Author: VD

Mailvox: choose this day whom you will serve

A reader is concerned about what he perceives as anti-semitism:

There are a number of us, Jews, Christians, and mixed Judeo-Christians (like myself), who enjoy reading your blog.  My friends and I meet over coffee (and/or beer and/or dinner) and the topics you highlight come up for discussion quite often. Educationally, we’re a highly varied group, anywhere from incomplete 10th Grade to multiple post-grad degrees (almost all in the hard sciences); politically, from just balancing the see-saw slightly left of center to falling off the right edge of the bench.

What we all have noticed is an increasing tilt towards anti-Semitism.  There isn’t one of us who’s going to stop reading your blog (no one’s dumb enough to cut off his nose), but it is noticeable (and disconcerting) that we do mention amongst ourselves from time to time.

They should be disconcerted. As the US empire spirals into breakup and the chickens of the largest invasion in human history come home to roost, the halcyon days of pretense and civic nationalism and ethnic propaganda and historical revisionism are over. It’s no longer possible for anyone, however philo- or anti-semite, to pretend that people of one nation can also be part of another nation, or that political power in the hands of not-Americans is even remotely compatible with the unalienable rights of Americans. And on a related note, the Sino-Jewish war for the intellectual high ground in the USA has begun in earnest.

The most observably evil organizations in the USA, from the ADL to the Hellmouth, are run by Satan worshippers who hide behind their ethnic identity and seem to genuinely believe that crying Holocaust will forever protect them from criticism of their evil actions 70 years later. While I don’t believe in the inexorable genetic determinism of DNA, the observable facts are observable and observation is the exact opposite of an intellectual crime.

Here is what should truly disconcert these disconcerted readers. Being an extreme outlier myself, I don’t personally care even a little bit about an individual’s ethnic heritage. I don’t concern myself with my own ethnic identity or allow it to influence my analysis about anything, so imagine how much less I care about anyone else’s. Macro is not micro, and the only thing I care about on the macro level is the truth. The objective, observable, and undeniable truth, however uncomfortable it might be for me or anyone else.

So, if you’re going to reject the truth and call it anti-semitic, or any other pejorative term, a) that’s your problem, not mine, and b) that doesn’t change reality by one single atom or iota. Because the fact, the objective, observable, and undeniable fact, is that I am anti-satanic, anti-globalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-promethean. If that somehow leads you to believe that I am anti-semitic, then you should probably look very, very hard at where your logic is leading you and whom you are serving.

Anyhow, anti-semitism is merely one of the charges that have been hurled at me since I was getting death threats from CAIR back in 2001, and I’ve been on the ADL hate list since 2016. So, I sincerely hope you will excuse me continuing to not give a quantum of a fragment of a damn what anyone else happens to think one way or another.

The New Swedes remain Arab

Sweden is learning why you always sink the damn ships:

Sweden’s new Arab Party, established to champion the rights of the country’s Arab population, has vowed to assist integration “and protect the rights of Arabs” while denying any claims it might “Arabize Sweden.”

According to its website, the party assumes a “socialist orientation with certain capitalist elements” while highlighting that it is a “secular party and no religious symbols or clothing are allowed within the party’s representatives.”

At present, its stated aims are to combat “exclusion, anxiety about the future, division and lack of sense of community,” while also reducing “crime and unemployment within the same group.”

It is expected to release a detailed manifesto in September but, in the meantime, it has laid out several requirements for membership including: an Arab background from at least one parent dating back several generations, as well as a Swedish college education and clean criminal record.

Isn’t it fascinating how all these New [insert invaded nationality here] somehow always seem to identify themselves as their previous nationality? The truth is that if you’re a hyphen or a compound, you’re nothing of the sort.

You think it’s parody

But the fact that Twitter banned Titania McGrath, however temporarily, only demonstrates that reality will catch up and surpass the parody, and most likely sooner rather than later.

What we call “illness” is a social construct, defined negatively against its antithesis “wellness”. Society, in other words, has created the category of “illness” as a means to impose power on those who do not subscribe to cultural norms of what it means to be “well”. “Health” and “wellness” are mere taxonomies of privilege, inculcated by the hegemonic and oppressive discourses of “medical science”. Referring to someone as “well” or “ill”, “healthy” or “unhealthy”, is simply the medicalisation of human diversity.

When you consider that they’ve already disposed of “male” and “female”, as well as “girl” and “boy”, and redefined psychiatric disorders as sexual orientations, don’t think they won’t eventually claim that it is criminally shapist to encourage an obese woman to lose weight or healthist to prescribe insulin to a diabetic.

Perhaps those who are anti-mask can use this tactic when criticized by Mask Nazis for not wearing a mask. Simply point out that it is hurtful and privileged and healthist to object to your sexual preference for coronaviruses.

Who is Tom Bombadil?

The Forge of Tolkien Episode 4: Who is Tom Bombadil?

Enigma or allegory? Unimportant or essential? Tom Bombadil is Master—but what does that mean for the hobbits and their adventure? Professor Rachel Fulton Brown traces Tom Bombadil to his source in story and song.

I have to admit, Tom Bombadil was always my second-least-favorite part of The Lord of the Rings, following only the interminable slog through what I gradually came to thing of as Bordor. In fact, come to think of it, my unexpectedly popular spin on the violent cultures of the Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins is probably an unintended response to how I felt Tolkien left unaddressed what could, and should, have been a tremendously interesting aspect of the novels.

But back to Tom Bombadil. Both he and Beorn are glimpses of a larger world, which in Bombadil’s case are more interesting for the glimpse than for the character himself. Which, of course, is why the character inspires debate even to this day.

Scalzi explains the sad state of science fiction

Inadvertently, of course, but he does explain it:

Ugh, we’re talking about the “canon” of science fiction literature, again, for reasons (most imminently the recent Hugo award ceremony and its fallout), and whether, basically, newer writers and readers should and must slog through a bunch of books in the genre that are now half a century old at least, from a bunch of mostly male, mostly white, mostly straight writers who are, shall we say, not necessarily speaking to the moment.

I’ve essayed this before, because I’m me, but here’s my newest set of thoughts on the matter, also because I’m me. Ready? Here we go:

As a practical matter, the science fiction “canon” is already dead.

There are at least two generations of adults now, and two generations of genre writers, who didn’t grow up on it and fundamentally don’t care about it. Long gone are the days where a kid’s first introduction to the genre was a Heinlein or Asimov novel, smuggled out of the adult fiction section of the library or bookstore like samizdat. The Kids These Days got their start reading genre through the YA section and grew up on Rowling and Collins and Westerfeld and Black and Pierce and Snicket, and got their science fiction through film and TV and video games and animation and comics as much as if not more than from books.

I repeat: They don’t care about “the canon.” Why should they? What they grew up with was sufficient for what they needed — to be entertained when they became readers and fans, and to be inspired if they became creators and writers. The writers they read spoke to them directly, because the art was new and it was theirs, not their parents’ or grandparents’. And while one might sniffily declare that what those YA authors were doing had been done before, by [insert spreadsheet of who who did what first in genre, which in itself is probably incomplete and therefore incorrect], no one cares. For readers and developing writers, it doesn’t matter who got there first, it matters who is there now, when those readers (and writers) are developing their own tastes and preferences, and claiming their own heroes and inspirations, both in fiction and in terms of the people writing it.

Also, here’s a news flash: even those of us who are old enough that the “canon” might have some actual relevance to our development as writers didn’t necessarily have that much reverence for it back then.

If the canon is dead, then so too is the genre. SJWs always live in Year Zero, which is why they are totally incapable of creating anything that is either a) original or b) capable of lasting. The degradation of a culture is directly tied to the intentional abandonment of the canon and its declining influence on the culture. This is as true of the larger culture as it is of a sub-literary ghetto like science fiction.

This, of course, is why SJWs were so panicked about the Puppies successful assault on the Hugos and why they were so quick to converge the Dragon Awards. They know their work can’t even begin to compare to the works of the past, so they need to bury every sign of its influence. One thing I noted early on about SF-SJWs like Scalzi et al is that for all their derivative and imitative writing, they actually were not very well read in the science fiction genre and they didn’t even like most of it.

Which, of course, is why they can’t write it very well. This is why Castalia matters. This is why Castalia Library, in particular, is vital, because it cannot be erased by poseurs and pretenders.

As if they were ever on our side

At least they’re not trying to fool anyone anymore:

Several former Republican leaders are slated to speak on the first night of this year’s Democratic National Convention, including former New York Rep. Susan Molinari, who once spoke at the Republican National Convention, and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a frequent Trump critic who ran for president in 2016. Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman are also on the list of GOP speakers expected to give remarks virtually on Monday night.

Bill Kristol, Ben Shapiro, and Mitt Romney might as well speak at the DNC too. It’s not as if they hate America and Americans any less than AOC and Omar.

And if you ever wondered why the Republican Party was never able to accomplish anything meaningful for the American people, just note that these were all “former Republican leaders”.

Mailvox: Breaking the Gamma

A reader writes of how using the SSH helped him to avoid trouble at the workplace:

I was recently able to use the SSH to manage an employee.

We had a new worker with us and from the first moment, I knew he’d be difficult. He turned up late, answered back, tried to tell experienced employees how to do the job, etc.  He wouldn’t cooperate with the guy he was assigned to work with, so I called him over and said, “There’s a hierarchy here, so if Marty tells you to do it a certain way, that’s how you need to do it.” He immediately got defensive, saying, “Where is this coming from? Why are you talking to me like this? You don’t need to talk to me that way.”

Thanks to your insights into the SSH, I realised that was he was doing was an attempt to make himself a victim, so I said, “Stop. This is not a conversation. The ONLY words you need to say are ‘I understand’. So… do you understand?”

Anyway, we didn’t have any further problems with him. My point is that before I read your SSH insights, I wouldn’t have recognised his behaviour for what it was and I certainly would not have known how to deal with it. So, thanks!

I’d still keep an eye on the guy. He may have enough sense to learn his place, or he may simply be waiting to take his shot at the hated workplace Alpha. Which is why, if the Gamma acts up again, the boss should not hesitate to get rid of him.

Obviously it works

Or they wouldn’t make such a big deal about trying to prevent people from taking it:

State Sen. Scott Jensen, a medical doctor, reports that pharmacists won’t fill hydroxychloroquine prescriptions for patients battling coronavirus.

Gov. Tim Walz has rescinded his March Executive Order 20-23, which effectively barred pharmacists from filling hydroxychloroquine prescriptions written to treat COVID-19. Despite this, Jensen says that pharmacists he’s contacted still won’t fill hydroxychloroquine prescriptions for patients suffering from the virus.

“I got on the phone and called pharmacists and said ‘if I write this hydroxychloroquine [prescription] will you fill it?’ And I was told no,” Jensen explained in a video he posted to Twitter on Friday.

“I said, ‘you’ve been filling my scripts for decades and decades and now you say no, why?’” the senator continued, further describing his conversation with pharmacists.

“It was clear that they [the pharmacists] were fearful, but what they said was ‘well it might set a precedent, the board might not like it, maybe we’ll run out,’” he said.

Alpha News was not able to independently verify Jensen’s claim that pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions written for hydroxychloroquine. However, he does not seem to be alone — doctors in other areas have also been denied the ability to use the drug.

A hospital in Michigan was told that it could not use hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients in its care, according to local media.

Although hydroxychloroquine has not been officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19, Jensen and many others stand behind its “off label” use to treat the virus.

When doctors prescribe a drug to treat a condition that it was not specifically approved by the FDA to remedy, that prescription is considered off label. Up to one in five prescriptions are written for off-label purposes, according to the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics.

I don’t know why it’s so hard for the average individual to grasp that there are people in positions of power who want them dead. What do you think the likes of George Soros and Bill Gates intend when they talk about overpopulation being a problem?

Ding dong, New York is dead

I’d like to believe that New York City is dead forever, but I don’t know if I dare to hope:

BUT NYC ALWAYS COMES BACK

Yes it does. I lived three blocks from Ground Zero on 9/11. Downtown, where I lived, was destroyed, but it came roaring back within two years. Such sadness and hardship and then quickly that area became the most attractive area in New York.

And in 2008/2009, there was much suffering during the Great Recession, again much hardship, but things came roaring back.

But… this time is different. You’re never supposed to say that but this time it’s true. If you believe this time is no different, that NYC is resilient, I hope you’re right.

I don’t benefit from saying any of this. I love NYC. I was born there. I’ve lived there forever. I STILL live there. I love everything about NYC. I want 2019 back.

But this time is different.

One reason: Bandwidth.

In 2008, average bandwidth speeds were 3 megabits per second. That’s not enough for a Zoom meeting with reliable video quality. Now, it’s over 20 megabits per second. That’s more than enough for high-quality video.

There’s a before and after. BEFORE: No remote work. AFTER: Everyone can work remotely.

The difference: bandwidth got faster. And that’s basically it. People have left New York City and have moved completely into virtual worlds. The Time-Life Building doesn’t need to fill up again. Wall Street can now stretch across every street instead of just being one building in Manhattan.

We are officially AB: After Bandwidth. And for the entire history of NYC (the world) until now, we were BB: Before Bandwidth.

Remote learning, remote meetings, remote offices, remote performance, remote everything.

That’s what is different.

Best pandemic ever. It’s killing the centers of moral and physical filth. Look at all the lamentations for Gotham and the Hellmouth! When I go out, I don’t wear a mask out of fear or submission. I wear one out of pure unadulterated glee.

Recession proof

Or maybe not. Remember how I pointed out that there was going to be a crash this year? Now consider what Goldman Sachs was saying at the end of December:

Just months after almost everyone on Wall Street worried that a recession was just around the corner, Goldman Sachs said a downturn is unlikely over the next several years.

In fact, the firm’s economists stopped just short of saying that the U.S. economy is recession-proof.

An analysis Goldman conducted of the current potential risks to growth show that they are mostly muted. The report found that the pillars of the “Great Moderation” that began in the 1980s — low levels of volatility marked by sustainable growth and muted inflation, interrupted only by the financial crisis more than a decade ago — are still standing.

Investors could be excused for getting a little nervous over such calls, as optimism also was heavy in late 2007, just as the economy was about to enter the worst of the financial crisis.

So much for those “mostly muted” risks to growth.