April 2022 – Rural Tompkins County

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – Rise of the Evil Ones – “Form Based Codes with Tardigrades”

Nothing so exemplifies the modern “greater good” fiction as Form Based Codes. It expresses the “community’s vision” – as decided upon by authorities. It replaces neighborly conversations with authoritarian regulations. And it imposes an all-controlling “New Urbanism” Colonialism on the ignorant and unthankful rural communities. New Urbanism Planners replace debate with declarations and people with projections – turning communities into cages for an ordered future.

Their overarching principles are Efficiency, Authority, and Legality — Humanity has no place in their New Millennium mix. Form Based Codes channel Stalin and Mao in creating an invasive doctrine of order and force. It’s a planning so detailed — not even a Tardigrade could survive Transection.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “The Last Tardigrade” Poster

Playing the odds is never a sure thing. When my high school alumni posted a 50^th reunion – I was surprised that so many of my classmates were dead: that’s the reality behind the statistical façade. Human beings can only be fit into statistics as numbers, as units – but their reality is as human beings. The reality of life expectancy is that every last minute is important to someone; and no one is disposable on the altar of averages. For a government that has eschewed the teachings of every respected figure of human worth and equality – numbers don’t just represent people; numbers have replaced people. What’s the best way to beat the odds? Change the rules of the game: and bring back Humanity. What are the odds of that happening? Ask the last Tardigrade.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Cell Phone Deprivation Therapy” Poster

You can prove anything; provided your outlook is narrow enough. You can exclude anything provided your outlook is narrow enough. A limited access information highway leads only to extinction — that narrows down your choices.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Studies-to-Go” Advertisement

It’s an ill wind that doesn’t fill somebody’s sail – and boost the sales of those who take advantage of it. Today’s “replication crisis” landscape is just crying out for enterprising “landscapers” – Studies-to-Go isn’t the first — just the first to go public. It’s all happening in Cornithaca County.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Cornithaca Shop-mart Advertisement”

Buy in; Buy local – advertise it so it sounds good, and looks good, and people will pretend it’s true so they don’t have to do anything. If you can be convinced that cleaning trash off a beach makes any meaningful difference – in the shadow of a tsunami of ecological disaster – then you can buy hard soda and party on.

Our deteriorating earth is stripping away the thin layers of our ‘good intentions’ – like house paint under a sandblaster — and this 5G social media cleaning-the-beach awareness makes sticking your head in the sand seem in-depth.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Write a story” Pages #3

One writer’s garbage is another writer’s inspiration — and one picture can generate a landfill of language . . . or a single memory you can share.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Write a story” Pages #2

Who-done-it or what-is-it? – This write a story image means as much as you want it to.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Circle of Lies” Road signs

Excerpted from the satirical “Rabid Lemmings: The Musical” – these road signs evoke a state of mind that is not consistent with road safety; but is all too consistent with “I’m not taking my meds” drivers.

You’re not a victim; you’re a “complainant” – and if you persist: a “troublemaker.” Government has much more important things to worry about than people: policies.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Write a story” Pages

This book will also have “Write a story” pages: this page is one example where the reader is urged to “Write a story using as many of the elements on this page as you wish.” And how many time have we wished coming up with a story was this easy?

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Emerging Technologies” Bumper sticker

“Building the future of human existence on the vagaries of human nature.” With emerging technologies; there is no safety margin – because we don’t know what is safe. There is no remediation – because we may all be extinct. And there is no responsibility – because holding a scientific theory accountable is like enforcing an unsigned contract.

The safety of Emerging Technologies is not “an exact science” – it’s a gamble — and we’re putting more and more of our chips on the table.