“Birds and the Bees” by Mr. Cosmic Charlie

SOLAR EXPLOSIONS, SOULS, AND SMILING DARIUS RAIDER

From the writer's perspective, The Happy Collective is a medium for self-expression. Not only does it empower you to create art, but it also serves as a vessel for you to experience and share beauty with the rest of the world. Belonging to a community larger than yourself gives you a home where your best friends are your family. Let's lift each other up so we can look at the clouds from above as the sun warms our smiles.

From the reader's perspective, The Happy Collective is an environment for awakening. It's an invitation to evolve your mind, an opportunity to explore uncharted realms, and a chance to make new discoveries. Reward yourself for being conscious. The Happy Collective is not a destination where we finally meet each other, but it is rather a realization that we are in each other all along.

SUNNY SIDE UP (LITHUANIA)WHAT IS THE HAPPY COLLECTIVE?

What are we going to do when it comes time for the sun to explode? Despite our varying beliefs on life, life after death, and spirituality, there is a prevailing sense in human culture that we do exist after our bodies die. Perhaps there really is an existence that follows life on this planet. However, why are we so naïve as to assume that the next life is eternal? It seems to be wishful thinking. I would argue that there is always a molecular basis for things, even life after death, but that doesn’t make it eternal. Maybe when we die, there is something after it. Maybe we do turn into spirits and exist in a spirit realm. I would make the argument that such a spirit realm could exist but it would not be a realm of infinite existence. Now try to follow my logic and decide if this makes any sense. When we die, the human “spirit” or “soul” is ejected from the body. This human soul is a particle that is found within all of us; it is the receptor from which our consciousness is projected into our varying vessels. continued on page 3

M U S I C , L O V E , S T A R C R A F T , A N D G R I L L E D C H E E S E

T H I R D E d i t i o n M A R C H 2 0 1 1

1

E X P L O R EW I T H T H E H A P P Y C O L L E C T I V E

LOVE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR LOVESUNSHINE SUPERMAN

I took on a journey by myself one day because I wanted to have more time for introspection and potentially expanding my mind’s borders. So I walked down the street towards the river, and I decided I wanted to hear Bob Marley. It was windy and rainy, so I thought that with enough reggae I could fight the bad weather from keeping my spirits down. I got to the river and sat down to eat my sandwich. I had bought it from a convenience store so I didn’t expect much, but when I took that first bite, I was disappointed beyond words. How could a sandwich be bad? I don’t know, but I just kept eating it.

Sitting on the bench, I watched the trees sway back and forth and felt the energy of their movement. It’s funny. The natural world follows a cyclical pattern of life. There’s no actual end to anything, it just goes in a circle. Everything is spinning around the wheel of life, while humans only see a linear plane for life and time. So what happens after death? Nothing? I’d like to think something happens. Just look at the entire world; everything comes around full circle. Suddenly, a runner passed me, and all I thought was, “Damn. That guy must be crazy. Why is he running when it’s so cold and miserable?” continued on the next page

A BETTER WAYTO BEMR. COSMIC CHARLIE

like a flower in a field that’s floodedwith the greenest envy,

there is beautybeing swallowed by the sea..

sitting silent in the sunlight,standing still while all else spins,

we believe there isa better way to be..

the wildest of wildflowers, stuck inside of houseplants’ pots--we’re birds-- been boxed, and brought to live inside a house.

we’ll slowly surely break the mold,until what's left is what they’re not--began as monkeys,but we’ll think our wings out.

“Rumble Rumble Roatan Way” by kef

2

E X P L O R EW I T H T H E H A P P Y C O L L E C T I V E

SOLAR EXPLOSIONS,SOULS, AND SMILING(from p. 1) DARIUS RAIDER

So, we very well may be able to exist outside of our bodies with this consciousness. Dr. Rick Strassman has suggested that perhaps the pineal gland is the gland in which this spirit molecule is inserted at a point in the birthing process. Maybe he was correct. I will assume he was.So assuming that our souls are molecules, I would have to explain why we can’t see them or study them. The answer to that is simple: we can’t see or explain a lot of things. Our senses are extremely limited. There are stimuli and forces around us all the time that we cannot perceive. This spirit molecule may be too small for us to be able to comprehend with our current set of tools.Now, this spirit molecule would have to exist somewhere, and it would have to be in an environment that can sustain its existence. I have a suggestion: the Earth’s atmosphere. I believe that the electromagnetic waves around our planet are a grid around which the spirit molecules of our deceased ancestors are constantly revolving. This may be similar to Carl Jung’s idea of a collective consciousness, except that I am suggesting the collective consciousness is really the experience of all those who have died before us, radiating around us in a sphere of electromagnetic energy. This could explain ghosts, spiritual encounters with dead relatives, and bursts of creativity that hit people with no explanation. cont’d on page 4

LOVE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR LOVE(from p. 2) SUNSHINE SUPERMAN

I immediately caught myself, realizing that I too was outside in the miserable weather. So how am I different? We’re all here doing what makes us happy. If that guy wants to run, let him. And if I want to sit on a bench and eat a sandwich, let me. I got up and walked along the river. There’s no reason why we can’t all do what make us happy. Isn’t that what life is about after all? Then again, everyone has a different idea of what life is all about. Life is as valuable as you make it, and there’s meaning in it if you want there to be. But just because we’re alive and experiencing life doesn’t mean there has to be any meaning to it. But also that doesn’t mean we should all just give up and stop caring. Use life to gain all types of experience and enjoyment, and spread love and happiness to others along the way. There really is no reason why we all can’t love each other and live in peace. Our sense of self, or ego, is what really separates us from each other. So why don’t we just let it go? Break free and connect with everyone, love everyone, be happy with everyone. We’re all here for only a short time anyways, so we might as well try and make it the happiest time we can. Everything is impermanent after all, and will be gone one day. Cherish it while it’s there.And as soon I came to this understanding of the impermanence of all, my Bob Marley was done, my sandwich was done, and the cigarette I had been smoking was done. I guess everything really is impermanent. I could do nothing but stop in my tracks and laugh.

“The Solar Explosion” by Mr. Cosmic Charlie

3

DEAREST SUNLIGHTCLEMENTINE

Sunlight,We forget how much we need you and how much you give.golden rays heat my back,dance on my glowing cheeksand make the ground sparkle.

Your beauty welcomes a smile,and everything feels better with lips curled up.

Sunlight,thank you for joining us today.

Feel free to stick aroundWe won't forget to thank youfor all you give.

SOLAR EXPLOSIONS, SOULS, AND SMILING (from p. 3) DARIUS RAIDER

Understanding that perhaps life becomes the collective consciousness of energy around our planet, I will elaborate on why I think it is foolish to assume such a world is infinite. Firstly, one can say that such a world exists in a different time scale, and I would agree that is a possibility. The spirit realm of the collective consciousness could definitely operate on a different set of parameters. A minute here could be an eon there. Time may not even exist. But existence surely will come to an end. You see, matter can neither be created nor destroyed, but I would argue that the spirit matter of our souls will be converted out of any recognizable form of consciousness when our sun explodes. The sun is the key to all energy and life in our particular solar system. We depend on our sun for energy and even our magnetic waves are affected by this celestial mass we stopped worshipping in recent centuries.

When this star explodes, it will wipe out and convert all the energy and matter around earth into something else. I can pretty firmly say that the spirits who live in a cloud around the Earth will be destroyed and converted into something much simpler. Our collective consciousness will be annihilated, and we will end. Obviously this is all theoretical and some may even consider this the ramblings of a crazy man. I don’t think that is the point. The point is that we love to, as humans, assume that our lives are more meaningful than what we have going on at Earth. Some believe in reincarnation, others in heaven, some in nothing but dirt. I thought I would try to make some sort of concrete explanation for what I think the “soul” is and where it resides after bodily death. Then I tried to explain what I think will happen to such souls when our solar system comes to an end. I think it’s healthy to remind ourselves that eventually everything

we can see and many things beyond ours senses will be wiped away in a matter of seconds. We are literally fragments of matter in but a small corner of a universe whose shape, size, and behavior we hardly have the capacity to grasp. What this should make you want to do is to appreciate your life even more. We don’t really know what’s going to happen, so it’s safe to assume that this is it. Use this chance to live as fully as you can. Remember to smile. The sun may explode one day, but it’s still sunny today.

“Sunrise” by Blunt Karma

“Bang” by Mr. Cosmic Charlie4

EXPERIENCESKUBA SHERMExperience may be the most powerful word in the English language. Experience, to most, describes the past. But experience can really only mean that which the present offers. Yet what more does the future have to offer if not experience? This great word thus describes the nature of time as we have translated it. Day in and day out our actions define us, but I believe experience defies this old adage. My actions do not define me; they describe me. Actions are often misinterpreted, or are false manifestations of the ever-evolving conscious. Fear often prevents me from acting as deliberately as I desire, and my physical capabilities even limit the precision of my body as I choose to use it. And my words… My language restricts my thoughts. I don’t believe oral or written communication is near sufficient in accurately transcribing some of the deepest, most tangible layers of human consciousness. Great beauty, too, renders us speechless, rather thankfully, because beauty is rarely made more fantastic with words. Words can be ugly, they can be lovely, but they certainly cannot describe the nature of the world. And to that end, they can’t describe you or me. You are beautiful, but what is beauty? I hope that you are speechless, if only to illustrate the great wonder that is the beautiful. Is this moment beautiful? What makes it beautiful?Deep down in your soul, however, you may know exactly what it means to be beautiful; you may even see the beauty in everything. Your relative inability to verbalize beauty says nothing about the beauty of your soul. Expression is complicated and takes many forms. My perception of your communication could never fully appreciate your inherent beauty, though I will try. Someone always said “you must value knowledge for knowledge’s sake,” but who’s with me in full fledged support of experience, which encompasses knowledge, consciousness, insight, and love? Experience me experience you. We are not stories. We are not actors. We are the world. Do not define yourself. Find yourself where you could never be lost, because ultimately: You are you. We are you. Why would I get up in the morning? Because we are energy. We are feeling. We are trembling. Love all, and do it for the experience, not the glamour.

PENNSYLVANIANATIVE CHILDA town flamed with fright, By inferno coal lost in good timeCovered by the blinding snow,Muffled by the things they don’t know

She said that these false strikes Have stumbled on their petty rightsShe claims this hell as her home, Coughing up the mirrors and the smoke

Though they offered the sun in the spring rainThey caught fire with their guns, as protection turns to baneAs they split in two woes, to leave or to go

Dying hopes as the crimson stains showIn a neighborhood as a pressing noteWhere the winds play meadowlark And the birds escape the burning dark

There lies one-sided crime Of a partnered mind too quick to jumpTo thrust his blade at his rooted wife, Alarmed by that ferocious strike

He set fire to the nightHe set fire to his frightsSet a spark to his chest, said God she was all I had

Though they offered the sun in the spring rainThey caught fire with their guns, as protection turns to baneAs they split in two woes, to leave or to go

But they’re chained to generation gravesIt’s that chain that pulls them back to those wicked flames

5

Walk with the dreamers, the believers,the courageous, the cheerful,

the planners, the doers,the successful people

with their heads in the cloudsand their feet on the ground.

Let their spirit ignite a firewithin you to leave this worldbetter than when you found it.

- WILFRED PETERSON

PRISONSOMERS

I've been to so many showswatch the people do dancesin some sort of automated collapseof sanity and sensesand all I can think of is listening to Sage Francisin drive-by comradelyand the purity of adolescenceNow I'm flowing through memoriestrying to find a nostalgic balancebetween old friendships and realitiestrue or imaginedtrying to determine if what I sawwas really what happenedor if these flashing slide showsare a result of my madness

Insomnia has took it's tollstaring at ceilingsbeginning to wonder if I'm really a human beingor of a terrestrial naturethat knows nothing of meaning

This position I am ingiving mood swings so frequentlacking self identity, trying to conjure a sequencethat could somehow reiterate, come to an agreement,that it's not just mejust the human conditionto question everything you seetill you're dead or in prison

6

SELFEARTH MONGREL

Right now I am sitting in my dorm room. My belongings are scattered, there is a stench of rum and sweat coming from my dirty clothes, and I already miss home. I’ve got my own problems, just like who ever is reading this. It’s easy to feel that my own problems can be insurmountable; that my feelings dictate the ebb and flow of the universe. When I open my eyes, however, the egotism becomes a laughable offense. In fact, truth could not possibly be more contrary to self-centeredness. The problem is, it’s not always easy to look at what is in front of me. If I zoom out from my college cubby-hole, I’m looking at an aerial view of good ole Beantown, Massachusetts. I keep going, and One Nation Under God is blinking her red white and blue at me. Then I’ve got Earth (greetings, Earth! You look magnificent and genial), and eventually the solar system, the Milky Way, and finally an infinite continuum of space . By this point, I’ve forgotten about the rum-reeking shirt. It seems pretty menial in the scheme of things. It’s funny, because if I zoom in from the other direction of “Point A” College Cubby-Hole, I can go just as far. I’ve got molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons, and even quarks and what have you. It’s a little mind-boggling. The universe suddenly seems to stop caring whether or not so-and-so slept together. Regardless of their sexual intercourse, the moon still waxes and wanes, the oceans still breathe, and trees still grow. Abruptly and unexpectedly, it doesn’t look as though Cookie and Mookie from The Real House Wives of Jersey Shores have all that much bearing on things. They have nothing to do with whether or not the Earth’s atmosphere is going to perfectly regulate herself to allow for life, or whether the weather is cold. It simply is what it is. Of course, I didn’t think this way in the past; it’s a transitional phase that I’m still wiggling my way into. There are so many complexities hidden in the world that people take for granted. For instance, do you think that all color is perceived the same? Who is to say that my orange is not your blue, and vice-versa? Or what about time and the wind? What keeps them going? These oddities and anomalies are what keep my clock-a-tickin’. I’m not sure about the rest of the world, though. It’s all pretty brilliant. continued on the next page

“Anthem of the Sun”by Mr. Cosmic Charlie

IGNORANCE VS.BLISSREVREND GODLESSSeeing the beauty of the worldDoesn’t mean that you stop being sadThat you suddenly always smileLight up every roomBecome immune to the sorrowsKnocking on your doorFrom a loverFrom AfghanistanOr from your own head

It means that you’re sadNot because life is unbearableBut because it’s the most beautiful thingAnd many are missing the point.

WORTHANNABEL LEEWhat if youWere a puppetNo one cared about? A pawn to be usedA napkin thrown awayGarbage in theCan of life Would you plod onContinue to moveAt the pullOf a mere string Stay against the wallYou are shackled to Or would you chew offYour handsFor but a momentOf freedom Seconds underThe warm sunAnd one breathOf fresh air Would it beWorth it?

I’m not a very religious guy. I’ve

got a bucket of sins hanging over

my head that need to be sorted

through before I can get to that

point. But I certainly have

recognition for the fact that

something makes all of this

happen; that I would be

insensitive to think humans own

the Earth. I am simply an

inhabitant of something

beautiful and far larger than I

can pretend to comprehend.

I’ll probably never get to the

point where I can open my eyes

all the way. Too much exists to

distract me in my menial life.

However I’m not jaded. In fact, at

odds with this, I am an optimist.

I recognize all the things that I

cannot change, but also all that is

in my power to alter. It is very

clear to me how much control I

have. I can’t change the nature of

the world, but I can certainly

work on human nature. At the

bottom of it all, I am a humanist

with a desire to learn, explore,

and reshape. To its most bare

essential, I am a singular cell in

an organism that breathes as part

of something so much larger.

And there’s honestly nothing I’d

rather be.

“Light in Dark” by Pandacat

7

SELF (from page 6)EARTH MONGREL

Practice compassion,advance humanity.

- ADACK

What if youWere a puppetNo one cared about? A pawn to be usedA napkin thrown awayGarbage in theCan of life Would you plod onContinue to moveAt the pullOf a mere string Stay against the wallYou are shackled to Or would you chew offYour handsFor but a momentOf freedom Seconds underThe warm sunAnd one breathOf fresh air Would it beWorth it?

So, we very well may be able to exist outside of our bodies with this consciousness. Dr. Rick Strassman has suggested that perhaps the pineal gland is the gland in which this spirit molecule is inserted at a point in the birthing process. Maybe he was correct. I will assume he was.So assuming that our souls are molecules, I would have to explain why we can’t see them or study them. The answer to that is simple: we can’t see or explain a lot of things. Our senses are extremely limited. There are stimuli and forces around us all the time that we cannot perceive. This spirit molecule may be too small for us to be able to comprehend with our current set of tools.Now, this spirit molecule would have to exist somewhere, and it would have to be in an environment that can sustain its existence. I have a suggestion: the Earth’s atmosphere. I believe that the electromagnetic waves around our planet are a grid around which the spirit molecules of our deceased ancestors are constantly revolving. This may be similar to Carl Jung’s idea of a collective consciousness, except that I am suggesting the collective consciousness is really the experience of all those who have died before us, radiating around us in a sphere of electromagnetic energy. This could explain ghosts, spiritual encounters with dead relatives, and bursts of creativity that hit people with no explanation. cont’d on page 4

HAIR CARE FILLE DE PRINTEMPSReplace shampoo with baking soda (1 tbsp baking soda to one cup of warm water) and condition your hair with apple cider vinegar (1 tbsp vinegar to one cup of cold water). Don't worry, the smell goes away as soon as your hair dries. Other recipies can be found online that include more ingredients like herbs or essential oils, but what I've given you is the cheapest, most basic form and it works fine for me. TRemember that shampoo completely strips hair of the natural oils and during the transition phase your scalp may overcompensate by producing extra oils. Just wear a hat for a few days and be diligent. This not only saves on money, it's also healthier and more environmentally friendly.

TRANSPORTATION JIMMY JAZZThis one should be obvious. If you want to cut back on the costs of transportation, then stop using public transportation and cars because they cost money every time you use them. Instead, buy a bike. A bike is often a single payment that doesn't cost much to begin with while riding the train to and from school costs 4 bucks a day. Bikes are also morereliable than public transportation and all around better for you.

ENTERTAINMENTJIMMY JAZZCable is far too expensive for me to own but I do love to watch my stories. Luckily, we live in an age with computers. It only costs about 10 bucks to get the cables to hook up a computer to a TV and most of you probably have the cables laying around and don't even know it. Then, it’s just a matter of perusing sites like http://www.reddit.com/r/cord- cutters and picking up little tricks. There are totally legal tricks such as going to the tv channel's website to watch shows. Another fun fact is that every South Park episode is available, for free, online. A Netflix account is cheap and provides you with alot of media. Hulu is virtually free. YouTube is free as well. These totally legal options can also be replaced by less legal but more extensive options such as ch131.com, megavideo, or tv torrent trackers. Personally I won't condone their use in this guide, but you gotta do what you gotta do and it’s really not your fault that copyright laws are out of date, if you know what I mean.

“Thriving” by kef

8

FREE LIVINGWITH THE HAPPY COLLECTIVE

WHY DO YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING?

TANNER MASONThe simplest answer to this question is: because my alarm clock is out of reach of my bed. However, the real reason I get out of bed is because of my friends. As much as I LOVE music, there is nothing better than spending your time with friends. And every day is a new opportunity to spend time with the people you care about. You can’t do that from your bed; and lastly, if none of that motivates me to get out of bed, I’m sure I will eventually have to use the bathroom.

BROMAN CHUI wake up each day excited for the adventure to come. I love nothing more than staring out the window at the morning sun giddy with excitement because of the uncertainty of how this day may go. Will I meet a new friend? Am I going to discover my new favorite band? Maybe I’ll discover inspiration for something I never knew existed? To me, each day is like a brushstroke closer towards painting my life’s grand portrait.

SPACE CADETTEI come from a very spiritual open ended upbringing when it comes to philosophizing about life-- past, present and future. I've met some very unique people in my life time and in the past 3 years all of my tapped in friends, the ones coherent with the rhythm and synchronicity of the world, have been saying that this generation is part of a new age of enlightenment. I feel it too. Word on the airwaves is that there is going to be a huge change in the minds of people. I'm talking about perspective. I'm talking about the end of the world as we know it and the birth of something completely new. Open minds which can lead to nothing but positivity, and if that seems like an arguable statement, then I would also like to include that fear is just as debilitating ascancer and AIDS.

create. Why? Because of hope. I hope to leave the world I wake up in a better place, somehow, each time that I go back to sleep. Sleep is relaxing and comforting. But dreams can be kind of scary. I dream of people not as they are, but rather as representative emotions. I have no power or choice in the outcome. I'm just a witness. Who will believe me? I wake up from them to get out of the chaos that is REM dreaming, and hope that the fortitude and logic of the "real" world will help me be a reasonable and just person. I am not perfect, but waking up each day feels like a cleansing. I'm being baptized everyday. Fresh, renewable life. Life makes it seem like we have a chance.

LUCIFER

To remember what I did yesterday. To remember who I really am. To see colors and to hear music and to taste food and to love people and their ideas. To

“Morning” by Blunt Karma

9

FILLE DE PRINTEMPSI get up in the morning because I'm thrilled to be alive. More specifically, I'm thrilled to be awake - so I can

rush to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee. My love for coffee is ridiculous, I could go on about it for

hours. It's an addiction, I know, but I guess if I had to chose a drug to be addicted to it would be caffeine. After

all, it's cheap and legal in all 50 states. Still, sometimes I get down on myself for my dependency on

something so unhealthy. During moments of true clarity, I vow to give it up, kick the habit, free myself of the

vice... but in the end, I always go crawling back to coffee - grouchy and half asleep.

And so coffee has weaseled its way into my routine and become part of my ritual for greeting the day. And in

my endeavors to remove it from my life I've become aware of how truly happy I am every time I get it back.

Just the smell of it perks my senses. It's when I hold the steaming mug in my hands and inhale the rich aroma

or take the first sip really slowly and concentrate on the smooth creamy flavor that I'm truly "present". This

awareness and appreciation for simplicity in the current moment is something I'm trying to incorporate into

all aspects of my life.

Living is thrilling, frightening, surprising, depressing, amazing, and new. I like to remind myself that living

is always new. From the cosmos down the very particles that make up our bodies, everything is constantly

changing. And my favorite thing about my life is that I'm the one living it. Each day is a brand new one, each

cup of coffee a different one, and each sip an experience. Each moment is bursting with potential and the

best way to appreciate that potential is to live whole-heartedly in the present. So, that, I guess, is why I wake

up in the morning.

“Busy Busy Busy” by kef

10

WHY DO YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING? (from page 9)

I've been to so many showswatch the people do dancesin some sort of automated collapseof sanity and sensesand all I can think of is listening to Sage Francisin drive-by comradelyand the purity of adolescenceNow I'm flowing through memoriestrying to find a nostalgic balancebetween old friendships and realitiestrue or imaginedtrying to determine if what I sawwas really what happenedor if these flashing slide showsare a result of my madness

Insomnia has took it's tollstaring at ceilingsbeginning to wonder if I'm really a human beingor of a terrestrial naturethat knows nothing of meaning

This position I am ingiving mood swings so frequentlacking self identity, trying to conjure a sequencethat could somehow reiterate, come to an agreement,that it's not just mejust the human conditionto question everything you seetill you're dead or in prison

Right now I am sitting in my dorm room. My belongings are scattered, there is a stench of rum and sweat coming from my dirty clothes, and I already miss home. I’ve got my own problems, just like who ever is reading this. It’s easy to feel that my own problems can be insurmountable; that my feelings dictate the ebb and flow of the universe. When I open my eyes, however, the egotism becomes a laughable offense. In fact, truth could not possibly be more contrary to self-centeredness. The problem is, it’s not always easy to look at what is in front of me. If I zoom out from my college cubby-hole, I’m looking at an aerial view of good ole Beantown, Massachusetts. I keep going, and One Nation Under God is blinking her red white and blue at me. Then I’ve got Earth (greetings, Earth! You look magnificent and genial), and eventually the solar system, the Milky Way, and finally an infinite continuum of space . By this point, I’ve forgotten about the rum-reeking shirt. It seems pretty menial in the scheme of things. It’s funny, because if I zoom in from the other direction of “Point A” College Cubby-Hole, I can go just as far. I’ve got molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons, and even quarks and what have you. It’s a little mind-boggling. The universe suddenly seems to stop caring whether or not so-and-so slept together. Regardless of their sexual intercourse, the moon still waxes and wanes, the oceans still breathe, and trees still grow. Abruptly and unexpectedly, it doesn’t look as though Cookie and Mookie from The Real House Wives of Jersey Shores have all that much bearing on things. They have nothing to do with whether or not the Earth’s atmosphere is going to perfectly regulate herself to allow for life, or whether the weather is cold. It simply is what it is. Of course, I didn’t think this way in the past; it’s a transitional phase that I’m still wiggling my way into. There are so many complexities hidden in the world that people take for granted. For instance, do you think that all color is perceived the same? Who is to say that my orange is not your blue, and vice-versa? Or what about time and the wind? What keeps them going? These oddities and anomalies are what keep my clock-a-tickin’. I’m not sure about the rest of the world, though. It’s all pretty brilliant. continued on the next page

“Celebration Dance” by Mr. Cosmic Charlie

A WINTER SURVIVEDREVEREND GODLESS

Thrust from dream back into daylight

Only to fall once more into a dream

Only days bookended with

unconsciousness seem real

And those are distant memories

So now I find myself here

Faced with strange tongues

Journeys to oblivion’s core in the

Belgian Congo

And, of course, Elizabeth Bishop

Gone are my feelings of hopelessness

Those dark thoughts seemed to flee

before the newfound warmth and light

Melted away like so much snow

Warded off by a self-crippled mind

I can hardly comprehend any of my

thought processes from back then

Nor do I understand the actions I took

Was I crazy then?

Am I crazy now?

This happiness, this drug

It is a blessing and a curse

And I fear that this drug has

the worst withdrawal of all

For I know that even this

warm pool shall again freeze over

Before I have a chance to breach the surface

THE HUMAN SPIRITFROM THE GRAPES OF WRATH, REWORDED BY KEFBefore I knew it, I was saying out loud, "The hell with it! There's no sin, and there's no virtue. There's just the things people do. It's all part of the same thing." I said, "What's this called, this spirit?" And then I said, "It's love. I love people so much I could burst sometimes." I figured, "Why do we need to put it to God or Jesus?" "Maybe," I figured, "maybe it's all men and women we love; maybe that's the Holy Spirit - the human spirit - the whole shebang. Maybe all men and women have one big soul that everybody's a part of.” Now, I sat there thinking that, and all of a sudden, I knew it. I knew so deep down that it was true, and I still know it.

11

12

- MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE,BRITISH COMEDIAN

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYEDDIE EINBINDERScience and technology represent the biggest differences

between our generation and previous ones. All of these

topics above make up our social community. I want to look

at the potential costs and benefits of how the efficiency of

technology has affected the way that we relate to one

another, ourselves, and thus, how it's affected our lives.

HEAVY STONES ME,ROCKS ME STEADYMR. COSMIC CHARLIEIn all the timein all the universethat ever-never was,rare it is to find a plantthat grows so lovelyhow she does. It heavy stones me how she blossoms,and she does it just because. Rocks me steady how she holds me,and she does it just for love. Caught me falling from the tree tops,climbing high to find the light. She placed me softly on the groundand made me see it from her height. And from her angle it all had a way of looking just right. And in my bedroom when it’s lateshe shows me beauty in the nightright through my window,and beyond it into all the stars, so bright.

JIMMY JAZZThe internet has quickly become the most powerful tool in

the world. Every single industry and social construct it has

touched, it has virtually changed, yet it is utilized more by

the younger generations than the older ones simply because

they have grown up with it in their lives.

The internet has become a very powerful political tool.

When Egypt was rioting, sites like Facebook were being so

effectively used to coordinate efforts that the government

shut down the internet. Sites like WikiLeaks leak secret

information to promote transparency. Barack Obama is said

to have won the election because of his effective use of the

internet. There is no denying it - although officials may run

the actual government, the internet is the common man's

tool to voice opinions, take action, and coordinate efforts.

Our generation has also grown up with incredible amounts

of knowledge easily accessible through simple sites like

Google, Facebook, and YouTube. You can research virtually

anything with Google. On Facebook, you can learn a good

portion of the life story of someone you just met. With

YouTube, you can learn anything, listen to music, and find

the funniest videos in existence. Because knowledge is so

readily available for us, we are free to learn whatever we

want, and following our passion is never a difficult task.

If Pac-Man affected us as kids,we'd all be running around

in dark rooms,munching magic pills

and listening to repetitiveelectronic music.

So, we very well may be able to exist outside of our bodies with this consciousness. Dr. Rick Strassman has suggested that perhaps the pineal gland is the gland in which this spirit molecule is inserted at a point in the birthing process. Maybe he was correct. I will assume he was.So assuming that our souls are molecules, I would have to explain why we can’t see them or study them. The answer to that is simple: we can’t see or explain a lot of things. Our senses are extremely limited. There are stimuli and forces around us all the time that we cannot perceive. This spirit molecule may be too small for us to be able to comprehend with our current set of tools.Now, this spirit molecule would have to exist somewhere, and it would have to be in an environment that can sustain its existence. I have a suggestion: the Earth’s atmosphere. I believe that the electromagnetic waves around our planet are a grid around which the spirit molecules of our deceased ancestors are constantly revolving. This may be similar to Carl Jung’s idea of a collective consciousness, except that I am suggesting the collective consciousness is really the experience of all those who have died before us, radiating around us in a sphere of electromagnetic energy. This could explain ghosts, spiritual encounters with dead relatives, and bursts of creativity that hit people with no explanation. cont’d on page 4

13“Synesthesia” by Neonsyrupz

HEAVY STONES ME,ROCKS ME STEADYMR. COSMIC CHARLIEShe shows the moon, and how it never let’s usgo without a shimmerof the hope of coming daylightwhen the globe will, glowing, glimmer. How the sunlight breeds our living--it exemplifies the giving--we are shameful for the wasting of a ray.

In one big breath like springtime, she can blow me right away,and I wonder where she’ll bring mewhen she’s winging me today.

ELECTRONIC MUSICLOOP SWOOP PULLThe electronic music scene is

approaching an unprecedented

paramount in public interest. Major

music festivals within the United States

are seeing tickets sales never before

thought possible. In 2008, Ultra Music

Festival set a record in the city of Miami

for selling the most tickets to any single

event in the city. Attendance was

estimated to be over 70,000. 2011’s Ultra

Music Festival has grown to a 3-day

event with over 100,000 tickets sold.

The Coachella music festival in California

began in 1999 when headliner Pearl Jam

played for some 25,000 fans. 2010’s

Coachella festival saw over 75,000

attendees and has expanded to a 3-day

festival. Coachella features pop, rock and

electronic music as well as art exhibits.

Other major music festivals include:

-Bonnaroo: Manchester, Tennessee

-Starscape: Baltimore, Maryland

-Camp Bisco: Mariaville, New York

-Electric Zoo: Randall’s Island Park,

New York

Many more available at:

www.metrowize.com/ 2010-music-festivals-guide

continued on page 14

create. Why? Because of hope. I hope to leave the world I wake up in a better place, somehow, each time that I go back to sleep. Sleep is relaxing and comforting. But dreams can be kind of scary. I dream of people not as they are, but rather as representative emotions. I have no power or choice in the outcome. I'm just a witness. Who will believe me? I wake up from them to get out of the chaos that is REM dreaming, and hope that the fortitude and logic of the "real" world will help me be a reasonable and just person. I am not perfect, but waking up each day feels like a cleansing. I'm being baptized everyday. Fresh, renewable life. Life makes it seem like we have a chance.

To remember what I did yesterday. To remember who I really am. To see colors and to hear music and to taste food and to love people and their ideas. To

14

“The Rainbow Ghost” by Neonsyrupz

“Great Reaches” by kef

ELECTRONIC MUSIC(from page 13)LOOP SWOOP PULL

REMINDERSCLEMENTINEWe've been disrupted in our daily lives,covered in blankets of white.less a burden, more a reminder:42 inches of beautifully unique natural artwork -Reminded that we too are from that mold.

The trees bare, exposing themselves,daring us to shed our protective facade with them.the air still, save for the reminder thatwe're still breathing –the irony of breath imitating smoke in an exhale.

And just when we think we're alone,with the bare naked trees frozen stilland our smoky breathe,a bird chirping –Reminding us life is happening.

The Boston electronic music scene is still growing

and is bigger than ever. Major artists such as

Tiesto are adding additional shows in Boston due

to overwhelming ticket demand. Artists such as

Benny Benassi, Nero, Bassnectar and Rusko are

selling out venues months in advance. College

events such as the Day Glow Tour sold 6,000

tickets in less than 3 hours at the University of

Massachusetts Amherst. In fact, ticket demand

was so high an additional show was added to that tour.

Electronic music’s popularity has found its way to YouTube as well. Electronic and house artist Deadmau5

has over 27 million views on YouTube. House artist Tiesto has over 182 million views on YouTube. Not only

is electronic music on the rise but the genre of dubstep is becoming a well-recognized part of American

culture. The UFK dubstep channel on YouTube has over 139 million views.

15

“Same Old City with a Different Name”by Charlie Walker

MANIC MISCONCEPTIONS:AMERICAN SOCIETY’S MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA FLYNNIUS

A wise man once said, “I know but one freedom and

that is freedom of the mind”. However, for the 26.4

percent of Americans who are afflicted with a mental

disorder, this freedom of the mind is not absolute.

While in recent years treatment for mental illnesses

has greatly advanced, American social attitudes

towards these complex ailments have been fraught

with hyperbolic myths and widespread

misconceptions, resulting in both unethical treatment

and stigmatic prejudice towards those afflicted.

Already facing the plight of an unfortunate medical

condition, the mentally ill also face the degradation

and chastisement of a largely intolerant society, often

preventing them from seeking treatment or

acknowledging their illnes - a fact that must change in

order to better American society.

Social degradation of mentally ill individuals is no new concept. From the middle ages until the

early eighteenth century, demonic possession or moral impurity were the widely accepted

causations for mental illness. Mentally ill individuals were treated as pariahs, often being tortured

or even killed due to the misunderstandings surrounding their illness. In the early 18th century,

asylums gained popularity throughout Europe and the United States - the idea being that the

mentally ill could formally and systematically removed from society, using a form of imprisonment

rather than execution. With the advent of modern Psychology in the late nineteenth century, social

attitudes towards mental illness improved in the sense that demonic possesion was no longer the

accepted cause of a mental disorder. However, the stigma of mental illness dictating moral impurity

or malicious intentions still persists today.

As psychology became gained legitimacy in the public eye in the early 20th century, societal

treatment of the mentally ill improved. With the advent of modern psycho-pharmaceuticals in the

40’s and 50’s and the decrease in institutionalization in the 60’s and 70’s, the mentally ill now had

the option of receiving treatment at a community-run outpatient center. Advances in neuroscience

since the 80’s has lead to the creation of new drugs, such as SSRIs, that have been instrumental in

changing the popular perspective on the treatment of mental illness. continued on page 16

16“Do You Mind?”by Annabel Lee

“Think Outside the Box”by kef

Despite these advancements, many unfair negative conotations associated with mental illness persist in American society today. A study conducted in 2010 showed that most Americans cognitively understand that mental illnesses have neurological causes and are therefore amenable to treatment. However, this knowledge has not resulted in greater tolerance toward the mentally ill. In fact, there are numerous myths that persist about mental illness today.

Popular media portrays a link between mental illness to criminal violence; and yet, a majority of the mentally ill display no violent behavior. One study shows that people with Schizophrenia (a stereotypically violent mental disorder) are no more prone to violence than those not suffering from a mental disorder. In fact, someone who is mentally ill is far more likely to become a victim of violence than a perpetrator (NIMH).

It is also a common opinion that people who have a mental illness are unable to live fulfilling lives. However - to paraphrase one psychiatrist - like diabetes, high blood pressure or other chronic diseases, mental illness can be successfully treated. People can have very full, rich, meaningful lives despite the fact they have a mental illness.

Due to an oversaturation of pharmaceutical advertising, many Americans believe the predominantly effective treatment for mental illnesses is prescription psycho-pharmaceuticals. While the treatments for different mental disorders vary, in general it is a combination of therapy, family support, medication, and other treatments that allow mentally ill patients to live fulfilling lives. continued on page 17

MASQUERADEREVEREND GODLESSevery dayI put on my maskbecause, without it,no one will stay near me

but every nightI shatter itand indulge my solitudedrinking in the darkness and silence

the next dayI glue it back togetherand put it back onand go back out into the world

the fact that no one cares or noticesthat it's so cracked by this pointreminds me that they don't careabout the mask I wear

they just don't want to see my face.

MANIC MISCONCEPTIONS (from p. 15)AMERICAN SOCIETY’S MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA FLYNNIUS

17

“Education” by Aria Decuore

MANIC MISCONCEPTIONS (from p. 16)AMERICAN SOCIETY’S MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA FLYNNIUS

NOTHINGANNABEL LEE

NOSTALGIAANNABEL LEE

In general, these myths and others impact American society’s attitudes towards mental illness, which in turn have negative repercussions for the mentally ill. Workplace mental illness discrimination, although illegal, is still widespread throughout America, contributing to high rates of unemployment for those suffering from mental illnesses. Housing discrimination results in less opportunity for independent living, increased homelessness, and violence towards the mentally ill. Due to popular attitudes towards mental illness, government mental health organizations are not allocated the necessary resources to effectively combat mental health issues. Social stigmatization also leads those diagnosed with mental illness to deny treatment, which can in turn lead to destructive behavior such as substance abuse and suicide.

To combat the social stigma surrounding mental illness, popular media must stop portraying the mentally ill as either violent psychopaths or genius savants. Religious institutions must stop classifying mental illnesses as a cognitive or societal constructs.

Mental health education must become an integral part of the American education system, and we must, as a whole, deny the social stigmas surrounding the mentally ill. Until then however, American society’s popular attitudes towards mental illness will remain plagued with ignorance, adversely effecting mentally ill populations in the United States and world wide.

Sometimes the most isn’t

enough

When your heart yearns for

something it cannot have

And you stick your hands

In your pockets

As though to search for

something to fill

The hole that has formed

And grown in the span of mere

minutes

Your hands come up empty

And they stay empty because

There is nothing else for them to

hold on to

Nothing they can grab

That would anchor your soul to

the earth

Nothing to keep you pottering

about

Making your way through Life

Wallowing through your sorry

existence

And trying to make do with what

you have

Even though what you have is

nothing.

Slowly dripping, seeping, sliding down the stairs, flooding the foyer,

and flowing out the door; in the end, everything is taken from me as I

sit at the top of the stairwell and wait; as all my memories leave me

with only their bitter taste, marring my soul, gently burning it with

their lingering embrace.

18

Warm weather is on the way, and with it comes a strong desire to explore the unknown. The secret places,

the empty buildings full of relics and hidden gems of graffiti, for there is no better place to hide one’s art from

the modern world than in the places forgotten by the modern world.

Urban Exploration is not an adventure for the careless. That doesn’t stop some of us careless from trying it,

but it does teach us some harsh lessons. If caught by the police, one could be charged with trespassing and/or

breaking and entering at the very least. Even without legal trouble, there is the (slim) possibility that the

industrial complex you’ve picked out to explore has been repurposed by squatters or gangs—or, in my

experience, by a flock of wild turkey vultures. The buildings themselves, though, present the greatest of

dangers. Cave-ins and collapses are sudden and devastating. Asbestos, mold, and other air contaminants

present a very real problem for explorers. Needless to say, you should probably be up to date on your tetanus

shots with all the rust and dirt around.

Have I scared you off yet? No? Good. A little bit of caution goes a long way in reducing the risks inherent in

trespassing, and the experience is well worth it. For those with an interest in studying urban decay firsthand,

let’s go over some good exploration behavior. continued on page 19

URBANEXPLORATIONASBESTOS,THE POLICE, AND YOUHAUS “T

he P

orta

l” b

y ke

f

19

HAUSYou’ve hypothetically found an abandoned building of interest, and the weather is nice (just kidding; this is Boston). Resist the temptation, reckless explorers! Now is the time for reconnaissance. First, you want to do some comprehensive Google searching on this place. Learn as much about it as you can. If you’re lucky, other explorers will have written a field report. If not, you may still get a hint of important details like structural damage or police presence. At the very least, knowing some of the building’s history makes it easier to make sense of your findings. Next, you want to do a drive-by to check the building out from outside during the day. Bring a camera if you’ve got one; more on that later. Get an idea of its layout and take notice of any visual damage. Keep an eye out for security cameras and motion detectors; I’ve never seen them on an abandoned site, but it has been known to happen on occasion. If police approach you now, it’s probably not a good idea to come back. If you have time and patience, stake the place out for the hours you’d like to spend exploring and see if any patrols come by. I’ve never done this, but it couldn’t hurt. Finally, it’s time to go ‘sploring. You (and the friend or three you should bring) must have a flashlight and a cellphone. You should bring some masks to protect your throat and lungs from dust, mold, asbestos, and such. I frequently neglect this, and will probably regret it a decade down the road when my black, cancerous lungs collapse. As space allows, consider bringing a spare flashlight and walkie-talkies. Remember the camera? Bring it again. Even if you’re not using it to take pictures of urban decay, it’s your best bet of showing the cops that you’re not there to cause trouble. Their first assumption upon seeing you is that you’re there to do drugs, make drugs, squat, vandalize, or strip the building for its copper pipes. Showing them your camera and explaining that you’re a photographer won’t magically make trespassing legal, but it will help your odds of leniency. Dealing with police will be the subject of a later article. No matter how well you’ve prepared, exploring a building should be done carefully. Avoid shining lights around in front of windows; it’s the best way to tell nosy neighbors and cops where you are. Never split up; you don’t want to rely on cell reception in an industrial basement. Most importantly: at all times, watch where you’re stepping. Rusty objects, stagnant puddles, and unstable footing are all bad news. I’ve seen a friend step into knee-deep mud around a paper mill but she got it easy; I had stepped on a rusty nail only two hours earlier. Some older or damaged buildings might have unsound floors that should be avoided. Tricks and techniques for exploring damaged buildings may be the subject of a later article. That’s all for this one, though. Check back for adventure stories, photos, site reports, and more advice. Be safe and have fun, adventurers!

ASBESTOS, THE POLICE, AND YOU (from p. 18)“Cartoon Click” by kef

20

I live up in the clouds.Reality is not for me.

People say I should come down.That the clouds are not

a place for grownups to be..I smile at them.

Maybe one day, I say.Maybe one day I will come down.

But I never will.Reality is not for me.I shall stay up here.

The view is quite breathtaking.-UNKNOWN

JUST A FEELING IN MY CHESTMR. COSMIC CHARLIE

She’s wearing gemstone hand-bones--

Keeps them tucked deep in her pockets,

and you’d never guess by how she hangs her head.

Like she’s nothing to be proud of--

Like she’s got nothing to show,

and how she acts as though she might as well be

dead.

I want to show her something--

want to show her what we see

But it is turning to be quite a foggy day.

I need to tell her something--

There is something she should hear,

but i am never sure exactly what to say.

I watch her walking down the cobblestone--

She’s barefoot like the summer

but it’s cold, and she don’t ever seem to care.

I watch her walking down the cobblestone--

looking for ever-numb-er.

See her walkin', and I always wonder where.

Out of tune, she sings the blues--

To me it always sounds just right;

A voice like honey spilling slowly from her mouth.

I asked her what she’s singin' ‘bout,--

she asked me gently where I’m goin',

So I told her how I'm slowly headed west.

Let slip some laughter from her lips--

a sound sweeter than song,

and asked me, “Why not flying south like all the

rest?”

And in that moment I had learned

the girl who lives behind her face.

Smiling, I told her, “Just a feeling in my chest.”

“Goin’ to See the Mountain Man”by Jeremiah Bullfrog

21“Papillion” by kef

MY BERNADINEKRAKATOA BLOWOUT

Sometimes I think to myself that this just might be the end.

The world’s an unforgiving place that surely makes no amends

to the righteous and the heartfelt who have worked so hard towards

a democratic society where there would be no unjust wars.

Dead civilians and debts of billions, it’s all been here before.

Brains were filled and momentum built until it crashed into the floor

and caused a fiery explosion that left three of our kind dead:

you and me and anyone else with a damn thing in their heads.

But they weren’t supposed to stop us. We swore that nothing would.

Not the cage or the grave or the threat of enslave meant we’d give it up for good.

No, we mocked ‘em in the courthouse and we fought ‘em in the streets,

sent armies to the ROTC building and smashed it piece by piece!

Oh, its crumbles held our world-to-be, participatory democracy,

and a mystical sensation that confirmed that We Are Free!

But fast-forward a good forty years and see it all for naught:

tycoons control, eat up petrol, and make sure their wars are fought.

Oh, the revolution’s a baby-boomer that came a lifetime too soon.

Or maybe too late. The grip of the State left it dying in the womb.

Now I know that we’ve been duly warned to learn from past mistakes.

History reared its ugly head and left us with a twisted fate:

a world of subjugation where the rich keep taking more,

and divides so large that the ones in charge can barely recognize the poor.

Well, the movements may have faltered and their goals remain unmet,

but this restitution for revolution will certainly not forget

the impatience and divisiveness that tore Students apart.

Reform will flow both fast and slow; rebellion won’t just start.

So fret not my dear, although it appears that we’re stuck in this mess too,

the winds of change travel very long range and rush between me and you.

Oh, the world beckons towards us as we long for greater things,

looking forward to the honesty that enlightenment will bring.

So stick with me and perhaps we’ll see places so pure and pristine,

where the weather’s always overhead and you’re my Bernadine.

“Hell” by kef

RIDGES & VALLEYSKEF

There we were, on that vertical edge of the earth, arms spread wide at the love radiating for and from the sun,

absorbing the light and sharing it between us. The sun, it dripped from your hair, down your forehead, onto

my nose. And it warmed our mouths, and it fell in brilliant pools on the uneven grass, where it rose again as

a scintillating mist from beneath our feet. Our bare feet, squeezing the cool mud between our toes with

ecstasy. Our simple pink hands, dancing a drunken waltz across our backs, meeting for a

champagne-dressed embrace in the strawberry and tangerine aura. Beginning the Charleston at Violet's

ostentatious explosion, dah dah DAH! Dah dah DAH! Switch, switch, dah-dah dah DAH! The moon slowed

the dancers and the sun trickled down the steep inclines on either side, and the holes in the sky basked us in

heaven's lavender rays, forever, for a moment. The sweet breeze was tinted acrid as the cuts on my hands and

legs smarted, no longer soothed by Mother Sun's patient hands. From my blissful perch on your chest I

opened an eye towards that rocky incline I had so anxiously scrambled up as the sun teased me playfully

from the ridge. I closed the curtains again, falling back, but this time when I dug my raw toes into the damp

earth I thought of your path along this muddy ridge, and its continuation, inevitably invisible by the solo of

the morning dew. A drop of rain fell, and my whole body ached with the hope that it might pour and pour in

a torrential fanfare of nature's freedom, so much that we'd both be washed down the other side and into the

rushing river to wake upon an island or some new mossy shore. When the rain met my lips, I realized the sea

spray came from ocean-hued depths, not that velvet-and-diamond tapestried extravagance hung above our

dizzy hair. It was then that I was lost, like a tuesday in a childhood, like a ballpoint thought after a

summertime swim. I found myself again abandoned in the far-off glare of Mother Sun, parched and dusty,

halfway down the other side, sliding down the gravel, yellow dirt in ruby gashes, surrounded by mud turned

cruel mosaics. You and the sun spoke for a moment, and both disappeared - you along the ridge and the sun

over the edge. Now, the valley I'm in, it ain't so sunny.

22

23

Knowing a great dealis not the same as being smart;

intelligence is not information alonebut also judgment, the manner in which

information is collected and used...The use of our intelligence

quite properly gives us pleasure.In this respect the brainis like a muscle.

When we think well, we feel good.Understanding is a kind of ecstasy.”

-CARL SAGAN

I

revelations

year of our lord, 2011:

if the second coming ever did

occur,

not a god damn one of us would

be saved.

astronomers have estimated the

diameter

of the observable

three-dimensional universe

to be ninety-three billion

light-years.

statisticians have figured that

forty percent of Americans

do not believe in evolution.

II

revolutions

if convenience is

equated with necessity,

you aren’t coming back.

retrace the roots

of our society and the

chains reveal themselves.

the powerful

have always been

the powerful.

TRIBULATIONSKRAKATOA BLOWOUT

III

ars poetica

internally-realized &

externally-prescribed

insignificancy

differ astronomically.

why?

oh, you.

“Sunny Flower” by Pandacat

24

“Technicolor Cave Art” by Aria Decuore

You’ve hypothetically found an abandoned building of interest, and the weather is nice (just kidding; this is Boston). Resist the temptation, reckless explorers! Now is the time for reconnaissance. First, you want to do some comprehensive Google searching on this place. Learn as much about it as you can. If you’re lucky, other explorers will have written a field report. If not, you may still get a hint of important details like structural damage or police presence. At the very least, knowing some of the building’s history makes it easier to make sense of your findings. Next, you want to do a drive-by to check the building out from outside during the day. Bring a camera if you’ve got one; more on that later. Get an idea of its layout and take notice of any visual damage. Keep an eye out for security cameras and motion detectors; I’ve never seen them on an abandoned site, but it has been known to happen on occasion. If police approach you now, it’s probably not a good idea to come back. If you have time and patience, stake the place out for the hours you’d like to spend exploring and see if any patrols come by. I’ve never done this, but it couldn’t hurt. Finally, it’s time to go ‘sploring. You (and the friend or three you should bring) must have a flashlight and a cellphone. You should bring some masks to protect your throat and lungs from dust, mold, asbestos, and such. I frequently neglect this, and will probably regret it a decade down the road when my black, cancerous lungs collapse. As space allows, consider bringing a spare flashlight and walkie-talkies. Remember the camera? Bring it again. Even if you’re not using it to take pictures of urban decay, it’s your best bet of showing the cops that you’re not there to cause trouble. Their first assumption upon seeing you is that you’re there to do drugs, make drugs, squat, vandalize, or strip the building for its copper pipes. Showing them your camera and explaining that you’re a photographer won’t magically make trespassing legal, but it will help your odds of leniency. Dealing with police will be the subject of a later article. No matter how well you’ve prepared, exploring a building should be done carefully. Avoid shining lights around in front of windows; it’s the best way to tell nosy neighbors and cops where you are. Never split up; you don’t want to rely on cell reception in an industrial basement. Most importantly: at all times, watch where you’re stepping. Rusty objects, stagnant puddles, and unstable footing are all bad news. I’ve seen a friend step into knee-deep mud around a paper mill but she got it easy; I had stepped on a rusty nail only two hours earlier. Some older or damaged buildings might have unsound floors that should be avoided. Tricks and techniques for exploring damaged buildings may be the subject of a later article. That’s all for this one, though. Check back for adventure stories, photos, site reports, and more advice. Be safe and have fun, adventurers!

Dear Reader,

Just by picking this up and reading it, you're one of the most awesome people we've never met. We'd love to get to know you. Do you want to get involved or submit some of your work? E-mail us at submit@happycollective.com. We're all in this world together and we want to help you make a difference.

Sincerely,Jimmy Jazz and the rest of the staff of The Happy Collective

Note: Some of the original work has been edited for content and grammar.

T H A N K S F O R R E A D I N G !