We turned the dead into butter and bread

And perhaps scones, too. A very, very bizarre presentation by Thomas Sheridan. Our man explains (for the first time?) why he is a conspiracy theorist. The crazy stuff begins at time stamp 19:49. I admit I haven´t double-checked the claims. I frankly don´t dare!

Kiwi Mindset

Can´t help quoting this conversation between "Kel" and John Michael Greer from the discussion thread below JMG´s current posting "A Prayer for Nonbelivers". It contains some interesting speculations about Bill Gates and New Zealand, and the eventual fate of rich zillionaries. Let´s just say they aren´t talking about necrophagy...

[Kel´s comment]

"JMG, you’ve mentioned before you believe there may be “islands” in a declining world where things remain similar to what they are now for a long time. I’m curious, do you think there could be “islands” where technology actually still advances significantly for generations? I wouldn’t think this necessarily conflicts with your overall thesis.

For instance, in the area where I have the most knowledge, biotechnology, there are quite a few advances already in the pipeline for the next decade that will likely add healthy years onto the average lifespan (gene therapies, senolytics, etc). One could imagine a minority of the world population going into an accelerating future while the rest of the world still declines/stagnates. Possible?"

[JMG´s comment]

"Kel, the detail that gets left out of such models is how much of modern technology depends on imports of nonrenewable resources from all over the world. To manage further technological progress, the “islands” you’ve imagined would have to maintain military control over resource-rich sections of the planet, and keep extracting those resources for the advantage of a few while the many do without. That’s not a recipe that keeps well, not least because targeting the resource flows would be an obvious route to power for demagogues and ambitious generals everywhere else on the planet.

That said, I expect it to be tried — New Zealand is very clearly being set up as the elite refuge where the rich expect to keep their cozy lifestyles while the rest of the planet crashes and burns. Attacks on vulnerable resource flows would be one of many ways for the rest of humanity to strike back, as of course they will. There’s a certain macabre interest in wondering whether Mark Zuckerberg will dine on Bill Gates or vice versa once protein supplies drop to the point that cannibalism comes into fashion…"

Aghori forever

From an anonymous commentor on one of JMG´s blogs. Aghori-inspired shit in the United States?

"I met up with some people I know who had just came from an impromptu memorial service where they tasted the ashes of their dearly departed friend before scattering them. Not sure of the context but it seemed like more of a dare kind of thing. This struck me as a bad idea to me from a magical perspective, but maybe I am just being a prude."

When in Rome, do like the cannibals

This is the infamous clip which forced CNN to cancel Reza Aslan´s entire documentary series. Viewer discretion is strongly advised here! 

Aslan meets a bizarre Tantric cult in India, the Aghori, and makes the mistake of *actually participating in their antinomian rituals*. He eats cremated human brain, and drinks alcohol from a skull, all the while the Aghori sadhus worship Mother Kali. One of the cult members then threaten to kill Aslan unless he shuts up, and starts throwing feces on him and the camera crew! 

As far as I can tell, this isn´t scripted. The Aghori do exist and really do seek "liberation" through deliberately impure acts (if the beheading of a liberal Muslim Iranian-American is one of them is, alas, not entirely clear). I sure hope that brain was well done (as in turned into ashes) and didn´t contain any kuru prions...