Inspired by a short piece by Samuel Butler in the Penguin Book of Lies. A rich source of inspiration!
The Moral Dirt – 13th December 2025
Tag: Lies
Cherry picking the words of god
Don’t Presume, Dr Livingstone – 20th August 2025
His words were offered forth as proof
At least not seen as a complete pack of lies
Yet they were also far away from the truth
Leading good men towards their demise
Could those mountains be moved by faith?
Will these altruistic passions endure?
A Primitive paradise, perfectly safe?
The natural harvest of wealth would allure
A buffet of game that may freely roam
All of this awaits the white man to garner
Let the ladies-in-waiting tend to the home
Away from the business of the slaving farmer
Left unsaid the dangers of wild rivers
The seas and mountains of slog beyond
This idyll taken from its caregivers
As famine and war broke their bond
The altruistic found adventure not so easy
Their convictions soon without power
The hero’s book thrown to the Zambezi
Its once fragrant words turned sour
This write is inspired and slightly paraphrased from ‘The accursed lies of David Livingstone’, by Owen Chadwick, which I found in the book ‘The Penguin Book of Lies’.
The phrase “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?” is one of the most famous quotes in exploration history. It was uttered by journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley upon finding Dr. David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, in present-day Tanzania, on November 10, 1871.
Swift Rumour – 16th July 2025
Fables are nursed by the rabble
Either whispered or screamed
Where the trusted most often dabble
And the truth is only dreamed
To dazzle the crowd and make them see
Their ruin is in their favour
Disguised behind a fleur-de-lis
The truth hidden by the saver
With unparalleled generosity
From inexhaustible fund
Contradicted consequently
The truth finds no refund
Under influence of corrupt counsel
Necessary are believers
To spread this twisted espousal
The truth beholden to deceivers
More than rumours everybody owns
In relief made to survive
Once buried under a heap of stones
The truth was late to arrive
Inspired and paraphrased by Jonathan Swift’s ‘The art of political lying’
Below is a little experiment that I did with AI. I input the Guardian article “World must be more wary than ever of China’s growing economic power” and asked AI to give me ALL the sentences that can be considered facts in the article.
The output was interesting:
Here are all the sentences that can be considered facts in the article, stripped of opinions, speculation, and value judgments:
- “According to data provider Macrobond and Beijing-based consultancy Gavekal Dragonomics, exports to the US were down by about $15bn (£11bn) in May, but up by half that figure to other countries that trade with the US.”
- “Exports to African countries have also risen sharply.”
- “Chinese officials are poised to strike deals to deepen economic cooperation with countries ranging from Brazil and South Africa to Australia and the UK.”
- “The latest addition to China’s growing list of conquests occurred last week when its premier, Li Qiang, and Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, signed a slew of cooperation agreements, including ones covering artificial intelligence (AI) and aerospace.”
- “Beijing supplies Russia with much of what it needs in wartime in return for cheap oil.”
- “Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, [is] ahead of a trip to three Chinese cities this weekend for talks about trade and investment.”
- “The UK energy secretary, Ed Miliband, [is] considering injections of Chinese cash and knowhow to build new offshore windfarms.”
- “There has been a 10% depreciation in [China’s] currency against the dollar.”
- “China has cut-price digital infrastructure products.”
- “Government debts are escalating [globally].”
- “China is one of the few big investors outside the Middle East with significant financial firepower.”
- “Beijing sends tens of thousands of students to the UK.”
Key Exclusions (Opinions/Speculation):
Claims about China being a “malign actor,” “pariah,” or “undermining” others (subjective labels).
Predictions (e.g., “Trump’s cowardice makes war with Taiwan more likely”).
Moral judgments (e.g., “voracious appetite,” “stolen” IP).
Analogies (e.g., comparing China to Russia).
Prescriptive statements (e.g., “should block Chinese investment”).
Ambiguous Cases (Part Fact, Part Opinion):
“Digital information is harvested on a vast scale…” → Lacks specific sourcing.
“There are spies in every major university…” → Unverifiable generalisation.
I was curious about two of the twelve facts returned, too, and so asked a little more:
“Beijing supplies Russia with much of what it needs in wartime in return for cheap oil.” What can be inferred by “what it needs in wartime”?
Along with what CAN be inferred and what could PLAUSIBLY be inferred, I also got this:
What Cannot Be Inferred (Without Explicit Evidence):
Scale of Support (e.g., “decisive” vs. “marginal” impact on Russia’s war effort).
Specific Items (e.g., “weapons” or “ammunition” — unless the article cites sources).
China’s Intent (e.g., “China is pro-war” — this could be purely economic).
I also asked, What can be inferred from this sentence, “Beijing sends tens of thousands of students to the UK.”?
Again, along with some logical inferences, was this:
What Cannot Be Inferred (Without Further Evidence):
Motives (e.g., “China is spying” or “UK is dependent”).
Outcomes (e.g., “This weakens/strengthens ties”).
Student Intentions (e.g., “They will stay/return”).
This is a neutral observation; any further interpretation would require additional verified context.
And finally, I asked how many sentences there were in the article:
The original article you provided contains 35 sentences (based on standard punctuation, counting each clause ending with a period, question mark, or exclamation point as a separate sentence).
Breakdown:
Opinion/interpretation sentences (excluded): 23
Factual sentences (extracted): 12
OK, this is fair enough – it is an opinion piece. However, language and words have power and this is just one tiny speck of the consistent barrage of anti-China narratives in mainstream media. This is the real-life manufacturing consent for the forthcoming US-led war with China. That’s my opinion!
Washington’s Post – 18th June 2025
Debated down the ages,
philosophers had their say;
politicians turned the pages,
honesty died that day!
Truth became a variable,
twisting ways to appear;
a virtue less valuable,
words became less sincere;
The Washington Post banner,
‘Democracy dies in darkness’?
Honestly, it never existed!
Shared with dVerse Quadrille #226 – honesty
The Magician – 14th August 2024
A promise of one thing
– Delivery of another
The truth outstanding
The magician’s deceit, a procured receipt
The politician’s defeat
…Yet still perfects the landing
Submitted to Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Mislead
Today I’m feeling:
Average to fair. Didn’t sleep for long enough again but forced myself up and to do a little 10-minute exercise and hope to start getting back into it.
I still have headaches and my voice and throat is still a little sore and croaky. I’m in a reasonable headspace though.
Health:
Physical: 6
Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
My adaptability. As I’m entering details into the blog from when I started working in high school at CRPAO I can see how I have managed to adapt myself to the environment and become more flexible and understanding.
The best thing about today was:
Jet, Lin and Mai, my old grade 9 students, love touching my belly for some reason but today Lin squealed and called over Jet and they were both disappointed to feel that I have lost some belly fat.
I’m not actually sure that I have but this made me feel good that perhaps some of the exercising that I have been doing these past few years may be having some small effect.
Something I learned today?
I spoke to Hayden yesterday and he has moved into a new place, which he seems happy with. He also reckons he’s on for a new workplace which will give him a little more money and better working conditions. I hope that he gets that.
He has a few days off and is flying down to Melbourne to get a tattoo. Seems a long way to go just for a tattoo but, I guess he’ll be doing other stuff whilst there. I think his mum is still supporting him too much but he’s slowly getting there to stand on his own two feet.
Behind The Scenes – 2nd November 2023
When a lie is all you have
You might as well believe it
The past has been corrupted
So you no longer conceive it
When reality is so messy
It’s wasted time to keep in line
The truth is no longer in view
But a vision of a new design
First two lines lifted, and the rest inspired by this post at Spinning Visions (and also connected to yesterday’s poem about photographs)
Today I’m feeling:
Positive and happy though I slumped a little in the afternoon after getting home. My Thursdays now are my easy day with just two hours of teaching in the morning.
Today I’m grateful for:
Bruno lending me his high-pressure hose to clean the mould off the paths around our house. It worked for a while but I think maybe some ants were in our hose and maybe have blocked up the nozzle somehow. I hope I didn’t break it!
The best thing about today was:
Listening to the David Kleiler interview where he gushes in the same way I do about Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns. I think he’s right when says Peter Prescott is a true artist and the show hosts also put Roger Miller in that category.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
At 7.30 pm I was trying to watch a video but Amy kept making calls so I paused so she could listen easily and because I have trouble hearing when there is other noise too. After she finished I started watching again but then she started asking me questions about things. I didn’t get frustrated but turned the TV off as it just wasn’t the right time to watch. I started to feel very tired then and got into bed shortly thereafter. The first work week and return to exercising is wearing me down so I’m looking forward to the weekend.
What am I looking forward to this month?
I look forward to what every day brings me. I don’t have any specific idea of what I might look forward to.
The weather is nice so a bike ride might happen this month, but if it doesn’t, that’s ok too.
I look forward to continuing with things I enjoy such as reading and playing guitar, teaching and having fun with my students.
Forked Tongues – 10th June 2023
These Indians red took the word
Of these well-dressed men of cloth
But soon lines were drawn and blurred
And the taking was never enough
One man whispers truths to be bent
And conquered all within his path
Claiming their gifts were heaven sent
And the pious enjoyed the last laugh
On and on the conquerors strode
Until the world fell to its knees
So as the words further flowed
They would see the world less pleased
Promises broken along with trust
Would see anyone’s station fall
So rises the river as needs must
To flood the lowest of them all
Today I’m feeling:
A little tired again but enjoyed a Saturday sleep-in. I was a little relieved that Matt hadn’t replied to my message about going over so that I can relax at home. At Utopia, Noey was working so it’s nice to see a pretty face and as Art was off doing coffee stuff, she and the boys, Gong and little Art, were enjoying a little freedom at work.
After a haircut, I rode to the 20 baht shop to get some batteries and rode by the grilled pork stall on the corner. I’d previously seen a girl there wearing a CRPAO shortcut but didn’t recognise them. Today though the girl working waved and smiled a big smile at me. It was my student AumAim. I stopped and chatted a little with her and her mum, telling her that she was a good student, which is true. They live in the soi along from me.
In the afternoon I ran out of energy again and woke up feeling shit after a nap.
Today I’m grateful for:
Realising I had potatoes in the fridge, which I then baked, covered with butter, cheese and a little onion, salt and pepper. I’m wondering if this is what made me feel tired though?
The best thing about today was:
Definitely the morning. I felt good, my mood was good and I got things done.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I was planning on getting Art to come with me to the air conditioning shop to convince their mechanic to come and fix mine but when I got there they told me he’d gone into the city. Maybe I’ll catch him tomorrow. Either way, the temperature is a little cooler now and a fan or two is ok to sleep with.
Something I learned today?
US media is claiming China is racist for not going to see the new Disney movie because the lead actor is black, discounting the fact that the top-selling movie in China is the latest Spiderman which also has a black lead. Anything for a China Bad story, it’s ridiculous.
What was the most interesting thing I saw or heard today?
Amy’s student from a couple of years ago, Na, will go to the university near us and Amy said she will ask her to house/cat sit for us when we need. Great idea! She’s got common sense and is respectful.
I guess my day wasn’t particularly interesting but this possibility could give us a little extra freedom to travel when want.
How did I embody a beginner’s mind?
I remind myself that I know a lot of things and that amount to a fraction of all the things that are known.
When I’m teaching in class I’m reminded by my students that we all share a beginner’s mind and that we should never be complacent that we know everything.
Shoes For Goal Posts – 3rd June 2022
It’s a fight, start with prayers
There’s lies, confusion, disarray
Sweat pours off the walls
Nervous to find the words to say
Repeating mistakes made
The copiers made all look fools
Yes, it’s a war of words
This battle raging within schools
No guns, but iron wills
The only shots are stares
Rewards a-long time coming
And not for the one that cares
Giving up is a sort of option
Answers found on a plate
Rescues become failures
Too impatient to sit and wait
One day the fighting ends
Everyone found to survive
It’s time to start on dying
And forget the time alive
An ESL teacher’s reminiscence for school days.
Lie to people who want to be lied to and you’ll get rich. Tell the truth to those who want the truth and you’ll make a living. Tell the truth to those who want to be lied to and you’ll go broke.
Jason Zweig
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful for LungChom and their delicious coconut ice cream, the guy selling bananas at Fah Tai and Makro and Big C for their yoghurt and muesli – mix it all up in a bowl. Delicious.
The Poems of a Ridiculous Man – 7th August 2021
So here’s the last of my Dostoevsky cool quotes for now, this time from the fantastic The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. Despite being quite dark and moody I feel like my poems came out a little more on the positive side – perhaps a reflection on how I was feeling when I wrote the poems compared with when I was inspired by the quotes as I was reading the story.
Acknowledgement to Husker Du and Rob Crow/Heavy Vegetable for some relevant phrases and ideas and, as before, the poems borrow heavily from the text.
Searching for a picture for this post also lead me to finding this hand painted animation of the story.
Ah, it’s so hard to be the only one to know the truth! But they won’t understand it. No, they won’t.
No Truth
Only I know the truth
They sure won’t understand
I carry this burden
It is just as I planned
Truth is in the saying
The truth will set you free
But I will never share
The truth is just for me
Maybe it was the result of the conviction that dawned upon me quite independently of my will that nothing made any difference in this world.
Conviction
I tried and tried and tried and tried
To make a difference before I died
Close to the end a sudden dawning
Independently and without warning
Your time is pointless, meaning, none
A pinprick in millions more to come
So make the best and start believing
Despite the sentence we’re all receiving
…eternally dear to the hearts of her most ungrateful children.
Realm
This earthly realm
Where it all starts
Never ending, eternally
Dear to the hearts
….of her most ungrateful children
We can truly love only with suffering and through suffering. We don’t know how to love otherwise; we don’t know any other love. I want to suffer so that I may love.
Love and Suffering
I wanted it all, wanted it so badly
Staring out of misted windows like a fool
To love this love is to suffer it gladly
Our twisted hearts make us look so cruel
This love, true love, it knows no other way
Crushed and broken hearts not spoken thereof
Life lived without it, not for another day
I must, I want to suffer so that I may love
My hatred for the people of our earth had always contained a feeling of despair – why couldn’t I hate them without loving them?
World of Masochism
My hatred for the people of our earth
Has always contained a feeling of despair
Why couldn’t I hate them without loving them?
Why did I have to care?
Some days I’m just in KEN Mode
A rage of pure hate and seething
Other days I wish for utopia
A paradise full of our dreaming
Which way will it go today?
Which side of the bed did I wake?
Every thought is masochism
No matter which path I take
They grew to appreciate the beauty of untruth…the germ of the lie penetrated their hearts, and they took a fancy to it.
A Good Lie
Sometimes a lie is like a lover
A beauty to be believed
The untruth penetrates the heart
Willingly deceived
…they experienced suffering, and came to love it; they declared that suffering was the only way to Truth. Then science spread among them.
To Suffer
He felt he’d suffered enough
So the Buddhist jumped from the roof
Science says ‘he’s dead’
He thought it the way to truth
Each became so jealous of his individuality that he had to do his best to belittle and humble the individuality of others….
Tall Poppy
You’ve reached the greatest height
Like it’s some crowning achievement
Society brings you down to earth
Where everyone is in agreement
Voluntary slavery in which the weak submitted to the strong of their own free will, if only in order to gain their support to oppress those who were even weaker than themselves.
Shit Trickles Down
Submit to the strong by your own free will
Eat the shit until you’ve had your fill
So you may enslave those below you
Pass on the shit your master throws you
The human centipede, a fitting analogy
A voluntary agreement to this economy
A vicious circle made of 7 billion pieces
The pyramid scheme of human faeces
We’re striving for the same things; we’re all, from the sage to the worst criminal, making our way toward the same objective. Only we’re trying to get there by different roads.
Different Roads
You take the high, I’ll take the low
It’s the same whichever way you go
You take the low, I’ll take the high
Arriving together, just in time to die
Let’s say paradise will never come about! I know myself it won’t – yet I’ll still go on preaching.
Right Turn
Never stop believing
Counter negative traits
Never stop the search
Paradise awaits
It will never come
In your lifetime’s fight
You know what is right
Be doing what is right
Afterword:
Man’s desires are not reasonable and often make him act against his own interest and common sense, but they are what makes him human.
Contradictions
I am respectable, yet not reasonable
My flaws are the things that make me
My desires maybe contradictions
This human interest will not break me
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful for the daily struggle of thinking of something to write here, without repeating myself. During the day something will pop into my mind to write but when I sit down to do it I struggle to remember. As days are somewhat repetitive at the moment I keep coming up with the same ideas. So anyway, I am grateful that I have this first-world problem.
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top – 25th July 1994
Rollins teaches us (!) (found it at last!):
I wanted this to be the real thing / I wanted it to finally be the real discipline / The discipline / that I had been so well preparing myself for / I needed something to be real / I saw things / I saw all people around me / falling apart / caving in / I needed the discipline / I asked myself how long / I was going to live this life / How long was I going to let myself down / and blame someone else / Finally I kicked through the wall it was like a junkie / busting through the scar tissue / that keeps him from hitting / It was like slashing through the womb with your teeth / Lies make me weak / It’s the lies that are killing me / the lack of discipline / I was killing myself and I didn’t even see it I couldn’t even feel it / The dead painless days are over.
I see my connection in this – I feel like that. Not necessarily all the time. I’m still insecure. I’m still weak but I am getting stronger in my soul. I have lots to report as the helter-skelter of ambition thrusts me forward into my future. I’m coming. Later!
1994ever 