People No Longer Know What The Laws Are – What Is Legal Protest?

February 22, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

What started out as a positive and anticipatory movement that seemed to have widespread support from Canadians coast to coast, is now a condemned and criminal operation. Is there anyone who can explain to us how it happened to turn criminal? When did it happen? What did they do that was illegal and criminal?

As a person with no experience in attending or organizing protests, it is next to impossible to understand what the laws are surrounding the protest. Why did they get so much condemnation and punishment? Other protests have been much more violent, where people clearly defied trespassing and Criminal Code laws, yet many of those political activists did not get punished much at all.

Each day raises more and more questions. If people suddenly had bank accounts frozen for sending money to the organization, it means that not only are the protesters targeted, but also those who saw it as a worthy cause and donated money. How could anyone know they were donating to something illegal?

As far as border blockades, no doubt laws do apply, and get enforced. But the protest in Ottawa did not have much clarity with regards to what was legal and what was not legal. The horn honking became an issue, and a ten day injunction was ordered. When it came to the judges orders, apparently she did not find any other charges to enforce, other than a reprieve from the horn honking. So what happened?

After the injunction was issued, for the most part, they did stop honking. The leaders told them to stop honking. They were not counselling people to commit mischief, if honking is considered to be mischief.

I do not understand it. At some point it became illegal. Yet there was no definition other than mischief, which in spite of sounding like a minor charge, can be a very serious charge. Then there is counselling to commit mischief, which is highly subjective. What does it actually mean? I heard people singing Oh Canada a lot while watching live feeds of the protest each day.

There was some rebellion expressed by the protesters, like when hundreds of jerry cans were purchased after police started seizing fuel. Some of the protesters did a jerry can march, but really it was just minor theatre. The fuel was needed to keep the trucks warm, so people wanted to make sure they would not freeze. Was that mischief?

Another term frequently used by the truckers was to “hold the line”. Would a slogan be considered to be counselling to commit mischief? I suppose as time went on, the fact they planned to stay for the long haul was causing important people to become aggravated. The intent was articulated. They were staying until they were acknowledged and heard. It became an annoyance to the PM, the Mayor of Ottawa, and many others.

It seems the sequence of events sums up like this: The protesters were denied a voice, and were vilified at the onset. They dug in, and became annoying. The annoyance was translated into mischief. The mischief became criminal. Key organizers were arrested without bail. It’s almost like something you might read about in history books.

Now Canadians are under the War Measures Act, and once again, we don’t fully understand what that means. We have been getting all the mandates dictated to us through the media. Every day there are more covid updates telling us what we can and cannot do. Otherwise how would we know?

But one of the raw realities this entire scenario has brought home to us, is the unreliability of MSM to present unbiased news. There is a fundamental mistrust of the media, as well as the police. It appears the division between government authority, and the common person has become increasingly divisive.

Canadians are known for being peaceful and law-abiding. But how can we be law-abiding if the laws are changing constantly, and we do not know what they are from one week to the next? What are the laws under the War Measures Act? What does it mean to the average citizen?

Can people donate to charities? What if those charities do not support mandates or QR codes? Could the charitable donations be seized, and bank accounts of all those who make donations frozen? Theoretically this could apply to all churches, and any charity considered to express right wing views. Even though some people do not fully understand political terminology, they could inadvertently support something they thought was legal, yet it could be deemed illegal a week later.

We already know doctors and health care providers cannot speak out against the mandates. We know we must follow a one-sided science that is not open to being questioned or challenged. As the mistrust for the health care system increases, the mistrust for the police has increased since the crackdown in Ottawa.

During the whole ordeal, where so many people were traumatized by the police actions, we watched many eloquent speeches in the House of Commons. But what did we learn? We learned how broken and divided the political spectrum has become. We learned how insignificant we are as Canadian people. We have lost our political innocence.

At the end of the long and tiring ordeal, where many of the systemic fissures and cracks were exposed – we still don’t know what the laws are. How are people supposed to stay out of trouble if they do not know what the laws are?

The original and foundational laws are gone. We now have covid mandates based on covid science, and covid politics. But still – we do not know what the laws are, so please fill us in.

Have we entered the time where certain thoughts and beliefs are not acceptable? Tell us what they are, and what the punishment is for having them. Consider that eight billion people have around 80,000 thoughts per day each – that is an infinite number of thoughts to track. Most people have a hard enough time keeping track of their own thoughts.

We cannot possibly understand what drives other people’s belief systems. We seem to be entering an era of delusion and fantasy, versus truth and reality.

We do have many differences, but it does seem that the innate sense of autonomy and free will is an inherent belief among people in all countries of the world.

People are monitored by Internet usage, social media, QR codes, and cell phone tracking. But even so, how boring.

Maybe I am missing something, but from what I have seen, there is a genuine and heartfelt appeal behind all of this freedom movement. There is a desire to return to the stable foundational laws that we are familiar with. There is an appeal to the government to follow the Constitutional laws and Charter of Rights.

“Cornerstones of democracy include freedom of assembly, association and speech, inclusiveness and equality, citizenship, consent of the governed, voting rights, freedom from unwarranted governmental deprivation of the right to life and liberty, and minority rights.”

Time To Face What We Embrace ~ & What We Denounce

February 21, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Politically I consider myself to be centrist with strong advocacy for human rights and individual autonomy. In fact, I believe the least corrupt government is the best option. The most important thing is to support stable, lawful governance that serves the best interest of its constituents. Then we can live our lives, and reach our potential – without being oppressed, monitored, or micro-managed.

The woke government tends to support the 1% fringe groups, because on the upper end, when it comes to corporate billionaires, it is perceived as the hand that feeds them. On the other hand, they completely miss the boat when it comes to the fact it is the middle class tax base that feeds them the most consistently. However, they cater to the 1% in all of its extremes, whether it is the billionaires, or the various other fringe, and often bizarre special interest groups. They support such groups because they represent no threat to the government power structure.

However, a larger, grassroots movement with exponential growth among all sectors of the population, does represent a threat to the government leadership. It has created an especially stark realization with regards to the trouble we are in as a democracy. We have just witnessed a government that refuses to negotiate, and resorts to violence toward its own citizens instead.  The War Measures Act was ordered, and then put into place without parliamentary debate, and without the support of most of the Provinces.

How can a government control a nationwide movement? It caught on like a prairie grass fire on a hot, windy August day. It literally swept across the country, not only in the convoy of trucks, but in an awakening of shared values. It opened the floodgates of a psychological break out.

As Canadians, we have followed those routes, back to our roots. As a child, I clearly recall standing up and saying the Lord’s Prayer in school every morning. I remember the flag above the speaker on the wall, as we held one hand to our foreheads, and in unison recited, “I salute the flag. The emblem of my country – To thee I pledge my love and loyalty.” It was during these recitals, where I remember feeling a belonging to something much larger than myself.

We sang the National Anthem. We know what it is to be Canadian. Many of us have ploughed the  furrows of the fields, into deep set weather-worn brows. We recall being half frozen for months on end, and how we burst out with excitement at the first sign of spring thaw. We have watched the weather with angst, and worked sixteen hours a day during seeding or harvest time.

Some grew up in cities and rode their bicycles to every park and beach. Deep down, we all know what it means to be Canadian. We do have a reputation for being nice, and are generally tolerant and peaceful. We should be proud of that, and continue in the same vein.

Some ideologies lean more toward socialism, and some more toward capitalism. In reality, we need a healthy balance of both. Therefore we should take the good from each one, and reject the abuse of power and corruption that is prone to raise its ugly head, regardless of the political stripes.

I believe when things veer off too far to the left, or too far to the right – things become us against them polarized. When the polarities start to drive on the shoulders, and eventually hit the ditch, they actually blend together in the muddied waters below, losing all respect for boundaries. They create underground tributaries, instead of transparent policies.

I strongly believe the ideologies should pull away from the extremes, and find more centrist oriented stability, unity, and representation. Otherwise there is sure to be an erosion or destruction of the middle class. We are framed in by extremism. The middle class is the landscape or Canadian picture. So why should we trash the picture and keep the frame?

The extreme left is constantly accusing the extreme right of being violent and dangerous. Yet they are the ones who are armed, and out in droves beating on unarmed peaceful protesters.

Now it seems that protests are illegal, no matter what people do. This protest has taught or shown us many things. On the side of the freedom convoy, there has been some misinformation and sensationalism. In addition there was a certain amount of taunting and aggravation directed at the police. But all of those people were quickly overpowered when armed forces moved in on them.

Personally, I do not get involved in protests because I don’t like crowds. But I do believe in the right to peaceful protest. I think all people involved should know the boundaries and parameters of the laws, so they don’t expose themselves to risk, or getting in scuffles with police.

I do not believe people should flood emergency lines, or do anything that could impede critical infrastructures. Nor should any property be destroyed or vandalized.

It helps when people are incentivized to examine and commit to their own principles, beliefs and values. It seems really odd, to see a left wing minority government in Canada accuse people of being dangerous and violent, while simultaneously overpowering peaceful protesters with police, snipers, and various other weapons of war. The citizens were not armed. They were assaulted.

I hope and pray Canada is able to change course. We are in an emergency because of the dramatic and unstable leadership. We need the Constitution and Charter of Rights to be reinstated in all ways. We need to find ways to make the leadership follow the laws and democratic principles. The wheels of justice might grind slowly, and they might have chains for the slippery slopes. When those chains are cast off, we will see change.

Meanwhile the old adage stands true – There is pain in change. Let us pray it is for gain, and not for loss. Clearly, this is no longer about a pandemic.

I do appreciate the speeches given by Brian Peckford, as an original contributor to the drafting of the Canadian Charter of Rights.

I also support the proper medical support, follow up and research, when it comes to vaccine injuries. It is very important considering these drugs have not been widely used on the general population until recently. There is very little known about long term outcomes, or the mechanism of injury for those who do suffer adverse reactions. In the case of the elderly or those with chronic disease, it is even more difficult to determine if the adverse health event was related to the vaccines.

The medical professionals need to research, document, and understand why some people are vulnerable to adverse reactions and not others. In some cases, the injections target certain organs, and various bodily systems in catastrophic ways. We need to be sure the adverse reactions are properly recorded, with appropriate follow up and compensation.

This seems like a no-brainer, yet the health care system seems to be ill-equipped to diagnose or deal with the injuries. The skepticism among many has increased because the health care system and media are reluctant to report or track the adverse reactions.

My own background in health care has made me very wary of the pharmaceutical industry. I realize many doctors and nurses do not share my own beliefs in this regard. Yet I also know full well that many do. Once again, the objective middle of the road point of view, with a healthy dose of skepticism seems prudent to me.

Every major health care decision a person makes can be fraught with anxiety and fear. I strongly believe it is important for people to have trust in the ethics of health care providers. More so, every individual has to trust their own intuition, in whatever interventions, procedures or medications they choose to use. This applies equally to what they choose to refuse.

Informed consent is one of the most vital polices to retain in the health care field. We can only hope health care professionals will adhere the principle of First Do No Harm. 

The medical field is not only mandated first do no harm physically – but in fact, that same ethical parameter applies as an admonition to avoid doing political harm as well.

We need to learn more, not only about drug reactions, but also about drug interactions. People over the age of sixty are often on multiple classes of prescription drugs. As more are added to the system, surely it must be important to track and learn about drug interactions.

How do we balance the interests of health and holistic values – with those of sophisticated and aggressive pharmaceutical marketing campaigns?

There are many issues to put forth for debate and policy making. Hopefully this latest and largest protest of all, will shine a light on the things that need to be addressed.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Freedom & Hope ~ So What Happens Now?

February 18, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

The recent protests and developments in Canada, and around the world, keeps us on the edge of our seats, glued to the drama as it is unfolding before our eyes.

In a sense it has opened a Pandora’s box, with all kinds of unspeakable realizations spilling out, more by the day. We thought we were living in a democratic country. Now we are jolted into a reality that tells us the opposite. We are heading in a direction we did not intend to go. We have no brakes, and no turnaround at the end of this plot.

As the tensions mount, it is spine chilling to know the government of Canada is prepared to attack unarmed citizens. The police are not supposed to be directed by the government, yet here we are. It is an untenable situation for all people involved in this, including the police.

On one hand, it seems there could be another big party in Ottawa this weekend, since there is talk of bands and various activities being planned. But in stark contrast, there is a heavy, armed police presence and some dirty tricks being employed.

In addition, the parliament was closed today due to reported winter weather conditions. They were supposed to be continuing the very intense debate surrounding the use of the War Measures Act. So who knows if all the required procedures and votes are going according to plan? There appears to be no rhyme or reason, when it comes to shutting down parliament or debates.

We are witnessing some deep fissures in our governance, especially when it comes to a minority government having the power to invoke such catastrophic measures over a peaceful protest in Ottawa.

The various inconveniences have been voiced. The fact there are big rigs parked, and large gatherings, noise, speeches, bands, and food being served could be an inconvenience, especially when there was a lot of honking. But does it warrant such drama and risk?

I just keep getting a clip of a movie reel snippet, where Trudeau stands up and slowly says, “We want to keep you safe”.  It is a ball and heel grinding type statement now, and it makes one wonder if he means the opposite of every statement he makes. How could any leader order violent assaults, and armed attacks on innocent people?

In all likelihood, anytime there is a need for crowd control, or the potential for an act of violence like driving a truck into a crowd, or provocateurs stirring up violence, snipers are probably the norm. We are blindly unaware of many police and political operations. We assume that whatever measures are used, are actually in the public’s best interests. But now, the trust is damaged. The loss of trust will have a proportionate correlation to the amount of damage done.

What happens next? Party weekend or a weekend of attack and chaos? Or will everyone simply leave, and develop other strategies?

The undermining of trust in government and banking institutions in Canada is going to be far reaching, and could have unintended consequences. How can anyone donate to a cause even if it is a registered charity or a church, because you may have your bank account frozen if it is learned that the organization is against mandates, or QR codes? We don’t know if something is lawful one day, and then considered illegal the next day.

We think it is okay, and perhaps even a duty to participate in peaceful protests. Yet we no longer know if they will be deemed illegal. What is legal and what is not legal? Will unacceptable views be illegal in the near future, if not already?

Can views upholding fundamental freedoms and Canada’s Constitution really be seen as unacceptable by the PM of Canada? Is he saying that adhering to the Constitution and Charter Rights are unacceptable views? It sure sounds that way.

It is one thing to make generalized false accusations. People can see through that fairly quickly. But if there is an accusation of having unacceptable views, then we should be informed exactly what those unacceptable views are. Shouldn’t we? How can we avoid being faced with random and unexpected punishments for our views?

If someone waved a certain kind of inappropriate flag or symbol – then it is the individual doing it who is responsible for the expression of an inappropriate view. It does not reflect on the Canadian flag, or on anyone else in proximity to the wayward flag or sign. Pointing out a handful of incidents of inappropriate behaviours among a large group of people, does not justify making false accusations toward the entire group. If that were the case, a drive by shooting, or any crime in a community, would taint the entire community as being violent thugs, when they had absolutely nothing to do with the crime.

For example, if a person does not believe in clear-cut logging, or in pipeline expansion – is that an unacceptable view? Does it mean “those people” are responsible for acts of violence or illegal blockades they had nothing to do with? How do we protect innocent causes from being radicalized? How do we prevent them from being polarized? I certainly do not believe any cause should condone violence of any kind.

We are no longer naive as to the governmental power over us. If anything, this dramatic unfolding of events has shown us – is that we are not acceptable as human beings, or as Canadian citizens, if we do not go along with the government directives and mandates.

It is not illegal to refuse a vaccine, yet there are severe consequences if you do not get vaccinated. Informed consent is the law, so it is difficult to understand why adults are punished for refusing what they have a right to refuse.

Above all, this confrontation brings some very serious issues to the forefront. Those issues are being hotly debated in the House of Commons. There are lawyers, scientists, doctors, politicians, and lay people who are questioning the narrative, and rejecting the measures.

Today is Friday, and let us all hope and pray it is a safe Friday. Let’s hope there is nothing more than harmless parties, and dancing this weekend in Ottawa. De-escalation as opposed to escalation is the wisest approach. For those who cannot manage the stress, get some rest, take time away, and above all maintain peace and stability. Just pray they do not let anything spiral out of control.

The power of prayer, is always something we know we can count on, no matter how helpless we are feeling as we watch these events unfold.

The most difficult thing to process, is that now we know – Trudeau is not willing to act on behalf of Canadians. In fact, he is willing to set armed snipers pointing at protesters right in front of the Parliament buildings.

With the snow and weather conditions, combined with the heavy police presence, snipers and other weapons directed at people, what are we witnessing?

It is the surrealistic, phantasmagorical, outlandish outcome of a delusional leader drunk on power. Let us hope and pray the police do not use excessive force this weekend.

The debate in the House of Commons on this entire fiasco will continue until they put it to a vote. All we can hope for now – is that no one gets injured.

There is hope in freedom – and freedom in hope. The biggest challenge is to remain optimistic. The best we can do, is be of good cheer – have faith, encouragement, truth, love, charity, peace and self control. Peace, prayers and good will – even toward those we sharply disagree with.

What separation will there ultimately be? The wheat from the chaff. The bone from the marrow. The wheat from the tares.

Integrity Is True Grit ~ When Things Get Critical

February 12, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Few things require more true grit than standing up for an oath, for a nation, for a neighbour, or for a child. It is a challenge to adhere to the principles of justice, fairness, and freedoms  – when authoritarian forces are working against you.

So many people have put their livelihoods and reputations on the line, to do what they believe is right. Why? Because they have integrity and courage. We all have the capacity to rise to principle.

As soon as we stand up to the abuse of power, things get critical. By that I mean, there is a critical, accusatory, unfounded attack on whoever is threatening the power structure. They go into a verbal attack mode. They discredit and try to intimidate in every way possible. It is the psychological equivalent of slapping you down.

The government tolerates and even supports many fringe protests. They condone protests that do have violence, and all kinds of disrespectful damages to statues, monuments, public property, and local businesses. They support the smaller extremist fringe groups, because it is all theatre for them. They are supporting the concept of a particular cause, first and foremost. It is almost always something that is no threat to the political establishment.

Riots and church burnings, are a flash in the pan, from the government’s perspective. They actually seem to promote that sort of thing, because anarchy and chaos means we need more policing.

On the other hand, a huge freedom movement is a major threat to them, so it is pretty obvious why they would support one and not the other. The bigger, and the better organized the grassroots movement, the more of a nightmare it is for the oligarchs. Chaos gives governments more reason for cracking down, but peaceful protest does not. This is the most critical factor from a bigger picture perspective.

Our foundational laws were established to protect the fundamental freedoms of people living in a democratic society. The police swear an oath to uphold the Charter of Rights. They know the laws.

However, as with all professions and people in general, covid and mandates cause division, contradictions and conflicts. The police are given orders from their superiors, that may not correlate with what they know about the laws. In a sense they are being put in an unfair position, and many are walking on eggshells. Thankfully the crowd and the police have been keeping their cool for the most part.

Integrity is standing up for what you know is right, even if it means you ruffle someone’s feathers or get punished for it.

When Adam and Eve were told not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – they did it anyway. Why? Because they had free will, even though God was near by, and was sure to find out. It was a decision that set the stage for the consequences of our our fallen nature. It also clearly established the doctrine of free will.

More than anything it meant that people, all of us, from the beginning of humankind, must discern the difference between what is right and wrong. We must figure out and differentiate between what is good, and what is evil.

If we are honest with ourselves, we know when we do what is wrong, and feel remorse over it. It teaches us to apologize sincerely, and to stop doing it. It’s not that we do what is right all the time, because we don’t. But we know the difference. We also know our fundamental rights and freedoms, and when they are being trampled on. If God does not take away our freedoms, how can man take them away? I really don’t think God will allow it.

One of the key differences between good and evil, is that those who aim to do good have the ability to admit mistakes or wrongdoing. Integrity therefore, is also about admitting wrongdoing, and changing what you have been doing. It means we all have the ability to discern, based on our own judgement, stemming from what happened in the Garden of Eden. God was angry and gave consequences, but he never did say that the good was taken away. It was a turning point relating to the knowledge of good and evil.

We have the ability to differentiate if we choose to. To me this really illustrates how God created us, clearly with free will. We do have guidelines in the Bible, in the laws, in the various declarations and agreements, and most of all – our intuition, our mind, our sensibilities, and our conscience.

Science is wonderful. So is art. Both are really quite subjective, and in some ways one reflects the other. We do not worship science. We are free to believe what we want to believe. Science is not sacrosanct. It carries a vast range of topics, so to make such a generalization is ludicrous. Some people are interested in sharks or marine biology. Others might be growing hybrid roses. To accuse people of not following the science, is almost laughable.

Guess what? We don’t have to follow the science. If I don’t want to put baking soda in the cake, so what? The cake might not turn out, and I’ll change my mind for next time. If you decide to use nail polish remover to take a stain out of a silk chiffon scarf, it might ruin it, and you won’t do it again.

Don’t we learn how to stay alive by following some science, some common sense, some advice, some experimentation – and most of all, by the grace of God?

Do we wake up every morning and think, “today I am going to be really good, and am going to promise to follow science”! I don’t know about anyone else, but I can honestly say that I have never once thought about following science. Even in science class!

I just put some fresh squeezed lemon juice in a cup of tea. Oh no! Maybe I am following science without even realizing it. Does lip gloss count as science? How about if it is Burt’s Bees?

Could you denounce people as being anti-art if you don’t like their taste in art? Could you accuse someone of being anti-music, if you don’t like their selection of music? If I write a book, do I have unacceptable views, if someone else does not like it?

Science may have tried and true principles, but there are many mysteries, and as many differences of opinions. Every person has the right to explore, and test whenever it is feasible – the various tangibilities, and intangibilities we come across in life.

Do we accept ideas – or reject them? Do we take this path down into the valley? Or do we head up over the mountain? It is not up to anyone else, any expert, any king, or any political leader – to tell us how to live our lives, and what, or who we choose to follow. It is untenable on all levels.

We don’t have to follow a virus. Nor do we have to be ruled by one. We are being ordered around by oligarchs speaking as though the virus is leading us with a viral leash. They are using it as an excuse to encroach upon democracy. They are cowards in every sense of the word because they will not admit what is driving them. They are claiming science is sacred, and we must not only believe what they say without questioning it, but follow it too.

If I could get a message to Trudeau, I would ask him quite frankly, “Who in their right mind sets out every single day to follow science”? Scientists set out to learn about their field of study. They apply certain standards and principles while doing their research. But I am quite certain that even scientists don’t wake up thinking about following science, or they might end up following themselves around in a circle.

Trudeau can go ahead and call me anti-science for my beliefs. I really don’t care. He might was well call me anti-buffalo because I would not let him herd me off a cliff either.

If we get to return the insults – he is unethical and anti Canadian. I hope he has the capacity to admit wrongdoing and drop the mandates. Who would have ever believed it would become such an astronomical battle?

Go back to the story of Adam and Eve and ask yourself – who has been beguiled by the serpent? And who is trying to do good, and restore the real law and order?

The number one principle in human ethics is to avoid the abuse of power. There is an old adage “You abuse it – you lose it.”

Let’s hope these axioms are strong like axles. Cause we are at a turning point!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What Is The Meaning Of Freedom Of Speech?

February 11, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

As we fight for our freedoms, we listen to a litany of words being bandied about. Words that are banished. Words that dive deep into the gutter, and words that rise high above it all. Words that are delivered with powerful rhetoric and passion. If there are two sides of the freedom coin, one is living life to the fullest, and the other is constantly circling the drain. One side carries potential, and the other side is oppressed and exploited.

We are going to have to rely on words, and especially on the clarity of definitions, now more than ever before. Words can be twisted into a pretzel, or turn into a boomerang. They can be scripted and meaningless, with a repetitious robotic monotony. They can inspire or incite, create calm, or cause calamity.

Years ago as a young woman, I joined the White Rock Writer’s club. Almost everyone there was much older than I was, and almost all of them were writing about the war.

They told their stories about fleeing to Canada as war brides, and for the men, how they left families behind, in some cases young brides, and when reunited, often hardly recognized each other.

One woman was originally from Norway, and had been living and working as a journalist in London during the war. She had met and married a man she barely knew, which seemed to be quite common at the time. She was from a wealthy family, and ended up living in a wilderness cabin in central BC. When her husband finally returned from the war, they were complete strangers to each other. Both of them had changed. I don’t think the marriage lasted.

In looking back, the instant marriages happened for several reasons. People were seeking some kind of connection to their home, and someone to write letters to while they were away. They needed some hope to hold onto, so they could return to a normal life.

Women wanted to find some security for their futures during these very unstable times. In this case, the woman from Norway, met the soldier at a dance. A week later she was in her rooming house in the bath tub, and he slipped a note under the door asking her to marry him. She agreed. A week later he was sent to Italy to fight in the war. The honeymoon was over.

After multiple bombings and raids in London, she finally had a terrible experience when a plate glass window flew through the air following an explosion, and killed a horse just a few feet away from her. She was knocked over, and covered in the horse’s blood. She thought she was injured and bleeding as well. She laid in the alley up against a brick building, staring at the dead horse.

It took several minutes for her to get to her feet. She was shaking and traumatized, but was okay. Up until that point she had a sense of invincibility associated with youth and an adventurous spirit. She thought she could remain in London if she kept her wits about her. But the very next day, she got on the Canadian Red Cross boat, and headed for Canada.

In some cases people expressed how they were in complete shock to learn about atrocities being committed just an hours drive away. Another elderly woman explained that the men wanted to go to war because they were so desperate to get work during the depression era. Another woman whose family was from Austria, recounted a late night knock on their door. Two military policemen demanded to speak to her husband. They forced him down the stairs and outside. She watched through the window, as they took her husband away in the middle of the night in a black car. She never saw him again. She had two young boys, and struggled to raise them by herself after their father disappeared.

By listening to and reading some of their stories, the one thing that stuck in my mind was how much they stressed the importance of free speech. They said it was the last thing that was taken away from them. Once it was no longer safe to speak out, in hindsight – it was the final nail in the coffin of freedom.

They described the “us against them” mentality. They spoke of the fear and uncertainty. I remember one woman worked in a bullet making factory. Others worked on assembly lines sewing tarps and other military gear.

On the topic of free speech, we know it is a protected right under the Canadian Charter of Rights as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also know the entire concept of free speech is under siege.

Certainly we can understand and agree that free speech has limits. Those limits specifically revolve around violence, making threats, inciting violence, and derogatory or aggressive language toward others. However in recent years, free speech has become like tossing hot potatoes in the air. Some of those words are like they are on fire.

We have issues with pronouns, with multiple genders, different races, levels of intelligence, polarizations, us against them mentality, and a range of adjectives surrounding our views, which lead to  the choices we make.

Free speech is an expression of thoughts and free will. Free speech is not fear based. It is about ingesting language, to chew it, and to spit some of it back out, if need be. Free speech carries a tone. It carries the truth. It reflects upon our existence and purpose.

We choose who we serve, and in doing so, are able to share ideas, arguments, or persuasion toward common values. We are by nature, inclined toward language and words. Babies formulate words and ideas long before they can talk.

To be wise, now is the time to unravel the words, and develop a good filtering system. It helps to know our own values, and reasons for writing, speaking, and sharing our ideas and stories. It is really quite fascinating.

Lately we have been inundated with covid buzz words, like misinformation, conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxer, racism, covid denier, climate change denier, and so on. These are all frequently used terms to oppress freedom of speech. We are ridiculed if we do not go along with the narrative. If we continue to resist, we are accused of spreading dangerous misinformation.

In my opinion, it is best to know ourselves, our beliefs, and where we are coming from – first and foremost. We have to know who we are serving. Perfect love casts out all fear. I keep reminding myself of the fruits of the spirit. We are promised there is no law against the fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

I think if we know in our heart of hearts – what we choose to believe, and want to express, to give insight, love, and hope for the next generation, we cannot go wrong.

When we realize we have to be bold and courageous, and become champions for a worthwhile cause – we are serving God. We know he will defend us, which is a huge relief.

It is almost like we went from the Dark Winter to the Winter of Light in just a two week period. Oh – if only we knew what has really been going on behind the scenes. Some day we will know. Without a doubt, the truth is really going to surprise a lot of people!

Freedom requires faith. And faith brings truth, which endures and overcomes all things.

What Happens When Brainwashing Is Realized & Then Rejected?

February 3, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Brainwashing, thought reform, cult indoctrination, mass psychosis, propaganda, fear mongering, and robotic repetition- are active attempts to mess with our minds.

I see so many similarities in the covid narrative, as I experienced in the brainwashing that was inflicted on me in a small town Alberta public school. It was orchestrated by an authoritative brute, disguised as an Alberta high school teacher. There was a great deal of shaming, sleep deprivation, fear mongering, repetition of lies, staring, and gaslighting involved.

I could not leave the sordid teacher tale behind for the longest time. It took until I escaped the clutches of the teacher to be able to understand it better. It went on for years and years. The guy latched onto me when I was in high school, and I could not get rid of him, or the nasty lying schemes he cooked up with members of my own family.

The techniques of thought reform revolve around constant monitoring, stalking outside of school, fear, humiliation, disapproval, lies, condemnation, the loss of freedom to be a member of my own family and the loss of freedom of association as an adult. Much of what the teacher drilled into me revolved around claims that our mother was wicked and non-redeemable. He translated that into what a pitiable shameful creature I was without him. He would not let up with the lies, no matter what I did or said. My life was his obsession.

I was not permitted to be who I am, or to be a member of my own family, choose my own career, have a political opinion, or basically step out of line. It was out of the question. It was like my life had to be sacrificed over what someone else wanted. I was an object to be sold or traded, as some kind of mascot, or investment deal – a deal that had been cooked up, and then sealed for all time behind my back.

I can attest to the fact that you cannot get a clear perspective until you get out of the trap. Since they will not let you out of the trap, and all the wraparound lies – you have to fight hard to get free of it. Meanwhile, as your trust in those around you completely crumbles, you have to figure out what happened to your life. That too – takes time.

In my experience, there could be no healing or recovery until I got free of it all. Following that, there was an in-depth contemplative phase. There was so much shame and condemnation inflicted on me over the decision to get the teacher out of my life, that it was difficult to rise above it all and be objective. I was ganged up on and dominated all over again, thanks to the deal my older brother made with the cult teacher – combined with his power and influence in the family.

Brainwashing is a psychological assault, insult and trap, no different than if you are trapped in a cage. One of the predominant techniques involved is to shame, blame and scapegoat you for your insubordination. They not only want to monitor and control your every move, my older brother actually told me he was going to put me on a behaviour contract when I was in my fifties (for what I was thinking). I asked him, “Like what kind of contract? So you know when I do my dishes, or what?” He said, “No, it is what is in your head that is the problem”. Oh my. That’s a tough one isn’t it?

Since my older brother is now one of the 1% elite, and is very rich and powerful – I think his influence is part of what is happening politically today. He has the totalitarian tyrant mentality to the core. He will dominate everything and everyone in sight. He has always been that way. He is the boss man, and he rules. He has not changed since we were kids back on the farm.

The entire trucker convoy has opened a new perspective for me on the issue of toxic male dominance, versus a strong and protective type of masculinity. To me, it has shown the benevolent side, versus the corrupt side of masculinity. I see Big Brother and the scheming conspiratorial dominance using brute force and mind manipulation, as being on one spectrum of the man-dates, hidden from view, yet having tremendous influence on politics.

My conclusion was that we are stuck with the old boy’s club scheming behind closed doors. They have all the money, all the power, and all the political clout. They reduce us peons – to nothingness, wishing pesky little people did not even exist. It is a ruthless and punitive attitude to have toward other people. Loyalties exist only for those willing to be sycophants and minions.

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would see a type of masculine force rise up that defends the rights of innocent people, instead of taking them away. The paradigm we have grown accustomed to – is that rich powerful men pull the strings, and there is no counterweight. It seemed to me, there was no resistance strong enough to oppose them. We all know Trudeau is speaking through a megaphone spewing the views of the elite, backed by his posse of wealthy corporate handlers and influencers.

Yet here we are. We finally have a group of no guff type truckers and farmers who are standing up to an unfair dominance over our lives. They have brought, through freedom and free will, the choice of the people to the forefront.

This is a display of power and unity that actually defends ordinary people. It is a strength defending the rights of babes in arms, to the isolated grandmothers, to those forced to die alone, to the working class people who put food on our tables. And everyone in between. It is such a refreshing turn of the tables. We have been forced into a mandate trap with no way out, and yet to our surprise – the trucker’s convoy came to the rescue, like right out of a Hollywood movie script.

I know the PM and the media have doubled down, just as my own family doubled down on me when I finally resisted the tyranny and lies. But once you are out of the trap psychologically, there is no going back.

Brainwashing is insidious and damaging. There are certain techniques used, which makes me believe it is an intentional act of harm. When there is deep rooted spiritual indoctrination, combined with an assault on the identity, it takes years to unravel the harm. It is a form of molestation.

From what I have witnessed in the covid progression of lies and propaganda, I saw that people bought into it, just trying to be nice. I know the drill. You comply because you feel awkward, and want to help make things normal. There is a willingness to concede, even though there is a great deal of cognitive dissonance, because they have broken down your free will and spirit. It does not take long until we become accustomed to oppression, and resign ourselves to it.

Once the bond of fear and dominance is broken, there is a surge of freedom and optimism at first. In my case, there was also a sense of absolute revulsion toward the teacher for what he did to my life. Even though I know I must forgive him, it is almost impossible. I can forgive my own family members, but I have trouble forgiving the guy who literally tortured me into subservience with a pack of lies.

As far as the covid restrictions are concerned, it has gone on for two years, with no end in sight. Every time a few restrictions are lifted, they double down again. This is a cult practice. They keep you off-balance. They throw out a few rewards, and then move forward again, pushing an ever increasing number of boundaries past your better judgement.

They are push in predators, using push polls, leading questions, and biased responses. Once they have a foot in the door, they want you to be nice, while they move in on you completely. They operate on the premise – if you give an inch, they can take a mile.

If I was a psychologist telling the government what to expect, I would say the penny has dropped for most people, which means there is no turning back. When people have come to the point of resistance – it means our minds are made up. There will be no more falling for media lies and propaganda. They might as well give it up. Covid is like their pet puffer fish. It just keeps puffing up with more poison. Once you see it, you avoid it.

I believe brainwashing or thought reform is not sustainable, because it erodes and destroys the soul of its victims. Escaping the trap becomes the only way to survive. We cannot re-reconcile what we reject at the core of our being. In fact – the resolve to resist just gets stronger. You can feel the quest for freedom inside, like it swells up from the spirit within us.

We are inclined to go back to our roots, and figure it out from there. One thing about control, is that the control freaks have to be able to predict a response. They use fear, mandates, shaming, scapegoating, ganging up on, etc. in order to get the predictable response. Blind obedience is what they want.

Now the powers behind the scenes are in a position where they cannot predict or control the response. Control freaks are actually much more inclined to lose control, than those of us who just want our own freedom, never mind controlling the masses. In my opinion it is the control freaks who are the dangerous ones. Why? Because they are coming from a place of insecurity – instead of love. It may seem like an oxymoron, but arrogance is a symptom of insecurity.

When control freaks do not get their own way – they get mad. They get revenge. But they will not do it openly. They hate to see people escape from the trap they have sprung. But if everyone escapes all at once – what are they going to do?

The trucks runneth over – The footprint of tyranny.

The truckers create a blockade – yet at the same time, they are opening the floodgates, to set the people free. It is a story of Biblical proportions. Just wait and see!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What Views Are Unacceptable? & Who Gets To Decide What Views To Have?

January 29, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

We have been exposed to another infamous, and somewhat staggering speech from our PM in Canada. It is already spinning and grinding the wheels in our heads – churning up yet another flurry of indignation.

In response to the trucker’s freedom convoy, we have been told that some people have unacceptable views. He claimed this convoy of truckers is nothing. That’s right, nothing but an angry fringe mob representing a very small minority. Seriously?

Our PM also shows great disdain for anger, unless of course it is his own anger, then it’s okay. Otherwise, no unacceptable views. There can be no anger over his views either. It is very odd coming from a man who has a history of supporting all kinds of minority fringe groups.

In fact, he implies – if we don’t smarten up, we will somehow be punished for our unacceptable viewpoints too. Create a crisis, cause a reaction – punish the reaction. Quite the cycle of abuse. How can he be surprised that people would finally say enough? From his perspective, when is it enough? Taking it to the wall – or to the wild side? Why would any leader stoke division, and uproar to the point of mass protest?

When the ball is in his court, he grabs it and takes it home with him. It is HIS ball, so the game is over, if he is not guaranteed to win. To some, power is like child’s play. Petulant and pure as the driven snow – like last weeks blizzard. Anyone not on board with that, can stay out in the cold and starve. Fair play is another unacceptable view. He gets paid. He gets food. He travels freely. So what is everyone else so worried about?

But sadly for him, after the vision clears – the narrative is crumbling like a stack of cards. There is no controlling the domino effect, when legalism and petty rules no longer make any sense. Laws that provide stability and protect inalienable rights, are a reflection of societal values. Laws and rules that make no sense, will be rejected by those same range of societal values. There are Universal laws that some politicians tend to forget about in the never ending quest for absolute power.

The central message coming from the trucker’s convoy, could be called a view. The convoy carries a message of Freedom. How can any PM or democratic leader claim in front of the nation – that freedom is an unacceptable view? Where is the list of unacceptable views? We should all know what they are. Shouldn’t we?

The minute freedom is mentioned – the polarized opposite spins it into anarchy. But that is absurd, because what a freedom rally is trying to do – is prevent anarchy.

The cause of anarchy is a descent into chaos based on a refusal to follow the laws. Dismantling Constitutional laws, and other laws surrounding informed consent, laws protecting inalienable human rights, economic rights, rights to freely assemble, and privacy laws in health care – these are the laws that prevent us from falling into chaos and anarchy. Yet these are the very foundational laws that have been eroded and dismantled over covid. Laws that have been holding us together for hundreds of years got tossed in just a two year period, without any proper judicial processes.

Once again, the wording and the polarities are spinning this to pretend that all the faux covid laws are actually the laws. One of the main reasons there is so much controversy and passionate responses to these mandates, is because Canadians generally know what the laws are, and for the most part have always been tolerant and law abiding.

Unacceptable views do exist. They are outlined in the Criminal Code of Canada. The list includes everything from property crime, to violent assaults, kidnapping, child pornography, theft, inciting violence, fraud, and so on.

Foundational laws must be maintained, or we lose our democracy. In my opinion, Canadian citizens are saying “I want the foundational laws that are meant to govern our land and protect our inalienable rights back”. Taking those foundational laws away, is taking away the rule of law. The more legalistic and controlling things become with rules that are not in sync with the supreme laws of the land – is a dichotomy that even a five year old cannot process.

Being forced to internalize so many contradictions does have an impact on mental health. Some people become depressed. Other people become angry. A good leader would probe for underlying concerns. But instead – people are told these are unacceptable views and that it is not okay to be angry. The expression of anger as in a peaceful protest has a purpose. The purpose is to make a grievance known. Anger is the emotion and catalyst that leads to constructive change, if it is managed properly.

Mental illness or unacceptable views must have accompanying symptoms or laws attached to them. People struggle with mental health on a regular basis. They are not sick just because they struggle. They are sick if they cannot cope, or if they act out in a way that threatens harm. The key is to maintain self control regardless of how you feel.

The idea of stomping out all opposing views, with a singular focus on getting 100% of the population vaccinated is an extremist viewpoint. It is as extreme as it gets.

Not only do all people have to get vaccinated, but if they do not, they are severely restricted and shamed. They cannot work. They cannot get EI even though all employees pay into it. Many are saying they should be denied health care, even though they pay taxes like anyone else. It has been taken to the extreme in name calling and denouncing the unvaccinated as “not being Canadian citizens”. These are the views of extremism in my opinion.

The other glaring viewpoint or polarity right now is between – follow the science or follow the truckers. Pick one.

People pick what they can trust, what they need, what they believe in. Thought reform is a fear based attempt to oppress and subvert popular dissent. Guess what – it does not work. It does not jive with foundational laws based on one of the oldest Constitutional monarchies in the world.

The Canadian Constitution has language to protect inalienable rights in the event a government loses sight of its role. This is the language of the law. Those are the views Canadians are standing up for.

To have a PM stand up at a time of leadership crisis and basically denounce the Canadian Constitution as being an unacceptable view – is almost inconceivable. Yet – he came out with that speech. Did he think it through? Where does it lead? At least the truckers knew where they were headed. I really wonder what Trudeau is trying to do. If what he says is intended to clarify anything – all it has done is muddy the waters and make his views look downright scary.

What Causes Civilizations To Collapse?

January 25, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

For the first time in our lives, some of us are pondering this question. The only way we can evaluate how it happens, is to look to the past, to look at the present, and to read Bible prophecy. For the secular world, the Bible prophecy is irrelevant, so the secular world will look more at things like computer modelling, and climate change – in order to make predictions.

I was reading about the collapse of civilization during the Bronze Age, and then soon realized the scope of these lost civilizations throughout history. Common themes are that there was a period of settlement, cities built, prosperity, combined with engineering and technical advancements leading to sophisticated infrastructures.

Then something happened to cause these civilizations to collapse. Most modern day interpretations claim the causes to be drought, climate change (yes even in the sixth century), famine, overcrowding, loss of income or livelihood, and pestilence and disease.

But in reality, the collapse of these early civilizations, is shrouded in mystery. After the Bronze Age collapse, there was a loss of written record, during and especially following the collapse – so much of the cause is based on theory and conjecture. No doubt wars and conflict contributed significantly to the fall of civilizations.

We can be sure that the loss of economic survival and food security would have been central to the collapse of a civilization. The descriptions revolve around chaos, and generalized societal breakdown.

According to one book writer who focused on the collapse during the Bronze Age, the least likely to survive such a collapse were the ruling elite. There seems to be a pattern when you look at the historical fragments that come out of the catastrophic changes that befell people throughout history. We see a progression of events or circumstances, that reach a tipping point, and then all hell breaks loose.

Whether it was the revolt of the pheasants, or the chaotic collapse of infrastructure, drought, famine, or war – the landscape was changed forever – first by the settlements, and then by their disappearances.

Whether you read about the history of collapse during the Bronze Age, the Mayans, the Vikings, and various other civilizations that first thrived, then died – they are still mysteries. I think the Bronze Age is the longest and most interesting situation, since it spanned such a large area for a long period of time.

In some of the descriptions of lost civilizations, the cause was evident. One location had what was described as thousands of arrows, like leaves littering the landscape. They were found along with the bones of people who remained where they had fallen when they were shot by the arrows. But there was no way of knowing why this happened, or who did it to them. In some cases the civilizations were abandoned, like people were forced to leave very suddenly even though they had lived in luxury and abundance for a period of time.

In another description, there was evidence of a catastrophic fire. Sometimes the archeologists can find evidence of famine and drought. But for the most part, each historian will admit, every downfall remains cloaked in mystery.

Throughout history, people usually had the option to flee a war torn country, or migrate to more fertile lands. But now, people do not have those options. We are in a global free fall.

In my opinion, the key difference we are seeing today, is that we are facing issues on a global scale with increasing conflicts, combined with chaos and instability of infrastructures. These infrastructures contribute to food security and economic survival. We cannot survive if we cannot feed ourselves.

I don’t know how anyone, including the ruling elite, can create a great reset for the entire world. It means they are collapsing all systems without a plan for rebuilding. You cannot rebuild what took five hundred or a thousand years to build – by intentionally collapsing that system. Do they honestly believe they can collapse foundational principles and reboot all systems within a couple of years?

Build back better? That’s delusional and demented in my opinion. That’s why laws have addendums. Instead of scrapping long established laws, we see addendums getting passed, for very good reasons. The destruction of the rule of law, especially the supreme laws of the land, like the Constitution – is one way to contribute to the collapse of democracy. From there, it is a slippery slope into rule by dictatorships. Totalitarianism is simply not sustainable. The virus is the megaphone – so we do not clearly see where the voice of all this deception and tyranny is coming from.

If we see the collapse of the rule of law, of food security, of basic human rights, of economic security, and of infrastructure – we can at least consider the fact we may be nearing the end of the age. Never before in history have we seen so many of the contributors to collapse coalesce on a global scale.

Other than the flood during Noah’s day – the world has never known a complete collapse of civilization. Historically, the collapses were in certain locations, spanning specific time frames. The other notable thing about them, is that much of the documentation as to what was going on at the time, was lost in the aftermath. There was an absence of the written word. Only the monuments, artifacts, and certain structures remained, to help piece together what happened.

We do live, or think we live in more civilized and sophisticated times, with all of our newfound technology and knowledge. But it is truly incredible what human beings are capable of doing to each other if the circumstances become desperate.

For those of us who do believe in God, it is a huge relief during these stressful and chaotic times. The ruling class may have enjoyed many years of decadence and power, but history tells us that can change very rapidly. They make plans, but there is no guarantee those plans will work out as they hope. Even if most of the conspiracy theories are true – the outcomes are not set in stone. Some may think those planned outcomes are set in stone – but surprises might be in store for all of us, including them.

Every day brings new developments, and truthfully we are supposed to have mercy and love towards all people. The final chapter is about a call to repentance for all people, including the churches. Repentance brings redemption for the believers. Those who refuse to repent, are sent strong delusion and develop hardened hearts. Their pride lets them feel superior and their money provides the prestige, the comforts, and all the delicacies this wonderful earth has to offer.

Wealth and prosperity carries no inherent evil, unless it is acquired through deception and abuse of power. Joy, love, peace, and health are highly valued – yet they have no monetary equivalents.

For the secular world and the atheists, or worse yet, the apostasy of the churches – they take what they can get out of this life on earth. They plan for earthly gain, not heavenly gain. So it is understandable why there is competition for gain.

We listen to the experts all day long – yet we know nothing from listening to them. In fact, we are exposed to massive contradictions in a single paragraph. We cannot really test the truth of the numbers we see on a computer screen or in a newspaper. All we can do, is look at the world around us and observe what is happening.

Stability is one of the most central principles in maintaining societal order. Yet the entire world is being forced into instability and chaos. Who can comprehend this?

No one can. But we can keep one central theme in mind. They cannot collapse free will. We carry our individuality, and free will with us into the next age. So we can keep our chin up – regardless of what happens!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Writers Worth Their Salt ~ Are Not Afraid To Confront Controversy

January 20, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Almost every memorable writer throughout history faced controversy. Several of them were punished and sent to labour camps or prison. Stalin murdered many of the intellectuals and writers who were thought to promote western influences.

No matter what the scale, or the level of fame – writers have to lay bare their inmost thoughts, or raw ideas, along with emotionally charged passions, channeled into the arrangements of words.  Just words. Thoughts get strung together like a picture on a big old-fashioned loom. Writing shows what is looming ahead, by what is seen in the patterns, before the full image emerges.

For all those who are not writers, many think as though they are. They see the characters, the nuances, the crossed motives, the contradictions, the changing stories, and the sixty four thousand shades of grey too – just as many writers do.

When a reader connects with a writer, they either accept or reject the ideas presented. We are constantly filtering, and must filter more and more information all the time, as competing sources vie for our attention. We each have to find our own way to separate the wheat from the chaff.

If you pick almost any topic, you can find polarized points of view. We usually don’t hinge our values on one article, or a single experience. We decide our beliefs based on a cumulative amount of information that is sifted by our brains. We have memories and experiences to help us compare and validate the things we read. If the weather forecast was completely off-base and not truthful, after awhile, we would stop paying attention to it and find other ways to check it.

We develop values based on foundational beliefs, and personal convictions. Even siblings born into the same family, often have completely different values. This is based on personality, and the different ways each one interprets and manages his or her surroundings. Siblings have plenty of conflict. What happens if one is censored, and the other dominates? It leads to a very dysfunctional family.

In sibling relationships, where there is dominance and bullying, it is usually the stronger, older child who rules the roost. This is for no other reason than birth order and physical size. You would think we would grow out of such things when we enter adulthood, or preferably much earlier. But many don’t grow out of the need for power and dominance, and carry these traits into adulthood.

Authoritative and controlling attitudes are ingrained early in life for some people. Authority is meant to be accountable and transparent, with checks and balances. Those in authority over us are expected to follow the laws, as well as the Constitution and democratic principles.

If they don’t, they deserve to be challenged. Anyone who is in a professional role, has an obligation to intellectually challenge brute force dominance that erodes democracy, free will, freedom of speech, and fair play.

We know there will never be real equality, and if we examine the concept, how would we even define it? Would we be equal if we were all exactly the same? Imagine a world where no one musician was better than another? No one was better looking or smarter. No one  with more money or property. Is it even feasible in the fantasy world of the newfound meta verse, let alone the real world?

What fun would it be? No one wins. All have the same strategy, and no one can tell who is who. The duplicate button got batch processed into clones. Busy clones, and many angry clones – with no competition among them. Pointless and angry sounds like chaos to me.

Controversy as a writer, is about delving into some of the intellectual challenges involved in a given topic. It stirs up the indignities, the injustices, and the neurochemistry associated with the flight or fight response. It is the attempt to reach out and share ideas or possibilities that may not have been considered yet. Or it confirms and validates what the reader also believes. It is an attempt to cut to the chase, instead of chasing your tale, until someone cuts it off.

Can conflict be censored? Especially if the conflict was created and crammed down our throats, and more commonly up the nostrils – with a swab? What does the test tell us? Oh but is it accurate? Dare we ask that question? Does it matter? Of course it does.

I read in Global News today what I considered to be a very dumb and hackneyed article. The entire article tried to refute every bit of controversy surrounding covid, repeating all the talking points over and over. Okay, we get it. These are full page ads for the pharmaceutical companies. It is not news. They are telling us what to think, what to believe, what to do, and what values to have. What does that have to do with news?

Global News went on to blame, name, and shame various non-compliant companies. They also gloat over any untimely death or illness of any person who has voiced anti-covid sentiments, labelling them as anti-vaxxers.

Some people would rather die than be called an anti-vaxxer. How ludicrous. We keep hearing;  “this is the way out of the pandemic” yet we are in a deeper rabbit hole than when it all began.

People made comments when interviewed by Global News, but they were asking not to be named, because they were affiliated with such radical organizations as “Jabless Jobs”. Once again – can’t we at least say, “this is mind-bending ludicrous”? Imagine people having the nerve to find ways to work for a living, in order to feed their families?

To all writers, and readers – we are at a critical crossroad of cowardice or courage. It looks like we are at that fork in the road. Perhaps it is more like a pitchfork. Words can be powerful. The media is using words to make false accusations. They are calling peaceful people radical, extremist, and fanatical. What are they? Mad?

Let us be perfectly clear – the decisions some people have made to wait and see, the desire to work for a living, the normal inclination to socialize, the desire to see loved ones, to want to go to school and get an education, to want to buy a home or start a business and keep it going, to want to go to fitness facilities to stay in shape, to want to go to church if so inclined. These are not the values, desires, or patterns of radicalized extremists!

Fear is the biggest de-motivator when it comes to human behaviours. We are better equipped to deal with sudden, short lived fear – than to live with the chronic stress and anxiety of sustained fear. Uncertainty and instability is also a stressor that can become chronic and adversely affect overall health.

How can any of the antagonistic journalistic nit-wits claim that good is bad, and bad is good? We are not all loon-balls – if we make an informed decision to avoid certain medical procedures. So drop it already, and prepare for some honest political discourse and opposing viewpoints. Debates are not won by shutting the opponents out in the cold, and dead bolting the door. Open it up, or lose ALL credibility.

We live in a rapidly eroding democratic country. In BC, there is no active political opposition to challenge what is going on. Fortunately, there is one political person in a senior’s advocacy role, who is pleading for more humane treatment for long term care residents. Those poor people are worse off than ever before. They are being neglected, deprived of social contact, isolated, imprisoned, and cared for by people who don’t even want to touch them. Many of them have no idea why this is happening to them. They die alone, carrying this great travesty of human suffering to a whole new level.

Now this global agenda has the gall to shift the burden of illness onto children. They do not in any way deserve to carry such a burden – especially when they have no capacity for informed consent. How does a five year old understand what is going on if we can’t? I am sure most of them would adamantly say NO WAY if they knew the risks.

If we don’t have the courage to speak out now – we are cowards. Now is the time to re-evaluate and reconfirm our values, hold them tight, respect our minds, guard our hearts, and stand up for the things we believe in.

Some examples of the most controversial writers throughout history: Nicolaus Copernicus, Friedrich Nietzsche, Galileo, Karl Marx, John Milton, Oscar Wilde, Charles Darwin, Voltaire, Truman Capote, Aldous Huxley, and Ayn Rand – just to name a small handful of them.

Whether these controversial writers were right or wrong, good or bad – where would the world be now, if we never allowed any controversy, or refused to let any philosophical potential be developed? Who can destroy food for thought? Who gets to decide what can and cannot be read or discussed? Where does it end – if we allow it to begin?

Where would we be – if we did not read and interpret the Bible?

We, as human beings have to read, learn and think. Why? Because we don’t like the polarized alternative. We cannot conform to a society that is not open to discourse, tolerant of different points of view, and capable of managing open debates on topics that affect us directly. How can we be? Some things are simply not sustainable.

Broken systems that took hundreds of years to build, cannot be destroyed and built back better in a matter of months. It is sheer lunacy. We need to ask the powers that be, to stop hacking at the foundation of our existence. They do not even know how to rebuild it. It’s like giving a six year old a radio to take apart, and expect that he can put it all back together so it works. Not likely.

Power has the capacity to run amok, without an adequate amount of rational thought. Power corrupts. We have checks and balances in place, to keep power from becoming absolutely corrupt – for very good reasons.  Power is like an addiction. Perhaps it is time for an intervention.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Why Is There Such A Rise In Conspiracy Theories & Why Censor Them?

January 20, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

This is probably the most central topic for all of us right now. We are being told not to follow social media, with dire warnings about all the conspiracy theories. Oh no – what will happen to us if we read and indulge in different material?

Will we morph into the dreaded conspiracy theorists? We will definitely be on the other side of the “us against them” battleground of the constant conflicted information. We become the pip-squeaks in the war of words. Our thoughts are vilified, and our actions are considered reprehensible, even if we sit back and do nothing at all. We are not impulsive. Just the opposite in fact.

How dare we challenge the mainstream journalists? They seem to be either young and naive, crafting the narrative for their own careers, and the greater corporate good. Or they are the old dogs, long in the tooth, and drumming propaganda into us like they have a hammer and a template for doing so, nailing it down with efficiency and aplomb. They do have a template. History knows they do – because they have done it before.

But why are so many conspiracies surfacing in the first place? The mainstream media is claiming these conspiracy theories are “far right extremist” groups. But right off the bat, the labeling causes people to mistrust the hyperbolic labelling. Furthermore, if there is a polarity of views, and one side is far right extremist – then the other side must be far left extremist.

You cannot be polarized if there is only one pole. Unless you are a stripper doing acrobatics on centre stage of course. Then you just have to bare it all, but they don’t do that either do they?

Though we are seeing plenty of sleaze, we have to ask – who is working the poles, and where are their clothes? The emperor has no clothes in this narrative. It is the only possible way they could have only one pole! So let them evaluate the real reasons for the upsurge in conspiracy theories. They own the pole. They own the narrative, and therefore, they own the fact that it has spun out of control. They are the spinners. We are the weavers.

Admittedly some conspiracy theories are far-fetched. But what about groups of doctors and scientists who dispute the mainstream news media? Surely they would not risk their livelihoods and careers to chase unfounded nonsense. In fact, when conscientious people have ethical dilemmas, they have a duty and an obligation on behalf of the public to bring their concerns forward. Stifling those concerns is like throwing kerosene on the flames of mistrust.

In my opinion, conspiracy theories are on the rise because there is a loss of trust in both the governments, and the main stream media. So people naturally will look elsewhere for information. The facts are changing daily. If you quote last weeks facts that were presented in the media, you could be labelled an anti-vaxxer or far right extremist. Those so called facts are changing faster than you can spin a prize wheel at a local carnival.

Therefore it must be the instability of facts, and a constant stream of changing and new information that causes the public to distrust the mainstream narrative. We are not accustomed to seeing scientific facts change every time we get up to face another day.

If we open our cupboard in the morning, and coffee is no longer coffee, but we get powdered compost instead, we would no longer trust the labels on coffee. Or we would investigate that particular brand, and find out what happened to it.

Aside from the many conspiracy theories that have popped up in the past two years, how can we rely on scientific fact if it is not the least bit stable? You might argue that a volcano or fault line is scientific, yet unstable. You might say that science is always evolving. You also might parrot the narrative, and say that we are learning as we go, therefore all of this is to be expected. Why? When in all of history have we expected science to change every second day?

We have basic expectations. We expect to see the whole, not just the parts they want us to see. But wait! The peons cannot possibly understand the whole story anyway. it must be presented to us by cherry picked scientific experts. After that, it must be pruned, ruminated and regurgitated by what passes as  well-crafted journalism telling us what to believe. We are no longer reading the news. We are being educated into group-think by the media.

Aside from the political and media strategies designed to stifle dissent, does anyone really understand the immune system? I don’t think so. The reason I don’t think the immune system is well understood, is because we all have different immune systems. If this were not the case – there would be no autoimmune diseases. There would not be any cancers or other types of autoimmune induced illnesses. There would not be any adverse reactions to immune altering drugs. And when adverse reactions appear, they would know the cause and mechanism of injury – but clearly they do not know. So I think it is safe to say, the immune system is very complex, and is not fully understood by anyone.

Why do some people get adverse reactions to certain drugs, and others do not? Why do some people catch eight colds a year, and others catch one or two? Is every cold a covid cold? How could any science possibly figure that out? If the data are not properly collected, broken down into age groups and gender, and then scientifically analyzed – how can anyone know the results? If you don’t know the results collected from data analysis, how can you announce safety results or efficacy?

The mistrust and conspiracy theories are caused by the very people who denounce them. When people no longer trust governments and mainstream media, they will search for other information. In some cases, the other information is very well researched and comes across as quite factual. In other cases, the alternative news can be far-fetched. But the fact it is surfacing as rapidly as it is, tells us the entire narrative is falling apart.

Mainstream media can no longer hold it together with all the daily death counts, cases, and fear mongering. If the facts that people are spoon fed, do not align with observations or basic scientific principles, people won’t trust those facts, and will look elsewhere to find truth.

As the saga continues to unfold, I think most of us have far more questions than answers, in spite of all the long-winded news articles. Why is the world so focused on covid to the exclusion of many other more pressing public health issues? Why all the talk about field hospitals, yet the one in Vancouver never had a single patient?

Why are the adverse reactions not being reported? Why is there no compensation for injury? Why is there a need for passports and mandates if the transmission has not changed, and there is no efficacy toward the new variants?

And from the political perspective of collectivism, the orders are that we must do our civic duty, and take the risk of invasive medical procedures without sufficient data to prove either efficacy or safety.

If I am forced to do something they claim is for the collective good, that means the collective society should take care of me if I suffer an adverse outcome. Shouldn’t it?

But what exactly is the collective good? Does it mean no one will ever catch a cold or flu again? Does it mean it is my fault if they do? How does that ring true to anyone?

Personally, as an individual – if I have a serious adverse drug reaction and go blind, who is going to look after me? If the government or the collective society cannot look after an individual that is injured by what they are trying to force on us – it means the individual must take more and more responsibility for personal health and safety, not less.

If a person looks at the available information and is not satisfied, then they should be able to refuse it or refute it, because the available data does not meet the threshold of informed consent. No one should have to go to a doctor to get an exemption for something they do not want. If a doctor tells me I must take chemo for a tumour that showed up on a mammogram – do I have to take his advice? Maybe it was a false positive. Even if it wasn’t a false positive, I still don’t have to get chemo if I don’t want it. Is all that going to evolve and change too – so people cannot refuse any medication or treatment? It’s a slippery slope and a scary thought.

If you do not want a medical procedure, you do not have to explain it to anyone, unless you are admitted to an ER department or psych ward without the ability to speak coherently or make decisions for yourself.

The test of sanity is based on behaviours, not political beliefs or alternative viewpoints. Refusing a medical treatment is not a behaviour. It is a choice. In fact, lining up for test kits and booster shots represents a behaviour, and some might call it maladaptive or mass psychosis. But doing nothing, is not really a behaviour, is it?

For example, I chose not to use steroids for an autoimmune eye disorder that I have had for many years now. The reason I chose not to use steroid eye drops to reduce inflammation, is because the steroids have worse long term implications than doing nothing. The steroids cause white cataracts, which eventually requires surgery. Plus the long term use of steroids for a chronic condition leads to a host of other systemic, and often life threatening problems, especially of you ever need emergency surgery.

For the eye condition, doing nothing in relation to the medication is simply a choice, and a choice that I am glad I made a long time ago. Does it mean I have a conspiracy theory toward the treatment of autoimmune eye disorders? No, I don’t. In fact, the research I have done indicates that reduction of stress, diet and rest – are the key things one can do, to reduce the severity and frequency of the flare ups.

How did I come to the conclusion? I had an intuitive sense that using steroids for a chronic condition was barely a band-aid for a bigger problem. Then I read forums, and followed multiple people online who had to deal with the same disorder, to see what they did and how they fared. Many said that diet and stress management was crucial. Some followed the medical treatment plans to the letter, with steroids and opiates. By comparing the testimonials with what I experienced myself, I concluded that diet, avoiding alcohol, and stress management, would be the best approach to keeping it under control.

If a person gets cancer and decides not to get chemo – does that make them a conspiracy theorist? How is it that the refusal of one certain treatment can make you all bad, when people refuse medications and treatments all the time, just based on their knowledge of their own bodies, and on doing their own research?

Are we going to be accused of thought crimes for doing our own research? Do we have to justify or find exemptions in the medical field, just to make a decision to avoid or refuse certain treatments?

What if the pharmaceutical profit motive is geared toward making merchandise of all of us? Are we merchandise? And more importantly – are we their merchandise to be used, poked, prodded, and then cast aside? If we are their merchandise, what did they pay, or what did they do to procure us?

And finally, who owns our bodies? Who can say that we do not have natural immune systems, without denying the scientific evidence that proves we do?

Okay, let’s just say that we don’t have any natural immunity whatsoever – does that mean we do not have an immune system? What is the purpose of the immune system? If science promised us a bionic arm – would we cut off our functioning arm to get a new and improved one?

Human beings naturally try to make sense of the world around them. When the world no longer makes sense, we will find a way to remain stable, so we can hopefully live out our lives in peace. We are not an abstract blob of people, we are individuals. Abstract blobs don’t think, individuals do.

The mainstream media has lost its steam. In fact it is like an insipid, repetitious concoction of words all jumbled together to come up with the same crap. It is like the big bang theory of denials and dismissals.

Just think. We are in the midst of watching science evolve right before our eyes. Usually evolution takes more than a few days, but hey – we are already in a world of altered reality. So should we be shocked that somehow the evolution of science speeds up like a lightening bolt from the deep. But to be fair, this is more about the miraculous science of words, statistics, cherry piking, collectivism, social engineering, and creativity with numbers. It is out in the open, even if people are still in denial. It is more of a linguistic virus than anything.

Just put those drug advertisements in a shaker for awhile and presto – you have more science, in the form of covid hype and bias. It seemingly evolved like a monkey swinging in a tree. Do we all point and cry out – Hey – that used to be me!

Shake it up a few more times – I want to see what happens!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Are We On A Descent Into Nihilism? Do We Know What It Means?

January 13, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Nihilism brings to mind some of the revolutionary dark philosophers from the 1800’s like Nietzche. Dostoevsky also wrote about nihilism, but it seems he wrote about it more as a lament.

Nihilism like all isms carries a certain range of ideas embodied into a central theme. It is described as anarchy, a loss of values, chaotic, hopeless, and loss of all meaning.

Nihilism is also described as the rejection of all religious and moral principles. It is the extreme skepticism that believes nothing in the world has real existence. Does that bring us to question the motives of the new facebook meta verse even more?

Nihilism projects a complete loss of values, and loss of meaning for human existence. In fact it condemns our existence, therefore it justifies destructiveness and lawlessness. Nietzche predicted that nihilism would eventually destroy all moral and religious convictions, and bring about the greatest crisis in humanity.

Could we apply the rise in this nihilistic mentality to the overdose crisis we are witnessing on our streets today? Can we apply it to the public vilification of certain members of society by political leaders, who are the very people who should be preventing such persecution?

Can we apply it to the destabilizing loss of the Constitutional laws that have governed us since Britain became a monarchy, and Canada became a sovereign nation? And poof – just like that, life as we have always known it changed, without even passing these laws through proper legislative channels.

Nihilism has many synonyms in the power thesaurus. All of them are negative, cynical, godless, agnostic, disordered, chaotic, rebellious, lawless, full of turmoil, mistrust, anxiety, confusion, mayhem, mob rule, and revolution.

Though many discussions and truths are now censored in mainstream media and social media, the philosophical discourse surrounding the rapid and rabid rise of nihilism throughout the world, should give us all a wake up call. It is important now more than ever before, to shake the media induced beliefs out of our minds, and evaluate the importance of defining and holding onto our own foundational values and beliefs. The old adage or phrase attributed to Rene Descarte “I think therefore I am” should also tell us – Don’t give up thinking then! And don’t give your spirituality over to the dark forces either.

As politics and the rise of fascism in health care, makes us increasingly polarized and mistrustful, we are forced to examine our own thought processes. Once we do that, we can articulate them, and project them outward much better. We can create more inner stability and peace for ourselves if we hold firm to our integrity and values.

We should all ask ourselves – have we been swept along in a tidal wave of BS? Have we been conned into going into uncharted territory, when those who are leading us don’t even have a map or a moral compass?

For centuries we have held our freedoms, our families, our fitness, our food, our finances, and our faith as central and common values that govern our lives. Yes we do screw up, and we mess up often. But with our common values, we have avenues for justice, and restraints upon lawless activities.

Now, all of a sudden a person who chooses not to succumb to pressures coming from aggressive marketing tactics steeped in pharmaceutical profit motive, are labelled as obnoxious, antisocial, ignorant, misogynist, racist, selfish and so on. Those who want to avoid a descent into nihilism will recognize these tactics as bullying tactics, with no basis in truth, democratic principles, or laws.

We keep wondering what we can do, as we see all the devastation brought by these mandates and lockdowns. The vast majority of people have followed the government guidelines and mandates, in order to help get things back to normal. Did it work? No it did not.

Even the coveted mass pharmaceutical obedience, which has given them blockbuster profits, has clearly not worked, and people are fed up. They have a singular motive. It appears to be aimed at destruction, and dependancy on more drugs. Drugs do not sustain us. We need food, water and shelter more than we need drugs. We need to stabilize and re-establish trust in health care (a value) or it is going to cave in completely.

To help end this madness, we have to start by examining, and holding tight to our own foundational beliefs and values. We hold fast to values that are worthwhile and good. Values help guide us, get us working, improves loyalties, and strengthens families and communities.

If you look up the opposite of nihilism, it is existentialism from the secular perspective, and a belief in God from a faith perspective.

Existentialism opens up the discussion on the meaning of life, and the purpose of existence. Nihilism turfs what is good, and wallows in self pity and despair. Nihilism is the mental depiction of circling the drain. It is a very dark vortex, churning with confusion as it revolves in a constant state of darkness and despair. It almost seems to have a vacuum attached to it, that can suck you in with the rest of the debris, if you get too close to the swirl.

So what does that leave us with? It leaves us with hope. Because hope, love, and a belief in God – wipes out nihilism, without having to lose all stability, and all dignity through the destruction of what is good.

We overcome evil by holding fast to what is good. But first, make sure your beliefs are rooted in truth. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it meant that we would have to figure out the difference between the two, which is not easy to do. But it is more important now than ever before, to be able to separate the wind from the chaff.

Don’t swallow a camel and swat at a gnat!

Matthew 23:24 “Ye blind guides, which straine at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25  Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for yee make cleane the outside of the cup, and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excesse.”

The Emerging Prepper Trend Or Raw Survivalism – Is It Rational?

January 11, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

The prepper trend is an interesting response to the many changes we are witnessing on a global scale. The fear mongering has caused a percentage of hard core survivalists to prepare for complete self-reliance. Some go to great expense and obsessively devote their lives to being ready for apocalyptic events.

Although the central theme is similar, the range of ideas around this concept varies widely. One couple’s main objective was to grow food, keep honey bees, and promote community engagement. Of all the preppers I have watched on youtube, they were the most rational and happy of the survivalists.

They set up a wholesome and functional hobby farm, combined with canning, pickling, dehydrating, and other methods of food storage. They extracted and stored honey, and made various types of wine, because they believed these could be used for barter if there is a complete economic collapse. As far as guns and protecting their food source, they chose not to bother. They claimed the community would band together to help each other, not attack each other.

But most of the other videos I have watched on the topic, seem to revolve around creating a stockpile of both food and weapons. Some of the attitudes are very hostile and war-like. They believe the protection of what is stockpiled is of utmost importance to their survival. So they focus on guns, ammunition, and creating a protective barrier around themselves.

In some cases, people are investing over a hundred thousand dollars in food. They give video lessons and instructions on how to prepare it, store it, how long it will last, and how to reconstitute it into recipes. Some of the survivalists concentrate on storing really good food, like meat, cheese, and various oils. One couple had an entire house and garage full of food. They ran out of space, and had to rent storage rooms. The woman was delving into and experimenting with gourmet recipes, using a variety of preserved foods.

Other preppers look for basics with a very long shelf life, regardless of nutritional value. They stockpile things like canned food from superstores, Kool-Aid, sugar and Tang. I don’t know if they still make Tang, but it was popular in the sixties. It was bright neon orange, and full of artificial flavours and colouring. You added water and turned it into juice. They have changed the name and re-branded it into other varieties of non-nutritional juice crystals.

Even among a small group or percentage of the population who choose to plan their futures by prepping – there are significant differences among them. Some are very militant. Others are like old hippies who want to remain passive, and live off the land.

Personally, I don’t think it is rational to stockpile a massive amount of food, or weapons. I have never been a fan of guns. However, it is interesting to know that Switzerland is a country with millions of guns, yet they have minimal gun violence. They were also one of the only countries that was not attacked by Hitler. So I can certainly understand both sides of the gun control arguments.

Plus anyone who lives in a remote wilderness area would have to have a gun for protection against aggressive bears, coyotes, cougars and other wildlife that might become a threat to them. If a person decides to live off the land, chances are they will hunt as well.

As far as prepping to accumulate and store massive amounts of food, I think it could be a futile waste of time and money. I also believe that counting on some food items to last thirty years or more, is quite a stretch (with the exception of honey and alcohol). The idea of being constantly paranoid in order to guard a food supply, is not the least bit appealing.

One contaminated food batch, and they could inadvertently poison themselves with botulism, salmonella, or E.Coli. In addition, a high percentage of gun violence or accidents that do occur, happen within the homes of the people who own them. So the militant prepper mentality could backfire in a multitude of different ways.

In my opinion, violence tends to beget violence. Paranoid people with guns, are actually more dangerous than those who carry a balanced and peaceful outlook. The old adage, “you are what you eat”, can also be transferred into “you are what you think”. Thoughts precede actions, and if people shut up their thoughts in a bottle, or a bunker – they might feed on themselves in a maggot-like fashion.

If you are going to be a prepper, I think planning for nutritional and sustainable food supplies should be the highest priority. If you decide to go back to the basics, as in a hundred years ago, forget the Tang and store bought goods. You have to garden, farm, fish and hunt.

The only rational part of being a prepper is to plant gardens, nurture them, and learn about growing food, as well as preserving it for reasonable lengths of time. The best approach, in my opinion, came from the couple who grew a prolific garden, and planned for community engagement and barter – not trying to fight their neighbours off.

In Canada we have enough space to grow more food. We can raise cattle, chickens, pigs, and other farm animals for meat. But most of Canada does not have a long growing season, so we depend on the warmer US climates for a high percentage of our fruits and vegetables in the winter months.

Food security is a huge issue for all of us. Historically, the world has experienced many famines. As we try to predict and plan for what the future may hold – it’s like we are being thrust backward and forward at the same time.

We are in the rapidly advancing high tech world of artificial intelligence and gene therapy – while simultaneously planning to go back to pioneer days, just to maintain food security. There does seem to be a major disconnect.

We can watch historical accounts of real life survival situations like the Donner Reed party, where a group of American pioneers set out on a wagon train from the midwest, to reach California. They got far more adventure than they ever could have anticipated. The first mistake they made, was in being deceived by a fast talking young lawyer who convinced them to take the uncharted route. He used rudimentary guesswork to draw an inaccurate map of the proposed route. The unsuspecting group set out on the perilous journey, believing it would be a short cut, when the lawyer himself had not even traversed the route.

The Donner-Reed party made the biggest mistake at the onset, by embarking on an uncharted route. They expected a certain outcome, but it did not pan out. They turned their fate over to a glib young entrepreneur who knew less than they did about the territory they had to cover.

As a result, they suffered many unanticipated mishaps, one after another. Some of the wagons were double deckers and so heavy, they were difficult to navigate the narrow and rocky, root covered trails, which slowed them down considerably.

Soon after what they thought was the worst part, they were suddenly faced with an expansive, desert-like salt mine to cross. The heaviest wagons got stuck in the deep crystals of pure salt early in the trip. As a result they lost many supplies and livestock, since they did not have enough water for such a treacherous part of the journey. Nor could they get the heavier wagons across the vast expanse, even if they could have dug them out. When we think about being parched, the idea of heat without shade in a desert is formidable. But can you imagine being stuck in a salt mine desert in the middle of nowhere?

In spite of their best efforts, they did not make it past the Sierra Nevada mountains before the snow fell, and were essentially trapped there to starve and die. Finally a handful of women, and one twelve year old boy, made a last ditch effort, and miraculously managed to cross the mountains.

Similar to other catastrophic events, the fatal Everest climbs, are almost always due to unanticipated weather and human error. People become disorientated with altitude sickness, and then make mistakes. Human ego vs nature, whether on the mountains or on the sea – cannot physically transcend what might befall them, just due to the random nature of circumstances. I think it is in our nature to believe we are invincible, especially when we are young and fit.

Although it might be boring compared to conquering mountain peaks, we can’t go wrong if we plan for healthier living. That means better nutrition, well-planned outdoor adventures, more gardening, more fresh air, more pollinators, more composting, and less waste. Make way for the wine and the bees. Put some soup in the freezer for a stormy, icy day – and hope for the best!

Be the salt of the earth – but steer clear of the salt mines!

The following YouTube link shows the most creative and resourceful prepper of all. He travels with sheep, who graze and provide him with warmth and milk, which he makes into butter. He gets half his calories from the sheep. They each have their own little carts to pull. The coolest thing he said is that he is a prepper, but does not want to be self-sufficient while others are suffering, so he takes a community integration approach. It is truly incredible to see what he has figured out to keep himself fed, clean, happy and functional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U54HRmglYEA

Deception, Division & Forced Isolation Comes From Cults

January 8, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

We really should just cut to the chase. All the talk about science and politics – yet the practices of deception, division, forced isolation, and brain washing or thought reform – comes from cults. The origin of it all is cleverly crafted – so to speak. Or dare I say what I think?

But I do get to express what I learned about indoctrination that stems from my own experiences. It is only fair – since we have to find a way to overcome it, don’t we?

Cults are as old as the hills. They are not agnostic or atheist. They are often made up of people who know the Bible, or some version of the Bible that has been altered. Falsehood almost always has grains of truth sprinkled throughout. When people see something they recognize or believe to be true in one area, they are more likely to believe all of it. Cults are made up of people who reinvent various cult practices that have been used since the beginning of time. They attach themselves to a belief system and can rationalize some very bizarre behaviours.

We have to look at words and actions, whether a person is a leader or a pauper. What are they saying? Is it true? What are they doing? Who is affected by their words and actions?What are the contradictions? What are the motives? What do they want? Why are they acting that way? Whether they allow people to ask these questions or not – it still does not stop the thought processes and beliefs. It does not stifle curiosity and skepticism. The more dissent is shut down, the more it grows. It’s like putting wood on a fire.

They know who they worship. They aim to divide the family first and foremost. They create confusion, yet they repeat the same lies so often, they are changed into fact, just through repetition.

Cults want to infiltrate not only your family, but your inner being. They use guilt, shame, scapegoating, and many other aggressive and coercive psychological tactics. They subordinate you to their superiority. They oppress you with their lies.

The doctrine of cults – you can pick any one of them, for they all serve the same master, is to use deception to cause chaos. They want to put their opponents in the most vulnerable position possible. They want to weaken us, disable us – destroy our health, finances and beliefs. They will find every way possible, to gang up on you just for trying to get free of them. The ultimate objective is to not only destroy your health, but your mind and soul for all eternity.

Already we can see how this battle is crossing into eternity, in order to face a judgement at a later date. Look at how many people have died without being able to say goodbye to a loved one? Look at how much harm has been done to people’s lives, businesses, and families. Look at the chaotic uprisings of protestors in every country in the world. Watch the instability churn into anger and revolt. Then despair. The increase in drug abuse to escape. The broad daylight violent crime. The intimidation, and bullying is rampant. All without proper justice. Who are the lawless ones? A person who doesn’t wear a mask?

Even though there are one hundred and ninety-five countries in the world, and people have been thrust into mass hysteria – some of the public turns into brilliant sleuths. Many people maintain rational thought.

The like-minded – with sincere spirituality, and genuine humanity, holding to a moral compass, clinging to love and compassion, seeking the truth, with sound values, defending the frail and feeble, with a willingness to be a buckler or shield for the innocent – are also spread out among us – far and wide. We are never truly alone. So don’t worry.

No one can take away what is good in this world. God will not allow it. Plain and simple.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Biggest Enemy Of Truth Is Denial & Fear – Mostly Fear Of Mockery

January 7, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Denial is one of our most powerful and common defence mechanisms. If we really do not want to believe something awful is happening, we can allow it to go quite a distance, just based on denial. Something in our psyche blinds us to the truth.

But denial can only last so long. There is no peace in denial, therefore the defence mechanism is no substitute for truth. A person in denial has to constantly be defensive, while wrestling with the dichotomy or cognitive dissonance within.

All defence mechanisms serve a purpose, or people would not have developed them. The ones that top the list are denial, repression, projection, displacement, and rationalization.

So much of our denial is based on fear of mockery. People will paradoxically risk their lives just to avoid being mocked. No one wants to be associated with a group that is being vilified. In fact, it is human nature to gang up on them, and persecute them even more.

Why do people become so cruel? Pride and power. It can be reduced to two words. The inclination to see others as inferior is a powerful trait in human behaviour. We like to be seen as superior in some way, either financially, morally, physically, or intellectually. There is a pecking order in every group, organization and structure. Going along with the masses means you will not be singled out as one of the rejects.

Our identity is tied to the family we were born into, what career path we choose, and how successful or wealthy we become. It is attached to what we own, and what kind of outward appearance we can give to demonstrate our success.

All of that is fine in the sense that people who are motivated to work hard, stay organized, and take care of their families – is a good thing. But tying the entire economy to certain health choices, making it so people who do work, want to work, and are perfectly capable – cannot work. That makes absolutely no sense, and plunges working middle class people into economic despair.

If we are honest with ourselves, we know all of the psychological defence mechanisms quite well. Repression is a state of being subdued or restrained – in your thoughts and memories. It has a direct correlation to oppression, since the forces of oppression cause one to resort to repression. Once you allow truth to surface, and the reality of those oppressive forces – it brings clarity and a very strong resolve to resist those forces.

Projection is the convenient method of throwing your own faults into accusations against the opponent. The most selfish people will accuse others of being selfish for example. They think you are being selfish if you don’t succumb to their oppressive forces. They punish you for refusing to be exploited. When up against this kind of dominance – no one can dare force those who are more powerful, into the basics of justice and fairness. There is no such thing as equality, and there never has been.

Projection is also the projection of voice as in those who rage, scream and curse, in order to magnify themselves, and get their way. Often it is combined with constant attention seeking and narcissistic rage. They will project violent posturing, name-calling, vindictive retaliation, and other methods of intimidation. This is done in order to dominate, control, and take away the rights of other people.

It is especially damaging to those who are forced to be in proximity to such a person. Violent language is often a precursor to violent assaults, so it is not something to be ignored or condoned. In fact, you cannot ignore it since the aggressor is constantly screaming and cursing, banging, slamming and terrorizing. Then he simply lies and denies it, even though everyone around him has been subjected to, and has been ear witness to his constant outbursts. This allows the cycle to continue because people are sufficiently intimidated, and many will remain silent.

Displacement is when emotions, often aggression, is displaced onto a weaker target. If the angry person cannot address or face the real cause of his anger, because he is too much of a coward, he will transfer it to a weaker person, or sometimes an animal. In fact, bullies tend to look for weaker targets, just to have them on hand for when they are in a bad mood.

Rationalization is the attempt to use numbers, science, media, the various conversations, and information, and then adapt that or filter it to justify the acceptance of lies, hypocrisy, and state control.

Rationalization and denial probably top the list when it comes to accepting the marching orders of psychological warfare. Masses of people, through the cleverly crafted use of fear and propaganda in the media – have sugar coated their own armour with the psychological defence mechanisms of rationalization and denial.

All defence mechanisms offer a form of escapism. People escape into the meta verse, the television, gambling, exercising, shopping, drugs, alcohol, video games – and the list goes on. Escapism is the one defence mechanism that does not always require us to lie to ourselves. The key issue is what you choose to escape into, not the fact you seek diversion from negative thoughts or surroundings.

Just as we really need to buckle down and take care of our physical health now more than ever, we also need to take special care of our mental health. The emotions are triggered, and when sustained over long periods, it causes fatigue and illness.

The worst escape modes are drugs and alcohol. You fall prey to the system, as well as to a self destructive cycle that becomes central to your life. Plus many drugs, including alcohol – will cause a person to do things they would not do otherwise. There is a loss of cognition and alertness. A high percentage of assaults, accidents, and suicides happen while intoxicated. Addiction also robs the person of true confidence and self-esteem.

In spite of the galaxy of human frailties and crossed motives underlying all human behaviours, including thought, belief and opinion – we do have rights. It is an indisputable fact of life. We may not be treated as equals. But human beings do have fundamental rights, and can formulate their own opinions, based on personal observations, spiritual beliefs, and life’s experiences. Otherwise there can be no sustainable humanity, no justice, no choice, no dignity – and nothing that separates us from the beasts of the jungle.

We must remember that one of the key traits of psychopaths – is the callous disregard for the rights of others. We must not allow those prevalent psychopathic traits of dominance and deception – to become an ideological state of being. Things need to be brought back to stability, common sense and balance.

No one has a crystal ball in relation to what the future holds. Knowledge of what is to come is probably best contained within the pages of the Bible. But even so, we are confronted with falsehoods, and misinterpretations that are polarized. The truth contained in the Bible, has also been subject to all the defence mechanisms known to humans.

Even if there is a grand conspiracy to create a totalitarian world government – those who are orchestrating it, don’t really know how it will unfold either. Grand scale plans seldom turn out the way they were envisioned.

None of us are modern day prophets, and no soothsayer could ever have conceived of it all. Yet here we are. We all need to strip off our defence mechanisms, and take intrinsic personal and individual responsibility for what we believe. What is the reality that surrounds us?

The looming humanitarian crisis is coming at us like a steam train, yet all defence mechanisms have kicked in to deny it, and allow it to happen.

We can thank God we are spiritual beings. We can be thankful for having a sound mind during times of crisis. It is time to look deep into our own conscience, our own psyche, and pray with all our heart, mind and soul – to ask God to intervene.

A change of mind – can change the world.

As promised – the truth WILL set us free!

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Is The Brain & The Mind The Same “Thing”

January 3, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Although we certainly can’t believe everything we read these days, my interest this morning was piqued by an article coming out of New Brunswick about a neurodegenerative disease that is affecting young people, and seems to be transmissible. The full article is in the Guardian (which could easily be more fear mongering and propaganda).

If you read the article, it makes it sound like dementia, hallucinations, weight loss, and severe cognitive decline can be spread from one individual to a care giver.

The thing that struck me is that in Moncton the clinic “The Special Neurodegenerative Disorder Clinic” is called “The Mind Clinic”. Really? How odd.

The brain is a holistic part of our physicality. Injury to the brain might damage thought processes, swallowing, cause certain behaviours, affect speech, movement, or coordination. The brain is dependent on oxygen, nutrients, other organs, neurochemistry, and is protected by the skull.

Conversely the mind is part of the person’s identity, individuality, personality, beliefs, will, and emotions. The soul consists of mind, will and emotion. The spirit, which is closely linked to the mind, comes from God. Therefore the mind, soul, and spirit are separate from the physical body, and have the capacity to leave the body when the person dies.

In the case of near death experiences, thousands of people have described leaving their bodies, and watching from above what is happening. One man described being in a boat that was capsized by a huge wave. He described struggling to the point where he gave up, surrendered, and accepted death. He said being tossed around in the ocean was intense and violent. He also recounted leaving his body, and watching the ocean and waves from above. He gave the description of what it was like going back into his body, being pushed up against something that forced water out of his lungs, and being pulled from the water. Apparently he was under water for about eighteen minutes.

Admittedly there are some near death experiences that seem to be sensationalized or fabricated. But a high percentage of them are quite consistent, so there must be something to it.

In previous articles I described my own similar experience with anaphylaxis. One of the most amazing aspects of my experience is the amount of knowledge that flooded into my mind. It was like ten textbooks of information all at once because I was praying, and asking God, “what is happening”? Our mother described the same thing when she had open heart surgery at the age of twenty-three. She could see all the drapes around her and watch what was going on. These types of experiences almost always take away the fear of death and change some aspects of the person’s beliefs about death.

My thoughts at the time of surrender. There is acceptance. Like it is as natural as an apple falling from a tree. And thoughts of loved ones, hoping they don’t grieve. Aside from that, there was a sense of what was happening in the spiritual realm. It was literally crackling with energy, and I was quite curious to see what was out there when I fall over dead.

For me, the real acuity of the whole experience lasted about ten or twelve minutes, and I was struggling to get each breath  – so I did not really die or go anywhere. But I came to that point of exit. When my soul left my body briefly during the whole experience, I was looking down on myself with clarity, wondering if and how I was going to survive this. So I did not have the real version of a near death experience, or go towards a tunnel with a bright light. But it was close enough to make me realize beyond a shadow of a doubt – that our souls leave our body, and there is a very dynamic and active spiritual world around us.

Even though we should not fear death, I also believe we should value our lives, try to stay alive, and avoid doing things that might hasten our death. For this reason alone, we need to maintain as much control over our own bodies as possible – in all ways. When it comes to the diseases that take some control over our bodies – we still have our minds. If our minds go into cognitive decline, we still have our beliefs, our genetics, our history, and our identity.

How does the mind remain active when it leaves the physical body? How do our eyes see what is going on when looking down on our own bodies? Our eyes are also part of our physical bodies. So what is it that enables us to see or think at such a time?

I wonder what’s next with these so-called clinics? Can’t they differentiate between the physical brain and the mind or the soul? Obviously not. In my opinion a neurodegenerative disorder of the brain, is not a disorder of the mind. It is a physical disability, secondary to an injury to the brain or central nervous system. A quote from the article:

“The Special Neurodegenerative Disorder Clinic, also called the Mind Clinic, in the city of Moncton is the clearing house for cases referred from within the region as well as neighbouring provinces. Prospective cases have typically stumped doctors and resisted a battery of standardized neurological tests used to rule out certain conditions.

Using a case description guideline developed by a team of neurologists and epidemiologists, the clinic decides if the patients warrant further investigation or if they may have a known illness or disease. Determining who becomes part of the cluster is subjective, largely because the brain is notoriously difficult to study. Certainty is often only obtained after the patient dies and the cerebral tissue can be fully tested.”

There is supposed to be a Provincial report of the disorder coming out this month. They claim forty-eight people have been affected by this strange and debilitating set of symptoms.

But the good news is that the “Mind Clinic” might not manage to stay afloat themselves. They should leave their concept, rise above it, and see for themselves – that as a neurological clinic, they should stick with the physical. Taking it beyond that, is not the least bit fair to those they are treating or diagnosing.

The only part of the article that makes sense is that the Mind Clinic is struggling to survive. Oh my – take a deep breath before you go under!

“Amid mounting tension between specialists and the provincial government, a source familiar with the Mind Clinic say the postings for several jobs at the clinic – a social worker, an administrator and a neuropsychologist – were recently made temporary, the budget would no longer be recurrent and the clinic would be converted into a Alzheimer’s and geriatric clinic. Health minister Dorothy Shephard told reporters on 1 December that speculation the clinic would be shut down was untrue.”

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Friedrich Nietzche Went From Philosophical Influence to Madness – What Happened?

January 2, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Friedrich Nietzche (1844-1900) was considered to be one of the most influential thinkers and philosophers of the time. In hindsight, when the whole world contemplates what laid the foundation for a plunge into darkness and madness – look deeper into the concepts introduced by a brilliant mad man.

Nietzche was a German philosopher, writer, and essayist. Prior to retiring into full time writing, he was a University professor in Switzerland.

Although his writings are circuitous, depressing, and convoluted – many have embraced his concepts. In fact, his writings may have been foundational for the rise of the Nazi movement. His central beliefs denied all forms of morality, and focused on the will to have power.

Although his writings are considered to be brilliant, the torment of his soul was evident in his life. One of the most famous statements attributed to him is “God is dead”.

“When Nietzsche famously declared that “God is dead,” he meant that science and reason had progressed to the point where we could no longer justify belief in God, and that meant that we could no longer justify the values rooted in that belief. So his point was that we had to reckon with a world in which there is no foundation for our highest values.”

Rather than go into the exhaustive interpretations of his writings, which include “Beyond Good & Evil” “Twilight Of The Idols” “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” it might be more worthwhile to simply give a snapshot on what is known about how he lived his life. None of his thesis proved anything, and it seems much of what he wrote is either poorly understood, or misinterpreted.

It is documented that he graduated from high school at age twenty. He was born in 1844 and entered the University of Bonn in 1864. His father, who died when he was a child, was a Lutheran minister, which gave his mother hope he would follow in his footsteps. But Nietzche chose to study and teach philology (the study of languages) instead. He became a professor of Greek language, and literature at the University of Basel in Switzerland at the age of twenty-four.

It appears he worked as a professor for less than ten years, and at the age of thirty-two quit to be a full time independent writer. He lived with his mother, and got his money from his pensions and various associates.

Although there is much speculation about his life, and whether his descent into madness was due to syphilis, isolation, strokes, dementia, or the excessive use of drugs – is not clear. He suffered early and significant cognitive decline for whatever reasons.

However, it is clear he traversed a very dark and convoluted road. Some of his followers deny that he went mad, and attributed his catatonic paralysis during the final eleven years of his life to a stroke. But even so – they cannot deny the string of mad letters he wrote, in many cases claiming himself to be god.

The contradiction and hypocrisy is pretty obvious – for a person who famously claimed “God is dead”. It sounds like this poor delusional man maybe thought his own soul was dead, and was so filled with pride, he mistook himself for being god.

He continued to write throughout his thirties and early forties, but by his early forties he was already writing the mad letters. He died at the age of fifty-five after spending eleven years totally paralyzed or catatonic.

Some of his fierce defenders remain adamant he was paralyzed due to a stroke. However, in my opinion, he did not seem to exhibit the global characteristics of brain damage associated with a stroke. In addition, it is not that common for a person to have a massive stroke or severe dementia while still in their forties. However drug and alcohol use, among other things, could contribute to an early stroke.

No matter how you choose to view his life, his writings, and the influence he laid for some very dark philosophical arguments and belief systems – there was no joy, no light, and no hope in his forsaken life.

It is really interesting to note when studying these historical famous figures, how many of them were sick for most of their adult lives. Florence Nightingale was also sick for many years, and spent those years writing esoteric nonsense. By the age of thirty-eight she was home bound and bedridden. All the nursing school exaltations and praise of Florence Nightingale’s wonderful contributions are nothing but fabricated propaganda. You can follow the path of the “iron maiden” and wonder why anyone thought she was kind, or that she even knew what she was doing. It was all political.

Charles Darwin was equally as sickly. He had maladies up the yin yang for most of his life. “After returning from the Beagle in 1836, Charles Darwin suffered for over 40 years from long bouts of vomiting, gut pain, headaches, severe tiredness, skin problems, and depression. Twenty doctors failed to treat him.” This is especially significant because he was very young when he went on the Voyage of the Beagle. He never experienced optimal health at any time in his life, in spite of constant doctor’s visits for various treatments and therapies. You have to wonder if Darwin really wrote the theory of evolution.

In fact, I know Charles Darwin did not come up with the original thoughts or writing on the theory of evolution. His grandfather Erasmus Darwin wrote thousands of pages on evolution, many steeped in or copied from ancient Sanskrit texts. So how did Charles Darwin develop the original thought train if his grandfather wrote about it before he was even born? His grandfather, father and ancestors were steeped in Rosicrucian belief systems. Darwin might have been tasked to translate the ancient texts to remove the spiritism and make it more scientific. The theory of evolution was written down in ancient texts as early as the tenth century.

Another reason I came to suspect Darwin did not write the evolutionary material, is because his autobiography has a very different writing style. So there you go – add that one to the 9,999 other conspiracy theories in this world. In the end, I wonder how many of those conspiracy theories will be true?

Besides that, how many people who are really sick can sit and write all day? I know I can’t write all day if I am sick. Maybe Florence Nightingale and Charles Darwin were hypochondriacs, or lazy, and simply wanted to get out of taking out the trash. Who knows for sure?

What do the known lives of some of these people tell us? To me, it demonstrates that a path of darkness, dark philosophy, and dark writings – does not bring much joy or inspiration for the soul. It is almost like they lived their famous and exalted lives as examples of the “destinies of the damned.”

On a broader scale, perhaps the bigger question is – why does the media, the universities, politicians, and the grant programs exalt so many crazy and deranged people?

How do we know Florence Nightingale was not the ethereal, benevolent lady with the lantern – floating down the hallways of hospitals during the Crimean war? Because iron maidens don’t float. Her career was short-lived and cruel. How do we know Nietszche may have been brilliant, but he lacked wisdom or true knowledge? Just look at where all his self-absorbed, twisted notions led him? The path we choose in life does take us somewhere, even if we don’t realize it at the time.

The eighteen hundreds had a plethora of dark philosophers that laid the foundation for much of the modern day apostasy. One person’s writings can influence a mushroom cloud of off-base and deceptive thought processes that infiltrate everything from politics to health care. Some of the historical thoughts and ideas that surfaced helped people break out of oppressive conditions. Other ideas led to catastrophe. We need to be able to discern the difference between good and evil in order to make our own choices.

The cult of personality and national socialism creates a harebrained mess of things. We can thank our lucky stars – there is a God. If all of history, politics, education and health is left up to man, just look back. Look at the present. Ask yourself if we are giving too much accolades to the actions of behind-the-scenes people who are so self-exalted they are in a descent into madness. Yet their thinking becomes foundational and can be plucked out the remnants of those Godless black holes.

Yes things have become increasingly polarized, the opposite of what Nietzche believed in and taught. He denied the existence of right and wrong, he denied the existence of truth, and he denied the existence of God.

No one is forced to believe in God. Perhaps it is better to write about a favourite famous writer like Blaise Pascal. I have been a fan of Blaise Pascal since I first started to read about him thirty years ago. He was truly and provably a brilliant man. He did not do circle talk spouting intellectual gibberish. He did not focus on himself, but rather practical things that could benefit knowledge, understanding and progressive mathematics. He wrote about and tested his beliefs.

My next blog post is going to describe a much more productive and psychologically stable historical figure – Blaise Pascal. Here is what he believed about God.

“Either Christianity is true or it’s false. If you bet that it’s true, and you believe in God and submit to Him, then if it IS true, you’ve gained God, heaven, and everything else. If it’s false, you’ve lost nothing, but you’ve had a good life marked by peace and the illusion that ultimately, everything makes sense. If you bet that Christianity is not true, and it’s false, you’ve lost nothing. But if you bet that it’s false, and it turns out to be true, you’ve lost everything and you get to spend eternity in hell.”

Another of his famous quotes, which I think should be a covid quote is. “Don’t try to add more years to your life. Better to add more life to your years”.

About Snow Crash – The 1990’s Novel Behind Facebook’s New Meta Verse

January 1, 2022  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Everyone must be scratching their heads over the announcement to change Facebook into a global meta verse. Huh? What the heck is that? Do you take selfies, run them through a filter, make up an impressive handle or avatar, call yourself a god or a goddess, and play “meta verse” all day instead of living in the real world?

Where did Zuckerberg come up with this novel concept? That’s right, it does come from a novel. It comes from the 1990’s novel by Neal Stephenson called Snow Crash. I have not read the book, but looked up some reviews and the convoluted story line. The book is pure science fiction.

In the book there are many altered Biblical references to the tower of Babel and various gods. It speaks of how “in the beginning gibbersih was written into the bitmap causing the computer to crash”. Snow crash is a reference to the old fashioned TV screen when it went off air and left a snowy, static looking screen.

The book speaks about the Sumerian language used for programming the brainstem. The goddess Ashera is the personification of the linguistic virus. The god Enhi created a counter-attack causing all humans to speak different languages (idea comes from the Bible).

The plot opens in LA after a complete global economic collapse. LA is no longer part of the US since the world is run by sovereign enclaves each run by big business. The plot revolves around a character named Hiro who is a hacker and a pizza delivery driver for the Mafia. When viewed, the snow crash datafile caused a system wide crash and the viewer to get brain damage.

The book hints of strong narcotics as part of the computer file, and has multiple sub-plots. Quoted from wikipedia “The body that is infected by a virus does not become infected because it understands the virus any more than the body that does not become infected misunderstands the virus. So a world in which everything—from bitmaps to blood—can be understood as a “form of speech” is also a world in which nothing actually is understood, a world in which what a speech act does is disconnected from what it means.”

Now the question is, how does this science fiction odd ball novel manage to become the backdrop to set up a Facebook meta universe? Especially given the fact it was written thirty years ago?

The answer is it doesn’t and it can’t. It is not only a far-fetched marketing campaign, but it is dredged up from the dark side. It is given accolades for having all kinds of brilliant connections on everything from history to linguistics, to anthropology, religion and philosophy, but a quick overview, in my opinion – shows a focus on nothing much but a cult religion.

But regardless of what fantasies a person gravitates toward, how is this book going to be the conceptual construct for a meta verse, which no one fully understands?

First of all, computer programming does not take on a life of its own. There are brilliant programmers, but all it is – is a translation of thoughts into code. It does not invent itself.

The basic reason it cannot be what Zuckerberg claims it will be, is because in order to create a meta verse, first there must be a virtual reality. A virtual reality must be open source, and allow any other programmer to jump in, and possibly even take control. You can rest assured Zuckerberg – has not structured it this way. This is his own little play station version of his own aggrandized pseudo-reality.

Furthermore, the science fiction genre it stems from has a moral code, and this falls outside that moral compass. Why? It has undercurrents of a radicalized and racial purification structure for humanity.

“In contrast, it uniquely risks developing a racialized view of culture.^{[according to whom?][citation needed]} Because, Walter Benn Michaels states, “in Snow Crash, the bodies of humans are affected by ‘information’ they can’t read… the virus, like the icepick [in American Psycho], gets the words inside you even if you haven’t read them”,^[16]: 68 culture is not transmitted by beliefs and practices, but rather by physical characteristics, such as blood (or genetic codes).^{[according to whom?][citation needed]”}

Facebook has morphed into a meta universe based on a science fiction novel from thirty years ago, when there is no virtual reality even today. Gamers put on goggles and headphones to enter. The rest of us put on a hat and gloves and go out for a walk in the snow like normal human beings in the real world.

When someone shares a picture of their dog on Facebook – don’t worry. It can’t bite or byte you!

What all this drivel fails to acknowledge – is that human beings produce both language and thoughts. Thoughts stem from our identity and beliefs. There are Universal laws surrounding the development of thoughts. All computer programming stems from human intelligence and thoughts, not the other way around.

Happy New Year! And let’s hope Zuckerberg only manages to crash his own system.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Rise Of Mussolini’s Fascist Leadership Or “Il Duce” In Italy From 1922 – 1945

December 25, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

History is valid because history tends to repeat itself. You would think we would learn from the past, but human nature, unfortunately – is what it is.

Mussolini started out as a revolutionary socialist. It is an ideology that stresses the need for widespread revolution in order to bring about social restructuring. It is about destabilization and division.

According to history.com Mussolini’s father was a blacksmith by trade, and an ardent socialist. His mother was described as being a devout Roman Catholic, although I am sure she was a whole lot more than that. I have never been quite sure what a devout Roman Catholic means. When I was younger I assumed it meant they followed all the traditions, midnight masses, and various forms of worship set out by the Catholic Church. But regardless of religious affiliation, people are responsible for what they do, and how they treat others. There can be no hiding behind a cloak of religion, or it means it is a false religion.

It is interesting to note that Mussolini was expelled from school at age ten for stabbing another student. He obviously had no remorse, because he stabbed another student when he was fourteen, and was suspended from school. He did not face serious consequences by the sounds of it. Nor did he have assessments or some kind of intervention and follow up. At least there is nothing to show he was remorseful, or even controllable.

His young adulthood was spent traveling around as a socialist agitator, with frequent altercations with police. After a brief stint as editor of a socialist newspaper in Austria, he was deported back to Italy in 1909.

By 1910 he was the editor of another socialist newspaper, and was arrested for inciting violence. He spent six months in jail. Apparently during his incarceration he began writing his autobiography while still in his twenties, citing his difficult school years and romantic prowess (multiple conquests). Wow. A violent, self-aggrandized, agitated lover boy. How ominous.

Mussolini fought in the First World War in 1915, and then returned to journalism. By 1919 he was organizing fascist groups to form the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento. He also began to stockpile weapons and explosives in his newspaper offices. This group insisted on the internment of any foreigners deemed to be enemies of the state. He was arrested again for collecting arms to overthrow the government, but was soon released.

By 1921 the Italian parliament was dissolved in the midst of violence and chaos. The reason given for the dissolution, was the reluctance to impose martial law. The subsequent election brought a win for the fascists. Mussolini won a seat, and from there he managed to rise to power.

By 1922 he declared himself the dictator of Italy. Following his declaration, two decades of oppression, and harsh regimes were inflicted upon the people. During the Second World War, he opportunistically aligned himself with Hitler and the Nazi movement.

Is it any wonder fashion took on the persona of the flapper and the fringe during that era? Flapping wildly in the wind and turbulence of the times. If you compare the “look” from the turn of the century, before the world wars, to the 1920’s-1940’s we see radical changes in some of the glamorous silhouettes that came out of those wars. War generates profits, especially for those at the top.

Mussolini’s first order of the day was to demand special “emergency powers” to set up the elections and punish any anti-fascist activists with prison, denying them a trial. By 1926 the fascists owned 66% of the newspapers. The “Order of Journalists” was created and membership was mandatory. Anyone who did not comply faced immediate arrest and imprisonment.

By 1943 the antics of Mussolini and his alliance with Hitler began to catch up with him. He was voted out of power by his own Grand Council. He was arrested and freed again, only to join the dark forces in the murderous rampage against the Italian Jewish people.

Finally, in June of 1945 the allied forces stormed into Italy. Apparently Mussolini tried to flee with his lover, but was discovered in a transport truck and arrested. Most of the information for this article was retrieved from the website history.com. However there is a glaring contradiction. In one paragraph it states he was arrested in June of 1945 trying to flee, and the next paragraph claims he was shot by firing squad in April of 1945.

Although there is much more to this snapshot of the rise and fall of a fascist dictator, one of the final macabre bits, is that he was hung upside down with one of his cohorts at the Piazzale Loreto in Milan, and displayed for crowds to express their rage and disgust. The public was free to kick and spat upon the upended corpses.

But the grisly bits of his life did not end in the town square. In 1966 his wife was given a piece of his brain in an envelope. The American diplomat who gave it to her said it was a gesture, or a piece of what creates a dictator. It does not make much sense to me, how a piece of someone’s brain in an envelope is going to prove much. You would think she would have been appalled, but instead she saved it. His wife decided to put the grey matter on his tomb, which receives over a 100,000 visitors a day. Nice tourist attraction eh? For flies maybe…

If anything, the dictator’s history of stabbing his classmates, and his many brushes with the law, should have prevented him from rising to power. But people get caught up in confusion, chaos and fear. Or worse yet – denial. Then it seems things just follow a certain path of destruction, with some sort of mysterious timing.

Mussolini’s life was one of violence and domination. Soon after his death, Hitler committed suicide.

Although they commit an untold legacy of harm, murder, and imprisonment – these men died miserable deaths. Are they gone for good? No. Those ideologies never got stamped out. They surface again. But what is their ultimate fate? Judgement day. They wait in the pit until they rise one more time – to face the final judgement they deserve.

For all those with fascist or extremist leanings – learn from the past, or your future will be locked in a pit somewhere with guys like Mussolini and Hitler. We all await the judgement day. Some of us hope for justice, while others quake in fear at the thought of consequences for their horrific actions toward other human beings.

Every impactful ideology, even if it is steeped in madness – leaves a remnant. We should study the scraps and leftovers from the past to see the origin and progression of extremes – leading to the cult of personality, self-exaltation, tyranny, arrogance, and cruelty. The remnant of social injustice is seen when societies become increasingly Godless.

In all ways, we can safely assert that creating confusion and chaos is not good. Pushing people to the point of rioting in the streets, is not good. Inciting violence? Not good.

We are meant to do good, with sincerity and honesty. We are meant to deal with others in good faith. No matter what happens, good overcomes evil. Love overcomes hate. Truth overcomes deception. Peace overcomes violence.

Christmas means a Saviour was born. Just as we celebrate his birth, we look forward to his return. Now, perhaps more than any other time in history, we have to navigate one of the most complex narratives of all time. We just have to do our best to do good, and promote peace.

May faith in Jesus bring peace of mind, with much reflection and hope for what is to come.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2021). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Buried Secrets ~ Why Attacks On The Soul Are So Serious

June 25, 2021  | Valerie Hayes  | Business & Web Development, Health & Wellness, My Story, Thoughts & Ideas, Valerie Hayes, View All Articles & Photos

Our soul consists of our mind, our memories, our genetic and cultural history, our hearts, our spirits, and our beliefs. It is the only thing we take with us when we go…

As a society we have always had a central focus on the prevention of physical attacks. It is understandable, since physical attacks can cause injury and physical death.

What can be said about the attacks on the mind and spirit though? It is especially heinous, if those attacks are part of a plot or scheme to brainwash, shame, undermine, and rob you of who you are.

For those who believe in a spiritual world and afterlife, the attacks on the mind and spirit become much more relevant. When we face such attacks, we are being targeted for total destruction and annihilation.

If a person loses value for his or her own life – they will not take care of themselves physically or mentally. Effective soul destroying does not always require physical attacks. All it takes is someone who is sadistically abusing power. All they need is access to their victim without any oversight. They will continually and ritualistically undermine your existence, guilt-trip and shame you – just for existing. Your origin is somehow faulty and reprehensible.

Admittedly many churches throughout the world have done good things to help those in need. However, there is a polarity of extremes among the churches. There is an evil aspect to certain religious dogma. The systems, hierarchy, and doctrine of some of those churches, comes from the abyss.

Do not be deceived. By their fruits we shall know them. Any church dogma that brainwashes, causes family breakdown, targets and exploits innocent children, abuses power, lies about, attacks the mind – or the parents, grandparents, history and culture of ANY person – is evil to the core.

What is so evil about it? There are verses in the Bible that tell us not to fear physical death, but to fear those who can destroy the soul.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ” Matthew 10:28 KJV

Anyone who sets out to attack your mind and soul is ultimately trying to annihilate you. I am not talking about intervention surrounding those with serious mental health and addiction issues. If a person loses self-control, becomes violent, or is unable to care for themselves, they need detox and care.

I am talking about the attack on the mind of an otherwise functioning individual, as a way to gang up on, control, and destroy the soul. They are opportunistically waiting for signs of weakness or vulnerability. They are not out to help, they ensnare. They are making false accusations in order to bolster a pre-existing agenda. They are out to punish and basically get rid of you. Why? The answer is – foundational lies and buried secrets. This can be carried over into generational patterns very easily. Bondage does not always have visible bindings.

Attacking young children in such a way is designed to condition a response of fear and cowering. After all, when we are under attack, adrenalin is our physical resource. Adrenalin kicks in to prepare us for flight or fight. When we can do neither – what happens to all that adrenalin and how it signals our system?

Buried secrets do not stay buried – as we can see by what is happening in the news today.

As a kid on the farm, I recall we had many dogs over the years. Some stayed a long time, and some were short lived. They were bad if they started wandering in packs at night and chasing livestock. They were bad if they killed chickens, or if they bit the tails of the cows to draw blood.

One dog I recall being very excited to get (at first) was a rambunctious all white husky pup who was almost full grown, and big and fluffy. He was not inherently mean, just bounding around all over the place. He was very excited about the chickens.

As the youngest girl in the family, gathering eggs, and taking care of the chickens – was my domain. I was supposed to be in charge of the chickens, and had named every one of them. It was a daily battle trying to deter such a determined, big goofy dog, from chasing the chickens. His name was Snowball, and his chicken chasing matched his name. He got worse instead of better, and everywhere he went, there was a pile of feathers.

As time went on, he would chase and catch a chicken, and rip its feathers out. He did not kill or injure them, other than chasing, pouncing, holding them down, and tearing out mouthfuls of feathers each time. He did not rip out all the feathers at once, but there would be a bald spot. It was a big fun game to him. Stupidly – he scoffed at being scolded.

Eventually, a good percentage of the chickens were running around naked. As a young kid, what amazed me, was that after awhile – the chickens did not even try to run away. As soon as they saw him coming, they crouched down and cowered, waiting for the inevitable.

To me it demonstrated that a conditioning to dominance, will eventually cause one to cower. If we are repeatedly dominated, and our efforts to get away are futile – why waste the energy?

It also explained why this beautiful white husky was so generously given to us. We did the same – and soon gave him away. Conditioning us to fear, means we are being forced into compliance and inaction – when we need to either escape it, or fight back. Personally, I will readily admit that overcoming fear has been difficult – due to the dominance and frequent attacks. But fear is one of the self destructing elements they are using against us. So we must overcome it.

Make no mistake. Attacks on the soul are an attempt to blot you out of existence, both past and future. When you consider all eternity, and the entire scope of it – trying to annihilate other human beings using soul destroying techniques such as brainwashing and dehumanizing children, brings us to the pinnacle of evil.

One of the most poignant things I read many years ago, but cannot find the exact quote went something like this: The present moment does not recede into the past as one may think. It is projected into the future, where it waits patiently to meet us a later date.  So true. I believe the author is Gilbert K. Chesterton.

In my own experiences and lifelong struggle to get free of a religious fundamentalist teacher – NO ONE listens to the victim. No matter how much you cry, beg, plead, and give your own testimony of the layers upon layers of abuse. No one will listen.

Some things simply cannot be covered up, buried, or ignored. No matter how many people they manage to get rid of through all of the abuses – the truth will surface. God will punish those who do soul destroying harm to innocent children. Once it starts, it just never ends – until those responsible admit wrongdoing, and make changes to the systems.

To even attempt to destroy another person’s soul – invites the wrath of God. Those holier-than-thou religious fundamentalists – should know that much. But arrogance does not permit them to see themselves as they really are.

Listen to the victims…For a change…