[FRIAM] Fwd: Archangel Michael's Message For You
Steven A Smith
sasmyth at swcp.com
Mon Aug 19 16:26:35 EDT 2019
Merle -
I am fairly new to the nighttime talk shows... I certainly saw a few
handfuls of Carsons and Lettermans over the decades but about 3 years
ago I started watching Colbert (nearly) nightly and then began to spill
over on the other News-as-Comedy characters. You mention Trevor Noah,
and I have truly come to appreciate him, but he was a bit of an acquired
taste. My 21 year old nephew insists that John Oliver is the "go to"
for his generation. It may just be his "circle".
I truly appreciate how these folks who are (all?) comedians first can be
as astute as they are about social and political issues. They often
fall short (IMO) on deeper economic or foreign policy or ??? issues, but
they seem to be *at least* as informed and thoughtful as the average
college educated professional, and *often* much more in touch with the
"unwashed masses".
I almost completely missed the John Stewart ascendency, even though he
was "in the water"... most of my knowledge of him and his role was
second hand at best.
I find Bill Mahr a (mostly) refreshing alternative with his (nearly)
Libertarian perspective. His blunt flipness reminds me a bit too much
of Dennis Miller who *seemed* so wonderfully aware and thoughtful behind
his snark... but his flip over into near-radical Conservatism was a
shock (in response to 9-11?).
- Steve
On 8/19/19 12:49 PM, Merle Lefkoff wrote:
> I did, Frank, and you should check out Trevor Noah, who the
> generations behind us listen to and who does an even better job than
> Colbert and Cooper.
>
> On Mon, Aug 19, 2019 at 12:46 PM Frank Wimberly <wimberly3 at gmail.com
> <mailto:wimberly3 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> ... like empathy is a muscle that atrophies if not exercised
>
> And which is made possible by universal suffering according to
> Colbert and Cooper. Has anyone seen that video I linked?
>
> Frank
> -----------------------------------
> Frank Wimberly
>
> My memoir:
> https://www.amazon.com/author/frankwimberly
>
> My scientific publications:
> https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frank_Wimberly2
>
> Phone (505) 670-9918
>
> On Mon, Aug 19, 2019, 11:56 AM uǝlƃ ☣ <gepropella at gmail.com
> <mailto:gepropella at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Yes, I think this "savior" narrative was why this particular
> one was interesting. There are a spate of articles talking
> about how our modern tech isolates us more than it connects
> us, or how outrage clickbait gives a dopamine rush and such,
> or how the incels and the alt-right bois are disaffected and
> radicalized through their isolation. In such a cultural
> context, it seems reasonable that messages like this
> (including newage BS like "the law of attraction") might hit a
> vulnerable spot similar to what Nick mentions.
>
> The mechanisms/exploits Marcus mentions in PDF files parsed by
> Acrobat Reader, macro-laden Office or obfuscated JavaScript,
> including the tracking pixels mentioned by Eric and Steve are
> much less interesting to me ... maybe because I understand
> those tools. I definitely do NOT understand the position
> someone would have to be in to click something thinking
> there's any kind of hopeful, life-changing, message or secret
> at the other end of the link. It's that psychological
> "exploit" that's most interesting to me. It's just like the
> Nigerian scam, only instead of targeting lazy, greedy,
> get-rich-quick suckers, they target lazy, lonely,
> get-relationships-easy suckers.
>
> My intuition hints at some loss of empathy, some kind of
> objectification of others ... e.g. that one might see all the
> pretty people on instagram always having fun, never slumped in
> fits of depression, and thinking how cool the lives of those
> objectified non-people must be. I caught a snippet of a
> conversation on NPR where the person suggested that
> empathizing enough with animals so that *eating* them might
> feel a bit like cannibalism may *foster* empathy with other
> humans, over and above that with animals. ... like empathy is
> a muscle that atrophies if not exercised.
>
> My guess is that the person who might click on the Archangel
> Michael links is just such an isolated Gollum, who feels like
> their life is hopeless and the world is cruel ... always
> hunting for that get-happy-quick Precious that must be out
> there somewhere, if only they could find it.
>
> On 8/17/19 9:30 AM, Pietro Terna wrote:
> > What is very interesting for me is that the "Archangel
> Michael's Message For You"
> > text reproduces a quite archaic format used in Italy, but I
> guess not only, for
> > handwritten messages diffused by old mail.
> > E.g. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catena_di_sant%27Antonio
> >
> > The format always quotes one or more relatives or fiends
> by name etc. having received
> > benefits and requires prayers etc.
> >
> > Very interesting this form of modern survival.
>
> --
> ☣ uǝlƃ
>
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>
> --
> Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D.
> President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy
> emergentdiplomacy.org <http://emergentdiplomacy.org>
> Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
> merlelefkoff at gmail.com <mailto:merlelefoff at gmail.com>
> mobile: (303) 859-5609
> skype: merle.lelfkoff2
> twitter: @Merle_Lefkoff
>
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