Sunday Rant - 3915

PN:

Quote o’ the Week

Some Days Are Better Than Others Department

Website o’ the Week
Joe and I try to spend as much time on the Internet as we can. It is a magnificent source of information, entertainment, education, news, commerce, among a plethora of functions. We often come across websites that impress us as unique and worthy of bookmarking, then re-visiting regularly to check the “anomaly factor”. One such website that appeals to us is “thebastionofliberty”.
Liberty’s Torch is unabashedly conservative / libertarian in it’s filtering of life’s give and take. The following article by Francis W. Porretto titled “Shamans” is a prime example of the excellence to be found.
A few passages in the article struck Joe and I as being particularly relevant; one is a frame of reference statement, and the other an identity statement we could adopt as our own, other than source of ethnicity and focus of loyalty –

“Among primitive tribes, a taboo was a mystical prohibition against a word or deed thought to anger the gods. The definition, rationalization, and enforcement of taboos were the province of the tribe’s shamans, to whom the propitiation of the gods was entrusted. Oftentimes, if a primitive society caught one of its members violating a taboo, its shamans would immediately offer him as a sacrifice to the gods, in the hope of averting an explosion of divine wrath.
In our modern lexicon, a taboo is a legally or socially enforced prohibition against speaking openly of certain things: usually, particular topics considered offensive by a politically privileged group. (Note the adverb “openly.” Many a taboo honored scrupulously in conduct open to general scrutiny is violated freely among intimates.) Today’s shamans, the definers and enforcers of taboos, are those politically privileged groups, often in collaboration with non-members who feel some sympathy with their aims or complaints.”
……………..
“Before we proceed, allow me to state a few things very, very plainly.

I am a Caucasian of Irish and Italian descent, whose parents were immigrants from those lands.
My loyalties are to my family and the United States of America. I would defend either or both to the death. Apart from a mortgage and a car loan, I owe nothing else to anyone.
What matters most to me about others is their character: their willingness to respect the rights of others and to discharge their proper responsibilities, without whining about any of it.
I believe that there is an American culture, and that it is infinitely superior to all the other cultures of the world, past or present. More, I believe that Americans are the finest people in the world — that no other land produces anything remotely comparable to our general standard of decency, justice, generosity, or good humor.
I believe that the races, as conventionally defined, differ in various ways. The importance of those differences is topical and contextual.
I believe that the sexes differ in various ways. As with racial differences, the importance of those differences is topical and contextual.
I believe that homosexual sodomy is self-destructive, but that, at least in certain cases, sexual orientation can be changed.
I believe that there is such a thing as general intelligence, that it is at least partly inherited, and that it varies widely.
I believe that the handicapped should receive our sympathy and compassion as individuals to other individuals, but that they are not entitled to more as a matter of right.
I believe that laws that mandate preferred treatment for the members of any group, however defined, are both unConstitutional and destructive.
I hold these convictions not because anyone else holds them, but because the evidence of my senses and my own powers of reasoning have led me to them.

According to the major taboos of our time, this makes me a racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic chauvinist abuser of the physically challenged. By copping to all this, I’ve violated all the major, politically correct taboos of our time: about race, gender, sexual orientation, the handicapped, and multiculturalism. Needless to say, the enforcers of those taboos would like to see me boiled in oil.”

What strikes us as very pertinent about the article is that it dates from 2006. Almost 10 years ago. It is as pertinent today as it was then. A provocative, interesting, and educational website.

POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID

There are zillions of websites on the Internet. Some of the owners / contributors to these websites are gems. One such website is “The Lonely Libertarian” ( http://hopelesslysane.blogspot.ca/ ). What a great sense of humor! A large number of the following cartoons / pictures / captioned pictures come the Lonely Libertarian, a self professed stubborn, red-headed big-mouth. A female, of course –

Daniel J. forwarded the following excellent comment –

PHILOSOPHY, PHILOSOPHERS, SMART THINKING

An apt quote with a grammatical flaw. For the record, General Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate officer and the founder of the KKK –

THE CULTURE (THERE IS ONLY ONE)

The Rise of the Sexbots
An application of technology that replaces women in heterosexual relationships? Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos makes the case here. In summary, the “experts” quoted by Mr. Yiannopoulos predict sex with robots will be the “norm” within 50 years. Mr. Yiannopoulos is a professed gay man. He doesn’t address the homosexual appetite sexbots might satisfy, but the article is interesting (not stimulating), as is the video – link following:

http://video.breitbart.com/?ndn.trackingGroup=90085&ndn.siteSection=breitbart_nws_us_sty_vmppap&ndn.videoId=29223258&freewheel=90085&sitesection=breitbart_nws_us_sty_vmppap&vid=29223258

A few incendiary quotes from the article –
“Who, or what, men have sex with is the basis of our civilisation. It is the driving force behind our greatest accomplishments. Men don’t compete for abstract pleasure: they compete to bag the best mate. The internet, the pyramids and the moon landings would not exist were it not for man’s desire to have sex with woman.
That’s why Nature experiments more widely with men: the male IQ range is wider, and there is more variation in male behaviour and biology than in women. Men are where experimentation happens, because a wider variety of male aptitudes and preferences will keep women happier and result in a more well-rounded and healthy society.”
……….”Women will not take men’s places in these disciplines, because there simply aren’t enough women with IQs over 120. Again, sorry if you find that offensive, but it’s just a fact. IQ isn’t a perfect measure, by any means, but it’s the best gauge we have of whether someone can perform the higher-level functions needed to be a game-changing scientist or transcendently brilliant artist.
Sex with a woman will always be the prestige form of intercourse, to put it in the language of marketers. But the sexual marketplace is changing terrifyingly fast. Sex won’t be truly commoditised until there is a mass-produced, victimless, cheap alternative to having sex that is good enough for most men.”

Joe and I know what we like, and what we believe. If the above has any merit the world is changing, not for the best. However, the sexbot might be a cure for the crazy savages from the “religion of peace”. They could satisfy their lust and murderous rage by raping then beheading robots. Entrepreneurs, please form a line on the left…….

GUNS, GUNNERS, GUNNERY

The current statistics from Chicago, Il, a city with severe gun control laws.
The outlaws and criminals don’t care what the law is, leaving the law abiding helpless –

THE RELIGION OF PEACE (ALL OVER US)

Another video showing actual footage of what is happening. Tell me again how it ISN’T religion based, religion funded, religion focused? My lying eyes get me in all sorts of trouble:

SUNDAY SERMON

Daniel Dennett discusses the question “Can churches survive the age of transparency? From the TAM 2014 (The Amaz!ng Meeting 2014). A repeat? Perhaps, but worth watching:

If you don’t have time to watch, here is one of the foundation actualities, the “Great Tree of Life”. A most important document for us eukaryotes –

WEATHER (OR NOT)

This week has been autumnal. The hedge leaves are all scarlet, orange, and brown. The birch leaves are yellowing. The oak tree is dropping acorns. Rain, cloud, wind, some sun, not much heat. Seems inevitable that summer is gone. Rats!