Friday, October 26, 2007

Spalding Gray's Cambodian Monologue

(balding and grey)
His initial intonation held my intention but repetitions began to bore me. His imitation of the Cambodians waving goodbye and phrases he'd repeat in a story were strong examples. But the way he imitated "I'm from South Africaah" was funny.
There were times I wondered why I should care what he thought. Why's he telling me these things? Familiar sensations I'm sure. But after a while I began to transfer more into his telling so that hearing the intimate faster-than-speakable considerations of his mind was like rereading a journal entry, remembering a persona.

Lighting and sound effects were nice spots in the story to shift mood as was him putting on his glasses to read the Cambodian leader's farewell letter.

His telling of the redlight district -though starting with the prospect of it and having some exceptional*images-was devoid of discomforting eroticism. Actual lusty "dirty" feelings do have an inherently private nature so they're awkward when in a situation without outlet. Equivalently awkward is being come on to when not attracted; the want of sex is like a mist in the air, clinging to skin, that one wants to brush away if not enjoying the damp. A girl firing a rotten banana might be an entertaining trick or gross-out; I don't reckon I'd wanna see it. Splat. Eeew, I wouldn't eat that banana but she put it in herself...

*she lathers up and doesn't rinse



Spalding's quest for a perfect moment was an interesting theme. I found in much of his personality I couldn't relate yet it's all the more interesting to live vicariously through him. I don't fret about leaving things around where conveniently stealable (what are robbers stalking me in anticipation?) so I've some curiosity, what does an anxious man do about it? My maxim's "no worries". Things are how they are and lament changes nothing. A sucky situation will be adapted to or a man may die. Even that's not necessarily an evil event; aren't you intrigued by the prospect of existence outside a human body?

It didn't seem that Spalding varied his voice as much as he could. On the flipside, had he varied decibels or such more his intonation may've seemed even closer to uniformity as fewer parts would be far from average. I've heard speakers that start with yelling and seem like they've a lot of range they'll explore then turnout to rely on loudness for emphasis.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Some of what came to mind

Games that simulate war give players some patterns of thought which are of the type that occupy real commanders minds.

Troops are expendable. It's romantic to think that every man sent to fight to the death on our side will not die / no man will be left behind / a commander can possess enough skill to win battles without losing a soldier under him. But in a situation where fights-to-the-death settle matters such an outcome isn't possible. If commanders could decide to keep thier men alive then they would have some ability stronger than all enemy attacks. If some man or group of men were impervious to his/their enemies why would enemies return to a vain struggle?
Once it is accepted that a commander's men will die when they fight every engagement is chilling arithmetic: objective x is worth=# of men's lives. In that math is an odious trait of any but defensive wars, their operators place a value on some thing/s which is higher than their esteem for man. The nobility of the goal becomes irrelevant because at the end of each reason given is the unspoken qualifier "which is more important than the men I expect will die". We war to preserve the Union...to make the world safe for democracy...

When a mind's thoughtless and eyes stare without focus, is a man closer to nirvana?

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_---_-_-_-_-_--____--_-_-_---_------_--__________

Law of non-contradiction: No two premises which contradict can both be true. This law is the basis of all logic.

Paradox: Premises which seem to contradict each other but do not. "Eric was wearing a red shirt on Tuesday v. Eric was wearing a yellow shirt on Tuesday". Wearing a shirt of one color does not eliminate the possibility of wearing a shirt of another color. Eric can wear two shirts or Eric can change from one shirt into another during the course of a day.

In logic definitions decide the truth of an argument. A man may be very confident that what he claims is true and could make very good proofs for his conclusions -using a wrong definition. If the meaning of a word depended on for an argument is not present in its' definition all the justifications relying on that meaning are rendered moot.

When writing these explanations it is very easy to agree with them but tongues need controlled so they don't use familiar but erroneous sayings. Arguments that are regurally used rely on false definitions of words.

Tolerate=to allow a thing that bothers to continue. This word is used to justify arguments condemning critical analysis of practices; it is said "we must tolerate..." when the conclusion argued for is not tolerance but acceptance. "We should be tolerant of other lifestyles" may be said referencing cross-dressing, sodomy, or another action. Such a phrase can be true but is often used to persuade the listener against critical evaluation of the action. A man who does not know whether an action is good, neutral, or evil is in a state of ignorance, not tolerance. A man who thinks smoking an evil practice but does not try to stop a smoker from lighting up is tolerant. A police officer is paid to be intolerant.






Saturday, October 6, 2007

Blindman's tale

Sure, audio doesn't require nostrils or skin to be received but what stories are told through those senses? "Ah, you'd spaghetti for dinner...brush your teeth."

If stripped of other assistance, audio beats visual as mediums for storytelling go. Sound carries all the capability of language; facial expressions and postures can even be inferred from intonation. Where worldless stories can show simple narratives with objects and the like or depict conversations where only the gist is important he's pointing at the boat b/c he wants on it words allow the mysteries of creation to be tongue-probed. Though this value judgment may be annexed by Opinion sound better implies space and texture than sights. Think on bats: their sight is poor but they can tell the depth/density of the world around them by listening to how their yells carry in a space. What creature judges depth with poor hearing and good sight? Our very balance is dependent on internal formulas that accept sonic variables. Radio is also a better medium than a picture-book to tell a story because it can alter moods. Loud/fast noises excite and music stirs the soul. What the light reveals is lesser in ability to move man.

Before hearing This American Life I enjoyed http://www.ilovebees.com/humptydumpty.html

Guys with accents are somewhat amusing to hear b/c of their accents....music keeps stops in talk interesting....background chatter sounds looped...
Why does the chick narrate over the house-woman instead of editing her words for us to hear? The girl speaker is boring, the guy who comes after her talks in a mo' entertaining style. Her trouble entering the conversation reminds me of being around my Grandfather. If you're forceful enough, loud and emphasizing, you're heard. With more men talking passionately words fall loud and pass quickly so there isn't patience to hear halting words or pauses to collect thoughts.

Grossness isn't hipness in jokes. Her pedofile joke did get a chuckle form me. When you told us to listen for what's done with sounds I thought there'd be a lot of sound effects. Are you even still reading this Mr. Anderson?