I went for a walk along the bay today. While I was climbing around in a tree house, an old man with a pipe and accordion walk underneath and asked if I slept up there. A comment on my appearance, perhaps? I don’t know, but I took it as a compliment – certainly better than the “did you use to be in the army?” comment I received last month.

(I’m holding out for the day when outdoor gear makers see the light and PALS webbing becomes common on civilian gear.)

My Jabber address has changed to pm at lostroadsociety dot org. I probably won’t be on the old one anymore. ICQ and AIM contacts have stayed the same.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7018055.stm

Chocolate 'aids fatigue syndrome' A daily dose of dark chocolate may help reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, say UK researchers. Patients in a pilot study found they had less fatigue when eating dark chocolate with a high cocoa content than with white chocolate dyed brown. The researchers from Hull York Medical School said the results were surprising but dark chocolate may be having an effect on the brain chemical serotonin. ... He explained: "Dark chocolate is high in polyphenols, which have been associated with health benefits such as a reduction in blood pressure. "Also high polyphenols appear to improve levels of serotonin in the brain, which has been linked with chronic fatigue syndrome and that may be a mechanism."

Yes, serotonin: that chemical that is oh so similar to dimethyltryptamine. Enjoy your dark chocolate while you can, before it’s outlawed as hallucinogenic!

In case you haven’t gathered, my net presence has been restored, thanks to a new (pre-loved) +18dBi outdoor omni-directional antenna.

I’ve just finished watching Zeitgeist.

Part I of the film, the first 30 minutes or so, drags on with Christianity’s astrological correlations and the similarities between the Judeo-Christian religions with those belief structures held prior. Nothing new, little debatable, and not to be shocking to all but the most naive. I kept asking myself “And what is your point?”

The film begins Part II with an audio excerpt defining myth as an “orienting and mobilizing story for a people.” Correct. “The focus is not on the story’s relation to reality, but on it’s function.” Incorrect. The myth’s focus is entirely on its relation to reality and thus its function: its function is to explain reality. “A story cannot function unless it is believed to be true in the community or the nation.” Incorrect. Useful, but incorrect. In fact, the film itself disproves this. In it’s beginning, it covers a number of the stories of Christianity and their metaphorical, astrological significance, which is no revelation. I think – I hope – very few Christians actually believe in the literal resurrection (or even the literal existence) of their dead-guy-on-a-stick, but that does nothing to lessen or alter that story’s function.

From this faulty basis they break into footage of the collapse of the World Trade Center and begin to question the official stories of the events, attempting to draw a parallel, it would seem, between this and religion.

Part III discusses the financial control of our government – the grip of the central banks – and ends with their plans of one world government.

There is a disconnect between the film’s beginning, discussing religion, and the later parts. Only at the end are the lines attempted to be drawn. They mean to show religion as a control structure and more importantly a lie, similar to events such as 9/11. But not enough parallels are drawn, and the idea is fundamentally flawed. Where religious belief structures are created out of a desire for good and then twisted for evil, events and stories such as 9/11 were never intended for any good. Most importantly, where the stories of 9/11 are a lie, myth – religion – is a metaphor. Not a lie.

I would have removed the first part and made into a separate film.

As Yet-Another-9/11-Film and a documentary on financial control, Zeitgeist sits on par with the rest. As something greater, it fails.

(But it does include excerpts from Network, which makes it worth viewing.)

Vavrek has uploaded a 3GB DVD rip of the film to my anonymous ftp. Enjoy: ftp://ftp.pig-monkey.com/pub/zeitgeist.iso

I’m heading East to Montana for a few days.

It is as I feared. My neighbors who so kindly allowed me to slip in unnoticed and occupy the shadows of their networks have moved on. I returned yesterday and as of yet, no new suitable AP has presented itself, even with my +14dBi spike. So my presence here will be limited for a time.

It’s good to be back. Clean air, clean water, good bread. This morning I rose early, pumped my tires, and jumped on my bike for a tour of the City. I’ve missed my bike the past three months (but not these hills).

Tomorrow I leave the Park. I’ll be heading north, arriving home in a few days. I imagine I’ll have to crack another AP when I get there, so I may not be online for a bit longer.