Creating life, sometimes from death. Many a book, film or idea has been put forward about reanimating the dead. There seems to be a mild, if not fanatical obsession we have about the dead, and what may or may not happen in the afterlife. The Egyptians worshipped and revered it, as did the Mayans they say, and other civilisations and cultures throughout history have had a place for it. Life and death go hand in hand. Halloween approaches too which is apparently the day where the lines are thinnest between what is, and what it to come, and maybe sometimes, things can cross over, or come back. But in many of the themes I will use as examples from films, it isn’t always about stopping death, or bringing someone back, but about creating something new, from something dead.
Frankenstein – A tale of longing, madness and revenge. A scientist builds a monster from ‘human scraps’ and gives it life, through the medium of electricity. Note that, it’s a running theme you will notice.
Weird science – a great film, where two teenage boys decide to ‘create’ a woman using computer programming and a plastic barbie doll, and what should be the catalyst for making it work? A crazy lightning storm just happens to hit the house. And suddenly, there is life.
Short Circuit – A military robot gets hit by lightning, and it creates ‘life’ in him, developing a personality and learning. Another great film, and although not a human as such, it is still lightening and life. Which leads into the next one quite neatly.
Transformers – not the robots themselves, but the focus of the films, the Allspark. A metal cube that has the ability to give ‘life’ to metal objects. A spark of electricity is seen being emitted from it when it it’s activated.
War of the worlds – machines in the ground, activated by extreme lightning from the sky.
Resident Evil – The whole premise of the film starts around a virus, the T-Virus. A liquid compound that when injected into something dead, will bring it back to life. But as with most weird and unnecessary creations, it doesn’t stay as liquid, turns into a gas, and has a horrific effect on already living tissue, thus creating the ‘zombie’ for the storyline. No lightning, but a weird play on creating life, because it turns it around and creates ‘living death’. As I mentioned at the start, it doesn’t always seem about saving people from death, but about creating something new, from something dead.
Pet Semetary – this one being a classic example of that, trying to bring back a child, but what comes back isn’t what was expected or happily received in the end.
Nine – slightly different film to the above, but a delightful watch being honest. But the premise is the creation of nine little dolls, which each have a part of the scientists’ soul in them. He put his living self into objects and gave them life. It also has hints of a technological revolution and takeover by machine, and is a great story. I enjoyed it very much.
But they all have a thread of there being a mechanism, a spark that creates life. We bring people back to life with electricity to the heart when it stops, and people can die by being struck by lightning. A big bang of sorts to the system it is introduced to. Like what the hadron collider is trying to do. People think of it maybe creating a black hole, or a vortex, but what if it is there is create ‘life’ from the underworld, raising a leviathan? I’ll leave that idea there; it crosses into other realms. Once they reanimate or create something though, can you maintain it as such? All the storylines show that no, we can’t control it, but it doesn’t stop people trying. To be the commander of life and death really would set you apart from the average person. But what if you could, instead of creating ‘life’ from death that staggered on in a half-life, do the opposite. Create death within life, to have the same result of a half-life, creating a shell of a person, I only say this because it sometimes appears that is what has happened to some. And while in some ways I have speculated on their being another entity here, using our dead as vessels as said in the film Dark City and in my article Not like us, maybe I have missed the obvious. That they may also require the living, even though I should have realised this after writing Vampires, but not as you know it, but sometimes it takes a while to link things together. Because although things like this may only be fiction, and work their way into storylines and tales, there is no harm in considering what if it was real, and to ask yourself, would they? Could they? Have they?
I happened across the history (or at least part history) of Benin, in Nigeria. It is said it was once a magnificent huge city, with wealth, structure and millions of inhabitants. Bronze was the main metal in use for wondrous sculptures and artifacts. Pictures of these are around today, because of relics stolen in past times being given back. That’s what led me to it, and to want to read more. I’ll mention the other piece of ‘evidence’ that made me want to know more. A letter, written by an englishmen in 1955, referring back to 1897, when the British arrived in Benin. It painted a horrific picture of what they arrived to, making it sound like the predator alter in the movie – part of that letter below, but with the extra line the internet one I saw omitted at the time, clearly outlining how that particular practice came to be. In fact, the entire ten page letter is an interesting read.
It seems that after that 1485 visit, missionaries were sent thereafter. Sounds familiar doesn’t it. And can be said of many of the great cities of the past, in Africa, South America, and places we don’t even know of because it has been so neatly covered over and forgotten, and not by accident in many cases. Where land grabs and changes of rulership happened, previous kings and emperors being coerced into agreements, people being made to play along or given incentives, sometimes torture and death was needed to help to ‘convince’ them it seems. In the above case, the letter goes onto detail how much that particular kingdom was diminished, and how they had to bargin and negotiate with ‘government’ after that for land, resources and what appeared to be a type of freedom. Slowly it changes into what we see today, with the story being that the rest of the great city was actually destroyed by the British in 1897, and people had to flee. Each continent has had its fair share of strife, people movement and invasions, back and forth with something being gained by someone each time, and great losses and displacement on the ground, so this isn’t a unique story, but interesting to me none-the-less.
It struck me this year, when I gave even more thought to food, growing and seed gathering, just how many plants have seeds. It sounds stupid to some people, of course they have seeds. But I mean seeds you can plant and grow a whole new plant from. Hundreds in some cases, thousands in others. Yet we casually discard them, or wantonly breed them out. I thought seedless grapes were great at first, then it dawned on me. If you can’t get the seeds from the plant, you have to buy them from somewhere. So it is in the interest of the food controllers to get rid of seeds. But you can’t just do that, so as far as I know, they came up with a cunning way to bypass that little detail. They tinkered with the genes and edited them, to be sterile. This is how I believe Indian farming has been tainted and ultimately controlled. Same with lots of African countries. They get offered ‘help’ with agriculture and farming practices, and get hooked into an ever more expensive buying cycle. It’s the opposite of self-sustainability under the guise of it.
But there are still really seeds and food all around us, growing back each year and finding it’s own way. Despite our uses of chemicals in pesticides, fertiliser and all the industrial waste we dump, nature finds its way. The birds lend a helping hand too, dropping all sorts of seeds as they go about their day. I have had at least 6 cherry trees and 2 plum trees start in the garden from flyovers. And elderberry which has sprung up. Other things have found their way on the wind I suspect. This year though, I’ve been trying to be more proactive on saving seeds, to see what you can get from just your average garden and shopping. I’ll list them –
Getting started with growing things is so easy, and ends up creating a great routine which includes understanding nature and usually a bit of exercise and outdoor time. Being involved in the life of a plant is nice, and it’s a responsibility if you are it’s sole care-giver. Meaning, if you put it in a pot, make sure you look after it or you won’t get the best out of it. The same can be said of people I guess, but that will be another article, available here – Plants and people. But it is rewarding, in energy and with food, which is also energy, so it’s a swap. you look after the plants and they will look after you…
It’s interesting and bizarre in equal measure, watching people seemingly happy and wanting to be monitored. If you have been reading my articles, then you will know there have been a few on the subject, Ministry of Monitoring covers them all, but it struck me as odd today that some, if not many, actually want it and are inviting it. So, are they in their right mind? Have they been hypnotised to say whatever they are told? Or do they genuinely believe it is a good thing? The main comment I will use to highlight this has been made recently on one of Joe Rogan’s podcasts, I must confess I haven’t actually ever listened to him or his interviews, and this is based on the clip provided on social media. Talking to the Rolling Stones founder, who happened to say he thought the government should be in charge of regulating the internet. Cue some very obvious objections from Joe, pointing out that they are the ones who regulate everything, for their benefit. That’s the brief of that, I guess if you want to see the whole thing, you can.
And although the interviewee couldn’t really explain why they thought it was a good idea after saying so, and sort of back tracked a bit, I’m not so sure it actually worked, pointing out how wrong it is to let one governing body have such access and control over individuals and groups of people. Even though I have given it much thought already, still may have missed a connection, I guess slightly touched upon in Holding us back. The fact that some people want to be ‘parented’, which appears to be tied into the digital omnipotence that marches towards us. And I wondered, is it easy for perhaps religious people to adapt to this new ‘god’ that will be the seer of all, knower of all and decision maker in your life? I grew up thinking it was super mean to ‘put the fear of god’ into people, to give children a horrific image to have in mind of burning in hell if you don’t do something, or do do something. But I realised what a handy tool it was, for control and power, as I’m sure many have, including the ones who wield it over people. The effect that can have though, is an easily controlled person through fear and imagery, you may know some like it, and it isn’t just religious people it seems. Over the years, people have got used the government being there as a ‘helping hand’ or just to guide you through society, taking money from you to you know, build back better.
Many people seem to struggle with managing themselves, or life in general, and I can’t help feeling that the ones who apparently govern us, have created much of that, and capitalise on it. Making everyday life so confusing, stressful and difficult to navigate for many, that it appears we need to have someone or something to ‘keep us all in line’, convincing us that it would be pure chaos without them. But what seems to be happening now is the edges are fraying and the veil is wearing thin, they don’t seem to be able to maintain their hollow shell of a society running on pure consumerism. Capitalism is dead they declared, Consumerism is king, some decades ago now, and they want you to be hooked on whatever it is they are selling. And they are pushing what they sell, every day in more elaborate ways, through various mediums, but this time there is a new twist. You won’t be the consumer anymore, you will be the product and you will be consumed, and already are to a point. They are taking your time, thoughts, emotions and what you are, turning us into what they want, to service their needs and desires, ours become irrelevant. But there is another thing they might be cashing in on, people either not wanting to rock the boat, or to be people pleasers, and if you find yourself to be a combination of the two then may in for a rather dull future.
And what of that future, where you will have all your choices and decisions made for you, or by way of very limited options, we are halfway there already with society arranged the way it is. Class divides, financial divides, more and more regulations. Within that they now want to scan your face everywhere you go, take away money and replace them with ‘credits’ instead, which will be programmed to be spent on what they chose, and to expire if you don’t spend it by the time they say. When it is said you will own nothing, and be happy, people think mainly in material terms, and maybe that is what they are saying. But it could be that they also mean they will take a sense of ownership away of you, not just the material things, but your very desire to want it. And if you own nothing, then what does it matter if someone takes it from you? Your possessions, your thoughts and time, family, your body? Where does the sense of ownership stop being material and start being about self-responsibility. Where we have sayings for it – ‘owning up to the truth’ or ‘owning your attitude’ which is about you personally, and it may just be that sense of ownership they are after.
But to get there they need to be watching, interfering and manipulating the outcome, convincing and encouraging people to be herded into their pens. Because otherwise, without constant reinforcement of the new regime, people would start to wonder, and think about the world around them, and quite possibly realise that it is all a sham. Makes me think of the bit of the X-men film, the second one I think with Wolverine finding out stuff, and the other adamantium mutant, where to maintain her state of compliance and programming, a droplet of some synthetic drug is put on the back of her neck (as with Magneto in the film too). Well, maybe that is just the heavy portrayal of drugging people into compliance, which some won’t recognise as they aren’t having a toxic substance burned into their skin. Yet, if you sugar coat said substance, and call it something fancy and get a doctor to prescribe it, people will take it willingly if you tell them they should. It’s disturbing how they have convinced so many people that they are a problem, or they are dysfunctional for not being able to cope with or fit into this odd set up we call society and reality. Not really allowing the questioning of the set-up, just blaming people for not fitting in or keeping up. Prevention rather than cure used to be the saying, well, not anymore. Almost as if they have their fingers in their ears and are shouting ‘we can’t look at why that happened, we are too busy dealing with it happening’, having caused said happening in the first place, and bloody well knowing it.
How and why they want to monitor you needs to be paramount in this, I have often heard people say that they have such a boring life, they don’t really care if someone wants to look at all their purchases. And others who seem to like the idea of having a ‘companion’ to encourage that diet plan, or motivate you to do that daily exercise you have been meaning to do, and that is how these things start. They cash in on your weakness and vulnerabilities, loneliness, lack of direction and confusion. And even the opposite can be harnessed, by appealing to people who think of themselves as strong, driven and savvy. All these conveniences, apps, incentives, rewards they put forward are all part of a bigger picture I feel and part of the monitoring scheme in general, but then again, maybe it’s just another conspiracy…
People need more, and less. Not more greed, of that there is plenty. And currently people think they need more money as that is what is being screamed at us every day. Make more, want more, spend more. Fuelling the greed machine. But that isn’t what we need more of. People need lower costs, less need for money, more time and more effort to be put in by everyone for better. You can’t just want better; you have to be part of what happens to bring it about. But it seems that the idea of better has been stolen and corrupted as with much else these days. Build back better was a rouse, to make people think the words were enough, and then to sit back and wait for someone else to deliver that ‘better’. They knew that. All these buzzwords and new terms they introduce and make go mainstream are all just that, buzzwords, marketing tricks to get into your head and subconsciously get you on board with repetition and over exposure.
Because of how we function as a society, it becomes about money and necessity for most people, and money and greed for others, everything ties back to it and revolves around it. We are at the whim of it. They have made sure of that. Like taming a tiger I guess, once you know the whip works and you can crack it when needed, why wouldn’t you? It becomes an extension of control. The ring master isn’t controlling the tiger by himself, is he? He needs something else to have control over it, even if it is just temporary, and because the tiger plays along. It’s a precarious ‘relationship’ they have though, knowing the tiger could turn at any moment. In that instance, it is the whip, in our instance, it is money that is the extension of themselves they use to control us. Now, wouldn’t it be easier to control that tiger if you didn’t need a whip at all? If you could just implant something into it to make it ‘work’ and ‘sit’ and to immobilise it at the push of a button, you know, for the ‘safety’ of the ringmaster.
So, imagine you are the tiger, and they are the ring master. And the whip is currently money. How they get us to jump through hoops for it, compete for it, dream about it, die for it. All the while it is dangled as an incentive, used as punishment or reward, wielded as a weapon of control, where it can make you or break you. Welcome to the circus, where we are the attractions and the audience. Where you weirdly cheer and clap while in the audience, knowing full well you are next up in the ring for ‘entertainment and humiliation’, it’s quite perverse really. Especially so when you realise that you even paid for your own ‘ticket’. I can see why people have made comedic comparisons to films like Running Man, Maze Runner and The Hunger Games, and although we may laugh, we know they aren’t jokes. They are merely as a means to convey an observation, but in a less dramatic fashion that being deadly serious and demanding people see what you see. As we know some people have a classic blind spot in their view of the world, and it’s called reality. They will avoid it, contest it and deny it at every opportunity.
Once you step into the ‘Ring of Life’ though, you are no longer part of the audience, and become part of the grotesque display that is there to entertain you, until it is your time. But think of where the participants go after the show, the animals are led back to their cages, staff go back to their normal routine of keeping and maintaining the ‘show’. And that’s where we are folks, the normal routine of a circus isn’t a 24-hour thing, it’s a very, very big show when the time is right, bringing all the elements together when needed to dazzle, amaze and bamboozle people. Then it goes back to the daily routine of keeping it all going until the next one. But in between they don’t let the animals out, they continue with training, and making them comply and remember what they need to do, when they need to do it. So, it isn’t just the ringmaster, is it? There are different levels of people needed to perform different functions, but they are all part of the trickery, buffoonery, illusion and overall show, just as in real life. Where the prospective audience isn’t even involved until the time is right. Where it is made to feel like all smiles and fun and is expected to be, but with a dark sinister undertone. The circus of life, roll up, roll up, welcome to the show…
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