bddbab25 No.3712887[Last 50 Posts]
/lit/ 2.0
Recommend literature, discuss literature, quotes from wherever. Philosophy. What do you consider recommended reading? For furries in particular? What are you reading now or the last thing you read? (besides tms shitposts)
Finished binge reading all the released Pack Street chapters the other day:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/12141837/chapters/27547896According to TV Tropes, "In 2023, Weaver announced Pack Street to be going on hiatus, possibly indefinitely, as a result of real life troubles relating to the people he wrote the story with."
That's a shame, because Pack Street is very compelling storytelling. TV Tropes also gives a good description:
>You know Zootopia? A Shining City of interspecies cooperation in a World of Funny Animals, where "anyone can be anything"? Well, there's a Wrong Side of the Tracks there, too, and if you didn't already know there were predator/prey tensions, that's where you'll find out.Pack Street is in the same world as Zootopia; but the author created his own characters, and the story centers around them. The protagonist is a sheep, Remmy Cormo. Here's an excerpt of him at the local burger joint that uses bug meat, accompanied by his mates Ozzy the hyena and Wolter and Anneke the aardwolves:
Ozzy slaps me on the back hard enough for me to really feel it through my padding. "Welcome to the night crew!" he howls, grinning.
Our hyena pushes the door open, using his height advantage to clear the way for the rest of us to make our way inside. Once we're in, the noise of the restaurant's almost deafening. There's gotta be a good dozen or so employees frantically working the counter trying to serve customers, and they're still stuffed to overflowing with folks.
So crowded. So loud. So many preds talking, eating. Something deep and primal tugs at me inside and I feel myself begin to sweat. Predators on all sides. The room stinks of cooking grease and unmasked musk. Dozens of fang-toothed maws gnashing meat. Everywhere. Every direction I turn.
I am a sheep surrounded by carnivores.
If one turned on me, would anyone stop it? Would they even report it afterwards? How much of the straining civilized facade would be left? Visions of my own corpse on the floor. Wool red with my blood. Teeth everywhere. Bug burgas discarded in favor of animal meat. I don't want to die.
cont.
bddbab25 No.3712888
cont.
I won't be devoured.
I'm jolted back to reality with a shock. Anneke snaps her fingers in front of my face and I jump so hard I leave the fucking ground. To her credit, she doesn't laugh. She actually startles in return, and gives me this weird, almost worried look. The other two don't notice, thankfully.
"Hey, what's up? You okay?" she peers up at me, cocking her head to one side. I try to focus on breathing and hope my sweating's not noticeable.
"Yeah," I lie, "Just… the smell in here is kind of overwhelming."
"Yeah, it's something, huh?" she twists, tilting her head the other way, "It smells great in here. Like a slice of fried heaven."
Well, agree to disagree. I glance around the room, wondering how many stares I've elicited, but most everyone seems to be too engaged in their own conversations to notice me, at least for the moment. Most of the mammals in here are canids, but I spot a couple bears looming over the crowd, and a trio of otters sitting in a corner booth. Stoats at the counter. Or maybe weasels. They spin to face me and make some gesture and I nearly fall back into my own cold sweat before I realize they're just waving to someone behind me. They're all girls, high schoolers by the look of them, wearing pink and pastels and giggling at their phones. Yeah. A real threat, Remmy. They're definitely about to rip your throat out.
This is ridiculous. Predators don't eat prey. Not anymore. I gotta get a hold of myself. I'm not in any real danger. Hell, last time I actually was, Ozzy stepped in and stopped it.
…Now I'm just feeling like an asshole.
b152e9a6 No.3712936
I could never get into any of the stuff posted on /ztg/. It just became such a circlejerk of attention whores and their zoosonas
883f5b42 No.3713062
Ztg on lulz? It's so over.
883f5b42 No.3714147
Rick Griffin's new book is p good. 7 bucks for the ebook thoe
883f5b42 No.3714260
Good joke sir. +1 reddit gold!
883f5b42 No.3716519
La littérature
bddbab25 No.3716522
>>3714147What made it good?
>>3714148That was actually quite interesting.
bddbab25 No.3716561
It has happened to me, while taking solitary walks through the woods of Baarn, that I would suddenly stop in my tracks and stand stiff as a board, overcome by a frightening, unreal and yet blissful sense of standing eye to eye with the inexplicable. That tree there in front of me, as an object, as part of the woods, is perhaps not so amazing, but the distance, the space between it and me, suddenly seems unfathomable.
He who wants to depict something nonexistent has to follow certain rules. Those rules are more or less the same ones as for fairy tales.
The element of the inscrutable, on which he now wants to focus attention, needs to be surrounded, to be veiled by a perfectly common everyday evidence, recognizable to all. That true-to-nature environment, acceptable to any superficial spectator, is indispensable for creating the desired shock.
- M. C. Escher
883f5b42 No.3717458
>>3716522I'm going to be real, I can't really pinpoint what made it good in a way others would understand. I just enjoyed it. Could see how it was going to play out from the beginning, but it still had a few surprises.
Plus, there were illustrations from time to time.
bddbab25 No.3717541
>>3717537* Watership Down
* Renard the Fox translated by Patricia Terry
* Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
* Aesop's Fables
* Animal Farm
Nonfurry:
* Fahrenheit 451
* Lord of the Flies
* Slaughterhouse-Five
* Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
* Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid
* Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
* The Trial
* To Kill a Mockingbird
Probably forgetting some good ones.
eb0cf9f9 No.3717565
>>3712887Anyone have the picture of this guy being bullied by the two yeen girls talking about Dissenauts?
d315c34f No.3717598
>>3717582I've had at least 4 copies of house of leaves that lent out to friends only to never get them back
958bed72 No.3717604
>>3717598I've had 1, lent them out to 4 people. 3 people loved it, one said he'd never take my literary advice again.
House of Leaves is one of the weirdest books I've ever read, just on its layout. The story itself isn't that great, but its definitely a page turner.
958bed72 No.3717605
>>3717604I've had 3 copies of Wraethu, I've leant 2 and now still have 2, I got one copy returned weirdly 7 years later.
Awesome story that explores gender roles in a genderless society.
958bed72 No.3717606
>>3717605Thats weird, I wrote an essay on this as an elective during college, and could swear it was Wraethu.
Guess the Mandela effect strikes again, maybe I'm from a different time line.
28927021 No.3718250
As Tastius entered the bakery, the aroma of freshly baked goods filled the air. The owner, Mrs. Caramelia, greeted him with a warm smile. Tastius introduced himself and explained the purpose of his visit. Mrs. Caramelia, eager to prove her bakery's cleanliness, guided him through the kitchen.
Tastius meticulously examined every nook and cranny, checking for any signs of unhygienic practices. He inspected the storage areas, ensuring proper temperature control for ingredients. He examined the preparation stations, making sure they were clean and free from cross-contamination risks. Tastius even sampled some of the pastries to assess their quality and taste.
To his delight, Tastius found the bakery to be in excellent condition. The ingredients were fresh, the staff followed proper hygiene protocols, and the pastries were delectable. He commended Mrs. Caramelia for her dedication to maintaining high standards.
Word of Tastius' thorough inspection spread throughout Veridonia, earning him a reputation as a fair and reliable health inspector. Establishments sought his approval, knowing that his stamp of cleanliness was a mark of excellence.
Tastius continued his work diligently, ensuring the health and safety of Veridonia's residents. His commitment to his role as an anthro ferret health inspector became an inspiration to others, reminding them of the importance of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
And so, Tastius Murdius Sehlius, the anthro ferret health inspector, became a beloved figure in Veridonia, forever remembered for his dedication to the well-being of the city and its inhabitants.
55fbaf31 No.3718297
>>3718250this reads like it was ripped of a grade schooler
cef644bb No.3718319
>>3718301Nigga what? He types fine. Get your eyes checked.
5e43fb0e No.3718357
Do you all have "vax"-induced prion disease?? Yes, it's a thing, and so is VAIDS and turbo-cancer and gene-deletion and a whole bunch of other horrible things.
Read the first two words he posted:
"Asking ChatGPT:"This means he copy-pasted the AI vomit that was spewed out all over his black mirror; it has nothing to do with him! He typed only the prompt, and NOT the digital vomit output!
>>3717570Is that you still, from at least a decade ago? You don't also have prion-disease by now, do you?
5e43fb0e No.3718532
>>3717570That question came out wrong, it was concern and not criticism BTW.
a86864bf No.3718732
>>3718249I've seen a few ChatGTP stories and they all felt 'samey' to me – as if they're from one of those 'Mad Libs' books but they filled in all the [Nouns] and [Adverbs] and [Adjectives] with things that mostly make sense.
>>3718297Exactly my feeling. What makes it so child-like is that there's almost no conflict and no challenges. It's a normal inspection done normally and everyone is happy with the results. It's like the only purpose of the story is to teach someone how to read.
>>3718341There 'are' paragraphs but they're hard to see because there are no line breaks or indents. This is actually a lot better than some furry fiction I've seen in this respect.
a86864bf No.3718733
>>3712980The problem I have with a lot of these is that you just KNOW that this is just going to be exclusive to rich crusty billionaire politicians and oligarchs. You know those 80-90+ year faggots who seem to stay in power forever and just never seem to go away fast enough?
Imagine THOSE people NEVER going away.
fba71969 No.3719571
>>3719568https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/watership-down-retrospective-kids-and-family?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us45 Years Ago, One Deranged Animated Movie Traumatized A Generation
Watership Down was controversial when it first came out. But how do we feel about it now?
05bc21a0 No.3722358
>>3722356Did you know this book was made into a major motion picture.
But they totally changed the name,
this book is what became the movie
BLADE RUNNER.
This book is listed in the credits at the end of the movie.
631efd8c No.3722359
>>3722356They really, really fucked up that story for the Blade Runner movies.
>>3722358They butchered the story too.
05bc21a0 No.3722362
>>3722359Why does the woman's face
on the side of that building
remind me of the DOGECOIN meme?
e6b3cd1a No.3722407
>>3722406I've seen things like this myself on occasion, could be any number of reasons, someone may have died and this was his collection, etc.
Most often it is some dumbass landlord who evicted a tenant and cleaned out the place so he could rent it again, when he could get 10 times or more than was owed him in rent by selling them on Ebay.
bddbab25 No.3722477
>>3722356Been meaning to read that. I read The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, the final novel by Philip K Dick. Remember liking it.
>>3722362Wow. Very cannot unsee.
>>3722406Most of those look like they're in good condition. That A Brief History of Time + The Universe in a Nutshell combo looks new. I have that same hardback copy.
cf2c05a8 No.3723058
>>3723039>>3723039Still not entirely sold on hawking radiation. Sorry charlie. I just don't think it works like he thinks he does. Its a fallacy versus fallacy issue at that point.
Black holes have entropy therefore causes radiation but it doesnt emit radiation (as he says) it just creates more entropy. It doesn't contain information about blackholes it however effects information however if you are slowly being entropized by a black hole. (which is like in bullet time for cosmic-level forces)
Dark energy is not really concerning the idea that light would go in and go out of the black hole..from one side to the next or some deviation of the event horizon shining light off itself. The fuck kind of shit is that. A blackhole "EATS" the light…end of story.
Some shit about how they didn't even exist at all. Which he probably is completely embarassed about. It's like being proven wrong in the equivilency of athiesm to the science god. He fucked up. Then string theory came along to save his excuse. Which is plausible in the same fallacy context that "I can just make up shit and it work". Well it just so happens string theory is on its way out too from being made borderline obsolete by AI-engineered timespace and shit.
c0febe5b No.3725323
>>3722406Don't Americans know what charity shops are? God damn.
9fdb5cf3 No.3725363
>>3725323This makes me cry really. There are many "Friends of the Library" organizations over here in the U.S. that accept donations of used books, and then sell the books, giving the proceeds to the local libraries. Sometimes the books are given to prison libraries and smaller libraries that have extremely limited financial resources (they really can't afford new books).
c0febe5b No.3725406
>>3714147"As usual, this book is for Doug. Thank you for loving my worlds!
But also this book is, not for exactly, but aimed at that one guy who showed up at my front door unannounced to leave the art and book he bought off me (in part because I decided in this story to play a mild joke on a writing group critic) then dared me not to share this incident with anyone."
Ugh why would you air your personal drama like this, it immediately puts me off reading the book
c0febe5b No.3725408
>>3725406Also, I already read this like 10+ years ago when it was just a short story and I already know the twist. Sigh. Oh well I'll still read this garbage not like I have anything better to do.
c0febe5b No.3725562
>>3725408Well they changed the twist a little bit so that's cool. It was alright.
bddbab25 No.3735591
>>3735317
That actually sounds pretty interesting. I've never read Dracula, but I've seen the movie starring Gary Oldman a bunch of times. One of my faves.
Started reading The Brothers Karamazov. I really like it so far. Excerpt:
He was then only twenty years old (his brother Ivan was in his twenty-fourth year, and their elder brother, Dmitri, was going on twenty-eight). First of all I announce that this young man, Alyosha, was not at all a fanatic, and, in my view at least, even not at all a mystic. I will give my full opinion beforehand: he was simply an early lover of mankind, and if he threw himself into the monastery path, it was only because it alone struck him at the time and presented him, so to speak, with an ideal way out for his soul struggling from the darkness of worldly wickedness towards the light of love. And this path struck him only because on it at that time he met a remarkable being, in his opinion, our famous monastery elder Zosima, to whom he became attached with all the ardent first love of his unquenchable heart. However, I do not deny that he was, at that time, already very strange, having been so even from the cradle. Incidentally, I have already mentioned that although he lost his mother in his fourth year, he remembered her afterwards all his life, her face, her caresses, “as if she were standing alive before me.” Such memories can be remembered (everyone knows this) even from an earlier age, even from the age of two, but they only emerge throughout one’s life as specks of light, as it were, against the darkness, as a corner torn from a huge picture, which has all faded and disappeared except for that little corner. That is exactly how it was with him: he remembered a quiet summer evening, an open window, the slanting rays of the setting sun (these slanting rays he remembered most of all), an icon in the corner of the room, a lighted oil-lamp in front of it, and before the icon, on her knees, his mother, sobbing as if in hysterics, with shrieks and cries, seizing him in her arms, hugging him so tightly that it hurt, and pleading for him to the Mother of God, holding him out from her embrace with both arms towards the icon, as if under the protection of the Mother of God … and suddenly a nurse rushes in and snatches him from her in fear. What a picture! [cont.]
bddbab25 No.3735593
>>3735591[cont.] Alyosha remembered his mother’s face, too, at that moment: he used to say that it was frenzied, but beautiful, as far as he could remember. But he rarely cared to confide this memory to anyone. In his childhood and youth he was not very effusive, not even very talkative, not from mistrust, not from shyness or sullen unsociability, but even quite the contrary, from something different, from some inner preoccupation, as it were, strictly personal, of no concern to others, but so important for him that because of it he would, as it were, forget others. But he did love people; he lived all his life, it seemed, with complete faith in people, and yet no one ever considered him either naive or a simpleton. There was something in him that told one, that convinced one (and it was so all his life afterwards) that he did not want to be a judge of men, that he would not take judgment upon himself and would not condemn anyone for anything. It seemed, even, that he accepted everything without the least condemnation, though often with deep sadness. Moreover, in this sense he even went so far that no one could either surprise or frighten him, and this even in his very early youth. Coming to his father in his twentieth year, precisely into that den of dirty iniquity, he, chaste and pure, would simply retire quietly when it was unbearable to watch, yet without the least expression of contempt or condemnation of anyone at all. His father, a former sponger and therefore touchy and easily offended, and who met him at first with sullen suspicion (“He’s too quiet,” he said, “and he reasons in himself too much”), soon ended up, nonetheless, in no more than two weeks, by hugging and kissing him terribly often, with drunken tears and tipsy sentimentality, true, but apparently having come to love him sincerely and deeply, more than such a man had, of course, ever managed to love anyone else.
bddbab25 No.3740519
Previously itt, someone made a post about The Beetle, comparing it to Dracula. Curiously, it's been deleted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beetle_(novel)>>3740325Good stuff.
>>3740504So they were ghosts leading him to their bones. lol
bddbab25 No.3740569
>>3740325"It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
More and more these words bear on me.
bddbab25 No.3740601
>>3740597To me, the episode illustrates the tenuous separation between Heaven and Hell. The fracture of thin glass lenses is all it takes to break the separation. Similar to an episode from a more contemporary sci-fi series:
Would you like to hear a joke? So, Einstein dies. He finds himself in heaven, and he has his violin. He’s overjoyed. He loves his violin. More than physics. Even more than women. He’s excited to find out how well he can play in heaven. He imagines he’ll be pretty damn good. So he starts tuning up, and the angels rush at him. “What are you doing?” they say. “I’m getting ready to play.” “Don’t do that. God won’t like it.” “He’s a saxophonist.” So Einstein stops. He doesn’t play, but it’s difficult. He loves music, and there’s actually not much to do in heaven. And sure enough, from high above, he hears a saxophone. It’s playing “Take the A Train.” Do you know that one? Einstein knows it too. And he thinks, “I’m going to do it. I’m going to play with Him.” “We’re going to sound great together.” So he starts playing “Take the A Train.” The saxophone stops, and God appears. He marches over to Einstein and kicks him in the balls, which hurts, even in heaven. Then he smashes Einstein’s beloved violin to bits. Eternity without music. Heaven has become hell for Einstein. And, as he writhes on the ground, holding his smashed balls, an angel comes over and says, “We warned you.” “Never play with God.”
Of course, the point of that "joke" is to illustrate the dark forest resolution to the Fermi paradox. From 3 Body Problem Netflix series, based on the novel series Remembrance of Earth's Past by Liu Cixin.
4ad20ef3 No.3740816
>>3740597That aired 65 years ago…
5b496349 No.3740822
>>3740597"Well , she is a bit…..COCKEYED !!"
…..could not help myself…
94f4ab1e No.3742171
Diary of Samuel Pepys. Not from book but one day at time from the
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/(Friday 7 June 1661 of third reading today). The daily porton with annotations makes it a lot more interesting and deeper.
(pic unrelated)
bd08adae No.3745279
>>3742171Quite understandable Pepy was considered a intellectual by his peers, worked for the King and was a Naval administrator and member of Parliament (upper house , not amongst the riffraff PLEBS)
Its like reading the Songs sung from the Angles themselves.
bddbab25 No.3747089
If the villainy of people arouses indignation and insurmountable grief in you, to the point that you desire to revenge yourself upon the villains, fear that feeling most of all; go at once and seek torments for yourself, as if you yourself were guilty of their villainy. Take these torments upon yourself and suffer them, and your heart will be eased, and you will understand that you, too, are guilty, for you might have shone to the villains, even like the only sinless One, but you did not. If you had shone, your light would have lighted the way for others, and the one who did villainy would perhaps not have done so in your light. And even if you do shine, but see that people are not saved even with your light, remain steadfast, and do not doubt the power of the heavenly light; believe that if they are not saved now, they will be saved later. And if they are not saved, their sons will be saved, for your light will not die, even when you are dead. The righteous man departs, but his light remains. People are always saved after the death of him who saved them. The generation of men does not welcome its prophets and kills them, but men love their martyrs and venerate those they have tortured to death. Your work is for the whole, your deed is for the future. Never seek a reward, for great is your reward on earth without that: your spiritual joy, which only the righteous obtain. Nor should you fear the noble and powerful, but be wise and ever gracious. Know measure, know the time, learn these things. When you are alone, pray. Love to throw yourself down on the earth and kiss it. Kiss the earth and love it, tirelessly, insatiably, love all men, love all things, seek this rapture and ecstasy. Water the earth with the tears of your joy, and love those tears. Do not be ashamed of this ecstasy, treasure it, for it is a gift from God, a great gift, and it is not given to many, but to those who are chosen.
- Excerpt from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
8832ba96 No.3749044
https://www.drasahershoff.com/will-you-reincarnate/https://medium.com/@TheLoyalRevolter/the-ultimate-cycle-b0bd4ed92d95The cycle of life and death, a never-ending dance
From the first breath of birth, to the last fleeting chance
The journey begins, with innocence and grace
As we open our eyes, to a brand new place
We learn and grow, with each passing day
Filled with wonder, as we find our way
The world is vast, and full of surprise
As we reach for the stars, and reach for the skies
But as we age, we start to see
The fragility of life, the uncertainty
We realize that death is always near
And though we may fear, it is something we must face
For in death, there is rebirth
A new beginning, a new path
The cycle continues, without end
A never-ending dance, of life and death
So let us cherish, each precious day
For it may be our last, in this mortal fray
And when our time comes, let us go with grace
For in death, we find eternal peace, in this infinite space.
The cycle of life and death, a never-ending tale
A story woven, in the fabric of the veil
From the first cry of a newborn’s breath
To the last whisper, in the still of death
We enter this world, with eyes wide and pure
A blank canvas, for life to pour
Each day a new brushstroke, a new hue
As we paint the picture, of all that we’ll pursue
But as we grow, we learn of the end
The finality of death, the bitter blend
We see the leaves fall, and the flowers wilt
And we wonder, at the purpose and the guilt
But death is not the end, it’s just a change
A transformation, in the cosmic range
For every death, is a seed of rebirth
A new beginning, in the cycle of Earth
So let us live each day, with open hearts
For the cycle of life and death, never departs
Let us embrace the journey, with grace and pride
For in death, we are reunited, with the cosmic tide
As we spiral in the cycle, of birth and decay
Let us find solace, in the eternal way
For in death, we are not gone, but simply free
To continue our journey, in eternity.
639b54f9 No.3750758
Has anyone ever read anything wrote by Reza Negarestani?
I have a copy of Cyclonopedia I bought after someone on Twitter was pointing a gun at it and saying "YOU DID THIS, DIDN'T YOU??" during 2020. Years later and I haven't cracked it open yet.
a01e7cfd No.3753425
>>3753279It pisses me off more when they use "your" instead of "you're" (ie. "your stupid") or "ys" instead of "ies" (ie. furrys/furries, strawberrys/strawberries).
This is stuff you're supposed to know after kindergarten/elementary school.
a5a19e08 No.3753438
>>3753425I was a college freshman before I knew the difference between "effect" and "affect."
What bugs me is those who misuse to, too and two.
bddbab25 No.3753449
>>3753279"Literally" gets shoehorned for so many adverbs nowadays, it's ridiculous. Another to add that that list is "simply".
Nope:
I'm not buying your mental gymnastics rationalization. He literally doesn't know the meaning of "bear arms" in the constitutional context.
This instead:
I'm not buying your mental gymnastics rationalization. He simply doesn't know the meaning of "bear arms" in the constitutional context.
>>3753425>>3753438Confusing "then" and "than". Top cringe.
eb2b92b8 No.3764298
Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature,
An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature;
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.
I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations,
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.
A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents;
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.
O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.
9ba70965 No.3764478
Is it true that using an ellipsis is a passive-aggressive attack on zoomers? Should it be banned or…
65154350 No.3764481
>>3753972Interesting. Been doing the left-edge deletion thing without knowing what it's called. I knew it wasn't proper English, but it's more efficient.
>>3764298Nice cat poem.
>>3764478Didn't know this was a thing…
65154350 No.3765677
Being Visited
One morning not long ago I woke up with the memory of my father richly pulsating inside my cranium. For a shining moment my dreaming mind seemed to have brought him back to life in the most vivid fashion, even though “he” had had to float in the rarefied medium of my brain’s stage. It felt, nonetheless, like he was really back again for a short while, and then, sadly, all at once he just went poof. How is this bittersweet kind of experience, so familiar to every adult human being, to be understood? What degree of reality do these software beings that inhabit us have? Why did I put “he” in quotation marks, a few lines up? Why the caution, why
the hedging?
What is really going on when you dream or think more than fleetingly about someone you love (whether that person died many years ago or is right now on the other end of a phone conversation with you)? In the terminology of this book, there is no ambiguity about what is going on. The symbol for that person has been activated inside your skull, lurched out of dormancy, as surely as if it had an icon that someone had double-clicked. And the moment this happens, much as with a game that has opened up on your screen, your mind starts acting differently from how it acts in a “normal” context. You have allowed yourself to be invaded by an “alien universal being”, and to some extent the alien takes charge inside your skull, starts pushing things around in its own fashion, making words, ideas, memories, and associations bubble up inside your brain that ordinarily would not do so. The activation of the symbol for the loved person swivels into action whole sets of coordinated tendencies that represent that person’s cherished style, their idiosyncratic way of being embedded in the world and looking out at it. As a consequence, during this visitation of your cranium, you will surprise yourself by coming out with different jokes from those you would normally make, seeing things in a different emotional light, making different value judgments, and so forth.
[cont.]
65154350 No.3765678
[cont.]
But the crux of the matter for us right now is the following question: Is your symbol for another person actually an “I”? Can that symbol have inner experiences? Or is it as unalive as is your symbol for a stick or a stone or a playground swing? I chose the example of a playground swing for a reason. The moment I suggest it to you, no matter what playground you have located it in, no matter what you imagine its seat to be made of, no matter how high you imagine the bar it is dangling from, you can see it swinging back and forth, wiggling slightly in that funny way that swings wiggle, losing energy unless pushed, and you can also hear its softly clinking chains. Though no one would call the swing itself alive, there is no doubt that its mental proxy is dancing in the seething substrate of your brain. After all, that is what a brain is made for — to be a stage for the dance of active symbols.
If you seriously believe, as I do and have been asserting for most of this book, that concepts are active symbols in a brain, and if furthermore you seriously believe that people, no less than objects, are represented by symbols in the brain (in other words, that each person that one knows is internally mirrored by a concept, albeit a very complicated one, in one’s brain), and if lastly you seriously believe that a self is also a concept, just an even more complicated one (namely, an “I”, a “personal gemma”, a rock-solid “marble”), then it is a necessary and unavoidable consequence of this set of beliefs that your brain is inhabited to varying extents by other I’s, other souls, the extent of each one depending on the degree to which you faithfully represent, and resonate with, the individual in question. I include the proviso “and resonate with” because one can’t just slip into any old soul, no more than one can slip into any old piece of clothing; some souls and some suits simply “fit” better than others do.
[Excerpt from I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter.]
8832ba96 No.3765679
>>3755089A Mouse Reading “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese”
Introduction
Once upon a time in a cozy little burrow beneath an old oak tree, there lived a curious mouse named Mortimer. Mortimer was not just any ordinary mouse; he had an insatiable love for reading. His favorite pastime was to explore the world of books, and one day, he stumbled upon a peculiar title: “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese.” Intrigued by the name, Mortimer decided it was time to dive into this new adventure.
The Discovery
As Mortimer opened the book, he was greeted by vibrant illustrations of various cheeses from around the world. Each page turned revealed a new type of cheese, accompanied by delightful stories about its origins and unique characteristics. There were creamy Brie from France, sharp Cheddar from England, and even exotic varieties like Roquefort and Gouda. The book promised not only to educate but also to entertain with whimsical tales about each cheese’s journey from farm to table.
The Journey Begins
Mortimer found himself whisked away on a journey through the pages. He imagined himself as a brave explorer traveling through lush green fields where cows grazed peacefully, producing milk for the finest cheeses. With every story he read, he could almost taste the flavors described—rich and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano or tangy blue cheese that crumbled perfectly over salads.
As he read about the different cheesemakers who crafted these delicious treats, Mortimer learned about their dedication and passion. He admired how they used traditional methods passed down through generations to create their masterpieces. Inspired by their stories, Mortimer began to dream of becoming a cheese connoisseur himself.
8832ba96 No.3765680
A Culinary Challenge
One day while reading about a famous cheese festival in his favorite book, Mortimer felt a spark of inspiration. The festival featured competitions for the best cheese dishes made by local chefs. Determined to participate, Mortimer decided he would create his own special dish using his newfound knowledge from “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese.”
He gathered ingredients from his surroundings: fresh herbs from the garden above ground and nuts that fell from nearby trees. With great care and creativity, Mortimer concocted a delightful cheese platter featuring tiny morsels of various cheeses paired with fruits and nuts—a true homage to what he had learned.
The Festival Day
On the day of the festival, Mortimer nervously set up his booth among other talented chefs. As mice gathered around to sample his creation, they were enchanted by the flavors and presentation. The combination of textures and tastes delighted everyone who tried it.
To his surprise, Mortimer won first prize! The judges praised him for his creativity and understanding of cheese pairings. Overjoyed with his success, he realized that reading “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese” had not only expanded his knowledge but also ignited his passion for culinary arts.
Conclusion
From that day forward, Mortimer continued to read voraciously about food and cooking while experimenting with different recipes inspired by what he learned in books like “Fifty Whiskers of Cheese.” His love for literature transformed into a love for gastronomy as he shared his creations with friends in their cozy little burrow under the oak tree.
In this way, Mortimer discovered that books could open doors to new worlds—worlds filled with flavor, creativity, and endless possibilities.
48c9d49b No.3770995
>>3770994> killed himselfYou have been misinformed. Mr Hitler retired to South America with his wife, Eva. You should stop believing Soviet propaganda.
8f6b2237 No.3771053
>>3770994>the war he startedHow many Germans should he have allowed to be killed before acting? What's the magic number before you're allowed to intervene?
