What is this "shift" happening on our planet right now?

Allow me to clear up some of the confusion that set a tone for a few of my blog entries from the first semester. So, with my humblest apologies, I offer you, my thousands of followers across the globe my view of the world and the current paradigm shift that we are all participating in, whether you are aware of it or not. It’s a party and everyone is invited. Welcome to chapter one of many where I will be releasing an accumulation of observations I have made in my 27 years on this planet.  

 This is some deep shit, but someone’s gotta say it. It’s virtually impossible to put it in a nutshell as it takes into account a massive range of variables ranging from our evolution as a species, the media, government, advertising, ethics, law, pop culture, religion, fashion, technology and climate change - to name a few. My aim is to find the links in all these systems and discover the underlying patterns that run our world. There has never been a more exciting time to be alive.

 Change really is the only constant and there are clear periods in our more immediate history that stick out to me such as: Our entry into the industrial age in the 1700’s, the 1929 stock market crash, the start of the computer age in 1949, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of apartheid in 1994 which all affected the development of our economically driven society. I’ll go into depth at a later stage.

 It only gets deeper from here. Both the Hopis and the Mayans recognise that we are approaching the end of a world age. Every 26 000 our planet enters into a different era - in both cases, however, the Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesise that everything will come to an end (as apposed to our Christian fanatics who keep scaring people into believing apocalyptic bullshit and causing mass hysteria). Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age to another in which the due date is 21 December 2012. The word apocalypse does not mean the world is going to blow up. The definition is derived from Greek meaning “lifting of the veil” or “revelation”.

 Global Warming is another term that has been around the block lately and the debate of whether or not we are the cause of all the heat has finally been tied up, it’s official: The seasons are changing, the ice is melting and we’re entering into the opposite of the ice age: A global drought – this means no more water, which means no more you and I unless we create better ways of living.  If we don’t evolve and learn from nature we will dissolve as a species. The key word is: sustainability. As individuals we have the power to support companies which are supporting the planet.

We’re reaping the rewards of hard work by conservationists, lobbyists, documentary film makers, scientists and everyone involved in activism that have all helped raise our consciousness and this has been catapulted by a generation who are questioning the system they were born into.

 We declare war on anything we don’t like: We have a war on terror, a war on aids, a war on poverty, a war on cancer, a war on drugs, and if you’ll allow me to quote George Carlin, the all time comedian for one second: “We don’t have a war on homelessness because there’s no money in that.” You see, where there is war there is money to be made. One day we will all learn that what we focus our attention on is what we become conscious of and my god have we been made conscious of war through the media. I believe the Internet is going to be our saviour because finally WE can choose what we want to watch without it being shoved down our throats by corrupt media corporations.

I have some good news for you: We have left the “Power” era of our consciousness, there is still plenty of residue left over from this time, I mean America is still chasing “terrorists” and tainting our minds with all sorts of perceived enemies but the truth is that all the bad stuff we hear on the news accounts for about 0.00001% of everything that’s happening, we don’t hear about all the good stuff going on behind the scenes.

 We are currently in the “Ethics” era of our consciousness, this has never been clearer, we are finally looking at our society and asking questions: Is drilling for oil in the Amazon Jungle really a good idea? What happens when all the forests are cut down? Is our government honest? How can we reduce the gap between the rich and the poor? What will happen if Wal-Mart actually takes over the world? We are starting to realise that no matter how insignificant we may think we are, what we do as individuals makes a difference, barriers are being broken down and the global village is opening up.

We’ve been witnessing a slow collapse of the money system which has been designed to run people further and further into debt. This meltdown has forced us all to look closely at our values and people are waking up to the fact that our happiness depends more on an internal spiritual connection than the illusion of power gained from external wealth. Like a wise man once said: “If you can’t go within, you go without.”

To be continued…

Adaptation

I have never been into Africa, I live in South Africa but I’ve never been into Africa. I watched a show on BBC Knowledge tonight about Lagos, Nigeria and some of the people that live there. Lagos is suffering from growing pains just like many other African countries and we are all well aware of how people are forced to live in cruel conditions. There is a massive dump site on the outskirts of Lagos (as there are in all major cities) but what makes this one so unique is that there is an entire economy built around recycling. People support their families from what the rich discard. It struck me how intelligently they are adapting to their realities. People build their houses from items we wouldn’t think twice about throwing out on the street.

Nigeria is one the most “oil rich” countries on our continent which brings with it barrels of corruption. Foreign countries are in charge of the oil mining and distribution it is only natural that locals would also want a “piece of the pie” which makes the perfect recipe for crime and corruption. This makes me curious: Oil money is considered to be “above board” yet it is the number one cause of war. The government promotes war because it rakes in billions of dollars in profit from the supply of weapons. The black market racketeers that control the illegal passports, weapons and human slavery are the same people that control the illegal drug trade and are the same people that keep the oil industry alive; there is clearly no separation between what we consider the black market and the “white market”. Money is money.

We all sit high up on our thrones judging criminals, drug addicts and the corrupt government yet we all continue to fill our cars with petrol and buy products that use massive amounts of petroleum to produce so therefore we are direct supporters of the same industry that promotes human trafficking, weapons and drugs. This means there is nothing separating you and me from the black market.

The same argument comes up every time: “Well what am I supposed to do, run my car on fuckin grape juice?” Of course not, we are deemed powerless to a point when it comes to petrol, but the major shift that is happening in the world right now requires everyone to change their own perceptions from the inside out. We are all experiencing growing pains, just like Lagos, Nigeria. We have all been exposed to the same media and we know what is happening to our planet. This is not a rant to get you to recycle or ride a bicycle to work, but maybe we can learn from the scavengers living on the edge of the dump, maybe we can adapt to our surroundings in the same spirit and be a part of the revolution happening right now on planet earth. 

Maos Last Dancer - a book review

 

In a land where sons are considered the only real wealth, being born the sixth of seven brothers was a blessing, but in rural northern China such joy was tempered by constant hunger and enduring poverty and hunger were Li Cunxin's earliest memories. As his father and mother have tilled the reluctant soil, so will he spend his life wresting from it the meagerest of sustenance. Living in a tiny room, on a dingy commune street, a hole in the ground for a toilet, eating meal after meal of dried yams, Cunxin's six brothers and his parents have only one another. But the “one another” is what really nourishes them. There is no lack of love in this home that is lacks almost everything else.

In addition to their peasant poverty, they are oppressed by the politics of Chairman Mao, who governs their lives, insists on clamorous loyalty and undying faith. They live in a commune, subject to the vision of others who live far away and far above them. It is the only world these peasants know, all else is forbidden, their very thoughts are not considered their own. What could a young boy in such circumstances possibly know about the world of the ballet? What could he possibly have in common with it? It is as different a cosmos as another planet would be. I knew very little about Communist China before reading this book so it served as a thorough history lesson on a world that was so completely different to mine.

Madame Mao decided that she wanted China to excel in the ballet and to that end ordered recruitment from around the nation to fill the Academy of Dance in Beijing. Searchers went out to the provinces purposely looking among those, such as rural peasants, who had never been politically tainted in the eyes of the communist leaders. A group came to Cunxin’s school where he was chosen to audition through painful exercises to test the children’s flexibility.

 Cunxin enters his new world weighed down with his old. He must uphold the pride of his family's name, rural and unknown; he is their representative. His commune, his province, his school; he feels everyone is depending upon him. And now in this huge strange capital he feels all China is watching and weighing his ability to bring glory to his nation. It's a heavy burden for a young boy. Cunxin eventually moves to America where he becomes a star in the Houston Ballet Company and ultimately ends up on the Oprah Winfrey Show where he is revered by the American audience.  

Li Cunxin writes in a fluid, moving manner, I would never guess that English isn’t his native tongue. Despite this I found myself skipping through large chunks of the book to get to the end. This is the sort of book that is lapped up by the masses and intercepted by Hollywood and turned into a motion picture because it symbolises the height of the American Dream where anything is possible if you put your mind to it,  and even though it is a true story I was not entirely riveted. 

The Fighter - a film review

The Fighter – a film review

Cast: Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo

(I would love to offer you a review of a film that I absolutely despised and one that I could tear to shreds with a crescendo of abusive and vile criticism but my brains’ memory compartment acts as a giant filter which catches all the garbage that I’m exposed to on a daily basis and is released in singular, torrential outbursts. In the mean time I offer this review of one of the finest boxing films I have ever seen.)

The Fighter is based on the true story of boxers 'Irish' Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, half-brothers from a large family from Lowell, Massachusetts. From childhood on up, Dicky was the older brother who taught his younger sibling how to handle himself in the ring. Micky's probably the more talented of the two, or at least the one who went on to have a solid career as a boxer. Their relationship as boxers and brothers is put under the microscope in this absorbing, heart-wrenching underdog tale from director David O Russell.

We catch up with Dicky Eklund years after he had his last real shot at success in the ring. An HBO crew is following him around to document his comeback attempt, though only a short time later it's evident to all any chance Dicky had for a comeback is long gone. Dicky's biggest claim to fame is once knocking Sugar Ray Leonard down and he's quick to point that out, bringing it up in nearly every conversation. It had earned him the title "The Pride of Lowell," but now it's Micky's turn. He's the man of the hour, the fighter the family's resting its hopes on.

Unlike his drug-abusing, screwed up half-brother, Micky's a quiet man who lets his fists do his talking. Dicky's taken to hanging out in a squalid flop house, smoking crack and missing appointments to train his brother for an upcoming match. Micky, meanwhile, concentrates on getting into top physical shape despite all the drama surrounding his older brother. While working out to get ready, Micky also has to deal with an overbearing mother (Melissa Leo) who manages his career and seven sisters from hell who form a harpy chorus echoing everything their mother says.

Micky ultimately has to escape the clutches of his dysfunctional family and take a plunge into the unknown when he finds a new trainer just as his crack head brother is released from jail. I could relate strongly to both Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale’s characters but the highlight for me was without doubt Christian Bales performance - he is a method actor of the highest order, I bet he must have come close to complete mental breakdown in preparation for this film. Christian Bale is a complete maniac and he is my saviour.

Do you remember the scandal about Christian Bale supposedly hitting his mother? I don’t think he actually did. I believe it was a PR campaign to make people despise him just in time for this role as a crack addicted welter weight. He is the perfect scapegoat for a malfunctioned society.

Word wakker en raak die koffie, moffie

Pop culture. Pop culture like a balloon. Pop culture before it exlodes all over your face. What used to be culture is not culture anymore. We are the culture for we buy into the race that has become our culture. We buy into it because it’s popular and God forbid - we don’t want to be unpopular. Even if you think you are alternative, you’re not. There are new branches of culture everywhere you look - the hipsters: (“Oh bow down for we are the chosen ones. Smell our breath; it’s a mixture of mint and Africano, a new iced coffee blend from a place you probably haven’t heard of.”) Fret not for also we offer greetings to the ambiguous astronauts, the transistor radio heads, the veggie slashers, the sideshow jugglers, the photoshopaholics, the discoteched malpip moegoes, the commercial hippies, the sleaze queens and the retro pioneers. Welcome to the future of liquidised fusion. Welcome to the melting pot that we all call the Mother City, step inside and smell the coffee, it’s confusing, but you can drink it.

The retrograde is morphing and becoming the future-istik. We are generation R, we are the remix generation. We live in a quantum soup where yesterday is colliding with tomorrow faster than the speed a single tweet.

The amount of technical information is doubling every two years. For students starting a 2 year diploma half of what they learn in the first year will be outdated by the second year of study. It’s estimated that 4 exabytes (one quintillion bytes, or 10 to the power of 18) of unique information will be generated this year. That’s more than the previous 5000 years. 43% of what I am saying now will be outdated by next week Wednesday. It feels fucking fantastic to be a part of a global ADHD village. If you haven’t lost the plot yet, don’t worry, you will. The plot is obsolete.

We are the script writers of the future, the directors of masses, the followers of the few, the hunters of scapegoats as we light the way into the perilous dusk. In the past, present and future we will remain the lead actors in our own screenplays. Somehow we need to weave our scripts together to create a future where egos play the supporting role. Popular culture needs to become inclusive rather than exclusive. Popular culture should be a party where everyone is invited. Rock on.

What to do when your satellite dish stops working

Sometimes when we’re trying to write an ad we might find that there is interference with the receiver. Now most of us were born with a satellite dish installed or else we would be at Vega or the AAA, in which case you’d only pick up a few local channels.

Our satellites are programmed to pick up ideas from the Idea Factory which is constantly churning out ideas and they just land at our feet and soak into the ground if our satellite isn’t aligned. Some days you’ll only pick up SABC 1 clearly and its days like this when there is no point in trying to make sense of the world, it’s better to just turn it off. You know the other channels are there but they’re all static, the Discovery channel seems like it’s beamed to a distant galaxy.

 Check to see that your decoder is plugged into both of the major outlets. The first outlet is yourself, if you have become unstuck then find a set of earphones and insert them into your ears to channel music; this needs to be above 145 bpm, now dance with your eyes closed for 23 minutes no matter where you are and knock over any unnecessary clutter that surrounds you. The aim of this manoeuvre is to surge the power and fuse all internal connectors.

The second outlet is your art director; they can become loose and blow around easily, especially in harsh winter conditions. If they have not completed step one then direct them through the procedure. Their plug point is normally found between the eyebrows but in some cases there won’t be one, this is when you’ll have to call the electrician to install one. Once installed you will be ready to lock horns in a rap session where you fire ideas at each other in gibberish and agree with everything each other says and draw pictures as you rap. Eventually you will find other channels start to appear from across the ethereal belt and into your receptors between your eyebrows which are played vocally through your loud-speaker. No editing takes place during this stage - the same way your radio speakers play whatever the radio feeds it whether it likes it or not. Eventually you will find a fusion between two satellite dishes that form a vortex and plugs directly into the Idea Factory. There are often power cuts during this period as the decoder may become overloaded with data but carry on until you find the Discovery Channel, once you do you can sit back and melt into the slipstream of creative genius.

Onlookers may start to talk among themselves about the massive growth spurt in your head region, they may even say: “His head is getting so big ever since he won that Loerie, it’s gonna pop and then we’ll have to clean up messy brains again.” But don’t fret, in order to get ahead in advertising you need to grow a massive head. The head swelling serves as a far better conductor and also knocks over any unnecessary clutter that surrounds you.

Black Swan - a film review

Black Swan

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Barbara Hershey, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder

Wonderfully twisted at all times, provoking the deepest, darkest corners of the dancer’s mind, Darren Aronofsky’s psychological escapade uses a scalpel and slices you from the inside out.

Since Requiem for a Dream I have been curious about Aronofsky’s direction, Requiem single handedly made me want to become a feature film director, since then he has yet penetrate my soul and leave my sweat dripping from the cinema armrest. A film about ballet serves a perfect contrast to The Wrestler which also follows an entertainer who is drawn to the spotlight. Black Swan reminded me why Aronofsky is the bravest of all directors – he delves into regions of the psyche that many fear to tread.

At its centre is young ballerina Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman. She is beautiful, vulnerable, sexually naive and susceptible to mental illness. To play the role of a lifetime, Nina must delve deep into her own dark side. As her hallucinations and anxiety attacks escalate in tandem with her progress in rehearsal, artistic breakthrough fuses with nervous breakdown. The underlying driving force for her obsession to achieve is her deep hatred towards her mother who has pushed her into a box which she is striving to escape from. Barbara Hershey plays a satisfyingly sadistic role of a controlling mother.


We join the story as the New York City ballet company is looking to replace its fading star Beth Macintyre (the casting of Winona Ryder is sheer perfection) for their rendition of Swan Lake. There is strong competition from the sensual minx Lily (played by Mila Kunis) who has a naturally provocative and effortless style. Lily serves as the ideal competition yet ultimately teaches Nina to free herself and plunge into the devilishly seductive black swan.


Black Swan is grandiosely over the top with the cinematography offering a fireworks display of imagery together with Tchaikovsky’s theme soundtrack that result in a climax of gut wrenching, theatrical brilliance that haunts you for hours after the curtains are drawn.