The insincerity of social media and influencer culture is nothing new. Mr Beast set the supreme standard for success, study algorithms, what appeals to the mob glued to their screens, master thumbnails, edit a shiteating grin and you will be loved. Pewdiepie, Angry Video Game Nerd, Fouseytube, etc pioneered and invented the wheel so to speak when it came to viral and popular content. It was a different world for them, entertainment and genuine reviews were popular, even if at times they were infected with skits, characters and performance ‘reality.’ They became famous, influential and...

The 2010s will perhaps be remembered for the decline of critical thinking and the ascension of dependency. Only to be fast tracked into the 2020s. There was a time, in the before, even among partisan political voices, when we could juggle reason with ideology. A regard for some forms of critical thinking, or the placating of objections raised by libertarians and the opponents of said policies or desires. There was a conversation. An understanding of the dangers of too much power, or control. This was a time, when most institutions and governments pretended or did care about censorship,...

Over the years I have come across plenty of books that were destined for landfill. Whether through the various work places I had been, the charities which moved individuals from independence to “assisted” living and then the charity shops places themselves which can’t afford the bin fees to dump the excess they receive. Among these books, I have come across notes and journals. Small increments of intimate writing, sketches from a human past long forgotten but for these ink spots on paper, they remain as remnants that once mattered. I had the intention of writing something cynical or even...

Good story telling allows for us to experience the many human emotions that we understand, and know intimately. Despite its more recent incarnations, Star Trek told stories rich in life. An exploration for philosophy and humanity, challenged through narratives and character exchanges. Presented before, at times gaudy backdrops or technobabble laden jargon required to embed us into a place where technology itself is magic. In an episode from Star Trek – The Next Generation, Captain Jean Luc Picard found himself pulled into another life. One beyond a star ship, and the obligations of command....

There is a conflict for fighters to endure. Not the most obvious of overcoming oneself, the obstacles leading to competition or the opponent. Finding the balance between pride and self preservation. Too much pride, means we become reckless. Brave but stupid. We take risks and go blow for blow, toe for toe and allow the ego to overcome us. We do silly things that can risk the fight itself while also hurting us long term. This goes for training as well. When we should be working, practising and developing skills we can get into gym wars to settle a score or prove a point that never needed...

He clenched his fist around the USB, impatience gripping him as he waited. He had just finished pacing only to sit down, unaware of his rocking back and forth. Once he saw her, he was back to his feet. He wanted to push it into her hand and disappear. Instead, she guided him to a table, “let’s have a drink first,” she offered. “Sure.” They sat, ordered drinks. Small talk. He looked around, more small talk. The crowd was distant, his mind never leaving what he ha seen. How he felt. Once the drinks were in front of them, she sipped hers, a tall cold beer. She looked at him, “tell me what is on...

In 1935 while in exile Brecht wrote his poem challenging the aristocracy of history. The belief that events and the entire of human existence occurs because of a great man, the dear leader. In contemporary moments, politicians and influential people are looked at with cultish adulation. They are the exemplifiers of perfect power, human gods who may fix, solve and accomplish through their personality but above all else, the power afforded to them by status. A status safeguarded through wealth and the template of governance, to bribe the mercenary minded, zealotic believers who will do all...