Have a nice day? 

Lynch . . .

David Lynch

artist - Charles Michael Benfield

What the fuck is it?

..why, it's a PoVid, of course! It is based on the poetic art of John E. Lawson up in Maryland, shot here in Texas on a ridiculously cheap Wal-Mart camera made in China, narration by Kek-w in England, machine noise orchestrations by a genius in Kansas and awaits projection to your very own cones and rods. Dig it.

Where the Heart Isn't

J.E. Lawson

I crept and slid among purpling children and blood brambles in full bloom/I was afraid to breathe/bullets hung in mid-air/the pollen of hate seeding our streets while your field lay blighted/in that field there was a solitary horse carcass/I nestled in it's cartilage and glistening bone/and when your screams reached my ears/I knew I'd finally come home

***************************

If ya dig it - tell him about it!

Visit his dark hallways at:

www.johnlawson.org

Change the World, Freestyle

By Jay Densman

          It has taken me roughly 48 years to fully realize and conjure the energy to write this thing. Almost two-thirds the span of the human male life expectancy. Better late than never, I suppose. This is an observation, an alarm, a grievance, a spanking, a shout, a seemingly unrealistic plan …and maybe a solution to the insanity the human race has forced upon itself. Without reservation of any exception(s), it is the story of you and me. Fuck prose, style or common writing structure – I’m just gonna lay it out and let certain things bleed.

          If you are an individual, a free-thinking entity of your own will here on Earth, you are, without exception, subject to the rules and laws and corporate decisions of which you have little or no power to control. All that was put in place way before you were born, and continues to grow, to this very minute, with additional laws and decisions being made without the first consideration of who it may affect (afflict?). You are the target audience. You are percentages on uncountable charts directly concerning profit margins and how to increase sales. Shop Like You Mean It. Your World Delivered. Can You Hear Me Now? One-Stop Shopping Right at Your Fingertips. Happy Motoring. iThis, iThat. Our world has turned into one big, ugly flashing neon sign that has only one thing in mind: to sell you something. Human beings are a cash crop. But you already knew all that, right? You got irritated with it the first time you muted your TV after seeing a certain commercial for the gazillionth time. If you live in a big city like me (Dallas), have you ever bothered to count the billboards, bus-signs, cab-tops, store fronts, radio ads, etc? Absolutely not. They are seemingly infinite, uncountable. A part of the landscape. A part of current reality. All of them have that one thing in common: competition for your greenbacks.

          Remember the ‘Occupy…’ movement? That space in time, not too long ago, when a percentage of the 99% had had enough of the 1% not sharing the wealth? It was about the line drawn between the Have’s and the Have Not’s. Ask yourself, what was it that created that line, that invisible diversionary stone wall. It is a one word answer. Hat’s off to that movement for standing, grass roots level, as one simple and pure thing. Unfortunately, the focus was completely off target. They were after the wrong thing.

          I wish I could find solid data on how many lawsuits happen each year in the world. I’ll bet the real number would flat-out stupefy anyone who sees it, even attorneys. Lawsuits, in the simplest of terms, are based on an individual or entity claiming rights of ownership. The vast majority of these cases, an unknown stratospheric number, involves the threat of paying large amounts of money, the loss of personal freedom(s) and/or property and status.

          Health care. If you live in America and get sick or develop a medical condition and don’t have large amounts of money or health insurance…you’re fucked. Obamacare is nothing but a joke. Pharmaceutical companies will lose literally trillions in revenue if the U.S. converted it’s healthcare policies to that of what 78% of the rest of the world already has in place – free healthcare and $5 prescriptions. It would be interesting to, once again, collect real data on just how many people, in America alone, either suffer needlessly, or die because of the health care system we have in place right now. If some brilliant research chemist found a cure for cancer and decided he or she wanted to give it to the world as one of the greatest curative gifts known to date, and give it freely without cost or lien – what would that single act do? Not just to the universal medical community as a business, but more in the vein of world perception. That is… should it go through. The powers that be would do their best to intercept such an action of ever taking place. They make waaay too much money from a percentage of us being sick. If they couldn’t stop worldwide knowledge of the cure, the race would begin for the highest billion-dollar bids for the cure so they could at least garnish a profit from it as an attempt to alleviate the uselessness of the current treatments, machinery and medications for cancer. Who’s to say something like that hasn’t already happened? I could go on about the healthcare system, but I’m trying to keep this statement brief and to the point. If you want to dig deeper on this subject, I suggest watching Michael Moore’s film ‘Sicko’. You may or may not like the guy, you may be on opposite ends of a political or ethical coin…but facts are facts.

          Famine. You ever feel really bad for the people in this world that don’t have enough food to stay alive? This one really gets under my skin in an ugly way. Have you ever seen those Christian-oriented shows asking for donations to feed the hungry and wondered why something better can’t be done for these poor people? Something more permanent? We have the technology to completely erase hunger from the entire world …so what’s the problem? The simple answer is that it is not economically feasible. Once again, it comes down to money, that one word answer and, for the large of it’s obvious results, does not care who lives, suffers or dies. One afternoon I found myself in a sort of online chat about the then-new movie, The Avengers. People were going on and on about how good the movie is and how much money it had made up to that point. I placed one simple comment in the thread, which got a variety of colorful responses. Here it is, verbatim: ‘As long as there is one single person in this world that is going hungry or at the point of starvation, I could give a flying shit how many billions The Avengers rakes at the box office’. That statement literally divided that thread’s further commenting into a whole new area and my conscience is crystal clear.

          The Have’s and The Have-Not’s. Why does this exist? Does the heart of the problem lie in human nature? From the very moment the first two human being agreed to trade one thing of value for another, we were screwed. Is trading a genetic part of humanity, or have we been programmed, conditioned, to accept this as the way the world works? Money makes the world go ‘round, right? Say you are born into a very wealthy family. All the good things in life await you. All the best restaurants and food, a line of sport cars in an oversized garage, private jet trips to the Alps to ski for the weekend, a Bentley or Rolls with chauffer to get you from A to B, Ives Saint Laurent or Prada your common threads, a mansion to live in, an in-house chef and full wait/maid staff at your disposal, inexhaustible bank account, etc. Life is good. In fact, life is goddamned outstanding and you feel good about being you and not someone else. Now see the same human being born into the purest of poverty and all the hell that comes with it. The mental anguish and utter frustration of knowing that the quality of your life was decided by who your parents are/were and what their status in life is. Most people conditioned by poverty, stay in poverty. They don’t know anything else, it is a way of life – permanent conditioning. An unknown percentage, out of desperation for a better life, drive themselves into a better existence. Then there’s the middle class, the Have-a-Little’s. This is the majority of us. We have jobs and we buy the things that are sold to us. Chances are, you work for a company that provides goods or services. You are a worker bee. The most valuable thing in the corporate universe. You rent or have a mortgage, or if you’ve been fortunate enough, you own your home. You pay your taxes, you buy your food, you have children that will grow up and, chances are, do the same thing you did. Hopefully, if they don’t get derailed by some of the traps the world or personal genetics have to offer. All-in-all, humanity repeats itself. There will always be the Have and The Have-Not’s

…if something in specific doesn’t change.

Well ok then, I’ve stated some of the major problems I see with humanity as a whole and that brings us to a point where you may be asking – Jay, dammit, what does all this shit have to do with me? What are you getting at? (Geez, I’m sounding like a fucking sales pitch!) Yeah, ok, I’m busted. I’m trying to sell you on an idea I have, or at least open your eyes to the possibility of. Maybe an idea that’s not so new. Perhaps you’ve had some pretty crazy ideas yourself concerning the human race. Maybe you’re comfortable in life, maybe you’re not. Maybe, just maybe you’re upset with fucked-up shit, whatever the origin. Perhaps you really don’t appreciate the government flat out lying to you. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you are in this life, the one thing that will affect you, one way or another, is money. It is rare when I use the word ‘hate’. I feel it is way overused and it’s potency overtly diminished. Hate is a very direct and vibrant word, full of electricity and venom. It seethes. I shall now use the word for all it’s worth: I hate money. Not because I don’t have a whole bunch of it, but because the world has placed such value on it as to turn it against the very creatures that invented it. Take a good long look at Wall Street and how it busies itself with the madness of moving money around. That’s all it does. It serves absolutely no function other than to move money from one owner to another, but somehow it’s actions dictate the state of economic health of the U.S.. Remember the Great Depression that happened about a century ago? Look closely at what exactly it was that created that particular economic crash. Some scary shit, to be sure. Competition = winners and losers. It is (the use of) money, or the lack thereof, that creates the majority of the problems the world faces today. Everything and every person is affected by it, bar none.

What I am about to say is something I fully believe. You may think I’m nuts, lost my mind, it’s not do-able, I’m zonkers, flipped-out and definitely not using reality-based logic. If you think any of these things, it is my responsibility to show you a new way to mechanically and morally think of the world and how we should, as a species, pull ourselves out of this self-imposed tyrannical madness and live in a much brighter, freer world. One with less stress and worry. One without ridiculous competition in order to survive or prosper. Toss all those old fears of Marxism, Communism and Socialist ideals straight out the fucking bathroom window. That stuff is poisonous. It has all failed because of the totally wrong approach on equality, some of it absolute sick-o stuff. Dictator bullshit. Nope, I’m far away from that shit and I’ll do my best to explain myself.

Ok? Here goes. Do away with the money system. Burn it all, worldwide. Everything is free. I mean everything from groceries to homes, education to health care, water usage to fast food. Wall Street disappears, trading for profit is non-existent. No more ads or commercials based in competition. No more worrying about things like the light bill or a mortgage. Every family, every single individual has a home to live in. Poverty and famine vanish worldwide. Everyone performs a function in society. If you were born with the aptitude to be an excellent automobile mechanic, that is your responsibility. If you are a writer of poems, that is your responsibility. If you love to cook for others, that is your responsibility. If you are a mother, that is your responsibility as a stay home mom. If you are clueless as what to do with your life, people are in place to help with the vast array of choice possibilities, as that is their area of specialty and responsibility. Say you’re a filmmaker, something you were simply born to do. You go to school and learn your craft from teachers who do not collect a paycheck for teaching. You become a professional, climbing up through all the testing your craft inherently possesses. You come to the point of readiness to make your first feature. You go to the companies that house the equipment, show your credentials as a professional of your craft and you checkout all the equipment you need to make the film, totally free of charge. You and your crew and actors go out and make the film. You return the equipment. Your film is distributed to X number of theaters based on the strength of the audience response at test screenings. People see your film, at no charge. It grows or fades away depending on popularity. Have a great experience and move on to the next adventure. I use this example because I am a filmmaker, restricted by financing. But it could be like that for any craft, art or science. Instead of blowing each other up, warring over ownership and counting money, we could be advancing ourselves as a species through exploration of the sciences and art. Human beings are very resourceful, creative and naturally curious things. Instead, the powers that be tend to stifle artistic expression and scientific exploration, unless it turns a buck. How sick is that. I am also proposing the dismantling of all governments – national or institutional, worldwide, that has anything to do with profitable trading, the buying and selling of things, or anything that has to do with money in any kind of way. Yep, this would reduce our government here in the U.S. by about 70 to 80 percent. Government spending? National deficit? Non-existent. Federal Reserve Bank? Out of business. The Mint - no need for it. Politics? What’s that? Taxes - a nasty thing of the past. The only competition in the world would be played-out in the football stadiums, the Olympics and at your local parks and recreational games in the home. There would still be concerts and pop stars and movie stars, only they don’t get paid. Fame and admiration will have to be enough. Children born in Ethiopia will dine at the finest establishments and have the best medical care. A nice, dry home to live in with a closet full of clothes. Top notch education from educators who love to teach. Our next Einstein or Mozart may appear and show us interplanetary travel or write a music passage so incredibly beautiful as to change the course of music itself. We, as a species, have the potential to be sooo much more than what we currently allow. We should only be limited by our imaginations, not race, geographical location, money or any other useless restrictive circumstance. The more you contribute to society, the more you are rewarded with bigger homes, nicer car, etc. If doing nothing means a lot to you, a simple basic home and car, etc. will do for you. Diamonds and gold? Pretty to look at, but of no real value - those are given away freely at birthdays and gift-giving holidays. All new automobiles run on solar power until enough time passes when all the cars that run on gasoline are phased-out and become historic curiosities. No more dependence on foreign oil. What about violent people, the criminally insane, drug addicts? The non-conformists? Ahh, this is where we get a real chance to shine. To elevate. I’ve never agreed to locking people up and forgetting about’em. I believe there is a key to everything. Once again, understanding, exploration, longstanding efforts from those individuals whose curiosity will never abate. Understanding hatred, violence, alcoholism, abuse, drug addiction, etc. are left to those who have a genuine thirst for it’s understanding and cure, and do these things in a controlled, caring environment that doesn’t resemble a prison or insane asylum. These professionally curious and willing people do exist, you may indeed be one of them. Picture a society where there is true freedom of expression without consequence, only the possibility of personal reward. Picture an environment that is harmonious with nature and the Earth. We came from the Earth, no matter your religious beliefs, this is true. Picture human beings ceasing to be the second most destructive force ever known, second only to a meteor striking the planet, resulting in the Ice Age. Picture a world without barriers or walls, or any attitudes or fears that create unnecessary separations. Picture a life without the reality of theft or the threat of an invading force or a bombing at your local Embassy – the total and absolute removal of paranoia. Picture a life where your only real concern in your whole life is what to have for dinner.

Sounds suspiciously like Pollyannaism or some new-age Shangri-La crapola, doesn’t it? Like I said in the intro, a lot of this is nothing new. Plainly stated, it’s the same world with money, competition and fear tactics removed from the equation. That’s it in a nutshell.

Yeah, there are details to be worked out, but all that stuff pales in comparison to what we would gain in return – total freedom and something close to pure happiness (whatever that is – I can only imagine). This is a very condensed version of what’s rolling around in my head, but it is the basic idea. I’m very tempted to draft out a detailed, comprehensive social model. But like every other dreamer knows – it’s just a dream.

Or is it?

How would something like this come to reality? One of two ways…

One, the mass populace gets fed-up with the corporate universe and being held at arm’s length the promise of a better life and the blatant oppression of equality (which is just another terminology for discrimination). The 99%, all at once - worldwide, stands up and dethrones the powers that be, all in favor of an open society. The 1% wouldn’t stand a chance, no more than a fart in a hurricane, and change would surely happen. What do I mean by ‘stand up’? It means the 99%, in it’s entirety, within the space of one hour, no longer use money or recognize the need to be paid. Ignoring all policies and regulated laws that are currently in place concerning money and trade. Grocery store owners give food freely. Electricity, gas and the such are instantly free. People work as before, but no longer expect paychecks. The homeless and the starving move into housing in the country of their choice. Etc, et al. WE create the change instantaneously and stop waiting in vain for governmental levity.

Two, the human race slowly evolves to a kinder view of itself, provided it doesn’t blow itself up or damage the planet beyond repair in the meantime. One thing is certain, we are evolving. Hopefully to the betterment of ourselves as a species.

Like Ripley says in ‘Aliens’, “You know Burke, I don’t know which species is worse. You don’t see them fucking each other over for a percentage”.

Think about it.

In this existence, there is no second chance. We fuck up – it’s game over. Goodbye humans. I am not an individual with great power, nor do I wish to be. I enjoy making films and music. That is what my genetic structure and conditioning dictate. So, what can I do about this world and what I’ve seen of it? If I were a writer, a real writer, I would have better, more potent words: I hope to see, in my lifetime, the dissolution of the current fear-based world powers and replaced with a brilliant surge of creativity, kindness and full acceptance of current differentials and the worldwide drive and desire of all people to live in a better place in full, clear focus.

It could all happen today - if we choose to stand at once.

Those are my hopes. What about you?

(re-post anywhere, any time, at will)

…Jay Densman 

June 22, 2013

MAD MONSTER PARTY! FILM FEST! YAAAHHH!!!

Bizarro Double Feature!

Two of my short films at one wicked convention!

Mad Monster Party