Any old paper will do
A scribble or typeface is equally true
As a nod unto firmament
Or some bittersweet heart’s lament
To write is to sing
To speak is to breathe
Giving souls a wing
And nerves reprieve
How cheap is the pleasure
Of such a great treasure
A pen and a paper you pulled from the refuse
Gift worthy of the most beautiful muse
1.1 (Intro) The Sketch of Sam Monroe
1.2 The Cajun Prayer
1.3 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter One: The Cambridge Gable Scene (‘Gator is Waitin’)
1.4 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.4 – The Cambridge Gable Scene – (Horticulture)
1.5 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.5: ‘To Luckadoo Cove’
1.6 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.6 – ‘Is there anybody out there…’
1.7 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.7: ‘Jesse’
1.8 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.8: ‘Lungful of Bees’
The giant was really taking his sweet time. I wasn’t worried. There was no way out except to pass my line of sight. My lazyboy was pointed to provide ample view of the stairwell.
We were all a bit surprised to hear Cameron’s name.
The fire crackled and lit tense faces.
“You do me a disservice doctor.”
“O?”
“Yes, I’m not Presbyterian.”
“Come again?”
“Calvinists…predermination..that’s really not my cuppa tea.”
“I don’t really follow…”
“Strenght and Beauty…not a bad little book…but quite ripe for perversion…”
The doctor was completely lost.
“Cameron’s father was a Presbyterian minister, there’s a wee book by another fellow of that denomination called Strength and Beauty.”
“I thought Cameron was Canadian. Catholic.”
“Scottish actually. It’s the experiments that took place in Canada.” I paused searching my mind for the name behind the book I’d just mentioned.
“…ooo that’s right the fellows name was Miller..JR..or JD something to that effect, anyway I quite fancy the thing, good advice, very elegant and cheery…but all throughout there’s that sneaky nordic sternness, a bit imbecilic, in fact I think Nietzsche called it out quite well, it is a beersoaked contentment, volkish, daft, ponderous, German…”
“Cameron hated the Germans.”
“Yes, which I always found to be most amusing given how Teutonic a flavor his weltanschauung held.”
“I’m lost.”
“Well, the fellow had a very bizarre sort of idea of normalcy. That there were the ‘strong healthy types’ suited for industrial societies and then there were the ‘weak and maladapted’… most markedly displaying themselves in the German populace, via aggression and the neurosis of xenophobia. It was a wonderfully Celtic inversion of Hitler’s idea. We’re the master race! No lad! You’re the Jews!”
I chuckled a bit. “Yes, it would all be quite funny if he weren’t handed so much money and authority out where the Mounties roam….O My God the women in Montreal…anyway…he was very strong on the idea that everything was biological and that psychiatry should take a disciplinary approach. This led to those infamous incidents at Allan Memorial. Though honestly I’m surprised you’d heard of it.”
“You’d be surprised by a lot of the things I’ve heard.”
“Doubtless, doctor, doubtless. But yes we’re not doing anything of the sort here and I find the guilt by association offensive. Just because my last name is Scottish… Cameron was nothing but a simple-minded euphemism of a lobotomist living out Calvinist neurosis.”
“Calvinist neurosis?”
“Aye, think about…predetermination.. you are born damned or saved…you are born fit or unfit…your brain shape and chemistry making you either healthy or unhealthy…very little room for nuance…no free will…simply automata that must be repaired by the healthy…of course the healthy are the ones that view the world this way…which is…” I burst out laughing. “So profoundly daft that it makes me believe in God, because only the hand of something so grandiose could make creatures capable of such folly.”
No sooner had my fit of mirth ended then I noted a large frame at the bottom of the stairs.
The giant’s shoulders drooped and he was still miserable from my little tactical measure.
“How dare ya tak bout the Lord…” He said in a low voice.
In this little impromptu, I talk about the subject of water and how I became interested in it through not only E.O. Wilson’s excellent book consilience but a very colorful high school Earth science teacher.
This topic segues into a brief chat on wiser resource and energy practice where I present some fancy NASA designed insulation I just had installed at my home and describe how such incremental changes will form the bedrock of a sustainable society.
Sorry about the phone ringing in the middle and the lack of editing. I’m experiencing some software issues. Thanks for stopping by.
Check out my book in progress: https://fractaljournal.com/2017/10/28/forever-fluid-the-strange-case-of-renewable-limits/
Yellow Blue – https://yellowbluetech.com/products-technologies/multi-layer-insulation/
Consilience – https://www.amazon.com/Consilience-Knowledge-Edward-Osborne-Wilson/dp/067976867X
Vice India/Water Documentary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkBoVfkOWqQ
Porous Cities – https://www.asla.org/2016studentawards/184035.html
The views espoused above do not necessarily mirror my own. I just feel that these links will give you a good idea of some key concepts. I always encourage critical thinking.
Drops against my window
On a Wednesday Afternoon
All came in a neat row
Neither slow nor soon
As I lay dreaming
My limbs drank in their soothing sound
Carrying a meaning
Of times and spaces more profound
For all is water
All was always so
Since Eve’s first daughter
Watched its ebb and flow
There is motion
There is meaning
In the ocean
Of my dreaming
As the patter on the window
Does with every moment grow
Like the trees that lined the garden
Long ago
There is only memory and pardon
In the winter drizzle
I now know
Hey, I bought into the myth myself…. for a long time. The idea that sleep is for the weak, that I was somehow special, needing less sleep than your average schmuck. This was part of my modus operandi for a good decade.
I eventually let go of this notion when I realized that I couldn’t focus on anything substantive for longer than a few hours and some days a few minutes.
My transformation into a person who demands that love, family, money, bosses, friends, and even Jesus Christ himself bugger off for at least eight hours a day came with a few interesting realizations.
Like the only sober guy in a group of giggling stoners – I began to see, with laser-like clarity that my fellow dudes and dudettes weren’t being profound, they were being idiots.
It’s an epiphany that has allowed me to be paradoxically sympathetic and impatient.
A few months ago I was at a job interview and couldn’t help but let my eyes glaze over when the interviewer described their drive (“I love the grind!”) in glowing detail. I don’t mind boasting. I think when done properly it can be a valid assertion of one’s accomplishments in a world that loves to pick apart your every weakness. But I can no longer stomach heaping praise on maladaptive behavior.
Part of this man’s pride seemed to come from his capacity for privation. He explained in exquisite detail how on many nights for a good long while he was only getting two hours of sleep. Well..no wonder he was balding before thirty. Sure genetics may play a role…but, supposing this tale of robbing the Sandman blind were true…I wouldn’t doubt it was a contributing factor.
Generally, things that are high quality require a lot of effort. I think that’s how the myth really digs its way into the psyche. Going without sleep is difficult, it gives you more hours in a day that never seems to have enough, ergo going without sleep is a feat of self-sacrifice on par with the very Cross.
Sleep is for the lazy and the weak. The strong drink an espresso and soldier on. Towards what exactly…I don’t know. But I’ll wager that it looks a lot like early mortality and an increasingly burdened medical system.
The United States has a serious issue with chronic illness. Chronic illness is expensive. It is expensive in every possible way. It damages the life of the afflicted and the lives of those around them and costs a hell of a lot of money. The times, the cheers, and the laughs that could be spent living well and healthy are instead sopped up by hospital visits, little blood sugar kits, and lots of feverish accounting.
This trend has been attributed to a number of factors like diet, work, and exercise habits. All of which are valid. Sleep has also been implicated though I fear that its not been implicated strongly enough. Because culturally the myth of the Insomniac Ubermensch still reigns. Hence, my interviewers glowing opinion of the practice. It’s what achievers do!
I’m a tad skeptical when it comes to suburban achievements. 40, 50, 60 k a year, some degree in something spiffy, etc all seem like tawdry compensation for health. I really doubt that had these talented and dedicated individuals, spent their time truly critically assessing what it was that allowed for real excellence, that they would have hopped onto a giddy predetermined little maze.
With the resources and technology, we have at our disposal today we could do far better than more of the same.
It never ceases to amaze me how awkward social interactions are. How weird and spacey people are. At first, I thought that I was just seeing things. But as I adopted healthier habits and gained more confidence in my powers of observation I really only found my impressions confirmed.
This is, of course, likely due to a number of factors. But peoples inability to critically assess concepts, to remember things, and to hold a sustained polysyllabic conversation definitely has something to do with everybody being constantly shagged out.
As I got more and more refreshing shuteye, like the former drunk who notices the slur in his AA buddies speech, I noticed the lapses in attention, the moodiness, and the infuriatingly obvious missed cues of the sleep deprived.
A good portion of the dangerous myth of the Insomniac Superman has to do with an ignorance of biology. It’s really funny because there is so much in our culture that people now use to cast off responsibility and cultivation. O you’re a bit blue: HERE’S A Pill! They have no trouble attributing the blues to biology but they don’t attribute their ability to perform to the most natural and biological of things: sleep.
Well, the NIH, Harvard, and a good number of researchers and scientists have done great work in isolating the exact role of sleep. Everything from weight to memory, to the susceptibility to accidents and cancer, is affected by sleep.
As I have already said sure there are many factors that contribute to something like cancer. I’ve heard people wonder aloud as to why we see so much ailment, why we have such a high rate of chronic illnesses. Despite the fact that plastics and pollutants and longer lifespans are a factor we must never leave out behavior.
Not sleeping is bad behavior. If you don’t believe me here are some links to people with bigger diploma shaped Phalluses than I:
https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/summer12/articles/summer12pg17.html
https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health
As for me I’ve just awoken from a lovely post work siesta and am going to use my relaxed natural energy to enjoy a beer and play the piano.
Go forth and nap!
Recent conversations have me realizing the need to try to begin to hammer out a topic that’s been on my mind for a while: the difference between advocacy and reporting.
Understanding the merits, methods, and problems of both disciplines is especially necessary in the information-saturated society of today.
I also talk about the merits of Linux and give some reasons for and against using it from a content creators perspective.
LOL. That thumbnail tho. I couldn’t resist…wut will they say bout us ma! We must attain Linux Purity!
Thanks for stopping by.
Check out my main website: http://www.fractaljournal.com for stories, essays, webcomics, and more.
Relevant Links
Dialectic – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectic
Linux Mint – https://linuxmint.com/
Open Suse – https://www.opensuse.org/
Why Linux – http://downtoearthlinux.com/posts/6-reasons-to-install-linux-today/
Why Not – http://downtoearthlinux.com/posts/11-reasons-to-avoid-linux/
1.1 (Intro) The Sketch of Sam Monroe
1.2 The Cajun Prayer
1.3 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter One: The Cambridge Gable Scene (‘Gator is Waitin’)
1.4 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.4 – The Cambridge Gable Scene – (Horticulture)
1.5 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.5: ‘To Luckadoo Cove’
1.6 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.6 – ‘Is there anybody out there…’
1.7 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.7: ‘Jesse’
1.8 The Sketch of Sam Monroe – Chapter 1.8: ‘Lungful of Bees’
“O Christ, looks like you gassed Deacon Mitchum’s kid.” Pierce chuckled.
“What in the hell are you doin’ out here Jesse?” Officer Fabre inquired.
“Not now,” I said. “He needs to get warm and quick.”
I escorted the stricken captive up the stairs.
“I ain’t gonna bathe you, the water is probably gonna irritate your skin at first, but the steam will do good for your mucous membranes. We made sure to have hot fucking water. So you’re in luck. I think you can find your way back down to the living room and back down the stairs. We know who you are now and I could get you in a hell of a lot of trouble so there’s no point in braving the cold and runnin off. Got it, kid?”
The ruddy-faced giant just sort of nodded in a defeated way and went into the bathroom to nurse his wounds.
“So I guess those weren’t your bootmarks I found round the greenhouse,” I said to Fabre.
“O no, you won’t find trace of Phillipe Fabre.”
“You don’t track a coonass, a coonass tracks you.” Doc Pierce enjoined.
“Well, whatever. In either…in both cases, I ain’t too pleased. What’s that kid doin tresspassin…what are you doin’ tresspassin without a warrant?”
“Well, this is my town.”
“This is outside of your jurisdiction…”
“Nah.”
I shook my head.
“You understand that from even a basic legal standpoint you are in the wrong. And since this is a military operation you could be in a hell of a lot of trouble.”
“I still don’t know what the hell this is all about. All these exotic plants, ya’ll are real young too, there’s no way that one is a colonel…” Fabre said pointing to Schmidt.
I laughed. “Nepotism.”
“Ain’t that just the way it always is…” Pierce affected a southern drawl.
“Also, we’re a bit older than we look. That’s part of the schtick. I’m twenty-eight, Schmidt is thirty, Sam is twenty-six, and the two boffins are also about to hit thirty rock.”
“Ok…so what’s all this…”
“Well…frankly I don’t have to tell you anything, I could hand you over, and you’d have an assfull of fines and NDA’s. But that means more work for me….paperwork…so….”
I weighed my options again momentarily.
“So..”
“So it’s easier just to tell you that we’re here conducting research on behalf of Uncle Sam. I’m basically security and liaison, Schmidt is team leader, Sam is a toxicologist for DARPA, Chuck is a UC Davis botanist, and Graham is here just cause we like him and we share your approach to flaunting regulations.”
“That still doesn’t tell me what’s goin’ on…” Fabre said with a befuddled look.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I asked.
“You’re doing chemical research…” Doc Pierce offered.
“Close. The full explanation is that we’re studying the effects of various psychedelics and subliminally induced states. Along with a tad of work on understanding and neutralizing viral and bacterial agents.”
“So you’re a Psyops and Bio Warfare outfit…”
“In a manner of speaking.”
There was some small span of silence as the two visitors digested the information.
“Hold on if you’ve got the kind of clearance you say you do, and this is that kind of operation…there’s no way that top brass doesn’t already know we’re here.”
I chuckled. “You think we’re being surveilled?”
“I guarantee it. That is if you’re being honest.”
“Ok…so sound weapons, leapfrog tactics, tear gas, and a greenhouse full of military grade psilocybin and nightshade on crack don’t convince you…”
“It’s just really out there…”
“Well, reality is really out there. We’re on a rock hurling itself round the sun and in the span of a few generations we’ve gone from riding four-legged animals to walking on the moon…”
“I guess it’s possible.”
“Damn right. But you know what’s impossible…?”
The two men humored my dramatic pause.
“Spying on Alan Baird.”
“I think you underestimate the snoopiness of your employers.” Pierce remarked.
“There are three things necessary to keep tabs as close as you’re suggesting. The first is manpower, the second is probable cause, and the third is technical facility.”
“And I’d assume that whatever Black Ops juju you’re involved with has all three in spades.”
“Your antique assumption of competence is charming Doc. But, the complexities and vulnerabilities of digital systems are highly exploitable. And politics has weaseled itself even further up the chain of command and past every conceivable barrier of clearance.”
“Politics…”
“Yep, case in point, take a look at Schmidtty over there…handsome ain’t he?”
“I don’t swing that way brother,” Fabre said.
“Don’t be a homophobe you know you’re a sucker for those sweet baby blues. So is Alison…”
“Alison?”
“Hey Ali! How was that trip to Malibu with….Lukey Pooohhh. DAWWWWWWW!” I said boisterously as I pretended to speak into a hidden microphone behind a tapestry. “His daddy sure has a nice little beach house doesn’t he..you spoiled fucks...”
“Eh, I dunno, I think you’re setting yourself up for trouble…”
“Oh…we would be if that was the extent of our capabilities.”
“Huh..”
“What she and the rest of the donut dippers are listening to is actually an artfully rendered loop, of us acting out, the sorts of things we’re supposed to be up to. She simply makes sure the charade is complete by hammering out any inconsistencies.”
“Hmm…”
“Don’t underestimate the corrupting influence of an attractive brunette in a sea of IT geeks.”
There was yet another pause as the two men took in the full weight of everything that was going on.
“Wait, there’s a precedent, you’re…you’re the successors of Ewen Cameron’s abortion…”
My scanner is working! I just installed Linux Mint and things are super peachy. Which is just as well because I wasn’t getting along with the mouse today. So here’s a quick hand-sketched PGP episode.
I never did understand suit hatred. So functional and elegant…but I guess not growing up in the Burbs means I’m just too soft to understand trv pain.
If you’re into this sort of thing and haven’t heard of these gentlemen well…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDJ_t6xBLiM
You’re welcome…
Good background for reading some Lovecraft:
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/
Thanks for stopping by.
There’s a wee spider beneath my keyboard…
so I’m…
Hanging With Cecilia…
Lady Cecilia Meenor Spider spun her silken web
Lady Cecilia Meenor Spider controlled the flow and ebb
Of the weird ocean known as time
Even though lady Cecilia Meenor Spider was no greater than a Dime
Running up and down and back and forth
Up to the south
and down to the north
For gravity, she had nothing but derision
For all her, goings were her own decision
Lady Cecilia Meenor Spider
This masterful seamstress
Was a divine glider
Keeping the magic staying distress
Though the fly’s plight might seem tragic
When caught in her net
His permutation for her satiation
Is a communion without regret
Drunk on her poison feeling no pain
The six-legged flyer releases his soul but not in vain
For Cecilia spider has sent him on home
Where he’s a light beneath a magnificent dome
Thus is the keeping of time and its half
So darling don’t fear
For death is a laugh
Image Credits: https://torasaurr.deviantart.com/art/Fancy-Spider-334495559
https://catherinetterings.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Spider-Watch-Lapel-Pin-343441685
The Fractal Journal 