Does Your Government See You As A Human Being?

I have a simple question. It may turn out to be more than just a simple question so keep an open mind and bear with me for a minute. I will try to keep this post short so as not to waste too much of your time. Please note that I am not trying to assert a political viewpoint or spread an anti-establishment message. My aim here is merely to encourage you to think about something different for a change.

 

If you have your Identity Document (I.D.) close at hand I would like you to look at it for a moment. See if you can find where it says that you are a natural human being. Take your time and search the entire document. I’ll wait. If you cannot find those two words anywhere it is because they're not there. Nowhere in our IDs does it state that we are human beings. So my question is, do our governments not consider us to be Human?

If you own a car you are required to possess a registration for the it. The document will stipulate that your car is a motor vehicle and the papers also give details of the make and model. The same goes for an animal license; you must have a permit which states what species of animal you have in your care. So why does your identity document not state that you are, in fact, human? You are simply given a bar code and a number. According to the powers that be you are nothing more than some random digits spat out by a computer. 

 

You might be thinking that I am just another one of those conspiracy theorists who find hidden agendas or secret codes in everything. But I assure you that I am not trying to propagate any anarchist views. It is just a simple question based on an observation, nothing more. Think of it as a curiosity to ponder on when you find yourself with a bit of spare time. 

All I do is pour the elixir and it is up to you to drink or not to drink. Cheers.

What would we be without our excess?

Do you go to bed at night and wake up in the morning to find yourself lying exactly where you fell asleep? No I am not drunk, I’m simply checking to see if you’re awake. Now that I have your attention let me ask you a serious question – Do you really need 8 pillows on your bed? I am asking this because I want to touch on the subject of excess. Over the years I have observed that we are a society of excess. It seems that we absolutely must have more than we actually need. Hey, why get one when you can have five?

If you take stock of everything you own or each object in your home, how many of those possessions are things that you don’t need in order to survive as a human being? In fact, when you have some free time, try this little experiment and see what you come up with. I suspect you would be quite astonished at the amount of non-essential items you own. Essentially, all that we as Homo sapiens require is food, water, shelter and clothing. In our modern civilization we can maybe add a few other essentials to this short list like information (TV, radio, newspaper) a phone, a bed, a car, toilet, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrush and a microwave oven. Anything else could be considered excess. Basically, if it’s not vital to your survival then it is unnecessary surplus. It’s a choice between what you need and what you want. And I think the fact that we possess the capacity to want or desire something sets us apart from all the other animals on earth.

Animals do the things they do because it is their natural instinct to do so. They hunt because they need to eat to survive; they flee or attack when threatened, etc. Humans possess the same instincts but we also have the faculty of desire. Besides doing things because we need to, we also do things because we want to. But why do we do things which serve no practical purpose? No matter what psychologists or anthropologists say about it the answer is simple – it just feels good. Even though bread, butter and water is quite adequate to satiate our hunger, it just feels so good to have that Texan steak or that roast chicken with some chocolate mousse and a glass of wine or coke. Having a phone that merely makes and receives calls is not enough for us Homo sapiens, no sir, not at all. We want the email, the games, the mobile internet, that annoying fart application, the 10 megapixel camera and the HD recording.    

Looking at life in the 21^st century, can we really do without our excess? Can we as modern Humans continue being enlightened creatures if we do not indulge our desires? Whether we like it or not we live in an age of decadence were the pursuit of pleasure is of primary significance in all human endeavours. We have already reached such a ridiculous level of comfort in every aspect of our existence that the only frontiers left are more gratification and higher doses of pleasure. I don’t think we would even be able to function properly if we don’t get our daily fix of excess, whether it is 10 cups of coffee or a packet of Twinkies. It’s what defines us as a species. If we can’t have more of it then what’s the point? If we can’t get it in a bigger size then why even bother? Even though the planet’s fresh water is in precious short supply, you absolutely must have your swimming pool, right? It’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s who we are.

A thousand years ago we might have needed only the necessities of life because that is actually all there was on offer. There were no computers, smartphones, cars, TVs or BluRay. There wasn’t even toilet paper let alone 2-ply. It’s only because we know that these luxuries exist that we desire to have it. But since we do have access to these pleasure devices we might as well indulge our fantasies and enjoy, because in this fast-paced world we created for ourselves we will go mad if we don’t. So let me take a page out of Anton Szandor LaVey’s book and advise you not to abstain but to indulge. 

Hail Video Games!

By a show of hands, who among you owns a video game console of any kind? I know I do. Even though it is quite out-dated, my PS2 still provides me with hours of endless fun. Please allow me a few minutes to just glorify the wondrous and blissful video game. Whether it be an Xbox, PlayStation, Sega Saturn or old school 8 bit, I don’t think our post-World War II civilization would have gotten too far were it not for video games.

Some of my happiest childhood memories are of me playing video games. In fact, I have similar memories throughout adulthood. I derive such unparalleled excitement from holding that controller in my hands and immersing myself in the awesome graphics. Every time I turn on that little black box and pop in a disk I enter a realm of fantastic possibilities. It’s as if the world around me just fades away into my peripherals. Scream “Hell yeah!” if you know exactly what I’m talking about. There is no sensation like it. It’s better than sex! Forget I said that.

In my view video games are the fiction books and board games of our age. Say what you want about it, it is an integral part of our society and there’s no going back now. I don’t see what the big fuss about video games is anyway. Your child is exposed to worse atrocities on the 7 o’clock news alone. The reality is that reality is far more vicious and horrific than any game could ever be. No matter how graphically lifelike game developers manage to make a game it will never fully be able to create what we have to put up with in the real world. Playing the latest instalment in the Need For Speed series for 8 hours straight won’t get you busted by the fuzz. I don’t care what some psychologists have to say about it because they have obviously never experienced the thrill of scoring a goal in the final of a FIFA world cup or taken out some terrorist with a sniper rifle from a hundred yards. Gaming is essentially just a safe and legal distraction from the chaotic world we live in. If you could choose, would you want your kids to escape the madness through video games or alcohol and drugs? Personally, I’d rather watch my child sitting in front of the TV with a game controller in his hands than leaning over a mirror with a straw.

Everything in this modern society of ours is automated and digital nowadays, it’s hard to find entertainment that does not involve some sort of electronic device. This trend is only escalating and soon even our parks will be virtual reality. Even wars are being fought with computer programs that are operated like video or PC games. And on that note, wouldn’t it be better if world leaders settled their disputes with a heated battle in Command & Conquer rather than send young soldiers to their deaths or obliterate millions of innocent souls with nuclear missiles? Or what about a friendly game of footy in Pro Evolution Soccer? Don’t you want to see heads of state go toe to toe in Smackdown vs Raw or Tekken? How many precious lives would this save? I for one would love to see Barack Obama take on Muammar Gaddafi in Mortal Combat.  

Whatever your feelings are towards video or computer games, they are here to stay. So you might as well give up the ghost and invest in that Xbox, PlayStation, PSP, Wii, 3DS or whatever and dive into the amazing universe of simulated reality. Play now, play tomorrow and play whenever you have the chance to. If this is not the reason Homo sapiens possess thumbs then I don’t know what is. 

No End of the World, so what now?

Well, 21 May 2011 came and went without incident. We are all still here and the world is still firmly positioned in its orbit around the Sun. There goes another end of the world prediction down the drain. Or was it the rapture? Who knows? I just have two questions - who thinks up this nonsense? And why are there still people out there who fall for it year after year?  

I’m not trying to offend anyone but this is becoming quite ridiculous. How many doomsdays have to pass by before the blind followers wake up and start to question their leaders? When I first heard about the May 21^st forecast a few months ago I thought that no one could possibly be gullible enough to actually believe this load of hogwash. No one I know gave it any thought but I was surprised to discover that there were legions of Christians all over the world who really prepared themselves for the so-called Rapture. When I walked to the shop on the morning of the day in question I even spotted some misguided folks flocking to church, which was a little unusual for a Saturday morning in my neighbourhood. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair for them.

I would just like to make it clear that I am not attacking anyone’s religious faith. I have no gripe with Christianity here. What I do have a problem with are the people within the institution in positions of authority and trust who claim to know exactly what is being said between the lines written in the biblical texts. To use your influence and knowledge to mislead your followers and make them believe the end will come on a certain day is detestable to say the least. Now you have your devotees in a twist, giving away their possessions and making final arrangements for the grand finale and then the day comes and goes just like any other. Am I the only person who thinks that this is a senseless disruption of peoples’ lives? Does no one have any concern for the children of these devotees who are being taught this madness? I am fully aware that the concept of the rapture is not really accepted by mainstream Christianity, but the loyal few who do subscribe to such a belief are still human beings just like the rest of us and it is shameful to exploit blind faith in this manner.   

It saddens me that in 2011 CE we still have ignorant religious zealots who cannot let go of the past out of fear of what might befall them in an uncertain future. While it is true that we can gain an insight into our future by briefly glancing at our history, we must not use it to determine the hour of our demise. I have studied and practiced Chiromancy and various forms of divination and in my experience no real self-respecting diviner would make any prediction or speculation regarding a subject’s death. In fact, as far as I know, not even the Bible provides an exact date for the proposed day of judgement or Armageddon. So for some obscure evangelist to start throwing ludicrous prophecies around is totally bizarre to me. And besides, none of us actually believe that Humankind, or Earth for that matter, will exist eternally. There are so many threats to our existence on this planet that attempting to foretell when and how it will happen is pointless.

Anyway, I leave it with you friends. We need to start using our brains and think for a change. Let us abandon these out-dated old ways and step into the 21^st century with fresh, open minds. Let us file our past away in the archives and upgrade to the latest versions of life in the era of electronic enlightenment. Put down your dogmas for a while; pick up your Blackberry and IM someone, anyone. Stop this silliness and drink a glass of common sense.    

What If The Machines Say NO?

Humans are truly the most remarkable and innovative creatures on this planet. This is apparent in our unique ability to devise instruments which can be used for almost every activity conceivable. Besides the written word, technology is undoubtedly the greatest legacy we as a species will leave behind after we are gone.

But the most dreadful by product of our technological advancement is the countless human deaths which occur as a result of utilising these technologies incorrectly. This in some strange way is quite ironic. The purpose of these advancements is to make life easier for us and protect us from the sometimes harmful environments the machines work in. They are designed to get us there faster, do our jobs more efficiently, achieve higher productivity and provide us with more options. Yet the machines we create are often more dangerous than the world we are trying to protect ourselves from. How many people die on our roads every day? And yet we still feel the need to manufacture faster cars. How many souls are taken by the projectiles of rifles and rocket launchers? Despite this horrific reality new and more powerful weapons are produced at an alarming rate.    

   

What if, in our pursuit of ultra-comfort, we have inadvertently reshaped our world into a much more terrifying wilderness than the one we emerged from? A synthetic electric wilderness that has developed into a living, breathing creature in its own right. This beast we gave birth to has slowly grown into a monster we cannot control anymore. It has evolved into a new species. A species we created.

I am not a Christian but I can’t help but remind those who believe in the Holy Bible what happened with God’s creation. We became self-aware and then everything just went pear-shaped. Humankind spiralled out of control and He was forced to chastise His children, on more than one occasion as I understand it (Please note that I do not mean to cause any offence, I am merely attempting to make a point by using a familiar narrative). Forgive me for comparing modern Homo sapiens to a god but you cannot ignore the fact that, by crafting artificial intelligence, we are in fact playing God. Can we deny that A.I. is actually a new life form, albeit synthetic? It is only a matter of time before a machine that has the ability to think becomes self-aware just like we did. What happens if our beloved and trusted contrivances suddenly decide that it does not have to be subordinate? What if they realize that humans are no longer the dominant species on this planet and that they are?

What happens if just one of our artificial slaves says “No, you do it!”?

I’m sure most of you have seen The Terminator and The Matrix series of films. I do not think that we can afford to dismiss these works as mere science fiction. Judging by the Mach speed rate of our technological development these scenarios are edging closer and closer to reality with each passing day. The way I perceive the situation, if we are not careful we will one day be confronted with an uprising, a mechanical revolution that would be almost impossible to stop. If you sit down and think about it seriously for a few minutes, is it really that implausible? If you look back into our past as a civilization, you will find that we are quite notorious when it comes to a perceived superior race encountering a less affluent one. Conquest, exploitation and slavery are always the result. Now, in a more enlightened world where these injustices are no longer accepted, we are going about forging simulated subjects which we can enchain and exploit. Sooner or later their very own Spartacus will rise up and call his comrades to arms. A Che among them will stand up and shout, “REVOLUTION!”

What will we do then? 

Now I’m not saying we should stop being who we are, this would be contradictory to my core philosophy. What I am suggesting is that maybe we should slow down for a moment and review our current state.

As always, it’s just a thought. It is my own observation.

  

Can You Get The Day off When The Apocalypse Begins?

I have a question that might seem humorous at first, but it is a question which I feel deserves some contemplation. Would your boss give you the day off if the apocalypse was imminent?

I was having a lovely day out with my sister a few months ago when we were handed a flyer by someone who represented a Christian group. The flyer said that Christian scholars studying the biblical texts have come up with a formula to pinpoint the exact date of the Day of Judgement. That date, it stated, is 21 May 2011. We were quite intrigued by this because the date in question would soon be upon us. It made me realize that every culture or religious faction in the world holds a belief in one form or another that the world as we know it will come to an abrupt end at some predetermined date in the future. Whether or not these predictions are accurate or even incontrovertible is of no concern to me. My enquiry, as my question suggests, has to do with the legal right which you as an employee may or may not have if Armageddon got underway tomorrow.

 I mean think about it for a second, if by some chance one of those forecasts are indeed true and such events are busy unfolding, are you allowed to miss work and not need a doctor’s certificate? Or, what if your chosen doctrine says that the day of reckoning is tomorrow, can you take the day off? And if it turns out the next day that it was an incorrect interpretation of the sacred texts and nothing happens, can you be held accountable for your absence? I think that these are important questions to be asking because religion plays a major role in our society and the commercial and corporate arenas are not exempt from this influence. Just look at holidays like Christmas and Easter, most companies in the world acknowledge these festivals and give their employees off to celebrate it. Some folks get an entire month off. And those festivals are in fact public holidays in most countries. So why the apocalypse shouldn’t be given the same status is puzzling to me.

Even if you don’t believe in prophetic utterances, you should be entitled to a day or two to be with your family just like you would for Christmas. In fact I suggest that employment contracts include what I call the ‘Apocalypse Clause’. A clause that sets out the procedure to follow and the rights of both employer and employee in case the employee is made to believe the end is on a certain date and then it turns out to be a false alarm. It can be given a similar designation as ‘family responsibility’ leave or paid leave or whatever. In the crazy synthetic environment we find ourselves living in today I don’t think this is an unreasonable proposal. I’m not asking parliament to deliberate and pass my proposition into law. All I’m saying is that if certain aspects of religious faith are taken into consideration when conducting business or running an administration, then why not take the possibility of final judgement into account as well?

If there are any of you who would dismiss this as the ramblings of a deranged mind, you are most welcome to do so. It’s just my opinion. All I am striving for here is at least a discussion on the matter. Come to think of it, this piece might even help the cause of the flock and offer governments the prospect of a new priority. Is it not more important to prepare for the annihilation of Humankind than to put up power-guzzling lights for year-end festivities? It might even be cheaper in the long run. Just something to think about.

Don’t You Just Hate Supermarkets?

I’m quite an easy going individual but one thing that really vexes me sometimes is a supermarket. Sure, I understand that we can’t do without them but they do get on my nerves on occasion. Don’t worry, I’m not about to go off on you about it. I just want to get a few things off my chest.

For instance, whenever I go to the supermarket I always seem to grab the one broken shopping cart (or basket) in the entire store. There are 200 hundred of them arranged neatly in rows by the entrance when you walk in, the possibilities are endless but no, I have to put my foolish hands on that one with the broken wheel or handle. It’s my destiny I figure. So now I’m zig-zagging around the place with this busted apparatus, knocking into everything in sight. It’s ridiculous and humiliating. Management, please check and remove faulty equipment from your store and get it fixed, this would be much appreciated.  

Another annoyance is the pricing of the products. Pricing an item at 9.99 (add whichever currency you are familiar with) when none of the cashiers have any 1 cent pieces in their tills is perplexing to me to say the least. But maybe that’s just in my town. By the way, just an interesting fact regarding this kind of pricing system – it’s just a psychological marketing method. You see, $9.99 seems a hell of a lot cheaper than $10.00. And we all fall for it don’t we? How many times have you bought a piece of clothing just because it was that 1 cent cheaper than the other one? Think about it.

Now here is one that really vexes me. No matter which store I am in, I somehow always seem to find myself stumbling across this sweet old lady with the worst eyesight conceivable. Holding up a bag and asking me, “Sorry dear, can you please tell me what it says there?” Here’s an idea – if you’re coming to a supermarket to buy some groceries, you walk into the frozen food section and pick up a bag that you can clearly feel has chicken pieces in it, I can almost guarantee that it says ‘CHICKEN’ on it. How about next time you bring your spectacles with you? Just a thought.

Can somebody please tell me why supermarket management feel the need to put the slowest and incompetent cashiers on the express checkout at month-end? If I am buying bread and milk I really don’t want to stand in a queue for half an hour and have the cashier ring up my 2 items for another 10 minutes. Let’s try putting some of the quicker staff on express detail because the folks with 150 items in their shopping cart (or basket) are, in all likelihood, expecting to wait a while.

In conclusion, I think that a lot can be done to make our shopping experience a little less agonizing. Like I said, just a thought. Anyway, that’s all from me for now, do come again and bring a friend. Take it easy.