AN INFANT LIES HELPLESSLY ON THE FLOOR, feet kicking playfully in the air, while a scorpion approaches slowly, stinger poised for the strike. Drink Pepsi! A drunken, disheveled man with a gun pounds on the door of his ex-girlfriend, shouting "I know you're in there!" with whiskey breath and a slur. Drink Coke!

Sometimes the simple proximity of phrases can evoke strong reactions among the reader. In the examples above, the exhortations to enjoy certain popular beverages are placed amidst passages implying danger or violence. If these were television advertisements, they would do little to encourage sales. It is surprising, then, in our world of violence and conflict, that we still have time for leisure and relaxation. Why don't the images of pain around us impact our enjoyment of life? Is it because we have, over time, become desensitized? Are we becoming emotionally numb? Pine Tree State Mind Control encourages numbness. Only by becoming soulless robots can we continue to do well psychologically in a bitter, cold world. This is a good thing. Our slogan is "Art versus Reality versus The Soul". For years this war has raged in our society. The Reality of hate and discontent tear at our Souls, trying to destroy us emotionally. Through repeated exposure to violence and mayhem in the popular media, we have managed to distance ourselves from these malign forces. Now when we see real violence (i.e., right in front of you where you can influence the situation), we can in effect build a television screen around it in our minds. By treating reality as though it was really art, we can insulate ourselves from it. Television news coverage of wars and crime makes it easier for us, the nonparticipants, to see those images in real life. "What, another ethnic cleansing in Rwanda? Who cares? I already saw that in Bosnia." When Pine Tree State Mind Control has completed our work, the murder and terror on the evening news will be accompanied by a laugh track. You insulate your house for comfort. Why not insulate your mind, too?

What if I said that the scorpion and infant example above was something from a made-for-TV movie? It's not so bad to handle now. In fact, the "Drink Pepsi" is more like a TV commercial. But what if I said that the drunken creep was something that happens several times a week across the US, often resulting in homicide? Now the "Drink Coke" is a tasteless, shameful plug.

But who cares? Watch television, eat a hearty meal, and relax. Nothing bad ever happens in real life. Take a nap.

                                EMPTY

"Pepsi" is a trademark of Pepsico, Inc. "Coke" is a trademark of Cocacola. Neither company is related to, nor do they endorse Pine Tree State Mind Control. We like to think it's because they don't know us yet.