Tr1v14l Pursu1ts: What an Easter

Maxims, rules of thumb and other observations on human cognition and sociocultural affectations

This will be added to on an irregular basis...

What is said to humans directly is received with skepticism and considered with dubiousness while that which is heard in passing, especially that which most conforms to their mentality or prejudices, is readily believed.
Humans have a certain cognitive latency between exposure to new information or experiences and the ability to think dispassionately and intellectually about it.
Humans have a certain cognitive spectrum starting with the moment of exposure to new information or experiences and ending with some point at which the thing is effectively "in the past" for them.
This cognitive spectrum is linked to the emotional process often referred to as shock, anger, denial and acceptance.
The more and faster information or experiences are presented to people and the closer the quarters and the lesser the distance between people, the more their early reactions in the passionate emotional stage are reflected back to them in the manner of responses to those reactions from others in light of those responses.
The more outrages which are suffered without sufficient time to allow emotional bleed-off, the farther the bar for subsequent reaction and outrage are pushed, and the more further events must progress before reaction and outrage.
It is possible for serious detriments to eventually sit below this threshold for long enough for their damaging effects to build and multiply until their entire society undergoes some reactive convulsion.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

What an Easter

What an Easter…
     So, was I the only gentile in a 2-1 Jewish home who got the double holiday?

     It began on Good Friday with my wife telling me about the weekend special dinner. I replied, “we’re not having naked horny guys with furry goat legs over for dinner.” She of course screamed, “that’s seder, s-e-d-e-r, NOT satyr!”

     Yeah, I knew, but it’s a yearly tradition. The only bitter herb I know was on WKRP and she threatened to throw a bottle of horseradish at me.

     So anyhow, we watched The Ten Commandments. Twice. Two different versions. I was aghast at the realistic portrayal of violence in the newer version, and at the future people of Israel being led around by the president of the National Rifle Association in the older one.

     My wife as is her skill waited until the last second to put up the roast, and then kicked it into maximum. Inside of two hours, it was about as tough as an old carpet and about as tasty. All oils had been removed and now encircled the meat in the cooker and the moisture boiled off like spit on an Arizona highway in July.

     Overcooked beef, beef drippings, water, crock pot and seasonings… beef soup.

     We couldn’t afford a lamb bone. Oh well. We couldn’t find candles until the second day of Hanukkah either. I think we got our Christmas tree up within a week of the day and bought Halloween handout candy on October 31.

     (insert rolling eyes emoticon here)