When It isn't You

You are taught that if two people say you're drunk, you lie down.
But that isn't reality.
Because two or ten or twenty people can say it, but you haven't
had a drink.

I've always given chances, because I've always kept open the
possibility that I could be wrong.
I could misunderstand.
I could misattribute.

The weird part is that I haven't.

Exactly what I assumed in 1972 is true.
What I perceived in 1983 was confirmed.
What I feared in 1996 proved accurate.

There is no way to say; "It's me." I'm at fault.

Universal Scorn

Many years ago, at an Advocates' Association Meeting, I realise I've become the Scorn.
I couldn't believe it.
Here was an organisation I had helped form, I had been committed to, and in my cosmology it was out of a clear blue sky.

My hand was up, everyone else was called on, finally I was noticed, my point was batted away as a mosquito, two speakers later it was repeated by someone else and hailed.

After it happened twice I realised I had been elected the Universal Scorn.

Every organisation has its officers; some are publicly elected, some are privately appointed, and some are secretly designated. I had been secretly designated.

I moved to get a cup of coffee at the back, then was through the door and out.

I didn't come to the next meeting, or the next, although I was sent flyers, rung up, and by the fourth meeting I was personally invited by the President. I came late, had a cup of coffee and a pastry, listened to the speaker, then left.

I missed the next meeting, and again was spoken to, and explained; "You'll have to appoint another Scorn."

As some people don't name their victims she was uncertain of what I meant so I explained. I don't know whether she was surprised that I had given a name to the position or that I was aware of my position; however, it mattered not. I no longer bothered with the Association.

It was not the first time I was selected for the position; I tend to make a really good vicitm. I announce I live in Jamaica, so all the liberal bigots assume I am black and begin their standard double standard.

Recently on Xomba some guy, nose well out of joint because I was selected for the 'Quote of the Day' and how dare some...(Use Favourite Expletive)... be appointed.
He attacked the rather straight forward article with the usual white boy entitlement.

I flicked him away with amusement, only to see him bounce back with the usual three faced bitch. Three faced bitches are those who send you pms and post their two edged sword remarks so as to take whatever side becomes popular.

Some of the posters, seeing others commenting joined in, unaware that this was not a literary critique this was an old white boy angry that the 'niggah' got the prestigious appointment of 'Quote of the Day' joined by 3Face.

It is sad to be caught in crossfire when one actually is unaware of the reason for the skirmish. Hence the few who tried to be 'fair' made their one lame post and walked away with a sense of 'something is going on, I don't know what, I'll stay out of it.'

The usual tactic is the 'man arrested for slamming his face into the policeman's baton'. The owners of the site not aware of what was going on, only trying to quiet the vehemence of the language, made their posts, but nothing could stop white boy and 3 face.

As I don't feel like being banned today...(I usually leave that for once every four weeks) I cease to respond. Eventually they 'win'. Another Quote is posted, and they go back into their holes.

Being chosen the Scorn is not a comfortable position for the Newbie. Fortunately, I have experience in the field.

If you find yourself the Scorn;

1) In real life, cease to attend meetings, if you do go, come late, support the refreshments, and leave early. Do not participate at all, nor pay dues.

2) In Cyberspace, stop responding, if you have anyone you communicate with on the site, use PMs. Become unobtrusive. Those who need Scorns might find someone else to annoy.

3) In both cases, cease to participate. In RL, miss meetings, avoid functions, if questioned make a bald faced lie that everyone knows is a lie. If it is a writing site like Xomba, write, do not read anyone else's work, and focus on other sites.

Scorns are needed to be available, unavailable Scorns lose their value. Who knows, in a few months the organisation might implode or the those on the writing site might go too far and be banned.

Idiocracy

Every day, twice a day, we get the 'Dead News'. These are announcements of the funerals of average people.

So there's this woman, schmata on her head, snaggletoothed, died at 90...leaving 110 Great Grand Children, and like 25 Great Great Grandchildren.

This woman, who probably can barely read and write dropped eleven kids who dropped how many more, and who produced, at the time of her death 110 kids.

Intelligent people have one or two, maybe three, a few four. And those grow up to have one or two, maybe three, a few four.

Village idiots are the most prolific people in Jamaica.

Right Wing Nut Jobs

Years ago, the right wing in America, (also known as facists, rednecks, racists), accused the media of having an Liberal East Coast bias. That was their euphemistic way of saying 'Jew'.

As those who would have gladly participated in Nazi Germany's extermination of the Jews, but alas, were unable to participate, only a lucky few can enjoy Abu Gharib, Camp Delta and the Sand Pit in Afghanistan. The others must satisfy themselves with representational murder, mayhem and torture.

To this end, they have plunged into the media actually getting their own television and radio stations, as well as websites.

Most of these Nutjobs have learned how to mask their actual purpose, and instead of being on the fringes, have moved into the mainstream, appearing 'neutral' at best or conservative at worst.

The problem these Nutjobs have is with the rest of the world. They can not control what others see or think or learn, they can only dumb down American schools, They can only project their twisted view points into American heads.

This is why persons outside of America tend to have a better knowledge of current events and history, even American history.

Silencing those who offend their sensibilities is easy in America. They have the money, they make threats of law suits, and in most cases, people are silenced.

Outside of America, they have a serious problem, for it is only a few weak states which will perform as they desire. Others will not. This will cause them great anguish and attempts to block information from reaching the average citizen is a full time job.

That nearly the whole world knew Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction when America invaded, and that the whole world sees America as guilty of war crimes does not mean it has the power to even condemn.

Never Forget when you're Third World

I write for Factoidz. I offended some of the Tea Party Set. I erased their comments. So they spent hours and hours petitioning the owner of the site to demote me. So I was demoted.

I wrote an email to support, not that it will do much good. I am third world, those folks are first. And one must never forget that.

CHILDHOOD NEVER ENDS

There is a childishness among those closer to thirty than twenty.  A careless attitude in which there seems no idea of consequences.  Univeristy studens, even Seniors seem closer to primary schooler than what one expected of a High School thirty years ago.

The 'hook-ups', where meaningless sex with strangers replaces a 'date', where drugs replace experiences, and where responsibility is a dirty word seem to fill in the childhood that was 'lost'.

Fifty years ago there were many stay at home moms with their stay at home children.  The child would play all day, Mommy calling her for breakfast, then lunch, taking her grocery shopping or to the beauty parlour, because leaving one's child anywhere with anyone, save a live in relative was unsavoury.

At five the child could be entered in Kindergarten or not, as that was not mandatory.  So for six years a kid was a kid.  A kid was kid every day until school began to limit, and then on weekends.  During the summer those who went to sleep away camp had their experiences, those who went to day camp had theres, and those who stayed home for two months had theirs.

One began to grow up because of association with adults.  One had completed their childhood and went into their teens where they were still pretty much monitored, and so it was not surprising that a High School graduating class, as late as 1967 would have a vast majority of virgins, or both sexes.

Today, kids are put into day care as soon as Mommy goes back to work, for not everyone can afford a nanny or has an older relative willing to stay home.  The pre school has become what the kindergarten was in the 50s; almost required.

With the kid needing to be watched from about 8 to 5, activities are organised so that the child is regimented from about three making Kindergarten what third grade used to be.

The kids don't seem to be particularly bright or well educated, despite the fact the average thirteen year old has been in some form of schooling for ten years.

I believe it is the absence of childhood as a child which has created the adult child.  The deprivation of the thoughtless irresponsibility between the ages of 3 to 6, coupled with the recreational summers, (now replaced by summer school, extra lessons, etc.)  has led to this peculiar reversal of aging.

Culling

There are people who seem to want to use you for a mirror.  They want to reflect  their faults. Hence they are not cold, you are.  They are not always searching for fault, you are.  And unless you pay particular attention, you wind up caught in their fantasy world.

This doesn't happen without resistance when you care.  In most cases, you are listening with a third of an ear, or reading while playing scrabble, answering email, and cooking dinner.  So they get over by your disconnect.

Because what they think isn't important to you, they get the chance to attribute and then to carry their 'findings' around like a flag.  And suddenly, you find yourself stressed out because your apathy has created the monster.


Getting rid of these people, or at least putting them into 'containment' is necessary for your equilibrium.


Cutting down contact, redirecting, and letting them expose themselves in non-charged ways does have an effect.  


As soon as you find yourself 'defending' or explaining, cut off.  The next confrontation is set for pointlessness. The same intense nit-picking or 'whatever you say I take the other side' mentality, will become over obvious when it's one of those current event things in which their opinion is worthless.   That they advocate with intensity proves that they are not discussing that issue, they are attacking you.