For more May Day Mystery news, see that category on my new blog, The Chucksphere.
May Day Mystery Update
(5-March-2008)
Filed under: Reading, Weird Stuff-ology � Chuck @ 1:54 pm Edit This
It would appear that my Great Books class has actually done me some good, providing clues to parts of the May Day Mystery. Both Plato�s Republic and the Book of Job provide some insight into the Orphanage�s use of the word Hireling to describe a class of their adversaries. In describing the compensation for the guardians of his ideal society, Plato says:
�This is the only inducement that that will bring the best men into government. After all, it is common to reproach those who covet money and honors. Good men take that reproach seriously; hence they are unwilling to govern in exchange for rewards they disdain. They do not with to accept the role of hirelings by contracting to perform public duties in exchange for money. Nor do they wish to be thieves, using their official position to pilfer public funds for private purposes.� (Republic, I. 347b)(Plato. The Republic. Richard W. Sterling and William C. Scott, translators. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1985. pg 44) (40gV)
This could indicate that the Hirelings are government officials, or more likely hack politicians. Considering that all of the ideologies referenced in the Mystery are revolutionary, and that another class of the Opposition are the Pigs, I would say that this interpretation of the identity of the Hirelings is likely.
In the book of Job, while he is lamenting his afflictions, he says that:
�Is not man�s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling?� (Job 7:1 NAB)
According to a footnote in my Bible, �drudgery� is interpreted by some as meaning military service (The New American Bible, pg 523) (40gVI). So, the hirelings could be in the military. Should this be true, then the passages describing the analytical roles and observation of the Orphanage by them could mean that the Hirelings are, in fact, the National Security Agency (part of the Department of Defense).
I also learned about Residuals in Economics 101 (RD96dII).
Also, as of 24-January-2009, my work has been linked to from Hance�s website.
Charlie Piggott: Win-maker
10-December-2008
Big update on the source site, hence an update here. He jumbled the order in which he posted some of the Recent Developments, so I had to go back and update my notes, which was kind of awkward.
9-October-2008
Finally got notes up on the main page, to coincide with the new available material. Also updated the Connections page to include Cryptonomicon.
27-August-2008
Sent Hance an email re: Freaks 205
Clerical Work
(4-August-2008)
Filed under: Weird Stuff-ology � Chuck @ 1:25 pm Edit This
I was able to quickly fix the numbering glitch in my May Day Mystery notes that I mentioned here through a judicious deletion of an entry that wasn�t a page ad (2-February-1988). I also fixed the error in the numbering system in the Recent Developments section where some packages/letters had the same number.
A Book!
(1-August-2008)
Filed under: Writing, Weird Stuff-ology � Chuck @ 8:38 pm Edit This
I have decided to undertake a serious project. I will expand upon my senior project, writing a book that will delve into the May Day Mystery and bring the enigma to the general public. It will touch not only upon aspects of the Mystery but also upon those who took it upon themselves to solve the Mystery.
I�ve got a list of titles stocked up:
Raiders of SDB #668. (A play on Raiders of the Lost Ark.)
Bryan Hance and the Last Crusade. (A play on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.)
The Wildcat Code. (Based on The DaVinici Code.)
Luther�s Pendulum. (Foucault�s Pendulum.)
Historical Madness. (The subtitle to the �official� May Day Mystery website.)
Methods of Madness: A Simplified Approach to the May Day Mystery. (Something my friend Ryan suggested.)
This is going to be a huge project, and we all know how I am with projects�
I promise I will not fail you this time, though we all know how I am with promises�
27-July-2008
The below statement was a giant lie. 2/3 of the Senior Portfolio page was missing. I have since reduced that number to 1/3, and blamed the rest on a technical glitch). I also added the "Webcomics" section to the Connections page. I think the index page is still quite bare, though.
17-June-2008
The Wildcat Code launches in a semi-presentable state.
12-June-2008
With the discovery of the 1-November-1983 ad, my entire system of cross-referencing the MDM anouncements goes out the window. None of the cross-references will now point to the right place. I’ve made a quick fix by denoting all references created today and after with the letter N, as in (N1a), so I will know when it comes time for revision which need to be fixed and which do not.
Done, Motherfucker!
(15-May-2008)
Filed under: Uncategorized, The Chucksphere � Chuck @ 1:44 pm Edit This
I just gave my senior project presentation, and I passed with flying colors (45, 45, 44, 43 out of 45). You can see the results eventually at the new piece of crap added to the Chucksphere. Thus ends everything project-like I have to do until college. Now I can finally write some stuff I�ve been meaning to.
Motherfucking done! Woo hoo!
Previous News
Previous updates on my progress through the May Day Mystery can be found in the Journal I kept during my project.