— About Me —
My name is Joé McKen, and I am (in no particular order) a liberal progressive and civil libertarian, a rationalist, a skeptic, a secular humanist, and a third-wave atheist living in suburban Québec, Canada. I love writing and composing, I hate dishonesty and regressive politics, and I really want a dog. I also wear a fedora because I wanna be cool like these cats. For anything else, check out what I’ve written here and elsewhere (linked in the sidebar to the right).
To separate my musical, literary and other creative works from my scandalous opinions, I keep them all over at my dedicated art blog, Creativitas. I’m also on Bandcamp and SoundCloud where I host all my music.
Anyone wishing to contact me securely can find my PGP public key and fingerprint here.
— About Preliator —
The name “Preliator” is a truncation of the name of my previous blog, Preliator pro Causa, itself a form of (Google-Translation-generated) Latin meaning “fighter for a cause”. I thought it sounded nice. (A pedant might point out that it should read “Proeliator” with an ‘o’, to which I would counter that I don’t like that ‘o’, so there.)
Preliator saw the day on June 23, 2017 as my third opinion blog. Its purpose, as with most blogs, is to serve as my outlet on the world: a collection of whatever personal thoughts, spur-of-the-moment reactions and idle commentary I feel like recording for posterity. This is more of a journal than anything, an archive of my ever-changing views over the years.
That said, there are certain recurring themes that a reader should be aware of:
This is a political blog.
The never-ending circus that is the US political scene (and, to a lesser degree, the rest of the world) is far too captivating for me to ignore, and given my heavy Leftward penchant, the posts here will reflect a stark liberal/progressive bent, with a particular opposition to reactionary conservatism and dogmatic ideologies of all kinds.
This is an atheist blog.
I make no secret of my contempt for organized religion in all its forms, as well as the muddled spiritualism practiced by people who say, “I’m not religious, but …” If superstition and magical thinking are bad ideas, religion is the ultimate enabler of humanity’s knack for deluding itself. Expect all hocus-pocus beliefs to be examined and soundly mocked.
This is a skeptic blog.
Religion is only the worst of a long and exhausting list of mind-pollutants. Whilst no-one claims science has all the answers, we have advanced to the point where some notions can safely be discarded. Whether it’s stories of random highway-travelers being probed by E.T., the latest grainy photograph showcasing one of several suspiciously humanlike ape-monsters, or any other depiction of non-natural phenomena that flies in the face of not only scientific exploration but basic common sense, silly ideas will be given no quarter here.
This is a social justice blog.
The views expressed here are geared towards anyone who accepts the fact that racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and other bigotries exist not only amongst the populace, but also on a systemic level, embedded into the very foundations of our civilization, and that only honest self-examination and a concerted effort to better ourselves can affect real change. If you’re a feminist, an LGBT ally, an egalitarian, or anything else that might get you labeled an “SJW”, you are welcome here. If you aren’t certain about things or you just wish to learn, feel free to stay a while. And if you’re the kind of person who thinks “feminazi” and “cuck” are trenchant put-downs, just fuck right off.
This is a personal blog, and it is mine.
All other rules and conventions crash upon the shore of this reality. This is my li’l fiefdom, and I’m the benevolent dictator ’round these parts. (Never mind how those are two incompatible government systems.) This blog exists because I want somewhere to jot down whatever’s running through my head at any given time. If others happen to enjoy reading or discussing these thoughts, that’s quite copacetic, but I only write for myself. Keep the purpose and hierarchy of this place in mind, and we’ll all get along splendidly.
Everyone is welcome to comment, though readers are advised to familiarize themselves with the few (but important) blog rules and policies before sounding off. Rule-breakers and nuisances may end up with a commenting ban and a permanent home in The Dungeon.
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04/11/20 10:13 PM ET
