Reason, Grocery Stores, and Flying Islands

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Terrans, just writing right quick to let you know a couple things that’ve been going on. Here on the website, there have been a few changes. For one, I improved upon my bit on good arguments:

True claims and good logic. Done. If an argument has that, then it's gravy. But it’s not always clear when an argument does, in fact, have the truth-and-logic goods. How do you know if it's got the goods? (more: here)

Also, of course I added a link to Amazon. Shopping from that link helps out around here which is huge because regardless of how wealthy I am in other realms, let's face it, most grocery stores don’t accept our realm's currency (elvin tea), so when I’m here on earth, things can get awkward. (Oh, I have stories.)

More importantly I am about 13 pages away from finishing Libertarian Anarchy by the gentleman scholar Gerard Casey. This is particularly fun because I was asked by a new twitter follower, Joshua Rasmussen (follow him!), if I intended to write a review of the book. Now, I may not be as adept at such things as the Bradley Birzer (who recently reviewed him some Tolkien here), but I’ve given this book a great deal of attention over the year, so yes, I think something is in the works.

Finally, about that flying island… You may recall that I took a Twitter poll asking you guys what I should do about it. The consensus was to investigate carefully, but as I recall, a close second was to blow it up. So, I came prepared for both. But when our small crew arrived, it was totally gone! I have no explanation for this! I did get a few crazy looks my friends when it wasn’t there. But I promise it was real, and I wasn’t the only one to see it before it disappeared or whatever. (I mean there is no trace!) So I suspect or rather I wouldn’t be too surprised if this wasn’t the end of the story. (I mean, maybe it moved? If so, how fast did the thing go?!? and how far? It’s not like we didn’t look around! Anyway.)

There is more to share, but I’ll have to leave it there. For example, Elderbard Night was great. Wise and charming. The guy could’ve been Santa Claus’s cousin or something. I truly feel better (and improved?) for attending. But it’s getting late here. Later terrans.

-Pen
Ti 2, 7382

To the Good!

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Happy Bard day. Well. That’s kinda what it is round here. Officially, according to the reckoning of my youth, the weekday is Ti, but I like Bard Day. Maybe that’s what I’ll call it. Let me explain.

Over here, after sundown, the elder bard occasionally performs. He’s elder in both years and prominence, and once in awhile (but always on the same day) he works his craft. When he does, he brings the goods. Stories, instruments, and beautiful languages, spanning from across the many worlds we have traveled together. A few of the languages in his repertoire still elude me, but then, I get to hear the beauty of the music by itself, and when the lyrics are explained, I love it all over again. Simple idioms taken for granted by their peoples can be so mind-blowing beautiful. Especially the elves. Snobs for sure, some of them, but with music like that, the slip into snobbery could be easy.

Sometimes the elder bard's songs are spiritually revitalizing. Sometimes they are particularly profound, not just in their truth but in the places they take you to explore. Still other times they’re simply playful and whimsical and the best part is the children laughing and singing along. I like the Fuppy one. (Fuppies are what I call the simple play pets of local fairies.) (Non-terrans don’t really get the joke, but it stuck anyway.)

One walks away from the elder bard experience encouraged, cheered, enriched, edified, humored, dazzled… entertained. And the music comes from the heart of a truly wise man. Somehow, it’s like his wisdom adds flavor to the words as he sings. (Bards take note.)

Now I say he is wise, and I say that heartily despite the fact that he is not open to free-will. (I know right!) Someone talked him out of it long before we met. Now, that domino stuff is nonsense, but he more than makes up for it… You know, it’s actually fun that his favorites among the songs he’s collected assume free-will! He appreciates them regardless, and good for him. That's how it should be. In art we try to enjoy the good regardless of the rest. Same goes with people, I suppose. Otherwise, we rob ourselves.

Eh, this is getting mushy or something. Look, I was excited for tonight. I even considered live-tweeting it for you all, but that would probably involve some seriously extended portalry, and you know how I feel about that (or have I mentioned it?). Anyway, it’s just as well. I just finished a huge addition to a longstanding project West of Naptown, so figuring out that portal stuff would be way too much work today. Instead, I’m chipping away at the ol’ Libertarian Anarchy book. Casey’s talking about “conditions for the emergence of law” or something, and I’m not sure I’ll completely agree, but there’s plenty to appreciate.

To the good,

Pen
Ti Bardday 77, 7381

Good Mothers

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Hello dear Terrans. I hope the conditions on your world continue to improve despite the best efforts of politicians. I haven't been over much recently. Exploring the realm over here takes much longer than I originally thought. It's huge! Miagi did good. Anyway, there is news since I wrote last, and this story won't leave me alone. So, naturally, I am foisting it upon you as well.

It's not about a dragon that I may or may not have accidentally trapped underground. It's not about culture clash between elves and dwarves. It's something more down to earth. I met a man who was expecting a baby. None of that terran nonsense, no. A real biological man, so I suppose his woman does most of the “expecting”. Anyway we met, talked, and I extended my best wishes, but when I made to go, he asked me for parental advice! I wasn't sure what to say. Nothing came to mind until after the fact (of course!). So, I thought I’d share a few of them suggestions with you all for practice.

The first thing to come to mind was the importance of a good woman. Growing up, the ol' man was gone, maybe dead, since before I can remember. For many years, the family lived deep in a labyrinthine cavern. (It had once been a refuge from the seafolk that raided the area and abducted people.) We were there so long that my earliest memory of open daylight is as a young man. I mention all that to say that we would not have survived without her fortitude.

A good strong mother is important. So, I'd ask myself: “Can the woman can be happy with less, or is she was the type of wench to put comforts before kids?” And: “Should I get slain or abducted by pirates, would the little ones go without? Would they have to endure a mother soured at her lesser situation, or would she show grace under fire and be their heroine?” Wenches ruin everything, their own houses, their man's work, and they rob their boys of an example of qualities to look for when they grow up. No wenches. Heroines.

Hey, I’m sorry. I just going I know, but I have to wrap this up! Gryph and I flew further than planned, and it is cold cold cold. I have to tend to that fire, so let me just add that probably most men have already chosen their mate, so what can be done in their case? Well, that's why I like how, often, terrans will use the same the word for married man that they do for vineyard man: husband. A man can’t make his mate grow in womanhood anymore than he can force the grapes to grow in grapehood, but in both cases, he isn’t exactly helpless either. Also, when there's truly nothing to do but pray, that seems to work sometimes too.

I hate to cut it off there, but it's cold. Got to go. More later perhaps.

-Pen
58 Ar 7381

A Bit of Poetry

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Dear Terrans, I was working on a letter, but this kind of took over my efforts, so here it is.

Blessed Hearts

It’s a dangerous weather tell
That gets louder and strong:
When local men get it right,
But the man gets it wrong
And bullies the people
Into “radicals”
That court Common Sense.
It can give a man thoughts:

“Bless their hearts
Inflamed by wrongs.
I'll cheer them on heartily
But from out of their throng.
It’s costing me nothing
To tell them all ‘No'.
I'll live for my family
Not die for their goals.”

Yet association
Brought “guilt” readily.
Suspicion occasioned
At but a chance meet.
His loyalty met
The crooked guards’
Authoritarian violence
And inhumane hearts.

His blessed heart,
Inflamed by wrongs,
Now associates heartily,
Far away from the throne.
It's costing him nothing
And his glad goodbye,
Shames all the abusers
Of the peace that he tried.

-Pen
81 Ar 7380

Inalienable

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Greeting Terrans. It’s been a long minute. I see I missed updates on the slap heard round the world. (Rock Smith.) On the one hand, I am glad. The whole story feels like being stuck between gossipy brats at chow. On the other hand, it seems like quite a test case for differences about getting along, violence, and reconciliation and such. So, I’m not sure how I feel about missing out on the updates.

Back to the first hand, I got troubles of my own. My gryphon is sick, and some enchantress seems to be attempting to drain me of energy. She clearly doesn’t know how much coffee I drink. Recently, I also got a tour of the menagerie, but frankly, I got the impression they were hiding a lot. To what end?

So, the Casey book and I didn’t get a great deal of time. But there is still an update there. I was struck by Casey’s mention that he believes free people can bind themselves. This makes sense to me, but it occurred to me that it does seem to go against the idea of inalienable rights entertained by American terrans. So which way?

Personally, I’ve seen people who’ve chosen slavery for the relief of their debts (and to avoid the public disgrace). I’ve also seen people abducted by their creditors. I can’t abide the latter. But, as for the former scenario… I mean… if they want to, you know? Why not, right? It was even rumored that, long ago, one slave had been king in his own country! Life there was so severe that he chose life as a foreign rich man’s slave instead! Frankly, I wouldn’t have made that call, but he was happy with it. I can imagine the interview:

“So we have one position open. It is 24/7, and you’d have to forsake all legal recourse as a free man, but the position typically comes with those provisions becoming one of my servants, and you don’t have to live in perpetual squalor under the sword of Damocles.”

“Shut up and take my freedom!”

Probably he was hiding from an enemy. But I like my version better.

The question is: what if he wasn’t happy with the arrangement later? One is usually obligated to keep their word, but it could be argued that such an obligation is merely moral, not necessarily legal, not a matter of justice. So, what? Would the royal slave just owe the rich man whatever the material equivalent of whatever his on-going labor would be? Must he re-bargain for his liberty? I’m not sure. One guy says a person has the ability to bind themselves. Another says no. I’m inclined to agree with the first, but the second idea is attractive. I’ll have to think more on this.

Oh, I wanted to mention I collected them little coffee poems and made them into a little ebook. It’s cute. Feel free to check it out. It's around here somewhere.

Well, fare well Terrans.

-Pen
73 Hon 7380