I’ve been wondering a lot about absurdism in humour. There are people who laugh when they see something disastrous happen, like a man reflexively trying to stop a cement truck from tipping and getting squashed dead. Or a recent news story of the only fatality in a school bus crash: it was an observer who got hit by a vehicle as he ran across the highway to see if the kids were ok. A lot of the time this laughing response to a disaster is interpreted as schadenfreude, but a good portion of the time I believe it’s absurdism.

We try so hard to have agency, to do something, but the World doesn’t give a fuck. You have two choices when shit goes so wrong: you can wail about the unfairness of it all, or you can laugh at the absurdity of our efforts in the face of the colossal chaos of it all. The laughter is stronger.

It’s interesting to me that some cultures seem to have absurd humour baked in. The Aussies and Kiwis seem to have it. They just make jokes about and laugh at the most horrific situations.

I’ve been wondering a lot about absurdist humour. Dan Carlin relates a story of an old Air Force colonel who

It doesn’t.

Canada’s Brightest Ditch-Digger

The word used to describe Jesus’s occupation in Greek is ‘technōn’ (Mark 6:3), which means something like ‘builder’. In terms of etymological root, ‘technician’ might be closer. It commonly referred to carpenters, but also masons. There’s an argument to be made that with Roman involvement in the area there were a lot of Roman summer stone building projects, making it more likely Jesus was a mason than a carpenter.

Maybe he was a roofer?

No. This story starts with filthy SE Asians. Europeans are just the man-whores that gave them to everyone else.

I was wondering until this comment. “Ethiopia? Ecuador? Oh! Colombia.”

So it’s Francophones, not Anglophones misgendering you?

Y’all didn’t hit a paywall? I wanted to read that article.

No. Decanting is pouring, bit specifically not mixing.

Oh man, I think it’s the ‘e’ at the end of your name, which in a bunch of Romance languages would make it feminine. If it’s any consolation, solid men’s English names like ‘Lindsay’ and ‘Ashley’ are almost exclusively women’s names now for the same reason. (The “-y” or “-ie” marks a cutesy diminutive version, i.e. “bird” to “birdy”.)

I don’t think it’s the similarity to “Imane” (unless this is happening in your home culture) because I have never heard of that name before. However, I have seen “Imran” and I would have assumed that “Imrane” was the feminine version because of that ‘e’.

Wasn’t Imran Khan a famous cricketer?

Interesting. I’ve been wondering about that pattern. I think what you’re referring to as ‘closed religions’ I’ve been labeling ‘fearful’ and ‘legalistic’ because I’ve noticed a pattern. They seem to have a great and suspicious view of the world, and prescribe a set of strict laws to keep us all “safe”. Ironically, not what I believe Christianity was intended to be, but there have certainly been forces shaping it that way.

I’ll back you on this one. I believe the nation-state (or any empire) has a vested interest in 1) pinning historical injustice on the Church, absolving worldly government of its responsibility for those injustices, and 2) capturing religion as a banner for tribalism.

I’ll give you the oft repeated, but rarely challenged adage “religion starts wars”. You could more accurately state that governments start wars, but I don’t see many people taking anarchistic positions.

I’d be curious to hear your hypothesis on why governments like and support reactionary forge of tl religion.

BTW I believe most American expressions of religion are more nationalistic than Christian.

Like, what made him vomit, what was his vomit made of, and if that wasn’t a fucking joint then what was it?

I don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re naturally superior.

That sounds like Gabor Maté’s work.

Yeah! I’ve never heard it in BC, Canada. “I’m going upstate BC.” “Prince George?! Fort Saint John!?!”

Doesn’t sound right.

Yes! First time I had hot pot was with a couple of exchange students. This was one of their dipping sauce ingredients. I’ve never been able to find it on my own. What’s it called? I’d take a shot at making it myself. Also, what’s the red stuff that goes in the sauce? I thought it was maybe fermented tofu. I’m pretty sure I’ve found that, but all of it has weird food coloring in it. I find I have to keep a lot of chemicals out of my food.

He he he … No. It’s closer to skwurl.

Seriously. It’s pretty discouraging and off-putting. Although, when I was in the Aquitaine I don’t think I got any of that.

… Maybe it’s because they remember being under English management and don’t want to give anyone an excuse?

I do find the French have very little ability to understand their language if it’s getting mangled.