Update
I have a couple of different posts percolating. I've been wanting to talk about "common sense" for awhile now, but that's going to be a larger animal than I'm able to tackle anytime soon. So, forthcoming, a post about that... and other things probably.
I'm not overly active in following politics. I've always enjoyed the aspect of my white privilege that made it something I could mostly ignore. Maybe it was growing up in the 9/11 era, but I just got really jaded about the 24 hour news cycle. And in the end, it didn't make a difference. Like okay, you're investing a lot of energy into paying close attention to what's going on - without actually doing anything about what's going on. It doesn't matter how much news you watch. No amount of WATCHING will change the outcome. I've never liked Trump. I remember thinking he was an absolute dickwad when I had to watch an episode of the apprentice in a high school economics class. Most of the other kids were just excited to be watching TV instead of doing actual schoolwork, but I found it absolutely insufferable. Maybe I just didn't like Mr. Busen.
Even before that, my grandparents had a Trump board game. Yes, Milton Bradley decided in the wake of "the art of the deal" to release a bastardized version of monopoly. Unsurprisingly, it sold poorly. Apparently Parker Brothers rereleased it after the apprentice gained popularity. Go figure.
But I guess the point is, this dude sold his soul to remain a fixture in our capitalist hellscape before I was even born, and continues to do so. Not for the betterment of others, or even himself, just for the association of his face and name with dollar $ign$. It doesn't matter how much money he has, or property, or intelligence. Only that the public THINKS he has those things. When you're a delusional narcissist, reality is irrelevant. You can create your own out of ego and sheer willpower, as long as you can convince everyone else to believe it too.
I think everything he does makes a LOT more sense in this context. He's spent the last 40 years showing anyone who will listen exactly what he's about. Why would anyone be surprised now? Disgusted, sure. But not surprised.
I am still waiting for him to decide to run for a third term. And find myself reminiscing about 10 years ago when I thought, "The guy from the apprentice? Surely they won't nominate HIM. 'YOU'RE FIRED'? That will never happen."
Joke of the day:
What do you call a mouse that swears?
- A cursor
Most of the time I feel like the future is stupid. Every time I have to download a new “convenient” app full of broken code that barely functions. Every time I have to pump my own gas, then “see cashier for receipt.” Every time I fill a cart with groceries, then empty the cart to scan those groceries, then load them back into the cart, then empty the cart into the van, then load them from the van into the house. I’m sure the store would make us stock the shelves too if they could figure out how to market it as a convenience. Even more disappointing is the number of my peers who don’t seem to realize the dystopian hellscape in which we find ourselves; giving our worst jobs to actual humans and working them into exhaustion, all while investing absurd amounts of profits into training artificial intelligence to make art. Humans and machines are optimized for very different tasks and it seems like somewhere along the way the powers that be got it all mixed up.
Still, I have to have hope that we can do better in the future. Faith that there is a bigger cosmic plan in play. And trust that the majority of people are doing the best they can with what they have; that not everyone is an unconscionable shitbag.
So, as the world feels like it’s going down in a blaze of glory, be sure to love the ones who are close to you, let them love you back, and give everyone a lot of grace - including yourself.
I got a dad joke page-a-day calendar for Christmas. Today’s joke is:
What is corn’s favorite holiday?
- New Ear’s Day!
… Now I’m left to wonder how many of these jokes were written by AI
::
2021 29 April :: 11.03pm
:: Music: Tauk - Sir Nebula
Jet Lag
I used to have arguments with my uncle about language. I insisted that there were grammatical structures and rules in place in order to keep the meaning of language consistent. If we are to communicate and exchange ideas, it is critical to have the same words and sounds mean the same thing to both parties, in order to successfully transmit all information in the idea accurately. I thought that the rules helped to keep those meanings from shifting.
His primary contention was that language was alive, constantly evolving and changing in meaning. Different languages cherry pick words and phrases from other languages, sometimes at random, sometimes by conquest. New words are constantly being born, while old words slowly die off and are forgotten. I think he viewed slang as some kind of nursery for future linquistic possibilities.
I have to admit, he may be right.
After all, they condensed an extremely specific phenomenon - in which one traverses the surface of the planet at such an incredible rate, that their biological rhythms have difficulty adapting to the dramatic change in diurnal cycle - into just two syllables.
::
2021 1 April :: 10.30pm
:: Music: The Great Outdoors (1988)
life goes on, man.
finished a painting gig today. gonna try to hold off on any more work until after the trip to phoenix. aside from the laundry list of chores amassed for me by past chris. occasionally he surprises me, but usually he just kicks the cans down the road for future chris to deal with. hopefully some dedicated time will help future chris in his efforts.
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the spirit of god is alive wherever people are helping others, and growing in understanding. in places where people are wrongly harming others, the spirit is dead. even if that place is a church. or a school. or a home.
this may sound like a bummer, but it is actually very encouraging to witness the spirit thriving in many diverse and unlikely places. don't let the trimmings fool you. look at the people. see who's helping. join them. doesn't really matter where.
In which I am joined by Eliot. He wants to start a 90s cover band, but neither of us sing. The set list is epic ... if we can ever learn all the songs. Or find a vocalist.
