Displaying 241 To 270 Of 11,789 Comments The Real Impeachment Hoax is the Trial There’s a great legal YouTube channel I like, but don’t know if it is kosher. He blisters everything. Nonpartisan, but no secret where his opinions are. » Posted By Khirad On January 26, 2020 @ 8:58 pm Celebrating Martin Luther King in a White Nationalist America My dad, may he live to 100 says this. It will stay with me forever, or as long as your generation (mind you, alt-right is more stupid), fades away. Let them keep talking. They can’t help it. They don’t even know. » Posted By Khirad On January 25, 2020 @ 12:59 pm I want to make it absolutely clear my dad never used that word. Sometimes we say it in hushed tones when quoting sarcastically. Even then – not cool. Like we’ll say niii— and then go on. But, my, grandma never did either. Without getting lengthy, my Grandpa was born in Washington (the STATE – that’s a separate issue) and met my grandma from Savannah stationed in Georgia for WWII. We lost my grandpa early. I never knew him. He survived long enough to hold me as a baby. My grandma made the most amazing banana bread, voted for Jimmy Carter (he was a Georgian), had a live and let live bumpersticker on the cadillac she couldn’t drive. But were you to go to a sandwhich store she wouldn’t shout n****r. She would politely pay for it and discretely throw it away. I wrote a poem about that once. That’s what people don’t get – especially – don’t get me started on the blatant stuff, but my grandma, who who I loved and who loved me, and who was an otherwise nice person, went to her grave as she was raised. It was such an old TV but I remember us switching on MTV when they played videos still. And no remote. It was an old confabulation of a dresser type contraption, and we were getting the musics at Grandma’s! Everyone was giving me a look. Oh, right, it’s rock’n’roll, and she’s older and likes the country station. I vaguely remember my dad taking me out and trying to explain it to me. This was before he talked about how he was raised. I understood the rock thing… but it was apparently serious. Like – not in this house – serious. I didn’t do it again, but, fuck me if I still don’t get it. I try… as an intellectual experiment… I don’t. She was used to a certain order. This isn’t an f-u because I loved her and take my clan (the Scottish kind – though….let’s not go down the family tree) tartan that I’m proud to wear. But, though I don’t believe in an afterlife, she read her Bible (again…), I’d like to believe she’s in heaven with people of all colors. This was it though
» Posted By Khirad On January 25, 2020 @ 10:55 am Just get a divorce already. » Posted By Khirad On January 24, 2020 @ 6:30 pm Clearly, this racial tension can’t be diffused by intensifying it with angry confrontation. It also would be misguided to believe that one can simply reason with racists into not being racists. It’s been nearly twenty years in my own life since I argued this with my peers. Back then it wasn’t Climate Change, it was racism. I’m speaking of High School and early College years. You don’t reason with them. That being said, there are a a great many VICE like documentaries, some from Britain – it’s a keen subject of mine. Not because I was ever a white supremacist, but that my dad was brought up as one, and was proud to vote for Obama. I believe I’ve brought this up before in years past, but my dad taught me how to fish out bullshit. He grew up with it, and taught me. Anyone can learn it, and I suspect everyone here can hear it. But, I know it. I add my own wrinkle with Confederate flags and history. I’m a double, triple whammy. I’m over 50% German, the rest is English and Scottish/Scots-Irish. I tend to identify as Scottish. I mean, I know how to wear a kilt, and my German is complicated – and proud. I don’t much care to get into arguments anymore elsewhere, but don’t talk to me about the Confederacy. It was about Hate, not Heritage. » Posted By Khirad On January 24, 2020 @ 6:26 pm Weekend Music Thread – Crime of the Century
» Posted By Khirad On January 20, 2020 @ 2:41 am
» Posted By Khirad On January 20, 2020 @ 2:39 am
» Posted By Khirad On January 20, 2020 @ 2:30 am
» Posted By Khirad On January 20, 2020 @ 2:26 am
» Posted By Khirad On January 20, 2020 @ 12:05 am Trump’s Most Faithful Followers…Democrats on Social Media That being said but let me vent.
» Posted By Khirad On January 15, 2020 @ 11:38 am This isn’t working. The way to defeat manipulation through propaganda is not to repeat it. As many learn in life, impulse and emotion are what should be kept far away from the control buttons in the brain. If one is making a decision based solely on outrage, it is likely a bad decision. And knowing how people’s minds are overridden by outrage, Trump intentionally pushes these buttons, many times a day, to distract and derail them. To get everyone, including Democrats, repeating what he says and keeping him and his propaganda the center of attention. This is true. And you go on. It’s a more urgent time for converting outrage into strategy and action. If Trump makes a false claim about supporting healthcare, one can respond by not repeating it but reminding people that he is trying to tear healthcare away from much of the country and your favored Democratic candidate will protect and improve healthcare. If Trump tweets something racist, one can springboard off of that to discuss the racist cruety of cages at the border, the importance and Americanism of equality and that Trump and his racism must be defeated by voters in November. Instead of helping to further inject Trump’s propaganda into the public mainstream, folks can be pushing back against the very attempt to murder truth and install a dictatorship in America through lies and propaganda. There are many options for a response to the latest Trump propaganda but the only ones that don’t help Trump are those that don’t re-broadcast it. Yeah, well where? Here, for sure. But when you get out of the bubble, you are … I’m not ashamed to be with Antifa. I’ve been reading up on Otto Wels and the resistance to the Nazis. I’ve flirted with East Germany. And then I realize, I’m not for East Germany, and nobody will get my irony about the Berlin Wall or even remember the history. I should not play into sarcasm. The right does not get humor. It is their Achilles’ Heel. I’ve noticed that, though they don’t. It’s bullying that they find funny. It’s me being bullied that needs to step back sometimes. It’s absurd that this is a thing, but… there’s a lot left for me to get to. In any case I’m Mel Brooks without the choreography. Great post. I read it all, but I got through like two paragraphs commenting. » Posted By Khirad On January 15, 2020 @ 9:27 am Weekend Music Thread – Go Your Own Way
» Posted By Khirad On January 15, 2020 @ 10:40 am
» Posted By Khirad On January 15, 2020 @ 10:36 am Just can’t do this
» Posted By Khirad On January 15, 2020 @ 10:26 am Oh my Ibadi lord. Sultan Qaboos died. Alright, Oman gets a little attention. They are the Swiss of the Middle East. Crap. Maybe the end times are nigh after all. » Posted By Khirad On January 11, 2020 @ 2:14 am Gosh, I hated bringing it up. But it might come up. I’m over the crying – been over two years. But yeah destroys you. I’m more than that. I don’t know if your name is a reference to the band, but Hesse is in my top five authors. My mind is like a frenetic Glass Bead Game. » Posted By Khirad On January 10, 2020 @ 9:03 am Anyone interested in Shi’i Islam – I would recommend: Shi’i Islam: A Beginner’s Guide by Moojan Momen It helps to know the Qu’ran first and basic Islam because Shi’i stuff will be … a little different, but basics of the Sunnah up until the split are sort of not a prequal, but kinda necessary to understanding the rest. Full disclosure: I’m agnostic and Unitarian. I speak as a student of comparative religion. » Posted By Khirad On January 10, 2020 @ 8:45 am Shi’ite eschatology is far more fun. The crescent moon will bend so as the points touch each other. The Hidden Imam will come from the east under a black flag [I might forget if it’s black or not]. This will hasten the final battle and the return of Jesus. It’s quite poetic, but also ironic, how silly they both are. The Iranian version of the Evangelicals are the Hojjatieh. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi was Ahmadinejad’s Billy Graham. Those are the types of Twelvers dominating ever since. Even the very idea of Khomeini’s government was heterodox, as Shi’ites had traditionally been quietist regarding politics, given their history. The overthrow of the Shah was not about installing a Theocracy at first. I keep this in mind when considering Mike Pence would be next in line. Not saying we’d become Gilead from the Handmaid’s Tale in such a case, but, the erosion of our institutions alarms me. » Posted By Khirad On January 10, 2020 @ 8:20 am Oh boy, that was not the greatest thing I’ve ever written. Trying to organize my thoughts. Thanks for publishing. I was all over the place. I just get emotional when it comes to Iran, as if in a past life I was Persian. I try to limit my media consumption other than the actual experts. But even when the experts are on, they are asked the most inane questions. I do like Yasmin Vossoughian and Ayman Mohyeldin. They play it straight, but let’s face it, when they ask a question, they know the answer already. Not like they are fishing, but I can see the pain in their faces having to ask stupid stuff when they are light years ahead on the subject of the Middle East. » Posted By Khirad On January 9, 2020 @ 9:08 pm I still have no idea what is going on. I like the slower paced actual thinking stuff here. Like I used to be. I may be too honest, but you get it. I’d like to focus on Iran, India and anything but Trump as much as possible. As a writer, I have to. And yeah, I’m for Warren. For now. I’ll … gosh darnit, it’s nice to be among not insane people. » Posted By Khirad On January 13, 2020 @ 4:39 am How many times did you do Bandersnatch? I did it twice. But is was brilliant, with the illusion of free choice. I got different endings though. I was told by a very thoughtful friend I found through snapchat. I tried signing up online and called her back. She said: silly, it’s for your phone. She’s only ten years younger and from backwater West Virginia. Or my friends I’ve made working in Restaurants who are on Instagram, or Twitter for goodness sakes. I have one, but I never use it. I understand you can use it to link to articles and such, but 140 characters? And what the hell is Tik Tok? Am I getting old? I’ve been in my apartment for about a year, and I threw a lot in the nice walking closet I have. I’m gradually unpacking. Among what I found are letters I wrote to a pen pal I had in Russia as a kid (when it was still Soviet). And even some notes I kept when we used to pass them between classes in Junior high and High School. So, I don’t know how much I’m just getting old and remembering “simpler times” or how much technology sucks. I mean, I remember when I was 17 or 18, around 1998 and such. Dial-up, but the internet opened up so much for me. No pop-up ads, wrote my own html. It wasn’t my life, but it was exciting. I do still like how I can talk to people from around the world, but nothing has the same intimacy of a hand-written letter. And, I never know if I’m being played or not. I’ve always been cynical. I’ve always dealt with Depression and been skeptical. But, any faith I ever had in humanity has been destroyed as I’ve gotten older. Or not, I’ve read history. There was a brief time of hope things would be different, but… humans; greed. I’ve found calling old friends helps me. So simple, right? Just calling someone? I liked the internet, because it helped me meet people, and I had social anxiety. But, nothing is real anymore. I like the Planet as a name more than ever now. It feels like coming back to Terra Firma. I haven’t even gone on my Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Bros rant. I’m not exactly sure where you stand, but Facebook and the like tend to attract and reward the most extreme. » Posted By Khirad On January 9, 2020 @ 10:06 pm I’ve become such a curmudgeon. I like positive things about technology, but – while I have a wide palate, including guilty pleasures – I’ve brought up Black Mirror a couple times with Ad Lib already. I guess, I was hoping to have thoughtful discussions. Someone invited me to a group where there’s about an equal split of conservatives and progressives. I’m not an ecumenical sort, but I thought it would be cool to have a discussion or two with conservatives. I’m sure it’s still possible – I’ve had conservative and Republican friends, but that stupid group is what has been getting me banned and it tears at the fabric of everything wrong big and small about Facebook and social media. It tears at what is wrong with me. When I go back to Facebook, I’ll stop the hijinks, and not get myself in dumb arguments. I thought I could reason with some people. Not change their minds, but – it’s so depressing to say this – we are truly in a post-fact age. George Will, William F. Buckley Junior – that’s not what you’re getting. Even the new darling of the intellectual alt-right, Jordan Peterson, is repugnant. I digress. Thanks for welcoming me back. I still have friends on Facebook I like to connect with but I should just go back to posting trivial stuff mostly. It’s a waste of time otherwise. That’s what bugs me the most. I’ve reconnected with several friends from real life and stay in touch with friends I became close with back when Huffington Post was quasi-cool still. Yet the same sort crying about no due process for Trump [it’s not a court trial I say], are the same sort to get me banned for no reason. I see it as a vacation. They think they are punishing me. Don’t treat all conservatives as if they are evil, but the ones on social media sites tend to be trolls. You offer them good faith, and, well, it’s just about power with them. » Posted By Khirad On January 9, 2020 @ 9:32 pm I’ve thought of you guys for a while. Yeah I’ve learned a lot about life. Took me over two years to heal. I was certain I’d found the person I’d spend the rest of my life with. It’s so horribly cliché and I’ve exhausted every tear possible. But I didn’t come back just to have my ego stroked, either. Yeah, I agree with everything. I was hanging over my keyboard waiting to disagree with something, but didn’t. And even if I had, we could present ideas calmy without blood pressure rising. It’s doubly dangerous for me. Yes, positive reinforcement is designed to keep you hooked like a casino. But I remember a time before – the Before Time – and it’s also part of my ADD that I’m aware of. Conflict and arguments fire up our prefrontal cortex and tragically, help us focus. You could argue the same for the general population, but if you don’t believe me, then I must write an ADD article (where I will rant how I hate the revised acronym of “ADHD” – but I digress [ironic, no?]) True, we don’t always plan ahead, but I was aware of the consequences for fighting back, as well. Of all my addictions, I’ve never been into gambling, but I suppose I was wondering what would happen if I said something. It made me feel a little less dirty about succumbing to the cults’ level, as it was on my own terms. As much a middle finger to Facebook more than any delusions I would change any minds. If you haven’t seen the fifth season of Black Mirror, Smithereens dovetails a bit with Nosedive (which is easily in the top 10 so far of my favorite episodes of Black Mirror – big fan). It seems a tad quiet here, but that’s just fine by me. Just don’t give me dings, bells or whistles. I mean, it’s all enough to make anyone a little ADD. Even watching movies from 15 years ago is like stepping back to a primitive world. Black Mirror’s whole fundamental premise or raison d’être, is this absurdity. Our faces are glued to our phone screens. I’ve had it happen to me the last five years. And not to sound like “get off my lawn” but the younger generations are worse. Can you imagine? They have no concept of cursive or the Dewey Decimal system – and by that I don’t necessarily mean the world will be lost. But, even I’ve lost a little of myself. I remember, just sitting in my room, listening to the local rock station and scribbling in my notebook, content – not anxious about the next notification or anything. Of course I’m not a troglodyte, else I would be here right now, but, well, I imagine you know what I’m saying. » Posted By Khirad On January 8, 2020 @ 5:47 pm The Space Force: “And Death Rained Down From Heaven” Fun fact, Russia already has a Space Force. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Space_Forces That being said – and this is a sad comment, I trust Putin more than Trump with any button. When I say I hate Putin, it’s not out of Russophobia, but rather out of concern for Russians and democracy. So long as there are still a few people on the White House staff to hide things from Trump I cling to some hope we will avoid Armaggedon. If anything, Trump aspires to be a Central Asian autocrat with statues of gold. I wish that were hyperbole. There’s something about children of the rich and powerful. Not all. But, anybody can be born unbalanced and sociopathic. The poor end up in jail. The rich become nepotistic leaders like Kim Jong-Un and Nursultan Nazarbayev. At least some despots had to crawl to the top. Give Hitler, Stalin and such that much credit. In some dark way, I almost have respect for a Putin-type figure. There’s something more human about even these horrible people than the brat born with a silver spoon. » Posted By Khirad On January 10, 2020 @ 1:32 am Has America Ever Really Been A Democracy? Indeed, you got democracy! It is what you were supposed to vote for! » Posted By Khirad On January 13, 2020 @ 8:21 am Either way, not my bailiwick. » Posted By Khirad On January 13, 2020 @ 8:10 am She is not. She was screwed over. She is not relevant. I love talking about history. I want to talk about the future. » Posted By Khirad On January 13, 2020 @ 7:07 am What is a democracy? Let us us start from the beginning. » Posted By Khirad On January 13, 2020 @ 7:01 am Absolutely. Built on slavery but a democracy. » Posted By Khirad On January 13, 2020 @ 5:29 amComments Posted By Khirad
Shi’a Islam: From Religion to Revolution by Heinz Halm
The Mantle of the Prophet by Roy Mottahadeh
The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr
«« Back To Stats Page
Home Stats