Special Relationship

Even though I can't be here much at the moment, I'm still pleased to see so much love in the world!! Babylon a complex place for sure.



Soon come!

SuperDread
x

Greetings. A message from SuperDread's sponsor

Due to internet connection problems at home SuperDread has been forced to lay low for a while. Right now he is at the office of his broadband provider kicking butt and "telling de people dem about demselves!!"

Hopefully the problems will be resolved soon.

Until then, he told me to tell you to keep the faith, love JAH and live, and to give thanks and praises to His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I Iverytime. Itinually.

Thank you for your support, interest and kind feedback.

Stay Blessed.

Shawn Naphtali

Shashamane Pride

On my way home, I flew over Ithiopia and rested a while in Shashamane.

I thought of all the good things this world has to offer.

Laughter

Love

Life

and many other things besides.

I flew around a while and bathed in the clouds.

I took off my boots and felt the grass between my toes, and flew through the storms and let my locks soak up JAH's water, and let the wind batter them dry.

The world has so much good to offer. It felt good to be alive. I looked through the ground and saw the guards patrolling the underground chambers.

The air felt different somehow. Cleaner. Fresher. Less polluted.

My mobile phone rang. It was my wife Mindread

"Hey baby. You coming home soon? The kids want you to read them a story in bed."

"I'll be right there."




Image adapted from:
http://www.supermanimagery.com/images/wall/Superman-cape-clouds1.jpg

Change Clothes

All gathered back at the old man's house, everone was pleased with how the battle went. They Reasoned on strategy of how to keep the chamber contained. Some felt it was impossible, and other felt, with focus and unity, that it was achievable. No matter these differences, everyone agreed they would try their best.

They all fell silent and looked at me.

"You've done well young SuperDread." said Highness.

I was confused. "Hmm. I didn't really do anything....."

Trod Garvey interrupted.

"You played your role. Step one in your trod as defender of Rastafari truths and rights."

"Uhmm." I still wasn't sure. "Thank you, I think."

Wrap Girl entered the room and handed me a package, telling to open it and put on the contents.

The group averted their eyes as I got undressed and re-dressed. It was a green SuperSuit carrying the sign of the Lion of Judah. (Selassie Live!!!! RASpect.)






The old man explained.

"It is time you cast off the colours of your cousin, the so-called SuperMan, and found your own identity. This is the first step. Next step you will cast off your given name and adopt a new one. The third and forth step and beyond I will mention at the time."

I didn't know anything about these steps. I'm learning new things everyday. I was as excited as a child.

"When will the next step be? When can I wear the Lion of Judah logo? What name will I be given? I've got the name SuperDread - that wasn't my given name. Why will I have to change it again? How? What? Where? When? Why?"

The old man grew visibly angry.

"One step at a time! All will be revealed when the time is right. Time will tell."







The old man continued.

"And you needed a new suit anyway, as that blue one of yours was starting to stink!!!"




Image adapted from:
http://www.ai.mit.edu/lab/olympics/99/cover/superman.gif

Work done for now

When all the labels had been changed, the army gave their salutations and went seperate ways, though a few thousand stayed behind to keep guard - changing signs whenever new ones appeared.

Trod Garvey explained.

"The shitstym is self-serving and self-sufficiant. It doesn't need maintanance, as it just keeps evolving like a capitalist machine rolling downhill. It doesn't need maintanance as it has become natural and a part of nature. For most of us, judging eachother has become a natural survival instinct. Whether we like it or not, we feed and maintain the shitstym. New labels will always appear. It is up to InI army to Itinually tear dem down!"

Reasoning as they went, my new friends let go of the captors and made their way back to where I was still sat, one eye still on the tv screen. Sweat had drenched my SuperSuit. The old man appeared and gave me a glass of water, interrupting my praying. He said it was ok for me to now stop.

Faith into Works (part 2)

As I prayed, I kept one eye open and watched my Idrins on the tv screen.

Moving as one body, the 144,000 swpet into the underground chambers and took down the signs, and replaced them with blank ones. Fly Fro look slightly annoyed.

"So basically I memorised all a dem blasted signs for no reason?!?"

He kissed his teeth. Black Cat laughed and patted his afro. He humbled himself, and went around the corner and took out his comb, repairing any damage she might have done. He then glanced up and in the darkness looked into the eyes of one of the babes in the testtubes. He put the comb away.



I prayed for them non-stop for hours - 20 hours to be exact. It wasn't the most riviting television I have to admit, but seeing them all work as a team was pure pleasure. Events took a sharp turn & halt when they reached the smaller elite chamber. They debated about changing the labels to more working class roles or destroying it altogether. Many were angry that these elite few were, in the future, to be seemingly in control of the rest of the masses; them, their children and their children's children. Many tears were shed in anger, frustration and desperation. But looking eachother in the eye they knew what the right thing was to do.

They replaced the aristocratic signs with blank ones.

Trod Garvey looked the transparent children in the eye, turned his back and walked away.



Soundtrack: Aswad - "Warrior Charge"

The Battle with the Shitstym (Channel Four) - Highness

I switched the tv remote to Channel Four.

Genre: Religious programming

I watched Highness travel the earth, in the opposite direction of Trod Garvey and SoulJah-Ites over on Channel One. With power she spread the Word Sound of the discovery of the underground system to the masses of the people, telling them it was time to listen to Bro Marley's words to emancipate themselves from mental slavery. That they themselves had to free their minds.

She told the masses of the people they were victim to the system and subjected to the mind control of others pre-judging things about them, and also they themselves perpetuated and strengthened the system by pre-judging others also. She preached it was time to stop that Babylonian thinking, and the only way to free our minds is to weaken the signal from the system, which will allow it to be destroyed from within.

As expected, some people listened, and some didn't. Highness recited the passage Matthew 11:15 under her breath throughout her mission.

She used every possible opportunity at her disposal to spread the message. At SuperSpeed in just a few hours she:

> gave a lecture tour
> released a hip-hop record
> wrote & released a book
> released a reggae record
> appeared on Oprah
> released an emo record
> rolled out an advertising campaign in billboards, magazines and tv
> released a pop record
> wrote a blog

I was impressed by her work ethic. Definitely!

After Highness had finished spreading the word across the globe, she went to the Education HQ to join the others. They were all there. Trod Garvey and SoulJah-Ites had amassed an impressive army of wisdom seekers. By the looks of it, they were approximately 144,000 strong, give or take a few.

They discussed the plan of going into the underground shitstym and replacing all the labels, but then a child in the crowd asked what new ones would the write. Some people offered things like lawyers, company executives, judges. The child wasn't impressed.

"Is that the best you can suggest?"

No one had an answer.

Another child in the crowd (the only other child there as it happens) offered a solution.

"I don't think you should replace the labels at all. Leave them all blank. That way we will become what we want to become. It will be up to us to decide what our label is."

Everyone "mmmmm'd" in agreement.

"JAH", someone shouted.

"RASTAFARI", they all shouted back.




The camera cut to close up of the second child. He looked deep into the lens.

"Yeah, and I hope that SuperDread is praying for us to keep us safe, and not just sitting there watching us on tv!!"

I jumped off the sofa in shock. By the time I landed back on the sofa the only image on the tv was the sight of me reflected back at myself.

Seems like I was now the star of my own hidden camera show.

"Let us pray......"

Soundtrack for Channel Four:
Bob Marley - "Redemption Song", and Brand Nubian - "Meaning of the 5%"


Photograph taken from:
http://www.nandotimes.com/nt/images/century/photos/century0263.html

The Battle with the Shitstym (Channel Three) - Black Cat & Fly Fro

I switched to Channel Three.

Genre: Athletics

I watched as Black Cat and Fly Fro entered the Education HQ, saying hi to Wrap Girl and Fiyah Man keeping guard on the captures as they made their way to the brick wall that secures the underground chamber.

Fly Fro sized up the 10 metre thick wall, then in deep meditation ran at it at high speed with his head lowered. His huge afro crashed into the wall and demolished the bricks into a pile of dust.

He took out his afro comb and picked out the dust from his hair, and patted it back into smooth shape.




Black Cat stepped through the hole and glanced around. It was her job to assess how big this cavern was, and to log all of the labels. She firmly held Fly Fro's hand.

"I hope you're a fast reader with a good memory!" She said.

At the speed of light she ran through the dark caverns dragging Fly Fro behind. Together they sped through the underground maze which they calculated spanned the entire globe, underneath every continent. Together they shed a tear looking into the faces of the ghost like children with their labels of destiny.

In one corner they found a much smaller secluded chamber, which comprised of about 10% of the whole system. It was much better lit than everywhere else, which contained a minority of children's images with the labels overhead reading things like "aristocrat", "Lord", "Lady", "Duke", "Duchess", etc, etc. In the rest of the system, in the other dark, depressing 90%, the labels were far less glamorous.

Together Black Cat and Fly Fro memorised the labels, and sped back to the whole in the wall to tell the others. When they landed, Fly Fro took out his comb and patted his windswept afro back into shape.

Soundtrack for Channel Three: Bob Marley - "Concrete Jungle"

The Battle with the Shitstym (Channel Two) - Wrap Girl & Fiyah Man

I switched to Channel Two.

Genre: Hollywood action movie

I watched in awe as Wrap Girl and Fiyah Man descended onto the HQ of the Ministry of Education and - without killing a singe person - they managed to fight their way through security and knock everyone unconscious (a bit like that scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day - but without the guns!). Rounding up everyone (200 people) into the main hall area, Wrap Girl took out a spare headwrap and swiftly tied up every single person with their backs to eachother.

Fiyah Man was impressed. He whispered to her.

"How long do you think that will hold them?"

"It's made out of cloth 100 times stronger than any metal. It can hold them forever if you want to. But they've probably got friends and family. We should let them go in 24 hours if we can."

Fiyah Man agreed. He sent a text message to the others to confirm the schedule, and to tell them the coast was now clear to proceed forward.

Soundtrack to Channel Two: Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"

The Battle with the Shitstym (Channel One) - Trod Garvey & SoulJah-Ites

As I sat down to watch the battle, the TV went bust. I got up hit it hard, and after what seemed life an absolute age, the picture came back. About time!!!

I got the remote control and turned it to Channel One

Genre: Reality TV (aka Observational documentary)

I watched Trod Garvey and SoulJah-Ites travel the globe for the torch bearers of indigenous wisdom, gathering their physical and emotional strength in the hope of raising an army. I listened as Trod explained to the wise what we had found. They confirmed that it is the pre-judgments made on the masses of people by the minority; that keeps the minority in power and the majority in servitude.

When they found out about the underground system which perpetrates this oppression, they couldn't wait to get their hands dirty.

Soundtrack for Channel One: Tony Rebel - "Loyal SoulJah"

The Revolution will be Televised

I was slightly confused and dissapointed I have to admit. I wanted to see action, but I had to pray.

Out of no where the old man appeared, frightening me half to death. He sat next to me and spoke.

"Do you remember what you said at the beginning of this blog thing you're doing?"

"Uh, no." I admit I'd forgotten.

"I quote - 'Some ones in this for glory, but I know this ain't no joke thing.' - and then you went on to tell your sister Storm that this wasn't about your ego, but was serious Works to help others, and not to glorify yourself."

"Yeah, I think I remember saying that. But, how did you know I said that"

"I read your blog"

I was now very confused.

"My point is....", he continued, ".....get your head out the sulk pit and swallow your pride. At the moment you're more of use here than there."

"I suppose so...."

I noticed the old man glance over at me.

"Look, if you really want to see the action then turn on that."

He pointed to a huge wide screen high definition plasma screen that was on the far wall. I don't remember seeing it there before.

On the screen I could flick between the channels and see all the posse in action, in battle with the shitstym. I was stunned.

"By the way...." I said to the old man. "Who exactly are you?"

No answer.

I turned to look at him, but he was no longer there.

My attention went back to the big screen.

Faith into Works (part 1)

We sat at that table for the next 48 hours solid, without food or water or even a bathroom break, with Trod trying to convince us that his plan was the right way. Finally Highness summed up our Reasoning.

"It seems that Idrin Trod Garvey has the most knowledge in this matter, and an Elder InI must trust that judgement for now. We can't talk anymore."

We all nodded silently. Highness continued. She took charge without apology.

"Idrin Trod, you go gather your army as we will need more bodies than are in this room. SoulJah-Ites will help you."

They nodded. She continued.

"Sista Wrap, you in charge of getting us into the chamber and securing the area from anyone stopping our Work. Fiyah Man will help you."

They nodded. She continued.

"Black Cat, you're in charge of seeing just how big the chamber is and logging what the labels are, and what they need to be changed to. Fly Fro will help you."

They nodded. She continued.

"I will go and spread the word amongst I Idrin & Sistrin around the world, to tell them to look for the shitstym in their area to support the Works of Trod's army, and to be extra carful in protecting themselves from the shitsym's negative vibrations. After that I will help Black Cat with her Works."

That was it. They all gave eachother best wishes and talked aboutmeeting again soon.

I coughed. I coughed again.

"Uhm......what about me? What can I do?"

Highness looked in the direction of Trod. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"You 'ave one of de mos' important jobs fi do mi Idrin. It is you who haf'fi pray to JAH Itinually for InI strength & guidance, an' to counter de negative vibration of the shitsym with de positive vibrations of Rastafari. That is your Works mi Idrin."

"Oh......and I have to do that alone?"

"You won't be alone mi Idrin, beleive dat. You won't be alone in dat Works."

The Shitstym

Black Cat and I had a conference with the others. Trod Garvey confirmed InI worst fears - that what we had found was always suspected to be there, but never proven. He described it as the "underground unconscious system of pre-judgements that influence the world above".

The magnitude of his description hit home. I had to check some facts.

"So, you don't think this is just underground in England?"

Trod leant forward, his dreadedlocked beard folded into the table. His voice was deliberatly low.

"If you 'ave foun' what I t'ink you 'ave foun', that underground network span the whole earth."

The whole underground chamber apparently has transmitters that sends a signal of vibrations through the earth. The aim of the vibrations is to influence people to think in certain ways about others. No one really knows how the chamber came into being, but it is thought that it has been there for thousands of years, and is the reason why the world is as it is. Some people are more influenced by it's signal than others, but it is powerful in keeping the world ticking with people in their place.


[picture to come]


Fiyah Man had heard enough.

"Come let we go bun fiyah pon de whole shit-stym and let Babylon fall and crumble."

There were echoes of approval throughout the room, but Trod had some words of caution.

"InI have to be very careful. The system is so powerful and has been there for so long, that it controls even InI minds even in the tiniest of ways without InI even realising it."

SoulJah-Ites kissed his teeth loudly. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Wha? Ya try fi tell me dat de shitsym a control mi mind. Dat a pure folly an' I vote come let we go bruk down de place an' free up de people dem minds!"

Everyone in the room agreed and jumped to their feet ready to fly off, but Trod sent a forcefield around the room to stop anybody leaving. He was Elder and commanded RASpect, so InI humbled ourselves and listened.

"D'ere is no doubt dat de chamber has to be destroyed, but not with force, but by intelligence. If we go in dere and just bruk down de place, it will just grow back even more powerful. InI 'ave fi give de illussion dat not'ing 'as changed, and mek the entire shitstm implode in on itself."

I was intreaged by his plan.

"And how do we do that?"

"SuperDread, you say you and Black Cat saw labels above the boxes of children."

"Yeah...."

"Well, InI haf'fi get in dere, an' change all de labels."


[picture to come]

The Unbelievable Truth

Sensing I was feeling a little sensitive about the whole school thing, Black Cat appeared out of nowhere and volunteered to go with me to meet the government’s Head of Education. Black Cat was also a teacher in her downtime from being a SuperHero, so had an added interest.

Descending on the education department, strangely we were faced with security more stringent than the Ministry of Defence. This aroused our suspicions immediately. We were in civilian clothes so had to act fast. At the speed of light Black Cat sped through the building, past all the security checks unnoticed, and located the centre of operations. It was a brick wall, deep underground. With a Super high-pitched whisper she told me what she had found, and then came back and picked me up, and went back again, all at 299792458 miles per second. When she dropped me at the foot of the brick wall, I felt a bit queasy I have to admit. I’ve never been a good passenger, especially at those speeds.

Using our x-ray eyes we looked through the wall. It was 10 metres thick, and was made up of tunnels and caverns that spread underneath and across the whole of Britain like the nation’s veins and arteries. Even with SuperPowers it wasn’t easy to see this far. Even so, we weren’t prepared for what we found. What we saw wasn't the Head of Education. It was far far more important and sinister.

(Yes, believe it or not, far more sinister than any politician. Hard to imagine I know!)


The Ministry of Education

Looking a little like a gigantic computer generated laboratory, row after row after row after row of boxes inbed into the walls. There were millions of them, all arranged into a small range of different categories: Class, Ethnicity, Gender, Age, Religion, and a few others, including one titled ‘Future role’. Black Cat noticed the name of the entire underground enclosure was called ‘The National Census’.

“Hmmm. Interesting.”

In the boxes I could just about see childlike bodies that looked slightly transparent. I set my x-ray vision to extra strength and scanned all the faces I could, scared of what I would see but still obsessed to see it. I strained my eyes so much my eyes began to water and ache. After 30 minutes of x-ray staring I was about to give up, but then I saw it. The faces of my children. Transparent. Categorised. Pre-determined. Fate already decided. I can’t even articulate what this man made computer had decided for my children, and for your children also. I can’t even say what categories they had already been herded in to. It was too depressing to comprehend.

InI have to get into this enclosure and break down this system of oppression. But couldn’t do this alone. Not even with Black Cat.

We will have to call our friends.


Image adapted from:
http://www.magres.net/~vlk/outcast/screens.htm

This ain't no Joke!

For further information (updated 11th Sept):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/5332918.stm

Image adapted from:
http://www.angelfire.com/comics/edmcguinness/cryingsupes.JPG

Back to School

My SuperHero work took an interesting turn recently. My daughter has just started 'big school' and I walked her on my way to work. Chatting with her as we walked, she dropped a bombshell of a revelation.

"So, what's your teacher like?"

"Oh he's ok. He said I should join the athletics team."

"That's interesting. When did he see you run?"

"He hasn't."

"When did he see you jump?"

"He didn't."

"So what made him suggest you join the athletic team?"

"Well, on the first day he asked each of us in the class what our ambitions were. I said I wanted to be a scientist. He said I could do a lot worst than joining the athletics team."

"How many people did he say that to?"

"Only me and those two other black kids I was telling you about. I can't remember their names."

"Hmmmm."



As soon as I got to work, the first person I rang to sell some non-stick saucepans was the Government's Head of Education. Of course he bought a full set, which I will soon deliver personally.

How convenient.....

Image adapted from:
http://superman.ws/Costumes/colors/survived.jpg

Ital Interlude

After such an eventful week, meeting new SuperFriends and starting a new job, I kind of needed to meditate on things and find a bit a peace for a while.

To take a bit of time out of the rat race and relax for a while.

To close my eyes and stop thinking.

To turn off the mobile phone and the emergency beeper.

To turn down the volume and slow down the world.

To have a moment.

To give thanks to JAH for Ivrything.

To count my Blessings.

Close Call

At lunch time from my mind numbing job, I called my wife Mindread to tell her about meeting all my new SuperHero friends.

I told her all about their special powers and their wisdom and everything I had learned. I was so excited I wanted to burst. I asked her what she thought about it all.

"That's great honey, but I've already made a few changes!"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you thought those Trump Cards with the different percentages were really clever, but they were disRASpectful. So I've made a few changes to save your ass."

"What do you mean? They all scored a lot higher than me! I only got 50% for intelligence!"

"Trust me. Take another look at them."

We said our goodbyes and I went back to eating my Ital lunch.

Mindread was always one step ahead of me. Watching my back. Woman's intuition I guess. (You'll get to meet her soon.)

I went back to my desk and put on the headphones.

"Hello, is that the owner of the house? Can I interest you in buying a personalised leather bound Bible?"

Noun and Verb

Reasoning with my new Super Idrins, I was greatly enlightened and realised certain things.

In no particular order;

• Rastafari is the world's best kept secret.
• SuperHeroes are everywhere and not all related to me or from my close knit community of Krypton, as I was previously led to believe.
• Everyone has got a specific role to play in the struggle for justice and equality, and some carry this out as SuperHeroes, and others do it as everyday normal people.
• That no matter how good I think my 'Crystal chamber' memorizing education had been, these 6 Rasses knew more about everything than I ever could. They even knew more about me than I knew myself.
• That the term 'Rastafari' is not only a noun, but crucially also a verb.

After we had finished Reasoning together, the old man made a surprise appearence.

"It's time you got to work." He said, directed at me alone.

I leapt up. "Where the emergency? Is someone in trouble?"

"No. It's time you went to work. You don't want to be late."

"Oh!" I said

With that I said a temporary farewell to my new SuperFriends and headed out the door. I had to start my shift at the Call Centre in 10 minutes.

I walked fast.

Roll of Honour

Trump card adapted from:
http://www.thepunishermerchandise.com/trading_cards/ccg_sets/top_trumps/trump_2-front.jpg

Love of Friends

As I approached the old man's house I had a feeling that I hadn't experienced in many years. The presence of Home. Not house. HOME.

The old man came to the door.

"Where is it?" He asked.

"What?"

"My coin."

I took it out of my pocket and gave it to him. He walked inside the house, and I guessed I should follow. He walked all the way through the house and straight into the back garden. For a small terraced house on the outside, on the inside was like a huge mansion with many rooms. The garden though was bare, in contrast with the beauty of the interior. He tossed the coin into the air.

Rather than coming straight back down, as gravity dictates, the coin went up and up and up, and shone as bright as a star. It gradually changed shape and infront of my eyes I could now see the outline of an ultraviolet Lion wide across sky. The image was impossible to see unless you had SuperEyes. I presume the old man did.

The earth began to shake and the walls of the house began to vibrate. Across the sky I could see seven trails of smoke. The old man smiled for the first time.

"Here they come now. Your new friends. From this point onwards, you are your borthers keeper, and your sisters also. The same rule applies to them."

I looked across to the old man to thank him, and also to ask him who he was, but by the time my eyes had reached his position, he had dissapeared.

"Greetings and welcome beloved. JAH Guidance & Itection!" the seven chorused. I repeated my pleasure to meet them.

"It is good you have called us." one of them said, "There is much Work to do. But first, let's Reason."

"JAH" he shouted out.

"RASTAFARI. SELASSIE I" we all replied back.



Image adapted from:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/asimov/20/disco5.html

Love of Family

The following day my shift at the call centre didn't start until 2pm, so I tried to make myself useful around the house; cleaning, cooking, playing with the children, that kind of thing. It was lovely, and long overdue.

My wife made me stand up and nodded towards the door.

"It's time for Work."

I looked at the clock. "It's only 12 o'clock. I've got ages until my shift starts."

"No, it's time for your other Work. It's time you met the old man. It's time you met the Others." she said.

"How do you know so much about all of this?" I asked curioulsy and suspiciously.

"I'm your wife. I know everything!"



Original image by Victor Thomas (copyright retained)
http://www.prisonart.org/artwork/ink_art/ink_art.htm

Waiting for the Sun

By the time I got home from my SuperHero duties my wife and children were all in bed.

I dared not wake them up, so I waited for sun to rise, watching over the house.

I prayed to JAH that I was doing the right thing by coming here.

I prayed to JAH to give me the strength to carry out this Work without fear.

I prayed to JAH forever keep His praise on my tongue and in my mind.

I prayed to JAH that one day I will be able to take my family back Home, and relax.

I closed my eyes, and inhaled the clouds.



Image adapted from: http://theages.superman.ws/History/all-star/