Blog Posts

227 SPECIAL Will Smith, Chris Rock, AMPAS & STUPIDITY

4/4/2022

I must confess that I’m getting a bit tired of writing “SPECIAL” posts for this blog, but I’m getting a good deal more tired of feeling a need to comment about things which are out of my normal trains of thought. I enjoy working on this blog, but I mostly enjoy the diversion of being able to just write about things I enjoy. Then, far too often recently, stuff comes up which really gets to me for some reason and I feel obligated to express my comments and/or concerns.

I take as an example the recent kerfuffle during the Academy Awards. Now, I am previously on record (see Post 143 from mid-March 2019) as not being very enthusiastic about “awards” for Movies, TV shows, Recorded music, Plays, Musicals, and other sorts of “ART,” I suppose that no one would be surprised that I did NOT spend the evening on March 27 last watching the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awards to the selected few of its members who were handed out the various “Oscars” which they felt were commercial enough that they MIGHT attract a TV audience.

Let’s face it, the Oscars are mostly intended to try to attract bigger audiences for movies. I would argue that the same sort of thing is just as true for the “awards” in the other “arts.” I would suggest that history proves that the movies, plays, books, visual art works, pieces of music, etc. which people WANT to experience (some of which is “critically” good work, some isn’t) will attract audiences, with or without the hype of “awards.” I confess that I find it quite amusing that the great actor, Paul Newman, who I quoted in relation to this idea back in post 143, ended up playing “Doc” Hudson (aka The Fabulous Hudson Hornet) in Pixar’s movie, Cars, a few years back. There’s a scene, about mid-movie, where Doc talks about how little his winning the Piston Cup trophy three times meant to him in the long run. Then, at the movie’s climax, it is demonstrated that our hero, Lighting McQueen, has considerably revised his thinking about the important things in life (and racing) when he gives up winning the race in order to assist the former champion (“The King,” vocal played by Richard Petty), who was, purposely, wrecked by a challenger. Lightning talks with The King as follows:

The King: What are you doin', kid?
Lightning McQueen: I think the King should finish his last race.
The King: You just gave up the Piston Cup, you know that?
Lightning McQueen: Ah. This grumpy old race car I know once told me somethin': it's just an empty cup.

I believe that, while it IS an honor to have your work selected by your peers as being worthy of recognition is extremely nice, it’s NOT what the work is all about. So, where am I going with this?

Obviously, I am NOT going to defend Smith’s actions. I deplore physical violence and have avoided it all my life. I don’t believe that I have ever, intentionally, tried to do physical harm to another person. I may have done so, but I can’t remember it. If I have, I am ashamed of having done so. But the word, “violence,” also refers to “doing damage to, or to adversely affect” something or someone. What offends me about this situation is that Smith is being presented as the only “bad guy” here. I find that a bit hard to take, given what I believe to be the facts of the situation.

Let’s see, Chris Rock, appearing as a “presenter,” comes out and immediately makes an unnecessary, tacky, tasteless comment about Smith’s wife’s appearance, while he knew he had everyone’s attention in a VERY public setting. Believe me, if I knew about Jada Pinkett Smith’s health condition (which I did), it MUST be widely known that she is dealing with a medical situation which affects her hair. I would suggest that that this so-called “comedian” probably deserves to be called out for the vulgar bully which he, apparently thinks it’s “cool” to be. I believe that the kindest thing I could say about his behavior is that it’s the equivalent of the spoiled Facebook bully brat putting up a post that someone else is “ugly, fat, stupid and nobody likes her.”

So, while I do NOT condone Will Smith’s response, I think I understand it. If someone behaved like that towards MY wife in that public a setting, I think I would be tempted to give him a good slap, too. I probably would not DO it, in spite of the fact that one of the central principles of Western civilization is that it’s a man’s responsibility to defend his wife and family. Still, it was inappropriate, at best, but that’s really not the point here.

The point is that a slap in the face is not the only sort of behavior which constitutes violence. What I would like to know is, “How does Chris Rock become the only victim here? How is it that HIS behavior is without question when it can be easily argued that he is, at least equally, guilty of, at best, inappropriate behavior?” Given the past several years of social history, how is it okay for someone to publicly bully someone else in such a manner and be rewarded and protected for it because HE thinks it’s “funny?” We, as a society, have been actively staging events and programs in churches and schools to prevent such behavior and otherwise condemning these sorts of statements for a number of years now, knowing the cost we have paid for it in suicides, drug abuse, mental disorders, etc. Yet, because CHRIS ROCK (or various political figures) says it was a joke, it’s okay to make fun of someone else in the most public fashion, and place, possible.

If THIS is what AMPAS considers to be appropriate humor for their awards show, it’s little wonder to me that their audience is smaller than it used to be and that, for all of the expanded outlets for motion pictures there isn’t much out there to watch that a lot of people really seem to care about. I suspect that I’m not alone in not having much interest in “awards” shows such as this, since this year’s audience was only somewhat bigger than last year’s, and that one was the smallest in history. If Chris Rock’s idea of humor is in the mainstream of the industry, it’s little wonder why I haven’t been to many “comedies” in the last several years. Humor does NOT have to be hurtful. Perhaps when AMPAS learns that, we will have more, and actually funny, comedies. So, if AMPAS is going to take action against Will Smith, it is their right. But they really ought to consider the tasteless provocation of Rock’s comments and condemn them as the reprehensible bullying which it is, too. After all, the sting of a slap in the face goes away, the emotional hurt of bullying is MUCH harder to heal.

I’d also suggest that AMPAS bears a bit of the responsibility for this. They hired (chose?) Rock to be a presenter, knowing that he had a history of making tacky, snide comments about Jada Smith (he had done so before at their awards show), and also knowing that Will Smith (therefore his wife as well) would be seated right up front as a nominee, so Rock would be likely to see them and, perhaps, make a comment. Yet they, apparently, did not warn Chris about the inappropriateness of such “humor” when they sent him out (unscripted, I assume, because if he was scripted to say what he did, somebody needs to talk to their writers) with a license to say whatever he wanted.

I would suggest that there is plenty of blame to go around here. We really need to practice what we say we want to preach as a society. Bullying is not acceptable behavior! I doubt that we will ever stop it completely, but we certainly don’t have to reward and defend it, whether from “comedians,” politicians, Internet and Social Media jerks or anybody else. It IS possible to be amusing without being vulgar, tasteless, and tacky. Too bad more people aren’t willing to work hard enough to be funny without crossing such lines.

By the way, does anyone else wonder what the reaction might have been if Chris Rock had made some comment about how the cast of CODA “talked?”

🖖🏼 LLAP,

Dr. B

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” ―Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

0 Comments

226 April Fool”s Day 2022

3/30/2022

0 Comments

If I get this post completed and up on schedule, it will be available just before April Fool’s Day of 2022, so it seems appropriate not to pretend that this is going to deal with anything very serious. Yes, there IS plenty of serious stuff going on (when ISN’T there?), but I’m not going to deal with it in this post. After all, according to Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:…” And, if one wants to read as far as verse 4, one finds: “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” I take this as evidence that even God accepts the idea that we should engage in joy and happiness on occasion. I also believe that if one can’t have a laugh, or two, on April Fool’s Day (even if it is during Lent) what’s the point? So. ′nuf said!

According to Wikipedia (which I claim [always have] is a perfectly adequate source for much basic information, if not always for truly “scholarly,” stuff): “April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting ‘April Fools!’ at the recipient.” The article goes on to point out that the origins of this tradition are unclear, but widespread, with similar behavior in most European countries. It also suggests that there is a possible connection to the medieval “Feast of Fools,” but that is (apparently) far from certain. It seems pretty likely that it is European-based, although it has spread to some places in the Middle East, etc.

Of course, it’s quite conceivable that the spread of the idea COULD have been through colonial influences. But, in the long run, who cares? The point is to have fun by pointing out the silliness which affects all of us on occasion and accept that it’s a part of being human to be a bit crazy now and then. I like it and I’m going to celebrate it. If you can’t or don’t choose to recognize this obvious (to me, at least) fact of human nature, don’t bother to continue. And, I’m sorry for you!

So, here’s a few examples of the sort of stupidity silliness which I have run across in the not very distant past in various places online. I chose them, not so I can call you an “April Fool,” but because they remind me that there’s a bit of a fool in all of us.

As I’ve said before, I am a frequent patron of the local Y because my medical insurance pays for my membership and it’s less than a mile (about 5-7 minutes) from our house. They’ve never asked me to do a survey about how I heard about them, but, when I saw this online, I got quite a chuckle.

You MAY have to be a “child of the 70”s to understand that, but I suspect others will still “get it.”

Perhaps it’s because I am aware of the fact that I’m an “old guy” now, but I enjoyed this “Dustin” cartoon even though I take some small offense at the idea that what may be perfectly obvious to the guy who built something, may not be to someone who just wants to use it. I also dislike the assumption that not being a preteen makes one incapable of logic, critical thinking, or the ability to “figure things out.”

I suppose that it’s also because: 1.) I have found that MANY “instruction” manuals are complete and total failures in that they don’t convey ANY useful information because they assume that the entire world already knows what the “technical” writer knows; 2.) the “technical” writer doesn’t understand how to USE the product (whatever it is) even if he/she did invent it; 3.) the writer barely knows the language he is supposed to be writing in; and, 4.) it’s based on the assumption that the purchaser shouldn’t have anything better to do than to figure out the product through trial and error.

I suppose that I should admit that what are often called “instructions” are a pet peeve of mine. All too often, they seem to either assume I’m too stupid to be anything but a source of money for the manufacturer or that I have the intelligence of a vegetable and so it doesn’t matter if they provide useful information, or not, as I’ll never figure it out, anyway. Needless to say, that does NOT make me happy. Here’s some examples:

I think what annoys me most is the assumption that younger people now-a-days are “so much smarter than their elders.” Okay, I get the fact that I AM an “elder,” but I find THIS (see below) amusing because it seems to have at least some elements of truth in it.

I also have to wonder why so many “youngsters” feel that somewhat older people “just can’t figure things out” when I contemplate things like this “sign” I found somewhere!

Now, I won’t argue that older people are immune from falling for scams and other forms of stupidity, but I WILL suggest that “olders” aren’t the only ones to whom THIS applies!

Nor will I accept that ALL “April Fool’s jokes” were actually intended to be such. Sometimes, they just turned out that way, as in this case:

Now, if only I had known THAT before I retired here…. See you in a couple of weeks. I hope your life has at least some occasional laughter. It’s good for you!

🖖🏼 LLAP,

Dr. B
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” ―Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

0 Comments

225 Saint Patrick’s Day and Other Thoughts Irish

3/16/2022

0 Comments

As I started to work on this post, it occurred to me that I had it on my calendar for posting in close proximity to Saint Patrick’s Day. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to note that fact. However, as I thought about that, and the fact that I wanted to keep it light and amusing, it was obvious that it might lead to some “Irish” jokes. Now, “ethnic” humor is, most often, considered to be based on stereotypes which are labelled as “politically incorrect” these days.

My experience, however, is that many (perhaps most) of the funniest (and, often, the most stereotypical) “ethnic” jokes I’ve ever heard have been told by people of the ethnicity referenced. As an example, I cite the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, music, lyrics and book written by folks of Jewish extraction, based on stories by a Jewish (Yiddish) author. While there is, of course, more to it than “ethnic” humor, there IS a lot of that present in it.

Personally, I think it’s too bad that we, as a society, believe that ethnic humor HAS to be assumed to be intended to be aimed at putting people down. Nobody tells “Jewish Mother” jokes like people from a Jewish background, and the same kind of thing could be said about at least most, if not all, ethnicities, races, occupations, religions, etc.; (just ask a Catholic to tell “priest or nun” jokes). Most of the time, you’ll hear a good one about Father “so-and-so,” or Sister “what’s her name.” Anyway, in honor of my own Irish heritage and St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d post some, hopefully, amusing thoughts on the people and ways of Ireland. If you find them too “politically incorrect,” I figure that’s your problem. I enjoy them! Or, as we Irish might well say;

Thinking about Saint Patrick’s Day behavior and the pandemic which is still about;

Of course, anyone who has ever seen John Ford’s great 1952 movie, The Quiet Man, with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, will understand why I say that the Wizard of Id must, really, be Irish, and, if you haven’t seen the movie, the Irish in me says that you should. But to get back to the Wizard of Id.

(If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll understand. If not, when you do see it, you’ll get my point!)

Ireland is, of course, known as a land of writers. Congreve, Goldsmith, Joyce, O’Casey, Shaw, Sheridan, Synge, Wilde, Yeats, Beckett, (please excuse the emphasis on dramatists, but they are the ones I know best) and a good many more are “Irish” writers, and there are many more around the world of Irish extraction. I have a theory that Ireland has bred writers because the Irish culture (being frequently suppressed by the English government) had to rely on storytelling for its preservation. It’s also true that many Irish were too poor to go to school. But they could gather around the fire and listen to stories. So, here are a few stories I’ve picked up over the years. Some may be traditional, but others probably aren’t. I really don’t care, I have enjoyed them. Maybe you will, too.

I found this one in a column in The Omaha World-Herald about this time of year in 2019.

A German spy sent to Ireland in World War II is instructed to meet an Irish spy named Murphy and confirm his identity by saying, “The weather could change by Tuesday.” After the German parachutes into Ireland, he sets off for town. Along the way, he asks a farmer where to find Murphy.

“Well, sir, it all depends on which Murphy,” says the farmer. “We have Murphy the doctor, Murphy the postal carrier, Murphy the stonemason and Murphy the teacher. As a matter of fact, I, too, am Murphy, Murphy the farmer.”

The German gets an idea.

“The weather could change by Tuesday,” he says.

“Aye,” says the farmer, “you’ll be wanting Murphy the spy.”

The Irish, even Irish priests, have been known to take a wee tipple every so often and that has, on occasion, led to interesting “situations.” For example,

An Irish priest is driving down to New York for the St. Patrick's Day parade and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut.

The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car, so he asks the priest, "Sir, have you been drinking?"

"Just water," says the priest.

"Then why do I smell wine?"

The priest looks at the bottle, picks it up, sniffs it and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!”

I don’t know how many jokes I have heard over the years which begin with, “An Irishman walked into a bar….” Here’s a variation I like a lot.

An Irishman goes into a bar in America and orders three whiskeys. The barman asks: "Would it be better if I put all three shots in one glass?"

The Irishman replies: "No! I have two other brothers back at home, so every time I come into a pub, I order a shot for them both.”

The same pattern continued for several weeks.

Then, one week, the Irishman orders just two whiskeys.

The barman asks: "Did something happen one of your brothers?" "Oh no," replies the Irishman. "I just decided to quit drinking!”

As I suspect the Irish could tell you, language can get you into trouble pretty easily. Here’s an example of how that can work.

Mick wanted to place an ad in the local paper, so he gave it a call.

“Is that The Ballycashel Echo?" asks Mick. "How much would it be to put an ad in your paper?"

"Five pounds an inch," a woman replies. "Why? What are you selling?"

"A ten-foot ladder," said Mick before slamming the phone down.

It’s been said that the Irish can have a temper. Still most folks, at least in modern America, think of the Irish as being strong “church-going” people; probably because of their traditionally strong ties to the Catholic Church. This means that there’s a lot of Irish humor which involves tempers, as well as priests and/or nuns. Here’s an example which includes both:

A sobbing Ms. Murphy approaches Father O’Grady after mass.

He says: “So what’s bothering you?”

She replies: “Oh, Father, I’ve terrible news. My husband passed away last night.”

The priest says: “Oh, Mary, that’s terrible. Did he have any last requests?”

"Certainly, Father," she replied. “He said: “Please, Mary, put down that damn gun.”

But, perhaps my favorite “nun” story is this one:

The wise old Mother Superior from County Tipperary was dying.

The nuns gathered around her bed trying to make her comfortable.

They gave her some warm milk to drink, but she refused it. One of the nuns took the glass back to the kitchen.

Remembering a bottle of Irish whiskey received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened it and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.

Back at Mother Superior's bed, she held the glass to her lips. Mother Superior drank a little, then a little more. Before they knew it, she had drunk the whole glass down to the last drop.

"Mother," the nuns pleaded, "Please give us some wisdom before you pass."

She raised herself up in bed with a pious look on her face and said: "Don't sell that cow."

I think I’ll call that enough for this post. I hope Saint Patrick’s Day finds you in good company, with a glass of whatever you like best in your hand. In my case, it may well be coffee here at home as I don’t want to fight the drunks on the road (many, probably most, of whom will NOT be Irish). Unfortunately, it won’t be in this coffee mug, but a guy can wish…

In any event, as we Irish say, “Sláinte.” I’ll be back in a couple of weeks,

🖖🏼 LLAP,

Dr. B
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting
injury, and remedying it.” ―Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

0 Comments

224 Lent & More Signs Encountered on the Road of Life

3/2/2022

0 Comments

As I post this, Mardi Gras is over and Lent has started for Christians or those raised in the Christian tradition. Wikipedia suggests that,

Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Which days are enumerated as being part of Lent differs between denominations, although in all of them Lent is described as lasting for a total duration of 40 days. In Western Churches, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later; depending on the Christian denomination and local custom….

Here in Omaha, that means “Fish Fry Fridays” are getting underway. I DO like fish and chips, but I haven’t partaken of the Omaha Fish Fry scene as it appears to be mostly an opportunity to stand in a long line waiting for your fish dinner while consuming large quantities of beer. That’s probably an exaggeration (it IS completely based on conversations overheard from others), but one does get that impression, (or at least I have). Now don’t think I’m totally opposed to an occasional beer (generally I prefer Guinness), but I don’t care for even that in large quantities and I’m perfectly capable of finding (or preparing my own) fish and chips when I have the desire, so the “scene” doesn’t seem very attractive to me, especially since Bonnie likes neither fish, nor beer. There are several things she enjoys at our favorite Irish pub, however, so we usually go there when I’m dying for fish. The fact that they also have Guinness on tap doesn’t bother me either. But enough of that…

Lent begins after all the partying of Carnival (which ends with Mardi Gras) and is (theoretically) supposed to be a solemn 40 day season that ends with the great celebration of Easter. I’ve not ever really seen this followed very strictly (especially by the Irish around St. Patrick’s Day, which always comes during Lent), but I’ve never lived in a monastery or a convent, either, so I can’t say it never is such a time. Not being a particularly strict and active follower of orthodox Christian tradition, Lent isn’t of great importance to me, although I DO think it serves a legitimate, religious purpose for those who choose to have it do so.

However, I don’t choose to spend this time in mourning so that I can celebrate Easter. It’s also true, of course, that Easter is inextricably linked with Jewish Passover celebrations and numerous spring equinox celebrations from cultures all over the world. In fact, the word, easter, is derived from Eastre (Northumbrian Eostre), from Proto-Germanic *austron-, "dawn," also the name of a goddess of fertility and spring, perhaps originally of sunrise, whose feast was celebrated at the spring equinox. Since the equinox falls during the early spring (Duh!), that seems perfectly reasonable to me.

In any event, I refuse to go out of my way to be unhappy for forty days every year. Life is just too short, and reality is depressing enough. So, here are a few things to try to cheer people up. If you find that offensive, don’t go on, or wait until Lent is over.

Anyone who has followed this blog for very long knows that I have a passion for signs. I find them to be infinitely fascinating as they can be intended to be amusing, amusing by accident, or amusing completely by mistake. But they often ARE amusing and, sometimes, I find them and get a laugh. Laughs are important, so I collect such pictures to use on those occasions when a laugh seems desirable. Since I enjoy a good laugh, that can be almost anytime that I don’t have something more serious on my mind.

Here’s a favorite of mine that I encountered in a store near Christmas a few years ago.

Makes ya think, doesn’t it…. The scary thing is, it just might be true….

Thinking back to my last post, brings this one to mind (although it wasn’t really a sign)…

Shortly before Xmas, I saw this one which seemed to be worthy of passing on, although perhaps I should have done it then…

Nothing against Mr. Bieber, but I don’t think of him and Chritmas carols in the same breath! (And, NO, I did NOT change the spelling of “Christmas,” that’s how I found it!)

That brings to mind the fact that far too many people, far too often just don’t proof their work adequately before they publish it. Yes, I HAVE been guilty of this, but I can also enjoy it when someone else is guilty (and be embarrassed when the fault is mine). But, THIS one is just funny…

If it doesn’t jump off the page at you, look more closely. It’s surprising! Or, maybe it isn’t.

Speaking of surprises, this picture was surprising to me….

On the other hand, given what I know about the Internet, computers and social media, THIS one wasn’t…

Of course, such things were somewhat spoiled a LONG time ago by being warned by THIS cartoon from The New Yorker

Speaking of “Things Nobody Knows,” did THIS ever bother you?

Then, of course, there’s also a major problem of “Adulthood” which NOBODY has yet resolved…

I’ll be back,

LLAP,

Dr. B
  “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both
inflicting injury, and remedying it.”                   ―Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

P.S. I FINALLY got away from “serious” stuff. It could be a mistake, as there is plenty of serious stuff to consider, but it made me happy! RSB

P.P.S. Enjoy some fish and chips, and, maybe a beer, on St. Paddy’s Day. I like mine with Tartar sauce and no catsup, if you have other preferences, that’s okay, too.   RSB

0 Comments

223 The Holocaust and Thoughts on Related Ideas

2/16/2022

0 Comments

Not long ago Whoopi Goldberg was seriously taken to task for suggesting that the Holocaust was not about race. I suppose that it is not unreasonable to suggest that the Nazis, who were quite clear about wishing to “cleanse” Europe (if not the world) of those they considered to be of “the lesser races” engaged in the Holocaust on that basis. But I’m not sure that’s a completely accurate picture. It IS commonly held that they considered the “Aryan” race to be the superior of all others and the one which had the (God-given?) right to world domination. As I claim no expertise on Nazi philosophy, I am forced to consult the sources available to me within the constraints of the time I am willing to spend on a topic I rather deplore. Therefore, my primary sources for this are from Wikipedia, not a great source, but (since it is self-corrected) less often a poor source than many would suggest, and from various dictionaries.

So, based on some quick research, the term, “Aryan,” is described as “a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as non-Aryan.” This does NOT suggest to me the blue-eyed, blond-haired, rather Nordic looking type which is commonly believed to be the Nazi “Aryan ideal,” as I don’t think of “Indo-Iranians” as having these characteristics. I could be incorrect in this thinking, of course, but this is not what comes to mind for this description.

I confess that I am also frequently confused over what is meant by the terms, “Jewish,” “Hebrew,” and “Semitic.” I’m probably wrong, but I always thought that “Jewish” primarily referred to one who was an adherent of a particular religion. That is, I always considered someone to be a Jew if they identified with Jewish religious and cultural traditions.

While I still like that idea, my very limited research suggests that there does seem to be a DNA heritage which is common to at least the major groups which are identified as being Jewish. On the other hand, I have always thought of “Hebrew” as being, primarily, a racial identity, so this DNA evidence would merely suggest that a large number of “Jewish” persons are of “Hebrew” extraction.

Now, “Semitic” refers to “… a family of languages that includes Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic and certain ancient languages such as Phoenician and Akkadian, constituting the main subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic family.” Hence, it also can (and is) used to refer to those people who descend from ancestors who used these languages. “Hebrew,” as I understand it, refers to “a member of or descendant from one of a group of northern Semitic peoples including the Israelites.” Thus, “Hebrews” are a subset of Semitic peoples and, logically enough, DO tend to have some degree of biological ancestry in common.

So far, I would suggest that things are complicated, but fairly clear. I find, however, that the situation is made even more difficult by the fact that it is possible to “convert” to Judaism (become Jewish) as, for example Sammie Davis, Jr. (an African-American) and Ivanka Trump, who converted to Judaism when she married a Jewish man. I suppose one could suggest that she dyed her hair blond, as her father has done, to better fit the Nazi model of an “ethnic Aryan,” but that clearly is a matter of speculation.

Since one can convert to Judaism suggests to me that being “Jewish” can be, and often IS, seen as a religious rather than a racial-ethnic definition. I would think that, if it’s a religion, available to all ethnicities, then the definition isn’t exclusively racial/ethnic. But many seem to suggest that it’s one way for Jews, but quite different for Christians, since ANYONE can become a Christian through an act of religious expression and it seems that one can also do the same with the Jewish religion (unless you’re a Nazi?).

So how did “Jewish” become a racial thing? Well, as I indicated, there DOES seem to be some common genetic linkage back to the ancient Hebrews, but it’s also true that (after the Diaspora), at least in modern times, Jews from distinct geographic regions vary greatly in their diet, language, dress, and folk customs. Most pre-modern Diaspora communities are divided into four major ethnic groups: Ashkenazi, the Jews of Germany and Northern France (many of whom eventually migrated to Poland and Russia); Sephardic, the Jews of Iberia and the Spanish diaspora; Mizrahi (Oriental) Jews of Middle Eastern (Syrian and Iraqi) descent; and Ethiopian Jews. Note: this information suggests at least a loose biological (racial) connection, but significant ethnic differences. The information I have found is that the majority of American Jews are of Ashkenazi descent and are about 80% European in their DNA, but some Hebrew ancestry is, generally, common. It would seem, however, that (as was true of the “one drop of Black blood theory) ANY Hebrew DNA is enough that one COULD be racially identified as Jewish, at least by some.

I confess that I find all of this especially confusing since the term often used for acts and/or speech which is viewed as anti-Jewish is described as “anti-Semitic,” but “Semitic” refers to both several languages and all of the people who descend from those who used those Semitic languages, which include Hebrew, but also Arabic and Aramaic. I have certainly encountered discussion suggesting that Jesus probably actually spoke primarily Aramaic, so being “anti-Semitic” would suggest that one was supposed to be anti-Aramaic, which would suggest anti-Jesus, an idea which is certainly not emphasized. Nor were the German Nazis, often referred to as being Anti-Semites, particularly Anti-Arab (see the history of World War II). I suspect that it’s true that a “good” Nazi would be unlikely to find one of Arab extraction to be among his/her equals, but there is no evidence I have encountered suggesting that the Nazis made a concerted effort to wipe out the Arab community. What I have seen suggests that they were actually supportive of the Arabs because they were anti-Jewish.

I also wonder about the idea that the entire Holocaust experience is often identified, at least by those sympathetic to the Jewish community, as having been almost exclusively, a Jewish phenomenon. This is apparently incorrect. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Holocaust was "the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jewish men, women and children by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.” But, the same source also notes that 11 million members of other groups were murdered during the "era of the Holocaust”. Those others included something like 5.7 million Soviet civilians (excluding Jews); 2.8-3.3 million Soviet POWs; 1.8-3 million Poles; 300,000-600,000 Serbs; 270,000 disabled persons; 130,000 - 500,000 Romani (Gypsies); 80,000 - 200,000 Freemasons; 20,000 - 25,000 Slovenes; 5,000 - 15,000 homosexuals; 3,500 Spanish Republicans; and 1250 - 5000 Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Yes, it IS true that the Nazis did set out on a deliberate campaign to eliminate the existence of Jews from “their” land. So, one CAN argue that the Jews of Europe were a major intended victim of the Holocaust. But the Nazis also murdered a substantially greater number of non-Jewish people during this timeframe. It’s also worth noting that these numbers do NOT include combat casualties. None of this, of course, solves the riddle as to whether “Jewishness” is a racial, ethnic, or just a religious designation, or whether such a distinction even has meaning. So, let me try to explain my own take on the idea.

I grew up in Evanston, IL, a Chicago suburb which is next door to the even smaller suburb of Skokie, IL, which has had a large Jewish population (whatever THAT means) especially since the end of World War II. Now, the way school districts in Illinois are established (as I remember it from middle school history) is that much of the Midwest was divided up into “townships” each approximately six miles square. This was based on the fact that federal ordinances passed in 1785 and 1787 gave substantial acreage of federal lands in trust to new states entering the union, as long as the states agreed to set aside a portion of these lands for the support of public schools. These federal “land grants” not only supported the creation and maintenance of schools in each of the townships carved out of former territories, but also helped to build stable communities across the country, each with a local government and education system. (While it was later, this idea also accounts for the Land-Grant Universities which exist in every state to teach agriculture, the mechanical arts (engineering), and, as a side issue, military training, which is where the R.O.T.C. came from.

Anyway, the Evanston Township School Districts, #65 for primary and middle grade schools and #202 for Evanston Township High School, provided the schools I attended as a child. Those districts included a portion of what became the Village of Skokie. While I was growing up, we had “neighborhood” schools, so, while there certainly were African-American families in Evanston Township, they didn’t live in my neighborhood (and were probably deliberately excluded through “redlining”), so I didn’t go to primary school with such kids, nor with kids from Skokie (perhaps because the neighborhood lines were drawn to exclude them, as they were more likely to be Jewish?).

However, all of that changed when we went to Junior High (Middle) School (7th & 8th grades during my time). So in a sense, I grew up with Black and Jewish kids, although I did not live in the same neighborhoods as they did, but I did attend classes with them, was in many of the same activities, etc. I’d like to think I had friends among both the Jewish and Black populations of my Junior High School (and the High School when we got there). Were there individuals within both of these groups whom I didn’t care for very much? Sure, but I wasn’t fond of some of my “White” acquaintances, either, so I’d like to think that it wasn’t prejudice, just that there were some people I became friends with and some I didn’t much care for.

I came to believe later in my life that the then highly touted notion of desegregation by school busing was largely doomed from the beginning because the problem of segregation was more a problem of the parents than of the kids and was really an outgrowth of concern over property values, employment discrimination based on perceived “class,” differences in religious practices (Sunday morning seems always to have been the most segregated time of the week and, probably still is), and historically based educational and employment discrimination.

Somehow, I think I lived through all of this and ended up relatively free of prejudice against any group, except the stupid. I confess that I have little tolerance for people who don’t pay attention to facts or accept that they may not have all the answers. I think I am very much a follower of the idea expressed by Sam, the diner owner, in The Muppets Take Manhattan when he said (as he does more that once) “Peoples is peoples.” I take that to mean that all people have a right to be respected, listened to, debated with, and to draw their own conclusions based on the facts of the case, whatever they may be. NOTE: facts are what is important, not unverified statements from any media, social or otherwise, or just the loudly repeated statements of political figures, no matter what their agenda. I would suggest that ALL people have the same RIGHTS, and they are absolute, not subject to popular opinion.

Even so, their rights end where they try to force their beliefs and/or opinions on me because THAT is NOT their right. I think it’s worth remembering Andrew Shepherd’s words from The American President:
   America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, cause
   it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, ‘You want free speech? Let's see you
     acknowledge a man who's words make your blood boil, and who's standing center stage
   and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing
     at the top of yours.’ You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol
   of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens
     exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that,
     celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of
     the free.

I think much the same thing has been attributed (apparently incorrectly) to Voltaire: “I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” To which I would only add the words of Laurence Olivier, “Have a very good reason for everything you do.” Sir Larry, of course, was discussing acting at the time, but I think the idea has merit in most fields as it suggests that one shouldn’t do much of anything without considering the facts, implications and consequences of any decision/conclusion one reaches.

I think that those who wish to lead have a special responsibility to follow Olivier’s advice. After all, the decisions which they make may well have a profound effect on the lives, fortunes and sacred honor of others. I don’t think that’s a responsibility which should be taken lightly. Apparently I’m not the only one who has considered some of these ideas. The British Parliamentarian, Edmund Burke, said that, “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”

So, how does this all fit together? I have no idea! I’m no nearer to thinking that I am comfortable stating that The Holocaust was, or was not, essentially racially motivated than I was when I started. As is true in many cases, it depends on how one defines things. If “Jewishness” is defined by race, how can one who “converts” to Judaism actually be a “Jew”? That’s only possible if “Jewishness” is defined by religion. And, whatever the outcome of THAT discussion, to be “anti-Semitic” would seem to require that one also be anti-Arab, since Arabic has Semitic roots just as Hebrew does, which would seem to suggest that the Arab peoples and the Hebrew people should both be against anti-Semitism, which does NOT always seem to be the case! And, I haven’t begun to address the issue of Aramaic being a Semitic language!

I do think it may be true that we all should be careful about defining The Holocaust as being just a “Jewish” experience, given the fact that the Nazis took action against a lot of other people as well. Based on my quick study, I think one could draw the conclusion that Whoopi was correct (or at least not incorrect) in suggesting that the Holocaust was not racially motivated, unless we are sure to include ALL of the "races" they attacked. (Are Russian or Polish "races"?) The Holocaust was NOT limited to what happened to the Jews. We should include the over 8 million Russians, around 2 million Poles, and well over a million others killed. Let’s face it, the Nazis didn’t like lot of people very much and took actions against many groups they disagreed with. Nazism does NOT seem to lead to debating societies. Probably because debating societies don’t tend to respond well to the Nazi tactics of “Believe (and do) what I say or I’ll beat you up!”

Oh, well, perhaps the notion of civil debate will eventually return to our country. I think I’d like that. All things considered, Dumbledore had it right! (See below.)

Maybe next time, I can get back to my more usual drivel, but this really bothered me and I needed to try to clarify my own thinking about it a bit. I’m not sure that I was very successful in doing that, but I did try.

See you soon, hopefully with some somewhat lighter material,

LLAP,

Dr. B

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”                                                                       ―Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

0 Comments

222 Surviving COVID: I Think It Can be Done, But It May Take Some Work!

2/2/2022

0 Comments

I think the worst thing, for me at least, about this extended run of being concerned about COVID is mostly just the boredom of it all. I DO realize how lucky I am to be retired and, hence, do NOT have to go to work on a daily basis. In fact, since Bonnie does the vast majority of the shopping (her choice, but it makes sense to both of us), there are days when I don’t even leave the house.

Thankfully, the local YMCA has not yet had to re-close due to “the new variant,” so I/we can get to Aquasize classes and “Water Walking” which are good for my arthritic right knee, my “rebuilt” left one, and (probably) my general well being. Bonnie often comes with me, but she gets “out” more than I do with trips to the store and, occasionally, to small “gabberings” with carefully selected friends. The local “Sherlockian” group I belong to has confined itself to Zoom meetings and I have not even been to bookstores much, although I did get out to shop a little for Bonnie’s birthday and some Christmas stuff. Still, I admit that I’m tired of not getting out much, even if I am, by nature, something of a hermit, as least as long as I have a book to read. I should hasten to note that we HAD been able to get together with Maggi and Brian every so often, but, they visited with Brian’s family in St. Louis over Christmas and ended up with Maggi coming down with COVID, then (a few days later) Brian got it. It has taken them longer than anyone hoped to get well. However, they both work (primarily) from home. I’m happy to say, though, that they are finally both “negative” at this point. Still, all of us are quite conscious of the fact that we are all still at some risk, even though we are all immunized and boosted, etc. This means we have spoken and texted with them, but we haven’t actually seen them since before Xmas. Still, we find ways to keep busy, although that varies a good bit.

Probably the most consistent thing I do is to read the newspaper in the morning. I think it’s important to support the local paper because it reports on stuff which even the local TV news doesn’t, and also includes the COMICS. That’s where I get a lot of the material I use in this blog, so I’ve been collecting odd bits and pieces from a variety of sources which relate to surviving the current “plague,” and have derived considerable humor from doing so. Here’s a very true sample from Thatababy:

Anyway, in the attempt to maintain a certain level of something approaching sanity, I thought I would share some of the stuff I have found, with some brief commentary.

Zoom has become such an established part of so many people’s lives that it amazes me. When you consider that a couple of years ago most people had never heard of it, or programs like it, I now wonder how we got along without it, although I know a lot of people (of ALL ages) who would have been perfectly happy never to have heard of it. Still, as annoying as it may be at times, it seems to have made a considerable difference in both the business AND educational worlds. As previously mentioned, my Sherlock group has been meeting on Zoom for longer than most of us wish and, when I got drafted into becoming a minister and officiating at Maggi and Brian’s wedding, we “broadcast” that ceremony on Zoom for friends and family who couldn’t travel due to COVID. So Zoom HAS become a significant part of many people’s lives in a variety of ways, but it CAN still be a source of humor, as shown in this cover of The New Yorker magazine from about a year ago.

I suppose that the biggest challenge which “life on Zoom” has created is having to deal with the fact that “normal” business meetings can be quite boring. They MAY be necessary, but that doesn’t make them exciting. And, while I never had to teach (or take) classes on Zoom, they can’t be anything like as “enjoyable” as classes in person. They may be “real time,” but they still seem a lot like a low-grade “educational” movie. Baby Blues seems to have captured all of this quite well, in my opinion:

The “boredom” level has, I’m afraid, provided too much encouragement for people to find “inventive” ways to prevent (or at least not notice) its presence. Unfortunately, this “encouragement” seems to have, all too often, included increased consumption of alcohol, or so I am told. See B.C. below:

Still, there just MAY be some compensations for those of us who have tried to pay attention to people with some actual medical knowledge, as opposed to the “bleach drinkers,” as Dilbert suggests.

I confess that I do wonder at times if our Public Health Officials haven’t gone about encouraging masking (to say nothing of getting immunized) in the wrong way. Given the stubborn stupidity of folks who insist that lawyers and business people (often with self-inflated notions of their own intelligence) know more about Public Health than people with years of educational study and practical experience in dealing with pandemic situations, I suspect that Non Sequitur may have had the right idea about a year and a half ago.

This is NOT to say that there haven’t been (still aren’t) legitimate reasons to be concerned about the COVID “crisis.” It IS serious, although one CAN choose to look at it with a sense of humor. And, I believe that there have been (still are) opportunities to see some humor hiding amongst the seriousness. Regarding shortages, for example, Thatababy poses a problem which some would find worth pondering.

Then there’s the real concern over having to deal with the reestablishment of wearing masks and other features of what we referred to as “the LOCKDOWN” (which it really wasn’t, although it WAS an inconvenient annoyance) back in place. I suppose that if people won’t listen to reason, science, and logic, we COULD end up with this sort of problem!

I do NOT wish to be thought of as overly pessimistic, but I’m not overly optimistic, either. Just because things aren’t as bad as they might be does NOT mean that they couldn’t get worse. This is especially true when some folks insist on citing “social media” as a source of greater credibility than people with real expertise. I guess that it’s comforting to some people to hear that it’s “really not as bad as the media want to make it,” and so forth, but, then again, people have frequently put wishful thinking ahead of reality. It’s just possible that Non Sequitur has it right!

Think about it. Get your shot(s), wear a mask, do the other stuff. Even if it doesn’t help (I think it will), I seriously doubt that it’s going to hurt. It could make a life or death difference to you, or someone you love.

By the way, the “Day the Music Died” is/was Feb. 3, a day that made Don McLean rich, but a sad day for those of us who still remember the actual event.

Also, Valentine's Day is coming, on the 14th. I hope you can spend at least part of it (safely) with someone(s) you love.

I’ll be back in a while,

LLAP,

Dr. B
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” ―Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

0 Comments

<<Previous

Forward>>

227 SPECIAL Will Smith, Chris Rock, AMPAS & STUPIDITY

226 April Fool”s Day 2022

225 Saint Patrick’s Day and Other Thoughts Irish

224 Lent & More Signs Encountered on the Road of Life

223 The Holocaust and Thoughts on Related Ideas

222 Surviving COVID: I Think It Can be Done, But It May Take Some Work!

Archives

Categories