Tagged: government
The Contest is Not Certain
When I moved to Minnesota I immediately noticed the Somalis. If you’re unaware, they are in many towns up there, not just the Twin Cities—small and large.
The most obvious thought I had—being a geographically and climate-varieties informed American—was, “Why the eff are they staying in the cold?”
I would see them, men especially, wearing one thin layer of buffalo plaid pj pants, holding their parka tightly with ungloved hands when the wind was blowing around below zero chills.
“What is wrong with this moron?” I would constantly think.
Don’t misunderstand me. This had nothing to do with that part of the body between the brain and the wind. I thought the same thing about any poorly dressed soul. It’s just that typical Minnesotans, if they know anything, know how to put on a coat. So the Somalis stood out.
For the life of me, I couldn’t think of any industry or job that these Somalis worked in that wasn’t in every other state in the Union.
The God’s honest truth is that I just shook my head and reckoned, “Well, I have heard of Chinatown(s). So I guess a feature of American life is that some country’s immigrants just arrive and stay close.” I had never experienced the desire to stay with “my people” beyond the concept that moving out of America has never been a consideration. America is mine. So I will move around it as I please or where the wind blows me.
Just the same, I still thought they were dumb for staying in the cold. Like even my Midwestern-grown self had no idea how different the weather really is in latitudes north of Nebraska. But I also wasn’t from latitudes north of Nebraska. These people, the underdressed Somalis, were from the desert. They had actual experience in a different, surely more pleasant climate. Why didn’t they drive south? The St. Louis airport has the same work available that MSP does. Why not just move down to the Midwest and start the life there? Or, hell, why not just keep going and end up in Dellis. Or Tampa?
I thought and I thought and I thought. I just couldn’t figure it out. Why did they stay?
Thuck-Y-Dideez
I first heard of Thucydides in college. This would have been 2001-ish. We weren’t studying him, but the professor needed to make a point and used the classic “Athens-open, Sparta-closed” historian to do so. Along the way, the professor interlaced a story about how a student came to him complaining about the reading and pronounced thoo-sih-di-deez: Thuck-Y-Dideez.
Funny stuff.
I do not know what the Thucydides Trap is, but I want to post an informed guess before I google it. What did Xi mean when he used the phrase?
Before I reveal my surmise, I want to add here that a chinaman using a western anecdote is real evidence that America and the West are already winning the war with China. And rightly so, since we’re obviously the more relevant civilization.
Okay. That said. What is the “Thucydides Trap” that we hope to avoid?
War.
(Wish me luck in my AI-ing for confirmation/information.)
Did You Know the Victorian Era had a Fad Called “Table Turning”?
It’s true. I first read about it in the Gateway to the Great Books volume on Natural Science.
The renowned physicists of the era actually referenced, with tremendous disdain, the nonsense on their way to explaining how the physical world follows seemingly iron law.
But don’t take my word for it. Just search it up. Victorian era table-turning.
(You’re tired. It’s late. What does this have to do with anything, you ask? Well, it just should be counted as proof positive that there are no bounds to our ability to try to fool each other and to be fooled by each other. There are no extraterrestrial life forms, folks—only terrestrial suckers.)
Can We Be Serious About the AI Pic Trump Posted?
If we’re serious and methodically particular in this ridiculous much-ado-about-nothing, faux outrage, the following is the claim:
“I think the POTUS is crazy because, for unnamed reasons, he posted a picture which was a montage of cultural (as opposed to Biblical) Christianity imagery, to include a figure in a white robe with a red sash that, for some reason, for many people calls to mind the son of God—Jesus of Nazareth, post-resurrection—but instead of the usual artistic rendering of what famed boxer Muhammed Ali called “blonde-haired, blue-eyed” Jesus’s face, the image Trump posted had Trump’s face.”
Shorter: “I think the POTUS is crazy because he posted a political cartoon where he is depicted as the hero.”
In other words, the entire idea that “Trump posted a picture of himself as Jesus” is absolutely non-sensical.
There are no pictures of Jesus!!
In War, Winning Matters
On repeat, we’ll soon hear incessant debate, masquerading as reporting, about who has war powers and whether “orange man bad” has lost his mind in a way that is impeachable etc.
That’s expected.
But never for one moment lose track of what matters: in war, winning matters. Not the future, not principles, but winning. And here is how we know that we’re winning: no American cities are being attacked.
Once American cities are receiving fire, the winning-losing continuum becomes slightly broader.
But until then, there is nothing to get your panties in a twist about.
I’m Getting Hot This Winter
The power company sent a letter informing me of my newfound power to save money.
Oh joy! Tell me more!
The method?
When I need to see, turn off the lights.
When I need to cook, turn off the stove, turn off the oven.
When I need to do laundry, turn off the washer and dryer.
When I need to shower, turn off the water.
Get it? Isn’t it brilliant? I bet they had their monkeys working ‘round the clock to develop that one.
What next? Restaurants saving me money, putting the power in my hands by charging less between 9:01 and 9:02, both AM and PM? What a deal!
Gas stations down the road from each other now give dramatic discounts immediately after you fill up at the competition, ‘Just bring your receipt!’? Count me in!
Trash companies now let me save by skipping my house for five years straight and then it’s only a fraction of the cost for one big pickup? Let’s go!
I have no idea how much “energy” should cost. Or food. Or fuel. Or trash removal. But I do know that I know best, and with pinpoint accuracy, absolute certainty, and perfect timing, exactly what I need, why I need it, and when I need it—not you.
Everyone Is Christian
Did you know? I had no idea.
But, apparently, it took the enforcement arm of the Law’s killing only two people for the entire world to assert Jesus Christ as all-powerful being and ruler of the time-space universe.
I’m also not sure if I should welcome them or they should welcome me.
“Let him take your garment also.”
A tip for the communists: your favorite verse for the current scene in Minnesota is “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also.”
That’s much more difficult teaching for the White Christian Nationalists to deal with than the temple cleansing incident.
You’re welcome.
Self-Imposed Curfew
Just jotting a few thoughts on topic of Minnesota.
- For people acclimated to the cold, IE Minnesotans, Dakotans, Montanans, etc, standing outside in the cold is not an indicator of anything. (For Somalis, on the other hand, standing outside in the cold reveals them to be stupid.)
- I happen to have watched videos of officer involved shootings before the last couple weeks. They are never “clear cut” or have some obvious flow or escalate linearly. Hollywood et al should not be relied on for how an officer-involved shooting should look or feel. Go look up other videos and see for yourself. They are all utter chaos. That’s why law enforcement exists in the first place.
- My visceral reaction to this morning’s shooting is “These dumb motherfuckers (meaning the lefty whites) just normalized ICE-involved shootings. It now feels just like school shootings. ‘Another one? When will people learn?’”
- I want the Law (meaning all people who act as our Law, legislature, executives, and enforcement) to know I support them, not the protesters. I think the best way I can do this is stay inside, not counter-protest etc. Let the morons and rabble who only want destruction self-identify and be the only ones out on the streets. That will make it easier for the Law to do their job.
Time to Revisit Immigrants and Bananas
The main line is sung in a memorable scene in A River Runs Through It, but it took me decades to actually google it.
With absolutely nothing derogatory towards liars, Somalis, or loose band-aids in mind, and instead offered in the spirit of legal immigration, here ya go. You’re welcome.
There’s a fruit store on our street
It’s run by a Greek
And he keeps good things to eat
But you should hear him speak!
When you ask him anything, he never answers “no”
He just “yes”es you to death, and as he takes your dough
He tells you
“Yes, we have no bananas
We have-a no bananas today
We’ve string beans, and onions
Cabbageses, and scallions
And all sorts of fruit and say
We have an old fashioned to-mah-to
A Long Island po-tah-to
But yes, we have no bananas
We have no bananas today.”
Business got so good for him that he wrote home today
“Send me Pete and Nick and Jim; I need help right away.”
When he got them in the store, there was fun, you bet
Someone asked for “sparrow grass” and then the whole quartet
All answered
“Yes, we have no bananas
We have-a no bananas today
Just try those coconuts
Those walnuts and doughnuts
There ain’t many nuts like they
We’ll sell you two kinds of red herring
Dark brown, and ball-bearing
But yes, we have no bananas
We have no bananas today.”
Yes, we are very sorry to inform you
That we are entirely out of the fruit in question
The afore-mentioned vegetable
Bearing the cognomen “Banana”
We might induce you to accept a substitute less desirable
But that is not the policy at this internationally famous green
Grocery
I should say not. No no no no no no no
But may we suggest that you sample our five o’clock tea
Which we feel certain will tempt your pallet?
However we regret that after a diligent search
Of the premises
By our entire staff
We can positively affirm without fear of contradiction
That our raspberries are delicious; really delicious
Very delicious
But we have no bananas today
Captain’s Log 