Chimpanzees and Aberrant Behavior

Nobody blames chimpanzees for their behavior when you go to the zoo. They jump toward visitors, throw feces at each other and at visitors, masturbate in front of children – along with other crude behaviors. It’s embarrassing, and sometimes disturbing, but you know what to expect going in. Over time, they get validation and reinforcement from visitors, who reward the most aberrant behaviors with laughter and enthusiasm. Whether it’s nature or nurture, you don’t blame the chimp. It’s just how chimps behave in that environment.

It would make no sense to take a chimp from an environment where their aberrant behavior was consistently reinforced and rewarded, move them to an environment where these behaviors are less accepted, then expect them to suddenly pivot, and behave more … I don’t know – presidential. The ones to blame are those who moved the chimp.   

AOC and Yoo Hoo

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has, in less than one full term in office, established herself as a giant of commitment, and representation for her wing of the Democratic Party. Representative YooHoo has up to now languished in anonymity, having led an entirely non-distinguished career. It's safe to assume that until this week, most Americans had never heard of him.

It’s not yet determined what people will remember AOC for. But Representative YooHoo instantly went from obscurity to … well, to becoming a verb.

It’s a verb that might be difficult to define in words, but easy in metaphor. I see a chihuahua, angry at a substantial human - leaping up to bite them in the crotch, but falling short, with its teeth stuck in the human’s trousers, at about the knee, unable to let go or get away, and just stuck there.

The silly creature seriously YooHooed.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ted-yoho-lesson-in-decency-on-the-house-floor?utm_social-type=owned&utm_medium=social&mbid=social_twitter&utm_brand=tny&utm_source=twitter&fbclid=IwAR3t0DgbWARpTo-LbqsRSghZfi3Fg6IZM17o4t_D6sBM6jjw7U8bVvhsQqc

Arguing with Loud Obstinate Fools

I often have to remind myself to stop trying to reason with loud, angry, stubborn fools.  

There is no changing their minds - at least not durably.  No matter how airtight, even plainly obvious the argument, it’s just a short time until they’ve tuned in to Faux News, Rush Limbaugh, or a clone on hate radio, or one of the many conspiracy mongers who populate the ‘dark web’, and they will re-self-radicalize.  

More importantly though is the incredibly small prize for winning.  The best I could hope for is to have this loud angry, stubborn fool, now angrily spouting my point of view - hardly a prize worth a lot of effort. 

Dumbfuckistan Mask

You know the saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’? 

I was at Shurway Lumber the other day, picking up some boards for a project (pictures when there is something to share).  There was a guy in line with a face mask that had the word ‘TRUMP’ in big letters across it.  As if this weren't ironic enough, it gets better.  He was wearing it so that the top covered his upper lip, leaving his big, stupid face-dick just dangled out over the top. 

I was tempted to ask him if I could take a picture, but feared he might think I was ridiculing him … which, of course, I would have been.  The image, though, was as priceless as it was indelible; I only wish I could have shared it.  This one picture sums up why so many western democracies now carefully—oh-so carefully—welcome visitors from each other’s countries; while citizens of Dumbfuckistan are stuck within our own borders.