Diary (January 11, 2021)

Online diary of Karl Jones for Monday January 11, 2021.

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Diary

Gallery

• 

  Mary Miller: Hitler speech.

R.U.R. Follies

"... was scheduled to direct R.U.R.: we got into rehearsals, but it didn't open"

Let me guess—

R.U.R. didn't open because the robots rose up in revolt and played all the parts autonomously, scorning your directorship as "tyranny of the organics."

• Post @ Twitter

Chant

Pseudocode, Suede Coat!

X X X !

X da da X da da X X X !

Unity Blues

Unity Me's, Unity You's

These are the people with Unity Blues

Unity Blues

• Comment @ Facebook

Predatory society

Characteristic of successful predators is that they are highly intelligent and learn from their mistakes. Those who fail to learn, die.

So too with social movements.

Let us hope that our national predator control agencies — FBI, CIA, Army, etc. — are still the good guys, and not about to crack up into competing factions.

I am somewhat optimistic that the predators in this case are not that intelligent, and will be handled. This time.

Thinking about the future

Thinking about thinking may be as ancient as mind itself, indeed may be at the root of the matter. Where else does the Shaman come from?

The caves at Lascaux clearly reveal human souls, human minds at work.

But only with the Agricultural Revolution do we get widespread temples with organized priesthoods and organized temple art, suggesting surplus labor available for these post-starvation luxuries. Then comes the Industrial Revolution. People forget about the Agricultural Revolution, it becomes Industrialized.

Now comes ... whatever Revolution one cares to name:

The Space Age, the Computer Age, the Genetic Engineering Age ... the Third Wave, per Alvin Toffler. Probably best not get too attached to any one label, they are all at play and the future is still young. All of these trends are driven by energy into larger and more complex patterns of organization.

My hope that that these trends continue.

Because if the energy fails to grow in proportion to our use of it, or if the organizational complexity fails in any way, bad things will happen, up to and including the end of civilization, which I don't really expect but it's important to run the numbers, at least a few equations scribbled on the "Past Due" notices tossed aside within my skull.

Last thought, quote myself:

"You needn't worry about the end of civilization as we know it. Civilization as we know it has already ended." Don't mistake me, I intend this as the silver lining of the storm.

• Comment @ Facebook

Thinking about thinking

You are not wrong, yet I feel there is another way out.

I agree entirely about the dilemma of fluid words versus detailed descriptions.

I have no solution. I suspect that no solution exists— that we are experiencing the inherently paradoxical nature of mind and symbols.

In conclusion:

What I most want from life includes, top five, maybe top three:

I want to meditate on the inherently paradoxical nature of mind and symbols. That's it. That's all. I want to think about thinking.

With a little luck, when death comes, that's how I will go, thinking about thinking.

• Comment @ Facebook

Sorghum Delight

Don't cook tonight! Call Sorghum Delight!

• Sorghum @ Wikipedia
• Chicken Delight @ Wikipedia

Actors

Interesting to read your thoughts about the clear line.

I am not an actor myself, have very little contact with that world.

Come to think of it— I was a coffeehouse guitarist in my day; and a teacher; and in both roles I was consciously aware of playing a role.

• Post @ Twitter

Phalloi Round the Flag, Boys!

Phalloi Round the Flag, Boys!

Excerpt

"It's in your blood, like herpes. Either you got talent or you ain't."

"Like herpes?

"Yeah, like it never goes away."

"I agree that herpes never goes away. But I think you are thinking of your dick."

"The hell?"

"Your dick. Where the herpes is. Herpes pops up on your dick, right? Who cares about the blood? It's the dick you've got to worry about."

"I don't have herpes!"

"But you do have talent. Which is forever, like herpes."

"Yeah, in my blood, too. The talent, not the herpes. Wanna fight about it?"

"No no, not while your blood is full of herpes. You might bleed on me."

"Herpes ain't in the blood, I agree with you there, so let's fight, maybe we find out your blood ain't full of talent."

"Calm down. You don't have herpes, please don't drop your trousers, I believe you."

"And the talent?"

"The talent is real. You are the talent. I believe you, please don't drop your trousers."

"Thank you. You're a true pal."

"No, I'm a true parasite."

"Which is which you're my agent."

"Which is why I'm your agent." Pause. Cigar. "Now level with me. Do you have herpes?"

Cigar. "Yeah." Pause. "I guess that means I don't get the part."

"On the contrary. It means you were born to get the part." Pause. Smile. "Wanna fight about it?"

Pause. Smile. "Yeah."

Talent agent Fell Swoop with an as-yet unidentified client.

Links

• Rally Round the Flag, Boys! @ Wikipedia
• Maypole @ Wikipedia

When I insult my friends

When I insult my friends

Fiction cross-reference

• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles