort of knee-jerk biased reaction that leads to people abandoning the left. There is no evidence whatsoever that the Trump administration promotes white supremacy. Now, Trump, in private, may be a white supremacist, which a few of his reactions and remarks allude to, but that does not mean that his administration promotes policies of white supremacy. Believe me, if it did, we would know straight away and it would be readily apparent. Whilst this could a be a threat for the future, it is not current policy, therefore the above claim is clearly false, a vicious lie and a deliberate smear. I'm a centrist, but the double standards in this respect are something that are readily apparent. Only those on the right are being silenced currently and that is an undeniable fact. Not a huge fan of the alt-right, but the very fact that all the big tech and media giants are making a concerted effort to shut them down should concern everyone who cares about freedom.

I think you're making some very good and valid points here, Chris. The last elections we had here in Belgium ─ on the 26th of May 2019 ─ have been a major victory for the far-right here in the Flanders, although in the Walloon region the results were more favorable for the left.

This success of the far-right ─ most notably here in the Flanders, but you also see it in other countries ─ has been an ongoing thing since at least as early as the 1990s. And the left wing has been complaining about this deep swing to the right all the time, but what they don't seem to realize ─ or better put, what they refuse to acknowledge ─ is that this swing to the far-right is merely a knee-jerk reaction from the lesser-educated masses to the mismanagement by the left in the preceding decades, whereby the left didn't merely welcome but actively invited all of the circumstances that have led to this chaos.

I'll give you an example ─ and I sincerely hope that nobody's going to be reading anything ulterior into my words, because I am merely reporting on facts. Belgium is a very small country, and for some reason, this causes certain Belgian politicians to suffer from a kind of inferiority complex, whereby they want to put Belgium on the world map as this big-hearted, charitable place that welcomes everyone with arms wide open. Aww, how sweet! Except that Belgium is nothing like that, because it is quite known among the Belgians themselves that Belgians in general are a very apathetic and aloof people who mainly care about themselves as individuals.

Either way, the then ruling left-wing parties opened the door wide to immigrants, predominantly from Muslim cultures ─ people who themselves came from a very low-level educational background and who were a lot more fanatic about their religion than the more educated people in their countries of origin. But if you're going to be inviting such people in under the moniker of tolerance, then at the same time, you are surrendering, because tolerance and respect have to come from both sides, or else one side is going to be run over by the other. And that's exactly what has happened. The government was tolerant, and even went so far as to treat immigrants favorably over the native population. The scale was off-balance, and this created the bedrock for the far-right movement to build their subsequent electoral victories upon, because the far-right are populists, and they have since then been appealing unto the lowly educated native population with slogans and offensive billboards.

And of course, the far-right then went too far, and they were convicted over racism. But that did two things. First of all, it stigmatized them ─ the other parties all signed an agreement never to enter into a coalition with them ─ and made them into martyrs, which only increased their popularity. And the second thing is that the convicted far-right party simply dissolved itself and then regrouped under a different name. Same people, same agenda, but a different name and therefore, officially free of any convictions over racism. And then the whole thing started all over again.

The far-right is as powerful as it is because the left has allowed them ─ even given them the very means ─ to become this powerful in the first place. So instead of really being about "left versus right", it's a matter of mismanagement versus its antithesis, being the (deliberately misguided) response from the lesser-educated masses. And in this day and age, it's not even correct anymore to speak of the lesser-educated masses, because there is a general dumbing-down trend going on in society, courtesy of all the gadgets and the social media networks. There is a joke within the tech community, in the form of a fake dictionary entry, that reads like this...:




PROGRESS (n.)


The way the internet has evolved from smart people sitting at dumb terminals into dumb people sitting at smart terminals.


And you know what? It's true. Just because just about every teenager knows all about how to use their smartphones ─ and, of course, they do all own one, because it's "not cool" to not have one, and they cannot be "not cool" ─ doesn't mean that they're smart, let alone that they would be smarter than people used to be in the decades before the tech revolution. I grew up without all of that stuff, and also with very limited exposure to TV ─ because we had an antenna on the roof, and so we could only tune in to a couple of stations, and they wouldn't start broadcasting until 18:00 ─ and I'm not exactly dumb either. In fact, people of my generation probably have a far more creative imagination than the younger generations who grew up with 24/7 color TV and lots of electronic gadgets.

But now the people are using all of these gadgets as kitchen sink appliances, without understanding how they work, and they are fixated on them. Their general awareness and their intellectual development has not only stagnated, but devolved. Whatever they read on Facebook ─ and they are all on Facebook ─ simply has to be true. No critical thinking, no discernment, and no ethics ─ cfr. the teenagers (between 13 and 17 years of age) who drugged a 15-year old girl, gang-raped her and then put the video online, or that other group of young adults (between 18 and 21 years of age) who tortured and murdered a mentally handicapped boy and also filmed it all with their smartphones*. It's all about popularity and shameless, mindless hedonism, regardless of the cost.

What kind of wisdom or intellectual insight can you expect from a generation like that when it comes to matters such as choosing the right people to govern the country, or what system of government? None at all. And with that in mind, it should therefore also come as no surprise that the reactionary far-right has no trouble at all winning over those people at election time, and especially not when the political left and center are both refusing to acknowledge their own mistakes from the past, and in order to camouflage them and step up on the denial, they in turn then even go so far as to do the exact same thing all over again, and with even greater emphasis. Because they too are then merely being reactionary.

What you then get, in the end, is a spiraling escalation, and sooner or later something's got to give. There are no conspiracies involved in that. It's pure sociology. And that is what's happening right now in the USA, and to a lesser extent also here in Europe. It's a buildup to a distributed number of independent but topically related civil wars.




* I am actually not sure anymore whether I've mentioned these (still recent) events over here at the forum, but I remember talking about them in an off-topic thread at the Manjaro forum. :hmm:

[Chris]

As I’ve stated before, I am neither of the Left, nor the Right, but I am familiar with the arguments and ways of thinking on both sides. It helps keep me grounded and unbiased.

Because this is mostly a left-wing community, I feel it is my duty to point out some of the areas where the alt-right do have a point and their criticism of the Left, in my view, is completely valid. Now, I must preface that with the caveat that I am an unreconstructed Eastern European male with no sense of Political Correctness or fear of what others might think of me. I simply do not care if people call me racist, sexist, nationalist, far-right or whatever other label they want to attach to me. I deal in reality and I only care about the truth, not what might or should be.

First of all, it is OK to be proud of your nation and to want to keep it intact. The Left’s self-loathing and suicidal mania is really an ugly thing to witness. Clearly, these are people who hate themselves and their own identity. That is their right, but trying to push it on others and promoting it endlessly in media, academia and now the corporate world is what gets me. I find other trendy movements of leftism equally loathsome, whether it is Veganism, Feminism, the Victimisation Olympics, the Anti-Vaxxer movement (though that one is both Left and Right, to be fair) or what we could collectively call „Blame Whitey”, where every single problem that has ever occurred on this planet is blamed on white people collectively. This is mostly done by other white people, which makes the whole phemomenon even more bizarre. Looking on from a country that has just recently escaped from the clutches of Leftist Tyranny, this looks increasingly suicidal and the trend of increasing curtailment of freedoms for those of a more right-wing bent in the West is highly concerning as well. I am really fed up with western commentators, who equate even the slightest sign of national pride, or wanting to keep your nation and country intact, with Nazism.

In fact I’m going to post this older essay from Dmitry Orlov here, because I think he makes an excellent point about the suicidal tendencies and self-loathing of the West in general:

https://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2018/06/barbarians-rampage-through-europes.html

[Dreamtimer]

The roots of the right in America are much more closely tied to race. The flavor in America is different than Europe. As is the history. Many are still living in the Civil War.

Which was about economics, taxes, and 'rights' surrounding slavery. As in the right to own people. Racism is as much at the heart of that as economics.

It has been astutely observed by others that Trump may not be a white supremacist, but the white supremacists really like him and have been claiming victories since his election. You can start with David Duke and go from there.

The treatment of the child immigrants has nothing to do with the left being too tolerant. Trump and Sessions both clearly said they want to scare people away with the horrible treatment.

Treatment which is worse than animals, in case that hasn't been noticed.


What people believe matters as much as anything.

Racism is inherently tied in and is part and parcel of white supremacism in America.

[Chris]

The roots of the right in America are much more closely tied to race. The flavor in America is different than Europe. As is the history. Many are still living in the Civil War.

Which was about economics, taxes, and 'rights' surrounding slavery. As in the right to own people. Racism is as much at the heart of that as economics.

It has been astutely observed by others that Trump may not be a white supremacist, but the white supremacists really like him and have been claiming victories since his election. You can start with David Duke and go from there.

The treatment of the child immigrants has nothing to do with the left being too tolerant. Trump and Sessions both clearly said they want to scare people away with the horrible treatment.

Treatment which is worse than animals, in case that hasn't been noticed.


What people believe matters as much as anything.

Racism is inherently tied in and is part and parcel of white supremacism in America.

Here's the problem DT: You think what you think, because you've been programmed to think it.

That's understandable, because we are all being programmed from birth, but at some point, it pays to actually question your assumptions and your cultural programming and look at the facts dispassionately.

I am less familiar with the US border situation, but I bet when the exact same border agencies where acting exactly the same under the Obama administration, nobody was taking notice. Now that the Antichrist (or, Orange Hitler) is in the White House, every single US government employee that actually enforces the laws on the books is suddenly kin to the devil.

The Western, mostly Left-Wing media is spinning the Hungarian border situation equally skilfully. You would actually have to fact-check every single claim made to understand how that is done, but in essence they spin every single fact until it becomes unrecognisable. Most of what you hear in the media about "Nazi" border agents and "concentration camps" in which "Asylum Seekers" are "detained" is essentially a lie, or at least a massive exaggeration. You have to look into the workings of the refugee and illegal immigration rackets to understand how we are being manipulated into a false perception of what's going on.

[Emil El Zapato]

Personally, I think that is the sort of knee-jerk biased reaction that leads to people abandoning the left. There is no evidence whatsoever that the Trump administration promotes white supremacy. Now, Trump, in private, may be a white supremacist, which a few of his reactions and remarks allude to, but that does not mean that his administration promotes policies of white supremacy. Believe me, if it did, we would know straight away and it would be readily apparent. Whilst this could a be a threat for the future, it is not current policy, therefore the above claim is clearly false, a vicious lie and a deliberate smear. I'm a centrist, but the double standards in this respect are something that are readily apparent. Only those on the right are being silenced currently and that is an undeniable fact. Not a huge fan of the alt-right, but the very fact that all the big tech and media giants are making a concerted effort to shut them down should concern everyone who cares about freedom.

I think hate speech is being attacked...ain't nothing wrong with that. Trump is a whistlehead and he is constantly whistling. Whatever his true sentiments are, he knows which side the butter is on. We cannot continue to live in blind loyalty to white and not-white. It's always the same people that jump to thank posts like yours. It just isn't honest...it is an assent to "Yeah, take that!" It doesn't change the truth one iota...hasn't this kind of human debasement lasted long enough....I mean after all, it's already been about 10,000 years.

[Emil El Zapato]

Take a look at the world around you Chris...A big hit on this site is the ancient builders thingy. For example, the cites in Peru are just too sophisticated for the supposed extant culture to have built. But when it is speculated WHO was sophisticated enough to create such marvels...it is NEVER attributed to the indigenous of ANY era...it is always the mysterious super culture in which all meta-unconscious thoughts and words speak the same meme. It was a super culture of either white folks or super white aliens...literally not in that order. I continue to be disappointed in humanity.

I don't know if this book is about white spirit or not but I suppose some might like it...Another book by my 'white' sister. Incidentally the last name is by marriage... :)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41kg4579sFL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

This thing about 'programming'

I had a good friend that always said I was liberal because of 'the way I was raised'. I would look at him straight in the eye and state that I was raised conservative. He would just look at me with a vacant stare and then repeat, 'because of the way I was raised'. The reaction by him really was not puzzling to me.

[Emil El Zapato]

"I am less familiar with the US border situation, but I bet when the exact same border agencies where acting exactly the same under the Obama administration, nobody was taking notice. Now that the Antichrist (or, Orange Hitler) is in the White House, every single US government employee that actually enforces the laws on the books is suddenly kin to the devil"

Plenty of people noticed...Check the facts, nature, and most of all the spirit in which Obama acted. I trust, Chris, that you would recognize the moral chasm between the behavior of the Black AntiChrist and the Orange AntiChrist. Are empty-headed feminists really as morally depraved as a President that rapes and abuses them? Please, we need to reset...

[Chris]

"I am less familiar with the US border situation, but I bet when the exact same border agencies where acting exactly the same under the Obama administration, nobody was taking notice. Now that the Antichrist (or, Orange Hitler) is in the White House, every single US government employee that actually enforces the laws on the books is suddenly kin to the devil"

Plenty of people noticed...Check the facts, nature, and most of all the spirit in which Obama acted. I trust, Chris, that you would recognize the moral chasm between the behavior of the Black AntiChrist and the Orange AntiChrist. Are empty-headed feminists really as morally depraved as a President that rapes and abuses them? Please, we need to reset...

I'm not aware of El Donaldo having raped anyone. He didn't have to. He's a frigging celebrity Billionaire with his name on Skyscrapers and his own private Jet. Women were lining up to get a piece of him. Crude, but true. I can't believe I'm defending him, but again, facts, not ideology please. Also, what he said about kitty grabbing may be crude, but it also happens to be true. Rich celebrities can really do that and it doesn't count as abuse, unless they run for president. It may be unfair, but that is just how the world works.

[Chris]

Hate speech has become code for "Speech I don't like" or increasingly "facts". I hope you are aware of the massive campaign to defund, deplatform and generally silence the entire alt-right community from Alex Jones and David Icke to Jordan Peterson and Dave Rubin. I may not always agree with them, but this is corporate tyranny in cahoots with government, media and academia. Also, academics that don't toe the hard-left line are being fired and deplatformed at an alarming rate and they were a tiny minority to begin with.

[Aragorn]

Guys, you're all beating around the bush again. Yes, the far-right is despicable, but the traditional left and center parties have unwittingly played into the success of the far-right. It was not a conspiracy, and they didn't do it because they were supposedly left-wing either. They did it because they are opportunistic career politicians with ego-driven agendas of their own, and their party color doesn't matter one iota more than the color of their eyes.

It's not a matter of left versus right, it's a matter of "mismanagement by an elite" versus "reactionary idiots". The elite can be (self-professed) communists like in China, but they can just as easily be corporate-fascists like in the US. And the reactionary idiots will happily align themselves with either the far-right or the far-left depending on who it is that they are reactionary against, because the reactionary idiots are idiots, and they are opportunists too. Everyone is looking out for Number One ─ and I'm not talking of Commander William Thomas Riker of the USS Enterprise NCC-1707-D.

The solution to the problem does not lie within a choice between left and right, but in a choice between libertarianism and authoritarianism. Virtually all modern regimes in the western world are predominantly authoritarian, and the same is true for most Asian countries. And as such, you create and promote a system of government with a ruling class and a class of serfs/slaves. There's nothing left or right about that. The "left" and "right" monikers are a smokescreen, a distraction, a non sequitur.

And as for Donald Trump ─ I really wish it didn't always have to come down to a US-centric debate, but this has to be said ─ he is every bit as much an authoritarian and a "deep state" proponent as the alleged "deep state" that he pretends to be combating. The only thing that was really different in Trump's election versus the elections of his predecessors is that Trump comes from outside of the political establishment. But that's it. There's no more to it. He's not a hero, he will never be a hero, and he's not fighting for anything other than his narcissistic ego and his own ultra-right ideals of white supremacy, American exceptionalism and American imperialism. The US empire must continue to dominate the world, and that's his game.

His methods may differ in comparison to the likes of Obama, but his goal is the exact same one as that of Obama, Bush Jr., Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter, and so on. It's about a New World Order. No, no baby-eating satanic pedophiles and child traffickers. A New World Order, where America ─ believed to have been especially blessed by an Abrahamic deity ─ rules the entire planet by way of its transnational corporations.

That is the game ─ it has always been the game ─ and everything else is just a distraction. As a nation at the international scale, the USA is an aggressor and a tyrant, trying to impose its will upon other nations, and if it cannot do that through treaties, it'll do it through violence, under the ludicrous flags of "bringing democracy to the world". And as a crypto-fascist nation, the elected US emperor ─ because that's what a US president really is, given that they have the legal power to suspend the constitution ─ is merely a lackey to the corporate world. Doesn't matter if the emperor (or empress) is a Dimmocrite™ or a Repuglican™, because those two parties are only the two wings of one and the same party, controlled by privately owned corporations, in turn led by oligarchs.

But I digress, because I have allowed myself to get drawn into the by now already nauseating topic of US politics again. What happens in the USA does affect the rest of the world ─ and for most part, in a negative way ─ but the USA does not lie at the center of the universe. And pointing the finger at either the left or the right isn't going to solve anything, because everything is connected. It's not a matter of racists and fascists versus democrats and socialists, and it's also not even a matter of authoritarian versus libertarian.

The human civilization on this planet is a system. Everything is interconnected. People's (declining) intelligence, people's educational level, people's access to unbiased information, people's circumstances of living, both in terms of their individual well-being and in terms of their means for survival ─ read: their financial status. It is all connected, and it all plays a role in how people want to be governed, and by whom.

It's a worldwide problem. Not an American problem ─ even though most Americans think that America equals "the world" ─ and not a left/right problem. It's a problem of predators and prey, and the prey is getting dumber by the day, and allowing itself to get dumber by the day, and to be reeled in on a silk string by the big bad spider in the middle of the web.

Until mankind becomes self-aware enough and responsible enough, this situation is not going to change. Stop pointing fingers at one another while running in circles ─ how long have we been talking about El Donaldo the Banana Republican™ now? We all get the picture now, okay? There are people who like him, and there are people who don't. But he's on the throne now, and there's nothing you can do about it anyway, because the system protects him and will see him through his mandate. End of story. Move along, nothing to see here.

The whole operating system of humanity needs to be torn down, re-evaluated on the drawing board, re-engineered, rebuilt, alpha-tested, beta-tested, release-candidate-tested, officially released and then patched in order to fix the remaining bugs. There is no other way.

[Chris]

Personally I don't care about the Orange Duck, I agree that he is entirely a distraction. That is my exact issue, him and Chocolate Jesus aren't that different in actual policies they implemented, but people treat them as if they were and they counted, when clearly everything important is controlled from the background.

[Emil El Zapato]

Hate speech has become code for "Speech I don't like" or increasingly "facts". I hope you are aware of the massive campaign to defund, deplatform and generally silence the entire alt-right community from Alex Jones and David Icke to Jordan Peterson and Dave Rubin. I may not always agree with them, but this is corporate tyranny in cahoots with government, media and academia. Also, academics that don't toe the hard-left line are being fired and deplatformed at an alarming rate and they were a tiny minority to begin with.

Honestly Chris, the people you cited are non-stop propagandists...now that is a disease....propaganda, that is...Jordan Peterson is a higher grade propagandists but hardly deserving of any special stature regarding knowledge and most especially social attitude. His anger taints his spirit...that is patently obvious.

[Wind]

His anger taints his spirit...that is patently obvious.

Maybe you two have more in common than you even realize.

[Aianawa]

Lol come on in, what is your name, oh lovely name jesus, related to the sun ?, yes oh, while you be here, what you going to do about the transmutation of vile n evil, no probs at all, how ?, allow the obvious to be seen and felt, ooookay why cannot we see n feel this now, old programming you say mmm how does new programming happen then ?, Death and letting go plus new downloading, explain please, Death causing home visit ( heaven etc ) and return, letting go through surprise, shock, moving on, new story/data/templates n especially macro narrative ( google, twitter, movies-youtube, news cnn fox etc ). New downloading is actually the full micro, going within, connecting with oneself n higher self n the divine n God etc ( loving feeling obvious ), also if able, being a downloader of new templates.

[Chris]

Honestly Chris, the people you cited are non-stop propagandists...now that is a disease....propaganda, that is...Jordan Peterson is a higher grade propagandists but hardly deserving of any special stature regarding knowledge and most especially social attitude. His anger taints his spirit...that is patently obvious.

I agree that Alex Jones is a propagandist of sorts, he is of course a lapdog of the current US government. I would not consider the others that. I think Dave Rubin is quite measured and moderate. David Icke is batshit crazy and out there, but that's why people love him. As for Jordan Peterson, he's a miserable SOB, but he does make some good points from time to time. The point isn't whether you agree with them or not, but whether they should be silenced and deplatformed because their opinions do not match the current mainstream. If you agree that they should be silenced, you are not a supporter of freedom.

[Aragorn]

I agree that Alex Jones is a propagandist of sorts, he is of course a lapdog of the current US government. I would not consider the others that. I think Dave Rubin is quite measured and moderate. David Icke is batshit crazy and out there, but that's why people love him. As for Jordan Peterson, he's a miserable SOB, but he does make some good points from time to time. The point isn't whether you agree with them or not, but whether they should be silenced and deplatformed because their opinions do not match the current mainstream. If you agree that they should be silenced, you are not a supporter of freedom.

We need more people like Abby Martin. Now there's a real investigative journalist. ;)

[Dreamtimer]

I go by personal experience and the attitudes I see first hand. I've shared them here many times.

I need no brainwashing to see the racism in America. It's painfully obvious. And it's directly tied into the right.

I see things here directly. I don't need to be 'told'.

There's a reason Congressional representatives are being denied access to the facilities where the immigrant children are being held.

It's because the facilities have a lot to hide.

Caring about all people has nothing to do with being brainwashed.



People don't rape because they need to, Chris. Men who have wife and children and access to sex still rape.

Rape is about control and debasement. Not having a romp in the sheets.

I feel for all the girls who have to hear that crap.

We really need to know the difference.

If folks demonize Bill Clinton, and then use that very man as an excuse to ignore the sins of Trump then they have no integrity.


I was also raised by conservatives. The kind who are a dying (dead maybe) breed.


Corporate tyranny has been promoted and supported by conservatives in this country big-league.

Has it been the same way in Europe?

[Dreamtimer]

The solution to the problem does not lie within a choice between left and right, but in a choice between libertarianism and authoritarianism. Virtually all modern regimes in the western world are predominantly authoritarian, and the same is true for most Asian countries. And as such, you create and promote a system of government with a ruling class and a class of serfs/slaves. There's nothing left or right about that. The "left" and "right" monikers are a smokescreen, a distraction, a non sequitur.

Yep. And yet I'm still being called brainwashed. Where's my sash?




His methods may differ in comparison to the likes of Obama, but his goal is the exact same one as that of Obama, Bush Jr., Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter, and so on. It's about a New World Order. No, no baby-eating satanic pedophiles and child traffickers. A New World Order, where America ─ believed to have been especially blessed by an Abrahamic deity ─ rules the entire planet by way of its transnational corporations.


Yep, again. I've been talking about this to people who may as well be walls.



The human civilization on this planet is a system. Everything is interconnected. People's (declining) intelligence, people's educational level, people's access to unbiased information, people's circumstances of living, both in terms of their individual well-being and in terms of their means for survival ─ read: their financial status. It is all connected, and it all plays a role in how people want to be governed, and by whom.


Yeppers.



Donald isn't the distraction. The divisive stuff is:

Qanon.

The 'coup'

The demon baby eaters.

et al.

I thanked you, Aianawa, although I'm not exactly sure what you said...:scrhd:

[Dreamtimer]

In America there has been a big debate about gay marriage.

There was a big controversy about a bakery that refused to make a cake for a gay couple.

They are a private business and therefore have the right to turn away customers they don't want to serve. I'm not sure how they get around the discrimination thing, but they do.

The same principle applies to Revelry, Reddit, You Tube, etc.

They are private businesses with that right.

If folks champion the rights of the bakery, they must also champion the rights of the other businesses.

If folks want those businesses to be regulated as public platforms, then they should ask their representatives and support legislation to do so.


Oh, but that requires government which folks have now been programmed to hate and mistrust.

And so the corporations have us all by the short hairs, and they are becoming larger and more powerful than governments.

In America, they are hardly even held accountable under law and there is a lot of private arbitration.


Imagine now, a world where all disputes go before an Administrative Law Judge and folks have been forced to sign NDAs in their jobs.

Now they see fellow citizens being poisoned, injured, endangered, and they can't even legally speak out.

Nice trap, eh?

[Chris]

Hi DT,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Keep in mind, I am taking the Devil’s advocate role here, because I think people need to be shaked up from their programmed stupor. I no longer follow the above mentioned people, but my past, heavily alt-right and conpiracy theorist self is quite familiar with their arguments. I find that one needs to look beyond one’s own comfort zone and confront truths one may not be comfortable with.


I go by personal experience and the attitudes I see first hand. I've shared them here many times.

I need no brainwashing to see the racism in America. It's painfully obvious. And it's directly tied into the right.

I see things here directly. I don't need to be 'told'.

That is certainly true. The USA is a heavily racist country, I certainly can’t argue with that. Still, sometimes charges of racism are thrown at people for totally unrelated matters, just to shut them up. That is in fact a favourite tactic of the left and it almost always works, at least in the West. Not in Eastern Europe though, because we just don’t give a shit. We are devoid of the white guilt and colonial legacy that terrifies Westerners so much. We have suffered just as much, if not more, than any other group in the 20th century, yet we don’t go on whining about it and claiming victim status. BTW, if you live in Western Europe for a while, like I have, it quickly becomes apparent that discrimination and prejudice against Eastern Europeans is a thing. If you look at Murdoch-owned newspapers, such as the Daily Mail for instance, propaganda against us is constant and can reach levels of hysteria not seen for decades. There are verbal and physical attacks as well, particularly in the UK and especially since the Brexit vote. This is just to illustrate that attacks on and discrimination against certain groups isn’t always predicated on skin colour. Just ask the blonde, blue-eyed Slavs, how well they were treated under Hitler.

„There's a reason Congressional representatives are being denied access to the facilities where the immigrant children are being held.

It's because the facilities have a lot to hide.

Caring about all people has nothing to do with being brainwashed.

The very same story has played out here in Hungary, at the Souther Border, with ample comparisons to concentration camps and Nazi Germany. I’d better use an illustration rather than try to explain why this is highly biased reporting and a twisting of the facts:

https://www.creators.com/read/chip-bok/06/19/256495


People don't rape because they need to, Chris. Men who have wife and children and access to sex still rape.

Rape is about control and debasement. Not having a romp in the sheets.

I feel for all the girls who have to hear that crap.

We really need to know the difference.

If folks demonize Bill Clinton, and then use that very man as an excuse to ignore the sins of Trump then they have no integrity.
I agree in general terms, but we were talking about a specific case here and the person in question has not been charged, tried and convicted for rape, at least not yet. He is entitled to the presumption of innocence until that changes, just like everybody else. Now, if we were talking about a convicted rapist, it would be a different matter altogether.



I was also raised by conservatives. The kind who are a dying (dead maybe) breed.

Corporate tyranny has been promoted and supported by conservatives in this country big-league.

Has it been the same way in Europe?

Talking about Hungary, it has been mostly the other way round here.
The previous „socialist” (in truth, neo-liberal) government has dismantled the welfare state and sold out the country to global corporate interests, quite literally selling every single state asset for a fraction of their value to globalist corporations. They then destroyed the entire Hungarian economy and production base, then flooded the country with cheap imports. In that sense they’re truly globalists. The current national conservative government, for all their faults, has been trying to undo some of the damage caused by the socialists, mostly with success. They cracked down on foreign banks for predatory lending (pushing Swiss-Franc denominated loans on the population, where after a few years the interest payments often doubled and quadrupled). They banned GMOs and renationalised some key national assets, such as the only Hungarian Oil Company.
In other areas they cooperate with the EU and big corporations, but I’d say, by-and-large, people are happy with the way they run the country.

[Dreamtimer]

I've seen Americans (stupid s*&t ones, imo) acting all guilty about being white. And not just with black Americans. American Indians too. It's ridiculous.

If you feel bad about the past, then do something about it. Don't debase yourself. Don't try to be what you are not.

And for God's sake, don't adopt a blaccent! (black accent) Please!


I have avoided talking about racism, but now it's become almost a PC thing.

I ain't going for the conservative PC crap either. When racism needs to be talked about, I'm gonna talk about it.

The first folks who told me, "You can't say that, it's not PC," were conservatives. Conservatives, not liberals.

They love to fuel fires, and PC is the perfect kindling. They've got a grand bonfire going now.

Now they're actively looking for the folks to throw in their fire. And they have a leader giving them the green light.


I know about the Slav thing. We had 'pollock' jokes growing up. And they are also 'coming to take our jobs'.

My Dad's wife's family is from Slovakia. I can hear stories first hand if I want.


In America they're called neocons. Ironic. Our centrists (who are called liberal) and your conservatives probably are on the same page.

[Chris]

I've seen Americans (stupid s*&t ones, imo) acting all guilty about being white. And not just with black Americans. American Indians too. It's ridiculous.

If you feel bad about the past, then do something about it. Don't debase yourself. Don't try to be what you are not.

And for God's sake, don't adopt a blaccent! (black accent) Please!


I have avoided talking about racism, but now it's become almost a PC thing.

I ain't going for the conservative PC crap either. When racism needs to be talked about, I'm gonna talk about it.

The first folks who told me, "You can't say that, it's not PC," were conservatives. Conservatives, not liberals.

They love to fuel fires, and PC is the perfect kindling. They've got a grand bonfire going now.

Now they're actively looking for the folks to throw in their fire. And they have a leader giving them the green light.


I know about the Slav thing. We had 'pollock' jokes growing up. And they are also 'coming to take our jobs'.

My Dad's wife's family is from Slovakia. I can hear stories first hand if I want.


In America they're called neocons. Ironic. Our centrists (who are called liberal) and your conservatives probably are on the same page.

Well, no it's complicated. That is why it is problematic to compare political labels in different countries with the same labels.

Viktor Orban is like the love child of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. He has taken the populist policies of both and actually implemented them, so he's immensely popular.

In Hungary, we have free college, healthcare, 3-year maternity leave for women, after each child, massive subsidies for families to buy their own homes (Up to 35.000 USD), buy a seven-seater family car (Up to 9.000 USD), tax exemption for life for women who have at least 4 children, that sort of thing.

On the other hand, Orban has actually built a wall on the Southern Border and it works as intended. Both corporate and personal taxes are some of the lowest in Europe and they used to be the highest. The economy is booming though and there is a major labour shortage.

He uses that popularity to consolidate his power and dismantle democratic checks and balances, making him pretty much unremovable. The closest equivalent to the way he operates that I am aware of, was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. Both are/were ruthless autocrats who genuinely believe that their policies are good for their respective countries. Trouble is, they both have been proven right on that account and it takes the wind out of the sails of true democrats (in the general sense of wanting to maintain a democratic political system with checks and balances). Another one perhaps is Netanyahu, a close personal friend of his, which is why accusations of anti-semitism hurled at Orbán are so ridiculous.

[Wind]

To me politics are mostly pure insanity. It's somewhat crazy in Europe too, but US is on a whole new level. The populism and Trump won't go away in year or two, it might last half a decade or more before the pendulum swings again more towards the center and left and the "balance" will be restored in US and Europe. These times are crazy and they will become even more so. I think it's just a waste of energy and time to focus on that political circus in the meanwhile, but I can totally understand why people do that because there are so many emotionally upsetting things happening. Can you ignore just all of it? Probably not, even I like to keep myself up to date on the news even if I try to stay emotionally cool about things. It's not always easy though. That's why inner balance and the integrity of the individual matters so much in times like these.

[Chris]

To me politics are mostly pure insanity. It's somewhat crazy in Europe too, but US is on a whole new level. The populism and Trump won't go away in year or two, it might last half a decade or more before the pendulum swings again more towards the center and left and the "balance" will be restored in US and Europe. These times are crazy and they will become even more so. I think it's just a waste of energy and time to focus on that political circus in the meanwhile, but I can totally understand why people do that because there are so many emotionally upsetting things happening. Can you ignore just all of it? Probably not, even I like to keep myself up to date on the news even if I try to stay emotionally cool about things. It's not always easy though. That's why inner balance and the integrity of the individual matters so much in times like these.

Wise words indeed.

Personally, I try not to get caught up in the politics of either side and listen to the arguments on all sides, to try to come up with a balanced view and a proper synthesis of all the available facts. It is not perfect, but the best I can do for now.

[Emil El Zapato]

Maybe you two have more in common than you even realize.

lol...we don't... :)

[Emil El Zapato]

Would you believe I'm not angry...more disappointed...very very disappointed.

[Dreamtimer]

I, too, am disappointed. Disappointed in my friends who are sell-outs. Disappointed in the foolishness of so many of my fellow Americans. Disappointed in the short-sided outlooks. Lots of disappointment.

But there's a bright outlook too. My son and all the folks like him will help things be better.

[Emil El Zapato]

Totally agree...

[Emil El Zapato]

A stupid but nonetheless entertaining movie:

"The Man Who Killed Hitler...and then Bigfoot" starring Sam Elliot as a WWII era super soldier. The movie predominately takes place as memory flashbacks until...Bigfoot arrives.

[Aragorn]

A stupid but nonetheless entertaining movie:

"The Man Who Killed Hitler...and then Bigfoot" starring Sam Elliot as a WWII era super soldier. The movie predominately takes place as memory flashbacks until...Bigfoot arrives.

That plot sounds about just as credible as "Sharknado". :ha:

[Emil El Zapato]

I can see the similarity but it really is much better... :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkP4bZKCHE8

[Dreamtimer]

:omg:. I was just looking up old patterns for double running stitch and I found a series of patterns with recommended colors.

One of the colors was n-word black. Holy Crap. I don't think it was an official company color, there was no brand associated. But there was a person's name...

[Emil El Zapato]

The End to Shock and Awe:

Why does the quantum world interact with mere humans? Because we are part of it...duh!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6rWqJhDv7M

[Emil El Zapato]

In Today's news (THE NAP ONION)

Aliens Have Landed on the White House Lawn
Jesus spotted descending from the Cloud
All Religious Fundamentalists and New Agers have disappeared and now there is no one left
Update From the Daily Ghost: Some human survivors have been detected but they are all quantum energy beings living in the area of Armageddon
Donald Trump is projected to win a 2nd term despite having sprouted horns and a forked tail
Strange Blue Chickens have been spotted following a cult leader from Texas
The Deep State has escaped custody because no one could figure out who they were
Fred Steeves has registered as a Democrat
ModWiz has joined Penn and Teller
Project Avalon has blown up, It was reported that a divine human being lit the fuse
Reports suggest there is a safe haven for any weird ass survivors at The One Truth

[Dreamtimer]

From the Garlic Report:

All Vampires have become mortal vegetarians.

[Emil El Zapato]

c'mon...that didn't really happen, did it?

[Elen]

Hey you forgot this one: "All pedophiles are now babysitters." :unsure:

[Dreamtimer]

:blink::unsure::wacko:

[Emil El Zapato]

Hi Elen,

but that's old news!? :)

[Elen]

Hi Elen,

but that's old news!? :)

:goodbad: hmmm I guess.

[Emil El Zapato]

QAnon and the Emergence of the Unreal
by Ethan Zuckerman


Ethan Zuckerman delves into how the conspiracist community surrounding QAnon represents a hazardous new form of participatory civics and digital storytelling.

We have a tendency to assume, especially in academic communities, that the acceptance of unrealities, whether they are those of vaccine skeptics or climate change deniers, are the consequence of poor education or emergent technologies. Robert Proctor and Iain Boal coined the term “agnotology” to refer to the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt in order to distinguish ignorance that is consciously created from that which occurs naturally. (I am grateful to danah boyd for introducing me to Proctor’s book with Londa Schiebinger on the topic, which introduced me to the term.) Those who benefit from the stasis caused by imposed doubt are those who are already in positions of power. Those who suffer the most are those who have been excluded from power. In that sense, unreality and the doubt it generates is an inherently conservative force.

What’s worse, perhaps, is that many of our responses to the doubt brought about by emergent unreality have been reactionary. In much of the discussion of mis- and disinformation is the thinly disguised desire to return to a world where there’s a single authoritative voice, a Walter Cronkite to tell us “That’s the way it is.” There is an understandable temptation to hand more power over control of speech to platforms like Facebook in the hopes that they’ll somehow return us to a mutually shared reality. This is an unlikely scenario given their role in allowing these splits to emerge. The alternative, asking governments to regulate and control speech in online spaces, seems equally unwise.

Before we hand control of speech to Facebook or to Congress to free us from the complications of the Unreal, we would benefit from mapping this space more comprehensively. The goal of this issue of the Journal of Design and Science is not to conclusively define the Unreal, but to explore some of its dimensions. The nature of the beast is such that a singular view of the Unreal would always be incomplete, so we should expect these visions to challenge and conflict with one another as much as they mutually reinforce.

Given antecedents in agnotology within the Russian media space, we invited Peter Pomerantsev, a celebrated writer on contemporary Russia, to explore the idea of unreality as a mirror of a society facing a post-ideological world. Pomerantsev argues that understanding the purpose of disinformation is like trying to understand the purpose of art. Propaganda, like art, simply exists. It’s just a reflection of the time.

Masha Gessen, professor at Amherst College, author of The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, and contributor to The New Yorker, has challenged overly simplistic narratives of Putin as a singular architect of Russian media interventions. In conversation, she and I explore the idea that the unreal can still be corrosive to democracy even if there’s no grand plan behind the complex and conflicting forces that lead to Russian strategies in the information space.

Dr. Gregory Asmolov, a scholar of the Russian internet and early career fellow at King’s College London’s Russia Institute, argues that the participatory affordances of digital networks offer novel opportunities for political manipulation. Relying on his research on the use of social networks in Russia and Ukraine, he explores the idea that manipulations of social media seek to divide friends, breaking alliances and leaving individuals isolated, online and offline.

Dr. Joan Donovan, Director of the Technology and Social Change Research Project at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, is one of the nation’s leading scholars on online disinformation. As someone who has watched the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Bureau very closely, her essay with colleague Brian Friedberg, examines the power of psuedonymous identities that adopt the persona of oppressed people to capture their voices and power.

Julia Ebner, an Austrian scholar and researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, whose book The Rage is a leading resource on Islamist and far-right extremists in Europe, uses her knowledge of Neo-Nazi organizing online to give us a tour of alternative infrastructure to support speech that quotidian platforms have rejected.

Unreality can also be routine, as Nina Lutz, an MIT Media Lab researcher on computational geometry and computer graphics explores in an essay that examines how makeup can be used to completely transform identity, and how these transformations impact our understanding of real and fake.

Dr. Judith Donath, former MIT Media Lab professor and alumna, researcher at the Harvard Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, author of The Social Machine, expands on her current research on signalling theory to explore the idea of the “deep fake” and to examine our relationship with video as an arbiter of truth, arguing that we must move from understanding video as reality to video as testimony.

Pursuing other spaces where the Unreal pokes into our everyday life, entrepreneur, game designer and former MIT Media Lab professor Kevin Slavin looks at how alternative reality games, a space first explored in the late 1990s and early 2000s, may have prefigured some of the fractures in reality we are encountering today.

And finally, Benjamen Walker, whose Theory of Everything podcast has long been one of the most prescient and provocative explorations of internet culture, reflects on a recently completed series, “False Alarm,” that explored the blurry lines between fact and fiction. What happens to a media maker whose practice skates across reality’s boundaries when the shifting of those boundaries becomes a moment of crisis for society at large?

We will be releasing these essays—and hopefully others—in pairs over the summer of 2019 and encouraging readers to react to them online, inviting other scholars in the field to comment specifically, but also taking advantage of this digital platform’s affordances to solicit reactions both to our work and to other voices who should be included in the project.

Keeping firmly in mind the idea that progress is possible through this sort of plurality, I want to return to the question that frequently circulates in the QAnon community: Who is Q?

Is Q a dissident intelligent agent in the President’s inner circle? A team of agents? Or perhaps President Trump himself? Is he (or she or they) a profit-making operation put together by opportunistic 4Chan trolls? A giant prank that has grown wildly out of control? A real-life role play, or LARP, as some QAnons like to describe it? Is Q a Psyops effort, designed to keep up the spirit of Trump’s most ardent supporters as the President struggles to drain the swamp as he promised them he would do? Is Q an international disinformation operation designed to further pull apart the left and the right much as the Internet Research Agency sought to pull apart Black Lives Matter or the LGBTQ community?

The answer: Q is all of this and more. All of this for the simple reason that somewhere, someone believes this interpretation of Q, and is working to impose that reality on the rest of us. This war between realities is the landscape we find ourselves collectively navigating. It is our task to understand how we act as individuals and citizens in a world where the emergent mode of discourse is not to persuade someone of your interpretation of the facts, but to recruit them to your own reality. Our ultimate challenge is not only to navigate this space but, at best, to heal and transform it.

[Aianawa]

Starting with Climate warming and Vaccine lol just shot themselves lol.

[Dreamtimer]

Climate warming is a real discussion. The question of our contribution is a matter of debate. The subject is plenty real.


Our ultimate challenge is not only to navigate this space but, at best, to heal and transform it.

Indeed. And so taking sides and drawing lines won't help us.

I'm aware of those who are out for blood, I've posted their words here many times. I'm not sure how to heal bloodlust, but I'm willing to try to find a way.


Ironically, we've just tightened contact with a couple who are friends. Their name is Blood.

[Emil El Zapato]

True Aianawa, I don't think the article was intended for Agnotologists, it was for those that would look for a way to recreate a consensus reality defined by just that...mutual agreement.

[Dreamtimer]

I noticed no one here is discussing the fact that our President was censured by Congress. This hasn't happened in a century.

Mainstream or Alternate, that's big news. Huge. Big League.

But folks will still go on about Clinton or Obama like pavlov dogs.

It's embarrassing.

My mother is rolling over in her grave.

[Chris]

I noticed no one here is discussing the fact that our President was censured by Congress. This hasn't happened in a century.

Mainstream or Alternate, that's big news. Huge. Big League.

But folks will still go on about Clinton or Obama like pavlov dogs.

It's embarrassing.

My mother is rolling over in her grave.

I think we all suffer from Trump information overload.

It seems his tactic is to do so many deplorable things in a day that people just stop caring and don't even notice any more. He has done a hundred things that would be historic lows for any other president, but we've actually gotten used to his deplorableness by now...

[Fred Steeves]

I think we all suffer from Trump information overload.

It seems his tactic is to do so many deplorable things in a day that people just stop caring and don't even notice any more. He has done a hundred things that would be historic lows for any other president, but we've actually gotten used to his deplorableness by now...

While this is indeed true IMO, with Captain Chaos hitting all time lows, and easily the most despicable public figure I've ever personally witnessed, I still see an underling problem here that I only see being addressed by a still relatively fringe aspect of the Left. Same with the small fringe Libertarian Right.

Just because Trump is taking the rhetoric to all time historic lows for this country, by modern standards anyway, doesn't mean what these guys are actually doing policy wise is necessarily all that much deviated from previous administrations.

For instance the golden boy Barack Obama was Deporter in Chief before Trump assumed that crown, but I don't recall any moral outcries and pictures from detention centers because he was so damn well spoken, polite, and downright likeable. Same with the going after of whistle blowers, the drone strikes, the sanctions, the wars, the false flags, etc., that callous empire shit has been going on for a long long time. Things do seem to be coming to a head now, there's definitely trouble in paradise, but that's because the table was already perfectly set for him to maybe get people goose stepping in the first damn place.

America needs a long, sad, gut wrenching look in the mirror before ANY of this shit has any substantive change, but I'm afraid the "Manufactured Consent" as Uncle Noam put it is already like the train done left the station. It's too late. We Americans are by nature a good and kind hearted people, we just know not, or care not, what's being done in our name.

We know not what we do...

[Wind]

Ain't that true, Fred.

Emperor's change and yet they still wear the same suit and every emperor has blood in their hands, be they clowns made out of Cheetos dust or golden chocolate boys. That is the nature of an empire. Very few leaders would or even could rise above that. Where do we have Marcus Aurelius when we need the likes of him? Oh well...

https://www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-all-empires-are-created-of-blood-and-fire-pablo-escobar-82-1-0120.jpg

[Emil El Zapato]

While this is indeed true IMO, with Captain Chaos hitting all time lows, and easily the most despicable public figure I've ever personally witnessed, I still see an underling problem here that I only see being addressed by a still relatively fringe aspect of the Left. Same with the small fringe Libertarian Right.

Just because Trump is taking the rhetoric to all time historic lows for this country, by modern standards anyway, doesn't mean what these guys are actually doing policy wise is necessarily all that much deviated from previous administrations.

For instance the golden boy Barack Obama was Deporter in Chief before Trump assumed that crown, but I don't recall any moral outcries and pictures from detention centers because he was so damn well spoken, polite, and downright likeable. Same with the going after of whistle blowers, the drone strikes, the sanctions, the wars, the false flags, etc., that callous empire shit has been going on for a long long time. Things do seem to be coming to a head now, there's definitely trouble in paradise, but that's because the table was already perfectly set for him to maybe get people goose stepping in the first damn place.

America needs a long, sad, gut wrenching look in the mirror before ANY of this shit has any substantive change, but I'm afraid the "Manufactured Consent" as Uncle Noam put it is already like the train done left the station. It's too late. We Americans are by nature a good and kind hearted people, we just know not, or care not, what's being done in our name.

We know not what we do...

Fred, I will be hugely surprised if this doesn't piss you off, but, You Really Must Pay Attention!

[Dreamtimer]

Trump’s immigration policies are different and new as was argued in court by Jeff Sessions and by Trump in the public arena.

Obama’s never separated families in this manner nor did he keep the immigrants in remotely similar conditions.

And if he had the outrage would have been enormous.

Let’s not pretend a bruise is in the same league as a gunshot wound.

The false parallels are just as damaging.

[Aragorn]

Trump’s immigration policies are different and new as was argued in court by Jeff Sessions and by Trump in the public arena.

Obama’s never separated families in this manner nor did he keep the immigrants in remotely similar conditions.

And if he had the outrage would have been enormous.

Let’s not pretend a bruise is in the same league as a gunshot wound.

The false parallels are just as damaging.

Still, I think Fred has a point, Sister. The methods used by the left may be different from those used by the right, but in the end, the policy remains the same. And that's because he who controls the left also controls the right.

People have to wake up from that foolish belief that it makes one iota of difference what team you're on. But sadly enough, too many people are feeling perfectly happy being on a team, because it feels good to them to kick the other team's ass. They need the rivalry and the strife. The fanaticism of sports team fans not only illustrates this, but it also serves as the proving ground for The Powers That Be™ that the strategy of "divide et impera" works.

Hell, even Julius Ceasar already knew it, and that was 2000 years ago. And yet we keep on falling into that same trap, over and over, and over again. Are we stupid or what? (Don't answer that. :p)

[Emil El Zapato]

Recent photo of Buzz Aldrin with my newly found cousin. Notice Aldrin isn't swinging his fist in this picture.

2362

[Emil El Zapato]

Am I an American?
President Trump’s tirade against four minority congresswomen prompts the question: Whom does he consider to be American?

JUL 16, 2019

Ibram X. Kendi
Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University

https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/mt/2019/07/RTX6ZQVK/lead_720_405.jpg?mod=1563289759

I live in envy. I envy the people who know their nationality. All the people whose nationality has never been a question in their mind.

I can imagine the woman staring at her reflection in the Volta River who knows she’s Ghanaian, like her ancestors who liberated their people in 1957 and chose the mighty pre-colonial Ghana as the name of their new nation. I can imagine the woman flying into Frankfurt who knows she’s German, who knows she’s arriving back home. I can imagine the man working on his antique car outside his home in Biloxi, forehead covered by the prized blood-red baseball cap he purchased at a rally back in November, a man who has never been told, “Go back to your country!” If somehow someone did tell him, it would confuse him as much as it would the Ghanaian or German woman. It would be like someone driving by his house and shouting at him, “Go back to your home!”

That he is at home, that he is in his country, is as much a fact of his existence as the tool clenched in his hand, as the sunrays shooting past the Mississippi trees hovering above his sweaty hat and its four beaming white words.

Nothing is more certain to him than that he is an American—and that I am not. My living here, being born here, and being a citizen here—none of those fine details matter. To him, to millions like him, to their white-nationalist father in the White House, I am not an American. They want me to prove, like all the Barack Obamas, that I’m really an American.
This blend of nativism, racism, and nationalism is central to Trumpism, to their worldview. They view me as, they disregard me as, an illegal alien, like those four progressive congresswomen of color. I am tolerated until I am not. I can dine on American soil until I demand a role in remaking the menu that is killing me, like those four progressive congresswomen of color.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told Representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to get in line to be a Democrat, in the way I’m told by moderates away from Capitol Hill to get in line to be an American. I hear the moderate message of compliance, of assimilation, of being happy just dining. And I hear the message from the man with the blood-red hat defending the moderate and giving me an ultimatum.

“So interesting to see ‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run,” Donald Trump tweeted Sunday. “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough.”

But Pelosi and her moderate lieutenants do not desire this type of defense, this white-nationalist brand of American exceptionalism. They quickly and rightly stood up for the Americanness of these four women. “When @realDonaldTrump tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries,” Pelosi tweeted, “he affirms his plan to ‘Make America Great Again’ has always been about making America white again.” They quickly and rightly classified Trump’s MAGA attack as “a racist tweet from a racist president,” as the assistant speaker of the House, Ben Ray Luján, tweeted.

But their defenses and affirmations of my Americanness—that my black, Puerto Rican, Somalian, and Palestinian sisters are indeed Americans—did little to quiet the question screaming in my soul for an answer. And I suspect in the souls of millions more.

I can’t stop the screams. Am I an American? It is a question I have never been able to answer.

I can’t stop the shouts: “Go back to your country!” It is a statement I have never been able to answer.

Is this my country? Am I an American?

Ocasio-Cortez—like Trump, like me—was born in New York City. Tlaib was born in Detroit, and Pressley in Cincinnati. Omar’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Somalia when she was a child. They are all U.S. citizens, like me.

“WE are what democracy looks like,” Pressley tweeted. “And we’re not going anywhere.”

But they are not white like the Slovene-born Melania Trump. Is an American essentially white? I do not know. I do not know if I’m still three-fifths of an American, as my ancestors were written into the U.S. Constitution. Or fully American. Or not American at all.

What I do know is that historically, people like me have only truly been all-American—if all-American is not constantly being told to “go back to your country” or “act like an American”—when we did not resist enslavement on a plantation, or in poverty, or in a prison with or without bars shackling our human potential and cultural flowering. Perhaps we were Americans when we did not resist our bodies being traded, our wombs being assaulted, and our bent backs and our hands being bloodied picking and cleaning and manufacturing white America’s wealth.

Perhaps we were Americans when we did not resist how the self-identified white allies were trying to civilize us, telling us to slow down, telling us our anti-racist demands were impractical or impossible, instructing us how to get free. We were rarely told to go back to our country when we did kneel, when we did not kneel, when we did as told by the slaveholder and the abolitionist, by the segregator and racial reformer, by the American mentor telling us to pull up or pull down our pants.

Am I an American only when I act like a slave?

What Trump told those four congresswomen is hardly unorthodox for a U.S. president if we extend recent memory backwards. In 1787, the year the U.S. Constitution was drafted, was also the year that Thomas Jefferson published his influential Notes on the State of Virginia. Enslaved Africans should be emancipated, civilized, and “colonized to such place as the circumstances of the time should render most proper,” he wrote.

Colonization emerged as the most popular solvent of the race problem before the Civil War, advocated by nearly every president from Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln. Slaveholders increasingly desired to rid the nation of the emancipated Negro. And moderate Americans increasingly advocated gradual emancipation and colonization, telling the anti-racists that immediate emancipation was impractical and impossible in the way that anti-racists are told immediate equality is impractical and impossible today.

At the founding of the American Colonization Society in 1816, Representative Henry Clay of Kentucky, the future presidential candidate and “Great Compromiser,” gave voice to what we now call Trumpism, the savaging of people of color and the countries of people of color to hold up white Americanness.

“Can there be a nobler cause that that which, whilst it proposes to rid our country of a useless and pernicious, if not dangerous portion of its population, contemplates the spreading of the arts of civilized life, and the possible redemption from ignorance and barbarism of a benighted quarter of the globe!”

The moderate strategized then, as the moderate still do now, based on what was required to soothe white sensibilities. As the clergyman Robert Finley wrote in Thoughts on the Colonization of Free Blacks in 1816, through colonization, “the evil of slavery will be diminished and in a way so gradual as to prepare the whites for the happy and progressive change.”

Some black people advocated back-to-Africa campaigns or relocated there, convinced American racism was permanent, convinced they could create a better life for themselves alongside their African kin. But many, perhaps most, black people resisted colonization schemes from their beginning. This is “the land of our nativity,” thousands of black Philadelphians resolved in 1817. Still colonization recycled through time, on the basis that the black race could never “be placed on an equality with the white race,” as Lincoln lectured a delegation of black men on August 14, 1862. The abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison corrected Lincoln: “It is not their color, but their being free, that makes their presence here intolerable.”

President Andrew Johnson did everything he could to keep us slaves. His successor, Ulysses S. Grant, tired of alienating racist Americans from the Republican Party every time he sent federal troops to defend our right to live, vote, thrive, and hold political office from Ku Klux Klansmen led by men such as Nathan Bedford Forrest, whom Tennessee honored with his own day on Saturday.

In the so-called Compromise of 1877, northerners retained the White House in exchange for allowing racist southerners to treat us like anything but Americans over the next century. Or were we Americans all along, despite what the lynchings and pogroms did to our bodies, and what Jim Crow did to our political economy? Or did we become Americans through court rulings and congressional acts in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s? Or were we still not Americans in 1968, when the Kerner Commission’s study of America’s racial landscape concluded, “Our nation is moving towards two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.”

Were the two societies—instead of black and white—the American society of legal patriots and the un-American society of illegal aliens? Did the Latinx, Muslim, Asian, and black immigrants who arrived in the United States since the 1960s join the people of color and anti-racist whites in the un-American society? Have people of color been allowed to enter American society and become Americans when they submitted to racist power and policy and inequality and injustice—when they became “my African American”? Have rebellious “un-Americans” of color been demonized as criminals and deported back to our countries or to more and more prisons like Angola in Louisiana?

Am I an American?

Blood-red-hatted segregationists say no, never, unless we submit to slavery. Assimilationists say we can be Americans if we stop speaking Spanish, stop wearing hijabs, cut our long hair, stop acting out against them—if we follow their gradual lead.

Anti-racist blacks have divided over this question as fiercely as segregationists and assimilationists. I am an American, and because I’m an American, I deserve to be free. I am not an American, because if I were an American, I’d be free.

“I, too, am America,” Langston Hughes wrote in perhaps his most famous poem, first published in 1926.

“I’m not a Republican, nor a Democrat, nor an American—and got sense enough to know it,” Malcolm X orated at a Detroit church on April 12, 1964.

Both ring true to me. I do not know whether I’m an American. But I do know it is up to me to answer this question based on how I define American, based on how I am treated by America. I don’t care whether or not anyone thinks I am an American. I am not about persuading anyone to see how American I am. I do not write stories that show white people all the ways people of color contributed to America. I will not battle with anyone over who is an American. There is a greater battle for America.

Maybe that is the point. Maybe I had the question wrong all along. Maybe I should not live in envy; I should live in struggle. Maybe I should have been asking, “Who controls America?” instead of “Am I an American?” Because who controls America determines who is an American.

[Elen]

A great post NAP. :love:

[Emil El Zapato]

Thanks Elen, the point for me and certainly for the author is to dig deep into the underlying reality of what drives people...not superficial this or that...THE TRUTH, THE REALITY!

[Dreamtimer]

Have you seen the app that shows what you'll look like in 40 years?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D_xvyFDWwAMQ6lM?format=jpg&name=medium

[Emil El Zapato]

I'm thinking I'll look like dust and bones... :)

but a ouija board once told me that I would live to 104, so there's a chance... :)

[Emil El Zapato]

Dr. Xendi used an analogy to explain the difference between a 'visitor' and a 'member'

Suppose you invite someone into your home and they start slamming the design...the decor, the layout, the condition, even the smell, one would rightfully usher the visitor out with the admonition, 'Go Back To Where You Came From', BUT, what if it was the visitor's home, too? Would it fall within the realm of reasonableness for the household 'member' to critique the state of the home in the hope that it could be improved? Would it be appropriate, honest, sensible, or even rational to suggest they go back from whence they came when they are, in fact, standing from whence they came?

What say you?!

[Emil El Zapato]

I woke up this morning with the name, Bryon Armstrong resounding in my brain...no idea why. I just looked it up and it seems the first name up is a 16 year old high school super athlete from San Antonio, Texas...I dunno.

On his page is an ad regarding Narcolepsy which might have been prompted by some of my searches because recently I've started thinking that my daughter got her narcolepsy issues from me...it is genetic.

[Emil El Zapato]

The Permian–Triassic extinction event, also known as the P–Tr extinction, the P–T extinction, the End-Permian Extinction and colloquially as the Great Dying, formed the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods, as well as between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, approximately 252 million years ago.


Paleontology in New Mexico refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of New Mexico. The fossil record of New Mexico is exceptionally complete and spans almost the entire stratigraphic column. More than 3,300 different kinds of fossil organisms have been found in the state. Of these more than 700 of these were new to science and more than 100 of those were type species for new genera. During the early Paleozoic, southern and western New Mexico were submerged by a warm shallow sea that would come to be home to creatures including brachiopods, bryozoans, cartilaginous fishes, corals, graptolites, nautiloids, placoderms, and trilobites. During the Ordovician the state was home to algal reefs up to 300 feet high. During the Carboniferous, a richly vegetated island chain emerged from the local sea. Coral reefs formed in the state's seas while terrestrial regions of the state dried and were home to sand dunes. Local wildlife included Edaphosaurus, Ophiacodon, and Sphenacodon.

Triassic New Mexico had a seasonal climate and was home to a richly vegetated flood plain where early dinosaurs such as Coelophysis lived. During the Jurassic New Mexico had a relatively dry climate and was home to dinosaurs such as Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and the huge long-necked sauropods. Seawater covered eastern New Mexico during the Cretaceous, while on land dinosaurs, including tyrannosaurs, maintained their dominance. Early in the Cenozoic New Mexico was swampy, but gradually the local climate cooled. Local wildlife included creatures such as amblypods, carnivorans, condylarths, the 7-foot tall flightless bird Diatryma, three-toed horses, marsupials, multituberculates, and taeniodonts. Cooler climates eventually ushered in the Ice Age, when the state was home to mastodons.

Local Native Americans devised myths to explain local fossil bones and petrified wood. New Mexico's fossils first came to the attention of formally trained scientists by the mid-19th century. Major finds in the state include Coryphodon, a mummy of the ground sloth Nothrotherium, Triassic Coelophysis bonebeds, bonebeds of Triassic amphibians and the gigantic sauropod formerly known as Seismosaurus. The Triassic dinosaur Coelophysis bauri is the New Mexico state fossil.

- wiki -

Just as an afterthought it occurred to me that all these red hair myths (particularly in the United States) around the world stemmed from the Vikings...Eric the Red and Leif Erickson. The Vikings were bad ass.

[Emil El Zapato]

The Hamitic Hypothesis: hmmm....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn4bvjMh4vc

[Dreamtimer]

Dang. My first learning of the Ainu was that they were matriarchal. The whiteness wasn't a focus.

[Emil El Zapato]

they're still matriarchal...I reckon' :)

[Emil El Zapato]

This one's for you, DT


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFohbr7ALeQ

[Dreamtimer]

Trey the Explainer. I hadn't heard of him, I don't think. Thanks.

[Emil El Zapato]

sho' ....

[Wind]

Russell Brand & Gabor Mate | Damaged Leaders Rule The World


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-mJnYmdVmQ

[Emil El Zapato]

This guy is very compassionate, knowledgeable, 'experienced' and ostensibly not a Behaviorist (an avowed Atheist, I thought I heard him say) but he still 'shades' if not confuses the nature of 'motivation' regarding the intersection of natural endowment, character, and practical reality. It was interesting to 'hear' where his true sympathies lie. I think he is a good caring person.

He likes Hilary Clinton!?!? Say What!!!!!! None of us are perfect, not even a work obsessed doctor with an addictive personality... :) We are human after all.

[Wind]

Any thoughts on this piece? My question is: Why people still can't see the forest for the trees?

Tribalism is terrorizing America (https://www.thepostmillennial.com/tribalism-is-terrorizing-america/)


This kind of violence doesn’t stem from either an exclusively left or right perspective, but from an undercurrent of tribalism in our society that can cause young people to feel worthless and hopeless. When people feel isolated, they reach out desperately for somewhere to belong.

Tribalism is a substantial threat to the peaceful fabric of North American life. It leads to censorship, panic, and conspiratorial thinking. We have abandoned our commonality in favour of elucidating and entrenching our differences. We point fingers and otherize, telling those different from us exactly why those differences make whatever our group is better than whatever their group is.

When we box and package ourselves, we make it easier to be divided. We assemble according to shared characteristics, and bond over how different our group is from other groups. It isn’t long before groups take pride in those aspects of self that they all share, and it isn’t long after that pride in shared characteristics within the group morph into feelings of group superiority over others.

[Fred Steeves]

What I continue to find odd is that it's almost taboo to consider the effects from the explosion of psychiatric drugs on people, especially young people. We've always had guns and this wasn't happening, we've always had clicks, and groups, and we've always had bullying and this never happened, so what's changed?

[Aragorn]

What I continue to find odd is that it's almost taboo to consider the effects from the explosion of psychiatric drugs on people, especially young people.

And an increase in the use of recreational drugs ─ don't forget that. We're seeing that over here in Europe as well among young people ─ the latest hype being nitrous oxide (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide) ─ and scientific research has shown that this has long-term psychiatric effects on the brains of young people, increasing their chances of psychosis and/or depression.


We've always had guns and this wasn't happening, we've always had clicks, and groups, and we've always had bullying and this never happened, so what's changed?

There have always been shootings in the USA, Fred ─ and even in other countries. But indeed, what has changed is that there currently is a xenophobic trend playing out ─ again: not just in the USA, but especially so there ─ and having a Mussolini-/Batista-wannabe in the White House who also happens to be a closet white-supremacist isn't exactly helping matters.

I would even go so far as to say that the QAnon phenomenon is partly responsible, because QAnon has been drawing more people to far-right message boards like 4Chan and 8Chan than ever before, exposing these people to far-right ideologies such as white-supremacism, McCarthy-ist commie hatred, and so on. And then there is the nature of the (mis-)information itself that QAnon disseminates ─ far-right and pro-Zionist.

Of course, El Donaldo the Banana Republican™ blames it on video games. Well, sure, there has been an increase in the production and sale of violent video games, and some of those games may subliminally have an adverse effect on a teenager's outlook on life, but I seriously doubt whether those games would be instilling racial hatred and fascist ideologies into kids' minds. :rolleyes:

But then again, all of what I've written here-above is just the mundane explanation. In keeping with the spiritual inclination of many of our members ─ myself included ─ and now that Sammy is back to remind us of the spiritual aspects of our mortal existence, I am going to go out on a limb and state that from the vantage of the universe, all of this was intended to happen, and that in whatever way, shape or form, it was intended to happen now. I don't buy into religions, but it is my firm belief that there's an apocalyptic scenario being played out right now.

And there's no sitting on the fence and watching the show for this one. We're all actors on the stage now. Call it woo-woo ─ and many people will, of course ─ but the writing's all over the wall in lettering the size of an adult ungulate. Crimes are not just escalating in frequency but also in intensity and cruelty ─ especially sexual abuse and hate crimes. People are politically polarized. Decadence rules ─ from substance abuse over rapists filming their own crimes on their smartphones and then putting them online, via the shameless and unrelenting invasion of people's privacy by the technology industry, all the way to the still very recent creation of human-simian chimeras. Scientifically established facts are constantly being ignored in favor of alternative and nonsensical explanations ─ Earth is flat, we never went to the moon, climate change isn't real, vaccines cause autism, and so on.

All of it serves the polarization, so that one way or another, sooner or later something's got to give. And ─ once again ─ having a US president who aligns himself with all those fake alternative vantages and who declares anything he doesn't like as "fake news", the polarization is taking on international proportions. Because like it or not, Trump plays a role in international politics, from military conflicts over the war on common sense down to the trade wars he has started.

There's too much friction, and the clouds are getting ionized. There are going to be a couple of lightning strikes pretty soon, and it's not going to be pretty when they hit. And what is happening today is only the prelude, in my opinion. :hmm:

[Emil El Zapato]

It use to be common wisdom that 'war' had a major correlation to 'domestic violence'...it seems to be discounted nowadays and I don't know why. Our culture in America has been at war 'how long"? Perhaps vested elements have manufactured the new reality that war has no affect on the cultures that practice it. Doesn't seem to make much sense does it?