Book which you must read.
I've just finished Last and First Men by Olaf Stapleton. You have to read this-- it's a complete headfuck, a revelation. This guy was a visionary. I can't belive he was writing in the 30's.
The book is incredible. It's an attempt to conceptualise the whole future of humanity, civilizations rising and falling, disintegrating and coalescing... it's incredible. There's a terrific sense of a mind trying to reconcile the very worst of human nature with the very best-- and from time to time, actually succeeding.
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Why I Hate You, Pt. 10,090
Because you are a vast, I dunno, spongey explody thing of potential and yet you spent your life sitting around wondering if you might possibly be excused from the blatantly ludicrous template within which you have chosen to slot yourselves. Are you? Aren't you? I don't know! Who cares! Let's all have a bun.
Because you are a vast, I dunno, spongey explody thing of potential and yet you spent your life sitting around wondering if you might possibly be excused from the blatantly ludicrous template within which you have chosen to slot yourselves. Are you? Aren't you? I don't know! Who cares! Let's all have a bun.
2:32 am and haven't found a job.
However, Shashinka has painted her nails, and they look pretty cool. She mentions the Middle East: how ludicrous these girly things are in the face of the world.
I heard an account once; the liberation of a concentration camp. Inamongst the scanty food, the bandages, somebody had given a box of lipsticks. How futile, you say. How silly, how vain. But there were women who rouged their lips and then died still clutching the greasepaint, like a child holding a favorite toy close against the nightmares.
Elsewhere, in space/time: The Egyptians had a fine understanding of wet chemistry, which had its roots largely in the making of eyeshadow and sundry cosmetics. Only recently did we understand the secrets of their blue paint. Small statuettes have been found, ostensibly electroplated, purportedly Ancient Egyptian in origin. A battery is not a hard thing to devise-- nor to forget.
It's the little things in life.
However, Shashinka has painted her nails, and they look pretty cool. She mentions the Middle East: how ludicrous these girly things are in the face of the world.
I heard an account once; the liberation of a concentration camp. Inamongst the scanty food, the bandages, somebody had given a box of lipsticks. How futile, you say. How silly, how vain. But there were women who rouged their lips and then died still clutching the greasepaint, like a child holding a favorite toy close against the nightmares.
Elsewhere, in space/time: The Egyptians had a fine understanding of wet chemistry, which had its roots largely in the making of eyeshadow and sundry cosmetics. Only recently did we understand the secrets of their blue paint. Small statuettes have been found, ostensibly electroplated, purportedly Ancient Egyptian in origin. A battery is not a hard thing to devise-- nor to forget.
It's the little things in life.
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Sliiiiight work warning here:Top 10 Cutest Kittens from B3ta
(You did read the work warning before you clicked the link, didn't you? Oh. Oh, well.)
(You did read the work warning before you clicked the link, didn't you? Oh. Oh, well.)
Tom Coates explains to the Grauniad why their weblog compo is "a bloody stupid idea."
Whilst I'm inclined to agree, I still want the money.
Whilst I'm inclined to agree, I still want the money.
Virus warning: Blank emails containing worms!
Regular punters will recall my concern a few days back that following the huge if brief rise in my hit rate, I might have more than the usual amont of tosh in my inbox. Well, turns out I was right. Apart from an increase in spam I've noticed a worrying number of blank but very large emails. I opened the first couple (duh) because I didn't know what they were. (DUHHHRRRRR!)
Now, until fairly recently, you could avoid virusifying your 'puter by not opening suspicious attachments. However these emails can deliver a worm onto your virtual doorstep just by being opened. They're not that hard to spot: large emails (100 k+) with garbled, nonsensical, or unknown senders, which prove to be blank.
Once again: These are LARGE, apparently BLANK emails, from unknown or garbled senders, with NO attachments. They are NOT safe, they contain WORMS. Be very, VERY vigilant, especially if you use some superweak piece of pantsware like Outlook Express to read your email.
Regular punters will recall my concern a few days back that following the huge if brief rise in my hit rate, I might have more than the usual amont of tosh in my inbox. Well, turns out I was right. Apart from an increase in spam I've noticed a worrying number of blank but very large emails. I opened the first couple (duh) because I didn't know what they were. (DUHHHRRRRR!)
Now, until fairly recently, you could avoid virusifying your 'puter by not opening suspicious attachments. However these emails can deliver a worm onto your virtual doorstep just by being opened. They're not that hard to spot: large emails (100 k+) with garbled, nonsensical, or unknown senders, which prove to be blank.
Once again: These are LARGE, apparently BLANK emails, from unknown or garbled senders, with NO attachments. They are NOT safe, they contain WORMS. Be very, VERY vigilant, especially if you use some superweak piece of pantsware like Outlook Express to read your email.
Finally!
Us paranoiacs now have our own version of warchalking-- Let's PSYCHALK!
Although... he mentions the aluminium foil deflector beanie! Oh, no. Major disinfo. Actually, the AFDB works like a faraday cage, focusing your thoughts out round the edges and making it easier for the aliens to read your mind. Argggh! Nowhere is safe!!!
Us paranoiacs now have our own version of warchalking-- Let's PSYCHALK!
Although... he mentions the aluminium foil deflector beanie! Oh, no. Major disinfo. Actually, the AFDB works like a faraday cage, focusing your thoughts out round the edges and making it easier for the aliens to read your mind. Argggh! Nowhere is safe!!!
Sick of @!$* personality tests? Want to give your online buddies a little aversion thereapy? The Atomic Temple Online can help you out, with this handy dandy fake quiz. Looks like a personality test, but dumps the unsuspecting testee face-first into a page-full of mullet-pr0n!
(Work warning. Duh.)
(Work warning. Duh.)
Monday, July 29, 2002
Seems like I never have enough time to do all the things I want to do. So I'm going to make some more.
('Course, if Fotemacus would answer my calls I wouldn't have this problem.)
('Course, if Fotemacus would answer my calls I wouldn't have this problem.)
Style v Content, Round 192
The problem with me is that most of my writing, if I'm honest, isn't really about anything. It's all disjointed scenes, vigniettes, powerful in themselves but ultimately sterile. I need stories, real stories; and for that I need focus.
But the bigger problem-- the great, oozing Alien Queen of a problem, the problem that endlessly squits out new problems which will in turn hatch to choke up my life-- is that I can't finish anything.
The problem with me is that most of my writing, if I'm honest, isn't really about anything. It's all disjointed scenes, vigniettes, powerful in themselves but ultimately sterile. I need stories, real stories; and for that I need focus.
But the bigger problem-- the great, oozing Alien Queen of a problem, the problem that endlessly squits out new problems which will in turn hatch to choke up my life-- is that I can't finish anything.
I hate it when this happens.
None of my bits are getting on with my other bits. The empiricist in me is Not Talking to the magickian, the magickian is having a bit of a sulk, the Drunk Poet is making the Mad Poet cry, the Eternal Adolecent doesn't have a thing to we-e-e-a-r, the Wise Old One is having a senior moment and nobody's getting any work done.
None of my bits are getting on with my other bits. The empiricist in me is Not Talking to the magickian, the magickian is having a bit of a sulk, the Drunk Poet is making the Mad Poet cry, the Eternal Adolecent doesn't have a thing to we-e-e-a-r, the Wise Old One is having a senior moment and nobody's getting any work done.
Sunday, July 28, 2002
Obese man sues Maccy D's
Get this: an obesity sufferer is sueing McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken for making him fat.
Okay, the case is self evidently a load of codswallop and the plaintiff is a prat for not actually thinking about what he was putting into his body, and I'm sick to death of the way people want to replace commonsense with instructions, thus absolving themselves of the need to use their brains. (We can take my intolerance for stupidity as read by now, yes?) But I'm also sick of the way big food companies pollute our lives and lie about what their food does to our bodies. They suppress evidence, they buy off "experts" to spout drivel and they use cynical marketing to hook kids on junk food. I hope the guy wins the case.
Then I'm going to sue him becase his stupidity has raised my blood-pressure.
Get this: an obesity sufferer is sueing McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken for making him fat.
Okay, the case is self evidently a load of codswallop and the plaintiff is a prat for not actually thinking about what he was putting into his body, and I'm sick to death of the way people want to replace commonsense with instructions, thus absolving themselves of the need to use their brains. (We can take my intolerance for stupidity as read by now, yes?) But I'm also sick of the way big food companies pollute our lives and lie about what their food does to our bodies. They suppress evidence, they buy off "experts" to spout drivel and they use cynical marketing to hook kids on junk food. I hope the guy wins the case.
Then I'm going to sue him becase his stupidity has raised my blood-pressure.
My manifesto.
1) I will stop worrying about what people think of me. I rub people up the wrong way. Boo fucking hoo. If I'm out of line I'll apologise, but I'm not going to crawl.
2) I will stop getting distracted by stuff that doesn't matter.
3) I will stop getting all worked up over random wankers. That git shouting at me from a white van is not my Evil Nemesis, he's a git in a white van.
4) I will stop being such a conflictophobe. I will accept that my convictions are not widely held and will get me in trouble one of these days. Tough.
5) I will punt out stories, articles, treatments and any other goddam thing I can think of until I am the calm eye at the centre of a hurricane of rejection letters.
6) I will accept that I am trying to break into writing at a time where magazines and comics are folding left, right and centre. I will respond by being even more bloodyminded and stubborn than usual.
7) I will accept that people like me attract flak. I will deal with said flak without curling up into a little ball and sobbing. I will soak it up and keep going.
8) I will experiment with various mediums in a systematic way, until I find something I can master.
9) I will recognise that I am not the apex of creation. I can always do better than I'm doing now. I will always be aiming for that better.
10) I will do whatever it takes to get where I need to be.
11) I will never quit.
1) I will stop worrying about what people think of me. I rub people up the wrong way. Boo fucking hoo. If I'm out of line I'll apologise, but I'm not going to crawl.
2) I will stop getting distracted by stuff that doesn't matter.
3) I will stop getting all worked up over random wankers. That git shouting at me from a white van is not my Evil Nemesis, he's a git in a white van.
4) I will stop being such a conflictophobe. I will accept that my convictions are not widely held and will get me in trouble one of these days. Tough.
5) I will punt out stories, articles, treatments and any other goddam thing I can think of until I am the calm eye at the centre of a hurricane of rejection letters.
6) I will accept that I am trying to break into writing at a time where magazines and comics are folding left, right and centre. I will respond by being even more bloodyminded and stubborn than usual.
7) I will accept that people like me attract flak. I will deal with said flak without curling up into a little ball and sobbing. I will soak it up and keep going.
8) I will experiment with various mediums in a systematic way, until I find something I can master.
9) I will recognise that I am not the apex of creation. I can always do better than I'm doing now. I will always be aiming for that better.
10) I will do whatever it takes to get where I need to be.
11) I will never quit.
Paranormal beliefs linked to brain chemistry
Interesting article from the NS. Apperently higher levels of dopamine aid pattern-regcognition but also make people more likely to percieve patterns when there were none.
Interesting article from the NS. Apperently higher levels of dopamine aid pattern-regcognition but also make people more likely to percieve patterns when there were none.
Saturday, July 27, 2002
More info.
Since putting up That blog entry, I've had a few people ask me what they should do if they see somebody having a fit. Here's the basics:
So now you know, eh?
Since putting up That blog entry, I've had a few people ask me what they should do if they see somebody having a fit. Here's the basics:
While a grand mal is scary to watch, it's not always an emergency. Look and see if they have a medic-alert bracelet with details of the problem.
Lower the person carefully onto the ground.
If possible, turn their head to one side so that they don't choke on their saliva or tongue. It is not possible to "swallow" your tongue, but it can fall back and block the airway.
Stay with them, and make sure they can't knock into anything. Place something soft under the person's head.
Don't put anything in the person's mouth-- it could break their teeth or choke them.
Don't restrain them. This could cause the person to break or dislocate a bone.
Reassure them. An epileptic may feel very disoriented and anxious on coming to; tell them they've had a fit, tell them where they are and who you are.
Stay with them until they are fully aware of their surroundings.
If the fit lasts longer than 5 or 10 minutes, or if it's the person's first fit, or they've had more than one fit, then summon emergency medical assistance.
So now you know, eh?
A clarification.
Okay, that was not the full on seizure, right? That was the bit before the seizure, known as the aura. The actual seizure, in my case, involves falling on the floor, frothing at the mouth, and usually ends up with me losing a fight with a neighbouring item of furniture. This is not conducive to fast or accurate typing. Some people's epileptic fits are a lot like the description; YMMV.
Here is a site explaining seizures, and this site has some good general info on epilepsy.
Okay, that was not the full on seizure, right? That was the bit before the seizure, known as the aura. The actual seizure, in my case, involves falling on the floor, frothing at the mouth, and usually ends up with me losing a fight with a neighbouring item of furniture. This is not conducive to fast or accurate typing. Some people's epileptic fits are a lot like the description; YMMV.
Here is a site explaining seizures, and this site has some good general info on epilepsy.
If you liked the online aura thang, then you'll just love...
Barbelith Underground > Creation > Electronics project: mind control.
We still need a kilo of iron filings and some sort of ring-shaped container.
Barbelith Underground > Creation > Electronics project: mind control.
We still need a kilo of iron filings and some sort of ring-shaped container.
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