Death of Hypatia®

Category: Blog

  • WIBCI Post #166

    WIBCI More Were Merrier?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If there was more JOY and less ENTITLEMENT?

     

    In 1976 Mike Royko from the Chicago Daily News wrote that perhaps the recent uptick in the women mugged downtown could be due to the lack of police on the street as they were acting as body guards for Frank Sinatra. Did the gracious crooner apologize to the ladies of Chicago and/or make a donation to a local charity for the inconvenience his presence caused the city? Nope, on May 4th, 1976 Frank Sinatra wrote a scathing letter to the columnist Mike Royko.

    Here it is word for word:

     

    May 4th, 1976

    Mr. Mike Royko “Chicago Daily News”

    Let me start this note by saying, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. I believe if you knew me: 

    First you would find immediately that I do not have an army of flunkies.

    Secondly, neither myself, nor my secretary, nor my security man put in the request for police protection. It is something that’s far from necessary.

    It’s quite obvious that your source of information stinks, but that never surprises me about people who write in newspapers for a living. they rarely get their facts straight. If the police decided that they wanted to be generous to me, I appreciate it. Why not take it out on them instead of me, or is that too big a job for you?

    And thirdly, who the hell gives you the right to decide how disliked I am if you know nothing about me. They only honest thing I read in your piece is the fact that you admitted you are disliked, and by the way you write I can understand it Quite frankly, I don’t understand why people don’t spit in your eye three or four times a day.

    Regarding my “tough reputation” you and no one else can prove that allegation. You and millions of other gullible Americans read that kind of crap written by the same female gossip columnists that you are so gallantly trying to protect; the garbage dealers I call hookers, and there’s no doubt that is exactly what they are, which makes you a pimp, because you are using people to make money just as they are.

    Lastly, certainly not the least, if you are a gambling man:

    a) You prove, without a doubt, that I have ever punched an elderly drunk or elderly anybody, you can pick up $100,000.

    b) I will allow you to pull my “hairpiece”; if it moves, I will give you another $100,000; if it does not, I push you in the mouth. How about it?

    -Sinatra

     

    Jesus.

    In my opinion, Ole’ Blue Eyes comes off as a dick. He starts by pointing out how they don’t know each other so how dare a journalist write about a celebrity, but then HE goes on to personally insult and degrade the man he admittedly doesn’t know, journalism, the American public, women, and hookers!  Wake up on the wrong side of the bed Frank?  He wants you to prove his “tough reputation” after saying he should he should be assaulted 3 to 4 times daily, before threatening the journalist, insulting women, and never denying any of the allegations. Entitled much Frankie? I guess 1%’s have historically sucked.

    But this story has a surprisingly apropos ending.

    The reason I could write the letter word for word was because in 2009 a lovely little lamb of a lady brought in a framed letter and 4 news articles to Antiques Roadshow. She goes on to say how she always read the Chicago Daily News and Mike Royko’s column. When Mike Royko received this letter, he did not take Frankie up on his bet, he did not cower in fear….he published it.

    He not only published it, but he auctioned it off to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to The Salvation Army.

    And this white haired gem of person was that highest bidder.

    But wait, that isn’t even the best part!

    When she found out that the letter, she bid $400 dollars on was now worth $15K, she responded with such JOY; it was the best reaction I have ever seen after many, many, many episodes. I almost cried myself. She had to sit down between yelling to the crowd, ‘Did you hear that?!”. She couldn’t hug her friend Betty hard enough, the appraiser was overcome, and the PA who brought her the chair was enveloped in her arms.

    But wait, there’s more!

    While embracing the PA she whispers to her (but luckily for us, the audio was caught by the PA’s microphone):

    ‘If I ever sell it, I’m giving the money to The Salvation Army. The more the merrier!’

     

    Good on you Mike, good on you lovely lady, good on you Betty!

    WIBCI there were more people who thought like her and less people who thought like Frank?

     

     

    … more “WIBCI Post #166”

  • Know Thyself #166

    Know Thyself through YOUR MEANING OF LIFE

    I do not believe there is a universal meaning of life. I don’t think my goal is to figure out the meaning of ‘it all’. I agree with Joseph Campbell when he was interviewed by Bill Moyers in The Power of Myth on PBS:

    Joseph Campbell:

    People say that what we are all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that is what we are really seeking. I think what we are seeking is an experience of being alive, so that the life experiences that we have on the purely physical plane will have resonance within that are those of our own innermost being and reality and so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That’s what it is all finally about and that’s what these clues help us to find within ourselves.

     Bill Moyers:

    Myths are clues?

    Joseph Campbell:

    Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life.

    Bill Moyers:

    What we are capable of knowing within?

    Joseph Campbell:

    Yes.

     

    I think I am responsible for the energy expelled on making my life meaningful.  To be able to do this, I must know WHO I AM. What I think, what I feel. You are different than anyone who came before you, different than anyone who will come after, and you are the only being who will go through your collection of experiences. I think it better to figure out what your differences are rather than fixating on fitting a mold and disliking those outside it.

    To me that would be a life with few regrets, and that is what I think the point is, to have as few regrets as possible. That constitutes ‘meaning’ to me.

    I don’t believe anyone on their deathbed wishes they had spent more time ‘thumbing through’ on their phone.

    What’s YOUR meaning of life?… more “Know Thyself #166”

  • WIBCI Post #165

    WIBCI EMPATHY were the norm?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If time spent with others were more a part of our own EVOLVING?

    Recently I was with a group of people and I was discussing the disappointment I felt while talking with my relatives. I related how I wasn’t asked questions about my life beyond ‘how are things?’. There were no follow-up questions, penetrating looks, or requests for more background. I seemed to serve only as an opportunity mirror used to bounce back or redirect my words into anecdotes related to themselves. In none of these conversations did I walk away feeling more understood, more capable to tackle that which needs tackling; I had no advantageous new point of view to consider.

    BUT this is not the part of the conversation that I wish to be considered the most poignant point of this.

    When I was done venting, the response I received was most unexpected. From the three individuals present I was to believe that it was I that was the oddity in these disappointing discussions, not my relatives. I was told that I asked people to ‘start from the beginning’ and asked about previous conversations, and THIS is what was unusual, NOT their uninterestedness.

    I was the empathetic exception. They reported that even their most intimate of correspondents don’t ask of them, the questions I expect to be asked by others.

    Huh…

    As I’m writing a book, I see conversations with others as chances to see the world differently, possible viewpoints of characters yet to be born. I know what I think of the world and I don’t care whether you agree or not; I find no need, unless genuinely asked, to try out my opinions on you to see if you agree or find me intelligent. What I’m coming into these conversations not knowing is how it all looks from your shoes, that’s what I want to know. I want to know YOU, I want to hear what YOU think, I want to consider what YOU consider. If I learn something about you, or see something from a different angle, I might learn a little something about me.… more “WIBCI Post #165”

  • Know Thyself #165

    Know Thyself through LEARNING

    I believe that:

    The more you learn, the more you CAN learn

    If you have read any of my earlier posts, you will know I’m not a fan of AI. I believe it has its place; it is useful for computation and calculation. But I believe all else should be left to the mammals.

    Your brain is a muscle, when it is used, it grows and becomes more powerful. When it is neglected it atrophies.

    atrophy / [a-truh-fee] / n /:

    1. a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage

    2. degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse

     

    So why aren’t we using our brains instead of AI? Why aren’t we using our brains to remember instead of Googlin everything? Is convenience and inactivity the ultimate goal we are attempting to reach?

    Did no one see Wall-E?

     

    wall-e-2-fat-humans - ..STBY...

    … more “Know Thyself #165”

  • WIBCI Post #164

    WIBCI we look at some of the takeaways from THE WORLD CUP

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If FIFA was above kissing the ring?

     

    SPORT is supposed to be impressive, entertaining, real and pure. Wikipedia lists the following as a definition for the word:

    The precise definition of what differentiates a sport from other leisure activities varies between sources. The closest to an international agreement on a definition is provided by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), which is the association for all the largest international sports federations (including association football, athletics, cycling, tennis, equestrian sports, and more), and is therefore the de facto representative of international sport.

    GAISF uses the following criteria, determining that a sport should:

    • have an element of competition

    • be in no way harmful to any living creature

    • not rely on equipment provided by a single supplier (excluding proprietary games such as arena football)

    • not rely on any “luck” element specifically designed into the sport.

     

    The World Cup was a chance for North Americans, more specifically, Americans, to better appreciate the global world they are a part of. To me Sport is something free of religion and politics, where the world agrees on the rules and enjoys together.

    Wouldn’t It Have Been Cooler If we let the sport happen? If our leadership didn’t value winning over sport maybe teams would have been able to bring all their staff into the United States, maybe fans wouldn’t have had to leave bonds to ensure their departure, maybe we wouldn’t insist rules are overlooked for US, maybe we could have had grace and taken it upon ourselves NOT to take an advantage, maybe we could have had class, maybe we could have separated church and state a bit better.

    That is where, in my eyes, the US could have been cooler. But this failure is also on the hands of FIFA. It starts with the ridiculous and thinly veiled ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ which was announced in Nov. 2025 and given out in December 2025 after a thoughtful MONTH long discussion. The empathetic and world altering achievements this award is supposed to symbolize, did not seem to be embodied by its first recipient. Huh, I thought FIFA was this giant of industry, a world power, an independent creature subject to the impulses on no one. Guess I was wrong.

    They crumpled just like everyone else does.

    I want to be represented by teams that win games because they were physically and mentally better. I don’t want to win because we bent the rules to our favor. Empty trophies and empty awards given by empty organizations. It was so obvious to me that the message was not about the world coming together for sport, it was about making money for a few. What a shame.

    But unlike me I do have one positive takeaway. To me the best part of some of the World Cup games being in the United States. Is the amazement of foreigners that Americans are cool. Often the citizens of a nation are judged by their leadership. The best takeaway from the World Cup, for me, was the overwhelming outpouring of fans from other nations being so shocked that Americans were lovely.

    Most of us are lovely, thank you for noticing.

    Shameful FIFA president tarnishes World Cup with U.S. penalty reversal

     … more “WIBCI Post #164”

  • Know Thyself #164

    Know Thyself through WHAT YOU PROJECT TO THE WORLD

    I’ve often thought about having a Death of Hypatia® line of T-shirts. Only one style and color available; B&W baseball T-shirt, white front and back with black collar and three quarter sleeves, on the back centered between the shoulder blades would be the logo:

    and on the front you could choose from a variety of snarky witticisms/DoH beliefs that express what I feel about the world.

    Here are some examples; picture black capitalized words in Times New Roman on two lines when necessary (indicated by / ), I said I often thought about this, so yes I am quite specific:

    • MORE EXPERIENCES/THAN FOLLOWERS
    • BETTER FOR THE MOST
    • I THINK THERE I AM/IN NO NEED of AI
    • KNOW THYSELF
    • SMARTER THAN THEY/WANT ME TO BE
    • HUMANS RULE
    • WIBCI
    • AI IS STUPID

    I also wanted to offer T’s with nothing written on the front, so you could advertise YOUR thoughts to the world.

    What would YOU tell it?… more “Know Thyself #164”

  • WIBCI Post #163

    WIBCI FLASHBACK to WIBCI Post #19 To those who are unfamiliar to this website, which by my calculations would be…….ah yes, here it is… everyone, that would include everyone. Below is what I posted on June 11th of last year explaining the meaning behind Death of Hypatia® the only thing I changed is adding the fancy little ® symbol that I have since received:)   Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we learned from HISTORY? WIBCI we learned from the Death of Hypatia®:

    Who/What happened to Hypatia of Alexandria?

    Hypatia was a woman born c. 350 who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. We do not know what Hypatia looked like nor do we have any of her writings. What we know of Hypatia is from her students, contemporaries, rumor, slander and myth. The scholar/mathematician/philosopher/astronomer was beloved by Christians and Pagans alike. Known for her tolerance and intelligence, students traveled from all corners of the empire to study with the Neoplatonist. Neoplatonism is a combination of philosophy/mathematics/science into an order which attempts an explanation for the universe. Reknown for her inclusivity for all people/religions, she established great influence in the philosophical and political realms of Alexandria. Orestes, the Roman prefect (Roman Governor) sought advise from Hypatia during a public feud between himself and Cyril, the archbishop of Alexandria. The archbishop, in the name of Christianity, began to impose on Orestes’ secular authority. Orestes was attacked, saved by the people of Alexandria, discovered the leader of the perpetrators whom he had tortured and killed. Cyril placed the blame on Hypatia, the witch, possibly due to her influence, maybe jealously for her popularity and/or to get her tolerance out of the way. Although the details of her death will never be known, it is believed that in c. 415 a mob pulled Hypatia from her carriage and dragged her into a church. Her flesh was scraped from her body; it is believed to have been done with roof tiles or oyster shells. She was dismembered and burnt.

    Why this is considered a Death of Hypatia® moment:           

    • The event caused a scholarly exodus, Alexandria ceased to be the intellectual capital of the world.
    • The event attributed to the decline in intellectualism in the Roman Empire.
    • The event is arguably noted as the moment that marks the end of the Classical Era.
    • Any Death of Hypatia® moment results in the decline in people thinking for themselves due to the increase in organizational persecution for thinking anyway other than what the status quo of the day dictates.
    Free thought has been the historical Achilles’ heel for those few who contribute to Death of Hypatia® moments.
     
    What do YOU think?
    … more “WIBCI Post #163”

  • Know Thyself #163

    Know Thyself through MOTIVATION

    How motivated would you consider yourself to be? If you have a goal, how motivated are you to achieve it?

    Try and think of the last ‘goal’ that you obsessed over, what was that which you thought about at all convenient hours and some not so convenient hours? Now regardless of whether or not you achieved your goal, while you were preoccupied with this captivating objective, on a scale of 1 to 10, how MOTIVATED were you?

    motivation/ ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən / n / :

    1. the act or an instance providing with a reason to act in a certain way

    2. desire to do; interest or drive

    3. incentive or inducement

    4. psychol the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behavior

     

    For this particular exercise and this particular scale, a person with a motivation level of a ‘1‘ would be as follows:

    Someone who dreams of this goal, wants it so bad, deserves it so much, has feelings of anger for those fortunate to have what they have not, and has many people to blame for not having it; which really pisses them off because…they REALLY WANT it.

    On the opposite side of the spectrum for this particular exercise and this particular scale, a person with a motivation level of a ‘10‘ would be as follows:

    Someone who focus on and works for this goal, figures out what has to be done to get it…and just does it; usually with little to no blaming.

     … more “Know Thyself #163”

  • WIBCI Post #162

    WIBCI we used the DUCK TEST in life more?

    WOULDN’T IT BE COOL IF we called it like it was?

    Have you heard of The Duck Test? per Wikipedia it is:

    The duck test is a frequently cited colloquial example of abductive reasoning. Its usual expression is:

    If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

    The test implies that a person can identify an unknown subject by observing that subject’s habitual characteristics. It is sometimes used to counter abstract arguments that something might not be what it appears to be.

     

    I’ve noticed an uptick in the use of the word TYRANT, so let’s dig.

    Per Dictionary.com:

    tyrant / tahy-ruhnt / ˈtaɪ rənt / n /:

    1. a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly.

      Synonyms:
      dictator, autocrat, despot

    2. any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically.

    3. a tyrannical or compulsory influence.

     

    So that is what tyrants are.

    So what do tyrants do?

    To look into this I turned to Joseph Campbell, described by Wikipedia as:

    Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904– October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human condition. Campbell’s best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypalhero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth.

    Since the publication of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell’s theories have been applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. His philosophy has been summarized by his own often repeated phrase: “Follow your bliss.”He gained recognition in Hollywood when George Lucas credited Campbell’s work as influencing his Star Wars saga.

    In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell writes:

    The figure of the tyrant-monster is know to the mythologies, folk traditions, legends, and even nightmares, of the world; and his characteristics are everywhere essentially the same. He is the hoarder of the general benefit. He is the monster avid for the greedy rights of ‘my and mine.” The havoc wrought by him is described in mythology and fairy tale as being universal throughout his domain. This may be no more than his household, his own tortured psyche, or the lives that he blights with the touch of his friendship and assistance; or it may amount to the extent of his civilization. The inflated ego of the tyrant is a curse to himself and his world – no matter how his affairs may seem to prosper. Self-terrorized, fear-haunted, alert at every hand to meet and battle back the anticipated aggressions of his environment, which are primarily the reflections of the uncontrollable impulses to acquisition within himself, the gift of self-achieved independence is the world’s messenger of disaster, even though, in his mind, he may entertain himself with humane intentions.

    WIBCI minus the last 12 words, does this remind you of any particular Duck?… more “WIBCI Post #162”

  • Know Thyself #162

    Know Thyself through POETRY

    I found a poem a wrote a while back and I thought it wasn’t terrible…

     

    Horse Hair

     

    Upon Dreaming I sought refuge on the grass.

     

    I yearned for the support of a thousand blades, surfaces, and snowflake intersections.

     

    Notice the difference apparent alongside on the manufactured path.

    All bits slammed together;

    no pores,

    no spaces,

    no room,

    no movement,

    no changes,

    no growth.

    One frozen form, void of beginnings, and without soul.

    If ice takes hold here, its evolution I fear

    will be slippery and periling.

     

    On grass I Learned arguments for trees,

    under obelisks with roots, branches, and leaves

    If damaged, the mass continues to sustain,

    flex,

    And live.

    Like cloth, chainmail, or rope together banded,

    transferring energetic tension;

    Healthier because OF its’ parts.

     

    Thrust swords into sand, individual grains are not overcome;

    they swallow your sword.

    But if that sand were tortured, boiled, and melted into

    a made thing,

    void of characteristics,

    oddities,

    and humanities.

    It, artificial and translucent,

    Illuminating others’ possibilities;

    Arresting others’ freedoms.

     

    Thrust this false power into something real and watch it

    shatter,

    separate,

    and be no more.

    Upon Reflection I prefer trees to swords,

    and find kindred among those in the grass.

     

    Not great, but I know where I was when I wrote it, so I forgive it; I was mad at all the things we made, mad at all the things we ruined, and I just wanted to feel safe again, like in the grass, where it’s real.

    Have YOU ever written poetry or have poetry  that someone wrote to YOU from any point in your life? Try and find it and read it. Can you remember what it meant to YOU when you wrote it or received it? What does it mean to YOU now?

    … more “Know Thyself #162”

  • WIBCI Post #161

    WIBCI we APPRECIATED HISTORY

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If there was more GUMPTION in our Government?

    Had you heard of The Saturday Night Massacre? I hadn’t until recently. The full Wikipedia link and main description are below, but in a nutshell….

    • In 1973 amidst a scandal the President requests that the special prosecutor drop a subpoena for audio tapes intended as evidence in possible impeachment proceedings
    • The special prosecutor refuses
    • The President orders the Attorney General to fire the special prosecutor
    • The Attorney General refuses and resigns
    • The President orders the Deputy Attorney to fire the special prosecutor
    • The Deputy Attorney refuses and resigns
    • The President orders the Solicitor General to fire the special prosecutor
    • The Solicitor General fires the special prosecutor and intends to resign but per the Ex-Attorney General and the Ex-Deputy Attorney General is persuaded to stay on
    • The American public does not dig this
    • Congress does not dig this
    • Congress initiates impeachment process 10 days later
    • 5 days later the US district judge rules the dismissal of the special prosecutor illegal
    • The President resigns

    I mention appreciation and gumption at the top because in comparison….I’m impressed.

    Think about it, WIBCI if TODAY we had: DC Men with Power who did what’s right as opposed to what’s right for them, Civil Servants who put standards before personal security, Politicians who put country ahead of party, a World where the Public was listened to, A Justice System that was just, and Our Government did what was BETTER FOR THE MOST?

    I think that Would Be Cool……If.

     

    Per Wikipedia: The Saturday Night Massacre was:

    a series of resignations over the dismissal of special prosecutor Archibald Cox that took place in the United States Department of Justice during the Watergate scandal in 1973. The events followed the refusal by Cox to drop a subpoena for the Nixon White House tapes at President Richard Nixon’s request.

    During a single evening on Saturday, October 20, Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effective immediately. Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox; Ruckelshaus refused, and also resigned. Nixon then ordered the third-most-senior official at the Justice Department, Solicitor General Robert Bork, to fire Cox. Bork carried out the dismissal as Nixon asked. Bork stated that he intended to resign afterward, but was persuaded by Richardson and Ruckelshaus to stay on for the good of the Justice Department.

    The political and public reactions to Nixon’s actions were negative and highly damaging to the president. The impeachment process against Nixon began ten days later, on October 30, 1973. Leon Jaworski was appointed as the new special prosecutor on November 1, 1973, and on November 14, 1973, United States district judge Gerhard Gesell ruled that the dismissal had been illegal.

    The Saturday Night Massacre marked the turning point of the Watergate scandal. The public, while increasingly uncertain about Nixon’s actions in Watergate, were incensed by Nixon’s seemingly blatant attempt to end the Watergate probe. Congress, having largely taken a wait-and-see approach regarding Nixon’s role in the scandal, quickly turned on Nixon and initiated impeachment proceedings that would end in Nixon’s resignation.

    … more “WIBCI Post #161”

  • Know Thyself #161

    Know Thyself through LITTLE VICTORIES

     

    Learn new things about old friends.

    – me

    If you get to experience this, it’s like finding a cherished object you didn’t know you lost. It rounds out a little bit more, your image of this person; an image that only you can see.

     

    … more “Know Thyself #161”

  • WIBCI Post #160

    WIBCI we listened to LARRY DAVID?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we learned from comedy?

    Comedy has to be based on the truth. You take the truth and put a little curlicue at the end.

    -Sid Ceasar

    If you don’t know who Sid Caesar is, look him up. He knows what he is talking about. His comedy career spanned 60 years on television and the big screen; from ‘Your Show of Shows‘, to ‘Cannonball Run II’, to ‘Vegas Vacation’.

    Recently I watched Larry David’s new show called ‘Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness‘. In this show American history is given a comic edge, Larry David style. I found it hilarious, ambitious, and ballsy. I like that there are still artists in this country who are willing to put their necks on the line to shine a comic light on what is unwell in our country.

    Below is a GREAT example:

     

    Narrator (Samuel L. Jackson):

    ‘George Washington was nearing the end of his second term. and though the Constitution allowed for unlimited re-election, Washington thought that it was best for the country that he step aside, proving to his fellow citizens that his commitment was to democracy instead of power. Washington also warned against the rise of political factions. He feared that if people voted in line with party loyalty instead of the common interest of the nation (Better For The Most), it could promote a spirit of revenge, leading to the rise of cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men who would take the reins of government… 

    but that could never happen.’

    Next we pan down to a reenactment of Washington’s concession speech. The part of George Washington is played to perfection by the late, great, Rob Reiner:

    ‘My fellow citizens, I stand before you today as your President to announce that I shall not be seeking a third term.’

    The gathered crowd in 1790’s garb gasp in astonishment and someone yells:

    ‘Your country needs you!’

    The President continues:

    ‘No, in order to assure the success of our fledgling democracy, I believe that no man should serve more than two terms as president. And I hope that future presidents will follow my lead.

    A spectator of the seeming merchant class (Larry David) speaks up:

    ‘What if some future President doesn’t follow your lead and runs for a third term?’

    The President responds:

    ‘There are remedies for that. The Congress can pass a constitutional amendment that would prohibit that’

    Merchant counters:

    ‘What if there was some asshole in office, some narcissistic prick, who doesn’t follow the Constitution?’

    After some grunts and ‘yeahs’ from the crowd, George retorts:

    ‘I understand your fervor sir but perhaps you could temper your language.’ 

    Merchant:

    ‘My apologies Mr. President. You know, I…this really gets up my dander, this stuff.’

    President:

    ‘I understand, but rest assured, even if this future president violated the Constitution, then the Congress of the United States and the United States Supreme Court would not allow it.

    Merchant:

    But what if the Supreme Court is a bunch of yes-men and Congress is a bunch of pussies who care more about party than country?!’ 

    President:

    ‘I can’t even fathom the existence of such men but to further ensure the success of this grand experiment, I would suggest that after every presidential election, there be a peaceful transfer of power….where the loser accepts the results of the election and full-throatedly endorses the victor.’

    Merchant:

    ‘Anyone who wouldn’t accept the results of a free and fair election is a sociopath, a madman. A man like that could even foment an insurrection rather than just admit that he lost.’

    The crowd is riled up by this and one of the men yells:

    ‘What a cocksucker!’

    Merchant continues:

    ‘He could use the presidency to enrich himself and his family. He could send troops into American cities to terrorize and even kill American citizens, all to distract from the fact that he’s friends with a pedophile! He could attack universities, even the free press, silencing anyone who dares to criticize him.’

    Here the Merchant is interrupted by another onlooker (Jimmy Kimmel):

    ‘Ah Come on. That could never happen.’ 

    Merchant:

    ‘That’s what you think.’

    On-Looker:

    ‘Are you suggesting that the President would taketh the time to challenge anyone who dare make fun of him, as if he were a big baby?’

    Merchant agreeing:

    ‘A big baby!’

    On-Looker:

    ‘I don’t see it.’

    President:

    ‘No! What duly elected president would do such a thing!’

    Merchant:

    ‘An insecure, lying asshole! He would cheat at golf!’

    Crowd murmurs:

    ‘That’s sick!’ & ‘That’s vile!’

    President:

    ‘What is golf?’

    Merchant:

    ‘It’s a game they invented in Scotland. It’s a lot of fun’ 

    President:

    ‘What kind of man would cheat at this golf?’

    Crowd:

    ‘A sick man!’ & ‘An Asshole!’

    Merchant:

    ‘And did I mention that he’s best friends with a pedophile?’

    President:

    ‘Please citizens, be calm. He is only talking hypothetically. In reality a man of such poor character would never be elected president in the first place.’

    Merchant:

    ‘I’m just spitballing here, Mr. President, but what if he was a deeply corrupt con man, a pathological liar who preys on people’s prejudices?’

    President:

    ‘Are you positing that our electorate is a collection of dupes that would be swayed by such a scoundrel?’

    Merchant:

    ‘Yes Mr. President! That’s exactly what I’m positing!’

    … more “WIBCI Post #160”

  • Know Thyself #160

    Know Thyself through DAZED AND CONFUSED

    Dazed and Confused is a 1993 cult classic film, called the ultimate ensemble film about the beer and drug infused initiations and exploits of rising high school freshmen and departing seniors on the last day of school, in May 1976, written and directed by Richard Linklater, and with the tagline:

    It was the last day of school in 1976, a time they’d never forget… if only they could remember.

    This movie is a cornucopia of quotes with an amazing soundtrack. Alas, my favorite quote is not, ‘Alright, alright, alright’. Although this is classic I prefer what the teacher says as the students exit her classroom for the summer. Plus the movie is about the summer of  1976…… the bicentennial, and here we are ON the 4th of July celebrating 250, so it seemed appropriate:

    Okay guys, one more thing, this summer when you’re being inundated with all this American bicentennial Fourth Of July brouhaha, don’t forget what you’re celebrating, and that’s the fact that a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males didn’t want to pay their taxes.

    Ha! Great movie. I had some teachers that helped me think like that…..… more “Know Thyself #160”

  • WIBCI Post #159

    WIBCI you NOTICED WHAT THEY WERE SELLING?

    Picture a commercial where a young woman is pictured in a montage:  bored out of her head in the dreariest of offices and dispiritedly watching the spin cycle at a laundromat too dull for color, self hair-cutting in a bathroom, and a cup-o-noodles rip-off rotating in a microwave oven.  The sheer volume of toothbrushes points to multiple roommate habitation and the noodles in styrofoam are an obvious nod to a frugal lifestyle. The narrator says:

    You work hard. You save your money…

    so you can have all this…

    by the time you are like….. 87?!

    Then it hits you.

    This final three lines above are narrated over rapid fire images of: a very white wedding on the beach at sunset, a very white woman watering the roses in front of her twin swan topiaries (she appears to be wearing curlers and borrowed a dress from Mrs. Cleaver), a family photo of mom, dad, eldest bro, little sis, and a non-binary infant, an elderly couple NOT very white holding hands and running on the beach, cuddling, and laying a loving head upon husband #3’s shoulder. The dream crashes to reality at the word ’87 when the young woman standing on a metropolitan intersection regains her footing after a death defying brush with a speeding city bus and noticing the guy across the street spinning a life insurance policy placard in a scream mask/costume. the Narrator continues:

     

    Life is short.

    So you start spending on today.

    More gentler montage of images of the young woman making purchases such as: a bougie fruity drink, a green and red cocktail for two with a sparkler in it, boxing lessons, a tuba, a washing machine (still in its box), and face and hand masks shown off masterfully, boxes that pile up from floor to ceiling swallowing what seems to be a doorman, and head banging like you just don’t care at a concert. Narrator continues:

    Which means you need a bank that was actually built for life today instead of,

    you know, then….

    At the word ‘then‘ we once again see the now ironical 1950’s curlers lady and the swan topiaries. The final image is of the young woman who obviously took this commercials advice and frivolously started spending like there really was no tomorrow at the peak of an endorphin high while running in a marathon.  The Narrator ends with:

    (bank name) Do it right.

     

    Um…what was said/shown that was ‘right’?! Is piling up a massive mound of debt ‘enjoying life’ that this target demographic is unlikely to ever shovel their way out of, really a responsible life plan to be angling to our youth? The same youth who may have incurred outrageous debt for an education that wasn’t really designed to employ them in a world that doesn’t have jobs for them. The same youth who have less cognitive abilities than all generations before them, not enough life skills, and will most likely be living with their parents for far longer than welcomed… you think this reckless, thoughtless, selfish campaign is the way to go?

    Sorry youth, the world sucks, be smarter.

     

    … more “WIBCI Post #159”
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