Asa Nisi Masa

"Accept me as I am. Only then can we discover each other."

Fellini has made a film about a fictional director who is attempting to make a seemingly impossible film that can be both fresh and honest. What 8 1/2's fictional director, Guido Anselmi, doesn't realize is that he himself is the protagonist of a film that is just what he sets out to direct. And regardless of whom Guido Anselmi is based on, that parallel is not of adamant relevance. What is of important note, for me, is an artist's selfish need to confess through expression. To be pure to oneself and not compromise, even if your artistic disclosure isn't limited, personally, to you as the only strict subject. You're not only confessing yourself but the honest, uncompromised truths of others through association. Should this matter to art? Art's function, is it not to express, before and above all else? The artist's work isn't inspired to make friends (or enemies for that matter), its not for scandal or reputation (though it may very well seem like); Art is simply in the business of creating and destroying. Its not a matter of one or the other, it is in fact, a fact of both. Art creates and destroys, the flux from one side to the other, distributed howsoever the perspective of the viewer is inclined to receive it, this is Art.

"Of any artist truly worth the name we should ask nothing except this act of faith: to learn silence."

Fellini has made a very creative and destructive film with much success to, at the very least, what Guido Anselmi wished to accomplish. Guido within such a film however, met a different success than his invisible director. Its also a case of honesty and truth when an artist must accept the end. To force something out with no intention other than to stubbornly glorify oneself in the name of commitment alone; ladies and gentleman, here is vanity. When Guido finally stops pursuing his vision through means that could not properly express that vision, having realized this, it was with the same honesty and truth he gripped as weapons that he healed himself when those weapons were used instead, as gauze.

Put Your Channel Where Your Mouth Is

I want to be a magnetar flare. I want to place the Earth between two very jealous black holes. I want to have a voice made out of atom-splitting laser beams, and sing love songs with supernovas. If there were an Earth-massed black hole available, I'd drill a tunnel into Gaea's heart and there I'd build a nest for a "blow-job" of a different nature that would swallow us all. The thought of having my right hand made of matter, as it is, and the left, out of anti-matter makes me want to applaud such a situation. If you haven't guessed it yet, I'll confess it plainly, I would really enjoy the destruction of our planet. Or any planet, I don't want anyone surmising that my desire is one begot of malice towards Earth. On the contrary I love Earth, its beautiful, if anything I wouldn't mind human extinction. Humans aren't that relevant to earth. But despite this irrelevance, I'd have a problem with anyone or thing destroying the entire planet over hatred for any of the earthlings found under its skies. However, as dramatically beautiful as Earth may be, it is only well deserving of a beautiful, dramatic death. Rushing into the sun, life dying, terrain melting and boiling, oceans steaming into vapors, crust melting off until only a tubular core of iron remains to be quickly absorbed by the star, like a snack. Or a sudden halt, stopping the planet and everything on it, meeting a thousand mile per hour resistance to the extreme cease of motion. The resistance, like a thousand mile per hour hurricane sweeping the entire planet. Or maybe gravity can disappear and everything held together by such a force will disband. Or a head-on collision with another planet will do the trick.

The History Channel is ridiculous! There is an obsession on that channel to program shows about end-of-the-world scenarios. Whether these apocalypses are scientific or superstitious, they both carry a precautionary "thou-shalt-beware" tone that implies we, the viewers, should worry. What have these scenarios really to do with history? All these programs about hypothetically destroying or creating worlds should fit farther properly on the Syfy channel. As science fiction tends to be a study of facts and then a logical theorizing on hypothetical situations or circumstances based on those facts, countdown shows such as "10 Ways to Destroy the Earth" would deem more than suitable for a channel dedicated to the genre of science fiction; as oppose to one dedicated to the subject of history. And besides, Syfy needs it. Seriously folks, Malibu Shark Attack! This original Syfy production frightens me by existing more than the horrible CAD abortions that were meant to be "goblin sharks" in the film itself.

As for superstitious apocalypses, doomsday theories, judgement days, and all other biblical disasters to come; these have in my opinion, even less to do with history, besides document how idiotic man can be or become. These programs would be more appropriately placed on Discovery or some religious network.

Let me just say, I love seeing the Earth's atmosphere blown off by a hypothetical gamma burst, in fact it sort of turns me on. Like the tidal wave in Day After Tomorrow, such destruction is like the destruction of blank canvas into a masterpiece painting. I hold my breath and goosebumps peek from out my arms. So what should be terrifying and precautionary, becomes for me, sweet promises and playfully tender teases. Sure its on the wrong channel, possibly on purpose. 2012 is just around the corner, after all. Why not whistle a little fear into the majority who've no idea what 2012 is. We need a new Y2K, most weren't sure what Y2K even was, just that it was a possible threat on a considerable scale and eventually it was spread to armageddon proportions. Likewise has 2012 become a new armageddon built from the ideas of conscious elevation and civilizations' fall and restructuring. I could see why some would fear such a change, especially if such "some" stand to lose power due to this reorganization. Yet, truth is, "some" most likely don't worry about such superstitions; perhaps even, "some" are profiting from the hype. I on the other hand, root for the possibility of a beautiful and dramatic finale. One that no one can see coming or prepare for.