It occurs to me that...

[Doktor Howl]

...With the exception of Cain's essays, we could just retitle everything in this subforum "Ain't It Awful?".

Or we could just make a horrorology-esque repository for Cain, and then retitle this whole forum.  Because the content isn't "politics", it's "high weirdness by vote".

Alternative:  Leave Cain's essays here, and move everything else to high weirdness.

[Doktor Howl]

Something else occurs to me.

This place, PD I mean, isn't really a "Discordian forum" anymore, so much as "a forum visited by Discordians".

We spend a lot of time Ain't It Awfulling about what the humans do, and not a lot of time talking about what WE do, or should be doing, or whatnot.  Likewise, the elimination of the bar thread just moved the bar thread into individual blog threads.

Not COMPLAINING, here...I mean, this is PD, do what you want.  I'm just saying that there's an awful lot here that would fit nicely into any board on the internet, and not a lot of what I - in my own personal opinion - think of as "discordianism", which involves a lot more hollering and creativity, and a lot less playing amatuer reporter.

Basically, if a thread's OP is just a link to a news story about the latest outrage, then why bother?  We could roll them all into one thread.  Contrast this with Cain's essays on politics and maybe Kai's essays on science.  New, original thought that I can't just go pull down off of Yahoo News.

Anyway, that's my 4 bits, for what it's worth.

[AFK]

Something else occurs to me.

This place, PD I mean, isn't really a "Discordian forum" anymore, so much as "a forum visited by Discordians".

Yes, but I think that has been true for quite a while now, other than some occassional interesting Discordian-themed threads in the PD subforum. 

Even the TFY,S subforum has evolved quite a bit away from what it was originally. 

Natural forum evolution, for sure, given that the membership is way different than it was even just 3 years ago. 

[Elder Iptuous]

This place, PD I mean, isn't really a "Discordian forum" anymore, so much as "a forum visited by Discordians".

the only boards i've seen that have a specific topic and stick to them are either professional boards (engineering boards are the ones i've seen, i'm sure there are many others), and boards that have moderate, at best, traffic.
I'm grateful to have "a forum visited by Discordians".  sure, i could get a link collection to stories on any other general purpose forum, but i wouldn't have the discussion that comes about from the story that i can get (and sometimes participate in) here.... by a group of Discordians.

...what I - in my own personal opinion - think of as "discordianism", which involves a lot more hollering and creativity...

In my Discordia, action isn't even necessary.  it's just a mindset while observing the world.
I'm not a ranter, and don't feel less a Discordian for not being so.
creativity is important, though, and something that i have been negligent in...


I guess my point is, i'm glad you guys are all here, and i think this place deserves the 'Discordian' label as much as any place could.

[AFK]

It could be worse.  I of course point to Steve Jackson's forums.  A board with all kind of superficial Discordian trappings that is basically just an RPG board.  And if you try to discuss Discordia there, you get silence or anger. 

[Doktor Howl]

Well, like I said...This isn't a complaint, so much as an observation.

[Doktor Howl]

Even the TFY,S subforum has evolved quite a bit away from what it was originally. 

This is actually a good thing.  If you go diving into the ass end of that subforum, it's ALL tarot/divination woo, marketed as "thinking".

[LMNO]

I've noticed that as well (and have contributed my fair share to it).  However, like Ipt said, the things we clip and post, and why we do it are shaped by the kind of board this is.  Observations that reveal the latest Two Man Con would not be welcome or understood by most other boards; and if that becomes an echo chamber of sorts, you only have to look from where we got the URL to find vehement disagreement with out views.

I'd like more hollering and creativity as well, and I know who to blame every time I look in the mirror.  So I can't really hold it against anyone.

[Doktor Howl]

I've noticed that as well (and have contributed my fair share to it).  However, like Ipt said, the things we clip and post, and why we do it are shaped by the kind of board this is.  Observations that reveal the latest Two Man Con would not be welcome or understood by most other boards; and if that becomes an echo chamber of sorts, you only have to look from where we got the URL to find vehement disagreement with out views.

I'd like more hollering and creativity as well, and I know who to blame every time I look in the mirror.  So I can't really hold it against anyone.

Momma taught me, "When the rock hits you, holler!", so I do.  I holler here, mostly, because when I holler other places, I sometimes have to explain myself to the cops.  What's interesting is the low level of hollering, when I happen to know that a lot of you are enduring a shit rain of big fucking rocks.  I don't know if it's conditioning to suffer silently because people are raised to Not Make A Fuss, or if it's because it's just so much easier to GO ON THAT DIET TOMORROW, and spend all day today pigging out with the F5 button.

Either way, I'm for less suffering and more hollering.  Not everyone can bring themselves to heave a brick through a plate glass window, after all, and hollering is the next best thing.

So what I'm suggesting is that we do a little less Ain't It Awfulling (thanks for the term, Stella!) over what the stinking humans have done last, and a little more FUCK YOU, IMA SPEW, over what they've done to US.

This is why I get all fucking happy when Cain & Kai post their shit.  I can only understand them half the time...But when I do, my vision goes all red with rage, and my heart fills full of hate.  This is good for the circulation, I hear.

Besides, life is too fucking short to spend all day Ain't It Awfulling. 

[Kai]

There's not much to do about politics except complain, in many cases. It's all outside our respective circles of influence. i know I largely ignore federal politics these days, unless it is science related. I mean, unless I was really knowledgeable about political science, like Cain, there really isn't much I can contribute outside of, man, that really sucks. Once when I said "how dare they do these things in my name, it's my responsibility to change it", he pointed out that I shouldn't feel like that since it cannot possibly be under my control.

Should we be spending less time talking about "aint it awful" federal and international politics, and more time talking about local attempts to effect politics?

[Doktor Howl]

There's not much to do about politics except complain, in many cases. It's all outside our respective circles of influence. i know I largely ignore federal politics these days, unless it is science related. I mean, unless I was really knowledgeable about political science, like Cain, there really isn't much I can contribute outside of, man, that really sucks. Once when I said "how dare they do these things in my name, it's my responsibility to change it", he pointed out that I shouldn't feel like that since it cannot possibly be under my control.

Should we be spending less time talking about "aint it awful" federal and international politics, and more time talking about local attempts to effect politics?

What I'd prefer is more education on the subject, just so I CAN decide what to do at the local level.  Federal shit is definitely out of my control, no argument there (though I can - and do - bet on it). 

But the Ain't It Awful also extends to news stories about various people being mistreated by The Man.  I have no objection to that sort of post, but I'd prefer - personally - if they were bundled in a common thread, like political cartoons.  They are of limited use, after all, and don't really have any handles I can use to DO anything.

Problem is, The Machine™ is so complex now that I don't know whether to be pissed at Goldman Sachs for providing the stupid, or various banks and governments for swallowing the stupid.  I honestly have no idea if the chicken fucked me, or if the egg did it, or if I'm getting tag-teamed.

So - and I'm only speaking for myself here, venting really - I'm more interested in an analysis of politics that I can understand, than I am in whatever horrible shit just happened at the individual level to some po'bucker in Buttfuck, Kansas or wherever.

[LMNO]

I honestly have no idea if the chicken fucked me, or if the egg did it, or if I'm getting tag-teamed.

This is a fairly stunning visual.

[Doktor Howl]

I honestly have no idea if the chicken fucked me, or if the egg did it, or if I'm getting tag-teamed.

This is a fairly stunning visual.

You have no idea.

[Cain]

I agree with both the OP and the following post.

In fact, my proposals for a change in focus in this subforum were motivated initially by such concerns.  As you say, Complaining About Horrible Shit is, at the end of the day, not all that interesting.  I can get that from any daily newspaper (for instance, today, I have spent roughly two hours going "fuck" while reading about the new budget).  I think a degree of Horrible Shit is good and normal - especially when it touches on a larger story, such as the current Republican hatred of the uterus - but at the same time my interests are:

- what are the people with power doing?
- who is on what side?
- what is thing meant to accomplish, and
- will I have to choke a bitch because of it?

Ultimately, that comes down to two things:

1.  Locating the people with power
2.  Understanding the mechanisms of power

This is not as immediately easy as it would seem.  My research tends to suggest there are three main lines of enquiry which would help with this:

1.  The past.  All of it.
2.  Anomalies, in the political sense.
3.  Obscure political science.

The utility of the past and anomalies is obvious.  The third one is not immediately, but let us put it this way: if politics has a predictable pattern, and this pattern can be reduced to a rule-set, then knowledge of the rule-set gives you a massive political advantage and thus would have to be heavily defended.  Such defenses would include intellectual copyright protections and funding/promoting political scientists who promote orthodox theories which, whatever their actual utility may be, are most useful because they are not a weapon which can be used against the status quo.  The outlines of such a theory are only going to exist at the fringes of the discipline, or those most involved in researching the anomalies, or both.

Anyway, the other thing, about this being a site Discordians visit, and not necessarily a Discordian site....yeah, I've felt that way for a while too.  "Facebook for weirdos" and all that.  I'm not sure how I can personally help though.  I've pretty much exhausted myself on the topic of Discordianism, and researching the above, in addition to my actual paying job, going out etc is a full time endeavour.  That's why I tend to focus my efforts on this particular subforum.  I'll think about it more though, see if I can't come up with something.

[Kai]

I agree with both the OP and the following post.

In fact, my proposals for a change in focus in this subforum were motivated initially by such concerns.  As you say, Complaining About Horrible Shit is, at the end of the day, not all that interesting.  I can get that from any daily newspaper (for instance, today, I have spent roughly two hours going "fuck" while reading about the new budget).  I think a degree of Horrible Shit is good and normal - especially when it touches on a larger story, such as the current Republican hatred of the uterus - but at the same time my interests are:

- what are the people with power doing?
- who is on what side?
- what is thing meant to accomplish, and
- will I have to choke a bitch because of it?

Ultimately, that comes down to two things:

1.  Locating the people with power
2.  Understanding the mechanisms of power

This is not as immediately easy as it would seem.  My research tends to suggest there are three main lines of enquiry which would help with this:

1.  The past.  All of it.
2.  Anomalies, in the political sense.
3.  Obscure political science.

The utility of the past and anomalies is obvious.  The third one is not immediately, but let us put it this way: if politics has a predictable pattern, and this pattern can be reduced to a rule-set, then knowledge of the rule-set gives you a massive political advantage and thus would have to be heavily defended.  Such defenses would include intellectual copyright protections and funding/promoting political scientists who promote orthodox theories which, whatever their actual utility may be, are most useful because they are not a weapon which can be used against the status quo.  The outlines of such a theory are only going to exist at the fringes of the discipline, or those most involved in researching the anomalies, or both.

Anyway, the other thing, about this being a site Discordians visit, and not necessarily a Discordian site....yeah, I've felt that way for a while too.  "Facebook for weirdos" and all that.  I'm not sure how I can personally help though.  I've pretty much exhausted myself on the topic of Discordianism, and researching the above, in addition to my actual paying job, going out etc is a full time endeavour.  That's why I tend to focus my efforts on this particular subforum.  I'll think about it more though, see if I can't come up with something.

So, perhaps we need more discussion about historical events, especially those that were anomalous.