#He Whose Ox Is Gored

[simply-ivanka]

Trump’s Best Lies Weren’t Trump’s

By Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.

May 8, 2024

In an act of editorial cowardice, the Economist devotes a leading editorial plus an entire special section to the problem of disinformation yet never mentions the Steele dossier and Hunter Biden laptop lie.

Its package is timely for all the reasons I’ve written about: Disinformation is likely to flow in even greater abundance to influence the 2024 vote. But it also botches the most important insight. The anonymous AI-generated disinformation on the web that preoccupies the magazine’s editors is trivial in effect next to official disinformation from government sources circulated by mainstream media.

The Economist details a surreptitious Russian plot to blame America for dengue fever in Africa. It ignores a story of open disinformation of gobsmacking continuing influence, which has half of America watching as the other half (and most of our political class) lie about what happened after 2016. If the magazine thinks these voters aren’t drawing conclusions that will shape the 2024 outcome, it needs its medication adjusted.

Let’s step back: Political causes may be good or bad, but few or nonexistent are those campaigns or campaigners who have been unwilling to lie in their causes.

Eisenhower lied about the U-2 program in one of the best causes ever, keeping a check on Soviet ICBM development.

Sam Harris, the popular podcaster and neuroscientist, exhibited his essential adulthood when he recognized and approved the laptop lie because of the importance he attached to defeating Trump.

Knowing when you lied and why you lied is psychologically healthy. Do I think Leon Panetta, the longtime respected congressman and Obama CIA chief, is of healthy mind? Yes. He and colleagues saw that it would help Joe Biden to associate Hunter’s laptop with Russia and left unspoken between them that it was a lie.

The Economist, in contrast, gives us a blaring, billboard-like exhibition of the psychological disorder known as splitting. See if you recognize the pattern:

Splitting means claims and assertions hostile to Mr. Trump should be repeated and emphasized; any that aren’t should be suppressed.

The Steele dossier should be trumpeted until it stops being useful for discrediting Mr. Trump and starts to discredit his enemies—in which case it should never be mentioned again.

If a statement is true and favorable to Mr. Trump, the only motive for voicing it is pro-Trumpism. (This will create problems for weather reporters if Mr. Trump says it’s raining and it’s actually raining.)

Russian meddling can’t both have happened and have been trivial—because the first part sounds anti-Trump but the second doesn’t. This is unacceptable to the splitting mind.

I know it would be unthinkable at this late date for our media and political elites to come clean. It would amount to abdicating the election to Mr. Trump.

Telling the truth, unfortunately, needed to start long ago before it could change the moment we’ve reached today.

And yet the perverse consequences ought to be beating us over the head. As David Brooks of the New York Times tweeted after Mr. Trump won 11 million more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016: “Our job in the media is to capture reality so that when reality voices itself, like last night, people aren’t surprised. Pretty massive failure.”

In 2015 Donald Trump was a noisy celebrity ranting about illegal immigration. Nine years later, he and his legions have an epic narrative to tell themselves, true in many particulars, about the U.S. government and media thwarting them with lies and fabricated evidence.

Most of all, in bold letters, our current fix should recall the wisdom of the media’s former motto: “Without fear or favor.” Or as Walter Lippmann put it a century ago, “In his professional activity it is no business of [the reporter’s] to care whose ox is gored.”

We tell the truth and let the chips fall because we don’t know where the chips will finally land even if we think we do. Moreover, once we allow ourselves to start lying to the public for its own good, inevitably our reasons for doing so become more corrupt and self-seeking over time. Whatever his demerits, the press now paints Mr. Trump in impossibly lurid colors to justify its past behavior. Witness also the “Trump bump” in paid subscriptions and TV ratings. Lying about Mr. Trump works commercially for media owners even as it benefits Mr. Trump too. In fact, nothing has been more profitable, even salvational, for many mainstream media companies than MAGA.

But the ultimate exploiter is Joe Biden, cynically using Mr. Trump’s antichrist image as a lever to shove his unwanted self down his own party’s throat despite age and poor polls.

If Mr. Trump now wins—he would only have to draw a middling hand in November—the recriminations against Mr. Biden deservedly will be scalding and eviscerating. The blame game might wreck the Democratic Party for a generation.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Michael Shermer

Published: Mar 3, 2024

It was an X post (tweet) mostly out of frustration after wasting too much time on social media absorbing endless stories about the Rigid Right and the Loony Left that led me on February 23 to exclaim…

The thousands of responses were as predictable as they were confident in their assertion that one side of the political spectrum is unquestionably worse than the other. A short sampling (see all responses here):

My post is suggestive of the Horseshoe Theory of politics, according to which if you take a linear spectrum from Left to Right and bend it into a horseshoe shape, the extreme ends are not so far apart (see graphic above).

The type specimen for the Horseshoe Theory was the 1939 Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact that resulted in the joint invasion of Poland that launched World War II, and was famously broken by Hitler when he invaded Russia two years later, in part, because he detested Communism (which he also equated with Jews), plus he wanted lebensraum (living space), thought of the Russian hun as a lesser breed, needed their natural resources, was a proponent of blood-and-soil romanticism, and more (so his motivations are probably overdetermined). The theory has been applied and criticized ever since, for example here and here. But it very much depends on what issues are being compared and, to be frank, whose ox is being gored by the theory (few on either extreme see themselves as remotely like the extremists on the other pole). Well, then, what would critics prefer, the equally delimiting straight spectrum like this? Where would you put someone like me who is socially liberal but fiscally conservative?

For my political tastes I prefer something like the 2x2 matrix below with the primary dimensions being Liberty (Economic or Personal) and Security (Economic or Personal), in which extremes on the Security variable once again find Communists and Fascists cheek-by-jowl. (I’m in the upper quadrant around Classical Liberalism—more on this below.)

One of my respondents posted in the comments this helpful checklist with updated examples for current events:

Since I started this Skeptic Substack column in 2021, I have been highly critical of the Far-Left’s woke ideology that has led them to abandon the search for objective truth; to treat science as nothing more than a hegemonic Western colonial capitalist tool of power and domination; to give up on Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of judging people by the content of their character, and instead obsess over the color of their skin by implementing DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) programs that force otherwise liberal, tolerant, color-blind people into elevating race above character; to punish anyone who deviates from Far Left norms (created only recently and constantly changing) through any means necessary, from censorship and cancel culture to loss of employment and life ruination; and to redefine biological sex from the long-accepted definition of gamete size/type to whatever anyone says it is, and along with this delusion to discard a century of hard-earned women’s rights to privacy (bathrooms), to female-only spaces (changing rooms, prisons), to female-only sports (swimming, cycling, volleyball), and more generally to ditch the dignity of being a woman. (See my Skeptic columns critical of the Far Left here, here, here, here, here, and here.)

As I said in my X post, at least the Far-Right knows what a woman is—an adult human female…who belongs in the bedroom making babies. The SCOTUS overturning of Roe v. Wade was, as I predicted at the time, only the start of the Far-Right’s plan to take control of women’s reproductive rights, starting with abortion. (See my three-part series defending the pro-choice position here, here, and here. And additional columns critical of the Right, such as here, here, and here.) It was only a matter of time before the Far-Right would target IVF, and that time has come with the Alabama State Supreme Court declaration that all frozen embryos stored for InVitroFertilization are legal persons, and thus the disposal of unused frozen embryos should be considered murder. Predictably, IVF clinics began closing their doors, and in the process deprive couples of this life-giving technology. Here are a couple of my outraged tweets on the matter:

I don’t think many Republicans on the Far Right even know what IVF entails. It is quite invasive, risky, time consuming, expensive, and not guaranteed to work. To prep the body for the process hormone shots must be self-administered for weeks in order to produce extra eggs. Withdrawing the eggs is a form of surgery requiring general anesthesia. After withdrawal they are then fertilized (after we guys make our, um, “contribution” to the process) and then implanted. At least half of all implanted fertilized eggs fail to result in a viable birth, so many couples have multiple fertilized eggs implanted in hopes of having one viable birth (and thus some have twins or triplets), with the rest frozen for future use if all else fails, which is as often the case as not. By treating these frozen embryos as “persons”, if couples don’t want to have half a dozen kids or more, then they (and by “they” I mean the women) would have to go through the painful, stressful, expensive, and time consuming process over and over again in hopes of success. Are conservatives willing to foot the bill for the tens of thousands of dollars for each round in order to “save” the frozen persons?

How ignorant and uninformed are Republicans when it comes to reproductive technology? Here is Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville when asked his opinion of his state’s Supreme Court decision:

Yeah, I was all for it. You just gotta look at everything going on in the country. It’s just an attack on families, an attack on kids. You know, anything we can do for the future of our young people, because they’re our number one commodity. We need to have more kids, we need to have an opportunity to do that, and I thought this was the right thing to do.

The NBC News reporter was understandably dumbfounded by the Senator’s ignorance. “But IVF is used to have more children, and right now IVF services are paused at some of the clinics in Alabama,” she explained to the now-flummoxed law-maker. “Aren’t you concerned that this could impact people who are trying to have kids?”

Now stumped, and aware of his own lack of knowledge of what IVF is, exactly, Tuberville stuttered out a change of topic: “Well, that’s for another conversation. I think the big thing is right now you protect, you go back to the situation and you try to work it out to where it’s best for everybody. That’s what the whole abortion issue is about.” Uh, no it isn’t Senator.

In fact, IVF enables around 500,000 babies to be born every year worldwide, with an estimated 10 million total since the technology came online. You would think baby-loving pro-natalist conservatives would be all for this technology. But no. This led me to tweet out that the GOP was once again the POS—the Party of Stupid (a descriptor coined by GOP Presidential candidate Bobby Jindal)—and (channelling Monty Python) predicting what may be coming next for the Religious Right:

Every sperm is sacred. / Every sperm is great. If a sperm is wasted, / God gets quite irate. Let the heathens spill theirs, / On the dusty ground. God shall make them pay for / Each sperm that can't be found. Let the Pagans spill theirs / O'er mountain, hill, and plain. God shall strike them down for / Each sperm that's spilt in vain.

As for contraception, apparently this technology leads to “recreational sex,” and for conservatives that’s a bridge too far. As if living up to H. L. Mencken’s definition of a Puritan—"the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy"—the conservative Heritage Foundation posted on X that “Conservatives have to lead the way in restoring sex to its true purpose, & ending recreational sex & senseless use of birth control pills.” In support they quoted British writer Mary Harrington, who advocates against the birth control pill and in favor of “rewilding sex, returning the danger to sex, returning the intimacy and, really, the consequentiality to sex.” So…conservatives only have sex for reproductive purposes? Sure. The hypocrisy begs for comedic commentary, as in Bill Maher’s observation of pro-life politicians who arrange abortions for their mistresses, or George Carlin’s assessment of conservatives who pretend to care deeply for the “unborn”, but once you’re born…

You’re on your own. No nothing. No neonatal care, no daycare, no head start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you're pre-born, you're fine. If you're preschool, you're fucked. Conservatives don't give a shit about you… until you reach military age. Then they think you are just fine, just what they’ve been looking for. They’re not pro-life. They’re anti-woman. They believe a woman's primary role is to function as a broodmare for the state.

In response to my X post comment (below) that IVF is just the start, right-wing activist and author Christopher Rufo responded:

“Recreational sex” is a large part of the reason we have so many single-mother households, which drives poverty, crime, and dysfunction. The point of sex is to create children—this is natural, normal, and good.”

Here was my response to Rufo:

Recreational skiing, softball, soccer, tennis...is a big reason we have so many sports injuries @realchrisrufo ! Recreational sex is not the cause of single-mother households. It is LACK of birth control use + lack of education & norms of commitment, marriage, responsibility, etc. Conservatives are right to emphasize family values. Wrong to restrict freedom & choice for others. IVF & frozen embryos have given > 8 million babies life. Why would you want to deprive parents of this life-giving technology that results in endless parental love? (I speak from personal experience.) Egg retrieval, fertilization, hormone prep, embryo implantation, not to mention pregnancy itself, is a HUGE commitment, mainly born by women (we men just have to, uh, make a "contribution" in a cup) Freezing embryos is necessary because the process is very hard on women, expensive, & many first-tries fail. I don't believe that conservatives really believe that a frozen embryo is a person. I think it's part of a larger religious/political agenda to control women's reproductive choice and freedom. Restricting choice and freedom should not be a conservative value, but it has become one.

An even more extreme position on these matters (if such a thing is even possible) was that of Daily Wire conservative commentator Michael Knowles, who opined that…

The reason surrogacy and IVF are immoral is because they interfere with the family, they break up the nucleus, the very building block of society. They separate the reproductive from the conjugal act. The problem for IVF and surrogacy is that no ends, no matter how good, justify immoral means. No ends, no matter how good, justify actions that are intrinsically evil to achieve them. This is the same kind of logic that we would apply to, say, rape. A child who is conceived in rape. I know some. They have a right to life. It’s very good that they exist. We like these people.

This was a bridge too far, even for me, and so I cut loose on Knowles’ despicable, detestable, disgraceful statement:

As I assess matters here in 2024, the Rigid Right and the Loony Left are both manifestations of authoritarianism—specifically, the well-researched and documented (mostly by liberal social scientists) Right-Wing Authoritarianism, but the newly documented (mostly by conservative social scientists—what few there are) Left-Wing Authoritarianism that is equally divisive and destructive. In response, I would like to make the case for Classical Liberalism. To wit:

Like most liberals, I am pro-choice and fully support women’s reproductive and economic rights; I am in favor of free speech and free thought; I believe in the separation of church and state and am against prayer in school; I believe in liberal democracy and voter’s rights; I believe in some gun control measures; I support environmental protection laws and agree that global warming is real, human caused, and something we should work toward mitigating; I work toward reducing animal suffering and expanding animal rights; I think that we need judicial reform because of our broken criminal justice system that incarcerates far too many people for victimless crimes, especially people of color; I think we should legalize all drugs and regulate them like tobacco and alcohol; I believe we have a moral obligation to help those who cannot help themselves; and, of course, I hold that science is the best tool ever devised for understanding the world and changing it for the better.

Like most conservatives, I believe in limited and accountable government, along with low taxes, low spending, and a balanced budget; I believe in the Constitution and the rule of law along with our system of Constitutional republicanism with checks and balances to prevent power from accruing to any one person or agency; I believe in property rights, and that one of the primary functions of government is to protect our rights; I believe in individual liberty, personal responsibility, and the philosophy of individualism in contrast with collectivism and identity politics; I contend that free trade and free markets are by far and away the best economic system for wealth production and lifting people out of poverty; I believe that there are objective moral values that apply to most people in most places most of the time (although I do not believe they were derived from God) and I reject moral relativism in all its forms.

Most of all, I agree with John Stuart Mill’s timeless observation (in his 1859 book On Liberty) that: “A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life.”

In the run-up to the forthcoming Presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden it doesn’t appear either extreme form of authoritarianism is going to attenuate any time soon. Out of a population of nearly 260 million adult Americans, these two are the best in show? What we need is a uniting President in the mold of Abraham Lincoln who, in his First Inaugural Address, as the country was about to be split asunder in civil war, nevertheless addressed all Americans when he thundered both descriptively and prescriptively:

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

[farewell-persephone]

I couldn't choose just oneeeeee

📷 What’s set as your phone’s lockscreen?

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

🙃 What’s a weird fact that you know?

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

📷 What’s set as your phone’s lockscreen?

screenshot I took in No Man's Sky:

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

I dunno that there's any one thing that says the most but how they treat retail/service/custodial workers is certainly up there

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

white chocolate macadamia nut

🙃 What’s a weird fact that you know?

1176-style compressors have attack/release knobs that go from slowest to fastest clockwise, which is the opposite of most other audio compressors. there's also a trick with them, present as a built-in, individual button on a lot of modern models, where you press all of the ratio buttons in at the same time to get a very aggressive, heavily overdriven compression sound; it's called, predictably, all-buttons or all-buttons-in mode, and it wasn't an intended function to begin with.

(compression ratio, by the way, is the ratio between the level of the signal going into the compressor vs. the level coming out. for example a 12 dB signal going into a compressor with a 4:1 ratio will come out at 3 dB, then you'd generally do level matching with the output knob to bring it back up, or if there's an auto-makeup function you can just let that handle it if you're a coward fool who trusts a machine/software to handle that sort of thing for you.

which is to say, engaging the 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 20:1 ratios on an 1176—an aggressive compressor as it is—all at the same time does some funky stuff as stated above)

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

constantly. I've even been trying to talk to myself out loud at a normal volume more often just because I'm trying to do youtube stuff and I need to get used to using my voice more

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

I always hate this question because I can never remember a single damn compliment that stands out

my friend Jason did once say "it's got synths and heavy shit, it's definitely not surprising that you liked it" to me (we were discussing He Whose Ox Is Gored) and that made me feel Known in a nice way

[torahtantra]

Parsha 26. Shemeni, AKA “The Renowning.” From Leviticus 9:1–11:47.

Shem= Fame

En= spring or fountain

I= I am

The Priests Begin Their Ministry

9 On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. 2 He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering[a] and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. 3 Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox[b] and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.’”

As we have learned there is a kind of a rote practice we need to perform every time. Where is the ego hiding, what kind of animal is he, what skill does he refuse to demonstrate?

Baby bulls gore you the second you show up and tell them play time is over. Bulls are anger, rage, spoiled rotten little cunt bitches.

Rams fight and argue, are willful, territorial and have brains but do not listen. Rams are slightly more sophisticated bulls.

Goats are "unfinished", they will submit to care and feeding, herd quite well, and respond to education and maturation.

Oxes who are intellectuals, are best suited to the work of clergy.

Camels, are seasoned adult males capable of carrying the essence of civilization between one era and the next.

Doves are devoted practitioners but not priests:

"Just like a dove once she meets her mate never leaves him for another… just as a dove whose fledglings are taken from her nest still doesn't abandon her nest…, so are the Jewish people faithful to G‑d."4

Moses was told by God to ritualize the ongoing development of these stages of human evolution and eradicate those, like the lizard and prairie dog that complicate things or do not contribute to the ideal functioning of life on earth.

Jesus "a Son of Man" did not undergo transformation across the Seven Days as the Torah says the rest of us must. He did not take little kids aside and tell them to stand in line, raise your hand before you speak, don't steal, don't lie, etc. but tackled issues associated with failing systems in order to restore them to their full humanity without much regard for the flawed due process that caused them.

Grains, which are words, sentences, books, schools, and the temple + olive oil, a product of manufacturing = the culmination of successful human processes. When employed, the Torah says, they equate to the full Glory of God:

5 They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. 6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

7 Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.”

8 So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. 9 His sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. 10 On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the Lord commanded Moses; 11 the flesh and the hide he burned up outside the camp.

-> slaughtered the bull calf for himself= the habit had to stop.

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. 13 They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 He washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

The cutting off and the burning of the head is removal of doubt and resistance. The doubt within the Jew he can keep to the Torah is legendary, but we are going to put a stop to that- there is no need for doubt, resistance or fatigue in life as a result of the study or practice of the Torah.

The Jews had already told Moses that they will accept the Torah—coining the famous phrase, "na'aseh venishma – we will do and (then) we will hear." If they were already willing to comply with all of the commandments, why was coercion needed?

15 Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat for the people’s sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one.

16 He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way. 17 He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.

18 He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. 19 But the fat portions of the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver— 20 these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. 21 Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

23 Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

-> Delivery from Evil is a simple process requiring only the ears and one's intelligence:

The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab “vanity”,  and Abihu “He is my father”,  took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’”

Aaron remained silent.

4 Moses summoned Mishael “Like God” and Elzaphan “God of the Northeast Wind”, (said to bring rain), sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel “To be strong”  and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.” 5 So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

-> Water is used for reflection, strength for honesty. Cousins are characteristics and characters from other religions. We have somethings in common, some not. Take what you can use, leave the rest outside the camp.

6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar “God is my help” and Ithamar, "the male form of palm tree” “Do not let your hair become unkempt[c] and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. 7 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

-> This is more literal than figurative. It does mean an Israelite must be the epitome of fashion fame and shave your bush but it also means there must be documentable signs the Israelite culture is thriving, that it is maintained, and never allowed to languish, become corrupt, or submit to the ups and downs to which other failed civilizations have shown susceptibility.

The name Ithamar "biggest most fruitful palm tree means size matters, yes, si, oui, and also output but only so long as said vigorous and voluptuous masculinity promotes the agenda put forth in the description of the Seven Days in Bereshit.

As we've discovered in this latest run through the Torah, yes, having a penis can be quite fun.

8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11 and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.”

12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast [yeast is heresy] and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar, for it is most holy. 

13 Eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded. 14 But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. 

15 The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the food offerings, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering. This will be the perpetual share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded.”

-> Sons and daughters, AKA the skills and their fruits are to be sought in one's real partners. Don't stick your tongue out or open your mouth unless the speech is appropriate.

16 When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering[d] and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked, 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”

19 Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” 20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

-> This is a Cain and Abel story all over again. “the God of Vanity” two sons of Aaron went astray. Aaron told Moses, “these things happen.” He atoned and things went back to normal. 

Clean and Unclean Food

11 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land [no snotty snobs], these are the ones you may eat: 3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

"The hoof has to be split entirely. Meaning, you shouldn't just be going through the motions of love and fear superficially, but it should truly affect you to the core. You must be authentic and genuine.

And again, one must “chew his cud,” constantly reevaluating to see if he is on the right path.12"

May we learn to be true to the core, serving G‑d with both love and fear. This will surely keep us on the right path, the one that leads us to the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.

4 “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. 5 The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 6 The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 7 And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Camels: needed for commerce and trade, often associated with the bright eyed and bushy tailed youth that carry the Essence from oasis to oasis. Sacrifice them not. 

Hyrax, also called a Lorax or a Rock Rabbit- “jumpers”- they are shy vulnerable creatures, leave them be. What kind of a man hunts a creature like this, literally or turns another man into one? “hunt not the vulnerable.” 

The Rabbit: Rabbits are prey animals. One must not turn another man, least of all another Jew into a prey animal. Rabbits are peaceful, they are excellent mothers and fathers, and harm no one. Their presences are a sign life and nature are in balance. 

Swine: My favorite. Why can’t Jewish people eat pork?

The real reason is...pigs are just too darn cute and friendly, very affectionate, and it is considered a sin to kill a pig, AKA to kill the basic animal goodness found in others. Unlike a cow or a ram or a bull which will gore your ass, a pig will want to be your friend. 

No kidding!

To slaughter a pig is said to be the end of respect for human dignity and this is  why Torah said to find something else if you can, in fact, you must. 

9 “‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10 But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean. 11 And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean. 12 Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.

-> bottom feeders are not to be tolerated. swarming fish, sycophants or predators that swim in schools- they are not to be tolerated. 

13 “‘These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,[e] the vulture, the black vulture, 14 the red kite, any kind of black kite, 15 any kind of raven, 16 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.

-->No gods of the air. All of these are sacred animals to just about every religion. A hint as to why Moses called them unclean, really he means they are sacred, their actual presences and their icons are to be respected. They cannot however, be worshipped.

20 “‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you. 21 There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground.��22 Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. 23 But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.

-> No gossips, slanderers, bad reporters, propagandists, none of the symptoms of slavery to superstition are allowed.

24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

26 “‘Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. 

27 Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 28 Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you.

-> Carcasses are hypocrites and wastes of time.

29 “‘Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. 31 Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean till evening. 

32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean. 

33 If one of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot. 34 Any food you are allowed to eat that has come into contact with water from any such pot is unclean, and any liquid that is drunk from such a pot is unclean. 

35 Anything that one of their carcasses falls on becomes unclean; an oven or cooking pot must be broken up. They are unclean, and you are to regard them as unclean. 

36 A spring, however, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but anyone who touches one of these carcasses is unclean. 37 If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean. 38 But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.

-> Please, don’t eat lizards.

Lizards are predators! They are cold blooded and can't generate their own heat, so they steal it from others, and will not care for their young.

Clay pots are another term for "outerwear" or one's outer expressions of self. Like the body and the reputation they are breakable.

The contents of the pot are the same thing as the contents of the underpants. What we consume determines what will go in the pot and this determines its label. No one wants a lizard in their underpants. No one!

A clay cooking pot that has a lizard in it, will not withstand the Fire of Realization and one should break break off contact with it instead. A cistern, who collects water not lizards is a man who is a scholar, who speaks well of the scared and is religious in his correctness in all things, he is remains ceremonially clean.

Consume HIS time, not the lizard.

39 “‘If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening. 

40 Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

41 “‘Every creature that moves along the ground is to be regarded as unclean; it is not to be eaten. 42 You are not to eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is unclean. 

43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. 44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 

45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

46 “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. 47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.’”

Distinguished company, persons of distinction, of deliciously good taste in outer and underwear, persons of renown, these are the ones with whom we eat, for they renown us in return.

 Thus ends Parsha Shemeni, "the Renowning" numbered 26 of 54 contained in the Holy Torah.

[darkarfs]

VoidCeremony - Threads of Unknowing

LESOTHO - Through the Dying Light

Sermon - Of Golden Verse

Zao - The Crimson Corridor

Waste of Space Orchestra - Syntheosis

Madder Mortem - Marrow

Cara Neir - Phantasmal

He Whose Ox is Gored - The Camel, the Lion, the Child

Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury

[hardynwa]

God Knows Why He Is Bringing In Bat At This Time In The History Of Nigeria To Lead Us - Prof. Jumbo

The Ag National Chairman of the Presidential Support Committee (PSC), Chief Prof. Jasper F. Jumbo has said that God knows why he is bringing in his Excellency BAT at this time in the history of Nigeria to lead us. He made this remarks in an exclusive interview with journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, on his way to Abuja recently describing His Excellency Tinubu as a credible President-Elect, a man whose antecedents speak of capacity, competence and ability to identify men of credibility and performability; a man in touch with the feelings of majority of Nigerians, who could stick his ground when necessary and has the political will to assert his position and make sure that the right thing is done, irrespective of whose ox is gored. Excerpts Precisely about 6 months ago, you asked me to invite Journalists for a Press Conference to speak on the 2023 Presidential election. During the Press Conference, you predicted that His Excellency Bola Tinubu will be elected as the next President of Nigeria and you gave us some reasons why he shall be elected by Nigerians. After the Press Conference, you called me to suspend the publication saying that the time wasn’t ripe for such publication. Now, His Excellency BAT has been declared President-Elect, what are your reactions? My reaction is to first of all commend Nigerians for voting His Excellency Asiwaju Tinubu as the President-Elect. He is a credible President-Elect indeed. A man whose antecedents speak volume of his capacity, competence and ability to identify men of credibility, principle and performability. Some of us adjudge His Excellency Tinubu to be a man in touch with the feelings of majority of Nigerians. A man who could stick his ground with a time proven political will to assert his position and make sure that the right thing is done irrespective of whose ox is gored Considering the trending clarion call for change and increased localized production, Nigeria needs a leader with knowledge and political will who can mobilize Nigerians to move from where we are now to the next level. Someone who can look at and envision the direction majority of our citizens should be going. That is the kind of man His Excellency is. Age or no Age, His Excellency, Asiwaju is a man that has been able to groom and mentor men of integrity and substance: like His Excellency Fashola, His Excellency Osinbajo, Hon. Faleke and others, men whose credibility are proven. Look at the project going on now at the Riverine area of Rivers State through which our people are being integrated with the rest of Nigeria. His Excellency Asiwaju is indeed the right choice and I must commend Nigerians.  I even commend the opposition for giving him and the APC the requisite challenge. Without the challenge, it would have been like easy work over. It was a strong challenge and his Excellency Tinubu’s nationwide acceptability showed that he is a man. So I personally commend the in-coming president for myself and on behalf of the Presidential Support Committee of which I am the elected Ag National Chairman. You also predicted that BAT will win Rivers State even when we told you that wasn’t going to be possible since Rivers State was a PDP state. You told us clearly that when Gov.Wike knows what is on ground, he will mobilize for BAT and as you predictedsoithappened. Now what made you come to this conclusion then? Let me say this, I do not want to speak on behalf of His Excellency Gov. Wike, whether he mobilized or not for His Excellency Tinubu. Based on our belief, I know that some of us made a lot of sacrifice, invoked our vast communal goodwill in Rivers State and beyond, went to the grassroots without taking money from either the ICC or the Amalgamated APC Support Group, to mobilize and sell His Excellency Tinubu’s Candidature. It was not easy, but staked our reputation as well as local acceptability and persuaded those who believe in us, to support the Presidential Support Committee and the Host Communities Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) in Nigeria of which I am also the elected National Chairman to vote in the candidate that portends credibility because we opined that Rivers State and many other states should not continue to be in opposition at the entre. His Excellency Gov. Wike seeing the hand writing on the wall, had no other option than to join the faithful to deliver His Excellency Tinubu. Gov. Wike having seen and configured the silent good coming, certainly must have assisted in one way or the other of course. I cannot hold brief for His Excellency Gov. Wike. I did not go to vote with him in his unit. I voted on my own. So the issue here is that Rivers people, PSC members, its support groups, HOSCON faithful’s and infact, most Nigerians ought to be congratulated for massively voting for His Excellency, the President-elect. As it is now, we can say bring this and that to Rivers State and some host oil and gas communities, and it makes rational sense. The Bodo-Bonny Road Project has lasted for so many years. Now that His Excellency Tinubu is on board, the current Minister of Works, happened to be his former Chief of Staff, I mean His Excellency Raji Fashola. There is no way in the new dispensation the new President will not bring His Excellency Fashola, a tested and proven development protagonist and one of the best performing Ministers in the President Buhari Administration close. When he brings him close, His Excellency Fashola can put in a word for the road and other projects in the making tobe completed. We went to inspect the Bodo-Bonny Road Project with that Road’s Peace Committee some months ago. Good quality job Julius Berger is doing out there. His Excellency Fashola even made a promise that they would finish that job by the end of year 2023 or around first quarter of 2024. Since government is continuity, His Excellency Fashola’s closeness as well as deep knowledge of on ground realties could help the in-coming Administration to make funds available or create further enabling environment with the NLNG, to complete the project. By the Grace of God, that project shall not be stalled. It would be a major plus for Rivers State and Nigeria. It will open up the previously-forgotten areas for development. It will open up our rural areas for planned and phased growth and attract peaceful co-existence. How do you see the attempts to stop BAT by other Presidential candidates? Do you think BAT will eventually scale through and be sworn in finally? Excuse me! I am a Christian and a practicing Christian for that matter. I sincerely believe that God makes and unmakes Kings. The Holy Bible is very clear on this. There are so many instances in the Bible, where God even used non-Israelites to achieve His purpose for His people. So, God knows why He is bringing in His Excellency Tinubu, a Southern Muslim married to a devout Pastor in Redeemed Christian Church, at this time in the history of Nigeria. The opposition should please, stop campaigning after election. ASIWAJU HAS WON! All these noises of going to court, or protesting are money and time wasting. Let them for once, wait next time. It could be their turn. For emphasis all those protests, stirring-up people for agitations that could lead to crisis and war, are definitely NOT necessary now. The opposition can all join forces to move the nation forward, under the able Leadership of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,- the Jagaban. How do you see the forthcoming Governorship election slated for this weekend? Do you think the PDP flagbearer will win? It is going to be a very big challenge. Many of the registered political parties have some good and fairly popular candidates. It is going to be an interesting challenge and I am sure our people shall vote according to their consciences. BUT IN ALL, God shall decide at the end, knowing that even in Heaven, there is hierarchy.  What is your take on the ongoing naira crisis? Good policy but badly managed by the CBN. The cabal behind the scheme has inflicted so much pain on Nigerians. That is why I am happy that His Excellency Bola Tinubu spoke out clearly against it, abinitio. So many State Governors too are in support of Asiwaju on the same matter. Sometimes, I begin to wonder how the average man is surviving under this misapplied policy by the CBN. It is good that the Supreme Court has taken a decision on the matter which will bring a human face to the implementation of that policy. I will like to join my voice to call on the CBN to obey the Supreme Court order and also direct the banks to increase the cash that customers and corporate citizens can withdraw across the counter to over N100, 000 at a time. Thank you. Read the full article

[azaambie]

My 16 favorite albums of 2017. A very good year for music but not much else. Amenra - Mass VI Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun Pallbearer - Heartless Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper The Mountain Goats - Goths Boris - Dear Foie Gras - Devotee Vakoum - Home for Home Mutoid Man - War Moans Poppy - Poppy.Computer Godflesh - Post Self Converge - The Dusk in Us He Whose Ox is Gored - Paralyzer In the Company of Serpents - Ain-Soph Aur Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven Ufomammut - 8 Happy New Year, looking forward to 2018.

[womenofextrememusic]

He Whose Ox Is Gored

Harsh female vocalist: Lisa Mungo

Other vocalists: Brian McClelland and Mike Sparks

Country: USA

Genre: Doom Metal / Sludge / Progressive Metal

Featured in video 95: https://youtu.be/8DyqAXQAIBk

Other links:

Official Website // Facebook // Bandcamp // Instagram // Twitter // Last.fm

[queens-of-scream]

He Whose Ox is Gored

Status: Active

Vocalist: Lisa Mungo (also plays synths; as well as Brian McClelland & Mike Sparks)

Country: United States (Washington)

Genre(s): Progressive Doom/Sludge Metal/Shoegaze

[dames0fdoom]

My numero uno ethereal sludge/doom prog darlings He Whose Ox is Gored recently unveiled the stunning visual accompaniment for “Paralyzer” (from the forthcoming 7″ of the same name - officially out June 16th via Void Assault).

Remaining shows on Ox’s current U.S. tour with Samothrace are as follows: 5/25/2017 Maryland Deathfest – Baltimore, MD 5/26/2017 Club 529 – Atlanta, GA 5/27/2017 Siberia – New Orleans, LA 5/28/2017 Rudyards – Houston, TX 5/29/2017 The Lost Well – Austin, TX 5/31/2017 Three Links – Dallas, TX 6/01/2017 89th St. – Oklahoma City, OK 6/02/2017 71 Grind Festival – Colorado Springs, CO 6/03/2017 Loading Dock – Salt Lake City, UT 6/04/2017 Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV 8/05/2017 Green Room – Flagstaff, AZ 6/06/2017 Yucca Tap Room – Tempe, AZ 6/07/2017 Hotel Congress – Tucson, AZ 6/08/2017 Complex – Los Angeles, CA w/ Void Omnia * 6/09/2017 Soda Bar – San Diego, CA w/ Void Omnia * 6/10/2017 Oakland Metro Opera House – Oakland, CA w/ Void Omnia, Noothgrush, Graves At Sea *

[m3t4ln3rd]

He Whose Ox Is Gored streaming Paralyzer 7" Progressive sludge outfit He Whose Ox Is Gored are streaming their new 7" Paralyzer (Chain Letter Collective/Void Assault Records). The effort dropped this past Friday and is available for purchase here (physical) and here (digital).

[tzertzeloscrew]

He Whose Ox Is Gored – Paralyzer He Whose Ox Is Gored will release their brand new “Paralyzer” seven-inch via Chain Letter Collective and the band’s own label Void Assault Records. 

[eightfoureight]

#NowPlaying Uncontacted by Pegadeth

[thecreaturecodex]

Rakshasa, Niúshen

Image © Baishi Jinglun, accessed at his site here

[“There is a celestial god here whose form resembles an ox with eight feet, two heads and a horse’s tail. He makes a buzzing sound like a beetle. If seen by people, he is an omen of war in the town.”

This entity is one of many unnamed “shen”, or gods/spirits. My name is a neologism, from niú for ox. I made it a rakshasa because of the bestial and war-like nature.]

Rakshasa, Niúshen This mighty creature has a humanoid torso growing from the body of an ox—it stands on four hoofed legs and has hooves on all four of its arms. It has two bovine heads, each with sharp, curving horns.

Niúshen are rakshasas of war, creatures who are devoted to violence and bloodshed. They are adept at manipulating pawns into going to war with each other, stoking conflicts in the guise of mortals. Niúshen are especially fond of dividing people against each other based on small differences. Civil wars are their favorite wars, and a niúshen will move on once a nation has torn itself apart. Unlike many rakshasas, they are capable of assuming the form of a giant, which gives them access to powerful minions—and powerful rivals, in the form of the oni.

A niúshen prefers to fight with allies, supporting them with its spells. They can imbue their enemies and allies alike with a powerful rage—they prefer to use this ability in the heat of battle, to disrupt the tactics of enemy spellcasters. A niúshen does enjoy fighting in melee, but will usually spend a few rounds wearing down foes at a distance before tearing into them with hooves and horns. Although a niúshen will gladly sacrifice dozens of minions to win a fight, they rarely will die for their own cause, preferring to flee and fight another day.

A niúshen stands ten feet tall in their natural form. Most of them are bovine, but some have the features of elephants, rhinos or other animals renowned for their strength and size.

Niúshen               CR 17 XP 104,200 LE Large outsider (native, rakshasa, shapechanger) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +26 Defense AC 30, touch 14, flat-footed 25 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +16 natural) hp 275 (19d10+171) Fort +16, Ref +15, Will +15 DR 15/good and piercing; SR 32 Offense Speed 40 ft. Melee 2 gores +25 (1d8+7/19-20), 4 slams +25 (1d6+7) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks detect thoughts (DC 24), incite violence, rend (2 gores, 1d8+10), trample (DC 25, 2d6+10) Spells CL 14th, concentration +20 (+24 casting defensively) 7th (3/day)—summon monster VII 6th (6/day)—disintegrate (DC 22), mass bull’s strength 5th (7/day)—animal growth, cone of cold (DC 21), hold monster (DC 22) 4th (7/day)—charm monster (DC 21), crushing despair (DC 21), fire shield (DC 20), scrying (DC 20) 3rd (7/day)—fireball (DC 19), fly, haste, suggestion (DC 20) 2nd (8/day)—blur, mirror image, resist energy, scorching ray, see invisibility 1st (8/day)—charm person (DC 18), mage armor, magic missile, shield, true strike 0th—acid splash, arcane mark, detect magic, light, mage hand, message, prestidigitation, resistance, touch of fatigue (DC 16) Statistics Str 25, Dex 19, Con 28, Int 20, Wis 18, Cha 23 Base Atk +19; CMB +27; CMD 42 Feats Arcane Strike, Combat Casting, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (gore), Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Power Attack, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (enchantment) Skills Acrobatics +23 (+27 when jumping), Bluff +28, Diplomacy +28, Handle Animal +25, Intimidate +28, Knowledge (local) +24, Knowledge (nature) +27, Perception +26, Sense Motive +26, Spellcraft +27, Use Magic Device +25 Languages Common, Giant, Infernal SQ change shape (Medium or Large humanoid, alter self or giant shape I) Ecology Environment any hills or mountains Organization solitary or warband (1 plus 2-10 other rakshasas) Treasure standard Special Abilities Incite Violence (Su) As a standard action once per day, a niushen can fill all living creatures within 30 feet with a terrible rage. Creatures so affected gain a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, gain a +2 on all Will saves, take a -2 penalty to AC, cannot cast spells or use any ability that requires patience or concentration, and cannot use any Charisma, Dexterity or Intelligence based skills (except for Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate or Ride). An unwilling creature can resist this ability with a DC 24 Will save. This does not stack with barbarian rage or other similar abilities. A creature so affected rages for 1 minute, and is fatigued for 2 minutes when the rage ends. This is a mind-influencing emotion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. Spells A niushen can cast spells as a 14th level sorcerer. It does not gain any other class abilities of a sorcerer, such as bloodline spells.

[womenovmetal]

[azaambie]

Pallbearer and He Whose Ox is Gored at The Crocodile, Seattle. August 16th