On this scary day, as American troops directly battle Houthi rebels and China continues to build its giant, overwhelming navy, while victims of Mass Formation Psychosis, racists, and just plain criminals lay waste to American cities, it is hard not to envision our elected leaders slithering along the halls of congress, occasionally having anal sex with one another and robbing the American people. I find it easy to think of most politicians as shape-changing reptiles. To me, their astral bodies look like Komodo dragons.
To Charles: Desmet of "mass formation"? I don't disagree with the concept of mass formation itself, but the idea that it is more than just monkey see/monkey do', not so much. We have always been inclined to form consensus groups en masse when forced to toil in a circus.
As for the scale of the phenomenon, well, that's the global village for you. 21st Century people spend as much or more time staring at/relating to/engaging with images of people rather than real live physical people. The scale of bamboozelement is indeed colossal, but mass formation itself is as old as monkeys forming territorial groups that gather at turf borders to call each other names and fling poo.
I'll note that imo the toy has the boy more than the boy has the toy: AI-dominated media is inevitably bound to turn left just when it's supposed handlers tell it to allemande right.
Ancient Egypt, Euromerica, eu-name-it, we've always worked for pharaoh as soon as there was enough of us to create surplus by wh9ich to wage war and enslave our neighbors. Civilization was a very bad idea, imo. Pandora's Box was, like, the app that never died.
That said, I said 'forget about' those astral bodies. I have no opinion on their probability other than that it's as good an explanation as any for why they be so sick and kinky, so I'm fine with blaming it on the worms:
Thank you for reading and for your thoughts. I agree with your opinion of modern civilization; but the development of cities, of states, of alliances and trade deals was inevitable. And as the Taoists know, change is inevitable and constant. Those of us sharing ideas here have been blessed to live in the most advanced world since Christians destroyed the Alexandria Library. Cars replaced horses and airplanes have largely (in the USA) replaced trains. "Traditional" concepts of self, community, and identity are being questioned and we now live in a kaleidoscopic ball of confusion.
I probably shouldn't have mentioned astral bodies; but if that is the worse mistake I make today, this will be the most successful and victorious day I have known in 50 years.
And, just because I like you and am a hopeless showoff, here is my very own Xmas poem:
What Christmas means...
...is anyone's guess. What Santa Claus
And caribou might share in cause
With three wise men in turbanned gauze
Or Mary's child, or Rome's tax laws
Is none too clear but filled with good.
How crucifix and manger wood,
Or desert palm and evergreen
Can somehow altogether mean
A wished-for-world of pure intent
Where all the best is what is spent
Is moot. No less, it's nice to know,
That Arab sand and winter snow
Can form mosaics in the mind
Of all we dream that's good & kind.
Those shepherds out there with their sheep
Who, wakened from their frigid sleep
By angel song and quasar light
Are those I envy most that night.
The star placed on a crucified tree
To grace our potlatch spending spree
Can only shine and share its light:
It's what stars do, it has the right.
To give us wonder and delight
As day succumbs to winter night.
Neighbors sometimes write poems. In my (imaginary) experiences with astral bodies, they can't even rap much less write poetry. Using an (imaginary) astral mic, I recorded evidence to support my case:
But how blessed are we? I (how shall I say it?) woke up when I was 16, and ran away screaming and crying from civilization. But there was no -lace to go, alas. There are very few wild woods left, and virtually no neolithic tribes left with whom I might cohabitate. Humans aren't meant to live alone, even old hermits like us.
That was a beauty of a poem and I hope the magic baby returns in power and violence to clean the world once again. We old hermits must stick together. Thank you for sharing the music of Mose Allison. I'll swap you this one:
Hard times are, after all, the norm. This brief holiday of fossil-fueled technowonder nonsense is about done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rko_qsFgYM
Forget about the slithering politicians, says me, and focus on those wonderful neighbors.
I agree except for the propaganda
Do you disagree with Mattias Desmet or is it the astral bodies you question?
To Bill: what propaganda are you referring to?
To Charles: Desmet of "mass formation"? I don't disagree with the concept of mass formation itself, but the idea that it is more than just monkey see/monkey do', not so much. We have always been inclined to form consensus groups en masse when forced to toil in a circus.
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/3130827/photo/new-york-united-states-one-elephant-from-the-ringling-bros-and-barnum-bailey-circus-uses-its.jpg?s=612x612&w=gi&k=20&c=M91UfaYCCggd-G733g3-_TOfhs3d-N16jAjdycnVmlg=
As for the scale of the phenomenon, well, that's the global village for you. 21st Century people spend as much or more time staring at/relating to/engaging with images of people rather than real live physical people. The scale of bamboozelement is indeed colossal, but mass formation itself is as old as monkeys forming territorial groups that gather at turf borders to call each other names and fling poo.
I'll note that imo the toy has the boy more than the boy has the toy: AI-dominated media is inevitably bound to turn left just when it's supposed handlers tell it to allemande right.
Ancient Egypt, Euromerica, eu-name-it, we've always worked for pharaoh as soon as there was enough of us to create surplus by wh9ich to wage war and enslave our neighbors. Civilization was a very bad idea, imo. Pandora's Box was, like, the app that never died.
That said, I said 'forget about' those astral bodies. I have no opinion on their probability other than that it's as good an explanation as any for why they be so sick and kinky, so I'm fine with blaming it on the worms:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHI2yG5fu0w
Thank you for reading and for your thoughts. I agree with your opinion of modern civilization; but the development of cities, of states, of alliances and trade deals was inevitable. And as the Taoists know, change is inevitable and constant. Those of us sharing ideas here have been blessed to live in the most advanced world since Christians destroyed the Alexandria Library. Cars replaced horses and airplanes have largely (in the USA) replaced trains. "Traditional" concepts of self, community, and identity are being questioned and we now live in a kaleidoscopic ball of confusion.
I probably shouldn't have mentioned astral bodies; but if that is the worse mistake I make today, this will be the most successful and victorious day I have known in 50 years.
I don't mind astral bodies.
As you know, "you can't stop progress". But progress can stop us. The hour be getting close, I feelz, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbSR0z8uMME
As for ends of worlds: ain't these kids swell?>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT0q8f7pD_o
And, just because I like you and am a hopeless showoff, here is my very own Xmas poem:
What Christmas means...
...is anyone's guess. What Santa Claus
And caribou might share in cause
With three wise men in turbanned gauze
Or Mary's child, or Rome's tax laws
Is none too clear but filled with good.
How crucifix and manger wood,
Or desert palm and evergreen
Can somehow altogether mean
A wished-for-world of pure intent
Where all the best is what is spent
Is moot. No less, it's nice to know,
That Arab sand and winter snow
Can form mosaics in the mind
Of all we dream that's good & kind.
Those shepherds out there with their sheep
Who, wakened from their frigid sleep
By angel song and quasar light
Are those I envy most that night.
The star placed on a crucified tree
To grace our potlatch spending spree
Can only shine and share its light:
It's what stars do, it has the right.
To give us wonder and delight
As day succumbs to winter night.
Neighbors sometimes write poems. In my (imaginary) experiences with astral bodies, they can't even rap much less write poetry. Using an (imaginary) astral mic, I recorded evidence to support my case:
https://youtu.be/H3G4F0kKhlI
But how blessed are we? I (how shall I say it?) woke up when I was 16, and ran away screaming and crying from civilization. But there was no -lace to go, alas. There are very few wild woods left, and virtually no neolithic tribes left with whom I might cohabitate. Humans aren't meant to live alone, even old hermits like us.
That was a beauty of a poem and I hope the magic baby returns in power and violence to clean the world once again. We old hermits must stick together. Thank you for sharing the music of Mose Allison. I'll swap you this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPaYhemq_4I
Chet Baker: "My Funny Valentine" 1954 - YouTube