Author: patd
“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." "How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland View all posts by patd
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
t.s. eliot – the waste land
for sturge
The fastest growing religious group in the United States are “Nones” – as in no religion at all – and it’s time they get a holiday of their own.
also click here for Bill reacts to the historic indictment of former President Trump in his Real Time monologue.
Judge undercuts key Fox News defense as he sends Dominion suit to trial – The Washington Post
Whan that April with his showres soote The droughte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veine in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flowr; Whan Zephyrus eek with his sweete breethe Inspired hath in every holt and heethe The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halve cours …
Is it an April Fools’ prank, or just a weird product? (msn.com)
I’m not an atheist. I don’t know enough for that either. So I guess I’m a Don’tKnowist.
But whatever it is I am, it’s got nothing to do with a church, any church. Except maybe the First Church of the Wholly Sturgeone which meets very infrequently. Mostly at tax time and like traffic stops and such.
What April Fools’ Day looks like around the world | CNN
Much divides us, but one thing that knows no cultural bounds is the human desire to pull some silly, goofy little tricks.
sturge, didn’t mean to label you as one. just remembered some of your past comments on the trail and figured you might agree with bill on some of his.
yeah, i waiver between being an agnostic to being a pantheist.
Sometimes it’s better not knowing what people believe.
Sturgeone beat me to the Canterbury Tales Prologue
Yeah i agree with Mr Bill on a number of things and i guess he’s just being silly about having a day for the non-religious but he does have a point there. I can see the number of church-goers dwindling.
I blame that on Nietzsche,
or maybe the internets.
Or something…..hell, I I don’t know.
Ivy I believe you’re right. I know i never seek to know what someone believes, spirit-wise. Decent peoples is decent peoples. The others can, um…. well, you know…..
And Pat, you can label me anything you want to–just don’t label me late for supper 😎
“Religion is for those who are afraid of hell. Spirituality is for those who’ve been there.”
“Hell is other people.”
–Sartre
Somebody on the internets:
2) Hell is other people
No, this does not mean other people are the worst and you should hide yourself in a dark, lonely room so that you don’t have to put up with them. The line comes from a 1944 existentialist play by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre called Huis Clos, or No Exit. In the play, three people are trapped in Hell — which is a single room — and ultimately, while confessing their sins to one another, end up falling into a bizarre love triangle.
The confinement of the characters extends beyond their physical holding room: they are trapped by the judgments of their cellmates. That’s why one of the characters says, “Hell is other people” — because of how we are unable to escape the watchful gaze of everyone around us. “By there mere appearance of the Other,” says Sartre in Being and Nothingness, “I am put in the position of passing judgment on myself as on an object, for it is as an object that I appear to the Other.”
Sartre offered a clarification about his much misunderstood phrase:
As Rugnetta explains: “Hell is other people because you are, in some sense, forever trapped within them, subject to their apprehension of you.”
Your Honor, he said, “Blah-Blah-Blah!”
–Lenny Bruce
“If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.”
– Lenny Bruce
Yah, it’s one o’ them mawnin’s
To hold the fifties in remembrance today I’m wearing my white socks and penny-loafers.
And I may wear a white shirt with the cuffs rolled twice and the collar turned up. I’d take some Vitalis and grease back the hair, but there’s neither grease nor hair around here.
I think dwindling religiosity is probably due to a simple realization.
If you view the Earth as a single entity watched over and judged by a God/s who needs to be worshipped and placated, then a religion of some sort.
As science proves the earth is one tiny speck on an outer arm of a galaxy among galaxies, it is difficult to conceive of a God/s watching over every single second of your life and actions. Spirituality has room for believing in a creative force or rejecting that some form of atheism.
Of course, that places the burden of behavior on the individual not threatened by Hell. Good people are good people. Bad people are bad people and the only law is the Golden rule. All else is commentary.
Also, some people are going back to acknowledging nature in lieu of patriarchal, organized religion.
ps – Science
Hell I might even look to see if i can find The Lawrence Welk show on tv some where.
think I’ve already posted this… but it’s most appropriate this morning…
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/01/politics/medicaid-termination-states/index.html
“Millions of Americans are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage in coming months, but residents in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire and South Dakota will be the first to bear the brunt of the terminations.”
“States have been barred by Congress from winnowing their Medicaid rolls since the Covid-19 pandemic began. That prohibition ends on Saturday, and some states are moving much more swiftly than others to kick off those deemed ineligible for the public health insurance program for low-income Americans.”
“The five states will start cutting off coverage in April, followed by 14 more states in May and 20 additional states plus the District of Columbia in June. All states must complete their redeterminations over the next 14 months.”
No joke
Lawrence was big on those “modern spirituals”.
Pence Gibberish is not worth the time it takes to listen.
Good stuff, Sturge.
A few years back a scientist claimed he found the God gene and for me it best explained religion as I observed it. For me I have never understood how anybody can believe in God, for some years in my youth I tried to fake it, you know fit in. Then I did the rebellion thing and went full arguing atheist. Then as I grew older I’ve just stood around with a puzzled look on my face mumbling “I don’t understand”
I dislike the term Atheist because of the loaded baggage it carries. So I tend to say I’m a nonbeliever. So I guess, I did not inherit the God gene. If the God gene exists and I’m doubtful.
Jack
So this day we celebrate the antic of the mythological trickster, be it Loki, Reynard the fox or for our world Mr Coyote.
From wiki
Jack
Coyote is one of the most interesting characters in indigenous mythology.
Trickster – Wikipedia
and if needing help attracting others, Kokopelli can provide the music.
Kokopelli – Wikipedia
🤷♂️
the internet has made new-age hokum very popular, i have to smile and nod at so much nonsense, these days
Such a nice and perfect fifties rock and roll motif…….boy was slick.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=txahSHR2Jb8
“Sometimes it’s better not knowing what people believe.”
Ivy, yep since a lot of folks as far as beliefs go only talk but don’t do which makes one wonder if they really believe what they say they believe or are saying it just to please, to get attention, to one-up with self-righteousness, be goodier than thou competitive, to conform or whatever. in addition to that puzzle, personal labels tend to skew or limit communications.
Very cool, Mr. S 👍
the hill on some of stormy quotes in times of london interview:
got an email this morning from the Nuts people:
“learn more” click says april fool and offers a discount on the real nuts
True, Pat. Makes little sense. Some apocalypse in the mix, the reward waits on the other side for belief, devotion (and donations) in the here and now. TFG resonates of “preacher types” they love but whose message he’s superseded. The new gospel is from hell.
Scary: Users on a pro-Trump forum encouraged those who did not want to “form organized militias” to “take on lone wolf mentalities,” “weaponize suicidal people” and “make the jurors public knowledge.”
Online threats of violence but few signs of far-right organizing around Trump indictment
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/online-threats-violence-signs-far-right-organizing-trump-indictment-rcna77709
Wow! Joe Tapioca (mob name, Joey Pudding) looks and sounds like a mafioso lawyer straight out of Central Casting. I would expect nothing less than a caricature serving as Orange Adolf’s legal mouthpiece.
Does anyone remember their mob name from 2006? I think Craig was 20 Eyes. I was The Abalone.
I was not around these parts in 2006. I would go with Vintage Vixy (vixen).
So he takes it on the lam, flies to Moscow where he’s set up with his very own Army of Liberation and with a strong 5th column on the ground in america…….see that’s all very Greek.
BB – I like your name! There was a mob name generator we used. I didn’t want to be The Abalone; I wanted to be Clams Casino. Ha!
However, I named tRUMPsky’s new lawyer Joey Pudding. I mean, every clip of the guy just screams mob, IMO.
ps – The TV is currently airing a Bible story starring an ex-NRA president, whose hands are now actually cold and dead. Sorry, not sorry.
Sturg – I figured he and the fam (them that he’ll allow to board, which based on the his death tax speech might exclude some or all of the kids) would head the plane to that lucrative sand trap known as Saudi Arabia.
A likely destination as well.
Sturge, if he would just slink off it would be so much better.
I just don’t want taxpayers to have to ever, ever pay for his State funeral, so hope he runs far, far away.
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/03/business/french-bakeries-cnnphotos/
“But, despite their cherished status, many bakeries are struggling — and some are on the brink of closure — as energy prices and the costs of their ingredients have spiked.”
“The bill skyrocketed from €900 ($978) in December to €7,500 ($8,146) in January as Chavret renewed her contract. With a government subsidy, her bill would drop to €4,500 ($4,888) per month. That’s still an “unmanageable” increase, she said.”
They won’t be eating bread or cake. That sounds like price gouging on the part of energy companies to get government money. Macron is not doing a great job.
There is so much going on with sfb finally be indicted and to be arrested. The other cases weigh on each other. Judges have egos and you do not want to go the wrong way on one when stroking for relief. Will there be a request for a gag order? Will there be a request for passport surrender, probably not considering it is state level. But, with the felony charge the judge could have restrictions in place, in particular the gag order. I would expect nothing less considering how the idiot is naming names and requesting viloence. The best would be some order that if he violates it he gets to enjoy solitude in a concrete condo.
“…solitude in a concrete condo.”
Blue Bronco, you get my vote. 🤣
I mean, isn’t there already jury tampering, since there’s been a call to ID and make known the addresses of any future jurors? This is pure mafioso crap.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/31/nate-paul-ken-paxton/
“Nate Paul, the Austin real estate developer central to allegations of illegal conduct by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has been ordered to jail again after losing an appeal in a fraud case with a nonprofit.”
“The order found him in contempt of court for lying in district court about money transfers he made that exceeded a court-imposed spending limit.”
“Paul is central to allegations of corruption made against Paxton by eight of his former top deputies. Those deputies told authorities that Paxton had misused his office to benefit Paul, a friend and donor who had given $25,000 to Paxton in 2018.”
“The eight top deputies who accused Paxton of corruption were fired or resigned, but their reports spurred an FBI investigation into Paxton that is now being led by the U.S. Department of Justice.”
“Among the allegations was Paxton’s push to get the attorney general’s office involved in the Mitte Foundation’s lawsuit despite never previously showing interest in cases involving charities. In return, the employees said Paul donated to Paxton’s campaigns, helped him remodel his multimillion dollar home and hired Paxton’s alleged mistress. Paxton is married to state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney.”
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/30/ted-cruz-colin-allred-beto-orourke-senate-2024/
“U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is seriously considering taking on the challenge, The Texas Tribune confirmed. His interest in the race was first reported by The Dallas Morning News.”
“The NFL linebacker-turned-attorney beat Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, in a highly competitive U.S. House race as part of the blue wave that swept Congress in 2018 in response to Trump. He’s a popular figure among his fellow lawmakers, being elected co-president of his freshman class and chosen again in 2020 to represent newer members to House leadership.”
“He’s not serious about being a United States senator,” Allred said of Cruz during a podcast interview with political commentators James Carville and Al Hunt, where he suggested the senator was more interested in running for president. “He’s doing three podcasts a week over there. You know, I’m a member of Congress representing Dallas, and I’m pretty busy during the week. I can’t imagine representing 30 million Texans and still having time to do three podcasts a week.”
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/in-nigeria-children-overcome-witchcraft-branding/
“Two groups take in children ostracized for practicing witchcraft and help them find a path forward.”
“While there is no official database for children branded as witches in Nigeria, more than 15,000 are estimated to have suffered from the allegation in the country’s Cross River and Akwa Ibom states. (Such allegations have been documented across West Africa.) Orphans, children living with disabilities and sometimes even gifted children are particularly vulnerable. Most end up in the streets. While national law criminalizes child witch branding, the practice continues to swell, with sometimes fatal consequences.”
“In seeking answers to why they are poor and why things are tough for them, many turn to religion,” Igwe explains, adding that religious leaders have made customers out of these desperate parents. Pastors typically solicit a church donation for “deliverance sessions” like the one Etim experienced. And by claiming that they possess the power to identify witches, they attract more members — which brings in more tithes.”
“The nonprofit Street Priests, which deploys an army of young volunteers to help street children, says about two out of every three have been labeled a witch. The organization focuses on hunger, education and skills-building…”
“Fool me once, shame on, shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.” – George W. Bush
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