I Express Political Views and Make a New Friend
Okay, this may be a bit confusing, but I'm breaking this into two columns, because it transpired simultaneously under two separate Facebook Posts. The "new friend" is Sophia. This is the first time she's ever joined in on any of my conversations, and it's actually the first time I talked to her at all.
Apparently, when I posted the status update in the right column, my mom commented, but it never reached my page and I never saw it. That lead to her status update in the left column and the conversation that ensued.
Apparently, when I posted the status update in the right column, my mom commented, but it never reached my page and I never saw it. That lead to her status update in the left column and the conversation that ensued.
Gabrielle: My own son deleted my comment on his status!! Incredible. ArchAngel: I did not. ArchAngel: I don't delete comments, I spin them into in depth discussions that normally end with just me and Ophan going back and forth, which I then save for posterity. I have a bunch already, on all sorts of topics, cause one day I'm gonna write a book, and everyone will be amazed and say how much wisdom it contains, and I'll call them all retards, because I of all people know how very very little words are worth. Plus, there'll be raptors! It always leads to raptors with me. Gabrielle: Then what happened to my comment? ArchAngel: I don't know, mom. But I don't put that much faith in the infallibility of Facebook. Also, I'm in Iraq. I'm sure somewhere in there it's possible a breakdown occurred. I got three posts from you on my comment. If the one you're talking about isn't there, I welcome you to re-post it. I can't have these discussions with myself. Thats' a total lie, I really can. But they're not as thought provoking, and I never enjoy them as much, because normally I agree with myself, which doesn't make for a very dynamic, engaging conversation. Also, I'm very good at seeing other points of view, but I can't find them on my own. They have to be presented to me by someone else. Sophia: Excuse me, I like ArchAngel. Gabrielle: Sophia, with your wit, watching you and ArchAngel in a conversation would be quite humorous! LOL ArchAngel: You probably shouldn't encourage him. He's already quite sure of himself. The phrase "irrationally ego maniacal, narcissistic to the point of absurdity" has been tossed about. Sophia: I love it, now. But, I am not at the top of my game at this time. This is also not the first time that someone has attempted to pit me against another Facebooker (sounds like face booger.) I have no idea why anyone thinks I am so venomous or quick witted? I am just a humble housewife...or am I?! Sachielle: Oh Gabrielle, he is funny, and grown up....yikes I feel old. But you're still older....haha ArchAngel: I am both quick witted and venomous, and always up for a challenge. Other words that accurately describe me: amazing, genius, stunningly attractive, and modest. ArchAngel: This is not where the real conversation is, however, and it's not helping enrich that thread. Sophia: I am actually going to delete me, because I am putting Gabrielle to shame...sorry nice Gabrielle. I am not feeling it today. Plus, I just don't want to be a viper anymore....I am trying to be nice lately. Boring and nice. Succeeding woefully. [Sophia had another post in here that she deleted before I could get to it in which she described herself, among other things, as typical, mundane, lethargic and lackadaisical.] ArchAngel: Where do you know this one from, mom? She had my attention for a minute, then she just rolled over and gave up with the standard girl line. Lethargic? How much energy does it take to type? I've never met anyone that tried to make "lackadaisy" into an adverb that could be described accurately as either typical or mundane. Sophia: Still like ArchAngel. Have I met you before? Seriously, you look familiar, and I went to school with an ArchAngel...could it be? Sophia: Thanks, I just came down from a four hour walk with my four children...and an attack from a snake...that is why I am a bit out of it... :-) ArchAngel: I didn't go to school, I was born this awesome. If my mom says differently, that's merely because I've experimented with my new found thought and memory reconstruction abilities to make her forget that I was the product of the most perfect and rare genetic material ever to be grown in a lab and raised by raptors. See? Raptors again. Sophia: I see. Raptors are my favorite animal. Velociraptor to be exact. My kids and I all run around in a herd, screeching and clawing at invisible prey. Yum. Once, when I was younger, I was a camp counselor. I snuck into the girls cabins and attacked them all as if I were a raptor. Needless to say, they loved it and my nickname was Animal. My love of them goes waaaay back. You may now add that you have excellent taste to your list of attributes. ArchAngel: I didn't say anything about liking raptors. I said I was raised by them. I have a long, trouble history with the little beasts, and some of that history hasn't even happened yet! Like, the small matter of my death. I have that account saved somewhere [See “Some Stress Manifests Itself in the Form of Openly Hostile Words"]. Sophia: I do not recall reading that you were raised by them, but it would seem right. Given your voracious attitude and razor sharp tongue. Do you still speak with the pack? Or were you driven out because of your weaknesses? Can I find some of your kin in the Gobi? Or are they more like Nessie, and still around but hiding? ArchAngel: They're not my kin, they're horrid lizardy beasts with a poor grasp of dental hygiene. There's a long history between myself and their kind, not all of which I've made up yet. For the record, I only have one or two weaknesses, none of which are noticeable by cretaceous standards Sophia: Would you answer any questions put to you in an honest fashion? Or do you always reply in a pompous and bombastic way? Because, I find you interesting and would like to ask a few innocuous inquests. I will only put them to you, if you answer non metaphorically. ArchAngel: Eh, it's hard to tell. Depends on the question, and the mood I'm in. I'm reasonably sure you could get a straight answer or two outta me, but you may have to sift through some crap as well. Also, I'm a former contractor that's now an army soldier. My choice of...uh... creative adjectives reflects that. I try to control my tongue on my mom's wall, because the midgets can see that, but I make no guarantees. And don't assume my pompous attitude is an affectation. I'm still up in the air as to how deep that particular trait runs myself. Sophia: Hey, I never said that it was an affectation. You are not alone. I have some of your blood, obviously. Maybe to a lesser degree because of circumstances. But I definitely know some very bright, quick, and high minded people. I usually like them the most. I was just wanting to know how we get this way? Mine is partially an act, and partially my true personality. I think about a lot of deep things, but I can never express them. So I don't try anymore. Thanks for attempting to keep it clean. I have four midgets, as well. It is nice to meet you, and I am sure we will all get knocked down quite a few notches with these attitudes. I always do, anyway. So, a small honest question, do you joke and jest to hide pain? You have all rights to ignore that or answer jokingly...because even then, I will have my answer. And who is your favorite music group, or band? Just curious. ArchAngel: Depends on the type of pain. I use humor for everything, mainly because very few things are worth taking seriously. Worry and stress and anger and depression don't typically deserve any mind, because they're tiresome and pointless. Now laughing, that's always worth it. When I die, I don't want to look back and think "holy crap, I spent a collective total of three years of my life being angry!" However, if I happen to see that I spent three collective years laughing, then it was totally worth it. I think God laughs a lot, cause when confronted with the amazing resilience of human retardedness, you have to laugh to keep on loving. That's how I (attempt to) do it. I think He laughs for different reasons, but if He is indeed a perfect being, then I have to assume He spends a lot of time laughing, or at least smiling with gusto. If I'd ignored that, you'd have drawn a conclusion, but it would be a far cry from an answer. There is a distinction. Now, that's why I laugh, but how I cope with pain is very different. I tend to be extremely morbid and dark, because for me, it makes the light easier to see. I find the concept of death and pain romantic, and am inclined to indulge in activities related to these things. One of my methods of searching for understanding. Also, dark and evil, or shadow and evil, or night and evil, or any variation thereof, are not synonymous concepts in my book. I believe there is a very dark, shadowy forest with a liquid black, iridescent river flowing through it under a full moon casting a pale crimson hue on the thick leaves of the canopy waiting for me in Heaven. Also, I'll have fangs and a tail. And a bitchin' cool leather trench coat. Hell, on the other hand, at least to me, is a sterile, stagnate place of bright, harsh light and cold. everything's white, and nothing ever changes, and every second ticks by with an eternity wrapped in it. There is no music, no sound, and everything feels like a fresh piece of five star notebook paper. As for my favorite band, that's a much shorter, simpler answer. Ben Folds, hands down, no question. Listen to some of that and try to reconcile it with the picture of me forming in your mind's eye. Sophia: I drew a conclusion to draw out a real answer. And I got a good one, thanks. Ben Folds...You Don't Know Me. I am with you. Man, you are the one who has a picture of me in your mind. I have none of you...which is why I asked about you. Be back later. Just know that I am glad to have met you. And I have no preconceived notions of who you are, because I don't even know you. At least I know that much. I said I don't judge, or try very hard not to. Also, I am good at taking corrections and at causing misunderstandings. Please keep that in mind. Good day. As the musical master Ben Folds has said numerous times...”You don't know me at all.” You have extremely good taste. ArchAngel: That song's not really an appropriate quote for this situation. It's really taken out of context. However, I'll allow it, because anyone that quotes Folds deserves a little slack. Next time though, I'll expect a more obscure reference. Now, first off, let me say that you do have an image of me in your mind, it's the way humans work. The difference between a good person and a normal one is that a good person ignores it, doesn't realize it, can alter it to better suit evidence without having to think about it. That picture may be fuzzy, but at the very least your subconscious starts drawing conclusions and forming expectations that lead you to think, "he seems interesting." You inferred that I have made this kind of snap judgment about you, and that I didn't quite get. What lead you to think that? As always, I talked only specifically about myself (in detail and excess,) and only vaguely about other people or groups of people, making rash unfounded generalizations. I have no illusions about how accurate my opinions are when focused on an individual. They lose the little bit of validity they have when held up next to a real person. And as for you being glad you met me, we can revisit that in a month or two, see how that's workin' for you. On my part, I don't say nice things about people unless I wrap the compliment in a (very) thinly veiled, deep cutting insult. As it happens, I don't know you well enough yet to know what cuts deep but doesn't scar (I have in recent years grown to detest the taste of inflicting long-lasting emotional injuries. A playfully jarring shot to the ego is preferred over the ruthless and unnecessary pureeing of the soul,) and I'm reasonably sure the standards in my repertoire would give the wrong impression and have no satisfying effect on my end. You see, I draw conclusions about people too, and I tend to be very good at it. The key is to always know that at any given point you could be completely wrong, and adjust your views to the evidence accordingly. I read body language and mannerism very well, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of trying to figure someone out (to the extent anyone can be figured out by another, anyway,) with nothing but the words they use. You have piqued my interest though, which I suppose is a compliment. It's the one of the highest ones I bestow, at any rate, because it infers that I didn't automatically discount you as inferior. We'll see if you reach canine status. Not many make it there in my book. And, if any of that matters to you at all, then I was wrong altogether and will quickly grow bored. If you're worth a damn as a person, my opinion means (what's the onomatopoeia for a raspberry?) to you. | ArchAngel: Is getting tired of listening to people bitch about the president, when that's all they're really doing. I could be wrong, but I'm not sure bitching has ever done anything to fix problems, it seems to just piss people off. And I'm an expert on bitching. It's a hobby of mine. Laylah: I'd almost go as far as to say you invented bitching... you are definitely a pro! ArchAngel: Yeah, and I enjoy it, too. The thing is, I do it in person, or in private, and with a humorous flare. The random, uneducated, unresearched Facebook post just to shout to the world "I'm here, and I don't like it!" is completely superfluous, and irksome to boot. The time it takes these people to comment about this stuff is time they could be using to do real research on the subject, or maybe, God forbid, investing it in some actual effort to change things. You're American, you get to have an opinion, just like it's your right to be as willfully ignorant as you choose. But if you want to spout off with something for the whole internet to hear, instead of embarrassing those that share your beliefs, read a bit, find out if you even know what those beliefs are, and stop relying on another's interpretation of things to form an opinion. Hi, mom! Laylah: LMAO... I love the "hi mom!" You crack me up... Shouldn't you be doin' somethin'?? I think you have too much free time! ArchAngel: I work 12 hours, most of which occurs in the middle of the night. I read, draw and play video games. And harass people on Facebook. That is my job. And for reference, my mom is the one I see most often on my wall saying things about Obama. Today, it was 2 jokes from Jay Leno, who is obviously a concrete, factually accurate source of political information. I mean, who would dare question the integrity and motives of the pure and ethical media? Gabrielle: Good grief! They were jokes!! I can't believe you deleted my comment! Gabrielle: Wow, maybe you felt threatened by some jokes? Gabrielle: I think Obama is the absolute worst president we've ever had in this country. I'm not speaking from ignorance. I have done my homework. ArchAngel: What comment did I delete? I didn't delete anything. And I'm not threatened. Just aggravated. Everyone seems to think they could do better, when no one has any idea what's actually involved. And you thought Clinton was the worst president ever at one point, if I recall. I'm not sure what the qualifications are for "worst president ever," but if we're going for straight avoidable body count, that race has to be between Clinton and his army of aborted fetuses and mini-bush and this current debacle over [insert conspiracy theory here.] Don't get me wrong, I didn't vote for Obama. I didn't vote for the other guy either. I'll vote when I don't feel like I'm choosing the lesser of two evils. As it stands, I at least respect Obama. I believe the leader of the Free World should be smarter than me, and I think he probably is. Also, I think he'd whoop my ass in an honest street fight, and that earns him bonus points. He's pretty sharp for an old dude. In the age we live in, there will always be a force controlling things on a massive social scale, and as long as humans are the way we are, we'll always a figurehead to take responsibility, deal with the flack and backlash produced by a largely (and willfully) ignorant public. It is a bit absurd though, to believe one man is responsible for all the intricacies of the machine driving our country. The best case scenario is that he's clever enough to actually successfully exert some amount of influence on our monstrosity of a society. Someone's always gonna be running the world. I find it more satisfying to ignore or accept that fact (these are the same things in my mind,) and worry more about changing things for individuals close to you, to better your life. Man worries about the whole, the huge overwhelming tides of society, seeing only their impact on his life. God worries about you, and every now and then, one person's tiny pebble thrown in the ocean causes an insignificant little ripple, and just sometimes, long after the pebble and the one who tossed it is gone, that ripple grows into a wave, and then into a tsunami that changes everything. Sophia: I don't hate Obama, never said a word against him. I don't like the anti Obama junk, either. I am uneducated and happier that way. I don't care who likes or dislikes that. But I think it is inappropriate to mock our leaders. Whether we like them or not. I just pay my taxes, vote for who I like the most and pray for the best. But politics is idiotic. Politicians are only people. Who are we to judge? That is where I stand. I delete all of those posts and ignore all of the invites....I am a Christian, but we aren't supposed to judge. ArchAngel: I'm not allowed to talk bad about the president, because he's actually my boss. Seriously, they can bring UCMJ action against me for it. Even so, I agree fundamentally with what you're saying. Politicians are hardly people, and deserve much less sympathy and understanding from us in my point of view, but I have some very elitist views concerning those that loosely fall into the category of "human." Sophia: Aha! I see. Understand you, but everyone deserves some form of pity, or grace. Whatever term you choose to use. We are all just dirt. Honestly. Sophia: My third favorite word, dirt. ArchAngel: Pity is a horrible way of looking down on someone. Pity means you get to be condescending, but you're not a bad person for it. Grace and pity are unrelated. When you say pity, do you mean mercy? That's a boring 3rd favorite word. Sophia: I was trying to say, empathy. Or something like that. Never at all meant to say looking down on someone. I think that you can tell that, even from our brief introduction to each other. I do not look down on anyone. I know who I am and that is not a possibility in my life. You are correct, pity was not the right choice of word. Grace was closer, but I know so little of that, I do not feel qualified to say it too often. Empathy. That is my word. Understanding and concern. Anyway, off of that deep subject...onto favorite bands. I am alone here...I like some odd stuff. Just trying to see if my musical tastes are shared by similar minded individuals? It is not as "out of the blue" as it would seem. Do imaginative individuals tend to like similar music? Not the run of the mill stuff. That is the question, really. Sophia: Dirt is not boring...it rolls off of the tongue nicely. I have liked it since I was five and just wanted to keep one thing the same. So I won't change it. :-P Fourth favorite word is phrenology. Interesting study, as well. I like bones. Forensic anthropology is my interest. ArchAngel: Oh, you're gonna be lots of fun to pick on. |