A Voice? The Voice?

So once again I'm setting here in front of my screen, while the clock turns further and further from my bedtime.
It's not that I couldn't have gone to bed hours ago. I'm not really sure why I like staying up until my working friends almost has to get up and start getting ready for work. I try to keep certain times. My alarm rings at 10 every morning for instance. But so far that only means I sleep less for the most part.
The last time I got in bed around midnight was probably when I was drunk, and that was a few months ago now. Don't really drink much. Never have really.
Anyway, I was gonna write about the Voice. Every notice how some people, when they speak they automatically takes command of the room somehow? They've got a certain voice. Or maybe it's a tone? I don't really know, but what I do know is that Hitler wouldn't have caused half the trouble he did whiteout his voice. It can be a commanding voice. It can also be an inspiring voice. It makes you feel comfortable and secure, like your father or mother talking calmly to you as you fall asleep at night.
I just watched Pontypool for the second time, so voices, words and the understanding of them is on my mind right now.
It actually forces you to think about language, which we normally take for granted. Well, unless you work with it or something obviously.
If you could chose whatever voice you wanted, which would it be? I'd like a darker voice myself. I feel it's too soft, too timid really. Then again I am a really nice guy, so a voice that intimidates people might not fit me.
No, what I would need right now is a steadier voice. Less nervous, more in control. But maybe that comes when you feel more in control? Sounds pretty logical when you think about it. Of course you can train your voice to try and remain steady at all times, but that seems dishonest to me somehow.
Considering how dependent we are on social communication, using a fake voice is really a bit like plastic surgery. Communication in general depend on honesty. Of course, that also depends on the goals you have with your communication. Some even say we have a natural ability to lie and cheat, and detects lies as well. That too seems pretty useful. At least for now. Some day we might not need it, and I think we can all agree on that being a positive development.
I'll stop ranting now. The clock just passed 5 AM/05:00 over here as well. Somewhere inside my head a female sumo wrestler is singing. Something by Wagner most likely...

Gary by Clément Soulmagnon & an American Pyscho music video by Dave Green

Gary from Gary on Vimeo.

And here's the promised music video.

Adam Bergs The Carousel

Links

Prototype robots/furniture that eat mice and insects.
This, EATR and Big Dog keeps me from sleeping at night.

Based on this I have to say someone should burn Dubai to the ground.
Sure, it might be the most modern city in the world, but it sounds like this Utopia is more of a Dystopia with a shiny surface.

The story of Sarah Palin.
Paints a pretty grim picture of her political career, not to mention the state of the Republican Party.

Exxon are being cunts. Again.
This time they get to pay for it though. Somewhere out there Greg Palast is wearing a smile.

The Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace
It's a bit old by now, but still worth a read.

Another TED-talk. And some science links.

New Scientist - A science news site. Broader Perspective - A blog that does a lot of things. Amongst others: telling you what the future will look like. TED - A video library of science and inspiration. Well, that's my description anyway. SuTree - Another video library. This one's more of a mixed bag of useful tips, guides, introductions, and so on. JSTOR - Is a digital archive for scholars. This and SuTree I'm not too familiar with despite having them in my links for ages. I'll have to change that. There's a few. I'd welcome more though. These type of sites are pretty damned useful at times.

Traveling in Time

There’s a sickness in my veins. It slowly consumes me, makes me passive and content with as little as possible. Eventually nothing will matter but simple existing. I sit on my mothers lawn with my legs crossed and let the wind flow around me. Sometimes I think it pierces me and flows trough the holes in my skin. At that very moment I feel like smoke, or maybe fog. Something that have appeared for just a moment and will soon be scattered by the wind amongst the trees. Some days I feel that that’s how solid my personality is. Always shifting and changing shape. Other days I’m the one that decides which shape is the right one, which mode I want to push onto others. Those days I am obnoxious and bold. I am the commander of those around me. Their center and hub to which they come for guidance and enlightenment. Things are as they should. I am in control, if so only of myself. Not that I imagine that I am in full control at any given time, but when you reach a certain degree the illusion of it appears.
I always turn my thoughts inwards like this when visiting my moms place. She’s moved to a little fishing community where we used to live while growing up, so it feels a little like traveling back in time whenever I come to visit. If I take a walk it unleashes a barrage of fragmented memories that take a while for me to puzzle together. It’s worth it though, because when you travel back into your own personal history you get a better understanding of time and history as a whole. Your brain starts playing “connect the dots”, which sometimes leads to interesting results. You remember that time you and your friends rode your bicycles to a farmer a bit away to buy fresh milk. We were on a mission of utmost importance, and felt like we were practically grownups already. Of course we raced back on our bikes, because mom was going to make ice cream from the cream that floats up on top of the milk.Or that time when we found a car tire and decided to roll it down the outside staircase. It was all a highly entertaining game, until someone passed by and noticed the marks the tire left on the storage it had been hitting at the bottom of the stairs. The rest of that day was spent with hot bubbly water and hard brushes trying to get the rubber off the wall and door.
One of the houses we lived in is gone now. It was small, worn out little house rented out by an angry old man. Once we had to rush home from the beach to watch Robocop on the smallest tv you ever saw, but since mom had the keys we formed a human pyramid and I climbed inside trough the little window above the door. That day we felt like we could do anything. It soon evaporated in awe of the transformation and redemption of Alex Murphy.

From last weekend, somewhere outside Varberg in Sweden.

Iran (24th of June)

More links. Like I've mentioned before (I hope) I post these to document and inform for the most part. I try to keep my own opinions to myself as much as I can, but considering how emotional a lot of the material I find is, that's pretty hard.

From the Wall Street Journal; an article about the death of an innocent student and the consequences it results in.

A video of protesters and Basij on the streets:

More reports of groups supposed to be loyal to the Ayatollah disobaying orders. In this case the Revolutionary Guard.

According to this article the clerics of Iran is discussing an alternative to the supreme leader.

Another article about strikes and shops being closed.

The by now infamous video of the death of Neda Agha Soltan:

And an article about her.

Here's another article, this one about the surveillance by the Iranian government.

And a final video, this one even more gruesome than the one of Neda:

Philip Eddol's Git Gob

Via Twitch.

Places in the World

London:

Revolution in Iran

"Garbage burned. Crowds bayed. Smoke from tear gas swirled. Hurled bricks sent phalanxes of police, some with automatic rifles, into retreat to the accompaniment of cheers. Early afternoon rumors that the rally for Moussavi had been canceled yielded to the reality of violent confrontation."
- NYTimes



Images stolen from Whitechapel.

Working Title (About Iran, and sexual frustration)

Hello you glorious bastards! Tis be I, your beloved wanker of a person manipulating small black plastic squares with symbols painted on them.
I am currently heavily intoxicated, which may or may not be a good thing. I'm leaning towards good myself, but I'm obviously biased, so fuck me.
Please? There has been thunder and rain over here, and I took a walk in a pitch black bunch of trees close to the plastic tent the party was located in, and you could have used my penis as a compass if you so wished. I would have been tremendously annoyed of course, but like I said: fuck me.
So, anyway, despite my obvious sexual frustration I am in a good mode. You see, I am might be going to bed early today! Yes, for once I won't go to bed after the sun has started to come up. Progress, you bastards!
Anyway, Iran has been on everyones minds (or should have been if you have a heart that is) lately. Sure, some might think "Fuck it", but if everyone did that it wouldn't be happening in the first place, so you are wrong. I don't care much for your excuses to not care though, so don't post them here.
Anyway, this little second Iranian revolution reminds you of all the others that has been popping up lately. In Tibet and Burma mainly. But there is a massive difference here. For one, there is government support in Iran. The police and military refuses to hurt civilians, and it's igniting factor was an election. This legitimizes the whole thing to a new degree, which means the protests are completely justified. Not only because of rightful anger at being ruled by a bunch of priest and retired revolutionaries that delude themselves in thinking people are actually content with the current situation, but also because it's so fucking obvious that their opinion has been completely disregarded and used to wipe asses with.
Even if the rumors going around is not true, it's still obvious, which makes me want to go clubbing baby rabbits to death with gigantic dildos.
That is all.

Iran - The Election Was Rigged

People are apparently starting to find boxes of ballots thrown in dumpsters all over the country.
This, in combination with the current President winning even in the oppositions own home village, as well as winning with a clear majority when the result was predicted to be quite even, seems to indicate that the election was indeed a sham.

And here's another blog updating with the latest info.

Trials Against the Church of Scientology in France

Older article.

New article.

If they are judged guilty the Church of Scientology will no longer be considered legal in France. If it happens, it'll most likely take a few years.
L. Ron Hubbard was apparently also judged guilty of fraud in '78.

A Quick Iran Update

I'm hearing rumors of the police siding with the people, and the military refusing to harm protesters...
I might have to skip sleep altogether tonight to see what happens.

Also: Links.
Here's a piece that takes you back a bit and forces you to think instead of diving into it with your emotions. I found it helpful at least.

U.S. State Department asked Twitter to move their update so that the Iranian people could use it to communicate?

An article about the police protecting both sides. Pretty even headed and whiteout taking a stand towards either side. Good journalism.

Things are getting very interesting. I need tea now.

Iran Links Update

Where I mostly post links so people can see whats going on for themselves.

Here's a few of the photos coming out from Iran. Some NSFW stuff, and it shows just how many people are demonstrating.

Some video from the news.

Another continuously updating blog with loads of information.

A video of wounded people being carried to an ambulance and driven away as the crowd chants.


A man climbing Azadi Sqaure.

A site collecting various Tweets concerning Iran.

Another video, this one showing clashes between riot police on bikes and a massive crowd.

The Twitter of a medical student inside Tehran.

Article about student killed during clashes.

More images from the protests. Some NSFW.

And finally a really good article that clarifies things from a more political standpoint.

Links for Iran

There's tons of links on Whitechapel for info, Iranians twittering, throwing up images, videos, etc.

Michael J. Totten also has a great independent news blog worth checking out.

Iran - A Quick Comment Before Unconsciousness

After it became apparent that the old President of Iran would stay, parts of the word said that things would stay the way they where before. Namely with relations to most of the world deteriorating more and more.
But with the several thousands strong protests still going strong I'm not so sure. I expressed hope that Iran would manage to overthrow it's dictatorial regime in a post months ago. After all, a majority of the population are young people. Not that young people equals revolutions, but they tend to be the ones that (for good or bad) gets pissed off enough to do something about it first.
Not that a bloody revolution would do much, except get hundreds of protesters killed. Hopefully the protests keep relatively calm, because if things get too out of hand, that's the excuse the government and Ayatollahs need to send in the army and their revolutionary guard.
I don't want to go to bed, but I can't stay up past sunrise today again. Tonight sleep will come bearing dreams of a free Iran.
My thoughts are with you.
(And so is my writing, which will continue tomorrow.)

Model/Photographer by Zak Forsman

A six minute prelude to the upcoming feature Heart of Now.

Via Twitch
Zak Forsman is a part of the movie collective Sabi.
He's also made another short called: I Fucking Hate You.

Ken Ishii - Extra

More music because I am lazy and this kicked my brain in just the right place.

Music for My Breakfest

Remind Me from Röyksopp on Vimeo.

Linky

Don't have the time to write anything other than an essay today, so I come bearing links instead.

All 3 from Grinding.be actually.

2 makes me think of cyberpunk, and one of an Utopian future.

Global Think-Tank?

This is an idea I've sorta stolen from Warren Ellis. You see, once upon a time he wrote about an organization called Global Frequency that solved urgent problems that threatened the very existence of life as we know it.
That sort of problem solving capability isn't what I'm interested in, although it might be needed in the future. You never know, after all.

But what I was thinking was more of a a think-tank that works around the clock, different experts exchanging places as people sign on and off. But I'm not talking about experts in the normal sense either. Depending on the situations, problems, resources at hand at the various locations, the political climate, and so on, it'd take a lot of manpower to get it operational, and from there getting it efficient might not even be possible. The administration alone would probably be a nightmare.
But if it was possible to get it going, starting out with, for example: working out a sustainable method to reduce starvation in a certain region in Africa.
First you need to look at the general state of the country, what does the infrastructure look like? How stable is the country? It'd be a bad idea to start a project in a country that at any moment could erupt into civil war, or other types of conflicts for that matter.
The food production might be seized by militant groups in the name of their cause, so that means there would also be a need for some form of security.
But all of this is after the organization has been formed.
Considering that my thought is to keep it mainly a humanitarian organization, the main problem as I see it is funding. Who do you work for that wants to pay you for creating such things as running water, simple and environmentally friendly techniques for producing electricity in places where there are none?
Then UN comes to mind. That's pretty much it actually. I can see the EU being interested in hiring this type of organization, but mainly for developing nations wanting to become a part of it.
We'd also have to develop alternative methods for existing techniques that'd be of use, thanks to the patents.

But what about the administration of it then? Would it be better to have supervisors out controlling the various projects with local personnel? Teams doing the projects in part and gradually phasing in local talent? Coordinators supervising various projects in a region, or even inside a country?
Which would be best? To finish the project yourself and then hand it over to the locals, or let them do it themselves? What would be most efficient, most economic, and would it more or less of a difference depending on which you chose?
Maybe it'd be better to work out scenarios of different types in advance and then try to think of a solution? Which leads to another question: should the problems we as a group work on be the problems of today only? Or should we include the ones of tomorrow?
Need to think more about this. Ideas, suggestions, etc. would be most welcome. Even if it might not be possible to create such a group, we could at least develop a concept. Hopefully it might inspire and aid others with similar goals.
Leading by theoretical example, you might say.
I'll think it over some more, and I hope you do too. If you think of something write it down, I definitely will.

Yellow Mold Will Kill Your Family

Yellow Slime Mold Timelapse from sesotek on Vimeo.

5 hours of moving, breathing fungi condensed into mere moments.

Linky

This another one of those lazy posts where I just hand over some links of interest of the last couple of days.

First of: Sequential Trauma, which is a school project that plays with the medium of comics. For some reason I only really like the first page. Imagine it as a stand alone page, or turning into the world as he now sees it. It could possibly turn into a brilliant teaching aid of sorts in my mind.

Grinding also had an interesting post about so called Seed Bombing. Which seems like a really good idea, and also lead me onwards to the Guerrilla Gardening movement.
Original article @ Inhabitat.

Jamais Cascio posted about history, family, and information on Memorial Day, over at Open the Future.

And then Laurie posted about rape over at Penny Red. Which lead to a long list of all kinds of comments, all pretty interesting for the most part. As well as Laurie herself providing a few links which are pretty disturbing.
Especially this one, which may appear to be mainly about a rape game, but is more an interesting commentary about the legal and social views of rape in Japan. Pretty frightening stuff if you ask me.
As well as some teenage gang rape.

And yes, I have spent the morning reading about rape. Something that really makes you question yourself as a sexual human being.

More links might show up later on. I've got a hundred of them laying around, so I might as well read them and throw them up here sooner or later. It's also a good way of storing them for reading when away from your computer, or in case of a crash or similar.

While You Were Asleep

This happened:

Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party from William Castleman on Vimeo.

Via Grinding.

Since this is more an online journal than anything else, posting has never been really regular. Still, there has been lots of things on my mind lately, and it might just be time to put it to print to get a bit of an overview. That's something I do from time to time. Writting things down helps me organize my thoughts, and is part of the reason while I still have a blog. If I blogged for attention I'd probably have killed myself by now.

Oh, and I might also take the time to mention that I've also started writting for another blog. It's made up of 10 people, all who enjoy writting things. So that's what's going on basically. There are stories being told, all kinds of stories. Long ones, short ones. Nothing too long though. Or at least not yet. I suppose it might happen? I'm really not sure what's ok to do. I'm just gonna improvise and then see how people react. Hopefully I manage to escape hired killers and smart bombs for now. Oh, and it's called Orrot. I'll throw up a link somewhere on here as well. Might take me a while. Might not.