{∅, {∅}, {∅, {∅}}} : Rage Against the Meat Grinder

Yes, Silenus, Ishmeal is a provocative read.  I enjoyed The Story of B even more - and Beyond Civilization, while not a story, did enchant me during a year in a welfare motel between Freehold and Asbury Park, Not the Dirtiest Jersey.  I mean, back then, there were still some woods to walk around in (2003).

I went through a SpeciesTraitor stage, and, even just this morning, I seemed to be involved in some kind of telepathic communications with a crazy squirrel who propped him-or-herself down a few feet from my outdoor rocking chair to show off its "eating skills."   I felt somewhat inadequate and demasculated seeing as I only have this one chomper on the front-top-left side of my mouth.  I wouldn't be able to process such a nut into my guts without a sharp utensil.  Then my mind wandered to the collapse of civilization (cell towers down and no fuel in), and thought how I would be forced to sharpen a stick, or better still, throw a rock from a short distance on the down low just to fill my gut with a squirrle meat loaf, or squirrle stew/soup.  Would some be feeding off the seaweed and seagulls and fish?  Most definitely.   I imagine the food industry would be taken over by competeing gangs of pirates ... 

Since entering what I would call a Cosmic Pessimism phase, or Depressive Realism phase, I have been seriously leaning in the direction of suspecting that even life beyond civilization would still be absurd, horrific, and basically and fundamentally "disturbing and unpleasant."

One only need to reflect upon the possibility of a poisonous spider biting your nut sack while shiiting in the woods to know the horrendous potential for skull-crushing pain we are all vulnerable to experience at any given moment.   Awareness of our true predicament is anxiety-inducing, so, you see ... well, regardless, a shift in the direction Quinn is talking about would help the likes of you and me, those of us more than willing to "take what we need and leave the rest."   Maybe our communities could be redesigned; but I think all this would have to take place after some kind of major collapse involving massive die-off.

The brute facts of our nightmare world, which Raul brings attention to every time he says, "Drive safely," are a testament to the fact that this Way of Life is unsustainable.   

Bjourne Stroustrup says the world is getting better, pointing out that employees of Microsoft are working hand in hand with employees with Red Hat or CentOS ... Microsoft and Ubuntu working together with a "Microsoft Loves Linux" campaign, a total shift in attitude, where Microsoft is investing energy into enhancing the quality of experience for those working from the command line, interfacing between the various systems, and building cross-platform software.   This is all really great stuff, I agree.

But this does not imply that "the world is getting better" in general.

The command line will be preserved as the masses are breast-fed on mobile -gui-driven interfaces, voice-to-text communications, etc.

Without access to electricity and a plcae to store dry tobacco (not to mention computers and books), I would go from feeling like a "farily intelligent homo-sapien" to a "retarded chimpanzee" who will die of thirst while wandering around aimlessly in search of coffee fix and a cigarette.   

It is humilating to see ourselves as we are, but, I think, a healthy mental exercise.

I hate when my own biological mother says, "we sure do like to eat."

It just sounds so stupid.  I sometimes respond irritably with, "And just who or what doesn't like/need to eat?"

 

food and water
tobacco and coffee
prunes
eggs
tomatoes, bacon ... WATER!
BREAD
garlic, salt, etc .... Wow, yes, all about the food.

In Asbury Park, on First Ave, there is a block where there is a church on every corner, more churches than liquor stores, and these churches look as though they were at one time the temples of the Gods, the wealthy aristocrats living in their own Walt Disney Land of the Jersey Shore by the Theatre.  That was before the riots and "race wars" of the 1960's and 1970's.

Well, now, these days, there are very few "services," but mostly "Third World" style attempts to hand out food and clothing to the People - the disparity between the Haves and Have Nots is glaring, even though, all the while, just a couple blocks away, the "Hipster" lifestyle is presented for the "young urban professionals" ... the music scene and local color.

I think it's Hell, but, well, I was among the losers, the growing army of "mental health" consumers subjected to daily psychological abuse in the guise of court-mandated "psychiatric treatment".

Fuuckin' Hell.