What's important?

I don't often get complaints about my memes (click). Of course I sometimes make a spelling error. Not just because English is not my native language but also because I'm easily distracted. According to some I make mistakes because I have 'a busy head' and doctors have called it 'somewhere in the spectrum of ADD, maybe ADHD or autism.'. 

Whatever.

Yes, people don't always agree with the statements I make in my memes. But that's really my whole point of creating them: to start a discussion containing more than a few soundbites. To learn and to teach. To understand and to progress as a human being.

Most of my memes deal with politics. Because literally everything in our lives is politics.

Credit (click) to photographer Antonio Guillem and the models in this photo

That fact got me this complaint:

This was my response to 'Shady, the Rap God', probably (based on the memes he likes and creates himself (click)) a bored teen who likes Eminem, gaming and Spongebob:

I know, right? While almost everything else is much more important than politics. Liking posting pictures of Spongebob smoking pot, showing people the new costume of a video game character, stating how bored you are in school and all that other hilarious and really, really important stuff. But politics? Nah. That just deals with school, healthcare, your dad's car, housing, agriculture, infrastructure, the planet, fastfood, online gaming...

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Of course teens have other interests than adults but don't they teach children in school that literally everything in our lives is politics? How fast we can drive, the width of our housedoors, equal rights, the percentage of salt and sugar in (fast) food and drinks, education, taking care of the planet, et cetera.

Are you interested in politics aka everything in our lives? If not, why is that?

The same number appeared (a circle #poem)

The same number appeared 

everywhere

In the hotel,

in the forest,

in a street sign

He saw it in her eyes,

when she wrote it on her list

and when he wondered what went right.

It was on the box

and it was in the box.

But no matter where he searched,

it was always

the same 

number appeared 

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

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What do you think 'Sharia' means?

When you don't know what something means, you do your own research (look it up online, ask a friend...) so you will know what you're talking about. Right? Turns out: not everybody does. How many people simply take a popular quote and make that their 'own' opinion? Too many.

For example: in what religion does an often used word mean "the clear, well-trodden path to water"? In more plain English - and fans of Star Wars may recognize this - you could say: 'This is the way'. Or 'Tao' in other cultures.

Muslims know this set of rules as 'sharia (click)'. It's based on the teachings and words of the Prophet Muhammad and - like with all Holy Writings - these words are also subject to interpretation.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word 'sharia' and is that based on actual knowledge or just your 'gut' (meaning your favourite populists) talking?

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For them (a #poem or #shortStory)

He had a nice watch.

Analogue.

It said 'Twenty past four'.

Which it wasn't.

But they both didn't care

because time flew by

while it also

had stopped.

At least for them.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

A donation (click) is much appreciated:

Are we the pinnacle of evolution?

We are the best of the best, right? Humans are the top of the line in the animal kingdom. We rule them all!

Why? Because...well...because we can think. And choose not to. For instance: we invented democracy. That fine system with voting rights for everyone! And only two thousand years later also for poor people, people with darker skin colour than Bob Hope and one day even for people without a penis! 

What a great achievement, right? In some countries you don't even have to be of opposite sexes to get married! Perhaps one day our great-grandchildren will live in a world n which everyone is truly equal. Just as equal as people who were born in a rich country from rich parents!

We also invented the Post-it: a sticky piece of paper that won't stick for long. On purpose. And bubblewrap. 

We even became so evolved that we don't kill other animals for food but strictly to see the numbers change in a bank account. Or simply for 'sports'. 

Why do we think that humans are the best kind of animals? Because we make progress? We've been making 'progress' for some 35,000 years now. And look at the state of the planet. And those of people. Of whom some 35,000 die from an easy to solve problem: hunger. Every. Single. Day. But hey, at least we are capable of wondering why we are so stupid. That makes us really, really intelligent, right?

Plus: we humans have been around for some 300.000 years! Isn't that amazing?

Not really. At least not compared to the jellyfish. The jellyfish (click) have been around for over 500 million (...) years. And the jellyfish will most likely outlive humans. Although they haven't made any kind of progress as a species that we know of. And perhaps that's the secret to last that long: when you have something that works, don't change it. If you do, you may kill yourself. And the planet along with it.

Perhaps - if only to save the planet - we should take a step back and leave things to this amazing creature:

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

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To All (a #poem)

When all you've ever known

is Darkness,

Light can hurt

as much as a memory

of times to come

In the present

no one's safe

until they reach

The end to all 

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

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Feminism: is it bad to strive for equality?

Australian influencer Shannen Michaela once was a feminist but recently shared this statement with her millions of fans:

Almost like she was getting paid to advertise the patriarchy: a society in which people like Donald Trump and Andrew Tate (click) decide how women should dress, think, behave and can't make decisions about their own body. Is that what you want?

'Yeah, well, than those women should toughen up and be stronger. Just like men like Donald Trump and Andrew Tate." I disagree:

If we raise children to be 'tough and strong', aren't we creating a world in which everyone needs to be tough and strong and there's no room for those who choose kindness? If we see kindness as a weakness...I don't think that's a world we want to see. 

To stand up against the old men who believed (and some still do!) it was okay that women should always do what men tell them, feminism was created. And I'm all for it. And don't worry, 'tough, strong, 'real' men': women and other minorities getting more rights, doesn't mean you get less. 

That's not how this 'equal rights' thing works. So don't listen to those fake men you consider your leaders of a patriarchal society: they are just a bunch of losers, scared to death that others may get the same rights that they have had for hundreds of years.

What are your thoughts on feminism and other outings of groups wanting equality?

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

A donation (click) is much appreciated:

A Loaf of Bread (a #poem)

Time to feast

on the remains of the beast

Fear trumps hate

to say the least 

Let them eat cake

was never said

but the Queen lost her head

nonetheless

Because the people were hungry

for power

and became the ones

they loathed

Would you rather eat power

or a loaf of bread?

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

A donation (click) is much appreciated:

Vanguard and Blackrock

Vanguard is - together with the (Australian) Murdoch family, one of the largest shareholders of Fox. Which means that most of the 'news' brought by Fox is broadcast into US livingrooms by foreigners. Who - funnily enough - tell their US audience to be afraid of foreigners. And the people buy it. Literally. 

Vanguard is the largest owner of two thirds of all US companies. Let that sink in: some 2 out of every three companies in the USA are in the hands of a bunch of unknown - but most likely - non-US investors. Blackrock comes in second. But not in close second; Blackrock 'only' controls a bit over 30 of the 500 most valuable companies in the US.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

A donation (click) is much appreciated:

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Recently Blackrock came under fire from US conservatives because the company used its money and power to urge companies to 'go green'. Once conservatives call your company 'woke', you're done. Finished. Conservative voters may even buy every single one of your products and set fire to them in a Tik Tok clip to show people that company should not make another penny.  

So Blackrock (click) did the only thing they could do: the put an oil executive on board. In the most literal sence of the word; the CEO of Aramco, the gigantuous Saudi Arabian oil company, is now a board member of Blackrock.

Conspiracy theorists are right: the world ís run by 'the elite': the largest oil- and investment companies and the politicians they control (click).  

Of course there's a lot more to it than this but this piece would be too long for the average people's attention span. So, if you want to know more about Vanguard, Blackrock and 'the elite', do as dumb right people claim they do but factually refuse to do in favour of citing right wing populists: do your own research.