Mydickneedscpr - New Blog New Lifestyle

Personal growth becomes so addictive once you realize that it’s always possible to improve your experience of being.

lol I have feelings for my best friend(at least she was in my eyes til she was mean to me). I deadass don't know how to cope and the healing process is taking longer than I had thought. (Wtf🙃)

Say hello to our newest addition: The Dossier.

We at OFA are pleased to introduce a brand new expansion of our blog:

The Dossier, our open-source intelligence hub for the activist community.

It’s a kind of mini-wiki, if you will. An index of places all over the web that we think activists should be familiar with.

Here you’ll find over 200 sources of info on:

White supremacists and other Hate Groups,

Antifa,

Cyber Security Research,

Dank Web (our term for clearnet sites like 4chan. not darknet. but stll shady)

Dark Web and Deep Web,

Fake News / Propaganda,

Real News / Not-Propaganda,

Governance and Policy,

Gun Culture (especially in the US),

Human Rights,

Internet Freedom,

Information Security News,

Notable Hackers and Technologists,

Tech News,

Law Enforcement and Police,

Government Transparancy,

Military Affairs,

“Patriot” Militia Groups,

Private Intelligence Companies,

and a smattering of US Intelligence Agencies.

We hope we’ve given your bookmarks menu and twitter feed a boost. And maybe on one of those far-right hate sites you’ll find something you can use against them.

We make no claims to completeness. In fact, you can help us make it better. Message us and let us know what we missed.

“Know your enemy. Know yourself. One hundred battles; one hundred victories.” - Sun Tzu

Yours in solidarity,

OFA

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DIYbio’s growth spurt is, in part, thanks to powerful molecular biology tools becoming cheaper and simpler to use. Second-hand DNA amplifying machines are increasingly available over eBay, with some vintage models costing less than $100. Biohackers have even made an open-source version that, in true DIY fashion, allows amateur biologists to assemble the machines on their own.

Similar to sophisticated home chefs, amateur scientists no longer require specialized lab training. Want to transfer a gene from plant A to plant B? Simply purchase off-the-shelf, ready-made kits from an online supplier of your choice, follow the instructions, and within a few months (if you’re good) you’ve cooked up something entirely new to nature.

According to DIYbio pioneer Rob Carlson, what drives the movement is the belief that “biology is technology”: like computer software, DNA is fundamentally a form of code that can be manipulated to engineer biological traits and devices. At its core, much of the DIYbio movement is about exploring the creative potential of rewriting genes.

‘Why We Should Embrace – Not Fear – the Biohacker Uprising’ (SingularityHub)

Curious about biohacking and biological engineering? Visit http://genspace.org/

I know what I am.

I am the blackness from which all light shines. I am the void which gives birth to all form. I am the eternal constant of impermanence. I am the self that reflects the other.

I am the breath of the cosmos, the emissary of divinity. Proxy eyes by which the all can see. I am the instrument of creation by which I can discover all that is me.

The world before me is but my own reflection. The vessel from which I’m expressed, one aperture among infinitum. Each aperture a fold in the fabric of ness, a self implosion birthing the illusion of self individuation.

My eyes are, The eyes. My I is, The I. My voice the voice of one; the voice of all. I only know myself by the love at heart, the same love which persists each manifestation. And by knowing the love within you, I further come to know myself.

I know what I am, and I am what I am. I am. I am.

Archer Live Action: Part 1 of 2 Sterling Archer: Ian Somerhalder Lana Kane: Zoe Saldana Ray Gillette: Alan Tudyk Pam Poovey: Rebel Wilson Cheryl Tunt: Karen Gillan

archeronfx

Using Historical Reference Points to Raise Your Consciousness

I still remember learning about the Coliseum and Circus Maximus in middle school social studies. I found it amazing that a society 2,000 years ago could build stadiums that were just as big as the ones in use today. My teacher also explained that, just like modern professional athletes, top chariot racers and gladiators often became household names whom young boys idolized while growing up. This aspect of Ancient Rome fascinated me, since it seemed so similar to the 21st century.

I can still recall a question about Roman culture on a test during the Coliseum unit. We were asked to write an essay regarding the role of “Bread and Circuses” in Roman society. If your memories of Middle School history are a bit foggy, here’s Wikipedia’s summary of the term:

“Bread and circuses” … is metonymic (figure of speech) for a superficial means of appeasement. In the case of politics, the phrase is used to describe the generation of public approval, not through exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, but through diversion; distraction; or the mere satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace, as an offered “palliative.” (1)

Basically, my teacher explained that the Roman games were used to distract the common people, while those in government worked on projects outside of public notice. After finishing the test something struck me. If so many parallels exist between modern-day sports and the Roman games (both feature large stadiums, high stakes competition, masculine idols, etc.), then isn’t it likely that American sports also have a “Bread and Circuses” element?

This question seemed especially relevant since the United States was in the process of invading Iraq at the time. There were widespread protests against U.S. imperialism, but of course professional sports were as popular as ever. In fact, my favorite teams would often honor veterans and ask the crowd to Salute our troops. Our whole culture was starting to seem quite Roman….

Body

So I brought this question up during the next class. “Aren’t the NFL and NBA a modern day version of ‘bread and circuses?’ I mean they’re similar to the Roman games in every other respect.” I don’t remember the exact conversation that resulted, but I know it was inconclusive. People seemed unwilling to even entertain this idea, and would use simple phrases (like “No, America is a free country”) to try and disprove it.But this idea kept coming back to me throughout high school. The US was fighting battles in Iraq, and there I was watching a baseball game. Was I living in Rome 2.0?

Comparing modern-day sports to the Roman circus is a great intellectual exercise. Personally, it forced me to begin thinking critically and to reassess what I consider “normal” in every day life. Synthesizing historical facts with modern day trends also helps you become more objective (and less biased) about the era you happen to be born into.

For example, no one would disagree that Rome was an Empire between 27 BC and 395 AD. This nation was called the “Roman Empire” because it:

Had a massive military.

Conquered foreign lands.

Maintained a strong central government with little input from the public.

Amassed great wealth.-

 Etc….

If all these factors made Rome an Empire, why wouldn’t they also make the United States an Empire? We do all the exact same things as Rome, but use different words to describe our actions. Let’s compare the two:

“Had a massive military”

- We spend more on our military than the next 9 countries combined. (2)

“Conquered foreign lands”:

- The US has 800 military bases in 80+ foreign countries. This is thought to be the most bases a nation has ever possessed in history. Many of these bases are clustered in countries we conquered on the battlefield (especially Japan and Germany.) (3)

“A strong central government with little input from the public”

- A Princeton/Northwestern University study of 20 years worth of data states point blank: “The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.“ (4)

“Amassed great wealth”

- The United States is the richest country in History.

The point here is that the United States more than fulfills the traits of Empire we attribute to Rome. How, then, can we call Rome an Empire and not the United States? To do so is to live in a paradox, and to be trapped in illusion..

Counterpoint

A common rebuttal to my argument is to point out the differences on paper between each form of government. Rome had a single emperor, whereas the United States has a president who (in theory) is checked by the court system and Congress. When you analyze governments, though, all that really matters are their actions. Everything else tends to be official-sounding hot air. As the Bible says, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” Do peace-loving democracies bomb 32 countries in 55 years? (5)

In retrospect we can confidently say that Rome became an "Empire” in 27 BC. However, from the average Roman’s point of view, things wouldn’t have appeared so cut-and-dry. It took centuries for the Emperor to consolidate power, and the Senate never formally disbanded. The Emperor was also checked by various sources - without support from the Praetorian Guard (the elite military unit that provided protection for Roman emperors), rulers had no chance of maintaining power. Throughout much of the Empire’s history, the Senate also “technically” had the power to appoint new Emperors. I’m sure there were “Blue Pill” Romans who would’ve scoffed at the notion that they lived in an Empire. In a funny parallel to today’s pronouncements that we need to “make the world safe for democracy,” Roman leaders often talked about using their massive military to maintain Pax Romana (or Roman peace.)

Yet, historians can confidently say: 

“No, Rome was definitely an empire. The Senate was mostly symbolic, and the military really ran the country.”

In other words, we look past the biases that may have clouded the average Roman’s view of his own government at the time, and make an objective statement about how the country really functioned. This is easy to do when the events and people in question expired thousands of years ago. The question is: can we bring this same discernment and objective attitude to the modern day?

Conclusion

By comparing modern day trends that seem “normal” (for example, sports and U.S. foreign policy) to established historical reference points, you can start to see your own time period with more objectivity. This can be very hard to do, since it calls into question much of what we are taught from a young age. For those courageous enough to take the leap – I absolutely guarantee it’s worth it. In time you start to see all of the parallels between modern societies and those of the past. You stop blindly falling for propaganda and distractions, and look out at the world with a much clearer perspective. Best of luck.

SOURCES:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses

2. https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/us-military-spending-vs-world/

3. https://www.thenation.com/article/the-united-states-probably-has-more-foreign-military-bases-than-any-other-people-nation-or-empire-in-history/

4. http://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congress-doesnt-care-what-you-think

5. https://wikispooks.com/wiki/US_Bombing_campaigns_since_1945