Any given moment is, in a sense, interchangeable with any other given moment. This much we know. After all, time is completely unreal. But any moment is felt differently depending on the perspective from which it is being experienced. And in this parallax spirit, it is always in the interests of Mr. McFriend to study and analyze the past, present and future in equal ratios.
From this point forward (and back), I’ll take a look each week at three elements representing important relative points along the wheel of time. With luck, you’ll conduct similar exercises on late nights in dark interweb k-holes and unleash your inner Hipparchus.
The Past: The Lesser Key of Solomon
One of the earliest and most popular books about demons, the Lesser Key contains arcane demon resurrection incantations and all manner of ways to raise, manipulate and control powerful phantoms of the underworld. A 20th Century translation by our dear friend Aleister Crowley contains evocations for directing the wills of 72 demon lords once in the service of Old Testament stalwart Solomon the King. Unlike the Necronomicon ex Mortis, this book is not bound in human flesh and inked in blood. Rather, you can pick up this all-important grimoire on eBay for a virtual pittance and perhaps turn your dog into Azares, duke of the eastern zone of hell and commander of 31 demon hordes.
The Present: Watchmen
Yes, I know it’s received more press than Jesus Christ over the past six months, but the expectations around this graphic novel-cum H-wood blockbuster are as grandiose as ever before seen during an idle March in Nyerd-dom. Taking place in a world that veered off the timeline experienced by most of you creepies here today, the Watchmen is anticipated mostly due to its anti-hero treatment of the masked avenger sub-genre. For yours truly, I’m excited to see my friend Dr. Manhattan on the big screen. We were class 7 stewards at the same time somewhere back in our eidetic memories.
The Future: Are We Alone?
The next time you check your 401K statement and begin seriously weighing the merits of arson, remember that you’re nothing more than a blip in an unfathomably wide universe. And while you’ve spent the past decade busying yourself with Sportscenter or shopping or autoerotic asphyxiation, smart people have been building a celestial vessel with the means to take stock of all the planets in the cosmos. Indeed, with this week’s launch of NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft, human beings will begin to feasibly count planets and identify those demonstrating all the traits typically necessary to support life (as it is widely recognized today). In other words, the most realistic path yet to First Contact is being laid. Check the quote by Kepler’s project manager:
“We are going to be able to answer for the first time a question that has been pondered since the time of the ancient Greeks. Are there other worlds like ours? The question has come down to us from 100 generations. We get to answer it.”
We’ll receive early returns in just a few months, but the biggest findings may take a few years to materialize. Nothing but the flick of an eyelash in a long gaze toward the sprawling eternal.
401K-hole, indeed.
And thanks for tip about the Lesser Key.