Food For Thought #6

Well, I haven't written a FFT segment in quite a while, so I figured that it's about time, and with Christmas coming up, I also figure that I'll be able to find some new, or at least rehash some old, topics. It's always the same shit around Christmas anyway, isn't it? I mean, I personally endorse the notion of compassion and altruism around the time Christians believe Christ to have been born, but what bugs me about it is that for some people, it is truly the only time of year in which they feel it necessary to exhibit these values, and that is sad.
Now of course there is nothing wrong with reserving the biggest acts of charity for the time of togetherness that is Christmas, but if you're acting like an asshole all year long and then want to repent and fully redeem yourself by acting nice around Christmastime, you remain an asshole, and no amount of Christmas cheer is going to change that. I hate the way some fucked-up souls try and exploit that time of giving to put themselves in a position that radiates phony sentiments of understanding and compassion, and I loathe those buying into it all the same, because they are the ones perpetuating the idea that having a jaunty Christmas persona can even out any and all fuck-ups committed by the actual person throughout the year.

But this is just for your personal understanding of my feeling towards Christmas-y things. The topic for today's Food For Thought is another one, and it is once again related to corporations and their excessive influential powers. The example that comes to mind today are the free trade agreements that are being discussed and struck behind closed doors - with the obvious exception being lobbyist of various multinational firms. TTIP is the EU-US version of such an agreement, and its - along with any other of these atrocities, like TISA and CETA - core component is the elimination of non-tariff related boundaries for foreign investors. Sounds like a nice, globalization kind of thingy, doesn't it? Well, let me illustrate the gravity of allowing companies and their investors to dispose of any and all boundaries that hinder their economic thriving: If your commune decides to banish fracking in your area due to the extreme environmental hazards, any foreign company can sue your country's government for the profit they reckon they would have made if they had been allowed to pollute your area, which is usually a sum in the hundreds of millions. Oh, but it doesn't stop at that; should the government in question not want to pay, or is unable to pay, they have the option of abolishing the law or regulation in question in order to allow the company to freely make their money by whatever means they see fit. And it's not even an actual court that rules over these things, but rather a private arbitrary court made up of three volunteers, usually also tied to some major enterprise. This means that anything one would associate with a social, democratic state will essentially be put to the test: Healthcare (if you're not in America obviously) will be privatized, environmental policies reversed, laws abolished, regulation of the financial market (Dodd-Frank) pulverized, educational system also privatized, even the water supply will eventually be run by privately-owned companies. Non-tariff related boundaries are the things that protect us, the citizens from the endless greed of corporations. Non-tariff related boundaries are human rights, employee rights, environmental policies, minimum wages, state-run water supply and transportation; these are the things that stand in the way of companies making as much money as they possibly could, and are as such targeted by free trade agreements such as TTIP.
Fucked up, isn't it? And for those defending this agreement, look at what NAFTA did to the Mexican economy, to Mexico generally. A run-down economy, a drug-cartel-controlled government, and people fleeing the country to work as illegals in the US because they can't find any work to make ends meet... I think the facts speak for themselves; these agreements are geared to exploit the population in the name of large corporations and their holy grail of capitalism, and are a huge assault on democracy and freedom as we know it, which is why we need to stand up to this shit! Go on the streets and picket, let your neighbors, your family, your friends, let everyone know about the degree to which this will influence your daily life and abolish the freedoms our ancestors fought so hard to gain! I want to get people riled up about this seeing as such a deliberate and direct attack on democracy cannot stand. 

But well, it's not like this is anything entirely new; corporations have always tried to exploit people by using them as assets rather than actual human beings, politicians have always been bribed by these firms and therefore acted at their bidding, and the population has always just fucking stood there and accepted it. Always is a gross exaggeration though, there have been - and are - quite a few uprisings against this system,a few people have always - here it is again - tried to rebel against a political landscape that has/is tried/trying to keep those unwilling to conform voiceless. But in the end, it doesn't even matter. At least that's what it seems like. I see no changes. It's just the way it fucking is, and that pisses me off. But what's worse is that I am also perpetuating this placid status quo: I get and spend money, I have a bank account that is regularly overdrawn, I study International Business for Christ's sake, and I am a generally pacifistic, borderline apathetic person to begin with, so not a revolutionary per se. I also don't think that the change necessarily needs - or even should be - brought on by means of force and violence. The system won't budge if we try to fight its brutality with ours, we can clearly see that in any and all protests happening lately: people are just being shot down, sprayed with tear gas, beaten with sticks, and pushed down by shield-wielding almost-soldiers, like they used to do in China. I reckon the US is going to start using tanks on civilians in a few years tops too. Like the German army that has now gotten the authorization to handle inner conflicts, i.e. they are now allowed to assist the police if people should actually decide to revolt. Isn't that just fucking awesome?

Anyhow. Maybe the change needs to brought on from within, maybe compassion coupled with subtle manipulation is key to reforming this dated system of madness and greed, maybe there is a way free of carnage and bloodshed, maybe there is hope. But I am by no means a political expert of any kind, nor am I in any position to actually influence anything of major importance. Yet, I do have a voice that I intend to use until someone shuts me up for good, and I hope that it is heard by some of you, and entices you to start using your voice as well! Which brings me to a final atrocious, scandalous, unspeakable act the EU-commission has had the nerve to commit: an alliance in Germany has collected signatures against TTIP, and gotten up to a million, which they handed in for the commission to consider, and you know what those cocksuckers had the guts to fucking do? They're suing. They're actually suing against signatures by citizens, they're suing against the people's will, and are thereby clearly proving whose side their on. I'll give you a hint, it's not ours. QED. Selah.

So, I hope you've enjoyed this somewhat short and belated Food For Thought segment, which I haven't done in quite a while, but I like to have one or at most two very related topics for these things, and that is usually quite hard. Some posts will start out as a FFT, but later changed into a regular post because they jumped around too many topics without ever going into greater detail. Which is not something I personally dislike, but it is not fit for a FFT segment, because that is something I like to use to get you to consider a single aspect of life or the world or whatever in its entirety so as to form your own opinion on it. Although I have to admit that my rant on TTIP here is biased and very one-sided, there are enough corporate plugs who'll sell you all kind of advantages, so if you want to hear both sides, go listen to any of them. They'll give you shiny numbers that can usually be disproved or put into actual context by doing just a tiny bit of research. So, if you feel you need both sides on this issues, go and let those in favor of TTIP paint their picture for you, but don't forget to find out what the colors and brush are really made of. In this light, I'll leave you be with some good music:

Smif-N-Wessun - Wreckonize
-> I don't really need to say much to this, do I? 'Just The Two Of Us' sample that was awesomely used here, amazing artists on a legendary track; good, old Hip Hop like it's supposed to be, lyrically way up there and still chill as fuck. So, you better wreckonize, and... Enjoy!

Crooklyn Dodgers 95 - Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers
-> Well, once again, not much need be said here; awesome artists (Masta Ace, O.C., etc..), great beat, amazing lyrics! Once again one of the songs that remind me of how great Hip Hop used to be, of how fucking awesome music was back in the days, of how much I have missed for having been born too late, and just generally of how much I adore good music! Enjoy!

Saint Vitus - Born Too Late
-> Whilst writing the above caption, I was reminded of this song, so I decided to put it on here. This is an old doom metal tune that I've really enjoyed for a few years, then completely forgotten about it, and rediscovered it a few months ago... Well, it's a pretty cool song, so... Enjoy!

Black Sabbath - Crazy Train
-> Well what can I say, I'm just feeling the classics today! This song is from the Osbourne-era of Sabbath. I personally think that Ronnie was the better vocalist, but hey, Ozzy has his advantages too, and this song proves just that; an awesome, testosterone-laden riff, amazing vocals, and just an overall crazy greatness within the song make for a veritable classic piece of Rock'n'Roll history...Enjoy!

Skream vs. Distance - Political Warfare 
-> Since I'm doing classics today, I figured that this song definitely belongs on here, this is an old-school dubstep track from July 2007, and it is pretty fucking awesome to say the least. It's got this simplistic, chill feeling to it that just speaks to me somehow. I really enjoy the use of samples and the wobble in the void of this basic yet musically fascinating and complex tune. Enjoy!

Digital Mystikz - Earth A Run Red 
-> And here goes yet another classic, this time by Digital Mysitkz, and I have to say that this tune is pretty damn great! It has this nice underlying rhythm to it that remains prevalent throughout most of the song, yet manages to adapt itself ever so slightly to create a musical excellence the likes of which are rarely seen anymore. Anyhow, great song, awesome artists...Enjoy!

Well, this post is slightly delayed again, I know, but I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to actually making my deadline again. Plus I've had my birthday quite recently, and was a bit busy flying straight up to the sky for a day or so. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the post and the selection of music, I am really feeling the old classics lately, and that will reflect itself increasingly on the selection of songs here, which I hope all of you will enjoy! So, I'll try and make the next deadline in two weeks from now, and wish you nice holidays and a merry Christmas already! I'm not sure if I'll manage to cram in another post before Christmas eve, but we'll see...


Peace!

Food For Thought #5

“...most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.”            - Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

Well, I am once again in doubt about anything related to social intertwining, and in delay in regard to my own personal deadline, but no-one is really buying that I am actually trying to stick to that anymore, are they?
I mean, I can have as many good reasons as I want to, the fact of the matter remains that I have not stuck to a deadline since like, forever. Except in the first few weeks when I posted almost daily. But well, I'm lazy. And busy. Bad combination to begin with, but try cramming a blog into that. Still I feel that I have a certain obligation to post at least close to my deadline on here, seeing as I have by now established somewhat of a readership I hope, and I am not one to disappoint. So, here I am again, typing on my broken laptop abusing the WiFi of my favorite Coffee-shop. But whatever. You've heard that a thousand times by now. Not anymore in the near future though, seeing as my internet at home has finally been installed and I am now able to procrastinate even more using the convenient method of online streaming. What a wonderful world. I will probably have some government henchman knocking at my door soon enough to get his hands on all the filthy copyright infringements I have stacked up in my time. Fuck that though, it's not like he'd actually find anything of relevance. Or even of enough illegality to sue me. At least not digitally that is. 

Hah. I should quit this line of thought, the internet is crawling with parasitic law enforcement trying to grab whatever tiny piece of supposedly illegal activities their dirty little paws can reach. And I am no mood to have these assholes on my back. And well, there's a little something called "Freedom of speech" and an additional bonus of "artistic liberties" I can take. So fuck you very much, whatever government control-freak is reading this.
Anyway. My mind is drifting between topics, and I cannot for the life of me decide which one to pick for today's Food For Thought segment. Which is by the way something I haven't done in quite a while compared to the regularity in which the last four of these posts appeared, so I decided to have a go at it once again. I actually had a topic in mind when I started typing, but I am unsure now that I've typed a couple of words. My uncertainty regarding my choice of a topic stems from the variety of themes that are offered to me by my surroundings on a daily basis. I'm at times literally so overwhelmed with bullshit that I cannot even decide what to rant about here. Asides from the crazy shit that's going on in Europe whilst the masses are so focused on the world cup that they're barely noticing it. Russia is stopping its delivery of gas to the Ukraine, but that news is drowning in a tsunami of world cup frenzy that has taken hold of every major news station in the country it appears. But well, that's their problem. It is possible to stay informed and those who fail to do so can put the blame entirely on themselves. Not that this tangent has anything to do with the actual topic, I am just filling the time I need to come up with just that. And it's working. To some extent.

I think I will discuss the frightening way in which we're slowly moving towards total governmental control of the masses. Which is not a new topic by any means, I've gone down at least parts of that road in earlier posts, but what's been going on lately on this piece-of-shit of a planet is really angst-inducing to say the least. I mean, we've had the NSA-scandal. But has that really spawned any actual laws restricting this institution or have any actual punishments been laid on those responsible for invading every single fucking citizens privacy? Nope. And it goes on. Snowden is up for prosecution by the U.S.-government whose very foundation he was trying to preserve by exposing the fucked up spying methods of these primates with way too much power in their paw-like hands; the NSA has secret surveillance bunkers in Central Europe; and the German constitutional court has been working together with these spies in order to gather private data on German politicians and the German people themselves. And as if that was not bad enough, that very same court has declared that it is of "vital importance" to further develop methods to listen in on any kind of electronic communication because the internet is considered an "uncontrollable hub of political extremeism" and so-called "cyber-terrorism". These fears obviously rightly justify the invasion of millions of peoples' privacy. Right. 
But it doesn't stop at that. The NSA has been working on a quantum-based PC that will allegedly be able to crack any kind of encryption. So as soon as this project is completed, you can encrypt and secure your messages and data as much as you want - the US will be able to crack the code and read your mail - even if you're just writing your Aunt that her cupcakes were "the bomb". Oh and that Facebook etc. are using user data quite liberally is no secret or surprise to anyone anymore. We're essentially constantly being monitored and watched. This is Big Brother on a global scale. Or much rather, it is the slow realization of what Orwell's 1984 had predicted a long time ago. We've reached 1984. We're already past it actually. Not only is our physical motion being tracked, our thoughts and beliefs are also checked against a government-issue blueprint and if you don't fit, you're disposed of. "Fixed" or "rehabilitated" as they like to call it. But it's actually a systematic disposal and/or brainwashing of those opposed to the state of total submission to the government that those in power are striving to achieve within the population. Doesn't this sound familiar? Total acceptance of the system of those in power, only selective access to information, and government-standardized conformity? Sounds like a bad mixture of 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World. And indeed, it also sounds familiar because I've approached this, or an at least similar aspect ultimately resulting in this topic in earlier posts. But apparently just writing about it doesn't help. The people in power will constantly change, but in the end it all comes down to the same exact mess that is being laid upon us by some corporate puppets. And the puppeteers are the same as always, the usual suspects: huge-ass industries, banks, and oil-sheiks. They're the ones controlling the worlds most important resources, they're funding the worlds governments, and they're therefore also controlling them. This is not some lunatic bullshit like the Illuminati-fad that has swept the nation after the Dan Brown novels were released, but much rather just a careful conclusion made from a few years of watching, listening, and reading. If you have half a brain and a semi-functional mind you'll be able to piece it together yourself. Most politicians are actually part of supervisory or administrative boards of major industrial and financial players, so their decisions are obviously biased towards what's favorable for aforementioned firms. And that alone should be fucking illegal if you ask me. But well, as always, money will prevail. And prevailed it has. Iraq/Contra; Iraq/Syria; Osama Bin Ladens weapons; Richard Nixon; all fraudulent, dangerous, and/or criminal activities that all only happened because of money's evil fucking influence on peoples' minds, behaviors, and decisions. And the list goes on and on, I am just citing some examples that have recently caught my attention, most of them in the works of Hunter S. Thompson. 
But what do we conclude from this mess that the world's offering us? How do we go on knowing that some control-hungry motherfucker is constantly watching our moves, evaluating our thoughts? Well. Personally I have always found solace in the fact that albeit being able to monitor my thoughts, they still lack the ability to actually control them. They might be able to direct them by printing falsified news stories etc., but if your frontal lobe capacity exceeds that of a common single-cell organism you'll be able to find out what's actually going on by doing just a little bit of research. And well, if your privacy is important to you, you know the obvious steps: don't log into Facebook when you're on the move, turn off your GPS and mobile networks, and simply don't use any form of internet-based communication when you're doing something you don't want people finding out about. Further, encrypt your data as long as it still makes sense to do so, and delete metadata of pictures that you don't want to be traced back to the place of their taking.
But I am not here to lecture you on online safety. You should know these things yourself. And this tangent seems somewhat off-topic in retrospect anyway.
No, the actual conclusion, besides finding solace in the fact that you're still in charge of your own thoughts, are that we need to defy the fucking system that creates this somber 1984 control we're being subjected to. How the fuck can governments be claiming to be acting in the interest of their people when they're the only ones their people need to be afraid of nowadays? I mean, let's look at my favorite example: the prohibition of psychoactive substances. Drug users need not fear the possible side-effects of the recreational enhancement they're taking part in, but only the repressive governmental organs trying to put them into a confined space with rapists, murderers, and all other kinds of sick fucked-up people. If the government truly cared about the people, they'd legalize and regulate those substances, and put more effort into preventative actions. But no, that would be "immoral". Funny, that the people making the most depraved and morally-bankrupt decisions on this planet are the ones telling us we can't smoke a joint because it is morally wrong? What the fuck? Politicians are willingly deceiving us for money and power, are engaging in war with countries that did not call for it purely out of monetary and influential reasons, and then have the fucking nerve to call drug users criminals? For fuck's sake, in what kind of a fucked-up nightmare are we living anyway? I mean I understand the basic human need for happiness. And as long as the human is kept in blissful ignorance, an emotional state resembling just that is achieved. Add the exploitation of the natural fear for hunger and loss of shelter to that, and you've got the explanation for peoples' blind acceptance of their leaders' fascist methods. We don't want the truth, because we like our comfort zone to remain just that. Comfortable, cozy, and not disturbed by any nuisances such as a fight for freedom. We've got what we need: Food, shelter, entertainment. Why ask for more? Why bother trying to be actually free when just serving the mans will is much easier? Well. If you really need me to answer these questions for you, the system has already won and you're hopelessly caught in the grip of their manipulative, controlling network. Still, there's need for a general wake-up call when it comes to our society. Because the dystopian realms of V For Vendetta, Brave New World, and 1984 are slowly moving into a sphere that is getting too close to reality for my taste. We are already slaves to an economic wheel that grinds us down to ever-competing clones, we are slaves to our watches, and helpless in the face of industrial giants controlling the government that we're supposed to be in charge of. So why is nothing happening? What final spark is needed to set off the ticking time bomb that we're supposed to be? "The people shouldn't be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people" as fictional character V so nicely put it. And that statement holds so much truth that has just been lost in our days. We are supposed to be the ones electing and controlling the politicians, they're supposed to be acting at our bidding, and not the other way round. But we can elect whoever the fuck we want nowadays, they'll still move the political landscape in the same direction. And this powerlessness only stems from an overall apathy that has taken hold of mankind. We're not empowered individuals. We're fucking clones working in a mechanical system serving a purpose whose existence we're not even aware of. So please, somebody, anybody just wake me up and tell me I've fallen asleep whilst watching a dystopian movie of sorts. And although I know that that's not going to happen, and that some major shit will have to go down before anything changes, I also realize that I cannot offer a feasible solution to any of these issues. I am after all just some guy in some apartment typing words on a broken laptop, watching Lucky Number Slevin on national TV. A nice movie by the way. But of no concern for this topic...

Anyway. The essential message I am trying to convey here is that we're moving closer and closer to being completely controlled and supervised by governments gone rogue. And that we'll need some sort of major happening before any of that changes. Not meaning that I want you to start attacking government officials and buildings, but rather something like forming a party and working the system to destroy or at least properly reform it from the inside-out. Or at least do something for Fuck's sake!

But it's getting late, and I am getting tired. Plus I am once again not really feeling... well per se. Which is due to some recent turmoil that has once again been throwing me off track lately. Yes, as mentioned in the very first sentences, social intertwining is turning ugly on me once again. Or at least I think so, I am actually simply baffled by some of the things I have been exposed to lately, starting with being ignored leading to being barely contacted then to myself ignoring which did not affect the other party in the least bit. And now everything seems to have reset itself, and all is supposedly right again. Or is it? Am I just mindlessly perpetuating a status quo because I feel that that is the way it should be? Or am I actual still part in a viable symbiosis that enriches both parts within it? And that that is something I actually have to ask myself pretty much says it all, doesn't it? Although I cannot for the life of me imagine that that's the case. I don't want this ship to sink again in order to restart at haven once again like it has a couple of times now already. On the other hand I don't want it to crash and go down forever like the Titanic did either. So I find myself, as usually, at an impasse. Too fucking bad. I am just going to go on and see where this path leads me, I am too exhausted emotionally to keep digging into what I believe to be seeing in this context. If shit happens, I'll notice when it does, no need to have an inner shit-alarm going off at the slightest of farts, to keep that metaphor alive. So I am once again choosing the path of least resistance, like electricity would. Trust me though, in this intertwining this is the best way to go. Things tend to sort themselves out, and albeit knowing this to be untrue in most aspects of life, in this particular case it most definitely is. 
So, I am just going to wait for the banshees to cry for my relationship, and if there's enjoyable time left until that I am looking forward to it, and if not, well, that's just life. As fucking cliche as that fucking phrase is.

But fuck all that. My vocabulary is starting to recede to only swearwords, my eyes are getting heavy, and my thoughts are starting to slowly drift off into a comfortable lull of nothingness... So I hope I managed to open some eyes with this Food For Thought, which I know slightly differed in style when compared to the others. But I kept to the normal underlying concept that has always been present in these entries. And well, I hope I approached these topics, well-known from earlier entries, in an angle that was different enough as to not bore but rather entertain and educate you.

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” - George Orwell, 1984

So, this concludes this Food For Thought which was not overly long but of adequate length I suppose. As expressed above I hope I was still able to entertain you and appeal to your reading aesthetics.
And as always, I'll leave you with some good music: 

Bob Dylan - The Time They Are A Changin' 
-> I chose this version on YouTube for a reason. Because asides from simply being a really cool and nicely melodic song, it also holds some great truths that are also being conveyed in the movie Watchmen which was based on a comic by Alan Moore, the same guy who brought us the original comic for V For Vendetta. And the movies made from these comics are almost equally political and controversial, meaning that if you haven't seen or read either of them, go do so now, and... Enjoy!

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky 
-> Well, this gem right here was played at Hunter S. Thompson's funeral, which is pretty damn awesome to say the least. And besides that, the song in itself is really awesome, makes me feel like riding a motorcycle at high speed whilst high on speed down some lonely-ass motorway in the American countryside... Never done that before, but that feels like the kind of song to do it to, so... Enjoy!

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa - Young, Wild & Free 
-> Blablabla, mainstream, too often heard, blablablabla, save it! This right here is the first Weed song that has been nominated for a fucking Grammy award. And that is a huge fucking accomplishment if you ask me. Besides from that, I frigging love Snoop, and also enjoy Wiz Khalifa's work, so this by now classic tune needed featuring on here, and well the timeless carpe diem message it delivers obviously speaks to me, so... Enjoy!

Jay-Z - 99 Problems 
-> If you're reading from Germany, this song (like some others in previous posts) will not be accessible to you due to some fucked up people with no life working for a bloodsucking parasite called "GEMA". Well, fuck them I say. "unblockyoutube.ws" (Have Adblock installed before accessing this page!!). And you're good to go. Besides that, I cannot believe I have not had this song on here before, and well - it's a classic tune full of humorous lines, with a political nudge here and there, and an awesome catchy pre-hook line: "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one!"... Enjoy!

Secoya - Run 
-> "Old but gold" seems to be UKF's policy for its latest uploads, but I like it! Epically vocalized track with awesome drops and nice melodic goodness in it! I love this synthesized voice combining with electronic melodies leading to drops of epic proportions, and UKF is a constant source of just that! Awesome upload by them, great artist, great track, great everything basically! Just an awesome tune, so... Enjoy!

Eptic - Space Cats
-> Once again UKF does not fail to fucking amaze me! This song is so fucking filthy and awesome, I can barely find the words to describe it. An interesting melody, coupled with a hard-hitting bass that is playing Frisbee with the remains of my burned-off ears... Just grand, grand music, from a great artist, uploaded by the greatest channel for Dubstep music on the web! I am getting this tingling sensation in my stomach when I listen to this, which means that I am going to listen to this so much that I can't stand hearing it anymore... Enjoy!

Well, this turned out to be rather jumpy, erratic and shallow for a Food For Thought segment, but well I do hope it still holds some value for you and did not bore you to death. I am just happy I managed to finish this thing now, and would once again like to extend my apologies to you guys for taking eleven days to actually post again... But well, seeing as my internet at home is back up, I might get around to posting more regularly in the near future! 
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this FFT and are a little smarter because of it, or were at least enticed to rethink a couple of things, you know the deal...


Peace!

2014, eh?

In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.                                                                                                                                                                              - Hunter S. Thompson

Well, in a month and a few days it will be nine years since the genius Hunter S. Thompson shot himself.

Most of you will, if at all, only have heard of him due to the movie "Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas", which is nothing to be ashamed of, but I personally was so fascinated by this character's depiction in said cinematic masterpiece that I had to start digging into his real-life counterpart, Hunter S. Thompson. And I was amazed by my findings to say the least. This guy was the living epitome of all I have ever wanted - a crazy, uncontrolled lifestyle only held together by an underlying genius expressed in his works that will remain for eternity.

And he left the way all the good ones leave us - Cobain-style if you will. But the thing that sets Thompson aside is that he did not finally work up the guts to end his life because he was wallowing in misery and depression like Kurt, but rather because he had serious health problems that would have impaired him in his abilities to function on his own, which is something he wanted to avoid. I believe he said that he always wanted to retain the ability to kill himself if he wanted to, but you'd have to google that if you want a reliable source confirming it.

Point being that he valued his free will more than anything, even more than life itself, ready to die when it was compromised.

And god damn it, this guy is fucking inspiring. He speaks the language of liberty, formulates the fabric of freedom and shows the significance of self-determination in a world dominated by pseudo-freedom and oppression, all while remaining genuinely entertaining and not getting all preachy on his audience.

I am seriously starting to think about writing something "real" in the future, maybe even pursue a career in writing of sorts, not that I have any aspiration of every making any money doing so, but I'd consider it a win if I could get my thoughts on real paper, as opposed to contributing to the deterioration of the English language and proper communication by blogging, as my favorite fictional author Hank Moody would say. But I am loosing my train of thought here and getting off-topic, if there ever was a topic to begin with.

Hm, seeing as I have already dipped into the whole freedom and self-determination thing once again, I might as well use that as a starting point, which also relates to the Hunter S. Thompson introduction, simply due to the fact that he had quite similar views as myself on these topics from what I have read. 
Beware that I am right now only really getting into the guy, I have just ordered the "Gonzo Papers" on Amazon and am currently waiting to discover more of his works, so I am by no means an expert in this field and all information here is subject to errors in research, ergo, if you want to find out more details about him, do some research yourself and don't rely on my ramblings here.
Hunter believed, as I do, that people looking to expand their consciousness using psychoactive substances should not criminalized by any governmental entity, but a controlled and regulated market should be made accessible to adults, because "[l]ook at Prohibition: all it did was make a lot of criminals rich. Should be legalized for a matter of sanity." (Thompson, 1997)

Of course, he is also a man that was referred to as a "walking chemical laboratory" so this statement may not seem surprising or convincing to some, but if you have ever read any of his more political works you would quickly come to the conclusion that this man was not a mere drug-addict that happened to have a way with words, no, this man was pure genius infused into a drug-crazed journalist that did not feel like writing journalistic texts the way everyone else did but rather founded a new style of journalistic writing.
And how could a person judge or even just talk about something without having experienced it? How can people that have merely read about possible specters of the effects that something may have on certain individuals decide that said thing should not be made available to the public by their governments, but rather by criminals? Yes I know, I am essentially just paraphrasing a Food For Thought from earlier, but this topic apparently needs to be revisited again and again in order to slowly make people understand that other people have the right to decide what they put in their bodies for themselves. It's not like they're doing anything else as I type. The people that have never touched drugs now would also not have touched them if they were legal and vice versa, meaning the legal status of a substance does not affect demand or supply, making prohibition a fallacious way of reasoning - forcing abstinence on people has never worked, does not work, and is not ever going to work. Period.

And the sooner the people in power realize this simple fact and allow us to free our minds the better - for the development of humanity away from oppression and chains to liberation and freedom - for psyche and body alike.

Hunter S. Thompson had realized this. And he was on the board of NORML in the earliest days of the movement, and dedicated many hours and pages to drugs, their use and legalization alike. He showed us that albeit taking many many drugs and not showing any limitations, he managed to be one of the greatest authors/journalists I have ever had the pleasure of reading and retained his independence even in death, which is actually quite beautiful if you ask me.

I see in the man an iconic figure, for his generation and many to come, including mine. We need people like H.S. Thompson to show us that the status quo is not the dull, never-ending, relentless pursuit of the bourgeois life, but rather an exciting, empowering and simply weird journey that will only end when the body can no longer support the mind and collapses in a final, norm-defying grin that echoes in history.

The very idea of going out like that gives me superhuman chills running up my spine like Olympic sprinters defying the concept of speed and instantly arriving at the finish line that is the release of various molecular substances in my brain, making the mere thought a sensational experience in itself. Don't get me wrong, I have never seriously contemplated suicide, but if I had the choice I would rather burn out than fade away, as aforementioned musical legend Kurt Cobain once rightly said.

Anyway, I think what I am getting at is that how you think and how you live or even act is not what you'll judged by in the long run - your words however, are. They will live on even after the last person to remember you being a complete asshole to those around you has died, they will carry on your legacy, and they will define your worth to future generations. If H.S. Thompson and K. Cobain had not written, in one case books and articles and in the other one lyrics, they would, if at all, only have been remembered for being drug-users that ended up killing themselves, yet another fantastic fairytale for the prohibitionists to exploit, but seeing as both of them did write, we can today remember them as the geniuses they were, a piece of their minds is and always will be within those that have been touched by their words, and that is true immortality.
These words will also have an effect on the future itself, seeing as words formulate ideas, ideas create thoughts, thoughts lead to actions, and actions ultimately bring change, maybe just for one person, maybe for all of mankind, but the effect is present, making above-mentioned immortality even more graspable due to the fact that one can change lives even in death.

So, if you "buy the ticket, take the ride" my readers, and live your life to its fullest extent, whether it is within societal norms or not, be yourself and indulge whenever possible, restraint is for the dead.

....and to conclude this entry, no more words are needed, just music:

Flux Pavilion feat. Major Lazer - Jah No Partial
-> two great artists came together and made a great song, 'nuff said!

Tupac feat. Jah Cure - All By Myself
-> I didn't know this song until I heard it in a Coffeeshop one day tbh, it is a great song with a great message that definitely needs to be here!

You think this will link to a song...
...NOPE! Just Chuck Testa :D I have to admit that it's pretty stupid, but rib-crushingly funny non the less, so if you don't know, now you know, biatch!

Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
-> whether you first heard it in the Rocky Movies, referenced by some cartoon, or elsewhere - everybody has heard this song, and everybody enjoys it, I really wonder why I didn't put it here earlier (if I did please let me know, I don't cross-check these things)...

Dead Prez - Hip Hop
-> 'nuff said.

The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?
-> I know that this song is not necessarily what you'd expect from me, but it's a beautiful song from a time when music was about more than just partying and sounding 'cool', a time when music was used to show social inequalities, bring injustices to a large audience and stick it to the man...

...and in the spirit of sticking it to the the man , and of course in the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson, I wish all of my readers and everyone who wants to hear it a great year 2014 and lots of personal fulfillment!

Peace!

P.S.: I might update more regularly from now on, and then again I might not, we'll see :D

Food For Thought #2

Firstly, seeing as I have not received any feedback whatsoever, I'll just leave the SoundCloud Widget on here for now, simply because it does not seem to be disturbing anyone and I personally like having some minor form of promotion for my music on here as well.

Secondly, it's the end of the month, so this is the last post for November, meaning that I had to make it a "Food For Thought", seeing as you should always finish a month being a little wiser than when it started in my humble opinion, and this is the perfect way to do so.

So, thirdly, have you ever thought about the role the government should play and the duties it should perform compared to the role it actually plays and the actions it actually takes. I believe that there is a huge discrepancy between them, and believe it to be a bad one. "Democracy" means that the people should be governed by the people, that we, as the people, should be protected by the government and its organs, and that it should serve us. Do we see anything like that?
Well, to some extent, yes. We are all eligible to vote, we have the right of human dignity, supposedly complete freedom of speech, and the authorities can not arbitrarily make decisions. At least on paper we have all of these rights and freedoms. But if we truly do, why is it that people that do not pose a threat to society, that have at best committed victim-less crimes, are put together in a confined space with murderers, rapists, and other violent, bad human beings? Why is it that as soon as something is declared a "matter of national security" basic human rights are being overthrown, people just disappear, and privacy is suddenly of no concern? How is it that a state within the state in form of secret services is being allowed without anyone seeming to mind? What is the exact amount of innocents that have been kept in Guantanamo Bay for decades, tortured and degraded?
These atrocities are not something that happens far away, somewhere in the Middle East. These atrocities are not the drug-induced fantasy of some cooked up conspiracy theorists. These atrocities have often been confirmed, and we were told that "no one knew" or that it would be "dealt with" and promised that these atrocities would be stopped forever. But, what surprise, a few months later we have the next big scandalous discovery, and the same thing repeats itself.
And, the ironic, and sad, thing about it is that a lot of the criminal, a lot of mafia, even a lot of terrorist markets and funds are essentially being protected by the government. How you ask? Quite simply by the prohibition of mind-altering substances. Remember when alcohol was forbidden in the early 30's? The reason it was re-legalized rather quickly was that the ban resulted in a violent, mafia-controlled black market that quickly spiraled out of the governments control.
Now imagine letting such a market grow over decades, giving it the right nutrients in form of trying to force abstinence on citizens and suppress their free choices; imagine this market to be the exclusive source for substances that lots of people enjoy, or in some cases even need medicinally, and further imagine this market to be protected by laws that forbid the customers to purchase their goods elsewhere whilst not regulating the existing vendors, thereby preventing the possibility of education, safety, quality and protecting minors, essentially allowing easy access to possibly laced, and therefore deadly substances to everybody.
A dystopian fantasy you may think, but, alas, unfortunate reality it is. Above-mentioned problems are all effects of the international regulations for narcotics, and could be solved or at least lessened by regulating the existing market and thereby pulling out the rug from under the mafia and other criminals, essentially stealing their customers. And the funds that are nowadays being wasted on ineffective police work could be spent on prevention, education and rehabilitation.
Of course I am not saying that by doing so all the crime and violence in the world would stop, people will always find some stupid-ass reason to bash each other's heads in, but it would definitely be a first step towards a more peaceful planet. I mean, who does the government even think they are, telling people what they can and can not put into their bodies? Our 'protectors'? Then why am I allowed to poison myself with ethanol and nicotine whilst eating rat poison? All perfectly legal. It just does not make sense. At all.
Furthermore, I believe that by just saying "no, that's bad, you are not allowed to do that", mind-altering substances become even more attractive, especially to teenagers, because the things that are forbidden and taboo are always the most fun during puberty, we've all been there and know this to be true, so why give them the incentive and ban those substances even for adults?
I do not believe that to have any logical basis. I know that the actual decision of making alcohol and cigarettes legal whilst prohibiting everything else was made arbitrarily with close to no scientific evidence to support these decisions.
And, again, the government is supposed to protect and serve the people, and it is pretty much doing the exact opposite by allowing an existing market to be controlled by thugs and gangs.

So this was today's "Food For Thought", a tad more controversial than the first one in my opinion, but an important topic nevertheless, so tell me what you have to say to that? Do you feel like I feel? Do you see what I see? Can you no longer sit by as your government strips away more and more freedom? Do you feel like the world, and humanity, is heading down a dark path?
Or do you think differently? Do you think I am misinterpreting or misjudging? Do you have a different proposal altogether of how to address above-mentioned issues?
Please feel free to use the comment section to share your thoughts :)

This essentially concludes today's "Food For Thought", following are the usual YouTube links to, as usually, good music:

Juventa feat. Erica Curran - Move Into The Light (Koven Remix)
-> not the best song of the genre, definitely one of the weaker ones compared to those in my other posts, but still a good song, and it somehow conveys this struggle for freedom to me in a way I can't quite put my finger on, so it has to be here, and it's far from terrible, still very worth listening to!

Sido feat. Genetikk & Marsimoto - Maskerade
-> very new German rap by the artist that actually introduced me to the entire genre, it was because of his music that I even started getting into the whole Hip Hop thing, so he is a big idol for me, I'm a huge fan, and this is a song from his newest Album called "30-11-80", and had to be put here because it is fucking awesome.

Dub FX - Fly With Me
-> Dub FX is fucking amazing, making all of his songs with nothing but the sounds he can make with his mouth (and a pedal to record and loop everything obviously); his music is deep, relaxing and quite psychedelic, with somewhat of an "out-of-this-world feeling", really, really great artist!!

Alt-J - Fitzpleasure
-> I actually discovered this song through a T-Mobile commercial a few months ago, and it's just such a trippy song that I had to include it, especially in this post. I have no idea what genre this is, I have no clue what the bands other songs are like, I just know that I like this song, so I'm sharing it with all of you.

Green Day - Holiday
-> well, besides from representing freedom and rebellion, this song has been with me during the best times of my life, and I have always loved it, so, no matter how popular it is by now, no matter how "sell-out" and "mainstream" Green Day may be to some, I love this fucking song!!

Bob Marley - Redemption Song
-> Bob had to be in this blog at some point, and where better to put him than below a post concerning itself with freedom, which is a big factor in Marley's songs and life, and this particular song definitely fits perfectly. One Love!!

Lowkey - Obama Nation
-> talking about freedom, equality and the role of the government, America is of course always the best negative example to give for these three topics, and Lowkey here expresses everything that is wrong with that country of extremes founded by a genocide better than I possibly could, so just listen to the song!! Oh and of course huge props to lowkey for speaking up, and for being a pretty great rapper!!

Well, the "Food For Thought" turned out to be rather depressing once again, but, well, that is the input I get from the world, and, contrary to what math teachers will have you believe, a double negative does not make a positive if you catch my drift. Anyway, I hope that some of you can relate to the topic, that it was an enjoyable reading experience for all of you, and, of course, that you liked today's selection of songs!

Peace!