Brainwash weekly (long entry)


This guy at work comes back from a weekend conversion seminar. He called it a motivation seminar. “I got free tickets so I may as well go” he told me. I hoped this guy would be able to withstand the barrage of brainwash tactics used in these things, but he fall. He fall hook, line, sinker, rod and a copy of brainwash weekly. When he came in on Monday with a coloured plastic bracelet I knew he was gone. He loved it and has vowed to go to every seminar this guy holds, no matter what the cost. He went hopping to learn something about himself and lets face it getting rich. He instead got himself a new set of beliefs and an undying devotion to this guy and his books, tapes and videos.
Why am I so sour about all this? He has helped people in the past. Thousands of people can’t be wrong. Movie stars love him.
I know another person who like the guy above mentioned went hoping to learn how to make money. Now one year later, his broke and thousands of dollars in dept. All this dept caused by paying thousands of dollars for seminars. It pains me to see it. Even though his in debt he still believes in this guy and what he taught him.
I had hoped this story could help this new victim but alas it did not. You see he now sees anyone that talks against this genius, as persons holding him back. Stopping him from achieving his goals “the enemy” in a sense.

Eg Brainwash tactic

Eat a vegan diet for a month and then come back for the next seminar. This has been proven to weaken you physically and emotionally. Which in turn increases suggestibility, making the next session more effective on you.

Done and done

True to form I went out last night with someone I shouldn't have. It started off great with the banter going to and fro easily. A coincidence of having the same date of birth with someone you recently meet, seems to be a comon occurrence with people I know of late. Anyhow we checked out a movie (Red Dragon) which was ok.
At first I thought this girl was a bit wild, but ended up pleasantly surprised. She's just got an adventurous streak that I found very refreshing. She also speaks her mind, which every man on the planet has to agree, is the best. That wasn't why I shouldn't have gone though. The main difference in us both (besides our backgrounds) was that she's a rich girl. She is used to, and expects a level of materialism that is just way out of my ability to maintain. Sure I could hold up a few 7/11's to keep the good times rolling but it's just not in me. I was fearful at first a Schopenhauerian "will to life" thing would occur with us, but thankfully the mighty dollar stopped that in it's tracks. In the end her jumping into her BMW and me into me mazda was one of the most sobering experiences I have ever had.

A few comments that you should reply with a "see ya" to, that I have learned this year.

1. How much do you earn?= see ya
2. I have just ended a long-term relationship= see ya
3. I can drink most guys under the table= see ya
4. What kind of car do you drive?= see ya
5. I’m looking for a rich, good looking artist= paahahaha, see ya
6. Any comment on how she has to live in a castle with a wealthy man= SEEEE YA!

No more blogs on people I meet. It's just to depressing.

Taking it for the team

Again I’m at a new junction. Both paths will in some parallel universe be taken. A good alternate me is going to make the right decision and live in that universe where I “kick ass”. The me writing this is going to make the wrong decision and end up “kicking” himself for weeks.
Not this time though, sorry parallel me’s but this time I’m not taking one for the team :)

Found It

I have found some evidence of the Yamakasi at last. Where? On The latest Nike ads. Their scaling walls and stairs and making some amazing jumps. The ad is in French though. Pity also is it's only showing their more simple stunts. Tele can't show most of there work due to the danger level (sux). Don't want kids and fatso's becoming pavement pancakes, do we?

Punkchick.


Damn this punk chick at work! I got this punk temp working on the same level I’m on as a customer service rep (you know the one Marcus) Anyway she comes in today looking so damn fine it’s unbelievable. I was stunned literally. I was coming up the stairs to get to my office when bang, I was stunned like a deer in the headlights! The shocker was that my boss was with me, he laughed and told me to snap out of it. It felt like one of them Seinfeld moments. "It’s like looking at the sun George, you only take a peek". I took a huge gulp of a stare at her front and froze. I couldn’t believe I fell for that old trick hehe.

Exciting Despair

Yesterday at Robot bar started slow but ended in (if I can say this) exciting despair. Severed heads latest string of thoughts kicked it off. From the non-existence of individuality, and refusal/inability of wanting to be an individual by all. To the emergence of consciousness as a common outcome of complexity around the world and possibly the universe. We even touched on undecidability and how to try remaining that way. All this launching from the premise of the impossibility of personality after death. It was pretty heavy going. The only way out of the spiralling despair we were leading to was to drop the conversation completely.

It reminds me of something I read about the 1920’s physicists as they were on the brink of a new order from the discovery of quantum. Here is how it went. Not that I’m saying that’s what I’m going through, but it sometimes feels like it.

The experience of the critical instability that leads to emergence usually involves strong emotions- fear, confusion, self-doubt or pain and may even amount to an existential crisis. This was the experience of the small community of quantum physicists in the 1920’s, when their exploration of the atomic and subatomic world brought them into contact with a strange and unexpected reality. In their struggle to comprehend this new reality, the physicists became painfully aware that their basic concepts, their language and their whole way of thinking were inadequate for describing atomic phenomena. For many of them, this period was an intense emotional crisis. As described most vividly by Werner Heisenberg:


I remember discussions with Bohr which went through many hours till very late at night and ended almost in despair; and when at the end of the discussion I went alone for a walk in the neighbouring park I repeated to myself again and again the question: Can nature possibly be so absurd as it seemed to us in these atomic experiments?

The reward for this was great though, with great insights into time, space, nature and mater.

OUT

I will not be putting in any entries for a few days. Not until this dark cloud passes.

Mogwai

I went to the Mogwai concert last night. What a night!! It was like wave upon wave of blasting sound, each blast leaving you raw and weak. Then they cover you with gentle warmth from there smooth running melodies. Loved it! My ears on the other hand are still ringing.

crossroads

At the crossroads to letting go forever. From this point on I can and must never go back. I have learned art, music and design. For them I am eternally grateful.
All that I wish in return is safety, achievement and above all happiness. Finished..

Blog-night

Yesterday was supposed to be the monthly blogger meet-up but there were some complications. The meet-up forum finally got started though with many a blogger confused and disappointed. I’ll give it another go next time.
On the good side I found that Robot bar is kicking on a Wednesday. I’m going back next week for sure. The people just seemed really easy going and friendly. The little rubber robots they were giving out helped to.

Top D

I have finally finished my t-shirt design. It took me ages to decide which one to print. In the end though it was the first one I completed ages ago, that’s got the go-ahead. It’s called eye. I tried to design an eye using rectangles. The hard thing now is finding someone that sells the t-shirt colour that I want. Finally one personal job half done.

The Art

I checked out Michael Brennans art and here is an example. I thought his work was fantastic by the way.The texture of the paintings just made you want to pass your hands over it.





It's not straight but you get the picture. This is also only a small portion of this piece.

Types of Power

Here is the 3 types of power (in society) as described by John Kenneth Galbraith

Coercive power: Wins submission by inflicting or threatening sanctions eg Do it or die!

Compensatory power: By offering incentives or rewards eg if you do it, I'll give you this

Conditioned power: Changing beliefs through persuasion or education. I think we all suffer from this one if you like it or not

They are all used on us at various times and multiple types can be used at once. It's amazing how we use others and are used ourselves. Thing is, there would be no society without it.

Arty

More fringe for me this weekend I’m off to see the art of Michael Brennan. Here is a blurb of what it’s about.

Chiasm delves into the essence of Nature, probing its underlying forces and structures, and exploring the relationship of the Self to this understanding. Embedded in beautifully random and organic compositions, images emerge that refer to the ambiguous condition of the Self, creating a tension between object and subject.



I have never been to one of these exhibitions, so it’s going to be an experience no matter what I think.

Warped


Unfortunately my brand of motivational philosophy has gone dry today (this whole week) as I’m still sick with the flu. May have to try going to a doctor next. At least it strengthens my resolve in terms of the body mind connection. Thoughts run freely and rapidly through a healthy working machine. Getting processed through all your perceptive devices via well-established correspondences. Through the warped perception of illness it really is another world. The contextual understanding of everyday events gets viewed with strange results.

Protecting the bridge
(some old stuff I wrote,got,stole)

To fight the guardian is to fail. To surrender to him is to fail. To pass, is to understand it’s purpose then pass unhindered.

In understanding the enemy you will understand that there really is no enemy at all, but your own limitations.

Collective Net

Just a thought. Could the collective unconscious be read? Could there be people out there that have a sort of understanding of it and ability to read information from it like the internet. Information coming and going in a huge global net or “unconnet” ;). Could this explain so-called channelers? It would make more sense then saying they are getting messages from the dead. I don’t know. If it is possible thought then the uses of it could be amazing. Imagine sifting through it, looking at all the ideas that are and have been in human history. I think that would really be the net worth surfing.

The Show

I went to me first fringe show for the year. What can I say about it? It was interesting, new and far-fetched. Being a fashion show of Australian fringe designers I was sort of ready for what I got. There where potato chip wrapper dresses, cigarette carton dresses. It was amazing to see what materials these people use to make their fashions. Foam, chicken wire, plastic bags ect ect anything. There was nothing (I think) anyone would even entertain wearing on the street but it was great to see what fashions can be made of. Go Aussie design :)
The highlight of the night though was finding the F4 bar in Melbourne. Wow the architecture and furniture design is unreal. I’m going again for sure. I hope it takes off.

deFringe


I’m off to see some wild art/fashions for the Melbourne Fringe Festival woohoo. There was no street festival this year, which sucks. Or does it? Normally it’s a time for all sorts of arty types, weirdos and just plain average Joes (like me) to get out there and get some fringe culture into them. This year they could not get enough cash (sob, sob) to pay the insurance and other cost associated in having a street show. Being a clever bunch of guys they have decided to create a decentralised fringe festival. With no centre. It’s great there are more shows happening, at more venues. There is no need for a specific place to indicate the festival. It’s everywhere. Bring it on.

Yamakasi

In my long search for health and fitness (sick as a dog with the flu as I write this hehe) I sometimes come across some darn cool things. Yamakasi is a group of French guys who go around jumping of buildings and scaling them with nothing but there own courage and extreme training. They call it the art of movement, and trust me when you see these guys go, you’ll understand. They rock. Spiderman looks like some fool in a red and blue suite (I know he ain’t real). Anyway I’m finding it hard to find any info on these guys in English but I’ll keep trying