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Author Topic: Performing Seals  (Read 2652 times)

Rob C

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Performing Seals
« on: June 17, 2017, 12:57:21 pm »

I was watching the tv report about Mr T signing his anti-Cuba document - we could discuss that till the cows come home, but I doubt there are enough cows in the world to last to the end of such a debate - when I noticed (could it be avoided?) the serried rows of performing animals behind him, all doing their perfectly synchronised version of the North Korean handclapping song.

Don't fashions travel fast!

Rob

Jim Metzger

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2017, 03:59:42 pm »

I guess when you vet everyone at the "event" you can expect this sort of behavior.

I have been at video taping of concerts where they sat people relative to certain camera angle so you wouldn't see the unwashed masses in the audience.
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Telecaster

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2017, 04:38:11 pm »

One of the pleasures of a properly individual life—as opposed to the phoney baloney "freedom & liberty" variety—comes from the lack of performing and pantomiming required.

-Dave-
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Rob C

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2017, 03:56:06 pm »

One of the pleasures of a properly individual life—as opposed to the phoney baloney "freedom & liberty" variety—comes from the lack of performing and pantomiming required.

-Dave-

And it can be terribly expensive in human terms: I've been researching some snappers, and it's quite frightening to realise just how many have been destroyed by that imaginary freedom they sought in photography as lifestyle.

But not only photographers. Dreams have a way of turning out to be, well, nothing but dreams: the BBC has just finished the second part of a thing on the Summer of Love and the hippie movement. I learned a lot! For starters, I hadn't realised that it began years before with the Nature Boys, the Diggers and something else, the name of which escapes me right now (yippies?). And then, in months, the big, internationally known version of the phenomenon ended with gangsters moving into Haight-Ashbury and taking control of the drugs, pot giving way to the hard things...

Perhaps it's a demonstration of the futility of socialist dreams: like free love, somebody always ends up having to pay the piper. But we should all know that from elementary physics class.

;-(

Rob

Telecaster

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2017, 04:48:19 pm »

Perhaps it's a demonstration of the futility of socialist dreams: like free love, somebody always ends up having to pay the piper. But we should all know that from elementary physics class.

As is said, "freedom isn't free." Naturally this is oft employed as part of some or other dupe & scam operation: "Give us a piece of yourself, and in return we'll give you BS to believe and slogans to chant (preferably on cue)." But it can also mean amassing enough ¢urr€n¢¥ that you can afford to keep yourself intact. Using $$ as a shield against the corrosive nature of $$.  :)  And against the siren songs of fanatics.

-Dave-
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Rob C

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2017, 04:23:28 am »

Another thing that seems to be gathering momentum in the UK news is the idea/expectation of instant reaction from politicians to everything that happens, to the point that you are or are not good as a poiltician on the measure of how rapidly you appear on the scene of a tragedy. (Memories of New Orleans.)

Two examples from this week: there was a tower block fire in London that killed scores of people. The principal politico first to arrive and talk to the neighbours was hailed a hero and the other one, doing other things, was cursed for not being there. Now, were I a relative of a victim, the last person I would want near me is a politician. Of any colour. What I would want, after the hopeless wish for the return of lost loved ones, would be answers as to why the thing happened, what could have been done to lessen the chances and who may be responsible. Having a Prime Minister or Leader of the Opposition come smooching round to pick up "attendance votes" does not register on my list of wants. The only sensible actions would be to learn lessons - were they really not already known - regarding fire prevention, and whether there had been avoidable abuses of same. In which case, throw a very heavy book.

The other example, to which I awoke this morning, is a van-attack on a group of people near a mosque. Almost at once, reacting to reactions after the tower fire, both the PM and the Opposition Leader were making public announcements of sympathy. To me, it's not their job to become the first shedders of public tears; their job is to be working hard to prevent these incident in the first place, and today of all days, a greater job awaits initiating the Brexit talks, the results of which will affect everyone in Europe and the UK for generations to come, if not for ever. And also, with this latter attack, the tv people are already drawing comparisons between police response times to this and the earlier attacks on London bridges. Where the logic in that? It's not about logic, though, it's about spreading anger and a state of public paranoia and dependence on various press outlets. In short, it's as if the press is trying to stop people thinking at all for themselves, but to devote their entire lives to their 'phones, tablets and tv sets. And it's working: go anywhere today, and you see people with eyes looking not for traffic dangers but at a bloody screen, even as they cross a road. We are turning into zombies. To the extent that many believe it's better to keep scrambled social media outlets working and freely available to terrorism than to close them down right away. Life went on perfectly serenely before these things existed - we don't need them today. What's to lose - some kids playing Internet bullying games in school instead of using the time learning something useful?

LesPalenik

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2017, 05:10:45 am »

Well said, Rob
What good is it if the Prime Minister boards a helicopter and arrives quickly at the scene of a fire or a flood? It's just another obstruction, totally unneccessary cost, and waste of their precious time when they could do something much more important. 
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Telecaster

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2017, 05:13:58 pm »

In short, it's as if the press is trying to stop people thinking at all for themselves, but to devote their entire lives to their 'phones, tablets and tv sets.

Indeed. Clickbait. Eyeballs on screens lead to clicks on links, which keep our media outlets and platforms in business. Clickbait works because large numbers of humans can't or won't defend themselves against being had. I think in the end the problem isn't so much media company behavior as the gullibility of homo sapiens. Expose a weakness, as the online world has done, and pathogens (unintentional and otherwise) will take advantage. Evolution in action. Now let's see if we can develop effective antibodies.

-Dave-
« Last Edit: June 20, 2017, 05:22:09 pm by Telecaster »
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degrub

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2017, 06:26:39 pm »

1984
George
Orwell
Days of future passed
Moody Blues
.
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Rob C

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2017, 04:39:47 am »

Yeah, it's all a sad comment on humanity.

Not directly associated, though, I feel obliged to comment on a story in the Herald (Scottish newspaper):

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15357539.Staff_want_moved_from__war_zone__Scots_train_station_besieged_by__headbangers___nutters_/?ref=ebln

The problem is this concept of 'freedom' to be an asshole, where parents can no longer chastise their brats for bad behaviour. When the only thing these kids need to fear is a rival asshole, then why on Earth wouldn't they take advantage of the control vacuum and do whetever the hell pleases them?

If ever the bleeding hearts amongt us got it wrong. It certainly makes me think again about selling up and returning to the UK...

Also saw a news item about the main motorway towards Calais, France, where 'migrants' put nets acros the highway to block trucks so they can smuggle aboard. It caused a large crash of vehicles. There were shots of these dicks lying in wait on the verge. Sympathy? I'd have the mothers shot! That's just the same old Wild West hold-up being played out in Europe. These people are already out of their place of origin, from which they supposedly fled for their lives, and they are already within a safe haven, where the rules say they are supposed to remain. But no, they now want to get across the Channel into the better 'benefis' system of the UK. The idiots running the UK could stop this in its tracks if they simply said no, this is only for Brits and, currently, fellow Europeans. Don't bother trying; you'll get zilch.

Funny the cracks within which some find votes!

Rob

Telecaster

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Re: Performing Seals
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2017, 04:45:16 pm »

It's ironic IMO that the immigration crackdown (attempted anyway) in the US—driven as it is by xenophobia, paranoia and political pandering to same—could turn out to be a necessary response to a world destabilized by fanaticisms of various kinds, not to mention "environmental turbulence." Of course we still have our homegrown fanatics to deal with…

The person who first stated the 21st Century would be one defined by fundamentalisms: I suspect he/she got it right. We've got a long ways to go before gaining the upper hand on our own psychoses.

-Dave-
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