“It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.”
Word of the Week – February 5, 2022
Haecceity
Noun
Latin, 17th century
The property of being a unique and individual thing. From the medieval Latin “haecceitas” – “haec,” feminine of “hic,” meaning “this.”
Haecceity is a philosophical concept attributed to Scottish Catholic priest and university professor John Duns Scotus. He defined it as a non-qualitative property of a substance or thing that is responsible for its individuation and identity, such as a particular person’s unique identity. Interestingly, Scotus is also where the term “dunces” originated from. His opponents equated Duns’ followers, who argued against Renaissance humanism, to dullards incapable of scholarship.
Example: I finally realized my haecceity prevents me from being placed in categories designed by others.
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Funniest Quote of the Week – February 5, 2022
“I mean one of the most chilling phrases in the English language is: ‘Surprise, it’s Rudy Giuliani.’ Just ask the crew of ‘Borat.’”
Stephen Colbert, commenting on Rudy Giuliani’s unexpected appearance on ‘The Masked Singer’
The episode has yet to air.
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Most Bizarre Quote of the Week – February 5, 2022
“This week, President Trump said I had the right to ‘overturn the election.’ But President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election.”
Former Vice-President Mike Pence, speaking to the Orlando, Florida chapter of the Federalist Society about Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to relitigate the 2020 elections
Pence added, “Look, I understand the disappointment many feel about the last election. I was on the ballot. But whatever the future holds, I know we did our duty that day.”
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Worst Quotes of the Week – February 5, 2022
“Here’s a quick thought experiment: If AOC was fat and in her 60s, would anyone listen to another thing she ever said?”
TV personality Adam Carolla, about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to FOX News commentator Sean Hannity
Carolla, creator and co-host of the now-defunct “Man Show”, argued that while the 32-year-old politician is “young, vibrant and beautiful,” and “everyone’s always putting a camera and a mike in her face,” her “opinions are idiotic 95 percent of the time.”
“If you’re going to do this, then let’s be truthful about it, because the Holocaust isn’t about race. It’s not about race. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man. That’s what it’s about.”
Whoopi Goldberg, on The View
Goldberg made the comments during a discussion of how the Nazi Holocaust-centered graphic novel “Maus” was banned by a Tennessee school board. That school board banned the book, Goldberg said, because there were complaints about the novel containing nudity and bad language. “The minute you turn it into race, it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is – it’s how people treat each other. It’s a problem. It doesn’t matter if you’re Black or white because Black, white, Jews – everybody.”
Goldberg apologized the next day for her comments, but ABC announced immediately they had decided to suspend her for two weeks.
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Best Quotes of the Week – February 5, 2022
“There have always been efforts to censor books, but what we’re seeing right now is frankly unprecedented. A library is a place of voluntary inquiry. That means when a student walks in, they’re not forced to check out a book that they or their parents find objectionable. But they also don’t have authority to say what books should or shouldn’t be available to other students.”
Carolyn Foote, a retired school librarian in Austin who’s helping to lead the #FReadom campaign
#FReadom campaign is a grassroots effort to fight back against book challenges (translation: censorship) in Texas.
“Well, if you are digesting Russian misinformation and parroting Russian talking points, you are not aligned with longstanding, bipartisan American values, which is to stand up for the sovereignty of countries, like Ukraine but others. Their right to choose their own alliances, and also to stand against, very clearly, the efforts or attempts or potential attempts by any country to invade and take territory of another country. That applies to Sen. Hawley, but it also applies to others who may be parroting the talking points of Russian propagandist leaders.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, in response to a reporter’s question about Sen. Josh Hawley’s suggestion the U.S. not support Ukraine in its ongoing efforts to thwart a Russian invasion
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No Traitors Allowed!
On Friday, February 4, the Republican National Committee voted overwhelmingly to censure two of its own: Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their participation in a Democrat-led panel investigating the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill insurrection. The RNC declared – as it has always maintained – that the individuals participating in the riot were “ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.” Immediately after various news outfits began reporting news of the resolution, the RNC tried to clarify itself by stating they weren’t referring to the deadly attack on the Capitol.
Gosh, what else is there to talk about with that day’s events?
It’s become obvious the 21st century Republican Party won’t tolerate any kind of conscientious objectors – even if they are 100% right in their actions. The RNC has continually repeated the fake narrative that the January 6 insurrectionists were merely Capitol Hill “tourists” – who just happened to arrive bearing various assault weapons and stormed into the building like zombies invading a meat-packing plant.
I still believe a large percentage of Americans just don’t realize that the events of that day meet the true definition of a terrorist attack. If the mob had contained anyone other than a bunch of angry, self-righteous White people, right-wing extremists would be quick to denounce it as a true domestic terrorist attack and begin demanding criminal prosecution of everyone involved. But since that gang was supporting their man, Donald Trump – the biggest dumbass ever to occupy the White House – they’re getting their priorities confused…again.
I also wonder if most Americans truly recognize the January 6, 2021 insurrection as the clear threat to democracy it really was. Watching that day’s events unfold, I kept thinking, ‘Is this the United States? Is this really happening here?’
We’re accustomed to witnessing that kind of brutality and violence in foreign countries. That shit happens in Pakistan or Peru – not in the U.S.! But it did happen in the U.S. It happened here – in a nation that has claimed for some 200 years it is the beacon of democracy on planet Earth. In a country that has the oldest national constitution of any developed sovereign state.
I find it equally appalling – but not surprising – that the RNC has censured Cheney and Kinzinger for their efforts to learn the truth about the January 6 riot and prosecute those who participated in it. Cheney, daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, and Kinzinger, a military veteran, each represent the truest of public servants – individuals committed to the values of integrity and moral decency. They understand the actual severity of the January 6 mutiny; that the participants weren’t “tourists” trying to comprehend the machinations of the American political system. They were rioters – terrorists. And for their probity, they are being reprimanded by their leaders and constituents.
That says quite a bit about a political party. It says a lot about that particular squadron of stewardship. But it would say even more about a society that seems to ignore the calamity of January 6, 2021 and treat ensuing investigations as mundane political business.
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Say Again?
Foreign Born Job Recruiter: I need you to clitify something on your resume.
The Chief: Um…excuse me?
JR: I need you to clitify the period since 2015.
TC: I still don’t understand. What is it about 2015?
JR: Your work history since 2015 needs to be clitified.
TC (thinking salaciously without breathing hard; after all, I’m talking to a woman): Okay, I still don’t…um…I still don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. Um…clitify? What…what do you mean?
JR: Since 2015 – your work experience needs to be clitified. What were you doing?
TC (beginning to breathe hard – er – heavily): Since 2015? I was working freelance – contract – temporary. I often consulted on writing projects.
JR: Ah! Okay, that’s what I wanted to know. You were a consultant, right?
TC (pausing, breathing slows): Well…yes. (Now I get it!) I consulted on various writing projects. (Brain functioning more thoroughly now; as in 2+2=4.)
JR: It’s just not clitified on your resume.
TC (getting juicy again, but maintaining composure – long pause): Clitified?
JR: Yes.
TC (still maintaining composure but damn it’s hard! I mean, difficult!): Okay…(brain synapses finally engage). Oh! Clarify!
JR: Yes.
TC (uttering derogatory comments about trying to communicate with foreign-language speakers): Okay, I see what you’re saying now.
JR: Yes, you need to add that – consultant.
TC (lightheartedly and still annoyed): Okay, I will.
TC (reworking resume to CLARIFY work experience since 2015): Why the fuck can’t they outsource job recruiting to somewhere relatively close to the U.S.?! Like, say, Montana.
NOTE: Yes, I’m usually shirtless when working from home (unless I’m on a video call), but I do make it a point to wear (clean) underwear, which is size extra medium. Not that you needed to know, but my writer’s intuition tells me your filthy mind was curious. Look, people, this is a family blog! Get your minds out of the fucking gutter!
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