Hivemind Times Issue #93

Welcome To The Hivemind Times!

Happy fucking issue 93 my dogs. Graydon here writing from my hot ass living room, you’d think I was in France. Global warming aside, welcome to your favorite newsletter. 

A long awaited main channel video surfaced yesterday. If you somehow miss Hyperpop Bracket please go check it out, Riley busted ass getting that out to you ungrateful lot. Just playing. 

Anyway suck up these juicy tunes and strange columns from the most disturbed souls online. Enjoy your weekend, watch some soccer and stay hydrated or whatever. A fire How did It Age episode is coming on Sunday that couldn’t be anymore timely with this heat. One love.

- Graydon

WEEKLY PLAYLIST

Ten songs from Graydon that lean obscure, weird, outsider, freak fest type shit. IF YOU’RE HAVING A BAD TRIP PLEASE DON”T LISTEN!!!!!@!@#@$

THE LATEST JOURNAL FROM SHVINGI INGËBÖRKSEN

Masc Energy as Misdirection

I went to a conference last year where we heard tips from older professionals, then spent a few days doing mock exercises to put these lessons into practice.

Much talk was about “different styles” or finding “your voice”. Sure, sure. Still, it’s true that approaches differ dramatically. One stood out from the rest. In the initial workshop, two of the exemplars were late 40s white men, totally bald, with low pitched voices and torsos bursting out of navy suits.

Both gave a forceful, some might say “commanding” demonstration that at first blush I found impressive.

After some more time to contemplate, I am just not sure what value this brings to the table.

What value does force, or aggression, bring to non-physical pursuits? Maybe some of this energy is required for competitive endeavors, like maybe chess? Or being a good sports agent? 

This approach might work for a basketball coach, for example, for some time. But if the coach can’t draw up any plays, he’s revealed as a fraud and the rah rah shit will fall flat.

What it seems to do is give (mainly) high T men an opportunity to prepare less and rely on sheer force of will to climb the ladder. They do not need to know the facts as well, or engage in collaboration. Most people when presented with an opportunity to do less work will take that path. Their personality comes with a built in defensive strategy to combat challenges on the substance. Raise vocal tone, use physical statute to intimidate, and/or gaslight their opponent.

This has played out in my experience. In general, softer spoken people higher on the agreeableness scale are better prepared than blustering, red faced goons. And this seems objectively bad? Have you ever noticed that these people lean heavily on their underlings, and are (often self-described) “high level” thinkers that are uninterested in getting into the micro plane? Why? The micro plane is more difficult, or at least requires more time to engage with.  What are the upsides to these people advancing in their careers? Certainly in any truth-seeking field, zero?

I guess maybe that an aggressive, demanding person has the potential to drive others to greater success? One needs to overcompensate when engaging with such a person to work harder, prepare more? Unknown.

This is not limited to the professional world. Our whole government is currently operating with this mindset. Deny deny deny and do not concede one inch.

Critics may say this energy is human, and should be not only acceptable but preferred to the “feminization” of Western men.

- Shvingi

*Critics may say that the woke twitter cultural policing of the 2010s-early 2020s is a prime example—ostracizing people anonymously who say the wrong thing rather than confronting them face-to-face. We see the inverse trend playing out (sort of) with live debate videos on social media where a fast-talking host with a bit of information “owns” stupid laymen with strong opinions. 

Note that there’s some small irony here is that “ostracize” comes from Greek, and Greek society was decidedly and absolutely pro-man; women had no real legal rights. So this whole Bronze age man thing smells of nonsubstantive misogyny colored by much more specific (and new) Christian gender dynamics rather than some inherent human nature.

WHO IS WINNING THE WORLD CUP?

ROZEY HAPPY

Poverty and silence devour me. Every memory is a lash. Her forgiving eyes, the warmth of her hand I brushed away. God turns away. There is no resurrection, no redemption for such a wretched creature like me. Only eternal regret, gnawing until nothing human remains. She will never return.

I am already buried In this dim corner of my rented coffin of a room, my soul has died. She was my only mercy in this foul Los Angeles swamp. her gentle voice, the single thread holding me above the abyss. I destroyed it all. With cruel words born of fevered jealousy and self loathing. Hours bleed into days, or perhaps it is still the same endless night.

I pace the floor, four steps one way, four the other, her name rises to my lips and dies there, choked by the dust and shame. I reach out pleading for something, anything to save me from this self imposed damnation, there is only cold emptiness, thicker than fog, closing around my throat.

The world outside moves on in its indifferent state. Cars sputtering past, voices laughing in the distance while I remain trapped in this dim hovel of a home, conscious of every wasted second. No prayer brings relief. Only the certainty that I am damned by my own hand, condemned to feel the full weight of what I lost, suffocating slowly in knowing  that I once was real, and I proved myself unworthy. The darkness deepens and soon I will never be able to escape. Boiioioing!

- Rozey

POEM OF THE WEEK

D.A Powell (1963-)

cruel, cruel summer

either the postagestamp-bright inflorescence of wild mustard
or the drab tassel of prairie smoke, waving its dirty garments

either the low breeze through the cracked window
or houseflies and drawn blinds to spare us the calid sun

one day commands the next to lie down, to scatter:      we're done
with allegiance, devotion, the malicious idea of what's eternal

picture the terrain sunk, return of the inland sea, your spectacle
your metaphor, the scope of this twiggy dominion pulled under

crest and crest, wave and cloud, the thunder blast and burst of swells
this is the sum of us:      brief sneezeweed, brief yellow blaze put out

so little, your departure, one plunk upon the earth's surface,
one drop to bind the dust, a little mud, a field of mud

the swale gradually submerged, gradually forgotten
and that is all that is to be borne of your empirical trope:

first, a congregated light, the brilliance of a meadowland in bloom
and then the image must fail, as we must fail, as we

graceless creatures that we are, unmake and befoul our beds
don't tell me deluge.      don't tell me heat, too damned much heat

RECIPES

Mango Jalapeño Slaw

Ingredients:

• Green cabbage (1 medium or 1/2 large head)

• Carrots (2)

• Radishes (4)

• Mango (1)

• Jalapeño (1, deseeded if you prefer less spice)

• Fresh cilantro (1/3 bunch)

• Mayonnaise (1/3 cup)

• Juice of 1 lime

• Agave, honey, or sugar (2 tbsp)

• Salt (1 tsp)

• Black pepper (1 tsp)

• Cumin (1 tsp)

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice or shred the cabbage, carrots, and radishes. Dice the mango, mince the jalapeño, and chop the cilantro. Add everything to a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, sweetener, salt, black pepper, and cumin until smooth.

3. Pour the dressing over the slaw mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.

4. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

*Substitute parsley for cilantro if you have the soap gene.

- Graydon

NEW MERCH