"I'm addicted to wikipedia. In fact, I have a wikipedic knowledge of ancient history. For instance, I know that the Assyrians conquered Jerusalem in 722ADpeanus mother I hate fuckin' nhtml>>~~inforef redbold<"peanus"> close tag."
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Come again?
The elevators here have little TV screens that display news bytes. I saw one report on it that said "30 muslims were electrocuted in Pakistan due to a faulty...something or other". Whatever the faulty thing was, it wasn't specific to Islam (faulty electric Koran? Did one of those "call to prayer" PA systems explode?). So why mention they were Muslims? Are we keeping a tally now? 30 more muslims dead, only 1 billion to go?
I had salad for lunch.
I had salad for lunch.
Sigh, etc
I'm not exactly homeless. I'm still sleeping at my place in Parkville, despite being in close proximity to Punchy McTwat, who hasn't shown his face around. I can't sleep at Mom's or Jamie's, because they have cats, and I'm a more fragile bitch than I previously thought.
So almost all of my stuff is at my parent's, with some other ephemera at Jamie's. At my home remains the computer, some clothes and the big furniture. Every time I go over to their side of town, i load the car with as much kit as I can, then store it there until such time as I have a more permanent address. It's not the worst situation one can be in, but y'know...
So let's see. Last time we were about half way through learning about the Punic Wars. when we left, a regional Sicilian battle had engaged Rome and Carthage, the Mediterranean superpowers, and now it was just down to these two. Rome had some early success by avoiding a naval war and using their superior army to control Sicily. They went too far when they attacked Carthaginian lands in North Africa, and the Carthaginians rallied to crush them, and then took the major Sicilian port of Agrigentum from Rome. They burnt it to the ground.
So things went back and forth for a long time. Carthage won an advantage when taken to sea, Rome when the battle went to land. eventually, Hamilcar Barca, the Carthaginian general, sued for peace after the Romans won a decisive naval victory at the Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241. The Carthaginians quit Sicily.
What was learned from this battle was the ineffectiveness of publicly funded fleets. Both navies were unable to maintain seaward blockades of major port cities- supply lines just went around them and travelled overland. It also taught the Romans the importance of constructing fleets, a lesson which sucked for everyone else.
An important innovation that the Romans developed was the corvus, which is a simple ship to ship bridge that would allow legionnaires to board enemy ships. Up until then, they were just ramming each other out there.
In the end, what decided the battle wasn't really technology. It was Rome's aggressiveness juxtaposed against Carthage's relative pacivity. After the war, Hanno the Great, a land owning aristocrat, gained power and demobilized the navy. They believed, naively perhaps, that having sued for peace, they could resume rebuilding their commercial influence. Roman aristocrats, on the other hand, privately invested in the war effort. The Romans were never as opposed to tyrants and armies as their Greek and Levantine counterparts turned out to be. This was an early victory for a fascist state over one that favoured free markets. Not that that's a bad thing- a fascist state isn't inherantly evil, nor is a free market state inherantly good. That may have been the case in the 20th century, when fascism got tied up with misguided notions of ethnic identity, but even in Republican times, Rome never bothered much with ideas of racial superiority.
In my opinion, fascism and free markets are neutral ideas, both of which don't work particularly well. Fascism tends to spiral into overt militarism (this was true in Rome as it was in 20th century Germany) and a fearful populace. Free markets usually open huge gaps between the rich and poor, and set the ground for revolution. Eh. Back to tribalism.
Anywho. In the aftermath, Rome induced terms that would have made the treaty of Versailles look mild. Carthage had almost no public funds. Hanno the Great-ish tried to withhold wages from the army, leading to the Mercenary War. The Punic government fought off the mercenaries, but in the course of things, lost control of Corsica and Sardinia to Rome.
A second Punic War followed the mercenary war, which I'll get in to some other time.
So almost all of my stuff is at my parent's, with some other ephemera at Jamie's. At my home remains the computer, some clothes and the big furniture. Every time I go over to their side of town, i load the car with as much kit as I can, then store it there until such time as I have a more permanent address. It's not the worst situation one can be in, but y'know...
So let's see. Last time we were about half way through learning about the Punic Wars. when we left, a regional Sicilian battle had engaged Rome and Carthage, the Mediterranean superpowers, and now it was just down to these two. Rome had some early success by avoiding a naval war and using their superior army to control Sicily. They went too far when they attacked Carthaginian lands in North Africa, and the Carthaginians rallied to crush them, and then took the major Sicilian port of Agrigentum from Rome. They burnt it to the ground.
So things went back and forth for a long time. Carthage won an advantage when taken to sea, Rome when the battle went to land. eventually, Hamilcar Barca, the Carthaginian general, sued for peace after the Romans won a decisive naval victory at the Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241. The Carthaginians quit Sicily.
What was learned from this battle was the ineffectiveness of publicly funded fleets. Both navies were unable to maintain seaward blockades of major port cities- supply lines just went around them and travelled overland. It also taught the Romans the importance of constructing fleets, a lesson which sucked for everyone else.
An important innovation that the Romans developed was the corvus, which is a simple ship to ship bridge that would allow legionnaires to board enemy ships. Up until then, they were just ramming each other out there.
In the end, what decided the battle wasn't really technology. It was Rome's aggressiveness juxtaposed against Carthage's relative pacivity. After the war, Hanno the Great, a land owning aristocrat, gained power and demobilized the navy. They believed, naively perhaps, that having sued for peace, they could resume rebuilding their commercial influence. Roman aristocrats, on the other hand, privately invested in the war effort. The Romans were never as opposed to tyrants and armies as their Greek and Levantine counterparts turned out to be. This was an early victory for a fascist state over one that favoured free markets. Not that that's a bad thing- a fascist state isn't inherantly evil, nor is a free market state inherantly good. That may have been the case in the 20th century, when fascism got tied up with misguided notions of ethnic identity, but even in Republican times, Rome never bothered much with ideas of racial superiority.
In my opinion, fascism and free markets are neutral ideas, both of which don't work particularly well. Fascism tends to spiral into overt militarism (this was true in Rome as it was in 20th century Germany) and a fearful populace. Free markets usually open huge gaps between the rich and poor, and set the ground for revolution. Eh. Back to tribalism.
Anywho. In the aftermath, Rome induced terms that would have made the treaty of Versailles look mild. Carthage had almost no public funds. Hanno the Great-ish tried to withhold wages from the army, leading to the Mercenary War. The Punic government fought off the mercenaries, but in the course of things, lost control of Corsica and Sardinia to Rome.
A second Punic War followed the mercenary war, which I'll get in to some other time.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
a brief respite from the crap in my life
Ok, so I thought I'd take a break from all my recent troubles (which I've been badly blogging about- I really need to start proof-reading). I went over to Ben and Nadia's last night, and between cooing over the baby and drinking coffee, I spent a good few hours catching up. Before long, Ben and I got into a long drawn out discussion about ancient history and civilization. I use the word "discussion" loosely, because I talked way too much. Ben is an excellent listener. and all too accomadating of my compulsion to fill the room with hot air. But I enjoyed it, if only because the Bennadia is the single loveliest entity i know of, and now they're parents.
Talking about history got me invigorated, because it's my big passion. So I decided to fill today with learning about the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage. I'm reading through some reference material on the web, and I'm gonna use this post today to summarise it in my own words. Okay?
Right so in 264 BC Rome was a republic. It was a growing power, and had mostly secured the Italian penninsula. Their enemies were the Latin League, the Samnites and Pyrrhus of Epirus.
In North Africa, Carthage was the great commercial and naval power. They weren't really much of a military force. They were involved in trade, and they were on decent terms with Rome. The feeling might have been "They do their thing, we do ours, no overlap, let's do business".
So there were no real points of disagreement between the two powers. But 24 years prior, a group of mercenaries called the Mamertines started making trouble in Sicily, which lies halfway between Italy and North Africa.
The Mamertines were Italians, and were no more brutal than other mercenary tribes, which is to say they were pretty brutal. They had been hired by Syracuse a while back to attack Carthage in a low-grade dispute, but turned on the Syracusans (who were pretty nutso themselves). The Syracusans, under Hiero II, ravaged the Mamertines, who turned back to Carthage for help. i guess the Carthaginians weren't keen to help the group that had just attacked them, but they were less keen to see Syracuse advance into areas they controlled. So the Mamertines were assisted by Carthage, who pushed Hiero II back.
All good, right? So far, nothing unusual. But then Hiero II made another push in 264. The Mamertines weren't too impressed with the Carthaginians, and decided to petition rome for assistance this time. Who knows why? well, the Romans were getting pretty rich, and maybe the Mamertines wanted to ingratiate themselves to a potential future employer.
The Roman Republic was not fond of mercenary kingdoms. They had spent most of the last few decades repelling such threats. But they also didn't want to see Carthage expanding it's influence in Sicily, which was a potential problem. Most likely Rome entered in with the Mamertines reluctantly, as a show of strength against the Carthaginians. They didn't necessarily like the Mamertines, or hate Carthage, they just needed to flex some nuts.
This was a miscalculation. Carthage, by now sick of dealing with problems in Sicily, engaged in a naval battle, allied with Heiro II. The romans landed unperturbed however, and started land operations. They marched over Sicilian ciities, and eventually took Syracuse. So now it was everyone versus the Carthaginians, who couldn't back out now, because they had to show they couldn't be dominated by Rome.
The Carthaginians jumped into the land war, and started to win some territory. The land war came face to face at Thermae. The Carthaginians, under Hamilcar, beat back the Romans. So began the war in earnest, which was now a Roman-Carthaginian battle, when it had started as a battle between local Sicilian powers.
Back and forth it went, with Hamilcar taking his momentum North, and Rome counterattacking. Meanwhile, from Rome, forces were sent to North Africa to cut off suplly lines to the Carthaginian army in Sicily. On top of that, rome captured the Sicilian port of Agrigentum.
Marcus Attilius Regulus ravaged the Carthaginian countryside, and imposed heavy terms for peace. Negotiations failed, and the Carthaginian government brought in a Spartan mercenary named Xanthippus to reorganize the army.
Xanthippus ordered a naval attack to re-establish dominance at sea, which cut off support to Regulus' army in Carthage. They were routed, and the few survicors were killed by a storm at sea. As an added bonus, the navy took control of Agrigentum, but didn't have the manpower to hold it. They burnt it down.
Further efforts were made by the Romans to capture Carthaginian cities in Sicily, and to further attack in North Africa. These efforts failed.
Talking about history got me invigorated, because it's my big passion. So I decided to fill today with learning about the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage. I'm reading through some reference material on the web, and I'm gonna use this post today to summarise it in my own words. Okay?
Right so in 264 BC Rome was a republic. It was a growing power, and had mostly secured the Italian penninsula. Their enemies were the Latin League, the Samnites and Pyrrhus of Epirus.
In North Africa, Carthage was the great commercial and naval power. They weren't really much of a military force. They were involved in trade, and they were on decent terms with Rome. The feeling might have been "They do their thing, we do ours, no overlap, let's do business".
So there were no real points of disagreement between the two powers. But 24 years prior, a group of mercenaries called the Mamertines started making trouble in Sicily, which lies halfway between Italy and North Africa.
The Mamertines were Italians, and were no more brutal than other mercenary tribes, which is to say they were pretty brutal. They had been hired by Syracuse a while back to attack Carthage in a low-grade dispute, but turned on the Syracusans (who were pretty nutso themselves). The Syracusans, under Hiero II, ravaged the Mamertines, who turned back to Carthage for help. i guess the Carthaginians weren't keen to help the group that had just attacked them, but they were less keen to see Syracuse advance into areas they controlled. So the Mamertines were assisted by Carthage, who pushed Hiero II back.
All good, right? So far, nothing unusual. But then Hiero II made another push in 264. The Mamertines weren't too impressed with the Carthaginians, and decided to petition rome for assistance this time. Who knows why? well, the Romans were getting pretty rich, and maybe the Mamertines wanted to ingratiate themselves to a potential future employer.
The Roman Republic was not fond of mercenary kingdoms. They had spent most of the last few decades repelling such threats. But they also didn't want to see Carthage expanding it's influence in Sicily, which was a potential problem. Most likely Rome entered in with the Mamertines reluctantly, as a show of strength against the Carthaginians. They didn't necessarily like the Mamertines, or hate Carthage, they just needed to flex some nuts.
This was a miscalculation. Carthage, by now sick of dealing with problems in Sicily, engaged in a naval battle, allied with Heiro II. The romans landed unperturbed however, and started land operations. They marched over Sicilian ciities, and eventually took Syracuse. So now it was everyone versus the Carthaginians, who couldn't back out now, because they had to show they couldn't be dominated by Rome.
The Carthaginians jumped into the land war, and started to win some territory. The land war came face to face at Thermae. The Carthaginians, under Hamilcar, beat back the Romans. So began the war in earnest, which was now a Roman-Carthaginian battle, when it had started as a battle between local Sicilian powers.
Back and forth it went, with Hamilcar taking his momentum North, and Rome counterattacking. Meanwhile, from Rome, forces were sent to North Africa to cut off suplly lines to the Carthaginian army in Sicily. On top of that, rome captured the Sicilian port of Agrigentum.
Marcus Attilius Regulus ravaged the Carthaginian countryside, and imposed heavy terms for peace. Negotiations failed, and the Carthaginian government brought in a Spartan mercenary named Xanthippus to reorganize the army.
Xanthippus ordered a naval attack to re-establish dominance at sea, which cut off support to Regulus' army in Carthage. They were routed, and the few survicors were killed by a storm at sea. As an added bonus, the navy took control of Agrigentum, but didn't have the manpower to hold it. They burnt it down.
Further efforts were made by the Romans to capture Carthaginian cities in Sicily, and to further attack in North Africa. These efforts failed.
Part 2
So I've broken my lease, and most of my valuables are in stow at my parents place...unfortunately, I cannot live with my folks, because there's a cat and cigarette smoke in the house, and after a few hours I can't breathe at all.
So I went to stay with my sister and her fiancee (Jamie and Ilan, who are already in my hall of fame). They've been occupying a very large house with lots of room for a while, and welcomed me warmingly. Unfortunately, they also have a cat. I figured that it wouldn't be so bad, because the house is big and they don't smoke in there. No such luck.
Around 12:30 last night, I was left unable to breathe. I had hit the puffer about 5 times, and it was having no effect. I got dressed, and headed back to Parkville.
So I got in. Everything was cleaned up, as my neighbour had promised. I still locked every door and left a baseball bat within easy access to my bed.
So right now, I'm a little bit fuxored. I have to find a place as soon as possible, and at least move my bed in. Then, over the next 27 days, I have to start moving stuff from 3 locations- Parkville, my sisters, and my parents.
I don't know why, but this is not getting me down. It's kinda exciting. It's remarkable how resourceful and focused one becomes when thrown into a quick crisis. I'm not that focused usually, so it's a pleasant change.
All the same, it kinda sucks.
So I went to stay with my sister and her fiancee (Jamie and Ilan, who are already in my hall of fame). They've been occupying a very large house with lots of room for a while, and welcomed me warmingly. Unfortunately, they also have a cat. I figured that it wouldn't be so bad, because the house is big and they don't smoke in there. No such luck.
Around 12:30 last night, I was left unable to breathe. I had hit the puffer about 5 times, and it was having no effect. I got dressed, and headed back to Parkville.
So I got in. Everything was cleaned up, as my neighbour had promised. I still locked every door and left a baseball bat within easy access to my bed.
So right now, I'm a little bit fuxored. I have to find a place as soon as possible, and at least move my bed in. Then, over the next 27 days, I have to start moving stuff from 3 locations- Parkville, my sisters, and my parents.
I don't know why, but this is not getting me down. It's kinda exciting. It's remarkable how resourceful and focused one becomes when thrown into a quick crisis. I'm not that focused usually, so it's a pleasant change.
All the same, it kinda sucks.
Fisticuffs!
SO...My life got complicated last night. I came home to find a huge mess outside my house. for the last couple of weeks, my neighbour (a rough sort who i don't get along with) has taken it upon himself to erect a massive structure outside my house, to build on his. I was angry at first, but he has a tricky habit of never answering his door, or mail, or threats from the landlord, etc. So I ignored it, even though it's ugly, creates a fire hazard, and gives anyone easy access to my windows.
Anyway...I came home last night, and it was a disaster area. rubbish and debris and plaster all over the place, even blocking the entrance to my front door. So I marched up the scaffolding, and knocked on his door. i told him this thing was illegal, causing me difficulty, and that he should take it down.
As it turns out, this was an unwise move. My neighbour is a bit of a drunk, a builder, and has a criminal record. He came down, started yelling at me, and then kicked me in the hip a couple of times. I wasn't too hurt- i was more shocked. I told him to cool his jets, and we would talk it over. He punched me 3 times in the face. Again, I was more shocked. I stood there, as he cracked me across the jaw, and my first thought was "WOW! I can really take a punch!" My second thought was "Calm the situation down. There's no-one else around, there are sharp things lying around, if you retaliate in kind, this could escalate into something gruesome". So I cooled him down, told him to relax, and we'll talk. He did. He started apologizing profusely, telling me how he had been attacked by some mates of the landlord, etc. Meanwhile, I found myself talking calmly, ameliating the situation. By the end, he had apologized, promised me he'd have it all cleaned up by today, and said he'd drop off a bottle of wine to say sorry.
Okay, so now I'm walking around my apartment, feeling my face swell, wondering what to do. Not feeling safe, because he may be paranoid, might figure I'll get him in trouble, and do something. i live in an isolated spot, and there's no-one around but me and him.
\n \nI go to the Police. Not much they can do. No witnesses, and apart from a few scratches (from his wedding ring hitting me) and a fat lip, not much evidence. Pressing charges would get nowehere, and drag us both into court. \n\n \nI go to the hospital. I'm fine. Some swelling in the jaw and a bruised hip, but fine. \n \nI grab some mates (Jake, Dave and my brother, who are all now in my hall of fame), and we pack my valuables into cars and drop them at my parents place. All my furniture is still there, and I'm not keen on going back without some backup. He's unstable, and I'm not keen on taking a risk over something like a miserable apartment. I have friends and family, I don't need further drama. \n\n \nSO I'M HOMELESS! Well, not really. But i am a bit thrown by all of this. I've had people telling me I should have fought back. I figure the best case scenario is that I knock him out. Ok, then he wakes up, gets some mates, and does who knows what to my place (and me). Worst case scenario, he puts something through my eye. I can't say either appeals to me. I like to think I handled it well. \n\n \nOpnions? Thoughts? Comments?\n \n \n\n",0]
);
//-->
I go to the Police. Not much they can do. No witnesses, and apart from a few scratches (from his wedding ring hitting me) and a fat lip, not much evidence. Pressing charges would get nowehere, and drag us both into court.
I go to the hospital. I'm fine. Some swelling in the jaw and a bruised hip, but fine.
I grab some mates (Jake, Dave and my brother, who are all now in my hall of fame), and we pack my valuables into cars and drop them at my parents place. All my furniture is still there, and I'm not keen on going back without some backup. He's unstable, and I'm not keen on taking a risk over something like a miserable apartment. I have friends and family, I don't need further drama.
SO I'M HOMELESS! Well, not really. But i am a bit thrown by all of this. I've had people telling me I should have fought back. I figure the best case scenario is that I knock him out. Ok, then he wakes up, gets some mates, and does who knows what to my place (and me). Worst case scenario, he puts something through my eye. I can't say either appeals to me. I like to think I handled it well.
Anyway...I came home last night, and it was a disaster area. rubbish and debris and plaster all over the place, even blocking the entrance to my front door. So I marched up the scaffolding, and knocked on his door. i told him this thing was illegal, causing me difficulty, and that he should take it down.
As it turns out, this was an unwise move. My neighbour is a bit of a drunk, a builder, and has a criminal record. He came down, started yelling at me, and then kicked me in the hip a couple of times. I wasn't too hurt- i was more shocked. I told him to cool his jets, and we would talk it over. He punched me 3 times in the face. Again, I was more shocked. I stood there, as he cracked me across the jaw, and my first thought was "WOW! I can really take a punch!" My second thought was "Calm the situation down. There's no-one else around, there are sharp things lying around, if you retaliate in kind, this could escalate into something gruesome". So I cooled him down, told him to relax, and we'll talk. He did. He started apologizing profusely, telling me how he had been attacked by some mates of the landlord, etc. Meanwhile, I found myself talking calmly, ameliating the situation. By the end, he had apologized, promised me he'd have it all cleaned up by today, and said he'd drop off a bottle of wine to say sorry.
Okay, so now I'm walking around my apartment, feeling my face swell, wondering what to do. Not feeling safe, because he may be paranoid, might figure I'll get him in trouble, and do something. i live in an isolated spot, and there's no-one around but me and him.
\n \nI go to the Police. Not much they can do. No witnesses, and apart from a few scratches (from his wedding ring hitting me) and a fat lip, not much evidence. Pressing charges would get nowehere, and drag us both into court. \n\n \nI go to the hospital. I'm fine. Some swelling in the jaw and a bruised hip, but fine. \n \nI grab some mates (Jake, Dave and my brother, who are all now in my hall of fame), and we pack my valuables into cars and drop them at my parents place. All my furniture is still there, and I'm not keen on going back without some backup. He's unstable, and I'm not keen on taking a risk over something like a miserable apartment. I have friends and family, I don't need further drama. \n\n \nSO I'M HOMELESS! Well, not really. But i am a bit thrown by all of this. I've had people telling me I should have fought back. I figure the best case scenario is that I knock him out. Ok, then he wakes up, gets some mates, and does who knows what to my place (and me). Worst case scenario, he puts something through my eye. I can't say either appeals to me. I like to think I handled it well. \n\n \nOpnions? Thoughts? Comments?\n \n \n\n",0]
);
//-->
I go to the Police. Not much they can do. No witnesses, and apart from a few scratches (from his wedding ring hitting me) and a fat lip, not much evidence. Pressing charges would get nowehere, and drag us both into court.
I go to the hospital. I'm fine. Some swelling in the jaw and a bruised hip, but fine.
I grab some mates (Jake, Dave and my brother, who are all now in my hall of fame), and we pack my valuables into cars and drop them at my parents place. All my furniture is still there, and I'm not keen on going back without some backup. He's unstable, and I'm not keen on taking a risk over something like a miserable apartment. I have friends and family, I don't need further drama.
SO I'M HOMELESS! Well, not really. But i am a bit thrown by all of this. I've had people telling me I should have fought back. I figure the best case scenario is that I knock him out. Ok, then he wakes up, gets some mates, and does who knows what to my place (and me). Worst case scenario, he puts something through my eye. I can't say either appeals to me. I like to think I handled it well.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Toughts and Feelings and Shit
Nudnik was found! I told my sister to relax and get back to her normal life, not sit there and wring her hands over his whereabouts. So she did. She turned on the AC and prepared for an afternoon of relaxation. The AC wasn't working, so she checked the filter under the house. And there he was, all covered in dirt and kinda hungry and scared. But alive. So I was right, and I am best.
Also, while getting towels out of her dryer, she apparently felt a slight popping sensation in her ear, and saw a little stone fall out, followed by a tiny fly. That was still alive. weird, no?
I dont know why, but every time I start a new job, I find myself re-reading some of the work of Daniel Quinn. It's not a conscious decision, it just kinda happens. When trying to justify why, I've come up with the following suggestions:
- I'm a cancer. So I tend to be very withdrawn and quiet at first, and after a while, become very outspoken and loud. But in those first few weeks, I'll crawl into my shell and read a lot.
- Usually when I start a new job, it's because I've grown fed up with call-centre work, and have decided to dull the pain by moving to another call centre. I don't know what bad circuitry in my head is responsible for calculating that conclusion, but it would explain why I head for the books of Daniel Quinn, which answers a lot of questions for the directionless.
I guess I'll attempt to explain what Quinn discusses in his books. If you wanna check them out, start with Ishmael and proceed to My Ishmael. Then read Beyond Civilization: Humanity's next great adventure. These are the essential ones- the others I find superfluous.
The fundamental rule behind Quinn's philosophy is this: There is no one right way for people to live.
Beyond that, Quinn tries to frame this innocuous looking idea in the following context.
- For 3 million years, humanity lived by that rule. We lived in ethnic tribes, each of which had a set of rules that worked for the tribe. The rules of that tribe were incompatible with other tribes. But not by design. They just were. It never would have occured to anyone to make a set of rules that were adaptable for everyone.
- In this context humanity, though more intelligent than other species, were not especially harmful. They were as harmless as sharks, tarantulas, bluebirds and caterpillars. They left the running of the world in the hands of the Gods, so for arguments sake, let's call these people Leavers.
- Around 9000 years ago, one particular tribe made a massive change. They decided to rely on agriculture as their sole means of obtaining food\
Now, this is where it gets a bit more complex. So far, nothing groundbreaking- humans lived in tribes, then they 'discovered' agriculture. This is widely known.
But actually, limited agriculture had been practiced long before that. It would have been a supplement to hunting and gathering, scavenging and foraging. It certainly wasn't desirable. Why? Because. It's fucking hard, that's why. People didn't live to work- they worked to live. And the only thing we're actually slaves to is hunger, right? so why work when not hungry?
People didn't. They hunted when they were hungry. They picked fruit from a tree...when they were hungry. No fruit today? Try some grubs. Whatever. Food is food. Absolutely no food for me? Okay. Today is the day I become food.
HA! There's the kicker. The Leavers left the decision as to who was to be food in the hands of the Gods. If it was going to be them, so be it. Oh, they'd fight for it, but they didn't try to fundamentally change the way the world works.
Agriculture DOES try to fundamentally change the way the world works.
Devoted agriculture, as a full-time pursuit, is pretty bloodthirsty and unnatural. Don't think so? Go into an unfarmed portion of the world (if you can find one) and find me an apple orchard. A field with only apple trees. Won't happen.
And it's bloodthirsty. Don't think so? Alright, I'm hungry. I kill a sheep. One sheep. But grow me a field of corn, and I gotta kill off pests, including whole ecosystems of insects, not to mention voles, varmints, rabbits, field mice, etc...
So, agriculture is saying "we're gonna take the decision as to who will or won't be food out of the hands of the gods. We'll create our own rules for the world, to the exclusion of others. We will decide who lives and who dies".
Brutal, no?
Of course, agriculture meant more food. which means more people. People are made out of food. No? What, you think you're made out of silicon?
Okay, so more people. and food surplus. what to do with the surplus? Well, let's store it. Okay, Now we need someone to store it. These are the middle men, the priests and kings and governments. They safeguard the food, while we slave away, making more food, to make more people.
From there, it doesn't take a great deal of extrapolation to see how our civilization came about. It's main defining features, and the cornerstone of it's success in dominating the globe, are the following rules:
1. Food is under lock and key.
2. There is only one right way for people to live, and this is it.
So what's the point of all of this, even if it seems like a reasonable assessment? The point is, our current way is not sustainable. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just not going to work. Sure, it's worked for 9 millenia, but that's pretty small in comparison to the 3 million years that tribalism served us. And we're facing total destruction, at least according to...well, everyone. In fact, we're enamored with death. We're gagging for it.
Most people, from here, get scared and assume Quinn is proposing we return to hardscrabble hunting and gathering. He doesn't. He advocates that civilization is unsustainable, and we need to move into something new, not back into something old. And not all of us should or could do this. Just the ones for whom civilization is kinda sucky. The ones who have to keep buying shiny toys to dull the pain of having little to no actual satisfaction and joy in their lives.
Think about it: how many shiny toys out there simply look to simulate human action and interaction that's already free? Hint: all of them. Cars? They simulate walking. Phones? They simulate talking. Computers? They simulate thinking. iPods? They simulate singing.
Anywho, it gets deeper and deeper, and it's sometimes a real joy to read, especially for those (like myself) who feel that something isn't quite right. But I wouldn't try to read it if you're not ready for it. His writings never make any hard and fast, black and white staetements, and nothing he says is particularly inflammatory. But if you find yourself arguing with every little thing, then it's probably not for you.
Also, while getting towels out of her dryer, she apparently felt a slight popping sensation in her ear, and saw a little stone fall out, followed by a tiny fly. That was still alive. weird, no?
I dont know why, but every time I start a new job, I find myself re-reading some of the work of Daniel Quinn. It's not a conscious decision, it just kinda happens. When trying to justify why, I've come up with the following suggestions:
- I'm a cancer. So I tend to be very withdrawn and quiet at first, and after a while, become very outspoken and loud. But in those first few weeks, I'll crawl into my shell and read a lot.
- Usually when I start a new job, it's because I've grown fed up with call-centre work, and have decided to dull the pain by moving to another call centre. I don't know what bad circuitry in my head is responsible for calculating that conclusion, but it would explain why I head for the books of Daniel Quinn, which answers a lot of questions for the directionless.
I guess I'll attempt to explain what Quinn discusses in his books. If you wanna check them out, start with Ishmael and proceed to My Ishmael. Then read Beyond Civilization: Humanity's next great adventure. These are the essential ones- the others I find superfluous.
The fundamental rule behind Quinn's philosophy is this: There is no one right way for people to live.
Beyond that, Quinn tries to frame this innocuous looking idea in the following context.
- For 3 million years, humanity lived by that rule. We lived in ethnic tribes, each of which had a set of rules that worked for the tribe. The rules of that tribe were incompatible with other tribes. But not by design. They just were. It never would have occured to anyone to make a set of rules that were adaptable for everyone.
- In this context humanity, though more intelligent than other species, were not especially harmful. They were as harmless as sharks, tarantulas, bluebirds and caterpillars. They left the running of the world in the hands of the Gods, so for arguments sake, let's call these people Leavers.
- Around 9000 years ago, one particular tribe made a massive change. They decided to rely on agriculture as their sole means of obtaining food\
Now, this is where it gets a bit more complex. So far, nothing groundbreaking- humans lived in tribes, then they 'discovered' agriculture. This is widely known.
But actually, limited agriculture had been practiced long before that. It would have been a supplement to hunting and gathering, scavenging and foraging. It certainly wasn't desirable. Why? Because. It's fucking hard, that's why. People didn't live to work- they worked to live. And the only thing we're actually slaves to is hunger, right? so why work when not hungry?
People didn't. They hunted when they were hungry. They picked fruit from a tree...when they were hungry. No fruit today? Try some grubs. Whatever. Food is food. Absolutely no food for me? Okay. Today is the day I become food.
HA! There's the kicker. The Leavers left the decision as to who was to be food in the hands of the Gods. If it was going to be them, so be it. Oh, they'd fight for it, but they didn't try to fundamentally change the way the world works.
Agriculture DOES try to fundamentally change the way the world works.
Devoted agriculture, as a full-time pursuit, is pretty bloodthirsty and unnatural. Don't think so? Go into an unfarmed portion of the world (if you can find one) and find me an apple orchard. A field with only apple trees. Won't happen.
And it's bloodthirsty. Don't think so? Alright, I'm hungry. I kill a sheep. One sheep. But grow me a field of corn, and I gotta kill off pests, including whole ecosystems of insects, not to mention voles, varmints, rabbits, field mice, etc...
So, agriculture is saying "we're gonna take the decision as to who will or won't be food out of the hands of the gods. We'll create our own rules for the world, to the exclusion of others. We will decide who lives and who dies".
Brutal, no?
Of course, agriculture meant more food. which means more people. People are made out of food. No? What, you think you're made out of silicon?
Okay, so more people. and food surplus. what to do with the surplus? Well, let's store it. Okay, Now we need someone to store it. These are the middle men, the priests and kings and governments. They safeguard the food, while we slave away, making more food, to make more people.
From there, it doesn't take a great deal of extrapolation to see how our civilization came about. It's main defining features, and the cornerstone of it's success in dominating the globe, are the following rules:
1. Food is under lock and key.
2. There is only one right way for people to live, and this is it.
So what's the point of all of this, even if it seems like a reasonable assessment? The point is, our current way is not sustainable. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just not going to work. Sure, it's worked for 9 millenia, but that's pretty small in comparison to the 3 million years that tribalism served us. And we're facing total destruction, at least according to...well, everyone. In fact, we're enamored with death. We're gagging for it.
Most people, from here, get scared and assume Quinn is proposing we return to hardscrabble hunting and gathering. He doesn't. He advocates that civilization is unsustainable, and we need to move into something new, not back into something old. And not all of us should or could do this. Just the ones for whom civilization is kinda sucky. The ones who have to keep buying shiny toys to dull the pain of having little to no actual satisfaction and joy in their lives.
Think about it: how many shiny toys out there simply look to simulate human action and interaction that's already free? Hint: all of them. Cars? They simulate walking. Phones? They simulate talking. Computers? They simulate thinking. iPods? They simulate singing.
Anywho, it gets deeper and deeper, and it's sometimes a real joy to read, especially for those (like myself) who feel that something isn't quite right. But I wouldn't try to read it if you're not ready for it. His writings never make any hard and fast, black and white staetements, and nothing he says is particularly inflammatory. But if you find yourself arguing with every little thing, then it's probably not for you.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Feeling Good
Dad went in for gall bladder surgery yesterday. He's up now, doing well. Praise be to Allah, or what-have-you. I went and visited him last night, where I found out the following:
1. My mom is really horrible. She had been caught in the hospital toilets earlier that day, smoking. On the other hand, it was her 60th birthday yesterday, and she was at the Alfred waiting for her husband to get out of surgery. I'd cut her some slack, but this is hardly an isolated incident.
2. My sister and her fiancee lost their cat a few weeks ago. We're all pretty upset about it. Riley was one of a pair of kittens my Mom took in. Riley went to my brother and I, but I was allergic. So Riley went and lived with Ilan and Jamie, who loved him very much. After he went missing, Mom gave Ilan and Jamie his brother, Nudnik. They'd had him for two days, when one of Ilan's idiot friends left the door open and he escaped. So now that's 2 cats that have gone missing for my sister. Not happy fun times. Also, Nudnik was legitimitely addicted to cigarettes. It sounds kinda cute, and it was for a while- we'd see him at my parents place, knocking over packets of smokes and feasting on the innards. Then we realized- he's been playing with and eating butts from ashtrays, and now he's addicted. Fuck.
3. My legs are getting better.
I had my first Omega Team meeting for quite a while yesterday. We basically all agreed that the project is in limbo, but no-one was too upset about it. We're gonna revisit the project in March/April.
I've been working on Estherella, the Purim spiel I'm writing. I'm actually enjoying it. It'll be accompanied by musical cues, sound effects and powerpoint slides, which is a medium that I think has a lot of potential. I've seen Dave Gorman pull it off well, and the photoshop stuff they do on The Daily Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien is similar. If this goes well, I wanna start writing some more stage stuff in this medium...
1. My mom is really horrible. She had been caught in the hospital toilets earlier that day, smoking. On the other hand, it was her 60th birthday yesterday, and she was at the Alfred waiting for her husband to get out of surgery. I'd cut her some slack, but this is hardly an isolated incident.
2. My sister and her fiancee lost their cat a few weeks ago. We're all pretty upset about it. Riley was one of a pair of kittens my Mom took in. Riley went to my brother and I, but I was allergic. So Riley went and lived with Ilan and Jamie, who loved him very much. After he went missing, Mom gave Ilan and Jamie his brother, Nudnik. They'd had him for two days, when one of Ilan's idiot friends left the door open and he escaped. So now that's 2 cats that have gone missing for my sister. Not happy fun times. Also, Nudnik was legitimitely addicted to cigarettes. It sounds kinda cute, and it was for a while- we'd see him at my parents place, knocking over packets of smokes and feasting on the innards. Then we realized- he's been playing with and eating butts from ashtrays, and now he's addicted. Fuck.
3. My legs are getting better.
I had my first Omega Team meeting for quite a while yesterday. We basically all agreed that the project is in limbo, but no-one was too upset about it. We're gonna revisit the project in March/April.
I've been working on Estherella, the Purim spiel I'm writing. I'm actually enjoying it. It'll be accompanied by musical cues, sound effects and powerpoint slides, which is a medium that I think has a lot of potential. I've seen Dave Gorman pull it off well, and the photoshop stuff they do on The Daily Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien is similar. If this goes well, I wanna start writing some more stage stuff in this medium...
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Walking? Fuhgeddaboutit
BJJ takes it's toll. On Friday night, we were asked to do walking lunges around the studio. 300, to be exact. Then, we had to fireman-lift a colleague and carry him 10 times, back and forth, across the studio. Then, 5 x 8 minute rounds of wrestling.
I can't walk. Not an exaggeration. My quads are in a permanent state of being flexed, and walking down stairs is taking forever. I can't lift my leg to a 90 degree angle. It's so. Bloody. Sore.
I'm not too worried, because chances are it's just a bad case of D.O.M.S (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). But that was Friday, and it's now Monday, and if anything, it's getting worse. If it hasn't started to go away in the next 48 hours, I might have to see a doctor.
Parents, don't let your children do 300 lunges.
I can't walk. Not an exaggeration. My quads are in a permanent state of being flexed, and walking down stairs is taking forever. I can't lift my leg to a 90 degree angle. It's so. Bloody. Sore.
I'm not too worried, because chances are it's just a bad case of D.O.M.S (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). But that was Friday, and it's now Monday, and if anything, it's getting worse. If it hasn't started to go away in the next 48 hours, I might have to see a doctor.
Parents, don't let your children do 300 lunges.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Ruminations, etc.
I did away with news from The Economist. Because it was a stupid idea.
Anyway, I've been listening to a series of lectures on analyzing the 20th century. One particular subject has stuck in my craw and given me cause to ponder. That is, that after the war the ideas of Sigmund Freud became so popular. Particularly his notion that as mankind becomes ever more "enlightened" and "civilized", what he is in effect doing is suppressing his more animal instincts, creating more pressure, and more chance of a violent explosion. Which was useful in explaining how enlightened Europe erupted in bloodshed that would put modern day sub-Saharan Africa to shame.
I notice that these days, even psychoanalysts downplay Freud. Which is fine. It's always good for a new generation to break away from venerating the old. But the idea, I think, is sound- the more peaceful and tame we become, the more our animal instincts become twisted, violent and fetishized. A gun is a tool, but because they're so taboo, they become irrationally precious to some people. Things like that. I'm not sure exactly how to articulate this idea better.
Hrmm. Let's use sex, because who doesn't like to talk about sex? Ok, so let's say that within most men is a natural urge to dominate in sex. This transcends physicality, education and sexual preference.
Ok, so we sublimate that urge, by making it taboo, and insisting that men should suppress their urge to, well, hump everything. So pressure builds up, and explodes into the current sexual landscape- full of anti-social behaviour and oodles upon oodles of porn.
I dunno. i think it's an idea that doesn't need much proving. It seems quite self evident to me- that civilization seeks to suppress our more embarassing, but nevertheless ever-present instincts- and trades them off for a greater level of peace and quiet. However, it also trades off a useful release valve for some of the potentially harmful instincts, so that they get pushed down, and allowed to morph and change into anti-social behaviour.
Eh. too much thinking. Time to look at some porn.
Anyway, I've been listening to a series of lectures on analyzing the 20th century. One particular subject has stuck in my craw and given me cause to ponder. That is, that after the war the ideas of Sigmund Freud became so popular. Particularly his notion that as mankind becomes ever more "enlightened" and "civilized", what he is in effect doing is suppressing his more animal instincts, creating more pressure, and more chance of a violent explosion. Which was useful in explaining how enlightened Europe erupted in bloodshed that would put modern day sub-Saharan Africa to shame.
I notice that these days, even psychoanalysts downplay Freud. Which is fine. It's always good for a new generation to break away from venerating the old. But the idea, I think, is sound- the more peaceful and tame we become, the more our animal instincts become twisted, violent and fetishized. A gun is a tool, but because they're so taboo, they become irrationally precious to some people. Things like that. I'm not sure exactly how to articulate this idea better.
Hrmm. Let's use sex, because who doesn't like to talk about sex? Ok, so let's say that within most men is a natural urge to dominate in sex. This transcends physicality, education and sexual preference.
Ok, so we sublimate that urge, by making it taboo, and insisting that men should suppress their urge to, well, hump everything. So pressure builds up, and explodes into the current sexual landscape- full of anti-social behaviour and oodles upon oodles of porn.
I dunno. i think it's an idea that doesn't need much proving. It seems quite self evident to me- that civilization seeks to suppress our more embarassing, but nevertheless ever-present instincts- and trades them off for a greater level of peace and quiet. However, it also trades off a useful release valve for some of the potentially harmful instincts, so that they get pushed down, and allowed to morph and change into anti-social behaviour.
Eh. too much thinking. Time to look at some porn.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Woe
Not feeling 1000% at the moment. Hasn't been a great start to the New Year. Here's a brief list of little niggling troubles.
1. Money. I'm about $8000 in the hole right now. I'll be out in a few months, but it just sucks right now. I'm behind on my rent.
2. Half of my house is in darkness. A fuse blew, leaving the half of my place with no lights. I can vaguely remember how to replace a fuse, but I want more than vague notions when dealing with volts.
3. I'm sore. From the Jiu Jitsu. I know this is a precursor to a positive thing, namely, getting in better shape. But still. I just sneezed, and my body seized up in agony. I'm not even farting quite right.
4. I have to start working on this Purim thing very soon, and I haven't a damn clue what I'm doing. I have a feeling the whole thing could end up being an enormous clusterfuck.
5. I was invited to dinner at my mother's next week, for her birthday. I haven't seen much of my folks for a few months now, and I'm not thrilled about seeing them at all. I've run out of patience with them, and it concerns me that that doesn't concern me.
And that's about it. So now the positive.
1. Things going well with Lana.
2. My house is very clean. Everything nice and tidy.
3. Working internet connection.
People have had worse. But that never exactly makes it ok, does it? Knowing that your situation, your troubles, are immaterial when sized up against the troubles of the rest of the world. I mean, my troubles are still enough to have me up at 3 am, unable to sleep (also, the heat).
1. Money. I'm about $8000 in the hole right now. I'll be out in a few months, but it just sucks right now. I'm behind on my rent.
2. Half of my house is in darkness. A fuse blew, leaving the half of my place with no lights. I can vaguely remember how to replace a fuse, but I want more than vague notions when dealing with volts.
3. I'm sore. From the Jiu Jitsu. I know this is a precursor to a positive thing, namely, getting in better shape. But still. I just sneezed, and my body seized up in agony. I'm not even farting quite right.
4. I have to start working on this Purim thing very soon, and I haven't a damn clue what I'm doing. I have a feeling the whole thing could end up being an enormous clusterfuck.
5. I was invited to dinner at my mother's next week, for her birthday. I haven't seen much of my folks for a few months now, and I'm not thrilled about seeing them at all. I've run out of patience with them, and it concerns me that that doesn't concern me.
And that's about it. So now the positive.
1. Things going well with Lana.
2. My house is very clean. Everything nice and tidy.
3. Working internet connection.
People have had worse. But that never exactly makes it ok, does it? Knowing that your situation, your troubles, are immaterial when sized up against the troubles of the rest of the world. I mean, my troubles are still enough to have me up at 3 am, unable to sleep (also, the heat).
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Joey Jo Jo
On January 2nd, 2007, my very beloved friends Nadia and Ben brought a baby human into the world. Josephine Toukhsati Sullivan is a very healthy, 8 lb. baby. She's very cute. Not like, hot, but cute. Ma and Pa are doing well.
Nadia's my first close friend to have a kid. I was very nervous when we visited at the hospital, as I'm never sure what to say in situations as emotional as these. I always feel it my prerogative to talk as much as I possibly can. So I was riffing like Joe Piscopo the entire time, which must have been supremely grating to all around me. I wish I was a calmer soul. I even brought up the fact that I had taken up Jiu Jitsu. Why? Fucking, WHHHHYYY? WHO CARES? THERE'S A CLOSE FRIEND WITH BABY RIGHT HERE!
To bring it back to fekakte Jiu Jitsu again...last night Little Jake (the Jake who got me into it, not to be confused with Big Jake, another mate who also happens to be into wrestling) told me that I was very strong, and had good "explosive power". But he was quick to add that this was bad, very bad, as I might get a reputation for being aggressive, where I should be taking it very slow and working on technique. Being strong is a double edged sword- it gets you out of some less serious jams, but when you come up against someone who can counter it, it's just a good way to get all worked up and waste a lot of energy.
It did not take me long to apply this advice to my personal life.
I always come out of the gate quick. I'm always immediately in with the jokes, the energy, the chutzpah. And It's gotten me nowhere. I need to literally slow down. I need to breathe, and relax, and survey the terrain before proceeding- not just barrel in and rely on a sturdy back foot to get me out of trouble.
Nadia's my first close friend to have a kid. I was very nervous when we visited at the hospital, as I'm never sure what to say in situations as emotional as these. I always feel it my prerogative to talk as much as I possibly can. So I was riffing like Joe Piscopo the entire time, which must have been supremely grating to all around me. I wish I was a calmer soul. I even brought up the fact that I had taken up Jiu Jitsu. Why? Fucking, WHHHHYYY? WHO CARES? THERE'S A CLOSE FRIEND WITH BABY RIGHT HERE!
To bring it back to fekakte Jiu Jitsu again...last night Little Jake (the Jake who got me into it, not to be confused with Big Jake, another mate who also happens to be into wrestling) told me that I was very strong, and had good "explosive power". But he was quick to add that this was bad, very bad, as I might get a reputation for being aggressive, where I should be taking it very slow and working on technique. Being strong is a double edged sword- it gets you out of some less serious jams, but when you come up against someone who can counter it, it's just a good way to get all worked up and waste a lot of energy.
It did not take me long to apply this advice to my personal life.
I always come out of the gate quick. I'm always immediately in with the jokes, the energy, the chutzpah. And It's gotten me nowhere. I need to literally slow down. I need to breathe, and relax, and survey the terrain before proceeding- not just barrel in and rely on a sturdy back foot to get me out of trouble.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Fingers...hurting
Just came back from my second ever training session with the Jiu Jitsu. Holy cum. I nearly blacked out at one point.
I've fainted once. It was about 2 years ago. I was doing boxing at the time (no competition, just for fitness) and after one particularly intense session, passed out while paying for the class. That was bad. I woke up a few minutes later, with paramedics around me.
I've been working out, on and off, for years now. I generally go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week, and try to go hard- running, deep knee bends, weights, that sort of thing. But I never once had that feeling like I was going to pass out.
I had that feeling tonight.
After rolling around for 15 minutes or so with a guy about my size, I stood up and almost barfed. I walked around for a few seconds, before sitting and feeling the room spin. 10 minutes later, I was okay to go again. This time, I rolled with a guy about 7 feet tall (not an exaggeration) and about 100 kilos. He had me pinned within 30 seconds most of the time. He pulled this one move on me called a triangle hold- basically, he puts one leg around my neck, the other under my arm, and pulls my arm in across my throat to fucking kill me. That sucked in all sorts of ways.
The main thing that hurts is my fingertips. Gripping a Gi (or kimono, si vous prefere) hurts. I have to stop biting my nails, because it weakens them.
So I'm going back tomorrow night...
I've fainted once. It was about 2 years ago. I was doing boxing at the time (no competition, just for fitness) and after one particularly intense session, passed out while paying for the class. That was bad. I woke up a few minutes later, with paramedics around me.
I've been working out, on and off, for years now. I generally go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week, and try to go hard- running, deep knee bends, weights, that sort of thing. But I never once had that feeling like I was going to pass out.
I had that feeling tonight.
After rolling around for 15 minutes or so with a guy about my size, I stood up and almost barfed. I walked around for a few seconds, before sitting and feeling the room spin. 10 minutes later, I was okay to go again. This time, I rolled with a guy about 7 feet tall (not an exaggeration) and about 100 kilos. He had me pinned within 30 seconds most of the time. He pulled this one move on me called a triangle hold- basically, he puts one leg around my neck, the other under my arm, and pulls my arm in across my throat to fucking kill me. That sucked in all sorts of ways.
The main thing that hurts is my fingertips. Gripping a Gi (or kimono, si vous prefere) hurts. I have to stop biting my nails, because it weakens them.
So I'm going back tomorrow night...
Monday, January 1, 2007
07
So the new year is here. I spent NYE watching cop movies with Dave. Awesome. For this, I missed a few parties. No regrets. Can you believe I had never seen a single Dirty Harry flick? Well, now I have. I feel warm and safe knowing that I'm in this brotherhood of man.
Here's some of the film/script ideas I hope to have in the bag in 365 days:
The Pact- 5 humans and 1 wolf make a pact at the tail end of the last ice age- to refuse death, forever. 40,000 years later, one of the humans chooses death, sending the rest of the group into a spiral of self doubt, as they evaluate their accomplishments.
The Benjamite- In Judah, a wealthy landowner is murdered, prompting calls for an investigation. King David is reluctant to investigate the crime, knowing that he stands to lose favour with the powerful Levites if they're found culpable- but he feels the pressure from his own tribe to act. Erez, a criminal from Benjamin, is called in by a deteriorating David to investigate the matter, leading Erez into the seamy underbelly of Biblical Israel.
I have a few other ideas battering around, but these are the two i want to work on this year, and ultimately, have under my arm when I go "Out There" into movieland. I'm dreaming, and I know it, but that's how it starts- with dreams. And hard work, from what I understand, but I'm hoping that's a myth.
Here's some of the film/script ideas I hope to have in the bag in 365 days:
The Pact- 5 humans and 1 wolf make a pact at the tail end of the last ice age- to refuse death, forever. 40,000 years later, one of the humans chooses death, sending the rest of the group into a spiral of self doubt, as they evaluate their accomplishments.
The Benjamite- In Judah, a wealthy landowner is murdered, prompting calls for an investigation. King David is reluctant to investigate the crime, knowing that he stands to lose favour with the powerful Levites if they're found culpable- but he feels the pressure from his own tribe to act. Erez, a criminal from Benjamin, is called in by a deteriorating David to investigate the matter, leading Erez into the seamy underbelly of Biblical Israel.
I have a few other ideas battering around, but these are the two i want to work on this year, and ultimately, have under my arm when I go "Out There" into movieland. I'm dreaming, and I know it, but that's how it starts- with dreams. And hard work, from what I understand, but I'm hoping that's a myth.
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