The very fact that the US secret service has admitted and released declassified documents relating to projects such as MK-ULTRA should raise questions and great fears. MK-ULTRA was a project to investigate mind-control and brainwashing techniques, the fact that the government and the secret service was investigating this area should worry you. The fact that they finally gave in to pressure and declassified the documents should worry you. If this is what they admit to, what do they keep secret?

MK-ULTRA was supposedly ended in the 1970's, though there is information out there from former CIA members and veterans that suggest that the project being disbanded was a cover story, or at least that similar projects are being continued. Until organisations like the CIA are disbanded or declassified, the people will remain ignorant and will remain under control. Do you really think that the CIA, for example, has stopped these sort of experiments? Or do you not think that they learned a few things from these experiments? The fact that they were conducting this sort of research is very, very worrying. And with more finance and greater technology in today's world, things are only going to get worse. Project HAARP, for example, is very worrying and there seems to be more to it than they would like to admit. We are under surveillance, we are under control. The worrying thing is how the government, media, and secret service leaders are all linked together if you investigate, even if it is merely financial, funding is being shared around between these powerful institutions to which we are all under the influence of.

I will continue this with more information when I have a chance.

Here's a link to a video about MK-ULTRA: Mk Ultra Project - very scary
CIA Mind Control Operation MK-ULTRA

Can We Have The Freedom To Have A Critical Debate Please?

In democratic societies, we elect our governments to protect our selves, but then our governments feel they need to protect us from ourselves. After gaining power and authority, the powers that be then feel that we cannot think and act responsibly as adults, and must exert tighter control on what we do with our lives, what we ingest into our bodies, and how we think and act in society.

The problem is, despite many debates and scientific evidence in support of marijuana, and the hemp plant in general, it remains an illegal, yet natural substance. Despite growing up alongside the plant, many societies have in the last century or so, criminalised the plant and its use by individuals.

As responsible, supposedly free adults, in a democratic society we only have a limited control on our consciousness and how we choose to explore our consciousness, possibly one of the most fundamental aspects of our existence. We are conditioned and programmed from birth to fit into a specific frame-of-mind if you will, or reality, to have certain views on existence and how reality works, and discouraged from exploring our spirituality and our consciousness. There are many levels and functions to the human brain, yet we as societies seem to hail the "alert problem-solving" level as the highest and most admirable level to be on, the alert problem-solving level is seen as as being consciousness, when we have many different brain waves and potentiality to explore. We are not allowed to take mind-altering substances that allow us to expand our minds further, or unlock possibilities, hence the misinformation promoted and the strict laws which mean that if you take a mind-altering substance, you are a criminal and can be locked up with murderers, rapists and other real criminals.. to take a substance which only impacts on your own body cannot be criminal. To smoke or ingest a plant that has grown up alongside humanity cannot be a criminal act. To exercise free will to explore your consciousness cannot be criminal.

The problem, is that in our societies the only legal option for altering your mind is alcohol and prescription drugs. There are also legal highs but many of them are now shown to be as dangerous as the illegal ones, sometimes more so. Socially acceptable drugs though, are alchohol and tobacco, two of the most dangerous substances known to man. Tobacco contains nicotine, one of the most addictive substances, and the tar build-up and chemicals in tobacco and smoke lead to thousands of deaths each year, as well as cancers and other illnesses. Alcohol kills thousands each year as well, and leads to violence and criminal acts, huge NHS bills, and leads to many complications and addictions. All people are asking for, is the right to choose what to put into their body. Society and Law states that only alcohol and cigarettes are acceptable, despite the dangers and the deaths and addictions they cause. The argument for legalising or at least decriminalising Marijuana does not go along the lines of "all drugs should be legal". We all know the huge dangers drugs like Cocaine, Speed, Heroin, Crystal Meth etc cause. All people are asking for is an informed debate about Marijuana and the hemp plant, with rational and critical thinking, not the petty arguments against it you hear on the news, from politicians and ignorant people:

"Well it's a drug so it's dangerous"... (so is alcohol, shown to be far worse.. and cigarettes of course)
"Well if you're going to legalise Marijuana you may as well legalise Cocaine etc" (erm...no, the debate is about marijuana and it's dangers/benefits, not harder more damaging drugs- notice how often that remark is thrown by people opposed to Marijuana, they start comparing it to very harmful drugs such as Cocaine and Heroin, ignoring the facts)
"Well it's illegal for a reason" (If we cannot have rational critical debates about law in a democratic society, then there is no true democracy. The government is not always right, it makes mistakes, sometimes huge mistakes, and sometimes it thinks it knows what is best for you when it is not. Look at Tobacco for example. For a while it was legal to purchase at the age of 16, then a few years ago it was raised to 18. Does this mean that the government made a mistake? Or they looked into it again and realised how harmful it is for you? Think of how many people turned 16 and thought "oh I'll buy some Tobacco", to become addicted to it, and then the law changed. So these 16/17 year olds addicted to smoking Tobacco have now become, in essence, criminals if they continue to purchase Tobacco. Laws should be discussed and debated over, we cannot place all our freedom and the rule of Law in the government's hands, they are elected by the people for the people and so should answer to the people- in theory)

The arguments against it go on in similar vein and are similarly ridiculous. Often people in the media attempting to have a rational debate about Marijuana are shot down with these ridiculous arguments against it. Basically the argument against it is that people cannot be trusted with their own minds and bodies, people cannot be trusted with free will, if Marijuana was legalised crime and deaths would go up (ha! really?), etc etc. It's funny because people against Marijuana often ignore the fact that Amsterdam has legalised Cannabis consumption and sale in special coffee shops, and the city is not under a siege of crime or deaths or accidents, and if you look at the figures far less youth smoke Marijuana than in other cities. It's often the case that making something criminal only creates an underground, making it more appealing. If Marijuana was legalised, people would still make rational, independant decisions about their own bodies, it's not like everyone would suddenly become full-time stoners, just like not everyone is an alcoholic. It would be illegal to smoke and drive, just like drinking, and working under the influence etc, it would not cause a mass pandemic. There is too little faith in the people and the leaders that be feel that we need more laws to control us and restrict what we choose to do with our lives.
At the end of the day I think it is ridiculous to call someone a criminal for ingesting a naturally-growing plant that has been with humans since our beginnings. We naturally have cannabinoid receptors in our brains that bind with the THC in Marijuana, there is no other purpose for these receptors so it is clear we have evolved alongside the plant. Our prisons are too full, and there are more pressing, real criminals that should be in prison instead of pot-smokers. If it was decriminalised than there would be no criminal dealing, if you could grow a plant in your house people would be happy to just smoke Cannabis in their own home. If it was taxed there would be a massive revenue for governments. Instead we are wasting so much of our taxpayers money on the "War on Drugs" and catching pot-smokers who do not commit any other "crime" than ingesting a natural plant. To be honest, it would be nice to have another drug to choose from other than alcohol (yes alcohol is a drug, and not an innocent drug either) in society, one which does not lead to mass violence and addiction, AA meetings etc.

The Cultivation of Cannabis can lead to a maximum imprisonment of 14 years.
If a person goes out, gets drunk, and commits Actual Bodily Harm, the maximum imprisonment is 5 years.
So we live in a society where to cultivate a natural plant and a fairly safe drug can lead to 14 years in the prison system (costing a huge sum of money over the years not to mention the psychological effect on the person), yet to commit Actual Bodily Harm (which occurs frequently when alcohol is introduced- the media panic over street crime and violence may be exaggerated or scare-tactics but it often involves alcohol, especially football hooliganism) against a person can lead to 5 years in comparison.
Not to mention the fact that in the UK, Cannabis is now a Class B substance leading to an unlimited fine or 5 years for simply possession. The direct.gov.uk website states that "Class B drugs are drugs that are less dangerous than Class A ones, but they can still be harmful. Class B drugs include cannabis and some amphetamines" and "Class C drugs are less dangerous to the user than Class A and Class B drugs."
So apparently, Cannabis is more harmful than Ketamine. Which does not seem to stand up to reason or critical debate but hey, they are the experts after all. It also places Cannabis in the same category of harmfulness and possible prison sentence as amphetamines, a group of drugs which are very harmful to your body both physically and mentally. Oh and apparently Magic Mushrooms are a Class A substance with possible sentences of 7 years in prison for possession, or life in prison for dealing. But we won't go into that here, this is about the debate about Cannabis. A debate which has support from people in high places, people in authority, thousands of people worldwide, medical professionals, etc so it's not just "dumb pot-heads" who want it legalised, it has support from many people and the debate will not die down, nor will people stop using the natural plant. Making it a Class A won't stop people. Making people criminals for taking it will not stop them. Because that is also an issue, whenever a new law is created, more criminals are created, and then "oh no the crime rate seems to be going up". Well, you did just make X percent of law abiding citizens now criminals. The other issue is the banning of Cannabis leads many to ignore the hemp plant, a vastly versatile plant which has so many uses it could actually alleviate many of the world's problems. We've turned away from hemp and it's uses into a synthetic, mass-produced world where natural is illegal and the Laws created by Man are superior to Nature. Uses of Hemp


All this is asking for, is continued support for the ongoing debate. In a truly democratic society, people should be allowed to voice their opinions and have critical, rational debate with people looking at the facts and not propaganda and misinformation, and defensive arguments that do not stand up to reason. Let people voice their opinions, and let people be responsible for their own bodies and their own actions. 


Debates in the media. Look at these videos and similar videos and weigh up your own views and opinions:
CNN Larry King 03/13/2009  - discusses hemp use as well and its prohibition
Why is Marijuana Illegal? - interviews with the US public on their views and how it came to be illegal
A GREAT MARIJUANA DEBATE! - a pro-legalisation guy versus a dumbass
Marijuana Debate On CNBC - again a pro-legalisation/anti-legalisation debate.. 

Is there a War on Consciousness?

What are your opinions? Do you feel that your right to explore and develop your consciousness is in any way restricted, or controlled, or unwillingly shaped? Do you feel obliged to think, feel or act in a certain way, or else it is "wrong" or not in line with "the rest of society"? Do you believe in the right to pro-choice, to choose how you develop? Do you think there are those who want a War on Consciousness? Does anybody read this blog?

I think we have to remember as beings, that everything is, as it is.
Our languages and beliefs are just our constructs of models and concepts that we transpose onto the universe. Words, for example, have no meaning. Many languages will have different words for the same thing, but that does not mean one is superior or more correct than another. Our beliefs and ideologies are created and negotiated by us as we try and work out what is going on, everything is just a model for something, there are only theories and words for processes, when often we cannot or do not see the full workings. So to say something cannot happen is a great leap in judgement, everything is as it is, as it is. Things don't just change because one day homo sapiens became consciously aware and started questioning things. "That can't work, it doesn't fit into the model that we have created for the universe". Everything is, as it is, as it is. We apply the meaning.

Our Veins are full of Oil

The problem with our societies, cultures and economies lies in the fact that we are fueling the present by stealing from the past and the future. I am talking about one of the greatest evils of the 20th Century and prior, Oil.

Our economies are based on Oil, to the extent that our government and it's allies deem it necessary/acceptable to begin warfare and occupation of a foreign state in order to maintain control of their Oil reserves. Whether this was the main reason for occupation, or mearly as "Well we're already here so may as well control the Oil" is debatable, though it is more than likely to be a major factor in the decision to invade. The flow of money, interest rates, the fabric of our economies are strongly linked to Oil, and the results of warfare. Many countries profit from the wars caused, and the amount of Oil that is produced. A fluctuating economy based on Oil and death is not sustainable, it cannot be a part of our vision for the future, or a democratic society.

Oil is death. It is based on death and causes wars. Oil is created by the remains of dead plants and animals that come under pressure to produce oil, a process taking hundreds of thousands of years. Think of how quickly the petrol in your car is used up, and then think of how long it has taken for that Oil to have been formed. And how many people died to get it to your car. We are stealing from animals that died in the past and using the oil that is formed over thousands of years, which is not sustainable as we are using it at a far faster rate than it is being created. We are stealing from the future, because it is inevitable that the Oil reserves will run out, or at least get to a critical point. We are bringing a global crisis closer and closer to us in the present by each passing day. Scientists do not know precisely when the Oil reserves will run out, but then again scientists do not know when our actions will cause Global Warming or Climate Change to reach an irreversible point. Perhaps this is why people do not care. There will come a point where our actions will be irreversible, but at the moment we can continue our actions and that is why people do not care- the majority only care for their lifetime, not those of the future. But it is clear whichever way you look at it, that the Oil industry is insanity.

What are the negatives of Oil? It is not sustainable and takes hundreds of thousands of years to form. It's use and by-products generate dangerous, harmful pollution. It makes economies fluctuate based on the amount of Oil in 'circulation' or production, and also based on who has it at a given time. It leads to recessions and harm to citizens who have to pay more when it is scarcer or when the companies that control it put up the price of a barrel. It causes endless warfare, with thousands if not millions killed over the course of history- it is a resource based on death from the minute it begins being formed under the earth. Countries go to war over it- it is a finite resource which is not equally distributed, leading those who own large Oil reserves to be either in a position of power, or in danger of warfare, occupation, sabotage, bribery, etc etc. It damages the environment and ecosystems (see Ecuador and Chevron/Texaco's actions), it harms people, is toxic... This list goes on and on but what is clear is that Oil causes a lot of damage to the planet, to ecosystems, to people, to countries, to economies, etc.. We cannot and will not continue to harm the planet and the people by such a Fossil Fuel- we need sustainability and a renewable resource which does not cause harm.

The leaders that be, are more than the elected officials of the governing bodies. In a world based on money, it is inevitable that the people in power, the ones with influence, will be the immensely rich and wealthy individuals. The gap between the poorest people on the planet and the richest people is astronomical. People with money always want more money. This is why Oil has not been outlawed, why we do not use alternative, sustainable resources, at least to a satisfactory level. There is too much money in Oil, to just give it up suddenly. Think about it- Profit is based on scarcity. If a sustainable, renewable energy source was used tomorrow, there would not be as much money in it for those concerned with such a thing. If there was only 100 barrels of Oil in the world tomorrow, think how much money those barrels would be worth to the world. Profit is based on scarcity. If it was suddenly discovered that cars could run on air, for example, where would the money be in that? Not saying that air could be used to run the world as an energy source, but then again light can.. Solar power would once have been thought of as insane, but is a real possibility. However it is still not enough, and is still very expensive to place solar panels on your house or car.. But then again this shows where the money and research is being spent, not enough is being done because the leaders of the world still base everything on Oil. Think about it. There is no reason why we cannot ween ourselves of Oil and stop this addiction. The only thing that connects Oil to the world and its economies is money. Oil = Money. But also, Money = Oil. We base our money on Oil, a finite substance that is not even equally distributed, so we can essentially give  our economy to a foreign power if they have all the Oil- imagine if they refused to sell the Oil? Or if they put up the price of a barrel tomorrow? We would either declare war or our economy would suffer..


Enter the Hemp plant. [to be continued]

Intentions and Reptiles

There are numerous scientific studies out there that prove that our very intentions affect and influence people, plants, machines, even at remote distance. Sorry, can I just repeat myself. Our very intentions. Affect the world around us. Scientific evidence. I'll just allow that to sink in for a moment.
 I don't think this is much discussed or people actually realise the meaning of this research.. And then I look on the TV and see reality shows and brain numbing material and want to go out and shout to the public saying "We are beautiful and have more potential than we can ever imagine, why are we letting ourselves be sucked into the mundane, trapped by the ordinary, stuck in routine?" The oldest part or "circuit" of the human brain is supposed to be the reptilian brain, and is concerned with routines. Located in the brain stem, it is concerned with our autonomous vital needs and our fight-or-flight system. It is concerned with routine, as stated, and instincts, rituals. Despite our newer, higher brain forms a lot of people tend to stay on this base level. However you can hardly blame people when the media and advertising use techniques to appeal to this part of the brain, and lower people down to a baser level. Notice how a lot of people can be quick to anger, have road rage, not think rationally, are wrapped up in routines and rituals constantly, and cannot think for themselves to a great deal. This could be because of the reptilian-derived part of the brain. We should be above this by now, but either consciously or unconsciously the institutions that be (media, gvt. etc) appear to be keeping everyone on a baser level utilising fear, sex (media- sex sells), routines, discouraging thought (possibly not actively but mainstream TV does not provoke too much thinking in the average viewer), anger, discouraging spirituality (from a rationalist perspective- "spirituality is nonsense", "there's no evidence for it"- despite large advances in scientific theory that often are downplayed or not given as much coverage in the media) which aims to raise people's consciousness to higher thinking instead of the baser levels. Think to yourself, how often do you get lost in routine, feel dazed and confused as to what else to do, or how often do you switch off and watch dull TV, or are quick to anger, or are persuaded by advertising and marketing appealing to the reptilian aspect... Maybe if we start to catch ourselves doing it we can get out of this brain-fogging that the mainstream media and institutions seem to be (actively or not) encouraging.

On the subject of atoms.

On the subject of atoms. It is interesting to note that the atoms in our bodies are replaced numerous times throughout our lifetime. The atoms in our brain are no different. We do not have the same atoms now as we did when we were children, for example. This raises various questions pertaining to reality, consciousness, memory, etc. This suggests that we are not the matter of which we are made, for our matter is constantly replaced. Where do thoughts reside, and memory especially, if our atoms are replaced many times? If we do not have the same atoms throughout our lives, than how do we retain memory? Indeed, how do we claim to be the same person, if our matter is different from our selves in the "past"? This seems to imply that our "self" is not located in the physical, for the physical matter changes while our personality and memories remain. You would assume that if all the atoms in your brain would change, then the makeup of the brain would change, yet we manage to retain an identity, thoughts and memory.

Emily

It was at the end of summer when boy met girl, hope met tragedy. As the warm summer days began to wane, the boy known as Dylan increasingly found himself wandering through the old abandoned industrial estate that crouched in the east side of town, lurking like the spindly corpse of a spider with its sprawled legs in the air. The disused chimneys and towers still reached high into the sky even as the factories crumbled and aged below. Walking through the industrial area was dangerous, it was far from any signs of life and the old buildings were unstable, but for Dylan the area was peaceful and let him be alone with himself. Nobody had ever troubled him there despite his mother's warnings that the industrial area was a forsaken wasteland rife with drug dealers, addicts and 'whores', not that Dylan knew what a whore was. In his head he had pictured a wailing banshee with a flame of red hair and sharp clawed hands and he was sure that he had never seen one of them in the industrial area before. Nothing there but bolts and screws and forgotten memories.

The blistering summers day had faded as the sun began its descent and Dylan knew he was lost. He had strayed from the path and was encircled by crumbling factory structures that blocked any view of the area. He was not worried, of course, he had been lost in the factories before and always managed to find his way out. But that was during the summer months and days were longer. It was only at the start of summer that Dylan had been allowed out to explore. Before that he had spent long days in school daydreaming of far-away lands and adventures waiting to be discovered. Sir always caned Dylan when he saw that his attention was elsewhere, but then again Sir never did like him. He was a poor boy with unkempt hair and a ragged school uniform and Sir was a man of class. Dylan just thought he needed a monocle as his other eye was made of glass but never dared to ask. Sir never liked Dylan.

Little lost Dylan sat on a wooden crate and looked up at the fading light and the darkening sky, sighing. He was not afraid of the dark but he was afraid of his mother who was known to start drinking at lunchtime and stop the following morning. If he was late back and she was not passed out then he would be in for a beating and probably wouldn't be allowed anything for dinner. Just as he pondered this last thought he caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his left eye. As he turned his head to look a small pebble struck his right shoulder, and a tiny giggle broke the silence. A small girl about his age stood several feet away from him waving. She was wearing an old faded pink dress that was tattered and torn slightly and marked with dust and dirt from the factories. A small pink bow was in her scraggly hair and she had no shoes or socks on. Dylan was taken aback by the unexpected company and of the girl's prettiness. She giggled again and waved, and he slid off the crate and held out his hand to her.

“How do you do miss? My name's Dylan”, he said politely. The girl giggled again and didn't answer him. Her eyes were shining with a hopeful abandon that seemed almost luminescent in the trickling light. Dylan was enraptured by her eyes. Never had he seen a girl who seemed so scruffy and unkempt yet so beautiful. His awkward smile was met by her and instantly his worries were forgotten.

“I've never seen anyone here before, do you like to be alone here too?”, he asked her curiously. The girl nodded and her eyes flashed again with hope and her face beamed with joy. Dylan knew she must have felt alone, like him, because she seemed to be so happy that she had found someone. Aside from the industrial area, he had nothing and no-one and here seemed hope that somebody cared for his presence in this world.

Dylan stayed for hours with the girl, who spoke to him after a fashion. Her name was Emily and the industrial area was her secret hideaway too. She used to help out when the factories were running and her parents worked here. But that was long ago, she said and these days she was alone.

But she was tired of being alone. Dylan understood her perfectly and said as much. As darkness fell the two of them lay together, holding hand as they stared at the stars.

Dylan visited Emily every day for the rest of the week and the two of them played together in the disused factories and derelict buildings, and talked to each other about secrets and loneliness, tragedy and hope, the future and the past. Emily told him that she had died many years ago as the result of an accident with one of the big factory machines, but Dylan did not care. She was the only person in the world that made Dylan feel special and he knew that he loved her, and she loved him. By night they lay together and watched stars create miracles in the sky.

It was the happiest week of his life. But all things come to an end. At the end of the week Dylan's mother locked him in his room and told him to pack up his things. They were going to live with his father in a city many miles away and never return. He cried and cried and refused to pack but his mother was enduring a powerful hangover and beat him with a belt until he was silent. Dylan waited until later when, his mother was passed out and climbed out of his window, making his way to the industrial estate. As usual, Emily jumped out at him when he was in the darkness of one of the factories, but Dylan didn't laugh this time. Instead, with tears pouring down his face he told Emily what his mother had planned.

“But you can stay here with me, you don't have to go with her”, Emily pleaded as she grasped his hand. Her icy cold fingers caused goosebumps to run up Dylan's arm and a shiver to run down his spine. He knew he faced a choice- either he lived with his father and alcholic mother, or remained with Emily, forever. He shook his head and a tear fell down as she stood on tip-toes to kiss his cheek. That night they watched the stars creating miracles in the sky, and Emily fell asleep against Dylan's shoulder as the moon began to set. As dawn broke, Dylan woke Emily and told her he had to go.

“Will I ever see you again?”, she asked with a trembling look. There was a wild look in her eye of hopeless abandon and reckless lucidity. Dylan shook his head, eyes downcast. Emily went very quiet and there was a fiery look in her eyes as she gripped her hands into fists.

“I'm sorry”, Dylan whispered quietly and turned away. If he stayed any longer he knew he wouldn't leave, and his mother would be after him. Emily stood silent, watching the boy turn. The only person who had ever loved her was leaving. She would be alone again, for eternity. Anger welled up inside her as she saw red. There was no pain, only light.

The iron bar was spiked at one end and it was this end that pierced the back of Dylan's skull, sending fragments of bone and tissue cascading to the dusty factory floor. The body of the boy known as Dylan dropped to the floor and a cloud of dust billowed out from the impact. Blood dripped down the crumbling wall and the iron bar clanged to the floor, the sound echoing through the factory. Emily wept uncontrollably and fell to her knees, her anger satiated she realised her actions and cried out loudly for Dylan. Her ghostly screams carried up through the broken floorboards and into the night sky, the eerie wailing of a banshee.

Dylan's body was never found; few wandered into the dusty factories and forgotten warehouses anymore. Though some say that if you wander through the estate at night, you can make out the figures of two ghostly children, running through shadows. It was at the end of summer when boy met girl, tragedy met hope.

Warnings from the future

Sci-Fi flicks have always involved some twisted utopian vision of the future. Yeah you have the flying cars, the laser guns, robots and the like. But the future vision always holds some totalitarian state that governs the people, some macabre cold computer/database that runs the System, Artificial Intelligence governing the people. People are retina scanned and tracked (a la Minority Report), complete biometric data being stored and perused by a governing machine that people place their lives in. Doors, vehicles, weapons, computers all work at the touch of a fingerprint scan or retina access for convenience. But how personal is our genetic makeup? How public do we want our DNA records/iris makeup/fingerprint patterns to be?

You see, for me the Science Fiction futuristic cities and societies were always seen as something dangerous, something cold and unfeeling. In the films, people had traded in their personal data and genetic makeup to the higher powers, and the System as it were is always run by some macabre governing body (e.g Equilibrium, 1984- not sci-fi but Orwell's vision of the future, hauntingly accurate) in conjunction with a state-of-the-art AI System (e.g The Matrix, Surrogates etc etc)... In the films, the vision of utopia and advancement is seen as beneficial, everyone is happier and tasks are much simpler. And yet, the protagonist of the film, the hero of the hour is often the only one to notice how bad things have truly gotten, who sees beyond the facade and notices that something is not right, and that the totalitarian governing body (be it human gvt. or AI system) is inherently evil, or at least cold and unfeeling enough not to have emotion. In essence, human emotion is usually eroded away in these Sci-Fi film portrayals.. People become much like the very robots that "serve" them, or is it control them?

So yes, we generally have a protagonist who rebels against the system, saves the people, returns humanity back to the humans. Everyone rejoices, the credits roll up, people are satisfied.

And yet it seems as though we are heading towards the future that Sci-Fi films portray. You see the Sci-Fi flicks of note and of the genre stated above are, for me personally, a warning. A warning that we do not lose our humanity too much. A warning that we do not head towards a society run by computers, AI, systems beyond our control.. That we do not accede total power to those above, after all, the government's strengths should lie in the fact that the people are, in essence, in control. Once the government/governing body (e.g AI construct, extended database etc) extends its control/power beyond that of the people, then it becomes dangerous. For me, these films/novels etc are a warning. After all, the "hero" of the story is often one who liberates the people from this reality, the reality of being under total control and surveillance. Often the hero defeats the government, or the head of the government, or destroys the system of control.. Basically the hero gives humanity back to the people. Orwell's 1984, I don't know about you but for me the novel was a stark warning as to the dangers of acceding too much power to those already in power, the dangers of technology and surveillance, and many more subtle warnings that encompass the novel itself.

For me, these films and novels reflect warnings and dangers. But it seems that for many, they merely offer blueprints for the evolution of societies.

We are at an age of exponential growth, technologically and so forth. But I do not feel we are mature enough to handle this growth. It is the 21st Century, the new millenium. But we have not eradicated war. We have not eradicated poverty. We still do not trust our leaders, and they have probably lost more of our trust now than ever. Hence the increased control and the restrictions on human rights. And so we find technologies such as nano-chips and nano-machines being developed, mass surveillance of our own societies, advanced weaponry and warfare.. all of which serve beneficial purposes but also hint at very dark, very scary repercussions. And we do not trust our leaders to use them wisely. Especially those who realise our leaders are more than the elected officials, our leaders are the ones with the most capital to realise their ambitions.

When you look at futuristic societies as depicted in films and books, people often have much done for them, the advancement of technology being so great that people often appear slower and languid, more at-ease, perhaps happier- perhaps with less obvious emotion (!). People take more time it often appears, and many tasks such as opening a door or even driving are automated or performed by robots/AI systems. But this is, again, a worrying example of acceding power and control to others. But regardless. People have easier lives, and take more time to do things, they relax more it seems, and do not have the frenzied hustle and bustle of many of our western societies, where we do not live for the moment but rather live for the future. Everyone is busy, time is always an issue and there is always things to be done. It almost appears as if everyone is working frantically towards something, to a better "tomorrow" if you will. And perhaps, subconsciously, that is what people feel, or rather, what they are told. It seems as though somewhere, the leaders of the capitalist world are whispering to the tiny workers below, saying "Yes, work harder, faster, better, we need to work towards progress.. one day you will be able to relax, and everything will be done for you. We just need you to work now, and let us run everything for you. Trust us, we know what is best for you".

Maybe I am being too cynical, but my main point is that, for me, the vision of the future as depicted by sci-fi films is a cold and unwelcoming place, where people have traded in their humanity. Personally, I feel that our uniqueness lies in our biometric data. Our DNA codes are what make us who we are!! Our fingerprints are unique to our individual being!! Our retina information is personal to each individual! So why, why, should we ever give this up, for any reason? No reason, for me, is good enough for me to have my personal information, the building blocks that make us each a unique person, stored in a system, either publicly or privately. No threat to safety, "terrorism", or anything could make me want to give my personal information and data. I will quite happily push open the door, thankyou, without having my iris scanned. I will drive manually, thanyou, without fingerprint scanning.

You may think, well, sci-fi films/novels are works of fiction, they do not represent reality. But you are so, so wrong if you think so. Science Fiction has influenced Science, and has been influenced by Science, for generations. Look at the films and novels of the past, and compare it with technological and scientific advances. Look at the world around you today. Nano-machines, Global mapping, Interactivity, Brain mapping, Genome mapping, Genetic modification, increased surveillance, high-definition TV/cameras, the list goes on and on and on. Not to mention the military technology advancements that have occurred, the technological advances aimed at destruction rather than growth. Imagine if the military budget was spent, just for a year or so, on renewable or beneficial services... Poverty could practically be wiped out, there would be no need for fossil fuels, pollution would practically die out...

But it seems as though we are heading for such a future as depicted by science fiction genres. A technologically advanced society, where our governments have total control and we are all tagged, catalogued, and surveyed at all times. Where our personal unique data is recorded in databases run by "The System", whatever shape or form that will take. Just think about these things, as you find out via the mass media news networks of the "marvelous" new technology that has come into focus, or the "beneficial" aspects it will bring. Think of the negative effects, the things the news does not show you. Think for yourself. Think of the things they don't tell you, the technology the governments or intelligence agencies are working on in secret, perhaps a few leaked documents or rumours surface but what of the rest? Think of the future you want to live in.. and who or what you want controlling your lives.

Think of the science fiction films.. of the hero.. who tries to save the people from themselves... think of the hero.. who takes down the system.. restores humanity... think of the direction we are heading... and think of the implications of everything around you... Next time you see a science fiction film.. ask yourself.. is that the world you want to live in? Or do you support the hero of the story, the one who sees it for what it really is, and attempts to save humanity....

Illusions of Grandeur

The wind screamed horrifically as it kissed bare skin with steel blades, icy tears dropping like bombs shattered shards on the concrete forest. Figures below hurried along pre-set paths or inside metallic beasts roaming the endless roads, looking for a way out. The background people walked by, shadows and caricatures of each other they shuffled and bumped their way through pedestrian traffic. Some stopped and lit cigarettes, pausing to reflect on the chaos around them, nicotine sharpening their mind as their pupils contracted, taking in the scene before them. Silhouettes of people lost in their own worlds, the never-ending fall down the rabbit-hole that is consciousness. "Some day all of this will be yours", fathers whispered to their children over fast food and asparteme drinks. The children, smiling, look around at the post-dawn chaos and the shuffling presence of shadows, acknowledging no more than the advertisements and branding allowed. Caught up in the system, the background people could not see that what restricted them, each experiencing mass-produced consciousness that was injected intravenously. Society was fabricated and shaped by the social institutions which governed the people. Mass media organisations, religious institutions, corporate branding- all served on some level to keep the mass population from reaching their potential. War, poverty, evil and the like were, it was taught, fundamental parts of human existence which could never be eradicated. Once the people had surrendered to these ideals, their fighting spirit was subdued and they fell on their knees, seeking guidance from those who had reached a level of power and influence, which was measured by wealth. Most of the people were happy about this, their lives they knew would be short, because they were told that life was short. And so they lived for the 'morrow, the days that never came, and their thoughts dwelled on the past, days which seemed so much happier and better.

Killer Story- Part One

“The tangible mortality of man lends itself inevitably to the postulation of the infinite, for it is in the very nature of man to continually and exponentially question and ponder things beyond his own understanding and experience. Thus it is no great departure for man to overextend his empirical and cultural beliefs and explore the unknown. This is how we learn; being a creature of adaptation and curiosity we consistently produce new thoughts and beliefs, often without fully acknowledging their presence or validity. The issue of validity or morality is a subjective, social creation- information itself is devoid of conscious morality or opinion, and thus it can be stated that any information or 'ideas' are equally 'valid' and of importance; whether it can be used for good or evil is a matter of intention and subjective views of morality. This lends itself well to the formation of ideas and ideals- for advancement in this area is always as a result of building upon pre-existing information, be it prior ideologies; cultural and/or social values; historical theology; or any number of ideas that survive the passage of time and are transmitted via the shared information pool to which all thoughts and ideas belong. Do you understand? To which all thoughts belong, therefore we inevitably share the intrinsic experiences of others, a collective unconsciousness to which no specific owner is attributed. Your pain is my pain, and vice versa. Do not think you suffer alone, oh my brother, when what you are experiencing is merely the physical manifestation of the suffering we all experience, passed through the generations... Do you not feel enlightened? Suffering breeds clarity, it is through pain that we learn more about ourselves and our limits; there is nothing more pure than pain. Do you understand me?”

The mess on the floor groaned deeply and shifted it's head slightly, spitting blood onto the white marble. A bloodied eye set it's gaze upwards, fixating on the figure standing over it. The pupil dilated slightly at the shift in light, the nervous system still reacting to external stimuli somewhere beneath the pain. Of course the pupil is just a hole, a hollow in the centre of the eye. The blackness of the hole is the abyss inside of the eye, the darkness that hides inside all of us. The other eye was closed shut, swollen and bruised, with a deep capillary cut seeping below. The once-immaculate business suit of the villain was now soaked in dark blood as if it had been dumped in a sink of claret, and ripped in several places where thick gashes had penetrated the skin and opened it up, exposing layers of fat and muscle below the skin. But the deep gashes were not random nor were they a sign of butchery, very much the contrary. The lacerations appeared to be ordered, methodical, calculated. The deep lacerations served to sever important nerves, meticulously chosen and artistically executed. At the shoulders, the axillary nerves on each side of the body were pierced, cutting off the deltoid muscle's function to enable the arm to be lifted away from the body. The medial collateral ligaments of both knees were severed, leading to swelling due to haemorrhage and severe loss of function as anterior cruciate ligament damage also occurred in both knees. Deep capillary lacerations in the chest, cranium and limbs meant severe blood loss would occur, though slower than if arterial or vein lacerations had occurred. The result was indeed bloody and horrific but was carried out with a trained eye, not the work of a butcher but of an artist.

The shadow of a man lay in the grips of agonising pain and localised paralysis as blood seeped from open wounds onto the sparse white marble floor of his 'humble' abode. The material ornaments, artefacts and trinkets gathered in life and placed about the room brought no comfort to the man as he lay confronted with his own mortality, the metallic taste of iron in his mouth bitter-sweet. Life extended before and beyond him, a series of fleeting imagery and forgotten memories of a time long past, before the rapturous love of material wealth overtook his soul and the lustful glee of power took away his compassion for humanity. It is in the moments before death that one truly measures the worth of a man, for it is in those final moments that the true spirit of a man shines through and the material, corporeal world is transcended in a final beautiful moment of shining glory. But this man's soul was crushed long before the blows to his moral shell, and as such his eye was dull and vacant as it stared upwards, beyond the figure of retribution, beyond and beyond this mortal world and it's fleeting moments...

Our hero pauses for a moment, a small smirk playing around the corner of his lips. This one would not last much longer, his breathing was already becoming shallower and more laboured as time ticked by, the large grandfather clock's tick-tick-ticking the only sound to be heard in the large entrance hall besides the almost inaudible, laboured breaths of the clock's owner. The grandeur of the house was wasted on these two figures, infinitely closer in those final moments than two people ever have been- as the hand of retribution cupped the villain's face, their gazes locked and a deep understanding was passed silently between them. The villain opened his mouth slightly to speak but all that came out was silence, blood flowing from his mouth onto his torn chest. Our hero put a finger to his bloodied lips and grasped his hand as he whispered into his ear,

“Shh. No need for words. I understand you now more than anyone ever has and ever will. You have surrounded yourself with the comforts of the flesh and hid away from the responsibilities of Man, seeking pleasure and materialism over helping others. You have stepped on many people to get where you are now, ruined many lives and brought poverty and despair to those around you. But true poverty lies in the heart of Man, for you knew not what true wealth was, so blinded by the ethics of the very society that has turned against you. But fear not, my brother, for this is your moment of enlightenment. I have made you pure, Hayward Browne. You have never been more fit for heaven that you are now. For you see, you have done the bravest, most selfless act of your life this pensive eve. For you have died.”

And with that final speech, the villain knew peace. The thinnest of all smiles played upon the corner of his lips, and his eyelid slowly closed over and a final sigh left his body, as quiet and content as a child's sigh as it lay in the arms of its mother with no fears in the world, safe and content, knowing true peace as it slipped slowly into the soft, warm abyss of unconsciousness. Our hero lay there with the body as the warmth slowly left it, the last vestibules of mortality fleeing the human vessel as the pool of cooling blood congealed around him.

Basic Essentials or Required Luxuries?

As I sat here in bed, reflecting on the series of events that had occurred over the course of the weekend, I happened to glance at the time. 7.48 am. Dusk. 12 minutes until the landlords come round. 12 minutes until they close in, the people from the other side of the veil, coming to inspect the house with the South West's senior Drugs Analysis Expert, some guy who I knew would turn up in a metallic foil jumpsuit complete with a metal detector and forensic dogs that could sniff out a single crumb of intoxicant from up to a mile away.

They said they were going to check out the loft, or cave in the walls or something. Save us some money on heating. It's ok, I wanted to say to them. We haven't even paid any bills yet. The urge to just ride it out, see how long we could go was in the air. There was no point hiding it. There was several letters from the TV licensing people threatening to come round and break the door down, handcuff us and drag us out of our beds at some god-forsaken hour when I would not even be watching the deadly Tele-visual Device. But still it remained unpaid.

So I was sat there in bed, time going weird on me, hard to keep track. I went down to tidy up some more. But the house is too far gone. Strange things went on this weekend, things you cannot just tidy away at 7.35 am on a monday morning.. What day is it? My sources tell me Tuesday but I am dubious... By the Gods, has it only been 4 days since Clarity? Reason? When you begin a serious session, even just a fat smoke, a bit of a kain, the tendency is to push it too far, see how much you can ride it out, to see if you can still maintain and continue to ingest these mind-altering and messy intoxicants whilst keeping your grip on reality, some sort of sanity and light at the end of the tunnel.. Some light to work towards and to help guide you as you crawl your way back to life and sanity again. And we had pushed it.

8.10 am. They should be here any second. Everyone else is still asleep. Locked in their coma's, their bodies doing one final drastic thing to cleanse and to heal- complete unconsciousness. Even our clean housemate is gone, out cold I presume, probably picking up on the vibes and feeling the energy forms of the house. Bad vibrations, messy chakra's. I began to roll a spliiff, perfectly aware that the land-lords would soon arrive in this no-smoking, buttoned-down Christian house, to set loose the hounds and flush us out of our drug filled dens. I didn't care. I needed this spliff. Some kind of normality to set me straight. It had been a very messy and confusing weekend. The 4 days had seemed like a lifetime, a long week. Confusing vibrations.

I only had one Rizla. Disaster. This was terrible. Here I was, in bed, and with the Lords of the Land coming over, to let themselves in, with one skin to roll this joint. No time to move and search. Was it over? Were they already here? I could hear noises.. What would they see?

Too much had happened to cover it all up. It was pointless. Inevitability. To clean up too much would have been suspicious. They would be expecting some mess, some proof of chaos. We were, after all, students. Students of the World. Give them what they expect, no more, no less, and they will draw their own conclusions, their rambling nonsensical ideas of what goes on would be satisfied, with hopefully no idea as to why the vibrations got so messy, why it deteriorated, and why there are mushroom heads and stalk on the kitchen table.

Like I said I tried to clean it up, part of me could not see and was still only half awake. Coughing and spluttering I made my way downstairs and tried to piece it all together. I needed a some chocolate milkshake, the cold calcium-enriched lactose blend would inspire clarity and soothe. Enrich the body, it was now time for the Detox session. A week of cleansing and purifying the body, flush the toxins out of the body, get a grip. Don't show them any fear. The hounds will be after you. For money, bills, rent. You name it, they will find you. But show true grit, never back down, and you will get by. They do, after all, want to break you. It inspires complacency if you give up too soon. Rather, start as you mean to go on, give nothing away, and they will not know what to do. We haven't even set up our bills, let alone paid anything. Yet they still pump this house daily with gas, running water, electricity. Basic essentials or required luxuries? The vibrations were still confusing, sounds downstairs, hard to maintain and find out what was truly going on. I need some roach.

Next to me on the cabinet, lay the last incense stick. A van. Is that them? But it was necessary. Smoke the spliff, light the stick, pass out. Hopefully I would sleep through the worst of it. But still, it worried me. How much would they see? What would they truly notice? Would they pick up on the vibrations? The wavelength of the house? Would they see the hidden evidence? The subtle tones and shades and object placement that showed signs of a massive drug binge? A powerful and intense trip that spanned this long weeked.. how much would they know?!

It started out as a simple enough Friday night. But there was something in the... That was definitely them. Car door.. noise. I only just lit the J, would I have ...time..? - Some tones in the air that said that we all wanted to get fucked. It was subtle, but the vibrations were telling us, nay warning us that it was going to get messy, we must prepare. Stockpile the drugs, you never know what you might need, when you might need it. Doorbell. Ground ZER0. ( I think they are in the house) what to do.

They are inside the house.

I put the joint out and welcomed unconsciousness. It came quickly. One last survival mechanism, body shut down. No sound, do not attract their attention. The knocking on the door continued and so did the doorbell, disturbing the vibrations in the house- nobody stirred, I was losing consciousness fast and had no intentions of moving.. then they were inside the house. It was out of my hands.. They would see it all for what it was.. It was over..

12.01pm... The people are inside the loft. For now. So tempting to lock them in there, cutting off their escape route and leaving them stranded.. They only want to survey us anyway. They did that once, came round to go into the loft but never came down. After a while we assumed they'd gone and sparked a joint. They probably left in the night, after they had surveyed us and reported us to the appropriate authorities. But we hadn't done anything wrong, not yet.

Not sure what to do. Still on another wavelength, vibrations chilled and thoughtful. Who knows what the day will bring? Full of potential, but no skins it seems. Means a trip to the shop is inevitable. But not quite ready to leave the house yet. I must find a RiZLA []

Boxes and Angles

So I guess my first blog post wasn't really much of an introduction, or much of anything really. Just a rant of some form, about the state of affairs and how we seem to be going downhill when we should really be evolving.

Ah dear. Well I have been writing some stories of late, some twisted macabre and some slightly more sane. It is mostly a form of release, a creative outlet, and there are few things that compare to sitting down and freely writing, smoking heavily. I'll post some up I reckon.

Life seems very strange when you don't have money. I myself am skint at the moment and let me tell you, the world is a different place. Days do seem to blend together and it's funny because the prominent advertisements and shops don't really work when you don't have money, so you are in a sense more free, less restrained. See with different I's.

Thinking outside of the box is as simple as realising oneself is inside a box. Stepping outside of the box then is a natural process.

Looking at things from different angles and then saying "fuck the angles" and looking at things as a whole affords a greater degree of interest and insight. All opinions are valid, understanding those opinions is of importance, though you do not have to be impartial to view things from an impartial viewpoint. Understanding cannot be given, it can be taught in a sense but only the self can wake itself up.

Forever, and ever.