Kevin's Watch

My sons gave me a book by Paul Ham about Australians in the Vietnam War last year for Fathers Day.
This year they gave me the new Madden PlayStation game!!
I asked them "Why did you give your old man a PlayStation Game?"
The response went something along the lines of "You went to some pretty dark places with that book we gave you last year dad"....
And they were right, I drilled into human behaviours - and stopped when I started to learn more about what happened to the US C Company and what they subsequently did at My Lai. I remember feeling like sh*t for a fortnight.
I must admit, the Madden game is bloody good!
As a game, it has come a long long way from where it began.

The history of mankind is one of atrocities perpetrated on each other. It's also one of acts of kindness and generosity and nobility.

Sadly, one of those rings far louder than the other...

--A

Odd thing; In the Faber Book of Reportage eyewitness accounts of atrocities from Nanking through Shabra and Shatila to My Lai are given, as well as much older accounts from history. The striking thing about these accounts is the 'sameness' of the events they describe. It's as if there is a deeply buried behaviour pattern in our brains - present in all of us - that 'lemming like', waits (generation after generation if necessary) for the right 'keys to be turned', buttons to be pressed, in order for it to be instigated. How else do you explain why normally civilised men and women, suddenly and inexplicably, succumb to the uncontrollable frenzy needed to commit the basest of acts against their fellow man. Witnessing of atrocities committed against their own comrades certainly is one of the key's - but is not in my mind enough on it's own.

I have just started on a book by Robert Sapolsky called Behave that examines the subject of human behaviour at it's best and worst and hope to get some further insights into this most distressing aspect of our natures from this. But I agree with Av; we mustn't fail to see the huge capacity for love and kindness within ourselves either because it seems overshadowed at times by the other.

Yes Peter, and Av, people like you and me and all of us. Turned mad by madness.

It's a funny old world, what?

--A

peter wrote: How else do you explain why normally civilised men and women, suddenly and inexplicably, succumb to the uncontrollable frenzy needed to commit the basest of acts against their fellow man. Witnessing of atrocities committed against their own comrades certainly is one of the key's - but is not in my mind enough on it's own.

The word "frenzy" here stands out to me, personally .. as Ive seen colleagues succumb to it, and I have even myself been caught up in the adrenalin of high pressure situations, however, Ive never succumbed to "attrocious behaviour" that I have witnessed it in others. Its without doubt literally sickening.

Im not sure what its cause is .. adrenalin, pressure, a strange kind of excitement, the hunt, the kill .. .. power plays a part I am sure ....

I think it is at its basest level bestial. And yet I feel it an offence to fellow beasts LOL

Pete wrote:I have just started on a book by Robert Sapolsky called Behave that examines the subject of human behaviour at it's best and worst and hope to get some further insights into this most distressing aspect of our natures from this.

Do share your findings Pete .. its a thing Ive been incredibly flummoxed by throughout my life .. when looking at the holocaust, crimes against humanity, cruel and unusual treatment of other humans etc ..

Pete wrote:But I agree with Av; we mustn't fail to see the huge capacity for love and kindness within ourselves either because it seems overshadowed at times by the other.

I think its easy to allow the loudest, crudest, vilest voices to dominate the historical narrative .. and the ugliest crimes do tend to overshadow how we view our human track record .. but in reality .. such actions, behaviour is rather dwarfed by average, normal, functional .. even loving human interactions.

I think most of us dont get to witness the ugliest forms of human interactions .. thankfully .. and continue in our average, reasonable, and measured relationships .. mostly oblivious to that kind of world, where the most dangerous of humans thrive.

My daughter wanted to follow in my footsteps .. and I did not want that for her .. I feared it would destroy her, her heart .. that or leave her hard, mean, cold and unforgiving. She is far to precious to me.

Skyweir wrote:
Im not sure what its cause is .. adrenalin, pressure, a strange kind of excitement, the hunt, the kill .. .. power plays a part I am sure ....

Well, we are effectively predators, and territorial ones at that, so that does make sense in some cases.

We're also geared toward striving for dominance.

Thing is, while society has evolved, biologically we're only just barely down from the trees, scanning the savannah for threats and opportunities.

We started walking primarily upright about 4 million years ago, and our bodies are still not 100% adapted to bipedal movement...

--A

With you as an example Sky, I think there would be little risk of that - more however from the actual danger of the work itself. Too risky these days I think and agree with your policy of dissuasion on this score alone.

Meanwhile.....

Yesterday the UK headlines were full of the story of 'bonking Boris Johnson and the blonde parliamentary assistant' he has reputedly been ......errr.......well, bonking I guess, since apparently separating from his wife some weeks ago. This isn't news in my opinion. In fact given Boris's reputation it would be more newsworthy if he wasn't bonking a blonde PA or three somewhere behind the scenes at Westminster!

hahahahaha agree it would be more news worthy if wasnt bonking random bits of fluff

I have to admit there is a strange definition of "news" these days ..

Driving home from our Sunday afternoon walk round a castle twelve miles from where we live, E. and I passed scores of cars and people parked and waiting by the side of the road in successive lay-bys and gateways, clearly waiting for some unknown (to us) 'thing' to pass by on the road. Our interest piqued, we wondered for the mile or so, what they were expecting, but then at a round about, took an exit away from the direction it was obviously going (we could see the waiters further down one of the exits we were not taking). So, in the space of two minutes I discovered it was happening, missed it and then felt an unreasonable disappointment at having done so and I still don't even know what it was!

But back on the Boris story, today he has set all the pundits aflame by saying that Theresa May has strapped us into a suicide belt and given Brussels the trip over Brexit. It's a classic 'dead cat bounce' manouver; if there is something on the table you want to distract people's attention from, throw a dead cat onto it to achieve this end. Boris has hopes of still leading the Tory Party, so he has used a classic distraction trick to draw attention away from his shenanigans. Interestingly yesterday, before the blonde story broke he announced that he and his wife were divorcing following a 'significant period of separation'. Clearly he had been tipped the nod that the blonde story was about to break so pre-empted it by making the announcement and slipping in the 'period of separation' detail so that he could avoid at least a bit of the being a simple adulterous shagging bastard stain. A clear case of falling on his pork-sword if ever there was one - and a pretty sure fire clue that he's planning a tilt at the leadership in the not too distant future!

Thats hilarious ..

Yeah Johnson is just out to slag off May cos he got nothing else to do these days. Noting his ego .. he definitely sees it as a way of establishing himself as a "worthy opponent" .. and who knows he might be getting egged on by bigger chess pieces.

So now I'm curious...did you ever find out what it was they were waiting for?

--A

Never did Av! Now you, at third remove, can experience the slight regret of knowing it (probably) happened, you missed it and will never know what it was! If it carries on like this who knows where it will end.........

You know what I think it was? At least sounds like it might have been....
An interpretive dance parade, done by the Cornish Morris Dancers. Doing a rendition of "Clockwork Orange down the lane".

--A

You googled that Kizza!

hahahahaha .. if he didnt I think someone definitely should

Early days playing the guitar I used to go to folk festivals and jam with the folkies. Great fun times.
A part of the folk festivals is often the in your face performance of a Morris dancing troupe, flailing their sticks around in a rendition of the celebration of the harvest.
With bells around their ankles and the virilie display of the sticks, they always came off as "manly men" dressed largely in white with red kerchiefs or bandanas here and there.
They took themselves so seriously, and that combined with the sticks - which are near on axe handles anyway - made them scary enough to be sure to never laugh at them..... Only after they had passed.

Thats a very funny picture Kizza .. how funny, fearful "morris dancers"

I love folk festivals .. Kizza I have a friend who is all jazz .. hes totally awesome keyboard/piano player .. he is probably about 59 or 60 now .. and was encouraged to join a band .. and play in the pubs and whatnot .. He found a band of older guys looking .. they were happy go lucky dudes who just wanted to play music and enjoy themselves .. and he found the perfect fit. They have a bit of fun .. get to play around a bit.

Times and seasons, no?

Like my son, he played in a band in his youth .. at Uni pubs, events etc .. now my boy has a baby and one on the way .. he doesnt have the time .. but he plays the ukulele, the guitar etc to his toddler .. and of course she loves it. But when they are all grown up .. Ill be encouraging him to do the very same .. in his more senior age.

Personally, I've always been a fan of the Dark Morris.

--A