Thursday, August 31, 2023

The Future is a Thing of the Past



"Nostalgia is not remembering how things were.  Nostalgia is remembering how we thought things were going to be."  Slim Fairview


Everything from the 1964 World's Fair to the Politicians, the Pundits, and the Lifestyle Gurus and Spinmeisters, nothing has ever been much more than an infomercial. The League of Nations did nothing to prevent WWII.


Everything that the Government and NGOs have tried to make things better has made things worse. And now we have problems we didn't have until we had solutions for them.


"You can't stop the arrival of History. You can only delay it.  History is coming.  However, the longer we delay the arrival of History, the better our chances of survival."


"Within the Fruits of Our Democracy lie the Seeds of Our Destruction."


Case in Point:  "China will succeed if China does as we did and not as we say."


"We are the architects of our own destruction."


Best wishes,


Bob

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Etats-Unis


From

The Quotations of Slim Fairview

Copyright © 2023 Robert Asken 

All rights reserved




Thursday, August 17, 2023

You Interrogate Suspects: You Interview Witnesses



However, if you ask the question, then interrupt the answer, that is obstructive.


And "How do you know" is argumentative at best. A throwback to the Golden-Plated days of daytime talk show television

Some people ask questions seeking information.
Other people ask questions so they can interrupt, contradict, argue, & pretend they're right.

Witness the news style infotainment programmes. These, one step above those golden-plated days of daytime talk show television. The ones where people interrupt others and say, "please allow me to finish." And notice: the ones who say, "please let me finish," never do.

You give trivial complaints to rookies & interns. That is too obvious to anyone involved in serious issues. One successful bit of litigation arose from the fact that the first attorney I spoke to had worn a suit without a jacket and had a crease in his collar. I guessed that they treated the issue as trivial. But when they were served, the lawyers from two top law firms were engaged.

On "The Talk", Dr. Phil was asked "how can you tell if someone is lying. He said, because they will say, "To tell you the truth" or "to be completely honest...." But I disagree. That only means the person is irritated by the person who thinks he's going to get the answer he wants by repeating the question ad lunacy [sic]

How do you know when someone is lying?  
[Redacted] Strategy is not discoverable.

To emphasise, I will quote the most eloquent of all Presidential Orators: Lyndon B. Johnson, who said, "I ain't never learned nothing talking."

SVP: Yes? No? Agree? Disagree? And, Why? I would appreciate some feedback from professionals in the field. Thank you, S.

Sincerest regards,

Slim
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072

PS. After a report to the "City Inspector" who documented
the incident, I received word of impending "repairs". That
however, was the modus operandi vis-a-vis a prior incident cited as part of their strategy. History repeats itself. Regards, Slim.


Copyright © 2023 Robert Asken 
All rights reserved

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Solving Tomorrow's Problems with Yesterday's Solutions

 

My Great Grandfather, Fair Slimview, owned an upscale buggy whip factory. [A fictive device I created for today's observation.]


When the Motor Car was invented, his business began to fail. So he made drastic changes. He summoned his employees to make an announcement.


"With people switching to the Motor Car, running an upscale buggy whip factory is no longer viable. Therefore, I've invested in new equipment. From now on, we will manufacture mass market buggy whips. When folks see how cheap they are, they'll flock back to the donkey wagon showrooms and we'll be back in business


Now, I'm sure my distinguished LinkedIn colleague, Paulette Dale, PH.D can explain the fallacy of logic in Pap-pap Slimview's thinking. The only logical fallacies I know come from Google


Nonetheless, today we are trying to solve problems with yesterday's solutions. The forward thinkers are trying to solve tomorrow's problems with today's solutions. We simply don't get it. We need to rethink the way we rethink the problems and solutions to get anywhere.


Case in point, China will succeed if China does as we did, not as we say.  China is using our strategy against us.


We will fail if we do as people tell us to do and not as we did.


"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."

Santayana


"Those who remember history are able to repeat it." Slim Fairview



Regards,


Slim

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Etats-Unis


The Quotations of Slim Fairview

Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved


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Sunday, June 18, 2023

Deus ex Machina & Modern Problems


How much does popular culture influence the modern

social paradigm?


Deus Ex Machina:

From the Ancient Greek Theatre, has two definitions.


Literal. Stage hands would lower an actor playing a Greek God onto the stage with a series of ropes and pulleys. This to solve the travails of the people. Once solved, Deus Ex Machina, off he goes.


Literary: A plot device that involves what I will call a magic solution that does not evolve from the plot, to solve a problem.


Which brings us to The Greek Chorus. In essence?

As Diana Rigg said to Miss Piggy after telling her the back story in the Muppets Great Caper, "It's exposition. It has to go somewhere."


This mechanism is a staple in Prime Time Sitcom TV.

Best used when introducing a serious theme to address

the concerns of the market. Still, if there is no resolution,

fret not. Next week it's a brand new show.


Bonus Lesson: The message of Antigone, by Jean Anouilh, published during the occupation of France in WWII is much different from the message of Antigone by Sophocles in Ancient Greece.


Despite this, we view problems or impending crises through a lense of popular culture, never academic substance. And this will be our downfall.


Please assist me, Did Orson Welles say to Diana Rigg, Please bring me the standard rich & famous contract" in The Muppets go to Hollywood.


Regards,


Slim

Box 33

Pen Argyl, PA 18072

Etats-Unis


Except as noted

Copyright © 2023 Robert Asken 

All rights reserved


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