the myth of sisyphus

Looking back to August 23 almost two weeks ago when I allowed myself to be lured into arguing about the lockdown even though I knew better, even after I had vowed to never allow myself to be brought into that futile and agonizing experience, but I am a liberal and we liberals hold the agenda dearly and part of that is that the truth shall set you free and if you just sit down and explain things and keep your logical ducks in a row then just as the gentle rains melt those craggy mountainsides so can you lift the veil of ignorance and prejudice and show the other side the light, even though the orange-headed stranger has largely proven that to be false, it is the only arrow in our quiver and we are doomed like Sisyphus, were he an archer, to do it over and over again, because, well we don't know any better.

Anyway back to August 23 I see that I was talking about flappers, and greasers, and hippies, and I had meant to have a little discussion about stoners, before I entered the tangled labyrinth I have wasted the last two weeks on.  But anymore, now that I have mentioned Sisyphus I am beginning to wonder about him.  We all know the cartoon depiction of the long haired old guy in rags pushing that big boulder up the mountainside and I am pretty sure it is punishment for something, but I do not know what it is punishment for.  Off to the wikimobile.

Well he is the mythical king of Corinth and quite the prick, but also a very wily prick and there are several variations on the myth, but what he does to piss off the gods is he tricks death and chains him up so that for an unspecified time nobody dies, which you would think would be good, but things just get crowded and ailing people get no relief and the gods who like to kill people from time to time because that is their sport are deprived of their enjoyment, and the gods get together and chain him to that boulder, saying something like you think you are so damn smart why don't you roll this up the hill, and they don't come out and say this but I think Sisyphus is so proud of his wiliness that he somehow thinks he can achieve this which adds to his frustration,

Meanwhile on the darkling plain the police have killed the suspect in the killing that Patriots Prayer guy in Portland.  No further details at this time but there are many worries that over the Labor Day weekend the ignorant armies will be clashing and likely loaded for bear.