Chocolate Flavoured Chaff

We are all superheroes now.

            I leave the house with my stuff.  If I was in Iqaluit, I would have my belt holding a knife, GPS, wallet, car keys, house keys, Ski-do keys, rope, fluids to drink, and depending on how far and how long I was planning on being away, a whole arsenal of other stuff might be included.  That was when I didn’t have kids.

            Now down in ‘civilization’, everyone has a utility belt just like batman, or superman, or any other superhero.  You see the IPod, the cell phone, the running watch, heart rate monitor, Swiss army knifes, carrying bag and bulging pockets.  What do we carry inside those pockets?  Pens, Pencils, scraps of paper, lucky rocks, coins, make-up, combs, brushes, dog treats and lighters.

            If you need something, you better have it.  The amount of Apps that you can install on your Smartphone is taking the smart out of you and putting it into the phone.  No need to think about what to pick up at the store when you can have the device tell you.  How far are you going to run, what are you going to eat, where is your next appointment, what song do you want to hear, what’s so and so’s phone number, how do you compare?  Make sure your unit can tell you, because the days of thinking for yourself are over.

            I think it has to do with the commoditisation of everything.  Are you up-to-date with your subscription?  Are you contributing to the event of the week, or the cause of the day or the crisis of the season?  Better be on your toes so you don’t miss a thing, and there is no better way to ensure you’re informed of all the latest important news than getting it on your Smartphone(capital ‘S’).  Or just listening to the broadcast, because even if you are not plugged directly into the system, you will have no choice but to adapt.

            There is a force of full time workers who get paid handsomely to play whack-a-mole 80 hours a week.  And they love it.  Nothing gives them better satisfaction than to go out a correct society’s ills, and get paid for it. 

            What is a-OK today needs to be studied and analyzed until a scenario is found that causes a threat.  Then in the name of safety, a rule is created making the a-OK thing no longer allowed.  Recent examples of this are 2013 school year will not allow children to bring Bananas.  Apparently, one student might die if exposed to bananas.  Think about this precedent; all foods that can cause health problems are going to be banned.  People are going to be told what to eat.  Think about that precedent; we are close to living in tyranny.

            And just what do you think is in that food?  How does it make you feel, who does it effect your senses and perceptions?  Are you going to live a long a healthy life eating that food?  We are all commodities.  The farmer doesn’t invite the cow into his house to eat off the table.  The farmer feeds his cattle chaff.  Some of us are eating chaff now, chocolate flavoured chaff.

            It will be hard to be a big strong superhero eating all these new foods.  I just hope that the popcorn at the latest Batman movie still tastes like it has real butter on top.