To Serve and Protect

I must confess to being conflicted regarding the end game of the Boston Marathon bombing. First, let me make clear I harbor no confusion regarding the bombers themselves - evil deeds done for whatever reason are evil, and must be stopped/prevented. There's no gray area here. However, what has given me some pause is the police response.

First! I think the BPD and all involved agencies did a fantastic job in a difficult situation, and the same can be said for the local elected officials. That said, I've long bemoaned the militarization of the police, and you could see this militarization to clear affect during this past week:

This militarization comes from two "Wars": The so called "Drug War" and "The War on Terror". Each of which is in essence a tool for the powerful to control the powerless. The Drug War is especially pernicious, and was the genesis for the militarization of police forces across America. The WoT greatly added to this trend. And now we have both big and little cities with what are essentially armies, as police forces. In this particular example, it was beneficial, given the bombs.

And again, I've got no issue with the police actions of the past week. But this highlights the inherent contradiction.

Indeed, the police protect us from crazed individuals like these bombers, from psychopaths, from wacked out killers, from rapists, etc. It's necessary for a functioning society. On the other hand, the police also enforce the will of The Powers That Be. And so OWS protests will get smashed. Political protestors will get penned in and arrested. Random innocent folks will get their doors smashed in because the police think there's a drug dealer living there.

In a formula: "To Serve" - the Authorities. "To Protect" - the people. I'm for the latter, against the former. I'm anti-authoritarian, in all forms. Thus, my conflict.

And to end on a downer, as I'm wont, I ALWAYS find flag waving to be disconcerting. It's too tribal, and the only Tribe I belong to is "Matter in this Universe". Represent! However, it's hard to get upset with images like this:

Asian college students with an American flag posing with joyous (non-militarized) cops. Incredible. However, let us not mistake this:

As little more than college students finding a good reason to go party on the streets. It's justified in this case, no doubt, but oh-so closely related to the parties that happen after sports championships.

All that said, here's one image that fuses everything I was just trying to lay out:

A militarized police officer delivering milk to a family with kids trapped in their house during lockdown. Amazing.

I'll confess further, all this has left me confused.

Tread on Me

Can you imagine putting up an RNC flag? Party over country! So sad it's all half mastey, Wingnut. Maybe you should stop watching Fox?

There's a smattering of stories these last few days of businesses shutting for the day, or even laying off workers, cuz, OBAMA! BS, says I, but even if true, I worry not - the all powerful free market will pick up the business you Wingnuts willingly throw away.

Sums it up, eloquently. In true Orwellian fashion, you can assume the opposite of whatever a Wingnut says. When they say "Freedom!", they mean the freedom to control you. When they say "Fair and Balanced!", they mean slanted propaganda. When they say "Don't Tread on Me!", oh, yes, they love getting treaded upon. As long the boot has an "R" on the sole.

Also too:

Subjectively, a Young Republican is the worst Wingnut. You're in college, man! There's no excuse for being "conservative".

iU

As with all things body and mind, if you don't use it, you lose it. The transition from paper and pen to laptop is a change in cognition - gaining something, losing something else. But this new way of thinking - through technology - also can lead to diversion, distraction, compulsion. So easy to goof off. Resulting in diminished cognition.

These trends will continue, relying more and more on our technology and less and less on our bodies. It will inevitably and fundamentally change us in major ways. Over time - but you can see it happening already. Some people have lost all sense of direction thanks to GPS.

The solution of course is to exercise the very skills technology is turning obsolete - navigation, sense of time, memory of numbers and addresses, recall of facts, focused attention, etc. Hard work, though, rite?

No Cats, No Steeples

Oh wait, actually: Just the opposite. And just so I'm clear, here:

North Adam Steeplecats RULE!


Also, too: God bless a world where a man can make a million dollars by simply hosting a website where other people intentionally misspell words on a picture. LOLcats indeed.

On Leaving

"What I was taught to believe, what I do believe, is that when they walk out that door of doom they are gone! And if they come back, when they come back, it is a miracle I say, can I hear Amen?!"

"Come now! You know it's the same person, even if they've been gone an incredibly long time - you can smell them, can't you? They smell basically the same, and they'll feed you, won't they? The same basic food? It's no miracle - just a prolonged absence."

On Vacuums

I do say, the fact of the matter is quite clear, sir: The Vacuum is punishment for our sins, sent down upon us from the hands of our angry God.

I must respectfully disagree. As Asimov said, science at a certain level is indistinguishable from magic. The vacuum is some sort of loud sound device used by the humans to keep us in fear, and under their control.

Smoove

It's all class from here on out.

Skull n' Bonz

Lots of bones out there at America's Elite Uni's.

Professor Dog

Known to grade on a curve.

College

Ah, memories. But seriously, I had my hands on a physical copy of this picture back in the mid 1990's, and if I recall the story correctly, this picture was taken by a friend of a friend of a friend. Tenuous, I know, but I find it neat when something I've seen in real life enters the Hive Mind of the Intertubes. You win again, Ethernet!