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Here comes a double-billed mastodon post!

Some time ago, I wrote a piece that I did not publish before greater events made it obsolete, but I shall share its bones nonetheless for I think they are interesting.



The new Lord of the Rings thing is perfectly fine. Let us abolish the culture war.

Much have been made about the casting decisions for Amazon's recent expedition into Tolkien's works. As always, it is generally a lot of shouting and very little hearing. Frankly, while I am generally unimpressed by half-hearted measures presented as grand reforms, I have no wish nor heart to complain this time. Amazon made a big, expensive film production in 2022, that is what happened. They felt required to, as is the phrase, reflect how the world (America) actually looks like. It is no doubt for the best. It is an American production which will reflect American problems and attempt at an American solution.
It appears to be pretty well done, all together. It takes liberties, but well within reason, and the production company have not draped it in the stuffy air of righteousness and piety that can accompany such things. I do not think even Tolkien would have had much heart to complain, given the circumstances of the production. It is quite fine.

What I loathe, however, is the representation of this general shouting as a new front in the “culture war”, a most detestable phrase. One that makes culture and disagreement about culture utterly insufferable and, much worse, makes a mockery of war.

One can feel very strongly about culture and the multitudes that it contains ('Rule Britannia!' STAYS in the bloody proms and that is that!!!), but it is not war, and evoking that frightening spectre when discussing culture brings nothing but trouble and indignity. Say, if you disagree with me over the last night of the proms example above, I may believe that you are wrong, but we are not fighting, and we are most certainly not at war, and our disagreement can never be brought to the level of war. It is a very powerful incantation, and it has no use nor place if we mean to be civil and discuss a cultural matter. It is a magic that is wasted on cultural disagreements, and spoils them by raising the temperature well beyond the limits of a healthy discourse.

It is just as pointless and dangerous as declaring war on things and thoughts. Wars on drugs, poverty, terror... A powerful spell, but one that will always fail in the end. It is a frightening, thundering flood, a vast force that demands all that you have and all that you will not do. Mars will not be denied, and Mars ought not be so carelessly evoked where he does not belong.



This is what I had written, the day before the war. Mars would indeed not be denied, and now the flood has begun.

There is a lot of war-time grinding to share. From the thieves and fraudsters propping up this little tyrant to the spreading miasma of defeatism and lotus-eating, but I must start small. Such as the violence done on the innocent letter zulu.

In the Russian empire, the latin letter Z is being pressed into the service of tyranny.

It appears to have begun as an IFF procedure, for the ill-fated detachment Z during the invasion. Sprayed onto equipment to mark them as friendly forces for marauding jabos and helicopters. It has bemused the world, stencilled on the hesitantly advancing vans and lorries of a bungling army. Now, however, it appears to be germinating into a symbol of support for the war and for the tyrant.
Some who rally to the Z claim it is the symbol of Russians who are not ashamed thereof. A most peculiar banner, for in taking the symbol of heeresgruppe Z, its adopters are proudly claiming to be incompetent, brutal and cruel. If that is what one wants to be, then things such as shame and dishonour is so utterly alien as to be pointless. Their shame and pride alike thus made worthless.

However, to my mind this symbol now fulfils its original purpose â€" identification friend or foe. Those who cry zulu are certainly no friends of yours, mine, nor indeed any of the free peoples of Europe. Thee behind the Z; we are not, strictly, foes, but we are no longer friends. Living unfree liberates one from responsibility for the crimes of the dictator who asks not mind nor will, but holding the Z high is a pledge of support for this criminal war, it is agreement and ultimately culpability. It is not a matter of shame, it is a matter of war, and saying loudly that your neighbours deserves not their rights.
It is vexing because I am terribly fond of that letter. It is a good little letter, most underemployed. It has very harmonic lines. To see it reduced to a bastard child of the hooked cross to shore up the failings of a dying autocrat is infuriating. I cannot bear to see it tainted by villainy. And yet, of course, it is such a tiny little thing of a vast and soul-revolting crime, that I feel ashamed to be made so wild and heated over it.

Damn that wretched, shitty little villain. For greater and for smaller and for the puniest, like the violence done on my dear little Z. Lord knows where it will all end, and for so little. And yet, all things must end, and one would wish this ended sooner rather than later.

The Ides of March are coming. Let us wait, and let us hope.

Feel no remorse for Tim.

Do not hesitate to kill Tim.

TIM KNOWS WHAT HE DID.

It is odd that the Damnatio Memoriae did not take, at that occasion. I imagine Artemis was on unfriendly terms with someone else upstairs at the time, and they kept Mr H's memory going, to annoy her.

As for its application now, I must agree that it is the best way to treat these hideous murderers - particularly the types who do so for some warped idea of 'fame'. To oblivion with them, and let them rot. Runeberg had the right idea: 'So give his dark-wrought deed its time, but shroud in night his name as I."
(Trivia: that comes from a Johan Ludvig Runeberg poem about a real historical traitor, and it is very good. So good, in fact, that I can never recall the traitor's name unless I look him up, and then I forget it again. There is a lot of power in verse and songs...)

That said, I do not mind gawping and laughing at these sort of criminals if given the opportunity. It is not as if they are much good for anything else, after what they have done. I have little interest in the man in the video, his fate or his motivations, but I can certainly laugh at him all the harder, as it dissipates his menace. If oblivion is not practical for whichever reason, humiliation is the next best thing. They have revoked what rights they had to be considered serious. Forget, or point and laugh. Maybe install one of those dunking machines from an old fair ground in the prison? Probably not...

Well, now, funny pictures. The screenshot button is a fantastic thing, and one does catch quite a few funny moments when playing. Here, it seems that the make-belief airforce are rather lax in their demands of a decent landing.

Spoiler

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It feels as if not much is expected of me. It is, I suppose, in 'one piece'. Good enough for me, pour in the vodka and point me back up, and I am good for another go!

[AWE IN BEING]

I would agree. The unicorn in general depiction is not what it was. Although cute and lovely versions of things are quite alright (and mostly quite inspired), it is impossible to not see that the cuteicorn phenomenon is greatly inflated. Still, other depictions remain, and as I have always been fond of unicorns (I got into fights over the matter in school, I recall, which is an amusingly ridiculous reason on reflection), it is pleasing to encounter them. I do not think the 'proper' unicorn is in danger of being 'forgotten' - provided that it is indeed depicted. Art - games - words. Let the unicorn in.
Dwarf Fortress unicorns, as Danvzare mentioned, are quite menacing, amusingly. They live in 'good' lands, but they were quite capable of wreaking havoc on your dwarfs, kicking and goring. They are less dangerous now, but they are still a threat, particularly since the elves (less wise and decidedly less nice in Dwarf Fortress than in most other depictions) use them as war beasts.

All together, I do hope for better days for the unicorn. There is so much one can do with them while retaining their majesty.
'Cute' things are not a problem - provided that the object of the cute renditions are not utterly overshadowed by a hollow cuddle-simulacrum with all meaning of the old sand-papered off. If nothing else, our children deserves better. And now I feel I must put my crowns where my mouth is, and make some sort of unicorn game.

On angels, it is important to remember that any rendition of them is a vain attempt to describe the indescribable and depict that which pictures cannot reach. Not that it is not worth attempting just because it is impossible, mind. Angels are not 'supposed' to be blazing, all-seeing wheels, but it is 'closer' to what they are than a chap with wings, although not one depiction can be held as more 'right' than the other. An angel unmasked is a terrifying thing, so it is little wonder that they come in veils. Place and purpose is what matters, and I do not think you can get a depiction more or less 'right', only more or less fitting.

Part of the confusion, of course, comes from the term 'cherub', which in modern popular speak is taken to mean exclusively a fat little babby with wings, rather than AWE IN BEING, as it were. Although I imagine that if Cherubim have a sense of humour, they find it most amusing. The little winged children, putti, meanwhile, are more than mere decorations in their symbology, of course. They are very old, and hold so many different meanings. Far more than an adorable 'down-grade' for Cherubim, although one cannot wonder that it has become an impression. Indeed, it is like what has befallen the unicorn; considered but a slightly tacky and sugary decoration. Somewhat vexing.

Now, hurrah for the magnificent unicorn - queen of beasts!

To continue an amusing theme:

I made a peculiar find recently.

I cannot say that I am very fond of Kiss. It is not the music that I like - and I remain childishly unable to not read their name as 'wee' (which is what kiss means means 'round here).

Then, they went and made their 'anti-album', the sort of album some bands sometimes do, something so far from their ordinary path that their listeners cannot make heads or tails of it. In this case, it is Music from the Elder!

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABDAtZO6vxU

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I heard it first as I imagine a lot of people did - with other youngsters sprawled around smoky rooms, nodding and mumbling. I have remembered it since, but I could not find it again. No wonder, though. I would never ever have guessed that it was Kiss, of all people! Then, it featured in a web-comic, and we were re-acquainted. Goodness, the world is small - and things have a tendency to return to you when you expect it the least.


It is not the best album, certainly not a favourite, but it is a very unexpected re-acquaintance. There is certainly some nostalgia from my part, but even so, I like it. It is good! Very good. Certainy the best Kiss ever did.

Hah! Well, the program 'Noah's Island' is about a drifting volcanic island, and the polar bear Noah that finds it and becomes its captain. He assembles a crew out of all sorts of animals who come to the island after circus boat ship-wrecks and so forth.

One of captain Noah's merry men is a sort of Russian shrew called Sasha. His 'catch-phrase'?

'Hojski bojski!'

He said that at any opportunity, I seem to recall. And ended all his sentences with '-skij', I think. It was a long time ago. It may be different in English.

'Noah's Island', by chance?

Hojski-bojski!

Can you truly blame, Cassiebsg? Goodness, all children's programs look entirely the same nowadays. Still, a clever trick!

The Godfather (well, one of them), perchance?

This has been a solace and a refuge these weeks. I am very fond of it, but I must say that the English version is splendid, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOdlhd0CCOw

Gustavus Adolphus Day is coming up on Friday, so I play it quite often this time of year nonetheless, but the hymn is particularly soothing this frightful and dreary year, particularly these bloodied last weeks. Do stay safe.

As an aside, it is always amusing to leaf through the examples in this thread - you never know what you will find!

["Witness your DOOM!"]

_{Så förshrekligt.}

I am always happy for good news, but I do believe there is a time and place for anything. Charlie's got the spirit, certainly, but it is a rather wild stab in the dark. If he could have tied the verse selections to Shrek, it would have been quite impressive.

Then again, I cannot say that I am very familiar with Shrek. Charlie may know something that I do not.

Now, a story.
A few odd years ago, a hot air balloon belonging to the city amusement park was caught by high winds and blown out of course, and eventually out to sea. Blown clean over the Kattegat, they made the decision to make an emergency landing on a street in Denmark, lest they would have to spend the night over the North Sea. This resulted in an amusing photograph and, I imagine, a lot of frightened children.

Spoiler

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"Witness your DOOM!"

They do not ordinarily look this menacing, I shall add. That rather makes it worse.

'Fargo', per chance?

I wonder what they do on Sunday mass...

I am unsure. I believe that they are (gracefully, no doubt) allowed to toll the bells on Sunday for mass, or at least during a few special days in the year. I do see the annoyance of hearing tolling bells if you are recovering from a drunken Saturday, but once more, they decided to live neighbours with the thing. What in the world did they expect?

As for the mosquito-playing doorways, I cannot think of anything more pointlessly vexing. I would like to march around that street with a barrel full of free ear-muffs.

I am rather convinced that it is simply a legislative gap. The manufacturers of those wretched things must have found it, and decided to make the most of it, while it lasts. It is terribly stupid, and I would delight in kicking them over if I found any. I dare say hardly anyone can see micro-waves, so why, I ask you, lawyer from Racket-o-Matic Ltd., why cannot I use them to discourage burglars?

My own gear-grinding annecdote, meanwhile, is similar if opposite.

Now, a while ago, I was at a burial. It was quite alright, truly, gently reassuring as they are meant to be. However, I noticed that as it was time to toll the bells, they sounded rather tinny and muffled. It emerged that it was not the bells at all, but a recording, fed through the PA speakers. It was very vexing.
It emerged, however, that the church had been the recipient of quite a few noise complaints, on account of the bells. The bells! And they were thus rather limited as to when they could ring them. I am not particularly difficult about noise, ordinarily. Life is inescapably noisy, and it is reasonable to long for some peace and quiet. But this made me quite wild to hear.
Who are these utter dimplecups, I wonder, that move into a nice (and up-market, lest we forget) house right next to a church when they cannot abide the sound of bells? It is not as if it was a difficult building to spot, crouched between a hedge and a gas holder. They cannot possibly have missed it, if they have ever been in the area before they bought the house. It is not some little secret the estate agent can keep under wraps until it is too late. It stands radiant on the landscape, and what is more, I very much doubt it is tolling day and night. I simply cannot see the disruption, or the nerve to shut up a service you have decided to live next doors to.

I wonder sometimes if the neighbours are, in fact, trolls and giants that have come down the hills and moved into town. After buying the houses, there was evidently gold left for a good lawyer...

And I shall bet that these same dimplecups would merrily install those blasted high-pitch screamers if they had half a chance, too.