15. Uncanny Valley Thanksgiving

“Is the star of The Truman Show suffering from the Truman Show delusion? Have culture and reality finally merged into one, trapping us in a feedback loop? What happens when reality doesn’t show up to the reality show?”

00:00 —On misnomers and false maps…

04:06 —Elevator Riders on the Storm

11:42 —Is Tomorrow a Virgin?

14:15 —A walk with Jesus…

17:26 —Notes on the Mandela Effect

22:51 —Late night at the grocery store self-checkout

30:52 —Zombie Ants

32:50 —Behind The Doors

43:00 —Notes on Dissociation as Enlightenment

50:49 —The Day Before Thanksgiving

54:56 —The Terrarium

57:30 —The Last Laugh

65 minutes

“Time After Time,” by Hiroshi Yoshimura, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” by Robert Goulet, “Baby (slowed down 800 percent)” by Justin Bieber, “Riders on the Storm,” by The Doors, “Blown-Out Joy from Heaven’s Mercied Hole” by A Silver Mt. Zion, “Unseen Forces” by Justin Walter, “#3” by Aphex Twin, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds, “New Space Music,” by Brian Eno, “Everybody’s Talkin'” by Harry Nilsson, “Able-Bodied Seamen,” by Jonny Greenwood, “Disintegration Loops” by William Basinki, “Mad World (slowed down 800 percent)” by Gary Jules, “An Ending (Ascent),” by Brian Eno, “Thursday Afternoon,” by Brian Eno, “#3” by James Devane

14. Autumn is Nature’s Striptease

“I’ve noticed that the last socially acceptable form of discrimination is astrological prejudice. Stereotyping based on gender, race, or sexual orientation is frowned upon, but it’s completely okay to say, ‘I’ll never date another Scorpio, because they’re evil, promiscuous, two-faced, jealous little bitches.’”

0:00 —A Failed MacGuffin

4:37 —The Library

12:14 —Hannah

17:40 — Autumn Leaves

19:45 — Late Night in the Community Room

30:22 — Chat with the chatty Sagittarius on the balcony

44:46 —Job Interview

61 minutes

“Time After Time,” by Hiroshi Yoshimura, “Beeps,” by Gib Strange, “Poa Alpina” by Biosphere, “An Ending (Ascent),” by Brian Eno, “Thursday Afternoon” by Brian Eno, “Gymnopédie No. 1” by Erik Satie, “Nowhere Man,” by The Carpenters, “#3” by Aphex Twin, “Of Cities and Escape,” by The Poppy Family, “Neroli,” by Brian Eno, “Something Blue,” by Hiroshi Yoshimura, “#3” cover by James Devane, “New Space Music,” by Brian Eno, “The Universal,” by Blur

In the Jungle

In the jungle there’s a parasitic fungus that penetrates the exoskeleton of ants. It grows inside their bodies, eating the ant from the inside. Soon the ant is as much fungus as it is ant. Once inside the brain, the fungus modifies the ant’s behavior, making  it leave the colony and climb to a leaf overlooking the colony’s path where it grips a leaf with its mandibles to secure a sniper’s perch. After the ant starves to death up there, a stalk emerges from the ant’s brain. The stalk even knows which direction to grow in order to best position itself, before erupting and raining spores down on the ants below.

Sometimes I think a similar parasite has infected humans, one that uses mind control to ascend specific individuals to great heights where their behavioral and idealogical influence rains down on the public.

Something to See

 

Five years ago I made a film called “Something to See.” The first few minutes are a painfully accurate expression of my experience of panic attacks in the city, but if you can get through that there’s beauty on the other side.