PN:
Joe’s Comment
When in doubt, when your life seems an oblique impossibility, when 1 + 1 = 10 or 2 or ?, and the compass in yer head is swinging wildly, remember the words of the Duke –
Then remember who you are and how you got here. Integrity is part of doing the right thing no matter the forces you are facing –
Philosopher o’ the Week – G.K. Chesterton
Thought o’ the Week
Quote o’ the Week – Progress
G.K. Chesterton is long passed. His keen wit and deep intelligence live through his prodigious body of written work. One (of many) observations he made focuses on “progress”. As he says –
“My attitude toward progress has passed from antagonism to boredom. I have long ceased to argue with people who prefer Thursday to Wednesday because it is Thursday.” – G. K. Chesterton
Commentary o’ the Week
The tide may or may not be turning. Either way, David Cole has an unique analysis of the terror brought by the caustic cauldron called Islam. In his opinion piece called “Let the Bastards Be Scared” he makes the case that certain responses to terrorist behavior produce positive results. That is, the apologist cowering “turn the other cheek(s)” moral equivalence filter does NOT work. Hard line unambiguous timely actions are needed, if not for moral reasons then for practical needs. Mr. Cole assumed a nom de plume after 9/11 to catalyze a reaction. The reaction did occur, but the intended authors of the reaction remained silent. No real Muslim (or Islamist) replied in any way, shape, or form. Mr. Cole was there, lived it, and writes the facts as he knows them. A quote from the article –
“As last week’s Muslim-perpetrated atrocity in Paris tragically demonstrated, love may not be the answer. And while I am in no way suggesting that we face a Captain Kirk-level dilemma (kill or be killed), some measure of “meanness,” a modicum or two of “not love,” might be required on the part of the West, because you don’t have to be psychic to see where this is heading. According to the Pew polling organization, 35% of French Muslims support, to one degree or another, “suicide bombing of civilian targets to defend Islam.” Among French Muslims ages 18–29, that figure climbs to 42%. Leftists like to claim that not all Muslims are “radicalized,” while ignoring how apparently easy it is for a Muslim to become radicalized. The catalyst can be anything from a news report about a faraway war to a simple cartoon. When apologists deny the problem of Muslim radicalization on the grounds that “it’s not all of them,” that’s like a doctor declaring that pneumonia isn’t a problem among the elderly because not all of them have it. Of course not all elderly people have pneumonia, but there’s an increased susceptibility, and that’s what matters.”
Joe has a hard line position on the entire “terrorist” movement, whether physical, political, cultural, social, whatever.
You see, Joe sees “religion” and it’s adherents in the same light as heroin and it’s adherents. The devoutly religious are not smokers in a smoke free restaurant, or speeders in a school zone. It’s more like Heinz 57 cancer, deadly, infectious, immoral, unwanted, unnecessary. Joe firmly believes being an adherent to a specific strain of “religion” is deplorable, shameful, and reprehensible. If you must, please “worship” alone in a dark place (like your basement) and please don’t share your rapture. You are fucking delusional. You have voices in your head that aren’t helpful. You need counseling.
One Liner o’ the Week
Joe and I have read volumes of articles from the left (and right, and every coordinate imaginable) regarding the concept of religion. You know, the “right” to practice the “religion” of your choice, free from any form of inquisition, intrusion, interference.
My view, and that of Joe, is well defined and unabashedly vocalized. A quick refresher above in Commentary o’ the Week.
On another plane (and plain, too) I’m always conscious of efficiency and conciseness while conveying a thought or meaning through words.
For instance, Rex Murphy (God bless his verbose soul) and Ernes Hemingway could write about the same topic. Mr. Murphy would do in 300 words what Mr. Hemingway would in 30. I have faith the meaning would be clear in both cases.
That theme established, the following one liner expresses Joe’s and my view of religion very closely –
“You can put a candle in a cow patty but that doesn’t make it a birthday cake.” – anon
Thanks profusely to whomever coined this beautifully concise phrase. Couldn’t find who penned it in the entire WWW.
Image o’ the Week
EUROPE
POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOUR, STUPID
Seems like Christmas / New Year celebrations bring dividends via the stork –
Joe and I struggle with this problem every day. Many thanks to friends who send information –
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, GOOD STUFF
Pop That Corn
Ever wonder what goes on when popcorn does what it does? Wonder no more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kvdHWZXJ9Y&feature=youtu.be
THE CULTURE (THERE IS ONLY ONE)
Cultural Shift
An interesting article by Daniel Greenfield at SultanKnish titled “The Poor Murderers“. Very astute observation of how the culture is gradually shifting, and those on the left are enabling, a decline of civilization. From our Canadian perspective, how much longer will it be before we see armed men in the streets, protecting our way of life? As Mr. Greenfield suggests, the defense of our culture has many fronts. Us wee folk can contribute. It is not over until we (the people) throw in the towel.
A quote from the article –
“After 9/11, the sight of heavily armed police officers became the new normal in New York. It’s the new normal in gun-free Europe where the capital cities of the continent fall are locked down and the people are told to stay away from the windows.
It’s just life………………..
Courage is a moral force. It makes us who we are. But it isn’t always right. The SS were courageous and so were the Bolsheviks. So are the ACLU lawyers who rush to defend Muslim terrorists and their clients who blow themselves up to kill non-Muslims and their infidel civilization.
Warped morals that invert the innocent and the guilty, that turns murderers into victims, make courage into an evil thing. They make it into a crime.
Murder is not a mystery. Its harbinger is the police car, the plane flying low, the smiling man who opens his coat. Evil is not a mystery either. It is moral courage tuned to the destruction of civilization. The murderer can be courageous, but not creative. The ends of evil are power and ruination.
Liberalism is all too often the cult of the poor murderer. The thug who kills over inequality. The terrorist who bombs over bigotry. And it is outrage at the victims of its own Utopian crimes……….
Civilization is the moral force that resists destruction. It is the speech that dares to name murderers, murderers. As civilization dwindles, streets darken and savages and their lawyers hunt the night. Murderers become victims, destroyers become the future and good is invoked in the name of evil.
Sometimes upholding civilization is a difficult thing. It can mean being a soldier on the front lines or a police officer sitting in a car waiting for a terrorist to strike.
Or sometimes it can simply mean speaking the truth. And that is something that any of us can do.
Even at the best of times, civilization is a fragile thing. At the worst of times, it can be held up with a few words, with a few people reminding each other that truth is worth fighting for.”
I and Joe have taken heed. We are adamant to speak clearly and concisely from our perspective.
And we have a “bug out” bag ready at all times….. here, here, here.
PHILOSOPHY, PHILOSOPHERS, SMART THINKING
GUNS, GUNNERS, GUNNERY
THE RELIGION OF PEACE (ALL OVER US)
W for War
Daniel Greenfield from SultanKnish explains why Islam is NOT a religion of peace. In fact, his argument is “Why Islam Is a Religion of War“. Indeed, Mr. Greenfield makes a compelling case for his stance by quoting Islamic “holy scripture”, reviewing history, and connecting the dots.
Quoting from the article –
“When Hamas states that, “Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah” or the ISIS rapists tell Yazidi girls that rape “draws them closer to Allah”, they really do mean it.
They are not perverting a great religion, as our politicians claim, they are living it.
Everything they do is based on the Koran, the body of Islamic law and the greater history of Islam.
What the Ten Commandments are for the Jew, or the resurrection of Jesus is for the Christian– the physical dominance of Islam is to the Muslim. It is the basis and fulfillment of his faith.
Jihad is the force that gives Islam meaning. It is the deepest expression of faith………….
And now Islam’s vendetta is worldwide. Every insecurity translates into a provocation. Every jealous impulse never satisfied explodes into violent rage. Every conflict for thousands of years breeds a new vendetta. Did Muslims once live somewhere? They must reclaim it, for to fail to do so is blasphemous and a betrayal of Mohammed’s mission. Did Muslims never live somewhere? Then they must go there now, and raise up minarets and proclaim the superiority of Islam, for to do otherwise is a failure to expand the borders of the Ummah, which is a betrayal of Allah’s will.”
Joe and I find truth in Mr. Greenfield’s words. At some point we must take them at stated value, not twisted “moral equivalence” driven semi-logic that transforms the reality into an “oranges v oranges” argument. Just whose lives are the politicians playing with anyway? Q.E.D.
THE ABOVE IS A MUST READ.
Goodbye Sweden
A news update re: Sweden from Pat Condell. There is no end to the madness of politicians at the tiller. This has NOTHING to do with religion. It has everything to do with madmen from an evil society. Listen and learn at your peril. Might upset your delicate PC balance. A report about the criminal rape culture of Islam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uws9BlnJmjI#t=81
SUNDAY SERMON
Stefan Molyneux with the 3rd part of Gene Wars:r/K Selection Theory I Classified Material:
WEATHER (OR NOT)
The first week of cold weather has descended on little Vernon. Typical Okanagan weather – clouds from mountain top to mountain top, temperatures below zero all night and most of the day. Little to no sun. The single compensation is very infrequent low energy wind, due to the heavy cloud cover. Two days the sun did come out it was late in the day in time to say goodnight. Goodnight, sun.
Joe (Bunker Man) Mekanic
p.s. Ramirez should be mandatory viewing – from Investor’s Business Daily –
