Warning: the following may make little to no sense or may make too much sense or just seem like a bunch of rambling.  This is in rough-draft, stream-of-thought and since I now hate time and never want to write about it again it will never be anything other than that.  If you’re cool with reading a thoughtful but drifting brainstorm on the idea of time then by all means continue!

Even if you don’t want to read, be sure to check out the video of Blind Melon performing the song live.

NOTE: I have no idea what Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon meant when he wrote time.  Only Blind Melon really has any clue what is meant by the lyrics of “Time”.  Translating the song’s message is not realistic for there is no way to put music into text.  Allowing the song to inspire an interpretation is what I will attempt instead.   The following is my interpretation.

Blind Melon on Time

Time is arguably the greatest unsolved mystery known to man and, as such, is explained no better by priests, scientists, and academics than it is by a creative artist.  Different branches of science and thought have conflicting and contradictory descriptions of what time is.  Each branch would likely admit their shortcomings.  Until we do have a concrete way to describe time, we can only hope to vaguely paint our own experience of it.  The way time effects life is powerful no matter the way you feel about its true essence.

Blind Melon, my nominee for most underrated 90’s alternative band, tackles the challenge of portraying the human/time relationship.  Although I am not one to shove my musical tastes into people’s faces, I am keen on sharing interesting thoughts.  In fact, judging Blind Melon’s “Time” on its musical merits alone, without paying any heed to the song’s lyrics, would probably result in the song’s burial into the grave of long-forgotten and superfluous songs.  Without a doubt, the alternative rock scene of the early-to-mid 90’s is full of easily forgettable songs.

Lead singer Shannon Hoon begins “Time” by placing his individual social experience of reality into the context of time.  In the face of time,  it becomes harder to justify participating in mundane social gatherings.  The pressure that time invokes on one individual when this individual perceives time as a commodity or a limited resource that perpetually vanishes should inspire desire to use time wisely and only in order to accomplish the what is most important.  Hoon is presenting that idea that he struggles with thinking of time as anything but an evaporating resource that he will soon run dry of.

The knowledge that time is not a resource he will always have access to looms heavy on Hoon’s mind and forces him to desire for every moment of his life to be special.  It appears that Hoon longed for increased time alone, outside of group social social situations.  American society does not encourage or make room for individuals to spend time alone.  Dealing with the everyday hustle can make life seem to go by fast.  Many of us can relate to longing for time alone.  Combine the construct of society with the limits time imposes upon us and it is obvious what prevents us from getting time alone.

The second verse begins with Hoon’s struggle with faith.  In general, faith is considered an aspect of religion and.  More specifically, faith is the sum of the amount of trust in religion an individual possesses.  When one examines the American youth culture, he will find no reason to doubt that religious faith is quickly being replaced with a more skeptical view.  This skepticism is the evolution of the mind and its ability to decode reality.  Hoon describes the simple experience of being warmed by the sun as an example of one way to spend time.  This description is very suggestive of the fact that there will always be simple pleasures.  But in the context of time and its grip on our being one must ask himself whether or not a simple pleasure is worth cost of time.  Knowing that you are running out of time potentially makes simple pleasures harder to enjoy.

In the third verse, Hoon remarks that his mind tricks him on a regular basis.  This claim speaks volumes about Hoon’s sense of conscious-awareness.  Conscious-awareness, our experience of the world, is far from an accurate stream of All.  Consider this example: A television may give you the ability to hear and see a recreated, lifeless, audio-visual version of Jay Leno on the Tonight Show but it does not have the ability to create THE Jay Leno.  The television simply feeds a lifeless, abstract, audio-visual portrayal of real moments.  As TV’s evolve, they are able to provide a more realistic vision of Jay Leno, perhaps, but never will the vision be identical to Jay Leno himself.  The human mind is like the television in this sense.  The human mind channels a vision of reality and makes it available for us to experience but is very limited in its capabilities.  Just like a TV is unable to transmit the smell of the Tonight Show, our conscious-awareness lacks the capabilities to transmit aspects that constitute All that is.  Conscious-awareness is simply a utility that supplies us with a distant, artificial view of All that is.  Just like a television can’t comprehend what it is displaying, our mind is simply a tool with no real ability to understand that which it spends time understanding.

Before going any further, it is worth describing just what is meant by a state-of-mind.  A state-of-mind is like a song on an album and the album is like the mind itself.  When the song on the album is playing, it could be said that the song represents the state of the album.  The state-of-mind acts in much the same way.  Like a song, a mind-state is abstract, can be measured in its aesthetic value, and can’t be understood with simple logic or rationality.  A mind-state, like a song, can profoundly impact the way an individual is experiencing a moment.  A song may encourage dancing just as a mind-state may invoke a compulsive thought-pattern.

Hoon claims that worrying in the realm of the soul causes one to experience the world as coming to a stand still.  If worrying could be considered a mind-state, then worrying in the realm of the soul could be thought of as a soul-state.  The idea of the world being still may be the most powerful portrayal of the concept of time in this Blind Melon song.  Experiencing a still world, a still reality, is experiencing complete freedom from the limits imposed by time.  Humans experience time in a linear sense and see events as occurring in a chronological order.  This is experience of time is related to the motion of occurances.  We experience events as moments as defined by a certain amount of movement.  With no movement in any sense, there would be no way to experience time.  Therefore, time is dependent on an amount of movement.  Time is also dependent upon conscious-awareness.  If conscious-awareness is dependent on our minds, then time is also dependent on our minds.  If we used our souls to experience All that is rather than our minds, could the world stand still?

Time only exists when other conditions exist as we are starting to see.  When broken down a little further and a bit more abstract, time ceases when chaos ceases.  Chaos can be thought of as the building block of motion and occurrence amongst other abstract aspects.  Without time, chaos would be frozen but still present.  A timeless moment would be of chaos in the exactly the same way as a moment in time is a product of chaos.  There is no evidence that time is something that could exist outside of the human mind and yet chaos seemingly exists whether it is being realized or not.  If time is a utility it should be determinded what it is providing.  It is quite likely that time is a coping method.  Time is simply a tool that we use to make sense of our unreal vision of all that is.

Hoon asks one whether they are fed up with him and insinuates that the comments he has thus made in the previous verses could turn people against and inspire them become fed up with Hoon.  He then asks whether one could do better than him.  He asks this question in an open way so that it is not clear how one would even judge Hoon’s value or their own for that matter.  It seems quite deliberate that he asks these questions following the previous verses.  Having previously showcased humans’ limited stream of All that is, conscious-awareness, and the pressing and utter abusive nature of time, there is little room at this point for one to claim that they are any better than a ranting Hoon.

The next and nearly final verse is notable because of Hoon’s use of wild imagerey, a style of writing that seems far different than the rest of the song.  The end seems intentionally disconnected from previous verses so that it may accomplish its apparent goal of portraying moments that seem to remind one of the dream-like aspects of reality as we experience it.  Sneaking through bushes, urinating in nature, and plotting to kill a king all seem to portray this raw, dream-like mind-state.  This dreamlike state-of-mind is just one of the many mind-states an individual may experience.

In the final verse, Hoon first describes himself as slipping into another state of mind.  Further, his motives for slipping into a different mind-state are social in nature.  Slipping into an alternate mind-state was a choice Hoon made when he decided to let an individual know that he is real.  The idea that we only know that other people are real because we slip into a common mind-state is certainly a unique vision.

The final three lines are mind-blowing.  Worrying in the realm of the soul makes us experience the world as being still but also makes us aware that time is pressing us to go.  Time, however, cannot be comprehended if all is still.  This statement seemingly contradicts reason.  It makes sense that worrying in the realm of the soul, in a realm beyond the one that we can make sense of, may cause a reaction that is equally spiritual and mysterious such as the experience of everything being still.  In the wake of such a reaction we may in turn remind ourselves that we are conscious beings, capable of feeling, and limited by chronology.  It is this reminder breaks us from the moment of a still world, like a noise startling one from a dream, and returns us to the experience of a mental reality and thus time.  We again become out of touch with our worries in the realm of the soul and realign ourselves with the worries of our mind.  Considering our limitations, the restrictive construct of “Time” and the role of “Time” as a reminder of our limited grasp of the real may seem pointless but that may be because considering is done by our minds and not our soul.  Blind Melon’s “Time” may serve best for its ability to remind you that time works against us despite the fact that it needs us to exist but overcoming time’s death-lock is possible in the realm of the soul so long as there is chaos.

Lyrics
All these people they won’t leave me alone
And we need a little time to ourselves
And half the reasons why I’m sketchin’ all the time
The result of this life in hell
But oh well, I think its time

My faith is falling like the leaf from a tree
The pockets both take it away
The sun warms by body as I’m sitting on a swing
Watching Columbus clouds bring in the rain
Oh well I think its time to go

My mind is playing tricks on me all the time
To let you know that I am real
And all the worries you build up inside your soul
The ones that make your world stand still
….Mean you can feel
when its time to go

Are you fed up, are you fed up with me?
Do you think that you could do better?

Five fed up faces with the itch to kill a king
Blood red sunrise, and a breath to air that’s clean
I drink from the faucet, from the porch I take a pee
I look at you through the bushes
Where you can’t see me

I laugh and slip into another state of mind
To let you know that I am real
And all the worries you build up inside your soul
The ones that make your world stand still, mean you can feel
when its time to go

Ever listened to a Pandora Radio station and felt the urge to link people directly to the station you’re listening to? Here’s how it done and why it needs to be a FireFox add-on.

FIRST Click the arrow next to the station you want to share and then click on “Edit This Station” (as shown below)

NEXT, on the Edit Page, Right-click on the ‘Play Now’ button and click on ‘Copy Link Location’ as illustrated below:

THEN Paste (Ctr+V) the text and Copy (Ctr+C) the entire number from the link

For example, notice the bold number: javascript:Pandora.launchStationFromId(’22521996767281046‘)

LAST STEP! Paste the all-mighty number at the end of this magic URL:

http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh

The Above URL is used for all Pandora stations using the following ormula:
http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh###################

The lesson in all of this?

This could be turned into a slick right-click add-on for FireFox. Alas, I have never coded an add-on but would be willing to work on this as time permits; if anybody is interested in working on this, shoot an e-mail to karmarogue /*at*/ gmail.com

Unreal World is an old-school video game that is hard to stop playing once you start. Not to cut the game down at all, but the fact that it produced the “just one more minute” syndrome in me surprised me. The reason it’s surprising is that it is not at all the best looking game.

Unreal World is a graphical RPG with roguelike qualities. The setting is ancient Finland during the late Iron Age. UrW is full of historical atmosphere and emphasises northern folklore, knowledge, and way of life. Best of all, like any other great game UrW gives you freedom to do as you choose; you can become a rough hunter, a brave adventurer, a fisherman, a trapper, etc.

At $4, it’s hard to not recommend this as a lightweight game that is perfect for little sessions on a laptop.

Unreal World Official Site

The U.S. intelligence community is developing software to detect violent extremists in the World of Warcrfaft and other massively multiplayer online games. According to a data-mining report from the Director of National Intelligence, this project, known as the Reynard project, will begin with profiling online gaming behavior. The ultimate goal of the Reynard project is “automatically detecting suspicious behavior and actions in the virtual world.”

The cultural and behavioral norms of virtual worlds and gaming are
generally unstudied. Therefore, Reynard will seek to identify the
emerging social, behavioral and cultural norms in virtual worlds and
gaming environments. The project would then apply the lessons learned
to determine the feasibility of automatically detecting suspicious
behavior and actions in the virtual world.

The report is publicly available, as mandated by Congress. Read the full report in .pdf format.

It’s interesting that Reynard the Fox is a trickster in folklore and literature.

“What would Brian Boitano do
If he was here right now,
He’d make a plan
And he’d follow through,
That’s what Brian Boitano’d do.

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At 17 years old, Bo Burnham is one talented young comedian and another Youtube sensation. Songs like “3.14 Apple Pie” and “Perfect Woman” are freakin’ hilarious. Now, normally I embed the media right to Karmarogue but in this case I am going to give out a link right to Bo’s YouTube homepage because frankly it is worth watching every single video he’s made and will make in the future. If I was a talent scout, I’d be all over this.

Bo Burnham on YouTube

Coast to Coast AM is a great late-night AM talk radio show with an emphasis on the paranormal. And for those that actually don’t know, Half-Life is one of the all-time greatest first-person shooters that has a sci-fi story. If you’re familiar with both, you will laugh your ass off as you hear this phone call in which the caller plays the role of Half-Life’s lead character Gordon Freeman.

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Japan: You are crazy. If I was suddenly able to ignore everything I’ve seen and read about your culture except for that show you did with Nasubi, I’d still think you were fucking crazy.

Never heard of Nasubi? In the name of good television, Nasubi was stripped of all clothing and locked into an apartment with no food, household goods, furniture, or any form of entertainment. Nasubi was led to this apartment with a blindfold on so he would not know where he was. This was just the beginning of the Japanese reality show known as Susunu! Denpa Shōnen.

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If living in a treehouse is not your idea of a good housing arrangement, try living in a garbage truck instead!

Once you see just how nice a garbage truck can be, you may seriously consider selling your home and going with the dumpster style!

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Because living anywhere besides a tree would make you less of a sloth, I proudly present some kick-ass tree houses!

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If you’re like me, and you’ve played a lot of Mario Bros. in your day, and you’ve always wanted to eat a flower to gain the ability to handle a fireball in the palm of your hand, then this is your lucky day. Heck, read on even if you hate Mario Bros. and want to hurl fireballs.

If you follow the simple directions outlined in the following video, you’ll have a fireball in your palm in no time at all.

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A lot of the crazy gadgets you’ll see here at Karma Rogue are not the most practical in the world. This laptop backpack, on the other hand, is another story. Continue on for a picture of the bag and more info!

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There are a lot of motivational articles out there deal with ways to better yourself. With inspiration from a fellow blogger over at The Positivity Blog, allow me to explain how to make yourself absolutely miserable.

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In Tampa, Florida, a 13-year-old girl robbed a Burger King Restaurant at knife point! Fresh out of Juvenile Detention, the girl only made one demand: “Give me a FUCKING cheesburger now!” After chasing an employee into the kitchen with the blade in hand, she was subdued by other employees until the police arrive.

She explained to investigators that she was hungry and wanted a burger. Instead of a burger, this young girl is back in JAC with charges of armed burglary, armed robbery, and violation of home detention.

TampaBays10 Report

With all the wiimote mods coming out nowadays, it was only a matter of time before somebody produced a replica of terrorists’ gun of choice. The AK-47 is probably the most famous weapon the Soviets ever produced. Somewhere along the line they became an icon of terrorists. Now all of you Wii owners out there can play Jihad!

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What’s better than sipping a Gin and Tonic? Inhaling a Gin and Tonic, of course! Behold the Gin and Tonic Fog Room!

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Creating a catchy logo is not every web developer’s strong point. If you are somebody who struggles each time you try to create a logo and you’re sick and tired of reading and watching tutorials, I strongly encourage you to check out the work of Gary Simon. I have worked with him several times over the years and I can honestly say that for the quality, quickness, and small price there is no better place to go. By small price, I’m talking less than $100. If you have ever shopped around before you’ll know damn well that is dirt cheap for a high quality logo.

Get a logo design now from garysimon.net!

Like Mitch Hedberg, Demetri Martin is a funny-as-hell comedian and also spits out random jokes. Unlike Hedberg, Martin is still alive and well and still going at it. One cool thing about Martin is the way he uses guitars, harmonicas, and drawings to present his jokes. If you’ve never heard of Martin, and even if you have, do yourself a favor and continue on for some videos of him doing stand-up like only he can do.

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Mitch Hedberg was one hell of a stand-up comedian who, like many talented entertainers, died far too early at the young age of 37. I’ve realized that many people have not ever heard of him so continue reading for videos of the man in action and for a good laugh from the master of the one-liners.

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The beer experts over at BeerAdvocate are quite a picky bunch when it comes to brew. For some time now, the site’s users have voted and graded all types of beers; from Russian Imperial Stout to American Double, they have judged it all. The results are constantly changing to reflect this democratic list of the top 100 beers and I, for one, am seeking out each and every brewskie on this list to put my two-cents in as well. I’ve tried about 20 so far and, let me tell you, God damn is Russian Imperial Stout strong stuff!

Top Beers on Planet Earth