Here are some questions and answers for those pesky white supremacists

Their mantra is Asia for Asians, Africa for Africans, and Europe for Europeans. When someone says that to you, the obvious retort is:  Then you must believe that the Americas and Australia are for Aboriginals!  Then you must believe that European Colonialism was very wrong, and upset the “balance” of the continents!  (Perhaps the Europeans venturing into the other continents set up the history and politics that result in the current immigration from those countries back into Europe.)

Scientists afraid of their mothers

©2001 Marion Pennell

Some scientists decided it was worth researching why women (ie female humans) stay alive so long after menopause, or was it, why do women have menopause instead of giving birth until the day they die?

PRLS [post-reproductive lifespan] is of short duration in most mammals, leading to the proposal that PRLS is a consequence of mismatch in somatic versus reproductive senescence.

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/2/20150992

I can’t believe any women needed to study this.  There is an implication that women might as well die once they lose fertility, because they are no longer useful to the species.  (Wink Wink! Nudge Nudge! I traded in my 40 year old wife for two 20 year olds! Rimshot!)

Those kids today! (aka I’m old)

There have been several millennials making impressions upon me lately, and not good impressions.  I wonder what kind of parenting my generation chose in order to produce such dependent unquestioning progeny.

The young people in question have no problem describing their fears of daily events.  Not a fear of rape – but a fear of being catcalled.  Fears of independence, fears of public transit, fears of lone travel… My generation was looking forward to these marks of adulthood, and longed to conquer fear (and were embarassed by small fears).  Yet somehow, they have discouraged their own children from embracing these same milestones.

Power

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I am not sure how old I was when I learned that quote, and understood it.  Early high school I think.  (In my neighbourhood, elementary was grade 1-6, and high school was 7-11.)

The ruling class, the privileged, the citizens of the Capitol if you like (Hunger Games) ride on the coat-tails of the power – and if they so choose – exploit and judge the underclass with freedom from social responsibility or consequence.

In Animal Farm the egalitarian animal dream breaks down and the pigs co-opt the puppies to raise them into a bloodthirsty obedient policing force. Once insulated from retaliation (the side with the teeth/guns wins), those who hold the leash choose the target.

Will I Ever Use This In Real Life?

People question the value of an education.  I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Minor in Mathematics (1985), Qualifying Status as a Customs Broker from the CICB/Revenue Canada (1990), and a DEC (College Diploma) in Special Education (1995).  (Of course, I live in Québec and I didn’t have to go into exorbitant debt to do so.)  I am currently an artist/writer with a day job washing dogs, getting by and living in a poor part of Montréal.  Don’t regret any of it.

Montréal

My time at Concordia University was formative.  Living in the city for the first time, meeting people from so many places studying so many things!  Optimistic enthusiastic ambitious people at the lunch table (very different from a workplace lunchroom).  We were going to change the world.  Our professors dared us to.