Finding Project 25

2mess

00:00 / 03:56

PROJECT 25: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE

MESSAGES EVERYWHERE

Messages everywhere, in the sky,
in ocean waves, in rivers, in leaves
and grass and fire. Everywhere I've seen messages
of love and oneness and wholeness and grace.

But now I have heard dark messages for so long,
messages of rage and hatred and fear, that I
instead see those messages in the water and air
and earth and fire. But when I turn back to you,

I feel messages of kindness and compassion
and love and understanding again in my heart,
and I send messages of light and love back to you
until we are one in spirit, purified and unified

and whole, and suddenly the world
is whole again, and the water and fire
and air and earth are all part
of one great tapestry.

As the Fool was strolling with Virgil through the forest on a path to the Tarot Realm, he suddenly felt like singing for the first time in a long time, so he belted out a song that he had entitled "Messages Everywhere."
"Nice song!" Virgil cheered when the Fool finished singing. "Who is it about?"
"Back when I was living in the El Dorado District, I met a woman at church, and we developed a deep spiritual connection. She seemed to know what I was feeling and doing even when she was miles away. Whenever I was feeling down, she would send me positive spiritual energies that I dubbed her 'messages,' and I would feel better almost immediately. Ever since I escaped from the concentration camp, I have often wondered if I will ever see her again," the Fool groaned.
"You never know," Virgil responded. "Don't give up hope."
Suddenly the Fool found next to the path what appeared to be a partial booklet or pamphlet that contained a lot of funny illustrations. Since the Fool enjoyed picture books, he decided to read it. "This might be a good story," he mumbled. "I'll read it to you, Virgil."
"We need to take our country back," the Fool read out loud. "This is how we do it." Since the Fool had recently escaped from the concentration camp, he became even more curious.

Inside the Box

The Fool continued reading, "We have reached a crisis point. We need to create a global oligarchy because the wealthy are the smartest people in the world. It might hurt many people at first. Therefore, we must scare the masses so that they obey in advance. We need people to remain atomized so that they don't organize protests against the oligarchs. We need individuals to feel threatened by dark economic and political and spiritual forces so that they never peek out of their boxes."

Bugged

"Wow, this sounds hauntingly familiar," the Fool thought to himself. He continued reading out loud, "We need to produce fear and anxiety in every conceivable way. The easiest way to do that is through a four-pronged approach: Make wages stagnant, dramatically increase consumer prices and interest rates, increase job insecurity, and dramatically limit access to health care even during pandemics. That way, at least half a million people a year in this realm alone will continue to go bankrupt due to health care costs and lose the ability to protest. In addition, we can overwhelm the masses with misinformation and disinformation through all forms of media since the oligarchs control the major media outlets. If most individuals remain in poverty and in debt and in a state of uncertainty and fear, we can keep the masses in a constant state of emergency. They will not have the time nor the energy to question the oligarchs, who will maintain control of the system through money in politics until we have completely eliminated the democratic process. Then the oligarchs will not have to waste money on campaign contributions."

Crushed by Debt

"That's just cold-blooded," the Fool growled, but he kept reading out loud. "We need to crush the masses with debt by increasing rents and the prices of necessary items, like food and clothing and medicine and cars, etc. Once we have significantly increased prices, we can still keep the the prices high but claim that inflation is going down because the prices are only increasing two or three percent instead of eight to ten percent."

Barefoot and Pregnant

"Those S.O.B.s," the Fool grunted, but he kept reading out loud, "Also, by eliminating birth control and banning abortion, we can perpetuate the patriarchy by keeping women barefoot and pregnant and working at home."

Indoctrinated

"Holy Mother of God," the Fool exclaimed. He kept reading out loud, "We can eliminate the federal department of education and find teachers who indoctrinate students into our belief system."

Dead River with Egrets

"Geez!" the Fool complained. He kept reading out loud though, "We need to overturn environmental regulations so that corporations can pollute whenever necessary and exhaust resources and so that people don't experience the splendor of nature. The masses will believe that nature is ugly and dangerous, and they won't care what happens to the environment. Some endangered animals and people might get sick and die from water or air pollution, but any project to save society inevitably includes some collateral damage."

Burning Down the House

"Yikes!" the Fool howled, but he kept reading out loud, "We need to cause as much divisiveness as possible. We need to get people to burn down the lives of their coworkers and neighbors. Liberals are especially good at lying and backstabbing and cutting throats and destroying careers, so that shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish."

Camp

"Isn't that the truth," the Fool agreed. He kept reading out loud, "We need to create concentration camps that we call 'detention camps' and round up legal and illegal immigrants. In the process, we can round up dissidents, including political activists and intellectuals and artists. We can either deport them or starve them and work them to death in the camps."

Prison

The fool squinted but kept reading, "Per capita, this realm already has the largest prison population in the world. We can also throw people who tell the truth or imagine a better world in prison if they try to stir up any protests. As you know, most people never go to trial anyway. They usually plead out due to all the charges we bring against them."

Slavery

"Good thing we're heading back to the Tarot Realm," the Fool muttered. Then he kept reading out loud, "We should also consider eliminating the right of women to vote as well as reinstating the practice of slavery."

Wage Slavery

The Fool, shaking his head, kept reading out loud, "Even if we can't bring slavery back, we can continue the practice of wage slavery so that people remain underpaid and anxious and insecure as circumstances worsen. Besides, men look better in a suit and tie."

Poverty

The Fool kept reading out loud, "We must continue to maintain an underclass of people with job and food insecurity. Wage slaves with jobs, therefore, will be constantly reminded that they could end up in a similar state of destitution."

Genocide

The Fool gagged, but kept reading out loud. "If people protest too much and society becomes too chaotic, we can resort to genocide of vulnerable populations. We succeeded at genocide once before, as you might recall. We could stir up hatred and target people of color or Jews or transgender people or gays, or all of the above. After we condemn them to concentration camps, we can take all of their assets for ourselves and the oligarchs."

Continent Burning

The Fool vomited. Nevertheless, he kept reading out loud, "Much disruption is likely to occur in the future due to climate change and the overthrow of democracy. Some whiners might even revolt due to the potential for nuclear annihilation. Most people no doubt will simply revolt due to the high price of eggs and gasoline. Initially, we can exploit their dissatisfaction to stay in power."

Dictator

The Fool blinked but kept reading out loud, "We have already established a leader who will do the bidding of oligarchs and corporations and kleptocrats. We can easily find the right cabinet and military leaders to support our king. Also, of course, racists and sexists and homophobes are already on our side, and they have enough guns already to kill off most, if not all, of the radical left-wing lunatics."

Glutton

The Fool couldn't believe what he was reading, but he kept reading out loud nevertheless. "Our main goal is to keep the super-rich elite fat and happy so that they can rule strongly and effectively...." The rest of the booklet was gone, no doubt littering the forest floor somewhere.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Ads

1sweet

00:00 / 04:04

SCAMLAND

Pendulum

NOTHING BUT LIES

Lies, nothing but lies.
Lies from the left, lies from the right.
Lies about goodness, lies about evil,
Lies that make my throat sore.
Lies that make me feel safe.
Lies that make me afraid,
Lies about life, lies about death,
Lies, nothing but lies.
But now I have a key to unlock
The mysteries of the past,
The secrets of space and time,
A key that dangles
From a delicate chain,
A weapon that cuts through deception,
A sacred tool that spins the truth.
I am letting go of all the lies—
The veils just keep falling,
So now I know a truth
That no one will ever believe.
I know a truth that no one will ever believe.

Lies, nothing but lies.
But now I have a key to unlock
The mysteries of the past,
The secrets of space and time,
A key that dangles
From a delicate chain,
A weapon that cuts through deception,
A sacred tool that spins the truth.
So now I know a truth
That no one will ever believe.

As the Fool and Virgil were searching for the Tarot Realms, they encountered flat-screened televisions hanging from trees near the trail. The televisions played one inane commercial after another.
Virgil explained, "I am afraid that we have entered a bizarre realm known as 'Scamland.' People here constantly con each other and rip each other off in one way or another. Some of them make a fortune selling toxic food or other commodities that are bad for everyone.
"If I am correct about our location, you should use this to figure out the truth." Virgil handed the Fool a small pendulum. "If you have any doubts about the truth, ask your pendulum a 'yes' or 'no' question. If the answer is 'yes,' the pendulum will spin in a clockwise direction. If the answer is 'no,' the pendulum will spin in a counter-clockwise direction."
"Wow, thanks!" the Fool exclaimed.

Virgil and The Fool on Their Way to Scamland

Soon they could see a castle in the distance, "Is that real like the castles in the Tarot Realm?" the Fool wondered out loud.
"No, that is a fake castle in the 'Scamland Amusement Park.' One way the super-rich make the masses semi-conscious is by providing constant amusements," Virgil replied, "but perhaps we can sneak in and hide in the park for awhile."

Scamland Amusement Park

They climbed over a wall and wandered through the amusement park. "This really is just a fake castle," the Fool moaned. He took out his pendulum and asked it if everything there was fake. The pendulum spun clockwise. "Yep, everything here is fake."
Virgil replied, "This realm also once used to be a democracy. The super-rich took control of the media and convinced the masses that they should trust scam artists and liars and elect them to positions of power. Then the oligarchs started ruling behind the scenes after spending huge amounts of money to get fake leaders elected. Everything now is fake in this realm, including the democracy."

Magic Mirror

They wandered into a room in the castle. "A magic mirror! How cool!" the Fool exclaimed as he stepped through the mirror.
Virgil replied, "It might seem magical, but beware, it might deceive you."

Politician

Soon the Fool encountered a man wrapped in a flag who was wearing a cowboy hat. "I'm impressed by your patriotism," the Fool smiled. "What do you do for your constituents?"
"I make sure most of the taxpayer money goes to the military industrial complex," the politician replied. "That way people in this realm have jobs. Unfortunately the capitalists have exported most of the good jobs to other realms so that their companies can pay lower wages."

Munitions Factory

The politician continued, "That perpetuates 'forever wars' and makes a few people obscenely rich, but at least it enables the working class here to survive."
The Fool took out his pendulum as he walked away. "Is that the best use of taxpayer money?" he asked it. The pendulum spun counter-clockwise.

Rhinestone Salesman

Then the Fool encountered a man in a suit covered with rhinestones. "Impressive suit!" the Fool exclaimed.
"I sell a fantastic product," the salesman stated. "If you are a good salesman like me, you too might be able to afford a suit like this one day."

Poison

"What kind of product do you sell?" the Fool inquired.
"A product that has a wonderful calming effect," the salesman replied. "Like many other products in this realm, it is bit toxic and also extremely addictive, so it keeps salesmen like me busy enough and affluent enough to buy suits like this one."
As the Fool walked away, he asked the pendulum, "Is this product good for me?" The pendulum spun counter-clockwise.

Rhinestone Cowboy

Soon the Fool encountered another man in a rhinestone suit. "Are you a salesman or a cowboy?" the Fool inquired.
"I used to be a cowboy, but now I sell produce and meats to grocery stores and fast food restaurants in the realm," the salesman replied.

Cornucopia

The salesman continued, "In this realm, we produce a cornucopia of food for just about everyone."
"Is it safe to eat?" the Fool asked in a shaky voice since he was on the verge of starvation.

Crop Duster

The salesman continued, "I won't lie. It's covered with pesticides and may be a bit toxic, but it keeps most of the people here alive."
As the Fool turned away from the salesman and asked the pendulum, "Is this food safe to eat?" The pendulum spun counter-clockwise.

Big Burger

The salesman continued, "A lot of the meat and produce ends up in the fast food that is so popular in this realm. The people here can't get enough of it. Fast food is filled with sugar and is highly processed, and evidence has amassed that the widespread use of antibiotics to make livestock grow faster — and survive the crowded, unsanitary conditions of factory farms — is causing bacteria to mutate and develop resistance to antibiotics used in human medicine. As industrial feedlots drive family-scale farmers off their land, we are left with huge numbers of animals on factory farms producing enormous amounts of waste. The benefits flow to private coffers while communities and the environment suffer, but, hey, at least now I have a job!"

Whiiskey

The salesman continued, "Here, have a shot of whiiskey. I know it's addictive and might damage your health if you're not careful, but it will make you feel better for a little while. Be a man! All real cowboys drink whiiskey. You should try it!"

Oligarch

The Fool took a shot and continued on his way. Eventually, he encountered someone who resembled a king. "You look dark and sinister, my friend. You should have a shot of whiiskey," the Fool slurred. "Are you a king or an oligarch?"
"Both," the man replied, "and you are just a drunken fool."
"What makes you so much better than me?" the Fool muttered. "What's your secret?"
"I control all the levers of power and make sure fools like you stay drunk and mesmerized and stuff your face with fast food and sweets so that you never question authority," the oligarch growled. "I make sure the vast majority of wealth flows to me and my other elite friends."

The Virtues of Work

The oligarch continued, "Fools like you need to learn the virtues of work. You might have to run around and break your back in a warehouse all day for low wages and no benefits like health insurance or a pension, but at least you might develop your character so that you can be more like me and my elite friends."

Cookies

"Here, have some cookies," the oligarch offered. "You might dislike me because I am perpetuating global climate change and supporting fascism and benefitting from the the production of weapons of mass destruction, but these cookies will make you feel better. You might be trying to avoid a diet high in sugar and jam-packed with gluten, but at least for a while you will have a full stomach."

Water Faucet

"And feel free to have a drink of water," the oligarch offered. "The water is no doubt full of lead and other toxins because I have tried so hard to eliminate environmental regulations, but at least you will no longer be dying of thirst."
The Fool took out his pendulum. "Should I believe this man?" he asked it. The pendulum spun counter-clockwise.

Job

Then the Fool came upon a man sitting cross-legged on a dirty street. He had some kind of skin infection all over his body. "Are you okay?" the Fool inquired.
"I used to have a decent job," the man replied, "but I became terribly ill, and I didn't have any health insurance. I lost everything. The people around here used to rush by and sneer at me and scowl, 'Get a job.' Now they just stroll by and say, 'Job,' and laugh."

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Upside Down Fool

1cheer

00:00 / 03:54

SONGS AND WHISPERS

Once I believed that I should just keep searching
for treasures and pleasures and deafening distractions.
Then I thought that I heard the faintest whisper, a message
rising through my soul and into my heart. For a moment
the message almost formed into words,
but I lost it in the noise and confusion.

Again, and again, I felt sudden downloads into my soul--
messages that never quite made it to my brain.
I was afraid of the words that I might hear. I thought
that they would change me or make me strange.
And I ran far but never far enough. I would find a flower
or feel the rain or be immersed in a deep message
that flowed, like breath, from a tree into my soul--
a peace beyond understanding.

Finally, I just stopped running.
I stayed still and felt the voice
rising like a song into my heart
until I could transcribe the meaning.

I am no longer afraid the words will ever harm me.
The messages flow from the Source of all Creation,
messages of love and peace and oneness and splendor.
And I just keep listening to the faintest songs, to whispers
rising through my soul and heart and into my conscious mind.

THE UPSIDE DOWN

Upside Down Street

As the Fool and Virgil were escaping from Scamland on a trail through the forest, the Fool belted out a song.
When the Fool completed the song, Virgil blurted out, "Nice! "I've never heard a song before about hearing the voice of intuition."
The world suddenly turned upside-down. The Fool quickly grabbed a tree and looked up as though afraid that he was about to fall into the sky.
Virgil chuckled, "This realm is commonly known as 'The Upside Down.' Fortunately the laws of gravity still apply here even though just about everything else is topsy-turvy. You can bet the authorities will not follow us into this realm--and you can let go of the tree now."
They eventually came to 'Upside Down Town' and encountered many poor people on the street. Virgil explained, "This realm has a few extremely rich people and many, many destitute and homeless people. The wealthy have bought off the politicians, who no longer listen to the masses, most of whom are struggling with stagnant wages, inflation, and excessive debt and health care costs that bankrupt them. The people in power in the 'Upside Down' have normalized economic cruelty. Even though now the masses are terrorized by the system of capitalism, this realm used to be thought of as a democracy. Now most refer to it as an 'oligarchy' or a 'plutocracy' or a 'kleptocracy' or a 'kakistocracy.'"

Flooding

Soon they came upon a flooded street. Virgil continued, "Climate change is causing devastating floods, but the big corporations causing the problem have bought off the politicians so that nobody in government does anything significant to mitigate the crisis."

Gun Violence

Then they saw a young man carrying an automatic weapon down the street. "In this realm, more young people die from gun violence than from any other cause," Virgil lamented. "This massacre of children stems, like everything else in this realm, from political corruption. The gun lobby has bought off most of the politicians."

Upside Down Capitol

They wandered toward the capitol building. Virgil continued, "One political party, bought off by corporate interests, pretends to follow norms and play by the rules. The other party, bought off by fascist oligarchs, is openly autocratic in the most mean-spirited and venal way. Nothing gets done here that benefits the people. The majority of politicians in both parties strive to benefit either the corporations or the oligarchs or both."

Insurrection

They continued walking past homeless people toward the capitol. Virgil continued, "An insurrection occurred here not long ago. The riot was incited by their leader, but the people were so lulled into semi-consciousness by propaganda and misinformation that they re-elected him. The billionaires essentially bought the election so that the instigator of a coup would win and give them everything they wanted. So much for democracy."

Inflation at the Gas Pump

Virgil continued, "Many people justified voting for the 'coup' candidate because of the high price of gas and eggs."

Inflation at the Grocery Store

"One party claimed that inflation was going down," Virgil continued, "but prices remained high, and the politicians did nothing to rein in corporate greed. I doubt that like most people here we will be unable to afford much of anything."

Hospital

"Why are so many people hanging around outside of the hospital?" the Fool asked.
"The for-profit health insurance companies deny claims to make a killing," Virgil replied. "The result is that people get sick and then make other people sick, but very few people have access to necessary health care. Many just wait outside until they absolutely have to go to the emergency room."

Courthouse

Soon the Fool and Virgil wandered by a courthouse. "Can't the justice system do anything to change what is happening?" the Fool inquired.
"The justice system locks up the poor," Virgil replied. "The prosecutors overwhelm defendents with so many charges that they are forced to plead out. Consequently, prisons become more and more crowded and just perpetuate more crime, which ultimately benefits the private prison industry."

Supreme Court

Virgil continued, "The Supreme Court in this realm is not going to help anyone except the rich. They just gave the adjudicated insurrectionist and convicted felon, who was re-elected president, the right to commit crimes with immunity while in office. The rich tend to get away with murder while the poor get thrown in prison for minor crimes."

Oligarch

The Fool responded, "I think we should get out of here as soon as possible."
Virgil replied, "Yes, we should. The main problem is that oligarchs and corporations corrupt the justice system and the political system. The Upside Down has become a fascist neo-feudal society ruled by technocrats and kleptocrats and plutocrats and oligarchs. You're right. We might get thrown in prison if we are not careful."

Political Leader

Virgil continued, "The rich here are so corrupt that they spend hundreds of millions of dollars to elect someone just as corrupt as they are to the highest office in the realm--an adjudicated insurrectionist, convicted felon, adjudicated business fraud, and adjudicated sexual assaulter--because the super-rich gluttons desire huge tax cuts and as much deregulation as possible, and since the wealthy own the media and the political and economic systems, it's relatively easy for them to do so. They eventually succeeded in establishing a full-blown autocracy here, with an oligarch ruling behind the scenes."

Military on the Street

"They have established martial law so that now people in the military suppress and harm their own people," Virgil explained. "It's a typical authoritarian move."

Children on the Street

"Unfortunately the children here have to witness how upside down everything has become," the Fool moaned.

Jesus on the Street?

Virgil and The Fool trudged by a man who looked like Jesus, who complained, "All I said was 'Love one another' and 'Treat others the way you want to be treated,' and they threw me out of the church."

Mother Mary on the Street?

They stumbled upon a woman who resembled Mother Mary, who sighed, "Just because I said, 'Through my spiritual practices, I have experienced an immaculate conception of the higher self,' they threw me out of the church."

Conflagration

As Virgil and the Fool left the city, they noticed a conflagration in the distance. "That's appropriate. They are literally burning everything down to the ground," the Fool lamented.

Storm Coming

"A huge storm is brewing and will soon be heading their way," Virgil replied.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Fantasyland Trail

loveis

00:00 / 04:08

DANCING WITH THE FLOWERS

I explore the forest to claim hillsides for my soul,
so many roots and stalks and mossy rocks,
so many petals and leaves and wings,
so much vetch and lupine, so many red maids and poppies,
and look, an albino blue dick bobbing with its purple clan
and these shooting stars with fluttering petals,
and golden fiddleneck swaying above so many blue eyes,
and hidden by shadow, the first Chinese purple houses
in this living tapestry, and I can't escape the subtle shock of love
as the fragrant breath from jewels awakens
my hidden eye, and I envision
a golden-equal armed cross on a pyramid and suddenly
I sense immense peace drenching the hills and I know the Source
of everything is inside me,
and maybe these tiny white flowers
are faeries that just want to make me dance,
so let's dance, let's dance, let's dance.

FANTASYLAND

Money Growing on Trees

The Fool and Virgil found an "Upside Down Park" that was right-side up. They were finally able to try to get a good night's rest, so they decided to stay for the night and scrounge for food in the area the following day. The next morning when the Fool woke up, Virgil was gone. Virgil often experienced insomnia and would sometimes go for a walk even in the middle of the night. The Fool searched everywhere and began to wonder if the police had arrested him for some reason and thrown him in jail. The fool found a trailhead with the sign, "Fantasyland Way," so he decided to search for Virgil on that path.
As the Fool was strolling along, he belted out a song, inspired by the array of jewel-like flowers in the woodland forest. Then he soon found all sorts of candy next to the path. "This is great!" the Fool exclaimed. "Maybe Virgil found this path last night and decided to collect some sweets."
Then, as the Fool continued exploring, he found money growing on trees. "This just keeps getting better!" he exclaimed. "We'll finally have money for food and shelter! I love Fantasyland! Virgil must be here somewhere."

Red, Red Wine

Then the Fool found bottles of red wine next to the trail, "Wow, this is even better than candy!" he thought. "I could stay drunk all day and all night if I wanted to!"

Idleness

Then the Fool found people sleeping next to the trail. "Wow! I would like to be idle like them for a long, long time. I really need some rest, but I have got to find Virgil. I hope he is all right. Fantasyland seems great, though. I could stay here forever."

Liar

Then the Fool came upon a man blowing a trumpet and spewing lies. The Fool muttered to himself, "Wow! All you need to do in Fantasyland is trumpet lies all day long. You don't really have to know anything. This might be a great place for some people I know!"

Art

The Fool came upon carvings of women near the trail. "They really know what beauty is all about here in Fantasyland!" he mumbled as he gazed at the works of art.

Nymph

Then a nymph peeked out from behind a tree. She smiled at him for a moment but quickly vanished into the forest. "Maybe she wants me to run after her," he thought for a moment, but then he became afraid that he would get lost, so he continued hiking down the trail.

More Nymphs

Soon many nymphs came toward him, but in one moment they all disappeared into the forest. "I might have a lot of fun if I chased after them," the Fool thought, "but then again, if I chase them, I might never find my way back."

King in a Hole

Soon the Fool encountered a king peeking out of a hole in the ground next to the trail. "This is by far the best hole in the realm," the king claimed. "I am the king of this hole, but if you enter my kingdom, you must do what I say from now on!"
The Fool kept strolling down the trail, and the king remained in his hole.

Morality Tale?

Then the Fool encountered creatures who strangely resembled himself. "We own this trail, but since you look like us, we will let you hang out here for a little while," one of them hissed.
The Fool felt his heart swell. He finally felt like he was part of a group and experienced a great sense of pride. "Wait a minute," the Fool thought. "Why do I want to be like them? Are they revealing to me how false pride can manifest in a person who is suddenly liked by other people? I don't really know any of them. They might want me to do terrible things. Trying to get to know them might be a bad use of my time, and I don't have any time to spare. Maybe Fantasyland is teaching me a lesson about pride."

Fire Everywhere

The Fool blurted out, "Thanks, fellas, but I gotta go!" He kept hiking as quickly as he could down the trail. Soon fire was raging all around him. "Is somebody fantasizing about burning this place to the ground?" he wondered out loud.

Cruelty and Destructiveness on Display

The Fool somehow made it through the fire, but then he encountered skulls hanging from trees near the path. "This is ghastly! Am I also capable of fantasizing about this kind of cruelty and destructiveness?"

Clear Cut

The Fool felt slightly sick to his stomach, but he kept trudging along, and soon he came upon a clear-cut area of the forest. "I get it now. This is Fantasyland. Did somebody have a fantasy about destroying this ecosystem? Am I too capable of devastating the environment to this degree?"

Wage Slaves

Then the Fool encountered men in suits sitting behind tiny desks near the trail. "What are you doing here out in the middle of the forest?" the Fool asked.
"Invisible manacles are chaining us to our desks," one of them replied. "Some of us believe that this is the fantasy of a member of the employer class, one of the three percent of the population of the 'Upside Down.'"

Slaves

Then the Fool encountered slaves chained to trees near the trail. "Who has chained you to these trees like this?" the Fool groaned.

"Somebody who fantasizes about owning people as property," one of them replied. "Someone who fantasizes about controlling people and working them to death," another claimed.

Hinderers

Then the Fool encountered trees with horrifying faces carved into the bark. "Somebody must have fantasized that he can hinder my progress by scaring me away, but this isn't going to stop me," he vowed.

Trolls

Then the Fool encountered a gang of trolls. "You are trespassing on our land!" one of them exclaimed.
"Are you sure you aren't the fantasy of someone who wants to believe he can own all of this land and property?" the Fool inquired. The trolls became so confused that they didn't stop the Fool.

More Trolls

Soon the Fool encountered horrifying trolls emanating negativity. "You must be trolls imagined by someone who fantasizes about hindering others with terrible forms of negativity," the Fool laughed. The trolls didn't know how to deal with laughter. They groaned and howled as the Fool strolled by.

Troll at the Gate of Paradise

Then the Fool encountered a huge troll at a gate. "This one ain't gonna be so easy to get by," he thought to himself.
"Has Virgil passed through here?" he asked the troll.
"I don't know anyone named Virgil. Now get outta here!" the troll growled, "Or I will grind your bones to make my bread. You cannot enter paradise, stupid fool!"
"Is this somebody else's fantasy, or is it mine?" the Fool wondered as he turned around and hiked back towards "The Upside Down."

Finding Project 25

PROJECT 25: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE

MESSAGES EVERYWHERE

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Messages everywhere, in the sky, in ocean waves, in rivers, in leaves and grass and fire. Everywhere I've seen messages of love and oneness and wholeness and grace.

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"Those S.O.B.s," the Fool grunted, but he kept reading out loud, "Also, by eliminating birth control and banning abortion, we can perpetuate the patriarchy by keeping women barefoot and pregnant and working at home."

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Messages everywhere, in the sky,
in ocean waves, in rivers, in leaves
and grass and fire. Everywhere I've seen messages
of love and oneness and wholeness and grace.