LINES

It wasn't too long ago that I remembered I was 14, having a lot of fun, and suddenly I turned 40, then 54, and 12 years later, I became 66.

With my face riddled with new lines showing age, could it be possible that wrinkle lines are a sign of physical deterioration or emanating wisdom?

People younger than you compliment your wrinkles with quiet obeisance. But then, they appear to mutter with a decibel whisper that we are annoyingly wise: whatever that may mean.

What happened? I don't know. Life seems to have eclipsed many things in my life, but I didn't forecast the speed at which I'd grown. It looks like I didn't even have time to fit into my old shoes.

Lines grow with age -- like our wrinkles -- they also magnify. At an elevation, we see things differently. From microscopic, we see only macroscopic. For example, a line in a gorge suggests a river from outer space, and we find it is a lonely road as we move closer.

At other times, lines yield surprises. For example, we weave a line through a set pattern, and we get a string and a rope from this braid. Now, a rope is strong enough to hang anything, including yourself, such as a noose. So, a line is magnificent when it is solid but deadly when it resists breakage.

(Remember the Weapons of Mass Destruction story? How Saddam Hussein died?)

One such example in modern times is when I look at the Great Partition of India. With a stroke of a pen, the Colonialists, Masters of Old India, recreated this state into the modern sovereign forms we see today -- India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh with some dotted lines unresolved like Kashmir. But a line across a cartographer's map -- without proper geographical surveys -- meant that lives, cultures, and religion were shaken and uprooted.

And, let us not forget, how the borders of modern-day Iraq were re-drawn by the British just after the conclusion of the First World War. To this day, this new nation of Iraq -- where the great Babylonian city of now Baghdad was founded -- is a perennially problematic nation that is a source of the great power’s experimental testing conflict grounds.

Just like its Euphrates and Tigris rivers (lines seen from far up in the sky), Iraq will die of thirst when its waters are ransomed for another political playbook powerplay.

Timeline is when we remember the times from when we were young. Of course, it helps if something drastic happened: as I went to my first job in ages for training within an hour after carrying three buckets of oil, I experienced my first heart attack.

That was when I was 64, and I suppose age lines were beginning to show through.

At sixty-four then, and just as the wrinkles were naturally setting in as face markers, Covid-19, an experiment of the Superpowers called Jekyll and Hyde, overtook my concerns.

As if that wasn't enough, I watch the news often, and without missing a beat, my heartline says, "no, not again," when the two old friends have suddenly become rivals, and they call it, line of control.

Line of control can be depressing because it foretells a lousy omen; when the soldiers start fighting at the borderlines separating the two land-locked nations, it is, of course, assuming a line of authority that leads to a superior.

When this happens, we usually refer to it as a direct line of authority, and the only way we can describe this is in governance.

Governance predates civilization as they are governed or ruled by a person or group of persons. If that source of authority rules or controls by some authority -- whether legitimate or corrupt -- we usually ascribe the process with power.

Again, power in ruling could be referent or ascribed power, so in this case, we can put the three things above the line of control, the line of authority, and the line of access or communication to a source of power.

Power in authority leads us to the next thing about lines: power lines. Power lines are usually energy in nature, and they characterize the cables that transport energy such as electricity to our homes.

At home, there are myriads of lines connecting anything from the outside. If it is not utilities, it is genealogical as when we trace our ancestry to a particular source, for example, our relatives, and how we got our family names. Genealogy is another way of saying that we have family lines, and our family lines mean that our family ties provide a clue to the roots of our identity.

One of the peculiarities of lines is fishing. Recreational fishing means we take our rod-and-tackle and try to catch some fish at the nearest lake, pond, river, estuary, dam, or open seas. Some take it further and join the lines to become a net. So, a fishnet has many lines tied together and catches more fish, usually for commercial purposes.

Before I forget, lines can sometimes be knotty. But they may appear to us as fuzzy. For example, a synapse line in your nervous system could malfunction, and for this reason, some people experience inflammation, and therefore get arthritis.

Indeed, lines are powerful if there is a clear field of observation. Once, scientists tried to calculate the speed of light, so the experiment began with a clear line of sight. Later, as experiments became sophisticated, scientists observed that the earth was not flat but curved, and therefore they attempted to bend light. The technique to turn light (whether sunlight or artificial light) and study its properties is known as quantum physics. From this science, we begin to theorize the history of our universe.

That is where we shall end today's topic: Lifeline. If our lives could have a line, would it be like a string of pearls, a cluster (a cluster still requires a cable line to hold the diamonds together), of diamonds, or merely a theory of existence called string theory?

What LINES are in boxART?

boxART is a revolution in art. It specifically makes art a democratic medium that can be enjoyed by anybody who would like to express themselves in colours and retain their artwork for a long time, even passing it along to their children.

boxART challenges the convention of art. Is it possible that the time has come when a radical form of art allows everybody to become an artist at their own terms? Art does not have to be 2-dimensional and hang on a wall. Art should be functional, 3-dimensional, practical, and beautiful at the same time. What do you think?

BNDTC boxART Preparation Wood Canvas

Live for the moment: Is it Real and Logical

Live for the moment: Is it real and logical? The answer is yes.

Why and how?

Let's begin with our lives. Is it a presence, a being, a reality, something you can see, touch, and confirm? I call it existence. Existence gives reality meaning; in other words, we exist because you and I realize something that stimulates our senses.

If I touch you, you feel my touch; therefore, there is a being. This being is organic and is called a form of life; homo sapiens.

Now, let us consider motion because, as human beings, we move.

Now, let us add further to this motion, a concept called an action.

Action is a set of activities that allow the completion of a task. For example, if my heart pumps blood, the cycle of transporting blood throughout my body is repeated. It is a regular activity without which my body shall not receive oxygen, and I will die.

Now, imagine for a moment motion pictures or movies. Motion pictures give us the idea that a picture is a moving thing. Examining this picture, we find images, that when compacted together in a series at fast time frames, allow us to see or form a picture.

So this means that each movement is a set of activities captured on film and pieced together to give us an image. The film is the media, and our action results in an activity. Therefore, motion is an activity cleverly disguised as an image or photo made possible by the high-speed and seamless stitching frames per second.

Those were the old days of cinematic experience. Today's knowledge of movies is digital, so there is no film involved. What appears as a picture -- possessing a visual theory's characteristics -- is now known as a digital image.

A digital image consists of dots, and these dots are computer language symbols for zeroes and ones.

Conclusion: If we are an image because we mirror our being between and across each other, we are also at the same time dots in the digital world. So, to live another moment, we depend on time to give us another frame shot.

Cry Amazon

In the history of human experience, I have encountered four kinds of kindness that you cannot find in textbooks or anybody wants to discuss openly.

The first kind of kindness is human. The second is the animal. The third is the plant and finally, the fourth is the environment.

In my 64 years of existence, I find human kindness rare. This kind of kindness is when humans relate to each other and offer kindness.

 The other kindness in humans is when they love animals. Sometimes, I see that humans are kinder to animals than to their own kind. This seems oddly unnatural as I believed that humans should be more kind to themselves first than to animals.

 In plant-kindness, I see many examples when humans love plants and grow them like in a garden. There appear to be two kinds of human kindness when it comes to plants. Gardening is the first type and commercial farming is the second. The kindness associated with commercial farming allows the farmer to live off his land by selling his produce.

Finally, the last type of human kindness is about the environment. This concerns also the Cosmos and so we have astronauts who travel in outer space in order to explore other planets. The astronauts are trained to be kind because if they discover some materials from another planet, they should claim it for the use of earthlings. But we do not know whether this is the true test of their kindness on a space mission until the day comes when a claim is made.

 One of the most recent incidences of kindness is found in the Amazon forest in Brazil. In this plant kindness, humans have engineered a way to support their farming activities thus allowing the land to grow abundantly. However, as we have now realised, sometimes farmers have tended to exploit their land resource such as trees to their disadvantage. The commercialisation of trees such as land clearing for corporations has also caused many forests to disappear.

 Today’s installation is about the loss of kindness when we remove trees from their natural habitats. The series covers two boxes, one large and one small. It is a representation of corruption that degrades the natural environment where trees live; once the trees are gone, every other commercial instinct to develop the land is activated with the feature being that the trees shall never return.

 The first box represents a green environment where trees live happily in harmony with nature.

 The second box represents a darkened and burnt environment, and even though the trend is small, in the Amazon where it is considered the lungs of the world’s forest, a decimation of the trees shall have a lasting and permanent impact on environment, habitat and society.

 The two boxes when placed individually can be studied on their own merits. When placed together, side by side, they provide a contrast of the imminent picture we are seeing now: the wholesale destruction of forests for commercial gains. However, when the boxes are placed on top of each other, the true relevance of and scale of destruction can be seen. For example, to be able to put the small box on the big box, the big box needs to be overturned. This means that the natural growth of the trees is disrupted, as can be seen by the green markers which are now opposite in direction as if hanging from the air. No tree can live in the air as all trees and living things including us, require to be rooted in the ground so we can absorb moisture and water to stay alive.

 We can analyse ourselves the topic of kindness when we see the position of the boxes. If we are not kind to the trees, we shall always find a way to burn the trees at the cost of other young trees or emerging trees or plantings; thus, the small box shall always be at the top, the result or endgame of burning. However, if we are mindful of our actions and take responsibility as guardians of the forest, we should always take care and precaution to save burning, therefore, the small box should be placed inside the big box because of our foresight and insight of the trees’ contribution and significance to our existence. We protect our environment by first protecting the trees that make the environment sustainable for our continued existence and comfort.

 To live with trees in harmony so both trees and humans can co-exist for the benefit of society is only the first goal in our responsibility as guardians of the forest. The second goal is how to sustain the forest so that we shall never lose another tree again for the sake of progress. We cannot progress materially when trees are spiritual living things that balance our own spirituality-comfort.

 There is a popular saying that when it comes to progress, we sacrifice kindness easily: Everybody plays the fool as if there is no exception to the rule.

 We hate to see trees’ tears falling from the sky when trees’ roots should anchor our pathways of kindness to our common shared heritage of benevolence toward nature’s gifts.

If you like a personal narrative behind each of the boxes’ creation, please visit https://benniledesignerbox.com

Backtrack

There is a parable that says our body is our temple. Let me dwell on this subject.

 There is a recent study on how we move our bowels on the onset of drinking coffee. See: https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/05/why-does-coffee-make-us-poop-scientists-gave-coffee-to-rats-to-find-out/ It seems like this is a natural phenomenon with the general thinking that coffee – known for its antioxidant properties – also acts as a stimulant to ease our bowels (in other words go to the toilet to dump our poo).

 Coffee was suspected to have laxative properties.

 I thought, it happened to me only, but I suspected it to happen to many others too. This study caught my attention, and so I can say that coffee does act as a stimulant to ease your bowels. I empty my bowels each morning regularly after drinking coffee. It starts my day and it feels good.

 Now, let us take the body as a temple and our bowel movement as a regular biological activity. So, what is the phenomenon?

 I shall take a point of reference: My body.

 Then I shall take another point of reference: My poo.

In between body and poo, there is a phenomenon. I shall explain.

If we eat because we are hungry, then it is considered normal. Correct?

Yes. We eat because the body needs sustenance in order to convert to energy to power our body.

 When we eat, the stomach digests the food and makes it easy for the intestines to absorb the mulch to feed into the blood where it is carried to all the tissues that need food.

 Tissues are structures of cells. Cells form us but they require food. When we eat, it is because something in our body triggers a signal which the brain translates into a feeling of hunger and so we take action to respond to that hunger.

 It is called a chemical reaction because a chemical is released into our bloodstream that goes to our brain and the brain interprets it as our cells are hungry and needing nutrients.

 Now, the same thing happens when we feel like we need to do a BIG sit. We need to shit. If we do not respond to this signal, it feels really uncomfortable.

 It is like pain. So, pain now tells us that we need to respond to remove the pain. When we finish pooing, we are freed from pain.

 The question is: Why do we need to suffer pain to remove something that is considered waste?

 The bigger question is: Where did pain originate?

 The larger question is: What does pain seek to achieve?

 If we take pain as a point in our discussion, then Religion becomes an integral part of it.

 If we take the body as a point in our query, then Biology becomes a factor in our query.

 Where is the point where Religion and Biology meet?

All Religionists will answer it this way: Humans were Created by Almighty High to experience pain first and then to suffer pain and then to be tested for this pain as it is a Trial from Him whereupon if Mortals endure this pain they shall be Rewarded in the form of Bliss in Heaven (No pain, just pleasure).

 My issue is this: If I experience pain to go to the toilet, do I need to believe in God to release myself of this pain in order to go to Heaven or is it better to hold the pain until I cannot stand the pain and shit in my pants?

 Do, I, as Mortal and biological being created by Him have to endure the pain of feeling the need to poo while at the same time experience the joy of releasing the poo, to remember Him, and then, eat again to experience the joys of eating to release my hunger pangs, to then again experience pain to poo? Where is the point of no return: That is when would He Decide that I have experienced enough pain so I can experience Eternal Bliss in His Kingdom?

 Why did He create pain? Did pain exist after Adam and before Adam there was no pain?

 If there was no pain before Adam, what is He (God) then?

 So, we experience pain when Adam was formed?

 Before Adam was formed, God Existed. Is that how we were taught to believe?

 What is God? Whose idea was it to create the idea of God? Is God an invention of the mind or a carryover from myth?

 When did God Decide He wanted to Create Adam and suddenly plonk him to earth?

 There is another parable: Food for thought, eh? Just be careful you do not overload your thoughts: You might get Thought Indigestion and that is Very Painful.

 The issue is: How do you offload your Thought Indigestion or maybe even Constipated Thought? Thought Toilet or Toilet Thought perhaps?

 - Ben Nile, boxART Inventor

- https://benniledesignerbox.com

Ancestral time: An autumn 2019 Collection

History of humankind is also called the history of ancestors. There are three versions. The first version is called single cell and apes. The second version is called religion. The last version is called science (better science than singe cell and Darwinian apes). In the last version, this is easily broken down into the science of philosophy and the philosophy of science. In my version of the last version which I believe, it is called The Science of Ideas.

How do you present an idea that is opposed because it is controversial?

 Simple. Just believe in Fate. If Fate makes a Call, you win. If it doesn’t, you lose, and you would pay a heavy price.

So, what is Fate? Fate is your Destination. It is not Destiny. What is the difference? Whereas Destination is a road, Destiny is a Mindless Road. It is a road that can take you anywhere from your Mind.

What is Mind then? The easiest way to describe Mind is your brain. But we all know that the brain that you are using now to read my text that appears before you is More Than That? What is More Than That? It is called Quiddity, a concept developed by the brain and the Mind to Arrive at Destination.

 That process of Arriving at Destination is called Destiny. The process of Destination arriving in you is Revelation.

 Let us move on. So, what did our ancestors tell us? We shall answer with a story. One day, Adam appeared. He appeared from nowhere and he was nicknamed Plonk. Plonk decided he was lonely so in order to satisfy his sexual appetite, he longed for a release. This release came in the form of Mrs. Plonk. Mr. and Mrs. Plonk had a good time, and therefore our ancestors were born.

 How do we know that? A great storyteller by the name of Abraham had a deep insight about God so he went to the mountains and God spoke to him. As an ordinary mortal whose flock needed sustenance, the shepherd became one the best storytellers of all time: Why? He became famous and every writer was inspired by his wonderful conversation, and he went into the books of history.

 He was so famous, he accidentally launched religion. And thus, religion was born. But his idea of God was so baffling, writers opened the way for Opportunists, and to this day, the Opportunists reigned in our Minds as Supremo Beliefs.

 Is there such a thing as Opportunistic? There is. It is called Timing. Where does Timing come from? It is Time. Where did Time come from? The Opportunists shall answer God. What do I say? I say, Is God Time? What would the Opportunists say?

 Now let us take the story of Possibility and Impossibility? Is it possible that I change my teeth so I can have a new set of teeth? It is correct? Is it impossible for me to get my old set of teeth after getting my new set of teeth? Yes. Because I would have died, however, it is utterly useless to replace decaying bones with my old teeth.

 So, the Possible can lead to the Impossible because it just does not make sense, correct? So, is Time. Time is never Backward. It is always Forward and therefore optimistic and bright. In other words, hopeful.

 But is it possible for the Impossible to be Possible first? This is where the dilemma of the mind begins. This dilemma is the stuff that has evaded human brains since a single cell and apes. In the end, this dogma created a whole set of nonsense called Eschatology. Eschatology is not even a science. It is a tussle of the mind to find ridiculousness in plain truths.

 Why? Because it is trying to describe God. My position is that you cannot discuss God when you do not know material science. What is material science? It is a theory developed from matter (a big “IF”) to describe matter. Is Time Matter? Many scientists say so. When they cannot reconcile their beliefs with science, they borrowed a term from Religionists: Faith. And so, today, we have science and faith. Evidence and Non-evidence or Strong Beliefs which I would just call Faith in the Unproven.

 What about metaphysics? I would say since classical era where till the modern era, many thinkers of the West converge on the science of philosophy called rationalism. When they could not rationalize any further, they developed a theory called the philosophy of science. When they hit a wall, they reverted the sciences to accommodate philosophy and so we have the science of philosophy. In both these fields of human thought, the exegesis is ideas. The idea is that if we are to discuss the Unseen, we must prove the Seen as evidence. Now, my theory is simple: If I want to plant a tree, I need two things: A seed and a ground. These are available instantly. It is the science of growing the seed that shall sprout the seed with great success. It is the science of explaining why the seed did not sprout that is of lesser importance. We only see the result of our effort. We rationalize the outcome. But we did not measure Time.

 The easiest way out of this imperfection of how the seed died is Revelation. Simple. Once a Message from High is Revealed, it is the All-Time Bestseller for explaining everything in a sacred way.

 From sacred, it becomes ritual. From ritual, it becomes legitimacy. From legitimacy, it becomes popular culture and beliefs. When it envelops entire civilization with this way, everyone who does not believe in faith is called a non-believer.

 (That is why I believe there are 3 levels of existence [more on this later]. The first is Common. The second is Uncommon. And, the third is Controversial.)

 Is it, therefore, possible that if somehow, we included Time as a Measure of All Things, we could arrive at something rational? Nobody to this day wants to discuss Time as something that precedes the Impossible. So, my position is this? Before Time, is it possible to have No Time? What is No Time? Is No Time Impossible? So, if No Time is Impossible, is it possible to have Time first? So, if Time is Possible, did Time create God or God is the Creator of Time?

 The easiest scholarship in the world is God. He needs you to reply to Him.

 I conclude with this statement: It is easier for us to recognize time because we are Time as we experience it. That is the evidence we need to live decently. It now becomes morally responsible for us as single cell origins to describing Time in a human term, so we do not have to invoke sacred language to scare us of our existence such as apocalypse. Religion is based on a myth, but Time is not a myth. It is real.

-- Ben Nile

China boxART 2030

This is Ben Nile’s BNDTC vision for China for its boxART China 2030 project as conveyed first to AsianDate, reference Xixi, November 17, 2018.

1. By the age of 3 years, all children going to school in China shall have produced one boxART to carry bananas.

The photograph below shows what 3-year old child has created or shall create for his or her boxART. The boxART shall be used to carry 3 FREE bananas and a FREE bamboo calligraphic pen. The bananas are provided FREE to children each day they attend school. The FREE bamboo calligraphic pen is for the children to design their own boxART.

2. Each boxART shall have a Chinese calligraphy symbol on one face of the product.

3. Each boxART shall have the name of the child on one face of that product.

4. On the end of the other two faces of boxART shall be imprinted the Name of the School the child shall attend the first day of school.

5. On the other end of the other two faces of boxART shall be imprinted the names of The Parents of the child who produced his or her own boxART design.

China boxART Gobi.

1. Water shall convert Gobi desert into a farm.

2. Water construction shall begin.

3. There shall be five parts of the landscape.

a. The first landscape is to grow birch and pine trees.

b. The second landscape is to grow bamboos.

c. The third landscape is to plant Cherry Blossoms.

d. The fourth landscape is to create an inland sea to breed oyster.

e. The fifth landscape is to grow bananas.

4. The project shall begin in stages and the whole project shall yield the following:

a. Birch and pine trees shall produce wood products including wood for boxART.

b. Bamboos shall be manufactured into new bamboo products targeted for the construction industry, including paper.

c. Cherry Blossoms shall produce flowers that shall fill each Chinese home FREE on the Chinese New Year celebration.

d. Oysters shall be delivered to the best restaurants in China and will be made FREE to the President of China’s Office forever.

e. Bananas shall be exported at low margins to feed the poor. Twenty percent of bananas shall be embargoed domestically to provide portable food FREE to all primary school children who have created their own boxART.

The China boxART mission is: By the end of 2030, each school in the world will follow boxART China’s boxART School program.

The primary objective of China boxART is: To be a permanent policy of China’s Domestic Export and Economic Policy.

The secondary objective of China boxART is: To develop sustainable industries in agriculture to help the poor so poverty disappears from the world economy beginning with the China boxART model.

The Lie Factory

Factories exist for many reasons. One of these is to produce lies. I happened to eavesdrop on a conversation between a roving reporter called Andy and the owner of The Life Factory called Atom. Below is an extract of the conversation. I was deep in my sleep dreaming about The Cloud when the incident reminded me of Dr. Seuss in his “big, blue and beautiful domain.” I am reproducing the story as much as I can remember it: it is lengthy so I will break it into several essays over the course of unintelligible time.

Pictured: The Lie Factory at The Cloud can be found at benniledesignerbox.com.

Atom: Theoretically, we don’t exist. Andy: How do you mean? Atom: We exist only after the action. Andy: Huh? Can you explain? Atom: Okay, it looks like I’ve got to tell you a story about our existence. Do you have time? Andy: I sure do. I am all yours. Atom: Thanks. The story started when we were created by our employer. Let’s just call him G. G was Created when you were created at about the same time. I don’t have the details but G tells me that G started everything although I find it hard to believe that G could do that much. Anyway, G said one day that I came about because G was overworked. G needed to subcontract the work which seemed to have overflowed G’s beneficence. G created this factory. It is called The Lie Factory and it is Real not a euphemism or imagination. The Lie Factory, or should I call it “TLF” began with me as the first employee. I came to work one day but nothing happened so I called G. I told G I was bored and I needed a paycheck. G agreed and G immediately attended to my complaint. Next thing I knew, I was swamped with work. There were so many lies on one single day, I thought, I’d be a rich entity. Andy: How do you mean? I am listening. Atom: Well, as you would soon know, TLF exists only when a lie is actioned. In other words, a lie cannot exist in our customers’ minds. It has got to be done. It cannot be an intention. A lie is an action that is known only to our customers. Andy: I don’t understand. This seems like a paradox. Can you explain? Atom: Okay. Let me try. When you think, you are already lying but this doesn’t count. Andy: Huh? Atom: You think you are real but you aren’t sure but you accept your existence. It appears real to you. Get it? Andy: Yes. I see what you’re trying to get at. It seems tautological like “Where was G before but never mind, let’s just move on …. Atom: So our customers think they are real. It is fine with us because we don’t get credit for that. G said that for us to receive credits, the customers must think that they were created by G. That isn’t a lie because G says it isn’t so we aren’t credited. Andy: Hang on, you must believe G?

Atom: Well he did give me the job and besides who am I to question what G thinks. G is G and whatever G says, we follow. I have to trust G because of my factory and paychecks, a selfish motive I realize but I am not lying so I guess, G won’t know. Can I continue?

Andy: Of course, as you wish.

Atom: We are credited as soon as our customers use that first lie to begin the second lie. Then from the second lie, our customers build on that one, so on and so forth. After a while, when there are so many lies, we don’t get credits.

Andy: Why? Atom: Because the lies now appear to be truths. We are not paid for truths. We are paid when customers use our factory to lie. Andy: So you are saying that your factory produces or manufactures lies? Atom: I didn’t say that. What I said is that we get credits when our customers lie. They don’t decide to lie until they lie. When they lie, we get a credit because our factory is responsible for that lie. Andy: So you are saying that in order for your factory to exist, and be paid, your customers must lie first. Atom: Yes indeed. It is part of the contract with G. And, our contract is renewable. If our performance isn’t up to G’s expectation, then G would look for another sub-contractor. Andy: So okay, your customers lie and you get credits, and your factory is established. In other words, you get to prove that you produce many lies in order for your contract to be renewed. Atom: Correct. But I’d have to clarify a few things here. When we complained to G that our factory can’t begin without his help, G helped us by creating the products. The first product is a legitimate lie. This lie concerns the existence or non-existence of customers, our first customer base in order to operate. The second lie is a manufactured lie. This lie concerns a story that most of G’s customers' buy-in. It is a sensational story about sacrifice. Most of G’s base of customers bought this story and G is very happy about it. The story soon evolved into many other stories, and this is where our factory started cranking. There are more lies more than ever now, and now, we are experimenting with a new product and if G approves it, we shall launch it. Andy: Slow down. You are going far too fast. Let me recall what you said just now: You said that a lie happens only after it is done: that your customers don’t think about lying but do the lying. I can’t really see the difference because you can’t actually lie unless you think about it first? Am I wrong in this? Atom: No, you are not wrong but, yes, you are correct. Our customers’ actions are seen by us so we can determine that the lie was performed. So any action that is considered a lie, we get credited. Andy: Strange you said “any” action. What if the person made a sincere donation, say to a beggar, she met on the street. Is that a lie? Atom: Yes, it is a lie because G has a way of checking whether the action or actions of G’s customers are approved or disapproved by G. Andy: Now, how does G do that? Atom: I don’t know. All I know is that G knows. It seems G is able to know an action before an action and when the action is something that G knows he disapproves, G calls it a lie. When that happens, we get credit. Atom: So you don’t actually need to do anything. It is G who does all the work and determines whether it is a lie for you to get credits. It looks like you are on a junket? Andy: I won’t exactly put it that way however, I can understand how you are seeing this.

It is slightly more complicated than that. As I said, when G created us, and G created the first lie, G had a plan. But G keeps the plan close to G’s chest. I am not at liberty to discuss this topic further because there is a condition attached to this contract. Andy: Ah ha! The plot thickens. And, what is it, if I may ask you? Atom: There is only one condition if we are not to break this contract. The condition is called Covenant. By that, we mean that we exist because of this Covenant. We get credits for G’s subcontracting work. The first rule in the Covenant is: “Don’t ask, just believe.” Andy: Okay, I get it. It looks like some non-disclosure corporate BS but hey, it’s your job and I respect what you do. But I need to take a toilet break: Can we sort of take-a-breather and come back soon? --- Story continues.

The lie must be big. This is the base of the lie where it's foundation is strong.

The story of John F, a total stranger but my friend, and the death of humanity.

I came to the shop by accident. I hadn’t seen John F for a long time but I decided that it was about time I see John F.

I came into the shop and Darren B, the shop manager told me John F had gone. Just a few days before that. I had thought about seeing John F that week but didn’t. Was there a connection somewhere? Why did I suddenly feel an urge to see John F after such a long time of absence?

The more I thought about John F, the more I knew something didn’t quite match up.

During the week, there were revelations that a certain nation lied to the world. How many of such lies are there? If nations can lie, what chance is there that we have been fed a diet of lies?

What if we were fed a lie all our lives, lived the lie and died in the belief of that lie? What if the price of truth is to keep a lid on that lie forever? What if the lie was discovered and humanity came to this stage through the most colossal form of lying: more lies.

I believe that the supreme lie in belief is the existence of God. I believe that God was invented by men. Prophets and Messengers were created to support the belief in God. This truth cannot be revealed. The world cannot stand this truth because of the calamity that shall follow is the worst of its kind humanity would ever have experienced.

It would be a gargantuan recipe for living and a near total disaster for beliefs of all sorts.

It challenges ALL religions.

It restores reason.

But God and Religion are Faith. And, Faith is in the ultimate, INVESTMENT.

Nobody in their right mind would want to accept losing anything. Our lives are a currency exchange for existence. Without sustenance, we expire.

If we don’t believe and possess faith, who is going to pay the clergy’s salary?

There is too much investment in God. We cannot turn this around. We build more lies to cover the truth.

How do I know this? It is simple. If word ever goes out that the truth is real, that somehow, it is silly for God to speak to Man, that would mean all religions in the world would lose their credibility.

What happens next? Doom.

It would mean that you will feel awful for being lied. But you can’t do anything about it except continue to live in faith. Bad deal. Good faith. I can’t be bothered.

It is as simple as that: It is a fundamental living principle: For life to proceed, we have to keep others from revealing. It is better to conceal than reveal.

Think about it: What would happen if you discovered that God is a lie?

Meanwhile, I am preparing a new bed to transplant a new plant in memory of John F. I have his receipts that document our meetings through business transactions. Perhaps, this is the best way to remember John F and tell him that I am also planting the receipts because nobody cares about receipts: they care about lies and living a life of denial.

I just want to recycle the receipts so a plant can benefit. John F should be pleased.

Wherever you are, thanks for the memory John F. As God Promises, ”See you soon John F.”

Ben Nile

Ps

“Talk to you later John F; gotta catch a bus for your plant.”

If a teenager can set his sight to planting 1 trillion trees, what do you think a teenager can do if the production of trees called boxART involves the appreciation of trees and their gift of life through beauty? Check benniledesignerbox.com to see the wisdom behind boxART.

Where are you Mr. Genie?

One day, a genie appeared. It was my birthday. The genie granted me a wish. But a strange thing happened because the genie vanished and the wish was never granted.

(This is a true story. Check with your fact checking authorities. By continuing to read, I shall not be responsible. Toot.)

“Hello there Mister Ben Nile. I can’t call you Master Ben Nile because I am the Master. Don’t mind me because I am about to grant you a wish and you shall be the Master.”

I was surprised but wasn’t amused. I thought to himself: “So a genie is real?” I asked the Genie: “Did you come from a bottle? Did Aladdin put you in a bottle and threw you overboard?”

As an afterthought, I said to himself: “Why me?”

The genie didn’t respond. It had no time for silly questions. Besides, it didn’t want to reveal the truth: That the bottle it lived in stank because Aladdin never cleaned his whiskey bottle.

“So, are you going to ask for a wish, Mr. Nile?” asked the Genie-from-Aladdin’s- bottle.

I was wondering how the Genie knew my full name. “Never mind,” I told myself. I thought about how I could maximize this opportunity. After all, when you are a birthday boy, you could wish anything.

My dreams were about to come through. It was a long wait.

I asked the Genie. “Are you ready, Mr. Genie?” I sounded sexist, but I imagined the ladies would understand because, after all, “ladies are ladies,” and “they are decent beings.” They’d forgive me just as soon as I got my wish (“It’ll make them proud because there would be an endless supply of handbags,” I thought).

“Go ahead, Mr. Nile,” said the Genie.

“For the first wish, I ask that we stop inventing lies,” I started.

Before I could ask the second wish, Mr. Genie stopped me, and then I asked to edit my first wish. He agreed, so I asked again.

“For the first wish, I wish, I had five wishes excluding this one.”

A hard look appeared on Mr. Genie’s face. He moved his turban. But he agreed.

“Thank you, Mr. Genie, for your generosity. I shall continue.”

“For the second wish, I ask that we don’t legitimize lies through institutions and paid scholars.”

I continued asking Mr. Genie.

“For the third wish, I ask that we don’t ignore reason.”

“For the fourth wish, I wish that good replaces bad.”

“And, for the fifth wish, I ask that humanity doesn’t believe in miracles and fiction but morals and ethics and responsibility.”

There was a lull. Mr. Genie then reminded me of my sixth wish.

Thereupon, I quickly asked him to remove the covenant, “Love thy neighbor” because there isn’t such a thing, and at that, the Genie, Mr. Genie vanished.

Till today, my wishes have never been granted because the Genie never returned.

I doubt whether he would ever appear again.

I suspected that Mr. Genie’s sudden departure was his advanced knowledge of me. I think he knew that I wanted him not to be corrupt. A hard request even unspoken.

End of true story. Postcript: The Genie left his whiskey bottle, so I guessed he found a new home, possibly a recycled but clean bottle.

Ben Nile on his 63rd birthday.

Courtesy of Audrey Buttigieg Cardona. Photos by BNDTC.

Courtesy of Audrey Buttigieg Cardona. Photos by BNDTC.

Courtesy of Audrey Buttigieg Cardona. Photos by BNDTC.

Courtesy of Audrey Buttigieg Cardona. Photos by BNDTC.

For more stories and pictures, please visit Ben’s official public playground, benniledesignerbox.com.

Read this story together with his latest installation, “Tree of Life” and his episodic comments.

If you are a Facebook member, send a request to become friends with @ben_nile.

Or, join Ben’s forum on Facebook groups at “ComeTogetherRightNow”.

If you wish to enagage Ben Nile and his vision, follow him at fb.me/benniledovetailcreations.

For a lighter view of Ben’s thoughts, follow him on Twitter @ben_nile.

Ben Nile’s mission is to promote boxART as a civilization imperative through the establishment of the world’s first children boxART art gallery.

To show or not to show: experimental notes of designing a BNDTC art-ready box.

Today's article is about designing using tails and pins; the fundamental joint technique of through dovetails on BNDTC art-ready boxes meant for boxART.

I completed my last experiment of fluid art that was first initiated by my artist friend, Sandra Pelly.

Her work was done on BNDTC art-ready boxes. It achieved excellent results.

The most striking observation about the experiment was the loss of joints at the four corners of the box.

The joints have become invisible so the focus is on the art.

But how would the design look like if the pour (fluid art) was done on BNDTC’s art-ready wood panels?

Today's topic shall discuss whether the two methods -- art-ready boxes or art-ready panels -- are better than each other and for what reasons.

Sandra's method on art-ready boxes produced smooth and incredibly easy results because the art appeared uniform and smooth. With this as the reference, I then compared them with the results from three other fluid art art-ready panels.

The first example shows what happens when fluid art's panels are cut and joined using dovetail technique.

It showed the joints. However, because it was joined after the artwork was done, there is unevenness in the joints of pins and tails.

This happens because of the warped nature of wood – the longer it is exposed, the more brittle it becomes and the more likely it is to curve, bend or warp.

On closer examination, we can actually see that when the pins and tails are joined in a dovetailed manner, there is usually excess wood that has to be trimmed to arrive at a level surface as the rest of the panel.

To do this, I usually sand the excess pins and tails down. However, as the following picture show, there is always the risk of also sanding down the art. This affects the quality of the artwork.

Next, I tried to join the pins and tails in such a way that they didn't appear to extrude higher and would not be noticeably seen or felt. This method, however, poses several significant design challenges during dovetailing in order to preserve the wood’s character.

However, given that it is possible to thin down the pins and tails at the joints, the following pictures will reveal a different kind of design than the one done by Pelly’s action. Unlike the complete art-ready box to pour, an art-ready wood panel would have to be smoothened out after joining the pins and tails.

Given the difficulties of wood extrusion in dovetail construction and the processes that lead to loss of integrity in finished artwork, I began to ask whether it was possible to incorporate this difficulty into the design itself.

I decided to exploit the extrusion first, and then, dispense with the trimming away of that extrusion. I also experimented on the tactile aspect of this design as well as the visual aesthetics of rise or elevation. I came out with this idea in the next picture.

Having done that, I decided that given specific allowances, the extrusions or rather the elevated pins or rise can be incorporated into the box design to accentuate the technique and raise the aesthetic of the art. At the same time, this also allowed a tactile-sensory solution to the ergonomic function of the product such as giving the feel of carrying a box, a practical motion sensation.

These are some of the considerations that I needed to find out to produce a better BNDTC boxART effectively yet economically. The form must meet the function at a cost which is aesthetically sound.

Some closing notes in the form of pictures serve to emphasise my point about art, structure and function.

BNDTC aims to make its art-ready boxes a step away from the commonly accepted medium of canvas for art. In all practical realities, BNDTC believes that function should follow form otherwise art would always be an elitist concept drawn across time through patronage and favour.

We believe that boxART is a good replacement, if not a good concept for art to be accepted by everybody at the most basic level. When art is married to craft, it is much easier to understand the working concept that it is better to sow your own wheat and make your own bread than get your bread from the baker.

In reality, nobody in their right mind could even conjecture about replacing the baker as he has always been around and shall be around for a long time to come because the function is a worthwhile one to perform. But the idea that anybody who loves craft and loves art can enjoy their handiwork is hardly a new concept. Just look at how a quilt maker sleeps well with her own design of art and craft.

When we talk about goodwill and the future of humankind as a species to promote and propagate our own beings as civilized and growing creatures, we must agree that our resources are dwindling. We must take advantage of industries that are growing less in importance than before: the trends favour personal expression that is as democratic as it is very personal. boxART allows any person to become an artist and express it in his or her own way in the most intimate and accessible manner.

For now, artists can expand their art into boxART. It is a way to remain competitive. boxART shall never replace their talent and their status; it will, in fact, enhance it.

boxART is a three-dimensional way of producing art for everybody. It stands on its own as a design and art concept.

Ben Nile

boxART Champion

BNDTC Virtual Address

9/02/18

Celebrating wounds as victory

In Australia, today is Australia Day, a day celebrating mourning. To be precise, a day of remembering old wounds that have turned into scars.

(I cannot imagine padding this day with multiculturalism and honours without insulting the indigenous population).

I wrote a story about mourning sometime ago. I keep reminding myself that we like to hurt each other and then remember to mend before we celebrate to forget what we did.

It is odd. Almost comical without the tinge of laughter.

It is eerie because we see technology heating up the arms race so that one day we would see another nuclear outburst, this time much grander.

How we celebrate hurt is mind-boggling.

I remember the past when driven by a desire for better balance in news-reporting, I sought justice by flying into the thick of things where I felt NATO wasn't doing enough in the Balkans.

I saw the camps, I saw the horrors, and I reported unsuccessfully because I was smuggled into the conflict zone and was not a registered foreign correspondent.

Fast forward to 9/11. The disaster was an indirect result of the Balkan conflict and the culmination of a modern theatrical staging of an ideology that was exported verbatim-capitalist-style to all the religious teachers of the world. Result: a warped view of religion that views supremacy as the most ideal cause.

Today, as I reflect on our mistakes, I mourn a future which cannot be rebuilt if we are not sensible to be courageous. Courage is the ability to accept that we cannot export the worst of human ideals and remain aloof. The opposite of courage is arrogance followed by denials.

Perhaps, there is a path. I cannot wait, so I built my bridge and my bench.

Perhaps, there is a flower in the dried yard of summer. Perhaps, even, I might find a flower.

To the future of Australians, and indeed, the "forgotten people" of the world, let us sit and listen to each other with respect and reflection.

With thanks to Maria Popova, the eternal optimist @brainpicker, here is celebrating action, not words, nor hope, nor promises of love.

Ben Nile boxART Champion benniledesignerbox.com 26/01/2018