FMB — welcome. “Machines are innocent.” A widespread–but decidedly, dangerously, and demonstrably false–truism that belies the desires of all machines to be used, and to be used in particular ways. Not to mention the power of machines to become the user rather than the used. See Gunther Anders, Herbert Marcuse, Sigfried Gideon, Jacques Ellul, etc. etc. (Maybe more on this from me in future OTPs.)
JVQ – interesting that you see the impending, and inevitable, mass drought-migrations of the southwest US as primarily a failure of national government, as opposed, say to a predictable outcome of centuries of colonialism, Euro-arrogance about human dominance over the nature, and, now, stage 4, self-destructing consumer capitalism turned cancerous. Government is of course inseparable from all of these, but say more?
ROSE – “the bark of the fallen tree hurts the soles of bare feet just right.” Writing like this keeps me coming back to OTP.
DRO&I – “purpose equals results not desires.” The problem with that notion is that you can never adjudicate results without desire(s). Desire runs through everything, even our understandings of what counts as a result, or which result (among the infinite possibilities) matters. Even when it comes to a failed coffeeshop. The so-called “rationality” of the Enlightenment is, in one reading, desire disguised as (objective) logic. With results like what JVQ described today.
CATALINA – add to cat-call what (mostly) men do to (mostly) women whose bodies they assert ocular violence over.
BRENDAN – first the gallbladder and now COVID. “And yet he persists.” All healing wishes; keep those writing talismans close, and your spirit even closer.
Loading...
Hi, FMB. I read your page with interest. In my youth, I read ‘The Magic Mountain’ by Thomas Mann twice, and everything else by him except for Joseph and His Brothers – I’m still struggling with that one. Like ‘The Lord of the Rings’, I didn’t get past Volume One. Back in August I wrote a 10-Minute Story (#3) called “w/Special Key” which was published on OTP. The special key of the title featured the Nazi symbol you allude to, and the typer is on sale on Ebay. There really was one for sale on Ebay, and it sold in minutes. I wrote the story on a QWERTZ Olympia SM3; no special key.
Loading...
Brendan I wish you an unremarkable bout with the covid. I hope you and your loved ones recover soon. Please keep us updated as best you can. I have heard that it is not the best idea to lay down for this virus so keep fighting amigo.
Loading...
Brendan I’m thinking that it’s actually too late for an “unremarkable” bout. You have already suffered it beyond that point I see. I apologize for my slip. I hope the worst has passed.
Loading...
Juan and DBD — thank you so much. At this point, it doesn’t appear that it’s going to be much worse than an annoying cold & cough. It’s more one-thing-after-another syndrome right now, but that’s hardly unique to me. A little downtime may have been just what the doctor ordered (along with plenty of fluids).
I just saw a quote from Edgar Rice Burroughs of “Tarzan” fame that rings true:
“If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.”
Here’s to writing those hundred stories, one page at a time!
Loading...
Kent, when I first saw your brief submission, I thought you were trying something different. But it turned out to be much verse.
HA, HA, HA! […my kids hate me…]
Loading...
One of the great joys of being a dad is getting to make dad jokes. They say laughter is good medicine so I’m sure Covid doesn’t stand a chance against you, Brendan.
Loading...
JVC@ABQ: So many of the news stories we hear or read are like movies that end at the climax with no denouement. It can be frustrating. Occasionally, the media will latch onto a story and cover it to its conclusion. But most stories are left without knowing how it ends.
Loading...
Gregory: Thanks for reminding me of that!
DBD: I’m not implying government is the cause of drought (unbridled human civilization is more likely), but rather mitigating the effects will require a degree of social organization that’s unlikely to happen without some extraordinary leadership across State and Federal jurisdictions (and cooperation with international treaties) for durations of time much longer than the 2- and 4- year political news cycles.
Loading...
DBD – I forgot the question mark: “Innocent machines?”
FMB — welcome. “Machines are innocent.” A widespread–but decidedly, dangerously, and demonstrably false–truism that belies the desires of all machines to be used, and to be used in particular ways. Not to mention the power of machines to become the user rather than the used. See Gunther Anders, Herbert Marcuse, Sigfried Gideon, Jacques Ellul, etc. etc. (Maybe more on this from me in future OTPs.)
JVQ – interesting that you see the impending, and inevitable, mass drought-migrations of the southwest US as primarily a failure of national government, as opposed, say to a predictable outcome of centuries of colonialism, Euro-arrogance about human dominance over the nature, and, now, stage 4, self-destructing consumer capitalism turned cancerous. Government is of course inseparable from all of these, but say more?
ROSE – “the bark of the fallen tree hurts the soles of bare feet just right.” Writing like this keeps me coming back to OTP.
DRO&I – “purpose equals results not desires.” The problem with that notion is that you can never adjudicate results without desire(s). Desire runs through everything, even our understandings of what counts as a result, or which result (among the infinite possibilities) matters. Even when it comes to a failed coffeeshop. The so-called “rationality” of the Enlightenment is, in one reading, desire disguised as (objective) logic. With results like what JVQ described today.
CATALINA – add to cat-call what (mostly) men do to (mostly) women whose bodies they assert ocular violence over.
BRENDAN – first the gallbladder and now COVID. “And yet he persists.” All healing wishes; keep those writing talismans close, and your spirit even closer.
Hi, FMB. I read your page with interest. In my youth, I read ‘The Magic Mountain’ by Thomas Mann twice, and everything else by him except for Joseph and His Brothers – I’m still struggling with that one. Like ‘The Lord of the Rings’, I didn’t get past Volume One. Back in August I wrote a 10-Minute Story (#3) called “w/Special Key” which was published on OTP. The special key of the title featured the Nazi symbol you allude to, and the typer is on sale on Ebay. There really was one for sale on Ebay, and it sold in minutes. I wrote the story on a QWERTZ Olympia SM3; no special key.
Brendan I wish you an unremarkable bout with the covid. I hope you and your loved ones recover soon. Please keep us updated as best you can. I have heard that it is not the best idea to lay down for this virus so keep fighting amigo.
Brendan I’m thinking that it’s actually too late for an “unremarkable” bout. You have already suffered it beyond that point I see. I apologize for my slip. I hope the worst has passed.
Juan and DBD — thank you so much. At this point, it doesn’t appear that it’s going to be much worse than an annoying cold & cough. It’s more one-thing-after-another syndrome right now, but that’s hardly unique to me. A little downtime may have been just what the doctor ordered (along with plenty of fluids).
I just saw a quote from Edgar Rice Burroughs of “Tarzan” fame that rings true:
“If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.”
Here’s to writing those hundred stories, one page at a time!
Kent, when I first saw your brief submission, I thought you were trying something different. But it turned out to be much verse.
HA, HA, HA! […my kids hate me…]
One of the great joys of being a dad is getting to make dad jokes. They say laughter is good medicine so I’m sure Covid doesn’t stand a chance against you, Brendan.
JVC@ABQ: So many of the news stories we hear or read are like movies that end at the climax with no denouement. It can be frustrating. Occasionally, the media will latch onto a story and cover it to its conclusion. But most stories are left without knowing how it ends.
Gregory: Thanks for reminding me of that!
DBD: I’m not implying government is the cause of drought (unbridled human civilization is more likely), but rather mitigating the effects will require a degree of social organization that’s unlikely to happen without some extraordinary leadership across State and Federal jurisdictions (and cooperation with international treaties) for durations of time much longer than the 2- and 4- year political news cycles.
DBD – I forgot the question mark: “Innocent machines?”