The Ramblings of A Mad Man - Part Four of Something Something...

Far be it from me to be political (never!), I've been prodded & jibed by the online population far too much this week not to complain a little.

PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS!

Oh, you want more than that...? Fine!

I'm not a bold intellectual, a scholastic man. Not in the slightest. You may well find me pawing through some rather interesting videos on YouTube or scrolling my way into despair at some spectacular "scientific" articles. The problem there being you can rely on truth & proof as much as you can by delving into the Bible or any of the other Abrahamic "How To" guides. It's great for interpreting whatever the hell you want but standing up for anything you might believe, in most cases, tends to lead to embarrassment or offence. Finding the real gritty truth these days reminds me of a shit episode of the X-Files.

That wouldn't be such a problem if the obvious lies & conspiracy stood out to everyone as much as it does for me. We'd all giggle & move on with our lives, I'm sure of it. The thing is, we're not talking about flat Earth theories or hollow moons; I'm talking about the simple fact that our global society is in the toilet & everybody is pointing fingers, passing the blame to whatever fits their agenda. I am crazy so don't take it from me. In fact, if you're still reading this you might be crazy too; still don't take my word for it. Go outside & look around. Walk around your local shopping centres, parks, alleyways; think about what you see. Think back on your life & everything you've learned & assess the question, "is this it...?"

You may have assumed from my previous comments that I'm not a religious man & by many interpretations you may be correct. I see any & all strictly held beliefs as religions unto themselves, personal, spiritual, communal & political. By that understanding, someone who is devoutly healthy in their diet would be considered personally religious & may well have joined a gym with others who are communally religious in the same way. If that person enjoyed being an environmentalist who petitions for animal rights, they too could then be considered politically religious. I do hope I'm making sense. With all I've said in mind & nary more than doctrine to argue against me, religion & belief go hand in hand, whether you attend a church or not. Unlike many others, I would not consider myself religiously "tied-down" in any respect. I try to be open-minded to other peoples assessments & greatly enjoy the religions of Physics, Biology & Mathematics. Don't let that fool you; I also revel in reading anything that holds a message & serves a purpose, regardless of whether I believe or agree with it. I have been known to practise meditation & have great respect for the spiritual aspects of Hinduism & Buddhism.

There comes a point in everyone's lives, if the conditions are correct, that they will have to ask themselves; "What do I believe?". The question might not follow those exact words & indeed might barely be asked before action is required. In these moments it's up to us to act on our basic instincts & educations. Do we have that...?

Our priorities as a species are entirely misplaced if the current visual evidence is anything to go by. I see more homeless people on the streets now than ever before, families falling apart & children being abused, starved, misled & corrupted. News flash, that's only in this country. Friends of mine who have travelled to visit the most tragically affected among us tell of poverty & manipulation from the western world. At first I was asking myself; "Where are my taxes being spent?". Sure, the street lights are on & "I Love Bletchley Day" happens bang on time every year but what the fuck happened to the welfare state? In this day & age there should not be this blatant lack of mass education & harmony. People should know by now that we're all on the same bloody ship, heading for the same unknown destination. All the rest is rather clever but it's actually doing us some damage now. Could we slow down a bit & let the stragglers catch their breath? Equally, could you kindly ask that small group in the middle to stop whispering about killing us all? All too much has become important out of context. The optimist inside me cries out for a modern version of the 10 Commandments by means of a universal understanding. No? Would you rather keep on blowing up children in the Middle East while we figure out what's going on...? Why is it so hard to believe that we could all get our heads around a few simple rules like "Never kill a person without the consent of the person you are killing" or quite simply "Try not to be a cunt".

You're still wondering why people are idiots, right...? I'll get to the point.

More so these days, similarly to the homeless crisis, I see arguments on social media, news articles & YouTube videos galore. You're thinking; "Yeah but they're all the idiots in the world, arguing the toss because they're bored!" and you're right. I am literally shocked every time I see a well constructed sentence or God forbid a question. Instead what I see is people sticking up for things they haven't researched in the slightest or only believe in because they're gullible. Where does that get them? Nowhere.

My ultimate question is; When did it stop being our responsibility to learn first & educate later? We base our systems on outdated modes & curriculum that seem to be less relevant than what the child could be learning at home or from experiencing the world for real. We have bred a generation of careless & uneducated parents who are now passing the torch to a brood of smart phone consumerists who barely know what happens outside their own doors. We need to learn how to compensate & fast, otherwise the work of many thousands before us could be undone in a matter of decades. We need to care more about ourselves & others, always looking for the greater truth in everything.

I want to be able to come back here in 20 years & not feel the need to bitch like a stressy victim. Alright...?

Cheers!
   

Everyone Has Their Drug... (Mine Is Biscuits)

Of the many things I've ingested over the years, a few could quite easily (and justifiably) be considered "drugs". The idea of a drug intrigues me as much as our obsession with them. Here, we have an entirely natural, habitable and hospitable reality in which to dwell. Yet, for our fair race the only interest seems to be escape. Through a variety of methods we all make our way into alternatives of all degrees. Whether it be the cheeky cigarette break or the full blown food frenzy, we all have addictions and our own personalised cocktail of drugs to treat them. For some it's sex, for others it's heroin, for me...

...Biscuits!

Okay, reasonably speaking I suffer from many an addiction but I'm taking a desert island approach to this subject. I believe it to be a fantastic idea to try and focus on one addiction and hope the others will simply get bored and go away. It hasn't worked so far but I'll be sure to keep you updated! If ever I find the patience to give up smoking I would be a very happy man indeed. For starters I would have more free cash, I would be healthier and more than likely, I'd be a little more sane. Tea on the other hand is one that will stay with me until the acid boils my belly and I die a very tea soaked death. Other than that, my exploits are mostly harmless...

Over the years my experience of drugs has led me to believe that the healthier option is always the best way to approach any and all inner demons.

Although...

LSD is an interesting experience that boggles the mind. The user is stripped of all conscious critical control and is subjected to an entirely emotional perspective of the world around them. Easily comparable to an extensive and strenuous attack on a large pile of Cannabis but with a hint of something more about it.

Cannabis itself is (to a casual user) a heavy, mellowing experience; although some possess an inexplicable tolerance toward it.  To the habitual, Cannabis is commonly experienced as a dull relief from a world that feels like a lot more effort than it should be.

MDMA is a drug cooked up by the devil himself. The experience can be enjoyable in small doses but overdoing it can lead to days of insomnia, unreasonable levels of forgetfulness and the mother of all jaw-aches.

Tobacco is one of the most dangerous and damaging drugs our race has ever encountered... apparently. It's true to say that the experience is mostly redundant compared to most other mainstream applications. It is in no way healthy and in no way complimentary to ones way of life and I believe the authorities may well be right in their quest to wean us off of it. Still, with the vast array of chemicals and compounds available on the black market, smokers should never be attacked so openly while users of more harmful drugs still remain unattended to (in the correct fashion).

Alcohol is the western world's poster-boy amongst all of the other drugs that are available to us, right now, out there. There is nothing more embarrassing nor harder to live down than drinking too much Whiskey and falling into a vomit-strewn bush, requesting your last, loving, dying words be sent ahead to your father. I'm yet (if ever) to experience a similar ordeal with any other drug. Due to it's usefulness as far as taxation is concerned, it remains unaffected by the "war on drugs" regardless of the number of people who have suffered from it's many negative attributes.

Speed (or "Amphetamines") is a reasonable resort if your intention is to stay awake all night and tap your foot inescapably. Then again, considering the cost and the long-term affects, you'd be better off stocking up some really classy coffee.

Biscuits bring about a sense of joy and satisfaction to every cup of tea. As far as I'm aware, biscuits have never been involved in any conflict. Other than, of course, the battle between not-dunked-enough & dunked-too-much. They don't cost an awful lot and if you're clever, most come with special offers attached. Biscuits may bring about an increase in general mass but this sacrifice seems acceptable considering the sheer amount of people dying over a few plants and a handful of clever scientists.

It's true, it is, that everybody has a drug. A manifestation of an inability to cope and perform as a stable-minded individual. Little things help some while extremes contain others. As John Lennon said; If we are to do anything at all about drugs and addiction, we need to discover what drives us to them and eliminate that need at it's source. Instead of treating the people behind the afflictions we perpetrate them and their suppliers with the full force of the law, hell begot (I'm paraphrasing, of course). Our understanding of drugs now as a species is incredible in proportion to John's time but our attitude toward the issue still stinks to high-heaven. With mental illness and drug use on the rise, perhaps in future, instead of attacking the issue with all the gusto of a pack of armed snails, we should educate and liberate each other from all the things out there that we know are not good for us.

For now... I think I'll have a custard cream.

Trick or Treat (Hallo-what!?)

Well, it’s not that I’m against anyone having fun or celebrating whatever pagan/religious festival that comes along, but what the hell is Halloween all about? 

When I was a youngster we didn’t dress up in ludicrous costumes and demand (by text) to be given money or a large bucketful of sweets with the veiled threat that if you don’t comply you could find your car tyres let down, or worse. In homes all over the country people are switching off their lights, turning down the TV and pretending not to be home. The whole thing has got completely out of hand. And what’s with the expensive costumes? Designer death masks and Gucci hats? The shops are definitely making a fortune, no doubt about that, but is it really necessary? Do we have to be plagued by special offers? 2 pumpkins for the price of one, £5 box of trick or treat sweets, which will probably disappear after the first callers! It is all designed to part you from your money, while being told how much you are going to enjoy it. Can’t we have a good time without having to mortgage our souls?

Yes, souls folks, that is what Halloween is all about. All Souls Eve, that is what we are celebrating. No one, not even the cleverest of scholars can be absolutely certain where this festival originates. Quite possibly it hearkens back to the ancient Roman feast of Parentalia which was a festival in honour of the dead. It seems you’d take a picnic down to the tomb of your ancestors and share the holiday with them! Sounds a bit creepy, but I suspect not as creepy as a menacing 7 year old wearing a David Cameron face mask and toting a large brick!

The concept of death and rebirth is as old as, well death and rebirth, and this festival is also associated with holding back the death of summer. There are many varied interpretations of the festival going back to Anglo Saxon times, and of course Christianity put it’s on inevitable twist on it. However, it was left to good Old Uncle Sam to give us ‘trick or treat’ and dressing up in a variety of costumes that have little or nothing to do with the original spirit of the festival.

We are fast becoming the playthings of consumerism. It happened with Easter and Christmas, now the minor festivals are being targeted. However much this may sting the faceless corporations who make a fortune out of this I think we should simplify things a little. Now my idea which would combine i) remembering the dead, ii) being a bit of spooky fun, iii) obtaining money and/or gifts, would be to approach the house wearing normal clothing, pale faced (perhaps a cheap bag of flour would help), and when the owner opens the door, whisper in clear yet dulcet tones ‘I SEE DEAD PEOPLE’. Now if this doesn’t result in payment I’ll eat my pumpkin!! 

 Let’s get the party rolling!

- Cleo Bloggs

That "War" Thing Over There...

"Until the colour of a man's skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes; Me say war."

Today, more than ever, we are aware of war. It comes in many shapes and sizes. From the petty disputes of overbearing policy & polite anarchy to the wars of religion, equality & money; we're all well and truly used to it. But, what is war? How do we as individuals better understand it and how can we better serve against it? First (as usual) we have to go back to the beginning!

Sorry...

As has always been the case, at it's core, war is seen as the ultimate disagreement. War occurs when two people cannot simply agree on a happy medium and conflict emerges. Originally this was an extremely brutal affair with much bludgeoning but has since developed into a highly orchestrated psychological attack. It is true to say that death and disarray still play a vital role in the success of war but only so far as to create a stressful working environment for one's opponent.

When the first kingdoms & empires sprung to fruition, land was freely available with little to no bloodshed. The tribes were a hassle to pillage, plunder and bribe but eventually the world was divvied up into his, hers & theirs. The rulers of these early nations saw profit in capturing their colleagues land and would arrange soldiers to occupy as much as possible, as soon as possible. Often, the opposing leader would retaliate by sending in their own soldiers and more often than not death on both sides would ensue. After a few hundred years, the more "in-tune" leaders formed alliances to make up numbers and protect themselves from the weaker, lesser nations. These organisations still exist and grow, although recent events have shown them for the fallacy they present. 

The excuses for war are endless and somewhat tedious but the reality of what war represents has never changed. Until now.

Over time, common sense and rational thinking have led to the discovery of the meaning of life. There is no meaning, do what you want. People have been aware of this fact for some time but with the distractions of divinity and personal ascension, it has remained widely ignored. Human beings are incredible at making excuses and have done so for generations. At the turn of the 21st century, ignorance became uncool and we started speaking out. I was 11 when I was sent home from school because a group of men, thousands of miles away, had decided to fly passenger planes into heavily populated buildings. The whole world shut down in those few hours while we were introduced to our first mainstream gang of terrorists and taught the basics of the new world order. Not many questions were asked at first, people were afraid, the gang was to be dealt with. The allied forces were dispatched in vast numbers to all manner of places to do their work and 12 years later, we're no closer to achieving a sensible agreement. 

There is one major difference between this latest bout of conflicts and it's predecessors; support. Propaganda plays a vital part along the way and can often lead to victory all on its own. Sending a positive message to one's populace not only rallies support in terms of fire-power but also in terms of financial backing. If the average number believes that they are contributing to a noble cause they will contribute in almost any way they can, even in the face of death. The trouble being that these days, the numbers aren't rolling in quite as fast as before. Negative press from independent sources has all but stripped this war of any reason or rhyme and any informed individual is as likely to subscribe to the war effort as they are to sign up for the other side. Several more conflicts have come to the public eye as part of the latest wave of propaganda overspill and British nationals have been migrating in droves to support rebel forces & so-called "terrorist" groups, rather than serve the organisations that house them. In a few short months, the allied forces are set to evacuate the war-zone they have exacerbated, yet it seems unlikely the dispute will resolve itself at any point in my lifetime. After-all, it's only been going on since the beginning of civilisation in the middle-east. 

Understanding war is like attempting to remove a brick wall with a wooden spoon; You're more than likely to wear yourself out before you've even begun to break the surface. In fact, war itself is inherently human, entirely illogical and (I believe) highly unnatural. In nature, an animal does not kill unless it feels it must. It will hunt the living for food but never for fun or fortune. It could be that one day, Farmer Bill had a disagreement with Farmer Phil about where the boundary fence should be between their two farms. Farmer Bill wanted it there but Farmer Phil wanted it there. Bill threatened to send over his oversized sons (Will & Gill) to settle the matter by way of fatality and Phil defeatedly mumbled "Go on... Take it all!", having only his undersized daughter (Jill) to defend him. I could quite happily see the result developing from there. Land, resources & control are still the playing field but Bill & Phil are now big fat bankers with wallets as fat as your fist and little to no interest in who's sons and daughters are involved in the onslaught. It's a sad state of affairs but it is the reality we've created. On the upside, it happens to be a reality we have express powers to change.

Often I wonder how I, little old me, can impact on that "war" thing over there. How can I help the people just like me in their homes, scared for their lives and those of their family? How can I send a message to those that choose to set the target and those that choose to pull the trigger? How do I make it stop?

First, I have to remember that alone I can achieve nothing more than a ripple. However tempting it is to hide from the noise, I know that the less involvement I have, the less impact I will have. Just by talking about what is going on and creating a public attitude toward a global issue can create an immense change. From there the potential is endless. Confronting the people that orchestrate these terrible deeds is a necessity but not to slay them or torture them or enslave them. No. To relieve them of their powers and to educate them in humanity. 

Come on. Give peace a chance! If not for John; Do it for me...?  

Said-U-Cation

Once upon a time, not so long ago, in the heat of the moment, I made a statement. Some would choose to be greatly offended by the words that passed my lips, yet none so far have denied my truth;

"There are two things distinctly wrong with our entire society which have affected us to a great extent. Parenting & education." 

Bold as it is to state (being neither a parent or a teacher), I believe I may be able to save myself from the imminent death, which lurks in the mind of anyone serving either profession while reading those words. Please, refrain from doing so... I merely mean to opinionate and never to offend. 

Back when early humans were developing as monkeys, society was a natural & well-served affair. Participants were so unintelligent that they willingly partook in the habits of their brethren with little to no questions asked or answered. The "system", as it was in those days, depended on a few simple tasks being taken up by the entire collective in order to achieve contentment & safety amongst the body. Things such as hunting, foraging & childcare. There was never a need for much else and the people of that time both knew & respected the natural way of things. Instinctively, passing this knowledge to their children, the education & parenting systems were unknowingly formed. 

As our brains & bodies developed we became not only more intelligent but more considerate. We had achieved the ability to question openly and receive answers knowingly. The systems that we had put in place as our former selves had in turn become questionable & malleable. The first nurseries were formed as tribes grew in numbers while demands on parents became more time-consuming. With more mouths to feed; more meat must be hunted, more fruit must be foraged & more wood must be found for fire. Again, we respected these natural requirements. Revering the forces of nature as divine. Teaching our fledglings the same by way of practical learning when the time came. 

The late great Douglas Adams made an interesting case back in 1998 when he spoke of a similar assumption. He said; "Imagine early man. Early man is, like everything else, an evolved creature and he finds himself in a world that he's begun to take a little charge of; he's begun to be a tool-maker, a changer of his environment with the tools that he's made and he makes tools, when he does, in order to make changes in his environment. To give an example of the way man operates compared to other animals, consider speciation, which, as we know, tends to occur when a small group of animals gets separated from the rest of the herd by some geological upheaval, population pressure, food shortage or whatever and finds itself in a new environment with maybe something different going on. Take a very simple example; maybe a bunch of animals suddenly finds itself in a place where the weather is rather colder. We know that in a few generations those genes which favour a thicker coat will have come to the fore and we'll come and we'll find that the animals have now got thicker coats. Early man, who's a tool maker, doesn't have to do this: he can inhabit an extraordinarily wide range of habitats on earth, from tundra to the Gobi Desert - he even manages to live in New York for heaven's sake - and the reason is that when he arrives in a new environment he doesn't have to wait for several generations; if he arrives in a colder environment and sees an animal that has those genes which favour a thicker coat, he says “I'll have it off him”. Tools have enabled us to think intentionally, to make things and to do things to create a world that fits us better. Now imagine an early man surveying his surroundings at the end of a happy day's tool making. He looks around and he sees a world which pleases him mightily: behind him are mountains with caves in - mountains are great because you can go and hide in the caves and you are out of the rain and the bears can't get you; in front of him there's the forest - it's got nuts and berries and delicious food; there's a stream going by, which is full of water - water's delicious to drink, you can float your boats in it and do all sorts of stuff with it; here's cousin Ug and he's caught a mammoth - mammoth's are great, you can eat them, you can wear their coats, you can use their bones to create weapons to catch other mammoths. I mean this is a great world, it's fantastic. But our early man has a moment to reflect and he thinks to himself, 'well, this is an interesting world that I find myself in' and then he asks himself a very treacherous question, a question which is totally meaningless and fallacious, but only comes about because of the nature of the sort of person he is, the sort of person he has evolved into and the sort of person who has thrived because he thinks this particular way. Man the maker looks at his world and says 'So who made this then?' Who made this? - you can see why it's a treacherous question. Early man thinks, 'Well, because there's only one sort of being I know about who makes things, whoever made all this must therefore be a much bigger, much more powerful and necessarily invisible, one of me and because I tend to be the strong one who does all the stuff, he's probably male'. And so we have the idea of a god. Then, because when we make things we do it with the intention of doing something with them, early man asks himself , 'If he made it, what did he make it for?' Now the real trap springs, because early man is thinking, 'This world fits me very well. Here are all these things that support me and feed me and look after me; yes, this world fits me nicely' and he reaches the inescapable conclusion that whoever made it, made it for him."

When we as a species moved away from the idea of nature & into the realms of Gods and Goddesses, we adapted the way we taught our young significantly. The first churches and indeed schools were formed, taking education further from the control of experience. Over successive generations, wires crossed & necessary values were overlooked. More value was placed in the ever-growing sense of divinity that we ourselves had created than in our instinctive knowledge. By the time our modern, mainstream Gods had made centre stage we had established trade and with it an economy. Distracting us further from the most important of our few necessities; childcare. With the fall of the divine Goddess during the Pagan genocide, women were placed at a lower importance than man and seen as a subservient being. Religion, conquest & the economy replacing her as man's best friend. 

In the modern age, we have all but overcome such travesties. In the western world, religion is falling rapidly and the economy is steadily becoming something of an irritation to the average person. With the rise of the internet we are more aware than ever of the corruption which has stalked us from our very earliest developments as a species. Politicians, religious leaders & banking executives are often perceived as the bane of our existence. With it though we are awash with conflicting ideals and moral values, sprung from the very cause of our confusions. Lack of effective education. We are well and truly bombarded with the moral dilemmas of what we see happening elsewhere in the world and have little to no knowledge of what to do to help make things right. Children die on our TV & computer screens as we watch in deliberation and dismay. We have absolutely no idea of how to liberate our fellow man without the necessary sacrifice to our own relatively comfortable way of life. 

Today, the issues we face as a species haven't changed in the slightest since our humble beginnings. The three major components for our survival remain in tact, regardless of our distractions & conflicting ideals. Yet, with our early hobbies becoming modern habits we seem unable to break out of the cycle of curriculum & conformity. One's career is seen as a higher importance than another's happiness. Personal growth & development have taken the place of collectivism & mutual satisfaction. The trouble being the sheer amount of what I like to call "Said-U-Cation". 

I have always made the case that one cannot possibly know what has not been experienced or learned personally. The assumption was made some time ago that by simply unearthing a truth on an individual or group of people somehow makes them wiser and as such in a higher state of education. Consider for a moment a carpenter who has yet to craft wood. The individual may well have been preached the basics of woodwork but without undertaking the psychical process involved, they can be no more assured that what they have learned is based in fact or rumour. By interacting with said wood and forging the intended article, the participant is no longer educated but experienced. This brings about an absolute truth that can no more be denied than avoided. However, our society wrongly relies on so many things that cannot be physically experienced nor enjoyed. We are taught that relieving ourselves of any and all physical hardship is the highest priority and will lead to our much sought after enlightenment. Our basic desires are placed in the background of conciousness and more often than not entirely taken for granted. 

I believe that the easiest way to escape this apparent trap is remembering to teach our children the reason and rhyme behind our existence. Remembering to teach them what is necessary and what is accessory. Remembering to teach them to teach the same. Although in the great scheme of things our time here is minute and fleeting, the significance & impact we have while here is both incredible & awe-inspiring. Yes, we have a responsibility to develop and grow, but as a species and not as a rabble of individuals. Parents, teachers & in turn all of us alike hold an equal responsibility to share the truth that we all know by pure instinct alone. We all deserve to know the reasoning behind our existence and we are all accountable in delivering it. First & foremost we are here to survive. Everything else is a bonus...



P.S. I highly recommend reading the entire speech made by Douglas at Biota 2 in '98. He makes an extremely inspiring case. Check it out @ http://www.biota.org/people/douglasadams/ 

I Am God.

For as long as I can remember, religion has been a part of my everyday life. I've never been truly devout in anything other than art & drugs but I've dabbled here and there, picking up pieces of the puzzle as I ramble along.

As far as I can tell, all "mainstream" religions follow the same basic rules in order to achieve the same basic outcome; To lead a good and honest life in order to reach enlightenment & transcendence. The rules waver somewhat in between but we can easily point the blame at certain cultural influences at the time of their publication over several hundred (possibly thousand) editions & amendments.

Jim Jefferies put it best when he said that the Bible should be one page long and only read "Don't be a cunt". Quintessentially, all of these publications are portraying exactly that message in a round about way if you really really scratch the surface (really). Ultimately, a religious article is a guide book for the believer to follow in order to lead a good life and please their particular God. Unfortunately, many fell fowl to corruption during the monetary establishment and subsequent capitalisation of religion. It's come to the point where most sane, open-minded people would rather choose not to follow any religion at all, let alone in an orthodox fashion.

So here's the truth. The real truth. To put your mind at ease...

I am God.

But so are you...

Listen! In all my inquisitions I have noted that all religions and belief systems point to God (or earlier on "Gods & Goddesses") being the forces of nature. More-so, the power of the universe. I have a theory that our God is not a hypocritical, contradictory deity with a split personality. No... I believe that God is in everything. God is in the winds and the waters, the planets and the stars, the light and the dark. God is in every particle and every atom. God is inside of us, outside of us and most importantly, part of us. Every single one of us!

However, it does come with a catch... You can't use God as an excuse any more! You shouldn't beat yourself up about it.