Quote of the Day

To judge from the notions expounded by theologians, one must conclude that God created most men simply with a view to crowding hell." ~ Marquis de Sade

Quote of the Day

All empires die. The end is usually unpleasant. The American empire, humiliated in Afghanistan, as it was in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, as it was at the Bay of Pigs and in Vietnam, is blind to its own declining strength, ineptitude, and savagery. Its entire economy, a "military Keynesianism," revolves around the war industry. Military spending and war are the engine behind the nation's economic survival and identity. It does not matter that with each new debacle the United States turns larger and larger parts of the globe against it and all it claims to represent. It has no mechanism to stop itself, despite its numerous defeats, fiascos, blunders and diminishing power, from striking out irrationally like a wounded animal. The mandarins who oversee our collective suicide, despite repeated failure, doggedly insist we can reshape the world in our own image. This myopia creates the very conditions that accelerate the empire's demise." ~ Chris Hedges (via azspot)

Quote of the Day

When we landed on the moon, that was the moment where God should've come up and said, "Hello." Because if you invent some creatures, put them on the blue one and then they make it to the grey one, you fucking turn up and say, "Well done!" It's just a polite thing to do." ~ Eddie Izzard

I'm Not Holding Out Much Hope for the Former

I mean (and I've said this before) that COVID gave us the opportunity to start doing things differently; to make a new way of life. And it was working!

But noooo... As soon as they could (some say it's still too early) the powers that be declared it was time we get back to the exact same horrid state everything was in prior to COVID—even with the knowledge that the average person actually preferred the slower pace of life; the freedom of not having to waste time sitting in traffic to get to a job that it was proven could be done from home instead of being trapped in a beige cube for 8 hours a day, and the multitude of other positive things that were happening. (Like cleaner air; less emissions. Less—if only a minuscule—reduction in global warming? Remember how that spontaneously happened a few weeks into lockdown?)

Remember when almost everyone was working from home and the streets were nearly deserted? Remember when wildlife started appearing in the cities again? Remember when we were actually paying attention to health and safety?

And there's a not-so-subtle resentment that's building because of it. People are saying hell no to going back to into the office and it's going to be interesting to see if the wheels of industry adapt or continue thinking they can crush people under the weight of "it's always been done that way."

While not perfect, the entity I work for is at least allowing for most of the employees who have been working from home over the last eighteen months to continue to do so two days a week going forward. (I was hoping for a two-day/three-day alternating week schedule, but this is the best we're going to get at the moment.)

 

Quote of the Day

Let's start calling these vaccine avoiders what they are: freeloaders. The only reason you're somewhat safe now is because other people got the shot. You're the person who heads for the bathroom when the check comes at the restaurant. You're the lady who takes home the centerpieces from a wedding you weren't invited to. You're the guy who brings five napkins to a potluck dinner. That's you." ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Quote of the Day

I have this strange feeling that I'm not myself anymore. It's hard to put into words, but I guess it's like I was fast asleep, and someone came, disassembled me, and hurriedly put me back together again. That sort of feeling." ~ Haruki Murakami

Quote of the Day

The people who are meant to be in your life will always gravitate back towards you, no matter how far they wander." ~ Robert Tew

Quote of the Day

An extra hour in 2020 is like getting a free appetizer from a restaurant that gave you food poisoning." ~ Sam Morril

Quote of the Day

Believe me, I know the original Nazis. I was born in Austria in 1947, shortly after the Second World War, and growing up I was surrounded by broken men; men who came home from the war filled with shrapnel and guilt, men who were misled into a losing ideology. And I can tell you that these ghosts that you idolize spent the rest of their lives living in shame. And right now, they're resting in hell." ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Quote of the Day

Libraries literally aren't just a place to obtain books for free. They're one of the few public spaces left in our society where you're allowed to exist without the expectation of spending money." ~ Amanda Killian

Quote of the Day

If you truly believe America is it's people, not it's politicians, then stop treating your vote like you're supporting one person or another. You're voting for the ideals and beliefs of opportunity, fairness, compassion, equality, for yourself and your friends, family, and community."  ~ Sassybear from Idle Eyes and a Dormy

Quote of the Day

Just think, that this race of Black men, today our slave and the object of our scorn, is the very race to which we owe our arts, sciences, and even the use of speech!" ~ French historian Count Constantine de Volney after traveling to Egypt in the late 1780's