The Importance of Setting Limits

On August 7, 2019August 7, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Philosophy, Psychology, The Fractal Journal, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Image result for sleep — Image nicked from WSJ

So, I was just considering finishing a vlog and posting it. But, I realized it’s late and I have not been getting adequate rest. So, I asked myself: How good is this vlog going to be? Sure, I feel the creative juices surging RIGHT NOW but how much of that is fatigue induced illusion? I’ve already posted today and some distance and reflection would probably be a good idea…

Furthermore, don’t I know better? Haven’t I spent hours reading health blogs, books, and listening to podcasts about sleep?

Sure, there is that old writers trick of staying awake in order to slay inhibitions. But, as someone who also works a rather gruelling day job is that really wise?

And, finally I concluded. Hey, your goal is consistent content, consistent creative effort, and learning new things. That means you need to know when you have energy and when you have time. These things don’t very easily come to those who do things simply when inspiration strikes. Furthermore these things DEMAND sleep in order to be fully digested and utilized.

So, while there is the nagging desire to DO MORE RIGHT NOW to really MARATHON IT; there is also the sobering knowledge that doing more means you have to do it smarter.

I hope this helps folks with similar itches.

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Bad Karaoke (Vlog)

On August 6, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Current Events, Humor, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Social Commentary, The Fractal Journal, Uncategorized, VlogLeave a comment

The meaning of life – explained.

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Fractal Flashes – ‘The End’

On July 29, 2019July 29, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Current Events, Humor, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Social Commentary, The Fractal Journal, UncategorizedLeave a comment

There’s a YouTube video sitting in my subscription feed. A video with the disconcerting title of: “Our Moral and Cultural CRISIS of Purpose Will Be America’s End.”

O dear.

As much as I like Tim Pool, and as much as my wry, post-regime, immigrant, cynicism relishes placing things in a harsh light; I can’t help but find the title comical.

I’ve read Nietzsche as all Goths must.

His warnings about the rise of nihilism as religious doctrines crumble before empiricism and disenchantment, proved to be pretty accurate.

But he really wasn’t the first.

Every generation thinks that its successors are going to descend into anarchic hedonism. I think it’s a biological thing.

Organisms like homeostasis. Homeostasis means your heart beats. That’s kinda important to being alive which is basically the whole business of being an organism.

Organisms that can think, remember, and dream extend homeostasis beyond the autonomic nervous system and all the way out into metaphysic. As an organism ages it becomes more sensitive to change. There was a balance in youth, a balance inevitably disturbed by age. New ideas, customs, and new information, are the metaphysical equivelant of arythmia: not very fun, and certainly alarming.

But this philosophical bric-a-brac isn’t the point. Really, I just wanted to have a laugh at the notion of PURPOSE. It’s a profoundly American thing. When it’s capitalized that way.

Sort of like business, success, or entrepreneur. It’s big-tent revival bullshit.

I’ll tell you you who had a lot of purpose…the Reich. Those were some motivated motherfuckers.

If you’re tired of the constant Hitler comparisons that plague our media…Then I’ll give you a brief list of other folks who led The Purpose Driven Life.

The Crusaders
Isis
Uncle Joe From the Old Country (Stalin)
The Inquisition
Jim Jones
Kamikazes
Football Hooligans
Henry Kissinger
McNamara
Lucifer

Now, I’m sure that Mr. Pool isn’t just emptily pontificating about purpose for purposes sake. I haven’t watched the video because I have to go to bed and I’m just amusing myself by blogging my way through a glass of red wine. But I suspect that it’s a lament of the abdication of the sort of enlightenment principles and sense of life’s specialness that seems to have been enthused into the American ethos.

This is a valid concern. One that I think is ill-served by painting it in apocalyptic terms. So, here I am pontificating via a chuckle at the old, “kids these days.”

So, while some might find the fact that I’m going to listen to the Cure and jerk off nihilistic – nihilistic in exactly the sort of blase way that millenials are just so XYZ. I say hey….at least I’m not invading Poland.

Purpose you see is best when you let it find you.

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Of Men and the Blues – Why are NORMAL EMOTIONS described as “Being Vulnerable” by culture and academics?

On July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Current Events, Humor, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Social Commentary, The Fractal Journal, Uncategorized, VlogLeave a comment

You see this ‘get in touch with your feelings thing’ everywhere. From cheesy romantic comedies to academic journals. It’s been all the rage for decades yet the demographic most at risk for depression and suicide seems to be having a tougher time. Isn’t there some sort of sayin’ about the definition of insanity?

TL;DR version of the Video

Emo Dudes – Men Face Depression and Suicide at High Rates – Dumb Reasons Given By Shrinks and your nutty Aunt Gertrude

1) They are not comfortable with being vulnerable.

– Why are normal human emotions considered vulnerability and couched in agency robbing terms? Terms that carry a stigma. Especially when applied to men by either sex. This is almost a subtle subconscious dominance game played by academics and well meaning Oprah viewers.

2) Mechanization has led to the loss of jobs ergo depression sets in.

– Definitely a factor. But, is it the expectation to have a lucrative job rather than doing useful or artistic things that’s more the cause? And isn’t there a wider psychological consequence to mechanization via giving people a lot less to do. Thus allowing for lethargy and stagnation to increase. Especially in light of the dim view the culture has of intellectual rigor, high art, and craftsmanship for it’s own sake rather than a bottom line to be “SUCCESSFUL.”

3) We need to “update masculinity” to solve the problem of male suicide.

So the answer to a really complex sociological problem is merely changing the packaging on an semi-arbitrary concept?

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Are You Lazy

On June 27, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Humor, Philosophy, Psychology, Social Commentary, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We often describe ourselves as lazy. But are we?

I caught myself making this ‘Mea Culpa’ in yesterday’s video.

Considering my day job, my workouts, and my attempts at writing and learning computer science odds and ends I don’t think this is entirely accurate.

But then again it kind of is. First, because I could do all these things a lot better. And second because I still avoid boring or difficult activities even if they’re necessary.

And that I think is the way you can really tell to what degree you are lazy.

To what degree are necessary and useful things within your power to do being left undone as your finite time on this spinning bit of space debris slips away?

My self score is a solid 7/10. I should do something about it. But this wine sure is good and it would be nice to go for a stroll.

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Random Thoughts on Sleep, Chocolate, and more (Vlog)

On June 25, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Psychology, Social Commentary, Uncategorized, VlogLeave a comment

Stuff and things.

1) Chocolate n Chores
2) Wine Before Bed vs Exercise Before Bed
3) Super Lazy Recall of some Japanese History I recently learned
4) I mention Bob Lazar

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Journey Addiction

On June 22, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Philosophy, Psychology, Social Commentary, The Fractal Journal, UncategorizedLeave a comment

When looking for a flow state we immediately want to make drastic changes to our environment. Or to run to a totally different environment. Why is that?

In my teenage and early twenties years this desire manifested itself as rather unworkable visions of hoboing around the states. Living in forests. Or some remote set of cheap apartments whose antique spartan interiors would be the catalyst for lots of work.

Now approaching thirty I’ve come to view this as a form of procrastination.

That being said I don’t think this is necessarily just an adolescent phase.

Work is transformation and whether internal or external so is travel. These things are likely associated on a subconscious level. So it’s no wonder that folks of all ages crave pilgrimages of various stripes.

The idea of sequestering is not without merit. There’s a lot to be said with laying back after chopping up some fuel and watching the evening moon bob between swaying trees. It is a superb catalyst for creativity and flow states.

But for most folks camping trips are vacations. Yes, if you’re dedicated to being a crazy forest dwelling artist then it can become your life. But of course you now run the risk of the new normal. Perhaps getting over the lack of novelty is part of the art of longer journeys.

But…if that’s the case why not simply get over the lack of novelty right now and pull out that notebook?

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Idea Medley – Dealing With Interrupts, Vulgar vs Manners, and some Guitaring (Vlog)

On June 21, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Philosophy, Psychology, Social Commentary, The Fractal Journal, Uncategorized, VlogLeave a comment

Made this last night. Given hardware limitations it took three hours just to render two clips stuck together. Ain’t nothin spectacular just riffing on various odds and ends like: dealing with procrastination, what’s actually vulgar, and then there’s a bit of musical nonsense.

Was hoping to refine it but it was all I had time for.

I still got a more in depth look at McNamara, Shindo Renmei, and Psychology on my other channel later in the week. Thanks for watching.

This is from my informal/music YT channel which you can subscribe to here.

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Why So Many Remakes? (Vlog)

On June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Current Events, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Social Commentary, The Fractal Journal, Uncategorized, VlogLeave a comment

When investors want a sure thing and artists no longer have a strong cultural foundation originality dies.

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Chipping Paint

On May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 By Alex V. WeirIn Alex Weir, Current Events, Philosophy, Psychology, Stories, The Fractal Journal, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Related image

Small southern towns that bake beneath a low hanging sun. If you’ve seen them all then you haven’t seen any.

Did you ever sit under Magnolia blossoms, next to a jar of crickets, as your friend’s sister twirled on a tireswing. A tireswing that was just ten minutes walk from a swimming hole?

No, I’m not trying to sell you chewing tobacco or homemade jam.

I’m just wondering if these places are going to stay.

They were sort of our version of indigenous tribes deep in the Amazon. All sleepy in a blanket of humidity and cicada song. As primordial as discarded peach pits that take root.

Do you remember battered banisters, and the highest technology being a superninendo; that you soon abandoned to slide in your socks across a musty woodpanel floor? You know the sort of stuff you’d do as an ancient Sharpee named Midnight watched lazily from his post beneath a shuttered window.

If you don’t I guess it doesn’t much matter.

Cause every sacred rite of passage that a barefoot, cricket hunting, Red Ryder marksman fell into, climbed over, or set on fire is now forever bathed in the witching glow of LCD.

Unfortunately that’s not an illicit substance that will get you closer to nature. It’s mighty uncanny. This disembodied voice that colors every living moment in artificial omniscience.

The oaks are still majestic at the periphery of the pasture. The earth smells sweet. But there’s a tension even here.

The question is am I old. Or are we mad?

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