Re: virus: Swollen Ranks

Dave Pape (davepape@dial.pipex.com)
Mon, 01 Mar 1999 22:32:28 -0800

At 19:29 28/02/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Dave Pape wrote:
>
>>My problem with L3 is that it always seems to be about (lost my copy of
>>VotM, so can't check up) an enlightened person somehow in control of their
>>ideas, mastering the memes which control the mind of the level 2
>>individual. If that's what it's about then the concept's COMPLETE arse
>>dribble.
>
>Heh, you said 'arse dribble'.

Hard to deny. My mate Phil invented it to describe my vegetarian cooking.

>Anyway, is it possible to be in Level 3
>against your own will?

Well, I'm the No Free Will Man. So I reckon you don't ever reach the state that Rich B describes as L3 by an act of free will anyway.

>It's obvious that Richard and KMO have expressed
>their faith in the Level System, and I don't know about Tim, but Reed
>himself told me he doesn't care for it much at all.

This feels like proper skullduggery, shame everyone can hear. Can we set up a kind of sinister and dingy sub-list in the cellars underneath Virus?

>>Interesting that the level 3 people are the obviously most senior apes in
>>the troupe: does level 3 bring with it special headgear of pomp, by any
>>chance? When you reach level 3 can you post to JOM EMIT and not get the
>>piss taken out of you?
>
>Does it have to be a 'camp' thing though, as in us against them?

Sssssssslightly. Partially. I mean, it's definitely there, though I'm sure if Tim Rhodes EG learns the complex and dry songs of JOM EMIT and sings them consistently for a while, he will be initiated.

>I don't
>believe anything is black-and-white but more like one giant, overlapping
>metaphorical gray area.

Oh yeh, I'm right with you on that one. Listen, I'll post some of my "lots of culture is really about status" stuff when I've even half got it thought out, then... well, at least it might explain my apparent obsession with list hierarchy.

>Not entirely sure what the epitome of the Level
>business is

Yeh, I'm quite rusty cos as I say I can't refer back to my VotM. Maybe we should let the whole issue sort of fade from our minds.

>And speaking of a CoV Calendar, don't forget a day of reverence for Star
>Trek. That's right- I've got you and your sci-fi fetish pegged, you
>shameless bunch o' Trekkies.

Not me man, until recently I thought Patrick thingy played the same character as William Shatner. Simultaneously, in fact.

>wondering which month Brodie will be on the pin-up calendar,

Maybe the year should just have the 4 months, cos we've only got 4 people in level 3.