Large Fierce Mammal

Halley’s Comet as photographed May 13, 1910, by a wide-angle camera at Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Ariz., during the comet’s last appearance. A streak across the comet near the coma is a meteor trail, and not a scratch on the negative. Streaks at the bottom right are the city lights of Flagstaff Bright spot above the city lights is the planet Venus. (Source: https://www.space.com/11552-photos-halleys-comet-images-astronomy.html) Photo Credit: NASA/JPL

The longer I live and write about the experience, the more I find that without prior knowledge of what I was referring to or clues provided in the content, it’s possible for someone to read something I’ve written in the past and believe it’s about what was in the news this morning. For example, there’s this from March of 2013:

“In truth, most people really don’t understand the burden of responsibility they carry for their own safety and survival, and the commonalities that link every threat to life and limb. In truth, most people have accepted the idea that no matter what happens, all you need do is call ‘Them’ and ‘They’ll’ take care of it. If it’s bad, ‘They’ will figure out what to do about it. News flash – YOU are ‘THEM’, because when the shit hits the fan, and you are standing at ground zero, running away may not be an option. The time to get tuned in is NOW.

“Reality remains Reality no matter how angry that makes you, and one doesn’t need to look far for evidence that much of the population prefers to live as though things are actually the way they simply wish them to be. The assumption is that publicly funded agencies and organizations exist for the betterment and protection of individuals, which could not be further from the truth. The list of people to whom you actually matter is very short indeed, and if you’re, ‘… doin’ it right ….’, you know them all by name.” ~ Four Pillars and a Double Standard

And from October of just last year:

“This isn’t one of those bang and it’s over ends of the world like the Cold War going hot into nuclear Armageddon, the Y2K lights out as the last seconds of 1999 rolled into the first few of 2000, or the Mayan calendar running out in December 2012. This is one where even the Great Unwashed are not only blaming ‘Them’ for the problem, but now demand ‘They’ fix it. Or we’re all dead. Real soon.” ~ Dark Sentiments Season 10 — Day 7: You Wouldn’t Know the End of the World if it Bit You in the Ass

This doesn’t come as any surprise me, nor should it be for you. Human history has been fraught with bullshit, bullshitters, and bullshiteaters as long as there have been people to lead, follow, or kill out of the way.

Tonight we will be featuring the first of two documentary films presented to illustrate human responses in the face of an existential crisis on a global scale. First up is a presentation of Lance Geiger, known more commonly by his nom de guerre as The History Guy, a man of many hats who I recommend you keep an eye on. The subject is Halley’s Comet and the End of the World, of which is observed that, “… in its 1910 passage, new technology promised closer study of the object than ever before – and sparked a panic that life on earth was about to end.”

All this in face of the 75 year orbital period of our comète de la nuit which returned in 1910 to be seen by people who had been alive, and survived, its last visitation. Surrender yourself now to the next thirteen and a half minutes, and consider a historical example of how increased ability to gain knowledge and understanding of a thing can actually exacerbate a general state of cluelessness amidst the Great Unwashed.