I was devotedly seeking something to blog today. Then I realized … there’s no point.
The world is ending today.
Again.
I just hope it ends early in the day so you won’t have a chance to be mad at me for not having Heavy Blog Content.
Actually, since I don’t expect an early ending (and not only because the group making the claim claims it’s not actually making the claim but is claiming some kind of conspiracy is behind the whole business — or at least part of the business; are you following this?), I’ll be back in late a.m. or maybe it’ll be early p.m. your time with more to say.
If the world actually does end … well, bye, guys. It’s been a great ride.
P.S. Just in case … you doing anything special to get ready? Hitting up Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos or somebody for a rocket ride off this rock? Rapidly converting to a religion that will ensure your own happily-ever-after while toasting all your enemies to a crisp? Sleeping late? Telling your boss where he can — and quite possible will if the prediction is true — go?
(H/T jed in comments)
Absolutely not… until I finish harvesting the beans and tomatoes… 🙂 Then I need to can them, and then spend the next year eating them! Since there was no harvest last year due to hail, the cupboard is a bit bare.
Besides, I suspect Hillary (or Donald) will be taking care of bringing that “end of the world as we know it” thing about fairly soon. 🙁 And I see no way to prepare for it either. So, I plan to ignore it all as much as possible.
I hope they’re wrong. I’m behind in my work and I really need to go into the office on Saturday.
i only listened for the 20 seconds it took to skim the article, but the music sure sounded foreboding. Doncha wish life had a soundtrack, so you’d know when something bad was coming?
Pffft, none of this can hold a candle to SMOD.
The world is ending today? Cool! Then, since my neighbors won’t have much time to object, my anti-squirrel jihad will be escalated to include high explosives! Look out, Rocky, I’m comin’ fer YEW!
I invited Scarlett Johannson over. Still waiting to hear back from her.
Looking forward to meeting you all in Valhalla.
Why do Christians do that, when it contradicts everything Jesus said about The End and his second coming? He said two things: 1) Nobody knows when it’s coming. 2) Don’t believe anybody who says it’s happening now, because everybody will know when it happens. Oh, and then he said to live a good life, and then you’ll be ready no matter when it happens. Good advice. I’m taking it.
On a slightly off-topic but related matter, DH is a pacifist and against all violent methods of self-defense – especially guns. He says I can defend myself, as long as the method couldn’t possibly kill the attacker (yeah, I know what you’re thinking). Do any of you have any ideas what a short, sixtyish, fat cancer survivor could have handy to better the odds? (BTW, murder or divorce are not options. I really love the guy. He’s mostly a great guy, just naive.)
I’ve been thinking that watching the death of American Empire (never should have been one, of course) from the inside is certainly morbid, so it naturally brings out thoughts of personal morbidity such as choices for disposal of remains. I confess I’ve thought about that, too.
Perhaps simply reverting will help some people. https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/1521034/adult-baby-woman-21-likes-to-drink-from-a-tots-bottle-suck-a-dummy-and-even-wear-nappies/ Actually, if this is just a phase, she may be able to manufacture simulated happy childhood memories. But posing for pictures seems disingenuous, at best.
@LBS — That’s a tough one. I’m not terribly sympathetic to DH’s position, both because it devalues your lives to place them on an equal footing with a predator who would harm or kill you, and because it hamstrings the ability of a loved one to fend off the attack. I have nothing against pacifists, mind you. Pacifists are great people, you meet them in some of the nicest mass graves in the world. I do object, however, to the mindset that can say, “I love you, but I love your attacker more, and if that attacker forces a choice between your life and his, I choose his.”
Sorry if that’s harsh, but that’s what he is saying, even if he doesn’t realize it. There are no reliable, practical, guaranteed nonlethal means of defending yourself. You might frighten an attacker with barking-dog or shotgun-racking noises, but if the noise fails, you have to have to dog or shotgun ready to go. Too many people make completely unwarranted assumptions about predators. Sometimes they can be reasoned with. Sometimes they can be persuaded. Mostly, however, they must be stopped violently. You stop an attacker by causing sufficient insult to the central nervous system that the attacker is no longer able to continue. That insult is produced either by damage or shock to the nervous system or other organs, or by blood loss. Any means of inducing CNS insult can kill.
My wife detests firearms, but has never asked that I adopt her attitude. Many years ago, when work separated us regularly, she asked me to choose a pistol for her. I did, and waited. A year passed, and she asked me to buy ammo and accessories for the pistol. I did, and I waited. It was two more years before she asked for instruction and range practice. She is now quite proficient, and practices to stay that way, and still detests guns. She hates the idea of being a victim more.
In your shoes, I would buy a gun and learn to use it, and stand your ground with DH.
RustyGunner, thanks for your sentiments. I pretty much feel the same way, that he’s willing to sacrifice me for his ideals, but I don’t really want to fight about it. You have some good advice. I’ll think about it.
1. The gun, and only the gun, has enough deterrence value to convince violent people not to attack “a short, sixtyish, fat cancer survivor.” Because of that, most self-defense incidents involving a defensive firearm end with no one being injured. It really is the least violent means of protecting yourself.
2. If “a short, sixtyish, fat cancer survivor” encounters someone high, angry, or psychotic enough to ignore a loaded gun, the situation will end violently. DH needs to own which ending he wants that scenario to have.
3. If DH doesn’t like the consequences of the answer he chooses, he can hire you a 24/7 unarmed security officer. (Because there’s no moral difference between carrying a gun and hiring someone to do it for you. Or for that matter, calling the [armed] police to go get the person who attacks you.)
LBS – While I was debating how to respond, RustyGunner answered you better anyway.
Remind DH that self-defense is not a political issue, but a very real natural response to attack. We can either fight or flight; and if flight (or in human instance, reason) is not possible, we have no other life choice open to us – except roll over and give up.
Would he give up rather than fight? I’d be interested to know what life means to him, and what value does he place on refusal to fight. As “noble” as pacifism sounds in theory, I question the rationale that labels it a viable human action.
Guys, I’m going to bring this excellent discussion forward as a blog post. I have no means of re-creating any of your logins, so the first few comments will appear under my login, but with your names at the top in bold so everyone will know.
Please hold off a few minutes. Don’t make any more comments about this topic in this thread. Wait until I get everything moved, please.
Okay, I’ve made LBS’s question into a post and transferred your first four comments to the new post. Please take all discussion about this topic there — and thank you all.
That’s some dilemma, LBS.
Well …
… still here.
I have a question for pacifists who want to oppose self-defense:
How do you plan to enforce your position? By using policemen armed with guns as your proxies to do it?
I’ve accepted Christ so I’m ready for the world to end at any time. Until then, I’m going to keep reloading ammo, raising food and spending as much time as possible with my friends/family.