Of Being Numerous

Recently I've been thinking of the things I grew up on. The Simpsons; Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; Super Nintendo (Super Mario Brothers; Madden; Zelda; Duck Hunter—in Chris Weibel's basement—with his dog Cosby—a black lab who died).

A Note On Procedure

Text for the dated entries of this blog was generated, daily, from the following sources & according to the following procedures:

1. George Oppen's 1968 poem Of Being Numerous
(1 line, from one of the 40 sections, generated randomly)

2a. Videos Being Watched Right Now, You Tube
(Most recent comment, at moment of viewing)

2b. The 12 Principles of Permaculture
(1 line from one of the 12 entries on the principles, generated randomly)

3. Various News Articles (news + content search, through google: "news" + "military" + "drones"; "news" + "climate change"; etc.)
(1 line, from selected article, generated randomly)

4. www.chatroulette.com (text chatted by various partners)

Lines were pulled from the sources according to a randomized sequence (new each day), until all four sources had been exhausted. Each entry therefore has at least one youtube comment, one Oppen quote, one news-text, and one chat, though some have more than one of each; the last line of each entry always represents the final voice in that day's sequence to be represented.

Image Key

4.3

a. Ovens at Buchenwald concentration camp (Germany).
b. Shadow from person incinerated by US atomic bomb (Hiroshima, Japan).
c. Casualty from US drone strike (Bala Baluk, Afghanistan).

4.4

a. Screenshot from Legend of Zelda (Super NES).

4.5

a. Time lapse photo of the Aral Sea (Kazakhstan/Karakalpakstan).
b. Taylor Swift (American pop-star).
c. Jonas Zoninsein (Professor of Economics).

4.6

a. MQ-1 Predator Drone (US Air Force / General Atomics).

4.12

a. Aral Sea (Kazakhstan/Karakalpakstan).

4.13

a. Profile picture for user on sex site (as advertised through chatroulette)
b. A large diamond.
c. De Beer's mine (South Africa?).

4.14

a. Twin Towers (New York City, NY).
b. Barry Sanders (at Ford Field, Detroit, MI).

4.15

a. Screenshot, 1988 Heisman Trophy ceremony broadcast.

4.16

a. This image represents the three core ethics and twelve core principles of permaculture.

4.19

a. A poster. Look in the middle of the poster!

4.20

a. Barry Sanders.
b. Screenshot from chatroulette.

4.22

a. Email attachment (courtesy of Rob and Kisha Schlegel).
b. Email attachment (courtesy of Rob and Kisha Schlegel).
c. Email attachment (courtesy of Rob and Kisha Schlegel).
d. Screenshot from chatroulette.

4.23

a. George Oppen.
b. Jenna Jameson.
c. Children watching television.
d. Robert Creeley's gravestone (carved by Brooke Roberts, my dad).
e. Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia
f. My mom, before she had me.
g. Me.
h. Casualty from US drone strike (Bala Baluk, Afghanistan).
i. Profile picture for user on sex site (as advertised through chatroulette).
j. Advertisement (USA).
k. The 1950s.
l. Heaven.
m. Young boy (Afghanistan).
n. Shadow from person incinerated by US atomic bomb (Hiroshima, Japan).
o. The figure on the sailboat is George Oppen.
p. Text taken from Anne Carson's Nox; photo taken in my old living room (Iowa City, IA).

4.24

a. Wooden cross (unknown location).

4.25

a. Profile picture for user on sex site advertised on chatroulette.
b. Screenshot from The Matrix.
c. Screenshot from Avatar.
d. Image of unknown origin.

4.26

a. SNES screenshot (Madden '95? EA Sports.)

4.27

a. Crude oil rig (location unknown).

4.28

a. Mother (Iraq).

4.30

a. US Soldiers in Kunar, Afghanistan (left to right: Specialist Pierre 'Huckleberry' Perry Jr., 23, of Columbus, GA; Specialist Jesus 'Doc' Sanchez, 37, of Mesa, AZ; Senior Airman (USAF) Greg K. Moulton, 23, of Lyon, France; Specialist Keith 'Spoon' Bailey Jr., 23, of Barbourville, KY).

Of Being Numerous

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in debt to the following: