@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

ParadeGrotesque

@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org

I wrestle penguins and spiky fishes for a living. Very cranky old *nix geek with a beard. You know the type. (now, get off my lawn!).

"I support transgender rights. Trans rights = human rights."

#nobridge

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

ParadeGrotesque, to random
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

The problem is this: whether you like it or not, you have an internal 'information loop' and people outside of your head can fill it with garbage.

So: do you really control your information loop, do you clean it up regularly, or do you delegate that task to somebody else?

Because the vast majority of people, me included, believe they are in control, while agreeing with complete garbage. And social networks, this one included, accelerate the dissemination of complete garbage.

(1/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

A lot of people believe propaganda is complex & difficult. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A simple message, repeated a thousand times, is enough to create information pollution. Propaganda, marketing & advertising are the application of this principle. And people like Bernays & Goebbels understood this in the 1920s.

Interestingly, it is extremely hard to cut yourself off from that information pollution. Try counting the advertisements you see while walking down the street.

(2/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

If you are like me, you will probably count dozens in a matter of minutes.

A simple message, repeated a thousand times. Why do you think some people are called "influencers"? Because that's what they do. They influence you.

Most people think they are immune to this because they know this. But you are not immune. When the time comes to choose this or that product, the advertisements, the influencers, will pop back in your mind.

(3/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Of course, the real issue here is not so much the "commercial" side of things, Coke versus Pepsi, etc.

The real issue are the political ones: Bernays and Goebbels methods have been used to sell us two world wars, that cigarettes are not linked to cancer, global warming is a myth, sugar is perfectly good for you, the economy grows when the stock market is doing well, etc... etc...

When you hear "stop the steal", or "drain the swamp" or even "vote as if democracy is on the line"...

(4/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

What you are really hearing is what "they" want you to hear, regardless of the veracity of the position itself.

And there is no need to build byzantine conspiracies arbor who "they" are: these companies are listed, they have names, and they do some serious business. Most "think tanks" and "political action committee" are just that: spin doctors that will massage a good message for you, and buy airtime for you to repeat the slogan one hundred thousand times before lunch.

(5/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

And here it is: whether you like it or not, you will be influenced by this message, you will be influenced by these people.

And the vast majority of medias are the same, because they are joined at the hip with the marketing and advertisement industries. And they are now industrial on a grand scale.

Medias need that advertising money, and so they bury the important information behind heaps of irrelevant drivel. And so, we are either misinformed or left in the dark.

(6/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Or, even worse, we are left feeling powerless, faced with a wall of TINA (There Is No Alternative) messaging.

There is no alternative to Biden.
There is no alternative to Trump.
There is no alternative to polluting cars.
There is no alternative to violence.

Powerlessness leads to resignation, or to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as over consumption. Because that one is (really) good for the people who are paying for the non stop advertisements.

(7/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Garbage in, garbage out.

Put garbage in your internal information loop, and you will end up exactly where we are right now.

Remove the garbage and you at least have a chance to regain your information footing. Read, watch and observe always with a critical eye. Practice mindfulness, in a very Buddhist way, observing without judgement and you may even have a chance to break free of the garbage.

Remember: it's all entertainment, all the time. Distracted people can be influenced.

(8/?)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

A simple test for this is the number of shiny stuff appearing on your screen. If you have a cluttered screen while watching "news", this is probably entertainment, and not really news.

If your news programme is constantly interrupted by advertisement, then you can bet that (a) you will not hear anything bad about those advertisers (they are the ones paying the bills of the newsroom, after all) and (b) your "news" is just another support for advertisement, and not the other way around...

(9/x)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Finally, look for sources that are not dominated by advertisements. They exist, but they are few & far between.

Remember to always cast a skeptical eye on things that are too close to catchy slogans. And that, here and elsewhere, you will be influenced against your will. Practice mindfulness. Clean up your information loop. Remember nuance, complexity, diversity and practice compassion.

Respect those that, thanklessly, tirelessly, try to provide the world with real information.

(10/10)

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Yes, this long(ish) thread should have been a blog post. I'm working on it.

And, yes, I should practice what I preach, which is why I am going to take a rather long vacation from the Fediverse and Mastodon.

Don't worry, dear readers, I'll pop up from time to time to post (or repost) silly stuff, or technical stuff, or even silly technical stuff, but the objective is to considerably diminish my activity here, at least for a while.

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

All information loops have a limit, and I am afraid I have reached mine. The good thing is, it seems the rest of the world is also waking up to the torrent of media BS, including the horrors in Gaza and elsewhere and the consequences of global warming.

Time for a deep spring cleaning and a better focus on things that truly matter to me.

And with this, I bid you all, not "Adieu" but "Au revoir".

Try to manage without me, and keep on being excellent to each other!

raerae, to random
@raerae@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Happy

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@raerae

He is the night. He is vengeance.

ParadeGrotesque, to random
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

I am not saying Bill Hicks was a genius and that he was right to say modern music needs way better drugs but...

Oh, f* that, Bill Hicks was a genius, and he was right to say modern music need way better drugs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iAu1mMWLFU

ParadeGrotesque, to random
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Most stupid headline of the year, courtesy of the Guardian:

"If Putin wins in Ukraine, the British economy will be in the firing line"

Mate, let me tell you that if Putin wins, your fooking economy is the least of your worries!!

What kind of absolute and utter B.S. is that? How about the thousands of people who will lose their lives?

Oh, I am sorry, they will go to the same ledger columns as the thousands of Palestinian lives being extinguished right now. You absolute d*ck.

LaurentChemla, to random French
@LaurentChemla@piaille.fr avatar

Première étape de la paella : faire revenir la queue du chat.

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@LaurentChemla

Bourreau des chats!

art, to random
@art@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

I still think that bittorrent is cool.

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@art

Don't we all?

ParadeGrotesque, to random
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

Ladies and Gentlepeople, please stand for the Fediverse official anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh3t49NsWBA

(I will never tire of this joke. EVER).

farah, to random
@farah@beige.party avatar

Frankly I don’t think billionaires will be very tasty. They’ve done shit ton of weird stuff. Their meat is probably rotten

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@farah

Fear not, there is always composting.

With enough billionaires (let's add a few multimillionaires in them) you will soon have a garden filled with beautiful flowers and vegetables that you can eat!

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@farah

https://mastodon.sdf.org/@ParadeGrotesque/112463109907085186

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

So, I went to this beautiful dairy yesterday, and when I got out of the car, one at a time about six dogs of various sizes and types come out to greet me. The last one was a little weiner dog, who just kept barking, and I was worried I was offending him in some way. The owner came out, and said, "Oh don't worry about that, he just loves attention, and belly rubs, but he doesn't know how to get them, so he just keeps barking, and scares people."
And sure enough the moment I crouched down, he stopped barking and rolled on his back for belly scratches. Anyway, I relate to this dog.

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@RickiTarr

Don't we all?

My emotional maturity is about the same as that little dog, to be honest.

cstross, to random
@cstross@wandering.shop avatar

New blog entry: Harmless Fun! https://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2024/05/harmless-fun.html

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@cstross

Finally, some logical and well thought out explanation about Ayn Rand! Thank you! πŸ˜‚

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

It's so weird that we are all supposed to be ashamed for burping and farting. I deeply apologize to everyone for keeping my body from literally exploding, so uncouth.

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@RickiTarr

I have been known to indulge in these... "uncouth" practices as well.

As they say if the sound level matches the smell... It was time to let it out.

s_ramezani, to random
@s_ramezani@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

کسی Ω‡Ψ³Ψͺ Ω…Ω† Ψ±Ψ§ یاری Ϊ©Ω†Ψ―

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@s_ramezani

What seems to be the problem?

Ψ¨Ω‡ Ω†ΨΈΨ± Ω…ΫŒ Ψ±Ψ³Ψ― Ω…Ψ΄Ϊ©Ω„ Ϊ†ΫŒΨ³Ψͺ؟

davidpmaurer, to random
@davidpmaurer@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

it is equally impossible to prove that any god/goddess exists as it is to prove that the easter bunny doesn't.

ParadeGrotesque,
@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org avatar

@davidpmaurer

Heathen! Unbeliever in the Great Easter Rabbit! 🐰

🀣

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • β€’
  • megavids
  • thenastyranch
  • magazineikmin
  • InstantRegret
  • tacticalgear
  • Durango
  • Youngstown
  • khanakhh
  • slotface
  • ngwrru68w68
  • rosin
  • cubers
  • kavyap
  • DreamBathrooms
  • provamag3
  • everett
  • osvaldo12
  • GTA5RPClips
  • ethstaker
  • vwfavf
  • mdbf
  • tester
  • modclub
  • cisconetworking
  • anitta
  • Leos
  • normalnudes
  • JUstTest
  • All magazines
    •