They Just Want To Get To Know You

As I write this, my life in being tracked, monitored, recorded, logged. Every key stroke, every click. When I'm on the phone, they know. When I'm on the net, they know. When I buy beer (only on the weekend, of course..) they know. My calls at work - recorded. My behavior at work - documented.

"We were listening through you call log from yesterday...at 9:05 a.m. you were speaking to Mr. Bains and said something slightly inappropriate."

Anyone else get this? Are you reading me? Over?

This is not exaggeration. I deal with incidents like this. We live in a frightening, yet wonderful time. We are at a critical juncuture in human history.

Possibilities. They are seemingly becoming endless for us, the modern human race. I remember when I was young science fiction fascinated me. The possibilities for the future fascinated me. And as the years passed on, science fiction became science. The internet, cell phones, insanely fast computers, clones, robots..the list goes on and on. So far in my life I have seen an exponential growth in technology, much like those who witnessed the first airplanes, the first cars must have seen.

It all seems to have come too fast. We are being conditioned. Slaved out.

The push to have everyone (at least in the "civilized" world) "connected" has been suspicious for a few years to me now. Cell phone penetration is an estimated 92% in the United States, 95% in Britain. Is this partly due to underdeveloped land lines? Of course it is, in part. But is there something more sinister at work here..why such an explosion in use...?

In Canada, our cell phone penetration is 65%. That is as far as the telecom companies here have been able to crack. The rates are high and service sucks up here. It's that simple. And then out of that remaining 35%, you most likely have those that will never, ever, get a cell phone. No matter what. No need for it. I envy them.

I hope it's just me. I really do. I should have looked into it before writing this, but I would like to know how much cell phone prices and rate plan prices dropped after 9/11. Don't know why, but I have this gut feeling that there were HUGE price declines and nice perks for signing up. It'd be nice to have commercials from back then..because the commcercials (especially American broadcasts) push phones HEAVILY today. I mean heavy. Almost as much as prescription drugs.

Granted, that could be attributed to the technology being more readily available, unless the price cuts were instantly HUGE. Then that smells fishy..

Not everything is a cover-up, conspiracy, or diabolical plot for world control. I do not think as such. However, I am logical. And reasonable. And I know that if I was in a position of power, I too would seek the most covert and slick ways of controlling the population. Totalitarianism by consent. Welcome to the technocracy.

Your veins are as much organic as they are fiber optic. The electronic world and the organic world are symbiotic.

We are slaves. Accept it. Raio frequencies, microprocessors, and circuits run your life. You think you have control. It's an illusion of control. The system tells you when you can pay a bill, watch a video on youtube, or talk to your lover. With the flick of a switch it can be shut off. You can be shut off. No bank. No net. No phone. Nothing. It's all ran from outside your surroundings, by people BIGGER and A LOT MORE IMPORTANT than you. At least, that is how they see it.

And that's just how I see cell phones...don't get me started on Google..or Facebook. Just know that your are being watched, recorded, documented, and accounted for. Think about that the next time you go on Facebook or talk on your cell phone 65 times a day.

In closing, a story:

"There is this girl I wanted to screw. I wanted to screw her real bad. But I had a problem. I knew what she looked and sounded like. That's all. I wanted to get into her head, I had to to accomplish my goal. I started to, ya know, spy on her a little. Eavesdropped on her conversations with people, found out what she liked to do. My buddy brought up an interesting point one day though.."

"Why don't you just talk to her, you know, legitimately?"

"No, no. I can't do that. I can't let her know what I am thinking. I can't let her know that I feel this way about her without knowing her first. It'd be awkward! I'll do my research and then hit her with my conincidental hobbies and whatnot!"

"It's more awkward if you stalk her, creep..you'll know about her already..like she is already yours.."

"No, no. I'll be prepared!!! Just in case.."

They just want to get to KNOW YOU

A Grain of Assault

I've been arrested. Yes, I have. Dec. 2007 on charges of...assault. Arguing is now considered assault apparently. I can see the ad campaign..."Arguing : The New Assault! *Now with more Totalitarianism!*"

I'll be the first to admit if I beat someone's ass. I have no gripes with a reasonable fist fight, and I'm not sorry for saying that. I was raised old fashioned like that. But it should be a thing of honor, not to be taken lightly. Some people take things too far and then...you know. Shit goes crazy. Defcon 5. Code fucking red.

But here I am, arguing in the middle of downtown at the top of my lungs. Long story short, cops come, I surrender peacefully, I get batoned and beat a bit, I get arrested and charged with assault. For arguing.

I don't know what the hell was wrong with these officers (City police force, of course.) It was almost like they were disappointed that there was not a real crime taking place and just decided "hey...we're here anyways..."

Even longer story short, I have my charge WITHDRAWN, 6 months later. Later. As in after. As in after I lost a job. As in after I got my ass kicked. As in after they threw me in a piss-soaked-smelling cell. As in after they trumped up a charge on me.

But, do you believe me?

Is this "truth?" Or am I bending it, or, worse (or better,) am I outright lying? Where are the facts? Where is..substance. Evidence. Did I tell you the whole story? Were there other charges? Things that are omitted are usually the most damning of all. We all know this.

Truth vs. "Truth" vs. Denial vs . "No Comment." That`s all you get. That`s what they give. And it is not 25-25-25-25.

You see, my story is just that, my story. Take it for what you will. A grain of salt. Whatever. But I hope I have made you think. A little, a lot, just to think. That`s what I offer to you.

People will mislead you. They will outright lie. They will shun responsibility. Only do a rare few have the courage to lead, and to truly lead...

So I took Economics in University...look at me now!

Man, we are all takin a shit kickin' out there, aren't we? You see, I live in Canada (arrest me now) and a very prosperous part at that. In fact, I live in arguably the richest and most affluent part of this great Country. Oil rich, I mean OIL RICH. It's insane. The avg. median price of a home, I believe, is somewhere around $350k right now. Average. AVERAGE. Minimum wage here is (again, from my memory) $9.00/hr. I think that number may even be high. Now, if a home is too much, you can always get an apartment..for $200k and up. Still too much? There's always basement suites...for $800 a month. Insane.

Let me explain a little backstory to you. Over the last, oh say, 6 years we have experienced a HUGE boom in this province due to oil money. We have oil sands in the north of the province, and from this millions of barrels are extracted. The sands employ thousands of workers, who otherwise would not be able to make the wages they are making in other provinces of the country. So with this oil boom came the housing boom. I have never seen anything like it. Ever. Hundreds upon hundreds of new homes. Dozens of cranes building dozens of high rises. Condos in every suburban neighborhood.

The vacancy rate is something like 0.9%-1.5% I believe. But new building starts are way down. And this begs the question: how much is 1.5%? How many places lay vacant? Considering the amount built, 1% could be a few hundred, or a few thousand. I see it everyday. And 1% is conservative. It must be higher, because I have been looking and finding many units (some in very exclusive parts of the city.) Brand new condos, houses, all empty.

Speculators looking to make a buck? I'd say so. I'm currently looking for a new place and trust me..it is now easier than a year ago, when I was almost SOL.

Prices..remain the same. For now.

I don't work in the oil patch. I don't make huge money. I don't have full benefits (health care is gov. funded here, minus dentist, eyes, ears, stuff like that) and I need dental work. This is the majority. Oil profits do not trickle down to the citizens (a.k.a. sheeple) from Big Ol' Oil. I can not afford a condo, or a home to call my own. I am a renter, and a renter unless I make more money or prices come down. Gas is expensive. Rent is expensive. The Canadian dollar is basically par with the U.S. dollar. Americans aren't buying our exports. The numbers will support that, I do not doubt. The U.S. dollar sinks, we sink. Plain and simple. We do basically ALL of our trade with the U.S.A. These days, all they want from up here is oil. They taxed our softwood lumber (illegally) years ago, stopped our beef at the border. That hurt, and still does to this day. Just ask the ranchers and the millworkers.

People, we are all screwed. Face it. Wake the hell up and realize. We've all been suckered. The financial collapse of the U.S. economy is engineered. Plain and simple. Just like the implementation of the Fed down south before, we will have another "savior" institution arise from the ashes. A new, more continental system. I guarantee. We'll be right on board, like it or not. Expect to see more banks liquidated, seized, whatever can be done to phase them out. One central bank. That is the goal. IndyMac is the first big assimilation. Who's next? The sector knows, but they want to keep the rest of us guessing. It's better than coming out and being honest. 20 years ago we saw the same, with small banks being *pooFED.* It cost $125 billion of taxpayer money then. How much will it cost now?

So the point...

My boss took economics in University. It was his major. He fancies himself a know-it-all of the subject. I enjoy challenging his perception (WARNING: not to be confused with actual knowledge) of the system. Now I would imagine that he did learn about the U.S. economy. I'd HOPE he did, the same with Great Britain's system.

One day, we got on the topic of the U.S. meltdown, his opinion being it's a temporary issue, and that the Fed will save the day with rate cuts! Rate cuts are the answer! Let's get people into more debt! (a point which he didn't understand.) More affordable to borrow?! GREAT LET'S SPEND!

So the fed cuts rates, and cut rates, and cut rates. And we watched. And watched. And watched. The months passed and I "told him so" and loved it. So now.."When they raise rates it'll be all good." Hah. Sure.

I had to let him know at that point.

"The fed is a private bank that lends money to the Gov..you know that right? A private institution sets monetary policy for the States, boss."

He couldn't believe it. The look of bewilderment. Disbelief. He fought me on it. He had never heard such a ludicrous thing. I was a liar. I didn't know what I was talking about. He DENIED the truth of the matter because he is so far in his slumber.

"Everything is fine, houses in the homeland (here) will always be valueable. We will live long and prosper and our American friends will be fine."

I am the uneducated fool.

Ahhhhhhhhh. The attitude of a "scholar."

Which would explain why he works where he does.