The Cloven Hoof, Issue 98
The Cloven Hoof
Vol. XIV, #5 98th Issue
September/October XVII A. S.
Entire contents by Anton Szandor La Vey
Nonconformity always has its blessings. For example, those in the sixties and seventies who refused to conform to the standards of enforced sexual freedom may have avoided the great herpes pox of the eighties. Those who now refute religious zeal and obligatory piety will probably escape its brain-softening. preparation for zombiedom in the nineties.
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The purpose of social homogenization is to eliminate alienation. Then, any crices can be controlled as unified collective behavior, rather than individual unease.
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How seldom one hears, "Don't bother me--I have my own problems." Aside from health (and even that state is often collectively induced) and personal tragedy, most complaints one hears concern vast social and economic dilemmas-- issues which are irresolvable by the individual.
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Concurrent with an "I'm All Right" attitude is an unswerving belief on the part of the individual that he or she should always feel good. No pains or aches allowed. There are no simple exlanations for what- ever problem exists, it seems a person is never just tired or getting old; a complex medical evaluation is in order, which often leads to overconcern and, subsequent preoccupation--a very real curse in its own right. If one is broke, it's not simply lack of funds; it becomes a far-reaching forecast of an economic doomsday with no positive end conceivable. All the complexities we acquire relate directly to this age of specialization, whereby there are no plain old ordinary problems because there are no plain old ordinary people around, and if you don't believe me, just ask anyone--especially someone who appears to be very ordinary.
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The best means to lull someone into acceptance is to allow him to feel he is All Right. The rest will take care of itself. If a person can't be famous, it doesn't matter) as long as he thinks he's All Right. Being right is an acceptable substitute for personal achieve- ment. That's why the most pious are generally the least accomplished.
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Present tension in the Near East will be milked for all it's worth this coming holiday season; if the economy is shot and Xmas sales suffer, new focus can be placed on the "spiritual" side of the holiday. Then, the righteous can pray harder even though they lack the funds to buy more.
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Those who spend the most time in self-examination seldom find anything. And those who attempt to "find" themselves usually find someone else and pretend it's themselves.
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When someone recently asked me to cite some examples of occult music, I advised him to visit any large record shop, then find the category occupying the smallest section. So the guy does, and reports a few days later that it was under the heading of "Miscellaneous Nostalgia." He wound up purchasing two albums, one of Dorothy Lamour and the other, Sir Harry Lauder. He then asks me how he can employ them in ritual. I answer, "You already have. You did something, in combination, the uniqueness of which might never be duplicated" Of course, if others reading this run out and do the very same thing, the special magic of my student's act will be diluted.
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With Halloween approaching, the usual array of masks appears, some of which are incredibly detailed and likewise expensive. As makeup and special effects budgets in films soar, ensuing creations become more complex in their realism, so that it costs a lot more to be a monster than when you had your choice of Frankenstein's monster, old hag, vampire, devil, mummy, skull, wolf man, and little else. On the plus side, the maskmaker's art has never produced such truly imaginative works.
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By the time marketability of robots is expedient, consumers will have been softened up for the purchase, and most of them will in fact, be little different from the robots they are buying. The ultimate result will be an ideal interchange between organic and inorganic robots--each reinforcing the other's role. Now that home computers have extended the value of TV control into a viable interchange, feedback to a source if effected. Any personal data can be monitored via RF signal. Video games encourage competitiveness, thus encouraging greater personal exchange with a control source in all forms. Computerized music is personal substitution for live musicians, with often indistinguishable results.
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The trouble with family gatherings is that everyone talks at once and nobody really gives a shit what the other is saying. The reason for this is overfamiliarity--an expected liability in any family. The closer one is tied to another, the more frank (translate: rude) one can become. Naturally then, the higher the rudeness tolerance, the greater the abrasiveness during family get-togethers. Add to this, an ensuing increase of decibles. With everyone wishing to be heard (and be able to at least hear himself) there's bound to be a marked rise in sheer sound volume. The added strain of vocal projection also raises the pitch of each voice. Cadence becomes nonexistent, adding to the confusion, as each speaker steps on the other's lines.
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To fortify yourself against the coming holiday season, have a heightened Halloween.
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RENEWALS: If address label reads 9/XVII or 10/XVII, send $10 ($15 couples). ¿NOV SHMOZ KAPOP?