Magic has been kind to me for many years. The most important way is how I have learned to look deeper into myself, to throw back the veils and come to understand this spiritual being called "me". Even as the world around me seems to be losing purpose and beauty, magic always brings me back to perceive both in any situation.
I believe a great part of what made 2006 a banner year for me is magic and living witchcraft. Certainly what most people consider to have been my greatest achievement--the publication of my first book, a handbook for tea leaf reading--was a magically driven success. But to me, that wasn't the greatest achievement. It's all the smaller achievements that have enabled me to live a good life that I treasure.
Once upon a time, I was deathly afraid of talking on the telephone. In 2006, I was a call-in guest to the Martha Stewart Show--talking on the telephone in front of the entire country. There's a huge step forward. I used to have a terrible temper. In 2006, I reached a point where I simply no longer felt such destructive anger. In my work I had many creative projects that had stalled at the beginning. In 2006, I learned how to overcome the roadblocks my own mind threw in my way, and while it's a continuing process, I'm making great progress. In 2006, I continued on a path of compassion, unconditional love, and growing trust. The path ahead looks inviting.
In 2007, I will continue the walk I have begun in the confidence of my belief. I will look within for my personal "demons" and attempt to subdue them one by one. There are many more books to be written. But perhaps most important to me is the idea of using my magic-suffused ability to remedy problems in the mundane world. I do this because I love my fellow humans, my fellow lifeforms, and my planet. We need a significant change, and I want to be a part of it.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Deliciously Morbid
--The practice of burying the dead may date back 35000000000 years, as evidenced by a 45-foot-deep pit in Atapuerca, Spain, filled with the fossils of 27 hominids of the species Homo heidelbergensis, a possible ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.
--There are at least 200 euphemisms for death, including "to be in Abraham's bosom," "just add maggots," and "sleep with the Tribbles" (a Star Trek favorite).
--No American has died of old age since 1951. That was the year the government eliminated that classification on death certificates.
--The trigger of death, in all cases, is lack of oxygen. Its decline may prompt muscle spasms, or the "agonal phase," from the Greek word agon, or contest.
--Within three days of death, the enzymes that once digested your dinner begin to eat you. Ruptured cells become food for living bacteria in the gut, which release enough noxious gas to bloat the body and force the eyes to bulge outward.
--Burials in America deposit 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid—formaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol—into the soil each year. Cremation pumps dioxins, hydrochloric acid, sulfur
dioxide, and carbon dioxide into the air.
--A Swedish company, Promessa, will freeze-dry your body in liquid nitrogen, pulverize it with high-frequency vibrations, and seal the resulting powder in a cornstarch coffin.
They claim this "ecological burial" will decompose in 6 to 12 months.
--Zoroastrians in India leave out the bodies of the dead to be consumed by vultures. The vultures are now dying off after eating cattle carcasses dosed with diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory used to relieve fever in livestock.
--In Madagascar, families dig up the bones of dead relatives and parade them around
the village in a ceremony called famadihana. The remains are then wrapped in a new shroud and reburied. The old shroud is given to a newly married, childless couple to cover the connubial bed.
--During a railway expansion in Egypt in the 19th century, construction companies unearthed so many mummies that they used them as fuel for locomotives.
--English philosopher Francis Bacon, a founder of the scientific method, died in 1626 of pneumonia after stuffing a chicken with snow to see if cold would preserve it.
--For organs to form during embryonic development, some cells must commit suicide. Without such programmed cell death, we would all be born with webbed feet, like ducks.
--More people commit suicide in New York City than are murdered.
--There are at least 200 euphemisms for death, including "to be in Abraham's bosom," "just add maggots," and "sleep with the Tribbles" (a Star Trek favorite).
--No American has died of old age since 1951. That was the year the government eliminated that classification on death certificates.
--The trigger of death, in all cases, is lack of oxygen. Its decline may prompt muscle spasms, or the "agonal phase," from the Greek word agon, or contest.
--Within three days of death, the enzymes that once digested your dinner begin to eat you. Ruptured cells become food for living bacteria in the gut, which release enough noxious gas to bloat the body and force the eyes to bulge outward.
--Burials in America deposit 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid—formaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol—into the soil each year. Cremation pumps dioxins, hydrochloric acid, sulfur
dioxide, and carbon dioxide into the air.
--A Swedish company, Promessa, will freeze-dry your body in liquid nitrogen, pulverize it with high-frequency vibrations, and seal the resulting powder in a cornstarch coffin.
They claim this "ecological burial" will decompose in 6 to 12 months.
--Zoroastrians in India leave out the bodies of the dead to be consumed by vultures. The vultures are now dying off after eating cattle carcasses dosed with diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory used to relieve fever in livestock.
--In Madagascar, families dig up the bones of dead relatives and parade them around
the village in a ceremony called famadihana. The remains are then wrapped in a new shroud and reburied. The old shroud is given to a newly married, childless couple to cover the connubial bed.
--During a railway expansion in Egypt in the 19th century, construction companies unearthed so many mummies that they used them as fuel for locomotives.
--English philosopher Francis Bacon, a founder of the scientific method, died in 1626 of pneumonia after stuffing a chicken with snow to see if cold would preserve it.
--For organs to form during embryonic development, some cells must commit suicide. Without such programmed cell death, we would all be born with webbed feet, like ducks.
--More people commit suicide in New York City than are murdered.
Goofball Reviews
These are some reviews I've written about I've books I've read for one reason or another. It might prove amusing.
Enchantress Mine - Bertrice Small
When I think about it, Bertrice Small does a good job of making those of us with Celtic blood seem completely flakey. The good news is that--so far as I know--this is an inaccurate portrayal. But I got to a point in this read where if I read one more thing about the heroine's inbred Celtic mysticism, I was going to make a cross quarter fire from its pages.
This is neither a good book nor a bad book. I thought this was an indifferent book--one interesting enough to keep reading in order to find out what happens, but not interesting enough to suggest to a friend. For the umpteenth time, perfect heroines are utterly boring. Mairin is perfect in body, mind, and soul. Heck, she is said to have even been a beautiful child--breathtaking at age five. Five? For crying out loud, wait to begin the story until she's around puberty. With three "heroes" in the cast, I hoped at least one would be interesting. No such luck. So much for the leads in this melodrama!
In this book's favor, I have to applaud small's exploration of history, in this case the circumstances around the Norman Conquest. Actually, large parts of the book read like a history text, which is probably a bad thing in a novel.
This was a quick read, so if you're reading for sheer fun, there's much worse out there. Of course, there's also much better. That's the quandary of being indifferent.
Nocturnal Witchcraft - Konstaninos
Basically this book is taking Scott Cunningham's classic Wicca and reading it in a dark closet. It's the same stuff all over again thinly veiled in shadows.
Now I'm not at all new to the Craft or mystical studies, so I'm always looking for new books that seem to promise a new perspective or new ideas. Having read the suthor's Vampires--The Occult Truth, I thought Nocturnal Witchcraft would be such a book. It's not. This is the same old thing rehashed, greyscaled, and repackaged.
I also don't think the author was as careful with his research as he should have been. One point pricked me in particular. He talks about Anubis, the Egyptian deity most associated with embalming and funerary rituals, having the ankh of eternal life as his symbol. While it's true that Anubis was sometimes depicted holding an ankh, the symbol is most closely associated with the god Osiris. Elsewhere, the author seems to give the powers and traits of Osiris to Anubis. Additionally, the ankh appeared with ANY figure representing death or the underworld. So if the author happens to be especially fond of Anubis, maybe he should have just said this instead of mangling Egyptian myth. He had the opportunity to teach and didn't take it.
So if you're new to the world of Craftiness, you might find this interesting. But anyone really interested in the shadows won't find anything of use here.
The Jesus Papers - Michael Baigent
Baigent wrote this for the money? As Samuel Johnson once said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Besides, if it sells, who's really at fault--the author or the readers?
Perhaps because I am not a Christian I am more open to possibilities presented in texts like this one. That is, that's not my faith, so there's no faith to be tested. This time, Baigent presents the mother of all cover-ups for our consideration. I think for the sake of intelligent debate, all arguments need to be examined outside of the realm of faith. To a large extent, it would be faith in the traditional concepts of Jesus that would render Baigent's work "blasphemous". Otherwise, we have a historian working at his craft--and take it from me, historians aren't usually rolling in money.
Sure, I understand where a lot of this book is not supported by solid facts or resources. The Bible has the same problem.
If your mind is open and you don't put all of your eggs into one faith basket, you may find this to be an interesting read. Yet I wonder, if a book like this can shake one's faith, how strong is that faith in the first place?
Piercing The Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today - Katherine Ramsland
Let me begin by saying that vampires/vampyres ARE in fact real. What might need adjusting is your definition.
Ramsland wrote this book much the way I imagine a child would write about his day at the zoo. I got the feeling that she wanted the reader to understand how adventurous and intrepid she was in plunging into a psychotic world of fetishes, blood, dysfunctionality, and flaky "professionalism".
How Ramsland could have had so much contact with the life and have understood it so poorly astounds me. She is supposed to be a psychologist. How can she not see the validity of the life and the psychological foundations of "vampirism/vampirism"? How could she not understand that what one embraces as reality is, in fact, reality?
Read this is you value shock and schlock over substance. If you'd like a peek into the online vampire/vampyre world, plug the subject into a search engine.
The Teachings of Don Juan - Carlos Castaneda
If you have a field of devilweed (datura) growing behind your house, don't get down on all fours and start grazing. Don Juan is not about teaching US this "Yaqui Way of Knowledge", but rather the unique story between a sorcerer-teacher and an eager student.
Ladies and gentlemen, I for one know with a preternatural certainty that Don Juan is not fiction. Let me say the shamanic experiences described herein ring true to me in recollection of my own visions and travels, and let's leave it at that.
Carlos Castaneda was a brilliant man. This is most obvious in his writing. After all, this is not the simplest topic in the world to write about, and yet Castaneda did so with wit, verve, and style. I especially appreciate how Don Juan is divided into two parts, experiential and academic (Castaneda was a graduate student at the time).
Someone said to me that Castaneda was "trite" compared to authors like Depak Chopra (cough cough). I'd believe that this person simply was unable to "get" Castaneda--maybe Don Juan was too intense and too earthy. Draw your own conclusions.
Enchantress Mine - Bertrice Small
When I think about it, Bertrice Small does a good job of making those of us with Celtic blood seem completely flakey. The good news is that--so far as I know--this is an inaccurate portrayal. But I got to a point in this read where if I read one more thing about the heroine's inbred Celtic mysticism, I was going to make a cross quarter fire from its pages.
This is neither a good book nor a bad book. I thought this was an indifferent book--one interesting enough to keep reading in order to find out what happens, but not interesting enough to suggest to a friend. For the umpteenth time, perfect heroines are utterly boring. Mairin is perfect in body, mind, and soul. Heck, she is said to have even been a beautiful child--breathtaking at age five. Five? For crying out loud, wait to begin the story until she's around puberty. With three "heroes" in the cast, I hoped at least one would be interesting. No such luck. So much for the leads in this melodrama!
In this book's favor, I have to applaud small's exploration of history, in this case the circumstances around the Norman Conquest. Actually, large parts of the book read like a history text, which is probably a bad thing in a novel.
This was a quick read, so if you're reading for sheer fun, there's much worse out there. Of course, there's also much better. That's the quandary of being indifferent.
Nocturnal Witchcraft - Konstaninos
Basically this book is taking Scott Cunningham's classic Wicca and reading it in a dark closet. It's the same stuff all over again thinly veiled in shadows.
Now I'm not at all new to the Craft or mystical studies, so I'm always looking for new books that seem to promise a new perspective or new ideas. Having read the suthor's Vampires--The Occult Truth, I thought Nocturnal Witchcraft would be such a book. It's not. This is the same old thing rehashed, greyscaled, and repackaged.
I also don't think the author was as careful with his research as he should have been. One point pricked me in particular. He talks about Anubis, the Egyptian deity most associated with embalming and funerary rituals, having the ankh of eternal life as his symbol. While it's true that Anubis was sometimes depicted holding an ankh, the symbol is most closely associated with the god Osiris. Elsewhere, the author seems to give the powers and traits of Osiris to Anubis. Additionally, the ankh appeared with ANY figure representing death or the underworld. So if the author happens to be especially fond of Anubis, maybe he should have just said this instead of mangling Egyptian myth. He had the opportunity to teach and didn't take it.
So if you're new to the world of Craftiness, you might find this interesting. But anyone really interested in the shadows won't find anything of use here.
The Jesus Papers - Michael Baigent
Baigent wrote this for the money? As Samuel Johnson once said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Besides, if it sells, who's really at fault--the author or the readers?
Perhaps because I am not a Christian I am more open to possibilities presented in texts like this one. That is, that's not my faith, so there's no faith to be tested. This time, Baigent presents the mother of all cover-ups for our consideration. I think for the sake of intelligent debate, all arguments need to be examined outside of the realm of faith. To a large extent, it would be faith in the traditional concepts of Jesus that would render Baigent's work "blasphemous". Otherwise, we have a historian working at his craft--and take it from me, historians aren't usually rolling in money.
Sure, I understand where a lot of this book is not supported by solid facts or resources. The Bible has the same problem.
If your mind is open and you don't put all of your eggs into one faith basket, you may find this to be an interesting read. Yet I wonder, if a book like this can shake one's faith, how strong is that faith in the first place?
Piercing The Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today - Katherine Ramsland
Let me begin by saying that vampires/vampyres ARE in fact real. What might need adjusting is your definition.
Ramsland wrote this book much the way I imagine a child would write about his day at the zoo. I got the feeling that she wanted the reader to understand how adventurous and intrepid she was in plunging into a psychotic world of fetishes, blood, dysfunctionality, and flaky "professionalism".
How Ramsland could have had so much contact with the life and have understood it so poorly astounds me. She is supposed to be a psychologist. How can she not see the validity of the life and the psychological foundations of "vampirism/vampirism"? How could she not understand that what one embraces as reality is, in fact, reality?
Read this is you value shock and schlock over substance. If you'd like a peek into the online vampire/vampyre world, plug the subject into a search engine.
The Teachings of Don Juan - Carlos Castaneda
If you have a field of devilweed (datura) growing behind your house, don't get down on all fours and start grazing. Don Juan is not about teaching US this "Yaqui Way of Knowledge", but rather the unique story between a sorcerer-teacher and an eager student.
Ladies and gentlemen, I for one know with a preternatural certainty that Don Juan is not fiction. Let me say the shamanic experiences described herein ring true to me in recollection of my own visions and travels, and let's leave it at that.
Carlos Castaneda was a brilliant man. This is most obvious in his writing. After all, this is not the simplest topic in the world to write about, and yet Castaneda did so with wit, verve, and style. I especially appreciate how Don Juan is divided into two parts, experiential and academic (Castaneda was a graduate student at the time).
Someone said to me that Castaneda was "trite" compared to authors like Depak Chopra (cough cough). I'd believe that this person simply was unable to "get" Castaneda--maybe Don Juan was too intense and too earthy. Draw your own conclusions.
Final Destination Forever!
"Ok. Ok, what if, for example, the last in line were to make the utilitarian choice. Kill themselves. Well, wow, that's pretty much gonna ruin any plan deaths put in motion. And even better, I think that's gonna save, five skipped lives. Any takers?"
So I finally got to see Final Destination 3 last night. Now goofy as it is, I'm a big fan of the series, and while this one wasn't quite as good as the others, it was still hugely entertaining and wonderfully gory.
What I REALLY liked and urge everyone to rent the film to watch is the animated short, "It's All Around You". The it, of course, is death. Basically, the thrust of the piece is that death is everywhere and is going to get us all, so quit moping and enjoy life. This is a philosophy I've kept for a long time now, so it's no wonder I liked it. But I got a real kick out of the odds and stats that were presented. For example, think about the usual one in a million stat. All right. So the population of the United States is roughly 280 million people. Technically, that would mean that 280 separate one in a million events would happen every day.
Oh...and your chances of dying? One to one.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me giggle, whatever that says about me.
So I finally got to see Final Destination 3 last night. Now goofy as it is, I'm a big fan of the series, and while this one wasn't quite as good as the others, it was still hugely entertaining and wonderfully gory.
What I REALLY liked and urge everyone to rent the film to watch is the animated short, "It's All Around You". The it, of course, is death. Basically, the thrust of the piece is that death is everywhere and is going to get us all, so quit moping and enjoy life. This is a philosophy I've kept for a long time now, so it's no wonder I liked it. But I got a real kick out of the odds and stats that were presented. For example, think about the usual one in a million stat. All right. So the population of the United States is roughly 280 million people. Technically, that would mean that 280 separate one in a million events would happen every day.
Oh...and your chances of dying? One to one.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me giggle, whatever that says about me.
Third Place Was My Personal Victory
I was out of my depth and I knew it, but I was determined to at least make a statement in this year's (2006) Purple Prose Parody Contest. Now this was sponsored by a romance novel website, an area represented by people for whom I'm something of an oddity. This year the twist was to use a classic novel. Well, I figured I wanted to go full throttle, so I chose George Orwell's Animal Farm. The characters weren't human--that, I thought, should set me apart.
And imagine my surprise when I came in third! Not everybody thinks according to a rigid paradigm.
Here is my entry, titled "A Tumble in the Hay".
In the barn the air hung thick in tremulous anticipation. The haystack stood in salute to forbidden love. Then, Mollie’s nervous eating habit seized her violently, and she began to take tiny nibbles from that golden love tribute.
Surely Napoleon’s black piggy eyes had witnessed the mad carmine haze of passionate wanting. Not even that pig could mistake Mollie’s bug-eyed longing glances at Benjamin. Maybe the others on Animal Farm thought Benjamin was nothing but an ass, but to Mollie, he was a stallion of manliness.
“Mollie!” Fred brayed, the noise floating on the slop-scented air.
“Benjamin!” Mollie neighed, tapping out the number of kisses she planned to give him with her left hoof. “Were you seen?”
“The pigs have spies everywhere,” Benjamin said, daring to curl her tail in his. “That simpkin Snowball asked me just today at the water trough why I appear to be fond of the two-leggeds.”
Mollie thought of the emerald, turquoise, and ivory ribbons in her mane. Without the two-leggeds to pamper her, what would she be? Why, she’d be no better than a workhorse! Mollie whinnied in disgust. “The two-leggeds have such beautiful things. And they have love!”
“Indeed, my little equine Venus. But Napoleon is ruthless. He will not cease until all things two-legged are broken and scrambled like yesterday’s eggs in the farmer’s skillet.”
Mollie sighed, the thick full curtain of her eyelashes veiling her eyes. “We would be better off as two leggeds, my love.”
“Rubbish!” Benjamin moved closer, heating her broadside with his own lust-powered furnace. “We shall love, Mollie, and we shall be the envy of Animal Farm. Now dispense with the foolishness and kiss me, seductress mare!”
Swept into the moment, a dust devil of aching need, Mollie surrendered and allowed Benjamin to become the horse’s ass.
And imagine my surprise when I came in third! Not everybody thinks according to a rigid paradigm.
Here is my entry, titled "A Tumble in the Hay".
In the barn the air hung thick in tremulous anticipation. The haystack stood in salute to forbidden love. Then, Mollie’s nervous eating habit seized her violently, and she began to take tiny nibbles from that golden love tribute.
Surely Napoleon’s black piggy eyes had witnessed the mad carmine haze of passionate wanting. Not even that pig could mistake Mollie’s bug-eyed longing glances at Benjamin. Maybe the others on Animal Farm thought Benjamin was nothing but an ass, but to Mollie, he was a stallion of manliness.
“Mollie!” Fred brayed, the noise floating on the slop-scented air.
“Benjamin!” Mollie neighed, tapping out the number of kisses she planned to give him with her left hoof. “Were you seen?”
“The pigs have spies everywhere,” Benjamin said, daring to curl her tail in his. “That simpkin Snowball asked me just today at the water trough why I appear to be fond of the two-leggeds.”
Mollie thought of the emerald, turquoise, and ivory ribbons in her mane. Without the two-leggeds to pamper her, what would she be? Why, she’d be no better than a workhorse! Mollie whinnied in disgust. “The two-leggeds have such beautiful things. And they have love!”
“Indeed, my little equine Venus. But Napoleon is ruthless. He will not cease until all things two-legged are broken and scrambled like yesterday’s eggs in the farmer’s skillet.”
Mollie sighed, the thick full curtain of her eyelashes veiling her eyes. “We would be better off as two leggeds, my love.”
“Rubbish!” Benjamin moved closer, heating her broadside with his own lust-powered furnace. “We shall love, Mollie, and we shall be the envy of Animal Farm. Now dispense with the foolishness and kiss me, seductress mare!”
Swept into the moment, a dust devil of aching need, Mollie surrendered and allowed Benjamin to become the horse’s ass.
Red
Aw, whatsamatter? Don't like red? Perhaps red is too cliche for your delicate sense of aesthetics? Well, tough mouseloaf. Red is the color of the bold and the brazen, the doppelganger with an ego large enough to consume Latin America. And me, hey, I love red. I adore red. Hell, my car is bright red. My house is red (velvet). Poppies are red. Coop devil girls are red. Blood (batheinitswiminitliveinitdrinkitup) is red once it hits air. Really REALLY mindblowing sex is red (just use your imagination). Time is flowing red. "I alone walk in the red heavens". Grenadine is red, and for that matter, so are pomegranites. Anyway, the point...the point? Oh, right, I'm not trying to go for an overdone style so much as just using a color so very dear to me. Well, all right, that and I'm staring through the famed Ruby of Mygoshpraksh, which is the size of a human heart, which I understand is also kind of red. Just be grateful I don't do the Web design for major search engines, cool?
Don't Shirk. Blunt Works!
Sometimes it's necessary to couch things in soft terms. We often need to be discreet and politic so as to not upset or anger whoever has our attention at that moment.
Then again, there are times when it's necessary to be absolutely blunt. I get called "blunt as a spoon" a lot. Maybe it's even accurate. I prefer to go for the verbal visceral punch instead of tap dancing around an important matter.
Here are two examples of what I mean--success stories in which I take great pride. Before the Pennsylvania Primary on April 22, 2008, my grandmother and her Greatest Generation Gang were sitting around, resigned to not voting. This wasn't important, they said. No one interested them, they said. Many hadn't voted at all for over 20 years--ostensibly to avoid jury duty.
Now if these people could survive 80+ years on the planet, they could handle me. And so I started. The vote is your voice, I told them. What do you think your friends in all of these wars have died for--so you can sit on your bottoms and reliquish your right to vote? What about your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren?
This was getting through, but I decided to go for the kicker. "If you don't vote on Tuesday," I said, "you'll be giving up your right to complain for the duration of the election process."
The Yankee Doodle spiel had softened them, but the thought of having to refrain from opining for all of these months finished the job. Every single one of them voted in the primary (and I did what I could to make sure they got to their polling places).
Lately my mother made an appointment for her first colonoscopy. She was cool with it until last week, when she started pulling excuses to call it off from her...er...nose. Who would take care of her mother? What about the bathroom situation? What if this list of 53 improbable things happen?
So I came at it from a different point of view. "We're talking about your life here," I said. "If you don't have this done and there is in fact something wrong, it will go undetected and be that much harder to treat. You owe it to us--the family that loves you--to take this step to secure that we have a future together. You're so worried about Grandma and all of that, but what good will it do anyone if you die because you talked yourself out of this?"
Within the span of a day my mother made a complete turn around. With the knowledge that she could bail out at any time, she went about the prep process, with my sister and me for company and moral support. Suddenly she found a new strength and she surged ahead, determined to get this thing over with. I
am happy to say she had it done this morning, everything went well, and I am so proud of her for overcoming her hesitations in order to take care of herself.
Anyhow, my point is sometimes the greatest kindness is to use a little bluntness in your speech. You need to look for the one thing that will turn the discussion. And don't worry about hurt feelings. More often than not people will thank you for being straight with them.
Then again, there are times when it's necessary to be absolutely blunt. I get called "blunt as a spoon" a lot. Maybe it's even accurate. I prefer to go for the verbal visceral punch instead of tap dancing around an important matter.
Here are two examples of what I mean--success stories in which I take great pride. Before the Pennsylvania Primary on April 22, 2008, my grandmother and her Greatest Generation Gang were sitting around, resigned to not voting. This wasn't important, they said. No one interested them, they said. Many hadn't voted at all for over 20 years--ostensibly to avoid jury duty.
Now if these people could survive 80+ years on the planet, they could handle me. And so I started. The vote is your voice, I told them. What do you think your friends in all of these wars have died for--so you can sit on your bottoms and reliquish your right to vote? What about your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren?
This was getting through, but I decided to go for the kicker. "If you don't vote on Tuesday," I said, "you'll be giving up your right to complain for the duration of the election process."
The Yankee Doodle spiel had softened them, but the thought of having to refrain from opining for all of these months finished the job. Every single one of them voted in the primary (and I did what I could to make sure they got to their polling places).
Lately my mother made an appointment for her first colonoscopy. She was cool with it until last week, when she started pulling excuses to call it off from her...er...nose. Who would take care of her mother? What about the bathroom situation? What if this list of 53 improbable things happen?
So I came at it from a different point of view. "We're talking about your life here," I said. "If you don't have this done and there is in fact something wrong, it will go undetected and be that much harder to treat. You owe it to us--the family that loves you--to take this step to secure that we have a future together. You're so worried about Grandma and all of that, but what good will it do anyone if you die because you talked yourself out of this?"
Within the span of a day my mother made a complete turn around. With the knowledge that she could bail out at any time, she went about the prep process, with my sister and me for company and moral support. Suddenly she found a new strength and she surged ahead, determined to get this thing over with. I
am happy to say she had it done this morning, everything went well, and I am so proud of her for overcoming her hesitations in order to take care of herself.
Anyhow, my point is sometimes the greatest kindness is to use a little bluntness in your speech. You need to look for the one thing that will turn the discussion. And don't worry about hurt feelings. More often than not people will thank you for being straight with them.
Medieval Pick Up Lines
"Hey, Princess, you wouldn't happen to know where a lonely knight could scabbard his sword, would you?"
"Been there, slain that."
"Your hovel or mine?"
"Pestilence makes the heart go wander."
"Pardon me, madam, but wouldst thou like to see my longsword in action?"
"Every second of every hour of every day is like a thousand knives of fire stabbing me in the heart. I long for thee incessantly, so much that my sorrow seems without surcease. My alliteration is small comfort next to the warm gaze of thine azure eyes. I crave the comfort of thine embrace like some lost child cold and alone in the dark....So, you wanna !@..$% ???"
"You wanna go upstairs and see my Holy Grail?"
"I like the cut of your jib."
"If I were that horse, I'd rather you mounted me without the saddle."
Wizard: "You know, my hat isn't the only thing that's pointed."
"Thy breastplate is wondrous! Wouldst thou hold my polearm whilst I attempt to light thy fire?"
"Dost thou practice safe hex?"
"Dost thou know? That chastity belt of yours would look great on my sleeping chamber floor."
"I had to swim the moat to get to you fair maiden."
"So, would you like to see my breaststroke?"
Wench: "What's that sound?"
Knight: "That's just the sound of my chain mail drawers expanding."
"Thou hast hit on me harder than the black plague!"
"Why don't we go back to my place and re-enact 'The Miller's Tale?'"
"You won't believe this but St. George just appeared to me in a vision and told me that I must bed you. The fate of England depends is on it!!"
"Ever see a passion play? Would you like to?"
"Don't believe the rumors you heard about me. The plague didn't affect the important parts."
"Like a mare, I can be ridden for hours."
"How, you ask, did I get up here to your balcony? Well, I espied you from yonder garden. In an instant my er, heart was swelled with lus.. er, love. I had to meet you! So I ran over but tripped on a stone thusly pole-vaulting into your arms."
"C'mon, sweetie. Didn't your mother ever tell you? A cleric a day keeps the black plague away."
"I lost my leg in battle. Guess what I'm walking on!"
"Yes, fair maiden, I am indeed a wizard."
"Shall I make your clothes disappear?"
"I'm really a prince cursed by an evil witch."
"Tell me, do you have sex with frogs?"
"My! But you are a beautiful damsel in distress! Allow me to help you out of it."
"Been there, slain that."
"Your hovel or mine?"
"Pestilence makes the heart go wander."
"Pardon me, madam, but wouldst thou like to see my longsword in action?"
"Every second of every hour of every day is like a thousand knives of fire stabbing me in the heart. I long for thee incessantly, so much that my sorrow seems without surcease. My alliteration is small comfort next to the warm gaze of thine azure eyes. I crave the comfort of thine embrace like some lost child cold and alone in the dark....So, you wanna !@..$% ???"
"You wanna go upstairs and see my Holy Grail?"
"I like the cut of your jib."
"If I were that horse, I'd rather you mounted me without the saddle."
Wizard: "You know, my hat isn't the only thing that's pointed."
"Thy breastplate is wondrous! Wouldst thou hold my polearm whilst I attempt to light thy fire?"
"Dost thou practice safe hex?"
"Dost thou know? That chastity belt of yours would look great on my sleeping chamber floor."
"I had to swim the moat to get to you fair maiden."
"So, would you like to see my breaststroke?"
Wench: "What's that sound?"
Knight: "That's just the sound of my chain mail drawers expanding."
"Thou hast hit on me harder than the black plague!"
"Why don't we go back to my place and re-enact 'The Miller's Tale?'"
"You won't believe this but St. George just appeared to me in a vision and told me that I must bed you. The fate of England depends is on it!!"
"Ever see a passion play? Would you like to?"
"Don't believe the rumors you heard about me. The plague didn't affect the important parts."
"Like a mare, I can be ridden for hours."
"How, you ask, did I get up here to your balcony? Well, I espied you from yonder garden. In an instant my er, heart was swelled with lus.. er, love. I had to meet you! So I ran over but tripped on a stone thusly pole-vaulting into your arms."
"C'mon, sweetie. Didn't your mother ever tell you? A cleric a day keeps the black plague away."
"I lost my leg in battle. Guess what I'm walking on!"
"Yes, fair maiden, I am indeed a wizard."
"Shall I make your clothes disappear?"
"I'm really a prince cursed by an evil witch."
"Tell me, do you have sex with frogs?"
"My! But you are a beautiful damsel in distress! Allow me to help you out of it."
Apocalypse Theory (Untheories of Nonexistance)
When I say "apocalypse", I'm not talking in Biblical terms. This little thingie of mine, originally called "The Beginning of the End", will clarify everything...or so I hope. Basically this explains why my major website is called Electric Apocalypse, and why as the keeper of said site I started calling myself Apocalypse Girl.
ENTER THE FOUR HORSEMEN
What is an apocalypse? What does "apocalypse" mean? Why is this apocalypse electric? As the author of this domain, I am very proud of the research I have done which has gone into the creation of this site and the themes of Electric Apocalypse Productions.
There are four characters which may be familiar to you in name, if not in fact. These are my interpretation on a classic theme. They are War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death--the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Horsemen appear in the Book of Revelation (New Testament) and symbolize the supposed evils that will claim the earth at the end of the world. Traditionally, Death (also called Conquest) is mounted upon a white horse, War on a red horse, Pestilence (also called Plague) on a pale horse, and Famine on a black horse. As you can see, I have my own interpretation.
These evils, as stated, are harbingers of the end of the world. But I have to ask, have they not been among humanity since the beginning of human history? People have always been fighting each other. People have always gone hungry. People have always suffered from disease. People have always died. In this case, then, are the Four Horsemen signs of things to come, or are they revealatory in themselves, showing a darker and uglier side to human existence?
None of these things--Revelation, the Four Horsemen, apocalypse--are simply explained. What is more, I don't believe there is one correct definition. Here, I will be presenting my own take, based upon my research and a great many hours in contemplation. It is my hope that my point of view will be clear and understandable to you, but I in no way am claiming anyone should adopt my conclusions as their own. This has been a great journey of discovery for me, one I want to share with you.
APOCALYPSE TRADITION
Before I begin, I would like to give you a few standard working definitions from the New Testament. I will be adding more information in the course of this exposition.
APOCALYPSE - Another name for the New Testament Book of Revelation, from the Greek word for "revelation"; a final catastrophe; the end of the world; the end of time.
REVELATION - The last book of the New Testament, also called Apocalypse; the violent end of the world is foretold and the truth of the end of days is revealed; describes Armageddon, the Second Coming, Judgement Day, and the new heaven and earth.
ARMAGEDDON - The site of the final and conclusive battle between good and evil.
SECOND COMING - The return of Jesus to judge the living and the dead and bring about the final triumph of good over evil; this has been said to be in the near future for centuries.
ANTICHRIST - An enemy of Jesus who will appear before the Second Coming and win over many people who would otherwise follow Jesus.
Pretty clearly, an apocalypse would seem to be synonymous with the end of the world. Indeed this is a common connotation of apocalypse. However, to stop there is to miss out on a richer meaning.
"Apocalypse" comes from the Greek (Anglified) "apokalypsis", which in turn combines "apo" (un) + "kalyptein" (cover). In other words, an apocalypse means to uncover, to reveal. Revelation, then, is the uncovering of divine wisdom and prophecy regarding the end times and what the faithful must do.
I won't go into an exegesis on the Book of Revelation here, as it does not really serve any purpose in this instance. But we have uncovered two definitions of "apocalypse", both of which I ask you to keep in mind.
The ultimate end-all total turn around flip over and undoing of anything and everything.
The revelation of knowledge, even though that knowledge might be ugly.
APOCALYPSE CULTURE
Have you ever wondered about rubber necks? You know, the annoying drivers that slow down almost to a stop to gawk at a nasty auto accident?
I think this scenario applies to a great many situations in human life. People are fascinated by the appalling. It's an attraction-avoidance conflict in which attraction inevitably wins. Look at the tabloids. Yes, it's cattle fodder, but it also sells. What have been the obsessions? How long has the little beauty queen Jon Benet been dead, and she's still moving magazines. For that matter, what of the Kennedys? There's more said about them in death than in life. What other treats are presented to us? Diet tragedies and starvation stories, have mindblowing sex but get closer to deity, beauties beat up by enraged spouses, and of course the constant kicker, the imminent end of the world. If we're not living in an apocalypse culture, I can't imagine what this is.
In 1991, Feral House published Apocalypse Culture, a compendium of documents depicting the less savory side of our times. Includes are "Latter-Day Lycanthropy: Battling for the Feral Soul of Man", "The Unrepentant Necrophile", "Frank Talk from a Psychopath", "Aesthetic Terrorism", "Schizophrenic Responses to a Mad World", and "Long Live Death!" among many others. In 2000, in spite of the ardent determination of editor Adam Parfrey that Apocalypse Culture would never have a sequel, Feral House published Apocalypse Culture II, which is widely regarded as even more extreme than its predecessor. What exactly are these books? More than anything, these are books of revelation--books that bring the twisted side of mankind to light for you to peruse, if you dare. These are the things the general media sweeps under the rug, the things people never dicussed in a long ago day and age and still consider taboo.
More to the point, the Apocalypse Culture books are a manifestation of their title--the Apocalypse Culture. Who and what is Apocalypse Culture? Do you like peeking behind closed blinds after explicitly being told not to do so? Do you see what's really going on around you not through the goggles society would fit you with but through your own eyes? Can you see and appreciate the revelation of humanity's insanity? Do you agree that circumstances need some serious shaking up, and maybe even want to be one of the shakers? If any of these notions appeal to you, you might already be an active participant in Apocalypse Culture (as opposed to the passive participant who chases ambulances and likes reading about popular deaths without understanding their own urges).
APOCALYPSE THEORY
At this point I would like to mention that the concept of an apocalypse is one that has fascinated me for most of my life. This is not the same as being obsessed with the end of the world, mind you. To me, apocalypse always meant change, first and foremost. Granted, this is change on a grand scale, but change nonetheless.
I began to think out Apocalypse Theory when I survived the end of my own personal world. I won't go into the details, but I will say that everything that was for me was no more, and I was left to rebuild virtually from scratch. In time, I began to see that was I was making anew for myself was infinitely better than what I had lost. The medical analogy that when a broken bone heals badly it must be broken again to heal properly kept occurring to me. I saw where there was real strength in having undergone this complete debacle and rebirth. What happened to me? I had gone through a personal apocalypse, a mental apocalypse.
Yet there was more. In the process, I also had an apocalypse in the sense of revelation. I learned truths about myself, some of which were beautiful and some of which were the stuff of nightmares. The very nature of the world around me was revealed. I'd never really had the wool over my eyes before, but now it was gone forever. I saw and thought clearly. I was strong in my own convictions and not easily swayed by anything. I would include this as part of the personal and mental apocalypses previously mentioned.
This is Apocalypse Theory on a personal level, but what about applying the same principles to society? I believe that we as human beings are never stronger than when we've been shaken down to the very core of our being and then gone ahead to meet the challenge of a new beginning. The ugliness of mankind is revealed every day. We're destroying the planet, we're destroying ourselves. We're choosing apathy over action. We're fascinated by the death of one famous person and indifferent to the deaths of thousands in an earthquake. It's all revealed, but humanity's nature is to ignore what is displeasing and look the other way.
It's time for a shake up, and I say a shake up is long overdue. Naturally I don't mean the literal destruction of everything and everyone. But the broken bone hasn't healed properly; humanity has backed itself into a corner. The solution I propose is to break the bone again.
This, then, is Apocalypse Theory.
ELECTRIC APOCALYPSE
The tale of Electric Apocalypse is one of speculation, theory, and parallel. Please keep this in mind.
Our story begins in the eighteenth century. This was the time of the Enlightenment, the time when society turned away from religion and superstition in favor of science and reason. In this climate, the notion that anyone, especially people of note and power, would be dabbling in "Black Arts" and "Satanic Activities" might seem ludicrous. Yet, this may very well have happened--or something like it, or maybe something nothing like it at all that would have been dull without the diabolical veneer.
Parliament was into it. The American Founding Fathers were into it. But what was "it"? Welcome to the fact and lore of the Hellfire Club. Whether or not this organization conducted Satanic rites or if membership was just an expression of cynicism towards conventional religion is still debated (though folks will claim to have the absolute facts, a claim I refuse to make). In fact, the veracity or fable of the Hellfire Club is irrelevant here; one way or another, the name and the idea persist.
But the United States has some interesting potential connections to the Hellfire Club. Benjamin Franklin is said to have been an active member as he helped shape and form the new nation. Many of the other Founding Fathers had unusual views on Christianity. George Washington refused to kneel in church or take communion. Thomas Jefferson stated that he did not see a single redeeming feature in Christianity. James Madison said, "What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both superstition, bigotry and persecution". Today, some Americans swear allegiance to their flag with the words "under God". "In God We Trust" appears on American currency. Yet the original motto of the Founding Fathers was "E Pluribus Unum" or simply "Out of Many, One". The Constitution guarantees religious freedom for all. How much can be attributed to the influence of the Hellfire Club?
More than two centuries after the drafting of the Constitution, the Hellfire Club rears its head again. This time, the philosophy is expressed in song and put to music--dance music, diabolical disco, even. The ideas are thriving again, but something's different this time. What is it? How is this happening? Of course! ELECTRICITY! Well, this is how I imagine the birth of one of my own favorite bands, the Electric Hellfire Club.
Nice, nice, but what does this have to do with me?
If you've read through the documents on this site, you're pretty familiar with my version of apocalypse. Aha, but just how do I bring that version to life through my production company? Of course! ELECTRICITY!
But I'm not just discussing the watts and voltage here. There's a creative electricity here too. That electricity is the heart of the whole effort. What exactly am I producing? Works for the Apocalypse Culture, works to wake people up, works to reveal the nastier side of human nature, in writing, film, graphic art, in any and every medium that occurs to me.
Such was the birth of the Electric Apocalypse Production Company, which I would say was established in 1987 when I shot my first film, "Skateboard Apocalypse". Essentially, nuclear warheads had been launched and death was a certainty. Given a short time left to live, what does a group of urban high school students choose to do? SKATE!
I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this introduction and for getting to know what Electric Apocalypse Productions is all about.
ENTER THE FOUR HORSEMEN
What is an apocalypse? What does "apocalypse" mean? Why is this apocalypse electric? As the author of this domain, I am very proud of the research I have done which has gone into the creation of this site and the themes of Electric Apocalypse Productions.
There are four characters which may be familiar to you in name, if not in fact. These are my interpretation on a classic theme. They are War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death--the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Horsemen appear in the Book of Revelation (New Testament) and symbolize the supposed evils that will claim the earth at the end of the world. Traditionally, Death (also called Conquest) is mounted upon a white horse, War on a red horse, Pestilence (also called Plague) on a pale horse, and Famine on a black horse. As you can see, I have my own interpretation.
These evils, as stated, are harbingers of the end of the world. But I have to ask, have they not been among humanity since the beginning of human history? People have always been fighting each other. People have always gone hungry. People have always suffered from disease. People have always died. In this case, then, are the Four Horsemen signs of things to come, or are they revealatory in themselves, showing a darker and uglier side to human existence?
None of these things--Revelation, the Four Horsemen, apocalypse--are simply explained. What is more, I don't believe there is one correct definition. Here, I will be presenting my own take, based upon my research and a great many hours in contemplation. It is my hope that my point of view will be clear and understandable to you, but I in no way am claiming anyone should adopt my conclusions as their own. This has been a great journey of discovery for me, one I want to share with you.
APOCALYPSE TRADITION
Before I begin, I would like to give you a few standard working definitions from the New Testament. I will be adding more information in the course of this exposition.
APOCALYPSE - Another name for the New Testament Book of Revelation, from the Greek word for "revelation"; a final catastrophe; the end of the world; the end of time.
REVELATION - The last book of the New Testament, also called Apocalypse; the violent end of the world is foretold and the truth of the end of days is revealed; describes Armageddon, the Second Coming, Judgement Day, and the new heaven and earth.
ARMAGEDDON - The site of the final and conclusive battle between good and evil.
SECOND COMING - The return of Jesus to judge the living and the dead and bring about the final triumph of good over evil; this has been said to be in the near future for centuries.
ANTICHRIST - An enemy of Jesus who will appear before the Second Coming and win over many people who would otherwise follow Jesus.
Pretty clearly, an apocalypse would seem to be synonymous with the end of the world. Indeed this is a common connotation of apocalypse. However, to stop there is to miss out on a richer meaning.
"Apocalypse" comes from the Greek (Anglified) "apokalypsis", which in turn combines "apo" (un) + "kalyptein" (cover). In other words, an apocalypse means to uncover, to reveal. Revelation, then, is the uncovering of divine wisdom and prophecy regarding the end times and what the faithful must do.
I won't go into an exegesis on the Book of Revelation here, as it does not really serve any purpose in this instance. But we have uncovered two definitions of "apocalypse", both of which I ask you to keep in mind.
The ultimate end-all total turn around flip over and undoing of anything and everything.
The revelation of knowledge, even though that knowledge might be ugly.
APOCALYPSE CULTURE
Have you ever wondered about rubber necks? You know, the annoying drivers that slow down almost to a stop to gawk at a nasty auto accident?
I think this scenario applies to a great many situations in human life. People are fascinated by the appalling. It's an attraction-avoidance conflict in which attraction inevitably wins. Look at the tabloids. Yes, it's cattle fodder, but it also sells. What have been the obsessions? How long has the little beauty queen Jon Benet been dead, and she's still moving magazines. For that matter, what of the Kennedys? There's more said about them in death than in life. What other treats are presented to us? Diet tragedies and starvation stories, have mindblowing sex but get closer to deity, beauties beat up by enraged spouses, and of course the constant kicker, the imminent end of the world. If we're not living in an apocalypse culture, I can't imagine what this is.
In 1991, Feral House published Apocalypse Culture, a compendium of documents depicting the less savory side of our times. Includes are "Latter-Day Lycanthropy: Battling for the Feral Soul of Man", "The Unrepentant Necrophile", "Frank Talk from a Psychopath", "Aesthetic Terrorism", "Schizophrenic Responses to a Mad World", and "Long Live Death!" among many others. In 2000, in spite of the ardent determination of editor Adam Parfrey that Apocalypse Culture would never have a sequel, Feral House published Apocalypse Culture II, which is widely regarded as even more extreme than its predecessor. What exactly are these books? More than anything, these are books of revelation--books that bring the twisted side of mankind to light for you to peruse, if you dare. These are the things the general media sweeps under the rug, the things people never dicussed in a long ago day and age and still consider taboo.
More to the point, the Apocalypse Culture books are a manifestation of their title--the Apocalypse Culture. Who and what is Apocalypse Culture? Do you like peeking behind closed blinds after explicitly being told not to do so? Do you see what's really going on around you not through the goggles society would fit you with but through your own eyes? Can you see and appreciate the revelation of humanity's insanity? Do you agree that circumstances need some serious shaking up, and maybe even want to be one of the shakers? If any of these notions appeal to you, you might already be an active participant in Apocalypse Culture (as opposed to the passive participant who chases ambulances and likes reading about popular deaths without understanding their own urges).
APOCALYPSE THEORY
At this point I would like to mention that the concept of an apocalypse is one that has fascinated me for most of my life. This is not the same as being obsessed with the end of the world, mind you. To me, apocalypse always meant change, first and foremost. Granted, this is change on a grand scale, but change nonetheless.
I began to think out Apocalypse Theory when I survived the end of my own personal world. I won't go into the details, but I will say that everything that was for me was no more, and I was left to rebuild virtually from scratch. In time, I began to see that was I was making anew for myself was infinitely better than what I had lost. The medical analogy that when a broken bone heals badly it must be broken again to heal properly kept occurring to me. I saw where there was real strength in having undergone this complete debacle and rebirth. What happened to me? I had gone through a personal apocalypse, a mental apocalypse.
Yet there was more. In the process, I also had an apocalypse in the sense of revelation. I learned truths about myself, some of which were beautiful and some of which were the stuff of nightmares. The very nature of the world around me was revealed. I'd never really had the wool over my eyes before, but now it was gone forever. I saw and thought clearly. I was strong in my own convictions and not easily swayed by anything. I would include this as part of the personal and mental apocalypses previously mentioned.
This is Apocalypse Theory on a personal level, but what about applying the same principles to society? I believe that we as human beings are never stronger than when we've been shaken down to the very core of our being and then gone ahead to meet the challenge of a new beginning. The ugliness of mankind is revealed every day. We're destroying the planet, we're destroying ourselves. We're choosing apathy over action. We're fascinated by the death of one famous person and indifferent to the deaths of thousands in an earthquake. It's all revealed, but humanity's nature is to ignore what is displeasing and look the other way.
It's time for a shake up, and I say a shake up is long overdue. Naturally I don't mean the literal destruction of everything and everyone. But the broken bone hasn't healed properly; humanity has backed itself into a corner. The solution I propose is to break the bone again.
This, then, is Apocalypse Theory.
ELECTRIC APOCALYPSE
The tale of Electric Apocalypse is one of speculation, theory, and parallel. Please keep this in mind.
Our story begins in the eighteenth century. This was the time of the Enlightenment, the time when society turned away from religion and superstition in favor of science and reason. In this climate, the notion that anyone, especially people of note and power, would be dabbling in "Black Arts" and "Satanic Activities" might seem ludicrous. Yet, this may very well have happened--or something like it, or maybe something nothing like it at all that would have been dull without the diabolical veneer.
Parliament was into it. The American Founding Fathers were into it. But what was "it"? Welcome to the fact and lore of the Hellfire Club. Whether or not this organization conducted Satanic rites or if membership was just an expression of cynicism towards conventional religion is still debated (though folks will claim to have the absolute facts, a claim I refuse to make). In fact, the veracity or fable of the Hellfire Club is irrelevant here; one way or another, the name and the idea persist.
But the United States has some interesting potential connections to the Hellfire Club. Benjamin Franklin is said to have been an active member as he helped shape and form the new nation. Many of the other Founding Fathers had unusual views on Christianity. George Washington refused to kneel in church or take communion. Thomas Jefferson stated that he did not see a single redeeming feature in Christianity. James Madison said, "What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both superstition, bigotry and persecution". Today, some Americans swear allegiance to their flag with the words "under God". "In God We Trust" appears on American currency. Yet the original motto of the Founding Fathers was "E Pluribus Unum" or simply "Out of Many, One". The Constitution guarantees religious freedom for all. How much can be attributed to the influence of the Hellfire Club?
More than two centuries after the drafting of the Constitution, the Hellfire Club rears its head again. This time, the philosophy is expressed in song and put to music--dance music, diabolical disco, even. The ideas are thriving again, but something's different this time. What is it? How is this happening? Of course! ELECTRICITY! Well, this is how I imagine the birth of one of my own favorite bands, the Electric Hellfire Club.
Nice, nice, but what does this have to do with me?
If you've read through the documents on this site, you're pretty familiar with my version of apocalypse. Aha, but just how do I bring that version to life through my production company? Of course! ELECTRICITY!
But I'm not just discussing the watts and voltage here. There's a creative electricity here too. That electricity is the heart of the whole effort. What exactly am I producing? Works for the Apocalypse Culture, works to wake people up, works to reveal the nastier side of human nature, in writing, film, graphic art, in any and every medium that occurs to me.
Such was the birth of the Electric Apocalypse Production Company, which I would say was established in 1987 when I shot my first film, "Skateboard Apocalypse". Essentially, nuclear warheads had been launched and death was a certainty. Given a short time left to live, what does a group of urban high school students choose to do? SKATE!
I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this introduction and for getting to know what Electric Apocalypse Productions is all about.
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