Global Trickster

An anecdotes attributed to a wise Muslim cleric named Nasreddin.

A Perfect Woman

“Why aren’t you married, Master?” a disciple once asked Nasreddin.

Nasreddin replied “All my life I was looking for a perfect woman.”

The young man shook his head and sighed with sympathy, “I guess you haven’t found one yet.”

“No, a few years ago I met a woman who was perfect in every way,” said Nasreddin. “She was kind, beautiful and intelligent. Unfortunately, she was looking for a perfect man.”

[tags] Islam, wisdom, global truth [/tags]

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As I’ve said before, I find songs to be one of the most powerful uses for words. I enjoyed this song as a child and found that its lyrics were shockingly accurate, no matter what time frame. I was glad to see that Disturbed has brought it back as a remake, still not as good as the original by Genesis though.

I mustve dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
Theyre moving into the street.

Now did you read the news today
They say the dangers gone away
But I can see the fires still alight
There burning into the night.

Theres too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Cant you see
This is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands were given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

Ooh superman where are you now
When everythings gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour.

This is the time
This is the place
So we look for the future
But theres not much love to go round
Tell me why, this is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands were given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

I remember long ago -
Ooh when the sun was shining
Yes and the stars were bright
All through the night
And the sound of your laughter
As I held you tight
So long ago -

I wont be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
Were not just making promises
That we know, well never keep.

Too many men
Theres too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Cant you see
This is a land of confusion.

Now this is the world we live in
And these are the hands were given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for.

This is the world we live in
And these are the names were given
Stand up and lets start showing
Just where our lives are going to.

[tags] genesis, lyrics, political [/tags]

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I finally saw this film today. There are certain stories that should be told to everyone, to all generations, stories that are neccessary, essential. The story of corruption and revolution is one such story. I thank Alan Moore for bringing the seed of this story into the modern theater. I need to now read the actual text of his story to find out the problems he had with the film. However, the film is better than not experiencing it at all. I can even forgive the Wachowski brothers for the last two Matrix films now. This film says so much that needs to be heard, yet will be forgotten. It shows the nature of rhetoric and its uses for good and evil, how the power of words can invoke fear, and how fear can imprison a society. The use of words in this way is nothing new, our acknowledgement of their power over us is also not revelation. We can easily become indignant towards abusive rhetoric, but then have our attention diverted by “reality” television and slanted media just as easily.

There is so much more that can be discussed, and should, about this film, or just the ideas that the film provokes. Its the use of words, of rhetoric, that I attempted to study in college and still try to. This film is a good example of the power of words and why they must be truly heard, to be understood as tools of ideas, and what those sometimes hidden ideas are. Here are the words of “V”.

Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine- the security, the familiar, the tranquility, repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, a celebration of a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.

There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the annunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance, and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, think, and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillence coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence.

[tags] v for vendetta, rhetoric, revolutions, words, corruption [/tags]

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Only traitors try to make us afraid of terrorists

By noemail@noemail.org (Cory Doctorow)

Cory Doctorow: In this mind-blowing, exhaustively researched Cato institute paper by Ohio State University’s John Mueller, the case against being afraid of terrorism is laid out in irrefutable logic, backed with credible, documented statistics about terrorism’s risks. From the number of fatalities produced by terrorism to the trends in terrorism death to the fact that almost no one has ever died from a military biological agent to the fact that poison gas and dirty bombs in the field do only minor damage — this paper is the most reassuring and infuriating piece of analysis I’ve read since September 11th, 2001.The bottom line is, terrorism doesn’t kill many people. Even in Israel, you’re four times more likely to die in a car wreck than as a result of a terrorist attack. In the USA, you need to be more worried about lightning strikes than terrorism. The point of terrorism is to create terror, and by cynically convincing us that our very countries are at risk from terrorism, our politicians have delivered utter victory to the terrorists: we are terrified.

The statistics are interesting, but I find this quote even more revealing.

“Why of course the people don’t want war. Why should some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of
it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people
don’t want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in
Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the
country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to
drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist
dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no
voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the
country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
– Hermann Goering, second highest in command of the Third Reich

Sound like a familiar rhetorical strategy? Right or wrong, its important to recognize it.

[tags] rhetoric, terrorism, speech [/tags]

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everything you can think of is true
before the ocean was blue
you were lost in a flood run red with your blood’s nigerian skeleton crew
everything you can think of is true
the dish ran away with the spoon
dig deep in your heart for that little red glow
we’re decomposing as we go
everything you can think of is true
and fishes make wishes on you
we’re fighting our way up dreamland’s spine
with black flamingos, expensive wine
everything you can think of is true
the baby’s asleep in your shoe
your teeth are buildings with yellow doors
your eyes are fish on a creamy shore

- Tom Waits

Such true words are rarely spoken.

[tags] Tom Waits, song [/tags]

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A new section to the blog. I find words to be a powerful force, able to invoke a wide range of emotions and actions (i.e. rhetoric) These words can be found in various modes, songs, poems, news, or fiction. The ones that appeal to me I’ll post here. You can see all of them by clicking on the “quotes” category.

Don’t you know, there ain’t no devil, there’s just god when he is drunk. - Tom Waits

[tags] quote, tom waits [/tags]

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