Profound Nonsense

"Today I made an appearance downtown
I am an expert witness, because I say I am
And I said, 'Gentleman....and I use that word loosely....
I will testify for you
I'm a gun for hire, I'm a saint, I'm a liar
Because there are no facts, there is no truth
Just a data to be manipulated
I can get any result you like
What's it worth to ya?
Because there is no wrong, there is no right
And I sleep very well at night
No shame, no solution
No remorse, no retribution
Just people selling T-shirts
Just opportunity to participate in the pathetic little circus
And winning, winning, winning"

-- The Devil, from Don Henley's "The Garden of Allah" (1996)

"I think it’s funny that people are constantly saying “First World Problems”… bashfully excusing themselves, as if to dismiss their own emotions as invalid compared to the next person. because of course these problems, the problems stemming from our privileged lives pale in comparison to the problems of real-ass starvation, war, extreme physical suffering.

"Well, of course. Of course. Things could always be harder - everything’s relative. And it’s never good to lose perspective. It helps. It does.

"And OF COURSE the problems of those in the First World are First World Problems. If you’re HAVING them, chances are… that’s where you are.

"Starving people have Starving People Problems, dying people have Dying People Problems, overweight people have Overweight People Problems, white people have White People Problems, black people have Black People Problems, rich people have Rich People Problems, gay people have Gay People Problems, straight people have Straight People Problems…. Are we detecting a pattern?

"Everybody’s got them, period.

"You can’t measure human suffering with a yardstick. those who try to do it end up vindictive, even when they’re trying to be helpful.

"Because the minute you start measuring suffering, you invalidate somebody’s suffering…and that just never works. that’s where the whole shit starts getting ugly.

"Anyone who says “My pain is bigger than your pain” is speaking from fear.
Anyone who says “My feelings are more valid than your feelings” isn’t speaking from empathy.

"The song don’t lie: everybody hurts. everybody suffers, everybody feels pain. and everybody feels it for a different reason on a different day in a different way. And it’s all real….There’s no pain that isn’t valid, there’s no pain that isn’t “real” because somebody has it worse off. Pain is pain. All you can do is feel it, accept it, move on and know that everybody else on this spinning ball of dirt is in the same boat, and we all need to acknowledge each other’s pain, no matter what the package, and no matter how big or small that package appears.

"When we do this, that’s what keeps us compassionate brothers and sisters on Earth.

"Will I occasionally still use the “First World Problems” joke the next time I find myself complaining that the coffee in this bistro is over-roasted?

"Eh, probably.

"Why?

"Because it’s a funny fucking joke."

-- Amanda Palmer, 4/9/12

"... I know that a god that demands a child's life is a god not worth saving." - Bone Mother, Digger

ursulav wins. Again.

sexluthor: Oh look, a new Jewel CD. By which I mean, a new picture of Jewel to sit on the shelves of record stores everywhere gathering dust.

Me (pointing to another selection): As opposed to the new Shakira CD, by which I mean the new picture of Shakira in the bedrooms of 17-year-old boys across the country.