Mourning the Echoes of Thunder

The feelings that accompany death are deeply profound and uniquely inexplicable for those that are in mourning. No matter how many times death has made its presence known, it still seems to elude our rationale. It never really makes sense, and I don’t think it’s supposed to. As humans it is in our very nature to be in constant pursuit of answers and to always find ourselves caught up in the revolving door of the ominous, “why’s”? Why are we here? Why is life so painful? Why do the ones we love leave us before we are ready to say goodbye? I suppose, these kinds of philosophical questions, these spouts of internal discourse, are an unfortunate duality of cognizance.

   

These questions and uncertainties usually present themselves in the form of grief. Grief is terribly encompassing parasite. It invades our thoughts and feelings, as our fragile minds attempt to make sense out of the unfathomable. Eventually, we begin to realize that the loss of life cannot be measured in any literal increments, it can only be weighed out by its impact and its reach.

Existence is an endless search for inspiration. And there is a volatile combination that occurs when the correct soul is provided the opportunity to exist inside of the correct vessel, at just the perfect time. This phenomenon is referred to as, “lightning in a bottle” and it’s the closest thing to perfection we will ever know. When someone amongst the ranks of the rest of humanity is able harness their own unique “bolt of lightning”, the rest of us are usually in awe of their incredible abilities. But all of that is for not, if the “awe” that is created by one person’s abilities is unable to become manifested into another person’s inspiration. The act of emulating those that are able to inspire us, is what continues to perpetuate our mental and emotional evolutions.

Some people are able to transform something intangible (the human spirit) into something real, something concrete, something legendary. These people, because they are able to do what the average person cannot, are viewed as heroes and icons. And the loss of an icon is no small drop in the bucket. It’s more than losing a person at that point, an entire piece of someone’s culture is now missing.

 People do not come out in droves to mourn the loss of someone they have no connection towards. That wouldn’t make any sense. It’s much deeper than that. An emotional connection does not have to coincide with a physical interaction. Works of art that stimulate the senses, feats of athleticism that invoke passion and stoke the competitive spirit, and genuinely sincere acts of humanity are all universally inspiring and communicative. In other words, the connection felt is derived from an adoration for the accomplishments or creations of others.

 Those that felt the influence of these icons who have passed on, aren’t necessarily grieving the loss of the person. They are disheartened at the loss of future achievements, the loss of unfulfilled potential, and most of all, they mourn the loss of the inspiration that was still to come. They lost a part of their individual soul that had been shaped by the prolific magnitude of another person’s existence.

So, to say that someone is unjustified in taking a moment to honor the life of someone that they never met in the flesh, is blatantly ignorant. Turning on your television and seeing hordes of people gathered to honor the life of another human being shouldn’t fill you with antipathy or misunderstanding. Rather, allow the breadth of someone else’s life serve as a reminder that you too, possess the potential to touch the souls of your fellow man. Who knows? You may very well be the next white-hot bolt of lightning to become encapsulated and change the world. And when you dissipate into nothing more than transferred energy, as lightning does, then you will be remembered by your resonance. We mourn the echoes of thunder, because we feel empty in the absence of lightning.   

Podcast link: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgDPWVCrUzeXfx4_qK4GjA

Deciphering Truth from Pageantry

Investigative journalism is the most riveting form of literature on the planet. There is something that is unparalleled in the feeling of writing with a purpose. Using your words and intellect to report empirical truth and facts to your readers is bar none, especially when reporting what is still considered to be, the unknown. All journalists whether they are aspiring or seasoned, love nothing more than to dissect a story down to its juiciest and most palpable essence in order to find the real, “meat” or content to the story. But just like any other profession, sometimes it’s just not that fucking cool. Sometimes, the news just is what is, and is in need of no other explanation.  

The problem with that is there are a surplus of media outlets that are far more invested in the market of selling, “the other explanations” just so long as they are the most captivating source reporting the story. The recent and very brief coverage of Iran was the perfect example. 

As soon as the literal smoke had cleared and General Qasem Soleimani was declared dead from a US air strike on the 3^rd of January 2020, the world geared up once more for violence in the middle east. And not seconds after the story hit the mainstream media’s radar, they were quick to start in with the failsafe tactic of speculation in lieu of knowledge.

 For something to the tune of eight or so days, the media was manufacturing a state of unbridled hysteria as they presented only incredibly small portions of an incredibly large story to the public. Providing only stories purely rooted in fear. They exacerbated the fear of another war and the fear of the Iranian people in order to further propel their agenda. The media made everything about Trump’s timing of the attack and the surge of US troops being sent to Iran. While those two elements are most certainly worth their time in proper discourse, they are not the entire story. Eventually, the story lost traction and these reporters just up and vanished. Leaving behind a monstrous trail of misinformation and catastrophic injustices done by the press in regard to Iran. The worst of all these iniquities was committed in the way that they presented the Iranian people to the rest of the world.

We were being shown massive funeral precessions of people supposedly mourning one of their fearless leaders, Qasem Soleimani. However, that seems a little far-fetched due to the fact that the General was a terrorist and a literal manifestation of oppression to the Iranian people. According to Masih Alinejad, a journalist for The Washington Post, she reported that the only genuine grievance being felt towards Soleimani is from political party “hard liners and regime loyalists”. In an effort to save face the regime has forced citizens to attend the funeral in droves. They’re conducting all of this pageantry so they can cover up the fact that their regime is currently facing large amounts of civil unrest and push back from people who have once again had enough of a life lived under rigid subjugation.

This is not the first time an uprising like this has happened in Iran. In fact, this is the third (major) time in less than one hundred years that the people of Iran have risen up against the powers that be. The first time was a joint effort between the Iranians, the British Special Intelligence, and the CIA to overthrow a Prime Minister by the name of Mohammad Mossadegh. (Side note: There is a lot of conspiracy surrounding that particular coup. It’s quite interesting and I encourage you to read up on it. But, without going on a long drawn out tangent I couldn’t do that story the proper justice it deserves while already in the middle of this one). The second coup began in the 1960’s. When a man, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei started speaking out against Iran’s corrupt leadership. As a result, he was exiled but not silenced. His influence and speeches regarding the corruption of the Shah (Iran’s ruler at the time) and the Iranian hierarchy as a whole, were felt deeply by the citizens of Iran who took his message to the streets. As a result, a lot of Iranian people were killed by their own government. This particular instance of raging against the machine, was nothing short of explosive. There was unparalleled political and civil unrest in Iran at this time. The hostility became so tremendous that the Shah whom was being protested literally left the country out of fear for his own life. Upon his departure, Ruholla Khamenei was received back into his country with open arms. Soon after, Khamenei declared Iran an Islamic State and once again transformed his homeland into a violent shithole. The only difference is he was having Iranian citizens tortured and killed for religious, rather than political, shortcomings. This is still the regime they live under today and have been viciously protesting against since 2017. When their economy took another downward spiral, with the nation’s poor being the targeted victims of massive budget cuts.  

All of that historical information, and so much more, was ignored by the mainstream media as they reported selective little bits of information on what was actually going on Iran. Instead they saturated the media coverage with worthless opinion pieces that made it seem like the tumultuous state of things in Iran was something new, which clearly could not be farther from the truth. Iran has been in bad way for a long time. The air strike on Soleimani, which gave birth to this journalistic nightmare, was not some random act of insanity or an excuse to quench a thirst for war. And it was certainly not as magnificent or imperative as the media made it out to be because they’re not fucking droning on about it anymore. Are they? The story was simply that of a man deserved of death reaping what he had sewn.

Earlier in this article, just a few hundred words were provided to serve as a short synopsis of a history so calamitous, it rightfully deserves its own encyclopedia in order to cover all the details. However, that brief history lesson was meant to serve as small reminder that the whole story, the whole truth is always out there. It just may not always be as riveting or bone chilling as you may have anticipated. But nonetheless it is the truth, and that is all that matters.

  

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/690363402/how-the-cia-overthrew-irans-democracy-in-four-days 

https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-hostage-crisis 

https://www.britannica.com/event/Iranian-Revolution 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/03/tens-of-thousands-of-people-protested-in-iran-this-week-heres-why/ 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/06/dont-believe-iranian-propaganda-about-mourning-soleimani/?fbclid=IwAR0GrcFn22DZ485_xgfNkhjZrImawZhUFQqvJ-3w

A Moment of Solidarity in a New Decade of Madness 

Upon taking some time to reflect on all the calamitous events that unfolded during this first week of the year 2020, I was able to find solace and comfort in the words of the great American poet, Gwen Stefani. In 2004 she is documented as stating, “this shit is bananas”. And some sixteen years later, her sentiment remains unphased as the start of this year has been nothing short of, “bananas”. 

In all seriousness though, the last week has been year a rough one. We have seen Australia become engulfed in flames, Iran is once again a tumultuous shit hole, and we are still waiting with bated breath for what the Senate is going to do with Trump’s articles of impeachment. With so much going on in the world, it seems only fitting that the dissociated and pretentious thoughts and opinions belonging to that of the Hollywood elites, would start slowly creeping their way into places they don’t belong, like our news sources. This happens time and time again, due to the fact that we have blurred the lines between influence and intelligence. Subsequently, we are left with nothing but an onslaught of unwarranted life-coaching form the overpaid and the opinionated.   

During this specific time of the year, known to many as, “award season” has slowly evolved into the prime opportunity for these actors, actresses, producers, directors, and writers to stand in front of their audience and spout forth tears and self-indulgent cries for change, all in the name of the injustices and hardships of this world. But it’s all for not, as they grip tight their gold statues and get chauffeured home in the backseat of a car that costs more than some people make in a lifetime. 

              Of course, not all members of Hollywood are self-centered cretins. Some celebrities are cognizant enough to understand the power to influence that they possess, and they use their platforms for the greater good. But let’s be honest, that’s few and far in between. What we normally see are famous people latching on to whatever humanitarian cause is currently trending in order to provide themselves with more exposure, and then migrating to the next viable cause. No different than a parasite searching for a host. 

And those organizing and attending the 2020 Golden Globes found themselves in the perfect shitstorm of political, economic, and environmental upheaval to facilitate speeches that were bound to be saturated in levels of self-righteousness so incredible, even (Pre-Jesus) Kanye West would find himself in shock. That was until legendary comedian, Ricky Gervais commanded the stage with nothing but sheer wit and a beer. And from his podium, proceeded to kick the entire entertainment industry square in the solar plexus in a valiant attempt to rip the air straight from their lungs. 

 In a matter of roughly eight minutes, Ricky Gervais managed to shit on every hypocritic facet of Hollywood. There were no punches being pulled by Mr. Gervais as he stood in front of his peers and spoke his truth. This should have come as no surprise, after all, he did open his monologue by explicitly stating that he did not care. He made ruthless jokes directed towards those that associated with Harvey Weinstein, and how Ronan Farrow was coming for the rest of the Hollywood rapists. This joke was met with harsh faces of disgust by those that had likely worked with Weinstein. Gervais did not care. Gervais followed this with an, “Epstein didn’t kill himself” joke in front of a room of people that actually knew the man. The joke was received with disheartened groans but was followed immediately by Gervais once again telling the audience, he knew Epstein was a friend of some in the room and he did not care. Reminding the audience of the pedophilic allegations that still loom over not just Epstein, but many other high-profile individuals. Yet, Ricky Gervais’ cu de gras of not giving a single fuck came when he attacked the, hypocritical “wokeness” of celebrities concerned with promoting “dignity and doing the right thing”, but who simultaneously collect their paychecks from corporations like “Apple, that run sweatshops in China”. In other words, (well, Gervais’ words, to be precise) “If Isis had a streaming service you would call your agents, wouldn’t you?” Finally, Gervais instructed his peers to act graciously and professionally, for a change, if they did in fact win an award. Well, what he actually said was, “Thank your God. Thank your agent. And fuck off.” No, Mr. Gervais, thank you. 

It’s like breathing in fresh air in the ruins of Chernobyl to hear a celebrity speak poignantly and with clarity. Instead of the miseducated, propagandized, and self-induced brain vomit we’ve become accustomed to from our altruistic A-listers . Gervais was absolutely correct when he told the Golden-Globes attendees to not lecture the audience at home about anything because they “do not know anything about the real world.” If only more people with clout actually exercised it like Gervais did, we would be in a much better place culturally. 

Who’s to say how long the impact of Gervais’ speech will resonate? Or, if it will make any change in the tradition of using celebrities to push agendas? But if there is anything lasting that can be taken away from this, just remember that our country, our politics, and our opinions are not supposed to be influenced by the Leonardo DiCaprio’s and the Meryl Streep’s of the world. Those important factors of life belong to all of us and exist far beyond the silver screen.

https://youtu.be/oR7mEaqMubU