s n a p p e r h e a d

Fear = Survival Mechanism

I am a god-fearing–fearing¹ person. This multi-hyphenated word concisely captures my true feelings about the uncountable mass of tera–terra-idiots. ‘Tera,’ as in: the uncountable quantity of every dead, living, and yet-to-be-conceived bag of H₂0 and minerals who once crabbed, is crabbing, or will someday crab about on this planet; and ‘terra-idiots’ are those who once claimed/now claim/or will claim to believe in an invisible omniscient-omnipresent-omnipotent entity who created, controls, or will destroy, this ball of H₂0 and minerals currently crawling through space at 134K mph² (relative to the space of our universe) 486K mph (relative to the Milky Way Galaxy) and 67K mph (relative to Sol).

I believe that those who claim to believe in an invisible-magic-sky-entity have questionable rationality and live a self-deceit-packed life filled with hypocrisy and bigotry³. I point out that, ‘they claim to believe’ because within the uncountable tera–terra-idiot mass, there are many uncountable giga–terra-fools who (once/are/will) claim to believe in a vengeful/loving-being-who-patiently-listens-to-their-every-murmur solely because of societal, familial, political, or cultural pressures....but they never actually believe (they just don’t want to be excommunicated, stoned, banished, disowned, disinherited, shunned, or ostracized).

All belief-systems preach that their followers are clever, altruistic, kind, generous, honest, and noble people. And they all preach to their followers that the other belief-systems are filled with foolish, self-centered, stingy, deceptive and corrupt people. Every religion and church teaches hatred and distrust of others. Even the most open minded and ‘liberal’ religions sell themselves to their parishioners by pointing out the less open minded qualities of other religions.

Being afraid of people who claim to have faith in things that do not exist is merely a good defense mechanism—like being afraid of the insane. The actions of god-fearing and insane people are equally unpredictable, unfettered by common sense, and not grounded in reality.

¹Thanks Davecat.

²I apologize for using mph; but miles are relative to my reality. The kilometer-majority need to multiply by 1.61.

³The god-fearing who actually read this, and take umbrage, need to treat themselves to a hot steaming cup of I don't give a fuck what you say. Leave. Big people are talking.

During many ages there were witches. The Bible said so. The Bible commanded that they should not be allowed to live. Therefore the Church—after eight hundred years—gathered up its halters, thumb-screws, and firebrands, and set about its holy work in earnest. She worked hard at it night and day during nine centuries and imprisoned, tortured, hanged, and burned whole hordes and armies of witches, and washed the Christian world clean with their foul blood. Then it was discovered that there was no such thing as witches, and never had been. One does not know whether to laugh or to cry.....There are no witches. The witch text remains; only the practice has changed. Hell fire is gone, but the text remains. Infant damnation is gone, but the text remains. More than two hundred death penalties are gone from the law books, but the texts that authorized them remain. — Mark Twain, "Bible Teaching and Religious Practice," Europe and Elsewhere (1923)

Original article written 2009 (re-posted during 2021's creative sabbatical)

Issac Asimov

Gravity (GIF)

Texas as Iraq

Gee-Eye-Eff ⦇3 sec × 105 hex⦈ × ⦇∞ ÷ 3¼ min ⦈ ≈ ∞

Pareidolia (say: pair-eye-Dole-ee-ah)

About twelve months after our first symptoms of covid disappeared, we received our first of two Mrna inoculations—which should prevent serious illness from any infections we might get in the next six months or more. Last month we received our second dose; two weeks later we spent a week on vacation and also began a new Eglaf endeavor.

I expect fewer blog posts this summer and fall during our sabbatical. We've already become aware how to mentally improve (emotionally and philosophically). The big question is will there be a future artwork to show for all the expansive grey matter work? We do not know if there will be anything tangible to show for our efforts after all the outlining, scheming, and editing. The act of improving me is the ultimate goal; creating a visible product for others to read, see, hate, or enjoy, is merely a nice trinket from my mental gift shop.

related viewing/reading:

Eglaf

NEFND

HEXGRID ⦇19 × 11⦈ ÷ 2 ≈ 105

A Comparitive View on the Varied Hue of Southern vs Northern Racism

When an average guy (someone with a Y chromosome) possessing a vanilla tapioca mayo on wonder bread lack-of-cultural-heritage, decides to open his mouth and express an opinion about something he read about, or learned from others, or maybe witnessed—but which he could never have experienced (and will never live-thru)—because he was never a woman, or obese, or transsexual, or suffered from depression, nor was he ever homeless, or Black, or Native American, or in constant fear of being a victim of state violence (etcetra) . . . I want to tell that fucker to keep his opinion to himself. And when that fucker is me, I tend to follow my own advice. Not always.

Statistics about racial populations and political tendencies are (in this white guy's mind) insufficient to explain why I'd never-again live in Alabama or Georgia or Kentucky or Indiana, nor why I am (relative-to-my-own-past) content living in Vermont.

In the US South, the entire society which comprises The System (controlled by white people) is waaay beyond casually racist. If you, dear reader, happen to be Mr or Mrs Mayo Wonderbread who lives in the South and thinks ‘beyond casually racist’ is not an accurate description of you? Re-read my statement before you take umbrage. The system is. Not all people are. (You might-could-just be casually racist and not waaay beyond).

Racism is so routine-normal in the South that white strangers assume everyone who looks like they do, thinks like they do, and they'll freely talk about their KKK opinions. The reason Trump was (and still is) so popular with white conservatives (from every state) is not because he accomplished things they wanted the President to accomplish, or that he fooled them (I met some intelligent people in the six years I lived in the US South), the reason is: he's as extremely, hatefully, intentionally racist as they are.

Vermont is more Caucasian than Oregon, but the few racists in Vermont who I've talked to are careful in their probing conversations. They know they're a small minority of the population here and they don't like getting scolded or ridiculed for letting an errant word slip out of their mouth.

The week we moved here, I met a neighbor from the next building. He'd seen our license tags and said, “Where in Oregon are you from?” I told him and he replied, “I heard Portland was a really liberal city, but I guess that's something that can be beat outta somebody.” “Sounds like a threat,” I said. He got all apologetic-giggly and denied it with, “just jokin, not my intention, sorry sorry.”

In Georgia that guy never would have backed down. He would have known 90 strangers out of a 100 (including most cops) would back him up in an argument, or a fight, or maybe even in a late-nite follow-up lynching. In Georgia, that probing conversation would have quickly switched to fighting-words. And I would have been the one backing down when he took out a weapon.

Here in Vermont, the hate-filled Republicans might risk getting recorded on your security camera sneaking into your yard to take your Black Lives Matter sign, or your We Stand With: sign, or your rainbow pride flag but they don't call attention to themselves. Everyone here knows that 60% of the state is progressive (Bernie lovers) and 25% are a strange type of Northern Libertarian (love their weed, hate VT's high taxes, rarely leave New England).

The best way to describe Vermont is to say that the entire society which comprises The System doesn't tolerate people who are unwelcoming of people with differences.

similar opinions:

flags of hate

Jan 6th

blue vs black

Philosophical Belief Quiz

This Philosophical Belief Quiz, designed by a Philosopher and a Psychologist, is intended to help you evaluate your thoughts related to a few different philosophical areas, identify any alignment with other people who've taken this quiz (both philosophers and participants) and (possibly) assist in identifying any correlation-causation between your thoughts and some of your individual psychological traits or beliefs.

more quizzes:

How AI savvy Are You?

Cactus - new EP available from El Diablitos

Lyrics written/performed by Pamela Flores (my wonderful wife); music written, produced, and guitars performed by Tony Guerrero. All profits from this EP to be donated to the Portland Children's Hospital.

more El Diablitos:

Ballad of Sancho y Panza

Cops Against Humanity (Portland Protest Edition)

just wondering to myself:

would I be a participant if

I still lived in Portland OR

still worked enforcing laws

if CS was in the wind and I

herd the crowd in the street

yes I would hope to be part

of the ‘change from within’

vicariously wondering that

as I watch (and judge) you

do Cops Against Humanity

because of you I no longer

will say: I’m a retired cop

while sitting in the comfort

just wondering to myself:

eight image excerpts by Portland artist Austin Granger at austingranger.com

FRAMING

Laundromat Pantograph

⩴ The Reason to Make Goals ⩴ We Become What We Think About ⩴

Earl Nightingale, 1956

"The progressive realization of a worthy ideal"

more good advice:

politicians

Beau

Tire Rule of Thumb (for travelling to Vermont)

all-weather after

Mother's Day always snow-tires

before Halloween

more Vermontisms:

lazy witch coffins

informal state gatekeeper

crow regulations

CIA Page 25

The "there-must-be-a-conspiracy-because-Fox-Mulder-would-think-so" surrounding the "missing" page 25, from the declassified 70s-80s era CIA Analysis of the Gateway Project (astral projection/remote viewing) was resolved. The complete report, including page 25, was in the files of the Monroe Institute and now you can read it on VICE