It's Plain to See You Can't Coop Me Cuz I'ma Be a Rooster for Life

 

Disolution

 

Tree Unit

 

Falling Leaves

 

Levels of Doing

                                                             Levels of Doing

        This is a raw idea I am working out. By all means weigh in! This is a conversation starter.

        When it comes to constructive effort there is a hierarchy from doing little to doing much. I am working this out to order how one should put effort into things. We cannot do all, so we must decide. Perhaps this hierarchy is from passive (consumerist) to active (creative).

        When I have more energy, I do the more constructive things, when I have little but still want to progress I do the less constructive.

        There is a question of focus vs randomness. It is more constructive to put effort into the things that matter much in your life. It is completely up to you how you order your values. The point is to order them. This colours all levels of doing but things that matter more to you have greater value in this regard synergistically.

1. At the bottom level is eating and shitting. Taking from the world. Existing just for existing sake. Self-satiating. Somewhat above it, is kind of a recreational type of learning. Just learning because it's interesting.

2. Again, still working this idea out a bit... There is some kind of transitional effort, not sure where to place it in the hierarchy, exactly... There is factual knowledge, which is a bit different from skill work. The factual knowledge such as Piaget's Stages of Development, vs the practical knowledge of how you might better interact with someone in the concrete operational stage vs formal operational stage (I am a nerd). 

3. Above this is skill work: as in exercise and applied knowledge. Practicing your instrument. Working on your tenses. Throwaway drawings. Or specific exercises from a book to develop your skills. You are moving towards an end of creation, getting more skilled. Yet this is not the creation, itself.

4. Perhaps, brainstorming belongs somewhere in-between. You are coming up with SOMETHING but you're not really down lighting the kindling ablaze, just a striking a match.

5. At the top level of doing is something creative. Giving to the world. Coming up with novel ideas that express yourself and your individuality. Using both physical and mental effort. I include here the matter of revision and refinement. I work on doing more of this final bit, I am better at creating a lot of stuff than stuff that is really really good and polished. As Bill Withers would say quoting Mr. Jones "just do what you do, and do it good."

        There is the matter of making something powerful. This can mean whatever power you want to express. This could mean changing the minds of those who hold the levers of power and persuading those who prop up the military industrial complex to end countless international conflicts. Or an expression of simple tranquility. Or absurdist mad-cap slapstick. Meaning on some emotional or intellectual level it effects strongly. Bonus points for resonance in heads and hearts concurrently.

        Obviously, there are gradations within these stages. Hopefully the general structure makes sense. Also, even though there is a hierarchy one should do all the steps to some degree as an iterative process. The point being to an end where you're ultimately creating with greater novelty, refinement and meaning. I do want to hear from others as this idea is rather raw.

Star Waters

 

Pryckornia: Bag Your Own Groceries

                                               Pryckornia: Bag Your Own Groceries

                 This talk is small. The names have been changed to protect the retailers.

                Benchwick's produce is shite. They used to have the best prices in all of Mazetland, but then you would have to drive out to Fenwich. On their website they compare their prices on produce to others around Pryckornia. You know what they say... The fox watching the hen-house coughs up feathers. They being the voices in my head... Hello, Kieran! Hi, Rasputin!

                Paraguay's Round The Way Market just opened between my place and Sunny Day College, on the way to The University of Pryckornia. Instead of specials listed at the given price they give you specific discounts at the till. 20% off for produce, 50% off for meat, 10% off if you buy over $40 worth. Make me do maths? I thinks not! Call me old fashioned but I pre-calculated prices! Bullshit sales tactic.

             Breadfarm contains pleasantly plump sandwiches. I used to go there when there was a discount on them in the last couple of hours of the night. When they stopped that was enough. Their prices are higher than Frugal's! And the cashier is always have some AI teen with pre-programmed responses. You're a replicant, can't fool me!

             Ancientfarm is like Breadfarm but with excellent prices on produce. My pal, Cammie told me about it. Beep beep. I get what's cheap and vacate. Once I've found what I'm looking for I don't even open my eyes... my eyes which are attached to my stomach which is attached to my lack of willpower.... makes for an awkward check out and line-up. Lot of knocking things and beings over. Canadians are polite enough I usually don't get pushback they just take it.

                The East Coast retailer, Lack of Ornamentation, is moving in downtown. That's a place I'd check out. They're owned by the same parent company as Frugal's, Lockclaw's, who has their pincerlike grip on the balls of food eaters in the region. A comedian from Cold Metropolis talked about how they have hardcore rap music promoting their sale items: "Banana's nine nine cents / On your wallet our prices don't dent. What?! It's no frills! What?! it's no frills!" Can you use quotations in your imagination? Don't tell William Strunk.

                Out Of Country Hoser is great for when their chicken-fed pork-fished beef goes on special. Fill my freezer when it's in. Always call beforehand, because they're often out even on sale (order more?). 15% off groceries for employees: I should work there!

                Park-It On Bates has half-price muffins on Thursday evenings, so my buddy Jeffrey likes to stock up. Otherwise they have a stranglehold on downtown pricing. Sales are decent. They're also half a block away from Farm Space, where they provide all the "free" services, if you catch my drift. Even 28 / 9 couldn't make it there: across the street there is just a symmetrical black security fence, and a gap that looks like something out of a war zone.

                J Farts opened up at Stay-Here-Forever Mall. They have some pretty good sales on produce. Mostly asian, no value judgement, import products. I like to just wander around lost, checking out the labels I can't read with strange cartoon characters and celebrities that I didn't know existed. That I still don't know, really. Tasty spices!

Missed The Last Ferry

Published in Paragraph Planet October 25, 2025

The Printing Press and the Spread of Knowledge

                                            The Printing Press and the Spread of Knowledge

    Prior to the printing press learning, at scale to the masses, was very inefficient. There was learning by doing, oral tradition, or if you were lucky being part of certain restricted classes, such as the clergy. When Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press in the mid 15th century this changed for the majority of people in developed nations. Knowledge was now much more egalitarian in it's spread. The printing press allowed the masses to become educated.

The printing press made knowledge more affordable. Compared to previous methods of recording knowledge such as hand scribing, printing by press cost a fraction. Therefore the knowledge contained in writing was much cheaper for people to buy, allowing the lower economic classes to afford more reading materials. By 1470, many books cost about 1/5 of what they did prior to the innovation of the printing press.

The printing press allowed classes that previously lacked it, access to knowledge on many subjects. Before the printing press only a few privileged groups had access to recorded knowledge. Before the printing press knowledge was passed on by hand scribed documents that were available to privileged classes such as the clergy and noblemen. It was also passed on through oral tradition. The printing press allowed a single person a way to convey knowledge on a subject that was much more efficient than teaching individuals one at a time. Thousands could read the same book on carpentry in the same week, while one person might only be able to instruct a couple people in the subject at a time.

The printing press standardized language, allowing people to communicate more easily with each other. Thus more people gained an understanding of standard usage and grammar in English, French and German, improving literacy. It also had the second order effect of allowing some of those people who previously did not have this access the ability to write and convey their own knowledge. Tapping into classes beyond the nobles and clergy for information.

            The printing press allowed the masses to become educated. Of course, a few individuals having control of the means of distributing knowledge became it's own issue. This is a matter for another time.

A Regal Demise

 A Regal Demise

These tea and crumpets are scrumptious! Feeling a tad queasy. Heavens the package says October 20th... 

2010... 

Him him him.

Growing

                                                                                 Growing

            Jamal was a seed, Wanda wanted to prune him early, not today, I'm busy growing. Jamal sprouted buds and a trunk, Danya tried to water him, not today, I'm busy growing. Jamal rose a juvenile trunk burly with branches, follices of leaves springing forth jungled his hair, Paula tried to climb him, Not today, I've got to make more of myself. Jamal became he hulking pillar thick as a mountain clouds for a cap. Martha tried to cut him down, the saw repelled her penetrating advances reflecting vermillion sparks farrago. Jamal was once again a seed, tend me he asked, the breeze didn't even clear it's throat.

Space Egg

 

Crawl

 

Watch Them Tomaters

Latest issue of Yellow Mama Magazine

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Watching Each Other

 

Swim

 

Don't Shit Yourself

 

Victoria is a Beautiful City

Look at that beautiful empty space where a 24 / 7 convenience store used to be. Pretty soon it will be a wonderful sprawling symmetrical Lego tower to the Heavens like it's pal on the left. This is where I used to go when I lived downtown to get the highest quality taquitos and pizza any time of day. Memories.

Shampoo Commercial

 

Death by Humour

 Death By Humour

Humour is based on impulse.

Impulse can get you in trouble.

Trouble can get you locked up.

Getting locked up can get you killed.

Therefore, killer punchline.

I Like the Sport But Hate the People in Charge

                                        I Like the Sport but Hate the People in Charge

In some sense the UFC is in charge of the sport. The vast majority of attention dollars for MMA is spent on the UFC, with other organizations receiving a small sliver comparatively. This is why I talk about UFC management as the PEOPLE IN CHARGE of MMA. I love MMA fights but I hate the people that hold monopoly power (if not legally conclusively in effect) over the sport, the UFC management.

The UFC mistreats their fighters. The UFC signs their fighters to contracts that are highly skewed in management's direction. For example: they can release you from said contract for any reason they want at any time but you cannot leave your contract if and when you choose. In fact, if you are a champion for the organization you must wait a year after you have completed all your bouts for the organization to sign elsewhere, with the UFC having that period as a time they have exclusive rights to match your new contract, and retain your services.

UFC fighters only received a small fraction of UFC revenues compared with management. You could say there is an argument that management deserves a high percentage due to the risk they took initially to grow the sport. Yet, compared with other sports leagues which provide close to a 50/50 split of revenue between athletes and management, UFC fighters receive somewhere between 10 to 20 percent of revenues. This number is also shrouded in secrecy due to the UFC's discretion on making it public.

The UFC regularly puts public pressure on fighters to take specific fights that are in the organization's interest. Sometimes the UFC announces fights before a fighter even knows about it. The culture around the sport is one of "I'm not a fucking pussy" and fighters feel pressured to accept these fights out of an insecure macho code of honour. UFC President will often say "X fighter turned down the fight" implying that the fighter is scared of another fighter, and this could be the only reason they rejected the competition. The mistreatment of their fighters a close first to their treatment of fans.

The UFC overvalues and underdelivers. The UFC appears focused on getting all the money they can out of their fans. The UFC was owned by a family that also owned casinos, and the connection is not just superficial. I argue that the UFC turned fans into drug addicts fiending for their product over time. Average tickets now cost around $1000, even accounting for inflation is pretty ridiculous. As a wait-and-see caveat: The new deal the UFC signs with Paramount does look to provide great value, but I am skeptical based on the history of the UFC shaking down fans for every penny that it will play out the way it at first appears. In another common way the UFC pisses on it's fans and tells them it's freshly squeezed apple juice.

UFC management routinely deceives it's fans. Support: There is a cynical view the MMA media that has been shown to be correct over and over again: if UFC President Dana White denies something with full-throated red-faced fury there is probably some truth to it. Or assume the opposite. This wouldn't be such a big deal because to a degree we should expect fight promoters to lie to us. It is just that White tries to pass himself off as such an honest open book over and over, that's what makes it so glaring. Perhaps the penultimate example: During and immediately after UFC 200 (July 2016), White publicly denied that the UFC was being sold, saying there were no talks of a sale (The Sportster). Yet within ~48 hours, the UFC was sold by Zuffa to WME‑IMG (later Endeavor) (The Sportster).

I love MMA fights but I hate the people that hold monopoly power (if not legally conclusively in effect) over the sport, the UFC management. Many times I feel like I'm being suckered by a carnival barker, and need a shower, even after getting hosed again. Frankly time and time again my visceral interest in the sport is in conflict with my values.

                            Works Cited:

The Sportster. "10 Biggest Lies Dana White's Ever Told." Published 15 Jan 2025. https://www.thesportster.com/biggest-lies-false-dana-white-said-told. Accessed 7 Oct 2025.

For Lease #4

 

I don't know why it tickles me all these businesses for lease. It's one of those jokes I'm only in on in my head.

Nice Old Lady

                                         Nice Old Lady

I was waiting for a bus in one of those rectangular glass open air shelters. I was doing this candle blowing vocal exercise. When you open your mouth and someone is nearby they usually feel it's in invitation to start talking to you. I was wearing headphones, though, a social signal that you are not to be talked to, or at least can't hear. 

This pock mark skinned old lady entered the shelter and sat down. She talked to me about how she was enjoying the last bit of sun. I responded politely taking off my headphones but looked away with my eyes to disengage. I re-headphoned. Yet she kept yapping. Didn't even offer me butterscotch candy from her purse's nether regions.

This other lady sat down on the bench inbetween us. Luckily she was there to take the brunt of the conversational assault from this nice old lady.

They began talking about various things. I started reading a book, and the old lady asked what I was reading. It was Jane Austen. The old lady asked the other lady if she read. She said yes.

"Do you read in Japanese?" Inferring she was Japanese by her appearance.

"I am not Japanese!"

"Are you Korean?"

"Yes! Korean!"

The nice old lady talked with the Korean lady about various things. Told her she remembered the Korean war. The old lady kept forgetting and mentioning Japan, presumably thinking the other lady was Japanese again.

The nice old lady asked me "Is it coming?"

"I can't see it."

The bus trotted on down a few minutes later.

We got on and the ladies continued their conversation.

The bus was moving in a blaze. Driving jobs must be infuriating, and my intuition senses sometimes the drivers gotta go fast to release their fury.

We came near the nice old lady's stop, and of course she's standing up before the bus comes to a halt, and not holding onto anything, so she's fumbling all over the place like an arthritic Jerry Lewis and the Korean lady is catching her.

She made it off the bus, and said her goodbyes to her pal nouvelle.

When she got off the bus she was ripped apart limp by limp by a roving pack of wolves that is common to these large urban centers. As the bus pulled away one of the wolves turned, looked at me grinning menacingly with a blood-stained smirk and mouthed "she's magically delicious!" The bus made that engine farting noise and departed. Tundra howls in the distant darkness.

It was a fun day for the nice old lady.

For Lease #3

 

Look at those beautiful carpet squares. Nice and crusty. Exposed wire and everything! Ghosts of rental cars past.

Mountains

 

Considerate

                                     Considerate

I keep my windows dirty so the chickadees don't hit the glass

I don't swat the horseflies so the spiders have their snacks

I keep my hair in a bees nest so the sparrows can build their best

I don't wear a vest so you can scrape the steel wool on my chest

I don't dust the books as a homage to their history

I don't crack a smile because they're happy in their misery

I keep stains on my shirts so the shiny ones can stick up their noses

I stay on fire so the rangers can test their hoses

I keep the door ajar so the curious can hear their fill

I keep the brow low I provide the cheap thrills

I don't do the dishes the rodents can clean lick it

I don't mow the lawn so the dogs have a jungle for their business

I give the hens something to peck about after the date

I don't clean my room because the clutter keeps me safe