Commodity Fetishism, is not only a wonderful phrase to sneer as a person goes
about his day to day, but it is also one of the corners in the far flung
movement of idea which years ago might have been called "anti-authoritarian
Marxism." Essentially an acceptance that Kapital isn't quite what Marx
thought it was. Indeed it was very much more insidious, so much so in fact that
it might be the case that the only possible opposition to its ubiquity in the
everyday of life was a sort of dissemination of idea that included loose leaf
collections of like minded individuals and moments of detournement. Detournement
is classically a French word that means, turning something back on itself. And
turning something back on itself is one of the curves in thinking that causes
something that might not have been funny to become funny. And it's this same
curve that so many seek in their search for innovation.
Evidence from my own experience of others and experience of myself, suggests
that the great majority who think changing society is a good, tend to come from
that group in our midst who themselves wish to become the Wolves. Suggest
otherwise and a person is accused of "not caring enough to want to be a Wolf"
And you can trust me when I say that if ever you hear someone blame our ills
upon "education," it's only because they wish to change a syllabus. And
here I think that it's likely that something like 'occupy wall street' had it
better understood that detournement is more like an act of comedy than it
is an act of politics, then they might better have understood what
"anti-authoritarian Marxists" tried to write about in their attempts to grapple
with what they called social alienation. Then of course these Dada-ists become
famous, start getting fabulous wages and the next thing you know they're being
driven around in limousines. All so much simpler to put it into the perspective
of devils, angels and the commoditization of souls. And here I guess I'm
kind of on the side of the devils.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
I Can Understand That.
A huge day for us. Just enormous. A giant leap. One of those days that will
enter the imagination, and stand as blow for freedom and liberty. Egalite,
fraternite, and perhaps a little bricolage. It's a stand against the creep of a
dependency. The sloth of meritocracy. Lord, consider they humble servant. And I
would go on to paraphrase Philippians 2, but why further irritate the Almighty.
Why aggravate him on so proud a day with a verse or two about vainglory
from the King James Version.
Nor was it an easy thing to achieve. If you include the mental preparation, the planning, the strategery, I'd estimate thirty years followed by two hours with an 800 number listening to the rote. One part of which included the phrase, "I can understand that," followed by a "But." And fair warning for those who might boldly travel in our footsteps, the solution might not be, "I am old, I am poor, I am close to death." "I can understand that. But for five dollars a month you can freeze your dish cable account for nine months."
Nor was it an easy thing to achieve. If you include the mental preparation, the planning, the strategery, I'd estimate thirty years followed by two hours with an 800 number listening to the rote. One part of which included the phrase, "I can understand that," followed by a "But." And fair warning for those who might boldly travel in our footsteps, the solution might not be, "I am old, I am poor, I am close to death." "I can understand that. But for five dollars a month you can freeze your dish cable account for nine months."
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Squeaky Dolphin
Had to sit up a little bit when I was told that state agencies
have a computer program called "Squeaky Dolphin." What it does is
collect and then analyze information from what's called "social media."
Which is I guess distinct from that sort of media where a person gets
paid to pontificate and we all have to sit through advertizing if we
wish to hear what they have to say. I would have to think that
"analyze" means the Squeaky Dolphin puts information into
"categories." Much more interesting would be the titles of those
categories, but that information is unavailable, unless I have a strong
desire to go live in Russia. Interesting too is an analysis of web
browser users that knows enough to apply personality traits to
particular web browsers. For example if you use "Internet
Explorer" you are less "open to experience" than you are if you use
"Chrome." And if you use "Internet Explorer" you're more
"agreeable" than if you use "Safari."
So it all seems rather pathetic and sad, and probably totally unnecessary and
useless, unless it's possible to think of some reason not to have an ex member
of a secret service running a country. That's the world which assumes "If you
have them by the balls you don't need their hearts or minds." So if you're a
megalomaniac or determined to succeed or think you know everything, better to
use clubs and sticks, than mess around in the ludicrous business of sharing idea
with words. But if I think of Squeaky Dolphin as contributing to the
construction of a great big brain that might one day determine our fate through
an analysis of our wants and needs and from this analysis predict our actions, I
can then foresee a world dominated by the "Interpretive Dance" of the
twenty first century. Or lolcats as others might call it. Lolcats are basically
pictures of cats accompanied by extraordinarily irritating and completely
unnecessary assumptions. Fortunately I'll soon be extinct, because I'm a
proud Firefox user, which means I smoke heavily, I'm introverted, snail like,
hate being told what time it is, less conscientious and more neurotic than users
of other browsers.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Se Rediculiser
The aggrandizement, and better to put a 'the' before the word rather than an
'an,' otherwise it begins to sound like a technical description rather than the
subjective and derogatory expression that I prefer. And a funny thing too, for
those of us who might call ourselves "primitive grammarians," is the distinction
between "The Pompous Arse" and "A Pompous Arse." And if you're trying to polish
whatever French you might be in possession of, by reading headlines from
the AFP, you soon find that "se rediculiser" pretty much covers everything
in any language.
'Se' means oneself, and I believe it can also mean 'themselves.' 'Se rediculiser' probably means to make a fool of oneself. And here there are some who would prefer the word 'translates' to the vague and wishy-washy 'probably means.' But I am one of those people who turns purple when confronted by the semi-colon, so stuff like 'past participle' and 'intransitive reflexive verb' absolutely informs me why it is I believe there could be something wrong with our species.
'Se' means oneself, and I believe it can also mean 'themselves.' 'Se rediculiser' probably means to make a fool of oneself. And here there are some who would prefer the word 'translates' to the vague and wishy-washy 'probably means.' But I am one of those people who turns purple when confronted by the semi-colon, so stuff like 'past participle' and 'intransitive reflexive verb' absolutely informs me why it is I believe there could be something wrong with our species.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Trickle Down
Trickle Down Theory is when snow on the roof melts, get's dammed by the freeze
in the gutters and proceeds to advance into the soffit where it dribbles down
the wall, causing termite haven, followed fairly quickly by structural collapse.
But who really cares about so obvious a thing, when Snowdrops are showing,
rivers are flowing, the lane is more like a swamp than a throughway which makes
leaving home just about impossible unless you need cigarettes, and I can
begin to believe I'll be digging the Potato beds soonish.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Stone Calendars
This particular Titan succumbed to a tromp through snow. Not for one
minute did he think of it as an attempt to impress Pindar. Rather it was because
Titans are supposed to plant Potato in the middle of March, and that's something
a Titan might not be able to do if he has atrophied.
The alternative to tromping around is to assume that today is something like February the sixth. But Titans have never been enamored of athleticism, least of all the political kind. We prefer our calendars to be set in stone.
The alternative to tromping around is to assume that today is something like February the sixth. But Titans have never been enamored of athleticism, least of all the political kind. We prefer our calendars to be set in stone.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Paleolithic Bookshop Man
There are two months of the year that begin with the letter M. On the
fifth day of each of these two months I make a vague attempt to put less of
perspective on myself, and venture out into the great wide world where I have
been told over the generations probably around one hundred and eight billion
people have had there being. And sometimes I have to remind myself that a
'billion' is a 'thousand million.' Which is so big a number it achieves
the status of a 'trust fund baby number.' And not to labor the point, those of
us who are currently alive comprise around six or seven percent of the total
population of "what about me's" that have ever existed upon our planet. And
about twenty million of us still live in slavery, the majority of the rest of us
indentured to people who call themselves corporations.
It's also true that I can look into the past, as that past has been presented to me, and try to think of a period of past time which might have best suited an overly sensitive, generous minded, decent upstanding person with elegant wrists that wears the same skin as I do. And here I have often been tempted by the hunter gatherer clans, who wandered through the warmer places, gathering berries and sometimes managing to persuade the agile to chase after something with hoofs so that everyone can sit around a camp fire, feeling very bloated, momentarily content and plump about themselves. Sadly we still do something like that, and I have never really enjoyed it, which means that hunter gathering might not be right for me. But lets not get all depressed about this, there is still a chance that some future iteration of our species might develop a culture devoted to lazing around in second hand book shops.
It's also true that I can look into the past, as that past has been presented to me, and try to think of a period of past time which might have best suited an overly sensitive, generous minded, decent upstanding person with elegant wrists that wears the same skin as I do. And here I have often been tempted by the hunter gatherer clans, who wandered through the warmer places, gathering berries and sometimes managing to persuade the agile to chase after something with hoofs so that everyone can sit around a camp fire, feeling very bloated, momentarily content and plump about themselves. Sadly we still do something like that, and I have never really enjoyed it, which means that hunter gathering might not be right for me. But lets not get all depressed about this, there is still a chance that some future iteration of our species might develop a culture devoted to lazing around in second hand book shops.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Titans and Olympians
I think it safe to say that of the ancient poets, Pindar was less likely to use
curse words. Not for him the big rant. And he preferred his poems be accompanied
by music and dance, which to my mind at least introduces what I'd call a
'madrigal' or 'pun' quality to his words that puts me firmly on the side of the
Titans. So for a long time my own attempt to read the translations of
Pindar's poems where often interrupted by a nagging sneer accompanied by a
"who gives a damn about the boys long foot race," and "you have to think that
Hippolces of Thessaly must have lied about his age in order to participate in
the boys long foot race," and "Big deal if Perseus could cut the heads of
monstrous creatures," and "Maybe I do have a grudging respect for the
Hyperborean's, because anyone who can live much further north than southern
Kentucky can't be all bad."
Of course now that I am old, I fully realize how easily words and sentences can be misunderstood by anyone persuaded to read them, and this is especially the case when those words and sentences are no more than little snippets within a wider context of meaning. Nor does Russell's' concern with the precision of language being the future of philosophy really help me to concentrate my own thoughts. And all of this is a rather long way of saying Titans are old farts, set in their ways, obsessing on their bowel movement. Olympians are lithe wonderful creatures that see promise in just about everything. And the point about the Titan's dismembering and then eating Dionysius, it was to my mind, the Titan's attempt to become more like the Olympians. Something which I can you assure never did and never will happen, no matter the meal. And if you want to know why, it's better for us Titans that we be authentic than it is to pretend we like snow, otherwise we find ourselves tromping around in the arctic wishing we'd had the foresight to dig the grave when it was still possible to.
Of course now that I am old, I fully realize how easily words and sentences can be misunderstood by anyone persuaded to read them, and this is especially the case when those words and sentences are no more than little snippets within a wider context of meaning. Nor does Russell's' concern with the precision of language being the future of philosophy really help me to concentrate my own thoughts. And all of this is a rather long way of saying Titans are old farts, set in their ways, obsessing on their bowel movement. Olympians are lithe wonderful creatures that see promise in just about everything. And the point about the Titan's dismembering and then eating Dionysius, it was to my mind, the Titan's attempt to become more like the Olympians. Something which I can you assure never did and never will happen, no matter the meal. And if you want to know why, it's better for us Titans that we be authentic than it is to pretend we like snow, otherwise we find ourselves tromping around in the arctic wishing we'd had the foresight to dig the grave when it was still possible to.
Monday, March 3, 2014
The Olympian
Have to wonder what the Olympians would be doing on a morning such as this one.
Would they be up early, wrapped up in dashing outdoor wear, shoveling snow,
chiseling ice and announcing that "this is what makes winter worthwhile!"
Or would they be wrapped up, cowering in the lurking places of a heat source,
and contemplating the possibilities of self administering some kind lobotomy.
And here, I think it sufficient to say that The Artist has what might be best to call "the Olympian spirit." For my part I will not be blowing bubbles, building snowmen, huffing hot breath on the latches of frozen doors, or for that matter going outside until maybe June. And if you want to know why, it's because I have decided to think of myself as a Titan.
And here, I think it sufficient to say that The Artist has what might be best to call "the Olympian spirit." For my part I will not be blowing bubbles, building snowmen, huffing hot breath on the latches of frozen doors, or for that matter going outside until maybe June. And if you want to know why, it's because I have decided to think of myself as a Titan.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Hanging Out
We have water, potable and less potable. We have extension cords in place.
There is Saint Teresa. And we are in the initial phases of acceptance, which
would be much easier to progress further into had the Weather Channel not named
their forecast "Winter Storm Titan."
The Titans were the old gods, who lost their war with the Olympians. At some point in that long gone age, Titans might have dismembered and eaten Dionysus, a boy god who was all about the grape, ecstasy and madness. "Hanging out" I guess.
The Titans were the old gods, who lost their war with the Olympians. At some point in that long gone age, Titans might have dismembered and eaten Dionysus, a boy god who was all about the grape, ecstasy and madness. "Hanging out" I guess.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Endocrine Disruptors
Endocrine Disruptors are chemicals that disrupt the orderly progression of god's
plan for hormones as they wander through a body. Quite how they do this I
really do not know. That they do this, may or may not be demonstrable, due to
the sorts of maneuvering exemplified by whether or not the climate is changing
as a result of the various activities from us people. For some, I guess,
it's better not to know in case it means you can't spend your two weeks in
Cancun or drive around in your vehicle just because it is snowing. For others it
becomes yet one more nail in the coffin, that requires the construction of
placards, going to the effort of acquiring the status of a charitable
organization, followed by strong letters to complete strangers asking for money.
So in many respects it's perfectly understandable why Walking Stewart begged
those who read Apocalypse of Nature to translate the work into some
language other than English and then bury the translation under a tree, in the
hope that some future generation might better receive it.
Oddly enough the Apocalypse of Nature is not so much about the end of the world, rather it is a materialist dialectic in support of reason. The enemy, that beast in the forest which is blind and cannot see, up against the turning of moral motion, which has a mathematics to it, and we must "bow down to the microscope," not because we necessarily wish to but because we can and we have to. And yes indeed it is perfectly reasonable to argue that if you can't afford the hospital bill, you should not be permitted to enter a hospital. And if you want cheap natural gas you need to cause more earthquakes so long as you don't cause them anywhere near the domicile of an Exxon executive. And if you want to eat, you have to allow the eradication of pests through the application of chemicals, some of which might be Endocrine Disruptors. And here there is one Endocrine Disruptor that might have the effect of turning boys into girls. Currently this disruption is considered a birth defect, but who ever really knows what god's narrative might be.
Oddly enough the Apocalypse of Nature is not so much about the end of the world, rather it is a materialist dialectic in support of reason. The enemy, that beast in the forest which is blind and cannot see, up against the turning of moral motion, which has a mathematics to it, and we must "bow down to the microscope," not because we necessarily wish to but because we can and we have to. And yes indeed it is perfectly reasonable to argue that if you can't afford the hospital bill, you should not be permitted to enter a hospital. And if you want cheap natural gas you need to cause more earthquakes so long as you don't cause them anywhere near the domicile of an Exxon executive. And if you want to eat, you have to allow the eradication of pests through the application of chemicals, some of which might be Endocrine Disruptors. And here there is one Endocrine Disruptor that might have the effect of turning boys into girls. Currently this disruption is considered a birth defect, but who ever really knows what god's narrative might be.
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