MAXWELL THAT ENDS WELL

"Never on the Internet have so few worked so hard to bring you so much in so little time." -Ancient proverb

Why are we here? Scientists say we aren't here for any reason at all; they're a little stupid in this regard. Over the course of my lifetime, I will try to explain why. Excerpts of the explanation are contained within.

Name's Mel. I might talk about my filmmaking and film criticism here, but I have a Letterboxd if you just want to hear that. If you want my inquiries into books, history, politics, and art more broadly--this is the place.

This website is under construction as I learn HTML, CSS, and all the little digital language-tools that make website-building possible. My eventual goal is to build a blog from the ground-up that's aesthetically pleasing to look at, but that's a ways away. Expect trial and error, it's what makes us human.

Axioms

• All things demand your respect as conscious, intelligent entities.
• Great art seeks to derive beauty from the meme-body of aesthetics and insight from the meme-body of knowledge; aesthetic-sense and knowledge-sense do not, individually, good art make.
• Knowledge is a collaborative process between conscious beings; any pedagogy that goes against this is trying to sell you something.
• Corollary to the previous two axioms, it is imperative to the development of humanity that one immerses themselves in pure art and language whenever possible; collaborating in knowledge with great thinkers is critical to fostering great thought.
• The medium of film tends towards realism and rejects artifice over time; embracing artifice, therefore, is the essence of film counterculture.
• Advertisement is propaganda designed to breed passivity to consumerism, which in turn breeds passivity to fascism. Avoid advertising in the home as much as possible. If you encounter advertising in public or elsewhere, critically analyze the ideas presented to you and resist by affirming your own beliefs; this neutralizes the thought-danger and strengthens intuition.
• Consciousness is malleable and infinite. The capacity of any human mind for growth is infinite, no matter how ill-equipped or unintelligent one may feel; one need only find the passion and the right tools to develop themselves.
• Caution yourself against the fear of reprisal; it is an annihilating fear.
• There is a physical self, a metaphysical self, and a digital self. All exist alongside one another, none take presedence over the other. Mastery of all three is key to understanding and annihilating fascism.
• We have awareness that causes us pain and desire that gives us delusions; learning give us the knowledge, understanding, and caution to fulfill our desire without giving into delusion, feel the fullness of our awareness while minimizing its inherent pains. Learning, therefore, allows us to walk the middle path between awareness and desire and achieve wisdom.
• Cleaning removes accumulated dirt and debris from surfaces which have been used by you and your community members; having a community worth cleaning for is key to fostering a mindset where cleaning is an act of love.
• Corrolary to the previous axiom, it is instructive to conceptualize cleaning as adding layers of cleanliness, rather than removing layers of uncleanliness. You have more control over your environment than any dust, hair, or dirt.
• Keep your energy low in the morning and escalate it throughout the day; this will allow you to sustain your focus and resist anxiety.
• Corrolary to the previous axiom, it is wise not to consume stimulating substances such as caffeine in the early morning or evening. They should be used as an accompaniment to study or work in the afternoon to enhance your energy and focus.
• Psychoactive substances should be used in manageable doses to enhance study, engagement with art, interactions with close friends, or any other pleasurable activity. A large dose is sometimes desirable if one wishes to embark on a metaphysical journey that eases and expands the mind, but this should be done in as ideally comfortable an environment as possible with many close friends in vicinity. It is unwise to take large doses if you expect to be in an environment with copious advertising, displeasurable symbols, or uncaring people.