A renowned South African whitewater tour guide who was leading a couple of American kayakers on a whitewater expedition on an unexplored river in the Congo was apparently pulled from his kayak by a crocodile and presumed to be lunch. I suspect that little adventure is forever burned into the memory of the survivors.
Am I alone in feeling a special sense of horror at the idea of being eaten by a predator? Don't know why. And I think it's even worse when the predator is a reptile like a crocodile. Or a shark. These beasts seem kind of like prehistoric monsters. Maybe it's some sort of genetic memory from the thousands or millions of years our ancestors were on the menu for large numbers of animals with big teeth and claws and appetites. Maybe it's just the idea of a living, breathing, thinking person with dreams and aspirations being turned into crocodile shit. And is the fact that a crocodile sees us as just lunch ego-deflating to the prevalent view that sees mankind as made-in-the-very-image-of-God special?
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From NPR
Speaking of God stuff... The critically acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi (who was arrested last year for publicly mourning the protesters killed following the infamous presidential election) has been sentenced by the theocracy ruling Iran to 6 years in prison for "conspiring against national security and spreading propaganda against the Iranian system". He was also banned from writing or making movies or traveling abroad for 20 years. Like any dictatorial, totalitarian system, this is how theocracies have always behaved. Special skepticism should always be reserved for any who claim to speak in God's name. And they certainly should be kept far from the levers of power. For those who hear God speaking to them, you can be sure he always says exactly what they want to hear.
I was reminded of a great comment from a reader of a news article about some theocracy (I think it was about the crackdown by the Iranian theocratic government during pro-democracy protests). It said, "when a religion must be policed, enforced, or dictated it has failed and become destructive in a way it was not meant to be". If only I could distill my thoughts so succinctly! Like Shakespeare in Hamlet, "Brevity is the soul of wit", to mention but one of the immortal lines from that work. Certainly didn't intend to compare that writer with Shakespeare.
The White House is claiming another victory with the new START arms reduction treaty being ratified by the Senate. President Obama said, "the strong bipartisan vote in the Senate sends a powerful signal to the world that Republicans and Democrats stand together on behalf of our security."
Translation: Republicans and Democrats made a careful assessment of the political advantages and disadvantages of a yes or no vote and cast the vote they felt would further their careers and curry favor with the particular constituency that might be paying attention.
**turned into crocodile shit** thanks for that mental image :)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the random updates on current events. Nursing school consumes my time lately so I've been in somewhat of a bubble. It's nice to be reminded about the world outside of school. I'm REALLY enjoying reading your blog. I can't believe you waited this long to start it.
Ha! Sorry for the crudity. I couldn't help myself! I thought of using polite terminology but given the horror of such a death I thought graphic realism would better make the point (lest we forget) that when we venture out into the tender embrace of Mother Nature we get no special consideration.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. You may have created a monster! I'm enjoying myself, though I worry about being tedious or pedantic. When you have a tendency toward nerdiness it's easy to forget that most folks aren't as interested in the details or as endlessly fascinated with everything as you are.