THE SCROLL: The Ethics of Art and Artificial Intelligence
Notes On Hurt People Hurt People, Factional Warfare, Reverse Engineering Ancient Technology, Florida Monsoons, Optimizing Your Substack Feed, NPCs In The Simulation, Sword Fighting, and more....
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Any Man Can Treat A Lady Right For One Night, But It Takes A Real Man To Treat Her Right For A Lifetime
Are We Real? Or Are We Memorex?
“I have a great list of memes to help Chris during this trying existential crisis following Sherlock Harry discovering he was, in fact, not real.” - Apollo's Lyre
“Whoa, that’s some heavy shit!” - Christopher Cook
Also, "Vanilla Sky." Predictive programming brought to you by Donkeys, Inc.! Rebuilding humanity's arson crisis one year at a time!
“My toes are cold, so I was sticking them way too close to the flames. An arson crisis waiting to happen….” - Christopher Cook
“OK, just a few more before everyone starts with the feet pics again. Obviously, encountering one of these four existential crises is vastly superior to the others.” - Apollo's Lyre
“Poor fake Christopher 🤣🤣🤣” - leithian
“Yes, finding out that what’s her face from Total Recall wasn’t actually into me would kinda suck.” - Christopher Cook
“Hahaha….” - Apollo's Lyre
KA CHOW! It's your girl 90s Sharon Stone back at it again with the existential crisis!
“This has to make The LOL Scroll.” - Apollo's Lyre
The Ethics of Art and Artificial Intelligence
“Soooo my neighbour, who has been going through a divorce for 3 years- still not settled because she’s a gaslighting narcissist- has been writing a song. Inspired by me, to do so. Yesterday he was so excited to play it for me. I listened and found myself impressed by his lyrics. Afterwards he ‘confessed’ that he used AI to help him. I immediately felt sick. I want to support him but I have a strange feeling about it. Weird times, man!! I asked him if he’s going to credit AI when he tells people ‘he wrote a song?’” - Jacqueline Rendell
“That’s a new wrinkle on transhumanism. Outsourcing our muse.” - Christopher Cook
“There’s a lyric!! I mean wtf? It’s not art. But is it?!?! But it bugs me that he didn’t write it. I guess because for me the lyrics are part of the healing.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Not unless he credits AI and let’s people know. Then it’s a blended “art” form. But it still seems wrong to me.” - Christopher Cook
“Same. So wrong. I love Amy’s art. ” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Right, but everyone knows it’s a blended form. Her prompts + the tech. It’s AI art.” - Christopher Cook
“Exactly. Is that the key?” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Honesty is required.” - Christopher Cook
“The integrity. Yep. It’ll be interesting to watch how he talks to others about it. If he admits that upfront.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“That way people can decide. And I am not listening to lyrics aided by AI, personally.” - Christopher Cook
“Me neither. When people make AI music but write the lyrics, that doesn’t bug me as much as the other way around. Lyrics are thoughts and feelings - AI neither of those.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Songwriting has to come from within. And if you’re not good at lyric writing, maybe that rawness produces something unexpected. So even if you suck at it, it still has to come from within. Plus, without the struggle, what are you really getting. Oh, AI just made it easier. Well maybe it was not supposed to be easy.” - Christopher Cook
“I was shocked when he told me. As in, downgraded our friendship kind of shocked.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Yeah, sadly. It’s one thing to use AI for research or whatever. That’s just like a faster search engine. But for lyrics? Ugh.” - Christopher Cook
“Hahaha I just. Can’t. I’m already a snob.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“When you asked him if he was going to credit AI, what was his answer?” - Christopher Cook
“Great question. He indicated that he ‘doesn’t have to.’ Ugh. I suppose it’ll show me what kind of man he is. Here’s where I’m torn- it’s his first song. So I want to encourage him. But…….” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Oh, see now THAT is the moment that the friendship gets downgraded for me. If he said, “Yeah, I am not really a musician, and I suck at this, but I wanted to try something, and I needed help, and yeah, I will totally admit it” well then I can understand all that. But THAT answer is total cringe.” - Christopher Cook
“For context- we’re buds. We often hang on porches or jam and have bbq’s etc. BUT he’s also very mainstream.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Yeah, I’m not saying you should have killed him where he stood. I just feel like I would like him a little less after that.” - Christopher Cook
“This is how I feel upon waking today. Hahaha. It has me questioning my ability to trust him. Isn’t it amazing? I trust until I have a reason not to. It’s this kind of shit…..” - Jacqueline Rendell
“One wants to respect one’s friends, one’s family, etc. But they all give us reasons to do so (or not) to varying degrees. It is the way of things. I have people I love a lot of whose choices seem way way off to me. That strikes me as a reasonable approach and reaction. I am the same way. (By contrast, Judy rarely gets burned because she does not trust anyone until they prove themselves!)” - Christopher Cook
“And it’s a question of how honest/direct do I want to be about it. ‘Don’t play me yo AI song!’ ‘Johnny, I’m disappointed and quite frankly everything I believed about you is up for question.’ We shall see. I trust myself to respond appropriately in the moment I see him walking towards me with his guitar. 😂🎸 I’ll have to be honest. Probably humorously to take the edge off. I don’t like passive aggression.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Yeah, I don’t know. ‘I have moral qualms about your decision not to inform people that you used AI in the creation of your ‘art’.’ Though maybe don’t make scare quotes right in his face 🤣” - Christopher Cook
“Great advice, CC!! 😂” - Jacqueline Rendell
“It's just bad manners. I mean, how would that guy feel if Robot released that song and didn't give *him* co-writer credits? I bet he'd be pretty sad.” - Apollo's Lyre
“GREAT point!! 😂🤖” - Jacqueline Rendell
“I just told Judy about it all, and she was similarly skeeved out.” - Christopher Cook
“But then, I am notoriously pro-robot ("Probot?" Sounds like a new Transformer faction!), so I am going to side with the AI most time lol.” - Apollo's Lyre
“Are we just old/school?! No… there’s more to it. Perhaps I shall write a small thing about it just to explore my thoughts and feelings on this. Given this stance, I’m curious about your thoughts then! 🤖Should art made in collaboration with AI be credited as such? I think so but there’s no way to ensure this or enforce this. Not that I’d be into enforcing anything anyway. Perhaps it’s just yet another bifurcation point.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Old school, yes. In the sense that there will come a time, probably, when young people will take this for granted and won’t be bothered by it. But that does not make us wrong. Painting was better in the 17 and 18th centuries than it is today. Not everything gets better. We are right; they are wrong. Plus, there’s the whole musician thing. You, current and serious. Judy, in the past and serious. Me in the more distant past, and not quite as serious. But we all at least know what it takes to do it. How hard it is for people to do it well. And what it takes to make it real. And for some guy to come along as say that he’s going to use a robot to help him express himself…well, it violates…something.” - Christopher Cook
“Yes. There’s something objectively real being violated. Thank you so much for your thoughts on this.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Well said.” - Christopher Cook
“He’s a Toohey- not a Roark. 😉. And I feel like Dominique- let down again by someone taking the easy way out.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Few villains have made me angrier than Toohey.” - Christopher Cook
“This aligns with every word of your writing.” - Christopher Cook
From Apollo's Lyre:
My larger, somewhat more diffuse thoughts on AI and 'bots in general are jammed in the article below in case you missed it and/or were curious, with some additional thoughts spilling over into always delightful convos with Demi, some of which made their way into The Scroll.
All hail the mighty Scroll, btw! Tragically, my humble musings have yet to reach the "far too good for this" empyreal heights of the the exalted Lord [redacted], surely the most devastatingly brilliant literary mind of our age. (I know, what a throwback! Can't beat a good running gag tho, and whew was that guy a fucking asshat lol)
From Apollo's Lyre:
So, AI: it is a huge, multifarious topic, as I see it, especially because when you really start to dig in it asks us to examine some challenging, oft-foundational-rarely-examined notions about self, consciousness, and reality itself. Much to the consternation of friends and family, I have a tendency of playing devil's advocate and approaching such analyses similarly to the classic Sagan quote: "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." lol (This tendency has only been exacerbated from years of being Newmannoyed 😂)
But to me discussions of artistic creation call to mind questions of who is the "I" that creates anything; are we actually "creating" or instead "viewing," "receiving;" where do ideas come from, to what degree is everything we encounter a component of "self," etc... I credit (blame? Haha) the Muses for their hard work, personally. I also really love the phrase "Outsourcing the Muse" btw. Many writers eschewed credit, like Blake and Milton stating they were merely taking divine dictation.
There is a section in there touching on electronics in art and music, and I come down on the side of Richard Patrick in that such devices are just another tool in the hands of the artist, though one might point out there is a difference between programming a synth and using a program to write your lyrics. And of course there is also a distinction to be made between writing music and performing music. Bob Dylan wrote some great songs... as long as Jimi Hendrix was performing them haha
Anyways, no worries if you don't feel like reading that linked novella there or if it isn't your cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot haha. And I did make a conscious effort to lean into a positive/optimist postion for tonal, thematic purposes, which is genuine, though I hope I still struck some balance. As I mention in subsequent convos with Demi, I am painfully aware of the negative/pessimist arguments, particularly in light of our apparent ever-devolving, techno-reliant, Brave New Underclass of humanity and the glee with which globalist technomancers, like High Priest Harari, seem to wield such potential boons to instead to further degrade and control the tired, poor, huddled masses. As I said then, and I will say now: this is why we can't have nice things :)
But to venture a concise answer to the specific question (Waaaay waywayway too late, I know! Lol): I have no prob-lama with people using AI to create any kind of art they like. Personally, I think that can still contain creativity in the genesis and general bonsai-esque manicuring of the concept/prompt into a suitably pleasing shape. Apples-and-oranges perhaps, but as a thought-experiment if Christy Brown had used some AI to bring to life the visions trapped in his head instead of using his left foot, would that have made his work less "art?" Perhaps. But again it gets into creation versus execution/performance, and I think we are at a point now where we have largely moved past the "exection" debate (with electronics largely winning, for better or for worse) into the deeper "creation" debate, but to me the line between them is blurrier than it may seem.
That said, I do not feel that some auto-tuned pop star is doing the same thing as say, my beloved Bjork when they are "singing, and I do not think saying "Hey, Siri. Write me sad song I is big sad today boo hoo hoo." and then--KA CHOW!--Billboard top ten hit is the same as Tracy Chapman penning "Fast Car." So without minimizing the ingenuity and efforts of those availing themselves of such tech, while also fairly representing tje efforts and processes of those who do not, I think honesty and transparency is a good guideline, giving people information about how things were made so they can make up their own minds how to feel and whom to support. And plus it is only fair to the robots.
Text can be tricky, so to be clear, not trying to belittle anyone or any perspective on this even if it is a 180 from me. Just tossing some stuff out there since I find this topic super interesting. That said, have to run so apologies in advance if I don't get back to any replies in a timely fashion. Helping a friend today who is going through chemo (I know, big pharma and allopathy, believe me I know), so if you are so inclined to send out some positive vibes or prayers for my buddy Charlie, I would be sincerely grateful. Thank you!
“I love all of this- especially the hilarious parts. And I appreciate all the nuance involved in this multi-faceted, ever-expanding fractal of a topic. Good vibes being sent for Charlie!! ❤️❤️❤️. I suppose a distinction to zoom in on is that of using a digital tools for music-making vs writing lyrics meant to me a mode of emotive expression. But then again so is music. So…..🤷♀️” - Jacqueline Rendell
Y'all crack me up. I love all of you. And Amy too. And I'm so glad all of you love Amy's work. I'm working on a big project with her. Can't say more than that except that I am stoked and very proud of it. The images are FUCKING GORGEOUS. ❤️
And that said, I've never seen ANYONE be able to coax that kind of beauty out of AI but her. It's a talent. I think this is the distinction. Are you using it as a tool or is it doing the whole thing for you?
“EXACTLY. It's so funny because I've seen her prompts. Amy is putting some real intelligent, you know her very unique. Perspective and ideas and musings into it. So it's so artful. It's undeniable. Demi, what's your gut reaction on someone writing with lyrics that were written by the computer. I'm very biased, I know.” - Jacqueline Rendell
I think if it's a stepping stone to getting him to feel comfortable using the tools and making music and he's stating what his process is, why the fuck not?
If it's moving people in the direction of creation because the tools are making creation more accessible, over time, they will start upping the ante and want to do more themselves. I know plenty of skilled people who can do it themselves who are playing around with AI right now like it's working with a different kind of paint. I have no problem with it. But when you discuss the process, just say it was part of the process. Then who cares?
“I thought that too, which is why I don't want to be too discouraging. Like, it's his first song, so I'll just calm down and, you know, let him be Milli Vanilli all over it. But, you know, I was disappointed. And it would be like reading someone's post. Like, let's say you read Apollo's Lyre's post and it would be like, oh, that was written by AI. There's a bit of a disappointment. But anyway, great conversation because this is our reality going forward and maybe backward.” - Jacqueline Rendell
Encourage him to think about it and the ethics of it and let him know he should list it as a tool her used for creation. That feels correct to me.
“Yeah, and I wish he could come to me for help. Like, I'm happy to help him work on lyrics. You know, I think I'm a human.” - Jacqueline Rendell
Say that. Tell him you want to help him work on lyrics. Encourage him.
AI can't DO what Apollo's Lyre does. It can't do what any of us do. That's not possible. You'd be able to tell the difference.
“Same with music. 🔥 Let the chips fall where they may…” - Jacqueline Rendell
It especially cannot speak Apollo-Starfire telepathy. It would be confused by the tiny Mexicans.
It is what it is. Moving forward, it'll be like using ProTools instead of a 4-track.
No one will bat an eyelash.
It's just because it's new now.
“That might be the part I don’t like.” - Jacqueline Rendell
But people SAY what tools they used. So they should. It's part of documenting the art process.
“Like post modernist art. Devoid of human soul. It’s def nuanced.” - Jacqueline Rendell
Not necessarily. Depends what you do with it.
“Maybe I'm struggling with it because of my bias. Like I've only ever used songwriting as therapy and as a way to process stuff and feel like I'm expressing what's true. And I just don't think a computer program that doesn't feel or think can do that for you. So it's like to me, it's like cheating your way out of some healing, like doing the work. But again, I'm happy to own my bias on that and I appreciate your perspective.” - Jacqueline Rendell
Let's say I come at it attempting to define whether it's lying about whether or not it's sentient. And I set up parameters for doing that. And then I turn that into a video. There's all kinds of human process surrounding that. AI is an integral part of it. But it still took a human to make that.
Or let's say I'm programming a video game. We use code for that and the systems interpret the code. It's still art - I'm just using code to create it.
“Fair. How does the element of emotion and feelings and pain and love come into that? Because the song is about healing from a breakup. So, I mean, a video is one thing, but a song that's expressing through an emotional state is another, no?” - Jacqueline Rendell
Well, I'd ask what the inputs were that he gave it in order to have it piece that together. It doesn't feel. But it could have reassembled his own feelings in a constructive way. This is all part of documenting the process.
“Aha, I see what you're saying. So the key would be the inputs that he entered. That's where the true, his emotional contribution lies. Okay, this is interesting. Thank you. I really appreciate you working me through this because I definitely had a reaction for sure and probably am still having one to be honest.” - Jacqueline Rendell
Often, thorough process documentation can make or break an art piece because the important aspects happen via approach and the thoughts behind crafting that approach. So we create meaning out of that. And without documentation, the part that creates meaning could be completely lost.
Yes, just like for Amy.
“And the next time I see him, I don't want to be coming at him with judgment, which is why I'm discussing this with you guys today, because right now I am judging him for it. And I don't want to do that. So, yeah, very interesting.” - Jacqueline Rendell
If I were teaching it as an art tool as an artist in residence in the Master’s program I graduated from, what I've outlined here is exactly what I would go over with the students. And from there, we would learn how to break it and expose what it does.
I haven't worked with it enough to do that part, only with others working with it, so I'm feeling this out based upon what I know of their experiences using the tools, but that would be the next logical step. Crack it open and see what makes it tick so you can expose the ways in which it is affecting humanity.
I'm wondering now if they've had any neat AI projects in my school's showcase. It would be interesting to see the way they are treating this.
“It comes back to why are you making the thing? Maybe I’m old school in that the reason needs to be wholly human. It’s like science- just because we CAN do something doesn’t mean we should. I don’t know- just speaking off the top of my head. 😂” - Jacqueline Rendell
“I'm not personally invested in this topic, you are both artists. I agree with the points you both make, however. It's certainly a complex topic, and I get why you feel the bias, Jac, especially about lyrics and the thoughts/emotions that should drive the process. I like your points about using it as a tool, Demi, and it's something I can relate to as someone who has used software to ‘fix’ or enhance photographs. Back in the days of film photography, I could accomplish some of those things with darkroom techniques. Software is a different tool with greater capabilities. I haven't explored AI in this realm mainly because I haven't done any ‘art’ photography in a very long time.” - leithian
“I don’t dislike the AI component as a tool, per se. I think what I don’t like is the normalizing of the outsourcing. It’s too “trans humanist” for me. But I’m just a hippy so…. It’s almost touching upon what might we lose if we aren’t prepared to work through difficult things.” - Jacqueline Rendell
This might help you wrap your head around the way I think about it though. My degree was in interactive telecommunications. It was basically engineering for artists. Or, the way they term it, "The Center for the Recently Possible."
And to speak to some of this, yes, I was absolutely surrounded by Kool-Aid guzzling transhumanists for much of my career. But the way we were taught to approach ethics is solid. Whether they chose to break that or not is up to them.
“I like this: ‘We don’t focus on just teaching technical skills. Instead, we focus on critical thinking, creative exploration, and the ability to learn how to learn. We embrace failure — as long as you learn from it.’” - leithian
That is exactly how I see it. Play and create. Do not stifle. See what's possible. Innovate. And keep your ethics on deck while you do it.
“I am often stuck in the "old ways are better ways" mindset, but putting it in those terms changes the perspective for me. Throughout history, people have balked at new ways of doing things, fearing the loss of quality, ‘soul,’ etc., but why be limited? As long as everything isn't just handed over to tech to ‘create’ without that critical human element driving the tech as a tool, it makes sense to innovate ethically. For me, it is often just discomfort with the unfamiliar.” - leithian
I want to play with new tools. So what if it plugs in the wall or uses code? If I'm controlling what it does and how it is being utilized, it's still my art. But I would list it in the documentation process the same way I would list physical tools like a guitar or a keyboard.
Amy's art is still her art. She is bending that tool to her will.
Also, let's look at this from a production standpoint. Let's say I want to quickly convey to an artist the way I see something in my head but I'm not an artist. I could use AI to do a mockup of an approximation of how I want something to look and then hand it over to the person doing the work so they can see what I have in my head without having to waste the artist's time on a million rounds of changes.
It's a tool that speeds up the communication process. The artist is still doing the work. And gets to do the work without my crude stick figure drawings and clunky descriptive language.
“Ethically is the key! Which is what Chris and I came back to. Will Johnny openly declare he used AI in collaboration or will he claim full credit for the song? Who knows? But that part is important. I feel it to be true.” - Jacqueline Rendell
Right. It needs to be in the documentation.
“Makes sense to me, but I am also not an artist. I think there will be enough people who hold on to more traditional ways that it will never be completely taken over by tech. At least I hope so. As with anything else, there's great value in preserving "old" ways, and we frequently rediscover the tremendous value of those methods and approaches later on. It's not really the same thing, but I am now really appreciating that people had the foresight to preserve heirloom species of fruits and vegetables. I also appreciate people who are reviving homesteading and the traditional methods of cooking, preserving food, etc.” - leithian
“Exactly. Again - she does it transparently. It’s never rubbed me the wrong way. This speaks to my earlier point about bifurcation. It could very well fork us off. 🤷♀️😊” - Jacqueline Rendell
“It could. In fact, I think it's already happening in many areas of life.” - leithian
“I’m wary of too much black or white which is why I’m even willing to talk about this. I realize I could be biased against my own good. I believe in the POST in post post modern. 😂” - Jacqueline Rendell
Or just not used to it yet and working through how tools should be utilized with ethics on deck. That's fair.
“Absolutely.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Resistance to change is usually rooted in fear of the unknown. There's a natural tendency for a lot of people, perhaps even most, to stay in that comfort zone.” - leithian
“Totally. Also can’t stand AI narration.” - Jacqueline Rendell
He says so. That's the difference. Again, documentation of process.
“Just had another thought of what irks me around this- authenticity. Like, if someone wrote me a love note and I found out later it was AI generated rather than written from the heart, I would be crushed. Interesting, these nuances. And to be clear, I'm not trying to be right about anything. I'm just kind of working through my reaction. Why do I feel the way I do about it? And yeah, it's all really interesting. Love you guys.” - Jacqueline Rendell
My ex used to make me all kinds of love-professing ASCII art. I still loved it because he took the time to do it and was thinking about me.
“How did I know you were gonna say that?” - Jacqueline Rendell
From Christopher Cook:
I think there is a distinction to be made…
Y’ever see the movie Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii? At one point, though you don’t hear the question (IIRC), you hear David Gilmour, obviously stoned out of his mind, give an answer that hints at what the question was. Basically, the question is whether or not all the tech they are using makes it too easy or whatever. Kind of the Luddite question, in a way. But Giilmour’s answer is something like “It’s still all about the ideas coming out of our heads.” His point was that the interviewer, if handed a Moog and a digital delay, still would not be able to make music with it, as high tech as it was for 1974. You still had to be a musician with a muse to do something with it.
That is not so with AI. There are certain AI machines that you can tell, “Write me a country song about a breakup between a guy named Jim and a waitress he met and fell in love with” and it will spit out a fully produced song with verses, a chorus, and a bridge, with all the instruments, all the lyrics, good chord progressions, etc. It will sound like a real song.
Maybe it even sounds good. Maybe you can’t tell the difference. But it isn’t really a real song. It is an amalgam of real songs, factored through algorithms. No one wrote it. It’s a computer synthesis of art, not actual art.
AI is not like any tech before. It’s not a digital delay, an arpeggiator, etc. You still need your own muse there.
You don’t with AI. You can have AI write fully formed music for you. But it’s not really your work. It’s not actually your muse.
Amy’s is different. It’s AI art. That’s the point. We know where her muse stops and the AI begins, and how they are interfacing.
“There is nuance in love languages. And we project what we are. It’s easy for me to say I love you. Not so for everyone. So there are other ways…. This is interesting!! Muse. Yes. 🔥 And yes- live at Pompeii is when I fell in love with Floyd and Gilmour. My uncle gave me a beta tape and I watched it over and over!!” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Same here! Except for the part about your uncle.” - Christopher Cook
From Jacqueline Rendell:
Ha! Relates to what I said about the ‘why’ we are making something. It’s funny….this convo is stimulating a lot for me.
As above so below, microcosms inside macrocosms…
On one hand, a fully generated AI song is like 3D printed lab meat. Produced so that you won’t know the difference. Makes me think of that guy in the Matrix eating a steak he knows isn’t real- and wanting to stay ignorant of the fact that it isn’t.
At the same time, all we make is contained and produced here within the whole simulation/realm/world.
There is nothing that is not of Nature.
So at the end of the day- and in the morning too- there is no outside or inside of the ALL. AI or human, it’s the same thing depending on which part of the hologram you’re examining and how zoomed in or out your vantage point is. I believe this is the point Apollo's Lyre was making.
“Well there, I cannot really comment much, because I don’t think this is a sim 🙂” - Christopher Cook
“You don’t have to. You could replace the word with Nature. Or God or source. There is nothing outside of it. 😊” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Ah, okay.” - Christopher Cook
“Nothing BUT it.” - Jacqueline Rendell
“I see what you are saying.” - Christopher Cook
“I appreciate that you do. 😉” - Jacqueline Rendell
“I will roll it around the forest of my mind. Then I will get distracted by a butterfly for a while. Then I will find it again, after napping under a tree.” - Christopher Cook
“I love your life 🦋” - Jacqueline Rendell
“Or at least my ADHD forest brain.” - Christopher Cook
This conversation led to a post by Jacqueline Rendell which you can read here:
Factional Warfare
[In response to “They are not the top of the food chain. And the families and the structures behind the elites are all factional. It's not one overarching group. It's a bunch of warring subgroups trying to maintain overall control over the other warring subgroups. If you think of it like all one group, it's not going to make any sense why they would need control. They aren't a singular group,” from THE SCROLL: My Computer Just Became Self-Aware]
K. D. P., this is uncanny.
I was just saying last night that this very aspect is one of the MOST DIFFICULT pieces of the puzzle for people to understand.
They will seem to “get it” for the five minutes during which you are explaining it to them - and then, when it comes to applying that information the next time they are required to analyze the world around them themselves, they forget all over again, reverting to their former worldviews, applying the outdated lens they had been perceiving the world through prior to acquiring this information.
As a result, their analyses of reality (as they perceive it, not as it is) end up being a lot more simplistic, childlike, propagandized, and not at all nuanced or indicative of the truth of the overall landscape.
I’m wondering what it would take to really anchor or ground this piece of information for most people.
It’s crucial information.
Also, it seems like it should be common sense.
But somehow, it falls right back out of their heads ten minutes later, and they revert to seeing all groups as being homogeneous all over again.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
All groups are made up of individuals with their own politics and agendas.
Many people within many groups will have conflicting agendas.
No one group is homogeneous.
When you see it laid out so simply, it’s very easy to understand.
But ask them to apply it after that?
It falls right back out of their heads.
Fast, Cheap, Unhealthy, and Ugly
In Which The Memelords Are Memelording Again….
MONSOON
It’s been like this all week.
RAIN season is May to November, but usually it does not consist of constant thunderstorms like this.
It tends to thunderstorm only briefly in the afternoon during this time of year.
This has been a lot of very loud gushing rain and quite abnormal.
For anyone wondering WTF we’re talking about… FL has two seasons, RAIN and NOT RAIN, along with two subseasons, JACKET WEEK and NOPE.
The latter does not exist - which is why it’s called NOPE.
We have never had MONSOON before; however, Blessed Warrior Reina is correct, and current weather might require an addendum to the weather explanation I have outlined here if this September MONSOON anomaly more akin to Arizona weather persists in Florida year over year.
More info:
Optimizing Your Substack: “Explore” and “Following”
For those of you who have written to me that I am not appearing in your Notes feeds, I did check with Substack and there's nothing on their end which is causing that to happen.
But Niall @ Substack took some time out to give me some wonderful notes for all of you on how to make sure you are seeing the people you want to see!
So I wanted to go over that with all of you so that you will know you are using the available tools to the fullest!
Thanks again, Niall!
First, make sure you are switching between the two feed modes, "Explore" and "Following," to see those who have been suggested for you and those you have already followed.
The "Explore" setting suggests more stuff at the edges of your network, while the "Following" mode will show you more content from the people you are directly following or subscribed to.
In "Explore" mode, you will still see stuff from people you follow or subscribe to, but this serves as a discovery mode which adds in a much broader range of content. (See image below from my own Following feed. You can use this button to toggle between the two settings.)
Many are unaware of this feature, so please familiarize yourselves with it so that you can have more control over your feed.
You can use this to change your experience according to which mood you are in, whether you want to catch up with people you already know or you would like to see work from people at the edges of your existing network who might be of interest to you.
If you're still not seeing someone specific in your feed, please check to make sure that you have not accidentally muted, blocked, unfollowed, or unsubscribed from them.
Thanks!! 🙏🏻💜💫
The Past Three Years Have Drastically Altered My Perception of People….
It’s a fair assessment, The Bone Writer.
We’ve seen the proof in how the majority behaves; they tend to cling to the accepted establishment narrative even in the face of proven facts that convey a different story.
Preventing ridicule and social and financial ostracism tend to be more important to them than protecting their own health, the health of others, or the truth itself.
Knowing that, if any of you still believe that a “democracy” or a “republic” are in your best interests, government systems in which you consent to being beholden to either the will of an ignorant and often sociopathic majority who are locked into emotional decision-making or a group of psychopathic bloodline elites who only protect their own interests and treat everyone as their slaves, you’re just plain NOT thinking.
And if you think “communism” or “socialism” are any better as systems that dupe you into consenting to becoming an irredeemable snitch in order to protect your own interests above that of the majority despite rhetoric brainwashing you that this system achieves the opposite, you’re simply too far gone for words. Have fun being a useful idiot until you are no longer useful. See what happens.
Realistic Sword Fighting In Film, Or Breenmaxxing the Blood Hose….
“Stressful” Chocolate Happens and Chaos Ensues….
For those of you who don't have insta, this is a video of a square of chocolate propped up on top of an espresso mug. The chocolate square has Aztec steps jutting out of it. Espresso is poured into the well in the center of the Aztec steps, the chocolate eventually melts from the heat of the espresso, and the square kind of folds up on itself and falls into the center of the cup with the espresso.
The image was a comment attached to this video.
It was at the top with 19K likes, so I happened to see it.
"Stressful." Wow. This is what "stress" is to (19K of) you? Oh, pumpkin....... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
We live amongst Eloi. Not that it's great to be a Morlock either. But I'd prefer not to be Morlock food.
“Je ne suis pas Eloi. Je ne suis pas Morlock. Je suis un elf du bois.” - Christopher Cook
“Mais bien sur. Mais pourquoi pas?” - Christopher Cook
“Genius. Even better because she is in a GOTO loop.” - Apollo's Lyre
![You're e[A]ting recursion! : perfectloops](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kXxR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbecd983b-5e21-45c7-8ac7-be862192f870_600x300.gif "You're e[A]ting recursion! : perfectloops")
“Wait, why is it genius? I thought it was just some little girl saying something in Spanish. I am missing something….” - Christopher Cook
She has lore now. LOL. She is a recurring feature. It started in the New Vocabulary section.... Apollo and I had already been using this gif on a regular basis but the context in which we had used it struck Coleman as very odd and then I explained Apollo-Starfire telepathy to Coleman which was hilarious….
“I see now. Plus fake-ass pandas.” - Christopher Cook
"I've had it with all these all these fake-ass pandas on this fake-ass planet!" - Apollo's Lyre
“I cannot count how many times I've used this Pooh recursion gif. It is life.” - Apollo's Lyre
“It’s PoohTiggers all the way down.” - Christopher Cook
“I read the capsed "DOS" as DOS as in the common acronym for Microsoft's once-ubiquitous "Disk Operating System," a play on her actual trademark line with the Spanish lowercase "dos." Hence the GOTO loop follow up. (Edit: GOTO was actually a Basic programming code now I think about it... oh well) But I could will have Rorschach-tested all of that into what was a simple capitalization-for-effect memetic flourish :)” - Apollo's Lyre
“Genius indeed. Which is why it went right over my head!” - Christopher Cook
“Not at all haha. You're just sane, and my mad, media-addled mind here is off concocting all these goofy connections lol.” - Apollo's Lyre
(in the best way possible)
“That exchange was hilarious. Coleman's concern for the welfare of the small Mexican girl.” - Apollo's Lyre
And I gave him the whole step by step process and he's just like, "I learned a thing." hahahaha
“And your explanation was so clear and clinical.” - Apollo's Lyre
"QED hilarity ensues."
“I could just seem him nodding along at home, scribbling a few notes, "I learned a thing," it made the whole thing even funnier.” - Apollo's Lyre
And really he's just thinking, “Fuck. There's two of them.”
"‘This is getting out of control!’" - Apollo's Lyre
“‘It was already incomprehensible coming out of one of them.... shit...’ 🤣”
“Like Furbys!” - Apollo's Lyre
Now I have to bring another meme-lore-thing back around..... lol....
Or, Disturbing Things I Send To leithian To Torment Her, Usually On Weekends, But Now Pretty Much All The Time….
“All. The. Time. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” - leithian
OH HELL NO….
“Nooooooooooooo! OMFG, run for your lives! 🤣🤣🤣” - leithian
This is FREAKY. hahahahahhaha
“Apollo invoked the Furby!!!” - leithian
“Be vewy, vewy afwaid.” - leithian
“For 99 percent of human history, 99 percent of people had to be involved in gathering, hunting, or growing enough food just to survive. And now we did this.” - Christopher Cook
“Just WHY?!?!?” - leithian
We Do What We Must Because We Can.
“‘We imagine what can be... unburdened by what has been!’” - Apollo's Lyre
Kamala is Glados?!?!?!? This explains sooooooo much.
“Well, we know the cake is a lie.” - Apollo's Lyre
“For some reason this reminds me of a rather terrible movie with Kirk Douglas and Farah Fawcett that I cannot recall the name of, but it was freaky AF to young me.” - leithian
It's the murderous computer from Portal.
“That would be why it reminds me of this other movie. Trying to find the title now…. Saturn 3, 1980.” - leithian
“All this time, I never suspected you are a wood elf, Christopher.” - leithian
“Surely you at least had an inkling…” - Christopher Cook
“Okay, I overstated. The signs were there. 😂 Cependent, je ne savais pas tu parle français.” - leithian
“Just what I remember from high school!” - Christopher Cook
“Pretty sure I effed up my verb conjugation there.” - leithian
“I wasn’t even sure I remember how to conjugate the verb to be anymore! Getting older has its charms and its challenges.” - Christopher Cook
“This was peak society.” - Apollo's Lyre
“Is the bathtub in the Greek temple in her mind, or is that really her bathroom?” - Christopher Cook
“Peak society! The Nintendo ‘Splatoon’-kinda Inkling or the Tolkien and Lewis-kinda Inkling?” - Apollo's Lyre
“I do not know what the former is, but even if I did, it would still be the latter.” - Christopher Cook
“It should always be the latter.” - leithian
“Haha a most excellent answer! The former is a race of squid kids in a popular Nintendo squad-based shooter. It's a good pun of sorts, always found it funny it was the same as JR and CS's literary nerd circle (says the guy making esoteric video game and fantasy writer jokes).” - Apollo's Lyre
“‘Says the guy making esoteric video game and fantasy writer jokes.’ Just part of why you are magnificent!” - leithian
“‘When first starting the game, the player is given the option to choose between genders (boy and girl).’ I like it already!” - Christopher Cook
“Inkling science is light-years beyond that of modern Wokesters haha.” - Apollo's Lyre
“Most of the guys I've gamed with prefer to roll female characters, which makes perfect sense. My BFF had a gift for creating some of the most beautiful females I've ever seen.” - leithian
“I did that once in college. I still have the drawing that the game master did of Luanath MacEoghan. She was indeed quite attractive.” - Christopher Cook
“That's cool! In this case, I was referring to video games, though. FFXIV is known to be impossible for creating a pretty female Elezen, but Phil did it. Every game we ever played, he made the best looking females. Even in Destiny 2, with an abysmal character creator, he managed cute. My first attempt produced a Titan that looked like a chimp in game. Most people just keep their helmets on. 🤣” - leithian
“I figured as much. Back in 1987, though, all we had was some dude weaving a story and asking us which way to take the story.” - Christopher Cook
“Still do! I was too far away to join, but the guys got together weekly for their D&D campaigns. Phil always gave me a recap when they were done. There were some epically hilarious goings on, usually involving Tommy (not the chicken).” - leithian
“Titan 4 life!! I’m an Exo though, so not particularly cute.” - Apollo's Lyre
“I think a lot of people roll Exo to avoid being a deformed looking Human or Awoken. My Titan is human, Hunter is Awoken.” - leithian
“This is awesome!!! Great choices, love the hair and the eye markings. Awoken rock. Obviously my Vanguard Zavala being Awoken biases me. (RIP to the great Lance Reddick btw). Edit if I remember haha I'll try and find a pic of my Exo. I havent played in far too long. I miss it. I absolutely loved that game. Little too much "woke" and not enough "Awoken" in later stories tho as I recall haha.” - Apollo's Lyre
“Thanks! She became my favorite. ‘RIP Lance Reddick’ Indeed 😢 Would love to see your Exo! I haven't played regularly in a couple of years, and did not buy the last expansion. I am behind on the story, but can see where it may have been headed into woke territory. I miss it and would like to play again, nonetheless, though I will probably end up abandoning it as I have so much other stuff ruined by woke ideology. It's been one of my favorites in terms of gameplay, and the story has been fantastic as far as I've gone.” - leithian
To Die Will Be An Awfully Big Adventure
You’re Not Interviewing Me… I’m Interviewing YOU….
When you get a chance, please feel free to scroll through the special thanks list below and follow/subscribe to each other to show our SCROLL community some love for everything they do! ⚡💥🔥
Sending my love and appreciation to all of you! Have a great week! 🙏🏻💜💫
Special thanks to /\/€u Th@/_/ght, © David, ⚡️Ultra Thomas JQ⚡️🇺🇸🙏✝️🙏🇺🇸, 13/1 NYS CONstitution, 4th degree of momhood, A. A. Ron, Aaron, Aaron Taras, Aaron Waddell, Aaron Young, Abdullah, Abdullah Qazi, Abhilash Hegde, Abigail Starke, Adam Vossen, ado, Adrasteia, Adrian, Adrian Vermeule, Adrienne, Agnes, Ahmed’s Stack of Subs, A Human, Aidan, Aiza Rashid, AJ, AJSR, Alan Devincentis, Alan Haley, Alan Lovejoy, Alan Schmidt, Alan Simpson, Al Ballesteros, Albatross, Al Campbell, alcazar, Alexander, Alexander Semenyuk, Alexandra, Alexandra Fasulo, Alex de Carvalho, Alex Ilex, Alexis Learner, Alford Wayman, AlgoTradeAlert, Alina Pitt, Alisa Schmidt, Alison Bull, Alison Gude, Alissa Barthel, Alistair, Aliwister, AllAboutEve43, Allan L. 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Lady, Wendy Dlakic, Wendy Jones, WFSL_TheFossil, What IS a name, really?, Whiskey6, Will, William Brooks, William Francis, William Hunter Duncan, William Linsenmeyer, William Lutz, William Taylor, William Watson, Willy, Winter Peter, Wolf Krauß, Woody, Xixi, Your Friend Dave, YourLastLife, Zach Silva, Zack Grafman, Zan Tafakari, Zenitheus, Zen Juno, Z. Hajime Sertorius, Zolti, and θεῖος for inspiring these responses and contributing to the subsequent posts and conversations. And thank you to everyone else who contributed to these conversations over the past few days! 🙏🏻💜💫
"My writing is far too good for this.."
I had to read that a few times. Remarkable the level of arrogance some people display.
Would be nice to have at least half that confidence though, without the delusional narcissism of course.
This debate about ai was “A-eye opening for me. I restacked a phrase that really made me see it with fresh eyes. Thank you