Esoteric Meandering Shouting Into the Void

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

I have talked a lot about the current calamities in our present dystopian hell scape, but I don’t want to talk about that today… back to the meandering stream of consciousness nonsense that is my brain.

As a social superstition the number 13 is a bad omen, but does anyone really know why? Many high-rise buildings omit the 13th floor instead going from 12 to 14. Everyone is trepidatious when it is Friday the 13^th, there are even series of Horror Movies with a day and date as the title. The specific fear of Friday the 13th, known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, there is a new word you can add to crap you didn’t need to know.

Everyone, well almost everyone, knows the plight of the famous Knights Templar. If you don’t here is the tale of their demise and the infamous number 13.

 Founded around 1118 as a monastic military order devoted to the protection of pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land following the Christian capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade, the Knights Templar quickly became one of the richest and most influential groups of the Middle Ages, thanks to lavish donations from the crowned heads of Europe, eager to curry favor with the fierce Knights. By the turn of the 14th century, the Templars had established a system of castles, churches and banks throughout Western Europe. And it was this astonishing wealth that would lead to their downfall.

 For the Templars, that end began in the early morning hours of Friday, October 13, 1307.

A month earlier, secret documents had been sent by couriers throughout France. The papers included lurid details and whispers of black magic and scandalous sexual rituals. They were sent by King Philip IV of France, an avaricious monarch who in the preceding years had launched attacks on the Lombards (a powerful banking group) and France’s Jews (who he had expelled so he could confiscate their property for his depleted coffers).

In the days and weeks that followed that fateful Friday, more than 600 Templars were arrested, including Grand Master Jacques DeMolay, and the Order’s treasurer. But while some of the highest-ranking members were caught up in Philip’s net, so too were hundreds of non-warriors; middle-aged men who managed the day-to-day banking and farming activities that kept the organization humming. The men were charged with a wide array of offenses including heresy, devil worship and spitting on the cross, homosexuality, fraud and financial corruption.

This is only one harrowing reference to unlucky 13.

Mathematicians and scientists point to preeminence of the number 12, often considered a “perfect” number, in the ancient world. The ancient Sumerians developed numeral system based on the use of 12 that is still used for measuring time today. Most calendars have 12 months; a single day is comprised of two 12-hour half days, etc. Following so closely on the heels of a “perfect” number, some argue that 13 was sure to be found lacking and unusual. 

This fear of the unknown would seem to play into two other popular theories for the number’s unlucky connotation, both of which revolve around the appearance of a 13th guest at two ancient events: In the Bible, Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest to arrive at the Last Supper, is the person who betrays Jesus. Meanwhile ancient Norse lore holds that evil and turmoil were first introduced in the world by the appearance of the treacherous and mischievous god Loki at a dinner party in Valhalla. He was the 13th guest, upsetting the balance of the 12 gods already in attendance.

It also seems as if fears surrounding the number 13 are a primarily Western construct. Some cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians, actually considered the number lucky.

So since today is the 13^th even though not a Friday go out and enjoy the day or hide in your irrational belief that 13^th is somehow an unlucky number.

(Thank you, history channel for many of the references in this post.)  

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

In1563, the Council of Trent launched the ‘Fig Leaf Campaign’ to camouflage the penises and public hair visible in art across Italy. The cover-up choice was a ‘Fig Leaf’.

Until the 1400s, Romans were traditionally inspired by Greek art. The ancient marble sculptures were chiseled with a nude body and that represented honor and virtue. The naked idols symbolized purity.

But in the 1500s, the acts of art censorship began when the Counter-Reformation took over the Vatican and started portraying nudity as immodest and obscene.

The Roman Catholic Church initiated the censorship campaign with Michel Angelo’s David. Powerful clergymen wanted to clothe the nude David.

It is the 21^st century and somehow, we have reverted back to the puritanic virtue of the 16^th century. As a society we flow back and forth with this insane love and hatred of the human body. Attorney General Ashcroft had the bare breast of bronze statues in the capitol complex covered because they offended is puritan prudish principles. Headlines read, “No longer will the attorney general be photographed in front of two partially nude statues in the Great Hall of the Department of Headline As a consequence, the department of justice spent $8,000 on blue drapes that hide the two giant, aluminum art deco statues.

Now a Principle in Florida (of course Florida) has been fired for allowing the image of Michel Angelo’s David to be used in an art class. Deemed by the holier than thou parents as pornographic. These are most likely the same parents that go to church that displays a cross with a half nude image of a man being tortured via crucifixion. Some would call that voyeuristic, ghoulish and pornographic and not something that should be displayed in the public venue.

There is more graphic nudity in movies and online that children see every day, but the image of male genitals is just a bridge to far for some. I might agree if the statue of David had an erect penis, but it doesn’t. That fact that the statue and images of it have been seen by millions and for centuries and has been taught in art classes for nearly as long is also a head scratcher.

 Art educators should be deeply concerned over efforts at any kind of suppression of works of art. Freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution. This freedom of expression includes both verbal expression—speech and writing; and non-verbal expression, which includes the “language” of the various arts.

Free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. Now, as always in our history, artworks—literature, theatre, painting, sculpture, music, and dance are among our most effective instruments of freedom. They are powerful means for making available ideas, feelings, social growth, the envisioning of new possibilities for humankind, solutions to problems, and the improvement of human life.

I believe the whole point is that suppression of ideas and of artistic expression leads to conformity, the limiting of diversity of expression to a narrow range of “acceptable” forms, and the stifling of freedom. We don’t want a generation that thinks for themselves, we don’t teach critical thinking, our primary educators are trained to teach only what is being tested. It would be tragic if we had a new generation of thinkers and leaders.

So the 21^st century Fig Leaf campaign has begun and we will all be lesser for it.

Lyle Northey (Silent/Boomer)

The indictment of pathetic 45 is a sad situation for the nation. The fact that the nation was so sick as to elect such a pathetic person to any office is sad but all the way to the top, unbelievable. Then to claim that the DA in this case has far left political leanings is yet another attempt to spin this as being about the trouble with the laws and the court and not about the law breaking and guilt of the person being arranged.

Once more the effort to make others responsible for the problems that have come to roost on his doorstep is in full swing. The court nor the DA did not falsify pathetic 45’s company records to cover hush money payments or to get around paying taxes. Pathetic 45 had his lackeys do that for him and will of course, claim ignorance and innocence of any wrongdoing.

His problems are the same in the upcoming situation with the federal charges that are going to be put to him. He will again claim that he did not know or have anything to do with the removal or hiding of classified records. He has, however, stated that when Nixon was forced from office that the documents he had were returned to the fed after they paid 14 million for papers he had removed and they wanted back. So Donald took paperwork hoping that they would buy back what belongs to them and he could put more money in his pocket.

The continued attack on the judge and his family as well as the DA and his family should not be put aside without response. I have no idea what the minimum or maximum response could be but if I were the judge I would go for maximum, gag order, jail till trial, no contact with media, no visitation, no information coming to him or leaving his cell and if possible a national blackout of his name. The more problems I got out of his loyal followers the more problems they and he would encounter. His call for all that disagree with him is either lock them up or death, so practice what he preaches and see how the jackals like being the targets.

Is that last paragraph too over the top, well when those loyal to his line of bs seem to think that intimidation of officials, officials families, and witnesses is acceptable then it is time to put the law back in the hands of the state not the self appointed vigilantes. Let them see what the world looks like when all that they hold dear is no longer protected. Lock up the front line and make sure that the family and businesses that have supported these individuals feel the pain of having crap thrown at them, in other words play by their rules, no rule at all.

We are not a nation that goes after people just because of a difference of opinion. Why are we being reduced to having to tolerate violence on our streets because one man’s ego is damaged and he can not admit to having lost or that he might be responsible for wrongdoing? Protest if you must, but many cities require a permit to conduct such activities, get the permit. Do not destroy other people’s property in the process of making your point, do not interfere with traffic in the process, and do not bring weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon. Speak your peace and then go home. Anything short of doing it that way will get you arrested and jailed. 

The calling names, reducing people to animal status, or claiming they are mentally impaired are all tactics to make it easier to show disrespect and to bring violence to those persons so identified. Many have suffered such attacks and the violence that has been brought to some segments of society are truly unbelievable testaments to man’s inhumanity to man. We do not need this kind of thing in our streets and we should be ashamed of supporting this type of behavior anywhere on the planet. 

So this is a request of all that support pathetic 45 to do so by some other means than violence. Give him your money if you wish, but you have not purchased anything but very flawed goods.

The efforts to blame others for our shortcomings seems to be the norm in today’s society, no one wants to stand for what they have done. Even the ones that attended the J6 party stand in court and claim, “I wouldn’t have done it but ————-” you figure out the rest. It is all bs and everyone knows it. The same tactic your 4 year old tries to use to keep himself out of trouble is the crap these people are using to try and get out of suffering the consequences for their actions on J6. Five people died that day and many more were injured and yet even when shown a photo of self hitting a police officer with a pipe the guilty give excuses, just like pathic 45 in why he lost the election and why he may end up in jail, it is someone else’s fault.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

https://nypost.com/2023/04/04/kid-rock-shoots-bud-lights-amid-anger-over-trans-campaign/

The ridiculous right has a new target in their jehad on the “Woke” and its one that is responsible for 80% of their children. Yes, I am talking about Anheuser-Busch. Kid Rock aka Robert James Ritchie and entitled white kid from Romeo Michigan shot up cases of Bud Light because the Anheuser-Busch corporation had the audacity to celebrate and trans person on their product.

This counts in the myriad of ludicrous stunts that the right routinely perform. These idiots, in protest to buy cases of the product they are mad at just so they can blow it up or shoot at it. Good job, I suppose the fact that Anheuser-Busch Corp could care less what they do with the product after they buy it. So, congratulations on buying something and destroying it, the company still got your money. They also seem oblivious that the statistics show the global market share of the leading companies in 2021, based on volume sales. In 2021, Anheuser-Busch InBev had the largest beer market share in the world, controlling nearly one third of beer volume sales.

https://time.com/5390884/nike-sales-go-up-kaepernick-ad/

Here is another example of how the outrage machine nearly always shoots themselves in the foot. When these same clowns protested Collin Kaepernick’s Nike commercial they went out and bought the products to film themselves, destroying them while increasing Nike sales by 61%. Good job you definitely showed Nike who’s boss.

So, I have an idea…hear me out. Let’s start a Go Fund Me and have an ad with Drag Queens and Trans persons shooting all manner of guns, handguns, assault style rifles, you name it we’ll put it in the ad. By the reasoning they have displayed in the past these mental giants will summarily get rid of and or destroy their firearms… just make a commercial about the “Woke” shotting guns. This level of reverse psychology works on children and historically seems to work on the rattle headed right.

So who’s with me… Drag Queen Story Time and Gun Show the right will shut that down faster than shit.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Most movable feasts and at least a dozen other important Holidays that takes place before and after Easter — including Shrovetide, Lent, Holy Week, the Ascension, Whit Sunday, Holy Trinity — are all fixed according to the date set for Easter.

Easter and Passover fall on the same weekend more often than not, but the two only coincide with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan about once every 30 years.

Bede, who was one of the greatest teachers and writers of the Early Middle Ages and is considered by many historians to be the most important scholar of antiquity for the period between the death of Pope Gregory I in 604 and the coronation of Charlemagne in 800, the month of April was called Eosturmonath, or Eostre Month, after the goddess Eostre. He wrote that a pagan festival of spring in the name of the goddess had become assimilated into the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

The tale is that Ostara, the ancient Germanic goddess of the spring, transformed a bird into a hare, and the hare responded by laying colored eggs for her festival. Some online sources, such as Goddess Gift, claim this story is very old indeed.

Is it a coincidence that all these festivals and holidays all fall around the same time? I go back to a saying that coincidence takes a whole lot of planning and coordination. Most if not all the “Christian” holidays coincide with a pagan festival that is not a coincidence its more likely coopting or in modern terms rebranding.

My other big question about Easter is that according to biblical text the crucifixion was on a Friday during the holy week of Passover and the resurrection was the Sunday following. By my logic that give us a definitive date for the resurrection, which is the entire event that Christianity is based on. Here is my dilemma, Easter, which there is more evidence of a date, is a floating holiday that could range from the end of March to the middle of April. Christmas is asset date, December 25^th, supposed to be the birth of Jesus but there is no refence to the actual day anywhere in biblical text.

I ask myself these questions then remember that Christianity is an opportunistic faith that rebrands other ancient celebrations to suit their narrative.

Last thing the commercialization of Easter is based on the Pagan fertility spring festival. Did you ever wonder what in the world eggs, chicks. rabbits, and chocolate have to do with any bible story. Well, they don’t… best as I can surmise is eggs and chicks are new life, we all know what rabbits are famous for, and its not racing turtles, and chocolate is an aphrodisiac that make one what to act like the infamous rabbit.

So Happy Spring Everyone 😊

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

I was going talk about this yesterday but the Tennessee thing had me worked up, then I thought I will just leave this alone but like a scab I have to pick at it.

I for years have been confused as to why in the world in the Christian community that the Friday prior to Easter (whole other topic for tomorrow) is call Good Friday. I have read the Bible and I watched Mel Gibson “Passion” movie for the character that the day is about it was a terrible day. Can you imagine Christ coming back and seeing people worshiping the instrument of his mortal demise. I would think that would be very triggering and would not have warm fuzzy memories.

I know that is non-Christian way to think about it but that’s how my brain works. I am sure that JFK wouldn’t want to see a convertible if he came back and pretty sure Lincoln would not be a big fan of the theater.

Why did Christianity choose a Roman torture device as their symbol? What is more confounding is that the Catholic Church used the same symbol they bowed before to persecute, torture, and execute heretics. The Templars, who were reportedly Knights for Christ, were tortured and burned on the very crosses that the church revered.  

The Star of David at least has some rational it can symbolize the connection between God, Israel, and the Torah. It can also symbolize the relationship between God and people or the seven virtues (kindness, severity, harmony, perseverance, splendor, foundation, and royalty). The Star of David has seven compartments. Another small thing about the Star of David is it was never or has ever been a torture device.

I know man and differing communities choose symbols, banners you name it but the cross just seems like a lazy solution if it is to represent something that’s intended purpose was painful death.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-lawmakers-expulsion-d3f40559c56a051eec49e416a7b5dade

Thank you, Tennessee Republicans, for showing us just who you are, you pulled the hood back and revealed your true selves and now the world knows.

You ejected two elected democrats for exercising their 1^st amendment right and disenfranchising nearly 140,000 Tennesseans who now have no voice in your state government. It goes unsaid that the 2 districts they represent d52 and d86 are predominately minority and democratic party leaning.

Their offense was joining protesters who gathered in Nashville last week to call for gun safety reform in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting that left seven dead, including the shooter. The members approached the lectern without being called on by House GOP leadership and toted a bullhorn to lead chants on the House floor, a stunt that temporarily suspended legislative business.

My questions is was that their real offence in the eyes of Tennessee Republicans? I believe that in that chamber their first offence was being Black, second young, third being a Democrat. Their willingness to stand up with their constituents was the final straw.

So now we know than in Tennessee a gun has more rights than children, democratically elected member if their house, black men, and common sense. These republicans would rather that children attended class in what would be equivalent to a prison before enacting any kind of gun reform.

I hope the two ejected representatives run for the seats that they were just ousted from and win them back with huge majorities. I hope that the republicans, now having shown their hand, are voted out of office best yet their districts petition and recall to have then removed. I want KARMA to kick them so hard that even their own children won’t vote for them.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

There is a post going around on Facebook and Instagram the many believe is the way we should view things today. The post is of the back of a SUV with “In this country we don’t redistribute wealth… we earn it!!”

It is crazy that the person that has this on the back of their vehicle most likely works for someone or a corporation that pays them fall less than the value they bring to the business. The owner of the business or CEO of the corporation has effectively redistributed that individuals time and energy into profit for the benefit of the business.

Every work a day person that punches a time clock is making someone else wealthy from their effort. Do you think a CEO or large business owner punches a time clock? No they don’t they work when they choose to work because the effort of their employees has afforded them that privilege. Those same people are the ones that say that the wealthy paying their fare share of taxes is somehow a redistribution of wealth. Them not paying is absolutely a redistribution from your pocket to theirs, and that’s the way they want to keep it.

Warren Buffet once said that it isn’t appropriate that as a percentage, he pays less in taxes than his secretary. He stated that the wealthy should have to pay more because as a whole they use more of the commons, roads, airways, other services than those earning less. Why should the person or corporation that has a fleet of vehicles, commercial or otherwise, pay the same or less than person who only has one car or uses public transportation. This argument seems logical to some but many that have much more than others feel that they are somehow entitled to not sharing the burden.  

The people that have money are the ones that say, “Money can’t buy happiness”, and, “If you love what you do it isn’t work.” Maybe money can’t buy happiness but scarcity of it can surely by misery, and I don’t know anyone that works for someone else the loves what they do. Unfortunately, the system makes it really hard for a individual that does not start out with the means to start something they enjoy that is profitable.

The ultra wealthy aren’t breaking any laws by paying less in taxes it is an unfortunate flaw in the way tax code is written. When the government writes that tax code the mega rich and corporations have lobbyist petitioning their representatives to keep their taxes low with false promises that if they have the money they will reinvest in the communities. Well Ronald Reagan introduced trickle down (supply side) economics back in the 80s…how has that worked out for everyone. It worked out great for the top 1% because they are richer than ever while the wealth gap has increased. That is a pure example of wealth redistribution, from the bottom to the top.

Over the past four decades, average household income grew by 68 percent after adjusting for inflation; however, that growth wasn’t shared equally. Average income in the highest one-fifth of the population was 114 percent higher in 2019 than it was in 1979 – almost two and a half times the growth in average income in the lowest households.

The richest 1% grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth worth $42 trillion created since 2020, almost twice as much money as the bottom 99 percent of the world’s population. During the past decade, the richest 1 percent had captured around half of all new wealth.

So please get off your soapbox spouting that there isn’t wealth redistribution in this country because you, the guy in the SUV, are giving it willingly to the top 1% and you are perpetuating the lie that they want you to believe.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Ok let’s put all the cards on the table…

Democrats:

Yes, Bill Clinton got a consensual BJ and subsequently lied about it.

Anthony Weiner was caught sexting a 21 years old and resigned his seat.

Al Franken resigned from the Senate over a photo taken when he was a comedian mocking groping an asleep woman…never actually touched her.

No children involved in any of these encounters.

Republicans:

During and after the 2016 presidential race, among the dozens of women who accused former president Donald Trump of being a sexual predator were several contestants in the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant, who reported that he barged into their dressing room while girls as young as 15 were changing. (Trump allegedly told them, “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.”)

Anton “Tony” Lazzaro is charged with seven counts involving “commercial sex acts” with five minors ages 15 and 16 in 2020, when he was 30 years old. His indictment touched off a political firestorm that led to the downfall of Jennifer Carnahan as chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota.

Ohio representative and former Ohio State University wrestling coach Jim Jordan aided and abetted in the university’s cover-up of sexual abuse within the program, a former team captain said in front of Ohio state legislators on Wednesday. 

2006, Florida Rep. Mark Foley was forced to resign after it was revealed that he’d sent sexually explicit messages and propositioned teenage congressional pages via email and text.

2015, former Rep. Dennis Hastert, the longest-ever serving Republican speaker of the House, pleaded guilty to making illegal hush-money payments in order to cover up his history of sexually abusing high school wrestlers he had coached decades before.

During the 2018 midterms, Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore was accused of preying on girls as young as 14 and 16; the New Yorker reported that his habit of trying to pick up high schoolers was so notorious that it actually got him banned from a local mall.

And finally, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is currently the subject of a literal sex-trafficking investigation, which is looking into whether he had sex with an underage 17-year-old girl, among other issues. (Greene is close with Gaetz, who denies the allegations, and has defended him.)

I am seeing a pattern and it is not in the Democratic party it does seem that this a case of projection.

The Qinon trope that Democrats some how kill and eat babies, that Hillary Clinton was trafficking children from the basement of Rocket Pizza in DC (which btw has no basement),that we are grooming children and the big one that Democrats are for mutilation of underaged children that are gender confused. Oh yeah and that we are for abortion even after the infant is live born. Did I get them all, I am sure there are more but there all bull shit so I will stop listing them.

Big question is why, other than Bill Clinton, when a democrat is accused, they ultimately resign from their elected position. On the other hand republicans dig in their heals, even with abundant evidence so substantiate the charges against them, lie and then run for office again. The larger conundrum is how they get reelected… the conservative, Christian party only seems to have issues if the person in question has a (D) in their title otherwise its all just “Oh well, boys will be boys.”

The republican will fall in line no matter the immorality of their candidate and democrats have a purity test than can take down even the best….SAD     

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2979989563990-trump-pleads-not-guilty-to-34-criminal-charges-in-new-york

When do we get to ignore the malignant tumor in his ill-fitting suit? I am seriously asking; I am tired of wall-to-wall coverage of this national disgrace. Earlier was coverage that of Trump Force One leaving Florida and arriving in New York so that the first ever indited former President could surrender to Manhattan District Court.

The tumor was offered the ability to be arraigned via zoom but not one to turn down a spectacle for his ego and minions, he begrudgingly went to NYC so that his martyrdom was on full display. No surprise that his plea was, “Not Guilty”, I am sure there were a lot more words vomited on the court but I wasn’t there so I can only speculate.  

Donny dumb ass could have lived out his miserable life in anonymity if his inflated ego hadn’t miraculously gotten him placed, I am not going to imply he was lawfully elected. He could have continued crimeing and gone relatively unchecked but he got himself, with foreign assistance, into a position that put his woeful life under a microscope.

He fits the mold of a criminal is going to crime no matter the position they are in, that is their nature and they can’t help themselves. The comparison to Nixon is that Nixon was a President that became a criminal, but Trump was a criminal that became President.

Now the GOP is crying that we have 2 systems of justice in this country and Trump is innocent. For the first time ever I agree with them, we do have 2 systems, ask George Floyd, Breana Taylor, Tyre Nichols, I could continue this for pages but they unfortunate individuals are examples of our 2 systems of justice. Donald is finally being brought up on charges that were from 2016 and before, that’s 6 years the 3 I named had minutes, George Floyd had 19 minutes not 6 years. I want equal justice for all and I am sure the many that have been executed by police or railroaded into prison would have liked the amount of time and diligence that Trump and his fellow white collar criminals have gotten.

That is a big part of this but more to the point is I want all the attention that the mango tumor is getting to disappear. I want his name to be pox in the history books, his name should have the same connotation as Benedict Arnold. I know I am dreaming because this inditement will be headline new for days and when George indites him it will start again and then when Jack Smith drops the hammer… well who knows by them we all may be so exhausted that we aren’t even paying attention.

What is really sad and dispiriting is that the GOP will more than likely nominate him to run for the office he actively tried to dismantle in 2024. The party of Lincoln is dead the party that praises autocracy and dictatorship has replaced it masquerading as populist.

Sinclair Lewis has been attributed to saying, “When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross”

It looks like an Orange Buffoon will try to be the one who make that line come true.