20080428

Monday

TREASURE

(excerpts)

After going through my Hi-8 video archives (for, “Splice”, my new art project), I decided to purchase a back up Hi-8 mm video camera for playback purposes in case my deck breaks.

I was worried that in the future, that format will become so obsolete that I won’t be able to find devices to play the tapes. I also knew that if I don’t buy the camera now—it would be too risky to buy used equipment in the future; because I wouldn’t know what kind of wear the old equipment had taken.

It turned out that I couldn’t find a brand new HI8 video camera anywhere. So I searched the online classifieds (Craig’s list).

I found someone that was selling a fairly new camera for dirt cheap.

The purchase required a trip to a new development area in Westminster, Colorado.

Now, I’ve always had bad feelings about Westminster; I find it very suburban redneck. Although on the surface, everything looks “normal”—the people are actually very ignorant and have a long silent history of racism (I know, because I grew up here in the early 80s).

I ended up driving to a Beige Concrete City encapsulated in a profane neighborhood with same-color HOA homes; fast moving traffic, strangely huge Wal-Mart-like buildings—that were actually Sports bars or recreational centers.

I got lost, so I pulled up to a hotel to ask the Valet for directions. I noticed that when he spoke to me, everything about Westminster, Colorado flooded my mind—in terms of the personalities and mentalities of sheltered white suburbanites.

There was something strangely “Dead” in his eyes—and I picked up nothing but seething unconscious hatred within him; so much Ego junk that goes unrealized and can just “snap” at any time.

I remembered suddenly why I had to leave this hellhole when I was old enough venture out on my own.

Apparently, the guy who sold me the camera told me to go to a bar where his wife works to pick it up.

I had to park in a large parking lot and walk along a strange open brick laden area that wrapped around more large buildings.

I found the Bar and walked inside.

At that moment, a few things stunned me: there were about 15 Television sets suspended from the ceiling with Media flickering everywhere. As I walked down the long restaurant, I quickly counted the sets with my eyes.

I felt as though I had entered a whole other foreign terrain, a territory of human species and the numbing existence of cultural decay. It felt “dangerous” to me—like the Wild Wild West—because people who dwell in these environments thrive on Homogeny and fear of anything different.

I couldn’t even look at the people—because I didn’t want to pick up their energy; I didn’t want their image to lock into my brain and haunt me. I am very protective of my eyes: of what I see and experience; that’s why I never look at people—unless I really want to.

There is an obvious exchange and “dumping” of energy between people—that goes unrecognized. I find myself having to cleanse much of what I see and pick up—when I “take home” images of people I see.

When I do look at people—I seem to pick up everything. Most of the time, it’s harmless—but in this place; I immediately felt disturbed and instinctively shut everything out.

I walked all the way to the back and noticed that the entire place smelled like a Strip Joint. Yes, there is a “strip joint” odor…just as there is an Irish Pub, Yoga Studio, Post Office, Pet Store, Summer, Spring and Winter Odor.

I know that Strip Joint smell well—and thought it was funny because the entrance at the door said, “Adult Supervision Required”—although it is just a regular bar. Or is it?

When I met the woman, I tried to remain as my natural self—but I couldn’t relate to her at all. The people in Westminster are NOT human: they are dead inside. They speak, walk and talk like humans, but they are not. They are subhuman.

I brought a HI8 tape with me and tested out the equipment. I paid her in cash and left.

When I walked out the door; I had this weird feeling like people would run me over for being Asian. That Antagonistic “crazy dumb animal” vibe has never left this city.

“Ordinary” people would never know this vibe because they are not in my body or they blend so well—that they couldn’t define it even if it hit them over the head.

But I’m an extremely sensitive person—and have not been in this type of environment in a very long time.

Since the time I’ve been in Colorado, I’ve mixed with very few people: usually I meet people from California or New York, downtown dwellers, bohemians, shamans, artists or people of different ethnicities.

I was shocked that while I was walking to my car, I suffered a low-grade depression: a foreign and uniquely personal feeling, a “wound” that I’ve not felt in a very long time.

I also noticed that my Vibrational (sic.) Integrity dropped about 80%.

Not to insult Minerals, but it was clear to me that the level of Consciousness (if you could call it that) of Westminster is about as low as a Rock.

I’ve never felt so emotional numb, so intellectual dumb and so dead before. That was when I realized and understood how I’ve been so suicidal as a teen growing up in this area.

Everything in my life is meaningful; so I cannot help but wonder what exactly brought me to “back” to this place. I felt so oppressed by the Profanity of this sterile existence.

For a good fifteen minutes—I couldn’t readjust my energy. I felt like my inner reality was completely clipped off or Walled in by some strange Lie.

Then I realized that I experienced something very close to Hell; that Life on earth—as it is invented by stupid people (operated and lived in by stupid people) creates a living Hell.

I kept asking myself why Shakti brought me here; why I had to have this experience: why there are places on Earth where people don’t Feel, don’t Think, and are not Living or Alive nor contribute to this beautiful concept called the Human Race.

I do not believe that God invented Earth to be a Hell. I am convinced Hell is a human design: they design it by suppressing Consciousness, Spontaneity, Beauty and Nature.

For over a year, I had been planning to shoot images of Sterile Suburbia for an experimental short that I would call “Liquid.” It’s a play on words—because I plan to capture a lot of cold-looking homes, facades of homes that look like Prison complexes. Yet, I’m calling the piece “Liquid”—as if I am searching for some kind of “flow” or movement and life in this Sad reality that Industrial Humans have created.

I plan for it to be a Transcendental piece—to find Art in the Ugly: or Beauty amidst Profanity—like Life on a Desert…..

I have been helping my friend Joseph out on his documentary, and every time I’d drive to the shoot, I would pass these REALLY UGLY homes along the highway.

Last week, I asked Joseph to give me a ride to the shoot so on our way back—I pointed to the homes from the highway and told him about my Liquid project.

I said to him, “I have no idea how I’d get there from the highway to shoot close shots of those HOA homes.”

BTW: I call everything Evil and Hell-like on earth “HOA“—which means “Home Owners Associations.” I wish Michael Moore would do a doc on HOAs—they are the most twisted concepts (of social oppression and legalized mafia and taxation) that industrial sick humans have ever invented; an existence that makes the 1960s British show, “The Prisoners” look like a walk in the park.

Well, today, when I drove to pick up the HI8 camera, I got a bit lost and took a turn heading North.

All of a sudden, I found myself passing through the Neighborhood that I pointed to from the Highway!

My heart felt so happy! I felt that this was so meaningful—that I ended up on this block from an inner road. Now, I know how to get back here to shoot some footage!

But then as I drove deeper—the business development area got weirder and weirder: it was sooooo Sterile, so Inhuman and Cold.

In short, today I visited Hell and saw Dead People. If anyone ever wants to visit hell and see dead people—just visit Westminster, Colorado. Don’t wait until you die to see Hell: you can get a glimpse now–obtain a Second Life and Rise from the dead in this life.

I am sure there are more Dead People covenants all over America.