metamax (in e-prime)

METAMAX going meta to the max

JONCHIUS / 2012

CONTENTS

Preface ........................................................................................................ 6

Entities ........................................................................................................ 7

Monolith ................................................................................................. 9 Abstraction...........................................................................................10 Collections............................................................................................15 Characters.............................................................................................21

Programs ..................................................................................................24

Constructors ........................................................................................25 Constants and variables ....................................................................25 Conditionals .........................................................................................25 Loops .....................................................................................................26 Infinite loops........................................................................................26 Error handling......................................................................................27 Differentiation .....................................................................................28 Integration ...........................................................................................29 Association ...........................................................................................31 Transformation....................................................................................32 Synthetics .............................................................................................33 Hues.......................................................................................................36 Textures ................................................................................................37 Physics...................................................................................................38

Relationships ...........................................................................................39

Communication...................................................................................40 Deterrence............................................................................................44 Spheres .................................................................................................50 Honne and tatemae ...........................................................................55

METAMAX (by JONCHIUS)

3

Hierarchies ...............................................................................................58

Strata .....................................................................................................59 Levels .....................................................................................................64 Intelligence...........................................................................................66 Codification..........................................................................................68 Fabrication ...........................................................................................69 Domestication .....................................................................................73

Histories....................................................................................................75

Patterns .................................................................................................76 Analogies ..............................................................................................78 Sinusoidals ...........................................................................................78 Third and fourth dimensionalism....................................................80 Obsession .............................................................................................83

Mysteries ..................................................................................................84

Adelson illusion...................................................................................85 Chubb illusion .....................................................................................86 Exoteric and esoteric .........................................................................87 Multi-stable perception ....................................................................88 Oulipo....................................................................................................89 Prosopagnosia.....................................................................................89 Selective mutism.................................................................................90 Abstract politics ..................................................................................91 Representation ....................................................................................92 Distribution ..........................................................................................93

Media ........................................................................................................97

Reckoners .............................................................................................98 Decoys................................................................................................ 100 Memes................................................................................................ 102


4

Maps ................................................................................................... 103 Slogans............................................................................................... 106

Spaces .................................................................................................... 108

Time as space ................................................................................... 109 Work spaces...................................................................................... 110 Co-ordinations ................................................................................. 113 Impermanence.................................................................................. 114 Temporal libertarianism ................................................................. 116

Structures .............................................................................................. 118

The structure..................................................................................... 119 After the structure ........................................................................... 120 Beyond the structure ...................................................................... 123 Deleting the structure .................................................................... 129

Spectra ................................................................................................... 131

Congruencies .................................................................................... 132 Approximations................................................................................ 133 Perspectives ...................................................................................... 134 Precisions........................................................................................... 135 Distributions ..................................................................................... 136 Immersions........................................................................................ 137 Alternatives ....................................................................................... 138 Collapses............................................................................................ 139 Points.................................................................................................. 141

Infinities ................................................................................................. 143

Causation........................................................................................... 144 Divergences ...................................................................................... 149 Hyper-reality ..................................................................................... 152


5

Calculus.............................................................................................. 156 Symbiosis........................................................................................... 158 Questions........................................................................................... 159

Confusions ............................................................................................ 164


6

PREFACE

The so-called author has the intention of allowing the reader to

get back to work and become a more 'creative' person.

One’s subjectivity or nonsense may serve as another’s objective

facts. One’s reality sums up to someone else’s fantasy and vice

versa. What may function for one may turn out deadly for

another, so on and so forth. Everything in this section should

eventually become scheduled for recycling. The same goes with

every piece of writing, about life in an ephemeral present, an

actuality that melts once taken out of the freezer of the future.

No referencing system other than names and topics will exist

here because it remains up to the reader's judgment to decide

whether or not to accept what one reads. This book began as a

recreational extra-academic exercise and will end as one.

The author has always tinkered around with extremes of any

topic, whether politics, culture, sports, nature, comedy, arts and

so on. Pushing those boundaries provided some sense of

artificial power or, at least, somewhat like playing chicken with

the train of nature, all within the 'safety of the Internet'.

The author has also written this book entirely in E-Prime. It does

not use a certain key verb in the English language. It also uses

the first person singular pronoun only twice and, even at that, in

quotations.

"Jonchius"

2012-12-16


7

ENTITIES

The universe could entail a loop of just four basic components:

input + processing + output + feedback

One can see the analogy in many places that involve the flow of

anything: museums, mapping, mathematics and anything that

begins with or without the letter M, as such:

Acquisition Preservation Presentation Appreciation

Collection Analysis Visualization Change

Parameters Function Product Recursion

Opening Procedure Closing Reflection

Class Study Examination Grading

Understanding Planning Intervening Monitoring

Consumer Producer Relationship Change

The astute could verify if they can view the four components as

discrete parts, each performed in isolation and if they must

appear in that order.


8

As well, the need for storage: a system with insufficient to no

storage will not have the capacity to hold input, although it may

entertain incoming flows for a brief amount of time. Less

abstractly, the system needs to make it easy for input to arrive

into it and reside within it. Consequently, that system must

consist of a container rather than content, for the system to have

an appeal of effectiveness. Containment wins in the game of

competing ideologies and implementations.

The system operates to show not what it does but that it does

ostensibly what its adherents wants it to do.

Inter-operability refers to the ability of diverse systems and

organizations to work together (inter-operate). Often used in a

technical, systems engineering sense, this takes into account

social, political and organizational factors that impact system to

system performance. That it does. When these diverse systems

form the illusion of a coherent whole, what a spectacle it brings.

A monolithic system then rises up.


9

MONOLITH

The start-up costs to compete with the monolith run very high.

The candidate competitor would face extreme scrutiny during its

probationary period. It must also remunerate loyalties to reduce

their alienation; people have the uncanny tendency never to

think outside the box when it comes to spotting the monopolies

in existence for their entire lives, or which have become all-too-

pervasive.

Whether gentle force over time or intense force in a

flicker, the monopoly inevitably controls the polity,

constructing its very own actuality.

Any slight, subtle mistake on the part of the candidate

competitor and its credibility vanishes up in ephemeral smoke.

The one mistake by the competitor, in effect, serves to legitimize

the hundreds of mistakes that the monopoly commits every day.

The value of the mistake serves as an exchange, not as a

function.

In this case, one mistake by the prospective competitor

equates to several mistakes made by the monopoly.

As a result, competitors must possess a high level of involuntary

perfectionism or not compete at all. For this reason, as well, the

world continues to operate by bare-minimum satisfaction rather

than rational optimization. Nepotism and favouritism do not

even come into play but when it does, monopolies occur more

often than thought. Have they not fooled and ruled enough?


10

ABSTRACTION

Some of the sublimated activities involve the act of abstraction,

which models collections of 'perceived entities' (henceforth

known simply as 'entities') that seem to share similar behaviours

and constraints.

Abstractors (also known as codifiers) will sense data in

ways others cannot or will not. Still, their perceptions

make for a biased projection of the actuality. Yet, their

projection provides a more generalized and flexible view

of their surroundings. They can design code that

accommodates the masses well enough.

Modeling the creation, retrieval, update and deletion

of objects, codifiers create these entities, behaviours and

constraints, out of some innate will to imitate the

ultimate panoply or the world at large.

They will use sets and orders of symbols to define these

objects, actions and limits. Naturally, these symbols

consist of flawed representations of the panoply but

arranged in a manner to give the impression of perfect

representation.

All behaviours consist of getting (retrieving) and/or setting

(updating) objects. Irreducible to any further unity, these

behaviours can expand into creation, retrieval, update and

deletion. Ready? Get, set and go!

Creating objects involves a special case of retrieving some

previously existing object and updating it onto an instance with

relative nullity.


11

Relative nullity functions as a pragmatic null. Since

absolute nullity can only theoretically exist, a relatively

null entity will always contain something: namely, itself

and its attribute as a nullity

Conversely, deletion largely consists of getting (retrieving) a

previously existing object and setting (updating) it to a relative

null. Although this process of deletion seems unsurprising, both

creation and deletion, respectively in their strictest forms,

involve the magic tricks of an ultimate extraction ex nihilo and

annihilation. Hence, the concept of relative nullity must stand in

as a convenience, lest infinite regress takes hold.

Previously existing objects always trace their origins to some

other objects. No one knows perfectly of such origins; only

guesswork takes place. Some assume that these primitives form

the very first objects to exist ex nihilo. In any case, these

primitives have unleashed a hyper-abundance of higher-level

objects as a result of the gets-and-sets, that most have no time

to dwell on the primitives. Thank the absolute nullity for the

concept of relative nullity.

Entities can occur in stacked, queued or branched systems.

Stacked entities that go in first come out last. Queued entities

that go in first come out first, unless the codifiers have

previously enacted special provisions to prioritize each entity’s

deletion from the system of objects in a process known as 'de-

accessioning', a very painful process to say the least. Queued

systems can come in listed or tabled forms. Various other

arrangements of objects exist. This generates an exercise all to

itself.

The ability to abstract, to see the microcosms and macrocosms

of systems large and small, enables one to become a codifier of

systems. Not all codifiers have creative intentions; some of them


12

engage in repeated deletion of systems. Yet, there exists the

entertaining possibility that all creation consists of catastrophes.

Then, do the codifiers who 'create to destroy even more' actually

have the moral upper hand? Yet again, why bother having the

upper hand at all if their wishes include achieving the ultimate

goal of nothingness?

This paradox tortures the lucid every day.

DEBUTS

Debuts that begin with the faux pas of prematurely releasing

improperly fermented maps into the open sphere often crumple

up, never again to unravel. They strive to become a seller’s

market only to bring upon themselves despair and paralysis.

While one cannot ensure the coverage of all angles, one could

prepare carefully enough before offering anything and claiming

victory.

One must then also anticipate the failure of undertaking of any

activity. Tying it to the larger image, debuts should occur

through the interaction, through dialogue, however banal and

feigned. No one should ever begin a debut with pyrotechnics.

These special effects always brew unexpected explosions of anti-

ecstasy. Rather, it should begin somewhat plainly, only later to

crescendo into a googol-alarm blaze. The crescendo’s creeping

crux will garner more attention than the flames themselves.

ATTRIBUTES AND BEHAVIOURS

In language, one might use the conventional terminology of

adjectives (descriptions) with attributes and verbs (actions) with

behaviours.


13

Like criminals, these two components often take on multiple

aliases:

Attribute: a property, a field, an instance variable, a

state, a descriptor, etc.

Behaviour: a method, a function, a subroutine, a

procedure, an action, etc.

INSTANTIATION

Classes have constructors that one calls, or summons, in order

to create a new object instance in a process called instantiation.

So, the program calls the constructor in the class to build a new

entity – a special case of the class.

In the advance stages of building, one continues on with:

encapsulation (buying plastic containers to better organize

junk), polymorphization (using compact disc jewel cases as

coasters) and inheritance (without waiting for relatives to die).

Do this until 1 + 1 = -1.

CONTINUITIES

The debuts will soon perish from immediacy. With patience and

earnest decisions, the plan should improve with vehement

aggression. Still, signs of futility loom near. Tiny granules of the

abandoned have already scattered across the badlands, after all.

Encapsulating these granules in a receptacle could conjure up

senses of security but no longer does it ensure the safest results.

Zealots frequently scour the region for the containers and

remnants of loose content, in attempt to cool the saturated

media down. Their occupation involves recycling plastics to

perpetuate the party, chock-full with rowdy revelry and slippery


14

expulsions. Someone then decides to fire up their hard-pushed

efforts with a single flick of the switch. So easy. Too easy.

Scattering the debris across the badlands occurs in a rush of

aleatoric fury. One could look at the badlands as a casino of

Clark County. Most partake in a process of deletion under the

sands of time, hoping the grains stay down there. Yet, the odd

grain vagrantly surfaces. Eventually, these grains themselves will

form the basis or content of some burgeoning paradigm of some

distant future, when minds have flown past the petty fixations of

the present.

IMITATION

Instead of trying to eke out something previously undiscovered,

as in a compilation, one can imitate. The imitator must keep

aware that what looks 'new' or 'original' to the untrained will

appear 'remixed' to the more astute. Conscious imitators

research the market beforehand.

Remixing and adjusting the mappings of symbol-value

pairs enough will make something only seem different.

So confirms the liquidity of symbol sets.

The imitation forms a subset of the collection which, in turn,

forms a subset of the abstraction. The last sentence, in turn,

forms an abstraction of the actuality. The distinction of imitation

from the collection lies in the conscious effort exerted by the

abstractor. Did the abstractor try? If so, then the abstraction

forms an entity-in-itself. If not, one should simply draw up a

superficial fanaticism for the content, then the abstraction

acquires the status of an imitation.


15

In some cases, there exists seduction (a vulgar form of imitation)

and only seduction. They wanted us to believe that everything

amounted to production. A subset of seduction merely amounts

to abduction, which can often lead to unwanted reproduction.

COLLECTIONS

Every object has two theoretical functions: a means to an end

(process) or a defined end in itself (goal). When an object

becomes an end in itself, it often becomes a part of a collection.

An item in a collection often serves no purpose other than to

make up a part of the collection. At most, it retains a secondary

functional purpose as a tool but maintains its primary symbolic

purpose as a member of a collection set.

Collectibles often suffer from chronic unemployment but might

work part-time once in a while. If fortunate, it could return to a

full-time position but doing so will jeopardize its membership in

the collection, due to wear and tear.

DICHOTOMIES

On the most abstract level, objects can fall under two types:

containers and contents. Some may function as both. This could

happen with regards to anything, including knowledge, material

possessions, computer programming, emotions, etc.

The container forms the big picture. They make up the general

ideas, the theme or the framework upon which one can build.

On the other hand, the content consists of specific details

located within the container. It builds upon the essence,

providing substance. The former tends to the abstract in one’s


16

mind, while the latter appears more often in its raw, 'real' state.

Most see the content and not the container. (Log out? How?)

Beware the types of items stored in a container, however, lest

the focus on the big picture or the essence spirals out of whack.

Essence without content yields a sensation of hollowness.

Content without essence yields clutter and disorganization. This

happens when it becomes hard to distinguish between

containers and content!

Obviously, one should stay aware of how the containers manage

content and how the content keeps the containers healthy,

functional and aesthetically pleasing. At all times should one

know what goes in those baskets and know the baskets

themselves. That said, the effort to do so provides a lifelong

challenge.

COLLECTING

Children collect as a way of mastering the world through

ordering, sorting and manipulating objects – much like adults

with computer files and household items.

All adults possess some form of insanity for their private

passions which few can sufficiently understand, let alone

proficiently comprehend. The collector tries not to show an

overexcitement of the things collected or an explanation must

follow – such an explanation often does not properly translate

into any current human language. Sometimes, adults would

exhibit their overexcitement anyway, just to make the world that

much more enigmatic.

'Do not mess with their happiness, or it might come at

the expense of one’s own!'


17

Every adult has a collection to hide, including that of memories.

Memory uploading should sound frightening to most adults and

even to some children. Yet, some of them do it through 'services'

in small chunks. After all, when done in small chunks, any task

seems palatable.

SUBSTITUTES

Those who do not interact with other people have pets possibly

because they still wish to have animated interactions with a

living organism.

The pet comes closest to the human form than inanimate

objects. So, they give the pet a try. If they cannot get along with

this pet, they move onto the plant for its less frequent

maintenance. Should that fail, they can try machines and then,

finally, objects that do not need any maintenance at all. They

should then have the ability to maintain a binary interaction:

switch on or switch off.

Also, inanimate, maintenance-free objects do not fight among

each other for attention. They all submit to their collector. So,

the lonely book collector appears 'inferior' to the lonely robot

collector, as the latter still has to maintain the robots with some

discretion. Plants have greater complexity for the lonely

gardener. The multiple pet owner has to deal with more

responsibilities but still no back-talking except for simple growls

because of mistreatment by the master.

Finally, the 'collection' of people becomes the most difficult sort

of collection. Only those over-confident ones who feel so much

in control can command the most latter form, however

imperfectly.


18

OTHERS

Some might find it amusing when a person from the backwaters

of a developing country picks up so-called modern technology,

e.g. banging his dirty fingers on a laptop keyboard. Yet, they will

likely suspend laughter upon seeing the upper class have a taste

for primitive tools, e.g. centuries-old shields.

So which should sound more amusing? The 'savage' who exhibits

a curiosity towards contemporary tools – or – a 'nobleman' who

busies himself with Amazonian artifacts? Neither, as they both

experience fetishism, just as anyone does. Here exists a simple

'leading astray' with regards to place.

The same goes for ordinary grown men who bring out items

from their childhood, e.g. teddy bears, model airplanes, etc. It

serves for them as a narcotic-free trip, taking them for a ride to

an 'exotic' temporal 'location'. Here, there exists a 'leading

astray' with regards to time.

For each person, the acquisition of foreign, non-functional

objects serves as a glaring example of seduction and

consumption. 'Look what I’ve scored (or what scored me)!'

EXPERIENCES

Each inanimate object never becomes jealous of a newcomer

into the collection, but actually encourages the collector to bring

more objects into the collection.

A life can become a collection in itself, in which its elements

consist of less idle pleasures – experiences.

Everyone collects something.


19

COLLECTORS

A collector collects items to satisfy the need for meaning and

completeness in a world that rarely makes sense, which also

continues churning out more and more things that rarely make

sense. It might just appear to have that goal of making itself ever

more enigmatic to its tenants.

Upon initiating a collection, the collector takes on the role as

supreme ruler to the objects in the collection, like a political

leader who rules over subjects.

The collector takes up a divine-like ownership of this universe of

sorts with full ability to add and purge at will. No one except the

collector may prevent this adding and purging from happening.

A collector with cleansing tendencies may even decide one day

to purge an entire collection and exterminate it all.

As mentioned earlier, everyone collects something or another,

whether tangible or intangible. When people collect, they

engage in a sense of control. Thus, everyone in the Western

world desperately strives to control something. This happens

especially in the more urban areas where its inhabitants have

become so divorced from their ancestral existences that they

have also lost their source of control: farming and family life. So

they rely on surrogates for control.

Obviously, those who control more, receive the highest praise.

The means by which they obtain that control also factors in the

decision of that high praise. Sometimes, the high praise only

looks arbitrary.


20

SERIES

Beware of the series, for it rides on its initial glory, after which its

quality degrades. The series has this habit of enticing one into

wanting more while continually obtaining less. This happens in

every medium.

The series continues its proliferation dance until the collector

wants no part in anything related to it. At that point, the typical

collector becomes aware that the series mentally harasses them

without their consent. Yet, the collectors continue because they

feel that they have gone too far into the collectivization process

to back out.

Collectors must then find their own way to know when and how

to quit. They must also know how to move forward, in this

spectral, sinusoidal and fractal universe, with their own super-

symbiotic functionality.


21

CHARACTERS

ORIENTEERS

What others deem as the 'direct experience' could never

materialize with the orienteers, who live within the map without

knowing the direct experience that lies outside of the map’s

boundaries. When exposed to the direct experience, the

orienteer suffers a variant of culture shock exponentially

proportional to the time spent inside the bubble of the bloated

map. Therefore, the orienteers must retrain themselves to

differentiate the maps from the territories and recapture those

territories. They cannot regain all lost territories all but secure

enough of them to maintain their wilful stance against the

pervasive agents of map and the map itself. This then allows

them to continue pushing the extremes further, to encourage

greater variety of permitted transparencies.

Many orienteers tacitly wish to stay glued to the map for as long

as possible. They have become too comfortable, not knowing

that harsh hindrances lie ahead for continuing to pay into this

comfort: that of banality and insignificance. When these

inhabitants awaken to the din of the territory, something surreal

invariably happens. Emerging from the map, a stray orienteer

senses that the 'territory', into which he has just emerged, emits

a cloud of finality. Yet, after a while, this mist of authenticity

ends up burning away. Even those who ushered him away from

the map begin to question if they themselves have lived on yet

another pervasive map and not the territory itself. Also, they

start to wonder if the territory even exists at all.

The quest to regain all territories will never end and yet it must

begin.


22

CARTOGRAPHERS

The cartographers created the map but their pride may lie

elsewhere.

Cartography doesn’t signify only an ink-and-paper proposition

of spatiality. It could also take on a vast quantity of other forms

directly proportional to the stretching of one’s thought

processes:

Ludic, pensive and coercive activities make up some of

the avatars of this overall umbrella profession known as

cartography.

Some of these forms contribute to the pervasive map;

the bloated map that binds, pressures and controls.

Others remove the need for a map, allowing unbounded

flow and circulation of applications.

Many cartographers begin by removing the unnecessary

elements of the map, to help the orienteers escape from

its violence of representation, one step at a time.

Thus, cartographers need not create pervasive maps at all. They

could still produce representations that clarify territories, rather

than obscure them. (There lies a big hint to the reader.) One

would then not consider these maps pervasive, but functional

and/or symbolic. The concept (a map in itself!) of the mapmaker

will therefore metamorphose upon its awakening into a producer

of lucid ludicities and ludic lucidities: both activities of a spectral,

continuous nature.


23

EXPLORERS

The explorers have the ability to violate any sort of unwritten

laws drafted by the (theoretical) elements of the map. They steer

their ships full speed ahead into uncharted territories. Some of

them have a sound enough knowledge of cartography to

become great cartographers, but they choose not to occupy

themselves with such 'menial work'. Instead, they prefer to seek

out new territories that would bypass any kind of map.

The explorers know that several in the past have attempted to

find such map-less regimes. They did, but they thought that

these paradigms could work everywhere, for everyone and

forever. Yet, many of these colonies experienced obsolescence

and extinction within a few generations, due to a creeping

evolution of a pervasive map. Other planes of existence

colonized by past explorers have shown their failings in recent

decades. More will show their vulnerabilities in the near future.

The explorers face challenges now with ever so fewer options.

The nature of exploration now consists of proliferation in such a

way that the map will not register (or figure out) the secret

intention until it has become too late. Explorers cannot entertain

everyone with hopes of past methods. No, the map knows all too

well. Instead, explorers will use methods that appear

unsustainable, yet somehow make them work. They attempt to

exhaust all possibilities, a quest that could – and should – take

an eternity.

The explorers convene not due to any long-term careful

planning but out of some rip in the fabric of space and time.

Becoming an explorer could happen to any individual, even

those severely marginalized. Some may even become the great

one that will generate the engine of today and tomorrow. Here

lies a casting call for all entities for the role of explorer.


24

PROGRAMS

Cartographers will use concepts of programming to yield parallel

paradigms to level the map and nullify its weight, if not quash it

altogether. However, if not implemented properly, the

proliferation of applications could cause the map to adopt them,

allowing it to wax beyond the point of no return. When that

occurs, no group of rogue cartographers can prevent or

decelerate the map from unleashing its finalizing horrors.

The programming of cartography has curbed the pervasiveness

of the traditional map. With scarcity nearly eliminated, the map

has come to represent less and less. Both cartographers and

orienteers rely less and less on the old tools.

Soon, cartographers will take on the role of game producers

while the orienteers join up with the explorers to seek new

territories and/or stand on guard to prevent the old maps from

unleashing their tired assaults.

Meanwhile, automation now follows a more level-headed

approach. At long last, fuzzy set entities can finally proliferate

with better ease, with fewer hindrances from the representations.

The ability to handle content and conflict, with immense

expedience, brings the emergence to full scale operation.


25

CONSTRUCTORS

As previously mentioned, flattening begins with a constructor.

Here, also known as the construct, one 'produces' 'new' items

called 'objects' (interchangeable in this volume with 'entities'),

just as one would in the manufacturing sector. For now, one

begins with a simple statement that prints out the result of

operations such as additions, subtractions, multiplications,

divisions, remainders, exponents, etc.

Actually, construction of something 'new' does not take place.

Instead, this concept of construction consists more of mere

tweaking, rearrangement and/or extraction from the original

map.

CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES

One learns what stays (relatively) stable throughout the ages: the

constants, and what goes into phases of violent flux: the

variables. One must also take care to obey naming conventions

when it comes to both, lest confusion ensues.

Now that one has put in place the constants and variables, one

can begin ascribing meaning to objects in order to increase the

overall. Some may call this meaning, a value. Others may call

this data. Whatever the case, they change and beckon one’s use

of integral calculus. Pay attention to the constants and variables,

or else one just contributes to the bloat, and not the flattening,

of the map.

CONDITIONALS

From under the horizon appears the territory of the conditionals

(where if X stops, X will die; else, X will live). One must make


26

crucial decisions about moving on. Sometimes, the choices can

overwhelm with the amount of cases involved in the switch.

One could walk down the hall, open so many doors and

never really go into one. Pacing oneself forever up and

down the hall can become tiring and bring no reward.

Instead, attaching a value to a variable lifestyle, by

hopping into just one of the doors, brings solace.

Opening other doors can happen on Saturdays and

Sundays.

Then, the engine of application programming ignites with the

automatic repetition through looping structures.

LOOPS

The loops should ensure that while something has not finished

or taken place one can let this machine do the same thing over

and over. Thus, this prevents the map from catching up to it.

Or, if one knows for how many times one must make this

machine go, one can indicate a number of iterations until which

the loop may stop. (Some careers have that short of a shelf life.)

As well, if one wanted a loop to do something until something

else happens, one could as well. A holdover, perhaps, until

something better comes along (or a termination occurs).

INFINITE LOOPS

In the mean time, with steadfast observation, the newborn

cultures appear to grow out of the old, like saplings during and

after a forest fire. As a result, Sisyphus rejuvenates enough to

roll his boulder up the hill, after painfully watching it roll down.


27

The past thousand years dealt with an infatuation for infinite

expansion, a will to infinity and beyond, manifested through

exploration, circumnavigation, colonization, the scientific

method, mass production and the Internet.

Compare that with the earlier infatuations for idealized

platonic forms, meandering paths along with cycles.

Of what will the next millennium-long 'fad' consist? The

cloistered scholar would allude to an expansive, flattened plain:

possibly a world not obsessed by infinite quantity, but by

infinite quality.

One could never actually achieve the best, but it makes for a

never-ending challenge to scale the top spot.

ERROR HANDLING

Some programs may not catch errors and such deal with the

onslaught of input at full speed. Others, with their minimal,

mechanized and micro-managed matrices of modernity, accept

no subterfuge, substitute nor shirking.

Should any old hack try to subvert this bastion of paranoia, the

error handler will log the mishap down with cold, calculating

and cunning efficiency and report it to the map. They know full

well which exceptions run rampant:

• 'Too many men on the ice!' (Array out of bounds)

• 'Wrong washroom!' (Wrong data type)

• 'WTF!?!' (Universal exception)

They know the exceptions well and will throw their error

messages back at the instigator with full force. One cannot lead

them astray and crash them at the least expected moment. They


28

handle situations well. No need for a blue screen of death but

simply a dialog box with only one option. Then, the program

closes and a new day begins.

DIFFERENTIATION

The objects one creates suffer from a lack of truly objective

classification. Each object can potentially possess its own

category. Even duplicates can each fall under their own

categories (e.g. time of production, space occupied, etc.)

'New' objects arrive into the sphere of existence all the time.

'Old' objects change their purposes with each passing arbitrary

unit of time. Categorization can stay stable only for so long.

The most extreme language one could use to classify entities

would resemble serial numbers.

'Pass the A554B22M6, please, along with the

C587X29D4!' Such goes far past the most memory-

intensive method of writing employed by the Chinese.

Even each Chinese character can suffer from polysemy, or

multiple meanings. Even the Chinese believe in a relaxed

practicality in their writing so that they can function on an

everyday basis. And so it goes:

'Pass the salt, please, along with the meat.'

In spite of the many meanings of that sentence, someone will

most likely satisfy that order to its fullest. Oh, what climate

change must one endure! (Does 'climate' have only one

meaning?)


29

Through time and the language of categorization, differences

will fuse and fall under the same institution. Individual cells of

the matrix will fuse and shrink so that the matrix can

accommodate more cells.

Thus, differences such as hip-hop and rap would fall

under 'urban music', as one has to make time to tend to

other more pressing differences.

The categorization, an application of Gestalt theory, then comes

as a result of the need for convenience, to reduce the old to

make room for the new.

Users of any language must therefore stereotype a group of

(loosely) related objects into a conceptualization. Yet, they run

into so many mishaps along the way. They must also use special

cases or conditionals to determine the appropriateness of that

stereotype. Try having a computer notice a chair. (Please

discount image search engines as they go by keywords indexed

by human-based folksonomies.)

Everyone, to some extent, exhibits a form of 'racism' (or at least

'class consciousness') of Gestalt that extends past humanity. This

racism helps each make sense of the world on each one’s own

terms. Fortunately or unfortunately, most wish for a certain kind

of order even if it means stereotyping and seeing things that do

not actually exist.

INTEGRATION

Many objects only differ apart from another by a small

difference:

A model of an amplifier goes up to volume 10, while the

other has a volume 11 setting. Of course, then, one may


30

resort to adjectives on top of the concept of 'amp' such

as 'a 10-volume amp' and 'an 11-volume amp'.

Thus, when it comes to assembling object types, convention and

context come into play. This enables further experimentation.

Not following convention and not observing context results in

the infinite loop of perfectionism.

In most cases, the difference between a 10-volume amp

and an 11-volume amp remains minimal, so that one

only needs to call those machines 'amps' rather than

listing serial numbers ad nauseum.

This quasi-universal quick-fix notion of convention and context

in modernity and post-post-modernity allows linear

functionality. That allows a change of scenery from an

undesirable one to a less undesirable one while not trying to

attain a perfectly desirable situation. Should one safely assume

that all sceneries eventually degenerate to undesirable façades?

Why not?


31

ASSOCIATION

The 'car' object transforms the man into a half-man, half-horse.

No accident that one measures engines in terms of their

horsepower. The male driver who says, 'I’ll go faster', rather than

'it’ll go faster' will denote his own speed, not relative to the car,

but relative to the car’s initial position. In essence, he becomes

half-man, half-horse in this association with a foreign object.

Marshall McLuhan said something to the effect of

'technology as the extensions of man'. This bold

statement works robustly as it also extends into man’s

problems and shortcomings.

As well, the car turns the three-dimensional world into a flat

two-dimensional simulation, thereby allowing for the suspension

of responsibility despite such high speeds. A simulation built so

well that it could and does kill.

When one dies in a matriculated registry, what happens, again?

While having the power of a centaur, one still retains the

vulnerability of a simian when driving. An analogous paradigm

occurs with any political office or high executive position.


32

TRANSFORMATION

A society manifesting expansion begins to sound ironic when it

eagerly miniaturizes their products. Yet, it makes sense as

expansion can only go so far. Sooner or later, one wishes to

muntz the machine: to take out as many unnecessary

components as possible and see if the maximal functionality

remains.

Soldiering on, one attempts to improve upon things by moving

and rearranging the universe. At the end of the day, nothing

except for the arrangement actually changes.

The cycle of production, consumption and decomposition rages

on until the cycle itself decomposes. This work itself – and every

other product-turned-object – comes from a rearrangement of

the dear universe; a rearrangement of ideas from here, there and

everywhere; from this person, that person and everyone in

between.

In French, to 'change the furniture' means simply to move

it. A transformation of an object in place (i.e. a

translation) means the transformation of an object itself.


33

SYNTHETICS

The false objectives of producing and consuming synthetic

objects provide a sense of control in near total exchange for the

reproduction of the natural. This sense of control then acts as a

perverse surrogate of self-reproduction. As self-reproduction

becomes too time-consuming and cost-inefficient, production

and consumption of the synthetic more easily provide the

control once acquired through the natural.

How did this happen? A 'defective' human gene might have

steered some away from natural reproduction and into the

production of synthetic coping mechanisms. They wanted to 'do

better' than their peers or 'stand out' from them, so they tried to

'cheat'. Led astray by these mechanisms, other early humans

turned their attention away from natural reproduction and

towards production and consumption.

In a world where it has become easier to produce the synthetic

than to reproduce the natural, consumption follows. In a world

of largely automated production, consumption tries to catch up

with production. Meanwhile, natural reproduction falls by the

wayside as it fails to even catch up with consumption.

In due time, everyone opts for consumption through production.

The threesome of synthetic production, synthetic consumption

and humanity leave little room for natural reproduction. It

almost nonplusses the masses when one realizes that the audio-

visual of the three-way actually already seduces people more

than the audio-visual of the natural. Retail flyers have begun to

come in glossy paper.

Fixation on synthetic production and consumption lead to

automation, the programming of synthesis. Automation then

wears the big guns, controlling production, consumption and


34

humanity and killing whatever remains of natural reproduction. It

then has the potential to allow surplus production of food,

medicine and life extension for humanity, while rendering the

original function of natural reproduction moot. In the developed

world today, automation makes natural reproduction obsolete,

relegating it to a hobby not unlike hunting or knitting.

So in sum:

• Some mysterious force led to synthetic production

• Synthetic production led to consumption

• Consumption led to demand for more synthetic

production, which led to automation

• Automation has led to production and consumption

becoming more cost-efficient and useful than natural

reproduction

At its highest, automation would allow eternal life, rendering

reproduction obsolete. Why bother engaging in the natural to

proliferate? The guarantee of perpetuity lies in one’s self with no

need to acquire it through progeny.

(Many reading this might then shudder at the totality of

automation and realize this non-emotional 'reason'.)

One now has at least three options to deal with this leviathan.

Smash the machines to bits, as the Luddites fervently do,

so as to postpone, if not altogether cancel, automation’s

rise towards domination.

Embrace the leviathan to the fullest like the Techno-

Utopians. This takes on the shape of surrender to the

machines or at least a partial suicide.


35

Slow down the abomination, as the Techno-Realists do,

and get to know its full implications. That way, one can

prepare for the worst while taking full advantage of what

comforts it may have up its sleeve.

At its maximum extent, automation would bring about a universe

without error. It would set everything free from requiring

function and exchange value. Symbolic purposes might still exist,

but will come after each other in a manner not unlike fashion.

Then, life and death, success and failure and all other polar

opposites will all melt into a singularity. It would not feel like

life. It would not feel like death.

'It neither looks like one nor zero, but something else.'

However, paroxysms thwart any worries about this singularity in

the interim. Rebels, whether motivated by the social or

themselves, will hack the system of objects so as to postpone, if

not to cancel, automation from reaching full capacity.

That way, one can continue with one’s local Utopia through self-

regulating production, consumption and possibly natural

reproduction. Meanwhile, one would curb automation from

producing a global Utopia to buy some time in order to prepare

oneself for the inevitability. That inevitability does not involve

death but some state of non-life and non-death.

Lately, a surplus obsession with zombies has occurred.


36

HUES

Diverting the attention from automation to the distraction of

decorating (i.e. changing the attributes of) the fruits of

production:

Drab hues: blacks, whites, grays and beiges dominate

the early period of any entity or entity set. Compare this

with hues of early websites, furniture, cars, typewriters

and laptops all experiencing this inaugural stage.

Vibrant hues then come after a short while to express

youthful and maturing confidence. The object’s luminous

glow often (but not always) shifts from red to orange,

yellow, green, blue and then finally to violet.

Pastels arrive once the class of objects has matured. It

no longer needs to compete for attention with other,

younger sets as it has already gained a loyal following.

To avoid reverting to drab hues, producers might opt for

a compromise between boring and vivid. Hence the final

pastel stage arrives: a simulacrum of its former, vibrant

age. Finally, they may wish to go back to drab hues to

signify near-disappearance (i.e. simplicity).


37

TEXTURES

New objects tend to start out cumbersome. Heavy, hard and

horrendous to handle, new objects eventually mature by

becoming easier to use, more flexible and with a smoother look-

and-feel. This also seems to allude to a lessening of a primal and

violent image to something more diplomatic and professional.

Nature’s 'roughness' transforms into the cultured 'smoothness'.

One shoves 'central heating' into the basement as one

enjoys a televised fireplace. Ironically, one has come to

try so hard to look like cave dwellers but end up looking

like something else altogether.

After reaching this summit of success, a producer who improves

upon an already-successful invention (so that it becomes a

separate product in its own right) might purposely phase out the

older version by making it more difficult to use. This alludes to

giving the product a semblance of 'senility':

Television remote controls now feature a colossal

amount of buttons and features, as telecommunications

groups now want to focus on other current and

upcoming forms of media.

Glass (a simulation of nothingness?) gives off the attitude of

'look, but don’t touch'.


38

PHYSICS

Physics sounds like a difficult subject, something way out there

in space or too small to see. Yet, let's not make schooling

interfere with our education.

Physics simply talks about how things work.

A course in physics usually includes how things:

• move and flow (mechanics)

• deal with heat (thermodynamics)

• vibrate, or bounce around (waves)

• transfer of energy (electricity and magnetism)

• bend light (optics)

It will also include the ultimately geeky topics like how very large

things (like stars) and very small things (like atoms) work. One

might before have heard the terms relativity and quantum

theory, respectively, to describe those things.


39

RELATIONSHIPS

Without a certain level of rigour, observers can erroneously

assume a specific causality for an affinity. Appearances always

deceive, yet one often maintains the belief that their senses do

not deceive and that things have immutable qualities.

'Balderdash', a co-observer might remark.

Those deceived easily became seduced by the simulacrum of

those immutable qualities. Their senses do deceive them and it

makes for an amusing world, or a theatre of the absurd. In

today’s society of sensory overload, this happens to everyone.

Yes, this too happens to the 'author'. Knowledge becomes belief

and truth becomes a mere probability of reality. Mixing the real

with the hyper-real, assumptions generate donkeys out of all

parties.


40

COMMUNICATION

To overcome the problem of communication, one must translate,

or map, a word, X, not directly into X, but indirectly into some

other word, such as Y.

When fundamentalist P mentions entity X,

fundamentalist Q does not need to dismiss the former.

As well, Q cannot change the P’s symbol-value mappings

(and vice versa). Instead, Q must translate X into a Y of

best fit.

Thus, each can proceed contextually in this interpretive manner

to avoid a halting impasse.

SUBLIMATION

Here continues the road to a more sublimated continuity. A

storm of detritus previously endured along this route, scattering

fragmented particles across the landscape. Brooms now sweep

debris to some secure shoulder, at which onlookers can glance

when, or if, willing and able. The brooms cannot sweep

everything, so some degree of discord prevails.

Sublimation has consisted of this long, arduous process,

involving a fight, a tug-of-war of sorts, between paroxysm and

the spirit of telos. Paroxystic tendencies have prevented the

finality from happening. It seems unlikely that a telos will ever

settle. Infinity has become known and more will forever happen.

Thus, a compromise will take place: one of sublimation, a

substitute for paroxysm but one that does not involve a finality,

or even finalities. This chaotic substitute will appear as situations

not confined to a specific form. It will seem serene when

compared to pure chaos, of whatever that consists, while it will

violently thrust forward a continued decentralization of forms.


41

Obfuscation becomes key, so as not to dictate a totality. Those

days of dictating totalities have plunged into some abyss.

Instead, the flexibility of obfuscation allows the sensor to

reconstruct the form’s significance based on the sensor’s own

Gestalt. The sensor may also notice that the form’s significance

may change upon re-sensing the substitute. Each viewing comes

from a different angle, from different moments in time. Thus

results in some questioning of the content of one's data stores.

IDIOLECTS

One could also view each individual as the sole speaker of one’s

own language, an idiolect in mainstream terms. Each person

must also become an anthropological linguist with every single

person on an everyday basis. Two people only seem to 'speak

the same language'. Of course, some words used by the

individual will sound clearer to others but unique differences

from everyone else will highlight that individual’s uniqueness of

speech patterns.

To give this one more dimension, each idiolect changes over

time, obviously due to each agent’s additive experiences.

To give this yet another dimension, each idiolect has several

registers, or what the mainstream call 'languages'.

A man might claim to speak E and F, but he actually

means that he speaks his own register that people

classify as E and another of his own register that people

classify as F. The set of words and phrases he uses in F

will slightly differ from anyone else who claims to 'speak

F'. The same goes with E.

An idiolect resembles a snowflake. They may all look

similar when zoomed out, but upon further inspection,


42

no two possess the same exact configuration down to

the smallest detail.

Thus, due to empirical differences, no two individuals will speak

the same language. Each person can only do one’s best to

interpret another by performing gymnastics in the mind to come

to a satiable degree of understanding and compassion.

This shape of meta-communication cannot guarantee the

everyday linguist to understand anyone with ease. However,

getting to know this disillusioning facet of the continuity can

serve as the first step towards understanding the

misunderstandings. This will avoid confrontations of the fatal

variety among parties.

OBFUSCATION

Obfuscation conceals a source code’s full intentions. Not

everyone needs to have access to these esoteric, value-added

staples. If the undesirable acquire full comprehension of the

source code, wicked horrors would unfurl.

Oftentimes, a leak occurs in any given code, providing an

entrance for the candid visitor to nab an understanding of the

inner workings of the subroutines. Individuals not belonging to a

certain matrix, end up appropriating certain functions not

associated with them.

This thing happens all the time, generating mayhem for the

individual who just wants consistency and so-called cleanliness.

One can attribute this leakage to a code’s comprehensibility. A

format too easy to understand suffers from rapid and intense

alteration. Other codes remain very esoteric and airtight. No

code at all has immunity to deconstruction. All codes have

vulnerabilities.


43

Such vulnerabilities allow associations to permeate one

another, ideological sets to borrow symbols from each

other and so on.

After an eternity spent mixing, the distinctions among

codes have come to seem illusive and even delusional.

It all looks like one big mess.

Codes made of sonic sets become vulnerable to attack by

foreigners. Learn the finite number of symbols in the sonic set

and the foreigner will automate the code. One can learn these

sets very easily, even in senility. On the other hand, codes made

of image sets erect barriers. One must learn each image

separately or the whole set appears alien and undecipherable.

It does not help the student that the code adds more images

with the growth of parallel codes with the need to translate from

them. Thus, obfuscation reigns supreme in this latter type of

code. A murkier transcription yields a 'better' transcription.

When the ambiguity of obfuscation envelops a code, the code

can persist more solidly and project its vitality. It remains magic

and not logic. Thus, the code enjoys protection from this

enigmatic layer. Attempts to penetrate this layer only end up

refracted away at the angle of incidence, which varies with the

origin of the interpretation.

By that, the obfuscation allows the code to project itself without

having much projected onto it. The code acquires greater

strength and almost appears to withstand the questioning of

spatio-temporality.


44

VEILS

Clusters of veils for words and concepts run amok. Those who

use superior veils (comprised of actualities, credentials and

rapport) will grab the deal. The bidding would end more hastily

if the references to words remained strong. Unfortunately, that

can only continue with uncertainty. People seem to gravitate

towards the veil.

Thus, implementers continue to quarrel amongst each other not

about methods but on naming conventions. Perhaps they know

that these quibbles actually provide the health of the overall

dynamic. These diatribes continue on, with each trying to prove

to the other side the inferiority of each other’s veils.

MODUS OPERANDI

Would two entities fare better to use the same operating system

(modus operandi) but with different programs installed, or

different operating systems (modi operandi) but with the same

programs installed?

There lies the communicability issue of the two entities. Which

communication would last longer? Which would have a greater

intensity and exert more power over the landscape on which

they each thrive? Compatibility may actually occur if two entities

have either only the same operating system or only the same

programs.

DETERRENCE

SURVEILLANCE

The apparatus that assumes the role of surveillance also begins

with the purpose of catching misdeeds. Eventually, as knowledge


45

of the technology spreads into popular parlance, the apparatus

gradually loses its role of surveillance but acquires a role of

deterrence. It survives with the purpose of preventing misdeeds

from even taking place simply with its presence. In some cases,

the apparatus involved does not even need to exist: mere text

stating that such an apparatus exists within the premises can

provide enough deterrence.

With both scenarios to consider (existence or non-existence of a

surveillance apparatus), one errs on the apparatus existing and

decides not to do anything too drastic. Even for the insiders who

know the operations of a facility seemingly inside and out, they

will not likely also own the place. The prospective criminal must

thus assume that the place has the latest in surveillance

technology. Anyone who tries to pull a fast one might still get

out of it alive and unnoticed, but it all comes down to their luck.

Likewise, televised (or broadcasted) executions of criminals in a

hypothetical society may actually occur for a certain amount of

time. Using the theory of deterrence as described above, the

broadcasting will continue but transition into mere simulations

of execution (i.e. without actual elimination). When it all looks so

perfectly executed (pardon the pun), whether on screen or

backstage, the simulation tears the citizen apart: 'They merely

simulate those executions, but one can’t rely on hearsay.' The

citizen errs on the supposed actuality of the executions.

When evidence surfaces that criminals continually escape

execution, the citizen continues to doubt and err on the

supposed actuality that the criminals simply 'beat the system'.

Meanwhile, the television in the background plays the Xth

execution, or 'execution', of the year. The citizen believes it. He

must, or else turn insane after attempting to reveal the truth to

those who prefer to have it concealed, or altogether not hear it.

With all this in mind, one can only write about this in some


46

obscure text, with some degree of obfuscation and quiet

comedy. Freedom of the press does exist but the ones who

actually exercise it the fullest always receive the knock-off

version thereof.

SOUSVEILLANCE

While surveillance monitors from the top-down, sousveillance, as

the term suggest, monitors from the bottom-up. Any ordinary

citizen may observe the activities of the higher-ups, of

authorities.

They can do this from their own wearable video cameras,

embedded creatively in some very obscure parts. This does make

one feel rather insecure and unsafe: just about anyone could

take a snapshot of anyone’s actions and use it for unscrupulous

purposes. Yet, one can always use the hypermodern

rationalization: 'it made sense only at the time'. Also, one may

wish to invoke the appeal to fabrication.

Thus, no form of surveillance or sousveillance can perfectly nab a

suspect. After all, the best simulation comes from a limited

perspective. Other parts of the stories remain hidden and

inaccessible by the video 'evidence'. Even in the case of the

panorama, the image still remains a two-dimensional

representation of a three-dimensional world. Even in the case of

the three-dimensional representation, such as holograms,

hackers will still find a way to doctor them to favour the

prosecutor.

All of a sudden, the feedback loop returns something more and

more distorted after each iteration.


47

SUBTERFUGE

Whatever the actuality, subterfuge has died for the amateur. In

this era anything can pass for subterfuge. Amateurs now can

only hope that time destroys everything, which sounds like a

very lofty wish.

No storage of infinite memory exists but the universe currently

expands. One can still choose the path of 'living freely or die' if

they so wish to paint existence with monochromes.

Whatever the case, the masters erect no chambers to trap the

subversive. Instead, these higher echelons grant the subversive

greater grief through the ongoing battle of words. The former

always has the home field advantage.

REPORTS

On a distant planet, inhabitants will talk about the report of an

event (e.g. a war) announced by journalists, rather than the event

itself. Sometimes, nothing happens and they will report it as

though something did (e.g. a thwarted incident).

The carefully vetted journalists do not research their own

content but merely distribute the news written by a panel of

carefully vetted controllers. This controlling class preys on the

gullibility of inhabitants by creating a very convincing spectacle

of non-events.

They do this because if not for these fear-instilling reports, the

inhabitants would not feel motivated enough to become

productive members of the citizenry. When they fall short in

productivity, the controlling class falls short in 'revenue'.


48

WASTES

The 'obscene waste' forms a paradoxically necessary part of

existence. It comes in the form of sacrificing resources in order

to make the quotidian more bearable. It makes the quotidian

that much more varied than grinding away at the 'necessary

hygienic tasks'. Civil society speaks much of which methods of

sacrifice they will condone to the point of seriousness. They

speak about what they will deliberately allocate to waste. Thus,

this waste becomes as necessary as air.

Naturally, this also occurs on a micro-economic level with the

co-habitual group and the individual. They often consider what

to purchase after they have consumed their recommended daily

intake. This makes up the micro-level 'damned part'.

Then, any ideology sums up to an accursed alienation of the

actuality. This alienation attempts to map a contrived subjectivity

onto a theoretical objectivity, forcing the individual to take part

in the collective. The individual must waste considerable time

and energy on these theoretical objectivities because they might

just 'work' even if one does not believe in it. Well, just because

these ideologies 'work' does not mean they do not entail long-

term 'negative' repercussions. In any case, wait until several

decades of longitudinal studies to determine and reveal this. By

then, if still in existence, those duped into the ideology the

whole time will have senesced enough not to worry too much.

Also, do producers secretly produce defective products, not for

profit, but for their will to defer uploading themselves into

machinery and gadgetry? Do they actually fear this 'success' by

having a nihilistic view of consumables?


49

CHAOS

One must not seek chaos in the old, as one always finds in there

an order to which the authorities have already laid claim.

If one should try to disturb a firmly grounded order or even

suggest a change to it, the authorities will whack the offender

tyrannically to kingdom come. However, it takes only a very light

obedience to sustain oneself in that order of the old. No need to

bend over but one need only respect their wishes to get one’s

part of the order moving along.

If it becomes too much, a slightly less established order could

suffice. However, one must not expect sustainability in a place

without any semblance of (perceived) order. One may keep a

sustainable arena within reach. Having only a little patience to

wait until the end of the day, one can make chaos and operate

to the point of establishing a private order. Outside of the

established order lies the order in which one can establish for

oneself.

So it began with chaos which then proceeded with:

• hunting and gathering

• housework

• paperwork

• operating system

• application

• interconnected network

• interconnected network application

• (and so on)


50

SPHERES

A set of concentric spheres can act as a model for interactions.

The A-sphere contains the entire universe beyond one’s control.

Of what it consists depends on the individual. No two A-spheres

can ever coincide; the closest case might affect conjoined twins

but even they have slight differences.

The B-sphere makes up the interactions between the individual

and the universe. Here lies a marketplace (or battlefield, if

preferred) of negotiations between the two parties, or among

many more. Each has a share, however large or small, in the

overall outcome of the transaction. The size of the share

depends on the quality of persuasion employed. The B-sphere

forms the individual’s life, or 'living' (as some people choose not

occupy their lives with it).

The C-sphere makes up the universe within one’s full control.

Here, the individual has the ability to control what happens.

Concretely, the individual may choose to hold certain

persuasions from public view in this sphere. The amount of

control (privacy) that the individual has over any of the hobbies

determines how deep the individual lies in the C-sphere.

The C-sphere of each individual then equates to one’s private

study, the B-sphere as one’s gateway and the A-sphere as one’s

front yard.

Ironically, one also could not sustain staying within the confines

of one’s own C-layer. The strange necessity involves hopping

back and forth every now and then for 'supplies' in the A-sphere.

Some claim to live in their own C-layers for extended amounts of

time; that only happens if they have them well-formed. They


51

have merely expanded their fortresses to annex parts of what

they once knew as their A-sphere.

No airtight definitions exist in the A-sphere. Any claims to

objectivity here pose as mere illusions, forgeries of the utopian

codex. Rhetoric accepted by the majority wins in this layer.

Endless battles always erupt, whether with deletion machines or

just mere verbiage and smug smirks.

The end result of any battle royale never yields desired results.

By some perversion of nature, no seductive method, to hold the

A-sphere together, can ever exist. The only hope rests on

expanding upon one’s B and C spheres by acquiring materials

and apparatuses in the A-sphere. The B-spheric and C-spheric

bubbles (together: BC-sphere) then become someone else’s A-

sphere.

Caveat: such bubbles have popped throughout history.

An individual dares no longer make any attempt to change the

procedures of the A-sphere or its lack of objective law. One must

only perform duties and necessities for the A-sphere through the

B-sphere in order to sustain and maintain one’s C-sphere.

Remember, the A-sphere only exists to acquire resources. It does

not serve any longer as an agora, a liberal exchange hub of

ideas and products. One must reserve one’s own idiosyncracies

and unwanted but self-useful inventions for the C-sphere. One

can only try to adopt part (or even all) of the A-sphere as one’s

B-sphere, but never to change (i.e. disrupt) the former.


52

ASSOCIATIONS

Associations with others should form to ward off undesirable

elements of the A-sphere. One can use the A-pause (between

the A-sphere and B-sphere) as sort of buffer; friendly elements

may reside to help the B-sphere and thwart off the unfriendly

elements of the A-sphere. No entity can trust one another fully

in this universe, so the candidates for association with one’s self

must have qualities detected over time.

No one may ever enter one’s nucleic sphere but they can orbit

closely enough to strengthen each other’s B-spheres, just as

atoms bond to form strong molecules. These bonds should fully

materialize over time and not cataclysmically – even when all

signs seem to point quickly. Patience becomes a 'virtue'. The

illusion of someone acquiring something quickly simply involves

that – an illusion. One never sees the esoteric effort exerted by

the 'quick hands' of others.

Logic becomes magic.

Subverting the A-sphere will only crush one’s C-sphere.

Remember that if one tries to bend the spoon, one will only

realize that the spoon has bended him! It takes many months of

adjustment and determination to stop trying to bend the spoon.

Even when one actualizes the need to do so, the attempts

continue but should gradually deaden with enough

determination. So go along with the A-sphere, not necessarily to

get along, but in order to get back to the C-spheric fortress as

quickly as possible in order to preserve and expand upon it.

Resistance – measured in ohms, has the symbol omega, the last

letter of the Greek alphabet. Current, measured in amperes, has

the symbol alpha, the first and foremost. Resistance and current

diametrically oppose each other in the equation of flow, not just


53

in the electric but also in the esoteric. Resistance should only

happen during sessions of thought in the C-sphere. Current

should flow when dealing with the A-sphere.

Self-termination has the danger of the many-worlds

interpretation coming to fruition. A shot to the self might still

yield a freak survival. One must then manipulate the resistance

and current, the C-sphere and the A-sphere, the omega and the

alpha.

POST-INFORMATION

Information sharing of certain data has drawn to a close. Sharing

of trivial information now equates with having a pretentious

quality in the A-sphere. This book forms such an example but

contains scenes of figurative violence and nudity that might

disturb one audience but entertain another.

This does not negate just-in-time information sharing. The

triviality and necessity of information unfortunately lack discrete

shades; err on the shade of going dark. Still, occasionally

shedding light on information with common denominators will

ease tensions with the A-sphere. It has become rather

interesting, then, that the sharing of non-scarce resources

should continue the protocol reserved for the scarce.

It makes no sense for information (in the form of books,

audiotapes, artwork, etc.) to continue its charade as a

commodity. The information itself no longer has any rights to

value due to the recent driving down of dissemination costs to

practically zero.

Still, the ability to derive information from data still exists. One

can still justify the high incomes of 'short-order' computer

programmers, live stage performers (including storytellers and


54

comedians), etc. What they produce then becomes instantly

available to the public domain. It has now more to do with

performance. Intellectual property has achieved mockery status,

soon to become a historical curiosity.

Any commodity that can duplicate effortlessly with ubiquitously

available methods and machinery should cease to exist as a

commodity. At that time, the person insisting in 'selling air' can

find another method to play the mutual exchange game.

This goes for any commodity that has achieved the stage of

practical non-scarcity. For example, if some given transportation

breakthrough enabled voyages between any two points in the

universe at practically zero cost and zero time, many travel

restrictions (and violations) would cease to exist.

Payment for intellectual 'works' may still exist as a method of

rating its parent performance. Instead of works where the author

simply claims a higher ground, those which bring the spectators

to the next level (or at least onto the stage) have come into

fashion. Installations that allow spectators to create their own

stages will become the 'next big thing', enabling anyone to feel

in on the act and thus forgetting the old restrictions of

yesteryear.


55

HONNE AND TATEMAE

The veil, or tatemae, conceals the actuality, or honne.

The 'fake smile', the 'façade', the 'front': these 'make up'

synonyms for the Japanese concept known as tatemae. The

tatemae exists in institutions that have ossified beyond repair:

the political, the religious, the familial, the academy, as well as

perhaps even the commercial and the social. These parts include

little room for progressive, let alone radical, dissent. Everything

apparently follows a standard protocol from which no one dares

to deviate, lest the institution revokes their membership.

Fear dominates in such arenas.

Meanwhile, pockets of honne fester in hidden corners such as

anonymous and/or specialty books, zines, private journals,

private message boards, underground freestyle rap, rave or rap-

rave sessions, red light districts and so on. Yet, beware of the

seductive nature of these arenas. The attitudes demonstrated

therein may actually consist of a very peculiar variety of

tatemae. In other words, those who seem to profess these


56

certain peculiar attitudes may do so 'intentionally' with a degree

of 'fakeness'.

No one can know for certain whether this 'acting out' actually

involves genuine intentions or performed simply for feces and

chuckles. Does it not resemble the maxim 'art for art’s sake'?

Sometimes, not even the actors possess such sentience.

The vast majority live the world of tatemae. They actually

subscribe to a strain of active nihilism that consists of, for

example, addictively following celebrity gossip, listening to the

most popular of the popular music with reverence, observing

certain competitions religiously: the consumption of culture that

makes them 'fit in' rather than making them 'feel' and become

enriched. They instead use these elements for the sake of not

function but for exchange.

Not to say that this strain of persona has an inferior quality; no

strain of active nihilism can boast superiority. Rather, these

statements intend to reveal that all lifestyles contain some

inherently catastrophic quality (ICQ). This even covers the

retort 'but some lifestyles contain more ICQs than others'. Only

societal convention prevents an ICQ from its perception as

'more' catastrophic. All qualities equally drag the society to its

own failure, as well as make their subscribers carry a

ressentiment that they cannot even begin to fathom, let alone

explain. These subscribers hide this ressentiment with their

tatemae very well.

Additionally, the honne may even leak into the tatemae in the

form of obfuscation. 'Talking in code', as they say. Inside jokes

also project the honne into the tatemae with various degrees of

obfuscation from the actuality. When the leak occurs, it does not

necessary mean that obfuscation has occurred. Sometimes, the


57

leak happens like premature ejaculation. The last sentence, ladies

and gentleman, just depicted an example of the honne leaking

into the tatemae.

It came out just like that.


58

HIERARCHIES

Hierarchies form and exist mainly in the mind, in order to set

itself at peace by arranging the gigantic mishmash of everything

into some organizational chart or map. Yet, one should know

better than that. Hierarchies exist only when each level exercises

its potentialities onto the lower levels.

Oftentimes, these nether ranks possess more actualized

potentialities than the higher-ups. The former often do not know

this. They continue their miserly existences thinking they have

none. Thus, the upper echelons continue coasting through the

medium, earning themselves positions, awards, degrees and

other abstract social constructs that determine their place in the

ether. They do not necessarily deserve these medallions

bestowed upon them but the world continues ticking.


59

STRATA

The old hag once played the role of an attractive damsel. All had

lived under perfect competition with one another and exercised

their competitive spirit on her. She then began to seclude

herself, wearing veils, layer over layer. She slowly senesced and

became known as the old hag. She continues to dress in layers.

Although no longer attractive, she still commands the lot

through her former reputation as beauty queen.

Most have long since switched their focus onto a younger, but

more elusive mistress, for her ability to equalize the lot. With

neither luck nor skill, they never even so far as grasp more than

a flash-quick glimpse of her. She wishes not to aid much of the

hurt, recharge the batteries or repair the boulevards of lost

references. Rather, she stays home and turns off all signals from

the actuality. She then tunes into uncommon frequencies of the

electromagnetic spectrum until she escapes visible light

altogether.

Meanwhile, the hag of the strata violently displays her show of

thunder and lighting, becoming ever more predominant and

imposing as the epochs progress. Whatever she says, goes. No

one may question what she coldly utters. The hag’s record of

mercilessness runs long, but what does mercy mean to her

constituents, anyway? They know no better.

Four layers, also known as strata, surround this hag: the masters,

the servers, the modelers and the implementers. A fifth

stratum, the dereferenced, subsists to this day but the hag has

disowned it. The individual elements of the dereferenced do not

sustain for long. They either succumb to reflexive murder or

vend themselves to the hag by joining one of the official strata.

Either path taken leads to the bending of those who tried to

bend the spoon.


60

Futility comes with the attempt to restore that very first

collaboration. The grim reaper casts that certainty out with

gusto. The iconoclast laughs and then proceeds to play a joyous

game of cards, with winnings guaranteed.

No one knows the original state, hence the futility. Yet, the

effects beaming from that inaugural position will continue to

irradiate. No one, nothing, evanesces completely so long as their

effects still circulate.

The sand will never settle.

The same stays true for the attitudes of yore. If one shall choose

to visit the badlands again, for whatever masochistic purpose,

one may elect to further boil their Alan Smithees down.

Strangely, the city of studios takes joy in recycling not the Alan

Smithees, but the remnants of Alan Smithees. Watch more than a

million adolescents fix their eyes goofily on the detritus of

dereferenced pixels.

So boiling the totality in a cauldron can only sum up to a

Sisyphian absurdity; never shall it become possible to boil it all

down completely. Grains of fine powder from those Alan

Smithees have traversed across the badlands and now venture

beyond any landscape.

'Reference here, reference there, tangled references everywhere.'


61

To remove a reference might cause an unwanted spark. To

remove too many of them results in near total annihilation. One

must then try to work around it or take some of the flak.

After the absurdity seemingly concludes, one steers away from

the Taklamakan and heads off to the Gobi, only to play another

Ewigspiel.

Such a game could never operate on an overall, peaceful steady-

state. Any such occurrence would mean 'game over' because all

opportunities for changes in the game have fled to oblivion.

Anyone assuming an end must wonder, then, what it actually

means to live in peace. Change cannot happen in a completely

peaceful steady-state. Or else, it would bring the turmoil of

tedium. Predictably, pacifists then maintain a pragmatic

approach by practicing their idea to the fullest extent possible.

Either that, or withdraw from practicing anything at all.

Holistically, the game operates in the membrane of some non-

deconstructible ether on a dynamic, sinusoidal and violent

schedule. (Note the emphasis of a sinusoidal time series, as

opposed to one of a cyclical nature.) Seeking absolute

permanence in a game also leads to lost time while later

awakening in a mad scramble to catch up with the overall

dynamic.

Another bus will arrive shortly, but one must keep in mind that

the catch-up forms an inconvenience. Staying close to the

overall dynamic from the get-go avoids this catch-up. To do this,

one must achieve apparent permanence by solving the

differential equation.

Once solved, one can then focus on leading people astray. They

can do so until they themselves become led astray by a surprise


62

attack of symbols and references to unwanted addresses. No

Mexican standoff but an omnipresent gun battle par excellence.

The masters have that materially poor appearance. They imbibe

the spirit, not to intoxicate themselves, but to celebrate their

spiritual clout. Until recently, the hag thought of them as her

best satisfiers. However, among the other strata, they no longer

have as much clout. They possess only a greater ability to flee

from accountability and questioning. They could control the

world if they wanted but they have remained careful not to do

so. It would make the old hag jealous.

The servers once served those in need. They once served their

constituents, offering them genuine protection from other hags.

Now, they serve, but only for their own interests. Meanwhile,

they partake in live performances featuring elaborate magic

tricks with smoke, mirrors and rabbits to keep the modelers and

implementers in check. Like the masters, the servers could also

control the world, but at a far greater cost to them than if the

master stratum took over.

The modelers once commanded the designs of whatever they

drafted. However, they sowed the seeds to their own destruction.

They had used up their command to automate sustenance for

themselves by trying to please everyone. The modelers could

have foreseen the inevitably of their rump state but the allure of

short-term rewards and earthly possessions had proven too

great and detrimental. They keep much but have to give up

much in return.

The implementers continually consume but they cannot remain

secure for very long. They receive attacks in the form of

humiliation and repression from the other strata. Some of them

simply accept this as the absurdity, the cosmic joke, of actuality.

Others rage with fury without an educated cause, especially


63

when under the influence of some device. They blame those with

certain labels but the methods they use to understand these

labels always return the incorrect values. As a result, their rage

results in errors and a malformed code of conduct. A whole

chain of futility ensues. Then, they either resign to the absurdity

or delete themselves, whether slowly or abruptly.

No longer do the strata form a neat pile with predictable

Newtonian boundaries. Existence has very evidently transformed

into something quantum and/or relative.

Has the hag considered normalization? No, that sounds like

wishful thinking. Instead, the hag had already taken a bag,

stuffed everything she could into it and then proceeded to shake

it with some kind of destructive fury.


64

LEVELS


65

Ancient cultures believed that all life consisted of suffering and

that to end suffering, one had to end desire. If one maps grief

with suffering and need with desire, the syllogism fits too well

with the stages of grief, for them not to exhibit topological

similarity to the more famous hierarchy of needs.

The consensual aversion to top-down planning among the

constituency has become an unspoken accordance in

contemporary society. The days when a centralized power

station could impose cultural resources on the masses have

become few and far between.

An organic, emergent order, based on small mutual fragments,

will likely prevail. This order will not attempt to establish

'monolithic plans' or build a 'mass culture' for the so-called goal

of a utopian paradigm. This notion of 'the plan' requires

reconsideration. While cities can spring up, they will do so

organically with 'micro-decisions', not by a 'master plan' with

some end-goal.

Informal hierarchies may spring from this automatic re-

organization. It may even frighteningly come to resemble what

appears in the contemporary. Only, one would never notice the

similarities only because of how it dons different shades and

textures under a different intensity of light and reverberations of

sound. Perhaps this time around the hierarchies will seem almost

voluntary and without any form of resentment or hostility.

Maybe the speculation of brotherhood will come to full fruition.

Until then, one can only conjecture the current curvature of time

without the benefit of inter-chronological flight, just as one

before had to conjecture the curvature of the earth while on the

ground without the benefit of space flight.


66

INTELLIGENCE

The wisdom hierarchy (or intelligence hierarchy) organizes

different 'levels of intellect'. Does one take in something just to

sense it, to respond to it, to act upon it or to actually understand

and 'wise up' to it? Here, definitions of the forthcoming terms

still remain in debate among scholars. So, one should treat the

following as a proposal.

The basic unit of intelligence: the bit. It consists of only two

possible outcomes: yes (true/positive/good) or no

(false/negative/bad). In fact, the word bit itself comes from the

contraction of binary digit. Most human beings react to bits with

intuition through their sensorimotor faculties. They need not

decide whether to blink when a bully kicks sand into their faces.

They straight away 'say' yes or no to it, then proceed to 'study'

the stimulus in more detail.

When bits arrive in quick succession, they quickly intertwine to

form the construct of multi-faceted data. These can include sets

of simple binary incidents: a bully kicking sand into someone's

face, followed by a flying beach ball, followed by an ice cream

truck and so forth. They could also involve countable types like

how many volleyballs fly over a beach or the distance to shore.

The sound of a name also entails data: a bunch of letters (agreed

upon by convention of the language) strung together.

In fact, computer scientists use the term string to

describe text-based data.

Data become information when someone relates X to Y, as

opposed to just taking in the attributes of X.


67

Therefore, information technology consists of using tools to

make connections. It does not mean entering or simply copying

data.

Knowledge would apply the connections one has made

(information) by acting to do or by producing something. One

can then say a person who has a working knowledge of

something, has made connections with certain bits of data

recently. Many also use information and knowledge

interchangeably. Not entirely incorrect, someone

becomes informed after having put X and Y together, but

becomes knowledgeable when they have put X and Y together to

do Z.

As a side note, what would knowledge technology entail?

It may not exist at all, as the motivation to take action

with information should only come from within!

Finally, wisdom could constitute learning not only the

consequences of those actions but whether it would also happen

under different conditions and environments. A cosmic dance

would take place, involving all of bits, data, information and

knowledge in an attempt, with as much accuracy as possible, to

predict the future.

Having wisdom often creates wealth, while knowledge gets one a

job. Information might net one a potential, while data at least

lets one remain conscious of one's own life. On the other hand,

one can say facetiously or not, that having only bits stream into

one's mind can make one doubtful of existence.

So what can one do with all of this data and information?

Possibly, the collector may learn to understand people's

behaviours and try to sympathize with them (knowledge), while

adjusting methods accordingly (wisdom).


68

CODIFICATION

The power station contains a program written in millions of lines

of unchecked code. With this code, the station ran the program

to try to convince all entities that all issues would eventually

reach an agreeable resolution. In actuality, every entity had

already seen through the fuzzy, but seemingly binary, logic of

the power station. After several epochs, they knew that anyone

could simulate any rationale, or any pretence of rationale,

including holographic visuals, as a pretext for prescribing any

subsequent action(s).

Many still want to believe that the power stations handle all

doers of actions against the code accordingly. Yet, time after

time has shown that the power dealers have always had

imperfect information. Power dealers don’t seem to have that

power of omniscience that would know not to send anyone to a

lifetime of misdirected pain.

Yet, they continue believing in the functionality and finality of

the station. They fear the alternative of having some other

'codex', or a complete file of whitespace. They know that no

codex, not even the one they have, could fulfill their fantasy of a

perfectly-functioning, or even well-functioning, power station.

Something always seemed to fall apart.

They even tried having no power station within a limited zone,

but this quickly transmogrified into a scenario comparable to a

paradigm with a power station. Due to the force of habit, they

felt comfortable with their long-standing prescription of an

unreadable code. So they continued on with this chaotically-

functioning power station that pretends to properly distribute

power. Even having nothing else with which to compare it, many

actually think the power station does its job 'relatively well'.


69

FABRICATION

The curious fabrication of a counter-quantity formed a barrier to

the continuation of a journey for many followers. The

trailblazers had developed an artificial nothingness for their

own amusement, simply to elucidate the forever-coming after-

time. They had almost reached the final stage of their journey,

when they decided not to end it. They wanted to keep going.

They wanted more.

The trailblazers would intermittently stop, look back and

randomly launch projectiles to halt any incoming followers trying

to trickle into their exclusive clique. These trailblazers

manufactured the excuse that these projectiles did not mean to

attack the followers, but to inform them of threats down the

path. Only one or two of these threats genuinely curbed the

followers from their own enthusiasms.

'We provide the vitals!' indignantly declared the

trailblazers.

Followers would see this callout as thinly disguised, with

intentions to prevent them from having an endless and

enjoyable expedition. They could have easily refused to follow

the trailblazers but they felt that they had no other alternative.

They continued their attempt to catch up even as the trailblazers

continued to fire their projectiles, many of which discontinued

the journeys of many followers. A few followers would manage

to catch up and infiltrate the ranks. Instead of eliminating them,

the trailblazers assimilated them and used them to demonstrate

that 'anyone could traverse the path'.

Statistics, whether fabricated or not, showed otherwise.


70

The trailblazers also had a way of fabricating the popularity of

certain items proposed by the followers. Instead of stating that

several millions had perused an item, they would alter it to a

certain number, which amounted to no more than a few

hundred. It became obvious to several followers, because the

trailblazers would use the same number to deny the popularity

of the 'unqualified' item. Several suspected that the trailblazers

wanted to quash away any attitudes that would enable the

followers to blaze their own paths. Of course, the denial

continued.

'You just don’t have what it takes.' said one high-ranking

trailblazer.

The guided path ahead frequently promised many benefits. This

enticed the followers who continually fell for the trap of catching

up. Every time a follower reached a point on the map where the

trailblazers had appeared to settle, they would see only a sign,

displaying a remnant, a mere simulacrum of the trailblazers’

presence, inferior to their actual presence. They would

continually see more of these signs. The trailblazers themselves

would elude the sight and sense of their own followers. They

would do this for the sheer joy of distributing their anxieties of

what evidently became an endless journey. They would

continually launch their projectiles. Consequently, they would

never cease conjuring up weak, dry rationales for their strong,

catastrophic actions.

'For the ‘good’ of the complex!'

Yet, if anyone did the same as them, they had to afford the large

price to pay: with their contents or with their continuities. The

trailblazers considered this to fall within the boundaries of some

ritual.


71

'For balance! Go as we order, not as we go!'

The fabrication of timely information in various outlets by the

trailblazers would also tease a follower into hoping that they

would cease firing projectiles and vanish altogether. The

amplification of all sensations, of all their catastrophic

renditions, mostly aural and visual, often led the followers down

a side road along which they believed that they had forged their

own autonomous path. They felt liberated from their issues and

declared new golden eras, which actually contained nothing but

rusted iron. Still, the followers had no slight idea that the

trailblazers had cajoled them, watching them from (what felt like)

above. Once again, the followers had projectiles fired at them.

Yet again.

Occasionally, the trailblazers would cease this bombardment of

projectiles and shower the followers with nominal gifts, the

fundamental sources of which sounded highly dubious. The

former would often hype this event up and make them seem

necessary to the latter. The trailblazers would also perform token

acts of renewal to 'wash' away as much 'filth' in their prior

activities. They would ensure these acts of renewal would not go

unnoticed, if not disseminated by the loudest channels to the

fullest. Anyone spreading an undesirable factoid about their

prior activities would receive punishment. Anyone voicing out

the improperness of others would receive an even harsher

punishment. Such occurred because this would break the sacred

unofficial absolutes, an obscene exchange of arbitrary

prescriptivism. Anyone pointing out the prescriptions of these

obscene exchanges would meet with more obscene lashings.

The scavengers, a marginal group, would also trail behind

everyone else, collecting the residue left over by the trailblazers

and followers. One day, this group disseminated their opposition

to the conditions set by some of the trailblazers. They used


72

outlets of all kind to flood the channels with their grievances.

The trailblazers actually approved of this abreaction. Amongst

themselves, they claimed that this would not inspire the

followers to act out their anxieties. Instead, it would make the

followers feel fortunate in comparison to the aforementioned

scavengers. After all, why should the followers feel the need to

counter-balance impeccable transgressions?

The trailblazers thought inaccurately. On another day, throngs of

followers vehemently projected their values for all to see and

hear. The trailblazers responded with relative indifference, save

for some token signs and gestures, to affirm their credentials.

The followers expected some sort of reason to move further.

Nothing like that occurred. They witnessed that each action met

with only a superficial alteration to the current situation.

Encumbered with a newfound sense of futility, the throngs

began to disperse. For the trailblazers, it turned out that their

inaccurate forecast did not affect them an ounce. They actually

got away with their errors. They did not even need resettlement

zones to consolidate their power.

When the storms diminished, the followers continued to take the

guided path of the trailblazers, to whom they could never catch

up. The followers accepted the fabricated nature of the journey

and proceeded by not exhausting their energies to direct its

course. Instead, the followers now occupy themselves with

sublimated activities, aided by the vast multitude of simulacra

left over by the trailblazers. Meanwhile, the trailblazers continue

their codification of more simulacra. Sometimes, these simulacra

involve a few trailblazers disguising themselves as followers to

re-enact something long gone and even this has become more

seldom. They always seem to freeze everything up.

This whole fabricated journey forms the vast system of objects

experienced (and actually enjoyed) by many today, whether


73

trailblazer, follower or scavenger. Even acts contrary to this

fabrication become part of the fabrication. It takes in the early

output left by all like a purchased visitor.

DOMESTICATION

Domestication compounds the situation into a fully-fledged

quasi-catastrophe. After spending some time without contact of

a paradigm of continuity, it slackens from a continuous to a

discrete operation. Functioning in a choppy disposition, the

system loses the tangential aptitude for sonic input and relies

heavily on solidified cues. Even moving solidified cues startle the

heavily domesticated, making them want to retreat back to a

more controlled environment. Relative to them, the once sublime

flow had become a set of unmanageable paroxysms.

If ever, this quasi-catastrophe takes longer to delete than it did

to create. Long periods of rehabilitation sessions become the

norm. The domesticated must make the choice between wanting

to reintegrate with infernal kingdom of Sartre or to escape far

from it forever. Should they choose the latter, they would need

to cut themselves off all benefits it provides. A retreat to a

calmer, but darker, place occurs.

This place almost resembles a cave with mere shadows of

the paradigm of continuity. Through proxies, a few

artefacts of this paradigm still persist in the cave.

Nevertheless, a glaring disconnection and a decrease of

solid linkages make up the difference between the

continuous practice and the discrete retreat into the

quiet. The latter does not mean it has an inferior quality

– the former also has its inferiorities – but few experience

the latter first-hand. Fewer live to tell the tale of their

retreat (should they come out able to tell it) and so it

seems like an inferior destiny.


74

The most skilled actually find themselves able to oscillate

between continuous and discrete paradigms. Thus, the triangle

consists of the fearful, the feared and those (the oscillators) who

think that fear amounts to nothing more than an exercise in the

investment of blatantly fabricated power associations.

The fearful almost wish to have arbitrary entities dominate them.

Yet, they seem to resent just about any arbitrary entity

dominating them. They use these arbitrary co-ordinates of

acceptability as a basis for their voluntary servitude. The fear of

the fearful merely hides behind several veils but so what? The

veils work even when some believe or 'know' that these veils

hold no water.

The feared exploit the fearful because the former feels that they

can exploit the latter’s apparent ignorance of the thinly veiled

nature of their co-ordinate system. These ruthless entities often

meet their fate in a catastrophe. Those who can escape it, win

big. Yet, the constant state of emergency, that one imposes by

distributing fear to the fearful, can put oneself in a state not

unlike voluntary servitude.

Meanwhile, the oscillators have fun and see the absurd in it all.

Openly mocking the levels, they, not the victors, write the most

hue-filled histories.


75

HISTORIES

Some view time as linear, some as cyclical. Others view time as

sinusoidal, such as with a wave.

How did it all begin? Such a cosmogony, or an origin of the

universe (or map), might prove unknowable (the easy way out:

attribute it to a deus [ex machina]). The cosmogonists still ask

what happened at the very first moment in time. They do not

know. Nothing stops the universe from warping time so that it

could have originated infinitely far back (turtles all the way up)

and last an indefinite amount of time (turtles all the way

down).

This infinity then encourages time to oscillate by virtue of the

law of large numbers, or long periods. The essence of history

repeats but the details vary a tad. This coil of time often

combines with other coils to take into account cycles of various

lengths, producing a multi-component machine of alteration. It

makes use of layering, akin to animation. With so many coils to

observe, any actual patterns often seem random to the

untrained. Yet, to this day, no one has parsed the patterns with

perfect precision. It seems unlikely anyone would ever.

Long term essences largely appear predictable but imprecise,

while short term details always come at the populace with an

unpredictable and haphazard fury. These quick and abrupt

paroxysms give the universe a harsh reputation. They do not

ease in very well with the general operation of things. They form

the bloat of the pervasive, antiquated map.


76

PATTERNS

Once upon a time, a definitive, universal map guided everyone

on how to live under whatever circumstances possible. It told

everyone what to do, what not to wear and so on. The society

went for the map. Any other map bore the marks of some

subterranean ogre. This marked the sub-period of rising

(perceived) definitiveness.

Somewhere along the line, which one could call the 'local

maximum', the ogres fought back and demonstrated to the

somnambulist orienteers that all of their maps could function

just as well, if not more efficiently. Ogres, who took fecal matter

from nobody, infected the non-ogres, who then also began

taking fecal matter from nobody. This marked the sub-period of

falling definitiveness, or of rising non-definitiveness.

No certainty remains of a map that leads everyone to the 'right'

direction. For all one knows, the map could very well lead anyone

tumbling down a rocky bluff, impaled by several rough cactuses

of a coastal arid desert. Some took the ogristic viewpoint and

figured it all out: they revelled for the end of all universal maps,

except for the one that proclaimed the lack of any other.

A new paradigm has yet to fully arise, as the graph crawls back

up to the zero-point. The nature of this abstract enigma, which

one can call the pendulum, becomes more apparent with one

full period of the sinusoidal. However, this pendulum oscillates

not only back and forth between unity and infinity, definitiveness

and non-definitiveness but also to other ends as well. It has the

apparent operation of a random number generator. No longer

exhibiting the qualities of a Boolean switch, the pendulum takes

on a surreal nature.


77

This has described a condition that one could consider as neither

definite nor indefinite. It becomes neither moderate nor

extremist, neither left nor right.

It smashes the absolutes that bloat the map.

Perhaps one might consider a certain 20th century

Algerian as the forefather of such an absurd pathway.

This explorer did not aim for 'old' constructs such as this

and that, but for the addition. No happy medium but

happy extremes!

So as more clue in to the nature of the pendulum, the sinusoidal

graph of varying amplitudes, they will sooner junk the map.

Crowds will then take each performance as simply a controlled

machine, an acting-out, a catharsis, an abreaction of sorts. This

does not mean the upping of mediocrity. Rather, it signifies the

transparency of it all; the bird’s eye view that everything relies

on everything. The transformation into the cornucopia of

extremes will signify that phenomena have moved beyond the

usual polar opposites.

By this era, the pendulum will have the ability to swing among

many ends (not just two or three). At the end of each

performance, spectators will have the ability to retreat back to a

desired territory, where they will continue on with their

respective functionalities, before moving onto something

different or worth revisiting. However, this all becomes

dependent upon the proceedings of the explorers. Should they

slacken, few ends will remain worth revisiting. Then, the collapse

will occur.

Sisyphus does not need to grumble every time he must roll that

boulder. Although each day, the work seems the same as the day

before, it actually evolves. Upon hearing this, Sisyphus resumes


78

his supposed duties that will metamorphose into a satisfying run

of events.

He sines and cosines forward, waving goodbye to the lower x-

values. Only the y-values matter. He tells himself to forget the

arbitrary x-values as well as every other philosopher trying to

lead him astray.

ANALOGIES

Farmers have since time immemorial made use of the climate of

a location. By keeping track of the days to conceptualize the

notion of seasons, they could scrape up the necessary

provisions. Yet, with all the advanced satellite technology and

what not, scientists today still have trouble with predicting exact

geological and meteorological conditions for even the next few

hours. Hell and high water continue to unleash their respective

furies.

If one mixes the sinusoidal theory of history with atmospheric

conditions, one could incorporate climate as the essence, or

disposition, and weather as the detail, or temporary behaviour.

Time gives a framework for phenomena but lets the phenomena

themselves fill in the blanks, as though someone out there had

the voodoo-like power to impose mad-lib-style cartography.

Note that one needs not associate climate, weather and

atmosphere with wind, hail and storm. These words also fit in

with the psychological concepts of behaviour, mood and

disposition in the English language.

SINUSOIDALS

Taking up some interval in time, each mechanism suffers through

the same processes of birth, growth, maturity, decay and death.


79

Some systems may 'short-circuit' this lifecycle, but they do so as

part of another regularly-occurring phenomenon of short-

circuiting.

It begins with a spring phase of spirituality and

enlightenment. It struggles youthfully, working tirelessly

to grow and innovate in order to yield a benign

existence. Chaos ironically reigns, with bouts of

experimentation and trial-and-error: a road to heaven

paved with discordian intents.

Growth and innovation happen during the summer

phase, when art and invention proliferate with

abundance. Technology and art begin to proliferate in an

almost explosive pace. With lemons in hand, one takes a

knife to slice those lemons up before handing them back

to the giver.

Maturity occurs in the autumnal phase with the rise of

large structures and paper-pushing zones. Here, one sees

the maximum potential of a culture-turned-civilization

actualized. It comes time to harvest the fruits of

abundance or experience the superficial pains of regret.

Finally, a sort of senility, an almost wilful decline, begins

to happen. New plants cannot grow in this winter-laden

ice cap. The children focus on operational activities, alibis

that allow them to survive another day. Meanwhile,

civilization ossifies, afraid to bring up new things or past

glories. Many sense the total end, and await the

aftermath for the final decision - or even solution.

Apart from natural catastrophes, self-destruction and perilous

alien invasions, the total end should not happen. It only appears

inevitable, as an individual life lasts neither long enough nor


80

takes time to notice and see the renewal that accompanies the

end of a grand cycle. It happens too gradually for one to notice

without looking at the historical record that, time and again,

things repeat with a sinusoidal oscillation. The amplification, or

height, of the sine function may vary with each passing period,

but the curve takes on the same shape, forever and ever.

THIRD AND FOURTH DIMENSIONALISM

The concepts of third-dimensionalism and fourth-

dimensionalism refer to sameness. Does one treat a current

entity with rapid changes over time as its historic counterpart?

Not too often, actually, while the nomenclature of the historic

counterpart and the current entity remains the same.

In extreme third-dimensionalism, one might view a person at

one point in time as completely different even after an

infinitesimally short interval of time. One always changes. More

moderate third-dimensionalism would interpret the entity as

having a dynamic equilibrium, as opposed to an eternal finite

state.

Either way, after a second (or less), some attribute would have

changed within the entity: the exact amount of oxygen atoms,

the weight of dust resident on a surface, etc. These trivial

attributes perpetuate change, making sure no one

stays strictly the same through time.

In fourth-dimensionalism, a person stays the same so long as

enough 'registered evidence' of a body's existence persists from

one point in time to the next. In the extreme case, one never

changes, from birth to death.

(As an mnemonic, think of third-dimensionalism as having the

function f(t) = ct + K, as in one can vary with t. Then, if we


81

differentiate to a higher-order to f'(t) = c, one stays constant, no

matter at what time, t.)

Registered evidence consists of fiat proof such as well-

documented meetings with the person in 'real-time' or indirect

accounts such as witnessing completed 'work' from that person.

The latter tends towards fabrication, although both suffer from

accusations of fabrication.

(Even video evidence serves as two-dimensional evidence of

three-dimensional space and entities. It does not capture all

angles, but only has an advantage over the photograph with its

one additional temporal dimension.)

Most people see others fourth-dimensionally, in spite of any

temporal distance:

After 20 years of not having visited a baby cousin, most

people will call that cousin 'the same person', though

little has remained of the person from 20 years ago.

Still, some might utter:

'He sure has changed!'

This also goes for inanimate objects. Over time, one may modify

or 'soup up' an automobile so much that it no longer retains its

'original' look. A change of colour, rims, spoilers, windows,

wipers, engines, doors, etc. would have a third-dimensionalist

easily cry foul at calling the automobile 'the same car'. The

fourth-dimensionalist would simply see it as modified.

However, if the time interval spreads out sufficiently wide,

coupled with vastly noticeable alterations, even the colloquial

folk will suddenly view things third-dimensionally.


82

Glancing at the text of some Old English (note: Shakespeare =

Middle English), most Anglophones would certainly not call the

following two passages as having the same 'language':

Hwæt. We Gardena in gear-dagum,

þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

(What. We of the Spear-Danes in old days

of the people-kings, power heard,

how the princes brave deeds did.)

— Beowulf, c. 8th-11th century

Compared to the above, Shakespeare's English now seems

relatively readable, almost intelligible, despite the centuries of

complaints from teenaged students.

The same sea? Aral Sea in 1989 and 2008.


83

In geography, a place could have the same name referenced to

the same geographical (i.e. spatial) co-ordinates, but it still

neglects the temporal dimension. Of course, one could not easily

neglect for large amounts of change within that dimension.

Take for example one who leaves one's childhood hometown

and does not return for several decades. During the person's

absence, the town goes through many upheavals, changes

nationality (whatever that might signify) several times, gets

destroyed and rebuilt, gets destroyed again and rebuilt again.

Most 'natives' leave, not wanting to share the land with the

hostile invaders. And so on.

So, has the person's hometown remained the same? Even take a

more moderate example of a few condominium skyscrapers after

only a few years. Will that person see the town (or city!) as the

same, or experience some sense of alienation?

It seems to follow from the timesteading principle (a temporal

variant of the spatial homestead principle): use it or lose it. If one

does not exercise the experience of a spatio-temporal stimulus,

it will appear to metamorphose and alienate. If one chooses to

fixate over an object, it will seem constant. While this sounds like

common sense, it still appears to bring a great deal of trauma.

OBSESSION

The progression of an obsession X: X? X! X.

The supposed subject presumably asks, discovers and then

banally incorporates. Yet, X (ostensibly) equates to a variable,

rather than a constant. Change the value of X and the illusion

continues. After all, X comprises the set of all possibilities, giving

that illusion.


84

MYSTERIES

Nothing remains a mystery in life: it has largely grown banal.

The future has effectively become a banality.

Entities ostensibly have this histrionic affiliation with things. Even

things that seem 'new'. This includes the author. Feigning of

madness permeates the waves and particles. When the individual

decides to turn down the music and step back, an uncomfortable

acknowledgement of the banality results.

This cannot occur for too long so the individual then decides to

zoom forward into the darkness, yelling 'la la la' at the thought

of the simulacrum. The 'la la la' can appear in the form of art,

industry, science or whatever entices the individual filled with

ressentiment beyond conscious belief. The gestures of novelty

subsequently resonate with sober alacrity.

This happens when pornography (not only of the sexual kind)

has invaded all aspects of life. One can have everything, or at

least simulations of everything, at one’s disposal. This has

happened largely with the Internet: it has given everyone a little

bit of everything and yet, at the same time, a whole of nothing.

The astute know full well of the latter.

Many in ancient times knew this already. Find out when.


85

ADELSON ILLUSION

Also known as the 'checker shadow' illusion, the Adelson

illusion occurs when the same shade looks differently

depending on its surroundings, as such:

In the above, both A and B have the same shade. As absurd as it

sounds, one can try this on any image-editing program using the

eyedropper tool. The results will fascinate anyone the first time

around. It still does after not having seen this illusion for a long

time.

In a darker environment, a non-bright, non-dark entity will seem

bright. In a lighter environment, the same entity will seem dark.

The entity sits between two chairs.


86

CHUBB ILLUSION

Related to the aforementioned Adelson illusion, the Chubb

illusion occurs when the apparent contrast of an object varies

dramatically, depending on the context of the presentation.

A low-contrast texture surrounded by a uniform field appears to

have a higher contrast than when surrounded by a high-contrast

texture:

Image by Joshua A. Solomon

In a sea of eccentricities, any given eccentricity appears almost

conventional. How would an eccentric feel in a world filled with

eccentrics? One could fathom that the eccentric would feel in

utmost euphoria upon the discovery of such a world. The

eccentric would make a beeline for this parallel universe,

embracing the novelties and noise, as depicted in the right side

of the above diagram.


87

EXOTERIC AND ESOTERIC

In every organization, there exists exoteric (public)

and esoteric (private) motives. In some organizations, they

remain nearly identical. In others, a chasm exists between them.

'Scrupulous' organizations tend to have little difference between

their exoteric and esoteric motives. They pride themselves in

having nothing to hide, having no 'exotic' motives. They need

not even hide how they conduct their business because they

have established the confidence to perform their processes

better than anyone else. Many strive to become this kind of

open-source type of firm: unafraid to share, compete and accept

criticism from all corners and walks.

For example, the founders of Organization X want to

make low-priced ice cream. They tell their employees or

volunteers that making low-priced ice cream serves as

their motive. Thus, little information asymmetry exists

there. They then go out there and make their market's

best low-priced ice cream.

Everyone aims to become part of organizations like these. Purely

virtuous organizations do not exist. Some element of secrecy

always pervades in any given group.

Unscrupulous organizations, on the other hand, riddle

themselves with inconsistencies between their exoteric and

esoteric motives.

For example, Organization Y may wish to have an

exoteric motive of saving the tropical rainforest.

Meanwhile, their esoteric motive consists of receiving

funding to spend on frivolous equipment, among other


88

things. Of course, Organization Y will tend to keep its

ulterior, esoteric motives secret from its competitors.

Also, to keep the esoteric motives 'within the organization', the

organization may come to establish hierarchies of information

asymmetry. High-ranking officials would remain in the loop of

the esoteric motives, while leaving lower ranking members in the

dark and behind closed doors. Subordinates tend not to know

about the skeletons in their superior's closets. Unfortunately, this

often results in the latter defending themselves with the classic

line of 'just following orders'. Not knowing their organization's

esoteric motive, they remain completely oblivious of the holistic

picture.

MULTI-STABLE PERCEPTION

Optical illusions with multi-stable perception can

allow one to see different things at different times.

On the diagram shown, at top, the Necker Cube

contains no cues as to whether the cube protrudes

to the right or to the left. Cues such as the surface

on which the cube rests, or its refraction of light

would help a great deal.

Multi-stable perception does not even have to

involve optical stimuli. It can affect the aural

(sound) and olfactory (smell) as well. Abstracting

this further, one can even take this to the

philosophical realm whereby one could perceive an

ideology in X different ways during X different

moments. For example, a book may seem to

change its content automatically each time one

reads it. Multi-stable perception might come up in

a discussion about Gestalt theory, the idea of

categorization and identification of groups.


89

OULIPO

The lipogram, introduced by Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature

potentielle or 'workshop of potential literature'), involves writing

with constraints, such as omitting one or more letters of the

alphabet in a literary work such as a novel. Authors up to the

challenge of lipograms would obviously choose common letters

such as 'E'.

To talk of constraints, people of the Amazonian tribe, known as

Piraha, go about their entire lives speaking a language that

contains no words for numerals and few for colours (exception

of 'light' and 'dark'). Their phonetic inventory also remains one

of the lowest in the world, with less than eight consonants and

three vowels. Only a few tribes in Papua New Guinea can boast

such minimalism.

The Piraha do not write their language and the only writing falls

in the hands of academic linguists. This would lead anyone to

see the tribe as natural lipophones. However, they make up for

their constraints with their ability to whistle in the language,

seeing that sounds could become notes on a musical scale. The

language has only 300 or so speakers, but all monolingual, so

unless some catastrophe occurs (such as Brazilian government-

imposed sanctions against the language), Piraha will not die out.

Although not unusual in the world of languages (e.g. Basque,

Japanese), linguists have found Piraha unrelated to any other

language in the world. This adds to the already mystical quality

of Piraha.

PROSOPAGNOSIA

The face-blind has this inability to recognize an ordinary-looking

person’s face, despite an introduction only a few minutes ago.


90

Unless after a certain amount of face-to-face meetings or unless

the person has a distinct visage, the face-blind consistently

misidentifies a person. This makes it difficult for those who have

prosopagnosia to follow some films. They also have this ability

not to get too star-struck when walking down Hollywood.

SELECTIVE MUTISM

A vast gulf often exists among one's operations,

spoken language and written language (if existent). Thus, one

cannot even take this very passage seriously for it has already

become functionally annihilated. But in the case of recovery:

• Operations involve actual-time presence with action.

• Speaking involves an actual-time presence without action.

• Writing allows a deferral, perhaps even creating a more

relaxed and intelligent-sounding alter-ego.

Thus, a recluse might have his production nullified and

eloquence deteriorated to a selective mutism. Yet, he could still

produce unmatched masterpieces of literature. What comes after

written language? Nothing. Writing has become the last stop

before insanity, or at least the insanity of nothingness.


91

ABSTRACT POLITICS

Politics at its most abstract: here follows a short list of entities

that could infiltrate an interior of a set if its boundaries remain

unchecked. The further down the list one goes, the greater

amount of damage for humanity but with a lesser probability of

it actually happening.

• Human (everyday but highly controllable), e.g.:

o thugs (domestic, everyday people)

o terrorists (distant, unknown people)

• Natural (everyday, not highly controllable), e.g.:

o animals

o disasters (non-animal forces)

• Artificial (likely, if technology goes unchecked), e.g.:

o machines (especially with scary moving parts)

o computers

• Alien (not impossible), e.g.:

o extra-terrestrials

• Spiritual (not documented), e.g.:

o ghosts

o zombies

Whatever the type, each subject wishes to induce all to stay alert

and not sleep on the job.


92

REPRESENTATION

Many entities today constitute of neither a representational

paradigm, nor a pluralistic one, in the purest, idealistic sense. (It

only seems like either one.) Of whatever they constitute the

negation of the representational and the pluralistic warrants a

look at the meta-representative, probabilistic model. It consists

of 'flipping a coin' every few years. This flip determines which

direction to take, for any and all types of decisions for these next

few years.

Subjects under this probabilistic paradigm act as the air

resistance, the weight, etc. of this coin, affecting the side on

which the coin lands. A remote possibility exists that the coin will

land on its side, but this has yet to happen. When it does, the

constituency will gasp in amazement but will soon turn this

revolutionary happenstance into a banality. The sidereal landing

will actually do little to the current situation and even less for

the individual. Not flipping the coin will also stir up some

murmurs but there always exists those who want to flip it and

reverse it. The individual can then only dodge the deadly

poisons, or pretend to swallow them with vehemence.

Reliability, what has become of this? With the entities

functioning in a probabilistic, rather than objective, model,

reliability implies high probability. Even the entities existing in a

probabilistic model sounds like an unreliable statement in itself.

In any case, when something with a high degree of reliability

screws up, one can neither feel betrayed nor have some

ressentiment.

ENUMERATION

Whether consciously or accidentally, numbers have a way of

deceiving. Their method of representation assumes that units


93

exist as black boxes without any further complexities. To

fervently proclaim the quantity of something disregards the

quality inherent in each unit that the quantity represents.

To say that 'a system has increased its count of X by P

units' neglects the quality of each P. It assumes that all P

have the same quality. Oftentimes, this does not happen

and the number used to represent the count of X

becomes a farce.

With many astute observers, one cannot use numbers to sugar-

coat a catastrophe and then pass it off as sublime and benign.

Each number carries a hidden probability of itself. This results in

the extreme catastrophic divergences found in everyday life. The

books get easily cooked and by no fault of anybody. The books

cook themselves.

DISTRIBUTION

A crisis in the distribution of objects currently prevails. This

outlines two heavily-linked problems and a possible resolution.

THE NON-MOTION PROBLEM

If the so-called exchange had possessed a paucity of

movements, time should have solved this itself by now! Arguing

from the perspective that time has not, in fact, solved all

problems, the non-motion problem lies prominently not in the

lack of push, but in the lack of well-distributed pulls to engage

agents in motion.

Even in so-called developed exchanges today, agents still

enjoy engaging in movements without expecting an

external settlement, simply because they derive built-in


94

value from the motion itself. One cannot at all call them

coerced.

Others, even with regular, fortnightly, directly-placed and

quadruple-digit settlements, still 'feel coerced'. One can

then call them 'coerced' but should do some research as

to why they should deserve that title.

Coercion, within the context of profound, forced unhappiness,

occurs when certain factions of the exchange thrive without

much effort. This easily causes the aforementioned ressentiment,

making one unwilling to move for any level of settled value.

(Some parties have tried to curb this ressentiment, by labelling it

a disorder, but this has met with limited success.) Someone will

wonder why one should exchange so much of one’s energy for a

pitiful settlement, in order to partake in a fraction of what the

aggressive acquire in so little time with so little effort.

The average participant also hears superficial rhetoric from the

so-called above that everyone must 'tighten their wills' and

'hope the issues dissipate'. Meanwhile, those at elevated

positions continue to acquire even more frivolous settlements

with even less effort. This easily comes to light, especially with

today’s simulated exchanges, when those below can see how

those above function. Thus, the average participant in the here

and now can no longer seriously buy into any rhetoric from

anywhere at all. The guilty shoot themselves in the foot with

their own existence.

The guilty parties (they know themselves) will find that they have

fewer frivolities in which to indulge. Finally, it all spirals and

implodes down into a flattened zone of rubble from which all

must pick and rebuild.


95

THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM

This no longer concerns a specific ideology or the need for

another ideology, or even a non-ideology. All these ideologies

belong to the century past, when they did not even exist in their

purest forms. That century has long gone. Pure ideologies have,

in any case, a very low probability of lasting, especially with the

ubiquitous availability of simulated exchanges.

(Notice how few, if any, power stations now clamp down on

certain groups manifesting specific explosive-sounding

ideologies simply for existing.)

With deconstruction, the corruption of terms and conditions

occur anyhow, whether keeping with the status quo or bringing

on a package of abrupt alterations. Stalemates present

themselves in every conflict because one side has as much an

argument of significance as the other. On a systemic level,

forcing a 'new age', 'transcendental' regime, can no longer

happen, not even after decades of paroxystic tendencies. To look

at what the present and the future require, one has to go

beyond the rhetoric and even beyond the code itself.

If the set of objects experiences a catastrophe, a sustainable

continuity will not come to the oppressed. Instead, it becomes

each agent to oneself. Some may luck out and endure by

mutuality. Fortunately, at this time of writing, one still has time

to prepare for the shift.

THE POSSIBLE SOLUTION

So, how to solve these problems? To prevent the approaching

relative nullity, each must create a local universal that lasts long

enough. Those who wish not to believe in this local universal can

create their own universals elsewhere and see how it all works


96

for them. None of these universals will come out perfectly, but

this matters little. Simply construct some outlet and time will

flow favourably.

Do not expect an equitable dissemination in the future.


97

MEDIA

The graphical era of text prospered after the press and with

images (paintings) during the transitory periods when certain

techniques allowed the craft of brushstrokes and chiaroscuros to

prosper. The aural era blossomed with the arrival of speakers,

radios and televisions in the 20th century.

The tactile era seems to have phased itself in with the

development of holographic media and the fascination for

unique architectural styles. As well, gadgets that contain both

visual and acoustic media (smartphones and tablets) accentuate

the coming of this paradigm.

This somewhat rhymes with the earlier tactile eras of the

ancients, when, after a series of cave paintings and

development of early music instruments, the media of

sculpture and pottery predominated. Pottery nearly

became a world-wide phenomenon, much like the

telecommunications of the 21st century.

What era comes next? There still remain gustatory and

olfactory interests to hegemonize the lifestyle. Exotic cuisines

and scents will become as important as the need to keep in

touch. It almost sounds comical that the upcoming eras will

touch the basest senses. After a few centuries of intellectually-

demanding eye-work and ear-work, perhaps it has come time to

take a break from the analyzing and just bask in the more lavish

stimuli of touching and smelling.

How these five senses have cycled throughout human history,

and with how much certainty they will progress in the future,

remain an exercise for the reader.


98

RECKONERS

The author once used four different systems with heydays in four

different decades in the same day, everyday:

• command-line prompt (mostly at work)

• desktop (at work and at home)

• browser (mostly at home)

• mobile device (everywhere)

The old command-line interface carries on a sense of

seriousness. It gives no room for playfulness to let the user

experiment, innovate, create and so on. It has a limited set of

strict rules. This highly linear system commands the user to do

everything in an often long process of discrete steps. The old,

clunky system means business. It doesn’t want to make friends. It

just wants to make money.

Sporting a black screen with white or green text and red borders,

press a key on this decades-old interface to continue. Then go

through thirty more gruelling keystrokes. Finally, press a button

only once to save – but don’t press the button twice! Or else,

everything will go missing. Everything. Such an inane rule! Yes,

start again, with no built-in auto-save functionality. For the love

of Steve Jobs, it does not even have a manual save function.

The programmers didn’t care to consider such usability and

contingency. They didn’t respond to the market then, so how

likely will they now? Yet, 'survival' depended on this poorly

coded mishmash that had struggled each day to allocate mass

amounts of resources for over a thousand stores serving millions

of people spread out across millions of square kilometres. To

add insult to injury, programmers in general would eagerly

encourage usability features and careful planning in projects that


99

involve frivolous fun and games, not systems with livelihoods at

stake!

Somehow preferring to fix the new and relatively unimportant

sounds more enticing. After all, the novelty programs have not

yet sunk too far down to become too difficult to retrieve.

Programmers had also encoded the new packets of logic in an

easy-to-read, easy-to-modify format. The old but still very

important systems, however, seem more difficult to change. They

have sunk too far down to retrieve easily. What has remained of

their readable source code looks hard-wired and non-editable.

Those who programmed such code no longer wish to look at it

at all. They have moved onto other things. They probably no

longer even exist. So, a combination of the lack of self-

documentation, the house-of-cards-like implementation, the lack

of available help and among other things, complicates the repair

and improvement of old machines. The past causes such pains

and headaches, but so too does the future, as it bases itself on

the past.

At a younger age, the future consisted of expecting that

something will come along like how the colonists would

'liberate' 'primitive folk' from the tyranny of the house-of-cards.

As the future came and went, the house-of-cards continued to

exist. Now, the future of this existing future consists of no one

giving a genuine scrap about existence, not even wanting to

conquer and enslave.

It all now lies on each individual (using that term very loosely) to

liberate oneself from whatever primitive mentalities one might

have that tyrannize the soul each and every day. To do this, one

needs to take stock of resources and build a universe around it

to live comfortably. Let every universe last more than just two

days!


100

DECOYS

If one has had trouble starting a paradigm, one could try

rendering items without regard to quality, standards,

conventions or protocols.

Simply render and release them.

Should fortune bestow upon these decoy renderings, then one

can disregard this section and celebrate one’s 'arrival' into the

high society. If not, one simply needs to return back to the

drawing board by loosely studying a convention. After such a

scholastic exercise, the producer can combine one’s decoys with

derivatives of the convention studied.

Forgiveness over permission.

(The fearful producer will simply imitate the convention

verbatim. No astute entity would call that 'art' but 'craft': a mere

betrayal of the production process.)

To decoy, obtain:

• the conventional definition of an object

• an image of an object, then erase the above definition

• the actual object, then erase the above image

Sublimate the definitions into images. Recuperate the images

into an actual object. Grind the object into dust and begin all

over again.

Images display only two dimensions in space and no dimensions

(2+0) in time. This contrasts with the colloquial interaction with

'reality' of three dimensions in space and one dimension in time

(3+1). This should readily come out clear that images serve as


101

only partial representations of occurrence. Even videos offer only

two dimensions in space and one dimension in time (2+1).

Yet, some groups insist on taking a photograph as proof of the

occasion, when all know the image has little to no 'truth' value,

especially since it has become easier to produce counterfeits.

One might think that so-called perfect crimes will exist once

somehow there exists a way to project the 3+1 onto another

3+1. It can’t get anymore 'real' than that, correct? However, once

hackers find a way to alter 3+1, it becomes easy to disbelieve

any image and, consequently, any event, even if it happens right

before each of one’s very eyes.

With events, one can maintain presence – at best. One only has

that on hand. No photograph, video nor hologram will ever

provide the full story. Presence will neither, but it gets quite

close, in this life of unfortunate approximations.

On a very crucial note, the reality of evidence could not function

properly if hackers manage to mess around with 3+1. Once they

do, justice must occur instantaneously or never at all.


102

MEMES

Like media, they consist of abstract containers to hold a 'loose

universe' that permits derivatives, all the while having its

language and alphabet stay within the confines of a grammar.

Two broad categories of memes:

• Nostalgia ('past' utopias)

• Seduction ('present' utopias)

A seduction may seduce many observers at a time. Yet, observers

can become seduced by many seducers at a time. It makes for a

great comedy.

Memes do not exist only as Internet images but, most

importantly, as intangible systems. It has more to do with the

function rather than content. As well, the more 'useful' or easily

self-propagating this meme becomes. The meme then gains the

ability to snowball into a giant foofaraw. If so 'fortunate' enough,

this meme-ball envelops the entire world. Everyone knows of it,

whether they use or take part in the meme or not.

The meme slowly becomes more of an annoyance to many, than

a source of pride that it once gave to its early adopters. Still,

participants of the meme continue participating in it because

they cannot imagine, let alone live, a life without it.


103

MAPS

Ordinarily, the territory consists of what one now directly

experiences. Even direct experience of the past, becomes a map

in itself. Thus, empirical observations of the territory often fail as

reliable guideposts. That psychological projection of experience,

a projection of the past into the present, warps due to the

imperfection of memory and perception. With the current

moment having no duration, it quickly flees from focus and into

subversion.

Of course, one cannot deny that several degrees of mapping

exist: those which constitute the cold, raw tangibles (on one side

of the spectrum) and those made up of hot plasma (on the other

side).

From now on, to take on the role of the pragmatist, the

'territory' will refer to the tangible, while the 'map' to the

almost intangible. The map will also almost especially

refer to the pervasive map, ubiquitous for all intents and

purposes.


104

The 'higher degree of mapping' will denote the

representation of the intangible. The 'lower degree of

mapping' will denote the representation of the tangible.

The map continues to exist but finds itself dangerously close to

extinction, as it increasingly calls itself the non-pipe of Magritte.

Human knowledge will always amount to a map, never the actual

territory. By extension, human language, a subset of human

knowledge, can only express a fraction of reality and not reality

itself. Thus, the jury finds the map 'good enough' for prosecution

and execution. Any jury thereafter has free range to use this case

as 'precedent'.

Furthermore, some territories have perhaps 'sunk' to the level of

the map.

The comparably sterile shopping center of today vaguely

simulates the marketplace of ancient times, where

boisterous merchants would bargain, noisy animals

would make their sounds and so on. In turn, such a

marketplace may imitate an earlier human nature that

anthropologists will summarize with great gusto.

Similarly, one then stops wondering whether life amounts to a

simulation. Reality consists of chaos, the first moment, the

moment during the big bang. Everything that came out of it, the

derivations, constitutes a simulation of that reality. Simulation

consists of all that exists. Remixes anyone?

The future of mapping will emphasize the use of search engines

and universal input (i.e. an atlas that anyone can edit), for the

purposes of improved interactivity with and/or further

exploration of an unfamiliar environment.


105

Traditional maps have become so hyper-detailed, cluttered with

so much symbology, that they have grown more complex than

the objects they have intended to represent.

The purported purpose of using maps, then, becomes the issue

of filtering out information, rather than trying to represent

everything about everything. On a practical level, civil servants

may want to use a map just to find out something such as the

locations of sewer lines within a certain radius of a building.

The map can no longer function as the territory.

As well, using a certain common auxiliary verb elicits the

universal bias of assertion. E-Prime tries to correct this but it

serves as an exercise in futility: it still uses words, which

themselves, consist of maps to a territory which they can never

fully know. The non-transparency of language, at the same time,

needing to use it, ushers in the concept of cognitive dissonance

to all.

Augmented reality will not use the traditional points, lines and

polygons still used today in web maps. Instead, other signals

(such as text and/or voice) will aid one upon arriving to a

relevant place or upon request, grab information about said

place. Filters will also block out any unnecessary data in terms of

relevance and past searches, much as sites do now with search

queries.

Whatever the case, the new map will act more as a smart human

guide than as a flat piece of paper littered with an archipelago of

symbols. It should have the capability to do more than just

provide directions by assisting with non-spatial tasks such as

comparison shopping, local cultural awareness and the like.

Maps move from the act of representation to presentation.


106

SLOGANS

Shouting slogans no longer woos the masses. Sloganeers cannot

rile them up to a state of involvement these days. Masses appear

to suffer from maladies of unfocused behaviour nowadays and

prefer to invest themselves with distracting abstractions. It

sounds paradoxical that they act so impulsively but still reject

these brief, aphoristic universals. Instead, they seem to enjoy

things that wire them into a focused paradigm that drills over

and over those same slogans but embedded within a semblance

of a well-iterated discourse. After all, living in a world inundated

with aphoristic universals quite possibly stirs up a need for

something more superficially verbose.

If necessary, the slogan must stray away from standing alone in

the platonic desert and include itself within a cornucopia of

other contents, examples and accessories in order to woo the

masses from other competing slogans. Otherwise, it comes off as

a one-trick pony with its ascription vulnerable to destruction by

other 'cool' ascriptions. In a time when anyone can debunk any

ascription, one must pad it with some sort of continuity and

refusal of aphoristic universals, rather than provide the slogan as

a discrete package.

Let the slogan consist of any kind of ideology that advocates an

ultra-universal. Those who accuse someone of engaging in

'lesser, ultra-universal, activities', may accuse this someone of

having conservative beliefs. However, upon further inspection,

this 'conservative' has evolved beyond the need for ultra-

universal beliefs far beyond anyone else! Consider this seemingly

unenlightened person, post-ultra-universal.

Many possess that inability to distinguish between the pre- and

post-. Only time can enable the accusers to understand their

earlier fallacies. To presuppose superiority over another while


107

not contemplating the possibility of the inverse, stirs up a tough

inner fight later.

Attempting to deem some universal as ne plus ultra, the accuser

has no clue that the other had actually long ago broken down

the accuser’s universal to bits. The other role-played the fool to

render the accuser the final fool of them all.

In effect, the system of objects provides this arena of

ressentiment that has everyone calling each other fools, pointing

fingers here, there and everywhere. Due to the lack of a

universal, except for the universe itself and its lack of any other

universal, the script becomes burnt after reading.


108

SPACES

Intuitively, one can take a surface and slide it in an angular

direction to yield a 'space' (if not a 'solid'). Here, the seduction

truly begins as one can lead another astray into believing that

this nothingness actually consists of something significant. It

can. It all comes down to the code and how one obfuscates it to

the point where one cannot find the point.

In most cases, one’s fear for one’s space does not involve

incomprehensibility but comprehensibility. Comprehend?

This then concludes the digitization project for a universe with

only three dimensions. The same basic principle applies for

higher dimensional universes. This goes beyond the scope of this

book, which simply means that the author, if still existing, has

succumbed to the deadly sin of sloth and will not pursue this

non-matter further.


109

TIME AS SPACE

Time in that sense occupies a kind of space.

Time does measure the progression towards the eventual

flattening of the heavily feature-bloated map. One might use the

term duration to refer to the 'length' of an event, while using

the term interval as a 'distance' between events. With the use of

'lengths' and 'distances', one emphasizes a sort of one-

dimensional quality of time, separate from the spatial

dimensions of length, width and depth. From this perspective, it

seems like time has taken on a linear quality. However, one

should fear not, if one has a cyclical view of time.

Besides the everyday notions of seconds, minutes, hours, days,

weeks, months, years and the occasional fortnight, one seldom

peruses other units to express time. All activities fall within

triple-digit quantities of the aforementioned units. The following

will allude to the need for brevity after the flattening of the map:

To consider a day of 27,000 seconds long will greet the

closed-minded stares of the un-awakened, who most

likely have to experience a 27,000 seconds of

deconstruction. Even they do not take too kindly to 450

minutes of deconstruction. No, they prefer just 7.5 hours.

Also, due to the lack of everyday terms to express

miniscule (overly short) or majuscule (overly long)

amounts of time, cartographers will make use of the

infinitesimal metric prefixes (e.g. nano-seconds, pico-

seconds, etc.) or invent their own units for large numbers

(e.g. eons) if they need to do so.

With the exception of the very small or the very large, one needs

not transform time into a different numerical base for the sake


110

of consistency. Revolutionaries in the 18th century tried this, but

with limited to no success. It seems very unlikely now that

anything else will replace the sexagesimal. It has become too

entrenched in a culture that records everything. Myriads of

temporal details using that paradigm have already seeped inside

several decentralized networks, in an attempt to duplicate the

hyper-tracked world.

Thus, some of the symbology will inevitably survive.

Yet, so many blobs of information render missing due to some

ironic loss of data or an equally, if not more, ironic glut of data.

Granted, there often exist duplicates, triplicates, n-tuplicates of

unnecessary information floating around in the networks as of

late. Does one also need to record every aspect of one’s life?

WORK SPACES

User interfaces for various operations, whether an operating

system, website, or even a physical desk, always tends towards

the familiar pattern of top bar, left sidebar, workspace and

bottom bar. If opting for scalability, a workspace may eventually

sport those usual suspects. Many operating systems, if not all,

seem to tend towards this optimal paradigm.

• Top bar ('hutch')

o menu to list all available items or settings

• Left sidebar ('return')

o toolbox for commonly used items or settings

• Action space ('desktop')

o where tasks go to completion

• Bottom bar ('tray')

o optional for monitoring system's status


111

In the early stages of development, developers of a system

might experiment with various user interface designs. Some will

have gargantuan menus on the side with very little workspace

(i.e. minimal content), the equivalent of hyper-organization.

Others will reject any menus, swearing only by a 100 per cent

action space design (i.e. minimal navigability), the equivalent of

a 'messy desk'.

TOP BAR MENU

These appear as clean strips (top bar, hutch) on top, opening up

more choices upon the user’s request and minimized when not

needed. It allows the user to look as deep as possible. What

occurs elsewhere in the user interface (e.g. on the sidebar), top

bar menus must too contain. It forms the system’s table of

contents.

LEFT SIDEBAR

An always-open sidebar (return) provides the most frequently

used items or settings without desktop clutter. Obvious

advantages include the easy reach of items to reduce

hierarchical selections.

The sidebar has an analogue in the physical world: a pencil cup

on a return. Anyone using pencils often would not wish to access

them in a locked box stored within a cabinet. Trying to hide

pencils in some drawer or cabinet has met with limited success.

A pencil cup repeatedly shows up on a desk but remains unused.

Pencils lie flat loosely on the desk.

In any case, the left sidebar forms the system’s equivalent of a

margin on ruled or lined paper.


112

ACTION SPACE

This should obviously take up the most space: the action space.

If one looks at operating systems, websites and one’s own desk,

the workspace should take up 80 per cent of the space and

devote only 20 per cent of it to menus and sidebars. This gives

enough room to breathe but with all tools within reach.

BOTTOM BAR

Optionally, a tray could show the current status of utilities, while

sounding alerts whenever a surprise emerges. On websites, this

almost always appears as a bottom bar.

On the physical desk, this might actually consist of a

smartphone.

On the smartphone itself, the bottom bar could appear on top

and the top bar menu could appear at the bottom (the allocation

of 'top' and 'bottom' in this case enjoys such interchangeability).

Analogously, books have a footnote space.


113

CO-ORDINATIONS

While on the subject of spaces, have we noticed that black goes

well with 'public' spaces? This choice, if made, does not come

arbitrarily. Black has this honest, no-nonsense sentiment. This

dark complexion focuses on white china so as to spot

imperfections in the alimentation. It also minimizes the visibility

of past spills. Silver for the cutlery forms the only semblance to

nature as it distantly hints at the mineral connection when

prehistoric conditions dictated the use of grey rocks as tools.

The living room contains black leather sofas to give that stern

yet 'cultured' look. Apparently this gives the choice of placing

caffeinated beverages atop silver coasters (mineral protection) on

black or glass coffee tables.

White receives employment in the private and protected

functions. The bright shade sends a message of salvation and

hygiene. Bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchens could fit this

description. Outside the house, one might notice hospitals

opting for this scheme. Coincidence, one might then retort.

White appears in toilet paper, bathtubs and cotton swabs to see

what has transferred. This projects the negative entropy, the

miseries, onto blank canvases. The black equivalents of those

objects have little use because of the need, even subconsciously,

to sense this perverted accomplishment.

Whereas, public spaces remain black so to make the effects of

others go unregistered, perhaps due to jealousy or perhaps due

to contempt. Yet, guests might pick up on that air of insecurity

by having all public furniture painted in some dark shade. So, to

quash these suspicions one starts to place hues on objects,

trying to assign values to these properties. Set and let them get

comfortable with the function!


114

Mix in some glass, gold and silver and one might catch oneself

with a neo-classical look that has 'value'. Oh, here comes

'humanity' again. Offer some blue if there exists a love for

tradition or red for the passion and tension. Then, of course,

green for the sake of symbolizing growth, an abstraction for the

dissemination of vegetation. Soon come the careless acceptance

of purples, pinks, oranges, yellows until the whole residence

becomes a general mishmash of everything.

Hyperinflation ensues. Restart with a blank canvas.

IMPERMANENCE

Oh, the impermanence! To get up to that level when one thinks

all has secured everything only to actualize at the very last

moment! The seduction of dropping everything and leaving

becomes very attractive. Hope also stands in the corner, waiting

to manipulate and 'enslave' one to Sisyphus. Only the Stockholm

Syndrome in that case can perhaps yield any 'good' so as to

make one feel that 'manipulation' signifies direction and

'enslavement' signifies duty. So hope suddenly provides

direction and gives a sense of duty!

So to brush it all away and start again, or to have hope hold its

prisoners captive while they begin to identify with it. Change

begins. Soon, the impermanence somehow works to the

prisoners’ benefits. The negative entropy comes out amplified.

Sensory overload has resulted. The exponential increase of

seductions! More octets needed! Chemical bondings galore! 600

friends on the open networks and for what? More chemical

bondings! More values returned: booleans, integers, doubles,

floating points! Oh yes, remember the floating points!

Violence then no longer dresses up as a suicide bomber but a

suave and sophisticated man donning a tuxedo speaking three


115

'languages' in their 'standard' 'dialect' while offering a tincture

of sorts. A sedative or an offering of peace? Whether acceptance

or declination – oh, what fun to ride on a one-horse open sleigh!

Hey!

Own gold but never see it. Own parts of a group but never have

any control nor have any say in what it does, where it goes or

who it swallows. Quantity trumps quality in the land of the

eternal evening.

The buzz dissolved upon waking. Whatever, it went back to null.

Where has that pot of instant coffee gone? Where has all the

time gone? All those useless referentials, feeling like taxation on

the temporal income. Dump the instant coffee and go out for a

latte! Then, what happens? So what?

Reconvene with the ineffective caffeine? When a computer

'crashes', it might have gone through an infinite loop – obeying

instructions over and over and over and over and over and over

and over and over and over and over and over … again. Scary (or

not even surprising) that it might not even think of it as doing

so. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.


116

TEMPORAL LIBERTARIANISM

Trying to break free but remaining unable, the worms eat into

the central processing unit. (This paraphrases the lyrical mood of

an inactive delegation.) After a while, the unit no longer has the

ability to perform even the simplest functions, or even attach the

simplest values to an object. Even constant values become

erased. With no proper garbage collection or recycling, the

storage stagnates. However, this does not mean it fails to exist

or that its existence has ended. In this frame of reference, one

could interpret it (again, attaching value to an object) as storing

a constant value of null.

To temporal libertarians, time thus enslaves while appearing to

provide the service of sustenance through slumber taxes. Sleep

can seem like slavery since slumber goes against one’s will. As

well, those who voluntarily nap and doze off 'enslave themselves'

and acquire the pejorative label 'temporalists'. Insomniacs try to

evade taxes and the audit and so on.

Yet, one could also argue that time has homesteaded existence.

One must then pay rent to time through sleep for the benefit of

living within the confines of existence in the temporal dimension.

However, suppose that nature somehow abolishes the need for

sleep. After a while, especially for the generations who never

knew of sleep, a thermidor would come into effect.

Something else might emerge from the realm of exploitation.

In practice, the degree of morality or immorality of a task

performed depends on the costume (symbol) that one dons. The

individual may find it optimal (although not always practical) to

don only one costume and learn to enjoy the institutionalized

vice for which one has the ticket to inflict upon the actuality of

existence. Wearing any more than three costumes would destroy


117

one’s license to practice any of the seduction methods by

principle of temporal homesteading or timesteading. Losing

time with the costume loses the license. At that point, one

begins to see that the veil hides nothing but vice: one can call

that hell for all intents and purposes.

Additionally, a paradigm of rule by some institution exists:

• One cannot associate with just about anybody. A

'centralized' authority need not enforce this; privately

employed staff may thwart a meeting between a pair just

as well.

• One cannot eat exactly anything without consequence,

wear anything (or nothing) in public or have any job at

whim. As with friendship, a 'centralized' authority may

enforce this (the restraining order) but a 'privatized'

authority may do just as well (the bodyguard) to prevent

any of the three circumstances from occurring.

• Even nature has an institutional role. Existence might

very well have an authoritarian personality. Lava flows

may opt to prevent the barefoot crossing of certain

parcels of land. The great Jupiter must revolve around

the Sun every 11.9 years (or so) and give that illusion for

billions of years. A person must sleep to pay off the three

tithes to the bureau of time!

In the long run, the code becomes spaghetti and eats itself.


118

STRUCTURES

A certain structure could no thoroughfare out of the

occupational impasse, forming an exigency to escape from it. A

sense of urgency to exit began. A lifetime of collecting and

educating for oneself reached a critical mass. It became time to

motivate oneself to a new role with room to grow: by becoming

beyond the structure.

The structure then decided to enter an institution to enable an

exit strategy into another paradigm that would involve some

semblance of control. It took a leap of faith to make the

decision, knowing full well that this switch could lead to yet

another struggle with institutional domination and hegemony,

creating a worse impasse than previously suffered.

So there then existed:

• No goals, only roles!

• No passengers, only crew!

• No spectators, only players!

• No consumers, only prosumers!


119

THE STRUCTURE

One can use an outdated theory to decipher the inner workings

of a story by finding the key components of its underlying

structure. Some variants of this idea believe that there exist only

a few 'templates' of 'creativity'. In these last days of authorship,

many try so adamantly to escape a formula or a convention, only

to end up with something similar to another, albeit obscure,

scripture from the past.

One should not fear of becoming a copycat. Besides, as

everything comes from everything, even the greatest of the

greatest have had their influences from someone or somewhere

else. One does not need to look at originality but the proceeding

results of the redundancy: not what one says but how one says

it. If one outwardly creates too obvious a redundancy, no one

will listen. If the redundancy takes on (even superficially) a few

tweaks, someone might actually listen and even fixate upon the

redundancy until the collapse.

Welcome to the remix (re-)generation.

BOUNCEBACK

A bounceback occurs when the structure slips from the leading

class of the upheaval and goes back into the system’s 'old ways'.

Too accustomed to the old ways, everyone neglects the planned

out strategy of 'the new' and quietly moves back into what they

had always done. This does not even need to happen violently

and often actually happens gradually and quietly.

Heads of a department might decide to implement a new modus

operandi after decades of using an antiquated but functional

platform. Agents working for them would immediately protest

the switch. Discomfort would prevent the department from


120

adopting this change with warm welcomes. Naturally, had the

heads made the changes more incrementally, they would move

forward with new systems with more success. Abrupt upheavals,

on the other hand, summon the bounceback.

The more things change, the more they stay the same?

That seems the case when one wants to switch into a career too

far removed from one’s mainstay occupation. Some can adjust to

the rapid-fire sea change but most find themselves reverting to

the one thing that held them down for so long. It becomes ever

more frightening when nothing had held them down in the first

place, or when what held them down simply no longer exists.

Revolution then becomes an evolution. While the essence of an

evolution itself might not sound as exciting, one usually reserve

the exciting parts for the details. Unfortunately, evolution

eventually prevents the explorers from providing a greater

variety of ends for the pendulum.

The end of evolution becomes imminent.

AFTER THE STRUCTURE

In this age of rediscovered postmodernism (Hindus in the 6th

century BCE already discovered this 'no one universal truth' thing

with their anekantavada), one does not need to directly and

explicitly state something in order to have implied something.

Yet, this retort remains common in many a low-brow discussion.

Beginning their lives with a tabula rasa, one cannot blame these

souls for not having discovered the polysemy of words and

phrases that the Hindus discovered before the Greeks even

started settling down and holding a well-paid senior role in

philosophizing. Yes, that made up one non-run-on sentence.


121

In any case, those who engage in 'X never said' discussions, have

no idea that words and phrases do not exist in mutually

exclusive sets but as interlocking circles of implicit relations with

one another. Just as with people, a word or a phrase can have

guilt by association.

So if one calls another person out on having implied or

insinuated something, the other may need to admit that

somewhere in the subconscious, 'something' actually also meant

'something else' too. Although a very strong form of deflecting

moral responsibility, 'never said' cannot hold as airtight

evidence. One must call now for their limited edition of

'definitions gone wild' at the number located at the bottom of

the screen!


122

MOVEMENTS

The official clearinghouse has transferred itself to its own satire.

It has put itself into its own projection, while nullifying what

remains. That projection contains the original reality, but now

mocked by its own members. This projection can point to a past

historical figure or a present 'fringe' figure that nevertheless

enjoys relatively mainstream news coverage.

Strangely, anything unorthodox becomes projected onto the

orthodox. Everything orthodox, moral and conformist has now

shifted to the anti-orthodox, as if the world has experienced a

full-tilt, a full reversal, a full reflection, of sorts. If one dares

inquire about the non-meaning of something, one becomes a

traitor to the conspiracy of the anti-orthodox.

All stupidity and nullity of others fall into the fringe of the now

unorthodox orthodox, as a projection of the own stupidity and

nullity of the anti-orthodoxy. A revisionism has occurred and

almost invisibly. X has become Y and Y has become X. Z still

remains Z in the interim but will not for long. X and Y will

become one and the same, with Z very close to assimilation. The

more members Z acquires, the more useful Z becomes. Metcalfe

knew this quite well when it came to the networks.

The astute remain neither orthodox nor anti-orthodox. Nor can

one seriously claim that they reside in the centre of this spectral

paradigm. It more so involves an actualization beyond this linear

configuration. It has no name. It should not or else it falls prey to

the monolith that has swallowed up everything with a name.


123

BEYOND THE STRUCTURE

The meta-structural will remain a means for the non-archivist

type who collects disparate sets of data and information for use

towards some larger, non-web body of work. Meanwhile,

archivists may still run web sites with original content,

unavailable on any other format – but these will become

increasingly rare. The same archivists might find it prudent to

back them up on other formats. In the case of a systemic

meltdowns, whether local (e.g. blackouts, disasters) or global (i.e.

an unthinkable catastrophe), other formats would prove more

useful if (or when) Internet access suddenly become unavailable,

even if only temporarily.

The meta-structure will exist as a means to compositions such as

books and live performances. Superficially, larger bodies of work

tend to provide more clout than small, ephemeral, blog-sized

morsels of information. (One only needs to look at the state of

micro-blogging now.) As they exist on 'harder' copies, works

have a higher degree of universality when it comes to operability

in extreme times (e.g. a cookbook during a power outage, a

survival manual in the wilderness, etc.). While this sounds rather

blatant, in an environment where everything runs deceivingly

smoothly and one can access libraries of information with a

wallet-sized gadget, one easily takes it for granted that they will

always have that crucial connection.

When compared to pieces of paper, reading text on any digital

screen can hurt after a while. Yet, no one can argue against a

digital copy’s search functionality and conservation of raw

materials (paper, ink, etc.). So, digital copies will help as just that:

digital, for the convenience of searching and as copy, for the

sake of conservation. Watching the metaphorical dust settle,

digital and hard copies will continue to co-exist in a symbiotic

balance for a very long time. When a hard copy vanishes,


124

digitized copies backed up on multiple USB sticks will come to

the rescue to produce a good-enough version of the original

(what with 3D printers in the horizon). Should the digital copy

vanish, hey, a job for re-digitization swings open.

So, with that said, neither the digital nor hard copy controls the

other: they co-exist. Each its own advantages over, and

disadvantages under, the other. Tidally locked, the map of media

has once again flattened its crinkled portions and settled for a

level playing field between the digital and analog.

CONVERSIONS

Conversion leads to a breakpoint. The hand that feeds (i.e., to

which one shows reverence) later slaps, giving no chance even to

bite back. So many times has the victim succumbed to this

conversion and so needlessly! Victims have all loved to claim

that finding the right symbol to possess their admiration will

have everything function with flying colors: hue, saturation and

intensity! Of course, the problem lies not in the symbol but on

the very notion of conversion.

Reverence leads to following symbolic collections to the letter,

while not taking into account the pathetic excuses of universality

in most, if not all, claims. Erroneous data types lie and fester, yet

look benign. A delegate remains ready to invoke an event of an

alarm in some undefined future. Exceptions to the abstract rules

may carry no friendly messages.

Symbols and abstracts form the group of dependencies that

often lure and destroy the majority. They in fact form the basis

of the lyrics found in many so-called creative collaborations.

Everyone has heard these songs, in one form or another,

performed by some or another.


125

Dependencies have that easily deconstructible 'acceptability'

value that differs from culture to culture, sub-culture to sub-

culture. Even when one tries to rid of it, the dependency

continues to blast through and infiltrate the other realms. They

proceed to abuse the converted with nudges and winks.

The dependency always returns with an organic dance, waxing

ever so gradually. The victim must then prepare a story, an alibi,

about the 'falling out' if the dependency does not perform to

expectations. Best off, the victim goes on to deny outrightly any

falling out, implementing another veil to hide away the nothing

that exists. Perhaps, the victim could even dare ask the other

victims about their dependencies and 'how goes it with them'.

A taste of their own Taklamakan!

Plenty of sand for everybody!

A life out of balance, could represent a period of constant

conversion, a period of flux and brutality. The entity must not

arrive at the stall that sells kits for reflexive deletion. If the entity

makes it to the period of transition, the sentiment of acting as a

contestant should persist with a more lucid mind. That sets the

stage for an era of higher competition. Those competing will see

the conversion of the unsuspected and unexpected as the

game’s primary objective.

However, this apparent objectivity can change without notice.

Surprises seem to know how to enter through the side door.

Upon apparent completion, the celebratory drinks pop open and

flow with a gleeful and unregulated hedonism. After a short

while, the buzz dies and the bar fights rage again, spilling out

into the streets.


126

No plug-and-chug formula exists on how to optimize that. Thus,

simply take a guess, spin the wheel, roll the dice, go all-in with

pocket deuces and see what happens. By the way, rolling

doubles no longer mean another roll.

Certain machines do not know that they do the same thing over

again infinitely. So many then learn how to exploit these

machines. The Alderson knows of a switch that will terminate

the exploitative masters, but sadly cannot seem to reach it. So-

called authors have made several tragic fables out of this.

Conversion: that which leads the unsuspecting astray.

INTERVENTIONS

Text makes for a low impact in terms of public intervention.

Take this very example: few will likely read this message due to a

lack of reach without a major publisher, exacerbated by the

contemporary lack of interest in these topics by the general

public. Even if millions read this message, they can and will

shove it aside to go back to their daily routine of dull tasks and

exchange-value entertainment with the anticipation of going to

a 'better place'. Oh, the post-literate, post-humanity.

Meanwhile, other forms of public intervention can halt that

lifestyle. The public will then have to actually do something in

order to return back to their miserable existences or give in and

learn the ever-changing ways of the public interventionists. This

can come in the form of a street occupation for several months,

if not years. Especially with movements such as 'plop art' (e.g.

wrapping a statue in red tape), contemporary art screws around

with tatemae-centric minds, while allowing the more astute to

feel more at ease as these forms provide the stage with a fresh

sense of aesthetic and philosophical violence.


127

However, not all forms of public intervention need to have such

a high level of obviousness. The Internet demonstrates one

example of public intervention that has gained widespread

tolerance and acceptance, especially in the spheres of the world

that matter. No one who has stepped into the Internet world

could actually tolerate a pre-Internet world without much

rehabilitation. This instance has become so ingrained that the

public now takes it for granted.

Infiltrating television stations used to mean controlling

humanity. Now, it can still control a large portion of it although

television no longer remains the target of public interventionists.

The medium has waned. Not only does each channel have to

compete with several dozens of other channels but with other

forms of media, including those that involve occupying the

streets.

Shock films have even less of a chance of doing anything to

society at large. They may push the boundaries of human

behaviour to seemingly far-flung territories of the universe but

they lie on the periphery of accessibility with the current glut of

social data.

TRANSPARENCIES

An advanced (and, inevitably repressive) collective could afford

not to purge their malevolent elements merely for containing

subversive dependencies, especially with abrupt measures. Such

a move poses as too obvious and unsustainable.

Instead, the collective allots them open plazas because it knows

that no one else will further their idle chatter. (As a matter of

fact, these open plazas make an agoraphobe feel at home.) It

also allows for a smoother transition from openness to full-on

suppression.


128

It has also permitted and even promoted the open bulletins.

This has made information flood with a velocity at which more

than any individual could handle, let alone utilize it to rise up

against the high seducers with coherence. Any strike now exits

out to a swampy quagmire; all quagmires now lead to the same

city of nowhere.

The high seducers know that the null set will eventually stop

using the zones as places to press out. They design the plazas so

as to minimize the effectiveness of advancing the causes,

perhaps even diminishing their impacts. Thus, those 'exercising

their causes' actually have it better writing diatribe on the open

bulletins than meeting up at these open zones. This effectively

kills the openness slowly and cleanly.

The exercisers cannot then claim that the high seducers deprived

them of open zones. The outcome can become just as

oppressive as the swift and dirty purges of regimes faraway and

yesteryear. The purge also occurs without the glaring fireballs.

The exercisers then face three options:

1. Unsubscribe to everything. (This option often poses as a

last resort.)

2. Pretend to unsubscribe. (This option results in the

eventual implementation of the first option.)

3. Trivialize everything. (This option results in the

eventual implementation of the second option)

Open zones everywhere but who outside the cabal of high

seducers dares process the input? Or the bigger question: who

dares input? So, ironically, open zones mark the beginning of the

end of open systems.


129

DELETING THE STRUCTURE

In order for an deletion to follow through, no one must ever

know or ask questions about the deleted.

To delete means to completely remove a class of instances from

the sphere of existence, in actuality and in thought. Memory

counts as part of that sphere, as do artifacts. Should the events

of the so-called deletion occur in any memory, in any format,

then the deletion has not occurred.

Only violence had befallen on that objective group, providing

data for curious parties, while leaving each of them to interpret

the events however they please. By that very virtue, the deletion

never took place. Some form of the data continued to flow

through the tubes.

The actual deletions have occurred (ironically) in those who have

chosen to deny whatever actually happened to a group. Once

anyone brings up the existence of 'deleting X', the deletion of X

has itself deleted. Memories delete references to dereferences.

Thus, for the masses, the very concept once referenced by the

English word deletion has become deleted. A counterfeit instead

lies in the wake. And so one might have a system too big to fail,

as described in 'modern' parlance. Yet, as the system reaches

infinite size and/or has an infinite duration due to a lack of

deletion, the importance of each component in that system then

tends to zero. The zeroes sum up to zero.

While not essential, drumming up more and more negentropical

output so that the total crunch occurs, acts as a soothing dance.

Obviously, the easy way out entails abrupt self-elimination but

somehow, the majority forges a more masochistic path. Those

who opt for anaesthetics rely on those dependencies as a way to


130

deny the masochism, whether through injection or oral violence.

Those who choose to accept the masochism, pretend to inject

themselves while 'utilizing' the dependent. One by one, they

destroy the actuality of now and replace it with maps that lead

to cognitive dissonances everywhere.

Then it becomes apparent why one no longer does what they

used to do as children. How they could do those things and get

away with it then! Now they cannot.

When they reach the point when they reminisce about such

activities, the deletion begins. The deletion takes on several

forms, some less subtle than others. The children who choose

dereferencing opt not for subtlety. In the end, the results lead to

the same city of nowhere. The children who become part of the

strata suck the essence from each other, dumping it all into

compartmentalized history, in tiny boxes that no one shall ever

open again.

A total annihilation ironically occurs in any case. There already

lies the joke of existence: that it sums up to a mouth that eats

itself.

The happy continue rejoicing in the bacchanalia that spirals to a

randomized deletion. The sad many accelerate their deletion.

The very sad will not bother with any of that and embrace the

unknown.


131

SPECTRA

The map has now melted into the territory, appearing persistent

and highly fluid, without any discrete certainty. No longer

consisting of a static image, the map deceives easily and

ephemerally. It operates continuously, or spectrally, like a

rainbow in the sky, as opposed to the rainbow in a child’s

drawing. The hues do not appear as clear-cut strips but fuzzy

glows. This tends to happen in anything that requires visible

light.

As well, erroneous points, lines and polygons with

dangling arcs confuse, perplex and nonplus the

orienteers who use the grandiose map. One could not

blame this on the cartographers, since they had merely

followed the instructions of the explorers, who

themselves discovered later that they should not have at

all requested the map.

How to proceed now? Proceed with the spectral flow, which will

unleash the repeating infinity of functionalities. Take a super joy-

ride across the map, often mistaken for the territory itself. The

details of how to proceed rests on the atomic. Such minimizes

the universal. The universal cannot micro-manage. It has

exhibited repeated failure to do so.


132

CONGRUENCIES

When one considers something identical to another, it signifies

total equality of every aspect down to the absolute zero

difference.

Two paper clips will seem to have identical constitutions.

However, when zooming down to the infinitesimal

(atomic, subatomic, string, etc.) level, those two clips will

only bear similarity rather than total equality.

When one considers something similar to another, one

acknowledges minor differences of one to the other but wishes

to stress that they have the same underlying function(s).

A paper clip and a staple will only ever have a function

similar to each other.

Of course, the layman cares not for such a petty 'difference'.

'Identical' appears identical to 'similar'. The layperson might

even consider this difference a matter of 'splitting hairs'. Yet, the

layperson does not understand why words can only approximate

instead of provide and absolute mapping.


133

APPROXIMATIONS

One could think of words as approximations. The 'car' does not

actually exist but one uses it to describe an item which one

drives.

(In an upcoming discourse about objects, neither 2002

Honda Civics nor 2008 Hyundai Sonatas exist. However,

by convention, using such names has greater traction

when distinguishing among different car-shaped objects.

It works 'well enough'.)

With language, one generalizes, or conceptualizes, all of these

'vehicle-things' (2002 Honda Civic, 2008 Hyundai Sonatas, etc.)

into the word 'car'. With the vast range of possibilities, then, no

two individuals will exactly share the same definition for 'car', or

any word for that matter, possibly even after a lengthy

discussion about the definitions of those words. Nevertheless,

they approach a certain level of definition.

When one mentions one’s own Honda and another’s Hyundai,

one talks about specific objects. With no specific make nor

model, one then refers to a general class of objects known as

'cars'.

However, this can easily change so that two Honda owners will

too treat the Honda as a class of objects: his black Honda Civic

versus her blue Honda Civic. The two objects make up the

specific cases, the examples or the instances (in this case, his

black HC versus her blue HC). On the other hand, the class forms

the general case, the form, the abstract or the group (in this

case, the Honda Civic). The car then becomes the superclass of

the class of Honda cars.

Words can only approximate, never perfectly define.


134

PERSPECTIVES

Orienteers see the past from only one angle, without the benefit

of a panoramic view. Even if such a view occasioned, the present

would have already differed sufficiently to make the past useless

to the present, as more of the past remains unviewed.

Cartographers and explorers already know this and use this to

their advantage. Thus, orienteers would know the past perfectly,

but the present imperfectly; just as they now claim to view the

past imperfectly, but the present perfectly.

Yet, the observer cannot view the territory in entirety. Focus

cannot occur with everything all at once. Perhaps focus itself

causes the dis-ease.

For example, the territory might represent all bits of a

database. A person’s focus on the database, known as a

view, consists most often of only a small fraction of that

database. This extraction of the database cannot predict

with perfection the entirety of the database itself. As

well, the representation of the bits of the database exists

in an obfuscated or biased form. Colours, symbols and

other means decorate the territory of ones and zeroes.

So, the view consists of a highly crude and limited image of

something that itself exists in a questionable fog. This artifact

on the map might represent nothing at all!

• Remember Argleton on Google Maps?

• How about procedures that have devolved into

ceremony?

Discrete objects then blur and fade into the continuity of the

spectral. Here begins the journey from the function into the

symbolic.


135

PRECISIONS

When one uses a place name, one doesn’t refer to the super-

precise geographical coordinates of a place but uses a human-

readable name which effectively refers to an area.

One could go ad infinitum into the precision of the

geographical coordinates of a point in space: 3.141592…

degrees North and so on, but this easily becomes

redundant.

Therefore, one provides a range (or width) of outcomes

so that the probability (or area) will not equal zero.

Fuzzy areas will thus continue to dissolve the discrete idealism of

the clear-poked point still prevalent in this day and age. They

will melt their boundaries: metonymies will run rampant.

It then becomes difficult to call a spade, a spade, as the

spade will end up consisting of many different

components. Many given pairs of components will vary

as much as night and day.

To attach a label to such an imprecise area will generate hostility

and baseless pride. Yet, it will remain forever impossible to

attach labels with perfect precisions to discrete points. Upon

provision of precise labels, the spectral will inevitably melt them

again into metonymies. The view always expands but it

eventually collapses onto itself. Functional impressionism

becomes abstraction.


136

DISTRIBUTIONS

Do temporalities occur?

The astute reader who has studied statistics, to any

degree, will very likely recall that in a paradigm known as

a continuous distribution, the probability of any one

outcome equals to zero.

Events only seem to take place because one experiences

a fragment of the infinity of time: calculus’ concept of

'limits' manifested. In the grand scheme of things, no

event occurred.

Upon this, one could then equate anything to perfection as there

exists no other with which to compare this event. Highly unlikely

that the event will ever take place again, in the exact same

fashion. Thus, one can achieve perfection very easily. The only

question remains for what. As such, temporalities do occur but

they extinguish very quickly with meta-history attempting (very

crudely) to explain them all.

Abstraction becomes a revisiting of functional impressionism.


137

IMMERSIONS

Easily, one can take a (literal) map and spend so much time

immersed in it that the immersion itself seems to entail a direct

experience. Also, it brings about a false recognition of a clear-

poked point. So, the map reader then has little idea that the

map, a bloated collection of clear-poked points, has effectively

masqueraded as a cheap imitation of the territory. Meanwhile,

the outside observer clearly sees the reader as 'lost' in the map.

Those who see the features on a map as flat, arbitrary

dimensionless points, will easily renounce the map without

extensive study.

Without anyone else to inform the reader, there arises

the possibility of the reader never seeing the map as a

guide but as the territory itself. The map leads the reader

astray, into the fixation of a certain kind of nothingness.

Yet, one can only seem to avoid this by distributing the

fixations among several kinds of nothingness.

One of these days, the physical world of the territory (or of

something else) will wake up and transform this mental world of

signs and symbols to such a degree that it will render all maps

useless. The maps will counteract with reactive rage and perilous

panic but the territory will carry an epiphenomenalism so strong

that it will not only dominate but terminate the map for all time.

Until then, the monolithic maps stand above the territory,

worried in anticipation of this awakening, while enjoying itself

and abusing whatever ability it has left.

The re-visiting of functional impressionism turns into a

catastrophe.


138

ALTERNATIVES

The degree of a map can (gradually or abruptly) rapidly escalate,

just as those of a higher degree can descend into the almost

'authentic' – a burial into the territory. Conversely, the territory

can 'augment' up to its own representation – a sky burial of sorts

– of what once held as a more direct experience, as one leaves it

behind for experiences which seem more direct. This may

continue indefinitely; moving up and down, left and right, in and

around, forever and everywhere.

One might now find it difficult to distinguish between the

higher-level and the lower-level:

The map imitates the territory and the territory imitates

the map, as the flow of everything unleashes

unpredictability on both. The wall, that has separated

one side from the other, increases in porosity, which

allows elements of each side to steal from and do

violence on each other by virtue of abstract osmosis. It

happens so gradually that many procrastinate caring.

As the lower levels of cartography rise up to the higher, fewer

and fewer concrete phenomena will actually take place. More

and more maps will proliferate, giving the appearance that so

much has happened. Whole layers of maps will appear to – and

actually – carry no purpose. Consequently, redundancy envelops

the territory and even the maps themselves.

Attempts to go back to some rusty document will meet with

futility, for this document itself constitutes some of the map’s

bloat. All attempts at recreating the 'good old days' will also

meet with futility, as one might recall that events can only take

place once, or never at all. It comes time to invoke the


139

imaginary, paradoxical as it may sound, as opposed to going

back to some dried-up old nasty parchment.

'New' thought processes will also arise parallel to the old, but

both will soon extinguish, as skeptical explorers quickly expose

the inaccuracies down to infinitesimal precisions. At this stage,

confusion does not even hit the most orthodox and rigid, as

phenomena and epiphenomena occur at neck-braking paces.

Thus arrives the era of fusion: total banality everywhere, all

without the burden of boredom. The 'catastrophe' becomes one

that does not necessarily involve explosions, monsters and

exploding monsters.

COLLAPSES

The grandiose group has fragmented enough that the actuality

of 'popular discourse' has made way for competing sources of

perpetual, lateral motion. As this discourse of the majority

continues to flex its last muscles before complete senescence

and subsequent obsolescence, one will no longer need to give

any pious respect to the monolith. In actuality, it has already

appeared in its early stages.

Integrity of work tends to fail when only a small roster of

authorities takes control of an approval bureau. If the piece of

work appeases the roster and sprinkled with jargon or

stereotypical, ceremonial components, then the craftspeople

have the go-ahead to encumber the map with misleading

symbology. Any critic striking with meaning will find himself

attacked by meaning.

Yet, such divergence from the territory makes this functional!

Thus, it remains up to the previously unapproved to play tricks

on the bureau, in order to become approved. Provided this

'marginalized' group had not pushed physical violence upon this


140

bureau, it still has that chance to become one of the approved,

all the while scraping the relief off the map to level it flat.

The present moment contains a multitude of tastes enough for

two not to need to share, but yet not quite enough to

completely alienate one’s self from any other individual.

What comes after this? When one fatigues of switching

only back and forth, one also wishes to try going up and

down, diagonally and sometimes disappearing

altogether!


141

POINTS

To ask for 'the point' of something reveals a futility and utter

illiteracy of the crucial lack. A point has no dimensions. It makes

up nothing. When added together, the points reveal this

equation: 0 + 0 + 0 + … and so on to make a line, then when

these lines add up to make a face, yet again when these faces

add up to make a solid, the crucial message oxymoronically

illuminates and darkens everything simultaneously. This

encumbrance of noticing that everything comes from the

addition and multiplication of nulls can lead to harsh afflictions

for months, if not longer.

The only remaining solution involves a pretending of sorts, as

though the zeroes became ones or (sometimes) twos. That also

forms an affliction in itself: the affliction of simulacra, of hiding

the fact that nothing exists. Fiat roams the desert. Since the

mainstream has not caught onto the zero theory yet, most

continue to act out possibilities, as though they might yield a

unity or (wishful thinking) an infinity. Until one day, the

actualization will occur to all and the system of objects will stop

operating and collapse instantaneously.

Does one, again, actually wish to know 'the point' or 'the totality'

of something?


142

CERTAINTY AND ACTUALITY

Certainty has replaced truth, reasoning that no one can ever

know the full truth, even having witnessed it first-hand. After all,

no one ever witnesses anything from every angle. Certainty

serves as a better word with its allowance of gradations.

Actuality has replaced reality, reasoning that one cannot rule

out the possibility that appearances can deceive. Actuality talks

about the now, what one observes, whether flawed or not.

Reality relies on the symbols of truth that, as discussed above,

one can never have. The actuality in fact carries the alias of

reality. Reality carries no alias today, for it lives in a psychiatric

ward, ready for recycling.

So it goes. One may never speak of a 'quest in search for the

truth', but 'for (relative) certainty'. One may never speak of a

'real life' but the 'actual life', or more palatably, the 'life lived'.

The key lies on knowing that one can have certainties and

perceive actualities, instead of knowing the truth and reality of

anything, let alone everything.


143

INFINITIES

After noticing the oscillation of the sinusoidal, one can abstract

that into the infinity which consists of the ever-oscillating graph.

It goes on and on.

The infinity cannot function by itself, or total death would have

occurred already. Instead, this fractal colludes with the sinusoidal

that permits a random variation of amplitudes. Meanwhile, the

sinusoidal obviously requires the fractal, in order to define itself

as sinusoidal.

Once one finds the possibility that his whole life has amounted

to nothing more than a fallacious simulation, he immediately

nixes the idea by asking himself 'how would one know that if

one can’t escape living within a simulation of a simulation of a

simulation, etc. ad nauseum?' He then ignores the infinite

regress problem and treats any level of simulation seriously once

again, no matter how fake.

Sisyphus smashes the giant boulder up and goes role-playing (or

roll-playing) to the max! Turtles may go all the way up and all

the way down but he’ll end up seeing the same species of turtles

whether he decides to go up or down. Besides, even if the turtles

varied a tad with each ascent or descent, would this alteration

not make it difficult for one to get used to and master any given

turtle, anyway?

Infinite regress also happens when asking for:

• the causes of effects

• a certificate of authenticity

• watching the watchers and guarding the guards


144

CAUSATION

Expressing time has shifted from absolute to relative terms.

Events do not take place in isolation at certain points but

happen on a line with relation to other events, however

superficially. This gives a semblance of cause-and-effect. Yet, this

reveals that only one root cause of anything has ever existed: the

beginning of the universe. Every other event constitutes an effect

stemming from that grandiose genesis. In this view, every event

becomes categorized as a symptom.

As the universe continues its existence, if one can call it that,

apparent anachronisms will run amok with increasing frequency,

as effects beget further effects without the former necessarily

dying off. These time-clashes have already forced a plurality (or

infinity) of views into the ether, forevermore building up

confusion and fragmenting symbolic perceptions of order.

Futurists find themselves engaging in retro-fashions and

historians find themselves embracing whatever happens.

The meta-chronos (beyond-time?) will clarify this one point: that

we can no longer accuse anyone or assign the blame to any

phenomenon with the exception of the universe’s existence (or

whatever one may call it). One can only blame the universe for

not having started off on the 'right foot' and leave it at that to

avoid the plight of infinite regress.

Causes will always need causes. Those causes will always need

causes. And so on. This results in an infinite regress of causes.

While causes can describe how they produce effects, causes

themselves become effects, ad infinitum.

A four-year-old child constantly asks 'why', not yet

conscious of the property of infinite regress. This young


145

person wishes to open door after door for the sake of

determining the infinitely regressing mystery: what lies at

the end.

The answer will somehow eventually come to the child,

perhaps after certain neurons within the brain picks up

on the concept of infinite leapfrogging. Then, a certain

answer will suffice.

The prosecutor will have no further questions.

Why? Why? Why?

A culture that believes that common colds transmit

through evil spirits, that they fly out of one when one

sneezes, can pass from one person to another when

inhaled or when both handle the same objects, etc.,

could have just an effective a 'map' for the people as one

that substituted microbes for spirits.

It won’t matter to the average layman who knows little to

no science whether evil spirits or microbes cause colds. If

each cause does not regress any further back, then they

remain, in fact, equally valid explanations. Meanwhile,

epidemiologists will see more convincing regressions for

the case of microbes, but only because they don’t go too

far into the subject of evil spirits. Conversely, the inverse

follows with the spiritual class.

Why? Why? Why?


146

DEFINITIONS

Arguments can never conclude, as words (maps) used by humans

continually suffer from infinite regress. Each definition’s words

require definitions themselves, which goes on indefinitely.

One might say in an extreme sense that anything can become a

map, a mere metaphor, for something else. The real becomes the

simulation, until reality disappears. At the same time, if the

simulation does become direct experience, does it not become

reality? No, as one can recall, it becomes the hyper-reality: a

copy without the original. The user of this map then proceeds

with a conscious irony, playing a role.

Thus, it becomes necessary not to use the

words reality and simulation - and prefer the more thorough

approximant of actuality, which involves the here and now,

whether authentic or forged.

AUTHENTICITY

To authenticate an artifact, one could use a certificate of

authenticity. That certificate of authenticity would itself need a

certificate of authenticity. That certificate to certify the certificate

of authenticity will need a certificate of authenticity to satisfy the

certification of its parent. And so on. Infinite regress continues

ad infinitum.

It has come time now not to doubt the authenticity of the item

or event, but ask 'how can does one proceed with this item or

event, whether authentic or not, and what impact will it have?'

One could go ahead and believe that 'they' faked 'it', but

to where does that go?


147

Also, how about those investigations?

Who investigates the investigators? Who watches the

watchers?

Would such solve the everyday issues at hand that plague life

with such tumult? Or do they just produce some artificial dignity

in the individuals that promote, and who rarely actually take part

in, the authentications?

SIMULATIONS

Even if the system of objects consisted of a simulation, why

would one care? So what if one finds out that turtles go all the

way up and all the way down, in this dream within a dream

within a dream within a dream…?

After a while, this grows nauseous and one would fall back into

'reality' to accept the proverbial shadows in the cave as the

universal.

The simulation theory still provides entertainment, as it

stimulates the imagination into thinking that when (or if

ever) death comes, one would wake up hearing

'Congratulations for passing kindergarten' or 'Please

repeat kindergarten' in some distantly future world

where learning happens by living many lives in a capsule

before living one’s own.

Either fight or enjoy changing the cave’s interior design. Change

it up every few months and pretend that something fun lies

beyond the fourth wall.


148

DUSTBIN

One could also look at the system of objects as a dustbin that

creates its own detritus. This creation process helps expand the

dustbin itself. How would one proceed about an eternally and

infinitely growing container of refuse?

Deny it? Add to it?

In all irony, only (those) two choices remain, giving one that

illusion of free will but also that illusion of determinism.

Also, from the onset, a map features simple characteristics,

abstracted down to its bare essentials with little to no

redundancy. Over time, due to the demands of its users, the map

becomes more complicated, adding new symbology and what

not. Then, the orienteers have the audacity to accuse the

cartographers and the explorers of not maintaining their core

competencies when they fail to yield an accurate and precise

map, much less release a map that takes one away from the map

itself.

The orienteers had also made the dustbin too tall. No problem:

the clouds will keep the dustbin in check.


149

DIVERGENCES

An entity begins with some use in mind and then becomes more

ceremonial as time progresses. As it tends to infinity, time

destroys its usefulness.

Operational entities turn something into something else.

Thus, the aim consists of process and performance,

not products and deference.

This presence loans more credibility than the

counterfeit residues known as products, which

fills in for the absence.

For a time, one believed in those residues and took it for

granted that it had some inherent credibility. Now, one

wants evidence, which these days can only appear in 'real

time'.

The operation has lately become in demand in both

cartography and exploration. It exists as the 'functional'

in the grand scheme of things.

Commodities provide a means to turn something into

something else.

In contemporary society, one would peruse a medium of

exchange to arrive at a process or product. The medium

itself would come from the exchange of a process or

product.

One cannot trust an exchange to provide for oneself, but

treat it as a game of risk.


150

Ceremonies hint at a previously held function or exchange.

However, it no longer carries on those values. It instead becomes

a reminder and a remainder.

A token of memorabilia carries neither operational nor

exchange value of the object it represents, but still

carries the form. That superficial appearance hints at the

old forms, even though the token has become devoid of

them or never even had them in the first place.

One cannot use the symbol even in a game of risk.

This symbol forms one of the many components of that

pesky bloated map. Consequently, one then hires

cartographers to turn these symbols into exchanges,

which might just inspire functions. Such forms the basis

of fraud.

Gestures then involve acts lazier than ceremonies. No need for

all that candor of production but simply a click of a device or

some passing off papers. What those papers contain does not

matter; simply pass them down and one feels content of that

'accomplishment'. While ceremonies may involve song and

dance, adorned with feasts and fancy dresses, gestures trickle

down into the everyday.

Many acts today became gestures through the evolution

of the spectral and the sinusoidal. Somewhere along the

line, it reached a point of inflection whereby the methods

of the system of objects mutated into remote actions.

The overall manipulation of operations, commodities and

ceremonies now spirals into the unpredictable and surreal.


151

PASTICHES

The rendering of the pastiche generates an imitation of a style of

work by someone well-known without mockery or any malicious

intent. Junior cartographers will most often produce pastiches

to find out what works (for them) and what fails (for them), as

well as the tricks of the trade. To achieve the harmony once the

flattening occurs, one must learn to reverse the rites by

generating pastiches.

A pastiche directed at the map could destroy the map. If it

diverges from the map, the pastiche will make the map more

powerful than ever. Simultaneously, a pastiche could also give an

entity a new lease on life; a movement from the ceremonial back

into the operational. Proceed with caution, as the pastiche might

devolve into a gesture, while dangerously disguised as a

function.

BRICOLAGES

Combining available styles produces what one calls a bricolage.

One quickly takes whatever materials one has, combines them

and assembles them. One might even lay claims to this bricolage

as an original but the frivolity of such self-evidently shines

through.

Everything comes from everything.


152

HYPER-REALITY

What has become of the real, the territory? Has the hyper-real

(the bloated map with pretense to reality) overrun it? Has it tried

to take the place of the real which no longer exists, and which

tries to prevent others from calling it a simulation or an

imitation?

The millennia-old Parthenon in Athens lies in ruins after

its destruction in the 17th century by the Ottoman Turks.

In the 1920’s, a full-scale replica of the original temple

opened in Nashville, Tennessee (as shown above). At this

point, which building became the Parthenon?

Some would suggest neither, as the Parthenon in Greece

neither currently holds its original function nor form,

while the Tennessean has almost perfectly imitated the

Parthenon’s original form, although not its original

function. Of course, the latter’s location and cultural

context differed.


153

However, due to general acceptance, the Greek

Parthenon still carries the label of 'real' and the American

Parthenon 'replica' (in polite company) or 'fake'.

The non-layman instead assigns both the Greek and

American Parthenons the label of hyperreal. Both and

neither deserve the title of 'real', or of 'simulation'.

What has become of the real? It has slowly disappeared from

existence.

PROJECTION

As one stares into any map, one seldom ventures back down into

the lower levels. The map then becomes the new ground,

especially when the map has such detail that one senses some

degree of involuntary projection into it.

The game thus becomes the life. Ideal leisure becomes

actual work. The mock fight becomes the fight par

excellence, with the logistics of the original fight no

longer remembered.

The astute gamer must know the nature of the game lest endure

the pain wrought by the encroaching map.

SHOCK

Orienteers spending excessive time fixated on a map will

experience shock when it comes time to look away from the

map. It never happens comfortably. Trauma strikes.

During certain instances, one might not distinguish the real,

hyper-real and simulation all too readily.


154

However, the uncovering will soon permit the shocked to

understand the shock with a different lens or under a different

wavelength from a higher dimension. How and in what form will

this unveiling arrive? Only time will tell. It could happen slowly or

swiftly.

CLOUDS

Cartography no longer has this dictatorial, snobbish vibe to it,

thanks to the clouds, which fosters divergence and infinite

possibilities. Regardless of whether or not it still remains in the

control of a dominant behind-the-scenes monolith, authorities

no longer predominantly push artifacts to the masses; the

masses have begun to push the artifacts around.

Of any kind, the map has become increasingly interactive and

participatory. Whatever media or form the map decides to take,

everyone has gained access to an 'always-on' chance to

participate in something.

Before the sharable ether, authorities largely ran the show. One

would always have to wait at a certain time to see that show, let

alone see the desired show. Even during the early days of the

wave, the monopoly of cartography prevailed until 2005. At that

point, the monolith began to show first signs of implosion.

It could no longer push. It could pull itself into itself.

Connections to the cloud now permit anyone to do their own

thing, sometimes without reasonable limits, limits which imposed

on everyone during the modernist era. Not happy just to do their

own thing, cartographers and explorers alike can now share their

deeds with millions of others, so that the latter can view it

anytime, anywhere. Many do this knowing full well that anything

they share will become subject to ridicule, not for the thing in


155

itself, but that anything they do represents the imposition of a

universal upon the masses.

Even the most neutral piece of work deserves no protection from

deconstruction. Meaning kills meaning in the new membrane of

the omni-insane. Yet, each user goes about it not taking it too

seriously. Otherwise, nothing gets 'created' and the monolith

begins to rise again.

Now, the vox populi runs a parallel industry in which the focus

zooms in on anyone, not just those selected by the monolith!

Not only does the average Westerner have access to a cloud, but

also to other clouds, some gearing towards 'special tastes'. This

explosion of sensory overload has had antiquated orienteers still

trying to keep up.

No surprise that vehicles now come designed with a glossy,

bubbly interface. Everyone can take part. No esoteric command

lines. This includes the marginal groups. Few now remain left

behind.

The clouds have so far contributed much to the flattening of the

bloated dustbin of a map. Cartographers and explorers require it

now on a daily basis to complete the overall flattening.


156

CALCULUS

In the realm of pedagogy, this formidable district of calculus has

this abstract, esoteric reputation, but half of it entails the

relatively simple notion of measuring change. Change always

occurs, so how can anyone not have any experience of it?

One could divide calculus into two main parts: differentiation and

integration. In the former, one finds the rate of change of a

continually performing system given its past pattern of

performance. In the latter, one lumps the rates of change

(typically lines) into full-bodied areas, volumes and capacities of

greater dimensions (if so inclined). Overall, calculus entails the

disassembly and the re-assembly of forms.

DIFFERENTIATION: OF LEVELLING

Differentiation helps the student monitor change in systems that

constantly (or variably) add, subtract, multiply, divide, move

exponentially and/or flow periodically (as in the case of

trigonometric functions). This derivation process also helps

compute extreme values. (Where hide the extremists?) One can

also ignore some of the change and monitor one type of change,

as in the case of partial derivatives.

What can one say about limits? How does one break things

down in order to re-integrate them into something of greater

order? What happens if one tries to derive what one already

accepts as constant and never-changing?

From an early age, one learns to differentiate among objects,

soon figuring out that this differentiation eventually leads to

nothingness, but a valuable nothingness. It signifies the

occurrence of a local levelling, ironing out the wrinkles of the


157

absurd. One then recognizes that everything potentially could

maps to everything.

INTEGRATION: OF PROGRAMMING

Once one discovers integration as one of many options to

continue, this student can then move into a more symbiotic

functioning. Integration builds the parallel mapping. It does not

fight the monolithic map but ignores it. One does not try to

bring it down but makes it lose its own steam, contracting itself

by its own miscues.

Once that parallel field (realm, area, etc.) builds enough steam,

one can transcend into higher orders of integration by building

up volumes and then volumes with as many attributes as one

desires.

Whatever the case, a healthy combination of differentiation and

then integration will aid the collapse of the pervasion. Combined

with other tools of the trade, a cartographer, an explorer, or

even an orienteer will acquire the knack of avoiding the

totalizing monolith from rounding everyone up into some

depository for deletion.


158

SYMBIOSIS

Hapless many cannot achieve the level of symbiosis in their

routines. Each day arrives with pain and brooding. One would

consider them sub-symbiotic due to their inability to live in

relative harmony. (As a side note, sometimes one has to appear

and/or act out as a sub-symbiotic to understand their plight.)

Others scrape by well enough not to engage in hostilities with

anyone important; one would consider them symbiotic. Then,

there exist the cunning super-symbiotic, who perform their

operations with ease and a will to power.

In this day and age of input and output mechanisms, the super-

symbiotic individual stays off that grid and maintains a fluxion of

operations that still benefit all. Using analogue morsels of scrap,

the super-symbiotic can transparently perform its functions with

great rigor, all the while celebrating a victory over the perceived

upper-hand.

Even if the perceived upper-hand became aware of this scheme,

they could only take action at the risk of losing the super-

symbiotic individual altogether. In this way, the super-symbiotic

'hero' acts as the check(s) and balance(s) of the discord of the

upper-hand. Without this intermediary hero, the machinery, the

perceived upper-hand, known as X, will always blanket the

symbiotic and sub-symbiotic, collectively known as Y, with the

severest of measures.

With the super-symbiotic in place, Y can feel some ease with the

seeming infinity of encumbrance-reduction methods they bring.

The X can then proceed its 'controlled control' with extreme

caution. In certain portions of the current environment, in

machineries that do not house the super-symbiotic, Y suffers the

most. However, these machineries tend to collapse quickly and

miserably: abrupt end.


159

QUESTIONS

If none of the above made any sense whatsoever, consider the

following questions:

INITIATION

• Does the representation deviate from the object it

claims to represent?

o the map and its territory?

o the representative and its constituents?

o the model and its implementation?

o the simulation and its 'real'?

• Has everything become a game or a simulation of a

foregone real?

o When you exit the game, do you not just

continue playing yet another game?

• Do you now see the interchangeability of seemingly

unrelated concepts?

o Do many stimuli seem like substitutes of each

other with only very superficial differences?

• Do you now see the microcosms and macrocosms of

any given object?

o The microcosms of the limited and the local?

o The macrocosms of the universal and the

global?

• Does it seem that space and time melt into one?

o Have you ever viewed the place as the event and

vice versa?

• Have you developed an alphabet or code for your work

yet?


160

o e.g. if painting, do you use certain strokes or sets

of hues?

o e.g. if in architecture, what sort of building

materials do you use?

PROGRESSION

• Do you still plan thoroughly, making detailed maps and

goals?

• Must everything follow the lines of 'create, retrieve,

update and delete'? (Does 'CRUD' appear synonymous

with 'artisans, researchers, gamers and deniers'?)

• Have you ever come across that feeling that someone

who appears to struggle at a 'pre-' stage of

development, has actually (upon further inspection)

already progressed into a 'post-' stage?

o Would a highly advanced society look primitive

but act advanced?

o When you cannot rewind, must you then try to

fast-forward yourself in relation to everything

else?

PRODUCTION

• What do you make of this hierarchy: data, information,

knowledge, wisdom?

• What would you consider high-resolution for a map?

1:1000? 1:500?

o How about a 1:1 scale? Or 1:0.5 scale?

o What would a 1:0 scale map mean to you?

• Must a tattered map serve only the tattered?


161

• Do you believe that a product should allow the user to

use it:

o …for the sake of using it?

o …as a distraction?

o …to help produce something else?

o …to help produce something else that will help

others produce something else?

• Could text still survive as a work of art that allows the

spectators to build a seemingly new type of stage?

o Does this not sound like a how-to manual?

• Could you now try assembling together by improvising

what you have within arm’s reach?

• Or would you rather try remixing or parodying

something?

o If so, would you need to defend it as a

continuation of (someone else’s) work, rather

than a 'violation' of so-called 'intellectual

property'?

• Authorship: why do you think books these days seldom

contain the word 'by' in between a title and the person’s

name?

• Do you make an opinion of a work based on its author

or on its user?

o Must the author attempt to please everyone?

o Or, must users of a work attempt to find their

own meaning in it?

COLLECTION

• Do you define the collection as simply a container with

content?


162

o Do you often make the containers out of

contents? Vice versa?

o Has an object, which you’ve viewed as content,

ever become a container, which itself belongs to

a higher-level container? Vice versa?

• Do some artists create art so exceptionally exquisite that

you would consider their works as falling under their own

distinct medium, that you would see their content more

as containers?

• Can you visualize the world as a global-sized museum,

where everything has obsolesced simply by coming into

existence?

• Why would you collect multiples of the same, especially

for a purpose other than survival?

• What, to you, constitutes the ultimate collection?

REPETITION

• When you see some zany object often enough, do you

find it moving further into the background, desensitizing

you to it, only to come back up to the foreground when

someone new to it remarks to you about this 'zany

object'?

TRANSPORTATION

• Should all stationary objects in a room possess retro-

fitted wheels with brakes for a more portable and

dynamic space?

• Why go there when you can stay here?

• Why stay here when you can go there?


163

• Soon after that day, how did the sound of an airplane

flying overhead make you feel, especially one that

droned on for almost a minute?

• Would you enjoy a game that never ends, has infinite

levels, etc.?

TOTALIZATION

• Do you immediately change the facing page of the

analog calendar upon the arrival of a new month, or do

you wait until three weeks have passed?

• Why erect glittery billboards and lavish commercials,

when companies could simply dish out free samples of

the product and/or service?

• Has it come to the stage where theories now only

pretend to analyze the reality that does not actually

exist?

• Do you find no end in the horizon, yet no indication of

continuity?

• Do you expect everything (or even anything) over which

you have no control, to stay in a special state of

preservation? Or, do you know that what you do not

have in your hands will become fair game for 'evil' to

take apart?


164

CONFUSIONS

In confusion, carry on into the museum of random objects and

interactions. Continue acting willingly in many interwoven

subplots: a more rewarding path than living for just one purpose,

especially one prescribed by someone else.

'May the bridges burned light the way!'

Nostalgia: 24 hours a day. Everyday!

Hobson’s choice: take it or leave it.

Morton’s fork: damned if done, damned if not done.

Still, go on a mental Wanderlust! Go on a physical Wanderlust!

No future – but only one’s own future!

Documents

metamax (in e-prime)