Results: http://www.buildfreedom.com/tl/origin/introduction.shtml Amidst a slew of journal, poetry and Toy Story links, I find something called "THE ORIGIN of SOCIAL DYSFUNCTION" so of course I choose that one. "As we approach the dawn of a new millennium..." blah... blah... blah... "the masses, on one side, largely controlled and manipulated by authoritarian social systems..." blah... blah... blah... "magic, non-rational and arbitrary universe..." blah... blah... blah... "a unified, universal, alternative system for addressing particle physics..." blah... "Reach out and touch the screen and you will be healed!!!"
Sorry, wrong channel.
So basically, only the title was interesting about that link. Still, it was an interesting search.
9:38 PM - link to this -
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I wrote this already, but blogger stuffed up and annoyed me, so I went and played netball and now I'm back and everything seems to be working. Fingers crossed.
Mallory is talking about reality TV, which thankfully I have not seen a lot of. Of course, Aussie television could be riddled with the stuff, but since I haven't watched more than about two hours in the last year, I'm blissfully unaware of this fact. This, however, is secondary to my main point.
The specific program in question is one called Wanted, which involves Mr (or Ms) Contestant being tracked by bounty hunters. At least, that's the impression I got. This reminded me of something someone once told me about a Russian reality TV program. In this show, Mr (or Ms) Contestant had to steal a car. If they then evaded arrest for half an hour (or maybe an hour) they got to keep the car. The police, it should be noted, were not forewarned of this escapade. The potential for casualties is huge. The potential for the car - should Mr Contestant survive and manage to talk his way out of the 34 charges of speeding, 19 charges of reckless driving and 7 counts of resisting arrest - to be completely trashed is also quite high. These factors lead me to believe that this one might just be an urban legend.
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So I'm lonely. *sniff* Now that I've got comfy in viscerate, I want someone to share this with. Yes, I want a hostee. So pass the word around.
Of course, I don't just want anyone. They have to measure up to the requirements. And they have to have their own teapot. Photo of teapot required.
5:09 PM - link to this -
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Monday, July 24, 2000
Dee's Lessons for Life - #3: How to eat soup without a spoon.
- Find alternative piece of cutlery. I recommend a fork, but I understand a knife adds that bit of danger for those extreme types.
- Make soup. I use cup-a-soup because that way if all else fails I can just drink it. Yes, I'm a wuss.
- Procure bread. If this requires a trip of more than a few metres, you might want to move this step to number 1. The type of bread is, of course, entirely your choice. We are a pro-choice organisation, after all.
- Right, now this is where it gets tricky, so pay attention.
- Peel the crusts off the bread and eat or discard to preference.
- Break bread into small bite-sized chunks (about 1 inch square or so, for you pedants).
- Drop bread gleefully into soup. Yes, you must do it gleefully.
- When bread has reached saturation point, use your cutlery item of choice to lever it out of the soup and into your mouth.
- Wipe up the bits you spilt.
- Alternatively, realise that you're going to do this with every mouthful, and live with the spills.
- Use more bread as required.
5:31 PM - link to this -
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Alright, link of the week, because you've been good: Billionaires for Bush (or Gore). Came in courtesy of R, as do all the truly classy links. This just made me laugh so hard, and I'm not even an American. Maybe that's why I laughed so hard...
5:17 PM - link to this -
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You know, I'm getting a whole heap of referrals from Pétur Rúnar (An Icelandic Tale, I think it's called) but I have no idea what the paragraph involved with the link to me says. Anyone who can enlighten me will earn my undying gratitude.
5:03 PM - link to this -
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Sunday, July 23, 2000
State: Maybe it's just because I'm reading Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco - in fact, it's precisely because I'm reading that book - that I'm suddenly very interested in the Knight's Templar. So here we go...
Search: Templar
Results: A History and Mythos of the Knights Templar looks very promising for anyone hoping desperately in her their little soul to find a hint of magic and fantastic mystery surrounding this long-defunct (or is it?) order. Head straight for the "Myths" section and read about how the galloping moronic extremist Christians (extremists of any kind deserve short shrift) believe that the Templars were "one of the most deeply Satanic secret society in history". When you've finished boggling at the depths of human stupidity, go back to "Mysteries" which promises to be much more interesting. Spend some time suspending disbelief in various sections like "Do the Templar still exist?" and "Did The Templars Have The Holy Grail?" Conspiracy theories for the classically educated. Oh yeah.
5:33 PM - link to this -
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Rampant Optimism alert: *riotHERO (and I'm sure he's not the only one who believes this, he's just the one I've spotted airing his views) believes that the G8 summit should cancel Third World Debt.
Now, I was handed a petition about this last year. I think it was called Jubilee 2000 or something like that. I laughed at them and handed it back. I steadfastly refused to sign. Why? Because it is a ludicrous idea. That is my belief. It is ludicrous to suggest that cancelling Third World Debt will solve the problem. It is ludicrous to suggest that it will not have an adverse effect on the world economy. Hence it is ludicrous to suggest that countries will actually do it, no matter how much pressure is put on them by the little people.
The alternate point of view: I'm not saying I agree with this, but this is a commonly held belief amongst the economists and politicians that matter. The most commonly used metaphor is one of a liferaft after a shipwreck (most usually the Wreck of the Medusa). The boat can only hold so many people, and if you try to help everyone, the boat will sink and you will all drown.
This doesn't apply to world economics, the Rampant Optimists declare passionately. It's just justification for the selfish ways of the West. Well maybe, or maybe not. The theory goes to to suggest that all the help the West could give the Third World would still not be enough. And with this I sometimes do agree. It would take huge amounts of money, time and other aid to bring the entire Third World to a reasonable level of living. And it would suck so much out of the First World that before the raising of the Third World was accomplished, the First World would sink.
Even before that happened, there's a larger problem. The drain of so many Western resources for the aid of another country would lead to a huge rise in xenophobia and fascism. It would gain more and more popular support. The West would flood with right-wing pressure groups and eventually governments, and the aid would stop, brutally I imagine, as political and economic survivalism took over. There goes the political enlightenment and liberal democracy so treasured by the average American. The world sinks, like an overburdened liferaft.
But honestly, what are you supposed to do about the foreign Third World when you can't do anything about the Third World inside your own country? And anyone who says it doesn't exist in America, or even Australia, is more blind than the average Rampant Optimist.
The world is full of problems. That is its nature. And taking any course of action will just bring about more problems. Taking no course of action is still a course of action. No matter which was you turn, someone will jump on you, demand change, call you communist/fascist/irresponsible. Not even Rampant Optimism can save you from that. Not even the intention to do good means that you will. These issues are not simple and the sooner people stop believing that they are, the sooner something meaningful can be done.
9:29 AM - link to this -
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