She just looks too dead...

I like to think of myself as being the easygoing type of moralist, who limits his scolding to occasional shouting at or - more effective - brooding disappointment with, his children, for whom I own responsibility to at least try to propel them properwards. More reactive than proactive, if I'm honest - but that's where Mater Familias comes to the fore; and rather like Jack and Mrs Spratt, between the pair of us we lick the platter clean. And they haven't turned out badly.

I bet Granny Lieberman would think the same of himself; or Great Aunt Hatch; so take all that with whatever fistful of salt you feel like hurling over your shoulder.

When it comes to the world outside I prefer to hold my tongue and let it alone. Not counting The Authorities, of course, from whom I expect honesty, dilligence, fairness, lawfulness, amongst many other things - they're different, as they ought to be. But for the unempowered, well, I just avoid the ones I find offensive. Usually.

People I find particularly putrid are those who, by their deeds or protestations, manage to trivialize or belittle those who have suffered real harm. Phoney, faddish claims of "child abuse" because your father once looked at you crosswise when you were six, say. Or thoughtless stupidity like this:

Nigel: All the other girls managed to have some sort of spark even in this sort of morbid situation. I think I look at you in this picture, and you actually just look dead. One of the simplest things, like acting dead, can be the most challenging. The problem is that you didn't do anything. You just gave up and thought that that was being dead.

As satire it might be brilliant; but it isn't satire. Is it?

Have I just lost the place so badly that I can't spot an honest pisstake any more? I caught this one just a week or two ago, saw it for what it was. But am I losing it overall, do you think?

If I have, then what have you done to me, America, with your damnable earnestness? What have you dooooooone...?