November 28, 2005
No time to surf or post for a couple of days-- busy at work, busy at home with the music and recording projects galore. Both Olla and Scarab Dreamer will be on a little bloggie vacation for a few... Hope you're all having a great wintery season.
November 25, 2005
Michelle Handelman

Passerby > Ghost Sites
3-minute version of a 4-hour performance 2004
Documentation of an afternoon intervention in Bryant Park, NYC. Presented as part of the Exit Art exhibition public.exe; Public Execution curated by Michele Thursz and Anne Ellegood with participating curator Defne Ayas.
Michelle Handelman is a multimedia artist working with video, performance, and digital media.
November 24, 2005
Art Out Of The Box

Insert Object, and Out Comes an Artful Replica
Reprinted in part from the NY Times / November 23, 2005
Sometimes - never often enough - there's magic in new art. You'll find a sweet, rude shot of it, at least until 10 tonight, at Leo Koenig in Chelsea, where the Vienna-based collective Gelitin is in residence. Over the past week, the group has turned the gallery into a sociable, raunchy, pixilated all-night version of Santa's workshop, pumping out free art on demand, and turning the image of a money-choked, object-clogged New York art world on its head.
Gelitin itself has remained all the while invisible. What you'll see while visiting Koenig, at 545 West 23rd Street, is a sealed, space-hogging wooden box, the size of a small house or a pre-1970's mainframe computer. It has two extensions; one like a cabinet, the other like a top-loading chest. You are invited to place an object, any object, into the chestlike extension. Close the hatch. A yellow light goes on. You hear a sliding sound and a clunk. Your item has temporarily disappeared into the big box, just as dozens of others have, including wallets, photographs, specially made items (artists have brought their own work) and, memorably, a 2-year-old child. (The daughter of another Koenig artist, Erik Parker, spent a few hours in the box, emerging delighted but respectfully mum about her experiences - the Gelitin team had sworn her to secrecy.)
Take a seat. Eventually - the wait can be from a few minutes to more than an hour - a light on the other extension goes on. Open the door, and you'll find your object joined by a brand-new, handmade "duplicate," or at least something that more or less resembles the original. Both items will elicit admiring responses from the other people waiting their turn. And there always are people; the show has generated an avid community of shared interest. When the ooh's and aah's have subsided, you can take your new art home.
Gelitin itself has remained all the while invisible. What you'll see while visiting Koenig, at 545 West 23rd Street, is a sealed, space-hogging wooden box, the size of a small house or a pre-1970's mainframe computer. It has two extensions; one like a cabinet, the other like a top-loading chest. You are invited to place an object, any object, into the chestlike extension. Close the hatch. A yellow light goes on. You hear a sliding sound and a clunk. Your item has temporarily disappeared into the big box, just as dozens of others have, including wallets, photographs, specially made items (artists have brought their own work) and, memorably, a 2-year-old child. (CONTINUE READING...)
by way of the Core77 design magazine
Bruce Eisner's Vision Thing
Garsh. Bruce Eisner's blog is sure great, I'm enjoying the read-through. Blogroll, here we come...
November 22, 2005
Bird Brain...
The new Kate Bush release Aerial is gorgeous and has me hook, line, and sinker---entranced. It took me about 3-4 listens before it really grabbed me, but what did it the most, I think, was the theme of bird songs which she uses on some of the pieces. The artwork is also wonderful to this same effect.
Birds have always fascinated me, especially on the metaphysical level. When it comes to sound and vibration, birds seem to have a very intimate relationship with both things. The bird song is one of my favourite sounds to hear and as a beginning to moderately focused practitioner of my own form of sound sculpting, I am quite fond of using them in my work. I realize I am not alone in this as many composers, musicians, poets, writers, singers, you name it-- have been captured over the ages by the bird muse. Maybe it has something to do with ageing. Maybe one day you just wake up and start hearing these bird songs more and more as you begin to realize how much life you have lived (or how much left to go, etc...) There's a fairytale in there somewhere.
I just found out about a French composer by the name of Olivier Messiaen, who I had not heard of before my co-worker mentioned it to me during our morning tea break. I started to tell him about one of the songs on Aerial where Kate blends a few very interesting bird songs with a track of her laughing along with them, sometimes to the point of a sort of maniacal hysteria. Somehow this really works well with the bird songs there. It's a weird mesh but it works. I know this feeling, it hits me when I least expect it but always involving some form of nature breaking my trance-- definitely bird songs have had that effect. Strikes you right to your soul when you hear certain ones.
Ok. More about Olivier Messiaen, who really is amazing the more I read about him:
Olivier Messiaen
Great French composer of the second half of the 20th century. Messiaen wrote harmonically colourful and rhythmically complex music informed by a deep religious faith and a fascination for birdsong and the diversity of nature. He wrote in most genres and was also an organist and one of the most influential teachers of his time.
Here is a list of some of the bird songs (.wav format) along with .midi files of the compositions Messiaen created from them on his work called Réveil des oiseaux (roughly translated: Alarm clock of the birds)
L'ENGOULEVENT roughly translated: The GOAT-SUCKER (?)
This one is particularly nice and vibrates your entire head if you are wearing headphones and put your player on 'repeat' for a few minutes. This is a sensation I enjoy greatly when it comes to noise, just as long as my nose doesn't bleed.
Birds have always fascinated me, especially on the metaphysical level. When it comes to sound and vibration, birds seem to have a very intimate relationship with both things. The bird song is one of my favourite sounds to hear and as a beginning to moderately focused practitioner of my own form of sound sculpting, I am quite fond of using them in my work. I realize I am not alone in this as many composers, musicians, poets, writers, singers, you name it-- have been captured over the ages by the bird muse. Maybe it has something to do with ageing. Maybe one day you just wake up and start hearing these bird songs more and more as you begin to realize how much life you have lived (or how much left to go, etc...) There's a fairytale in there somewhere.
I just found out about a French composer by the name of Olivier Messiaen, who I had not heard of before my co-worker mentioned it to me during our morning tea break. I started to tell him about one of the songs on Aerial where Kate blends a few very interesting bird songs with a track of her laughing along with them, sometimes to the point of a sort of maniacal hysteria. Somehow this really works well with the bird songs there. It's a weird mesh but it works. I know this feeling, it hits me when I least expect it but always involving some form of nature breaking my trance-- definitely bird songs have had that effect. Strikes you right to your soul when you hear certain ones.
Ok. More about Olivier Messiaen, who really is amazing the more I read about him:
Olivier Messiaen
Great French composer of the second half of the 20th century. Messiaen wrote harmonically colourful and rhythmically complex music informed by a deep religious faith and a fascination for birdsong and the diversity of nature. He wrote in most genres and was also an organist and one of the most influential teachers of his time.
Here is a list of some of the bird songs (.wav format) along with .midi files of the compositions Messiaen created from them on his work called Réveil des oiseaux (roughly translated: Alarm clock of the birds)
L'ENGOULEVENT roughly translated: The GOAT-SUCKER (?)
This one is particularly nice and vibrates your entire head if you are wearing headphones and put your player on 'repeat' for a few minutes. This is a sensation I enjoy greatly when it comes to noise, just as long as my nose doesn't bleed.
November 21, 2005
"Escapees from the bathroom"??

This is truly the beginning of the end for the toy market. Somewhere in there I noticed the words "cuddly toys"... *shudder*
found at pthbbbt
No Exit
President George W Bush tried to make a quick exit from a news conference in Beijing on Sunday - only to find himself thwarted by locked doors.Watch what happened.
via American Samizdat
November 20, 2005
Monster Zoku Onsomb
IT CAME FROM BRISBANE!

Watch the Monster Zoku Promo Video
MONSTER ZOKU ONSOMB!
Formed mid 2003 after all 4 members performed as separate entities on an Australian tour with Japanese noise outfit DEFEKTRO.
The consequences of jamming kiki ILL's blistering yet playful beats with Miss P Leisure's 60's samples, and the noise attitude of KUNT, results in a live cabaret style show to put a smile on your face, and frisky tunes to get you wiggling.
MEMBERS:
kiki ILL
*Lulu Delux
Miss P. Leisure
Senor Tasty Taste
Dr Rok
Pecan Pie
Fluff Daddy
*Lulu Delux is also a member of KUNT, featured on the upcoming Women Take Back The Noise cd compilation.

Watch the Monster Zoku Promo Video
MONSTER ZOKU ONSOMB!
Formed mid 2003 after all 4 members performed as separate entities on an Australian tour with Japanese noise outfit DEFEKTRO.
The consequences of jamming kiki ILL's blistering yet playful beats with Miss P Leisure's 60's samples, and the noise attitude of KUNT, results in a live cabaret style show to put a smile on your face, and frisky tunes to get you wiggling.
MEMBERS:
kiki ILL
*Lulu Delux
Miss P. Leisure
Senor Tasty Taste
Dr Rok
Pecan Pie
Fluff Daddy
*Lulu Delux is also a member of KUNT, featured on the upcoming Women Take Back The Noise cd compilation.
Touch toys, make noise...
Toy Symphony is an international music performance and education project led by composer and inventor Tod Machover at the MIT Media Lab and Media Lab Europe. It strives primarily to introduce children to the creative music-making process in bold, new ways. Building on visionary technologies developed for Machover's groundbreaking Brain Opera, specially designed Music Toys enable children to immediately engage in sophisticated listening, performing and composing-activities normally accessible only after years of study. The participation of major symphony orchestras, conductors and soloists enables children to play alongside some of the world's most accomplished musicians, and to learn by doing.Audio clips
Video clips
Princess Nicotine (1909)
Comedic short that pits a smoker against a tiny fairy, brought to life through early special effects, by George Méliès, the pioneer of trick photography.Download video
(low to high quality versions available)
via the Internet Archive
from a New York Times review:
The nominal plot consists of the Smoker falling asleep, only to have his rest disturbed by two tiny visitors. This provides a framework for the special effects. We see the Smoker asleep in his chair and the fairies emerge onto the table near him. Many of the shots are designed to show the diminutive fairies contrasted against and interacting with much larger objects. The innovative techniques of Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy were celebrated in scientific journals and thus were made available to others experimenting with filmed visual tricks. A part of what's fun about Princess Nicotine today is to watch and try to figure out how the amazing shots were created while limited to early cinematic technology.
Tibetan Rope Incense
I forget who it was recently that asked me about where to find Tibetan rope incense... I love this stuff, and there are only a couple of places I've seen it out here in Berkeley.

I haven't ordered from this place yet but was looking through my bookmarked incense vendor links and went back through their remarkable catalogue online, complete with lovely-lovely photos and great descriptions of their products. Prices are very good and free shipping $30 and over (within the U.S.) plus they offer worldwide shipping as well. I just can't get over their assortment.
More info on this vendor here, including links to their eBay auctions.

I haven't ordered from this place yet but was looking through my bookmarked incense vendor links and went back through their remarkable catalogue online, complete with lovely-lovely photos and great descriptions of their products. Prices are very good and free shipping $30 and over (within the U.S.) plus they offer worldwide shipping as well. I just can't get over their assortment.
More info on this vendor here, including links to their eBay auctions.
November 17, 2005
No Other Radio audio archives (11/15)
hosted by dAS along with ninah pixie & friends...
LIVE performance in the KPFA STUDIOS
on water instruments by Cheryl E. Leonard, A.L. Dentel and Patty Liu

Check out archived audio from the show (11/15/05):
http://157.22.130.4/data/20051116-Wed0000.mp3
Playlist is available at the No Other Radio blog
More photos of the live performance can be viewed here.
LIVE performance in the KPFA STUDIOS
on water instruments by Cheryl E. Leonard, A.L. Dentel and Patty Liu

Check out archived audio from the show (11/15/05):
http://157.22.130.4/data/20051116-Wed0000.mp3
Playlist is available at the No Other Radio blog
More photos of the live performance can be viewed here.
November 16, 2005
Kukkiva Poliisi

Kukkiva Poliisi is improvised & acoustic female forest folk weirdness.
Audio
untitled (mp3) from "s/t"
Masakainen (mp3) from "Ilola"
Voice Sutra
Droney things on the brain today as I sit patiently working with more of the artwork and layout for Women Take Back The Noise. I will post the playlist and mp3 archive for last night's NORN show soon as well, but found this in the meantime doing sideline searches for "shruti drones" (a lot of folks are working with shruti boxes in their sound art, which is happiness to my ears):
From the Root Strata catalogue:
J.C. Ledesma "Voice Sutra" (mp3 excerpt)
A single half hour track of voice, shruti box, percussion and electronics. 4 AM brain droppings mix well with acoustic vibrations. Hand made covers in an edition of 100.
From the Root Strata catalogue:
J.C. Ledesma "Voice Sutra" (mp3 excerpt)
A single half hour track of voice, shruti box, percussion and electronics. 4 AM brain droppings mix well with acoustic vibrations. Hand made covers in an edition of 100.
November 15, 2005
Tonite: KPFA 'No Other Radio Network'
11:59pm (PST) ::: RADIO: 94.1 FM / Berkeley CA:::: NO OTHER RADIO NETWORK ::::
listen to KPFA ONLINE (live internet stream)
SPECIAL GUESTS:
A.L. DENTEL, CHERYL E. LEONARD & PATTY LIU
live performance on water instruments + interview
dAS will be your host...
(along with ninah pixie and other special guests...)
Station call line: (510) 848-4425
Since 1981, KPFA's NO OTHER RADIO NETWORK has pioneered and provided a forum for underground, noise, electronic, industrial, psycho acoustic and many other genres of music, in addition to featuring live interviews and performance over the airwaves.
We welcome artists to send us their works.
Archived playlists from all UBUIBI-hosted N.O.R.N. shows
are available at the No Other Radio Network blog
MP3 Archives NOW AVAILABLE (in case you can't listen live)
Gilliam movie update: TIDELAND (trailer)
from my inbox this morning (and I still have yet to see Brothers Grimm!):TIDELAND UPDATE - THE OFFICIAL TRAILER IS LIVE
Are you ready to enter the surreal and haunting world of Tideland?
If so, we are pleased to inform you that the official trailer and three
clips to Terry Gilliam's new film are now live on the official website.
In the great tradition of child fantasy stories such as The Wizard of Oz and Alice and Wonderland, Terry Gilliam takes us on a wild adventure with his adaptation of Mitch Cullin's cult classic novel.
After her mother dies from a heroin overdose, Jeliza-Rose is taken from the big city to a rural farmhouse by her father. As she tries to settle into a new life in her mother's childhood home, Jeliza-Rose's attempts to deal with what's happened result in increasingly odd behavior, as she begins to communicate mainly with her bodiless Barbie doll heads and Dell, a neighborhood woman who always wears a beekeeper's veil.
Starring:
Jodelle Ferland, Aldon Adair, Wendy Anderson, Jeff Bridges, Sally Crooks, Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer, Dylan Taylor, Jennifer Tilly
November 14, 2005
Shruti Box
Some friends have been wondering what my newest instrument, the 'shruti box' is all about. I've only had it a few weeks now, but it went with us to our Phoenix AZ show. I haven't taken pics yet but will get to that soon (and some sounds as well), but for now, here's the best description available from checking online, written by our old pal in Santa Cruz, Ashwin Batish:
Musical Instruments of India Series
Shruti Box

I thought I fell hard and fast in love with my harmonium a few months ago when I brought it home for my birthday, but the shruti is an adorable close second-- plus, it's portable, which makes it even more useful for taking around to shows. If you love drones, tones, chanting, anything of that sort-- I highly recommend any of these instruments for a truly blissful experience and a way to open yourself to more creative possibilities by using sound and vibration in ways you might never have before.
Musical Instruments of India Series
Shruti Box

I thought I fell hard and fast in love with my harmonium a few months ago when I brought it home for my birthday, but the shruti is an adorable close second-- plus, it's portable, which makes it even more useful for taking around to shows. If you love drones, tones, chanting, anything of that sort-- I highly recommend any of these instruments for a truly blissful experience and a way to open yourself to more creative possibilities by using sound and vibration in ways you might never have before.
November 13, 2005
Zoned...
Made it back, safe and sound, from our twelve-hour drive back from Arizona. Survived going to my brother's wedding, seeing all of the family and relatives that haven't seen me since I was five. It was both surreal and beautiful but I'm very glad we went. Also, our show at CounterCulture Cafe was nice and mellow. The place is very bohemian and caters to an odd assortment of folk, ranging from students to hip, young outcast anarchist types. There wasn't a huge crowd there on the night we played, but the folks that run the place seemed to dig what we put together, which was essentially some layered textural sound backdrops with a little improv from each of us. I took my newest instrument, the shruti box (basically an acoustic tone generator), which we live-mic'd and I even did some vocal chanting here and there when the spirit hit. dAS had a surprise visit from an old cassette-network friend who lives in Phoenix and showed up to hear us play (you just never know who's going to show up sometimes...) It reminded me of our tour through Europe together in 2001 and now I have the itch again for travel. Hopefully as soon as WTBTN gets launched we'll be able to head back over the pond again, and maybe a few new places this time.
I'm going through some pics and stuff for a bit and then might post them here. Otherwise, nursing this little head cold I picked up from a few too many late nights combined with weather and altitude changes. Back to my day job tomorrow, so off to rest up. Hope all of you out there had a lovely weekend...
I'm going through some pics and stuff for a bit and then might post them here. Otherwise, nursing this little head cold I picked up from a few too many late nights combined with weather and altitude changes. Back to my day job tomorrow, so off to rest up. Hope all of you out there had a lovely weekend...
November 09, 2005
UB Radio #6 (WATER BEWITCHED) mp3 & pics

Many thanks to our friends at Shirley & Spinoza for making mp3 archives available of all UB FREEFORM RADIO broadcasts....
WATER BEWITCHED
Here's the full three-hour mp3 audio archive in case you didn't get a chance to hear the live broadcast:
HiFi 192Kbps MP3 (259MB - 3hrs)
OR
LoFi 64Kbps MP3 (86MB - 3hrs)
Here's the ARCHIVE page from Shirley & Spinoza for all UB Freeform radio
(excerpts and full mp3s)
http://ss.2inches.com/archive.php?numsongs=6
Sounds and voices brought to you by dAS, Ninah Pixie, Melissa Margolis, Dina Emerson, Cheryl E. Leonard, Patty Liu, Ann Dentel, Jonathan Segel, Fausto Caceres, Kerri Pidnow, Jesse Burson and Michael Gendreau
More photos here.
November 08, 2005
Metaversal Waterweek Forecast (Nov 8-11)
Brought to you by Johannes Ayres...
THE METAVERSAL LIGHTCRAFT
HYPER-ABYSSIC ASTROLOGY FORECAST
AND LIGHT SPECIFIC YOGA PLATFORM
THE METAVERSAL WATERWEEK FORECAST
BRIAH, THE WORLD OF WATER
Second Quarter Moon
-WATERWEEK-
November 8th to November 11th
Bring me my crow of burning Gold
bring me my sparrows of desire....
So what can we expect from this second week of the 8th Lunar Cycle of 2005?
The Moon's second quarter is where we utilize the power of Metaversal Mind, Water, the kabbalistic world of Briah, the Pattern, through the medium of our Emotional and Mental bodies. Since Briah is the realm of Gods and Faeries, Angels and Goddess's, Images and Symbols, Visions and Voices we can expect nothing less than knowledge and conversation with the patterns of our deep Selves, what Carl Jung calls "aspects of The Self, the unified, self-organizing entity we are expressions of". Gnosticism is based in Daath. Daath is the Divine Lightcraft. Father and Mother are eternally united in Daath. This points to the activity of the sexual force, always in Yesod. The Holy Iaooai is the one who says, "Let there be Lightcraft." But we have to understand that within the Lightcraft are the Father and the Son, joy riding essentially, because they have the key. Who gave them the key? I did. So, fuck me like fried potatoes on the most beautifully hungry morning of my God-damn life. After the ka-boom of last weeks explosive New Moon in Scorpio, the planets give us some recuperation time so we can assimilate the New Moon energy. Do not expect curb service with the planets that we have now, because it is a laid back water week in the Solar system. This Divine Mother Terminal of a week is sandwiched between two events: A Mars/ Neptune square on the 7th (like riding a bike on glacial ice: lots of pedaling, getting nowhere) and Mercury going retrograde on the 13th. So, this is the Lightcraft in the World of Briah in the month of November 2005 Apoc 6: Abba (Binah), Beatles (Binah) and Throbbing Gristle (the Child). Within the Child is (Chesed/Stewart, Geburah/Andy and Tiphereth/Sting). Yet remember that the center of gravity of the Second Triangle is Tiphereth (although crows know where those solo albums wound up). One day, you will go where crows go and you will know what the crows know. After you have learned all their secrets and think the way they do and your love caresses their feathers like the walls of a midnight clock. So the Lightcraft of the World of Briah is: Osiris, Isis and Horus. The other Trimurti (Isos, Apothos., Osiris) manifests in all the Monads of the Metacreators, Elohim, Archangels.
Hey, when you swim in the sea,
and an eel bites your knee,
that's a morray!
Astrologically
it's a another
week!
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8
"That's why they burn your bridges, so ruffles won't have ridges,
and pigeons won't have privileges like doves do."?
The Day of Mars in Briah, the World of Water. In it's earthly manifestation, Martian power appears as willpower, impulsiveness, courage, and daring, and as sexual energy with which to possess and fertilize the Eternal Feminine. The language or system used is completely unimportant as long as it reflects and supports your interaction with your Creation. Karma Yoga, the "Yoga of Action", is associated with your Lightcraft's power center, the Third Chakra. The Fire in the Belly. "Karma" means action, a special kind of mindful action that stems from non-attachment, selfless service without thoughts of personal gain or recognition. Whether you are scrubbing toilets or performing brain surgery, both actions are equal when performed with the attitude of compassion, love, and devotion to the Metaverse and it's inhabitants. The Moon in Aquarius today is doing it's own thing Aquarius represents, on the level of the first octave, the period between 12 weeks to 28 weeks after Conception, when the electrick nervous system of the fetus switches on. On the level of the fourth octave (see Chapter 9 of the Meteversal Lightcraft Training Manual for more on the Four Octaves), Aquarius represents the higher Self projecting itself to the world tribe, through media, groups, circles of friends (your Tribe) and utopian aims and idealistic pursuits alter the prevailing social systems. On the World scale, Aquarius occupies the period between AD 1840 and 1910. This was the time when the established dominance of the material world in Capricorn quickly required more sophisticated planning, spurred by Schopenhauer, ideas and beliefs from the east began flooding the West through such diverse channels as the Theosophical Society, the Golden Dawn, and the operas of Wagner. This was the time of Crowley, Nietzsche, and the early works of Freud. With the Moon in Aquarius we have the ability to combine East and West, Light and Dark, Sun and Moon. This is where we are compelled to reach out to others and network. . The first quarter square between the Sun/Moon at 5:58 p.m. is a decision point. Either the window of Aquarian invention cuts you loose from your plan or else it brings additional support in the form of new ideas or people to help your cause.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9
The Day of Mercury in the kabbalistic World of Water, Briah. Visualize your self wearing sneakers with wings as you read this. Mercury's function is to think. To know. To reason. There is no foot race to win here. Language is his playground. The Akasic Library is his home. And oh yes, Hermes is a Love god. He likes the sound of his own voice. Write a poem, a sonnet, or some erotica today and them transmit that information to at least one other person. The Moon enters Pisces at 4:33 p.m. revolutionizing our experience of true radical compassion. Compassion is deep awareness of the suffering of another (including our own suffering and compassion for self) without the need to relieve it, feeling total appreciation for its value; a state of non-judgment a state of total acceptance. This type of compassion requires a radical willingness to be with what IS while releasing the need to rescue, fix, change, or control outcome. This ultimately means learning to accept the "unacceptable", forgive the "unforgivable", and love the "unlovable" by releasing our emotional and mental attachments to how we believe events in life "should or should not" be or how we as humans "should or should not be". Accepting what IS for now delineates the key component of Radical Compassion. When we feel a need to rescue or fix a person or situation this is not coming from true compassion but rather an addictive need to have things be different than what they are. Accepting things as they are doesn't mean we give up our desire for change or the willingness to take action to create change.
You'll be safe in the PRC (Piscean Radical Compassion) - it's like a magic carpet with an impermeable aura - and the what it is itself is not really the ultimate spectacle of sheer menacing horror and pranksterish delirium. This is really about the difference between an addictive need and a preference. We can still prefer what we prefer while accepting what is for now. Acceptance helps us to give up the need for it to be different than what it IS and that often facilitates the change all by it self, especially when we are not attached to what the change looks like and we connect here, in a lighthouse made of black rubber and steel. Its walls will be adorned with mandalas of contraluz opals and petrified wood. It will be evenly lit by an indiscernible source I haven't figured out yet. You will hear the foghorns of ghostships. There will be others with you, and you will say to some of them: 'My god, but you've been dead all these years'; and to others you will say, with tears in your eyes: 'But how can I know you so well, how can I have missed you so much, when we've never even met before terrific monuments made of coloured sound changed our frequency and we storm the edifices of a dream more incredible than the blooming of a thousand hearts amplified through hyper-abyssic vacu-phazers at full speed.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10
The Day of Jupiter in the kabbalistic World of Water, Briah. If you don't have a good laugh today, you are missing the point. There is a whole division of the Angelic Hierarchy assigned to the sephiroth Chesed (Jupiter) whose purpose is divine inspiration through laughter. And there is no vision more critical in the career of the adept than the Metaversal Joke. Did you here the one about the astrologer who broke his arm and attributed it to an accident? I've recently noticed "as if for the first time" that when people pray they always look "upward" -- i.e. perpendicular to whatever place they're standing -- or kneeling or groveling. I deduce that they conceive of their "god" as topologically isomorphic to a huge donut, about a thousand miles wider than Earth. (Of course, if people ever pray at the north or south poles, this would have to change; then "god" would become isomorphic to a hollow sphere.] Although the Bible and Koran always speak of their god as "above," Christians, Jews and Moslems can either accept what their rituals imply -- a donut god -- or return to a flat Earth....
Giambatista Vico, "the father of sociology", suggested in The New Science that Thunder historically underlies the "god" idea; the Noisy Thing roaring in the sky, seemingly in rage, had to be appeased. Sometimes lightning came from that roaring monster, and sometimes lightning killed somebody. Hence Zeus bronnton [Zeus the thunderer], Jupiter, another thunder god; Thor, Donner, whose very name means thunder; etc.... and Yahweh..... and Allah...... Joyce uses this god=thunder equation repeatedly in Finnegans Wake. The monotheistic idea implies a cruel and grumpy old electric donut surrounding Earth and ever threatening it. I think this explains the "structural unconscious" or inarticulate neurosemantics of George W, Ariel Sharon and Osama bin Laden equally. They're all heaping up human sacrifices, as at Stonehenge, to Him Who Thunders From On High. That's Jupiter in Scorpio for ya. But with the Moon in Pisces today, ya know the Divine Metaversal Mother loves you even if you are shunned by your biological Mother. Pisces represents, on the level of the first octave, the period between 28 weeks after Conception till Birth, when after the electrick nervous system of the fetus switches on (Aquarius), we become psychically tuned to the entity later to be known as Mother.
On the level of the fourth octave (see Chapter 9 of the Meteversal Lightcraft Training Manual for more on the Four Octaves), Pisces represents the enlightened Self which must give itself totally to the whole, dissolving into the void, in order to achieve the final unity with the realm of pure spirit. On the World scale, Pisces occupies the period between 1910 and 1969. heralded by the founding of Psychoanalysis, when Mankind began exploring again the Unconscious strata of Life, and by Albert Einstein's (a Pisces) Theory of Relativity. This was the time of Jung, Joyce, Hesse, Huxley, Leary, Burroughs. We transcend the limits the illusion, Maya, the physical World of Assiah, extending inward with the electron microscope and outward with the high powered Telescope. The entire range of audible musical notes and the whole spectrum of visible colour, apprehended and understood. The dissolving power of mutable Water, Second coming of the Fish with the Double Wand of Power, Atom Bomb and LSD.?? With the Moon in Pisces we have a heightened sensitivity to Musick and the Dreamtime, and we feel the depths of pure compassion for the Metaverse and it's inhabitants."Being a member of a rock band is very alluring from a sexual standpoint," said Yale University's Nora Hayes, one of the nation's leading authorities on band-related sexual activity. "Men and women in bands are considered 'cool' by their peers, and that, when combined with a visceral, sweaty performance on the part of the musician, makes them very attractive from a mating standpoint.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11
The Day of Venus in the Week of Water. If you actively invoke blessed HANIEL, the Archangel of Venus into your heart today, you may find you have developed the ability to feel like Khrisna, multiplying himself into a dozen pastoral, naked farmhands with muddy feet and emerald pond scum on their thighs, or maybe you are a young Freya on the back of a panther, eating honey. The 5 roses represent the five senses in the Empress card (Atu 3) And in the Lovers card (Atu 6 ) the senses are the five fruits of Eve. Venus is indeed in cahoots with the senses. All movement of all living creatures in world of Assiah are tied to the senses and the desire-nature. The accomplished Lightpilot can remove the robe of desire in order to withdraw into the worlds of Briah and Atzitluth, but in order to achieve anything in the physical realms you keep that robe on. When you act, your gonna act in terms of desire. Venus represents that which is desirable. Every living thing seeks pleasure and tries to avoid pain. Victory lies in understanding our desire nature and learning how to use it. And when I say private, I mean private: you'll be shocked by what you discover about yourself. I'm shocked - and, frankly, a little disgusted - just thinking about it. But it's all in good fun.....leaning my face down next to yours, whispering strange words into your ears...sounding like some sort of archaic language, and something like the sharp razor tones of German words that make no sense whatsoever, but God! They do something to you...
The Moon enters the hot and heavy sign of Aries at 7:22 p.m. There is a sense of immediacy(piss/vinegar) tonight that helps us let go of the past and live in the eternal now, so get the responsibilities taken care of early so the rest of the day and night can be devoted to our Lady Aphrodite. I'm so excited by the prospect that she might actually join me on this little outing that I've quite been masturbating -furiously! - all morning in anticipation. I find myself in a neurasthenic frenzy just contemplating the notion that she and I might get together beneath those same bolts of lightning which are sure to set the Sugar silos aflame again, a psychic chemistry in which the mind of the alchemist merges with the material aspect of his work. Lightcraft likewise performs a kind of "cosmic physics" in a soft laboratory of enmeshed muscle and mind. Circular breathing or (k)not, the Eternal Feminine will always lure to perfection, I love the way she plays with my expectations, my thoughts skirting, my desires panting, my yin yanging in the clanging din, my Lightcraft everywhere at once, in several countries, several states, distributed across multiple time zones, through the solar system, across the Metaverse.... conducting interdisciplinary excavations of Bush's cosmetically concealed Economic train wreck, spectacularly ejaculating the unspoken name of God on to the floor of a hyper-abyssic temple at the peak of an outstanding sonic attack.? Goddamn, I Love You!
With Fondest Regards to you and your lovely planets
Your Dithering Suitor,
Johannes Ayres, Esq.
THE METAVERSAL LIGHTCRAFTHYPER-ABYSSIC ASTROLOGY FORECAST
AND LIGHT SPECIFIC YOGA PLATFORM
THE METAVERSAL WATERWEEK FORECAST
BRIAH, THE WORLD OF WATER
Second Quarter Moon
-WATERWEEK-
November 8th to November 11th
Bring me my crow of burning Gold
bring me my sparrows of desire....
So what can we expect from this second week of the 8th Lunar Cycle of 2005?
The Moon's second quarter is where we utilize the power of Metaversal Mind, Water, the kabbalistic world of Briah, the Pattern, through the medium of our Emotional and Mental bodies. Since Briah is the realm of Gods and Faeries, Angels and Goddess's, Images and Symbols, Visions and Voices we can expect nothing less than knowledge and conversation with the patterns of our deep Selves, what Carl Jung calls "aspects of The Self, the unified, self-organizing entity we are expressions of". Gnosticism is based in Daath. Daath is the Divine Lightcraft. Father and Mother are eternally united in Daath. This points to the activity of the sexual force, always in Yesod. The Holy Iaooai is the one who says, "Let there be Lightcraft." But we have to understand that within the Lightcraft are the Father and the Son, joy riding essentially, because they have the key. Who gave them the key? I did. So, fuck me like fried potatoes on the most beautifully hungry morning of my God-damn life. After the ka-boom of last weeks explosive New Moon in Scorpio, the planets give us some recuperation time so we can assimilate the New Moon energy. Do not expect curb service with the planets that we have now, because it is a laid back water week in the Solar system. This Divine Mother Terminal of a week is sandwiched between two events: A Mars/ Neptune square on the 7th (like riding a bike on glacial ice: lots of pedaling, getting nowhere) and Mercury going retrograde on the 13th. So, this is the Lightcraft in the World of Briah in the month of November 2005 Apoc 6: Abba (Binah), Beatles (Binah) and Throbbing Gristle (the Child). Within the Child is (Chesed/Stewart, Geburah/Andy and Tiphereth/Sting). Yet remember that the center of gravity of the Second Triangle is Tiphereth (although crows know where those solo albums wound up). One day, you will go where crows go and you will know what the crows know. After you have learned all their secrets and think the way they do and your love caresses their feathers like the walls of a midnight clock. So the Lightcraft of the World of Briah is: Osiris, Isis and Horus. The other Trimurti (Isos, Apothos., Osiris) manifests in all the Monads of the Metacreators, Elohim, Archangels.
Hey, when you swim in the sea,
and an eel bites your knee,
that's a morray!
Astrologically
it's a another
week!
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8
"That's why they burn your bridges, so ruffles won't have ridges,
and pigeons won't have privileges like doves do."?
The Day of Mars in Briah, the World of Water. In it's earthly manifestation, Martian power appears as willpower, impulsiveness, courage, and daring, and as sexual energy with which to possess and fertilize the Eternal Feminine. The language or system used is completely unimportant as long as it reflects and supports your interaction with your Creation. Karma Yoga, the "Yoga of Action", is associated with your Lightcraft's power center, the Third Chakra. The Fire in the Belly. "Karma" means action, a special kind of mindful action that stems from non-attachment, selfless service without thoughts of personal gain or recognition. Whether you are scrubbing toilets or performing brain surgery, both actions are equal when performed with the attitude of compassion, love, and devotion to the Metaverse and it's inhabitants. The Moon in Aquarius today is doing it's own thing Aquarius represents, on the level of the first octave, the period between 12 weeks to 28 weeks after Conception, when the electrick nervous system of the fetus switches on. On the level of the fourth octave (see Chapter 9 of the Meteversal Lightcraft Training Manual for more on the Four Octaves), Aquarius represents the higher Self projecting itself to the world tribe, through media, groups, circles of friends (your Tribe) and utopian aims and idealistic pursuits alter the prevailing social systems. On the World scale, Aquarius occupies the period between AD 1840 and 1910. This was the time when the established dominance of the material world in Capricorn quickly required more sophisticated planning, spurred by Schopenhauer, ideas and beliefs from the east began flooding the West through such diverse channels as the Theosophical Society, the Golden Dawn, and the operas of Wagner. This was the time of Crowley, Nietzsche, and the early works of Freud. With the Moon in Aquarius we have the ability to combine East and West, Light and Dark, Sun and Moon. This is where we are compelled to reach out to others and network. . The first quarter square between the Sun/Moon at 5:58 p.m. is a decision point. Either the window of Aquarian invention cuts you loose from your plan or else it brings additional support in the form of new ideas or people to help your cause.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9
The Day of Mercury in the kabbalistic World of Water, Briah. Visualize your self wearing sneakers with wings as you read this. Mercury's function is to think. To know. To reason. There is no foot race to win here. Language is his playground. The Akasic Library is his home. And oh yes, Hermes is a Love god. He likes the sound of his own voice. Write a poem, a sonnet, or some erotica today and them transmit that information to at least one other person. The Moon enters Pisces at 4:33 p.m. revolutionizing our experience of true radical compassion. Compassion is deep awareness of the suffering of another (including our own suffering and compassion for self) without the need to relieve it, feeling total appreciation for its value; a state of non-judgment a state of total acceptance. This type of compassion requires a radical willingness to be with what IS while releasing the need to rescue, fix, change, or control outcome. This ultimately means learning to accept the "unacceptable", forgive the "unforgivable", and love the "unlovable" by releasing our emotional and mental attachments to how we believe events in life "should or should not" be or how we as humans "should or should not be". Accepting what IS for now delineates the key component of Radical Compassion. When we feel a need to rescue or fix a person or situation this is not coming from true compassion but rather an addictive need to have things be different than what they are. Accepting things as they are doesn't mean we give up our desire for change or the willingness to take action to create change.
You'll be safe in the PRC (Piscean Radical Compassion) - it's like a magic carpet with an impermeable aura - and the what it is itself is not really the ultimate spectacle of sheer menacing horror and pranksterish delirium. This is really about the difference between an addictive need and a preference. We can still prefer what we prefer while accepting what is for now. Acceptance helps us to give up the need for it to be different than what it IS and that often facilitates the change all by it self, especially when we are not attached to what the change looks like and we connect here, in a lighthouse made of black rubber and steel. Its walls will be adorned with mandalas of contraluz opals and petrified wood. It will be evenly lit by an indiscernible source I haven't figured out yet. You will hear the foghorns of ghostships. There will be others with you, and you will say to some of them: 'My god, but you've been dead all these years'; and to others you will say, with tears in your eyes: 'But how can I know you so well, how can I have missed you so much, when we've never even met before terrific monuments made of coloured sound changed our frequency and we storm the edifices of a dream more incredible than the blooming of a thousand hearts amplified through hyper-abyssic vacu-phazers at full speed.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10
The Day of Jupiter in the kabbalistic World of Water, Briah. If you don't have a good laugh today, you are missing the point. There is a whole division of the Angelic Hierarchy assigned to the sephiroth Chesed (Jupiter) whose purpose is divine inspiration through laughter. And there is no vision more critical in the career of the adept than the Metaversal Joke. Did you here the one about the astrologer who broke his arm and attributed it to an accident? I've recently noticed "as if for the first time" that when people pray they always look "upward" -- i.e. perpendicular to whatever place they're standing -- or kneeling or groveling. I deduce that they conceive of their "god" as topologically isomorphic to a huge donut, about a thousand miles wider than Earth. (Of course, if people ever pray at the north or south poles, this would have to change; then "god" would become isomorphic to a hollow sphere.] Although the Bible and Koran always speak of their god as "above," Christians, Jews and Moslems can either accept what their rituals imply -- a donut god -- or return to a flat Earth....
Giambatista Vico, "the father of sociology", suggested in The New Science that Thunder historically underlies the "god" idea; the Noisy Thing roaring in the sky, seemingly in rage, had to be appeased. Sometimes lightning came from that roaring monster, and sometimes lightning killed somebody. Hence Zeus bronnton [Zeus the thunderer], Jupiter, another thunder god; Thor, Donner, whose very name means thunder; etc.... and Yahweh..... and Allah...... Joyce uses this god=thunder equation repeatedly in Finnegans Wake. The monotheistic idea implies a cruel and grumpy old electric donut surrounding Earth and ever threatening it. I think this explains the "structural unconscious" or inarticulate neurosemantics of George W, Ariel Sharon and Osama bin Laden equally. They're all heaping up human sacrifices, as at Stonehenge, to Him Who Thunders From On High. That's Jupiter in Scorpio for ya. But with the Moon in Pisces today, ya know the Divine Metaversal Mother loves you even if you are shunned by your biological Mother. Pisces represents, on the level of the first octave, the period between 28 weeks after Conception till Birth, when after the electrick nervous system of the fetus switches on (Aquarius), we become psychically tuned to the entity later to be known as Mother.
On the level of the fourth octave (see Chapter 9 of the Meteversal Lightcraft Training Manual for more on the Four Octaves), Pisces represents the enlightened Self which must give itself totally to the whole, dissolving into the void, in order to achieve the final unity with the realm of pure spirit. On the World scale, Pisces occupies the period between 1910 and 1969. heralded by the founding of Psychoanalysis, when Mankind began exploring again the Unconscious strata of Life, and by Albert Einstein's (a Pisces) Theory of Relativity. This was the time of Jung, Joyce, Hesse, Huxley, Leary, Burroughs. We transcend the limits the illusion, Maya, the physical World of Assiah, extending inward with the electron microscope and outward with the high powered Telescope. The entire range of audible musical notes and the whole spectrum of visible colour, apprehended and understood. The dissolving power of mutable Water, Second coming of the Fish with the Double Wand of Power, Atom Bomb and LSD.?? With the Moon in Pisces we have a heightened sensitivity to Musick and the Dreamtime, and we feel the depths of pure compassion for the Metaverse and it's inhabitants."Being a member of a rock band is very alluring from a sexual standpoint," said Yale University's Nora Hayes, one of the nation's leading authorities on band-related sexual activity. "Men and women in bands are considered 'cool' by their peers, and that, when combined with a visceral, sweaty performance on the part of the musician, makes them very attractive from a mating standpoint.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11
The Day of Venus in the Week of Water. If you actively invoke blessed HANIEL, the Archangel of Venus into your heart today, you may find you have developed the ability to feel like Khrisna, multiplying himself into a dozen pastoral, naked farmhands with muddy feet and emerald pond scum on their thighs, or maybe you are a young Freya on the back of a panther, eating honey. The 5 roses represent the five senses in the Empress card (Atu 3) And in the Lovers card (Atu 6 ) the senses are the five fruits of Eve. Venus is indeed in cahoots with the senses. All movement of all living creatures in world of Assiah are tied to the senses and the desire-nature. The accomplished Lightpilot can remove the robe of desire in order to withdraw into the worlds of Briah and Atzitluth, but in order to achieve anything in the physical realms you keep that robe on. When you act, your gonna act in terms of desire. Venus represents that which is desirable. Every living thing seeks pleasure and tries to avoid pain. Victory lies in understanding our desire nature and learning how to use it. And when I say private, I mean private: you'll be shocked by what you discover about yourself. I'm shocked - and, frankly, a little disgusted - just thinking about it. But it's all in good fun.....leaning my face down next to yours, whispering strange words into your ears...sounding like some sort of archaic language, and something like the sharp razor tones of German words that make no sense whatsoever, but God! They do something to you...
The Moon enters the hot and heavy sign of Aries at 7:22 p.m. There is a sense of immediacy(piss/vinegar) tonight that helps us let go of the past and live in the eternal now, so get the responsibilities taken care of early so the rest of the day and night can be devoted to our Lady Aphrodite. I'm so excited by the prospect that she might actually join me on this little outing that I've quite been masturbating -furiously! - all morning in anticipation. I find myself in a neurasthenic frenzy just contemplating the notion that she and I might get together beneath those same bolts of lightning which are sure to set the Sugar silos aflame again, a psychic chemistry in which the mind of the alchemist merges with the material aspect of his work. Lightcraft likewise performs a kind of "cosmic physics" in a soft laboratory of enmeshed muscle and mind. Circular breathing or (k)not, the Eternal Feminine will always lure to perfection, I love the way she plays with my expectations, my thoughts skirting, my desires panting, my yin yanging in the clanging din, my Lightcraft everywhere at once, in several countries, several states, distributed across multiple time zones, through the solar system, across the Metaverse.... conducting interdisciplinary excavations of Bush's cosmetically concealed Economic train wreck, spectacularly ejaculating the unspoken name of God on to the floor of a hyper-abyssic temple at the peak of an outstanding sonic attack.? Goddamn, I Love You!
With Fondest Regards to you and your lovely planets
Your Dithering Suitor,
Johannes Ayres, Esq.
November 06, 2005
UB Freeform Radio (Sunday, Nov 6th)

THIS SUNDAY
November 6th, 8-11pm PST
... and continuing first-Sundays each month ...
LIVE from the s&S studios (and the hallways in between)
THIS MONTH'S THEME:
WATER BEWITCHED
Hydro-mancy, dousing, albacore alchemy...
"A mermaid and a nun walk into a bar..."
LISTEN LIVE!
SHIRLEY & SPINOZA
Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. PST. (California Time)
Live streams beamed directly from the catacombs of Oakland.
MP3 audio archives (and excerpts) now available!
*contact us directly using AIM or iChat during live webcasts!
screenname: shirleynspinoza
Ride, Salli, ride...
Yeeeee-ha, it's just like having a pony in every room!

THE SALLI SADDLE CHAIR
In saddle sitting the thighs open up to ca. 45 degrees flexion and the sitting bones carry the body weight without pressing the muscles and ducts. This way of sitting is clearly healthier, more comfortable and safer than the traditional because:
1) it activates the back, back muscles strengthens and the posture improves
2) lower back pains disappear
3) shoulder muscle tensions and pains diminish
4) fluid circulation in lower extremities recover
5) because of better posture the breathing deepens and the amount of oxygen increases
6) the chair is easy to move and on the chair it is easy to reach for obstacles: all this increases muscle activity
7) sitting down and standing up is quick
8) the higher work desk required by saddle sitting is suitable for standing work
9) there is more store room under a hoisted table
10) the knee strain diminishes because of the wider angle
11) it enables sitting for many traditionally standing professions because of its movability
12) saddle seats with a gap do not press against men’s genital area and keep the testicals and sperm in the optimal temperature of 33 degrees
13) saddle seats with a gap decrease the temperature of the genital area prevent the infection risk.

THE SALLI SADDLE CHAIR
In saddle sitting the thighs open up to ca. 45 degrees flexion and the sitting bones carry the body weight without pressing the muscles and ducts. This way of sitting is clearly healthier, more comfortable and safer than the traditional because:
1) it activates the back, back muscles strengthens and the posture improves
2) lower back pains disappear
3) shoulder muscle tensions and pains diminish
4) fluid circulation in lower extremities recover
5) because of better posture the breathing deepens and the amount of oxygen increases
6) the chair is easy to move and on the chair it is easy to reach for obstacles: all this increases muscle activity
7) sitting down and standing up is quick
8) the higher work desk required by saddle sitting is suitable for standing work
9) there is more store room under a hoisted table
10) the knee strain diminishes because of the wider angle
11) it enables sitting for many traditionally standing professions because of its movability
12) saddle seats with a gap do not press against men’s genital area and keep the testicals and sperm in the optimal temperature of 33 degrees
13) saddle seats with a gap decrease the temperature of the genital area prevent the infection risk.
November 04, 2005
What I did on Halloween...
I was invited to hang out at the "enchanted bungalows" where some of the former Cockettes and their good friends have lived for years out here in the Oakland hills. Each year, one of the housemates, Larry, who is an amazing welder, sculptor, painter-- well, you name it and he does it-- puts together a giant animated menagerie of spookiness in their front yard and throughout the house. After several large glasses of red wine and many rounds of joint-passing, I somehow managed to grab some relatively focused photographs-- however, I still kick myself each time I party and snap pics that I never seem to remember to get any of myself (!!) Bleh, and I really worked on my whole look that night-- a sort of wood-nymph meets earth spirit with a long flowing velvety cape and lots of feathers, twigs and braids in my hair. Darnit. Ok, I will get better at this. For now, please have a look at some of the photos I was able to grab and maybe some of that wonderful energy that I was experiencing will travel into your eyes and hearts.
(click on photo for rest of album)

The ghost in this image was moving-- I tried taking video but it was so dark it did not turn out very well. You get the idea, but it's nothing without the fabulous sounds that were emanating from the speakers in the ground around the perimeter. Truly top-notch artistry. They said they mainly do this for the neighborhood kids each year, and this year they had 92 children visit. Fabulous...
(click on photo for rest of album)

The ghost in this image was moving-- I tried taking video but it was so dark it did not turn out very well. You get the idea, but it's nothing without the fabulous sounds that were emanating from the speakers in the ground around the perimeter. Truly top-notch artistry. They said they mainly do this for the neighborhood kids each year, and this year they had 92 children visit. Fabulous...
Bad Tech, No Donut...
Run away as fast as you can...
Technology is getting scarier by the minute. What a waste of good electronics...
Technology is getting scarier by the minute. What a waste of good electronics...
November 01, 2005
Post Halloween fun...
Gosh, this is seriously great use of interactive Flash. I love the freehand cuts. Most excellent.
via Chapel Perilous
via Chapel Perilous
Terence McKenna vs. the Black Hole
"... Death is the black hole of biology. It's an event horizon, and once you go over that event horizon, no information can be passed back out of the hole. So people can stand around the edge of the hole and say, Well it was this or that, but in fact, it represents some kind of limit case in the thermodynamics of information. You just can't hand messages back over that threshold. So get yourself pointed right, do not your mantras bungle, and that's about it. When you're actually dead, all bets are off. The best answer I've gotten yet out of this is from Don Delillo's "Underworld", where the nun discovers that when you die you become your website."
(excerpt from interview with TM before his death in April, 2000-- by Erik Davis)
(excerpt from interview with TM before his death in April, 2000-- by Erik Davis)









