Genocidal Culture Busker Haircut #8: Irrationalism / Nearing Paradise

GAZA STRIP - A Palestinian plays with fire crackers as he celebrates the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Rafah. Photo @saidkkatib: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

Police respond to an incident on London Bridge: image via Reuters Pictures @reuterspictures, 3 June 2017

People speak with police officers after an attack near London Bridge: image via Reuters Pictures @reuterspictures, 3 June 2017

People walk with their hands up after an incident near London Bridge: image via Reuters Pictures @reuterspictures, 3 June 2017

NBC Nightly NewsVerified account @NBCNightlyNews

Pres. Trump has used Twitter to share news report on London incident. We aren't relaying president's retweet, as the info is unconfirmed.

Matt McDermott Retweeted NBC Nightly News

Matt McDermott added,

Every single American should be embarrassed that a news organization had to issue this statement about the President of the United States.

tweet via Matt McDermott @mattmfm, 3 June 2017

Residents in the Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong districts in Bangladesh walked toward a safer area after Cyclone Mora hit on Tuesday. @epaphotos: image via Photojournalism @photojournalink, 3 June 2017

#Kashmir Women watch the body of rebel leader S. Ahmed Bhat, killed during a gun battle with Indian government forces. By @daryasinAP: image via Photojournalism @photojournalink, 3 June 2017

Kashmiris carry the body of rebel leader Sabzar Ahmed Bhat towards his home after displaying it to villagers in the Tral area, 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Police said Bhat and a fellow militant were killed after troops cordoned off the southern Tral area overnight following a tip that rebels were hiding there.: photo by Dar Yasin/AP 27 May 2017

A woman comforts the mother of an Indian man killed by a gang on early Thursday night, near Jewar, south Delhi. Photo @AltafQadriAP: image via AP Images @AP_Images, 25 May 2017

#Iraq A shepherd herds his sheep in Mosul's western countryside during #MosulOffensive Photo @KarimSahibAFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

#Bangladesh Bangladeshi residents offer Friday prayers at a mosque during the first Friday of Ramadan in Dhaka. Photo Munir Uz Zaman: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

#Iraq Smoke billows during a strike in a neighbourhood of west Mosul during #MosulOffensive Photo@KarimSahibAFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

GAZA STRIP - Palestinians harvest wheat during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Bureij refugee camp. Photo @mohmdabed: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

Beyond the headlines. @rebeccajconway goes to #kashmir again and again to tell the story.: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

#Germany A dressed up woman attends a so-called "Victorian Picnic" during the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in Leipzig. @tobiasschwarz: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

#US A view of the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House. Photo @b_smialowski: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

JERUSALEM - A Palestinian Muslim worshipper attends the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in front of the Dome of the Rock. Photo @ahmadgharabli4: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 2 June 2017

#China A fisherman stands in the water of the Yangtze river in Chongqing. Photo @freddufour_afp: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 1 June 2017

#China The interchange in Chongqing is made up of five layers, 20 ramps and goes in eight different directions.: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

In this photo provided by the Kentucky State Police, Rocco, a dachshund, peeks his head through the trunk of a tree in Salem, Ky., Thursday, June 1, 2017. Rocco, a dachshund, peeks his head through the trunk of a tree in Salem, Ky., Thursday, June 1, 2017. A couple of Kentucky State Police troopers and a firefighter have proved that man can be dog’s best friend by coming to the rescue of a dachshund trapped inside a tree trunk.: photo by Kentucky State Police via AP, 1 June 2017

#Thailand A woman sits with her three pomeranian dogs in her gardening supply store in Bangkok. @TheLilyfish: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 2 June 2017

#UCLfinal Policemen evacuate a Juventus' supporter in Piazza San Carlo during a panic movement in the fanzone in Turin. Photo @MBer12: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

#UCLfinal Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro shoots and scores their second goal Photo @photogator96: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

Juventus fans cheer in Torino as they follow the game on a giant screen. @juventusfc @AFP @AFPsport @AFPphoto @Mber12 @ChampionsLeagueFinal: image via Marilor Messana @Marilor_AFP, 3 June 2017

#UK Police dealing with "major incident" on London Bridge, Transport for London says Photo @DSorabji: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

Image shows van suspected of being involved in #LondonBridge terror incident: image via BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking, 3 June 2017

A full page ad today in @Oregonian #portlandstabbing: image via Mark Katches @markkatches, 2 June 2017

Jesse Jackson is in Portland right now, and spoke publicly before a private meeting at a church in #Portland: image via Beth Nakamura @bethnakamura, 2 June 2017

Colleague @PatDooris 1st spotted this. Wanted to share this moving letter left at Hollywood Transit Center. Hope this young man finds peace.: image via Mike Benner @MikeBennerKGW, 31 May 2017

An Ariane 5 rocket lifts off from the French Guiana Space Center in Kourou. @JodyAmiet: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 2 June 2017

#UCLfinal Real Madrid's striker Cristiano Ronaldo tries for an overhead kick against Juventus' defender Leonardo Bonucci. Photo @f_monteforte: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

Military training exercise at Roodewal Air Force base. @SafodienMujahid : image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 2 June 2017: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 3 June 2017

Nearing Paradise

372652558722536553_986820130522-3955-i9e3r9 | by thefriendlyuser

Nearing Paradise [California]: photo by the friendly user, 14 January 2013

It was a long, hard drive. When it was done, we had to destroy the vehicle,

to prevent contamination. Within moments it had burst into red, orange and violet flames

and when the gas tank exploded

a beautiful fireball rose through the charred trees. In Paradise

the streets were full of kids and people and dogs and cops and noise

and we looked around hoping to locate somebody we knew

but things were getting pretty crazy, the smoke and all,

and it didn't look too good until we got to the block where Stacy's folks live.

Then Christina came out of her house and called out to us
to offer help. Stacy herded the kids into the back of Christina's SUV

and we headed down to Bay Lumber

where they already had a support station set up out back

in the parking lot. Ed and Trish were down there

with a barbecue going, so we didn't feel

too worried. Not yet anyhow. But things

were starting to feel seriously wrong,

deeply, fundamentally incomprehensible in fact

and from the standpoint of rational thought
completely without meaning.

People were sharing their views now, there in the parking lot,

frantically and compulsively, and we started to suspect the views

we were hearing, the views being shared, were not actually the product

of excogitation, thus not subject to the usual logical

rules, and we didn't like that suspicion

at all. There was growing an uneasy consensus that this time
the situation might really be out
of control. And we didn't like that at all,

either. Then Trish said she was getting pretty scared

and not really feeling hungry any more
so Ed started putting water on the fire
on the grill, and then the kids all started throwing up

at once. At that point this crazy looking guy with a hammer

started walking across the parking lot
toward us, screaming some unintelligible stuff

at the top of his lungs, and Stacy said, this was a terrible idea, I just

want to get out of here

right now!