Large Fierce Mammal

Source: YouTube’s Algorithm: What You Need To Know In 2023

“Spirit Messengers. The term conjures images of animals sent by a higher power to offer guidance toward the right Path. A Google search will turn up reams of pages identifying the characteristics of each creature, along with its “meaning” should it choose to make itself seen to you under a variety of circumstances.

“As with publications that purport to assist you in the interpretation of dreams, I personally hold that this “if A then B” approach at once trivializes and over complicates something my experience has shown to be both subtle and powerful, as is Nature Herself.” ~ Musings on Mindfulness

If you read the excerpt above, and even better, the entire article it’s taken from, you’ll have at least some grasp of my philosophy of connectedness with all things. Naturally, your degree of understanding will be dictated by how much of your life’s fulfillment has come to you by way of connectedness with Nature, and how much it relies on having subscribed to the Human conceit that places you “above all that“. ~ Dark Sentiments Season 8 — Day 3: Of Mini-miracles, Odd Synchronicities, and Sublime Messages

My position on connectedness is widespread among the seeds I’ve sown here lo these fifteen years since the launch of Large Fierce Mammal, on 2 September 2008. In that time, most particularly in the course of my cyclical series such as this very season of Dark Sentiments and Long Winter’s Night, it is not unusual for me to find inspiration of the moment, as it were, in the form of the published work of others and personal experiences that seem to come into my ken at just the right time to stoke the fire, as it were.

Rarely though does it happen that something arises on the heels of one of my publications, through a seemingly unconnected delivery system, that strikes notes of synchronicity lying outside Truly Natural connectedness.

Anyone who spends time on YouTube will know that it doesn’t take long for the algorithm that drives it to recognize your interests and start building an echo chamber around you with more of the same assembled absent any resemblance of quality control. This will improve (slightly) over time as your likes and subscriptions feed into the process, but for the most part, the algorithm notices you after you start to move around within its purview.

And then there’s today, and while I can’t say the incident surprised me, it’s the first time it’s been so blunt.

Last night’s Dark Sentiment (which if you haven’t already read it you should go and do now) was titled, Dark Sentiments Season 14 — Day 5: A Certain Scent of Self-Importance , was headed by a picture of Elon Musk and dealt with people behaving badly.

This morning I decided to open YouTube, and when that happens, one of course is presented with a page of videos the algorithm has selected to vie for attention. Today, my eye was immediately drawn to the title of a movie trailer posted 21 September 2021. The source account — Ahi — was not one I have subscribed to nor even recognized. The film itself did not seem to be one that would normally have attracted me, and while the work of some members of the cast is well known to me, this still wouldn’t account for its floating so high on the list of options presented on my arrival. Yet there it was on the second row down, third from the left — Bad Behaviour.

Now you might think such a coincidence to be unworthy of note, but my own interest increased on reading the synopsis:

“Lucy, a former child actor, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon (emphasis added) while she navigates her close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt-performer daughter, Dylan.”

See what I mean?

This matter bears additional experimentation on my part but meanwhile I’ve asked Mrs. LFM to facilitate our viewing of Bad Behaviour, even if only because its creators spelled “behaviour” correctly.

I will close with the aforesaid trailer. See you tomorrow night.