SlipNet
The Living Force
I've been grinding my gears this evening wondering about compiling a list of my favourite things. Objectively speaking, we live as intellectual vagabonds who resist party loyalties and think for ourselves as best we can. The Beast can be felt everywhere, and to survive we must conform to the VISA system. But despite the overcast clouds of chaos, misrule and control, I can see shafts of light breaking through. We have the whole of ancient literature, religious texts and treatises, ancient art and culture, all the classic artists of the ages, 20th century art/media at our fingertips, the testimonies of our greatest and most astute minds. We also have 25 years of tremendous contemporary thought too. Truly, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We need those gems that nourish our soul. So, I thought I'd start a thread listing Good Stuff in my life experience. Here goes:
1 Coffee and Tea. 2 crucial beverages which I consume every day. I love them both dearly, and so does my brain.
2 Tobacco. Just like my fave bevvies mentioned above, smoking is an essential element of a happy day in my life. I smoke one 30g pouch of American Spirit per week, a modest rate.
3 Bacon. Another staple of my weekly diet, in many dishes and forms. With fried eggs and plum tomatoes, just sublime.
4 100% Pork Sausages. My god I eat 3/4 of these every Sunday. One of my great food discoveries after first adapting my diet to a more carnivorous mode back in 2010. With herbs and cooked apple, yum!
5 Keeping a Journal. I discovered this habit after reading about the life of Jim Morrison back as a student in September 1994. I had just moved to London to study as a callow teenager, I was SO naive. Keeping a journal planted the seeds of thought in my developing mind, and I challenged myself in terms of books, films, music, the whole lot. Journalling is a way of life. I keep a thread on here devoted to insights from my journals for a reason; it anchors my mind and my soul, and it has helped me to recover lost memories after I became a schizophrenic back in 2004. I have learned plenty, but I am only what I currently understand. Looking back on scribblings from fevered states from 1994-97 was fun in particular. I'd recommend keeping one to all who have yet to take the plunge, it's well worth it. You'll soon find out what you're made of.
6 Movies. I freakin' LOVE movies, from 1957-78 in particular. I could list them for days, but suffice to say that watching the great directorial auteurs has enriched my life in numerous ways. I even make myself chuckle on occasions by observing that I have a directorial eye when I'm out and about. A wet pavement reflecting streetlights becomes a moment of cinematic beauty, a fun observation. I came out of my garage last summer into a hot sunny garden, and the lighting reminded me of John Ford. Mother Nature is the world's prime artist. Movies that capture her awesome beauty live long in the memory.
7 Music. It first really hit me as a teenager listening to hard rock, and it's been with me, ever widening its scope over the years. As vital and natural as breathing. Between 1967-78, I have about 300 cds. So much great music came out in a comparatively small window of time. My fave era for sure.
8 Books. Need I say anything? The essentials of life are in my book collection. From religion to politics, to philosophy, mysteries, occultism, ufology, psychology et al. You name it, I've got something to say about it, thanks to my books. I'd never be without them.
9 UFOs. I first had an alien experience back as a kid in 1988. Really spooked me. I was laid out on a slab and 3 tall white faceless beings were looming over me. A few years later I learned about Travis Walton and then got into The X-Files. And it's been full steam ahead in my searching ever since. My chief interest in life, overall if I had to rank it. Kind of my raison d'etre.
10 Football. I discovered football in the schoolyard in 1986. I wasn't very good at it, but I was smart and knew how to hold the ball and keep possession for my team. There was a place in the team for me because of this. I was a "ball retainer", lol! That summer in 86 we won the inter-school county football tournament, and then we all watched Mexico 86, the great football World Cup event that hot summer. It was a life changing summer, I spiritually grew that year. I've loved and followed football ever since, it's given me many happy times, and it's good exercise to play it every once in a while.
11 The Internet. I LOVE the internet. It's my gateway drug. I'm online about 10hrs per day, easy. Reading, writing, networking on X, watching podcasts and lectures on YT, I'm literally never bored, and I'm limited only by my own imagination, nothing more. A power cut is a most dreadful thing in our household.
12 Philosophy. From Plato, Socrates, Descartes, Blake, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, I plotted my way through 3 years of study in Uni from 1994-7. A crucial time period where I was under not too much pressure and could just blossom and grow as a person. Without having to work at a boring job, instead we could go to the pub and talk about art and music. Happy days which seeded my future interests.
13 Sleep. This is one of my favourite things for sure. One ciggie, a cup of strong black tea, and my 3mg Melatonin tab, each and every night that's what I take an hour before bedtime. In my journal (and on here on a separate thread) I log my dreams from childhood up to the present day. A vital resource. Knowing that sleep recharges the soul means I take getting good sleep very seriously. An old friend of mine was afraid of sleep. He called it "a brief, little period of death". I struggle with insomnia if my mind is over-extended on some subject or other, but melatonin helps big time. Within an hour of taking a 3mg tab I'm usually drowsy.
14 Conspiracy Websites. Finding Cassiopaea.org in 2003 was a milestone in my life. Before that I'd read Montalk, Rense, Icke, Alex Jones. I consider it all to have been time well spent. I love a good juicy conspiracy to grind my gears over. JFK, 9-11, Roswell, Jesus/Caesar. It's been worth the effort of interest over the years.
15 Fine Art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so it is. There is something incredibly soothing about going around a decent art gallery. It stills my soul and challenges me to look deeply. One of the bonuses of living in London from 1994-98 was the easy access to various top level art exhibitions. I have so much respect for the true masters of the art. Another life bonus that feels essential to me.
16 Nature. i go for a 2 mile walk every day. Just to pick up the morning paper for my Dad, and it wakes me up and I just enjoy feeling a part of nature, just letting go and feeling whatever is blowing through you at that particular moment in time. I also enjoy observing nature. I watch the ants in my garden, the birds nesting in our trees, and I regularly scare off the scabby cat that often prowls around as an interloper. A good early morning country walk is a beautiful thing. Knowing that the Wave is coming, and our world will get considerably colder, more hostile to life, is sobering. So I enjoy all of nature now, while I still can.
That's a good summary of how I listed (in no particular ranking order) the most obvious favourite stuff in my daily life. I'd be interested to learn of any responses and fellow lists from anyone on this forum, if you have the time that is, I know time these days is very precious. I've put this list in my journal. It's there for a strategic reason. That being to cheer me up if I'm ever feeling down. I hope this serious list brings a wry smile and a nod of recognition from any curious readers. We're not so different on here I suspect...
1 Coffee and Tea. 2 crucial beverages which I consume every day. I love them both dearly, and so does my brain.
2 Tobacco. Just like my fave bevvies mentioned above, smoking is an essential element of a happy day in my life. I smoke one 30g pouch of American Spirit per week, a modest rate.
3 Bacon. Another staple of my weekly diet, in many dishes and forms. With fried eggs and plum tomatoes, just sublime.
4 100% Pork Sausages. My god I eat 3/4 of these every Sunday. One of my great food discoveries after first adapting my diet to a more carnivorous mode back in 2010. With herbs and cooked apple, yum!
5 Keeping a Journal. I discovered this habit after reading about the life of Jim Morrison back as a student in September 1994. I had just moved to London to study as a callow teenager, I was SO naive. Keeping a journal planted the seeds of thought in my developing mind, and I challenged myself in terms of books, films, music, the whole lot. Journalling is a way of life. I keep a thread on here devoted to insights from my journals for a reason; it anchors my mind and my soul, and it has helped me to recover lost memories after I became a schizophrenic back in 2004. I have learned plenty, but I am only what I currently understand. Looking back on scribblings from fevered states from 1994-97 was fun in particular. I'd recommend keeping one to all who have yet to take the plunge, it's well worth it. You'll soon find out what you're made of.
6 Movies. I freakin' LOVE movies, from 1957-78 in particular. I could list them for days, but suffice to say that watching the great directorial auteurs has enriched my life in numerous ways. I even make myself chuckle on occasions by observing that I have a directorial eye when I'm out and about. A wet pavement reflecting streetlights becomes a moment of cinematic beauty, a fun observation. I came out of my garage last summer into a hot sunny garden, and the lighting reminded me of John Ford. Mother Nature is the world's prime artist. Movies that capture her awesome beauty live long in the memory.
7 Music. It first really hit me as a teenager listening to hard rock, and it's been with me, ever widening its scope over the years. As vital and natural as breathing. Between 1967-78, I have about 300 cds. So much great music came out in a comparatively small window of time. My fave era for sure.
8 Books. Need I say anything? The essentials of life are in my book collection. From religion to politics, to philosophy, mysteries, occultism, ufology, psychology et al. You name it, I've got something to say about it, thanks to my books. I'd never be without them.
9 UFOs. I first had an alien experience back as a kid in 1988. Really spooked me. I was laid out on a slab and 3 tall white faceless beings were looming over me. A few years later I learned about Travis Walton and then got into The X-Files. And it's been full steam ahead in my searching ever since. My chief interest in life, overall if I had to rank it. Kind of my raison d'etre.
10 Football. I discovered football in the schoolyard in 1986. I wasn't very good at it, but I was smart and knew how to hold the ball and keep possession for my team. There was a place in the team for me because of this. I was a "ball retainer", lol! That summer in 86 we won the inter-school county football tournament, and then we all watched Mexico 86, the great football World Cup event that hot summer. It was a life changing summer, I spiritually grew that year. I've loved and followed football ever since, it's given me many happy times, and it's good exercise to play it every once in a while.
11 The Internet. I LOVE the internet. It's my gateway drug. I'm online about 10hrs per day, easy. Reading, writing, networking on X, watching podcasts and lectures on YT, I'm literally never bored, and I'm limited only by my own imagination, nothing more. A power cut is a most dreadful thing in our household.
12 Philosophy. From Plato, Socrates, Descartes, Blake, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, I plotted my way through 3 years of study in Uni from 1994-7. A crucial time period where I was under not too much pressure and could just blossom and grow as a person. Without having to work at a boring job, instead we could go to the pub and talk about art and music. Happy days which seeded my future interests.
13 Sleep. This is one of my favourite things for sure. One ciggie, a cup of strong black tea, and my 3mg Melatonin tab, each and every night that's what I take an hour before bedtime. In my journal (and on here on a separate thread) I log my dreams from childhood up to the present day. A vital resource. Knowing that sleep recharges the soul means I take getting good sleep very seriously. An old friend of mine was afraid of sleep. He called it "a brief, little period of death". I struggle with insomnia if my mind is over-extended on some subject or other, but melatonin helps big time. Within an hour of taking a 3mg tab I'm usually drowsy.
14 Conspiracy Websites. Finding Cassiopaea.org in 2003 was a milestone in my life. Before that I'd read Montalk, Rense, Icke, Alex Jones. I consider it all to have been time well spent. I love a good juicy conspiracy to grind my gears over. JFK, 9-11, Roswell, Jesus/Caesar. It's been worth the effort of interest over the years.
15 Fine Art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so it is. There is something incredibly soothing about going around a decent art gallery. It stills my soul and challenges me to look deeply. One of the bonuses of living in London from 1994-98 was the easy access to various top level art exhibitions. I have so much respect for the true masters of the art. Another life bonus that feels essential to me.
16 Nature. i go for a 2 mile walk every day. Just to pick up the morning paper for my Dad, and it wakes me up and I just enjoy feeling a part of nature, just letting go and feeling whatever is blowing through you at that particular moment in time. I also enjoy observing nature. I watch the ants in my garden, the birds nesting in our trees, and I regularly scare off the scabby cat that often prowls around as an interloper. A good early morning country walk is a beautiful thing. Knowing that the Wave is coming, and our world will get considerably colder, more hostile to life, is sobering. So I enjoy all of nature now, while I still can.
That's a good summary of how I listed (in no particular ranking order) the most obvious favourite stuff in my daily life. I'd be interested to learn of any responses and fellow lists from anyone on this forum, if you have the time that is, I know time these days is very precious. I've put this list in my journal. It's there for a strategic reason. That being to cheer me up if I'm ever feeling down. I hope this serious list brings a wry smile and a nod of recognition from any curious readers. We're not so different on here I suspect...
It just feels "normal" and positive. Second-hand books at 1$ each.
