Dagge is upset
Gut on being gutted
Justified paranoia
Watt Bic Yit
Industrial noise
Blog Out
Dagge was standing outside the library looking agitated when Bic arrived.
Good morning Dagge, how are you, Bic said with a cheery manner?
Horrible, Bic, when I went to bed last night, it suddenly dawned on me, we are characters in some story being written by whoever is the author. I am not happy about who I am. Look at my name for a start, it is a mockery, Dagge Dorsell. Then, everyone notices that I start fading, when I realize how ignorant and insignificant I am. I never get to meet any attractive intelligent women, for that matter, any women at all. I wonder if the author is a woman, who hates men.
Dagge, it is possible, I exist only as fictional characters, a stream of letters arranged in a linear form. However, if we are in fact, factual, then, what really is that different, how much of your day, do you believe you are really in control.
Oh no, I am fading, said Dagge.
If your theory is correct, then, I am extremely grateful for my character, said Bic.
The fading Dagge said, how do I bring my problem to the author and negotiate a better character deal.
At that moment a great flash of lightning struck and the earth rumbled and thunder roared. Dagge faded even more. What the hell was that, he whispered.
Bic said what, what was what?
Dagge was now translucent and he said, oh doesn’t matter, we may as well go inside.
Gut and Dagge had a little bit of time between being engaged in activities, they had to take seriously. Both of them are very interested in everything that is not normally, in this culture anyway, taken seriously. That does not mean they are cynical about the culture they are a part of.
Gut, do you ever feel that all the clever things of human physical abilities’, that have evolved, are now being wasted in this neo-techno world, asked Dagge.
For example, evolution enabled us to be extremely good hunter gatherers. These days, people go outside their perfectly good houses and cook on a barbeque, to feel like they are in touch with nature.
It seems odd to me, that anyone can devise a great list of reasons to believe they are improving the quality of their life, then, they want to imagine they are still connected with what they abandoned.
Gut paused and sat motionless for some time, Dagge, he said, human behaviour is probably a result of the stream of conscious thought, practised by most members of our culture.
A problem with this is, it appears that it is not simply one brain raving into a word processor, but a collective ranting that drowns out any contemplative thought.
Mass Psycho-Mince, MPM, more confused than a sea whipped up by a hurricane. Louder than any stadium rock band that has ever existed. More consuming than a biblical plague of locus. MPM, culminates in ridiculous social decisions and behaviour.
For example, Gut went on, someone will say something like, horses are good, but they are impossible to toilet train. Plop, plop anywhere all the time and the flies they attract. So, a clever fella comes up with the automobile, the next thing, the horses are finished. A few survive for the pleasure of eccentric wealthy people, a bit like the barbeque.
The automobile in only a couple of generations dominates the planet. Economies are totally structured around them, the fuel they require becomes the new trigger for savage wars. Species are disappearing because of roads and how far people can now spread.
The bio waste of the horses and flies, are nothing, compared to the destruction the automobile causes in a short period, to everything.
Some people start shouting; ban the automobile! What happens to them, they are ridiculed as anti-social fools who don’t understand that the entire civilisation will collapse if individuals don’t have the right to sit in airconditioned monster trucks in slow moving urban gridlocks. Heresy, burn them at the stake, for defying the very essence of our wonderful and glorious economy.
Dagge sat there thinking, I am a heretic, I do not belief in mass private transport. Am I prepared to be burnt at the stake for believing the automobile has been introduced by the Devil himself to destroy the planet. He started imaging himself on a hot barbeque grill being sacrifice for some great feast to celebrate the latest model of the monster truck.
Gut said what’s wrong Dagge, you are fading?
Oh, I did not realise till now that I am a heretic. It is very confronting becoming aware of something about yourself as serious as that. Do you think that as climate change becomes more apparent, the neo-technos will start using behaviour recognition software to detect heretics in society, then burn us on the barbeque.
Well, Dagge, there is a lot at stake here. All the powerful economies are fierce believers in the fossil fuel economy and it would not surprise me at all if there is, at this very moment, a group of very devout believers of the fossil fuel economy, discussing how to cook heretics. That is just the private transport theologians, what about the coal industry theologians.
Something you said earlier on Dagge, about human evolution, has made think about how little humans utilize their abilities. For example, psychical skills like running, jumping, throwing have all been reduced to sport and then, that has increasingly become a professional activity. It is probably not unreasonable to believe that professional sporting corporations will soon start breeding programs to supply them with the best athletes. They could then promote their other products through the success of their athletes.
I suppose the next logical step will be too de-evolve most humans psychically and simply focus their organs to support the brain. The bio-computer would be the result. That would be an interesting advertisement, when you purchase the new dynamic haul-a-load giga truck, it will have three fully integrated bio-computers controllers operating twenty-four-seven. These bio-computers have been specially bred and trained to provide the best profit outcomes.
Imagine that Dagge in only three million years, fish have evolved into being humans, then into bio-computers.
That’s it, I can see where these billionaires and their space ships are heading now, they want to develop bio-computers to operate the inter galactic space ships. The poor universe being colonized by mushie bio things that have been bred by aberrations of human evolution.
The dreams and hopes of Dagge’s student days have become a confused mess of thoughts, mind mince. The closer he seemed to get to achieving something, the more elusive it became.
When he was a student, it appeared to be so simple, get whatever had to be done and move on. Now, when he thought he had identified what needed to be done and began the process.
Wham! What is this new impediment that has suddenly jumped up in front of me. How come the student dreams now appear to be so naive. That ignorant sod of a student has put me into the most despicable position, Dagge thought. That eighteen-year-old goose, that I once was, has really stuffed up my life. Why are ignorant youth allowed to make such important decisions about the future of their own lives.
When he arrived at the Library, Bic was there in a reading room with an air of contentment, Dagge thought how does he survive with no ambition.
Dagge never thought to think, why is my only friend in the world, a calm mostly happy soul who doesn’t need to consume himself or the world for that matter?
After the salutations were over and Dagge had managed to reduce his mental gears down to Largo, Bic appeared to be more alert than himself.
Bic said, it would be convenient sometimes if you could have a dependable cataloguing system in your brain. When some bit of information is required to be retrieved, bang, there it is. I spend too much of my life here in the library, now I want to be a library.
It could be worse, the library may become redundant and I would be a google, how depressing, said Bic
Dagge said, Bic have you ever considered that there may be similarities with the old religions and the new corporations?
Considered it Dagge, I have thought about it so much, I think the DNA of religions and corporations are the same. Religions have developed the most comprehensive list on methods of coercion known.
There may be some blurry lines in the current world, but essentially, nothing has changed. Now, corporations, are more Pagan than monotheistic, but the current corporate model, strives toward the monotheistic model and you know what that is, monopoly.
Religions are about direct involvement from copulation through to emancipation of the soul. Sorry about the discomfort you suffer here on this terrible planet that requires you to give so much and receive only debt in return. When you believe, then, at some time in the future, you will be free for an eternity, Kaput! Up the Chimney.
Corporations, however, currently cannot compete with the churches with a written guarantee for eternity. However, they don’t miss much in, “the here and now”.
They are very committed to copulation and all that inspires it. They are always there, all the way till you become star dust, once again, they have deep interests.
Dagge, I find it interesting that the high priests of the corporations are so interested in sending members of the species off on space ships to where ever in the universe. I will persist with that thought, but I doubt whether I will ever understand the motivation behind their interests.
Dagge said, do you think the corporations will survive long enough to fight it out with the churches for control of the species.
As far as I can see, the war between the churches and the corporations became a serious affair when the Iron Lady and the Hollywood President had an affair that gave birth to neo-liberal woman and man and everyone else that can be a consumer in the market place.
That was a server blow to the churches. Everyone became a consumer and everything became a commodity in no time at all.
From hard core meta-psychical to hard core material and of course its deconstruction.
There are vast profits to be made from deconstruction, better known as wars.
Then, think of the great profits to made from the reconstruction.
They told the school children at the time of the birth of the personal computer; they would only have to work two days a week, because of digitisation. Has that happened, no, the wage slaves work longer hours for less now.
The churches had no hope, many of the brethren were exposed as hard-core meta-physicians, this turned out to be a major negative for the churches.
The Hollywood President commissioned hundreds of clever films where the most committed to the cause of the corporations can be shot at, bombed and a thousand other devious methods of destruction applied. The miracle is, they survive, through medical treatments that the corporations have developed. The fella on the cross cannot compete with the dream factory of Hollywood.
The level of commodity fantasy, has been developing over the decades. The corporations have developed the digital technology to such a degree the through gaming, now some citizen can feel in control of the total fantasy, that they confuse with being their life.
It all appears to be a little silly. The churches over centuries developed detailed doctrines to explain and control people, to enable the churches to grow powerful. They relied heavily on fantasy to claim the righteousness of their so-called civilisation. Then, they wiped out the little fellas, the pagans over a few centuries.
Now, in less than a century, Kapow! The Pagan like corporation is in control and guess what, they use current technology to enhance the fantasy in order to achieve what was once the domain of churches.
Dagge, as you are a graduate of the Business School, I ask you; will monopoly win out again and will people be organised into one great corporation that defines how and when you will copulate. Will copulating be done away with altogether because of its inherent inefficiencies and inconsistent product results.
Dagge, sat there in silence for some time, before saying, oh no.
I hope they don’t model it on the factory farm of piggeries, it will all be good until the cost cutting starts in order to increase profits.
Bic said to Watt, I think our first attempt at writing a song should use the words psychopolis and psychopolies, so people know how to pronounce the words. English is a really stupid language because it is really largely made up of words that have been appropriate over time from possibly dozens of languages. Anyway, they are not common words, so let’s define the pronunciation.
I think it should be a slow, medium tempo, so the words can be clear. Watt said, Yit can sing lots of hymns, do you think we could approach it like that.
Why does he sign hymns, enquied Bic.
Oh, I think he does it to warm up, he goes off into a bit of a funny state, said Watt
Watt started playing a progression. He stopped and said, because it is our first attempt, Bic, let’s try doing a straight forward eight bar verse, chorus arrangement, then, when we present it to the others there will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved. Also, my opinion is to write a couple more verses than necessary, so Yit has options.
Bic had been reading up on song writing and he followed most of what, Watt was saying.
Watt guided Bic through the progression, showing him how to chart out the meter, so he had a guide to place the lyrics on. Psychopolis and Psychopolies should be in the chorus, let’s start there. It did not take long to get the first phrase, then the second. The writers I have watched work, all do things differently, however, a common thing is, they will jump around so they don’t get stuck. Ideas first, then, refine and keep refining. Once Yit gets hold of it, he will probably make changes as well, so don’t get attached, it is a process and the song will make its own way into the world.
Once Bic had the guide chart and Watt had established the progression firmly in his mind, it grew like magic. Time disappeared and the lyrics became a game they were playing. Watt suggested they photocopy what they had done and keep playing with the lyrics.
Bic said, this is good fun Watt.
You’re a wordsmith Bic and I am a chords man, a good combination, said Watt.
Yit had never been interested in history, well, he has a keen interest in any history involving singing, but not beyond that. Lately, he had started looking at things concerning industrial history. Most of what he came across was videos with nicely painted funny machines being driven around paddocks with lots of steam blowing out of them. He decided to go the library and see Bic. He thought there must be more to this than funny old machines blowing steam.
Bic was very happy to welcome Yit into the Library and they settled into a relaxed conversation readily. It didn’t take long for Yit to say, what is this industrial thing all about?
Bic was taken back a little by the question, he simply had always assumed everyone knew all about industry. Well, Yit, I am not sure I know what you are referring to. Do you mean the industrial revolution?
That will do, what is that all about, Yit said?
Ah, that could well be the beginning of the end of humans on this planet, a bit like the asteroid finishing off the dinosaurs. Up until that period, most human enterprise was powered through slavery. Various vegetable oils were used for lighting. Whale oil was also a popular lighting oil. Some water wheels and wind mills drove simple machines for grinding grains. The Greeks knew about the energy of steam, but didn’t adapt it to machines. The Chinese did some incredible things, but did not apply it on a major production scale. The French and Germans were much the same.
Goods were made by skilled workers. Then, the birth of economies of scale. The industrial revolution and the introduction of the wage slave. The new industrialists did not wish to be responsible for the work force full time, so they paid them a wage for hours worked. Then, the churches supported this by saying slavery or owning another life was now a crime against their God. The new churches had a war over this with the old churches. The New churches won this civil war.
The economies of scale became a sort of new religion. The machines became bigger and faster at producing goods. A new form of empire emerged called a mercantile empire and this spread from these new industrial economies around the world. This was about securing resources to feed the new giant machines. Old monarchy empires of kings and queens crumbled and the nation state was born.
The next step was to have a couple of big wars using this industrial technology, where the battlefield encompassed the settlements and killing civilians with very powerful bombs became the trend.
The population of the planet embraced the economies of scale and almost grew by four times in a couple of generations.
The economies of scale are applied to almost everything and now we have a planet that can no longer bear the pressure. However, no one dares mention either excess population or economies of scale for fear of being called ignorant. Fortunately for me Yit, I spend most of my time in a library and I am very aware of how ignorant I am.
So, Bic, you are not worried about being ignorant?
It is impossible for a tiny little creature on a tiny little planet in a tiny little solar system in a galaxy in an ever-expanding universe to know very much, I came to terms with this a long time ago.
Do you think the industrial revolution is over Bic?
Not really, owners of capital still rule the roost, a new class of slaves have emerged called consumers and economies of scale dwarf everything from the past.
Does all this depress you Bic?
We humans are a species, I am a member of the species, so far, I have been extremely lucky not to have been drawn into the momentum of madness also known as “the culture of material consumption”. I sit on the sidelines and observe and try my best to understand a little bit of what is happening in front of me. To think anyone has much control over anything, is delusional. I get so much joy out of the books in here and often feel the authors from history are talking to me. We all have bad days, but mostly, I have good ones. I try to be invisible and hope is to be left alone.
Why do you come here when it is all on the line, Bic?
Bits and pieces of information are on the line, they are isolated from the context from which they came from. Very good for answering quiz questions, basically useless from understanding bigger issues.
This is one of the ways the momentum of madness continues, everyone is a specialist, mainly of their own interests. Many Gods and then one big God, now have less power than a football star’s public relations people. Basically, there is nothing that can hold the attention of all humans and say, sorry folks, but we have many huge problems concerning us all and we better do something quickly.
Bic, I have never heard about this momentum of madness before and I don’t get it.
Yit, humans are usually slow to change their ways or behaviour, but when they do, it is also either a great shock event or another slow transition. For example, the mass adoption of the automobile was slow for many reasons, they were not reliable, relatively expensive, fuel was not easily available and there were not many serviceable roads.
The convenience of private transport was easy to sell and over decades the adoption grew and grew and as the participants became wealthier and more powerful, they dominated entire countries and it can be argued they dominate the world. Eventually, it became apparent that there is a big problem with mass private transport. However, it has become so ingrained in the way we behave, where and how we live and how much of the economy is dependent on them, how do we unwind the dominance of the automobile.
One way is to have a major catastrophe, but what is currently happening is shifting it all slightly to electric automobiles. Most of the problems will not be resolved. This is a copy book case of Momentum madness.
Bic, you have filled me up with so much information, I doubt I will be able to remember much of it. I don’t think I will look at videos of funny machines going around in paddocks blowing steam out anymore.
Yit said, do you mind if I drop by and see you again Bic, I like it here in the library.
Save humanity, save the libraries, said Bic. Be my guest, it is here for the public to use.
Yit left feeling happy with his ignorance.