Where opinions are ferocious and weird
“Once malice is embraced as a virtue, it is impossible to contain.”
“Their shared laughter at the suffering of others is an adhesive that binds them to one another…”
The cruelty is the point.
Continue reading “Beware of little cruelties”
Starting with Much Madness is Divinest Sense by Emily Dickenson:
Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
’Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur, — you’re straightaway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.
I recently learned of the term “Overton Window,” which is a concept that totally made sense as I was reading about it. In brief, it’s the “socially acceptable” range of discourse allowed. Topics outside the Overton Window often cause discomfort to folks who are used to whatever is in the Overton Window.
Continue reading “Make Your Own Window”
People call these little pictures “memes” and I can understand that.
But please remember that memes are oft-repeated ideas.
Continue reading “Beware the Repeated Meme”
“Microchipping” is so “90’s Chucklehead Paranoia.”
Instead, think “integrating your online activity into a significant model of what you will buy without thinking.”
Continue reading “Don’t be chippy-dumb”
I think it would be much more interesting if cops had competition, and that the competition mattered.
Customer: “Well, we could call the police, but Easy Pete’s Chillin’ Brothers will get the job done without shooting citizens in the face.”
Continue reading “They shouldn’t be the only game in town.”
In a hundred million years, when humans are long extinct, it may be the case that an intelligent species of animals, long descended from cephalopods, attempts to reconstruct our lives and bodies. We will be an oddity to them because we had an internal limiting structure. We will be The Skeleton People.
Continue reading “The Skeleton People”
When I was a little kid, I was in the hospital. It was serious, and I kinda understood that. I was just glad that doctors and nurses were trying to help. I always thanked them.
One day, a new kid was put into my shared room. He nonstop bragged about how he knew all about hospitals and all about doctors and this was all no problem for him and he wasn’t afraid of anything.
Continue reading “Bounties. Sure.”
Why are there no billionaires who are a version of Batman?
Continue reading “Batman$”
If we want to live in a technological world that contains millions or billions of people who may depend upon us, and upon whom we may depend, then we must execute a sea change in our relationships with our species, our environment, our philosophies, and our purposes for existence.
I always figured that any supernatural creature that can be fooled by the application of Pascal’s Wager really isn’t deserving of worship from a thoughtful being.
The brave knight approached the pair of doors.
Each door sported a gargoyle, and as he approached, they came to life. One spoke, and growled “One of us will lie and one of us will tell the truth. One door leads to the treasure and one door leads to certain death. You may ask one question.”
Continue reading “Read More Carefully”
Anyone can be tricked or fooled — the human brain is very hackable.
Continue reading “Monkey-Wrenchin’ a Mind”
My writerly advice for today:
Never overthink your world.
Continue reading “A Bit of Writerly Advice”
I think we can all agree that burning a confederate flag is perfectly acceptable as an act of protest, or to keep warm, or because you have a match, the name of the day ends with “y,” whatever.
There is a certain class of people highly tolerated and very dangerous in the United States: people who convulsively reflexively, and impulsively refuse to do what anyone tells them.
Continue reading ““Nu-uh!””
You know all those stories about hero dogs and hero cats saving their owners when the house catches on fire?
Continue reading “Hero Pets!”
I have a hypothesis: The Rapture happened. All genuine true believers were Raptured away.
Continue reading “We are the Leftovers”
I’ve been thinking about how we treat experts and professionals.
Continue reading “Expertise — worth it!”
I think at this point, when faced with “love the sinner hate the sin,” it’s okay to adopt that same approach regarding the person making that claim.
Continue reading ““Sinners are People!””
I started understanding why the US enjoyed zombie movies so much after I had watched about fifty or so.
Continue reading “Americana Brain Sandwich”
You can learn so much by licking cake batter from the tines of an egg beater.
For example, how to unplug appliances.
It has been said that if you have to eat a frog, then do it in the morning.
I’m not sure frogs have been consulted on this.
Shallow seas breed little fish.
Think deeply and act with intention, compassion, and vision.
This is why I must not be allowed to travel in space.
Continue reading “Welcome to Mars”
The actual phrase is “a few bad apples spoil the batch,” not “a few bad apples, so let’s make pie anyway, it’ll be delicious, what could possibly go wrong?”
Continue reading “A Few Bad Apples…”
I have concluded that I have been visited by a time traveler doctor.
Continue reading “A Message from the Future?”
“Brutal honesty” is rarely honest and always brutal.
Is it weird that the people who seem the most pious are the ones you later discover have 150 petabytes of unspeakable horrors on their computer?
Continue reading ““Cloaking Paradigm Activated, Captain.””
I have been thinking for a long time now that the vast majority of “three wish” stories are to encourage people to remain happy in their stations.
Continue reading “If Wishes Were Horses…”
A god who can be worshiped from a closet doesn’t need a tax haven.
And one who cannot be worshiped from a closet ain’t worth shit.