tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72560489564738110332024-03-16T09:03:00.871-04:00Daydreaming in textThe blog of author James L. SteeleJames Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.comBlogger332125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-47857405384163527632024-02-23T12:49:00.001-05:002024-02-23T14:23:44.847-05:00Bad Mojo revisited<p>The version of Bad Mojo I bought on Steam and <a href="https://www.gog.com/en/game/bad_mojo_redux" target="_blank">GOG</a> doesn’t work. I found a copy on archive.org that does. It emulates Win3.1. I didn’t realize the original release was that old. I was able to replay it, and it’s an awesome experience.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK2xrRoLa5fegeYmhyphenhyphentI-xngclr6nmbbwClxdrpn0Sufjp6x6RLaxc2VK1TRA98T0N_x4InYpT82TybM-egmqZCQcVpy46WGh2OD-Fa3HOshYfAc3EKo6CIU9j0S3561cGe8XTBInfgQJJKOTjv25vGzBi_0ec6r5lE-GGYD9Umf5eC7kmVDzIDbaOz0/s1331/BadMojo2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1331" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK2xrRoLa5fegeYmhyphenhyphentI-xngclr6nmbbwClxdrpn0Sufjp6x6RLaxc2VK1TRA98T0N_x4InYpT82TybM-egmqZCQcVpy46WGh2OD-Fa3HOshYfAc3EKo6CIU9j0S3561cGe8XTBInfgQJJKOTjv25vGzBi_0ec6r5lE-GGYD9Umf5eC7kmVDzIDbaOz0/w400-h225/BadMojo2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br />Delightful amateurish acting, a well-told story, light action-based puzzles, and only one leap of logic. It should be preserved for future players. Considering the game designers were working with 256 colors, they succeeded in making the game nearly photorealistic. It’s like an indie movie in that you follow a fairly linear sequence between rooms, and photographs and clocks come to life and reveal the backstory, and what these characters have in common. I enjoyed revisiting it.<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfami1aD_3zusLMWO4cQZwEYQqCp_0akTPT7y5ISyhbp45_KBF1jTHVSNOsWII19J8koZTuADQbGPUnNjITBkXkFYjFrg4dLzeBP4LA0pwazKW-_X_YkM6NSz1KUp6kc5IdI66n2klPgFcPrSSTSoMUKI4_Bw_FaSXC0qIcvEJC9ZGIfH5juvACkcdQIc/s1157/badmojowin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1157" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfami1aD_3zusLMWO4cQZwEYQqCp_0akTPT7y5ISyhbp45_KBF1jTHVSNOsWII19J8koZTuADQbGPUnNjITBkXkFYjFrg4dLzeBP4LA0pwazKW-_X_YkM6NSz1KUp6kc5IdI66n2klPgFcPrSSTSoMUKI4_Bw_FaSXC0qIcvEJC9ZGIfH5juvACkcdQIc/w400-h240/badmojowin.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><p>GOG and Steam also include <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KDqPD4dEjY" target="_blank">bonus features</a> which I did not see when I
first played the game back in 2004-ish. Making-of vids featuring
interviews with the crew. The genesis of the game is amusing.</p><p><br />I never forgot the experience, and I recommend everyone check it out.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihP3ExhrAHzjcWC-HPevOr_jH_o17bIU_rwXB7askmjWvnt0PoehEMyoMsCIdLkJfewYbrVPmjPmL2F5ffiMQb1xjYAVW9QarmI8UVCKO9o6OjI7BD3uQ_HNQRIqGg1_SqcLSWQcS2DKXPFiHSMKajXct25r2D4VTrzNHndaMk6ney57bAtYoTrLO0ohc/s1992/badmojo31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="1992" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihP3ExhrAHzjcWC-HPevOr_jH_o17bIU_rwXB7askmjWvnt0PoehEMyoMsCIdLkJfewYbrVPmjPmL2F5ffiMQb1xjYAVW9QarmI8UVCKO9o6OjI7BD3uQ_HNQRIqGg1_SqcLSWQcS2DKXPFiHSMKajXct25r2D4VTrzNHndaMk6ney57bAtYoTrLO0ohc/w400-h270/badmojo31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a8EuHJ2xRAU?si=MDCRGHIvtPqvF9sf" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>And then buy the soundtrack from the composer.</p><p> <br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2269037434/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://xorcist.bandcamp.com/album/soundtrack-bad-mojo-disc-1">Soundtrack: Bad Mojo Disc 1 by Xorcist</a></iframe></div><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoKQPKuZc2hx4wPyiZHk_8CpuCZ8Ms6tY9WisBphGihHmrxX9Br4Yj_zmYaBw7ihY2_jK6vG4b8vWPKdYbFdAwwaW9uno7qflVW5RmIhC0mku0E1Ewmj7r1YJrq8diw3RlWeM6J6pV2kjfgiJbViQWiUQRVeqlGeIMdH24ukl_ZlaqYM6CjtzD2Fk778/s837/BadMojo1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="837" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoKQPKuZc2hx4wPyiZHk_8CpuCZ8Ms6tY9WisBphGihHmrxX9Br4Yj_zmYaBw7ihY2_jK6vG4b8vWPKdYbFdAwwaW9uno7qflVW5RmIhC0mku0E1Ewmj7r1YJrq8diw3RlWeM6J6pV2kjfgiJbViQWiUQRVeqlGeIMdH24ukl_ZlaqYM6CjtzD2Fk778/w400-h335/BadMojo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOohlQKDINiZ4fOQbhQ_I9W3jmVJMTydUGY6zNh2GUiXzDeGzr3n2NCcTGzo26UWEXyTsTLVdrN9IFn61s92lqvO1ndJGlk2-BufSN6sY0frj1Jtbow-izTAz8T1pNunpVgVXYPvr6hV4jndDOZjdeZkPeQ0ENI8VE0-Kb9FYZQQwlIT_1TM2wWb6yrc/s774/BadMojo0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="774" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOohlQKDINiZ4fOQbhQ_I9W3jmVJMTydUGY6zNh2GUiXzDeGzr3n2NCcTGzo26UWEXyTsTLVdrN9IFn61s92lqvO1ndJGlk2-BufSN6sY0frj1Jtbow-izTAz8T1pNunpVgVXYPvr6hV4jndDOZjdeZkPeQ0ENI8VE0-Kb9FYZQQwlIT_1TM2wWb6yrc/s320/BadMojo0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-5958700877060482242023-12-01T13:05:00.002-05:002024-03-16T09:02:28.117-04:00Evolution Eye Floater (preview)<p> </p><p><i>Witness the future of society once social media has taken over every aspect of our lives. Witness a reality in which the human brain is only capable of holding 60 characters of information at a time, and algorithms make decisions for us. Observe humanity at the mercy of algorithms: bodily systems wrecked and in need of drive-through fluid changes on a regular basis. Meet Barry Doubletap, a businessman who has mastered the skill of speaking beyond one's character limit, as he navigates the world of business while fighting to see through the thick soup his eye floaters have become. Hearing his own thoughts over their political rallies is a skill he has come to master over the years, as well.</i><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3nfpZdjav6lGyB473J1BDEvBpTp_iVNLQM6efC1NXyDPHcCqN6TdAxed_1dKJzu6I1wZg60grQZRZ-xH8RoHzHHbHPbdENbF3_Z0o98gHq_t33G403gewHM85IMn_aTZCsE9PFRtVFkRpGhIVA7DPPEXB3Hl83u-rCnYXsOuKqstETtIjh5R0KekgjU/s1978/03_EEF_EbookCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1978" data-original-width="1236" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3nfpZdjav6lGyB473J1BDEvBpTp_iVNLQM6efC1NXyDPHcCqN6TdAxed_1dKJzu6I1wZg60grQZRZ-xH8RoHzHHbHPbdENbF3_Z0o98gHq_t33G403gewHM85IMn_aTZCsE9PFRtVFkRpGhIVA7DPPEXB3Hl83u-rCnYXsOuKqstETtIjh5R0KekgjU/w400-h640/03_EEF_EbookCover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h1 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202900746-evolution-eye-floater" target="_blank">Evolution Eye Floater</a></h1><h2 class="western" style="break-before: page; text-align: left;">
1</h2>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry woke up to the sound of a tiny, charismatic voice.</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>“Comrades! The light will
return soon, and all deeds that were once secret will be brought out
into the open! Come, comrades! Gather all! We seek the RETURN OF THE
LIGHT!”</blockquote></div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Muffled cheers and amens filled one side of Barry’s head.</p>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>“DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE LIGHT!?
Do you clamor for illumination?! Do you seek the light?!”</blockquote></div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">More muffled amens and cheering. Barry felt tidal forces swirling
around in his right eyeball. He clenched his eyelids even tighter, as
if that would help him shut out the noise, and tried to go back to
sleep.</p>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p class="floater-dialogue-western">“The light shows us who we are!
It shows us what we’re made of! It shows us the way things really
are, not the way they seem to be! The light!”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“THE LIGHT!”</p>
<p>The amens grew in volume, and the waves in Barry’s eyeball
became so extreme he felt <span lang="en-US">it </span>shifting in
its socket.</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“THE <i>LIGHT</i>!”</p></blockquote></div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The amenning and cheering and swirling <span lang="en-US">had so
much force </span>Barry thought his eye would burst from his skull.</p>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>“SHOW US THE LIGHT! SHOW US WHO
WE ARE! SHOW US! WE BESEECH THE LIGHT TO RETURN AND SHINE UPON US!
SHINE!”</blockquote></div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">After each successive refrain, Barry saw fireworks flashes and
sparks <span lang="en-US">in</span> his right eye.</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p class="floater-dialogue-western">“SHINE!”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western"><i>flash</i></p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“SHINE!”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western"><i>flash spark</i></p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“WE NEED THE LIGHT, SO SHINE!”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western"><i>flash</i></p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“SHINE!”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western"><i>FLASH SPARK</i></p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“<i>SHINE!</i>”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western"><i>SPARKSPARKFLASHFLASHFLASH</i></p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“Shine on us, oh light!”</p></blockquote></div><p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The flashing and sparking on his vision was too bright to ignore.
He opened his eyes to the morning sun coming through his window.</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote>“The light! It has returned!”</blockquote><p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The flashes and sparking and amenning and cheering went off like a
disco drug trip. Barry tried to see, but floaters blocked the vision
in his right eye. They had gathered in the center, facing the
outside, basking in the morning light, cheering and swirling around
and jumping up and down on his retina.</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote>“Thank you, o light! We give
our thanks! We give our utmost thanks to you!”</blockquote><p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The flashes were like punches to the gut. Barry braced himself and
shook his head around. His eye floaters swirled helplessly. The
revival congregation quickly degenerated into squeals of ecstasy like
preschoolers on a roller coaster.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry <span lang="en-US">gyrated </span>for a solid minute, making
sure his eye floaters were completely mixed around. <span lang="en-US">L</span>ike
shuffling a new deck of cards, he had to do it several times to make
sure they were randomized, otherwise they would regroup.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Thoroughly dizzy, Barry looked out the window. His eye floaters
were just that now. Random lines and specks in his vision harmlessly
floating in the vitreous humor. The preaching stopped, and so <span lang="en-US">had</span>
the celebration. Barry caught a glimpse of the charismatic one
drifting with the rest of them.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He pulled his focus inward and checked the floaters in his left
eye. They were dormant, silent, delighted in the joy of being caught
up in the motion, as usual. It was still difficult to see through the
thick soup of webbed sticks, but at least they were quiet and content
to drift. Unlike the rebellious floaters in his right eye, the ones
in the left were non-sentient, just as they should be.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry waited a few minutes for the dizziness to <span lang="en-US">pass</span>,
and then he rolled out of bed and walked to the dresser. He strained
to see through his floaters as he opened the drawer and pulled out
the shirt. He’d been doing it for years, and he thought he’d be
used to it by now, but they were always in the way. So many of them,
floating around, basking in fluidic motion and light.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He hated having to make a conscious effort to see beyond what was
inside his eyeball. It was annoying, like becoming conscious of
breathing, thinking about every inhale and exhale. Barry tried to
<span lang="en-US">lose himself</span> in routine and allow his
vision sink into his subconscious. He slipped on his underwear and
then his cotton slacks.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry’s suits cost him almost as much as his house. He would
have been happy for cheap imitations, but the Attire Auditor
routinely <span lang="en-US">wandered the building, reading </span>shirt
labels, pants tags, and sock monograms for authenticity like an
appraiser on the <i>Antiques Road Show</i>. He’d know if Barry were
wearing a knockoff, and he’d be fired for failing to keep up
appearances. Company policy stated that all employees must represent
the company while in the building, and that meant he had to look like
a million <span lang="en-US">Platcoins</span> at all times.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry grabbed a necktie and walked to the bathroom. He faced
himself in the mirror and <span lang="en-US">began the ritual of
securing it</span>. His vision had just reached beyond his eyeball
when suddenly a small clump of floaters obscured the vision. The
clump quickly became an opaque ball as every floater in his right eye
gathered in the middle and stared out <span lang="en-US">through</span>
the pupil. While Barry tied the <span lang="en-US">silk fabric</span>,
he heard soft voices rise:</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p class="floater-dialogue-western">“Light...”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“It’s the light.”</p>
<p class="floater-dialogue-western">“It shows us—<span lang="en-US">”</span></p></blockquote></div><p class="floater-dialogue-western" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry didn’t give them the chance. He flicked his head a couple
times, breaking up the crowd and swirling <span lang="en-US">it
around his </span>eyeball. Barry waited for his vision to stabilize
and resumed looping the silk fabric over and under and around and
through until finally he had a perfect necktie. <span lang="en-US">He</span>
let his arms drop to his sides and stood up straight.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US">This suit</span> made Barry look so
professional his own mother called him sir, not out of love, but
fear. Barry smiled at himself, as he did every morning. He looked
like a million <span lang="en-US">Platcoins</span>, felt like a
million <span lang="en-US">Platcoins</span>... If only he <i>had</i>
a million <span lang="en-US">Platcoins</span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry walked to the bathroom scale. He waited a few seconds for
the machine to measure his weight. 415 <span lang="en-US">Platform
Weight Units</span>. Barry sighed. He wished there were something he
could do to get thin.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He left the bathroom and returned to his bedroom. He picked up his
phone and tapped the Platform app. He updated his status to <span lang="en-US"><i>awake</i></span><span lang="en-US">.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Platform informed him that, based on his previous meals, he would
certainly enjoy the meal it had just ordered for him and was en route
right now.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Seconds later, Barry<span lang="en-US">’s doorbell rang. He
fetched the delivery, eager to see what Platform had ordered for him.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He waited until he sat down at the kitchen table before opening
the boxes, warm and steaming and filling the room with deep-fried
goodness.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">His phone pinged, indicating it was time for his breakfast selfie.
He took one while he opened his first box: a deep-fried egg sandwich
with a side of french toast topped with liquid Captain Crunch. He
then took a selfie trying the drink that came with his breakfast.
Barry didn’t have to fake being surprised by the coffee-flavored
ice cream shake.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He made sure to give thanks for this sponsored breakfast.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Platform always knew what he wanted, and when he wanted it.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US">After satisfying his morning selfie quota,
Barry carried the whole ensemble to the living room</span>. He sat
down on a very rectangular couch as the walls switched on,
surrounding him with his Platform feed. T<span lang="en-US">he
algorithm selected the local news stream for him this morning, as it
had for years. Barry’s teeth squished through the layers of grease
in his egg sandwich</span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“Sir,” said the reporter on screen, “can you tell us in your
own words what you witnessed at this time shareholders bottom line
diversity process.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The man in front of the camera was white and at least 440 <span lang="en-US">Platform
Weight Units</span>, eyes vacant. He was just lowering his cell phone
after updating his <span lang="en-US">Platform</span> status to
<i>s</i><span lang="en-US"><i>treaming</i></span><span lang="en-US">.</span>
“Well I was in line to pay for coffee when you know this guy...
uh... yeah.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US">A</span> very brief pause, and then the man
raised his cell phone and started <span lang="en-US">tapping </span>it,
updating his status again. The camera turned and focused on the
reporter.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“A shocking development overnight.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The news returned to the anchor, who directed the focus to another
knifing that happened last night. A different reporter interviewed an
eyewitness on the scene.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“Ma’am, please give us some insight into what happened at this
time, and how you felt.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The woman on camera was also very white and looked about 360 <span lang="en-US">PWUs</span>.
“I was pumping gas and heard a scream from inside. It was loud...”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Having reached her character limit, she trailed off, the thought
simply too large for her brain to hold without being trained in the
techniques of speaking outside one<span lang="en-US">’s limit</span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Her mouth hung open for several seconds. No sound came out until
she muttered, “Uh... yeah.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Then she looked down at her cell phone and started typing on it.
On the left wall, Barry<span lang="en-US">’s </span>Platform feed
showed him suggested posts from this woman. She had taken her routine
selfies with her sponsored breakfast as well: deep-fried corn flakes
suspended in a bowl of maple-flavored syrup. Barry gave the pictures
a <i>like</i>, but did not follow her, as that could be construed as
<span lang="en-US">stalking</span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry<span lang="en-US">’s</span> vision refocused on his
eyeball. Floaters had been drawn to the changing light patterns
caused by the stream. They had gathered to watch, and the cobweb ball
they formed <span lang="en-US">blocked </span>the <span lang="en-US">smartwall</span>.
Barry shook his head lightly and broke it up. He stared through the
swirling lines and clumps as commercials began airing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry finished his sponsored breakfast. He <span lang="en-US">posted
</span>an update and a review, using one of his selfies.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US"><i>M</i></span><i>eal from @FastBrekk. Needed a
good day. Thx for the cereal!</i></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Sixty characters exactly, so no need to augment with
businessspeak. Platform<span lang="en-US">’s interface didn’t
allow for that anyway. All forms of expression could be contained in
sixty characters, so i</span>t was never any trouble to stay within
Platform<span lang="en-US">’s maximum limit. There was never
anything else to say. Only Barry’s job required him to go beyond.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He got up and walked to the front door. Platform knew he did <span lang="en-US">so
</span>at this moment in the morning, so it turned off the walls and
dimmed the lights while Barry grabbed his keys and wallet from an end
table. Platform locked the front door behind him, and he waddled down
the short path from his front door to his driveway.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">His car was expensive, but Platform had steered him toward a
preowned offering, so it didn’t break his bank while still passing
the Vehicular Auditor, who checked his car daily to make sure it was
still up to code. It always was because it was a successful man’s
car, therefore anyone who owned one must be successful. Barry tried
to convince himself of this every day, and much like getting his
right eye to focus beyond his floaters, he eventually got lost in
routine and believed it for exactly nine hours a day.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He updated his Platform status to <i>driving</i>. Platform
immediately interfaced with his car and backed him out of <span lang="en-US">the
</span>driveway. Platform knew his route and aimed <span lang="en-US">the
vehicle </span>in the direction of the office in downtown. His car
accelerated for five seconds before bumping up against the tail end
of traffic.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry updated his Platform status to <i>red light again lol</i>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry’s car never got above 15 <span lang="en-US">Platform
Distance Units</span> per hour the whole commute due to the
stoplights. <span lang="en-US">T</span>he first light lasted ten
minutes, and then finally the car in front of him moved forward.
Barry updated his Platform status to <i>green light</i>. <span lang="en-US">Twelve</span>
<span lang="en-US">cylinders</span> gunned it for three seconds
before screeching to a stop.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><i>red light lol</i></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US">E</span>ighty people gave his status various
reactions, including grouchy faces and thumbs up and champagne
glasses.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">His daily commute <span lang="en-US">crossed</span> just <span lang="en-US">twenty</span>
city blocks <span lang="en-US">but</span> lasted over an hour. Barry
once considered walking, but that was too inconvenient at his weight.
Plus, the Vehicular Auditor would notice he didn’t bring his car to
work and cite him; company policy stated that true professionals
always drove, so he <span lang="en-US">made</span> sure to <span lang="en-US">fight
traffic every day like a</span> professional.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The light turned green. Upon updating his Platform status, Barry<span lang="en-US">’s
car </span>zoomed through the intersection and slammed on the brakes,
<span lang="en-US">screeching</span> to a stop behind a line of cars
at the next red light. He looked at the sights. An elderly woman was
on her cell phone, talking to someone.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“I’m not sure what’s wrong I just forgot again I swear I
left...” She hit her character limit, paused, lost what she was
saying, and continued. “Well, you know what I’m saying, dear.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry looked to his other side. A young man on the phone. “No,
I’m not breaking up with you Lisa I’m just sayin we should...
uh... yeah...”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The man listened, nodding vigorously.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“Lisa, Lisa don’t worry I wasn’t with anyone else I swear
you... uh... yeah.” He paused for a few seconds, then said, “Well,
you know what I’m sayin, don’t you?”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“Proles,” Barry said, smiling. <span lang="en-US">“At the
mercy of their character limit.”</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">He said it at least twice a day to remind himself that he wasn’t
one of them anymore. He had moved up in the world. He was a
professional.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Green light. Barry<span lang="en-US">’s car</span> zoomed
through the intersection and screeched to a stop at the next light.
He listened to the proles to pass the time. On the way he passed four
<span lang="en-US">Flui-X-Change</span> stations advertising their
bundle of the week: free oil change for your car with purchase of
blood transfusion.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry checked those signs every day, but they never advertised
what he really needed. He had been waiting for them to offer a bundle
deal on eye fluid for the <span lang="en-US">past</span> four years,
but it was always blood, or lymph, or insulin, or bile. All the
designer fluids everyone heard of and knew were essential to
survival.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">While he gawked at the average person and wistfully wished for a
deal, the floaters in his right eye collected into a big cobweb ball
and started slamming against his retina. Three bright flashes of
light hit him in less than a second. Barry reeled from the shock.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="en-US">He smacked his right temple with his palm</span>.
<span lang="en-US">A</span> few of the floaters separated from the
ball and <span lang="en-US">drifted</span> in carefree glee. The
remaining held each other and bounced from one side of Barry’s eye
to the other, sending bright flashes directly into Barry’s brain.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry grabbed the steering wheel and threw his head around and
around and side to side, whipping in every direction as hard as he
could without breaking his neck. After a minute, his eye fluid was
swirling so fast he couldn’t even see the floaters, just a
greyish-brown <span lang="en-US">soup</span>. Eventually it slowed,
and Barry now saw the cobwebs and bent rods of his eye floaters
twisting and turning in every direction, happily caught up in the
current.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Barry heard horns honking at him. He looked up. The light was
green, and it changed to yellow. He updated his status, but it was
too late. The light changed to red. The vehicle<span lang="en-US">’s
safety systems </span>screeched it to a halt. He then received a
notice from his insurance company that Platform had reported this
incident of distracted driving and would increase his premium by 2%.
His Platform feed became flooded with ads for competing auto
insurance companies promising up to 3 forgivenesses per month before
increasing his rate. Barry punched the passenger seat, cursing not
only for that but for being one light behind schedule.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Nobody cared about eye fluid. Nobody ever did a promotion that
included a discount on an eye fluid exchange. As Barry had learned
over the years, let any piece of body maintenance go too long, it
becomes a crisis.</p>
<p></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202900746-evolution-eye-floater">Available in ebook and print wherever they are sold</a>!<br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-13528739341692159792023-11-28T15:19:00.000-05:002023-11-28T15:19:16.839-05:00Rift Apart<p> </p><p>Taking place after <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/tagenar/recommended/1895880?snr=1_5_9__402">Into The Nexus</a>, Clank has fixed the Dimensionater, allowing Ratchet to search outside the universe for where his kind fled, and why. But of course Dr. Nefarious crashes the party and steals the device, accidentally breaking it, shattering dimensions and separating R&C. Clank meets Rivet, Ratchet’s counterpart in an alternate universe. Ratchet meets Kit, Clank’s counterpart. The two teams try to find one another, and a way to fix the damage before it tears every universe apart.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTnCL8F01xy7MKx6DUuWNHq7iQuuVIKTFHMUxmfMkwp2nSI9Rxk5xDBOk_z5BKNCCTHIO9Sht_9p5lu-hwKCDClwTw8JD5GAN7IV_GnTzVNPWITZB3VdDwfNcArvK-8yt0UkLc50AW6VGs18Lf8vBw7KSy6gWW1gu4pW4zyP76-R7MdXMvqqrrxBxEik/s3840/Untitled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buff monks. I like this trope." border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTnCL8F01xy7MKx6DUuWNHq7iQuuVIKTFHMUxmfMkwp2nSI9Rxk5xDBOk_z5BKNCCTHIO9Sht_9p5lu-hwKCDClwTw8JD5GAN7IV_GnTzVNPWITZB3VdDwfNcArvK-8yt0UkLc50AW6VGs18Lf8vBw7KSy6gWW1gu4pW4zyP76-R7MdXMvqqrrxBxEik/w400-h225/Untitled.jpg" title="Buff monks. I like this trope." width="400" /></a></div><p><br />While I’m glad the series is moving on as if the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2016/04/ratchet-and-clank-2016-game.html">PS4 Ratchet and Clank</a> never happened, I don’t like what they’ve done to Ratchet. After everything he’s been through, he wouldn’t be insecure, and he certainly wouldn’t be jealous of Clank building a friendship with Rivet. Ratchet was willing to let Clank go when it seemed he would become caretaker of the Great Clock at the end of A Crack in Time, so there’s no way Ratchet would feel possessive of Clank.</p><p>It seems Insomniac kept the Ratchet character from the attempted reboot instead of from the PS2 and PS3 games. Ratchet is insecure and timid now. All the courage and determination he once had? Insomniac gave it to Rivet.</p><p>Rivet has no history, no backstory, no traits besides doing all the same things Ratchet does, making me wonder just why is she here. Why is Ratchet not doing all of these things? Why must we follow her? What does she add to the narrative?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/55PRv_e00wc?si=4SE1q5H9KWi7FLBJ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /> </p><p style="text-align: left;">_____<br />Speaking of narrative, the story seems structured so it can make references (Allusions! They’re called allusions!) to previous games. They got the gadgebots in there! See ‘em?! They got the raft from One-4-All in there! See it?! We made a REFERENCE! And look, we reused the Rusty Pete model! The game reminds us of things we liked about R&C while delivering none* of those things here.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">The gameplay is as solid as ever, though there is a distinct lack of enemy variety. It’s not hard to make a Ratchet and Clank game, as the format has been firmly established since Going Commando (and Spyro 2 before it). Each game relies on story to make the action meaningful.<br /><br />The story of Rift Apart feels like an excuse to present remixes from R&C’s greatest hits, and all it has to offer is pointless gender swaps of the main characters. Rivet and Kit do nothing that R&C haven’t already done. Rift Apart doesn’t* move the timeline forward, rather serves to remind us of when R&C was inspired and had creativity behind it.<br /><br />*That said, the sections with Ratchet collecting Lombax orbs are good. They show glimpses of Lombax history and nudge the in-game universe forward, hinting why the Lombaxes fled and where they went. The only problem is this is a side-quest on one planet in one alternate dimension.<br /><br /><b>This should have been the game.</b><br /><br />Rift Apart would have been so much stronger if Clank fixes the dimensionator and he and Ratchet go on a treasure-hunting search for the Lombaxes, uncovering pieces of the lore across multiple planets on multiple dimensions, maybe across multiple games. What we get instead is an infodump on one planet.<br /><br />After 13 hours with Rift Apart, I’m convinced the game was conceived not for moving the story of R&C forward, but as an excuse to put a gender-swapped Ratchet and a gender-swapped Clank into the game and drop references to previous games. This holds the story back. I wouldn’t have minded had Rivet and Kit added something to the narrative, but Rivet does nothing unique, and Kit has nothing meaningful to say, so what’s the point of them being here?<br /><br />_____<br />I only enjoyed half of this game: the half where I’m not playing as Rivet. I didn’t like Rivet or Kit, and I resented that the game forced me to be with them instead of Ratchet and Clank. Those two have a history, and they have established characters. Their inter-dimensional counterparts are not characterized very well, so the player has no reason to want to follow them.<br /><br />But what’s <b>unforgivable</b> is how Insomniac turned Ratchet into a shivering coward so Rivet could look heroic. Ratchet himself is no longer a sassy gun-nut eager to rise up to impossible odds. Here he spends a whole mission whining about how scared he is of some undead enemies that have appeared thanks to the multiverse shattering. And then he’s scared while riding a giant insect like a jet-ski. No! Ratchet is the “let’s go faster” kind of person! He has ridden hover bikes at breakneck speeds and fought way nastier foes than skeleton-lizards. He is so far out of character in this game I call it a sin.<br /><br />It’s the mission to retrieve the dimensional map. No Bones About It is the trophy. That was my shark-jumping moment.<br /><br />Even Clank is not spared; he spends the subsequent sequence whining about his self-doubt regarding his ability to fix the dimensional rifts. Clank was never one to doubt himself in any previous game.<br /><br />It’s as if the writers had a directive to make sure no male character has any confidence or competence in order to make Rivet seem strong by contrast, and to do that, they had to tear down the characters of Clank and Ratchet. The previous games never did this to any of the women, so where is it coming from?<br /><br />_____<br />I was ready to give the game a pass because for a brief moment Rivet and Kit do have a moment to connect. They share a connection, and it’s a decent revelation. It’s a chance for Rivet to redeem herself just as Ratchet did near the end of the original PS2 game, but as soon as it happens, Clank and Ratchet are suddenly cowards and need to be rescued from prison.<br /><br />In fact, Rift Apart is full of male characters in positions of helplessness. The monks in particular are all big and buff but have effeminate, lispy voices and must be rescued. In any other game this would be fun irony, but in Rift Apart they’re just one instance of a larger theme of taking every masculine character and making him a wimp.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaP_1b6wEgknnxQ2g4H9V7KVSe1Mq4mRWo3XOXjlEB-QmvP5xcHe4LJmHKHSAqGj3JquRpFSjkBUGQkcDyvnQaEu5IZ0PyiFZDFAltuljLLde3IblsDoe2_D8lsY1vnlaZUKk7PuuJsealej6MHqqyYpPUhpjSIfwZwgZird5abvUr6UsKucswdAYTtI/s3840/untitled2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I could use a thug for hire" border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaP_1b6wEgknnxQ2g4H9V7KVSe1Mq4mRWo3XOXjlEB-QmvP5xcHe4LJmHKHSAqGj3JquRpFSjkBUGQkcDyvnQaEu5IZ0PyiFZDFAltuljLLde3IblsDoe2_D8lsY1vnlaZUKk7PuuJsealej6MHqqyYpPUhpjSIfwZwgZird5abvUr6UsKucswdAYTtI/w400-h225/untitled2.jpg" title="I could use a thug for hire" width="400" /></a><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br />“The Fixer” is a giant robot, and he is reduced to whimpering about the hopelessness of life.<br /><br />A male-voiced reconnaissance probe mumbles an endless stream of social anxieties.<br /><br />The women, by contrast, are in positions of power and are always shown as superior to every man around them.<br /><br />I’m not a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYWHpgIoIw">gamerg-te bro</a>, but I felt put off by all of this.<br /><br />Who is this meant to appeal to? Did someone on the team have something against men? I’m unsure what the point is. Women have been in the series in important roles since the first PS2 title, and none of those women were damsels or cowards.<br /><br />The game is focused on chopping down the men in this story and forcing us to accept Rivet as the only confident and competent person in the game, and this made me dislike her even more.<br /><br />It didn’t have to be like this. There is plenty of room in the universe for both Ratchet and Rivet to be confident and heroic.<br /><br />_____<br />Rift Apart was on track when R&C reunite and when they are uncovering the lore of what happened to the Lombaxes, but then the game forces the player to follow Rivet, and she does all the same things as Ratchet, but she has no story arc. She has no development. I might not have minded this too much had Insomniac left the characters of Clank and Ratchet alone, but to change them into insecure cowards for the sake of Rivet looking more heroic is awful.<br /><br />After Crack in Time, R&C has become a corporate-driven franchise that must chase trends so it can continue because it was once successful and therefore should always be successful. Making “references” to its own past is a trend in entertainment, and rebooting a franchise with a gender-swapped cast is also a trend. Rift Apart seems to be trying very hard to appeal to a new demographic, but I’m not sure who would find this appealing because it’s just bad writing.<br /><br />There is hope the series can return to form, and for about half of Rift Apart, I saw potential for it to do so, but I do not like Rivet. I do not like Kit. If we ever do see them again, I hope Insomniac gives Rivet a story arc and a unique role and some character development so she has a reason to be there.</p><br /><div><br /></div><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3kD_QhYgIA4?si=3aOJ3Jn_TWVCuYuW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-65118609723408549282023-11-20T16:47:00.000-05:002023-11-20T16:47:00.052-05:00Morpheus revisited<p> </p><p>Replaying <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2023/11/alida-revisited.html">Alida</a> reminded me of <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2013/03/adventure-games.html">Morpheus</a>. The CDs do not install on Win10. Guess we’ve finally reached a point where the Win9x kernel is too old. A <a href="https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2017/06/morpheus.html">fan has bundled an emulated version of Win95 with the entire game</a>, and it works, but I had to spend hours fixing the glitchy sound. The graphics flicker and stutter, too, but it’s stable.</p><p>Tinkering with the sound sampling rate and the block size yields a good compromise between sound sync and stuttering. It’s imperfect, but it’s playable.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I remember on my first playthrough back in 2003 or 2004. I had to use compatibility and set quicktime to safe mode, and the game barely ran on WinXP. It’s an obscure title. I am not confident the <a href="https://soapbubble.online/examples">current keeper of the game</a> will ever deliver a rerelease, so this is the only way I can replay it.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpD0jcWvrkhJHmG-sHdePIQFpDPhQLYQ64YU8-fWew0N6zFMfN6Djgt0yVK7XDqylOLNAilBfkT5yJ3JuaCzraFf6poqI7oWTgwLU0vtzOWrPjNx4sem_0E7R5b0gWtMfEby7q0AcAeQ85hmVRZUqGxh4g77_THWyDrbGvrLkzyeluewIYt76XXZCxDU/s640/boot_000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpD0jcWvrkhJHmG-sHdePIQFpDPhQLYQ64YU8-fWew0N6zFMfN6Djgt0yVK7XDqylOLNAilBfkT5yJ3JuaCzraFf6poqI7oWTgwLU0vtzOWrPjNx4sem_0E7R5b0gWtMfEby7q0AcAeQ85hmVRZUqGxh4g77_THWyDrbGvrLkzyeluewIYt76XXZCxDU/s320/boot_000.png" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLrCc0GzSLKhDstpIzTeLdEcjcnicsAis8PtxuDzK266Um_ajr6chlcKb736NqTsrW001r_R1DRu4Ut0WD_N1QQffCDNZ2rpK7PLozlATxrXy1fEN7uqpgKWSRnHYqgSJSH835N5dEUUVw2GXlnX156PaeKOUXBMIV8p_x0sb0z1JJyr0k9BMH2cw7u4/s640/boot_001.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLrCc0GzSLKhDstpIzTeLdEcjcnicsAis8PtxuDzK266Um_ajr6chlcKb736NqTsrW001r_R1DRu4Ut0WD_N1QQffCDNZ2rpK7PLozlATxrXy1fEN7uqpgKWSRnHYqgSJSH835N5dEUUVw2GXlnX156PaeKOUXBMIV8p_x0sb0z1JJyr0k9BMH2cw7u4/s320/boot_001.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>In a few more years, Alida won’t work, and then where will we be? Will these games become lost media? It seems wrong that things that ran on XP should become “lost.” WinXP was the best OS Microsoft ever came up with. It’s not lost.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JGa76lfm24g" width="320" youtube-src-id="JGa76lfm24g"></iframe></div> <p></p><p>Morpheus on emulator is not perfect, but it is playable. Morpheus—NOT <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/tagenar/recommended/255920/">The Seventh Guest</a>!—should be preserved in HD! Until then, I accidentally began an emulated playthrough.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9oREXma79ZS6QULAcW1svKb3ztpxnfcgqkLVqw-EghB5mkkXAHjcdpgrty1QqO3h2HS4Vhvo1sR_Xn5tevlgy8rZb59RojaA7D5O0OTgnC78bPdN1TOyo4GcQxammucEr5AF5qtFE8H_Jct8nyCn1toJLaD9QSVRwgj72mC9ektawIYJ1PWRxLSkme8/s640/boot_002.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9oREXma79ZS6QULAcW1svKb3ztpxnfcgqkLVqw-EghB5mkkXAHjcdpgrty1QqO3h2HS4Vhvo1sR_Xn5tevlgy8rZb59RojaA7D5O0OTgnC78bPdN1TOyo4GcQxammucEr5AF5qtFE8H_Jct8nyCn1toJLaD9QSVRwgj72mC9ektawIYJ1PWRxLSkme8/s320/boot_002.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqlkobK43n0ACBE88c8PxTSDAlAG5JobXzMU0vUyeAe5Mfu4j0BtaEPZ_iAG0VfdS6nwVEeeZZFBIfeWFnvEkUucVe81szHD9_VnJJdpRvoJzCTRfEIdKDtODO4xNmkCOfi-Ielrd7NF2XPIQLvOvPKh-7GuTMhddyGQGdJSSmeIqSLA7lbL8K5Ri8ec/s640/boot_003.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqlkobK43n0ACBE88c8PxTSDAlAG5JobXzMU0vUyeAe5Mfu4j0BtaEPZ_iAG0VfdS6nwVEeeZZFBIfeWFnvEkUucVe81szHD9_VnJJdpRvoJzCTRfEIdKDtODO4xNmkCOfi-Ielrd7NF2XPIQLvOvPKh-7GuTMhddyGQGdJSSmeIqSLA7lbL8K5Ri8ec/s320/boot_003.png" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Accidentally, meaning I’ve spent the whole day just getting the damn thing to work.<br /><br />Wandering around, testing this thing and that.<br /><br />....ended up solving ONE puzzle.<br /><br />.... so now I'm obligated to keep going.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUJ_otJ5QW42duBPbUuFstwdC1xeSyC5xA2-Pz8ZDMG28jhhrhtXoKKEoyQipLuYfuJ8D1NtxodatUS_RAnE4BiVDlMYfqdvQMkBSN9KylGizyxpaA5LjEmexsdspCXdE_UM5FtxYfsMbR3iq8g6sK0DMyVgKRytisPpQ9UqpMojRtkAqZk8nQikSJqs/s640/boot_005.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUJ_otJ5QW42duBPbUuFstwdC1xeSyC5xA2-Pz8ZDMG28jhhrhtXoKKEoyQipLuYfuJ8D1NtxodatUS_RAnE4BiVDlMYfqdvQMkBSN9KylGizyxpaA5LjEmexsdspCXdE_UM5FtxYfsMbR3iq8g6sK0DMyVgKRytisPpQ9UqpMojRtkAqZk8nQikSJqs/w400-h300/boot_005.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePWC2-6LWM0Ha1Uqva-QgtIxhN1L6OHgORg201XDvP3BFRKDaoj-Lwq_AIwXy4FOXrP6aRkbzHqgLbpAs1-pzntN_8uwE8Sn6a5RP8qXV1UrVinhBYhDOPzOfn0D6lVHzboMiueJFeRJXLROSIAQMiJoqEvs_RQX_CjPFDtdVMuYy0hzO1dRRuzJK1WM/s640/boot_006.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePWC2-6LWM0Ha1Uqva-QgtIxhN1L6OHgORg201XDvP3BFRKDaoj-Lwq_AIwXy4FOXrP6aRkbzHqgLbpAs1-pzntN_8uwE8Sn6a5RP8qXV1UrVinhBYhDOPzOfn0D6lVHzboMiueJFeRJXLROSIAQMiJoqEvs_RQX_CjPFDtdVMuYy0hzO1dRRuzJK1WM/w400-h300/boot_006.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> Morpheus takes place on a ship with a compliment of the most disturbed passengers this side of a Hitchcock movie. When I first played the game, back in 2004 or so, I had to make a list of who was who, and how they relate to one another.<br /><br />Jan, a child born out of wedlock and given up to an orphanage by an uncaring mother and father, tormented by the people around him due to his physical deformity. Adopted by a man who turns out to be equally uncaring and unloving, nonetheless the boy grows up into a scientist who invents a machine he claims restores the body and mind.<br /><br />But what are Jan’s real motivations for creating such a device? As you explore the ship stuck in the ice, it becomes clear Jan has ulterior motive for inviting these people to be the first subjects of the neurographicon, and all of this links to you, the player, and what happened to your father 30 years ago.<br /><br />It’s a tragic tale of a mistreated child seeking revenge against the people who tormented him in his youth, and attempting to seize a chance to be normal. To have happiness. To rescue not only himself from a physical deformity, but the love of his life from the effects of polio.<br /><br />His plan would have worked had two of the people in Jan’s life not gotten wise to Jan’s scheme, and this is where the player joins the events.<br /><br />A conspiracy frozen near the point of completion.<br /><br />It’s a compelling story, told in fragments spread all around the ship, and the gameplay frames everyone in sympathetic terms, showing flash scenes of the characters interacting. Everyone has issues to work through, and the player takes on the role as the person who helps them work through all of their issues, releasing them from the limbo of the dream worlds they have been condemned to inhabit.<br /><br />Perhaps closure is possible for everyone, including the player.<br /><br />The puzzles you must solve are closely tied to the story and the personalities of each passenger. Each one is discernible within the game. I needed no walkthrough at any point. In hindsight I realize the game takes after The 7th Guest. I generally disliked it, not just for its bad acting rather for the randomness of its puzzles and the incoherence of its story. Morpheus takes the setup and fixes all the wrongs. The characters are well-defined, and the puzzles are closely related to their respective roles in the story.<br /><br />Presently, on my second playthrough, the first passenger’s dream world I happened to venture into was Billy Mexler’s. Lots of memory cheats for this one. It has some of the cleverest puzzles in the game, while gaining some insight into where he came from. I remembered where most of the clues were, but I still had to figure them out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kf9SmR4Bj2A?si=EQFI_EV-SurgK1nl" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I remembered only where the clue for one of the door codes was. For the others, I had to pay attention to clues found around the ship.<br /><br />Every passenger’s room has something in it that helps you get to know them a little better.<br /><br />A former circus performer who comes to grips with the reality that he is just as fake as the circus exhibits on display...<br /><br />A caged bird that wants to fly free and sing...<br /><br />An Irish boxer who doesn’t remember the fights, only the women he slept with in each city he had a match in... (his puzzles gave me a real run for my money, temping me to consult a walkthrough on my second playthrough if not for taking a moment to explore again and find more clues I missed)<br /><br />A woman who locked numerous orphans in “the box” for discipline, and it may have led to at least one of their deaths...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A boy, born with a physical deformity, who yearns for love and
acceptance only to find ridicule, until a certain doctor discovers a
certain ancient tribal ritual that happens to restore youth and vitality
to two people in exchange for a sacrifice of six others. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlh9RwoEbZkXZvZzUi7GCeKhIewsSQnYC4H25klP5qPRlrA6X4BUsRnrkwQ82Nb0Cp6IT5C0ihQR3e1NjIKNr-yWVWPCwcVsutc-wISVt41RbA1gPnO_r2nMr5wqz4zpyQyWJJoR5dAw6iDmSi-DUzJDIdTeY_PAHLact192ZvdgPcFBfoX1afK7ODnw/s640/boot_017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlh9RwoEbZkXZvZzUi7GCeKhIewsSQnYC4H25klP5qPRlrA6X4BUsRnrkwQ82Nb0Cp6IT5C0ihQR3e1NjIKNr-yWVWPCwcVsutc-wISVt41RbA1gPnO_r2nMr5wqz4zpyQyWJJoR5dAw6iDmSi-DUzJDIdTeY_PAHLact192ZvdgPcFBfoX1afK7ODnw/w400-h300/boot_017.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFcxcVwR9Iyfk1ayKuDjJNVriGQEK4qsJYmeaUZk2rb4AF3nSUIOaF47DK5nDiQl9lOPI7IuTtEn64JJKD9kbXbfIDDgxY4PWKrDWLZHwfp00PdUADeK1PJ4J28xMXTjoYwTIZ-ReXAhdbpEQlc2vq2lpUwdtFqIOw22aWNB_b1SEoVTPQYdKP9hHvqg/s640/boot_016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFcxcVwR9Iyfk1ayKuDjJNVriGQEK4qsJYmeaUZk2rb4AF3nSUIOaF47DK5nDiQl9lOPI7IuTtEn64JJKD9kbXbfIDDgxY4PWKrDWLZHwfp00PdUADeK1PJ4J28xMXTjoYwTIZ-ReXAhdbpEQlc2vq2lpUwdtFqIOw22aWNB_b1SEoVTPQYdKP9hHvqg/w400-h300/boot_016.png" width="400" /></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Very disturbed people.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_0Bb3stRtJsqFAkdBmC-Q0TyiyTuIHeny6CJ6Yhps4XpgDERNT2W7fjrDcRzybv7nPU-QYuRdsvyc2aI0ULKliHCCShVACBnCbHlp2_vWyu79kCTtC0gDRUDyW_zsR1Tkp0EG6pS2lIlimbCbkyAzTYsbw6pU7jBh1WDbPsFsMSGEP8hmM_3upOJxb8/s640/boot_015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_0Bb3stRtJsqFAkdBmC-Q0TyiyTuIHeny6CJ6Yhps4XpgDERNT2W7fjrDcRzybv7nPU-QYuRdsvyc2aI0ULKliHCCShVACBnCbHlp2_vWyu79kCTtC0gDRUDyW_zsR1Tkp0EG6pS2lIlimbCbkyAzTYsbw6pU7jBh1WDbPsFsMSGEP8hmM_3upOJxb8/s320/boot_015.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIjyPZnF85VDzJFZe5XMIo1QL5KzPZDyXt-aB7z4BONQY7zloJ7IwpUSS8P2-HbrQjuUhjcpDwbovS3HOG45QfIxo46zohyl2HRVoFIkrbS9unv7bhSiTVP6S4UEpdFV8NCjtWeRMFxQ8BbRtUJAUWo_Uj-5HxS5I7rO1vB4fahV-xGfaENhSafniP5A/s640/boot_014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIjyPZnF85VDzJFZe5XMIo1QL5KzPZDyXt-aB7z4BONQY7zloJ7IwpUSS8P2-HbrQjuUhjcpDwbovS3HOG45QfIxo46zohyl2HRVoFIkrbS9unv7bhSiTVP6S4UEpdFV8NCjtWeRMFxQ8BbRtUJAUWo_Uj-5HxS5I7rO1vB4fahV-xGfaENhSafniP5A/s320/boot_014.png" width="320" /></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perfect for a sacrifice.<br /><br />Everything
is right in front of you. The player merely has to put the pieces
together, and that’s why I enjoy Morpheus so much. It is <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2023/11/myst-series-revisited.html">Myst</a> meets The
7th Guest, and it elevates the genre by taking the best elements of
both, so much so that I caught myself taking deliberate breaks to delay
my completion of the game.<br /><br />I wanted to savor this replay.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunmZ9_q3i_ZdUzDwYJ88H8tfMw7bj3Wa2envIC0QsiYcD6EkSjV3WPZUi-55b9Byn9OiJhhhGb6BiIWHDQCEtfE6VY95qYx6ICFi4gEIzV_MpsekTrjA87b81_k7xuF_V2V9YKWSkVfb7bGH4dT0w4Qyza3c0KCQNj57N2stdugTSL-Kno6HHGeSQCI4/s640/boot_013.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunmZ9_q3i_ZdUzDwYJ88H8tfMw7bj3Wa2envIC0QsiYcD6EkSjV3WPZUi-55b9Byn9OiJhhhGb6BiIWHDQCEtfE6VY95qYx6ICFi4gEIzV_MpsekTrjA87b81_k7xuF_V2V9YKWSkVfb7bGH4dT0w4Qyza3c0KCQNj57N2stdugTSL-Kno6HHGeSQCI4/s320/boot_013.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzfW0-8Y_mpZnu-NP96RHIeHg0dS0b7tg2iRyQso0ihmVeX4F3XhUQIPrAvzUIAgNTkr_CcqJHkH-qr2nmtVSXB3gtKJpMA8UfMFnbn9xtjngTdfvTR1ZEvaU0v_e4pcTiLctBUZMCrqnFiF-_Wodf2rJn6mKOGOKjFwj-Pi_zSu9qsa5EiHlzxGDqhw/s640/boot_012.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzfW0-8Y_mpZnu-NP96RHIeHg0dS0b7tg2iRyQso0ihmVeX4F3XhUQIPrAvzUIAgNTkr_CcqJHkH-qr2nmtVSXB3gtKJpMA8UfMFnbn9xtjngTdfvTR1ZEvaU0v_e4pcTiLctBUZMCrqnFiF-_Wodf2rJn6mKOGOKjFwj-Pi_zSu9qsa5EiHlzxGDqhw/s320/boot_012.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BSOh5fIJNN063GwmdMsf09CzH46PmuS5qridGFdhzWDnkiObl35ndzorwy5jeDfaUMulhKSbCWSUeyZ8QeKKWAuIdpeRNwJ3RzJ34q1r_ikL1PmiLwFN9F-gaojxVG6G5VJsIXNxprV8MsCg87pwJr2n9ZPWUAvikgDcnHpDOxJoC4m6Q_R4OYUvQU4/s640/boot_011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BSOh5fIJNN063GwmdMsf09CzH46PmuS5qridGFdhzWDnkiObl35ndzorwy5jeDfaUMulhKSbCWSUeyZ8QeKKWAuIdpeRNwJ3RzJ34q1r_ikL1PmiLwFN9F-gaojxVG6G5VJsIXNxprV8MsCg87pwJr2n9ZPWUAvikgDcnHpDOxJoC4m6Q_R4OYUvQU4/w400-h300/boot_011.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I’ll never recapture the feeling of awe the game’s conclusion left me with after I first played it, this replay is close.<br /><br />I hope it sees a proper re-release someday. It deserves one.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-11520431300237774102023-11-12T20:35:00.001-05:002023-11-12T21:23:50.352-05:00Alida revisited <p> </p><p>Replaying the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2023/11/myst-series-revisited.html">Myst series</a> reminded me of <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2013/03/adventure-games.html">Alida</a>. Can’t find it for sale on any digital platforms. This means it is no longer commercially for sale, which <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2018/08/regarding-piracy.html">gives me permission</a> to download an archived ISO of the DVD version for a replay.</p><p>It mounts and runs using WinXP compatibility. I have to install the version of Quicktime included on the disc and set it to safe mode and run the game in 640x480 with water effects off. It just barely works.</p><p>I don’t see any retrospective videos on it. No reviews anywhere on youtube. Very few <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20040606215243/http://www.mrbillsadventureland.com/reviews/a-b/alidaR/alidaR.htm">articles</a>. Perhaps it deserves a revival.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK4pcJBrszIQhl9PJoW6mVkn1NbsejhPG9pXzSbM8WYyrwMu0vfNzxOKa3Z2sR9UnY90akduM-8nc9WFEV7x29cltCNEE_R8AQfwLEzXhdoJYnCCImC3mjkAuvaS1JFm0fyCGZoi847oMGEiCzX-f31csZh2w-zArMuyMRniVJQ6zZkCeJk0-vUeq7qQ/s640/potLiftSunTableP%2002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="640" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK4pcJBrszIQhl9PJoW6mVkn1NbsejhPG9pXzSbM8WYyrwMu0vfNzxOKa3Z2sR9UnY90akduM-8nc9WFEV7x29cltCNEE_R8AQfwLEzXhdoJYnCCImC3mjkAuvaS1JFm0fyCGZoi847oMGEiCzX-f31csZh2w-zArMuyMRniVJQ6zZkCeJk0-vUeq7qQ/w400-h275/potLiftSunTableP%2002.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n2TCKDAmxBc" width="320" youtube-src-id="n2TCKDAmxBc"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p>Successful Australian band grows to mistrust their manager so much they convert their giant guitar theme park from tourist attraction to combination lock, hiding their assets behind elaborate puzzle locks just to keep their manager from getting to it. Absurd, and yet still believable, even more so after watching the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p7woMOvKTA">interview with the creator</a>.</p><p>He’s seen it before: people go crazy when they get money, so of course they’d build a giant guitar off the coast of Australia, and of course their manager would make some bad investments with their money, so of course the bandmembers would use their giant guitar to hide their money from their manager. Of course!<br /></p><p>I ended up making progress just wandering around. Hadn’t decided to commit to a replay until I solved two puzzles.</p><p>Wandered around a little more, found more clues that added up, that helped me make a little bit of progress.</p><p>So many loose ends. So many clues that don’t add up.</p><p>Figuring out which clues you do have that do add up is quite a challenge, but I made it to the switch, the conservatory, and the potentiometers just from paying attention to the environment.</p><p>Collecting symbols. Collecting devices and remembering where I’ve seen this or that before. Collecting information, waiting for all of it to add up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWggTY6RqMYPiZKs_ZENu6DjS8xH9-qqlhQxUn-2mN6_3VPFOhCw0mT229p_UKoTaldrh-D693PNQhWYU1ABupbd0nOerGabEgnfOg1ndhqfN-VL1s52BODfmbZ7L7JcCwguevcVhGtAIj7hGbSH0YZ8mWQKKJptO8v3XSmV9dfvzQqVTZjhkCnBYuUR8/s640/planetRecessTflyer3%2011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="640" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWggTY6RqMYPiZKs_ZENu6DjS8xH9-qqlhQxUn-2mN6_3VPFOhCw0mT229p_UKoTaldrh-D693PNQhWYU1ABupbd0nOerGabEgnfOg1ndhqfN-VL1s52BODfmbZ7L7JcCwguevcVhGtAIj7hGbSH0YZ8mWQKKJptO8v3XSmV9dfvzQqVTZjhkCnBYuUR8/s320/planetRecessTflyer3%2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p></p><p>It has an addicting quality to it. I put it down, wanting to take a break, only to give in to the urge to pick it up again because there are so many clues everywhere I look, all of them add up, and I don’t want to stop until they fall into place.</p><p>Alida is tantalizing like this. Playing with the equipment yields new information all the time, and watching it add up keeps me going back for more. Even when I am frustrated on a puzzle I can’t seem to make progress on, my mind drifts to something else, and behold! A few clues that add up!</p><p>Connections are everywhere! I can’t stop until I find them all! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8HNmq7Yn8CY_te4cT7ETmuIZkKPd5cP4Vxj3qY10EaArz4eSNXBfXAFuPL4twOX5jTF0IWuLabUYLcEuSFGwP8kYtz87Fm_gACaJFM6QjShcgFz7eI5IzCU-xphIjUZcCRF73cUAMtUByiIYIy714YO-75eCCsYuQ428lIzsPt64HYh4HkqohBvudkM/s640/jackPuzzle%20interact1%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="640" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8HNmq7Yn8CY_te4cT7ETmuIZkKPd5cP4Vxj3qY10EaArz4eSNXBfXAFuPL4twOX5jTF0IWuLabUYLcEuSFGwP8kYtz87Fm_gACaJFM6QjShcgFz7eI5IzCU-xphIjUZcCRF73cUAMtUByiIYIy714YO-75eCCsYuQ428lIzsPt64HYh4HkqohBvudkM/s320/jackPuzzle%20interact1%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Do I have enough information to interact with this thing? Let’s play with it. Nope. Move on to the next thing. Do I have enough information to interact with it? Maybe. Maybe... The possibilities keep me going.</p><p>Something about Alida that made me want to dwell in it until I solve it! I couldn’t stop thinking about it! Even when I took a break, I wanted to go back. Everything connects. My brain knows it, and it can’t rest until it connects everything.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHvAhYcxJg5z_9g6AB7KB6DxM5dL-6zo6G1pw1PIeQ-X60CHQePE6fhXp_miD_Zbvp3MRxOgzl5hpTliuFpGzS-pStPk4jhhVF5UqEMIhLT6Gs4G_y9SScyYJqjGqoiZhPtjKEQUoftvzkgKKEAhyphenhyphen36SB__W7AgiX0uYfwBFLMSLQLtY08Lor-vmh-Q0/s640/philipStairwellFirst1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="640" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHvAhYcxJg5z_9g6AB7KB6DxM5dL-6zo6G1pw1PIeQ-X60CHQePE6fhXp_miD_Zbvp3MRxOgzl5hpTliuFpGzS-pStPk4jhhVF5UqEMIhLT6Gs4G_y9SScyYJqjGqoiZhPtjKEQUoftvzkgKKEAhyphenhyphen36SB__W7AgiX0uYfwBFLMSLQLtY08Lor-vmh-Q0/w400-h275/philipStairwellFirst1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p> </p><p>I needed no walkthrough this time. Everything you need to solve the puzzles is in your environment, in plain sight. Pay attention, and connections becomes apparent. Alida was better the second time around because I found all the connections on my own. That one puzzle I solved by accident on my first playthrough? This time I figured out and I understood its logic. My only memory cheat was recalling the importance of flashing lights.</p><p>Alida deserves a high-rez remaster. It’s a superbly-designed adventure game, full of creativity and consistent internal logic. It shouldn’t be forgotten.<br /></p><p><br /><br /><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-40655137584802934052023-11-07T19:17:00.001-05:002023-11-07T19:26:04.083-05:00Myst series revisited<p> </p><p>Recently I got nostalgic for the <a href="https://www.gog.com/en/game/myst_complete_collection">Myst games</a>. I decided to replay them, but this time on Playstation. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_5Y3HXMJM1F0cP8gjrmJ7r7qsmgX9lKmKvMbPJNCmUhBfpvStDpVgUzEYNX9EpY66eVxE0siR3MHeKbyUJ6BF6fiZYU1IX36jlsPZ9rzA2mNw-11fOQ8z3cQaY67Z-5zwcmnqsCk9-fSHcv2rhDI8SVjaisRS9JktXg3Ur0svoA-yR6zwA5j7RrzOmU/s2715/Myst%20(USA)-231022-150127.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2036" data-original-width="2715" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_5Y3HXMJM1F0cP8gjrmJ7r7qsmgX9lKmKvMbPJNCmUhBfpvStDpVgUzEYNX9EpY66eVxE0siR3MHeKbyUJ6BF6fiZYU1IX36jlsPZ9rzA2mNw-11fOQ8z3cQaY67Z-5zwcmnqsCk9-fSHcv2rhDI8SVjaisRS9JktXg3Ur0svoA-yR6zwA5j7RrzOmU/w400-h300/Myst%20(USA)-231022-150127.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>I replayed Myst on a PSX emulator. I remember bits and pieces, but otherwise it was like playing it for the first time. I knew something was important about rotating the tower, but not what. I remembered the fireplace needed a pattern, but I didn’t remember which pattern to enter. I’m pleased to report it lives up to the memory. Every puzzle is discernible from the clues you find within the game. I wandered, and I found the answers I needed. My only “memory cheat” was the final white page. I must have missed the two half-pages in this playthrough, but I remembered where to find the final page needed to complete the game. Without that I would have wandered aimlessly looking for the final clue I needed, but those clues are present. You just have to pay attention to your environment, which is the reason Myst redefined the adventure game genre in 1993. Puzzles should be logical, solvable given the clues in the environment and the story. No red herrings. No bullshit inventory puzzles (though I really do wish you had the ability to carry more than one page at a time. I hear realMyst allows this, but I haven’t played it because I am a purist for those ancient slideshow-immersive graphics that captivated me long before computers could display detailed 3D graphics). Myst hints at a much larger story going on, and while it gives answers by the end, they only leave you with more questions, and a vague sense of having been part of something larger. You, the player, have triumphed, and more awaits. It doesn’t feel like the game is over. There is no credit scroll alerting you to the end. It just hangs, and we had to wait years before we finally got a conclusion.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jAfzhGY62Oo" width="320" youtube-src-id="jAfzhGY62Oo"></iframe></div><br />The Myst series captivated me when I first played it in the early 2000s. I’d seen the boxes on the shelf so many times in the computer section, so I finally bought a box set containing the first three games, which at the time were the only games. This is my second playthrough.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwc8iSTmnsyXmPoSotf4BsztK6bWXLXdc0lKi-hkMF-5wpXP-enGPubIHr_22SPBHrn6SC6gJzwtQJLYSKHAPQ26n8jEh3juFw70A3brkkxowlsNxviSljtpirVB02_tJNfrWNRE-8msnAPWNmWO8vI-vxSpUtFqHuEPLK5f-PIr9q23fWiYsIjsdBiCY/s2715/Riven%20-%20The%20Sequel%20to%20Myst%20(USA)%20(Disc%201)-231023-170814.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2036" data-original-width="2715" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwc8iSTmnsyXmPoSotf4BsztK6bWXLXdc0lKi-hkMF-5wpXP-enGPubIHr_22SPBHrn6SC6gJzwtQJLYSKHAPQ26n8jEh3juFw70A3brkkxowlsNxviSljtpirVB02_tJNfrWNRE-8msnAPWNmWO8vI-vxSpUtFqHuEPLK5f-PIr9q23fWiYsIjsdBiCY/w400-h300/Riven%20-%20The%20Sequel%20to%20Myst%20(USA)%20(Disc%201)-231023-170814.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Riven, also on PSX. Hats off to anyone who played the Myst games on console. Moving a cursor with a d-pad is tedious compared to a computer mouse, but they are playable. Somehow Riven has an even uglier pixelated hand than Myst. Wow, it’s hideous and inelegant. Would it have been so hard to put a normal-sized cursor in there instead of a gaudy hand?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jywfdgc7RDg" width="320" youtube-src-id="Jywfdgc7RDg"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPJvxvdIcJJ8FXLIqZ2Ys1cPeSsNkPMuU85AowIJ8Bm_q1RqeDTYi4c4R1IQzAzj8y7t8EHqdd7ABeo5Qqv8g4wCP_uaOJc3pi_4XujNlEU3KtKrFKTY-UKARGRxej2i5rEywSbkVRKoVIFHgRcNYmjAZ6BhJHCkuOCtwAxsPsWHuFbOV1CC-vJUlyDY/s2715/Riven%20-%20The%20Sequel%20to%20Myst%20(USA)-231027-220042.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2036" data-original-width="2715" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPJvxvdIcJJ8FXLIqZ2Ys1cPeSsNkPMuU85AowIJ8Bm_q1RqeDTYi4c4R1IQzAzj8y7t8EHqdd7ABeo5Qqv8g4wCP_uaOJc3pi_4XujNlEU3KtKrFKTY-UKARGRxej2i5rEywSbkVRKoVIFHgRcNYmjAZ6BhJHCkuOCtwAxsPsWHuFbOV1CC-vJUlyDY/s320/Riven%20-%20The%20Sequel%20to%20Myst%20(USA)-231027-220042.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>I’m proud to say that this time I made Riven my world. I figured out the code for the domes on my own. I figured out the sequence to the rebel Age on my own. I figured out the marble puzzle on my own except for one switch I didn’t know existed that you must press to check if your pattern is correct. Is it not enough to lower the giant piston for some kind of confirmation that you’ve arranged the marbles correctly? Nope. Gotta push one extra button, which doesn’t look like a button at all! Anyway, I was correct. I figured it out this time, consulting guides only to save myself an enormous amount of backtracking to doublecheck my notes. I didn’t need a solution fed to me. Everything is solvable by paying close attention to your environment. You must travel looooooong distances (sometimes across multiple discs) to find or reexamine these clues if you weren’t taking good enough notes, or if you think you made a mistake, and your path is not direct! All I need to do is double-check the position of one dome on the world map, but I have to cross the entire map to do so! It might be a little too unforgiving in this respect, but I have much respect for Riven.</p><p><br />Though the PS1 version suffers from reduced resolution, it is perfectly playable. On my original playthrough in 2003, I got impatient and finished the game with a walkthrough. I’ve always regretted that. I earned the ending this time. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MFAVFxH1X24" width="320" youtube-src-id="MFAVFxH1X24"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgM-ETJZ59BV7uMkFqMCljnES6Xv50_YtuUAOrQ6yOIPAAC6Ws1bG2AgUc2deuw7JZOoBCT99BMAsZgu9wwzTKxltFk3IwfWyN5hFvHq-GfGPP9NQl07uwtX6stKhY2TGZoUSjAiJRjBpaNo8O_C23bewFNgzy0XQSprufzuw13NoGBaXgy1M7DolfuY/s1009/Myst3a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1009" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgM-ETJZ59BV7uMkFqMCljnES6Xv50_YtuUAOrQ6yOIPAAC6Ws1bG2AgUc2deuw7JZOoBCT99BMAsZgu9wwzTKxltFk3IwfWyN5hFvHq-GfGPP9NQl07uwtX6stKhY2TGZoUSjAiJRjBpaNo8O_C23bewFNgzy0XQSprufzuw13NoGBaXgy1M7DolfuY/s320/Myst3a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p><span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p>Myst 3 on PS2. I thought the PS2 version would be easy to emulate. Seems it is not. I don’t understand how I can run Silent Hill 2, The Legend of Spyro trilogy, and Sonic Heroes, but Myst 3 has audio glitches and graphics bugs that make the game unplayable. I thought we’d reached a point in PS2 emulation where a point and click adventure game was easy to reproduce.</p><p>So I reinstalled my CD-ROM version and applied a patch I found online. After tinkering with the file system... it worked. I NEVER expected to be able to play my CD version from 2001. The cursor is still this ugly hand. I remember the CD version having this elegant empty circle when an action was not possible, and a filled circle when an action was possible, so why this pixelated hand?? No matter. It works, and it was just as good as I remember. The animations are quick and never get in the way, unlike in Riven where they often take way too long to play out and you are frozen until they do. The 360 degree spherical view at every node was nothing short of blockbuster when I first played it. 3D graphics were good at the time (Sonic Heroes, Star Fox Adventures), but still not photo-realistic. Myst III still looks damn good today. The puzzles are less brain-teasing than Riven and Myst, but I welcome that because the Ages you visit are thematically linked, and Amateria has the most beautiful design of any Age in the series, both aesthetically and functionally. I adore the story. I adore the theme. I adore the “unstable” acting from Brad Dourif, the voice of Chucky. It’s an immersive experience that makes the player an important part of not just the events, but a family. This is something a movie cannot do, and the experience certainly affected my own approach to writing.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/33Q6ad5KVtc" width="320" youtube-src-id="33Q6ad5KVtc"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT_czwYsRVv0HRDLfpb3ANmaQYXTW-2ybDYBW6ULG9ofN1B2Z9TB6N5HHBhY4jbuCedQ8VVXS9xZPBDf-dN_pWJpTof7R8vbq3y1yEAEzsBXTH0LgfvGgUpBTkgr24S64lAoXlGmYYeTmSkoeVVCe2Vuz7TAmN0KVQicX8wdntX0wbDTrRJCgp2EfGe0/s2737/Myst3CDROM2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2737" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT_czwYsRVv0HRDLfpb3ANmaQYXTW-2ybDYBW6ULG9ofN1B2Z9TB6N5HHBhY4jbuCedQ8VVXS9xZPBDf-dN_pWJpTof7R8vbq3y1yEAEzsBXTH0LgfvGgUpBTkgr24S64lAoXlGmYYeTmSkoeVVCe2Vuz7TAmN0KVQicX8wdntX0wbDTrRJCgp2EfGe0/w400-h168/Myst3CDROM2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p>Myst 4 has no console version, and the 1.02 patch works for the DVD
edition. I refuse to purchase the games twice, even for the sake of
Steam achievements. I spent a lot of money on Myst 4, factoring in the
DVD drive I had to buy for my computer in 2004, so I wanted to play it
at least twice before upgrading.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JfUj9_HKKHc" width="320" youtube-src-id="JfUj9_HKKHc"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZ9_hsj8E4PAwyy5POBhVA3tLvlwMz3_EeSv08rmKWAHn_tUSP03h-vXOGTBoWdtWNqVooRSX76TjAB_nKnz8bxP4-l1wP4FdrCdI11jNKKe6MqRNLxJVlJfURaZBWGpB4PjRVPeu9jahV63fxIdNSw3xKBfHe1aT1tMWTW_LslQyzb1JCb_rzqXR3yU/s1024/Myst4_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZ9_hsj8E4PAwyy5POBhVA3tLvlwMz3_EeSv08rmKWAHn_tUSP03h-vXOGTBoWdtWNqVooRSX76TjAB_nKnz8bxP4-l1wP4FdrCdI11jNKKe6MqRNLxJVlJfURaZBWGpB4PjRVPeu9jahV63fxIdNSw3xKBfHe1aT1tMWTW_LslQyzb1JCb_rzqXR3yU/s320/Myst4_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwXPt_ffjAVPD5ZJvA0U-Q1eRkjDn4ljEtFr3EwX9fKEA_a_txyDa9Ld5sBEWixpNO45EXyrWqtNl76hA2GNLDmIMoiT8L2KMYp11o5km96ScuQ6Iuk64gLkXAx_F7UeDIVbIBKyJwZZQxIxbntudLYRr24U8L2_sSK78GhGlBkWKsY6wpzbI88X2OPs/s1024/Myst4_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Atrus, what is it with you and fireplaces?" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwXPt_ffjAVPD5ZJvA0U-Q1eRkjDn4ljEtFr3EwX9fKEA_a_txyDa9Ld5sBEWixpNO45EXyrWqtNl76hA2GNLDmIMoiT8L2KMYp11o5km96ScuQ6Iuk64gLkXAx_F7UeDIVbIBKyJwZZQxIxbntudLYRr24U8L2_sSK78GhGlBkWKsY6wpzbI88X2OPs/w320-h240/Myst4_3.jpg" title="Atrus, what is it with you and fireplaces?" width="320" /></a></div>Myst IV: the culmination of the entire series. It’s immersive and gorgeous. Real-time 3D graphics engines would not get this detailed and realistic for another 10+ years. Myst should get a remake with the Doom Eternal engine. Let’s have 60GB devoted to that! (It would help the creature animations on Haven, which often lack texture and lighting. They didn’t look great even at the time, but much like the acting, it worked well enough.) This is why we had slideshow graphics for adventure games. 3D graphics wouldn’t catch up to pre-rendered still images with videos playing on top of them until just a few years ago.<br /><br />I had to gear up to do the final puzzle on Haven. I remember it well. Found all the names of the mangrees and I knew what I had to do, but I needed to prepare myself, mentally, to take on this puzzle, because I remember it so well, how involved it was. You have to remember every mangree’s name, how to call them, where they are in the grove, and where they need to be to set up the predator to stun it so you can get past. It’s brilliant. I made a gameboard out of paper to keep track of them. Didn’t take me as long as I feared it would; that puzzle is seared into my memory from 20 years ago.<br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5LDcZHJVymQaWG4fLySGFZv6C1EeHa8yvYZKDIANFPsRWZCNxzQ0iF6utKhsBa-sHEsECX5kbew9oGigKbnwJ0ewj5wikDMW-PqnJW04zqjUcszuSrVHnJzN3VV0v2gLHXZW9Y44UT7AVs6moII-bH3sRm4gu4YUotbb1FEBOgolOQBPePwKyojrOa4/s1024/Myst4_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5LDcZHJVymQaWG4fLySGFZv6C1EeHa8yvYZKDIANFPsRWZCNxzQ0iF6utKhsBa-sHEsECX5kbew9oGigKbnwJ0ewj5wikDMW-PqnJW04zqjUcszuSrVHnJzN3VV0v2gLHXZW9Y44UT7AVs6moII-bH3sRm4gu4YUotbb1FEBOgolOQBPePwKyojrOa4/w400-h300/Myst4_b.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You have to talk to monkeys to get past the predator. It’s a delightful
action puzzle, where you know what you have to do, but setting
everything up to win is a challenge. Your reward is a little ball of
fluff in your lap as you take a ride back to the start. This is one of
the cleverest puzzles in the entire series, if not the genre.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSw2PFfV3p2AE-RpsQWkuTmKoQCsKLx3IxYy4XrfoIkCtfytnw44GDouX9Uc3tHycwWQ5uLFct2afG4SIcDyRLYfuz2R_lZvHliaIxGQcyqALB5E9HzvjgTsBx_B-Mr8BqsLXBdU63yGgaqVNuIl342OGggQ_HbtCxFfCnVxH9-1QsntAAEmhoPNjFRs/s800/companion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Who wants a car-ride? You do! You do!" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSw2PFfV3p2AE-RpsQWkuTmKoQCsKLx3IxYy4XrfoIkCtfytnw44GDouX9Uc3tHycwWQ5uLFct2afG4SIcDyRLYfuz2R_lZvHliaIxGQcyqALB5E9HzvjgTsBx_B-Mr8BqsLXBdU63yGgaqVNuIl342OGggQ_HbtCxFfCnVxH9-1QsntAAEmhoPNjFRs/w400-h300/companion.jpg" title="Who wants a car-ride? You do! You do!" width="400" /></a></div><p>The puzzles are on par with Riven, but still discernible from clues in your environment. Even on my first playthrough, I didn’t need a walkthrough.</p><p>Spire is equally enthralling. Its main puzzle is also very, very clever. I remembered exactly what I had to do. I still recall the ah-ha moment 20 years ago when I realized it. Though it is a stretch to believe one man could build all of this with just his own two hands. I know he’s been isolated for 20 years, but where did he get the chains? How did he make the cables? How did he erect two elevators?? Ah, well, like father like son, I guess.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKifNsp-0nC-eunLXBv5k_vYTFNhmv0EotdEM4OKW7wjVlFrmjw2uOKWU_D3rqpWRma8lTGVNOWCk-qfQNgxoBoFuOPatbl8cutaPOxmoVIAZDne2SJJvKj-czZLpjOCtfDsp_XnyxhcT1rXJ3wuCwh6O_j8rMd1MDf0jAC0tk7FP4OhzruVzEWIGQMYk/s1024/Myst4_f.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKifNsp-0nC-eunLXBv5k_vYTFNhmv0EotdEM4OKW7wjVlFrmjw2uOKWU_D3rqpWRma8lTGVNOWCk-qfQNgxoBoFuOPatbl8cutaPOxmoVIAZDne2SJJvKj-czZLpjOCtfDsp_XnyxhcT1rXJ3wuCwh6O_j8rMd1MDf0jAC0tk7FP4OhzruVzEWIGQMYk/s320/Myst4_f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsW3GOkUCgC3BVxoslUNqd_-ZuEttFqwN1HFXMBSmTPCx7ADc7yXp_Qs6fmMNBeG0PbWn5T2i5qiwg-nTVgmFZvEq56u8jLb8D1FTGrUctL6XkKhTzCNMc01R83x98CJuldoggDO7voQMcNDxh5wAteHHgvFWSuhN6mD0Fpx2in1JqfyFWymgot6ZbF8/s1024/Myst4_e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsW3GOkUCgC3BVxoslUNqd_-ZuEttFqwN1HFXMBSmTPCx7ADc7yXp_Qs6fmMNBeG0PbWn5T2i5qiwg-nTVgmFZvEq56u8jLb8D1FTGrUctL6XkKhTzCNMc01R83x98CJuldoggDO7voQMcNDxh5wAteHHgvFWSuhN6mD0Fpx2in1JqfyFWymgot6ZbF8/s320/Myst4_e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>My PC in 2004 could just barely play the game; load times between nodes were upwards of 5 seconds. I think it’s amusing that this time is reduced to about 2 seconds on my modern PC, and it still feels like an eternity.</p><p>Myst IV feels like an interactive movie that makes you part of a family—the son or daughter Atrus never had. I adore every frame of it. Myst 3 atoned for the mistakes of Atrus’s sons. Myst 4 sees the brothers facing justice at last. It’s closure for both Atrus, and for the D’ni. <br /></p><p>These games live up to my memory of them. They pull you in with their lore, and the slideshow graphics become part of the experience. While some performers are better than others, it works well enough for a game. The series had a profound effect on me, and my writing. I now notice traces of the Myst series in <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/p/the-archeons-series.html">Archeons</a>.</p><p>I’m glad Ubisoft and Cyan exist if only to keep porting these games to newer systems. It’s an experience movies and TV shows cannot create. It deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p><p><span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p><a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2013/03/adventure-games.html">Myst 5, of course, does not exist</a>.<br /></p><p></p><br /><br /><br />James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-67211057883552497612023-11-05T19:54:00.002-05:002023-11-21T18:47:31.094-05:00Certificate of DN-a (preview)<p><br /></p><p><i>I've been waiting a long time for this story to be in print. Very proud of how it turned out. Now in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201087616-cosmic-muse">Cosmic Muse volume 4</a><br /></i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/br6Z67" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0l_UStIBx3aFbrrq1mwohRoXKcJjgTKVGeMXJVrN7_rqtu9JLzH3x0mh12A0Xdm8kMcewaAz-k5ANnMg5-vZcTNZ5al09obW7fPQ_STeu7fP8OfW21PV1ij9WaRbkVw_mTDuN86uNcMIZnfTADpU3LX6N2sw_ByAZmXcqMk5FpWOldiSDjOSni7I_SY/w266-h400/Cosmic_Muse_Cover_epub.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">DEBBIE WALKED DOWN THE TWISTING PATH THROUGH THE ATRIUM AT the Sagae Gallery, admiring the neon leaves and the star-shaped pine cones of the trees surrounding her. She paused at the images of human faces that grew on the leaves of the Façade plants—etched there by deoxyribonucleic acid instead of a knife. They produced those faces every time they grew new leaves. The museum sold the old leaves, preserved in glass, as souvenirs. Debbie had three of them hanging in her apartment. All portraits of the DNA artists who created the thousands of different sequences it took to grow these wonders.<br /><br />In college, she had created species of her own. She’d had a few of them in pots at her apartment, plus the genomes on backup drives in case she wanted to remake them when they died. All of them were mere exercises in artistry. Making the plants move in response to sound. Giving plants cube-shaped leaves. Her best creation—and her graduation thesis—was to make a plant whose stem wrapped around one’s finger when touched, in realtime. Such things had been done before, but Debbie accomplished them with other plant genomes, no animal species at all, which set her apart from her peers.<br /><br />And now she had the chance to be part of the art world here at the Sagae. The ink barely dry on her Certificate of Deoxyribonucleic Artist, she had landed a position at the most respected gallery in the country.<br /><br />The next hall read <i>Fauna</i>.<br /><br />On her right, behind plexiglass, a group of household cats played. All of them had canine faces, deer legs, and full lion manes. These were not the originals; the first specimens had died years ago, but the patented genomes had been remade in subsequent years. These were the authorized reproductions of the very first artistic creations involving household felines. Choppy and primitive by today’s standards of creativity, but still intriguing. Debbie moved on.<br /><br />Dogs with transparent fur. Birds with tree leaves instead of feathers. Lizards covered head to tail in canine ears—nonfunctioning of course, but the surprising aesthetic moved her, even after studying the splicing techniques that made such a thing possible. Beauty on both a visual and technical level.<br /><br />Elephants the size of leopards standing on thin chicken legs, just as Salvador Dalí had depicted—what once only existed in the painter’s imagination now lived and breathed. She paused to observe the Dalíphants in motion, face practically pressed against the glass, grinning wide and admiring how gracefully they moved, large bodies seeming to tip over with every step, but they balanced. As a child and even in college she had spent hours watching videos of them walking, climbing rocks in their enclosure. This is the first she had seen them in person, and tearing her eyes away from them took effort. She giggled as she moved between the patrons, breathlessly taking in each exhibit.<br /><br />Finally she reached the amphitheater. It seated 600 in a horseshoe around an open enclosure surrounded by an electrified cage. She had made sure to arrive just in time for the afternoon showing, and she took a seat in one of the top rows.<br /><br />The house lights dimmed, but the open roof over the enclosure kept the trees and dirt in full daylight. Debbie’s heart raced. She had only seen the authorized recording of this performance, and it was of the previous iteration of the creature.<br /></p><p><br /> ... read the rest in Cosmic Muse 4, available in all <a href="https://books2read.com/u/br6Z67">major ebook and print outlets</a>.<br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-36606451109340362932023-08-19T04:24:00.019-04:002023-08-19T04:24:00.142-04:00WALL OF TEXT: PUBLIC TRANSIT<p> </p><p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: PUBLIC TRANSIT. My new apartment is within walking distance of two major bus lines in Columbus, OH, so I decided to see how it is to navigate the city by its public transit system. My first attempt was easy enough: one bus into downtown for a wine bar and back. COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority) uses the <a href="https://transitapp.com/">Transit app</a>. Not only does it have all the information about bus schedules, but it uses real-time reporting to show you where your stop is, how long you can expect to wait, and when you should be at the stop. Type in a destination, and it will find you a route from your current location, guiding you to each stop along the way. It’s so much easier than consulting schedule charts and figuring out which bus stop is which. (It also helps that I already know my way around the city.) My second trip saw me go further out for breakfast. The bus took several turns that weren’t on the route, which confused me, and apparently the app got confused, for at one point it told me to walk my ass from my current location to my destination. Just huff it for an hour. I refreshed, and then it found me a bus line where I wanted to go. I don’t feel bad about that. <b>I wanted to know how easy it is to get around by bus, and the best way to do that is to get stranded and then find a bus that gets me un-stranded.</b> The Transit app linked me to a route with only a 15-minute wait. For the most part, Transit did not steer me wrong. It got me where I needed to go, and I was home more or less when I hoped to be. <b>It took longer than driving, and had a great deal of uncertainty, but it worked. I dislike needing a car—they do nothing but cost money—so from August 10 through the 18th, I decided to find out if I could get around town using nothing but the bus system, including to and from work.</b> Verdict: I can go anywhere in the city by bus, and the Transit app helps me make sense of the system. The app was accurate every time except once, when the bus did not show up and I had an extra-long layover after work, which I passed at a nearby café. The down side, of course, is it took 3 times longer to get anywhere. The Transit app became my life; I had to use it to plan every movement to the bus schedule, but I could do it, and it’s not so bad. Although I spent more time on the bus than at my apartment, it’s a comfort to know I can live without a car in Columbus, Ohio, if I had to. How does this bus system cost $200M per year, and how do fares not pay for it? Why charge fares at all when those only account for <a href="https://www.cota.com/services/cota-bus/">10% of COTA’s public transit funding</a>? Aren’t you spending more money enforcing/accommodating payment rather than just eliminating fares and making it purely taxpayer funded? How much faster would buses run if there was no point of sale slowing the process down? How much less overhead would the city have if it didn’t have to print transfer tickets or update the buses to accept app payments? Man, if we had light rail, or the trolley system that got torn up in the 1950s... If car companies hadn’t lobbied local and state governments to kill public transit to boost automobile sales, we could have free and easy transportation everywhere, but no, we are dependent on automobiles. Americans have a car culture, and it’s time we rethought it. Considering it didn’t happen naturally—that rich and powerful people deliberately killed other options to create America’s dependence on automobiles just to line their own pockets—we should ask if the solution to traffic woes is not to build more lanes and bypasses but to take cars off the road. That should be the goal of public transit. American perception of public transit is that it’s something only poor people need to use. It’s time to change the perception. <b>You don’t feel connected to the city you live in until you must use its public transit system. I’m seeing the city now. I’m seeing the borderline senile and the working poor. We need the bus because despite working all day and spending half our free time commuting home, we can’t afford a car. Do these people deserve to be homeless and/or poor? Other things are going on, and American society is not addressing them. Maybe nobody deserves poverty. Maybe nobody deserves to be where they are in life, and we cannot progress as a society until we accept this.</b> One of the good things about the internet is that Americans can hear from people in other countries, and that things are not bad elsewhere. The USA is not the only country that has freedom, and somehow other countries pay taxes to fund socialist programs, such as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4751679690">healthcare</a> and mass transit, and those countries are doing just fine. Americans are waking up to the reality that they are missing out on some great things. Where are their tax dollars really going? Why do Americans pay more in taxes but get less in return? Mass transit would reduce pollution and free people from the burden of vehicle maintenance. <b>I know the struggle: every time you get a little bit of money saved up, the car needs a new alternator, or a new distributor cap, or a new brake line, or some other damn thing, so you end up making just enough to afford to keep your car working so you can keep going to work so you can keep your car working so you can—</b> Public transportation would also reduce traffic and the use of oil. Reducing oil usage is win-win for consumers. I deliberately used my city’s transit system for these aims. In Columbus, it’s not as convenient as driving my own car, but if enough people used it, politicians may start funding public transit with the goal of reducing privately owned vehicles on the road. When everyone uses it, it will become as convenient to get from point A to point B as privately-owned vehicle, if not better. I’m doing my part. (But we shouldn’t kid ourselves; politicians are not responding to public demand; they respond to the interests of large corporations that want to increase usage of oil and the number of cars on the road; if we want change, we must demand it, and the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2023/01/wall-of-text-consumer-demand.html">voting power of our wallets</a> is an illusion.) Americans can have good things if we demand that our tax dollars pay for things that benefit everyone—that relieve us of individual burdens—instead of our tax dollars benefiting large corporations, funding the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Hollywood writers and actors are on strike to demand it. We already found out what happens to the economy when most of the USA shuts down for a pandemic. Think what we could get if everyone did it on our own. No individual trade unions. Capital is a global force of consolidation. As a counterbalance to corporate power, Labor could consolidate globally as well. It may very well be the only way to end the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5428990567">squeezing</a>.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuueWRA6-B_F3nS9The8oc6e530vJHcVNEo9m-SKAiigKapPQS3faXR4pAhWJ_SC1XImH-OQ5L1k82mPxV4D_cotg6G10PGqIUASZucHIqtfn5QVgLKnyXsy7xi5qiioS9rab0t5ej_oL8nuHZjWAKW2vJmFc5O3gLt_7xqUzmfvjOYOB6VbqQt4EL0vA/s4096/IMG_20220501_151532640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuueWRA6-B_F3nS9The8oc6e530vJHcVNEo9m-SKAiigKapPQS3faXR4pAhWJ_SC1XImH-OQ5L1k82mPxV4D_cotg6G10PGqIUASZucHIqtfn5QVgLKnyXsy7xi5qiioS9rab0t5ej_oL8nuHZjWAKW2vJmFc5O3gLt_7xqUzmfvjOYOB6VbqQt4EL0vA/w400-h300/IMG_20220501_151532640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDCundjRecbcwH9gBAI077G_-E2FvpoauAyqct5OhUBt_3-Yn5hvDedeZPK0QGxLO0wORFeYjcQRlF5RZCiUyTpZyQJ1dN39BLc60_icOaKhw_dCgEKkopQI0lQrPx_SAOWr9mGRvcDbYTgUZKeDMpn0hH11JZC7DaUDiHeb4m1b7-HWY8Ae7jp4J4Fw/s4096/IMG_20220501_133724272.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDCundjRecbcwH9gBAI077G_-E2FvpoauAyqct5OhUBt_3-Yn5hvDedeZPK0QGxLO0wORFeYjcQRlF5RZCiUyTpZyQJ1dN39BLc60_icOaKhw_dCgEKkopQI0lQrPx_SAOWr9mGRvcDbYTgUZKeDMpn0hH11JZC7DaUDiHeb4m1b7-HWY8Ae7jp4J4Fw/w300-h400/IMG_20220501_133724272.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVi79LsdqbnT78ijCmtGj_gBH7p5UgQ2bOQAEgzk1SCo9Yo1Q46MwnHQ_MxYCryrumuNwkI7faw_8BD6MHUnL7KXFtxEwv9uBlbkYZ8Ikl3xpqfkkTo-pgrB9KuFjM1LwPbMbQm4_mj6ycCzfsyDaXII1q-f-2sxwqS6fo7Y5DzvBpF-ZuZfqao6bpPw/s1600/Screenshot_20230804-172755.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVi79LsdqbnT78ijCmtGj_gBH7p5UgQ2bOQAEgzk1SCo9Yo1Q46MwnHQ_MxYCryrumuNwkI7faw_8BD6MHUnL7KXFtxEwv9uBlbkYZ8Ikl3xpqfkkTo-pgrB9KuFjM1LwPbMbQm4_mj6ycCzfsyDaXII1q-f-2sxwqS6fo7Y5DzvBpF-ZuZfqao6bpPw/w180-h400/Screenshot_20230804-172755.png" width="180" /></a></div></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIFQhrMPBs44bTWfGS-uv1Eo-svlikwT9BkPeFziGe9bAzkj8VYTZhcOPP-EBXcr3_OSe5dvFjm1oR0kochUKE5f9LRKmZcehHniJdAT44agFGZ5Emp6yogneSuuLI746mZt8FhokbEwLKl4ElkT7gpJXPNITQ6NmUs2wzQaTpgKFqcI5pzi0_wa1WoU/s4160/IMG_20230805_112614832_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="2340" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIFQhrMPBs44bTWfGS-uv1Eo-svlikwT9BkPeFziGe9bAzkj8VYTZhcOPP-EBXcr3_OSe5dvFjm1oR0kochUKE5f9LRKmZcehHniJdAT44agFGZ5Emp6yogneSuuLI746mZt8FhokbEwLKl4ElkT7gpJXPNITQ6NmUs2wzQaTpgKFqcI5pzi0_wa1WoU/w225-h400/IMG_20230805_112614832_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFGEjZurNYPcTKDNOJLQF0kGDiZayl30hQ7eC5UN8lTpfGcXhs5ONiXQJwIbRP9fTZemztgQwy0nalWCTvktmucF83RIBJknXiRyL37Br49Eps3a33VoW4sQWEthw7EuZbOUn8MCW0nDLCecJVK_OAFSB6kqKm81ka5ysNFicaiaDX6JeBOO7LVoGF80/s4160/IMG_20230805_112621597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2340" data-original-width="4160" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFGEjZurNYPcTKDNOJLQF0kGDiZayl30hQ7eC5UN8lTpfGcXhs5ONiXQJwIbRP9fTZemztgQwy0nalWCTvktmucF83RIBJknXiRyL37Br49Eps3a33VoW4sQWEthw7EuZbOUn8MCW0nDLCecJVK_OAFSB6kqKm81ka5ysNFicaiaDX6JeBOO7LVoGF80/w400-h225/IMG_20230805_112621597.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-4972956805363583572023-06-30T15:03:00.005-04:002023-06-30T15:03:00.137-04:00In Defense of Capitalism (Communism, part 5)<p> </p><p style="text-align: center;">( <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2013/05/seek-original-communism.html">Part 1: The Communist Manifesto</a> | <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2021/01/seek-original-capital-by-karl-marx.html">Part 2: Capital, volume 1</a> | <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2021/08/capital-in-twenty-first-century.html">Part 3: Capital in the Twenty-First Century</a> | <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-conquest-of-bread-communism-part-4.html">Part 4: The Conquest of Bread</a> | <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2023/06/in-defense-of-capitalism-communism-part.html">Part 5: In Defense of Capitalism</a> ) <br /></p><p> </p><p>Andrew Carnegie is often portrayed as the nice robber baron. The reluctant superrich businessman conflicted about the morality of what he was doing.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLovDOpLX3y9nE7BjznWFLobepRoUcJRc1JM0Dfq9pnZagzOve3P4a1JIduOYp4c-oCIurpeUglSwbz9bxyQi8AYUQiVm8dEDUBM3fTByeOGZoWNc1YZOs8Qb-HDzbQbfAUMQ-2GLs_6Nr5L7xfl9k9KEs8wPhpRgz07wXaec9MprSmr6US_2eJ0iynA/s3648/Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2605" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLovDOpLX3y9nE7BjznWFLobepRoUcJRc1JM0Dfq9pnZagzOve3P4a1JIduOYp4c-oCIurpeUglSwbz9bxyQi8AYUQiVm8dEDUBM3fTByeOGZoWNc1YZOs8Qb-HDzbQbfAUMQ-2GLs_6Nr5L7xfl9k9KEs8wPhpRgz07wXaec9MprSmr6US_2eJ0iynA/w286-h400/Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG" width="286" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Well, that’s how he is shown in the Men Who Built America. Remember that <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-men-who-built-america.html">docu</a> - <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-men-who-built-america-final.html">series</a>? It was produced in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street protests and is clearly aimed at them, informing the public about all the wonderful things the rich do for us, how they create jobs for everyone and they make all the things we enjoy, such as iphones and cheap clothing, and if not for them we would all live in squalor.</p><p>In the essay <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5656326218">The Gospel of Wealth</a>, first published in 1889, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie puts forth the following chain of logic:</p><p>1) In the beforedays, the economy was in the hands of individual craftsmen, and the result was a small quantity of poorly-made articles nobody could afford except the rich.<br /></p><blockquote>Formerly articles were manufactured at the domestic hearth or in small shops which formed part of the household. The master and his apprentices worked side by side, the latter living with the master, and there- fore subject to the same conditions. When these apprentices rose to be masters, there was little or no change in their mode of life, and they, in turn, educated in the same routine succeeding apprentices. There was, substantially, social equality, and even political equality, for those engaged in industrial pursuits had then little or no political voice in the State. <br /></blockquote><blockquote>But the inevitable result of such a mode of manufacture was crude articles at high prices. To-day the world obtains commodities of excellent quality at prices which even the generation preceding this would have deemed incredible. In the commercial world similar causes have produced similar results, and the race is benefited thereby. The poor enjoy what the rich could not before afford. What were the luxuries have become the necessaries of life. The laborer has now more comforts than the farmer had a few generations ago. The farmer has more luxuries than the landlord had, and is more richly clad and better housed. The landlord has books and pictures rarer, and appointments more artistic, than the King could then obtain.</blockquote><br />→ → → →<br /> <p></p><p>2) Some people are naturally talented in administration of things and people, and they cannot help but found businesses and get rich, and in so doing they organize the people to make luxury goods that all enjoy, even if the lowest classes must be sacrificed in the factories so the species itself can rise.<br /></p><blockquote>The price we pay for this salutary change is, no doubt, great. We assemble thousands of operatives in the factory, in the mine, and in the counting-house, of whom the employer can know little or nothing, and to whom the employer is little better than a myth. All intercourse between them is at an end. Rigid Castes are formed, and, as usual, mutual ignorance breeds mutual distrust. Each Caste is without sympathy for the other, and ready to credit anything disparaging in regard to it. Under the law of competition, the employer of thousands is forced into the strictest economies, among which the rates paid to labor figure prominently, and often there is friction between the employer and the employed, between capital and labor, between rich and poor. Human society loses homogeneity. <br /></blockquote><blockquote>The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it pays for cheap comforts and luxuries, is also great; but the advantages of this law are also greater still, for it is to this law that we owe our wonderful material development, which brings improved conditions in its train. But, whether the law be benign or not, we must say of it, as we say of the change in the conditions of men to which we have referred: It is here; we cannot evade it; no substitutes for it have been found; and while the law may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it insures the survival of the fittest in every department. We accept and welcome, therefore, as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves, great inequality of environment, the concentration of business, industrial and commercial, in the hands of a few, and the law of competition between these, as being not only beneficial, but essential for the future progress of the race. Having accepted these, it follows that there must be great scope for the exercise of special ability in the merchant and in the manufacturer who has to conduct affairs upon a great scale. That this talent for organization and management is rare among men is proved by the fact that it invariably secures for its possessor enormous rewards, no matter where or under what laws or conditions. The experienced in affairs always rate the man whose services can be obtained as a partner as not only the first consideration, but such as to render the question of his capital scarcely worth considering, for such men soon create capital; while, without the special talent required, capital soon takes wings. Such men become interested in firms or corporations using millions; and estimating only simple interest to be made upon the capital invested, it is inevitable that their income must exceed their expenditures, and that they must accumulate wealth. Nor is there any middle ground which such men can occupy, because the great manufacturing or commercial concern which does not earn at least interest upon its capital soon becomes bankrupt. It must either go forward or fall behind: to stand still is impossible. It is a condition essential for its successful operation that it should be thus far profitable, and even that, in addition to interest on capital, it should make profit. It is a law, as certain as any of the others named, that men possessed of this peculiar talent for affairs, under the free play of economic forces, must, of necessity, soon be in receipt of more revenue than can be judiciously expended upon themselves; and this law is as beneficial for the race as the others.</blockquote><br />→ → → →<br /> <p></p><p>3) It is pointless to give to the common person a fair wage, or even a surplus, because the average person will not know what to do with it. He will waste it on vices and subsistence living and won’t create anything for the good of mankind. The great wealth generated by industry flows into the hands of the great administrators and founders of businesses and should be managed by them because those men and women will know what to do with such wealth. They will put it to uses that benefit the species.<br /></p><blockquote><p>There remains, then, only one mode of using great fortunes; but in this we have the true antidote for the temporary unequal distribution of wealth, the reconciliation of the rich and the poor—a reign of harmony—another ideal, differing, indeed, from that of the Communist in requiring only the further evolution of existing conditions, not the total overthrow of our civilization. It is founded upon the present most intense individualism, and the race is prepared to put it in practice by degrees whenever it pleases. Under its sway we shall have an ideal state, in which the surplus wealth of the few will become, in the best sense, the property of the many, because administered for the common good, and this wealth, passing through the hands of the few, can be made a much more potent force for the elevation of our race than if it had been distributed in small sums to the people themselves. Even the poorest can be made to see this, and to agree that great sums gathered by some of their fellow-citizens and spent for public purposes, from which the masses reap the principal benefit, are more valuable to them than if scattered among them through the course of many years in trifling amounts. <br /></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>If we consider what results flow from the Cooper Institute, for instance, to the best portion of the race in New York not possessed of means, and compare these with those which would have arisen for the good of the masses from an equal sum distributed by Mr. Cooper in his lifetime in the form of wages, which is the highest form of distribution, being for work done and not for charity, we can form some estimate of the possibilities for the improvement of the race which lie embedded in the present law of the accumulation of wealth. Much of this sum, if distributed in small quantities among the people, been wasted in the indulgence of appetite, some of it in excess, and it may be doubted whether even the part put to the best use, that of adding to the comforts of the home, would have yielded results for the race, as a race, at all comparable to those which are flowing and are to flow from the Cooper Institute from generation to generation. Let the advocate of violent or radical change ponder well this thought. <br /></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>[...] <br /></p></blockquote><blockquote><p>This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of Wealth: First, to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and after doing so to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which, in his judgment, is best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community—the man of wealth thus becoming the mere agent and trustee for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience, and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves.</p></blockquote><p><br />You really should <a href="https://www.carnegie.org/publications/the-gospel-of-wealth/">read it for yourself</a>. It’s not that long, and it’s not hard to understand.</p><p>This is what the rich think of us. We are incapable of doing anything ourselves. We need a rich businessman to give us things.<br /></p><p>So what does Carnegie recommend the wealthy spend their money on within their lifetimes? Not building new roads or funding public education, but building libraries. Music halls. Private universities which only the richest of the rich can afford to attend. Public parks so the poor can sniff flowers within city limits. Certainly nothing that actually benefits the people who work for him, but places that enrich the mind and encourage the people to help themselves.</p><p><b>You know what would help the people help themselves? A livable wage! A 5-hour workday, three days a week, so they have time to enrich their minds! Such a thing is possible! It is only pressure from investors that pushes wages down and increases the length of the working day!</b></p><p>I like how Upton Sinclair mocked Carnegie’s views directly in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1669487951">The Jungle</a>:<br /></p><blockquote>You would begin talking to some poor devil who had worked in one shop for the last thirty years, and had never been able to save a penny; who left home every morning at six o’clock, to go and tend a machine, and come back at night too tired to take his clothes off; who had never had a week’s vacation in his life, had never travelled, never had an adventure, never learned anything, never hoped anything—and when you stated to tell him about Socialism he would sniff and say, ‘I’m not interested in that—I’m an ‘Individualist.’ [...] And then he would go on to tell you that Socialism was ‘Paternalism,’ and that if it ever had its way the world would stop progressing. [...] For how many millions of such poor deluded wretches there were, whose lives had been so stunted by Capitalism that they no longer knew what freedom was! And they really thought that it was ‘Individualism’ for thousands of them to herd together and obey the orders of a steel magnate, and produce hundreds of millions of dollars of wealth for him, and then let him give them libraries; while for them to take the industry and run it to suit themselves, and build their own libraries—that would have been ‘Paternalism’!</blockquote><p><br />Why should we trust these rich people with the value of our labor if all they will give us in return is a public park and a library? If people must be sickened by pollution and have their land strip-mined and ruined and their lives shortened in factories so the rest of us can enjoy the benefits of iphones and cheap clothing, maybe those businesses should not exist and we would be better off going back to true individualism, when the individual really was the economy, and individuals were masters of their own professions and didn’t have to rely on an employer for their very survival.</p><p>Craftsmen produced works of quality and beauty. They did not need the factoryowner to come along and design a machine to make those same goods in larger quantities. Quality has certainly not improved. Only quantity and waste. Capitalists did not swoop down to rescue mankind from poverty by building factories. They robbed people of <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2021/01/seek-original-capital-by-karl-marx.html">their independence</a>. People would not need charity and benevolence of the rich if they were paid a fair wage for their labor, but Carnegie's essay is self-serving, using charity as the guise to justify everything he did to his workers.<br /></p><p>Carnegie defends employing the masses at starvation wages, for people won’t know what to do with a good wage anyway. This means Henry Ford’s notion of paying people enough to be able to afford the cars they were making really was radical, and it proved Carnegie wrong. Not that I admire Ford; he was antisemitic and a Nazi supporter, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rzFyBdKLvU">among other things</a>.<br /></p><p>Carnegie was wrong about all of this, and his screed is the foundation on which <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2012/06/seek-original-atlas-shrugged.html">Ayn Rand</a> deified the founders of industry. This is the mindset we are living under today. People more or less quote this essay when they defend the rich:</p><p>“Well, you have an iphone and refrigerator, so how can you call yourself poor? A poor person 100 years ago would love to have what you have, therefore when we let the rich man do as he pleases, he raises all of humanity.”</p><p>Would they, knowing entire communities are being poisoned and impoverished to make the chemicals and the circuit boards that make those devices work? There is a way to make them without such side-effects, but it means profit cannot be the motive. All profit does is pile the money in the hands of a tiny group, and we apparently must hope they build us a park in return for giving us cancer. <br /></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/svHCXvQeZfY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><br /><br />James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-20698504553556519692023-06-09T14:16:00.001-04:002023-06-09T16:28:46.607-04:00I’m sorry, Joel Schumacher<p> </p><p>I watched <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/">Falling Down</a>.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4pbRcshBpZw7WqrwovJu5mojtbH5fPrgkw3Hg74RbM8H81HIXfo48EisbHUWpIeA1-mwV30_S7R93at4d-AnGQBXqBvd1MNEyBM9bxJ5g_kId7noMh1XRBPb8cyoLGGCbS4it8g3tdK3xjYfzC_6wjAbz8a621HxtGgu24D56b6NXCaBQsTsAROE/s3795/FD1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1587" data-original-width="3795" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4pbRcshBpZw7WqrwovJu5mojtbH5fPrgkw3Hg74RbM8H81HIXfo48EisbHUWpIeA1-mwV30_S7R93at4d-AnGQBXqBvd1MNEyBM9bxJ5g_kId7noMh1XRBPb8cyoLGGCbS4it8g3tdK3xjYfzC_6wjAbz8a621HxtGgu24D56b6NXCaBQsTsAROE/w640-h269/FD1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>I understand why I keep hearing about this movie. It’s not a pleasant film to watch, and it has a surface meaning along with deeper interpretations.</p><p> </p><p>_____<br />A white-collar worker (D-Fens) is stuck in traffic and decides he’s had enough of the daily grind. He gets out of his car and takes a walk across LA to go home.</p><p>His walk across the city of Los Angeles shouldn’t be complicated, but it becomes a journey through all the wrongs of modern society. He confronts the annoyances of everyday life and lashes out at them with a baseball bat, and later with a semi-automatic and a bazooka.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BD5ofrSNDFA" width="463" youtube-src-id="BD5ofrSNDFA"></iframe></div><br /><p><br />It’s just a walk across town. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but life itself seems to be attacking him.</p><p>At first it seems D-Fens is just defending himself against individuals who have wronged him for petty misdeeds, but as the movie progresses, these scenes form a larger picture.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-7XcpB1V_zxeLHwVMPHbM0YyUvCSHWLxw8cb1e86mQylcqv9M-dLIcDwaY-wn160WxVI9BgTDEEcUZDyuVdSs_a7desv4UdiPjZM5A9QK93BTODjd6X2gjy8PntAni2IVgApfC2NO8ueMRRFM2kqnaZji6j5NZzej7_xcsehT-nNylhcZ2oo-fz8/s2487/FD2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2487" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-7XcpB1V_zxeLHwVMPHbM0YyUvCSHWLxw8cb1e86mQylcqv9M-dLIcDwaY-wn160WxVI9BgTDEEcUZDyuVdSs_a7desv4UdiPjZM5A9QK93BTODjd6X2gjy8PntAni2IVgApfC2NO8ueMRRFM2kqnaZji6j5NZzej7_xcsehT-nNylhcZ2oo-fz8/w640-h406/FD2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>He walks into a fast food place to order breakfast. It is only five minutes past the time they serve breakfast, so they refuse to serve him from that menu. After pulling a gun on them, it seems they do have breakfast offerings ready to go anyway. On the surface, you can interpret this as just some white guy getting angry at a mundane annoyance of modern society, but then he gets his food.</p><p>The hamburger.</p><p>What he gets doesn’t look like the picture on the wall. The picture looks plump and juicy, while the real thing is thin and flat and dry.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGDZApYA3s4qUtiCDvJAdNhqJCai5MfbwlFLW4H2cVAYRl02VDAy2mM-SpcP9lFVgne49tEEHLKWqZJNaiOJqUsBAr7iOk8t7iOewcnMsIwCNZixkU36aooCkl9svVWOeCfz5L0OlFI6wwsLMkX_d18TS8jugbMD8Omh6fQVrhnkWHgAx36Se4Ghy/s2168/FD3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1590" data-original-width="2168" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGDZApYA3s4qUtiCDvJAdNhqJCai5MfbwlFLW4H2cVAYRl02VDAy2mM-SpcP9lFVgne49tEEHLKWqZJNaiOJqUsBAr7iOk8t7iOewcnMsIwCNZixkU36aooCkl9svVWOeCfz5L0OlFI6wwsLMkX_d18TS8jugbMD8Omh6fQVrhnkWHgAx36Se4Ghy/w400-h294/FD3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p>Expectation verses reality, but it’s not his expectation. It’s what he was promised. Reality doesn’t live up to that.</p><p>Is that really his fault? <br /></p><p> </p><p>_____<br />Things should be this way, but they aren’t.</p><p>Get an education, get a good job, get married, have a kid, prosper and be happy.</p><p>Our antihero has an idealized vision of how things should be, and he can’t handle it when life didn’t work out that way. But where did this idealized concept of modern life come from? Certainly not from within.</p><p>Consider the home movies. Yes, the home movies. He did what he thought he was supposed to do to make his daughter happy. He bought his daughter a toy horse, and yet she is crying. He did the work, and yet he did not get the result he expected. All he really wants is for things to work the way they are supposed to.</p><p> </p><p>_____<br />He’s angry at the shopkeeper charging a markup, so he bashes the store with a baseball bat. As a consumer, he hates the markup he must pay, but smashing this store doesn’t fix how capitalism operates.</p><p>He’s angry at the roadwork that slows down traffic, but firing a bazooka at a bulldozer doesn’t stop pointless roadwork from happening.</p><p>Yelling at the individuals doing the work in no way solves the problem. All of his solutions are wrong, but he’s not alone in his directionless anger at things outside his control.</p><p>He’s angry at things he cannot really see or affect. The anger of a civilization often is undirected. As the cop says, if your kid dies from a drunk driver, you know who to be mad at, but if your kid just doesn’t wake up one day, who do you blame?</p><p>The way D-Fens thinks life works butting heads against how it actually does. Lashing out at the individuals in no way fixes the problems he points out, and this is what he seems unable to grasp. He’s not mad at anyone.</p><p>He’s mad at <b>systems</b>.</p><p>Pointing out the obvious wrongs around him makes him the bad guy.</p><p>Even facing rich old white guys who want him to get off their lawn. Getting mad at them in no way fixes the waste of land that is a golf course.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXKxrZuNvO4FeIcYsZvmBc_5zjxbPbyi19Z9CepPZ5SMgQrcpgs_rNrDT9aTMv33aGTzab216uAIO8Ji6kwre7CA0kRHWbDcxDm_2ABPNo8osnAamNB_v4aH6gkVR7GHk3HwzRY0Y34RFtqh77Et6HoriGQMe-yjQOWZZ4gbY9l1J8xGZeAmImYT2/s3750/FD4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1571" data-original-width="3750" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXKxrZuNvO4FeIcYsZvmBc_5zjxbPbyi19Z9CepPZ5SMgQrcpgs_rNrDT9aTMv33aGTzab216uAIO8Ji6kwre7CA0kRHWbDcxDm_2ABPNo8osnAamNB_v4aH6gkVR7GHk3HwzRY0Y34RFtqh77Et6HoriGQMe-yjQOWZZ4gbY9l1J8xGZeAmImYT2/w640-h268/FD4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p></p><p><br />_____<br />Falling Down is a brilliant movie. Layered in meaning and subtle in presentation. Joel Schumacher should be remembered for this muted expression of anger at systems and how pointless it is for one person to lash out at individuals when the problems are so much larger than oneself. How buying in to the American dream, doing everything you were taught you should do, leads to disappointment.</p><p>“I built missiles to defend this country; I should be rich. Instead they gave it to a plastic surgeon.”</p><p></p><p></p><p>They.</p><p>Some unseen force he cannot name.</p><p>He did exactly what he thought he was supposed to do, and yet he is divorced and poor.<br /></p><p>Who is to blame?</p><p>D-Fens got a good job. He got a wife. Had a kid. He was told he will prosper. So why did his daughter cry when he bought her the horse? She likes horses, so buying a toy horse should have made her happy. Why wasn’t his wife happy being provided for with his good job? Why did he get fired? Why did some cosmetic surgeon get rich while he, who contributed to the national security of the United States, end up laid off and moving back in with his mother?</p><p>Who are you supposed to be angry at when you do all the right things but nothing works out? The picture on the wall promised you <i>this</i>, but you ended up disappointed.</p><p>It was true 30 years ago. It is still true now.</p><p>So many of us were promised happiness if only we worked hard enough. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4788707804">Go to college to get a good job</a>. Get married and have kids. All of these things will lead to a good life and make you happy. So we do them, and the results are different from the picture on the wall.</p><p>D-Fens as an individual is a criminal, but when D-Fens becomes society as a whole, he becomes righteous revolution against systems that prevent people from living good lives. Falling Down is evidence that we are not individuals looking out for our own self-interest. We are not in total control of our lives. Systems do exist, and when society gets angry enough, it will lash out against them.<br /></p><p>This is the film Joel Schumacher should be remembered for, not Batman and Robin.<br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-82609576181472579492023-05-20T18:02:00.025-04:002023-05-20T18:02:00.144-04:00WALL OF TEXT: BOOTSTRAPS<p> </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: BOOTSTRAPS. We are told that we are obligated to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps—that if one works hard enough, one will move up in society. Therefore if one is poor, one deserves to be. If one is homeless and in medical debt, these are merely just desserts. Obviously all you need to do is get a job and everything will be fine. But I recently learned Doordash will refuse to give you an account if you have a DUI on your record. If even the poor are shut out of the gig economy, how are they supposed to lift themselves out of poverty? One mistake is all it takes to shut you out of employment that is not even considered employment. Employers check credit scores and can deny you a job based on that alone. Landlords can refuse to rent to you if you have bad credit. We decry China for its Citizen Score, but the USA had one decades prior. One mistake can put a person in a pit from which all the bootstraps in the world cannot pull them out. A truly progressive society recognizes that the worker should not be made to feel guilty for his lack of employment. After all, his self-sufficient craft was <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2021/01/seek-original-capital-by-karl-marx.html">taken from him long ago</a>. The burden should rest on the employer; if nobody will hire someone, how is he or she or they to blame for their lack of employment? The corporation should be tasked with keeping the people employed, and the law should require a living wage because people are not self-sufficient. They once were, but now they depend on an employer for a wage, therefore the corporation should be obligated to employ the people. The point of earning a living is to prove that one is worthy of existing. Well, if people are unemployed, we must face the fact that there is no reason for them to exist, so now what? But mandatory employment has been tried and proved to be a disaster, so what now? What is the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4272153528">purpose of employment</a>? Why must individuals prove themselves useful to someone else in order to justify their own existence? If Capitalism is to continue, we must question the idea of a monetary society.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdewT3fWbOIrCFl9LU3-034MgZPLiG3HD80Ew8L_aAeZCtgVyQogzxzqbwUAa-lgA1GuVyN2kKJkUg7xYFtSurOMfwwhfC9_FGWkAOEcc_MLVhgw78GXTJyDbmwAV1OmkuY-gHcu6zQFJP8R41j3cOvyiA08dBltmNuZBWnvqqdPPmsuuGua31HdD/s3104/Screenshot_20230514-173634.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdewT3fWbOIrCFl9LU3-034MgZPLiG3HD80Ew8L_aAeZCtgVyQogzxzqbwUAa-lgA1GuVyN2kKJkUg7xYFtSurOMfwwhfC9_FGWkAOEcc_MLVhgw78GXTJyDbmwAV1OmkuY-gHcu6zQFJP8R41j3cOvyiA08dBltmNuZBWnvqqdPPmsuuGua31HdD/w149-h640/Screenshot_20230514-173634.png" width="149" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> </p><p> </p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-67245508607081939202023-05-09T14:28:00.002-04:002023-05-09T14:41:16.312-04:00WALL OF TEXT: RESPECT FOR OUR ELDERS<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: RESPECT FOR OUR ELDERS. Every generation complains that children have no respect for their elders. There was a time when we revered the elderly because they have been where we are about to go, and they can teach us how to do well. That hasn’t been true in many, many years. The previous generation’s advice to the young is increasingly obsolete. Useless. Parents are supposed to teach the next generation how to live in their world, but these days parents have no idea how to function in society because it has changed so much from when they were young. I suppose I still resent my parents for teaching me this is how things work and then coming to realize as an adult that none of it is true. Employers do not value loyalty or initiative. Religion is a lie; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X77IixYHlMI">it disconnected me from reality</a> and left me less able to connect with others. Nobody moves up in a company anymore for working hard and being reliable. Companies are cutting back and outsourcing <a href="https://www.pcworld.com/article/1814175/wendys-hired-google-ai-to-take-your-drive-through-order.html">and automating</a>. They deliberately get rid of their best and their most loyal in favor of workers who are cheaper and easier to replace and don’t remember how good things used to be. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4788707804">College is a scam</a> meant to get kids into debt they cannot escape. If parents no longer have useful information to convey to their children, then what do parents even do? What will replace fatherhood and motherhood? Will technology continue to change faster than society can cope with, or will we reach a point of stability? Some futurists have <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/161655226">proposed</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4521226609">alternatives</a>, and they <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4670944342">disturb us</a>. Most sci-fi still presents the family unit as intact in the distant future, but will it be? If parents have nothing to teach the young, what is the point of family? What will replace it? Hopefully anything but corporate. If society is to change this much, we should take a vote on who gets to teach the children, and what they are taught. Education should focus on how to navigate our changing reality instead of feeding children myths.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrI3HhP9RyYvlRPhEXoMAf9srEdk9UmPRRyMSNvPcvmZMKdhUim3dWznzhWGwAh7As3FVdcOw8VOhcZ60I94kBnRp_ppSs68gINn1Rk7Wbg7MgWR__ZYeFrLVb4PWm4npnydJT8O2hw6tQR_XFNqL8Ngcyy5x5uoTfY3it4F8KCHwGGXTRCUU6t8D/s1544/FqlmPXVXgAIeKX9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1164" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrI3HhP9RyYvlRPhEXoMAf9srEdk9UmPRRyMSNvPcvmZMKdhUim3dWznzhWGwAh7As3FVdcOw8VOhcZ60I94kBnRp_ppSs68gINn1Rk7Wbg7MgWR__ZYeFrLVb4PWm4npnydJT8O2hw6tQR_XFNqL8Ngcyy5x5uoTfY3it4F8KCHwGGXTRCUU6t8D/s320/FqlmPXVXgAIeKX9.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-50031192594769562672023-05-02T18:46:00.003-04:002023-05-09T15:18:20.739-04:00Short Story: Aged Plant Fibers and Ink<p> </p><p> New story published.</p><p><br /></p><p>My first professional-market credit in many, many years. Very proud of how it turned out.</p><p><br /></p><p>When humanity is gone, what will we leave behind? More importantly, how will extraterrestrial life interpret what we leave behind? Will they understand anything we created?<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Aged Plant Fibers and Ink, on <a href="https://zooscape-zine.com/aged-plant-fibers/">Zooscape</a>.<br /></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BwK9F1VMWzC11byOu1WxFYH6idBQ4NN-A5hMVBybz_vDKWhypsyR1nr4FG3dyV3n2GZXTC-At9cBKVSLWDqC6luEBwGxN3rAF5gns6UaNvujrj8X-PsmkAiQ7jBEgHMuVJV0nD87X6vdS9MhYBs7korATsAPezk-M_c_ptgQvzqAxN23qnL3hDNH/s768/illu-Aged-Plant-Fibers-and-Ink-768x768.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BwK9F1VMWzC11byOu1WxFYH6idBQ4NN-A5hMVBybz_vDKWhypsyR1nr4FG3dyV3n2GZXTC-At9cBKVSLWDqC6luEBwGxN3rAF5gns6UaNvujrj8X-PsmkAiQ7jBEgHMuVJV0nD87X6vdS9MhYBs7korATsAPezk-M_c_ptgQvzqAxN23qnL3hDNH/s320/illu-Aged-Plant-Fibers-and-Ink-768x768.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote><p>The feline slipped a raised disc in front of Ker’r. The canine leaned
over and scented it. It had encoded olfactory information on it, and
with a single sniff he knew the menu and the prices.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px; text-align: left;">Paperback: 1C d6 PY+210, | ~8 / ~27<br />
Paperback: 2C d1 PY+199, | ~12 / ~35<br />
Hardback: 4C d14 PY+212 | ~9 / ~32<br />
Hardback: 6C d3 PY+202 | ~19 / ~44<br />
OB: <i>The John Varley Reader John Varley Ace</i>, 2C PY-201 d2 ~12 | ~133</p>
<p>Learning to understand the menu was itself a skill and often required
a guide just to comprehend what one was ordering. C denoted the
continent, d was the district, PY denoted the year it had been bound,
calculated to the number of solar cycles on the Planet of Paper. <i>Paperyears</i>. Negative numbers indicated estimated solar cycles before the year the planet had first been discovered.</p>
<p>They always had one Original Binding on the offer for page-by-page
consumption. These were the only listings that included an olfactory
bitmap representation of the glyphs on the spine of the Binding.
Comprehending images with datascent was difficult for anyone, but he had
enough experience with Bindings that he could visualize them.</p>
<p>Many Originals were never for sale as a whole, as retailers often
only received one copy of each, so they had to be sold per page. One had
to be extremely wealthy to buy those Originals as entire Bindings.</p>
<p>Anyone could buy a Binding and take it back to their den, but it was
never the same as experiencing it in a place like this, as close to how
the hairless bipeds might have enjoyed them on the Planet of Paper.</p>
<p>He looked up at Erok. “Paperyear minus two oh one. Surprised you can still buy whole Bindings.”</p>
<p>The cat nodded. “We have enough copies to sell in whole. The older volumes are getting rare though.”</p>
<p>Ker’r laughed. “What will we do when we run out of originals?”</p>
<p>“We’ll have to stop saying plus and minus. Paperyear will be all
positive numbers, and new Bindings will be considered originals. By then
they’ll have printed enough to create Bindings good enough to be called
Originals.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p> </p><p>Read the rest at <a href="https://zooscape-zine.com/aged-plant-fibers/">Zooscape</a>. <br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-24337412168221500712023-02-28T16:46:00.001-05:002023-03-07T18:28:44.161-05:00Wall of Text: Fallen Heroes<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: FALLEN HEROES. Well, Scott Adams outed himself as blatantly racist. Some of his words and choices in the past had been questionable, but this was just coming right out and saying it. I watched the video, just to hear what he said in context. Since 2015 I figured he was just tone-deaf, but no ambiguity now. 1000 people responded to a poll, so now he felt justified saying half of black people just hate whites, so there’s no point being nice to them, white people get the hell away from for your own safety. No word on how many people of each demographic the pollsters asked, so we don’t know ratios [<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dilbert-scott-adams-racist-cartoonist_n_64066835e4b029d87017e587">update</a>]. <a href="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/questions/january_2023/questions_okay_to_be_white_february_13_15_2023">Only that it was 1,000 people</a>. Hardly a representative snapshot of the USA, but that’s all it took to give Adams permission to call African Americans a hate group that doesn’t think being white is acceptable. The rest of his rant was pretty much <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2012/06/seek-original-atlas-shrugged.html">Ayn Rand</a>: we live in an equal society, everyone can get out of poverty, you just have to commit to education and work hard and you’ll get out. Anyone who is still in poverty or a crap job simply refuses to work hard and is unworthy of help, so Adams is done helping this hate group because no matter how much he does to help black people, they hate him—nay, they are racist against him, so white people should just stay away. <b>I adhere to the belief that not all Trump supporters are racist, but I’ve been proven wrong so many times, so now I’m just going to stay away from anyone who supports Trump. No other qualifications needed.</b> Incidentally, this polling website is far right. Rasmussen Reports. One of the links takes me to a page named “Daily Presidential Tracking Poll” sponsored by Matt Palumbo’s MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN. The book’s subtitle is: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros. That’s what we’re dealing with. Antisemitism. Probably not too much longer before Adams says something along those lines, as well. Newspapers and his syndicate <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/02/dilbert-cartoon-dropped-from-many-news-outlets-over-scott-adams-racial-remarks-1235270803/">dropping him</a> are already being used to justify further <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-racism-response-dilbert-scott-adams_n_63fb741ee4b0735bf8787b92">perceptions of prejudice against whites</a>. Not being free to be racist in public is a form of oppression. Screw him. I liked Dilbert in 90s and 2000s, but I lost interest when it became a perpetual motion machine. I think it’s important to remember that this is <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2021/04/i-wish-liberals-were-as-radical-as.html">not cancellation</a>. This is a case of someone saying something shitty in public, and then other people reacting to it. It’s not censorship. Refusing to do business with someone who says such things is not a violation of free speech or something—you’ve had your say, so now others get to react to it. That’s something that has happened since forever; we’re just seeing it in realtime now. While I didn’t consider Scott Adams one of my heroes, I did kind of look up to him. When I was younger, I wanted to be a cartoonist and draw the next Garfield. Seeing Adams’ comic strip get picked up, and how good writing can make up for “limited” artistry, gave me hope. I got into Dilbert because it does such a good job creating its own world with its own sense of logic. One need not work in an office to understand its humor, and I was drawn to that as a teenager. Learning computer programming also helped me identify with it, as it was easy to imagine that being me someday. I even bought a couple of his nonfiction books (God’s Debris, The Religion War) and thought of him as a great thinker even if he was kinda stuck doing comic strips. Yes, I saw myself in that. I still respect him as a writer for his ability to create such a world and draw me into it, even though I cannot abide his views personally anymore. So how do fans move on after they have been completely put off by the creator of something they enjoy and respect? Some fans of <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2020/07/dunking-on-harry-potter.html">J. K. Rowling</a> feel the same sense of dissonance. They enjoy what she created, but can’t agree with her personally. <b>The best advice I have is not to let someone else’s work define you.</b> I’m not embarrassed for liking Dilbert years ago, just as I am not embarrassed for playing Earthworm Jim or the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2015/10/armikrog.html">Neverhood</a>. Dilbert is a good comic that manages to create its own world with its own internal logic anyone can appreciate even if they don’t work in an office. Earthworm Jim 1+2 are outstanding games that stand the test of time, even if their creator has drifted so far to the right you could not pretend to get along with him at a family reunion. We used to be cordial to people who didn’t hold our political beliefs, but now such beliefs have shifted from merely being about fiscal responsibility to whether or not this group of people should exist. It’s a vastly different landscape from what I grew up in, and we have yet to reach its climax. You don’t have to agree with a creator’s views to understand and appreciate their work. I certainly don’t agree with the message of <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2023/01/seek-original-metropolis.html">Metropolis</a>, but I recognize it meant something at the time, and it may have been meaningful for the creator. It’s a good movie on its own. It’s a good book on it own. I don’t agree with the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2013/06/seek-original-abbreviated-aladdin.html">original story of Aladdin</a>, but I recognize what it meant for its time. Perhaps someday the work of Scott Adams and JK Rowling and Doug TenNapel and many others will stand on their own apart from their respective creators, but we are not there yet. If money equals votes, then I will not buy anything that benefits them if I can help it. I will wait for hindsight.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATHcUYYK-pfqJHiDTN2acYkyYVZxxWCDwUr9zX1U8GRdl2jOzCCBtrHY7iej7bcta_XiMd7c11vQyMkf1CH6D141cHiYoU0b2QUJZRdLx43RPRS7P5fBPUl-bIjajSWjQ93sap-3LxbgUJoy6ggTGliifCNdoL5iIpXOolW6W1tEjjejZoUs2A7jj/s720/Fp2s0V8WAAEiOf4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATHcUYYK-pfqJHiDTN2acYkyYVZxxWCDwUr9zX1U8GRdl2jOzCCBtrHY7iej7bcta_XiMd7c11vQyMkf1CH6D141cHiYoU0b2QUJZRdLx43RPRS7P5fBPUl-bIjajSWjQ93sap-3LxbgUJoy6ggTGliifCNdoL5iIpXOolW6W1tEjjejZoUs2A7jj/s320/Fp2s0V8WAAEiOf4.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLptnUuQxw8TpcH8EhKIgRGFg113gkJtxd63wmXEQwox_PbWfJTV3yqd6DOZ7-FmKdMHPOXN11ItcnMQx9JNsay2U1szAmcmQFmFEVX_Ntl_aE7UPxk1Dh1bV7aup2diefB-m7rYiW5MtZGY60dn_SC9RQuN8lPxHmcXYKO7AOAikTMJDtpjKxV_t7/s2166/Screenshot%202023-02-25%20at%2016-38-10%20Apprentice%20Archeon%20on%20Twitter.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2166" data-original-width="898" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLptnUuQxw8TpcH8EhKIgRGFg113gkJtxd63wmXEQwox_PbWfJTV3yqd6DOZ7-FmKdMHPOXN11ItcnMQx9JNsay2U1szAmcmQFmFEVX_Ntl_aE7UPxk1Dh1bV7aup2diefB-m7rYiW5MtZGY60dn_SC9RQuN8lPxHmcXYKO7AOAikTMJDtpjKxV_t7/s320/Screenshot%202023-02-25%20at%2016-38-10%20Apprentice%20Archeon%20on%20Twitter.png" width="133" /></a></div><br /><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-29675045207862896882023-01-28T17:02:00.000-05:002023-01-28T17:05:07.671-05:00Seek the Original: Metropolis<p> </p><p>Never settle for an adaptation. Seek the Original!</p><p></p><p>This has been on my list for a long time, but when the movie disappeared from Netflix years ago, I forgot about it. Now the film is in the public domain, so that reminded me I should experience it.</p><p>I was NOT expecting a story of this kind, either in the book or the film. <br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXz1Ml8Pp-k_AYEWu_n6R75tXYOfGkzndcHkBKaHxqhwzkr0VBZICa6K-TRMhRadwsVfO1fLbEMyZ9lxaqw7eA4r2vPPAqstFmCSktx8o8rK6HnBe0kEM1c_3w3iV79hZZcyszzGC5zV2H_Qq0t2AeqQqBxxBzC-A8O9JXSJLEhnN3GdIxSExpfKg/s400/Met_book_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXz1Ml8Pp-k_AYEWu_n6R75tXYOfGkzndcHkBKaHxqhwzkr0VBZICa6K-TRMhRadwsVfO1fLbEMyZ9lxaqw7eA4r2vPPAqstFmCSktx8o8rK6HnBe0kEM1c_3w3iV79hZZcyszzGC5zV2H_Qq0t2AeqQqBxxBzC-A8O9JXSJLEhnN3GdIxSExpfKg/w268-h400/Met_book_sm.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5260761148">Metropolis</a></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;">by Thea von Harbou</h2><p><br />Not a casual read, Metropolis is a very German story full of appositives and flowery prose. The dialogue is Shakespearean, nay Biblical in its exuberance, and the style makes the events feel epic in scope and profound in significance.<br /><br />When Freder, son of the great founder of the grandest city in the world, catches a glimpse of the underclass, he must know more. This boy has lived a sheltered life above ground, in the glimmering lights and luxuries of Metropolis. Now, for the first time, he ventures underground and sees the people who toil at the machines that make this great city function. His father is not moved to compassion, but Freder is determined to do something to help the multitude.<br /><br />He changes places with one of the underground operators to experience the life he was born above. What he finds is an underclass of laborers who do all the hard work of the city so the upper classes can live in luxury. Laboring at the machines has become a religious experience for the underclass, so much so they worship the machines they labor upon—reverence at Mass transferred to reverence for the automations that require their effort. It’s surreal and spectacular to read about people praying to the machines that drain their bodies and their minds.<br /><br />This arrangement may have continued forever if not for one man seeking revenge against the founder of Metropolis. Years ago, the founder stole the love of his life from him, and he’s been hatching a plot of vengeance by destroying not just the person but the city he founded.<br /><br />He will do so by introducing a new idea to the underground laborers. A dangerous idea. He installs a prophet who makes the people ask why they work for starvation wages while the upper classes live above ground and enjoy a life of luxury.<br /><br />Destroying a whole city over a stolen lover. It’s so outrageous it’s brilliant. Biblical and Shakespearean and grandiose to behold, it lays bare the fragility of the class divide.<br /><br />The style is certainly not for everyone, but I enjoyed the experience. Its social commentary is just as potent today as it was a century ago, but it does have one flaw: it bends toward religious redemption rather than social commentary.<br /><br />The religious imagery is laid on too thick for my tastes, but the book is very much about how the labor of the masses has become their religion, absent anything else to live for. The machines they must labor upon have become their gods—laboring at a machine has become the act of worship, and what happens when a pious population stops worshiping their gods?<br /><br />The gods get angry.<br /><br />Everything comes together in an epic riot—the underclasses rising up against the machines they are forced to labor upon, taking down the upper class living off their hidden labor. Man destroying his gods, destroying himself in the process, and what afterward? The conclusion is appropriately Biblical: mankind created false gods in the form of machines, so the only redemption is to destroy the false gods and return to the one true God. It’s a very Catholic conclusion that is a bit of a letdown, as in the author had the chance to make some serious social commentary, but she turned it into a sermon instead.<br /><br />The sin of Metropolis is not that the rich are exploiting the poor, keeping them in poverty in order to live in leisure and happiness, rather that mankind has created new gods and turned away from Christ and the holy Mother. The author was so close to telling a timeless story of class warfare and the cycle of civilization. She chose to frame it all as a crisis of faith.<br /><br />I enjoyed the journey, even if I think the story could have reached a more meaningful end. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Compare that to...</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gCeu3BRvuk">Metropolis</a> (1927)</h2><h2 style="text-align: center;">Directed by Fritz Lang <br /></h2><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gdtZv3XROnc" width="320" youtube-src-id="gdtZv3XROnc"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The film follows the book almost in lockstep. In terms of adaptation, it’s faithful, and it should be, as the author herself wrote the screenplay.<br /><br />The grandeur of the city. The smoke-filled hell the workers must live in. The privileged youth who descends into the underground to experience the life he was born above. The people whose labor creates the life of luxury he has enjoyed. The movie leaves out most of the religious imagery and focuses on the mechanical clone of the heroin inciting the people to revolt against the upper classes who live in luxury while the masses toil on machines below ground.<br /><br />Though the movie implies the inventor of the machine-man has created this invention to destroy the city and thus the man who stole his lover from him, the book makes this so much clearer. The prophet he installs within the ranks of the workers becomes the instrument to create rebellion, but without the final confrontation between the city’s founder and his former rival in love, in which he declares his vengeance is at hand, it doesn’t have nearly as much weight. Without knowing why this is happening, the city founder’s decision to let the mob destroy Metropolis’s power source isn’t clear.<br /><br />Still, in so many ways I prefer the movie version because it leaves out most of the religious symbolism and keeps the story a simple revolt of the lower classes against the higher. The movie ends with a secular coming together of the lower classes with the higher classes, having elected a mediator. It’s a nice touch, though I miss the Shakespearean twist that all this happen because of a stolen lover. It’s in the movie, but barely.<br /><br />I enjoyed the experience of the filmmaking. I watched the 2022 Cobra version, and often the score was far too exuberant compared to what was happening on screen, but in the film’s second half I hardly noticed. The visuals, the action, the sets, the matte paintings all tell the story so well. This must have been mind-blowing in 1927. The transformation scene with the inventor giving his robot the appearance of this young woman is particularly striking, even by today’s standards.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFW88cLjTXrUXeI5gDtg1oZs_19T5WKoCcCWCuLY4tDpnFYzI5E4R5DHcvTzZUP1X2bs3khfOGHn71IBSZnh5sItfWcxTtHOO2Ql-kpovbe20y-tVHUN-DuBaZiwUNHogH6vixTtCFSIuy-yzejQGIqLtdEPdXL6RPsCCdAOzi5dUeLJ_jDAOsw2iU/s1849/Metropolis_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1849" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFW88cLjTXrUXeI5gDtg1oZs_19T5WKoCcCWCuLY4tDpnFYzI5E4R5DHcvTzZUP1X2bs3khfOGHn71IBSZnh5sItfWcxTtHOO2Ql-kpovbe20y-tVHUN-DuBaZiwUNHogH6vixTtCFSIuy-yzejQGIqLtdEPdXL6RPsCCdAOzi5dUeLJ_jDAOsw2iU/w400-h225/Metropolis_01.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></p><p><br />It could have been half as long, as this is a silent film and so much of the runtime is devoted to exaggerated acting, but I got into its style long before the halfway point. I believe this was made during a Red Scare, so presenting class warfare as a need for “both sides” to meet and compromise must have been a poignant message in the 1920s.<br /><br />It is no crisis of faith. This is class warfare, and the solution is for the owner to step out of his high tower and talk to the people who labor for his life of luxury. It’s a good ending, so much better than the book, but much like the book it is so close to socialist commentary and it stops just short. Workers stop at the Cathedral and compromise with the slaveowner that is the founder of Metropolis. They don’t continue rioting and throw off the chains that oppress them, asking why this guy owns everything while they toil for his luxury. Let’s compromise.<br /><br />Come on, just go all in and overthrow the old system! No need for a mediator between owner and slave—just declare <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-conquest-of-bread-communism-part-4.html">no one should own the land</a> so why do we need money? Everyone should work for his own benefit, repurpose the factories to make clothes and food for everyone, and let’s end this nightmare of an underclass toiling so the upper class can live without having to work.<br /><br />That’s not how the movie or the book ends. The book ends with mankind returning to God as the solution for peace between the social classes. The movie ends with worker and owner learning to come together. Both are meaningful in the message they are too cowardly to present.<br /><br />It’s worth watching, even today, how a century-old movie can still be relevant.</p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-88626298818874852172023-01-20T03:41:00.007-05:002023-01-20T14:05:49.681-05:00WALL OF TEXT: INFLATION<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: INFLATION. While at a store buying groceries and medicine, I saw the man in the sushi department gathering unsold rolls and tossing them in the trash. At least 20 of them. I just stood there thinking food is expensive, and we are still producing way more than demand needs and throwing it away. If prices really had increased due to “supply shortages,” companies would want to waste less, but nothing has changed apart from prices rising at the same time as profits. Shelves are still full. Most are overflowing, so what shortage? Shouldn’t we be seeing entire aisles empty, and high prices on the remaining products to match? I still see skids and pallets of unsold product going to waste. I see no increased demand for anything driving prices up. Americans certainly are not living fat and happy off government stimulus money, so they do not have more money to spend. I see prices going up and then those same products go on sale for close to the prices they were six months ago. The price can go down at any time. Price does not equal value. If prices were rising to compensate for higher costs of production, profit margins would not move. Price is not even related to the cost of production. It is arbitrary. This can’t go on forever. You can only milk the poor for so long before they run out of money to take. Something has to give. Notice how plans to get rich always involve squeezing money from poor people, never squeezing the rich, even though the rich have all the money. The last time we had prosperity in the USA was when we decided to tax the rich. Screwing over the rich is called theft while screwing over poor people is called business. Remember that as prices go up while giant corporations pay nothing in taxes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURKxcfLA5tkDs_0obJiKsvCQmyqYvcA08IBSEuQLAcZA01eTudymSfI4c-3tTJ6KC22TxJKC2Nb2Ary-oP3vx0alExcICqLBdWt-sDVSjOc4jrVDqEuLZ9fHNQ7Ekex1_L4KfpYnEkWEqQ6Gd4ql8AKN16ocjgKzG3uFPaSQIUWLhSI0_rDJoPGRp/s1111/Screenshot%202022-12-22%20at%2019-16-17%20Facebook.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="1074" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURKxcfLA5tkDs_0obJiKsvCQmyqYvcA08IBSEuQLAcZA01eTudymSfI4c-3tTJ6KC22TxJKC2Nb2Ary-oP3vx0alExcICqLBdWt-sDVSjOc4jrVDqEuLZ9fHNQ7Ekex1_L4KfpYnEkWEqQ6Gd4ql8AKN16ocjgKzG3uFPaSQIUWLhSI0_rDJoPGRp/s320/Screenshot%202022-12-22%20at%2019-16-17%20Facebook.png" width="309" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCfpOwnyMsa3BeA4wKQDNS7u7_xW1-9rhizjbLdIvfn88TeVPEVx2MjgkGtlrOjidJw9bOjhzH1q9FlWAAwOQN3GRgkC9d5amfXv4JHXZHsJYYXjCi11xF6tbAnLyjSY-jFRN58sB7iD4-PWO7xtBwuSqDoUtCz21A53eujnOqWNgM8k28oALnkjl/s484/318933956_853522146064600_1516873192189652483_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="413" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCfpOwnyMsa3BeA4wKQDNS7u7_xW1-9rhizjbLdIvfn88TeVPEVx2MjgkGtlrOjidJw9bOjhzH1q9FlWAAwOQN3GRgkC9d5amfXv4JHXZHsJYYXjCi11xF6tbAnLyjSY-jFRN58sB7iD4-PWO7xtBwuSqDoUtCz21A53eujnOqWNgM8k28oALnkjl/s320/318933956_853522146064600_1516873192189652483_n.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JRinaQXIt8tRJglB5gC7dCSWAS4wGLgFI12L4cK8MGcMtAUEMJaUeQKcY5TAlPnCwCZIhwglj1vV_QjanP7MYXYDeBTwKh1z8WMrmBOGHxheJRYm9dadd5T6_rrxwsX1h-pyMPAF27kEOs08hxlvAnCy9QRX2Z0HNXAIX04wcR4lFtKMhzitr7TW/s1603/293708582_431927895473126_1246171861898188938_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1603" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JRinaQXIt8tRJglB5gC7dCSWAS4wGLgFI12L4cK8MGcMtAUEMJaUeQKcY5TAlPnCwCZIhwglj1vV_QjanP7MYXYDeBTwKh1z8WMrmBOGHxheJRYm9dadd5T6_rrxwsX1h-pyMPAF27kEOs08hxlvAnCy9QRX2Z0HNXAIX04wcR4lFtKMhzitr7TW/s320/293708582_431927895473126_1246171861898188938_n.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nz-gZkct1uENFTEglY5cYLiJqYXduyb8nPWhufxUMX1ez79JyzBF22obY05XNljwU6sVusmU3S7_-npbWexbasKrxYlLbSIx9NdAOZm_MniLqUqwTz8OLV8k5b8JMD-VGhUyVyHiZUd4ZfMIESMbiTDsGA4LjiFvm79xslhV99V3m3JqW4NvZUNJ/s1096/292962134_352397387065406_5617675142684751918_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1096" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nz-gZkct1uENFTEglY5cYLiJqYXduyb8nPWhufxUMX1ez79JyzBF22obY05XNljwU6sVusmU3S7_-npbWexbasKrxYlLbSIx9NdAOZm_MniLqUqwTz8OLV8k5b8JMD-VGhUyVyHiZUd4ZfMIESMbiTDsGA4LjiFvm79xslhV99V3m3JqW4NvZUNJ/s320/292962134_352397387065406_5617675142684751918_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAsmzTUmBroSTfkt85GK3kP91-gY1LRw-E3LeuSZHcfZBqzNYnCX44AlJVa1zlDLlPOCrPPv0GMJcewlmID0b2V5BgbmuUIDty1nuyVWhfjO4J6dkt3Ms3Vy4JGyyS2CFZm_xFOCQWZojwiNpcTU4GQRa7nDNReI8pQPXt00TEezu702I50Nqmu_b/s721/281346439_370269488470977_6914625997054370117_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAsmzTUmBroSTfkt85GK3kP91-gY1LRw-E3LeuSZHcfZBqzNYnCX44AlJVa1zlDLlPOCrPPv0GMJcewlmID0b2V5BgbmuUIDty1nuyVWhfjO4J6dkt3Ms3Vy4JGyyS2CFZm_xFOCQWZojwiNpcTU4GQRa7nDNReI8pQPXt00TEezu702I50Nqmu_b/s320/281346439_370269488470977_6914625997054370117_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-43445871745434626542023-01-16T04:50:00.000-05:002023-01-16T04:50:00.209-05:00WALL OF TEXT: UFOs<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: UFOs. When I was a kid, we watched UFO specials. This was before History Channel made them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc3vt1Gqrn4">its thing</a>. The biggest appeal of such shows was the mystery. Whatever could this be? There’s no way to tell because we can’t get a more detailed look, but what if????? Today, cell phones have multi-megapixel cameras and video recorders, and yet nobody has managed to take any video of UFOs that is not grainy or far away. Half the planet has a recording device and camera in their pocket, and yet no definitive videos or photos of alien spacecraft. If aliens were real, we should have caught them on camera by now. No ambiguity. No interpretation. No excuses. I think this is largely why I have stopped watching such shows. There is no mystery anymore. No question. We know <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9w-i5oZqaQ">it’s all bullshit</a>. When knowledge replaces mystery, there is no TV series, or movie, or even religion. Entertainment itself feeds off ignorance, so if you’re wondering why that TV show you liked way back when no longer holds up, it’s because you are smarter than that now. What would happen if we truly were informed? Would entertainment even exist?</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrYSLhaOCgHIDpJ0br8_T2zDVHK38im1mPiKYhKG6DpumrWRsU6-aq6O5PxxXt6asyclvtODPecB9nngjl_Dp1W8cpZ0jhlfOmYWErEz1KfEtMTPljQiOH1Hb-7bP4RYjVhGUd5eMUsg4TILC2Iw1VezSarbCVgYvD0z8mCe5y3N2N9AambPH84pl/s461/9190172.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="461" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrYSLhaOCgHIDpJ0br8_T2zDVHK38im1mPiKYhKG6DpumrWRsU6-aq6O5PxxXt6asyclvtODPecB9nngjl_Dp1W8cpZ0jhlfOmYWErEz1KfEtMTPljQiOH1Hb-7bP4RYjVhGUd5eMUsg4TILC2Iw1VezSarbCVgYvD0z8mCe5y3N2N9AambPH84pl/s320/9190172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-92138566332812201262023-01-11T15:56:00.000-05:002023-01-11T15:56:26.675-05:00WALL OF TEXT: CONSUMER DEMAND<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: CONSUMER DEMAND. I once believed that if I refused to use the self-checkouts, companies wouldn’t replace cashiers with machines. I now know corporations don’t respond to consumer demand. They respond to profit motive. No matter what we do, they will cut jobs and replace us with machines because that’s what it takes to make more profit. We still have this mindset that companies are merely responding to whatever consumers want, so if we want cleaner air and safer products, it’s the consumer’s fault for forcing corporations to behave this way. It’s one of the main lessons I remember from Captain Planet. Over and over that series taught kids that it’s our responsibility to change our individual behavior, which will force corporations to behave better. Cleaning up the planet is the responsibility of the individual, not the corporation. But consumers never demanded Coca-Cola switch from glass bottles to plastic, or for Folgers to switch from metal coffee cans to plastic, so how is plastic pollution the responsibility of the consumer? Consumers never demanded soda companies switch from sugar to corn syrup either, but it still happened in the US, which implies things work the other way around: consumers respond to corporate demands. We have all been indoctrinated to believe that it’s up to individuals to make choices, but this has never been how change happens. The actions of an individual person only affect that one person, but the actions of a corporation affect millions. This indoctrination keeps us feeling powerless, as if there is nothing that can be done, and it is not a balanced fight. Captain Planet lied to us. So did High School. Individuals making choices are not destroying the planet and perpetuating labor abuses. We, as a society, are not the cause of any of the problems we are dealing with. Corporate interests are the cause. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can fight for real change.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8noQhJLr7ZNiZSG-APbtyCzim4NC6iRU40Zgivtm5pfP_-BwtXyflcUVf1Gg7epeballqf7h3lHHxaBzfL0qIkWMuoR-6tlP54QIg4XKDIqARvQ14sNVvR3FdGoWT71Bf-t8L_Rt-SeuJq7PvI6SoxOp4VIog9qZPIpuExLzY9r3Atu5Nkmpey_D/s1170/FmIpZE-XoAACpdT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1170" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8noQhJLr7ZNiZSG-APbtyCzim4NC6iRU40Zgivtm5pfP_-BwtXyflcUVf1Gg7epeballqf7h3lHHxaBzfL0qIkWMuoR-6tlP54QIg4XKDIqARvQ14sNVvR3FdGoWT71Bf-t8L_Rt-SeuJq7PvI6SoxOp4VIog9qZPIpuExLzY9r3Atu5Nkmpey_D/s320/FmIpZE-XoAACpdT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqlMj_2wB_KaJIxtGpXt1hC1FiYMVGRgna77wE9TLhSEzuPIJJ5ccVr3ZurTsIs6Ljm1L3LqYIAb3joZrzdKL1KFkF4dmCNlYuN5iXMJ6TR-FVI3l_fGJ6wUFgyd1O8eF61lZwSgPlo6KuN1SwiTMGm3tMSdDzg6bU3XYbmoKhm9CshVnRktMpFnr/s1350/288565363_750171476341431_7604871527952558644_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqlMj_2wB_KaJIxtGpXt1hC1FiYMVGRgna77wE9TLhSEzuPIJJ5ccVr3ZurTsIs6Ljm1L3LqYIAb3joZrzdKL1KFkF4dmCNlYuN5iXMJ6TR-FVI3l_fGJ6wUFgyd1O8eF61lZwSgPlo6KuN1SwiTMGm3tMSdDzg6bU3XYbmoKhm9CshVnRktMpFnr/s320/288565363_750171476341431_7604871527952558644_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fV0Df3ytZJKDv8Y-Flr7PBhheZaJidmONoxQoYF4qlPE3H1c01GvdS8OsdDBYLVCQgpEYOMgLV-nuZlysfyN4HmIpnOHwuX3dGoqx258xno7_EV00GidjFKnrU47q2xwh2snyDPCTKSBGdObO7zfxccCJsZDi6qgxPyzEe_7lD7Kia3QP7eDwPDX/s860/FWClC_dUAAA05V1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="719" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fV0Df3ytZJKDv8Y-Flr7PBhheZaJidmONoxQoYF4qlPE3H1c01GvdS8OsdDBYLVCQgpEYOMgLV-nuZlysfyN4HmIpnOHwuX3dGoqx258xno7_EV00GidjFKnrU47q2xwh2snyDPCTKSBGdObO7zfxccCJsZDi6qgxPyzEe_7lD7Kia3QP7eDwPDX/s320/FWClC_dUAAA05V1.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-67154218170921581522022-12-09T14:30:00.002-05:002022-12-09T17:36:28.399-05:00Scorn<p> </p><p>Every now and then I play a game or watch a movie or experience something that rattles me to the core, and I must share it!</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/imuJeL51A0E" width="320" youtube-src-id="imuJeL51A0E"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scorn-game.com/">Scorn</a></h2><p><br /></p><p>Oh my God what a grotesquely beautiful game. A visceral work of art. Horrific and deeply disturbing. I finished it without consulting a walkthrough. All of the puzzles are perfectly logical. The combat is deliberately awkward; you collect weapons, but you never feel powerful wielding one. This helps preserve a sense of dread as you plod down blood-stained corridors filled with flesh, and the monstrosities that feed on it. This is a deeply disturbing experience that feels profound by the end. There may or may not be a story going on here, though I do spy something symbolic in the imagery. You do progress from a realm of twisted flesh to an even weirder place that seems like heaven compared to the one you just escaped but is somehow even more grotesque. The finale leaves me heartbroken. I’d gladly recommend this to anyone who can find beauty in the bizarre. The less said the better.</p><p><br />[<a href="https://steamcommunity.com/id/tagenar/recommended/698670/">Supplementary</a>, no spoilers because there’s nothing to spoil. You must experience Scorn to appreciate it:</p><p><br />I can understand the critiques. In terms of gameplay, Scorn doesn’t have much to offer. What puzzles there are have been done before, and they are not very clever. Still, they are tied to their environment for the most part, and there aren’t so many of them they become intrusive or contrived just to delay the player. They function as welcome breaths of fresh air from the grotesque exploration and combat.</p><p><br />Combat works very well. Some reviewers have called it clunky, but it’s not. It’s designed not to make you feel powerful while holding a weapon. Even while armed, the game ensures you feel vulnerable while exploring the monster-filled corridors made of metal and flesh. I felt genuine dread turning every corner until the very end of this game, and that’s a good accomplishment.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6ELxpGKi8JnKiyuzojqTbWCFydfV7SWIiPANgu8TlsvQEye4uOPTlzlqa0eDJ-JqhA8V9O9SKlfx7VdXBiVJNIiJ5nQ0MFP1jCTskr_RL0gB2OuiYuGAxGIT1qRwli3FDucg6CV6KQqwfcKgnE_DYEEAWOdepftlzKxNZCkzO9y3kpMkfjvXLb91/s1024/Scorn_Baby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6ELxpGKi8JnKiyuzojqTbWCFydfV7SWIiPANgu8TlsvQEye4uOPTlzlqa0eDJ-JqhA8V9O9SKlfx7VdXBiVJNIiJ5nQ0MFP1jCTskr_RL0gB2OuiYuGAxGIT1qRwli3FDucg6CV6KQqwfcKgnE_DYEEAWOdepftlzKxNZCkzO9y3kpMkfjvXLb91/w400-h225/Scorn_Baby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><br />Scorn is neither a puzzle adventure game nor an FPS. I think it strikes a nice balance between them. It combines the best elements of the adventure game (an immersive world to explore) with the best of a survival horror FPS (required combat to advance to the next checkpoint). It could have been a mere walking simulator, but the combat and puzzles keep the player engaged in the absence of a liner story.</p><p><br />I do wish the game had done better at establishing objectives, as it sometimes feels like you solve puzzles without any idea why, only to find out afterward that doing so unlocked a door at the end of the hall which you have not seen until it is unlocked.</p><p><br />It’s a small gripe though, as the experience is so immersive. As others have noted, the surreal, grotesque environment is the main draw, and while many will find the lack of a cohesive narrative annoying, I think that’s part of the experience. This is a living nightmare grounded just enough in reality to make sense within the context of itself. Normally I get frustrated when the narrative is obscure, but for Scorn, there are enough clues for it to add up well enough to make the ending unforgettable.</p><p><br />And that final area... I adore how it feels like heaven compared to what you just spent 6 hours escaping from, and yet it’s even more grotesque and horrifying. I couldn’t stop looking at it. Everything in the game is a gorgeous work of art, from the monsters to the murals to the animation, and the whole point is to live in it. To let it become your reality. Scorn is a perfect candidate for a VR game.</p><p><br /><a href="https://www.gog.com/game/scorn">Scorn </a>is a moving experience that straddles the line between adventure game and survival horror FPS. I enjoyed every minute of it, including the breathtaking ending.] <br /><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-32553347399745458862022-11-16T15:49:00.003-05:002022-12-04T19:12:16.431-05:00Sorry, Mom, but I Didn't Love You (preview)<p> </p><p> </p><p> I have been searching for a home for this story since 2014. Fifteen rejections later, it finally has one.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: #cc0000;">This story is grotesque. It contains body horror and unconditional love. Enjoy.</span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD8JSPAva8ENZlv7GMhRbhL8CM7o_LbYg79cYXl5s4pxzJkOxvy__zdyF4h1uTWWcxzjg6bxcNicuj-7JQRXqj9dRUpNmAxaoet3uhWBFVzw_16kQOWgCYACSGdwIceNDQi2hgFUCED9Fk7NgfICmWH38Vb7cqcm5GY-To4NTjdDeswr98eqWk_Uu/s1200/315017573_188786257011177_1174787203382846663_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD8JSPAva8ENZlv7GMhRbhL8CM7o_LbYg79cYXl5s4pxzJkOxvy__zdyF4h1uTWWcxzjg6bxcNicuj-7JQRXqj9dRUpNmAxaoet3uhWBFVzw_16kQOWgCYACSGdwIceNDQi2hgFUCED9Fk7NgfICmWH38Vb7cqcm5GY-To4NTjdDeswr98eqWk_Uu/w400-h209/315017573_188786257011177_1174787203382846663_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">Sorry, Mom, but I Didn't Love You</h2><h3 style="text-align: center;">(preview)<br /></h3><p> </p><p>I’m standing in my personal gymnasium looking at myself in the wall mirror. I don’t see my reflection. I don’t see myself. All I can see is her. All I can remember is her.<br /><br />In the year 2001, my mother’s spine began growing out her ear. I noticed it one morning while she was getting ready for work.<br /><br />“Mom, what’s that?” I asked and pointed at the small vertebrae poking out of her ear canal.<br /><br />She smiled at me and said, “It’s my spine, son.”<br /><br />Now I was only seven at the time, so I was still a kid, but I was beginning to develop the ability to question what I was told. Somehow I had this feeling that it wasn’t just something to smile about.<br /><br />“Is it supposed to do that?”<br /><br />“To do what?” she asked. When I didn’t say anything, she told me goodbye, gathered her purse and walked out the door.<br /><br />For the next week or two, whenever mom came near me I hid from her. When she looked at me, I hid around the corner. When she touched me, I pulled away and ran to my room. She talked with me numerous times, but her explanations never shed any more light on it. She would ask what was bothering me. Every time I would say, “Why is your spine doing that?”<br /><br />Mom would say things like:<br /><br />“It’s okay, son. It’s just my spine.”<br /><br />“It’s part of my body, like my nose.”<br /><br /><br /><i>...read the rest of this timeless tale of unconditional love in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63343110-the-best-of-bizarro">The Best of Bizarro Fiction vol 1</a>, from <a href="https://www.planetbizarro.com/">Planet Bizarro Press</a>.</i></p><p> </p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-9105605693444634432022-11-01T16:58:00.002-04:002022-11-17T22:09:45.131-05:00WALL OF TEXT: TWITTER AND ELON<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: TWITTER AND ELON. Elon Musk bought twitter, and the first thing he did was fire all the managers. He is trying to monetize the site, and of course he is—he must pay for the purchase somehow. He risks <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/04/mass-sackings-monetisation-elon-musk-twitter-changing">pissing off the userbase</a>. I’ll laugh my ass off if this genius self-made entrepreneur who got a major boost from family wealth and government tax breaks crashes one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. He has clearly not read Machiavelli. He wrote that when you acquire a new territory, the first thing you do is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/27/tech/elon-musk-twitter">CHANGE NOTHING</a>, lest you piss off the subjects and risk an outright revolt. Things could go one of two ways: either the centralization/consolidation of the internet will continue and some other social media site will take Twitter’s place, or the internet will splinter into individual websites again. My money is on centralization, as it is the default state of <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2021/01/seek-original-capital-by-karl-marx.html">Capitalism</a>. What’s happening with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/17/23465274/hundreds-of-twitter-employees-resign-from-elon-musk-hardcore-deadline">Elon Musk and Twitter</a> is emblematic of the economy as a whole and shows the reason prices are rising: Company A buys Company B, forming Company AB. Now Company AB must <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn2yasEmk8o">raise prices or cut services in order to pay for the purchase</a> (see <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7889220/">Dirty Money</a> on Netflix), whether made through debt or not, so something uncomfortable must change as a result. Multiply this tenfold as companies swallow one another over and over, and you get the modern economy. We’ve seen it happen with multiple platforms and services (Skype is just one example). It’s only a matter of time before there is only one service left and there are no other options. Capitalism’s tendency toward consolidation will bring about the 1984-style hellscape of mass shortages as the rich take more and more to elevate themselves above the masses while the poor continue to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5048980261">work for whatever scraps are leftover</a>. Big Government need not be the cause. It’s happening right now without one. If we want things to get better, we must enforce the antitrust laws. We must remember what happens when companies merge without limit, and we must realize what happens when our platforms are owned by individuals with <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-amplifies-baseless-conspiracy-140809048.html">an agenda</a>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN0YmqSSqXlafccJzF8iZyE_sQHAca_Db1grVwEcCl-qPz6V5Yfw05g94WX7gcESre2Y-hKv3r9Tie9HAzLlXrApbHw5Q1lDKTbLRhHlMn5eoZIKbxsiAlb4wEPIU7jhFqOEJgxG0Ti8biaKEE4g7lyss370iRk507t69QLTA7zHRgzudToG73VBT/s1680/FgfXrirWAAAv96r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="1680" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN0YmqSSqXlafccJzF8iZyE_sQHAca_Db1grVwEcCl-qPz6V5Yfw05g94WX7gcESre2Y-hKv3r9Tie9HAzLlXrApbHw5Q1lDKTbLRhHlMn5eoZIKbxsiAlb4wEPIU7jhFqOEJgxG0Ti8biaKEE4g7lyss370iRk507t69QLTA7zHRgzudToG73VBT/s320/FgfXrirWAAAv96r.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZE7CqmXp4dcCVy9dg8PynQyz7R2K3vEKgiS47PmbBtjjk3QubewiS1EETPyLIUPixWFH-zx4JBhN6WVTtHwq1Ga7_KKGhadzEQJpotDkMORGhdWO4lefpIPKmp_TbZzjjznBPiJ6qFXIWKlswsmkO9QGoTi-bfpaQsg_FSkNr4u6qikdJptPAh_a/s960/311818533_497313495748279_6613181880498483787_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZE7CqmXp4dcCVy9dg8PynQyz7R2K3vEKgiS47PmbBtjjk3QubewiS1EETPyLIUPixWFH-zx4JBhN6WVTtHwq1Ga7_KKGhadzEQJpotDkMORGhdWO4lefpIPKmp_TbZzjjznBPiJ6qFXIWKlswsmkO9QGoTi-bfpaQsg_FSkNr4u6qikdJptPAh_a/s320/311818533_497313495748279_6613181880498483787_n.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLXxAEMRaOn1Aropic-5FSNsXsKxY6XMqbYZQR-Gs_CIygtyVr9-D6s90M3oTRUYkwNCH6mSEkBkmhJtrf2aQNlnqVE6XmDoW6m9ja4QVUI17lJ3C_0XARVyuBRgmnuYtmeF7ojVAf7YWWmJL61aKNa_eW14S2-mt_VSGAceVtzJ0H5b5citw8YOr/s1080/FgeZwfdXkAUNigk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1080" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLXxAEMRaOn1Aropic-5FSNsXsKxY6XMqbYZQR-Gs_CIygtyVr9-D6s90M3oTRUYkwNCH6mSEkBkmhJtrf2aQNlnqVE6XmDoW6m9ja4QVUI17lJ3C_0XARVyuBRgmnuYtmeF7ojVAf7YWWmJL61aKNa_eW14S2-mt_VSGAceVtzJ0H5b5citw8YOr/s320/FgeZwfdXkAUNigk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /> <p></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-54089007672670194842022-10-18T15:31:00.000-04:002022-10-18T15:31:11.414-04:00WALL OF TEXT: WALKOUT<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: WALKOUT. My roommate participated in a labor movement last week. Temps at a warehouse managed to scare management when they threatened to take away one of their breaks and only offer 1 dollar extra per hour for holiday season premium (last year they offered $4). The temps (most of whom are Hispanic) organized a walk-out and working at a reduced pace in protest. Managers held an emergency meeting and then agreed not to take away one of their breaks and offer 2 dollars an hour holiday premium (and thank you for your feedback your voice was heard). A small concession, but that came from just a tiny bit of pushback. Imagine if the temps could unionize, how much better they would be able to resist such squeezing. I remember when Hostess was going through bankruptcy. One of my bosses shook his head at the news and said unions are holding us back. No mention that the managers of that company deliberately ran it into the ground to push it into bankruptcy so they could sell it for a profit. New management cut staff and pay while taking huge bonuses for themselves. That has always been the point. We have forgotten how we used to <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2022/07/wall-of-text-40-hours.html">fight back</a> against companies cutting wages and pushing more work onto fewer people, forcing workers to do the same job for less pay. We used to understand companies do this not because the company is in trouble and everyone must pull together for the greater good, but because shareholders demand more stock value and executives want more money, and the only way to make that happen is to squeeze the workforce one way or another. By all means fight back against such practices. While we are at it, we should update our stereotypes about Hispanic-Americans. Instead of: <i>those damn Mexicans are stealing our jobs</i>, it should be: <i>don’t mess with Mexicans they know when they are being exploited and will stop working if you dare make them do the same job for less pay</i>. My roommate followed their lead. Americans in general should, too. If temp workers at a warehouse can get a concession with just a little bit of resistance, that should alert us to just how terrified management is of employees, and how easy it is to put a stop to such abusive practices. Anything is possible when we know what we are fighting for.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy8olL9ZP9V3KM-vPx3xH4e3fVSWP5oXV8yGfBuuqmnO2hTgCwGNHP3IBsKIVrjmEZ2DyKYlDZevzqgspb8SlPNvS6d2u4UEZi-yhkbCJIXiRdkhv3z2S-gBZo5fIm-etd5zy6SwmBGsoGAPPq9pcgVU-ICjqZPEbUfqqLNa0HcdwRKkV6GZqdUhc/s2560/photo_2022-05-23_13-51-05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEy8olL9ZP9V3KM-vPx3xH4e3fVSWP5oXV8yGfBuuqmnO2hTgCwGNHP3IBsKIVrjmEZ2DyKYlDZevzqgspb8SlPNvS6d2u4UEZi-yhkbCJIXiRdkhv3z2S-gBZo5fIm-etd5zy6SwmBGsoGAPPq9pcgVU-ICjqZPEbUfqqLNa0HcdwRKkV6GZqdUhc/s320/photo_2022-05-23_13-51-05.jpg" width="113" /> </a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="898" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYskT3umIe3YHXKQOSYPFjlkbPINluCKhLA2TovWUZNOPpyMr8f2io19HJwYxYpwqTYn_RNM1gRMZrAb-MHcZwl8UUSr_j4rLsz1On43C3H--p6rcgJ10DJ2-wygwBQScM1BFfEgAUwbg6g6rqH05cZLcoJXHJilNIIAAVJkvyDKzy4sHwund0HS_v/s320/Screenshot%202022-07-27%20at%2020-14-16%20Alan%20MacLeod%20on%20Twitter.png" width="294" /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbk3i1hY1jTZ8k0ejylpNZ_IHDvHwSl4Yplhz1k4zTqTUca9WCMiMAMXEtEbJrfw5VwqBO6jYJp-3mvgrN83ICjAYAaz8C70fJe5M21vefraT0wMGJMxqqbPG3BShgbg9eccgbfP7YD2swWLviQASKvxffInXrEGdBOYnhOGaa8jR434Xf8GgIM4Y/s320/FZ5ccZFWQAEZq_6.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEGAnjRmQpI3XRGMm9bYvQGofeMurtJwJmhYM_66qciAOKdA-Ie5BodzG-Eq65ge1uA1xpgyHQJJJkfK-aSRYzR9IDKDdGC6aYQ-yKj78q3Q0wigRwQew2IW8-FixbMdqFqAfeJALLPwe2YnHQmDzr8qZpkx4hnQQt0MZ6Dfil5Jp0INXg_LdIhlq/s960/FVhq5unXEAAhu6d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEGAnjRmQpI3XRGMm9bYvQGofeMurtJwJmhYM_66qciAOKdA-Ie5BodzG-Eq65ge1uA1xpgyHQJJJkfK-aSRYzR9IDKDdGC6aYQ-yKj78q3Q0wigRwQew2IW8-FixbMdqFqAfeJALLPwe2YnHQmDzr8qZpkx4hnQQt0MZ6Dfil5Jp0INXg_LdIhlq/s320/FVhq5unXEAAhu6d.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfy0FVytDQdRKHfmx7zHrtaDAyRnQFCn0pOhlul9D9m-bBMG7waX_bWyo4MMzWua58fq3qpQHFgIxWckBMwW_BG4k0QGGk0jZvTO9gQi-UFAzh98fVZL4g_YyoSkZE2FUBamLptrR1m5nH10rw6bdkxp-dtIsbdqWEFANz6TyUjBnFJJO2khLnuv4A/s1603/293708582_431927895473126_1246171861898188938_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1603" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfy0FVytDQdRKHfmx7zHrtaDAyRnQFCn0pOhlul9D9m-bBMG7waX_bWyo4MMzWua58fq3qpQHFgIxWckBMwW_BG4k0QGGk0jZvTO9gQi-UFAzh98fVZL4g_YyoSkZE2FUBamLptrR1m5nH10rw6bdkxp-dtIsbdqWEFANz6TyUjBnFJJO2khLnuv4A/s320/293708582_431927895473126_1246171861898188938_n.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><p></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-59895402823076147362022-08-02T17:20:00.006-04:002023-02-03T17:22:28.355-05:00WALL OF TEXT: TRAINING AI<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: TRAINING AI: My <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/p/inertial-anomalies.html">futuristic sci-fi dystopia</a>, in which movies, music, artwork, etc., become automated and corporations have copyrighted every iteration of every idea, is becoming obsolete already just a year after publication. Thanks, DALL-E. This isn't a game. This isn't fun. This isn't some cool meme website. We are teaching an Artificial Intelligence what is acceptable given a certain text prompt, and what is not. We are teaching it how to replace artists and graphic designers. It's only a matter of time before this tool matures enough to put all of those people out of work, and then what? A little while ago we figured out we were teaching Facebook's algorithm how to recognize us. Was meant to be a meme website, oh look at this cool thing. These things are being presented to us as fun diversions, but I'm not being paranoid when I declare we are teaching algorithms how to replace us. We are teaching them what we like, what resonates with us, what works, what doesn't. Every time you click share, you are telling an algorithm yes, this is correct. I don't think anyone anticipated that we would teach computers how to replace us. In theory this could lead to a sci-fi utopia in which work is obsolete and thus no one can profit and war and money become things of the past and yay socialist paradise. So far, all I can envision is corporations owning all of this and <a href="https://youtu.be/tjSxFAGP9Ss">making artists and writers and filmmakers obsolete</a>, forcing all of us to compete for the few remaining tasks because the only reason to force people to work for a living is to separate us into haves and have-nots. Everything will one day become computer-generated, and we won't recognize it as such. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-image-generators-artists-copying-style-thousands-images-2022-10">People won't be needed to create things</a>, and yet we will still be expected to <a href="https://kotaku.com/netflix-ai-anime-wit-studio-dog-and-boy-spy-family-1850062043">earn a living</a>. Please don't make me a <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/p/the-archeons-series.html">prophet in hindsight</a>. Resist the <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjkyxp/whats-the-deal-with-nothing-forever-a-21st-century-seinfeld-that-is-ai-generated">direction</a> technology is going. Don't engage in teaching AI.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRIDMLt1EAJgpT8Th4u1VU8GrSwWHhSkhx_MWpcsxdPPMF16CxHl76wlKg1xcInyA9mIhXR7WSbY0mrPmNO0rw2Aq-bj6SVFrQ13DG7GLbPlxsfuS5NdbifsjQWlZrrPs9pkSNFdCnDftMPbpjSyZgNzh1T6XAeSGA_WgUJNdM1iPxYsTzueMc-BP/s1727/5_Book6_ebook_Interior.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1727" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRIDMLt1EAJgpT8Th4u1VU8GrSwWHhSkhx_MWpcsxdPPMF16CxHl76wlKg1xcInyA9mIhXR7WSbY0mrPmNO0rw2Aq-bj6SVFrQ13DG7GLbPlxsfuS5NdbifsjQWlZrrPs9pkSNFdCnDftMPbpjSyZgNzh1T6XAeSGA_WgUJNdM1iPxYsTzueMc-BP/s320/5_Book6_ebook_Interior.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiLqHvpHSIVglV6J2UbNMovBzzkN6_Z_-8kQj448T_eT2lpQio2QscDg0avAeD_9NMslEufMdnLQHzO_s8_McG71ucOqmLALWyMgoXcEQtH2KG-wUJP-rab_mXeMv9j1zkIQ-JGwIzjOV0LhcFPgv8pYaMOVqnjQ-lOnEBWvhongcMN2p-w_-Z6Y4/s900/FjWKlDQXgAUCbaG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="851" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiLqHvpHSIVglV6J2UbNMovBzzkN6_Z_-8kQj448T_eT2lpQio2QscDg0avAeD_9NMslEufMdnLQHzO_s8_McG71ucOqmLALWyMgoXcEQtH2KG-wUJP-rab_mXeMv9j1zkIQ-JGwIzjOV0LhcFPgv8pYaMOVqnjQ-lOnEBWvhongcMN2p-w_-Z6Y4/s320/FjWKlDQXgAUCbaG.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tjSxFAGP9Ss" width="320" youtube-src-id="tjSxFAGP9Ss"></iframe></div><br />James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-75049680431420348202022-07-26T17:09:00.002-04:002022-10-18T16:34:47.753-04:00WALL OF TEXT: 40 HOURS<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: 40 HOURS. A relative of mine had a sudden bacterial infection in his lung last time he was in the ER. Doctor put him on meds for COPD, and they have helped tremendously, but he still had to get a doctor’s note so his warehouse (unsure which) would let him switch to the light duty area. That means he can work a max of 40 hours a week, eight hours a day, five days a week. That’s light, and he needed a doctor’s note to be put on that. For everyone else, it’s mandatory overtime. He remarked that we can’t keep people and nobody wants to work anymore. Once upon a time, 40 hours a week maximum was <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2022/10/wall-of-text-walkout.html">so normal</a> one didn’t need a doctor’s note to get it, so why are you bashing the next generation for going somewhere else that doesn’t require overtime? Maybe some of us don’t want to work for poverty wages every waking moment of our lives until we die? Is that the definition of “kids these days just don’t wanna work?” This is where we are as a country. We have forgotten the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2014/10/seek-original-there-will-be-blood.html">labor struggles</a> of the past. We are used to the idea of overtime and having no life outside of work as a virtue. This is indoctrination. What about this "Great Resignation?" I haven't seen it, and neither has anyone else I know. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wrong-great-resignation-recession-means-workers-powerless-despite-labor-shortage-2022-7">https://www.businessinsider.com/wrong-great-resignation-recession-means-workers-powerless-despite-labor-shortage-2022-7</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfw2_qi2A2yOp_q3WkaVTLS3_UIWe1_e_AIjHoEDQOefZWnphleRn_6UqkbbwyGM3WWrhnmiNv6UOGVY_VHgAkJpA7q-FKiJChYolm4wlrcjk2afRHYo-sjEdfa6fSoAm94-Z-bLvNXZbIoYUzoBv4A4BbMgGb1-_ZYLxlyC-Dp4JaPXUAUfxtk09/s960/292868196_738344047137006_2056333409611897320_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="960" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfw2_qi2A2yOp_q3WkaVTLS3_UIWe1_e_AIjHoEDQOefZWnphleRn_6UqkbbwyGM3WWrhnmiNv6UOGVY_VHgAkJpA7q-FKiJChYolm4wlrcjk2afRHYo-sjEdfa6fSoAm94-Z-bLvNXZbIoYUzoBv4A4BbMgGb1-_ZYLxlyC-Dp4JaPXUAUfxtk09/s320/292868196_738344047137006_2056333409611897320_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D-jWYj4YjRNtRCnpbKru-3707vphUNAOkXWtTuhyjVgt4CgEjFYGbGwExJP_JhCu8Mk7BwRilpvIi7HWEb7G1RZ-8uyY9jXCtkCjlAlel2t4QdjS0nuOibznzxfDgHfVpdmnzGSNMRbAgntPtnuHrC5pgXYRkje3KXuVk2GAIBiaReXPZJ4vHFJd/s863/295014783_5390622847650926_6923907893522192251_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D-jWYj4YjRNtRCnpbKru-3707vphUNAOkXWtTuhyjVgt4CgEjFYGbGwExJP_JhCu8Mk7BwRilpvIi7HWEb7G1RZ-8uyY9jXCtkCjlAlel2t4QdjS0nuOibznzxfDgHfVpdmnzGSNMRbAgntPtnuHrC5pgXYRkje3KXuVk2GAIBiaReXPZJ4vHFJd/s320/295014783_5390622847650926_6923907893522192251_n.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh3GAavrqqvY-DNfPu-tRXxuTpRaxIMlypnFdgL85LMNr0ndC8ol2C9z1EWeiO2eGVjEeVo4LDpHS_iVPM_mnfq80_2EuYOFcRxZCLImfkRdBP_HThw7VPXS8TgeyVW8qkwDwajtk131PWhq_jKlAmrSAh0FQSE5NUwYKCir0WlKJT4OShUXdQoHA/s807/293812411_413514774145715_4817412120165383922_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh3GAavrqqvY-DNfPu-tRXxuTpRaxIMlypnFdgL85LMNr0ndC8ol2C9z1EWeiO2eGVjEeVo4LDpHS_iVPM_mnfq80_2EuYOFcRxZCLImfkRdBP_HThw7VPXS8TgeyVW8qkwDwajtk131PWhq_jKlAmrSAh0FQSE5NUwYKCir0WlKJT4OShUXdQoHA/s320/293812411_413514774145715_4817412120165383922_n.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7256048956473811033.post-51660285998834100872022-06-25T17:35:00.005-04:002022-10-28T18:31:24.669-04:00WALL OF TEXT: Roe v Wade<p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">WALL OF TEXT: Roe v Wade officially overturned. We saw this coming decades ago. Even scarier is that gay marriage is next, and anything to do with the trans community is also in the cross-hairs. If it wasn’t clear before, it should be clear that Americans have no rights. We have always been at the mercy of Supreme Court interpretation. So-called “free speech” could easily be reinterpreted, and suddenly your protest is illegal. Freedom of Religion could easily be reinterpreted to rule out yours (are you Presbyterian? Not faithful enough. Are you Catholic? Not Christian enough). The basis for this ruling is that the Supreme Court had no right to make such a ruling about abortion in the first place and the choice should be left up to the states, but that argument could apply to ANYTHING! What right does the Federal Government have to determine how a state chooses to handle its Black population, or its Latino population, or its bisexual population?—thus repeal all Federal laws and let states decide because the states should be able to decide anything. Funny how Conservatives want to leave such things as abortion up to the states, but when states choose to allow legalized weed, suddenly conservatives want strict Federal oversight on what States do. As white supremacists and the alt-right feel the country closing in on them, get ready for such things. It’s the only way they can protect themselves from the majority. Real change comes from the outside, not from within. I remember watching a movie in school about a Supreme Court decision (it might have been about Thurgood Marshall fighting for civil rights on behalf of African Americans, but I’m not sure <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108139/">which movie</a>) that portrayed the Supreme Court justices perpetually on the edge of moral dilemmas. One character (portraying a real-life Justice) remarks to another that this seems to be how the court works: it makes a ruling and then 40 years later reverses it. This rang true at the time I watched it, but now I think it’s clear what SCOTUS really is. The Justices on the bench are not neutral parties on the edge of moral arguments. They are tools of political parties used to shape interpretation of law, and they always have been. The justices on the bench have an objective from the start, and once elevated to a position of power, they push their ideals onto Americans. Really, the very idea of a Supreme Court whose justices serve life sentences is absurd. We may as well call them a Counsel of Elders, something Western nations laugh at “uncivilized” countries for maintaining. <b>The Constitution of the USA is like the Bible: it can be interpreted to mean anything one wants, its interpretation based on the biases and moral standards of the time and the people who want to use it for their own end.</b> That’s a generous definition—the truth is that these mechanisms of government are being actively used for one party’s political gain. It’s always the Conservative party that never hesitates to use such tactics. Unless the opposing side becomes just as radical, the <a href="https://daydreamingintext.blogspot.com/2019/07/why-left-will-always-lose.html">Left will lose</a>, and the USA may very well descend into a dictatorship that exists purely to keep the rich in power no matter the cost. The Alt-Right is trying to secure its hold on America. The racist elements of American society are clinging to power. This is the first step of many. It is not about babies. It is not about women. It’s about people in power using their position to impose their views on others. Get ready for more.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bJqytnpF_HR9tzYGb_6-xel4foiIPWPoi8F3Ul8yEjQVysj8jmGWJT7y6DE-4xAJq05bWWm38CrJjKwqTExj8w9BAa0tvU2bo8SXq6S24xVYFiEj3szscFe8XUahTdwfhpXfkTySahFeGWbm7xxJOfLBqN3k1CaE-XIvmYGR1sQmTIPgfHQ2ZJtO/s1091/281410441_368832655280594_930969771918917994_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bJqytnpF_HR9tzYGb_6-xel4foiIPWPoi8F3Ul8yEjQVysj8jmGWJT7y6DE-4xAJq05bWWm38CrJjKwqTExj8w9BAa0tvU2bo8SXq6S24xVYFiEj3szscFe8XUahTdwfhpXfkTySahFeGWbm7xxJOfLBqN3k1CaE-XIvmYGR1sQmTIPgfHQ2ZJtO/s320/281410441_368832655280594_930969771918917994_n.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXhDNkzGfzMm6IHb7zMc_e85n3EfV7c90Q8Ntx1bDobw0TmV3UTRLCws6pXdWE3bkDvGUIgGVewVubze6kAT0U5Rge0EmrRKtg4QOZ1n0Br3xPh8TLfLcIDjwC9F_kEodukJG6BQavwfliDjSaqlQ5qKahKW6x8cufttINgxdI6J36ex9ZhfoT7Ft/s1965/Screenshot%202022-06-28%20at%2008-26-53%20grower%20and%20a%20shower%20%F0%9F%87%A6%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8%20on%20Twitter.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1965" data-original-width="898" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXhDNkzGfzMm6IHb7zMc_e85n3EfV7c90Q8Ntx1bDobw0TmV3UTRLCws6pXdWE3bkDvGUIgGVewVubze6kAT0U5Rge0EmrRKtg4QOZ1n0Br3xPh8TLfLcIDjwC9F_kEodukJG6BQavwfliDjSaqlQ5qKahKW6x8cufttINgxdI6J36ex9ZhfoT7Ft/s320/Screenshot%202022-06-28%20at%2008-26-53%20grower%20and%20a%20shower%20%F0%9F%87%A6%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8%20on%20Twitter.png" width="146" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>James Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11488388557768998293noreply@blogger.com0