Well oops – I am getting utterly obsessed with Twitter. For some (not remembered) reason I am Alexis McTwit on Instagram – so one might think I was a Twitter person but I never have been and never will be. I utterly promise you that. But the obsession continues – this news from The Economist of yesterday.
“Twitter will begin culling staff on Friday, according to an internal memo. Reports suggest perhaps half the firm’s 7,500 employees could be sacked. Meanwhile, more firms pulled adverts from the site, as they wait to see whether Elton Musk, Twitter’s new boss, will turn a blind eye to unsavory posts. General Mills, a cereal maker, Pfizer, a drugs firm, and Audi, a carmaker were the latest putt-puts.”
This from Andy Borowitz possibly explains why the reduction in Twitter staff. This is going to be funny – so brace yourself. “SAN FRANCISCO (The Borowitz Report)—Under threat of imminent termination, Twitter employees are being required to sign an affidavit asserting that they think Elon Musk is cool. The affidavit, which specifies that Musk is “a cool individual” and “extremely fun,” must be signed, notarized, and returned to Twitter headquarters by the end of business on Friday. In addition to stating that the new Twitter boss is cool, the affidavit specifies several examples of “extremely cool things” that Musk has done.”
Then two examples provided by Musk are mentioned. “For example, the document indicates that Musk’s arrival at Twitter headquarters while carrying a sink was “not only very cool but also super funny.” Finally, the affidavit requires Twitter employees to agree with the statement “If I was having a barbecue and Elon Musk showed up uninvited, I would be totally psyched, owing to him being a cool guy whom everyone likes.”
One would hope that if Elon shows up uninvited to the barbecue that he would, at least, bring his own food. Most probably cheap hot dogs would not be to his liking anyway – he would be expecting the finest steak made of hand-massaged Japanese beef. (I have temporarily forgotten the name of that delicacy).
There are certainly other topics that are waiting in line for exposure on this blog of mine. But this Twitter Trivia seems to have taken precedence. There is an underlying reason for it all. It does concern itself with evil.
Evil exists and will continue to exist in this world. But one must learn how to deal with it, not get angry because anger is self defeating in all instances but particularly when dealing with evil. Laughing at it is the best remedy, which is why Andy Borowitz is an absolute treasure. Canada does not have an Andy Borowitz but there is an underground movement here in Edmonton. I was talking with many Edmontonians by phone, seeking guidance on several matters. One woman and I were talking (briefly) about our local evil – Alberta Premier Smith. There are underground jokes about the new Premier, her mandates and her funding of outrageous causes done to appease her supporters. This is one joke that is circulating.
She: The Premier is going to mandate not face masks but aprons. All women must wear them and she will supply funding so that each woman can have an apron of her very own – even if they do not have a kitchen to wear it in or even if they already have a vast collection. All shall be treated equally.
Me: Oh my goodness. That is SO funny. But I can see why she is going to do this – at a tremendous cost to taxpayers. It will appease her supporters who are, in the majority, white male chauvinists. It does make perfect sense I suppose to a warped mind.
Appease means to pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands. Other words for appease are: pacify, make peace with,; calm (down), mollify, soothe, subdue, soften, content, , tranquillize.
So Premier Smith’s supporters will be mollified, soothed, softened and tranquilized seeing women in aprons instead of business attire which provokes and inflames them. The expenditure of monies for useless aprons may have a different effect on other voters when they hear statements like the following.
Homeless Woman: I do not have a kitchen. I do not have a place to live. I do not have a job. This does not make me warm. This is useless.
Rich Entitled Woman: This apron is of such low quality! I have a hundred aprons that I do not wear anyway. I will throw it on the garbage heap.
This, of course, is satire. Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
Humor, irony and exaggeration is easy to take, easy to listen to. But rage, and anger is not. Satire, if it is topical and funny can be a weapon, almost a lethal one. This is something that I must remember.
I am about to not listen to my own rational thinking. The following appeared on Instagram. The link is provided:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ckivr4eDDfH/?igshid=MDlmYmQ2NmI=
I responded to this Reel.
Me: Very powerful! Very sell spoken. It speaks of the essential elements of the faith in such a way that everyone can hear and understand. I love your saying that if you are following the devil you have been duped. So timely with all of the Hallowe’en festivities. Spoke of that on my blog today.
My comments were validated by this learned man.
Received another email from Edmonton’s El Rashid Mosque speaking of their Fun Factor which was mention in the October . It said: “At the Fun Factor, we saved the children of our community from the monsters on Hallowe’en night. It was so much FUN! We had a full house!
Person Reading and Believing this Email: Oh my goodness me! Those were actual monsters?!?! I thought they were little kids dressed up. I shall immediately call the Edmonton Police Department and the RCMP to have this thoroughly investigated!! If I would have known it was not safe I would have come to your Hallow’en celebration – you said it was fun and had a full house. You should perhaps build a grand Mosque by next year so that there will be more room to celebrate Hallowe’en. Perhaps you will get more tourists than Saudi Arabia did on their much criticized Day of the Dead, organized by the Government of their Evil Ruler.
So Edmonton Police and the RCMP start a massive investigation into the possibility that there were real monsters on Hallowe’en. Testimony and hundreds of witnesses are called. It is a massive investigation which rivals the inquiry examining the ‘Freedom Convoy’. Needless to say it is expensive.
I do have to admit, that for my first attempt at satire I am doing quite well. The ‘celebration’ of Hallowe’en is actually a political (and religious) issue.
But back to my favorite topic. ME Yesterday had a fabulous time with W.O.M.A.N. She drove me to Canada Tire and the Kingsway Mall so that I could purchase other paraphernalia needed for winter which has certainly descended. We had such success. Multiple items including cleats from Canada Tire. One puts them on their boots when freeze-thaw-freeze makes it dangerous to walk because of the underlying ice. Polka dot rubberized boots so that the suede of my bright pink Uggs will not suffer in the slush. Very thick socks to wear underneath the rubberized boots. A photograph of the many purchases will be taken and placed on Instagram. I also bought a baseball hat with a rather strange logo. It is apparently acceptable for a Muslim woman to wear a baseball hat if she drapes an hijab around it. I have a red scarf which I can wear around my CANADA cap, wear it outside during the winter months. But the baseball cap that I could not refuse at a mere six dollars (Canadian) had a different logo. It says SEXY. I will probably have to restrict this to indoor use. The photograph shows my new collection of head gear, on a hallway shelf. The hat on the left is a precious Oman hand made hat, gifted to me by a man from Oman when I was in Abu Dhabi. The other my Canada hat purchased at Dollarama. The other my SEXY hat, probably only to be seen on the shelf. But with me: Who Knows?
