Rotten to the Core

I thought a quick post was necessary, considering there have not been many new ideas being presented on. And I'm kinda pissed off.

Anyways, so today I fly to Vancouver, and after I land my cousin and I head to the nearest Rogers store so he can pick up his brand new 3G iPhone. Awesome right?
Well we stood in line for an hour and a half and endured the nagging, irritating complaints that were projected from this rude womens mouth right behind us. Its a good thing that there were other people in the store because she deserved a punch right in the throat.

So we go back to my cousins place and are messing around with his new 3G iPhone, and my Old-School 8GB iPhone. A couple of hours pass and still enjoying the company of our oh-so-elegant phones. Around 630 hits, and im in the middle of viewing a web page in Safari, when all of a sudden my phone appears to restart, but instead of going to the usual screen, I am presented with an image of a USB cable plugging into the iTunes logo.

Oh shit. What the hell is this?
So I resort to the only precautionary measure I know - Restart the phone!

Well that didnt work, even though I retried a good 5 times, I was still presented with the same image. So we plug it into the computer and supposedly I now have to 'Restore' my phone to default factory settings WHICH MEANS: I lose all numbers, photos, music, games etc. etc.

And then I learn that Apple has been doing this for awhile: remotely updating unlocked/jailbroken iPhones so that it 'reBricks' your phone enabling it useless.

So now im out of a phone, until I get back in a week in which my friend and I can attempt to salvage my beloved communication device.

So all in all, Fuck You Apple for screwing with me and my iPhone.

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Update: After some more research and discussion with friend of mine who is also an iPhone user, and also a friend of my cousin who is a phone-software engineer, it seems that it might either be

a) Apples doing - by remotely updating iPhones to ward off the thousands of unlocked iPhones (but wouldnt that be in violation to their User End Agreement? I dunno.)

b) My own fault for keeping my iPhone at such an outdated, unstable Firmware (1.1.1.)

It really doesnt matter at this point, because I still have a locked phone, but I'm confident that we'll be able to get it back working shortly.

Life, God and Animal Crackers

The following post will have everything to do with Life and God, but nothing regarding Animal Crackers. I'm sorry to disappoint.

A warning in advance - this post will be everywhere. I am about to attempt an explanation of a theory that I have been developing for some time, and call me crazy, which would not be the first time, but I feel that the purpose of a blog is to express all matters of thought - whether they be senile or not.

On that note, enjoy my discussion, and PLEASE post your opinion!


The debate and discussion regarding the purpose and time-line of life is a topic that has crossed everyones minds at least once, I myself am no exception. Many people feel that we are beings put on this world by an all controlling God or 'entity' whose purpose is to live our our lives and meet our creator in a paradise afterwards. Others feel that we are individuals to ourselves, and we are the true decision-makers and shapers of our destiny. Then you have people who feel we are spiritual slaves trapped in carcasses of flesh that need to be released through the praising of some made-up monster, however... that is for a different discussion ;) .

I myself, although I am skeptical of my own discovery, feel that our lives are somehow predetermined by a higher being. *It may not be 'God'* but there has to be something... anything! that is more powerful than humanity. Think about our history - wars, plagues etc. etc.! There is no way when one considers the history of our race, that we should even exist. Yet I think that the reason we still are a thriving society, is because there has been someone, or something guiding us along the way. Who knows, maybe we are all some sick, demented experiment of an alien society (for those of you interested in further research, Google "Planet X" I promise you it won't disappoint.) Now, when one takes into account all the bad that could, and probably should have happened, we must conclude that this force that is 'aiding' us must be present in our daily lifes - and this Dear Reader, is where my theorum becomes evident.

This is somewhat if not directly related to the phenomenon of Deja Vu. For those of you who are unaware of what this is, or those who believe you have never experienced it (liars) Deja Vu consists of "a French phrase meaning "already seen", and it refers to the experience of feeling sure that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously." Now where my idea comes in is that life as we know it, is predetermined - to an extent, and we as human beings have the capability of catching glimpses into our 'timeline' yet we do not fully have the mental capacity, at least not most of us - myself included, to piece these clues and glances together to transcribe a relative guideline. At the time of the "vision" our minds are too preoccupied to fully comprehend the significance of the details presented and brush them off as just useless information.

Now comes time for the example, and oh how I love my examples.

Lets say one day you are minding your own business and somebody mentions Bananas. Now! An ordinary person probably uses the word Banana at least twice a day but lets imagine you are someone who has never EVER heard of a supposed 'Banana.' Now, you just learnt about this supposed elongated fruit, but no less than hours later maybe you hear about a Banana from another media source such as the radio! This link between the two is what my theory consists of. The 'coincidence' of never hearing this word before but then hearing it AGAIN only hours later is what could be concluded as a glimpse into our lifeline. I know how absurd and out there this sounds, and I myself am a skeptic of my own thoughts, but if one takes note, even for a day, I am sure you will begin to see the similarities between thought and action.

In conclusion, the coincidence of a first (re)encounter to a second instance is sometimes too evident to be mere 'fate' and one should consider the idea that maybe it is more than coincidence, but maybe you are actually 'tapping in to' an otherworldly phenomenon.

I know how crazy that is, and I apologize for the confused look you probably have on your face, but I felt compelled to express what was on my mind, and this has been on it for quite some time. Hopefully it made some sense, and hopefully it sparks some imaginative thoughts! Please post your own thoughts and ideas, and be sure to check back regularly for new posts and replies to your comments!

Ground Control to Major Tom

As with my associates (hopefully they allow me to consider them that) over at Six Days and Wyrdsmith, I too will be taking a leave of absence for a short period to pursue the ever so glorious "summer vacation." I have heard the rumors of such a mysterious entity, and have set out to find out, if in fact, such a creature exists! Stay tuned for upcoming rants and raves that are sure to spark your interest in the weeks to come!

Until then, have a fantastic summer everyone! And Happy Canada Day to all of you Canucks!

+Chris

The Greatest Album Ever Told...

I'm going to step out of the norm, and write about something that has been extremely influential to me - Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" Album.

To Me, "DSOTM" is one of the/if not THE Greatest Album ever recorded.

"Originally recorded in 1973, this concept album would prove to be one of Pink Floyd's most famous, and influential albums ever recorded that employed 10 seperate songs all flowing seemlessly together.

Speak To Me
Breathe
On the Run
Time
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us and Them
Any Colour You Like
Brain Damage
Eclipse

First conceived as a purely experimental project, the band employed techniques and instruments that were not widely popular at the time, and they received much criticism before the album was released. However, the album topped the charts world-wide and spent 741 weeks (thats right - 14 years) on the U.S.-based Billboard 200 Chart - the longest of any album. Ever. And it has the the bragging rights of holding the title of 'Second Highest Selling Album of All Time' - with over Forty Million units sold since its released."

"Dark Side of the Moon" was, (and Im not proud to say) is the only Pink Floyd Album I had ever listened to. I had always been 'fond' of Pink Floyd's music - you know, you hear their song 'Money' or 'Another Brick in the Wall' every now and then on the radio and you never really thought any more of it. It wasn't until I got ahold of a copy of "Dark Side of the Rainbow" which involves the classic "Wizard of Oz"(Ugh I hate that movie,) synced up with Pink Floyd's infamous album - but more on that later. After I had seen the film I was in utter disbelief. How could a group of songs... make me feel so... alive? I was literally out of words and out of breath. It was like a mental joyride.

DSOTM implements so many thematic elements that its more or less like taking an emotional rollercoaster thats starts in your ears, and travels throughout your entire body. With themes, and philosophical elements such as:
[Quoted from Wikipedia]

"Time" [dealing] with growing older and the overwhelmingly fast approach of death - youth being gone before one even realizes it. "The Great Gig in the Sky" deals with thoughts of death and religion, "Money" deals with consumerism with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and wealth-related sound effects. "Us and Them" deals with conflict, ethnocentrism, and the belief that a person's self is "always in the right".[5] "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" deal with growing too old to be who one once was, and finally, death.

And by listening to the album in its entirity one can experience emotions of joy and excitement at the beginning, to feelings of dread, depression and renewal towards the end.

From the first time I listened to DSOTM, I became a new person. I listened to the music as something more than just... sounds. I had been a musician since I was 5 (and my first time listening to the album was at 17 - 12 years I know... pathetic really) I felt in sync with every word, every instrument, every 1/8th note, pentatonic scale and rest. I understood the music, and because of this, I was able to relate and feel the emotional ride that was intended.

After hearing the album, I literally became addicted. I could not stop listening to it. I had it on my computer, in my truck, on my iPod (hell, I still have 2 DIFFERENT versions (Color & Black and White) of "Dark Side of the Rainbow" that I still watch and hook up to my TV), on my phone even! It was not unusual for me to listen to the album 3 maybe 4 times a day - and still not be satisfied! I would even listen to it while falling asleep (fantastic idea by the way for any of you wanting to induce crazy dreams.) I listened to it so much, that I had every lyric and riff memorized. I even learnt the entire album on guitar (thank you Kevin for being so patient.) The most absurd moment though was when I had this 'epiphany' (what I like to call it, heh) to start a DSOTM Tribute Band. I got all the members, tried scheduling practises, got sheet music for everyone, set dates and guidelines, and even investigated locations for gigging our final product! I felt that Pink Floyd had given me something so amazing, so fantastic, that I felt I was obligated to do something in return to show my appreciation. Sad to say, however, that the project never really took off, and everyone disbanded a few months into it. Its understandable, but at the same time, quite a let down. I still continue playing DSOTM (- Love "Time") and maybe, maybe in the future, I'll be able to pursue that dream once again. I've been fortunate enough to keep in contact with the official South African Pink Floyd Tribute band - Welcome to the Machine, and their guitarist Dereck Walstra has proved a very reliable contact. So thank you to them!

I would strongly, strongly recommend anyone - whether they be an aspiring or professional musician, or a listener or all sounds, to check out Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." I would suggest listening to it in its entirety (its a mere 40 minutes) and not listen to "a song here... and a song there". By doing so, one can expect to experience the ultimate thrill - one that will captivate you and leave you in awe at the end.

You can get a sneak preview of the album here at Amazon.

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On a side note... for those of you interested in the Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz mashup entitled "Dark Side of the Rainbow" you can watch it here (to intrigue and spark your interest.) Its is extremely eerie at times, especially when Time starts playing (14:53ish), and further on when Dorothy first entires the Munchkins Lair (19:30)(I have no idea what its really called, nor do I care.) Have fun, and thanks for stopping by!



Please post your comments and let me know what you think!

The Worlds First Time Machine

"The Worlds First Time Machine" is a documentary that was released by The Discovery Channel back in 2003. It follows the research of Dr. Ron Mallett - one of the leading researchers and philosophers in the field of time travel.

I saw this particular video almost a year ago, and ever since then, I have been wanting to watch it again. However, it has not been as easy as you think - the full video has been removed from Video Google and YouTube several times over, and even attempted to download it, and reupload it under an anonymous name so it would not be removed. These attempts have all proved unsuccessful, but I was able to find the documentary split into 5 seperate parts. Its the best I could do. Definitly worth watching if you are a physics fanatic.

Part I:


Part II:


Part III: (definitly one of the more interesting parts -> Time Clock)


Part IV:


Part V:


*I have a feeling I will be adding more posts regarding physics and scientific methods. For some reason, these have always fascinated me, which is funny because science is easily my worst field.

Enjoy! And Please Comment!

Life After People

The following video is one that has fascinated me for some time. I watched it a few months back and the destruction and interpretation presented is astounding. A very interesting view that hypothesis' the fate of our planet if all human life was removed.

Supernatural... Superserious...

The thought of the unknown has always fascinated me, and those of you that have the privelage (yes) of knowing me in real life ('RL'), are probably aware of my somewhat conspiracy theorist nature. Not to be alarmed however, this blog will not turn into some giant shrine on getting the 'truth' out 'there.' I have a real fascination when it comes to exploring the 'other side of things' - whether it be the truth, or some amusing nutcases attempt for attention. The videos and opinion I express on this blog are merely a representation of an idea that I find entertaining and informative.

The thought of Aliens, and other life-forms in our world is a fascination many people either a) choose to explore, or b) choose to repress. Many people are quick to say 'Yes there is life out there, it would be a huge waste of space (pun intended) if they did not exist.' Others quickly point out that 'No, there can't be anyone else... we are the only ones...' The problem with both of these opinions is that neither person gives any evidence regarding their beliefs. Why? do these people think this way? There must be some reason.

In my opinion, we are not alone. All my life I have been intrigued by the unknown. A few months ago, I stumbled upon a fascinating documentary titled "UFO: The Greatest Story Ever Denied". I had already seen almost every UFO video available on the internet, but this documentary, is the single-piece of evidence that has turned me into a true believer.

I strongly urge you to watch the following film - and comment on your thoughts.



*The interesting part of the film that really intrigued me was the explanation of blurred NASA photographs. (Skip ahead to the 45:00 minute mark)

For more information regarding the film, visit the original source: www.TheUFOMovie.com