A Fleamsy Manifesto and Funny Cats

The Fleams Manifesto has been succinctly summarised (by Liz) as : If someone is being a bit grumpy, or just generally a nob, they should be required to watch funny cat videos.  That is the theory of Fleams summed up in a sentence, but there is a vast background argument supporting this.

I am just finishing Vol. 2 of The Lord of The Rings, and will then be slowly carrying on with Vol. 3.  I am enjoying reading them, but, knowing of them beforehand, I am also comparing what they are to what I thought they were.  I have found myself surprised at the pleasure I have had from parts of them, especially Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, Elrond, and Treebeard.  I love those mystical passages of the story.  It has made me realise why the books were so popular and influential.

After a trying couple of weeks here at Aimo's House, I have decided to stop hankering after The Land of Cockayne, with its promise of effortless ease, and concentrate a bit harder on real life.  Tolkien presents a true picture of real life; it  is a mixture of struggle, endurance, fate and unexpected pleasures.  To be searching for Cockayne is to be constantly dissatisfied.  As The Buddha says "Life's shite, get over it".  Paganism, as I define it, says "Life's shit sometimes.  Life's great sometimes.  Life rocks, because the alternative is non-existence".

Thanks Tolkien for reminding me of this truth.  That is why making art, fiction, escapism and eye-candy are valid jobs.  They strip away the lies The Man tries to confuse us with, and make us remember what is real life.  So, onward pagan soldiers!  Fight when you need to fight, endure when you can't fight, and have some fun when you can.  Life's too short not to watch funny cat videos.