Quick thought

Obviously, like most of the world, I didn't believe the Rapture predictions.  I'm not claiming any credit for this--aside from being completely incompatible with my worldview, I don't actually *want* the world to end, so they weren't tempting in the slightest.

But suppose for a moment I had.  Or suppose I was taken in by some other obviously wrong prediction.  I like to think it's not very likely but realistically I'm subject to the same cognitive biases as anyone else--they are a human commonality.

So, suppose.  And suppose based on this false beliief I did things that make sense if the false belief is true but are devastating if the false belief is false.  Like spend my life savings on billboards or something.

I hope, when I discovered the belief was false and everything came crashing down around me and I had done myself enormous financial or personal damage, that I would remember my friends.  And I hope I would be a big enough person to realize that my true friends were not the people who had mouthed unobjectionable platitudes like "I disagree with your beliefs but I still respect them" but rather the people who had spared no effort to talk me out of hurting myself, the ones who had risked being considered rude to say bluntly "Cat, this is barking mad.  You're wrong--at least behave in a way that doesn't destroy you before you figure it out."

I can't be sure, of course.  I would be ashamed and hurting, and people are subject to disconfirmation bias so I suppose I would be too, and people are just not at their most reasonable at that point.  But I like to think I would realize that.

Just saying.

Belated Alice Day Post

Alice Day was actually a week ago or so, but I was in Atlanta and having too much fun to tear myself away.

Which worked out fine, actually because I wrote a song yesterday that is a good candidate for posting anyway.

Quick backstory: The Tennessee General Assembly (State Legislature by any other name would smell...well) recently passed a law that teachers in grade school can't refer to homosexuality at all. It's called the "Don't Say Gay" bill. So George Takei (used to play Sulu on Star Trek back when there was only one Star Trek) who has been "out" for some time, put up a Youtube video offering the use of his name (pronounced "ta KAY") as a substitute [later edit--his video is here.]. Which I thought was kind of cool. And representative of the way that information will bubble up despite everything anyone can do to squelch it. And that gave me the idea for this song.

It's Okay To Be Takei (pronounced “ta KAY”) mp3 here
lyrics and melody by Catherine Faber, 2011
Dedicated to George Takei and to everyone who needs to be reminded.

      G                    D          G

Some boys love boys, some girls love girls
      C                  G
It's simply how they're made
      G              D         G
They too are normal kids, who shouldn't
 C           D
Have to be afraid

	       G          
	It's okay to be Takei
	      C                  D  D4
	Some folks are just that way
	     C                D
	It's always right to say
	      C      D     G
	It's okay to be Takei

We all have things in common
We're none of us the same
Our differences and samenesses 
Were never cause for shame

The way your heart is structured
Is something you can't choose
But keep this knowledge with you
Like a light of many hues.

The wide green earth beneath you,
The open sky above--
Of all the things life offers,
The best was always love 

Okay, and this is me going to bed because I was up until 2 am last night and I'm tired.