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Ok, I said I would quit if it was the right thing to do, and I meant it. The Mgt has decided, and Roger wins again. Here's what I see:

Roger is a psycho who is more powerful than I had thought. My pwnage. Look at how quickly he ramped up when I stepped. He's clearly got a battle plan for defending his egomaniac self pre-defined and ready to go. And unfortunately for me, it's a

good one.[/list:u]

Most people here don't care enough about the board to actually fight for it. My pwnage again.[/list:u]

Lauren does not care enough to fix her board, either. Or more likely, cannot figure out how to do it, which is nothing against her, since it's definitely a hard problem.[/list:u]

Buddhist_Monk_Wannabe has an excellent point, as well: the asshats will just keep coming back anyway.[/list:u]

I am subject to my own words to MoC:

Do whatever it was you were going to do, before you let these other folks get you into a reactionary stance. This isn't a pissing contest, it's a funhouse. Just play. And if you do your own thing and it still doesn't go over well, I'd say you're just in the wrong place. If it's not for you and you fake it anyway, you have no fun. If it's not for you and you don't fake it, nobody else has any fun. Either way, what's the point?

So I will conclude the obvious, and quit.[/list:u]

As long as the good folks here just complain about the problem, and do nothing about it, it will just get worse. It's that damn "When they came for X, I did not speak out, because I was not an X" thing again. This board is all but USELESS for anyone other than the trolls, and it will become more so. Look at all the deserters! Where is the rest of Bella's family? Hoshi's last post was during the Roger-banzor incident, for instance. Where are riff, Lister, Z3, Medeo, Hotsuma, Slartibartfast, Penumbral, Thwack, Shecky, etc? unlike_someone and synaptyx have been absent lately as well. You think they ALL left out of boredom?

So I will stop posting. I won't stop reading, though ,Äì even if the only things that keep me coming back are Hugh's rants, horab's story, and LMNO-PI. At least, those were the best things I saw posted while I was here. (I assume Verthaine would have said some great stuff, too, but obviously he has much bigger concerns at the moment.)

I'll leave POEE UK and kaegogi/Sandbox as well, since those seem to basically be vassal states of this board. It makes a good case for these truly being "Roger's internets". (Just wait for Netsukuku.)

I will leave PM notifications on, so if you are one of the people I get along with and you missed this, PM me if you want and I'll answer you. And for those of you with my email, don't be shy about using it. I'm not looking to lose any friends, just everyone else

And Roger ,Äì do watch out. You pwnd me, and I'm sure you'll do the same to 99% of the people you meet. But sooner or later, somebody's gonna get you, and you'll realize at the last moment that you don't really want to die after all. My only regret is that I most likely won't know about it.

Goodbye.

...I could apparently trash this whole site, just by posting one perfectly ordinary reply to a bunch of random threads, because such posts would be guaranteed to be followed by trash. But since I'm not, I won't. I have already involved The Mgt, given the insanity of the response to my challenge.

And I'm actually surprised that:
a) Roger believes that he's so great that only one person in the world can possibly call him out;
b) so many people believed him so easily (go read some Eric posts, then decide if you're so sure).

Bad guys, please DO go troll Eric's site. It will tire you out sooner, and I have no reason to like him either.

And everyone who believes I am NOT Eric, please post here. Remember that when I started in on this, my stated purpose was to reclaim the site for its real purpose. I really do have good intentions.

Thanks for your support, goodniks

I promised a rant, and I'm delivering on it. Folks, we've got a serious problem. This place is sucking hard. I'm pissed and I'm done being reasonable.

First, we are suffering from misapplication of the STFU principle, that's not saying it, it's doing it. Far too many people are posting just to post. On slashdot this is called "crapflooding". Trolls and just plain bored people are posting so much that it's like to make my head explode trying to find some real content in here. Say what you've got to say, and not what you don't. I've been just as guilty of this as the next guy lately, and I intend to work on that.

Second, we're way too mean. Have you noticed that you can't post anything without it getting crapped on in some useless manner? Just because our topic is admittedly nebulous doesn't mean you can't make statements about it. Even admitting that you don't know is subject to complaint. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I know who and what I am, and no amount of flamage is going to change that.

Third, the trolls have taken over. (Some call them "Subgenii".) I hate to break it to you, but it's not your job to harass people into silence for the fun of it. I'm not going to play that game anymore. Are you trying to kill the board? What kind of sad shit is that? Look at all the old timers who have left for good. Look at the reasons why, and notice who's been responsible. Now realize who's been pwning this board.

Fourth, what's with all the politics? Take it elsewhere unless you've got a reason to post it here.

My plan is to ignore anything I don't like from here on in. I'm here by choice, and I'll experience it in the manner of my choosing as well. I hope I can convince the rest of you to do the same. Stop replying to crap. Don't even read stuff from the fuckwads you don't like. Fairly soon we'll see who's valuable here and who's not. (And if I turn out to be in the "not" crowd, I'll have the good grace to leave. You please do the same if it comes to it.)

I came here to read and post smart, fun, and philosophical stuff. And that includes "epigrams". Post all the laughing, pipe-smoking, dunce-cap-wearing smilies that you want, you will waste no more of my time. Go on, bitch and moan that you don't agree with this post and that I've got no right. Waaa, waaa.

So in conclusion, if you're a fucktard, go jump off a bridge somewhere. And if you're not one, help one do it.

Or kill me.

Hey, these have been done for a while, and now my server is up again. And posting this is easier than writing a good rant. :P




[/img]

Name your favorite small chunk of lyrics or poetry. Just looking for a couple of lines or so.

My favorite lyrics:

When the final sunset rolls behind the Earth
And the clock is finally dead

(This band normally blows chunks, especially in their new ultra-Christian mode, but this couplet FTW.)

Some of us are Pagans. Some of us are Pantheists. Some of us are philosphers. Some of us are mystics. Some of us are crazy. Some of us are n00bs. Some of us are poets. Some of us are goofing off. All of these people are Discordians.

But some of us are Subgenii.

That is all.

[A Discordian (at least the kind who hangs out here) is not a follower of Discordianism.]

(So I've finished talking about me. Just to prove I'm not a raging egotist, I'll write about something else: you. Now I realize that in doing this I run the risk of both pissing people off by getting it wrong, and retreading old tired themes that were run into the ground like two years ago. But if I worried about that all the time, I'd be paralyzed out of writing anything.)

Ok, so in my last rant I talked a little about the differences in my experiences with Discordianism as a philosophy/religion/whatever and those with Discordians as people. I've been thinking abouth this for a while and the pot boileth over.

The other day somebody posted a link to this page. I thought it was dead on in many ways (as well as funny ). Especially check out the section on "Followers".

I suddenly realized after reading this how to put into waords what had been sitting in the back of my mind: A Discordian (at least the kind who hangs out here) is not a follower of Discordianism. Here, a follower of Discordianism is called a n00b. Somebody who takes it all seriously, thinks a lot about Eris all the time, and treats it as a concrete philosophy (whatever that means).

A Discordian (dare I even say it, a "real" Discordian) is somebody who has figured It out. Such people just Do Their Thing. They don't "try too hard". they have learned the lessons that are out there, both in Discordian stuff and in their own minds. They are the Holy Men and Shit Heads. They have really figured out that Hill was nonsense. (This paragraph is 80% cliches. It sucks.)

Now, that's not to say that it's just bullshit. After all, we say that to each other, and to ourselves, quite a bit, but when some n00b, or even some totally unclued person who you tried to drag into it, says such a thing, it doesn't feel the same. You don't look at them proudly and say, "Damn, you're fast!" (At least, not seriously. ) There's just some kind of understanding process that has to occur, so that you can end up right where you started, but somehow, it's somewhere else.

I have several time heard Discordianism called "the Zen of the West" (usually by Neo-Pagan types). I think this is what they mean. I have often thought that Zen being bullshit, and those goofy koans where the student is enlightened after getting the boot to the head, were pointing to exactly this. Try reading The Gateless Gate and see if you agree. It is not just enough to be able to call it bullshit. You also have to know why and what kind.

So what does this mean? What am I going to do with my awesome knowledge? What am I going to tell you all to do, my WTF-saying audience? Damned if I know. It's really just yet another case of pulling back the flap and saying, "Oh, look. There's me again." So all it tells me is that I should do whatever it is I'm doing (and so should you do what you're doing). Or maybe, it's that I will do it whether I know/intend it or not.

Well, that's all I've got. I realize I'm arrogating "non-n00b" status for myself and that's a dangerously asshattish thing to do. I can only say what I think, though, or say nothing at all. (Of course, sometimes I think nothing, so I say a lot of nothing. ) What can I say, last night I have to convince yunz I really am just a n00b, and tonight I'm trying to convince you I'm a Man Of The World. What the hell. And besides, I'm just new to the board, not to the concepts.

And I think I need a keyboard macro to type "Discordianism". Damn, that's a long word.

[creative]

So I've been here a little while, and apparently have been approved by customers as tough as TGRR. I've had enough time to observes something that looks odd to me. (And no, this isn't about forum strife.)

In yesterday's braindump, I basically gave my life history as it pertains to Our Glorious Topic. This one continues from there, in some sense.

Once I rediscovered the Principia, and had it click for me, I did the obvious thing - wen't butt-nutty for all the Discordiana I could find. I was already reading Illuminatus!, check. I googled a bunch, found the Apocrypha and Verthaine's book. Found the front page of PD.com, and then the forums. I didn't sign up then, but I did look around a bit, and I saw Synaptyx's sig banner ("dry humped", indeed). This sent me on a wild chase after the Summa, and then a read through the Metaclysmia and Zenarchist's Cookbook on the backhand stroke. I put one of the PD.com wallpaper offerings (the one without the words on it) on my Mac laptop, in order to confuse my officemates. It remains there to this day, in spite of my not really appreciating it much as artwork. I find it appropriate that the Golden Apple in it is clearly inspired by the Apple Computer apple (look at the stem).

In short, I went obsessionary. Nothing unexpected there. I digested it all and didn't even need any Pepto. I made cryptic, unoriginal comments to my cow-orkers and on non-Discordian boards. I annoyed my flatmate about all kinds of trivia, and browbeat her into reading the Principia. (Ok, so I still annoy her about it, and did so about every other crap thing I got into. She puts up with a lot.)

I got my n00bness out of my system before coming here where yunz would call my bluff. (Thus avoiding one of Mal3's and MoC's biggest mistakes.) I came back here and signed up. A week later I actually started to post.

But then, I had a problem. Discordia and Discordianism were easy for me, Discordians were not. Real interpersonal interaction that actually involved me having to think, and even more so, to have to follow up my thoughts. Normal people don't want me to elaborate on what I come up with. One little bit is enough to get them really turned off. You guys get it, and that makes me go all "emo kid" inside. *sniff*

There is no substitute for fitting in somewhere, even if you hate the idea. Like I said in another thread:

Do whatever it was you were going to do, before you let these other folks get you into a reactionary stance. This isn't a pissing contest, it's a funhouse. Just play. And if you do your own thing and it still doesn't go over well, I'd say you're just in the wrong place. If it's not for you and you fake it anyway, you have no fun. If it's not for you and you don't fake it, nobody else has any fun. Either way, what's the point?

(This is the other mistake that MoC and Mal3 are making. Much less their faults, though.) I guess I let MoC get me too worked up, and I shot my wad before I could get it polished up into this post. What can I say, premature ejaculation sucks.

So what next? I get obsessionary about this forum, of course! Get eyestrain headaches and stay up way too late. Actually write stuff like this - my flatmate is a writer and has been trying to pump me for output for years. Get confused (abused?) by Roger. Get nostalgic for the old days that I wasn't even here for, WTF?

Time flows differently in message boards than it does in real life. (This is the "odd thing" I mentioned up top. Think of your first post. Feels like a long time ago, doesn't it? Ok, now stop and think of what you were doing in real life when you joined this board. Just a little while ago, right? What's up with that? Me, I think it's all part of the "computer curse". Was it really that long ago that you had a 486? Probably not, just feels like it. And how about that Moore's Law, eh? Maybe Vernor Vinge is on to something...

*Stares off into space worrying about gray goo scenarios*
...

Oh yeah, my flatmate? She's not Discordian. She does seem to get it, just not go for it. I rarely have people disagree with me once they actually understand. But she's just contrary.

I've been many things: I was raised Catholic, then I went agnostic, then atheist, and on to many kinds of nonsense, from Kantian to Randite, then on to Chaos Magick (yeah, my speel chcker is busted), Satanism, hard-core Skepticism, and weirder shit. (Never tried Subgenius, since I somehow manage to fail the one entrance requirement. Whatever.) Discordianism is special. (Like Doubtless Incident's avatar or something.) It's the only one that I didn't get reproached by her for. I must be on to something.

(My flatmate is the prominent Moderator "sunandshadow" over at http://www.gamedev.net. So if you hang around there, say hi. Or troll her, if you prefer. I'm signed up as "Kallisti" over there since some British asshat who never posts took "ataraxia" about 5 years ago. I never post either - and remember, obvious Discordian references are creative over there.)

Ok, I think I'm done. And I will probably spare yunz any more rants until at least the weekend, since I have a day job. Will write normal posts, though. Fire away. Grr, arrgh, no apologists here.

So here I am, finally shamed into actually writing something. It's about midnight here and I will probably screw it up :P Never mind whether I should have something better to do on a Saturday night instead of typing into XEmacs for a bunch of people I've never met but am nonetheless eager to appease.

Long ago, before I was beaned by the Golden Apple, but not so long ago that I didn't know what Discordianism was, I was what fluffy Wiccans and such would call a "Seeker". (Nothing more than an Agnostic who has more choices than "yes" or "no" AFAICT but you know how those folks fear words that are popular with Christians.) So I hung around silly places like WitchVox, churchofsatan.org, and chaosmagic.org; bought books by Peter Carroll and Phil Hine; and wrote pompous journal entries (on paper, not in a blog) that I thought were Serious Philosophy, but of course were really only intended to convince myself. I tried to read AO Spare, and did read Crowley (who I still think is fun). I largely ignored Discordianism upon first exposure - honestly, at this point I only wanted TEH MAEHDGJICQKQUEUEX, and experienced the "fish, meet bicycle" effect. (At least I've never bought anything from Llewellyn.)

Anyway, while I was about this kind of activity, I stumbled upon two unusual books that dovetailed nicely. One was Colin Wilson's The Occult, the other was Charles Fort's old classic The Book of the Damned. Neither of these are particularly respectable books. They had one thing in common - they trusted all of their sources. Wilson is a case of the unfortunate person who is smart enough to understand most anything he reads, gullible enough to believe it, and egotistic enough to disbelieve in his own gullibility. I honestly don't know what to think about Fort - very often I think his stuff was just OM in action.

At that point in my mental development, these two books threw me for a loop. I was caught between swallowing some obvious bullshit on one hand, and not "keeping an open mind" on the other. Remember, the "open mind" is the holy grail of the fluffy Pagans, at least so long as you're not open to any mainstream stuff. (Kinda like the Free Software movement. :P )

So what I set out to do was to come up with a theory of metaphysics, of underlying reality, that would reconcile ALL of the data, including Real Science. And I damn well did it. I became a Pantheist, and said, "Anything can be true, as long as The Universe wills it." I took a page from Jung and said the Collective Unconscious existed, and not only that, but I identified it with my Pantheistic God. Nothing existed but the Mind Of The Universe. We only thought we were "real", we were just figments extruded up from the mental sewers of God.

That was the beginning of the end. Free Will of even the most trivial sort stopped existing for me. And my theory, being powerful enough to explain everything I had see so far, could actually explain ANYTHING AT ALL, no matter how silly. It had run afoul of some kind of Goedelian trick: It was complete, and therefore inconsistent. I had the ultimate power, and it was USELESS. My universe was BORING.

This was the straw that broke the camel's back. I finally convinced myself that calling bullshit was necessary sometimes. Otherwise I had to eat it. I dropped the fluff. I looked back at Peter Carroll and Phil Hine and saw that some was fun, some was not, and all of it was silly. I turned off my philosophical lightbulb and went to work for the US Government in the very heart of the Podge for a few years. (No, really).

After a while that was No Fun, and I started thinking those Subversive Thoughts again. I started reading fun books again. I came back around to the Principia, and this time, I wasn't looking for the SFX. I was looking for FUN. And goddamn if it didn't make some kind of impression on me this time.

Thank you for reading this far, and good night. I just wish I could have made this a bit more definitely on-topic. Hopefully it's not bigger bullshit than what it's busting on. Fire when ready.

Probably all here who care already know about this, but...
There's a truly insane programming manual (that teaches Ruby, a language which I happen to like for practical reasons as well):
Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby
It actually teaches programming, while containing images like these:






If you hate programming, this guy has other cool random stuff at http://whytheluckystiff.net/. One of my favorite writers.

I'm not actually an artist, so you won't be putting up with me much in this forum, but since I had some stuff, why not show it? Yes, they are gigantic, wallpaper tends to be.

The full-sized version of my avatar, which is also my wallpaper on the machine that's hosting the pics (I actually do real work on that box sometimes, too). Made in Tierazon, no post-processing:


The wallpaper on the machine I'm posting from right now. Made in XaoS, no post-processing:


Please do not kill the nice Linux boxie, the airflow is horrible in my office, and dead-hardware smoke is nasty...  :P