Reconsidering hell. Being trapped in a place with other people, say on a plane or in a building, even in a tight, closed room, allows you to see that hell is not other people. Not to say that hell is to be stuck alone, or that, rather than hell, it is heaven to be welded irreversibly to our own kind. Neither heaven nor hell nor anything as extreme as these, to be stuck, and only with other people, is opportunity for the creation of manifold atmospheres: the atmosphere of complaint and lamentation, the atmosphere of joy and human fellow-feeling, the atmosphere of gossip, good storytelling, faces and gestures, jokes and banter abounding. Not hell, because we will not be with them forever; not heaven, for the same reason. Just the human world as it has always been: fragile, multiple, and filled with hellish and heavenly surprises.
Love the Dust 
I had no idea how many religious idiots you were surrounded by on wordpress. I am here to help balance the equation. Because you deserve better even if you do find their material useful to your creativity. And you deserve a real dialogue not just a one-sided path to their personal salvation and or doom. They know NOTHING about positive or negative thinking or mental health. They do not think “critically” because they are sheepishly mind-f*cked. Stay subversive Richard Q.
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Hey there. I want to thank you right away for the admonition to stay subversive. Those words mean a lot to me. Since using WordPress to get words out to other human beings, or other readers and writers, I have been amazed by the people I have met behind the words, even words I am very distant from in my own heart. Everyone can sound like an idiot. I myself have a resounding idiocy within me. And some idiots are good idiots. I want to say all of them, but I know how disturbing that is, especially this time of day.
Thank you also for giving me “real dialogue.” I have traveled through many degrees and forms of dialogue, online and in my daily, fleshly conversations with all and sundry. The real ones are the best.
I believe in human beings. I believe strange and wondrous things about them. The sheep among them, the wolves, the snakes, the parrots, the dinosaurs, the turtles and hares, the ostriches, the porcupines, all of them. A little time has passed since beginning this message, so I thought I could get that one in!
I hope your days have something great about them. I hope they are great in full.
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So you’re here playing the devil’s advocate as well as anyone who comes into your court may speak freely, unguarded, and you will write painterly portraits of them… with creative license, being an artist, as that is your prerogative as one.
Again, when I find myself here, I am in the wrong place. No offense to you at all.
I stopped using the word great after tRump applied it incorrectly to the USA. All it means is big. Full is abundance and I find that mostly akin to greed.
Knowing you to mean well and not otherwise, I apologize for forcing meanings onto any of your words or ideas.
Peace yo.
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Thank you a “great” deal for speaking so candidly. I somehow understand the struggle. I neither expect nor wish to “be for everyone.” I try not to have too many hang-ups, especially how people take what I write. It’s what it’s there for, after all….
I would like to hear more about what you take as devil’s advocacy. It is funny being called the devil’s advocate when that seems such an intentional stance…which I am not intending! A hoot!
I do not mind at all. Come and go as you wish. Yo.
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well, you’re attracting a lot of religious folks and you are writing satirically (upon occasion) as well as trying to allow all their voices to speak thru you. That sir, is a devil’s advocate.
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I am quite familiar with the term, and the phenomenon. My grandmother was an astonishing devil’s advocate. I have never been too fond of the phenomenon, as I believe in a certain genuineness of pathos of ideas, and I have never perceived the devil’s advocate as genuine. I don’t understand devil’s advocacy in the way you described it, as I am not writing, satirizing or giving a position for mere provocation or sensation. I’ll take it though. Bless that damned devil.
Thanks for the clarification…!
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Well, you successfully helped usurp all of my pals online. Way to press down for good measure! Chalk one up for the man.
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Dang. My comprehension is failing me somehow here. Press down? Who’s “the man?”
I did not realize the ties between people, or the alter egos people have, when I found and read people’s posts. I am only beginning to realize some of them.
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I only have this one ego. I am G. Buster Henry. My blog is very new. I am new to blogging. I came at you outta left field. I find it hard to believe you haven’t made our tribal connections yet. You followed everyone of Georgie’s and Pussy Krampus’ friends that had a public blog. So you got in on our action. And we put up the wall and we put you thru trial, guilty before found innocent, because wordpress is not kind. And Grace is a bitch. And I say these word-names with layer upon layer of history and meaning and I apologize to you for all of it.
You’re not a bad man. You’re a passionate writer and multi-media artist with a sweet heart.
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Thank you. I understand that a lot is changing, but these words of yours still had a marked and encouraging impact on my days.
Well, by this time I have made a lot of the tribal connections. But it was very recently. I was drawn to the people you mentioned because their words have fire for me, and I thought following people was the easiest way to find their words again. I feel I went about this too naively.
I am not too worried about being a good or a bad man. I do find myself worrying sometimes that the best of us will eat each other and ourselves alive and become cannibals. That discussions in which difference remains alive will become more and more of an unbearable nightmare for us, and we will run further and further away into private worlds.
I welcome your trials. I hope your days are filled with something you love. Or someone.
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naw, I won’t be eatin long-pig with the rest of ya’ll. Hey there Richard Q.
From my witness, most folks get real excited by the numbers of follows and make announcements about it, calling it an achievement and some beg, if they could only get one more follow, they’d be tipped over with joy. Makin’ sure to thank their followers for making it all possible. Beauty queen for a full on Warhol 15. And where that always stumps me, I mean, I know why this is, I don’t care to be part of the gaming…
You’re not naive in general… you’re doing the norm. It’s applauded and encouraged on wordpress to be as superficial as possible and monetize your blog. You don’t even have to have content to be an affiliate marketer. You do have to learn how not to piss off your target audience tho. I read about this recently.
Not that you’re superficial. You’re just open to it all.
But so you picked my tribe… and we got Uppity. It was good for us to go thru that process. Again.
It’s ok what happened. You’re cool.
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You are cool, too. Cooler than cool. I say that in earnest, as you and those I met in connection to you are truly the best and truest voices I have found on this platform. I hope you and your tribe find a sea where you may swim in your own waters.
I have a feeling that I should have researched wordpress more before getting involved…. The last thing I want for any of my words is for them to be read for a “like.” Or for them not to be read at all, but merely “liked” for other “likes” in turn. I stayed away from social media since it was invented because of social habits like this.
Well, I’ll see how long I can stand it. I think if I become an “affiliate marketer” (I’m just now learning of it), my time is just about up and I should just go back to the typewriter!
Thanks for reaching out. It was special to me.
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Hi Richard Q.
The title of this blog essay by Pooja G is kinda alarming, but she has good reason. She isn’t done blogging and has found many wordpress people to be worth it still, but maybe read this to see what’s been going on. It helped me become aware of the problems and so if you do keep at it, at least you’ll be in the know. I’m not sure what I will do “finally” but I went ahead and posted today.
I hope I didn’t interfere with your writing or voice. I’d hate it if that happened.
https://lifesfinewhine.ca/2023/02/04/wordpress-needs-to-be-stopped/
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Thanks for sending this to me. Pooja G was one of the first bloggers I came to. I am also thankful for her voice.
The world is deteriorating, especially social forms of it. And most of that deterioration has to do with money, i.e. capitalism. It is the hardest thing for us to keep our love of quiet, of creation, of genuine friendship in this world with its powers and principalities shouting to us from all sides, demanding loudly that we sell ourselves, and at any cost.
I still feel this love, though. Even here.
I hope you feel encouraged as the days pass.
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Pooja G confirmed what’s happening and brought folks together in an authentically positive way. She didn’t paste a smile on it and call for grace. She understands how we feel and so is actually helpful. There is a lot of ego in the patriarchal model and I am here NOT to be put in my proper place by old social forms or new neglectful negligent culpable complacent complicit social forms.
I want a way to block users from viewing my blog without going into full on private mode. I want that “block” to remove their “likes” from my blog. This would disentangle me from the bots and the trolls and the organized agendas of religious patriarchy. I want a way to edit and or delete the comments I have left on other blogs when I become aware they don’t have any sensitivity regarding rape-culture and how they are actively participating in it. And when they are made aware they man-splain and act stupid. I KNOW you don’t care about any of us, so I’m going to leave you now.
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I understand. Thank you for caring for me as far as you have.
And thank you for pointing out my dullness.
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beware of further speaking like a bot Richard Q-anon
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Captcha….. I mean gotcha.
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Richard, I love this: ” it is heaven to be welded irreversibly to our own kind.” May your day be bright with joy.
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I heard a story of Hephaestus the god of blacksmiths from Plato’s Symposium (Drinking Party). The god would visit lovers in their dreams and ask whether they would like to be welded together forever. The true lovers would say Yes! I have always loved the tale, and think it snuck into this ditty!
Thank you, Stacey. The day is indeed shining. I hope yours is marvelous.
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