Monday, September 17, 2018

Opposing Viewpoints



Besides this blog I also have an ezine that includes posts from here with the addition of a letters column.  In the last issue -- Ray X X-Rayer #141 -- Bob Jennings (Fadeaway zine) wrote in his LOC some negative comments regarding Dr. Robin Wright.  Robin is known for submitting dense philosophical essays addressing science fiction symbolism.  Below is Robin's email to me which includes Bob Jennings' criticism.

* * *

Subject: Sick and not a doctor   
robin usher<robika2001@yahoo.co.uk>
Attachment - Sat, Sep 15, 2018 at 9:43 PM
To: raypalmx@gmail.com


Hi, I wrote to Robert asking him to retract these remarks that somehow found their way into what at first sight seemed a fairly innocuous letter to X - Ray # 141.
However, he wrote that it was his opinion, although I've never written anything remotely approaching this as a summarization of my writing, '... evil womankind is corrupting the human race and destroying civilization.' I'm appending a letter so that the readers of X - Ray can make up their own minds, if that's acceptable to you?

Dr Robin Bright PhD

(NOTE FROM RAY: What follows is Bob Jennings' LOC comment Bright reprinted in his email.  He didn't indicate the source.)

'“Dr”. Robin Bright sent a lot of articles to me years ago, hoping to get something in my fanzine Fadeaway. Needless to say I accepted nothing he wrote. I think the guy is a genuine nut case. Everything he ever writes, no matter how well it starts out, quickly turns into a tirade about “women’s seed”, and how evil womankind is corrupting the human race and destroying civilization. The stuff is not unintentionally humorous; it’s just sick and sad, and not even logically written either. I admit I was shocked when one of his articles appeared in one of John Purcell’s fanzines. I’m glad John has since repented that rash decision and has disassociated himself from “Dr.” Bright.'


* * *

(And this is what Bright wrote in his attached doc file:)

Robert Jennings of Fadeaway suggested I was sick, and not a doctor, in a letter to X –Ray, # 141, September, 2018. I don’t want to be sick, and I take exception to being told that this summarizes what I write, '... evil womankind is corrupting the human race and destroying civilization.' (p. 4) Moreover, I think that English is a beautiful language, and I don’t want it to be plain. However, this is as plain as I can make it, without being a muzzle ‘em:


Flesh Fiction 

Bartholomew made a stab at what appeared to be a large fat sausage on his plate. Moving aside what looked like a couple of large potatoes, he made another stab at the apparent sausage, `Phew! It`d be difficult for the woman to sexually reproduce human brains without her penis.` Bartholomew chewed on fully thoughtful.

Robin Bright


*  *  *
In a follow-up email Robin Bright wrote:

Subject: "Dr"
robin usher

Hi Ray, although I studied Human Biology (O) at school, it wasn't to the level of a Professorial chair. I quite understand your decision not to publish an article. Please, go ahead and publish my letter.

Robin Bright

* * *
Information about Robin Bright can be found here.


Friday, September 07, 2018

Strung Along With QAnon


Image by D. Marshall


Unelected governmental officials really control the US, lurking in the background, evil, nebulous.  The Deep State.  Out to get Trump.

Yeah, right.  I've heard it all before.  Communists, the Illuminati, whatever, boogeymen striking fear in the hearts and minds of non-critical thinkers.

But have no fear -- QAnon is here.

QAnon followers showed up at a Trump rally, proudly displaying their "Q" signs.  So far no bigots unaware of what the Q symbolizes have attacked any of these sign-holders, driven by homophobic rage.  The Q refers to Q-level clearance with the Department of Energy, i.e. top secret clearance.  The Anon is short for Anonymous.

QAnon's beliefs are all based on material shared first posted in October 2017 on the 4chan image-board site where a poster can hide his identity.  An anonymous poster or group referred to itself as Q with the inference that the items of  information being shared -- "bread crumbs" --  originated from someone in the intelligence community.

QAnon is dedicated to protecting Trump from the Deep State.  But there's an unique twist to its version of reality.  Special counsel Robert Mueller, Department of Justice, seems to be investigating Trump for any collusion with Russia but appearances are deceptive.  The truth is Mueller is on Trump's side, secretly looking for criminal evidence on Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama.

The QAnon followers are the same type of true believers who thought Comet Ping Pong pizza parlor in Washington, DC was a front for Hillary's child trafficking operation. In December 2016 Edgar Maddison Welch from North Carolina -- wielding a semi-automatic rifle -- entered the eatery as part of his personal investigation into "Pizzagate."  He fired a few shots but no one was injured.  The police arrested him and he is now serving a four year prison sentence.

Welch stated that he wanted to stop children from suffering, adding he was mistaken in his belief regarding the fantasy of the child sex ring.

So will QAnon lead to similar "mistakes?"  It already has happened.

There was an incident last summer in Arizona. QAnon believer Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer occupyied a cement plant he suspected being the front for another child sex-trafficking operation.  Previously he reported to police that a homeless encampment was the site of a trafficking ring but they found nothing, So the next month he occupied a cement plant tower for nine days.  He left after police again found no evidence of any trafficking operation.  But Meyer came back to the plant and this second trespass led to his arrest.  No mention of weapons or any violence.

But a second incident in Arizona was more problematic.   A QAnon follower named Matthew Phillip Wright (don't any of these guys only have a first and last name?) blocked the southbound lanes at the Hoover Dam bridge with his semi-armored truck.  Armed with a rifle he stood outside his vehicle displaying a sign: "Release the OIG report."  This apparently referred to a purported Office of the Inspector General second hidden report on former FBI director James Comey's activities, the released report concealing the truth, Wright was later taken into custody with no one being hurt.

QAnon believers suffer from delusional gullibility.  How bad is it?  One time Trump mentioned the number 17 a few times in a speech, supposedly his coded acknowledgement of Q.  You see Q is the seventeenth letter in the alphabet.

So how's your reality?

Monday, September 03, 2018

Do White Supremacists Hate Gray Aliens?





A Trump supporter told me: "It doesn't matter what happens.  Everything is going to fall apart anyway."

I hardly ever watch Fox News, Trump's favorite TV "news" channel.  At times FN will make a false statement and the "president" will repeat it.  I have enough bullshit in my life, thank you.

But the other night I was flipping through 100+ cable channels for something worthwhile to watch when I caught mention of alien abduction on one of FN's talking heads programs.  The Miami Herald endorsed a GOP primary candidate who ran for a Florida House seat despite revealing she had been abducted as a child by aliens and was still in telepathic contact with them. The candidate, Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera, lost the nomination.

The Greg Gutfeld Show -- which features the cackling host and his guests discussing topical issues -- had focused on this item.  This show is known for its "comedic" take on the news. http://video.foxnews.com/v/5829821171001/?#sp=show-clips



There was a purported comedy piece showing three animated gray aliens illuminated with brilliant backlighting slowly walking towards the viewer.  They shared their thoughts, saying they found Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera to be a charming person.  Then they added they were looking forward to invading Earth and devouring humans "skull by skull."  I imagine an alien monitoring Earth communications said to itself: "These hairless apes are still too dumb to contact. No gut laughs with Gutfeld."

Only two guests found nothing wrong with the candidates strange beliefs.  Terry Schappert, United States Army National Guard Special Forces veteran, said he had no problems as long as the candidate -- "this gal" -- supported Republican goals such lowering taxes, doing away with government regulation, and supporting a strong national defense. (He didn't mention other glorious Republican goals such as killing off "useless eaters" who can't afford health insurance and stopping those "uppity Negro" football players from kneeling during the national anthem in protest to racism.)

The host Greg Gutfeld had the last word, explaining why they were no aliens out there.  In a serious tone he said other extraterrestrial civilizations had followed mankind's path to extinction.  As he kept looking down at his notes he stated a civilization would evolve on another planet, developing technology to the point that artificial intelligence took other and eliminated that civilization.  (Sounds like someone is a fan of the Terminator movies.)

His "reasoning" had one glaring flaw: Couldn't the AI overlords on other planets be contacting people on Earth?

Greg said in 200 years we would end up the same way, extinct.  This explains why people like him don't worry about pollution and climate change.  It's all going to fall apart anyway.