Threads 2.
1 10/09/08
Threads
Contents
Editorial
-A Note From My Desk
Page One
-The Venus Project
Page Two
-The Venus Project Cont’d
-Heavy Metal Machines
Page Three
-Tell Me Lies
Page Four
-World’s tallest Lego Tower
-In the News
A NOTE FROM MY DESK:
A
fter a two week
hiatus, Threads is
back! I am for the
most part moved into my
new apartment and things
are nice. I can finally relax
and work at my own pace.
I finally have a “desk” –
technically two, so now this
note really is coming from my
desk. I do not have a couch
or a TV for my living room
though. Makes me wonder
how I’m going to gather
ideas now – thankfully I have
the Internet to help in that
regard.
I need to start utilizing my
resources and begin getting
stories on my own. It may be
a week or so before that
happens.
I hope my readers enjoy this
issue, it is for you, you
know!.
2.1 “Progress is a flame that burns within us all”
The Future; The Venus Project
Could a society without money be in our midst?
"Imagine there's no countries,
it isn't hard to do.
Nothing to live or die for,
and no religion too.
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace."
Perhaps to John Lennon's
satisfaction, these words may
become true if a group, known
as the Venus Project, get their Above: a future home by Jacque Fresco, Below: a
way. The Venus Project is an MagLev train that could reach speeds of 4000mph
educational think tank that
operates out of a research
center in Venus Florida. Lead
by Jacque Fresco, the group
desires to redesign and cure
all the ailments of human
culture, including transforming
the global economy from a
monetary based economy to a
resource based economy.
The Venus Project has developed an essential blueprint for a future free of
money, government, war and religion. The belief is that the ills of society have
direct roots in the monetary system. Fresco believes discarding the monetary-istic
ideal in the current society that has a focus on profit and a dependency on money
that doesn't exist will free all people from an enslavement of debt and move into
a world of creation and global sustainability.
"All the limitations imposed upon us by our present-day monetary system could
be surpassed by adopting a global consensus for a worldwide resource-based
economy, in which all the planetary resources are viewed and treated as the
common heritage of all the earth’s inhabitants. In this manner, the earth and our
technological procedures could provide us with a limitless supply of material
goods and services without the creation of debt or taxation whatsoever." states
Fresco in his essay on the Venus Project's website. [emphasis his]
In the two hour movie put out by the Venus Project entitled "Zeitgeist;
Addendum", the group illustrates and examines the current global stock market
crisis that is taking place. With the DOW falling below 10,000 on Monday, for the
first time since October 2004, and other markets falling throughout the world,
including the Asian and European markets, and other nations such as Canada
heading towards a recession, Iceland facing bankruptcy and Brazil and Argentina
~CALIFORNIA KARM@~
 Threads 2.1 10/09/08

abandoning the US dollar as a medium of exchange, Fresco and the Venus

interest rates being cut worldwide, the Venus Project sets Project believe what is
out to provide an answer and a solution: abandon the holding society back
monetary system. from great
advancements in
The money system is a system of debt, as stated by medicine and
Marriner Eccles, the Governor of the Federal Reserve just technology is that large
after the years of the United States [first?] depression. "If corporations don't
there were no debt in our money system, there wouldn't measure research and
be any money." Of all the currency in the United States, development by how
only three percent of it is actual tangible money, the other much good it will do for
97% is money that doesn’t truly exist - only in computers. the people, but instead
When the government needs more money (such as for the
current bailout) they add that to the 97% of the money by how much profit the
company will acquire Jacque Fresco
that truly doesn't exist - except for in a computer
database. This "new" money causes inflation and is the from the project.
reason why a 1913 dollar has the modern equivalent of
$21.60 (as of 2007). "In today's culture of profit, we do not produce goods
based on a human need. We do not build houses based on
In the same way, when a bank gives out a loan - such as a population needs. We do not grow food to feed people.
mortgage or student loan, the money given out is arbitrary Industry's major motivation is profit," states Fresco.
and really doesn't tangibly exist.
In a resource based economy, this issue of doing
As the Modern Money Mechanics manual explains; "of something for profit rather than the good of the people
course [the banks] do not really pay out loans from the will be removed. The new culture will encourage focusing
money they receive as deposits. If they did this, no technology do help other people.
additional money would be created. What they do when
they make loans is to accept promissory notes in exchange Although the Venus Project may sound rather Utopian or
for credits [money] to the borrowers transaction Orwellian, Fresco insists this is not the case, but rather the
accounts." next step in human development. He feels that the
collapse of the monetary system is at hand and people will
So we live in an culture of debt and the constant seeking begin to lose their faith in it and insist on moving towards
of profit. Profits are gained not through an abundance of a a new society. The group insists that the strongest barrier
resource, but rather a scarcity of a resource, this can be between progress and cultural stagnation is money. The
seen within the oil industry. Large quantities of oil would people with money direct the rest of culture generally in
not secure these companies large profits, however a the pursuit of more money while the people without
lowered supply will. money are towed along and crushed in the monetary
systems underbelly.
According to the Venus Project, the reason we have not
made the switch over to available, low-cost (if not free) The message that the Venus Project would like to get out
renewable energies such as solar, wind, tidal, wave and is that money is not a necessity in society, as Fresco says;
geothermal is not due to the lack of technology, but "it appears that the real wealth of any nation is in its
instead the power of the energy companies and their natural resources and its people who are working toward a
refusal to give up their amassing profits. more humane life-style through the elimination of
scarcity."
use. The average earthworm would
HEAVY METAL MACHINES Lead researcher Mark Hodson of the die in the conditions these super-
University of Reading in England has worms thrive.
There may be a solution to the been studying these heavy metal
hazardous waste we humans produce - tolerant worms, and to put it lightly, This discovery may make it easier to
"super-worms", as dubbed by National these aren't your average earthworms. clean up land that has been
Geographic, are earthworms that were The worms according to Hodson, contaminated by heavy mining. The
found to be eating dangerous human produce a special protein that "wraps worms could be beneficial in clean up
byproducts. These earthworms have up" the metal they happen to be processes but are still less efficient
been discovered in England and Wales eating, making it safe for the metal to than the modern industrial clean up
to be devouring hazardous heavy pass through the worm. Once passed processes, however they will be
metals such as lead, zinc, arsenic and through the worms, the metal important in diagnosing the metal
copper. excrement is then easier for plants to concentrations in contaminated lands.
 Threads 2.1 10/09/08

OPINION lying. They are often trying to get something out of the person
or persons.

“Tell me lies, tell me lies, "…Coercion really is, after all: convincing a person to lie to
(tell me sweet little lies.)” himself by any means necessary." says Douglas Rushkoff in his
book Coercion. In order for a person, company or
By: Chadwick Heller government to successfully gain their targets support they
must pitch a seemingly sound argument. This can be done in
multiple ways, the most effective however is propaganda.
"If it weren't for lies, what would we have to talk about?" said
a customer to another as they pondered what pre-paid phone
It is easier to get one person to believe a lie if that person
card would work best for their cell phones. I obviously missed
believes that many people believe what is being said, and
the context of this statement but it did make me think of
those other people are not only OK with it, they are happy
Harry Frankfurts book On Bullshit and how lying and all of its
too. A small example: the GAP wants to sell Khakis, but they
variations such as bullshit are so tightly woven into the
know Khakis aren't too popular, so they launch an advertising
human condition that many people can't sustain a
campaign in which very happy people are enjoying their life in
relationship without them.
Khakis that were purchased at the GAP. The GAP sold its lie
that "everyone loves Khaki jeans" even when their research
"Bullshit is unavoidable whenever circumstances require
indicated otherwise. In a few weeks of these advertisements,
someone to talk without knowing what he is talking about."
Khakis indeed become popular.
says Frankfurt. When we stop to consider how many topics a
person could claim to know about, we quickly discover the
In 1928 Edward Bernays wrote essentially the manual on
truth of Frankfurt's statement.
propaganda entitled, simply enough "Propaganda". His
manual outlines how propaganda works, especially in the
Lying or bullshit is so prevalent, we expect it from our
psyche of a population of people. [It is important to note this
politicians, our lawyers, our leaders and suspect it from the
manual was written before WWII.] Bernays recognizes the
people who provide us with goods and services. We live in a
power of lying through public perception and even in the late
culture of deception where people intentionally deceive one
twenties noticed how the government and business' used
another, and this deception is often done out of one of two
propaganda to essentially sell their lies to the unsuspecting
main reasons for lying, defensive lying or malicious lying.
public.
What I consider "defensive lying" is the type of lying that
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized
generally is not harmful to others and is done for the liars own
habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in
self preservation. The types of defensive lying can be broken
democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen
down into six categories or reasons.
mechanism of society constitute an invisible government
which is the true ruling power of our country.
1. Fear of harm - this is a lie committed in order to avoid
the consequences of telling the truth, such as physical or
We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our
mental harm.
ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of."
2. Fear of conflict - this type of lie is committed in order to
Perhaps being coerced into buying Khakis isn't what some
avoid confrontation if the truth were to be stated
people would consider bad, however if the message were
instead.
changed to "they are out to harm you, if you listen and do as
we say, we will protect you," then suddenly it becomes easier
3. Fear of punishment - this reason for lying is perhaps one
to indentify how a deceptive lie can turn into something
of the first ways a person learns to lie as a child.
harmful. Much of propaganda and coercion is the establishing
of an "us vs. them" mentality, a solution is often given in
4. Fear of rejection - a person’s insecurities plays into this
solving the problem of the perceived enemy - an enemy that
reason, people want to belong and will say what they
was also "created" by perpetrators of the lie to begin with.
can to do so.
Admittedly though, I myself lie as well, most profoundly at
5. Fear of Loss – people don’t want to lose something on
work to customers. Working in the electronics department I
behalf of the truth.
find myself often bullshitting my way through sales or
coercing customers to make up their minds on the TV they
6. Altruistic reasons - flattery is a form of defensive lying
want to buy. I have developed a way to make a TV sale last no
done in order to avoid the negative impact that the truth
longer than 15 minutes - mainly for the customers who like to
may carry with it.
play 20 questions.
Defensive lying is typically done for self-preservation,
The reality is, whether the lie is big or small, defensive or
malicious lying is done to cause harm. Malicious lying is not
malicious, the reason it is done so often is simple; it's easy.
always committed by a person, it is also committed by large
Lying has the ability of getting the liar what they want,
corporations and governments. Malicious lying can be done
whether it be to avoid a fight, convince a crowd they need
through coercion, propaganda and other deceptive practices,
paint-on sunglasses or help a tired associate make a quick TV
there is always a desired outcome by the party doing the
sale, lying typical gets the liars intended results.
 Threads 2.1 10/09/08

Worlds Tallest Lego Tower

Every child dreams (to
In The News
• French novelist Jean-Marie Gustave Le
the dismay of their Clezio wins Nobel for literature.
parents) to build the
• Study finds chaos in Afghanistan
world’s largest Lego
• The National Debt clock in Times Square
Tower, but this dream
is running out of spaces.
is generally squished
• First double-arm transplant a success in
when your parents
Munich Germany
catch you with that
• Google to launch "Google Underwater"
sledge hammer in the
in addition to Google Earth
attempt to put a hole
in the ceiling. But for • Google launches Mail Goggles to help in
3,000 children in prevention of drunken emails.
• Google launches 2001 version of its
Vienna, this dream
search engine in honor of their 10th
became a reality.
anniversary.
Standing at 96.73
• Husband of Cambodian couple literally
feet, using 460,000
cuts house in half due to separation.
Lego bricks, this
multi-colored tower • One founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak
says iPod and iPhone are on their way
shatters the old world
out.
record by a mere .60
feet, which was set • Young men prefer Internet over
last May in Legoland Television
Windsor, England. • Women fake calls and texting more to
avoid social situations
The tower was built • WiFi could be sent through lightbulbs
over the course of four days and is supported • Cell phones on your finger? New ring-
using cables. In order to erect the tower, cell phones have been developed in
engineers were forced to use a crane. China.
• Thrift stores see an increase in middle-
The tower was created to celebrate the four class shoppers
day festival, 100 Years of Friends of Children. • There is a worldwide financial crisis.
The tower was dismantled soon after the record • TODAY, John Lennons birthday
was confirmed by Guinness World Record • TOMORROW
judge, Carlos Martinez. www.thezeitgeistmovement.com to launch

Suggestions?
Critiques?
Submissions?

Send them to:

C.HELLER.RUN@GMAIL.COM

Thank you.