Anecdote dump

[Cain]

GOT MORE GUNS THAN YOU CAN SHOOT?

"For years, lotsa folks have been recommending that we 'bury our guns.' Not all of them, of course — just the extra ones you won't need right away. Handguns and military-style autoloaders are specifically mentioned, as these are the weapons deemed most likely to be criminalized and confiscated at a future date. Besides, realistically, you really don't need several M-1 carbines or AK-47s laying around your house anyway — what if you were burglarized, or experienced a structure fire? Having all of your guns (as well as money and important documents) in one place is both irresponsible and foolish. And if you happen to own an illegal weapon of some sort, only a criminal or a dumbass would store it in his home! On many occasions, people have been convicted of weapons charges after a fire investigator discovered the charred remnants of a sawed-off shotgun or antique SMG which had been so cleverly concealed in some 'secret hiding place,' now reduced to ashes. Any guns you don't need can be either be stored elsewhere or cached.

     There are many ways to cache one's surplus armaments, some of which are better than others. One of the best 'low-tech' methods I know of simply involves the use of a sturdy box (preferably watertight), plastic trash bags, silica gel dessicant, and WD-40. First, the weapon(s) must be unloaded. If required for it to fit into the box, it can be broken down as well. All plastic and wooden parts (stocks, grips, forearms) should be removed and placed in a large ziplock bag — press out all the air and toss in a few silica gel packets (often enclosed with electronics, vitamins, and leather shoes), then place the sealed bag within another bag — this will protect these parts from being damaged by the penetrating oil. Small amounts of ammunition can be treated in a similar manner, as penetrating oil can ruin the primers (large amounts of ammo, however, should be contained in a proper Mil-Spec, gasket-sealed, ammo can with dessicant). The partially disassembled weapon(s) can then be thoroughly drenched with a thick coating of WD-40. This oil will impede corrosion, and is far easier to clean off than either petroleum jelly or rubberized coatings. Immediately, each oiled weapon should be sealed within a large plastic bag — gallon-sized ziplock bags work well for most handguns, but a trash bag (cinched and knotted) will be necessary for carbines. As a single bag cannot be guaranteed to be watertight, it should be sealed within a second bag — and then a third. The bag(s) containing parts and/or ammo (never store a loaded magazine due to spring fatigue) for a specific piece should be stowed within that weapon's second bag. The sealed bag(s) can then be stowed within the storage box(es) you have selected. A watertight metal or plastic box is best, but I have used wooden boxes — and even guitar cases — without experiencing any problems. Dessicant is dropped into the case (either a single Mil-Spec pouch or a handful of commercial packets), the case is latched, and then the case is taped shut (with duct or electrical tape); after which the case itself is stowed within a large plastic bag (if not a plastic tarp or pool liner) and taped secure. One time, all I had access to was a box of 33-gallon trash bags, which, unfortunately, were not quite large enough to fit over the box in question, so I simply taped it in place, inverted it, then pulled another bag over the other end, taping it in place as well! After the initial weatherproofing has been applied, at least two more layers should be added to ensure it will be adequately protected from the elements. Once it is secure, it can be safely cached anywhere it will not be flooded and immersed (as if it were to be stowed in a drainage pipe or buried below the waterline of a known flood-plain). I strongly recommend that you cache a couple bottles of spring water, a few tins of sardines, a pair of dry socks, and a half-pint of Jim Beam along with your weapons and ammunition.

     Don't be lazy and bury your gear in the backyard — or anywhere near your house. That is the first place inspectors will look (after they've ransacked your abode), and they'll have metal detectors as well as sensors to detect 'disturbed ground.' If you want to bury your gear, do it far away — preferably miles away from your property. Underneath the soil of an abandoned dump would be ideal, due to the abundance of rusted scrap metal. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to bury it over three feet deep — 18" should be more than sufficient. Be sure to use several permanent landmarks to pinpoint its position (DON'T use a fucking G.P.S!), then memorize it — do not write the location on a map! If burial is impractical (perhaps due to inhospitable rocky soil), your cache could be stowed in a small cave, crevasse, hollow tree, under a large fallen tree, under a large brush pile, under a number of rocks (then covered with soil and leaves), or even within a large cluster of brambles (like wild blackberry bushes). A weapon stowed in such a manner can be protected from several years worth of rain and snow — just as long as it doesn't end up totally immersed in floodwaters. When the time comes that you need it, your weapon can be unearthed, unwrapped, wiped down, reassembled, loaded, and ready to fire in under ten minutes."

— Jake Bishop



THE DOG WILL EAT YOU!!!

"After detecting an intruder, the dog will operate on command of the handler or on situation stimulus. . . . In either case the dog will retain its grip on its quarry until ordered to leave. In the case of highly aggressive dogs, strict compulsion may be necessary. It is this courage and ability of the dog that makes it vulnerable to the intruder. Pad yourself as described below, encourage the dog to attack, biting in a place that you dictate. Present a target to the dog, thereby placing it in a situation where it can be immobilized or destroyed. Adequate protection can be had from wrapping around the arm any of the following: webbing belt, leggings, rifle sling, ponchos, wrapping from equipment, scarves, headgear. . . . The dog is far less dangerous if it makes firm contact on the first run in. . . . Throughout its training the dog has always been allowed to succeed. . . . Give it the opportunity to succeed and then destroy. It is most vulnerable when gripping target. Remember: a dog deterred will bark or growl, drawing the attention of the guards. . . . The destruction of a trained dog is by no means a simple matter. . . . It is often easier to take the dog and immobilize, either by tying to a secure fitting, or binding the front legs. Always muzzle, and if possible render it inoperable, example, breaking a leg."

— excerpted from the S.A.S. Combat Survival course notes



DITCH MEDICINE

"What can you do about dysentery? You will lose water which you must replace. If possible, replace it with boiled water, but at any cost drink quantities of fluids. . . . Charcoal can help. Take any partially burned piece of wood, scrape off the charred portions, and swallow them. . . . Bones — any kinds of bones — can help. They are best if burned and ground into ash, but you can grind bones between rocks to a powder, just swallow the powder. . . . A single louse sucks 1 cc of blood a day. . . . lice can bleed you to death unless you pick them off every single day. . . . Regardless of how cold it is, you must inspect your entire body and every seam of every garment at least once a day, picking off every single louse. . . . You will get worms — all kinds, round, hook, and tape worms. They will come from the food you eat and the dirt and filth where you live. . . . Personal hygiene is the best preventive measure against parasitic infestation. . . . Wash your body and your clothes as often and as well as you can. . . . Here I want to make a plea; if you are bleeding, DO NOT put on a tourniquet. . . . A tourniquet destroys tissue, gangrene sets in, and it is often impossible to save the injured member. Just apply heavy, constant pressure — that alone will stop 99% of all bleeding. If blood is spurting out, stick your finger down on the wound and hold it there. . . . There are three treatments for a wound under extreme conditions: Clean it out if possible with hot water; wash it out with urine, and/or pick out all foreign matter. The book says never to stick your fingers in a wound. If you have nothing else and if there are pieces of metal or clothing in the wound, pick or dig them out with your finger. Maggots were an accepted treatment for infected wounds during WWI. Maggots eat only dead tissue and will clean out a wound better than anything else except surgery. How, you ask, do I get hold of maggots? That's easy . . . just expose the wound. The maggots will find it."

— Dr. Gene N. Lam



BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY???:

"Since the beginning of the war-production drive of 1940-1945, which transformed the United States into the greatest industrial machine the earth had yet seen, chemists had been developing new substances at an astonishing pace. Once they learned the basic techniques of hooking and unhooking atoms their imaginations seemed unlimited. They played with shiny colored balls that represented atoms, building them into beautiful, complex new molecules; then, first in laboratories and later in immense plants that resembled oil refineries, they produced the actual compounds.

Many of these new materials had extraordinarily interesting properties. Some of them could kill insects; these were manufactured by the millions of tons, and given names like DDT or 2-4D. Some were useful as drugs, though they had unsuspected side-effects of nausea, headaches, sweating, gastric upsets, circulatory disorders. Some were glue-like and hardened as strong as steel, but could be molded into infinitely varied shapes. Some could be made into thin, almost weightless transparent films. Some could be used in foods as preservatives, flavorizers, tenderizers, or to make foods stiffer or creamier. Some were dyes, widely used in foods, clothing, plastics. Some were capable of foaming up and then hardening into spongy or rigid forms.

They appeared in paints and varnishes, they were made into bottles and pan-coatings and phonograph records. They were eaten and drunk, sprayed and powdered, applied in a thousand ways upon the landscape and all the creatures who inhabited it. By the end of the seventies there was no human activity in the United States, from contraception to the management of terminal disease, carried out free of materials that had not existed on the face of the earth forty years earlier. This, it was widely believed, was a testimonial to humankind's improvements on nature. People clamored for the new wonder products, and could no longer imagine living without them. . . .

About thirty years after the great boon in chemical production began, American public health officials and doctors realized that the nation was experiencing an alarming new rise in the incidence of cancer. Some attempted to explain this by saying that modern sanitation and medicine enabled people to live longer, and that when they lived longer they just naturally fell prey to diseases like cancer. Others noted the rise in certain cancers due to cigarette smoking, or the taking of popular drugs that had been insufficiently tested, or dietary factors. Research was hampered by the fact that there were so many different types of cancers, and many of them took twenty years or so to develop. Increasingly, however, people of all ages were suffering from the disease — with more than one in every four Americans becoming victims. . . .

Researchers hoping to find a viral cause for cancer were reluctantly driven to the conclusion that, though some virus process might be involved, the precipitating causes of cancer were something like 80 percent environmental. People were doing it to themselves. But this was not a message that most Americans were then prepared to hear; it went largely unreported and undiscussed, and the cancer rates continued rising. . . . People went on breathing air that was known to be dangerous to their health, drinking water known to be contaminated, eating pesticide and additive laden foods, and concentrating their attention on making money in order (as they imagined it) to survive."

— Ernest Callenbach, from Ecotopia Emerging (pp. 15-17)



"CANNED SUGAR WATER IS GOOD FOR YOU!"

"For the purposes of this discussion, a soft drink is a soda made from carbonated water, added sugar, and flavors. . . . By this definition, a soft drink is the quintessential 'junk food' — high in calories but low in nutrients. . . . the Center for Science in the Public Interest rightfully refers to soft drinks as 'liquid candy.' From a nutritional standpoint, water or almost any other beverage is a better option. . . . Consumption of soft drinks is well known to contribute to tooth decay especially when it is sipped throughout the day, and adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three- to four-fold higher than those who do not. . . . Carbonated soft drinks are big business in the United States; they generated more than $50 billion in annual sales just in this country in the late 1990s. Sales are dominated by two companies, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo . . . An obvious way to reach (the) younger age group is through schools. . . . the financial advantages to soft drink companies are substantial. For one thing, sugar and water are inexpensive ingredients. For another, the earlier contracts typically called for a charge of $1.00 for a drink purchased from vending machines, or $24 for a case of 12-ounce cans. In 1999, for example, the wholesale cost of a case was $4.99 . . . If just half the students in a district of 10,000 students consumed one soda per day, gross sales should have been more than $25,000 per week. . . . a Coca-Cola official said that his company would 'continue to be very aggressive and proactive in getting our share of the school business.'"

— Marion Nestle, from Food Politics (pp. 198, 200-203)



INSTANT MACARONI & CHEESE, RAMEN NOODLES, AND POTATO CHIPS???

"In industrialized countries, overt symptoms of dietary deficiencies are less prevalent even in the presence of poor dietary intake. 'Hunger' — as defined by inadequate ability to purchase food — affects 20 million children and adults in the United States and numerous surveys have identified nutrient intakes below RDA levels among groups living in poverty. Such findings, however, are only rarely accompanied by clinical signs of nutrient deficiencies. When clinical signs do occur, they are usually associated with the additional nutritional requirements of pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood; with illness, injury, or hospitalization; with aging; or with the toxic effects of alcohol or drug abuse.

     Regardless of its cause, inadequate dietary intake profoundly affects body functions. It induces rapid and severe losses of body weight, decreases blood pressure and metabolic rate, causes abnormalities in heart function and losses in muscle strength and stamina, and induces undesirable changes in gastrointestinal function and behavior. The result is a generalized lack of vitality that reduces productivity and impairs people's ability to escape the consequences of poverty. Of special concern is the loss of immune function that accompanies starvation. Malnourished individuals demonstrate poor resistance to infectious disease. Infections, in turn, increase nutrient losses and requirements and, in the absence of adequate nutrient intake, induce further malnutrition. . . . Survivors display typical effects of starvation: depression, apathy, irritability, and growth retardation."

— Marion Nestle, from Food Politics (pp. 379-380)

[Cain]

THE "JAPANESE TOMATO PLANT"

"The Japanese Tomato Plant has been proven to have many healthful attributes, yet its cultivation is prohibited due to the Alien Species Act. It is unlawful to ship the seeds of this beneficial plant through the mail, as well. Furthermore, since the fruit of this rare plant can be sold on the black market for roughly five times the price of uncultivated wild panax ginseng, dishonest folk will think nothing of trespassing on private land to uproot your crop prior to harvest.

     It is surprisingly easy to grow your own Japanese tomatoes, as they can adapt to North American climes rather well. If you are lucky enough to acquire a sample of top quality Japanese tomato (as opposed to the many similar, though inferior, tomatoes indigenous to China and Taiwan), simply separate the seeds from the fruit and set them aside to dry. Seeds suitable for cultivation will be large and richly colored. Undersized, pale, black, or cracked seeds will not germinate, and should be discarded. To germinate, secure a medium-sized glass plate, scouring it thoroughly with hot water to displace any possible mold spores. Next, take a square of plain white paper towel and fold it twice, forming a smaller square. Dampen this square with room-temperature spring water. Place about eight seeds on this damp square, spacing them far enough apart that their roots will not entwine, then cover them with a similarly folded and moistened paper towel. Finally, cover the entire plate with a layer of Saran Wrap to prevent the moisture from evaporating. If the plate is placed on an insulated heating pad (on its lowest setting) for about a week, the seeds will probably germinate (if they were viable to begin with). When the root is about three inches long, it will be ready to plant.

     The seedling is extremely fragile, and should be handled very carefully. A large peat pot should be secured for each viable seedling. Each pot should be filled with a premium quality potting soil (although one without 'moisture crystals,' or other questionable additives), which must be dampened with spring water and have a 1" X 4" hole burrowed therein. The seedling's root can then be gently guided into the hole before the moist soil is gently pushed up against the stem. The peat pots can then be placed on a windowsill to receive sunlight.

     Every day, the pots must be rotated 180 degrees and moistened with no more than an ounce of spring water. The soil should neither become saturated or dry. After about a month of sitting on the windowsill, about half of the Japanese Tomato Plants will probably either die or wilt — these are inferior mutations which must be immediately discarded. The remainder will be about 6" tall with thick stems. These will probably survive. After another month, the plants will double in size. At this time, they are probably about ready to be transplanted to their permanent home. Just prior to transplanting, soak the plant's new home with water and punch a fist-sized hole in the wet soil to accommodate the peat pot, then quickly immerse the peat pot in a bucket of water to facilitate careful tearing of the sides (about four tears should do it) before insertion.

     If you intend to keep them indoors, a simple 5-gallon plastic bucket (with a few holes punched in the bottom and a couple handfuls of small stones dropped inside to provide for drainage) filled with topsoil should be adequate (although the addition of compost cow manure and wormcastings will provide more nutrients). If you intend to keep them outdoors, it is best advised to dig a hole for each plant (approximately 1 ft. deep X 3 ft. wide) and fill it with a topsoil blend — although simply dumping a 20 lb. bag of topsoil on the ground for each plant will suffice (although access to groundwater would be somewhat restricted). Some people recommend that you pinch off the new growth in the forks between the branches to promote higher yields, but over-pruning will weaken or kill your plants. Be sure to camouflage your plants and continually alter your route to them, so as not to leave an obvious trail. Water frequently, pick off any insects, and urinate nearby to repel deer. Never spray with pesticide or use liquified 'deer repellant,' as the tomatoes will act like a sponge, absorbing and retaining these toxins, and thereby poisoning anyone who eats them!

     After another month or two, the Japanese Tomato Plants will start to take on the appearance of a small shrub. If, however, clusters of tiny green flower buds start to appear near the top, that is an unfortunate mutation which will necessitate immediate uprooting of the affected plants so that they will not contaminate the others. After another couple months, the tomatoes should be large and ripe (the average plant will yield about a dozen, of various sizes). Pick them right off the plant and place them in a wooden (or cardboard) box for about a week or two, till properly dried and cured. Unlike domestic tomatoes, they should not be sun-dried. Remember, the foliage is waste and ought to be discarded. The dried tomatoes can then be broken apart, as needed, being sure to reserve the seeds. They are high in vitamins and contain many essential trace nutrients. They also have a truly unique flavor which makes a great addition to spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, meatloaf, and even some desserts. It is truly a shame that this exotic, yet wholesome, health food product cannot lawfully be imported into, or distributed throughout, the United States."

— Chewbacca



Z.P.G.

"Overpopulation is a major problem throughout the world, and many scholars believe that if the world's population continues to grow, there will not be sufficient resources to sustain it and the survival of the human species will be jeopardized. War, famine, and pestilence have always been brutally effective at reducing the surplus population, but such disasters generally do not occur amongst contemporary industrialized nations, whose populations continue to swell. Certain population control measures, like eugenics, have been so wrongfully abused in the past that few people are willing to speak in support of them. Likewise, the subjects of abortion and euthanasia are so emotionally charged that anyone speaking in favor of them is guaranteed to meet with violent opposition. As the proponents of humane population controls are reviled as 'Nazis,' 'murderers,' or 'godless,' the number of those who suffer from poverty, illness, and neglect continues to grow.

     It is a fact that certain mandatory sterilization programs implemented in the past have proven to be nothing more than a form of state-sponsored genocide. Certain ethnic groups were targeted by unscrupulous bureaucrats as a means of preventing them from bearing children. Today, nearly everyone acknowledges that 'ethnic cleansing' is an abomination. However, what about individuals who are mentally retarded? Even though it is against the law to have sexual relations with a retarded person, such individuals frequently breed — often with one another. The progeny of these relationships are also retarded, and are usually subject to neglectful parenting — they often become wards of the state. And what about those individuals who are known to suffer from a serious genetic health defect? While it is true that if they interbreed with someone who lacks this defect there is a chance that the mutation may not be passed onto their children, the risk factor is often unacceptably high. I feel that all individuals known to either suffer from mental retardation or severe genetically transmittable birth defects should be subject to mandatory sterilization for the public good.

     Many conservatives lament the number of children begat by multiple fathers to unwed welfare recipients. While, indeed, this does present a severe problem for all concerned, it would be ethically reprehensible to force sterilization upon someone simply because they happen to be poor (as well as irresponsible). In cases like these, the solution is simple — cash incentives! In exchange for $5,000 cash — no questions asked — women receiving some form of public assistance (or even many who do not fit into that demographic, due to the fact that most yuppies have no business reproducing) could undergo a simple (as well as reversible) tubal ligation procedure. If five thousand dollars seems like too much money, consider how many tax dollars would be needed to provide aid for a brood of over a half-dozen neglected children until their 18th birthdays! If the procedure is voluntary, as well as reversible, I see no ethical dilemma.

     There are over a million fundamentalist mental cases in this country who are militantly opposed to allowing women to terminate unwanted pregnancies. For some bizarre reason, they are also opposed to birth control and sex education! (Although, they are invariably pro-death penalty, and seem to think nothing of bombing 'heathen' countries, or even physically attacking those who disagree with them.) These degenerates even want to deny the option of terminating a pregnancy to victims of rape and incest, as well as women known to have deformed fetuses and women to whom pregnancy would entail a substantial risk of death (such as some diabetics). If a woman does not want to have a child, then it should not be forced upon her! What kind of parent do you think she would make? Probably a resentful, neglectful, and possibly even an abusive one! As the popular pro-choice bumper sticker says: 'A world of wanted children would make a world of difference.' I think that any woman who wants to have an abortion performed should be offered a cash incentive to undergo a tubal ligation as well. Having no children at all is a lot better than having several ill-cared for hellspawn who will later inflict themselves upon society through their anti-social behaviors. Simply squeezing out a baby does not automatically transform a dirtbag (or yuppie scum) into a good parent — and children usually end up emulating their parents. If their parents are selfish, dishonest, and violent, their children will probably mimic these behaviors and victimize others. Mealy mouthed yuppies who refuse to even raise their voice when addressing their own misbehaving children often end up with a brood of well-dressed sociopaths.

     Euthanasia is something else the bible-thumpers are rabidly opposed to. If someone is slowly and painfully dying in a hospital bed from cancer, or some other fatal disease, not only do they want to prolong their suffering (even if it means artificially extending their life via mechanical means), but they insist upon depriving them of painkillers as well! 'We don't want you to become addicted to drugs,' they smirk, knowing full well that the patient is not only in agony, but probably won't live more than another few months anyway! 'Offer your suffering up to God — He just loves that shit!' — It kinda makes you wonder exactly which 'god' these freaks think they're worshiping!

     Cash incentives for voluntary sterilization, free abortions to those who need them, and the option of a painless death for the terminally ill. These three things would eliminate much suffering in our society, as well as reduce unwanted population growth."

— Jake Bishop



MAINSTREAMIN' THE 'TARDS:

According to Federal educational guidelines, all public schools are mandated to include the mentally retarded in their classrooms. Separate 'special education' classrooms are largely a thing of the past. Funds must be allocated from the school budget to provide a number of services to these mentally retarded 'students' until their 21st birthday. These services include (but are by no means limited to): an aide for each retard in order to escort them to their classes, wipe the drool off their chin, and prevent them from assaulting other students; brand new personal computers to become the property of the 'student' and kept at their home; and transportation and tuition to various Summer activity programs. If the retarded student attends classes until they are 21, they will generally be awarded a High School Diploma — something routinely denied non-retarded students with undiagnosed learning disabilities who are unable to learn a foreign language or pass Regents examinations in advanced mathematics! If the retarded individual is not a semi-functional 'moron,' but rather an 'imbecile' or an 'idiot' who requires constant care and supervision even in regards to the simple functions of eating and defecating, the school will be required to bus those individuals to a special facility which purports to instruct them in 'Basic Life Skills.' Tuition for these alleged courses is very expensive, and after their 21st birthday none of the students have yet mastered the arts of ass-wiping and teeth-brushing. Furthermore, a number of unscrupulous dirtbags have discovered that they can quit their minimum-wage jobs and make a far better living from the government benefits and cash grants they're eligible for by taking in a half-dozen retarded foster kids (their income will rise even more if they decide to adopt them) — and then they're entitled to have employees from local agencies come to their homes to care for their charges at taxpayer expense! Yeah, I feel bad for the 'tards, but this is an exorbitant and unnecessary waste of valuable taxpayer funds intend to be used for educational purposes (and, realistically, the 'tards derive no discernable benefit from the services they're provided). Small school districts are required to spend well over a quarter of a million dollars each year taking care of mental incompetents who really ought to be either kept at home or made wards of the state. Meanwhile, government funding for educational programs is being slashed, grants are being withheld, utility costs are skyrocketing, and the other students are seeing cuts in their services! New textbooks — as well as equipment for science, technology, athletics, art, and music — often must be done without, and even a mere hundred dollars to fund a field trip, a school play, or an 'Odyssey of the Mind' program is unavailable, which necessitates fundraisers and donations. Required maintenance and renovations of school buildings often falls by the wayside for lack of funds. In my opinion, this whole federalized 'special education' program is nothing but a big scam, and a few special interests are making a big profit from destabilizing the public school system."

— Jake Bishop



"PURELY THEORETICAL":

"As has been the case throughout recorded history, if the Scientific Establishment cannot conclusively 'prove' something's existence by means of reproducible and verifiable experiments, then persons who put forth theories that subtle and insubstantial things might actually exist can reasonably expect to be attacked through ridicule and character assassination (which can result in loss of: credibility, status, respect, funding, and employment). The core premise of this chapter is that just because something cannot be seen does not automatically mean that it doesn't exist. Certain invisible things (radio waves, electrons, microbes, gases, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, trace elements, etc.) can only be detected through the use of specialized equipment — but, due to the fact that they can be detected, any high school science teacher can expound upon their properties. But what about those things which we have not yet developed the means to adequately detect? They shall be relegated to the realm of the 'theoretical' until technology advances to a sufficient degree as to render them readily perceptible.

Many things in the physical world are invisible to the naked eye. Some of these things (like subcellular organelles and viruses) can be directly observed with powerful optical apparatus (i.e., the electron microscope), whereas others can only be observed indirectly, based upon how they react with an isolated test medium (for example, subatomic particles and cosmic rays). These things (or evidence of them) can be observed, so we know that they 'exist' — but what if we lacked the required technology? Then, even though we were pretty damn sure of our hypothesis, our findings would still be regarded as purely theoretical. Being 'theoretical,' they become 'questionable,' hence easily dismissed as 'mere speculation.'"

— Scribe 27, from Arcane Lore (pp. 45-46)



THE PHENOMENON OF SUPPRESSION:

"If a finding is slightly anomalous, it may win acceptance after a period of controversy. If it is more anomalous, it may be studied for some time by a few scientists, while being rejected by the majority. . . . Finally, there are some observations that so violently contradict accepted theories that they are never accepted by any scientists. These tend to be reported by scientifically uneducated people in popular books, magazines, and newspapers. . . . This process of rejection does not usually involve careful scrutiny of the evidence by the scientists who reject it. Human time and energy are limited, and most scientists prefer to focus on positive research goals, rather than spend time scrutinizing unpopular claims. In the scientific community, the word will go out that certain findings are bogus, and this is enough to induce most scientists to avoid the rejected material. When theories change, and a certain body of ideas and discoveries becomes unacceptable, there is generally a period of time during which prominent scientists will publish systematic attacks against the unwanted findings. If the attacks are successful, then after some last attempts at rebuttal by diehard supporters, scientists will realize it is not in their best interest to defend the unwanted material or be associated with it. A shroud of silence descends over the rejected evidence, and it continues to exist only in fossilized form in the moldering pages of old scientific journals. As time passes, a few dismissive mentions may be made in occasional footnotes, and then a new generation of scientists grows up, largely unaware that the earlier evidence ever existed."

— from Forbidden Archeology, by Michael Cremo and Richard Thompson (pp. 25-26)



"BUT IS THE HYPOTHESIS FASHIONABLE???":

"The idea that the universe began in a single, primordial explosion, or Big Bang, is accepted without question by most scientists. And this is odd because, although there are compelling reasons to believe that this is true, no-one has ever proved that it is true. On the other hand, if a near-death psychologist were to state flatly that the realm of light NDEers travel to during their experiences is an actual other level of reality, the psychologist would be attacked for making a statement that cannot be proved. And this is odd, for there are equally compelling reasons to believe this is true. In other words, science already accepts what is probable about very important matters if those matters fall into the category of 'fashionable things to believe,' but not if they fall into the category of 'unfashionable things to believe.' This double standard must be eliminated before science can make significant inroads into the study of both psychic and spiritual phenomena. . . . In a universe in which the consciousness of a physicist affects the reality of a subatomic particle, the attitude of a doctor affects whether or not a placebo works, the mind of an experimenter affects the way a machine operates, and the imaginal can spill over into physical reality, we can no longer pretend that we are separate from that which we are studying. In a holograpghic and omnijective universe, a universe in which all things are part of a seamless continuum, strict objectivity ceases to be possible."

— Michael Talbot, from The Holographic Universe (p. 297)

[Cain]

"COWAN BEGONE!!!":

"The etymology of this word is uncertain, but it appears to be a term derived from the Greek word kyon ('a dog'). The use of this word in English originated in Scotland, where it was a term to describe a stone mason who has picked up his trade without serving an apprenticeship or to a mason who built 'drystane dykes' (i.e., walls without mortar). Like a dog these persons were supposed to be inquisitive, sticking their noses into that which did not concern them.

Cowan was adopted by the Freemasons from the Scottish stone masons to describe those who practice Freemasonry without having been properly initiated or to a person who is not of the brotherhood of Freemasonry. First appeared in this context in Anderson's Constitutions in 1769 C.E.

Wiccans borrowed the term from Freemasonry. Wiccans use it nowadays to describe someone who is not a Wiccan. Cowan may have been synonymous with 'Warlock' (oath breaker) at one point, but is now generally a benign term for an outsider or noninitiate."

— Kerr Cuhulain, from Full Contact Magick (pp. 232-233)



"THE SECRET OF THE 33rd DEGREE IS . . . IT'S ALL BULLSHIT!!!":

"Now, to both the non-mason and to some masons the most curious thing about masonry is that its secrets are no secrets; I do not mean by this that the so-called secrets are available to all who care to spend enough money on books at any masonic bookseller, although this is, of course, true, but that the secret rituals, passwords and steps of the craft are almost meaningless. That if there is a real secret at the heart of masonry (and many whose opinions I respect affirm that there is) it lies not in these things but in something much deeper which is hidden from him who has not reached the core of masonic initiation — after all an unutterable secret is, by definition, unutterable! The English masons of the eighteenth century appear to have remained comparatively unworried by this problem, for while the Jacobites used their Lodges as covers for political conspiracy, the pro-Hanoverians of Grand Lodge were content to use the masonic rites as an excuse for drunkenness and debauch. . . .

Within a few years several occult-masonic organizations had appeared, each claiming a Templar origin for itself. In Scotland there was the Royal Order, alleged to have enjoyed an uninterrupted existence since the fourteenth century when it was founded, so the story went, by two French Templars who had fled for refuge to Scotland. In Germany and France was the Stricte Observance, under the control of mysterious 'Unknown Superiors' and demanding the unconditional submission and obedience of all other masonic groups. In England there were many 'Templar encampments' — independent, quasi-masonic bodies, usually working in close association with Chapters of Rose-Croix masons. . . . The last of this long line of occult Templar organizations, the Ordo Templi Orientis, usually referred to as the O.T.O., was founded at the beginning of the (twentieth) century . . . Its original members seem to have all come from the ranks of the German Lodge of the Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis and Mizraim. . . . by 1900 Memphis and Mizraim had become a fee-snatching racket of the very worst type."

— Francis King, from Sexuality, Magic & Perversion (pp. 95-96)



ONE VIEW OF THE "STATE SECURITY SERVICE":

"The State Security Service is not bound by firm rules and laws. In contrast to the normal police it has no intention of acting in a preventive capacity by its mere presence or to find culprits, if necessary, but rather it operates on the principle that 'to prevent is better than to heal.' This means: each person who might become a potential enemy is liquidated now as a preventive measure, in many cases even before he has committed himself against the occupying power. For this reason, entire sections of the population or professional groups rather than just specific individuals are systematically eliminated.

The constant distrust even of their own officials is not caused by the profession as such, but is part of the system. By involving many agencies even during small affairs, no official can deviate from the line. Each must attempt to surpass automatically his colleagues in 'cruelty,' 'faithfulness to the system,' and 'hate toward the enemy.' As a result everyone is watching each other. . . .

If you resist political indoctrination and the enemy realizes that he is failing in his attempt to 'convert' you to his ideology, he will attempt to obtain obedience through fear. He will try to create this fear through terror. The enemy has developed terror techniques which are very effective. . . . These terror measures are:

a. Surveillance of telephone and letters;

b. Establishment of an agent and informer net;

c. Arbitrary arrests;

d. No public trials except 'show trials';

e. Arbitrary sentences;

f. Lengthy prison sentences out of proportion to the offense. . . .

Clubs and associations disliked by the enemy will not be prohibited at once, but will be initially subjected to various types of harassment, etc. If he immediately prohibits such organizations, he takes the risk of having membership lists destroyed. . . . When the enemy has obtained the membership lists he will destroy and outlaw the organizations."

— from Total Resistance by Major H. Von Dach (pp. 94, 96, 102)



STRONGPOINT:

"You will seldom have enough time to prepare buildings for defense — there are so many things you can do to make an attacker's life a misery. So your first priority is to make sure you can cover your arcs of fire from the building, and loophole the walls accordingly. . . . If they are still operating, switch off the gas and electricity. Gas is an obvious hazard and electricity is unnecessary — if the enemy does attack at night, you will know the layout of the building and he won't. So fight in darkness to give yourself another edge. By the time you have barricaded the place properly, the building will be pretty gloomy even by daylight. The lack of light and the wire obstacles you place in windows and doors will buy you valuable time if the enemy manages to get inside. Once the enemy is inside a room, evacuate it, let them all in, then post grenades through interior loopholes or doorways. Remove the drainpipes from the house — the enemy can climb up them — and use them around the building (inside and out) as 'grenade chutes.' . . . Change the layout of the building to further disorient the enemy troops that manage to break in. Block up the stairs with masses of barbed wire and cut holes in the floors of upper-story rooms; use a ladder to get up and down. You can always pull it up if you need to evacuate the lower story. A double layer of sandbags placed on the upper-story floors is essential if you plan to occupy them. Otherwise, once the enemy gets a foothold on the ground floor he can fire machine guns straight through the ceiling and kill you from there. (Nail shut and barricade) all doorways: block them up and knock mouse holes through the walls instead. The attackers will be confused and will waste time trying to get to grips with the maze you have created. . . . Leave the water on and fill every container you can find with water. You will (a) need to drink and (b) put out fires. . . . Mini-pillboxes inside rooms help protect you from bits of ceiling falling on top of you . . . strip the plaster from the ceiling so it doesn't descend on your head during the battle. You can use the bits to help pack out the sandbags. The enemy will direct heavy fire at the building, trying to suppress your fire by sheer weight of bullets. Don't take up fire positions at the windows, where the heaviest fire is likely to be received. Take cover behind something very solid — a rubble-filled chest of drawers for instance . . . . Knock the glass out of the windows to avoid a shower of glass once the battle starts. . . use chicken wire (to) stop grenades from being thrown inside. For a final touch, saw through the floorboards in front of the upper floor windows so that enemy troops breaking in find themselves playing a combat version of snakes and ladders."

— Peter McAleese, from McAleese's Fighting Manual (pp. 116-120)



"JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS. . ."

"There is a powerful craving in most of us to see ourselves as instruments in the hands of others and thus free ourselves from the responsibility for acts which are prompted by our own questionable inclinations and impulses. Both the strong and the weak grasp at this alibi. The latter hide their malevolence under the virtue of obedience: they acted dishonorably because they had to obey orders. The strong, too, claim absolution by proclaiming themselves the chosen instrument of a higher power — God, history, fate, nation, or humanity."

— Bruce Lee, from Striking Thoughts (p. 174)



"REHABILITATION" THROUGH ASSEMBLY WORK & BUGGERY???:

"Prison inmates are being utilized by corporate interests as a source of slave labor. It is not unheard of for certain privatized institutions to work inmates 10-14 hours a day, six days a week, usually at mind-numbing tasks involving repetitive motion. The average 'wage' for this work is about .15 cents per hour, which is credited to their 'inmate account' — and inmates are then expected to use their wages to purchase overpriced soap, toothpaste, and various essential items from the prison commissary. Work assignments are mandatory. Refusal to work is considered a punishable disciplinary offense, which can result in: loss of 'good time,' restrictions on commissary and recreational privileges, loss of visitation and phone privileges, and even isolation in solitary confinement. In other words, they've really got you by the balls.

Slave labor in a privatized corporate correctional facility may be bad, but at least these contemporary workhouses tend to be far safer than the average state-run penal institution. In those hellish cesspools of violence and despair, no attempt is even made to pretend that the tortured creatures incarcerated within are being rehabilitated in any way — no, they are simply warehoused, insulted, abused, threatened, and malnourished until such time that they are finally released back into society (usually in a damaged, diseased, weakened, maladapted, and easily recognizable state) for a few months until they either self-destruct or are arrested for committing another crime. In these concrete death camps, it has been discovered that humiliation through repeated anal rape is unexcelled at breaking the spirit of potentially troublesome inmates; hence, little or no attempt is made to prevent it in a number of state-run facilities. Gang rape is often used to put newly arrived inmates 'in their place,' with the full knowledge and tacit approval of staff and corrections officers. Inmates demoralized in such a fashion are far less likely to: organize, protest, litigate, refuse work assignments, or be insubordinate to guards and staff.

— anonymous (RWT)

[Cain]

EXCERPT FROM A DRUNKEN SOLILOQUY:

". . . and most importantly you need to take a long hard look at the laws you're sworn to enforce, and decide which ones might be a bit unethical to prosecute so zealously. I mean, if someone's beating up old ladies or fucking little kids, that's a fuckin' lowlife piece of shit right there who oughta be provoked into resisting arrest, and if there happens to be a knife at the scene with the scumbag's prints on it, then you've just performed a valuable community service, but if some guy wants to smoke a little reefer in the privacy of his own home, or if some law-abiding young lady carries an unlicensed derringer in her purse so she won't be mugged or raped so easily, then who gives a shit? They ain't hurtin' nobody, so why the fuck does the commie government want you to arrest them so bad? I'll tell you why — the scum in power have plans for this country, and for their plans to become reality they need a population of unarmed, apathetic, helpless, docile sheep. They've been working feverishly towards this evil goal for generations, turning rights into 'privileges' which can be revoked at a bureaucrat's whim, and force-feeding our children lies and half-truths in their schools and through their TV stations, so as to condition them to 'behave properly,' which means: trusting those in power, thinking wrong is right, and being good little robots who do what they're told. Conform or be punished! Be subservient to your Masters! That's what children are being taught in school today! All drugs are bad, you can't smoke or drink, if you're promiscuous you'll catch AIDs and die, only crazy people think they should own guns, and if your parents are breaking the law you should tell the nice policeman who only wants to help them — what a sick, perverted, twisted philosophy they want the next generation to embrace! Why punish good people for victimless crimes? Because they are being willful; they refuse to blindly obey; and must be punished for their small act of defiance. And they're so damn smug that they've gotten sloppy — it's easy to see the corruption, the hypocrisy of the politicians' One Way Law, how if you've got money and connections you just get a slap on the wrist, but if you're an average Joe it's off to the dungeons with ye! Shit, we haven't had true freedom in this country for over a century now, and with the advances in computer technology things have gotten a lot worse."

— Hanse Fletcher



"EIGHT IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR THE FLOWERING OF AUTOCRACY":

"1) Eliminate personal knowledge. Make it hard for people to know about themselves, how they function, what a human being is, or how a human fits into wider, natural systems. This will make it impossible for the human to separate natural from artificial, real from unreal. You provide the answers to all questions.

2) Eliminate points of comparison. Comparisons can be found in earlier societies, older language forms and cultural artifacts, including print media. Eliminate or museumize indigenous cultures, wilderness and nonhuman life forms. Re-create internal human experience — instincts, thoughts, and spontaneous, varied feelings — so that it will not evoke the past.

3) Separate people from each other. Reduce interpersonal communication through life-styles that emphasize separateness. When people gather together, be sure it is for a prearranged experience that occupies all their attention at once. Spectator sports are excellent, so are circuses, elections, and any spectacles in which focus is outward and interpersonal exchange is subordinated to mass experience.

4) Unify experience, especially encouraging mental experience at the expense of sensory experience. Separate people's minds from their bodies, as in sense-deprivation experiments, thus clearing the mental channel for implantation. Idealize the mind. Sensory experience cannot be eliminated totally, so it should be driven into narrow areas. An emphasis on sex as opposed to sense may be useful because it is powerful enough to pass for the whole thing and it has a placebo effect.

5) Occupy the mind. Once people are isolated in their minds, fill the brain with prearranged experience and thought. Content is less important than the fact of the mind being filled. Free-roaming thought is to be discouraged at all costs, because it is difficult to control.

6) Encourage drug use. Recognize that total repression is impossible and so expressions of revolt must be contained on the personal level. Drugs will fill in the cracks of dissatisfaction, making people unresponsive to organized expressions of resistance.

7) Centralize knowledge and information. Having isolated people from each other and minds from bodies; eliminated points of comparison; discouraged sensory experience; and invented technologies to unify and control experience, speak. At this point whatever comes from outside will enter directly into all brains at the same time with great power and believability.

Redefine happiness and the meaning of life in terms of new and increasingly uprooted philosophy. Once you've established the prior seven conditions, this one is easy. Anything makes sense in a void. All channels are open, receptive and unquestioning. Formal mind structuring is simple. Most important, avoid naturalistic philosophies, they lead to uncontrollable awareness. The least resistible philosophies are the most arbitrary ones, those that make sense only in terms of themselves."

— Jerry Mander, from Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television (pp. 97-99)



ILLUMINATION:

"Liberate yourself from concepts and see the truth with your own eyes. It exists HERE and NOW; it requires only one thing to see it: openness, freedom — the freedom to be open and not tethered by any ideas, concepts, etc., until we are blue in the face; all this will not be of the slightest avail — it is only when we stop thinking and let go that we can start seeing, discovering. When our mind is tranquil, there will be an occasional pause to its feverish activities, there will be a let-go, and it is only then in the interval between two thoughts that a flash of UNDERSTANDING — understanding, which is not thought — can take place."

— Bruce Lee, from Striking Thoughts (p. 43)



STATE OF GRACE:

"The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the power of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms — this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the rank of devoutly religious men."

— Albert Einstein



THE "GREEN & WHITE" PHILOSOPHY:

"Green is the color of life, peace, and abundance. Life is precious; life is temporary; life is an illusion. Peace gives one opportunity to enjoy life to its fullest. Abundance is a gift from the gods, something intended to be shared with others. Striving for abundance as an end in itself leads only to greed, envy, and dissatisfaction.

White is the color of death, truth, and purity. Death comes to us all; death is not to be feared; death is simply a transition to something greater. If you have 'cheated death' more than once, you can consider yourself to be living on 'borrowed time' — this can be a very liberating experience. Knowing death can come at any time, live every moment as if it were your last. Truth is what it is — to go against truth is to reject honor and embrace cowardice, deceit, and injustice. Purity is perfection in action and intent — lead by example."

— Scribe 27 (RWT)



"THE WAY"

"You can be whatever you want to be. If you hate yourself/your life, you have the capabilities within yourself to rebuild your image to whatever it is you aspire to be. Everyone has a great deal of energy/power locked within them — they just have to learn how to reach it, identify it, use it, mold it, and channel it. Everything you do in life comes back around to you. If you do evil to another, it will come back, somewhere, sometime, thrice as bad. Your mind is everything. Take nothing too seriously, as taking things too seriously promotes homicidal rage and suicidal depression. You control your mind. Your mind controls your body. Body language is important. No-one can hurt or imprison your mind — that is something you will always possess, and no-one can take it away from you. Blind faith is wrong. Believe nothing & trust no-one by reason of words alone. Beware the salesman!!! Beware the preacher, the politician, the judge, the policeman, and most of all the demon T.V.! Believe in yourself. Keep your dignity and honor always. Help those in need, when possible (and when you are not harming yourself by doing so). Don't permit anyone to take advantage of you or step on your toes — but if it does happen, remember the circumstances always so that it will not happen again. Misfortunes can be good if they are taken as a learning experience. 'That which does not kill one makes one stronger.' Bring malicious discomfort to no-one. When in doubt, keep your mouth shut. Lots of people say things for their own benefit — to make themselves look better, or to gain unearned respect. Everybody lies. Everybody has weaknesses. A lot of peoples' minds work differently from your own. The majority of the masses are ignorant, naive, and easily influenced by others. Always be cautious. Always be prepared. Look out for yourself and your brethren. It is possible to block out pain, self-destructive emotions, addictive behaviors, bad habits, and even disease. Endurance is more important than strength. Always think an important situation through — look at all the alternatives and consequences. Your world is what you make it. Take advantage of opportunity. Laziness kills. Knowledge is power. Never mix love & hate. You control your life. Be what you want to be."

— Spider 1%er (from prison)