The Archon of Amble

Rainbow Colored Sulu

2005-10-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Just gotta love the Sulu. This is hardly a revalation to most of us. Good for him!
Fro the Advocate:

Actor George Takei, best known as Mr. Sulu on the classic TV series Star Trek , comes out of the closet in the new issue of Frontiers . Or rather, as he tells editor Alexander Cho, "It's not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen." In the interview, the 68-year-old actor also discusses his childhood in a Japanese-American internment camp, his 18-year relationship, his siblings' inability to accept his homosexuality, and the upcoming Los Angeles production of Equus in which he stars.

Godspeed, Astroworld

2005-09-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Now, this just sucks. I just read an article all about shutting down Astroworld:http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3351145
Now, this is something of a psychological blow to me, as I really have so many memories tied up in that old place. Honestly, I think I have been going since before I can remember. When I was a wee lad, maybe six, my summer day care would send us out to the 'world to spend the day. My God, how BIG that place seemed then. Back then, there was a thing called the Barrel of Fun, a danderous and sickening spin sycle for humans that would spin around so fast you were pinned to the wall while the floor dropped out from under you. Oh, the legends we kids would create for rides like that. "That ride ground some poor kid's feet off" we would say. Or how about that splotch on the pole rounding that corner on the Excalibur rollercoaster? "That was where some kid had his head knocked off", we would say. Don't even ask about the teacups...
I remember riding the the Texas Cyclone when I was seven. Truly scarring, yet in the end I wanted more. From the age of eight to about twelve, I think, we spent every birthday of mine there, as I nausiated all of my relatives unfortunate enough to get stuck riding with me.The place had a real mystery about it, such tremendous scale that my little brain could barely wrap itself around. To this day rollercoasters are a large part of my dream symology as a recurring motif, along with airplanes and freeway overpasses, as things that are bigger than life and scary as hell.
I'll never hear a song like Ratt's "Round and Round" or Journey's...well just about anything by Journey withoput thinking of the old Astroworld arcade and how much time I spent there around my early teenage years.
Then enter my fashionista teenage years, where my bretheren and I would make a pilgramage to Astroworld to see many of our patron saint bands such as Depeche Mode or the Cure. Truly, I will never forget walking around dressed to the nines in all black from head to toe during a hot summer day happy as a clam to show my "colors". What a bizzare jet joyous mix, New Wave/Goth bands and amusement park rides.
I didn't go too often past my 21st birthday, unfortunately. I had move away to Austin and just didn't have the time and money. Fortunately, the summer I was dating my wife Charlaine, the summer I turned thirty-one, I got to go one last time. I was an adult now, yet these rides still evoked a powerful nostalgia in me, as though I was visiting some weird wonkaland that I thought I only dreamed about but really still existed. So many bookmarks of my life were visible there: my early childhood, my adolescence, my first girlfriend all the way to my wife.
I really hate to see it go.

Novak suspended for bulldoodies!

2005-08-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, this is rich: (from imdb.com)

CNN on Thursday suspended commentator Robert Novak after he blurted out the word "bullshit" and stormed off the set during the live telecast of Strategy Session. "Bob Novak's behavior on CNN today was inexcusable and unacceptable," a CNN spokeswoman said afterwards. "Mr. Novak has apologized to CNN and CNN apologizes to its viewers for his language and his actions." Novak's blow-up came as Novak was debating liberal commentator James Carville about Republican Congresswoman Katherine Harris' plan to run against Democratic Senator Bill Nelson for his Senate seat in Florida. Carville had just remarked to host Ed Henry that Novak has "got to show these right-wingers that he's got backbone, you know." Then, to Novak, "The Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching. Show 'em you're tough." Novak replied, "Well, I think that's bullshit, and I hate that." In an interview with today's (Friday) New York Daily News, Novak said that Carville's remarks represented "an unacceptable questioning of my integrity. I overreacted ... I just got a little frustrated."

Nice!

Back on Monday with new stuff. Promise!

Go to Eno Alert!

2005-06-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Just saw this interesting tidbit on Pitchforkmedia.com:

After previously denying that Eno would rejoin Roxy Music at all, frontman Bryan Ferry spoke about his return at the Isle of Wight Festival this past Saturday, following a performance by the group. Ferry said, "I hope he's going to come in and do some things on a few tracks. No live work, but on the record I hope he'll come and do something, yeah." As fans of Roxy Music are well aware, strained relations between Eno and Ferry led to the former's exit after just two albums-- the 1972 self-titled debut, and 1973's For Your Pleasure. Since then some thawing has been visible (most recently, on Ferry's 2002 solo album Frantic, where Eno assisted with production and contributed backing vocals and keyboards for the song "I Thought".)
Eno carved out a little niche for himself as a solo artist and producer subsequent to his departure from Roxy Music. He released experimental pop albums, pioneered an entire genre of music (ambient), and produced David Bowie's renowned Berlin trilogy (Low, Heroes, and Lodger), as well as major records by Talking Heads and U2. Did we mention that he also collaborated with David Byrne on the landmark My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, which influenced early hip-hop and sample-based music? In short, dude stayed real busy.

Eno is quite a talked about persona around the Fortress of archon and the friends of Wayne (including recent discussions on the RealArt boards) so I thought y'all sould know...
Still penning the first entry to the Story of Wayne - should be up by Friday/Monday...

"The Life aquatic" & the Wayne aesthetic

2005-06-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Just the other day I put my eyes and ears to the new Wes Anderson movie "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". What an oddly movie that turned out to be. First off, I have loved Wes Anderson movies in the past, Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tennenbaums were all weird, bittersweet little films about memories, love, and families. And always with great soundtracks. But I knew this m ovie would be a little different. He has a new writing partner(his old co-writer went off to be movie star Owen Wilson) and the subject matter seemed to further into the realm of broad farce with it's parody of Cousteau, although none of those assumtions turned out to be true.
Now, my first reactions to the movie were that I liked it, but probably not as much as the previously stated movies; the humor was a little TOO self-aware, and it didn't strike me on the personal lever that, say, Rushmore did. Zissou was not someone you could relate to.
But as I arrived at the emotional climax of the movie, it struck me that I had never seen a movie that had so excellently and so accidentally captured that ineffable Wayne aesthetic. Which is weird since Wes Anderson never hung out with us. That I know of.
Now Wayne is something I'm clearly going to have to recount in one of my next posts(coming soon:The Story of Wayne Volume One!) but suffice it to say for now it was a most unique union of philosophies, a blending of subversive notions and blue-collar ideals into a secret sect of weirdoes I helped co-create in my latter years of high school and early college.
But the Wayne aesthetic? Well, let's see. It's a movie about burned out big dreamers made up of less-than ordinary men, dispossessed yet fiercely familial. It was clearly written by film students with a beyond-dry sense of humor. It's soundtrack was by Mark Mothersbaugh, one of Wayne's patron saints because of his sci-fi everyman persona. It contains brilliant little stop-motion sea creatures created by Henry Selick, director of "The Nightmare Before Chrismas"(no, Burton wrote and produced, Selick directed as he was the expert in stop-motion), it has a fantastic soundtrack peppered with David Bowie covers sung in Portuguese by Seu Jorge (great acoustic versions!), and in general the theme of a child's perspective on what famous adults must be like refiltered through a jaded adult. It's a percular mixture, but when it finally clicked it really teared me up. I totally didn't expect that. So ultimately I recoment it to all of you in the know, and those of you who aren't, I'll fill you in shortly.

RenFest of the Sith

2005-06-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I really should tell you guys of my adventure going to see the new Star Wars at the midnight opening day show. Now, I should preface this by mentioning that I have seen every Star Wars prequel at Highland Ten at the midnight opening day show. It's been a six year odyssey with a different flavor each time. Phantom Menace had a large crowd with no real media attention to speak of. Attack of the Clones only filled the theater half way. But Revenge of the Sith was a different animal altogether. Earlier that week I saw on the news that there were people camping out at the very theater I was going to. Now I was expecting to here about that kind of thin at other theaters around town in more posh and well known areas, but my theater had heretofore been a well kept secret. No longer. We arrived to find huge lines, news crews from every major station in town, as well as a couple of radio stations,and people in all variety of costumes. It was astonishing! There was a live band for a time, and then they started to pipe in John Williams score a rather large sound system. And then the really weird part. It seems we've come a long way in lightsaber replica technology, because there were a couple of guys in costumes totally going after each other with them as they loosely reenact the end of the movie we had yet to see. And I mean running on top of cars, screaming at each other as they run hither and yon. That's when it struck me that this was like a one-time-only Star Wars Renaissance Fair. Then finally we were led in to be greeted by a fully costumed Darth Vader and Stormtrooper(a little short for a stormtrooper, I might add) and in we went, charged as could be.
Once we were seated, we were told that there would be a slight delay as there would be a special guest. That only sent people further over the edge, so when the last people came in from the concession stand, they were greeted by a huge ovation. Then our "special guest" came in and it was none other than the guy in the Darth Vader costume who proceeded to the front of the theater, gazed upon us and streched out his hand in a force grip and a collective "AAURGH!" was let loose by the audience. Then finally the movie commenced, and we were grateful for it. When the movie let out, there was, of course, a number of reporters out gauging the response. Quite an experience, all in all. Oh, and how was the movie? It rocked. Hard.

Lazarus, Come Forth

2005-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Been a while, yes I know. Well, life can be a handfuls sometimes. Where have I been? Here, really. The Fortress of the Archon recently switched ISP to something more to our liking, only to discover that the home computer had been invaded by a virus. A VIRUS damnit! I swear, the anonymity of the internet can really bring together the worst of us. Well, not US. Them us. ya know. So now the home computer is down until I can get it's brain scrubbed. So hello from scenic Lake Austin, where I diligently deliver packages to waiting recipients. The job has been going well. But it's damn hot. And now to the news:
OASIS R.I.P.
A couple of days ago we had a rip roaring thunderstorm blow through Austintown overnight and struck the wooden decks turning the whole place into ripe kindling.And since it happened at night, it looked like someone dropped a bomb on the edge of the lake. Amazing what nature can do if your not paying attention. Or if you are. I acually don't think I've ever been there, but I'm a hermetic anomaly around here.
LOOK OUT FOR THE HOGS
It's time for the Central Texas Biker Rally again. Lordy. Last time these guys blew in we had nine deaths on the road involving motercycles. Since I work out in the hill country, I pass fleets of these Hell's Satans members. Pray for me.

Revenge of the WTF?!

2005-06-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, i encourage you to chek this out:http://www.infowars.com/articles/ps/darth_nwo.htm
Believe it or don't but it makes a fascinating case. Enjoy!

2005-04-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Well, "End-of-Shane's-Childhood-Month" begins with a most gratuitous and enjoyable episode of Enterprise set in the ever popular Mirror Universe. More than any I've seen, this is an unabashed love letter to 60's Trek, complete with evil twins, a Constitution-class ship, Tholians, even the ever popular Tholian Web made a reappearance. Why this show didn't always have this much fun is a mystery to me. It's a two-parter, so be sure to tune in next week to see everyone running around in 60's-era uniforms flying the Constitution-class Defiant. Unashamed fanboy fun, if you ask me.

Velvet Goldmine

2005-04-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Just saw the movie "Velvet Goldmine" for the first time. Trippy movie. Fanfickingtastic sountrack. Actually, I think the music made the movie, as I only held a tenuous understanding of what was going on from time to time, but the musical choices were fab. Thought the "Venus in Furs" performance of Eno's "Baby's on Fire" was the highlight of the flick. No doubt Rhys-Meyers looked the part. Had this movie come out 16 years ago or so it would have been a big hit with the Wayne crowd. (one of these days I'll have to explain Wayne for those of you who don't know)

Smiles Everyone, Smiles!

2005-04-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm Back! I finaly got a job, and wouldn't you know, I'm working at Fantasy Island! Well, I'm working at a spa resort on the lake. Doing, shipping and recieving, lest your mind wander. No, I am not a personal trainer. Those of you who know me well will laugh at the thought of me at a "health resort". Well, I have the least romantic position there, besides housekeeping. And I'm already, after one week, taking on the reputation as the eccentric of the resort. Suits me fine. Its 20 miles from home, but what the hey, it's stunningly idillic.

Every Sperm Is Sacred

2005-04-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! You have a new Pope. He's 78. His leanings were politically innovative just over 100 years ago. He has no doubt that the bible is a series of absolutes. No sooner did I reply when asked, in this new age of instant media, will the new pope be held to the the standards set by leaders indoctrinated by the modern media age?, do they appoint a paragon of old-world and largly outdated views. Godspeed, little doodle.

Revenge of the Sloth

2005-04-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Well, in all of my travels I have been doing a lot of waiting. Waiting to interview for a job, for example. So I've been doing some reading. And like the true literate mind that I am, I just finished the novelization of Revenge of the Sith.(that's a great word: novelization...)I've been spoiling Star Wars movies for myself in this fashion for 25 years now. Quite enjoyed it, think it will make this whole trilogy worthwhile, but then I'm the target demographic. But that's not what I want to talk about.
What struck me after reading this, is that while meandering, all that political junk Uncle George stuffed into his prequels so far might actually have a point. Because the point he finaly makes is a pretty damn dark and prescient point. The whole notion of being seduced out of freedom with fear, the idea of two sides of a war really skipping hand in hand down the feilds of armaggeddon on their way to conquering YOU. There is a moment in the story when the Emperor anounces that the republic is no more, that it's now an Empire, and is met with thunderous cheer. That's when I realized that these movies DID have a point of view after all, and it's a rather bleak Serlingesque "be careful what you wish for, cuz it just might enslave you" kind of thing. Here's hoping that's not lost in the no-doubt spectacularly visual translation.

My Day As A Shill

2005-04-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, my apologies to you, my adoring public, for being so sporatic of late, I guess I,m just a few days a week kind of guy to start. But I have had many adventures funding gainful employment in this uncaring world. This is one of those stories:
You have to know something is up when the warehouse shipping position you have applied for becomes a "sales management in training" in the interview, and every other detail is vague. Now, I'm not asking to many questions, because I'm not trying to rock the boat here. I'm just looking for a stable position while I take a few digital photography classes and get my own photo-thang off the ground.So when I'm told that my second interview will be an "all day observation session" I say okay, because I'm open to all options. But my spider sensed are tingling because all I am hearing about is sales marketing, and I was just trying to get a shipping job, which is what the ad was indicating. I arrive at their office to find I am not the only one "observing". We are told that they are only looking for one person, so the end of the day will "kinda be like Survivor, ya know..." I am at that time handed a contract stating that this is observation only, and I won't be paid for it. Well, the contract took a little longer and more flowery way of telling me this, but I got the gist. Red flags are flying. Then they pack the other person in a car and off they go, I knew not where. I still don't know what I am to be observing. Then I am introduced to my "observer/interviewers", packed into an old LeSabre and off we went. I ask,"Any particular place that we're heading", and the reply I receive is:"I just like to go down the freeway until I find a good spot." Uh-oh. But it truly sunk in when we stopped by a convinience store to get gas. My man the "observer", pops the trunk to reveal a bunch of stuff, including a barbeque apron outfitted with related cooking tools, which he proccedes to strap on to his shirt and plows into the gas station to make a sales pitch! Now the light dawns! I'm riding with traveling salesmen! Off we drive until we get to the next cowtown, 60 miles north of home, and I spend the next six hours following these guys around as they go from business to business, door to door, hocking their wares. 95% or more of these places have "No Soliciting" signs on the door, but these pros won't be deterred. We even wandered the halls of the county courthouse, rebuffed all the while, and in some cases informed in no uncertain terms that what we are doing is not allowed here. Well, no kidding. As we go I'm being fed tips to reel in the fish, which to the best of my own observation, was only working 25% of the time. By the end of the day, I have cracked the code. These guys get more money, the more people they get to work for them doing what they are doing. Whatever shape they tried to make it, it still looked like a pyramid scheme to me. So I spent my day, following along, smiling and nodding, and listened as they cheerfully offered me the position, after which I said I would get back to them and then ran for the horizon, never looking back. I guess I just don't have the personality for shilling, maybe I am destined to be "poor". But damn proud of it.

Post Papal Deathwatch

2005-04-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

Modern media can make rockstars of us all. Last week on the twentyfour hour newst stations were a truly bizzare scene. "So far, to the best of our knowledge, the Pope remains alive..." Then, five minutes longer, same thing. Repeat for several hours until FINALLY the Vatican gives in, "The Pope is dead!" Long live the Pope! What really struck me about all the lamendation going on in Rome and elsewhere was this: don't these catholics believe this man has a wonderful reward awaiting him in his afterlife? "We're praying for the Pope to have a speedy recovery." Really? He's 85 years old with a lung and a half or so of fluid and he has to be physically miserable. I'd be well ready for my reward. But then, as far as I can tell, catholosism usually leaves you with a healthy fear of the afterlife. Now, I don't mean to beat up on one religeon more thean any other, it's just that noone does pomp and circumstance better than the Vatican. But back to my popint about making unlikely rockstars... part of the outcry seemed to be that there will never be another Pope like this one. Maybe not, but then no other Pope ever had that level of media attention, and therefore no Pope ever had that power to reach the masses before. And now superior charisma is a requirement for the position, I would imagine. It's a new standard to be met. It's the same reason, I believe, we'll dever have a deadly dull man as our president again. TV will eliminate the "Nixon" factor. Well, this will be an interesting spring, with as much religious polarization is about the world, the choice of a new Pope is going to make things, well, different. If anything, this is a real opportunity for them to create a REAL rockstar, a firebrand of charismatic piss and vinager. Or someone dull as paint. Should be interesting.

All Hail Galactica!

2005-04-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

On a lighter note... the updated version of Battlestar Galactica just ended, and I must say, that's my favorite season of TV in a long time. This was just good stuff. Not perfect, but damn good. There is a layer of threat, of oppression that I don't think I've ever seen before on a space opera like this. Also, I don't think I've seen a show incorporate that post 9-11 unease into a totaly fictional, fantastical setting like this. And so well.
As the twin towers of sci-fi franchises, Star Trek and Star Wars, put out their torches forevermore, it's good to know there's something to satisfy that jones I have for good scifi tv.
In a few days I think I'll post an ep guide with reviews. They are going to start reruning the season next friday so check it out, if you haven't.(Ron, I'm looking in your direction...)

job searching sux(so tired)

2005-04-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

"I will not be filed, pushed, stamped, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own."
- Number 6 "The Prisoner"

I've been absent for a few days as I've been spending alll my energy on the humiliating task of finding a new job. I haven't found any love lately, but I feel like I'm getting closer. But closer to what? Abasement? Indentured servitude?
For those of you familiar with "The Prisoner", I will make the folowing analogy: interviewing for an new job is truly like being summoned by Number 2. Enter his office and you find yourself under a spotlight, in an alien and forbidding environment.He has your file, and he pays more attention to your sins than your assets. And what assets you have are mearly an exploitable resource, hardly a virtue. And once you get hired, what do you get? An employee number. Maybe a corner."Eight different bosses" as they correctly said in "Office Space". You remember that looming energy crisis I mentioned a couple of posts ago? I'm looking forward to it. Destroy the grid, I say.
Ah, well. I'm feeling cranky about it.

Frank Miller's In Town!

2005-03-31T23:20:00.000-08:00

Damn, I wish I was there. It seems he's in town for the premiere of Sin City. What a hoot. I've been reading this man's work for twenty five years, and it seems like it took that long for the rest of the world to realise what I and other geeks have known all along: that this guy is as unique and original American voice in literature as Poe or Hemingway. Am I being pretentious? Nah. His influence has been all over pop culture for years, but only the lucky few knew it. Without Frank, Batman would still be an Adam West parody. Hell, without Frank, we probably wouldn't have this glut of comic-based movies at all. Without Frank, the rest of the world would think all comics still take place in Riverdale...Frank's style is stunningly cinematic, his prose so much more analytical and introspective than anything of that time and still the gold standard. His stories screamed to be made into movies, but nobody in Hollywood ever had a clue how to do him justice. Well, maybe that's about to change. Huzzah to my man Frank Miller!

Shuttering my childhood playroom

2005-03-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

It is an odd synchronicity that the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises are closing their doors for the final time this year. Within a week of each other, in fact.(this May) And it's odd that a 35 year old man even cares, but then it seems I'm not the only one to note the passing. . I'm not sure, but I feel like I have to be a part of the first generation of men who collect toys. At least if you aren't John Waters. It's kind of weird how some of my childhood interests continued to pander to me as I got older. Take comic books for example. No ten-year-old of today that I know of reads them, and my local comics shop is populated with nothing but 20 and 30-year-olds. Creepy, really. I remember an old friend tell me that his childhood ended when they put Darth Vader to the flame at the end of Return of the Jedi. And tha's what has been so interesting about these franchises, they are like mile markers in my life; they can all take me back to a different frame of mind when I didn't know as much as I do now, and I was no doubt better off for it. Well, it looks like they are putting my childhood to the flame in just over a month, but then all things must pass. Feh.
More reflections on this later...

Ah, springtime at the end of the world

2005-03-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, THIS is disturbing. I was reading the new Rolling Stone, which contains a lovely little article on how the world is passing it's peak production of oil and soon, when the price gets too prohibitive, we'll be forced to revert to a farming culture again. Sounds kind of appealing in a "Road Warrior" kind of way. But really, the news is bad. Check it out:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/7203633
Of course, I am the ultimate American patsy, as I am exactly the kind of guy who's going to die off when the fuel runs out. After all, I lover my big TV, all my DVDs, and heaven knows I like air conditioning. I've always thought our culture is a sort of weird, self-serving fantasy addiction where we do all we can do to disconnect from the reality of living in this world, but then it's the only culture I've ever lived in and I'm mighty comfortable in it. But what a feeling of USELESSNESS it creates. No wonder the american male of today is such a pitiful specimen, we haven't had to really survive in this world in well over a hundred years.
Well, it sounds like that's all going to change.

The Temple of Enui

2005-03-29T21:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome. New to the temple? Please leave your tribute in the urn.

I have been meaning to get into this process for some time now, and haven't had the time or the motivation to get it together. But I've had a day. A day so whacked it qualifies as revelation. An epiphany, if you will. But I will ease into that later...

Memory. Mortality. These things plague me. These things comfort me. That which makes my life so precious to me yet so inconsequencial. Memory: that ineffabe quality that makes me who I am and the world for me unique. There is no other world like mine. Or yours. Mortality: the birthright of every living thing and the end of self. Death: now there's an epiphany for you...

I'm rambling. But I intend to do so. The way to "cheat" mortality is to disceminate your view of the world to others, to let it, even in a small way, inform the shape of the world. Let your memories live in others to enrich the world you stayed in for a while.

I hope to use this forum in a number of ways. Tell stories, share images, pass on news, maybe reflect on a movie or a book. My ol' pal Ron does quite a good job spreading the political buzz with his blog, my ol' pal Chris has dabbled with creative writing(which I thought was great once I figured out what he was doing...). I hope to join these and other luminaries with my own voice. And part of the adventure is finding out what that voice sounds like. I can't wait to find out.

The crux of it is: I'm about to enter a new phase in my life and I'm dragging my friends along with me. This is an exercise in crativity, in observation, and participating in the human community, the lattter being something I've always needed work on anyway.

So check in on me from time to time. With your help, it might occasionally be interesting. Not today, of course...