The Secrecy Bill: A case of National Security

The Secrecy Bill, more technically referred to as the Protection of State Information Bill, is a proposed legislature that aims to regulate the dissemination and protection of state information from journalists and whistle-blowers seeking to maintain transparency between the government and society. I will attempt to explore the final result of censorship and the effect it will have on journalists trying to maintain the balance, objectivity and professional integrity in their reporting of our government’s actions. The late and great South African president Nelson Mandela once said that, “a critical, independent, and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favor.” The current South African government - 20 years after the death of apartheid and the end of regulated media censorship – has opted to set in place this legislature with national security being the main defense, or excuse, behind media regulation.

To look at the purpose behind the secrecy bill is to look beyond the scapegoat of ‘national security’ and to other reasons behind its implementation. These reasons may vary, as censorship - as well as political and/or religious control of the media - is a prominent issue that has been around for well over 2000 years. According to the website Beacon for Freedom of Expression, censorship and its harsh results date back to early Roman, Greek and Chinese routes. The Greek philosopher Socrates, around the year 399BC, was condemned to consume poison for acts of spreading knowledge that was deemed a threat to society. These ideas and lessons would go on to shape Western politics and ethics that are still relevant today. The government or rulers of the time would accuse Socrates of going against the gods and other laws that were meant to govern common man. Nearly 600 years later and the Roman Catholic Christian faith would label any acts, written works, or speeches as heresy if it was deemed a threat to Christianity or the leaders of that denomination. Cultural scripture, books, art and acts have been destroyed, often along with the authors, by the Roman Catholic power that ruled over Europe and spread to the Americas. Anything that was deemed a threat or a problem to society by a king or religious leader was censored and thus forbidden. As we can see through these patterns in history, the abuse of power has been blatant since the early inception of man and it still bleeds into present-day situations with the common man’s rights being sidelined for the agendas of those that take seat at the zenith of social hierarchies. 

A combination of time and the martyrs that have forfeited their very own lives for us has resulted in systems that are meant to protect and serve the individual member of society as best as possible. The Constitution and Bill of Human Rights have become fundamental to living a healthy, balanced and fair life within society, proving that the people of a country/state/land are in fact the reason for its very existence in the first place. With that being said, position, ego and power are all factors that could either reap pure benevolence or unadulterated malevolence for its people and a living society.

The Right-to-Know organization is one that aims at bringing to light the current situation of media control and regulation becoming evident in Southern Africa. Our current president Jacob Zuma has attracted himself major controversy with regard to the signing of the Secrecy Bill. If it is passed, journalists and whistle-blowers will be under threat with regard to job security and their final position in society (be it in prison or in exile). Right-to-Know have published an article that brings to light a current example of censorship and the reason behind it - “national security”. This article lists the possible detriments of a ‘national security’ approach to censorship:

·        The public’s right to know is undermined;

·        The public’s right to protest is under attack;

·        State-security structures and crime intelligence is vulnerable to blatant misuse through political agendas;

·        The erosion of public trust.

The result of media censorship through government is one that can extend to grotesque proportions, as journalists from all around the world have been murdered, exiled and incarcerated due to the regulations and mafia-like mentality of political leaders. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has listed on their website all of the known journalists that have been affected by government –related attempts to silence the right to freedom of speech and to, without interruption, receive and impart information. Over 706 journalists have been documented as murdered since 1992 and statistically speaking, the majority has been related to print-related journalists (58%); the beats covered of those murdered were mostly politics (48%), corruption (29%) and war (24%); the suspected sources of the aggressors were political (31%) and governmental (23%); and a staggering 88% of the cases were handled with complete impunity (no justice). These results show the darkness that is prevalent in the world with regards to political leaders and their ultimate goal to ensure their agendas are seen through to the end, no matter the lives lost in the process. A letter from the CPJ urging the new Chief Operating Officer of the state-funded South African Broadcast Commission, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, to change his views on the licensing of journalists was sent expressing concern and unease with the COO’s thoughts and speech concerning media freedom set for students at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. With reference to the universal and local human rights laws that are prevalent, CPJ have made it clear that what is being done by the South African government is something to be concerned about.

The Protection of state information bill should, in my opinion, be done away with. The world has lost thousands of beneficial and great people as a result of censorship and the interruption of political and religious leaders, this shouldn’t be allowed in a country that is considered democratic or even free when the very foundation of that freedom, being the press, is under threat. 

Griekwastad Killer

Griekwastad Killer – Justice served

Alleged murderer Don Steenkamp is set to apply for appeal after receiving his sentence of over 20 years imprisonment for the murders of his father Deon Steenkamp, 44, his mother Christelle, 43, and sister Marthella 14.

During April 6 in the year 2012, near the small town of Griekwastad in the Northern Cape, three murders and a rape took place shocking people from all across South Africa. Don was only nearly 16 when the horrific ordeal took place.

A Petrified Don at his hearing (Source: http://bit.ly/WLHNZr)

Given 20 years for each murder, 12 years for raping his sister and another four years for lying to the police, Don is expected to get parole only after the remaining three years in juvenile detention (when he turns 21) and once a portion of his sentence has been served within the adult section. His parole eligibility will also be measured by The Department of Correctional Services after he has been successfully rehabilitated.

He is now 18, which has granted media the right to publish his name. So far three newspapers have published the name of the teenager. Two days prior to his birthday, Judge President Frans Kgomo said to him, “in two days you are a man. Now, be a man,” before sentencing the boy to over twenty years in prison.

On the morning of the murders, Don would come screeching into Griekwastad in his father’s Isuzu bakkie. Covered in blood, the boy of 15 allegedly lied to police about the murders that took place on the farm. According to the Saturday Star, Don, while sitting in the back of police officer De Waal’s vehicle, asked what was required in order to inherit everything. Deon Steenkamp’s estate is worth millions, having ownership over a collection of farms and livestock.

Family and friends of the teenager are absolutely shocked and confused by the incidents that had taken place, however Steenkamp’s grandmother maintains that she has forgiven him and believes that he must get the correct help. She claims that she didn’t think that he knew the things that he was doing were wrong and that she still loves him.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Steenkamp will more than likely appeal the case as he has the right to do so and all indications are that he intends to.

Before his sentencing, the judge told Steenkamp to face the consequences of his deeds and the Steenkamp family spokesperson said that the family expect strict conditions be met before he is considered for parole, such as psychological evaluations. 

Feeling Dark, Pt 1.

I propose a rant of a somewhat Cimmerian embrace:

Gathered together the Ignoramus seeks distinction, definition, division. Pathetic creatures with no sense of self, no conscience, no compassion. They see wealth as victory: stained with the scars and ink that bind them to their comforting chains; the very same chains that constrict them to the confines of their ever so stygian victory. Should pity be held accountable for such sheer stupidity? Should grace be wasted on filth that stays redundant? Should forgiveness be squandered on the imbeciles of evolution?  I pray thee; find the answers, for I am lost.

There is a somewhat chilling glare the creature radiates when it is feeding, despising, inspiring. Only from within the abyss can there be found light, benevolence, God. I speak not merely from what I have come to observe, rather from the conscious within that catalyzes this perversion. I see truth as clearly as I see day. I see through the eyes of the spineless, the neurotic, and the disengaged. I see their darkness. I see yours. Call me pompous, arrogant, narcissistic; I see what I see, because I see it. I see it, because I too, am like you. 

Observe the evil that these creatures gradually and graciously disseminate, like a raging fire hell-bent on annihilating all within its path, introducing to the Earth an unending inception of madness and decay. Apathetic creatures that refuse to compensate for their infinite appetites. The symbiosis that is life; these creatures diminish, crush, corrupt and destroy. The guest has become the captor; one that refuses to let go until its unfortunate host is dry, barren and desolate. These creatures live with a sort of internal compass that magnetically drives them to their own end; to their own defeat.

 “Surrender now, for victory is an illusion,” said the battered fool before his beheading.

To rape and to violate her and her belongings: The rampant and wonderful oceans, forever swaying back and forth as a life-giving force - unfathomably majestic; The Land and fruits on which the true heir of her glory lives - seeking solace in the abundance to which she offers. Why do these creatures, these demons, persist? What is the purpose, the motivation, behind such brutal intrusion?

 However, within the recesses of my mind, I envision something extraordinary, inspiring and attractive. It is known as a Utopia; only in the imagination can a place of pure peace and equality be conceived, for it can never truly exist. This Utopia is a home to which I visit and meditate, for it is the only place in space that lasts longer than time; the only place that gives me solitude on her grand and awe-inspiring body gloomily populated by filthy, malevolent creatures. An urge that sparks interest in this hopeless race becomes prominent and I seek to ignite a change. 

An attempt at Gonzo - MH370 

So a plane goes missing - a giant, metallic air-bird consisting of a shit load of people. Alright, well, 239 passengers to be exact, but regardless of the amount, every single soul, body and whatever else we human beings have, has vanished into thin air… What the fuck?!

As if the poor, unsuspecting bastards on the plane didn’t have enough on their plate: frustrated faces, nervous body language and the aggravating shrieks of the baby 2 rows behind. I pity them. Even though there is nobody to pity. Or is there?

The Malaysians, together with an entourage of 14 countries all seek the predicted remains, debris, or remnants of the gigantic 747. Yet, nothing has surfaced. The confident and uneducated conspiracy theorists quickly take to their girlfriends – the sexy, seductive and slim keys of the laptop – and with such passion and purpose, write down the most blatantly idiotic fragments of filth a reader has to bear witness to. Come on, where is the love for truth? Bloody Dipshits.

So these morons argue that Edward Snowden, Ancient Aliens, The Illuminati and Witchdoctors could be the best possible explanation for a flight that just vanishes. Mind you, the incapable imbeciles of the FBI and Interpol have proven - for quite some time now - that they can’t even come up with a solution. As for Ibrahim Mat Zin, the foolish leader for the cult of wasteful witchdoctors, we can only feel compassion and give sincerity to such a brain-damaged individual. If you can find 239 passengers on board a plane that has just disappeared, then go ahead and win the lottery. Why waste such divine skills? I mean, can you say charlatan?

An old-ass captain with his trusted co-pilot companion, maybe they’re to blame? Remember those incapable imbeciles, the FBI and Interpol? Well, they’ve taken that angle and been to the homes of the missing pilots, twice. If twice doesn’t spell incompetency, then I don’t know what does. There are still another 43 ships combing the raging, living seas; another 58 aircraft exploring the altitudes of the spheres and another million people surfing the web for porn. What difference does it make? So far, none, none at all.

So after denigrating my mind with theories of garbage, I’ve also been thinking a bit about the reason behind this surprising turn of events. Perhaps, there is somebody on board, smart enough, nay, genius enough. So genius in fact, that they have decided to land the plane in a place of silence, peace and tranquility, all in order to procreate until a new culture of people emerges and evolves into a community of ingenuity and art. Call it bullshit, call it conspiracy, it really means nothing until we know the facts. Am I wrong?

Now, prayers and opinions are being disseminated like free condoms. Will it all end in truth, or will the falsified, unsubstantiated tide of misinformation create a disruption throughout the minds of the gullible? Imagine that, we all doubt and deny with such conviction and no fact, logic or rational conducting of our innate human faculties. Wait just a second, we’re all like that already!

Google and the One Dollar Salary Club

Founding fathers of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, should be nothing short of social and technological archetypes; conquering the vast invisible spectrum of technology and its complex encryptions, mastering the unspeakable act of humility within the selfish human race and serving - like ingenious butlers - decadent  information to the starving and ungrateful masses. These role models, archetypes, or simply, men are worth billions upon billions of dollars. Yet, it is one miniscule dollar that is taken their absolute income.

The ‘one dollar salary club’ was initiated by a variety of CEOs and magnates, such as the late Steve Jobs (Apple), the retired Jerry Yang (Yahoo), and up until recently even Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) has joined. Sergey Brin and Larry Page started with the $1 annual salary when Google went public in 2004. Showing the world that passion is the greatest driving force behind success, the Google heroes adopt and display a particularly clean philosophy which echoes through the minds of their rivals and competition. These men should be respected and seen as a benchmark in which to strive for in order to better the lives of people and to create a desire for passion and purpose within society.

Larry Page is a 41-year old internet entrepreneur and computer scientist, he is also married with two children – he is a social hermit. Sergey Brin is a 40-year old computer scientist and internet entrepreneur, he is divorced and has two children – he too is a social hermit. These two reclusive men would come together to create one of America’s, as well as the one of the World’s, most exciting enterprises that internet and technology has ever had to offer. Surely there are specific values that shape or mold these individuals and thus the organization as a whole. If Forbes would go on to declare that “Google isn’t just a technology innovator. It is a business model innovator,” then these two brilliant men should inspire success within people of nearly all occupations.

Success is in the statistics

Google makes its revenue mainly through online advertisements, apps and media, and has never been shy of attracting billions of dollars to its name. According to The Verge, Google had made 15.4 billion dollars in the 1^st quarter of 2014 and that since 2004 they have had a gradual increase of up to 10% every year.

Business Wire, a website based on global press release distribution, released statistics describing that the Android Operating System is the most sought after, thus leaving rival companies like iOS, Blackberry and Windows far behind. The website included that of the 96.7% of major smartphones shipped (Android and iOS), nearly 80% were all Android-based smartphones.

Google’s Values

The organization itself is more representative of who these individuals truly are and what they hope to achieve on a global scale.  According to Google, there are ten specific things that they “know to be true” with regard to the values, goals and objectives of the organization. Three of these goals are described as follows:

Focus on the User and all else will follow

The user, client or audience is everything. Tweaks, updates and changes are all made with the user in mind. Every feature is made to ensure that the consumer does not need to give feedback, as everything should be as user-friendly as possible. This value should be recognized in order to succeed, as it is through people that most, if not all, objectives become possible. 

Fast is better than Slow.

As time is a valuable commodity in our day-to-day lives, efficiency through speed becomes the best possible solution. Google says that they might be the only company in the world that attempts to get the user off their website as quickly as possible; this is due to the speed and reaction time at which they apply in order to get the user to the desired information. Being punctual, concise and efficient can always count in your favor in making the customer more comfortable. Again, this proves how the user, consumer, or viewer is always seen as the motivation behind the success of the organization.

Great just isn't good enough.

The founding fathers can be firmly distinguished from other CEO’s through this value and driving force behind their success. Google’s values webpage had this to say: “We see being great at something as a starting point, not an endpoint. We set ourselves goals we know we can’t reach yet, because we know that by stretching to meet them we can get further than we expected.” They identify a user problem, in this case the search for particular information, and make it their goal to ensure it becomes a problem of their own, guaranteeing that the user is always satisfied. An example of the way in which Google attempts to excel on a smaller scale is the introduction of Gmail and its greater storage capacity, which resulted in the setting of a new standard for all online e-mail storage. The values and goals that Google portray are significant in that they aim to create a more user-friendly and stable environment on the internet for all information- and communication-based access.

Conclusion

Google’s values page offers the following statement of inspiration: “Ultimately, our constant dissatisfaction with the way things are becomes the driving force behind everything we do.”

The future will see many more future innovations come from the men and women working behind Google’s fame. This will introduce a new shift in the current perspectives we hold about technology and the way that we embrace it. With the values and direction that Google strives for, there seems to be a positive future for bonding society through technology and information.

Sharia breeds Misogyny

Deep within the lands of Indonesia, the city of Aceh stands firm. A proud nation of ethnocentrism and an unquestionable law holds the lives of Muslim women at a point of no return – where the life lived is based on the subjective law of Sharia and the sickened punishments to which a religion can be traced.

A 13-year old boy awakens to the smell of steamed rice and the delicate aroma’s of the Eastern spices that would soon become breakfast. He throws on his light-weight attire and peci (Eastern traditional hat) and moves toward the warming embrace of what could be his last meal. Meanwhile, a group of seven men were to prepare themselves for an act that defies human morality: by including this 13-year old boy, they would ensure not only the guaranteed destruction of a woman’s life, but the psychological annihilation of a young, capable male with potential for greatness.

The woman, a widow, suffering isolation and a lack of love from the dead, would attempt to find warmth and any scattered shard of meaning for her life within the arms of a married man. The law had been broken. To find someone that would ease the pain of loss, someone who could, with open arms, bring back joy into a heart left in sorrow. This is of the biggest offence to Sharia Law and so her punishment as a widow would soon surface.

Voices are heard as a collective; a group had gathered and began arguing the punishment that would best fit the crime. Laughter, anger and disgust can be derived from the tone and what is being discussed between the gang of vigilantes. The 13-year old listens in and absorbs - like dry soil does water - all the madness and insanity that these men offer with promise of justice and truth. The depraved would gather to commit a further crime.

The lonely lady had once again met with her lover; the married man. Both eyes staring lovingly, lustfully for the other, both bodies caressed in a bond of physical extravagance – what if they were meant to be?

The darkened forms of eight men would see themselves into the home of this woman. These beings of derision would ensure the end of such an unlawful act of sex, by serving justice through bitter irony. The men took their knees, one by one, raping the widow of everything she is, was and will be. The stench of sweat on their bodies forced against hers, the bittersweet smell of a young boy, of youth, now taking the steps into an abysmal manhood – nothing more could go wrong, her spirit now lost in limbo.

After the revolting ordeal, the gang dumps sewage on both the adulterers and disperse with lack of remorse. Signs of pain and anguish riddled the faces of these lovers as the acid and dirt of the sewage sinks into their pores and leaves them in a state of ultimate humiliation.

Sharia Law seeks to bring about justice and a settled score with regard to the rapists, however, the law dictates an unwavering punishment toward the woman and man for their acts of adultery. A sickened consequence brought on by negligent, conscience-lacking individuals would seem as if it were the ultimate, inhumane penalty for such a crime, yet the law will see that the crushed woman and her married lover is served up to nine lashes from a cane for what they had done. The unreasonable and misogynistic law that attempts to perpetuate peace has had negative effects in the individual’s right to existence and moral balance.

With a young boy now drawn into a world of filth and two lovers torn between culture and law, there is evidence of a darker side to the Eastern Philosophy that dictates several nations and the way in which human beings are treated – more specifically women. The rape alone will cause psychological damage to both the young boy and the widowed woman; this will result in a society that continues to degenerate and move backwards in a world that is progressively about people as a collective and our significance on Earth as the human race. Religious law should be the first to ensure the safety of human-beings and to promote morality and purpose on a macroscopic scale; in order to bring about a stronger and more empathic-driven way of living.

Hope, prayer, belief and initiative will most likely be the saving grace of these nations in turmoil. The realisation needs to come to the rulers and leaders; the same very people that are given such positions of power, yet cannot comprehend a societal balance like that of Western culture, or at least Eastern culture to the point of Buddhism. The 21^st Century dawns an age of phylogeny, an age of peace and tranquillity – no matter the creed, colour, sex or orientation of a person. Peace is the final destination.

CD Review: Chelsea Grin - Evolve

Artist: Chelsea Grin

Album Name: Evolve [EP]

Year Released: 2012

Genre: Deathcore/Metalcore

Producers/Label: Artery Recordings

Rating: 9/10

Chelsea Grin is a 6-piece American Deathcore band formed in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band formed in 2007 with members Alex Koehler and guitarist Chris Kilbourn. The music and lyrical content from Chelsea Grin are viewed as controversial and touch on various topics such as esotericism, spiritual and transcendental issues, social issues and death.The band has released two albums and two EP’s to date, with a third studio album to be released in 2014.

The current line-up for the band consists of Alex Koehler (Vocals), Jake Harmond (Rhythm Guitar), Dan Jones (Rhythm Guitar), David Flinn (Bass), Jason Richardson (Lead Guitar, Programming), and Pablo Viveros (Drums, Backing Vocals). Up to six members have been switched, left or kicked out of the band in the nearly seven years of their career, with Alex Koehler being the only member of the band that’s been around since its inception.

In previous albums like Desolation of Eden and My Damnation, there were various themes of darkness, damnation and Hell. Touching on lyrics that would question religion, hierarchy and social purpose, the band would capture an audience with similar perspectives and beliefs. Evolve consists of five songs, all of which have a somewhat similar theme that involves Koehler’s darkness as well as his fascination with the Jewish, mythological demon Lilith, who was said to be the Biblical Adam’s first wife.

The Review

Evolve is an album which holds a lot of atmosphere and one that carries through its dark themes and sounds rather well. The classic tremolo-picking style is incorporated quite often for the depth and emphasis on old-school influences of dark-themed music like Slayer and Black Dahlia Murder. Catchy breakdowns influenced by the gloomy sounds of black metal are also quite frequent – ensuring the element of youthful ‘core’ sounds are present within the fusing of the old- and new-school genre’s.

Vocally, Koehler blows away Deathcore audiences world-wide (or at least those who enjoy high-pitched shrieks combined with low, guttural growling) and sets an entirely new benchmark for all the vocalists in the genre that adopt the particular style. The content of the lyrics consist of deep criticism toward himself, as well as a song based on standing up toward bullying – as he has stated himself that he was bullied and seen as an outcast while growing up. The song S.H.O.T is testament to his feelings toward this: “Now it's time we do or die. Rise. We wont change a f**king thing. Fight. Break our chains and we will rise. Rise. I'm just as sick as you believe.” Throughout the rest of the EP, songs like Lilith and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, show Koehler’s fascination or desire toward Lilith, ”I'd give it up for just one touch: To see your face, to feel your lust calling me. She won't stop calling. I feel her crawling inside. She won't stop calling.” In terms of self-reflection and Koehler’s famous way of criticising himself, while subtly reflecting society, he writes in the lyrics to Confession -”Trust in me and I will break you, trust in me, and I'll only hurt you. You can't handle what I am, I wish you didn't see, but my mask must be put down. Here's to my hopes and dreams.”

The EP would also see the introduction of a new drummer to the band Pablo Viveros, whose skills on double-pedal and percussion are of pure brilliance. In the first track, The Second Coming, there is a beautiful introduction of his ability to compliment the rhythms and complexity of the sound. The style he plays is groovy and powerful, with each kick complimenting every breakdown, riff, or D’jent-signature sounds.

The guitar work and overall production was brilliant and not overdone. The change in style from My Damnation can see Chelsea Grin with abundant lead pieces and an obvious change in riffing style and sound equipment. This follows the new trend that is being heard within Deathcore bands like Born of Osiris and Breakdown of Sanity.

Personally, the album could have had more power in the music. The amount of slams and breakdowns were not nearly enough for me, however their progression of style is still noticeably unique and dynamic, opposed to doing the same thing over. The voice that is Alex Koehler is still wonderful to my ears and creates an oxymoronic sense of power and peace. Evolve is an excellent EP introducing a new dimension to Chelsea Grin and Deathcore as a whole. 

The Meaning of Duality

 "You really can change the world if you care enough." – Marian Wright Edelman

“Keep your faith in God, but keep your powder dry.” – Oliver Cromwell

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.” – Josef Stalin

Within every single one of us there lives a mind, capable of producing thought and as a result, an action. Within every mind there lives the idea of vice and virtue, guiding us through deliberation of our behavior. What distinguishes us as humans from the animal kingdom is the innate capacity for free will and our ability to manipulate it and achieve either great or grotesque things. There is a fine line between great and grotesque and we can view that line as duality – a name given to distinguish good and evil, right and wrong, dark and light.

This concept is not too foreign to us as it is more commonly known to many in the form of Eastern philosophy as Yin Yang. An online dictionary defines this as: “two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy: Yin is negative, dark and feminine. Yang is positive, bright, and masculine. Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it.” This profound dichotomy says that our well-being, health, future and destiny all rely on a particular balance of these almost completely polar opposites.

Growing up we have learnt through science and Western ideology that there are fixed axioms, or laws that govern and distinguish various phenomena around us – ensuring that there is a permanent belief or response that nearly everything revolves around an “either/or” mentality. 

What is meant by this is that through our Western philosophy and the shift into a more anthropocentric (everything revolves around humans) state of mind, we do not see the balance as being of both parts, but as one part only. With regard to Yin Yang, there are two almost complete opposites – masculine, feminine; positive, negative – yet the balance lies in the two separate parts being as a whole.

In Jay Kumar’s Duality, Wholeness and a New Paradigm of Consciousness and Health, our worldviews are challenged in that he mathematically represents our logic behind the restricted way in which we view duality (where something is understood as “either X or Y”, not “both X and Y”). His idea can be further explained: “…we understand ourselves as disconnected and separate from the greater Whole. If X = Human and Y = the Whole, then our current ideological worldview is Human ≠ The Whole… the premise of this discussion asserts that there now exists a new emerging paradigm of consciousness where Human = Whole.”

What, then, does all of this mean for us?

The dual nature within ourselves should be perceived as limitless in that it functions through the cohesion of both good and bad. Rather than claiming to be either a saint or a sinner, the fact is that we are inherently both the hero and the villain. Without the dark, there cannot be light and without the light, dark cannot exist. 

Binary and Boolean Building Brains

Growing up I would encounter various people from all walks of life; each one unique and with some form of intelligence. Yet, I would come to notice that specific people I had interacted with have a particular education present. This education is not one that stems from a school per se, but rather a powerful form of relaxation.

Gaming is connotative toward a form of playing electronic games through applications and programs; this is done through specific devices such as computers, consoles, cellphones, etc. The purpose behind this development is to create a form of escape and relaxation based on games that did not require an extra physical presence - as previously, board games and other physical games required more the one player to participate. An era of single-player gaming would emerge and see the surfacing of a new member of society; the gamer.

The gamer is an introverted being; one that is reclusive and closed off toward the outside world. Not all gamers are socially experienced either, having spent most of their time within the realms of Boolean and binary law. This is not to say that they are lacking in any mental departments, as a matter of fact, it becomes interesting to find out that gamers are perhaps better at solving problems, reading, learning and understanding. According to the EducationWorld website, Marcia Baldanza, a principal at an elementary school in Alexandra, Virginia, had this to say, “Children learn best when the content is relevant to them and when they can connect new learning with old… Finding the Velcro to make those connections can be challenging, but with games, it's easy."

Issues emerge as time progresses – as with everything that brings joy. The technological advancements within gaming have been tremendous, as the audio and visual quality achieve a new benchmark every few years. This goes on to the creation of censored games, those of which promote violence, sexually indecent acts and theft. As social beings we are influenced by the media, as well as the games we play – this can be deduced through the 1961 Bobo Doll Experiment. Other than the subtle, negative influence, there is an issue of balance: gamers tend to often get somewhat addicted to their habitual escape form reality, leading to poor social skills and often, a lack of common sense. The best rule to abide by whether gaming, drinking, exercising, sleeping, or eating, is to keep everything in moderation; use and do not abuse.

Through correct balance, gaming can be extremely advantageous to the mind and our faculties of thinking. The CreativeTeachingSite website offers an article on ten benefits that can be derived from playing electronic games; these benefits can be seen as attributes to which gamers already have due to the gaming in which they regularly participate.

The Ten Benefits

According to the website, the benefits range from skills such as reading, to the development of strategies.

Reading – In many games, more particularly the adventure genre, a person can learn and work on reading skills through the many quests or objectives that entertain the gamer. Games with a lot of text and reading will help develop the gamer’s mind in terms of reading and understanding (at times, ambiguous) text anywhere inside and outside of reality.

Logical Thinking – Learning to run through sequences within the mind becomes a natural skill that becomes developed when gaming for some time. Nearly any game, especially real-time strategy (RTS) and role playing games (RPG) will aid in learning logical thinking. Simple logical steps such as opening a door, selecting specific items for specific purposes, or completing a puzzle within a game can lead to more beneficial results in common sense and logic.

Observational Skills – Various professions require a person to have keen observational skills and a superb eye for noticing subtle things. Pilots, doctors, scientists, etc. all need to have this attribute as their jobs will often depend on it. Electronic games have a specific way of exercising those faculties for observation; with focus on certain aspects within a game, such as an objective to collect the ingredients for a potion in a RPG-style game, the player would have to notice the specific items needed, regardless of peripheral vision within the display.

Map Making and Map Reading Skills – Many people cannot read maps naturally and so gaming helps develop this skill.  Within nearly every genre of game there is usually a map of some sorts which will indicate to a person every direction – north, east, south, and west. With this skill people can understand and visualise birds-eye view perspectives and interpret as well as create maps in nearly all situations.

Vocabulary Development – With the audio and visual effects that gaming and the simulation brings, there is room for enhancing and improving one’s vocabulary skills. Various words will be used in order to bring purpose and fun to the game; so as a participant, one will learn the terminology for the specific functions and features of the simulation. For example,  within a RTS there are usually resources to collect in order for the participant or gamer to establish an in-game city and economy, so terms like ‘extract’, ‘gather’ and ‘insufficient’ are used frequently, thus the ability to develop the vocabulary of the gamer

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Familiar Knowledge – “Familiar knowledge is knowledge of common things.” Gaming introduces expansion and exploration into new territories or areas, such as Africa (FarCry 2) or China (Emperor). With this knowledge people can learn where specific items or landmarks are associated, such as the pyramids or Great Wall of China.

Spelling – Most games or simulations will allow an array of words and the correct spelling for them, however there are a few that specifically test spelling as a requirement to progress. Simulations such as those help with strengthening the spelling and overall language skill of the gamer.

Note Taking – Taking down vital notes or using memory to retain specific information for games proves beneficial to exercising neurological faculties. With games like Tetris the observer would take note of the next shape that is to fall, as well as the spatial positioning of the already fallen shapes. This helps aid in studying and organisational skills.

Problem Solving – Within pretty much every single game there is a problem to solve, the missions, objectives or goals ensure that specific problems must be resolved in order to progress further. This skill can be carried across through school, high school, college and the various career paths that require problem solving as a skill.

Developing Strategies – In order to get through repetition, or again, specific objectives, there can often be a requirement for developing one’s own strategy that would be used to progress the participant. In electronic trading card games (TCG) the player would go up against either online players or a virtual player of the game (also known as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) player) and have to employ specific strategies in order to defeat their opponent. Within various games races, classes, elements and other groups are usually evident, resulting in specific attributes that determine the capability and potential strategy of a participant. This all aids in the development and evolution of the gamer’s mind.

Conclusion

Gaming has often been shoved aside and labelled as a grotesque form of anti-socialism, with stereotypes such as ‘nerd’ and ‘geek’ that have been perpetuated for over a decade. Research now proves that those gamers, or ‘nerds’, have higher mental ability than the average person and it is the gaming that takes the prize. Gaming can be most beneficial, yet with moderation. Without the moderation and with the abuse, there can only be detriment – to either physical or mental health. Give it a try sometime: Get a game, finish it, and see how you feel.