The Secret - Scam of the Century?

A movie and book is out titled The Secret. It focuses on using the law of attraction to gain all your desires and live a happy, warm, fuzzy life like you always wanted. Sounds appealing right? I mean, who wouldn’t want those things? If I told you that all you had to do was think positive and you can become rich, why not do it? Wasted time, effort, and looking like an ass are three good reasons.

The law of attraction says that you attract things and people of like minds and attitudes. Think positive, get positive things. On the surface, it sounds great and to some extent, it’s absolutely true. But look into the whys and hows of it being true and you will find that The Secret is nothing more than spewing self righteous crap out into the world. First, let’s look at how the law of attraction is true. Well, we surround ourselves by like minded people. My friends all share similar ideas and ethics. Everyone does this. Why? I don’t know, maybe because it’s easier to get along with someone who agrees with you. Perhaps you just don’t want to have to argue about everything all the time. My guess though, is that it was not some cosmic effect of the universe.

Now, think about other situations. That’s right, think OUTSIDE your little box of new age ideas and be impartial (if you can) for 5 minutes. Since I can’t think of a better example, I’m going to cite http://skepdic.com/lawofattraction.html. “Lazy dreamers don’t attract lazy dreamers. They attract con artists with big smiles and lots of promises. Grieving vulnerable people don’t attract vulnerable people; they attract vultures and vampires who take advantage of their grief. If you say that grief and greed are both negative so this example supports the law of attraction, then this law is impossible to test. It’s too slippery to have any meaningful content if obvious contradictions to it are said to support it. When kindness begets not more kindness but resentment, a New (Dark) Age defender of this “law” can always claim that the kindness wasn’t genuine.”

It’s impossible to test. The believers say you can test it by doing so, yet if you fail, it’s because you “weren’t positive enough” or you “had too much doubt”. Thus, impossible to test. Some of you might be saying “this sounds familiar” and it should. It’s a common argument against God and religion. It’s impossible to test. You cannot prove nor disprove God, just as you cannot prove nor disprove The Secret. In religion, replace “not enough positive thoughts” with “not enough faith”. The irony is many followers of The Secret are not religious people, yet every aspect of following The Secret can be side by side compared to religion.

I’ll explain another example. Have you ever been flicking through the channels on TV and saw one of those faith healing shows? You know what I’m talking about. The guy stands there, preaches to an audience, and then takes the faithful up on stage, lays his hands on them, and heals them. When people aren’t healed, or still can’t walk, it’s because they didn’t have enough faith. Now, a follower of The Secret sits there and thinks positive thoughts, visioning their success for a business proposal. The day comes to give the proposal and they freeze up a little, stumble on some words, and in the end do not make the deal. They go home and say “I wasn’t being positive enough”.

The proof that is offered by these followers is that “I thought about getting a new house and I did! So it works!” Well my friends, I’ve heard the same story from people of faith. They prayed and prayed for a new home and they got one. My point? If you can only back up your claims of blind faith with situations that work only under your rules, then you need to acknowledge that religions may be true, and a God may exist because both are backed up by the same exact types of claims. Now, if you want to take a $400 watch that I picked out in some store at the mall and make it manifest on my desk, then I promise you I will give you credibility and back up your positive brain waves claims. Until then, save your new age hocus pocus for someone else.

Now let’s go to something I mentioned earlier. What about the whys and hows of The Secret, or positive thinking? The Secret tries to explain things using quantum physics. First of all, we do not have a full grasp on quantum physics, and by “we” I mean people who devote their entire lives to its study. Yet, the author of the book claims to use it as a basis for The Secret. Are you kidding me? An author has discovered hidden truths in quantum physics that physicists have not? Impossible? No. Unlikely? Hell yes! Ok, so what about just positive thinking? Well, I actually believe this to be helpful. Is it an unlocked secret of the universe? No, I’m sorry but it’s much less glamorous than that. When you think positive, you gain confidence. Confidence is always a good thing to have. By being confident, you might put forth more effort into a project or task. You will probably try harder than you would have otherwise. In the end, if you did this for everything in your life, you would end up with more positive results than negative. Will you have 100% positive results? No. Will you have MORE positive results? I’m sure you would. Thinking positive causes you to take actions that give better results. So, the cause isn’t your positive brain waves, it’s the actions you took to be successful.  I’m sorry, but all the positive thinking in the world isn’t going to make a mute person win on American Idol.

So listen, keep being positive, stay focused, and take action. You will end up with more positive results than negative. But you actually need to get off your ass and do something about it. Wishing it, or thinking it, will not make it so.

In the end, The Secret does nothing but promote selfishness and narcissism. You will end up with the “it’s all about me” and “I can do everything” attitude. Your own blindness will be your biggest failure. Just because you don’t recognize negative things, does not mean they won’t happen to you. You will still slip on ice even if you refuse to believe it’s there.

Don’t fall into the trap of being confirmation bias  or selection biased. You need to remain impartial when learning new things. Always ask why and how things are done. If the answers are “because that is the way of the universe” then you may want to question the credibility. I mean, look at the author of the book for instance. They used viral marketing and focused on wealth so they could sell many copies. Their actions dictated how much money their book made, not their thoughts. They didn’t attract people like them, they attracted people who want to be what they think these people are. Nothing in life is free. Take responsibility for yourself, and go make yourself successful. Sitting around all day thinking about it isn’t going to do shit for you in the long run.

So, in closing, I agree with two things from The Secret. The first, is positive thinking will net better results more often than negative thinking. The second, is to use your brain, but do it to think for yourself, be smart, make good decisions, and minimize your risks. Life isn’t perfect and anyone saying it “could be” is selling something (like a book or a movie about an unlocked secret to the universe).

The Green Fields of France

This is a Dropkick Murphys song. Go get it. Now.

Oh how do you do, young Willie McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside,
And rest for a while in the warm summer sun?
I’ve been walking all day, and I’m nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the great fallen in 1916.
Well I hope you died quick, and I hope you died clean,
Oh Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?

Did they beat the drums slowly,
Did they play the fife lowly,
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?
And though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart you’re forever nineteen.
Or are you a stranger without even a name?
Forever enshrined behind some old glass pane,
In an old photograph torn, tattered, and stained,
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.

Did they beat the drums slowly,
Did they play the fife lowly,
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest?

The sun shining down on these green fields of France,
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished long under the plow,
No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now!
But here in this graveyard, that’s still no man’s land,
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand,
To man’s blind indifference to his fellow man,
And a whole generation were butchered and damned!

Did they beat the drums slowly,
Did they play the fife lowly,
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest?

And I can’t help but wonder, no Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame,
The killing and dying it was all done in vain.
Oh Willie McBride, it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again!

Did they beat the drums slowly,
Did they play the fife lowly,
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest?

Time to open our eyes

One thing I’ve always believed in is the practice of asking two questions: Why? and How?

I’ve always believed that answering these two questions will always push you in the right direction of education and gaining knowledge. On a small scale, you can ask why we use pens to write with and how they work. On a large scale, why was the universe created and how was it done? We have physicists and mathematicians who try to answer these questions throughout their entire lifetimes without getting an answer. To me, it shows the importance of asking those questions.

Behold: www.zeitgeistmovie.com

If you do anything in your life, you need to watch this movie. For starters, it speaks about 9/11. And before you get all up in arms about conspiracies and how they hold no weight, do yourself a favor and STFU for a minute. There’s tons of speculations about what happened that day, and I must admit, not all seem plausible. However, when comparing that event to those that have happened in our not-so-ancient history, you will find the similarities incredible. They cover alot, so I won’t get into it much right now.

They also cover the american dollar and the largest scam to hit our nation: the Federal Reserve. The movie explains it better than I ever could, but to peak your interest, I’ll give you a little flavor. This is NOT speculation, but pure FACT on how it works. If you don’t believe me, research it yourself. The Federal Reserve is not regulated at all by the government. It’s not very “federal” at all. They create our money, they print it. Then, they loan the money to our government to use. However, they loan it with interest. So, our government gets the money and immediately are in debt for a total amount of more than what they borrowed. Seems standard right? Well think about it…how does the government pay back the money? One way is by taking out a loan from the Federal Reserve. That’s right, pay back the people you owe money to, with their own money, at another interest rate. It’s a never ending money making cycle. The other way to pay it back, is by using our taxes. Yup, the 3 months out of the year in which your salary for the year goes to taxes is used to pay it back. This central banking system was one of the biggest reasons the United States of America was formed and revolted against England in the 1700’s. And here we are today, doing it once again to ourselves. Oh, here’s a challenge for you as well: Find the law that states you must pay income taxes.

Lastly, a topic I really enjoy speaking about: religion. When you see the similarities between christianity and religions of people from YEARS before christianity ever came about, it’s incredible. The first realization is that christianity is a complete rip off of prior religions. It’s copied. It’s not original. So if you’ve been practicing it all your life, what you’ve REALLY been worshiping is a theory the egyptians came up with, just check out Horus. Seriously, I dare you. You will find Jesus and Horus to be the same lives. The problem? Horus came earlier…much much earlier. If that blow wasn’t enough, the entire story revolves around astrology. The rising of the sun, it’s position in the sky, the zodiac chart, the whole nine yards. It’s not about a man, but about the sun and its journey in the sky. Yes, your religion is really just worshiping the sun. Don’t believe me? Research it yourself. You will find the alignment of the “3 kings” and the east star to be perfectly fitting in the “birth” story of Jesus as the sun rises, or is “born” in the sky. Even down to the 3 day death and resurrection. The celebration of the resurrection (done on Easter) even links to the spring solstice. So all those times you may have thought “Those stupid egyptians, worshiping a sun” you were really making fun of yourself.

Am I saying there is no “god”? No. I do believe that “something” is out there. Is it all seeing, all knowing, and controls your life? No, I don’t buy that for a second. However, everything in this universe, not just on this planet, are too mathematically precise to be coincidence. Sadly though, religion as you know it is a sham. Your concept of god is false. There are no pearly gates, there was no Jesus, and you have wasted countless hours every Sunday listening to someone preach otherwise. You’ve also probably thrown your money at them as well.

Now, I hate to be COMPLETELY negative in this post. I know I just rained on your parade and thrown in some wrenches to your beliefs, but like I said, there is still hope. There is something higher than human existence. So, instead of looking to others every Sunday for the answers, why not go back to the basics? Just be a good person. Think of others when you make a decision. Treat people kindly. Think about the good experiences you’ve had in life, and the ones to come. Those are all things that will make you have a good life. In the end, whatever form of energy we become, one thing is certain: the only thing going with you after your body dies is your consciousness, your essence, or your soul. Keep it clean.

Kerry, Tasers, and Everything Else…

Ok, so I’m sure by now you heard about what happened. Here’s the short, short version. Kerry was talking at a college, kid rushes to the mic, asks some questions about skull and bones amongst other things, kid gets rushed by the cops, kid says he’s not doing anything wrong, freaks out a little, cops take him down and taser him.

Here’s the problem, what the hell did the kid do wrong in the first place? I don’t want to hear “that’s the law” or “that isn’t the law” because I don’t care. What I’m about to say is what SHOULD have happened.

I mean, if the kid was doing something wrong, he should be told. He wasn’t. In the end, he was arrested for….resisting arrest. What the hell? What was he being arrested for in the first place? Asking questions that are uncommon? Let’s add to this, the fact that Kerry actually said into the mic “Let me answer” - so it’s not like he was freaking out over the situation. Instead, the cops felt some law was being broken, otherwise, why take the kid out of the auditorium?

Oh, I forgot, they also charged him with inciting a riot. The odd thing is…there was no riot. As a matter of fact, the rest of the audience did absolute SHIT to stand up for this kid. That’s a whole different topic (pussies). So, no riot, yet, he’s arrested for inciting one. The only “disturbance” that happened was created by the god damn cops who took this kid down!

Did I mention there were like 5 cops on this scrawny kid (no offense, but it’s not like you work out man). 5 cops, some large, take this kid down, who isn’t being violent at all, and they still feel the need to taser him.

Some people might be thinking “Well Kerry at least was going to answer the question.” I agree, that’s all fine and dandy. However, he didn’t answer the question, he just stood there and watched. Then he made an announcement on his website that he was upset with how things went down. Hey, Kerry, how about this…how about you ANSWER the questions on your website? And next time cops rush a kid for asking questions you intend to answer, how about you step in? Don’t be a douche bag and stand there, you’re setting a horrible example for those in the audience. How about saying “Uh officers, back the fuck up. I’m going to answer these questions that the gentleman had a right to ask.” Or you can stand there like a coward and watch these officers obviously manhandle this dude. You sir, have no spine.

To the audience, seriously, stand up for yourselves. If “getting in trouble” is too much of a risk for you to stand up for what you believe in, then you’re a pussy. There’s no getting around it, you’re a pussy. You say “that wasn’t right” blah blah blah….what did you do? You stood there in fear of the officers telling you to just stand there. Maybe I’ll go get a badge and do whatever the fuck I want, because as long as I’m around pussies like you, I can say “Mind your business and stand there or else I’ll arrest you too” and you’ll back off.

And yes, I realize some of the things the kid said was insane, and border line paranoia - but that DOES NOT take away from the fact that he was being pushed around by law enforcement officials for absolutely no good reason. This country gets worse and worse every day.

And before you other suckers say “Oh, but the police were in their right to taser him” I’m not even talking about that far into it. They shouldn’t have acted the way they did from the get-go. If ANYONE tries to force me out of a public place, where I have committed no offense, for no reason, you better fucking believe that I’ll resist. Don’t go silently into that night. Stand up for yourself and what you believe in. THAT’S what our country was founded on.

Yes, this has changed.

If you’re wondering if the site has changed, you are correct! My last host had some hardware issues. As a result, many tables became corrupted. Normally, a backup would solve this dilema, but not this time. As it turns out, the host has had previous hardware issues as well and my other sites had their tables corrupted. So in the end, I’m starting from a clean slate on each site.

So, the look has changed, but the theme and navigation is relatively the same. I still need to add a picture gallery, but I just don’t feel like messing with photos at the moment, so I’ll get to that maybe this weekend.