IP: fun time -- `pshift`

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

------- Forwarded Message




PSHIFT(1)       USER COMMANDS   PSHIFT(1)


NAME
        pshift - paradigm shift utility


SYNOPSIS
        pshift [-zzeitgeist] [-rragelev] [-v] [-c] [-wn] [+|-n]


DESCRIPTION
        The pshift operator performs a paradigm shift on its input stream
        within the context of the current or specified zeitgeist.


OPTIONS
        -z      Specify the zeitgeist context.  May be specified here or from
                the environment variable $ZEITGEIST.


                Supported values of zeitgeist are judeo_christian (default),
                postcommunist, new_age, and when_god_was_a_woman.


        -r      Specify rage level. Acceptable values of ragelev are
                ennui (default), deep_seated, and consuming.


        -v      Set to verbose mode.  Normally pshift operates silently; in
                verbose mode it publishes a 500+ page bestseller entitled
                "Rethinking [input stream] in the [zeitgeist] Age", and then
                begins soliciting honoraria until the operator types ctrl-c.
                On some systems it runs for Congress.


        -c      Set to collective IO.  Normally pshift takes its input from
                stdin and outputs to stdout;  in collective mode it takes its
                input from the Collective Unconscious and writes to the Body
                Politic.


        -wn     Specify first, second, third or fourth wave.  Acceptable
                values for n are 0,1,2 or 3, with 2 (third wave) being the
                default.


                [On Sun systems, the logical waves are 0,3,2,1, which map to
                physical waves 0,1,2,3; see Sun Technical Manual for details.]


        +|-n    Specifies the number of times to prepend 'post' to the
                zeitgeist context, if positive, or 'pre' if negative.
                The default is 11.


EXAMPLES


                source $DEITY | pshift -zpostcommunist -rdeep_seated -v +1


        On most systems, the above command will output a hardcover volume
        called "Rethinking God in the Post-Postcommunist Era", in which the
        irrelevence of erstwhile religious concepts is seen to have
        triggered a global, deep-seated rage vis-a-vis traditional
        sociopolitical norms leading to a premature breakdown of emerging
        postsoviet infrastructure.


                pshift -znew_age -rennui


        The above command produces no output, but privately processes a
        vague discontent which it will share if its space is honored.  May
        be redirected to /dev/null.


                pshift -c -w3 -1


        Taking its input from the collective unconscious, the above command
        rejects the failed socioeconomic policies of the last thirty years
        and replaces them with a futurist, fourth wave polemic of
        traditional values, the two-parent family, and the supremacy of the
        private sector that was the foundation of the American utopia of
        the 1950s.  Use a prepend value of -2 to restore the American utopia
        of the early Industrial Age, a value of -3 to restore the European
        utopia of the Enlightenment, -4 for catholic hegemony, etc.
        (note:  Requires grass root permission.  In verbose mode, it may
        also require a $4 million advance.)


SEE ALSO
        backlash(1)


BUGS
        You must have root permission to use consuming rage.


AUTHOR
        Robert Drucker (robert () ocean washington edu)
        copyright 1995 Robert Drucker.
        Robert Drucker is a trademark of Robert Drucker.




------- End of Forwarded Message






----- End Included Message -----