Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies cards in Emacs

oblique-strategies.el

(defvar *oblique-strategy-list*
  '("Remove specifics and convert to ambiguities"
    "Don't be frightened of cliches"
    "What is the reality of the situation?" 
    "Are there sections?  Consider transitions "
    "Turn it upside down "
    "Think of the radio "
    "Allow an easement (an easement is the abandonment of a stricture) "
    "Simple subtraction "
    "Go slowly all the way round the outside "
    "A line has two sides "
    "Make an exhaustive list of everything you might do and do the last thing on the list "
    "Into the impossible "
    "Ask people to work against their better judgement "
    "Take away the elements in order of apparent non-importance "
    "Infinitesimal gradations "
    "Change instrument roles "
    "Accretion "
    "Disconnect from desire "
    "Emphasize repetitions "
    "Don't be afraid of things because they're easy to do "
    "Don't be frightened to display your talents "
    "Breathe more deeply "
    "Honor thy error as a hidden intention "
    "Only one element of each kind "
    "Is there something missing?"
    "Use `unqualified' people"
    "How would you have done it?"
    "Emphasize differences "
    "Do nothing for as long as possible "
    "Bridges   -build   -burn "
    "You don't have to be ashamed of using your own ideas "
    "Tidy up "
    "Do the words need changing? "
    "Ask your body "
    "Water "
    "Make a sudden, destructive unpredictable action; incorporate "
    "Consult other sources   -promising   -unpromising "
    "Use an unacceptable color "
    "Humanize something free of error "
    "Use filters "
    "Fill every beat with something "
    "Discard an axiom "
    "What wouldn't you do? "
    "Decorate, decorate "
    "Balance the consistency principle with the inconsistency principle "
    "Listen to the quiet voice "
    "Is it finished? "
    "Put in earplugs "
    "Give the game away "
    "Abandon normal instruments "
    "Use fewer notes "
    "Repetition is a form of change "
    "Give way to your worst impulse "
    "Reverse "
    "Trust in the you of now "
    "What would your closest friend do? "
    "Distorting time "
    "Make a blank valuable by putting it in an exquisite frame "
    "Ghost echoes "
    "You can only make one dot at a time "
    "Just carry on "
    "(Organic) machinery "
    "The inconsistency principle "
    "Don't break the silence "
    "Discover the recipes you are using and abandon them "
    "Cascades "
    "Courage! "
    "What mistakes did you make last time? "
    "Consider different fading systems "
    "Mute and continue "
    "It is quite possible (after all) "
    "Don't stress one thing more than another "
    "You are an engineer "
    "Remove ambiguities and convert to specifics "
    "Look at the order in which you do things "
    "Go outside.  Shut the door. "
    "Do we need holes? "
    "Cluster analysis "
    "Do something boring "
    "Define an area as `safe' and use it as an anchor "
    "Overtly resist change "
    "Accept advice "
    "Work at a different speed "
    "Look closely at the most embarrassing details and amplify them "
    "Mechanicalize something idiosyncratic "
    "Emphasize the flaws "
    "Remember .those quiet evenings "
    "Take a break "
    "Short circuit (example; a man eating peas with the idea that they will improve his virility shovels them straight into his lap) "
    "Use an old idea "
    "Destroy nothing or the most important thing "
    "Change nothing and continue with immaculate consistency "
    "The tape is now the music")
  "Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies cards.")

(defun oblique-strategies ()
  (interactive)
  (message "%s"
           (nth
            (random (length *oblique-strategy-list*))
            *oblique-strategy-list*)))