Authoritarianism: The Creeping Evil

Authoritarianism really does require a healthy dose of superstition.

Absurd World

All the things are nonsense. Mostly. Mostly all nonsense. Make sense of it, I DARE YOU.

It Will Be Televised

The much brighter light from a new television illuminates this whole room. The old one either grew dim over the last decade plus, or was never all that bright to begin with. Now, the room glows.

They're making them much lighter in weight, now, as well. It's very easy to handle. It was harder getting the old one down, by far, than it was to put the new one up.

There was thought put into getting one of those behemoths, but they didn't have one that big, locally. So, instead, the old one was replaced with one about the same size. The big 'un will just have to wait until more internet research is done. Maybe indefinitely.

The new one was also about a quarter the price of the old one, too. That didn't really figure in, though, since the giant ones now cost less than the old one, so that's what set the budget. It was nice to keep that extra grand, at any rate.

Hard Lessons

Everybody loves to preach to the choir. No arguments, disagreements or misunderstandings come from that. You also don't make any meaningful progress.

No, you don't make any breakthroughs until you start bringing your ideas to people who don't agree with you. Their point of view can help you see what you're missing because they'll try to find every hole and mistake. If you realize you don't need to win every argument, you'll be able to learn from it.

Law Without Government

Interesting to think about. These kind of thought exercises are good. There have been many versions of this argument over the years, a lot of them very good. The one from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is the first one I remember reading. It was kind of eye-opening to think that the people don't have to believe in some almost-supernatural authority appointed by some person we've never met, and for which we most likely never voted, to arbitrate justice for us.

People probably aren't ready for something like this. They've been accustomed to someone else usurping their authority for so long, they seem to take comfort in it. Maybe someday, though.

Good to Get Relief

Why do the little pains always seem to be more irritating? Logically, larger pains should really get you. It's like the bigger pains keep you so busy with all the baggage they come with that you're not able to focus on the pain.

A Shot of Possible

When you're on the road, halfway between cities, you pretty much have the possibility of doing anything you want when you get there. You can eat at any restaurant and visit any person or place. As long as you don't yet have to decide, the future is wide open.

Sid Barrett from Pink Floyd was asked why he didn't want to get out of bed in the morning. He said as long as he was in bed, the possibilities for the day were endless. As soon as he got out of bed to get ready, decisions would have to be made that would limit the day.

There needs to be a way to bottle that limitless feeling. It's so fleeting that you rarely get to enjoy it for any meaningful amount of time. If you try to stay in that moment, you daydream too long and miss other moments. There needs to be a way to take a shot of possibility when you need it.

Nah, they'd probably just make it illegal. Can't have people thinking anything's possible. They might actually achieve something.