Well, I BEG TO DIFFER Professor Peterson!

Ha. Lobsters everywhere. I am a huge fan of University of Toronto Professor of Psychology Dr. Jordan Peterson.

What?!? – you were expecting another blog hit piece on Jordan Peterson? Don’t believe any of that crap written about him on Vice, or Vox, or Mic or any of those other media catering to those low-testosterone “soy boys” and male feminists. You know the ones I’m talking about. Readers with the mental ability of a sophomore sociology major. These college guy baristas that support Marxism and feminists because they think that will get them laid … but I digress…

Why does the mainstream media keep lying about Jordan Peterson? Even the New York Times (a “former newspaper” as Andrew Klavan would say) wrote a targeted article that misquoted, misunderstood, and misrepresented what Professor Peterson said, or wrote. Dr. Peterson has been maligned in the media as misogynist, transphobic … wanka wanka wanka … by the usual sources. (“Forced monogamy?” Denny slaps head). Recently a Durham NC newspaper rallied against his lecture tour, by saying that the Canadian professor is ‘racist”.  Hoo boy. The only good thing about that route is that by them claiming “racism” — they know they have already lost the argument. You know when you are reading an article for gullible, misguided snowflakes when they characterize Professor Peterson as being “Alt Right”. Oy.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I would characterize Dr. Peterson as a liberal, or “classic liberal”. He like me, grew up in the 1970s (we are about the same age) and has an open-mind about all lifestyles. He is a clinical psychologist and he has seen and heard it all. Why do they lie about him so much? Especially if one actually reads or listens to his lectures, they should  come away with the opposite conclusion.

If you do not who Jordan Peterson is, he came to fame – or our shallow, mass-media fame — three years ago by opposing Canadian Bill C-16 (now a Canadian Law), which made it a crime not to call a trans-man by his (her?) preferred pronoun. I know what you snowflakes are thinking – that’s “trans-phobic”! Actually, no. Professor Peterson always calls on his tranny students by their preferred pronoun.  That was not the issue. The free-speech issue is that you cannot codify compelled speech into law. Now go ahead and use your made-up pronouns. Fine. However, the government should not be able to force one to use compelled language. Allowing the government to decide which words to use is not a good idea. Such laws may lead to a bad place. I will let you look all that up, because it is not my purpose here to rehash …

… even though I always get a kick out of it!

I love Professor Peterson’s book, “12 Rules for Life”. I also like his “Maps of Meaning” and other Psychology lectures which he has graciously posted for free on his YouTube channel linked here. Like so many other readers, I think that his writings have positively changed my life outlook in recent months. (Note that I had stopped blogging).

Here is one of my favorite video posts of him reading a chapter from the book. Do yourself a favor and watch it (put down that phone and stop rolling your eyes). Please stop your distractions and listen/watch what he has to say. I suggest turning on CC as you earn extra points, just like you are reading a book.

Really, this reading always moves me …

What I mean to say – (cough) snowflakes, is that you have to be willing to actually listen. (If any of my usual readers want a copy of the book, I will send you a copy … even you Bob.) Read for yourself, then speak the truth.

Oh? So what is my gripe about Jordan Peterson? Well, he is a great man, but I don’t agree with all of his perspectives. He is Canadian and I am American, so we see some issues differently. One place where I disagree with him, is that he dislikes the Disney movie “Frozen”.  Professor Peterson deconstructs symbolism in film in some of his psychology lectures. He has provided some good insights into the symbolism and meaning in Disney films “Pinocchio” and  “The Little Mermaid”, but he does not like “Frozen”.

Well, I LIKED “Frozen”, Dr. Peterson! I do not see it so much as feminist indoctrination as you do. In fact, I really don’t see any. I have to wonder if Dr. Peterson will someday watch the film with his new grandaughter, and perhaps see it through her eyes.

Also, on one of his live Q & A sessions, a listener once asked what type of music he liked. Oh, my stomach clenched in anticipation. We grew up in the same era, so he traditionally listened to the same “classic rock” as the rest of our generation. When pressed about new music, he replied that he did not like “Pop” very much. Um, OK. I think that Dr. Peterson would probably not like a manufactured Jpop idol group (cough). But I will let that go. What surprised me is that he said that he liked the lyrics of “Eminem” … which stunned me. Now, I hate rap, I hate Eminem. I would go as far as saying that there has never been a rap song that I have ever liked. It is true, that some people whose views I do respect – think that Eminem is some type of modern Shakespeare — if Shakespeare had been a sociopath.  Ok. You can like it. What I hate about rap — all the glorification of violence and racism aside — is that a rap (singer) protagonist is always so egotistical that they are proud of their own ignorance. Proud of being stupid … which I cannot accept.

Thus, I DISAGREE with you Professor. But really, that is about it.

Starlight: Seven months since I started cleaning my room.

 

Denny RE-Bloggs: A fundamental reason why I refuse to get Facebook

I am proud to Re-Blog this post from my friend and fellow Hanako Oku fan tPenguinLTG.

I do not use Facebook myself, although for different reasons than Mr.Penguin.

Please enjoy, and comment!

`The Penguin' says...

I don’t have a Facebook account, and as much as people try to convince me to get one, I invariably refuse for a number of reasons. Among those reasons, there is one that stands out. Yes, privacy is a concern, but this reason is even deeper, more fundamental, than that.

Image credit: FSF

I always say that getting a Facebook account would compromise my principles, but nobody asks how. Let’s start with a superficial reason for not getting an account: I don’t want to provide my real personal info. This, of course, stems from the privacy concern mentioned earlier. “Alright,” you might say, “but lots of people create accounts with fake names. What’s the issue?”

Everyone doing something doesn’t make it right. Everyone lies, but lying isn’t right.

If you actually take the time to read Facebook’s Terms of Service, you will encounter Section 4:

View original post 684 more words

Can you get hepatitis from sharing Keith Richards’ mp3s?

I will indeed admit it when I am wrong. I watched the new Keith Richards documentary “Under The Influence” on Netflix streaming a few weeks ago. I went in with very low expectations, and I expected it to be crap. WOW, WAS I EVER WRONG!!!

I LOVED it. I was a Rolling Stones fan in the 1970s like all my friends were, but I was never super crazy about them. I was more of a Zeppelin/Who fan. Although I was a 70s rocker, I don’t get into it anymore … now that I have turned my life over to the Idols. So, I thought I was going to have a laugh-fest making fun of an out-of-touch, burned out, rich, arrogant old wanker.

Now I am feeling guilty about that. Mr. Richards showed himself to be a great artist worthy of my (and your) respect. He has aged, but that has only added to his deep, historic perspectives on rock-and-roll music. The documentary is a treat for an amateur music historian (that’s me). Mr. Richards is a MASTER of music history.  The documentary shows his love and respect for the roots-music of American Rock-and-Roll, Blues, Country, Rockabilly and Folk.

He plays several examples, and as he does it, he does so with loving affection to the genres.  He is warm, charming, smart, very genuine and funny. I loved all the stories of the early Rolling Stones tours in the US during the 1960s. He got to meet and play with many of his blues heroes such as Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry Bo Diddley and many others. Mr. Richards describes the great influence these musicians had on him. There was a time in the 1960s when the Stones described themselves as “Rhythm and Blues” band. There are many great moments when he pays his respects to the landscapes of American culture. I also liked what he had to say about topics like English folk music being an influence on early American Blues and Rock-and-Roll — as well as Country.

Thus “Under The Influence” is surprisingly … less about DRUG influence and more about MUSICAL influences.

When Keith Richards plays or talks about American jazz, blues and folk, he does so with great LOVE. I respected that.

Other musicians such as Tom Waits and Paul Williams also are interviewed, and they discuss their admiration for Mr. Richard’s accomplishments. He still plays with a band. He can still play that guitar. There is a reason why he is a rock god. His voice is a little aged, but he can still do it. He can still play, he can still write, and he can still experiment.

I mean musically. Of course the subject of his drug and alcohol use come up when other musicians recount a number of stories. Basically, Keith drank and smoked everyone (and everything) under the table.

He even discusses that at one point. He admits that many fans and non-fans have the image of him as drug addled. Of course that subject needs to be discussed: Mr. Richards has proven that he is a SURVIVOR. True he pretty much merged his body with drugs and alcohol. He also chain-smokes during the entire documentary.

You see, drugs did not KILL Keith Richards. He made it through the 60s, 70s, etc. without dying, and that is an accomplishment in itself. I did notice that they did not mention his hard needle-drugs period. I guess that is understandable. It is one thing to portray the rock legend as a party animal – that is cool. But to show his heroin and needle-sharing period would have been in bad taste.

No, drugs did not kill him, drugs MUMMIFIED him. Mr. Richards is VERY WELL PRESERVED, THANK YOU. To that end I have made a little slide show which shows Mr. Richards as well as several real mummies:

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Can you spot the ones which are mummies, and those that are Keith? 

I am left with this music history question however: Could he have even been a better musician/composer had he not done drugs? What could he have done with his musical life if he had not been stoned much of the time?

Mr. Keith Richards, I SALUTE YOU SIR! Denny highly recommends this gem of a music documentary.

Starlight: I am old enough to remember Rolling Stones singles on my AM transistor radio.