Friday, January 27. 2017
In Conversation With Henry Rollins
'Punk icon and lead singer for the ground-breaking Black Flag and Rollins Band, Henry Rollins is also a journalist, author, publisher, actor, and globe-trotter. This multi-disciplinary performer calls on his extensive experience and talents as a spoken word artist to deliver a sometimes biting critique of some of the most controversial aspects of American culture. A skilled wordsmith, Rollins pulls no punches in his efforts to raise public awareness to the issues that concern him. An outspoken straight talker, he promises to deliver a hard-hitting and enthralling talk.'
Tuesday, January 24. 2017
Third Eye Drops Podcast: Symbol Wars With Douglas Rushkoff & Michael Garfield
Douglas Rushkoff is an American media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer and philosopher.
He has authored works such as Present Shock, Throwing Rocks At The Google Bus and his latest, Aleister And Adolf, a graphic novel exploring the occult warfare that existed between Hitler's Nazi Germany and Aleister Crowley's esoteric Britain during the Second World War.
Also joining in on the discussion is Michael Garfield - a multidisciplinary visionary artist and musician. (Third Eye Drops podcast).
Tuesday, January 17. 2017
Wee Ginger Dug: "Don’t Wait For Permission - Scotland's Future Is In Our Hands"
'There’s no desire for another independence referendum, or so we keep being told. Scotland is perfectly content to be led down paths its people haven’t chosen. We’re happy to get the opposite to what we voted for. We don’t mind that during the independence referendum we were offered a choice between door A behind which was independence or door B behind which was safer faster better change, job security, EU membership, the guarantee that the NHS was safe, and a promise that Scotland would be an equal partner in a family of nations. So Scotland chose door B and discovered that what was behind it was sclerosis, job losses, leaving the EU, and an NHS that the Scottish Government can only protect by making cuts in other spending - a strategy that can’t continue indefinitely. And we discovered the promise that Scotland was an equal partner was just a blatantly cynical lie. Yet if we complain about this the Unionist parties tell us that we chose door B, that’s democracy, respect the result.
'But we do mind. We do care. If politicians lie they need to be held to account. If you’re sold a product that doesn’t do what the seller told you it would you can take it back to the shop and get your money back. We don’t get any redress from the Union.' (The National article).
Monday, January 16. 2017
SpaceX Returns To Flight & Nails Rocket Landing
'A SpaceX rocket flew up, placed a set of satellites in orbit, and dropped back down onto a landing pad in a huge success for the company.
'The successful launch was extra-important because it came four months after a similar rocket went up in a huge fireball, sparking an investigation and potentially derailing Elon Musk's private space company's plans.
'The two-stage rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 9:54 a.m. carrying a payload for Iridium Communications Inc., which is replacing its entire global network with 70 next-generation satellites.
'The satellites were deployed about an hour after launch.
'About nine minutes after the rocket blasted off, to cheers from the control room, its jettisoned first stage landed upright on a so-called droneship in the Pacific Ocean south of Vandenberg - part of SpaceX's effort to make boosters reusable.
'SpaceX has succeeded six times previously with landings on a barge or ashore.
'A camera aboard the first stage gave viewers a you-are-there experience as it returned to Earth, flared landing rockets and made a perfect upright touchdown on the floating pad.' (Independent article).
Sunday, January 15. 2017
Tom Campbell And Jim Elvidge Discuss The Simulation Hypothesis
Panel discussion that brings together two well informed, open-minded perspectives in the ongoing search for answers to the nature of Consciousness, mulling over the evidence supporting a fairly new perspective in science: the notion that this thing we call "Reality" may in fact be a digital simulation. Leading the discussion is physicist Tom Campbell and engineer Jim Elvidge.
'Jim Elvidge is an expert in complex computational systems, holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, a patent holder, and author of The Universe - Solved! With over 20 years of research in cosmology, quantum mechanics, philosophy, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and the paranormal under his belt, Jim has kept pace with the latest theories and discoveries on the cutting edge of scientific understanding. It’s from this breadth of knowledge which he draws in order to present a theory of reality so perfect, so powerful that it explains all known scientific and cultural anomalies - presenting a body of strong evidence which he believes shows that consciousness is the source of Reality itself, rather than simply an artifact of brain function - and that the evidence points toward an apparent "programmed nature of reality" which is based on a self-evolving system.
'There is a significant overlap between the concepts presented in Jim’s writing and ideas, with those of our second panellist - nuclear physicist, author and pioneering consciousness researcher/expert, Thomas Campbell. Tom has been a serious explorer of the frontiers of reality, mind, consciousness, and psychic phenomena since the early 1970s, when he began researching altered states of consciousness with Bob Monroe, and was instrumental in getting the revered Monroe Laboratory up and running. Tom’s book, My Big TOE, represents the results and conclusions of thirty years of careful scientific exploration of the boundaries and contents of reality from both the physical and metaphysical viewpoints, and expresses a model of existence and reality that is based directly on Campbell’s scientific research and first hand experience. His "Theory of Everything" is truly a theory of everything, unifying under one seamless scientific understanding: Science and philosophy, physics and metaphysics, mind and matter, purpose and meaning, the normal and the paranormal, and even objective and subjective realities.'
Saturday, January 14. 2017
Omega Tau Podcast: George Knudsen - A Life In Apollo
With the occasional hilarious story of his time working on the Redstone, Atlas and Apollo programs, this is a highly informative and entertaining interview with rocket engineer George Knudsen.
'George Knudsen started working in 1958 on the Redstone missile and moved on to working on the Atlas ICBM. Later he worked on the Saturn 5 launch vehicle, where he was responsible for the fuel tanks. He was on the launch team at Cape Canaveral for various Apollo missions. In this episode George talks about his work in this fascinating period of science and engineering history.' (Omega Tau podcast).
Friday, January 13. 2017
Douglas Rushkoff Discusses 'Aleister & Adolf'
'Media theorist and documentarian Douglas Rushkoff weaves a mind-bending tale of iconography and mysticism against the backdrop of a battle-torn Europe.
'In a story spanning generations and featuring some of the most notable and notorious idealists of the 20th century, legendary occultist Aleister Crowley develops a powerful and dangerous new weapon to defend the world against Adolf Hitler's own war machine spawning an unconventional new form of warfare that is fought not with steel, but with symbols and ideas.
Unfortunately, these intangible arsenals are much more insidious and perhaps much more dangerous than their creators could have ever conceived.'
Thursday, January 12. 2017
Astral Hustle Podcast - Episode 62
'Cory Allen is a meditation teacher, composer, mastering engineer, and podcast host from Austin, TX.
'Cory has taught hundreds of people the practice of meditation through his guided workshops and delivers lectures on mindfulness and the expansion of human consciousness.'
In this episode, Cory talks about consensus reality being an illusion and finding liberation from our monkey-mind mechanisms through objective thinking. (Astral Hustle podcast).
Wednesday, January 11. 2017
Omega Tau Podcast: Arctic & Antarctic Sea Ice
'The sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the earth is an especially sensitive indicator of the earth’s climate, and in particular, the current overall atmospheric temperature of the planet. It was recently reported to have reached a new low. Our guest, NASA’s Walt Meier explains why this is the case and which processes govern the increase or decrease of the ice. We then discuss how the ice mass is measured based on satellite and how its thickness is estimated based mostly on in-situ measurements. We cover climate modelling and its connection to sea ice and conclude with an outlook on future research.' (Omega Tau podcast).
Tuesday, January 10. 2017
Abby Martin Blasts RT 'Bashing' By ODNI Report And NYT
'Former RT journalist Abby Martin has blasted the US intelligence agencies’ ODNI report along with the New York Times for publishing “egregious lies” about her and RT.
'The NYT article, titled: “Russia’s RT, The Network Implicated in US Election Meddling,” claimed that two RT anchors “quit during live broadcasts” as a result of RT’s propaganda, including Martin. The NYT also claimed that Martin said “the network [RT] is a propaganda outlet.”
'Speaking to RT on Monday, Martin addressed accusations that her work for RT was part of a Kremlin propaganda effort and explained how the NYT falsely reported on her resignation.
'“I’ve never actually gotten directions from Putin himself,” she joked, explaining she was simply “trying to present issues that affect Americans and their communities,” on her show, Breaking The Set, “like reporters in a vibrant democracy should be able to do.”
'“The New York Times is no stranger to false narratives,” Martin said, adding that the media outlet “latched on” to the ODNI report, despite admitting it contained no evidence. “The so-called paper of record,” Martin explained, “hadn’t even bothered to reach out” to her before publishing the story.
'In reality, Martin voiced her views over Russia’s involvement in Crimea during an episode of Breaking The Set. While her statements garnered global press coverage, Martin remained working for RT for a full year after her statements, continuing to voice her opinions and disagreements with Russia’s actions in Ukraine and in relation to the downing of Flight MH-17.' (RT article).
Monday, January 9. 2017
Xmas Avoidance Strategy 2016
As someone who utterly despises everything and anything to do with the dreaded Retailmas, I once again took to the wilderness for the safe and sane option of blissful isolation...
Saturday, August 27. 2016
Unleashing Scotland - Resisting The Chorus Of Caution
Danny McGregor of the Scottish Green Party provides some personal insight into the timing of a second Scottish Independence Referendum...
'There is a view held by some commentators that it is “only a matter of time” before Scotland obtains independence and so we should wait it out for more favourable conditions to manifest.
'Implicit in this argument is that the devolution process started a one-way train towards independence and there is nothing that can be done to stop it, regardless of political developments in the meantime.
'Resting on the idea of a permanent SNP juggernaut or, more broadly, a pro-independence majority being present at Holyrood, may be comforting for some. However, this is based on the erroneous assumption that the status quo will continue to prevail. Political developments often surprise even the most astute political commentators.
'The only reason people can argue indyref2 is only a matter of time is because the SNP dominance is assumed to be in a fixed position come what may. If we remove this assumption, holding to the “only a matter of time” argument becomes considerably more difficult.
'In just over the last year or so, the list of political events that were near impossible to accurately predict include: the Corbyn victory, the Sanders surge, the SNP landslide at the last UK elections, and the victory for Leave in the EU referendum.
'On the specific question of the SNP, the last Scottish election showed how much voting patterns are consolidating around the constitutional question. Although we shouldn’t read too much into a by-election with a meagre 20 per cent turnout, Tory transfers in the recent North Ayrshire Council by-election helped Labour scrape over the line. Whatever the exact cause, the impact of increased Tory representation reflects a rejuvenated right and, unfortunately, it is not a guarantee that their vote share won’t grow. It wasn’t so long ago that the Tories were thought “dead” in Scotland.
'The debate around tactical voting seems likely to sharpen at the next Scottish election and not in a way that benefits advocates of independence. Aside from anything else, the last result helped to make the Tories seem like a legitimate alternative to a struggling Labour Party - Ruth Davidson’s party is no longer isolated after years in the wilderness.
'Furthermore, the political landscape in the UK could change sufficiently in such a way that could make blocking a second independence referendum more likely. For example, if the Corbyn/PLP dynamic ends badly, the prospect of an increased Tory majority is not so farfetched. In this political climate, it is entirely possible that attitudes in England towards granting a second independence referendum could harden.' (Bella Caledonia article & Scottish Independence podcast).
Thursday, August 25. 2016
2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Is The Universe A Simulation?
'What may have started as a science fiction speculation - that perhaps the universe as we know it is a computer simulation - has become a serious line of theoretical and experimental investigation among physicists, astrophysicists, and philosophers.
'Neil deGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, hosts and moderates a panel of experts in a lively discussion about the merits and shortcomings of this provocative and revolutionary idea. The 17th annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate took place at The American Museum of Natural History on April 5, 2016.'
Note: It's amusing to watch scientists try and grapple with the simulation hypothesis. Consciousness rarely comes into their argument and they never question their assumption that there is an external reality in the first place (simulated or otherwise). A computational universe does not require the whole to be simulated continuously, but rather it is only the observed parts that need to be simulated. For example: if I look at a tree, the simulation of what is going on inside the tree is not required, until I chop down the tree and observe what's inside the tree. Then that part of the tree can be simulated for the consciousness observing it. Equally, if I don't observe the cells within the tree, then it doesn't need to be simulated until I pick up a microscope and see what is happening at the cellular level. In short, the computational nature of the universe does not need to be infinitely complex, it only needs to be as complex as the scope of what is being observed. Think 'procedurally generated universe' like the game No Man's Sky.
Monday, June 13. 2016
The Evolutionary Argument Against Reality
'As we go about our daily lives, we tend to assume that our perceptions - sights, sounds, textures, tastes - are an accurate portrayal of the real world. Sure, when we stop and think about it - or when we find ourselves fooled by a perceptual illusion - we realize with a jolt that what we perceive is never the world directly, but rather our brain’s best guess at what that world is like, a kind of internal simulation of an external reality. Still, we bank on the fact that our simulation is a reasonably decent one. If it wasn’t, wouldn’t evolution have weeded us out by now? The true reality might be forever beyond our reach, but surely our senses give us at least an inkling of what it’s really like.
'Not so, says Donald D. Hoffman, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine. Hoffman has spent the past three decades studying perception, artificial intelligence, evolutionary game theory and the brain, and his conclusion is a dramatic one: The world presented to us by our perceptions is nothing like reality. What’s more, he says, we have evolution itself to thank for this magnificent illusion, as it maximizes evolutionary fitness by driving truth to extinction.' (The Atlantic article).
Thursday, June 2. 2016
Now Available: 'Magick Without Fear - The Gerald Suster Letters'
'Gerald Suster (1951-2001) can be considered one of the most important occultists of the late-20th century. A prolific writer, esteemed historian and advocate of Thelemic Magick, he is best known for his biographies of Aleister Crowley (The Legacy of the Beast) & Israel Regardie (Crowley’s Apprentice). Often described as a somewhat controversial and provocative character, Gerald made best use of these attributes in his published books and writings, employing common sense and wit to demolish all preconceived notions of what Magick is and how it might be utilised to further advance and accelerate human evolution. Note: my sincerest apologies for the somewhat hefty price of £24.99 which is due primarily to the greed of third party retailers like Amazon. For a company that has cornered the market in just about everything, they certainly like a large slice of the pie in return for promotion and quick turnaround delivery. Rest assured, however, that I am currently looking into setting up an individually run online store in an effort to undercut the set price of this book quite considerably, and I hope to also offer signed copies for those who want it. That said, the book comprises of 428 pages in A4 format (20.98 cm x 29.69 cm) and publishers Lulu have done an outstanding job on the quality and production. If you are going to buy it, please consider buying direct from the publisher. Even though they can't offer as quick a turnaround in delivery as Amazon, it is worth doing just to stick the finger up to multinational corporate greed. (Lulu shop).
'This volume comprises of the full collection of personal letters he wrote in correspondence with occult student George T. Mortimer, spanning over eight years from 1992 until near his death at the beginning of 2001. They reveal an exclusive insight into this unique and complex character, and will undoubtedly be of value to anyone engaged in studying the occult arts from a Thelemic & Crowleyan standpoint.'
Note: be sure to keep an eye out for Lulu discounts on their promotions page. (Lulu discount codes).
Friday, March 4. 2016
Rupert Sheldrake's Banned TED Talk: The Science Delusion
On January 12th, 2013, Rupert Sheldrake gave a talk entitled 'The Science Delusion' at TEDxWhitechapel. The theme for the night was 'Visions for Transition: Challenging existing paradigms and redefining values (for a more beautiful world)'. In response to protests from two militant materialist bloggers in the US, the talk was later taken down by TED and placed in a special corner of their website. Before it was removed from their main website it had had about 35,000 views. Since it was "banned" it has been seen by at least half a million people...
Tuesday, March 1. 2016
Coming Soon: 'Magick Without Fear - The Gerald Suster Letters'
A sneak peak at a cover concept I have for Magick Without Fear - The Gerald Suster Letters which I hope to release before the summer 2016:
Sunday, February 28. 2016
Decentralisation: An Evolutionary Biologist's Standpoint
One thing that rarely gets expressed by the Corporate Controlled Media is that Scottish Nationalism is in essence Civic Nationalism, meaning that it is inclusive of different cultural backgrounds and that the only nationalistic element of it is the acceptance that Scotland is made up of people from all corners of the globe but needs its independence in order to survive and flourish. In order for a country to function as a successful decentralised organism it is imperative that it is able to generate its own wealth, use its own resources, and trade the excesses of these resources successfully with other decentralised organisms for the resources in which it lacks but requires for a healthy and fruitful society. It’s how biology has evolved over the millennia and decentralisation will happen to humans if we are to evolve. I found this video interview a year or so ago with an evolutionary biologist whilst researching something that was completely unrelated to politics. I was stunned by the common sense expressed regarding the importance of decentralisation within evolutionary biology, and the parallels between how the human body operates and the clear way in which the world as a global society needs to operate if we are to survive as a species...
Friday, February 26. 2016
Rushkoff & Oeming Take On 'Aleister & Adolf'
Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff has teamed up with Michael Avon Oeming, the artist behind Powers And Hammer Of The Gods, to spin a tale about Aleister Crowley being recruited to oppose Adolf Hitler’s magick with his own. Apparently a connection between Nazi magick and 21st Century corporate culture is also part of the premise. (Comics Alliance article).
Tuesday, January 12. 2016
VICE on HBO: Our Rising Oceans
'Our oceans are rising. With human use of hydrocarbons skyrocketing, waters around the globe are getting hotter and, now, this warm sub-surface water is washing into Antarctica’s massive western glaciers causing the glaciers to retreat and break off. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its freshwater, so if even a small fraction of the ice sheet in Antarctica melts, the resulting sea level rise will completely remap the world as we know it - and it is already happening. In the last decade, some of the most significant glaciers here have tripled their melt rate.
'VICE founder Shane Smith travels to the bottom of the world to investigate the instability of the West Antarctic ice sheet and to see first hand how the continent is melting - and VICE follows the rising oceans to Bangladesh for a glimpse into the world's underwater future. From the UN Climate conference to the People's Climate March to the forces that deny the science of global climate change, this special extended episode covers all sides of the issue and all corners of the globe, ending with a special interview with Vice President Joe Biden. '
Sunday, January 10. 2016
The Simulation Hypothesis
'Are we living in a virtual reality? Is the universe emerging from an information processing system? And if so, could we ever tell? Is it possible to 'hack' the system and change reality? Take a look at the evidence and decide for yourself!'
Saturday, January 9. 2016
From The Archives: Gerald Suster (1951-2001) - A Remembrance
This article was published on media underground and disinformation back in the summer of 2001.
Gerald Suster, the esteemed British writer, occultist and historian, died on Saturday the 3rd of February 2001 at the age of 49. As a devoted advocate of Thelemic Magick, Gerald’s fascination for the occult, and in particular the esoteric theories of Aleister Crowley, developed in his very early teens. Later, at the age of 21, his interests in occultism were undoubtedly fuelled by his meeting with Crowley’s former secretary, Dr. Francis Israel Regardie, whom he later wrote about in his biography Crowley’s Apprentice (Weiser, 1990).
It was this biography which first inspired me to contact Gerald in 1992. At the time I was 21 myself and having first been introduced to Aleister Crowley through Gerald’s biography The Legacy Of The Beast (W.H. Allen, 1988), I was curious and keen to find out what this excellent writer had to say. I was not disappointed.
Over the years that followed I enjoyed a healthy correspondence with the man and delighted in the intelligence, wit and charm that was always present within each of his missives. Despite the fact that we both shared a profound interest in Thelemic philosophy, the diversity of subject matter in our correspondence was of great value to me as a growing youth, and ranged in anything from boxing, woman and politics to science, art and occultism.
On one instance I remember being particularly nervous about informing him of a Qabalistic theory I had been working on which I felt expounded further his solution to the riddle and cipher of The Book Of The Law as published in the Thelemic journal Nuit-Isis in 1989. To my utter astonishment, he was delighted with my research and sent a copy of my theories to virtually everyone he thought would find it of interest. Having believed that I had solved the cipher, he then encouraged me to write more and kindly put me in touch with certain individuals whom he felt would aid me in the circulation of my work.
His kindness to me was exquisite and in June 1995 I travelled down to London and met him for the first time in an Islington pub called The Four Sisters.
Continue reading "From The Archives: Gerald Suster (1951-2001) - A Remembrance"
Friday, October 30. 2015
Two Scientists Who See The Same Reality
Tom Campbell, physicist (formerly with NASA), and Bruce Lipton, biologist (author of The Biology Of Belief), discuss what they have discovered about the nature of reality from their own unique perspectives...
Tuesday, October 27. 2015
London Real Interviews Dennis McKenna
Dennis McKenna is an American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer and author. He is the brother of the late well-known psychedelics proponent Terence McKenna and is a founding board member and the director of ethnopharmacology at the Heffter Research Institute, a non-profit organization concerned with the investigation of the potential therapeutic uses of psychedelic medicines.
He was a key organizer and participant in the Hoasca Project, an international biomedical study of ayahuasca used by indigenous people and syncretic religious groups in Brasil. He recently completed a project, funded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute, to investigate Amazonian ethnomedicines for the treatment of schizophrenia and cognitive deficits. At the Heffter Research Institute, he continues his focus on the therapeutic uses of psychoactive medicines derived from nature and used in indigenous ethnomedical practices.
Sign up for free and watch this fascinating interview in full at London Real Academy. (London Real video stream).
Saturday, October 24. 2015
'Geriatric X' - A Work In Progress
Here's a sneak preview of a cover concept that I have for my current work in progress:
Friday, October 23. 2015
'Bothy Culture' Now Available On Kindle
My book, Bothy Culture, is now available to buy on Amazon Kindle. (Amazon book listing).
Friday, October 16. 2015
Scopolamine - The World's Scariest Drug
'Ryan Duffy went to Colombia to check out a strange and powerful drug called Scopolamine, also known as "The Devil's Breath." It's a substance so intense that it renders a person incapable of exercising free will. The first few days in the country were a harrowing montage of freaked-out dealers and unimaginable horror stories about Scopolamine. After meeting only a few people with firsthand experience, the story took a far darker turn than we ever could have imagined.'
Friday, October 9. 2015
An Interview With Dr. Christopher S. Hyatt
'Christopher S. Hyatt, Ph.D., Adv. M.ED. was trained in experimental and clinical psychology and practiced as a psychotherapist for many years. As Alan Miller, he used the 18 units earned from his military GED towards his first academic career at Los Angeles City College, where he studied accounting for two years. He later changed his graduate to General Psychology, earning Masters Degrees in Experimental Psychology and Medical Education and Counselling. He was a member of a Freudian clinic in Southern California. He spent almost a year studying hypnosis at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Los Angeles and also studied hypnosis at the University of California, Irvine. Miller possessed Ph.D.s in both Clinical Psychology and Human Behavior and was a Postdoctoral researcher in Criminal Justice. Some of his techniques blended Reichian physiotherapy and tantric yoga. He also incorporated hypnosis alongside his body work with patients and students. According to his website: "He left academia and state sponsored psychology to become an explorer of the human mind."
'Hyatt claimed on his website that as a research scientist he had published "numerous" peer reviewed articles in professional journals and was a Research Fellow at the University of Toronto and the University of Southern California. However, his website does not provide any references or name any of the journals he claims to have published in, making verification of his academic credentials difficult.
'Christopher Hyatt died of cancer in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 64.'
Wednesday, October 7. 2015
Empire Files: Chris Hedges
'Abby Martin interviews Chris Hedges on American myths, war and revolt. Hedges explains the "Folly of Empire", the dangers posed by right-wing extremism and the urgent need for a new system.
'Chris Hedges is a former New York Times journalist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of several books including his most recent, Wages Of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative Of Revolt.'
Tuesday, October 6. 2015
Panorama: Edward Snowden - Spies & The Law
'Smartphone users can do "very little" to stop security services getting "total control" over their devices, US whistleblower Edward Snowden has said.
'The former intelligence contractor told the BBC's Panorama that UK intelligence agency GCHQ had the power to hack into phones without their owners' knowledge.
'Mr. Snowden said GCHQ could gain access to a handset by sending it an encrypted text message and use it for such things as taking pictures and listening in. The UK government declined to comment.
'Mr. Snowden spoke to Panorama in Moscow, where he fled in 2013 after leaking to the media details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by his former employer, the US National Security Agency (NSA).
'He did not suggest that either GCHQ or the NSA were interested in mass-monitoring of citizens' private communications but said both agencies had invested heavily in technology allowing them to hack smartphones. "They want to own your phone instead of you," he said.
'Mr. Snowden talked about GCHQ's "Smurf Suite", a collection of secret intercept capabilities individually named after the little blue imps of Belgian cartoon fame.' (BBC iPlayer video stream).