Do You Feel Lucky?

(and feel free to comment! My older posts are certainly no less relevant to the burning concerns of the day.)

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Me Pt.4: Memory

I love my memory. It's like a book I haven't read yet! But other people have been talking about it, so these bits drift back in sharp, floating focus.

That metaphor was inapt, or possibly inept, in more than one major way. My expansion on "book I haven't read yet" did not characterize any experience I've had with any actual book I haven't read yet, nor extend nor clarify any of the ways in which my memory could be likened to such a book. Nor, upon reflection, is my memory in any describable sense akin to a book! At least, not any that I've read.

The metaphor was deeply, fundamentally flawed, and folks - I knew it. Even as I typed it, I knew it was as flawed and invalid as any metaphor you've ever heard from me.

And I proceeded with it, heedless!

It is as if my discretion - which some characterize as "the better part of valor," but I correct them: discretion is the faculty by which the astute are able to find valid justifications for their cowardice - were a book I haven't read yet.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Fiction Friday: SUPERHERO ROLLCALL #1: EVANGELIONESS

I wish I could describe what she does.

I mean, I could, but it seems a bit tacky.

But NOT IN BATTLE, THOUGH!

Let's just say - if you're a fan of Japanese anime, there's some inspiration there - and while she is primarily a Lioness themed Evangelical half-angel half-human KAIJU BEAST (not necessarily Diakaiju! She's never grown to giantess proportions in battle, but everyone who's gauged and guessed at the nature and extent of her powers suspects it's simply because she hasn't seen the necessity or had the opportunity to slap down any giants), her various warring natures - nobly savage animal, self-loathingly heroically flawed human, angelic above all - make her extremely unpredictable and all-but-impossible to plan for. Or rather: plan against.

She's got a particularly infamous reputation for pulling so-called "angel powers" out of her ASS, basically (NOT LITERALLY). In the middle of the thick of it, knocked back and bleeding from the mouth she might bristle a bit (or "bridle" for those of you who prefer that word but - TRUST ME. EVANGELIONESS BRISTLES NOT BRIDLES), narrow her eyes, bare her teeth and - GROWLINGLY, leap to her feet and, with right arm upthrust to heaven and palm outstretched, SHRIEK in a voice that is clearly three different impossible-to-the-human-larynx distinct and reverberating notes: "CALL ANGELIC SWORD!!!" while the various enemies lunging and fleeing about her stop in their tracks - some protesting "Has she ever even DONE THAT before...!?" and others frozen mid-move in a panic lest whatever's about to rain down rain on them.

The smart ones - and especially, those with sufficiently humiliating past experience - if capable of hypersonic or teleportational evacuation, usually will bug the fuck out and not wait around to see. Find a fucking tv and tune to the live broadcast, right? Her fights are ALWAYS popcornworthy.

For a supervillain, combat with Evangelioness is typically regarded as ideal practice for their "THE FUCK OUT OF HERE" protocols. Particularly courageous and powerful supervillains do seem (up to a point) to love hanging in there blow-for-blow, trying to test her limits and/or psyche her out of her game. She's a streaky player, an emotional overwhelm superstar, and it's widely believed that "if you can get inside her head," you'll take her out easy - child's play, even.

Oddly or otherwise, it hasn't happened yet.

But her worst most feared power is worse than even that.

In a duller villain's mind her uncertain strength (no one knows how strong - it really does seem to vary, and sometimes, she will struggle with enormous effort or even fail a feat that would not daunt a weaker hero! - but what consolation is that to an evil mastermind, when the upper limit she's exhibited breaks the established scale), fury, and inhuman recovery abilities (not invulnerable in the classic sense! But incredibly resilient and durable, and - guys, THE BITCH CAN FAITH-HEAL HERSELF if you give her the wrong moment to collect!) will be far to the fore. But a good number of villains - by eyewitness, not by first-hand experience, for reasons that become evident - have tipped to the fact that she is a projecting emotional empath.

Nor any garden-variety projecting emotional empath. Evangelioness is a projecting emotional empathy of monstrous order. And oh no, she isn't a saint at all as it turns out (no one thought so but her anyway, and only in her best most saintly ego moments, but regardless: oh, no. She isn't). She's a half-angel at best - in fact, Halfangel was her first super-name before the beast powers began to manifest. As she got more assured (and powerful), as villains got progressively more outraged and frantic and as battles got bloodier and brusier, she started constantly freaking out all hair-flying-lioness-ROAR on you, and shit - and her appearance, already quite fearsome when at high-angelic pitch, altered accordingly (and disconcertingly to some, especially some of her co-religionists with negative associations surrounding "Beasts," albeit - she kinda sorta secretly loves this!). But back to oh no, no saint.

She ain't.

Because in that moment of complete contempt and rage for you personally YOU - with good reason, surely right?! In the moment, justified! "Bad guy"! But she about scourges herself forever afterwards for these, though. In the moment - and it doesn't happen too often, but when it does, no trace of such conflictedness! - in the moment, she has been seen to very joyously and uproariously enjoy inflicting a little personal "instrumentality moment" on a particularly vile opponent - and especially, those known for mind games. OH NO! EXCRUCIATING BODY-WRACKING SOUL-BLISS MIND-JOY NIRVANA MOMENT OVERWHELM! So much for your A.T. Field dude. "Sorry"

Personality go pop.

To say nothing of the mess to clean up. Oh - no, the person's physical body is still there! Completely unharmed, but better bring a hose and some fucking diapers. We're talking - perhaps "hot mess" is what you'd say?

Evangelioness prefers the term "warm mess." She'll be very "up" and happy talky laughy for a few days, maybe weeks depending on how bad the bad guy used to be, but she knows the crippling guilt, depression and regret are "in the mail."

Let's not be too hard on the poor girl. It's a BAD GUY right? And they'll probably recover in a few decades, right? Albeit, maybe that person will not the same "person" technically. Hard to say. Do you believe in spirit, in soul? I mean, most don't! But we're talking same brain right? Seat of the personality? And same DNA? It's the same person, gotta be. They've just been, in a very non-salvific sense, "born again." Gotta start from scratcheroo. We can look at it as a good chance to test those nature versus nurture theories, given the right hospital! Your only bet's probably one of those fucked-up anime-related psychological-injury wards, with a fully-trained rehabilitation staff that's willing to humiliate themselves wearing genderneutralsexy-stylized Sailor Nurse outfits and responding with the requisite WIDE EYES and OVERSIZED SURPRISE-CIRCLE-MOUTH jaw drops to whatever gibberish the patient is trying to communicate.

Evangelioness does her penances visiting the sick and imprisoned, and generally, has to go to confession AGAIN afterwards. Yeah, Catholic. One of those. And gloating, okay - while technically not a sin, but...you know. It's unbecoming.

She has such high standards for her own emotions.

Pet Shop Boys: Winner (official video)


this is the moment
we'll remember
every day
for the rest of our lives

time may rush us,
hurt or love us, but
on this day we've arrived

been a long time
coming, we've been
in the running
for so long
but now we're on our way

let the ride just take us
side by side and make us
see the world through new eyes,

every day

you're a winner
I'm a winner
this is all happening so fast

you're a winner
I'm a winner
let's enjoy it

while it lasts

I've been a loser
paid my dues.
I fought my way up
from the ground, now
at this moment: the crowd
acclaim us - will you just
listen?

to that sound

been a long time
coming, we've been
in the running
for so long
but now we're on our way

you're a winner
I'm a winner
this is all

happening so fast

you're a winner
I'm a winner
let's enjoy it,

all,

while it lasts


Thursday, June 11, 2015

Martial Arts Mastery #2: Tai Chi Do (Full Contact Tai Chi) REVISED: It's "Taichido" Damn It. CORRECTION: "Tie-Chee'Doe" or "Ti-Chee'Do" - either one works, really.

So yeah.

I did have one girlfriend who was into kung fu in some sense - we created a martial art together, albeit I wouldn't say we "mastered" it, we did claim the honors: I the Master of Tai Chi Do, she the Mistress naturally. As a staunch feminist she'd occasionally embrace, occasionally reject the gendered construction of the title - and so if she claimed "Master," we'd have to FIGHT FOR IT.

Tai Chi Do is a slow-motion martial art which emphasizes form, deft touch, and grace of motion above all - but with a strong emphasis on grappling and holds as well, and a powerful focus on the buttocks. The arm/leg strikes and blocks, speaking very generally, are direct lifts ripped off from Tai Chi itself, but each Tai Chi Do practitioner is sure to incorporate inspirations from various other forms. All as the practitioner deems fit and useful, in the decisive moment of honorable combat.

It was originally conceived as "Full Contact Tai Chi," and evolved from there. Both Full Contact Tai Chi and Tai Chi Do are wholly-owned with all rights reserved unto the Master and Mistress of Tai Chi Do.

Tai Chi Do should only be performed in a dojo-grade fighting space and only under the supervision of a qualified instructor. As with any style of Martial Art that is either traditional, or rooted-in-traditional-forms, Tai Chi Do is useless for physical defense on the street and will almost certainly represent a greater danger to the practitioner attempting to mispurpose it in such a way than it will to the prospective opponent.

***UPDATED FOR IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION: Having Goolged it, looks like somebody may already have come up with what they have termed "Full Contact Tai Chi," some great many years if not centuries ago. Therefore it incumbs upon me to clarify.

The art of Taichido, all one word, a wholly-original and proprietary martial art with some passing spiritual kinship and inspiration from the age old public domain folk tradition of "Tai Chi," incorporates a host of original strategies, forms and techniques with the best of traditional kung fu in a unique and cohesive, wholly-original martial art form. Taichido is designed to be practiced for fitness, as a trust-building trick exercise, and also purely for amusement.

You may take it from me that there can be no purer amusement than that which one gains from standing over one's crumpled and moaning opponent!

a final update. hopefully

Tiecheedoe.

It's TIECHEEDOE.

Also TIE-CHEE'DOE, Tie-Chee'Doe, TiCheeDo, Ticheedo and every variant of the words "tiecheedoe" or "ticheedo"; whether with or without interstitial punctuation, and notwithstanding the likely misuse of the word "interstitial," there.

"Sorry"

MAN.

Who fucking knew martial arts mastery would be such a pain in the ass?

For my next installment, Martial Arts Mastery #2, expect me to do any requisite trademark searches first.

Martial Arts Mastery #1: Pretty Much Sums Me Up

In this, the first of an ongoing series examining the various styles of unarmed combat which I myself have invented, and which I am therefore in some sense entitled to claim the title "Master Of," even if I might also in some sense "suck at it" (who can say the martial art was not simply designed that way?), I will be finishing this opening sentence and paragraph, and proceeding afresh in the next one.

I am as any of you may know a neighborhood-class martial artist. But did you know I also have designed and perfected a number of distinct and original martial arts styles? If you did know that, allow me to apologize for the extremely confusing beatdown from which you no doubt gleaned that knowledge. I deny all. "It all happened so fast." "I was in fear of my life." Pursue your case now and my pro bono lawyers will eat your finances alive, assuming I even give them the chance to consult on the case!

Note: it's not really a "pro bono" situation. It's more of a special payment terms thing. I get 2% 10 Net 30,000,000,000 day terms. If they ever lose a case, my ancestors may have a bill to settle with whatever their limited liability corporation evolves into. But by no means can their service be described as "pro bono"! No way. They put their top two or three highest-hourly-rate flunkies on it. They're pretty sure when the bill comes due, it will be to the other guy's account. For my part, I've always enjoyed my time around the ol' conference table bullshitting with their lawyers on this or that aspect of intellectual property rights law. It's typically a huge fucking laugh. Their accounting dep't is pissed at me for never cashing any checks, but I tell them "Suck it: send yourself to collections asshole."

So yeah, basically? The upshot? Not worth it. Don't bother.

Um.

Maybe I'll let this serve as my introductory post, to this sure-to-be-regular feature. And in that spirit, in that vein - why not a TEASER?

Coming up fast in Martial Arts Mastery #2: THE DREAD ART OF TAI CHI DO

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Thought of the day: orderly

"Order is the constellation you trace across a chaos of stars."

AGAINST PURPOSE #17: A Reprint Of An Earlier One I Suspect. Or Identical Sentiment Thereof

Purpose is a false god. Too many lives, punctured and immolated upon that altar. Too many acts, uselessly dedicated to that incontrovertibly empty, and therefore ineluctably corrupt, religion. The worship of purpose, founded on the dogma that things should be done for a reason.

Well ladies and gentlemen. I don't need to tell you where I stand on that. I don't stand on that. I stand as far away from that as possible - but at need, under attack from it, I shall give you my vow now: I shall not shirk to stand against it.

Come, shelter in behind me! Together, I have a very odd combination of means ready to befuddle the ends of the beast's defense. Then we trip it! "Shoot past, break North, crack a forty and laugh," as they say.

THINGS SHOULD BE DONE FOR NO REASON OR NOT AT ALL

Friday, June 05, 2015

All-Action Plan #1 (Revised): Now Incorporating Bad Will as a Possibility!

1. Suspect the worst in everyone.

Future actions, past motives. Cover all branching possibilities to a depth and breadth in proportion to subject's power to harm, irrespective of any probability-based risk assessments.

2. Assume the best of everyone.

...& Act Accordingly, of course! Act bold, and in accordance with their best possible motives for the past act, and their best possible intentions regarding future acts. This basically fucks up their plans and has 'em scrambling to put a better face on what all they already done! As soon as they can see they already got you fuckin' fooled. The onus is all over them, at that point.

Make it easy on 'em! That's the trick here, basically. Don't let on about how fucking suspicious, and in fact - you really don't even have to bother with Step 1. If you're in a hurry, skip it. Step 2 is where the magic happens.

And as to the people who aren't taken aback and scrambling, shot through with pangs of regret because they really secretly do want to be the bad guy to you, and are now salivating over how deep you've grown the profuse wool they think they've sown 'pon the fertile fields of your innocent brow, eyes-wise?

WHUUT! Can you repeat the question?

I believe you know full what to do for those people. VERY WELL.

We'll cover it in a later post. Hehehee

Pro Tips for Amateurs #1: How to GET OFFENDED

If I get offended by anything, I rapidly put myself through THE OFFENSE-POSITIVE THOUGHT PROCESS.

It goes:

"This offends me."

"Why does this offend me?"

"Is it: A) a fact being presented? B) a distortion of fact, or other mistake - including a misconstrual of something or mischaracterization of someone? Is it C) opinion being presented? Is it simply D) an insult (whether flat-out or slipped-in!)?"

DETAILED PROCESS NOTES AFTER RANDOM PICTURE JUMP!

















And now!!

As promised...!

Detailed process notes. Follow along, see if anything sounds like I'm trying to trick you. ~ Report any instances of perceived trickery in the comments queue of this very post. ~

~ DETAILED PROCESS NOTES ~
"Why does this offend me?"

"Is it: A) a fact being presented? B) a distortion of fact, or other mistake - including a misconstrual of something or mischaracterization of someone? Is it C) opinion being presented? Is it simply D) an insult (whether flat-out or slipped-in!)?"
SUBROUTINE A: if it is FACT being presented:

"Why am I offended by FACT? Chill, man.

Chill.

Argue using facts, don't argue with facts!

Perhaps offer other facts, facts that one does not disagree with, to balance out the mix. I mean - if it's a fact, why disagree at all? But if it's that the fact is something it's possible to change, perhaps then disagreement can bear fruit. Offer plans and dreams and scenarios towards retiring it as an active fact."

SUBROUTINE B: if a distortion/mistake/misconstrual/mischaracterization:

"Why am I offended by what is not true, or only partly true?

Is not the true part (if any) valuable on a what-its-worth basis, and cannot the false part be pointed up as false? If it be not demonstrably false, then in what sense do I call it false, or am I just an asshole or WHAT?

Sometimes a distortion/mistake/miscontrual/mischaracterization is mistaken (by you) as being an opinion, instead. In that case, proceed as if! Offer up one's own view, to share, perhaps as a corrective! To the degree one's own view incorporates a reality visible to others, and presentation of it is managed with a minimum of distortion and slant, others are quite likely to recognize said reality as observable, even if not as palatable. They may even concede the truth, validity or usefulness of the particular slant you've offered, on the reality you've demonstrated as not only observable, but observed."

SUBROUTINE C: if an OPINION:

"What is my fucking problem, dude.

Why am I offended by opinion?

Haven't I my own opinion on the thing being opined about, over or to/towards?

What if I don't! Then what's my problem? Getting offended at an opinion where I have no conflict, no disagreement, no opinion at all! And if I do have my own opinion - why not offer to share? Am I a FAG?!! Am I a PUSSY?!

If one is a member of a disadvantaged or persecuted minority such as fags or pussies* then one may have good reason to refrain. Otherwise - WHAT ARE YOU, A PUSSY!? Got something to say that's worth getting offended over, out with it! Or if I dismiss the opinion as being on an issue that's pointless to get into - why am I offended then!? Offended at the POINTLESS...?! What! Come on!"
*not a minority. Seriously. "NOT a minority!" is an understatement! But here we have an example of a category sometimes called a "power minority" - technically, the demographic constitutes a majority of the population sample in question. But because those who make up the demographic are disadvantaged, power-wise, due to whatever reason (but typically, blame the man), and for that reason, you end up feeling like a bitch pretty much. So the right thing to do by them is - for the people in the POWER MAJORITY, I mean (usually just me): BE KIND! Treat them like an oppressed minority.
SUBROUTINE D: WHAT IF IT'S AN INSULT!!

That's right.

The fucking KILLER of potentially-offensive scenarios. An actual insult. You do realize you were totally classing all those other ones as if insults all along, right? Insults to your intelligence! To your judgment! To your disposition! To your honesty, or your faculty of observation! Or dumbest of mother fucking all: INSULTS TO YOUR OPINION.

But no! They weren't insults at all! You were just being a fucking asshole, because HERE is where we deal with the genuine bona fides of insultry! HERE is where we take on statements blatantly intended to offend and belittle you.
Includes: a statement which may or may not have been meant as an insult. A statement offered with no intent to insult, but where the statement by its very nature is irredeemably offensive. A statement which in itself is not an insult, but behind which I construe bad or insulting motives.
"Why am I offended at someone insulting me?

Is the insult accurate? Because if an insult is simply dead wrong, a clean miss, off-target - how can it hit me to hurt me? Why am I not laughing my ass off! A CLEAN MISS! What a dork! What a bad shot. Shouldn't I kind of laugh, at least, consider laughing - and then divert to Subroutines A, B, or C as needed?

OOOO. WHAT IF THE INSULT IS ACCURATE, THOUGH? Well wait a second though. If the insult is accurate - shouldn't I take it for all it's worth? That's some fucking grist for the milk-barrel, there, I can get some spiritual and procedural nutrition out of that shit and then BELCH IT OUT in a BIG, BOOMING "THANK-YOU FOR THE IMPROVEMENT TIP" to the arrogant fuckwit dumb enough to have tried to insult me with a free life-coach lesson!

Face it. A lot of one's friends are far too nicey-nice to hit you where your actual weaknesses are. Where you most could use to improve. Enemies perform this vital service wonderfully!

Or, whether the insult is accurate or inaccurate: am I offended not by the statement or its content, but rather am offended simply because the person is 'being mean'? And if so, should I maybe consider what the opinion of a complete and obvious asshole is worth? An accurate valuation here could prevent an embarrassing overreaction, or better yet - give rise to yet another big, booming belly laugh! Folks, if an opinion is worth shit to me, or if I know that it should be worth shit to me - let's not insult my intelligence please. Am I the kind of dorp to give a worthless piece of dross great weight in my esteem?

Am I the kind of emotional mastermind whose idea of a great plan is to let a piece of opinion assessed-to-be-shit-value cause me pain, solely on the grounds that to cause me pain was what the asshole who shat it at me was trying for?"

Shit. If so - you just decided to align yourself with the asshole's goal to hurt you! Don't blame the asshole for that. You can't blame the asshole for your full and willing cooperation.

Wait technically yes: blame the asshole, but make sure you're blaming the right asshole, asshole.

~ END PROCESS NOTES ~

That's the sweet trick for how to GET OFFENDED, my little ones.

It only looks laborious.

I assure you after the umthousandteenth time (and believe me, as one of the far-too-easily-offended {oh, admit it, my belligerents, belles dames sans merci and belov'ds - come on, compared to me at least!} you'll have plenty of practice options and opportunities), the above process becomes pretty damn near automatic. You will be autocorrecting your valuations of a person's opinion faster than they can finish translating their weak, jumbled hostility into what they think is witty English.

For a pro-am like me, real-time opinion autovaluation takes about the effort it would take most people to get a joke and erupt into raucous laughter. For about the same reasons!

Thursday, June 04, 2015

Reason, #1: Reasons are not and have not Reason.

The last two years of my life have been wasted, I think. From a certain standpoint.


But then, by my current way of thinking so were the 42 prior to that. And no regrets. It's only a judgment upon how it's all added up. During the living of it, I assure you I had neither concern nor intention involving any such queer math!

And each moment was not wasted. Not one moment was. It's just that parts of me, parts of my life - I can admit now, were lived with a thought towards adding it all up. To certain ends, towards certain goals, whose certainty no longer appeals at all.

I plan to keep on as I've begun and as I've gone, all along: to waste no moments.

The thing I'd care to change is this. To abandon my expectations for life to add up. For things to come to any sum total more than all that they simply are. It was never any goal or aim of mine involved, in all this highly-questionable math. So this adjustment should be relatively easy, if indeed there is any more adjustment to it than simply to note the truth. The expectation I'd care to abandon was never mine to begin with.

It's always something based on the other person's expectation and not yours. And they can't explain why they want it, or why it's important, and for goodness sake I never had the slightest talent or knack grasping any of it as anything real. Expectation for some plan to come true?

I know how to execute a campaign. I know how to stage an operation. I am through with fools who take a dream and call it a plan. They do nothing to break it out into achievable stages, assess the probabilities of success for each incremental step, identify the factors whose manipulation can improve on those odds. They just take a dream and call it a goal. They do nothing to make it real. Some plan!

1. Have a dream.
2. Wake up, or claim to be.
3. Declare the dream achievable,
4. Declare yourself dedicated to its realization.

A better term for such wan "realization" might be "wish-fulfillment." What expectation should such a "planner" have for their plan?

Expectation is something I have when I throw a rock.

Or, for when I choose a rock. I look with an eye towards its shape or color, and I grasp with a hand for its balance and heft. There are expectations I have for the rock I'll choose, for the particular rock-based purpose I have that day discovered. Maybe it's just a pretty rock! One that caught my eye. And so I choose it for that reason and - whoa! It feels so good. Cool and smooth in the hand! Mission accomplished?

Yes. Expectation leading directly to satisfaction with a reality that quantifiably measures up. This is the sort of expectation I have, and want. The kind I've always had; the only kind I've ever actually wanted, speaking now for myself. The kind of expectation I can make use of. The kind I understand, and so can manage. Quite easily!

Expectation is for immediate guidance. It is not there to provide an excuse to indefinitely suspend one's dream-based disappointment. The word for that is "faith."

Expectation is to pick up and throw a rock. Aims. Goals. Metrics.

Expectation is not something anybody would need as they're picking a path over a range of hills or climbing a mountain. Expectation adds nothing to your efforts, here. A map? Sure! Why not? If you need one. If you're no walker, if you're no climber, you might need a map. If you have any business out there, you don't need a map. You really ought to be able to judge the easiest course from the landscape, and steer by the sky. And if you're out there for the right reason, then you are in no hurry. Exploration is for detours. Exploration is for doublebacks.

Expectation is for the rock your palm and thumb can meditate upon, as you grasp your stout walking stick and keep an eye out for pumas.

From the world expect gravity. From yourself, balance.

From others, expect them to regard their delusions as your self-improvement list. There's nothing wrong with this. We can all stand to improve, but no one changes for another person. If you change, it will be because you have understood why, and because you are the kind of person who has difficulty doing anything the stupid, dumb, wrong way, as soon as you've understood why the better way is better.

Reason is mine.

Purpose is not my problem. Excuses are not my problem. Justifications are not my problem.

"Reasons" are not my problem.

Reasons are miscalled. They are always either justifications, for the weak who need justification to act, or excuses, for the fool who refuses to act without an excuse, or for the fool who demands that others cannot so act. But justice can only require a justification for a wrong act. Justice must show why the act is wrong, if justice wishes to limit liberty. Justice can require no justification for an act that is harmless, blameless.

As to excuses, it takes a fool to require one and a sorry individual indeed to provide it. "Reasons" have no relation to Reason. I say things should be done for no reason or not at all.

A thing should be done because you just did it, and because I've got nothing to show that should've stopped you doing it. I've got no shred nor scrap to show, as to why I am the one who can ask or compel excuse or justification from you for your free act.

Do the thing because you are alive. Do the thing because you are at perfect liberty to do so. You don't need to be pursuing happiness at the time.

I'm sure as hell not. They only put "pursuit of happiness" in the Constitution for the pussies who need an excuse to act. Luckily, you can tell them by certain signs. Whenever you propose a course of action, they claim not to see the point, or they claim the act will not achieve the desired result.

I don't fear or detest purpose. I quite enjoy the plans and dreams of others, and often act in ways that pull their lame ass out of the fire just for sheer enjoyment, because I either love to be of service, or I live to show off. There's no difference between the two.

I plan to enjoy. Pretty open-ended plan, otherwise. In particular I plan to enjoy every exchange of views with the weakling or fool or requires plan, justification, or excuse to act. Don't worry!

It's always fun for them, too.

Monday, June 01, 2015

The Finn Brothers - Anything Can Happen


In Many Cases #1: The Exceptions

In many cases, you find the exceptions will guide you on what to do for that particular instance. Typically, the particulars themselves are peculiar to the particular case, which is partly why they're called that. In a case like that, trying to go by a general (let alone an absolute!) rule, you're liable to throw your hands up and wave them only this time, you won't be faking it: you will in fact just not care, at that point. Because: why bother? When there's no way to judge right from wrong using your own mind, and previous experience, as compared against whatever general paradigmatics you've picked up on your own hook by listening to idealists and other absolutist assholes and salting to taste?

Especially if your taste tends to take more than a grain, or if you like me have been characterized (wrongly) by others as a "salty dog," by the time you may find you end up with more salt on your plate than suet you're liable to reconsider your whole line of thinking. And then what do you turn to to guide you?

The exceptions.

I mean - usually, you will. Not in every case, but you can't go far wrong or you look like an asshole. People will be pointing you out when you turn the other way, saying things like "sotto voce" and indicating in as many ways, hey, that's the fucking guy. He went far wrong.

Fact is, once you've got a reputation for acting a certain way, people aren't going to credit your exceptions very much. And that's where they go far wrong, but sadly, as a total fucking hypocrite you're in no shape to call them on it.

I think that's probably a pretty rough-hewn yet nonetheless kind of sort of decent take on the overview, for something as tough-to-get-ahold on as the exceptions in any given case, and in particular, how they stand in relation to the established norms and observed to be generally valid generalizations. The "forest for trees," if you will but remember, though - consider the exception! But don't take exception. Don't take it. Take it into account, yes! You have to, or else, well, we've already covered the risk picture on that one. You look like an asshole, and taking exception isn't going to change anybody's mind on that score. So don't.

I suppose if you have to, due to your own rough-and-trouble hand-hewn hardscrabble principles on the matter in question, then you're pretty much stuck. You'll have to take exception no matter how good my advice to the contrary clearly is, because its your principles at stake. You're beholden to them like nobody's business, pretty much, or else everybody's going to look at you and say "How does he sleep at night?" Principles, baby! That's how. But as long as you have no principles, sure, in that case take whatever exception seems worth the risk of looking like an asshole.

With principles, there's really nothing much you can do but follow them in every case regardless of exception. You have no choice - nobody wants to risk looking like a moral coward or worse - an intellectual.

This has been the first installment of our new, soon-to-be-recurring feature, "In Many Cases!" In which we will attempt to type things that seem related in some way or in any event, relatable, to the phrase itself. Here, we went the exception route - and can you blame us?

Nope. Not hardly.