ZARDOZ SPEAKS TO YOU, HIS CHOSEN ONES. NOW THAT ORDER HAS RETURNED TO THE CHOSEN ONES INTERNET HQ, ZARDOZ WILL ONCE AGAIN PROVIDE THE BEST ADVICE AVAILABLE – FAR BETTER THAN THE BRUTAL “DEAR ABBY“. THEREFOR RECEIVE THE GIFT OF ADVICE. GO FORTH AND COMMENT!
Q: I’m a high school junior, and my school’s prom is coming up. I don’t have a date. I completely understand that I don’t need a date for prom to have fun. However, within my group of friends, we are organizing who will sit at our 18-person table, and I’m the only dateless person at our table, which means I’m the odd one out (eight couples plus me for a total of 17 seats filled).
I know I should try to have fun even if I’m the only one by myself, but the situation makes me feel so alone. I asked two different guys if they wanted to go with me: One ended up going with a different girl and will be sitting at our table. The other didn’t want to go with me.
How should I handle this situation and be able to have fun at prom, even though I’ll be sticking out as the only person in our entire group who couldn’t manage to find someone to go with — even as a friend? — ANONYMOUS IN PENNSYLVANIA
A: THIS IS A PUZZLER. HOWEVER, ZARDOZ HAS A PLAN FOR YOU. FIRST, YOU MUST CLEANSE THE FILTH OF A BRUTAL WHO REFUSED YOU.
ENJOY THE PROM!
THEN YOU CAN JOIN EVERYONE ELSE AT THE TABLE.
“NO, I DON’T KNOW WHERE BRAD WENT?”
WHEN THE OTHER OTHERS GO TO DANCE – AND THE ONE WITH THE CLEANSED DATE SEARCHES – POISON THEIR DRINKS. YOUR FUN WILL BE IN SEEING THEM ALL SUFFER HORRIBLY AND PERISH! THAT WILL INSTRUCT ALL TO NEITHER REFUSE YOU OR REMIND YOU OF SUCH.
WE CAN SEND BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS AS CHAPERONES.
ZARDOZ HAS SPOKEN
Q: I have been married to my husband for four years, and before that, I knew him for about a year. At the time, he was very loving and considerate, but right after we got married, his true nature emerged.
He drinks heavily every night and says horrible things. In the morning, he has no recollection of it and expects me to be loving and warm to him. I can’t bring myself to do it. He is always accusing me of cheating on him, even though I have given him no reason. He has a GPS on my phone, and if I don’t answer his texts or calls immediately, he goes ballistic.
Abby, I’m not happy and have often thought about running away. During the day he helps me, but at night he becomes a completely different person. I have a full-time job and pay 85 percent of the bills. I take care of the kids, cook and clean, but nothing makes him happy. I would really appreciate your advice. — LOST IN CALIFORNIA
A: BRUTAL, PLEASE. IT WOULD BE TOO EASY TO SAY “DIVORCE”. SO ZARDOZ WILL HELP OUT. ZED WILL COME BY AND HAVE A LITTLE “CHAT” WITH YOUR BRUTAL HUSBAND.
LESS DRINKY, RIGHT, BRUTAL?
AS ZARDOZ DOES NOT BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES, THE FIRST TIME YOUR HUSBAND ACTS UP – COMMUNICATE WITH THE VORTEX. BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS WILL BE DISPATCHED. YOUR HUSBAND CAN DRY OUT, AND LEARN REGRET SERVING THE ETERNALS AS A GRAIN SLAVE.
NEED A DRINK?
ZARDOZ HAS SPOKEN
ALL HAIL ZARDOZ!
Now hit my m’fin Theme music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6NCx0wcrC4
No fair, Sunday is jazz day! I can’ go back to Alt Rock Saturday after Trane!
Sigh, guess I better cue up Mingus.
Mingus the Merciless?
On a side note, I used to hang out with that band back in the day, they were some nice guys. Only released the one album, and then they slowly broke up.
Lol! I can’t go to Alt Rock in the first place.
Oh man, you tube followed up with Monk, I keep waiting for that pi ky ring to catch an off note.
You could mix the genres up a little. A 90’s power trio (at the time) wrote one song in honor of Trane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW775SWnItA
And they wrote another in honor of Monk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HRcyvrpmwc
Meh, ain’t nobody got time for 20-minute southern rock jam band blues masturbation. 9 minutes is the top end for any song you can listen to in entirety and not get bored by the repetitive extended solos (I’m looking at you Carlos) and there are very few of those.
I don’t know about you but when the end comes to “Mountain Jam” I press “repeat”.
Jesus, that may be the song that initially put me off the extend jam thing, I have distinct memories of thinking why am I still listening to this repetitive shit, ejecting the cassette from my Pinto’s hi-fi and putting in a more sensible tape, something by Billy Squire or Triumph for example.
Also upon further reflection, 7 minutes and 14 second is the longest that any song has managed to last and still be listenable.
I guess you arent a Yes fan then.
The first link is actually three songs with the first one being a jazz song in honor of Coltrane, but I get your point.
I can see why people don’t like long, masturbatory improvisational shit like many Miles Davis songs or shit like Afro Blue.
This doesn’t include classical music, of course.
Better Get Hit In Your Soul or gtfo.
CLEANSE ALL BRUTALS!
Abby, I’m not happy and have often thought about running away. During the day he helps me, but at night he becomes a completely different person. I have a full-time job and pay 85 percent of the bills. I take care of the kids, cook and clean, but nothing makes him happy.
Yeah, I don’t see anything here about dick sucking.
Or about making a good sammich.
^^ What Supreme Overlord said.
Supreme Usurper , you mean. Everyone knows that Almanian was rightful Supreme Overlord and that he planned to make me Czar of hookers and blow. I was going to ensure the best hookers and blow for all citizens of Glibertopia! The best hookers and blow! This dude is a fraud I tell you!
I’ll back whoever makes me the best offer in their organization.
Dude, I’ll make sure you get the 2nd best czarship (next to me) ever. And you then get on that crony-go-round forever! Even Obama’s fugly butch dyke minions would get a jealous!
“you get a czarship, you get a czarship, everybody gets a czarship!”
Nothing’s gonna stop you now that you’ve got a czarship?
I don’t know what’s in this for me. What would a God need with a czarship?
If Almanian (PBUH) was Hitler, then I am Konrad Adenaur
If she had kids with him after he showed himself to be an abusive drunk, she needs to look in the mirror. And if she’s paying 85% of the bills, she needs to go somewhere where she’s paying 100% of the bills and he’s not around.
I’m guessing this is a bit one sided. I’d be interested to hear his take on things. I’m guessing he’s profoundly unhappy with the relationship, but he’s not saying anything when sober for some reason.
(“this” = the lady’s account of things)
I agree that she’s part of the problem. My guess is, one or both had reservations while they were saying their vows.
85% reason maybe?
Having been married twice for a sum total of more than 30 years I read that “85%” as a result of penis deficient math. In reality it probably means “a whole lot of the bills which are important to me”, not including rent, car payments, and is not based on the sum of monetary value but the quantity of individual payments.
Yeah, I thought that was a suspiciously specific percentage. I have found that in a marriage or marriage-like relationship, the opposite party’s efforts count double while yours count half, such that for each time she cleans a bathroom or goes grocery shopping it’s as if it happened at least twice, whereas when you do something it’s essentially an isolated event. This actually works for both spouses, such that, mysteriously, the combined effect of both spouses simultaneously doing twice and half the same amount of work offsets, so that everything only happens as often as it happens and the universe doesn’t implode.
Pork is through the stall and climbing to that sweet spot of 202 deg…at least that where I like to pull it from the heat at. Then a 2 hour rest period…I am hungry and almost out of beer
Noyce.
I smoked some corn to get the aroma and pulled them off to cook later. Experimenting with that. Ill see how it comes out.
Should be good. Similar to grilling corn over wood charcoal.
Just cracked an old homebrewed Saison brett. The brett has continued to chomp down on the sugars and starches, lightening the body and providing more tartness. Lightly carbed, which is strange for beers with brett that have been aged, they usually wind up over carbed to extreme levels after being left alone for a while.
Just not my style. I did bottle my lager the other day. I’m going to give Bruxelles Blonde a go tomorrow.
No worries, to each their own. I’m thinking of trying out a schwarzbier next.
Texas Man goes full Florida Man, reinterprets doing the Watusi.
That’s all fine until he poops on the floor.
Is it housebroken?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsYA8Gr5NTY
Re the prom. So just don’t go. Or go and stare at your phone the whole time.
My guess is either she’s attracted to guys that aren’t interested in her for whatever reason or she’s fat/hideously ugly. Moderately unattractive girl or better in high school? Easily picking up guys. At least when I was in school.
I love the 2nd story. I mean the part about how none of it, if any, is true. Apparently this guy went from loving tea totaler to raging drunk in one day after they got married. And she pays ‘85%’ of the bills. Who even makes up shit that lame? Yeah, right. I’ll take ‘Things that didn’t happen’ for 500, Alex.
Wow. Look at the misogynist over here.
#believeher
Apparently, I’m much worse than that.
And this is an actual true story.
So, we were just in a local deli and liquor carry out because I stopped in to get some beer. The guy, one of the two partner/owners, who was working the counter sees my wife and asks her how she’s doing and then tells her his girlfriend, who lives in Argentina, but who my wife had made friends with last time she was here, will be back in town next week. My wife tells him to tell her that she has more time to do stuff now that she’s not working. So I commented ‘Yeah, it’s hard to work when you are busy jetstting around the world like my wife does’. She then says ‘Yeah, I’m a housewife now, and white slave’. The stunned look on this guys face was something that I cannot even describe. I’m thinking ‘Did you just tell him you’re a white slave?’. Yep, she actually said that, LOL.
Somehow I don’t think she was dressed like Princess Leia.
Although if she was, feel free to post pics.
Seconded.
I’ve seen it happen before. In the situation I’m thinking of, it was because she was a raging bitch, and he didn’t want to divorce her because of the kids. When he drank, his real feelings came out.
I think you are on to something.
I forget who said it (Q, maybe), but women are better at hiding their crazy than men. When I see a relationship that has been dysfunctional from day 1, I tend to blame the man. When a relationship descends into insanity after a few years, I tend to blame the woman.
The biggest problem between men and women: she marries him, expecting he will change (particularly those “flaws” she never mentioned before they took their vows) – but he doesn’t change, and he marries her expecting she won’t change – but she does.
^^ gospel truth
Amen
There’s many reasons I’m not interested in getting married.
“When a relationship descends into insanity after a few years”
It wasn’t the relationship that descended into insanity, in my case, it was my spouse. Where were you guys when I needed advice before sticking it in crazy? Oh yeah, you hadn’t been born yet.
I’ve known some couples like that.
Thankfully, I know several couples that are the opposite of that.
I also know a couple getting divorced where the female has decided that know that she’s separated, she has the excuse to go back to her party days. Meanwhile, her kids (teenagers) both hate it, and want to live with their dad.
Quick poll. Best “Prisoner of Zenda”
Ronald Coleman
Stewart Grainger
Jack Lemmon (bonus entry)
I’m torn between all three but the 1952 version is in spectacular color and the Lemmon version includes a pie fight.
A Link to the Past.
What?
I still have a soft spot for The Adventure of Link. I recently picked up a Switch and have been playing the Breath of the Wild, damn what a change.
I didn’t like it. They removed the main thing I liked (real dungeons) and replaced it with tedious hunting & gathering.
There were so few good games on Wii U I finally put it in storage.
So far I’ve got Breath of the Wild (which I’ll agree, there’s apparently only 4 dungeons) and Super Smash Brothers. The shrines are a bit short for my tastes (the motion control ones are the only ones I’ve really disliked so far).
With the amount of travel I’ve got coming up, I figured a portable gaming system would be a good way to spend time.
I could never get a straight answer whether it had real dungeons. So you say there are 4?? Well, I played 15 or 20 hours and never came across one before I gave up.
I wish they’d stop mucking around with controller gimmicks and just release a straightforward console. Yeah, yelling at clouds.
The only thing I would consider dungeons are the 4 divine beasts and the 2 labyrinths.
What?
How many Jack Lemmon movies don’t have a pie fight?
Save the Tiger?
“Mister Roberts”. But it does have the exploding washer.
Granger version has Deborah Kerr and James Mason.
2nd is The Androids of Tara.
I didn’t think we had this many old Glibs up in Maine. I blame my articles.
Apparently, my dad who is 89, cannot decide if he wants to live in the assisted senior care place or at home, since mom passed away. My sister tells me he has a ‘harem’ at the senior place. I’m not even questioning the truthfulness of what she said, in fact I’d be shocked if it is not true. I probably have more illegitimate siblings that I’ve never met than anyone alive.
It’s a 10:1 ration, women to men. One of the reasons STDs are running rampant in retirement homes.
There’s a lot of sex that goes on in those places. Most of them have policies that guarantee the residents are to be given a private room for sex if they have a significant other who lives there or comes to visit.
“I probably have more illegitimate siblings that I’ve never met than anyone alive.”
I think you’re safe now, as far as any new siblings popping up at the care center. I’m afraid to visit friends at the care center, I might get stuck like the airline lady without a passport. They might think I got my arm band off and lost my GPS tracker.
“Would someone please escort Mr. Fourscore back to the memory unit? I don’t know how he could have gotten out.”
Yeah, that was sort of out of context. I meant from before. It was a reference to what a man whore my dad has always been. I’m pretty sure he’s given Genghis Kahn a run for his money on number of offspring. Remember, back when he was a young man, now at 89, birth control and child support were both virtually unknown.
We’ve got pizza on tap for tonight, washed down with copious quantities of something red, French, and over 21.
That seems a bit old for you…
21 seasons.
is the ‘over 21’ the alcohol percentage?
What is the name of the stuff with less than 40% alcohol? My wife has a lot of it. Like lemoncino, Baileys, eggnog, Amarula, all of that. Most is like 17%, I can’t remember, but there’s a name…
If it’s sweet, it’s a cordial or liqueur.
Cordial is probably what I was looking for. Thanks.
I generally don’t have much use in my cocktails for anything but liquors and vermouth, but I do like a Campari and soda here and there.
something red, French, and over 21.
Dr. Pimple Popper can fix that for you.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qqeP91wvQ
*runs away*
Yeah, I clicked on one of those. Never again.
I’m watching the new season of Hoarders and as usual all the commercials are for A&E’s “medical oddity” stable of programs – morbid obesity, pimples, and the latest one is something about ingrown toenails. WTF, people.
The enlightenment unleashed prosperity beyond the wildest dreams of any prior era. The decadent idiocy that followed is proportional.
That is oddly interesting.
For some reason, I keep thinking all day, that this is Sunday. Well, I was until I went to the grocery store and there was a lot of (((THEM))) walking in the streets. Did I do the brackets correctly?
Them/they?
Mr Mojeaux took me to dinner and surprised me with this: Lizzie: Rock Opera. Waiting for curtain to come up.
Either people have a life or that last thread is now dead.
Re: C. Spittoon’s post of old restaurants:
GD RITZY’S in Evansville REPRESENT!
That place is great. Amazing old school burgers, fries and shakes.
YUM. That’s across the street from Eastland Mall. Marching band used to do our car wash fundraisers there. Goddammit I wish I weren’t such a late bloomer. I only did that my freshmen year, and some of the senior-class hotties def had my attention.
That was a fun experience, being a kid and still having a 50s diner around. Also fun fact: Evansville used to be a testing ground for lots of new fast food products things–I’m guessing our demographics lined up well with the nation.
We used to have a couple of McDonald’s sit-down diners. Anyone remember those? They certainly didn’t last long.
After a cheap-ass vodka cherry coke, I’ve got a couple of Upland Wheats left. I do believe it’s my favorite beer. Perfect idea of being a wheat but not going into The Danger Zone by being to hefeweis-y.
Now need to make grits and figure out movie/docu to watch…
I think I’ll play some more Civ 6 tonight. My empire of DC, Cincy, Balmer, and Philly need to finish off the French. They have one more city left, Marseille, and I need to crush them and finish the deal. France cunt keeps offering me a sweeter deal for peace, but I’m not buying.
Im in the middle of a TW2 Rome campain….passes the time while the pork smokes
The only one I’ve gotten into at all so far, is TW Empire. I own TW Rome, but have never played it. The learning curve on those games to really get good, is insane.
I did Egypt and steamrolled. Now playing those once defiant Britons and a bit more of a challenge
I’ll have to fire it back up again soon and see if I can get into it. I have Attila also and have never played that either. The one that really looks good to me is Thrones of Brittania, despite the bad reviews.
I’ve got every TW. I got a hankerin’ for Dark Age Britain and started up both Thrones and Attila with the Charlemagne DLC to compare. So, Attila has a few really annoying mechanics such as the cooling period and, of course, the Huns, but is a pretty good game. It’s the first one where they used the horde mechanic which eventually found its way to the Warhammer TWs.
Thrones is a lot of fun because it changes up recruitment. You’ve got a cap on unit recruitment based on food and when you recruit units they don’t start at full strength. It’s a little closer to Europa Universalis, actually, if you’re familiar. The result is that raising an army becomes much more deliberate and battles matter a hell of a lot more. I like it a lot. It’s not my favorite, but it’s up there.
Thanks, for that.
“It’s a little closer to Europa Universalis, actually, if you’re familiar. ”
I’m not, or any other Paradox game, except for some very limited play of Stellaris.
I haven’t played any strategy games for a long, long time until recently. I mostly blame that on burning myself out from the thousands or hours I spent playing Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and 5. I’ve been playing mostly first and/or 3rd person RPGs for the past decade. I mean Skyrim, Fallout 4, that type of game.
Empire is still probably my favorite, which is ironic because I couldn’t run it without crashes until a year’s worth of patching and finding DarthMod. There are still a hell of a lot of problems with it but it’s the only TW for that period of history with the more-or-less global scope.
I’m a high school junior, and my school’s prom is coming up. I don’t have a date. I completely understand that I don’t need a date for prom to have fun.
I didn’t go to prom. I instead got drunk on Miller High Life in a public park.
Be Best
Grilled sockeye salmon, saute’d shredded Brussels sprouts and wild rice. Now reclined sipping High West Yippee-Ki-Yay rye. Count this day done.
I approve of the Glib’s affection for rye. Clearly beings of refined taste.
A sophisticated lot.
*maniacal laughter*
Enjoyed watching the Bogart version of The Big Sleep the other night. In one scene, he tells a woman bookstore owner he’s got “a bottle of Rye in my pocket and a couple of hours to kill.” So she locks up the store and pulls down the shades and “Closed” sign. Fade to black….next scene starts, it’s night outside, Bogart is walking out of the bookstore and waving goodbye to the chick.
And that’s what Rye is all about.
Classy. The best. Bigly good.
Props to OMWC for the ELP links with the King Crimson cover, this morning.
I’m watching the Crew shit the bed against Philadelphia Union.
That right there is some specialized porn.
It’s not good.
I wonder if they’re suffering from the international weekend that every other league in the world observes.
Another reason I consider MLS a joke.
Notably, it looks like only half a schedule this weekend. My team isn’t playing – probably because its keeper is tending goal for the US.
So yeah, mixed bag. I optimistically think it’s getting better, though.
So did the Crew get bought by the local businesses that were raising funds for it?
I am surprised the Crew still exist. Especially with Cincy in the picture now.
Any So Cal locals interested in NCAA West Regionals tix? My darling spouse bought them months ago and then didn’t tell me about them, when I set our vacation reservations. So. OOPS.
Anaheim, Session One, March 28 and Session Two 30th. Pair of seats, for both sessions, about eleven rows back behind the basket. Each comes with a drink ticket!
athenaofprogtown at gmail
Oh, great ZARDOZ, have you forgotten that the main lesson from both of these stories is that the PENIS IS EVIL?
Sounds like maybe both problems could have been avoided if the penis got more attention.
“Mueller Ends Probe, No Further Indictments, Hands Materials to AG Barr, Leftist Damage Control”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TWt9WxaOW8
I hope there’s a return policy on all those dumbass toys that Lefties bought:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=robert+mueller+bobblehead&t=canonical&iax=images&ia=images
They’re holding out hope that something’s going to magically turn up. They’re going to investigate him until the night of the 2020 elections, and, when he wins, they’ll keep at it for another four years of increasing desperation. They’re prepared to die with the lie, and the faithful want to believe it so bad they don’t care if it isn’t true.
I started my first (non-academic) job last week. They are flexible in the hours I work such that I can work part time during fall and spring semesters and full time in the summer. I received my first ever paycheck yesterday. I feel more accomplished for getting a paycheck than getting a stipend for being a TA. By working in the summer, I’ll be able to pay off the rest of my student loans by the end of the year.
Excellent. Good job on getting the loans squared away.
Outstanding V.I. ! Reality has set in. Ya done good, Son.
Damn man… make me feel old. Good for you on getting a job with flexible hours.
If you’ve been in an academic job for very long, I certainly have to admire you for getting out. Having had clients in academia for the last 15 years, I have no idea, being as how insulated most of them are, how they could ever go anywhere else.
I’m a first year grad student. I get a stipend in exchange for teaching a class 4 days per week. I have no interest in staying in academics once I get my degree.
“I have no interest in staying in academics once I get my degree.”
Good for you. Like I said, I put up with them because of the money. But good gawd some of these people are insufferable. Someone once asked me ‘Are Ivy league academics really that pompous and out of touch?’ My answer ‘It’s much worse than what you can imagine’.
Yeah, I have considered working in a school (not as a perfessor, but some sort of IT) but it generally has the same problem as working for the gummint: unions. Pass.
I got offered a Compsci prof job at a private University. The pay was more than I was making at the time and I would be tenured long before now. I turned it down. The reason being, as I confessed, ‘I will throttle those little shits’.
I’ve looked at some of the local schools – among the wealthiest on the planet – and the payscales are laughable. I’d need to be Director of IT to approach what I’m making in the private sector (I’m an individual contributor, albeit a well-experienced and senior one).
The answer is ‘consulting’, doofus.
You don’t know what it’s like out there. I’ve worked in the private sector. They expect results.
“Men can also be ‘mothers’ – it’s no longer a gender-specific term. & it’s just a word for a set of qualities. Just because women have traditionally taken the title, it’s a social construct. I think women can be ‘fathers’! Doesn’t stop you being man/woman.”
https://twitter.com/AnilaDhami/status/1109001054736302080
“Men can be called ‘mothers’ as it’s no longer a gender-specific term: Lawyer’s claim as transgender man who gave birth after transitioning from a woman fights to be named the father on birth certificate”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6707155/Men-called-mothers-no-longer-gender-specific-term.html
We live in the stupidest timeline.
We live on the floating Island of Laputa.
At some point, this pomo bullshit is gonna bite them in the ass.
“Men can be called ‘mother”
I thought mother was a 4 syllable word, at least when we talked about the tact officers.
4-syllable mother
Did you want to bang heads with me?
I’m not falling for that one again.
Look at you getting your metal on. I figured it was Danzig but I thought maybe you would go with Monster Magnet.
I contain multitudes.
Glenn Danzig is 5’3″? That’s hilarious.
I didn’t realize so many heavy metal dues are wee.
No, hear me out here.
I’m willing for a short while to entertain whatever batshit ideas she holds.
Yowza.
I’ve heard that some men can be mothers. I heard that some guy named Shaft was a bad mother. Is that the same?
shut yo mouth
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6840599/Miley-Cyrus-drenches-Drakes-tears-throws-holy-water-haters-bikini-snaps.html
Would.
She just needs to do a sex tape and get it over with.
She doesn’t already have one? I thought she did.
How the hell did I miss that?!?
I’m sure she doesn’t, or I would have it.
I vaguely remember something from her where I thought “I’m sure daddy wanked to that”
Maybe it was just nude photos.
Oh, there are plenty of those.
Shes crazy as a moose in heat…but that tongue could be put to work
She’s gonna drowned with all those chains hangin’ down. Careful there, girl, someone gonna get wet savin’ your ass.
She’s married to a big surfer.
*Taps temple*
Great minds, and all.
Noooo!!!!
Awww, poor Chrissy Poo, the tingle is gone! LOL!
LOL what a maroon
The part that really concerns me, and I’m seeing this same thing at DU lately, is his obsession with Trump’s children. Really? If we can’t get him, can we at least get them chillins? These people are fucking evil, no question about it.
The part that caught my eye was “whycome he isn’t being forced into a struggle session”.
“Nick Monroe: Christchurch Shooter Was Radicalized by Censorship and Our Leaders Just Doubled Down on Dumb
Suppressing freedom of information gives the New Zealand shooter what he wanted, Nick Monroe argues.
Imagine for a moment that we had no video of the New Zealand terror attack. I admit it would be a relief to have the images of horror washed away from memory. But the alternative is much, much worse. Without that video, all of us are left to our imagination to fill-in-the-blanks of how it all happened. The thing about our minds is we’re all very capable of assuming to the severest possible degree. If the only information we had to work with came relayed to us via the mainstream media, it would have been manipulated and gamed from all possible angles to evoke their intended political reactions of choice from us.
Despite it being an important subject of dialogue, we can’t do the issue of New Zealand and guns proper justice. The playing field of what’s allowed for discussion is too limited in scope. We can’t ponder what’s right or wrong in that instance because we aren’t allowed fuller access to first-hand materials related to the attack. While removing the video of the New Zealand Christchurch shooting from the public eye has more than enough merits to stand on, it doesn’t end there. The authoritarian muzzling of public discussion extends to the shooter’s manifesto as well. It is a detriment against a better future, not in favor of it. I read the shooter’s manifesto from start to finish. It comes off like a high school homework assignment procrastinated on until the very last minute. Beyond the extremist ideologies and thoughts laid within, the presentation comes off as half-assed and even laughable. But all anyone is allowed to know about the manifesto is “it’s scary.” Forbidden from understanding how the past couple of years of migration-related violence had pushed the shooter to become a radical. We’re off-limits from permission to assess the ramblings of a madman obsessed about fertility rates for white Europeans, and understanding where precisely the shooter crosses the line in their ways of thinking.
The greatest algorithm of all is us. Human interaction and discussion on an open platform of ideas that allows the good and bad to clash safely. To the victor goes the spoils. The greatest reward of it being a better understanding of one another. When artificial barriers get in the way of such progress, we’re sabotaging ourselves. When we’re defining blanket limitations, it pushes people to go somewhere else. Soon that group accumulates into an echo chamber of taboo that festers into something evil.
We’ve reached a point where all criticism, fair and unfair, supported or not supported, is interpreted as hate and anger by default. We’ve wrapped ourselves into this delusion because that 20% of the internet that is the polarized part is the portion that leaves the everlasting impression. There’s overwhelming blindness to any desire to understand each other. We’ve fallen into the trap of listening to respond instead of looking to understand. Truth be told, the polarization has always been here this whole time. But the balance of discourse has been shaken by this New Zealand earthquake. The Internet is of itself is still an incredibly new thing, by comparison of the age of our society. This era began in earnest on 6 August 1991, when the internet went live to the world at large. It’s often said the social and political acceleration we’re experiencing on it now started in 2008 when smartphones unlocked a world of communication ease. The rise of social media happened in tandem, and onward from there the integration flourished with being able to have “online careers.” Few would argue against the necessity of an open forum of ideas. We’ve reached where we are because we’ve made ideological concessions that served as a baseline of erosion.”
https://culttture.com/2019/nick-monroe-censorship-causes-radicalism/
https://twitter.com/nickmon1112/status/1109585225112346626
The greatest algorithm of all is us. Human interaction and discussion on an open platform of ideas that allows the good and bad to clash safely. To the victor goes the spoils. The greatest reward of it being a better understanding of one another.
This rubs me funny, and I’m not sure I can articulate exactly why.
I think it’s because it straddles “everybody should be able to voice their opinion” and “everybody’s opinion is valid”.
It all goes back to my restraintist v. deferentialist framework. Just because I don’t think you should be forcibly censored doesn’t mean that your opinion has any merit or value.
“everybody’s opinion is valid”
I don’t see where he is saying that.
I took “to the victor goes the spoils” to mean “the best idea wins out.” I think history has innumerably proven that not to be the case.
History tells us that “to the victor goes the spoils” is true and “the best idea wins out” is questionable. Of course it also tells us that mountains of skulls are a good idea, that biowarfare works, that if you rape enough women your genes win out, and that it is much easier to beat a farmer until he gives you food than it is to farm.
If we’re going whole-hog on the social Darwinism thing, then the best idea always wins out as it was the most fit for its environs.
If we’re going whole-hog on the social Darwinism thing, then the best idea always wins out as it was the most fit for its environs.
If you make the argument a circle it becomes true?
What I mean is that from an evolutionary standpoint “best” equals “the most fit”. Evolutionary fitness is the only metric that matters.
I was being tongue inc heek here but
What I mean is that from an evolutionary standpoint “best” equals “the most fit”. Evolutionary fitness is the only metric that matters.
If you assume this is true, it does not mean:
the best idea always wins out as it was the most fit for its environs.
It means you judge the best by which survives in the long term. Take for example Manchu China. Hyper regimented society, very limited social mobility, virtually no change permitted, every mechanism of the society devoted to preserving the status quo. It was a tremendously successful bureaucracy for several hundred years, and managed to preserve the upper class in immense luxury and power for generations, but as a result the society was completely paralyzed when confronted with European traders. It could neither embrace trade with them without disrupting the careful regimentation that preserved the Manchu’s power, nor oppose them effectively and in short order the whole mess crashed down.
What is the best idea here? What I a trying to say is that I don’t think there is a best idea for the long term, at least looking from the perspective of now forward, and it is only trivially true to say the best idea is the one that won out, looking backward.
I would say this is a stolen base. Something can be the most fit for an environment/situation that only lasts a short time.
I believe that Daniel Dennett might say that the fact that we consider the fundamental truth of evolutionary theory to now be a trivial observation shows just how “dangerous” Darwin’s idea was.
I do agree with you that there is no one “best” idea for all times and all places. Way back in 1995, in Dennett’s book was when I first encountered the term “meme” – back then only referring to Dawkins analogy between “units” of culture and genes. Like genetic organisms, memetic ‘organisms’ constantly go through a struggle of either adapting to their environment or extinction. There is no eternal meme.
Sorry I knew I should have changed that. I was using trivially true in the old fashioned sense of tautologically true, not in the modern sense. In other words I was saying if you define the best in terms of evolutionary success it is a tautology that the idea that survives is the best.
I figured you would have KU going out early
I’ll call that game as early as I can (my system is wrong at least once every other year): a basketball team (any age, any league) that gets ahead one point per minute with eight or more minutes to go will win. It’s funny watching people scream at their team to try harder when a game is to me so clearly already over.
no I’m not, you’re drunk
You are correct that the spoils do go to the victor; I was merely focusing on the bloodshed and misery that usually leads to.
That one line did specifically make me think of Hillary and AOC. “We won! GIVE US EVERYTHING WE WANT!”
So I think we’re on the same page.
I’m on the fatalist, bad shit usually happens, and when for a minute good shit happens, it just fuels more bad shit page. Go have wild sex with an exotic chick in an exotic locale Evan, you don’t want to hang on my page. Trust me it’s a downer.
BTW, I accidentally strafed you in comment yesterday. Ooops.
@Jarflax: Does South African count?
I’m actually quite happy with my cynicism. I hear lots of people getting upset about FB or twitter or whatever. They usually say it gets their blood up and leads to a toxic environment.
I agree it’s venomous, but it never bothers me. It’s hard for my to understand why it affects others so.
Little things make me happy, and I think most people are mostly good. (I disagree with The Joker: “They’re only as good as their allowed to be.” Nah. They are usually as good as they *can* be. I think there’s a distinction there.
The worst characters are merely the most visible, of course that changes when shit truly hits the fan. It’s also true that this is one of the big reasons I live (soon again) in foreign countries where I don’t frequently have to talk to people.
My problem is with crippling social anxiety, not with depression.
BTW, I accidentally strafed you in comment yesterday. Ooops. ?
No worries. I would have totally shrugged it off except I had deliberately changed the word weird to unusual because I was trying NOT to convey disapproval for the Japanese just confusion that anyone would watch televised shoe shining. I find some of the Japanese quirks (as I understand them) very endearing and appealing. (their game shows not so much)
“I took “to the victor goes the spoils” to mean “the best idea wins out.” I think history has innumerably proven that not to be the case.”
In many of those cases, violence was used to suppress opposing ideas.
It’s the whole “battleground of ideas” theme. IMO, there is a class of ideas that are unworthy of consideration, let alone debate. They are worthy only of scorn and derision. By even putting them in the battleground of ideas, they’re given a level of undeserved legitimacy.
Again IMO, freedom of speech has nothing to do with understanding one another and letting ideas compete. It has everything to do with self-ownership.
“there is a class of ideas that are unworthy of consideration, let alone debate. They are worthy only of scorn and derision. By even putting them in the battleground of ideas, they’re given a level of undeserved legitimacy.”
I completely disagree. The ideas that the earth travels around the sun, blacks and whites should be treated equally, women should be allowed to vote, etc. were all considered unworthy of consideration. As recently as the 80’s the idea that gays should be allowed to marry was dismissed as crazy talk.
You are basically making the same argument that the left makes why mainstream conservatives shouldn’t be allowed to speak on college campuses, or why it’s OK to ban them from social media.
You are basically making the same argument that the left makes why mainstream conservatives shouldn’t be allowed to speak on college campuses, or why it’s OK to ban them from social media.
Yep, and I’m perfectly fine with those actions in private contexts. If they provide the metaphorical microphone, they get to choose who uses it.
Of course, three things make what the let’s doing quite distasteful: 1) the left is driven by an evil ideology, 2) they are more than happy to use governmental force to censor others, and 3) they lie through their teeth about what they’re doing.
Except that microphone is largely paid for the by the government, so it isn’t private.
Regardless, you are making the typical poor libertarian argument that just because someone has the right to do something, doesn’t mean they should.
Pragmatically, unless ideas are freely discussed there is no way of knowing how worthy they are. So you have it backwards. It’s censorship — excluding them from the battleground — that gives ideas a level of undeserved legitimacy.
Except that microphone is largely paid for the by the government, so it isn’t private.
This is why I usually bypass this issue whenever it is debated here. I spend more time explaining and reexplaining that I’m not pro-government-censorship than actually talking about the property rights issues that exist.
Pragmatically, unless ideas are freely discussed there is no way of knowing how worthy they are.
Disagreed. Maybe that’s my moral absolutism coming through. IMO, no amount of discussing ethical cannibalism will make it any less of an obvious oxymoron.
The difference here, is if you lived in a tribe of cannibals, and someone said it was wrong, you would simply eat him.
Whereas I would want to hear what he had to say first.
Or 2008, if you’re Hillary or Obama.
I’m going to *cough* straddle between HM and Supreme here, perhaps.
I would say that saying “all white people are bad” or “all black people are bad” is a reprehensible idea, unworthy of discussion.
Were I a Zulu or a Brit/Boer in the late 19th century, I’m not sure I could too much fault either side for thinking/saying such.
Terrible example by my own admission, but the germ is there. Supreme is morally right now, but Ghengis Khan was right (for him at least) in an evolutionary sense about what “right” is, depending on what terms were speaking on.
I’m (getting) drunk. I think that makes sense.
There are no ideas unworthy of consideration. There are, however, ideas that clearly conflict with morality, or which are obviously self contradictory, or which conflict with human nature or natural law. The consideration required for such ideas is minimal. Breatharianism, Flat Earthism, Socialism, and Nazism are IMHO such ideas. People should never be prevented from discussing the ideas, but that does not mean I need to spend much further time in this life considering them. I did all the considering I needed to dismiss them long ago, and absent some revolutionary discovery or argument I’m good.
There are no ideas unworthy of consideration.
For certain values of “consideration”, sure. However, before we start counting cherubim and seraphim discoing on sewing equipment, I think it’s important to contextualize.
The implicit argument put forth in the article was that the reason for free speech was so that all ideas got their turn in the battleground of ideas.
Whatever level of consideration “raping 2 year olds to death is a divinely inspired act” deserves, it’s well short of making it into any battleground of ideas. However, it’s highly valuable to me that people who believe that way are allowed to say so… mainly so I can keep my 2 year old far away from them.
Sure, but isn’t the problem we are facing now that broad swaths of people are equating ideas like “Property rights are a fundamental component of human liberty” or to be balanced “A wealthy society has an obligation to care for those unable to care for themselves via some level of redistribution of wealth”, with “raping 2 year olds to death is a divinely inspired act”?
Sure, but isn’t the problem we are facing now that broad swaths of people are equating ideas like…
I would say that the problem is that a broad swath of people believe that up is down and down is up.
What’s the core issue with social ostracization (not talking government censorship) of certain ideas? Well, if it’s a wrong idea, nothing. The problem is when it’s a right idea.
Categorically, the left suppressing expression consistent with reality and morality is entirely different from the concept of not giving any weight to inconsistent or immoral ideas, solely in the fact that the left is suppressing right thought and we’re talking about suppressing wrong thought.
Almost all human progress has been the result of ideas that were originally considered insanely blasphemous. If I remember what I’ve read correctly, people ruined the life of the doctor who first proposed that germs caused disease. The Church tortured Galileo. Which is ironic, since their entire organization was based on a guy who was tortured to death for saying he was God.
“The Church tortured Galileo. Which is ironic, since their entire organization was based on a guy who was tortured to death for saying he was God.”
Now consider how much like that the modern left is…
“I would say that saying “all white people are bad” or “all black people are bad” is a reprehensible idea, unworthy of discussion.”
The only way one could know that is by being able to hear both sides.
Agreed on both accounts. I don’t really see there to be too much of a semantic difference.
Any idea can be held and any can be equally dismissed. However, some cultures do believe that raping a woman will cure them of their AIDS or that the mutilated body parts of albinos have special powers.
I think it just gets down to moral relativism. With very few exceptions, I am not a moral relativist.
If you’re a kid on your own in German-occupied territory, I’m not going to judge you for picking up the gold teeth of your murdered, fellow Jews while you try to scrape your fucking way through that nightmare.
I will judge you for openly talking about it without solemnity and considering it some of your happiest days, however.
I highly resemble this remark.
“If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.”
Justice Brandeis
“What does Britain’s government have against Christianity and Christians?
he government agency charged with overseeing immigration and passports in the United Kingdom has denied asylum to an Iranian Christian convert from Islam, explaining its verdict is based on its assessment that Christianity is not a “peaceful” religion.
The decision by the Home Office puts the Iranian national’s life in grave danger, as apostasy is punishable by death in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The applicant’s claim he converted to Christianity because it’s a “peaceful” religion, as opposed to Islam, is “inconsistent” with the violent themes and rhetoric that appear in the Bible, British officials told the asylum-seeker.
eviticus, Exodus, Matthew, and Book of Revelation are “filled with imagery of revenge, destruction, death and violence,” the Home Office explained in its rejection letter, adding Leviticus says specifically, “You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.”
The letter adds, “These examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a ‘peaceful’ religion, as opposed to Islam which contains violence, rage and revenge.””
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/what-does-britains-government-have-against-christianity-and-christians
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/1109126871508307968
How would they even know? Britain’s government is not an actual thing, they’re just an EU puppet like the rest of the EU. Maybe they can ask Brussels if they can go take piss now.
Only if they sit down
I only do that at home. And only after wifey goes on a cleaning spree and declares my aim is really bad.
*shrugs*
He’s not entirely wrong.
I thought asylum decisions were frequently based on current danger to the applicant, not the content of centuries- or millennia-old texts.
*also shrugs*
I can’t speak to Britain, but in the U.S. the standard is proving that one is persecuted or will be persecuted due to race, ethnicity, political opinion, religion, etc.. I’m not sure exactly how immediacy of danger plays into decision making.
On second thought, how could immediacy of danger play into it as one already has to be here, or at least present oneself at the border, to be an asylee.
When I said “current danger” it was shorthand for “danger that will very likely present itself if I go back”.
Ok. Gotcha. Yes, that is what I understand to be what you have to prove is credible.
Then they should get rid of the Queen. She is the head of the Church of England after all.
“The 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates as Michael Scott Quotes ”
https://twitter.com/FreeBeacon/status/1108790650999357440
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUHBXqQMtJ4
Alyssa Milano, of all people, tweeted that out. She promptly got excoriated for it, because “Team!”.
That was hilarious. One of them was drily schooling her on her wrong-think, like a school-marm.
That. That’s just beautiful.
All of my liberal Office-loving friends will certainly enjoy that barb…
Wow, Villanova. The king is dead.
9-33 from the field. 3-19 from three point range. Gee, wonder why they’re losing?
Pfft look at you with your fancy schmancy ‘stats’ and ‘knowing how the game works’ and even probably knowing some of the players names and stuff. Who is leading the Glib Bracket right now? ME, that’s who.
And I know that there is some guy named Zion, and I think he is on one of the Tobacco Road teams, and that is literally all the knowledge I brought to my picks.
Seriously I freely admit I have nothing to brag about here. I literally picked names based on my impressions of who usually chokes early.
Oh no Kansas looks like they may ruin my perfect day.
Huh, based on your ‘who chokes early’ criteria, I figured you would have KU going out early.
You missed my “don’t know squat about basketball” part
I have not watched a college game in its entirety since I sold my bar in Lexington 19 years ago.
Spent one evening at the bar explaining to the schmuck next to me why Shaq would be a bust in LA (He’d just gone there from Orlando). The gray haired guy just listened quietly, finally ending with a, “Well, we’ll see.” I had no idea he was a Laker assistant coach.
Ha!
Kansas was ranked too high anyway.
Auburn has an early lead on Kansas: they’ve got a great chance.
I love Pearl, great coach. Lies to the NCAA and then has to spend five years in the desert. He’s just a great blend of competence and fun.
I hate that telephone bugging, lying asshole.
Duke is my pick to win it all. Who knows? The most interesting team I’ve watched so far is Buffalo. Where did that team come from?
They came from Buffalo?
Funny guy. They sure didn’t look like a 6 seed.
They really shuffled off to the tourney.
DAMMIT.
Well. *Looks at own post*
Brevity is the soul of wit.
So do I get a first?
Tragically.
Well, first guys come dumb. Because good is last.
Buffalo?
I like the last comment best.
https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2019/03/23/new-york-post-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-still-hasnt-paid-a-six-year-old-tax-bill/
Taxes are for the little people, not for the newly elected queen. If we have ever needed a constitutional amendment, it’s that government positions should be voluntary and they should not be paid one cent for their service.
I didn’t read them all but I was looking for something along the lines of “taxing the shit out of businesses is how you get fewer of them” and didn’t see it.
In fairness, the were going after her for feathering her own nest.
Sunday afternoon and I’m spending it watching the kid’s electone recital. Same song and almost exactly the same stage setup as this. At least I won’t have to hear this song anymore.
I hope you brought a flask.
Hey Glibs, who wants to chip in to offer Straf’s kid a concert tour of the US? We can surely arrange for 6 more months of practice.
How did Yamaha’s marketing manage to get the electone to be a kid’s recital instrument? That is a stroke of genius!
The least they could’ve done was this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp5HpjhKHKs
Nice sweater.
…I thought that was cool….
I’ve never heard of such an instrument. Which is odd because I am a musician. They look expensive.
I agree with the over-and-over again. Most people don’t realize how goddamn tedious band practice is. That’s why it must be lubricated with much booze. This goes doubly when me, sitting idly at the drum throne (yes, it is called a throne) have to listen to two guitarists work out how they want to interlay a riff for fucking 30 minutes. That’s smoke break time.
It looks like Yamaha doesn’t sell them in the U.S.
I’ll call that game as early as I can (my system is wrong at least once every other year): a basketball team (any age, any league) that gets ahead one point per minute with eight or more minutes to go will win.
as I was saying: over, 23 point lead with 23 minutes to go Bye Felicia
As I noted upthread, KU should never have been a 4. They were shaky all season, worse when they lost Azubuike, and their season was done when Vick left. I was shocked they did as well as they did in the B12. They should have been, probably, a 6 seed. All of their starters on Thursday were starting a tournament game for the first time.
Oh, I have no opinion on KU; I’m just enjoying decades of practical math and would have made the same assertions if Duke were losing to Fresno St by similar figures.
Speaking of rye, Costco today had 1.75s of Bulleit for 27 bucks. That is a ridiculous price. They also had Redbreast 12 for 38 for a 750. They really must want me to drink more spirits. I fucking love that place.
*quails at the thought of what I would have to pay under NYS laws*
I thought you NYers all just bought booze/tobacco sans tax stamps from a guy who knows a guy?
I don’t know any guy.
Do they tax booze much more heavily in NY than California?
The major hoop is a law which – and I am not certain if this is state-wide or just NYC – that requires liquor store operators to live within some ridiculous radius of their shop. Basically, banning chain stores. And no, you can’t get liquor at Costco.
Wow, that is some fucked up shit. No booze at Costco? I can’t even.
Similar in Colorado. There are liquor stores next door to Costcos but they’re separate entities and don’t have the prices.
For all the completey terrible laws and taxation in California, it really is not bad for booze laws in comparison to the rest of the country. I guess you need to be inebriated to put up with it.
I dunno if this crap originated in prohibition-era puritanism or modern-era “prop up the bloated state on sin-taxes” but yeah, the end result is heavier taxation.
It’s a city thing. The new (about a year old) Costco in Oceanside, Lawn Guyland has a nice liquor store but my Rockaway Beach local bottle store is price competitive. The Wild Turkey 101 is $29 for a liter at both Costco and my local but my local has a loyalty card with a discount and a 5% rebate.
I would buy several bottles of the Redbreast.
I got one Bulleit, one Redbreast and one liter of Jameson Caskmate for 26 bucks. The savings just don’t stop.
What?! Holy balls, I need a Costco.
No need to read beyond the headline, really.
“Their legacy is that they ruined their own credibility, and their continuing efforts to destroy him by innuendo and investigation can only add to their disgrace.”
Nope, that’s not what will happen.
I also predict that, if the Mueller report is a dud, there will be a mounting chorus of, “we need to put 2016 behind us.”
There’s really nothing to learn here beyond ‘How can I run a huge scam and make the tax payers pay the bill’. Really, that is it.
That’s the best Goodwin article I’ve ever read. I hope what he talks about actually happens.
We’ve lived in a banana republic for a long time. This charade was just the debutante ball.
No more special counsels, they are an abomination unto the constitution. There is no reason the IG can’t investigate.
Silicone Saturday to the rescue!
https://tinyurl.com/yxlusm75
Took a chance. Hey, those are suitable for view during daughter’s recital. Yeah.
Jelly rolling trolling.
I don’t get it.
First, hitler, hello, goodnight
Worst. Hitler. Ever.
You know who else was the worst Hitler ever?
Gay Hitler?
This guy?
Don’t mention the war!
Danula’s pug?
This one?
George W. Bushitler?
Mecha Hitler?
I am shocked at the number of snarky, sarcastic, and downright rude comments on this site; are there no moderators? No courageous federal prosecutors to demand the identity of these callous individuals?
Ah, blow it out your shiny metal ass.
Winner